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.

TSR Overdrive: New Animated Short Races to Impress

Is that...NO, NOT YACKER!

Sega's done it again. In a style somewhat similar to Mania Adventures (yeah, congrats, there's no talking classic fanatics), a new animated short has been released!

So far Team Sonic, Rose, and Dark have appeared, as well as Eggman and an Egg Pawn. So that leaves Team Vector and Dona-whatever-his-name-is. I think including Blaze and Silver would be a real treat since they haven't appeared in any Sonic cartoons to this date--and of course who wouldn't want to see Vector--but we'll have to wait and see...

Apparently the reason they don't have dialogue is not actually to mimic Mania. Modern Sonic = talking, but they didn't have voice work done due to the cost of translating to other countries. I'm sure it's actually worked to their favor, here, though.

and, uh...PEACE!

Creative, funny. I don't think it's animation is quite as good as Mania--but it has a lot more elements and characters to consider.

At the moment it sounds like there will only be 2 parts, with the second airing in April. But maybe with a little fan persuasion...

This awesome-ness does have one drawback, however. Those rumors about a "new cartoon" (as fans claimed, "to replace Sonic Boom") that everyone jumped at can all likely be drawn back to this. And it's awesome, but it's just another promotional mini-series.

I like it and hope this is a sign that Sega will continue to create shorts for games in the future. TELL ME, SILVER. I WANT TO KNOW.


Team Sonic Racing has a lot of hype now, between the trailers, the one-off comic, the pushed date, and now these shorts. Lets just hope it doesn't blow up in their faces!

Always look both ways before crossing the street, kids.

Sonic 06 is Better than Colors (Part 3)

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 3

The Controls

First off, this is not a gameplay comparison. 06 is glitched up, and I'm not challenging that fact. I'm talking about the literal buttons you press. 06 is basic, pretty much like any other Sonic game on a Playstation/Xbox/etc system. For Colors, the Wii is thrown in there.

No Sonic game on the Wii is alike in controls. Secret rings was designed to make the most of the possibilities, and relied on actions in addition to pressing buttons. Zero Gravity was mostly holding the Wii remote sideways and occasionally tilting it. Black Knight had to use the nunchuck.

Colors gave several options, but if the player has it sideways (as with a normal Wii remote, not buying/using the classic controller, etc) the controls can get quite annoying. It's easy to mis-press buttons or get it confused, but the worst dilemma comes from the B button, which is slide. On a Wii remote, the B button is right about where your left pointer finger is while holding the controller. In this Sonic Colors, it means slide. So when I play it, I end up hitting slide by accident repeatedly.

Now, combine this with what I call "sh*tty 2D" segments (I'm fine with 2D--I love 2D, but a trend in Sonic games, mainly since Sonic Unleashed, is to combine 2D and 3D. That's fine, I like that. Looks cool. Enter the "sh*tty 2D": areas with pint-sized platforms and NO BOTTOM. Bottom less pits, bottom less pits everywhere. Now imagine Sonic landing carefully on a teeny-tiny piece of land--only to immediately slide to death. A couple more times and it's GAME, OVER. uuuuugh.

Seems like a small issue. It's a HUGE issue that makes the 2D sections almost unplayable.

06 had some bottomless pits, but the platforms were gigantic compared to the spots in Colors. And the slide button was not something you hit by accident. In Unleashed, the slide button wasn't hit by accident. In any normal game, you don't accidentally hit what will result in death. UUUUUUUUGGHH.

Why does it seem like I'm the only one with this problem? Oh, who am I kidding, the world thinks sh*t Sonic Colors is good yet they hate 06.

No, it's not over yet! The story will continue in Part 4...

SonicComics: Ghosts of The Future (Fancomic) Review

Ghosts of the Future is a fan-comic by Evan Stanley, who even got a job at Archie comics and now works for IDW.

The plot is a lot darker than the games, but it is executed in a way that transitions the reader to accepting that point. The main plot is set around Sonic and Shadow trying to get Silver to accept his position as "the chosen one" and track down the chaos emeralds. Did I mention Sonic is a ghost and the reason he's dead is that Shadow killed him?
Yeah.
But hold on, don't get scared off. It gets very good. I'm above to dive into spoiler territory, so if you're interested, here is a link to the first issue.

General 

I have to say I kind of had my doubts. I typically stay away from fanfics because anything goes (ANYTHING). Shady. But once I heard about this comic and how popular it was, I decided to check it out--and I'm glad I did. It's definitely worth reading.

