Current Song: Murray Gold - I Am The Doctor In Utah (DW Series 6 OST)
It's been a funny old week. I can never remember if this always happens, but as we start to march closer and closer to the big day, I've been feeling melancholy. Not sure why, not sure what's caused it, but I'm definitely feeling low. I'm hoping it passes before the weekend.
Finished the Christmas Shopping! My original plan at the beginning of November was to get it all done by the beginning of December, but as usual, "The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men Aft Gang Agley". Life tends to get in the way far too often, and so it gets put on the back burner. Still, nothing like a spot of wrapping presents with a hot chocolate and a festive film on in the background to get you in the spirit.
On festive films, El and I saw Fred Claus at the weekend. I wasn't expecting much from it, but it turned out to be reasonably good - some very funny scenes in it, pretty good acting, an interesting (if someone clichéd plot) and Kevin Spacey. Kevin Spacey's always good.
Current Song: Murray Gold - The Impossible Astronaut (DW Series 6 OST)
El and I are also going to see Arthur Christmas tonight with Paul and Kristian, as well as grabbing some pizza beforehand. Should be good fun - I never get a chance to catch up with either of them as often as I'd like, our schedules don't often mesh. Looking forward to it ^_^
On the gaming front, I'm still playing Lost Odyssey. Just finished the first disc, but put it on hold for a couple of days while I play through Lost: Via Domus (thanks Lovefilm). First impressions are that you definitely have to be a fan of the series to enjoy it properly. The characters are there (if voiced by voice actors rather than the originals), and you play a side character you don't see in the series. It follows events pretty closely, but you can tell it was rushed for release to coincide with one of the series. Still, a couple of interesting ideas and concepts to play around with, even if I've only played for about 3 hours and have almost finished it(!)
I have a few gaming plans laid out for early 2012 as well - fully finishing Earth Defence Force: Insect Armageddon (with El's help =)), Mirrors Edge and Lost Odyssey. Mirrors Edge and EDF are going to be buggers, though - Mirrors Edge is difficult enough to start with, but throw in time trials and you start to find clumps of your hair being pulled out. Still, it'll be good to finally get them finished and out of the way.
Current Song: Murray Gold - Help is on its Way (DW: Series 6 OST)
Can you tell I bought the soundtrack yet? Love Murray Gold's compositions, and this soundtrack's turning out to be one of the best, a good mix.
A few entertainment and news stories I wanted to post about as well, since this seems to be a running theme with my blogs!
Daniel Craig Slams his Bond Re-writes
I didn't actually realise this, but Quantum of Solace was written during the great Writers Strike of 2008. As a result, Mark Foster (the director) and Daniel Craig had to flesh out what was essentially a bare-bones script.
It explains a fair amount - the plot was a little confusing the first time around, and it would explain why there was so little dialogue compared to action (Casino Royale was very much the opposite), but overall I felt Quantum was a strong entrant into the Bond series - the idea of the Quantum organisation intrigued me, the villain wasn't an over-the-top megalomaniac, there were some good set pieces, and for once Bond didn't sleep with the leading lady (no, Gemma Atherton doesn't count) - it had a lot more emotional content than previous Bonds. Apparently though, it's felt this is one of the weaker entries in the franchise. What do you all think?
Hema Push up Bra Model
Why am I linking this? Simple. The model in the photos is Andrej Pejic, who has seemingly made a name out of his androgynous looks. I was amazed to find out the model was a man, definitely "oddly enough" news.
Current Song: Murray Gold - Day of the Moon (DW Series 6 OST)
HTC loses patent battle against Apple
I don't know about you, but I'm getting pretty sick of the way all the big companies are acting. Not a day has gone by recently without another lawsuit in the technical news, and a lot of it seems to be way out of hand. Out of Apple's original lawsuit of 10 patents, it's been found only one (and a very small one at that, relating to the way web content can be used to make calls, etc) has been violated. Nice to see Apple so concerned about the important things.
