The Hill Is Always Greener (Sonic F)
Explorez tous les épisodes de The Hill Is Always Greener
| Date | Titre | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 05 Jul 2024 | Jimmy Hedgeman (ft. KaiserNeko) | 01:31:17 | |
Sonic Movie: It's Cool! Special guest KaiserNeko joins us to take a look back at Sonic's live action theatrical debut. We reminisce about the long road to its 2020 release, talk about everything we thought did and didn't work, and discuss whether live action as a medium can ever truly hope to capture the essence of Sonic the Hedgehog. Plus, a brief look back at some of the bizarre movie treatments that (thankfully) DIDN'T get off the ground! (0:00:00) Intro (0:02:59) Kaiser's history with Sonic (0:11:49) Hollywood's other attempts at a Sonic movie (0:23:32) History of the 2020 movie (0:35:05) Kinda plot summary (1:23:16) Final thoughts (1:25:55) Outro | |||
| 05 May 2023 | The Stop Sign of Damocles | 01:20:29 | |
That's no moon...that's the subject of our new episode! In celebration of Revenge of the 5th, the gang takes a look at one of the most memorable recurring locations in the Sonic franchise, the Death Egg! While rooted in popular culture, this fully operational battle station has been a focus of many of the most iconic Sonic stories in games and comics. And we're going to take a long look back at its legacy, including its many imitations, the robots Eggman has used to defend it, and our lingering fears that it will one day doom us all. Help us, Sonic the Hedgehog. You're our only hope. (0:00:00) Intro/Main Topic: The Death Egg (0:13:15) Sonic 2 (0:18:25) Sonic 3 (0:21:10) Sonic & Knuckles (0:28:37) Sonic Battle (0:29:48) Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (0:32:00) Sonic Generations (0:35:00) Sonic Forces (0:37:14) Lego Dimensions (0:38:23) The Death Egg in comics (0:51:39) Other Death Egg-likes (1:04:47) Final thoughts: Is it more than just a Death Star ripoff? (1:15:19) Outro | |||
| 26 Aug 2022 | I Ran Past Her Before She was Born | 01:45:15 | |
This episode, the gang takes a trip back in time to revisit Sonic CD! Once one of the series' more obscure entries, the game has since established itself as a core piece of Sonic's past, and a major influence on his future. But is Sonic's adventure on the Little Planet worthy of the praise it's received, or would it be best left as the game time forgot? (00:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff (00:08:09) Main topic: Sonic CD (01:20:30) Secrets and cut content (01:39:40) Final thoughts/Outro | |||
| 27 Sep 2024 | I Wish Mario Would Kiss Human Me (ft. Sreddous) | 01:51:09 | |
We're back, and we're ready to teach! Special guest Sreddous joins us for another newbie education episode, as we answer her questions about crossovers, pushing boundaries, and which part of the world Crash Bandicoot ACTUALLY hails from. (0:00:00) Intro (0:03:37) Main topic: Sonic Newbie Education 101 (0:05:16) Which games are the closest to the lore you guys accept? (0:23:01) What game do you wish you could reprogram to fix your issues with it? (0:32:27) Quiz game: A.B.C.D. Station (0:57:12) Can you identify any moments where a creative wanted to push things a little further and Sega said no? (1:08:39) Quiz game: Sonic Said (1:29:03) Other than the Olympics, what other framing of a Sonic and Mario crossover do you think could be really fun? (1:32:39) Quiz game: Know More Music (1:46:55) Outro | |||
| 11 Aug 2023 | The Studiopolis Iceberg (ft. Ginger Hail) | 02:35:53 | |
What happens when you take a team of talented creators with ties to the Sonic fanbase, and give them Sonic Team's blessing and guidance? You get one of the greatest Sonic games of all time, that's what! Special guest Ginger Hail joins the team to talk about the one and only Sonic Mania, a game with the most unlikely of origins that remains one of the blue blur's most lauded adventures. We dissect this game from top to bottom, from its snappy gameplay, to its many surprising additions and callbacks, to its incredible soundtrack, to...okay, let's be honest, this is just gonna be us gushing nonstop for two and a half hours, so if that sort of thing sounds up your alley, tune in! (0:00:00) Intro (0:04:03) Main topic: Sonic Mania (0:19:55) The music! (0:34:20) Green Hill Zone (0:47:07) Special Stages (0:55:24) Chemical Plant Zone (0:59:43) Studiopolis Zone (1:10:06) Flying Battery Zone (1:16:01) Press Garden Zone (1:19:30) Stardust Speedway Zone (1:28:24) Hydrocity Zone (1:35:33) Mirage saloon Zone (1:44:49) Oil Ocean Zone (1:51:36) Lava Reef Zone (1:58:27) Metallic Madness Zone (2:06:27) Titanic Monarch Zone (2:16:24) Egg Reverie Zone (2:19:48) Other modes (2:23:54) Final thoughts (2:31:55) Outro Egg Reverie + Fist Bump Vocals | |||
| 03 Jun 2022 | Girlboss Capitalist the Hedgehog | 01:08:13 | |
Round 1! Fight! The gang takes a look back at the first half of the "Champions" arc, one of their most beloved stories from Archie's later years. Featuring the reinvention of a forgotten femme fatale and the proper debut of a furry fashionista fighter, is this Sonic the Fighters adaptation still a knockout, or is fated to go down in the first round? Plus dramatic reenactments of scenes from the comic by an all-star cast! Featuring:
(00:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Archie Sonic "Champions" Part 1 (00:15:22) Issue 268 (00:20:37) Clip: Sonic meets Breezie (00:30:14) Clip: Eggman calls Breezie (00:40:36) Clip: Sonic and Breezie "negotiate" (00:43:02) Clip: Amy meets Honey (00:43:53) Clip: Honey offers to help (00:44:55) Clip: Team Hooligan arrives (00:48:05) Issue 269 (00:49:11) Clip: Breezie betrays Sonic (00:54:12) Clip: Wes Weasley's ad break (00:55:45) Clip: Honey defeats Tails (01:04:55) Clip: Nack calls Eggman (01:07:10) Outro The Lawsuit that Reshaped Sonic the Hedgehog Comics by Bobby Schroeder Super Lesbian Animal RPG - DEMO VERSION (Bobby's game demo, out this year TBD) | |||
| 10 Mar 2023 | Tails, Your Jordans are Fake! | 02:28:07 | |
Once upon a time, there were four podcasters who desperately sought to recapture their youth. To do this, they gathered around to read the Sonic Golden Books, a trilogy of children’s storybooks from the early ‘90s. Their discussions of Sonic and his Freedom Fighter friends landed on many strange topics, from Tails eating literal garbage, to the perfect chili dog recipe, to Bunnie Rabbit’s art commissions. They even made a brief divergence into the Sonic Joke Book! Charmed by their pleasant simplicity, the four podcasters hoped all their listeners would tune in and read along with them, to enjoy a delightful trip back to yesteryear. The End. (0:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff (0:09:10) Main topic Sonic Golden Books (0:14:19) Sonic’s Shoes Blues (1:11:03) The Secret Admirer (1:50:08) Up Against The Wall (2:19:49) Final thoughts (2:22:10) Sonic the Hedgehog Joke Book (2:25:27) Outro Sonic Forces Classic Sonic Improvement Mod (Chaos 0 Boss Fight) Going Deep With Sonic The Hedgehog (John Michlig) Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic's Shoes Blues Every Sonic game is blasphemous | Unraveled Sonic the Hedgehog 2: The Secret Admirer Sonic 2 Special Edition: Let's Play! | |||
| 01 Apr 2024 | Bumpkin Kong | 02:27:14 | |
Get ready... GO! It's time for a new episode of The Wood Village is Always Greener, as we hop in our cars, hovercrafts, and planes, traveling back to the late '90s so we can reminisce on a beloved classic kart racer, Diddy Kong Racing. We take a DEEP dive looking back at everything this game has to offer, from its colorful cast, to its many scenic circuits, to all the attempted follow-ups that never quite left the starting line. (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Diddy Kong Racing (0:07:25) Development history (0:11:09) The characters (0:40:18) Gameplay (0:47:27) Battle mode (0:49:16) Adventure mode (0:59:07) Dino Domain (1:01:48) Snowflake Mountain (1:05:20) Sherbet Island (1:09:29) Dragon Forest (1:15:39) Wizpig's First Strike (1:21:14) Future Fun Land (1:24:31) Wizpig Strikes Back and other features (1:29:10) Diddy Kong Racing DS (1:44:48) The almost-sequels (1:56:23) Other media and merch (2:04:20) N64 vs. DS listening party (2:20:59) Final thoughts (2:22:41) Outro Diddy Kong Racing's Krunch -- Designing For Frustration | |||
| 16 Dec 2022 | I Boo Your Cheers! | 01:15:54 | |
The holiday season is upon us, so the gang is curling up by the fire with mugs full of cocoa to revisit some festive Sonic content spanning 25 years. First up is "Sonic's Christmas Blast", where the coming of a new Santa Claus also marks the end of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. Next, they'll jump forward a few decades to watch the ball drop in the Sonic Boom episode "New Year's Retribution". Finally, it's a double dose of short, 2D animated goodness, with the Sonic Mania Adventures, Holiday Special and the "Chao in Space" short. So put your Chao and your Flickies to bed, enjoy the delicious slow-cooked roast, and join us in celebrating the festivities with everyone's favorite blue Santa stand-in. (0:00:00) Intro/Sonic's Christmas Blast (0:37:40) Sonic Boom - New Year’s Retribution (0:56:44) Sonic Mania Adventures - Episode 6 (1:02:54) Chao in Space (1:11:34) Outro Sonic Christmas Blast | Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog - YouTube Sonic Mania Adventures - Part 6 (Holiday Special) - YouTube Sonic Presents: Chao In Space - Official Animation - YouTube | |||
| 06 May 2022 | The Dream is Always to Break into a Joypolis | 01:37:08 | |
This week, we've got a pocket full of quarters and we're headed to the arcade! While most of his coin-op career never made it out of Japan, Sonic's managed to do it all. From laying the smack to making snacks to rolling a ball that tracks, there have been a lot of Sonic arcade games released...and at least one that wasn't. So hop in your space cruiser and watch out for the fuzz as the gang does their best to cover them all! (00:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff (00:09:10) Main topic: Sonic arcade games (00:16:27) Flicky (00:18:57) Mega-Tech/Mega Play Sonic 1 and 2 (00:24:06) Waku Waku Sonic Patrol Car (00:31:34) SegaSonic Cosmo Fighter (00:36:36) SegaSonic Popcorn Shop (00:41:16) SegaSonic the Hedgehog (00:55:02) Sonic the Fighters (01:06:14) Redemption games (01:09:16) Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (01:11:13) Sonic Dash Extreme (01:13:22) Mario & Sonic at the 2016/2020 Olympic Games (01:17:29) Joypolis arcade games (01:22:07) SegaSonic Bros. (cancelled game) (01:32:39) Outro The Animation of Sonic Games - New Frame Plus Waku Waku Sonic Patrol Car - Arcade - Attract and 3, 4, 5 Star Ranked playthroughs SegaSonic Cosmo Fighter (Arcade) Translated Playthrough SegaSonic Cosmo Fighter - English Dub found (Twitter thread) SegaSonic Popcorn Shop Walkthrough SegaSonic Popcorn Shop (off-screen footage) SegaSonic the Hedgehog (Arcade) Translated Playthrough SegaSonic the Hedgehog (Arcade) English Playthrough Sonic the Fighters in 5'09''42 (SGC) SUPER SONIC [1080p] [TAS] Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Arcade Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games ARCADE EDITION Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Arcade Edition SEGASonic Bros Gameplay - Prototype Sega Sonic Arcade Puzzle Game | |||
