The Best Sonic Enemy

Having recently played the new Sonic 4 demo, I started wondering about who was my favourite bad guy from the Sonic universe. Having thought long and hard I came to the conclusion that it had to be Metal Sonic (AKA Metallix, AKA Mecha Sonic). Metal Sonic is a robotic version of Sonic, equal in every way, and a recurring figure throughout the series.

Metal Sonic has a vast and interesting history, with his first appearance being SonicCD; a tale of time travelling and the kidnapping of the infamous Amy Rose. I remember as a child reading the UK's Sonic The Comic and being hooked on this storyline, that spanned several issues of the comic. From the way Metal Sonic was portrayed in the comics through to how difficult he is to beat in the games, I've always felt that if anyone was ever going to pose a serious threat to Sonic it would be Metal Sonic.

Funnily enough, doing a quick bit of research before writing this blog turned up a forum thread on Sega's website  discussing whether fans would like to see Metal Sonic appear in the Sonic 4 games. Opinions seem to be mixed but on this particular discussion the vote is a yes for Metal Sonic.

Another really overlooked character that I remember from my childhood is the UK Sonic The Comic's very own Shortfuse The Cybernik. A test subject for a new robotic suit, Shorty the squirrel manages to damage the robotic equipment and override his robot programming. He then seeks out revenge on Dr Robotnik for encasing him forever in a metal body. Not only does Shortfuse look damn cool, he also has laser guns in his arms and is practically invincible as his robotic shell is made from Megatel, an indestructible metal in the Sonic universe.

Sonic 4: Episode 1

So I haven't got the money to pay for the full download, but I thought I'd give the trial of Sonic 4 a go. And if the  demo is anything to go by, paying for the full version will be well worth it! Classic Sonic action returns once again  with a major graphical overhaul. The game maintains everything that made the first 3 classics; from it's opening level with grassy and colourful scenary (reminiscent of Green Hill Zone and Emerald Hill Zone), right through to the ever so successful 2D platforming action that made Sonic so popular.

Sega have included a few elements from the 3D Sonic outings, including his ability to lock on to and attack enemies mid jump. For veteran Sonic gamers this feels natural and yet so different at the same time. The gameplay is virtually unaltered from the previous Sonic games and you could easily believe this game to have followed on directly from Sonic 3, such is the similarity in style.

Considering the mixed success of the 3D Sonic games of late, fans of the speedy blue hedgehog are going to be ecstatic about Sega's decision to go back to Sonic's roots. Sonic 4 is so easy to pick up and play, yet maintains the challenge that was present throughout the series, whilst still managing to incorporate the innovative elements of the more recent 3D series of games.

The graphics are slightly odd to get used to at first as Sonic 4 is a 2D/3D crossover. The levels are purely 2D but all of the active elements in the level are drawn with a 3D view. Once you get passed the fact that this is not exactly the same as Sonic 3 graphics, and is in fact actually an improvement (considering how many jumps in console there have been since the last 2D Sonic game) you will start to enjoy the levels and feel yourself getting lost in the addictive gameplay.

I highly recommend this game for fans and non-fans of the series. Sega and Nintendo have always managed to pull off the best platform games, and this is a return to their best for Sega.

Sonic 4: Episode 1 is available to download from Xbox Live or Playstation Network.

Currently Playing: Highway Pursuit

If you've ever played the classic game Spyhunter then you'll know exactly what to expect from today's review. Higway Pursuit is a 3D driving/shooting/spy game in the same style as Spyhunter. In a way it's like a graphically superior 3D upgrade of the original. For obvious legal reasons it can't be exactly the same game, even with a new exterior, but Highway Pursuit is as close as you can get to a remake, and it does the original Spyhunter proud.

The gameplay is exactly the same as the original. You control a superspy car that's sporty, fast and equipped with an arsenal of weapons including: the standard machine guns - an ever present on any experienced spy's transport of choice; oil slicks - for sending enemies behind you out of control (and hopefully into a tree or other car!); and rocket launcher - for when all else fails!

Handling of the car is perfect and you never feel out of control at any moment in time. Taking sudden junctions is smooth and swift, and weaving in and out of traffic feels natural while barely ever hitting other vehicles (except at high speeds!). Shooting at enemies remains the same as the original Spyhunter with you having to place your car either behind or in front of the enemy you are taking down, depending on your weapon of choice. Keeping the feel of the first Spyhunter game, there are weapons trucks around that you can board in order to upgrade your car or equip new weapons. Getting on to these trucks is just as much of an art as it has always been and I often found myself mis-timing my manouvere and driving passed the truck, or worse still, destroying it!

