Sonic the Hedgehog back in Sonic Boom reboot in September 2014 - Apple should purchase Nintendo and make Apple iTV into a Game Console

“Sonic 2 had a ‘Team’ vibe between Sonic and Tails and we wanted to recapture that plus kick things up a notch by adding Amy and Knuckles to the equation. In Sonic Adventure, the Game’s structure offered exploration and discovery that opened up more as the player progressed. We believe this is a great approach and modelled Sonic Boom after it. We also love what Sonic Team did with Sonic Generations, giving the player 2D and 3D variations of the same level. Our take was to integrate 2D and 3D seamlessly within the level in a way that made sense, keeping things fresh for the player.”

Creative Director at LA-based Studio Big Red Button Bob Rafei, commenting on changes coming to Sonic the Hedgehog in Sonic Boom

Sonic the Hedgehog is back! Plans are now afoot to bring back the speed little mammal with a new refreshed image and a new Video Game, Sonic Boom, complete with his own TV Cartoon series with Action figures and Merchandizing being planned as reported in  “Sonic the Hedgehog is coming back with a new Game, TV show, and more”, published February 7, 2014 By Ryan Fleming, DigitalTrends.

The Team working on Sonic Boom is also new; Big Red Button for Game Development, French Animation Studio OuiDo for the Animation Series and Tomy for making the Action figures and Merchandizing!

Goooooooooo Sonic!

The new Game is coming out in September 2014 on the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U thanks to an exclusive publish deal with Nintendo. For Sega Genesis fans, please note that this is the same Nintendo that Sega Genesis had created Sonic the Hedgehog to defeat back in 1991 with their own Game system, the Sega Dreamcast.

Now Sega and the Sonic Team are apparently working for the enemy, as I used to get picked on a lot at High School over my decision to stick with the Sonic Team rather to be on Mario Team!

Heck, even the Sonic the Hedgehog Game Designer and Co-Creator Hirokazu Yasuhara has switched sides since April 2012 and is now working for the enemy Nintendo as reported in” Game Designer Sonic the Hedgehog director joins Nintendo as Game designer”, published April 5, 2012 By Anthony John Agnello, DigitalTrends.

Looks more like a rescue mission, as sales of the Wii U are sinking the company fast as reported in “Uh oh: Nintendo cuts Wii U sales forecast by 69 percent”, published January 17, 2014 6:30 AM PST by Don Reisinger, CNET News and “Nintendo's Wii U sales down, revenue disappoints”, published January 29, 2014 5:30 AM PST by Don Reisinger, CNET News. Article coming on this soon, albeit technically this can be seen as it!

Apparently Nintendo has put out what’s effectively an all points bulletin for Game Developers to make more compelling Games to boost their flagging Console Games. Drawing for Nostalgia may be the reason my beloved Sonic the Hedgehog is getting so much traction.

To that end, the Sonic Team has been taken off the project and it’s been handed to LA-based Studio Big Red Button run by Creative Director Bob Rafei. If you know anything about Video Games, you’d realize that Sonic the Hedgehog is in good hands, as Bob Rafei once worked on Games like Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter when he interned with Naughty Dog Studios.

Their plans might bring back the nostalgia lovers, as they plan to draw rendering styles from Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and the later Sega Dreamcast Game, Sonic Adventure and transplant that into possible a 3D Gaming World that’s well rendered!

So far very little details have leaked about the Game, whether it’ll be a 3D or 2D. French Animation Studio OuiDo has been tasked with creating the first new TV series for Sonic the Hedgehog since Sonic X was launched in 2004. The Cartoon is rumoured to be a 3D CGI and most likely will be rendered with the same images taken from the Video Game to make the companion cartoon, which they plan to launch at the same time as the Game, look like a seamless continuation.

Sega and the Sonic Team have also drafted in Tomy to make Action figures for merchandizing, making Sonic Transition into the Real World. This is a rather big push for a Video Game title and no doubt Nintendo and Sega are counting on Nostalgia and a whole new legion of Millennial (aged 18 to 28) Gamer to fall in love with this reboot of the series!

Sonic the Hedgehog – Bluefox and the Reason why I love Computer Programming

A 3D romp down memory lane would be great for fans of the Sega Genesis System such as myself. I used to idolize Sonic the Hedgehog, as I admired his rebellious can-do attitude and his speed, not to mention his cool blue hair.

Coupled with his sidekicks Amy, Tails and Knuckles, Sonic the Hedgehog was Sega Genesis’ answers to Nintendo back in 1991 and for legions of fans such as myself were always ready to take on Dr. Eggman and his evil killer Robots.

I’m personally happy that Sonic’s back as rumours of his demise in 2013 with Sega and Sonic Team not confirming a major release as reported in “Have we seen the last of Sonic on consoles?” published March 1, 2013 By Anthony John Agnello, Digital Trends greatly exaggerated. I have played some of the previous versions of the Game on PC, most notably:

1.      Sonic the Hedgehog (1991 video Game developed by Sega for the Sega Genesis (Mega Drive)

2.      Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit), a 1991 platform video Game for the Sega Master System and Game Gear

3.      Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (8-bit), the 1992 sequel for Sega Master System and Game Gear

4.      Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (16-bit), the 1992 sequel for Sega Genesis (Mega Drive)

5.      Sonic the Hedgehog (2006 video Game), a 2006 platform video Game developed by Sonic Team for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3

6.      Sonic Unleashed in 2008

7.      Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the 1994 sequel for the Sega Genesis (Mega Drive)

8.      Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I (Sonic's return "to his 2D roots")

9.      Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (released in 2012)

I am not much of a Gamer, as you can probably tell from my articles thus far on the Geezam blog, which have mostly focused on Minecraft as noted in my Geezam blog article entitled “Map of Great Britain in Minecraft is a Brick Builders Dream Landscape made Real”.

