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Gaming to Go: Sonic Rush
This is the other occasion where you're allowed to roll your eyes and say "Well, duh." A Sonic the Hedgehog game being featured for its emphasis on speed? Yeah, it's not a revolutionary concept, but it's still not quite the immediate conclusion one might have drawn some ten or fifteen years back. Where the much-maligned hedgehog used to be known for ultrafast platforming, recent entries in the series have introduced all kinds of kooky new gameplay elements, often stealing the spotlight from eye-melting rollercoasters and placing it firmly on beloved new characters like Big the Cat.
Sonic Rush, however, is a throwback to the olden days, when a typical Sonic level had twists, turns, and strategically-placed spikes after every freaking loop. That's the precise formula the series built its name on, and it's this exact same formula that makes Sonic Rush such a thrill ride to play. It's pretty possible to blaze through some of these levels in under three minutes, especially early on in the game, making it a title pretty well-suited for this week's edition of Gaming to Go. Thinking of giving Sonic another chance? Click that big button down there and see for yourself if it's worth bringing this hedgehog along on your daily commute.
Gallery: Sonic Rush
Talk about lucky: DS carts survive the rinse cycle
Or, at least the washing machine. Such is the case of Scott's son, who forgot about a copy of Pokemon and Sonic Rush in his jeans. The jeans went through the entire wash cycle and, upon completion, had the carts removed from the confines of the pocket and they were found to be bone dry. In fact, they booted up just fine.
We're not about to go and try it on our own with our carts, but we guess this is one process of demise we don't really have to concern ourselves with anymore when it comes to game carts.
Circuit City does buy one, get one half-off
[Thanks, Gabriel!]
Sonic Rush Adventure gameplay trailer is hot
We loved the first Sonic Rush game, so upon hearing that the title would be seeing a sequel made for the DS was just great news. The only thing we can hope is that the second game is a lot longer than the first title, which was incredibly short. Short, but sweet.
But, as for this trailer, looks damn fun, wouldn't you say?
Music preview and more at Sonic Rush Adventure site
Sonic Rush's soundtrack polarized the platformer's fans, many believing that Hideki Naganuma's funk/hip-hop direction didn't match the blue hedgehog's, others praising the Jet-Set-Radio-style tracks for their fresh approach. We made it a point to cruise down the strip every Saturday, "Wrapped in Black" thumping out of our car speakers at full volume. All the fly honeys would try to chase our car down, screaming wildly like children running after an ice cream truck. Maybe it was the music? Or maybe it was the twenty-dollar bills we were throwing out the window? Who knows?
Sega's official Sonic Rush Adventure page has two new songs from the upcoming sequel that you can stream and listen to, free of charge. If you click the islands drawn out on the treasure map, there's also information on the game's story, two online battle modes, and four new characters. There's even a link to Sega of America's Sonic forums in which you can participate in discussions like "Why are Sonic games so bad now?" and "What if YOU had all 7 chaos emeralds?"
Age of Hella Cheap Games, revisited
When we last fixed our gaze on Cheap Ass Gamer's list of DS discounts at Amazon, we were presented with eight marked-down titles -- two of which were worth your money, the rest being of middling quality. Since then, the thrifty tally has expanded three-fold, its ratio of rad-to-bad offerings also steadily increasing. Here are a few highlights from the $2.99
$10.99
$14.99 As you probably already know by now, Amazon waives its shipping fees on orders totaling over $25. We can't predict how long some of these deals will last before going out of stock or returning to their original price, so now is not the time to be indecisive! Break your piggy banks open and run past the post break for the full list of games on sale.
Age of Hella Cheap Games
Always looking our for our wallets' best interests, CheapyD of Cheap Ass Gamer fame scrounged up a selection of Nintendo DS games that're currently on sale for $14.99 at Amazon. Some of the titles, like Superman Returns and Crash Boom Bang, probably should've been pitched into the trash dumpster out back instead of into the bargain bin, but we understand that there are a number of laws and regulations against disposing hazardous waste like that.
