2009 February | Your source for all Hedgehog information

Sonic Advance 2: For Game Boy Advance

February 28th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Video Games

Damian Cross asked:

Sonic the Hedgehog followers gather round to collect the latest feedback on “Sonic Advance 2″, developed by Sega Corporation. On it’s 6th birthday this month, the game was released on March 10, 2003 at an average retail price of $30 dollars.

Released under the action genre, the game has been labeled a favorite for well known Sonic type, full of action scenes, fighting, and featured appearances of enemies like Dr. Robotnik. The game seems to present high difficulty levels for gamers, despite the initial setting, in their goal to complete the game by collecting treasure. Some of the advice given by players include letting go of the Chaos Emeralds in your quest in order to bring down game difficulty to enjoyable levels, and even so you are warned about falling off into many pits and watching the ‘game over’ screen time and time again before reaching any reasonable milestones towards the end of the game.

As far as graphics, the screen view is more like a 2D version of the design used in Sonic Heroes and Shadow the Hedgehog, as higher levels are mined with pits. The player keeps falling into these pits, and will have to continue doing so in the course of the game in order to test the path for weaknesses, trace a route and complete the level. At the end of each level the player faces a battle against one of the bosses, which Sonic will have to face while on the move. Do not expect the battle with the bosses, especially the last one, to be a walk in the park. If you are a hard core gamer, you might consider collecting the emeralds, adding a notch of difficulty to an already challenging game. The process involves collecting each of the 7 special rings within each of the large acts. In order to collect them all, the player will need to get to the end of the act without dying, and moreover, you will have to complete a special stage at the end of the act in order to get your hands on the Chaos Emerald. Considering you cannot claim to have completed this game unless the player accomplishes the task of collecting all the emeralds, better have some time to spare and be prepared to die more than a couple of times.

The levels keep increasing the amount of difficulty as you go along, making it more of a challenge for you to stay alive and actually complete the level you’re on. I must add that the quest for the Chaos Emerald is reserved for the very few, and those who try and get discouraged are many. In the end, however, it’s all about fun and games, isn’t it?

Are You Predicting or Prescribing Your Future? It’s Your Choice!

February 26th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Business

Adele Sommers asked:

Are you wondering what the future holds for your business? Whether you want to predict your future or prescribe an outcome of your choosing, you’ll have plenty of company!

Throughout history, we humans have tried many ways to predict the future, from reading palms to stargazing. Today, we refer to these as descriptive methods when we attempt to describe objectively what the future will be or could be.

On the other hand, prescriptive methods focus on determining what the future should be. These techniques can help us clarify our preferences and values so we can create a vision of what we would like to see in our lives, businesses, or communities.

Once we understand what we would like the future to represent, we’re better able to take the actions required to implement it. Ideally, that future will align with our passions, gifts, and what we (or our companies) can really be the best at doing. This article suggests a two-stage process for achieving that goal.

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First, Identify Your “Hedgehog Concept”

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So, what can you be the best in the world (or at least in your community) at doing? This thought-provoking reflection is one of many from Jim Collins’ “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t.”

Collins’ team examined 1,435 companies to see which ones made substantial gains in profitability and sustained those improvements over 15 years or more. Since the 1970s, only 11 companies had risen from mediocrity to greatness and stayed there — topping many other prosperous firms that lacked the same staying power.

Of eight characteristics these companies shared, all held an unshakable adherence to becoming the best in the world at whatever they did. Each company committed to doing only those things and nothing else. That sometimes meant dropping their core businesses to pursue other things at which they could become the best in the world.

Collins and his team coined the term “hedgehog concept” to reflect a single-minded determination and focus that, similar to that of the hedgehog animal, attempts to do only one thing really well, such as curl up and roll. A hedgehog concept actually represents the intersection of three areas:

1) What you’re most passionate about

2) An understanding of what you could be the best at doing, and

3) A metric that drives your economic engine and helps you measure results.

Keep in mind that according to Collins, this concept is not a goal, strategy, or plan, but an understanding of what you can and can’t be the best at doing. Until you develop your hedgehog concept, you won’t know your true vision, mission, or purpose.

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Next, Define Your “Business Success Criteria”

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Do you have a crystal clear idea of the types of business undertakings that align with your gifts, talents, passions, and strengths? In that same context, have you thought about whether your business can be the very best in the world at doing those things?

