News

Samba De Amigo Version. 2000 was released for the Dreamcast yesterday in Japan, with many new songs and modes, such as a "dance" mode, where you have to dance with the maracas. They've also created this brand new desktop wallpaper on their site for the occasion, download it: 1280*1024 (1250KB) or 800*600 (470KB)

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Phantasy Star Online has been reviewed by Famitsu Weekly of Japan, given a 37/40 mark, with a Platinum award, here is what those wacky Japanese said about the game, thanks to DC.IGN.COM:

1ST GUY: If you can handle the price of the phone system and the game itself, you should definitely buy it. Simply communicating over the system is fun. It's possible to chat in real-time without any stress. When you're in the room, you can become a new person. I felt like there were wonderful possibilities! When you play off-line, it's an average action-RPG. - SCORE: 9

2ND GUY: You can play the game off-line single-player. However, you can go on-line to play as your own character. You can defeat your enemies, share the items you earn, and cooperate with your buddies via the chat mode. It's fun to experience the adventure with real-life people. If you dare to give candid advice, there may be some problem in cooperation. - SCORE: 9

3RD GUY: The underlying system is fairly simple. As you defeat enemies, your player's level slowly goes up. Single-player mode gets tiring. Why do the multi-player modes become so interesting? Talking with people while you fight is too much fun! You can't feel any time-lag, either. People who are connected to the net will want to try it. - SCORE: 9

4TH GUY: This is the first really complete consumer network game, and I applaud its perfection. You can enjoy the game with people you've never seen before, or play the game by yourself thanks to the decent gameplay system. It feels more like Diablo, but the game really shines because of the Yuji Naka touch. - SCORE: 10

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SegaWeb have recently had the pleasure of watching both a new SA2 video, and a PSO video, heres the link. This is what they concluded:

SA2

• A new character seemed to exist. He appeared to have Knuckles' skills, such as climbing and flying, but this character was white. Super Knuckles, perhaps?
• A robot character, much like E-102 was seen in the footage. This robot was playable, and was racking up insane combos with its laser.

PSO

• Sonic Team did not really demonstrate the online play from the game; they focused mainly on the interface and the single-player gameplay
• To summarize: It kicks ass ^__^
• Sonic Team guided the character from the outdoor areas to the main lobby section, which allowed for a great demonstration of the games menu interface.
• The Menus are VERY important to this RPG's Gameplay, if you don't know Japanese, don't bother importing :)
• everything in Phantasy Star Online seems to be customizable. The character was shown equipping armor and weaponry, and it looked like he not only was able to select from a truckload of items, but he was also able to alter the color/designs of the items themselves.
• Sonic Team then showed off the motion capture from the game, and how it played a key role in making Phantasy Star Online's characters more lifelike. They also displayed several icons that exist in the chat features of Phantasy Star Online, among them being Doraemon symbols (A fat, blue cat with a magic pocket.. also it has no ears :), NiGHTS symbols and Sonic symbols. Perhaps these are Sonic Team's versions of smileys? :)
• Sonic Team apparently wants to make Phantasy Star Online have date-specific downloads. Much like Sonic Adventure had its Christmas Square, Sonic Team wants Phantasy Star Online to have a special graphical alteration done to it on Dec. 25, three days after it is released.

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The Super Sonic Zone has reported although Famitsu gave PSO a 37/40 rating, Famitsu Dreamcast, it's sister magazine, gave it a perfect 30/30! The game will come out around about the 27th of January in the US, and about a month after for the PAL release.

AHHHHH! 30 brand-spankin' new screens for SA2!!!! You heard it here first folks!

Check them out @ Swirlvision:

http://www.swirlvision.com/article.asp?id=298

Following the news and rumors of Tails maybe or maybe not showing up in SA2, I have run across the ODCM (Official Dreamcast Magazine) and this is something that they have just reported about SA2:

"Although only a few characters have been revealed so far (Sonic, Knuckles, and Dr. Robotnik), sources tell us that five new characters, pulled from former Sonic games on Genesis, Game Gear, amd arcade platforms, will also join the party-introducing new styles of game play in the process."

