Sonic the Hedgehog

2021 Lightning Prediction Round (Anniversary Edition)

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Last year I wrote a post with my wild ideas and predictions of what I would be playing in 2020. Out of the 13 games that I mentioned I have played 3, own one that I haven’t played yet, didn’t pick up one of them, will be playing two this year, and still dreaming about the rest. I wanted to come up with another post similar with my wild ideas, but didn’t know where to start. Lucky for me, there are a butt ton of anniversaries this year. So I want to do a sort of “lightning round” event where I come up with a realistic idea on what we could get, and then a fantasy that would be cool to see. If any of these things do come true, you heard it hear first!

Anniversary Lightning Round

Donkey Kong (40 Years)

Realistic: I’m not sure. Nintendo has kinda let Donkey Kong do his own thing Mario spinoff games outside the Country series. If we do get anything, it will be a surprise to me. Maybe a Game & Watch with the original Donkey Kong on it.

Fantasy: Funky Kong mode enable for all of 2021.

The Legend of Zelda (35 Years)


Realistic: Nintendo is going to try to push out Breath of the Wild 2 this year. I have no doubt we will get it this year (maybe).

Fantasy: A situation like the Mario 3D All-Stars, but it has the GameCube versions of Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Four Swords. Bonus points for me if an Oracle Duology ever happens.

Metroid (35 Years)

Realistic: Eh… A lot of people are hoping for Metroid Prime Trilogy on Switch to keep them fed until Prime 4 comes out, but I’m in the kiddie pool on this for now.

Fantasy: Metroid Prime Trilogy for Switch OR Metroid Prime Pinball DX

Dragon Quest (35 Years)

Realistic: They just finished porting XI to all consoles. Unless they can put it on smartphones, I don’t think Square will do much.

Fantasy: DQ9 on Switch and PS4/5 wouldn’t be a bad deal (do NOT do it dirty like you did with Crystal Chronicles)

Castlevania (35 Years)

Realistic: I would make a joke, but Konami has released the older game to current gen consoles. That alone is a miracle no one saw coming.

Fantasy: You know what hasn’t been rereleased though? The N64 games. Do it you cowards!

Kid Icarus (35 Years)

Realistic: There haven’t been any news or rumors about a new Kid Icarus. Don’t hold your breath for anything.

Fantasy: If there is a new Kid Icarus game then it will be a surprise for all. I still need to play Uprising at some point.

Sonic the Hedgehog (30 Years)

Realistic: Sega has reassured us that Sonic’s 30th will have a lot for the blue blur. Sega has been pretty good at listening to their player base and delivering games that they want to play with mixed results. Expect a new 3D game and maybe that Adventure remake.

Fantasy: Look. All I want is Generations 2 with at least 2-3 stages from each mainline game. I will eat that for breakfast everyday.

F-Zero (30 Years)

Realistic: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

Fantasy: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

Civilization (30 Years)

Realistic: Firaxis already has a road map currently for Civ 6. We might get another cool attempt of a spinoff like Beyond Earth, but I don’t see that happening.

Fantasy: Speaking of fantasy, how cool would a fantasy civilization game be? You can pick a different fantasy race with special perks and everything. If this game already exists, please let me know.

Pokémon (25 Years)

Realistic: The Pokemon Company is already on the move with their announcements. There was a trailer for the 25th anniversary as well as a trailer and release date for New Pokemon Snap. I’m sure they have a lot more in store for the rest of the year. On a side note, it is also the 15th anniversary of Diamond & Pearl, so get your expectation hats on.

Fantasy: If I could ask for one thing, it would probably be a new Pokemon Pinball game or rerelease. Those games rule!

Resident Evil (25 Years)

Realistic: Resident Evil 8 is coming out this year. Outside of that will be a treat for fans.

Fantasy: A Resident Evil game from the perspective of a mutant. Instead of fighting, you have to avoid people trying to kill you while you try and find a cure for yourself. Along the way silly things happen to make you evolve and more of a threat to the people hunting you. Done right, it could be better than all the multiplayer games they’ve tried.

Crash Bandicoot (25 Years)

Realistic: Crash seems to have been fully revived now. We just got Crash 4 last year, so maybe some DLC will come to say that they did something.

