Sonic the Hedgehog fans have been treated to plenty of surprises over the last three years. 2022 saw the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in theaters, as well as the release of what would go on to be the series’ fastest-selling 3D entry, Sonic Frontiers. 2023 gave fans DLC for that same title throughout the year, as well as the 2D co-op platformer, Sonic Superstars. Now, in 2024, Shadow the Hedgehog fans have gotten an entire year dedicated to the Ultimate Lifeform, complete with him having his own game in Sonic X Shadow Generations.
It’s quite incredible how much Sega has put into supporting Shadow during his “Fearless: Year of Shadow” campaign, even going as far as to have him advertise the upcoming Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds game with no sign of Sonic the Hedgehog to be seen in its teaser trailer. Shadow’s year isn’t over just yet, though, as there are plenty more releases coming before 2024 ends. In fact, this current week is stuffed to the brim with things that are likely to make all sorts of Sonic fans happy.
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Sonic Fans Have Something New Coming Out Over the Next Few Days
December 18 Marks Shadow’s Arrival in Sonic Dream Team
Sonic Dream Team may have started out as a simple, breezy platformer, but frequent updates since it was launched have given it a surprising amount of depth and challenge for fans to discover. Now, starting on December 18, despite Sega’s previous mandates on his appearances, Shadow will be made available in Sonic Dream Team as a playable character. He will even be sporting his trademark Chaos Control and Chaos Shift abilities to differentiate him from the other six characters already available.
Shadow’s inclusion comes with a few snags, however. He’ll only be available to play as part of the daily Tails’ Challenges mode until players can fully unlock him for the other modes. Tails’ Challenges is a unique mode in Sonic Dream Team where players can take on three challenges daily to earn experience toward a reward track, and Shadow is getting his own set of rewards that add new music and more. The trick with this is that Tails’ Challenges only allow players to do so much, and depending on how far into the track Shadow’s unlock is, players might be working toward him for a while.
IDW Publishing’s Sonic Riders Comic Arc Comes to a Close on December 18
December 18 also sees the release of IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog issue 75, which is scheduled to be a double-sized issue that closes out the current story arc. Fans who love the Sonic Riders series who haven’t heard of the IDW comics should look into catching up, as this entire arc is themed around it – from the unique outfits to the action-filled races. Each character has a special role to play as all of their individual plot threads are coming together for a conclusion that threatens to change the course of the story going forward, so fans won’t want to miss issue 75 if they can help it.
December 19 and December 20 Bring Sonic and Shadow to the Silver Screen
It could be argued that the arrival of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in cinemas is what the entire franchise was building up to this year. The third Sonic film is effectively a Sonic Adventure 2 adaptation, which excites plenty of fans on its own. While Sonic 3 is scheduled to hit theaters on December 20, some locations are offering showings on December 19, with AMC and Regal theaters hosting a special “Fan Event” where tickets are being offered as early as 3 PM that day. Fans who don’t have an AMC or Regal theater near them may want to check their local cinema anyway, as some still offer December 19 viewings a bit later in the day. Otherwise, they can catch the movie on December 20 as scheduled.
The Sonic Series Isn’t Stopping Anytime Soon
As exciting as the near future is for Sonic fans, there’s definitely more coming in the future. How soon it will come, though, is up in the air. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 seems to be teasing a reveal supposedly later this month dealing with an unknown character seen in previous TailsTube shorts, Sonic Rumble aims to launch globally sooner rather than later, and, of course, there’s at least one game that will excite fans going into 2025. Considering how much fans have gotten in the last few years, it’s safe to assume that the surprises will continue beyond next year. Those interested should sit tight and enjoy the ride until Sonic Team and Sega are ready to share more regarding the blue blur’s next adventures.
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