New Video: Knuckles in ASR
Tristan Oliver | September 1, 2009
His All-Star Move–and How we Got It–Inside
This story should be prefaced by noting that it’s actually two stories in one.
You may remember our coverage in previous weeks surrounding the confusion about videotaping at this year’s Summer of Sonic. Our first story had noted an apparent blanket ban in place on taping near the gaming kiosks at the convention. That contradicted a more open policy touted on the SoS website, but the former was relayed in subsequent remarks made by organizer Svend Joscelyne in the days leading up to the show–until co-organizer and Sonic Wrecks admin Kevin Eva stated via a Tweet that the ban didn’t apply to Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing–just as it did not apply at the San Diego Comic Con, or at E3.
As it turns out, our original story may have been correct. There are several accounts from this year’s Summer of Sonic that note that a blanket ban was at least attempted to be enforced, moreso involving Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games– which was expected–but also apparently to ASR, just as we had originally reported. From some accounts, some members of Sonic Stadium staff were on hand to act as spotters, keeping an eye out for any cameras rolling.
Understandably due to all of the confusion about recording–apparently leading right up to the day of SoS–not everyone got the memo.
Several videos of the ASR kiosk have since popped up on YouTube, and many of those cameras got a close look. The clearest one we’ve received is below. Our staff did not shoot this; the UK based website TFMX did, and it was sent to us via a news tip by Brazilian Hedgehog. It’s so clear, one has to wonder how the camera went undetected–and how good a job the spotters enforcing the purported blanket ban on such recording really did.
Evening Update: Now we know why there’s such clarity in the video–as it turns out, TFMX was the only media organization given authorization by Sumo Digital to record ASR. The UK based gaming site set up shop just as Summer of Sonic had its finale at the main stage, and when the attention of most turned there, they turned away from the game kiosks, allowing TFMX to set up shop. This, according to TSS staffer Shadzter, who, among others, was policing the game kiosks. He, along with a Sega Europe employee and members of Sumo Digital, were all in on the blanket ban, according to his account, which you can read in full below, in our comments section. This story has been edited slightly to reflect this account.
In this video, we see Knuckles racing his way through Seaside Hill. You’ll also be able to get a glimpse at his All Star move, which involves the Master Emerald. Like Sonic, Knuckles is a bit fidgety in his vehicle, but ditches it when he goes All-Star. All of this is happening while a rep is explaining the finer details of ASR. Be sure to pay attention to the very beginning, too–because the loading screen explains how drifting will play a role.
We have more video sent in via our News Tips, including some snippets of Bentley Jones’s performance that we’ll have tomorrow on TSSZ News. If you want to share your SoS experiences, you can by clicking News Tips at the top of every page. And, of course, our staff’s articles and impressions are coming soon.
Filed Under Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, Sonic Scene, Summer of Sonic
HOW COOL IS THAT
, super gameplay 
I hope they make dificulty levels in this game, so when we are great playing, we can pute it more dificult, let’s see, I simply love Knuckles racing “car” is way pass cool!
I hope Metal Sonic comes has a playable character, alongside with Silver…
A bit rude of you to undermine the wishes of your friends by running this story, don’t you think?
….
If you’re referring to those at Sonic Stadium, because there was tremendous amounts of confusion regarding this policy to begin with, pared with AAUK’s OK, pared with the Sumo folks apparently not knowing anything about this fluid policy…I don’t see how anyone could be upset to begin with.
I assure you, if I ran this site for the purpose of keeping the community happy, that ship sailed a lonnnnng time ago. ;-D
-T
AWESOME! Did you here the music when Knux did his allstar move? It’s from Sonic R! And I have that game! AWESOME! It just! COOL!
This game looks really good. And if it’s released February 2009 they got lots of time to make it even better!
This feels a bit like SEGAs smash bros brawl in Mario Kart gameplay. I love how they take this nostalgic stuff. It’s just pretty sad that I’m no old SEGA fan… Oh well, I can learn a lot from it!
Now I’m pretty sure I will buy this.
I just hope Wii version will be same. Of course without that great graphic.
@Kadeb: Yeah, I only have Wii. But they said that there will be no big difference.
I really liked the drift thing! It really shows that the game has details and some skill.
I really like the look of this game. For once i dont have nothing bad to mouth off about. It looks solid, the man explaining seems to have a brain (he even bloody named the enemies which is more than I think sonic team could do these days)
Hey! Even Seaside hill which previously looked way to garish looks beautiful… *sigh* I want these guys to do the next sonic game
Even if this game is going to probably end up mediocre for some gameplay reason, the visuals are beautiful. SEGA is putting great investment in at least making their games look good.
Hopefully this game is actually fun to most people.
