The Hill Is Always Greener

Don’t Break Kayfabe!

Can ya smell what the Doc is cookin'?! Because the podcast has officially entered the squared circle to talk about one of the greatest wrestlers of our era, the inimitable El Gran Gordo! No one knows the true face beneath his crimson mask, but rest assured: He's here to lay a muy grande smackdown on anyone who stands in his way, be it Sonic the Hedgehog, Andes the Ginormous, or the sinister forces of that handsome devil Dr. Eggman! So join us as we look back at this legendary career of the best there is, was, and ever will be in the pages of the Sonic X comic series from Archie Comics. And that's the bottom line, because El Gran Gordo said so!
(0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: El Gran Gordo!(0:13:01) Issue 26: La Layenda del Gran Gordo!(0:34:00) Clip: Parallel training montage(0:42:51) Clip: Sonic defeats Eggman(0:46:37) Issue 27: Conquest is Like a Box of Chocolates(0:57:52) Clip: Emperor Bokkun(1:06:42) Clip: You fell for it!(1:09:16) Issue 31: The Return of El Gran Gordo(1:18:22) Clip: Forty cakes(1:34:57) Issue 32: Title Mismatch(1:44:40) Clip: Go badnik army!(1:55:20) Final thoughts(2:00:33) Outro
Amie Waters on Twitter
Liv Brown on Twitter
Woolie Versus
Exposed - Pro Wrestling's Greatest Secrets
The Real Eggman

The Most Evil Plan of All: Capitalism

There are people who say that any hero is only as good as their villain... So it's a good thing that sonic fans have one of the most recognizable and memorable villains in all video gaming. That's right, our first ever character deep dive is all about the one and only Dr. Eggman, as the gang takes a look back at his MANY incarnations. From his humble origins, to his wildly divergent takes in western media, to his more nuanced, characterization of the modern day, we dissect just what makes Eggman "Eggman" and ponder what the future may hold for this evil genius. It's a packed episode, so sit back, tune in, and get a load of this!
(0:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff(0:07:26) Main topic: Dr. Eggman(0:10:25) Eggman's origins(0:15:56) AoStH Robotnik(0:23:40) SatAM Robotnik(0:26:20) Archie Robotnik(0:31:06) StC Robotnik(0:34:45) Modern Eggman(0:47:55) Boom Eggman(0:52:45) Movie Robotnik(1:01:45) Eggman's Family(1:10:39) Eggman's regime(1:22:35) The sliding scale of Modern Eggman(1:36:30) Eggman's many henchmen(1:42:00) Eggman and Sonic's dynamic(1:47:45) What's next for Eggman?(1:52:19) Eggman Nega(1:56:35) Final thoughts(1:59:25) Outro(2:03:45) Bonus: Eggman medley by Faulerro
Amie Waters on Twitter
Early Eggman concept art
Buckets of Blood

Ka-Ren the Echidna

It's time for another all-out brawl as Sonic and Knuckles go head to head in two specials from the early years of Archie! First, a clash between the blue blur and his friendly nemesis scales up considerably when Chaos Emeralds get involved in Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles! Then Sonic is roboticized and forced under Robotnik's control, and the only one who can stop him is a newly roboticized echidna who's ready to throw down in Mecha Madness! Which one of the two will come out on top? And do the stories of these tussles between the two titans still hold up to this day? All that and more, plus some backup stories nobody cares about, on this all new episode!
(0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Archie's Sonic vs. Knuckles specials(0:05:07) Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles(0:34:28) Clip: Sonic and Knuckles transform(0:44:59) Backup strip(0:53:20) Mecha Madness(1:21:22) Clip: Mecha Knuckles' explosive finale(1:42:17) Backup strips(1:50:50) Final thoughts(1:55:47) Outro
Amie Waters on Twitter
Jonny Quest gets iced by Rattrap
The BBFC, and its war on the headbutt - Film Stories

