PPR Presents Quick Hints: Sonic Mania Easy Secret Ring Guide

onic Mania is out, and everyone is racing through to collect all the goods that they can in this new adventure, but the most important treasure to be found in this speedy throwback are the elusive Chaos Emeralds!

We know that the hunt for the special secret rings that transport you to the special stages where you can find them might be a bit daunting, and that’s why we whipped this handy quick guide to steer you into seven back to back Secret Rings at the very start of your adventure!

If done right, you can transform into the all mighty Super Sonic by the time you hit the second stage of the game in no time flat. Click play to check out how you find these easy Secret Rings right now!

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

PPR Presents Play Play: Sonic CD

 

onic Mania is fast approaching, and while we don’t have our review ready just yet, we do have a few special looks at some choice cuts from the Blue Blur’s past that we think have influenced the direction seen in the new 2D throwback.

The next game up is one that gets a lot of praise despite being another obscure entry from the Hedgehog’s prime, as we sit down and play Sonic CD on the SEGA CD. Unlike Chaotix, this title has recently seen re-releases across a bevy of modern platforms, and it was in that re-release that Christian White got his start with the franchise under SEGA’s payroll as well.

Join Ser and George as they discuss whether or not this game deserves the distinction of being the best 16-bit Sonic title ever done in another new Play Play!

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

PPR Presents Play Play: Knuckles' Chaotix

onic Mania is fast approaching, and while we don’t have our review ready just yet, we do have a few special looks at some choice cuts from the Blue Blur’s past that we think have influenced the direction seen in the new 2D throwback.

The first game in this little mini-series of ours is Knuckles’ Chaotix for the SEGA 32X. While this one is particularly obscure, it’s certainly notable for being the only 2D Sonic title that was developed for a 32-bit platform, as paltry as the 32X may seem to that distinction—and weirder enough, Sonic isn’t even playable in it.

Join Ser and George as they wax some nostalgia with equal parts trivia over may arguably be one of the most bright-ass games you’ll ever see in this latest Play Play!

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

QCF: Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom

nterest in JRPG games is still steadily climbing, and it despite some of the more lukewarm titles recently released that have tried to take advantage of the genre’s resurgence, the demand for the style has not slowed down. Seizing this opportunity, a studio named Enigami took to KickStarter to fund their idea Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom; a game that empathized the traditional nuances of classic 16-bit JRPG with a presentation that boasted the production value of a modern anime.

Receiving additional support from the CNC after their Kickstarter campaign was successful, the game has quietly released on storefronts, with little to no marketing, and to that effect, little to no fanfare either…

Which is a shame because while the title may scream “DeviANT Art: The game” at first glance, the unique combat system, and world-building offered in Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom is something that’s surprisingly memorable, and definitely worth a look for anyone who’s looking for a new JRPG to dump some time into.

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QCF: Crash Bandicoot: N Sane Trilogy

hile there are dozens upon dozens of gaming franchises that are languishing in obscurity these days, none have quite sparked the sort of fiery demand that Marsupial Mascot Crash Bandicoot has. The once revered Sony icon had recently resurfaced as a cameo character in the latest Skylanders entry, and the fan service in response proved that plenty of folks had still held onto their memories of the edgy Jorts-wearing furball fondly, which didn’t go unnoticed by Activison or Sony.

Wisely banking off of the nostalgia of the Bandicoots earlier titles during his prime, the two companies had finally decided to pull the trigger, Crash Bandicoot: N-Sane Trilogy, exclusively for the PlayStation 4, a remastered collection of the first three titles newly developed from the ground up by Vicarious Visions.

The question here however was never whether or not Crash Bandicoot could be brought back but rather, whether or not he SHOULD be—many of the charming elements of the series are also some of the same rough-edged quirks that relegate the games into being the clumsy 3D relics (pun gratifyingly intended) that they ultimately are.

While there are few conventions that haven’t aged well, and a few new glaring issues that weren’t there before, the trilogy still manages to iron out a lot of the wrinkles of the originals, delivering a wonderful compilation of the Bandicoot’s early outings that both fans, and new comers alike.

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QCF: Valkyeria Revolution

ven after nearly 10 years since its initial release on the PlayStation 3, the impact of SEGA’s Valkyeria Chronicles still resonates throughout the tactical RPG scene to this very day, continuing to be sold on Steam after the windows version hit the store recently.

Since then though, the property’s transition into a full-fledged series has only propelled it further into niche territory, with two direct sequels releasing exclusively to Sony’s struggling handheld at the time, the PSP, and the other not even making it out of Japan. Hell, there was even some bunk-ass mobile game that didn’t last for more than two years before it was kicked off the market, and servers shut down—Valkyeria’s true claim to fame still bellied onto the original in the states.

Shooting for the chance that lightning will strike twice, as SEGA brings on Media.Vision, the same developers responsible for the Wild Arms and Chaos Rings series to create Valkyeria Revolution; a spin-off sequel to the franchise that’s available on both console, and portable.

While the premise in this venture certainly is interesting, Valkyeria Revolution seems to have left behind most of the qualities that made the Valkyeria experience so charming and likable in the first place.

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QCF: Injustice 2

f you told me five years ago that the same people behind Mortal Kombat were working on a fighting game based on the DC universe of comic book characters and that it was going to be one of the best fighting games of the modern era, I would have done more than just scoff at your claim. Clichéd reflections of hindsight aside though, Injustice ballooned into being one of the finest examples of a fighting game that’s been done in years, which left behind a much harder question to answer; would NetherRealm be able to top what they’ve done with Injustice in its the next installment?

Injustice 2 is a resounding yes to that question, as it takes everything that made its predecessor so captivating, and improves upon it in every way, in every sentiment of the word.

The idea of incorporating a license that thrives on heavy fan service and character driven narratives like the DC Universe, into a fighting game is no easy task, and yet NetherRealm managed to craft a follow-up plot to the Injustice universe that fleshes out its world into something more than just some flashy Elseworlds story.

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QCF: Cosmic Star Heroine

 thought for sure that Zeboyd Games' Cosmic Star Heroine had been released long before now. I distinctly remember it being shown from day-one in PS4 interactives and advertisement loops all the way back in 2013. Now, granted, the Cosmic Star Heroine from that time looks quite a bit different than it does today, so there has obviously been quite a bit of work done on the game since it was revealed almost half a decade ago. But what is Cosmic Star Heroine? How has it progressed? And is it worth your time?

Successfully kickstarted in 2013, Cosmic Star Heroine was released to the PS4, PS Vita and Steam on April 11, 2017. It’s a traditional turn-based RPG that takes pages - well, no, actually, it takes whole chapters - from another fairly popular game from the mid-90’s. You may have heard of it; a little game called Chrono Trigger. Players take on the role of Alyssa L’salle, a star member of a futuristic interplanetary spy agency that discovers very early on that things aren’t as they seem with her employers. What kind of conspiracy has she uncovered? One thing is for sure, Cosmic Star Heroine’s story is one that’ll keep the player guessing, and keeps things pretty interesting all the way though.

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