Archive for ‘Sonic’
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Thursday Jan 27, 2011
SEGA Genesis Classic Collection IV Now Available on PCIn case you missed it, a new selection of classic Genesis titles is now available. This is the final currently planned release pack of Genesis Classic titles for the PC, and you might say that we saved the best for last. Well — I certainly might say that, considering both Shining Force I and II are in the pack, and I’m record as saying these games are among my favorite of all time. The games are available individually or in packs; please note some titles are sold separately from the packaged deals, but you can visit both Steam and GamersGate for this excellent collection!
First, the full list of what’s available with this offering. As with the previous packs, all these games fit into the snazzy “Genesis Classics” loader that runs all the games, and allows you to save each of the games at any point, as well as using the games original save features (if they had one). -Alien Soldiers Is this not an excellent list? Aside from all the praises I’m happy to heap onto the Shining Force series this collection also includes Streets of Rage 1 and 2. The first game is lots of fine fun, and by the second had evolved into probably the best beat-em-up of the 90s — with easily some of the best music of any game in the 90s. As a bonus here’s some video of series composer Yuzo Koshiro DJing in Tokyo, working some of the tracks from the game. Follow the video to YouTube to see more from this performance. 
Even aside from Streets of Rage and Shining Force there’s a lot to recommend this batch of games. Possibly you are aware of the Sonic the Hedgehog series? Well guess what! We have the Sonic. On the PC! Several, in fact: Classics Collection IV features both Sonic the Hedgehog II and Sonic 3 & Knuckles, the glorious lock-on combination of Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles.
Sonic 3 and Knuckles is also probably the most difficult of the original series (especially the later half, Sonic and Knuckles) and takes all the mechanics the series was known for and refines them to their most skill-intensive. I played Sonic 2 enough that I can blow through that game pretty easily now — but lots of Sonic 3 & Knuckles remains a challenge, and grabbing all the Chaos Emeralds in either of its games is no mean feat. Of course, the ability to save your game before any special stage and play it over and over til you get it right is a nice way around that. Go ahead! I won’t tell anyone. And: Let’s not let all these other excellent titles dwarf the release of the original ToeJam & Earl, a game that’s been a lot harder than most of these to get a hold of. There was never another game quite like it; something like a psychedelic dungeon crawler with a goofy sense of humor and one of the most awesome soundtracks in any game ever. Really, this Classic Collection as a whole is just loaded with great Genesis tunes–here’s some of ToeJam and Earl’s music: 
Lest we forget — there’s some other terrific & unique games in this collection, including the isometric action-adventure Landstalker and the Shining Force “prequel”, “Shining in the Darkness” (definitely hard to find in other places). Between the Sonic games, the Shining Force series, and ToeJam & Earl, a pretty high percentage of my teenage years is represented by this package of games. In my humble opinion, these are not to be missed!
Posted by Edward@Sega in SEGA, SEGA Genesis Classics PC, Sonic on 5:08:42PM Jan 27, 2011 |
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Friday Jan 21, 2011
This Sonic the Hedgehog sound film just made our weekend
From the music to the animation, we thought this was pretty impressive, especially for something created on an iPad with 2$ editing software! The video was created by Mrstupes, and you can find his video page here on Youtube. He’s asking for votes on his next film, and Sonic and Tails are one option – we hope you’ll all join us in letting him know you’d like to see more. Have a great weekend all! | ||
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Wednesday Jan 05, 2011
The Limited Edition Sonic the Hedgehog Wii ChargerWe are a lucky bunch, we sit really close to our Licensing department and they are always getting their hands on the cool new Sonic or SEGA stuff way before anyone else. In this case, we’ve been handed an all new limited edition Sonic the Hedgehog Wii Charger, which we’re very happy to show off for all to see. Look for one to appear in an upcoming Free Stuff Friday! Here’s the scoop from Mad Catz:
Don’t delay, buy now at Mad Catz or Amazon.com before they are all gone!
Posted by Clumsyorchid in Sonic on 10:40:28AM Jan 05, 2011 |
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Tuesday Jan 04, 2011
20 Years of Sonic the HedgehogSEGA® Corporation is proud to announce that Sonic the Hedgehog will celebrate his 20th anniversary on June 23, 2011. From the first day of the release of Sonic The Hedgehog™ back in 1991 on the SEGA Genesis™ console, Sonic the Hedgehog quickly became a popular gaming icon due to his super fast speed and his cool, edgy character. In the twenty years that the video games have been available, Sonic the Hedgehog has notched up over 70 million units sold worldwide.