Current Song: Murray Gold - I See you Silence (DW Series 6 OST)
Love this track. I think that's about it for this update, I've had a great lunch break, left over pasta bake and a fun chat with the Young Carers intern, Jodie. For now, back to work for me. I hope to post again before Christmas, but if not, I wish you all a very merry one!
Tuesday 20 December 2011
Wednesday 14 December 2011
Maelstrom of thoughts
Current Song: Bear McCreary - Gaeta's Lament (BSG OST 4)
Wow, third post - I might actually be getting into this blogging lark! Not sure it'll extend into the new year, but time will tell.
Annoyingly, I had most of a post written up, but my browser cocked up and Blogspot neglected to do it's usual draft saving. Ah well, I wasn't overly happy with it anyway!
So, what's happened in the last few days? The answer is, not much. Had a relaxing (if quiet) weekend, and spent some time with El, although not as much as I would've liked - she was studying for an exam on Monday, which went pretty well. Helped her out where I could though!
We're looking to go and see Arthur Christmas at some point in the next week or so, has anyone else seen it yet? If so, is it any good?
Most of my Christmas shopping is done now, and I'm hoping to pick up the last remaining bits tonight - bit annoying, I was hoping I'd have gotten it all ironed out before now, but everything seems to have snuck up on me a little. Still have cards to write and a tree to buy!
On the gaming front, I've started a new game of Lost Odyssey, one of my favourite RPGs (and one of the few on the 360). It's partially down to a lack of games, partially down to wanting to re-experience the story, and partially to finish off the achievements list, since I missed a few the first time around. It's a great game, with a few tear jerking/emotional moments (some of the subplots especially so), some funny stuff, a pretty good plot, and good music (from the legend himself, Nobuo Uematsu). It also has an interesting system by which your character slowly recovers past memories while going through the game, which are told in the form of short stories - most of which are well worth reading through.
It's hands down the best RPG on the 360, and I really wish Mistwalker would get round to making another.
Testing this out - this should post the intro to Lost Odyssey, if you're interested. The intro proper starts at 2:00 and ends at around 5:20.
It helps wash out the taste of Duke Nukem Forever as well, which I rented from Lovefilm, and wish I hadn't. I really liked Duke Nukem 3D, but DNF's 15 years in development haven't helped it any at all. It feels disjointed, looks terrible, is packed with cliche upon cliche, has sluggish controls, and is a pale shadow of the original. It's broken up with a couple of driving and platforming sections, but even those are pretty poor, and feel stuck in for the sake of it. Not recommended at all.
On other gaming news, I'm saddened to say the studio behind the acclaimed S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, GSC Gameworld have closed their doors. The games were pretty buggy, but with some updates and community patches, they turned into incredibly immersive FPS's with RPG elements. Not many games have used the Chernobyl disaster, plant and surrounding exclusion zone (including Pripyat), but these were....well. Let's just say the series will be missed if it's dead. Considering it strayed into the realms of Scifi, it kept to the realism of the disaster very well, including the events building up to the meltdown itself.
Information on the story can be found here.
Current Song: Seidenmatt - From Hero to Zero
On a different topic, I'm testing the Adsense system, to get an idea of how it all works. If you guys have enjoyed my blog, would you mind quickly clicking one of the ads to the right (or below my posts), please? It'd be interesting to see how it all comes together.
Originally I had a different title in mind for this particular update, but given the recent events in Liege, Belgium, I felt it would be poor taste.
For those of you who haven't yet heard, here's a link to the story on BBC News. My thoughts go out to all those affected, especially this close to Christmas.
Current Song: Florence and the Machine - Howl
As I type this the Sun is peeking out from behind the clouds for the first time today, which makes a welcome change from the dark, freezing, hailstorm weather we've had so far. I hope it stays, lord knows we could all do with some cheer!
I think I'll sign off for now, with the aim to post again later in the week. Until then, take care all!
Wow, third post - I might actually be getting into this blogging lark! Not sure it'll extend into the new year, but time will tell.
Annoyingly, I had most of a post written up, but my browser cocked up and Blogspot neglected to do it's usual draft saving. Ah well, I wasn't overly happy with it anyway!