If the answers are “yes,” you are in an excellent position to choose the ventures that can give you the greatest satisfaction and results.

To become much clearer about the answers to these questions, you can develop a set of “business success criteria” that will help you select worthwhile endeavors with much deeper insight, and thus set the conditions for successfully pursuing them. A hedgehog concept thereby represents part of the formula you can devise to identify and choose among your very best options.

Why is this so important? It’s not uncommon for people to wander into businesses, projects, and professions opportunistically, which means that they often select the next available and convenient thing that comes along. At times, this may be necessary for financial reasons. But unless we understand our underlying success criteria, we might not recognize the options that truly fuel and inspire us — those that are best suited to our passions and strengths.

Some of your criteria could be practical considerations, and others more lofty ideals. But all of your criteria will be essential to achieving balance, fulfillment, prosperity, and higher contribution in your life.

In conclusion, a set of carefully crafted success criteria fueled by a potent hedgehog concept provides an unbeatable strategic advantage, and an excellent direction-finder for prescribing your future!

Sonic the Hedgehog vs Mario

February 9th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Collecting

Gen Wright asked:

rly 90’s, as they are today, Sega and Nintendo stood neck to neck in the endless race to produce new and inventive gaming for their ever-growing fan base. Sega had one problem though. It needed a mascot that would sufficiently rival the beloved little Italian brother that was Nintendo’s popular branded character, Mario? and so, an artist, designer and programmer at Sega got together and created Sonic the Hedgehog. He is a blue anthropomorphic hedgehog with blue hair. Sonic is 15 years old. He has a penchant for travelling beyond the speed of sound and defending himself from his enemies by curling up into a ball, making his body the projectile of choice. The initial idea was to release a game that would sell more that 1 million copies worldwide. With the release of the first Sonic the Hedgehog game in 1991, the executives at Sega must have been blown away when, after just 14 years (2005) their mascot had sold over 50 million copies.

Little known facts about Sonic the Hedgehog:

- Sonic was designed by three men. Yuji Naka, Hirokazu Yasuhara and Naoto Ōshima.

- Before settling on a hedgehog, team Sonic reviewed proposals for a rabbit, an armadillo and a dog

- In the first release of the game, Sonic was shorter, rounder and fatter. Later permutations had him becoming longer and thinner, with longer quills.

- Sonics’ red shoes (added later) are a tribute to Santa Clause.

- Sonic is 15 years old (The character, not the game)

- Various actors who voiced sonic include; Takeshi Kusao, Junichi Kanemaru, Ryan Drummond and Jason Anthony Griffith.

- The original Sonic had a band and a girlfriend by the name of Madonna. These were dropped for the US release though and never really brought back.

- Sonic can’t swim because Yuji Naka mistakenly believed that hedgehogs can’t swim.

- His boots (added later) were inspired by a design of Michael Jackson’s boots.

- The original theme music was written specifically for Sonic and is the only part of the game that has not really been re-vamped in almost 20 years.

The meteoric rise in popularity can be seen in the countless spin off releases of this strange, lovable character including comics, books and an extremely successful cartoon series. The game play of Sonic the Hedgehog remains the classic video game modus operandi. There are various levels, increasing in difficulty which Sonic traverses at various points with speed and agility. Enemies or attacks are quickly dispensed with when Sonic curls up in a ball and uses his body to attack them. Increasingly creative releases of the game include Sonic in Mario land. This is a cute nod to the inspiration that his corporate nemesis mascot, Mario invoked. It is believed that the success of Sonic the Hedgehog comes from Sega’s ability to upgrade and re-invent the character and his environment constantly. For this reason, new generations of gamers continue to discover and enjoy this nifty little video game superstar.

Sonic The Hedgehog: A New Challenge For Developers

February 4th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Computer Games

Damian Cross asked:

Up until now, Sonic the hedgehog games where all about the speedy blue blur jumping through loops, avoiding enemies and collecting rings. For some of us ‘retro’ gamers who enjoy a trip of nostalgia, this doesn’t seem at all a bad idea. But with the hedgehog 20th birthday just around the corner, it seems difficult for developers to revamp the fast, furious and spiky blue blur to anything but the original high paced game of the 90’s.

