Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice

Last updated
Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice
SonicBoomFire&Ice.png
Developer(s) Sanzaru Games
Publisher(s) Sega
Director(s) Bill Spence
Mat Kraemer
Tin Guerrero
Harumasa Nakajima
Producer(s) Jenny Huang
Takashi Iizuka
Toshihiro Nagoshi
Osamu Ohashi
Designer(s) Andrew Rollins
Casey Holtz
John Hsia
Mark Boroff
Programmer(s) Danny Kerp
Jon Gilardi
Nachi Lau
Artist(s) Jeremy French
JF Lepine
Writer(s) Ken Pontac
Warren Graff
Tin Guerrero
Composer(s) Richard Jacques
Series Sonic the Hedgehog
Platform(s) Nintendo 3DS
Release
  • NA: September 27, 2016
  • EU: September 30, 2016
  • AU: October 1, 2016
  • JP: October 27, 2016
Genre(s) Action-adventure, platform
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice [lower-alpha 1] is an action-adventure platform game developed by Sanzaru Games and published by Sega for the Nintendo 3DS. It is part of the Sonic Boom spin-off franchise of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, along with the games Rise of Lyric and Shattered Crystal and a television series. Originally planned for a release in late 2015, Fire & Ice was released in North America and Europe in September 2016, and in Australia the following month. [2] While the game received mixed reviews, it was seen as an improvement over Rise of Lyric and Shattered Crystal.

Contents

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot SonicBoomF&I Gameplay.png
Gameplay screenshot

Like the previous 3DS entry, Shattered Crystal , Fire & Ice is a side-scrolling platform game in which Sonic and his companions fight their way through various stages. In addition to Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Sticks, Amy returned from Rise of Lyric as a playable character. Like the previous game, players are able to switch between characters at will in order to use their unique abilities such as Sonic's speed, Tails' flight, Knuckles' strength, Sticks' boomerang, and Amy's hammer. A new addition to Fire & Ice is the addition of Fire and Ice elements, which apply both to the level environments and character abilities. For example, Sonic can infuse himself with Fire to break ice blocks or surround himself with Ice in order to freeze water, alternating between the two at will. The game also features various special stages, bonus minigames, challenge rooms, and local multiplayer modes. [3]

Plot

Discovering an element known as Ragnium, Doctor Eggman begins harnessing it for himself, using it to create robots that can allegedly outrun Sonic and his friends while also damaging the environment in the process. Meanwhile, D-Fekt, a rejected robot Eggman created to search for Ragnium, starts using his magnetic powers to try to become more powerful. Sonic and his friends attempt to stop Eggman and D-Fekt and restore balance to the environment. [4]

According to Bill Freiberger, executive producer of the Sonic Boom TV series, the game takes place during its second season, and features many teasers for that season within its bonus content. [5] The Season 2 episode, "Return to Beyond the Valley of the Cubots" ties into the events of Fire & Ice, featuring the return of D-Fekt and is even written by the game's writers.

Development

Fire & Ice was first announced on June 9, 2015. Sega producer Omar Woodley has stated both Sega and developer Sanzaru Games had been learning from their mistakes with Shattered Crystal, which received poor reviews upon release. [6] One of the problems they identified was how, even though the game was targeted towards children aged 7–11, fans of classic Sonic games picked up the game and had a harder time getting into Shattered Crystal's lengthy exploration-based levels. As such, levels have been made shorter and include paths to better suit gamers who prefer speeding through levels, in addition to explorational elements. [4] On September 15, 2015, Sega announced that Fire & Ice, which was planned for a release in Fall 2015, would be delayed to 2016 to allow more development time and coincide with the series' 25th anniversary. [7] Sega announced that the game would launch with a special edition containing a DVD featuring three episodes from the cartoon. A playable demo was shown at E3 2016. [8]

Reception

Fire & Ice received mixed reviews, but still significantly more positive compared to Shattered Crystal and Rise of Lyric. The game holds a score of 62/100, indicating "mixed or average" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. [9] Critics praised the improvements over Rise of Lyric and Shattered Crystal and refocus on speed–a key gameplay element of the franchise–while criticizing the plot, music, simple difficulty and, to a lesser extent, graphics.

