Jump to content
Awoo.

Search the Community

Showing results for tags 'genesis'.

  • Search By Tags

    Type tags separated by commas.
  • Search By Author

Content Type


Calendars

  • Official Release Dates
  • On This Day
  • Community Calendar
  • In-Game Events
  • Streaming Schedule
  • SSMB Community Game Night!'s Events

Categories

  • Sonic
    • Games
    • Comics
    • Media
    • Merch
    • Fandom
  • SEGA
  • Features
    • Reviews
    • Previews
    • Interviews
    • Opinion
  • Videos
    • Livestreams
    • Shows
  • Sonic Stadium
  • Sonic Deals

Categories

  • Games
    • Mainline Sonic Games
    • Sonic Spin-offs
    • Compilations & Minor Releases
    • Mobile Games
    • Amusement Machines
    • Cameos & Collaborations
    • Sonic Team Games
    • Prototypes and Betas
    • Bootleg Games
  • Game Universe
    • Game Characters
    • Game Bosses
    • Game Items & Objects
    • Game Locations
  • Comics
    • IDW Publishing Universe
    • Archie Comics Universe
    • Sonic the Comic Universe
  • Media
    • AoStH Universe
    • SatAM Universe
    • Sonic Underground Universe
    • Sonic X Universe
    • Sonic Boom Universe
    • Sonic Movie Universe
    • Sonic Prime Universe
  • Merchandise
    • Books
    • Music
    • Toys & Figures
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Beauty Products
    • High Art & Prints
    • Experiences
  • Community
    • Sonic Stadium
    • Influential People
    • Websites
    • Fan Events
    • Fan Media
  • People
    • Companies
    • Performers
    • Game Industry
    • Comic Industry
    • TV / Film Industry
  • Site Help
    • Achievements

Categories

  • Games
    • Mainline Games
    • Sonic Spin-offs
    • Compilations & Spinoffs
    • Mobile Games
    • Sonic Team Games
  • Movies
    • Sonic the Hedgehog (Movie)
    • Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Movie)
    • Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Movie)
  • Comics
    • Archie Comics
    • Sonic the Comic
    • IDW Comics
  • Animation
    • Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog
    • Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM)
    • Sonic Underground
    • Sonic X
    • Sonic Boom (TV Series)
    • Official Web Series
    • Sonic Prime
  • General Official Sonic Artwork
    • Character Artwork
    • Sonic Channel Artwork

Forums

  • Sonic Discussion
    • Sonic News
    • Sonic Chat
  • Non-Sonic Discussion
    • Video Games
    • General Discussion
  • Community Central
    • Site Updates & Announcements
    • Community Chat & Feedback
    • Fan Showcase
  • Merch Hunters Anonymous's Topics
  • Raisin' Chao's Topics
  • SSMB Community Game Night!'s Topics
  • Skylanders: Dimensions [Roleplay]'s Thieves' Den (Fan Gallery)
  • Skylanders: Dimensions [Roleplay]'s Club Penguin (Main Roleplay Forum)
  • Skylanders: Dimensions [Roleplay]'s Database (Supplemental Material)
  • Skylanders: Dimensions [Roleplay]'s Command Room (General Discussion)
  • Skylanders: Dimensions [Roleplay]'s Dojo (RP Mechanics and Guidelines)
  • Skylanders: Dimensions [Roleplay]'s The Spell Punk Library (Main Story/Episode Archive)
  • Dragon Ball Z: Dokkan Battle's Topics
  • Shadow the Hedgehog fans's Topics
  • The Eggman Empire's Topics
  • Sonic Racing Squad's Topics
  • The Sonic Animation Association's Topics
  • The Jackal Squad's Topics
  • Sonic Superstars: Battle Mode Lobby Invites's Superstars Battle Mode Lobby

Blogs

  • Fan Reviews
  • Stadium Staff Blog
  • Sonic Soapbox
  • Jake's Blog O' Thoughts
  • Sonic's Beginning
  • Reviewing Everything Sonic the Hedgehog!
  • Fan Creations
  • NiGHTS and NiGHTS accessories
  • Maria's Blog of Thoughts
  • Dreadknux's Gaming Shack
  • Ryan's 52 Game Challenge - Expanded Thoughts on Everything I Play!
  • Don't Get Me Started: A Pokemon/Fandom Blog
  • Test's Blog
  • Test's Blog

Find results in...

Find results that contain...


Date Created

  • Start

    End


Last Updated

  • Start

    End


Filter by number of...