As part of the efforts made by Sega, they have made up their minds to try something different. With little to no promotion, “Sonic and the Black Knight” has been released into an unsuspecting market. For this video game adventure, Sonic has been audaciously equipped with talking sword, and sent back to medieval times to explore the lands of Camelot and the legend of King Arthur. Bordering the ever so popular role-playing games genre, with a sorceress and medieval times, Sonic involves himself in an adventure to the aid of a sorceress battling against an evil force trying to posses King Arthur.

The game fits the bill as far as visual content, pleasant and entertaining with high detailed backgrounds and flashy special effects. Sonic enters the screen on a path, where he is able to steer left or right to clear from enemies, avoid obstacles and approach treasures for the hunt. The analog nunchuck stick is used to manage the character’s speed, while the movement from side to side of the Wii remote brings the sword into action.

The frantic use of the sword makes the game a little bit of a frenzy sometimes, on top of which flashy special effects are sure to move the player to edge of their seat. Sonic is able to annihilate his foes on the go, adding even more speed to the game. The fact that we are seeing the hedgehog wave a sword around for the first time can be very satisfying. The player also has access to a special Soul Surge homing attack, which can lock onto your nearest enemy, and lets you expel a merciless shower attack.

There are a total of 11 levels to explore, including castles and dungeons, forests and caves and there’s a enjoyable mixture of bad guys to vanquish. Sonic gets help from his friends, red haired Knuckles the Echidna, Shadow Hedgehog and Miles “Tails” Prower the golden-yellow fox who is one of Sonic’s best buds, who make an appearance either as Knights of the Round Table or other characters. For hard-core gamers who like to add the tournament flare, there is a four player versus mode, which can also add considerable playing time.

Use of the controls in the use of the sword can become annoying, moving it from place to place. But with the great scenery, flashy special effects, game speed and the traditional flair which has made the Blue Blur hedgehog so popular are sure to bring long hours of fun and enjoyment for both young and old.

Sonic Glory Days: The Gems Collection

February 3rd, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Computer Games

Damian Cross asked:

In an effort to bring back the glory days of the early 90’s, when Sonic the Hedgehog was on top of the heap, Sega of America compiled a handful of games and packaged it into what came to be called the “Sonic Gems Collection”. Featuring Sonic and the freedom fighters, the release included several unfamiliar games like Sonic R, as well as a much appreciated one like Sonic CD. Obviously, Sonic developers where trying to do a little mix and match with their new and not so well known titles, looking to bring them forward with the help of their already established, good selling releases. The Gems collection did not sell as well as their previous release, but that shouldn’t of come as a surprise considering their strategy.

First in the list of the Sonic Gems Collection is Sonic the Fighters. A game originally developed for arcades in 1996 by Virtua Fighter creators AM2. A bit out of the ordinary, the game is characterized by insane speed, flying corks and bombs and the usual treasure hunting in the form of rings. Another aspect of this games that sets itself apart from the others is the appearance of a metal boss character with Sonic appearance. Although it may look a little outdated by today’s standards, Sonic Fighters is sure to deliver good times to Sonic the Hedgehog fans who cherish sonic games.

Second in the Gems collection we would find Sonic R. The first sonic racing game released by Sega for game consoles. The game was developed in a joint venture with Traveller’s Tales. One could say that this was the only genuine game title made for the Sega Saturn before it disappeared from store shelves. Not so good news for sonic game players who were glad to see a tough graphic engine behind this console, depicting fading backgrounds, water reflections and shadows, for a smooth game playing experience. Sonic R is an extremely fun game, a mix between a racing game and the usual sonic platform made evident by the amount of open spaces and the opportunity to jump off course and fetch for alternate routes. Players remain in controversy over the games level of difficulty. Despite the inclusion of extras, like chaos emeralds and unlockable characters, some claim to be able to finish the track in a few hours, while others claim the game is unplayable unless you leave the emeralds behind. There are five courses to choose from, plus a multi-player feature that works rather well on the PC port the game was based on.