Visuals

Original issue

GotF has gone through an amazing transformation. While the original issues had their plot going for them, they looked a little off. Sonic and Co didn't quite have their right shape. Too human-ish?
Slowly the drawings get better, get in color, and then: BLAMO! Suddenly they look amazing. Evan Stanley does a great job and the colors and details look very professional.

Issue 17

Their are some weird details that continue through out, though. This includes a mix of: no gloves, no shoes, added pants or shorts, added shirts, other clothes, different shoes, etc. Although it isn't exactly "normal" or typical Sonic, it hardly gets in the way of the story and sometimes has comedic effect. 

Silver in early GotF (left) and Silver in IDW (right).

Plot/Story Arcs

Although the main plot (find the chaos emeralds) hasn't changed, there have been plenty of other plots and it is well balanced with the main characters. The first issues mostly just set up the story. It starts picking up with the Secret Rings arc and never really stops. Some issues are better than others and the later ones especially are addicting. Flashbacks have been added, and they are a nice touch, really helping to understand certain characters.

There are a couple points that are a little confusing or hard to understand, like that thing with Sonic and Metal Sonic. Hopefully that will be expanded on later.

The series has also started "crossing over" into other series. First Archie (though with Scourge and Mobeius, not the main/"prime" crew). Now Fleetway. I'm less enthusiastic about Fleetway but to be fair I'm not exactly a STC fan (or Boomer or whatever). Something I'd really like to see is an appearance by Silver/Gold/Von Shelmmer from Sonic Universe's"the Silver Age" (and it's likely to happen, given that Stanley wrote that arc). Something else that has been suggested on Evan Stanley's blog is them meeting another universe/world like their own yet very different. That could be interesting, too, but we'll just have to wait to see if any of this happens... 

The series has been able to add in hints of the games and I'm waiting for Blaze to met other-dimension Blaze. That'd be cool.

While I'm rambling: I find the background "lore" a little complicated if not disturbing, but that's mostly explaining how this world is different and doesn't have too much of an impact on the comics.

It's got it's awkward moments, but it will exceed anybody's expectations. It's pretty amazing, actually.

Characters and Dialogue

Silver--it was pretty weird seeing Silver living a "normal" life, but that doesn't last long. He's has the same personality from the games, but with a bit of added awkwardness. That being said, Silver's himself is a bit awkward, but that's a good thing.

Sonic--Sonic is his same old, cocky self, but he's got a lot of sadness, too. He lost all his friends, and it's hard when versions of them remind him of that time. He's also ghostly, so he's got various skills like possession. I think that's interesting, but it's a bit disappointing that he's not the "real" Sonic, or however it's explained (that's part of my confusion). I'd say the best thing about GotF Sonic is actually how he interacts with Shadow (which is very amusing). These versions of Sonic and Shadow have spent years together and so...

Shadow--If Shadow seemed emo before, it's worse now. He (under Eggmans control, thanks to Nicole) killed Tails, Amy, Knuckles, and Sonic. At first I was worried he seemed a little too funny (don't worry, serious funny not Sonic-funny), but it sorta dies down as they get into the bigger stories. He's pretty awesome; I like the flashbacks, too.

Blaze--I didn't really like GotF Blaze at first. She was too...she, like broke up with Silver and they weren't even a couple yet...if that make sense? But later when she comes clean with Silver and opens up to him she becomes one of the comic's best characters.

Tikal--We don't see Tikal to much, yet we seem to see her more here than in the games. She's sort of like a teacher, the guide. But we also get to see that she's not perfect, either.

Nicole--Nicole was a shock to everyone. Awesomely evil. Something tells me we haven't seen the last of her, either...

Other Minor Characters--Silver's family plays a bigger role than it seems. I really like Vinnie, and there's something going on with Metal Sonic...

Guest Stars--GotF has seen several guest stars from the games, or versions of them. This is great because of how it impacts the different characters. I also like that the interpretations are respectful to their origins (for example, Scourge symbol-swears like he did in Archie).

Final Thoughts 

Also, Tikal and Sonic look cute together.

It's a little mature. So for teens and older, it's awesome, but for some of the younger "kiddie" fans I would recommend waiting a few years (but I doubt those kids would find this anyway).

Issue 16 is probably my favorite. After a lot of stressful events, it was a nice moment that brought all the characters together.

The whole thing is pretty awesome and good for Evan (that she's kept up with this series and that she's pro now). It's a good comic that has grown both with it's plot/characters, and with it's art.