Sharudin Rahmat asked:


Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game character and the hero of a video game series released by SEGA, as well as various spin-off comics, cartoons and books. Designer Hirokazu Yasuhara, artist Naoto ?shima and programmer Yuji Naka are generally credited with the creation of the character, a blue, anthropomorphic hedgehog, whose ability to run faster than the speed of sound is a major part of game-play for this series.

Sonic Rivals is a head-to-head competition between Sonic and his top rivals, where the gloves are off and the winner takes all. What starts as a friendly competition between Sonic and Knuckles quickly intensifies as Shadow and other rivals jump into the action. “Sonic Rivals brings back the classic 2D platform game-play that started it all, and douses it with vibrant three-dimensional environments,” says Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America Inc.

Sonic Rivals 2 was released for the PSP last month in North America, and it hit Europe and other PAL regions on December 7. The playable competitors of this sonic speed race are Espio the Chameleon, Knuckles the Echidna, hedgehogs Shadow, Silver and Sonic, Tails, Rogue the Bat and Metal Sonic.

The sequel has several new features including a revamped rival “jostling” game-play system, which allows for closer head-to-head competition. The sequel also includes upgraded power-ups and range weapons. Card trading and collection in Sonic Rivals 2 has also increased and will now include 150 collectible cards. The cards will enable players to customize characters’ tracksuits, as well as unlock new PSP backgrounds and Cup Circuits.

SEGA has added a new multiplayer battle mode, which lets two players use the PSP’s game-sharing functionality to compete in six different ad hoc races using a single copy of the game. The multiplayer battle modes are: Knockout, where players try desperately to knockout their opponent before the time runs out), Ring Battle (where gamers do anything to make sure that they have the most rings when the timer hits zero), Race (where the goal is to reach the finish line first), King of the Hill (where players have to stay in the safety zone for as long as possible before their time runs out), Capture the Chao (where gamers must capture and hold onto their opponents Chao), and Tag (players fight to stay alive in this intense game of avoiding the soon-to-explode bomb). A single-player free mode has also been added.

Twelve new ring-filled stages have been created for this intense head-to-head race, where the ultimate goal is to rescue the Chao and uncover who is responsible for some dastardly deeds.

Main character Sonic has changed quite a bit in appearance since his 1991 debut as a fresh-faced, stubby-legged thick-around-the-middle blue hedgehog. By the late ‘90s he was sporting a new look, with thicker quills, longer legs, green contacts, and an even sassier attitude. He’s looking taller and thinner these days, and he’s even got a slightly different quill coif.

JJGames asked:


There are times when you are just ready for the kids to be quiet and go play, so you can have some time to yourself. One way to do that these days is to find some good video games – like Nintendo 64 or Sega Genesis games – and stock up on them for the kids to play when you want them to.

Don’t worry about the cost, since there are a lot of games out there that can be bought for not a lot of money. Sega consoles can be found cheap online and you can hook them up fast for your children and their friend. There are many multi-player games that can be found for a few dollars, including FIFA soccer. There are many other kid-friendly games available, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega’s flagship title.

Before you get ahead of yourself and worry about the games, though, you need to check out the different game consoles. The Sega and Nintendo both have their different advantages. The Sega system, for instance, has a lot of very cheap games. Even the most popular ones will be under 10 dollars. The console, too, is a bargain compared to new systems.

Sega has games for all different ages of kids. If you have an older child who wants a challenging game, you can find something like Flashback: The Quest for Identity that will push them. They will really enjoy it.

If you are looking at the Nintendo 64 games for your kids, one of the first things you notice is it has some of the more exciting games. These games include a lot of driving titles that range from the cartoonish but very fun Mario Kart 64 to more traditional simulations like F1 Grand Prix. Once they get driving and competing with each other, it will be hard to get them to stop.

Both the Sega and Nintendo systems also appeal to a wide range of ages. Young kids can play games like Elmo’s Letter Adventure on the Nintendo 64 to scary and exciting games like Mortal Kombat for the older players on a Sega Genesis.

