Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series released by Sega starring and named after its mascot character, Sonic the Hedgehog. The series began in 1991 with the release of Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, which was responsible for turning Sega into a leading video game company during the 16-bit era.

The Sega division responsible for the first game in the series was called Sonic Team, and the group has since developed many titles in the franchise. Prominent members of its initial staff included programmer Yuji Naka, designer Naoto Ohshima and game planner Hirokazu Yasuhara. Other developers of Sonic games have included the American Sega Technical Institute, Japanese Dimps, Canadian BioWare, and British Traveller's Tales. While the first games in the series were platform games, the series has expanded into other genres such as action-adventure, fighting

 

Nearly all games in the series feature a blue hedgehog named Sonic as the central player character and protagonist. The games detail Sonic's attempts to save the world from various threats, primarily the evil genius Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik, the main antagonist of the series. Robotnik's aim is to rule the Earth; to achieve this, he usually attempts to eliminate Sonic and to acquire the powerful Chaos Emeralds.
Sega Mega Drive and add-on systems (1991-1996)
Green Hill Zone from Sonic the Hedgehog (1991)

The first Sonic game, titled Sonic the Hedgehog, was a platform game released in 1991that featured protagonist Sonic running through the game's levels in order to foil Doctor Robotnik's attempt to take over the world  The game focused Sonic's ability to run and to jump at high speeds with the use of springs, slopes, and loop-the-loops.[2] Its sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, a platform game released in 1992, increased the overall size and speed of the series' gameplay  and was the best selling Genesis game of all time. The game introduced Sonic's sidekick, Miles "Tails" Prower, who followed Sonic throughout the game, and the "spin dash" maneuver, which allowed Sonic to boost forwards quickly when stopped. The next sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, was a third platform game in the Sonic series released in 1994.The game introduced a temporary shield maneuver, added new shield types to the series, and allowed Tails to fly under a player's control It also introduced a new character, Knuckles the Echidna, who served as an additional antagonist with Doctor Robotnik for the game. Sonic & Knuckles, another platform game in the Sonic series, was released later in 1994. The game introduced Knuckles as a playable character with gliding and wall climbing abilities  and allowed gamers to plug in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 to the top of the Sonic and Knuckles cartridge as part of the game's "lock on" functionality. This allowed gamers to play the game as it was originally intended; the games were intended to be one title, but were split due to space and time constraints.
There were several Sonic games for the Mega Drive that were not 2D platform games. Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball, released in 1993, was a pinball simulation modeled after the Spring Yard and Casino Night Zones from the first two Sonic games.The game, unlike general pinball simulations, had an overall goal of collecting all the Chaos Emeralds in each level and defeating the levels' bosses. It was one of the few video games that had elements from the cartoons Sonic the Hedgehog and Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. The references are visual only. Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine was a puzzle game similar to Puyo  that was set in the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog universe  Sonic 3D Blast, an isometric, 2.5D platform game released in 1996 and developed by Traveller's Tales, featured Sonic running through pseudo-3D environments while trying to rescue Flickies from Doctor Robotnik.

The Sega Mega Drive/Genesis had "add-on" systems that incorporated Sonic titles. Sonic CD, released for the Mega-CD/Sega CD, was a 2D platform game released in 1993. The game introduced the character Amy Rose[ and featured levels that differed depending upon whether Sonic was in the past, present, or future time frames. Knuckles Chaotix, a spin-off released in 1995 for the Sega 32x, featured Knuckles and a new group named Chaotix fighting against Dr. Robotnik.The game featured a two-player cooperative system in which the on-screen characters were connected by magic rings. There was also Sonic Eraser, a puzzle game released exclusively on Meganet, which required the use of the system's modem.