  1. It took a little longer than planned, but SEGA has finally re-released Sonic 3D Blast onto RealPlayer's RealOne Arcade service. This was the final 16-bit Sonic the Hedgehog title to launch on the platform, with Sonic Spinball, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine and the mainline platformers all releasing a few months ago. As with other Mega Drive/Genesis games on the service, Sonic 3D comes as a 'free' download that includes an install of RealOne Arcade. From there, you'll get to enjoy a demo of the isometric adventure - if you want to experience the full game, it'll cost you $14.99. You'll need a minimum of 32MB RAM, 35MB free disk space, Direct 7.0 or higher and a Pentium II 266MHZ or above to run it all, according to SEGA's official webpage.
  2. If you've shelled out for the Switch Online Expansion Pack for the bonus retro games, Sonic Spinball, Shining Force II, and Space Harrier II have been added to the Genesis app. To coincide with this update, Nintendo released a brief gameplay sample of each: There have been plenty of collections and re-releases of these games, but let's be real, the true hero of these releases is the rewind. Sonic Spinball is hard. It's not very long, no, but have you ever made it to that final stage? It's absolutely insane. So if you're already invested in the pack, why not just boot it up and cheat your heart out? I won't hold it against you.
  3. The mystery surrounding Sonic the Hedgehog 3's soundtrack - and Michael Jackson's involvement - has once again been thrown into the air thanks to a recent interview with Sonic 3 co-composer and Jackson's longtime collaborator Brad Buxer. Buxer spoke to Abbey Road Institute in Paris back in May and talked about his professional relationship with Michael Jackson. As part of that topic, he uses a Sonic 3 anecdote to illustrate how a lot of the work attributed to Jackson was developed by Buxer instead - what Buxer calls the 'blank slate' approach to their collaborations. The musician has previously been on record to state that Michael Jackson's work was included within the Sonic 3 cartridge - work that has long rumoured to be the main blocker in SEGA re-releasing the 1993 Mega Drive classic since the pop megastar's death in 2009. However this interview seems to be the strongest indicator yet of the pop megastar's involvement in the classic Mega Drive title. "[We had] the most harmonious musical relationship you could ever imagine," Buxer says, before recalling an anecdote about the origins of the song Stranger in Moscow which involved a cassette tape of the entire Sonic 3 soundtrack. Sonic 3's soundtrack has been a topic of huge debate for decades due to the well-known secret that Michael Jackson - arguably the biggest music star on the planet, especially in the 1990s - had some hand in its development. SEGA has never publicly confirmed or denied Jackson's involvement. Buxer's comments also come close to the release of Sonic Origins, a compilation release on modern consoles that includes a re-release of Sonic 3 & Knuckles for the first time since 2009. SEGA has also been keeping very quiet about the nature of the soundtrack included in this release - whether Buxer's compositions (largely attributed to Ice Cap, Launch Base and Carnival Night Zones) remain, or if they have been replaced. The Michael Jackson song 'Stranger in Moscow' is also interesting in this context because it is also heavily linked with the development of Sonic 3 thanks to the similar sound of the game's end credits theme. It would make sense that the song could have been born from an evolution of the Sonic 3 credits music, but Buxer does not make this connection in the interview. "I started playing the verse for Stranger in Moscow, and then I came up with the chorus on the spot," he said. "Michael fell in love with it... and in an hour and a half Stranger in Moscow was [written]. [Michael] had nothing in mind for that - nothing." He says that this was an example of the 'blank slate' method of working that he often applied when collaborating with the pop star. The above video is the meaty bit but the whole interview is on Abbey Road Institute's YouTube channel.
  4. The mystery surrounding Sonic the Hedgehog 3's soundtrack - and Michael Jackson's involvement - has once again been thrown into the air thanks to a recent interview with Sonic 3 co-composer and Jackson's longtime collaborator Brad Buxer. Buxer spoke to Abbey Road Institute in Paris back in May and talked about his professional relationship with Michael Jackson. As part of that topic, he uses a Sonic 3 anecdote to illustrate how a lot of the work attributed to Jackson was developed by Buxer instead - what Buxer calls the 'blank slate' approach to their collaborations. The musician has previously been on record to state that Michael Jackson's work was included within the Sonic 3 cartridge - work that has long rumoured to be the main blocker in SEGA re-releasing the 1993 Mega Drive classic since the pop megastar's death in 2009. However this interview seems to be the strongest indicator yet of the pop megastar's involvement in the classic Mega Drive title. "[We had] the most harmonious musical relationship you could ever imagine," Buxer says, before recalling an anecdote about the origins of the song Stranger in Moscow which involved a cassette tape of the entire Sonic 3 soundtrack. Sonic 3's soundtrack has been a topic of huge debate for decades due to the well-known secret that