The Hill Is Always Greener

Iblis's Advocate (ft. GreenBonesDommy and JellyFilledZombies)

I ain't gonna let it get to me, I'm just gonna creep, and nothing's creepier than these grisly and ghoulish go-to spots on Sonic's world! Special guests GreenBonesDommy and JellyFilledZombies help us determine the top 10 scariest levels from across the franchise, from Sandopolis with its subterranean specters, to Digital Dimension's screaming soulnado, to the hellish halls of Boo's House, and every other horrifying haunt in between. But don't dwell too long, listener, because if you try trick-or-treating here, all you're going to get is a one-way ticket to the afterlife! ...and maybe a full-size KitKat bar if you're lucky.
0:00:00 Intro/Shay's history with Sonic0:04:37 Main topic: Ranking the haunted theme zones0:08:42 Sandopolis (Sonic and Knuckles)0:13:26 Labyrinth of the Castle (Sonic Labyrinth)0:17:18 Twinkle Park (Sonic Adventure DLC)0:19:48 Pumpkin Hill (Sonic Adventure 2)0:23:57 Aquatic Mine (Sonic Adventure 2)0:25:50 Pyramid stages (Sonic Adventure 2)0:30:48 Hang Castle/Mystic Mansion (Sonic Heroes)0:37:45 Cryptic Castle (Shadow the Hedgehog)0:42:13 Digital Dimension (Sonic Riders)0:45:16 Skeleton Dome (Sonic and the Secret Rings)0:48:42 Mystic Haunt (Sonic Rivals 2)0:51:14 Haunted Ship (Sonic Rush Adventure)0:54:11 Creeper Gorge (Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric)0:57:54 Halloween (Sonic Runners)1:00:17 Haunted Castle (Team Sonic Racing)1:03:13 Boo's House (Team Sonic Racing)1:06:02 Nightmare Maze (Sonic Dream Team)1:09:09 Pinball Carnival (Sonic Superstars)1:12:58 Wonder Museum (Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds)1:15:28 Kraken Bay (Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds)1:17:48 Sand Road (Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds)1:18:25 Finalizing the list1:22:55 Addendum: Pumpkin Mansion (Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds)1:24:36 Final thoughts1:25:40 Outro
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I'm Not Mad at You, I'm Mad at the Lore (ft. Jeff Bakalar)

We've gone Bak 2 School for another new Sonic 101 episode! With Jake out on assignment (i.e. kidnapped by Metal Sonic), Jeff Bakalar of Giant Bomb fills the rotating guest chair this week, ready to learn all about McDonald's happy meal toys, outrunning the Big Bang, children's media featuring GWAR, Sonic's secret Jersey upbringing, bloodthirsty unicorn wizards, and all sorts of other nonsense. But the student also becomes the teacher, as Jeff offers up his perspective as the parent of a young Sonic fan, giving us old farts a rare inside look at how the youth of today actually engage with the Blue Blur and his fast furry friends.
(0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic Newbie Education 101(0:07:45) Jeff's history with Sonic(0:13:40) The malleability of Sonic(0:18:26) Jeff and Sonic's transition to 3D(0:24:40) Do kids play the old games?(0:35:55) Minigame: A.B.C.D. Station(1:06:25) How did Jeff's kid first find Sonic?(1:18:12) Does Jeff think his kid is starting to outgrow Sonic?(1;26:27) Does Sonic have an origin story?(1:39:09) Minigame: Know More Music(1:57:13) Outro
Amie Waters on Linktree
Giant Bomb
What Lies Below the Lilies
Sonic McOrigins Plus
Windii's translations
John Batiste - Green Hill Zone

