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{{release|Sat|US|1997-11-18||81800}}
 
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{{release|Sat|EU|1997-12-11|£44.99 {{fileRef2|CVG UK 193.pdf|page=72}}|MK81800-50}}
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{{release|Sat|EU|1997-12-11|£44.99 {{fileref|CVG UK 193.pdf|page=72}}|MK81800-50}}
 
{{release|Sat|JP|1997-12-04|¥5,800|GS-9170}}
 
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'''''Sonic R''''' (ソニックR) is a ''Sonic the Hedgehog''-themed 3D racing game. It was developed by [[Traveller's Tales]] under guidance from [[Sonic Team]], and published by [[Sega]] for the [[Sega Saturn]] and later Windows PCs.
'''''Sonic R''''' (ソニックR) is a racing game, featuring characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. It was developed by [[Traveller's Tales]] and [[Sonic Team]] for the [[Sega Saturn]] and PC. The PC version was ported to the [[GameCube]] and the [[PlayStation 2]] in ''[[Sonic Gems Collection]]''. The game is characterized by the same sense of environmental openness in the Sonic platformers. It contains colorful 3D graphics combined with a Powerpop soundtrack by [[Richard Jacques]] (including songs performed by British singer [[TJ Davis]]).
 
  
 
==Gameplay==
 
==Gameplay==
There are five racers in each race. The opponents selected depend on what character the player chooses. If the player chooses a secret character, the other secret characters that have been unlocked will be used. If the player chooses a starting character, he races against the other starting characters. For the purposes of selecting the racers, Dr. Robotnik is treated as a starting character.
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''Sonic R'' is a racing game played from a third-person perspective, where players take control of one of ten ''Sonic'' characters racing around one of five courses against up to four other players. While never released in arcades, it is structured similarly to Sega arcade racers such as ''[[Daytona USA]]'' and ''[[Sega Rally Championship]]'', however also includes (limited) platforming segments, power-ups and hazards.
  
There are several collectible rings across each of the five racetracks.  Each ring regenerates after a short period of time. These rings can serve two purposes.
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Keeping in the tradition of earlier ''Sonic'' games, [[ring]]s are scattered across each of the five courses, which in this game regenerate over a period of time. However, while in previous games rings act as hit-points to protect Sonic from damage, in ''Sonic R'' they are used as currency; either to use on "accelerators" (which will consume all of a the characters' rings (up to a maximum of 50) in exchange for a short, computer-controlled period where the player moves roughly three times as fast), or to open doors (which typically require 20 or 50 rings) to access new areas of the map.
  
* Stepping on a speed boost will consume all of a player's rings, to a maximum of 50, and boost the player ahead along a preset path. The boost is at a speed approximately three times the normal maximum speed of a character and lasts for a duration proportional to the number of rings deducted.
+
While some characters can attack other players, all obstacles in the game serve only to slow characters down, rather than eliminate them from the race. This includes water, which in this game causes certain characters to continue the race off-camera, rather than drowning them after an alotted time. Racers will also merely "bump" off each other if a collision occurs, and rings cannot be lost in the same manner as earlier Sonic titles (i.e. they do not scatter everywhere when hit).
* Each level contains special doors which open when the player uses twenty of fifty rings on it. Twenty-ring doors frequently hide tokens, shortcuts, or both. Fifty-ring doors frequently hide Chaos Emeralds, shortcuts, or both. After being opened, the doors remain open for all players for the duration of the game. The number of rings required to open the door is displayed in the frame above it.
 
  
There are also inexhaustible emblem bonuses.  Touching an emblem gives the racer one of multiple possible rewards, including a random number of rings and the [[Water shield|water]] and [[lightning shield]]s that first appeared in ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]''. The bubble shield allows the racer to walk on water once, after which it disappears. The lightning shield attracts rings to itself, but is eliminated over time or immediately upon touching water.
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Secondary to racing computer (or human) opponents in ''Sonic R'', the player can find and collect chaos emeralds (usually hidden behind doors), in-turn unlocking [[Super Sonic]] when all seven are collected. Each track also houses five Sonic tokens, which if collected allows the player to challenge the computer (as one of the unlockable characters) in a head-to-head race, where winning unlocks the opponent character. The player needs to finish in first place for any of these conditions to count, and has only three laps to collect the required enough rings/tokens/emeralds.
  
Aside from the main game, there are three special gameplay modes: reverse, in which racing occurs facing the opposite direction, break five balloons, and tag four players.
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Also featured throughout the levels are floating "Item Panels", which if touched awward the player with one of multiple possible rewards, including multiples of rings and [[Water shield|water]] and [[lightning shield]]s (which first appeared in ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]''). The water shield allows the racer to walk on water (until he/se reaches dry land once more), while the lightning attracts rings, disappearing of the player touches water. Item Panels do not disappear, but there is a pause between rewards.
  
==Characters==
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Aside from the main game, there are three special gameplay modes: reverse, in which racing occurs facing the opposite direction, breaking five balloons scattered around the stage, or tagging the other four players in the quickest possible time.
There are five racers in each race.  The four "best" racers that have been activated are automatically selected as computer opponents if a secret character is chosen. If one of the default characters is chosen, then the opponents with be the other default racers.
 
  
Some racers can run on water for a while, and all characters can "swim" in it indefinitely, but the speed of movement will be greatly reduced. In addition, each of the ten playable characters has a different speed and a unique set of abilities. These abilities can give certain characters, even those which are initially playable, a clear edge over others. The four characters that are initially playable are [[Amy Rose]], [[Miles "Tails" Prower|Tails]], [[Knuckles the Echidna|Knuckles]], and [[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]]. Below are the characters and their abilities, listed roughly from worst to best.
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The soundtrack by ''Sonic R'' was presented by [[Richard Jacques]], with songs performed by British singer [[TJ Davis]]. The vocals can be switched off in the options menu.  
  
* [[Amy Rose]] drives her car, which is similar to her cart in ''[[Sonic Drift]]'', and can hover over water. She is slow but at the cost of 10 rings, she has the ability to boost, giving her a high top speed.
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===Playable characters===
* [[Eggman]], who races in a [[eggpod]], can do a short-range heat-seeking attack at a cost of 10 rings. The attack will eliminate the target's shield if it has one and slow it down if it does not. He is also particularly slow but can hover over water.
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''Sonic R'' features ten racers, six of which are unlockable:
* [[Tails]] can fly at a fixed level for a limited period of time thus he can take shortcuts that others can not. He has good acceleration, but is difficult to turn with at high speeds.
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{{SectionsHeader}}
* [[Eggrobo]] is robot whose head and body are shaped like an egg, first seen in ''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]''. Its abilities are similar to those of Robotnik, but it is slow compared to the other secret characters.
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{{Section
* [[Knuckles]] can [[Power Glide‎|glide]] for an unlimited period of time, gradually losing height. He cannot latch onto or climb walls as in ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog 3]]''. He is an all-round character, not having any major features and Speed and Control is even.
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|image=
* [[Sonic]] is the fastest of the characters that are initially playable. He can double jump. He has quick acceleration and high top speed, but has poor handling.
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|title=Sonic the Hedgehog
* [[Tails Doll]] can hover on water. Additionally, he can hover indefinitely a certain distance above the ground or water.
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|desc=[[Sonic the Hedgehog]] is the fastest of the four initially available characters, but is the most difficult to control. He can [[spin dash]] and double jump.
* [[Metal Knuckles]] is a robot version of Knuckles that is faster on the ground and while gliding.
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}}
* [[Metal Sonic]] has a very high single jump and does not immediately fall into water, instead floating above it while losing speed, and then falling in after he has stopped completely.
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{{Section
* [[Super Sonic]] is the fastest racer, and also the hardest to unlock. He can double-jump and can run on water indefinitely, although at a reduced speed. By repeatedly jumping, it is possible to move across water at full speed. His only flaw is that he can be hard to control at times.
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|image=
 
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|title=Miles "Tails" Prower
==Differences between versions==
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|desc=[[Miles "Tails" Prower]] is a slower version of Sonic with his trademark flying ability, allowing him to fly at a fixed level for a short period of time. The technique is not very useful in ''Sonic R'', as the tracks generally lack any sort of "verticality" to them, and paths are usually enclosed by invisible walls.
 
+
}}
===Fade-In===
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{{Section
-The Saturn version of ''Sonic R'' handles the game's signature fade-in differently. If the game is undergoing slowdown the fade-in will disappear, shortening the draw distance, in an attempt to keep the frame rate up. Polygons that are transparent do not have lighting applied.  
+
|image=
 
+
|title=Knuckles the Echidna
-On the software rendered PC version, fade-in is fixed and can be changed in the options menu or in-game with the '''F1''' and '''F2''' keys. On the hardware rendered version, fade-in is displayed differently, calculated per pixel instead of per polygon. Also on the hardware rendered PC version, the lowest flat floor fades-in with the polygons.  
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|desc=[[Knuckles the Echidna]] fills the role as the all-round character, with average speed and handling. Knuckles can [[spin dash]], and while he can still [[Power Glide‎|glide]], is robbed of the ability to latch onto walls and climb up them (though there is never any need to do so).
 
