Chapter 355: Platformers and Mascots II
"Uhm... Alex..." Milla still had something on her mind.
"Yeah?"
"Grandpa Sullivan told me something."
"Told you what?"
"About something you told him."
"What's it about?"
"He told me that you're sleeping with women..." Milla enunciated. "To help you out."
"Err..." What sort of hole was his grandfather digging for him now?
"Is it that Shrew?!" Milla quickly jumped on that. "Why not me?!"
Cold-faced Alexander almost did a spit-take on that. Does she even know what that insinuates? Just what the hell was his grandfather thinking?!
Clearly, that troll of an old man was at it again.
Even more clearly was the fact that he didn't just have a forefront seat to ONE historic rivalry.
He had a forefront seat to two.
Probably a whole lot more if he really thinks about it.
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Anyways...
It's one rivalry at a time.
Hence... it was now Mario's rival's turn to have its grand debut!
With Nintendo having their turn at platforming and somewhat mascot-ing...
It just made sense for Creed's platformer and "mascot" to take the stage as well.
Before long, the Creed Chaos System already informed who should be informed.
As long as a Chaos unit owner turned on their systems to play, it'll be quite hard for them to miss the difference.
1/6, 2/6, 3/6, 4/6, 5/6. At whatever point they are on the menu, those indicative already told them what's what.
It didn't even take long for them to scroll to the game displays and reach 6/6.
There they saw the newest game on the block.
A tropical-esque island with coconuts could be seen with a sprinkle of golden rings.
A blue and spiky-haired fellow could be seen. Which should be Sonic. Red shoes, white gloves, and all that.
As for what he is. Probably a hedgehog.
As for how they came to that conclusion, well, the title on display literally spells it out...
Sonic the Hedgehog!
Of course, that's not all there is to it...
Which was why the following process still had to ensue.
Breaking some piggy banks or outright begging...
A trip to the local comic book store...
Purchasing the GameKey, manuals, and all that...
By the time, it's done and dusted, Creed Gamers finally get to know more than how the artsy display and title represented it.
The full gist of what it's really about...
Case in point, Sonic the Hedgehog!
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The story begins on South Island. This island is known for being a treasure trove of ruins and gems.
Amongst these gems are the Chaos Emeralds, six gemstones with enough power to bring energy to all living beings, or power nuclear and laser weapons through science and technology.
Well, as it turns out, the Chaos in the Creed Chaos System may have deeper lore into it. If these are the gems that empower these powerful consoles to do these miraculous feats, then Wowza!
Game-wise, nobody really knows how to obtain these gems.
This is because South Island is a moving island, with the Chaos Emeralds existing within natural distortions on the island.
One day, danger comes upon South Island.
The human mad scientist, Dr. Ivo Robotnik, lands on it with his minions.
Strangely enough, he has a big nose, some mustache, an overall red theme, and is a bit bloated. Gee! It makes one wonder if that's a dig at certain somebody.
Anyways, this fella is set in his evil ways, where he schemes a new plan to crush everything in his way with the power of science.
Soon after his arrival, the doctor builds a huge fortress on one corner of the island and begins to develop on it.
He also begins hunting the Chaos Emeralds in order to use their incredible power, declaring that he will find them even if he has to dig up the entire island.
Upon learning of Dr. Robotnik's ambitions through rumors, Sonic rushes to South Island to stop the doctor.
However, he notices that, compared to his past encounters with his nemesis, something is different.
He soon after finds Robotnik, who gloats that he has caught all the local Animals and turned them into his mindless Badnik servants.
Unfazed by his adversary's taunt, the hedgehog will have to travel through the various Zones on South Island, freeing the Animals and defeating the scientist and his various contraptions along the way while hunting for the Chaos Emeralds.
That is where the whole game and gameplay come along.
Involving the collection of rings, and a simple control scheme, with jumping and attacking controlled by a single button.
Which is quite a big help for the obstacles that come one's way.
Instead of flabby plumbers, Sonic is the hero of this story.
An anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who can run at supersonic speeds...
Can curl into a ball to demolish enemies...
And can get a bit too sassy when he's slowed down or comes to a halt entirely.
Not many pipes and bricks here but it does include springs, slopes, bottomless pits, and vertical loops.
As if that isn't enough, the key to this game is actually being fast and going at it at high speeds.
The levels are populated with robot enemies. The Badniks, inside which Dr. Robotnik has trapped animals; destroying a robot frees the animal, but is not necessary to complete the game.
It also has elements such as lives, health, shields, and whatnot but it ultimately boils down to golden rings.
Having less is bad. Having more is good. So good that it can give you an extra life, helps with hazards, and can even transfer Sonic to special stages.
These rings are scattered throughout the map and sure does have a lot more thought to it than just having some fatso hogging coins even though he is supposed to be saving some princess.
The game is split into six principal zones, corresponding to the six gemstones, followed by a short Final Zone.
Each main zone has its own visual style, and while some enemies appear throughout, each zone has unique enemies and obstacles.
Each main zone is split into three acts, all of which must be completed.
At the end of each main zone's third act, the player confronts Dr. Robotnik in a boss fight.
For most of the fights, Robotnik's vehicle is fitted with different weapons. Which sure is a whole lot more dynamic than repeating the same dragon-turtle-esque boss, suspension bridge, and axe.
In any case, the fate of the Chaos Emeralds will be decided by how the game is played through.
Will Sonic win? Will Robotnik triumph?
Ultimately, it is those who are in for the ride that will have fun with it.
And have fun with it, they did!
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Just as Nintendo was in a comfortable position with their strategy, their selection, and their great clincher, Mario.
This kind of curveball just had to thrown by Creed out of nowhere.
Surprisingly enough, this Sonic the Hedgehog actually mirrors their ace game, Super Mario Bros. a whole lot!
In quite some ways and more. So much more!
Sonic the Hedgehog may have just started out but with the supersonic pace it's going... it won't be long before their plumber gets left in the dust!
Even with their plumber getting quite a bit of a headstart!
With just this single game, the confidence that Nintendo had with all their strategy and justifications was already showing signs of shaking.
Shaky confidence is what they have at the moment.
Then again, who can blame them?
Instead, why not just blame somebody?
Oh Creed Games! Did you really have to do something like that?
Can't you give us, Nintendo, a bit more leeway for a tiny victory?
What's the point of our Nintendo Power when you showcase just how much more powerful you really are?!