The Supreme Topic of 'Other' Knowledge.

Hitting an iron lamp post mistaking it for a checkpoint marker would've made a great gag xD

 

Yea something about Sonic having an adult partner is a lot easier to swallow than a kid. Maybe that's partially because kids bug me or because Chris Thorndike was just trash... or maybe both

 

That reminds me of the Robot Chicken sketch with Mario in Grand Theft Auto especially at the part where he smashes his head on a brick building since he thinks he will get coins (0:33)

 

and adults can conceivably play the "straight man", which makes for better comedy/viewing than having two hyperactive kid characters running around

 

There's a common misconception that kids like to see other kids like themselves interacting with their heroes. They DON'T. Kids idolize people they wish they could be like. So long as that person is older than them, there's still hope that it's a possibility in the future. Characters the same age or younger evoke nothing but jealousy for already having achieved that dream.

I recently read an old quote from a comic creator (sorry, I've forgotten who) which went something like:
"As a kid I loved Batman because in my dreams I could grow up to BECOME Batman. But I hated Robin because there was no way to become him - I was around the same age, so it was already too late."

 

I mentioned this on the Hidden Palace Discord server, but might as well mention it here.




If you ever wondered what computer Naka is using in the video he posted of himself working on Sonic in 1990, turns out its a NEC PC-98XL2 (squared). This particular model uses a distinct keyboard layout that was pretty much only used for this model and uses an extremely large case.



There was a similar model, the NEC PC-98XL that looks almost identical but is just a bit smaller.



Here are some specs (taken from http://classic.pasocomclub.co.jp/datas/nec_pc98_xl2.html and translated with Deepl)

Released in October of 1987, this would've set you back 988000 yen or over $10,000 today.

This was one of the first PC98 computers to come equipped with the 80386 processor, which was released just a year or two prior. The 80386 was a significant improvement over the 80286, and was possibly chosen since it could assemble programs much faster. I believe the PC98 considered the use of the 80386 to be a "graphics mode", capable of higher resolutions and running modern MSDOS programs, while the V30 CPU was included as backward compatibility for older PC98 software.

I believe it was also discovered recently, both through research and with the Sega Sound Driver documentation that we released a year or two ago, that Sega of Japan often used the 2500ad x68k assembler around this time. So it's likely that will be the assembler Naka would've used at the time as well.

 

Have we ever, officially, seen Sonic from the back of this famous pose? Auction link here for those interested. It's an interesting lot, and wouldn't mind a Sonic inflatable, it's kinda cool if the winner would part with one.

Also, this looks suspiciously like western artwork on Segasonic branding?

 

That last one was featured a lot in Japan branding, there's some merch and even a Sega World that had it on the outside.

To me it looks like something that came from Sonic Team when you look at his proportions.

 

https://web.archive.org/web/2022031...img.com/images/g/qs0AAOSwk-tiH46A/s-l1600.jpg

https://web.archive.org/web/2022031...img.com/images/g/AvkAAOSw6nZiH459/s-l1600.jpg
I'm pretty sure it also ended up in Sonic Adventure in the Casinopolis level's Sonic themed pinball section.

Here are the textures for this section:
https://web.archive.org/web/2022031...resources/sheets/1/526.png?updated=1460969934

Speaking of Sonic Adventure, a few days ago (@MainJPW) showed off photos of some Weekly Famitsu magazines with one of them (August 21-28 1998) having what looks like an interview and some images of their expedition trip to South America that I don't think I have seen anywhere else. The images are huge so I will put them in spoiler tags:

Spoiler: Image 1

Spoiler: Image 2

Spoiler: Image 3

Spoiler: Image 4

Spoiler: Image 5

Source: https://twitter.com/MainJPW/status/1501188885853970433
https://archive.ph/2YAiY

 

Possibly helpful links:

• This seems to indicate that a SC-55 soundfont is called "Scc1t2.sf2": https://github.com/mmontag/chip-pla...e952d073e98ea5fed9c7a/src/config/index.js#L35
• Possible Scc1t2.sf2 download, did not verify: https://stash.reaper.fm/v/23360/Scc1t2.sf2
• This player is cool: https://mmontag.github.io/chip-player-js/?q=flying+battery+zone and its source may lead to other helpful resources: https://github.com/mmontag/chip-player-js

 

There was a western shirt that took the original pose and also did the back of it. Surprisingly NOT the mohawk Sonic.

 

This... looks kinda cursed.

 

According to Naoto Ohshima, the yellow part of Classic Dr Eggman's clothing is in fact a collar seemingly inspired by Sea Cadet uniform;



I always thought it was a cape and that there was a sort of visual joke in that he's wearing a cape that's much too small for him.

 

Huh yea I always thought that was a cape of sorts, but that makes sense too.

I feel like over time though even Sega started to consider it as a cape.

 

Yeah, definitely. It looks like a cape and that's just going to be the natural assumption for most people. It's not dissimilar to the situation with Sonic "socks" actually just being parts of his boots.

 

Well, I think it's more like why would you think it was a sailor's uniform if the front part doesn't look like that. I didn't thought it was a cape, I just thought where did that weird clothing came from and supposed it was another detail in the game's trippy design.

 

What’s weird about it is that they chose mostly to ignore the (let’s call it a) flap at the back in pretty much any game that was on the standard MegaDrive. The back can’t be seen in Sonic 1, 2, 3 or K, but is seen in Sonic CD and Knuckles Chaotix.

When the back could have been seen in Sonic 1’s unused Eggmobile mini sprites there’s nothing on the back of him though admittedly it’s a tiny sprite. Sonic 3’s unused turning sprites don’t have it either. It also doesn’t show up on Sonic R’s model.
Seeing as CD and Chaotix are both developed by different teams and that Oshima was at least involved with the development of one of them (I think we’re still unclear on his involvement, if any, with Chaotix?) could it be that it was a detail missed by other teams or a directive to avoid showing it as perhaps it was seen as a bit goofy? It’s actually there in the opening cutscene and possibly sprites during gameplay of Sonic 3D, but again that was developed by another developer who maybe stuck to the source material and had to show it as it was now more obvious on the model.

I think it’s an interesting design point that a lot of people didn’t even know was part of the character model and possibly still don’t.

 

He's said he wasn't involved with the game. He got a character design credit for pre-existing characters, like Vector and Charmy.

 

If anyone's playing the "surfing in Great Turquoise" game:



https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=File:SegaForce_US_1994-07.pdf&page=6