Sonic Runners

Sonic Runners

Official logo
Developer(s) Sonic Team
Publisher(s) Sega
Director(s) Takao Hirabayashi
Producer(s) Takashi Iizuka
Designer(s) Takayuki Okada
Takeshi Yamazaki
Jyunpei Ootsu
Composer(s) Tomoya Ohtani
Series Sonic the Hedgehog
Platform(s) iOS
Android
Release date(s) JP February 25, 2015
CAN February 25, 2015
US TBA
EU TBA
Genre(s) Auto-running platformer, action

Sonic Runners (ソニック・ランナーズ Sonikku Rannāzu) is a 2015 side-scrolling platform video game developed by Sonic Team for iOS and Android devices.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] It is the first mobile game in the franchise developed by Sonic Team.

Gameplay

Sonic Runners is an endless runner platform game which has players aiming to get as far as they can to earn rings and high scores. Running is done automatically while the player controls jumping to dodge obstacles and defeat enemy badniks. Along the way players can obtain items such as invincibility and Wisp powers to help them along their way. As the level progresses, the speed at which the player moves will increase, with rings being removed from the stage once the player reaches top speed. The game ends if the player is hit while holding zero rings or falls into a pit, though can resume play by spending Red Rings, which can either be earned or obtained through in-app purchases. Rings can be used to either buy single use items or power ups for a run, or increase the effectiveness of certain items. Players progress through the game's main story mode by collecting enough rings to progress along the world map. Each section will either give a reward, such as bonus rings, or unlock special missions such as boss battles. Progressing through the game unlocks new playable characters with unique abilities, such as Tails and Knuckles, and companions that assist the player.

Development

Late in 2014, rumors of a new game titled Sonic Runners began to circulate online after Sega had registered the domain name sonicrunners.com in July of that year.[3][8] Eventually, Sonic Team head Takashi Iizuka confirmed these rumors at a Sega event called "Sonic Fan Thanksgiving" in Tokyo in November 2014.[3]

A small teaser and more details about the game were revealed in early February 2015.[9] Composer Tomoya Ohtani also announced on Twitter that he composed the musical score for the game.[10] First released in February 2015 in select markets, it is free to download for iOS and Android devices, but contains in-app purchases.[9][11]

Reception

Upon the game's announcement, Thomas Whitehead of NintendoLife voiced disappointment at Runners not being a Wii U title.[3] Similarly, Tatiana Morris from GameZone hoped that it would not be the only Sonic game of the year, instead wishing for a console game similar to Sonic the Hedgehog or Sonic Adventure.[12] Destructoid staff writer Brett Makedonski opined that while "it's tough to imagine Sonic fans getting too excited about Runners", its future augured well after the critical panning of Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric and Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal.[2]Tikashi Lizuka however revealed that Sonic still has a future on console, saying they have no intentions to stop making Sonic games for consoles.

References

  1. ↑ "Sonic Runners will be dashing its way on to iOS and Android this year". Pocket Gamer. Retrieved January 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Makedonski, Brett (December 29, 2014). "Sonic Runners dashes to mobile in 2015 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯". Destructoid. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Whitehead, Thomas (December 29, 2014). ""Sonic Runners" Rumours Prove True, But It's a Smartphone Game". NintendoLife. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  4. ↑ Ishaan (December 28, 2014). "Sonic Runners Announced For Smartphones". Siliconera. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  5. ↑ Kubba, Sinan (December 29, 2014). "Sonic Team's Sonic Runners announced for smartphones". Joystiq. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  6. ↑ "『ソニック』シリーズ最新作はスマホアプリ！　2015年日本先行配信予定" (in Japanese). Famitsu. December 28, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Google App Store Page". Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Sonic Runners Mobile Game Announced". Anime News Network. December 28, 2014. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Yin-Poole, Wesley (February 3, 2015). "The next Sonic game is Sonic Runners". Eurogamer. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Tomoya Ohtani is composing music for Sonic Runners". Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  11. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (February 3, 2015). "Sega teases Sonic the Hedgehog's next game, Sonic Runners". Polygon. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  12. ↑ Morris, Tatiana (December 29, 2014). "Sonic Runners headed to mobile in 2015". GameZone. Retrieved December 30, 2014.

External links