Don’t let the time you want to get these games sneak up on you though. The online sites where you can buy them often go through games very quickly. If you have decided on a specific game to get and you see it online, it’s best to buy it then and not wait. If you don’t buy it, you could be stuck without the game you promised the kids and that would be no fun at all.

Mathew Reed asked:


The Sony PSP has quickly become one of the most popular portable gaming systems available. Not only is it a superior gaming machine, but it's also a complete entertainment system wrapped into a single hand-held device.

Beyond gaming, you can also download movies and tv shows, listen to music, browse the web, and even play your PSP full scren by plugging it into your television.

Unfortunately, all of this content can get pretty expensive. With PSP games costing anywhere from $30 - $50 a pop, it can really start to add up.

So if you're an avid gamer, you're much better off looking for a PSP membership site that allows you to download unlimited PSP games instead of buying them one by one.

There are a lot of web sites online "claiming" to offer free PSP downloads.

Unfortunately, most of these sites are borderline illegal. Plus, many of the free downloads are famous for being full of spyware, adware, viruses, and corrupted files.

You start downloading what you think is the latest PSP game release and you end up downloading some nasty adware along with it.

However, if you do your homework and find a legitimate membership site, you can get unlimited access to millions of PSP games, movies, tv shows, songs, software, custom themes, wallpaper, and more. All you pay is a small one-time fee and you're set for life.

Plus, you also get access to old school games like Pac Man, Super Mario, Sonic, and all of your old favorites. You also get instant access to all of the PSX and PS1 games. In fact, you can even download Japanese imports. If you want it.... they probably have it...

 

 

 

Madison Lockwood asked:

It seems almost like a Christmas ritual: there's a Next Big Thing in the video game world almost every holiday season. Last year featured a particularly interesting competition between the new gaming hardware put on the market by Nintendo and their prime competitor, Sony with its PlayStation series.

The Sony PS3 is the high-end, bells-and-whistles choice between the two. It includes high-definition graphics, a hard disk, and a Blu-ray Disc drive that delivers great image quality. The top tier 60GB hard drive version also includes a hefty $600 retail price. Nintendo's Wii (pronounced "we") costs $250 and builds in Wi-Fi (but not ethernet). Like the PS3, it has an SD Card slot and can display photos, but its standard-def DVD drive can't yet play movies (Nintendo and Sonic Solutions are working on that).

What Nintendo does have that keeps it in the game is a unique gaming remote device (the Wiimote) and an enormous library of games. The PS3 enters the market with significantly more horsepower and better graphics, but their game options are, at this point, fairly limited. Wii came on the market with 62 games available; the PS3 opened with an inventory of 20 games.

PC World's review provides a clean portrayal of the difference between the two systems. The graphics on the PS3 are state of the art 1080p high-definition and present a new level of quality for gamers. The Wii's graphic capability is limited to standard definition, which is equivalent to the PS2, Sony's last (and highly successful) video game console. However the Wii has a remote gaming control that utilizes motion-sensing technology, so that the gamers' motions with the remote are mimicked in the game. If you're playing football, a pass requires a passing motion with the remote. A sword fight will require a little air-fencing as part of the game participation.

The intuitive nature of the Wii remote is its strength, along with the relatively inexpensive cost compared to the PS3. Wii also has an additional controller called the Nunchuk which is a joystick-type device that works in conjunction with the motion-sensing remote.

The graphics and multiple uses (the PS3 includes a Blu-ray HD DVD player) are what make the Sony product attractive. When they both came on the market, the fact that each relied on separate characteristics to define their value has made for an interesting market contest.

The PS3 is the high-horsepower (and high priced) option on the market. It can handle HD DVDs, play back your digital photographs, and connect to the internet with a built in browser. Its graphics are unparalleled, and it comes with a decent game inventory that will at least get you started. It too has a new controller, one that utilizes a tilt feature that is a token effort at motion sensitivity.

