The Hill Is Always Greener

The Twelve Zones of Christmas

It's the last episode of the year, but we're not about to leave you out in the cold. Instead, the gang is pitting 12 ice-themed stages from across the Sonic series against one another to figure out how they rank. Which ones best use their winter theming? How much does their music leave an impact? And can any stage hope to dethrone the one everybody expects to take first place?
(0:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff(0:11:48) Main topic: The Twelve Zones of Christmas(0:13:34) Icy Isle(0:16:57) Ice Cap(0:29:57) Robotnik Winter(0:36:40) Diamond Dust(0:42:53) Ice Paradise(0:51:07) White Acropolis(0:56:08) Blizzard Peaks(1:02:13) Cool Edge(1:09:31) White Park(1:15:44) Frozen Factory(1:21:32) Kodiak Frontier(1:27:08) Press Garden(1:34:09) Final ranking and thoughts(1:40:30) Outro
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Sonic Triple Trouble 16-Bit
Sonic and the Fallen Star
Unleashed Project
Sonic Lost World Improvement Mod

I Boo Your Cheers!

The holiday season is upon us, so the gang is curling up by the fire with mugs full of cocoa to revisit some festive Sonic content spanning 25 years. First up is "Sonic's Christmas Blast", where the coming of a new Santa Claus also marks the end of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Next, they'll jump forward a few decades to watch the ball drop in the Sonic Boom episode "New Year's Retribution". Finally, it's a double dose of short, 2D animated goodness, with the Sonic Mania Adventures, Holiday Special and the "Chao in Space" short. So put your Chao and your Flickies to bed, enjoy the delicious slow-cooked roast, and join us in celebrating the festivities with everyone's favorite blue Santa stand-in.
(0:00:00) Intro/Sonic's Christmas Blast(0:37:40) Sonic Boom - New Year’s Retribution(0:56:44) Sonic Mania Adventures - Episode 6(1:02:54) Chao in Space(1:11:34) Outro
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Sonic Christmas Blast | Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog - YouTube
Sonic Mania Adventures - Part 6 (Holiday Special) - YouTube
Sonic Presents: Chao In Space - Official Animation - YouTube
Chao World Extended

Time Curry

We're traveling through time yet again as the gang finally look at their first SatAM episode with the "Blast to the Past" two-parter! Our hosts join Sonic and Sally in going back in time to witness Robotnik's takeover of Mobius, with some surprising reveals along the way. Expect discussions of forgotten lore, Robotnik's lineage, the oh so dulcet tones of Tim Curry, and so much more!
(00:00:00) Intro/Main topic: "Blast to the Past"(00:20:07) Part 1(01:23:57) Part 2(01:49:59) Final thoughts(02:03:06) Outro
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Ben Hurst Interviews
Colin Kintobor
One Man's Quest To Eradicate Every Goku In Dragon Ball FighterZ
Poo-Chi

The Best of the Best for One Low, Low Price

It’s a mega-sized episode this week as we look back at a collection of collections! Over the years, Sega has released quite a few compilations of classic Sonic titles to make sure the blue blur and his origins stay relevant to the current audience. These collections have played a big role in bringing in new Sonic fans over the years, so join us as we take a look at all the ways they (Sonic) Jam-packed these gems into one tiny package.
(0:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff(0:08:11) Main topic: Sonic compilations(0:12:21) Sonic & Knuckles Collection(0:20:44) Sonic Jam(0:34:42) Sonic Mega Collection(0:55:35) Sonic Mega Collection +(1:05:24) Sonic Adventure DX(1:08:12) Sonic Gems Collection(1:22:15) Sonic Classics Collection(1:28:05) Other compilations(1:32:25) Sonic Origins(2:00:38) Final thoughts(2:03:56) Outro
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The History of Sonic Game Collections
Sega PC Reloaded
Sonic Mega Collection print advertisement
Stealth comments on Sonic Origins
Sonic Origins devs on how the game came to be
Sega Is Delisting Multiple Classic Sonic Games In May Ahead Of Sonic Origins Release
Sonic Origins 1.04 patch notes

I’m Very Grateful for Your Help, Satan

It's time for another new episode to drop, and this time we're mixing things up by taking a look at an entirely different Sega franchise, Puyo Puyo! This classic puzzle game series was first and most closely tied to Sonic through Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine in 1993, but the blue hedgehog and those multicolored blobs have proved to be a match-4 made in heaven, and continued to create combos right up to this very day. So listen in find out just how deep the connection between the spiny speedster and the Sorcery Saga spinoff goes.
(00:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff(00:02:34) Main topic: Puyo Puyo(00:14:01) Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine(00:43:01) Sonic Mania(00:47:02) Puyo Puyo Fever: Carnival Edition(00:49:08) Puyo Puyo Quest(00:50:50) Puyo Puyo Tetris 2(00:55:15) Sega All-Stars series(00:58:30) Sonic Forces(00:59:10) Sonic Runners(01:02:34) Final thoughts(01:08:57) Outro
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Puyo Puyo Quest Sonic collab cards
Sonic Runners Revival

OnlyPhantoms

The spooky season is upon us, and even though CyberLink's mic is haunted by evil spirits (sorry about that!), the gang unites for a special Halloween mini-sode to talk about Sonic: Night of the Werehog! So grab your cameras and step into the moonlight as we look back at a delightful little short that deserves to be considered as timeless and eternal as its ghostly antagonists!
(00:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic: Night of the Werehog(00:02:25) Behind the scenes(00:12:03) Full recap(00:32:14) Alternate ending and original storyboards(00:36:03) Final thoughts(00:42:04) Outro
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Night of the Werehog storyboards

