Соны X-трем: Күшін жойған жоба

Canceled video game by Sega
the prototype hoverboarding game

Sonic X treme was a platform game developed by Sega Technical Institute from 1994 until its cancellation in 1996. It was planned as the first fully 3D Sonic the Hedgehog game, taking Sonic into the 3D era of video games, and the first original Sonic game for the Sega Saturn. The storyline followed Sonic on his journey to stop Dr. Robotnik from stealing six magic rings from Tiara Boobowski and her father. X treme featured open levels rotating around a fixed center of gravity and, like previous Sonic games, featured collectible rings and fast paced gameplay. X treme was conceived as a side scrolling platform game for the Sega Genesis to succeed Sonic & Knuckles (1994). Development shifted to the 32X and then the Saturn and Windows, and the game was redesigned as a 3D platform game for the 1996 holiday season. The plan was disrupted by company politics, an unfavorable visit by Japanese Sega executives, and obstacles with the game engines planned for use, including one from Sonic Team for Nights into Dreams (1996). Amid increasing pressure and declining morale, designer Chris Senn and programmer Chris Coffin became ill, prompting producer Mike Wallis to cancel the game. A film tie in with Metro Goldwyn Mayer was also canceled. In place of X treme, Sega released a port of the Genesis game Sonic 3D Blast, but did not release an original 3D Sonic platform game until Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast in 1998. The cancellation is considered an important factor in the Saturn's commercial failure, as it left the system with no original Sonic platform game. Elements similar to those in X treme appeared in later games, such as Sonic Lost World (2013).

Sonic X treme was a platform game in which players controlled Sonic the Hedgehog from a third person perspective. X treme featured a fisheye camera system, the "Reflex Lens", that gave players a wide angle view, making levels appear to move around Sonic. The developers wanted to take Sonic into the 3D era while building on its successes. Like previous Sonic games, X treme emphasized speed and physics, and featured special stages and collectable rings. Surfing and bungee jumping were included as activities considered cool at the time. At least four stages were developed before cancellation: Jade Gully, Red Sands, Galaxy Fortress, and her father, Professor Gazebo Boobowski, calling on Sonic to help defend the six magical Rings of Order from Dr. Robotnik. After its release, developer Yuji Naka and other Japanese staff relocated to California to join Sega Technical Institute (STI), a development division led by Mark Cerny. Cerny aimed to establish an elite development studio combining the design philosophies of American and Japanese developers. After Sonic & Knuckles was completed, Naka returned to Japan to work on Nights into Dreams (1996) with Sonic Team. By contrast, author Steven L. Kent opined that Nakayama bullied American executives and believed the Japanese executives made the best decisions. According to Hector, after the release of the Sony PlayStation in 1994, the atmosphere at Sega became political, with "lots of finger pointing".

After Naka's return to Japan with his team in late 1994, STI was left with mostly American staff. and Sonic Mars The initial 32X design was an isometric side scroller, but became a full 3D game with a view set on a floating plane. costing the team several weeks. According to Senn, his team was completely different from the STI teams led by Naka; this, combined with their inexperience, "set up seeds of doubt and a political landmine waiting to go off if we didn't produce amazing results quickly." Wallis expressed frustration with the team structure, and felt that internal politics hampered development. 3D graphics were new, and developers were still learning how they would affect controls and gameplay. The loss of the Nights engine cost the Sonic X treme team weeks of development.

In place of Sonic X treme, Sega released a port of the Genesis game Sonic 3D Blast, and Sonic Jam, a compilation of Genesis Sonic games with an additional 3D level. While Sega controlled up to 55% of the console market in 1994, by August 1997, Sony controlled 47%, Nintendo 40%, and Sega only 12%. Journalists and fans have speculated about the impact X treme might have had. David Houghton of GamesRadar+ described the prospect of "a good 3D Sonic game" on the Saturn as a "What if " scenario akin to dinosaurs surviving extinction. In a 2007 retrospective, producer Wallis said that X treme would have been able to compete with Nintendo's Super Mario 64. Naka was dissatisfied with the game, and in 2012 recalled feeling relief when he learned of its cancellation. although Sonic Team head Iizuka said the resemblance was coincidental. Senn went to work on the Wii U Sonic game Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, which was released in 2014 to negative reviews. An animated GIF image of gameplay was released, and after a fundraising project by the "Assemblergames" website community purchased the disc from the collector, the disk image was leaked on July 17, 2007. Senn created a website with development history including early footage, a playable character named Tiara, and concept music. Senn considered finishing X treme himself and used some of its concepts in a Sonic fangame, Reviewing the build, Hardcore Gamer writers described it as rough but inventive, lacking speed but retaining the spirit of Sonic design. They felt it could have been a solid direction for the franchise and a boost for the Saturn had it been completed. A Sonic Retro user began developing a homebrew Saturn game based on X treme, Sonic Z treme, in March 2017, and released a build in September 2018. Eurogamer described Z treme as combining X treme style ideas and levels with new concepts from the developer, and said it was an impressive effort.