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Sonic Runners: How to Unlock All Characters and Buddies

  • mehrmarktemppaber
  • Aug 9, 2023
  • 9 min read


Sonic Runners: A Brief History of the Discontinued Mobile Game




If you are a fan of Sonic the Hedgehog, you might have heard of Sonic Runners, a mobile game that was released in 2015 and discontinued in 2016. It was developed by Sonic Team as its first Sonic game exclusive to smartphones and published by Sega. In this article, we will explore what Sonic Runners was, why it was shut down, and how you can still play it today.




sonic runners




Gameplay and Features




Endless Running with a Sonic Twist




Sonic Runners was a side-scrolling endless runner game in which the player-character was constantly running forward. To avoid obstacles and defeat enemies, the character jumped when the player tapped the touchscreen. The game featured a wide variety of playable characters from the cast of the Sonic franchise with unique abilities, such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Knuckles the Echidna. The player started as Sonic and would unlock more characters as they progressed.


The goal was to obtain high scores by running for as long as possible. While running, the player ran through vertical loops and jumped in cannons and on springboards and platforms. They collected power-ups like invincibility, Wisps, rings, and crystals. Wisps granted the player temporary powers, rings protected them from getting hit by enemies or obstacles, and crystals increased their score. When the player passed a checkpoint, the rings were banked and added to their overall score. The player would occasionally engage in boss fights with Doctor Eggman, who would drop objects to stop them.


Characters and Abilities




The game featured over 30 playable characters from the Sonic series, each with their own abilities and stats. The characters were divided into three types: Speed, Fly, and Power. Speed characters could perform a triple jump that allowed them to reach higher places. Fly characters could fly for a short time after jumping. Power characters could break through obstacles with their dash attack.


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Some of the characters included:


NameTypeAbility


SonicSpeedTriple Jump


TailsFlyFlying


KnucklesPowerDash Attack


AmySpeedHammer JumpShadowSpeedChaos Spear


RougeFlyBomb Drop


OmegaPowerMissile Launcher


SilverFlyTelekinesis


BlazePowerFire Boost


Metal SonicSpeedRing Spark Field


EspioFlyInvisibility


VectorPowerBubblegum Descent


CharmyFlyBee Swarm Attack


TikalFlyPacifist Mode


Cream and CheeseFlyCheese Attack and Flight Mode Switching


Big the CatPowerFishing Rod Attack


SticksPowerBoomerang Attack


MephilesSpeedDark Blast


Classic SonicSpeedSpin Dash


Christmas SonicSpeedSnowboard Dash


Halloween ShadowSpeedPumpkin Spear


Easter TailsFlyEgg Bomb Drop


New Year's Red Ring SonicSpeedRed Ring Dash


Birthday SonicSpeedBalloon Dash


The player could also customize their characters with various items and companions, such as Chao, Wisps, and RC vehicles. These items and companions provided different effects and bonuses, such as increasing the score, rings, or crystals, or protecting the character from harm.


Updates and Events




Sonic Runners received periodic updates that added new content and features to the game. Some of the updates included:


  • New characters, such as Mephiles, Classic Sonic, and Birthday Sonic



  • New stages, such as Windy Hill, Sky Road, and Lava Mountain



  • New items and companions, such as RC Tornado, RC Moon Mech, and RC Eggmobile



  • New modes, such as Story Mode, Episode Metal, and Timed Mode



  • New features, such as Daily Spin, Premium Roulette, and Buddy System



The game also hosted various events that celebrated holidays, seasons, and anniversaries. Some of the events included:


  • Christmas Event: The player could collect Christmas presents and unlock Christmas-themed characters and items



  • Halloween Event: The player could collect candy corns and unlock Halloween-themed characters and items



  • Easter Event: The player could collect Easter eggs and unlock Easter-themed characters and items



  • New Year's Event: The player could collect red rings and unlock New Year's-themed characters and items



