News

It's been fun running a large website for a while, but now it's just annoying and too much pressure. I have a job, a life, and whatnot and I can't be bothered to update it every day and put up with the weirdos who bug me. Anyway, If you would like to become a part of the SoL staff (the job I do) email me and SHOW me how you are qualified. Don't just tell me. Give me a URL to your site or something. HTML knowledge is REQUIRED! If you wish to see what alll you'd be running, go to this page and look under Sonique. I also run a few things on other pages such as music and the dictionary. If you can run most, that's also okay as I may stick around and run something. Thank you for your time :)

I don't think anyone else has noticed this, but in the new screen shots from Sonic Adventure 2, in the one where Sonic is jumping out of the helicopter, there is a pair of handcuffs attached to one of his wrists. (the one on the right side of the picture.) Now, considering we know that there is some kind of a dark or evil Sonic in this game, this pretty much confirms that at some point, Sonic will be framed and arrested, then escape. The helicopter could be a police copter, and maybe GUN stands for some kind of made up law agency in the game.

Sonic Team has opened the Phantasy Star Online webpage which looks pretty darned sweet! ^__^ Available in English you can find such things as whats new, basic information, character profiles, techniques, and weapons! ^_^

Click the picture to access the English portion of the page.

Source: Sonic Team

Regardless of how SoA's arcade division treats us, there's no questioning the fact that the DC division loves us. Remember how "Livin' La Vida Loca" and "Cup of Life" had to be removed from the DC version of Samba in Japan due to licensing issues? (Sony Music Entertainment ***grrr*** holds the rights to all Ricky Martin songs, in case you're behind the curve.) But we'll put up with no such nonsense on these proud shores, where freedom rings eternal! The US tracklist for Samba de Amigo has been released, and guess which two songs are in it? The bad news is that neither one (or Chumbawumba's Tubthumping, for that matter) are being performed by the original artists. Aw hell, who needs Ricky Martin anyway? Here's the complete tracklist, as well as the list of downloadable songs to be made available through the Samba homepage:

Source: Neo Green Hill Zone

Meet Pinobee.

About a year ago at this time, there were a million wicked rumors circulating about Sonic Team, ranging from the unlikely (Sonic Team splits into three divisions: the Naka division, the Ohshima division, and the Iizuka division) to the unearthly (Sonic Team breaks up). But as with any rumor, it all stems from a (usually) harmless truth, and the truth in this scenario is that a number of key Sonic Team players left Sega to form their own development house: Artoon.

Green Gibbon (who originally revealed this) isn't sure at this point exactly which members of the Team defected during the upheaval, but the big word going around is that Naoto Ohshima is among the list of traitors. Actually, it kind of makes sense. Ohshima's style of direction is very mellow and fantasy-based, but the recent Team trend is towards off-the-wall, "wacky-cool" styles ala Samba De Amigo. It's not hard to predict just what we can expect from Artoon...think along the lines of Sonic CD and Ristar, both of which were made by certain members of Sonic Team.

Artoon's first independent project, Pinobee: Quest of Heart for the Game Boy Advance, ideally reflects the sense of fantasy direction found in the aforementioned titles (as well as NiGHTS). Players control Pinobee, a robotic bee who dreams of becoming real. (The name is actually a play on "Pinocchio.") Apparently, it's an action platformer with luscious hand-painted backgrounds and rendered characters. Pinobee: Quest of Heart is being published in Japan by Hudson. Other titles from Artoon include a couple of cell phone games not really worth mentioning, but if you absolutely must know about them, you can read all the gunky details here (in Japanese, of course).

Source: Neo Green Hill Zone

Microsoft has started the hype machine yet again to plug their upcoming videogame console, the X-box, with a press conference showing off 3rd-Party support for the console in a conference in San Francisco, London and Tokyo. To help kick the announcement off, Microsoft also showed off a demo reel of numerous titles headed towards the console, including a curious platformer that looks an awful lot like a hedgehog we know and love. After seeing the footage, it became obvious that the spikey lookalike was not Sonic, but just to help cut off the rumor mill on UseNet before it even gets started, IGN DC contacted Sega for the official word on the identity of this masked hop-aholic. Heather Hawkins, Manager of Gaming Press Relations for Sega of America stated, "That is not Sonic. Sure looks like him, though. There are no plans whatsoever to release a Sonic title on X-box."

So sorry, kids. Much like the rumor of Nintendo and Sega co-developing an RPG, this one is obviously a heap of bunk. As for the true identity of the title, no one knows who this Sonic wanna-be is, but rest assured that we'll keep an eye out for the guilty party should he pop up again.

As far as that Sonic/Mario RPG. Its been conflicting as to whether its valid or not everywhere, which it probably isnt (Ages and Odnetnin? Really now. ^___^) So no one knows for sure even though its one of the biggest whoppers I've seen. ^_^ But it certainly is fun to imagine what it WOULD be if it is. Hehehe

Source: IGN DC

Sonic Team have released a NEATO Live Camera, for coverage of the JAMMA Show for themselves! YAY! However, at the moment, They are just showing the Development site. Which at the moment has Chu Chu Rocket playing on a monitor, a few Sonic dolls stuffed around the area, and if your lucky, Some Japanese top Blokes wandering around ^__^

They've also brought out a? Schedule of whats happening, although in Japanese, we've kindly enough got a good Japanese Translation for you here. It seems to have chats with developers of Samba, ChuChu Rocket, and PSO, and the boss himself, YUJI!

To Acess the LIVE Broadcast, you need to snag Windows Media Player. Then click here!, Beware though, I've been sitting through it for 1/2 an hour, and the Chu Chu Rocket Music gets quite annoying. :)

Happy Broadcasting, I'll let you nkow if anything pops up!

Sonic Team have just added a Neato Smaba Item to their page! A Samba Clock! Which has 2 pictures, a collection of the gang, and A Amigo head with Amigo's Gal :)

What is also cool about this, is that It doubles as a puzzle! Both images can turn into a pu8zzle which you move around the pieces to get it right, if you can get it, good on ya!

The little gizmo can be found here!

Source: Sonic Team.com

SonicUnderground.net pulls off another stop as those who been waiting for a season 2 of Sonic Underground have nothing to fear. A new team by the name of Sonic Underground Project 2000 have taken over and are bringing out TXT episodes of the new season, starting with #41, "Taking the Fall". The new season begins October 1st, and a new episode will be released AS THEY ARE FINISHED WRITTEN. Here's a little teaser:

SonicUnderground Project 2000 Presents...

10-01-00
Hedgehogs will leave Robotropolis.
One sibling will leave the band.
Angel Island will take the fall.
October 1st.
Nothing will be the same.