Sonic Weekly

Rlan joins the fellas to reflect on a lifetime of Sonic the Hedgehog and how the blue guy inspired projects that led to a career in game development. Then, we talk about the first four episodes of Knuckles on Paramount!

This week, we're joined by two animators — Matt Braly talks about his love of Phantasy Star Online on the Dreamcast, then Ashlyn Anstee tells us about her preference for 3D Sonic over 2D. Also, everyone spends some time thinking about Knuckles the Echidna, as this episode was recorded right before the Paramount series premiere!

This week, MykonosFan from FTCR joins in along with the full cast. We get into the announcement of Shadow the Hedgehog's voice actor, and then reflect on our years in the fan community.

Grant returns, Bo burns (rangers), and David yearns (for IHOP). This week, we're joined again by Jack of Old Games to discuss Sonic and the Black Knight, plus the news of the week.

This week, Bo holds down the fort with Smoovies and David the Lurker while Grant is off guesting on the Get Played!podcast. We get into cheat codes revealed for Solar Eclipse (the Sega Saturn game, of course) and what games we’d like to see on a Sega Saturn Mini, plus a look at Sega’s April Fools posts. We also cover IHOP Amy and the IHOP Sonic event. Lastly: is this The Year of Shadow?

Keith Stack returns to the program for some zaniness and to talk about his quest to 100% complete Sonic the Hedgehog (2006).

Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis // When I was dead broke, man, I couldn't picture this...

Well, what IS the coolest console? Is it the Nintendo Switch or GameCube? Or the Sega Saturn or Dreamcast? Maybe it's the Atari Jaguar or the Sony PlayStation 3? This week is about dusting off the old plastic hardware for a refreshed look at our favorites. (FYI - this episode was recorded before Sonic Toys Party leaked over the weekend)

Barry the Nomad of SEGABits joins in for a fun conversation on last week's news and some goofy tangents!

Grant's been playing Sonic Heroes and wants to talk about it, despite not having finished it. Bo has a surprising story about Ronald McDonald at a marathon. David becomes preoccupied with fast food toys.

Our pal Sango returns to summarize final thoughts on Sonic Prime for Netflix. Along the way, we cover the rumor about a Sonic Fall Guys game, Tokimeki Memorial: Forever with You (Psyth and Twin Bee time attack - Konami vertical shooters), and the Aqua Bats. You can hear more of David's thoughts on Sonic Prime at FTCR with the link here.

This week, we discuss Penny’s Big Breakaway, Bentley Jones, Maria Robotnik's actress for Sonic Movie 3, the Sonic games on Gamecube, and the book Sonic the Hedgehog and The Beatles by David Childers.

Grant, Bo, and David discuss their thoughts on the DLC costume of Shadow for Sonic in Superstars; David recaps a treatment for the original version of the Sonic Movie from the '90s; Bo has some exciting Sega Saturn news!

Cartoonist Sam Logan reacts to the Knuckles trailer and talks about the new Rollin' Rascal demo, the 16-Bit Triple Trouble fan game, and Sonic Dream Team with the usual cast of Grant, Smoovies, Bo, and David the Lurker. Canyoubelieve it's been one full year of Sonic Weekly?!?!?

Ashlyn Anstee returns with star animator friend Aaron Long (Bojack Horseman; Tuca & Bertie) - and they join Grant, Smoovies, and David to react to the announcement of Sonic x Shadow Generations, and then take an extended detour in '90s nostalgia with some discussion of Archie Sonic. They also talk about Sonic OVA Reanimated 'Sonic Rebuilt' which you can view at that link. And speaking of links...

The four fellas pull out a grab bag of assorted random Sonic topics — introducing the Sonic Gab Bag! This is a rambly, freewheeling episode where the detours are the destination. Tell us what topics should be in the next Gab Bag by emailing us: sonicweeklypodcast@gmail.com!

