Monthly Archives

June 2014

Game News

Amazon Giving Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on Android Away for Free

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Because the folks at Amazon are such swell guys, thirty of the most popular apps on the Amazon App Store are free for the next two days. And it turns out that Sonic 2 is a pretty popular game even to this day, because it’s one of those thirty apps. If you’ve wanted to give The Taxman and Stealth‘s remastering of the game a try, this is the best time to do so. You can get it here:
Amazon US
Amazon UK

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Uncategorized

SEGA Channel Retro: Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails, and Donald Duck SEGA Pico games


 
SEGAbits Plays is back with another SEGA Channel Retro live stream of SEGA Pico games! While episode #0 played several licensed games, this time we’re focusing on Tails and the Music Maker, Sonic the Hedgehog’s Gameworld (the Japanese import and the American version) as well as a very special playthrough of Fishing Pico – Donald no Adventure. Yes, the SEGA Pico had a fishing controller. Joining Barry in this two hour Pico party is Sonic Retro’s Bartman. Keep your eyes peeled for Sonic recolors and an excessively gory drawing of Plucky Duck.
Like this video? Subscribe to the SEGAbits YouTube channel!

Game Secrets

Visual Memories: Digging through Sonic Adventure & Sonic Adventure 2’s DLC


Back in the late 90’s, Dreamcast owners could hop online via their console to surf the web and download various things to their VMU including free DLC. That’s right, not only did SEGA offer DLC in the late 90’s, it was free! Continuing our Sonic 23rd birthday celebrations, Liam aka TrackerTD of the SEGAbits This Is Saturn YouTube series put together this great showcase of most of the DLC offered in Sonic Adventure & Sonic Adventure 2. Celebrate New Years, the Dreamcast launch, Halloween, and more in the many fun additions made to these memorable Sonic titles.

Fan Works

Sonic 2 HD Returns From Its Grave

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Remember Sonic 2 HD, which unceremoniously died following its alpha release because of nonsense regarding former project programmer L0st? The quick excitement and then sorrow of the project’s release and cancellation reverberated across the Internet and it looked like the dream had finally died.
Not so fast. In the waning hours of Sonic’s 23rd Birthday (and we do hope you keep your Sonic memories coming in), the Sonic 2 HD Facebook group sprung back to life and announced the project was back on. Turns out that a newcomer, who remains anonymous, stepped up with an engine to fill the hole L0st’s firing caused, and the engine received approval by project head Vincent.
While the team is a short a few members from its original development (citing real life obligations), it looks like the project will continue development. If any of you are feeling creative and have the skills to assist the group, it may not be a bad time to contact the team and show them your stuff.

Uncategorized

SEGA Channel Retro: Sonic Birthday Celebration


Come join our live SEGA Channel Retro stream as we celebrate Sonic’s birthday the only way we know how! Come check out Sonic games and more on stream.
Now that the stream has concluded, jump to any point you’d like from our initial stream, and be sure to stay tuned this week for more Sonic games streamed live on SEGA Channel Retro. Videos are up on YouTube and on Twitch.
Uncut Stream [Twitch]
Sonic Jam (With Sonic 3 Easy Mode) [YouTube] [Twitch]
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Retro Engine [YouTube] [Twitch]
Sonic Adventure (Sonic’s Story) [YouTube] [Twitch]

