Six Days of Sonic: Day 5

VG&CE - October 1992

I'm sticking with the first couple of Sonic games this week because they tie into Sonic Mania best and of course the blog is primarily for items released before 2000. Plus, after the 16-bit era was the Saturn and the Sonic games on that platform are not as good. Therefore, today the scans are almost exclusively for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sonic 2). Unfortunately, I could only find one review for the Genesis release so I decided to add a Sonic CD review at the end of this post. A big difference between the first two Sonic games is the addition of Miles "Tails" Prower in the sequel. Tails is a fox with two tails that he can use to hover though players cannot activate that ability in Sonic 2. In this game he either follows Sonic automatically or is directly controlled in a one-player game, or a second player can control him partially as he follows the first player controlling Sonic.

The October 1992 issue of Video Games & Computer Entertainment (VG&CE) features a Sonic 2 hologram on the cover which you see above. As I mentioned in the Day 1 post, Sonic dominated the 16-bit era in North America and this cover is another example of the attention the character received. Below is the three-page preview that appears in that issue.

Sonic 2 did receive a lot of preview coverage and I probably am including more than is necessary so pick and choose your preferred publications if you don't have time or want to read them all. One I will suggest is this interview with Yuji Naka from Sega Visions.He mentions that only nine people worked on Sonic the Hedgehog and for the sequel the team increased to a whole 12 people! This was one of the biggest releases in 1992 and now, 25 years later, hundreds of people work on some of the highest profile games being developed today. It's amazing how much things have changed in a seemingly short amount of time. That being said, there are many great games being published today that are made by small teams, due in large part to the rise of digital publishing which is how Sonic Mania was released (there is a physical collector's edition as well but the game itself is still just a digital code inside the box).

Sega Visions - August/September 1992

Here is a four-page preview from Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) that includes the Sega CD version. However, this is actually not the same game as Sonic CD. Sonic 2 was originally planned to be released for the Sega CD which is the game they are previewing here but that version was eventually scrapped and Sonic CD became its own game that released a year after the Genesis game.

Electronic Gaming Monthly #37

Electronic Gaming Monthly #37

Next up is a preview from Game Informer and one from EGM for the Game Gear version.

Game Informer - December 1992

Electronic Gaming Monthly #38

Last up is a review of Sonic 2 from VG&CE and a review of Sonic CD from EGM. I included EGM's review of Gunstar Heroes so that you can see one of the reasons why Sonic CD didn't get game of the month (by score average it was also beaten by two SNES games: Actraiser 2 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters -- not the same types of games but I'd guess game of the month goes to highest score). This was a huge month for games; EGM #52 (November 1993) has 16 reviews by the main review crew (Ed Semrad, Danyon Carpenter, Martin Alessi, and Sushi-X), and then Mike Weigand (Major Mike) reviewed 25 more games, though all five did offer scores -- how in the world did they have time to play so many games! I should point out EGM reviews are short; they do not write a lot at all. The review crew of four handed out one platinum and seven gold awards, and three games that didn't even get awards still scored all sevens and eights. Major Mike awarded five more golds so gamers sure had an awful lot of good games to put on their Christmas wish lists, especially on the Genesis. Along with Sonic 2 Sega Genesis gold award winners that month included Aladdin, Street Fighter II' Champion Edition, Gauntlet IV, FIFA Soccer, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, Rocket Knight Adventures, and Splatterhouse 3.

VG&CE - December 1993

EGM #52

Six Days of Sonic: Day 4

Today's post is Sonic's first comic book from Archie Comics. It is numbered 1/4 and was given out for free with an issue of Sega Visions magazine. I did adjust the brightness and contrast on the scans to make the paper look less yellow but it may have altered some other colors slightly as well.

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Six Days of Sonic: Day 3 - [YouTube] Sonic Mania

                                                        https://youtu.be/8f5iJf4_Vac




Released on August 15, 2017 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch (PC version delayed until August 29th), Sonic Mania is unique in that Sega of America and Sonic Team worked with developers from the Sonic fan community -- Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, and PagodaWest Games -- to create the game that features re-imagined levels from the Sega Genesis games as well as new stages. The game is primarily 2D (has 3D graphics in special stages), runs at 60 frames per seconds, and has three playable characters: Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles "Tails" Prower, and Knuckles the Echidna. As is the case with most Sonic games, the ultimate goal is to defeat Dr. Eggman (aka Dr. Ivo Robotnik) and his robots. The Collector's Edition is $69.99 at retail while the stand-alone digital game is $19.99.

Being a throwback to the Genesis games is the reason I chose to do a week of Sonic now rather than later in the year when another Sonic game called Sonic Forces is expected to release. Developed by Sonic Team, Sonic Forces is a mix of 2D and 3D action, and is scheduled to release on the same platforms as Sonic Mania in the fourth quarter of this year. Sonic Forces will be a physical product whereas Sonic Mania is only available as a digital download at the time of its release. As seen in the YouTube video above, the collector's edition includes a collector's card, a gold ring housed inside of a cartridge, and a 12" statue of Sonic standing atop a Genesis (or Mega Drive) that says "Sega" when the power button is placed in the on position.

