Today marks Sonic’s 30th anniversary and SEGA wasn’t going to let that pass without some sort of celebration. They chose to have a whole digital event dedicated to the speedy hedgehog, the first-ever Sonic Central. During the event, they revealed a plethora of new content. From new console experiences to new shows, there is plenty of Sonic-filled fun in our futures.
The first bit of news announced was that SEGA will be holding an orchestral concert on June 23 which you can catch a preview of during the Summer Game Fest Kick-off on June 10. This concert will showcase 30 years’ worth of SEGA music that we all know and love. This first portion also had an appearance from the creator of the upcoming animated Netflix series, Sonic Prime, which will premiere in 2022. After this, SEGA took it back to where it all began: video games.
The first game to be discussed is Sonic Colors: Ultimate, a remaster of the 2010 platformer that will be coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC through the Epic Games Store on September 7. You can pre-order the game now to get an exclusive Baby Sonic keychain and more. The first trailer for the game was premiered as well which you can check out here. During this segment, SEGA also showcased a quick 30-second teaser for the two-part animated series Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps, which will have Roger Craig Smith reprising his role as Sonic once more.
SEGA is also working on a compilation pack that will bring Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles, and a Sonic CD together in one package. The team said there will be more information about this compilation and its new content in the coming weeks. Alongside the remaster and compilation, it was also announced that Sonic Team, who previously made Sonic Generations and Sonic Forces, has begun production on a brand new game starring the fastest hedgehog in the galaxy. Only a quick teaser was shown that gives you a glimpse at the famous blue blur.
You’ll also soon be able to play some of your favorite Sonic games on new platforms. Sonic Mania and Team Sonic Racing launch on Amazon Luna today and Sonic Mania will be showing up in the Epic Games Store on June 24. And that’s not all, on June 1, Sonic Forces, Team Sonic Racing, and Sonic Mania will all be available on PlayStation Now.
SEGA didn’t forget about the mobile gamers either. Sonic Forces: Speed Battle will have private races for a limited time later this year as a special event, and you’ll able to harness the power of the Chaos Emeralds as Super Sonic in-game now! Get ready to set sail in Sonic Dash where you can unlock Pirate Sonic and Captain Shadow while collecting many other rewards as well during a pirate-themed party. Sonic Racing is going to bring you back to the classics with characters, cars, and three new tracks in old-fashioned environments with old-school remixes. Get ready for October in Sonic Forces and Sonic Dash when they’ll unleash the dark and mightly Werehog to spread fear around Halloween.
Now just because we couldn’t have the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in real life doesn’t mean we can’t in the virtual world with SEGA’s Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game. You’ll be able to dress up as Sonic in this game as you take part in various Olympic events. The game launches on June 22 for all platforms. Pre-orders are available now.
As Sonic celebrates 30 years, you’ll be seeing the blue hedgehog popping up throughout the year in some of SEGA’s other games, starting with Two Point Hospital. After July 22, you’ll be able to build your hospital and personalize your characters and settings with elements from the Sonic universe, all free of charge.
During Sonic Central they also talked about their Sonic commemorative items to celebrate 30 years. SEGA is collaborating with multiple companies to create fun collectibles for all ages, such as a Giant Eggman Robot toy set from JAKKS Pacific Inc., a full-color Sonic encyclopedia by Dark Horse, commemorative gold and silver coins from APMEX, and much much more. IDW is also releasing an 80-page comic book comprised of three stories pitting the legendary heroes of the license against the eternal villains.
SEGA really pulled out all the stops in this first-ever Sonic Central, announcing a variety of new content to keep all fans of Sonic excited. What was your favorite announcement of the event? Let us know down in the comments below.