Writer and comedian Jordan Morris (Jordan, Jesse, Go!) joins the fellas for a lively look at Sonic 3D Blast (originally released in 1996 for Sega Genesis and then Sega Saturn) and a wide-ranging chat about Sonic initiations and Sonic cults. It's an all-around Sonic Blast (originally released in 1996 for Game Gear)!

Whoa! Keith Stack arranges for a meeting of the Sonic minds - Cybershell and David the Lurker, in a wide-ranging conversation about Sonic origins, and Sonic now. Also on hand are Grant and Bo, checking in on a light Sonic news week and another busy week for Saturn fans.

Year Two of Sonic Weekly kicks off with a Baja 3D Blast, and Bo burning up the retro gaming blogosphere.We talk about the many Rings of Saturn he's spinning, plus David delves into the new old info about Sonic Heroes, and everyone takes another swing at making bold predictions for Sonic in '24.

The fellas gather again for one last episode of the year to reflect on all of the Sonic things that happened over the past twelve months, and look ahead to 2024.

The four fellas are back together for what will have to be the holiday episode, with a bunch of Sonic news to cover. Will Shadow appear in Classic games after all? Did we finish Sonic Dream Team yet, and is it indeed the best Sonic game of the year? And how about that new video on Sonic 2's development? Plus, Bo continues his journey of modifying Sonic Team's Saturn games — be sure to follow his Substack here! We also respond to more mailbag prompts — please send us more by emailing sonicweeklypodcast@gmail.com!

Grantpa, David the Lurker, and Smoovies offer some initial reactions to Sonic Dream Team, The Game Awards, and the big SEGA announcement. Plus we reach into the listener mailbag for some additional prompts to discuss a certain fan favorite Wii game.

Artist Keith Stack joins in for a wide-ranging conversation about Sonic the Hedgehog — we rate the Badniks in Superstars, we discuss Yuji Naka's inspiration on Suika Game, and we count down 'til Sonic Dream Team on Apple Arcade (this episode was originally recorded November 30).

Kris Dobbins & Sean Aitchison are the hosts of Sonic Podcast Adventure and join Grantpa, Bo, and David the Lurker for a crossover episode!

Comedian Brodie Reed joins Grant, David, and Smoovies to talk about Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie, aka the two-part Sonic OVA (English dub) from the '90s. Follow Brodie on Instagram! Watch Brodie's stand-up on Comedy Central!

Our friend Daniel Barron joins in with Grant, Bo, and David to react to the news of the new Apple Arcade exclusive Sonic Dream Team, and also participate in some comparative analysis of Sonic Superstars & Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Hey, don't forget to check out Bo's "Oops! All Special Stages" mod for Sonic 3D Blast (Saturn).

Lordy, lordy, it's episode 40 (canonically, anyway; there was a bonus episode). Grantpa, Bo, and David the Lurker are sans Smoovies this week to get into the nitty gritty of the second half of Sonic Superstars — the New Game+ known as Trip's Story. We also play the hits of our bits, as usual. BONUS: Check out Bo's mod Oops! All Special Stages for Sonic 3D Blast (Saturn)!

The Weeklies (is what what we're going by?) offer rapid reactions and initial feedback after a few days of playing Sonic Superstars.

(This episode was originally recorded October 12, before the release of Sonic Superstars). Grantpa, David the Lurker, Bo, and Smoovies talk about their excitement for Classic Sonic's return, and delve into the endgame spoilers for Sonic Frontiers: The Final Horizon (aka Update 3).

Grantpa, David the Lurker, Bo, and Smoovies react to the Final Horizon, aka Another Story, aka the third and final DLC update for Sonic Frontiers. Plus, Bo & Grant share their experience of meeting IRL for the Sonic Symphony in Los Angeles.

Allen Strickland Williams headlines a comedy panel with Miles K & Jesse Elias to reinvent Sonic the Hedgehog for a new age.