This could mean that Ray, Mighty, Nack, Espio, Vector, Charmy, Bean, Bark and other Sonic characters who haven't been seen for many years could make a comeback.

Another thing to note, ODCM has also announced that the release date has been pushed back until Fall of 2001. The reason for this being is because Sonic Team wanted to ensure that the Sonic Team would have enough time to make the game everything that they wanted it to be.


Source: ODCM (Official Dreamcast Magazine)

Dub here! And today we get the long awaited Sonic #95 spoilers! Bunnie Rabbot fans will definetely want this one for the first story. But Miles "Tails" Prower fans - buckle your seatbelts: "The Chosen One", the final Knuckles arc before Sonic #100 and the follow up to one of the biggest side storylines in Archie starts here.....

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Sonic The Hedgehog #95
"Enemy Mine"
"The Chosen One - Part One"
Written by Karl Bollers and Ken Penders
Art by James Fry And Ron Lim
Inks By Andrew Pepoy and Ken Penders.

A trip to Robotropolis to rescue the roboticized Overlanders baffles Sonic and Bunnie, as many of the Overlanders haven't even been roboticized! Meanwhile, Kodos has gone over the top, affected by radiation, leading Sonic and Bunnie to assist Arachnis in battle against Kodos as they attempt to make their way through the Great Forest. Is Kodos' condition part of a bigger threat? Can Arachnis be trusted? And just what can Robotnik be up to by allowing the Overlanders to exist free of roboticization? And in the backup story - His fellow enchidnas might not have the answers to Knuckles' problem, but Athair believes he does. He recruits Tails, along with Merlin Prower, to assist with the solution, leading to the moment many have asked for: the ultimate destiny of Sonic's major domo revealed...

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Coolness. Not only do we get a story with Sonic and Bunnie (my personal fave of the FF's) but we get the long requested Chosen One arc that I know a bunch of you will be happy to hear, plus the return of Athair as Tails may possibly meet his uncle Merlin Prower who hasn't been seen since back in the day. :)

As an off note, the miniature version of this cover doesn't really do it justice. Sonic trapped in Spaz's "Spider Man" webbing makes this a SWEET cover and probably his best one in a while just for the layout. I'm not that happy with Ron Lim doing the art for the Knuckles/Tails back, but overall this looks to be a pretty good issue in the making. And if it follows the upswing trend the books have been taking since #88 (skipping SSS#15 - it doesn't exist >_<) then #100 may be looking good after all...

http://www.segaweb.com has manage to get an image of the Sonic Zippo, which is part of Dreamcast Direct's promotion for Sonic's 10th anniversary, has been released. Despite the fact that many children will be playing this game and could potentially get their hands on this, we here still think it looks pretty frickin' phat.

Howdy folks! Dub here - it's been a LONG TIME coming, a LONG TIME waiting, and a LONG TIME in getting it here - but I can assure you the waits are more than worth it! Today - for the month of December we present what I've promised you since the anniversary: The SHQ Interview with Daniel J. Drazen! And if thats not enough to appease you, we even got an interview with Alison "Sonique" Scharlemann - THE Sonique credited with Sonic Pandemonium, Perfect Chaos, the late Shadow Of Light, and now FUS: the online fight to get one of the fandom's cartoons back on the air!

I can guarantee that these are two of the biggest and neatest fan interviews we've ever done, so get to reading!

Daniel J. Drazen - Would you believe he's one of the oldest and most well respected Sonic The Hedgehog fans online? Have you ever wondered who that well spoken dude on the mailing lists is who consistently churns out reviews of the Archie Sonic Comics every month since..oh, Sonic #18? :) Or have you heard of the infamous fanfic called Mobius Apocalypse? From Archie, to its writers, to Sega, to writing fanfiction, to practically everything else as well as tips for the young aspiring writer and whats new, take a peek and get to know Daniel J. Drazen - one of the cream of the crop among Sonic fans.