Site News

Shameless Promotion: Sonic Retro @ TooManyGames

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It’s almost here.
If you are an avid reader of our sister site SEGAbits (and if you aren’t, shame on you), you more than likely read a news article from last month announcing the “Surviving the Dreamcast Apocalypse: SEGA Fans in the 21st Century” panel that will be part of the TooManyGames convention. That’s right, three days of video game insanity at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA, and right smack dab in the middle? A panel by SEGA fans, for SEGA fans. On June 28th, at the stroke of noon, all eyes will turn on SEGAbits Admin/Writer Barry the Nomad, “My Life With SEGA” creator A.J. Rosa, and The Website of the Dead owner Kori-Maru. There will be all sorts of SEGA discussion, reflecting on the moment where the company that ruled our childhoods forever changed, plus never before seen clips from A.J. that’ll be sure to dazzle. But how can you have a panel about SEGA and not touch on Sonic at some point?
Sonic Retro’s own David The Lurker (oh wait, that’s me) will also be there spooling a tale that is both familiar and strange. If you have the entire wiki memorized, you won’t be shocked by anything I have to say, but featured therein will be THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE HIDDEN PALACE ZONE, a trip down memory lane as we reflect on the one level that has captivated the minds of hardcore fans since it was teased in magazines way back in 1992. Missing from the final product, it inspired a legion of fans to create a Sonic Internet community that would have been vastly different had Craig Stitt’s baby made it into the final version. There’s a reason that “Master Emerald” still hides out in our logo.
So if you’re in the Greater Philadelphia area, or have the urge to travel, you can still register to get in. Be it one day or all three, I promise it’ll be a wild and crazy time. And if not…well, the Angry Video Game Nerd will be at the same convention. You can always go bother him afterwards.
For more information:
SEGAbits Original Announcement
Too Many Games Official Site
Too Many Games Attendee Registration

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Community, Site News

Sonic Retro, The Sonic Stadium, & SEGAbits join forces to celebrate Sonic’s 23rd birthday

Sonic23on23
Twenty-three years ago today, SEGA changed the future of video games with the release of Sonic the Hedgehog, and to celebrate Sonic’s golden birthday (that’s when your age matches your birthdate) we’re teaming up with The Sonic Stadium and SEGAbits. All week long, all three sites will form Team SegaSonic*, bringing you Sonic the Hedgehog articles, original content, videos, streams, and more from today through to the 29th! Also, as part of the celebrations, we’ll be hosting a panel with SEGAbits at Too Many Games in Oaks, PA on Saturday the 28th at noon – featuring a Dreamcast round table, a My Life with SEGA episode premiere, the history of Sonic the Hedgehog 2‘s Hidden Palace Zone, and a trivia contest with rare SEGA prizes including The House of the Dead 3 & 4 posters signed by series director Takashi Oda. There will also be several Sonic prizes on hand.
Readers can join in on the celebrations as well! All you have to do is follow SEGAbits, The Sonic Stadium, and Sonic Retro on Twitter and share your Sonic the Hedgehog photos and memories with the hashtag #Sonic23on23. The best tweets will be retweeted and shared to over 11,000 SEGA and Sonic fans, and we all know that in today’s world nothing is more rewarding than a retweet.
Happy Birthday, Sonic! The party has just begun!
*And now we wrestle over which one of us gets “speed”, because we all know “flight” and “power” are kind of lame.

Fan Works

Summer Games Done Quick 2014 Charity Drive Starts Today, Features Many SEGA Hits

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Speed Demos Archive and Speed Runs Live are teaming up once again this year for Summer Games Done Quick 2014. A charity event hosted by speed runners to help the less fortunate starting today and airs nonstop until the 29th. Once again they’re raising funds for Doctors Without Borders and continue to offer incentives by voting for certain content as well as offering prizes.
You can expect a much bigger turnout for SEGA games this year. With the likes of Jet Set Radio HD, MadWorld, Super Monkey Ball 2, Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, Disney’s Aladdin, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Tails’ Adventures, Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg, NiGHTS into Dreams, El Viento and many more.
You can watch the stream on the SDA Twitch channel, check out the schedule, ogle the list of prizes, and of course, check out their main site on how you can send your contribution to charity.
Also somebody is running Gex: Enter the Gecko on Nintendo 64. I can’t be the only guy that actually enjoyed the game, right?

Animation, Game News

Sonic Boom games heading to Japan, retitled “Sonic Toon”

Sonic_Boom_Team_Shot
It looks like SEGA has reversed their decision to keep Sonic Boom as a Western-only series, as Nintendo Everything reports, the latest issue of Famitsu revealed that the Wii U and 3DS titles will be releasing in Japan under the name of Sonic Toon. No word on whether the TV series will also see release in Japan, but given the new title of Sonic Toon it is possible that the TV show will also be localized and the whole franchise is to be seen as a cartoonish Western branch of the series in Japan. Hey SEGA, as long as you’re sending games Japan’s way, why not localize some of the Japanese SEGA titles for us Westerners, we can consider it a trade.
More news on Sonic Boom Toon as we hear it!