Sonic Origins Plus – Expanding Some Reimagined Origins

Laura’s my name! Writing’s my game! 2022 was an elevating year for Sonic the Hedgehog, but what could there be for him in 2023 besides the Jewel Rush Event in Sonic Speed Simulator back in January and the second season of Sonic Prime [3] [25]? Well, Sonic Origins is yet to be re-released…but with an expansion pack, thus being referred to as “Sonic Origins Plus” [29]. Since the re-release of an ambitious reimagining of a classic saga starring a speedy blue hedgehog will be allied with an expansion pack to boost its cred even further, the expansion pack will consist of new features. Even as a former fangirl of the heroic blue rodent, I shall discuss what Sonic Origins Plus will have to offer alongside what made Sonic Origins a hit with you while our Sonic supporters begin to flaunt some sightseeing like an Instagram influencer, play any of fifty-three songs from previous Sonic the Hedgehog titles during gameplay and challenge themselves in two new Challenge Modes with the new update for the undeniably outstanding Sonic Frontiers and our inklings are starstruck at a new performance by The Squid Sisters that will be seen during the second half of a forthcoming Splatfest [16] [23] [28].

As spooked and strangely fascinated as I am at how Mobius became a downloadable battler for Marvel’s Midnight Suns on my birthday [5] [6], I believe that my fiancé will be amazed at what new features will be in Sonic Origins Plus. [29]

Amy Rose, who was known as “Rosy the Rascal” in the original Sonic CD will be a playable character in the remasters of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Sonic CD, like Coco Bandicoot being a playable character in Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy [30]. This leads to some speculation that she can become Super Amy after all scene chaos emeralds are gathered in each game [20], which will further elevate her role as a playable 16-bit character in honour of female empowerment in gaming and mark the official debut of her super form [29]. After all, 2023 is the 30^th anniversary of her debut [26]. There will also be the option to play as Knuckles in the remaster of Sonic CD [29]. Approved [1]! I may not be much of a fan of SonAmy, but as someone who prefers Classic SonAmy, I am quite delighted that Classic Amy will finally get a chance to strive beyond her minor role as a damsel-in-distress in Sonic CD in Sonic Origins Plus [29]. Perhaps there will be no need for her to become the owner and manager of a restaurant, just like in that episode of Sonic Boom [22]. 

Not only will Amy be speedy as a playable character, but she will be able to wield her hammer in a rather iconic way [22]. [29]

Aside from the huge opportunity for Amy to be a playable co-star, there will be a dozen Game Gear titles ported into the expansion, including: 

•       The Game Gear version of Sonic the Hedgehog [29]
•       The Game Gear version of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 [29]
•       Sonic Blast [29]
•       Sonic Drift [29]
•       Sonic Drift 2 [29]
•       Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine (which is pretty much the Western equivalent of Puyo Puyo) [27] [29]
•       Sonic Spinball [29]
•       Sonic Chaos [29]
•       Sonic Labyrinth [29]

A dozen ports loaded into an expansion pack is quite a lot, but the more, the merrier. Moreover, it is nice to give some of Sonic’s Game Gear titles more love a year after the release of Sonic Origins. Additionally, the DLC packs for the original release of Sonic Originswill be included in Sonic Origins Plus, from the Start Dash Pack to the Classic Sound Pack[24], meaning that there will be the rather bizarre Mirror Mode that makes the gameplay feel like playing the Mirror engine class in the Mario Kart series [9] [10] [11] [12] [13], but as a speedy side scroller. Since all three DLC packs and twelve Game Gear titles will be included, there seems to be no doubt that Sonic Origins Plus will be an exceptional and expanded re-release [29].

Nostalgia powers! Activate! [29]

It is quite a shame that Sonic Origins was criticised for its number of bugs and glitches that hindered the overall experience of playing some remasters of great classics for some players at first [24]. Luckily, there were a few updates for the game that made them go away like a fly being shooed right out of a house. I hate to remind some of my fellow gamers of the ghastly gush of glitches from Sonic ‘06 (unless I must punish some toxic fanbrats by making them watch a certain kiss scene) [18] [19] [31] [32], but I have a feeling that Sonic Origins Plusmight consist of several disruptive glitches after its release due the extra ambition being put into it [24] [29]. However, if there are sudden bugs and glitches spotted in Sonic Origins Plusafter its release, who should Sonic Team call? The Glitchbusters [17]! Besides, I still remember witnessing two bizarre glitches from The Sims Mobile that were eventually patched [33] [34]. Despite the unfortunate backlash due to the number of glitches that were discovered, in Sonic Origins sometime after its release in June 2022 [24], the determination to patch them out was still appreciated and the same ought to apply to some updates for Sonic Origins Plus if necessary [29].

