Sega Heroes

Last updated
Sega Heroes
SEGA Heroes (Promotional Poster, 2020).jpeg
Cover artwork of Sega Heroes, featuring (from left to right) Gum, Werebear, and ChuPea
Developer(s) Demiurge Studios
Publisher(s) Sega
Platform(s) Android, iOS
ReleaseNovember 14, 2018
Genre(s) Puzzle, role-playing
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Sega Heroes (originally known as Sega Legends) was a free-to-play puzzle video game developed by Demiurge Studios and published by Sega for Android and iOS. Released on November 14, 2018, the game ceased operations in May 2020 following Demiurge's split from Sega to become an independent video game developer. [1] [2]

Contents

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot showing the player's heroes (left) fighting Dremagen's allies (right) SEGA Heroes gameplay.jpeg
Gameplay screenshot showing the player's heroes (left) fighting Dremagen's allies (right)

Sega Heroes was a match 3 game, where the player had to match three or more tiles or shapes of the same color to score points and defeat enemies on the field. There were five different colored tiles and four of them that could control a character's actions and abilities. The player had to select four characters of different colors (blue, green, red and yellow) in order to battle enemies in an event. Depending on the color of the character, the tiles that were matched determined if a character attacked an opponent. If the player matched three or more tiles of the same color together, it resulted in the hero of that color gaining energy and attacking an enemy of choice. The tiles came in four separate colors (for each color-type); red, green, yellow and blue, as well as purple for boost. Matching purple tiles together increased the multiplier, resulting in the selected heroes becoming stronger. Matching four tiles together created a star tile, while matching six tiles together created another type of Star tile that exploded a piece of the board and activated a different ability. The MAX ability triggered a character's special move.

Campaign and plot

Dremagen, styling herself as the "Master of a Thousand Dimensions", uses her power to take over the universes and timelines across time and space itself. [3] Dremagen is able to clone any existing being at will, which she uses to her advantage by cloning heroes and villains she deems worthy to be part of her ultimate army. Amy Rose finds Ax Battler and asks for his help, though he refuses at first due to feeling too weak to take on Dremagen. Amy is able to convince Ax and the two decide to find Dremagen and defeat her before she takes over the whole universe.

Along the way, Amy and Ax recruit several others to their side, such as Blaze Fielding, AiAi the Monkey, Big the Cat, Beat, Sonic the Hedgehog, Joe Musashi, and Cream the Rabbit. The heroes also discover that Doctor Eggman and his robots have chosen to ally with Dremagen, assisting in her universal conquest. [3] The heroes eventually confront and defeat Dremagen, vanquishing her as she swears vengeance. When the world is not restored to normal, the heroes decide to remain allied and prepare for Dremagen's inevitable return.

Playable characters

The game featured 68 playable characters, all of which were categorized by color. A team had to have included a character from each color; a red, green, blue and yellow hero. Characters were also organized by rarity; common, rare, epic, legendary and captain. Characters featured in the game originated from various Sega game franchises, such as Sonic the Hedgehog , Yakuza , Streets of Rage , Jet Set Radio , Phantasy Star , Golden Axe , Shenmue , Super Monkey Ball , ChuChu Rocket! and The House of the Dead .

Reception

Sega Heroes received mixed reviews from critics, many praised the gameplay but criticized its difficulty. Bengt Lemne of Game Reactor found the game "highly addictive" and felt that the game's need for microtransactions was more balanced than expected [4] Tom Reinert of Galaxy of Geek was more critical, finding the gameplay bland and overly pressuring on players to make in-app purchases due to the slow the process of leveling up characters. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonic the Hedgehog (character)</span> Video game character

Sonic the Hedgehog is a fictional character created by Naoto Ohshima and Yuji Naka. The title character of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog video game franchise, Sonic is an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who can run at supersonic speeds and curl into a ball to attack enemies. He races through levels, collecting power-up rings and avoiding obstacles, as he seeks to defeat the mad scientist Doctor Eggman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knuckles the Echidna</span> Video game character

Knuckles the Echidna is a character from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series. He is a red anthropomorphic short-beaked echidna who is Sonic's secondary best friend and former rival. Determined and serious, but sometimes gullible, he fights his enemies using brute strength. He serves as the guardian of the Master Emerald, a huge gemstone that controls the series' integral Chaos Emeralds, and is the last living member of his tribe, the Knuckles Clan.

