Publisher: Sega
Update: September 23, 1997
As the release of Sonic R sneaks up on us, more and more information is leaking out about this hot, little holiday title. Find out what one of the producers of the title says about Sonic R development, Travellers Tales, and Sonic Team in this interview reprinted from Sega of Europe's website.
Kats Sato: I was the game designer and character designer for Clockwork Knight 1&2, and I also worked on the arcade Outrunners and Golden Axe games. More recently I have moved to Sega of Europe as Senior Producer.
Q: Can you tell us the origin of Sonic R? What are Sega's primary objectives with the game?
Sato: To make a good, fun racing game, as most of the other racing games on Saturn are very serious. Also, we wanted to make an original Sonic game.
Q: Travellers Tales is programming Sonic R. Were they chosen for the task by Sonic Team? How did the association come about?
Sato: Sega appointed Travellers Tales because of the good work they did on the Mega Drive version of Sonic 3D. Sonic Team was very impressed by this. Previously, they had also done Toy Story which was incredible for the Mega Drive.
Q: Why isn't Sonic Team programming Sonic R themselves?
Sato: Sonic Team was busy with Sonic Jam and then started on another Saturn project. [ed. Burning Rangers!]
Q: What is Sonic Team's exact involvement with Sonic R? How is the team working with Travellers Tales?
Sato: Sonic Team is designing the game and creating artwork amongst other things. Some
members of Sonic Team will be based in England to work with Travellers Tales.
Q: The Sonic World section of Sonic Jam looks amazing. Is any of this technology, or Sonic Team's know-how, being passed on to Travellers Tales?
Sato: Not really. Travellers Tales has developed its own very good 3D routines, but the group has had some assistance from Sonic Team for certain things.
Q: Sonic R is definitely Phase 2 of Project Sonic, isn't it? Is Sonic ever going to appear in an original Sonic Team produced platform game on Saturn?
Sato: I can't comment on that at this moment.
Q: Why the decision to go for a racing game?
Sato: We just thought it would be a great idea to make a racing game with Sonic characters.
Q: Yuji Naka is synonymous with Sonic and the Sonic Team? What is his involvement with Sonic R?
Sato: He is general producer for this title and will closely follow the progress.
Q: Why is the game called "Sonic R"? Does the R stand for anything?
Sato: The 'R' stands for many different things and not just racing. It is up to the player to decide exactly what. [ed. Send us your guesses, gang.What do you think the R stands for?]
Q: The demo at E3 was very early. When did work begin on the game and what sort of status was the E3 demo at?
Sato: Work began after Travellers Tales finished the Saturn conversion of Sonic 3D. We would have liked to move E3 by a month because the version we showed was not even a proper first playable version.
Q: How representative of the final game is the demo? Is the feature track virtually complete or is there still much detail to add?
Sato: There is still much to be done, even on this first track.
Q: We only got to see one of the five tracks which we presume is the first course. What kind of ideas do you have for the other courses?
Sato: You will have to wait and see.
Q: What kind of power-ups and extra features are going to be on the tracks?
Sato: There will be many, but we do not wish to reveal all these just yet.
Q: What's the situation with the game's characters? Can you control all of them?
Sato: You can control 4 of the 5 at the beginning. You will get to play using Dr. Robotnik later on. There will be a lot of hidden characters.
Q: How are they different to use in terms of gameplay?
Sato: Very different. Some are faster, others turn easier, etc. Also, they will have special moves. For example Tails will be able to fly.
Q: What kind of multi-player facilities do you plan to include in the game?
Sato: There will be a split-screen 2 player mode like in other famous Saturn racing games.
Q: Obviously we need to talk about the spectacular graphics. What are the key features of the graphics system Travellers Tales are using for Sonic R?
Sato: Travellers Tales are doing an incredible job with some very good effects such as transparencies, gourad shading, lighting, etc.
Q: The game runs at a constant 30 frames per second in the demo. Will this remain the same on the final game?
Sato: Yes. Travellers Tales are confident that they have the skills to achieve this.
Q: All Sonic games in the past have featured an amazing Special Stage. How does Sonic R continue this tradition?
Sato: Sorry, but I can't tell you this yet.
Q: Obviously there's bound to be some comparison between Sonic R and Mario Kart 64. What do you think are the main similarities and differences?
Sato: Yes, it's a racing game, but we have added a lot more exploration to Sonic R and other hidden features.
Q: What's the game's schedule? When will it be finished?
Sato: The game will be on sale in November.
Update: July 16
More information leaking in about this hot little racer. This time, we've got the current character list.
Sonic the Hedgehog: Obviously, his fastest speed tops all other characters, but at the cost of his inferior acceleration and gripping abilities. He can spin in circles as well as perform his trademark spin-dashes. He also has two levels of jumping to clear large obstacles.
Miles "Tails" Prowler: His top speed lags behind the others, but his other racing abilities are comparatively high. He can do spin-dashes just like Sonic. Also, his tails can spin like helicopter blades to help him fly around for a bold shortcut.
Knuckles Echidna: The perfectly balanced character. He can spin in circles and do spin-dashes like Sonic and Tails. He can also glide in the air.
Amy Rose She drives a car to make up for her lack of running abilities. It has a low top speed but has great acceleration. A perfect character for beginners. Her car is all-terrain, too -- it can cut through obstacles like trees and grass, and can also travel on water.
Dr. Robotnik: He rides in the familiar Eggmobile, whose cornering ability is exceptionally high. Also he can travel on water.
Robotnik can also throw bombs and destroy obstacles.
Check out our images for character shots.
Some new shots of Sonic R in action look AWESOME!! This game's cooking up really nicely. Travelling Tales' racer looks like it could give Mario Kart a "run" for its money.
No, Sonic and company aren't flying around the track in souped-up go-karts. This racing is done on foot.
Shown in a 40% completed demo, gamers caught a glimpse of what's to come. Four characters are currently implemented: Sonic, Tails, Robotnick, and Knuckles. MechaSonic will probably make an appearance as well.
Current levels allow you to hop, jump, bounce around the tracks, but you're not constrained to the course. Find shortcuts through woods and water to shave a few seconds off the clock. There's also a few loops thrown in to shake up the action
Ring collection plays a certain factor in the competition as well, but it's unclear what their purpose is right now.
Multiplayer options are currently on-tap, though the current build lacks that feature. Split-screen is likely, but NetLink is, right now, unconfirmed.
Developer: Traveller's Tales
Genre: Racing
Expected Release: Fall 1997
Q: What [Sega] products have you worked on in the past?
Update: July 15
