Sonic Extreme

[Gamerguy21]

A member at ASSEMblr games claims to have just acquired an old Xbox Dev unit that contained a prototype version of a never-released Sonic game called "Sonic Extreme". To prove it, he has posted up a few videos, with 3 showing the mission mode, 2 showing the combat mode, and 2 showing the race mode:

It uses SA1 and SA2 art, SA2 music (City Escape), the SA voice actors (I think the clips are from SA2, but I could be wrong), the Heroes character models (I think?), classic-styled item boxes, and I think those textures might be from Seaside Hill. All this leads me to guess that this proto probably dates back to 2003-2004, possibly as a very early version of Riders. Also, is that a new voice clip of Ryan @0:40 in the second video? It sounds similar to his death cry in Heroes, but also somewhat different.

Anyway, I personally think the game looks like it could have been somewhat fun (for a spin-off). Just polish the game a bit more, add more speed, and more content and it could have possibly been a pretty decent Sonic skateboarding game. I'm curious to see what the race mode looks like (assuming selecting it doesn't just crash the game or something).

TSSZ Article. (I found the ASSEMblr games forum link there, so I'd feel a bit guilty not citing them)

EDIT: Update from ProtonX (the guy with the game) detailing the three modes:

The goal of the missions is to get a key and then open a lock. That ends the misson. I could swear the first time I played it i got to at least misson level 2 and then a 3... but it has been freezing up or sending me back to the game screen when i get the lock... maybe im missing something.

Then the combat is a small area with 4 sub-zones. There are 4 keys, 1 for each zone. There are grenades, firecrackers, homing rockets and mines that can be picked up and used against the other player or to destory crates. Also pressing the R and L triggers at the same time moves both players back to the middle of the level- not effecting key earned or boxes destoryed. I couldn't figure out a way to win/lose/leave without quitting.

Then there is the race level. It feels a lot like Sonic Adventure 2 battle- the first level. You go around a seemingly neverending track, then when you finish it boots you to the game screen.

EDIT 2: Added 3 new videos. Also, it seems like this game was going to be outsourced to Visionscape Interactive:

Alright, I was able access the hard drive from my computer. The game has 3 videos that don't seem to be used yet. One is a "you win", a "you lose" and the clown for Vision Scape Interactive (which seems to be the studio responsible for this demo of a game).

Edited May 1, 2011 by Gamerguy21

[Eternal EX]

Honestly I'm glad this never saw the light. A skateboarding sonic game? I mean yeah it may have work before Riders and SKATE but now seeing it. I'm not sure it would have been able to compete with some of the major XBOX titles of that time. And could you imagine the amount of HATE the game probably would have gotten back then? "Sonic on a skateboard? ITS ALL WRONG!!"

[Jetronic]

That needs to be dumped......like nowish >=/

Edit:

Lol at the "NNNNNNNNNNOoooooooooooooooo"

0:36

Edited April 30, 2011 by Jetronic

[SchemingMinor]

Looks to me like it was a prototype for Sonic Riders. Seriously, this game practically barfs 90's all over your screen - all we need is Ryan Drummond spouting outdated slang to make that complete.

Has he ripped any data from the disc and dumped it? I wonder who else was playable.

Edited April 30, 2011 by Kintobor

[Preston]

So any Sonic title with the word "Extreme" in it will inevitably get canceled. Gotcha.

[Sega DogTagz]

Clearly this was an early attempt to reintroduce proper slope physics back into the seres.

Seriously though, if that's legit then I'm gonna have to say we dodged a bullet with this one. Its far too slow to be interesting and it just seems kinda bland. I can't complain if this got the axe to move onto the Riders series. Greener pasture.

[Marcello]

This looks much better than Riders.

[Glenn]

Looks kinda cute, in a really basic way. Not that skateboarding videogames hold any appeal, personally, but it was the 1990s (or there abouts) so who can blame them? I'm sure it would have been kinda cool and I'd probably have given it a quick go.

Nice find, by the way! Thank you kindly for sharing!

[goku262002]

This is really great. glad the holder is nice and letting us see it and maybe dump it soon (MAYBE!).

I honestly like to play this as like a mobile game or something.

[Indigo Rush]

Any wonder of how the game could have been great is now dashed with the knowledge that there has been no spin-off game post-Saturn era that hasn't shoe-horned in a ridiculous plot with some convoluted boss battle that doesn't fit the genre at all.

Shoulda been called Tony Hedgehog: Pro Skater

[Preston]

I would have loved this game during my Tony Hawk phase. I had the Dreamcast version of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and always thought it would have been awesome if Sonic was a secret playable character in that game.

I totally wouldn't mind a skateboarding Sonic game. Sonic is pretty well-known for participating in extreme sports. He's snowboarded, hang-glided, surfed on planes, grind on rails, and even raced with cars to make the competition fair. Skateboarding wouldn't be out of Sonic's character. In fact, it would be congruent with his character. Just take the gameplay of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, put in Sonic characters, and have the skate courses be Sonic themed. Bonus points for incorporating cel-shaded graphics for that Jet Set Radio feel. Even more bonus points for having Hideki Naganuma do the music.

