UPDATE: Apparently, the deal went over rather well since both the PS2 and 360 versions sold out at around 9 p.m. EST. The offer was called off as orders from the game after Amazon’s stock was sold out were being handled by Target, who were not honoring the deal. A good sign to see the game is selling, anyway.

So, you’ve held off buying Sonic Unleashed because of money. Yes, after the chaos this year has wracked on consumers, both in the items being released or because the global economy is in the toilet, saving money is a very big deal.

Amazon understands this and, for today, Nov. 29, only as part of their on-going Black “Friday” sales, Sonic Unleashed on PS2 and 360 (the PS3 version is not included, due to not being released, nor is the Wii version.) are being offered at a $24 discount on the 360 and $14 on the PS2. Of course, this is limited strictly to the U.S. Amazon site.

It doesn’t quite end there. If you use the bonus code, “UNLEASH5″ (no quotation marks), the price will be discounted a further $5. In total, the game can now be gotten for $21 on the 360 and $10 on PS2.

If financial troubles were keeping you away from this game or you’re just cheap and love to save money, today is the day to jump. Again, the deal is only for today.

Amazon.com: Sonic Unleashed

Over at the Sonic World Adventure (aka Sonic Unleashed) official Japanese site, there have been some new updates to the character information, with new art and info on the ice cream-loving Chip (first seen in the Sonic Unleashed manga) and Dr. Eggman. These new images will probably hit the English press (and removed from the site’s flash) in a day or two, but for now, enjoy. Pics under the cut.

Read the rest of this entry »

Today I report on the current state of Sonic Unleashed. A new video was released about a level… Adabat. It’s a pretty shiny looking island area. And, as one astute forumer commented, the flute line on the night song for it appears to reference Rusty Ruins… from Sonic 3D Blast. Unlike the very fast levels we first saw, this one also features a little more platforming action, and it seems to have some new night level enemies.

It’s clear that, if nothing else, the game looks pretty, and the framerate seems fine in this level. It’s just up to Sonic Team to make sure it keeps up the progress so far… until then, we have plenty of nice videos to watch, at least. That, and…

Discuss on the forums!

The advancement of this game continues, with the new China level finally showing up for us here to see in depth. They’ve continued the pattern of spinning platforms and dragon pathways and added on some Chinese architecture to the fray, while at the same time throwing in a huge amount of enemies for Were Sonic to fight.

There’s also an instance where Were-Sonic howls (sort of weird feature) and one can see that the level is overcast. All in all, it has a little lag in places, but it seems to retain the quality expected so far. But of course, we can never know, having seen so many games which look good and then play horribly; though it seems to have had a better impact on people’s opinions than a previous video which showed the difficulties of a person at a convention trying to play through the first level.

Rather than continue talking and try to convince you, the reader, of the details, we have a nice convenient link to the highest quality version of the video we could find. Enjoy!

The game that many of us have been waiting for is nearing completion, and with it comes yet another game play video. This is one of the few videos which seem to be controlled by an average player rather than a developer or a previously programmed script.

The Video

…The video is a mixed bag; it gives us an idea of what the game will be like, but it also is not being played ‘optimally’, so we can’t immediately conclude what the actual experience is like. However, a few things stand out.

• The game is not entirely ‘hold right’ game play–Sonic must jump over obstacles and, in one case, even avoid spikes. Spikes he would hit if one did just hold the button.
• There is a strange, Omochao-like creature at the end. Its role is unknown, but it seems to be possible as a tutorial element.
• The game either has very easy to get S-ranks, or they’re still developing a ranking set. Sonic appears to see and react to the ranking.
• There are Eggman-like humanoids. A definite shift towards a cartoon-like version of our world?
• Speed and ease changes a lot between segments. This could lead to choppy game play if not properly bothered with.
• Finally, some people have pointed out some frame rate lag. I don’t exactly see it, but it isn’t surprising, considering how fast Sonic is going in places…

This video has split a lot of people over the game’s fate. It’s sure to be interesting to play when it comes out, though. And thanks to Ell678 of the forums for pointing out this video, which, in contrast to a previously linked video, doesn’t have people walking in front of it.

I’ll be following Sonic Unleashed up until it is released. Stay tuned.

Sonic Unleashed, the newest upcoming multi-platform installment of the popular Sonic the Hedgehog series, may just reveal one of the most controversial marketing decisions yet when it comes to the distribution of the new game.

As mentioned in an earlier report, there will be two main versions of the new game–one for the Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3, and one for the Wii & PlayStation 2. The two versions were to differ in a few ways, the most significant being that it was to have completely different level design.

However, according to an exclusive Unleashed preview by Crispy Gamer, the PlayStation 2 & Wii versions of the game will only have 7 levels, compared to the 9 levels that will be intact in the 360 & PS3 versions.

What does this mean for people who don’t want to miss out on both versions of Unleashed? Will they be forced to buy both versions of the game in order to fully experience the game in its entirety? Or will they be forced to miss out on two whole levels if they decide to purchase the more interactive version of the game for the Wii? It’s strange to try and predict the reasoning behind this move, other than to try and get more sales despite the game being on multiple platforms. The game looks good, no doubt about it–but will it really be worth the extra money to get two extra levels?

In addition to this information, the preview appears to stress that the graphics in the Wii & PS2 version are far worse than those in the 360 & PS3 versions. It is confirmed that there will be other characters–Tails, Shadow, and Amy Rose, to name a few–but Sonic will be the only playable character. It also points out that there will, unfortunately, be no more beastiality scenes in the game this time around. What a pity!

Overall, this leaves many confused, and even more with mixed feelings. Hopefully as more information is revealed on Unleashed, some real concrete judgement can be made. Until then, at least we can hold solace in the fact that Sonic is the only playable character. That’s cool, right?

Sonic Unleashed. The newest, possibly most promising looking Sonic game of recent times. With the release of the High Europe trailer, available for download on SEGA’s press FTP (600MB of full HD glory!), many views are changing about the game; some people believe it to be too linear and “on-rails,” while others believe it to be one of the best Sonic games to come out in the past 5 years. Even though, you know it hasn’t come out quite yet.

What seems to be on the down-low, though, is how many versions of the game there are, and how they differ. I’ll cover the facts right now:

There will be two core versions of the game. You have the 360 & PS3 versions, which have rich graphics and are the games showcased in the trailers available so far. They look very crisp, very speedy, and visually pleasing as a whole. Nice and solid, with quick level design and some alternate paths to keep you on your toes. Spiffy.

The game will also come out for, in addition to 360 & PS3, the Wii & PS2. Yes, you read right, the PlayStation 2. While we once thought this console had reached its slow, inevitable death, the decision was made to release a different version on the dying console and mirror it with the Wii version. The Wii version is reported to have completely different level design, but the same story and music. In addition, while the graphics are not as pretty, they still look quite solid. Check past the break for comparison screen shots!

Read the rest of this entry »

In response to Nintendo of Europe’s  release schedule issued earlier this month, several third-party developers have come forward to clarify their listings, including Sega. In that list, Sonic Unleashed is shown to have a release on the Nintendo DS and a Beijing 2008 appearance on the Wii. However, Sega confirmed that these two entries were incorrect—fans wishing to play what is essentially “Sonic Rush 3″ will need a home console, and Wii owners will just have to pretend that Mario counts as a Beijing Olympics athlete.