The Hill Is Always Greener

We've gone Bak 2 School for another new Sonic 101 episode! With Jake out on assignment (i.e. kidnapped by Metal Sonic), Jeff Bakalar of Giant Bomb fills the rotating guest chair this week, ready to learn all about McDonald's happy meal toys, outrunning the Big Bang, children's media featuring GWAR, Sonic's secret Jersey upbringing, bloodthirsty unicorn wizards, and all sorts of other nonsense. But the student also becomes the teacher, as Jeff offers up his perspective as the parent of a young Sonic fan, giving us old farts a rare inside look at how the youth of today actually engage with the Blue Blur and his fast furry friends. (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic Newbie Education 101 (0:07:45) Jeff's history with Sonic (0:13:40) The malleability of Sonic (0:18:26) Jeff and Sonic's transition to 3D (0:24:40) Do kids play the old games? (0:35:55) Minigame: A.B.C.D. Station (1:06:25) How did Jeff's kid first find Sonic? (1:18:12) Does Jeff think his kid is starting to outgrow Sonic? (1;26:27) Does Sonic have an origin story? (1:39:09) Minigame: Know More Music (1:57:13) Outro Amie Waters on Linktree Giant Bomb What Lies Below the Lilies Sonic McOrigins Plus Windii's translations John Batiste - Green Hill Zone

Grab your Heelys, your Blockbuster membership card, and your iPod Nano with the complete Good Charlotte discography on it, because we're embracing the mid-2000s to properly look back at the original Sonic Riders! Team Sonic's inaugural clash with the Babylon Rogues is remembered for its slick aesthetic, its bumpin' tunes, and its gameplay that rides the fine line between deeply nuanced and utterly incomprehensible. Does this high-speed hoverboarder soar through the sky like a bird on the wind, or does it explode on its way to the finish line? Join us as we trick our way through the streets of Metal City to find out! Just make sure your air tank is full... (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic Riders (0:06:10) Aesthetic (0:15:15) Gameplay (0:44:31) Characters (0:50:55) Story (1:19:10) Tracks (1:54:00) Other modes (2:06:20) Final thoughts (2:30:28) Outro Amie Waters on Linktree How to Play Sonic Riders Japanese Heroes Story (Translated) Japanese Babylon Story (Translated) Sonic Riders GBA - Lost Media Wiki

It's quadruple trouble in this episode! We're taking another look at Sonic on the Master System and Game Gear, but this time joined by returning guest and 8-bit Sonic aficionado JezMM! Not only are we revisiting Sonic 1 and 2 with Jez's more expert insight, but we're also diving deep on Sonic Chaos and Sonic Triple Trouble, two surprisingly full-featured games for these classic systems! So slip off your rocket shoes and dig yourself a nice little hole to relax in as we take another blast to the past! (But not, like, a Sonic Blast; no one wants to take one of those.) (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: 8-bit Sonic revisited (0:08:37) Sonic 1 (0:45:18) Sonic 2 (1:18:30) Sonic Chaos (1:44:21) Sonic Triple Trouble (2:15:24) Final thoughts (2:26:32) Outro Amie Waters on Linktree Sonic 1 and 2 SMS Remake AS2R: Another Sonic 2 Remake Sonic Chaos: Turquoise Hill demo Sonic Triple Trouble 16-Bit Sonic Triple Trouble SMS

