Sonic and the Secret Rings

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Sonic and the Secret Rings
File:SONIC WII CVR SHT2.jpg
Developer(s)Sonic Team
Publisher(s)Sega
Designer(s)Yojiro Ogawa
EngineRenderWare, PhysX
Platform(s)Wii
Release
  • USA: February 20, 2007

  • EUR: March 2, 2007

  • AUS: March 8, 2007

  • DEU: March 9, 2007

  • JPN: March 15, 2007
Genre(s)Adventure
Action, Racing,Fantasy
Mode(s)Single Player
Multiplayer

Sonic and the Secret Rings, (formerly known by the working title Sonic Wild Fire), is a video game within the Sonic the Hedgehog series that was released exclusively for the Wii on February 20, 2007 in North America, in Europe on March 2, 2007[1] and in Japan on March 15, 2007.[2] This is the first 3D Sonic game to feature Sonic as the only playable character in Story Mode.

Plot

The story begins with Sonic napping, he reaches to check his clock upon awakening, accidentally bumping a ring, Shahra the Ring Genie, pops out of a book of the Arabian Nights and into Sonic's world. She reveals that an evil entity known as Erazor Djinn is absorbing the power of the book and causing pages of it to disappear. If he is not stopped, his power will be unleashed onto the real world unless the "Legendary Blue Hedgehog", told of in the stories, can stop him. Shahra gives Sonic a ring that seals a contract between her and her new master. Sonic rubs it as instructed, and is asked for a wish. He then wishes to travel into the world of the Arabian Nights and flies into the book on a magic carpet. After meeting Erazor Djinn, the evil genie throws an arrow of flame at Shahra as a punishment for not getting the World Rings. Sonic jumps in the way and gets stabbed in the chest. Erazor Djinn tells them that if they do not get him the Rings, Sonic will die when the flame goes out. So they begin their epic journey to retrieve them.

Modes

There are four modes in the game: Adventure, Party, Special Book, and an Options mode to configure game settings.[3]

Adventure

File:Sonic andtheSecretRingsDesert1.JPEG
Sand Oasis

Adventure mode consists of the eight worlds that players will navigate Sonic through as part of the game's main plot. There are 12 missions per world, except for Lost Prologue, which has 21.

Medals may be awarded to the player for completing the mission within a certain time. Medals are bronze, silver or gold, and will unlock bonuses in the player's Special Book. If the player collects a certain number of silver medals s/he will receive the corresponding crest for Sonic. These crests are Dark, Fire and Wind, and can be unlocked by collecting 100, 105 and 110 silver medals respectively.

Levels

Lost Prologue

Sand Oasis

Dinosaur Jungle

Evil Foundry

Levitated Ruin

Pirate Storm

Skeleton Dome

Night Palace

Last Chapter

Party

The game features a multiplayer Party mode that can support up to four players simultaneously. This mode allows connectivity with GameCube Controllers for players 2-4, a feature that was never mentioned by Sega. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy are all default characters, but Shadow, Cream, Silver, and Blaze are all unlockable characters that can be accessed only after meeting certain requirements in the game. This multiplayer mode takes the form of having players compete in select mini-games out of the total forty, either individually or collectively in consecutive orders based on secular gameplay modes.

Special Book

In Special Book mode, players can play the 226 bonuses in the game that are unlocked by beating levels quickly, achieving various milestones and discovering secret areas.[4] Some of these bonuses include movies of the making of the game, cutscenes, video interviews, concept art, and music from the game.[5]

Control

In Adventure mode, players control Sonic with the Wii Remote by holding the controller sideways with both hands and will be able to use the controller in unique ways that take advantage of the Wii Remote's control mechanisms. Unlike other Sonic games, in which Sonic is controlled directly, Secret Rings features an indirect "on-rails" method of control in which Sonic moves forward automatically in a semi-linear path. Sonic's movement can be controlled by tilting the controller left or right. The "Nunchuk" peripheral is not used in this game.[6] GameCube controllers can be used in Party Mode for players 2-4.

Characters

In addition to Sonic the Hedgehog, several other characters appear in the game. Many of these characters are new to the franchise; however, some older characters from the franchise have returned only to have their bodies (not their personalities) used by the Arabian Nights characters. These returning characters are recognized throughout the game by Sonic, but do not recognize him in return because they are Arabian Nights characters, not Sonic characters.

