Sonic U

Sonic U is a game in the Sonic series exclusively for Wii U. It is a new style of game, taking cues from Sonic the Hedgehog 2006, Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Chronicles, and Sonic Unleashed. It will be released in Q1 2013 and is in development by SEGA and FOF, Inc. The U in the game's title stands for the system it's on and refers to the unity created by all of Sonic's friends working together.

Gameplay

The gameplay of this game is different from that in any other Sonic game. The game has a large overworld, much like the Adventure Fields in Sonic Unleashed, Sonic 06, and Sonic Adventure. However, these are all connected and a lot of the game is spent running around in them, talking to NPCs, doing sidequests, finding hidden emblems, progressing the story, and so on. Though there are many different areas, they are not divided into certain fields, much like the overworld in the Legend of Zelda games. To get to a level, you must simply enter the desired area at the right time in the story. This leads to an action stage. These are the main parts of the game. Action stages are composed of one level with mutliple acts usually. You can switch between Speed, Power, and Fly-type characters to complete the level, but they do not work on teams like Sonic Heroes. The type determines their stats within the game. It is almost like the LEGO Star Wars series of games, having characters join you in the level and overworld and switching between them and utilizing their skills to complete a level or access new areas, but has been implemented to keep the game fast-paced. Each level has 10 Red Rings hidden, and to collect them all you must use all the skills and come back in stage select with more characters to use skills you did not have before. New characters join you at certain parts in the story. Characters in the level that you are not playing as always follow you around, and there is always at least one character in the level. Each type has a different special thing: Speed characters can Spin Dash, Quick Step, and move faster and do more tricks, not to mention boost. Power characters can break stronger objects. Fly characters can obviously fly.

Skills

• Homing Attack: A jump attack that allows you to home in on enemies. Useful for crossing gaps and taking out large amounts of enemies. It also allows you to do a spin dash.
• Bounce: A jump attack that hits below you and lets you jump higher consecutively.
• Triangle Jump: A wall jump that lets you cross gaps and move vertically in tight spaces.
• Light Dash: Lets perform a dash across a trail of rings quickly.
• Melee: A standard attack with a weapon or body part, hitting in front of you. Usually a punch or kick.
• Digging: In natural areas, the character can dig underground to find items or switches.
• Swimming: Lets you go underwater without drowning.
• Flying: Lets you repeatedly hit the jump button to fly until the character's fly meter runs out. Then they slowly descend.
• Gliding/Hovering: Lets you cruise around at the height you started gliding at, while slowly descending.
• Climbing: The character is able to climb walls. Usually there is a limit to how far or high they can go.
• Projectiles: Usually exclusive to more intelligent characters, this lets you target enemies and shoot them from long range.
• Explosives: Dangerous bombs that can be dropped to cause a lot of damage to enemies in an area.
• Invisibility/Stealth: Lets you sneak by enemies and sirens unnoticed.
• Lifting Objects: Exclusive to power-type characters and Shadow. This has characters able to lift heavy objects and carry/throw them if they are light enough, or simply move them.
• Chao Communication: These characters can talk to Chao, usually revealing hints or pathways.
• Hacking: Characters like this can hack into computers and machines to move them or turn them off/on.
• Ruins: These characters can activate mystical powers of ancient ruins.
• Special Doors: There are two types of Special Doors, Eggman Doors and GUN Doors. Opening them is exclusive to characters affiliated with them.
• Crawling: Lets you go through small spaces normal-sized characters wouldn't fit in.
• Vehicles: Lets you start driving a variety of different vehicles through the area.

