"Multiple" new Sonic games planned for 2021

I can see the announcement now: Introducing Sonic Mania 2, developed by Dimps in association with Sonic Team. Now with new HD graphics and super-fast boosting action!

 

I'm not expecting and don't want another anniversary title. We've had Gens & Mania in the last 10 years so there isn't the need for another one anytime soon.

I liked the format of SEGA releasing a 3D game and 2d game in 2017 and would like that again in 2021; a new 3D (Sonic Team) game and/or a new 2D game (by EveningStar or someone else). If not then perhaps a collection of the boost games. Not fussed about Gens, but a collection of Colours & Unleashed would be okay.

I still want a Sonic 3 Remaster, even more than a Sonic Mania sequel. Yeah, I know we have AIR and 3Complete (which are awesome) but it will have been 10 years in 2021 since Sonic 3 was last released in any official capacity-which was on Steam back in 2011, so it's long overdue a new release (...unless you count Sonic 3 some how being released in Brazil a few years ago). If the Jetzons can get away with releasing a vinyl version of Hard Times with Ice Cap artwork on the cover, then surely SEGA can get away with releasing Sonic 3 with Ice Cap (The Jetzons) music without getting their ass sued

 

I predict at minimal a 2D and 3D Sonic game are on the way next year. Also maybe a party style game like the Olympics. It wont be racing as that came out last year.

 

My guess is on:
-"Generations 2 ft. Forces" with Zones from newer games as well as ones from older titles that weren't in Generations, complete with Avatar creator.
-Mario & Sonic at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games (possibly with throwbacks to the first M&S game; both will have taken place in Beijing.)
-A handful of Sonic games previously not available on Switch - probably CD, Adventure 1, Adventure 2, maybe Generations.

It's fun to speculate, but ehh, who knows? Guess we'll see. A lot of you guys are probably right about a mobile game.

 

I don't know what to expect from Sonic Team. But I'm gonna be honest with myself, if the we get another boost game I'm gonna be upset. Whether it's of the quality of Generations or Forces, doesn't matter. I'm also gonna be upset if they pull another Mania with more reused old zones.

 

I honestly literally don't know to expect. Just want the game to be good enough. Doesn't matter if it wil lbe Classic, Adventure or Boost.

At least I'm already counting with a good soundtrack made by Jun Senoue / Tomoya Ohtani / Kenich Tokoi / Tee Lopes.

 

I'm so goddamned sick of anniversary titles. why does it feel like every Sonic game in the past decade has been an anniversary title....

(but hey, the soundtrack will be sick)

 

Games like Sonic Forces can sell well and turn a profit, but it's diminished expectations for a series that used to be able to complete with Mario isn't it? Now we're back to a point where people are more excited about Spyro and Crash Bandicoot. Those series, along with the likes of Tomb Raider and Mortal Kombat, all had a successful trilogy of games, followed by a string of mediocre low-key titles, then a resting period and a big splashy return.

Sonic's resting period was the Saturn. Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 were the big splashy return, which were relatively successful, but on hardware not many people owned. Then they kind of blew it - almost everything since has been frequently and loudly bad-to-average. The series briefly got back on track in the gaming community with Sonic Colours and Sonic Generations, then almost immediately destroyed that goodwill with Lost World, Boom and Forces. In many ways this is a worse position to be in than series like Crash Bandicoot or Mortal Kombat, where nobody paid much attention to the lesser games and they had enough of a break to do a big "IT'S BACK!" series relaunch.

Is Sega going to use the 30th anniversary as an opportunity to actually get serious this time? Are they going to build on the goodwill that Sonic Mania and (against all odds) the movie gained them? It's not going to be easy. It's not easy to make people forget almost 20 years of high profile misfires. And one great game isn't going to be enough - the next one has to be great too, and the one after that, and the spinoffs. It has to be about both the presence of great games and the absence of bad games.

Sonic is an A-grade property, in the long run they're diminishing their brand and their profits by not treating it like one. A new Sonic title should carry the same prestige as a new Mario or Zelda, let alone Crash Bandicoot.

 

Personally I think someone at the top needs to just admit Sonic in 3D is mostly shit and work out what they actually want from their games. "Gotta go fast" is reducing the franchise to interactive cut scene status and that is not where your flagship mascot character should be headed.

Mania, despite the recycling - which for many of us reminded us of what Sonic used to be - hit the right formula really. Sonic at heart is a run, jump, and dodge platformer. Not spam the shoulder buttons to dodge left/right as the course rushes towards you at mega-speed. I just can't engage with that.

