Sonic X-treme

Sonic X-treme
Conceptual box art of Sonic X-treme
Developer(s)	Sega Technical Institute
Publisher(s)	Sega
Producer(s)	Mike Wallis
Designer(s)	Hirokazu Yasuhara
Programmer(s)	Chris Senn Chris Coffin Ofer Alon
Artist(s)	Ross Harris Fei Chang Richard Wheeler Stieg Hedlund Alan Ackerman
Composer(s)	Howard Drossin
Series	Sonic the Hedgehog
Platform(s)	Sega Saturn, Microsoft Windows
Release	Cancelled
Genre(s)	Platformer
Mode(s)	Single-player

Sonic X-treme is a cancelled platform video game in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Developed by Sega Technical Institute (STI), X-treme was designed to capitalize on the success of Sega's mascot character by being the first fully 3D Sonic game and the first original Sonic title developed for the Sega Saturn. During the course of development, several different styles of gameplay were tried and the plot of the game changed several times.

Originally pitched as a two-dimensional platform game for the Sega Genesis, the game was eventually moved to development on the Saturn and for Microsoft Windows, intended for release during the holiday season of 1996. However, X-treme became stuck in development hell after several incidents, including an unfavorable visit by Sega of Japan executives and issues with acquiring a game engine, made the deadline difficult to achieve. After two of the lead programmers for the project became ill, the game was eventually cancelled. The game's cancellation is considered an important factor in the Saturn's commercial failure, and reviewers and video game journalists have retrospectively considered the possibility of what Sonic X-treme could have done for the Saturn had it been released.

With the game constantly changing platforms, engines, and development teams, there were many loose storylines in consideration. According to developer Christian Senn, about six or seven story lines were considered during the three-year development timeframe. While originally based on the Saturday morning cartoon series, the main storyline used in promotion of the final game in magazines involved a Professor Gazebo Boobowski and his daughter, Tiara. The two were the guardians of the six magical Rings of Order, as well as the ancient art of ring-smithing. Gazebo and Tiara feared that Dr. Robotnik was after the six Rings of Order, and called on Sonic to get the Rings before Robotnik could. Dr. Robotnik kidnapped Gazebo after he requested Sonic's help, making it so Sonic had to retrieve both him and the Rings of Order. At one point in the development process, there was a possibility for 4 playable characters: Knuckles the Echidna, Tiara Boobowski, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Sonic the Hedgehog. Other characters intended to be included in the game were Nack the Weasel and Metal Sonic, who would have been a boss character in the final level. Various moves were added to the characters, such as a ring toss move for Sonic, which was left out of development.