With the Wii, Nintendo decided to forego the digital video wars and focus on a simple box with unique controls that is designed for fun. The Wii can play GameCube games (Nintendo's last offering) and has been introduced with a new addition to the chart-busting Zelda game series. While the Wii hasn't done much to upgrade the visual quality of the gaming experience, it has added substantial new dimension to the gaming process itself. It too can be utilized for web access.

Nintendo's decision to target so-called "casual gamers" seems to have paid off in the short run. It's too early to pick the long term winner; both companies limited their Christmas product issue in order to ensure sellouts and high product demand. The PS3 definitely has a price-break issue that will offset some gamers' lust for the best graphics out there. On the other hand, it's a system with a great future. Wii's future is now, for the most part, and the product issues an intriguing invitation for a substantially new gaming experience, even if it occurs using last year's graphics.

Lance Hemenway asked:

Are you able to envision what it must have been like to have lived in the 1800's? I can't. I mean, I really attempt it… But then a sickening feeling begins to throb at the back of my skull and I’m immediately propelled back into 2008. Hooray—modern times! The times of Britney Spears, Fast Food, Eddie Izzard, Gears of War, Spongebob Squarepants, and George W. Bush. Now that’s what I call living!

Now wait just a cotton-picking minute! People had amazing things in the 1800's as well right? Of course they did! -Lots of great things! Like… Butter churns, and... Funny hats… And, uh, those really neat sticks that have a head of a horse on them. Know what I mean? Those horse-head sticks that you could put between your legs and shout "Giddie up!" as you stomped about back yard. They had those things! Those were fun right?

Okay really, it's time to face it. I'm sorry, but people back then didn’t have squat. They didn’t even have electricity. How sad is that? Even if you were to go back in time, and hand them a brand new Playstation 3… They could not even play the stupid thing. They would have had to use it as a display base for their paper dolls or something. Did they have paper dolls? Did they have paper? Or did they have to cut their paper dolls out of leaves? I can’t think about it anymore. I’m getting that sickening feeling again.

Now, just think about what we have. -Not just in terms of basic things like indoor plumbing. But instead, really cool, live-saving things like ipods and HBO. Who could really live without an ipod and HBO? Well, perhaps some savages in Borneo or something, but not anyone of any real breading. And who could forget television, microwaves, Hot Pockets, and The Allman Brothers, -just a few more of the many things that technology has brought to us.

And what do you believe would be the best thing? Here's a hint. It's not the heart-lung machine. (But that's good too I suppose.)

The best thing, in the history of the planet, is online games.

Online games baby. Think about it. Technology goes along, and makes this thing called paper, which allows for the sum of all knowledge to be recorded for our future generations. And folks like you and I come along and say- "Yeah, that’s nice, but can we play games on it?" And POOF, just like that, Tic Tac Toe is born. But then along comes the Television. –A devise that brings information across the nation in an instant! And people like you and I say 'Yeah, but can we play games on it?' And BANG, just like that, Sonic the Hedgehog is born.

And today, we have the computer. -The ultimate piece of machinery to increase the productivity of workers for generations to come. But guess what. Oh yeah baby… You can play games on it! And not just "Hey-I-gotta-sell-my-kidney-to-affored-this-damn-thing" kinda games. But real, honest to god, gaming masterpieces which can be downloaded to your work computer for FREE! (That’s not a typo. Many of these games are FREE.)

When you're finished reading this article, take a look at a site like Jenkatgames dot com. Now here is a site that is filled with free downloadable games. Games that are so good, that I guarantee you'll miss out on that big promotion from playing them so much. Take a look at the game "Finder's Keepers". This game is, without a doubt, one of the best I've ever played. I've never said the phrase "Just ten more minutes". more times, than when I'm playing Finder's Keepers.

And other games like 'Go-Go Gourmet' or "Great Secrets: Da Vinci" are just as amazing. I think that people owe it to themselves to avail themselves to the greatest accomplishment of our generation. Online games. It's not a horse-stick or a heart-lung machine or anything. –But it's gotta be a close second.