#hyper spinning robo

[ninebaalart]

Earthbound Enemies

sort of a random selection of three different Earthbound enemies. The shattered man I feel like people don't quite capture just the weird vibes off it

[themattress]

Archie Sonic: Full Issue Database

THE CLASSIC ERA #0: Don't Cry For Me, Mobius/Oh No Robo! No Mo' Mobo! - Gallagher #1: Run, Sally, Run/Something Fishy - Gallagher #2: A Crowning Achievement - Gallagher #3: What If.../Why Ask Spy? - Gallagher --------------------------------------- #1: Hedgehog & Vine/You Bet My Life - Gallagher #2: Triple Trouble/Vertigo A' Go-Go - Gallagher #3: The Bomb Bugs Me/Rabbot Deployment - Gallagher #4: The Lizard of Odd/Tails' Little Tale - Gallagher #5: Olympic Trial and Error/Chomp on This - DeCesare #6: The Spin Doctor/Sonic's Christmas Carol - Gallagher/DeCesare #7: Uncle Chuck's Treasure/Sorceress in Distress - DeCesare #8: Bot's All Folks/A Little Sonic Goes a Long Way - Gallagher #9: Pseudo-Sonic/What's the Point? - Gallagher/DeCesare #10: Revenge of the Nerbs/Twan With the Wind - DeCesare #11: Good, Bad and Hedgehog/Beat the Clock/Food for Thought - Penders & Kanterovich #12: A Timely Arrival/Bold-Headed Eagle/Lynx is a Jinx - Gallagher/DeCesare #13: This Island Hedgehog/Space in Your Face - Penders & Kanterovich/DeCesare #14: Tails' Taste of Power/Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - DeCesare/Penders & Kanterovich #15: Rockin' The Bot/Animal Magnetism - DeCesare #16: Sonic Under Glass/The Man From H.E.D.G.E.H.O.G - Penders & Kanterovich #17: The Apes of Wrath/Princess Sally's Crusade (1) - Penders & Kanterovich #18: Wedding Bell Blues/Princess Sally's Crusade (2) - Penders & Kanterovich SP1: Princess Sally's Crusade (3) - Penders & Kanterovich #19: Night of 1,000 Hedgehogs - Penders & Kanterovich #20: That's the Spirit/Deadlest of the Species - DeCesare/Penders & Kanterovich MS1: Princess Sally - Penders & Kanterovich #21: The Three Phases of E.V.E - Penders #22: The Return/Tail's Knighttime Story - Penders/DeCesare #23: Ivo Robotnik, Freedom Fighter/The Vol-Ant-Teer - DeCesare #24: When Hedgehogs Collide - Penders & Kanterovich #25: Go Ahead...Mecha My Day - Gallagher SP2: Sonic & Knuckles - Penders #26: Way, Way Past Cool - DeCesare SP3: Sonic Triple Trouble - Gallagher #27: A Scrambled Hedgehog/Coming Soon - Penders/Gallagher #28: Saturday Night's Alright For a Fight/Growing Pains (1) - Penders/Gallagher #29: Steel Belted Sally/Growing Pains (2) - DeCesare/Gallagher MS2: Sonic's Buddy Tails - Gallagher #30: The Return of Uncle Chuck/Who Stole My Chaos Emeralds? - DeCesare/Castiglia SP4: Knuckles' Chaotix - Penders #31: A Robot Rides the Rails/Lost and Found/Tundra Road (1) - Penders/Gallagher #32: Blast From the Past/Prisoners/Tundra Road (2) - DeCesare/Penders/Gallagher #33: Let's Get Small/The Big Picture/Sonic Shot - Gallagher/Penders SP5: Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles - Gallagher/Penders #34: To Bot or Not to Bot/A Sense of History (1) - DeCesare/Penders #35: Rings of Truth/A Sense of History (2) - Gallagher/Penders #36: Heart of Darkness/A Sense of History (3) - Penders MS3: Sonic's Friendly Nemesis Knuckles - Penders #37: The Day Robotropolis Fell/Bunnie's Worst Nightmare - DeCesare/Koslowski #38: The Rise of Robotropolis/Bedtime Tails - Taylor/Penders #39: Rage Against the Machine - Gallagher SP6: Sonic & Knuckles Mecha Madness - Gallagher/Taylor #40: Court Martial - Gallagher #41: And One Shall Save Him - Penders MS4: Sonic Quest (The Death Egg Saga) - Gallagher #42: In Every Kingdom There Must Exist Chaos/Knuckles Quest (1) - Taylor/Penders #43: The Dream Zone - Penders SP7: Sonic Live/The Substitute FFs/Knuckles Quest (2) - Penders/Koslowski/Taylor #44: Black and Blue and Red All Over - Penders SP8: Sonic Blast/The T.U.F.F Awards/Bugged Bunnie - Gallagher/DeCesare #45: Guerilla Thriller/Knuckles Quest (3) - DeCesare/Taylor/Penders #46: Countdown to Armageddon/Knuckles Quest (4) - Taylor/Penders SS1: Battle Royal/The Map - Taylor/Penders/Rolston #47: Endgame (1) - Penders #48: Endgame (2) - Penders/Taylor #49: Endgame (3) - Penders/Gallagher #50: Endgame (4) - Penders/Gallagher/Bollers/Taylor ------------------------------------------------------ KTE#1: The Dark Legion (1) - Penders/Taylor KTE#2: The Dark Legion (2) - Penders/Taylor KTE#3: The Dark Legion (3) - Penders/Taylor

THE ADVENTURING ERA #51: Reality Bytes - Bollers #52: The Discovery Zone/First Contact - Rolston/Bollers SS2: Brave New World - Penders SS3: Sonic Firsts - Gallagher/Penders & Kanterovich #53: Unfinished Business/Sounds of Silence - Penders/Bollers SS4: Return of the King/Down and Out in Downunda - Bollers/Gallagher #54: Running to Stand Still - Bollers #55: Monkey Madness/Rise of the Robians - Strom/Bollers #56: Immortality is Forever, Life is Finite - Taylor SS5: Sonic Kids - Gallagher/Rolston/Bollers #57: Back to Basics - Bollers #58: Friendly Rogues and Foul Villains/The Living Crown - Penders/Emery #59: Opposites Detract/The People's Princess - Gallagher/Penders #60: Arsenal of the Iron King/The Ultimatum - Strom/Penders SS6: Sonic 50 Directors Cut - Penders/Gallagher/Bollers/Taylor #61: Outback Check/Total Turbulence/Secret Service (1) - Gallagher/Bollers/Penders #62: Icon (1)/Secret Service (2) - Bollers/Penders #63: Icon (2)/Secret Service (3) - Bollers/Penders SS7: Parallel Paradigm - Penders #64: The Naugus Trilogy (1)/Secret Service (4) - Bollers/Penders #65: The Naugus Trilogy (2)/The Library - Bollers/Penders #66: The Naugus Trilogy (3)/And Then There Was One - Bollers SS8: Sally Moon - Slott/Brown/Ribeiro/Strom/Oliveras #67: Tomb Raider/Shadows in the Dark - Bollers/Penders #68: Surprise/Survival of the Fittest - Bollers/Penders SS9: Sonic Kids 2 - Gallagher #69: A Day in the Life/Weathering the Storm - Bollers/Penders #70: Saving Nate Morgan/Statute of Limitations - Bollers/Castiglia #71: Retro Activity/Tales of the Great War (Prelude) - Bollers/Penders SS10: One Enchantra Evening/Zone Wars: A Tale of Two Hedgehogs - Gallagher/Bollers #72: I, Robotnik/Tales of the Great War (1) - Bollers/Penders #73: The Truth is Out There/Tales of the Great War (2) - Bollers/Penders #74: Don't Call It a Comeback/Tales of the Great War (3) - Bollers/Penders #75: I Am The Eggman - Bollers SS11: Girls Rule - Penders/Gallagher #76: Business as Usual/Tales of the Great War (4) - Bollers/Penders #77: Rebels Without a Pause/Tales of the Great War (5) - Bollers/Penders SS12: Turnabout Heroes/Zone Wars: Giant Robotno - Penders/Bollers/Slott #78: Changes/Tales of the Great War (6) - Bollers/Penders #79: The Discovery/The Chaos Factor/Tales of the Great War (7) - Bollers/Penders #80: If Wishes Were Acorns/Land Fall/Swallowing Trouble - Bollers/Penders #81: City of Dreams/All You Need's a Bit of Chaos/A Rose Plucked - Bollers/Penders #82: Night of Chaos/A Door To The Past/Double-Crossed Circuits - Bollers/Penders SS13: Sonic Adventure - Bollers/Penders #83: Menace to Society - Bollers SS14: Law of the Land/Best of Times, Worst of Times - Skolnick/Spivey/Penders #84: Perfect Chaos/Bridge Under Troubled Waters - Penders #85: The Big Payback - Bollers #86: Heart of the Hedgehog (1)/Against the Haunted Past (1) - Fingeroth/Strom #87: Heart of the Hedgehog (2)/Against the Haunted Past (2) - Fingeroth/Strom SS15: Naugus Games / Spin City - Penders/Gallagher ------------------------------------------------------------ KTE#4: Lost Paradise (1) - Penders KTE#5: Lost Paradise (2) - Penders KTE#6: Lost Paradise (3) - Penders KTE#7: Dark Vengeance (1) - Penders KTE#8: Dark Vengeance (2) - Penders KTE#9: Dark Vengeance (3) - Penders KTE#10: The Forgotten Tribe (1) - Penders KTE#11: The Forgotten Tribe (2) - Penders KTE#12: The Forgotten Tribe (3) - Penders KTE#13: The Chaotix Caper (1) - Penders KTE#14: The Chaotix Caper (2) - Penders KTE#15: The Chaotix Caper (3) - Penders KTE#16: Reunions - Penders KTE#17: Deep Cover (1) - Penders KTE#18: Deep Cover (2) - Penders KTE#19: The Forbidden Zone (1) - Penders KTE#20: The Forbidden Zone (2) - Penders KTE#21: The Forbidden Zone (3) - Penders KTE#22: Dark Alliance (1) - Penders KTE#23: Dark Alliance (2) - Penders KTE#24: Dark Alliance (3) - Penders KTE#25: Childhood's End - Penders KTE#26: The First Date (1) - Penders KTE#27: The First Date (2) - Penders KTE#28: The First Date (3) - Penders KTE#29: My Special Friend - Penders KTE#30: King of the Hill (1) - Penders KTE#31: King of the Hill (2) - Penders KTE#32: King of the Hill (3) - Penders

