<?xml version="1.0"?> <rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd"><channel><title>PSP Fanboy</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com</link><description>PSP Fanboy</description><image><url>http://www.pspfanboy.com/media/feedlogo.gif</url><title>PSP Fanboy</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com</link></image><language>en-us</language><copyright>Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.</copyright><generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><itunes:author>Massively</itunes:author><itunes:image href="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.massively.com/media/2008/04/massivelyspeaking.jpg" /><itunes:summary>Massively Speaking is a medium-length (40-60 minutes) weekly podcast from the writers at Massively.com! The podcast will be covering a week&apos;s worth of highlights, detailing news and features from the website. Tune in each week to hear commentary from the minds behind your favorite MMO-related news, editorials, and feature articles.</itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Games &amp; Hobbies"><itunes:category text="Video Games" /></itunes:category><item><title>A shipment of Sonic Rivals 2 videos at your fingertips</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/11/07/a-shipment-of-sonic-rivals-2-videos-at-your-fingertips/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/11/07/a-shipment-of-sonic-rivals-2-videos-at-your-fingertips/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/11/07/a-shipment-of-sonic-rivals-2-videos-at-your-fingertips/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a></p><center><embed width="433" height="360" src="http://videomedia.ign.com/ev/ev.swf" all="" flashvars="object_ID=909651&amp;downloadURL=http://pspmovies.ign.com/psp/video/article/833/833013/fight_flvlowwide.flv&amp;allownetworking=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></center>It's time to get up to speed with the blue blur that is Sonic the Hedgehog. Besides the fact that's a very strange animal to choose as a mascot, the other characters don't exactly get such identifying monikers. Oh well. We've got quite a few videos for you to check out in addition to the one above, so take the plunge and watch the others after the jump.<p><a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/11/07/a-shipment-of-sonic-rivals-2-videos-at-your-fingertips/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>A shipment of Sonic Rivals 2 videos at your fingertips</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href=http://media.psp.ign.com/media/909/909651/vids_1.html?RSSwhen2007-11-06_114500&amp;RSSid=833013>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/11/07/a-shipment-of-sonic-rivals-2-videos-at-your-fingertips/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/1032209/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/11/07/a-shipment-of-sonic-rivals-2-videos-at-your-fingertips/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/11/07/a-shipment-of-sonic-rivals-2-videos-at-your-fingertips/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>sega</category><category>sonic-rivals-2</category><dc:creator>Nick Doerr</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:45:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Sonic Rivals 2 trailer is filled with button mashing</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/11/01/sonic-rivals-2-trailer-is-filled-with-button-mashing/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/11/01/sonic-rivals-2-trailer-is-filled-with-button-mashing/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/11/01/sonic-rivals-2-trailer-is-filled-with-button-mashing/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a></p><center><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000"  codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="425" height="362">	<param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> 	<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=27353"/> <param name="quality" value="high" /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=27353" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="362"></embed> </object></center>
<p> Video game trends are fairly commonplace in the industry. For example, cel shading was the "it" thing to do a few years ago. Now, it's button mashing a la <em>Resident Evil 4</em> and <em>God of War</em>. PSP games are not immune to this increasingly tiresome gimmick -- even <em>Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow</em> (somewhat unnecessarily) featured the gameplay device.<br /><br /><em>Sonic Rivals 2</em> is proudly featuring the gameplay mechanic in its latest trailer, and we have to admit, it's probably for the best. Races will become interesting as there's more interactivity to each level. Instead of simply blindly moving forward from point A to B, the required button presses will add a bit more depth (or so we hope).</p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/27353.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/11/01/sonic-rivals-2-trailer-is-filled-with-button-mashing/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/1027635/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/11/01/sonic-rivals-2-trailer-is-filled-with-button-mashing/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/11/01/sonic-rivals-2-trailer-is-filled-with-button-mashing/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>sega</category><category>sonic</category><category>sonic-rivals-2</category><dc:creator>Andrew Yoon</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 01 Nov 2007 18:45:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Sonic Rivals Tag Mode and King of the Hill detailed</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/26/sonic-rivals-tag-mode-and-king-of-the-hill-detailed/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/26/sonic-rivals-tag-mode-and-king-of-the-hill-detailed/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/26/sonic-rivals-tag-mode-and-king-of-the-hill-detailed/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a></p><center><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000"  codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="425" height="359">	<param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> 	<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=27125"/> <param name="quality" value="high" /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=27125" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="359"></embed> </object></center>It's pretty hard to describe, <a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/player/27125.html">this video</a>. While we understand the concepts of "King of the Hill", the video really confuses us as to how it'll all play out in the end. No matter, we're more interested in Tag Mode -- something that seems a natural fit for the Sonic universe. The mode plays exactly as it sounds: you tag an opposing player, giving them the "bomb" and they chase someone else down to tag them. Since <em>Sonic</em> games are always built on speed, we expect that mode to have a little more playability than sitting on the top of a hill. Seriously, Sonic doesn't like standing still. He taps his feet and glares angrily at you.