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Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the greatest characters in video game history. Sonic helped make developer Sega an equal rival to Nintendo and is synonymous with Sega’s rise and probably their downfall. There was perhaps no better example of this than Sonic’s part in the demise of the Sega Saturn, an event that inevitably led to the Dreamcast’s later failure.
Despite Sega’s best efforts, there was no new Sonic game for the Sega Saturn. Given the console’s other shortcomings, namely its less-than-impressive library, this cemented gamers’ minds that they could get better consoles from Sega’s competition. Here’s how Sonic’s “lost” game killed Sega’s penultimate console, thus wiping them out as a hardware developer.
What was Sonic X-Treme?
Scheduled for release in 1996, Sonic X-Treme would be the fast rodent’s first real foray into the third dimension. The title is said to have changed perspectives for the franchise by allowing players to wade through levels through a fish-eye lens. It would also have been an open world, just like the next one Sonic Limits, which means that gameplay is no longer limited by linearity. Sonic would also have new moves and attacks, such as throwing rings at enemies and turning into a ‘powerball’.
The game’s story featured Sonic once again trying to kill the evil Dr. Robotnik, who had hatched a plan to steal magical rings from Tiara Boobowski. This strangely named heroine was something of an Amy Rose stand-in, although her initial designs were quite a bit like Princess Sally Acorn from the Archie Sonic comics. This character was probably meant to be a mainstay in the world of Sonic, but unfortunately that never happened.
Why was Sonic X-Treme cancelled?
During the time that Sonic X-Treme was developed, there was an infamous power struggle between Sega and Sega of America. This was not helped by the fact that the game was behind schedule when representatives from the Japanese branch came to check on progress. The Sega Saturn was already on the market and Sega needed a killer app to make the successor to the iconic Sega Genesis really shine. In 1996, only a playable demo was available at that year’s E3, but even that seemed too prototypical for what should have been a surefire hit.
The development was horrendous, with the production team so inexperienced and unprepared for the 3D game that many of them ended up getting seriously ill from the heavy work hours. In 1997, the hedgehog vaporware was officially canceled, leaving the Saturn with no new ones Sonic game. a port of Sonic 3D Blastwhich was only isometric and not quite 3D, was carried over from the Genesis, although the already mediocre title failed to generate the hype of a new game.
Did the cancellation of Sonic X-Treme kill the Sega Saturn?
Many praise the end of Sonic X-Treme‘s development as a big part of why the Sega Saturn failed. At the same time, it was not the only problem the ill-fated Saturn had. Many retailers began to hate the Saturn, and by extension Sega itself, for the console’s abrupt launch. Intended to compete directly with Sony’s new PlayStation console, the higher price of the system was a pain point for many.
Likewise, the PlayStation had a much more attractive range of titles from a variety of genres. The Sega Saturn was known for accurate home to arcade fighting games, but these weren’t enough to compete with full RPG adventures on the PlayStation like Square’s Final Fantasy VII. Even Sega .’s Panzer Dragoon Saga, which was intended to compete with that title, was not enough to win over gamers. With limited third-party support and lack of Sonic X-Tremethe Sega Saturn was gone as quickly as it came.
Although it would never get an official release, Sonic X-Treme would in a sense be reborn by the later Sonic: Lost World title. This game also let Sonic roam freely through fish-eye environments, although to some it came across as a mediocre rip off of Super Mario Galaxy. Considering what was shown of the game before it was cancelled, Sonic X-Treme would probably suffer the same fate as it lacked even half the shine Super Mario 64. So maybe it’s a good thing the game was never completed, as it could have ruined Sonic’s reputation long before some of its more recent games.
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