| 25 Aug 2023 | Canonball: A Sonic the Hedgehog Fanfiction | 01:57:00 | |
Brace yourselves, folks: you're in for a weird one. In the spirit of creativity, The Hill Is Always Greener have decided to stretch their writing muscles and craft their very own Sonic the Hedgehog fanfiction...by gamifying the process in the most absurd, ridiculous way possible. Filled with violent gamer rage, age-related injuries, taxes, body horror, and even the unexpected return of a much beloved abridged series, this is one episode that needs to be heard to be believed. (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Let's write a Sonic fanfic! (0:02:13) Our history with Sonic fanfics (0:11:05) Excerpt: "Metal Mastermind" by Turrican23X (0:14:10) Setting our ground rules (0:18:31) Luke - Characters denigrate other video game franchises (Change!) (0:25:40) Jeremy - Sonic is unable to run for some reason (0:31:37) Chris - Character uses a curse word (0:37:56) Jake - Inexplicable crossover that doesn't compliment either universe (0:41:55) Jake - Christian rock music (It's On You!) (0:45:53) Luke - Karaoke (0:47:53) Jeremy - Drastic character change (Change!) (0:53:18) Chris - Truth or Dare (0:56:50) Chris - Tragic backstory out of nowhere (Put This In!) (0:58:46) Jake - Incongruous Intercourse (1:03:06) Luke - One of the main characters has to stop and do their taxes before continuing the story (1:05:44) Jeremy - Coffee Shop AU (1:09:23) Chris - Eggman wins (1:14:40) Jake - Reference an early 2000s Toonami show (1:18:53) Luke - Breaking the fourth wall in a bad attempt at humour (1:20:34) Chris - Breaking the fourth wall in a bad attempt at drama (It's On You!) (1:23:55) Jeremy - War is on the brink, and can only be stopped if 1 character can deliver something, but 2nd character is stopping them (1:27:36) Chris - Friend gets hurt (1:30:31) Chris - Character from another SEGA franchise appears (1:32:57) Jake - Heroic snack-rifice (1:35:11) Jake - Brand new Super form (Put This In!) (1:39:58) Luke - Romantic moment (Change!) (1:43:50) The full story recap (1:53:05) Outro "Whose Line Is It Anyway: Love Hina Edition" by JonJ "Sonic: Chaos in the System" by Faulerro | |||
| 24 Feb 2023 | Sonic Speed Dating (ft. Akaru) | 01:57:18 | |
On this belated Valentine's Day episode, love is in the air, and no Sega mandate is going to stop us from talking about it with special guest Akaru. Over the years, there have been multiple attempts to pair Sonic off with someone (let's be real, mostly in the pages of Archie). Some have come up time and time again, others were little more than a quick fling, and a few are probably best left forgotten. So we're taking a look back at each one to see if we think they're a good match for everyone's favorite speedster...or, quite frankly, whether he should be romantically involved at all. (0:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff (0:08:32) Main Topic: Sonic love interests (0:31:58) Madonna (0:37:45) Sally Acorn (0:53:28) Amy Rose (1:03:41) Breezie the Hedgehog (1:06:56) Mina Mongoose (1:12:54) Bunnie Rabbot/Fiona Fox/Rouge the Bat (1:17:06) Blaze the Cat (1:20:30) Princess Elise (1:33:12) Shahra (1:35:57) Lah (1:37:25) Knuckles/Shadow (1:43:32) Eggman (1:46:20) Final thoughts (1:53:20) Outro Sega Mega Drive 1990 Tech Demo feat. Sonic and Madonna (Master System theme) | |||
| 07 Feb 2025 | If You've Got It, I'll Put It in My Mouth | 02:01:05 | |
Order up! It's lunchtime, and we're looking to state our appetites with a discussion about all sorts of Sonic related foods! But we're not just stopping at chili dogs, oh no. We've prepared a full course meal, complete with a smorgasbord of savory dishes from both sides of the screen! From oversized sandwiches, scrumptious sundaes, and burgers of questionable quality in Sonic's world, to jammin' jams, cerulean curry, and pasta peripherals in ours, you're guaranteed to be full after this discussion. But make sure to leave room for dessert: our review of the official Sonic cookbook! (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic foods (0:04:00) Appetizers (0:08:29) Mobian Morsels (0:35:49) Real-Life Refreshments (1:13:45) Sonic the Hedgehog: The Official Cookbook (1:29:31) We Have Food At Home (1:52:16) Final thoughts (1:57:15) Outro Sandwich Zone (Sonic Generations mod) An Exhaustive List of Every Sonic the Hedgehog Food Product | |||
| 27 Dec 2024 | Gerald Robotnik Live Leak | 03:28:38 | |
The promised time is upon us... That's right, we are FINALLY talking about the Sonic X anime! Friend of the show JezMM returns as we revisit the show's take on the events of Sonic Adventure 2. Does this version of the story live up to the original? Do its additions and changes actually improve the narrative? And could replacing characters from the original story with Chris Thorndyke...actually be to the show's benefit? A frightening concept, to be sure. (0:00:38) Intro/Main topic: Sonic X - The Shadow Saga (0:24:38) Episode 33 (0:53:30) Episode 34 (1:24:22) Episode 35 (1:39:48) Episode 36 (2:00:20) Episode 37 (2:26:33) Episode 38 (3:09:18) Final thoughts (3:23:02) Outro | |||
| 08 Sep 2023 | Orphans Really Love Chili Dogs | 01:26:10 | |
Hello! ¡Hola! Willkommen! Bienvenue! Konnichiwa! Alooooha! How ya doin'? Yo! And in any language, welcome to The Hill Is Always Greener! In celebration of the recent release of the Lego Sonic the Hedgehog theme, the gang takes a look back at Sonic's guest appearance in the toys-to-life crossover Lego Dimensions, a subject that CyberLink knows all too well. Join us as we break down the Sonic level pack and its many references and callbacks brick-by-brick, and how it set the stage for more Lego Sonic on the screen and on toy shelves! It's the most comedic celebration of Sonic that you'll find in any dimension! (0:00:00) Intro/Sonic Superstars initial thoughts (0:06:51) Main topic: Lego Dimensions (0:13:23) Sonic Dimensions (0:17:15) The (close-enough) music (0:22:56) Green Hill Zone (0:24:35) Special Stages (0:28:16) Emerald Coast Clash (0:31:30) Formidable Foe Fiasco (0:34:35) Metropolis Zone Mayhem (0:38:25) Marble Zone Meltdown (0:41:57) The Labyrinth (0:43:13) Death Egg Showdown (0:49:31) Adventure world (1:02:35) Character interactions (1:07:27) Other Sonic stuff (1:08:43) Lego ideas Sonic (1:10:30) Lego Sonic theme (1:13:10) Final thoughts (1:20:35) Outro The Lego Dimensions Tracker co-authored by CyberLink BricksToLife - List of Canceled Year 3 plans for Lego Dimensions | |||
| 02 Aug 2024 | Pitching a Tent and Shacking Up | 01:46:32 | |
The sun is out, the water is cool, and it's time to get away from it all and enjoy the summer! The only question is...where? That's what The Hill Is Always Greener plans to settle today, as we try to create a list of the top 10 summer vacation destinations in Sonic's world. Is it better to be near civilization or out roughing it? What kind of activities does each spot offer? And is a beach still a beach if it only touches water during a crisis? So pop your shades, grab one of those those little umbrella drinks, and kick back as you join us for some fast-footed fun in the sun. (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Top 10 Sonic summer vacation destinations (0:05:38) Emerald Hill (0:07:19) Green Hills (0:08:27) Angel Island (0:11:38) Carnival Island (0:15:06) Resort Island (0:17:22) Station Square/Emerald Coast (0:20:10) Neo Green Hill (0:21:20) Emerald Town/Emerald Beach (0:23:49) Seaside Hill/Ocean Palace (0:26:44) Sunset Hill (0:29:48) Water Palace (0:31:03) Splash Canyon/Red Canyon (0:33:50) Soleanna/Wave Ocean (0:36:05) Southern Island/Plant Kingdom (0:38:56) Blue Coast (0:40:42) Apotos/Windmill Isle (0:43:06) Adabat/Jungle Joyride (0:46:09) Tropical Coast (0:47:26) Dolphin Resort (0:50:22) Seaside Island (0:53:21) Northstar Islands/Bridge Island (0:55:32) Scrambled Shores (0:57:39) Trimming the list (1:01:39) Re-ordering the list (1:33:33) The final list/Our personal picks (1:40:40) Final thoughts (1:42:00) Outro | |||
| 30 Dec 2022 | The Twelve Zones of Christmas | 01:45:35 | |
It's the last episode of the year, but we're not about to leave you out in the cold. Instead, the gang is pitting 12 ice-themed stages from across the Sonic series against one another to figure out how they rank. Which ones best use their winter theming? How much does their music leave an impact? And can any stage hope to dethrone the one everybody expects to take first place? (0:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff (0:11:48) Main topic: The Twelve Zones of Christmas (0:13:34) Icy Isle (0:16:57) Ice Cap (0:29:57) Robotnik Winter (0:36:40) Diamond Dust (0:42:53) Ice Paradise (0:51:07) White Acropolis (0:56:08) Blizzard Peaks (1:02:13) Cool Edge (1:09:31) White Park (1:15:44) Frozen Factory (1:21:32) Kodiak Frontier (1:27:08) Press Garden (1:34:09) Final ranking and thoughts (1:40:30) Outro | |||
| 20 May 2022 | A Chicken for Every Occasion (ft. Dertek) | 01:41:33 | |
Ever since we were young boys, we’ve played the silver ball…but we’ve never been any good at it. But pinball is baked into Sonic's DNA, so we figured it's time we took a look back at all the times Sega (and a few passionate fans) have put their own spin on things. Plus a special guest joins our pinball party to see how well these virtual tables stack up to the real thing! (00:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff (00:14:58) Main topic: Sonic pinball games (00:20:45) Sonic Spinball (00:34:32) Sonic Adventure - Casinopolis pinball tables (00:39:12) Sonic Spinball (Derek's take) (00:53:40) Sonic Pinball Party (01:00:33) Sonic Pinball Party (Derek's take) (01:06:19) Sonic Generations - Casino Night DLC (01:08:20) Sonic Generations - Casino Night DLC (Derek's take) (01:14:20) Sonic Pinball Panic (fangame) (01:18:25) Pinball-themed Sonic toys (01:21:04) Sonic Pinball Panic (Derek's take) (01:26:20) Sonic Spinball (the fanmade physical table) (01:34:58) Derek signs off (01:38:30) Outro Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog Blu-ray (RightStuf) Smash Remix: Version 1.1.0 Release - EXPANSION PAK REQUIRED Sonic Adventure 2: REIMAGINED (Animated Music Video) Sonic 30th Anniversary Song: CRUSHING THIRTIES feat. Johnny Gioeli of CRUSH 40 Animated MV 1993 Tomy Sonic The Hedgehog Supersonic Pinball | Tabletop Pinball Repair Sonic Stadium interview with Ryan McQuaid, creator of the Sonic Spinball machine Sonic Spinball by Ryan McQuaid (YouTube) Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball | Homebrew pinball | Pinside.com | |||
| 29 Nov 2024 | OVA Juice | 01:46:25 | |
It's a dark and stormy night...the perfect time to revisit an all-time classic Sonic comic, IDW's Scrapnik Island! Sonic and Tails have crash landed on the island of misfit tech! Will old foes become old friends, or are some grudges just programmed in too deep? It's time for the gang to take a look back and find out! (0:00:00) Intro/main topic: Scrapnik Island (0:17:22) Issue 1 (0:43:42) Issue 2 (0:59:08) Issue 3 (1:10:46) Issue 4 (1:30:57) Final thoughts (1:40:04) Outro | |||
| 01 Jul 2022 | Kenny Omega as Buffbotnik | 01:38:05 | |
