Game Preview - Sonic the Hedgehog CD (Hobby Consolas, August 1993)

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File	Date	Source	Title and comments
	1993-xx-xx	Hobby Consolas (ES) #23: "Agosto 1993"	"Game Preview - Sonic the Hedgehog CD" A four-page preview of Sonic the Hedgehog CD in an August 1993 issue of the Spanish Hobby Consolas magazine.

Partial translations are available on the individual picture pages, or see below. Translations by User:Endri, User:RACCAR, and User:Caelestis.

Page 20 translation

Sonic CD

Sonic soon stars his newest and most exciting adventure ever: the adventure of the CD. Sega is aware of what is <<at stake>>, so they have concentrated every effort to make the most exciting game of all times. The story begins like this...

Start Over

Life goes on cheerfully and happy in the world of Mobius. And it's all thanks to the annual visit of this marvelous star; the Little Planet. This star, when reunited with the Time Stones, is able to manipulate the course of time, and from this wonderful union miracles were obtained, such as the transformation of deserts into jungles or dry lakes into torrential springs.

Of course Dr. Robotnik cannot remain detached from such happiness. So he and his minions have built a fortress that will help them carry out their evil plans: to capture the star Little Planet and the brilliant Time Stones.

Without the slightest knowledge of these matters, Sonic is found chatting with his friend, the Little Planet, and with the beautiful Amy, an attractive girl who is terribly in love with Sonic.

Unfortunately, the evil Dr. Robotnik has been closely watching the whole scene. Sonic's senses tingles and warns him of the imminent danger, but before he could even react, a spectacular blue light beam cross the skies, taking with it the lovely Amy.

Only the extraordinary speed of the hedgehog allowed him to escape the attraction of the mysterious beam.

At the same speed he runs, Sonic realizes the situation: Dr. Robotnik is the cause of it all, and has also built a hightech robot that will help him to take over the Little Planet and exterminate our beloved hero.

Things are looking bad. Only the union between you and Sonic can save Amy and Mobius from disgrace.

The adventure is served...

Amy. Sonic's girlfriend?

This attractive young lady shares the plot with our own hedgehog. The gossips says she is Sonic's girlfriend, but she denies that, saying that she is just "a fervent fan of the hero." Her name is Amy Rose, and she likes to sing, dance and have fun, and that's why she is known as Rosy "The Rascal." She will play an important role in the adventure.

Page 21 translation

Dr. Robotnik's Secret Weapon

The evil Dr. Robotnik has realized that the only way to defeat Sonic is challenging him with the same weapons he uses. That's why he has created Metal Sonic. A cybernetic copy of our likable hedgehog. Right now, this monster can equal the speed of Sonic. But moreover, his rate of acceleration is 4 times higher when his circuitry is overloaded. When this happens, some interesting blue sparks take off from his body and there arises a chemical reaction called "V. Maximum Overdrive Attack". This power can break through any surface. This can't happen very often, of course, because it would mean the self-destruction of Metal Sonic.

Another powerful attack Metal Sonic has is the "Ring Spark Field", a radioactive force that also has its disadvantages: the speed and energy of the robot decreases considerably. Dr. Robotnik has cared a lot about his creation's aesthetics. That's why he has put more effort in that than in other technical details.

Metal Sonic has been created by Sonic's image and by Robotnik's ideals: his hate for Sonic is as intense as his creator's.

Technical Features

Height: 765.44 Millimeters
Weight: 125.2 Kilograms
Main C.P.U : Artificial intelligence. Robotnik's adjustable microchips.
Sub C.P.U : Neo Super FX-DS Chip and Next Risk Chip.
Material: Monocok Titanium
Alloy: Blue Metal Tektite

Power Supply: 250 cc. Orgone fusion 4-stroke motor.

A New World Is Opened

The production of Sonic on CD has meant the introduction of new things and brilliant surprises. For example:

• Sonic will be able to time travel. The past and future will not be an obstacle for him.
• The graphics have been notably improved and they augmented the realism of movements to a very high degree.
• In two-player mode one can choose to control a second image of Sonic.
• The intro, like the ending, sets up the display of animated images. The company in charge of carrying out this task is Toei Doga S.A., a company with a great tradition in this sector. Normally it takes 5.100 shots to get 30 minutes of tape, but in Sonic CD they have used an equal number of shots for only 4 minutes.
• The cleanliness and quality of sound effects is beyond all doubt. The song of the game was sung by the soloist of the famous Japanese group MI-KO and already in Japan she belongs to the most important musical charts.
• A Time Attack mode has been incorporated, where time and competition are the central figures. If someone gets a record, he will have the chance to watch <<text apparently unfinished>>

Enemies: More and Worse

We won't keep you up with all the secrets of this game, but so you have an idea we present you an exclusive look at some of the enemies that we will have to confront.

