Sonic and I have had a rocky past. Sure we had our fun in the 16-bit era when I first got my hands on a Sega Genesis and the original Sonic the Hedgehog. As the series progressed to include Knuckles and its crazy snap-on cartridge, I was rapidly losing interest in the little blue guy. Then along came the Dreamcast and Sonic Adventure which hooked me once again. That is until I came across the levels starring anyone but Sonic. When I hit the first Big the Cat section, I left the game for good. I’ve played a few levels from random other entries in the series, but Sonic Generations is the first time since the classic games that I’ve completed a Sonic the Hedgehog game.

I bring this anecdotal history of my time with the franchise up, not to disparage the fans of the game or the franchise itself. I bring it up only because SEGA has made it very apparent that Sonic Generations is for the long time fans of the franchise, and after playing most of the console version, I wanted to see how the 3DS entry stacked up as a modern platformer.

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Last year, Sonic Colors showed me that 3D Sonic games could be fun again. Of course, this was the very same year that Sonic 4 dashed my hopes of a quality 2D Sonic experience. So when it was announced that the next game in the series would feature both styles of play, I was skeptical of SEGA’s ability to handle the classic stages.

It turns out they actually learned from their mistakes… well, most of them anyway. Sonic Generations, while not perfect, manages to be a rather successful blend of old and new Sonic gameplay that’s fun in spite of its shortcomings.

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To make something fresh, you don’t always have to start from scratch. Sometimes you can take something that’s very well established and simply put it in an entirely different context. Suddenly, what is old becomes new again.

This is something Aliens Infestation does in more ways than one. In it, you’ll find a combination of many things. While the most pronounced is its Metroid “Lite” structure, it also borrows elements from cover based shooters and even has a tinge of survival horror. Everything comes together to form a game with its own strong identity, never feeling like a clone of any of the games it takes inspiration from.

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It’s so tough to take an objective look at Sonic games these days. The series seems better known for the arguing and turmoil following a new title’s announcement than the games themselves (which, in fairness, are more often than not mediocre). I haven’t even been looking forward to Sonic Generations, if anything for a want of staying out of the muck. But while strolling through SEGA’s setup for the title, which I’ll admit was pretty nice with its little museum of Sonic memorabilia over the ages, I spotted an unattended demo on a 3DS system and gave it a whirl.

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While still a fairly recent game, Valkyria Chronicles is often considered a classic by the few that played it (myself included). Though I may have mixed feelings about the sequel, I have nothing but excitement for Basiscape’s announcement of a Valkyria Chronicles series piano album.

The CD will feature ten tracks performed by Australian pianist Casey Ormond. We may not even have the third game in the states yet, but on June 30th we’ll be able to hear select songs from the whole series arranged for piano. There aren’t listings just yet, but look for it at your importer of choice soon!

Source: SEMO

In 2005, the OverClocked ReMix community took on the challenge of remixing the entire soundtrack to Sonic The Hedgehog 2 with Hedgehog Heaven. In 2006, they arranged the music of Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles with Project Chaos.

Now, almost five years later, the remix trilogy will finally be complete with The Sound of Speed, an album of new interpretations of the music from the original Sonic the Hedgehog. The thirteen track album marks the community’s 25th project release.
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Well, it happened. We got a 3D Sonic game that’s actually pretty fun. Now that we’ve grabbed some sweet rings, saved an alien race of marketable creatures, and spouted off the cheesiest of dialogue, it’s time to pass the torch to you.

That’s right, we’re giving away our review copy of Sonic Colors (Wii) to one lucky reader. Just read the rules below and let us know your favorite color in the comments. It doesn’t have to be one of the colors represented in Sonic Colors. If “Puke Green” or “Neon Brown” is your favorite, go for it (you weirdo). A winner could be you!

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"Sonic Colors gets rid of the stuff nobody asked for in the first place."

If you went back in time and asked me if I’d rather play yet another 3D Sonic or a new 2D Sonic on an HD console, I would have definitely chosen the latter. But here we are at the tail end of 2010. Both Sonic 4 and Sonic Colors have released and it’s the 3D entry I’ll be looking back on more fondly.

The premise is simple enough. Dr. Robotnik claims to have changed his ways and has created an amusement park in space to make up for his misdeeds. Of course, Robotnik is still evil afterall (even the characters themselves make light of his predictability) and it’s up to Sonic (with a little support on the sidelines from Tails) to put a stop to his diabolical plan.

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"Bringing back the drama."

It’s a bit strange to think that Valkyria Chronicles 3 already has a playable demo so shortly after the release of the second game. In fact, when it was first announced, I feared this “annualization treatment” the series seems to be receiving would hurt the quality of the franchise. Fortunately, what I’ve played of the third installment has left a very good impression for the most part.

Valkyria Chronicles 3 actually takes place during the same span of time as the first game. You’ll take on role of “The Nameless”, a squad of outlaws that take on especially dangerous missions. Despite it running in parallel with the original, the development staff considers VC3 to be the first true sequel; returning the series to its more serious tone and story driven campaign.

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It has come to our attention that some people still haven’t picked up the excellent action/shooter, Vanquish. With all the great games 2010 has brought us thus far, it would be easy for people to forget to try Platinum’s new IP. But make no mistake, we will… stop that from happening.

We’re giving away a copy of Vanquish for the Playstation 3 to one lucky commenter. To prove to us that you’re man enough to take the game on, read the rules below and give us your best grunty, space marine line below. Examples from the game include “I’m gonna need a bigger gun!” and “This fight is for the men going home in pine boxes!” Just keep you’re lines PG (unlike the game) and make sure to grunt a lot while you type them.

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