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chim-aera · 3 months

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divine rage

gods, it's always the gods, them and their shining helms of sunlight and symphonies, all their glory, all their splendor.

but it's bloody, all of it, marred by echoed screams, by silent pleas for mercy. nails raking down flesh, jaws agape crying torment to the heavens.

why did we ever choose to worship them?

blasphemy? oh I'm good at that.

sometimes I like to pretend my very existence is blasphemous. all gunsmoke mixed with gardenias. something saccharine yet sickening.

but the gods, what am I to even say about it? there's a rot, for someone everlasting, the undying ones have a festering madness.

call me Arachne, let me scream my truth as they drag me under, thrashing and clawing I will tip back my head and laugh like a Fury herself all marred maws and ink stained talons.

there is so much injustice, truly. I could name some.

Daphne, ran on fleet footed legs, swift, and seeking, no, no, no. she fled, past trees, past orchards.

Mother saved her, but was that fate, to eternally be held without movement, bark and branches instead of flesh and bone, is that truly a fate one wishes for?

it's a mercy though, yes. it was kinder then the fate she'd have met at the greedy hands of that glorious, grinning god. but still, why couldn't she have just been free?

Callisto, Io, Ganymede, Europa, Persephone, Leda, Creusa, Danaë. and many, many more. victims. all of them.

I cannot tell their stories, I cannot hear their truths from their very own lips but I can fasten my own from thread and threats, and my own bitter vengeful verbosity.

divine?

what's divine about it?

I feel so much, I am used to nothing, nothing at all.

why am I weeping for beings who may have never existed?

but the gods. oh, the gods, lately I have found far less comfort in them.

It is harder to offer prayer and penance when every story and myth is riddled with grasping, groping hands, and lecherous lustful violence.

what if were to rescind my worships?

would you strike me down where I stand?

I'm so tired but I have this fury, like a mouth full of blood stained bile, I want to bite I want to claw I want to flee.

I want to protect.

I have never been good at self preservation, but I hold empathy in my hand like a wounded, bloody dove, feathers ripped and withered, but still there.

ever persisting.

the humans looked to the heavens in hopes for guidance, for solace, we named the stars and saw patterns within them so we felt less alone. we are lonely, we are searching.

why are we here?

Is it some divine joke?

I fall from the hands of some sick bastard of a god but are my gods any better?

I feel like I'm falling, but not like Icarus, there is no sunlight, no warmth, no golden ichor staining my feathers, the wax burns and I choke on it, I choke on my screams, I choke on my savagery and my pain, and it kills me over and over and over.

oh Echidna, what fate awaits monsters like me?

but then again are we really the monsters when beasts hold thrones and shining goblets.

mortals. that's what we are.

it's cruel, irony really, generally translating to ones who die.

how fitting!

how lovely, how quaint.

oh I believe I must sound so bitter but trust me dear I am.

I am.

even Asceplius son of the golden god, his fate was brutal, met with a swift death for interrupting the order of the ichor-veined ones.

for bringing shades back to life, for saving others.

how horrible a crime.

of course he is fit to die!

humans have no place among your golden chambers!

Elysium is also a lie if it is but a forgotten fate of meandering in meadows with no recollection of who you once were, no love, no memories.

I will shun your asphodel, pitch the blossoms at Charon's feet, I will flee from those meadows you cannot take me.

you cannot touch me.

I will wither and shrink and fold into myself until I have become immortal in my own suffering my madness with make me mythical

no.

I am rambling but I could not care less.

for something that is a god, you can change fate, you can bend rules.

you are immortal, if you have so much power what are you fucking doing with it?

oh I am so, so angry.

for all of them, let me be their rage, their fury

in temples. in fields. in cages. swans with beaks like blades digging into flesh.

a bull's hoof clamped against your chest bruising your ribcage, holding you down.

a lyre and a bow and a god who never tires racing behind you like a hound on the hunt.

gods. kings. men.

It is all the same, the same fucking story, over and over.

a cruel conundrum, an pattern of suffering and greed.

I'm so sick of it!

is there no safety in the ones who are meant to keep us safe?

are there no sanctums, no heroes, no deities, that protect us anymore, did they even ever?

why must I worship, why must I watch my tongue, why must I give respect to beings I cannot even see?

I am here, and breathing, I have lived through every twist and turn, every wound, every arrow life has shot at me!

where is my divinity? where is my justice? Themis, where is my reward? or my judgment?

but call me Atalanta because I will throw back my head as my hands shift to paws, as tawny fur sets in across my pallid skin, I will throw open my jaws, gleaming and sharp toothed and I will bark out a laugh to the heavens.

you cannot judge me.

I judged myself, and at the end of things, I did it well.

but gods.

perhaps I will even cease from saying it.

the word holy sits in my mouth like rancid rot, I am no Demeter, but I will spit it out to the earth, and chase my own silvery sunset.

away.

away from hands that grasp, from arrows, and storms, and crashing tides.

I find no glory in gods.

perhaps I am just getting older, jaded, harsh.

but for once, I see understanding in the mortals, the nymphs, the naiads.

I find a strange sympathy.

I understand. but for now, I'll sit here, seething, simmering in my own fury.

perhaps that makes me a heretic, but something about this feels righteous, perhaps one day, my damnation will be my own divinity. but now, I will hold this divine rage in my palms, and I will protect, I will persist.

I am.

#haha religious trauma #poetry #pagan poetry

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jakemorph · 4 years

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sorry ive been drawing lots of dumb shit and not showing anyboby. good afternoon

#scribblemorph #sonic oc #sonic ocs #europa the echidna #sulf 8

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lostlastsforever756 · 3 years

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Ok, so bare with me...

1. Medusa was not the only woman in ancient Greece with snakes for hair

When you think of Medusa, you immediately picture her horrific hair made of snakes. However, Medusa is wrongly signaled out as being the only woman in ancient times to have this look. Don’t forget that Medusa was merely the only mortal of the three Gorgon sisters; the other two sisters, Stheno and Euryale, also had snake hair.

2. Zeus: The serial womanizer

Zeus was known in his time as much more than being the father of the gods. He was also a womanizer, and as such, he fathered many, many offspring! He would transform into an animal form to fulfill his desires, therefore his ‘children’ are quite interesting. In all, he seduced both Demeter and her daughter Persephone—who later married his brother—while he had transformed into the form of a serpent. He also charmed Asteria and Aiginia while in the form of an eagle, Boetis as a goat, Europa as a bull, and even fooled some women into letting them believe he was their husband!

3. Pandora is the grandmother of mankind

Pandora is often mentioned in reference to the infamous box. However, Pandora is actually the grandmother of the human race! It’s not really discussed often, however, Pandora was the wife of Epimetheus and mother to a mortal daughter, Pyrrha. When Pyrrha married her cousin Deukalion, the gods sent a massive flood to destroy the earth and the mortal. However, Pyrrha and Deukalion managed to survive, and after seeking help from the Oracle at Delphi, they cast the bones of Pandora to the ground so that the world would be repopulated.

4. The story of the first Immortals

In fact, it all begins with Chaos, Gaia’s (mother Earth) father and Eros (love). It sounds simple enough, but then, Gaia gave birth to Uranos (sky), the Sae and the Mountains. It gets complicated as she then later married Uranos and gave birth to Titan Cronus. Cronus married his sister, Rhea, giving birth to the original Olympian immortals: Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, Hestia, Hades, and Zeus. And that’s the complicated, true version of this story!

