[Rolken]

The Japanese Sonic 06 site is up, and various details have been gleaned from it through things both stated and insufficiently blurred. The flash site itself is being slow to load if at all, so I'll link another site with screenshots and the theme music. The characters screen also reveals the silhouettes of what appear to be Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Rouge, a robot, and Blaze.

I haven't been able to reach the levels screen myself, but Wikipedia lists the action stages as being insufficiently blurred as Kingdom Valley, Crisis City, Tropical Jungle, Wave Ocean, Dusty Desert, White Aquapolis, Plane Core, Radical Train, Aquatic Base, and End of the World, for 10 total. The first two were in the E3 demo and the third has screenshots on the site.

[Thorn]

Haven't checked the sites yet, but I found screenies of Wave Ocean or a bonus level (please?) that look a hell of a lot like Emerald Coast, and some more of Shadow outside of a vehicle (might be on the official site too, iono).  Right when I thought that Green Hill 3D was the end of that.  This game's shaping up to look damn nice so far, it's making me wanna shell out $400 for a new system.

[Groudon]

I'm getting it for the 360.  the PS3 is way too expensive for me.

I've also heard rumors of Shadow only being in the PS3 version.  But I think they're false.

[Marth]

At first, I thought that Emerald Coast place was a direct copy (sort of like SADX, except it actually looks
decent this time, instead of just like Dreamcast land in 60fps), but then I saw a lot of stuff that's different.
Am I seeing it wrong, or is most of the floor in the EC place still missing? (Look at the one with the
close-up of the lighthouse.) The stage still looks cool, though... :(
And it's funny, because I've been using SA Dreamcast screenshots on my desktop,
and the one I have now shows the polygony, N64-like whale, with its pentagon mouth wide open,
chasing a slightly-chubby Sonic with dark blue fur through a gloomy-looking Emerald Coast.

Oh, and I still say the graphics are barely above anything GCN could do. :P

[Rolken]

I'm getting it for the 360.  the PS3 is way too expensive for me.

I've also heard rumors of Shadow only being in the PS3 version.  But I think they're false.

The E3 reports indicated that the PS3 version appeared to be a (then buggy) port of the 360 version, and those rumors are nonsense, so 360 ftw.

Agreed on the not-looking-much-better front. If you look closely at some of the shots, you see some really awful stuff, like horrible texture or shadowing pixelation on their feet in at least one shot. And with reports from gaming mags and such about how the Wii Sonic blows it out of the water, I know what I'm waiting for...

[Marth]

It's nice to know someone agrees with me.
I take what I said about the shadows being SA2-quality back, although
they still aren't as good as some GCN games. Also, I just got Banjo-Tooie a few days ago,
and it has completely un-pixelated shadows! I don't know how it was done (probably has
something to do with a flat polygon model or something), but it's amazing for N64.
And since I'm not bumping a dead topic with this, I'll say that Shadow's eyes, as far as I can see,
are exactly the same smoothness as in SA2B. That rumour mentioned on Wikipedia is obviously false.
Warning: Long Post Ahead I didn't intend for my post to turn into a mess like this. :(

In previous Sonic titles, character models were constructed with about 1,500 polygons. While there is still debate over the validity of the claim, a recent issue of GamePro said that player models in this game will be composed of over 1 million polygons each.

That's about 667 times as smooth. Yeah, right. F-Man said the Sonic model is 4 times as smooth,
and I think even that is pretty generous. I think they conveniently forgot SA2B.
At 1 million polygons, the GCN could easily handle that under normal conditions.
If I remember it right, the head of a single player in an N64 basketball game was 600 polygons.
So SA2B is N64-quality? Also, if the GCN can do 10-12 million polygons (and up to 14-15 sometimes),
think of how many SA2B Sonic models (1,500 polygons each) it can handle at once.
Let's say SA2B uses... 7 million polygons (high Dreamcast-quality) for everything except Sonic.
That means it could have from 2,000 to 5,000 Sonics standing around, and still run normally.
Unless I'm calculating something wrong. But still, it looks like both numbers are exaggerations.
I'm guessing that both are at least tens of thousands of polygons.

