Confirming rumors that have been circulating for some time now, Sega today announced the Model2 Collection, a digital collection of five classic Sega titles originally developed for their Model2 arcade hardware. Among those titles is Sonic the Fighters, a somewhat obscure Sonic-themed fighting game built on the Fighting Vipers engine and previously rereleased as part of Sonic Gems Collection. Most interesting to note is that this new release appears to include several characters not previously playable in the game, such as Metal Sonic and Eggman (who were previously bosses), as well as Honey the Cat – a character based on Candy (known as Honey in Japan) from Fighting Vipers. Retro aficionados will know that Honey was actually buried in the data for the original arcade release but not playable without hacking the game, so to see Sega put in the effort to make her (and the boss characters) playable is truly refreshing after some of their more lackluster porting efforts in the past. The Japanese site for the Model2 Collection also makes mention of online play, which could be a big selling point for this rerelease as well. Currently there’s been no information about an overseas release, but Sonic the Fighters is due to hit Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network this fall in Japan. See the trailer after the break.
48 Comments on this post
Leave a CommentI love Sega.
Comment left on 10.17.2012 by Jawfish
This just made my week. Model 2 is definetly my favourite arcade platform of all time
Comment left on 10.17.2012 by Brownd
Nice to see Sonic the Fighters getting some love. I remember playing it on Gems collection and thought it was pretty cool. The A button is a little overpowered, but spamming is only for the weak and cheap ( Like me
).
Comment left on 10.17.2012 by Ditto
Why is all the good stuff coming out on things I can’t get my hands on?
Comment left on 10.17.2012 by JLink0
After Sonic CD, Sonic Adventure 2, NiGHTS , Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Sonic Jump, and now this, its pretty apparent SEGA is gearing up for something…. I don’t know what yet, but they’re trying to get money for something.
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by rriillyy
don't forget about them putting Sonic in Wreck it Ralph!
Reply left on 10.18.2012 by Dean Scelfo
If you haven't heard yet, Sega's in major financial trouble.
Please advise all friends to buy Sonic Jump and its 120,000 rings product for the price of $31 dollars on iOS this holiday season to get the gift that keeps on shitting. On the carpet that is.
Reply left on 10.18.2012 by Greg "The Cat" Longcrier
Oh my goodness
my favorite arcade game is back again
I still want to buy a model 2 arcade machine anyway
but
Sega
<3
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by CrashSG32
Honey officially playable? YES!!
Quick question: Will Eggman and Honey have a new, specified for this version, or they will use the same limited movelist from the original data? (Honey can have many moves from her Fighting Vipers version…).
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by rouken
Man, I hope they bring it to america. Im always bitchin about wanting to kick sonics ass as eggman, or metal sonic murdering everybody.
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by hypermetalhero
I can’t believe I had forgotten about how great the animation in these arcade games was. They are top notch, even by today’s standards.
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by Rad
Those are real?! Holy mother of God!
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by Jaeger
Hmm… they need to re release Sonic Shuffle with online play too!
Oh, and fix that cheating lying baggage of an AI.
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by Star and Moon
Motion seconded.
Reply left on 10.20.2012 by DTxHero21
I’m gonna kill everybody in that game with my flippin’ finger-lightsabers now. FINGER-LIGHTSABERS.
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by Knux’s Lost Hat
It better come overseas before Microsoft does away with Microsoft points. I hate that they are going to make us pay with a credit card by the end of the year I DON”T LIKE IT.
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by hyper
About damn time they get rid of arbitrary Microsoft Monopoly Money. The whole "point" system is dumb as hell.
Reply left on 10.18.2012 by GeneHF
They're what?... FOR FUCKS SAKE....I don't have a credit card >_> And I doubt I will anytime soon...I agree with you, they better release this before that happens!
Reply left on 10.18.2012 by Nickyy
Wait, what?! Why won't MS let us use points anymore?
Reply left on 10.18.2012 by Hyperstar96
Chill out.
It will be more convenient to buy by credit card, but if you already buy MS Point cards at a store, there will not be a change for you.
They are just going to have cash cards instead. Going to a flat money amount just allows us to make a straight purchase without having to load up our account with money if we DO have a credit card.
Reply left on 10.19.2012 by Radz
I highly doubt that they're going to stop selling pre-paid cards even if they did away with Microsoft Points, and if they are doing that than good riddance.
Reply left on 10.19.2012 by TimmiT
Sonic the Fighters is getting a better port than Sonic Adventure 2.
Wat.
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by TheGreatFreshLOO
Nice SEGA! Now make a digital collection of the rest of your arcade racing games and you’ll be da best company in existance.
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by Icee
is it just me or does the sega-character (shame on me i dont know her) which was added to Sonic The Fighters
like Nintendos Ashley from Wario Ware?