It's a blast from the past as we travel back in time to revisit the one time Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog attempted serialized storytelling, "Quest for the Chaos Emeralds!" As Dr. Robotnik scours history for the fabled gems, your Supreme High Podcasters discuss attempted robot crucifixion, the difference between invincibility and immortality, Robotnik's masochistic side, an abundance of dogs, Sonic's casual disregard for the sanctity of life, and so much more! (00:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff (00:07:51) Main topic: AoStH "Quest for the Chaos Emeralds" (00:17:14) Episode 48: "Black Bot the Pirate" (00:41:41) Episode 49: "Hedgehog of the 'Hound' Table" (00:58:00) Episode 50: "Robotnik's Pyramid Scheme" (01:13:49) Episode 51: "Prehistoric Sonic" (01:30:10) Outro Black Bot the Pirate on YouTube Hedgehog of the "Hound" Table on YouTube | |||
| 01 Mar 2024 | Knuckles is a Short King (ft. Green Bones Dommy) | 01:47:10 | |
People don't always say what they mean, and things are not always what they seem. For example, we could say "the Sonic Underground episode 'Friend or Foe', Knuckles' first appearance in a western Sonic cartoon, is terrible and nobody should watch it." But what we actually mean is "we and special guest Green Bones Dommy watched this terrible episode, and had a blast laughing at its ridiculous animation, its often nonsensical plotting, and the Sonic franchise's all-time wolf-face power couple." So grab a plate of Krupnik and join us for our first ever look back at Sonic Underground...for better and for worse. (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic Underground - "Friend or Foe?" (0:12:15) The history (and OUR history) of Sonic Underground (0:30:50) The cast and thoughts on some other episodes (0:48:43) Theme song (0:53:13) "Friend or Foe?" episode discussion (1:37:56) Final thoughts (1:42:57) Outro Sonic Underground - Friend or Foe Ben Hurst interviews - Saturday Morning Sonic | |||
| 31 Oct 2023 | Schlurp Schlurp | 00:41:42 | |
Don't. Turn. Around. On this most frightening of nights, The Hill Is Always Greener looks back at the bizarre phenomenon that is the Tails Doll. From its seemingly innocent origins to its horrifying legacy birthed by the Sonic fandom, we peer deep into the soul of this little ball of fluff until we too can...feel...the...sunshine... (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: The Tails Doll (0:04:02) The origin (0:07:03) The fan stuff (0:18:49) Comic appearances (0:25:30) Other cameos (0:28:46) Final thoughts (0:36:19) Outro "Who REALLY Started the Story of the Tails Doll Curse?" by TheMentok | |||
| 22 Apr 2022 | Schrodinger’s Fox | 00:54:01 | |
The gang decides to take a look back at two all time classics, Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2...but probably not the ones you're thinking of. The Master System and Game Gear get their time to shine this week, as we talk about catchy soundtracks, screen crunch, stage gimmicks, rad fan remakes, and the unfortunate demise of one Miles Prower. Project '06 - Shadow Release v1.6 Trailer SM64: Sonic Edition Plus Release Trailer (DL in description) | |||
| 09 Feb 2024 | Hydrokitty (Part 1) | 01:43:41 | |
Happy anniversary to us! To celebrate 50 episodes of The Hill Is Always Greener, we're taking a look back at a game currently celebrating its own milestone anniversary, Sonic the Hedgehog 3! The capstone to the original trilogy provides for endless discussion, including how a whole separate game was made because of McDonald's, the *multiple* renditions of many music tracks, and the ongoing debate as to just what color Knuckles actually is. In fact, this episode ended up being so huge that, much like Sonic 3 itself, we had to split it in two! Tune in next week for our second half, all about Sonic & Knuckles! (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (& Knuckles) (0:08:45) The box art (0:11:38) The split/"lock-on technology" (0:21:58) Competition mode (0:24:55) Knock knock, it's Knuckles (0:28:20) Other changes and new features (0:36:32) The story (0:40:19) Our various versions (0:46:47) Angel Island (and Blue Spheres) (1:04:25) Hydro City (1:11:36) Marble Garden (1:17:32) Carnival Night (1:23:30) Ice Cap (1:30:03) Launch Base The Sonic 3 and Laputa Connection | |||
| 21 Apr 2023 | Clearly, You Don’t Own Air Shoes | 01:47:52 | |
Well, that's just prime! Sonic is back on TV at long last, so it's only fitting that we take a deep dive into the first eight episodes of his latest small-screen adventure, Sonic Prime. Left lost and alone due to his own careless actions, Sonic will need the help of a few familiar but different faces if he ever hopes to return home. But does his dimensional journey shatter our expectations, or is it better left adrift in the void? It's the first act of a multiversal epic, and we're ready to watch along every step of the way. (0:00:00) Intro/Main Topic: Sonic Prime (Part 1) (0:10:07) Episode 1-3 (0:35:51) Episode 4-5 (0:50:35) Episode 6 (0:54:47) Episode 7-8 (1:05:04) Further thoughts (1:34:35) Future predictions (1:40:25) Final thoughts (1:44:34) Outro 'Sonic Prime' Leads Reveal the Souped-Up Secrets of the New CG Netflix Series | Animation Magazine | |||
| 22 Sep 2023 | The Kinect was Really Good Actually (ft. Dertek) | 02:20:48 | |
We've all been there. We've all got that one thing that we're super deep into, but one of our friends doesn't really get it. Maybe it passed them by, maybe it's just not their thing, who knows? Whatever the reason, perhaps being on the outside looking in has left them with plenty of questions that they've never quite been able to get the answers to. Well, this is something that we at The Hill Is Always Greener are aiming to change with our new series of "newbie education" episodes, where we bring on a guest who is NOT a Sonic fan and attempt to better explain what draws us to the franchise, as well as answer any of those burning questions they might have. And for this first episode, friend of the show Derek returns to ask all about environmentalism, getting into the comics, the lack of new RPGs, and much more. Plus, he'll have to answer a few devious questions of our own... (0:00:00) Intro (0:04:49) What is it about Sonic that has made you stick with it? (0:13:17) Is the Sonic Cycle still relevant? (0:18:51) Quiz game: A.B.C.D. Station (0:41:32) Was Murder of Sonic a deliberate attempt to experiment with putting Sonic in a different genre? (0:45:59) Did Sonic Chronicles really poison the well for Sonic RPGs? (0:51:03) How do I get into the comics? (0:58:42) Quiz game: Animal Abstraction (1:21:38) Derek's trivia question (1:23:54) Why did they gate the best endings behind special stages? (1:28:30) Does Sonic still have environmentalist themes? (1:33:34) Quiz game: Know More Music (1:57:29) What was so bad about Sonic 4? (1:59:45) Do you think things have gotten better or worse since Yuji Naka left? (2:07:40) If you had to recommend one Sonic game to a newcomer, what would it be? (2:17:29) Outro Sonic Free Riders No Kinect Patch Dick Kicker (Giant Bomb Remix) Dreamcast: Where It Went Wrong with Sega's Mark Subotnick - The Retro Hour | |||
| 12 Aug 2022 | A Holster with a Breadstick in It | 02:07:51 | |
This is it, folks! After a long wait, it’s time for the gang to discuss Sonic’s latest cinematic adventure, Sonic the Hedgehog 2! Did the sequel live up to everyone’s expectations? What are our predictions for the future of the franchise? And will it ever stop feeling weird to say the words “Sonic Cinematic Universe” out loud? Almost certainly not! (00:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 the Movie! (00:02:53) Our few gripes (00:18:45) Gushing about the rest of the movie (01:45:33) The post-credits stinger/predicting what comes next (01:59:57) Final thoughts (02:04:50) Outro | |||
| 28 Jul 2023 | Maybe She’s Born with It. Maybe It’s Master Emerald. (ft. FangGuu) | 02:34:09 | |
It's time to dip back into Sonic Adventure once again, but perhaps not in the way you expect. Special guest FangGuu joins the gang as they take a look at two VERY different and very controversial comic adaptations of Sonic's first real foray into 3D. First, Archie Comics desperately attempts to make the game's story work within its universe at the eleventh hour, with questionable results. Then, Sonic the Comic almost wholly abandons the source material in the name of attempting to give the comic a proper send-off for its final storyline. Shocking character death, backstories upon backstories, controversial endings, and so much more await, so tune in to see how that rough transition to 3D translated to the page. (0:00:00) Intro (0:02:35) Archie Comics (1:18:17) Sonic the Comic (2:26:13) Final thoughts (2:29:38) Outro | |||
| 31 Oct 2022 | OnlyPhantoms | 00:44:18 | |
The spooky season is upon us, and even though CyberLink's mic is haunted by evil spirits (sorry about that!), the gang unites for a special Halloween mini-sode to talk about Sonic: Night of the Werehog! So grab your cameras and step into the moonlight as we look back at a delightful little short that deserves to be considered as timeless and eternal as its ghostly antagonists! (00:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic: Night of the Werehog (00:02:25) Behind the scenes (00:12:03) Full recap (00:32:14) Alternate ending and original storyboards (00:36:03) Final thoughts (00:42:04) Outro | |||
| 07 Oct 2022 | Telltale’s Team Chaotix | 02:13:38 | |
What goes up must come down, and nowhere is that more true than with our latest topic as the gang looks back at the series' first major multiplatform release, Sonic Heroes! This follow-up to the Adventure duology had a lot of interesting ideas that stumbled in execution thanks to an infamously troubled development cycle, and is seen by many as the start of the series' downfall. Can our hosts sort through their mixed feelings and find this game's redeeming qualities, or is even the real super power of teamwork not enough to salvage this one? (00:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff (00:14:15) Main topic: Sonic Heroes (skip past the eating noises) (00:16:43) Development history for perspective (00:21:52) Initial thoughts (00:39:14) The story (00:50:27) Seaside Hill/Ocean Palace (00:56:23) Grand Metropolis/Power Plant (01:11:03) Casino Park/Bingo Highway (01:16:51) Rail Canyon/Bullet Station (01:22:47) Frog Forest/Lost Jungle (01:27:04) Hang Castle/Mystic Mansion (01:29:25) Egg Fleet/Final Fortress (01:40:10) Other teams (01:58:27) Last Story (02:00:37) The music (02:05:58) Final thoughts (02:10:35) Outro Jake's drum cover of "Open Your Heart" The Fall of Sonic Team: Sega's Collapse, Crunch, and Chaos in the Early 2000s Lani Manella’s comments on directing the English versions of the Sonic games Where to start with the Sonic Heroes PC version on modern systems | |||
| 26 Apr 2024 | Mortality is Cool, Actually | 02:59:28 | |