Top ten anime way how to make money

1) Dr. Dogs Fast, Easy, Fun Behavior Soluti. World Reknown Animal Behaviorist And Radio Talk Show Host, Dr. Dennis Fetko, Dr. Dog Reveals His Proven Dog Training Methods. Stop Barking, Fighting, Biting, Chewing, Digging, Soiling, Jumping, Pulling And More--with No Jerking, Clicking, Or Squirting! 2) Money Animal - Just Launched!! Promote Now. Quality High End Product With Exceptional Member And Affiliate Support. Work From Home By Following Step By Step Instructions For Traffic Using PPC (Adwords Focused) And eBay(R) For Online Income. Full Support Provided! Converts Brilliantly - See Sales Page! 3) 250 Award Winning Soccer Drills Software. Plus An Extra 70 Animated Soccer Drills, Videos, Coaching Software, And A Lot More... 4) Your Environment, Your Intuition And Your Health. Learn How Your Environment Is Affecting You Right Now. Get The Tools To Identify And Neutralize The Dangers Right Now. You And Your Animals Could Be At Risk. Your Intuition Is The Key. Learn What You Can Do Today To Make Your Life The Way You Want It. 5) DesktopMates. MSAgent Animated Desktop Characters. 6) Push Button Effects - High Quality Royalty Free Video Backgrounds! The #1 Source For High Quality Video Animations. High Conversion. 65% Instant Commissions. Promote And Earn Now! 7) Animal Kingdom Workouts. My Site Focuses On Natural Health And Fitness With An Animal Twist. If You Want To Be Strong And Healthy, Follows Natures Example. Affiliates Earn 75% Commissions On All Products. Currently Offering A Bodyweight Exercise And Diet EBook. 8) Create An Anime Site. Earn 60% Of Every Sale With This Popular New Niche Site. Converts Great!!! -- Dont Miss Out On This Opportunity To Fatten Your Next PayCheck With This New Niche! 9) How To Draw - For Kids EBook. A Fun And Educational Drawing Instruction EBook For Children. Learn How To Draw Animals, People, Faces, 3-d Objects. 39 Pages Packed With Fun Drawing Projects. Printable PDF Format That Is Easy To Download And Use. 10) How To Breed Rabbits For Meat, Profit And Fun. Much More Than Putting Two Rabbits In A Cage! Solid PPC Profits. Great Animal Breeding Book, Loaded With Value, Tight Niche, Great For This Economy. Affiliate Support Page, And 75% Commissions.

anime history

Anime began at the start of the 20th century, when Japanese filmmakers experimented with the animation techniques also pioneered in France, Germany, the United States, and Russia. The oldest known anime in existence was screened in 1917 - a two minute clip of a samurai trying to test a new sword on his target, only to suffer defeat. The first talkie anime was Chikara to Onna no Yo no Naka, released in 1933.

By the 1930s, animation became an alternative format of storytelling to the underdeveloped live-action industry in Japan. Unlike in the United States, the live-action industry in Japan remained a small market and suffered from budgeting, location, and casting restrictions. The lack of Western-looking actors, for example, made it next to impossible to shoot films set in Europe, America, or fantasy worlds that do not naturally involve Japan. Animation allowed artists to create any characters and settings.

The success of The Walt Disney Company's 1937 feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs influenced Japanese animators. In the 1960s, manga artist and animator Osamu Tezuka adapted and simplified many Disney animation techniques to reduce costs and number of frames in the production. He intended this as a temporary measure to allow him to produce material on a tight schedule with inexperienced animation staff.

The 1970s saw a surge of growth in the popularity of manga—which were often later animated—especially those of Osamu Tezuka, who has been called a "legend" and the "god of manga".[10][11] His work and that of other pioneers in the field, inspired characteristics and genres that are fundamental elements of anime today. The giant robot genre (known as "Mecha" outside Japan), for instance, took shape under Tezuka, developed into the Super Robot genre under Go Nagai and others, and was revolutionized at the end of the decade by Yoshiyuki Tomino who developed the Real Robot genre. Robot anime like the Gundam and The Super Dimension Fortress Macross series became instant classics in the 1980s, and the robot genre of anime is still one of the most common in Japan and worldwide today. In the 1980s, anime became more accepted in the mainstream in Japan (although less than manga), and experienced a boom in production. Following a few successful adaptations of anime in overseas markets in the 1980s, anime gained increased acceptance in those markets in the 1990s and even more at the turn of the 21st century.more

Anime Clip Art, Pictures and Graphics

Adding clip art, pictures and graphics to your Web site adds a personal touch. Now your readers can not only read what your site is about but they can also see what your site is about. Clip art, pictures and graphics are especially necessary when you have a Web page that is specific to a certain subject. They can make the subject come alive and make you readers want to keep coming back for more.