So, what's happened in the last few days? The answer is, not much. Had a relaxing (if quiet) weekend, and spent some time with El, although not as much as I would've liked - she was studying for an exam on Monday, which went pretty well. Helped her out where I could though!
We're looking to go and see Arthur Christmas at some point in the next week or so, has anyone else seen it yet? If so, is it any good?
Most of my Christmas shopping is done now, and I'm hoping to pick up the last remaining bits tonight - bit annoying, I was hoping I'd have gotten it all ironed out before now, but everything seems to have snuck up on me a little. Still have cards to write and a tree to buy!
On the gaming front, I've started a new game of Lost Odyssey, one of my favourite RPGs (and one of the few on the 360). It's partially down to a lack of games, partially down to wanting to re-experience the story, and partially to finish off the achievements list, since I missed a few the first time around. It's a great game, with a few tear jerking/emotional moments (some of the subplots especially so), some funny stuff, a pretty good plot, and good music (from the legend himself, Nobuo Uematsu). It also has an interesting system by which your character slowly recovers past memories while going through the game, which are told in the form of short stories - most of which are well worth reading through.
It's hands down the best RPG on the 360, and I really wish Mistwalker would get round to making another.
Testing this out - this should post the intro to Lost Odyssey, if you're interested. The intro proper starts at 2:00 and ends at around 5:20.
It helps wash out the taste of Duke Nukem Forever as well, which I rented from Lovefilm, and wish I hadn't. I really liked Duke Nukem 3D, but DNF's 15 years in development haven't helped it any at all. It feels disjointed, looks terrible, is packed with cliche upon cliche, has sluggish controls, and is a pale shadow of the original. It's broken up with a couple of driving and platforming sections, but even those are pretty poor, and feel stuck in for the sake of it. Not recommended at all.
On other gaming news, I'm saddened to say the studio behind the acclaimed S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, GSC Gameworld have closed their doors. The games were pretty buggy, but with some updates and community patches, they turned into incredibly immersive FPS's with RPG elements. Not many games have used the Chernobyl disaster, plant and surrounding exclusion zone (including Pripyat), but these were....well. Let's just say the series will be missed if it's dead. Considering it strayed into the realms of Scifi, it kept to the realism of the disaster very well, including the events building up to the meltdown itself.
Information on the story can be found here.
Current Song: Seidenmatt - From Hero to Zero
On a different topic, I'm testing the Adsense system, to get an idea of how it all works. If you guys have enjoyed my blog, would you mind quickly clicking one of the ads to the right (or below my posts), please? It'd be interesting to see how it all comes together.
Originally I had a different title in mind for this particular update, but given the recent events in Liege, Belgium, I felt it would be poor taste.
For those of you who haven't yet heard, here's a link to the story on BBC News. My thoughts go out to all those affected, especially this close to Christmas.
Current Song: Florence and the Machine - Howl
As I type this the Sun is peeking out from behind the clouds for the first time today, which makes a welcome change from the dark, freezing, hailstorm weather we've had so far. I hope it stays, lord knows we could all do with some cheer!
I think I'll sign off for now, with the aim to post again later in the week. Until then, take care all!
Thursday 8 December 2011
To me, to you!
Current Song: Johann Johannsson - The Sun's Gone Dim and the Sky's Gone Black
For those of you who aren't familiar with the song/artist, it was the trailer music for Battle: Los Angeles. The artist's music is a little odd, with the particular album this comes from being a concept album built around an old IBM manual, but it's good for just sitting back and listening. Atmospheric.
First off, I'd like to get a RIP out of the way, for a man named Harry Morgan - star of, among other things, M*A*S*H*, where he played Colonel Potter. I loved the series when I was younger, and it's sad to see he's passed away (aged 96). Thoughts are with his family and friends.
Finally managed to take advantage of some late night Christmas shopping with El last week, which was nice - the weather wasn't particularly great, but it held up alright for most of the evening. Snagged a couple of gifts for various people, and got some ideas for others. Just a handful of gifts left now and I can concentrate on the other Christmas traditions - getting a Tree, sending Cards, etc.