+
}}
-The ''Gems'' version has no fade-in.
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{{Section
 
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|image=
===Track Lighting===
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|title=Amy Rose
 
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|desc=[[Amy Rose]] is the slowest of the playable characters and drives a car which can hover over water. 10 rings allows her to boost for a short period.
-The Saturn and software rendered versions use addition to calculate lighting. This allows for much more dramatic lighting and changing to color of a texture. (Blue light on red shows blue.)The hardware rendered PC version and ''Gems'' version uses multiplication for calculating lighting. (Blue light on red shows black.) Since the game's lighting was designed for additive lighting, the track appears subdued on the hardware rendered and Gems versions.
+
}}
 
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{{Section
-In the Saturn version, the Radiant Emerald track is transparent and has a transparent overlay to simulate multi-texturing. The fade-in found throughout the game is disabled, so the end of the track pops into view.  
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|image=
 +
|title=Dr. Eggman/Dr. Robotnik
 +
|desc=[[Dr. Eggman]] (Dr. Robotnik in the West) appears as an opponent from the start, however is only made playable after finishing first in [[Radiant Emerald]]. Driving an [[Eggmobile]], Eggman can hover over water and fire a short-range head-seeking missile at other racers at the cost of 10 rings. The missile temporarily slows down its target or removes the person's shield, but is otherwise harmless.
 +
}}
 +
{{Section
 +
|image=
 +
|title=Metal Sonic
 +
|desc=[[Metal Sonic]] has a higher single jump than the rest of the characters, and can temporarily hover over water while travelling at faster speeds. The character is unlocked by collecting the five Sonic tokens in Resort Island.
 +
}}
 +
{{Section
 +
|image=
 +
|title=Tails Doll
 +
|desc=[[Tails Doll]], unique to ''Sonic R'' is the only character that can travel over water without decreasing speed. It can also float slightly higher for a short period of time without losing momentum. The character is unlocked by collecting the five Sonic tokens in Radical City.
 +
}}
 +
{{Section
 +
|image=
 +
|title=Metal Knuckles
 +
|desc=[[Metal Knuckles]] is a faster variant of Metal Sonic with the ability to glide. The character is unlocked by collecting the five Sonic tokens in Regal Ruin.
 +
}}
 +
{{Section
 +
|image=
 +
|title=Eggrobo
 +
|desc=[[Eggrobo]], first seen in ''[[Sonic & Knuckles]]'', behaves similarly to Eggman, though is easier to control and slightly faster. The character is unlocked by collecting the five Sonic tokens in Reactive Factory.
 +
}}
 +
{{Section
 +
|image=
 +
|title=Super Sonic
 +
|desc=[[Super Sonic]] is unlocked by collecting all the chaos emeralds and pressing {{up}} while hovering over Sonic on the character selection screen. As is usually the case in Sonic games, Super Sonic is the fastest character in ''Sonic R'', though the increase in speed (and jump height) makes him more difficult to control. Super Sonic shares all of Sonic's abilities, but can now hover over water.
 +
}}
 +
{{SectionsEnd}}
 +
While arguably many of the characters have pros and cons, differences in handling and special moves are often negligable, and the majority of the action involves travelling forward on the ground. This means the initial five characters, from fastest to slowest, are Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Eggman, Amy, while the unlockables rank as Super Sonic, Metal Knuckles, Metal Sonic, Eggrobo, Tails Doll. The computer does not always follow the numbers - Knuckles is usually faster than Sonic when it is in charge.
  
-In the PC and ''Gems'' versions, fade-in works normally, but the track is no longer transparent and there is no overlay. Instead, the coloring of the track pulsates with bright colors.  
+
===AI===
 +
During normal play, the computer controls four AI characters for the player to race against. Due to the passive nature of the game, most act as glorified pacemakers, rarely interacting with the player and following a predictable path along the course. In most cases, the computer selects the four "best" unlocked characters and never varies its choices - that is to say, as soon as one (non-Robotnik) character is unlocked, Amy Rose will never be chosen by the computer to race again, as when controlled by the computer, she is the slowest character in the game.
  
-On the hardware rendered PC version and Gems versions, the track is dark and unlit in places, but coloring does change.
+
The computer follows all the same rules as human players, so will collect rings, run through emblems and make use of doors and accelerators (if doing so offers a shortcut). Computer-controlled Robotnik or Eggrobo will fire at opponents which are close by, but will not actively hunt down other players. The computer also has no interest in collecting emeralds or tokens.
  
===Backgrounds and Textures===
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The AI opponents only ever run (or drive/float) around a track - they do not jump, use Amy's speed boost or capitalise on certain characters' ability to hover over water. With the exception of Radiant Emerald, large sections of the track are ignored by the computer, either due to the routes being longer, or presumed difficulties in overcoming certain obstacles. The stage designs coupled with smart-enough pathfinding means that the computer is unlikely to get stuck unless forced into a corner by a human player, but as its strategy never changes, the player has a huge advantage over the computer in most cases.
-The Saturn version has a smaller background (mostly made from a tilemap) and is mirrored four times to wrap the screen (causing suns/moons to appear twice).  
 
  
-The PC and Gems versions use a 1664*128 bitmap for the entire background.  
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Computer characters move at an almost constant speed, hard-coded for each character which does not vary significantly between races. As the computer does not appear to be affected by character handling differences, this usually means it is easy to predict which order the computer characters will finish a race in. Sonic, for example, will always beat Amy in a race regardless of the chosen track, unless the player interferes in some way. While slight variations in the computer's racing lines could give Amy an advantage (i.e. she collects more rings to use), the length of the track and the time taken to collect these rings usually means that by lap three, each character has an unassailable lead over the next.
  
-The water for the Saturn version appears different, with light shading on the wave reflection of the background (a palette effect) and a faintly visible water surface.  
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While the specifics are not understood, computer players do appear to "learn" better routes as the game progresses. One of the more obvious examples is the loop in Resort Island - when first playing the game, the computer will use the loop, but later will discover that it is quicker to avoid it on the right-hand side. Many (sometimes obvious) shortcuts are never taken by the computer, however.
  
-The software rendered PC version has ripples done that same way as the Saturn version, but is missing the visible water surface and wave shading. The ''Gems Collection'' version animates water in a similar way.  
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When playing as Super Sonic in Radiant Emerald with all characters unlocked, Metal Sonic, Tails Doll, Metal Knuckles and Eggrobo will travel faster through the stage and become more competitive as a result.
  
-The hardware rendered PC version is missing the features that the software version misses, as well as the background reflecting by a slightly darkened, wobbling texture.  
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==Versions==
 +
''Sonic R'' was designed with the Sega Saturn in mind, but was subsequently brought to Windows PCs a year later. The PC version exists in two forms; one which uses software rendering (i.e. graphics are handled by the CPU), and another which uses hardware rendering, taking advantage of 3D accelerator cards which were becoming more commonplace at the time. The version of ''Sonic R'' which appears in ''[[Sonic Gems Collection]]'' is derived from this hardware-accelerated PC conversion.
  
- The Saturn version uses 4-bit textures whereas the PC and ''Gems'' versions have 24-bit textures. Despite some tweaks, texture resolution is roughly the same. Some polygon models have changed, too. The changes on Knuckles are particularly noticeable between the Saturn and PC/Gems versions. Also, the software rendered PC version is the only version with texture alpha blending. (Per texel transparency, all other versions only do per polygon transparency.)
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On the Saturn, ''Sonic R'' uses the console's [[sega:VDP2|VDP2]] graphics processor to render an infinite, textured plane which acts as the "floor" of each stage (save for Radiant Emerald). 3D polygons are then positioned on-top by [[sega:VDP1|VDP1]], though to maintain a steady frame rate, the draw distance for these polygons is very short. To partially overcome this, ''Sonic R'' uses "fogging" techniques, rendering polygons which are further away with more transparency. 2D backgrounds then help to give the illusion that more of the scene is being drawn than what actually is.
  
===Other Differences===
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While the software-rendered PC version attempts to emulate these Saturn quirks, 3D accelerators were designed differently, meaning that here, everything is a polygon, and fogging therefore applies to the entire scene. The hardware-rendered PC applies this effect to each individual pixel, leading to a less "choppy" effect than on Sega's console, where it is applied per polygon.
-In some places collision detection has changed. For example, in the PC/''Gems'' version, you can stand on the ropes in Reactive Factory; in the Saturn version you cannot.  
 