THE DECLINING ERA #88: Family Matters/Picking Up the Pieces - Bollers/Penders #89: Thicker Than Water/A Matter of Self-Interest - Bollers/Penders #90: Sword of Omens/Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Bollers/Penders #91: Crash/Hired Guns - Bollers/Penders #92: The Wrath of Khan/Premonition - Bollers/Penders #93: Crime 'N Punishment/Bagging the Big One - Bollers/Penders #94: New Order/The Best Laid Plans - Bollers/Penders #95: Enemy Mine/When Destiny Calls - Bollers/Penders #96: The Messenger/The Chosen One - Bollers/Penders #97: My Secret Identity/To The Brink - Bollers/Penders #98: Sonic Adventure 2/As the Shadow Awakes - Bollers/Penders #99: Blow by Blow/What Comes Around Goes Around - Bollers/Penders #100: Reunion/Welcome to the Dark Side - Bollers/Penders #101: Altered States/Reboot - Bollers/Penders #102: Family Dysfunction/Life's Realities - Bollers/Penders #103: FFs of the Galaxy (1)/Myth Taken Identity (1) - Gallagher #104: FFs of the Galaxy (2)/Myth Taken Identity (2) - Gallagher #105: You Say You Want a Revolution?/Myth Taken Identity (3) - Bollers/Gallagher #106: Crouching Hedgehog, Hidden Dragon (1)/Reunification (1) - Bollers/Penders #107: Crouching Hedgehog, Hidden Dragon (2)/Reunification (2) - Bollers/Penders #108: Robotnik x 2 = Trouble/A Girl Named Hope/Reunification (3) - Bollers/Penders #109: Heard it Through the Pipeline/The Crush/Reunification (4) - Bollers/Penders #110: War Games/One For All - Bollers #111: Kids of the Spider Woman/I'll Shoot the Sheriff!/The Trouble With Grrrls! - Bollers #112: Mistaken Identity Crisis/Forgiven - Bollers #113: Cry of the Wolf - Oliveras #114: Twice Told Tails/Ultimate Power (1)/Young At Heart - Bollers/Penders #115: Meanie in a Bottle/Ultimate Power (2) - Bollers/Penders #116: Operation Off Switch/Bat Fight/Ultimate Power (Mid-Logue) - Bollers/Penders #117: Cyber Race/The Tortoise and the Hedgehog/Ultimate Power (3) - Bollers/Chacon/Penders #118: Robotnik Returns/Heart to Heart/Ultimate Power (4) - Bollers/Penders #119: Cater-Killer is Coming!/Dust Bunnie/Time Code - Bollers #120: She's Gotta Have Him/Those Were the Days/The Royal Signet - Bollers/Penders/Chacon #121: The Prince and the Revolution/Afterlife (1)/Song Bird - Bollers/Penders/Chacon #122: Hearts Held Hostage (1)/Afterlife (2)/Only One Guardian - Bollers/Penders #123: Hearts Held Hostage (2)/Afterlife (3)/The Last Robian - Bollers/Penders #124: Sonic Adventure 2.5 (Alpha)/Afterlife (4) - Bollers/Penders #125: Sonic Adventure 2.5 (Omega) - Bollers

THE MISERABLE ERA #126: Tossed in Space (1 & 2)/Better Read Than Dead - Bollers/Gallagher #127: Tossed in Space (3)/Agent Sonic vs. Agent Knuckles - Bollers/Gallagher #128: Tossed in Space (4 & 5) - Bollers #129: Tossed in Space (6 & 7) - Chacon/Bollers #130: Home (1) - Bollers #131: Home (2)/Mobius 25YL (Prologue) - Bollers/Penders #132: Home (3)/Mobius 25YL (1) - Bollers/Penders #133: Home (4)/Mobius 25YL (2) - Bollers/Penders #134: Home (Epilogue)/Mobius 25YL (3) - Bollers/Penders #135: Agent of K.N.O.T.H.O.L.E/Anonymous/Mobius 25YL (4) - Chacon/Bollers/Penders #136: The Infiltrator/Mobius 25YL (5)/Patience - Chacon/Penders #137: Robo-Dyne Systems/Mobius 25YL (6)/Ooh-La-La Treachery - Chacon/Penders #138: Return to Angel Island (1)/Mobius 25YL (7) - Bollers/Penders #139: Return to Angel Island (2)/Mobius 25YL (8) - Bollers/Penders #140: Return to Angel Island (3)/Mobius 25YL (9) - Bollers/Penders #141: Return to Angel Island (4)/Mobius 25YL (10) - Bollers/Penders #142: The Original FFs (1)/I Wanna Be a Freedom Fighter/Mobius 25YL (11) - Chacon/Penders #143: The Original FFs (2)/Mobius 25YL (12) - Chacon/Penders #144: Mobius 25YL (13)/Love and Loss - Penders/Chacon #145: Shadows of Hope/Training Day/Harbringer - Penders/Bollers #146: The Good, Bad and Unknown (1)/Out of Your Shell/Circuit Me - Penders/Chacon #147: The Good, Bad and Unknown (2)/This Side of Parodies/Fox and the Hound - Penders/Gallagher/Chacon #148: The Good, Bad and Unknown (3)/Playing Around/Destiny's Child - Penders/Ribiero #149: The Good, Bad and Unknown (4)/The Chosen One (1) - Penders/Chacon #150: From Hero to Zero in No Time At All/The Chosen One (2) - Penders/Chacon #151: Chaos Emeralds are Forever/Stargazer - Penders/Del Rio #152: Engage/Sonic's Angels - Penders #153: Songoose (1)/Fairy Tale - Bollers/Chacon #154: Songoose (2)/More Than Meets The Eye - Bollers/Penders #155: Line of Succession (1)/The Price of Flame (1) - Penders/Gallagher #156: Line of Succession (2)/The Price of Flame (2) - Penders/Gallagher #157: System Shutdown - Penders #158: System Reconfiguration - Penders #159: System Reboot - Penders

THE RENEWAL ERA #160: Birthday Bash (1)/Sonic Rush (1) - Flynn #161: Birthday Bash (2)/Sonic Rush (2) - Flynn #162: The Darkest Storm (1)/Ties That Bind - Flynn #163: The Darkest Storm (2)/Sonic Riders (1) - Flynn #164: The Darkest Storm (3)/Sonic Riders (2) - Flynn #165: Leak/Call of Duty - Flynn #166: Mobius 25YL (14)/The Chaotix Connection - Flynn #167: Mobius 25YL (15)/Hedgehog Day - Flynn #168: Order From Chaos (1)/Courage and Honor - Flynn #169: Order From Chaos (2)/For a Friend - Flynn #170: Comings & Goings/The Island of Misfit Badniks - Flynn/Gallagher #171: I Am/Enforcers - Flynn #172: Truth of the Heart/Worth the Effort - Flynn #173: Round Up!/See Ya Later, Chao (1) - Flynn #174: Union/See Ya Later, Chao (2) - Flynn #175: Eggman Empire - Flynn #176: Cracking the Empire - Flynn #177: Home, New Home - Flynn #178: House of Cards (1) - Flynn #179: House of Cards (2) - Flynn #180: Preparations for War/High Stakes on the High Sea - Flynn #181: Enerjak Reborn (1)/Undone - Flynn #182: Enerjak Reborn (2)/Albion's Shameful Secret - Flynn #183: Enerjak Reborn (3)/Ashes and Dust - Flynn #184: Enerjak Reborn (4)/Anything - Flynn #185: Mogul Rising (1)/The Misfit Badniks Sequel - Flynn/Gallagher #186: Mogul Rising (2)/Honor-Bound - Flynn #187: Mogul Rising (3) - Flynn #188: Mogul Rising (4) - Flynn #189: Bold New Moebius (1) - Flynn #190: Bold New Moebius (2) - Flynn #191: Metal and Mettle (1)/Invaders From Beyond - Flynn #192: Metal and Mettle (2)/Father and Son - Flynn #193: Otherside (1)/Sonic Unleashed! - Flynn #194: Otherside (2)/Sleepless in New Megaopolis - Flynn #195: Hedgehog Havoc (1) - Flynn #196: Hedgehog Havoc (2) - Flynn #197: Consequences/Knight Time - Flynn #198: Egg Phoenix Down - Flynn #199: Knocking on Eggman's Door - Flynn #200: Turnabout is Fair Play - Flynn ------------------------------------ SU#1: Living Weapons - Flynn SU#2: Time & Again - Flynn SU#3: Old Soldiers - Flynn SU#4: The Ultimate Lifeform - Flynn

THE BURDENED ERA #201: Change in Management/Devotion - Flynn #202: Dangerous Territory/A Lonely Girl's Story - Flynn #203: Heavy is the Head (1)/Friend in Deed (1) - Flynn #204: Heavy is the Head (2)/Friend in Deed (2) - Flynn #205: On the Run (1)/Birthright (1) - Flynn #206: On the Run (2)/Birthright (2) - Flynn #207: Blackout/The Iron Queen - Flynn #208: Iron Dominion (1) - Flynn #209: Iron Dominion (2) - Flynn #210: Home Invasion (1) - Flynn #211: Home Invasion (2) - Flynn #212: The Road We Take - Flynn #213: Reigning Cats and Dogs (1) - Flynn #214: Reigning Cats and Dogs (2) - Flynn #215: Family Matters (1)/Future Tense (1) - Flynn #216: Family Matters (2)/Future Tense (2) - Flynn #217: Thicker Than Water (1)/Welcome Back, Chao! - Flynn #218: Thicker Than Water (2)/Hindsight - Flynn #219: In Service to the King (1)/Sonic Colors - Flynn #220: In Service to the King (2)/From the Inside Out - Flynn #221: Changing Tempo/Second Impressions (1) - Flynn #222: The World Can Wait/Second Impressions (2) - Flynn #223: Chaos and the Crown (1)/Special Zone House Call - Flynn #224: Chaos and the Crown (2) - Flynn #225: One Step Forward - Flynn #226: Genesis (1) - Flynn #227: Genesis (2) - Flynn #228: Genesis (3) - Flynn #229: Genesis (4) - Flynn #230: Two Steps Back - Flynn #231: Lost in the Moment/Haunted - Flynn #232: Dark Tidings/Fragile - Flynn #233: The Trial of Geoffrey St. John/From the Shadows - Flynn #234: Unthinkable/Dark Hearts - Flynn #235: Remember the Fallen - Flynn #236: Cry Freedom!/Leader of the Band - Flynn #237: Loyalty (1)/Heart to Heart - Flynn #238: Loyalty (2)/Foundation Works - Flynn #239: Heroes (1) - Flynn #240: Heroes (2) - Flynn #241: Unraveling - Flynn #242: Olympic Trials/Unfriendly Skies - Flynn #243: Endangered Species (1) - Flynn #244: Endangered Species (2) - Flynn #245: Endangered Species (3) - Flynn #246: Endangered Species (4) - Flynn #247: At All Costs (1) - Flynn #248: Worlds Collide (3) - Flynn #249: Worlds Collide (6) - Flynn #250: Worlds Collide (9) - Flynn #251: Worlds Collide (12) - Flynn ----------------------------------- SU#5: Mobius 30YL (1) - Flynn SU#6: Mobius 30YL (2) - Flynn SU#7: Mobius 30YL (3) - Flynn SU#8: Mobius 30YL (4) - Flynn SU#9: Echoes of the Past (1) - Flynn SU#10: Echoes of the Past (2) - Flynn SU#11: Echoes of the Past (3) - Flynn SU#12: Echoes of the Past (4) - Flynn SU#13: Journey into the East (1) - Flynn SU#14: Journey into the East (2) - Flynn SU#15: Journey into the East (3) - Flynn SU#16: Journey into the East (4) - Flynn SU#17: Trouble in Paradise (1) - Flynn SU#18: Trouble in Paradise (2) - Flynn SU#19: Trouble in Paradise (3) - Flynn SU#20: Trouble in Paradise (4) - Flynn SU#21: Treasure Team Tango (1) - Flynn SU#22: Treasure Team Tango (2) - Flynn SU#23: Treasure Team Tango (3) - Flynn SU#24: Treasure Team Tango (4) - Flynn SU#25: Fractured Mirror (1) - Flynn SU#26: Fractured Mirror (2) - Flynn SU#27: Fractured Mirror (3) - Flynn SU#28: Fractured Mirror (4) - Flynn SU#29: Inside Job (1) - Flynn SU#30: Inside Job (2) - Flynn SU#31: Inside Job (3) - Flynn SU#32: Inside Job (4) - Flynn SU#33: Babylon Rising (1) - Flynn SU#34: Babylon Rising (2) - Flynn SU#35: Babylon Rising (3) - Flynn SU#36: Babylon Rising (4) - Flynn SU#37: Scrambled (1) - Flynn SU#38: Scrambled (2) - Flynn SU#39: Scrambled (3) - Flynn SU#40: Scrambled (4) - Flynn SU#41: Unsung Heroes (1) - Flynn SU#42: Unsung Heroes (2) - Flynn SU#43: Unsung Heroes (3) - Flynn SU#44: Unsung Heroes (4) - Flynn SU#45: Racing for the Stars - Flynn SU#46: All For One (1) - Flynn SU#47: All For One (2) - Flynn SU#48: All For One (3) - Flynn SU#49: All For One (4) - Flynn SU#50: Forged in Fire - Flynn SU#51: Worlds Collide (2) - Flynn SU#52: Worlds Collide (5) - Flynn SU#53: Worlds Collide (8) - Flynn SU#54: Worlds Collide (11) - Flynn

