Sonic the Hedgehog's Freedom Planet

Synopsis
Sonic the Hedgehog's Freedom Planet is an upcoming game co-developed by SEGA and GalaxyTrail for the Nintendo Wii U. This game is the story of Team Sonic and Team Lilac as they travel across the Earth to prevent Eggman from merging the essence of the Kingdom Stone with the Master Emerald, saving both of their respective universes.

Plot
Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy confront Eggman after he obtains the seven Chaos Emeralds. Amy is the only one to grab onto his machine just before he has it use Chaos Control to open a wormhole. Shadow and Rouge, having infiltrated Eggman's base on a G.U.N. assignment, are sucked in as well.

After everyone scatters across a new planet known as Avalice, six of the Chaos Emeralds scatter with the Cyan Emerald being intercepted by Amy. Orbot and Cubot capture her with a container and take her along as Eggman searches for the fabled "ultimate power." Shadow awakens and travels the land, collecting three Chaos Emeralds. Meanwhile a panda named Spade finds a mysterious purple gem, then sees two more gems like it and collects them as well. Team Sonic quickly recovers to find Eggman's mech on the move and decide to follow it as it begins to bore into the planet.

Meanwhile, at the Capital of Shang Tu, Lilac, Carol and Milla are witnessing a peace conference between Shang Tu's Royal Magister and Mayor Zao of Shang Mu. Suddenly the palace begins to shake and the Magister wants to know what's going on. Lilac and the girls volunteer to go with Generals Gong and Neera to investigate.

At the dig site, they jump in and find a giant mech. Inside is a weird man who identifies himself as Dr. Eggman, and he has Team Lilac's old enemy Serpentine stall them. Serpentine, brandishing new robotic arms, distracts Lilac and the others long enough for Eggman to escape, but is ambushed by Spade. Serpentine retreats, and Spade berates Lilac and Carol before giving chase. Lilac and the others follow the tunnel to find Eggman's mech at the site where the Kingdom Stone originally lay before it changed into an ethereal form. Eggman's mech holds up a container, which draws in said energy. Just before Lilac can make a move, Sonic rushes in from the other side and strikes the mech so hard it falls on its side. Tails and Knuckles catch up and Shadow enters, scolding Sonic for always rushing without thinking. Eggman, unfazed by the attack, gathers up the last of the energy and opens up the wormhole again, forcing everyone through, even Rouge and Mayor Zao.

Back on the planet Earth, Team Sonic wakes up to see the mech retreating. Knuckles wonders what they're going to do, and Sonic says they're going to rescue Amy and stop Eggman's plan again. Tails is concerned about the energy Eggman stole, but Sonic says to worry about it later, much to Tails' chagrin. The trio run off to confront Eggman, with Shadow deciding to step in again.

In another part of the area, Team Lilac wakes up to find themselves in a strange new world. Lilac wonders how they got there and who helped them before, but Carol and Milla are so enchanted by a new world they find that to be the last thing on their mind. The trio then realizes that the Kingdom Stone's energy can't stay here for long, or Avalice will die. Lilac, Carol and Milla run off to find Eggman and retrieve the Kingdom Stone, with Spade musing of how foolish those three are to think it'll be that easy.

Gameplay
This game is a 2.5D side-scrolling platformer in which players play as one of six characters, utilizing their unique abilities to race through three Acts of every Zone before hitting the Goal Post (Acts 1 & 2) or defeating the boss waiting at the end (Act 3). You can play Adventure Mode (with cutscenes), Classic Mode (no cutscenes), 2-Player (VS or Co-op), or Time Attack. In the top-left corner of the screen is a Skill Bar, which automatically fills up, but depletes as Special Skills are used. There are two game styles that determine the player's health, each derived from the Sonic the Hedgehog and Freedom Planet franchises:

-Hit Style: Team Sonic/Team Lilac members collect Gold Rings/Crystal Shards, whether through Item Containers or as they float in the Zone. When the Meter reaches 100 and subsequently 200, the player earns a 1-Up. Getting hit makes the player lose all Rings/Shards, and up to 20 scatter everywhere while the player has a very limited invincibility. Getting hit without any Rings/Shards results in the loss of a life. All Rings/Shards carried at the end of an Act are stored in a Total.