Brian Shea of Game Informer gave the game a 7/10, stating: "Fire & Ice is a big step in the right direction for the spin-off series. While it still has quirks, it's a fun, easy experience that anyone can play. Though I still vastly prefer the classic Sonic games, Fire & Ice is an enjoyable spinoff title that brings some great elements of those games back into the forefront." [11]

IGN 's Jared Petty, who gave the game a 7.5/10, wrote: "A fast, fun platformer that lets you play the way you want. Sonic games have often struggled with providing the speed and excitement implied by the series' namesake hedgehog while also accommodating meaningful and rewarding exploration, but Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice admirably accomplishes both goals in old-school 2D-platformer fashion. You can blaze through, but at almost any moment you're free to veer off and indulge your curiosity by discovering hidden challenges and collectibles. While Fire and Ice's art direction and music are woefully generic, the well-constructed level layouts create a solid arcade-style experience that accomplishes a sense of extraordinary speed while accommodating a reasonable degree of control. Sonic Boom successfully draws from much of what makes the best of classic Sonic game play satisfying, sprinkles in a better-conceived exploratory structure, and remixes it into an intelligent, cohesive, and rewarding package." [12]

Metro 's GameCentral gave the game a 3/10, calling it "[not] quite as bad" as the last two Sonic Boom games and calling the platforming "adequate, if entirely without challenge or inspiration." [15]

Notes

  1. ↑ Released in Japan as Sonic Toon: Fire & Ice (Japanese: ソニックトゥーン ファイアー&(アンド)アイス, Hepburn: Sonikku Tūn: Faiā ando Aisu) [1]

Related Research Articles

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

Sonic the Hedgehog is a character created by the Japanese game developers Yuji Naka and Naoto Ohshima. He is the star of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise and the mascot of the Japanese video game company Sega. Sonic is an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who can run at supersonic speeds. He races through levels, collecting rings and avoiding obstacles, as he seeks to defeat his archenemy, Doctor Eggman. He is accompanied by supporting characters, such as his sidekick Miles "Tails" Prower, self-proclaimed girlfriend Amy Rose, and friendly rival Knuckles the Echidna.

<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 force and strength. His role is established as the guardian of the Master Emerald, a large gemstone which controls the series' integral Chaos Emeralds, and is the last living member of his tribe, the Knuckles clan.

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

Tails, also known as Miles Prower, is a fictional 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 first 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. Prower is a two-tailed anthropomorphic fox cub, hence the nickname.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> (1991 video game) 1991 video 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> Video game character

Shadow the Hedgehog is a character who appears in Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. He was created by Takashi Iizuka and Shiro Maekawa and first appeared in Sonic Adventure 2 (2001). Within Sonic's fictional universe, Shadow is an anthropomorphic black hedgehog created by Professor Gerald Robotnik, the grandfather of the series' antagonist Doctor Eggman. After witnessing the death of his best friend Maria Robotnik, Shadow initially seeks revenge, but later vows to keep his promise to her that he would protect the world from danger. An antihero, Shadow has good intentions but will do whatever it takes to accomplish his goals, putting him at odds with Sonic the Hedgehog.

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

Sonic Advance is a 2001 platform video game developed by Sonic Team and Dimps and published by Sega for the Game Boy Advance. It was the first Sonic the Hedgehog game to be 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.

A sonic boom is a shockwave caused by an aircraft or other object travelling faster than sound.

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

Sonic the Hedgehog is a Japanese 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doctor Eggman</span> Video game character

Doctor Ivo"Eggman"Robotnik is the main antagonist of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Eggman was created and designed by Naoto Ohshima as part of many design choices for Sega's new mascot. After the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog, Ohshima chose to use his previous egg-shaped character to create the antagonist of the 1991 video game Sonic the Hedgehog, making him the arch-nemesis of the series' eponymous main character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanzaru Games</span> American video game development company

Sanzaru Games, Inc. is an American video game development company that was founded in Foster City, California in 2006. Sanzaru also has a satellite studio based in Ottawa, Ontario called Kitazaru, as well as an office in Dublin, California. The company name is based on the three wise monkeys.

<i>Sonic Colors</i> 2010 video game

Sonic Colors is a 2010 platform game published by Sega. It follows Sonic's quest to stop his nemesis Doctor Eggman from enslaving an alien race and taking over the world. The gameplay is similar to prior Sonic games, with players collecting rings and defeating enemies; the camera perspective often switches from third-person to side-scrolling perspectives. The game also introduces Wisps, power-ups the player can use to increase attack power and reach new areas.