It's our second anniversary, and we're ready for another year of talking about everyone's favorite hedgehog! So why don't we kick off year three by talking about...well, Sonic himself? That's right, all of...er, MOST of the gang are diving deep today into what really drives Sonic as a character. What are his the core aspects of his personality? How about his greatest flaws? Why do so many people believe Black Knight is "peak" as the kids call it? And at the heart of it all, they try to answer the big question: is there really one TRUE Sonic characterization...or does there even need to be? (0:00:00) Intro (0:03:00) Main topic: Who is Sonic the Hedgehog? (0:10:49) Real quick recent Sonic-y stuff (0:13:30) Who is Sonic "objectively"? (0:27:36) Sonic's pre-Adventure "essence" (0:39:50) Older Sonic media that "gets it wrong" (0:44:30) Perfect examples of what makes Sonic "Sonic" (1:07:06) Black Knight and Unleashed (1:44:15) Sonic's flaws (2:10:17) What should Sonic NEVER do? (2:21:34) Our Sonic headcanons (2:37:46) Who is Sonic to us specifically? (2:51:40) Outro | |||
| 14 Jul 2023 | Because N is Funnier Than Q (ft. Prismaeya) | 01:41:57 | |
Special guest Prismaeya joins the gang to look back at Sonic Advance, one of the blue blur's first appearances on a Nintendo system! What was it like seeing Sonic show up on "the competition" for the first time? How well does Amy adapt to the gameplay of a traditional Sonic sidescroller? And does Dimps' freshman outing with the Sonic series still hold up to this day? All this and more await, so grab your link cables and get ready to experience Life Advanced! (0:00:00) Intro (0:03:12) Main topic: Sonic Advance (0:16:22) Music (0:20:36) Multiplayer (0:23:09) Tiny Chao Garden (0:25:43) Gameplay (0:31:40) SonicN (0:33:45) Amy is playable! (0:43:33) Special Stages (0:46:57) Neo Green Hill Zone (0:48:00) Secret Base Zone (0:56:37) Casino Paradise Zone/Ice Mountain Zone (1:00:00) Angel Island Zone (1:05:40) Egg Rocket Zone/Cosmic Angel Zone (1:12:08) X-Zone (1:16:57) Moon Zone (1:31:52) Sound Test (1:34:40) Final thoughts (1:39:28) Outro 2D Illustration Shader mod for Sonic Frontiers Sonic Adventure 2 (Dark Story + Final Story) | Real-Time Fandub Games | |||
| 24 May 2024 | The Hedgedel Test (ft. Prismaeya) | 02:17:53 | |
Have no fear! Amy Rose is here! Prismaeya returns to the podcast for a discussion about the female face of our favorite franchise. Amy's a character that's changed a lot over the years, running the gamut from starry-eyed fangirl to confident girlboss, and people are VERY vocal about their own preferences. Follow me and listen as we look back at this pink hedgehog's storied career, and try to hammer home whether there's a true balance to be found for a character that is so many people's sweet passion. (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Who is Amy Rose? (0:08:03) Classic Amy (0:14:40) Modern Amy (0:39:00) "Postmodern" Amy and Boom Amy (0:53:46) Archie Amy and STC Amy (0:59:45) Amy's theme songs (1:09:23) Amy's weapon(s) and abilities (1:19:56) Mika's Amy origins (1:31:01) Prime Amy(s) (1:36:15) Amy voices (1:52:45) FangGuu chimes in! (1:54:59) Ship talk (1:57:46) Final thoughts (2:13:35) Outro | |||
| 21 Feb 2025 | Load-Bearing Mustache | 03:07:55 | |
We're gonna be blunt: it is amazing we're here right now. If you had said this was even a possibility six years ago, we would have laughed in your face. But it's true: we now have a big-budget live action cinematic adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2, and it's GREAT. Join us as we do a deep dive on the third Sonic movie, which takes one of the series' most beloved stories and "Carreys" it in a bit of a different direction. Are we happy with all the changes they made? Does Keanu live up to our expectations, or is his characterization just a Shadow of the original? And how about those WILD Sonic 4 teases at the end? One thing's for sure: You're bound to live, learn, and laugh a lot as we give this movie its due! (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic 3 the movie (0:05:15) Non-spoiler discussion (0:26:37) Spoiler warning (2:44:14) Credits scenes and predictions (2:56:28) Final thoughts (3:03:27) Outro | |||
| 30 Aug 2024 | The Ghost of Spagonia University (ft. Marin M. Miller) | 01:18:13 | |
With CyberLink's voice temporarily out of commission, we're joined by voice actor, writer, and fanfiction connoisseur Marin M. Miller as we flex our creative muscles and improvise yet another fanfic! In this world unique & beyond what you know from the Sega games, Vector and Jewel are two hopeless college students just looking to graduate, but when a chance encounter brings them together, they find themselves pegged by a hidden figure to join him on a quest beneath the university in search of untold riches. But can this mysterious benefactor be trusted? Is someone else secretly pulling all the strings? And as this spooky yarn reaches its climax, our heroes had better hope that they ain't afraid of no ghost... (0:00:00) Intro/Marin's history with Sonic (0:06:51) Main topic: Let's write another fanfic! (0:10:34) Character select (0:13:54) Chris - Dramatic speech that is in some way cut off for comedic effect (0:22:13) Jake - Everything gets spooky (0:27:58) Jeremy - Tragic backstory out of nowhere (0:35:00) Marin - Truth or dare (0:42:47) Chris - Characters denigrate other video game franchises (0:47:59) Jake - Inexplicable crossover that doesn't compliment either universe (0:53:28) Jeremy - Another character blocks the way, looking for a fight (1:01:07) Marin - Finale (1:12:10) Final thoughts (1:14:30) Outro | |||
| 23 Sep 2022 | Robotnik Doxxes Amy Rose (ft. Dave Bulmer) | 02:40:50 | |
Jake is out this week, but in his place, Dave Bulmer from Sonic The Comic The Podcast joins us for the finale of our Sonic CD episode trilogy to look back at three different comic adaptations of Sonic’s adventures on the Little Planet. From early STC to the end of Archie, it’s a wild journey through time and space as Sonic and Metal Sonic square off thrice over. Whether you’re an Archist or a Boomer, you won’t want to miss it! (00:00:00) Foreword (00:00:40) Intro (00:12:13) The Sonic Terminator (STC) (01:01:44) Prank #1: Archie's Metallix story (01:06:29) Jake's take: The Sonic Terminator (01:11:06) Go Ahead, Mecha My Day (Archie) (01:40:18) Prank #2: SatAM Mecha Sonic concept art (01:43:30) Jake's take: Go Ahead, Mecha My Day (01:51:38) Genesis of a Hero, Part 3 (Archie) (02:17:02) Jake's take: Genesis of a Hero (02:19:07) Prank #3: The American Sonic CD manual (02:26:06) Final thoughts (02:30:41) Outro All the images we used to prank Dave Jon Gray explaining the recolored digital Archie issues Retronauts on Sonic Comics (with Dave Bulmer and Bobby Schroeder) | |||
| 04 Nov 2022 | I’m Very Grateful for Your Help, Satan | 01:13:58 | |
It's time for another new episode to drop, and this time we're mixing things up by taking a look at an entirely different Sega franchise, Puyo Puyo! This classic puzzle game series was first and most closely tied to Sonic through Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine in 1993, but the blue hedgehog and those multicolored blobs have proved to be a match-4 made in heaven, and continued to create combos right up to this very day. So listen in find out just how deep the connection between the spiny speedster and the Sorcery Saga spinoff goes. (00:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff (00:02:34) Main topic: Puyo Puyo (00:14:01) Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (00:43:01) Sonic Mania (00:47:02) Puyo Puyo Fever: Carnival Edition (00:49:08) Puyo Puyo Quest (00:50:50) Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 (00:55:15) Sega All-Stars series (00:58:30) Sonic Forces (00:59:10) Sonic Runners (01:02:34) Final thoughts (01:08:57) Outro | |||
| 15 Mar 2024 | TL Note: Keikaku Means Roaming Romans | 02:20:37 | |
After much teasing, the gang is finally beginning their journey through the UK Sonic novels written by Martin Adams, who is totally a real person that exists, we swear. First up is Sonic in Robotnik's Laboratory, as Sonic and Tails race to rescue their friends from Robotnik's FAROUT machine, a device that is anything but. It's a tale filled romance, betrayal, fast food, rats, toasters, obscure localizations, bad-taste jokes about public figures, incomprehensible cockney rhyming, and a bunch of other stuff someone saw in a video once...what more could anyone ask for? (0:00:00) Intro/our recent Sonic-y stuff (0:06:01) Main Topic: Sonic the Hedgehog in Robotnik's Laboratory (0:20:21) Story recap (2:09:56) Final thoughts (2:16:16) Outro | |||
| 16 Jun 2023 | Don’t Break Kayfabe! | 02:05:40 | |
Can ya smell what the Doc is cookin'?! Because the podcast has officially entered the squared circle to talk about one of the greatest wrestlers of our era, the inimitable El Gran Gordo! No one knows the true face beneath his crimson mask, but rest assured: He's here to lay a muy grande smackdown on anyone who stands in his way, be it Sonic the Hedgehog, Andes the Ginormous, or the sinister forces of that handsome devil Dr. Eggman! So join us as we look back at this legendary career of the best there is, was, and ever will be in the pages of the Sonic X comic series from Archie Comics. And that's the bottom line, because El Gran Gordo said so! (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: El Gran Gordo! (0:13:01) Issue 26: La Layenda del Gran Gordo! (0:34:00) Clip: Parallel training montage (0:42:51) Clip: Sonic defeats Eggman (0:46:37) Issue 27: Conquest is Like a Box of Chocolates (0:57:52) Clip: Emperor Bokkun (1:06:42) Clip: You fell for it! (1:09:16) Issue 31: The Return of El Gran Gordo (1:18:22) Clip: Forty cakes (1:34:57) Issue 32: Title Mismatch (1:44:40) Clip: Go badnik army! (1:55:20) Final thoughts (2:00:33) Outro | |||
| 13 Sep 2024 | Activate Cursing Subroutine (ft. Midnight_Ky) | 02:40:31 | |
We're locked and loaded, and ready for action. It's time for a look back at Shadow's self-titled spin-off, so the gang is joined by Midnight_Ky, who has played this game more than anyone probably should! Is Shadow a force for good? Evil? Somewhere in between? It's time for us to pick our route and show everyone that this is who we are! (0:00:00) Preamble (0:01:05) Intro (0:04:37) Midnight's Sonic history (0:08:06) How we played/obtained the game (0:15:13) Main topic: Shadow the Hedgehog (the game) (0:23:12) GameBuddy's big rant (0:42:03) Music (0:54:38) Gameplay (0:59:27) Levels (1:32:34) Routes and endings (1:46:09) More thoughts (2:02:24) Final boss (2:27:40) Final thoughts (2:33:37) Outro Original Shadow the Hedgehog press release Shadow the Hedgehog | Complete Story (Japanese, Translated) Windii's translations on WordPress shadow the hedgehog op but its nu metal I Am (All of Me) - Disco Version (w/ Vocals) "Broken" by Sins of a Divine Mother How to REALLY Play Shadow the Hedgehog🥨 How to Criticize a Translation Effectively (and How to Identify Bad-Faith Criticism) | |||
| 31 Oct 2024 | A Man Chooses, An M&M Obeys | 01:22:32 | |
Spooky times are here again, and we're celebrating by taking a look at issues 13 and 14 of Archie's Sonic X comic, a terrifying two-parter that features the return of King Boom Boo following his appearance in the show. But the only thing more terrifying than being trapped on an island with a host of possessed people out for your head...is the quality of these issues! OoOoOoOOH! ...Is that too mean? That might be too mean. (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Archie Sonic X - "Hare 'em, Scare 'em" (0:05:55) Issue #12 recap (0:07:13) Issue #13 (0:34:43) Issue #14 (1:12:32) Final thoughts (1:17:20) Outro | |||
