The Light's Green: Team Sonic Racing Overdrive Returns

Another AMAZING animation in anticipation for Team Sonic Racing has been released. Part 2: Eyes on the Prize.

Honestly, though, I was kind of disappointed there were less characters than last time.

At least we got Team Dark.  

And Team Hero. And Eggman.

I was kind of hoping to see "Team Vector" since neither Blaze nor Silver have ever made it into animated material (Vector has been in Sonic X and Sonic Boom).

However it is very expressive and I suppose what it lacks in characters it makes up for in visuals.

I still have some hope that there will be a surprise "Part 3" (considering Mania Adventures--which had 6 parts to begin with--had an additional 7th). But the game comes out in May, and TSR is not a part of the "main series" (as a racing game, it's a spin-off). It likely does not have as much of a priority. I wonder what kind of opening TSR will have (if any).

Crush 40's song for the game, "Green Light Ride" is also used in this short. Crush 40, of course, is known for their Sonic themes and haven't made the title theme since 2009 (since then they've done some covers as well as "Sonic Youth"). I know I keep stressing this, but it's a long time coming (TEN YEARS? How did that happen?). 

Ultimately, I hope that Sega continues to work with Tyson Hesse and that these shorts become a regular alongside new games. They're awesome, creative, and too good to ignore.   

Unlike trailers.

Quote of the Month

"Damn! Not here..."
--Shadow the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog

GlitchOut

Now I'm not sure if I'm really making this a thing. But I'm kind of busy/have to push things back for now so...

Sonic 06--
Sonic kicking on top of a box in New City results in the box floating.

Useful-ness: 

• To explore New City (or Town or whatever it is) further.
• To float "to the edge of the universe." 
• To get "inside" buildings since "there are no roofs."
• To kill your amigo characters (Tails, Knuckles).
• Personal amusement.

Instruction:

1. Go to New Town or proceed until the Story allows access to New Town. 
2. Hop on box (preferably near the warehouse or the ones by the sea/giant rock. 
3. Continuously kick (careful not to slide-same button). 
4. Start over on alternate box if it does not float. 
5. Float away Sonic, be freeeeeeeee. 

Notes:

• This did not work the most recent time I tried (after the story had been completed). I'm not sure if this glitch can be repeated after the end or if 06 just didn't feel like glitching-out that day.  

UPDATE: You defiantly can do this glitch at the end of the game. I guess it just works best if Sonic has someone following him (Tails, Knuckles) though I am not sure. 

Sonic 06 is Better than Colors (Part 4)

I started a list of reasons Sonic 06 is better than Colors. Surprisingly, this ended up being rather lengthy. So, I decided to make this a mini-series of sorts.

Part 4 The Level Ups/Power Ups/Upgrades

In 06, like most main-Sonic games, there are mandatory level ups like light dash. There are optional, extra abilities that can be purchased with rings toward the end of the game.

Sonic (Gems)
RED--Slows time down
BLUE--Boost ("mach" speed)
GREEN--Wind/tornado attack
WHITE--homing smash
YELLOW--Thunder guard/shield
SKY--Gun drive/throw gem
PURPLE--Scaled down/tiny Sonic

Shadow (Memory Shards)
RED--Chaos Blast chaos spear upgraded
BLACK--Chaos Blast upgraded attack

The gems are really cool because they make tings easier and can be used forever. What's especially great about them (sky specifically) is that it makes it easier for Sonic to glitch past areas and finish the level faster. It was probably unintended but it's a great asset.

Shadow's upgrades (with their given descriptions) are misleading. However all they do is add to the already-fairly-awesome-but-could-have-been-awesomer Chaos Blast.

In all, the level ups benefit the gameplay, and while some are kind of suckie (Blue gem), most are very useful.

Onto Sonic Colors, and the levels-ups are temporary--like getting invincibility shortly. But in this case, the Wisps double as both a plot device and a level-up, helping Sonic take different forms. Sounds cool, right? It's not.

Sonic (Wisps)
WHITE--Boost
CYAN--Laser
YELLOW--Drill
GREEN--Hover
BLUE--Cube
PURPLE--Frenzy
VIOLET--Void
RED--Burst
PINK--Spikes

Really, I find the "wisp" gimmick more of a nuisance than a help. It slows the gameplay down, and there are plenty of parts when you have to use them.

Having them fuel the boost is very annoying, and I prefer the other methods of fueling it like rings (Unleashed) or the trick system (Rush). 

Using the wisps means the player has to be very precise (like aiming the rocket or laser) and they usually backfire. The drill, rocket, and cube suck. Hover, laser, frenzy, and burst can be hard to control.

Every single level is ruined by these annoying f@!*king wisps and the annoying b*stard that keeps narrating "HOVER!" "LASER!" "ROCKET!" uuuuugh. And that's the same awful voice as whoever says "Game Over?" Who is that?

[lets see, the only credits include Roger Craig Smith, Kate Higgins, Mike Pollock, Kirk Thornton, or Wally Wingert...I assume it's not Kate Higgins because she's a girl--even if she is voicing Tails--I wouldn't expect it to be Thorton because I think I'd recognize "old-man-shadow" voice (but than again he voiced Orbot and I didn't remember that one)...it'd be easy to pin on Roger "Crap" Smith 'cause I hate his Sonic-voice but I don't remember...You know what, I have no idea. For all I know it's a computer. I'd have to look up the voice, listen to it, and try to figure it out--but I HATE THAT VOICE so I'm not gonna' do that...whoever you are, you're in my "worst voices" list along with Smith and the new guy who voices Jet!]
EDIT: It is Smith (confirmed from Sonic Generations).

Anyway, the wisps are very annoying an disrupt the gameplay instead of add to it. What really ticks me off is that since idiots labeled this "good," Sega assumed their fans were on their knees begging for more wisps and now they're in every frickn' game. I hate them, and they keep coming back. The only game even tried to fix them was Forces, which for the most part turned them into guns (because Sega's too afraid to bring guns back). "Wispons."

Yet they still fuel the frickn' boost. ARGH.

So while 06 had some cool--pretty much unfinished/broken, but cool--additions, Colors created slo-mo aliens nobody likes.