As a gamer, I felt victorious as I won the 200-ticket bonus on Space Invaders Frenzy twice and earned the 500-ticket bonus on Gold Fishin’ at Llandudno Pier in North Wales nearly a month ago. Even as a former fan of Sonic the Hedgehog, I am a little intrigued after the thumbnail for its announcement trailer on YouTube caught my eye on Hello Kitty’s birthday [7] [8] [36] [37] [48]. 2023 has been quite an outstanding year for the blue speedster as he was a murder victim as an interactive April Fool’s Day joke [43], Sonic Frontiers got even better with three updates [25] [28] [39] [56], the second season of Sonic Prime expanded on possibly his toughest quest and Sonic Superstars has been inspiringly acclaimed [16] [17] [40]. It looks like there will be one more highlight of 2023 for him and his friends next month [36] [37]. Let us dream of a good outcome for Sonic Dream Team during the super sweet sixth anniversary of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and shortly after a fantastic mid-season special blew many fans of Helluva Boss, including yours truly away [1] [14] [19] [26], along with various ways we celebrated this year’s Halloween [9], including some of us witnessing the return of three ghostly characters who haunted Chip, also known as “Light Gaia” from Sonic Unleashed fifteen years ago [13] [29] [33].
You can call me a sucker for rhymes all you want, but the logo vaguely reminds me of the Crazy Eight’s design as part of the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe logo [19] [32]. And speaking of Hello Kitty, have you checked out the latest update for Hello Kitty Island Adventure [6]? Just like in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, a fellow kitty can decorate their own cabin [6] [18] [26]! [37]
Now, let us dash through the potential of Sonic Dream Team while our simmers are hyped for the next expansion pack for The Sims 4 this December. [47]
The first thing you will notice as you watch the announcement trailer is the animation, along with the game’s logo [36] [37]. The moment when Sonic dodges Eggman’s attacks is exactly what an admirer of his would expect from him and transitions quite nicely to a moment of him grinding on a rail in the gameplay. The art style is about as vibrant as the art styles of Sonic Frontiers Prologue: Divergence and Sonic Superstars: Trio of Trouble in terms of how the characters look and their movements are about as lively as the animation of the introduction of Sonic Mania [38] [40] [42] [52] [53]. The backgrounds in the next sequence featuring almost all the characters in action match the colour palette of the logo [32] [36] [37]. The animated sequences are exceptional enough to possibly lead to some inspiration for a new anime series at some point in the second half of this decade [54] [55]. As eye-popping and energetic as the animated sequences in the announcement trailer are, the visuals in the gameplay are notably colourful and quite detailed as an instalment designed to be an Apple Arcade exclusive [32] [36] [37]. Moreover, I suspect that there will be expanded versions of the animated sequences in the game as cutscenes to show more of their excellence.
Behold, reader! Sonic can FLY…with the help of Tails and Rouge, of course [30]. [37]
The gameplay appears to be a smaller equivalent of the open-world aspects of the gameplay in Sonic Frontiers for mobile devices [28] [36] [37]. The roster of playable characters includes:
Sonic the Hedgehog [36] [37]
Miles “Tails” Prower [36] [37]
Knuckles the Echidna [36] [37]
Amy Rose [36] [37]
Rouge the Bat [36] [37]
Cream the Rabbit and Cheese, her pet Chao [36] [37]
Each character appears to have their own abilities once again as Rouge can glide with her wings. Catching a glimpse of Sonic launching himself from a quarter-pipe ramp vaguely reminded me of the Halfpipe event in the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games [21]. There also appear to be some battles against giant robots created by…you guessed it Dr. Eggman [36] [37]! A smaller adaption of the gameplay mechanics from a Sonic the Hedgehog game placed into an open-world adventure can be a brief reminder of Sonic Frontiers [28], especially after its third update expanded on the perspectives of Tails, Amy, and Knuckles during their respawned playabilities [39]. And aside from promising gameplay in Sonic Dream Team [36] [37], there will be a new form of originality in the premise as Dr. Eggman shall cast a dream-like distortion of reality with a relic known as “The Reeverie” [34].
CHAAAAAAARRGE!!! [37]
As someone who was willing to have a COVID-19 booster jab in one arm and a flu jab in the other [2], I sure know a thing or two about familiar yet fresh [4]. Is Sonic Team sure that NiGHTS is not involved in this forthcoming game [27]? [37]
A new character in quite a lovely design making her debut in Sonic Dream Team has sparked my curiosity [36] [37] [46]. Her name is Ariem and she is a goat [31]. Of course, she is not the only new character introduced in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise this year as those who are speeding through Sonic Superstars have encountered Trip the Sungazer who came off as the Sonic the Hedgehog equivalent of Angela Cross from Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando in terms of disguises and a certain aspect of gradual character growth [41] [42] [44]. As for Ariem in Sonic Dream Team, it is suspected that she will play a supporting role [31]. It is also possible that she will be a figment of the playable character’s dreams as a result of Eggman causing havoc with The Reeviere [34], which would be vaguely similar to Lumina Flowlight being the ruler of Maginaryworld in Sonic Shuffle [3]. Moreover, Ariem’s character design may be a vague reminder of Shangri Llama from Ice Age: Collison Course [10], but she still looks vibrant and graceful enough to be part of the NiGHTS series [27]. How effective can this new character’s role be and what impact can she leave on a Sonic supporter [31] [46]? Only time and access to Apple Arcade services will tell.
It is possible that Ariem will make an appearance in a future comic book series from IDW Publishing [51]. [31]
Ghost Tale, an animated short from MARVA Animated Planet that welcomed the three ghosts from Sonic: Night of the Werehog back fifteen years after its release was a fun Halloween treat for Sonic supporters [13] [33], but Dr. Eggman will be up to his old tricks again, but with a new element in Sonic Dream Team [32] [34]. As for the blue speedster’s red-hatted rival from Nintendo [20] [21], not only will his ex-girlfriend, two Kongs and Peachette be the final racers in the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe roster but the Mario Kart Wii version of Rainbow Road, Rosalina’s Ice World from Mario Kart 7 and six more familiar tracks have been recreated as part of the Acorn Cup and the Spiny Cup [22]. Sonic Dream Team will conclude another motivating year exclusively on Apple Arcade alongside the launch of the expansion pass for Disney Dreamlight Valley named “A Rift In Time” shortly before the arrival of another expansion pack of The Sims 4 [13] [24] [32] [36] [37] [47], the origin of Willy Wonka gets released in the United Kingdom [50], a new generation of the Littlest Pet Shop franchise is unleashed on Roblox and the sixth and final wave of DLC for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is there for Nintendo nerds to challenge themselves to this December [12] [22].
