Sonic The Hedgehog - A Little Ball of Energy in an Extremely Handsome Package

[Berto]

SEGA Talk #176: Sonic Drift 1 & 2 (1994-1995)







https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_kgGJK-t3s

On this episode of SEGA Talk, we shift into portable racing mode as we take a deep dive into Sonic Drift and Sonic Drift 2 — SEGA’s kart racers released exclusively for the Game Gear. Long before Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, these two hidden gems let players race as their favorite characters across colorful, high-speed tracks inspired by the early 16-bit Sonic era. So lets put the pedal to the metal on SEGA Talk!

Article: https://segabits.com/blog/2025/12/19/sega-talk-176-sonic-drift-1-2-1994-1995/

[Berto]

Even if it's because of incompatible engines, I still owned the same game.
They could at least made it a DLC option to "update" Sonic Generations Collection for a small fee or something.

They could of course but they wouldn't.
You already know the reason.

Honestly, I think not having Jaleel White for Classic Sonic was a good call. Jaleel white was a kid at the time of DiC-era Sonic cartoons. I think he was still doing Steve Urkel at the time.

Then BlueCoreStudios made that fanfilm where they got Jaleel White to voice for Sonic and... well, to put politely, he sounded cringe. Puberty has done away with the vocal range he had for Sonic at the time. The only way I can accept Jaleel White reprising his role for Sonic is if he is willing for his recorded dialogue to be digitally pitched to sound younger.

So, having Classic Sonic mute was a good call over him sounding like how he was in the fanfilm which sounded nothing like how he was in DiC Sonic cartoons.

Oh yeah, I forgot that puberty changed how people sounded.
If he's recasted, adjustment must be done with auto machine which changed his sound to be kid-like again.
To be honest I won't mind if Classic Sonic's being voiced by new sound entirely.
I just don't like that he's mute.

I like to believe Sonic Generations refined the formula from Sonic Unleashed. So a new open-zone Sonic game may refine the formula from Sonic Frontiers.

Still, I prefer Sonic Adventure gameplay over Sonic Frontiers. It felt more flexible, more free and exploitive in a good way.
With Sonic Adventure gameplay, I felt Sonic Team provided the bare essentials and encouraged us to be experimental with it. Push the boundaries, see where we can reach etc.
With Sonic Frontiers gameplay, it just felt rigid at times. We had little control when we were in the air and despite natural rugged terrain, some parts felt closed off entirely.

Sonic Adventure's actually one of three Sonic games (besides Sonic Frontiers and the first Sonic game on Mega Drive) that's been successful in Japan.
So popular that it got an additional event exclusively for Japan where must find five photographs of real hedgehogs placed throughout Station Square within a ten minute time limit.
Once we're succeeded, the event data (called Sonic Adventure: Famitsu) could be downloaded to the player's VMU for use as an exclusive mini game in Sonic Adventure.

But strangely the sequel, Sonic Adventure 2, didn't share the same success.
I wonder what change or part of Sonic Adventure 2 that the Japanese fans didn't like.

[Berto]

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds - The "Blue Star" Extreme Gear is now available for free!

If you don't have this iconic board yet, be sure to check your preferred platform's store to download and add it to your collection!

Source: https://x.com/RaceCrossWorlds/status/2010883518151479544

[Berto]

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition | Physical Edition Release Date Announcement Trailer







https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFhmhRE5sSk

The wait is almost over!
The Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Nintendo Switch™️ 2 Edition is coming out on Physical on March 26, 2026!
And, as an extra treat, the Blue Star Extreme Gear is now available for free for ALL CrossWorlds players!

Pre-order today: https://RaceCrossWorlds.com

[Mystic Monkey]

They could of course but they wouldn't.
You already know the reason.

Even I didn't think Sega would be that greedy. They're not that greedy, but still unbecoming of them.

Oh yeah, I forgot that puberty changed how people sounded.
If he's recasted, adjustment must be done with auto machine which changed his sound to be kid-like again.
To be honest I won't mind if Classic Sonic's being voiced by new sound entirely.
I just don't like that he's mute.