Michael Jackson - arguably the biggest music star on the planet, especially in the 1990s - had some hand in its development. SEGA has never publicly confirmed or denied Jackson's involvement. Buxer's comments also come close to the release of Sonic Origins, a compilation release on modern consoles that includes a re-release of Sonic 3 & Knuckles for the first time since 2009. SEGA has also been keeping very quiet about the nature of the soundtrack included in this release - whether Buxer's compositions (largely attributed to Ice Cap, Launch Base and Carnival Night Zones) remain, or if they have been replaced. The Michael Jackson song 'Stranger in Moscow' is also interesting in this context because it is also heavily linked with the development of Sonic 3 thanks to the similar sound of the game's end credits theme. It would make sense that the song could have been born from an evolution of the Sonic 3 credits music, but Buxer does not make this connection in the interview. "I started playing the verse for Stranger in Moscow, and then I came up with the chorus on the spot," he said. "Michael fell in love with it... and in an hour and a half Stranger in Moscow was [written]. [Michael] had nothing in mind for that - nothing." He says that this was an example of the 'blank slate' method of working that he often applied when collaborating with the pop star. The above video is the meaty bit but the whole interview is on Abbey Road Institute's YouTube channel. View full story
  5. They said it was coming, and now it has come. Sonic Spinball is available on RealPlayer's RealOne Arcade service starting today. You can download it for free, and you get a one-hour trial where you can tackle the Veg-O-Fortress to your heart's content... and if you want to keep playing after that hour, it will cost you $14.99 for the full version.] According to SEGA's RealOne page, Sonic 3D is also coming later this month. So stay tuned for that.
  6. Who wants to know what Sonic 2 used to look like before it came out on store shelves? I know I certainly do! Well, one way is to read our review of the Sonic 2 Beta, but another way is by watching these cool videos from Nickelodeon TV in the 1990s, where kids were tasked with playing a beta version of Sonic 2 long before the game was finished. The TV game show 'Nick Arcade' allowed contestants to play various computer games in order to win points, and on early 1992 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was one of them. The challenge was to collect 25 rings within a 30-second time limit - which was quite a hard task for young children, with a game they had never seen before. Take a look at Derek and Gina attempting it below. Sonic 2 Beta_ Nick Arcade Video Challenge (Derek and Gina, 1992).mp4 Sonic 2 also appeared in a further episode of 'Nick Arcade', during a 'Clarissa Explains It All' special where actors from the hit TV show featured as contestants. Melissa Joan Hart (who also played Sabrina the Teenage Witch) gave the 25-ring challenge a good go as well, but couldn't seem to get past a loop-de-loop (otherwise we're sure she would have completed the task). Sonic 2 Beta_ Nick Arcade Video Challenge (Melissa Joan Hart and Jason Zimbler, 1992).mp4 These videos were found and kindly shared by Sonic Area 51 Message Board user Hyper Saiyan Sonic, and encoded into MPEG by Ryoga Masaki. You can find them yourself by clicking this link.
  7. A new discovery within the Sonic community has unearthed new concept art for the original Sonic the Hedgehog game on Mega Drive that features the blue blur in a band, along with a host of new characters that would have predated Miles 'Tails' Prower as the hero's sidekicks. The most interesting find was the above piece of art. The 'Sonic the Hedgehog Band' features Sonic and fellow animal characters Max, Mach, Sharps and Vector (that last one ring any bells, Chaotix fans?) rocking out, and was originally going to feature in a Sound Test screen within Sonic 1. This ultimately got canned due to space restrictions on the cartridge. Alongside this, it was also discovered that the original Sonic game was going to feature a lady character whose name translates to 'Madonna', and that Bean the Dynamite from Sonic The Fighters is actually the son of Bin from the old Master System game, Dynamite Dux. The details were found on a Japanese language Sonic secrets website which included a page on profiles for characters within the original Mega Drive games. If we come across any more details on the above, we'll be sure to let you know. What a find! Via Sonic HQ
  8. Sonic 2 Beta. The image that sparked the biggest conspiracy in the Sonic community was a picture of a level select screen that no-one had seen before, found in the Official Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Guidebook. The booklet featured whole black and white maps to all the levels to the Mega Drive classic and included every cheat possible... Of course, there was one little thing that no-one could quite figure out. In the middle of the booklet was a small colour section titled "Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Lost Levels". The section featured screenshots of Dust Hill Zone and Hidden Palace Zone, along with many other canned Sonic 2 levels. This screenshot of the alternate title screen, with the alternate level select, was among these screenshots. And so that was that. We all left it at that - either an elaborate prank or some kind of cool nugget