| 29 Dec 2023 | Nibbles The Rooster (ft. CyberneticPinkeye) | 02:34:19 | |
We're heading back to South Island and Westside Island to take in the local sounds! Special guest CyberneticPinkeye joins us to look back at the soundtracks for the first two Sonic the Hedgehog games, along with the original demos for each track by composer Masato Nakamura. Listen in as we try to get more insight on two collections of music that really made our dreams come true. (0:00:00) Intro (0:04:28) Main topic: Sonic 1 and 2 soundtracks (0:07:32) Shared jingles and incidentals (0:27:30) Sonic 1 incidentals (0:35:05) Green Hill Zone (0:40:36) Marble Zone (0:45:52) Spring Yard Zone (0:49:38) Labyrinth Zone (0:52:57) Star Light Zone (0:56:14) Scrap Brain Zone (1:00:44) Final Zone and ending (1:06:28) Sonic 2 incidentals (1:15:39) Multiplayer stages (1:24:54) Emerald Hill Zone (1:28:27) Chemical Plant Zone (1:32:46) Aquatic Ruin Zone (1:36:40) Casino Night Zone (1:42:37) Hill Top Zone (1:46:20) Mystic Cave Zone (1:49:19) Oil Ocean Zone (1:52:40) Metropolis Zone (1:57:16) Sky Chase Zone (2:01:18) Wing Fortress Zone (2:04:14) Death Egg Zone (2:08:13) Final boss (2:11:05) Ending (Sweet Sweet Sweet/Sweet Dreams) (2:22:42) Unused song ("Hidden Palace") (2:25:06) Final Thoughts (2:29:23) Outro MegaDriver - Chemical Plant (MetalHog) Video Game History Foundation - Sonic 2 Lost Stages Revealed | |||
| 10 May 2024 | White Legs | 02:24:58 | |
Welcome to a world unique and beyond what you know from the Sega games! A world where black is white, up is down, and everyone's favorite blue hedgehog is...EVIL?! That's right, the gang is getting creative again today as they craft their own take on a mirror Sonic universe that we're calling "Scattered Rings"! What catastrophe could have left the world in such a state? What threat do our former heroes pose now that they've turned to the dark side? And just who is going to be left to stop them? You'll have to listen to find out as we take a peek through the looking glass at what could be... (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Let's create a mirror universe! (0:03:26) previous mirror universe fiction (0:19:37) "Scattered Rings" (0:22:40) Sonic/the status quo (0:42:53) Eggman (0:49:30) Knuckles (0:58:32) Tails (1:08:16) Amy (1:16:50) Metal Sonic (1:23:18) Shadow (1:45:26) Rouge (1:50:49) Team Chaotix (1:54:19) Cream (2:00:34) Team Hooligan (2:03:35) Blaze (2:06:50) Silver (2:09:50) Babylon Rogues (2:10:43) Deadly Six (2:11:20) Infinite (2:12:53) Big (2:14:20) Omochao, Orbot and Cubot (2:17:20) Final thoughts (2:19:16) Outro | |||
| 02 Dec 2022 | Time Curry | 02:07:10 | |
We're traveling through time yet again as the gang finally look at their first SatAM episode with the "Blast to the Past" two-parter! Our hosts join Sonic and Sally in going back in time to witness Robotnik's takeover of Mobius, with some surprising reveals along the way. Expect discussions of forgotten lore, Robotnik's lineage, the oh so dulcet tones of Tim Curry, and so much more! (00:00:00) Intro/Main topic: "Blast to the Past" (00:20:07) Part 1 (01:23:57) Part 2 (01:49:59) Final thoughts (02:03:06) Outro One Man's Quest To Eradicate Every Goku In Dragon Ball FighterZ | |||
| 15 Nov 2024 | Sonic's Rocky Transition into 4D | 02:32:51 | |
It's an adventure in time and space as The Hill Is Always Greener finally gets a chance to read the seminal classic novel, Sonic the Hedgehog in the Fourth Dimension. The second of the Martin Adams books, it sees Sonic and Tails sent back and forth through time on a quest to save planet Mobius, and perhaps the universe itself, from not only the machinations of Dr. Robotnik, but from forces outside of time and space as we know them. Does this chronicle of corrupted chronology stand up to the test of time, or is it best left in the past? It's time to activate our Mark-0 Gauss-Coyne prototypes and find out! (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic in the Fourth Dimension (0:15:26) The Sonic Story So Far/Prologue (0:17:55) Chapter 1: Baffled, Bothered, and Befuddled (0:35:49) Chapter 2: Yesterday Is Here Again (0:45:56) Chapter 3: Judgement Of The Science Dudes (0:52:47) Chapter 4: Arrival On - Where? (0:58:29) Chapter 5: Meister Blaster (1:05:05) Chapter 6: Everybody Needs A Mum (1:12:10) Chapter 7: Some Historical-Type Explaining (1:20:50) Chapter 8: When Are We Now? (1:25:03) Chapter 9: As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs (1:29:17) Chapter 10: Luck Of The Hedgehog (1:38:07) Chapter 11: Larceny Most Foul (1:44:10) Chapter 12: Infinity Is Nice, But I Wouldn't Want To Live There (1:53:35) Chapter 13: Sonics (Again) (2:16:30) Epilogue (2:20:00) Final thoughts (2:28:15) Outro | |||
| 19 May 2023 | Ka-Ren the Echidna | 01:58:18 | |
It's time for another all-out brawl as Sonic and Knuckles go head to head in two specials from the early years of Archie! First, a clash between the blue blur and his friendly nemesis scales up considerably when Chaos Emeralds get involved in Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles! Then Sonic is roboticized and forced under Robotnik's control, and the only one who can stop him is a newly roboticized echidna who's ready to throw down in Mecha Madness! Which one of the two will come out on top? And do the stories of these tussles between the two titans still hold up to this day? All that and more, plus some backup stories nobody cares about, on this all new episode! (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Archie's Sonic vs. Knuckles specials (0:05:07) Super Sonic vs. Hyper Knuckles (0:34:28) Clip: Sonic and Knuckles transform (0:44:59) Backup strip (0:53:20) Mecha Madness (1:21:22) Clip: Mecha Knuckles' explosive finale (1:42:17) Backup strips (1:50:50) Final thoughts (1:55:47) Outro | |||
| 07 Apr 2023 | Ah, Yeah! This Is Happenin’! | 02:15:10 | |
It's our anniversary! That's right, The Hill Is Always Greener has been podcasting for a year straight! And to celebrate, we're taking another look at our very first episode subject, Sonic Adventure! After talking about it pretty briefly in our first episode, we decided to give it a much deeper dive this time around. So pull up a chair, cuddle up with your chao, and watch out for orcas as we dive in! (Warning: first few rows WILL get wet.) (0:00:00) Intro/Our first anniversary! (0:05:30) Main topic: Sonic Adventure revisited (0:08:00) Sonic's story (0:44:30) Tails's story (0:51:29) Knuckles's story (0:59:35) Amy's story (1:02:50) Big's story (1:08:10) Gamma's story (1:12:32) Last story (1:19:57) Adventure fields (1:23:13) Gameplay (1:47:15) Chao (1:52:51) The music (2:03:50) Mods (2:09:15) Final thoughts (2:11:17) Outro Eizo Sakamoto - Open Your Heart (Live at the Tokyo International Forum, 8/22/1998) Eizo Sakamoto - Open Your Heart (unofficially recreated studio demo) Other mods mentioned: Sonic Adventure Retranslated [Sonic Adventure DX] [Mods] Better Tails AI [Sonic Adventure DX] [Mods] SA2 Conversion [Sonic Adventure DX] [Mods] Heroes Conversion [Sonic Adventure DX] [Mods] Shadow (SA1-Styled) [Sonic Adventure DX] [Mods] SA2 Shadow Voice Clips [Sonic Adventure DX] [Sound Mods] All Hail Shadow for any mods of Shadow [Sonic Adventure DX] [Sound Mods] | |||
| 24 Mar 2023 | Love is in the air? WRONG, SQUID! | 03:38:30 | |
Well, we're here, reaching far across those new frontiers. It's time for us to take a long, VERY long look at Sonic's latest mainline outing and one of the most dramatic reinventions of the series to date, Sonic Frontiers. Was it worth the five year wait since Forces? Is this truly the foundation we hope to see future games built upon? And will we ever stop talking about how good the writing is? (Let's be honest, that last one's easily a no.) So walk forward through the cold dark, and join us for what is easily our biggest episode to date. 0:00:00 Intro/Main topic: Sonic Frontiers 0:03:26 How did we get here? 0:10:58 Game feel 0:46:48 Minibosses and aesthetics 1:05:30 Story (Kronos Island) 1:45:00 Ares Island 1:58:16 Chaos Island 2:16:15 BIG and the Egg Memos 2:27:00 Rhea Island 2:37:37 Ouranos Island and final boss 2:54:40 The ending 3:07:05 The music! 3:30:08 Final thoughts 3:35:12 Outro Frontiers comic by JezMM - Twitter Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence | |||
| 17 Jun 2022 | I’m Stunting on These Emotions | 01:02:56 | |
Final round! In this second part of our "Champions" arc retrospective, friendships are reforged, schemes are hatched, and punches are thrown left and right as the tournament comes to a head. It all comes down to this, so tune in to see just who will be the last one standing! Featuring even more dramatic reenactments! Featuring:
(00:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Archie Sonic "Champions" Part 1/Issue 270 (00:01:25) Clip: Breezie meets Neo Metal Sonic (00:06:06) Clip: Sonic comforts Tails (00:14:41) Clip: Nack beats Bean (00:15:55) Clip: Vector calls Espio (00:20:52) Clip: Sonic vs. Honey (00:23:30) Clip: Sonic beats Honey (00:28:48) Clip: BreezeMedia (00:30:03) Clip: Knuckles vs. Nack (00:35:56) Issue 271 (00:37:26) Clip: Sonic vs. Knuckles (00:38:57) Clip: Sonic vs. Knuckles part 2 (00:44:54) Clip: Sonic and Tails corner Metal Sonic (00:47:40) Clip: Honey confronts Breezie (00:54:32) Clip: Gregorios cliffhanger (00:58:23) Outro (01:02:15) Bonus clip: Off-Panel | |||
| 30 Jun 2023 | Cope, Seethe, Mald, Hedgehog (ft. JezMM) | 01:47:37 | |
Happy birthday Sonic! To celebrate the blue blur's 32nd anniversary, friend of the show JezMM joins us for a discussion all about the game that started it all, 1991's Sonic the Hedgehog for the Genesis/Mega Drive. Listen in as we reminisce over the catchy soundtrack, the (sometimes) high speeds, and our collective terror every time the Labyrinth looms before us. (0:00:00) Intro (0:03:16) Main topic: Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) (0:11:29) Starting the game (0:16:31) Green Hill Zone (0:22:50) Special Stages (0:31:10) Marble Zone (0:40:25) Spring Yard Zone (0:48:09) Labyrinth Zone (0:57:14) Star Light Zone (1:04:27) Scrap Brain Zone (1:10:56) Final Zone/The music (1:17:54) The ending (1:22:45) The Master System version (1:30:18) Other ports (1:35:55) Final thoughts (1:43:22) Outro | |||
| 21 Oct 2022 | Eggman’s Super Sucky Machine | 01:27:40 | |
OK class, settle down. Welcome to Sonic Educational Games 101. As it states in your syllabus, we will be covering the surprisingly wide variety of Sonic games intended to teach younger players. Individual lessons include the histories of the Sega Pico and various Leapster handhelds, the identification of several common music tracks, and a mathematics lecture by visiting professor Christopher Thorndyke. Make sure you take notes, as this will all be on the exam... (00:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff (00:05:55) Main topic: Sonic educational games (00:08:00) What the heck is a Sega Pico? (00:13:07) Tails and the Music Maker (00:22:35) Sonic the Hedgehog's Gameworld (00:32:25) Sonic's Schoolhouse (00:50:40) Sonic X (Leapster) (00:59:13) Sonic the Hedgehog (LeapFrog Didj) (01:10:00) Sonic's Edusoft (01:16:25) Final thoughts (01:23:37) Outro Tails and the Music Maker - Full Playthrough Sonic the Hedgehog's Gameworld - Full Playthrough Sonic's Schoolhouse - Full Playthrough Sonic's Schoolhouse - The Cutting Room Floor Cartoon, Music Theme 03 - Sound Ideas (SFX Library) Sonic Robo Blast 2 - Sonic's Schoolhouse Mod Sonic X (Leapster) - Full Playthrough | |||
