Sonic Frontiers has a lot of potential to begin an engaging new chapter for our blue hero near the Christmas break of 2022 aside from the record-breaking success of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 that honoured Sonic’s previous live-action success back in April and the fascinatingly re-established origins back in June [13] [36] [51] [52] [66] [67]. It has been over a year since the forthcoming instalment was teased as part of Sonic Central. Recently, more of the game’s storyline has been hinted at in previews of a few cutscenes, along with some more aspects of the gameplay and the mysterious new world that welcomes Sonic to an open-world adventure within a new trailer [18] [46] [49] [70]. Aside from hopes of Sonic Frontiers excelling, it will not be long until the SEGA Genesis Mini 2, also known as the SEGA Mega Drive Mini 2 outside of North America will be available for pre-ordering as another addition to Classic Sonic’s timeless cred in 2022 [12] [25] [33]. As the writer who got a shout-out from one of the official Bandai Namco Twitter accounts for my article on the 40th anniversary of the Pac-Man franchise two years ago [1], I have quite the appetite for discussing what else has been released for the outcome of Sonic Frontiers [18] [46] [49] [70].
The story trailer begins with an adorable rock creature called a “Koco” who is thankfully saved from danger by the speedy blue rodent [18] [45] [46] [49]. There is also slightly more to Sage’s character that can be told by her dialogue. Although she appears pacifistic, her red aura seems to have to ability to weaken an opponent as Sonic is seen in pain as the aura engulfs his right arm, which proves that she can be powerful. The way she calmly scolds Sonic for apparently being reckless in one scene and then blocks his homing attacks without expressing hot-headedness in another scene shows that she will be a very different kind of antagonist, compared to the Eggster, yet I still believe she could ultimately be a neutral character later on when it comes to further character exploration [66] [67]. A gigantic foe appears to side with her, leading to the possibility of the enemies being under her influence [18] [46] [49]. Surely, Dr. Eggman would know something about her and what lies in Cyber Space. As cute as the Kocos and the art style for a Valentine’s Day celebration at Sonic Café are [44] [45], things are sure to be tough when it comes to the confrontations between Sonic and Sage [18] [46] [49] [66] [67] [70].
Aside from the foes that try to hinder the blue speedster, some of his old friends are yet to reunite with him and he ought to make some new ones. Amy Rose is seen frozen in position in a red sphere-shaped container [18] [46] [49] [70], meaning that Sonic’s prime goal is to rescue his friends from some form of petrification, quite like in Sonic Generations [31]. Who knows where Miles “Tails” Prower and possibly Big the Cat are held captive [36]? Speaking of Big, I am up for seeing him in a respectable more respectable role as haters are gonna hate [16]. As for some new allies that resemble Japanese haniwa statues, which are the Kocos [35] [45], they can be delivered to the Elder Koco and the Hermit Koco in exchange for rings, health and an increase in strength and speed. It can be stated that the Kocos are basically the Cyber Space equivalents of the Chao in Chao Garden but they will consist of various differences [26] [27] [35]. As brave-hearted Sonic would certainly be in Sonic Frontiers [18] [46] [49] [70], there is still for the incarnation of him voiced by Deven Mack in Sonic Prime to learn not to take his alliances for granted [39].
As previously stated, there will be familiar locations in Cyber Space [66] [67]. Additionally, there are new atmospheres in Starfall Islands besides the lush greenery of Kronos Island [36] [66] [67]. The new examples in the story trailer include a deserted island with many palm trees named “Ares Island” and some summery forts that resemble Sky Sanctuary as part of Cyber Space based on Sonic’s memories [34] [36]. There are a total of five islands to explore with the first one being Kronos Island and Ares Island being the second [34] [36] [43]. There appears to be a boss battle surrounded by a laser fence on Ares Island [18] [46] [49] [70]. Moreover, it would be no surprise that the other islands will provide some boss battles and more puzzles to solve to keep the form of challenge quite varied, yet the puzzles ought to be increasingly challenging throughout the gameplay experience [37]. I suppose there could be a sixth island and the playability of Knuckles the Echidna within a DLC pack that takes place after the events of Sonic Frontiers Prologue to welcome back the treasure-hunting gameplay from Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 [26] [27] [48], which ought to consist of the likely vibes of the upcoming live-action miniseries starring Knuckles before the release of a third Sonic the Hedgehog film from Paramount [41] [42].
Anything else to expect after the game’s release? In the new story trailer, Sonic has a new ability to spawn orbs and launch them at a foe [18] [46] [49] [70]. Another new ability allows him to strike at an enemy from a pulled-off loop the loop. Apart from these new abilities within the open-world elements, perhaps there can also be the option to change Sonic’s gloves and his shoes after unlocking several options as the game progresses, much like in Sonic Colours Ultimate [28], making him more stylish than Willow Pape from Kim Kardashian: Hollywood [10] [15]. It would be way past cool to bring back his attire from the Sonic Riders series and his soap shoes from Sonic Adventure 2 as Easter eggs [26] [40]. Seemingly, the individuality of Sonic Frontiers would help it stand out on its own accords whilst remaining faithful to what made the usual speedy platform gameplay memorable [65] [66], especially in Sonic Adventure [27]. It is possible that Sonic Frontiers will consist of several glitches, just like Sonic Origins and the Switch version of Sonic Colours Ultimate before the Glitchbusters were called [9] [17] [54] [59], but there can always be a patch within an update that can bust the glitches.
Sonniku Furontia will be released this November [18] [36] [46] [70]. But before that, another blast from the past awaits within the SEGA Mega Drive Mini 2, including Sonic CD, Sonic 3D Blast, Earthworm Jim 2 and VS Puyo Puyo SUN as a follow-up to the SEGA Mega Drive Mini that was released in late 2019 [12] [25] [64]. In the meantime, some of us may still talk to Talking Tom and Talking Angela to this day without any sign of a certain frustrating rumour lurking through current social media posts [19] [20] [21] [62]. As for brand new future releases, there might as well be a port of Catherine: Full Body for the PlayStation 5, especially the digital edition [5] [22]. And what could be next for the speedy blue hedgehog aside from Sonic Prime and a third live-action film co-starring his antiheroic counterpart [39] [41] [51]? There may have been a suggestion to finally put the franchise to rest at some point after the failure of Sonic Boom: Rise Of Lyric and some unfortunate toxicity from being in his fanbase [8] [14], but many of us still see unlimited potential in his legacy that began in 1991, considering that Sonic Mania was considered the franchise’s saviour [32] [61]. Could Sonic Frontiers be another?
IGN. (2022). Sega Mega Drive Mini 2 and Sega Genesis Mini 2 – Official Full Game List Trailer. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x397M9m5csc. Last accessed 23rd Aug 2022.
Sonic the Hedgehog, dir. by Jeff Fowler (Paramount Pictures, 2020).
Sonic the Hedgehog 2, dir. by Jeff Fowler (Paramount Pictures, 2022).
Sony Pictures Entertainment. (2022). SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME – Back in Theaters September 2. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpB_t6S1wjE. Last accessed 24th Aug 2022.
TWIP. (2021). Every Glitch in Sonic Colors: Ultimate (So Far) – Nintendo Switch Edition. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo08o2JKQ3c. Last accessed 24th Aug 2022.
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].
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].
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.
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.
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.
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?!
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.
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.
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].
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].
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.
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]?
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].
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.
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]!
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.
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].
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].
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].
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?!
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.
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.
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!
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