Back when we discovered Final Fantasy would be coming to Windows Phone, we also learned about another upcoming Live title: Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition from SEGA. Well, Final Fantasy just launched two weeks ago to much acclaim, and now we’re due for some monkey business. Super Monkey Ball 2 arrives on June 27.
As you can see from our exclusive screenshots, Super Monkey Ball 2’s graphics are now fully 3D (the original used 2D sprites for the monkeys). It’s also said to have better controls and stage design. Let’s hope so, because the first game was far too frustrating. 125 stages, six themed worlds, and some tough Achievements will ensure a lengthy experience. One of those Achievements is tied to the game’s new 4-player mode. Hopefully said mode uses the internet rather than local Wi-Fi, but Microsoft wasn’t able to say either way at press time.
Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition rolls out on Wednesday, June 27 and will cost $2.99… We’re cautiously excited for it.
Update: Multiplayer will be pass-and-play only. Bummer. Good for Achievement hunters though!
Let’s face it; there just aren’t enough monkeys in your life. That’s where SEGA’s Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition comes in. The Super Monkey Ball sequel is now available on the Marketplace and as expected, it’s packed with both monkeys and balls. How could you go wrong?
After the first game’s high levels of crapulence, I was concerned that Super Monkey Ball 2might follow suit. Well, it's pretty much the same, for better or worse. The tilt controls are as finicky ever, often making it a challenge to slow the monkey ball or bring it to a stop. A new tilt meter at least shows how the game is reading your device’s tilt, slightly reducing the difficulty. Basically, the tilting is not as good as a virtual stick could have been, but you can get used to it after a level or two.
The secondary goal of earning crowns on every level (by picking up all 10 bananas without dying) is just as frustrating as before. If you fail to earn a crown on a level, you’ll have to play a batch of 10 levels in order to get return to it and have a shot at earning the crown again. Smart ideas like allowing players to pause and retry a level or pick a specific level and try for its crown have sadly remained in the waste bin, covered in discarded banana peels and (presumably) empty whisky bottles. Anyway, if you can put aside the desire to get all the crowns (hard as that is for Achievements lovers to do), the game will be a lot more enjoyable and less frustrating.
SMB 2 definitely one-ups its predecessor in one key area: minigames. All three minigames: Monkey Bowling, Monkey Target, and Monkey Golf work nicely and have easy Achievements. The minigames only support pass-and-play multiplayer though, unlike the iOS version, which had local Wi-Fi multiplayer. Perhaps this one got ported before Microsoft finally started allowing Wi-Fi multiplayer. You never really know with Microsoft; they don’t seem to have a coherent multiplayer game plan for Windows Phone.
Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition costs $2.99 and there is a free trial. Get it here on the Marketplace.
Many Windows Phone gamers are familiar with French developer Arkedo’s WP7 launch title, OMG: Our Manic Game. It’s not their best work, but still a pretty little shoot-em-up. Fast forward to this year and Arkedo has actually just released their best game yet (with the help of SEGA as publisher): Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit for Xbox Live Arcade.
We’ve got full impressions of both Hell Yeah! and Jet Set Radio after the break, plus more SEGA XBLA news!
Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit
Hell Yeah! (not to be confused with the heavy metal band I’ve never heard) is an all-new Metroidvania-style platformer. The subgenre name comes from the game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, which blended the Castlevania series’ action-platforming with the nonlinear exploration of the Metroid series. Instead of separate, discrete levels, games of this type feature vast, interconnecting areas, many of which require new equipment to fully explore. Sadly we don’t have any true Metroidvania games on Windows Phone, but Castlevania Puzzle is based on Symphony of the Night and features a similarly huge map.
Arkedo’s take on the genre revolves around a rabbit named Ash who is actually the king of Hell, hence the title. Someone has taken nude photos of Ash with his rubber ducky and posted them online, where they were viewed by a total of 101 monsters. Thus the king sets out to discovered who took the pics and kill all who’ve seen him in the buff. It’s a silly plot, yes.
The main draw of Hell Yeah!, besides its brilliant art style, is taking down those monsters. Each one is completely different. Some are tiny minibosses, some huge, hulking full-on bosses. Some are even completely innocent and won’t fight back. Whatever the case, whenever you deplete one of the target monster’s life meters, you’ll engage in a short and zany microgame.
These Wario Ware-like activities will have you rapping scrolling buttons to play guitar, dodging obstacles in a truck, mashing buttons to lift weights, and lots more. Succeed and you’ll kill off the monster in a cartoonish and bloody (but not gory) finishing move, often accompanied by references to other games like Mortal Kombat and Chu Chu Rocket. There must be over 30 different microgames, several of which repeat as the game goes on. Still, they’re quite funny and keep things fresh.
Ash starts the game on foot and with no weapons to defend himself, but before long he’ll start to build an arsenal. His chief tool is a buzz saw-like wheel that he can use to drill through rocks, roll up walls a bit, and attack weaker enemies. He can also fire a variety of guns with the right stick, though right-stick aiming doesn’t mix great with pressing A to jump. From time to time Ash needs to hoof it on foot again, mixing things up nicely. Interludes where you man a turret, submarine, and spaceship add even more variety.
While Hell Yeah! Is my favorite Arkedo game so far, it’s not perfect. The difficulty sometimes ratchets up weirdly, mostly due to sections laden with far too many instant-death spikes. It’s also more linear than most games of this type, with little meaningful incentive to stray from the beaten path. Also, while the translation from French to English retains plenty of humor and clever game references, it reads awkwardly at times.
Those quibbles aside, Hell Yeah!’s biggest problem is that it comes so closely after Dust: An Elysian Tale, the final Summer of Arcade release of August and my current pick for Game of the Year. Dust sports full voice acting, a much deeper plot, and more overall polish. But you can never have too many Metroidvania games; it’s not exactly a highly populated genre. With gameplay that mixes platforming, shooting, and exploration, plus a wicked sense of humor and style, Hell Yeah! makes its own mark in the XBLA lineup. 400 GamerScore worth of relatively easy Achievements doesn’t hurt either.
Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit costs 1200 Microsoft Points ($15). Get it here at Xbox.com.
Jet Set Radio
Xbox fans may remember Jet Set Radio Future, an awesome skating/graffiti game that was even packed in with the original Xbox at one time. That was a sequel – the original game, Jet Set Radio (AKA Jet Grind Radio) first appeared on the Dreamcast way back in 2000. Considering how few gamers got to play it, the game just begged for a re-release, which now SEGA has now provided.
Jet Set Radio is the futuristic story of a youthful rebellion against an oppressive establishment. Players take on the roll of several anime-like skaters as they skate, grind, and especially spray graffiti across the massive city of Tokyo-to. This game pioneered the art style of cel shading in which 3D characters are made to resemble cartoon characters via black outlines and shading techniques.
You’ll know where to spray tags by the floating arrows strewn throughout each level. Approach one, initiate the tag, and then complete a series of analog stick motions to complete it. The multitude of graffiti designs still impresses and lends the game an authentic counter-culture vibe.
Jet Set Radio on XBLA sports several improvements, including the all-important upgrade to a widescreen aspect ratio. While some of the 3D geometry is a bit basic by today’s standards, the game still looks beautiful (more than ever before, actually) thanks to its bold art design. This version also adds full camera control to the right analog stick. The Dreamcast had only one stick, which made for far less intuitive camera controls.
While those improvements are most welcome, Jet Set Radio’s gameplay is still somewhat dated by today’s standards. Character steering is too stiff and grindable objects aren’t quite magnetic enough, making perfect runs through the levels harder than they should be. Also, the optional Tutorial is foolishly tough to complete, but at least there’s an Achievement for it now.
If you’ve never played Jet Set Radio before, be prepared for a steep learning curve and lots of challenge. But the stylish artwork, eclectic soundtrack, and unique premise still make it worth a playthrough for patient gamers.
Jet Set Radio costs 800 Points ($10). Get it here at Xbox.com.
Coming soon: Sonic Adventure 2 and NiGHTS: Into Dreams
Last but certainly not least, two additional SEGA classics are coming to Xbox Live this Friday for 800 Points apiece. Each title includes 400 GamerScore worth of Achievements.
First up: Sonic Adventure 2, which debuted on the Dreamcast and eventually migrated to the GameCube. Part 2 drops the hub world of the first Sonic Adventure and separates the game into two intersecting storylines: the Hero side (starring Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails) and the Dark side (starring Eggman, Shadow the Hedgehog, and Rouge the Bat). The Knuckles and Rouge levels I could very much live without, but Sonic and Shadow's are just amazing. Plus: 2-player versus mode (local only)! Many consider SA2 better than the original, and the XBLA version’s enhanced widescreen display should make it the best version yet.
The optional ‘Sonic Adventure 2 Battle DLC’ clocks in at 240 Points ($3) and adds three new Achievements, extra multiplayer characters, new menu themes, and the Chao Karate minigame. The first SA's DLC cost 400 Points at launch, so this one is definitely a better deal.
NiGHTS: Into Dreams launches the same day, but the original version appeared on the Sega Saturn, the precursor to the Dreamcast. This version is based on a Japanese-only Playstation 2 release, but it ends up a bit nicer thanks to HD support, Xbox Live features, etc.
Players take control of the Harlequin-like NiGHTS as he flies through a bright and colorful dream world. You’ll circle through four stages of each world collecting orbs to deposit in an Ideya Capture device, then score as many points as you can before the stage’s time expires and you wake up. It takes a while to get used to the gameflow, but mastering a stage by linking huge chains of orbs, stars, and rings together is exhilarating. Huge, inventive boss fights and a stellar soundtrack contribute to the game’s dream-like atmosphere.
Widescreen visuals, video and image galleries, and the ‘Christmas NiGHTS’ bonus content (sadly missing the playable Sonic feature of the Saturn bonus disc) are just some of the XBLA version’s improvements. Being a game unlike any other, NiGHTS requires some learning and practice to fully enjoy, but SEGA fans shouldn’t miss it.
It’s been a long time coming. SEGA first announced Sonic CD for Windows Phone way back in August 2011. We then interviewed Ken Balough, Sonic’s brand manager, shortly before the Xbox 360 version launched on December 14 of that year. At the time, there was no indication that the WP7 port would arrive dramatically later than the XBLA one… But here we are in November 2012, and the game is finally available. Good news: it was worth the wait!
