23 Weird Things You Didn't Know About Sonic

It's the gaming industry's favourite speedy l'il hedgehog's 23rd birthday today and he's all grown up. To celebrate, we've compiled a list of 23 strange Sonic facts that delighted and, in some cases, terrified us. 

1. The Anti-Piracy Message 

Apparently, the makers of Sonic felt very strongly against the piracy of their games (as they should) but these guys took it to a whole new level with the message "fun is infinite, Sonic enterprises" appearing accompanied by a picture of Sonic that will bore into your soul and some equally disturbing tunes to go with it.

2. Sonic's Comic Career Is Seriously Underrated 

Sonic's Archie Comic series is still the longest running comic book tie-in having been running since May 1993 with 259 issues to date. The comic series was recognised in 2008 by Guinness World Records.

3. Sonic Was Nearly Never Sonic

Instead of the loveable rogue we know today, Sonic was almost "Feel the Rabbit", a star-like creature that utilised its ears to do most of the legwork we see today. This idea was thankfully scrapped and later used as inspiration for Ristar.

4. Michael Jackson's Involvement 

It's not been confirmed by Sega, but Sonic The Hedgehog 3's soundtrack may have been composed by Michael Jackson explaining the similarities seen in the game and in Jackson's music. Apparently Michael Jackson is not credited in the game because he wasn't happy with the way it turned out but Brad Buxer (Jackson's musical director) has confirmed the rumours.

5. Sonic's Original Name

Sonic's original name was Mr Needlemouse when he was but an original concept. "Project Needlemouse" was then used as the official codename for Sonic The Hedgehog 4.

6. Hidden Playable Characters in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Wii 

Hackers have found several characters such as Birdo, DK, Silver and Jet that are playable throughout certain stages of the games. Some of the characters are missing features due to being unfinished in the game's development but there are a whole host of characters to be used. 

7. He's Pretty Damn Popular 

In a poll taken in 2008, Sonic was voted the most popular video game of all time in the UK with 24% of the votes - a somewhat surprising 3% more than Mario.

8. ... But Not For Long 

In 2011, Guinness World Records placed Mario at the top of their popularity leaderboards, with Sonic falling at 10th place. 

9. Fangs 

Sonic was originally designed with fangs that were removed to soften the character's appearance for the US market, however these can still be seen if he opens his mouth. 

10. Alex Kidd 

Alex Kidd was Sega's mascot before Sonic was on the scene but he was demoted after Sega decided to seriously compete with Nintendo.

11. Doomed To Fail? 

Sega of America originally considered Sonic as a risk and thought it was doomed to fail. This was because they thought that Americans wouldn't know what a hedgehog was.

12. Recent Highest Score 

On the 17th February 2014, Matthew Felix scored 1309290 on Sonic the Hedgehog - the highest score ever recorded. 

13. Swimming Strife 

One of Sonic's biggest weakness is his inability to swim, but this flaw was based on a mistake made by Yuji Naka who assumed that hedgehogs couldn't swim. It's kind of amended though because hedgehogs can swim they just can't get out of water so I can see where he's coming from... 

14. Suicidal Sonic 

In Sonic CD, if Sonic is left idle for 3 minutes he will jump into oblivion and commit suicide - bit extreme.

15. Yuji Naka's Birthday 

To unlock the level select screen in the Sonic 2 screen test, the numbers that must be entered are 19, 65, 09 and 17. So it's no coincedence that Yuji Naka's birthday is 17th September 1965. 

16. Macy's 

Sonic was the first video game character to feature as a balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1993, the only other video game character to be featured was Pikachu 8 years later. Sonic's balloon then reappeared in the 2011 parade to celebrate Sonic's 20th anniversary and then again in 2013. 

17. Cameos 

Sonic has had cameos in various other games including The Simpsons Game, Tom and Jerry, The Incredible Hulk and Ultimate Soccer. 

18. Nintendo Rage 

Nintendo took a swipe at Sonic by including an unmistakeable pair of red shoes in one of its Donkey Kong Country 2 screens displaying video game heroes and placing a sign next to them suggesting that Sonic was a 'No Hoper' in the competition. 

19. Object Interaction 

The game was originally based around object interaction in so much as Sonic would use items around him to defeat enemies - throwing and dodging attacks using what was available to him in the game. However, this was changed due to the fact that it slowed gameplay too much for a character based around his speed. 