Despite the times of emotional distress I have been through this year, including the moments when I was being mentally abused by a former friend, I am thankful for the enlightenments I have experienced outside of them [5]. Moreover, Sonic Dream Team might be another cherishment during this year’s Christmas break [32] [36] [37]. yet some people are already preparing for it at the very beginning of November [45] [49]. [37]
And speaking of ghost girls, keep an eye out for Spectra Vondergeist in her hauntingly splendid new outfit later this month if you are a fan of the Monster High franchise [15]. Until then, cherish proactivity, especially for a chance to earn a new achievement [11] [23] [51]. [13]
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Hello, fellow kitties! And meow to you all! While a hellish groovy music video within the adults-only category of modern animation online has received acclaim for its expansion on a four-armed frenemy’s development in the afterlife [19] [33] [34], a brand new series of webisodes starring a certain iconic and youthful cat from Sanrio that has been established online to welcome her to the beginning of a new decade is remaining sure to captivate viewers with its U-rated elements [9] [10] [11]. Ever since the mid-1970s, Kitty White has cuted many consumers out with her kawaii aesthetics on many clothing items and accessories, thus being referred to as “Hello Kitty”, her stage name [12] [15]. Speaking of being cuted out, I still remember being delighted from receiving a Hello Kitty tent after crafting it in exchange for five-hundred Hello Kitty gyroidites in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp while plenty of other animal crossers’ avatars snacked on Hello Kitty fortune cookies back in mid-2019 [1] [20] [21]. As someone who cosplayed as her twin sister Mimmy during Halloween later that year [17] [29] [30] [31] [32], I am more than delighted to analyse the first three weekly sweet moments on the official YouTube channel she shares with other Sanrio characters [8] [13].
This kawaii kitty from a Japanese company is back and sweeter than ever in her sweet moments! [11]The art style is quite refreshing, to say the least [9] [10] [11]. Even though Kitty’s head is more oval-shaped than usual, she still looks super cute as a cat that is as tall as a stack of five apples [15]. The colouring in plenty of aspects, including her eyes and bow, consist of tiny white gaps to make it resemble amateur colouring within a traditional drawing. It may be quite off-putting to some degree, but it may increase the appeal of the new web series for young viewers. However, the style of the colouring reminds me of the choppy colouring in the Deadpool’s Head app [6] [7]. The backgrounds are very plain with hardly much detail, but they at least help Kitty and aspects she interacts with stand out well and remind me of the extreme simplicity of the asdfmovie series [25] [26] [27] [28]. The animation’s smooth and steady flow enriches the freshness of the new art style as an element of exceptional quality. Even though the new art style for Sweet Moments with Hello Kitty may not be every Hello Kitty fan’s strawberry milkshake, it can still be seen as quite a fresh new look for a brand new establishment of the iconic gijinka’s life.
It is quite amusing how Kitty’s bow, her face, her whiskers and the recipe book stand out from a transparent layer that spawned from the flour being poured into the mixing bowl. Aside from that, the animation and art style give the web series its own source of individuality. [10]The premise of the show is basically Kitty doing ordinary things, such as baking an apple pie and practising tennis with a tennis ball machine [9] [10] [11]. The plots are very simplistic, which suits Kitty’s guiltless lifestyle of being a young Bobtail cat. One rather amusing moment of irony is when the tennis ball machine shoots out a bottle of water instead of another tennis ball after Kitty exhales from exhaustion from hitting a flock of balls with her racket in “Friendly Rewards” [9]. A creatively symbolic moment is when our loveable feline makes hearts appear above her head by thinking lovingly and then gathering them to complete the apple pie she baked in “Made With Love” [10]. The plot consists of the most conflict is the one in “Sweet Solutions” as it is about Kitty trying to figure out which ice-cold sweet treat would be the safest to snack on in hot weather [11]. With such simple and innocent scenarios, it looks like the web series is not called “Sweet Moments with Hello Kitty” for nothing. Additionally, the simplistic formula at least consists of conflict, creativity or irony to be somewhat engaging for the audience and ought to stay that way for more episodes.
A tennis ball machine that shoots out a bottle of water after a session. How convenient. [9]What about my thoughts on the audio? There is very little voice acting in the shorts, not because Kitty’s kawaii face lacks a mouth [9] [10] [11]. You can at least hear her giggle softly when she is happy and sigh when she feels bummed or exhausted. I believe that the same amount of voice acting will apply to Mimmy White or Dear Daniel if either of them ought to make an appearance in another short [14] [17]. The theme tune that plays during the title screens sounds so calming with chimes of child-like innocence, thus reminding me of some examples of music from MySims for the Nintendo Wii [5]. I also like how slightly more dramatic samples of music play when rather unfortunate events happen, such as when the scoops of Kitty’s ice cream fall onto the ground as they fit the feeling of casually encountering them [11]. I would not be surprised if a delightfully motivating superhero fanfare will play if a new episode welcomes back Ichigoman, Kitty’s superhero persona who debuted back in 2011 [16]. The elements of the audio for the first three weekly shorts in Summer 2020 have been practically and competently produced, further increasing the quality and child-like innocence of the series.
