SAGE 2020: SONIC GALACTIC IS A SHOWSTOPPER!
2D Sonic fangames seem to be a dime a dozen these days, but that doesn’t mean the quality of these projects are suffering. Au contraire, with each and every expo, there’s bound to be a handful to impress the masses. One of this years showstoppers is Sonic Galactic, and if we didn’t know any better, we’d think it was a comprehensive Sonic Mania overhaul.
It isn’t. This one’s home grown, built from the ground up by Starteam, and it shows promise as one of SAGE 2020’s best entries.
SONIC GOES DEMONIC IN UPCOMING SMT: LIBERATION DX2 CROSSOVER EVENT
Wouldn’t be the first time Sonic fought gods.
In the beautiful yet baffling 30th Anniversary parade of Sonic guesting in mobile games he has no reason to be in, the official Japanese Sonic Twitter has announced you’ll be able to summon him as a 4-star demon late this month in Shin Megami Tensei: Liberation Dx2 for iOS and Android.
This would be the part where I crack wise about the series while explaining what the game itself is about, but I will fully admit I am completely lost. It seems like a fairly basic hero/monster collecting gacha RPG with both story and PvP battle formats. Since its 2018 release, the game has had previous crossover events with Bayonetta, Devil May Cry, and Berserk.
Okay, but it’s SMT, so it’s all about the story and the complex themes and people dealing with conflicting personal and theological philosophies, right? I turned to megamitensei.fandom.com for answers:
“The player is a member of the secret Liberators organization in Akihabara and becomes involved in a conflict between Devil Downloaders (Dx2). The Liberators opposes another Devil Downloader faction known as the Acolytes who serve a being called Vanitas.”
Okay, I ask, tell me about the Liberators.
“The Liberators and the Acolytes are in conflict with each other because of their different philosophy.”
Uh… huh. Okay, so how about them Acolytes?
“The Acolytes and the Liberators are in conflict with each other because of their different philosophy.”
If you’re a fan of the game and can explain what it is exactly, please feel free to yell at me in the comments below.
SHIRT ALERT! BIG TRICKS! AT THE YETEE
Today in Shirt Alert, skate like it’s 1998. Grind like it’s 1999.
Welcome back to Shirt Alert, the series that’s all about sick decks for your body.
I’m often confronted with “This is the most 90’s thing ever” in Shirt Alert. Today, I am confronted with something that is actually the most 90’s thing ever. I’m at a loss to think of any design I’ve ever seen that compares. Anyhow, check out BIG tricks! by Jaimonster. What more do you want? It’s got Radical the Cat doing flip 1080 ollie grinds with his good pal Frogger, of popular video game series Frogger.
The Yetee offers the design as unisex/women’s t-shirt ($14-17), sweatshirt ($22-30), long sleeve tee ($22-24), and zipper hoodie ($30-32).
As with most designs, it’ll only be around for today (May 31 Midnight EST).
Sonic Galactic presents itself as another entry in the Classic Sonic games as many fangames do, but where Galactic sets itself apart is not simply by enhancing the graphics and sound or improving the controls (both of which are hard to do!), but by introducing a brand new hero to the mix, and bringing new life to an old fan favorite. Fang the Sniper joins Sonic, Tails and Knuckles on their latest journey to kick Dr Eggman to the curb, but a new face joins the cast: Tunnel the Mole.
What I love about Sonic Galactic is that they could’ve easily phoned-in these additional characters, but they very clearly put in some work to ensure that each newcomer has a special ability that compliments the core gameplay. Fang’s iconic cork-gun is used to double jump, but there’s a finesse to how far you can launch depending on how long you hold down the jump button. Meanwhile, Tunnel the Mole introduces a new dash-and-burrow ability that destroys enemies in its wake, and even stick to ceilings if timed right. It’s a pretty neat technique that shows some promise for interesting playthroughs.
Controls are nice and tight as you’d hope: it feels just like a genuine Classic Sonic game, but the masterful spritework and composition in addition to the aforementioned new abilities lend this project it’s own soul. I simply wanted to play more. I was ready to move onto the next Zone and see what else they had in store, but it looks like we’ll have to wait just a little longer for the rest.
It’s charming through and through, and I believe it can stand toe-to-toe with an official SEGA release if given enough time and discipline. Sonic Galactic can be downloaded at it’s booth at SFGHQ, and is absolutely worth your time! Be sure to give every character a shot!
TAILS MIGHT BE PLAYABLE IN SONIC COLORS ULTIMATE
Just when you thought you knew everything you needed to know about Sonic Colors Ultimate, something like this shows up! Sonic’s right-hand man Tails has been spotted in some screenshots of the remastered port of Sonic Colors… sorta.
Japanese game magazine Famitsu released some screenshots of Sonic Colors Ultimate in an online article, and one curious detail we noticed is that Tails’ logo is hiding in the top-left corner where Sonic’s life icon usually is!
Now… does this mean that Tails will be an unlockable character for the game? It’s very possible at this point. But what’s interesting about these screenshots is that none of them feature Tails himself, but the Wisp transformations. While it’d be nice to have that non-negotiable footage of the two-tailed fox on screen, it’s hard to imagine what else that icon could possibly mean.
Stay tuned to the Sonic Stadium as we find out more!