Sonic Rivals for Play Station Portable

February 2nd, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Video Games

Damian Cross asked:

Sonic the Hedgehog had a bumpy ride entering the new millennium. A decade after it’s debut the blue blur had to face many issues with the release of ‘Sonic Heroes’. This game title was shipped out to retail stores amidst high expectations over a character who had already made his claim to fame in the decade of the ninety’s. With several bugs in the code, and pre-set high difficulty levels made the game a little annoying for many Sonic the Hedgehog fans. On top of this, the hedgehog also had to see the demise of the Sega Genesis console, the futile attempt made from Sega of America to enter the video game console industry. But despite these road blocks, developers at Backbone Entertainment got to work in a Sonic game title for the Sony PlayStation portable.

Sonic Rivals was made exclusively for Sony PlayStation portable. Not only was it the first game developed by a Canadian based company in this genre, but also the first game made for the Sony gadget. Programmers and designers at Backbone Entertainment went to work under the supervision of Sega of America to expand on the Blue Blur’s territory, beating other game titles by being the first to hit the screen of the Sony PlayStation portable. Takashi Lisuka was among the team leaders from Sega to join the in the creation efforts. Surprisingly though, among the many first’s surrounding this sonic game title, it was also the first Sonic game not to be released in Japan. For this release, the team got to work on what came to be known as a 2.5 D graphical interface style, which made it possible to bring sonic to the small portable screen. Featuring a classic game storyline and most background colors and special effects sonic fans around the world have come to expect from Sonic and friends. Thus, sonic fans could now enjoy the fast speeds, jumping through loops and the much sought after rings in the treasure hunting experience on their portable Sony gadget.

In the summer of 2007, an even better and more detailed version of Sonic Rivals was unveiled called Sonic Rivals 2. This time the game featured the inclusion of a few other character such as Miles “Tails” Prower, Espio and Rouge. With a more detailed background and special effects, and additional levels for even more fun and extended game play, it was well received by fans everywhere. To add to the Sonic’s popularity and promote the game title release, efforts where also made in the marketing and promotion areas by means of 150 more collectible cards released to the market at the same time as the game title. Today, Sonic the Hedgehog has become available in almost every game console there is, it is safe to say Sonic and the Freedom Fighters are here to stay.

Sonic the Hedgehog: Great Puzzle Games

February 1st, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Computer Games

Damian Cross asked:

Dating as far back as 1991, when Sonic the hedgehog games where first released by Sega of America, the spiky hair, blue blur known as Sonic the Hedgehog has filled our television screens and computer monitors with endless hours of fun. As avid players, we have learned to think of the sonic games as a very fast, action packed drama, which if we need to look very closely at the screen in order not to lose track of what’s going on in the game. But with the introduction of the sonic character and friends to the internet in the form of free flash games to play online, sonic games have started to spawn in many websites and in countless different flavors. One of them is the puzzle game genre.

Puzzle Games featuring Sonic the Hedgehog offer a more subtle form of game play, at a much lower pace and less need for frantic use of the controls. Sonic fans can enjoy the moment with a nice puzzle game featuring their favorite game character. For example, “Amy’s Whack a Nik”, a game in which you play as Amy Rose Hedgehog, one of Sonic’s good friends. The object of the game is to help Amy get to all the “SWATbots” with her “Pico Pico” hammer. The game can be lots of fun running around chasing these creatures trying to complete the level. Another good example would be the “Sonic Matching game”, a classic matching game where the player needs to match the pieces of the puzzle by uncovering two pieces at the most, at any given time. Completing the game allows the player to uncover an image hidden underneath. Scene creators offer another great choice for Sonic the Hedgehog fans looking for puzzle related games. A player could spend hours designing a new scene for a sonic game, which he or she could even play later.

As I mentioned previously in this article, Sonic puzzle games have only recently started to appear in the internet. Flash games websites feature them in their Sonic games section, and what’s best of all is that they offer these games absolutely free! No need to pay for a subscription, or fill out those clumsy, lengthy registration forms. Just click on your favorite game and away you go! So if you are one of those gamers spending half their time trying to figure out where sonic went, jump the loop to sonic puzzle games where sonic is sure to stay still for a while, and allow you to play the game at your own pace.

Archive for February, 2009

Sonic Advance 2: For Game Boy Advance

Are You Predicting or Prescribing Your Future? It’s Your Choice!

Sonic the Hedgehog vs Mario

Sonic The Hedgehog: A New Challenge For Developers

Sonic Glory Days: The Gems Collection

Sonic Rivals for Play Station Portable

Sonic the Hedgehog: Great Puzzle Games

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