#THE COMPLETE SEGA SOLUTION

[sonknuxadow]

i think some people are setting their expectations wayyyy too high for what shadow will be written like now. "the mandates are COMPLETELY gone shadow is fixed now guys!!" no theyre not literally all they said is that the rules have changed a little. like dont get me wrong thats good news too but a lot of people are exaggerating and setting themselves up for disappointment in my opinion

[true-blue-sonic]

As it happens I also only recently found out about the Rivals games not releasing in Japan after I saw they weren't mentioned after Silver's Sonic Channel wallpaper story, and I've been stuck wondering ever since if they'll ever do anything about that if the Rivals games are apparently canon nonetheless? I realise that a rerelease and localisation are almost certainly never going to happen at this point and Japan isn't that big a market for Sonic and all but it just seems so strange that a piece of Sonic canon as substantial as a recurring character's literal first canon appearance and meeting with Sonic and friends is just entirely absent from that side of the franchise, especially if they're still going to allude to it occasionally in future media

It baffles me too, precisely for the reasons you mentioned. This isn't a fun little romp like TMOSTH that overall has little bearing on the mainline games and which can 100% be ignored in the grand scheme of things; this is indeed the first actual unerased appearance of Silver in the franchise! Even if Rivals 2 can technically be ignored if that is our criterium, Rivals 1 is quite important considering the fact Silver has appeared quite a bit afterwards while knowing Sonic and co. But I guess for Japan, Silver's story from '06 is his 'main' story, even if it never happened in the first place, and how they see his appearance afterwards where everyone just knows him already... I don't know. I unfortunately can't read or speak enough Japanese to go find for answers myself, nor would I know where to look. But that it's a messy situation is certain!

Related to that, something I realised... there is also a lot of things on the Japanese side of the fandom and official channels both that I am certain 99.9% of the West does not have easy access too. Think of all the Sonic Channel stories and background information. Like TMOSTH, this is also information that doesn't have that much bearing on the games, but it still both fun and important knowledge on the characters. We've got people here in the West making translations and of course we can put things through Google for a quick view ourselves, inaccuracies aside; perhaps in Japan they have done the same with Rivals 1 and 2?

Whether or not they'll do something about it, I have no idea. Silver is here to stay, that seems certain, and if in Japan they indeed have knowledge of Rivals 1 and 2 through the fandom I figure Sega might just leave things as it is. I don't get the feeling the Rivals games were/are particularly popular, with the characters being so rude to each other and the level design probably becoming quite repetitive in a while after running through the same place either 4 or 8 times. So a rerelease might not bring in enough money to make it worthwhile, and for Sega as a business that is the most important thing. Though, the idea the Japanese fandom might have knowledge of Rivals 1 and 2 in the way we have of Sonic Channel material is just pure speculation on my part, as well. Altogether I don't think Sega is going to do anything to solve this issue, unfortunate as it may be. Silver's got his place in the franchise now, they generally don't dive much into the deeper stories behind their cast anyway (ShTH wasn't that great a success either), and Silver simply hasn't been in a position of high enough importance in a recent video game to warrant any attention being paid there to how the cast knows him, I think. Basically the only potential allusion to Rivals 1 and 2 I can think of is the IDW story with Silver and Espio, and I have no idea if that one got translated to Japanese already (or ever will). So canon or not, the Rivals games are mostly forgotten in the West as well, though for us they are the answer to as to how Silver knows Sonic and co in later instalments. It's a situation where I don't see an easy reconciliation between the East and West parts of the franchise!

[tenebraevesper]

Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 37: Breaking The Fields

'''Cause I can't look back, no more turning back! 'Til I find my way back home, and I know, I've gotta be so much more than this! But what can I be if not me?''

– So Much More… by Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

xXxXxXx

Silver and Makoto weren't completely sure how to approach the situation. They knew that them being stuck at Sky Canyon was most likely Dr. Eggman's doing. However, given how easily they had defeated the Boss of the Zone, it felt a bit out of place. The good Doctor wasn't usually this sloppy.

''Makoto, watch out!'' Silver suddenly shouted when their environment started glitching out and the platform below them disappeared. Fortunately for both of them, Silver used his psychokinesis to keep them afloat.

''That was close! Thanks, Silver!'' Makoto said, with Silver giving them a thumbs up before landing them safely on another platform. However, just as they landed, their environment started to glitch out once again. Feeling alarmed, both looked up at the flash of light before them, revealing itself to be a cyan diamond-shaped gem. Both of their jaws dropped as they realized what they were looking at, with Makoto breaking the silence. ''That's a Chaos Emerald! But, how?''

''I don't know,'' Silver replied, reaching for the cyan gem. He could feel it's energy crackling through his fingers. He glanced at Makoto with a confused look, fishing for an explanation. ''I mean, we did beat the Boss of this Zone, so maybe this is our prize?''

Before Makoto could answer, there was another flash of light, this one being green, with Shadow and Touka suddenly appearing before them, and Shadow still holding the green Chaos Emerald.

''Shadow!''

''Touka!''

The two siblings were surprised to see Silver and Makoto, but also pleased to see that the Chaos Emerald-enhanced Chaos Control worked properly. Nevertheless, there was a question on their mind.

''What are you doing here?'' Touka asked.

''We were a moment ago with Lily and Knuckles, who had asked us whether we had seen Rouge because she hadn't appeared for a while, and in the next moment, we found ourselves in Sky Canyon,'' Makoto explained. ''What about you?''

''We were helping out Tails and Warren, when we suddenly found ourselves in…'' Touka paused, only to resume. ''Okay, I don't know what the name of that place was, but it had a lot of snow. I'm just glad that we got somewhere with a moderate temperature.''

Shadow just rolled his eyes at her remark, with Makoto adding, ''Well, if you guys were in a snow filled-zone that is also from the Sonic Advance series, just like us, you were either in the Ice Mountain Zone from Sonic Advance, Ice Paradise from Sonic Advance 2 or Twinkle Snow from Sonic Advance 3.''

''We have more important things to talk about than names of Zones,'' Shadow suddenly interrupted them, pointing at Silver. ''I see that you also got a Chaos Emerald.''

''Yeah, we got it after beating… the Egg Saucer?'' Silver turned to Makoto, who nodded. He then turned back to Shadow. ''What about you?''

''We were confronted by Dr. Starline,'' Shadow explained, with Makoto and Silver being surprised to hear that name. ''He was piloting a mech, probably made by Dr. Eggman. We managed to defeat him, but it seems that my Chaos energy reacted with the AR Field and caused the Chaos Emeralds to appear.''

''Then we can use the Chaos Emeralds to escape this place,'' Silver said, elated to hear that there was a solution to their problem. Shadow then shook his head, his arms folded across his chest.

''I'm afraid that it is not that easy. The AR Field is quite unstable and one has to be very careful when using Chaos Control. I had tried to warp Touka and I out of it, but we landed here instead,'' he explained.

''Then, maybe we need all 7 of the Chaos Emeralds. Also, if you are trapped here and this is another of Dr. Eggman's schemes, this must mean that maybe the rest of the team is trapped as well,'' Makoto said. ''We cannot travel through Zones by any normal means, but we can use the Chaos Emeralds for that.''

''Well, you two can do that,'' Silver said, holding out the cyan Chaos Emerald to Shadow and Touka. ''I don't even know how to use Chaos Control.''

Shadow stared at the cyan Chaos Emerald that Silver was offering to him, then glanced back at the grey hedgehog, clearly assessing the situation and their options. If their assumptions were correct, their teammates were all separated and it would take some time to find them, even with the Chaos Emerald, as surely Dr. Eggman would try to intervene. Shadow then held up his hand, showing that he wouldn't take the Chaos Emerald, much to Silver's confusion.

''I will give you a quick crash course on using Chaos Control. You will be able to utilize it with the Chaos Emerald, even if you had never used it before,'' Shadow replied.

''B-But…'' Silver wanted to protest, feeling that this was something he wouldn't be capable of, but after seeing Shadow's grim gaze, he then nodded. ''What do I have to do?''

''You can use the Chaos Energy within the Chaos Emerald to sense the presence of other Chaos Emeralds, and you can let this sensation guide you,'' Shadow explained. ''All you need is to focus, and you will be able to find them.''

Silver nodded, holding the Chaos Emerald and focusing on the Chaos Energy within. At first, it was quite overwhelming, as he never felt something like this before, but as he got used to this new power, he could feel something tugging him to several sides, unsure which path to follow. He assumed that one energy signature, the strongest one, was the Chaos Emerald Shadow was holding. So he tried to focus on the other energy signatures, finding one that was much further from him. It was like a thread hanging in front of him, and all he needed to do was to reach for it.

