What is the best 3D Sonic the Hedgehog video game?

Sonic the Hedgehog launched in glorious 3D back on the Dreamcast (at least officially, there where other attempts prior) and since 1998 it seems that the blue blur has had some trouble really defining what a 3D Sonic the Hedgehog game should be. We have went from the Adventure style games to the boost gameplay that we know now.

But what is the best 3D Sonic the Hedgehog game? 

To me this is hard to answer, like the retro Sonic the Hedgehog games that first came out all had a feel and flow to them, but the 3D ones seem to be all over the place. Even Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 are completely different in tone. For me, it has to be Sonic Adventure and that probably has to do with nostalgia, the fact that I preferred the flow of the game compared to Adventure 2 (letting you pick who you wanted to play instead of forcing you to switch between characters).  Is Sonic Adventure perfect? Nah, but no game is. I will also like to give a special shout out to Sonic Generations, which I enjoyed quite a bit. What about you?

Sonic Generations and Panzer Dragoon Orta to join Xbox One Backwards Compatibility Program


Xbox One continues to expand its Xbox and Xbox 360 backwards compatible titles, this month they will add Sonic Generations and Panzer Dragoon Orta (best looking Xbox title)! Both are great games and glad they get to be played on new consoles.

Sonic Generations is out today and even playable in 4K if you have one of those fancy Xbox One Xs. As for Panzer Dragoon Orta, that one launches on April 17th! There are still plenty of great SEGA Xbox and Xbox 360 games that need to hit the Xbox One, including Jet Set Radio Future!

[Via: Sega Driven]

Crazy Taxi joins Games with Gold for February

Hey, hey want to play Crazy Taxi and save some crazy money? Well, it seems that if you are a Xbox Live member you will be able to do just that. The Xbox 360 port of Crazy Taxi is set to join Microsoft’s Games with Gold program this February. Never heard of Games with Gold? Its a monthly service of free downloadable games for Xbox Live subscribers. Unlike rival service PlayStation Plus though, if you download the games, you keep them forever. Even if you cancel Xbox Live.

Crazy Taxi is also backwards compatible with the Xbox One, so you can play it on your shiny new console. While this port of Crazy Taxi isn’t perfect and has its issues, getting it for free to me seems worth it. Actually, since they changed the soundtrack, maybe even for free is asking too much…

NiGHTS into Dreams free on Games With Gold November 1st – playable on Xbox 360 and Xbox One

Released October 2012 as part of the SEGA Heritage lineup, NiGHTS into Dreams was an excellent HD rerelease of the classic SEGA Saturn game. Initially released to PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, the game was added to Xbox One’s backwards compatibility lineup in November 2015. Now, as part of the Games With Gold service, NiGHTS into Dreams will be available from November 1 to 15 free to members of the service. As with past Games With Gold titles, once you download a Games With Gold title, you have access to it as long as you still have an active Xbox Live Gold membership.

Do you have the Games With Gold service, and if not would you join for a free download of NiGHTS into Dreams?

Sonic Adventure available on Xbox One via backwards compatibility update

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If you have been waiting to replay Sonic Adventure but have been too lazy to hook up either your Dreamcast, GameCube or Xbox 360; you’re in luck since its now fully playable on the Xbox One thanks to the latest backwards compatibility update. As you can tell by the photograph above, the XBLA version of Sonic Adventure uses assets from the GameCube version and sticks with its original 4:3 image.

While I have plenty of not so great things to say about how Xbox One brand has been handled, one thing I do think is very ambitious is how Microsoft is setting up the console to be the only Xbox console you would need to own thanks to its focus on backwards compatibility. I find it to be a great solution and a lot better than ‘streaming’ your last generation games like on PlayStation 4. How many of you guys are giving Sonic Adventure another go on Xbox One?

Daytona USA on sale for $2.49 on Xbox One & Xbox 360

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SEGA’s legendary Daytona USA HD port for the Xbox 360 is on sale for only $2.49 (regular price: $9.99). Daytona USA HD port is also playable on the Xbox One family of consoles thanks to the backwards compatibility it offers.

Daytona USA on XBLA 

If you have never played Daytona USA before, the game does offer a demo for you to try, so give it a shot. If you want some more Daytona USA while you play Daytona USA HD, give our SEGA Talk Podcast episode all about Daytona USA a shot! Are you picking up the game?

Bayonetta is free this August for Xbox Live Gold members

If you own a Xbox 360 or Xbox One (since its backwards compatible now) and been wanting to play Bayonetta? If you have Xbox Live Gold then you will be able to download it completely free as part of their ‘Games with Gold‘ program. If you are new to ‘Games with Gold’, you basically get to keep the games given out each month, as in keep forever. That means if you decide that you don’t want Xbox Live Gold, you’ll still be able to download the titles, which is different to how PlayStation Plus handles their service.

You will be able to download the following games this August:

  • Slim Rancher – Xbox One
  • Trials Fusion – Xbox One
  • Bayonetta – Xbox 360
  • Red Faction: Armageddon – Xbox 360

So what games are you guys going to give a shot? If you already own a physical version of Bayonetta and have Xbox Live Gold, I’d suggest getting the digital version as a back up copy. I mean, it is free and will be on your Xbox Live account in case anything happens to your physical. Always be prepared to play Bayonetta at any time!