  
-The Saturn version's controls were unresponsive at times, (but using a 3D Analog Pad slightly fixes this).
+
Draw distance is also configurable on the PC, and defaults to further away than on the Saturn (meaning more of the scene is rendered at any one time). It can be adjusted in the software-rendered PC version in real time by pressing the F1 and F2 keys. In ''Sonic Gems Collection'', draw distance is not an issue, with the entire stage being rendered at once.
  
-In the Saturn version, there is a slight delay between when a button is pushed and when a character responds.  
+
While the core content remains the same across all versions, the PC version introduces random weather conditions (either normal, rainy, or snowy) which can affect play. It is also able to operate at higher resolutions and frame rates than is possible on the Saturn.
  
-The PC/''Gems'' version has time records for each character, mode, and track combination, and the Saturns' has records for each track, mode, and combination.  
+
''Sonic R'' was also designed with "additive" lighting (blue light on red shows blue), meaning light sources dramatically change the colour of textures during play. In the hardware-rendered PC version, multiplication is used for the lighting calculations (blue light on red shows black) instead, creating more subdued tracks.
  
-The Saturn and ''Gems'' versions have ambient sound effects for torches, waterfalls, and seasides; the ''Gems'' version has volume issues (too loud) and is missing some of the sounds that the Saturn version has.  
+
In the Saturn version, the Radiant Emerald track is rendered with semi-transparent polygons, and uses a transparent overlay to simulate multi-texturing. This technique comes at the expense of the fogging effect (meaning the track suffers from more abrupt polygon "pop-in". The PC and ''Gems'' versions opt instead for solid polygons and textures which pulsate with bright colors.  
  
-Credits are different in the Saturn version in that there are no 3D characters.  
+
Backgrounds in the Saturn version use smaller textures, mirrored four times to wrap the screen (and in so doing, causing suns/moons to appear twice). The PC and Gems versions eliminate this problem by using a 1664*128 bitmap for the entire background.  
  
-The balloons in the balloon mode are blue in the Saturn version, while other versions have randomly colored balloons.  
+
The water for the Saturn version appears different, with light shading on the wave reflection of the background (a palette effect) and a faintly visible water surface. The software rendered PC version has ripples done that same way as the Saturn version, but is missing the visible water surface and wave shading. The ''Gems Collection'' version animates water in a similar way. The hardware rendered PC version is missing the features that the software version misses, as well as the background reflecting by a slightly darkened, wobbling texture.  
  
-Items have different probabilities of being received in the Saturn version; shields and speed shoes are far more common for racers in top positions.  
+
The Saturn version uses 4-bit textures whereas the PC and ''Gems'' versions have 24-bit textures, though despite these tweaks, texture resolution is roughly the same. Polygon counts for player models were increased for the PC port (Knuckles being one of the most noticeable imprvements), though tracks were left unchanged. The software rendered PC version is also the only version with texture alpha blending (per texel transparency, with all other versions using per polygon transparency).
  
-In the PC and ''Gems'' versions, races occur in random weather conditions, either normal, rainy, or snowy, unless the default settings are altered.  
+
Collision differs slightly between the Saturn and later versions, such as ropes in Reactive Factory which are solid in the original game. Items also have different probabilities of being received in the Saturn version; shields and speed shoes are far more common for racers in top positions. All non-Saturn versions support up to four player races, versus just two.
  
-The Saturn version supports two players in split screen, while other versions support four players.
+
In addition to all of this, the PC version makes a number of graphical changes, often as a result of supporting higher screen resolutions. The balloons in the balloon mode are blue in the Saturn version, while other versions have randomly colored balloons. Audio is generally worse on the PC, however - sound effects are often played in lower quality, and instrumental tunes are mysteriously truncated in the PC version. The Saturn and ''Gems'' versions have ambient sound effects for torches, waterfalls, and seasides; these are missing in the PC version, and are played too loudly in the ''Gems Collection'' port.
  
-In the Saturn version, the instrumental tunes are longer, they're mysteriously truncated in the PC version.
+
Credits are different in the Saturn version in that there are no 3D characters.
  
 
==Saving Data==
 
==Saving Data==
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==Manuals==
 
==Manuals==
* [[Sonic R EU Manual]]
+
{{main|Sonic R manuals}}
* [[Sonic R JP Manual]]
+
 
* [[Sonic R (PC) US Manual]]
 
* [[Sonic R (PC) EU Manual]]
 
* [[Sonic R (PC) JP Manual]]
 
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
Sonic R Sega Saturn US Manual.pdf|Saturn version, US manual
+
Sonic R Sega Saturn US Manual.pdf|Saturn, US
 +
SonicR Sat JP manual.pdf|Saturn, JP
 +
SonicR PC US SonicGems manual.pdf|PC, US (''[[Sonic Gems Collection]]'' digital manual)
 +
SonicR PC JP SonicGems manual.pdf|PC, JP (''[[Sonic Gems Collection]]'' digital manual)
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
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*''[[Sonic Gems Collection]]'' for the [[Nintendo GameCube]] and [[PlayStation 2]] (2005)
 
*''[[Sonic Gems Collection]]'' for the [[Nintendo GameCube]] and [[PlayStation 2]] (2005)
  
== Production Credits ==
+
==History==
===Saturn Version===
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===Development===
 +
{{main|Game Development:Sonic R}}
 +
 
 +
===Release===
 +
===Legacy===
 +
 
 +
== Production credits ==
 +
===Saturn version===
 +
{{creditstable|
 
{{multicol|
 
{{multicol|
Program Design & Implementation: Jon Burton (Travellers Tales)<br/>
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*'''Program Design & Implementation:''' [[Jon Burton]] (Travellers Tales)
Head Artist: James Cunliffe (Travellers Tales)<br/>
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*'''Head Artist:''' James Cunliffe (Travellers Tales)
Lead Artist: Dave Burton (Travellers Tales)<br/>
+
*'''Lead Artist:''' Dave Burton (Travellers Tales)
Game Design Director: [[Takashi Iizuka]] (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)<br/>
+
*'''Game Design Director:''' [[Takashi Iizuka]] (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)
Map Design Director: [[Hirokazu Yasuhara]] (Sega of America Inc.)<br/>
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*'''Map Design Director:''' [[Hirokazu Yasuhara]] (Sega of America Inc.)
Additional Artwork: [[Kazuyuki Hoshino]] (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)<br/>
+
*'''Additional Artwork:''' [[Kazuyuki Hoshino]] (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)
Additional Artwork & Visual Advisor: [[Shigeru Okada]] (Sega Europe Limited)<br/>
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*'''Additional Artwork & Visual Advisor:''' [[Shigeru Okada]] (Sega Europe Limited)
Character Designer: [[Yuji Uekawa]] (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)<br/>
+
*'''Character Designer:''' [[Yuji Uekawa]] (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)
Music & Sound Producer: [[Richard Jacques]] (Sega Europe Limited)<br/>
+
*'''Music & Sound Producer:''' [[Richard Jacques]] (Sega Europe Limited)
General Producer: [[Yuji Naka]] (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)
+
*'''General Producer:''' [[Yuji Naka]] (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)
  
: '''Travellers Tales'''
+
{{creditsheader|Travellers Tales}}
Programmed by: Jon Burton<br/>
+
*'''Programmed by:''' [[Jon Burton]]
Polygon Model Design and Implementation: Neil Allen, Dave Burton, James Cunliffe<br/>
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*'''Polygon Model Design and Implementation:''' Neil Allen, Dave Burton, James Cunliffe
Texture Map Design and Application: Neil Allen, James Cunliffe<br/>
+
*'''Texture Map Design and Application:''' Neil Allen, James Cunliffe
Character Animations: Dave Burton<br/>
+
*'''Character Animations:''' Dave Burton
Model and Animation Data Conversion: Andy Holdroyd<br/>
+
*'''Model and Animation Data Conversion:''' Andy Holdroyd
Terrain System Programming: John Hodskinson<br/>
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*'''Terrain System Programming:''' John Hodskinson
Special Effects Programming: Jon Burton<br/>
+
*'''Special Effects Programming:''' [[Jon Burton]]
Artificial Intelligence: Stephen Harding, Gary Vine<br/>
+
*'''Artificial Intelligence:''' Stephen Harding, Gary Vine
Texture Application Software: Andy Holdroyd<br/>
+
*'''Texture Application Software:''' Andy Holdroyd
Additional Programming: Stephen Harding, Gary Vine, John Hodskinson, Andy Holdroyd<br/>
+
*'''Additional Programming:''' Stephen Harding, Gary Vine, John Hodskinson, Andy Holdroyd
Development Director: Jon Burton<br/>
+
*'''Development Director:''' [[Jon Burton]]
Special Thanks: Helen Burton and Helen Gavin<br/>
+
*'''Special Thanks:''' Helen Burton and Helen Gavin
  