''I think I got it,'' Silver said, opening his eyes. Shadow nodded.

''You and Makoto will go there then,'' he said. Silver smiled, with both him and Shadow holding up their hands, arms crossing.

''CHAOS…'' Silver started as the energy around them crackled.

''CONTROL!!!'' Shadow roared, with a blinding light engulfing the whole group.

xXx

Tails and Warren had to leap each towards a different side to avoid Silver Sonic's attack. It appeared that the robotic version of Sonic seemed to have some kind of regenerative ability, as no matter how powerful Tails' EMP field was, the robot would always stand up. They needed to find another way around it.

''Any ideas?'' Warren asked, him and Tails hiding behind a metallic pillar and flinching when Silver Sonic lost sight of them and smashed a different pillar.

''I'm not sure. I'm not as good at combat as someone like Sonic or Knuckles…'' Tails said, only to realize that admist all of the chaos he had forgotten that he was still wearing his backpack. He quickly took it off, starting to rummage around it.

''Watch it!'' Warren grabbed Tails, running off to the other side of the Zone as Silver Sonic smashed into the pillar they were hiding behind. Whatever was left of Chaos Surge had already faded, leaving them quite vulnerable. However, Warren was given a small toy-like laser gun by Tails, who then reached for another gadget in his backpack.

''Keep him busy, I have an idea!'' Tails said, starting to tinker with the electromagnetic discs. Warren used Tails laser gun to fire at Silver Sonic, surprisingly managing to get a few good hits, but the robot seemed to be unstoppable. When he got too close to the two, both managed to slip away, with Tails slapping the disc onto Silver Sonic, while Warren took the other and put it on a piece of debris, then pushed it off the edge of the Zone. The magnetic pull was so strong that Silver Sonic followed it, falling off the platform.

''All right!'' Tails cheered, him and Warren high-fiving in relief, especially since Silver Sonic didn't return this time. However, as they celebrated, they saw a flash of light, revealing a diamond-shaped yellow gem that landed in Tails' hands.

''T-That's a Chaos Emerald!'' Warren stuttered in shock.

''A Chaos Emerald?'' Tails replied in a stunned state. ''But, how is that possible?'' Before any of them could continue their conversation, they were met by another flash of light, revealing two familiar figures. ''Silver? Makoto? What are you doing here?''

''It's a long story, but from what we've figured out, Dr. Eggman and Dr. Starline have trapped us here and we need to collect five more… well, four more,'' Makoto corrected himself upon seeing the yellow gem in Tails' hands, ''Chaos Emeralds. Touka and Shadow got one already.''

''Shadow also taught me how to use Chaos Control with a Chaos Emerald, and if we collect all of them, we'll be able to escape this place,'' Silver explained.

''Where are they?'' Warren asked.

''They went to another Zone. Shadow had figured that it would be easier for us to collect all the Chaos Emeralds if we split up,'' Silver explained.

''Okay,'' Tails nodded. ''Let's see what we can find.''

xXx

Knuckles punched Mecha Sonic, sending him flying across Sky Sanctuary with ease, almost causing him to fall off the platform. Mecha Sonic barely held himself onto the edge of the platform, when Lily suddenly appeared, having found a metallic rod and giving him an apologetic look.

''This will hurt me more than you,'' she said, swinging the metallic rod at Mecha Sonic, knocking him off the platform. Knuckles approached her, looking rather satisfied with the result.

''Nice job,'' he said.

''Oh, please, that was all you,'' Lily replied, with both being surprised by a sudden flash of light. Above them, a diamond-shaped purple gem appeared, falling right on Knuckles' head. Fortunately, he managed to catch it before it fell over the edge of the platform.

''Huh, what's that?'' Knuckles stared at the gem, which Lily immediately recognized.

''Knux, that's a Chaos Emerald! That's one of the most powerful gems in the world!'' she said, looking quite awestruck. Knuckles rose an eyebrow, turning it in his hands.

''Why did this appear before us?'' he wondered.

''I don't know… I mean, this is an area from a video game. Maybe we got rewarded for beating Mecha Sonic?'' Lily suggested. Before their conversation could continue, a flash of light appeared, revealing itself to be Shadow and Touka. ''Woah, what are you two doing here?''

''It's a long story, but we are currently in an AR Field created by Dr. Eggman and Dr. Starline, and the rest of Team Neos is also trapped here, and the two Doctors are probably going to try to collect the Chaos Emeralds,'' Touka quickly explained. ''We already came across Makoto and Silver, and they're on the search for the others.''

''How many Chaos Emeralds did you manage to gather?'' Knuckles asked.

''Two so far, but with you, it's three. If Silver and Makoto had managed to find another, then we'll have four out of seven,'' Shadow explained.

''How did you even manage to travel between Zones?'' Lily asked. ''We tried to leave Sky Sanctuary to get to Hidden Palace Zone, but we were just teleported back.''

''It appears that one can travel between the Zones via Chaos Control,'' Touka explained.

Just then, Sky Sanctuary suddenly started to shake, with their surroundings glitching out, only for a crowd of EggRobos to surround them, as well as Mecha Sonic reappearing, but this time in a golden colour, having returned as Super Mecha Sonic Mark II. Above them, flying in a smaller version of the Egg Mobile, was Dr. Starline.

''You again!'' Touka shouted, with Dr. Starline grinning at them.

''Surprise! I had figured that I should get back-up. Maybe you two can take down a whole mech, but what about getting outnumbered?'' he said. Knuckles and Shadow took a battle stance, with the echidna glancing at Shadow.

''That's Dr. Starline?'' he asked. Shadow nodded. Knuckles huffed. ''He doesn't look like much of a threat.''

''He may not have a mech, but I would still be cautious,'' Shadow warned the echidna, being on guard.

''It doesn't matter how cautious you are, I will make sure to take you down and bring those Chaos Emeralds to Dr. Eggman!'' Starline told them, smirking. ''Then, the Doctor will have nothing but words of praise for me!''

xXx

''Okay, question; how do we find a Chaos Emerald here? We saw that one just appeared in front of Touka and Shadow,'' Lucas said, as he and Sonic searched Green Hill for the elusive gem.

''Well, this is a location based on a video game. Maybe we have to follow video game logic,'' Sonic replied.

Lucas rose an eyebrow, wondering what Sonic meant. Technically, they were trapped in some kind of infinite loop of the Green Hill Zone, unable to break out, which is why they needed the Chaos Emerald. However, they also needed to figure out how to make one appear, and if they went by video game logic, then they would have to enter the Special Stages, but as noted above, that was impossible. Nevertheless, there was something Lucas noticed as he observed the screens showing his friends.

''We would have to beat the Boss of the Zone… However, we know that this Zone doesn't have a Boss due to what Dr. Eggman did…'' he trailed off, exchanging glances with Sonic. ''Actually, maybe we just have to pass the Goal Plate.''

Sonic snorted. ''That would be the easiest way of getting the Chaos Emerald. As a matter of fact, it's too-'' Sonic stopped, seeing the Goal Plate in front of him. Last time he and Lucas passed it, they found themselves back at the beggining of Green Hill. Nevertheless, both sped up and passed it. ''Easy?'' To their surprise, there was a flash of light, with a blue diamond-shaped gem appearing before them, with Sonic snatching it out of the air. ''Okay, Eggman really should've put some Badniks around to at least give me some kind of challenge.''

''Well, that not our problem anymore,'' Lucas replied. ''Now, how does one use Chaos Control with this thing?''

Both him and Sonic fell silent, as despite Lucas' knowledge of the lore of the Chaos Emeralds and the various Chaos-related abilities, they still had no clue how to properly use it like Shadow and Touka did. Sonic just stared at the Chaos Emerald, as if expecting it to do something, weighting in his hands carefully, before shrugging.

''Well, all I can do is trust my instincts,'' he said. Lucas gave him a dubious look.

''I hope your instincts won't make us permanently trapped here,'' he said.

''Heh, just trust me, I know what I'm doing,'' he said, holding up the Chaos Emerald. Lucas couldn't help but roll his eyes, even though he did trust his partner with his life. ''CHAOS CONTROL!!!''

xXx

Amy had managed to catch up to Metal Sonic, trying to hit him with her Piko Piko Hammer, only for Metal Sonic to block it and grab her hammer, throwing her backwards, leading to the pink hedgehog landing right on Minami. Due to being fueled with the power of Chaos Surge, Sonic's metallic rival was much stronger than before. However, neither Amy nor Minami were ready to give up, having overheard the conversation about the Chaos Emeralds between Ferra and Dr. Eggman.