  • Birthday Event: The player could collect birthday cakes and unlock Birthday Sonic and other special items



Development and Reception




Sonic Team's First Mobile Exclusive Game




Sonic Runners was developed by Sonic Team, the same studio that created the main Sonic games for consoles and PC. It was their first attempt to make a Sonic game exclusively for mobile devices, as they wanted to reach a wider audience and experiment with new gameplay ideas. The game was directed by Takashi Iizuka, the head of Sonic Team, and produced by Yosuke Okunari, who also worked on Sonic Generations and Sonic Lost World. The game was designed to be simple and accessible, but also challenging and rewarding for hardcore fans. The game also featured original music composed by Tomoya Ohtani, who composed the soundtrack for Sonic Unleashed and Sonic Colors.


Critical and Commercial Response




Sonic Runners was released worldwide on June 25, 2015, after a soft launch in Japan and Canada in February and March respectively. The game was free to download and play, but it also offered in-app purchases for premium currency, items, and characters. The game received mixed reviews from critics and players, who praised its graphics, music, gameplay, and variety of characters, but criticized its technical issues, repetitive stages, intrusive ads, and unfair monetization system. The game had over 10 million downloads as of December 2015, but it also suffered from declining revenue and player retention. According to Sega's financial reports, the game was not profitable enough to justify its continued operation.


Reasons for Discontinuation




On May 27, 2016, Sega announced that Sonic Runners would be discontinued on July 27, 2016. The game was removed from the app stores on July 27, and the servers were shut down on July 31. Sega cited "various circumstances" as the reason for the decision, but did not elaborate further. Many fans and developers were disappointed and saddened by the news, as they enjoyed the game and hoped for more updates and improvements. Some speculated that the game was shut down due to its poor performance, technical issues, or legal problems with Apple or Google. However, Sega never confirmed or denied any of these theories. Revival and Legacy




Sonic Runners Revival Project




Despite the official closure of Sonic Runners, some fans did not give up on the game. A group of dedicated fans, led by a user named DarkyBenji, started a project to revive the game online with a custom server. The project, called Sonic Runners Revival, was launched in August 2016, and allowed players to download and play the game on their devices with some modifications. The project also added new features and perks to the game, such as:


  • Removing ads and premium currency



  • Unlocking all characters and items for free



  • Fixing bugs and glitches



  • Improving performance and compatibility



  • Adding new modes and events



  • Creating custom stages and characters



  • Supporting multiple languages



The project is still active and updated as of 2021, and has attracted thousands of players who enjoy the game and appreciate the fan effort. The project also has a website, a Discord server, and a YouTube channel where players can find more information and support.


Sonic Runners Adventure




In 2017, Sega partnered with Gameloft, a mobile game developer and publisher, to release a replacement game for Sonic Runners. The game, called Sonic Runners Adventure, was similar to the original game in terms of gameplay and features, but it also had some differences and changes. Some of them included:


  • Having a fixed number of stages instead of endless running



  • Having four different types of stages: Normal, Bonus, Boss, and Special



  • Having four different zones: Green Hill, Desert Ruins, Lava Mountain, and Sky Sanctuary



  • Having a limited number of playable characters: Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, Rouge, Omega, Espio, Charmy, Vector, Cream and Cheese, Silver, Blaze, Classic Sonic



  • Having a different story mode that involved Eggman kidnapping animals and turning them into robots



  • Having a different scoring system that involved collecting stars instead of rings



  • Having no online features or events



Sonic Runners Adventure was released on June 10, 2017 for Android devices in some regions, and on December 20, 2017 for iOS devices worldwide. The game received mostly positive reviews from critics and players, who praised its graphics, music, gameplay, and variety of characters. However, some also criticized its lack of originality, innovation, and replay value.


