Author Archives: Barry

Japanese Sonic 4 Episode 2 Site Opens! More Screens, Slick Interface.

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Why is it that the official Japanese sites for Sonic games are always way better than the English language ones? Why not translate what little text there is into English and make it so one site can cover all territories? While I ponder such things, I invite you to explore the recently opened Sonic 4 Episode 2 site from SEGA of Japan. There you’ll find new screens, a character bio section, an explanation of the combo moves (in Japanese, of course) and confirmation of Sylvania Castle and White Park being the first two zone names. If you dig a little, you’ll even find tiny screens of the first boss, Egg Serpentleaf, in action as well as a in-game menu screen. Of interest to Ice Cap fans, one screen shows off Sonic and Tails doing a bit of snowboarding in White Park. After the break, browse through the many screens!

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Sonic 4 Episode 2 Achievements Revealed!

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Well this is a surprise! The list of achievements for Sonic 4 Episode 2 have already been revealed. What, is this game expected to release next week? It seems every day we’re getting more and more info. Revealed within the list are a few zone names, the return of red rings AND the return of a classic zone. Check out all the achievements after the break! Also, we reveal a zone name NOT mentioned in the achievements list or anywhere else on the net for that matter first site to mention the reveal of a new zone name before the “Continue Reading” button, and some new screens. Of course, expect some spoilers.

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Sonic Monopoly Arriving August 2012

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Thanks to the Sonic Stadium’s resident merch hound Hogfather, it has been discovered that American board game company USAopoly will soon be releasing a line of Sonic the Hedgehog games and puzzles due out in August 2012! Various online toy and game retailers have started posting up pre-orders for games and puzzles, including a Sonic die cut puzzle, a Sonic memory game and… a Sonic Monopoly! The last item mentioned is the most exciting of the three. Many franchises have gotten the Monopoly treatment, including Nintendo, World of Warcraft, Seinfeld, Simpsons and Futurama.

A Sonic Monopoly could be awesome, or it could be a disappointment. USAopoly has a history of some great versions of the classic game, such as the Simpsons version. However, other franchises aren’t so lucky. Nintendo Monopoly, for example, features a plain white board with Nintendo characters acting as property. How uninspired! I only hope that some Sonic fans are working on the project, so we get a Monopoly that the franchise deserves. And hey, if it doesn’t work out, you can always print out and play the Sonic Monopoly that I’m making! The image above came from my work-in-progress board.

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More Sonic 4 Episode 2 Screens Revealed, Teaser Trailer Next Thursday!

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Well, it appears SEGA Blog has finally acknowledged that Sonic 4 Episode 2 screens are out in the wild. But instead of rereleasing the same ol’ screens, they’ve shared a collection of new ones! Some show brand new areas in previously revealed zones, while others take place just moments before or after the XBOX.com screens. Some details include a new hummingbird badnik, the confirmation that special stages will be accessed as they were in episode 1 and that somebody has been building Eggman snow men. Check out the screens, and learn when the trailer will hit, after the break!

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Eggman and Other Video Game Baddies Cameo in a Disney Movie? Yup.

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Disney’s 3D animated movie “Wreck-It Ralph”, slated for a November 2012 release, is very much like a “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” with video game characters. The film tells the story of Wreck-It Ralph, an arcade game bad guy who appears within a fictional 80’s arcade game called “Fix-It Felix Jr.”. Within the arcade game, Felix builds buildings, and Ralph destroys them. Sounds a bit like a cross between Donkey Kong and Rampage. However, just like in Toy Story, the characters have lives outside of their fictional roles and Ralph is having second thoughts about villainy, hoping to become a hero.

The movie has been said to feature cameos from real world video game characters, but up until now none have been revealed. In the latest issue of Disney’s D23 Magazine, a few behind-the-scenes photos are shown and in one image none-other than SEGA’s very own Eggman can be seen sitting with other video game bad guys including Bowser and Street Fighter’s Zangief! No idea what the scene is about, but I’d guess it’s a video game villain support group. Despite the blurry pic, Eggman seems pretty disinterested in the meeting. No word on Mike Pollock voicing the doctor, but it would be a crime if he didn’t. After the break, check out the full scan. Thanks to jennytablina of The Sonic Stadium Boards for the scans!

