This interview has been edited for clarity.
From Emerald Hill to Studiopolis, going fast has always been Sonic’s way of life. It’s a poetic embodiment of the blue hedgehog’s humble beginnings as a competing mascot, where it sprinted ahead of the competition and led Sega to become one of the leading video game companies in the early 1990s.
As the speedster slowly grew into a household name, more adventures and characters were added to the flagship franchise, with recurring elements bringing a sense of familiarity to various unique game mechanics and stories. But the race continues to be a largely solo affair, so Sonic Rumble is bringing along some company to bask in the fun.
It won’t be a small number, either. Marking a departure from the usual single-player console experience, the first multiplayer party game in the franchise will pit up to 32 contestants against one another in battle royale challenges. Players must compete to gather the most Rings or be the fastest across three rounds – first, a simple run-to-the-end minigame, then one of the Survival, Hunt, or Team modes, and finally, Ring Battle.
The driving force behind the genre leap is straightforward, rooted in a desire to spread joy. Speaking to select Southeast Asia media during Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2024, Sonic creative officer Takashi Iizuka shares how doing so can cultivate the co-op potential of its game.
“The Sonic series has predominantly focused on single-player titles,” explains the industry veteran. “Its reputation as a multiplayer game hasn’t been particularly strong, [and] that’s why we really want the game to be played by families, friends, and people around the world.”
After all, good company can always be counted on for an enjoyable time. Being regarded as a mobile and PC title certainly helps its chances, with the increased accessibility allowing players to jump in easily and indulge in short bursts of gaming. There are a few ways to get the party started, including joining a random match alone or with friends, creating a private room to play together, and squad mode, where members join forces to compete as a team.
For longtime fans, there’s another incentive laying in wait: the ability to play as any franchise character from the outset. The game’s diverse roster naturally includes the main gang of Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, and Shadow, but players will also have access to villains such as Dr. Eggman and variants like Metal Sonic and Silver the Hedgehog. “This is the first time that all characters can be played in the Sonic universe,” Iizuka confirms.
By all accounts, this premise may come across as unbalanced – and for obvious reasons. The titular hedgehog is known to be the fastest thing alive, and pitting him against slower enemies means there are no stakes at play. To give each player a fair shot at victory, Sonic Rumble will fix the speeds of all characters and equip them with similar loadouts while retaining their signature traits.
“We want to have a level playing field, and that’s why there are no major differences in the characters’ abilities. However, we wanted to adapt their most unique traits, for example, be it their signature movement or their abilities, so Tails will still have his Tail Copter [signature move],” reveals director Makoto Tase, highlighting that one of its greatest appeals is being able to “represent your favourite character as you play”.
Unlike its mainline counterparts, this co-op entry takes place in a twisted toy world created by Dr. Eggman that turns Sonic and his friends into miniature figures, which feeds into the idea of equal competition. Iizuka adds, “That’s exactly why we wanted to create something that wasn’t rooted in the normal physics of the Sonic world. We decided on toys, because it’d be the same [experience] for each character.”
The other half of the equation involves gameplay variety. While Sonic titles have always emphasised fun, it’s even more important in Sonic Rumble because of the rinse-and-repeat loop, which can become dull quickly if not managed well. Driven by the design philosophy to create “no two battles [that] are alike” and honor the most iconic aspects of the series, the team has incorporated familiar elements like multiple paths and lower levels that players can fall to, as well as iconic stages like Green Hill Zone or Chemical Plant.
Environmental effects will spice up the competition, too. Stages that feature lava or ice, for example, can cause unsuspecting players to fall into molten jaws of death or slip on surfaces, but the game is never over until it’s over. Comebacks are part of the core Sonic Rumble experience, and a lot of attention was given to fitting its delivery with the gameplay mechanics.
Curiously enough, one of the biggest challenges of crafting battle-royale chaos spilled into artistic territory. Amid the genre and formula tweaks, Tase expressed the difficulty of adapting the character’s in-game design to set it apart from both the Modern and Classic Sonic look.
“We wanted to create something that embodied both his coolness and showed off a cuter side of his character than usual,” he shares. “There are fans who expect Sonic to be cuter, others expect him to be more cool-leaning, but we wanted to create a design that satisfies all fans.”
Sonic Rumble releases worldwide for Android, iOS, and PC in Winter 2024.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