<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/27125.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/26/sonic-rivals-tag-mode-and-king-of-the-hill-detailed/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/1023186/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/26/sonic-rivals-tag-mode-and-king-of-the-hill-detailed/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/26/sonic-rivals-tag-mode-and-king-of-the-hill-detailed/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>sega</category><category>sonic-rivals-2</category><dc:creator>Nick Doerr</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>New Sonic battle modes revealed</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/11/new-sonic-battle-modes-revealed/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/11/new-sonic-battle-modes-revealed/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/11/new-sonic-battle-modes-revealed/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a></p><center><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000"  codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="425" height="362">	<param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=26291"/> <param name="quality" value="high" /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=26291" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="362"></embed> </object></center>
<p> Yet another video of <em>Sonic Rivals 2</em>'s battle modes have been revealed. This time, see a Chao get kidnapped in this brand new mode. Remember, <em>Rivals 2</em> will support Game Sharing, so we're expecting many (if not all) of these features to be available over one UMD.</p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/26291.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/11/new-sonic-battle-modes-revealed/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/1011357/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/11/new-sonic-battle-modes-revealed/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/11/new-sonic-battle-modes-revealed/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>sega</category><category>sonic</category><category>sonic-rivals</category><category>sonic-rivals-2</category><dc:creator>Andrew Yoon</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Sonic Rivals 2 adds Knockout brawl mode</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/05/sonic-rivals-2-adds-knockout-brawl-mode/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/05/sonic-rivals-2-adds-knockout-brawl-mode/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/05/sonic-rivals-2-adds-knockout-brawl-mode/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a></p><center><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="420" height="405" id="gamevideos6" align="middle"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="play" value="true"><param name="loop" value="true"><param name="scale" value="showall"><param name="wmode" value="window"><param name="devicefont" value="false"><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"><param name="menu" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="salign" value=""><param name="movie" value="http://gamevideos.com:80/swf/gamevideos11.swf?embedded=1&amp;fullscreen=1&amp;autoplay=0&amp;src=http://gamevideos.com:80/video/videoListXML%3Fid%3D15239%26ordinal%3D1191625671221%26adPlay%3Dfalse" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /> <embed src="http://gamevideos.com:80/swf/gamevideos11.swf?embedded=1&amp;fullscreen=1&amp;autoplay=0&amp;src=http://gamevideos.com:80/video/videoListXML%3Fid%3D15239%26ordinal%3D1191625671221%26adPlay%3Dfalse" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" play="true" loop="true" scale="showall" wmode="window" devicefont="false" id="gamevideos6" bgcolor="#000000" name="gamevideos6" menu="true" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="405" width="420"/></object></center>
<p> If Sonic doesn't end up in <em>Super Smash Bros</em> later this year, it looks like you'll have to resort to the PSP-exclusive <em>Sonic Riders 2</em> for some hedgehog-on-hedgehog <strike>action</strike> fighting.<br /><br />Also in the upcoming <em>Sonic Rivals</em> sequel is the ability to play multiplayer with just one UMD, a feature that we love to see in PSP games. Now with this added battle mode and Game Sharing, it looks like <em>Rivals 2</em> will greatly expand upon the previous game's offerings.</p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/05/sonic-rivals-2-adds-knockout-brawl-mode/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/1006712/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/05/sonic-rivals-2-adds-knockout-brawl-mode/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/10/05/sonic-rivals-2-adds-knockout-brawl-mode/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>game-sharing</category><category>sonic</category><category>sonic-rivals</category><dc:creator>Andrew Yoon</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 05 Oct 2007 19:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>"New" footage of Sonic Rivals 2</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/08/22/new-footage-of-sonic-rivals-2/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/08/22/new-footage-of-sonic-rivals-2/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/08/22/new-footage-of-sonic-rivals-2/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a></p><center><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lOd62RKC59E"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lOd62RKC59E" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object></center>