: '''Sega Enterprises Ltd.'''
+
{{creditsheader|Sega Enterprises Ltd.}}
General Producer: [[Yuji Naka]]<br>
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*'''General Producer:''' [[Yuji Naka]]
Project Manager: [[Youji Ishii]]<br>
+
*'''Project Manager:''' [[Youji Ishii]]
Producer: [[Yuji Naka]]<br>
+
*'''Producer:''' [[Yuji Naka]]
Game Design Director: [[Takashi Iizuka]]<br>
+
*'''Game Design Director:''' [[Takashi Iizuka]]
Game Designers: [[sega:Shiro Mukaide|Shiro Mukaide]], [[Shun Nakamura|Syun Nakamura]]<br>
+
*'''Game Designers:''' [[sega:Shiro Mukaide|Shiro Mukaide]], [[Shun Nakamura|Syun Nakamura]]
Game Advisors: [[Takao Miyoshi]], [[sega:Katsuhiro Hasegawa|Katsuhiro Hasegawa]]<br>
+
*'''Game Advisors:''' [[Takao Miyoshi]], [[sega:Katsuhiro Hasegawa|Katsuhiro Hasegawa]]
Additional Artwork: [[Kazuyuki Hoshino]]<br>
+
*'''Additional Artwork:''' [[Kazuyuki Hoshino]]
Character Designer: [[Yuji Uekawa]]<br>
+
*'''Character Designer:''' [[Yuji Uekawa]]
Graphic Advisors: [[Naoto Ohshima|Naoto Oshima]], [[Hiroshi Nishiyama]]<br>
+
*'''Graphic Advisors:''' [[Naoto Ohshima|Naoto Oshima]], [[Hiroshi Nishiyama]]
Sound Advisor: [[Naofumi Hataya]]<br>
+
*'''Sound Advisor:''' [[Naofumi Hataya]]
Executive Manager: [[Shoichiro Irimajiri]]<br>
+
*'''Executive Manager:''' [[Shoichiro Irimajiri]]
Executive Coordinators: [[Makoto Oshitani]], [[Jin Shimazaki]]<br>
+
*'''Executive Coordinators:''' [[Makoto Oshitani]], [[Jin Shimazaki]]
Overseas Coordinator: [[Ryoichi Hasegawa]]<br>
+
*'''Overseas Coordinator:''' [[Ryoichi Hasegawa]]
Public Relations: [[sega:Hiroto Kikuchi|Hiroto Kikuchi]], [[Takumi Miyake]]<br>
+
*'''Public Relations:''' [[sega:Hiroto Kikuchi|Hiroto Kikuchi]], [[Takumi Miyake]]
Manual: [[sega:Hiroyuki Mitsui|Hiroyuki Mitsui]], [[sega:Osamu Nakazato|Osamu Nakazato]], [[sega:Takashi Nishimura|Takashi Nishimura]]<br>
+
*'''Manual:''' [[sega:Hiroyuki Mitsui|Hiroyuki Mitsui]], [[sega:Osamu Nakazato|Osamu Nakazato]], [[sega:Takashi Nishimura|Takashi Nishimura]]
Special Thanks: Takahiro Hamano, [[Yukifumi Makino]], Takuya Matsumoto, [[Yoshitaka Miura|Yoshitake Miura]], Yuichiro Suzuki<br>
+
*'''Special Thanks:''' [[Takahiro Hamano]], [[Yukifumi Makino]], [[Takuya Matsumoto]], [[Yoshitaka Miura|Yoshitake Miura]], [[Yuichiro Suzuki]]
  
: '''Sega Europe Limited'''
+
{{creditsheader|Sega Europe Limited}}
Sound Producer: [[Richard Jacques]]<br>
+
*'''Sound Producer:''' [[Richard Jacques]]
Additional Artwork & Visual Advisor: [[Shigeru Okada]]<br>
+
*'''Additional Artwork & Visual Advisor:''' [[Shigeru Okada]]
Music & Sound FX: [[Richard Jacques]]<br>
+
*'''Music & Sound FX:''' [[Richard Jacques]]
Sound Programming: Thomas Szirtes<br>
+
*'''Sound Programming:''' Thomas Szirtes
Vocals: [[T.J. Davis]] (courtesy of Freedom Management)<br>
+
*'''Vocals:''' [[T.J. Davis]] (courtesy of Freedom Management)
Engineered & Mixed by: Matt Howe<br>
+
*'''Engineered & Mixed by:''' Matt Howe
Digital Editing by: Neil Tucker<br>
+
*'''Digital Editing by:''' Neil Tucker
Recorded and Mixed: Metropolis Studios & Sega Digital Studio<br>
+
*'''Recorded and Mixed:''' Metropolis Studios & [[sega:Sega Digital Studio|Sega Digital Studio]]
Technical Support: Colin Carter, Ed Hollingshead, Tamer Tahsin, Thomas Szirtes, Elton Bird<br>
+
*'''Technical Support:''' Colin Carter, Ed Hollingshead, Tamer Tahsin, Thomas Szirtes, Elton Bird
Senior Product Manager: [[sega:Kazutoshi Miyake|Kazutoshi Miyake]]<br>
+
*'''Senior Product Manager:''' [[sega:Kazutoshi Miyake|Kazutoshi Miyake]]
Operations Manager: [[sega:Naoya Tsurumi|Naoya Tsurumi]]<br>
+
*'''Operations Manager:''' [[sega:Naoya Tsurumi|Naoya Tsurumi]]
Product Manager & Public Relations: [[sega:Mark Maslowicz|Mark Maslowicz]]<br>
+
*'''Product Manager & Public Relations:''' [[sega:Mark Maslowicz|Mark Maslowicz]]
Lead Tester: [[sega:Jason Cumberbatch|Jason Cumberbatch]]<br>
+
*'''Lead Tester:''' [[sega:Jason Cumberbatch|Jason Cumberbatch]]
Assistant Lead Testers: [[sega:Dave Thompson|Dave Thompson]], [[sega:Roberto Parraga|Roberto Parraga]]<br>
+
*'''Assistant Lead Testers:''' [[sega:Dave Thompson|Dave Thompson]], [[sega:Roberto Parraga|Roberto Parraga]]
Special Thanks: Jo Bladen, Mark Hartley, Phiippe Deleplace, Frederique Ayer, Stephanie Petit, Jose Angel Sanchez, Begona Sanz, David Garcia, Hitoshi Okuno, Andreas von Gliszczynski, Thorsten Moe, Tina Sakowsky, Richard Leadbetter, Paul Davies, Tom Guise, Ed Lomas, Daniel Jevons, Jose Aller<br>
+
*'''Special Thanks:''' Jo Bladen, Mark Hartley, Phiippe Deleplace, Frederique Ayer, Stephanie Petit, Jose Angel Sanchez, Begona Sanz, David Garcia, Hitoshi Okuno, Andreas von Gliszczynski, Thorsten Moe, Tina Sakowsky, Richard Leadbetter, Paul Davies, Tom Guise, Ed Lomas, Daniel Jevons, Jose Aller
  
: '''Sega of America Inc.'''
+
{{creditsheader|Sega of America Inc.}}
Map Design Director: [[Hirokazu Yasuhara]]<br>
+
*'''Map Design Director:''' [[Hirokazu Yasuhara]]
Project Coordinators: [[Jason Kuo]], Dave Locke<br>
+
*'''Project Coordinators:''' [[Jason Kuo]], Dave Locke
Product Managers: Kristin McCloskey, Terese Russell<br>
+
*'''Product Managers:''' Kristin McCloskey, Terese Russell
Lead Tester: Fernando Valderrama<br>
+
*'''Lead Tester:''' Fernando Valderrama
Assistant Lead Tester: Jeff Junio<br>
+
*'''Assistant Lead Tester:''' Jeff Junio
Special Thanks: Scott Allen, Sandy Castagnola, Curtis Clarkson, Geraldine Dessimoz, Marci Ditter, Sheri Hockaday, Michael Jablonn, Judy Nybo, Paul Sears, Seedy Lounge, Eric Smith, Dan Stevens, Bernie Stolar, Mark Subotnick, Shuji Utsumi, Mike Wallis<br><br>
+
*'''Special Thanks:''' Scott Allen, Sandy Castagnola, Curtis Clarkson, Geraldine Dessimoz, Marci Ditter, Sheri Hockaday, Michael Jablonn, Judy Nybo, Paul Sears, Seedy Lounge, Eric Smith, Dan Stevens, [[Bernie Stolar]], Mark Subotnick, [[Shuji Utsumi]], [[Mike Wallis]]<br><br>
Game Developed by: [[Travellers Tales]]<br>
+
 