They likely chose Classic Sonic to be mute because it was back before voice acting in video games became common.
But yeah, I wouldn't mind Jaleel White reprising the role, but would he allow his recorded lines to be digitally pitched afterwards? Would he be insulted if they did?

Sonic Adventure's actually one of three Sonic games (besides Sonic Frontiers and the first Sonic game on Mega Drive) that's been successful in Japan.
So popular that it got an additional event exclusively for Japan where must find five photographs of real hedgehogs placed throughout Station Square within a ten minute time limit.
Once we're succeeded, the event data (called Sonic Adventure: Famitsu) could be downloaded to the player's VMU for use as an exclusive mini game in Sonic Adventure.

But strangely the sequel, Sonic Adventure 2, didn't share the same success.
I wonder what change or part of Sonic Adventure 2 that the Japanese fans didn't like.

Well, I didn't like they dropped the Adventure Fields. To me, Sonic Adventure was like a "Jack of all trades, master of none", while still being a Sonic game at it's core. But Sonic Adventure 2 falls back to serial stages, with only street racing and chao gardens being the only side games.

But that's just my opinion. Maybe Adventure Fields made Sonic Adventure feel more RPGish (even though the game was not), and we all know how much the Japanese love RPGs.

Other than that, despite Hidekazu Yukawa's effort as a Japanese commercial meme, the Dreamcast just wasn't selling as well as the Saturn and Sega was on it's last legs.


I just can't help but feel that post SegaSammy Sega is just not the same as the Sega we grew up with in the '90s.

[Berto]

Best-selling games in the U.S. for November 2025

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 – Microsoft
2. Battlefield 6 – EA
3. NBA 2K26 – Take-Two Interactive
...
13. SONIC RACING: CROSSWORLDS – SEGA
...
19. Forza Horizon 5 – Microsoft
20. Digimon Story: Time Stranger – Bandai Namco

Article: https://nintendoeverything.com/best-selling-games-in-the-u-s-for-november-2025-kirby-air-riders-hyrule-warriors-age-of-imprisonment-make-the-list/

[Berto]

SONIC WEEKLY: Sonic Shuffle w/ SCOTTY MO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqPCTI8QluI

SEGA Spirit co-host Scotty Mo slides into the guest seat to tell us why Sonic Shuffle may not be irredeemable, after all. There's also the latest Sonic news, Rings of Saturn, and some late December holiday cheer to spread in various directions. Listen!

Article: https://segabits.com/blog/2025/12/29/sonic-weekly-sonic-shuffle-w-scotty-mo/

[Berto]

Even I didn't think Sega would be that greedy. They're not that greedy, but still unbecoming of them.

Every big game companies are greedy. If they aren't greedy then they're not big enough yet.

They likely chose Classic Sonic to be mute because it was back before voice acting in video games became common.
But yeah, I wouldn't mind Jaleel White reprising the role, but would he allow his recorded lines to be digitally pitched afterwards? Would he be insulted if they did?

May be that's why. Rather than having a risk to offend him, they're making him mute.

Well, I didn't like they dropped the Adventure Fields. To me, Sonic Adventure was like a "Jack of all trades, master of none", while still being a Sonic game at it's core. But Sonic Adventure 2 falls back to serial stages, with only street racing and chao gardens being the only side games.

But that's just my opinion. Maybe Adventure Fields made Sonic Adventure feel more RPGish (even though the game was not), and we all know how much the Japanese love RPGs.

Japanese do love RPGs but still Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood flopped hard in there.

Other than that, despite Hidekazu Yukawa's effort as a Japanese commercial meme, the Dreamcast just wasn't selling as well as the Saturn and Sega was on it's last legs.

At least they tried.
But in the end SEGA's missteps with console add-ons and Saturn's high price has already damaged their market position.
Some mistakes were too hard to recover, especially when they're facing an enemy that has good reputation and massive marketing budget (plus the built-in DVD player feature on their console).

I just can't help but feel that post SegaSammy Sega is just not the same as the Sega we grew up with in the '90s.

Actually that's also a good thing. SEGA would have became bankrupt again if they stayed the same.