<p>Compared to the <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/07/28/sonic-rivals-2-looks-exactly-like-predecessor/">first gameplay video</a> from a few weeks ago, does this video look ... smoother? Either Sega is trying to make their dashing hedgehog look marginally better, or we're imagining things. At least this title is still staying true to its 2D roots. We wouldn't want our <em>Sonic</em> any other way -- too bad the gameplay still looks identical to the previous <em>Sonic Rivals</em> in every way.<br /></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href=http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/PSP/Sonic+Rivals+2/news.asp?c=3958>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/08/22/new-footage-of-sonic-rivals-2/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/971179/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/08/22/new-footage-of-sonic-rivals-2/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/08/22/new-footage-of-sonic-rivals-2/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>sega</category><category>sonicrivals2</category><dc:creator>Nick Doerr</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 22 Aug 2007 21:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Sonic Rivals 2 looks exactly like predecessor</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/07/28/sonic-rivals-2-looks-exactly-like-predecessor/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/07/28/sonic-rivals-2-looks-exactly-like-predecessor/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/07/28/sonic-rivals-2-looks-exactly-like-predecessor/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a></p><div align="center"><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000"  codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" width="425" height="362">	<param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=22877"/> <param name="quality" value="high" /> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=22877" swLiveConnect="true" name="gtembed" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="362"></embed> </object></div>
<p>No, you're not looking at footage of the original <em>Sonic Rivals</em>. This is the sequel -- and it looks <em>exactly</em> like its predecessor. Distressingly, the framerate of this video is choppy, and the gameplay seems even more barren than before. Maybe it was too early to show this, but our confidence in <em>Sonic Rivals 2</em> has taken a huge hit.</p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/07/28/sonic-rivals-2-looks-exactly-like-predecessor/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/952346/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/07/28/sonic-rivals-2-looks-exactly-like-predecessor/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/07/28/sonic-rivals-2-looks-exactly-like-predecessor/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>sega</category><category>sonic</category><category>sonicrivals</category><category>sonicrivals2</category><dc:creator>Andrew Yoon</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 28 Jul 2007 00:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Sonic Rivals 2 officially announced, includes Game Sharing</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/06/20/sonic-rivals-2-officially-announced-to-include-game-sharing/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/06/20/sonic-rivals-2-officially-announced-to-include-game-sharing/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/06/20/sonic-rivals-2-officially-announced-to-include-game-sharing/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a></p><div align="center"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.pspfanboy.com/media/2007/06/knucklespwn3d.jpg" /><br /></div>
<p>A <a href="http://sonic.pspfanboy.com/2007/05/27/sonic-rivals-2-heading-our-way/">leaked retail release calendar</a> accidentally revealed <em>Sonic Rivals 2</em> a little too early. However, Sega has officially announced the title today. This PSP-exclusive sequel will feature a revamped rival "jostling" gameplay system for tighter head-to-head competition. (One of the problems of the first title was how limited conflicts were between the racers.) A brand new Battle mode allows two players to jump into six different multiplayer challenges. With Game Sharing, players will be able to partake in the challenges with just one UMD. Power-ups have been improved for the sequel, giving gamers a fairer chance at competing.</p>
<p>In addition, Miles "Tails" Prower and other new characters have been added to the playable roster. A new single-player Free play mode will allow characters to explore each level at their own pace. Just as before, each character in the game will also have their own unique signature moves.</p>
<p>Finally, card collection returns in <em>Sonic Rivals 2</em>: it now features more than 150 collectable cards, which will enable players to customize characters with new track suits, unlock PSP backgrounds, and unlock Cup Circuits. <em>Sonic Rivals 2</em> is currently scheduled for a Fall release. Check out the first images of the game in our new gallery.</p>
<p>%Gallery-4118%<br /></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/06/20/sonic-rivals-2-officially-announced-to-include-game-sharing/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/922443/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/06/20/sonic-rivals-2-officially-announced-to-include-game-sharing/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/06/20/sonic-rivals-2-officially-announced-to-include-game-sharing/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>sega</category><category>sonic</category><category>sonic rivals</category><category>sonic rivals 2</category><category>SonicRivals</category><category>SonicRivals2</category><dc:creator>Andrew Yoon</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Sonic Rivals 2 heading our way</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/05/27/sonic-rivals-2-heading-our-way/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/05/27/sonic-rivals-2-heading-our-way/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/05/27/sonic-rivals-2-heading-our-way/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://www.sonicstadium.org/sonicnews/293/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.pspfanboy.com/media/2006/12/tmpphpitb770.jpg" /></a><br /></div>