The Stop Sign of Damocles

That's no moon...that's the subject of our new episode! In celebration of Revenge of the 5th, the gang takes a look at one of the most memorable recurring locations in the Sonic franchise, the Death Egg! While rooted in popular culture, this fully operational battle station has been a focus of many of the most iconic Sonic stories in games and comics. And we're going to take a long look back at its legacy, including its many imitations, the robots Eggman has used to defend it, and our lingering fears that it will one day doom us all. Help us, Sonic the Hedgehog. You're our only hope.
(0:00:00) Intro/Main Topic: The Death Egg(0:13:15) Sonic 2(0:18:25) Sonic 3(0:21:10) Sonic & Knuckles(0:28:37) Sonic Battle(0:29:48) Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing(0:32:00) Sonic Generations(0:35:00) Sonic Forces(0:37:14) Lego Dimensions(0:38:23) The Death Egg in comics(0:51:39) Other Death Egg-likes(1:04:47) Final thoughts: Is it more than just a Death Star ripoff?(1:15:19) Outro
Amie Waters on Twitter
Sonic The Hedgehog (Animated) Japanese Commercial
With apologies to STCTP for parroting their recurring jokes

Clearly, You Don’t Own Air Shoes

Well, that's just prime! Sonic is back on TV at long last, so it's only fitting that we take a deep dive into the first eight episodes of his latest small-screen adventure, Sonic Prime. Left lost and alone due to his own careless actions, Sonic will need the help of a few familiar but different faces if he ever hopes to return home. But does his dimensional journey shatter our expectations, or is it better left adrift in the void? It's the first act of a multiversal epic, and we're ready to watch along every step of the way.
(0:00:00) Intro/Main Topic: Sonic Prime (Part 1)(0:10:07) Episode 1-3(0:35:51) Episode 4-5(0:50:35) Episode 6(0:54:47) Episode 7-8(1:05:04) Further thoughts(1:34:35) Future predictions(1:40:25) Final thoughts(1:44:34) Outro
Amie Waters on Twitter
'Sonic Prime' Leads Reveal the Souped-Up Secrets of the New CG Netflix Series | Animation Magazine
Thanks, Ken Penders — Sonic Prime!
Super Lesbian Animal RPG

Ah, Yeah! This Is Happenin’!

It's our anniversary! That's right, The Hill Is Always Greener has been podcasting for a year straight! And to celebrate, we're taking another look at our very first episode subject, Sonic Adventure! After talking about it pretty briefly in our first episode, we decided to give it a much deeper dive this time around. So pull up a chair, cuddle up with your chao, and watch out for orcas as we dive in! (Warning: first few rows WILL get wet.)
(0:00:00) Intro/Our first anniversary!(0:05:30) Main topic: Sonic Adventure revisited(0:08:00) Sonic's story(0:44:30) Tails's story(0:51:29) Knuckles's story(0:59:35) Amy's story(1:02:50) Big's story(1:08:10) Gamma's story(1:12:32) Last story(1:19:57) Adventure fields(1:23:13) Gameplay(1:47:15) Chao(1:52:51) The music(2:03:50) Mods(2:09:15) Final thoughts(2:11:17) Outro
Amie Waters on Twitter
Translated Sonic 3 manual
Eizo Sakamoto - Open Your Heart (Live at the Tokyo International Forum, 8/22/1998)
Eizo Sakamoto - Open Your Heart (unofficially recreated studio demo)
READY! / J×J album info
SADX Mod Installer
Other mods mentioned:
Sonic Adventure Retranslated [Sonic Adventure DX] [Mods]
Better Tails AI [Sonic Adventure DX] [Mods]
SA2 Conversion [Sonic Adventure DX] [Mods]
Heroes Conversion [Sonic Adventure DX] [Mods]
Shadow (SA1-Styled) [Sonic Adventure DX] [Mods]
SA2 Shadow Voice Clips [Sonic Adventure DX] [Sound Mods]
All Hail Shadow for any mods of Shadow [Sonic Adventure DX] [Sound Mods]
Perfect Chaos Music Swap [Sonic Adventure DX] [Sound Mods]
Better Radar [Sonic Adventure 2] [Mods]

Mario’s Rocky Transition Into 3D

Yes, folks. After a solid year of doing a Mario podcast, we're finally tackling what is easily his most controversial game, Super Mario 64. Mario's first true 3D outing was a rough one that made a lot of questionable choices, but it's hard to look back on it without being clouded by our own nostalgia. Is this "classic" truly deserving of its reputation, for good or for ill? Join us and find out!
(0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Super Mario 64(0:15:17) ???(0:19:48) Okay, back to it(0:27:42) The music(0:32:47) The decompilation and ROMhacks(0:38:51) Super Mario 64 DS(0:41:45) Final thoughts (and some brief movie talk)(0:45:14) Outro
Amie Waters on Twitter
sm64pcbuilder2
Super Mario 64 Through The Ages
Kaze Emanuar on YouTube
Waluigi's Taco Stand 64

Love is in the air? WRONG, SQUID!