History lesson
For those who don’t know, Sonic CD was originally released for the Sega CD/Mega CD add-on for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive way back in 1993. It was developed concurrently with Sonic 2 but came out a bit later. At the time, Sonic CD wowed gamers with its fully-animated intro and ending, terrific backgrounds, CD quality audio, and unique time travelling mechanics… Not to mention the introduction of Metal Sonic and Amy Rose, two characters who became quite important to Sonic lore.
Enhancements
Believe it or not, the Windows Phone port of Sonic CD is actually better than the original game in several ways. The display has been expanded to a widescreen aspect ratio without distorting the characters or backgrounds in any way. That’s thanks to developer Christian Whitehead who created his own unique engine for this remake and also appears to have personally coded the WP7 version.
Other improvements include the option to toggle between the Japanese and US soundtracks, both of which are completely unique and worthwhile, better looping of the music, the ability to toggle between two styles of spin dashes, voice samples for Sonic, and of course, Sonic’s sidekick Tails unlocks as a playable character after beating the game. Tails was first introduced in Sonic 2, but since Sonic CD came from a separate development team during the same time Sonic 2 was in the works, he didn’t appear in the original CD game.
Time warp
The most unique aspect of Sonic CD compared to other games in the series is the ability to travel in time. Each stage has multiple versions: present, past, good future, and bad future. By touching a ‘Past’ or ‘Future’ sign and then maintaining a high speed for several seconds, Sonic can jump between these different time periods (and get an easy Achievement). If Sonic manages to destroy Eggman’s Robot Transporter in the past, he can travel to a good future free of ring-stealing enemies.
Controls
Touch-screen platforming games will never control quite as accurately as they would with a physical controller. But like Sonic 4: Episode I before it, Sonic CD actually controls really well (much better than Earthworm Jim). Chalk it up to using only one action button, making it easy to keep your right thumb in place. The actual on-screen d-pad is a bit too small in this version, but luckily you can press out past any direction and it still counts as pushing that direction.
Also note that the bonus levels (which you get by clearing a zone with 50 rings and jumping through the giant ring at the end) just use touch-screen controls. No ill-advised tilting here!
Super Sonic warrior!
Stay tuned for our full Sonic CD review next week. But if you like Sonic or you’re just itching for a quality platformer, you can safely buy it right now. Sonic CD works with both WP7 and WP8 and costs $4.99, the same as the XBLA version. Get it here in the Windows Phone Store.
A few years ago, an Australian Sonic fan named Christian Whitehead created a proof of concept of a reprogrammed version of Sonic CDfor iOS. The demo video quickly vanished, but not due to a copyright claim from SEGA. Instead, the house that Sonic built actually displayed unprecedented coolness by hiring Christian to fully develop Sonic CD for multiple devices, including the Xbox 360 and Windows Phone. After interviewing SEGA about the game, we came away excited.
The WP7 version appeared 11 months later than the XBLA one, prompting many to wonder whether it had been discreetly canceled. Luckily, the Aussie dev continued plugging away on the XNA port of his Retro Engine, and now Windows Phone gamers can enjoy a virtually perfect port of Sonic CD.
From Sega CD to your phone
Sonic CD was originally released for the Sega CD/Mega CD add-on for the 16-bit Sega Genesis/Mega Drive console way back in 1993. As I mentioned, this version runs on the new Retro Engine rather than as an emulated port. The benefits of this approach are many, but chief among them is the widescreen display.
Instead of stretching the image and distorting the proportions of the graphics, the new game simply expands the field of view while keeping Sonic and his enemies looking pixel perfect. And graphically, Sonic CD remains a beautiful 2D game, with better animation than the 16-bit cartridge Sonics and backgrounds that pack tons of detail and layers of parallax scrolling.
Story and Soundtracks
In this installment’s story, the mysterious Little Planet appears in the sky of Sonic’s world once a year. Sonic arrives to discover the planetoid chained to his own planet by his nemesis evil Dr. Eggman. The narrative comes to life through a fully-animated introduction and two different endings. While these anime sequences looked grainy and small on Sega CD, they appear in full screen and a much higher quality on Windows Phone – impressive stuff. Also of note: the robotic foe Metal Sonic debuts here and later reappears in Sonic 4: Episode II, which takes place directly after this one chronologically.
Curiously, the original Sonic CD had two different Redbook audio soundtracks: the Japanese/European soundtrack and a separate US version composed by Spencer Nielsen. Thankfully SEGA included both soundtracks here. The Japanese version’s energetic techno tunes are some of the best in the series, right up there with Sonic 2, the Saturn/PC port of Sonic 3D Blast, and now Sonic Generations. Still, the US soundtrack’s ethereal trance music fits the game quite well, other than the crummy bonus stage theme.
Despite its generous selection of music, Sonic CD has two audio shortcomings. SEGA couldn’t license the lyrics for ‘Sonic – You Can Do Anything’ and ‘Cosmic Eternity – Believe in Yourself,’ the Japanese songs that play during the game’s opening and ending, in time for inclusion in the remake. Instrumental versions fill in for the full songs, but ‘You Can Do Anything’ just sounds wrong without the lyrics. At least the US soundtrack includes the appropriate 'Sonic Boom' lyrics.
The other ‘flaw’ is unique to the Windows Phone port. While the other remade versions loop their audio seamlessly, the WMA format on WP doesn’t support that option. So there is a brief pause when tracks repeat, just like the original Sega CD game.
Adventures in Time
This particular boss is pretty annoying.
Sonic is known for his speed, and he’ll put it to good use at many points throughout Sonic CD. But this game has much more of a focus on exploration than other 2D Sonics. The levels are downright vast and filled with more nooks to explore than a hedgehog could ever ask for. The increased scope stems from the new (and extremely unique) time traveling mechanic.
By touching sign that reads ‘Past’ or ‘Future’ and then maintaining an uninterrupted high speed for three seconds, Sonic can actually leap through time! Every full stage has four different iterations: past, present, good future, and bad future. Traveling to the past and destroying Eggman’s Robot Transporter results in all of Eggman’s robots turning into flowers. Head to the present and then the good future and you’ll find a changed world free from Eggman’s influence. But jumping into the future without breaking the Transporter reveals a desolated industrial world, full of extra enemies and hazards.
The difference in appearance, music, and layout between the various eras of each level is truly amazing and has never been seen again in a Sonic title. That said, the actual time-traveling mechanic could use some work. It’s far too easy to touch the wrong sign by mistake when you’re trying to travel to a specific era, and each sign can only be used once. I wish Sonic could just choose ‘Past’ or ‘Future’ without worrying about the signs.
Bonus Levels
By reaching the end of a regular act with at least 50 rings, Sonic can enter bonus stages – just like Sonic 4: Episode I. Whereas that game’s bonus stage design came from the first Sonic game, this one’s bonus stages are unique. Sonic must run around a 3D space and destroy all of the UFOs before time runs out. If he steps in water by mistake, he’ll rapidly lose precious time. The 3D effect has been totally redone in this version and looks much better than on Sega CD.
Much of the bonus levels’ challenge stems from not being able to control Sonic’s speed; he moves forward constantly, even when knocked down by traps. I like these bonus levels overall, but the final three will likely take a ton of tries to beat. Clear them and collect all seven Time Stones, and then beat the final Eggman boss battle to unlock the game’s good ending.
Extras
The new Sonic CD has several extras beyond the enhanced graphics and soundtrack selection. Beating the game once unlocks Tails (who did not appear in the original) as a playable character. He can’t do Sonic’s new run-in-place move, but he can fly! The little fox adds a substantial bit of replay value, but you can't unlock Achievements while using him.
The Extras menu includes four options: D.A. Garden (an animated music visualizer), Sound Test, Stage Select, and Visual Mode (a movie viewer). All must be unlocked by clearing Time Attack mode with certain times (two of which require some skill).
Achievements
Sonic CD’s Achievements are identical to the XBLA version’s. These include a handful of stage-specific goals like discovering the angel statue in Wacky Workbench Act 1 (past), and reaching the higher Goal sign in Collision Chaos Act 2.
Tougher goals include collecting all seven time stones and destroying the Metal Sonic projectors in the past versions of every zone. Both goals can be done in a single playthrough, but it’s easier to do them separately because collecting all the Time Stones too early will make subsequent Metal Sonic projectors disappear before you can get them.
The hardest Achievement requires players to complete Time Trial mode in less than 25 minutes. Time Trial stages can be selected individually, thank goodness. With some practice or by following YouTube videos, it shouldn’t prove too painful. On the whole, Sonic CD’s Achievements are a bit easier than Sonic 4’s. Check out our Achievement Guide for super helpful maps and tips!
Overall Impression
This Sonic CD stands alongside the XBLA version of Bionic Commando: Rearmed as one of the best and most accurate retro remakes of all time. The original game won the hearts of the few people lucky enough to have Sega CDs with its gorgeous visuals, stellar soundtrack(s), and clever time traveling mechanics. Now, thanks to SEGA and one amazing programmer, Windows Phone gamers can enjoy an even better version of this seminal platformer. If you enjoy the genre or Sonic himself, you owe it to yourself to pick it up on one platform or another.
Sonic CD costs $4.99, the same price as the iOS and XBLA versions. Get it here on the Windows Phone Store.
Sonic CD is quite a unique entry in the Sonic the hedgehog series. It’s got everything players loved about the Sega Genesis Sonic games, such as fast movement, deep backgrounds, great music, and plenty of personality. But it also adds new time travelling mechanics to learn, a strong focus on exploration and side goals, and another unique set of Bonus Stages. Check out our review for an in-depth discussion of these features.
Getting all of the Achievements could be hard for players new to the game, but we’re here to help! Head past the break for our Achievement Guide, complete with maps that actually label important locations. You’ll have the full 200 GamerScore in no time!
Learning to time travel
Before we get to the guide, let’s go over time traveling basics. Sonic starts each non-boss zone in the present, not the past or future. Scattered throughout the act will be signs marked ‘Past’ and ‘Future.’ Touch a sign and you’ll see the word it carries appear at the top-right corner of the screen. That sign no longer be used again, and touching any new sign before you’ve time jumped will overwrite the one you’re carrying.