Fantasy: Crash, Mario, and Sonic at Wrestlemania (Shut up. I know you would play it)

Persona (25 Years)

Realistic: Atlus shocked us with Persona 5 for their 20th anniversary. It feels too soon for a Persona 6 since they are not done yet milking all they can from 5. The rest of the world is getting Persona 5 Strikers, but sadly that is nothing new. Atlus has said that they are working on something, so we will see.

Fantasy: Bring Persona 1-3 to PC. I’ll buy them like 4 Golden and then not play it, but I’ll buy it!

Super Mario RPG (25 Years)

Realistic: See F-Zero

Fantasy: Mallow for Smash

Tomb Raider (25 Years)

Realistic: It has been some time since Lara’s last adventure in 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider. I have no clue what’s in store for the capable adventurer, but an adventure in 2021 may be unwise due to the pandemic.

Fantasy: A point and click adventure style Tomb Raider game. It may not be what the core audience wants, but I think it would be a nice change of pace until the next blockbuster hit.

Nintendo 64 (25 Years)

Realistic: Nothing. If Nintendo did anything it would come as a surprise for both us and them.

Fantasy: A N64 mini or start releasing N64 games on the Switch Online Service. As long as it has Star Fox 64 I’m good.

Halo (20 Years)

Realistic: Halo Infinite would have been nice, but the title also indicates how long you will have to wait for it. The Master Chief Collection was completed last year, so if anything you may see rereleases on the Xbox Series X.

Fantasy: Halo Battle Royal (Shut up. You would play it)

Devil May Cry (20 Years)

Realistic: Nothing foreseeable. DMC V was recently ported to PS5, so nothing special that I can tell.

Fantasy: DMC X Resident Evil. DMC started off as a Resident Evil game, so bring back the concept and see what happens.

Advance Wars (20 Years)

Realistic: Why do I hurt myself so much? War never ends, but Advance Wars ended in 2008 and it would take discovering oil in Switch games to bring it back.

Fantasy: At least Advance Wars 1, 2, & Dual Strike collection….

Golden Sun (20 Years)

Realistic: On the subject of pain. 

Fantasy: Filling in the cliffhanger from Dark Dawn. I will take anything at this point. A sticky note from the director with how the series ends will be enough closure for me.

Wii Sports (15 Years)

Realistic: Nothing. You can’t even play real sports outside right now, so why pretend to do it virtual.

Fantasy: Switch Sports. Why is this not a thing?

The Elder Scrolls IV and V (15 & 10 Years)

Realistic: It will be the end of an era if Skyrim was not on PS5 or XBSX (it pretty much already is). Elder Scrolls online is getting Oblivion gates added so that is neat.

Fantasy: The official Todd Howard mod update. He just turns everything into Skyrim. Oblivion HD would also be pretty neat.

Bastion (10 Years)

Realistic: Supergiant’s first debut game was my first indie love. The world and gameplay was so interesting to me that I wanted to try and complete everything. It has shown its age lately since playing Hades. I don’t expect Supergiant to do anything for the game, but any surprises would be nice.

Fantasy: When playing Bastion recently, I found that the game is still great, but could benefit with some improvements. An anniversary edition of Bastion could speed the game up a little bit and improve some of the weapon’s speed. My only real request in an enhanced edition, but if they found other things to add to it I would be gracious for it.

Dark Souls (10 Years)

Realistic: We just got a remastered version of Demon’s Soul. What more do we want? From Software is probably hard at work with Elden Ring that anything new to the franchise will come years later.

Fantasy: A version of Dark Souls 1 that plays like Dark Souls 3.

Overwatch (5 Years)

Realistic: The yearly anniversary event might be interesting this year. Until Overwatch 2 comes out, I don’t think any more interesting content will be coming out like new heroes or game modes.

Fantasy: Overwatch 2 is actually done and they release it this year.

Stardew Valley (5 Years)

Realistic: Stardew Valley still amazes me to this day. Version 1.5 was released on PC recently and console players will get it later this year. It has been a while since I finished it, so maybe it will be the perfect relaxation tool I need in the future.

Fantasy: This game does not require any fantasy ideas from me. It has delivered what I want in a farming simulation game and it continues to deliver.

Whew. That was a long strike of lighting.