Sonique - She can be one of the nicest people you meet if you talk to her, but cross her the wrong way and she wont hesitate to tell you what she thinks. ^__^ She's vocal, she's outspoken and she's one of the most well known long-time webmasters in the Sonic fandom! Her name is Alison Scharlemann, but you all know her as the unique "Sonique"! From Sonic Pandemonium, to Shadow Of Light, to currently FUS, join us as we have a sit with tonights lady of the evening and discuss whats new since we last saw her! And Sonic Underground fans, bring your flame retardant sheets ready...Prepare for a liitle Pandemonium - Sonique Style! :O) (Note: ***There is some mild language left in to keep the interview in tact)

Thats it for today! Read those and then check out our Poll Position below! And feel free to discuss anything you read there on the Station Square MB!

Howdy folks! And welcome to our brand spanking new "End Of The Year" Poll Position! This month, the Sonic The Hedgehog #100 Speculation Poll as well as Sonic #88 and Sonic Super Special #14 Reader Reviews! Also 2 new polls and 4 new reader reviews of Archie Sonic 89-91 and a special review for reader input concerning Sega's new videogame release of the party game Sonic Shuffle! Considering we've got a lot of ground to cover, lets get right to the point:

There was only one question on this months Poll Position and that was - What event would you like to see happen sometime within the timespan of Sonic 100? (Choose 5 Answers)

Here are the final results.....

**twitches violently**

I'm not sure if this has been posted already - but who cares!!!! TRUST ME: It's worth being posted a second time. ^__^

How would you like a Sonic Greatest Hits compliation on Dreamcast? And no - we're not talking about stuff like the Sonic & Knuckles Collection or Sonic CD on PC. We're talking EVERYTHING from the Genesis Sonics, to the Saturn Sonics, to _MAYBE_ a rerelease of Knuckles Chaotix. Yes: You read that right. O__O All of this _AND_ Sonic Adventure 2!

Grab your analog stick for this one: rumors have floated over from Japan about a Sonic Compilation for early next year in celebration of the blue hedgehog's 10th anniversary. This will not be a meager helping of hits... you'll be graced with ALL the Sonic games from the Genesis to the Saturn baby, including Sonic 1, 2, and 3, Sonic & Knuckles, Sonic 3D Blast, Sonic R, Sonic Spinball, and other rumors are saying Knuckles Chaotix too. No word on anything anywhere of the 8 bit Game Gear's like Triple Trouble, Sonic 1 and 2, Sonic Chaos, and Sonic Blast. But I thik the above is more than enough ^^

If youre a Sonic and/or Knuckles fan, you should be pretty much drooling and quivering like mad now! ^__^

Granted this may be just a rumor after all, and Sega of America has heard nothing of such a compilation coming form the land of the rising sun. Then again, they may either be keeping this two GD-ROM compilation under heavy secrecy, or perhaps this compilation may not come to the States after all.

We'll keep you informed as more information rises. And we hope (and pray) that this rumor is true and that such a compilation will be released next year. A rumor always has its roots, and perhaps they're buried somewhere deep in Sega Japan...I cannot WAIT until February. :D

Source: Sega X

It's TWO - TWO - TWO TIMES THE FUN! But where on earth is our little 2-tailed kitsune Tails?

At least thats what the major videogame sites are saying concerning the latest Sonic Adventure 2 demo (which is RUMORED to be in one of the next ODCM's). From these off the wall "Nails The Bat" new character rumors, to the Dark Sonic, to the missing Tails, to the now playable Eggman its obvious that we're in for a 1oth Anniversary treat either way!

You've seen the IGN article below. Here's the Daily Radar scoop:

The wily Sega had many surprises in store for the assembled throng of videogame journalists at the company's Executive Games Summit, which was held last month in San Francisco. At the two-day event, Sega showed off approximately 30 titles, all of them scheduled to come to Dreamcast in the year 2001. It was a glorious overdose of all things Sega and, for reasons unknown to all but the people who put the event together, certain materials were made off limits for coverage; a nondisclosure agreement provided Sega the legal right to assault those who discussed certain games before a certain date with flesh-eating beavers. With the passing of December 7 (the infamous day when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, forcing the United States into the global conflict known as World War II), the nondisclosure has lapsed on Sega's Sonic Adventure 2. Now it is safe to say that Sega showed the game's first level at the Executive Games Summit, and it was spectacular.