 +
*'''Game Developed by:''' [[Travellers Tales]]<br>
 
[[Sega|Sega Enterprises, Ltd.]]<br>
 
[[Sega|Sega Enterprises, Ltd.]]<br>
 +
|cols=3}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
===PC Version===
+
===PC version===
 +
{{creditstable|
 
{{multicol|
 
{{multicol|
: '''Traveller's Tales'''
 
Program design and implementation: Jon Burton<br/>
 
Head artist: James Cunliffe<br/>
 
Lead artist: Dave Burton<br/>
 
  
: '''Sega'''
+
{{creditsheader|Traveller's Tales}}
Game design director: [[Takashi Iizuka]] (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)<br/>
+
*'''Program design and implementation:''' [[Jon Burton]]
Map design director: [[Hirokazu Yasuhara]] (Sega of America Inc.)<br/>
+
*'''Head artist:''' James Cunliffe
Additional artwork: [[Kazuyuki Hoshino]] (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)<br/>
+
*'''Lead artist:''' Dave Burton
Additional artwork and visual advisor: [[Shigeru Okada]] (Sega Europe Ltd.)<br/>
+
 
Character designer: [[Yuji Uekawa]] (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)<br/>
+
{{creditsheader|Sega}}
Music and sound producer: [[Richard Jacques]] (Sega Europe Ltd.)<br/>
+
*'''Game design director:''' [[Takashi Iizuka]] (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)
Project director: Kats Sato (Sega Europe Ltd.)<br>
+
*'''Map design director:''' [[Hirokazu Yasuhara]] (Sega of America Inc.)
General producer: [[Yuji Naka]] (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)
+
*'''Additional artwork:''' [[Kazuyuki Hoshino]] (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)
 +
*'''Additional artwork and visual advisor:''' [[Shigeru Okada]] (Sega Europe Ltd.)
 +
*'''Character designer:''' [[Yuji Uekawa]] (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)
 +
*'''Music and sound producer:''' [[Richard Jacques]] (Sega Europe Ltd.)
 +
*'''Project director:''' [[sega:Katsuhisa Sato|Kats Sato]] (Sega Europe Ltd.)
 +
*'''General producer:''' [[Yuji Naka]] (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)
  
: '''Traveller's Tales'''
+
{{creditsheader|Traveller's Tales}}
Polygon model design and implementation: Neil Allen, Dave Burton, James Cunliffe<br/>
+
*'''Polygon model design and implementation:''' Neil Allen, Dave Burton, James Cunliffe
Texture map design and application: Neil Allen, James Cunliffe<br/>
+
*'''Texture map design and application:''' Neil Allen, James Cunliffe
Character animations: Dave Burton<br/>
+
*'''Character animations:''' Dave Burton
Artwork: Bev Bush, Carleen Smith<br>
+
*'''Artwork:''' Bev Bush, Carleen Smith
Additional artwork: Leon Warren, Sean Maden, Jon Rashid, Will Thompson<br>
+
*'''Additional artwork:''' Leon Warren, Sean Maden, Jon Rashid, Will Thompson
Model and animation data conversion: Andy Holdroyd<br/>
+
*'''Model and animation data conversion:''' Andy Holdroyd
Terrain system programming: John Hodskinson<br/>
+
*'''Terrain system programming:''' John Hodskinson
Artificial intelligence: Stephen Harding, Gary Vine<br/>
+
*'''Artificial intelligence:''' Stephen Harding, Gary Vine
Texture application software: Andy Holdroyd<br/>
+
*'''Texture application software:''' Andy Holdroyd
3D Engine and Porting: Steve Monks<br>
+
*'''3D Engine and Porting:''' Steve Monks
Additional programming: Andy Holdroyd, John Hodskinson, Stephen Harding, Gary Vine, Neil Harding<br/>
+
*'''Additional programming:''' Andy Holdroyd, John Hodskinson, Stephen Harding, Gary Vine, Neil Harding
  
:: '''Sega'''
+
{{creditsheader|Sega}}
: '''Sega Enterprises Ltd.'''
+
{{creditsheader|Sega Enterprises Ltd.}}
Producer: [[Yuji Naka]]<br>
+
*'''Producer:''' [[Yuji Naka]]
Game design director: [[Takashi Iizuka]]<br>
+
*'''Game design director:''' [[Takashi Iizuka]]
Map design director: [[Hirokazu Yasuhara]]<br>
+
*'''Map design director:''' [[Hirokazu Yasuhara]]
Game designer: [[Shun Nakamura|Syun Nakamura]]<br>
+
*'''Game designer:''' [[Shun Nakamura|Syun Nakamura]]
Game advisors: [[Takao Miyoshi]], [[sega:Katsuhiro Hasegawa|Katsuhiro Hasegawa]]<br>
+
*'''Game advisors:''' [[Takao Miyoshi]], [[sega:Katsuhiro Hasegawa|Katsuhiro Hasegawa]]
Additional artwork: [[Kazuyuki Hoshino]]<br>
+
*'''Additional artwork:''' [[Kazuyuki Hoshino]]
Additional artwork and visual advisor: [[Shigeru Okada]]<br>
+
*'''Additional artwork and visual advisor:''' [[Shigeru Okada]]
Character designers: [[Yuji Uekawa]], [[Yoshitaka Miura|Yoshitaki Miura]]<br>
+
*'''Character designers:''' [[Yuji Uekawa]], [[Yoshitaka Miura|Yoshitaki Miura]]
Graphic advisors: [[Naoto Ohshima|Naoto Oshima]], [[Hiroshi Nishiyama]]<br>
+
*'''Graphic advisors:''' [[Naoto Ohshima|Naoto Oshima]], [[Hiroshi Nishiyama]]
Sound advisor: [[Naofumi Hataya]]<br>
+
*'''Sound advisor:''' [[Naofumi Hataya]]
Music and sound effects: [[Richard Jacques]]<br>
+
*'''Music and sound effects:''' [[Richard Jacques]]
  
Vocals: [[T.J. Davis]] courtesy of Freedom Management<br>
+
*'''Vocals:''' [[T.J. Davis]] courtesy of Freedom Management
Engineered and mixed by: Matt Howe<br>
+
*'''Engineered and mixed by:''' Matt Howe
Digital editing by: Neil Tucker<br>
+
*'''Digital editing by:''' Neil Tucker
Recorded and mixed at: Metropolis Studios and Sega Digital Studio<br>
+
*'''Recorded and mixed at:''' Metropolis Studios and [[sega:Sega Digital Studio|Sega Digital Studio]]
Product manager: [[sega:Toshinori Asai|Toshinori Asai]]<br>
+
*'''Product manager:''' [[sega:Toshinori Asai|Toshinori Asai]]
Producer: [[Tetsuo Shinyu]]<br>
+
*'''Producer:''' [[Tetsuo Shinyu]]
Director: Masamitsu Shiino<br>
+
*'''Director:''' Masamitsu Shiino
Sega Europe Ltd. director: Richard Lloyd<br>
+
*'''Sega Europe Ltd. director:''' Richard Lloyd
European marketing manager: Hitendra Naik<br>
+
*'''European marketing manager:''' Hitendra Naik
Assistant European product manager: Steve Wombwell<br>
+
*'''Assistant European product manager:''' Steve Wombwell
Localization: [[sega:Roberto Parraga|Roberto Parraga]], [[sega:Dave Thompson|Dave Thompson]], Michael Wiessmuller<br>
+
*'''Localization:''' [[sega:Roberto Parraga|Roberto Parraga]], [[sega:Dave Thompson|Dave Thompson]], Michael Wiessmuller
Packaging and software manual:
+
*'''Packaging and software manual:'''
* Japan: [[sega:Kaoru Ichigozaki|Kaoru Ichigozaki]], [[sega:Osamu Nakazato|Osamu Nakazato]], Hayato Takebayashi<br>
+
** Japan: [[sega:Kaoru Ichigozaki|Kaoru Ichigozaki]], [[sega:Osamu Nakazato|Osamu Nakazato]], Hayato Takebayashi
* Europe: [[sega:Paul Jerem|Paul Jerem]]<br>
+
** Europe: [[sega:Paul Jerem|Paul Jerem]]
* America: [[France Tantiado]]<br>
+
** America: [[France Tantiado]]
Supervisor: [[Yuji Naka]]<br>
+
*'''Supervisor:''' [[Yuji Naka]]
Special Thanks to: [[Takashi Iizuka]], [[Jin Shimazaki]], [[sega:Kazutoshi Miyake|Kazutoshi Miyake]], Katsuhisa Sato, Scott Hawkins, and [[Sonic Team]]<br>
+
*'''Special Thanks to:''' [[Takashi Iizuka]], [[Jin Shimazaki]], [[sega:Kazutoshi Miyake|Kazutoshi Miyake]], [[sega:Katsuhisa Sato|Katsuhisa Sato]], Scott Hawkins, and [[Sonic Team]]
developed by: [[Traveller's Tales]]<br>
+
*'''developed by:''' [[Traveller's Tales]]
 +
|cols=3}}
 
}}
 
}}
 
==Resources==
 
===On Sonic Channel===
 
'''''[[Sonic Channel]]''''', the official Japanese-language website of Sonic the Hedgehog, hosted profiles for each of the ''Sonic R'' playable characters. A partial translation was compiled by [[Thrippa]]:
 
 
''<u>'''About Appearing Characters'''</u>''<br>
 
Each character possesses their own unique ability, and by means of this ability may be able to take differing routes where the road forks.
 
