Yameen Talpur

Sonic Origins Plus arrived on every major platform today, bringing myriad updates to what I previously called "a potent pack of nostalgia." However, not every update lives up to expectations, and while it's still the better version of this bundle, Sonic Origins Plus' main attraction doesn't quite stick the landing. For the uninitiated, Sonic Origins launched one year ago today, letting players speed through Sonic the Hedgehog 1, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles from the Sega Genesis, as well as Sonic CD from Sega CD with the option to play as Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles in all of them (except Knuckles in Sonic CD, for some reason). You can play through them in Classic Mode, which retains the original aspect ratio and lives system of the games, or in Anniversary Mode, which adds native widescreen support, grants unlimited lives, implements Sonic's Drop Dash move from Sonic Mania, and gives you the option to retry Special Stages. I loved playing...

This week on All Things Nintendo, we spend all three segments talking about the news that emerged from this week. Marcus Stewart joins Brian as they run down everything that came out of the Nintendo Direct, as well as the Sonic Central stream and other news surrounding things like Amiibo figures and the Pokémon Trading Card Game. They wrap up the show by talking about Sonic Origins Plus, which is out today. If you'd like to follow Brian on social media, you can do so on his Instagram  @BrianPShea . You can follow Marcus on Twitter:  @MarcusStewart7 . The All Things Nintendo podcast is a weekly show where we can celebrate, discuss, and break down all the latest games, news, and announcements from the industry's most recognizable name. Each week, Brian is joined by different guests to talk about what's happening in the world of Nintendo. Along the way, they'll share personal stories, uncover hidden gems in the eShop, and even look back on the classics we all grew up wi...

Reviewed on: PC Platform: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC Publisher: Bandai Namco Developer: Limbic Entertainment Release: June 16, 2023 Rating: Everyone Promising an unconventional approach to rollercoaster construction as players design the theme park of their dreams, Limbic Entertainment’s Park Beyond is yet another business-building simulator that attempts to blend "unlimited" creativity with fiscal responsibility. A familiar pitch with some quirky set dressing, you’ll create your own custom coasters, plop down drag-and-drop shops, and hire staff to create a successful venture that’s profitable and exciting – but most importantly, profitable. Despite a feature-length tutorial in custom coaster construction, Park Beyond’s campaign starts strong by consistently letting you tinker with exciting new mechanics, empowering you to unleash your wildest creations in dusty deserts and lush alpine forests. But as I started to balance my building around the proposed ...

During today's Sonic Central stream to celebrate the anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, Sonic Team announced that the second free content update on Sonic Frontiers' 2023 roadmap, titled Sonic's Birthday Bash, is available today. The update was announced in November 2022 as part of the game's 2023 roadmap. The Sonic's Birthday Bash update adds new challenges, moves, and a new kind of collectible Koco for Sonic. The update also promises free birthday decorations for our hero, as well as the addition of New Game Plus. As is standard with most New Game Plus modes, you can begin the adventure from the start with all of your skill tree and power-up levels carried over into the new file. Sonic's Birthday Bash arrives free to download beginning today at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET. The first of three content updates arrived in March , adding a photo mode, Cyber Space Challenges, and Battle Rush mode, plus a jukebox featuring collectible songs from Sonic'...

Sonic Superstars received prime placement in both the Summer Game Fest 2023 stream and this week's Nintendo Direct. As you might imagine, today's Sonic Central also shined a spotlight on the highly anticipated 2D Sonic game. We received a new trailer that showed off some new DLC coming to Sonic Superstars that features a collaboration with the Lego brand. Players will be able to download a free Lego Sonic DLC skin to give the Blue Blur a new, bricky look. In addition, those who preorder Sonic Superstars will receive a Lego Eggman skin as well. You can see the new trailer below. While Sonic is a recent addition to the Lego stable of characters, he appeared in the 2015 toys-to-life game Lego Dimensions, where he received specialized stages geared towards the speedy playstyle. However, it wasn't until 2021 that Lego officially greenlit a fan creation featuring Green Hill Zone from Sonic Mania. Then, earlier this year, Lego announced four new Sonic the Hedgehog Lego sets ,...

In 2021, Sega celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise with a livestreamed virtual Sonic Symphony orchestral performance ( watch it here ). The music covered most of the mainline games in the series, with Crush 40 even joining for a virtual rock performance of several songs from the modern games in the series. Shortly after the performance, it was announced that the Sonic Symphony show would be going on a world tour, but to this point, we had only received a couple of cities like London and Los Angeles. During today's Sonic Central, we received the full list of tour dates, which you can see below.   Sept. 16, 2023 – London, UK – Barbican Centre at 3:30 pm Sept. 16, 2023 – London, UK – Barbican Centre at 8:00 pm (SOLD OUT) Sept. 22, 2023 – Paris, FR – Grand Rex Sept. 30, 2023 – Los Angeles, CA – Dolby Theater at 3:30 pm Sept. 30, 2023 – Los Angeles, CA – Dolby Theater at 8:00 pm (SOLD OUT) Oct. 14, 2023 – Sao Paulo, BR – Expo Center Norte O...

In this episode of  The Game Informer Show,  Alex returns from Tokyo to share everything he's learned about Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon, what it was like co-writing his first cover story with Senior Associate Editor Blake Hester, and how Armored Core differs from recent FromSoftware releases. After, the crew dives into  Game Informer's  Final Fantasy XVI review, during which Wesley says the game contains his favorite moment in the long-running series. Finally, Marcus and Charles talk about Dordogne, a great water-colored narrative adventure, and Stray Gods, a neat roleplaying musical game.  Follow us on social media:  Alex Van Aken ( @itsVanAken ), Marcus Stewart ( @MarcusStewart7 ), Charles Harte ( @ChuckDuck365 ), Wesley LeBlanc ( @LeBlancWes ) The Game Informer Show  is a weekly gaming podcast covering the latest video game news, industry topics, exclusive reveals, and reviews. Join host  Alex Van Aken  every Thursday for a ...