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Sonic X-treme was originally a Genesis game which kept getting pushed to different systems before it finally died on the Sega Saturn in 1997. The game was going to star Sonic as well as have Tails, Knuckles, and Tiara (the girl Echidna from Sonic Adventure) as playable characters and they had to stop Dr. Robotnik from getting a hold of some magical rings to which he would use to take over the world and blah blah blah. Basically, the same story from all of the other Sonic games more or less.

Each of the playable characters would have different styles of play. As you can tell by the headache you now have, Sonic's gameplay utilized a fish-eye lens perspective on his levels. Other characters like Metal Sonic, Fang the Sniper and get this, Sally Acorn and the rest of the Freedom Fighters from the cartoon show, were to make cameos as well.

The game was close to coming out for the Saturn as a launch title but the game went through hell while developing. You can read up on what happened in more detail on Wikipdeia, but to sum it up, there was too much miscommunication, not enough people on the team and that Yuji Naka (creator of NiGHTS) was a little drama queen.

If you're interested in seeing more concepts of the game, character designs and a whole mess of other things, then check out Senntient which looks to have everything that was going to be in Sonic X-treme. This site belongs to Chris Senn who was the Designer of the Sonic X-treme. Speaking of which, Chris is working on making a game that is heavily inspired by Sonic X-treme

The entire time I watched this video, I couldn't help but think of Mario 64. Mario 64 has always been heralded as being the game to brought gamers into the 3D market. Who knows how things would have turned out had the team was able to work on this more and actually release it. One thing is for sure, the song in the video is damn catchy.  

[Via NeoGaf]

[Update: The video above is actually clips from the game that Chris Sinn is working on right now. Also, here's the trailer for Sonic X-treme from E3 1996.] 








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49 comments | showing # 1 to 49
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Sharpless's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 19:45
Sharpless
Maybe it's just the fish-eye, but I'm getting a Mario Galaxy vibe from it. It looks a little repetitive, but I think it actually looks like it might've been good. And I like the song, too.
Jordan Devore's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 19:45
Jordan Devore
I so wanna play this.
KamikazeTutor's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 19:49
KamikazeTutor
A really small prototype of the game was leaked to the net this year.
It's part of the code supposed to be used for the boss battles.
It looks and plays very much like Sonic on Christmas NiGHTS.
KamikazeTutor's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 19:51
KamikazeTutor
By the way CTZ, most of that footage is from the PC game that the guys at Senntient are making.

Also, visit the site to download the soundtrack of the game.
madninja's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 19:52
madninja
This is where the current Sonic games should have gone. Nothing complicating.
KamikazeTutor's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 19:55
KamikazeTutor
Ah, here's the link for a video of the leaked prototype.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW_Pd-PTAtM
Hamza CTZ Aziz's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 19:58
Hamza CTZ Aziz
Here's the NiGHTs version of the game.

And Kamikaze: Ah, you're right. Thanks.
bottled dark's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 20:02
bottled dark
this is too weird for me.

id rather play sidescroller sonic.
Scape's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 20:05
Scape
It looks like it definitely had some potential, but nothing can compare to classic 2-D Sonic.

Also, has there been any news about the fan-made Sonic XG game?
Wheeliedude's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 20:06
Wheeliedude
X-Treme was going to be on the Saturn, not the Genesis.
indirect's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 20:08
indirect
When I first heard of Mario Galaxy's set up, I thought of this game.
Here's a cool site made by one of the creators of the game http://www.senntient.com/projects/xtreme/sxc/index.html.
GrayFox's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 20:11
GrayFox
I thought Mario Galaxy as well. Obviously an unfinished game, but damn, they should really have gone with games like this instead of the recent abortions they have been putting out.
Fading Star's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 20:11
Fading Star
I wish that this game could have been finished. It looks cool.
KamikazeTutor's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 20:15
KamikazeTutor
@bottled dark:
I would love to play this game regardless of the lack of sense of depth I have for some 3D games.
Geoff Henao's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 20:23
Geoff Henao
Tikal was the name of the girl echidna in Aventure.
Trevor McGee's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 20:33
Trevor McGee
Eh, I never liked the looks of this game. Sonic should have never left 2D in my opinion.
Boolean's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 20:42
Boolean
The song is awesome!
e-Thug's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 20:55
e-Thug
NO enemies! Sweet!
Turtule Soup's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 20:59
Turtule Soup
It looks pretty fun me thinks.
NightDehumidifier's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 21:10
NightDehumidifier
...through the eyes of a Busta Rhymes music video camera.
Burnt Meatloaf's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 21:38
Burnt Meatloaf
Wow. That fisheye effect is annoying.