The keen eyes at <a href="http://www.sonicstadium.org/sonicnews/293/">The Sonic Stadium</a> have noticed mention of <em>Sonic Rivals 2</em> on various websites. Considering how the first was exclusive to PSP, we shouldn't be afraid to think that the sequel will also be heading to the handheld. <a href="http://www.gameinformer.com/games/info/info.htm?CS_pid=190453">Game Informer Online</a> features a mysterious listing and a leaked <a href="http://mini19stock.gametrailers.com/gamepad/index.php?action=viewblog&amp;id=93953">retail release calendar</a> shows the title releasing some time in November.<br /><br />The first game <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/12/09/psp-fanboy-review-sonic-rivals/">wasn't too shabby</a> -- although the execution was weak at times, the concept of turning <em>Sonic</em> into a racer was novel. <em>Rivals</em>, at the very least, included some fast and pretty visuals (albeit a sluggish framerate). Let's hope this potential sequel fixes the issues found in the first game.<br /><br />[Via <a href="http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=159024">NeoGAF</a>]<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href=http://www.sonicstadium.org/sonicnews/293/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/05/27/sonic-rivals-2-heading-our-way/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/904968/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/05/27/sonic-rivals-2-heading-our-way/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2007/05/27/sonic-rivals-2-heading-our-way/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>sega</category><category>sonic</category><category>sonic rivals</category><category>sonic rivals 2</category><category>SonicRivals</category><category>SonicRivals2</category><dc:creator>Andrew Yoon</dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 27 May 2007 10:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>PSP Fanboy review: Sonic Rivals</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/12/09/psp-fanboy-review-sonic-rivals/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/12/09/psp-fanboy-review-sonic-rivals/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/12/09/psp-fanboy-review-sonic-rivals/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/reviews/" rel="tag">Reviews</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a></p><div align="center"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.pspfanboy.com/media/2006/12/rivalsrev1.jpg"  alt="" /><br /></div>
The <em>Sonic</em> franchise has certainly fallen quite a bit ever since it made the transition into 3D. The <em>Adventure</em> games failed to capture the feel of the original 2D platformers, and other spin-off games, like <em>Shadow the Hedgehog</em> are considered travesties at best. It seems like Sonic does best when trapped in two dimensions, as seen by this excellent Game Boy Advance and DS entries. On the PSP, <em>Sonic Rivals</em> attempts to blend traditional 2D gameplay with impressive new 3D graphics. The developers, Backbone Entertainment, have done a good job executing on some of Sonic's trademark features, but some poor design choices hold back the game from being as good as it can be.<p><a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/12/09/psp-fanboy-review-sonic-rivals/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>PSP Fanboy review: Sonic Rivals</em></a></p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/12/09/psp-fanboy-review-sonic-rivals/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/710014/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/12/09/psp-fanboy-review-sonic-rivals/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/12/09/psp-fanboy-review-sonic-rivals/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>review</category><category>reviews</category><category>sega</category><category>sonic</category><category>sonic rivals</category><category>SonicRivals</category><dc:creator>Andrew Yoon</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 09 Dec 2006 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Microsoft and Sega create new deal to promote Sonic Rivals</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/12/04/microsoft-and-sega-create-new-deal-to-promote-sonic-rivals/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/12/04/microsoft-and-sega-create-new-deal-to-promote-sonic-rivals/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/12/04/microsoft-and-sega-create-new-deal-to-promote-sonic-rivals/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a></p><a href="http://www.brandrepublic.com/login/index.cfm?fuseaction=Login&amp;resource=BR_News&amp;articleType=news&amp;article=607814"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.pspfanboy.com/media/2006/12/tmpphpitb770.jpg" id="vimage_1" alt="" /></a><br />Sega will be running a pricey viral ad campaign through Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger to promote its upcoming games: <em>Sonic Rivals</em> on the PSP and <em>Sonic the Hedgehog</em> on Xbox 360. One may notice that the PLAYSTATION 3 version of <em>Sonic the Hedgehog</em> is not mentioned. Just like Sonic and Silver pictured above, Sony and Microsoft are fierce rivals, and it appears that Microsoft wants no part in promoting Sony's next-gen platform. Of course, without a handheld gaming device from the Xbox folks (for now), it seems Redmond's empire is willing to litter your IM-ing experience with ads for the PSP <em>Sonic</em>.<br /><br />Expect a full review of <em>Sonic Rivals</em> and a giveaway soon.<br /><br />[Via <a href="http://www.brandrepublic.com/login/index.cfm?fuseaction=Login&amp;resource=BR_News&amp;articleType=news&amp;article=607814">Brand Republic</a>]<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href=http://www.brandrepublic.com/login/index.cfm?fuseaction=Login&amp;resource=BR_News&amp;articleType=news&amp;article=607814>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/12/04/microsoft-and-sega-create-new-deal-to-promote-sonic-rivals/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/712504/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/12/04/microsoft-and-sega-create-new-deal-to-promote-sonic-rivals/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/12/04/microsoft-and-sega-create-new-deal-to-promote-sonic-rivals/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>ad</category><category>live</category><category>messenger</category><category>microsoft</category><category>msn</category><category>sega</category><category>sonic</category><category>sonic rivals</category><category>SonicRivals</category><category>viral</category><category>windows</category><category>xbox 360</category><category>Xbox360</category><dc:creator>Andrew Yoon</dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 04 Dec 2006 16:45:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Yosuke talks more Sonic Rivals</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/27/yosuke-talks-more-sonic-rivals/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/27/yosuke-talks-more-sonic-rivals/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/27/yosuke-talks-more-sonic-rivals/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a></p><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pages/gamespace/download_ini.php?pid=928010&amp;sid=6160520&amp;mode=previews"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" id="vimage_1" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.pspfanboy.com/media/2006/10/yosukerivals.jpg" /></a><br />Yosuke Moriya, one of <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/14/psp-fanboy-interviews-sonic-rivals-yosuke-moriya/">my friends</a> at SEGA, recently talked to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pages/gamespace/download_ini.php?pid=928010&amp;sid=6160520&amp;mode=previews">Gamespot</a> about <em>Sonic Rivals</em>. While the interview doesn't reveal anything new, it goes over the entire game's structure very thoroughly. You may have missed a few points in our previous coverage of the game, so check this video out. It features some great footage of the game in motion.