-Health Style: Team Lilac/Team Sonic members collect Crystal Shards/Gold Rings as collectibles. The number listed in the top starts at 200, and once the counter reaches zero, it resets and grants the player a 1-Up. Also, Team Lilac/Team Sonic members collect Health Petals/Platinum Rings to increase the Health Bar located directly beneath the Skill Bar (one Petal/Ring counts for half a full unit). Collecting these with a full Health Bar counts as an extra Shard/Ring. Getting hit takes a chunk off the Health Bar, and getting hit with an empty Health Bar results in the loss of a life. Like the Hit Style, all Shards/Ring carried at the end of an Act are stored in a Total.

Controls
D-Pad or Control Stick: Move left or right, look up or down

A/LZ: Jump

A/LZ+A/LZ: Homing Attack (Sonic), Flight (Tails), Glide (Knuckles), Dragon Cyclone (Lilac), Pounce/Spin Jump (Carol/Motorcycle), Flutter Jump (Milla)

B/X: Somersault Kick (Sonic), Tail Whip (Tails), Giant Punch (Knuckles), Hair Whip (Lilac), Wild Claw (Carol), Phantom Block (Milla)

Down+B/X: Spin Dash (Sonic, Tails, Knuckles), Low/Drop Kick (Lilac/Midair), Pounce (Carol), Dig/Pick Up (Milla)

Y/RZ: Sonic Boost (Sonic), Tail Copter Dash (Tails), Drill Punch (Knuckles), Dragon Boost (Lilac), Wild Kick/Boost (Carol/Motorcycle), Shield/Shield Burst (Milla)

Start: Pause/Resume

Items
Gold Rings: Collectible items for Team Sonic. These rings protect the player from dying when taking a hit.

Crystal Shards: Collectible items for Team Lilac. In Hit Style, these shards protect the player from dying when taking a hit.

Crystal Cluster: A breakable bud containing seven Crystal Shards.

Platinum Rings: Only available for Team Sonic in Health Style. These rings grant the player half a unit of life.

Health Petals: Not available for Team Lilac in Hit Style. These petals grant the player half a unit of life.

Health Flower: A breakable bud containing six Health Petals.

Item Boxes: Boxes that contain various power-ups for Team Sonic. Power-ups include:

-Ring: grants ten rings.

-Platinum Ring: grants a full bar of health.

-1-Up: grants one extra life.

-Speed Shoes: grants a limited increase of speed.

-Invincibility: grants a limited invincibility.

-Shield: grants a shield. Disappears after one hit.

-Flame Shield: grants a shield with immunity to fire. Also allows Sonic a mid-air fire dash. Disappears after one hit or entering water.

-Bubble Shield: grants a shield that allows infinite air underwater. Also allows Sonic a bounce attack. Disappears after one hit.

-Lightning Shield: grants a shield with the ability to attracts rings. Also allows Sonic a double jump. Disappears after one hit or entering water.

Shield Crystals: Crystals that grant various abilities to Team Lilac. Power-ups include:

-Earth Crystal: grants a shield that attracts Crystal Shards. Immune to crystal attacks. Disappears after about three hits.

-Fire Crystal: grants a damaging fire shield. Immune to fire attacks. Disappears after about three hits.

-Metal Crystal: grants a shield that is immune to spikes and electric attacks. Disappears after about three hits.

-Water Crystal: grants a shield supplying infinite air. Immune to bubble attacks. Disappears after about three hits.

-Wood Crystal: grants a shield that attracts Health Petals and grant one Health Petal for every 20 Crystal Shards collected. Immune to poison attacks. Disappears after about three hits.

-Invincibility Crystal: grants immunity to direct attacks. Disappears after a set time.

Fuel Can: allows Carol to obtain her motorcycle.

1-Up: A breakable cage containing a 1-Up creature for Team Lilac.

Red Star Ring: Team Sonic collectible. Unlocks sounds, artwork, etc.

Star Card: Team Lilac collectible. Unlocks sounds, artwork, etc.

Shadow Emblem: Team Sonic collectible. Collecting five in a stage allows access to the Special Stage at the Goal Post. Taking a hit makes the player lose one.

Spade Emblem: Team Lilac collectible. Collecting five in a stage allows access to the Special Stage at the Goal Post. Taking a hit makes the player lose one.

Team Sonic
Sonic the Hedgehog: a blue hedgehog and the fastest thing alive. Sonic has saved Earth time and time again from the ambitions of Dr. Eggman, and he's always ready for action. Sonic is cocky and impatient, and often acts without thinking, but he is always ready to fight for justice. He can use the seven Chaos Emeralds to become Super Sonic. Sonic obtains the blue Chaos Emerald, and is the rival Lilac faces in Astro Altitude Zone.