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Dissecting the Sonic 4 Episode 2 Screens

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Yesterday XBOX.com let slip ten Sonic 4 Episode 2 screens. Before Microsoft could pull the info, Sonic and SEGA fan sites from all over the net had saved, uploaded and shared the images to the point where SEGA might as well just allow the images back up and give us a trailer while they’re at it. [Update: it seems they have, the images are back on XBOX.com] The screens, found here, reveal a number of details that had yet to be mentioned by SEGA. After the break, let’s slice open these meaty screens and see what little details we can find!

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Sonic 4 Episode 2 Screens (NOT Concept Art) For Your Viewing Pleasure!

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Holy crap! Ten screens, boxart AND an expanded game description for Sonic 4 Episode 2 are available for viewing thanks to what can only be a mistimed release on XBOX.com. No SEGA Blog announcement or anything, all this just appeared today! The XBOX site also mentions that the game is offline AND online 1-2 player co-op. Enough from me, check out the official description of the game below and check out screens after the break!

UPDATE: the screens have been removed from XBOX.com. Good thing I saved them!

UPDATE 2: Another piece of info has been added and quickly removed, a mention of a 5/16/2012 release date. This bit of info was noted at The Sonic Stadium Boards and this date matches up with our earlier reported April/May release date of the comic adaptation. The cover art has also now been removed from XBOX.com.

The Sonic 4 Saga continues as Sonic reunites with Tails for all new collaborative play! Following the events of Episode I, Metal Sonic has returned to form a formidable alliance with Dr. Eggman! To face this new threat, Sonic will have to call upon an old friend to help him save the day! Joined by Tails, utilise ingenious combination moves and race across four brand new Zones, in order to put an end to their evil plans! Play alone, or with a friend locally (and online), in an evolution of Sonic 2’s collaborative gameplay! Unleash Sonic and Tails’ devastating joint attacks and combination moves to fight the united force of Metal Sonic and Dr. Eggman. Episode II features an all new game engine, bringing you updated physics and an original graphical style as you race through four unique Zones and a new Special Stage.

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Say “I Love You” SEGA Style With These SEGAbits Valentines!

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Flowers, candy and an expensive meal got nothing on these SEGA themed Valentines! Consider these our gift to you, and your key to a successful Valentine’s Day. Once you give one of these babies to the man or woman of your dreams, they’ll be asking to join you in a game of Samba de Amigo Version 2000’s “Love Love” mode or beg you to play some Heart Attack mode in Outrun Online Arcade. What you do after that is up to you. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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New Sonic Toys Revealed at New York’s Toy Fair – Plush Metal Sonic, Modern PVC Figures and Charmy!

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Another year, another Toy Fair. That means more Sonic toys from Jazwares! Unlike last year, which revealed a LOAD of 20th anniversary figures, this year is rather light despite the many figures and plush dolls crowding the booth. The first thing you’ll notice is that they’ll be removing the 20th anniversary logo and will be replacing it with a standard gold ring and Sonic logo. There are a few repackagings of existing items, such as the classic 3″ figures in a four pack. The new additions to the line, seen for the first time in these photos include:

• Metal Sonic plush doll – seen above
• Modern PVC figure set including Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Amy and Metal – seen above in front of the classic PVC set
• Chaotix figure 3-pack featuring Charmy, Vector and Espio – seen after the break

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Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing 2 To Be Revealed This Year?

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We’ve already heard rumors that Sumo Digital are working on some sort of Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing title, but we were uncertain if it was a sequel or simply a port of the original to the Wii U, 3DS and Vita. At the New York Toy Fair, toys for the original title were on display and a booth attendent confirmed that SEGA is making a sequel with new characters and vehicles. So it seems at the very least, it could be an enhanced port of the original. Sort of like Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition or Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution. Or it could be a full-on sequel with new racers joining the original roster and a selection of new tracks. I’m hoping the latter is true, and that it releases for all HD consoles including the Wii U.

