NegaMetallix

It's that time again, guys! Here are the official covers (spoilered due to a new character reveal) and solicitation for Sonic Universe Issue #61! Enjoy: The tension's heating up, that's for sure. But what are your thoughts, guys? Won't be long now until the finale to Pirate Plunder Panic, so stay tuned for that too!

Welp, looks like HyperMetal50 beat me to the covers for the next Sonic issue(s), though I think it'd be better to put the Universe ones in the other topic. Anyway... Here's the official solicitation for Sonic The Hedgehog Issue #258, which begins the next major story arc (The Chase): Also, apparently there was a bit of a mix-up in the solicit for Issue 258. Originally, it mentioned that E-107 Theta (yeah, that one) was gonna appear in the issue, but an update from Archie's own John Gray (aka 'Dub') confirmed that he isn't in the issue at all, and there aren't any connections to 'X Years Later' in there either. ...But that doesn't say that he might not be in a later issue...

And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for. Allow me to present... the official variant cover and solicitation for Mega Man Issue 34! Wait... did that end part mention a 'next big mega-crossover'? Huh, looks like Mega Man might be meeting his future counterpart sometime soon... (Quint slowly steps forward) No, not you! The other future counterpart! We won't be seeing you for a while.

Huh. You know, thinking of a Shadow 'sequel' has always been a thought in the back of my mind. One thing I think would make weapons more accessible in a Sonic-esque game like Shadow would be to obviously not shove them down the player's throat. What I mean by this is that, instead of picking them up from the ground, you have them in a knid of 'hammerspace' where you can equip them whenever you want at the touch of a button. For example, there was an Xbox 360/PS3 movie tie-in game to the oh-so-terrible 'Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen'. (I actually found the game to be much more enjoyable than the movie itself). In that game, you had three different 'play-styles' as it were. Combat Mode, which was your usual 'run, jump & punch' gameplay, but if you held down the Left Trigger (L2 on the PS3), you'd switch to Weapons Mode. In this mode, you can stil move about freely, but you could also aim for a target, then hold the Right Trigger (R2 on the PS3) to fire your weapons. You could also switch between a Primary and Secondary weapon with the Right Bumper (R1 on the PS3). If you went back to Combat Mode, then held down the Right Trigger/R2, you'd switch into your Vehicle Mode, which is self-explanatory. I know it seems like I'm rambling at this point, but try to stay with me on this next part. Now try to picture those gameplay controls merged with the controls and movement of 'Sonic: Lost World'. If you've followed it correctly, you shold get something like this: Shadow moves at a decent pace when moved with the control stick. You then hold the RT/R2 (ZR on the Wii-U) button to go at full speed (activating Shadow's hover shoes). However, if you don't go full-speed, and instead hold the LT/L2 (ZL on the Wii-U) button, you switch to a 'Weapons mode', similar to the TF:2 game. Shadow still moves at a decent pace, but he can now use Primary and Secondary weapons to get past stronger (albeit optional) opponents and pathways. Hopefully, this would make the gunplay less of an annoyance, and more just a 'thing on the side' that you can use if you want to. ...Phew. Well, I think that's enough rambling for today. And again, sorry if this doesn't end up making any sense whatsoever. That's just how my brain works...

Well, to be honest... there still hasn't been an official answer for that, even to this day. It's just one of gaming's great mysteries...

Sorry, still no solicits. However, I did find an IGN interview with Ian Flynn and Paul Kaminski concerning the MMX side-story. This is a small portion of it: So, to answer your question... It sounds like it'll start sometime just before Day of Sigma.

Well, unlike "you", "I" haven't had a proper appearence yet (and probably never will, unless SEGA change their mind). Besides, it's not like the original comics have been completely removed from reality, so "your" legacy still lives on in the old issues. (I'm not trying to start a fight, I think the Penders conflict is quite enough here.) Anyway, it's likely that they'll opt for a more games-esque backstory for Knux (being the only one of his kind, descendant of the Knucles Clan etc.), but I'm sure Ian will try to trow a few curveballs here-and-there to liven things up. Heck, maybe he'll explain why Knux never seems to guard the Master Emerald in recent years/games...

I saw it not too long ago, and I thought it was pretty good (even if they did change a certain doctor's fate). It's part of what got me interested in the X series.

Wait... no more Locke?! Then... then who are you?

Now then, my thoughts on Pirate Plunder Panic Parts 2&3: I'll just be quick on the first one, it just wasn't that exciting for me. Aside from the 'big reveal' of the Wily Egg Egg O' War (which in and of itself was kinda disappointing), I didn't really find anything that memorable. Obviously Bean was the best part of the issue as usual, and I did like the little 'Monty Python' reference hidden in there. (Anyone else notice it too?) However, the next issue solved most, if not all those problems. Captain Metal (why am I so tempted to call him 'Captain Metallix'?) finally shows a much more bitter side of himself, the appearance of Johnny and Captain Whisker brought a smile to my face (especially with the notion that they are indeed working for Dr Eggman Nega himself), and yes, Bean stole the show once again (quite literally this time). I also enjoyed seeing Bark actually do something in this issue. Finally, the reveal of Captain Metal's 'giant enemy crab' mode was... interesting, though I think we all know what he's gonna have to compete with next issue. (And of course, let's not forget Part 3's off-panel... yeah, and people say the Genesis Wave merging two distinct universes was a world-endangering plot!)