 
<u>'''Basic Characters'''</u><br>
 
Characters appearing at the start. These five contend in Grand Prix mode:
 
 
<u>Sonic the Hedgehog</u><br>
 
Well-known protagonist. His maximum speed is the highest among all characters. However, because his acceleration and grip performance is inferior to theirs, skill is required. When he rolls into a ball and does a spin dash, even faster speeds become possible. Additionally, with his double jump he may be able to leap over large obstacles such as rivers.
 
 
Key advice:
 
* For success at the starting point, do a spin dash.
 
* Regarding deceleration, use the {{L}}{{R}} buttons to the best of your ability for smooth cornering.
 
* Use the double jump to try to find new shortcuts.
 
 
<u>Miles 'Tails' Prower</u><br>
 
Yearning to be like Sonic, always along wherever Sonic goes. His maximum speed may be inferior, but his other abilities are relatively good. As with Sonic, when Tails curls into a ball, a spin dash is possible. Also, by spinning his two tails, he is able to fly, making bold short cuts possible.
 
 
Key advice:
 
* For invariable success at the start, use the spin dash.
 
* Flight time is unexpectedly short. Remember to take care when choosing a landing spot, to be able to make a good landing.
 
* Search for routes that allow Tails to make the best use of his propeller flight.
 
 
<u>Knuckles the Echidna</u><br>
 
Sonic's rival-like being. Regarding this character, all abilities are in balance. As with Sonic and Tails, the spin dash is possible when curled up. Also, gliding through the sky is possible; from a high place, he can fly further than Tails.
 
 
Key advice:
 
* For success at the starting point, do a spin dash.
 
* Glide from high places for shortcuts. Intense up-down along the course is particularly effective.
 
* With skillful turning, higher cornering stability is possible than with Sonic.
 
 
<u>Amy Rose</u><br>
 
Only female character. Tails remodeled her all-purpose car so she could drive it and participate in the race. This character is aimed at the beginner; maximum speed is low, but it accelerates nicely. Also she has a truly all-purpose car; she can even drive it on the water. And she is able to do a Turbo Dash, traveling at great speed for a set length of time.
 
 
Key advice:
 
* At the start, the Turbo Dash is indispensable.
 
* Her ground speed cannot outrun other vehicles, so to win, look for bold shortcuts across the water.
 
* Turbo Dash management is often the deciding factor. Using it recklessly will result in time loss.
 
 
<u>Doctor Eggman</u><br>
 
A wicked, genius scientist. He rides his familiar Eggmobile to participate. Since it floats in the air, its turning ability is very high and it can float over water too. Eggman is also able to throw bombs to attack other players.
 
 
[Appearance requirements] Become overall champion in Grand Prix mode to have Eggman appear on the Character Select screen.
 
 
Key advice:
 
* Turning ability is extremely high, so be careful on curves.
 
* Make full use of the hydroplane ability.
 
* At any rate, Eggman has a large build. Press the {{Z}} button to view the course from a different angle.
 
 
<u>'''Hidden Characters'''</u><br>
 
These characters will appear when their requirements are met. One must become a good player to handle them.
 
 
<u>Metal Sonic</u><br>
 
Eggman developed his secret weapon with the aim of exceeding Sonic in power and speed. His maximum speed is precisely equal to Sonic's, and his acceleration exceeds Sonic's. However, because of that overwhelming power, his turning ability is inferior. Considerable skill is necessary to operate him.
 
 
[Appearance requirements] Collect 5 tokens on Resort Island in Grand Prix mode and finish better than fourth place to begin a one-on-one match with Metal Sonic. Win this race and Metal Sonic will become a possible choice on the character select screen.
 
 
Key Advice:
 
* Low turning ability. You must decelerate to turn sharply without losing control.
 
* Due to inertia, traveling on water is possible. Falling in the water may cause Metal Sonic to become confused.
 
* Metal Sonic is not able to do a double jump, but his single jump is better than Sonic's.
 
 
<u>Metal Knuckles</u><br>
 
As with Sonic, Eggman prepared this secret weapon for the sake of overthrowing Knuckles, considering his existence to be a hindrance. Having the same power plant as Metal Sonic, speed and acceleration power are high, but like Knuckles, this robot can glide from high places.
 
 
[Appearance requirements] Collect 5 tokens in Reactive Factory in Grand Prix mode and finish better than fourth place to begin a one-on-one match with Metal Knuckles. Win this race and Metal Knuckles will become a possible choice on the character select screen.
 
 
Key Advice:
 
* Low turning ability. To turn without losing control, you must decelerate.
 
* Due to inertia, traveling on water is possible. Falling in the water may cause Metal Knuckles to become confused.
 
* From a high place, aim at a shortcut without pausing.
 
 
<u>Eggmanrobo</u><br>
 
Eggman created this robot intending to surpass his strongest robots, including the other Metals. However, it demonstrated its true strength on its first mission: thanks to its comical body, it ignores air resistance . . . Eggman boasts of the offensive abilities he gave it, and it still matches Metal Sonic's speed.
 
 
[Appearance requirements] Collect 5 tokens in Regal Ruin in Grand Prix mode and finish better than fourth place to begin a one-on-one match with Eggmanrobo. Win this race and Eggmanrobo will become a possible choice on the character select screen.
 
 
Key Advice:
 
* Low turning ability. Use {{L}}{{R}} Buttons effectively to struggle through corners.
 
* On the water, deceleration occurs immediately. Hurry to land to recover.
 
* Eggmanrobo has a huge body. When a course is difficult to see, press the {{Z}} button to change your viewpoint.
 
 
<u>Tails Doll</u><br>
 
As a last resort, Eggman manufactured this to catch Sonic unprepared. This, except for the power plant embedded in its head, is a mere stuffed animal, whose meager form nevertheless exhibits considerable ability in races due to its lightweight design. Still, it is also able to float in the air for a long time.
 
 
[Appearance requirements] Collect 5 tokens in Radical City in Grand Prix mode and finish better than fourth place to begin a one-on-one match with Tails doll. Win this race and Tails doll will become a possible choice on the character select screen.
 
 
Key Advice:
 
* Get accustomed to the feel of the light steering.
 
* Travel over the water completely without accident or deceleration? This is the only character able to do so.
 
* Keep pushing the jump button to keep floating.
 
 
<u>Super Sonic</u><br>
 
By using the power of the Chaos Emeralds, Sonic's strongest potential abilities can be brought out. Surely the strongest and faster character, Super Sonic boasts overwhelming acceleration and maximum speed.
 
 
[Appearance requirements] After finishing at least 3rd in Grand Prix mode in Radiant Emerald, and collecting 7 Chaos Emeralds, Super Sonic will become a possible choice on the character select screen. However you are not able to keep Chaos Emeralds you pick up unless you come in first in that race.
 
 
Key Advice:
 
*Generally high speed. First of all, get accustomed to this speed.
 
* Overall, Super Sonic will outstrip everyone, but cornering can be difficult.
 
* This character is the fastest, consequently small control errors become lethal errors. Slow down in moments of uncertainty.
 
 
===Original Sound Version Recordings===
 
See [[Sonic R OST (Windows/Saturn)|Sonic R OST]] for a download page.
 