Last January I shared five things I hoped to see in a potential sequel, and my list still stands. I would love to see Sumo put 100% of their concentrations into a kick-ass HD game, without having to think about a downgraded Wii or 3DS port. I’d also love to see a larger track selection and of course more cult favorite characters including a larger Saturn presence.

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The SEGA Five: Star Wars Games on SEGA Consoles

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When I was a kid, most of my free time involved the three S’s: SEGA, Star Wars and The Simpsons. Sometimes, though very rarely, these things would mix. Simpsons games would appear on the Genesis, The Simpsons would parody Star Wars and Sonic 2 would feature the Death Star inspired Death Egg. Despite all this intermingling of my favorite media properties, I never was able to play a Star Wars game on my SEGA Genesis due to Nintendo getting all the games. I recall seeing the Super Star Wars Trilogy in magazines and thinking “why can’t the Genesis get those!?”. As time went on, Star Wars games began to appear on SEGA consoles, and in 1999 I finally owned a console that would receive some of these games. Now, in 2012, I’ve amassed most of the SEGA consoles and all of the Star Wars games. With The Phantom Menace 3D hitting theaters this weekend, I thought it would be fitting to look back at five of my favorite Star Wars games that appeared on SEGA consoles. Do they still hold up? Let’s find out!

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The Weekly Five: Celebrating 18 Years of Sonic 3

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February 2nd, dubbed Hedgehog Day, marked the 18th anniversary of the American release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Damn, does that make me feel old. Sonic 3 marked a very important point in the Sonic franchise. At the time of release, Sonic mania was in full force. The franchise had multiple TV shows airing, comic books, fast food promotions and even had a float in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. In early 1994 it was near impossible to avoid Sonic, and the release of Sonic 3 only made the franchise even more of a hot commodity. It’s no question that SEGA had a lot riding on the success of the game. Of course, 18 years later we’re still talking about it, so clearly SEGA was successful. In this week’s weekly five, we’ll take a walk down memory lane and look back on just why we love Sonic 3 so much.

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Sonic 4 Episode 2 Hedgehog Day Reveal: Egg Serpentleaf

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To celebrate Groundhog Hedgehog Day, SEGA of America has shared a new piece of concept art from Sonic 4 Episode 2. Is it another badnik? No! It’s our first look at a boss, and an original boss at that! Dubbed the Egg Serpentleaf, the boss appears to be Eggman inside a giant flower that is able to close up and act as a laser. Pretty cool if you ask me! I wonder if the giant flower hints at the stage motif? After the break, more images of the new boss.

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British Electronic Group Nero Releases a SEGA Inspired Music Video

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British electronic act Nero used SEGA arcade games as inspiration for the video of their single “You and Me”. The video kicks off in an arcade containing games like Daytona USA 2, SEGA Rally 3, Let’s Go Jungle! and Rambo. A teenager walks around playing the games, until he spots a group of “cool dudes” (who I assume to be Nero) and he follows them out of the arcade to a back room which contains a Nero arcade machine, which plays a lot like Streets of Rage. The teen plays the game, a few more SEGA references ensue (“Are You Ready” replaces “Get Ready”) and then the video ends. I can’t say I enjoy the tune, sort of comes off as a four and a half minute intro to nothing, but I do appreciate the SEGA nods and it’s a worthwhile watch just for that. Though don’t expect the music to go anywhere. Honestly, I’d prefer it if they just remixed this awesome track.

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The Art of Video Games Companion Book Features Influential SEGA Games

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While the Smithsonian’s Art of Video Games show doesn’t open until March 16th, fans can get their pre-orders in now for the show’s companion book. Retailing for $40, and up for pre-order for $24 on Amazon, the 216 page book makes the argument that games aren’t just for play, but are also “compelling experiences that have crossed the boundary into culture and art”. Writer Chris Melissinos uses the 80 games featured in the show to support this argument, and shares stories and comments about their development and innovation. The book will also feature interviews and over 100 composite images drawn directly from the games themselves.

After the break, a rundown of the SEGA titles to be featured in the book.

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