Maybe they had planned to animate it (moving clouds, breaking waves, palm trees blowing in the wind.)
I think it would have looked cool. Also, the inclusion of a PSD implies that it's not finished yet. Maybe I'm reading too much into this.
These are high resolution press assets, sent out to video game publications so they'd have some pretty pictures. PSDs (or any multi-layer image format) are flexible and (relatively) easy to use. This pre-dates PNG being much of a thing, so in order to get semi-transparency, the choices were limited. Alternatives include TIFF, which is bloated and likes to do weird things with colour, and Targas (TGA) which were never widely adopted. In fact in order to get the most out of any of these formats back in 2000 you'd probably need Photoshop anyway. But it's not like any of this is taught in schools - if you're in marketing and are given the orders to "GIVE THEM THE ASSETS" you could get all sorts.
It's nothing too interesting, but this PS+ video seems to use JP Eggman voice clips, as well as EN Sonic Unleashed voice clips for Sonic. Guess they maybe got them from a SEGA assets pack or something, but. Really odd.
Tim Skelly, art director of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has passed away, according to Seamus Blackley on Twitter. Spoiler File this in the "things that get posted Other Knowledge thread that deserve their own threads", though considering there are people here who actually interviewed the guy and knew him somewhat, I don't think I would do the OP justice.
From what I'm seeing, it seems to be another pretty compilation of our research and SEGA's Sonic CD development diaries. On one hand, it would be cool if Sonic Retro did these things before somebody else did without giving credit but, on the other hand, we're constantly adding new discoveries to the wiki so these videos are automatically outdated every few months or so.
Some mistakes and omissions in there. "Chaos Collision"? Also when talking about how Naoto Ohsima designed Sonic, then showing a piece of 1994 American Sonic art, edited to look like a sketch for t-shirts and merchandise. Though I'm sure it was done out of sheer ignorance rather than malice, I was taken aback to see an ethnic slur on screen. How does a channel with over 80,000 subscribers and good production values let such a thing slip through?
Oh, you're talking about a very common abbreviation for a particular region. I am surprised they didn't use "JP" instead though, considering that people like to blow things out of proportion so often.
I remembered, I didn't provide the full translation for these two profiles. I hope no one minds I do so now along with Knuckles' and Tails' As said prior, these were taken from the official Sonic Jam strategy guide. Sonic; “A blue Hedgehog (♂) whose motto is to run daily “Whenever in the mood”. He takes pride in his absolutely unbeatable strength and his running speed in particular is second-to-none (It exceeds Mach 1). His only weakness is his inability to swim. He seems to have a precognitive ability and tends to sneeze when sensing danger.” [Screenshot caption] - “He loves adventure and travelling the world. The vivid red biplane “Tornado” is his favorite machine” Tails; “A yellow Fox (♂) from Westside Island. Admiring Sonic’s strength, he always follows behind him. He is curious and loves to toy with machinery. He can fly in the sky using his 2 tails. Actually, he really dislikes thunder.” Knuckles; “The guardian who watches over the Chaos Emerald ore the “Master Emerald” that sleeps on the phantom Floating Island. His true identity is that of a bright red Echidna (♂) . In contrast to Sonic, he is a hot-blooded, shy and short-tempered guy. Avoiding strong sunlight, he likes to eat fruits whilst hanging around in the shade. 15 years old” [Screenshot caption] - “His nickname is Knuckles. His arch enemy is the resurrected Mecha Sonic” Dr Eggman; “An evil genius scientist who wants to mechanize everything in the world. His character is more like that of a child who cannot distinguish between right and wrong rather than a genuinely bad person as his self-centered thinking has become a thing of evil. Actually, Eggman is an alias and “Robotnik” is his true name”
It's also a recognized slur with a long history behind it. Check any mainstream English language dictionary, check the Wikipedia article. In any professional media outlet, editors and proofreaders filter out those kind of gaffes, though it seems like that Youtube channel is probably a one-person operation. Still, it's surprising to see that kind of gaffe in a video with good production values, on a channel that's largely about Japanese media. Very interesting to see the Master Emerald described as "Chaos Emerald ore". Would you be able to break down the translation? Are there any alternate interpretations or connotations?
Very interesting to see the Master Emerald described as "Chaos Emerald ore". Would you be able to break down the translation? Are there any alternate interpretations or connotations?[/QUOTE] The term used is "原石", which can be translated as "ore" or "rough stone". Translated kanji literally mean "original stone". It seems to suggest that the Master Emerald was derived from the same ore as the Chaos Emeralds. Which could explain why they are related to each other.
Interesting. The Master Emerald itself has clearly been cut into shape, but it's surrounded by uncut emeralds in its pillar in Hidden Palace Zone. And Lava Reef Zone Act 2/Hidden Palace Zone is full of crystals in general.
Jesus Christ you guys look for any reason to be offended about something. It's clearly meant as an abbreviation for "Japanese". Grow up.