5. Theseus was a self-serving jerk

Moving beyond the story of Theseus slaying the Minotaur in Crete and managing the difficult exit of the Labyrinth, which cost numerous lives, Theseus also had a tendency to make decisions based on what best served him at the moment. An example is when he took Crete’s princess Ariadne when he left the island, only to late abandon her on the island of Naxos. Also, according to Plutarch, upon founding today’s Greek capital, Athens, he took it upon himself to populate the city by raping women.

6. Artemis held a grudge and would kill over it

The goddess of hunting is known for her shrewd skills and for being the protector of animals. However, while she is known as the goddess of childbirth, she is also the destroyer of young women. In fact, she killed six of Niobe’s daughters for insulting her mother, Leo. Clearly you didn’t want to get on her bad side!

7. Ares wasn’t such a tough cookie

Apparently, the god of war had a soft spot: his sister Athena, the goddess of war. Ares obeyed his sister’s orders as she was also the goddess of defense and righteous battle. This can be seen in the Illiad, when Athens often intervenes to ensure a fair battle and Ares always bows to her command.

8. Hades wasn’t such a monster…really!

The god of death and the underworld wasn’t really such a bad guy. Specifically, it wasn’t his choice to rule the underworld. Call it bad luck, getting the short end of the stick, whatever it was, Hades’ fate made him appear as pure evil. After all, Hades wasn’t the one who was responsible for the redemption of souls; the three demigod brothers, Minos, Aiakos, and Rhadamanthys had that fun job!

9. Mamma mia! There is one main mother to many monsters

There might be many monsters in Greek mythology, however, most of them share the same mother, Echidna. She was the sister of Medusa and the wife of Typhon, who happened to be a hundred-headed dragon! Together, they spawned many of the most terrifying and famous monsters, such as the Nemean lion, Cerberus, Hydra, and Ladon. She was also mother of the Chimera, the Sphinx, Scylla, the Colchian dragon, and the eagle that ate Prometheus’ liver every day for an eternity as was his punishment!

10. The goddess Aphrodite had a hidden side

The goddess of love and beauty had a hidden side due to her romantic relations with Ares, the god of war. She bore three children from Ares, Eros, Phobos, and Deimos. So, surprisingly, there were several statutes and other depictions of her found in many port cities, showing Aphrodite armed and in armor.

And this is my short list..... I have many problems but being uneducated on Greek Mythology is not one of them... Also i hyperfixated on this as a child....

I do remeber reading something along the lines of Hercules being an ass, but i am going to read some more about it and get back to you... I dont want to missinform you.

Random question of the day number 3: Did you ever read/watch Percy Jackson?

Xoxox all my PTSD and trauma ❤️Aka Humble Anon

I knew of the first two! And that zeus was a womanizer, but goodness, you're so smart! It's crazy how much information there is on greek mythology. If I had more time in the day, I would read up on it more 🙈 I appreciate you giving me the correct education cuz I definitely know nothing about Greek mythology. It so interesting ❤️

I did read all of percy jackson, and I watched the movies which we're obviously not good. I mean, as stand alone movies, and if you pretend the books don't exist, they are decent movies, but the books do exist and... Yeah :/

❤️💕 I seem to have woken you up with greek mythology, hmm?

#replies #late night asks #humble anon #greek mythology

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mobius-prime · 4 years

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140. Knuckles the Echidna #30

King of the Hill (Part One of Three): Bad to the Bone

Writer/Pencils: Ken Penders Colors: Frank Gagliardo

Welcome to the final three issues of Knuckles the Echidna! Unfortunately, I don't find this arc to be particularly interesting. Unlike a lot of the other arcs, which drove forward the story and expanded on characters and worldbuilding, this one feels a lot more like filler, introducing only a couple new characters who have never been mentioned previously and don't even play a big part in the comic after this arc. One of these characters, a tough-looking Overlander man, has just landed on the Floating Island. He silently takes out a rifle from a case, puts it together, and takes aim at a bird flying overhead…

Gee, he seems like a great guy! At the same time, we pan over to a horrifying sight of a different caliber - namely, a purple gorilla named Monk wearing nothing but a skimpy loincloth, of whom we get to see multiple terrifying crotch shots as he slings a rope onto the passing island and pulls himself up. Seriously, I don't know why they even dressed him in this awful getup, or lack thereof - it would have seemed less lewd if he wasn't wearing anything at all. Apparently, he once lived on the island, and is absolutely pissed now that he's back.

I feel like Monk is maybe the most mentally stable character we've encountered so far. Knuckles, blissfully unaware of all the crap happening on the other side of the island, is chilling in some unidentified cave on a mattress, reading a book that his father gave him.

First of all, for a race of former space explorers these guys have sure fallen far, huh? No wonder so many of them didn't want to give up technology if their past is so full of scientific achievements - it's a huge step back. Second of all, I find it interesting that they mention Saturn and Europa, given that those are a planet and moon respectively in our own solar system - I get that this whole page is a reference to 2001: A Space Odyssey and all given the book cover up there, but it still seems to imply that the echidnas visited our actual planets at one point. And finally, regarding the mythical echidna named Dave, I do appreciate that to some degree Penders is able to laugh at his own ridiculous naming scheme for the echidnas, even if the whole thing is again just a reference (he even gets interrupted as he starts wondering about "the monolith"). Catweazle suddenly flies in in a panic, blubbering that he saw a man with a gun shoot his friend Snowpigeon (why do all the birds on this island have such stupid names? Catweazle, Eggmuffin, Snowpigeon? Oh right, this is Penders we're talking about here, we just went over this). Knuckles runs out to find the culprit, but he doesn't get far when he's struck by a rock thrown from the bushes by Monk. He recognizes Monk instantly as a bully who used to live on the island and torment him when he was younger.

He almost allows himself to act flippant until he considers that Monk may have been Snowpigeon's murderer, since Catweazle didn’t bother to specify that she was killed by an Overlander. Monk, upon locking eyes with Knuckles, has a flashback of his own - one night, several figures which he didn't know but whom we can easily recognize as Thunderhawk, Sabre and Locke tied him up and carried him to the edge of the island, where they coldly threw him over the edge into the water far, far below. He managed to survive by breaking out of his bonds and swimming to safety before he could drown, but goddamn, they just straight up sentenced this guy to death for being a teenage bully! I'm sure it's meant to be taken as like, oh, they wer looking after young Knuckles and helping him avoid being bullied, but was trying to sink someone to their death in the ocean really the right response there, guys?! No wonder Monk is pissed - and furthermore, he seems pretty convinced that Knuckles actually had a hand in it, which is why he's targeting him now, eager for revenge. Knuckles tries to offer an olive branch to start off fresh, unaware of the mix-up, but Monk isn't having it and starts swinging violently.

I think, if I'm not mistaken, that this is the first time we've ever seen someone in the comic actually swear. Only a few characters in the comic ever end up swearing, always censored with Q*bert speak, and Monk is one of them. They continue to fight, but find themselves halting on the ground to stare as a shadowy humanoid figure holding a rifle approaches them…

Hiding in Plain Sight

Writer: Ken Penders Pencils: Colleen Doran Colors: Barry Grossman

Julie-Su has been galloping around the island on her streaking pasha, looking for Knuckles during all of this. She happens upon Espio, Mighty and Ray all hanging out in the forest. After being introduced to Ray, she asks where Knuckles is, and while they don't know, Espio offers to go along with her to look. They ride off, but over an hour later they still haven't found any trace of him. Suddenly Espio grabs the reins from Julie-Su and yanks the Pasha to a halt, having noticed with his chameleon senses that one of his own kind is lying invisibly in the leaves ahead. He goes to help, but the individual seems injured and distressed.