Anime and anime TV shows are very popular. They have been for many years. As a matter of fact, many of the shows I watched as a child are considered anime. Now my children watch anime TV shows and they are, by far, their favorites.

This is why I have added a clip art section for anime clip art, pictures and graphics. Some of you may already have a Web page where you make use of anime, pictures and graphics and some of you may be thinking about it. If so then these Web sites will really come in handy for you.

Blade of the Phantom Master

Blade of the Phantom Master:
Shin Angyo Onshi
Anime video Review

Long ago, the legends say, there was a secret army. Unseen until needed, these warriors struck from the shadows, protecting justice and defending the Jushin Empire from both tyrants and thieves. They were called the Amen Osa, The Phantom Masters. But now Jushin has fallen, yet from the ashes of destruction, a hero has appeared to defend the people. His name is unknown, but there are clues. Is he the last of the Amen Osa?

Shin Angyo Onshi is the story of Munsu, an angyo onshi — a government agent of the mythical country of Jushin who travels the country incognito and roots out corrupt officials and warlords to restore the peace and bring justice to the common people. He has access to a phantom army he can summon via a magical amulet, and his fighting prowess is second to none. However, as the story begins, Jushin has fallen, and Munsu wanders the ruined countryside cleaning up the shattered remains of the once glorious country.

This is an anime based on a Korean manga (Manhwa) serialized in Sunday GX, published by Shogakukan. It is a real first in that it is a Japanese anime with Korean producers, based on a Korean manga published in Japan that is heavily based on Korean folklore. This work is the brainchild of writer In-Wan Youn and artist Kyung-Il Yang, who grew up reading and enjoying manga despite not knowing much about Japanese culture. In the same way, they believed that Japanese readers would enjoy reading a work drawn from a Korean cultural background as long as it was interesting. In this fashion, they have seamlessly integrated an eclectic array of Korean culture and folklore into an amazingly woven tale.

The characters who drive the plot are also wonderfully developed. Munsu is as anti-hero as an anti-hero can possibly get. His stout stance in his principles and seeming lack of morality and kindness at times (much to the dismay of anyone within range of his guns) hide a darker past. Often, his amoral solution to any problem is just to kill everyone. Sando, his servant (and sometimes bodyguard) is totally opposite from him: innocent, naive, and sweet, she is often taken aback at Munsu's seemingly incoherent acts. Despite her prodigious fighting skill, she still has much to learn, but Munsu's poor communication skills (he doesn't clue her in on what he knows) obviously make him a difficult master to properly serve.

You *really* need the manga to appreciate this film as the plot moves through a little too quickly, trying to shove a great deal of detail into a very small space. At least read the Wikipedia article before trying to digest the film. However, if you're a fan of action, and aren't too picky about trying to understand what's happening, then by all means, forge ahead. There's more than enough blades flashing, gunfire, and decapitations to keep anyone happy. The film covers only a small portion of the overall manga, so let's hope for a sequel!

Black Lagoon

Black Lagoon
Manga Review

After easily making our list of top-ten coolest animes we'd love to be stranded on a desert island with, the manga for this awesome series makes life worth living after all. It goes much more in-depth, as only a manga can (by not being limited to a 22-minute episode), with all the internal politics only hinted at within the series.

The manga also delves much deeper into the moral and philosophical quandaries that are expressed in the anime series. The manga exudes existentialism, essentially asking the reading to accept that values and morality are things we create in our own minds, and furthermore, objects that we assign value to are essentially meaningless, if viewed outside the context of "normal" society.