of information that nobody would ever uncover. But in 1998, a Sonic ROM investigator called Simon Wai vowed to search for those fabled 'Lost Levels', by inspecting every line of code within Sonic 2 ROMs, cartridges and any other form of media he could get his hands on. Thankfully, Sonic Team had kept most of the canned levels and sprites in the retail cartridge, to save time on completing the game. It was at this time that Wai had discovered leftover missing pieces hidden in the cartridge, and compiled them into a ROM for the Sonic games-playing public to try out. It is on this page that you can find out about the contents of the Sonic 2 BETA ROM, level by level. When you play the game the 'normal' way (by pressing Start), it seems that there are only four Zones to play, but by using the level select (holding A and pressing Start) we can get access to many more. Most of these stages have no sprites or backgrounds to speak of, however. Basically a big black screen with Sonic in it. But, there is one level that has been canned and has most of its sprites and backgrounds intact... Metropolis is the third Zone you encounter. Oddly, Aquatic Ruins [called Neo Green Hill Zone here] is the first level you come across, and, just like the two zones after it, there are absolutely no enemies to be found. In Aquatic Ruins there are even several places where there's no floor. One example is the beginning of the second Act, with the swinging platforms (remember that?) - well, if you fall into the water, you're as good as dead, mate. The next level after Aquatic Ruins is Casino Night, which isn't much different from the release version except for the scenery. The strangest thing is that the only boss in the entire BETA is the Emerald Hill Zone drill! And it appears... in Emerald Hill, which appears last in the BETA. Bizarre that. AND, playing the 'game' is frustrating at times as, yes you guessed it from the screenshot, Tails can LOSE you rings. Instead of cheerily bumping into enemies and just getting off lightly, his foolishness punishes you by losing all your rings. One of the mysterious levels hidden involves a level titled 'Genocide City'. When accessed however, you cannot move and the level is in no way complete at all. You just gracefully fall, as if paralysed, to your doom... until you do it again! We had an email from 'Stadium fan Elric Sullivan, to tell us what he thought about the stage... The canned level which you can freely play in Sonic 2 BETA is the Hidden Palace Zone. This level is only accessible via the level select, explained above. This level is very special to all Sonic fans, because this level has been the most talked about Sonic level ever on any game, and finally you can play this fantastic level. An interesting aspect of this level is explained in this little screenshot below. Clearly you are playing as Sonic, but it's a Tails Life icon. Could this mean that the Hidden Palace was a level only meant for Tails? Or maybe there's a much better explanation of it all. Also, you can find the Master Emerald in the Hidden Palace Zone. So, what were Sonic Team thinking at this stage? Obviously they had the Master Emerald story set up ages before Sonic 3, but maybe they held the idea back for a better storyline to link it with. Enter Knuckles... Everything is in this level, backdrops, cool effects, rings, even enemies can be found in here. In fact, the only part of the level that hasn't been completed was the very last part, a slope right at what seems to be the very end of the level. This kinda makes you wonder why Sonic Team would go out all their way to make a whole Act, then at the very last part just scrap it and leave it in the cartridge. Curious... Emerald Hill is the final Zone you come across in this ROM, and it may well have been placed at the end of the game at the time - there are strange new enemies unlike those seen in the Sonic 2 release version. And whenever you're about to hit the spikes, you'll feel glad that you have rings to protect you; because a split second later, you hear Tails lose rings nearby, then YOU hit the danger and die from it. Typical. Cheats Level Select For a Level Select, simply hold A and press START. Simple, huh? Bear in mind that most of the levels that you select are not finished, or aren't even there. When that happens, just hit Reset. Debug Mode At the Title screen quickly press C, C, C, C, Up, Down, Down, Down, Down, C, Up. A chime will will confirm the entry. Hold A and press START to access the level select and hold A and START when selecting your level. You now have debug - pause the game and press A to reset, B for slow motion and C for frame advance. Unpaused, you can press B to change Sonic into an item, C to place the selected item on the game field, and A to change your item. B returns you back to Sonic. Alternate Debug Mode At the title screen press C, C, C, Up, Down, Down, Down, Down, Up, A and START. Hold A and START when selecting your level. The controls for Debug Mode are explained above. Play at Night To play Sonic 2 BETA at night (merely darker background sprites), then hold C and press START. Screenshots