''You two should really should know when to give up!'' Ferra said, her whole body crackling with energy. The same energy surrounded Metal Sonic as he prepared to blast away the two, only for a blue flash of light to appear right above them. Metal Sonic and Ferra could only look up before something heavy fell right on top of them.

''Aghh...'' Sonic fell his head spin and his body ache, but he was still happy at the results, clutching the blue Chaos Emerald in his hand. ''Nailed it!''

''Ugh, what was- huh?'' Lucas' dazed look was quickly replaced by surprise when he realized that he landed right on top of Ferra, while Sonic landed on Metal Sonic. ''I guess this might count as defeating the Boss of Stardust Speedway?''

''Get off me!'' Ferra shouted at him, kicking Lucas off of her, with Metal Sonic doing the same to his organic counterpart, although with a lot more force. Sonic rolled over before getting into a battle stance.

''All right, Metal! If you want to fight, we'll fight!'' Sonic said, still clutching the Chaos Emerald in his hand. Lucas, meanwhile, went over to Minami and Amy.

''Are you two okay?'' he asked.

''Yeah, but how did you get here?'' Amy asked.

''Sonic used Chaos Control,'' Lucas said, pointing at the blue gem Sonic was holding, then noted the questioning looks Minami and Amy gave him. ''I'll explain everything later, but what you need to know is that all of Team Neos is trapped in different Zones of this AR Field and we're trying to find the Chaos Emeralds before Dr. Eggman does.''

''How many do we have?'' Minami asked.

''From what I've seen, two are missing. We need to find the Chaos Emerald of Stardust Speedway,'' Lucas replied. The three then turned towards Sonic, who was currently locked in a brawl with Metal Sonic. Not only was Sonic's robotic counterpart after the blue Chaos Emerald his rival was holding, but he went back to just trying to beat up Sonic for the sake of beating him up.

Ferra, on the other hand, seemed to have spotted something, and Lucas saw the same. He grabbed his hoverboard and shoved it into Minami's hands. ''Get the Chaos Emerald! I'll help Sonic!''

Minami and Amy, who both took note of Ferra's behavior and her taking off towards the far end of Stardust Speedway, having spotted the red Chaos Emerald, quickly got on Lucas' hoverboard and sped off without a word. Even though Ferra had a headstart, Lucas' hoverboard was much faster thanks to the modifications Warren and Tails added.

''Com'n… Com'n!'' Minami hissed under her breath, hoping that her and Amy's combined weight didn't slow them down. Ferra turned around, spotting the two going after her and gaining speed. However, Ferra was incredibly close to the Chaos Emerald, reaching out for it…

''Oh, no you don't!'' Amy leapt from the hoverboard, throwing her hammer at Ferra, causing her to stumble and fall off. She was then caught by Minami, with both reaching for the red diamond-shaped gem. ''Yes!''

''No!'' Ferra cried out furiously as Amy held onto the Chaos Emerald, while Minami just gave her a smug look.

xXx

Dr. Eggman rubbed his temple as he watched the screen of the Egg Mobile, being annoyed to see that Dr. Starline clearly underestimated the combined force of Knuckles and Shadow, both equipped with Chaos Emeralds, and groaned when he saw Ferra failing to acquire the red Chaos Emerald. Even though he had faith in his Enforcer, he had to admit that he expected failure to some extent. He knew that it was a tragedy that Team Neos managed to get six of the Chaos Emeralds, but he still had a chance. There was one Chaos Emerald remaining and Dr. Eggman knew exactly where to find it.

As it turned out, there was an area between all AR Fields, a so-called no man's land that connected to each of the AR Fields, containing the glitches and bugs that formed thanks to Shadow's Chaos Energy and the place of origin for the Chaos Emeralds. It certainly looked nothing like the other Zones, but was more of a mish-mash of all of them, with the grey diamond-shaped gem being placed on a stone pedestal in the middle of the Zone.

''Ho ho ho… even if Team Neos managed to get all of the other Chaos Emeralds, they still cannot escape when one Chaos Emerald is missing,'' Dr. Eggman said, lowering the Egg Mobile to get to the pedestal, only to get startled by a flash of light, with Silver, Makoto, Tails and Warren having a hard landing.

''Ugh… That hurt…'' Warren said, rubbing his head.

''Sorry, I guess I miscalculated,'' Silver, who was holding onto the cyan Chaos Emerald, replied as he rubbed his head.

''At least we got out of the Death Egg Zone,'' Tails said, holding onto the yellow Chaos Emerald.

''Dr. Eggman!'' Makoto gasped when he realized that they weren't alone.

The rest of the group looked up, surprised to see Dr. Eggman hovering above them. Dr. Eggman was fuming at the sight of them, having hoped that they wouldn't find out about this Zone.

''I will not let you ruin my plans!'' Dr. Eggman growled, pressing a button and unleashing a barrage of homing missiles, forcing Silver to raise a cyan barrier with his psychokinesis to block the attack. Dr. Eggman took advantage of this, pressing another button that caused a mechanical claw to be lowered and snatched away the grey Chaos Emerald from the pedestal.

''Oh, no, he got the Chaos Emerald!'' Makoto cried out. Dr. Eggman laughed as he flew away, well aware that they will be now trapped forever here, only for the laughter to stop when Tails flew towards him, hanging onto the claw and trying to pry it open.

''Get off the Egg Mobile, Prower!'' Dr. Eggman yelled at the twin-tailed fox, who desperately clung onto the mechanical claw. Dr. Eggman started to drive the Egg Mobile in an erratic manner, hoping to shake Tails off.

''Chaos Surge!''

Much to Dr. Eggman's horror, the Egg Mobile was stopped by the combined power of Silver and Makoto's psychokinesis, who were keeping the vehicle in place. Tails grinned, managing to get the grey Chaos Emerald out of the claw, and now holding two of them flew back towards his friends.

''No! How dare you steal from me?!'' Dr. Eggman growled.

''We know exactly that we cannot trust you with the Chaos Emeralds, so we're taking them with us!'' Warren replied.

''Then I'll make sure that you're going nowhere!'' Dr. Eggman shouted, pressing another button. Suddenly, the whole Zone shook, with Silver, Makoto, Tails and Warren staring at their surroundings in horror. Dr. Eggman laughed, well aware that he just activated a program to close the AR Field. If they all didn't get out as soon as possible, they would be erased from existence along with the collapsing AR Field. ''Enjoy the afterlife!''

Dr. Eggman then vanished from the AR Field, clearly retreating. A sense of panic enveloped the four as they realized that they were now on a timer.

''The whole AR Field is collapsing! Silver, can you warp us to the others?'' Tails asked. Silver nodded, although panic was already setting in.

''I-I can… But there are two energy signatures I'm detecting,'' he said, only to shake his head. He wasn't sure which path to take, but he needed to pick one immediately. ''Everyone, stay close!'' He held up the cyan Chaos Emerald, focusing on what seemed to be the stronger energy signature. ''CHAOS CONTROL!!''

xXx

Sonic curled into a ball, performing a homing attack on Metal Sonic, who managed to quickly dodge it. His sensors detected that his own Chaos Surge was running out of power and if he wanted to get rid off Sonic once and for all, he needed to be quick. Not only that, but Sonic was also holding onto the blue Chaos Emerald, and since they already lost the red Chaos Emerald to Amy and Minami, he needed to at least get that one.

Metal Sonic targeted his organic counterpart, firing several blasts from his chest. Fortunately, one of them managed to hit Sonic, causing him to fall on the ground. Metal Sonic rushed over to grab the blue Chaos Emerald, but Sonic managed to throw it towards Lucas, who caught it.

''If you think that we'll give you the Chaos Emerald, you're dead wrong,'' Sonic told his metallic counterpart, who shot him a glare, then suddenly rushed over to Lucas. The teenager's eyes widened, and he managed to dodge Metal Sonic, then started to run towards Sonic, with the robot being on his heels.

However, before Metal Sonic could swipe at Lucas, the whole Stardust Speedway shook, and it looked like it was falling apart. Ferra, Minami and Amy were also stunned by what was going on, with Ferra getting into contact with Dr. Eggman.

''What is going on with the AR Field?!'' she asked.

''I decided to close it! Get out unless you want to get yourself killed!'' Dr. Eggman replied, disconnecting the call. Ferra felt her heart race as she realized that the AR Field would collapse all around them, and turned to her partner. ''Metal, we need to leave! NOW!!''