Worse, my latest articles on Flappy Bird reveal more of a fascination with Apps and the In-App Advertising model used by the Free Game as chronicled in my blog article entitled “Developer Dong Nguyen takes down US$50000 a day Flappy Bird App - Unwanted Media Attention leaves DotGears Game as the first In-App Advertising Gaming App” as opposed to serious Gameplay.

But back in my younger years at Glenmuir High School, most specifically in 6^th Form back in 1997 when I was working on a Computer Program that could do Mathematical Calculations that was eventually named Bluefox as explained in my Geezam blog article entitled “IBM and the Watson”, I discovered Sega Genesis and Sonic the Hedgehog.

In fact, I used to play the emulated Game on Computers at what was back then the only Internet Café at Guinep Tree in May Pen, Clarendon. It was that Game that inspired me to code my project in Turbo Pascal when I was fooling around with computers.

In fact, the name of my project, Bluefox, was inspired by my love for playing the Game in the Evening at the Internet Café at Guinep Tree in May Pen, Clarendon in the evening when I was going home. I also used to pop into the Game Shop which used to be located in the current location of the Tastee Patty Shop on Main Street, May Pen Clarendon.

That and the fact that Blue Hedghog or Sonic the Hedgehog was too Game-sounding and I was worried back then that my project wouldn’t be taken seriously. But the folks at GCE, the British Examination Body though it was unique enough to rewards my extremely detailed coding efforts with an A Grade. That year I also won Glenmuir high Schools first inaugural Computer Studies Prize.

Thus you can see I’ve got a strong connection to this Game. I’m therefore thrilled to see the Game coming back to enchant and inspire yet another generation, hopefully with Better Gameplay.

Sonic the Hedgehog – Improved Characters and possibly a new Enemy?

Yes, they’ve improved on Sonic. This time around in Sonic Boom he’s got some serious speed related issues with an increased amount of bandages, a cute scarf (he accessorizes!) and he’s true blue through and through down to his arms as reported in “Sonic Boom – gaming's hedgehog hero reinvented”, published Thursday 6 February 2014 21.09 GMT by Keith Stuart, The UK Guardian.

This is apparently to emphasize that like a boxer, he’s always ready for action as pointed out by Creative Director at LA-based Studio Big Red Button Bob Rafei, quote: "The objective was to make the characters instantly recognizable as being from Sonic Boom. We explored various costume options and quickly found the limits of what works and what doesn’t. Since we wanted to push the characterization of Sonic and friends to fit our narrative, I thought it more appropriate to make them a touch older by adjusting their head, hand and feet proportions. The athletic tape hints at a Team that is ready for any action – it is about practicality rather than vanity. Given they have very clean graphic lines, it was important not to clutter their silhouettes, so any little addition had to be carefully considered. They are designed for an epic action adventure.”

His friend Knuckles, the muscle in the Video Game, is now much bigger and more muscular. Tails still has his bag-o-gadgets, Inspector Gadget Style and Amy……well, Amy smashes stuff to bits with her ginormous hammer that she apparently keeps hidden in a pocket dimension somewhere.

No news on the Gameplay, save for a curious new feature where any two players on the screen are linked by an invisible elastic rubber band. This is basically helpful for Team play involving co-operative moves such as jumping or swinging over obstacles.

Clearly, co-operative Team play is still the focus of Big Red Button Developers, as they want to emphasize the different strengths of the various players; Sonic’s Speed, Knuckles Strength, Tails Gadgets and Amy and her gigantic Hammer!

Can’t wait to see who their new Enemy is, as beating up Dr. Eggman may be a little played out!

Nintendo is on the ropes – Apple should partner or purchase Nintendo and make a Game Console

Nintendo has clearly fallen off the Wagon with the Nintendo Wii U, far from their glory days and more recently when they were the innovators when the original Nintendo Wii launched on November 19^th 2006 along with the Apple iPad as opined in my blog article entitled “Apple iPad in the Summer of 2010 - The Death of the video Game consoles”.

If their sales keep declining at this rate, they’ll be ripe of a takeover, as right now the Xbox 360 and its 3D motion Capture Technology is now the new feature that’s attracting new Gamers by the droves. The company behind the Technology, Primesense, has been purchased by Apple as reported in my blog article entitled “Apple buys Israeli-based Primesense that makes the Microsoft Kinect - Apple's Siri and Kinect Heralds of a coming World free of Remote Controls”.

Apple clearly has plans to launch a Television Set sometime soon possibly with a Video Gaming element baked into the Apple iTV, now that Apple is alledgedly planning to possibly add an App Store to the Streaming device as stated in “New Apple TV set-top box coming in first half of 2014, report says”, published January 23, 2014 11:56 AM PST by Richard Nieva, CNET News.

So here’s my idea: Apple can speed up the development of the Apple iTV and Apple Television Set and incorporate it into a Video Game Console System by purchasing Nintendo for a push into the Chinese market as stated in my blog article entitled “China allows Console Makers to manufacture Video Game Consoles in Shanghai Free Zone - Social Mobile Cloud Gaming Revival with Legit Chinese Customers and defense against Apple and Google”. This would be a long term strategic push that would mean that Apple’s Television Set would not go live until 2015. But it would be worth it.

Can’t wait until September 2014 for Sonic Boom? Then relive the best of Sonic the Hedgehog on the Nintendo Wii as I’ve decided to list the Best Games in the Series playable on the Nintendo Wii!

Sonic Unleashed for Nintendo Wii

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 2

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1