Sonic06 has good graphics, but it doesn't use the hardware right, and/or the hardware isn't all that great.
I should probably just shut up about the graphics now. They don't matter much, anyway.

WHEW!

[KnucklesSonic8]

I think the closest bet to that "robot" would be Omega, if not, Gamma. But that site is coming well and it's very impressive. The whole "His World" theme rocks too.


EDIT: Check the 1st update entitled "Screens next gen : encore". Check these links for some of the actual screenshots: http://www.planete-sonic.com/IMG/jpg/a554_sng_2006sept08_06.jpg, http://www.planete-sonic.com/IMG/jpg/a554_sng_2006sept08_07.jpg (this one shows the Orca Whale).

The next few show Shadow out of the vehicle: http://www.planete-sonic.com/IMG/jpg/a554_sng_2006sept08_16.jpg, http://www.planete-sonic.com/IMG/jpg/a554_sng_2006sept08_29.jpg.

And this next one kinda reminds me of the silhouette of that "robot" on the site: http://www.planete-sonic.com/IMG/jpg/a554_sng_2006sept08_26.jpg. Hmm.... (Still goin' with Omega, though.)

[Spinballwizard]

Linking from a site that disables hotlinking? BRILLIANT!

Also I like the instrumental (trailer) version of the theme better. :(

Also Gamma blew up at the end of SA n00b.

[F-Man]

Also Gamma blew up at the end of SA n00b.

That didn't stop him from appearing in Sonic Battle. And Chaos. Oh and the Death Egg too.

[eggFL]

Thank you so much for showing me these. The song is AWESOME. And I can't get enough of Shadow in his carmobile.

Beautiful.

Oh, and Marth, your interest and analysis is appreciable, but you risk coming off as a graphics tart! :O

[CosmicFalcon]

The robot is Omega. Someone busted open the site code and looked at names of objects and shizzle, so all the 'hidden' characters are known: Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Rouge, Omega and Blaze. Another character known to be in the game, but not on that page, is Mephiles - a villain (primarily?) from Shadow's story.

People also like to rumour that Eggman Nega will show up, based on the US Sonic 06 site which shows a slightly eviller looking Eggman when you roll your cursor over him.

Others might hazard a guess of Black Doom returning (isn't he dead?) because some of the enemies shown in screenshots and trailers are Black Arms creatures... but on fire or something.

Shadow's story is something relating to doing the government a favour by going to rescue Rouge from some prison. On his way, he comes across Mephiles, who drags him into the future.

[Crowbar]

I'm disappointed it took looking into the site code to figure out that the robot was Omega.

I mean come on. :( Gamma? Please.

Yay Blaaaaaaaaaaaze. Hopefully whatever role she plays in the story won't suck or ruin her character. And that Eggman Nega thing: I don't think the "eviler looking" rollover Eggman image is evidence for his presence (since Nega wears different clothes and the eviler Eggman image wasn't, as far as I remember) so much as the simple fact that, yanno, Blaze is in it.

I guess we now know the name of that crystalline-looking hedgehog Shadow's fighting in a few screenshots, too.

[Bilan]

But Blaze sucks D:

[Crowbar]

f u

[Marth]

Oh, and Marth, your interest and analysis is appreciable, but you risk coming off as a graphics tart! :O

Oh no!
Yeah, I know I'm talking too much about graphics, but... I just think this whole next generation is overrated in graphics.
(Screenshots=graphics. Next-gen=graphics. Screenshots+next-gen=graphics, graphics, graphics!!!)
And really, I care more about music than graphics. I just haven't heard any of the new music
because the pictures are already loading slowly enough (dial-up).
(Also, notice that my most-played game has terrible, glitchy, '90s graphics,
and that old games make up a big part of my game collection.
Sonic games have good gameplay and music, but all of them except Sonic06 look so-so at best by now.
But I still like Sonic games!)
---------------------------------------------------
I haven't seen the robot picture, but isn't it easy to tell the difference between Gamma and Omega?
(Unless it only shows his head and shoulders.)

EDIT: Okay, it looks like maybe Sonic isn't really taller. Like every time before, he's just gotten a little slimmer.
(I looked at the picture that shows him standing beside Elise. It would help if she was also standing, though.)