Any disruptive glitches found in Sonic Origins Plus ought to be patched within an update sometime after its release [24]. [29]

In both digital and physical editions, Sonic Origins Plus will be released on the 23rd of June possibly alongside the second wave of DLC for Sonic Frontiers [23] [29]. Both are sure to be a splendid way to celebrate Mr. Sonic’s birthday this year. Speaking of celebrating, my fellow sinners and I are currently rejoicing for the wrap of Hazbin Hotel, the upcoming animated series about a hotel in Hell for sinners to stay at and try to redeem themselves [4] [7] [8]. I also wonder who has two new red Joy-Con controllers that were released as a big part of a new system bundle in honour of this year’s Mario Day and who found being green easier with the new Velocity Green Xbox Series X|S controller [14] [15] [21] [35]. As for our Sonic supporters, let us wish them the best of joy when Sonic Origins Plus comes out, especially for those who choose to purchase the premium edition that will include an art book featuring Classic Sonic and so on [29]. Sonic Origins Plus will be available for the PlayStation 4, the PlayStation 5, Windows, Steam, the Xbox One, the Xbox X|S and the Nintendo Switch and is available to pre-order right now!

Let us relish in both nostalgia and proactivity as more gaming events await us [2]! Game on, fellow gamers! [29]

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Sonic Frontiers - Super Sonic And More In An Open-World Adventure Soon

Minasan, Kon’nichiwa! A few days ago, the Tokyo Game Show trailer for Sonic Frontiers was unleashed while our Nintendo nerds rejoiced for Pauline and Diddy Kong joining the roster in another update for Mario Strikers: Battle League Football later this month [22] [27] [32] [33] [36] [49] [65]. There has been a lot of hope for Sonic the Hedgehog’s open-world adventure to excel, despite some doubtfulness and demands for a delay back in June [61] [64]. Optimism flourished when another gameplay trailer within this year’s Nintendo Direct Mini showcase came out and the story trailer revealing more about the plot came two months later [60] [62] [63]. The gameplay demo of Sonic Frontiers has received approval from Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of the Super Smash Bros. series at Tokyo Game Show [5], which is indeed a green flag being waved gracefully. Even though I am still not swindled into ever considering myself a fan of the blue speedster again [4] [6], despite the potential for great ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) with a Sonic Frontiers theme [2], I am here to preach hopes for the best outcome of the game for the fifth time after tittering at Wade Wilson’s charming and quirky fourth-wall-breaking in the first volume of Deadpool: Samurai while our Nintendo nerds get ready to make more artistic chaos in the newly released Splatoon 3 [10] [11]. 

Aside from the brief evaluation within an overview [48], there is still a little more to analyse from the new trailer associated with this year’s Tokyo Game Show [33]. [32] [34] [49] [65]

What has been revealed in the Tokyo Game Show trailer to further increase the hype for the game? Firstly, there is a volcano on Koros Island [32] [33] [36] [49] [65], leading to the possibility of some puzzles being set across flowing lava that does not look like tomato soup, unlike in Bowser’s Castle in Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart Wii [23] [24]. Next, we see more of what awaits a Sonic supporter on Ares Island, including rails that are constructed into giant rings [32] [33] [36] [49] [65]. The blue speedster is later seen confronting a large foe whose textures and facial structures vaguely remind me of Venom, the iconic antiheroic symbiote from Marvel [11] [56]. It has been revealed that gathering all seven emeralds will allow Sonic to become Super Sonic once again, which is what I suspect can also lead to some tension in a cutscene that leads to a final boss battle [32] [33] [36] [49] [65]. Aside from what appears to be the finishing touches to advertising Sonic Frontiers in terms of promising trailers, one of the game’s official theme songs is “Vandalize” by ONE OK ROCK, which sounds amazing in both Japanese and English [29] [30] [43], but only using the censored versions would be essential since the game will be rated 7 in Europe and E10+ in North America [28] [32] [36] [49] [65].