While samples of the music are often cheerful to suit the honeyed tones of each episode [9] [10] [11], the variety of foley sounds in the first three shorts are also competent, such as the sound of a tennis ball being whacked by Kitty’s racket. [9]While Kitten Catfe is such a cute and creative toy line for toy reviewers and the youth of today [18], Sweet Moments with Hello Kitty is a sweet treat for Hello Kitty fans of all ages in the second half of 2020 [9] [10] [11]. Its adorable and overly innocent outcome is yet another way to benefit our mental health during the coronavirus pandemic [2] [3]. Moreover, it might as well receive my nomination for “The Cutest Cartoon Of 2020”, even though there are only three episodes so far. Furthermore, I shall look forward to some more animated shorts week after week throughout the rest of the year. You and I may miss a certain era of time we refer to as “the good old days”, but at least we can still look forward to discovering new additions of our favourite franchises, including forthcoming video games like Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart [23] [24]. Aside from young people today tuning in to Sweet Moments with Hello Kitty, some older audiences shall be ready to rock their rage out with the third season of Aggretsuko in August [4] [22]. Stay sweet in your sweet moments, fellow kitties!
Hello Kitty can never have too many fans [15]! [11]References
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In all honesty, 2019 has sadly not been the best year for yours truly. I felt alone in today’s society at times. Brexit kept being shoved in my ears almost every day and I felt like the society within my country did not sincerely care about people like me anymore [35] [215] [216]. Despite how scared, anxious and hopeless I have felt for months, I at least received a few great opportunities to voice some characters for a talented aspiring artist on YouTube and I will always be grateful for them [62] [63] [64] [65]. Additionally, I considered Frozen II to be a masterpiece after watching it at the cinema [55]. There is also one thing I will praise 2019 for. And that is no other than the fact that so many great anniversary celebrations occurred. I love celebrating anniversaries, thus I am more than thrilled to make a nice list of anniversaries that have been worth celebrating in 2019. To those who have enjoyed reading my articles this year, I hope this one will be the icing on the cake. Speaking of cake, feel free to send your birthday cake emojis as we party through a bunch of anniversaries I believe were truly worth celebrating [43].
Come on! Who doesn’t love a birthday cake emoji? [43]Let us start with the 30th anniversary of the tale of everyone’s favourite red-haired mermaid from Disney. Thank Mickey Mouse the writers decided to not end the movie unhappily, compared to how the little mermaid passed away by turning into sea foam in the original tale [151]. Other than that, let us not forget some special editions of excellently made dolls of the iconic mermaid who gave up her voice for a chance to win Prince Eric’s heart [86] [88] [89]. Even some new Funko Pop! figures have been released in association with the celebration under the sea [6]. I honestly have nothing against Halle Bailey as Ariel in a live-action remake of the film as she seems to have plenty of talent in singing to suit the role [44] [100]. Other than my thoughts on that, I think that the live television adaption of the iconic tale simply titled “The Little Mermaid Live!” was a pretty interesting adaption for modern audiences, especially the young ones who have never watched the original animated film [1] [2]. Who would have thought the voice of Moana would be the next Ariel [1] [90]? Keep swimming on, whether you are part of that world or not, you poor unfortunate souls [2].
I have no mouth, fully black eyes. Striking a pose, I’m really pint-sized. Toys for the win! Looks like I’m in…Funko Pop! world. [1] [6]This year also marks the 60th anniversary of Sleeping Beauty, another Walt Disney classic [87]. The movie is much older than The Little Mermaid, but still as iconic nonetheless [37]. Besides, there has also been special Aurora dolls in association with her movie’s 60th anniversary [87]. I bet there were plenty of cosplayers cosplaying as Princess Aurora or Briar Rose to celebrate the anniversary. Some could say that Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil would be a decent modern association with the 60th anniversary [208], despite its predecessor’s rather mixed reception [61]. Too bad the lovely Aurora has been considered to be the least empowered princess of Disney history, but at least she can still be well-loved by many Disney nerds and very young girls [37] [179]. I could sure use a spindle to try and sleep better at night, as long as I have a sleepover with my boyfriend so that he can kiss me to wake me up. Oh, and I would also need to have a small plaster for my bleeding fingertip. What if Aurora wore a green dress instead of a pink one or a blue one? That would have been a really interesting twist.
Kiss me, you fool. [179]I would also like to mention the 10th anniversary of The Princess and the Frog. I remember watching the movie on the Grand Princess cruise when I was a teenager. I like how it adds a twist to the original trope of a frog being turned into a prince from the lips of a princess [181]. Tiana, the movie’s protagonist is still an awesome character to this day as she seems to be one of the more feminist and the most realistically developed princess, having the goal of working hard enough to own the restaurant of her father’s dreams rather than getting into a relationship with handsome prince efficiently [180] [181]. My favourite song from the film would have to be “Almost There” because it would be the feeling of being close to getting into college, university, a new job or a new home [181]. Could the movie from late 2009 about Disney’s first black princess receive an official sequel after the success and appeal of Frozen II [55]? I honestly would like that to happen as it truly deserved the positive reception it earned for a realistic female protagonist, delightful musical numbers and a unique take on the classic tale.
Tiana is such an awesome character! [180]Do you remember Polly Pocket? Even though I played with some examples of the bigger dolls with rubber clothes with an old friend as a child in the 2000s [148], I say the compact playsets from the 1990s were more memorable [119]. Furthermore, Polly Pocket, the cheerful pint-sized sweetheart returned to her vintage form in a special recreation of the Partytime Surprise Keepsafe Compact from 1989 to celebrate her 30th anniversary [83] [101] [198]. I just love its dazzling purple coat that consists of glitter and festiveness within its groovy interior. The appeal and success of the toy must have made up for how disappointing the 2018 reboot of the toy line from Mattel has been so far for plenty of old-school Polly Pocket fans, even though I can see it tried to fuse the 1990s and 2000s eras of Polly Pocket all together into one [102] [187]. And yes, Hot Topic also help celebrated Polly’s 30th anniversary by releasing a special Polly-themed collection [159]. Despite my fondness of the bigger dolls that could be dressed up, I honestly would like the next reboot of Polly Pocket can provide compact playsets that are very like the one from the 1990s.