You’ll need to decide which time period you want to visit before changing periods. In almost every case, this will be the past. You only need to visit the future once to get the ‘Paradise Found’ Achievement, but you can also head there for kicks after you’ve accomplished your goals in the past.
Once you’ve touched a sign and are ready to travel, find a suitable location where you can move at a high speed continuously (by either running or bouncing from springs) for three seconds without touching a wall or obstacle. Get the speed up and go for it! The first time you travel, you’ll get the ’88 miles per hour Achievement.’ If your time travel attempt fails, you can either seek out a new sign or restart the zone – usually the quicker method
Restart or Exit to Main Menu?
Unlike Sonic 4: Episode I, pausing and choosing to Restart a level will cost Sonic a life. But there is a workaround for when you mess up and need another chance. Just pause and choose Exit (Main Menu on XBLA). This takes you back to the main menu, where you can choose to resume the level you were on. The Exit method is vital for completing the Bonus Stages. If your time gets low, don’t take risks. Just exit and give the Bonus Stage another shot. Also note that if you fail a Bonus Stage, you'll have to wait until you've attempted all the other Bonus Stages to repeat the one you failed.
Maps
Our maps are borrowed from Sonic Zone: 0. I highly recommend reading their Sonic CD Guide you need additional guidance on a stage or boss battle, or even just to learn more background information on the game. Now, I found the original maps difficult to use from my phone’s screen. You’d need to scan around forever to find the Robot Teleporter or Metal Sonic Hologram you were looking for. So I’ve marked these locations on our versions of the maps with large yellow arrows. Much quicker!
Also, we’re only including the Past versions of each zone, because those are the ones Achievement hunters will use for guidance. But finding a time travel spot in the Present can take a little doing too, so I marked the locations in the past that correspond to good time travel locations in the present. Head to those spots first, zip back to the past, and then you’ll be ready to hunt the Robot Teleporters and Metal Sonic Holograms needed for Achievements. To skip straight to our map page, go here. You'll want to select 'Full' size in order to see all of the maps' detail.
One playthrough or two
Metal Sonic Hologram and Robot Teleporter
Before we start our walkthrough, you should decide whether you want to go for ‘Treasure Hunter’ (collect all 7 Time Stones) and ‘Saviour of the Planet’ (Destroy all Metal Sonic Holograms) in a single playthrough. It is possible to do both, but only if you abstain from collecting the final Time Stone until Metal Madness Zone 2. Getting all of the Stones first makes the Holograms disappear, so waiting for that zone is vital. Also, if you miss a Hologram, Teleporter, or Time Stone, you'll have to start a new playthrough since there is no going back to previous zones in the main game.
Reaching the end of Metal Madness 2 with 50 rings is pretty tough to do, especially if you’re not familiar with all the traps near the end. You’ll also need to make sure you don’t fail Bonus Stage 7 at that point, because there will be no second chances. As such, I recommend going for one Achievement or the other and then doing a second playthrough, perhaps switching to whichever soundtrack you haven’t heard yet. But the guide will account for both single- and double-playthroughs.
This is a good place to go for three Achievements, but you can only get two in a single run:
King of the Rings: Try to collect 200 rings across the past, present, and future. I suggest getting all the rings you can from the present while clearing most of the enemies out, then heading to the past to get the Robot Teleporter and Metal Sonic Hologram. Once you have most of the rings, switch to Present and then Future to get the remaining rings. If you don’t get 200 now, this can easily be done in Wacky Workbench 1.
Paradise Found: Follow the instructions for King of the Rings, destroying both the Teleporter (required) and Hologram (optional). Return to the Good Future and clear the Zone for the Achievement.
Just One Hug is Enough: If you finish the Zone in the present, let Amy hug you for this Achievement. You can always start a new save and quickly grab this, or just wait for the second opportunity to get it later in the game.
Take the top route and note the two invincibility powerups. Grab one and reach the boss before it runs out. Stand all the way on the right and hit him from the back three times when he lands for a cheap win!
Take the High Road: At the end of the Zone, don’t proceed to the first goal post. Instead, head left and get up to the second post (marked on the map) for the Achievement. You’ll need to run in place (hold up and jump) to get high enough.
Treasure Hunter: Should you have collected every possible Time Stone from the Bonus Stages so far, this should be your sixth. Now then, if you’re also going for ‘Saviour of the Planet,’ make sure you stop going to the Bonus Stage after the sixth. Don’t resume until the last regular zone, Metallic Madness 2.
Yes, I hate this boss. Sonic just needs to run along the bottom long enough for Eggman’s machine to break down, all while avoiding Eggman’s attacks and the spikes on the left.
Statue Saviour: After reaching the past, head down to the statue near the bottom-left corner (marked on the map). Spin-dash up and left to reach the statue.
King of the Rings: If you don’t have this already, you can easily get it from the statue. Just visit her repeatedly and she’ll drop rings every time.
Heavy Metal: Beating Metal Sonic without taking a hit will probably take a few tries, but it’s far from impossible. If you do somehow miss it, you can try again in Time Trial mode.
First, make sure you reach the Good Future version of the boss zone by achieving good futures in zones 1 and 2. Then you’ll see an extra life just above the starting point at the boss zone. Walk over to the slope on the right, turn around, run in place (up plus jump) and jump from the slope to reach the life. This item appears every time you start the stage, so you can simply pause and choose Retry (after having grabbed it) rather than Exit if you take a hit during the fight. You’ll never run out of lives this way - what a time saver!
Now, the trick is to stay near Metal Sonic for most of the fight without getting hit by either of his attacks, the spikes, or Eggman. Just play carefully and without slowing down too much. Near the end of the area there will be some floating platforms that Sonic can easily jump to. Get on those and use them to get ahead of Metal Sonic. Then jump down and reach the exit before him to win.
Just One Hug is Enough: After beating Metal Sonic, let Amy hug Sonic and you’ll get the Achievement if you haven’t already.
Saviour of the Planet: There are no Metal Sonic Holograms to worry about in Metallic Madness, so you just need to destroy the Robot Teleporter. Head to the top, travel back to the past, enter the tube marked on the map, and then go left when you reach the tube’s intersection. The Teleporter lies just above and right of the tube’s exit. Knock it out (having destroyed every other Teleporter and Hologram) for the Achievement.
Treasure Hunter: Assuming you’ve cleared the first six Bonus Stages and held off on the seventh, now is the time to go for it! Use the map, Sonic: Zone 0’s walkthrough, or this YouTube video to reach the end with 50 rings to your name so you can hit the Bonus Stage.
Boss: Egg-Blades
Make sure to take the top path and grab the extra life in the top-left corner (Good or Bad Future) every time you play this. The hardest part will be crossing the chasm and slipping under the crusher without getting killed. Just learn where the spring is located (below and slightly to the left of the crusher) and bounce on it until you can get under the crusher and proceed to the next challenge.
Next you’ll reach a room with lightning bugs that shoot lasers at you. Just jump through them during the brief moment when they stop being transparent to kill them.
When the actual boss fight starts, stand in the left corner to avoid his first rolling attack. Then just wait for good times to hit him, such as whenever he turns his blades sideways and extends them away from his body. Four hits and you win! This nets you ‘Eggman Got Served’ and ‘All Stages Clear.’
Time Trial Mode
Just in Time: Possibly the game’s hardest Achievement will be getting a total Time Trial score under 25 minutes. According to JaxTH’s Achievement Guide, these are the completion times you’ll want to go for:
Palmtree Panic: 1’40”00
Collision Chaos: 2’30”00
Tidal Tempest: 3’00”00
Quartz Quadrant: 2’30”00
Wacky Workbench: 3’40”00
Stardust Speedway: 3’30”00
Metallic Madness: 6’40”00
That leaves you almost two minutes of wiggle room. Don’t worry about time traveling; just head for the exit!
Thankfully you don’t have to do them all in order. Just select the zone you want and work on it until the time looks good. On Windows Phone, first select the main zone, and then press Next to switch between Zones 1-3. Press Go to start playing the selected Zone.
That’s the end of our guide – hope you found it useful! Remember to check out our Sonic CD review if you haven’t already. If you still need to buy Sonic CD, it costs $4.99 here on the Windows Phone Store.
Last year’s Windows Phone Xbox Live Black Friday Week Sale wasn’t terribly exciting, but it did put three games on sale at once, a quantity only equaled in the Countdown to 2012 Sale a month later. A lot has happened between then and now, and today Microsoft has really upped the ante. The 2012 Black Friday Week Sale is live and includes a whopping six discounted Xbox Windows Phone games!
Head past the break for sale details, game impressions, and Xbox 360 Black Friday news too.
Xbox Windows Phone Sale
The following Xbox Windows Phone games are on sale from November 20-26. Note that the Windows Phone Store updates at different times for different people, so you may not see the discounted prices until later today or tomorrow.
Yes, Assassin’s Creed was part of last year’s Black Friday sale, but it cost $2.99 back then, so we get a better deal this time. Assassin’s Creed is a 3D platformer/action title set in the middle ages. With great graphics and full voice acting (though the acting is atrocious), it feels like a DS game squeezed into a mobile title (‘cause it is). The controls are fiddly and the platforming can be frustrating, but the story and action mostly make up for it.
Wow, Carcassonne came out less than a month ago and it’s already on sale. Carcassonne is a board game in which players take turns placing land tiles, trying to build cities, complete roads, and score the most points. The core game itself has been translated accurately to Windows Phone and can be very fun. The only problem is Carcassonne’s online mode is just about entirely broken, nullifying what could be a great selling point. Developer Exozet promises us they’re working with Microsoft to solve the server issues; let’s hope they succeed. Also, a couple of the Achievements will take over 100 hours of grinding.
Cracking Sands has only been out for five weeks, making it not much older than Carcassonne. Cracking Sands (oy, that name) is a combat racer set in a vaguely apocalyptic setting. Impish little drivers ride around on 4-wheel ATVs and take part in a variety of races. The difficulty curve is a bit off, as are the default controls, but at least those can be fixed in the options menu. If you can handle a slightly tough racer, give it a crack... Just don’t let the sand get in your crevices!