  9. We finally have an idea of what Sonic 2’s most infamously named scrapped level, Genocide City (aka Cyber City) would’ve looked like. For the first time ever, some pixel art and the palette from the long lost stage have been released to the public courtesy of video game developer, preservationist and historian Frank Cifaldi. Cifaldi took a photo of documents featuring the art during a meeting with Tom Payne, a Sonic 2 level designer who worked on Genocide City. Take a look: Cifaldi posted the photo to the discord of Hidden Palace, a game preservation site, and it eventually found its way to Sonic Retro thanks to Sonic Retro user The joebro64. Sonic Retro researcher ICEknight took the palette from the documents and applied it to Metropolis Zone Act 3, known to be a leftover from Genocide City’s development, to give us an idea of what the level might’ve looked like in game. Check out their work below: via Sonic Retro Forums
  10. Sonic Crackers was announced for the Sega 32X soon after Sonic 1 and 2 was released on the Mega Drive. It's initial WIP title was actually 'Sonic Stadium', believe it or not! Crackers featured much of the same action that you can now find in Knuckles Chaotix, which was released in 1995. It was assumed that Sonic Crackers was lost to the world, but a ROM of the prototype has surfaced and we can now tell you the odds and ends of this curious little game. The first obvious thing this demo reminds you of is Knuckles Chaotix, even though this was meant to be released years beforehand. The first player controls Sonic, who is holding a ring connected - rubber-band style - to Tails. Either the computer or a friend can control Tails, but this BETA is best played with another friend, as the computer is especially dumb here. Your goal is to reach the end of the level before the time limit hits and kills you. Well, not really kills you - more like crashes your system (don't worry, resetting will put things back to normal). At least, you might have been able to reach the end within the time limit, if the game actually let you. But as soon as you reach the goal marker (by cheating or otherwise), the game crashes anyway. Lovely. This game is really only good for sightseeing, not for playing as such. This is emphasised to the point that there are only two potential levels to play through. Yes, the screenshot above and the one before it are the only two level you can really access, and you can only access the second level via the 'Select' option on the title screen. Playing the levels can be a tricky business. Unless you're playing the second level, of course, then it's an impossible business. You have to get through the level with teamwork and co-operation. Running in a straight line with your partner is simple enough, but when it comes to disagreements, the springy coil that connects the two rings together will bounce you around like... a lemon being bounced around. You can also grab your friend and throw them up onto ledges, so that they can help you up using the coil. If you think the computer is being a little bit nobbish - or if you want to look around the level, struggle for survival or cheat to get to the end - just pause the screen and you can re-position your characters anywhere on the level. Of course, it won't do much good trying to cheat to the end unless you want to crash the game. The time stops as well, so you don't have to worry about sightseeing one minute and the game crashing the next. Go to the 'Select' screen, and you'll find that levels are set in Attractions and Fields. Attractions are the main levels, whereas if you select the 'Field' option on any world, you'll be taken to a screen like the one below. There's no point in it - Sega probably added this in as a level select, moving from level to level like in an RPG. The 'Select' screen looks pretty bland, but option screens don't make up gameplay do they, so I should shut up about that for a start. There are many worlds to choose from, each with a field, and five Attractions. Only some of the Attractions are actually playable past the title cards: most of them will just crash or screw up in some way. If you do get past the title cards of death, then all you'll find are the same two levels detailed earlier, but with different colour schemes. Doesn't seem so interesting now, does it? If you fancy an unplayable, ring-bouncy (I don't know -_-) laugh, then check this out.
  11. Remember when Sega of America was producing a Mega Drive classics pack for the Dreamcast? Well, it seems like Sega Japan is also getting in on the compilation action - only on PC. Whereas a single Sega Smash Pack exists in the US right now, in Japan there are three such bundles for Windows computers, one of which includes Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The Mega Drive sequel is available from Sega PC Japan's website, in Volume 3 of the 'Sega Archives from USA' collection. Volume 2 also appears to be a Japan-only PC release, titled 'Sega Puzzle Pack' and containing amongst other things Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Volume 1 contains the same games as Sega Smash Pack, if you're wondering). The full list of games available on the two Japanese packs are as follows: Volume 2 Columns III Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine Lose Your Marbles Volume 3 Vectorman 2 Kid Chameleon Flicky Super Hang-On Comix Zone Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Shining Force
  12. If you've shelled out for the Switch Online Expansion Pack for the bonus retro games, Sonic Spinball, Shining Force II, and Space Harrier II have been added to the Genesis app. To coincide with this update, Nintendo released a brief gameplay sample of each: There have been plenty of collections and re-releases of these games, but let's be real, the true hero of these releases is the rewind. Sonic Spinball is hard. It's not very long, no, but have you ever made it to that final stage? It's absolutely insane. So if you're already invested in the pack, why not just boot it up and cheat your heart out? I won't hold it against you. View full story
