User:Shadowboxer2005/Arcade games in the Sonic the Hedgehog series

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Since the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has grown in popularity, Sega and its development teams have produced a number of arcade games for the series beginning in 1991. Waku Waku Sonic Patrol Car and SegaSonic Cosmo Fighter were both released as children's rides in 1991 and 1993, followed up by SegaSonic the Hedgehog in October 1993, as well as two Sonic-themed vending machines in SegaSonic Popcorn Shop and SegaSonic Cotton Candy Scramble. The last major arcade release was Sonic the Fighters in 1996, a 3D fighting game in the style of Virtua Fighter. SegaSonic Bros., a falling block game designed by Fukio Mitsuji, was planned for release in 1992, only to get cancelled due to failing its location test.

The Sonic arcade games have been described as obscure by many writers,[1][2] nor have many seen official releases outside of Japan; only Cosmo Fighter, SegaSonic, and Fighters saw official, albeit very limited English releases.[3][4][5] Fighters also remains the only Sonic arcade game to be re-released, both as part of Sonic Gems Collection (2005) and a standalone HD port for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Games[edit]

Waku Waku Sonic Patrol Car (1991)[edit]

  • Release date:
  • Developer: Sega AM1
  • Hardware: Sega System C2

Waku Waku Sonic Patrol Car[a] (titled in-game as Harinezumi Sonic no Omawari-san[b]) was the first Sonic arcade game, as well as the first Sonic game to feature voice acting. It was released in 1991 as a children's ride where players would sit in a physical miniature car, and gameplay has Sonic driving in a police car as the player attempts to patrol the streets to keep it safe from Doctor Eggman.[1][6][7][8]

SegaSonic Bros. (1992, canceled)[edit]

  • Release date: Unreleased[9][10]
  • Developer: Sega
  • Hardware: Sega System C2

Designed by Bubble Bobble creator Fukio Mitsuji,[9][11] SegaSonic Bros.[c] was intended to be a falling block puzzle game released in 1992, but ultimately canceled after it failed its location test in Japan,[9][10] and allegedly due to being deemed to lack the "specialness" of the Sonic series.[12] The gameplay has 2x2 squares in various colors (red, yellow, and blue initially, with white introduced at level 30) falling to the bottom of the screen, with the player only able to erase them if they surround a group in another square of colors, or create a line across the screen.[9] The name "SegaSonic" was chosen for the game, as well as other arcade titles, due to Sega having lost the Sonic trademark after failing to turn in their paperwork on time.[13]

SegaSonic Bros. was virtually unknown to the community until Koji Kendo, director of the Custom Robo series, tweeted about it on his account in June 2014;[9][10] in 2018, two years after a working PCB of the game was discovered, it was dumped online and soon made playable in a special version of MAME.[9][14] Notably, the game contained an early renditions of songs that would appear in other games, particularly Blue Spheres in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994).[9]

SegaSonic Cosmo Fighter (1993)[edit]

  • Release date:
  • Developer: Sega AM1
  • Hardware: Sega System C2

SegaSonic Cosmo Fighter[d] (also known as SegaSonic Cosmo Fighter Galaxy Patrol)[15] is a top-down vertical space shooter where the player, as Sonic, shoots down enemies and avoids attacks. Like Waku Waku, it is a children's ride ride.[16] SegaSonic Cosmo Fighter was believed to have never been released outside of Japan until 2021, when a Twitter user announced he had recovered an English board that had used at the Sega World Sydney amusement park, before having its ROM image dumped online in 2023.[3]

SegaSonic Popcorn Shop (1993)[edit]

  • Release date:
  • Developer: Sega AM1
  • Hardware: Sega System C2

SegaSonic Popcorn Shop[e] was a vending machine that would dispense popcorn (either salted, buttered, or curry), and while it was preparing, the operator could play a small minigame where they would turn a crank to prevent Eggman from hitting Sonic with a hammer.[2][17]

A second vending machine, SegaSonic Cotton Candy Scramble[f] was also in development and was presented at the Japan Amusement Expo 1994;[18] its patent, released in July 2000, suggested it would've started distribution after August 25, 1993, however it is unknown if it ever saw any release.[19]

SegaSonic the Hedgehog (1993)[edit]

Main article: SegaSonic the Hedgehog

Having been designed after the gameplay of Marble Madness (1984),[22] SegaSonic the Hedgehog[g] is an isometric platform game with up to three players controlling Sonic, Mighty, and Ray through seven levels to escape an island after Eggman trapped them on it.[23] Unusually, the game is controlled with a trackball, as well as a single button used to jump.[24][25] A port to the 32X was reported in late-1994, but nothing came of it.[26][27] Yuji Naka also stated that SegaSonic was intended for inclusion in Sonic Gems Collection (2005) for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube, but was removed due to difficulty emulating the controls.[25]

