Let’s not beat around the bush here; if the last decade or so has been shaky at best for the Sonic franchise, then the release of Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric on Wii U last year was a world shaking, continent splitting earthquake of apocalyptic proportions. However, the drama over that buggy, broken, and all around unfinished console title over shadowed the fact there was a much better 3DS game that came out at the same time. While reviews for Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal were almost certainly still well below what Sega would have liked, it was still much better received than its Wii U counterpart.
For this year, Sega is, not surprisingly, leaving home consoles out of the equation and keeping Sonic to 3DS with Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice. Developed by Sanzaru Games, this new title will be adding in fire- and ice-based mechanics to enhance the core platforming, combat, and puzzle mechanics found in previous entries. Fire & Ice will also feature a total of five playable characters: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy Rose, and Sticks, a newer character introduced in last year’s Sonic Boom show and games. Dr. Eggman will once again be showing up to play the villain, alongside newcomer D-Fekt.
Another new feature is the addition of Bot Racing. Throughout the game, players will unlock different bots that can be raced, both in single and multiplayer competitions. Unfortunately, very little has been said or shown regarding this new aspect of the game at this point in time.
I have no doubt that many a gamer will be rolling their eyes at this announcement, but one must also remember that Nintendo’s handhelds have long been a bastion for Sonic and company, frequently delivering better experiences than their console counterparts. Also, it is worth pointing out that the Sonic Boom TV show has been wildly successful among young kids and Sega definitely wants to capitalize on it. Hopefully, though, the company will see Fire & Ice as an opportunity to restore the faith of long time Sonic fans as much as it sees it as an opportunity to cash in.
Source: Sega