Please don’t get mad at me if none of these wild predictions come true. Blame yourself for giving into false hype. Keep your expectations low and keep an open mind to experience new things. If any of these do come true, then I take full credit and your heard it here first! If there are other anniversaries happening this year that I did not cover, you can leave a comment and I’ll give my opinions there.

Now if you excuse me, I have to go back to counting the days without a Nintendo Direct.

Thanks for reading,

DanamesX

Advent Gaming Calendar 2019 Day 25: Shadow the Hedgehog

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Credit to TheRealSonicFan’s YouTube Channel

WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! Just hear me out for one moment! No do not close out of this immediately just hear me out!

OK.

Shadow the Hedgehog……is not……a good game, but it is not a terrible game if you stop taking it seriously. I believe the game might have worked better if they created a whole new character and not set in the Sonic universe. But no, we are left with this ridiculous work of art. So what gives? Why did I like this intro so much? I can’t help it, but this opening always leaves a smile on my face and makes me glad to be alive in this time and age.

Everything is just stupid and silly. Why Shadow? Why? I die a little bit every time I see Shadow use a gun because it feels so out of place. Apparently after falling from space Shadow gained the ability to be bulletproof and create explosions. Unknown aliens have taken over Earth. Shadow is fighting the aliens but also the army….no I take it back I hate everything about this once again. I know that the developers were going for a mature serious tone, but jeez I can’t stop laughing every time I watch this.

The best thing about the intro is the Crush 90 and their track “I am all…all I am.” This is my favorite theme for Shadow and my second favorite Crush 90 song next to “Escape From the City.” Again, in the context of a different original character, this would work perfectly. Just like you can do in the game. the track talks about choosing who you are. If I am ever feeling stress with a mountain of work that needs to be done, without shame I blast this track to keep me motivated. For how kickass this track is however, it just adds to the ridiculous factor of this game.

With all of its flaws, I can’t hate this opening. It brings me joy and that is why I believe this intro embodies the spirit of the holidays. During the year, we face a lot stress and hard times. We sometimes find it difficult to stop and enjoy the small things around us and just find simple enjoyment out of the little things. That is why I want to thank Shadow the Hedgehog. Every time I am reminded about its existence, it reminds me that life is not as stressful as I believe that it is and I should stop taking things too serious. I need to enjoy things for what they are and not be bitter about it if it did not meet my imaginary expectations. Keep an open mind and find some enjoyment in what you can make of what you have. I know this philosophy does not apply to everything, but at least with Shadow, you can have fun doing whatever you want with him.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone, and thank you for joining in this year’s advent calendar!

DanamesX

Advent Gaming Calendar 2019: Day 4 – Sonic Mania

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From Official Sonic the Hedgehog YouTube Channel

How can you not smile while watching this opening? Sonic Mania was one of those games that you thought you would never see again officially, but Christian Whitehead and Sega surprised us with this blast from the past. This opening oozes with charm and makes you feel like playing a Sonic game from the Genesis era. This is due part to the wonderful animation done by Aaron Webber.

The animation in this opening is one of the most impressive works I have ever seen. The character expressions match their personalities perfectly. You have Sonic, the cool confident guy who has a careless side to him; Tails, the child who is amazed at everything he sees around him; and Knuckles being Knuckles. This helps that the backgrounds are all colorful and the level of detail with the lightening of signs and eyes just make me feel like a kid watching a Saturday morning cartoon. Webber would go on to make two mini series that helped promote this game and Team Sonic Racing. I would do anything to have more of this in my life.

To accompany the gorgeous set piece is a track called “Friends” by Hyper Potions. I had never heard of them prior to their work for this game and I am now a massive fan. The idea and theme behind the title “Friends” makes me think that this is an old friend that has recently comeback into my life. It makes me think that no matter what hardships go on in life, I have the support of my close friends behind my back no matter what. This translates to the game since you do have the support of Tails and Knuckles (and later Mighty and Ray) as they can do things that Sonic cannot do; which includes air travel, destroying walls, and gliding. It is the idea that it takes everyone together to uncover all of the paths and secrets that are hidden in the game.

Overall, this is a solid opening. If you have never played Sonic Mania or have seen the Sonic Mania Shorts, I highly recommend it. I have been jamming to the opening theme the entire time writing this and now I want to pick the game back up and play it through again

Sonic Mania Adventures if you are interested in watching them

Tune in tomorrow for Day 5!

DanamesX