Well, we're here, reaching far across those new frontiers. It's time for us to take a long, VERY long look at Sonic's latest mainline outing and one of the most dramatic reinventions of the series to date, Sonic Frontiers. Was it worth the five year wait since Forces? Is this truly the foundation we hope to see future games built upon? And will we ever stop talking about how good the writing is? (Let's be honest, that last one's easily a no.) So walk forward through the cold dark, and join us for what is easily our biggest episode to date.
0:00:00 Intro/Main topic: Sonic Frontiers0:03:26 How did we get here?0:10:58 Game feel0:46:48 Minibosses and aesthetics1:05:30 Story (Kronos Island)1:45:00 Ares Island1:58:16 Chaos Island2:16:15 BIG and the Egg Memos2:27:00 Rhea Island2:37:37 Ouranos Island and final boss2:54:40 The ending3:07:05 The music!3:30:08 Final thoughts3:35:12 Outro
Amie Waters on Twitter
Frontiers comic by JezMM - Twitter
Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence
Sonic Frontiers | Complete Story (Japanese, Translated)
Sonic Frontiers: Sonic's Back, Baby!

Tails, Your Jordans are Fake!

Once upon a time, there were four podcasters who desperately sought to recapture their youth. To do this, they gathered around to read the Sonic Golden Books, a trilogy of children’s storybooks from the early ‘90s. Their discussions of Sonic and his Freedom Fighter friends landed on many strange topics, from Tails eating literal garbage, to the perfect chili dog recipe, to Bunnie Rabbit’s art commissions. They even made a brief divergence into the Sonic Joke Book! Charmed by their pleasant simplicity, the four podcasters hoped all their listeners would tune in and read along with them, to enjoy a delightful trip back to yesteryear. The End.
(0:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff(0:09:10) Main topic Sonic Golden Books(0:14:19) Sonic’s Shoes Blues(1:11:03) The Secret Admirer(1:50:08) Up Against The Wall(2:19:49) Final thoughts(2:22:10) Sonic the Hedgehog Joke Book(2:25:27) Outro
Amie Waters on Twitter
Sonic Forces Classic Sonic Improvement Mod (Chaos 0 Boss Fight)
Going Deep With Sonic The Hedgehog (John Michlig)
Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic's Shoes Blues
Every Sonic game is blasphemous | Unraveled
Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Secret Admirer
Sonic 2 Special Edition: Let's Play!
Sonic the Hedgehog 3: Up Against The Wall
The Sonic the Hedgehog Joke Book

Sonic Speed Dating (ft. Akaru)

On this belated Valentine's Day episode, love is in the air, and no Sega mandate is going to stop us from talking about it with special guest Akaru. Over the years, there have been multiple attempts to pair Sonic off with someone (let's be real, mostly in the pages of Archie). Some have come up time and time again, others were little more than a quick fling, and a few are probably best left forgotten. So we're taking a look back at each one to see if we think they're a good match for everyone's favorite speedster...or, quite frankly, whether he should be romantically involved at all.
(0:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff(0:08:32) Main Topic: Sonic love interests(0:31:58) Madonna(0:37:45) Sally Acorn(0:53:28) Amy Rose(1:03:41) Breezie the Hedgehog(1:06:56) Mina Mongoose(1:12:54) Bunnie Rabbot/Fiona Fox/Rouge the Bat(1:17:06) Blaze the Cat(1:20:30) Princess Elise(1:33:12) Shahra(1:35:57) Lah(1:37:25) Knuckles/Shadow(1:43:32) Eggman(1:46:20) Final thoughts(1:53:20) Outro
Amie Waters on Twitter
Akaru on Twitter
Evan Stanley on Tumblr
Sega Mega Drive 1990 Tech Demo feat. Sonic and Madonna (Master System theme)