My Dad Says My Cloaca's the Biggest

Grab your Heelys, your Blockbuster membership card, and your iPod Nano with the complete Good Charlotte discography on it, because we're embracing the mid-2000s to properly look back at the original Sonic Riders! Team Sonic's inaugural clash with the Babylon Rogues is remembered for its slick aesthetic, its bumpin' tunes, and its gameplay that rides the fine line between deeply nuanced and utterly incomprehensible. Does this high-speed hoverboarder soar through the sky like a bird on the wind, or does it explode on its way to the finish line? Join us as we trick our way through the streets of Metal City to find out! Just make sure your air tank is full...
(0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic Riders(0:06:10) Aesthetic(0:15:15) Gameplay(0:44:31) Characters(0:50:55) Story(1:19:10) Tracks(1:54:00) Other modes(2:06:20) Final thoughts(2:30:28) Outro
Amie Waters on Linktree
How to Play Sonic Riders
Japanese Heroes Story (Translated)
Japanese Babylon Story (Translated)
Sonic Riders GBA - Lost Media Wiki

Thanks to Hitmen (ft. JezMM)

It's quadruple trouble in this episode! We're taking another look at Sonic on the Master System and Game Gear, but this time joined by returning guest and 8-bit Sonic aficionado JezMM! Not only are we revisiting Sonic 1 and 2 with Jez's more expert insight, but we're also diving deep on Sonic Chaos and Sonic Triple Trouble, two surprisingly full-featured games for these classic systems! So slip off your rocket shoes and dig yourself a nice little hole to relax in as we take another blast to the past! (But not, like, a Sonic Blast; no one wants to take one of those.)
(0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: 8-bit Sonic revisited(0:08:37) Sonic 1(0:45:18) Sonic 2(1:18:30) Sonic Chaos(1:44:21) Sonic Triple Trouble(2:15:24) Final thoughts(2:26:32) Outro
Amie Waters on Linktree
Sonic 1 and 2 SMS Remake
AS2R: Another Sonic 2 Remake
Sonic Chaos: Turquoise Hill demo
Sonic Triple Trouble 16-Bit
Sonic Triple Trouble SMS

AI VS OC (ft. LittleKuriboh)

The one and only LittleKuriboh joins us as we craft our latest fanfic masterpiece! When Wave the Swallow gets upstaged by Dr. Eggm-I mean El Gran Gordo, and his new Tails Doll AI assistant, she decides to take matters into her own hands and sabotage the project. Will she put a damper on the wrestling roboticist's plans, or are things about to get crazy on this freakiest of Fridays? Featuring Kiryu from the Like a Dragon series!
(0:00:00) Intro/Martin's history with Sonic(0:17:26) Main topic: Let's write a fanfic #3!(0:20:22) Characters and setting(0:28:33) Jake - Inappropriate recreation/analog of a real world tragic event(0:34:10) Luke - Reference an early 2000s Toonami show(0:36:45) Jeremy - The writer's barely disguised fetish(0:43:03) Chris - Song lyrics quoted verbatim in dialogue(0:47:54) Martin - Characters denigrate other video game franchises(0:51:47) Jake - the bad guy gets a second form(0:55:47) Luke - Body Swap (and character uses a curse word)(1:00:43) Jeremy - The author makes up new and exciting fictional slurs and/or curse words(1:06:56) Chris - One of the main characters has to stop and do their taxes (and character from another Sega franchise appears)(1:15:23) Martin - Brand new Super form(1:19:18) Jake - An old one-off villain comes back(1:29:52) Luke - Sudden deep-cut character appearance to brag to the reader how much we know about Sonic (and romantic moment)(1:33:00) Jeremy - A cool OC appears(1:43:52) Chris - Massively expanding upon a canon plot point (1:50:40) Martin - Heroic sacrifice(1:55:06) Recap and final thoughts(2:03:55) Outro
Amie Waters on Linktree

Does Jesus Look Like He Needs Your Power? (ft. Ape of the Hour)

Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it... But what if Sega refuses to let us forget? In today's episode, Ape of the Hour joins us as we take a look at the curious case of Classic Sonic in the current day. Originally the ONLY Sonic, this little guy found himself shoved to the side when the 2000s rolled around in favor of his new look, only to experience a sudden resurgence in the 2010s. But has he overstayed his welcome at this point? Why does Sega seem so insistent upon a divide between the two eras? And does looking back truly represent the way forward?
(0:00:00) Intro/Ape's history with Sonic(0:08:42) Main topic: "Modern" Classic Sonic(0:38:15) Embrace modernity(1:07:54) A return to his roots(2:00:59) Outro
Amie Waters on Linktree

What a Great Set of Tonsils

For many years, humanity has wondered, "What would a stage musical based on Sonic the Hedgehog look like?" This...is so much weirder an answer than anyone could have come up with. Today, we travel back in time 30 years to the land down under, back when the Sega World amusement park was a thing that existed, to check out Sonic in Sydney the live musical. It's a strange tale of Sonic, Tails, and Sally teaming up to prevent Robotnik's Aussie assault, one with so many absurd twists and turns that some might consider it a harbor bridge too far. Listen along as we react in real time to the studio recording, then stick around for the extended versions of the songs, and a never-before-heard totally-real we're-not-just-making-this-up-for-a-really-funny-bit recording of the lost puppet show version!
(0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic in Sydney(0:07:59) The studio recording(0:41:42) The puppet show(0:46:47) The lost recording!(0:57:39) "What Are We Waiting For"(1:02:33) "Give Me Chaos"(1:05:35) "Thank You For Being You"(1:11:44) Final thoughts(1:15:25) Outro
Amie Waters on Linktree
Sonic in Sydney (live show, version 2, dry run) [TOTALLY REAL FOR SRS]

Sonic in Sydney (live show, version 2, dry run) [TOTALLY REAL FOR SRS]

Featuring:Jabbajacks as SallyAE Double as GrounderXthedarkone as KnucklesFaulerro as everyone else

Present and Well-Lit

We're getting multicultural on this episode as we do a deep dive on the different ways Sonic has been portrayed between Japan and the West. We all know how Sega of America started making changes right from the jump, with their Robotniks and their Mobiuses and their Hardly, Nebraskas...OK, maybe not so much that last one. But the 30+ years that followed have seen a strange back-and-forth of each side borrowing from one another and slowly reintegrating Sonic into one cohesive vision...unless you're an annoying person on social media, in which case the two portrayals couldn't be further from one another, even to this day. Are Japanese and western Sonic really so separate? Did any of the changes end up being to the franchise's benefit in the long run? Or are they forever destined to be two different worlds? Not like the "two worlds" thing that briefly described the setting, but like, as in...you know what, just listen to the episode, you'll get what we mean.
(0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Japanese Sonic vs. Western Sonic(0:08:45) Sonic Origins (Not That One)(0:41:58) Media Adaptations(1:01:25) The End of an Era(1:39:50) The Western Revolution(1:56:05) An "Aligned" Continuity(2:21:29) Final thoughts(2:40:41) Outro
Amie Waters on Linktree
Windii on YouTube

Let Your Intrusive Thoughts Win

We're off the starting line at high speed as we prepare for the release of Sonic's newest racer by taking a look back at some of his earliest! First up, we pop some fresh batteries in our Game Gears to check out the Sonic Drift duology, a flawed but unique attempt to bring the fun of kart racing on the go. Then we stay on track and don’t look back as we continue on to Sonic R, the equally beloved and maligned on-foot racer with a legacy all its own. So join us as we feel the sunshine, dodged some lightning strikes, and hopefully answer the question once and for all... Why the hell is he in a car?
0:00:00 Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff0:11:48 Main topic: Classic Sonic racing games0:13:37 Sonic Drift0:35:30 Sonic Drift 20:54:09 Sonic R1:41:48 Final thoughts1:46:57 Outro
Amie Waters on Linktree
Sonic R Updater
Sonic R Improvement Mod
ARK in Radiant Emerald