Characters

Name	Picture	Type	Description	Skills
Sonic the Hedgehog		Speed	Sonic the Hedgehog is the fastest thing alive! Never one to turn down an adventure, Sonic leaps at the opportunity to save the world again.	Homing Attack, Light Dash, Triangle Jump, Bounce
Miles "Tails" Prower		Fly	Tails is Sonic's best friend and sidekick. Never wanting to let Sonic down, he joins him in his quest for justice and is determined to do his best.	Melee (with tails), Flying, Hacking, Crawling, Explosives (dummy ring bombs)
Knuckles the Echidna		Power	Knuckles is Sonic's former rival and now good friend. Guardian of the Master Emerald, when it is stolen he takes it upon himself to find the culprit.	Melee (with fists), Swimming, Digging, Gliding, Lifting Objects, Climbing
Shadow the Hedgehog		Speed	Shadow is the the ultimate life form but now works as an agent for GUN. He seems to have some connection to the mysterious invaders which raises suspicions within GUN...	Light Dash, Homing Attack, Triangle Jump, Lifting Objects, Special Doors (GUN), Vehicles
Rouge the Bat		Fly	Rouge is a flirtacious treasure-hunting bat. She works with GUN alongside Shadow and Omega and is the de facto leader of their trio. She's not above using her good looks to get something she wants, but ultimately has a kind heart.	Flying, Explosives, Stealth, Melee (with boots), Special Doors (GUN), Climbing, Vehicles
E-123 Omega		Power	Omega was originally designed by Dr. Eggman, but after being shut down and left behind by him at an old base Omega has sworn revenge. He tends to look down on "meatbags" other than Rouge and Shadow but is willing to form alliances for the greater good. He works with GUN.	Projectiles, Explosives, Special Doors (GUN), Special Doors (Eggman), Lifting Objects, Hacking
Amy Rose		Speed	Amy is Sonic's self-proclaimed girlfriend. Very childish and immature, she cares greatly for her friends. Her Piko Piko Hammer also packs a wallop. Despite being a Speed character, she can also destroy things normally indestructible to them because of her hammer (like a Power character.)	Homing Attack, Melee (Piko Piko Hammer), Triangle Jump
Cream the Rabbit		Fly	Cream is Amy's best friend. She is a very young girl who is a pacifist, but her pet Chao Cheese is not. She loves helping people.	Flying, Projectile (Cheese), Crawling, Chao Communication, Explosives (Chao bombs)
Big the Cat		Power	Big a laid-back fisherman that lives in the Mystic Ruins. He prefers to not get involved in adventures but will leap to the rescue to help his best friend Froggy. He also has a large knowledge of the forest he lives in.	Swimming, Lifting Objects, Melee (with Fishing Rod)
Silver the Hedgehog		Fly	Silver is a hedgehog from the future. He is young and can be naive about the world but is willing to risk everything for the safety of his time.	Flying, Climbing, Homing Attack, Light Dash, Triangle Jump, Lifting Objects
Blaze the Cat		Speed	Blaze is a cat also from Silver's time and is best friends with Silver. She can utilize the power of the Sol Emeralds and has control over the powers of fire.	Homing Attack, Bounce, Triangle Jump, Light Dash
Vector the Crocodile		Power	Vector is the head of the Chaotix Detective Agency and has a passion for music. Though he can seem aloof and like a manchild at times, he is serious when the time calls for it.	Lifting Objects, Melee (with fists), Homing Attack, Vehicles, Swimming
Espio the Chameleon		Speed	Espio is second-in-command of the Chaotix Detective Agency. He was raised a ninja and is the most serious and mature of the trio, though his attempts at being stoic are often broken by Vector and Charmy's antics. Nonetheless, he is a vital part of the team.	Homing Attack, Triangle Jump, Invisibility, Climbing, Hacking, Projectile (with shruriken)
Charmy Bee		Fly	Charmy is a rambunctious child and the least mature of the Chaotix Detective Agency. He was taken in by Espio and Vector at a young age and is now a main member of the team, despite getting confused and distracted easily.	Flying, Crawling, Projectile (with stinger), Homing Attack,