Page 22 translation

7 Rounds to Dream

For this special occasion, the programmers have decided to give us seven brilliant rounds and other bonus areas. Moreover, each round will be divided into three sub-rounds structured in the following manner:

• Stage 1 and Stage 2: a. Present b. Past c. Good future d. Bad future
• Stage 3: a. Good future b. Bad future

And so that you might miss nothing, here you have the name of the seven marvelous rounds:

1. Palmtree Panic
2. Collision Chaos
3. Tidal Tempest
4. Quartz Quadrant
5. Wacky Workbench
6. Stardust Speedway
7. Metallic Madness

The brave one who gets to cross this entire path will encounter the brilliant finale. The most spectacular thing in the story!

Until the Last Moment...

A team of more than 20 people formed from programmers, musicians, and artists work without a break to give the final touches on the CD version of Sonic, before it permanently hits the streets. Hobby Consoles has the privilege of gaining access to the department in which they are carrying out all the tasks and we can assure you that to see all these geniuses of videogames in action is an experience. For something Sonic is Sonic!

Page 23 translation

Interview with Naoto Ohshima, Sega Artist

"I have not become rich by having created Sonic."

Possibly to some of you the name Naoto Ohshima will not, at first, suggest too much. But if we tell you that this young Japanese man is the true "father" of Sonic, his designer and who gave him his form and life, you won't take long to recognize that we stand before one of the major geniuses in the history of video games.

To get an exclusive interview with Naoto Ohshima is really complicated homework. But not because it was necessary to travel to Tokyo, go all the way to one of the numerous buildings that Sega has in the city and contact the right person who leads you to the Consumer Products R&D Department. No. What's more complicated than all that is getting permission from his bosses to speak with him.

Ohshima is one of the most coveted artists in the world and Sega executives don't like that this appears in the magazines with excessive frequency... (the competition is always lying in wait). In fact, we weren't allowed to take any photographs of him and only with the pretext that he could look at the magazine could we get this snapshot in which half his face is seen. A true achievement!

(Caption) The executives of Sega did not allow that their luxury artist, Naoto Ohshima, be photographed. The excuse was that he might look at the magazine at least to be of some use...

Hobby Consoles: From where arose the idea of Sonic?

Naoto Ohshima: Sega wanted to develop a new concept of game, which had a new story and that was different from everything else seen. Therefore we gathered a series of people whom, each one in his own area, we wanted to make something completely revolutionary. The result was Sonic.

HC: So Sonic was already created to be the character most representative of Sega?

NO: No. From the first moment we became aware that Sonic was not going to be a major character, that he was going to be something special, and for that reason we gave him a lot of attention, but we could never begin to imagine that Sonic was going to become what he is today.

HC: What was first, the game or the character?

NO: First arose the idea of the game and later the character came on its own. Obviously the development of the game suggested that the protagonist be very fast, but later we were putting other details in that were stamped with all his charisma. For example something very important to us was his color, blue. In Japan blue symbolizes many things. It signifies peace, the ocean...and also the logotype of Sega is blue.

HC: And why exactly a hedgehog? [lit: porcupine]

NO: For the simple reason that there was no famous character and as we wanted to make something different...

HC: Presently a group of some 20 people is working on the version of Sonic for the Mega CD. What are going to be the differences with respect to its predecessors?

NO: The main differences are encountered in the new possibilities that the Mega CD offers. The story is also different, but all this is an absolute secret and I can't speak about it. I can only say that while in Sonic 2 you had to cross different, separate rounds, Sonic CD is a complete story from start to finish. As much as it sounds the same there are many differences...

HC: Are you sad because Sonic 3 is being developed in the USA? Don't you feel as if your favorite character has been taken away from you?

NO: I don't feel thus, in fact the majority of the programmers who are working on Sonic 3 worked on Sonic 1, for which reason it is something of theirs as well. I don't believe that it is a pity that I can't be in the group (a tear was shed from his cheek), but what I want is to make Sonic CD something much more spectacular than what is being made in the United States.

HC: One last question. Have you become rich from having created Sonic?

NO: I am a worker and I work for my company, Sega. No. I have not become rich. But I have got something that can't be bought: I have created something that all the world admires. And that can't be paid for with money.