Is Sonic Making a Comeback?

A year ago I was of the opinion that Sonic the Hedgehog was on its way to becoming irrelevant. All the evidence pointed to that conclusion: lagging game sales, a fandom of ill repute, unpopular changes to the cast, and a cartoon based on these unpopular changes. But now, in 2017, I find myself eating humble pie. The Sonic Boom cartoon has proven itself to be surprisingly smart and funny, with Knuckle's speech on feminism becoming deservedly viral. The game Sonic Mania is receiving rave reviews, most notably from famed Youtuber VideoGameDunkey, who gave the game a perfect score, a rarity for him, Does this mean Sonic is making a comeback?

It's too early to say "yes," and Pokemon Go's fall to irrelevancy has made me more cautious about betting on the future (I had foolishly believed Pokemon Go was going to bring back Pokemania). Sonic's heyday is long gone; the Golden Age is over. But perhaps a Silver Age can begin? I like to think that, if Sonic media can keep up and IMPROVE on the momentum made by the Sonic Boom cartoon and Sonic Mania game, we will be seeing Sonic not just be relevant again, but BIG.

What Sonic needs is the following:

1. 2D platforming games in the style of the Sega Genesis, but with HD sprites and all new levels.
2. More cartoons like Sonic Boom, which combine humor with action.
3. A second cartoon like the old Sonic Sat-Am cartoon, treating the Sonic mythos seriously.
4. A movie that's actually GOOD.

Will Sonic become relevant again? It's my hope that he will. The year 2016 was supposed to be the 25th anniversary of Sonic; so far, the "5" anniversaries have been disappointments for Sonic fans, while the "10" anniversaries have given fans great and memorable games. Here's hoping the year 2021 will see Sonic back to SOME level of his old fame. I want Sonic's 30th anniversary to be celebrated, not ignored!

An Analysis of GamerGate

This is my FINAL piece on GamerGate. It is also a continuation of my previous piece, "Gaming Going Right?"

I had originally intended this to be a dispassionate, objective view on GamerGate, its history, and its influence. But as I put pen to paper, I couldn't help but notice a far more important topic creep up: how GamerGate served as a microcosm of the rise of the alt-right in real world politics. And let me not mince words: had people paid attention to GamerGate, they could have prevented Trump, Brexit, Marine Le Pen, and other calamities.

Four Year Anniversary

It's been four years since I've started writing this blog. Normally, I like looking back on how much things have changed. That's easy to do when the changes are good (better writing, better content) but what happens when the changes are bad? What happens when you face yourself with a situation that makes you question whether you're on the right path or not? That's the situation I find myself in today.

Gaming Going Right Wing?

It's hard to believe that 12 years ago, Liberalism had found a comfortable home in the gaming community in no small part due to Conservative movements seeking to censor games. Gaming web comics made fun of old men in suits having panic attacks at seeing gun violence and nudity in gaming. So, how is it that Conservatism is now finding a new home in gaming, while Liberalism is seemingly being rejected by gamers? How did neo-fascists like Richard Spencer find support among gamers? The answer is very difficult to hear, and harder to believe.

Top 11 Flaws in Final Fantasy 7

The remake of Final Fantasy 7 is coming up soon, and I'm still excited for it. The original game remains one of the greatest I have ever played, and one of a small handful of games that I have replayed more than ten times. In fact, I think it no exaggeration to say I have replayed the game hundreds of times! That said, I do not believe the game to be perfect; in fact, FF7 has quite a few flaws. I have amassed a list of 11 of the game's biggest flaws, which I will share with you today.

An Announcement

I'm sure you've all noticed that this year so far, updates have been few and far between. This is mostly due to two reasons: I'm working now, and I'm a bit burnt out. Simply put, it isn't easy to come up with new topics to discuss and then spend who knows how much time actually writing it all down, all after a hard day's work. Sometimes I just want to sit my butt down and game, and I personally don't think I should apologize for that.

However, that does not mean that there won't be any new content; far from it. I have already planned something for both August AND December. This August I'll be writing an entry celebrating 4 years of blogging about video games (scheduled August 2) and at around August 28 I'll be writing my FINAL piece on GamerGate, where we'll take a look back at the good AND the bad that came from said movement. I'm planning to be dispassionate and objective in that article.

On December you can look forward to The Strange Men Month, where every Saturday we'll be looking at Uri's four games in  the "something Man" series. Like every December, we'll be looking at four different games and analyzing what specific message they each have to say. The tentative schedule is:

December 2: The Crooked Man (revisited)

December 9: The Sand Man

December 16: The Boogie Man

December 23: The Hanged Man

Between the Lines- The Kalekka Incident of Suikoden 1

"The ends justify the means." Ever heard that phrase used before? It's the notion that WHAT you do doesn't matter, only that it gets results. It's a call to clear your conscience of the blood on your hands if you've brought peace. But another haunting quote is "nothing ever ends." What good is a peace attained by blood if that peace doesn't last? Is it really worth killing innocents if it'll bring 10 years of peace? What if it doesn't even get you that ten years? This is one of those conundrums presented (albeit subtly) by the game Suikoden 1.