Nack the Weasel		Speed	Nack is a weasel bandit and sharpshooter. He was the leader of the Fighters Bounty Hunting Agency, a rival to the Chaotix. He is sly and devious but hasn't been seen in many years...	Homing Attack, Light Dash, Triangle Jump, Projectiles (with Cork Guns)
Bark the Polar Bear		Power	Bark was the brawn of the Fighters Bounty Hunting Agency, and was commonly thought of as dumb muscle despite being fairly intelligent and having lots of common sense, plus he was respectful even to his opponents. He hasn't been seen in a long time.	Lifting Objects, Digging, Swimming, Melee (with fists), Vehicles, Hacking
Bean the Dynamite		Fly	Bean is a young duck and the final member of the Fighters Bounty Hunting Agency. He looks smart but is actually the most obnoxious and least intelligent member of the team. He's been reported missing for many years.	Flying, Explosives, Crawling, Homing Attack
Mighty the Armadillo		Power	Mighty was a good friend of Knuckles's and strong fighter but disappeared many years ago. He also worked with the Chaotix on many occasions, and one of their only failed cases was trying to locate him.	Lifting Objects, Homing Attack, Melee (with fists), Bounce, Climbing, Digging, Swimming
Ray the Flying Squirrel		Fly	Ray was a friend of Mighty's and sometimes Sonic when he disappeared years ago. He is fun loving and casual like Sonic but gets hotheaded easier. He is the only Fly-type character that cannot actually fly. (Not shown in picture: His blue jacket or blue shoes.)	Gliding, Homing Attack, Melee (with tail), Climbing, Light Dash
Shade		Power	Shade is an echidna warrior from an ancient power-hungry tribe. She comes to protect the Master Emerald, knowing Knuckles has a bad record with it.	Lifting Objects, Melee (with fists), Ruins, Hacking, Climbing, Digging, Vehicles, Swimming
Tikal		Fly	Tikal is a young echidna girl and daughter of the former ruler of the former tribe. Her spirit was sealed inside the Master Emerald, and when it is broken she is returned to consciousness. She is pacifistic and refuses to fight until convinced by Shade.	Flying, Climbing, Digging, Swimming, Ruins, Chao Communication, Melee (with fists)
Chaos 0		Power	Chaos is a mutated Chaos worshipped as a God of Destruction by the ancient echidna tribe. He has no morals in the traditional sense and is only really motivated by his lust for the Chaos Emeralds and Tikal, who convinces him to be nice.	Lifting Objects, Gliding, Swimming, Digging, Climbing, Chao Communication, Ruins
Emerl		Varies	Emerl is a robotic Gizoid created by the same echidna tribe Shade and Tikal hail from. Emerl is designed to copy those around him, and has no moves of his own. Instead, you his type is selected randomly based on how you progress through his first level, and he gets five randomly selected skills the same way. However, he always has Ruins.	Varies, Ruins
Jet the Hawk		Speed	Jet is an egotistical hawk from the Babylon civilization and master of Extreme Gear. Off his board he isn't too fast but on it he is a force to be reckoned with.	Homing Attack, Light Dash, Triangle Jump, Gliding
Dr. Eggman		Power	Eggman is Sonic's arch-rival and would-be world conqueror. However, he does not want to destroy the world, so he will reluctantly team up with him for the greater good. Eggman is a genius with an IQ of 300, and uses his mech, the Egg Walker, in action stages. In the overworld, he travels on foot.	Lifting Objects, Explosives, Hovering, Special Doors (Eggman), Projectiles, Hacking, Vehicles, Melee (involuntary close range attack)
Metal Sonic		Speed	A robotic clone of Sonic who believes he is the real thing. He greatly dislikes Sonic and only joins because saving the world is something Sonic would do, and he is the real Sonic after all.	Homing Attack, Light Dash, Triangle Jump, Bounce
Super Sonic		Speed	Sonic's super form. He is the strongest and fastest of all the characters, but only playable in one level and one boss, not even in free play. Note that in these areas he does not swim but it is shown through hacking him in other levels. Climbing is also not required to complete the level.	Homing Attack, Light Dash, Triangle Jump, Bounce, Lifting Objects, Explosives (with energy), Projectiles (with energy), Hovering, Climbing, Swimming

