Sonic Team Smashes 2003! Plus Stupid Microsoft News!

January 31, 2003

He dosen't slack off. He dosen't drowned himself in litres/ounces of hard/soft/malt liquor. He dosen't even get side tracked by Playboy Playmates. Nor does he disappear for 5 to 6 years and re-emerge in a half assed sequel. Sonic is the man and once again he comes out swinging with a one, two... no this time a three fisted attack that would take the man down. Like his phenominal attack on Nintendo systems in 2002 with Sonic Adventure 2: Battle for the GC and Sonic Advance for the GBA, Sonic is ready to do some more damage.

Sonic Team is once again working their magic for the blue blur with Sonic Advance 2. Featuring an all new character and story mode plus the ability to connect to Sonic Adventure DX being ported to the Gamecube. Sweet! I am high on sweets! Now my dream is about to come true... the ability to play all my Sonic titles on one console. Ahhh... the tears. Sonic Team also has in development a brand new Sonic pinball game for the GBA to feature all our lovely Sonic characters plus, drum roll... Nights and the Samba de Amigo monkey. Solid! I am high on solids! To wrap up the Sonic Team news, look forward to their PSO Card Battle game to come out sometime this year which will launch Nintendo's mini-screen adapter for the GC.

Now for some "Stupid Microsoft News"(TM). I like my X-Box. Halo rocks. To be able to play the phenominal Shenmue series on the most powerful console is tasty. Panzer Dargoon Orta rules and I love to play with my DOA Beach Volleyball girls. Now on the stupid side of the big ole'X is their recent news on the release of Phantasy Star Online. Arriving at the end of February, the game will feature all the content from it's GC cousin plus an extra stupid feature. Now when you bought an X-Box it says on the box that "oh yeah homie. It plays DVD movies too! but you gotta pay $40 bucks on a friggin remote to be able to use it...". Okay, so I just bought a piece of hardware that can do something and yet, I still gotta shell out more money to unlock a feature. Shit... And don't get me started on that modem it ships with. No friggin' internet web browsing software so that I can check my e-mail and other shit online. I paid for a modem that sits there like a dumn shit. Now for the real "Stupid Microsoft News"(TM). Looks like buyers of PSO for the X-Box will HAVE TO PURCHASE THE X-BOX LIVE KIT TO BE ABLE TO PLAY ON OR OFFLINE. Let me refrase that. So you wanna play PSO OFFLINE... Well you still have to purchase the X-Box Live Kit. Shit... Here we go again. And plus there is a $9 fee a month to play the game. Looks like I'll be going on line with my Cube. Stupid Microsoft, were not friggin made out of goddamn cash.

UPDATE! (02-01-03) Shit, this just keeps getting better and better. It seems that this X-Box version will also be "territorial locked out". Meaning gamers only in North America will be able to play with each other on the X-Box Live. Wonderful. So all the work that had Sonic Team create the world's first worldwide online RPG has gone in the crapper for the X-Box. More reason to get the GC version or continue playing your DC versions. One has to remember these are Microsoft's dissions and not Sonic Teams. Infact MS has been very open that these are their choices. Oh yeah and why do we have to purchase the X-Box Live to even play the game OFF LINE? Cause MS didn't want to take the extra time to localize the game for us NA players. The Japanese version was built that way cause it was a packin game with their version of the X-Box Live, meaning they got PSO for free. Why aren't we getting PSO for free when we purchase the friggin' stupid X-Box Live? Looks like I am sticking with my DC and GC versions.

Now too wrap up with some positive news, screen shots of Sega Rally, Sonic Advanced 2, Crazy Taxi, Space Channel 5 and Jet Set radio for the GBA are on the net and holy crap! These games look phenominal. Especialy Sega Rally and Crazy Taxi which are both running on 3D engines. You won't believe the power Nintendo's little handheld has. Sweet! Solid! Crap!

Well peace out. Time to play some Sonic on the Cube.

- Kelley