<br /><br /><em>Sonic Rivals</em> races to stores on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000G0JD66?tag=prey0f&amp;camp=0&amp;creative=0&amp;linkCode=as1&amp;creativeASIN=B000G0JD66&amp;adid=0WDWJQ5T5KGWAZCVW3D3&amp;">November 21st</a>.<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/gamespace/download_ini.php?pid=928010&amp;sid=6160520&amp;mode=previews>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/27/yosuke-talks-more-sonic-rivals/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/691851/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/27/yosuke-talks-more-sonic-rivals/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/27/yosuke-talks-more-sonic-rivals/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>interview</category><category>sega</category><category>sonic</category><category>sonic rivals</category><category>SonicRivals</category><category>yosuke moriya</category><category>YosukeMoriya</category><dc:creator>Andrew Yoon</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 27 Oct 2006 09:39:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Metal Sonic appears in Sonic Rivals</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/18/metal-sonic-appears-in-sonic-rivals/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/18/metal-sonic-appears-in-sonic-rivals/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/18/metal-sonic-appears-in-sonic-rivals/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a></p><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/psp/driving/sonicrivals/screenindex.html?page=1&amp;sid=6160074&amp;part=rss&amp;tag=gs_psp&amp;subj=6160074"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" id="vimage_1" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.pspfanboy.com/media/2006/10/metalsonic.jpg" /></a><br />We <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/14/psp-fanboy-interviews-sonic-rivals-yosuke-moriya/">hinted</a> at the presence of a secret character in <em>Sonic Rivals</em> when we played the game at <a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/18/joystiq-at-digitallife-2006/">DigitalLife</a>. Well, it looks like <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/psp/driving/sonicrivals/screenindex.html?page=1&amp;sid=6160074&amp;part=rss&amp;tag=gs_psp&amp;subj=6160074">the secret's out</a> (thanks to screenshots posted on Gamespot), and <em>Sonic</em> fans are going to love the news. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Sonic">Metal Sonic</a>, the evil robotic clone of Sonic will be the final unlockable character, and you'll be able to play as him once you beat the game. For hardcore Sonic fans, this should be incentive enough to pick up the game when it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000G0JD66?tag=prey0f&amp;camp=0&amp;creative=0&amp;linkCode=as1&amp;creativeASIN=B000G0JD66&amp;adid=0WDWJQ5T5KGWAZCVW3D3&amp;">comes out</a> in November.<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href=http://www.gamespot.com/psp/driving/sonicrivals/screenindex.html?page=1&amp;sid=6160074&amp;part=rss&amp;tag=gs_psp&amp;subj=6160074>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/18/metal-sonic-appears-in-sonic-rivals/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/687281/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/18/metal-sonic-appears-in-sonic-rivals/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/18/metal-sonic-appears-in-sonic-rivals/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>metal sonic</category><category>MetalSonic</category><category>sonic</category><category>sonic rivals</category><category>SonicRivals</category><dc:creator>Andrew Yoon</dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 18 Oct 2006 21:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>PSP Fanboy interviews Sonic Rivals' Yosuke Moriya</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/14/psp-fanboy-interviews-sonic-rivals-yosuke-moriya/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/14/psp-fanboy-interviews-sonic-rivals-yosuke-moriya/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/14/psp-fanboy-interviews-sonic-rivals-yosuke-moriya/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a></p><p align="center"><script type="text/javascript" src="http://videogames.netscape.com/embed/425/PMLGJNFFOYUJBFQWMAGC"></script></p>
<p>Fellow blogger <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/bloggers/chris-powell/">Chris Powell</a> did <em>not</em> like my <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/13/psp-fanboy-hands-on-sonic-rivals/">somewhat negative preview</a> of <em>Sonic Rivals</em> from the DigitalLife show floor. He told me on AIM that I should "play it until I like it." Well, buddy-- I tried to follow your advice. I spoke with Yosuke Moriya, product manager for Sega, about the PSP-exclusive title and he talked a little bit about the game, revealed some of its features, and played multiplayer with me. Mr. Moriya reassured me that some of the complaints I had were being addressed before the game ships <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000G0JD66?tag=prey0f&amp;camp=0&amp;creative=0&amp;linkCode=as1&amp;creativeASIN=B000G0JD66&amp;adid=0WDWJQ5T5KGWAZCVW3D3&amp;">in November</a>. For example, the framerate certainly hindered the sense of speed the game needs: when debug mode was turned on, I saw that the framerate dropped frequently to 15-20fps.</p>
<p>Music will obviously be added, but unfortunately, it appears that voice acting will not (the game currently features very short quips: Sonic says only "yeah" over and over again). The single player portion of the game will be meatier than I originally thought, as I was shown a few of the later levels and a very cool secret unlockable character (which we can't reveal, sorry!). You'll be able to collect rings and cards, which will be redeemed for new customization items for the characters: for example, you can get new shoes for Sonic, or a new outfit for Knuckles, etc. Sonic + Barbie = fun, right?</p>