Gravity Guy is a super tough endless runner/platformer that mixes things up with the hero’s gravity-defying powers. Instead of directly jumping, players just tap the screen to reverse the hero’s gravity, sending him flying up to the ceiling or down to the ground. The graphics are lovely and the core gameplay proves addictive, but the game is definitely designed to make you want to buy PDLC. Even with the paid time-slowing powers, it’ll kill you over and over again without mercy. The iOS version only costs a dollar, but at least this sale brings our version a little closer to parity.
Mush is a bright and original platformer that plays a bit differently from the norm. The titular character gains unique abilities based on his emotions. Draw a smile and becomes so elated that he floats; make him frown and he sinks way down low. By switching emotions as necessary, you’ll help Mush solve puzzles and win a game of hide-and-seek with his friends. Besides the creative emotion mechanic, Mush also boasts a beautiful and appealing art style. It’s kind of short and easy, but so pretty you likely won’t mind.
Sonic CD just came out on Windows Phone, and we’re still waiting on the long-delayed Sonic 4: Episode II. Well, the first Episode isn’t as great as either of those games, but it’s still a very capable platformer. It plays much like the classic 2D Genesis games, except that this Sonic also has the modern homing attack to make killing enemies and crossing gaps easier. The touch screen controls work very well since the game only uses a single action button.
Owners of Sonic 4: Episode I will unlock four extra levels in the awesome Episode II (whenever it finally comes out), so don’t miss this one. Plus two bucks is the cheapest it’s ever been!
Xbox 360 Sale
Microsoft’s best-selling console gets a ton of discounted digital games this week, most of which are must-buys.
The first arcade-perfect port of SEGA’s classic racer features lots of great enhancements like online multiplayer, challenges, and even a karaoke mode. Everyone should hear (and maybe sing along to) the famous “Dayyyyyytooooonnnnna!!!!!” theme once in a while. Best of all, the Achievements are dirt easy.
Magic the Gathering 2013– 400 MS Points – Xbox.com Link
The latest adaptation of Wizards of the Coast’s phenomenal trading card game may not be too different from previous years, but Stainless Games always throws in a new mode or two to justify the cost. These games are endlessly replayable for card fans, including yours truly. The first DLC expansion is also on sale for half off.
Harmonix’s first XBLA game combines the popular music Rock Band is known for with a fast-moving rhythm game. No, it doesn’t play anything like the main Rock Band games and doesn’t require or even support plastic instruments. But if you like music and want a fresh and challenging experience, it’s very much worth a look. Rock Band fans in particular shouldn’t miss this deal because all 25 Blitz songs export to Rock Band 3 for free! Plus most Rock Band DLC songs work in Blitz, giving this game endless potential.
SEGA Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co. – 400 MS Points – Xbox.com Link
Contains three classic SEGA games: Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Super Hang On, and Revenge of Shinobi, one of the era’s finest games.
SEGA Vintage Collection: Golden Axe – 400 MS Points – Xbox.com Link
Contains the arcade version of Golden Axe, plus the Genesis sequels Golden Axe 2 and III. Check out my Co-Optimus review for more details.
SEGA Vintage Collection: Monster World – 400 MS Points – Xbox.com Link
Contains Wonder Boy in Monster Land, Wonder Boy in Monster World, and Wonder Boy IV.
SEGA Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage – 400 MS Points – Xbox.com Link
South Park: Tenorman’s Revenge– 400 MS Points – Xbox.com Link
As opposed to the awesome looking South Park: The Stick of Truth RPG we saw at E3, Tenorman’s Revenge is a 4-player platformer. The initial release was criticized for some balance issues, but the developers actually rectified those with a patch shortly thereafter. South Park fans should give it a shot.
Space Channel 5 Part 2– 400 MS Points – Xbox.com Link
A unique rhythm game from the Sega Dreamcast, this one features peppy tunes, bizarre visuals, and even an appearance by Michael Jackson.
In case you hadn’t noticed, your friendly neighborhood Windows Phone Central gaming editor is a big fan of SEGA. While the publisher only operates at a fraction of the size it once did, it continues to produce numerous quality digital titles, plus a fair quantity of worthwhile retail releases.
Last week, we gave the Xbox Windows Phone version of Sonic CD a well-deserved glowing review. This week, we’ve got two mini reviews of SEGA’s latest Xbox 360 offerings: the retail release of Sonic & All-Stars RacingTransformed and Sega Vintage Collection: ToeJam & Earl for Xbox Live Arcade. Read on to learn about one of the best kart racers ever and a collection of unique Sega Genesis classics.
Sonic & All-Stars RacingTransformed
Let’s shorten that unwieldy title to just Transformed from here on out. Transformed is the sequel to Sonic & SEGA All-Star Racing, a kart racer that critics didn’t seem to take much notice of. I don’t blame them for being wary. After all, mascot racers tend to turn out mediocre like Pac-man Kart Rally on Windows Phone. But the first All-Star Racing was actually one of the best kart racers in recent memory, and Transformed is even better.
Besides its larger scope, the main innovation Transformed offers is the ability to race across land, sea, and air. Yes, this one single game combines kart, boat, and airplane racing. Many courses feature all three styles, in fact! Driving through the large transformation circles causes your vehicle to shift forms without slowing the game’s pace. The water racing should remind players of Hydro Thunder GO, while the aerial racing really mixes things up with the added plane of movement. I found the aerial steering wonky at times, almost as if my plane was fighting wind resistance. Still, the variety of racing styles across a single track consistently thrills.
Beyond the fresh gameplay, much of this sequel’s appeal stems from its copious fan service. First, the characters. 10 are unlocked from the beginning, including several from the Sonic and Super MonkeyBall series, Crazy Taxi, Space Channel 5, Jet Set Radio, and even Disney’s Wreck It Ralph film. By playing the World Tour Mode, you can unlock racers from Golden Axe, Shinobi, NiGHTS, Skies of Arkadia, and many other titles. It’s truly an amazing lineup. Each character has his or her own unique vehicle, All-Star transformation (a powered up form), and voice samples, too.
No less impressive than the characters are the many tracks based around all those games. Remember how Crimson Dragon: Side Story is basically an unofficial sequel to Panzer Dragoon? Well, Transformed has a lovely Panzer Dragoon stage, complete with distinctive dragon flying around. The Skies of Arkadia stage also looks quite stunning with its gigantic airships and caverns to race through. Let’s hope the rumors of an XBLA rerelease of that awesome RPG prove true. Naturally, each level plays music from its respective game – one of the Sonic tracks even plays a new instrumental mix of ‘Sonic – You Can Do Anything,’ the Japanese title track from Sonic CD.
Transformed has three single player modes, World Tour being the meatiest. Players will select events from a map, unlocking new events and pathways and they progress. On top of traditional races, you’ll encounter battle races in which you have to knock out other opponents, and various themed challenges. Early on, a Drift Challenge threatened to halt my progress. Nowhere in the game does it teach you to drift, as this sequel seems to assume we’ve all played the first game.
That’s pretty much my only complaint; the difficulty skews towards experienced players instead of normal ones. Make more than a single mistake and you’re almost guaranteed to lose a race. Did developer Sumo Digital forget that a huge part of Sonic’s fan base are kids? Still, if an event proves too challenging (as a couple of them have for me), you can always drop the difficulty down to Easy for that event. You won’t earn as many stars for it (necessary to unlock characters and events), but at least you can keep on racing.
While the single player portion of Transformed provides plenty of hours of fun (plus frustration if you go for the Expert Achievements), the multiplayer should also give the game ample replay value. We had a blast with four-player split-screen, which sacrifices a bit of visual detail but none of the excitement. The online multiplayer will put your Xbox Live Gold subscription to good use too.
All told, Sonic & All-Stars RacingTransformed is easily one of the best kart racers of all time. The huge selection of characters and tracks will wow anyone who’s ever played a SEGA game, and educate the folks who haven’t. And every racing fan should appreciate the variety that land, air, and sea racing brings to the kart racing formula. If not for the sometimes annoying level of single-player challenge, Transformed would simply be the best kart racer ever. Still, at a retail price of $39.99, it remains a must-buy for anyone who cares for racing or SEGA in general.
Sega Vintage Collection: ToeJam & Earl
The ToeJam & Earl series is fondly remembered by people who played the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. Sadly, the series remains largely forgotten by everyone else, despite ToeJam & Earl III appearing exclusively on the original Xbox. The cause may stem from SEGA not actually owning the characters, which belong to one of the series’ two creators, Greg Johnson. Thankfully he worked out a deal with SEGA, who have just released this collection of the two Genesis games.
In the first ToeJam & Earl, the two alien protagonists have crash landed on Earth, damaging their spaceship in the process. Their goal is to find all 10 parts needed to repair it by scouring 25 bizarre levels. These levels can be randomly generated or fixed, depending on the players’ preference. Each level appears as a series of islands that float above the previous one; fall and you’ll end up on the level below. Just like the world we live in, right?
Along the way, ToeJam and pal will discover numerous presents strewn across each map. These may contain helpful items like flight-giving wings, rocket shoes, a ducky float, and various edible delights. Or they could have poisonous food and items that actually kill you. The catch is, you won’t know until you’ve used an item for the first time or paid the walking carrot man (?!) to identify it.
After that, the descriptions for subsequent presents of the same type appears in your inventory. Thus, experimentation plays a large role on top of the game’s heavy exploration. These elements are borrowed from the Rogue-like genre, though thankfully ToeJam & Earl is much easier (but still challenging).
As if the unique gameplay and bizarre sense of humor didn’t help it stand out enough, ToeJam & Earl also packs a revolutionary feature for its time period: dynamic split-screen. When both players are in the same general area, the game appears as full screen. But walk away from each other and it switches to a horizontal split-screen display on the fly. It would’ve been nice for the switching to take place a bit faster in this rerelease, but it’s still an excellent feature regardless.
ToeJam & Earl 2: Panic on Funkotron takes place on the hip-hoppin’ aliens’ home planet. Dozens of pesky humans have stowed away on TJ & E’s ship, and now they’re bothering the locals to no end. It’s up to our funky heroes to bag them all and ship them home. A weird (and slightly mundane) plot, but what else would we expect from this silly series?
