The Christmas Fallout: 2022!

It's that time again. Santa's back at the North Pole for another year and I've got a spread of shiny new goodies to enjoy. Hope you all had a nice season or at the very least found a tiny bit of peace or happiness some time during it.

This is our FIFTH Fallout post, so you should know the score by now. I share my gifts with you, you can share yours in the comments, and we're able to have one last bit of materialistic holiday fun before the new year comes. Always love doing these each year, so let's put a cap on The Lazy Shell's 2022 in the most proper way!

$20 Nintendo eShop Card 

Peanut Butter M&Ms

Fudge Brownie M&Ms

Reese's Pieces Candy Cane

A Whole Squad of Mini Reese's Nutcrackers

Palmer Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Milk Chocolate Bumble

Sour Big Chewy Nerds

Stocking pickings were a bit less varied this year, but they still provided me with a HUGE pile of candy, including personal favorites (can never go wrong with Peanut Butter and Fudge Brownie M&Ms) as well as some more interesting inclusions. (Those Nerds in particular I'm intrigued by.) Rounding out the sock filling was eShop cash, which I used to score some Switch DLC and an old gem or two on the 3DS and Wii U Virtual Consoles.

Sonic Frontiers (Switch)

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope Gold Edition

Pokémon Violet

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion (Switch)

Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway (Switch)

Digimon Survive (Switch)

Was treated VERY well this year on the video game front, as every one of these titles promises to engross me for hours upon hours. Currently alternating between Sonic Frontiers (it's like 3D Sonic mixed with a collectathon and an action RPG!) and Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3. (It's understandably janky, but I've been having a TON of fun mastering each course and unlocking the LOADS of customization options. Plus, any game where I can have Invader Zim drive a hover version of the Turtle Van complete with tailpipes that look like Sal Ami from Wacky Delly is a GOTY contender by default.) Definitely excited to start digging into the other titles as well. (Especially the NEW OPEN-WORLD POKÉMON WITH A CROCODILE STARTER and the MARIO + RABBIDS SEQUEL WITH MORE RPG ELEMENTS AND PLAYABLE BOWSER. Can you tell that those two in particular have me a bit psyched?)

Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog: The Complete Series (SD Blu-ray)

Aqua Teen Forever: Plantasm (Blu-ray + Digital Code)

Sonic X (English): The Complete Series (SD Blu-ray)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012): The Complete Series

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Half-Shell Heroes: Blast to the Past

Pokémon BW Rival Destinies: The Complete Season

Went big on the physical media this year!

Starting with the Blu-rays up top, despite growing up with the show as my primary televised Sonic entertainment, I had never actually gotten around to picking up any previous disc release of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog for a variety of reasons. Well, Discotek recently provided the PERFECT opportunity to finally add it to the collection. Their amazing set features the ENTIRE series (including the Christmas special) on just two Blu-ray discs with a ton of special features all wrapped up in a gorgeous case complete with multiple pieces of brand new artwork based directly on the old Sega Genesis Sonic game covers. I certainly couldn't pass the series up again with THAT kinda extra mile physical presentation. Adding to the animated Sonic fun, Discotek had ALSO previously released the English dub of Sonic X on SD Blu-ray and despite already owning the entire show on DVD, I figured there'd be no better time to finally pick the set up than now alongside AoStH. (Especially since it features all 78 eps on just TWO discs, making it ideal for a marathon rewatch, AND includes the previously-unreleased US pitch pilot.) Rounding out the BDs is the new Aqua Teen movie. Didn't quite measure up to the first in terms of hilarious insanity IMO, but this release has one BIG advantage over the first film's DVD: IT FREAKING WORKS. (AND it included a digital code so even if the disc DID stop working, I'd still have access to the movie. PLEASE rerelease the original movie with these upgrades, WB, I'm begging ya.)

Moving on to the DVDs, I had been collecting the 2012 TMNT sets pretty casually throughout the series' run, owning only Season 1, the first chunk of Season 2, and the Wanted: Bebop & Rocksteady part of Season 5. When a budget rerelease of ALL of those old discs in one set surfaced on Amazon, however, I knew that it would be the PERFECT way to complete the show on my shelf all at once. (Sure, the new packaging has several of the discs stacked, but since this is 124 episodes of Turtles for less than forty bucks, I ain't complaining.) Also threw in the Half-Shell Heroes special for the sake of absolute completion. (It wasn't included in the Complete set because it wasn't technically part of the series proper.) Wrapping up this section is the latest Pokémon set, featuring Ash's remaining Unova gym battles, the return of Dawn and Cynthia, and the awesome debut of Krookodile.

Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 9: Chao Races & Badnik Bases 

Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 10: Test Run!

Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 11: Zeti Hunt!

Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 12: Trial by Fire

Sonic the Hedgehog: Imposter Syndrome

More Sonic action with my yearly dose of super speedy comics! Multiple new characters are introduced in this batch as part of the leadup to the milestone Issue 50. (Which will be available in trade form itself next year.) Evan Stanley also joins the book as a writer. (Alongside mainstay Ian Flynn, of course.) Excited to finally check out some of her stories. (Especially the first one where she introduces Shadow's little Chao buddy from the Sonic Channel artwork into proper canon.)

Invader Zim Volume 5 Deluxe Edition

Invader Zim: Oodles of Doom

More comics by way of the Irken Empire! Volume 5 completes the 50-issue ongoing run of the Oni Press Invader Zim series while the Oodles of Doom trade collects the four Quarterly issues that released after. Provided that they never reprint the Dookie Loop Horror one-shot in a trade (which I picked up digitally,) these should be the final Oni Press Zim books that I pick up. Looking forward to finishing up Zim's adventures on the printed page!

Sonic Mania Shirt

Shadow the Hedgehog Shirt

Kirby Shirt

Squirtle Shirt

Nerd shirts! My favorite's the Shadow one. (My sister's too, who helped pick it out.) The Kirby one's also really neat since I didn't really own any shirts representing the franchise before. (Aside from a cameo on a Smash parody shirt or two.)

Jakks Pacific Shadow the Hedgehog Figure 

Jakks Pacific Rouge the Bat Figure

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Amazing Adventures: Robotanimals!

Finishing things up, my sister's family added to my Jakks Pacific Sonic collection with Shadow and Rouge, allowing me to represent two-thirds of Team Dark on my shelf. (It's ESPECIALLY nice to finally own a plastic representation of Rouge, who had only ONE previous action figure to her name.) Now all I need me is an Omega! They also gifted me the final mini-series that IDW did based off of the 2012 TMNT show, Robotanimals, which, as evidenced by the title, features the Mighty Mutanimals being turned into evil robots. The irony of that particular book being included alongside SONIC figures is not lost on me.

That does it for the last of this year's Lazy Shell posts! Hoping you all have a great 2023!

Advent Hill Zone - FINALE!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE!! Welcome to the FINAL ACT of the Advent Hill Zone! 

Let's see just what Jakks has in store for this last gift...

As expected, the Blue Blur himself finally joins the cast in time for Christmas! It's a Santa-flavored Sonic the Hedgehog!

Star Post #1: General Info

You should all know this guy pretty well. The hero! The main character! The Blue Blur! The fastest thing alive! Sega's #1 golden boy! Mario's greatest rival! The first ever video game character to be featured in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! One of the absolute icons of 90's gaming! Sonic is all those things and more. Capable of running at incredible speeds, performing multiple different attacks using combinations of his sharp quills and fancy footwork, grinding rails, whipping up tornadoes, harnessing the power of the Chaos Emeralds to become Super Sonic, and so much more, Sonic is a powerhouse of a hero who always finds a way to persevere no matter the odds he faces. A wanderer by nature who treasures freedom above all else, he despises oppression and prejudice, often leading him to go up against Dr. Eggman's own machinations. He also has a deep love for his friends and home planet, who he'll constantly challenge his own limits to protect at any cost. Despite the huge trials he regularly faces, however, Sonic is able to keep things light by way of his own snarky banter and confident personality. (Though, this can occasionally cause him to be OVERconfident and act impulsively.) The face of the franchise, it should be no surprise that Sonic has made multiple appearances throughout the realms of games, TV, comics, and movies. (Not even limited to his OWN stuff, either!)

Star Post #2: Trivia 

Since it's Christmas Eve, why not end things on another holiday-tinged fun fact? Did you know that Sonic makes an appearance in mascot suit form at the end of the classic Schwarzenegger flick, Jingle All the Way? Not only that, but he also appears alongside other famous characters, including Leonardo of the TMNT, Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street, The Tick from the self-titled indie comic and animated series, Barbie, Gumby, Hello Kitty, Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat, Snoopy, and others. Really goes to show just how much of a 90's icon Sonic was since he was the ONLY video game character represented in the scene. Just another reason to love this goofy, goofy movie.

Goal Plate: Closing Thoughts 

Just as expected, and I wouldn't have it any other way! I LOVE when my favorite characters get all festive, so to now own a Sonic figure dressed like Santa is 100% up my alley. Hopefully Jakks does another Calendar based on the Modern games eventually! (I WANT A CHRISTMASSY SHADOW.)