Despite wanting to complete his mission and beat up Sonic, Metal understood the urgency in Ferra's tone. He flew over to her, with both then vanishing from the AR Field. Meanwhile, Minami and Amy joined Lucas and Sonic, noting how the roads all around them were collapsing.

''We don't have all of the Chaos Emeralds!'' Lucas pointed out, giving the blue Chaos Emerald to Sonic. ''We need to find the others before we get trapped here for good!''

''I think I know where to find the others! Hold on tight!'' Sonic said as his friends gathered around him, holding the blue Chaos Emerald up. ''CHAOS CONTROL!!''

xXx

''Chaos Spear!''

Siphoning the energy from the green Chaos Emerald, Shadow summoned a barrage of Chaos Spears, flinging them towards the EggRobos, shattering each and every one of them. Next to him was Knuckles, who gave the purple Chaos Emerald to Lily so he was free to fight Super Mecha Sonic. The Sonic look-a-like curled into a ball, flying towards the echidna. Knuckles braced himself, attempting to punch the robot, but was instead sent flying and landing on the platform just at the edge. He was fortunate that he didn't fall off. He saw Super Mecha Sonic flying towards him once again, summoning an energy ball and firing it at Knuckles. The echidna managed to roll over, dodging it, then getting up and rushing towards Super Mecha Sonic. However, before he could land a hit, Super Mecha Sonic suddenly glitched out and vanished.

''What?!'' Dr. Starline was shocked to see that the robot was gone. ''This was not supposed to happen!''

The screen before him suddenly crackled and he was surprised when Dr. Eggman appeared. ''Starline! The AR Field is collapsing, so unless you want to get killed, get out!''

''B-But, Doctor-! The mission-!'' Dr. Starline stuttered, but the screen already went black. The whole Sky Sanctuary Zone shook, slowly vanishing out of existence, with the data particles fading away. ''No, no, no! How could you do that, Doctor?! We need the Chaos Emeralds!''

''Chaos Blast!''

Dr. Starline cried out in panic when Shadow's Chaos Blast hit the Egg Mobile, causing it to fall and the platypus Irregular hit the ground hard. He sat up, feeling numb from the impact, only for his eyes to widen in horror when he saw Shadow and Knuckles approach him, both with murderous looks on their expressions.

''I guess I should listen to the Doctor,'' Starline muttered. As much as he wanted to fulfill his mission, he valued his life more. He could try again another time. Quickly pressing the top of his glove, he vanished before the dark hedgehog and red echidna could murder him in a brutal fashion.

''Darn it, he's gone!'' Knuckles growled, with Shadow turning to him with a grim look.

''We have more pressing matters to worry about,'' he said, pointing at their surroundings. Touka and Lily had joined them, taking note of how the floating platforms were falling into the dark abyss below.

''We need to find the others and get the rest of the Chaos Emeralds,'' Touka said in an urgent tone. ''That the only way for us to escape!''

''Right, but how are we going to find-'' Lily started, only to be startled by a flash of cyan light. To their relief, they saw Silver, Makoto, Tails and Warren.

''We got three Chaos Emeralds!'' Tails shouted, his group rushing over to them. ''How many more- Agh!''

The platform they were standing on suddenly tilted, forcing the group to run towards the next platform. They were all breathing heavily, their surroundings becoming smaller and smaller as Sky Sanctuary was falling apart. They exchanged glances, only to get startled by a flash of blue light, with Sonic, Lucas, Amy and Minami appearing before them.

''Guys, are you-?'' Sonic was cut off by Shadow, who had managed to gather the Chaos Emeralds from Knuckles, Silver and Tails.

''Ask questions later, Sonic! We need to escape!'' he growled, with Sonic nodding, him and Amy giving up their own Chaos Emeralds. The seven gems started to surround Shadow as he focused on their energy, now far greater than the one he sensed from just one Chaos Emerald. A bright glow surrounded him and the rest of Team Neos as their surroundings grew darker and darker, turning into an unending void. ''CHAOS CONTROL!!!''

xXx

There was a blinding flash of light, with Team Neos losing all sense of direction, only to find themselves a moment later back on solid ground. Feeling somewhat dizzy, it took them a bit to recover. Sonic was the first to break the silence, rubbing his head.

''Woah… Hey, we're back at the workshop!''

The rest of Team Neos looked around, realizing that, indeed, Shadow had warped all of them back to the Taylor Workshop.

''Thank goodness that we got out of that AR Field,'' Amy said, taking a deep breath, with the rest of the group agreeing with her.

''Yeah, I don't want to repeat this experience,'' Lily said, glancing at Shadow, who was currently being looked over by Touka. It seemed that using the Chaos Emeralds like this did affect him as well.

''Shadow, how are you feeling?'' Touka asked. Shadow just shook his head, getting up.

''The Chaos Emeralds are gone,'' he said. This caused a moment a silence, with the group exchanging confused glances.

''How could they just vanish?'' Minami asked. Tails, who got up, reached for the Miles Electric in his backpack, having kept it on during this whole adventure.

''I think I may have an answer…'' he said, connecting the Miles Electric to the computer and analyzing the data. ''Since the Chaos Emeralds were created inside the AR Field, once it ceased to exist, so did the Emeralds. I would have to put a bit more time into this, but it seems to be the most logical outcome.''

''So, even if we attempted to take them out of the AR Field, we wouldn't have been able to do so?'' Silver asked. Tails nodded in response.

''Well, that's good news. This means that Eggman wouldn't have been able to take them either,'' Sonic said.

''Yes, but wouldn't he be able to re-create the AR Field and the Chaos Emeralds?'' Knuckles asked.

''I doubt it,'' Lucas said, drawing everyone's question. ''Sonic and I saw that the Chaos Emeralds were a result of Shadow using his Chaos-based powers, so unless Eggman had access to Chaos Energy, he wouldn't be able to repeat this on his own.''

''So, it's over?'' Makoto asked. Lucas nodded.

''It's over.''

Team Neos was quite relieved to hear that their adventure was indeed over. While this was quite an exhilarating adventure, they all just wanted back to their normal life.

xXx

''Doctor, why would you cause the AR Field to collapse? We could've taken the Chaos Emeralds!'' Dr. Starline said, completely baffled by his idol's decision.

''As it turns out, that wasn't possible after all,'' Dr. Eggman responded, pointing at the screens behind him. ''The Chaos Emeralds were a by-product of the AR Field and Shadow's Chaos Energy. Even if I attempted to replicate what happened, I wouldn't be able to do that without the hedgehog.''

''So, this whole mission was a failure from the start?'' Dr. Starline asked, quite disappointed. There was a sigh coming from the other side of the room, the source of it being an annoyed Ferra and Metal Sonic. To everyone's surprise, Dr. Eggman grinned.

''Oh ho ho ho, on the contrary, Dr. Starline; I believe that this mission was quite important. We know now that it is possible to create Chaos Emeralds, and while we don't have the means, we do have the necessary data for that. So, I wouldn't shelve this plan yet,'' Dr. Eggman replied.

''Ah, so it was a success then!'' Dr. Starline said, clasping his hands, looking quite happy with the news.

''Indeed,'' Dr. Eggman replied, sitting down in his chair as he observed the data on the screen. ''All we have to do is to take advantage of what we know.''

xXx

Rouge shivered as she crawled through the air-vent, tugging at the golden collar around her neck. She knew that she was in a very dangerous place and that she needed to escape, but for that, she needed more information and a way out. She was trapped in this place, and all she could do was to spy on those who have trapped her here. She managed to come across an opening at an office, hearing voices coming from it.

''This is the autopsy report from the Sakamoto case.''

There was a pause as the other person in the room, a man with dark grey hair and wearing a grey and dark green uniform read the autopsy report the agent brought him.

''So, the Professor had indeed died from blood loss, and his body was moved. Have you managed to track down where his body was before someone tampered with it?'' the man, who appeared to be a quite high-ranking officer.

''Unfortunately, we haven't,'' the agent replied, with his superior frowning. ''We are doing our best to find Hiroshi Sakamoto's murderer.''

Rouge felt chills flowing down her spine as she overheard this. She did not have pleasant memories associated with that name.

''What about Project Shadow? Have you managed to track down the Irregular?'' the man continued. Rouge gasped, quickly covering her mouth and hoping nobody had heard her.

''It appears that Miss Kageura had been keeping him at her house. We don't know how he was found, but it is possible that Touka may have been able to recall her memories,'' the agent replied.

''I see…'' the man furrowed a brow. ''Get them over here. We believed that Project Shadow was a waste of time, but perhaps the weapons project may end up being a success.''