Like Cosmo Fighter, it was unclear if SegaSonic saw an official international release until 2024, when an English board appeared online;[4] prior to its discovery, dataminers had previously discovered translated English dialogue and sprites for Eggman using his design from the American television series, which were presumed to have been used in an international release.[28]

Sonic the Fighters (1996)[edit]

Main article: Sonic the Fighters

Sonic the Fighters,[h] known as Sonic Championship for its arcade release outside of Japan, is a 3D fighting game developed by Sega AM2, the development team of the Fighting Vipers series. Conceived during the development of the first Fighting Vipers game, the game saw a release in Japan in May 1996,[20] as well as a limited launch in North America later on;[5][29][30] a port to the Sega Saturn was conceived for release in late-1996, but never did,[31][32] with Yoijro Ogawa of Sonic Team theorizing its cancellation was likely due to issues recreating the arcade experience on the console.[33] It was later ported to the GameCube and PS2 as part of Gems Collection,[34] as well as a standalone HD port for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012, which added in characters that had previously been cut from the game due to time constraints.[35][36]

The gameplay mechanics of Sonic the Fighters are simple, with players able to punch, kick, or spawn a defensive barrier with a wide variety of special moves with certain buttons pressed; players can also spend their defensive barrier in favor of a "Hyper Mode" allowing for significantly faster inputs.[37]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Japanese: わく わくソニックパトカー, Hepburn: Waku Waku Sonikku Pato Kā, lit. 'Exciting Sonic Patrol Car'
  2. ^ Japanese: はりねずみ ソニックのおまわりさん, lit. 'Hedgehog Sonic Police Officer'
  3. ^ Japanese: ソニックブラザーズ, Hepburn: Sonikku Burazāzu, lit. 'Sonic Brothers'
  4. ^ Japanese: セガソニック・コスモ・ファイター, Hepburn: Segasonikku Kosumo Faitā
  5. ^ Japanese: セガソニック ポップコーンショップ, Hepburn: Segasonikku Poppukōnshoppu
  6. ^ Japanese: セガソニック わたあめ スクランブル, Hepburn: Segasonikku Watāme Sukuranburu
  7. ^ Japanese: セガソニック・ザ・ヘッジホッグ, Hepburn: SegaSonikku za Hejjihoggu
  8. ^ Japanese: ソニック・ザ・ファイターズ, Hepburn: Sonikku za Faitāzu