Isn’t this a beautiful recreation of a classic toy from 1989 [83]?Speaking of Mattel, Barbie’s 60th anniversary must have been a blast, especially for huge Barbie doll collectors. My younger sister and I had a big bunch of Barbie dolls when we were children. Furthermore, you can say that I was a huge fan of Barbie as a child. I say the gorgeous layered dress she wore to celebrate her 60th year was quite stunning and her Proudly Pink doll was vintage yet vibrant [10] [98] [207]. I still remember seeing the recreation of her debut outfit from 2009 in association with her 50th anniversary [178]. As the Barbie Vlogs series progressed on the official YouTube channel, I saw the iconic beauty queen herself with light pink hair during her elevator challenge with Ken and thought it looked stunningly lovely [11]. It was probably a reference to the 60th-anniversary doll of her that consisted of pink hair [207]. Regardless of how any controversial Barbie dolls there were throughout the years, including the pregnant Midge doll from 2003 and the Slumber Party Barbie from 1965 [95] [186], I would say she still holds that feminist message today of inspiring young girls to become anything they want. How the heck does Barbie not age a day?!
Ooh la la! [10]The popular British talk show, Loose Women also threw a 20th-anniversary celebration for their loyal viewers to watch [78]. To those who may be unaware of what the show is about, its premise is a group of women answering questions related to difficult topics that would occur at some point during adult life [76]. I remember how all of us wished the lovely and talented Stacey Soloman a happy 30th birthday this year [81], which was a nice bonus to the show’s 20th-anniversary celebration, even though her fame debut was on The X Factor back in 2009 [165] [188]. Speaking of celebration, I bet plenty of viewers in the current generation still remember Loose Women’s 18th birthday back in 2017 [82]. Remember that old introduction of the show with a pink filter for the presenters [136]? Remember the one with an orange filter [99]? I think plenty of us still miss any of the previous sets and title sequences to a degree, depending on each previous series we remember the most [76] [79], but the current set and title sequence looks great as well [77] [80]. After so many logos, title sequences, set designs, and mature topics to discuss from 1999 to 2019 [70] [79], Loose Women deserved a great 20th-anniversary celebration.
The current pack of loose women in the current set of the television show that has reached its 20th Anniversary mark. [78]Sesame Street’s 50th anniversary was celebrated with more than just a special logo [142] [145] [146]. When I was a very young child in the early 2000s, I played Sesame Street: Numbers and Sesame Street: Letters on my family’s old computer at my first home [30] [31]. As an adult, I admire how plenty of episodes were not afraid to discuss serious real-life topics in a way that dies not corrupt its child-friendly appeal, such as Big Bird knowing about Mr. Hooper’s death back in 1983 [96] [126]. Another sign of Sesame Street maintaining its strength of bringing realistic issues into a child-friendly light would be the time when its South African version introduced Kami, a young muppet with HIV in 2002 [53] [97] [199]. What I especially love about Sesame Street in this decade is the rather accurate portrayal of Julia, the adorable orange-haired muppet who has autism and the way the other characters treat her with outstanding respect [143] [144]. Additionally, they also introduced a new muppet named Karli for teaching children about being in foster care and a parent’s addiction this year [38]. Looking through its history of character introductions, character alternations and such [52] [53], you can tell the show truly has evolved from its first airing back in 1969.
A reversed rainbow of our beloved muppets from Sesame Street. [142] [145] [146]I do no doubt that many Nintendo nerds acknowledged the 30th anniversary of the Game Boy, especially the old school Nintendo nerds [58] [169]. Surely you could only see black LCD on a green screen and it does not look very easing at times, but that consisted was the old school charm that was the part of many 90s kids’ childhoods. And yes, it began the legend of playing Pokémon on a handheld with Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue [120]. Ah, good old Generation One. As the years of the Game Boy went by, there were various accessories to either enhance the experience or make it…interesting [133] [169]. I swear that I did not write this article on a Game Boy with the Work Boy add-on [133]! As someone who will always be humbled by classic portable gaming, I wonder if at least several Game Boys are still being played on by our dear old schoolers, whether they are light grey, black or any other colour [169]. As for me, I would take a selfie with a Game Boy camera and decorate it like how I did with my black Nintendo DSi when I was a teenager [133].
Fancy an official 2020s edition of this nostalgic handheld system called “Game Girl”? I do. [169]And speaking of Nintendo, 2019 marks its 130th anniversary. Would you believe that they started with handmade Hanafuda cards in Japan from 1889 to 1928 [112] [113] [170]? In the late 70s and early 80s, Nintendo’s legacy as a successful video game company spawned [112] [113] [170]. When I was a child in the 2000s, I had a blue and yellow Pikachu themed Nintendo 64 in my bedroom [114]. The two games I played on that system were Pokémon Snap and Super Mario 64 [106] [107]. Additionally, my first ever Nintendo DS game was Nintendogs: Dachshund & Friends, even though it was on my original pink DS that sadly had poor collaboration [105]. I later got into Wii gaming with Wii Sports, Wii Play, Mario Kart Wii and so on as a preteen [104] [109] [110]. This year as an adult, I sincerely hope the workers and fans of Nintendo enjoyed celebrating the one hundred and thirtieth year of a big business that has won the hearts of many gamers. Despite how positively I reviewed Mario Kart Tour, Nintendo’s newest third-party mobile application [217] [218], many have criticized its greedy tactics when it came to microtransactions [212]. Nevertheless, that should not overshadow the huge celebration. Here is to another year of the Switch’s legacy [112] [113] [170].
I hope you all enjoyed celebrating Nintendo’s 130th birthday, fellow Nintendo nerds! [170]Ah, the SEGA Dreamcast. It was thinking of its 20th anniversary outside of Japan [153]. It is shame that its financial failure caused SEGA to lose a lot of funds, but it will still be remembered for many great titles, including Sonic Adventure, the game that changed Sonic the Hedgehog forever and Sonic Adventure 2, its sequel that marked Sonic’s 10th anniversary and introduced Shadow the Hedgehog and Rouge the Bat [130] [152] [153] [155] [156]. Let us not forget the Dreamcast port of Crazy Taxi that could make you question each passenger’s trust in the driver’s reckless driving [211]. And let us not forget about Seaman on the Dreamcast, which had a weirdly creative premise of taking care of a bizarre creature and at least a decent use of the microphone accessory [134]. Will SEGA have the courage and steady finances to finally develop a successor to the Dreamcast for the next gaming generation? Probably not, but at least we can all actually look forward to the upcoming live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie after its interpretation of blue blur was redesigned to rapidly increase its potential [117]. As for the original Dreamcast, we can always still think of it for the rest of our gaming days.