The one and only LittleKuriboh joins us as we craft our latest fanfic masterpiece! When Wave the Swallow gets upstaged by Dr. Eggm-I mean El Gran Gordo, and his new Tails Doll AI assistant, she decides to take matters into her own hands and sabotage the project. Will she put a damper on the wrestling roboticist's plans, or are things about to get crazy on this freakiest of Fridays? Featuring Kiryu from the Like a Dragon series! (0:00:00) Intro/Martin's history with Sonic (0:17:26) Main topic: Let's write a fanfic #3! (0:20:22) Characters and setting (0:28:33) Jake - Inappropriate recreation/analog of a real world tragic event (0:34:10) Luke - Reference an early 2000s Toonami show (0:36:45) Jeremy - The writer's barely disguised fetish (0:43:03) Chris - Song lyrics quoted verbatim in dialogue (0:47:54) Martin - Characters denigrate other video game franchises (0:51:47) Jake - the bad guy gets a second form (0:55:47) Luke - Body Swap (and character uses a curse word) (1:00:43) Jeremy - The author makes up new and exciting fictional slurs and/or curse words (1:06:56) Chris - One of the main characters has to stop and do their taxes (and character from another Sega franchise appears) (1:15:23) Martin - Brand new Super form (1:19:18) Jake - An old one-off villain comes back (1:29:52) Luke - Sudden deep-cut character appearance to brag to the reader how much we know about Sonic (and romantic moment) (1:33:00) Jeremy - A cool OC appears (1:43:52) Chris - Massively expanding upon a canon plot point  (1:50:40) Martin - Heroic sacrifice (1:55:06) Recap and final thoughts (2:03:55) Outro Amie Waters on Linktree

Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it... But what if Sega refuses to let us forget? In today's episode, Ape of the Hour joins us as we take a look at the curious case of Classic Sonic in the current day. Originally the ONLY Sonic, this little guy found himself shoved to the side when the 2000s rolled around in favor of his new look, only to experience a sudden resurgence in the 2010s. But has he overstayed his welcome at this point? Why does Sega seem so insistent upon a divide between the two eras? And does looking back truly represent the way forward? (0:00:00) Intro/Ape's history with Sonic (0:08:42) Main topic: "Modern" Classic Sonic (0:38:15) Embrace modernity (1:07:54) A return to his roots (2:00:59) Outro Amie Waters on Linktree

For many years, humanity has wondered, "What would a stage musical based on Sonic the Hedgehog look like?" This...is so much weirder an answer than anyone could have come up with. Today, we travel back in time 30 years to the land down under, back when the Sega World amusement park was a thing that existed, to check out Sonic in Sydney the live musical. It's a strange tale of Sonic, Tails, and Sally teaming up to prevent Robotnik's Aussie assault, one with so many absurd twists and turns that some might consider it a harbor bridge too far. Listen along as we react in real time to the studio recording, then stick around for the extended versions of the songs, and a never-before-heard totally-real we're-not-just-making-this-up-for-a-really-funny-bit recording of the lost puppet show version! (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Sonic in Sydney (0:07:59) The studio recording (0:41:42) The puppet show (0:46:47) The lost recording! (0:57:39) "What Are We Waiting For" (1:02:33) "Give Me Chaos" (1:05:35) "Thank You For Being You" (1:11:44) Final thoughts (1:15:25) Outro Amie Waters on Linktree Sonic in Sydney (live show, version 2, dry run) [TOTALLY REAL FOR SRS]

Featuring: Jabbajacks as Sally AE Double as Grounder Xthedarkone as Knuckles Faulerro as everyone else

We're getting multicultural on this episode as we do a deep dive on the different ways Sonic has been portrayed between Japan and the West. We all know how Sega of America started making changes right from the jump, with their Robotniks and their Mobiuses and their Hardly, Nebraskas...OK, maybe not so much that last one. But the 30+ years that followed have seen a strange back-and-forth of each side borrowing from one another and slowly reintegrating Sonic into one cohesive vision...unless you're an annoying person on social media, in which case the two portrayals couldn't be further from one another, even to this day. Are Japanese and western Sonic really so separate? Did any of the changes end up being to the franchise's benefit in the long run? Or are they forever destined to be two different worlds? Not like the "two worlds" thing that briefly described the setting, but like, as in...you know what, just listen to the episode, you'll get what we mean. (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Japanese Sonic vs. Western Sonic (0:08:45) Sonic Origins (Not That One) (0:41:58) Media Adaptations (1:01:25) The End of an Era (1:39:50) The Western Revolution (1:56:05) An "Aligned" Continuity (2:21:29) Final thoughts (2:40:41) Outro Amie Waters on Linktree Windii on YouTube