Julie-Su rushes Barney off to Echidnaopolis while Espio stays behind, ostensibly to continue looking for Knuckles, but once Julie-Su is out of sight he calls for everyone else to come out, knowing that his people are somewhat reclusive. Several more chameleons uncloak among the brush, saying they've been looking for him, and lead him a short distance away, where he sees to his shock…

We have had… absolutely no indication prior to this that Valdez and Espio even knew each other, let alone were "best friends." This whole shocking betrayal thing they're going for here has absolutely no impact considering that not only was their relationship never addressed before this, but we don't even have any idea what kind of personality Valdez has in the first place. We know nothing about him. He was in the Secret Service, he's… uh, male? And a chameleon? And he used to serve in the past as well before the Robotnik War. That's it. Sure, it's sad when someone gets roboticized and enslaved by Robotnik and all, but it's hard to feel any real emotional response to a character we know next to nothing about when something like this happens.

#nala reads archie sonic preboot #archie sonic #archie sonic preboot #sonic the hedgehog #kte 30 #writer: ken penders #pencils: ken penders #pencils: colleen doran #colors: frank gagliardo #colors: barry grossman

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ietgas-blog · 6 years

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Jupiter, Part II.

Epigraph: "[Il] ne croit pas au 'président jupitérien.' Il considère que le Président est devenu un émetteur comme un autre dans la sphère politico-médiatique. Pour ma part, je ne crois pas au président 'normal.'" [Oct. 2016, challenges.fr]

I. The Nourishment of the Divine.

Jupiter, king of gods and Paris, was not always a creature of money. The goat that suckled him was a physician, or perhaps a professor of neurology; the cave he hid in was Jesuit.

But the infant Jove hungered for the outside. He saw fit to break free and overthrow his oppressor, who would devour him. Perhaps he did it for Juno whom he loved, for whom old Saturn's impulses were somewhat more lascivious, vorarephilic -- conjugal, even, with three children in Amiens. In a sense, she was his fellow prisoner.

Or perhaps he did it to usurp Saturn himself: if so, he would too soon see himself become as Saturn, a banker.

II. The Defeat of Saturn.

Did you think you could emerge unscathed, that your divine innocence would endure? In the dread hours of the desperate fight against Saturn, nothing perished, but too much was remade. Omnia mutantur, nihil interit.

Made sick by your drugs, three stones and siblings your enemy Saturn disgorged:

The first, philosophy, least worldly of arts. The second, civil service, that specter of a better ideal. The third, finance, and therein were you remade.

Which of these was the stone, and which, your kin?

Sick, heaving Saturn these stones or siblings disgorged, and then you slew him. His guts spilled out upon the earth; his testes into the oceans and into the divorce-courts, birthing Venus, and freeing Juno, whom you wed.

III. The Seizing of the Heavens.

"And in the dark of night I stole away to the burned temple on the Capitoline Hill of the cult of Iuppiter. I was but a boy; I knew I should not be there, and I was deathly afraid. But when I climbed the wall and saw the great broken statue of Jove himself, I was enraptured, and could not keep myself away.

"It was all empty, or so I thought. There would have been more people, priests and slaves and pilgrims, but that the fire in weeks past had burnt everything to ruins. And so I thought I was alone and I went further in, when I heard a voice ring out: 'Wherefore go ye here, in the House of Iuppiter Feretrius himself?'

"In fright I spun to face my accuser, and I saw the old tender of the grounds, who alone amongst the faithful had stayed to consecrate the ruins. My eyes met his in the full moon's light, and I saw that he was blind. And I said to him thus: 'Slave, I beg thee pardon; I am only a boy who came to see the dread visage of Iuppiter, when at other times the great men of the city might bar my way.' And I bowed prostrate toward him and begged his mercy.

"He spake: 'Come, boy, I shall tell you a story. Do you know all the old stories of the Lord of the Heavens, Keeper of Oaths?' And I said: 'Not all, but many. For out of all the revered Gods, he is my favorite.' And he responded: 'I shall tell you a story that I know, that few others have heard. It is a telling of his victory over the titans and then the children of Terra.'

"And he began: 'It was in the regions far North of here that the fight was finished. Iuppiter had fought Saturn, and his brethren had fought the titans, and when the Saturn and the titans neared defeat they fled North from Olympus to lick their wounds and seek revenge. But Iuppiter and his kindred Gods pursued, and they were slain, or else cast into the depths beneath of which no man shall speak.'

"All this I knew, and I began to tell him thus, but with a sharp gesture he quieted me. When he continued I did not know the tale any more. He spake: 'And so Iuppiter had known his first victory, but mother Terra in her love and her wrath was displeased, and so she brought forth monstrous children to wage war on the Gods. Of these, one was fairest and foulest. I know not its name here, but in Greece we call it Echidna, and it was half a nymph, and half again a great, twisting serpent, which birthed constantly the most evil of monsters. In the far Northern regions called in that strange tongue Aisne and Pas-de-Calais Echidna made her lair and birthed her armies, and when she and her monstrous brood set out to make war against the Gods in Olympus, all hid and trembled save Iuppiter almighty. Iuppiter alone of the Gods had courage enough to face her. The mortals of that time supplicated Iuppiter Lord of Thunder that he might save them from hateful Echidna. But the third part of them turned and gave offerings to Echidna instead, that she might spare them, and so formed the front ranks of her dread armies.'

"I was sorely frightened, and told the old slave so. I said: 'But the Gods and Iuppiter, triumph, do they not? Else why do we give offerings to divine Iuppiter and not to Echidna?'

"And he answered, and I was relieved: 'Iuppiter, bringer of victory, en marche, knew triumph! In those strange Northern regions he ventured forth and he slew her brood and then he cast her down into dark places, which one can still find deep beneath the earth, if one is looking. And so Olympus was secured, and so to this day celestial Iuppiter reigns. And so we have our own Republic, most sacred of things, and so we to this day live, and give thanks to the Gods, amongst whom Iuppiter presides foremost, who in their strength and their wisdom look over us all.'

"The old slave spoke more, and longer, about events that transpired after that fateful day, but I had fast fallen asleep, and heard nothing further. The next day I returned to the burned ruins of the Capitoline temple, but the old slave was gone. For several years now I have searched for him, but never have I found sign."

IV. The Seduction of Europa.

Celestial Jupiter, lightbringer, stormbringer, keeper of oaths and king of gods and men, Jupiter of the stone, of the lightning, of the capitol, the indomitable victor, the lord of everything. Thus you were, and you did thus:

You saw her, that fair princess of the line of Io, and in your heart you found lust, or perhaps even love. Juno, forgotten, you ran to pursue. You were a bull, the great bull market of the post-crisis epoch, as white as desire, as grand and strong and immovable as anything. You were irresistible.

And Europa fell before you. She did not even tremble as she approached you. You carried her far from her Phoenician home, far from royal London. She clung to your back as you trampled Frankfurt and the Aegean beneath you, she kissed your snow-white hide as you bore her to the île where would be born the race of Crete.