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Priestman, Chris (September 21, 2015). "One Of The Most Obscure Sonic Games Will Soon Be Playable On PC". Siliconera. Gamurs Group. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Good, Owen S. (October 26, 2015). "Emulator brings obscure Sonic popcorn-machine game back to life". Polygon. Vox Media. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Yarwood, Jack (March 8, 2023). "Rare Sonic Arcade Game Features The Series's Strangest Voice Acting". Time Extension. Hookshot Media. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  4. ^ a b McFerran, Damien (January 11, 2024). "Rare 'SegaSonic' Arcade Game Has Been Dumped And Preserved". Time Extension. Hookshot Media. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Pétronille, Marc; Audureau, William (2014). The History of Sonic the Hedgehog. Pix'n Love. pp. 194–195. ISBN 978-1926778969.
  6. ^ a b Plunkett, Luke (September 20, 2015). "Super-Rare Sonic The Hedgehog Game, Once Lost, Now Playable". Kotaku. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  7. ^ Mlot, Stephanie (September 21, 2015). "Rare Sonic the Hedgehog 'Patrol Car' Game Coming to PC". PCMag. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  8. ^ Martin, Liam (September 21, 2015). "Rare Sonic the Hedgehog game found in mall". Digital Spy. Hearst UK. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Katala, Kurt (December 9, 2018). "SegaSonic Bros". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Kenjo, Koji [@KenjohKohji] (June 26, 2014). 『アはアーケードのア』 第15回『ソニックブラザーズ』（1992年セガ）をアップしました。MTJこと三辻富貴朗氏がセガに企画を持ち込んで開発されたのですが、ロケテスト段階で没になり、残念ながら市場に出回ることのなかった幻のゲームです (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved February 8, 2024 – via Twitter.
  11. ^ @suddendesu (December 14, 2018). "Actually, something people will be far more interested in is unused this string at 0x746C: "ORIGINAL GAME CONCEPT B…" (Tweet). Retrieved February 8, 2024 – via Twitter.
  12. ^ Nilsen, Al (May 1993). "Sega, 1993 and Beyond...". Electronic Gaming Monthly. p. 52. We have developed two Sonic arcade games that have never been released because they were not the specialness Sonic was. We are continuing to look to see if we can do something with Sonic in the arcade. There is a Sonic arcade project but nothing scheduled for release.
  13. ^ Szczepaniak, John (2018). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Volume 3. S.M.G Szczepaniak. pp. 308–309. ISBN 978-0992926083.
  14. ^ Donohoo, Timothy (November 23, 2019). "Sonic the Hedgehog: The Canceled Sega Games You'll Never Play". Comic Book Resources. Valnet Inc. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  15. ^ Orland, Kyle (August 16, 2014). "Unemulated: Eleven classic arcade games you can't play at home". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  16. ^ Arellano, Patrick (May 7, 2023). "10 Weirdest Sonic Spinoffs, Ranked". Comic Book Resources. Valnet Inc. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  17. ^ Cmdr Zorg (March 2007). "The SegaSonic Popcorn Shop - And Bonus Waku". UK Resistance. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  18. ^ Amusement Machine Guide (in Japanese). Sega. 1994. p. 13. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  19. ^ Miyamoto, Koijro (July 14, 2000). 物品提供ゲ—ム方法及び映像ゲ—ムを利用した物品提供方法 [Method of providing goods using a video game]. Astamuse. Archived from the original on December 30, 2018. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  20. ^ a b c セガ・アーケード・ヒストリー [Sega Arcade History] (PDF). Famitsu. 2002. p. 124. ISBN 4-7577-0790-8.
  21. ^ Doolan, Liam (April 20, 2020). "Sega Open To Reviving Sonic's 1993 Arcade Game, But Needs Your Support". Nintendo Life. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  22. ^ Szczepaniak, John (2018). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Volume 3. S.M.G Szczepaniak. pp. 308–309. ISBN 978-0992926083.
  23. ^ "Sonic The Hedgehog Arcade - Videogame by Sega of Japan". The International Arcade Museum (in English and Japanese). Killer List of Video Games. 1995–2012. Archived from the original on April 27, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2012. The game play is somewhat similar to Marble Madness.
  24. ^ "Sonic the Hedgehog (tentative title)" (PDF). Electronic Gaming Monthly. Vol. 6, no. 8. August 1993. p. 60,62. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 13, 2017. Retrieved October 11, 2017.
  25. ^ a b Kemps, Heidi (September 30, 2005). "GameSpy Xbox: Sega's Yuji Naka Talks! - Page 2". GameSpy. Internet Archive. IGN Entertainment. p. 2. Archived from the original on February 19, 2006. Retrieved May 28, 2012. Yuji Naka: It was done by part of the Sega arcade division at the time. We did think about adding it to Gems Collection, though, but we couldn't implement it in the end because the game used a trackball control scheme that is very, very difficult to replicate with a standard controller.
  26. ^ "Work in Progress" (PDF). Computer and Video Games. No. 155. October 1994. p. 33. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 13, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  27. ^ "Multimedia" (PDF). Mean Machines Sega. No. 24. October 1994. p. 20. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 13, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  28. ^ Kalata, Kurt (July 17, 2018). "SegaSonic The Hedgehog". Hardcore Gaming 101. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  29. ^ Theobald, Phil (August 15, 2005). "Sonic Gems Collection". GameSpy. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  30. ^ Torres, Ricardo (May 19, 2005). "E3 2005: Sonic Gems Collection Hands-On". GameSpot. Fandom Inc. Archived from the original on February 19, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  31. ^ "Red Hot Scoop! Sonic Returns in AM2 Fighting Game!" (PDF). Computer and Video Games (171): 98. February 1996. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 24, 2018.
  32. ^ "Sega Saturn News: Sonic Revival" (PDF). Sega Saturn Magazine (UK) (4): 6. February 1996. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 24, 2018.
  33. ^ GameSpy Staff (July 22, 2005). "Yojiro Ogawa Interview". GameSpy. Archived from the original on March 18, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  34. ^ Castro, Juan (August 19, 2005). "Sonic Gems Collection". IGN. Archived from the original on February 14, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  35. ^ Hasan Almaci, Ali; Kemps, Heidi (March 31, 2006). "The Last Arcade Crusaders Sega-AM2 Interview". 1UP.com. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  36. ^ "Round One, Fight: AM2 Classics Available Now". Sega Blog. November 27, 2012. Archived from the original on July 17, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  37. ^ Sonic Championship "How to Play" move sheet. Sega. 1996. Archived from the original on April 5, 2017.
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