Click play to get a rolling start. Did you hear that Daytona USA came out on Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network? You may have heard from us several times that it came out last year, but if you’re still not convinced, perhaps the vocalist for the songs may persuade your interest?

Sega’s US branch uploaded a 10 minute trailer on their YouTube account with Takenobu Mitsuyoshi detailing the Karaoke Mode for the digital download release, which allows you to have instrumental versions of songs play as you drive around the track (Or have the game run the track for you) and display the lyrics on screen (Which he demonstrates as ‘loudly’ as possible.) As an additional bonus, Mitsuyoshi-san also sings “Lets Go Away” for the latter half of the trailer.

Despite Sonic 4 being readily available to iOS and Windows Phone 7 users for quite some time now, it seems Sega has finally decided that those of the Android persuasion should be so fortunate to finally get Sonic 4: Episode 1 for general consumption, launching on the Android Marketplace for only $3.99/£2.56/€3.05.

Actually, this version of Sonic 4 is once again an oddity compared to the others. Like its mobile brethren, it shares the same stages. That’s right, that means everyone’s favorite minecart level and 100,000 point pinball challenge are back. It also includes the console version’s overworld, though in a much more static variety. Curiously enough, the game also uses the graphical assets of the iPad version, which makes Sonic and his environs look more detailed.

A word of caution for those of you with tinfoil hats: Sonic 4, for some reason, requires permissions to have access to your phone number, potentially knowing who you’re calling. Why a game of all things would need this is beyond us, but we are guessing it may have something to do with a potential phone database where Sonic Brand Manager Ken Balough will personally call you to tell you about Sonic 4: Episode 2. Insider sources!

The Escapist : Zero Punctuation : Sonic Generations

Funniest thing I’ve watched all week. I’ve been waiting for this review for so long. I’m glad somebody else besides me pointed out the Rouge the Bat “tit shaking” challenge.

Now, predictably comment like you’re defending your life’s worth.

The American government recently made an attempt to enact rules to regulate protection of intellectual properties and to take down piracy. Thanks to the millions of people who shared their anger for overbearing protection and angry high school kids cheating on their homework, both the SOPA and PIPA bills have been suspended for reconsideration. What great timing for this, and the re-release of Sonic CD for PC platforms via Steam, as it lets us recall an incident as early as 1993 during the US Senate hearings for violent video games.

If you recall the lengthy retrospective on the Sega Mega CD, as well as another one of its landmark titles, Night Trap, the developers put out a short documentary named “Dangerous Games” regarding their perspective during and after the hearings from producers, actors as well as avid ‘gamers.’

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Sony’s official U.S. PlayStation blog revealed that Sonic CD boomed past the competition and was the top purchased digital game on the PlayStation Store for the last month of 2011. Given the cult classic status it has amongst Sonic fans, seeing it bust out the gate strong is always a pleasant sight, though its feeling of familiarity with small enhancements for this HD age to give it a breath of fresh air certainly left us smiling.

The other story is that it no doubt shows success for Christian “The Taxman” Whitehead’s Retro Engine, utilized to power the game and all its modifications, and more importantly sends a strong message to Sega that demand is out there and there is benefit to using the engine in not only new Sonic games, but various new titles in general given the engine’s versatility. Congratulations, Taxman!

If you’ve not gone and purchased Sonic CD or spread the word to friends who enjoy a quirky platformer, what are you waiting for? We’ll even GIVE you a copy of Sonic CD on Steam if you have a nice tale on how you got someone to play Sonic CD!

For anyone out there who was expecting the exact same marketing scheme, feel free to pat yourself on the back. If the initial teaser trailer wasn’t enough Deja Vu for you, the blogs at Sega.com have announced Concept Art Friday, where every week we get to experience another piece of imagery from Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2 with no context whatsoever. Hopefully we won’t be forced to answer generic questions to get palmtrees this time around…either way, what has Sega decided to use to kick off the next wave of Sonic hype?

If it hasn’t clicked yet from the black and white lineart just what that is supposed to look like, then the full color version might be enough to jog your memory…

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Here at Sonic Retro, we could subject you to mind-numbing analysis about a game, or you could watch the forums explode in negativity at the slightest mention of Sonic 4. We could tell you how the PC version is an unfortunate shoddy port of the Xbox 360 version lacking anti-aliasing among other settings.

But we’ve all heard that jazz and several more complaints for nearly two years now. The poor horse has been beaten into a fine powder. So here’s a video of the PC version in action. Left and Right and Slip’n'Slide!

However, just so you don’t leave here empty-handed or upset at yet another pot shot at Sonic 4, here’s a nifty little package for you PC version owners. Forum member Twilightzoney took some of the textures from the iPad version of the game and placed them into the PC version. This is the result:

To apply these textures, download the folder here and insert its contents in to the PLY folder located in the G_COM folder, which should be located where Steam stores the game. Make sure to back up a copy of the original files in case something goes wrong.

More than a month after it was released on consoles, the new version of Sonic CD has finally hit Steam today. And for a limited time only if you buy the game you will get a free Metal Sonic costume for SEGA and Three Rings’ free to play MMO, Spiral Knights. You can also get Tails’ tails by buying energy within said game, though sadly these do not give you the ability to fly. Screenshots and a video of the costumes can be seen after the jump.

Besides that, Sonic 4 Episode 1 and the Casino Night Zone DLC for Sonic Generations have been released on the service as well. The former was already spotted on the Steam registry some time ago and the latter was supposed to be released on December 26th last year, but was delayed for unknown reasons. If you haven’t gotten Generations yet, the game is now 50% off until January 23rd as a weekend deal along with all other Sonic games besides those released today with the exception of Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, which is 75% off.

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While the PC version of Sonic Generations has been out for a couple of months now, there hasn’t been a demo people could download to see if their PC could actually run the game. SEGA decided PC users have waited long enough now and has released one on the Steam service. While I don’t know for certain what the contents of the demo are, it’s easy to assume that it’s the same demo the console versions got, which had both classic and modern acts of Green Hill Zone.

You can download the demo on this page, you will need to download the Steam client to be able to play it.

There is something infinitely magical about Tumblr. It’s praises have been sung in the past before on Sonic Retro, from places that make you squeal in delight at Sonic the Comic imagery, to the ever-growing collection of .gifs featuring Sonic running in ways you won’t see in any beta. Well kids and kidettes, strap yourself in: another Tumblr of interest is coming your way.

Serving as the perfect counterpart to the Fuck Yeah Sonic the Comic comes A Moment of Archie Sonic.

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