All this and more as well as a ton of exciting action as Revy blasts anything that moves (while wearing as little as possible), combined with the political struggle between the Russian, Italian, Columbian and Chinese Mafias, all of whom either want to hire the Black Lagoon team, or see them dead and buried.

And poor Rock is in the middle of it all, trying to sort out the insanity of the situation, while also trying to come to terms with many of the philosophical points made during the course of the manga, as he sorts out his own personal demons and learns more about Revy's dark past.
Black Lagoon
Anime video Review

Rokuro Okajima is a meek, mild-mannered, middle-manager nobody working a dead-end, life-draining, white-collar, meaningless job for a giant, faceless corporation. However; his business trip in South-East Asia turns from pleasure cruise to terror when modern-day pirates board the ship to take the corporate data he is transporting. Grabbed initially as a hostage, he finds that he is expendable (according to his boss), and so, he joins with Dutch, Revy and Benny, who make up the crew of the Black Lagoon, a 'privateer' operation run from a PT Boat that takes on any job offered to them.

This series pleasantly surprised me. It is much, much better than you would expect. None of the characters are exactly what they would seem from the start, and each evolves into something else along the way. Furthermore, the team ends up playing politics with the Russian, Italian, Columbian and Chinese Mafias, all the while trying to stay one step ahead of the authorities and various others that may want them dead.

The director is clearly having fun — each episode starts serenely, like a peaceful sunrise, and then quickly evolves into complete anarchy. The action sequences are astounding; MADHOUSE is doing a top-notch job on this anime series. Even the end titles are a shocker.

And while "Rock" is the central protagonist, it's obvious to any fanboy with a libido that psycho-bitch, gun-crazy Revy is going to be the favorite and the subject of many blogs. Her dark past is meant to be in stark contrast to Rock's mundane existence.

Black Lagoon combines the dark and cynical nature of Fight Club with the non-stop action of a John Woo film. It also manages to be insightful and thought-provoking without being preachy. All the intrigue and philosophy behind the series is communicated by the action and the staccato dialog. It also presses buttons on the viewer, because South Seas Piracy is a very real threat and it is interesting to see these killers to be human as well.

This anime series is rife with cigarette smoking, foul language and significant bloodshed. It is however, startlingly accurate in the portrayal of the life of a soldier of fortune immersed in the criminal underworld of the china seas. Amen. Hallelujah. Peanut Butter.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, July 2007

Below: Scenes from the Black Lagoon anime video.

Birdy the Mighty

Birdy the Mighty - Double Trouble

Super-Excellent-Action abounds in this OVA series that is done with a surprising amount of humor and taste. Birdy is an intergalactic cop who accidentally kills an innocent bystander — bumbling high-schooler Tsutomu, and she is forced to "merge" with him to save his life. Suddenly Tsutomu finds that there's another person living inside him — and it's a girl!

With fight scenes and costuming reminiscent of Gatchaman, the series has a lot going for it. Tsutomu's English voice actor does a superb job of making him really seem pathetic, and as such, he and Birdy become the perfect "Odd Couple". Director Yoshiaki Kawajiri (Ninja Scroll, Bloodlust) never let's it get dull, the action is either comedy or brilliantly done fights. "Birdy" is an often overlooked jewel in the anime bin — don't let this get away from you.
more

The Big O

The Big O
Anime DVD Review

The Big O has been often described as 'What if you combined Batman and Giant Robo?' But it is way more than that. It is pure, hardcore, literary-quality science fiction wrapped in style and sophistication, referencing everything from Isaac Asimov to Kurt Vonnegut. Meet Roger Smith, a man who fights crime in a double breasted all black suit, and he's got a giant robot (but does he control it, or does it control him?). Roger's companion is a female android who is more like MTV's Daria than anything else. She's like nothing you've ever seen in anime before. Be in awe of Dorothy, her power, her magnificence, her improbable size to mass ratio, her sardonic monotone comments, and her hidden, but deeply felt emotion.