THE REBOOT ERA #252: At All Costs (2) - Flynn #253: Countdown to Chaos (1) - Flynn #254: Countdown to Chaos (2) - Flynn #255: Countdown to Chaos (3) - Flynn #256: Countdown to Chaos (4) - Flynn #257: Damage Control - Flynn #258: The Chase (1) - Flynn #259: The Chase (2) - Flynn #260: Waves of Change (1)/Light in the Dark (1) - Flynn/Baker #261: Waves of Change (2)/Light in the Dark (2) - Flynn/Baker #262: Waves of Change (3)/Light in the Dark (3) - Flynn/Baker #263: Waves of Change (4)/Consequences - Flynn/Baker #264: Control (1)/A Nice Day to Start Again - Flynn/Esposito/Bailey #265: Control (2)/The Grand Tour - Flynn/Esquivel/Baker #266: Ambushed (1) - Flynn #267: Ambushed (2) - Flynn #268: Champions (1) - Flynn #269: Champions (2) - Flynn #270: Champions (3) - Flynn #271: Champions (4) - Flynn #272: A Ray of Hope - Flynn #273: Worlds Unite (3) - Flynn #274: Worlds Unite (7) - Flynn #275: Worlds Unite (11) - Flynn #276: Cold Hearted/Back in Business - Flynn #277: Thunder, Rain and Lightning/Hidden Costs (1) - Flynn/Baker #278: Face of the Enemy (1)/Hidden Costs (2) - Flynn/Baker #279: Face of the Enemy (2)/Hidden Costs (3) - Flynn/Baker #280: Keys to Victory/A Special Occasion - Flynn #281: Wings of Fire (1)/Homesick - Flynn #282: Wings of Fire (2)/Shards and Sparks - Flynn #283: The Mission/Zero Hour - Flynn #284: Panic in the Sky (1) - Flynn #285: Panic in the Sky (2) - Flynn #286: Panic in the Sky (3) - Flynn #287: Panic in the Sky (4) - Flynn #288: Genesis of a Hero (1) - Flynn #289: Genesis of a Hero (2) - Flynn #290: Genesis of a Hero (3) - Flynn #291: Genesis of a Hero (4) - Flynn #292: Epilogue: Breaching Paths - Flynn --------------------------------------- SU#55: Pirate Plunder Panic (1) - Yardley SU#56: Pirate Plunder Panic (2) - Yardley SU#57: Pirate Plunder Panic (3) - Yardley SU#58: Pirate Plunder Panic (4) - Yardley SU#59: Shadow Fall (1) - Flynn SU#60: Shadow Fall (2) - Flynn SU#61: Shadow Fall (3) - Flynn SU#62: Shadow Fall (4) - Flynn SU#63: The Great Chaos Caper (1) - Flynn SU#64: The Great Chaos Caper (2) - Flynn SU#65: The Great Chaos Caper (3) - Flynn SU#66: The Great Chaos Caper (4) - Flynn SU#67: Total Eclipse (1) - Flynn SU#68: Total Eclipse (2) - Flynn SU#69: Total Eclipse (3) - Flynn SU#70: Total Eclipse (4) - Flynn SU#71: Spark of Life (1) - Flynn SU#72: Spark of Life (2) - Flynn SU#73: Spark of Life (3) - Flynn SU#74: Spark of Life (4) - Flynn SU#75: Fury - Flynn SU#76: Worlds Unite (1) - Flynn SU#77: Worlds Unite (5) - Flynn SU#78: Worlds Unite (9) - Flynn SU#79: The Silver Age (1) - Stanley SU#80: The Silver Age (2) - Stanley SU#81: The Silver Age (3) - Stanley SU#82: The Silver Age (4) - Stanley SU#83: Eggman's Dozen (1) - Flynn SU#84: Eggman's Dozen (2) - Flynn SU#85: Eggman's Dozen (3) - Flynn SU#86: Eggman's Dozen (4) - Flynn SU#87: Shattered (1) - Flynn SU#88: Shattered (2) - Flynn SU#89: Shattered (3) - Flynn SU#90: Shattered (4) - Flynn SU#91: Case of the Pirate Princess (1) - Flynn/Baker SU#92: Case of the Pirate Princess (2) - Flynn/Baker SU#93: Case of the Pirate Princess (3) - Flynn/Baker SU#94: Case of the Pirate Princess (4) - Flynn/Baker

[cutest-silly-nb]

shit the hyper spinning robos i keep in the basement to keep the tenants in line got out

Goodnifht the headsche is too bad for me to do anything i feel like in going to tranform into a wolf

[jmanvelez]

Last round of EB Handbook enemies. Thank you Fangamer for letting me be part of this amazing collaborative project! https://www.fangamer.com/products/earthbound-handbook

[is6621]

The Robots Are Coming? - by Curtis Bullock

I find there’s usually three schools of thought when it comes to artificial intelligence. The first (and most pessimistic) would be those of us who’ve seen one too many Will Smith movies leading us to fear the hyper-technological forthcoming dystopia where robots finally figure out they’re smarter than humans and take over the world.  Then there’s the group that sits behind computers, performing menial tasks, wishing robots would finally figure out they’re smarter than us so they could hit copy and paste 100 times and we could spend our time on something slightly more interesting. And then there’s the third group, a group of indifference. This group couldn’t care less about the impeding robo-doom, but they also don’t put much stock in the fact that everyone will have their very own personal R2D2.

While the indifferent group may have once been the largest, it appears to be shrinking quickly. The sheer amount of robot-related content that has been blasted on our screens since the birth of 1980’s sci-fi culture has made it impossible to remain indifferent on the topics of robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Every day the powers of AI are being thrown in our faces in movies, news, sci-fi novels, and most recently in a flood of Super Bowl ads.

TurboTax, Michelob Ultra, SimpliSafe, and Pringles were some of the biggest advertisers that chose to use robots in their commercials for Sunday’s game. All of these ads had a common theme: the robots are definitely are coming, but humans aren’t going anywhere.  The ads tended to be optimistic about our role in a world where robotic intelligence nears human levels.

In TurboTax’s future interpretation, “Robo-Baby,” a young robot explains to three people that his one dream is to become a Live TurboTax Certified Public Account. After a little bit of dancing around the subject, the humans break it to the robot that all TurboTax CPAs are human beings with real emotions, sending the robot into an awkward cry/laughter brought on by his faulty programming for the two emotions.  

Michelob Ultra also offered its own take AI. In its ad, robots excel at pretty much everything. They run faster than humans, hit golf balls harder, and can set an unmatchable pace at spin class. But -- just like in the TurboTax commercial – they lack one fundamental piece to complete their humanity. They can’t drink Michelob Ultras. And while drinking a watered down light beer might not be the key to our humanity, the commercial hints at a bigger point. No matter how advanced robots get, there are still things are quintessentially human that they can’t do. So why fear them?

It’s heartening to see consumer companies try to talk us down from the robot end of days scenarios popularized by Hollywood. But the question still remains, are they right? According to a 2017 Mckinsey report, by 2030 automation will claim over 800 million jobs worldwide.  The hardest hit countries won’t be poor third world nations, as these countries tend to adopt new technology at a much slower rate than their richer counterparts. The report claims countries like India will only experience at 9% replacement rate, a number dwarfed by expectations of more developed economies like the United Kingdom which is expected to replace 20% of its workforce with machines.  Paralegals, mortgage brokers, and back-office support are the most likely candidates for automation.

Technology usually doesn’t destroy economies, it advances them: creating new jobs, better efficiencies, and improved working conditions.  In many ways, we can expect AI to have similar economic effects as the internet had in the 90’s. It’s simple to list about numerous benefits that we take for granted that would not have been possible in a pre-internet world: working from home, building cross-locational teams, and having access to an unlimited bank of knowledge in every digital device.

Think about the gig economy – an economy supported by one-off gigs and freelancing instead of long-term traditional employment – and how it has become such a major part of our economy during the last decade.  AI will likely have similar effects, removing a lot of the more mundane tasks from our work and giving us the opportunity to use our more analytical and creative sides.  

Of course, fear of the future warranted and expected. But we should take this opportunity to adapt to our coming environment.  So no matter where you stand on the predicted robot uprising, you should take comfort in knowing that humanity will always adapt... probably. 

Sources:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/robots-lead-role-in-super-bowl-ads-hint-at-tech-anxieties-11549311804?mod=e2twd

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42170100

https://qz.com/1540514/its-the-year-of-the-sad-robot-at-the-super-bowl/

[reserved-kirby]

Kirby: Battle Royale - Datamine Findings [Spoilers]

I’m sorry that this is coming out so late! Once I finished collecting things I really had to take a rest, I stayed up all night for this so I was fairly tired by the end of it all. Either way, due to the length of this post and it’s spoiler content, click the “Read More” to continue.

To start off, the following abilities are in the final version of the game:

Sword Cutter Beetle Bomb Spear Fighter Ninja Whip Parasol Hammer Doctor Tornado Ice

King Dedede, Meta Knight and Bandana Waddle Dee are all present in the game as playable characters. It is unknown how they are unlocked normally, but it likely has to do with story mode. Their unlock messages are as follows:

"Meta Knight is now in the Collection Lists! You can use this in Battle Mode and Online Battles after it's unlocked."   

"Waddle Dee is now in the Collection Lists! You can use this in Battle Mode and Online Battles after it's unlocked."   

"King Dedede is now in the Collection Lists! You can use this in Battle Mode and Online Battles after it's unlocked."