As well as videogames, SEGA’s iconic blue hedgehog has enjoyed huge success in areas such as comics, apparel and toys and even starred in his own animated series. SEGA Corporation will be celebrating this special year in style with events around the world, details of which will be released throughout the 20th anniversary year of 2011.
Posted by Clumsyorchid in Sonic on 12:14:16PM Jan 04, 2011 |
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Thursday Dec 30, 2010
Xbox Live Arcade Mega Sale Games Revealed!Today is the day – December 30th – we are happy to reveal the Xbox Live Arcade games for our Holiday Mega Sale. Remember, these are available in North America, Europe, United Kingdom, and Australia! You have only one day to get in on these crazy deals – do not delay! The Xbox community has been very patient so without any further delay … Xbox Live Arcade
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG SONIC THE HEDGEHOG2 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 SONIC & KNUCKLES SONIC 4 EPISODE 1 SONIC ADVENTURE AFTER BURNER CLIMAX iPhone
› Super Monkey Ball PlayStation Network
› Sonic Adventure › Sega Genesis Collection $15.99 $9.99 › Iron Man 2 $19.99 $15.99 › Gunstar Heroes $4.99 $2.99
Posted by Clumsyorchid in After Burner, After Burner Climax, ChuChu Rocket, Iron Man 2, Phantasy Star Portable 2, PlayStation Network, Project Needlemouse, SEGA, Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I, Valkyria Chronicles II, XBox Live Arcade on 1:46:54AM Dec 30, 2010 |
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Monday Dec 20, 2010
Mega Holiday Sale 2010 Starts tonight!└─═[ MEGA SALE HOLIDAY 2010 ]═─┐ This Holiday save up to 70% on over 20 SEGA games! Buy for yourself, or buy for a friend! The Sale starts tonight on December 21st and runs until January 3rd, details below, read on! Super Mega Special Deals!SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 4 EPISODE I → PlayStation Network was $14.99 now $9.99 save 33% – Buy Now! SONIC ADVENTURE CHUCHU ROCKET! Plus a special treat for Xbox LIVE Arcade customers on Dec 30th. Don’t forget to buy for your friends and Santa won’t forget to bring you gifts! iPhone
› Super Monkey Ball Xbox Live Arcade
PlayStation Network
› Sonic Adventure › Sega Genesis Collection $15.99 $9.99 › Iron Man 2 $19.99 $15.99 › Gunstar Heroes $4.99 $2.99
Posted by Clumsyorchid in After Burner Climax, ChuChu Rocket, iPhone & iPod Games, Iron Man 2, Phantasy Star Portable 2, PlayStation Network, Project Needlemouse, SEGA, Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I, Valkyria Chronicles II, XBox Live Arcade on 12:07:16PM Dec 20, 2010 |
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Friday Dec 10, 2010
Sonic Sackboy – The UnboxingWhen we first saw the adorable creation from @fullmetalpiglet, we were smitten. We made the rounds on the internet, gathered up the links and information about this amazing creation and we made sure fans everywhere had a chance to see the creation of the Sonic Sackboy. 
But oh, it gets better – @fullmetalpiglet is equally awesome and agreed to send the one, the only, the Sonic Sackboy to us in exchange for some goodies. We offered to buy one from her, but she said she doesn’t make them for money, just the fun and challenge of the project. We can absolutely respect that and were thrilled to set up the exchange.
This week, Sonic Sackboy arrived in the office and we’ve been gushing about it ever since. We made the rounds in the office, we made everyone extremely jealous, and we then gave it to our friend coworker Fabian. See me fumble with the box, say ‘uh’ alot and present this trophy to one of the biggest Sonic fans in the office below: 
Huge thanks to @fullmetalpiglet for making this amazing Sonic tribute and sending it our way. We love it! Head over to her page for more Sackboys and instructions on crafting them! | ||
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Monday Dec 06, 2010
Price Drop on all SEGA Games on iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad!A permanent price drop is now in effect for nearly of Sega’s titles for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. If you missed out on any of the crazy deals we’ve been running, don’t worry! You can buy any of the games below at their new new price for yourself or for a friend, for the holidays! ChuChu Rocket: $4.99 $2.99
Super Monkey Ball 2: $5.99 $2.99
Posted by Clumsyorchid in ChuChu Rocket, iPhone & iPod Games, SEGA, Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I on 2:55:43PM Dec 06, 2010 |
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Wednesday Oct 20, 2010
The SEGA cosplay of New York Comic-conJust a little over a week ago, New York Comic-con’s convention hall was packed to the brim with people from all the major sects of geek and nerd fandom. Anime fans intermingled with video game fans, all of whom also mixed in with comic and TV series fans – and, in many cases, people were actually a part of all three groups. At the SEGA booth, we were showing off a number of games, from Captain America to Sonic Colors – and similar to the last year at NYCC, we had a number of SEGA fans show up cosplaying our characters to show their love for the games! Here are some of our favorites from the show! The SEGA Cosplay of NYCC 2010
Word of this couple came in before they even arrived at the booth – mostly because of the costumes, as you can probably guess. Certainly some of the more unique Sonic costumes we’ve ever seen. Nicely done guys!