Riiiiiiiiiight, well, it would have been much more moral of you to hold off on running it until you checked things with Dread or AAUK. “We were confused, so we drew our own conclusions” is rather disrespectful when you have the means to ‘unconfuse’ yourselves.
The footage is nice. What Sonic R music do you say plays when Knuckles uses his All Star, Werehog? I can’t make it out very well.
AWESOME i was hoping so much that the master emerald would have something to do with it, and IT DID very unexpected
Thank You so much SEGA! This is the first appearence of the Master Emerld since SA2… Maybe SEGA has finally decided to go back to thier original base in characters. Let me explain, maybe now Knuckles will go back to protecting the emerld and Tails will be back as THE only sidekick of Sonic. (No chip type stuff) And he will no longer be the super tech wiz he is now who seems to have just hte right invention at just the right time. (Sonic Riders) Plus… the only true technology that he has that I will never reject is the Tornado. That thing is his staple and should continue to be. Respond please, cause I want some more input.
Now for a geek rage… YAY Gliding Knuckles using Master Emerld Power!!!!!!!
I staffed at the games zone so allow me to clear things up here. There was a ban on recording on this game, don’t know why but there was even a notice up to the side of the kiosk.
ANYWAY, the video shown above was a recording and the ONLY recording Sumo Digital allowed at the end of the event. That’s why you see the exclusive thing at the beginning and the mic and thats why the Sumo Digital guys don’t stop the recording despite being right next to the cam.
I couldn’t tell who the guys were at the time but the Sumo Digital guys decided to allow their recording since everyone else had gone and they could monitor it.
Well i say everyone had gone, but only over to the stage for the finale. The games zone was empty. Me and Chris(SEGA staffer) were packing up M&S while the Sumo Digital guys ran this recording thing.
Just read through the whole article now and to clear up who was enforcing this ban on recording. Me, Ian(another SoS staffer), Chris(SEGA Europe staffer) AND the Sumo Digital guys were all enforcing it. A few got past us from a distance by recording from the back or behind of the long queue but for the most part we stopped them all.
Again, this recording was the only recording Sumo Digital allowed at SoS.
I’ve updated and added the story to reflect your account, Shadzter.
It doesn’t make it any less confusing how we’ve gone from OK at the US events to not OK in Europe to selectively OK in this instance, but at this point I think it’s just an instance of too many cooks in the kitchen on this policy and too many sources saying different matters on it. Again, I don’t blame this on the organizers–they prolly had bigger fish to fry.
-T
I don’t really know what the deal is. The ASR kiosk wasn’t surrounded by walls to protect it like the M&S one’s were which made it harder to stop people recording the game. The Sumo Digital guys told me at the event that recording wasn’t allowed on the game and they told me again later in the day when they asked me to cover the kiosk for them while they went to do the on stage Q&A and some interviews.
If Sumo Digital were enforcing it there must have been some reason behind it somewhere.
It looks great. Very Mario Kart-esque, but the Mario Kart series are great racing games so no wonder SEGA got most of their ideas from Mario Kart.
And did anyone else notice that Shadow’s name can be clearly seen at the end of the race?
Wait…there was an ENCLOSURE around the M&S booths??
VERY interesting.
-T
cgc: The Master Emerald appeared, and was the driving force for Knuckles in both Sonic Rivals and Sonic Rivals 2, as well as popping up at the end of Sonic Chronicles. Knuckles didn’t stop tagging along, and Tails certainly didn’t stop being a computer whizz. Thinking that certain objects mean certain things is ridiculous, at best.
Haha, the enemy naming impressed me the most. Lookin’ nice.
@Blue Blood: It’s the seconds before they start driving.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TT1LMK8zMA&feature=related
And the same music was in ASR when Knuckles did his allstar move!
Werehog@: yhe man you’r right, I couldn’t listen to it because of that guy, but now I have listned carefully and it’s true, it’s that music from SONIC R from that stage witch the boss is METAL KNUCKlES
VERY IMPRESSIVE SUMO/SEGA … you’r using musics from other Sonic games cooool.
Sonic’s big next adventure should be: 1 – SONIC UNLEASHED 2
(with Manic the hedgehog and Sonia the hedgehog) it would be AWSOME!!! 
2 – SONIC UNDERGROUND
@SU: It’s in the beggining of every stage in Sonic R. Not just that one.
But if this stage was so detailed, then the later stages will be awesome!
I wonder if Sega is hinting Super Knuckles` return to the games with Knuckles` special maybe … maybe not
YOU PUNCHED A CHAO!!
Well he didn’t sound like that, but you gotta admit thats funny/
Knux`s All-Star Move rocks!
Looks awesome! But I’ll be honest, it does have A LOT of similarities to mario kart. When you get hit you spin out, there are boosters, boost ramps let you do tricks, the punching glove is just like the green shell… but w/e, I was hoping you’d drift to boost anyway, so it’s allll good.