The SEGA Dreamcast and its logos. They’re thinking. [153]
Oh. Remember Sonic the Hedgehog as a DJ? He will need to stay focused and not get distracted at the thoughts of an upcoming game next time. [130] [152]Besides another Sonic monopoly game [157], 2019 also marked the 30th anniversary of the SEGA Mega Drive, otherwise known as “SEGA Genesis” in North America [154]. Yes, I know it was firstly released in Japan back in October 1988, but the 30th anniversary can still be celebrated outside of Japan because of how it was released outside of Japan about three months later [154]. Besides, we humans celebrate our 21st birthdays especially. As usual, we will always remember the Mega Drive for how it introduced us to the speedy blue rodent back in 1991 and later presented his adorable two-tailed sidekick in 1992 [140] [141]. The SEGA Mega Drive Mini, the old school console’s miniature counterpart is highly likely to help continue the trend of miniature versions of classic consoles for old school gamers [129] [137]. Who knows if that trend will continue from how it started with the NES: Classic Edition back in late 2016 [18] [49] [50]? A miniature version of Nintendo 64 called “Nintendo 64: Classic Edition” released at the time I get grey hair would really rock my socks. As for the 30th anniversary of the Mega Drive, does anyone fancy playing the first Sonic the Hedgehog game on an oversized Mega Drive controller [69]?
Shout-out to the ’90s kids who loved the Mega Drive! [137]Hey simmers, have you noticed that 2019 is also the 10th anniversary of The Sims 3 [183] [185]? From 2009 to 2013, there were eleven expansion packs for enhancing the base game, along with ten stuff packs for enriching a sim’s life. There were also eleven downloadable worlds that were available from The Sims 3 store [185]. I still remember trying the game out on my laptop when I was just sweet sixteen and creating a Betty Boop sim [192], as well as two male sims based on Mordecai and Rigby from Regular Show [19] [195] [196]. Even though it was interesting to see the childhood’s Mortimer and Bella Goth, I even created them as adults with their daughter Cassandra as a teenager and her son Alexander as a toddler [197]. Ah, the good old days. Due to its critical acclaim and appeal for introducing new aspects, including personality traits and much more customization for a sim’s appearance [185] [195] [196], I can say it is indeed one of the best-selling PC games of all time and has aged rather well. If there ought to be The Sims 5, I think I would prefer it being just an HD version of The Sims for old time’s sake [184].
A special collector’s edition of The Sims 3. [185]The Simpsons has officially been running for 30 years [115]! Wow! Lisa Simpson will always be my favourite character in the show. Yeah, many of us do believe that the animated sitcom has overstayed its welcome and went downhill after its first nine seasons [219]. I personally believe that the series should have ended after the releases of The Simpsons Movie and The Simpsons Game in 2007 as I believed that they both would have been part of a truly memorable finale to an iconic cartoon [40] [182]. Nevertheless, I enjoyed playing The Simpsons: Tapped Out on my iPod Touch during my first year at college [39]. Rumour has it that the show will finally end in 2020 [115], which I suppose is for the best as television shows that run for a long time tend to show signs of a plot being recycled. Johnny Test was one of those shows that pulled the stunt [66] [67] [68]. But even if The Simpsons will not run for a few more seasons, I would be thrilled if they let an HD re-release of The Simpsons: Hit & Run happen [204]. Unfortunately, I do not have my fingers crossed, even if they would be yellow if I went to Springfield.
No sky? D’oh! [75]If only Stephen Hillenberg was here to celebrate the 20th anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants [45] [162] [163] [164]. As he rests in peace, we still reflect on how timeless and memorable the episodes of the first few seasons of SpongeBob were, including Chocolate With Nuts and Band Geeks [7] [160]. Yes, I can say this includes the variety of internet memes involving the yellow fry cook [17]. The way the voice actors for each main character re-enacted the most memorable scenes from the earlier seasons while briefly cosplaying as their roles at The Trusty Slab is brilliant [163]. And let us not forget about the special, Spongebob’s Big Birthday Blowout [45] [162] [164]. A spin-off that could suddenly be disrespectful towards Hillenberg’s wishes [202]? We will pass, thank you very much. On a lighter note, the SpongeBob: Sponge on the Run trailer provides refreshing new animation that is exclusive for the film and a promising premise [116]. Furthermore, only showing SpongeBob as a child temporarily in the film shall be hopefully not disrespectful to Hillenburg. As for the main series that is still running on Nickelodeon, the Halloween-themed introduction for its latest Halloween special was pretty zany [161]. Fancy living! Here we come! La la la la la [160]!
Our cheerful fry cook with his Krusty Krew for his 20th anniversary. [45]After so many movies and TV shows throughout the years, I guess good old Scooby-Doo deserves a pretty good 50th anniversary [210], despite those high risks of the premise becoming rather stale and too predictable [167] [168]. He was my favourite cartoon character when I was a very young child. It was brilliant that the Loose Women even cosplayed as Scooby-Doo and his human pack this year [77] [80], which feels like two anniversaries for the price of one. And who would except that the gang would resort to competing against the Teen Titans in Teen Titans GO [21]? The upcoming animated film titled “Scoob” seems to be ready to start a whole new era of the mystery-solvers’ legacies with a refreshingly new 3D animation style in 2020 [57] [209]. It looks like Scoob will be a reboot of the franchise as it the teaser trailer portrays Shaggy and Scooby when they first met in their younger days, along with how they first met Fred, Daphne, and Velma [57] [209]. Even though plenty of us still believe that Scooby and his friends have overstayed their welcome, I suppose some of us can at least raise our glasses and say “To another fifty years!” without having to unmask anyone…for now.