Story

Chapter 1: The Invasion

'Stage 1: Leaf Hill '| Characters: Sonic, Tails | Objective: Defeat Dr. Eggman!

The game begins in the middle of one of Sonic's adventures. This stage resembles a foresty Green Hill Zone. Eggman floats ahead of Sonic in his Egg-O-Matic, taunting him and saying he'll never stop him with his latest invention. This is mostly an introductory stage that explains the mechanics (but is not a tutorial).

Boss: Egg Falcon

Eggman transforms his Egg-O-Matic into a gigantic hawk-like robot, which flies around above the arena. When it swoops down, Sonic must do a homing attack into a cockpit, and when it circles above dropping bombs then Tails must fly above it and drop explosives into the cockpit.

Soon enough it is defeated. The robot blows up and Eggman is sent flying off into the distance. Sonic and Tails high-five and agree to go into the city for dinner to congratulate their job well done. Later that day, in the city, Amy catches up to Sonic, much to his chargin. Sonic tries to leave and attempts a distraction, telling her to look over in a random direction. Unfortunately, in that direction is a bubbling purple cloud. Sonic is intrigued and forgets about dinner and runs off. Amy and Tails follow.

Stage 2: Sunset City | Characters: Sonic, Tails, Amy | Objective: Get to the mysterious cloud!

Sonic chases it through the city with Tails and Amy hot on his trail. This level is like City Escape mixed with Rooftop Run at sunset. The cloud appears to tear open and several shadowy cyborg-looking reptilian creatures fall out. A serpentine looking muscular humanoid invader appears to float above the rest of them. He announces these are the Cythraul, inter dimensional aliens that plan to terraform all the planets into universe to be more organic, including this one. They warn this is not the first time they have done so nor will it be the last. People spring into panic everywhere and Sonic demands answers, but is nearly hit by a ball of energy and is pulled out of the way by Amy. Sonic decides to go through the city and save as many people as he can.

Stage 3: Danger Highway | Characters: Sonic, Tails, Amy | Objective: Turn on the evacuation systems!

Sonic, Tails, and Amy are successful in save a majority of the citizens of the city (Westopolis). The level is similar to Lethal Highway and Central City in design. GUN starts sending in its troops and manage to drive back most of the invading forces but not receiving a message from the leader Cythraul, Xerxes. He tells them the invasion cannot be stopped and he will send reinforcements.

The three heroes decide that the best course of action would be to find and protect the Chaos Emeralds.

Chapter 2: The Agent

Shadow is running through some mountains with tons of Cythraul ships overhead. Because the Cythraul use biotechnology, all of their fighters are actually bat-like creatures and their large battleships are all pale, round pods with fins on them. Shadow leaps up and grabs onto a bat fighter.

Stage 4: Sky Invasion | Characters: Shadow | Objective: Find a portal into the Cythraul base!

Shadow goes through the ships and eventually finds a portal into the main headquarters of the Cythraul. The leader, Xerxes, is initially angered and repulsed, but Shadow makes his intentions clear. He is the ultimate life form and harbors a deep hatred for humanity, and would love to work with the Cythraul. However, the portal Shadow used also lets in lots of GUN troops. Xerxes tells Shadow his first mission is to exterminate the GUN troops from his castle.

Stage 5: Cythraul Castle | Characters: Shadow | Objective: Defeat all of GUN's troops!

Shadow passes this mission with flying colors but more troops keep coming in. Eventually Shadow is caught and dragged back to GUN's fortress, while Xerxes calls in the rest of his army to take back his castle. Shadow wakes up in a prison owned by GUN.

Stage 6: Prison Arsenal | Characters: Shadow, Omega | Objective: Break out of prison!

Multiplayer

You go in a one on one Sonic Adventure 2 style of battle arena, but you can pick any character you unlock in the story of this game.

Unlockables

You unlock more characters as you go through the story for multiplayer and chao garden, but collecting emblems will grant you unlockable costumes for each character, and will also let you get the Sonic chao Egg