And you, Jove, king of the gods and lord of all men, were so excited and enraptured in your stolen love that you fell to tweets:

"Paris accueillera l’Autorité bancaire européenne ! C’est la reconnaissance de l’attractivité et de l’engagement européen de la France. Heureux et fier pour notre pays." [20 Nov. 2017]

And you so ravished Europe that her own kingdom, a generation after, would maintain a certain fetish for bulls. At least according to Pasiphaë, who used any excuse she could take.

But in your lust, were you blinded? Did Europe so fill your vision that you did not see the thunderclouds ahead, you did not see the form of your great bull fading, you did not see that fateful drop? It had happened before with Io, after all, in the first crisis. Greece had wept, then, until the tears of its malaise had dried into the bitter salt of default and austerity. O Jupiter, sovereign of gods, indomitable lord of the heavens, know ye this: not all thunderclouds are of your making.

Or perhaps remember Callisto, that other lovely nymph whom you seduced and whom you ravished, but whom Juno turned into a bear.

All does not end well with your lovers.

V. The Fate of Jove.

The seeds of our fall are sown irrevocably in our rise. Jove too was not immortal; just as he overthrew proud Saturn, so too could he himself be overthrown.

Pursued by disbelief, he fled from Greece to Rome, wherein he took his present name. But in Rome, though he held as many epithets as he held thunderbolts, no lightning could avail him from the coming of another. In hoc signo vinces, and what was once won by the sword has now by it been lost.

The long centuries have passed, and now Jupiter is no more, save in monuments, books, and memories.

#emmanuel macron #macron #my writing #writing #jupiter #politician quotes #greek mythology #roman mythology #politics #european banking authority #paris #awful metaphors #jupiter-part-two #long post

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sulan1809 · 5 years

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Sonic the Hedgehog - Historico geral

Sonic the Hedgehog surgiu no ano de 1991, na época em que o SEGA Genesis, conhecido como Mega Drive no Brasil, Japão e países europeus, estava sendo uma febre. Sonic surgiu no advento dos 16 bits, em que uma outra lenda fazia sucesso: Super Mario, que protagonizava no SNES um game chamado Super Mario World(1990), no qual ele parte em uma lisérgica aventura, montado em um dinossauro verde chamado Yoshi para salvar a Princesa Peach(de novo) e destruir o império de Bowser mais uma vez. No entanto, o assunto aqui é Sonic, um ouriço radical, cheio de estilo e apaixonado por velocidade, cuja missão é derrotar um cientista maluco chamado Dr. Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik, que tem a mania de aprisionar animaizinhos pequenos dentro de Badniks. O sucesso do primeiro game fez a SEGA desenvolver outros games, tais como Sonic the Hedgehog 2, em que Sonic é acompanhado por Miles “Tails” Prower, um jovem nibi(*) raposino e amarelado que pode voar utilizando suas caudas como hélice, além disso, neste game, jogadores puderam ver Sonic como Super Sonic pela primeira vez ao reunir as sete Chaos Emeralds, traduzidas como as Esmeraldas do Caos; Sonic the Hedgehog 3, por sua vez, apresenta Knuckles the Echidna como o vilão, que volta e meia tenta atrapalhar a missão de Sonic de reunir as Chaos Emeralds. Na época dos 16 bits, a rivalidade entre os fãs da SEGA e da Nintendo, ao ponto que fãs de ambas as produtoras trocavam provocações mútuas, até que com o advento da marca PlayStation, que fez grande sucesso em 1994, obrigou a Nintendo e a SEGA a mudar de estratégias para se adaptar na geração de consoles de 32 e 64 bits. Infelizmente o SEGA Saturno e o Dreamcast não conseguiram emplacar muito, forçando a SEGA a encerrar definitivamente a produção de consoles para focar apenas em games, porém, o que realmente conta são os maravilhosos games que esta produtora trouxe durante toda a sua existência, tais como Alex Kidd in Miracle World, a trilogia de Sonic no Mega Drive, Phantasy Star e os títulos da série Wonder Boy, que foram transformados em títulos da Turma da Mônica pela Tec Toy, que na época do Mega Drive, era a principal representante da SEGA no Brasil.

(*) Em Naruto, Matatabi é a besta de Duas Caudas, selada em Yugito Nii.

Sonic the Hedgehog(1991)

O primeiro Sonic the Hedgehog fez um grandioso sucesso no seu lançamento, impulsionando as vendas do Mega Drive na corrida dos 16 bits. O jogo apresenta um ouriço antropomórfico chamado Sonic em uma missão para derrotar o Doutor Robotnik, um cientista que aprisionou animais em robôs e roubou as poderosas esmeraldas do caos. A jogabilidade envolve coletar anéis como uma forma de saúde e um esquema de controle simples, com saltos e ataques controlados por um único botão. O desenvolvimento começou em 1990, quando a SEGA ordenou que seus desenvolvedores criassem um jogo com um mascote para a empresa. Depois de considerar várias sugestões, os desenvolvedores decidiram por um ouriço azul e se autodenominaram "Sonic Team" para combinar com seu personagem. Sonic the Hedgehog, projetado para jogabilidade rápida, foi influenciado por jogos do criador da série Super Mario, Shigeru Miyamoto. Sonic the Hedgehog usa uma técnica inovadora que permite que o sprite de Sonic percorra cenários curvos, originados em uma demo de tecnologia criada pelo programador Yuji Naka. Sonic the Hedgehog foi bem recebido pelos críticos, que elogiaram seus recursos visuais, áudio e jogabilidade. Ele também teve sucesso comercial, estabelecendo o Genesis como um hardware forte na era dos 16 bits e permitindo que ele competisse com a Nintendo e seu SNES, também conhecido como Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Sonic the Hedgehog foi portado várias vezes e inspirou vários clones, uma franquia de sucesso e adaptações em outras mídias. É frequentemente citado como um dos maiores games de todos os tempos.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2(1992)

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 apresentou Miles “Tails” Prower como parceiro de Sonic, que é exclusivo do segundo jogador. Na trama do game, os dois heróis partem em uma missão para coletar as Chaos Emeralds numa tentativa de evitar que o maligno Dr. Eggman faça uso delas para abastecer sua derradeira máquina de destruição, a Death Egg. O desenvolvimento do jogo começou em novembro de 1991. O jogo foi desenvolvido por funcionários japoneses e americanos no SEGA Technical Institute. O diretor de arte Tim Skelly projetou a aparência dos novos estágios especiais em 3D com base em uma demonstração de tecnologia criada por Yuji Naka. A equipe aumentou a velocidade do Sonic the Hedgehog 2 em comparação com o seu antecessor. Como no primeiro jogo, a trilha sonora foi composta por Masato Nakamura. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 vendeu mais de seis milhões de cópias, tornando-se o segundo jogo mais vendido do Genesis ficando atrás apenas do Sonic the Hedgehog original. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 recebeu críticas altamente positivas dos críticos, que elogiaram o design e o visual do nível do jogo, embora seu modo multiplayer tenha sido criticado. Foi relançado em várias plataformas; uma versão remasterizada desenvolvida usando o Retro Engine lançado no iOS e Android em dezembro de 2013.