[Berto]

Sonic Mania Plus Port for SEGA Dreamcast is Now Running With Audio

Falco Girgis has shared a new update showing Sonic Mania Plus running with fully working audio on real Sega Dreamcast hardware.
In a short hardware capture posted on social media, Girgis demonstrates the latest build running directly on an actual Dreamcast, confirming that music and sound effects are now functional. Audio support is a major technical milestone for any modern-to-retro port, and its arrival marks a clear step forward for the project.
It’s important to note that the port itself is the work of SonicFreak94. Girgis’s update focuses on showcasing the game running on original Dreamcast hardware and highlights how fitting it is to ...

Article: https://metalgamesolid.com/systems/consoles/128-bit-era/dreamcast/sonic-mania-plus-now-running-with-audio-on-sega-dreamcast/

[Berto]

Your "Nintendo Switch 2025" Year in Review has arrived!







https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ruh66dTYTo

Check out not only your 2025 adventures, but memories from past years with your Nintendo Switch as well.
See your personalized review here in the link below.

Link: https://ninten.do/6013tAW9J

[Berto]

Sonic Prime returns to Sonic Rumble! 💠

Race your way through the Shatterverse and discover exclusive cosmetics available now – including Renegade Knuckles and Rusty Rose!

Gotta go fast! 🌀 https://sonicrumble.com/playnow

[Berto]

Sonic Speed Simulator - Riders Super Sonic, Riders Tangle, Riders Whisper, and Riders Shadow 🛹









https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3LDmNQmHd8

🛹RIDERS FASTPASS UPDATE AND RIDERS CODEX EVENT 📒

◉ Fastpass – Season 16: The Extreme Riders season is here! Featuring brand-new Riders Super Sonic, Riders Tangle, Riders Whisper, and more.
◉ Codex Event: Complete a limited-time Riders Codex collection to unlock the new Sim Jet skin.
◉ Sale: Last chance to grab Star 4 Super Skins + New bundles; Deadly Indigo, Grim Reaper Metal Sonic, the Silver Bundle, and Elite Agent Rouge on sale now.
◉ Super Silver Event: Complete Part 1 and Part 2 to save the world and defeat the boss as Super Silver (ends next week!)

Link: https://www.roblox.com/games/9049840490/Sonic-Speed-Simulator

[Mystic Monkey]

Every big game companies are greedy. If they aren't greedy then they're not big enough yet.

CONSUME AND GROW!

May be that's why. Rather than having a risk to offend him, they're making him mute.

That's my guess also.

Japanese do love RPGs but still Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood flopped hard in there.

Maybe if Sonic Team had a Japanese studio backing it up instead of BioWare, it be a different story.

At least they tried.
But in the end SEGA's missteps with console add-ons and Saturn's high price has already damaged their market position.
Some mistakes were too hard to recover, especially when they're facing an enemy that has good reputation and massive marketing budget (plus the built-in DVD player feature on their console).

They could've recovered though. Despite their mistakes, they were still toe-to-toe with Nintendo.

Actually that's also a good thing. SEGA would have became bankrupt again if they stayed the same.

A company can still learn and grow, but what I mean is, they're not the same innovate game development company they once were during the '90s.

[Berto]

Maybe if Sonic Team had a Japanese studio backing it up instead of BioWare, it be a different story.

If back then SEGA already had Atlus, they should've asked Atlus instead.

A company can still learn and grow, but what I mean is, they're not the same innovate game development company they once were during the '90s.

They're not the same. Nothing is ever the same. Not even Namco, Konami, or Square Enix. Innovating costs a lot of money, and SEGA was way too loose with money on innovating, they ended up bankrupt. They're more careful now.

[Mystic Monkey]

If back then SEGA already had Atlus, they should've asked Atlus instead.

Which Sega developed Sonic Chronicles, Japan or America?

They're not the same. Nothing is ever the same. Not even Namco, Konami, or Square Enix. Innovating costs a lot of money, and SEGA was way too loose with money on innovating, they ended up bankrupt. They're more careful now.

I guess so. I mean, SquareEnix likely had change of people since their SquareSoft days, but they still kept tried and true as game developers.

Sega were a video game corporation, then went backrupt, then were brought out and made into a lesser subsidiary. I know Takashi Iizuka is still with Sega, but how much of Sega is still Sega?