  13. Yeah, so this backstory was apparently written by Sega of Japan back during development of the first game and subsequently translated by the Sega Technical Institute, and it easily beats the Sonic Bible as the weirdest ex-canon origin for Sonic. Though, to be honest, I don't hate the idea of It's weird and a lot is left unexplained, but it doesn't technically contradict the game canon, So until Sega makes an official game origin, this is the closest we'll get to a true origin for Sonic.
  14. So I've seen several of you say around here that you want gameplay like that of the Genesis games, but in full 3d. How would you go about implementing it? Myself, I think it is not that hard to do, but I see one problem: -At the speed Sonic goes, it would be extremely hard to bounce on enemies in 3d unless you had some kind of homing attack (which pretty much goes against the Genesis formula). Any ideas? Discuss?
  15. Hey there! I'm SaturnPhoenix. For the past couple of years, I've been doing various remixes of various Sonic music. I've also done remixes of many other pieces of music from various video games by Sega, Nintendo & more. Another thing I'm into is making remixes of song by famous bands and artists (Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, etc) and making them sound as if they were played on a Sega Genesis. Currently, I've made over 200 different remixes including at least 68 Sonic remixes and two full Green Day albums (American Idiot and Dookie) done in Sega Genesis style. Here's a playlist with most of the Sonic remixes I've done so far, including a range of songs from the first game on Genesis to Lost World! https://soundcloud.com/saturnphoenix/sets/sound-test-the-music-of-sonic If you wanna check out my other music, you can do so by clicking the link below! https://soundcloud.com/saturnphoenix All of my songs also include a free MP3 or FLAC download on their song pages. I also do take requests, so if you have a song you'd like to hear me remix, feel free to message me or comment your request below. I hope you all enjoy what I've made so far. If you have any comments, suggestions or tips for me, feel free to comment those below as well!
  16. If you'd like to spend the most awkward 13 minutes of your life watching some drunk guy cry about a video game (with ridiculous production values for some strange reason), then boy do I have the perfect/worst thing for you. -Smoovies
  17. The classic Sonic games are so overrated IMO. A lot of issues that people complain about in newer Sonic games are present in the older games. 1. "Not enough speedy sections. - Remember Labyrinth Zone, Marble Zone, Oil Ocean? Those zones are slow, and half of Sonic 1's zones are slow too. 2. There's only a few good games in a pile of lame ones. - Most of the crappy Sonic games nowadays are spin-offs. And I don't know if you forgot, but the classic Sonic spin-offs we're mediocre or terrible. Sonic Blast, Sonic Labyrinth, Sonic 3D Blast, the Tails games, the list goes on. And while 3D Sonic has had huge stumbles, it still has great games. Sonic Adventure 1 and 2, Sonic Advance 1-3, Sonic Rush and Rush Adventure, Sonic Colors, Sonic Generations, Sonic Battle, Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing... Honestly, most people who hate on modern Sonic are seriously being irrational and unfair, and can't seem to look at the pure facts. I know there is some really bad modern Sonic games, (Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic '06, Secret Rings, Black Knight) but when you're gonna hate on a series, AT LEAST know what you're talking about! While I love the classic games, I still have to say that the Modern games are better, but hey that's just my opinion? What's yours? P.S: Sorry if this topic has been done to death before.
  18. I thought I would start a thread asking you what your best and/or worst Sonic games are. You can give just your best game, worst game, or both, it's all up to you. One thing I ask of you is to please elaborate on your opinion. As for me, I don't have a best Sonic game yet as I haven't played that many, and I only recently got back into the franchise. My choice of worst Sonic game is an easy one: Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis for the Game Boy Advance. Why? The framerate is terrible, making it very uneasy to the eyes and making the game unplayable. There is also the zoom to fit the GBA screen size, making it almost impossible to see enemies coming towards you while you are running. The music is also atrocious, even with the GBA's not very outstanding sound quality. The arrangements of all the tracks (with the exception of Star Light Zone) are either raped (Green Hill Zone, Spring Yard Zone, Labyrinth Zone) or half-arsed (all the others). And finally, the slowdown that is all over the game: For example, the speed shoes causes slowdown, jumping causes slowdown, having 3 or more enemies on the screen causes slowdown, the water (which is slow enough in the original) also slows down the game, and (not sure if this is true but many people have said it), the sound actually causes most of the lag. That's my opinion, what are yours?
  19. Mota Landen

