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Sonic 4 PS3 Dynamic theme coming next week!


JonoD

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Couldn't find this posted anywhere...

From the Sega blogs...

5355983538_04496e2f31_z.jpg

SEGA and Sony are proud to announce a new Sonic 4: Episode I PSN Premium Theme coming next week for the PS3!

I got a chance to check out the theme in action last night, and will vouch that anyone looking for a cool Sonic theme for their PS3 is in luck. The background features Splash Hill Zone, and you’ll see Sonic running around and spin-dashing in classical form. From time to time, the evil genius Dr. Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik will also fly past.

Beyond the visuals, there’s also one other addition I really enjoyed – hearing the traditional ring noise when flicking through the categories. A little sound effect that can often go a long ways.

The theme will release next Tuesday, January 18th, here in the US, and also shortly after for all those in Europe! For a limited time, all Playstation Plus members will also be able to get this premium theme completely free. If you’re not a PS Plus member, you can pick it up anytime for $2.99.

After many requests for a Sonic theme to arrive on PSN, we hope today’s announcement will kick your holiday weekend off to a great start.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Blog post: http://blogs.sega.com/usa/2011/01/14/new-sonic-4-premium-theme-coming-to-psn-next-week/

I'm officially getting... What about all of you? (Even though they will probably put the price at something like £3.99 over here <_< )

Edited by CobraRoll
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Couldn't find this posted anywhere...

From the Sega blogs...

Pic

Blog post: http://blogs.sega.com/usa/2011/01/14/new-sonic-4-premium-theme-coming-to-psn-next-week/

I'm officially getting... What about all of you? (Even though they will probably put the price at something like £3.99 over here <_< )

That looks pretty cool. As for UK price, British pound amounts with these things are never higher than the dollar amounts. It will probably be around £2 over here.

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This.

Urgh posts like these are so freaking lazy.....

Nice to see themes are coming out for Sonic 4 I hope Xbox Live will get some soon, I'll love a Lost Labyrinth Zone dashboard theme ^_^ that would look better than Splash Hill Zone to be honest :).

Edited by Shaddix
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Meh, I don't normally buy themes, I can't see myself buying this one in all honesty, the text looks a little difficult to read. But... if it was dynamic... why isn't it dynamic, this could be such a great dynamic theme, Sonic running and jumping around, that would look great.

Edit: Finally however, Sega releases some extra toot on the PS3, but can we have some Home items next, like our own personal badnik?

Oh wait a second!

The background features Splash Hill Zone, and you’ll see Sonic running around and spin-dashing in classical form. From time to time, the evil genius Dr. Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik will also fly past.

IT IS DYNAMIC!

A normal premium theme is just a static picture that costs money, but this sounds like a dynamic one to me... owww might have to look into this when it comes out.

Edited by Hogfather
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Review of the theme by... me.

Dynamic or Shambolic?

I saw flowers... they were dancin'.

I don't pay for PS3 dashboard themes, I've certainly never paid for a premium or dynamic theme before, other than Demons Souls on the Asian PSN there are no other themes that really interest me, well when it comes to parting money for them.

When the theme starts up you see this.

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That photograph does NOT do the beauty of the theme justice, if you've got a decent HD-TV and don't have your TV set to the factory defaults (which you should not if you ever intend to use that TV). The visuals are the same as those found in Sonic 4 Episode 1, theres not drop in quality at all, it's literally Sonic 4 in a still/moving image.

Despite what the photograph makes out, you can read the text of the menus very easilly without having to strain, although there would be an argument to say, if you own a PS3 is this even a concern or do you just know where and what everything is?

With regards to the design, Splash Hill Zone is a very good choice if you're looking for a bit of colour, as said before, theres no drop in Sonic 4's display settings when using the theme. One downside is that they don't add custom icons to the menu icons, it's the same icons only with a new lick of paint, but then again, had they included new icons, what exactly would they be? Objects from the game, and they would probably look ridiculous when placed against the background of Splash Hill.

Being a dynamic theme, you would expect movement and you get it, just now how you expect. First thing you notice is a block moving up and down, up and down, up and down, never ending... it's forever cursed to move up and down, why it's there exactly is a bit questionable since nothing in the theme ever uses it or seems to reference it.

Otherwise, the flowers... they be dancing, they be dancing all day long. Thats what flowers in Sonics world do, they dance.

Alright so yes Sonic is in the theme, he 'sometimes' runs along the bottom of the theme, stops, kinda... jiggles there, and then does a spin attack away, and people who moaned about Sonic 4's physics will be pleased to know that he does NOT lose momentum. Sonic will also jump onto the higher platform and use the ramp to then jump off, occasionally Eggman flies past at this point so it does look a bit like an attack attempt.

Also, for some reason, a giant Sonic will appear in the bottom right corner of the screen, it's the render art from Sonic 4, I guess it's Sonics way of saying hello.

As I mentioned, Eggman is in it... but he looks ridiculous, he doesn't fit the theme at all, with no smoke annimations on his Egg-O-Matic, or even annimations on himself, he just looks like something out of a very old episode of south part floating across the screen, or a childrens puppet show where someone is dangling him by an invisable string moving him from right to left... always right to left.

The cloudy sky is annimated, it scrolls along and does offer you a small sense of relaxation when watching, it's quite a tranquill scene and large enough to actually do it's job as a 'screen saver.'

The most annoying thing about the theme is actually not the visual, it's the audio, each time you select anything on the PS3's menu, it makes a ring noise. It is loud, and it's getting on my nerves. It's a lot louder than the default 'click' noise that Sony gives you with the official default theme. It's not the most annoying noise I've heard with a theme, but if you had to go through your messages when logging in, it might grow old a bit fast.

It's a very cheap price tag of under £2, and it's definately worth the price if you want a colourful theme that will actually show off how good your telly is. I'm quite happy with it, but I feel it could do with a lot more movement, wheres my BuzzBomber or MotorBug chugging along? At times it can be like waiting to see rare Pandas at the zoo when you want Sonic to come out, and then he only stays in the theme for a few moments before he runs away.

But check it out if you're interested and have... £2.

Edit: Forgot to add. Say you enter into a sub menu (like going into your message box), the jump SFX plays, pushing circle to back out of a sub menu will result in a badnik explosion SFC to play.

Edit 2: Presing triangle to get menu options will result in the 'entering a special zone super ring' SFX to play.

EDIT 3: OH DEAR GOD! Don't instal this theme and compose a message using the PS3 controller! It's nothing but ring noises for every input! The PS3 keypad does not have this issue.

Edit 4: When you open a new text chat using this theme and then go to 'select participants' a new SFX plays that I don't recognise from Sonic 4.

Edited by Hogfather
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Review of the theme by... me.

EDIT 3: OH DEAR GOD! Don't install this theme and compose a message using the PS3 controller! It's nothing but ring noises for every input! The PS3 keypad does not have this issue.

Even when making a damn background Sega finds a way to screw things up a bit.

Sega, just gotta love em.

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I have this theme. It's godlike. I love it.

Pissed this random chick off at my school cycling through the XMB really quickly (on purpose) since every input makes the ring collect sound.

I 'collected' 50 or so rings in roughly 15 seconds and shouted 'NOW I CAN TURN INTO SUPER SONIC!!' It was pretty great.

Edited by Chooch
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I have this theme. It's godlike. I love it.

Pissed this random chick off at my school cycling through the XMB really quickly (on purpose) since every input makes the ring collect sound.

I 'collected' 50 or so rings in roughly 15 seconds and shouted 'NOW I CAN TURN INTO SUPER SONIC!!' It was pretty great.

That is one of the best things I have heard all day.

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