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Sega marks its 60th anniversary with free mini-games on Steam
Try a canceled Golden Axe game and a Streets of Rage/Yakuza mashup.
Miraculously, 'Sonic the Hedgehog' is a fine movie
Sonic fans are used to being let down. Unlike Mario, who has rarely starred in a bad video game, the famous 'blue blur' has featured in countless duds. These include Sonic the Hedgehog 4, a disappointing follow-up to Sega's Genesis classics, and Sonic the Hedgehog, a 2006 reboot that was full of bugs and featured a now-infamous kiss scene between the hyperactive hero and a human princess. Expectations for the Sonic movie were, therefore, low. The film's distributor, Paramount Pictures, had already been criticized for releasing a trailer with a horrifically unfaithful and human-like version of Sonic. The backlash was so severe that the studio was forced to delay the movie's release, redesign the character and remake every shot he featured in. A second trailer revealed a more recognizable and authentic Sonic, which earned some respect and appreciation from the Sega faithful. Still, many were understandably skeptical. Shockingly, though, the Sonic movie is okay. Amusing, even. The 99-minute feature rarely feels original, ambitious or narratively interesting, but it's also not the cinematic train wreck that so many were expecting. The bar was exceptionally low, but this simple live-action comedy might be the best video game to movie adaptation ever made.
Puma’s latest Sonic clothing line stays true to the original hedgehog
Ahead of the Sonic the Hedgehog movie coming out next week, Puma has released the latest in a series of clothing, shoes and accessories that feature Sonic and his friends. If you weren't a fan of the movie's first, nightmare-inducing trailer, the good news is that the line pulls its designs exclusively from the Sonic games.
The Sega Genesis Mini is $30 off for Black Friday
After toying with lackluster miniature versions of its Genesis console, Sega finally hit its stride with the Genesis Mini. The HDMI-equipped emulation device faithfully recreates the 16-bit experience without the laggy or choppy performance of previous efforts, making it a worthy competitor to Nintendo's SNES Classic. The tiny console is currently on sale for $50 -- $30 off its usual price, making it an even more alluring purchase as a holiday gift.
'Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games' will feature three 'Dream Events'
The Mario and Sonic series will feature three new "Dream Events" in its upcoming 2020 Tokyo edition. Nintendo offered a glimpse today at the three events in a trailer for the game, which will be released exclusively on Nintendo Switch this November. They include "Dream Shooting", "Dream Karate" and "Dream Racing".
The next 'Mario & Sonic Olympics' game has a retro 2D mode
Over the past 12 years, Nintendo and Sega have faithfully published their mashup, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, to correspond with the iconic sporting event. The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo will be a homecoming of sorts for the two mascots, who were both created in Japan. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Tokyo Games 2020 will also see them returning to their roots in 10 "Classic Events" that use 2D sprites and environments.
'Borderlands: Handsome Collection' headlines June's free PS Plus games
With Borderlands 3 arriving in just a few months, it seems like a good time to start catching up on or revisiting Gearbox Software's FPS series. And, what do you know? Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is one of the titles Sony is giving away to PS Plus subscribers in June.
After Math: What's the holdup?
This week's theme is waiting. Sonic the Hedgehog fans will have to do three months of it after complaining about Sonic's oddly human teeth, while Julian Assange won't have to do any more to know what charges the Feds are leveling at him. Let's get started already.
'Sonic the Hedgehog' movie delayed to fix nightmare-inducing design
Sorry, Sega fans, you'll need to wait a little longer to see the Sonic the Hedgehog movie. Paramount pushed back the release date three months to give the filmmakers "a little more time to make Sonic just right."
Sonic movie casts Ben Schwartz as the speedy hedgehog's voice
The Sonic live-action hybrid movie is happening, whether you like it or not. Not only has Jim Carrey confirmed that he's playing the villainous Doctor Eggman Robotnik, the project has also found its lead voice actor. According to Variety, Parks and Rec actor Ben Schwartz will voice the speedy hedgehog. While he's probably most known for his role in the show, House of Lies and various comedy skits, Schwartz also has considerable experience in voice work. He served as voice consultant for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, lent his voice to BB-8 and a character in BoJack Horseman, currently plays Dewey in DuckTales and will soon be heard as Leonardo in Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Small internet providers face a fight for their lives
A couple of weeks ago, a group of CEOs from seven small regional ISPs gathered in Washington to meet with the FCC. In a closed-door conversation with Chairman Ajit Pai and his colleagues, the CEOs made a case against a recent petition filed by USTelecom -- a trade association that claims AT&T, Verizon, CenturyLink and Frontier Communications as members. The petition, if granted, would threaten their very existence and, they argue, the future of competitive high-speed internet across the nation.