Rouge felt sick to her stomach after hearing this. She wanted to warn Shadow and Touka that they were in grave danger, but that was impossible, especially with her current situation. She just hoped that they would be able to avoid capture.

Links:

#Previous Chapter

#Current Chapter

#Next Chapter

#Sonic Cyber Revolution (Masterlist)

[nicole-the-hololynx]

🌻

Did you know that a lot of the assets for the Special Stages in Sonic CD were completely redrawn for the 2011 remake to be 25% wider?

(Left: Original, Right: Remake)

There's actually a pretty good reason for this! The Special Stages in Sonic CD make use of the Sega CD's scaling capabilities, which let it rotate and scale graphics in a way not too different from Mode 7 on the SNES

HOWEVER, due to the Sega CD still needing to pass its graphics manually to the Genesis its hooked up to, this sort of effect takes up a lot of CPU time just from transferring graphics and the like! One trick Sonic CD uses to be able to display the stage at a decent framerate is to make sure it only uses up a portion of the total screen, but another optimization is to make the screen itself smaller!

The Special Stages run in a 256 pixel wide resolution mode (which makes the graphics look "squished" when looking at raw pixels. Notice the planet in the background!) as opposed to the usual 320 pixel wide resolution Sonic games tended to stick to (which makes a near-perfect 4:3 aspect ratio). Since the image would be drawn into a 4:3 CRT TV, it would stretch itself back to a 4:3 aspect ratio anyways, and so the graphics are drawn squished to counter that.

The problem. When using a modern display, stretching the graphics back to their 4:3 aspect ratio can result in nasty scaling artifacts, whereas displaying them using square pixels would result in the graphics looking too skinny. The solution? Just draw them all wider!

As a small bonus fact, Sonic 2's Special Stages also use this lower resolution mode. However, the 2013 remake fails to account for the aspect ratio squish at all, resulting in the special stages being noticeably skinnier there compared to the original....

[sonadowwiki]

The Difference Between SEGA of Japan and SEGA of America/Europe (Part 3)

Even though Sonic Frontiers was worked on by Americans mostly for the characterization and story, Sonic America incorrectly portrayed SAGE in medias after Sonic Frontiers' release. She was also portrayed incorrectly before Sonic Frontiers' release with the CGI advertisements for the game. They often make SAGE villainous due to being created by Eggman, but SAGE hasn't shown to be villainous in Sonic Frontiers. SAGE's goal in Sonic Frontiers was to find a way to save the world from "The End" and to protect Eggman. To keep individuals safe or out of the way, she tried to keep everyone in the Cyberspace. Sonic was the only one able to escape due to his speed and memories, and from that, SAGE couldn't keep Sonic from doing all the damages he made as she tried to find a solution to the world ending. In response to this, SAGE tried to reason with Sonic to stop destroying things and to leave the Starfall Islands. Sonic stayed stubborn and continued to destroy things in his sight and stayed to free his friends from Cyberspace. Because of this, SAGE tried to use force to make Sonic leave, which lead to her using what robots were in her control against Sonic. Since small robots weren't working, she tried to use the Titans against Sonic since she knew they were too strong for Sonic to handle. She was confident that the Titans could stop Sonic since they were created by the Ancients to stop "The End." She even let the first Titan Giganto throw Sonic across the map to display its power, but she did not let it kill him and instead left Sonic collapsed on the floor. But Sonic stayed stubborn and found a way to destroy the Titans despite all the warnings by using his Super Form. Even though he did all of this and often still got in the way by destroying things that were meant to be used to protect the world, SAGE often just watched Sonic and occasionally tried to stop him time and time again. From watching Sonic interact with his friends, especially Tails, she started to learn what love was. This shows on the last island where SAGE's memory tokens were also the pink hearts to represent her having a heart and learning about love. At the end of the game when you go fight the last boss, the loading circle at the corner of the screen showed as a complete and round circle. Morio Kishimoto said on his Twitter that this was to represent SAGE gaining a soul. So, at the end of the game, SAGE became a being with a soul despite being a robot created by Eggman. And with that love, heart and soul, she sacrificed her life to save the world from disaster, which Sonic almost made happen due to not listening to SAGE sooner. SAGE's personal song called ''Dear Father'' also mentions how she learned love during her journey in the Starfall Islands. In Sonic Frontiers' 3rd update side story, SAGE's personal song "I'm With You" w/vocals also talks about how she was taught love.

Despite all of this, SAGE was often portrayed as someone who wishes harm on others and wants to see others suffer. In the case of the advertisement, it made SAGE almost try to kill a Koko, when in reality, she never tried to harm one in the game ever. For Sonic America's posts, in one post they made it say that SAGE secretly likes to watch the world burn. Sonic America also made a game called The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog where they had SAGE be portrayed as someone who likes to toys with people's lives as they suffer. SAGE being portrayed this way despite how she is portrayed in Sonic Frontiers shows that they don't wish to portray her correctly. Reasons for this might be because she learned how to love, which could be seen as trying to upstage other characters that are supposed to be about love.

Dear Father

Father, I just wanna tell you Thank you for all that you've given me I'm really going to miss you I hope you're not mad at me Took me time to realize My heart is for what data can't do Feelings growing deep inside Taught me what it means to love you I know now that love is beautiful I know now the reason why these tears fall from my eyes This is goodbye I'm happy to have been your creation, to have been your child Father, I wanted to make you proud Father, I will keep you safe I wish I could have found a way to stay with you forever Then maybe wе could be a family born of love Be a family born of lovе Be a family born of love Be a family born of love ♪ Hope that you feel the same 'Til we meet again Hope that you feel the same 'Til we meet again Thank you for everything

I'm With You (Vocal w/Lyrics)

Now, I'm not alone, a family of my own I, get to go home, with you Feelings deep inside, come flowing from my eyes I, get to go home, with you

All the lights, up in the sky All the times, that I spent by your side Taught me love, and taught me pain Things that I, could never have explained

Now, I'm not alone, a family of my own I, get to go home, with you Feelings deep inside, come flowing from my eyes I, get to go home, with you

Watching you, go through all that you do I never knew, until I felt it too But now I know, that love is beautiful There's so much more that I, want to find, out with you

Now, I'm not alone, a family of my own I, get to go home, with you Feelings deep inside, come flowing from my eyes I, get to go home, with you

Memories, I always remember Sceneries, have yet to discover Would it be, too much if I ask to stay forever Everything, is warmer and safer Anything, we can get through together Now that I'm, with you

Home, Sweet, Home Home with you Home, Sweet, Home I'm with you Home, Sweet, Home Home with you Home, Sweet, Home I'm, with you

[Part 4]

[y2klostandfound]

Preview - K-Project (aka Rez) on Страна игр #6 (Strana Igr)(Russian video game magazine) (2001-03)

Translation in English:

The ways of game design are inscrutable. Some talents find a successful formula once and spend their whole life working on it, trying to make one more, albeit small, step to perfection. Some try to develop within a single genre. Some are tempted to work with more than one. There are people who never go back to ideas already thought up and implemented once. Not Tetsuya Mitzuguchi, creator of Sega Rally and Space Channel 5, and leader of United Game Artists (formerly Sega RD#9 Shibuya), the most independent, self-imposed and liberated development studio.

It is hard to say what kind of games this man likes to make, for one of the leaders of modern game design looking, by the way, too young. His games are a celebration of style over substance. And at the same time a source of very deep gameplay. Realistic cars and wild Ulala. Competent skid physics and dancing aliens. Perhaps you will not find in the entire industry such a variety of taste, style, visual solutions. Space Channel 5, for all its innovative game structure and fiery 1960s beats, is a classic in every way. The designer's new project is so unique that it's hard to call it a game in the literal sense of the word. Mitzuguchi started to talk about the new project a long time ago, just a few days after the release of Space Channel 5. Mitzuguchi started to talk about the new project a long time ago, just a few days after the release of Space Channel 5. When it became known that the second series of SC5 UGA seemingly is not going to make (which turned out to be not at all true), the interest in the person of Mitzuguzhi increased incredibly again. By the way, even after the disclosure of K-Project details, many analysts believe that the UGA leader has one or even two more secret projects in stock.

Tetsuya Mizuguchi is his own person. Many journalists agree that he is the geekiest person on the Japanese gaming scene.

K-Project is a psychedelic musical shooter that brings together the genres of musical games and ordinary shooters, which, at least in Japan, have the same level of cult status as turn-based strategy and FPS. By combining such iconic genres Mitzuguchi intends to get a result that is completely free from genre frameworks and prejudices of ordinary players. Never mind that ninety percent of modern gamers won't understand this creation and will never even hear about it, but K-Project will be a real work of art.