| 13 Dec 2024 | Knuckles the Echidna has Passed Away | 01:49:22 | |
It's that time of year again, and the gang is getting into the spirit of the season with a new creative exercise: coming up with their very own Sonic holiday specials! From a tale of Tangle trying to find the perfect present for her BFF, to the Freedom Fighters looking to bring some festive flair to their little hole in the ground, plus Tails getting some gift-giving tips from old Saint Nick, and even a Sonic F twist on some holiday hijinks from the Archie archive, these four forays into festive fiction are sure to show you what this time of year is truly all about: acquiescing to corporate mandates. (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Pitch Attention - Holiday Specials (0:09:45) Tangle's Not-So-Silent Night (Jeremy's pitch) (0:35:30) Sonic the Hedgehog's Big Festive Bash (Chris's pitch) (0:55:34) A Two-Tailed Christmas (Jake's pitch) (1:13:24) The Sonic F Ostensibly Nondenominational Holiday Spectacular (Luke's pitch) (1:40:26) Final thoughts/Outro | |||
| 06 Oct 2023 | Meow Meow Meow Meow | 01:48:21 | |
Oh boy. This is going to be a rough one. Were going back in time to the, uh..."birth(?)" of the Classic Sonic renaissance with Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode I. Released in 2010, this downloadable title sought to recreate the feel of the original Sonic games, with...questionable results. Does it feel any better to go back to today? What about the weird soundtrack? And does this game really have any sort of lasting legacy all its own? (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I (0:18:20) The music (0:24:50) How we played the game (0:33:15) The title screen (0:36:04) Splash Hill (0:49:25) Special stages (0:56:18) Casino Street (1:02:26) Lost Labyrinth (1:16:23) Mad Gear (1:23:30) E.G.G. Station (1:25:58) Ending (1:29:10) Episode II...and III? (1:32:48) What is the legacy of Sonic 4 Episode I? (1:40:24) Super Sonic (1:43:18) Outro | |||
| 17 Nov 2023 | Every Character is Named ’Butt’ (ft. Ryan MacDonald) | 02:04:32 | |
It's still thinking, and 25 years later, we still wanna talk about it! To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Japanese Dreamcast launch, we're joined by former game journalist Ryan MacDonald to talk about our memories of Sega's final home console, including Ryan's time covering it on the press side for GameSpot. Join us as we revisit the highs of its launch, the lows of its discontinuation, and all the weird, wonderful games that made Sega's last hurrah so special for so many people. (0:00:00) Intro (0:19:57) Main topic: Sega Dreamcast (0:37:55) Retro consoles and collecting (0:53:33) The games (1:28:07) What went wrong? (1:44:02) Aftermarket and legacy (2:00:21) Outro Hidekazu Yukawa Commercial Compilation | |||
| 08 Apr 2022 | Women Want Shadow, Fish Fear Him | 01:25:04 | |
Following up their previous discussion from the previous week, the gang looks back at the end of an era and the start of a very different one with Sonic Adventure 2! Join them as they live and learn all about edgy theater kids, thinly-veiled child murder, and how Big the Cat could have singlehandedly saved us all. Why E-102 Gamma Matters - NezumiVA Windii Gitlord - YouTube, [SUB] Sonic Series Translations - YouTube Sonic Adventure 2 Retranslated (Mod), Sonic Adventure 2 Retranslated + (Mod) | |||
| 16 Aug 2024 | Antoine Makes a Callout Post | 01:48:15 | |
It's time to go back. Back before Mega Man crossovers, before echidnas turning green, before even cheap character deaths. No, we're going back to where it all began as we revisit Sonic Firsts, a graphic novel compiling some of the earliest Archie adventures! From the first comic ever printed to Bunnie's big break, from a Super Sonic spotlight to a red rival's reveal, this mega collection of early comics is not to be missed, no matter what the CCA might tell you! (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic Firsts (0:12:54) A brief divergence about the Comics Code (0:21:48) "Don't Cry for Me, Mobius!" (Issue #0) (0:40:40) "Rabbot Deployment" (Issue #3) (0:56:02) "The Lizard of Odd" (Issue #4) (1:13:24) "This Island Hedgehog" (Issue #13) (1:33:30) Final thoughts (1:43:41) Outro | |||
| 10 Jan 2025 | Santiago Only Speaks Scandinavian | 02:58:10 | |
Let's do the time warp again! It's the first half of our unofficial "Genuary" celebration, as we take a look back at Sonic Generations, one of the blue blur's most beloved adventures. A celebration of Sonic's first two decades, now back on store shelves with a shiny new remaster, is this trip down memory lane as good as we remember, or has time not been so kind? Plus, we'll be taking a look at its often neglected 3DS counterpart as well! (0:00:00) Main topic: Sonic Generations (0:08:54) Classic Sonic (0:19:34) Green Hill (0:35:51) The story (0:49:57) Chemical Plant (0:52:56) Sky Sanctuary (1:07:03) Challenge stages (1:09:43) Metal Sonic (1:13:50) Death Egg Robot (1:18:27) Speed Highway (1:24:02) City Escape (1:32:14) Seaside Hill (1:37:25) Shadow (1:40:58) Perfect Chaos (1:44:40) Crisis City (1:49:25) Rooftop Run (1:55:28) Planet Wisp (2:00:58) Silver (2:04:00) Egg Dragoon (2:14:52) Time Eater (2:22:31) The 3DS version (2:44:48) Final thoughts (2:53:29) Outro | |||
| 15 Jul 2022 | In the Beginning, There was Sonic | 01:18:06 | |
Long before Sonic became a household name, he was just getting his (running) start, and Sega wasn't quite sure what to do with him. That's where we come in. The gang takes a look back at Sonic's earliest days via the various revisions of the original American production bible. From the brainchild of a dead fighter pilot's widow, to a Nebraskan boy who loses the closest thing to a father he ever knew, to the cocky hero planet Mobius deserves, this is your chance to learn the REAL Sonic origins! (00:00:00) Intro/main topic: the original Sonic lore bibles (00:07:37) The original Japanese story concept (the Fighter Pilot origin) (00:10:30) The original American bible draft (Hardly, Nebraska) (00:38:54) Revision 1 (Mobius) (00:53:08) Revision 2 (Mobius, expanded) (01:01:17) Stay Sonic (01:12:17) Outro Sonic the Hedgehog's logo has a secret, weird backstory - GamesBeat Sonic: Wonders of the World failed movie pitch Sonic the Hedgehog - GameTap Retrospective (2009) Sonic the Hedgehog (promotional comic) #8 - THE ORIGIN OF SONIC! - Sonic the Comic the Podcast | |||
| 11 Oct 2024 | Sewer Olympics (ft. RecD) | 02:45:12 | |
It's time for another listing party, as we tackle perhaps the most controversial Sonic soundtrack(s) ever composed. Special guest RecD chimes in as we look back at Sonic 3 & Knuckles, a soundtrack that is perhaps known less for the music it features and more for the many mysteries behind its creation. Which are better, the original tracks, or the "original" tracks? Whether you're a dedicated fan or just a stranger in Moscow, listening to the gang's thoughts just might be the happiest days of your life. (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic 3 & Knuckles listening party (0:17:45) Title track (0:20:52) Menu themes (0:27:07) Jingles (0:40:25) Bonus/special stages (0:51:26) Knuckles theme (0:56:41) Boss themes (1:02:02) Multiplayer stages (1:08:00) Angel Island (1:12:52) Hydro City (1:16:10) Marble Garden (1:20:17) Carnival Night (1:30:58) Ice Cap (1:41:38) Launch Base (1:53:58) Big Arms (1:56:21) Mushroom Hill (1:59:30) Flying Battery (2:02:35) Sandopolis (2:05:46) Lava Reef (2:09:36) Sky Sanctuary (2:13:41) Death Egg (2:16:34) Doomsday (2:18:55) Credits themes (2:26:17) Other tracks (2:30:00) Final thoughts (2:37:46) Outro | |||
| 26 Jan 2024 | Barrot Cake (ft. Gospel) | 01:52:15 | |
I've heard of killing a franchise, but this is ridiculous! Sonic has been found dead, and everyone is under suspicion! To figure out just whodunit, it's going to take our crack team of podcast detectives, joined by special guest and visual novel creator Gospel, to find all the clues, interrogate all the suspects, and discover the truth behind what makes this free game from the Sega social media team such a delightful labor of love. And make sure you keep an eye out in the coming weeks for a full playthrough of the game by the cast of Sonic F! (0:00:00) Intro (0:05:23) Main topic: The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog (0:18:45) Tutorial (0:30:57) Think! (0:42:09) Saloon car (0:51:00) Library car (0:55:40) Casino car (1:05:50) Lounge car (1:09:27) Conductor car (1:19:26) The finale (1:28:19) Final thoughts (1:45:00) Outro The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog The Making Of The Sonic Murder Game That Took The Internet By Storm - Kotaku | |||
| 02 Jun 2023 | The Most Evil Plan of All: Capitalism | 02:06:38 | |
There are people who say that any hero is only as good as their villain... So it's a good thing that sonic fans have one of the most recognizable and memorable villains in all video gaming. That's right, our first ever character deep dive is all about the one and only Dr. Eggman, as the gang takes a look back at his MANY incarnations. From his humble origins, to his wildly divergent takes in western media, to his more nuanced, characterization of the modern day, we dissect just what makes Eggman "Eggman" and ponder what the future may hold for this evil genius. It's a packed episode, so sit back, tune in, and get a load of this! (0:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff (0:07:26) Main topic: Dr. Eggman (0:10:25) Eggman's origins (0:15:56) AoStH Robotnik (0:23:40) SatAM Robotnik (0:26:20) Archie Robotnik (0:31:06) StC Robotnik (0:34:45) Modern Eggman (0:47:55) Boom Eggman (0:52:45) Movie Robotnik (1:01:45) Eggman's Family (1:10:39) Eggman's regime (1:22:35) The sliding scale of Modern Eggman (1:36:30) Eggman's many henchmen (1:42:00) Eggman and Sonic's dynamic (1:47:45) What's next for Eggman? (1:52:19) Eggman Nega (1:56:35) Final thoughts (1:59:25) Outro (2:03:45) Bonus: Eggman medley by Faulerro | |||
| 15 Dec 2023 | How Metal Sonic Stole Christmas (original radio play) | 00:24:50 | |
This is the unabridged How Metal Sonic Stole Christmas radio play, written and produced by GameBuddy in 2008. It is fully unaltered from its original presentation, save for the removal of one piece of copyrighted music. If you want to hear our commentary, please listen to episode 46 of The Hill Is Always Greener. Thank you so much, and happy holidays. (00:00) How Metal Sonic Stole Christmas (18:18) Credits (20:43) Blooper reel | |||
| 09 Sep 2022 | Terry the Tired Traumatized Tidal Tempest Temp | 02:41:27 | |
