#sonicr

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Everybody soup (Sonic R style doodles from 2025)

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Review: Sonic Symphony London 2024

Sonic Symphony's performance last night at London's Hammersmith Apollo was an electrifying celebration. The concert delivered a fantastic evening of entertainment.

The orchestra, despite being occasionally drowned out by the enthusiastic audience, showcased the Sonic soundtracks' timeless melodies with finesse. Shota Nakama and Tomoya Ohtani performances, as always, were a masterclass in musicality. TJ Davis and Richard Jacques surprise Sonic R medley was the undisputed highlight of the evening - more on that in a bit.

Setlist: A balancing act with potentially too much Frontiers

The 2024 setlist offered a change from the previous year, introducing dedicated segments for Shadow and Knuckles, a new Sonic Heroes medley, and a notable focus on the Sonic Frontiers soundtrack. However, these additions came at the cost of beloved classics like "What I'm Made Of...", "Knight of the Wind," and "Open Your Heart," as well as the orchestral renditions of Sonic CD and Game Gear tracks.

While the new inclusions were appreciated, the heavy emphasis on Sonic Frontiers' music felt somewhat unbalanced. The absence of many Crush 40 classics was a shame. This could’ve been because Jun Senoue was unable to attend due to commitments at the Tokyo Game Show but I would’ve been happy with the musicians in attendance covering those tracks in his absence.

The removal of the Sonic CD medley is understandable from an orchestral arrangement perspective. However, the Game Gear medley's omission was a real shame.

Overall, I understand that a returning global tour needs to be freshened up here and there, but future iterations could benefit from a more balanced selection that caters to a wider range of fan favorites. If an audience member hadn’t played, or wasn’t a fan of, Sonic Frontiers then almost 50% of the setlist wasn’t for them.

See the full set list here.

Venue and Atmosphere: A Rock Concert Vibe

The move from the Barbican to the Hammersmith Apollo significantly altered the concert's atmosphere. The classical ambiance of the former was replaced with the high-energy, rock concert-like environment of the latter.

While the crowd's enthusiasm was undeniably infectious, it often overshadowed the orchestral performance, particularly during Act 2. The orchestra, relegated to a supporting role, struggled to be heard over the 3,500-strong sing-along.

Even the band's instruments were often drowned out. This created a somewhat conflicting experience for those who attended primarily to appreciate the musicianship, highlighting a potential disconnect between venue choice and the desired concert experience.

Sonic R Medley: A Show-Stopping Surprise

The undisputed highlight of the evening was a surprise Sonic R medley featuring live performances from TJ Davis and Richard Jacques. Kicking off with the iconic "Can You Feel The Sunshine," the medley transitioned seamlessly into "Living In The City."

The crowd erupted, singing every word in unison with TJ Davis, whose vocals were nothing short of phenomenal. The medley culminated with the high-octane "Super Sonic Racing," bringing the energy to a fever pitch.

The joy radiating from all the performers, especially Richard Jacques and TJ Davis, was infectious, making it a truly unforgettable moment. Their chemistry and passion were palpable, leaving the audience hoping for more such collaborations in future Sonic Symphony performances.

Conclusion: A strong 8/10 with areas of improvement

Sonic Symphony London 2024 was, overall, a thrilling musical journey through the Sonic discography. The concert's high points, including the stellar performances and the unforgettable Sonic R medley, were undeniable.

To reach a perfect 10, future iterations of the concert could benefit from a more balanced setlist and a venue that allows the orchestral arrangements to truly shine. However, even with these considerations, the Sonic Symphony remains an unmissable experience for any fan of the Blue Blur.

Thank you Sonic Symphony. See you again next year hopefully!

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The Metal Knuckles that I drew for the Sonic R collab from yesterday. Check it out if you missed it!

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HELLO, I AM ABSOLUTELY KILLING IT WITH SPOOKTOBER THIS YEAR *screams into pillow*

So being the masochist i am i had to go all out for the 2nd prompt, i decided NOW was a great time to try cross shading FOR THE FIRST TIME. But i mean i did a lot better than i thought i would..