Miles "Tails" Prower: a two-tailed fox and Sonic's best friend. Tails is an incredibly intelligent fox, housing an IQ of 300, rivaling that of Eggman. Tails can fly using his twin tails like a helicopter and is a gifted mechanic. He gets annoyed with Sonic's hastiness, but he still values their friendship and does everything he can to help. Tails obtains the yellow Chaos Emerald, and is the rival Milla faces in Astro Altitude Zone.

Knuckles the Echidna: a red echidna who acts as the muscle on Team Sonic. Knuckles is dim-witted, temperamental, and suffers an incredibly big inferiority complex that he compensates for with his ego. Luckily, his fists are powerful enough to easily punch through stone and steel. He can glide through the air and climb walls with his fists. Knuckles obtains the red Chaos Emerald, and is the rival Carol faces in Astro Altitude Zone.

Team Lilac
Sash Lilac: a violet dragon girl with a spunky, fun-loving personality. Lilac is the leader of her team, having worked with them not too long ago to protect Avalice from the oppression of Lord Brevon. Lilac is quick on her feet, and her hair can be used as a powerful weapon. Lilac is quick to play the hero but values her friends above all else. Lilac obtains the purple Chaos Emerald, and is the rival Sonic faces in Astro Altitude Zone.

Carol Tea: a green wildcat with a wild temper but a good heart. Carol and Lilac have been best friends for a long time, and though they tend to get at odds, they're inseparable. Trained by the Red Scarves, Carol is a self-proclaimed master thief, and her trademark is her motorcycle, which she can use to climb walls and attack enemies. Carol obtains the green Chaos Emerald, and is the rival Knuckles faces in Astro Altitude Zone.

Milla Basset: a timid but optimistic basset hound. Milla joined Team Lilac during the incident with Lord Brevon and his invasion of Avalice. Milla is a sweet, sunny girl who can fly with her long ears, sniff out the scents of those she knows, and summon phantom blocks to throw at enemies and psychic shields, through which she shoots lasers. Milla obtains the white Chaos Emerald, and is the rival Tails faces in Astro Altitude Zone.

Non-playable
Amy Rose: a pink hedgehog and the self-proclaimed girlfriend of Sonic. Amy is often forced to play the damsel in distress, but she can hold her own with her mighty Piko Piko Hammer (nobody knows where she keeps it). She is obsessed with Sonic, determined to follow him into danger to make him hers. Just before being captured this time, she snagged the cyan Chaos Emerald.

Dr. Eggman: an evil genius scientist with an IQ of 300. Dr. Eggman has been trying to conquer the Earth with whatever power he can steal and/or harness (usually the Chaos Emeralds), but always gets his egg handed to him by Sonic the Hedgehog. Eggman aims to steal the latent energy of the Kingdom Stone and merge it with the Master Emerald, and harness their power to conquer everything. Dr. Eggman may be intelligent, but he's not very smart. Eggman mans the Egg Mammoth and Egg Hades.

Orbot: a round, red robot with a very sarcastic personality. He is loyal to Dr. Eggman, but very quick to point out all the things wrong with his evil plans. Eggman found merit in Orbot's design for Conebot and built it, and Orbot and Cubot man it in Mountain Madness Zone.

Cubot: a square, yellow robot with a faulty IQ chip. He is unquestionably loyal to Dr. Eggman, and his already sketchy voice chip tends to malfunction. Eggman, out of pity, built the EXbot Cubot designed, and Cubot and Orbot man it in Techno Train Zone.

Rouge the Bat: a bat girl who has an obsession with jewels. Rouge is usually out to steal the Chaos Emeralds for herself, but has often settled for less. Rouge is a G.U.N. spy, often tasked with infiltration missions to bring down Dr. Eggman. She and Mayor Zao, sharing a common interest in riches, decide to open an item shop to help Teams Sonic and Lilac.

Shadow the Hedgehog: the ultimate life form created by Professor Gerald Robotnik over 50 years ago. Shadow is a brooding, proud black hedgehog and is both a rival and ally to Sonic. Shadow is a G.U.N. agent, often tasked with guerilla missions against Eggman. Shadow obtains three of the Chaos Emeralds and challenges Team Sonic to various challenges in the Special Zone, and will give a Chaos Emerald to the player after six challenges and a one-on-one battle.