If you haven't picked them up yet, Age of Empires: The Age of Kings and Sonic Rush are included in the sale, both of them being games we've lauded time and time again. Age of Kings, in particular, will always hold a special place in our hearts with its turn-based-strategy adaptation of the popular PC series. Presumably, that place would be right in between our love for Fruit Roll-Ups and our infatuation with all things zombie related. Jump past the post break for the full list of games and their Amazon links.
Circuit City brings the bundle back
We long for the days when pack-in games were standard with every console purchase, and though the Wii bucks the current trend by including Wii Sports, Nintendo has yet to do the same with the DS; the Metroid Prime: Hunters demo hardly being comparable to the NES' Super Mario Bros. 1 or even the Genesis' Altered Beast bonus. Of course, there've been limited edition bundles, but the pricing usually reflects the added title's value.
So it pleases us much to see Circuit City offering a free game to anyone who buys a Nintendo DS Lite this Memorial Day weekend. Pay the regular 129.99 price for a polar white, coral pink, or onyx black handheld, and the store will throw in a copy of either Sonic Rush or The Sims 2 -- we suggest you grab the former. If you don't have the time to take advantage of the deal and drive to your local Circuit City before tomorrow's end, the offer also extends to online orders!
[Via CAG]
Sega announces Sonic Rush Adventure for Nintendo DS
Sega of America has finally and officially announced Sonic Rush Adventure, the sequel to 2005's superb and slightly less adventurous Sonic Rush. And yes, you did just spot the word "superb" in a sentence discussing a modern Sonic the Hedgehog game. The hedgehog's initial DS outing (developed by Dimps) benefited from a breakneck pace, restrained use of touch screen functionality and a 2D perspective for the majority of the game. With any luck, Sonic Rush Adventure won't deviate too much.Though there are pirates this time. From the early look of things, Sonic gets an array of vehicles to maneuver through enemy waters, presumably as a replacement to the classic running-down-a-tube special stages. The press release also makes special mention of 3-D boss battles (which worked surprisingly well before) and "the evil boss character, Captain Whisker." You're probably supposed to take him seriously.
Sonic Rush Adventure is developed by Sega Studios and is scheduled for a Fall 2007 release on Nintendo DS. It will support multiplayer racing and mission-based battles over Nintendo Wi-Fi.
[Geeky note: The return of Sonic Rush and Jet Set Radio composer, Hideki Naganuma, is unconfirmed at this point.]
Gallery: Sonic Rush Adventure (DS)
Sonic Rush Adventure screenshots & details speed onto the scene
That collective sigh of relief you just heard was the internet finding out that Sonic Rush Adventure won't be a 3D-dominated title. The Sonic Rush sequel will for the most part follow the swift footsteps of its acclaimed predecessor, shooting the blue hedgehog through 2D landscapes that span across both of the DS' screens.
There will be 3D segments where Sonic pilots submarines, hovercrafts, and other ships while in pursuit of the game's pirate villains, but we're hoping that these stylus-based portions will be similar to Lunar Knights' space combat, adding a dash of extra flavor to the standard gameplay. Like the original game, each level will also end with massive, 3D bosses.
Sega has announced that in addition to supporting Download Play features, Sonic Rush Adventure will also have some Nintendo WiFi Connection functionality. We're not sure yet if this means online leaderboards, versus mode racing, or downloadable content, but we'll keep you updated on their plans. Jog past the post break for the first screenshots of Sonic Rush Adventure.
Sega planning 3D Sonic Rush?
Sega recently filed a trademark on April 2nd for "Sonic Rush Adventure," setting the internet on fire with speculation that a 3D entry in the franchise could be hitting the DS. Personally, we'd be happy with just a plain old sequel to Sonic Rush, which is really the best Sonic game we played since, well ... the original Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast. For those of you who haven't played Sonic Rush, we first ask: why not? It's certainly priced right and we highly suggest you check it out. Second, we ask: would you want to see a 3D Sonic title on the DS? Would you want it controlled exclusively via the stylus, like the upcoming Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword or would you want to control Sonic and company with the d-pad?
[Via Sega Nerds]