    G-LOC:Air Battle

    I don't just think it's the best flight sim on the Genesis, it's also one of the nicest looking Genesis games ever. Albeit different from the original arcade, SMS and Game Gear versions of G-LOC, I remember first playing this version on the SEGA Channel while on vacation at my uncle's house back in 1997, and I remember playing this game, but I completely forgot all about it and never remembered what game it was until I picked up the cartridge recently. The funny thing is that I've played the original arcade version of G-LOC a couple of times in between that time in 1997 and when I picked up this version of the game again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztWkUCgKrWQ
  20. It took a little longer than planned, but SEGA has finally re-released Sonic 3D Blast onto RealPlayer's RealOne Arcade service. This was the final 16-bit Sonic the Hedgehog title to launch on the platform, with Sonic Spinball, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine and the mainline platformers all releasing a few months ago. As with other Mega Drive/Genesis games on the service, Sonic 3D comes as a 'free' download that includes an install of RealOne Arcade. From there, you'll get to enjoy a demo of the isometric adventure - if you want to experience the full game, it'll cost you $14.99. You'll need a minimum of 32MB RAM, 35MB free disk space, Direct 7.0 or higher and a Pentium II 266MHZ or above to run it all, according to SEGA's official webpage. Original Post Content: View full story
  21. They said it was coming, and now it has come. Sonic Spinball is available on RealPlayer's RealOne Arcade service starting today. You can download it for free, and you get a one-hour trial where you can tackle the Veg-O-Fortress to your heart's content... and if you want to keep playing after that hour, it will cost you $14.99 for the full version.] According to SEGA's RealOne page, Sonic 3D is also coming later this month. So stay tuned for that. View full story
  22. Who wants to know what Sonic 2 used to look like before it came out on store shelves? I know I certainly do! Well, one way is to read our review of the Sonic 2 Beta, but another way is by watching these cool videos from Nickelodeon TV in the 1990s, where kids were tasked with playing a beta version of Sonic 2 long before the game was finished. The TV game show 'Nick Arcade' allowed contestants to play various computer games in order to win points, and on early 1992 Sonic the Hedgehog 2 was one of them. The challenge was to collect 25 rings within a 30-second time limit - which was quite a hard task for young children, with a game they had never seen before. Take a look at Derek and Gina attempting it below. Sonic 2 Beta_ Nick Arcade Video Challenge (Derek and Gina, 1992).mp4 Sonic 2 also appeared in a further episode of 'Nick Arcade', during a 'Clarissa Explains It All' special where actors from the hit TV show featured as contestants. Melissa Joan Hart (who also played Sabrina the Teenage Witch) gave the 25-ring challenge a good go as well, but couldn't seem to get past a loop-de-loop (otherwise we're sure she would have completed the task). Sonic 2 Beta_ Nick Arcade Video Challenge (Melissa Joan Hart and Jason Zimbler, 1992).mp4 These videos were found and kindly shared by Sonic Area 51 Message Board user Hyper Saiyan Sonic, and encoded into MPEG by Ryoga Masaki. You can find them yourself by clicking this link. View full story
  23. A new discovery within the Sonic community has unearthed new concept art for the original Sonic the Hedgehog game on Mega Drive that features the blue blur in a band, along with a host of new characters that would have predated Miles 'Tails' Prower as the hero's sidekicks. The most interesting find was the above piece of art. The 'Sonic the Hedgehog Band' features Sonic and fellow animal characters Max, Mach, Sharps and Vector (that last one ring any bells, Chaotix fans?) rocking out, and was originally going to feature in a Sound Test screen within Sonic 1. This ultimately got canned due to space restrictions on the cartridge. Alongside this, it was also discovered that the original Sonic game was going to feature a lady character whose name translates to 'Madonna', and that Bean the Dynamite from Sonic The Fighters is actually the son of Bin from the old Master System game, Dynamite Dux. The details were found on a Japanese language Sonic secrets website which included a page on profiles for characters within the original Mega Drive games. If we come across any more details on the above, we'll be sure to let you know. What a find! Via Sonic HQ View full story
  24. Sonic 2 Beta. The image that sparked the biggest conspiracy in the Sonic community was a picture of a level select screen that no-one had seen before, found in the Official Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Guidebook. The booklet featured whole black and white maps to all the levels to the Mega Drive classic and included every cheat possible... Of course, there was one little thing that no-one could quite figure out. In the middle of the booklet was a small colour section titled "Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Lost Levels". The section featured screenshots of Dust Hill Zone and Hidden Palace Zone, along with many other canned Sonic 2 levels. This screenshot of the alternate title screen, with the alternate level select, was among these screenshots. And so that was that. We all left it at that - either an elaborate prank or some kind of cool nugget of information that nobody would ever uncover. But in 1998, a Sonic ROM investigator called Simon Wai vowed to search for those fabled 'Lost Levels', by inspecting every line of code within Sonic 2 ROMs, cartridges and any other form of media he could get his hands on. Thankfully, Sonic Team had kept most of the canned levels and sprites in the retail cartridge, to save time on completing the game. It was at this time that Wai had discovered leftover missing pieces hidden in the cartridge, and compiled them into a ROM for the Sonic games-playing public to try out. It is on this page that you can find out about the contents of the Sonic 2 BETA ROM, level by level. When you play the game the 'normal' way (by pressing Start), it seems that there are only four Zones to play, but by using the level select (holding A and pressing Start) we can get access to many more. Most of these stages have no sprites or backgrounds to speak of, however. Basically a big black screen with Sonic in it. But, there is one level that has been canned and has most of its sprites and backgrounds intact... Metropolis is the third Zone you encounter. Oddly, Aquatic Ruins [called Neo Green Hill Zone here] is the first level you come across, and, just like the two zones after it, there are absolutely no enemies to be found. In Aquatic Ruins there are even several places where there's no floor. One example is the beginning of the second Act, with the swinging platforms (remember that?) - well, if you fall into the water, you're as good as dead, mate. The next level after Aquatic Ruins is Casino Night, which isn't much different from the release version except for the