Sega’s made it clear that the Sonic series has become one of their yearly franchises, so today’s announcement of a new major title featuring the blue blur shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. What may be a surprise is the fact that it’s based on an upcoming television series.
Sonic Boom is the third and final game to come from the partnership between Sega and Nintendo that was announced last May. The game’s characters and setting are based on the upcoming television series of the same name, with series regulars Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Dr. Eggman each receiving new redesigns. While the gameplay seems to mix the series’ classic platforming with action in the same way Sonic Unleashed did during its “werehog” segments, the game isn’t actually in development at Sonic Team– rather, the Wii U version is being developed by Big Red Button Entertainment, while the 3DS version is in development at Sanzaru Games, the team behind last year’s Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. The Wii U version will utilize CryEngine 3 for its engine rather than Sega’s own Hedgehog Engine. The first trailer for the game can be viewed above.
The announcement of a tie-in game may be a surprise to many, but what remains to be seen is if these two teams can deliver an enjoyable Sonic title that doesn’t succeed based on brand association alone. Are you looking forward to giving Sonic Boom a try? Let us know in the comments.
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