It's the battle of the Sonic CD soundtracks as the Japanese and American music go head-to-head, track-by-track. Have we got the power to save the land, and can we reach the other side of the rainbow? Is there a deeper level of symbolism behind some of the tracks? And when the dust settles, which of the two soundtracks will reign supreme? (00:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Battle of the Sonic CD soundtracks (00:05:58) Opening themes (00:14:07) Jingles (00:22:08) Special Stage/Boss theme/Game Over (00:33:26) Palmtree Panic (00:49:28) Collision Chaos (01:02:33) Tidal Tempest (01:17:44) Quartz Quadrant (01:31:20) Wacky Workbench (01:43:38) Stardust Speedway (02:03:54) Metallic Madness (02:17:01) JP-exclusive bonus tracks (02:22:27) Ending themes (02:29:46) Final thoughts (02:36:43) Outro | |||
| 01 Apr 2022 | Sonic’s “Rocky” Transition Into 3D | 01:10:17 | |
Ah, yeah! This is happenin'! In this inaugural episode, the gang introduces their history with Sonic before diving into the franchise's first major 3D outing with a look back at the seminal Sonic Adventure. The Dreamcast launch title led to big changes for the Sonic franchise, but are the hosts' hearts still open to it, or is it a perfectly chaotic mess? Join us to find out! Amie Waters' music on BandCamp Knuckles E3 1999 voice (video) Lani Minella interview by GameSpot (June 30, 2000) Lani Minella interview by Josh AKA Knuckles Echidna (April 21, 2001) | |||
| 29 Jul 2022 | Gotta Get My Moon Tan On | 01:53:13 | |
You might have seen the new Sonic movie, but that's not going to help you since we're talking about an old Sonic movie! Strange, isn't it? The gang takes a look at the much-beloved anomaly that is the Sonic OVA from the mid-90s to discuss curious accents, memorable fashion choices, and why Metal Sonic is still so gosh darn cool all these years later. (00:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff (00:06:35) Main topic: The Sonic OVA (00:07:55) Behind the scenes details (00:23:13) Part 1 recap (01:08:46) Part 2 recap (01:46:27) Final thoughts (01:50:10) Outro Sonic OVA (OST Reconstruction) playlist by Mr Kingalocious (SoundCloud)d Ben Schwartz reads iconic Sonic lines (YouTube)
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| 15 Dec 2023 | Fruitcake Joke | 01:23:39 | |
'Tis the season for nostalgia, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la la la! As a special holiday treat, we're getting a little more personal and going back 15 years to look at "How Metal Sonic Stole Christmas", a fan radio play written by GameBuddy that most of us participated in. This was the first project that we and much of the Sonic F cast worked on together, so in the spirit of the season, we'd like to share something that meant quite a bit to us with all of you. Happy holidays, everyone, and thank you for continuing to support the show. (Note: if you want to hear the original radio play without any of our dumb commentary, it'll also be available in the podcast feed the same day this goes up, so make sure you download that as well.) (0:00:00) Intro (0:03:28) Main topic: How Metal Sonic Stole Christmas (0:18:00) The cast (0:42:38) Commentary begins (1:01:42) Post-commentary discussion (1:16:52) Outro | |||
| 03 Nov 2023 | I Wanna Go Zoomie (ft. Boomba) | 02:43:00 | |
How do you follow up a game that changed gaming and created an entertainment icon? ...I dunno, but they did it. The gang is joined by VTuber Boomba to reminisce on the 1992 classic, Sonic the Hedgehog 2! Sonic Team's sophomore outing changed things up significantly from the original, not least of which through its introduction of a little two-tailed pal for our fast-footed hero! Does this speedy sequel stand up to the test of time? And just how much of the game got left in the dust in its mad dash to make the holiday season? Well, toss your younger sibling the second controller and listen in to find out! (0:00:00) Intro (0:09:26) Main topic: Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (0:18:10) The spin dash (0:23:51) Tails! (0:36:23) 2P versus (0:37:40) Super Sonic (0:40:33) Title screen (0:41:33) Emerald Hill Zone (0:45:54) Special stages (0:57:52) Chemical Plant Zone (1:03:59) Aquatic Ruin Zone (1:09:35) Casino Night Zone (1:18:04) Hill Top Zone (1:26:31) Mystic Cave Zone (1:34:07) Oil Ocean Zone (1:43:04) Metropolis Zone (1:50:01) Sky Chase Zone/Wing Fortress Zone (1:59:27) Death Egg Zone (2:05:58) Ending (2:09:00) Hidden Palace Zone (2:15:55) Other cut zones (2:22:15) Other versions (2:31:55) Final thoughts (2:37:04) Outro Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog 116 - Tails' New Home A Day to Remember - You Be Tails, I'll Be Sonic Real Life Smash Bros Brawl Trailer! + Real Life Super Smash Bros. Brawl Trailer (Less-Potato Quality) | |||
| 16 Feb 2024 | Hydrokitty (Part 2) | 02:02:50 | |
We've locked on and locked in for the second half of our Sonic 3 & Knuckles retrospective! And this week, it's all about the "& Knuckles" part, as Sonic continues to clash with Robotic and his new red-dreaded rival across mushrooms, deserts, lava, and even space, in the conclusion to this epic Mega Drive duology. (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic & Knuckles (0:03:07) Mushroom Hill Zone (0:17:08) Flying Battery Zone (0:26:12) Sandopolis Zone (0:37:15) Lava Reef Zone/Hidden Palace Zone (0:56:00) Sky Sanctuary Zone (1:10:26) Death Egg Zone (1:27:49) The Doomsday Zone/Ending (1:38:40) Other bits and bobs (1:48:09) Final thoughts (1:57:09) Outro | |||
| 01 Dec 2023 | Egg Cryptid | 02:20:12 | |
We've equipped all our best skill cards and are ready for a new episode all about one of Sonic's more unique spinoffs, Sonic Battle! This GBA fighting game starring an adorable robot OC had a surprisingly extensive single-player campaign that gave a lot of characters some much-needed time in the spotlight...though for one character, that's not really a good thing. Does the story still hold up? Is there more depth to the combat than at first glance? And why haven't we seen a new Sonic fighting game since? Well, it's time to head back into the blocky 3D arena and find out! (0:00:00) Intro (0:02:25) Main topic: Sonic Battle (0:21:43) Emerl (0:27:35) Sonic's story (1:00:54) Tails' story (1:05:09) Rouge's story (1:12:19) Amy's story (1:25:05) Knuckles' story (1:31:22) Cream's story (1:35:52) Shadow's story (1:43:06) Emerl's story (2:00:27) Minigames and adaptations (2:03:48) Final thoughts (2:14:09) Outro | |||
| 24 Jan 2025 | Neolib Black Doom | 03:57:47 | |
Things have taken a dark turn for the second half of our “Genuary” discussion, as our favorite antihero emerges from the shadows once more. Shadow Generations put the dark hedgehog face-to-face with his past yet again, with levels and foes alike coming out of the woodwork to take another shot at him. Could this truly be the new defining take Shadow has been waiting for? Does it offer any new roads forward for the character, or just retread old ground? And does this trip through his memories truly live up to the hype, or would we rather spend our time trapped in the Doom Zone? Plus deep dives into the Dark Beginnings prequel shorts, and Gerald's Journal! (0:00:00) Main topic: Shadow Generations (0:10:25) Dark Beginnings (0:19:41) Space Colony ARK (0:49:20) White Space (1:10:22) Rail Canyon (1:23:41) Challenge acts (1:32:33) Biolizard (1:41:35) Kingdom Valley (1:48:02) Sunset Heights (1:52:23) Metal Overlord (2:07:25) Chaos Island (2:15:38) Mephiles (2:33:27) Radical Highway (2:46:25) Devil Doom (3:01:06) Gerald's Journal (3:38:16) Final thoughts (3:46:45) [Extra] Tokyo (3:53:06) Outro | |||
| 10 Feb 2023 | You Got Any Libs, Man? (ft. FreakZone Games) | 01:43:51 | |
The gang is joined by game developer and former fan game creator Sam Beddoes of FreakZone Games to talk about the long and storied history of Sonic fan games, and the profound effect they've had on the franchise over the years. From their humble beginnings using whatever assets and tools were available, to their massive expansion in scope and scale, to many creators going on to develop their own original games, we cover some of the most interesting and memorable examples that have stuck with us over the years. Expect splat sounds, flashing neon signs, Tenchi Muyo references, massive character rosters, and so much more in this jam-packed episode, by and for the fans! (0:00:00) Intro/Main Topic: Sonic fan games (0:06:06) Sonic Boom, 1995, Martin Braid (0:19:24) Sonic Robo Blast, 1998, Johnathan Wallbank (Sonikku) (0:23:50) Sonic Chaos and its (many) sequels, 1999-2002, Kadir Aytaç Aksu (MagicgrafX) (0:31:44) Super Mario and Sonic, 1999, FreakZone Games (0:40:34) The Search for Knuckles, 1999, Johan Leion (0:49:21) When Tails Gets Bored, 2000, Sonic Vegemite (0:50:35) Tale of Two Sonics, 2001, Ashura Hedgehog (0:58:51) Retro Sonic, 2002-2008 (demo), Christian Whitehead (The Taxman) (1:01:30) Ultimate Flash Sonic, 2004, Dennis Gid (1:05:34) Sonic Before the Sequel + After the Sequel + Chrono Adventure, 2011-2013, Felipe Daneluz (LakeFeperd) (1:10:24) Sonic Utopia (demo), 2017, MrLange and Murusaki (1:18:34) Sonic World DX, 2014-present, Sonic World DX Team (1:21:42) Sonic GT, 2020, Gabriel Gonzalez (1:23:50) Sonic Smackdown, 2020, ArcForged (1:24:51) Sonic and the Fallen Star, 2022, StarDrop (1:27:43) Big's Big World, 2021, Michael Ropple (1:29:40) Sonic Dreams Collection, 2015, Arcane Kids (1:31:35) Final thoughts (1:37:48) Outro (1:41:10) Sonic Boom (remix) by Faulerro | |||
| 12 Jan 2024 | Stupid Liberal Lizard! | 02:31:53 | |
We've once again reached that strange point where we have to talk about a new game released post-podcast, and this time, Sega is playing the classics once again with Sonic Superstars. Multiple playable characters, giant levels, Emerald powers... It's a whole lot, but the real question is: is it good? Well, that's what we're hopefully going to find out in today's exciting episode. (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic Superstars (0:03:10) Development history (0:26:09) The game itself (0:41:43) Level layouts (0:53:32) Special stages and Emerald powers (1:09:42) Easter eggs! (1:13:00) Bosses (1:22:15) The second story mode (1:36:11) Trip's characterization (1:41:50) The true final boss (1:56:03) Multiplayer (2:03:27) The music (2:16:25) Final thoughts (2:27:57) Outro | |||
| 20 Oct 2023 | That Sonadow’s Carrying a Car! | 01:45:21 | |
We're ready for primetime once again as we take a look at the second batch of episodes for Sonic Prime! With all the shatterverses now introduced, worlds start to collide as the Chaos Council spreads their influence and Sonic attempts to recover all of the missing shards, but new enemies and old friends both stand in his way. Has our opinion on the show changed with this new batch? How do we think the whole series will conclude? And seriously, what is it going to take to get rid of that freaking baby forever? (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic Prime "Season" 2 (0:04:14) Avoid the Void (0:27:24) Battle in the Boscage (0:34:21) Second Wind/No Way Out (0:49:20) A Madness to Their Methods (0:56:35) Double Trouble (1:03:29) Cracking Down (1:09:44) Ghost of a Chance (1:22:56) Final thoughts (1:32:00) Series finale speculation (1:40:30) Outro "Battle in the Boscage" on YouTube Tweet from Dejimon11 that is 100% correct Tweet from animator Junni Enriquez showing some easter eggs snuck into Sonic Prime | |||
| 07 Jun 2024 | Sonic Advance 0 | 01:33:15 | |