<i>Sonic Adventure</i> 1998 video game

Sonic Adventure is a 1998 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Dreamcast. It was the first main Sonic the Hedgehog game to feature 3D gameplay. It follows Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Amy Rose, Big the Cat, and E-102 Gamma in their quests to collect the Chaos Emeralds and stop Doctor Robotnik from unleashing Chaos, an ancient evil. Controlling one of the six characters—each with their own abilities—players complete levels to progress the story. Sonic Adventure retains many elements from prior Sonic games, such as power-ups and the ring-based health system. Players can play minigames such as racing and interact with Chao, a virtual pet.

<i>Sonic Heroes</i> 2003 platform video game

Sonic Heroes is a 2003 platform game developed by Sonic Team USA and published by Sega as part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The player races a team of series characters through levels to amass rings, defeat robots, and collect the seven Chaos Emeralds needed to defeat Doctor Eggman. Within each level, the player switches between the team's three characters, who each have unique abilities, to overcome obstacles. Sonic Heroes abandons the action-adventure and exploration-based gameplay of its predecessors Sonic Adventure (1998) and Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) and instead returns to the linear style of Sega Genesis-era Sonic games.

Tails (<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i>) Video game character

Miles Prower, better known by his nickname Tails, is a character from Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series. Tails also appears in several spin-off games in which he stars, comic books, cartoons, and films. He is the second character to consistently appear by Sonic's side in the series as his best friend, appearing in nearly every mainline and spin-off since his debut. The name "Miles Prower" is a pun on "miles per hour", a reference to the famed speed of Sonic the Hedgehog. Miles Prower is a two-tailed fox, hence the nickname.

Chao (<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i>) Fictional life-forms in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series

Chao are fictional life-forms in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game series published by Sega. They are small, childlike creatures that go through a complex life cycle and exist in several visual forms depending on how they are raised. Developer Sonic Team incorporated Chao into the games to encourage players to explore levels and support the good–evil dichotomy of Sonic Adventure 2.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> (1991 video game) Multidirectional scrolling platform game

Sonic the Hedgehog is a 1991 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Genesis/Mega Drive. It was released in North America on June 23 and in PAL regions and Japan the following month. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog, who can run at near supersonic speeds; Sonic sets out on a quest to defeat Dr. Robotnik, a scientist who has imprisoned animals in robots and seeks the powerful Chaos Emeralds. The gameplay involves collecting rings as a form of health, and a simple control scheme, with jumping and attacking controlled by a single button.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shadow the Hedgehog</span> Fictional character

Shadow the Hedgehog is a character appearing in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Shadow was created by Takashi Iizuka and Shiro Maekawa and first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2 (2001). Although this was intended to be his only appearance, Shadow proved so popular among fans that developer Sonic Team decided to include him in Sonic Heroes (2003). Shadow has since featured in numerous Sonic games, including the spin-off Shadow the Hedgehog (2005). He also appears in Sonic film and television adaptations, comics, and merchandise.

<i>Knuckles Chaotix</i> 1995 platform video game

Knuckles' Chaotix is a 1995 platform game developed by Sega for the 32X. A spin-off from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, it features Knuckles the Echidna and four other characters known as the Chaotix, who must prevent Doctor Robotnik and Metal Sonic from obtaining six magic rings and conquering a mysterious island. Gameplay is similar to previous Sonic games: players complete levels while collecting rings and defeating enemies. Knuckles' Chaotix introduces a partner system whereby the player is connected to another character via a tether; the tether behaves like a rubber band and must be used to maneuver the characters.

<i>Sonic Advance</i> 2001 video game

Sonic Advance is a 2001 platform game developed by Dimps for the Game Boy Advance (GBA). It was the first Sonic the Hedgehog game released on a Nintendo console with Sonic Adventure 2: Battle on the GameCube, and was produced in commemoration of the series' tenth anniversary. The story follows Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy as they journey to stop Doctor Eggman from taking over the world. Controlling a character, players are tasked with completing each level, defeating Eggman and his robot army, and collecting the seven Chaos Emeralds.

<i>Sonic Drift</i> 1994 racing game

Sonic Drift is a 1994 racing game based on Sonic the Hedgehog developed and published by Sega for the Game Gear. Players control one of four characters as they race to the finish line, with 18 tracks themed after levels in 1991's Sonic the Hedgehog.