The sequel mixes things up more than usual by switching genres. Instead of a Rogue-like, it’s a platformer. TJ & E can no longer split up; they are confined to a single screen. The contents of presents they find are still sort of randomized, but they’ll always be good, and they come in a much smaller variety. Basically, everything that made the first game special other than the humor and musical references has been excised.
That said, ToeJam & Earl 2 is not a bad game. You get to run through its 17 levels solo or in co-op, hunting down obnoxious earthlings and trapping them in jars like they deserve. The characters are large and detailed (though lacking in animation frames), and the backgrounds boast plenty of sweet parallax scrolling. The controls and movement feel a bit off, like most American platformers from the time period, but they get the job done.
Sega Vintage Collection: ToeJam & Earl has some nice extras you wouldn’t find in the original cartridges. These include beautiful 3D menus that recreate the Sega Genesis and several objects from the games, graphical options and filters, new widescreen borders, the ability to play the American or European ROMs, and more. The best additions are undoubtedly online multiplayer and save states. Unfortunately, only the first player gets Achievements, whether playing online or offline. But if you enjoyed the original games or just want a quirky game to play, this collection (especially the first game) is well worth the asking price.
Sega Vintage Collection: ToeJam & Earl costs 800 Microsoft Points ($10) and you can find it here at Xbox.com.
More to come
Sonic the Fighters
SEGA fans have three more XBLA games to look forward to tomorrow! On Wednesday the 28th, Fighting Vipers, Sonic the Fighters, and Virtua Fighter 2 all launch at 400 MS Points ($5) apiece. We hope to have impressions of these classic arcade fighting games soon!
We’re not sure how Nokia does it (well, we guess money) but they’ve once again managed to give Lumia users something for nothing again. Sega’s Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Edition, or just SMB2:SE for you shorthand types, is now live in the Nokia Collection and is completely free.
Now the big difference here is this is a non-Xbox Live branded version. That’s good news and bad news as it means you can’t grab those precious Achievements if that’s your thing. Luckily for us, it’s not (though our games guru Paul is surely in another camp). The good news, as we’ve outlined before in our ongoing Xbox games critique is this game can potentially be updated now more frequently.
SMB2:SE is a significant bump in quality over the original Super Monkey Ball though some may find the controls a bit challenging and the graphics a bit dated. The Xbox version does garner 4 out of 5 stars, which is actually pretty decent though.
The game’s conceit is simple: roll a monkey around in a clear ball through mazes while picking up bananas. Makes total sense to us. You even get to choose your chimp for that custom feel. As a nice throwback to arcade games of past, SMB2:SE does work well on mobile as a good time waster with fun and challenging levels. Plus it’s kind of adorable and so darn chipper it’s hard not to like it.
You can pick up SMB2:SE for free here in the Nokia Collection. For those with non-Lumias, you can pick up the SMB2:SE for $2.99 with a free trial (and Xbox status) here in the Store. Thanks, Er. Akshat for the tip!
Earlier today we discovered that a non-Xbox version of SEGA’s Super Monkey Ball 2 has become available for free to Nokia handset owners. Distributing an ‘indie’ version of an already existent Xbox game is pretty much without precedent. Sure, Angry Birds Space and Star Wars for Windows Phone 7 don’t have Xbox Live features like their Windows Phone 8 brothers, but those are at least completely different versions of the same games. The free version of Super Monkey Ball 2 has simply had its Xbox Live features stripped.
It looks like free games from SEGA for Nokia users may be a trend, because a second game has just showed up as part of the Nokia Collection. SEGA’s phenomenal Sonic CD is now available for free for Nokia owners, once again without the Xbox Live features of the general version. (Somebody forgot to remove the Xbox banner from the game's Live tile though.) The lack of Achievements might just kill much of the replay value of this particular game but people who just want to experience the game will still have loads of fun.
Blast (processing) from the past
Sonic CD is a remake of the classic 16-bit Sega CD game. It plays much like other Sega Genesis Sonic games, though the focus on exploration has increased thanks to much larger levels and new gameplay mechanics.
Sonic’s nemesis Dr. Eggman has traveled back in time to change the history of Little Planet and gain its power. Sonic must jump back and forth between past, present, and future versions of seven different zones, destroying Eggman’s robot teleporters and eventually doing battle with a robotic version of himself: metal Sonic.
The Windows Phone version of Sonic CD features a ton of improvements over the classic game, including true widescreen visuals, two selectable soundtracks, and the newly-playable sidekick Tails. All told, we consider this one of the very best games of 2012. Check out our full review for lots more details.
Work for that download
Like the free version of Super Monkey Ball 2, it might take a little work to actually procure the non-Xbox Sonic CD. The difficult downloads seem to be a result of general Windows Phone Store errors, so things could improve in a few days’ time.
When trying to install on my phone, I kept getting region errors. Oddly, turning on cellular data made those errors stop. Even after initiating the download process, the download might halt and fail a few times. Just keep resuming it over and over until it decides to be nice and finish.
Nokia owners, follow this link for use the QR code below to grab the free game. If you’d rather have the Xbox Live version, it’s worth every bit of the $4.99 price. All Windows Phone users can get the Xbox Sonic CD right here from the Windows Phone Store.
But what does it all mean?
Xbox version at left; Nokia version at right
We already know that Nokia and Electronic Arts/Chillingo have a strategic partnership. So far, they’ve produced numerous exclusive Xbox Windows Phone games for Lumia owners. The first of those exclusives – Mirror’s Edge just became available to all Windows Phone users today.
These strange free versions of Super Monkey Ball and Sonic CD seem to indicate a new agreement between Nokia and SEGA. The lack of Xbox Live status could be a restriction imposed because both games have already seen general release. We’re investigating with Nokia and will let you know whatever details we dig up.
As deal-savvy gamers might have noticed by now, the Xbox Windows Phone Deal of the Week is now technically a part of Microsoft’s Red Stripe Deals, which roll out every Thursday. Basically three Windows Phone apps or games go on Thor’s Day, one of which will be an Xbox Live title. Well, a rose by another name smells just as sweet, and we’ll continue reporting on the Xbox sale game prior to Thursday as we’ve always done.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk games! The last two Xbox Deal games had both been on sale before returning to Deal of the Week status. This Thursday, a quality game goes on sale for the first time ever: Sonic CD from SEGA! Okay, technically there was that weird glitch in which Nokia gave out a non-Xbox Live version of Sonic CD for a short time last year, but that doesn’t count. Sonic CD will soon be available at a discount for everybody – with sparkly Xbox Live Achievements intact.
Rolling around at the speed of sound
Sonic CD is a remake of the classic 16-bit Sega CD game. It plays much like other Sega Genesis Sonic games, though the focus on exploration has increased thanks to much larger levels and new gameplay mechanics. Sonic can now travel forward and backward in time by touching special sign posts and then reaching super high speeds. Doing so takes him to unique versions of each level, with altered layouts, graphics, and music. It’s a unique and fun spin on the classic series.
The story comes to life via fully animated cartoon segments at the beginning and end of the game. Sonic’s nemesis Dr. Eggman has traveled back in time to change the history of the mysterious Little Planet and gain its power.
Sonic can take on the game’s seven zones by simply heading for the goal posts and beating all the bosses, but that’s like playing only half the game. To fully restore Little Planet and get the happy ending, the blue blur will need to travel into the past version of each zone in order to destroy Eggman’s robot teleporters and holograms. Eventually he’ll also do battle with fan-favorite enemy Metal Sonic.
The Windows Phone version of Sonic CD features a ton of improvements over the classic game, including true widescreen visuals, two selectable soundtracks, and the newly-playable sidekick Tails. All told, we consider this one of the very best games of 2012. Check out our full review for lots more details, and don’t forget to use our exclusive Achievement Guide when you play.
Bargain price
Sonic CD regularly sells for $4.99, the same price as the XBLA version. Considering the scope of the game, five bucks isn’t bad. But less is better! Starting Thursday, April 18thSonic CD goes on sale for just $1.99. If you’ve been craving a serious platformer on the go, don’t miss it.
Sonic CD runs great on Windows Phone 7 and 8 and is a 163 MB download. Once the sale starts, grab it here at the Windows Phone Store.
When Microsoft launched the Xbox One in November of last year, the company didn't have the supply to meet worldwide demand. So while the console debuted in the US, UK, and several more countries initially, several other markets have had to wait for the system. One country without the Xbox One is Japan, a very tough market for Microsoft to crack.
The Xbox One will finally launch in Japan this September. Once that happens, we'll start to see some Japan-exclusive games for the system. Several of those will be text-heavy visual novels (a form of adventure game) that only fluent Japanese speakers can enjoy. But a much more import-friendly game was announced this week: Puyo Puyo Tetris from Sega! If Ubisoft's Tetris Ultimate looks too dry for you, prepare for a splash of color and whimsy when Puyo Puyo Tetris graces the Japanese Xbox One in December.
Puyo meets Tetris
Puyo Puyo Tetris is a cross-over between Sega's Puyo Puyo series and Tetris. Puyo Puyo, also known as Puyo Pop, is a falling-block puzzle game in which players match groups of colored blobs called Puyos. The Puyo Puyo series originated in 1991, where it gained a loyal following in Japan.
Only a few Puyo Puyo games have been released in the west, sometimes with the original characters changed to capitalize on existing brands – namely Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine for Sega Genesis and Kirby's Avalanche for Super Nintendo. A few legitimate Puyo games made it to America too, most recently Puyo Pop Fever for Gamecube and Nintendo DS.
But how do you mix a game about forming chain reactions of blobs with the original falling block game Tetris? Puyo Puyo Tetris combines the two series in a variety of different ways. For one, you can play normal Tetris or normal Puyo Puyo without breaking away from those games' rules.
But that's not all! Another game mode has players switch between the two games at set intervals, sort of like Hot Potato. There is even a mode in which Tetris and Puyo pieces fall onto the same playing field. In that mode, the Tetris pieces can squish the Puyo blobs.
Being aimed at the Japanese market, Puyo Puyo Tetris features an extensive story mode in which humanoid Tetris blocks (?!?!) travel to the Puyo Puyo planet and meet the characters who live there. It's wacky and told through Japanese text, but not something you will have to understand to enjoy the game.