  
 
==Physical Scans==
 
==Physical Scans==
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| back=Sonicr sat jp back cover.jpg
 
| back=Sonicr sat jp back cover.jpg
 
| disc=sonicr jp cd.jpg
 
| disc=sonicr jp cd.jpg
| manual=
+
| manual=SonicR Sat JP manual.pdf
 
| item1=Sonicr sat jp nfs disc.jpg
 
| item1=Sonicr sat jp nfs disc.jpg
 
| item1name="Not for sale" disc
 
| item1name="Not for sale" disc
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| front=
 
| front=
 
}}
 
}}
 +
 +
==Promotional Material==
 +
<gallery>
 +
Sonic_R_B2_Poster.jpeg
 +
</gallery>
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==

Revision as of 17:01, 7 September 2017

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n/a

Sonic r title.png
Sonic R
SonicR Win icon.png
System(s): Sega Saturn, Windows PC
Publisher: Sega
Developer:
Save file size: 2.16 KB (PC)
Genre: Racing
Release Date RRP Code Rating
Template:Sat US 1997-11-18  ? 81800
Template:Sat EU 1997-12-11 £44.99 [1] MK81800-50
Template:Sat JP 1997-12-04 ¥5,800 GS-9170
Template:Sat BR 1997  ? 191306
Template:Windows US 1998-11-11  ? 85076
Template:Windows US (Expert) ?  ? ?
Template:Windows EU 1998-11  ? ?
Template:Windows EU (Xplosiv) ?  ? ?
Template:Windows EU (Xplosiv) ?  ? XP-1263
Template:Windows JP 1998-12-11 ¥7,800 (¥8,190) HCJ-0144
Template:Windows AU (Valusoft) 2005  ? THQ70475

Sonic R (ソニックR) is a Sonic the Hedgehog-themed 3D racing game. It was developed by Traveller's Tales under guidance from Sonic Team, and published by Sega for the Sega Saturn and later Windows PCs.

Gameplay

Sonic R is a racing game played from a third-person perspective, where players take control of one of ten Sonic characters racing around one of five courses against up to four other players. While never released in arcades, it is structured similarly to Sega arcade racers such as Daytona USA and Sega Rally Championship, however also includes (limited) platforming segments, power-ups and hazards.

Keeping in the tradition of earlier Sonic games, rings are scattered across each of the five courses, which in this game regenerate over a period of time. However, while in previous games rings act as hit-points to protect Sonic from damage, in Sonic R they are used as currency; either to use on "accelerators" (which will consume all of a the characters' rings (up to a maximum of 50) in exchange for a short, computer-controlled period where the player moves roughly three times as fast), or to open doors (which typically require 20 or 50 rings) to access new areas of the map.

While some characters can attack other players, all obstacles in the game serve only to slow characters down, rather than eliminate them from the race. This includes water, which in this game causes certain characters to continue the race off-camera, rather than drowning them after an alotted time. Racers will also merely "bump" off each other if a collision occurs, and rings cannot be lost in the same manner as earlier Sonic titles (i.e. they do not scatter everywhere when hit).

Secondary to racing computer (or human) opponents in Sonic R, the player can find and collect chaos emeralds (usually hidden behind doors), in-turn unlocking Super Sonic when all seven are collected. Each track also houses five Sonic tokens, which if collected allows the player to challenge the computer (as one of the unlockable characters) in a head-to-head race, where winning unlocks the opponent character. The player needs to finish in first place for any of these conditions to count, and has only three laps to collect the required enough rings/tokens/emeralds.

Also featured throughout the levels are floating "Item Panels", which if touched awward the player with one of multiple possible rewards, including multiples of rings and water and lightning shields (which first appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog 3). The water shield allows the racer to walk on water (until he/se reaches dry land once more), while the lightning attracts rings, disappearing of the player touches water. Item Panels do not disappear, but there is a pause between rewards.

Aside from the main game, there are three special gameplay modes: reverse, in which racing occurs facing the opposite direction, breaking five balloons scattered around the stage, or tagging the other four players in the quickest possible time.

The soundtrack by Sonic R was presented by Richard Jacques, with songs performed by British singer TJ Davis. The vocals can be switched off in the options menu.

Playable characters

Sonic R features ten racers, six of which are unlockable: Template:SectionsHeader Template:Section Template:Section Template:Section Template:Section Template:Section Template:Section Template:Section Template:Section Template:Section Template:Section Template:SectionsEnd While arguably many of the characters have pros and cons, differences in handling and special moves are often negligable, and the majority of the action involves travelling forward on the ground. This means the initial five characters, from fastest to slowest, are Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Eggman, Amy, while the unlockables rank as Super Sonic, Metal Knuckles, Metal Sonic, Eggrobo, Tails Doll. The computer does not always follow the numbers - Knuckles is usually faster than Sonic when it is in charge.

AI

During normal play, the computer controls four AI characters for the player to race against. Due to the passive nature of the game, most act as glorified pacemakers, rarely interacting with the player and following a predictable path along the course. In most cases, the computer selects the four "best" unlocked characters and never varies its choices - that is to say, as soon as one (non-Robotnik) character is unlocked, Amy Rose will never be chosen by the computer to race again, as when controlled by the computer, she is the slowest character in the game.

The computer follows all the same rules as human players, so will collect rings, run through emblems and make use of doors and accelerators (if doing so offers a shortcut). Computer-controlled Robotnik or Eggrobo will fire at opponents which are close by, but will not actively hunt down other players. The computer also has no interest in collecting emeralds or tokens.

The AI opponents only ever run (or drive/float) around a track - they do not jump, use Amy's speed boost or capitalise on certain characters' ability to hover over water. With the exception of Radiant Emerald, large sections of the track are ignored by the computer, either due to the routes being longer, or presumed difficulties in overcoming certain obstacles. The stage designs coupled with smart-enough pathfinding means that the computer is unlikely to get stuck unless forced into a corner by a human player, but as its strategy never changes, the player has a huge advantage over the computer in most cases.

Computer characters move at an almost constant speed, hard-coded for each character which does not vary significantly between races. As the computer does not appear to be affected by character handling differences, this usually means it is easy to predict which order the computer characters will finish a race in. Sonic, for example, will always beat Amy in a race regardless of the chosen track, unless the player interferes in some way. While slight variations in the computer's racing lines could give Amy an advantage (i.e. she collects more rings to use), the length of the track and the time taken to collect these rings usually means that by lap three, each character has an unassailable lead over the next.

While the specifics are not understood, computer players do appear to "learn" better routes as the game progresses. One of the more obvious examples is the loop in Resort Island - when first playing the game, the computer will use the loop, but later will discover that it is quicker to avoid it on the right-hand side. Many (sometimes obvious) shortcuts are never taken by the computer, however.

When playing as Super Sonic in Radiant Emerald with all characters unlocked, Metal Sonic, Tails Doll, Metal Knuckles and Eggrobo will travel faster through the stage and become more competitive as a result.

Versions

Sonic R was designed with the Sega Saturn in mind, but was subsequently brought to Windows PCs a year later. The PC version exists in two forms; one which uses software rendering (i.e. graphics are handled by the CPU), and another which uses hardware rendering, taking advantage of 3D accelerator cards which were becoming more commonplace at the time. The version of Sonic R which appears in Sonic Gems Collection is derived from this hardware-accelerated PC conversion.

On the Saturn, Sonic R uses the console's VDP2 graphics processor to render an infinite, textured plane which acts as the "floor" of each stage (save for Radiant Emerald). 3D polygons are then positioned on-top by VDP1, though to maintain a steady frame rate, the draw distance for these polygons is very short. To partially overcome this, Sonic R uses "fogging" techniques, rendering polygons which are further away with more transparency. 2D backgrounds then help to give the illusion that more of the scene is being drawn than what actually is.

While the software-rendered PC version attempts to emulate these Saturn quirks, 3D accelerators were designed differently, meaning that here, everything is a polygon, and fogging therefore applies to the entire scene. The hardware-rendered PC applies this effect to each individual pixel, leading to a less "choppy" effect than on Sega's console, where it is applied per polygon.

Draw distance is also configurable on the PC, and defaults to further away than on the Saturn (meaning more of the scene is rendered at any one time). It can be adjusted in the software-rendered PC version in real time by pressing the F1 and F2 keys. In Sonic Gems Collection, draw distance is not an issue, with the entire stage being rendered at once.

While the core content remains the same across all versions, the PC version introduces random weather conditions (either normal, rainy, or snowy) which can affect play. It is also able to operate at higher resolutions and frame rates than is possible on the Saturn.

Sonic R was also designed with "additive" lighting (blue light on red shows blue), meaning light sources dramatically change the colour of textures during play. In the hardware-rendered PC version, multiplication is used for the lighting calculations (blue light on red shows black) instead, creating more subdued tracks.

In the Saturn version, the Radiant Emerald track is rendered with semi-transparent polygons, and uses a transparent overlay to simulate multi-texturing. This technique comes at the expense of the fogging effect (meaning the track suffers from more abrupt polygon "pop-in". The PC and Gems versions opt instead for solid polygons and textures which pulsate with bright colors.

Backgrounds in the Saturn version use smaller textures, mirrored four times to wrap the screen (and in so doing, causing suns/moons to appear twice). The PC and Gems versions eliminate this problem by using a 1664*128 bitmap for the entire background.