[Via: Major Nelson]

 

Xbox Game Pass subscription program to feature SEGA games

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Today, Microsoft announced a new video game rental subscription service known as Xbox Game Pass. For $9.99 per month, users will be given access to over 100 Xbox One and backwards compatible Xbox 360 games digitally. Of course, first party games are available, but several third party publishers are also on board including SEGA (why else would we report on this?). Other publishers on board include 2K, 505 Games, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, Capcom, Codemasters, Deep Silver, Focus Home Interactive, SNK CORPORATION, THQ Nordic GmbH and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

SEGA Channel Retro: Sonic 06 Unity Demo Today

Sonic 06 has gone down as one of the blue hedgehog’s more divisive adventures. But like it or not some dedicated fans have gone through the trouble to recreate the game in the Unity engine. I’ll be checking it out on today’s shorter stream.

You can now watch our live streams on YouTube or Twitch!

Sonic Unleashed preview build released

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Sonic Unleashed is seen as one of the biggest 3D entries in the history of Sonic. Whether you like the werehog or not, it brought a massive overhaul to the game design philosophy of Sonic working in the third dimension. The beautiful environments based on real-life locations, fast gameplay and a unique lighting engine all housed under the “Hedgehog Engine” helped achieve a major milestone for fast-paced 3D platformers. Fast forward towards the end of the downer year that is 2016, it has brought us one thing that can shed some meaningful insight on the development of Sonic Unleashed; the release of an Xbox 360 preview build.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed now Xbox One backwards compatible

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SEGA and Sumo Digital’s Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed was a huge deal when it released back in 2012. Fans were surprised to see a sequel to the original Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, and were even more surprised to see just how ambitious the game was. Featuring three different vehicle modes that actually played differently (sorry Mario Kart 7), the game touted far more diverse racers and tracks, compared to the original, and appeared on just about every piece of modern hardware.

Today, the game adds a new console to its belt by way of Xbox One backwards compatibility. Via Major Nelson comes news that Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is now playable on Xbox One! If you haven’t picked the game up yet, there is really no excuse not to. Regardless of the SEGA fan service, it is a quality racer on its own. Want our expert opinion on the game? Check out our reviews of the console and handheld versions.

SEGA Memories: The Day the HD Stood Strong

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Imagine growing up with a family who got you your first video game system, even though they have little to no knowledge of what video games are. That may sound like most of you, but for those that didn’t have that lovely experience, nine times out of ten you hoped that you got the one game system you wanted to get or you relied on friends to have the ones you didn’t have. And somehow, unfortunately, my neighborhood was all Nintendo territory.

Let’s fast forward to early 2012; I started to branch out in my gaming endeavors. I got an Xbox 360 a year before and third-party titles started to become my new favorite (I went crazy over all of the Suda51 games). Then one fateful spring morning, it was announced that three classic Sega titles were coming to the 360 and PS3 later on in the year. And while I already spoiled myself silly over the Gamecube port of Sonic Adventure 2, the other two games were ones that I was most excited about than any other game of that year: NiGHTS into Dreams and Jet Set Radio. Since there were no Sonic games coming out that year, SEGA gave us three remastered HD titles to melt over. And while some have already played these gems, this was an exciting and memorable moment for me in a time when people thought the world was going to end.

SEGA News Bits: SEGA Removing Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse From Online Shops

On this SEGA News Bits, George and Barry react to the sudden announcement of the delisting of Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse. Released in 2013, this remake of the classic SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive game received praise from fans and critics, and even was awarded an A- in our own SEGAbits review. We discuss why the game is being pulled, the platforms it can be found on, and share our thoughts on SEGA’s licensed games.

Like always if you like our SEGA News Bits segments and want to throw us some love, make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse is now backwards compatible on Xbox One

It seems like everyone is paying attention to Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse since it was announced that the game is to be delisted on digital marketplaces on September 2nd. Despite the fact that the game will soon be leaving online stores, it is now available on another major platform! Via Major Nelson comes the news that the Xbox 360 version of Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse is now backwards compatible on the Xbox One.

The game is currently $14.99 on the Xbox Marketplace. If Xbox isn’t your thing, or you want the game for less on another platform the Humble Bundle PC version is only $2.24, discounted from $14.99, and the PS3 version is only $3.74. It you want to learn more about the game to help in your decision on whether to purchase the game or not, check out our review in which we awarded Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse an A- and called it “A fantastic platformer!”.

The SEGA Five: PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360 Games That Need PC Ports

SEGAPCPortsFiveThe seventh console generation was SEGA’s big test as a 3rd party publisher, while they were still a 3rd party during most of the sixth generation, the seventh was the first time they didn’t have home console hardware to sell from the very start. Who knows how game history will see the once big console manufacture turned 3rd party during this time and while not all the games they released that generation were considered great, they did release quite a bit of overlooked gems that fans think deserve second chances. Like always this is a personal opinion list of games, if one of your favorite SEGA published games on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 didn’t make the list, let us know in the comments below.

Note: We didn’t include the Nintendo Wii games that deserve PC ports because the Wii was a really unique console, but we might have a list dedicated just for the Nintendo Wii in the near future. Also titles that already had PC releases but got delisted aren’t included (aka OutRun 2).