We're off the starting line at high speed as we prepare for the release of Sonic's newest racer by taking a look back at some of his earliest! First up, we pop some fresh batteries in our Game Gears to check out the Sonic Drift duology, a flawed but unique attempt to bring the fun of kart racing on the go. Then we stay on track and don’t look back as we continue on to Sonic R, the equally beloved and maligned on-foot racer with a legacy all its own. So join us as we feel the sunshine, dodged some lightning strikes, and hopefully answer the question once and for all... Why the hell is he in a car? 0:00:00 Intro/Our recent Sonic-y stuff 0:11:48 Main topic: Classic Sonic racing games 0:13:37 Sonic Drift 0:35:30 Sonic Drift 2 0:54:09 Sonic R 1:41:48 Final thoughts 1:46:57 Outro Amie Waters on Linktree Sonic R Updater Sonic R Improvement Mod ARK in Radiant Emerald

It takes two to tango, but it takes 12 for an all out brawl! The gang looks back at Treasure Team Tango, the Sonic Universe arc that gave Blaze and Cream their first real spotlights in the original Archie continuity! When the princess of the Sol Dimension comes looking for a missing emerald, she's going to have to team up with a couple of female freedom fighters to find it, especially when three other teams all have their eyes on the same prize. It's the ultimate game of keep away in this madcap adventure, and we're here to dig back into it page by page! (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Treasure Team Tango (0:13:34) Part One: The Salida (0:55:21) Part Two: The Cruzada (1:28:38) Part Three: The Llevada (1:56:45) Part Four: The Parada (2:09:25) Final thoughts (2:15:52) Outro Amie Waters on Linktree

Hey, boomers! It's time to take a look back at the Sega-sational world of the UK in the 1990s! Special guest Chris McFeely of Sonic the Comic the Podcast joins us for a recap of Sonic the Hedgehog Beats the Badniks, a compilation of STC's first four Sonic strips. From the spikeball's speedy start to a clash with a cyborg chum, and from saving Sally's sibling to an encounter with an inorganic imposter, we look back at the comic's earliest days to see how they set the stage for the stories to come. (0:00:00) Intro (0:04:31) Chris's history with Sonic (0:11:52) Main topic: Sonic the Hedgehog Beats the Badniks (0:23:04) Enter: Sonic (0:44:49) Robofox (1:09:03) Mayhem in the Marble Zone (1:32:35) Day of the Badniks (1:47:06) Jake's thoughts (1:48:20) Final thoughts  (2:24:57) Outro Amie Waters on Twitter Sonic The Comic The Podcast Chris McFeely on YouTube

Grab your sports tape and pump up those muscles, because it's time for our first real deep dive on the Sonic Boom cartoon! This episode, we're looking back at "Robots from the Sky", the four part epic from the show's second season. Sonic and crew get an unexpected visit from some mechanical heroes, starting a chain of events that will take them all the way to a floating utopia under siege! It's a high stakes battle with robots on all sides and our heroes caught in the crossfire, so you’ll definitely want to tune in... Or, you know, we can just hypnotize you into listening; that works too. (0:00:00) Intro (0:04:18) Main topic: Sonic Boom - Robots from the Sky (0:12:46) Part 1 (0:33:04) Part 2 (0:52:08) Part 3 (1:01:41) Part 4 (1:17:06) Final thoughts (1:21:49) Outro Amie Waters on Linktree Robots from the Sky (Parts 1 and 2) Robots form the Sky (Parts 3 and 4)  