I didn’t really want to post it in this state but if i didn’t do it now i never would.

I also got jump-scared by my art for the first time, i did a lil scream when i pulled back for a moment only to see the WIP monstrosity staring at me (which is why i have the grey picture, apparently i was too in shock to realise i still had selection tool on). No matter what tails doll of all things can still scare me, i’m not scared of the creepypasta, even when i first read it, but it’s just how cursed of an aura he has.

The whole Sonic R game itself is creepy and off-putting *to me*, i’m not sure if it’s that i only knew it due to the creepypasta or if it’s just how it is. But there is something about the game that feels lifeless and cursed, as if it was abandoned. Don’t get me started on ‘can you feel the sunshine?’ song, it’s a nice song but there’s something so strange about it just repeating the title again and again.

But i also love being unnerved so tails doll will always have a place in my heart.

By the way please don’t expect any more sonic art from me as i’m not that big a fan of it these days.

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#365DaysOfVGM Day 156:

T.J. Davis - Living in the City (Sonic R [1997])

To fully appreciate this song, you need to listen to the game’s vocal songs in order; together, they tell a story of love and the stress of life in various places before coming to a conclusion. For this song in particular, it’s so unspeakably catchy, and treats the city life as a constant fight for one’s hopes and dreams. That must be hecka cliché these days, but I think T.J. Davis delivered the lyrics strongly enough to make it sound genuine enough in the big pool of same-y love songs.

Then comes Richard Jacques for the instrumental part of the song, showing his expertise with House and Pop, both genres that the most praised Classic-Style Sonic tracks happen to fall into! The Bass and Piano are there to provide more than enough energy for both a race and supplement the meaning of those heartfelt lyrics!

Above average Sonic racing spinoffs aren’t a new concept, so Sega are more than capable of making another impressive racing outing, they just gotta look back at the energy of this, plus both Sonic Riders games! If it’s a remake of this game, it’ll need a lot more content, since that’s precisely what held it back the most since launch (That, and the existence of Super Sonic whom the CPU always tries to pick; the game doesn’t even seem bad otherwise). Shake hands with AEGIS-CWA while you’re at it, won’t ya?

And so, there’s just 1 Sonic track remaining out of the 6 I’ve put in this list! Which one will it be? You’ll just have to wait and see!

(Length: 4.5+ minutes)

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Character artwork for my Sonic R sequel concept / pitch.

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Sonic R was one of my favorite games as a kid and I always hoped it would get a sequel one day. It never happened, so I decided to create a concept/pitch for what I would have wanted to see in a Sonic R 2.

I'm calling it Sonic Rerun.

I'm imagining it as an early Dreamcast release, unaffected by any classic/modern split. It uses the established characters and takes advantage of the Dreamcast's online functionality.

Most of the classic crew is playable. Similar to the original Sonic R, you start with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. The rest of the cast unlock as you play, grab collectibles, and win races. Characters like Tikal, Chaos, Big, Shadow, and Rouge would be available in future DLC updates. I don't see Charmy as a playable character, but he could be present in some sort of announcer/Lakitu capacity. Everyone has their own set of abilities. Ranking up a character allows you to unlock extra stuff.

Characters have a few alternate color choices. Skins are unlockable by progressing with each character. The original 4 would have a secret Super form skin that unlocks once you collect all 7 Chaos Emeralds with them. Super forms would be cosmetic only, no stat changes.

Each race includes a mirror lap, so characters race forward, then back, then forward again. Characters also have abilities, so this race format provides you with plenty of opportunities to interact with the other racers.

Tracks would have more variety in terms of their obstacles and platforming. The features from Sonic R would be back, too, like collectible coins, Chaos Emeralds, and gates and boosters that cost rings. 

This was a fun project to work on over the past couple of months. Thank you for checking it out and please let me know what you think! 

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TD