Sonic the Hedgehog CD(1993)

Sonic the Hedgehog CD foi lançado em 1993 para o SEGA CD, e diferente de seus antecessores, apresenta uma trilha sonora com qualidade de CD e o principal foco de Sonic CD são as viagens no tempo. Os eventos de Sonic CD ocorrem imediatamente após o primeiro game, em que Sonic parte em uma missão para salvar um corpo extraterrestre, Little Planet, do Doutor Robotnik. Como um jogo de plataformas da série Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic corre e salta por vários níveis temáticos enquanto coleciona anéis e derrota robôs. O Sonic CD se distingue de outros jogos do Sonic por seu recurso de viagem no tempo(quem assistiu De Volta Para o Futuro vai lembrar), um aspecto essencial da história e da jogabilidade. Ao viajar no tempo, os jogadores podem acessar diferentes versões das fases, com layouts, músicas e gráficos alternativos, com base no período temporal, com uma pequena leve diferença de trilha sonora entre a versão americana e a japonesa. Sendo o principal carro-chefe do SEGA(Mega) CD, Sonic CD foi inicialmente concebido pela SEGA como um port aprimorado de Sonic the Hedgehog 2, mas foi reformulado após as vendas sem muito sucesso do Sonic 2 no Japão. O co-criador de Sonic, Naoto Ohshima, foi encarregado da direção executiva e os desenvolvedores da SEGA projetaram o game para mostrar os recursos técnicos do SEGA CD. O jogo apresenta as estreias de Amy Rose e Metal Sonic, e inclui cenas animadas produzidas pela Toei Animation. Duas trilhas sonoras foram compostas para o jogo: a trilha original foi composta por Naofumi Hataya e Masafumi Ogata, enquanto a trilha norte-americana foi composta por membros do SEGA Technical Institute. Sonic CD é freqüentemente cconsiderado um dos melhores jogos da série Sonic e do gênero de jogos de plataforma. Os críticos elogiaram o tamanho excepcional, a música e o recurso de viagem no tempo, embora alguns também acreditassem que o jogo não usava ao máximo os recursos do SEGA CD. Sonic CD vendeu mais de 1,5 milhões de cópias, tornando-se o best-seller do SEGA CD. O jogo foi portado para o Windows como parte da marca SEGA PC em 1996 e para o PlayStation 2 e GameCube como parte de uma coletânea chamada Sonic Gems Collection em 2005. Uma versão remasterizada, desenvolvida por Christian Whitehead usando o Retro Engine, foi lançada para várias plataformas e dispositivos móveis em 2011.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3(1994)

Este, podemos dizer, que é o melhor título da série Sonic nos 16 bits. Sonic 3 foi lançado em 1994 para o Mega Drive. Sonic 3 começa justamente no final de Sonic 2, em que a nave espacial do Dr. Robotnik, Death Egg, pousa em uma misteriosa ilha flutuante. Lá, Sonic e Tails devem mais uma vez recuperar as Esmeraldas do Caos para impedir que o Death Egg seja relançado, enquanto travam contendas com o guardião da ilha, Knuckles the Echidna. A jogabilidade é semelhante à de seus predecessores, com jogadores controlando Sonic e Tails através de níveis de rolagem lateral em alta velocidade enquanto colecionam anéis e derrotam inimigos. O desenvolvimento começou em janeiro de 1993, logo após o lançamento do Sonic 2. Sonic 3 foi inicialmente desenvolvido como um jogo isométrico semelhante ao Sonic 3D Blast (1996), mas se tornou um jogo de plataformas 2D mais convencional devido a restrições de tempo. A produção de Sonic 3 ocorreu simultaneamente com Sonic & Knuckles; eles foram desenvolvidos como um jogo único até que restrições de tempo e custos com cartuchos obrigaram os desenvolvedores a dividi-los em dois projetos. O cartucho do Sonic & Knuckles possui a tecnologia "lock-on" que permite que ele seja fisicamente conectado ao cartucho do Sonic 3, criando um jogo combinado, Sonic 3 & Knuckles. O músico pop Michael Jackson supostamente compôs partes da trilha sonora, mas deixou o projeto e não foi creditado. Sonic 3 foi lançado para o Sega Genesis na América do Norte e Europa em fevereiro de 1994 e no Japão em maio seguinte. Assim como seus antecessores, foi um sucesso comercial e crítico, com os críticos vendo-o como uma melhoria em relação à títulos anteriores. Ele vendeu mais de um milhão de cópias nos Estados Unidos, tornando-o um dos jogos mais vendidos do Genesis. Em Sonic & Knuckles, jogadores têm a opção de jogar com Sonic ou Knuckles, sem possibilidade de salvar o progresso. Sonic & Knuckles possui a "tecnologia de lock-on" que permite aos jogadores abrir a escotilha superior do cartucho e inserir um segundo cartucho. Quando Sonic 3 é inserido, o jogador pode jogar nos dois jogos como um, Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Isso apresenta várias mudanças nos jogos, como layouts de fases levemente alterados, a capacidade de jogar nos níveis de Sonic 3 como Knuckles ou em Sonic & Knuckles como Sonic e Tails e a capacidade de salvar o progresso nos níveis de Sonic & Knuckles. Além disso, combinar os cartuchos é a única maneira de coletar as "Super Emeralds", obtidas acessando Estágios especiais nas fases de Sonic & Knuckles após coletar todas as sete Chaos Emeralds do Sonic 3. Quando todas as Super Emeralds tiverem sido coletadas, Sonic, Knuckles e Tails podem se transformar em Hyper Sonic, Hyper Knuckles e Super Tails, respectivamente, cada um com habilidades únicas. Inserir Sonic 2 desbloqueia Knuckles the Echidna em Sonic the Hedgehog 2, em que o jogador pode jogar Sonic 2 usando as habilidades de Knuckles, como destruir blocos na porrada e escalar paredes. Se o jogador anexar qualquer outro game do Genesis lançado antes do Sonic & Knuckles, uma tela com Sonic, Tails, Knuckles e Robotnik dizendo "No Way!" é exibido. A partir daqui, o jogador também pode acessar um minigame baseado nas fases especiais de Sonic 3 e Chaos Emerald, do Sonic 3 e Sonic & Knuckles. O cartucho anexado determina o layout do estágio especial. Se o jogador anexar o Sonic the Hedgehog original, ele poderá acessar todas as variações possíveis dos estágios especiais, cada um com um número de nível exclusivo e a senha correspondente. Este jogo é chamado Blue Sphere em Sonic Mega Collection... Sonic & Knuckles foi lançado para o SEGA Genesis em 18 de outubro de 1994. Vendeu 1,24 milhões de cópias e recebeu críticas positivas; os críticos ficaram impressionados com o fator de replay e a tecnologia de lock-on, apesar da semelhança com o Sonic 3. Depois de Sonic 3, Knuckles, que foi erroneamente associado como vilão em seu game de estreia, passa a ser aliado de Sonic e Tails em títulos posteriores da série Sonic...