Steam's Summer Sale offers discounts on 'Fallout,' 'Sonic' and more
Steam holds seasonal sales throughout the year, offering decent discounts during certain dates in Autumn, Winter and Summer. It's definitely time for the most recent sale, just a day after PUBG got its first deal ever on the game distribution service. Dubbed the Intergalactic Summer Sale, which runs from June 21st through July 5th, the discounts will net you tons of games from 20 to 85 percent off their regular price, including titles from the Fallout franchise, Ni No Kuni II and Where the Water Tastes Like Wine.
Under Armour’s HOVR smart running shoes are more than just a gimmick
As fascinating as shoes like Nike's "PlayStation" PG2s or Adidas' "4D" Futurecrafts are, those particular models don't offer many (if any) benefits to avid runners. They're more geared toward sneakerheads than anyone else. But, that doesn't mean there aren't any tech-oriented pairs designed for people who enjoy running, be it casually or on a regular basis. That's exactly the demographic Under Armour is going after with its HOVR connected shoes, which consist of two different versions: a low-top (the Sonic) and a mid-top (the Phantom, pictured here).
'Sonic Mania' is a wonderful balance of nostalgia and novelty
If you've played Sonic the Hedgehog on your phone, Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 in the last half-dozen years, you have Christian Whitehead to thank. In 2009, he created an unofficial proof of concept iPhone port of Sonic CD using a custom-built game engine -- a project that eventually led to Sega hiring him to officially port Sonic CD, Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to modern platforms. This week, the fruits of that partnership reached a new high point in Sonic Mania, an all-new 16-bit Sonic the Hedgehog platformer that sees the mascot return to his glory days.
Sega Forever makes Genesis classics free on mobile
We have no shortage of shiny, life-like HD games these days, but if you'd like to revisit older titles from a bygone era, Sega has got your back. The video game company has just officially launched the first wave of the Sega Forever collection with five titles meant to begin "a retro revolution that will transport players back through two decades of console gaming." Starting today, the 1991 version of Sonic the Hedgehog, fan-favorite RPG Phantasy Star II, classic arcade-style beat 'em up Comix Zone, platformer Kid Chameleon and Greek mythology-themed beat 'em up Altered Beast will be available on Google Play and iTunes as free ad-supported games. If you have an iPhone or an iPad, your games will even come accompanied by iMessage sticker packs.
‘Sonic Forces’ will bring your fanfiction characters to life
Until now, Sonic Forces has looked like Sonic Generations 2 in all but name. With trailers showing off levels that switch between classic side scrolling and the 3D perspective of Sonic's more modern adventures, you can forgive gamers for thinking they've played this all before. Today, however, Sega has revealed a third type of gameplay for Sonic Forces -- levels where you control your very own customizable hero.
'Sonic Riders' may have been (legally) plagiarized
Sonic the Hedgehog is known for two things: going fast and his love of chili dogs. While the blue blur is returning to the fray in a pair of new games (made independently of each other, no less) this year, the ever-vigilant folks at Unseen64 have uncovered an entry from the expedient rodent's past we'll never get to play. It was a skateboarding game called Sonic Extreme that used the groundwork of a Nickelodeon-skinned version of a game featuring Tech Deck finger-skateboard toys and was set to release on Gamecube, PlayStation 2 and the original Xbox. And you thought your family tree was complicated.
'Sonic Mania' finally gives its lead character a unique special move
When Sega invited me behind closed doors to get an early look of Sonic Mania at GDC last month, I wasn't expecting much. I'd seen the trailers and indeed, it looked like a grand homage to franchise, but I was surprised to find that the game is more than that. Mania doesn't just bring players back to the 16-bit era with classic graphics and gameplay -- it adds to it. This retro Sonic throwback gifts its mascot with new abilities, new levels and incredibly smooth pixel animation.
'Deadpool' director hired for 'Sonic the Hedgehog' movie
Deadpool and Sonic have a fair amount in common. They vanquish bad guys, protect innocent bystanders and talk with spades of attitude. With this in mind, it's no surprise to hear that Tim Miller, the director of the (good) Ryan Reynolds superhero movie, is turning his attention to the blue blur next. That's right, the out-of-nowhere "live-action and animation hybrid" movie that was announced back in February. He's stepping on as executive producer to help director Jeff Fowler and executive producer Neal H. Moritiz, who also works on the Fast and Furious franchise.
Sega harnesses nostalgia to sell you 'Sonic Mania'
Ever since, uh, 1995, it's been a hard few years for Sonic The Hedgehog fans as we're promised a new game that'll remedy all those past transgressions. In order to commemorate the original's 25th anniversary, Sega is launching Sonic Mania, a new title that reimagines levels from the first (and best) four games in the series. But that's not the only thing that Sega is reimagining, which you'll see if you take a look at the commercial that's being used to pimp the collector's edition box set.