Welcome to the next level in 32X World! The gang is taking a little detour to Sega's ill-fated add-on and reaching into the Combi-Catcher to pull out the bizarre little side story that is Knuckles' Chaotix. With its unique ring band gameplay system, it is genuinely unlike any other Sonic game...but is that necessarily a good thing? Join us in the Newtrogic High Zone to find out! Don't worry, the bee should carry you most of the way. (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Knuckles' Chaotix (0:03:47) Development and the 32X (0:21:00) The story and characters (0:51:20) Gameplay (0:59:06) Stages (1:10:57) Bonus and special stages (1:17:35) Final boss and endings (1:25:16) Final thoughts (1:42:15) Outro Amie Waters on Linktree Knuckles' Chaotix is Fundamentally Flawed

It's our third birthday! So to celebrate it, we're going to be facilitating a different sort of birthday. That's right, for the first time ever, the gang is going to create their own fan character! What kind of animal are they? What's their personality like? Do they have any special powers? Are they a snappy dresser? If they see a guy getting beaten up by an Egg Pawn in a bodega, will they actually do something about it? All these questions and more will be determined as we work together to give life to the newest (unofficial) face of the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise! (0:00:00) Intro/main topic: Let's create an OC! (0:08:27) The creative process (1:28:36) We did it! (1:31:05) Outro Amie Waters on Linktree Other artists' takes on the finished character (Part 1/Part 2)

We need your help, listener! Andross has declared...that it's time for The Toad Is Always Slippier, our long running Star Fox podcast that we've totally been doing this whole time is ready to cover the granddaddy of them all, Star Fox 64! This seminal space shooter remains a favorite of N64 players everywhere, and it's time we gave it its due with an extensive deep dive on everything that makes the story of this fox in space an adventure we can't help going back to again and again. (0:00:00) Intro/Main topic: Star Fox 64 (0:10:11) The music (0:16:47) What is Star Fox? (0:20:45) We talk for way too long about robot legs (0:25:49) Star Fox 2 (0:29:25) The Star Fox team (0:52:50) Star Wolf (1:01:25) And the rest (1:09:20) The stages (1:21:24) The rumble pak (1:29:43) The ending and Star Fox 64 3D (1:43:38) Final thoughts and fan content recommendations (2:01:15) Outro Amie Waters on Linktree BONUS CONTENT: We commentate over the Star Fox 64 promo VHS Boss B Metal Cover by RichaadEB Corneria Theme Re-imagined by Tee Lopes (feat Andy Gillion) Star Wolf theme by warinside Learning Control remix by Rukunetsu A Fox in Space Starship Starship mods Ulala-ko [NSFW] tzarVOLVER [NSFW] bayboyzone [NSFW]

It's Shadow the Hedgehog, baby! Special guest Abby Denton joins us as we go on another character deep dive, this time on everyone's favorite ultimate life form. In his almost 25 years, Shadow's easily become one of the series' biggest faces, but what exactly makes him who he am? Join us as we explore his past, ponder his future, and...spend a really long time talking about Gogurt for some reason. (0:00:00) Intro (0:04:10) Main topic: Who is Shadow? (0:15:30) The "amnesia arc"  (0:22:00) Sonic '06 (0:38:58) TV and film (0:46:50) Archie (1:03:05) Sonic Boom (1:07:10) Sonic Forces (Episode Shadow) (1:12:10) Sonic 3 the movie (1:41:05) Who is Shadow to you? (2:08:00) Outro Amie Waters on Linktree Gamer Mom: The Mom Who Games on Kickstarter

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 Amie Waters on Linktree Sonic McOrigins Plus

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 Amie Waters on Linktree

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 Amie Waters on Linktree Bonus content: GameBuddy makes Sonic Food! Sandwich Zone (Sonic Generations mod) An Exhaustive List of Every Sonic the Hedgehog Food Product Franco American - Sonic the Hedgehog Pasta commercial Sonic the Hedgehog Milk Ice with Shock Rocks commercial

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 Amie Waters on Linktree Shadow Generations (Matt McMuscles) - YouTube