The boss: "It's not quite 3D enough. Make it MORE 3D!"
Black Aspen's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 22:00
Black Aspen
Sorry, but... That's a little slow for Sonic, in my opinion. Without the speed, Sonic becomes a little too standard.
Mike Moran's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 22:12
Mike Moran
This game shouldn't have been called Sonic Xtreme. It should have been called Hedgehog Running into Walls.
WDot's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 22:13
WDot
That was amazing. The song was of course brilliant, but that would be just AWESOME to play as a Sonic game. There would need to be more work so that there would be less dead ends (there seemed to be a lot in the video), but fast 3d-fish eye Sonic FTW.
Cheeburga's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 22:21
Cheeburga
Oh man that music.
Cutie Honey's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 22:53
Cutie Honey
It's official! I'm stealin' the ball level layout idea for my game.
Brian Szabelski's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 22:55
Brian Szabelski
I wish we could've gotten our hands on this. Maybe not with the fisheye lens... but it would've been nice to get a 3-D Sonic that didn't suck.
Upgrayedd's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 23:36
Upgrayedd
Wow, that looks better than any of the console Sonic games since number 3.
Zeag's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 23:38
Zeag
Tiara is not the girl from Sonic Adventure... The girl in Sonic Adventure is named Tikal and is an Echidna, while Tiara was a Manx Kitten and has no relations with any other characters from the Sonic universe outside from Sonic X-Treme.
eksMAN's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 23:42
eksMAN
looks awesome!!! n like the whole fish-eye lens perspective
DJDuffy 's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 23:44
DJDuffy
hmm...sort of neat? The biggest problem with this game would have been the fixed camera angle. That is what made Mario 64 so epic...you could control the camera! In this game there are just too many awkward situations where Sonic is coming towards camera is just blind to anything in front of him.
Drift64's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/17/2007 23:57
Drift64
That fish eye lens would have annoyed the hell out of me...
Sterling Aiayla Lyons's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/18/2007 00:00
Sterling Aiayla Lyons
I really like the whole fish-eye-lens perspective and the 360 degree world thing. Maybe im just being too hopeful, but it seems like this game could work on the DS with touch screen controls. Maybe...or not...hmm...

Side note: I'd like to see a game where the levels take place on recursive spheres.
Sterling Aiayla Lyons's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/18/2007 00:00
Sterling Aiayla Lyons
I really like the whole fish-eye-lens perspective and the 360 degree world thing. Maybe im just being too hopeful, but it seems like this game could work on the DS with touch screen controls. Maybe...or not...hmm...

Side note: I'd like to see a game where the levels take place on recursive spheres.
Imako's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/18/2007 00:05
Imako
The fish-eye view is cool, but lack of enemies and visual cues point to disaster.
Lord The Night Knight's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/18/2007 00:09
Lord The Night Knight
Sega should make this a Wiiware game!
necrozen's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/18/2007 00:36
necrozen
Looks pretty wicked to me. I'd play it, but man, that fisheye affect seems like it might get pretty tiresome - but it might be different if youre actually playing.
electroplankton's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/18/2007 01:07
electroplankton
Music is awesome. On another note. You guys need to stop making YouTube embed bigger than the 425 pixel width they default too. Most of the videos look crappy when they're maximized to the size of this column.
hippiepieces's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/18/2007 01:09
hippiepieces
Looks like a cross between Crash Bandicoot and Mario Galaxy. Looks great, especially for it's time. Good thing Sega canceled this or they probably would have made a ton of money. At least we got to play Sonic the Fighters ands Sonic R though right?
Bob Muir's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/18/2007 02:24
Bob Muir
Like others have pointed out, maybe it's just because I'm playing it right now, but I definitely see a little Mario Galaxy in there.
Bob Muir's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/18/2007 02:24
Bob Muir
Like others have pointed out, maybe it's just because I'm playing it right now, but I definitely see a little Mario Galaxy in there.
epoch's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/18/2007 03:32
epoch
wow most of you seem to be on drugs, this game looks like total crap. There's no speed involved here it looks clunky and ugly you are all crazy
epoch's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/18/2007 03:35
epoch
the whole fun of sonic was blazing through the levels...this is just like stopping every second and changing directions and jumping to get rings. Also I don't know how you could get a SMG vibe from this
BS3 Owner's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/18/2007 06:55
BS3 Owner
THe theme music is of the charts for old school days.
KamikazeTutor's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/18/2007 10:19
KamikazeTutor
@Wheeliedude:
It begun as a project for the genesis, then was moved to the 32x, then to the saturn.
twentythoughts's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/18/2007 11:56
twentythoughts
I could easily see the fisheye thing working for a game that ISN'T SONIC. As it is, man... I can see why they scrapped that game. Looks dull, clumsy and clunky. For, say, a more beat-em-up-centric game, though, that engine WOULD work well.
-----'s Avatar - Comment posted on 11/18/2007 13:19
-----
Wow this looks great. It wouldn't even be a bad idea to bring this game back, especially with that latest Sonic. Ugh, garbage.
Daniel Husky Lingen's Avatar - Comment posted on 11/18/2007 13:53
Daniel Husky Lingen
Wow that would be tight to play
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