Knuckles’ Chaotix(1995)

Knuckles’ Chaotix foi lançado em 1995 para um periférico da SEGA, chamado de SEGA 32X, que ao ser combinado com o SEGA Genesis e o SEGA CD, dava maior poder de processamento ao console. Em Knuckles’ Chaotix, Knuckles faz aliança com quatro outros personagens conhecidos como Chaotix, que devem impedir Doctor Robotnik e Metal Sonic de obter seis anéis mágicos e conquistar uma ilha misteriosa. A jogabilidade é semelhante aos jogos anteriores do Sonic: os jogadores completam as fases enquanto colecionam anéis e derrotam inimigos. Introduz um sistema de parceiro pelo qual o jogador é conectado a outro personagem através de uma corda; o cabo se comporta como um elástico e deve ser usado para manobrar os personagens. Embora a Sonic Team às vezes seja creditada com a criação do Knuckles’ Chaotix, ele foi desenvolvido por outra equipe da SEGA. A produção começou com Sonic Crackers, um protótipo de 1994 para o SEGA Genesis que experimentou o sistema de amarração e apresentava Sonic e Tails. O desenvolvimento foi transferido para o 32X sob o título de trabalho Knuckles 'Ringstar; Sonic e Tails foram substituídos por Knuckles e Chaotix. Um dos membros do Chaotix era Mighty the Armadillo, que apareceu pela primeira vez no jogo de arcade SegaSonic the Hedgehog (1993). Knuckles’ Chaotix foi lançado na América do Norte e no Japão em abril de 1995 e na Europa em junho de 1995. Recebeu críticas mistas e falhou comercialmente. Os revisores consideraram a física da amarração complicada, embora alguns a tenham apreciado como uma tentativa de inovar. O design do nível e o baixo nível de dificuldade também foram criticados. Os jornalistas descreveram o Chaotix da Knuckles como o último dos jogos 2D clássicos do Sonic antes da série mudar para o universo 3D, dominado por títulos marcantes como Super Mario 64, da Nintendo, e Tekken, da Namco, o que obrigou muitas produtoras de games a se adaptar às novas regras da nova geração de games, principalmente com o advento do primeiro PlayStation, desenvolvido pela poderosa Sony. Alguns personagens e conceitos introduzidos no jogo aparecem em jogos e mídias mais recentes do Sonic. Apesar do interesse dos fãs, ele não foi relançado além de um breve período através do GameTap em meados dos anos 2000.

Sonic Adventure(1998)

Em Sonic Adventure, os personagens da franquia foram reformulados com novos designs. Em Sonic Adventure, jogadores podem escolher entre Sonic the Hedgehog, Miles “Tails” Prower, Knuckles the Echidna, Amy Rose, Big the Cat(que teve má recepção do público em razão de seu design estranho e as missões sem graça de ter sempre de pescar Froggy, seu amigo, que por uma certa razão, vive escapando por entre seus dedos); e, por fim, E-102 Gamma, que além de trair Eggman, fez amizade com Amy Rose. Controlando um dos seis personagens - cada um com suas próprias habilidades especiais - os jogadores exploram uma série de níveis temáticos para progredir na história. Fora do jogo principal, os jogadores podem jogar minijogos como corridas e interagir com Chao, um animal de estimação virtual. Após o cancelamento do jogo Sonic X-treme do SEGA Saturn, a Sonic Team começou a trabalhar no Sonic Adventure em 1997. Uma equipe de desenvolvimento de 60 membros criou o jogo em dez meses, inspirando-se em locais no Peru e na Guatemala. Yuji Uekawa redesenhou os personagens para a transição para o 3D, e foram adicionados recursos para aproveitar o hardware do Dreamcast. A SEGA anunciou o jogo em agosto de 1998; foi lançado no Japão em dezembro e em todo o mundo em setembro de 1999. O jogo recebeu elogios da crítica e, com 2,5 milhões de cópias vendidas em agosto de 2006, tornou-se o best-seller do Dreamcast. Os revisores elogiaram o visual e a jogabilidade, chamando-o de um grande avanço tecnológico; alguns especularam que poderia restabelecer a SEGA como fabricante dominante de consoles após o Saturn provar-se relativamente mal sucedido. Outros ficaram frustrados com os controles e falhas da câmera, e as reações ao áudio foram confusas. Apesar disso, os jornalistas classificaram o Sonic Adventure entre os melhores jogos do Sonic, e é reconhecido como um lançamento importante tanto na série quanto no gênero de plataforma. Uma sequência, Sonic Adventure 2, foi lançada em 2001.

Sonic Adventure 2(2001)

Sonic Adventure 2 foi o ultimo game de Sonic no Dreamcast, ate o ponto de que a SEGA decidiu encerrar o console definitivamente e renunciar de seu status como produtora de consoles para focar apenas em games para outros consoles. Sonic Adventure 2 apresenta duas storylines: Hero, em que Sonic, e seus dois parceiros Tails e Knuckles tentam salvar o mundo, e Dark, em que Shadow the Hedgehog, Rouge the Bat e o Dr. Eggman, tentam dominá-lo. As histórias são divididas em três estilos de jogo: plataformas rápidas para Sonic e Shadow, tiro multidirecional para Tails e Eggman e exploração de ação para Knuckles e Rouge. O desenvolvimento de SA2 começou logo após o lançamento americano do Sonic Adventure em 1999 e durou 18 meses. O game foi produzido em comemoração ao décimo aniversário da série Sonic e foi projetado para ser mais rápido e mais orientado para a ação do que o original. A equipe de desenvolvimento também expandiu a presença das criaturas Chao e outros personagens dos jogadores. Suas localizações foram influenciadas por localidades americanas, como San Francisco e Yosemite National Park. A SEGA anunciou o Sonic Adventure 2 em outubro de 1999 e o exibiu na E3 2000. Foi lançado em 23 de junho de 2001. Sonic Adventure 2 recebeu críticas geralmente positivas por sua variedade de jogabilidade, visual e áudio, embora alguns tenham criticado sua câmera, dublagem e enredo. Um port aprimorado para o GameCube, Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, foi lançado em todo o mundo em 2002; esta versão apresenta texturas aprimoradas e opções para vários jogadores. Sonic Adventure 2 também foi lançado como um jogo para download para PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 e Windows no final de 2012.

Sonic Heroes(2003, 2004)

Sonic Heroes foi o primeiro título plataforma da série Sonic, lançado em 2003 para PlayStation 2, Game Cube, Xbox e Windows. Jogadores controlam personagens, divididos em equipes, através de vários ambientes para acumular anéis, derrotar robôs e coletar as sete Chaos Emeralds necessárias para derrotar o Dr. Eggman e a sua criação mais poderosa, Hyper Metal Sonic. Dentro de cada fase, o jogador alterna entre os três personagens do time, cada um com habilidades únicas, para superar obstáculos. Sonic Heroes abandona a jogabilidade baseada em ação e exploração de seus antecessores, Sonic Adventure (1998) e Sonic Adventure 2 (2001) e, em vez disso, retorna ao estilo linear dos jogos de Sonic da era do SEGA Genesis. A equipe queria que Sonic Heroes atraísse além dos fãs da série Sonic e, assim, projetou um jogo que não dependia da continuação de seus antecessores. A equipe reviveu elementos não vistos desde os jogos do Sonic no Genesis, como estágios especiais e os personagens Chaotix. A SEGA lançou Sonic Heroes no Japão em dezembro de 2003 e em todo o mundo no início de 2004. Os revisores foram polarizados. Eles elogiaram o foco do jogo na jogabilidade rápida e notaram suas semelhanças com os títulos 2D originais da série, uma escolha que alguns consideraram uma melhoria em relação aos jogos da bilogia de Sonic Adventure. Os revisores também destacaram seu design gráfico e ambientes e texturas detalhados. Os críticos, no entanto, ridicularizaram o game por não abordar os problemas dos jogos anteriores, como os péssimos controles da câmera e dublagem. Apesar de críticas mistas, foi um grande sucesso comercial, com 3,41 milhões de cópias vendidas em 2007.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2006(2006)