Impact on the Sonic Franchise




Sonic Runners may have been short-lived, but it had an impact on the Sonic franchise and its fans. The game introduced new characters and concepts that were later used in other Sonic games and media. For example:


  • The Wisps from Sonic Colors were featured as power-ups in Sonic Runners. They also appeared in other games such as Sonic Forces and Team Sonic Racing.



  • The character of Sticks from Sonic Boom made her debut in Sonic Runners. She also appeared in other games such as Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and Lego Dimensions.



  • The character of Mephiles from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) made his return in Sonic Runners. He also appeared in other media such as comics and fan works.



  • The concept of Buddy System from Sonic Runners was reused in Sonic Forces. In that game, the player could create their own custom character who would accompany Sonic in some stages.



The game also inspired many fan works and projects that paid tribute to it or expanded on it. For example:


  • The fan-made project Sonic Runners Revival that revived the game online with a custom server.



  • The fan-made game Sonic Runner Adventure that recreated the game with new graphics and features.



  • The fan-made comic series Sonic Runners: The Comic that continued the story of the game with new characters and events.



  • The fan-made animation series Sonic Runners: The Animated Series that adapted the game into an episodic format with voice acting and humor.



Conclusion




Sonic Runners was a mobile game that was developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega in 2015. It was an endless runner game that featured a wide variety of playable characters from the Sonic franchise with unique abilities. The game received mixed reviews from critics and players, who praised its graphics, music, gameplay, and variety of characters. However the game also suffered from technical issues, repetitive stages, intrusive ads, and unfair monetization system. The game was discontinued in 2016 due to "various circumstances" and was replaced by Sonic Runners Adventure in 2017. The game had an impact on the Sonic franchise and its fans, as it introduced new characters and concepts that were later used in other games and media. The game also inspired many fan works and projects that paid tribute to it or expanded on it.


Sonic Runners was a unique and ambitious game that tried to bring the Sonic experience to mobile devices. It had its flaws and shortcomings, but it also had its charms and strengths. It was a game that many fans loved and enjoyed, and many still miss and remember. It was a game that showed the potential and possibilities of the Sonic franchise on mobile platforms. It was a game that deserves to be recognized and appreciated as part of the Sonic history.


If you are interested in playing Sonic Runners or learning more about it, you can check out the following resources:


The Sonic Runners Revival project website:


The Sonic Runners Adventure game page:


The Sonic Runners: The Comic fan-made comic series:


The Sonic Runners: The Animated Series fan-made animation series:


Thank you for reading this article. We hope you enjoyed it and learned something new. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to share them below. And if you liked this article, please share it with your friends and family who might be interested in Sonic Runners. Have a great day!


FAQs




What is Sonic Runners?




Sonic Runners is a mobile game that was developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega in 2015. It is an endless runner game that features a wide variety of playable characters from the Sonic franchise with unique abilities.


Why was Sonic Runners discontinued?




Sonic Runners was discontinued in 2016 due to "various circumstances" that Sega did not specify. Some possible reasons include poor performance, technical issues, or legal problems with Apple or Google.


How can I play Sonic Runners today?




You can play Sonic Runners today by downloading and installing the Sonic Runners Revival project, which is a fan-made project that revived the game online with a custom server. You can also play Sonic Runners Adventure, which is a replacement game that was released by Gameloft in 2017.


What are the differences between Sonic Runners and Sonic Runners Adventure?




Sonic Runners Adventure is similar to Sonic Runners in terms of gameplay and features, but it also has some differences and changes. Some of them include having a fixed number of stages instead of endless running, having four different types of stages instead of one, having four different zones instead of three, having a limited number of playable characters instead of over 30, having a different story mode instead of episodes, having a different scoring system instead of rings and crystals, and having no online features or events.


What is the legacy of Sonic Runners?




Sonic Runners had an impact on the Sonic franchise and its fans, as it introduced new characters and concepts that were later used in other games and media. The game also inspired many fan works and projects that paid tribute to it or expanded on it. 44f88ac181


 
 
 

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