Scooby-Doo and his team competing in a game show hosted by Control Freak. [21]Let us not forget about the 50th anniversary of the iconic moon landing [3]. No matter how many times conspiracy theorists have tried to convince us that the moon landing was a staged hoax all along [135] [189], its special anniversary still hit news headlines this year. And yes, there was a joke regarding the conspiracy theory in Minions, the movie about a certain pack of short yellow species from 2015 [92]. Nevertheless, I shall not hop onto that bandwagon as you will not see me with a tinfoil hat on my head [48]. No offence to Alex Jones. I even managed to spot a poster of the second human being to set foot on the moon, Buzz Aldrin at the Apple Museum in Prague. In addition to such a huge impact it left on humanity, many of us are excited for letting a woman set foot on the moon, thus bringing back a nostalgic memory of something truly unforgettable and adding a small but notable twist to it [213]. Furthermore, many of us will always be humbled when looking back at various reports of the landing on the moon. Rest in peace, Mr. Armstrong [214].
A photograph of a poster featuring Buzz Aldrin at the Apple Museum in Prague. [Williams, 2019]Primark’s 50th anniversary was also celebrated with its biggest shop yet opening [122] [124] [177]. My mother and I admire Primark, otherwise known as “Penneys” in Ireland for a wide range of such stunning clothes and accessories their shops would offer [122], even though staying around there for too long can be rather exhausting for me. Yes, that is just me, but at least I could still purchase a new cosplay outfit and accessory from Primark after the Christmas season. I know I can also rely on Primark for how its community strongly condemns modern slavery and human trafficking [121]. Who knows? Another paid job or voluntary work experience I get could be in a Primark shop. But for now, why not check out their latest Winter sales and see which clothes and accessories for the season suit you best [60]? Speaking of Winter sales, I could briefly cosplay as Lara Croft in her Winter outfit from Rise of the Tomb Raider in the future [191]. I now wonder what stunning clothes my grandmothers bought from Primark and wore with style back in 1969. As for me in the present, I would be delighted to dine at Primark’s Disney café soon [42] [123] [125].
The 50th anniversary bag my mother got from a Primark shop this year. [Williams, 2019]And let us not forget about Tesco and its 100th anniversary, my fellow Brits [93]. After almost eight decades of business that started back in 1919, Tesco spawned Tesco Express for petrol stations in 1994 [73]. In 1998, the company in Thailand merged with Lotus [74]. And let us not forget Tesco Direct, Tesco’s website that was launched in 2006 [72]. Tesco may have been unsuccessful in America [24], but at least it is still trusted by many folks in England, Poland, Czech Republic, China, Thailand, and Ireland today [71] [74] [176]. In the current generation of the United Kingdom, several of us probably boogied out to a few versions of the groovy advert and many of us were amazed at the nostalgic references, including Morph and a shopper in a funky 70s outfit [91] [173] [174]. Of course, the moment of an astronaut floating around in the shop to gather some grub is a possible reference to the moon landing that was reported around the world back in 1969 [174]. Again, two anniversary celebrations for the price of one! As we maintain proactivity for future generations, Tesco may keep delivering Christmas for another hundred years [175]. Whether you shop at Tesco Metro, Tesco Extra or Tesco Express, every little helps [176].
A whole century of a business is a heck of a long time. [173] [174]Another 100th anniversary celebrated this year is the one of Felix the Cat [33]. Such a wonderful, wonderful cat, isn’t he [28]? Too bad he did not have the best story way under a different name back in 1919. It was sad to see him attempt to end his own life by putting a gas hose in his mouth, which is definitely something you would not expect to see in cartoons today [51] [149]. Luckily, we saw him as a much more cheerful character years later and we still do today, especially when he reaches into his bag of tricks. A notable example would be the time when an escalator spawned from his bag and reached an apple tree back in 1959 [201]. Some other examples of the bag’s magic were from Felix’s own movie from 1989, despite its negative reception [41] [166]. In the mid-1990s, Felix starred in another television series titled “The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat” [33]. An example of his legacy in the 2010s would be that Felix the Cat application I have played on my iPod Touch back in Summer 2012 [193] [194]. Just like Barbie, how does the cat not age a day?!
Felix the Cat! The wonderful, wonderful cat! Whenever he gets in a fix, he reaches into his bag of tricks! [28]And last, but not least, 2019 marks the 80th anniversary of Batman [4] [34]. I bet there were plenty of Batman cosplayers out there who celebrated, along with some Robin cosplayers. Back in 1939, Batman debuted in an issue of Detective Comics [22]. Strangely enough, he and his sidekick Robin did make occasional appearances in the first season of Sesame Street back in 1970 [52]. Looking back at that could also be celebrating two anniversaries for the price of one. But wait! Another two for the one of price sensation came from how Batman even did yet another crossover with Scooby-Doo and his pack of human allies in Scooby-Doo and Guess Who [59] [213]? Batman’s collaboration with Fortnite this year sure was zany [54] [190]. And speaking of gaming, at least we do not have to worry about the poorly made video games based on his legacy anymore. Good times, right Angry Video Game Nerd [131] [132]? Nevertheless, the 2010s video games he starred in were exceptional to plenty of gamers, including Batman: Arkham City [209]. As long as DC does not back down on publishing new comics, here is to another decade with the dark knight [34], whether his iconic suit is blue and grey or fully black.
EIGHTY YEARS OF BATMAAAAAAAN!!! [34]Before we conclude this compilation, here are some honourable mentions:
The 125th anniversary of Barbour [14]
The 25th anniversary of PlayStation [118]
The 30th anniversary of Wallace and Gromit [15] [150]
The 20th anniversary of Disney’s animation adaption of Tarzan [172] [206]
The 10th anniversary of Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time [158]
The 10th anniversary of Megurine Luka, the glamourous pink-haired VOCALOID with an angelic voice [205]
The 2nd anniversary of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp [103] [111]
The 20th anniversary of Rayman 2: The Great Escape [127]
The 20th anniversary of Donkey Kong 64, the Nintendo 64 game that had a memorable yellow cartridge in Australia and North America [128]
The 10th anniversary of Up, Pixar’s masterpiece about an old man who made his house fly with lots of balloons [200]
The 10th anniversary of Coraline, the stop-motion film based on the novel with the same name [29] [85]
The 10th anniversary of Avatar, the thrilling live-action movie about a mysterious blue alien race [9]
The 15th anniversary of Mean Girls, a fetch chick flick [46] [84]
The 10th of a YouTube channel I recommend, MrMarioFan12 [94]
The 10th anniversary of Sonny With A Chance [36]
The 20th anniversary of Sonic Underground [47]
The 10th anniversary of The Annoying Orange [8]
The 50th anniversary of the 50 pence coin within British currency [15]
The 30th anniversary of the internet [56]
Feel free to make your own list of honourable mentions of other special anniversaries that I have not been mentioned, yet you have noticed in 2019.