These are all the playable character icons. As it has been pointed out, in the demo, there are 17 ability slots; the last one is the Random select, similar to Smash Bros. and other games. The poll ability isn’t present whatsoever in the retail game, so it’ll likely be added in as a free DLC update.

As previously revealed on the Kirby Twitter account, the game has alternate costumes. Aside from special circumstances, all abilities have their default gear along with three alternates. They are listed as such: Sword: Gigant Helmet Newspaper Hat Dyna Helmet Ultra Sword Hat* Cutter: Sir Kibble Helmet Mohawk Knight Helmet Beetle: Hornhead Helmet Woodpecker Helmet Hydra Helmet   Bomb: Foley Cap Bomb Cap Boom Cap Qbby Cap* Spear: Javelin Knight Helm Devil Horns Sectonia Mask

Fighter: Knuckle Joe Hair Wrestling Mask Goriath Hat Ninja: Bio Spark Helmet Topknot Samurai Helmet Whip: Whippy Hat Gymnastics Leotard Daroach Hat Parasol:  Bouncy Umbrella  Paper Parasol Fancy Umbrella 

Hammer: Dedede Hammer Toy Hammer Grand Hammer Replica 

Doctor: Chemitory Hat Nurse Cap Sacred Hat 

Tornado: Twister Helmet Pinwheel Kracko Hat 

Ice: Mr. Frosty Freeze Hood Snow Bowl

 ---

Bandana Waddle Dee: Sailor Hat Straw Hat Animal Hat Café Cap*

Meta Knight: Dark Meta Knight Mask Party Mask Mecha Knight Mask Galacta Knight Mask*

King Dedede: Knit Cap Gentleman's Hat King's Crown Masked Dedede Mask*

Ultra Sword Hat, Qbby Cap, Café Cap, Galacta Knight Mask and Masked Dedede Mask are all amiibo-locked, so you’ll need the Kirby Series amiibo and the Qbby amiibo to unlock everything.

Here are all of the ability moves. If the move is listed as an aerial move, it can only be used during a jump. If it’s listed as a charged move, you need to hold a charge before it can be used.

Beetle - Horn Upper, Horn Flurry, Back Slash, Spiral Horn (aerial), Rocket Horn (charged), Dive (after Rocket Horn), Forward Lunge, Slamming Drill (after Forward Lunge)

Bomb - Bomb Throw, Big Bomb Throw (charged), Bomb Dunk

Cutter - Cutter Boomerang, Jump Cutter (aerial), Hyper Cutter (charged), Final Cutter

Dedede - Hammer, Hammer Twirl (aerial), Dedede Hammer Throw (charged), Giant Dedede Swing

Doctor - Bouncing Capsule, Flash Spark (charged lv1), Sleeping Gas (charged lv2), Remedy (charged lv3), Clipboard Bash

Fighter - Quick Jab, Vulcan Jab, Rising Break, Sky Kick (aerial), Giga Force Blast (charged), Kick, Spin Kick, Final Spin Kick

Hammer - Hammer, Hammer Twirl (aerial), Hammer Flip (charged, 2 lvl.), Big Hammer Drop (aerial, charged, 2 lvl.), Hammer Swing

Ice - Ice Breath, Ice Sprinkle (aerial), Ice Wall (charged), Ice Ball

Meta Knight - Horizontal Slash, Meta Multithrust, Decisive Slash, Knight Spin (aerial), Dimensional Strike (charged), Piercing Slash

Ninja - Shock, Flurry Swipe, Stealth Slash, Ninja Kick (aerial), Pyrotechnics (charged), Knife Throw, Wind-Up Trick (charged), Ninja Jump (jump while holding button)

Parasol - Parasol Swing, Parasol Dive (aerial), Parasol Shield (hold), Parasol Drill (charged), Circus Throw (after Parasol Drill), Parasol Spin

Spear - Spear Thrust, Multispear Attack, Pinpoint Thrust, Windmill (aerial), Gale Thrust (charged), Spear Throw

Sword - Horizontal Slash, Successive Slash, Cleave, Sword Spin (aerial), Spin Slash (charged), Drill Stab

Tornado - Tornado Attack, Hyper Tornado, Big Tornado (charged), Tornado Dash

Bandana Waddle Dee - Parasol Swing, Parasol Dive (aerial), Aqua Shot (charged), Parasol Spin

Whip - Whip Strike, 100-Whip Slap, Whip Tornado (aerial), Crash Typhoon (charged), Whip Grab

To finish the ability section, there’s an oddity. Axe Knight is a character in the game, but it’s unknown if he’s playable. His data is all labeled as a normal, functioning player character, similar to Kirby’s abilities and the other confirmed unlockables. However, he’s also missing several things. He has no player select icon, lacks some coding for certain modes and has no unlockable text. Several things point to him being a character created solely for the Story Mode (possibly Meta Knight’s partner in the tourney), but there is a chance that he’s just not totally finished. Either way, his moveset is based around Cutter Kirby.

There are ten different game modes in the game overall. To list them out...

Apple Scramble - “Attack Mini Whispy Woods when it has apples to make them fall. After you pick up apples, throw them into your collection area, which is blue. After pulling the lever, you'll score for apples that go down the chute. High score wins!” Maps -  Starter Forest, Double-Cross Forest, Bramble Forest, Fenced Forest, Double-Cross Forest (again?)

Slam Hockey - “Try to hit rivals with the puck as many times as you can. High score wins! You can send the puck toward rivals in two ways: give it a smack or throw it! If a rival throws a puck at you, catch it by pressing R at just the right time.” Maps -  Normal Arena, Obstacle Arena, Stretch Arena

Battle Arena - “The last one standing when all rivals are KO'd wins! To knock out rivals, attack them until their health hits zero. Press A repeatedly to wake up if KO'd. The more you faint, the longer it takes to recover.” Maps -  Deluxe Coliseum, Battle Coliseum

Robo Bonkers - “Attack Robo Bonkers and do more damage than anyone else to win! Throw missiles into cannons to launch them. It's a great way to damage Robo Bonkers! When Robo Bonkers falls, go for multiple attacks. Try for greater amounts of damage per hit.” Maps -  Robo Bonkers, Robo Bonkers DX, Robo Bonkers SDX

Coin Clash - “Pick up coins while attacking your rivals for theirs. The one with the most coins wins! You can take even more coins from rivals by doing greater amounts of damage to them. You'll drop coins until you get the ghost off your back. Use B to dash and Y to jump.” Maps -  Central Room, Dual Room, Trap Room, Party Room

Flagball - “You'll score when the ball connects with your blue flag. First team to seven points wins! If a flag falls to a lower level, you can grab it and run it around the field! A double flag will appear later in the game. It's worth double points. Great for a comeback!” Maps -  Beginner's Beach, Flagger Beach, Footfall Beach, Lopsided Beach

Ore Express - “Toss as much ore as you can into train cars. Get more points than your rivals to win! Throw ore into a gold train car if you see one. You'll get double points for that ore!” Maps -  Wayward Plains, Twisty Tunnels, Logjam Pass

Crazy Theater - “You'll enter a series of quick challenges. Hit the max number of wins before your rivals! In a question challenge, knock rivals off the correct answer!” Maps - Dream Theater

Attack Riders - “Attack your rivals to take away their chips. Whoever holds the most chips at the end wins! The more chips a competitor has, the easier they are to take. Greater damage gets more too. When the vehicle's gauge is full, press Y to attack. Avoid taking damage or you'll fall out!“ Maps -  Attack Biker, Attack Tanker Rocket Rumble - “Grab as much fuel as you can and throw it into your rocket. The one with the most fuel wins! Attack your rivals' rockets to knock loose blocks of their fuel. Then steal it for your own! Get into your rocket before the 10-second countdown is over. Just jump in, or you won't score!” Maps - Space Center

The final boss in the game is named Dededestroyer Z. He shares some code with the Robo Bonkers battles, so it likely takes place in a similar scenario (circle arena, robot fight, etc.). In this fight, Dededestroyer Z seems to take control of the Kirby Printer and creates mass hordes of enemies for you to fight. The objective of this final fight is  "Defeat all rivals before they beat you!". While this all goes on, Dededestroyer Z will also attack you using lasers, fist slamming attacks and more. Bandana Waddle Dee joins in this fight to help you, too; he seems to give you something called the Golden Missile, likely to deal the final blow.

The following NPCs are present in the game:

Groggy Waddle Dee Buddy Waddle Dee Dedede Meta Knight Axe Knight Bat Meta Knight Kirby Printer Waddle Dee A/B/C/D/E/F/P Soldier Waddle Dee L/R/A/B/C/D Spear Waddle Dee A/B Reporter Waddle Dee Camera Waddle Dee AD Waddle Dee TV Waddle Dee Mic Waddle Dee Fake Kirby A/B/C/D/E Waddle Doo A/B/C Guide Board A/B/C Knuckle Joe Elevator Crank Handle 

The entirety of the Kirby Twitter news cast is here! Aside from the NPCs, there are characters called Waddle Dee Buddy, Waddle Dee Spear and Sandbag in the game. Compared to Axe Knight, it’s highly unlikely that these characters are anything more than story mode and/or tutorial characters. Sandbag is used in the online waiting room, too.

While we already have a fair bit of the OST in the game’s demo, there’s a lot of files that still aren’t present. This includes two Staff Credits themes, two Meta Knight themes, two Dedede themes, various boss themes, some more minigame themes and a couple things relating to the end of the game. I’ll be uploading the demo’s OST after this post goes live, too, so stay tuned for that!

To finish this off, I’d like to thank the elusive Popcorn for helping me, once again. He managed to snag the demo and send it over, so none of this would be possible without him!

[thegamingjunkie-blog]

Sonic Mania Review

So it's been about three weeks since the release of Mania on consoles, and with the PC version finally out, I've decided to finally set down and write my own review of the long, highly anticipated game called Sonic Mania! I must apologize for not writing something on my blog in a while, and I've decided to write a review on a game from my own personal favorite gaming franchise. I must warn you, if you haven't played the game yet and don't want to get spoiled, I suggest you don't read my review.

Tuesday August 15th, I woke up excited to be able to finally play Sonic Mania! Ever since the announcement trailer last year, I've been eagerly waiting to play such a gorgeous looking Sonic game! So at 9:59, I fired up my Xbox One and waited that one minute to finally be able to launch the game! That minute was one of the longest minutes of my life, and I truly do feel sorry for those who had to wait even longer for the PC release. Once I launched the game, I was greeted with that familiar "SEGA!!" chant that many of us have heard many times growing up, that is if you grew up with the Genesis (or Mega Drive if you live outside North America) titles. I smirked upon seeing the Sega logo, and hearing that all too familiar sound. Then came the awesome title screen, which was previously shown to us about a year or so ago. It was just amazing to finally be able to see that in person, with my own two eyes! I didn't press any button as the title screen stated, instead I waited for the intro to play, as I didn't watch it when the official Sonic the Hedgehog channel on Youtube uploaded it just a day prior to release.

The intro was gorgeous! The music, made by Hyper Potions, the group behind the promotional trailer music, was beautiful and catchy at the same time! The cutscenes were animated well, and reminded me of the cutscenes from Sonic CD, though in better quality of course! Seeing Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles in their classic styles made me feel like a kid again, and I almost teared up. It was awesome seeing the three run through different zones, each which of course appeared in the game itself. (See that's why I didn't want to watch the trailer, I didn't want to get spoiled myself!) Once the cutscene was done, it was finally time to play Sonic Mania!