20. Fresh Debut 

Sonic made his debut as an air freshener in the 1991 arcade game Rad Mobile before his iconic video game series. 

21. Birthday Confusion 

Somewhat ironic is the confusion created by the Sonic comics over Sonic's actual birthday. It is assumed that his birthday is 23rd June 1991 (the reason this whole post exists in case you missed that) but the comics have cited Christmas Day and Boxing Day as Sonic's actual birthday - intriguing... 

22. He Has No Neck 

You can't unsee it - and you will always be haunted by it just as I have for an unreasonable amount of years but there's no escaping it, Sonic The Hedgehog has no neck. 

23. He's Made His Way Into Medicine 

One of the three signalling pathway proteins in mammals has been labelled Sonic Hedgehog Homolog as a nod to the iconic game series and even better, the potential inhibitor to this protein is called the Robotnikinin. 

What You Need To Know About The Sims 4

I know i'm dangerously addicted to The Sims, in fact it's not uncommon for me to create elaborate backstories that often involve countless family trees and creepily detailed memoirs for each one of my poor subjects. Yet, when the first ripples of The Sims 4 rumours began to bob towards the shores of my attention way back when in May 2013 I understood that I probably wouldn't get my hands on the software for at least five years after its release. My reasoning behind this was born out of experience as it was only last year that I managed to gather the disposable income required for The Sims 3, some 4 years after its release in 2009. My reasoning behind this was also painfully correct, as The Sims 4 has been tagged with a £70 pre-order price that is desperately out of my student reach.

I can still revel in the new features of the game however and that is just what I have done with my new-found post-exam freedom. It's certain that The Sims 4 has a lot to offer us, even if all of these new features just contribute subtly to create a game that's more realistic and therefore more immersible than ever.

We've had several exhaustive lists of all the different features of The Sims 4 but what do these features actually mean for overall gameplay? Well, reader, I give you your long awaited answer...

Create-A-Sim 
- This life-creating workshop has been given a make-over in itself with new controls that include the ability to physically drag and mould physical characteristics of Sims. Not only does this unlock a world of potential creativity but also means, sadly for those who have always struggled to make Sims that look anything like individuals in the real world <cough>, there is absolutely no excuse for Sim-you to look nothing like real-you.

Sim Individuality 
- A big focus of The Sims 4 is on the uniqueness of your individual Sims - each individual has their own set of characteristics and emotions that come out in more realistic expressions of body language and interaction with objects and people with the general physicality of Sims becoming much more life-like.

Fluidity  
- In general, socialising is a lot more streamlined alongside other activities and behaviours. This is primarily brought in through the use of the multi-tasking tool presented in the game which acts to create more fluid, less blocky gameplay. No longer will you have to hang up the phone before starting dinner, or have a lovely conversation with a friend while your mother stands still next to them staring at you in silence (but if that's how your Mum rolls i'm not judging) because now all those things can happen all at once - integrating interactions in such a way that makes gameplay look a lot more practical.
- Not only are interactions a lot more streamlined, but general movement now works on a 360° axis meaning your characters aren't going to get stuck in that obviously non-manoeuvrable space between the dining table and the wall.

Realism 
- A running theme through all of Maxis' adjustments is a higher element of realism throughout the game - it's what all these developments have led to. Having different clothes and decorations evoke different emotions and behaviours from Sims is a leap of pure genius in the way of the authenticity and coupled with longer lasting effects of traumatic incidents - divorce, death, alien abduction etc. - creates more well-rounded, engaging and independent Sims. Segregating relationship types between Sims has also taken a leap in terms of realism with a distinction made between feelings of romance and friendship making for some pretty interesting dimensions of gameplay.

A Word About Realism 
- I must admit, however, that this is where Maxis confuse me somewhat. While I appreciate that The Sims has always thrived on a balance between the painfully realistic and the nonsensical absurd I feel that with these new developments so obviously aimed at bringing more realism to the game it feels strange to have bizarre new features of gameplay such as Sims laughing themselves to death, keeping a spare rocket ship in the back garden or resorting to voodoo dolls to fulfil their wishes. To begin with I was concerned that Rachel Franklin's intent to make the game more realistic would be undercut by these new fantastical elements of the game that are considered cartoonish. However, it has since occurred to me that this is how The Sims works, and a higher level of authenticity in the game might serve these outlandish dis-realities well - creating more vivid and emotional stories based around these bizarre happenings and expressing a higher level of what can only be described as how-would-I-react-ness that will definitely be fun to play around with. 