The game will celebrate Sonic's 10th anniversary, and centers around the creation of a new and sinister ultimate weapon, which happens to look a lot like a black hedgehog. The game will look similar to the original Dreamcast launch title Sonic Adventure, and will feature Sonic, his echidna pal Knuckles, the vile Dr. Robotnik and those beloved virtual pets, Chaos.

Sonic Team's Takashi Izuka, the man who created NiGHTS for the Sega Saturn (and who refused to comment about the game being made for the Dreamcast), was on hand to show off Adventure 2. He brought both a brief preview movie of the game, as well as a working demo of its first level. The movie showed brief flashes of gameplay, all fueled by pounding guitar sermons that seem to be the hallmark of such promotional material. Sonic himself was shown skyboarding, sliding down an anonymous hilly town with cable cars (San Francisco), using his board to grind along rails, swinging on vines, interacting with chaos and being an all-around bad-ass.

The demo for the first level proved revelatory. The first series of levels is titled "The Trial" and begins with Sonic riding in an attack helicopter. At this stage, Sonic is a prisoner, but his captives, as well as their motives for capturing the beloved mascot, were not revealed. Nonetheless, the plucky hero escapes his bonds, and hurls himself out of the chopper. Gameplay begins when he lands on terra firma and starts sliding down the streets on a board. Here, Sonic was shown sliding at great speed and with great fluidity. (Izuka promised Adventure 2 would have a frame rate that improved on the original 30-fps Adventure.) During jumping tricks, he would rocket into the air and begin spinning wildly, Tony Hawk-style. In a fit of videogame goofiness, Sonic was also shown knocking cars aside on the way down. The demo concluded with a visually stunning scene of Sonic racing toward the front of the screen while being chased by a rampaging truck. It was clearly a tip of the hat to the mad killer whale scene in Adventure, but was nonetheless remarkable.

Izuka then answered a series of questions about the game -- that is, he answered by saying he was unable to answer. He passed on the question of online support for the game, although he did acknowledge there would be some. He did not comment on the possibility of NiGHTS for the Dreamcast, but was able to say that it would be possible to shift Sonic's movement while he's grinding down rails in Adventure 2.

All in attendance were allowed to play the game later that day. The demo sampled is the same one that will be packaged with the Japanese version of the online Dreamcast game Phantasy Star Online, although Sega showed it to American game fans first. A brief playtest revealed that the game did, in fact, run at about 60 or so fps, and had graphics that were both sharper and cleaner than those of the original Adventure. It was simply fun to play as well.

As an added bonus, Sega sent all in attendance a copy of the demo on the date that its nondisclosure agreement lapsed -- along with a nice note saying, inexplicably, that the playable copy of Sonic Adventure 2's first level was not to be written about until December 21. Expect a full preview, as well as many screens and movies, on that date.

Sounds cool, huh? Couple that with the news above and it looks like were gonna be in for some GOOD GAMING come the 10th Anniversary! Now all we need is to find out the full truth behind Tails and these unconfirmed Nails rumors and see what happens. ^__^ Does anyone else wonder if this "Nails" may be the Dark Sonic in question? For that we'll just have to see. For now though, you can also check out Videogames.com's review of the demo, as well as thier new screenshots shown here linked below.

SA2 Demo Review #2: Videogames.com

Source: Daily Radar

James Fry recently brought up some things concerning Mina The Mongoose's development on the Archie Mailing list in reference to a letter in response to Dan Drazen. An excerpt from the responsive letter is below:

Mina was always intended to be a mongoose, hence my remark wondering whether or not we made her species clear from the beginning. In point of fact, she was a mongoose before she was named Mina. The character was originally named Chloe, and changed to Mina at the 11th hour because so many of this book's female characters' names end in that "long-e" sound: Sally, Bunnie, Rosie, Amy... you get the idea. But the mongoose thing (clearly labeled on the character-design sheet Spaz sent me), the super-speed and the maybe = girlfriend thing have all been part of the plan for ages. I'm not saying stuff never gets made up on the fly, just that this certainly isn't one of them.

I wont reprint the full one. But check out the mailing list for more of the discussion. :)

Source: Archie Sonic Mailing List