The levels progress from bottom to top of the screen, with your car mainly occupying the centre of the screen whilst the level unfolds around you. The game maintains a mainly top-down view but incorporates an impressive (if slighlty cartoony - think early GTA games) style 3D graphics. This style doesn't detract at all from your ability to enjoy the game. In fact the graphical style gives the game a much more traditional arcade look that the original game revelled in itself. Even though I'm used to playing HD quality games I found the graphics in Highway Pursuit perfectly matched with the style of game and of a really high quality for the style.

Highway Pursuit is a really challenging game and the inclusision of an online high scores table gives plenty of replay time as you constantly want to go back and get a higher score and prove yourself the ultimate superspy. With just 3 lives and a limited damage gauge on your car you have to be really careful when racing around at top speed. Scenary in the game and bumps with other cars will damage your car, whilst being sent spinning out of control will inevitably result in death. Also beware of bridges; get too close to the edge and you're treated to a wonderful animation of your car spinning and tipping as it heads into the icy waters below!

Overall I have to say that Highway Pursuit is definitely a keeper for me. It's fun to play, looks great and is incredibly addictive. Great to fill in time between longer games or other activities, but you could easily while away an entire evening trying to set a high score. It's completely free and is a small download, so there's nothing to lose getting your hands on this one. Well worth it!

You can download the game for free from download-free-games.com

World of Warcraft - Cataclysm

The next expansion in the multi-million selling World of Warcraft franchise is due for release on the 7th December 2010, just in time for Christmas. Have you pre-ordered your copy yet? The latest installment promises to be bigger and better than ever before, attempting to draw in new players and rekindle the excitement of existing residents of Azeroth.

The world of Azeroth is moving on in time and a great dragon, called Deathwing, has awoken bringing devastation to the world as we know it. Areas of Azeroth that we previously great forests have been reduced to charred deserts, and new areas of the world have become accessible once again. The whole landscape has changed, including areas that were present but just never properly drawn before because players usually just passed over them on flying mounts.

There are also two new races joining the Alliance and Horde. The Alliance are joined by the Worgen, werewolf like creatures afflicted by a curse that transforms them from human form into mighty wolves. And the Horde are joined by the Goblins, a faction of the entire Goblin race that have finally decided to take sides. Players will undoubtedly be looking forward to seeing how these two new races play.

And finally the level cap will once again be raised, now to level 85. All in all, a very exciting prospect for an expansion pack.

Transformers 3

So it's been reportedly leaked by Amazon that the title of the next Transformers movie is going to be Transformers: The Dark of The Moon. The accidental leak happened when Amazon started selling three tie-in books on their site, which have suddenly disappeared from their catalogue!

This is likely to be the last Transformers movie, with both Shia LeBeouf and Michael Bay hanging up their robotic transforming boots on completion. With two big hit movies already out there this one is going to have to be something incredible to finish on. Any both Michael Bay and Shia LeBeouf are promising just that.

The plot as has been revealed so far to be about a space race between America and Russia, with the main enemy surprisingly to be Starscream. Little else is known at this point in time, except that the film will be due for release some time next summer.

Check out the article on Yahoo!

Beyond Good and Evil HD

Although a sequel to the popular Beyond Good and Evil still seems some way off, there's good news for fans of the game. Ubisoft has announced that BGE is going to be receiving the HD treatment for Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network. The games' graphics are being upgraded, along with the soundtrack and the inclusion of achievements and leaderboards. 


BGE was a work of perfection when it was released back on the PS2, Gamecube and Xbox, with a cracking soundtrack, stunning visuals and a mix of gameplay modes that flowed seamlessly together. The plot involved your character, Jade, investigating a corrupt military government supposedly protecting the planet Hillys from an invading alien species called the DomZ. As Jade you had to sneak through military and government buildings taking photographs as evidence to be sent to the resistance groups on the planet. In between all the sneaking and photography elements are wonderful fight sequences and hovercraft sections, to add variety and keep the game feeling fresh.  


BGE has one of the most engrossing plots that I have experienced in a game and really had me emotionally involved with the characters. Without giving too much away, there is one scene later on in the game that brought a tear to my eye, such is the quality of story telling and the depth of personality to the characters.


I for one am looking forward to the HD release of BGE. Almost as much as I'm looking forward to a future sequel. If enough people show an interest in the HD release then maybe Ubisoft will be convinced enough to keep working on the sequel. Here's hoping!


Check out the full story and video at Gamespot.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Arcade

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the arcade game is just as I remember playing it in the arcade. Considering the age of the game it still looks okay, sounds okay and plays well. TMNT is your typical arcade style scrolling beat-em-up game in similar style to Streets of Rage, Golden Axe and many other well known arcade/console titles. The main concept of the game is to walk from left to right beating up and killing all of the enemies who come your way. The game supports up to two players teaming up to take on all of Shredder's henchman, although the arcade version supported all four players simultaneously. I guess the limitations of the PC being either the limited number of gamepads or keyboard controls available.