scenery. The strangest thing is that the only boss in the entire BETA is the Emerald Hill Zone drill! And it appears... in Emerald Hill, which appears last in the BETA. Bizarre that. AND, playing the 'game' is frustrating at times as, yes you guessed it from the screenshot, Tails can LOSE you rings. Instead of cheerily bumping into enemies and just getting off lightly, his foolishness punishes you by losing all your rings. One of the mysterious levels hidden involves a level titled 'Genocide City'. When accessed however, you cannot move and the level is in no way complete at all. You just gracefully fall, as if paralysed, to your doom... until you do it again! We had an email from 'Stadium fan Elric Sullivan, to tell us what he thought about the stage... The canned level which you can freely play in Sonic 2 BETA is the Hidden Palace Zone. This level is only accessible via the level select, explained above. This level is very special to all Sonic fans, because this level has been the most talked about Sonic level ever on any game, and finally you can play this fantastic level. An interesting aspect of this level is explained in this little screenshot below. Clearly you are playing as Sonic, but it's a Tails Life icon. Could this mean that the Hidden Palace was a level only meant for Tails? Or maybe there's a much better explanation of it all. Also, you can find the Master Emerald in the Hidden Palace Zone. So, what were Sonic Team thinking at this stage? Obviously they had the Master Emerald story set up ages before Sonic 3, but maybe they held the idea back for a better storyline to link it with. Enter Knuckles... Everything is in this level, backdrops, cool effects, rings, even enemies can be found in here. In fact, the only part of the level that hasn't been completed was the very last part, a slope right at what seems to be the very end of the level. This kinda makes you wonder why Sonic Team would go out all their way to make a whole Act, then at the very last part just scrap it and leave it in the cartridge. Curious... Emerald Hill is the final Zone you come across in this ROM, and it may well have been placed at the end of the game at the time - there are strange new enemies unlike those seen in the Sonic 2 release version. And whenever you're about to hit the spikes, you'll feel glad that you have rings to protect you; because a split second later, you hear Tails lose rings nearby, then YOU hit the danger and die from it. Typical. Cheats Level Select For a Level Select, simply hold A and press START. Simple, huh? Bear in mind that most of the levels that you select are not finished, or aren't even there. When that happens, just hit Reset. Debug Mode At the Title screen quickly press C, C, C, C, Up, Down, Down, Down, Down, C, Up. A chime will will confirm the entry. Hold A and press START to access the level select and hold A and START when selecting your level. You now have debug - pause the game and press A to reset, B for slow motion and C for frame advance. Unpaused, you can press B to change Sonic into an item, C to place the selected item on the game field, and A to change your item. B returns you back to Sonic. Alternate Debug Mode At the title screen press C, C, C, Up, Down, Down, Down, Down, Up, A and START. Hold A and START when selecting your level. The controls for Debug Mode are explained above. Play at Night To play Sonic 2 BETA at night (merely darker background sprites), then hold C and press START. Screenshots View full story
  25. Sonic Crackers was announced for the Sega 32X soon after Sonic 1 and 2 was released on the Mega Drive. It's initial WIP title was actually 'Sonic Stadium', believe it or not! Crackers featured much of the same action that you can now find in Knuckles Chaotix, which was released in 1995. It was assumed that Sonic Crackers was lost to the world, but a ROM of the prototype has surfaced and we can now tell you the odds and ends of this curious little game. The first obvious thing this demo reminds you of is Knuckles Chaotix, even though this was meant to be released years beforehand. The first player controls Sonic, who is holding a ring connected - rubber-band style - to Tails. Either the computer or a friend can control Tails, but this BETA is best played with another friend, as the computer is especially dumb here. Your goal is to reach the end of the level before the time limit hits and kills you. Well, not really kills you - more like crashes your system (don't worry, resetting will put things back to normal). At least, you might have been able to reach the end within the time limit, if the game actually let you. But as soon as you reach the goal marker (by cheating or otherwise), the game crashes anyway. Lovely. This game is really only good for sightseeing, not for playing as such. This is emphasised to the point that there are only two potential levels to play through. Yes, the screenshot above and the one before it are the only two level you can really access, and you can only access the second level via the 'Select' option on the title screen. Playing the levels can be a tricky business. Unless you're playing the second level, of course, then it's an impossible business. You have to get through the level with teamwork and co-operation. Running in a straight line with your partner is simple enough, but when it comes to disagreements, the springy coil that connects the two rings together will bounce you around like... a lemon being bounced around. You can also grab your friend and throw them up onto ledges, so that they can help you up using the coil. If you think the computer is being a little bit nobbish - or if you want to look around the level, struggle for survival or cheat to get to the end - just pause the screen and you can re-position your characters anywhere on the level. Of course, it won't do much good trying to cheat to the end unless you want to crash the game. The time stops as well, so you don't have to worry about sightseeing one minute and the game crashing the next. Go to the 'Select' screen, and you'll find that levels are set in Attractions and Fields. Attractions are the main levels, whereas if you select the 'Field' option on any world, you'll be taken to a screen like the one below. There's no point in it - Sega probably added this in as a level select, moving from level to level like in an RPG. The 'Select' screen looks pretty bland, but option screens don't make up gameplay do they, so I should shut up about that for a start. There are many worlds to choose from, each with a field, and five Attractions. Only some of the Attractions are actually playable past the title cards: most of them will just crash or screw up in some way. If you do get past the title cards of death, then all you'll find are the same two levels detailed earlier, but with different colour schemes. Doesn't seem so interesting now, does it? If you fancy an unplayable, ring-bouncy (I don't know -_-) laugh, then check this out. View full story
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

You must read and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy to continue using this website. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.