Phantasy Star Portable II Cosplay! The game has only just released here, but already some hardcore fans were on the floor with both costumes and weapons to boot! (Bonus points if you know the name of both weapons.)
This fan from our forums came by with a custom, homemade Sonic the Hedgehog + Metal Sonic Skateboard! It may not be cosplay, but this level of awesome is definitely worthy of a spotlight here on the blogs.
NiGHTS Cosplay! Reala came by the booth and we got this picture, complete with ominous and dark lighting on the face for that added sinister touch.
Werehog spotted! (Quick, everyone – to the Sonic Colors station!)
This one is just epic. The guys who came last year as 5-6 Sonic Characters returned, and this time they brought friends. A lot of friends. Picture here: Sonic (x3), Mario, Rouge, Charmy, Shadow, Tails, Cream, Amy, Silver, Tikal, E-102 Gamma, and Samba! (And Misty, too!) For a full list of pictures, including some delicious cheesecake (and it’s no lie), check out our Flickr album here! The Convention was a great success for SEGA, with lines packed constantly for games like Sonic Colors and Vanquish, and huge crowds for Captain America and Thor. Even Phantasy Star Portable II, which had already released, got a lot of love on the show floor! To all those who cosplayed this year and came by our booth – thanks for spreading the SEGA love! Great work to all of you, and we hope to see you again next year! Which of the cosplayers is your favorite?
Posted by RubyEclipse in Phantasy Star Portable 2, Project Needlemouse, SEGA, Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I on 11:57:38AM Oct 20, 2010 |
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Wednesday Oct 06, 2010
SEGA Genesis Classics: Series III on PC!The next phase of SEGA Genesis Classics is now available for the PC! Like previous releases, you can buy these alone or in a pack, and like the previous SEGA Genesis Classics, these hook in nicely to the classics menu interface, allowing you to install, play, and load/save games from the same snazzy interface. Here’s what you’re getting this time around: Bio-Hazard Battle (click to purchase from GamersGate) Click here to purchase all the games in a single package!
In addition to Gamers Gate, look for these games to show up soon on Direct2Drive and Steam! We are getting nice and deep into the SEGA Genesis catalog here, and I daresay it makes me happy. This gets into some of the great meat & potatoes of what made the Genesis the Genesis — amazing sound and music, lots of clever twists on classic gameplay modes, and an almost sinister sense of fun (see: Columns, Decap Attack, Ecco, Flicky). This set of releases is heavy on the side-scrolling / platform shooter, but there’s a lot of different game types available, and even the platform games all have something unique going on and/or are Sonic the Hedgehog.
E-SWAT is the most straight-up platform shooter, with the hook of starting out as a normal cop and turning gradually into a cybernetic killing machine. Any game where you take on a helicopter is okay in my book. Decap Attack is a bit of typical Genesis weirdness, a side-scrolling action game with a protagonist whose unique ability is, yes, to throw his head at enemies. It spices up the platformula (see what I did there?) a bit too, by adding the ability to buy items. Think Alex Kidd if Alex Kidd could detach his overlarge head from his body. Alien Storm is in the tradition of the Streets of Rage brawler, only with more flamethrowers and gooey aliens disguised as trash cans, some high-powered first-person shooter bits (!) and also a Samurai-looking robot whose special power is to explode (he even runs back onscreen following the explosion in order to retrieve his head and keep fighting). Virtua Fighter 2 is, of course, the Street Fighter-style fighting game Sega made famous in the arcades, and a series actually recognized by the Smithsonian for its general arcade awesomeness. It also has Kage, one of my favorite ninjas ever.