More excitingly, Puyo Puyo Tetris will feature local and online multiplayer modes for up to four players. Besides the game types described earlier, you'll have the option of playing Puyo Puyo against opponents as they play Tetris, and vice versa. All of the mixing, matching, and mashing-up should make for a much more fun and varied multiplayer experience than Tetris traditionally offers.
Puyo Puyo Tetris launched on Playstation 3, Vita, Wii U, and 3DS in Japan earlier this year. The Xbox One version will come with all of the DLC released for those versions built-in. Xbox One games are region free, so puzzle fans outside of Japan will have the option to import Puyo Puyo Tetris. If you're interested, you can preorder the game from online retailer Play Asia for $53.99.
More regional exclusives to come
Will Xbox One games made for specific markets like Puyo Puyo Tetris become a trend? Yes, to an extent. As I mentioned earlier, the visual novel genre is big in Japan but would never fly at retail in the US. The Xbox One itself is not likely to catch on with Japanese gamers. But niche-focused developers will likely publish an array of cheap-to-develop visual novels for the Xbox One, as they did for the Xbox 360. The first of those will be Chaos;Child from 5pb, best known in the west as the developer of Phantom Breaker Battlegrounds for XBLA.
Meanwhile, China can look forward to its own lineup of exclusive games when the Xbox One launches there later this year. One of those, Neverwinter (pictured above), will actually receive a worldwide release in 2015. But the truly China-centric games (think boring historical epics) will likely stay within that country.
I can see the same happening with the Indian market – Bollywood-style games don't have much of an audience outside of their native land. But again, thanks to Microsoft's wise decision not to restrict Xbox One software to specific regions, anyone in the US, Europe, and beyond who wants to play a specific country's games can always choose to import those titles.
Last month, our own John Callaham posted his ten most anticipated Xbox One games for the fall and Holiday seasons. On that list was a little game called Alien: Isolation from SEGA and The Creative Assembly. You might see the name "Alien" and dismiss the game as another uninspired licensed game, but you'd be wrong to do so. Alien: Isolation looks like it will be not only the best-ever adaptation of the Alien universe, but also a standout horror game.
This week Alien: Isolation has gone gold, which means that the game is complete and ready to be pressed to disc. To celebrate, SEGA has released the first in a new series of trailers. Give it a watch and read our full preview to learn just how horrifying Isolation will be when it arrives on Xbox One, Xbox 360, and other platforms next month.
Beware the alien
Alien: Isolation is closely inspired by the original Ridley Scott Alien film – you know, back when Ridley made coherent films with believable characters. I think his later films have been affected by his years-long war against Samus Aran, but that's another story. Point is, this game stars only one alien instead of a bunch like all of the sequel films and previous game adaptations.
Players will take on the role of original Alien protagonist Ellen Ripley's daughter Amanda as she investigates the disappearance of her mother. Ripley's daughrer was mentioned in a deleted scene from Aliens, which James Cameron later reintegrated in the film's Director's Cut. Unfortunately for Amanda, the space station she is sent to investigate has already become infested by a deadly alien xenomorph.
Past Alien(s) games have featured the series' signature xenomorphs, but never the original film's tone. Alien: Isolation isn't a run-and-fun shooter. In fact, shooting the alien to death won't be an option. Instead, Amanda will have to avoid it at all costs if she hopes to survive.
The lone, undeterrable alien will hunt the protagonist and her fellow NPCs by sight, sound, and smell. Amanda will have to crouch, hide, and sneak around through the space station. She can even hold her breath when the alien gets too close. If she runs, she'll just make noise for the alien to hear. Likewise, her flashlight and motion tracker can alert the alien, and will have to be used sparingly.
The game will feature more signature Alien touches such as an android crewmate. Just like Ash, the android from the first movie, the android in Isolation will behave a little off and strangely. He won't go dropping black goo in anybody's eye for practically no reason, but he'll still be quirky and possibly dangerous. Who knows, Amanda might even have to deal with the android and alien at the same time.
It will take not only stealth, but also plenty of scavenging for resources, crafting, and improvisation to make it through Alien: Isolation in one piece. Even if the gun you scavenge can't kill the alien, it might distract it long enough to escape.
Revisit some old (and mostly departed) friends by preordering
Preorder to receive the bonus "Crew Expendable" mission, which takes place during the original Alien film and reunites the film's cast for the first time – including Sigourney Weaver. If you preorder from GameStop (or GAME in the UK), you'll also get the "Last Survivor" mission which focuses solely on Sigourney's character as she attempts to reach the escape shuttle at the end of the first Alien.
Both bonus missions will be released as paid DLC down the line, but dedicated Alien fans who preorder won't have to wait… or pay extra.
Alien: Isolation looks to be an extremely atmospheric (and scary) game. We'll find out for ourselves soon! The game comes to Xbox One, Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and 4, and PC on Tuesday, October 7.
Alien: Isolation – Xbox One – $59.99 – Amazon Link
Alien: Isolation – Xbox 360 – $49.99 – Amazon Link
Next month will be a landmark time for horror games. Sega and the Creative Assembly have Alien: Isolation, a game inspired by the first Alien film, on the way on October 7. Just one week later, Bethesda and Tango Software will unleashed The Evil Within, the long-awaited return to horror from Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami. Both games are due out on Xbox One and 360, so our last-gen brothers need not miss out on the scares.
With both games drawing near, the publishers are keeping them in the spotlight with new information and trailers. Alien: Isolation will be getting post-launch DLC for six months in the form of challenging new Survivor mode missions, we recently found out. As for The Evil Within, I recently had the opportunity to play the game and experience its disturbing atmosphere. Continue reading for detailed impressions and a look at both games' new trailers!
Fight for survival in Alien: Isolation
When we last previewed Alien: Isolation, I focused on the game's story mode and preorder bonus missions. In the main story, players will control Amanda Ripley, daughter of the protagonist of all four Aliens films, Ellen Ripley. The preorder missions (also available to buy post-release) will actually allow you to play as Ellen Ripley during and after the events of the first film.
Isolation also includes a non-story mode called Survivor. In this mode, players will take on timed challenge levels. The goal is to reach the end and survive against deadly foes like an android gone haywire and the Alien itself. These missions add a sense of urgency to the game, since you can't sit still and hide for too long. They even get a little competitive thanks to leaderboard support.
The game will ship with a single Survivor mission to whet player appetites. After release, Sega plans to release five additional Survivor add-on packs as paid DLC. Each one will include three maps, a new playable character, and a challenging mix of new maps and game modes.
The first of the Survivor packs launches on October 28, three weeks after the game's release. The four following DLC packs will arrive over the next six months (the last one in March 2015). Players can also purchase a Season Pass to get all five packs at a twenty-five percent discount.
Alien: Isolation will be an extremely atmospheric (and scary) game. It comes to Xbox One, Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and 4, and PC on Tuesday, October 7.
Alien: Isolation – Xbox One – $59.99 – Amazon Link
Alien: Isolation – Xbox 360 – $49.99 – Amazon Link
Investigate the horrors of The Evil Within
In The Evil Within, you'll play as veteran police detective Sebastian Castellanos (voiced by Anson Mount). Sebastian and other members of the police force arrive at an asylum where a gruesome mass murder has taken place. Before long the culprit, a dark and haggard figure named Ruvik (voiced by Jackie Earle Haley) shows up and attacks the officers. Ruvik is seemingly invincible…
In the demo I played, Sebastian finds himself walking through a forest. The visuals for this segment are grainy and murky, making for a very unsettling trip. Soon our protagonist arrives at a giant flower, which starts to glow… And suddenly Ruvik is there, staggering towards Sebastian with a knife. It looks like he's done for, until the ghostly forest disappears and the hero finds himself in front of a dilapidated mansion. It feels like the hero recognizes this place.
Upon entering the mansion, you'll find yourself in a foyer surrounded by two staircases and numerous doors on the first and second floor. It certainly reminds of the original Resident Evil mansion. Back behind the two staircases is a vault door covered by a mysterious machine. The machine looks like a brain with three electrodes sticking into it. What the…?
Fighting for your life
As Sebastian explores the mansion, Ruvik will materialize out of the ether at random times. You cant hope to fight him, so all you can do is either run like crazy or hide. The ability to hide under beds and in closets is cool, but in the preview build Sebastian constantly makes this heavy breathing sound as he hides. It sounds like he's hyperventilating! Hopefully that sound will have been dialed down in the final version that ships next month.
Anyway, those moments with Ruvik are tense and frightening. You might already be engaged with another monster or two when he appears, forcing a quick change of plans. Of course, the repeated appearance of an invincible protagonist is also kind of Resident Evil-like. The third Resident Evil featured such a monster, called the Nemesis. Ruvik looks more like a deranged homeless man than a big monster, but he'll stalk you throughout The Evil Within all the same.
Navigating the mansion hallways feels a lot better than the older Resident Evil games, of course, since Evil Within uses modern controls. You'll have to collect items and solve puzzles, just as you'd expect from this sort of game. You'll also encounter frightening enemies like a crying woman with a horribly mutilated face. A few pistol shots will free her from her anguish. In a unique touch, all enemies in The Evil Within must be set on fire after you knock them out. Toss a match and they'll go up in flames, never to rise again.
Mansion of horrors
As Sebastian passes through one particular hallway, he'll suddenly find himself pulled by an unknown force. The wall opens up to reveal a huge meat grinder, ready to shred him to bits. The first time I encountered this scene, I didn't react quickly enough and met my end. The next time, I spotted a blinking red light above the machinery. Quickly shoot it with the pistol to destroy the machine and escape unharmed.
The hero eventually discovers a tiny lab no bigger than a closet. That wouldn't be so bad, if not for the thing sitting on the table: a bisected human head. One half of the head is untouched and alive, while the other has been cut away to reveal the brain and viscera inside. A voice recording starts to describe grizzly experiments performed on unfortunate individuals like the one on the table.
Soon it becomes apparent that you'll have to engage in just such an experiment by attaching an electrical probe to the inside of the undead head. It will take some prodding (resulting in freakish sounds from the victim) to find just the right part of the brain.