The game starts you off at a familiar place, on the Tornado, if you play as Sonic and or Tails, and they're on their way to Angel Island Zone. As Knuckles, you're just chilling and relaxing like the intro in Sonic and Knuckles. (Though he's chilling in Angel Island of course, not Mushroom Hill. Which btw, that level doesn't appear in this game.) Both run into Dr. Eggman with some Egg Robos, who dig up a purple emerald, which is called the "Phantom Ruby", that warps the enemies and players to a revised Green Hill Zone. The egg robos from Angel Island have also been affected by the Phantom Ruby, and now take on the form of the "Hard-Boiled Heavies"! From there, the player can finally start their adventure in Sonic Mania! Green Hill Zone was one of the three levels shown very early in development. Honestly, I wasn't too thrilled to see Green Hill Zone yet again but it's the most iconic Sonic level. When someone mentions Sonic, the other person most likely will remember running through Green Hill Zone in the first game. I can see why the level was included in the game. Now it's not identical to the original Green Hill we all know, of course every level that returned in Mania has different graphics and gimmicks that make it a new experience for the player. Plus playing as Knuckles will start you off in a different area than playing as Sonic and or Tails, which changes up the level. Not to mention that there's water in certain parts of the level, like in the 8-bit version of Sonic 1! The mini boss is pretty easy, especially if you grab a invincibility power-up not too far from the boss arena. Dr. Eggman's final machine from Sonic 2 16-bit also makes a reappearance as the main boss in Act 2. (Though he's not as much as a pain in the ass this time around. xD) So once the boss is defeated you're greeted with another cutscene, this time it shows Dr. Eggman and enemies known as "The Hard-Boiled Heavies". Once again some of his creations ends up betraying him and steals the phantom ruby from their creator. This then warps everyone to the next level in the game which is Chemical Plant Zone!

I knew CPZ was making a return, as it's one of the levels that was announced towards the end of the game's development cycle. Again, I wasn't too happy to see CPZ return, as just like GHZ they both were in Generations. Alas, it's probably one of the more known Sonic 2 16-bit levels, which is why they picked it to return. However the main new gimmick in the level really makes Mania's CPZ way better than Sonic 2's! It's a combination of Wacky Workbench from Sonic CD, and some of the later levels from the Aspect 8-bit Sonic games. As seen in the reveal trailer, there are two different chemicals that make the mega mack mimic the bounce pads from Wacky Workbench. A darker blue chemical allows the player to bounce a little above the ground, whereas the green chemical makes the player bounce just like in Wacky Workbench! As for the gimmick from the 8-bit titles, the tubes allow the player to control where to go. In Sonic 2's CPZ, it didn't allow you to choose which path to go, instead it was controlled by the timer if memory serves me correctly. (Please let me know if this information is incorrect.) There's also platforms that the characters stick to, which allow you to reach higher platforms. Interestingly enough, Sonic's sprites are based off a unused wall climbing sprite found in a Knuckles Chaotix prototype. (Thanks goes to Rlan of the Sonic Retro forums for that information!) The mini-boss here resembles the mini-boss found in Ice Cap Zone of Sonic 3, though it uses the mega mack to shield itself rather than ice cubes of course. Now Eggman's fight is one of the moments in which I had to pause the game to really take in what was happening. The boss is a Mean Bean/Puyo-Puyo puzzle! I actually lost the first time I made it here, because of how excited I was! This alone made me somewhat happy to see CPZ return. Once you destroy the egg capsule, you're taken to the next level which is Studiopolis!

Now this is one of the few brand new zones in the game. It's also one of the earliest zones shown in the launch trailer and the very first level made. Studiopolis is a huge tv station, there's screens showcasing "Egg TV", some badniks resemble giant lights, there's reels that the trio can spin on to reach new parts of the level, and the music in both acts are beautiful. Everything in this level just screams 90's! There are some pretty cool easter eggs in this zone, one being a node to the Game Gear! The biggest and best easter egg IMO is the SegaSonic The Hedgehog Popcorn Maker, which is a obscure popcorn machine that was actually released in a "playable" state around the time Mania was first announced. Not to mention the streets of rage references too! Studiopolis has the most easter eggs out of all the levels in the game, with even references from other Sonic and Sega games besides SOR! This level also marks the first time that the trio is up against one of the Hard-Boiled Heavies, which one you ask? Heavy Gunner, and he's got some fellow Egg-Robos under his command. This boss honestly gave me some trouble the very first time I played through Mania, Gunner shoots three missiles and only the blue ones can damage him. You jump on the blue ones to  make them bounce, and it takes down one of his egg-robo buddies. Destroy all three egg-robos, to hit Gunner himself and that's pretty much the boss fight. However you must jump over the red missiles, as they do damage to the player. I love Eggman's boss fight however. He controls a weather machine, and there's a Cluckoid who tells you what type of weather is about to happen. There are three different patterns, one is a thunderstorm which causes clouds and lightning bolts to appear above the player's head, one blows strong winds that can knock the  player up into spikes along the celling if they don't hold on to the bars that appear on each side of the boss arena, and one is a heat wave that makes beams of heat damage the player  if they're not directly under Eggman. This also causes Eggman's ship to move closer to the player, making it easier to land hits. Once Eggman is defeated, the tv that contained the weather forecast will cut out and a buzzing sound can be heard, which funny enough was the annoying buzzing from the 25th anniversary party live stream that happened on 7/26/2016. (And that date can be seen bellow the tv monitor too! The anniversary party was how Mania and Forces were both announced.) You sly bastards! xD I honestly didn't notice that until I heard it a second time while playing the game as Knuckles. From there a breaking news report shows that Flying Battery Zone is back, and on the screen you can see the player jump on the ship, and it's on to Flying Battery Zone!

Yet again it's another rehashed level, this time though it's a rehash of my second favorite level from Sonic and Knuckles! Flying Battery Zone has plenty of new and old gimmicks that really make the level more of a challenge than in Sonic and Knuckles. This is a good thing from my perspective, seeing how I've been playing the classics since I was four years old. However I did get some game overs a few times the first time I played through the game... Anyways let's talk about those gimmicks. First off, there's tons of old broken monitors, signposts,badniks, and other scrap metal that appear on the new FBZ, which is a nice little touch. You'll even notice that there's a unused badnik from Sonic 1 that appears in the scrap, but we'll go into that during the next portion of the review. (You'll see soon enough why. ;) ) Some enemies from Wing Fortress Zone in Sonic 2 16-bit appear in the level, as well as the electric fields from Wacky Workbench Zone. You can even destroy the Mushroom Hill badniks that pilot the FB, which I thought was amusing. The level also reminds me a bit of Sky Base Zone from Sonic 1 8-bit, and Sky High Zone Act 2 from Sonic 2 8-bit. (During some portions of the level you're in a thunderstorm, kind of like in Sky High 2. Thankfully there's no hang-glider though!) The magnets return, but this time the trio can be pulled up alongside the metal platforms if they have a lightning shield, which I thought was a cool gimmick. The mini-boss is a node to the short Eggman boss that encloses you between two energy beams, while a laser draws those beams closer and closer to you. This time though, you're dropped into a machine that crushes scrap metal while a laser shoots. It's a bit tricky to beat, but a badnik spawns which allows you to jump and hit the laser beam if you're not in super form. Now Act 2's boss gave me some trouble at first. You have to use the poles to knock Eggman into some spikes, and even then his hit box is a pain to get used to. One random fun fact, act 2's boss is actually foreshadowed before you're dropped down into the boss arena during Act 1's mini-boss. You can see a blue print in the background right before Eggman drops you down. Honestly, FBZ was better in S&K IMO... Anyways once you defeat Eggman, you're taken to the next level with sadly no cutscene, and it's another original level known as Press Garden!

Press Garden Zone is by far my favorite level in Mania! You run through an old printing press in act 1 and end up outside during the winter time in a Japan-like setting in Act 2. This level contains some new gimmicks never seen in a classic Sonic title before. Honestly it feels more like a mega man level to me, which isn't a bad thing! Maybe the music has something to do with that, which by the way Act 2's is one of my favorite tracks in the game! Remember also how I mentioned that there's some scrap metal that contains a unused badnik from Sonic 1? Well it's name is Splats, and it appears in Press Garden Act 1! These guys pop out of glass jars that contain ink, fitting the level's theme perfectly! Act 2 of the level really makes up for Mania not containing Ice Cap Zone, which I really wanted to see in this game. There's tons of Shinobi references in this level as well, too. Act 1's mini-boss is a random Eggman robot that uses a saw to damage the player. Hiding behind crates will break off the saw, allowing the player to get in some hits. I didn't get this at first, so I lost quite a bit of rings. Act 2's gimmicks are pretty cool, no pun intended. There's parts of the level that the trio must get frozen solid to make it pass certain barriers, some blocks of ice contain power-ups and even springs made of ice, which break after using them once. The main boss is yet another Hard-Boiled Heavy, simply known as "Heavy Shinobi" with yep you guessed it, ninja-like attacks and even the sound effects are taken from the Revenge of Shinobi on the Genesis! Also the stars he throws are those annoying badniks from Metropolis Zone. You may be asking why I love this level so much, despite it having lots of platforming sections. I really dig the aesthetics of both acts, the first act reminds me of old abandoned buildings, which I adore while the second act takes you out into a winter wonderland in Japan. Having two different tropes added to just one zone makes it amazing IMO. I just wish there was a transition from FBZ to PGZ... Anyways once Heavy Shinobi is defeated, you see Eggman sending coordinates to Metal Sonic to return to Little Planet and Stardust Speedway.

Stardust Speedway is my favorite level in Sonic CD. However in Mania... it's not. While there are some parts of the level layout that gives you enough speed, I feel that it's one of the slower levels. I'll probably get some hate for saying that, as Press Garden Zone really isn't all about speed all the time and it's my favorite original level found in Mania. However, the level was much faster in Sonic CD, which is a slower paced game than Mania is. Not to mention that the music in act 1 really wasn't on par with other remixes in the game, up to this point. I'll admit it has grown a bit on me since it was revealed before the game was released, but Act 2's track really does a better job at remixing the track. Act 1's boss is a giant firefly badnik, which is pretty easy to beat. However, I may not have liked the remixed level all too much but Act 2's boss had me freaking out. At first I thought I was going to have to race Metal Sonic yet again, but to my surprise you fight him. And this fight was a special treat for someone who wasn't expecting any more nodes to the 8-bit titles, Silver Sonic from Sonic 2 8-bit appears as a badnik in the boss fight, and you have to spin dash into him while he's spindashing in order to damage Metal Sonic! I had to pause the game to soak in what was happening, and I even freaked my girlfriend out a bit because she heard me freaking out over this moment! Not to mention that the machine that Metal Sonic was hooked up to resembles his fight from Knuckles Chaotix, which is pretty cool! After destroying that machine, you have to damage Metal Sonic himself and avoid running into a wall full of spikes that's chasing after you. Once he's defeated, and you destroy the egg capsule it's time to go to the next level which is Hydrocity.