Serpentine: a snake who allied himself with Lord Brevon, the one who gave him robotic arms. Serpentine was recovering after the incident, having lost the arms, but was found by Eggman. Eggman promised Serpentine new arms if he followed him, to which Serpentine quickly obliged. Serpentine is still a bit mentally unstable after Brevon's sword transformed him, but he is still able to man mechas. Enraged at Lilac and her friends, and following Eggman's orders to eliminate Team Sonic, Serpentine fights with his laser/flamethrower, and mans the Egg Aero Serpent in Heat Hideout Zone.

Prince Dail: the prince of Shuigang, Dail was forced onto the throne and brainwashed by his father's killer, Lord Brevon. Having been shaken by this ordeal, Dail is easily influenced and brainwashed by Eggman and Serpentine into obeying them. Dail throws energy cards, and he styles most of his attacks after Yin & Yang, even manning two Yin-Yang monsters to fight Teams Sonic and Lilac.

General Gong: one of the chief guards of the Royal Magister of Shang Tu, General Gong is a proud, yet simple, panda warrior. General Gong has been outwitted by Team Lilac in the past, but has become one of their friends. This is why, in Sub-Zero Station Zone, he mistakes Team Sonic's intentions for hunting Team Lilac down so he decides to fight them. Gong uses his shield for charging and bouncing attacks, and his punches can make the earth shake, forcing Sonic and his friends to trip.

Neera Li: another chief guard to the Royal Magister of Shang Tu, the panda Neera Li was a former priestess to Shuigang until the death of the king. Neera can be extremely distrusting of Lilac and Carol, given their criminal background, but allied with them during the Brevon incident. In Sub-Zero Station Zone, Neera encounters Team Lilac and assumes they have something to do with their current situation, so she fights them. Neera can utilize various shields and attacks with her ice-conjuring spear.

Mayor Zao: the greedy, dim-witted ruler of the industrious Shang Mu. Mayor Zao is a red panda who conspired to use the Kingdom Stone's power to resolve Shang Mu's energy crisis, thus securing his re-election, and allied himself with Team Lilac and Shang Tu in the end to help defeat Lord Brevon's forces. Zao gets warped from Avalice to Earth by accident, and finds a kindred spirit in Rouge the Bat, and so the two open an item shop to aid Team Lilac and Team Sonic.

Spade: leader of the Red Scarves and brother to Prince Dail of Shuigang. Spade is cocky, but serious about getting his jobs done. He initially trained Lilac and Carol, but after Spade crossed some lines, the two quit and were eternally at odds with Spade. Spade obtains three of the Chaos Emeralds and challenges Team Lilac to various challenges in the Special Zone, and will give a Chaos Emerald to the player after six challenges and a one-on-one battle.

Zones
1) Garden Glade Zone

Boss: Egg Mammoth

2) Mountain Madness Zone

Boss: Conebot

3) Doom Desert Zone

Boss: Prince Dail/Yin-Yang Skeleton

4) Heat Hideout Zone

Boss: Serpentine, Egg Aero Serpent

5) Sub-Zero Station Zone

Boss: General Gong/Neera Li, Prince Dail/Yin-Yang Mage

6) Techno Train Zone

Boss: EXbot

7) Astro Altitude Zone

Boss: Sonic VS Lilac, Tails VS Milla, Knuckles VS Carol

F) Underworld Utopia Zone

Boss: Egg Hades

E) Viper Vortex Zone

Boss: Cosmic Serpentine

Special Stages
There are several emblems located throughout the Acts, either Shadow Emblems or Spade Emblems. Collecting five of them in each Act and crossing the Goal Post allows the player to access the Special Stage, where Shadow/Spade await Team Sonic/Team Lilac. Each Special Stage contains a challenge based on the character's type: Sonic and Lilac are Speed-Types whose challenges involve speed and time, Tails and Milla are Fly-Types whose challenges involve flight and puzzles, and Knuckles and Carol are Power-Types whose challenges involve obstacle courses and fighting off enemies. Each character has their own campaign, and after a single character clears six challenges, then on the seventh, Shadow or Spade challenges them one-on-one, fighting much like Serpentine. If the player wipes out the rival's health bar, they will admit defeat and grant the player one Chaos Emerald. If all six characters collect their respective Chaos Emerald, the Extra Zone, Viper Vortex Zone, will be opened to Sonic and Lilac.