Looks like there hasn't been a post on the cover or variant of the upcoming Issue #34 (Into The Shadows/Mega Man X) yet, so here you go: No solicitation yet, from what I can find. Anyway, my thoughts on Blackout (Parts 1&2): So far, so good. I'm liking the sense of real danger due to the heroes' lack of resources, and seeing the good ol' Robot Masters (well, some of them at least) facing their MM2 counterparts is also fun to watch. As someone who hasn't seen anything related to 'Super Adventure Rockman' before this arc, I'm loving every second of it. Another aspect I liked was the Wily-RMs teaming up with the heroes, as well as Break Man (who continues to be 'mysterious' to Mega Man). I haven't gotten around to reading Issuen #31 yet, but I have seen some previews.

Now then, to mark my triumphant return, here's the cover, variant and solicitation for Issue 60 (in spoilers due to the size): Sounds like things are gonna get quite rough for Team Dark as their fight continues. Also, apparently there was an update on the issue listings at the New York Comc-Con this year. According to them, the 'Shadow Fall' arc has been delayed-of-sorts, with the arc beginning in Universe Issue #60 instead of #59, which will most likely be another stand-alone story. (...Hmm, I sense the possibility of a certain Underground epilogue...) Er, anyway, what are your thoughts on the above, guys? EDIT: As BlueBlur has pointed out below, turns out there hasn't been a delay. Sorry guys, but no Underground epilogue for us... again.

...I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't think Super Emeralds are ever returning, especially with Iizuka himself saying that they aren't canon anymore.

...Was that a typo?

Well, surely if someone manages to get a good scan on the issue, it might be on the site. If it does, should it be placed in the 'Free Comic Day Specials' section?

You know, I could believe that Knux's ridiculous shadow might be him standing next to the Master Emerald... if SEGA and Sonic Team didn't seem to forget that it even exists. (Heck, according to Iizuka himself, Hyper Sonic and the Super Emeralds are all non-canon.) But it's still too early to say, personally.

Same here. I'd love to get the Wii-U version, but we're so short on money as it is (especially with Pokemon X/Y already out AND Batman: Arkham Origins out soon after Lost World, but I digress) that I've settled with pre-ordering the 3DS version for now. Who knows, I might be lucky enough to get a Wii-U for Christmas...

Hmm... they kinda remind me of that one character from Sonic Shuffle. What was her name again?

Well, you're in luck, Locke! So yeah, I went to the Eurogamer Expo yesterday, and while there was a lot to do, I was primarily focused on the main three: Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft. (I'll post my thoughts on everything non-Sonic-related in another topic.) Anyway, I've now played both Windy Hill 1 and Frozen Factory 3 (the casino) on the Wii-U version and I definately prefer the former, but that's probably because it's the first level of the game rather than the third level of the fourth world. Also, there are many more paths to take in Windy Hill, giving the player more freedom, compared to the straight-forward, yet very difficult casino level. One thing that also caught my interest (and I don't know if anyone else found this out before) is that when you start Windy Hill 1, you can see Tails fly off in the Tornado (I'll try to find a screenshot), which fits in with the opening cutscene that was recently revealed. Meanwhile, I've now played every possible demo level on the 3DS version. Overall, I think it's on par with the Wii-U version, given its limitations. One thing that's changed since the Summer of Sonic demo is the timer, which now counts down just like the Wii-U version, giving the player a set time limit. (We'll have to wait until the full game is released to find out if this was a good or bad idea.) Also, the transition between areas seems to have changed; Now, when you hit a giant spring, the screen just fades to black and then you arrive in the next area (with one exception: the snowboarding section of Frozen Factory). One major difference it has from the Wii-U version is that the 3DS version still has ranks (most likely S-to-D like Colours and Generations), which I kinda prefer, as it gives me a reason to replay the levels. (It also makes it less Mario-like.) As for the controls, I think they're... okay. As many people have said before, the controls can (and most likely will) be confusing and difficult to learn when you play it for the first time. However, since my SoS playthrough, I'd say that I've grown to understand the controls much better. Here's a quick heads-up: - Pressing A or B in mid-air will make Sonic either double-jump or Homing Attack enemies within range, just like Sonic Colours. - Pressing Y or X in mid-air will make Sonic either bounce (up to three times), perform a Homing Kick (Wii-U) or a 'wind slash' to stun enemies (3DS). - Pressing Y or X on the ground will make Sonic perform a Somersault in the Wii-U version, but I don't know if it's even useful or not. - Holding ZR (Wii-U) or R (3DS) makes Sonic run, or you can charge up a run by standing still and holding ZR (at least, in the Wii-U version). Anyone who's played the DS version of Super Mario 64 will probably understand how that works. - Holding ZL (Wii-U) or Y (3DS) will rev up the Spin Dash, releasing will launch the Spin Dash. The longer you hold, the further you go. Same as always. I'm not sure if the Wii-U's L&R buttons do anything... yet. Anyway, that's my early thoughts on Sonic Lost World. And with less that a month to go, I can't wait to get my hands on it. (...Well, the 3DS version, that is. I still don't have a Wii-U sadly, but I'm sure it won't be long until I do, and Lost World will be my first game.)