This level really didn't give me that wow factor, well up until the bosses that is! Anyways Hydrocity Zone really wasn't one of my favorites in Sonic 3, so I wasn't too excited to see it return in Mania. I do like the boat gimmick they've added to the level, and best of all the giant bubble gimmick from Aqua Lake Zone from Sonic 2 8-bit. I seriously can't get over all the 8-bit references! Honestly though, it feels as if this level was rushed. Act 2's layout is almost a exact replica of the original zone, and the bosses aren't original. (Well aside from the first Eggman phase.) I really got a kick out of the mini boss, it's nice to use one of Eggman's own weapons against him and best of all it's his weapon from the original Hydrocity Zone! Act 2's boss is act 1's mini-boss from the original zone, but as stated above the first phase has Sonic and his friends being chased by Eggman. Since the bosses aren't original, that factor also seems to back up my theory that Hydrocity was rushed. There's not really much to say about Hydrocity, it could have been better but in my opinion the original really wasn't one of my favorites. The next level is another original zone, and one that was also revealed long before the game came out. That level is Mirage Saloon!

Now this is one of the coolest levels in the game. Sonic and Tails' Act 1 plays exactly like Sky Chase Zone from Sonic 2 16-bit. I know many people don't care for that level, but personally it was one of my favorites from Sonic 2, so I was happy to see it return in some fashion. Knuckles has a completely different layout and level, and not to mention mini-boss, but we'll get into that shortly. I think many fans prefer Knuckles' Act 1 to Sonic's and Tails', since it's the typical Sonic zone. Mirage Saloon's graphics are based off the scrapped level called "Desert Dazzle", a level that originally was supposed to be included in the Sonic CD remasters, but was cut. It's also based around Dust Hill, a scrapped level from Sonic 2. It's a western zone that takes place in a bar like setting, but out in the middle of a desert. The level gimmicks are pretty cool, but the best part of the level are the bosses. Remember how I mentioned that Knuckles has a completely different mini-boss than Sonic and Tails? His is actually the Gigalopolis/Gigapolis boss from Sonic Chaos! That blew me away when I first played the game as Knuckles! Sonic and Tails' is based on the catakiller badniks found in Sonic 3D on the Genesis/Mega Drive. Act 2's boss blew me away as well! Once again you're up against one of the Hard-Boiled Heavies, this time Heavy Magician. She actually transforms into some lost but familiar characters to long time fans. Specifically she transforms into Fang the Sniper (or Nack the Weasel), Bean, and Bark! Not only that, but the sound effect that plays when she transforms is directly taken from the 8-bit titles, and is actually the ring loss sound effect! This was another moment where I had to pause the game and fan out a little bit! Once Heavy Magician is defeated, we actually get a level transition, the trio jump into a giant gun and is thrown into the next level, which happens to be Oil Ocean!

Oh how I despise Oil Ocean. It's always been one, if not my least favorite zone from Sonic 2. Not only that, but combined with my least favorite zone in Sonic and Knuckles, it really makes me despise the level even more. I will say that I do like the oil burning effect that happens if you have a fire shield, it makes logical sense for fire to be igniting oil. I will admit that I do enjoy Mania's OOZ a tad bit more than Sonic 2's. However it's not really by much. I also do like the new submarine gimmick that the mania crew added, it works really well. I think the Act 2 gimmick of the level getting hotter and hotter after defeating the Act 1 mini boss is creative as well, but that mini-boss can be a pain in the ass if you don't defeat it quick enough. Act 2's boss was a absolute nightmare, especially as Knuckles. I found myself losing most of my lives here, but really you just need to take it slow to beat it without losing a life. I did find myself dying because the pillars rose and I was slightly facing them, causing me to get crushed a few times. (Which the crushing hazards being a bigger pain in the ass in this game than in the classics means you'll probably die a few times by getting crushed, even if you're not directly in a spot to get crushed.) That's really all I have to say about this zone. It's a shame that there's no level transition to my all time favorite level from Sonic and Knuckles, which is Lava Reef Zone!

This is the only zone I got spoiled on. I wasn't happy that I got spoiled, but what can you do? Anyways Lava Reef Zone is just as amazing as ever, but I love how they added the conveyor belts from Quartz Quadrant Zone in the level and even added some loops that resemble the loops from Endless Mine Zone from Sonic 3. Another gimmick they added from Sonic CD are the giant weight like platforms that move when you jump on one at a time, they're from Tidal Tempest if memory serves me correctly. Act 1's boss pays homage to Mystic Cave Zone's boss, which is pretty cool. Act 2's boss is very special to those who are or were a member at Sonic Retro at some point. You fight another hard-boiled heavy, Heavy Rider, but she rides on a Motobug named Jimmy. For those not aware of this easter egg, it's a rather depressing one. There was once a Tech Member on Sonic Retro know as Polygon Jim. He was quite well known at Retro, his mods of the Sonic games were hilarious, but one particular mod was a hack of Sonic 1 known as "Motobug in Sonic the Hedgehog." Yeah you got to play as a motobug, who was slow as hell, but the mod was hilarious. In memory of him Christian Whitehead named the Motobug that Heavy Rider joyrides on, and the sprite is based around the sprite in his hack. This is one of the best parts of Mania, and shows a better part of the Sonic fandom, one that always gets overlooked because of all the negativity.

Well I've went over the majority of the levels in Sonic Mania. I think I'll wrap this review up, and let you experience the last few levels the game has to offer. But before I do end this review, there's still another part of the game I'll go over, something that always appears in the classic titles. The special stages that is! Well they don't actually appear in Sonic 2 8-bit, and other spin off titles, but the Genesis games have them and of course Mania is no exception. The special stages are in 3D! They look as they would have if this game was a Sega Saturn game. In order to collect all 7 chaos emeralds and get the good ending, you have to chase after a UFO while dodging bombs and mines. There's also blue spheres that help the trio pick up enough speed to be able to catch the UFO, before time runs out. Rings replenish the timer, and running into bombs and mines makes you lose 10 rings. You can even fall off some levels if you're not careful, but almost all stages start you off at a position that has bumpers alongside the stage, preventing you from falling off. The backgrounds are absolutely gorgeous, and the special stages are a blast to play once you get the hang of them. The game also has local two player versus mode that resembles Sonic 2's split screen competition mode.

Overall I had a blast playing Sonic Mania! I've been playing the game almost every day, and I've personally bought it on the Xbox One as well as on Bundled Stars. Being a huge fan of the classic Sonic games, I was amazed with how much love and dedication was put into this project and it was definitely worth the wait. It even gave the Sonic franchise a better outlook from various gaming websites who recently had nothing but negative things to say about the franchise. It's just a shame that Sega of Europe had to delay the PC version to include DRM to the game, and one that doesn't even do what it was programmed to do. Another thing that I wish the game had was more original levels, but I can't complain too much about the rehashed levels as it was stated numerous times that it was going to have more rehashed levels than new, and even then those rehashed levels had new elements that made those rehashed levels different from their original counterparts. I give Mania a very positive 9 out of 10. It may not be as good as Sonic 3 and Knuckles or CD, but it's definitely my second favorite game in the franchise. Give it a try if you haven't yet!

[recentanimenews]

The Weird and Wonderful Worlds of Columns II and Ichidant-R

  Arcade games always have a special allure to them. Lots of experimentation, lots of new ideas and ways to eat quarters, and also lots of difficulty bringing those games perfectly to the home console market. In a previous review, we took a look at SEGA AGES versions of Space Harrier and Puyo Puyo, which attempted to bring the arcade magic of those games to the Switch, taking advantage of the fact that modern hardware has allowed games to recreate their arcade perfect selves.

  For many of the SEGA AGES titles, the focus has been on classic, well known titles, like Sonic the Hedgehog, Outrun, Phantasy Star, Alex Kidd and other famous SEGA franchises have already had their time in the limelight. But what about lesser known, weirder titles? Thanks to our friends at SEGA, we were given a chance to check out two titles that fit that bill: Columns II: The Voyage Through Time, and Ichidant-R, and boy were we surprised by these two! 

Columns II is perhaps the simpler of the two to talk about: the sequel to the original puzzler Columns, Columns II is a game that’s eluded home release for a while, having been an arcade only release for much of its life except for a port to the SEGA Saturn; interestingly enough, its sequel, Columns III would see release on the Genesis, which explains why many SEGA Genesis compilations tend to skip from Columns I to III. And, frankly, that’s a bit of a shame! Columns has always been a somewhat unique puzzle game, as much of its action runs counter to what players familiar with Tetris or Puyo Puyo might expect: while combinations can be made horizontally and vertically, Columns really shines from careful consideration of diagonal plays to clear boards and create combos.

Columns II: The Voyage Through Time features two distinct modes of play: Flash Columns, and Vs Columns. Flash Columns takes players on a journey through time (hence the name) where they are tasked with completing 70 frankly punishing stages. The name “Flash Columns” refers to the fact that players are presented with a board that is already partially filled with gems (or other weird objects, like fossils or futuristic orbs; remember, time travel) that includes numerous flashing gem/fossil/things. The only way to clear a stage is to burrow down into the level and clear those flashing gems, a task that becomes increasingly difficult as the speed of the game picks up, and your own poorly laid out plans create unwanted consequences as you become your own worst enemy.

Along the way, players will run into Skulls, which appear in the board and act as a roadblock: clear them, and the entire board will be ratcheted up, meaning you have less space to work with! Flash Columns left me with what I can only describe as two distinct feelings: that I just didn't get Columns, or that I was so hyper aware of Columns that I knew the moment I had lost a board from a single set of 3 gems being placed. It was a weird feeling, to say the least, to oscillate between knowing the game is hard, to knowing the game well enough to realize I had already lost 30 seconds into a level. Thankfully, with unlimited continues and save states, this allowed me to play through the entire 70 stages of Columns II and feel a sense of accomplishment that, in an arcade, would likely have been physically impossible or extremely expensive.

Columns II runs so counter to the way most other puzzle games play (the focus on the diagonal being key to playing the game) that at times I found myself getting in my own way, trying to stack vertical or horizontal matches of icons, only for the board state to either remain exactly the same as it was, or in some cases, be even worse than it was before I cleared things. There aren’t many options to rotate or “drop” pieces either, which means that 3 stack high block is going somewhere, and you need to find the absolute best order and position for it to drop before you end up replaying that level all over again. Some stages would feel like a breeze, and others would be a grueling 30 minute long battle.

In the end, I was surprised at how I grew to actually like Columns II unique gameplay and challenge, where I initially came in comparing it only to other puzzle games, and despairing when the "wrong" 3 sets of jewels dropped. My reward for clearing all of these stages were the “Jewel Case”, a cute bonus added for SEGA AGES that features various “Jewels” of SEGA’s gaming collection, such as Nei from Phantasy Star II, and running through some frankly obscure SEGA characters and games to round out the overall collection. Having some goal or achievement to work towards, even if it was just an image of a cute SEGA character, really did help make me want to play more of Columns II, where I likely would have otherwise just played it till I got my fill and maybe picked it up occasionally afterwards.