Overall i'm trying (and failing) not to get too excited about The Sims 4 as I know the price-tag is far from my tiny reach but give it five years or so and expect to see a pretty awesome review ;) 

Click to go to Sims Globe for a comprehensive list of
all new Sims 4 developments and features 

A Slow Change for Nintendo's LGBT Games??

It had never really occurred to me before stumbling across an article on Nintendo's Tomodachi Life, to consider the role the LGBT community plays within the video games industry. It was only when this matter was brought to attention through Nintendo's apologies surrounding the lack of possibility for same-sex relationships within this game that I really thought about video games as an expression of these ideas.

Nintendo recently issued a statement of apology after they were criticised for ignoring the possibility of same-sex relationships in the English-language editions of their life simulator video game Tomodachi Life and were unable to change the game. This exploded a whole can of hate from Nintendo fans and saw Nintendo once again under fire from gay rights organisations.

As sad as it is, I can't remember ever playing a game which included features of homosexuality and it's perhaps even sadder that before this day I hadn't even noticed the absence from my gameplay experience.

GLAAD CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis suggested that Nintendo "catch up with peers like Electronic Arts, which has been inclusive of LGBT gamers for years". Unfortunately it was not always easy for EA to incorporate such themes into their gameplay seamlessly and often LGBT content is subject to furthering the normalisation of heterosexuality rather than homosexuality, leaving the homosexuality to be considered a gimmick, censored or plain ridiculed. EA came under fire after introducing LGBT characters into their games in the first place with comments plaguing forums and message boards because apparently the inclusion of this facet of reality is "another clear example of the gay agenda in a place it doesn't belong" according to one particular individual. Because obviously the very real "gay agenda" (whatever that means) has no place in a representation of the real world. Because why should video games, now an established art form (see Video Games vs Art), be exploring ideas and themes that need to be explored and addressed in the 21st century? Because how little credit can we give these new generations of gamers that we can't even trust them with an understanding of homosexuality as commonplace? Because that's what it is - a fear of pissing off the young, white, heterosexual male gamer who is obviously the only reachable market. (Sarcasm over).


So I took it upon myself to take a pre-revision look at the changing levels of inclusion of the LGBT community in the video games industry, which ended up becoming a trawl through an irritating amount of tedious game changes throughout the 90's - I apologise to my exam grades in advance.
- In 1992, Nintendo refused to sell Dragon Warrior 3 on any system until Enix removed a gay bar...
- Later in 1992, minor enemies who happened to have been written as homosexual in Final Fight for Sega CD were censored...
- Streets of Rage 3 featured a gay villain wearing Village People attire (because why not) who was removed and a transsexual villain was changed simply into a man with long hair losing so much character depth and making the whole ordeal a lot less interesting.

Bioware have, in a way, led an LGBT gaming revolution, taking charge with LGBT relationships in Dragon Age, Mass Effect and Skyrim which all seem to take the significance of openly gay characters in their stride as just another facet of character. From what i've heard it sounds like I need to get playing Mass Effect 3.  The fact that Cortez's sexuality is laid so bare right from the start of the game maps some pretty hefty progress since the days of ironing out a gay bar. Dusty Everman, writer of the relationships featured on the game, pretty much sums the game's refreshing nonchalance up when he says "I believe that by the 22nd century, declaring your gender preference will be about as profound as saying, 'I like blondes' - it will just be an accepted part of who we are". The homosexual relationships are given just as much time, effort and exploration as the heterosexual - they are normalised through comparison and similarity which is possibly one of the most exciting steps i've seen in the video games industry in a long while.

We basically need more of this, and with motivated producers within the industry itself, a sophisticated audience and the correct representations the games industry can wake up to the change in attitudes that it now has to face. Games are drawing more and more upon mainstream culture and are now viewed as a modern art form thanks to their inclusion in Bafta categories however in the words of Spiderman - with great power comes great responsibility. As the sincerity of their authenticity and opportunity for creative expression grows, games are beginning to explore essential social issues that need to be addressed. As homosexuality is normalised in mainstream culture, it will follow that it will be in the art that surrounds that culture - with video games sadly trailing behind film, literature and music.

"Imagine the impact games could have... for gay people to enter fantasy worlds to make homes and hold hands with partners of choosing regardless of gender, they move beyond the passive world of television into the active world of gaming, heightening the impact" - Luis, A Ubinas - Electronic Arts' Full Spectrum awareness event in New York

I should probably get back to some revision now.