Edited April 30, 2011 by Preston

[Badnik Mechanic]

Well thats something I didn't expect to see today.

I'm very glad it never got officially released, because even for a demo/early build it was quite terrible, as was the idea. Even if it was a skateboarding/battle game the level design for that kind of gameplay is just completely dreadful.

It's so odd, it's using Sounds from one game, items from another and various other things from another. Now I know Sega does do this when they first get a 'playable' version of a game up and running, but a big part of me thinks "Is this fan made" yet other things look far too good for a fan project.

The guy who found it says that theres other stages on the build but the game keeps freezing/crashing at a certain point. Would love to see the full thing though.

Also the person who found it has registered on Retro, he's confirmed a few things, you can grind on those rails in the build, also grenades, firecrackers, homing rockets and mines are the items from the video.

In race mode it's a bit like the first stage of SA 2, only the track appears to be endless.

Edit: Was Sonic Riders not called Sonic R Extreme at one point?

Edited April 30, 2011 by Hogfather

[Carbo]

Well now we know what engine White Acropolis recycled.

Edited April 30, 2011 by Carbo

[Badnik Zero]

The surfaces look like Sonic Heroes, like Seaside Hill type shit. It's cute but I don't feel like it'd be a great game since it reminds me of Sonic R. All love to Sonic R, but it was bad. I'm a little peeved how Sonic needs a skateboard in order to roll, but rolling up inclines in a 3D game just doesn't happen. Selfishly, I wish this game saw release.

[EXshad]

Hmm.... I think they should have released this as a side game in Heroes or something. Sorta like Metal Gear Solid 2 did with this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzh7vEaazBM. I mean, it's obviously nothing to write home about, and Sonic goes slow as hell with that piece of cardboard under his feet. But it seems like it would have been more fun than Riders.....

[Agent York]

I still remember when Sonic Extreme Racing was on website listings and we all through it might be a Sonic R sequel, which ended up being Sonic Riders in the end.

Fairly sure this was Riders before it was, well, Riders.

[RidersDX]

That looks so incredibly boring and slow I probably would not have gotten it if it were released. Not a skate boarding game fan. But still, it's interesting to see this pop up. Definitely wasn't expecting to see this today.

Edited April 30, 2011 by RidersDX

[Badnik Zero]

So how can we get a playable version copied and leaked.

[Agent York]

That looks so incredibly boring and slow I probably would not have gotten it if it were released. Not a skate boarding game fan. But still, it's interesting to see this pop it. Definitely wasn't expecting to see this today.

I will point out it's fairly obvious this was a test engine and if they had gone through to make it a full game (that wasn't Riders) they would have refined it and expanded it, but what we see wasn't so much a game but a concept prototype, which is a big difference.

[Detective Shadzter]

Looks kinda cute, in a really basic way. Not that skateboarding videogames hold any appeal, personally, but it was the 1990s (or there abouts) so who can blame them? I'm sure it would have been kinda cool and I'd probably have given it a quick go.

Nice find, by the way! Thank you kindly for sharing!

It wasn't the 90's. This is from an Xbox dev kit, and the Xbox was released in 2001/2002. Sonic Riders was released for Xbox, so this was probably an early idea for that, as others have suggested.

So how can we get a playable version copied and leaked.

It's up to the guy over at ASSEMbler to decide whether he wants to dump it or not. I wouldn't go bothering him to do it though. Just wait and see.

[Badnik Mechanic]

It's up to the guy over at ASSEMblr to decide whether or not he wants to dump it or not. I wouldn't go bothering him to do it though. Just wait and see.

I hope he's not got notifications for youtube turned on, otherwise he's going to have every tom dick and harry bugging him every second for a copy.

Also I don't know much about these things, but even if he does dump the thing, not many people are going to be able to play it are they?

[Emperor Robrainiac]

Well, that makes two "Extremes" that never saw the light of day. Anyway, it looks like it could have been a fun little game to play.

[Gamerguy21]

So how can we get a playable version copied and leaked.

Apparently, he is currently looking for guidance on how to dump it. If all goes well, we may very well end up getting a playable version dumped.

Also I don't know much about these things, but even if he does dump the thing, not many people are going to be able to play it are they?

I actually remember hearing that Xbox modding is apparently very easy. However, I never attempted it myself, nor have I really looked into it.

Nice find, by the way! Thank you kindly for sharing!

No problem.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Of course it does make you wonder.

We know that back in the 90's there were a lot of Sonic games made and then cancelled very early in production, no I don't mean the well known stuff like Sonic Crackers and Sonic Mars. Stuff like the really obscure games like the games that were mentioned by the guy who showed off all the Sonic Spinball concept art and footage.

How many other games are out there which got cancelled or turned into something else.

[Eternal EX]

Well now we know what engine White Acropolis recycled.

Actually this looks like it plays better than that stage.