In fact, compared to the SEGA AGES Puyo Puyo version, Columns II feels like a more robust package. Versus mode in Columns II allows 2 players to face off head to head in a format that plays like the original Columns, with each player building their board over time and trying to defeat the other (or simply outlast them) by creating cascading combos and chains. You can also take the game online and challenge other people to face you in Columns, although I must admit the overall community for such a game feels fairly small. Still, it is a nice addition to the game that gives it some extra life. There is also an included version of the original Columns as well, which gives you the option to play “regular” columns if Flash Columns is too difficult or tiring, and also gives you the ability to turn on “Skull Smash” which lets you play Flash Columns without the dreaded Skulls appearing. All of these really do create a nice package that spruces up a unique and absent part of the Columns family of games, and will really test your puzzle mettle, especially if, like me, you’re too used to those lovable tetrominos! 

While Columns II was fun, the real gem in the rough of this duo of releases is Puzzle and Action: Ichidant-R. Ichidant-R is the sequel to Puzzle & Action: Tant-R, itself a spin-off of Bonanza Bros. The Bonanza Bros. heroes, Robo and Mobo, shed their original jobs to become detectives (Tant-R), Medieval knights (Ichidant-R), and reprising their roles as detectives in the final game, Treasure Hunt for the SEGA Saturn.

While that interesting tidbit of lore isn’t required, I was personally amazed to learn that Bonanza Bros. spawned such a unique trilogy of games in their own right, and Ichidant-R is perhaps the first SEGA AGES game that I’ve felt greatful to experience because of how unique the title is. Ostensibly, it’s a collection of minigame puzzles that players select from randomly; in some cases it wouldn’t be wrong to say the Puzzle & Action games feel like very early inspirations for Wario Ware titles. These games range from memory puzzles to mazes and almost everything in between, with a somewhat shocking amount of variety given the age of the game.

While Ichidant-R is a very interesting and fun game, there are a few minigames that just aren’t very fun. The pencil sharpening game feels like an absolute nightmare on the analog sticks of the Joy-Con controller, and while the Pro controller is a bit better, this certainly feels like a game that didn’t age well after the removal of the arcade stick it expects you to be using. Other times games can just get ridiculously difficult; one of Ichidant-R’s biggest features is the oppressive time limit you have to complete a round of the minigame you’re on, and sometimes a single error can spell doom for an entire attempt at the game.

This is fine, since we have unlimited continues, and one nice feature is that when you continue from a game over, the game seems to recognize this and tones down the difficulty a bit before ramping it back up. Still, there are some games I definitely don’t want to play again, and some that I found fun enough to keep me going or replaying the game. Two players can play, as well, making it a bit of a challenge to see who will complete their games faster and essentially team up to take on the challenges the game presents you wish.

However, Ichidant-R’s true magic shines in the extras included in this SEGA AGES release. SEGA really went all out for the first official Western release of Ichidant-R, presenting players with the option to try out the Mega Drive version of the game. The biggest differences here is a “Quest” mode that is almost like a miniature RPG coupled with minigames, where players roam around an overworld map, fight off enemies (who challenge them to minigames), and collect the Philosopher Stones in order to save the kingdom.

Unfortunately, the entire Mega Drive version is in Japanese, and given the amount of text in the game this is understandably something probably not worth the investment in to translate. To mitigate this factor, SEGA’s manual for the game (available online here) includes a full walkthrough to help you experience the unique Quest mode, and also has the explanation for the 2-4 player Mega Drive only Competition mode, where players compete against one another to try and reach the boss first and be the one to bring them down! The Mega Drive mode offered in this version is worth the price of admission alone, letting players explore a game that would have never likely seen the light of day in the West in any other circumstance.

In our previous review of SEGA AGES titles, we mentioned that sometimes these versions of the games introduce new, arcade perfect versions of games with some updates, like Space Harrier, and others present a somewhat flat experience of the game as it was, like Puyo Puyo. In these two titles, Columns II and Ichidant-R, SEGA AGES really shines for the showcase of games it was meant to be. Not only do players get to experience arcade perfect ports of these two previously forgotten and unpublished games, they also get a bevvy of extras, with Ichidant-R’s Mega Drive mode really taking the cake. If this is the kind of quality that gamers can expect from SEGA AGES releases, they have a lot to look forward to as the line continues to grow; for now, do yourself a favor and pick up both of these if you love puzzle games, or simply like experiencing unique games that you can’t get anywhere else!

REVIEW ROUNDUP

+ Arcade perfect ports of Columns II and Ichidant-R.

+ Lots of extras; Mega Drive Mode in Ichidant-R is worth the purchase alone. 

+ Both games look and sound great, and controls are generally spot on. 

+/- Some of the minigames in Ichidant-R aren’t so great, and difficulty can be uneven.

- Tetris brain will really ruin you when trying to master Columns II. Go for the diagonals!

  What’s your take on these hidden SEGA gems? Have you played any of the Puzzle & Action games before? Let us know what you think of the game in the comments! 

    ----

Nicole is a features writer and editor for Crunchyroll. Known for punching dudes in Yakuza games on her Twitch channel while professing her love for Majima. She also has a blog, Figuratively Speaking. Follow her on Twitter: @ellyberries

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[vincentbuckles]

Weekend reading: Reading the last rites on 2018

What caught my eye this week.

And just like that it’s Christmas. Not sure if I should blame Brexit, the flu, the unseasonably warmish weather or the unseasonably bearish market, but it’s sprung up on me this year.

Even the spammers have stopped bombarding the website and sloped away to buy their Christmas turkeys. Time for me to do the same – after one last links post of 2018, of course!

Most years I suggest a few books before I take my annual Yuletide break. With just four sleeps to go until Santa, it’s hard to spin these books as gift ideas this year (although if you hurry Amazon might still manage it).

Oh well, the best presents are the ones you buy for yourself. So knock yourself out with one or two of these 2018 page-turners, to cheer yourself up if it’s socks again from the family on Christmas Day.

Thinking in Bets by Annie Duke

Nothing wildly original in this great read from a former poker star, its charm is that it’s an excellent entry-level introduction to probabilistic thinking and banishing black and white, all or nothing certainty from your investment approach.

Mastering the Market Cycle by Howard Marks

Mark’s The Most Important Thing is one of my favourite investing books, so I was disappointed to learn the other day he’s sold 500,000 copies. There goes another of my delusions of edge. This one isn’t in the same league, but everyone needs to understand that economies and markets are cyclical. Why not get a refresher from a man whose made billions from it?

Keeping At It by Paul Volcker

Must admit I haven’t yet read this! It’s in my ‘Save For Later’ shopping basket though. It seems appropriate to hear from the man who killed off high inflation at a time when its return – or not – has the market running in circles.

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou

It feels like only yesterday I was sending uplifting media stories about the female-led biotech Theranos to friends concerned about the ‘bro-fest’ of Silicon Valley. That – well, relief almost – at finding a good story to share about a young female Steve Jobs type is one reason Theranos got an easy ride. This tense, gasp-inducing expose of a multi-billion dollar scandal picks apart the rest.

Buying books for kids? Be sure to peruse Maria Popova’s selection of The Loveliest Children’s Books of 2018 (h/t Zude).

The publishing event of 2019

While we’re feeling bookish, make sure you also set aside a few pennies ready for our Monevator book. It is definitely coming next year.

Oh yes it is!

We now have a near-complete draft ready for editing. How much longer can it take? (Okay, don’t answer that.)

Once our book is out and you’ve all bought a copy, we can hope to see @TA back on-site every week, too.

What larks pip! Maybe next year will be the year the world starts to emerge from the darkness? Well, maybe.

Until then have a great Christmas and New Year – and thanks as ever for stopping by!

From Monevator

Vanguard readying its Personal Pension – Monevator

From the archive-ator: Stress test your plan with a Monte Carlo sim – Monevator

News

Note: Some links are Google search results – in PC/desktop view you can click to read the piece without being a paid subscriber. Try privacy/incognito mode to avoid cookies. Consider subscribing if you read them a lot!1

London property slump drags down UK house price growth – Guardian

UK consumer confidence hits five-year low – Retail Gazette

Business investment in longest slump since 2008 – BBC

HMRC’s out-of-date letters risk “confusing” taxpayers [Search result] – FT

British Gas owner Centrica challenges energy price cap – Guardian

SEC charges two US robo-advisers with false disclosures �� SEC

Why hasn’t Australia had a recession in almost 30 years? – The Atlantic

Wagamama staff get bonuses up to £2,000 as chain is sold – ThisIsMoney

Anti-expert toll grows: Measles in Europe at a 20-year high due to the anti-vaccine movement – Guardian

There was nowhere to hide in 2018 [US dollar terms] – Pension Partners

Products and services

Bitcoin could be overseen by UK’s financial regulator – Guardian

Gatehouse Bank launches table-topping 2.1% one-year deal – ThisIsMoney

Ratesetter will pay you £100 [and me a cash bonus] if you invest £1,000 for a year – Ratesetter

Savers are barely rewarded for locking cash away for two years – ThisIsMoney

Credit card made from biodegradable PVC coming in 2019 – ThisIsMoney

Comment and opinion

Investing ideas that changed my life – Morgan Housel

Passive attack: the story of a Wall Street revolution [Search result] – FT

Once more, without feeling – AQR

The Instagram influencer side-hustle is hard to break into – New York Times

Three reasons you’ll never be financially satisfied – The Reformed Broker

Physician retires early and is met with scorn – Physician on Fire

How passive investing could change capitalism [Podcast] – Bloomberg

Not even hindsight could have helped you make money this year – Bloomberg

18 signs you were an institutional investor in 2018 – Institutional Investor

A momentum-driven Bitcoin strategy delivered a 500-fold gain – Elm Funds

You have to be in the game – Oddball Stocks

Why dividend investors should look at free cash flow – UK Value Investor

Volatility is the only asset class [Podcast, one for geeks like me] – Meb Faber

Brexit

That moment in a movie where the evil second in command has taken control and is screaming “Yes we’re going to storm the fortress armed with sticks of celery!” and about half the cast is about to get it in the neck: Treasury preps for no-deal Brexit – HM Treasury

Firms told to prepare for no-deal Brexit – BBC

Leave or Remain? The Brexit holiday dilemma [Search result] – FT

How a no-deal Brexit could affect British travelers – Guardian

A brief history of [the myriad] second referendums – BBC

How I became a Brexiteer: Merryn Somerset-Webb [Search result] – FT

30% fall in house prices on chaotic Brexit “implausible”, says RICS – ThisIsMoney

Kindle book bargains

The Barcelona Way: How to Create a High-performance Culture by Damian Hughes – £1.09 on Kindle

The 100-Year Life: Living and Working in an Age of Longevity by Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott – £2.99 on Kindle

James Acaster’s Classic Scrapes by James Acaster – £0.99 on Kindle

Off our beat

Hyper-realistic scenes the cut from Cats: The Musical that they should have put in the movie – New Yorker

Dad and the Egg controller – Pentadact

Ex-NASA scientist’s glitter-bomb vs Amazon package thief – via YouTube

Confessions of a soulless troglodyte – Quillette

Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma when jumping from aircraft: randomized controlled trial – BMJ

And finally…

“No space of regret can make amends for one life’s opportunity misused.” – Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

Like these links? Subscribe to get them every Friday!