[eggFL]

Sonic hasn't gotten slimmer, his limbs got thicker. Seeing him in action and in cutscenes, however, makes him look surprisingly 'normal'. This is like... the best looking, most well animated and full-formed rendition of Sonic ever.

Omega and Gamma look completely different, shape-wise. Silhouttes are all you need to tell them apart.

I find the idea of a 'goverment agent' Shadow to be so... so sexy.

Thanks again for the info.

Oh and you know what happens when a game's graphics are 'too good'... you get Project Gotham 3. Best exercise in leaning forward, squinting, and motion blur I have experienced on a next-gen console.

[magnum12]

I'd say another example of "too good" graphics is Elder Scrolls IV. *Drools over perhaps some of the best visuals I've ever seen.* Combine that with its musical score and the whole game world feels so alive.

[eggFL]

no no no I was being sarcastic, PGR3's graphics actually suck, clearly a side effect from being too ambitious.

[Marth]

Sonic hasn't gotten slimmer, his limbs got thicker. Seeing him in action and in cutscenes, however, makes him look surprisingly 'normal'. This is like... the best looking, most well animated and full-formed rendition of Sonic ever.

Overall, I think of him as being slimmer. Yes, his limbs are thicker (especially compared to his
oldest design), and his legs somehow look almost like he's wearing pants (crazy, I know).
But he's a little slimmer, especially around the stomach (remember how round he was...
a little bit in SA2B, quite a bit in SA, and a lot in StH?), and I think he doesn't look right in that
one picture that shows him with Shadow and Silver (the one that started the PC rumours).
In the game, though, he doesn't look that different. It's just a slight change as usual,
and I agree that this is a good rendition (though I haven't seen much more than screenshots).
SA2B's model was nice, but this one still has better shoes and shiny fur (done right this time, not like SADX),
and it has to have better animation. (Sonic tilting his head to one side when he turns?
Or... I can't remember. His jumps were kind of cool.)

[Crowbar]

and I think he doesn't look right in that
one picture that shows him with Shadow and Silver (the one that started the PC rumours).

I think he looks best in that one.

[eggFL]

Fleeting in-game footage of Blaze the Cat, as well a remix to the Sonic 2 ending song:

http://link.man-ma.de/sonic_p.wmv

[Crowbar]

They gotta keep reusing the same footage?

However, I actually quite like the look of this one. I remember it being mentioned earlier that Silver might have a connection to Blaze, and from the fact that they appear together there it looks like that might well be true.

That Sonic 2 ending remix seems to be a slightly different rendition of "Sweet" by Dreams Come True (yes it is a remix of the theme, but it's been around for ages now rather than being new for this is what I'm saying). F-man mentioned that there would be such a remix of this song in another thread, actually.

[KnucklesSonic8]

Speaking of Sonic 06, has anyone seen these links, yet (I'm sure it was mentioned at least somewhere):

http://www.sonic-cult.org/!trash/snextcharbios.png (Character bios)
http://www.sonic-cult.org/!trash/snext_story_sonic.png (This is a script)
http://www.sonic-cult.org/!trash/sonicthepimphog.png (Another script)

(Copy and paste the above links.)

Just curious. There's quite a bit of info found within these links, actually.

EDIT: Also, credit Sonic World for these scans but this scan (http://www.sonicworld.net/site/games/multi/nextgen/images/egmsept06-2.jpg) reveals that there will be mini-games including races (naturally), but also, TAG, and even Quizzes!! Well, that's certainly new news, huh? It would make sense if you were able to play as Amy, Tails and the others in these games, wouldn't it?

[Crowbar]

Not sure what I think of Mephiles's connection to Shadow.

Um. All I have to say, really.

[KnucklesSonic8]

I thought the same thing about that section....

[KnucklesSonic8]

http://www.sega.com/gamesite/sonicnext/sonicnext_full/index.php

It's finally updated with great improvements! Story updated, all characters revealed. And I'm sure I mean all.... Anyways, character renders for all characters! I don't like Omega's that much -- looks noticably more slimer.. somewhat or maybe just cause of the may they rendered it onto the site.