The Big O: Outstanding!Simply put, The Big O is everything that we admire about Anime. It has taken American pop culture references and made them its own. Then it augments satire with some brilliantly executed scripts that actually make you think. Combined with one of the most intense, dramatic and downright gothic soundtracks ever recorded, (and one of the most hysterical opening theme songs ever), The Big O is both parody, homage, and something unique all it's own. It may be one of the best anime series ever made, and at a mere 13 episodes, it ends with you screaming for more.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, Summer 2002

Big O Soundtrack
Buy from Amazon.com
Big O Soundtrack
Anime Soundtrack Review

Awesome, magnificent, powerful and earthshattering are some of the adjectives we could use to describe this soundtrack. But mere words are unable to express the sheer scale of this seminal work. Running the gamut from subtle to audacious, this is simply the greatest music made for any anime since Yamato.

Big O SoundtrackThanks to a full orchestra, the music actually sounds "big", and you feel the power in the notes. Track 4 "Name of God" will send a chill down your spine and leave you with goosebumps. Yes, it's that good. Included, of course, is R. Dorothy's "wake up Roger!" piano solo. Stick that in your alarm clock bucky. Big O rocks, and this soundtrack will rock your house.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, November 2003

Big O: Sound Score II for Second Season
Buy from Amazon.com
Big O: Sound Score II
for Second Season
Anime Soundtrack Review

We had already reviewed the first season, and its soundtrack, but when Cartoon Network co-produced an entirely new season of Big O, out come some more stunning music. This collection includes some re-ochestrated favorites from the first season as well as the new music from Season 2, PLUS, welcome bits that were heard in episodes from both, but never made it to the first album.
Our Dorothy!
Basically, it's great stuff overall. Gothic, jazzy, fun and somber, it's the music that really makes Big O the show that it is (that is, apart from a killer storyline, amazing art direction, and of course, everyone's favorite sardonic android...) Big O rulez.

Reviewed by Brian Cirulnick, June 2008

anime source

Convention Coverage: Anime Festival Asia 2008
Over the weekend of November 22-23, the country of Singapore held one of its signature anime expositions. Anime-Source.com ASRT Staff Member Jsy3k attended the 2-day con with camera in-hand. Read on to see his coverage of the press preview-day and his impressions of the weekend overall.

Living in Japan: The Cost of Living
The latest installment in my series educating the anime/manga-fans out there about the realities of living in Japan. This month, we're talking about money and how far a couple hundred thousand yen will get you. Don't get too excited though... it may sound like a lot... until you realize that one yen is only equal to about one US penny.

What's New this Week: Even More Manga!

Do you come around Anime-Source every now and then? Well, we'd like to thank you. Like any work or production, we would love to hear feed back. What would you like to see more of? What don't you like? Is there a section you visit more than others?

The manga staff have kindly put together new manga for you to read. Four awesome titles to put on your list.

What's New this Week: Survey Results!

Hey folks. Our front news page has been swarming with activity and I'm sure you know why. One of our biggest events had recently ended. Now the results are complete! How did your picks do this year? Any surprises? If you missed out on voting this year, I guess you'll have to wait another year. But don't worry! We have vast ideas for surveys, so stick around and see what we bring up.

Releasing the survey results wasn't the only thing that happened. "Read More" to find out what other updates have occurred.

With the first 50 characters taken care of in
Wave 1, I'm sure everyone is now looking forward to the rest. Well, wait no more!
It's that wonderful time of year again when we announce the results of one of our biggest fan-surveys of the year!! In October, we opened the polls asking members and visitors to vote for their Favorite Characters of All-Time. This is the third year we've done this, and though the procedure has generally been the same each time, the results are always drastically different.

Did you vote? Did your characters place well? It's time to find out!!


Have you eagerly waited for the next set of results? Well, here you have it. So far, you have probably seen the top characters for ranks 100-25. Are we giving you the rest? NOT YET! "Read More" to find the link to the article for Wave 3.