Cartoonist Sam Logan (Sam & Fuzzy) recently revisited Archie Comics' Sonic the Hedgehog and shares some new observations. Plus, we talk about the new Trio of Trouble short for Sonic Superstars!

Jack is back to discuss another of the infamous Sonic games — the only RPG in the series, developed by BioWare at that!

30 years ago this month, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM) both premiered in September 1993. "It's interesting" to think about how unique of a situation this is for any cartoon character!

Bo is back, and he catches up with David & Grant — notably, about how Bo spent his paternity leave watching Sonic the Hedgehog (1993), aka SatAM. Thanks to Smoovies for the edit!

Week 30!David & Grant react to the new trailers for Sonic Superstars and Sonic Frontiers DLC 3, and consider the possibility of a re-release for Sonic Adventure, whether as a remake or ported in a compilation.

Our pal Smoovies emerges from behind-the-scenes to hop back on the mic. This week, it's a deep dive into the ancient history of Sonic's World with a focus on the treasures of the Babylonians!

Artist Liza Singer joins — and Ashlyn Anstee returns — to discuss Amy Rose, the Chao, and the Dreamcast era of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Our hilarious friend Abby Denton shares her unique interpretations of Sonic stories and characters, and we're all better for it. Thanks to Smoovies for the edit — love ya, Smoovies!

Jonathan H. Gray⁠ is an artist and writer for IDW's Sonic the Hedgehog and Disney comics (previously Archie's Sonic comics) — and he's a teacher! So we're extremely thrilled Jon "WB" Gray⁠ could join us for a freewheeling chat about Sonic's upcoming 900th adventure, "everything is canon," Ian Flynn, Carl Barks, Mickey Mouse, and more!

David & Grant are joined by game developers Jandê Saavedra Farias and Michael Stearns for a discussion of the 1997 racing game, Sonic R.

David & Grant talk about the baddies in the real world, and the evil-doers of Sonic's World.

Our pal Smoovies from FTCR joins David & Grant to talk about Yuji Naka's legal situation, the Spin Dash in Sonic Frontiers, and a deep dive into the pre-Sonic history of the Sonicverse.

In addition to discussing the new features in Sonic Frontiers, David & Grant wonder about Dr. Eggman's father, and speculate about alternate timelines in which SEGA was acquired by other gaming publishers.

David & Grant are again joined by Ashlyn, who continues to fill in for Bo, for some thoughts about the truth of Sonic's birthday, Sonic Origins Plus, playable Amy Rose, the news about Spider-Verse crunch, and overall thoughts reacting to the 2023 Sonic Central presentation.

Ed Skudder is the Head of Story for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and is also a longtime dear friend of Ashlyn, who is married to Grant, who hosts the podcast with David, and it's all for the benefit of you — the dear listener cool and tuned in enough to know about this show and this super exclusive interview! Learn about Hollywood blockbuster moviemaking, learn about working with Nintendo, learn about how those long tracking shots in the movie came to be, and more. It's also just a chill hang, as usual.

After recording our interview episode with Ed Skudder, Grant & David thought we'd create a quick bonus episode to address the big Sonic news of the week — the reveal of Sonic Superstars DLC, and the additional cast information for the Knuckles series coming to Paramount+ later this year.

Our buddy Sango joins us for this episode to react to a big Sonic announcement — and also to finally dig into Sonic Prime (season 1) a little more.

YouTube essayist Jack of Old Games joins for a conversation about the Morio Kishimoto canon of Sonic games, which began with Sonic and the Secret Rings and continues through Sonic Frontiers, and a broader chat about how we think about retro gaming.

🎶 Mortal Kompaaaat! 🎶 Pat Casey (co-screenwriter of the Sonic the Hedgehog trilogy, Violent Night, and more) joins Grant, Bo, and David for a conversation about making movies based on video games with a close look at the first high-water mark for the video game adaptation, Mortal Kombat.