The PlayStation 4 outer cover is on the left. On the right is
the collector's edition with a front panel that swings open.

Also mentioned in the video is that I thought it would have been nice if the base of the statue had Sonic in the corner with a cartridge slot in the center to hold the facsimile Genesis cartridge. Another change I would have made is to have Sonic pointing with his right hand, rather than a closed fist, allowing the ring to slip onto his index finger. Also, I should point out that when I redeemed the game code on PlayStation 4 it included three themes and some avatars.

Front of collector's edition box
without outer system cover.

Back of collector's edition box
without outer system cover.

Collector's edition box open without the front plastic panel that holds the game code.

And here are a few screenshots:

Sonic & Tails in the Chemical Plant.

Knuckles in the Green Hill Zone.

Sonic & Tails in the Chemical Plant.

Sonic vs. Tails in split-screen competition mode.

Six Days of Sonic: Day 2

Sega Visions - Summer 1991

As I mentioned in the Day 1 post, Sonic the Hedgehog released in June 1991 and was instantly a hit. The game has a likable character, looks great, and moves at super speeds. While the Genesis originally had the rather slow moving Altered Beast as a pack-in title, Sega smartly replaced that game with Sonic the Hedgehog. Initially I was going to stick to only the Genesis coverage but I've included a Master System and a couple Game Gear articles below.

In the Sega Visions preview from Day 1 they mentioned they'd have a full review of Sonic in the next issue. Well, I have that issue and the article reads more like a statement of facts. While a number score isn't necessary for a review, opinions are. As far as numbers go though, the magazine didn't assign review scores until May/June 1992.

Sega Visions - Summer 1991

All of the other magazines did use numerical scores, however, and Sonic the Hedgehog received no less than an eight in any category and a couple perfect scores. I've got review scans for GamePro, Video Games & Computer Entertainment (VG&CE), and Electronic Gaming Monthly's Sega-only magazine Mega Play.

GamePro - June 1991

VG&CE- June 1991

Mega Play - July/August 1991

The remaining scans are of Sega Visions' coverage for the Sega Master System and Game Gear releases, and Game Gear reviews from Electronic Gaming Monthly and Video Games & Computer Entertainment.

Sega Visions - Winter 91/92

Sega Visions - Winter 91/92

VG&CE - January 1992

Electronic Gaming Monthly #31

Six Days of Sonic: Day 1

To tie into the upcoming release of Sonic Mania this week I've prepared six posts featuring a variety of scans in relation to Sega's speedy mascot. Today is day one and will be a little brief as far as scans go. I'll conclude the coverage on Friday and return to the regular ads post Saturday morning.

Game Informer - Fall 1991 (Premiere Issue)

I'll provide a quick overview today but the magazine scans will do most of the talking for the week. If you were too young to be playing games in the early '90s you might not be able to appreciate just how much of an impact Sonic had on Sega and the video game industry overall. Sega got off to a strong start in the 16-bit era with the Genesis in 1989 and the first Sonic game released at the perfect time in June 1991, providing the console with a big boost just two months before the Super NES launched in North America. Sonic was an instant hit and quickly became the face of Sega. A sequel was immediately in the works and it didn't take long for the character to start showing up everywhere you looked.

In 1992 Sonic got his own comic book from Archie Comics that ran for 290 issues! That's quite a long time for a comic book based on a video game, or any comic book really as so many get rebooted over and over. Just this past month Sega signed a deal with IDW Publishing so there will be another series soon. A comic book wasn't enough for what was everyone's favorite new gaming mascot and in 1993 Sonic got his own cartoon that ran for two seasons. That was followed with another animated show that had 65 episodes, a couple of anime releases, and most recently the Sonic Boom series. Sonic could also be be found in toy aisles, at the supermarket, and plastered on numerous non-gaming advertisements throughout the mid '90s.

Sega debuted its own magazine with the June/July1990 issue of Sega Visions. Here is the magazine's first preview of Sonic the Hedgehog shortly before the game released:

Sega Visions - April/May 1991

For the remainder of the week this is what I have planned but the order might change; it all depends on when I acquire Sonic Mania and how fast I can get a video completed:

• Monday: Sonic the Hedgehog (the first game) magazine scans
• Tuesday: Unboxing of the Sonic Mania: Collector's Edition plus a little gameplay
• Wednesday: Sonic the Hedgehog #1/4 comic book
• Thursday: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 magazine scans (primarily previews)
• Friday: Some of Sonic's non-gaming ads

August Update

We're now more than halfway through
what has been a rather hot summer
here in the U.S.