The other theme song for Sonic Frontiers is “I’m Here” [38] [47]. Its lyrics match how Sonic must feel throughout his forthcoming adventure to a T. A while ago, I was motivated to write a parody of Elton John and Britney Spears’ collaboration, which is a recreation of “Hold Me Closer” [7] [57]. Care to sing along? [48]

Super Sonic’s appearance in a cutscene leading to the final boss battle would be much like the moments near the endings of the two live-action movies from Paramount Pictures [52] [53]. And speaking of ratings, let us not provoke Deadpool into trying to correct us [12]. [32] [34] [49] [65]

There will be side quests to evaluate the sense of adventuring and keep the gameplay experience varied besides speeding up with Sonic [48]. Remember how frustrating the fishing gameplay in Big the Cat’s story in Sonic Adventure was to some players [34]? Well, the opportunity to go fishing with Big will return in Sonic Frontiers [14] [39], much like how he will make an appearance in Sonic Prime [16]. The big difference will be that the fishing gameplay will only be a minigame in an adventure mostly centred around Sonic [14], which is what I believe will be for the best with some technical differences when it comes to giving Big’s own thing another chance [34]. Furthermore, the fishing minigame may hopefully be nearly as exceptional as fishing in the Animal Crossing series [19] [20] [21]. Let us just hope that there will be no small fries that subtract fifty points, unlike in the fishing game in Wii Play [25]. Surely, Big’s character can be upgraded with some new exploration at some point [14] [39]. Alternatively, if there will not be much character exploration in a new game, there can always be some in a comic book series [8] [9]. The fishing minigame is an interesting way to keep the gameplay experience varied besides solving puzzles across Starfall Islands [14] [48].

As fascinating as it is to see Spider-Gwen in the fourth season of the third chapter of Fortnite [3] [31], it would be interesting to see Big the Cat be the host of a minigame within some redemption [14] [39]. Could faintly similar redemption apply to his portrayal in Sonic Prime [41]? [16]

What else is there is say and hope for in terms of gameplay and such? It turns out that the keys are for gathering the chaos emeralds as the game progresses [39] [48]. Speaking of progress, the impact on Sonic’s powers will be increased and he will gain new abilities throughout this quest as the game’s difficulty increases in new areas, which can make the journey engaging and satisfying without any sign of staleness. As much as I am up for a multiplayer mode in an update or DLC pack for Marvel’s Midnight Suns [57] [58], I am still up for a multiplayer mode in Sonic Frontiers that could be part of an update [60]. As previously stated, Player Two can either be Metal Sonic, Shadow the Hedgehog or Silver the Hedgehog as the second player competing as a recolour of Sonic just like in the Wii version of Sonic Colours can be rather uninspired [60]. And speaking of DLC, there will be a collaboration with Inugami Korone within DLC which is a new pair of interestingly designed shoes with matching gloves [40]. Aside from Super Sonic’s eventual time to shine and the cuteness of the Inugami Korone-themed DLC, I deeply appreciate the ambition the main gameplay appears to consist of [32].

This is not the first time Inugami Korone was associated with Sonic the Hedgehog as she was in an interview in honour of his 30^th anniversary [51]. [39]

Overall, the potential of Sonic Frontiers just keeps becoming more and more promising, which makes up for the backlash towards it back in June [54] [64]. Unlike the Japanese marketing for the game [34], the marketing for Sonic Prime does not seem to be very effective so far possibly due to uncertainty in figuring out the right time to market it after the series’ completion [41], along with many employees being sacked from Netflix Animation resulting in some issues [55]. On a lighter note, we might as well also look for fun in the third season of The Cuphead Show, despite the heebie-jeebies that the cliffhanger at the end of the Season Two finale caused us [1] [18]. As for our bronies and pegasisters, they are sure to behold even more magic of friendship that will make its mark later this month [15] [17]. Hopefully, there will be a new story trailer for Sonic Prime that will boost the hype for it back up very soon, almost to the level of the hype for Sonic Frontiers. Is anyone up for a princess tea party battle in the meantime [44]? What has been revealed in the Tokyo Game Show trailer for Sonic Frontiers, along with Sakurai’s approval at the convention might just be the icing on the promotional cake [5] [32] [33] [36] [49] [65]. Sayonara!