The essence of the gameplay is extremely simple, although it is almost impossible to figure out how it all works in K-Project. The game is a set of minimalist levels without any plot connection to each other. Each level stands out with its own graphic style. Complex labyrinths, open space, all kinds of aquariums, even a tropical forest - all this has nothing to do with the essence of the game. In general, Mitzuguchi admits that his main idea is to create a game analogue of the famous Disney cartoon project Fantasia. Hence the inconceivable graphic forms, and a strange musical design. And it's strange because you will be creating it yourself. Singing out the traditional Treasure's frame of enemies and rhythmically firing them off, you will create your own melodies, which will be in many ways superimposed on the general musical background of the game. This, they say, is where the fun of the game lurks. Tying everything together in your brain is impossible. Apparently, this is what is called "intuitive gameplay. That is, even a minute before you sit down for the game, you have no idea how to play it, but as soon as you take the joypad in your hands, everything immediately becomes clear. Such a strange thing this K-Project is. However, even with all that, it's no less strange than its creator.

Platform: Dreamcast Genre: musical shooter Publisher: Sega Developer: United Game Artists Designer: Tetsuya Mitzuguchi Number of players: 1 Online: www.sega.co.jp Release date: summer 2001

[spinningbuster98]

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles Part 3: Taste the rainbow!

I’ve always thought it was pretty funny how Sega used to market Sonic as the anti-Mario, yet here we have a level with giant mushrooms. Anyway Mushroom Hill is a fine one, very cozy and very big and interesting to explore, which you’ll have to if you wanna get the Emeralds as soon as possible!

Flying Battery is good, but a bit overrated honestly? It’s the most gray looking level in the game and it’s pretty boxed in in terms of design despite the number of alternate routes it has. It also features the most ridiculous setpiece in the game: Eggman? You’re damaging your own ship with that beam! And then you gotta wait until it stops crashing before you can start the boss fight!

Finally: Sandopolis. Act 1 is serviceable but everyone hates act 2. I used to as well, but I’ve grown to quite like it actually! It’s gimmick, while treaturous, does not go against the core gameplay principles as it encourages you to go quickly before the lights go completely out, it’s got a nice sense of atmosphere and a nice dose of challenge for what is at the end of the day one of the final stages in the game. The only thing I don’t like is the block pushing, but most of the time it’s pretty brief, with only Knuckles really having an obnoxious section

The way you get the Emeralds in this game is, as everyone knows, the best one in any Sonic game. Finding Giant Rings is fun and rewarding and it keeps being rewarding even after you get all the Emeralds since they will then award you with 50 rings each, essentially granting you a free Super transformation. It encourages exploration in a perfectly natural and fun way.

As for Blue Sphere there was actually a time when I didn’t like this very much. Sure it’s much better technically than the half pipe, but due to its more puzzle focused approach I found that, once you knew the solution, all challenge went away and it was just about going through the motions. I changed my mind in recent years after I started going for those Perfect bonuses, as those require you to complete the entire maze and play skillfully, which makes it all not only harder but also much more fulfilling in my eyes. I only wish that the game gave you something more than just 50k points for doing a Perfect run, but this is a case where the journey makes the destination worth it. i think it’s telling of Blue Sphere’s overall quality that it works not only as a Special Stage but as a minigame in its own right, which Sonic Team must’ve known given how many of these you unlock by Locking Sonic & Knuckles to Sonic 1

Hyper Sonic! Now look I’m not one of those who cry for his return because this or that, but I think he’s phenomenal from a gameplay angle, because he has all of Super Sonic’s advantages and weaknesses but combined with a multidirectional air dash that allows you to break the levels even further and is so, SO fun to abuse! I only wish that the game, y’know...TOLD you about it! As a kid I thought that Hyper Sonic was just a pallette swap of Super, I only accidentally found out about the Hyper Dash, and it took me years to find out accidentally on Youtube that you could aim it! Sonic is also the only character who, I think, gets something truly worthwhile from getting all the Super Emeralds, as you’ll see

I wanna add though that, while I don’t cry about Hyper Sonic’s absence in later games, the reasons that have been given as to his absence are generally both silly and self contradicting. Oh we don’t wanna risk kids suffering from seizures, but we have no problem porting the hell out of Sonic 1 and CD, the former having Special Stages that look like acid trips and the latter having Special Stage 6, which features an entire screen that has the same issues as Hyper’s little sprite. We don’t want Sonic to look too much like DBZ but we’ll make sure that all the games released during the 2000s have stuff like a character blatantly inspired by Trunks, lots of Super Sonic final battles, an edgy rival, a plethora of secondary transformations and most recently having Sonic literally go Super Saiyan 2!

I guess that the inner machinations of Sonic Team truly are an enigma...

[retechie]

Creative Ways to Repurpose Your Old Laptop

When your old laptop no longer meets your needs, it doesn’t have to be destined for the recycling bin or storage closet. With a little creativity and effort, you can give your old laptop a new purpose, transforming it into a functional tool or a fun project.

This blog explores several innovative ways to repurpose old laptops, helping you extend their lifespan while reducing electronic waste. Whether you want to turn your used laptop into a media server or donate it after refurbishment, platforms like Retechie make the process easier by offering professional solutions for refurbished laptops in India.

Why Repurpose Your Old Laptop?

Repurposing an old laptop offers several advantages:

Cost Savings: Reusing your device saves money compared to buying new gadgets.

Eco-Friendly Impact: Reducing electronic waste by giving laptops a second life supports sustainable practices.

Learning Opportunities: Repurposing can be a fun and educational DIY project.

Creative Ways to Repurpose Your Old Laptop

1. Create a Media Center

Turn your old laptop into a dedicated media center to stream movies, music, and TV shows. Install software like Plex or Kodi to manage your media library, and connect the laptop to your TV for a seamless entertainment experience.

How:

Install lightweight operating systems for optimal performance.

When dealing with huge media files, use external storage.

2. Set Up a Home Server

Transform your laptop into a personal server for hosting files, websites, or applications. This can be particularly useful for small businesses or personal projects.

Benefits:

Access your files from anywhere.

Use it for local backups and cloud storage.

3. Use It as a Learning Tool for Kids

Refurbish your old laptop and set it up for children to learn coding, play educational games, or complete homework assignments.

How:

Install educational software.

Use parental control apps for added security.

4. Build a Retro Gaming Console

Gamers can turn their old laptops into retro gaming consoles by installing emulation software to play classic games from the NES, Sega, or PlayStation eras.

Steps:

Download emulation software like RetroArch.

Pair the laptop with USB controllers for an authentic experience.

5. Donate to Those in Need

After refurbishing your laptop, consider donating it to schools, charities, or non-profit organizations. A refurbished laptop can make a significant difference for students or families who cannot afford new devices.

Pro Tip: Use services like Retechie to professionally restore your old laptop before donating.

6. Turn It into a Security Camera

You can turn your old laptop into a hub for security cameras. Install software like iSpy or ZoneMinder to monitor your home using webcams.

How:

Position webcams in key areas.

Use the laptop to store and review footage.

7. Use It as a Digital Photo Frame

If your laptop’s screen is still functional, transform it into a digital photo frame. Display a slideshow of your favorite memories or use it for dynamic art.

Steps:

Use photo slideshow software.

Place the laptop in a decorative frame or stand.

8. Convert It into a Chromebook

If your old laptop struggles with heavy operating systems, convert it into a lightweight Chromebook by installing Chrome OS Flex. This makes it perfect for basic browsing and cloud-based tasks.

Benefits:

Boost performance with minimal system requirements.

Ideal for students or light users.

9. Use It for DIY Smart Home Projects

Your old laptop can be integrated into smart home setups as a hub for controlling devices like lights, thermostats, and security systems.

How:

Install smart home management software.

Use it as a dedicated interface for your smart devices.

10. Refurbish and Resell

If you don’t have a personal use for your old laptop, consider refurbishing it and selling it as a second hand laptop. Platforms like Retechie specialize in restoring devices for resale, ensuring you get the best value while providing buyers with reliable products.

Pro Tip: Ensure the laptop’s data is securely erased before selling or donating.

How Retechie Can Help

Retechie is a trusted platform for professionally refurbishing old laptops and turning them into valuable assets. Whether you’re looking to resell or donate, Retechie ensures your device is restored to optimal condition.

Why Choose Retechie?

Certified Refurbishment: Comprehensive testing and repairs for quality assurance.

Wide Range of Services: From Refurbished Apple laptops to Windows devices.

Eco-Friendly Solutions: Supporting sustainability by reducing e-waste.