Once you attach it successfully, a switch will go off in the nearby machinery. A red fluid starts to flow from the machine… and directly into one of the three valves on the door in the foyer. Sebastian will have to find the machines that unlock the other two valves and the horrors that await behind the vault door.
The Evil to come
Like Alien: Isolation, The Evil Within will offer a season pass. It will include three DLC packs for $19.99. The first focuses on the hulking monster "The Keeper," with the second and third featuring Juli Kidman, Sebastian's partner from the main game. If they're anything like the demo I played, they will offer a creepy and action-packed good time.
The Evil Within arrives on Xbox One and 360, Playstation 3 and 4, and PC on Tuesday, October 14. Preorder from Amazon to receive the "Fighting Chance pack," containing several useful weapons and items.
Sega is in the mood for war and has unleashed a package of games on Steam, which the publisher is allowing consumers to download for free. The games total just over $30, and include the likes of Golden Axe and Jet Set Radio. While this is an enticing promotion (and one we simply cannot recommend enough - free stuff!), it's worth noting that we're looking at a limited time offer, so be sure to add the games to your library before the promotion inevitably ends.
To gain access to the bundle of titles, simply check out a single listing and hit "Install" (under the purchase box). This will then add all five games to your Steam library. The promotion, Make War Not Love, sees Sega getting fans involved in titles like Dawn of War 2 and Total War Attila to tally up wins and possibly even unlock additional free DLC for their respective game.
You have until February 20 to take advantage of this promotion. Hit the link below to learn more and grab your free games.
SEGA is to release a new title in the Total War franchise called Battles: Kingdom. It's a persistent, living world set in the real-time strategy genre. You'll be tasked with transforming your land into a powerful kingdom, going head to head against AI or other players. The game has been in open beta for little under a year now and has been met by mixed reviews throughout development.
Don't mistake this entry in the franchise as a Total War game for mobile and PC. It's not. What Battles: Kingdom is – however – is another attempt to tame the free-to-play beast with in-app purchases and time-restricted gameplay. It's therefore not for everyone. You'll be able to see for yourself on March 24 when the game rolls out on iOS, Android, OS X and Windows.
Sega has launched the Mega Drive Classics Hub on Steam. The hub is a 3D environment designed to mimic the bedroom of a '90s gamer, with a Mega Drive (Genesis) connected to a CRT TV, shelf full of games for the console, as well as Sega posters on the (virtual) walls and dynamic time-of-day conditions.
Sega has acquired France-based PC and Xbox One developer Amplitude Studios, best know for its turn-based 4x space strategy game Endless Space.
Formed in 2011 by a number of former Ubisoft employees, Amplitude Studios self-published its first game, Endless Space, in 2012. It has since sold over 1 million copies, with the developer releasing a number of post-launch DLC packs for the game. In 2014, it released a fantasy-based 4x strategy game, Endless Legends, along with Dungeon of the Endless, a roguelike sci-fi game that was later released for the Xbox One in 2016. The developer is currently working on Endless Space 2 for release later in 2016.
In a post on Amplitude's community site Games2Gether.com, the studio talked about why it decided to be acquired by Sega:
What we want to do is to focus on making games; that is why we created Amplitude. But with the pressure on sales and marketing we found that more and more time was dedicated to everything else – everything that we didn't have the size and scale to deal with. So we decided to look for the best partner we could to protect us from these distractions so that game development did not become a chore, but remained a passion. Therefore, we have decided to join forces with SEGA – yes, that SEGA! We want the only question that keeps us up at night to be, "How do I make better games?" Partnering with SEGA will bring us to a whole new level.
The specific financial terms of this deal were not disclosed. Sega already owns two strategy game studios. One is The Creative Assembly, home of the Total War franchise and developers of the upcoming Halo Wars 2 RTS game from Microsoft. The other is Relic Entertainment, the makers of the Company of Heroes and Warhammer 40,000 Dawn of War series. It's currently working on Dawn of War 3.
SEGA of Europe's Football Manager series is a popular PC game that simulates the management aspects of soccer. Now SEGA and developer Playsport Games are preparing to launch Motorsport Manager, which puts players in charge of a racing team. We've managed a few races and interviewed the developers to bring you this detailed preview!
The road to PC
Motorsport Manager started its life two years ago as a premium mobile title. Playsport's first and only game to date, it caught on well enough that SEGA of Europe signed on as publisher of the upcoming PC version. The new Motorsport Manager is the game the studio always wanted to make. It incorporates player feedback from the mobile version while greatly surpassing it in scale and production values.
Although Motorsport Manager comes from a different developer than Football Manager, the latter still played a mentoring role in Motorsport Manager's development. Sports Interactive offered advice on a variety of subjects, including weather implementation, driver names, and databases. Football Manager is essentially the leader in sports management games, and both studios want Motorsport Manager to live up to that reputation as well.
Managing a team of racers
The premise of Motorsport Manager is simple: you manage all aspects of a motorsport racing team, including developing cars, hiring drivers and mechanics, signing sponsorship deals, and building facilities. Your team will then travel around the world and compete in a variety of races and championships.
Career Mode is the meat of the game. After creating a character, players will select a Championship to enter. Each of the three Championships: European, Asia-Pacific, and World Motorsport Championship consists of sixteen total races. The greater the skill level of the Championship, the more prize money for the winners.
Motorsport manager consists of three basic phases:
Hiring drivers and engineers
Building the car and design centers
Winning the race
Players make mostly long-term decisions outside of the race. From the main menu, you can view a number of elements such as:
Drivers: Check the status of your primary drivers
Chairman: This is your boss. If he becomes too unhappy, you could be fired and lose the game.
Stats: View Sponsors, championship standings, and finances
Race Calendar: View details on the upcoming series of races.
Rule changes: Team Managers can vote on rule changes for the next year. They can also vote for specific track layouts to be used that better suit their cars' abilities.
Car: View car stats, design parts, fit the parts when ready, and improve existing parts.
By checking the race calendar, players can figure out which stats are most important for the next race and then develop parts to help with that stat (such as Top Speed). Your engineering team's knowledge base determines which parts can be developed. The team can only develop one part at a time. You have the option of bending the rules when equipping parts, but this carries a risk of getting caught and punished.
Managers also have to check email between races. There you'll receive interview requests from the media, scouting reports, communications from your chairman, driver requests, and more. Should you accept interview requests, your answers will impact driver morale.
Headquarters and sponsors
Every team needs its own racing headquarters. The team you select determines the size and development of your starting headquarters. As you progress through the game, you'll buy and upgrade more buildings. Some will generate revenue, whereas others provide access to new parts and staff.
Some of the headquarters buildings you can buy include: Scouting Facility, Factory, Design Centre, Ride Handling Development, Staff Housing, Telemetry Centre, Test Track, Brakes Research Facility, Road Car Factory, and even a Theme Park. That last one is an extravagance that will earn money for the team over time.
Building upgrades don't pay for themselves. Everything has an effect on the team's finances. To bring in more money, players must sign sponsorship deals. The current fixed rate sponsors contribute money regularly. Race Bonus Sponsors are fickler. They request performance targets like reaching a specific position in the race. Hit the goal and you'll earn a payout.
Sponsor decals will appear on your car. They can also be turned off to improve performance (of the game, not the car). And speaking of performance, Motorsport Manager runs extremely well on my four-year-old gaming notebook. The zoomed out view certainly helps keep hardware requirements down.
The racing team
Your racing team consists of two primary drivers, though you can also have additional drivers in reserve. These drivers can develop rivalries between each other. Player decisions affect the drivers' morale. High morale helps them race better, whereas low morale can lead a driver to quit and find another team. Each driver has unique traits that affect performance, like Smart, Smooth Braker, Wilts at Home, Likes Changeable Conditions, and Old (or as we like to think of it, experienced).
Drivers also develop relationships with their mechanics. The longer a driver works with a mechanic, the more their chemistry grows. This can unlock stat bonuses for the racer. Mechanics sit on the pit wall during races and build a relationship with the drivers. Sometimes you might poach a mechanic from a rival team if you hired one of their drivers, just to capitalize on their existing chemistry.
The final members of your team are designers. These engineers bring their own knowledge that will affect the direction of your team's parts development. They can help improve a car's weaknesses and further boost its strengths.
Players hire racers, mechanics, and designers through the Scouting menu. It displays a variety of information about prospective employees, including nationality, age, current employer (if any), and more.
Taking age into consideration is important because performance begins to decline in old age. It happens to the best of us! And with drivers, personality matters too. Some only want to win championships, get paid the most, be the number one driver on the team, etc. You'll want to hire people who are a good fit for your team.
Race day
Proper preparations make a big difference towards winning a race. Each circuit has its own characteristics like lots of corners or high top speed that will impact cars' performance. Weather affects things too, whether the location is known for its wetness or dryness. The team manager needs to look ahead and then research parts and outfit cars accordingly.
Once a race approaches, players have the chance to set up their cars, run a practice race, and tweak setup again before the real race. Your mechanic's suggestions start out broad and become more specific after the drivers complete their practice race.
After the race begins, you'll watch your pair of drivers do their best to win the race. You can jump back and forth between them at any time, or follow opponents instead. Each driver has its own AI and will try to find the best racing line rather than following predetermined paths.
Even though you don't directly control your drivers, your orders and decisions still have a major impact on the outcome of the race. You have several choices of driving style and engine modes that affect the driver's performance on the track. Faster styles and modes consume more fuel. Running out of fuel is a major concern, so you'll have to tweak these settings up and down as the race progresses.
Cars also experience wear and tear on tires and others parts that will slow them down as the race goes on. At that point, managers can order a pit stop and select which parts to swap out or repair. Each repair and change adds to the pit time, so making too many repairs or pit stops will endanger your driver's position in the race.
Racing season begins soon
Motorsport Manager is due out on Steam sometime in September. The preview version of the game is already quite polished, though I did encounter a few issues like typos and a strange lack of menu music. A game with so many menus needs some peppy audio, not eerie silence. Hopefully some tuneage will be added before release.