<p>The game was obviously designed with multiplayer in mind, and it became a much more fun, and lively game when playing against a human opponent. I got to trash talk Yosuke as I sped away, racing towards the finish line. The moments where we able to use special powers against each other were the most lively, and the game has to create as many opportuities for interaction as possible. You can bet cards at the beginning of each race, so I could've stolen Yosuke's shoes. I didn't, though... because I'm just that nice. I have to admit I had a blast, but unfortunately, the game will only support ad-hoc multiplayer with two UMDs. Without Infrastructure play, it might be difficult to find another human opponent to play against. And that's a shame, really, because the game does become a much more lively game with it.</p><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/14/psp-fanboy-interviews-sonic-rivals-yosuke-moriya/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/684841/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/14/psp-fanboy-interviews-sonic-rivals-yosuke-moriya/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/14/psp-fanboy-interviews-sonic-rivals-yosuke-moriya/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>digital life</category><category>DigitalLife</category><category>interview</category><category>psp fanboy</category><category>PspFanboy</category><category>sega</category><category>sonic</category><category>sonic rivals</category><category>SonicRivals</category><category>yosuke moriya</category><category>YosukeMoriya</category><dc:creator>Andrew Yoon</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 14 Oct 2006 17:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>PSP Fanboy hands-on: Sonic Rivals</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/13/psp-fanboy-hands-on-sonic-rivals/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/13/psp-fanboy-hands-on-sonic-rivals/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/13/psp-fanboy-hands-on-sonic-rivals/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.pspfanboy.com/media/2006/10/sonicrivals.jpg" id="vimage_1" alt="" /><br />PSP Fanboy had a chance to play the upcoming <em>Sonic Rivals</em> at NYC's <a href="http://www.digitallife.com">DigitalLife</a> event. I had high expectations for the game because I hold a belief that the 2D Sonic games are much better than their 3D counterparts. With the impressive processing power of the PSP, I expected to see a vivid, colorful, living environment for Sonic and the gang to race through. The build I played (which felt very early: it didn't have music, or voice acting), didn't showcase the PSP's graphical prowess. Surprisingly, the game felt somewhat sluggish, with Sonic's notoriously fast speeds feeling somewhat subdued.<br /><br />While the gameplay is in classic 2D, I couldn't help but be disappointed by the fact that the game is <em>not</em> a platformer, but a racer. However, <em>Sonic Rivals</em> seems to find itself in a confusing place because neither the platforming nor the racing elements seem to feel right yet. The controls didn't feel tight enough: there were context sensitive options to certain parts of the level, but it felt like many button presses weren't doing what they were supposed to. Hit detection between Sonic and his rival also seemed iffy. For the most part, the game felt uninspiring. All the elements for a good <em>Sonic</em> game appear to be present: there are enemies, there are branching levels, and there are environmental hazards. But without a real sense of speed, or an incentive for exploration, <em>Rivals</em> feels fails to inspire. I haven't had a chance to play with all the characters, or play multiplayer yet, but so far, I have to say I'm a little disappointed. <em>Sonic Rivals</em> speeds into stores in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000G0JD66?tag=prey0f&amp;camp=0&amp;creative=0&amp;linkCode=as1&amp;creativeASIN=B000G0JD66&amp;adid=122RC20VMVZYGFC7JWQH&amp;">November</a>.<br /><br /><strong>See also:</strong><br /><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2006/10/13/joystiq-at-sonics-15th-birthday-party/">Joystiq at Sonic's 15th birthday party</a><br /><br /><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" id="vimage_2" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.pspfanboy.com/media/2006/10/sonicloses.jpg" /><p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/13/psp-fanboy-hands-on-sonic-rivals/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/684194/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/13/psp-fanboy-hands-on-sonic-rivals/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/13/psp-fanboy-hands-on-sonic-rivals/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>digital life</category><category>DigitalLife</category><category>sonic</category><category>sonic rivals</category><category>SonicRivals</category><dc:creator>Andrew Yoon</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 13 Oct 2006 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Gasp! Get your Sonic Rivals internet cards before they're all gone</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/03/gasp-get-your-sonic-rivals-internet-cards-before-theyre-all-go/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/03/gasp-get-your-sonic-rivals-internet-cards-before-theyre-all-go/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/03/gasp-get-your-sonic-rivals-internet-cards-before-theyre-all-go/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a></p><a href="http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=37744" target="_self"><img width="100" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="140" border="1" align="right" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.pspfanboy.com/media/2006/10/knuckles.jpg" id="vimage_1" alt="Gasp! Get your Sonic Rivals internet cards before they're all gone" /></a>Sega has been known to do some off-the-wall advertising for their games, just check out <a href="http://www.beta-7.com/blog/">Beta-7</a> if you don't believe me. Now Sega, to hype up <a href="http://pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/"><em>Sonic Rivals</em></a> coming to the PSP, has released character artwork cards, and I really have no clue why.<br /><br />Among the lucky characters to be included in this batch are Sonic (Of course), Knuckles, Shadow and Silver. Honestly, I'm not really "feeling" these cards so much. Is there really a point in numbering them? I don't think anyone's going to try to trade a Knuckles for a Silver any time soon.<br /><br />Anyway, <em>Sonic Rivials</em> should be released Nov. 21. That means you only have a little more than a month to collect the entire set. You better hurry!