I can definitely say it's the season for me now. I hate the commercialism of Christmas, but wierdly it still isn't quite the season until I see the Coke ad. After avoiding it for ages, I saw it twice within a couple of days. Bother.
Current Song: Bear McCreary - Kara Remembers (BSG 4 OST)
While on the subject of music, it was good to see Moonlet and the Lovemonks busking in Truro last night as well, even if we could only hang around for a couple of songs. They were gathering a small crowd by the time we moved on, and as always the band looked like they were thoroughly enjoying their work. Visit their site, buy their EP, or just sign up to their Facebook page and go see them live sometime!
Current Song: Murray Gold - The Sad Man with a Box (DW 5 OST)
Wow. The phone's really loving the soundtracks today.
I don't know how many of you have watched Transformers: Dark of the Moon, but every time I find someone who has, I ask them whether they noticed the "What the Hell, Hero?!" moment about two thirds of the way through. Most haven't, but the ones that have seem pretty gobsmacked at it. If you've seen the film, read on, otherwise skip down to the second set of asterisks.
**********************************************************************************
So the world's gone to hell, the Autobots are presumed dead, and the Decepticons are turning Seattle into their own private playground. Within the space of a night, they've wiped out most of the city's population, and are prepping to bring Cybertron into our atmosphere.
Just when all hope is lost, the Autobots turn up, doing their usual kicking ass and taking names bit. Optimus Prime's reason for not turning up earlier? "We wanted you to see that the Decepticons could never be trusted".
OK. So, Optimus, let me get this straight. You let an entire city get wiped out (somewhere around 600,000 people according to their last census) just to teach humanity a lesson? Yeah, real heroic of you.
Yes, I know it's just a film and all that, and it's probably pretty bad to be outraged by it, but still, it seemed pretty harsh to me. Thoughts welcome.
**********************************************************************************
Anddddd....we're back. Not really much else to report for now. Couple of things though, I saw this on the BBC News website the other day:
How close are we to a crash proof car?
It's an interesting read, as more and more technology is brought in to try and improve road death statistics, and cope with the occasional human error, lapse in judgement etc. It does raise the question of who becomes responsible in the future if there's an accident though - is it the person behind the wheel, the person in the other car, the technology which failed, or the manufacturer?
I saw a program a couple of months back on Channel 4, hosted by Steven Hawking, called Brave New World. They detailed a man in America putting together a driverless car at the moment - review here, the first three paragraphs - who's working towards its completion now. After huge amounts of tests in real world situations, taking it out on the road, even joining a busy motorway from a slip road (deemed to be one of the hardest things to get right, given that there's so much judgement involved), there's not been a single accident while the car is driving itself.
Brief news story from CBS here about it.
Most manufacturers could learn from this car. Hell, I'd love to get one myself - program in the destination, and kick back with a cup of tea and a good book. Can't wait!
Until next time, onwards!
For those of you who aren't familiar with the song/artist, it was the trailer music for Battle: Los Angeles. The artist's music is a little odd, with the particular album this comes from being a concept album built around an old IBM manual, but it's good for just sitting back and listening. Atmospheric.
First off, I'd like to get a RIP out of the way, for a man named Harry Morgan - star of, among other things, M*A*S*H*, where he played Colonel Potter. I loved the series when I was younger, and it's sad to see he's passed away (aged 96). Thoughts are with his family and friends.
Finally managed to take advantage of some late night Christmas shopping with El last week, which was nice - the weather wasn't particularly great, but it held up alright for most of the evening. Snagged a couple of gifts for various people, and got some ideas for others. Just a handful of gifts left now and I can concentrate on the other Christmas traditions - getting a Tree, sending Cards, etc.
I can definitely say it's the season for me now. I hate the commercialism of Christmas, but wierdly it still isn't quite the season until I see the Coke ad. After avoiding it for ages, I saw it twice within a couple of days. Bother.
Current Song: Bear McCreary - Kara Remembers (BSG 4 OST)
While on the subject of music, it was good to see Moonlet and the Lovemonks busking in Truro last night as well, even if we could only hang around for a couple of songs. They were gathering a small crowd by the time we moved on, and as always the band looked like they were thoroughly enjoying their work. Visit their site, buy their EP, or just sign up to their Facebook page and go see them live sometime!