Video Games Vs Art?

At first glance, this may seem a controversial title. However once you have given me the honour of reading on you will know that my illiteracy deems it necessary in that I can't think of a title for this post that will appropriately convey my pro-video-games-as-art-viewpoint.

Braid

These things are often overlooked, and while I understand that at first glance a lot of games seem to be teeming with the 'kill as many as you can as fast as you can' simplicity, it is once they are fully appreciated that video games come into a whole new level (gettit?) of being.

I thought I should express this, as more and more people are finally recognising the abundance of talent and skill required to produce a visually ok looking game, nevermind the beauties that can be found on PS4 and X-box 1 at the moment. Visuals like Madden, Flower and Assassins Creed are so richly textured and detailed down to a hair that it's ignorant to forget that they are illustrations, a creation and depiction of one developer's ideas and view. The effort that it must take to create these flawless images cannot be overstated.

It's not just newer, more expensive, flashier games that are constituting art for me at the moment. People don't really value the visuals of retro games, classics - early Mario and Zelda games, Crash Bandicoot, even arcade pioneers - Asteroids, Pacman, Space Invaders each hold their own unique merit. Perhaps it is a  love or a particular screenshot, a particular memory associated with the play of certain games, a favourite storyline or a memorable high score that sweeps us into a coma of nostalgia. Or perhaps it is the fact that these games have now become icons themselves, the simplicity of the graphics representing just how far technology has come and celebrating its origins. Whatever the reason, defining features of these games have become art.

However, art constitutes so much in the modern day that it would be a crime to place these images in the realm of art and not others. Art can be whatever the viewer considers it, so many aspects of gaming can be considered art. The whole gaming experience can come together to create profound messages. Games like Rain are both visually stunning and, in the specific case of Rain, poignantly bittersweet. Illustration, as well as narrative, soundtrack, interactivity and the general atmosphere created by all four components can collaborate to portray ideas seen in grand paintings, great works of literature or box-office smashing film.

Rain

So why isn't this being recognised? I believe it is, slowly. Type "video games as art" into Google and you are rewarded with several articles, some cynical some, like this, desperately hopeful, of the idea that a hobby that has previously (and ignorantly) been noted as time-wasting and a breeding ground for violence and low attention spans can be considered alongside works of art.

The Last of Us 

Just as a poem, a work of fiction or indeed a graphic novel reveals expression and discussion, video games represent the same expression of developers, just in a 21st century manner, with the abilities afforded us in this, the digital age.

eShop Splurge: Jett Rocket 2: The Wrath of Takai

When I visited eShop yesterday in the hopes of finding something entertaining I didn't know I was embarking on a voyage of procrastination and general life destruction. Having not heard of the Jett Rocket series before I was curious to download Jett Rocket 2 after watching some videos and reading a promising description. Nintendo eShop definitely delivered on this one though, and despite some minor gameplay glitches it's easily one of my best purchases.

The game itself is comfortably light-hearted, though I have a feeling the storyline would be more emersive with the knowledge of the previous title. The player completes stages up towers of many levels to collect little robotic orbs which I assume have something to do with saving the world in this addictive, sometimes tense little platformer. Though the minigames on every other level leave a lot to be desired, they are a great little incentive for the obsessive hoarding of collectables in the main story mode.
Visually the game is surprisingly tactile - the look and feel of the game suggests a more developed Crash Bandicoot in terms of style and immature brightness. However what really gets me about this game is the simplicity of facing the many challenges that different elements of the gameplay combine to achieve. There is a very real sense of accomplishment at finally working out how to proceed in a level without being mercilessly destroyed by small balls of red or a gang of robots and it's a perfect time killer with the length of each level sitting in a perfect medium between being full of content and yet being completable.

A couple of glitches - for example I have had one experience of the game crashing at a Game Over screen which didn't incur any significant damage to my life as it was, unfortunately, game over. Some minor playback issues like the character seeming to stay fixed in mid air to grab onto an item when he shouldn't really make the jump but apart from these little infractions from perfection, the game is a must-download.