Playsport plans to support the game after release with updates and downloadable content. DLC will mostly consist of Challenges, special conditions that encourage players to approach the game differently. Steam Workshop will be supported as well, so players can create and share mods. This creates the potential for new types of vehicles and races. The developers suggested that someone could even make a Mad Max-themed mod someday!
However the final game turns out, it will be interesting to see how fans of racing games embrace this managerial take on the genre. Are you guys excited about the chance to run your own racing team?
Sonic CD is quite a unique entry in the Sonic the hedgehog series. It’s got everything players loved about the Sega Genesis Sonic games, such as fast movement, deep backgrounds, great music, and plenty of personality. But it also adds new time travelling mechanics to learn, a strong focus on exploration and side goals, and another unique set of Bonus Stages. Check out our review for an in-depth discussion of these features.
Getting all of the Achievements could be hard for players new to the game, but we’re here to help! Head past the break for our Achievement Guide, complete with maps that actually label important locations. You’ll have the full 200 GamerScore in no time!
Learning to time travel
Before we get to the guide, let’s go over time traveling basics. Sonic starts each non-boss zone in the present, not the past or future. Scattered throughout the act will be signs marked ‘Past’ and ‘Future.’ Touch a sign and you’ll see the word it carries appear at the top-right corner of the screen. That sign no longer be used again, and touching any new sign before you’ve time jumped will overwrite the one you’re carrying.
You’ll need to decide which time period you want to visit before changing periods. In almost every case, this will be the past. You only need to visit the future once to get the ‘Paradise Found’ Achievement, but you can also head there for kicks after you’ve accomplished your goals in the past.
Once you’ve touched a sign and are ready to travel, find a suitable location where you can move at a high speed continuously (by either running or bouncing from springs) for three seconds without touching a wall or obstacle. Get the speed up and go for it! The first time you travel, you’ll get the ’88 miles per hour Achievement.’ If your time travel attempt fails, you can either seek out a new sign or restart the zone – usually the quicker method
Restart or Exit to Main Menu?
Unlike Sonic 4: Episode I, pausing and choosing to Restart a level will cost Sonic a life. But there is a workaround for when you mess up and need another chance. Just pause and choose Exit (Main Menu on XBLA). This takes you back to the main menu, where you can choose to resume the level you were on. The Exit method is vital for completing the Bonus Stages. If your time gets low, don’t take risks. Just exit and give the Bonus Stage another shot. Also note that if you fail a Bonus Stage, you'll have to wait until you've attempted all the other Bonus Stages to repeat the one you failed.
Maps
Our maps are borrowed from Sonic Zone: 0. I highly recommend reading their Sonic CD Guide you need additional guidance on a stage or boss battle, or even just to learn more background information on the game. Now, I found the original maps difficult to use from my phone’s screen. You’d need to scan around forever to find the Robot Teleporter or Metal Sonic Hologram you were looking for. So I’ve marked these locations on our versions of the maps with large yellow arrows. Much quicker!
Also, we’re only including the Past versions of each zone, because those are the ones Achievement hunters will use for guidance. But finding a time travel spot in the Present can take a little doing too, so I marked the locations in the past that correspond to good time travel locations in the present. Head to those spots first, zip back to the past, and then you’ll be ready to hunt the Robot Teleporters and Metal Sonic Holograms needed for Achievements. To skip straight to our map page, go here. You'll want to select 'Full' size in order to see all of the maps' detail.
One playthrough or two
Metal Sonic Hologram and Robot Teleporter
Before we start our walkthrough, you should decide whether you want to go for ‘Treasure Hunter’ (collect all 7 Time Stones) and ‘Saviour of the Planet’ (Destroy all Metal Sonic Holograms) in a single playthrough. It is possible to do both, but only if you abstain from collecting the final Time Stone until Metal Madness Zone 2. Getting all of the Stones first makes the Holograms disappear, so waiting for that zone is vital. Also, if you miss a Hologram, Teleporter, or Time Stone, you'll have to start a new playthrough since there is no going back to previous zones in the main game.
Reaching the end of Metal Madness 2 with 50 rings is pretty tough to do, especially if you’re not familiar with all the traps near the end. You’ll also need to make sure you don’t fail Bonus Stage 7 at that point, because there will be no second chances. As such, I recommend going for one Achievement or the other and then doing a second playthrough, perhaps switching to whichever soundtrack you haven’t heard yet. But the guide will account for both single- and double-playthroughs.
This is a good place to go for three Achievements, but you can only get two in a single run:
King of the Rings: Try to collect 200 rings across the past, present, and future. I suggest getting all the rings you can from the present while clearing most of the enemies out, then heading to the past to get the Robot Teleporter and Metal Sonic Hologram. Once you have most of the rings, switch to Present and then Future to get the remaining rings. If you don’t get 200 now, this can easily be done in Wacky Workbench 1.
Paradise Found: Follow the instructions for King of the Rings, destroying both the Teleporter (required) and Hologram (optional). Return to the Good Future and clear the Zone for the Achievement.
Just One Hug is Enough: If you finish the Zone in the present, let Amy hug you for this Achievement. You can always start a new save and quickly grab this, or just wait for the second opportunity to get it later in the game.
Take the top route and note the two invincibility powerups. Grab one and reach the boss before it runs out. Stand all the way on the right and hit him from the back three times when he lands for a cheap win!
Take the High Road: At the end of the Zone, don’t proceed to the first goal post. Instead, head left and get up to the second post (marked on the map) for the Achievement. You’ll need to run in place (hold up and jump) to get high enough.
Treasure Hunter: Should you have collected every possible Time Stone from the Bonus Stages so far, this should be your sixth. Now then, if you’re also going for ‘Saviour of the Planet,’ make sure you stop going to the Bonus Stage after the sixth. Don’t resume until the last regular zone, Metallic Madness 2.
Yes, I hate this boss. Sonic just needs to run along the bottom long enough for Eggman’s machine to break down, all while avoiding Eggman’s attacks and the spikes on the left.
Statue Saviour: After reaching the past, head down to the statue near the bottom-left corner (marked on the map). Spin-dash up and left to reach the statue.
King of the Rings: If you don’t have this already, you can easily get it from the statue. Just visit her repeatedly and she’ll drop rings every time.
Heavy Metal: Beating Metal Sonic without taking a hit will probably take a few tries, but it’s far from impossible. If you do somehow miss it, you can try again in Time Trial mode.
First, make sure you reach the Good Future version of the boss zone by achieving good futures in zones 1 and 2. Then you’ll see an extra life just above the starting point at the boss zone. Walk over to the slope on the right, turn around, run in place (up plus jump) and jump from the slope to reach the life. This item appears every time you start the stage, so you can simply pause and choose Retry (after having grabbed it) rather than Exit if you take a hit during the fight. You’ll never run out of lives this way - what a time saver!
Now, the trick is to stay near Metal Sonic for most of the fight without getting hit by either of his attacks, the spikes, or Eggman. Just play carefully and without slowing down too much. Near the end of the area there will be some floating platforms that Sonic can easily jump to. Get on those and use them to get ahead of Metal Sonic. Then jump down and reach the exit before him to win.
Just One Hug is Enough: After beating Metal Sonic, let Amy hug Sonic and you’ll get the Achievement if you haven’t already.
Saviour of the Planet: There are no Metal Sonic Holograms to worry about in Metallic Madness, so you just need to destroy the Robot Teleporter. Head to the top, travel back to the past, enter the tube marked on the map, and then go left when you reach the tube’s intersection. The Teleporter lies just above and right of the tube’s exit. Knock it out (having destroyed every other Teleporter and Hologram) for the Achievement.
Treasure Hunter: Assuming you’ve cleared the first six Bonus Stages and held off on the seventh, now is the time to go for it! Use the map, Sonic: Zone 0’s walkthrough, or this YouTube video to reach the end with 50 rings to your name so you can hit the Bonus Stage.
Boss: Egg-Blades
Make sure to take the top path and grab the extra life in the top-left corner (Good or Bad Future) every time you play this. The hardest part will be crossing the chasm and slipping under the crusher without getting killed. Just learn where the spring is located (below and slightly to the left of the crusher) and bounce on it until you can get under the crusher and proceed to the next challenge.
Next you’ll reach a room with lightning bugs that shoot lasers at you. Just jump through them during the brief moment when they stop being transparent to kill them.
When the actual boss fight starts, stand in the left corner to avoid his first rolling attack. Then just wait for good times to hit him, such as whenever he turns his blades sideways and extends them away from his body. Four hits and you win! This nets you ‘Eggman Got Served’ and ‘All Stages Clear.’
Time Trial Mode
Just in Time: Possibly the game’s hardest Achievement will be getting a total Time Trial score under 25 minutes. According to JaxTH’s Achievement Guide, these are the completion times you’ll want to go for:
Palmtree Panic: 1’40”00
Collision Chaos: 2’30”00
Tidal Tempest: 3’00”00
Quartz Quadrant: 2’30”00
Wacky Workbench: 3’40”00
Stardust Speedway: 3’30”00
Metallic Madness: 6’40”00
That leaves you almost two minutes of wiggle room. Don’t worry about time traveling; just head for the exit!
Thankfully you don’t have to do them all in order. Just select the zone you want and work on it until the time looks good. On Windows Phone, first select the main zone, and then press Next to switch between Zones 1-3. Press Go to start playing the selected Zone.
That’s the end of our guide – hope you found it useful! Remember to check out our Sonic CD review if you haven’t already. If you still need to buy Sonic CD, it costs $4.99 here on the Windows Phone Store.
For those who don’t know, Sonic CD was originally released for the Sega CD/Mega CD add-on for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive way back in 1993. It was developed concurrently with Sonic 2 but came out a bit later. At the time, Sonic CD wowed gamers with its fully-animated intro and ending, terrific backgrounds, CD quality audio, and unique time travelling mechanics… Not to mention the introduction of Metal Sonic and Amy Rose, two characters who became quite important to Sonic lore.
That said, ToeJam & Earl 2 is not a bad game. You get to run through its 17 levels solo or in co-op, hunting down obnoxious earthlings and trapping them in jars like they deserve. The characters are large and detailed (though lacking in animation frames), and the backgrounds boast plenty of sweet parallax scrolling. The controls and movement feel a bit off, like most American platformers from the time period, but they get the job done.