<br /><br />[Via <a href="http://www.dcemu.co.uk">DCEmu</a>]<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href=http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=37744>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/03/gasp-get-your-sonic-rivals-internet-cards-before-theyre-all-go/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/678196/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/03/gasp-get-your-sonic-rivals-internet-cards-before-theyre-all-go/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/10/03/gasp-get-your-sonic-rivals-internet-cards-before-theyre-all-go/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>cards</category><category>knuckles</category><category>sega</category><category>shadow</category><category>silver</category><category>sonic</category><category>sonic rivals</category><category>SonicRivals</category><dc:creator>Chris Powell</dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 03 Oct 2006 16:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Sonic Rivals trailer</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/26/sonic-rivals-trailer/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/26/sonic-rivals-trailer/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/26/sonic-rivals-trailer/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/video/" rel="tag">Video</a></p><p align="center"><object width="425" height="350">
<param value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XOMblp77XKY" name="movie" /><embed width="425" height="350" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XOMblp77XKY"></embed></object></p>
<em>Sonic</em> has been cursed with some pretty mediocre gameplay in the past generation when placed in the third dimension. But, the 2D platformers found on the Game Boy Advance were all very solid. <em>Sonic Rivals</em>, the upcoming PSP-exclusive title features 2D gameplay, but with 3D graphics.... So, will it fall into the same curse that all the other 3D <em>Sonics</em> have?<br /><br /><a href="http://pspupdates.qj.net/GC-2006-Sonic-Rivals-Trailer/pg/49/aid/63272">This trailer</a> shows off some solid (and very speedy) graphics, but the gameplay worries me. Does it seem a bit too shallow? I'm afraid that because of its focus on racing, it might forget the important <em>platforming</em> element so crucial to a platform game. You watch the trailer and you be the judge.<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href=http://pspupdates.qj.net/GC-2006-Sonic-Rivals-Trailer/pg/49/aid/63272>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/26/sonic-rivals-trailer/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/659468/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/26/sonic-rivals-trailer/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/26/sonic-rivals-trailer/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>knuckles</category><category>platformer</category><category>platforming</category><category>racing</category><category>sega</category><category>sonic</category><category>sonic rivals</category><category>SonicRivals</category><dc:creator>Andrew Yoon</dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 26 Aug 2006 00:21:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Games Convention to feature Vice City &amp; Sonic</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/17/games-convention-to-feature-vice-city-and-sonic/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/17/games-convention-to-feature-vice-city-and-sonic/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/17/games-convention-to-feature-vice-city-and-sonic/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/grand-theft-auto/" rel="tag">Grand Theft Auto</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.pspfanboy.com/media/2006/08/sonicgta.jpg" id="vimage_1" alt="" /><br />According to <a href="http://www.gamefront.de/">GameFront</a>, it appears that the highly anticipated <em>Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories</em> will be presented to members of the press in next week's Games Convention in Germany. Also on-hand at the show, according to <a href="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=18970">GamesIndustry.biz</a> is <em>Sonic Rivals</em>, the first ever original PSP platformer starring Sega's famous mascot. With the convention pending, it appears that new screens of both games are making their way around the internet. <a href="http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=144592?cid=OTC-RSS&amp;attr=CVG-General-RSS">CVG</a> has posted new screens of <em>Sonic Rivals</em>, featuring the aptly named Silver, who boasts psychic powers. <a href="http://www.game.co.uk/gallery.aspx?Index=328658">GAME</a> also has new direct-feed screenshots of <em>Vice City Stories</em> in action, showcasing the "new" rocket launcher.<br /><br />[Thanks, <a href="http://www.gtavicecitystories.com/">Adriaan</a>!]<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/17/games-convention-to-feature-vice-city-and-sonic/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/655705/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/17/games-convention-to-feature-vice-city-and-sonic/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/17/games-convention-to-feature-vice-city-and-sonic/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>convention</category><category>cvg</category><category>game</category><category>gamefront</category><category>games convention</category><category>GamesConvention</category><category>gamesindustry.biz</category><category>germany</category><category>grand theft auto</category><category>GrandTheftAuto</category><category>gta</category><category>rocket launcher</category><category>RocketLauncher</category><category>screens</category><category>screenshots</category><category>silver</category><category>sonic</category><category>sonic rivals</category><category>SonicRivals</category><category>vice city</category><category>vice city stories</category><category>ViceCity</category><category>ViceCityStories</category><dc:creator>Andrew Yoon</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 17 Aug 2006 13:45:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>Sega does what Nintendon't on your PSP</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/10/sega-does-what-nintendont-on-your-psp/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/10/sega-does-what-nintendont-on-your-psp/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/10/sega-does-what-nintendont-on-your-psp/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/news/" rel="tag">News</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sega-genesis-collection/" rel="tag">Sega Genesis Collection</a>, <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a></p><a href="http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3152778"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt="" id="vimage_1" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.pspfanboy.com/media/2006/08/sonicoftherings.jpg" /></a>If you're into classic games like me, you're probably eagerly awaiting the Nintendo Wii's <a href="http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/category/virtual-console/">Virtual Console</a> feature so that you can play not only some Nintendo games, but some <a href="http://2fwww.nintendowiifanboy.com/2006/05/16/wii-virtual-console-demonstration/">Genesis games</a> as well. For those of you Sony fanboys that'll avoid the Wii like its a smelly grandmother, there's finally an alternative: <em>Sega Genesis Collection</em>, a compliation of <strong>nearly thirty</strong> Genesis games is heading to the PSP. The disc will not only come loaded with the games, but exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes footage. PSP owners can rejoice in knowing that an exclusive wireless multiplayer mode is being created just for them. Maybe it'll even support Game Sharing? (I hope so!) Here's the list of games:<br />