Current Song: Murray Gold - The Sad Man with a Box (DW 5 OST)
Wow. The phone's really loving the soundtracks today.
I don't know how many of you have watched Transformers: Dark of the Moon, but every time I find someone who has, I ask them whether they noticed the "What the Hell, Hero?!" moment about two thirds of the way through. Most haven't, but the ones that have seem pretty gobsmacked at it. If you've seen the film, read on, otherwise skip down to the second set of asterisks.
**********************************************************************************
So the world's gone to hell, the Autobots are presumed dead, and the Decepticons are turning Seattle into their own private playground. Within the space of a night, they've wiped out most of the city's population, and are prepping to bring Cybertron into our atmosphere.
Just when all hope is lost, the Autobots turn up, doing their usual kicking ass and taking names bit. Optimus Prime's reason for not turning up earlier? "We wanted you to see that the Decepticons could never be trusted".
OK. So, Optimus, let me get this straight. You let an entire city get wiped out (somewhere around 600,000 people according to their last census) just to teach humanity a lesson? Yeah, real heroic of you.
Yes, I know it's just a film and all that, and it's probably pretty bad to be outraged by it, but still, it seemed pretty harsh to me. Thoughts welcome.
**********************************************************************************
Anddddd....we're back. Not really much else to report for now. Couple of things though, I saw this on the BBC News website the other day:
How close are we to a crash proof car?
It's an interesting read, as more and more technology is brought in to try and improve road death statistics, and cope with the occasional human error, lapse in judgement etc. It does raise the question of who becomes responsible in the future if there's an accident though - is it the person behind the wheel, the person in the other car, the technology which failed, or the manufacturer?
I saw a program a couple of months back on Channel 4, hosted by Steven Hawking, called Brave New World. They detailed a man in America putting together a driverless car at the moment - review here, the first three paragraphs - who's working towards its completion now. After huge amounts of tests in real world situations, taking it out on the road, even joining a busy motorway from a slip road (deemed to be one of the hardest things to get right, given that there's so much judgement involved), there's not been a single accident while the car is driving itself.
Brief news story from CBS here about it.
Most manufacturers could learn from this car. Hell, I'd love to get one myself - program in the destination, and kick back with a cup of tea and a good book. Can't wait!
Until next time, onwards!
Tuesday 6 December 2011
You have to sleep late when you can...
Current song: Flaming Lips - Bad Days
I never do seem to commit to blogging. I swear I've started two or three in the past, and never continued them past a couple of posts.
Never sure why - might be down to the low viewing figures, or down to the fact I never seem to get time to carry on. Let's see how I do this time.
So, who am I? Chances are, you guys visiting already know me, but for those of you joining, I'm a Misanthropic Cornish Geek Extraordinaire working as an IT Technician. I'm a fan of films, (some) music, anime, and (some) TV - also an avid gamer. I suppose the only thing separating me from the "nerd" side of things is not being able to program my way out of a paper bag. Ho hum.
My first post sees me naffed off somewhat with work, for a few reasons (lack of communication and the envisioned ability of being able to pull something from nothing at the last second definitely among them), but never mind. My first proper contribution for this particular blog? A quick game review.
Current song: Seidenmatt - Applaus
Sonic Generations (360)
Having been a Sonic fan for most of my life - we're talking since the original Sonic hit the Mega Drive - I've been consistently disappointed in the last decade. Mediocre (or downright awful) game after mediocre game assaulted us old school fans, before finally Sonic joined Mario in Karting, Olympics, Tennis and god knows what else.
Even the Sonic Adventure games were pretty bad, although they've been more critically acclaimed than, say, Sonic '06 (quite possibly the worst Sonic game of all).
Sonic Unleashed was a step in the right direction, followed by a quick step backwards - the Sonic levels were fast paced, handled well, and looked great. Unfortunately too much of the game was spent with Sonic the Werehog - slow, dull, and monotonous! I've never been a huge fan of the massively expanded cast either, probably again from having grown up in the days of Tails, Robotnik (NOT Eggman) and Knuckles. The voice acting's always been pretty painful to listen to as well.