They say big things come in small packages, and nowhere is that more true than today's subject, as the gang takes a look back at Sonic Pocket Adventure! Developed by SNK, this pseudo-remix of Sonic 2 has been left to the wayside, with Sega not even acknowledging it exists, but does it really deserve to be forgotten? Join us as we rediscover this hidden NeoGeo gem and the surprising influence it had on the early years of modern Sonic games. The future is now! (0:00:00) Intro (0:04:29) What's a NeoGeo Pocket Color? (0:16:59) Main topic: Sonic Pocket Adventure (0:28:50) Neo South Island Zone (0:34:28) Special Stages (0:40:48) Secret Plant Zone (0:45:18) Cosmic Casino Zone (0:49:44) Aquatic Relix Zone (0:56:42) Sky Chase Zone/Aerobase Zone (1:04:17) Gigantic Angel Zone (1:13:05) Last Utopia Zone (1:17:22) Chaotic Space Zone (1:21:44) Final thoughts (1:28:59) Outro King of Fighters Retrospective - Fighting Game Retrospectives | |||
| 21 Jun 2024 | You'we Compwetewy Cwazy, UwU~ (ft. Jolene) | 01:13:43 | |
Giga gigloo! Special guest Jolene joins us as we do a deep dive on Sonic Adventures: Dans Les Griffes de Robotnik, a one-off French comic from the early 90s! It's a very different take on Sonic and Tails' escapades on Angel Island, full of charming art, nonsensical phrases, incredibly dated stereotypes, and so much more. By the name of a sailed egg, you won't want to miss this! (0:00:00) Intro (0:02:18) Jolene's history with Sonic (0:04:09) Main topic: Sonic Adventures: Dans les Griffes de Robotnik (0:09:23) The fan translation (0:13:48) The art (0:17:06) Comic recap (1:02:31) The "sequel" (1:05:27) Final thoughts (1:09:12) Outro Sonic Adventures In The Claws Of Robotnik [English Fanslation] | |||
| 01 Apr 2023 | Mario’s Rocky Transition Into 3D | 00:47:57 | |
Yes, folks. After a solid year of doing a Mario podcast, we're finally tackling what is easily his most controversial game, Super Mario 64. Mario's first true 3D outing was a rough one that made a lot of questionable choices, but it's hard to look back on it without being clouded by our own nostalgia. Is this "classic" truly deserving of its reputation, for good or for ill? Join us and find out! (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Super Mario 64 (0:15:17) ??? (0:19:48) Okay, back to it (0:27:42) The music (0:32:47) The decompilation and ROMhacks (0:38:51) Super Mario 64 DS (0:41:45) Final thoughts (and some brief movie talk) (0:45:14) Outro | |||
| 13 Jan 2023 | Don’t Ever Talk to Me or My Son or My Son or My Son or My Son... | 01:31:41 | |
Back in 1996, the Sonic series marked the end of one console generation and the start of another with Sonic 3D Blast/Flickies' Island, a radical and controversial departure from previous series entries. Now, some two and a half decades later, the gang decides to give this oddball adventure another fair shake and see if it's stood the test of time. Join us as we discuss its ties to an early Sega arcade game, the wild variation between its versions, and a definitive way to play the game born from 20 years of hindsight. (0:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff (0:06:10) Main topic: Sonic 3D (0:13:28) Sega Saturn version (0:19:50) Our personal histories (0:27:05) Visual and soundtrack differences (0:35:35) Special stages (0:39:58) The story (0:41:58) Green Grove Zone (0:46:46) Rusty Ruin Zone (0:50:18) Spring Stadium Zone (0:54:52) Diamond Dust Zone (0:56:32) Volcano Valley Zone (0:58:51) Gene Gadget Zone (1:01:03) Panic Puppet Zone (1:04:37) The Final Fight (1:11:28) The Director's Cut (1:19:32) Sonic 3D In 2D/Sonic Blast (Game Gear) (1:22:19) Final thoughts (1:28:06) Outro | |||
| 18 Nov 2022 | The Best of the Best for One Low, Low Price | 02:09:41 | |
It’s a mega-sized episode this week as we look back at a collection of collections! Over the years, Sega has released quite a few compilations of classic Sonic titles to make sure the blue blur and his origins stay relevant to the current audience. These collections have played a big role in bringing in new Sonic fans over the years, so join us as we take a look at all the ways they (Sonic) Jam-packed these gems into one tiny package. (0:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff (0:08:11) Main topic: Sonic compilations (0:12:21) Sonic & Knuckles Collection (0:20:44) Sonic Jam (0:34:42) Sonic Mega Collection (0:55:35) Sonic Mega Collection + (1:05:24) Sonic Adventure DX (1:08:12) Sonic Gems Collection (1:22:15) Sonic Classics Collection (1:28:05) Other compilations (1:32:25) Sonic Origins (2:00:38) Final thoughts (2:03:56) Outro The History of Sonic Game Collections Sonic Mega Collection print advertisement Stealth comments on Sonic Origins Sonic Origins devs on how the game came to be Sega Is Delisting Multiple Classic Sonic Games In May Ahead Of Sonic Origins Release | |||
| 25 Oct 2024 | Definitely, Like, Cool | 02:35:20 | |
Oh man, these Sonic games sure are great! But what if you could get a little something extra to give you a reason to go back after you finished it? That's exactly what we're going to answer in this episode, as we take a look back at the history of downloadable content in the Sonic series! From free little bonuses and contests in the Dreamcast era to the elaborate expansions and deluxe versions of today, Sonic's online offerings have continued to change with the industry, both for better and for worse, creating a fascinating legacy all its own. But one thing's for sure: listening to this downloadable episode will leave you very content. (0:00:00) Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff (0:07:00) Main topic: A history of Sonic DLC (0:09:09) Sega Channel/Dream Library (0:12:54) Sonic Adventure (0:41:44) Sonic Adventure 2 (0:48:56) Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) (0:55:03) Sonic Unleashed (0:59:51) Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (1:02:43) Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing (1:08:11) Sonic Generations (1:11:14) Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed (1:17:26) Sonic Lost World (1:24:24) Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric (1:25:09) Sonic Mania (1:26:02) Sonic Forces (1:38:59) Sonic Colors Ultimate (1:40:11) Sonic Origins (1:47:40) Sonic Frontiers (1:58:05) Sonic Superstars (2:07:50) Sonic X Shadow Generations (2:10:46) Final Thoughts (2:30:00) Outro Sonic Adventure DLC on a Real SEGA Dreamcast Interview with Sonic Adventure Reebok DMX competition winner Neil Riddaway | |||
| 27 Jan 2023 | Raised in a Test Tube with a Trumpet in his Hand | 02:17:16 | |
It's time for another listening party as the gang pick things up where they left off last episode with a look back at the dual soundtracks of Sonic 3D! On one side, a 16-bit sound team at the peak of their ability. On the other, rich CD-quality sound that feels right at home on the Saturn. Hear cartoon sound effects, robots raving, and even some surprising connections to future Sonic games, as we take a look back at some of the unsung great tracks of the classic Sonic era. (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic 3D listening party (0:11:00) Openings (0:17:21) Main Menu (0:20:00) Invincibility/Speed Up (0:24:00) 1-Up/Stage Clear (0:27:02) Special Stage (0:32:33) Boss Battle (0:38:14) Continue/Game Over (0:40:30) Green Grove (0:50:28) Rusty Ruin (1:01:30) Spring Stadium (1:11:46) Diamond Dust (1:21:25) Volcano Valley (1:29:13) Gene Gadget (1:37:20) Panic Puppet (1:48:09) The Final Fight (1:52:10) Unused tracks (1:58:43) Ending/Credits (2:06:05) Final thoughts (2:13:23) Outro Continue - 30th Sessions Version feat. Lyn Sonic 3D Blast LOST BITS | Prototypes & Unused Content [TetraBitGaming] Sonic 3D Blast OST || Panic Puppet Zone Act 2 || Metal cover by #ProgMuz | |||
| 07 Mar 2025 | I Want a Little Dude in My Hand | 01:22:56 | |
Remember that sense of delight and wonder you'd get when you'd force your parents to stop off at a fast food restaurant, reach into a bag containing foods that would slowly come to destroy your body over the intervening decades, and pull out a tiny plastic symbol of the power mass consumerism held over the youth of a generation? Well we do, and we're excited to talk about it! That's right, The Hill Is Always Greener is looking back at the history of Sonic the Hedgehog fast food toys! From Sonic 3 the game to Sonic 3 the movie, and from windups to LCD games to "here's some cardboard, make it yourself", we cover the breadth of Sonic's kids meal collectables over the last 30 years! (Warning: this episode may present a choking hazard to children under 3 years of age.) (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic fast food toys (0:03:17) Burger King (1993, Sega Zip Strips) (0:07:53) McDonald's (1994, Sonic 3) (0:17:07) McDonald's (1994, Happy Train) (0:20:50) Carl's Jr. (1996, Sonic the Hedgehog and Pals Mini-Viewers) (0:25:50) Burger King (1998, Sonic R) (0:29:58) Jack in the Box (1999, Sega PC) (0:32:59) Burger King (1999, Sonic Adventure, cancelled) (0:36:57) Denny's (2000, Sonic Underground) (0:40:15) McDonald's (2003, Sonic Adventure DX LCD games) (0:43:05) McDonald's (2004, Sonic Heroes LCD games) (0:47:15) McDonald's (2006, Sonic X) (0:50:23) McDonald's (2007, Sonic X) (0:51:30) Red Rooster (2012) (0:53:24) Carl's Jr. (2015, Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice) (0:56:27) Subway (2018, combining gears) (0:59:21) Arby's (2019, Sonic Dash) (1:01:40) Kura Sushi (2020) (1:03:39) McDonald's (2022, Sonic 2 the movie) (1:06:39) Burger King (2023, Fidget toys) (1:08:40) McDonald's (2023, buildable Toys) (1:10:14) McDonald's (2024, Sonic 3 the movie) (1:14:06) Final thoughts (1:17:53) Outro | |||
| 19 Jul 2024 | He Had Always Been a Hungry Child | 02:36:42 | |
Knock knock! It's time for the gang to take a long, hard look at Knuckles, the TV spin-off of the Sonic Cinematic Universe! Since its release, the show has proved INCREDIBLY controversial with Sonic fans, largely eschewing a traditional Sonic adventure in favor of a lighthearted sendup to classic sports comedies. Are the escapades of Wade Whipple and his furry red sidekick truly the harbinger of doom for all things Sonic, or does this miniseries carry just enough heart, humor, and unnecessary product placement to stand proud with the rest of the SCU? (0:00:00) Intro (0:04:40) Sonic Symphony report (0:10:23) Main topic: The Knuckles show (0:27:27) The Warrior (1:09:35) Don’t Ever Say I Wasn't There for You (1:15:14) The Shabbat Dinner (1:33:30) The Flames of Disaster (1:47:51) Reno, Baby! (2:05:31) What Happens in Reno Stays in Reno (2:19:46) Final thoughts (2:33:40) Outro | |||
| 12 Apr 2024 | Well, This Sure is a Towel | 01:53:57 | |
Hoo boy, folks. Our journey through Sonic Prime has finally come to an end, as heroes and villains from across the Shatterverse come together for one final showdown against an emotionally compromised child and his robot army. Is it the grand finale we were all hoping for? Or would this ending have been better left banished to the darkest corners of the void? Tune in to find out! (0:00:00) Intro (0:05:10) Year of Shadow, baby! (0:11:19) Main Topic: Sonic Prime "Season" 3 (0:14:00) Grim Tidings (0:30:20) Dome Sweet Dome (0:35:30) No Escape-The Devil is in the Tails (1:05:40) From the Top (1:28:57) Final thoughts (1:50:40) Outro | |||