Final Thoughts

Repurposing an old laptop is a smart, sustainable way to extend its usability while saving money. Whether you’re converting it into a media server, donating it, or refurbishing it for resale, the possibilities are endless.

With platforms like Retechie, repurposing or restoring your used laptop becomes easier and more reliable. Give your old device a second life and contribute to a greener planet today! Explore professional refurbishment services and affordable refurbished laptops at Retechie and unlock the potential of your old laptop.

[jasethegooberton]

Why are you so pressed over this? This is literally the most nothing topic to complain about.

I assume some (keyword: SOME) of the people saying that might just be newer fans who haven't gotten to know all the older lore, go easy on them. Not everyone is a trend hopper, there are people who genuinely just don't know or have been informed wrong (accidental misinterpretation is a common issue, especially when sharing thoughts on social media).

Also worth noting, its been a LONG time since Sonic Adventures 2 came out (also sonic X since shadow cried on that show too). Obviously SEGA hasn't given Shadow a whole lot of room to properly express his emotion in the recent games up until now, so "Shadow is allowed to cry again" isn't the completely nonsensical take you are making it out to be.

Instead of cussing them out, maybe just calmly explain and show examples of Shadow being more vulnerable in other games and/or comics like a normal person rather than spouting idiotic solutions like resorting to gatekeeping?

I get that it is extremely frustrating when people don't actually understand the source material and make assumptions based off of loose facts (it happens in almost every other fandom) but it is honestly just better to either kindly correct them or IGNORE them all together. Super duper easy solutions that don't involve cussing everyone out and acting like you're the "superior fan" for knowing that shadow has cried in previous games.

My only exception to this is obviously when people PURPOSEFULLY misinterpret the source material just to shit on it and spread a false narrative for content sake. (tiktok commenters yapping for the sake of yapping)

"they let Shadow cry omg Shadow is allowed to cry again" Shadow was always allowed to cry he cried in SA2 what the fuck are you talking about?

literally just making shit up x3

I honestly don't understand what even goes through their minds

They're fucking tourists, honestly

Like way to advertise you're just here cuz it's trendy and not cuz you actually know or care about the franchise

These people are literally the equivalent of fucking JoJo "fans" who think Jotaro originally drew The World tarot card but was given Star because it was already taken

Chuds and posers who just gobble up the memes and never actually engage with the source material

Honestly there's so much shit that people say about Sonic that reminds me of that one in particular

Like fucktards are watching Snapcube or Jehtt videos and acting like that's a substitute for actually playing the games

This is why gatekeeping is important

The thing that gets me is they're obviously not even interested in getting into the series or playing the games at all

it's like, why tf are you here then???

[sandyzakk]

What is the nature of the “Metaverse” battle among tech companies? How will it change our lives?

Discussions of Metaverse technology have become more common in recent years as a major development in digital experiences, but the technology remains a mystery even to many on the cutting edge.

In a report published by Reader’s Digest , author Mimu Nakontai said the word metaverse does not refer to one specific thing, but to a network of applications that use advanced technology in virtual reality To facilitate online interaction, moreover, users can make their own digital avatars to communicate and move in various virtual spaces just like in real life.

The author added that in the 1990s, the Japanese game company “Sega” introduced virtual reality games into electronic arcades.

The authors argue that the current version of the Metaverse can be attributed to these technologies, “but no single technology has been more important to the development of the Metaverse than virtual reality glasses.”

Beyond that, the author adds that video game enthusiasts are the biggest beneficiaries of the Metaverse, and video games are probably the most interesting things in the Metaverse, but the technology will definitely add some elements to various areas of life .

The Metaverse Development Company is generally the virtual place where we work, learn, play, earn and spend money, and most technologists agree that it will fundamentally change our lives.

In this case, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that the metaverse “will not only change the way we see the world, but also affect the way we engage from the factory floor to the boardroom.”

Soon, music fans and sports fans may wear virtual reality glasses to watch live broadcasts without leaving home, plus the technology can solve congestion problems, and all this is just the tip of the iceberg in the metaverse space .

metacosmic momentum

Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, currently employs about 10,000 people on the Metaverse project and has pledged to spend $10 billion on the project this year alone.

The company called “Varjo Reality Cloud” recently announced that it has completed the development of its metaverse beta version and is currently in the process of full release.

Varjo’s version is very different from the Meta (formerly Facebook) version of the Metaverse, but now it’s clear that we have two camps fighting for the future of the Metaverse web and its future model.

Metaverse, where Metaverse is centered around consumers and revenue, is defined by performance and usage constraints, such as headsets or “Oculus” glasses required to enter a virtual world, while Varjo-Nvidia’s approach is performance-focused, performance-centric, Business comes in second, as explained by technologist Rob Endley in a recent Tech News World article in which he discusses the character of the metaverse’s future struggles, and how Meta and Varjo — Differences between different Nvidia versions of the metaverse.

Major global companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia are also paying unprecedented attention to the metaverse, reorganizing their internal structures, writing job descriptions suitable for the “metaverse era”, and preparing to launch billion-dollar products appropriate for this era .

Management consultancy McKinsey estimates that Metaverse-related investments reached some $120 billion in the first five months of this year alone.

Disadvantages of the Metaverse

There is no doubt that the Metaverse will make life easier in multiple realms, but like all new technologies, it has its downsides.

Challenges for Metaverse Development solutions developers include privacy, child protection, inequality, legality, and health concerns, among others.

Experts say there are very real concerns about personal data online, and with data currently the most valuable commodity, the Metaverse could intensify its exploitation as it blurs the line between physical and digital data.

There is also no formal identity verification process in the Metaverse, which makes it easy to impersonate a digital identity and is just one of many potential crimes that can go unchecked. The Metaverse can also fuel a culture of sensitivity and internet addiction, however, investing in VR companies don’t seem to be doing much to counteract these negative effects.

One of the downsides of bringing everyone closer and bringing the different cultures of the world together is that you lose the wonderful cultural diversity that currently exists in the world, if people spend most of their time in parallel worlds, they no longer feel connected Their immediate community has connections.

Nor will they feel the need to adopt local or regional cultures, which may ultimately lead to the end of many traditions that have existed since the dawn of man, and may create a new society that, while they may be unified and inclusive, may end in failure Ended up and was no fun.

One of the main concerns many people have about this technology is that it is easy to lose track of time while using it because your senses are essentially disabled, in other words it connects to the virtual world instead of the real world, long term exposure to the metaverse people may lose touch with reality and may transcend reality, unwilling to acknowledge the existence of worlds other than virtual worlds.

We currently experience this behavior to some extent when using mobile devices, with many people around the world spending close to 5 hours a day staring at screens.

[retrocgads]

UK 1991

[vadapega]

WHO WANTS TO READ MORE ABOUT HOW THESE IDIOTS RUINED A SATURDAY FOR ME? Keep reading

So as I'm occasionally working on Sonic CD : Static Charge as a break from my commission work, one of the things that kept happening was this idiot getting all sorts of corrupted (even turning invisible!), this was UNIQUE to this badnik, NO OTHER OBJECT WOULD GET THIS CORRUPT!

I was devastated trying to find ANY lead on the corruption, thinking it was a sprite overload for the longest time since... boy there are a lot more objects here than in Sonic CD originally...

So i started dummying out objects left and right, and as it turns out, even with the stage completely devoid of any objects besides these scarab idiots, IT WOULD STILL GLITCH UP IN DEBUG MODE

So I went on a hunt, deleting pieces of code from objects that happened to be nearby until it stoped happening and I figured it out... somehow if ArrayPos0 was pointing at specific objects during specific points, it would glitch it up which made NO SENSE WHATSOEVER! So I set the ArrayPos0 to 0 or subtracted it by 1 and called it good... well, not really...

I wasn't satisfied with this solution, something deeper was going on...

And then I found it, in the Scarab's own unmodified code... this single line.... THIS SINGLE LINE...

GET PROPERTYVALUE FROM OBJECT IN ArrayPos0 AND ADD TO OBJECT'S FRAME

WHO

WHAT

WHY

HOW

SO BASICALLY WHAT ENDED UP HAPPENING, IF A OBJECT NEARBY HAPPENED TO BE USING ArrayPos0 (in this case, the conveyors, debug mode and propellers) IT WOULD TAKE THE PROPERTY VALUE FROM WHATEVER LEFTOVER OBJECT THERE WAS AND ADD TO THE OBJECT'S FRAME

THIS MADE NO SENSE WHATSOEVER

In CD 2011 this isn't a big deal, nothing uses ArrayPos0 outside of the conveyors, but the object that it points to after... in fact, many of the objects in that stage don't have a PropertyValue to begin with...