Note some articles can only be accessed through the search results if you’re using PC/desktop view (from mobile/tablet view they bring up the firewall/subscription page). To circumvent, switch your mobile browser to use the desktop view. On Chrome for Android: press the menu button followed by “Request Desktop Site”.

Weekend reading: Reading the last rites on 2018 published first on https://justinbetreviews.weebly.com/

[ohshimaacademy]

Sonic Boom: sonic man heroes part 5

Sonic: I can't believe people love this. Knuckles: yeah they changed the designs i mean look at me I'm huge! Sonic: uh I'm going out. Honey: mind if I can't along *fallows sonic* The gang waited for tails now to hear there robo ripoffs,in the meantime they sealed down for now,with knuckles and Sonic they where at a bar getting a drink. Sonic: *drinks rootbear,burps* Honey: oh yeah? *burps louder* ???: Hey can you keep it down!! Honey: sorry buddy. Sonic: wait a minute. Sonic stand up to see the bum in the jacket was dixon. Sonic and honey: dixon?!? Dixon: oh hey guys *smiles nervously* Sonic: what happened to you? Honey: yeah you look like you haven't showered in day's. Dixon: pssh you know how it is,I've been busy and Sonic: really? Dixon: *stops smiling* okay fine I confess..I got fired. Sonic and honey: what?! Dixon: yeah the producers thought that eggman was doing a better job than me..so they fired me. Honey: I'm sorry. Dixon: *sighs* what am I gonna do?..I'm ruined *cries* Honey: *sits next to him* hey don't cry. Sonic: yeah it could be worse. Honey: sonic! Sonic: sorry Honey: *sighs* well get your job back. Dixon: *sniffs* really? Sonic: *sits down* of course! Dixon: *stops crying,hugs them* oh thank you guys!! Honey: okay heh you can let go. Dixon: sorry *let's go* Back with the gang sticks was walking back and forth trying to figure out how to get rid of there robo ripoffs Sticks: I got it now about we Amy: does it involve blowing the studio up? Sticks: maybe *sits back down* Tails:..*gasp* guys I've found it! Amy: really? Tails: yes the it apeers that eggman was using... Knuckles: what? Tell us. Tails: rqgnium. Knuckles: *gasp*..wait what? Amy: remember? Knuckles:...no! Tails: let me explain,Ragnium is a supercharged element that resembles green crystals. A naturally-occurring substance, the only known deposits of it are found underground on the island of Ragna Rock. When melted down and combusted, it can be used as a powerful fuel source for robots,granting them increased speed and agility. Ragnium and its waste products appear to create potent energies with elemental affinities known as Fire and Ice energy.These energies can be harnessed by both robots and organic creatures to trigger Fire Mode and Ice Mode, abilities that lets the users superheat or freeze objects in an instant. Additionally, Ragnium emits a traceable radiation. Knuckles:.....? Tails: it makes them stronger Knuckles: oh..now I remember. Sonic: so how do we beat them Tails: well if I had some we could get or fire and ice powers again. Honey: yeah but we don't have any Knuckles: does this green crystal count that I found count? Tails: that must be- Dr eggman on tv: ahahahaha!..so you figured out my plan! Sonic: what plan? Dr: Eggman: oh I thought you figured it out..no matter if doesn't mean that I will tell you that my plan is to turn casino might into my own theme park and make everyone my mindless slaves by as wacthing the show...and that doesn't mean I'm gonna tell you that the only way to defeat my metal counterparts is by using ragnium that I for some reason have..as fu- The tv turned off. Honey: well now we know Sonic: let's gear up They heard up and rushed back to the studio and Sonic spin dashed threw the wall seeing eggman putting his plan into action! Dr Eggman: with the power of regnium, my machine should work! Sonic: ahem! Dr eggman: *growls* Sonic Man Heroes attack! The sonic man heroes came out luckily the gang has there fire and ice powers this time. Sonic: alright round 2! Dixon you hide. Dixon: got it! Sonic ( with his fire powers)spin dashed into sonic man!,witch damaged him muched to eggman surprise. Dr eggman: what?! Knuckles charges up (with his fire powers) and did his ground slam move witch destroyed knuckles man. Dr Eggman: *growls* Amy (with her ice powers) managed to destroy one of rose woman's hammer. Honey (with her fire powers) managed to use her hand-to-hand fighting moves to beat honey girl. Dr Eggman:..*growls* Tails and Sticks doubled team and beat there robo counterparts too. Dr: eggman:...BRING IN HYPER METAl SONIC!!! Sonic: what?! A new metal sonic (known as hyper metal sonic) grabbed sonic and they left the studio! Dr Eggman: swatbots attack! Knuckles: finally new robots! Amy: I know right. With sonic hyper metal sonic dropped sonic on a new roller coaster called "stardust highway" One of the fastest roller coaster in history it's a it's a roller coaster  with many loops and speedways with with musical instruments above an enormous city; like its namesake implies, the city glows with many lights. Sonic landed and saw metal in front of him. Sonic: *smirks* all right let's see what's so hyper about you! All of a sudden the theme song of the g d's started playing ( it's this song m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=E6a6su…) Sonic and metal got ready and...there off! Sonic fan through loops but metal last those..With the others they where trying to shut the machine off. Knuckles: *hits robot* oh boy these powers were awesome! Honey: *kicks robot* I know. Dr Eggman: come on computer! Computer: 20 percent Dr Eggman: charge already! With sonic Sonic: come on is that all you got?! Hyper metal sonic: destroy hedgehog! Sonic: *sticks tounge out* Sonic turned around to see the door to the end of the ride closing. Sonic: an shhhiiiiiit!!! He got closer..and closer..and.closer..and closer and finally he made it..except for metal who crashed into the door. Sonic: alright time to head back. With the others Computer: hyper metal sonic destroyed! Dr Eggman: what..NOO!!!..time to bring out the big guns! Soand in just in time sonic came back! Sonic: Hey guys *spin dashes into swatbot* Honey: sup sweetie! Did you take care of metal? Sonic: yep *kicks robot* Tails: okay I think that's the last of them. Sticks for some reason was keep hitting the metal is even though there destroyed. Amy: sticks there dead. Sticks: oh really? Tails: let's shut down that mach- The ground started to shack..what if could be? Sonic: is it a earthquake? Knuckles: we're all gonna die! Dr Eggman: earthquake no..did yes. Eggman came out in a giant mech suit that looks like him. Dr Eggman: meet the death egg suit! Sonic: why is it called the death egg suit? Dr eggman: don't worry about it! He attacked them by shooting a flaw attached to the arm,but sonic dodged it. Sonic: how do we beat it?!!? Tails: I'm checking on my communicator. Knuckles: *punches leg* Dr eggman: *kicks him* ahahaha! Amy: tails! Tails: I got it hit him in the butt. Sonic: really? Tails: yes Sonic: if you say so! Sonic spin dashed into the butt witch was lighted green,when he did he knocked over eggman..eggman then got up and flew into the air aiming for them. Knuckles: oh shit! Sticks: incoming! Eggman landed causing the set to be destroyed. Dixon: noo! he flew up again but this time threw the roof. Dr Eggman: let's see this will take car for them. Sonic: you hoo! Dr Eggman: what?..*growls*..I have..had it..With YOU!!! Eggamn took off his glasses revealing blood red eyes,he tried to hit him but sonic missed..until a flaw grabbed him. Dr Eggman: *presses self destruct butten*.. See ya! Eggman left in his egg mobile leaving sonic alone,but sonic broke free and got in the cockpit and  tried to drive it away from everyone. Sonic: come on come on! Pull up.. Tails: what the heck? *turns on communicator* Sonic what are you doing? Sonic: I have to drive this thing away from everyone before it blows up! Tails: what you'll die! Sonic:.... Tails: sonic? Sonic: tails. Tails: yeah? Sonic: thank you. Tails: for what?! Large explosion was heard,everyone heard it. Team sonic: sonic!! Dixon: my set! Everyone (except Dixon) ran over to sonic they looked everywhere and saw the destroyed mech suit in a unfinished building,they searched threw the rumble until they saw Sonic crushed by a arm Knuckles: *lifs arm* Tails: sonic? Sonic:... Tails:..he's not breathing! They rushed to the hospital leaving tails Amy knuckles sticks and honey to wait,later on honey was walking back and forth woring about her boyfriend. Honey: I hope sonic is okay. Doctor: *opens door* come in. The u enter and saw Sonic okay..except for the broken arm. Sonic: Hey guys. Team sonic: sonic! Honey: thank God your okay!! *hugs him* Sonic: if cour- Before he could finish she kissed him on the lips,leaving everyone not interrupting. Amy and Sticks: awww! Knuckles: ew! They stop kissing and tails came up hugging his friend. Sonic: I'm okay bud. Knuckles: good i don't know what I would be with out my sidekick. Sonic: *smirks,rolls eyes* Dixon then came in checking on everyone. Dixon: Hey just wanted to Che m in you guys. Sonic: sorry about your set dix. Dixon: eh we can rebuild it. Knuckles: but what about are show?! Sonic: oh were gonna finish. Team sonic: what?!? Sonic: yeah i'm out of here were going to finish the show. 2 weeks later Mayor: thank you Sonic Heroes! Sonic: just doing are job come on guys evil never stops our next adventure awaits us, so there's no time to waste! Yeah! We're SONIC HEROES! " Knuckles: wooo!! Amy: sweet! Sticks: he'll yeah! Honey: wow I can't believe how much of a hit He are! Sonic: I know right. Hoeny: anyway I have to go! Sonic: aw really? Honey: hey I'll be back *kisses him,leaves* Sonic:... Dave: alright two double men burgers with extra pickles. Sonic: ugh I said no pickles. Mike the ox: help eggman is here! Dr Eggman: ahahahah! Sonic: sup eghead! Dr eggman: sonic?!!.*growls* how come I can't kill you guys?!! Sonic: you know why?! Dr Eggman: yeah. Sonic: because SONIC HEROES! Sonic and his pals jump and strike an ending pose. What goes up must come down. Yet my feet don't touch the ground. See the world spinning upside down, A mighty crash without a sound! I can feel your every rage, Step aside I'll turn the page. Breaking through your crazy maze. Like a laser beam, my eye's on you! Watch me rule the night away. Watch me save the day. Feel my storm it's gettin' close. Heading your way! Sonic Heroes! Sonic Heroes! Bind you, confine you, defying your reign! Sonic Heroes! Sonic Heroes! Setting the stage for a heroes parade! I won't even hesitate. A second left to alter fate. I tried to strike, but a bit too late. I got you hooked by my own bait! Watch me rule the night away. Watch me save the day. Feel my storm it's gettin' close, Heading your way! Sonic Heroes! Sonic Heroes! Bind you, confine you, defying your reign! Sonic Heroes! Sonic Heroes! Setting the stage for a heroes parade! You can get there ain't no doubt, As the words spill from the mouth... Of a hero... I can chase another day. Fight you all the way, Like a hero... And together we stand strong no matter how, No one can bring us down! HEEEEEYYYYY!! Sonic Heroes! Sonic Heroes! Bind you, confine you, defying your reign! Sonic Heroes! Sonic Heroes! Setting the stage for a heroes parade! Sonic...Heroes! Heroes! Heroes! Sonic...Heroes! Heroes! Heroes! Give us a reason and we're on our waaaaaay!!! The end.