Follow me on Twitter: @MusingsTwit

eShop Splurge: Heavy Fire Special Operations 3D

Despite the gut-wrenchingly corny opening audio (a deep American testosterone junkie telling you to 'lock and load') this game was a bit of a risk paid off well for me. I was nervous about downloading the game partly because it looked too fast paced to not be incredibly frustrating and partly because the graphics didn't look top notch. The graphics look better in game but still aren't all that promising. Other aspects of the game shine through though - the feel of the action is incredibly exhilarating. What looked from the trailers to be a  fast paced, adrenaline pumping game play is delivered in real life but with controls that make the intensity enjoyable. Admittedly it took me a few hits to realise that the touch screen is used for aiming and the R and L shoulder buttons for shooting, but once you get the hang of it it's unforgettably addictive. This game-play is handily designed for both right and left hand users, with the choice of either the R or L buttons for shooting and the B or 'downwards' action on the analogue-type-contraction for reloading. Different levels and upgrades and repairs of weapons make the game more versatile and dynamic in its development through the many hours of jaw clenching as you begin to fear the red exclamation point. Yes, certain points of the game are harder than others and these have put me off for a while but practice and patience have never been more necessary to fulfil a level's requirements and I kind of like that - it makes me feel productive in my procrastination.

I say all this when really the game is a marked up version of its uglier, less developed predecessors and most of its praise lies in the welcome relief from these heavy, unwieldy games. The concept is still fairly arbitrary and the fact that its only foundation is 'shoot everyone you see (apart from your own American men)' needs to be taken with a large dose of salt.

Simple things like being able to return to your game where you actually left off seem to have come to the minds of Teyon rather late in the day but nevertheless it's definitely a game worth its merit.

After a brief discount in eShop, Heavy Fire Special Operations 3D is back up to £5.49 in the UK and though I perhaps think it would have been better to grab it on the discount, if you really have some time to kill and a spare fiver it's worth a download.

Follow me on Twitter: @MusingsTwit

eShop Splurge: 3D Game Collection

To begin the series of eShop reviews I feel I might start with a game I can imagine doesn't get much of a look in. I've always been dubious of game collections of eShop, I always got the impression they're not likely to be very good - in the range of their games as well as their quality so I was pleasantly surprised when I took a leap and downloaded a discounted "3D Game Collection" for £2. 

Content

Although this was a fear of mine, I wasn't too disheartened to find that many of the games are repeated on the three "home" locations. This was probably due to the fact that there are just so many games on there that I could play for hours. Classic games like Ludo, Battleships, Bingo, Chinese Draughts, Proper Draughts are included as well as surprisingly entertaining Dominoes and Solitaire. It's not exactly mind-blowing stuff but it's great for a 5 minute play. 

Originally selling on cardridge at about £25
now it's in eShop for just £2 

Gameplay

Obviously, the nature of the game means that the actual controls themselves aren't going to be too ambitious. It's a simple touch screen job with the viewing of the action happening on the 3D screen above. That's not to say however that the gameplay is poor - in contrast it feels very tactile and satisfying. The only problem I came across was my own frustration at certain games willing me to lose, impossible dice rolls and just a few too many dubious wins for your AI opponent may leave you grinding your teeth for a while.

Storyline
Again, storyline isn't going to be a main concern of the developers, and it shouldn't be with a collection of small games. The game tracks your tactics and skills in gamplay and adapts its AI opponent to meet those skills, playing a predictable opponent would be pretty dire, the fun would be sucked from the game as it becomes monotonous and boring. However the fact that the computer reacts so quickly to your tactics means it's very difficult to get higher trophies after playing the game a substancial amount of time. I suppose this is just the developers' way of "practice makes perfect". 

Graphics
I was actually impressed with the clarity of the graphics of this game, they're by no means medal worthy but their simplicity definitely brings the phrase 'less is more' to mind. The scenic landscape of your river-side picnic or the view from your satellite as you look out to space, all three locations are designed to create a light-hearted tone for a light-hearted set of games and pleases the eye, even when just strolling across the picture waiting for your turn. 

Music 

It's very difficult to play Ludo on your own -
no need to try anymore!

I didn't think i'd be commenting much on the use of music in a game collection review, and yet I find myself enamoured with it. It is possibly only one location that has set this ideal in my head, and that is the picnic scene. Relaxing and warming, it's sometimes just enough to climb under the covers and plug the headphones in to the soundtrack just to unwind.

The Result 
A brilliant game for a brilliant price at the moment in eShop. Graphics and music that fit perfectly with the unambitious set up of the games and an interesting and diverse range (though they are repeated throughout different locations). Only problems faced are those of difficulty and it's a shame there isn't a setting for this which would really enhance the gameplay when you're not really up for getting thrashed on each game you try.

9/10