File:Knuckles-sinbad.jpg
Sinbad from the Arabian Nights tales takes the physical form of Knuckles.
  • Shahra the Ring Genie: A special, eager young genie/djinn who enlists the help of Sonic. In the game, she grants Sonic special abilities and bonuses to help Sonic in his quest.[7] Her name suggests the 1001 nights character Scheherazade.
  • Erazor Djinn: An evil genie/djinn named Erazor who threatens the existence of the Arabian Nights world. Erazor is the genie from Aladdin and the Magic Lamp. At the start of the story, he strikes Sonic with a flaming arrow, forcing him to go on a hunt for the world's seven "World Rings", unbeknownst to him what really threatens the Arabian Nights world. His name is an obvious pun on "eraser", and "razor", as he is erasing the pages of the Arabian Nights book, and that his weapon is a giant razor blade.
  • Kri Ma Djinn: Creatures known as "Kri Ma Djinn" make appearances in some of the mini-games. "Majin" is the Japanese prounounciation of "Ma Djinn" and "Majin" also means "demon person" in Japanese.
  • Pri Ma Djinn: A genie known as "Pri Ma Djinn" makes an appearance in some of the mini-games.
  • Uhu: A "Wind Genie" who appears in the missions of some of the game's stages. He is "known for his speed" and as such, Sonic will, in certain stages, have to face him in a race to the end of the level.
  • King Solomon: A wise old king who resides in a chamber inside the Skeleton Dome. He is the original figure who stopped the enemies many years ago before Erazor tried to take over. In the game he appears as a large skeleton because of something that Erazor has done to him.
  • King Shahryār (Persian: شهریار) of Persia: He appears in Dr. Eggman's body. He has recently been attacked by an unknown entity and he mistakes Sonic for the attacker.[8] Naturally, Sonic is very reluctant to help him.
  • Sinbad the Sailor: He appears in Knuckles the Echidna's body. His only purpose in the game is to help Sonic find the Water Blue World Ring, which was taken from him by pirates when he was captured.
  • Big the Cat: Makes cameo, Easter-egg appearances in some of the game's stages. This is accomplished by braking and standing still in a certain spot for a few seconds, revealing a short cutscene with him. This unlocks entries in his own "diary" in the Special Book that contains many bonus pictures of him in some of the stages. The empty spaces give instructions on where these spots can be found. Rather than an Arabian Nights character taking his physical form, he appears as himself.

Gameplay

Sonic has special moves that can be both customized and combined to suit certain situations.[10] Sonic can use some of 104 new skills throughout each of the stages in this game.[11][12] With special skills equipped, Sonic can perform new moves, his existing moves are improved, and certain effects are bestowed. For instance, one defensive move enables Sonic to, upon sustaining damage, lose only 10 rings instead of the usual 20. Another increases the range of his homing attack, and a third grants him the ability to backflip. A fourth grants him a Soul Gauge with which to perform super moves. There is also an experience and levelling system, in which the player's score, collected Fire Souls and some skills contribute towards increasing his level. Levelling up grants the player more points with which to equip skills, a higher cap on the number of rings he can hold and an increased Soul Gauge.[13] Players have to, before selecting a stage, decide which skills would be best-suited for the respective mission and equip certain skills over others. Since there are so many skills, players may customize one of the four "Skill Rings" available, so they do not have to select all the skills they need each time they enter a new level.

When Sonic's Soul Gauge is sufficiently full, using the D-pad enables Sonic to use one of two abilities. "Speed Break" boosts him to incredible speeds and grants him partial invincibility, allowing him to defeat enemies, break certain objects, and ignore certain hazards. "Time Break" slows down time for better aim and obstacle evasion, and can expose certain items and objects (such as some Fire Souls) that would be invisible and impossible to collect or interact with otherwise.[14][15] Both moves require a base amount of Soul to initiate, and then continually drain Soul while in operation. Also, one skill, named "Soul Resurrection", allows Sonic to take a hit without dying at 0 rings by depleting his Soul Gauge by 100 points. To build up energy in this "Soul" meter, small collectable "fire orbs", called Pearls, are dispersed throughout each stage. Also, certain Skills can increase the Soul Gauge.[16] Certain stages will also present the need for Sonic to utilize different mechanisms to reach new areas. These special stage-unique abilities and mechanisms range, depending on the stage.

Audio

Music

The main theme tune "Seven Rings In Hand" is performed by Steve Conte and composed by Namano Mashurio. The ending theme, "Worth A Chance", is also performed by Steve Conte.

The main audio music, generally, remains consistent with the Sonic (Pop Rock Mixes) formula while featuring some "Middle Eastern touches" in keeping with the game's main theme.[17]

Voice actors

The game features English voice acting, Japanese voice acting, and subtitles.

