Sonic X-Treme E3 1996 promo video surfaces

28 October, 2012 22 January, 2025

Sonic X-Treme never ceases to surprise us. The charm of a cancelled game always attracts the people, eager to know more about what could have been if it had finally reached shelves.

Well, now we have a little peek on what it could have been. YouTube user ArgyleDX, an ex-Game Journalist in the 90’s, has uploaded to his YouTube channel three videos showing us Sega’s roster for E3 1996. One of them is entirely dedicated to Sonic Xtreme.

It’s not a completely new video, since this very same footage was floating around the net for a long, long time, but with an awful quality. Now we can see it, in direct feed, along with some aggressive Sega’s advertising from those years. In the same video, we can also see some early footage of Sonic 3D Blast, for Genesis/Mega Drive, in which we can appreciate differences with the final and other known betas of the game, such a different looping and different portal-hatch in where sonic is launched in the game.

Along these, two other videos were released. One is a E3 video sizzle for future Saturn games, the other is the same but with Genesis/Mega Drive and Nomad ones. In that one, we can see X-Woman, a cancelled game.

You can see them down below.

22 Comments

Hi, Andrea!

It always seemed like Sonic X-Treme was going to originally be the Sonic 06 of the Classic Era but somehow, Sonic Team and SEGA noticed that the game was gonna fuck them up and they canceled it just in time.

Makes you wonder why these quick canceling reflexes couldn’t last for another 10 years .___.

Sonic Xtreme had potential.
The idea is good, but the execution looks bad. For me sega tried inovate but only found the consistence in Sonic Adventure.
Well, is good see sega change your ideas and inovate with base of essence (generations and sonic cd 2011 port) and without the same technical error since sonic adventure 2 (unleashed and colors).
I prefer the good changes since unleashed (in technical parts) and generations (in essencial part)

Gah, ear rape! Make it stop!

WOW “How did the Saturn cope with all those enemies?” 😛

Don’t worry that was a quote from Mean Machines Sega back in the day. Nearly got a migrane from that video.

@Lucas

Sonic 06 had potential.
The idea is good, but the execution was terrible. For me SEGA tried to rekindle the Sonic Adventure flame of passion, and ended up creating a bad in-game item instead.

I want Sonic X-Treme…maybe not that actual game but a new one with that title. I used to be SUPER PUMPED for this game and then…cancelled…

@Lucas
I hope you’re not saying Colors is a bad game…???

@ Jmack

Of course Colors isn’t a bad game. It’s simply a boring game.

I want a Sega Saturn now. Those games look amazing, and furthermore they look like arcade games rather than photorealistic scenes or a Pixar movie.

@Mike
Negative sir.

@Mike: I beg to differ.

I wonder how Sonic x-treme would look as a finished product….

I always thought what would happen to Sega and the franchise if they’d built Sonic X-Treme off of “Sonic World” from Sonic Jam on the Saturn.

@Mike
I highly disagree about Colors being a “boring” game.

i dont see how anyone can like colors the 3d sections were bland and empty and the 2d sections were jump from tiny platform to tiny platform and most of the scenes were SONIC TALKING TO A ROBOT!! but the color gimmick was cool and i like how it was optional to use them.

@Peter:

“i dont see how anyone can like colors”
Maybe people like it because it’s a good game?

“the 3d sections were bland and empty”
Okay, I’ll give you that.

“the 2d sections were jump from tiny platform to tiny platform”
That single argument alone is probably as exaggerated as the “Boost to Win” argument in games past Unleashed.

“most of the scenes were SONIC TALKING TO A ROBOT”
You mean when he encounters the bosses? Yeah, so? Would you rather have him involved in an awkward romance with a 17-year-old princess?

^ i find it funny how everytime someone says a sonic game is bad they instantly compare it to 06
i’m not saying the scenes were bad but every single boss fight didnt need to have him say some lame jokes to insult a robot but besides those scenes the cutscenes werent bad.
what i meant from jump from tiny platform to tiny platform is planet wisp but still other 2d sections like starlight carnival include using a wisp to go up or something i’m not gonna lie i do see this as an exaggeration but i just dont like colors as much as unleashed a generations :\

@Peter: “i find it funny how everytime someone says a sonic game is bad they instantly compare it to 06”
Of course. You know why? Because 2006 is the worst 3D game in the series.

Anyway, back to Sonic X-treme… I don’t think the game would’ve turned out that great even if it was released back in ’96. It would’ve sold the Saturn and extended the lifespan of the Dreamcast by just a bit longer, but that’s about it.