So, this brings us onto Sonic's 20th Anniversary, and the long awaited "Sonic Generations", and Wow, has it been worth the wait!
After playing through an updated version of Green Hill Act 1 as Classic Sonic, I was hooked. Flash forward to Modern Sonic through Act 2, and we're brought to the opening of the story - all Sonic's friends are kidnapped by some strange monster, which seems to have the ability to break through time and dimensions. As always, it's Sonic's job to fix the problem, although this time he has help from the original Sonic too.
There are three zones from each era of Sonic - the Mega Drive, the Dreamcast/Game Cube, and the Wii/360/DS - each containing two acts.
Act 1 will see you playing as Classic Sonic, who's main move is the Spin Dash, in a mostly 2D view. Act 2 sees you playing as Modern Sonic, which means the Lightspeed Dash, the Homing Attack, Grinding and a few other bits, in a mostly 3D view. Both views are handled well - the Sonic's play slightly differently, but the controls feel fluid and responsive.
They'll all guaranteed to bring back memories for fans, with (for example) the opening zones being Green Hill, Chemical Plant and Sky Sanctuary. At the end of each Zone, you'll recover one of Sonic's friends, and after taking on a Challenge you'll gain a key to unlock the Boss of the era (no spoilers here!). By beating each of the Bosses (interspersed with fights with Rivals such as Metal Sonic) you'll get an emerald - get all 7 to face the final boss and restore the world to its proper state.
The game itself has definitely been worth the wait, and is without doubt the finest Sonic game of a decade or more. Blasting through your favourite zones, listening to the remixed versions of each track is great fun, and makes me nostalgic for the old days.
It's not perfect though - some of Classic Sonic's physics can be off at times, making the occasional Spin Dash awkward. The Rival Fights are mostly trial and error, and a little too short, but can be entertaining enough. Some of the Challenges can be a pain as well, some are repetitive, while some camera angles dog others, making it difficult to pass them. Fortunately though, there's a lot of choice - whether you want to race a doppleganger, take on a unique challenge from a friend, or fight through the level while avoiding giant Badniks, there's a lot on offer.
There are abilities you can unlock and equip as well - including stopping on a sixpence, shields, recovering faster from being knocked down, and rings hanging around longer if you've been hit.
The final boss WILL make you want to tear your hair out. I won't say too much more, but a certain phrase (bound to become an Internet meme) comes up A LOT.
But overall, these are minor issues. The worst part of the game is it's too short. You can blast through the main storyline in, perhaps 4 or 5 hours. The challenges will take you that again, especially for the more frustrating ones. Once you're done there, you can shoot for an S ranking in each act and work on finding all the red rings in a level - this'll unlock more abilities, artwork and music etc. It'll keep you going for a while, but I wish there more levels, I'd love to see Lava Reef, Mystic Cave and Death Egg given this brilliant treatment.
I wouldn't hold your breath for a sequel - Sega have already said it'll be a one off. Hopefully they'll change their minds!
So, for the TL;DR version:
Finally, a worthy Sonic game. Definitely highly rated, and something to show that Sonic's still capable of greatness. 8/10.
So long for now!
I never do seem to commit to blogging. I swear I've started two or three in the past, and never continued them past a couple of posts.
Never sure why - might be down to the low viewing figures, or down to the fact I never seem to get time to carry on. Let's see how I do this time.
So, who am I? Chances are, you guys visiting already know me, but for those of you joining, I'm a Misanthropic Cornish Geek Extraordinaire working as an IT Technician. I'm a fan of films, (some) music, anime, and (some) TV - also an avid gamer. I suppose the only thing separating me from the "nerd" side of things is not being able to program my way out of a paper bag. Ho hum.
My first post sees me naffed off somewhat with work, for a few reasons (lack of communication and the envisioned ability of being able to pull something from nothing at the last second definitely among them), but never mind. My first proper contribution for this particular blog? A quick game review.