It looks like I have completed my Sonic Frontiers article sandwich with the first article as the bottom bread, the second one as the lettuce, the third one as the meat, the fourth one as the cheese and the fifth and final one as the top bread [60] [61] [62] [63] [64]. Yum! [39]

There also have been a lot of monthly events in Sonic Speed Simulator, including a search for Froggy with Big the Cat and a brief rehash of the Sonic Riders series with Jet the Hawk [42]. 2022 has been a big and engaging year for Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Frontiers may hopefully be its outstanding conclusion [60]. [42]

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The Shining Potential Of Shinies – Call Of Light

If you adore casual games that take you to a beautiful new world that provides some mesmerizingly tranquil essences if you wish to mellow out, along with a theme of friendship you can empathise with, Shinies : Call Of Light could be right up your alley [5] [6]. Two months ago, I was contacted by Tristan Edel, also known as “Asalfin” who informed me about the project on Wix.com where my portfolio and GamesEnquirer lie [14] [35]. As my curiosity sparked, I discovered that it was a crowdfunded project [5] [6]. As I mentioned when discussing my thoughts on Alice: Asylum three years ago, not all crowdfunded projects are acclaimed [39] [40]. However, Edel believes that crowdfunding can benefit creative freedom and allow the production of a project to be more laid back [5] [6]. I agree with his opinion as art cannot be rushed, according to the toy repairman from Toy Story 2 [31]. I see a lot of potential in Edel’s project as shown on his Indiegogo and Kickstarter pages [5] [6]. From what I have seen, there is a lot of dedication passionately put into it [9] [10] [11]. Moreover, a little analysis of what Shinies : Call Of Light has to offer ought to be enlightening.

Congratulations to Edel on reaching his goal to receive the budget for this project. It looks like there is a need for more currency for some upgrades though [5] [6]. Will the Shinies outshine Shiny Pokémon [2]? [5] [6] [7] [11]

Oh wow! A celestial Pac-Man [5]! [6]

The project was announced within the first concept trailer that was uploaded in 2019 [9]. The game is about two yellow beams of energy named “Shinies” finding their purpose as they face their fears in a mysterious world they wake up in [5] [6] [7]. It is not every day the main characters of a story are simply two beams of light, but there is something about such simplicity that leads to some deep potential, considering that the story is meant to be emotional. The way the Shinies slowly regain their memories and befriend creatures in the world they end up in ought to lead to some effective character development, whether there will be any voice acting in the game or not. Quite like the morals in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic [21] [22], the story in Shinies : Call Of Light will be centred on the importance of friendship, as well as some forms of heroism, as shown by the companionship of the Shinies in samples of gameplay footage and according to some character descriptions on the Kickstarter and Indiegogo pages [5] [6]. Will they regain memories of the past? Will the call be answered? Call me weird, but I think the English theme song for Pokémon: Ultimate Journeys would suit the game’s premise to a T [17].

It sure is far more acceptable to let your imagination run wild when it comes to developing an original property instead of mooching off the appeal of an already established franchise with a knockoff slapped on a slot or ticket machine [29] [30]. [9]

The most important aspect of a game is how engaging the gameplay is. There will be puzzles to be solved [5] [6] [7], quite similar to some of the puzzles shown in the gameplay reveal of Sonic Frontiers [36] [37], which I believe would make the game seem rather casual. As for the Shinies’ abilities, they can defend themselves with a dash to dodge attacks and a shield to deflect them as part of the aspects of learning to face fears within the story [5] [6] [7].There are Energy Crystals that will grant the Shinies energy for their abilities. The way Politeness Gate requires the cooperation of the duo vaguely reminds me of the aspects of Clank cooperation with copies of himself in Ratchet and Clank: A Crack In Time [28]. How there are weaker walls and gates for the Shinies to destroy is sure to further increase their empowerment [5] [6] [7]. It would be essential to gradually increase the challenge throughout the experience to keep the player motivated, especially during a boss battle as that was an aspect Edward McMillen aimed for during the development of Super Meat Boy [18]. Besides that, the vibes of Shinies : Call Of Light’s gameplay ought to remain mostly tranquil [5] [6] [7] [10], especially for the causal players who want to chill out after a rough day.

Feedback during the alpha and beta testing of the game can help Edel figure out how to make the gameplay experience even more engaging [5] [6]. [7]

What can I say about the gorgeous graphics aside from how the two protagonists put the “shine” in Shinies? The blue beams of energy near the blue gates illuminate the paths through them, making them a real treat for dreamers [10]. The fox, lakrans and the eeloos are majestically animated, elevating the mood of a journey through a new world to discover [5] [6]. Another example of gorgeously rendered animation is the beams of purple light that gush all the way down during a scene at what appears to be a canyon [11]. According to the concept trailers, there appear to be a variety of locations, such as a void full of glowing tints of purple and a field with long grass, which leads to further creative potential [9] [10]. The colour palettes of each location are easing in association with combining a portion of realism with wonderous fantasy. The overall atmosphere of the game reminds me of Flower [27]. I do not doubt that the visuals will look more amazing with enough money for an upgrade as there are times when the visuals in a trailer are not the same as the visuals in the final outcome [5] [6]. Several changes to scenes in the first season of Helluva Boss are a prime example of that [1]. 