I like Knuckles' the best - not just cause he's like my favorite character. Looks the most detailed and worked on. Amy's looks good too, actually. I like Blaze's rendering the second best. Looks very well done. Rouge's is also well done, even though I think they used the idea from the rendering of her in STH.

There's also renderings of four of Shadow's vehicles. Looks pretty sweet! I like the Glider the best, next would be the Hover Vehicle.

Great new updates on the Town Stage! Finally new info. So portals will be implemeneted into the game to access stages and vice versa for the town... hm... not a bad touch. Wanna see how they'd execute it, though...

Over 100 side-missions. Good for replay value I guess. Hopefully, though, the Multiplayer Mode section will be updated soon. I'm dying to know what ALL the Multiplayer games will be like...(like I mentioned above, excluding the Tag, Races and Quizzes)... and how it'll be executed.

Under the gameplay section, it is revealed there are 11 stages... but that means there's still one left to be announced... ? Maybe they made a mistake, then, like was the case with Sonic Riders.

Music added - Kingdom Valley (2)  theme, Crisis City (3) - I don't have a problem with the song but it goes so slowly in comparinison to the gameplay videos where I've heard the theme; and a new theme (1). I seem to be liking the Kingdom Valley theme quite a bit - even if it is slowed down.

Not too bad if you ask me!
EDIT: I just noticed: In the Vehicles section under Gameplay, they used... *gasp* Shadow's render for Rivals?! That says a lot about them... :P

EDIT: They discretely revealed the Co-Op Mode for multiplayer on the site under "Features" in Gameplay of to the right.

EDIT:

They gotta keep reusing the same footage?

However, I actually quite like the look of this one. I remember it being mentioned earlier that Silver might have a connection to Blaze, and from the fact that they appear together there it looks like that might well be true.

After learning of what happens in the game, trust me: them putting Blaze and Silver appear in that trailer together was no mere coincidence...

[Crowbar]

Argh!

Light-years is distance, not time!

Other than that, updated site looks kinda neat. I kinda like the more cinematic style of plotline they're going for, from the looks of things, but we'll see how they execute it.

[EDIT] Oh shi

Tails, the ingenious flying fox is Sonic's oldest friend and his mechanical wizardry has helped Sonic dismantle Dr. Eggman's evil schemes for over 15 years!

Is this supposed to be real time or in-universe time? Actually, it must be real-time, since he doesn't look any older than he ever has. And Sonic would have to be like 30. Which means that it's a retarded thing to say.

And Sonic's bio makes a reference to "greatly enhanced speed and abilities". Sounds like the kind of crap they've been making up for written bios since SA but never actually make light of in-game (e.g. Knuckles being a world-renowned treasure-hunter, despite having lived his whole life on a fucking FLOATING ISLAND, or Eggman being a feminist).

[EDIT2] KNUCKLES IS NOT SONIC'S FUCKING SIDEKICK!!!!!!!! AND WHY IS HE SUPPOSEDLY HAPPY TO HELP HIM OUT ALL THE TIME EVEN THOUGH HE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO EVEN LIKE HIM!!!!!!!!!???? ARGH!!! WHY HAVE THEY RAPED HIM SO MUCH AS A CHARACTER!!!!?!!!!!!!????????!

[EDIT] ....Shadow is working for the government now?

Ljsflkajsdfl;

SONIC TEAM FUCKING SUCK AT WRITING CHARACTERS!!!! FUCK!!!!!!!!!

[KnucklesSonic8]

He's just on a mission for the gov't to rescue Rouge who has gone missing. Wouldn't put it past him to go and rescue her, anyway, considering past game events and such. It's because of this, he meets Mephiles and is sent to the future.

[Shadow Jacky]

XD @ crowbar

damn now they are sticking with the crap they made up for the adventure games...ugh.  I do have to say all of the attempts on adding to this game are getting me in the mood...but no, its not going to work fully for me.  Those renderings do look awesome though.

[magnum12]

Check out these bosses. http://www.planetxbox360.com/index.php/screenshotstable/show/143/10/1 These look a lot cooler than some of the bosses in earlier games.