All hail Queen Luka! [205]
“Isn’t it honourable to be on a 50p, lad?” [15] [150]Of course, awesome anniversaries do not just get celebrated in 2019. Remember Mario’s 30th anniversary back in 2015 [108], Sonic the Hedgehog’s 20th anniversary back in 2011 and the 20th anniversary of The Powerpuff Girls last year [20] [139]? I bet many of us also had a blast celebrating the previous special anniversaries of the things I listed back in 2009, including Barbie’s 50th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of Sleeping Beauty [12] [13] [37] [178]. More anniversaries of the things we appreciate and admire will await us in the 2020s and so on. I would love to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Sonic Colours with my boyfriend as I had a blast with that game on my Nintendo Wii when I was a teenager [138]. I can also celebrate the 10th anniversary of Tangled, Disney’s beautifully animated adaption of Rapunzel from 2010 [171]. Again, I would love The Sims to be officially remastered in 2020 as a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the successful life-simulation series [184]. Such a huge method worked out brilliantly for Spyro the Dragon in association with his 20th anniversary last year, right [5]? I will see you all in the next year of the rat, fellow writers and creators [27]. Squeak!
Hopefully 2019 has been great for you if your Chinese Zodiac sign is the pig [26]. We just need to wait for the next year of the rat, including me. [27]References
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(Originally published on laurawritesanarticle.blogspot.co.uk on the 12th of January 2018)
The calmly casual and socially stimulating world of Animal Crossing made it to modern mobile devices in Australia in October 2017, then worldwide in November 2017 [14]. Special events occurred, including the Winter Sports and Rover’s Garden Safari events for our fellow animal crossers and Nintendo nerds to further enhance the app’s legacy and loyalty to what made Animal Crossing suitable for any occasion. The way how special furniture and clothing items that were only available during the special events can be crafted with seasonal craft materials, such as snowflakes and countdown charms was another way of how the app began following the tradition of seasonal offers from other apps, including High School Story, Miitomo and The Simpsons: Tapped Out [2] [6] [11] [15] [17]. With the first anniversary of the ambitious Nintendo Switch on its way, are a fraction of those within the Nintendo demographic still working hard on their campsites for anthropomorphic animals?
The app’s title screen can be changed, depending on the season in real time. [14]A new flower garden right by the campsite debuted in December 2017, pleasantly surprising many fellow animal crossers [3] [12]. Dahlias and rare butterflies were exclusively for the two-part event with Rover in January [5]. Gothic roses and surprisingly harmless bats were a dark, but elegant enchantment for the beginning of February 2018, along with Lottie from Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer in a fabulous gothic dress [4]. The new feature of welcoming rarer creatures and new types of flowers expands on the app’s individuality from the Animal Crossing series in a rather interesting way. Those who enjoyed breeding flowers in Wild World, City Folk and New Leaf would be pleased with the efficient way of gathering seeds for flower hybrids [10]. Let us hope that Lottie will enjoy her next vacation [4]. Does anyone else miss the blue cosmos from Doubutsu no Mori e+ [10]?
Lottie on her gothic vacation. Perhaps she is getting tired of wearing the same red blazer and yellow necktie everyday. [13] [14]Not only can the flowers be used for cross-pollination after they have been harvested, but they can be gathered by the player for receiving special items. The types of items that can be received in exchange for a certain amount of tulips or pansies are:A new flower garden right by the campsite debuted in December 2017, pleasantly surprising many fellow animal crossers [3] [12]. Dahlias and rare butterflies were exclusively for the two-part event with Rover in January [5]. Gothic roses and surprisingly harmless bats were a dark, but elegant enchantment for the beginning of February 2018, along with Lottie from Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer in a fabulous gothic dress [4]. The new feature of welcoming rarer creatures and new types of flowers expands on the app’s individuality from the Animal Crossing series in a rather interesting way. Those who enjoyed breeding flowers in Wild World, City Folk and New Leaf would be pleased with the efficient way of gathering seeds for flower hybrids [10]. Let us hope that Lottie will enjoy her next vacation [4]. Does anyone else miss the blue cosmos from Doubutsu no Mori e+ [10]?
Potted tulips and pansies
Adorable floral polar teddy bears
Nice floral minitables
Funky floral fences
Splendid floral T-shirts
Classy floral chairs
Terrific topiaries
Rover’s Garden Safari and Lottie’s Garden Rose Festival featured a list of items that can be traded for seasonal flowers for a rather limited-time only [4] [5], which would have further increased some players’ determination of growing and harvesting as many flowers as they can. It is to carry on trying to receive any of the rarer seeds since the result of cross-pollinating is certainly uncertain [3] [10]. The way how the player can receive lovely new items for their campsite, camper or manager just by harvesting lovely flowers is yet another way of making a form of effort eventually rewarding, thus making the app stay relevant for our fellow animal crossers and mobile gamers.
A red-nosed heroine cross-pollinating to get some pansy seeds [14]The pattern on the prize depends on the colour of the tulips or pansies. [14]Each differently coloured group of tulips and pansies will take about three or four hours to bloom, but the growth of any of them will take less time when the player gives them some flower food [3]. This is quite similar to how the fertilizer for a fruit tree would make fruit grow, except that just one pack will not immediately complete the growth. A pack of the standard flower food will speed up the growth time by thirty minutes [3]. Alternatively, Lloid will offer the player some of him homemade fertilizer that will decrease the growth time by a whole hour [3]. However, it would be best to just stick to the traditional flower food if the player prefers to save plenty of Leaf Tickets for another aspect in the app, such as the option to receive an item the Cyrus construction right away. Aside from his homemade fertilizer costing Leaf Tickets, who would have known that Lloid would be a great gardening assistant?