<i>Shadow the Hedgehog</i> (video game) 2005 video game

Shadow the Hedgehog is a 2005 platform game developed by Sega Studios USA and published by Sega as part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The game follows Shadow the Hedgehog, a creation of Doctor Eggman's grandfather, as he attempts to learn about his past while suffering from amnesia. Shadow the Hedgehog reintroduces third-person shooter elements from Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2, but greatly expands upon the concept and introduces nonlinear gameplay to the Sonic franchise. To defeat enemies and progress through the game, Shadow can use a variety of weapons from each faction and complete missions that will determine the game's plot and subsequently playable levels.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> (2006 video game) Platform game by Sega

Sonic the Hedgehog is a 2006 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. It was produced in commemoration of the Sonic series' 15th anniversary and intended as a reboot for the seventh-generation video game consoles. Players control Sonic, Shadow, and the new character Silver, who battle Solaris, an ancient evil pursued by Doctor Eggman. Each playable character has his own campaign and abilities, and must complete levels, explore hub worlds and fight bosses to advance the story. In multiplayer modes, players can work cooperatively to collect Chaos Emeralds or race to the end of a level.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> Video game franchise

Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main Sonic the Hedgehog games are platformers mostly developed by Sonic Team; other games, developed by various studios, include spin-offs in the racing, fighting, party and sports genres. The franchise also incorporates printed media, animations, feature films, and merchandise.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog 2</i> 1992 video game

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a 1992 platform game developed by Sega Technical Institute (STI) for the Sega Genesis. Players control Sonic as he attempts to stop Doctor Robotnik from stealing the Chaos Emeralds to power his space station. Like the first Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), players traverse side-scrolling levels at high speeds while collecting rings, defeating enemies, and fighting bosses. Sonic 2 introduces Sonic's sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower and features faster gameplay, larger levels, a multiplayer mode, and special stages featuring pre-rendered 3D graphics.

<i>Sonic Rivals</i> 2006 video game

Sonic Rivals is a 2006 action-racing video game developed by Backbone Entertainment and Sega Studio USA, and published by Sega for the PlayStation Portable (PSP); it is a game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and follows the heroes needing to stop Doctor Eggman Nega from turning everyone and the world into cards. The gameplay involves racing against other characters to get to the goal before them, as well as defeating the boss before the opponent does.

<i>Sonic and the Black Knight</i> 2009 video game

Sonic and the Black Knight is a 2009 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega as part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series for the Nintendo Wii. It is the second and final entry in the Sonic Storybook series, following Sonic and the Secret Rings (2007), and involves Sonic being transported to the story of King Arthur by wizard Merlina, under the pretense that they are attempting to stop a corrupted Arthur ; however, it is later revealed that there was no corruption and that Merlina had secretly wanted to become the Dark Queen to prevent the legend's fate from occurring. Gameplay involves controlling Sonic around with the Wii Remote's motion-sensing functionality, particularly swinging around the sword to attack enemies and to move forward.

<i>Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal</i> 2014 video game

Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal is a 2014 action-adventure game developed by Sanzaru Games and published by Sega for the Nintendo 3DS. Along with its Wii U sibling Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, Shattered Crystal is a spin-off of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and is a part of the Sonic Boom sub-franchise, which consists also of an animated television series, whose games serve as its prequels. The two games together formed the third and final part in Sega's exclusivity agreement with Nintendo, following Sonic Lost World and Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games in 2013.

<i>Sonic Forces</i> 2017 video game

Sonic Forces is a 2017 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega. It was produced in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Sonic the Hedgehog joins a resistance force alongside Classic Sonic, his past self, and the Rookie, a survivor of Eggman's attacks. Together they must stop Doctor Eggman, who has conquered most of the world alongside Infinite, a new enemy, who wields the power of the Phantom Ruby, and is able to create limitless numbers of illusionary clones of past villains. It features three gameplay modes: "Classic", side-scrolling gameplay similar to the original Sega Genesis Sonic games; "Modern", 3D gameplay similar to Sonic Unleashed (2008) and Sonic Colors (2010); and a mode featuring the "Avatar", the player's custom character.

References

  1. "Sega Heroes shutting down as Sega and Demiurge part ways". Shacknews. 16 April 2020. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  2. "SEGA Heroes is Shutting Down". Game Rant. 2020-04-17. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  3. 1 2 SEGA Heroes launch trailer , retrieved 2022-01-15
  4. Lemne, Bengt (26 November 2018). "Sega Heroes - Review". Gamereactor UK. Retrieved 2022-01-11.
  5. Reinert, Tom (2019-01-04). "Sega Heroes Review". Galaxy of Geek. Retrieved 2022-01-11.