Sonic the Hedgehog '06, também conhecido como Sonic 2006, foi lançado pela SEGA e Sonic Team em 2006, exclusivamente para PlayStation 3 e Xbox 360, para comemorar o 15º aniversário do Sonic the Hedgehog. Os jogadores controlam Sonic, Shadow e o novo personagem Silver, que devem erradicar Solaris, um antigo espírito maligno que atraiu imediatamente as intenções obscuras do malicioso Dr. Eggman. Cada personagem jogável tem sua própria campanha e habilidades, e deve completar fases, explorar mundos centrais e lutar contra chefes para avançar na história. No modo multiplayer, os jogadores podem trabalhar cooperativamente para coletar as Chaos Emeralds ou correr até o final de uma fase. O desenvolvimento começou em 2004, liderado pelo co-criador do Sonic, Yuji Naka. A Sonic Team procurou criar um jogo atraente na veia de filmes de super-heróis como Batman Begins, esperando que avançasse a série com um tom realista e vários estilos de jogo. Problemas surgiram depois que Naka retirou-se da SEGA para formar sua própria empresa, a Prope Ltd.. A equipe se separou para trabalhar no jogo Wii, Sonic e os Anéis Secretos (2007), resultando em Sonic the Hedgehog sendo apressado para a temporada de férias. Foi lançado para o Xbox 360 em novembro de 2006 e para o PlayStation 3 no mês seguinte. As versões para Wii e Windows foram canceladas. Conteúdo para download com novos modos para um jogador foi lançado em 2007. Sonic 2006, apesar de ser um jogo muito promissor, foi um fracasso crítico. Os revisores criticaram seus tempos de carregamento, sistema de câmeras, história, estabilidade e controles. Tem sido frequentemente descrito como um dos piores jogos da série. Um dos principais fatores para Sonic 2006 ser duramente criticado foi o romance zoofílico entre Sonic e Elise...

Sonic and the Secret Rings(2007)

Sonic and the Secret Rings foi lançado em 2007 exclusivamente para Wii, sendo o primeiro título da franquia para o sistema, e nesta nova aventura, Sonic the Hedgehog é convocado para deter os planos de um gênio maléfico chamado Erazor Djinn. Além da jogabilidade básica de plataformas dos títulos anteriores do Sonic, Secret Rings usa um sistema de pontuiação e níveis de experiência, além de movimentos especiais que são desbloqueados por meio do aumento de nível. Secret Rings foi lançado no lugar de uma tentativa abortada de portar Sonic the Hedgehog 2006 para o Wii. O produtor Yojiro Ogawa concebeu os Secret Rings para explorar os recursos do Wii Remote. Ele escolheu o tema de Arabian Nights, usando muitos elementos das histórias no cenário do jogo, personagens e músicas influenciadas pelo Oriente Médio. A SEGA mudou o título do jogo várias vezes, sendo originalmente anunciado como Sonic Wild Fire, antes de escolher o nome de Sonic and the Secret Rings para se encaixar perfeitamente no tema de Arabian Nights.

Sonic Unleashed(2008)

Sonic Unleashed, de 2008, é considerado uma das pérolas mais bizarras do universo de Sonic the Hedgehog. Habitualmente, Sonic vai atrás do seu arqui-inimigo, o Dr. Eggman, cercando uma frota de naves espaciais. Após a derrota de vários de seus robôs, Sonic se transforma em Super Sonic e encurrala Eggman na espaçonave principal. No entanto, Eggman prende o ouriço usando uma nova e poderosa arma de raios que drena o poder das Esmeraldas do Caos, fazendo com que fiquem cinzas e inúteis. Ele então usa a energia das esmeraldas para disparar um enorme laser e liberar uma fera poderosa, Dark Gaia, do centro do planeta, que tem consequências devastadoras, quebrando o planeta em sete pedaços. Além disso, o raio e as Chaos Emeralds negativadas têm o efeito colateral imprevisto de transformar Sonic em um "Werehog" - uma forma de animal com maior força e habilidades - à noite. Eggman ejeta Sonic para o espaço, que então pousa com segurança no planeta abaixo. Após o desembarque junto com as esmeraldas, Sonic encontra uma criatura amigável que parece sofrer de amnésia. Supondo que ele tenha causado isso com sua queda, Sonic decide ajudá-lo em sua busca para descobrir quem ele é, e a criatura se torna um guia para o jogador; Sonic logo lhe dá o apelido de Chip. A missão de Sonic começa e, com a ajuda de alguns velhos amigos, como Amy e Tails, ele tenta resolver a crise viajando pelos continentes do planeta Terra, encontrando os Templos de Gaia que restaurarão o poder das esmeraldas, para reconstruir o mundo, e fazer Sonic voltar ao seu estado normal.

Sonic and the Black Knight(2009)

Sonic and the Black Knight foi lançado em 2009 para Wii. Situado no universo do rei Arthur, o game combina a velocidade frenética que é a marca registrada do Sonic com um novo sistema de luta com espadas, usando a funcionalidade de detecção de movimento do Wii Remote. Sonic and the Black Knight recebeu críticas mistas dos críticos, com muitos elogios em relação a seus gráficos, apresentação e abundância de conteúdo bônus, enquanto as críticas foram direcionadas aos controles do jogo, à mecânica de espadas e ao aspecto multiplayer. A jogabilidade difere dos jogos tradicionais da série Sonic, misturando o novo elemento de luta de espadas com a plataforma e velocidade tradicionais do Sonic. O Swordplay é implementado através do Wii Remote. A jogabilidade é fortemente inspirada em Sonic and the Secret Rings, com muitas das mesmas habilidades e restrições compartilhadas exclusivamente entre os dois games. Ao contrário de outros games 3D de Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic move-se apenas para frente, capaz de virar à esquerda e à direita, mover e retroceder invertidamente ou seguir em frente, como se estivesse em um longo corredor e não há a possibilidade de explorar os cenários Ao contrário de Sonic and the Secret Rings, no entanto, o movimento de Sonic é controlado com o stick analógico, tornando o movimento para frente e para trás mais simplificado. Uma feiticeira chamada Merlina, neta de Merlin, tenta fugir de um cavaleiro negro e de suas forças. Encurralada, ela executa um feitiço que chama um campeão para salvá-la, convocando Sonic, o Ouriço. Quando eles se retiram, Merlina explica a Sonic que o cavaleiro negro é realmente o rei Arthur, que foi corrompido pela imortalidade concedida pela bainha de Excalibur, e que Sonic deve derrotá-lo para restaurar a paz no reino. Com a velocidade de Sonic sozinha insuficiente para derrotar o rei, ele pega a espada falante Caliburn, que além de debochar dele, passa o game todo dando-lhe conselhos.

Sonic Colors(2010)

Sonic Colors foi lançado em 2010 para Wii e Nintendo DS e é uma aventura de ação em alta velocidade, na qual Sonic corre por mundos inspirados em parques temáticos para resgatar uma raça alienígena colorida conhecida como Wisps, que possui uma energia colorida única. Um parque de diversões extraordinário construído pelo aparentemente reformado Dr. Eggman está orbitando em torno do planeta natal de Sonic the Hedgehog. Naturalmente, Sonic e Tails investigam e rapidamente descobrem que Eggman é um grande mentiroso. Sonic Colors apresenta Cubot, o companheiro desajeitado de Orbot.