Lloid as a gardening assistant [14].Our fellow campsite managers can visit their friends’ gardens [3] [14]. As long as another manager is on the friend list, the player can help water soon-to-be flowers to help them grow. Watering poor crops and sharing rare creatures will result in earning bags of friend powder. What are friends for? As for captured rare creatures, there is an option to allow one to settle in a bunch of fully grown flowers in a friend’s garden, which would have helped that friend accomplish their goals during the two-part events with Rover and Lottie [4] [5]. Additionally, the fact that sharing rare creatures with other campsite managers does not decrease the number of rare creatures captured and required for earning exclusive items makes both getting the desired seasonal items for the player’s own data and earning more friend powder by being generous equally efficient, which provides fairness for all players of the app. It is sweet how campsite managers can even reward each other for watering plants and sharing rare creatures [3].
Sharing rare creatures [14].As the weeks of socialising and hard work go by, another way to keep the animal crossers motivated into levelling up would be welcoming some more of the quirky animal characters from the previous Animal Crossing titles. Additionally, two new essences have arrived, thanks to some of the newcomers’ interests. The rustic essence and tent showed up in late December 2017, along with the animals who are very into rustic things, which was a sign that more essences and tents shall be available in future updates [12]. Then, the hip tent awaited the animals who adore hip furniture in January 2018 [12]. As long as small groups of the animals arrive about every single month or two, it can greatly reduce the chance of the pocket camping experience from becoming quite stale. Ultimately, over three hundred and twenty animals have played the roles of other villagers in the main Animal Crossing series and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp would last for a very long time if the amount of different species as campers steadily increases, along with the essences for the other themes for new tents and amenities.
An example of the rustic theme being the favourite theme of one of the newcomers [14].An example of the hip theme being the favourite theme of one of the newcomers [14].Many animal crossers who still adore the app could carry on making money for crafting new furniture and inviting more animals to their campsites. Aside from whole new furniture making their way into the craft catalog, it turns out that the way to get an item in different colours is to craft the basic item first, then craft the version of it with different colours while the basic version is in the items section. Oddly enough, the alternate version of an item, such as the Kiddie Bed and the Lovely Armoire would cost more bells than the basic version. A much more preferable way of getting furniture in different colours would be just simply being able to manually change a furniture item’s colour, like in Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer [13]. It would be a very efficient method for many of our fellow campsite managers and would not cost a bell. But as for the tents, don’t forget to save at least three thousand bells for upgrading one to Level 3 in order for friendship levels to further increase.As the weeks of socialising and hard work go by, another way to keep the animal crossers motivated into levelling up would be welcoming some more of the quirky animal characters from the previous Animal Crossing titles. Additionally, two new essences have arrived, thanks to some of the newcomers’ interests. The rustic essence and tent showed up in late December 2017, along with the animals who are very into rustic things, which was a sign that more essences and tents shall be available in future updates [12]. Then, the hip tent awaited the animals who adore hip furniture in January 2018 [12]. As long as small groups of the animals arrive about every single month or two, it can greatly reduce the chance of the pocket camping experience from becoming quite stale. Ultimately, over three hundred and twenty animals have played the roles of other villagers in the main Animal Crossing series and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp would last for a very long time if the amount of different species as campers steadily increases, along with the essences for the other themes for new tents and amenities.
The Lovely Armoire on the right is an alternate version of the Lovely Armoire on the left, so it apparently costs more bells. [14]Why couldn’t we just simply choose the colour of the furniture after it has been crafted? [14]The option to order crafted clothing from the Able sisters has finally arrived. Unfortunately, the option to freely design the colours and patterns of clothing in the way an animal crosser can create pro designs in the main Animal Crossing instalments is still completely absent. Instead, new clothing items are arranged in a catalog that is similar to the furniture catalog. Aside from many clothing items from Mabel, the diligent red-nosed wonder can order shoes from Kicks and accessories from Labelle. As quite disappointing as the outcome of the option to craft clothing items is, it can at least give Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp a little more individuality. Besides, there could be more clothing items, such as dresses and glasses to order from Mabel later in 2018. However, there should still be at least plenty of clothing items that can only be sold in the Market Place, so that the Market Place will not lose its purpose of being an ideal location. The craft catalog for clothing items ultimately seems like a decent alternate way of receiving more attire to express style through fashion.
The list of clothing items that can be crafted by Mabel, Labelle and Kicks [14].Ordering some shoes from Kicks [14].It seems highly likely that it would still be worth camping with anthropomorphic allies on an iOS or Android device in the current era of Nintendo. However, some fellow animal crossers may prefer sticking to being a marvellous mayor in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, the precious Nintendo 3DS gem that started the current era of Animal Crossing and that is absolutely fine [8]. After all, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is just a free-to-play spin-off for a platform beyond the Nintendo 3DS [9] [14]. More content and features for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp in the future of Nintendo, including the gameplay mechanic that will be located at OK Motors and delightful option to freely dress up visitors of the campsite can be around during the beginning of a new era of Animal Crossing for the Nintendo Switch [1], as long as the admirable app will not end up being shut down, unlike how Miitomo will sadly and officially be put to rest in May 2018 [15].The option to order crafted clothing from the Able sisters has finally arrived. Unfortunately, the option to freely design the colours and patterns of clothing in the way an animal crosser can create pro designs in the main Animal Crossing instalments is still completely absent. Instead, new clothing items are arranged in a catalog that is similar to the furniture catalog. Aside from many clothing items from Mabel, the diligent red-nosed wonder can order shoes from Kicks and accessories from Labelle. As quite disappointing as the outcome of the option to craft clothing items is, it can at least give Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp a little more individuality. Besides, there could be more clothing items, such as dresses and glasses to order from Mabel later in 2018. However, there should still be at least plenty of clothing items that can only be sold in the Market Place, so that the Market Place will not lose its purpose of being an ideal location. The craft catalog for clothing items ultimately seems like a decent alternate way of receiving more attire to express style through fashion.
Perhaps in another update, the red-nosed wonder and a new friend can make lily crowns [14].
Laura's Ambitious Writing 