So yes, whilst a Mania 2, with wholly original content would be great, I just know that isn't what we'll get

 

I think people get too hung up on everyone allegedly hating Sonic. People take the piss out of Sonic because it's funny and easy to do, but that doesn't mean they hate him. I take the piss out of Sonic with my friends all the time, I don't hate him.

There just haven't been many times when Sonic has been legitimately great, but when there have been, people approach Sonic fairly and in good faith. When Sonic Generations came out, everyone was pretty enthusiastic about it, despite its flaws. In fact the general public likes Sonic Generations far more than the fandom seems to nowadays. When Sonic Mania came out the reaction was overwhelmingly positive and it became a popular game for big Youtubers to cover and promote. People took the piss out of the Sonic Movie initially because it looked horrendous, but they really got on board with it and celebrated it when it turned out to be good. To the extent where even I thought "wow, really, you can just get on board with the Sonic film that quickly?"

Honestly, most people love Sonic. I think a lot of people in the Sonic fandom think everyone thinks in exactly the same way as Game Grumps when that's just not the case. When Sonic products have been great the general public support it wholeheartedly. You can take the piss out of something for its missteps while still loving it when it's actually good.

It wouldn't be hard for Sonic to get on track again. It wouldn't take five amazing games in a row for people to like Sonic. It would just take one excellent game. Sonic 06 isn't this inescapable torment of hell from which the franchise will never escape.

 

Sounds good except for the part where 06 is a boost game. Whe already have so little Adventure stuff, let’s not take away what’s here

 

I just want a new 3D game. I don't care what playstyle as long as it's fun. They have had 3 years of development time since Forces came out. We thought the same thing was going on leading into Forces but they were just redoing the engine for most of that time.

I hope with a long development cycle they make a game that's polished and really fun to play. I know Sonic Team has it in them. If it's good enough that they can 3D Mario from now on and only drop a new main series game every 4-5 years with no complaints because it's worth the time waiting then even better.

 

You don't "get back on track" with isolated, individual successes sandwiched between continued missteps and rare fiascos. You actually have to produce a reliable track record of hits if you're actually aiming to achieve effective recovery with your franchise; rather than winging it in the hopes you lucked out and released a popular product by accident.

We've seen how with Colors and Generations, people had believed those games were the start of Sonic Team finally learning from their mistakes and the series put on the road to redemption. We've also seen what has actually happened ever since those games came out. One could even call into question if "getting back on track" was even the correct assumption to make, given the other Sonic games (Sonic 4, Free Riders, etc.) released in the same period.

The above also explains the frustration with the air of ambiguity that's hung over the franchise in the wake of Mania and Forces' release. There is no meaningful assurance of Sega applying any long term change in accordance to how each of those two games were received. This especially looks bad when you look at how quick Sega was to announce structural changes after the Boom games dropped in comparison.

That's why people say in order for Sonic to be good again, you actually need to be distributing several great games, continuously; rather than just mustering up one. As it stands, there are plenty of people who have just gotten sick of the series' nonsense and stopped buying the games / stopped caring altogether. And even more will continue to do so as long as Sega isn't interested in a genuine rethink of the direction of what is supposed to be their flagship/mascot series.

I'm mixed on this. I do think promoting/releasing Mania and Forces around the same time had the effect of both titles cannibalizing each other; with Mania stealing Forces' (rather dim) spotlight and raising the bar to a level Forces couldn't hope to compete, and Forces's mediocre reception in return uppercutting the three months' of goodwill Mania did secure for the franchise at large. At the same time though, Mania absolutely clowning Forces pre-release and coming out to widespread praise I feel was absolutely needed to really put into perspective how much Sonic Team was and has been fucking up all this time.

I dunno. Assuming there is both a 2D game and a 3D game coming, I would rather Sega gave each game its own year to breathe, much like how Nintendo does with their Mario games. Like, you can announce both to be in development like they did with Mania and Forces, but have one game be the focus of the 2021/30th anniversary year and save the other for 2022. But I won't be opposed to both coming out the same year again, if it results in the same outcome like it did in 2017.

 

It's probably 2 new mobile runners and a re-release of sonic adventure 1&2 on ps4, Xbox, and switch. We're due for them to re release those anyways.

Whoopty-do get ready everyone.

 

God I hope Sega has the smarts to know that SADX should no longer be ported. It's a disgusting mess of a game

 

What's that you say? You want a port of the Steam version of SADX to mobile?