One of the best Sonic The Hedgehog games ever made is now free for iOS users, although there’s a small catch.
Sega has announced that the widely beloved Sonic CD will be free to iOS users for a limited time, but with ads included.
Sonic CD is free on iOS (w/ads) for a limited time. pic.twitter.com/RJWRcpbNxx
— Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic_hedgehog) October 29, 2016
Sonic CD was released back in 1993 on the Sega CD. Unlike previous Sonic games, it was one that pushed players to explore levels rather than run through them as quickly as possible. Using a time travel mechanic, players were able to jump forward or backward in time, changing the level layout as they did so. The game was also lauded for its excellent soundtrack. The Sega CD allowed developers to create more complex music with a wider range of timbers.
The mobile version of Sonic CD was actually created by Christian Whitehead, an Australian indie developer and major fan of the series. He created a new game engine, Retro Engine, to enable Sonic CD to run on mobile hardware. After approaching Sega with his concept, the company moved forward with releasing the game on mobile.
Fans have lauded Whitehead’s ports as being true to the original and for running with nary a hiccup. His port also included the ability to switch between the Western and Japanese soundtracks, both of which are excellent.
Sega is actually going back to its 2D roots with Sonic Mania, a new game to release on console and PC next year. The game is being developed by Sega of America, along with Whitehead, and prominent mobile indie developer Pagoda West Games.
As for Android users, the game sadly is not free in the Google Play store. But there is a way to get it for free via the Amazon Underground app. The only platform in which the game is not free is Windows Phone.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.