<i>Sonic Generations</i> 2011 video game

Sonic Generations is a 2011 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows, and Nintendo 3DS. Produced in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, the game follows Sonic and his sidekick Tails as they form an alliance with their past selves. It features two gameplay styles: "Classic", which plays from a side-scrolling perspective like that of the original Sega Genesis Sonic games, and "Modern", 3D levels similar to those in Sonic Unleashed (2008) and Sonic Colors (2010).

<i>Sonic Lost World</i> 2013 video game by Sega

Sonic Lost World is a 2013 platform game developed by Sonic Team. It is part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, and was released in October 2013 for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS in PAL regions by Nintendo and by Sega in North America and Japan. A port of the Wii U version for Windows was later released in November 2015.

<i>Sonic Boom</i> (TV series) Animated television series

Sonic Boom is an animated television series produced by Sega of America, Inc. and Technicolor Animation Productions in collaboration with Lagardère Thématiques and Jeunesse TV, respectively for Cartoon Network, Canal J and Gulli. Loosely based on the video game franchise Sonic the Hedgehog created by Sega, the series is the fifth animated television series based on the franchise and the first to be produced in computer-generated imagery animation and in high-definition.

<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 Runners</i> 2015 video game

Sonic Runners was a 2015 endless runner game in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise for Android and iOS. It was developed by Sonic Team as its first Sonic game exclusive to smartphones and published by Sega. In Sonic Runners, the player-character constantly ran forward, and players controlled their jumping from a side-scrolling perspective using the touchscreen. The game was free-to-play, featured a wide variety of playable characters from the Sonic series, and received periodic updates.

<i>Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric</i> 2014 video game

Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric is a 2014 action-adventure platform video game developed by Big Red Button and published by Sega for the Wii U. Along with Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal for the Nintendo 3DS, it is a spin-off of Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog series and is a part of the Sonic Boom franchise, which also consists of an animated television series, a comic series by Archie Comics, and a toyline by Tomy. The storyline follows Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy, who must stop Lyric the Last Ancient from acquiring the Chaos Crystals by powering up a robot army and wiping out all organic life, after Sonic accidentally awakens Lyric from a thousand year rest, while escaping Doctor Eggman.

<i>Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games</i> 2016 video game

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is a 2016 crossover sports and party game in the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series, released for the Nintendo 3DS in February 2016 in Japan, March 2016 in North America, and in April 2016 for Europe and Australia, and for the Wii U worldwide in June 2016. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee, as are the other games in the series. It was developed by Sega, with assistance from Arzest and Spike Chunsoft, and published by Nintendo. It is the fifth title in the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series. The game is a collection of Olympic sports themed mini-games featuring characters from the Mario series and the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

References

  1. ↑ "ソニックトゥーン ファイアー＆アイス［3DS］" [Sonic Toon: Fire & Ice [3DS]]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  2. ↑ Seedhouse, Alex (March 30, 2016). "Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice Speeds To Europe On September 30th". Nintendo Insider. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
  3. ↑ Klepek, Patrick (June 9, 2015). "Sega's Not Giving Up on Sonic Boom". Kotaku . Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Rignall, Jaz (June 9, 2015). "What's Next for Sonic the Hedgehog (and friends)?". USgamer . Archived from the original on July 30, 2016.
  5. ↑ @BillFreiberger (19 September 2016). "@starsnowflake16 @Tailooey_Fan No..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ↑ "Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal". Metacritic . November 11, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  7. ↑ Webber, Aaron (September 14, 2015). "Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice moves to 2016". Sega Blog. Sega. Archived from the original on March 24, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  8. ↑ Lada, Jenni (June 1, 2016). "Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice Launch Edition Includes Episodes From Cartoon". Siliconera. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  9. 1 2 "Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice (3DS)". Metacritic . Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  10. ↑ Whitaker, Jed (September 27, 2016). "Review: Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice". Destructoid . Archived from the original on May 21, 2019.
  11. 1 2 Shea, Brian (September 27, 2016). "Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice – Getting Warmer". Game Informer . Archived from the original on July 11, 2019.
  12. 1 2 Petty, Jared (September 27, 2016). "Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice Review". IGN . Archived from the original on October 8, 2016.
  13. ↑ Whitehead, Thomas (September 27, 2016). "Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice Review". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on July 31, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  14. ↑ Koopman, Daan (September 27, 2016). "Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice Review". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on October 31, 2016. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice review – just push right". Metro . September 28, 2016. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.