Emmy-winning writer/showrunner Chad Quandt (Star Trek Prodigy, Unikitty, Trollhunters) joins the program to share his love for the Sonic the Hedgehog animated series affectionately known as "SatAM." You probably knew that from the title of the episode but I just wanted to spell it out anyway, thanks for indulging me. We indulge in fun this week with a rambling gambling good time!

Jessica Hallstrom and Grant became friends when they were both in their 20s in the LA stand-up comedy scene, and now they're in their 30s, but they've never talked in-depth about their mutual affection for Sonic the Hedgehog. Bo and Jessica realize they are each raising a 5-year-old Sonic fan. Meanwhile, David the Lurker lurks with the best quips and zingers of the episode.

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Underground, Sonic X, Sonic Boom, Sonic Prime — that's the chronological order. What about from best to worst? We sort it out!

Sonic Frontiers released in November, and now it is May. We reflect on the Open Zone game and the first wave of DLC, and we also respond to some Listener Mail. If you would like to join our discord, send us an email at sonicweeklypodcast@gmail.com for a link.

The fellas speculate about the Knuckles the Echidna television show, based on the information available at the time. This was originally recorded 4/21/23 but I forgot to upload it — sue us at sonicweeklypodcast@gmail.com.

Game developer Michael Stearns (Tiny Barbarian) joins us for a chaotic chat about Sonic's family members. Email us: sonicweeklypodcast@gmail.com.

The boys are candid with their thoughts on The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and can't help but to compare and contrast that with Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Which platformer action game adaptation did it better? To be honest, I don't think we directly answer that question, but we do talk about both movies quite a bit.

Send us emails to read on the show: sonicweeklypodcast@gmail.com!

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We take turns defending and attacking Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball for your enjoyment. Email us: sonicweeklypodcast@gmail.com!

Cartoon storytellers Matt Braly (Disney's Amphibia) and Sam Logan (Sam & Fuzzy) join in to talk about their perspective on Sonic storytelling. Email us sonicweeklypodcast@gmail.com!

We're back to Sonic in a big way. Well, in a decently sized way, anyway. We talk about our varying levels of enthusiasm for the Origins DLC announcement and Wave 1 of Sonic Frontiers. Email us: sonicweeklypodcast@gmail.com

Mario Mania continues! We reminisce about the initial crossovers between the two franchises, and generally observe how much better Mario is than Sonic in virtually every way. Email us at sonicweeklypodcast@gmail.com. 

Fresh from a recent trip to Universal Studios Hollywood, Grant is fully feeling the Mario Mania, and so together with David & Bo, the three reflect on their histories with the Super Mario Bros. franchise. Also, Bo updates us on Yuji Naka's legal situation and David gives a hard pitch for the Switch. Email us: sonicweeklypodcast@gmail.com.

Which opening stage is the best in the Sonic series? You've got Green Hill, Palmtree Panic, Emerald Hill, Angel Island, Emerald Coast, City Escape, Seaside Hill, Wave Ocean, Windmill Isle, Tropical Resort, Windy Hill, and who could forget... 1-1. Which one do you think is best? Email us: sonicweeklypodcast@gmail.com!

The canceled killer app for the Sega Saturn, starring Sonic the Hedgehog. How extreme would this game have been, exactly? Well, the other main character was going to be named Tiara Boobowski, so you tell us. By the way, you can email us too: sonicweeklypodcast@gmail.com. Ciao! 

The boys ramble about Sonic the Hedgehog Compact Disc (1993). What do you think we talk about? Do you think we bring up the US soundtrack vs Japanese/EU soundtrack debate? The opening animatic? The auteurship of director Naoto Ohshima? The various versions of the game and the evolution of the fandom's opinion on it? Good Future? Bad Future! Teleportation jaguar, yeah! 

Animator and author Ashlyn Anstee joins us to talk about her favorite video game in the franchise — Sonic the Hedgehog (2006). Email us: sonicweeklypodcast@gmail.com.