(Note: I originally posted this article on Bits ‘n’ Bytes Gaming on April 26, 2011.)

The Dreamcast, one of the most well-loved videogame consoles of all time, had a library full of fantastic, underrated titles. One of those games was 2000’s Jet Grind Radio, developed by Smilebit and published by Sega.

The game took place in a semi-futuristic version of Tokyo-to where different gangs of graffiti artists called “rudies” (who all ride around on high-tech magnetic rollerblades) are constantly fighting to protect their turf from their rival gangs while simultaneously dodging the police. The game is narrated by DJ Professor K who runs the pirate radio station Jet Set Radio.

You take control of a gang called the GGs, whose ranks increase as you complete challenges and impress other rudies and convince them to join you. Each character has different strengths and weaknesses which affect their health, skating speed, tricks they perform, and graffiti patterns.

Sonic the Hedgehog, one of my favorite game characters of all time, turned 20 a few days ago on June 23rd. I thought it would be a good time for another contest!

Similar to my last Mario Memories contest, all you need to do to enter is share your favorite memory relating to Sonic the Hedgehog. It can be from playing the games, watching the old cartoons, reading the Archie comic series, whatever.

This time, though, the contest is going to be held on Facebook. All you need to do is “Like” the PK Bloggin’! Facebook page and click on the “discussions” link, where I’ve already started the topic. All you need to do is post!

Unlike the Mario contest, though, where prizes were limited to one platform, the winner will get their choice of a 2000 Wii Points card, a 1600 Microsoft Points card, or a $20 PSN card (all a $20 value, obviously) to spend on all the downloadable Sonic stuff they want!

(As far as I know, US cards will ONLY work in the United States. Since I can’t verify that they work elsewhere, please don’t enter if you live outside the US because I don’t want to waste $20!)

The contest will run until midnight (US Eastern time) on Friday, July 8. Good luck!

A few months ago I saw on Kotaku and a few other places that Japanese company Kotobukiya would be releasing a figure based on Elanor, a RAcaseal from Phantasy Star Online. I’d never seen any merchandise from the game before, and you all know how I loves me some PSO. I preordered it as soon as I could, and I waited like a patient, respectable person until it arrived a couple of days ago.

The box looked so great. I never played a RAcaseal character, but the figure looked so awesome in pictures. I couldn’t wait to set her up on my entertainment center, spread gun at the ready, on the constant lookout for Boomas and Rappys.

Then I opened the box.

I’ve decided to very quickly post my first impressions of Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, because Sonic is BACK and it is all about SPEED, BABY. Unless, you know, the game decides HEY THERE’S A BOTTMLESS PIT THERE HAHAHA. Which has happened to me.

ANYWAY. I love Sonic. I was a Sega kid growing up. I fought for the Genesis in the Great Console Wars. Seeing Sonic back in his side-scrolling Blast Processing form warms my old withered heart in ways that I didn’t think were possible.

I’ve completed the first five acts of the game and defeated the first boss. So far, I’m enjoying myself. It’s not EVERYTHING I hoped it’d be, but it’s certainly a fantastic game and by far the best Sonic game to come out in many years.

Happy birthday Sega Dreamcast! One of the best video game consoles to ever be released turns 11 years old today! Woo!

The Dreamcast has had a very interesting life for a console, with a very short official lifespan but maintaining a very dedicated fanbase that has endured for over a decade. With Dreamcast titles scheduled to hit Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network in the near future, now is as good a time as any to relive the classics that we fell in love with on Sega’s hardware swan song.

We’ve gotten some new readers lately, people who don’t know me in real life. These people don’t know a lot about me, so I’m going to take this opportunity to let them get to know me a little better. A big part of my personality is that I like things that are rad, and also things that are awesome. Something that is both rad AND awesome is Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, which I picked up over the weekend.

It’s no secret that I love Sega. I sided with the Genesis during the Console Wars of the early 90s, and I love my Genesis and my Dreamcast dearly to this day. I love Mario games, but I’ve always preferred Sonic as a character (that is, until his fans start writing fanfiction… gross). Sega’s roster of superstars might not be as recognizable as Nintendo’s best, but with Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, Sega may have just out-Mario Karted Nintendo.

This past Valentine’s Day, I received the most romantic gift ever: A boxed Sega Game Gear with a copy of NBA Jam and a rechargeable battery pack. I’ve known for a while that I was marrying the right woman, and this is just another example of the choir being preached to.

The Game Gear is a handheld system, but I wouldn’t call it “portable,” even by early 90’s standards. The thing is comfortable in your hands, but it’s still bulky and there’s no WAY this thing would fit into your pocket, especially considering how tight everyone wore their pants back then (well, everyone except MC Hammer).

I didn’t wind up buying the Game Gear. It was missing one of the battery covers, and the other battery compartment had honest to God cobwebs in it. It was a real shame, too. I love “rescuing” old hardware.

I was at the mall today for GameStop’s Pokémon event (don’t worry, I didn’t buy anything) and I stopped in the comic shop we frequent. They have some used games, all older titles, since they only want to carry what GameStop doesn’t. There’s been some cool stuff in there, but today I found a Sega Game Gear for $15. I love collecting old games and systems, and I am a huge Sega fan, so I’m going back tomorrow to get it. The only reason I didn’t buy it today was because we were in kind of  a rush and the comic store had one guy working and he was running around doing a million things already. Anyway, I was immediately reminded of this commercial, which I am now aware stars Ethan Suplee:

I was a Sega Kid. I had an NES, but when the 16-bit wars kicked into high gear, my best friend already had a Super NES, so I got a Genesis so we could play everything. Then he turned into a jerk and we stopped being friends, so it was just me and my Genesis. Of course, you had to talk a lot of smack back then so I loved the Sega commercials and ads that ripped on Nintendo.

My, the times, how they change.