Eggman’s Super Sucky Machine

OK class, settle down. Welcome to Sonic Educational Games 101. As it states in your syllabus, we will be covering the surprisingly wide variety of Sonic games intended to teach younger players. Individual lessons include the histories of the Sega Pico and various Leapster handhelds, the identification of several common music tracks, and a mathematics lecture by visiting professor Christopher Thorndyke. Make sure you take notes, as this will all be on the exam...
(00:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff(00:05:55) Main topic: Sonic educational games(00:08:00) What the heck is a Sega Pico?(00:13:07) Tails and the Music Maker(00:22:35) Sonic the Hedgehog's Gameworld(00:32:25) Sonic's Schoolhouse(00:50:40) Sonic X (Leapster)(00:59:13) Sonic the Hedgehog (LeapFrog Didj)(01:10:00) Sonic's Edusoft(01:16:25) Final thoughts(01:23:37) Outro
Amie Waters on Twitter
SEGA Pico flashcart
Tails and the Music Maker - Full Playthrough
Sonic the Hedgehog's Gameworld - Full Playthrough
Sonic's Schoolhouse - Full Playthrough
Sonic's Schoolhouse - The Cutting Room Floor
Cartoon, Music Theme 03 - Sound Ideas (SFX Library)
Sonic Robo Blast 2 - Sonic's Schoolhouse Mod
Sonic X (Leapster) - Full Playthrough
Numbers on the Run: Count on Zero
Sonic the Hedgehog (LeapFrog Didj) - Full Playthrough

Telltale’s Team Chaotix

What goes up must come down, and nowhere is that more true than with our latest topic as the gang looks back at the series' first major multiplatform release, Sonic Heroes! This follow-up to the Adventure duology had a lot of interesting ideas that stumbled in execution thanks to an infamously troubled development cycle, and is seen by many as the start of the series' downfall. Can our hosts sort through their mixed feelings and find this game's redeeming qualities, or is even the real super power of teamwork not enough to salvage this one?
(00:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff(00:14:15) Main topic: Sonic Heroes (skip past the eating noises)(00:16:43) Development history for perspective(00:21:52) Initial thoughts(00:39:14) The story(00:50:27) Seaside Hill/Ocean Palace(00:56:23) Grand Metropolis/Power Plant(01:11:03) Casino Park/Bingo Highway(01:16:51) Rail Canyon/Bullet Station(01:22:47) Frog Forest/Lost Jungle(01:27:04) Hang Castle/Mystic Mansion(01:29:25) Egg Fleet/Final Fortress(01:40:10) Other teams(01:58:27) Last Story(02:00:37) The music(02:05:58) Final thoughts(02:10:35) Outro
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Jake's drum cover of "Open Your Heart"
The Fall of Sonic Team: Sega's Collapse, Crunch, and Chaos in the Early 2000s
Lani Manella’s comments on directing the English versions of the Sonic games
Where to start with the Sonic Heroes PC version on modern systems
Unfinished Sonic Heroes cutscenes

Robotnik Doxxes Amy Rose (ft. Dave Bulmer)

Jake is out this week, but in his place, Dave Bulmer from Sonic The Comic The Podcast joins us for the finale of our Sonic CD episode trilogy to look back at three different comic adaptations of Sonic’s adventures on the Little Planet. From early STC to the end of Archie, it’s a wild journey through time and space as Sonic and Metal Sonic square off thrice over. Whether you’re an Archist or a Boomer, you won’t want to miss it!
(00:00:00) Foreword(00:00:40) Intro(00:12:13) The Sonic Terminator (STC)(01:01:44) Prank #1: Archie's Metallix story(01:06:29) Jake's take: The Sonic Terminator(01:11:06) Go Ahead, Mecha My Day (Archie)(01:40:18) Prank #2: SatAM Mecha Sonic concept art(01:43:30) Jake's take: Go Ahead, Mecha My Day(01:51:38) Genesis of a Hero, Part 3 (Archie)(02:17:02) Jake's take: Genesis of a Hero(02:19:07) Prank #3: The American Sonic CD manual(02:26:06) Final thoughts(02:30:41) Outro
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Dave Bulmer on Twitter
Dave Bulmer on YouTube
All the images we used to prank Dave
Sonic The Comic The Podcast
Jon Gray explaining the recolored digital Archie issues
Retronauts on Sonic Comics (with Dave Bulmer and Bobby Schroeder)
Thanks, Ken Penders

Terry the Tired Traumatized Tidal Tempest Temp

It's the battle of the Sonic CD soundtracks as the Japanese and American music go head-to-head, track-by-track. Have we got the power to save the land, and can we reach the other side of the rainbow? Is there a deeper level of symbolism behind some of the tracks? And when the dust settles, which of the two soundtracks will reign supreme?
(00:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Battle of the Sonic CD soundtracks(00:05:58) Opening themes(00:14:07) Jingles(00:22:08) Special Stage/Boss theme/Game Over(00:33:26) Palmtree Panic(00:49:28) Collision Chaos(01:02:33) Tidal Tempest(01:17:44) Quartz Quadrant(01:31:20) Wacky Workbench(01:43:38) Stardust Speedway(02:03:54) Metallic Madness(02:17:01) JP-exclusive bonus tracks(02:22:27) Ending themes(02:29:46) Final thoughts(02:36:43) Outro
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VGMpire 116 – Sega CD with Spencer Nilsen
VGMpire 117 – Sonic CD with Spencer Nilsen