Sonic Boom is a spin-off franchise within the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise that takes place in a somewhat different universe from the main Sonic continuity. It was anchored by the CG animated series of the same name that originally aired from 2014 to 2017.
Animation
- Sonic Boom (2014-2017)
Comic Books
- Sonic Boom (2014-2015)
Video Games
- Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric (Wii U, 2014)
- Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal (Nintendo 3DS, 2014)
- Sonic Boom: Link 'N Smash! (Web, 2015)
- Sonic Dash 2: Sonic Boom (Mobile, 2015)
- Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice (Nintendo 3DS, 2016)
Sonic Boom provides examples of:
- Adaptational Weapon Swap: This reimagining of the characters are given a new item called the enerbeam, which allows them to latch onto other objects for combat, puzzle solving, or exploration purposes. It also shows up in the cartoon of the series a few times, mostly to allow combination attacks between two characters.
- Alternate Continuity: Sega has confirmed that the show and the game are sub-franchise, which is different from the main games.
- Canon Foreigner: Sticks the Jungle Badger is introduced, along with a whole slew of characters who live in a village that Sonic and his friends are out to protect from Lyric and his robot army.
- Continuity Snarl: The games were meant to be prequels leading up to the cartoon, but there wasn't much done with this concept at all. More particularly, the 3DS game and its bundled comic pretty much act independently from the Wii U game in terms of Lyric, creating a weird error of continuity difference between the titles.
- Dolled-Up Installment: Many of the game's ideas and mechanics were based off of a rejected pitch for a Crash Bandicoot game called Crash: Evolution.
- Gameplay Roulette:
- Rise of Lyric has multiple gameplay styles in the Wii U version. One is an automated speed-based style somewhat reminiscent of Sonic Unleashed and its ilk. Another is a more traditional platforming style with Beat 'em Up elements, reminiscent of Sonic Heroes. Emphasis is placed on cooperative gameplay, even in single player mode- the CPU will control the other character.
- Shattered Crystal has a hybrid Metroidvania slash Sonic level scheme as a primary, alongside 3D tunnel sequences and Rivals-style races.
- Precursors: Millennia before the events of the games and TV series, there existed a civilization known as the Ancients who, despite creating advanced technology, still lived in harmony with nature and wanted to peacefully control the planet's resources. Too bad one of their own, Lyric, ended up going mad with power, turning on his fellow Ancients and killing most of them. Eventually, except for an imprisoned Lyric, the remaining Ancients died out, leaving their technology and the remains of their civilization behind for others to discover and use.
- Prequel: The games, for the show. Unfortunately, this isn't executed well. Originally, the series' order was intended to be Rise of Lyric, then Shattered Crystal, and finally the show, but all entries of Sonic Boom (including the show) appear to have their own continuities (see Continuity Snarl above) thanks to having hardly any (if at all) content that links them together outside of the characters and the world.