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by Jackall4BDN
Wow, Sonic adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic CD and now Sonic the fighters? SEGA must be getting it’s retro spirit back!
What’s next? Sonic R?
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by anthonyjk123
God, I hope so. I actually thought Sonic R was a truly great game.
Reply left on 10.19.2012 by Hyperstar96
nice. all i need now is some die hard arcade.
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by juice
Three words: Moonwalker Aracde re-release
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by SMBMadman
;___; Finally. Playable Metal Sonic in Sonic the Fighters? Hopefully playable Rocket Metal as well. ;___;
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by Pup
Yesssssss. This pleases me. Sega better bring this over to the west. And hopefully to the PC, but I can’t get my hopes up too high.
Even if I have most of these games for other platforms [VF2 on PC and Saturn, VO on Saturn and PS2, StF on Gamecube, and FV on Saturn], I heartily approve.
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by null1024
Finally Sega makes an actually attempt at improving a game. (not counting CD, since they required a fan’s help and needed to be pushed like a stone wall before they did it) Adding in the unfinished/scrapped characters makes a release possibly worth it, might get this.
Comment left on 10.18.2012 by IceFlux
Not sure how I feel about this.
On one hand Metal Sonic and Eggman are finally playable as well as an unknown character that was lost in the coding.
On the other hand since this game is now going online and most of the players are Sonic fans, most likely the loud variety there’s going to be more spamming than the average fighting game.
Comment left on 10.19.2012 by Theshredder39
Not like there was really ever a legit way to play this game in the first place. There were never really any real combos or juggles that I could find that didn't involve a fence bounce.
Most players will probably just pick Metal Sonic or Bean and spam the lasers and bombs. Sidestepping solves that problem though~
Reply left on 10.19.2012 by Pup
Holy crap they’re releasing the 3D version of Virtua Fighter 2. That will be awesome.
Oh, they also threw in that one game from gems. How nice.
Comment left on 10.19.2012 by ATN
For the sweet mother of Saturn gaming. All I want is Fighters Megamix and to have online. I was a bad azz as a kid and sure to still be one today as well. SEGAAAAA
Comment left on 10.19.2012 by Morris Cody
My hopes are for Mighty! Really, all they have to do is create a new slot, copy & paste Sonic, swap the model and change the moveset. Mighty pretty much is Sonic just with different looks.
Comment left on 10.19.2012 by mightyXtreme
I don't think they're actually adding any NEW characters, rather, characters that already existed and just weren't playable. My hopes are on Rocket Metal ;_______;
Reply left on 10.19.2012 by Pup
Wat. Wat. Wat……
Fighters gets online, SA2 doesnt, Fighters gets new playable characters… SA2 doesn’t even improve homing attack or anything besides textures really.
Wat.
Comment left on 10.19.2012 by Chaos9051
Not a fan of this game at all.
I want Kunckles’ Chaotix (inc. the Japanese story out on it!!) on PSN / XBOX live
Comment left on 10.20.2012 by Dr Robotnik
Honestly, I want to know why SEGA is releasing so many wanted things. I’m giving them all my money, but why? What for? What are they trying to do?…
Comment left on 10.20.2012 by Prado
Wow, this is great news. Kinda disappointed this hasn’t had a Steam port announced, but it’s great to see Sonic the Fighters being released for new consoles.
I wasn’t even excited about the new characters, I was just excited that it’s finally getting ported to some new systems. Seriously, the last system it was ported to was the Gamecube. Heck, did the gamecube even have an arcade stick?
Comment left on 10.20.2012 by Beigenetnik
$10 Might be a little too much… But since they went out of their way to finish the coding on those three characters AND added Online.. I guess the game deserves it.
I REALLY hope the next re-release is Knuckles Chaotix though. I’d love to play that game legally for once, and with achievements (and perhaps even online co-op).
Comment left on 10.21.2012 by shihe
Also Rosy is now Amy
Comment left on 10.22.2012 by Shibitoboya
Her name was already Amy to begin with. It just said "AMY Rosy the Rascal". Unless, they're changing it to just say "AMY Rose"?
Reply left on 10.22.2012 by Pup
Lmao love the #ROBOTONIC tag
S/O to Classic Game Room!
Comment left on 10.23.2012 by anonymous
Definite day ibe purchase for Sonic and VF2. Doesn’t look like Pepsiman is playable in Fighting Vipers. No Pepsiman , no buy (Although, i hope we get Fighter Megamix as well.
).
Comment left on 10.23.2012 by Uberrich
One, not ibe. Stupid iphone. :p
Reply left on 10.23.2012 by Uberrich
After this, SONIC R ONLINE!!!
Comment left on 11.1.2012 by mightyXtreme