The plot is simple; Shredder has kidnapped April O'Neil and it's up to you, as one of the four fearsome fighting ninja turtles, to rescue her and stop his diabolical plan. Story is kept to a minimum during the game, with each level being introduced by a brief animated sequence that explains the main objective. As this game was originally an arcade title I can understand the developers' need to keep any uneccessary plot out of the game and keep the action flowing.

Once into the throes of action you are bombarded by hordes of enemies intent on bringing an end to your existence by any means. Often unarmed but as you progress through the levels each enemy comes equiped with one of a variety of weapons, including projectile weapons and melee weapons. Missiles often launch up from the bottom of the screen from some unseen enemy below. You just have to do your best to avoid these, they tend to have a limited range so hanging around the top of the screen is the safest bet. The end of each level has a boss fight, usually one of the more important goons from the TV series (Rocksteady and Beebop being the first two). The bosses tend to be tougher then the regular goons but once you work out the pattern of their attacks it is quite easy to beat them.

Graphically the version of the game that I downloaded had some serious flaws, which actually rendered one level practically impossible to see because of all the glitched graphics. I suspect this is just either a compatibility issue with Windows XP or a poor quality rendering of the game. I'm sure that when I played this game in the arcade it certainly didn't have any graphical glitches! Obviously a problem like this has lowered my enjoyment of the game, but as the game is abandonware it should be available from another source and not have the same problems.

Ignoring the graphical problems, the gameplay works as perfectly as scrolling beat-em-ups of the same era. The WASD keys control movement around the level whilst the N key is your action button. Just hammer N to pull off combinations of attacks, dependant on your character. Not obviously pointed out, but discovered as I played, pressing up and the action button at the same time makes you perform a jumping attack. I found this ability crucial for getting out of packed groups of enemies and taking down bosses. There aren't any more complicated controls than that and all the levels use the same gameplay style.

Overall this is a great game to pass a few hours and to relive some memories from your past (if you're an older gamer!). There's not much reply value in the game and the story isn't particularly involving, but considering this was originally an arcade game it's understandable. As the game is now released as abandonware it won't cost you anything to try so it's worth having a go.

You can download the game from AbandonOnline

Now Playing: Pushover

Pushover is a charming little game featuring an ant and several stacks of dominos. The plot of the game is quite simple, your dog friend has lost his crips and you have to find them for him. That's it. There's very little more explained, including the reason for the quavers product placement in the game. And especially no explanation of why finding a packet of crisps would lead you to set up intricate domino runs. But that's the simplicity of the game. From here on in it gets tricky!

The game concept is that you have to set up domino runs around 2D levels in order to knock over the final domino, which unlocks the door to the next level. Levels can be multilayered, can have ledges with bottomless pits, and can include a variety of dominos to use in order to complete the level. As the little ant guy you have to pick up and carry dominos around the level and place them in the correct order in the chain. Once you're happy with your chain give the first domino a push and watch the outcome. If you get the sequence right the door to the next level will open and you can go through.

The real challenge to the go is the different dominos you have to use. The basic dominos just fall straight over and form the majority of each chain. However there are several other dominos that become available to you as you progress through the levels. In the earlier levels you get introduced to a domino that splits into two pieces and falls in opposite directions, so that you can start two chains at once. You also get to use a domino with permanent momentum; at least it continues to fall head over heels until it hits another domino. This one is good for connecting a chain with a big gap in it. You can also use a domino that won't fall over to bounce the momentum domino in a different direction. Later on you can also use dominos that float upwards before falling, so that you can start a domino chain from a lower level and head upwards. The number of special dominos available seems quite high and there always seems to be just one more to make use of. Each one you unlock tends to then appear in the next level and the next, until you have a vast selection of special dominos that are required to complete a level.

Game progress is maintained by a series of passwords for each level. This is the one letdown of the game as it means you cannot save high scores or progress. Of course for the time that this game was released available space for game saves was either small or non-existent, depending on which format you played games, so it's understandable that this modern game feature was never incorporated. 

Sound and graphics are quite simple yet addictive. For a game that I played as a child I am impressed at how well the graphics have held up. I've recently revisted games such as The Secret of Monkey Island that graphically haven't aged well, yet Pushover manages to look good even today. As with many games that are now freeware or abandonware, it's the gameplay that keeps gamers coming back and Pushover is a wonderfully addictive little puzzler. I remember fondly playing through this game as a child and revisiting it in adulthood it still holds all of the appeal that it did 20 years ago to my younger self. 

I'd highly recommend giving this game a go for anyone into puzzle games like Peggle, Tetris, Bejewelled and the like, or for anyone looking for a retro gaming fix. As the game is now considered abandonware it's completely free to download and play, so you have nothing to lose.

You can download Pushover for free at AbandonOnline