Columns makes a return (the original Columns was part of the previous PC release pack) with Columns III, and while you might think plummeting vertically-stacked jewels can only have so much gaming mileage, this game actually adds quite a bit to the recipe — you are now playing your games as matches versus a mysterious set of creatures protecting the secret of an ancient pyramid, which you work your way through as you win rounds. It’s also worth noting that Columns III is more difficult than the original, requiring more planning & strategy. My tried and true method of dropping gems randomly into place until awesome things happened didn’t work nearly as well in this second sequel. Getting trounced by a sleepy cartoon spider time and again is the closest I’ve come to switching over to “easy” mode.
And yes, Sonic the Hedgehog, which some of you may have heard of or played in the past, is part of this collection. It’s nice to have it available on the PC as part of this increasingly excellent collection, and of course to be able to save your game at any point. What more is there to say? It’s Sonic! The last time I played through the original (and I’ve played through it many, many times) was actually for the Nintendo DS release and even without a spin dash this game has a charm which hasn’t yet diminished with age. If the idea of a blue hedgehog collecting rings and emeralds while pursuing an egg-shaped villain obsessed by the idea of turning animals into robots seems strange, however, it is no stranger than the peculiar oddity that is Flicky. This game is worth saying a few words over — it looks like the sort of game I might have found while browsing through a stack of old 5 1/4” floppy discs for an Apple IIgs (think of this as the 1988 equivalent of browsing games on Xbox Live Arcade). It looks like it could have been released on the SEGA Master System, or an Atari — and yet, this is a charming and almost surprisingly captivating game, the kind of thing that was nice to have on the Genesis simply because it was, well, fun. Based around a simple “collection” mechanic, you pilot a bird who gradually collects tiny chicks (which trail mesmerizingly behind you as you collect more), and you have to collect all the chicks and save them from the hungry cats who are chasing you. That’s pretty much all there is (along with some bonus stages), but shrewd platform design, infectious music, and bright cartoon graphics make this an oddly compelling entry.
And: Let’s not forget Bio-Hazard Battle, which takes the side-scrolling shooter concept and gives it a unique makeover (think a much darker version of Fantasy Zone). The graphics are quite surreal — piloting art-deco-looking bug/plant hybrids in a pitched battle against hordes of alien bug/plant enemies as you collect power-ups, which is exactly as crazy as it sounds. There’s more, and I could go on and on about any of these. Sword of Vermillion (yes, that’s how it’s spelled) is a hidden gem of a game, mixing traditional town-to-town based RPG play with first-person dungeon-crawling and third-person hack-and-slash action sequences. It’s an experiment, and is definitely worth playing. Golden Axe II is an awesome arcade sword brawler, and perhaps the best of the series (!?), with awesome magic spell animation & a wide variety of levels and enemies. But my favorite of this group is the inimitable Ecco: The Tides of Time, a direct sequel to the original Ecco the Dolphin.
There’s nothing quite like Ecco, literally: you control a dolphin who must save all the world’s oceans from a nefarious extra-dimensional enemy while traveling through time and fighting sharks, giant squids, and of course, aliens. The game is surprisingly dark in tone and, for a game about a dolphin saving its friends, is incredibly difficult. Tides of Time has more puzzles than the first game, and these clever puzzle bits mix nicely with the action stages. I can’t recommend the Ecco games enough and this might be the best of the bunch. One thing worth noting for this group of games is the all around amazing music. Columns has always had excellent music — the sort of tunes that play in your head in the middle of the night as your brain twitches with the remnants of obsessive puzzle-based gameplay. Sword of Vermillion has some appropriately haunting RPG themes (check out the way the dire music of the opening town sets the mood for the game beautifully), and of course Sonic the Hedgehog’s original score (by Masato Nakamura) is well-regarded for all the right reasons. Bio-Hazard Battle has a creepy and bass-heavy score that fits a game about space bug/plant/undersea creatures who shoot lasers at each other. Not surprisingly, though, it’s my favorite game of the bunch, Tides of Time, which also has the best music — a truly haunting score that fits the game’s dark tone perfectly. One subtle but excellent thing the Ecco games have always done well: as you dive deeper into the ocean the game’s pallet gets appropriately darker, and the music as you open levels at the bottom of the ocean or in deep undersea caves is pitch perfect. These are all available now, and it’s been very nice to have them all gathered into the same interface with it’s save/load feature. Check them out from GamersGate now, or wait til next week when they show up on Steam and Direct2Drive!
Posted by Edward@Sega in SEGA, SEGA Genesis Classics PC, Sonic on 12:04:36PM Oct 06, 2010 |
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