PixlBit

If any reader has a question about the game, just ask and I'll be happy to answer since I didn't get into specifics on much in the review.

I might post impressions of a review of Mega Man 10, but honestly, after ten previous Mega Man titles available out there with a similar playstyle, I'm not sure if there's a point. I will say it seems to be a little easier than Mega Man 9, judging from how quickly I've made progress through it, but playing as Proto Man, since he takes extra damage, can be maddening.

Additionally, look for a micro-review of last week's Mouse House release. To be brief, it's an Adventures of Lolo clone in every sense, though impressions or a review will appear within the coming days, just as should be expected with Mega Man 10

...I don't know why everyone goes straight to Wikipedia with my name -_-

That's a good question, though. Why go in threes, and why use the specific stages? What I found odd is that every Sonic stage is based on stages in Sonic Heroes, rather than Sonic Adventure or even legacy Genesis titles. It's not a bad decision, and it wouldn't be something I would have realized if I hadn't read someone else pointing it out, but I would hazard a guess that Sega or Sumo Digital wanted to use maps that might be easily convertible into race tracks, and perhaps the particular games represented had map data that transferred well.

That would be my guess, but simply that: A guess, with no factual backing. I imagine, likely inaccurately, that Billy Hatcher, House of the Dead, and Sonic, in the least, had stage maps already in an optimal format for reconstruction into tracks, where Space Channel 5 would require creation of a lot of new assets. I believe this because Sonic Heroes, HotD, Super Monkey Ball, Billy Hatcher, and Samba de Amigo have all appeared on the Gamecube or Wii, so they might have worked utilizing the similar structure of the GC and Wii as common ground for a starting point.

Still, it's just a guess. I can say I didn't take the time to compare similarities between tracks and their original versions, so I really don't know if they carry common pieces or just common themes.

No nicknames?

Here's one I don't even like that's been used for me: J-Ro. It bears a certain similarity to a specific celebrity's nickname, and that's surprisingly exactly what it mimics.

Whoops! I didn't mention that motion control works just as well as it does in Mario Kart, but really, utilizing a joystick feels much more precise. For those curious, I played the Wii version for my review, and I believe the main differences between the different console iterations are in the online modes, though I'm not sure of them. While the PS3 and 360 editions of the game will have purchasable DLC, the Wii version will not.

I really wouldn't assume anything, in regards to what Nintendo plans for Winter. We've seen times before where Nintendo has had absolutely grand plans for Spring and Summer, but only released one or two more major titles before the end of the year. I'm an outlier, I've never been a big fan of Zelda titles, but I love just about everything Nintendo's announced for the first half of the year. It's enough, presumably, to hold me until next year, I believe. To me, anything else will be icing on the cake.

I consider the game a "1st attempt" at a Smash Bros. style racing game, and it does it well. What surprises me, though, was that the DLC option was apparently removed from the Wii version of the game. It seems like a short-sighted move by Sega, it's hard to tell. Sumo Digital provided stages in threes, for whatever reason, with three HotD, Super Monkey Ball, BH, and JSRF, as well as nine Sonic-based stages, which are actually in threes, as well, with three beach-style stages, three casino ones, and three Flying Fortress ones, as well.

It seemed like an odd move, but it reminded me of some aspects of Mario Kart, where there's more than one Bowser's Castle stage.

I actually like some of the Billy Hatcher stages the best, even though they have no nostalgia for me, so while I'd love to see more stages, I didn't feel a need to worry about complaining about a lack of variety. The way I see it, Mario Kart has 32 stages based on Mario, 16 of which are typically re-used. SaSASR has 24 stages, only nine of which are based on Sonic, and each one is new. From that perspective, even without a Space Channel 5 track, that's a pretty complete package.

I took a look at the site, as well as some of the information we were sent, and the art style is definitely something different. Actors were used, and their images have been stylized with contrasting outlines. The puzzles in the game seem to mostly be based on duplicating the main character's "Past Vision" in the current time. I'll be keeping my eye on the title as the release draws near.

I'm considering Mouse House. If I do pick it up, it'll be after I complete two other reviews in my pipeline, but rest assured, I'll be posting a review about it, as long as someone else doesn't beat me to it.