BUT BOY HOWDY I'M THE KING OF SUBTYPE SHENANIGANS SO THERE'S PLENTY OF OBJECTS GOING TOWARDS 0xFF CASUALLY

So why is it there in the first place? I was wondering that too and I figured it out... these sprites... outlined in red... go completely unused in CD 2011

They're mapped to the object alongside a duplicate of frame 1 but never get used, it looked as if they would've been used when PropertyValue was 4, which is reserved for the Scarab that holds a monitor... but that's not where that's used in the original Sonic CD on the SEGA CD

This is where OG Sonic CD uses it, it's the release frame for when Sonic gets launched.

There is no situation, despite very vulnerable code, where that frame is ever displayed outside of modding. Sonic CD 2011 completely forgot about it.

I decided to bring it back, not as a launch frame but as a pre-launch frame, so the player knows they're about to get released.

Thanks for reading. Moral of the story : When modding, never trust the original code, there's always a dumb edge case that will keep you on edge.

[beevean]

The thing that frustrated me about the ‘Sonic’s stupid friends’ sentiment back at its height was that there’s an element to it I can kind of sympathise with. I love the series’ cast, but when they’re both playable in a way that isn’t fun, or portrayed badly in a way that makes them come across annoying, then yeah, I don’t blame casual audiences who don’t have an pre-existing investment in the characters for getting sick of them. Unfortunately, instead of saying ‘ok, we’ve gotta rethink how we use these characters, and make them actually fun to watch and play’ the message Sega and Somic Team seem to have received (at least back then) was ‘well, guess we’ve gotta get rid of these characters’.

I really don’t like that Sonic 4 was marketed on cutting out the other characters, that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But I’m also partly inclined to blame that they were just being used poorly. I don’t blame people with that mindset for not liking the characters. I blame the idea that the solution was to all but remove them rather than using them better in the games. It’s this weird case of ‘I understand you, but you’re missing the forest for the trees’.

This is very true. I mentioned '06 for a reason: 9 different characters, each with their own unique moveset (and I'm not counting stuff like the Mach Speed sections or Shadow's vehicles), were just too much work for the team.

But also let's not kid ourselves, some fans hated the new characters because they were new and that's it. The stuff I read about Cream and Rouge would never fly nowadays lmao. Although I read one comment that said something like "how can we learn to like Cream and Rouge if we have to deal with Silver and Marine now?", which, you know what, fair point.

And you hit the nail on the head: SEGA swings from one extreme to the other. We went from a new character every game to the complete removal of anyone that isn't Sonic, Tails or Eggman. Forces was a very timid step forward, with the Avatar and Shadow, but we know how it went. But the thing is, cutting the cast really worked, it was what many fans wanted.

This is why I was so worried when Forces became the new punching bag: I still think some ideas could be salvaged, especially how it wanted to go back to a more serious tone, but who knew if SEGA would interpret it as "welp, fans love Mania, this means they like the Classic series, let's churn out even more nostalgia fests"?

[karakulialiny]

This one isn't related to my comic, But if not for A link link to the past, I would never have become a fan of Zelda and would not have created this very comic @welcome-to-hyrulepark

Here I decided to redraw a scene that I had long wanted to redraw, but there was no reason given - when Link first got into the dark world and met other fellows there.

As for how this game helped me decide on a creative path, I'll be brief: back in 2018, when I was waiting a computer science consultation in 9th grade, I decided to take my Sega Gopher 2 console to kill some time. I already played Battletoads, Ninja Warriors Again, Sonic the hedgehog Pokemon there, and I wanted to try something new. And then I came across the title that I already knew thanks to my then-favorite toy reviewer when he was reviewing Nintendo Switch - Legend of Zelda. I became interested and decided to try this game, especially since that YouTuber was very praising the game for Switch. As soon as I started playing, I was immediately hooked by the presentation of the plot and I decided that I would go through this game to the end. However, studying and having difficulty with one of the puzzles there made me give up A link to the past for a while. Only in the summer of 2019 I decided to play this game again in order to complete it. I surfed the internet looking for solutions to some of the puzzles, and I started seeing videos with evolutions of Zelda games. When I watched these videos, I also found the very game that the same YouTuber was reviewing - Breath of the wild. This game seemed very attractive to me and it sat down in the very depths of my heart. So much so that I even decided to create a fanfiction comic, combining BotW with another thing that I was a fan of then - South Park.

Fun fact 1: when I first played A link to the past, I wasn't such hardcore ZeLink shipper as now. I became it only after Breath of the wild.

Fun fact 2: I planned to start playing Final Fantasy on the same Sega Gopher 2 after completing Zelda, but then changed mind because I was afraid that I would love Final Fantasy more😆

{Previous drawing][Next drawing}

[edgy-ella]

Sonic movie 2 end credits thoughts!

Cutoff for spoilers, obviously.

Going into the movie, I knew that the end credits scene here would add in either Metal Sonic or Shadow. I predicted the former would get added; they made a big deal of Robotnik using one of Sonic’s quills to empower his machines in the first movie, so I figured that plot point would reach its natural conclusion with Metal Sonic being built. I also feared that, because of that, Shadow would likely end up becoming a literal Sonic clone and more or less taking Metal Sonic’s role if he was chosen as the end credits character instead, stripping him of all the traits that make him unique.

As the movie progressed, I slowly but surely realized that Shadow would end up being the end credits character over Metal Sonic. Not only was the quill’s plot relevance almost completely dropped very early on, but Robotnik never displayed any desire to build any new robots (or at least not something like Metal Sonic), instead relying on his pre-existing stash. The final nail in the coffin was the utterly baffling and unnecessary wedding scene that only was in the plot in order to establish that G.U.N. exists in this universe, an organization that Shadow has heavy ties to.

But fellas. I am SO glad I was wrong in my prediction and SO excited to see what they do with Shadow going forward. Like I said, my biggest fear was that he’d be a clone of Sonic made by Robotnik and completely scrap his original backstory and arc for being too dark and too weird for a Hollywood kid’s movie. So hearing the very quick rundown they give on his situation (even if it felt a little forced) made me incredibly happy. Edgy the Hedgy is here, babyyyy! I don’t expect a one-to-one adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2, but I do know that they’ve done their homework and will at least capture the same tone and emotional beats, just like they did with Knuckles.

I also wonder if they’ll mention anything about the Black Arms, even if just in passing. The way these movies are set up means that they would fit in surprisingly well, now that I think about it. Sega has been very picky about referencing the Black Arms in recent years, though, so they might just ignore that aspect of Shadow’s backstory. I also wonder how they’ll explain Shadow being an anthro hedgehog while supposedly being from Earth. Sonic X also had to deal with this problem and their solution was to just not mention it, but I feel like Paramount will at least try to provide some kind of explanation for it.

Anyways here’s the end credits scene if you want to rewatch it in all its glory

[crusherthedoctor]

I think a big part of the problem with Flynn's Eggman is that operating baseline level of evil is too evil; like the full range of goofus to evil bastard is alright, but he dwells too much on Eggman being evil. The whole Sonic in IDW waiting out for the hope that Eggman might be redeemed is in response to Sega being like "Sonic & co are purely reactive to Eggman's deeds and don't seek him out" when a way simpler solution to justify that behavior would to just have Eggman's baseline be toned down

I'd say you're overthinking it. The real issues, at least as I see them, can be summed up thusly:

1. Flynn!Eggman's problem isn't that he's "too evil". I've always said that and will continue to say that. The problem is that it's often portrayed in a particularly on-the-nose way, as if Flynn doesn't get that it's possible for a villain's dickery to be just as effective, sometimes even moreso, in more subtle ways. Which is perfectly possible to do without softening the character Sonic X-style, something that too many writers fail to grasp.

2. When confronted with the idea that there has to be something else to Eggman in addition to his evilness in order for him to be interesting, his immediate solution is not to expand on his intelligence, humor, or other consistent aspects, but instead "Let's turn him into a complete dumbass for no adequately explained reason, even if we're continuing off from the events of a game that single-handedly prove this is bullshit."

3. The conundrum of giving Sonic a reason for wanting to see good in Eggman can be easily solved by not bothering with it in the first place. It's one thing for Sonic to consider how things would be like if the doc weren't evil, and maybe express regret that he's too dead-set in his ways, but considering everything he's been through in the games (all without seriously believing the idea of Eggman turning over a new leaf), and that he was also suspicious of him during the time he was Mr. Tinker within IDW itself, it was strange for him to suddenly want to see the good in him now, and only after Tinker stopped being a thing.