Hello! It's been a while since I wrote something outside of ad and YouTube posts as I wrote the June and July updates fairly close to one another and then spent a lot of time trying to make my first YouTube videos. I think they are alright but there is already so much content online that it's likely most of what I upload won't be new to the Internet. There is one item I haven't looked up online but I think it will be new to most people when I get a video made of it which I expect to do around November. It's an educational electronic toy that I haven't even checked to see if it still works. If it doesn't work I guess I might not make a video of it but I'll definitely post about it because it's the add-on content that involves a big property that I want to highlight. If you like comic books you should enjoy it.

I did upload a short video of Wild Guns Reloaded (update to a SNES game) gameplay this week though I didn't post about it. For gameplay videos like that it's best to subscribe to the YouTube channel if you want to be kept up to date on when a new video is available. I'll definitely be providing videos of older games but I'm still getting that in order. I've got an old Dazzle device that I can run consoles through though I don't love the quality so I'm looking into purchasing something newer. This week I did order an S-video cable for the Commodore 64 that should allow me to run that computer on modern displays.

The past few weeks I've been flipping though comic books in search of more non-gaming Sonic the Hedgehog ads for the Sonic coverage that kicks off tomorrow. Unfortunately, I only found one more item for Sonic, however I'll keep searching today and I have been getting some other cool ads during the process. While I keep trying to not got sidetracked, I have scanned some other items that I didn't want to pass up right now (I'll get to everything one day!). Comic book ads vary in quality as the paper can be terrible if the ads are in the middle rather than the backside of the cover. For example, here is a two-pager that doesn't look amazing but it's G.I. Joe so I had to grab it and did my best to clean it up:

This is Cobra Strike from Parker Brothers which I wrote
a little about on the blog back in March.

Comic book ads are also a little elongated so the dimensions of most will look a bit off compared to magazine ads. As far as the Sonic coverage, that will consist of six posts, one of which should be an unboxing of Sonic Mania. I know that can already be found online from Sega, and Game Informer got their copy yesterday and posted a bunch of photos. It's Sega's game and the big press outlets will always have games before bloggers but I think it should still be fun to do a video of. I had also planned on doing a Game Gear video next week as the only physical 2D Sonic game I actually own is Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on Game Gear. However, I turned it on and the sound no longer works. Failing sound is very common on Game Gears because Sega used poor sound capacitors when it made the handheld. Even if you find a brand new Game Gear the sound might not work as they can fail even when not in use depending on where they are stored. It's tough to record the Game Gear screen too which makes the sound even more important when trying to demo it. I do plan on attempting to fix it with some help (I've never soldered anything), it just won't be ready for a bit (if the repair even works) and my other plans will probably end up pushing the Game Gear video into next year.

You'll see this again whenever I get the Game Gear video made.

A video that should be coming soon will be for Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap. Lizardcube remastered the original Sega Master System game and DotEmu published it on Steam a couple months ago. I've secured a copy of the collector's edition that Limited Run Games released on August 4th. It wasn't cheap but I thought it would be a good one to get and make an unboxing video of since the original is one of my favorite games. This was my first attempt purchasing a game from Limited Run and wasn't sure I'd be able to get one because the games are limited as the publisher's name indicates. The company takes previously released digital games and sells physical versions of them, usually printing 3,000-5,000 copies. It then sells them in two batches on the same day that typically sell out fast, though it depends on the popularity of the game. Wonder Boy's collector's edition sold out in 90 seconds when the 10 AM batch went on sale and that's when I made my purchase. It's a small company though so it takes them a while to ship things; maybe I'll receive it next week.

Omega Supreme's battle with Trypticon didn't end well.

I'll admit, the toy coverage has been more difficult than I expected. When I made the first Transformers video I wasn't sure what exactly to do. I talked a little bit about how they came to be and then transformed them which I'm sure isn't the most exciting thing to watch. That's why electronic toys are the best; they can perform sounds and/or actions and do at least some of the entertaining for you. My first attempt at a Transformers video was going to be Omega Supreme but he's not working; the light turns on but he doesn't move. I took him apart and am not sure what's wrong, and unfortunately attempting to open the area below the head knocked all the gears loose and that's a major pain to get back in order. There's also a piece that I can't figure out where to put; it must have fallen out when I was handling him but I didn't notice from where.

I'm thinking of occasionally posting a random ad on Facebook and Twitter once in a while rather than just the "here is the latest blog entry" posts. That would probably be more fun and get some more followers. I'd skip around and highlight some game ads from companies I'm not going to get to on Flickr for a while, plus toy ads and anything from before the year 2000. Maybe I'll do some random toy photos too as I do want to take the kinds of photos others do with putting toys into real world backgrounds or setting up unique scenes. Thanks for reading and following the blog, and YouTube/Facebook/Twitter.

-Jonathan