Although the graphics are splendidly rendered in the recent trailer and the samples with descriptions on the Indiegogo and Kickstarter pages [5] [6], I am sure they will look even more beautiful after an upgrade for the final outcome. It may not be as drastic and needed as the redesign of Sonic the Hedgehog in his first movie from Paramount, but still [15]. [10]

There are friends to aid and foes to face throughout the call of light. The way the Pronats are designed makes them resemble a futuristic version of Mr. I from Super Mario 64 [25]. The Lakrans seem to have specific traits of a wolf pack, making them appear to be menacing enemies [10]. How the fox is simply a parent yearning to find a lost child reminds me of the portrayal of Tuxie’s mother from Super Mario 64 [25]. As the only one of his kind and the King of the elks, could the character development of The Elkeran be centred on expressing loneliness? I am rather curious about the Eeloos as I cannot help but be vaguely reminded of Moltres in Pokémon Snap by how they glow and how they are animated [24]. I wonder if there will be a major antagonist responsible for the Shinies’ amnesia. Besides, one of the samples of music for the game hints that there will be plenty of boss battles [8]. As the author of two novellas set in a fictional universe [38], I shall root for the two Shinies maintaining their alliance, as well as their alliances with the other characters, especially the fox [5] [6]. 

Could the budget for upgrading the creatures result in a bigger variety of species, including more enemies to confront, besides some very slight redesigns for the already established ones? [10]

This concept art not only briefly reminds me of Stolas from Helluva Boss but is of the character who will be the first boss of the game [20]. Who knows what the other bosses will look like? [6]

What can I say about some other aspects of the project? I am unmistakably amazed that Edel can skillfully produce some original music for the game, as shown by how he can play a melody on a keyboard attached to his computer and his samples of original music on SoundCloud [8] [11]. Fittingly, the music for Shinies : Call Of Light sounds exactly like the kind of music you would hear if you were playing a game set in a fantasy world, providing that essence of stress relief as the player can tune into the adventure, away from reality for a little while [9] [10] [11]. I am rather curious about the eventual bigger upgrade for the soundtrack as it leads me to wonder if there will be any remastered recordings, a bigger variety or just slightly crisper quality [5] [6]. Considering Edel can also compose original music [8] [11], I believe that he has the potential to help compose a soundtrack for other gaming projects in a reliable manner. Perhaps the super upgrade for Shinies : Call Of Light can include a theme song with the vocals of a singer with an angelic voice and some emotional lyrics about the value of friendship [5] [6].

Aside from how impressed I am at his skills in composing music, I can empathise with Edel’s speech as someone who studied games design at college and university before deciding to become a gaming journalist and the author of two novellas [35] [38]. [11]

I am impressed by what has been revealed about Shinies : Call Of Light [5] [6] [7], from a premise of two inseparable beams of light discovering their purpose together to a soundtrack composed by a solo developer [10] [11]. The proposed alpha release date of the game is September 2023 [4]. Care to add it to your wishlists, Steamers [7]? Who knows? I might as well write a song parody about it in honour of its legacy. What else will we see at that time? The trailer for a third Sonic the Hedgehog movie co-starring Shadow the Hedgehog [25]? A revival of the Sonic Riders series with notable improvements [16] [36] [37]? A second season of Baymax! on Disney Plus [3]? Edel has mentioned a sequel to the game he is already working on, further proving his ambitious passion for developing what is best for his original intellectual property [5] [6]. As well as being infatuated with new instalments of beloved mainstream franchises from big companies, including Bowser in a new LEGO form [19], we ought to humble ourselves to brand new ideas within a brand new intellectual property from indie development teams and even a single independent creator [11]. I hope Edel will continue to follow his passions and I wish him the best of luck on the release of his project next year [4].

I am still saddened that ICU Gamer had to be shut down before being rebranded as “Games Enquirer” a year ago [12] [13], but for what we have lost, we will gain something else. Shinies : Call Of Light could be a shining example [5] [6]. And yes, the Splatoon 3 edition of the OLED model of the Nintendo Switch would be another example too [23]. Now, how about we jam to the theme song of the The Delicious Last Course, the brand new DLC for Cuphead [29] [30]? [10]

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