<ol>
    <li>Alex Kidd</li>
    <li>Altered Beast</li>
    <li>Bonanza Bros.</li>
    <li>Columns</li>
    <li>Comix Zone</li>
    <li>Decap Attack</li>
    <li>Ecco the Dolphin</li>
    <li>Ecco: The Tides of Time</li>
    <li>Ecco Jr.</li>
    <li>Eternal Champions</li>
    <li>Flicky</li>
    <li>Gain Ground</li>
    <li>Golden Axe</li>
    <li>Golden Axe II</li>
    <li>Golden Axe III</li>
    <li>Phantasy Star II</li>
    <li>Phantasy Star III</li>
    <li>Phantasy Star IV</li>
    <li>Ristar</li>
    <li>Shadow Dancer: Secret of Shinobi</li>
    <li>Shinobi III</li>
    <li>Sonic the Hedgehog</li>
    <li>Sonic the Hedgehog 2</li>
    <li>Super Thunderblade</li>
    <li>Sword of Vermillion</li>
    <li>Vectorman</li>
    <li>Vectorman 2</li>
    <li>Virtua Fighter 2</li>
</ol>
Whoa... out of breath just <em>reading</em> that list. <a href="http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3152778">Visit 1up</a> to see details about all of these classics.<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href=http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3152778>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/10/sega-does-what-nintendont-on-your-psp/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/653062/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/10/sega-does-what-nintendont-on-your-psp/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/08/10/sega-does-what-nintendont-on-your-psp/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>alex kidd</category><category>AlexKidd</category><category>altered beast</category><category>AlteredBeast</category><category>bonanza bros</category><category>BonanzaBros</category><category>collection</category><category>columns</category><category>comix zone</category><category>ComixZone</category><category>compilation</category><category>decap attack</category><category>DecapAttack</category><category>ecco</category><category>eternal champions</category><category>EternalChampions</category><category>flicky</category><category>gain ground</category><category>GainGround</category><category>genesis</category><category>golden axe</category><category>GoldenAxe</category><category>nintendo</category><category>phantasy star</category><category>PhantasyStar</category><category>retro</category><category>ristar</category><category>shadow dancer</category><category>ShadowDancer</category><category>shinobi</category><category>sonic</category><category>sword of vermillion</category><category>SwordOfVermillion</category><category>thunderblade</category><category>vectorman</category><category>virtua fighter</category><category>VirtuaFighter</category><category>virtual console</category><category>VirtualConsole</category><category>wii</category><dc:creator>Andrew Yoon</dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 10 Aug 2006 12:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title>New Sonic Rivals screens released</title><link>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/07/14/new-sonic-rivals-screens-released/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/07/14/new-sonic-rivals-screens-released/</guid><comments>http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/07/14/new-sonic-rivals-screens-released/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/category/sonic/" rel="tag">Sonic</a></p><a href="http://www.gamespot.com/psp/driving/sonicrivals/screenindex.html?sid=6153998"><img width="425" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="241" border="1" align="middle" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.pspfanboy.com/media/2006/07/sonic-rivals.jpg" id="vimage_1" alt="New Sonic Rivals screens released" /></a><br />There's a few things every handheld system needs to really show that it has arrived, and one of those things is having a Sonic game in its library. Hell, even the N-Gage had one. Well now, PSP fanboys, there's no more need for worry, because Sega's bringing their beloved hedgehog to the PSP in the form of <em>Sonic Rivals</em>, and Gamespot has just released some pretty slick new screens to whet your appetite.<br /><br />Sega's most recent Sonic handheld entry is <em>Sonic Rush</em> on the Nintendo DS, which was <a href="http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/920803.asp?q=sonic">rated very well</a> by the critics. Sega is hoping to continue that momentum with Sonic Rivals.<br /><br />The game, which is slated to hit our shores in November, is not your traditional Sonic platformer, though. It's a racing game that pits Sonic against Knuckles and the rest of the Sonic crew battling it out in what feels like a classic 2D game with 3D backgrounds and environments. I have to be honest, I'd much rather Sega give us a normal platformer, but when has Sega ever done anything you'd expect them to?<br /><br />[Via <a href="http://www.gamespot.com">Gamespot</a>]<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href=http://www.gamespot.com/psp/driving/sonicrivals/screenindex.html?sid=6153998>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/07/14/new-sonic-rivals-screens-released/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/forward/643191/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&amp;fc=1&amp;url=http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/07/14/new-sonic-rivals-screens-released/" title="Linking Blogs">Linking&nbsp;Blogs</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pspfanboy.com/2006/07/14/new-sonic-rivals-screens-released/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p>]]></description><category>Sega, Sonic Rivals, Sonic, Sonic Rush, Nintendo DS, platformer</category><category>Sega,SonicRivals,Sonic,SonicRush,NintendoDs,Platformer</category><dc:creator>Chris Powell</dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 14 Jul 2006 17:41:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>