The water for the Saturn version appears different, with light shading on the wave reflection of the background (a palette effect) and a faintly visible water surface. The software rendered PC version has ripples done that same way as the Saturn version, but is missing the visible water surface and wave shading. The Gems Collection version animates water in a similar way. The hardware rendered PC version is missing the features that the software version misses, as well as the background reflecting by a slightly darkened, wobbling texture.

The Saturn version uses 4-bit textures whereas the PC and Gems versions have 24-bit textures, though despite these tweaks, texture resolution is roughly the same. Polygon counts for player models were increased for the PC port (Knuckles being one of the most noticeable imprvements), though tracks were left unchanged. The software rendered PC version is also the only version with texture alpha blending (per texel transparency, with all other versions using per polygon transparency).

Collision differs slightly between the Saturn and later versions, such as ropes in Reactive Factory which are solid in the original game. Items also have different probabilities of being received in the Saturn version; shields and speed shoes are far more common for racers in top positions. All non-Saturn versions support up to four player races, versus just two.

In addition to all of this, the PC version makes a number of graphical changes, often as a result of supporting higher screen resolutions. The balloons in the balloon mode are blue in the Saturn version, while other versions have randomly colored balloons. Audio is generally worse on the PC, however - sound effects are often played in lower quality, and instrumental tunes are mysteriously truncated in the PC version. The Saturn and Gems versions have ambient sound effects for torches, waterfalls, and seasides; these are missing in the PC version, and are played too loudly in the Gems Collection port.

Credits are different in the Saturn version in that there are no 3D characters.

Saving Data

The Sega Saturn version of the game makes use of the Saturn's internal battery back-up as well as the Sega Saturn Back-Up Ram Cart to save progress and unlockable content.

Sonic R Save Data
Name Comment File Size
SONICR___## SAVE_DATA 6

Miscellaneous trivia

  • By loading the Saturn or PC CD of Sonic R in a standalone audio CD player or a media player on a computer, one may listen to the soundtrack of the game, which is also fully tagged if the players supports CD-Text.
  • (However…) Some copies of the PC version released by Expert Software (ActiVision Value) are missing the CD audio tracks, most likely due to a (very) sloppy mastering job. Hence, the game will not play music.
  • As there were many versions of Sonic R produced for the PC, there have been many accounts of bugs which can spoil the experience for the player. One such bug brings up an error message when the user makes an attempt to play the game. The game is still playable by forcing the computer to execute the program over and over again. Moreover, the bug can be fixed permanently with a single text edit(?).

Manuals

Sonic Retro emblem.svg Main article: Sonic R manuals

Also Released On

History

Development

Sonic Retro emblem.svg Main article: Game Development:Sonic R

Release

Legacy

Production credits

Saturn version

  • Program Design & Implementation: Jon Burton (Travellers Tales)
  • Head Artist: James Cunliffe (Travellers Tales)
  • Lead Artist: Dave Burton (Travellers Tales)
  • Game Design Director: Takashi Iizuka (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)
  • Map Design Director: Hirokazu Yasuhara (Sega of America Inc.)
  • Additional Artwork: Kazuyuki Hoshino (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)
  • Additional Artwork & Visual Advisor: Shigeru Okada (Sega Europe Limited)
  • Character Designer: Yuji Uekawa (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)
  • Music & Sound Producer: Richard Jacques (Sega Europe Limited)
  • General Producer: Yuji Naka (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)
Travellers Tales
  • Programmed by: Jon Burton
  • Polygon Model Design and Implementation: Neil Allen, Dave Burton, James Cunliffe
  • Texture Map Design and Application: Neil Allen, James Cunliffe
  • Character Animations: Dave Burton
  • Model and Animation Data Conversion: Andy Holdroyd
  • Terrain System Programming: John Hodskinson
  • Special Effects Programming: Jon Burton
  • Artificial Intelligence: Stephen Harding, Gary Vine
  • Texture Application Software: Andy Holdroyd
  • Additional Programming: Stephen Harding, Gary Vine, John Hodskinson, Andy Holdroyd
  • Development Director: Jon Burton
  • Special Thanks: Helen Burton and Helen Gavin
Sega Enterprises Ltd.
Sega Europe Limited
  • Sound Producer: Richard Jacques
  • Additional Artwork & Visual Advisor: Shigeru Okada
  • Music & Sound FX: Richard Jacques
  • Sound Programming: Thomas Szirtes
  • Vocals: T.J. Davis (courtesy of Freedom Management)
  • Engineered & Mixed by: Matt Howe
  • Digital Editing by: Neil Tucker
  • Recorded and Mixed: Metropolis Studios & Sega Digital Studio
  • Technical Support: Colin Carter, Ed Hollingshead, Tamer Tahsin, Thomas Szirtes, Elton Bird
  • Senior Product Manager: Kazutoshi Miyake
  • Operations Manager: Naoya Tsurumi
  • Product Manager & Public Relations: Mark Maslowicz
  • Lead Tester: Jason Cumberbatch
  • Assistant Lead Testers: Dave Thompson, Roberto Parraga
  • Special Thanks: Jo Bladen, Mark Hartley, Phiippe Deleplace, Frederique Ayer, Stephanie Petit, Jose Angel Sanchez, Begona Sanz, David Garcia, Hitoshi Okuno, Andreas von Gliszczynski, Thorsten Moe, Tina Sakowsky, Richard Leadbetter, Paul Davies, Tom Guise, Ed Lomas, Daniel Jevons, Jose Aller
Sega of America Inc.
  • Map Design Director: Hirokazu Yasuhara
  • Project Coordinators: Jason Kuo, Dave Locke
  • Product Managers: Kristin McCloskey, Terese Russell
  • Lead Tester: Fernando Valderrama
  • Assistant Lead Tester: Jeff Junio
  • Special Thanks: Scott Allen, Sandy Castagnola, Curtis Clarkson, Geraldine Dessimoz, Marci Ditter, Sheri Hockaday, Michael Jablonn, Judy Nybo, Paul Sears, Seedy Lounge, Eric Smith, Dan Stevens, Bernie Stolar, Mark Subotnick, Shuji Utsumi, Mike Wallis

Sega Enterprises, Ltd.

PC version


Traveller's Tales
  • Program design and implementation: Jon Burton
  • Head artist: James Cunliffe
  • Lead artist: Dave Burton
Sega
Traveller's Tales
  • Polygon model design and implementation: Neil Allen, Dave Burton, James Cunliffe
  • Texture map design and application: Neil Allen, James Cunliffe
  • Character animations: Dave Burton
  • Artwork: Bev Bush, Carleen Smith
  • Additional artwork: Leon Warren, Sean Maden, Jon Rashid, Will Thompson
  • Model and animation data conversion: Andy Holdroyd
  • Terrain system programming: John Hodskinson
  • Artificial intelligence: Stephen Harding, Gary Vine
  • Texture application software: Andy Holdroyd
  • 3D Engine and Porting: Steve Monks
  • Additional programming: Andy Holdroyd, John Hodskinson, Stephen Harding, Gary Vine, Neil Harding
Sega
Sega Enterprises Ltd.

Physical Scans

Saturn version




Sega Saturn
87 Sonic Retro Average
Based on 4 reviews
Publication Score Source
Computer & Video Games (UK) 80 №193, p72/73/74/75/76
Edge (UK) 80 №53, p100
GamesMaster (UK) 90 №64, p32/33/34
Saturn Power (UK) 96 №9, p68/69/70/71/72/73
Saturn, US
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Saturn, EU
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Cover
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Saturn, AU
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Saturn, JP
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Cover
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"Not for sale" disc
Saturn, BR
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Cover
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PC Version

PC, US

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Jewel Case
PC, US (Expert Software)
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Jewel Case
PC, EU
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PC, JP
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PC, JP (Ultra 2000)

PC, AU (Valusoft)
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PC, UK (Xplosiv)
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PC, UK (Xplosiv) (newer)
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PC, UK (GrabIt)
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PC, DE (Green Pepper)
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PC, ES (Xplosiv)

Promotional Material

External links

References


Sonic R
Sonic r title.png

Main page
Comparisons
Credits


Manuals
Promotional material
Magazine articles
Reception
Merchandise


Development
Hidden content
Bugs
Technical information

Sonic the Hedgehog games for the following systems
Sega Saturn
 1996  Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island     1997  Sonic Jam | Sonic R    
 Unreleased  Sonic X-treme | Sonic Saturn
Windows PC
Retail
 1996  Sonic the Hedgehog CD | Sonic the Hedgehog The Screen Saver | Sonic's Schoolhouse     1997  Sonic & Knuckles Collection | Sonic 3D: Flickies' Island     1998  Sonic R     2003  Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut     2004  Sonic Heroes     2006  Sonic Mega Collection Plus | Sonic Riders     2010  Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing     2011  Sonic Generations     2013  Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed     2022  Sonic Speed Simulator