Current song: Seidenmatt - Applaus
Sonic Generations (360)
Having been a Sonic fan for most of my life - we're talking since the original Sonic hit the Mega Drive - I've been consistently disappointed in the last decade. Mediocre (or downright awful) game after mediocre game assaulted us old school fans, before finally Sonic joined Mario in Karting, Olympics, Tennis and god knows what else.
Even the Sonic Adventure games were pretty bad, although they've been more critically acclaimed than, say, Sonic '06 (quite possibly the worst Sonic game of all).
Sonic Unleashed was a step in the right direction, followed by a quick step backwards - the Sonic levels were fast paced, handled well, and looked great. Unfortunately too much of the game was spent with Sonic the Werehog - slow, dull, and monotonous! I've never been a huge fan of the massively expanded cast either, probably again from having grown up in the days of Tails, Robotnik (NOT Eggman) and Knuckles. The voice acting's always been pretty painful to listen to as well.
So, this brings us onto Sonic's 20th Anniversary, and the long awaited "Sonic Generations", and Wow, has it been worth the wait!
After playing through an updated version of Green Hill Act 1 as Classic Sonic, I was hooked. Flash forward to Modern Sonic through Act 2, and we're brought to the opening of the story - all Sonic's friends are kidnapped by some strange monster, which seems to have the ability to break through time and dimensions. As always, it's Sonic's job to fix the problem, although this time he has help from the original Sonic too.
There are three zones from each era of Sonic - the Mega Drive, the Dreamcast/Game Cube, and the Wii/360/DS - each containing two acts.
Act 1 will see you playing as Classic Sonic, who's main move is the Spin Dash, in a mostly 2D view. Act 2 sees you playing as Modern Sonic, which means the Lightspeed Dash, the Homing Attack, Grinding and a few other bits, in a mostly 3D view. Both views are handled well - the Sonic's play slightly differently, but the controls feel fluid and responsive.
They'll all guaranteed to bring back memories for fans, with (for example) the opening zones being Green Hill, Chemical Plant and Sky Sanctuary. At the end of each Zone, you'll recover one of Sonic's friends, and after taking on a Challenge you'll gain a key to unlock the Boss of the era (no spoilers here!). By beating each of the Bosses (interspersed with fights with Rivals such as Metal Sonic) you'll get an emerald - get all 7 to face the final boss and restore the world to its proper state.
The game itself has definitely been worth the wait, and is without doubt the finest Sonic game of a decade or more. Blasting through your favourite zones, listening to the remixed versions of each track is great fun, and makes me nostalgic for the old days.
It's not perfect though - some of Classic Sonic's physics can be off at times, making the occasional Spin Dash awkward. The Rival Fights are mostly trial and error, and a little too short, but can be entertaining enough. Some of the Challenges can be a pain as well, some are repetitive, while some camera angles dog others, making it difficult to pass them. Fortunately though, there's a lot of choice - whether you want to race a doppleganger, take on a unique challenge from a friend, or fight through the level while avoiding giant Badniks, there's a lot on offer.
There are abilities you can unlock and equip as well - including stopping on a sixpence, shields, recovering faster from being knocked down, and rings hanging around longer if you've been hit.
The final boss WILL make you want to tear your hair out. I won't say too much more, but a certain phrase (bound to become an Internet meme) comes up A LOT.
But overall, these are minor issues. The worst part of the game is it's too short. You can blast through the main storyline in, perhaps 4 or 5 hours. The challenges will take you that again, especially for the more frustrating ones. Once you're done there, you can shoot for an S ranking in each act and work on finding all the red rings in a level - this'll unlock more abilities, artwork and music etc. It'll keep you going for a while, but I wish there more levels, I'd love to see Lava Reef, Mystic Cave and Death Egg given this brilliant treatment.
I wouldn't hold your breath for a sequel - Sega have already said it'll be a one off. Hopefully they'll change their minds!
So, for the TL;DR version:
Finally, a worthy Sonic game. Definitely highly rated, and something to show that Sonic's still capable of greatness. 8/10.
So long for now!
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