Sonic Generations(2011)

Sonic Generations foi criado para homenagear o 20º aniversário do Sonic, que celebra os aspectos antigos e novos da série. No passado, Sonic fica surpreso ao ver Green Hill ser destruída logo após o início de sua aventura, enquanto o Sonic Moderno comemora seu aniversário até que seu universo seja jogado no caos. Um poder misterioso cria "buracos no tempo", deslocando Sonic e seus amigos pelo tempo. Como resultado, algumas surpresas são encontradas, incluindo as formas mais novas e mais antigas de Sonic e Tails, eventualmente, encontrando-se cara a cara. Depois de descobrir que tudo está branco como giz e perder a cor, eles se unem para derrotar esse novo inimigo estranho e descobrir quem está realmente por trás dessa ação diabólica.

#Sonic the Hedgehog #SEGA #Miles Tails Prower #Knuckles the Echidna #Dr. Eggman #Shadow the Hedgehog #team chaotix #Silver the Hedgehog

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Octopuses are not aliens, but boy are they a bunch of beautiful weirdos

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Octopuses are not aliens, but boy are they a bunch of beautiful weirdos

We have to stop taking away Mother Nature’s achievements. Every time a creature is quirky or bizarre people say that it must be an alien, when the reality is that evolution is capable of creating some of the strangest, creepiest organisms you could ever fathom.

This includes octopuses, which for the record is the correct pluralization of octopus. (It can also be octopodes, since the word is Greek in origin, but never octopi.)

Octopuses seem to be particularly prone to alien theories. The most recent is thanks to a group of scientists—none of whom study zoology and many of whom don’t even study anything biological—wrote a paper in the journal Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology that claimed to show octopuses might come from space. In fact, they say that the entire Cambrian explosion (a period 541 million years ago when animal diversity rapidly expanded, producing early forms of many creatures alive today) originated with an influx of viruses from the cosmos. Thirty-three authors co-signed their names to this paper, including the man who originally proposed this highly controversial idea in the 1970s. They use an octopus as an example, noting that “The transformative genes leading from the consensus ancestral Nautilus to the common Cuttlefish to Squid to the common Octopus are not easily to be found in any pre-existing life form” and that therefore “it is plausible then to suggest they seem to be borrowed from a far distant ‘future’ in terms of terrestrial evolution, or more realistically from the cosmos at large.”

E.J. Steele, a molecular immunologist at the C.Y. O’Connor ERADE Village Foundation, one of the co-authors, wrote that “From our perspective the evidence is now quite overwhelming” for their theory, and that they felt it merited a “complete rethink” of evolutionary processes. Steele thinks the claims presented in the paper have been “suppressed and ignored for many years” and adds that “I have great faith that other objective scientists confronted with the same array of data would behave like me and reach the same interpretation.”

The problem is that viruses and octopuses are both firmly terrestrial. A commentary, written by molecular geneticist Karin Moelling, printed alongside the article, notes that though the authors clearly believe their own theory, they’re “describing it as evidence-based, yet without any of the necessary evidence.” She concludes that “the main statement about viruses, microbes and even animals which came to us from space, cannot be taken seriously.”

William Gilly, a biologist specializing in cephalopods at the Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, told Popular Science that “To be truthful, this paper seems to be so badly written and full of misleading statements that I cannot believe that it passed peer-review in any respectable journal.” He also asked whether this was perhaps the April Fool’s issue of the journal, as that would be the easiest explanation. (We reached out to said journal and will update this article when they respond.) Another biologist, Ken Stedman, told Live Science that “Many of the claims in this paper are beyond speculative, and not even really looking at the literature.”

Caroline Albertin agrees. She’s a researcher at the Marine Biological Laboratory and says to find confirmation of octopuses’ earthly origins, one need “look no further than their DNA.” She explains that in fact, one of the papers cited in the new study “shows very clearly that octopuses share a lot of the same genes with other animals—molluscs like snails and clams, flies, and humans, indicating that they share common ancestors, and therefore are from the same planet as the rest of us.” The cephalopod fossil record may be limited, but Albertin notes that’s it’s hard to find fossils of soft-bodied creatures in general, which is why biologists look back at nautiluses and ammonites to trace evolutionary origins.

Back in 2016, yet another set of headlines proclaimed that octopus DNA came from space, which was wrong, but persisted because some researcher gave a reporter a juicy quote about octopuses being practically alien.

Here’s the thing: if octopuses are aliens, then so are milk-sweating echidnas, cartilaginous blobfish, and indestructible tardigrades. Which is to say, until the day we scoop up bacterial goop in the oceans of Europa, we can safely proclaim that 100 percent of the weirdest creatures we know about were created right here on Earth. “The fact that they are so cool and weird even though they have similar genes to other animals is what I am most fascinated by,” Albertin says. Her own work focuses on figuring out how genes crucial to other animals’ developments play a role in octopus bodies as well. “Obviously, that wouldn’t work if they had a celestial origin.”

So let’s celebrate how incredibly bizarre our planet has made octopuses instead of flinging the credit out into the larger cosmos.

Octopuses: not alien, but still pretty cool

For starters, octopuses have literal blue blood. There’s a common misunderstanding that human blood is blue inside your body when it’s deoxygenated, but that comes from the fact that your veins look blue through your skin. Deoxygenated blood is still very red because of the iron-based mechanism by which our bodies transport oxygen molecules. Octopuses said ‘no, thanks’ to iron blood, though, and swapped in a copper-based protein that binds oxygen instead. It’s more efficient than iron in the cold, low-oxygen environments that most octopuses live in. It sure does make them spookier, but they’re not alone. The ocellated icefish has clear blood and there are lizards that run green. Both are from Earth.

Octopuses’ brains are in their arms, which is admittedly pretty odd. Two-thirds of an octopus’ neurons reside in the long appendages that many mistakenly call “tentacles” (in modern zoology, a “tentacle” is relatively long and thin, with some kind of clubbed end). This decentralized way of thinking means that even severed arms can “think” for themselves, or at least respond to physical stimuli and try to escape whatever is trying to eat them, which is why people die from trying to swallow live octopus arms only to find that the arm is still fighting back (a reported six people die this way on average each year in South Korea, where the dish is popular).

But their peculiar approach to brains hasn’t stopped them from ranking among the most intelligent creatures that we know of. Octopuses regularly use tools, solve puzzles, and generally cause mayhem by sneaking in and out of their enclosures. They also sometimes accessorize by hopping inside old coconut shells and using them as little mobile homes, all while looking more stylish than most humans.

As they travel, they also taste everything that they walk on since their suckers are all sensory organs. You’d think that would motivate them to swim everywhere, but unfortunately one of their three hearts has to stop beating whenever they swim, which is quite tiring and means that many octopuses prefer to stroll. Their other two hearts provide blood to the gills, but that third heart circulates blood to the central organs. The main organs reside inside the octopus’ bulbous head (called a mantle), which contains no bones. The only truly hard part of an octopus is the beak, which is basically its mouth. This means that the critters can squeeze through almost any opening as long as it’s bigger than the schnoz. Everything else is negotiable.

But perhaps the weirdest thing about octopuses is that, unlike many of the other highly intelligent creatures populating our planet, they don’t live long. Some live just six months, others a few years, and most males die shortly after mating. The females last long enough to protect their clutch of eggs, during which time they slowly starve to death.

Sadly, the myth that octopuses are from space will probably outlive any octopuses alive today. But you can rise above the nonsense and appreciate them for what they truly are: some of the weirdest and most wonderful earthlings ever known.

Written By Sara Chodosh

#Animals

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