Japanese voice English voice Role Notes
Junichi Kanemaru Jason Anthony Griffith Sonic the Hedgehog/Darkspine Sonic [18]
Mai Nakahara Bella Hudson Shahra the Ring Genie
Masashi Ebara Peter Cormican Erazor Djinn
Chikao Ōtsuka Mike Pollock Dr. Eggman (King Shahryar)
Ryo Hirohashi Amy Palant Miles "Tails" Prower (Ali-Baba)
Nobutoshi Canna Dan Green Knuckles the Echidna (Sinbad)
Taeko Kawata Lisa Ortiz Amy Rose
Sayaka Aoki Rebecca Handler Cream the Rabbit
Kōji Yusa Jason Anthony Griffith Shadow the Hedgehog
Nao Takamori Bella Hudson Blaze the Cat
Daisuke Ono Pete Capella Silver the Hedgehog
Etsuko Kozakura Rebecca Handler Omochao
Unknown Richard Will King Solomon

Development

Concept Art of King Shahryār of Persia appearing in Dr. Eggman's body.

Sonic and the Secret Rings was produced over a span of approximately two years,[19], while it was programmed over a span of approximately one year.[20] The idea for the game centered around the potential abilities of the Wii Remote. Yojiro Ogawa has stated that the next-generation Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) was originally planned to be ported to the Wii;[21] he later elaborated that to port this game would mean that it would not launch until a significantly later date than Sonic and the Secret Rings, and Sega wanted to release a Sonic game much closer to the Wii's launch.[22] With less time to develop the game than normal, and two different play modes, the development team for this Sonic game was much larger than that of a normal Sonic game.[20]

The game has gone through several name changes. It was first announced as Sonic Wild Fire by Sega at E3 2006,[23] then as Hyper Sonic at the Nintendo Press Event[24] and again as Sonic Wild Fire in all of the following trailers. After E3 it was then changed to Sonic and the Secret of the Rings before being slightly modified into Sonic and the Secret Rings in August 2006. Sega preferred the original name "Wild Fire" over "Secret Rings" (that is, "Wild Fire" was to have been the final name), but changed it so it was more relevant to the story and the Arabian Nights stories.[25]

The game's art and setting were heavily influenced by Shadow of the Colossus, Prince of Persia and God of War, which were the inspirations behind the Arabian Nights setting.[26]

Reception

The game has received above average scores praising it for its graphics, varied challenges, as well as its many resolved issues that were present in preceding 3D Sonic games. The current Game Rankings average is 71%, Nintendo Power sporting the game's highest rating.[27] The game was criticized for tough controls, the story (loosely based on the Arabian Nights), lack of other playable characters, and that the player is required to complete missions that are, in the views of the reviewers, both tedious and repetitive in order to advance the storyline (in previous 3D Sonic titles, missions were optional).[citation needed] Despite a good camera view, it tends to focus on Sonic a bit too much which could be bad when walking backwards, causing him to hit dangerous objects.[citation needed] Multiplayer mode was also criticized for merely containing party games as opposed to racing.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ Sega Japan Wii Site
  2. ^ Japanese Sonic and the Secret Rings page
  3. ^ Presenting Wii ' sonic and ring ' trial version of secret to 1000 people (Japanese)
  4. ^ Official Site from SEGA
  5. ^ Secret Rings: First Impressions
  6. ^ Q&A: Sonic and the Secret Rings' Yojiro Ogawa
  7. ^ Ring of sonic and secret (Japanese)
  8. ^ Exclusive: Nintendo Power March 2007 Info!
  9. ^ Exclusive: Nintendo Power March 2007 Info!
  10. ^ Previews: Sonic & Secret Rings
  11. ^ Sonic Stadium: GamesMaster Exclusive Preview
  12. ^ Official Nintendo Magazine Review
  13. ^ The Sonic City Blog: Secret Rings, what the experts say
  14. ^ GameSpy Sonic and the Secret Rings (Wii) Screenshots
  15. ^ Sonic And The Secret Rings Gameplay E3 2006
  16. ^ Pearls may also be obtained by defeating enemies.SPOnG.com: Sonic and the Secret Rings
  17. ^ Sonic and the Secret Rings Feature Preview
  18. ^ SATSR Gameplay
  19. ^ "The Wiire reports about Sonic and the Secret Rings Progress". Thewirre.com. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessyear= and |coauthors= (help)
  20. ^ a b "Sonic Team's Yojiro Ogawa - Interview at SPOnG.com". SPOnG.com. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessyear= and |coauthors= (help)
  21. ^ Cite error: The named reference newblue was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  22. ^ "Lifting the lid on Sonic's Secret Rings". IGN.com. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessyear= and |coauthors= (help)
  23. ^ "Sonic Wild Fire announcement - IGN". IGN. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessyear= and |coauthors= (help)
  24. ^ "First footage shown - Nintendo Press event blog". Eurogamer. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessyear= and |coauthors= (help)
  25. ^ "Sonic Team's Yojiro Ogawa - Interview at PALGN". PALGN. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |accessyear= and |coauthors= (help)
  26. ^ IGN: Lifting the lid on Sonic's Secret Rings
  27. ^ GameRankings page for Sonic and the Secret Rings

External links

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