That's all she wrote. We've officially finished the Advent Hill Zone. Before you head off, however, I'd like to personally thank each and every one of you lovely people who took the time to keep up with as well as read this inane little series throughout December, as it means quite a bit to me to know that at least a single person gleaned some degree of entertainment from my dinky little blog. No matter what you celebrate, I'd like to wish you all a VERY Happy Holiday and a peaceful, relaxing weekend in general. I'll see all of you who stick around for the Christmas Fallout post!

Advent Hill Zone - ACT 23!

Happy Christmas Eve Eve! We've only got ONE day left in the Advent Hill Zone after today, so I hope you guys have finished any remaining major holiday preparations. There's not much time left before the big day!

Day 23! Tomorrow is Christmas Eve! It's practically here!

We may still be two days away from Christmas proper, but that didn't stop this Calendar from treating our figures to a tiny gift in advance, complete with Sonic-drenched wrapping! (I wonder if it might be a hint at what to expect tomorrow?)

Star Post #1: General Info

Not much to say about this one as it's not something specifically from any past Sonic games or media, but rather a special holiday-themed accessory exclusive to this Calendar.

Star Post #2: Trivia

As the accessory itself has no past ties to the franchise beyond its inclusion in this Calendar, I'll instead provide a fun holiday-themed Sonic factoid. Did you know that Sonic Christmas Blast, the 1996 holiday special that also served as Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog's finale, was originally going to be titled "An X-Tremely Sonic Christmas" to tie in with the release of the inevitably cancelled Sega Saturn game, Sonic X-Treme? When it became clear that X-Treme wouldn't be out in time for the holidays, however, they changed the special's title to instead reflect Sonic 3D Blast, a game that DID release in time for the Christmas of '96. While the title change happened before it was actually aired, small nuggets relating to the special's original title DID end up getting out through other means, such as a mention of it on the Sonic-Grams letters page in Issue #41 of Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog series. Sonic's last line in the special itself even has him wishing the audience "an EXTREMELY (X-Tremely) Merry Christmas." Definitely seems like it was more of a last-minute kinda change, which tracks.

Goal Plate: Closing Thoughts

I love the Calendar-exclusive holiday-themed stuff and this is a just plain adorable accessory that'll complement the festive variant figures we've gotten so far really nicely.

You just got through Act 23, but be back here tomorrow for the FINALE of the Advent Hill Zone!

Advent Hill Zone - ACT 22!

Happy belated Winter Solstice! There's only THREE BOXES LEFT in our holiday journey through the Advent Hill Zone, so let's relish each one!

Day 22! Christmas is right around the corner...

That's a first: A dupe of the same accessory two days in a row. However, since said accessory was a Chaos Emerald and this adds yet another color to our set (green,) I'm certainly not complaining!

Star Post #1: General Info 

Same as yesterday. Check out Act 12 if you're curious about the Emeralds.

Star Post #2: Trivia

Sonic Underground featured two different Chaos Emeralds, though their characteristics are much more similar to that of the Master Emerald than the traditional seven-gem set. In addition to both Emeralds being green-colored and larger in size, the main thing they're used for in the show is keeping large masses afloat. (Namely Knuckles' Island and Robotnik's Fortress of Altitude.) However, shattering one of THESE Emeralds into pieces has FAR more drastic consequences than the Master Emerald in the games, as Robotnik's cronies, Sleet and Dingo, found out firsthand. The broken gem unleashed its raw, chaotic energies upon Mobius, forcing the two to try to contain the shards within Dingo's body. (He has a whole shape-shifting thing. It's weird.) This caused the stooge to undergo a monstrous mutation, forcing Sonic's crew and Robotnik to work together to stop him. They were eventually able to extract the shards and contain them in a special canister, ending the threat and demutating Dingo. The Emeralds only showed up in episodes involving Knuckles (those being "Friend or Foe?," "Flying Fortress," "No Hedgehog is an Island," and "New Echidna in Town") so they were never a HUGE part of the show. It WAS the first animated appearance of Knuckles' whole island guardian situation, though, so it's an interesting piece of history nonetheless.

Goal Plate: Closing Thoughts 

Basically repeating what I said yesterday, but I can NEVER have enough Emeralds for my Sonic figures.

That's a wrap for Day 22! Just TWO MORE to go, so don't miss a second of the remaining action in the Advent Hill Zone!

Advent Hill Zone - ACT 21!

Happy Hanukkah! We're already midway through our final week in the Advent Hill Zone. Just three more days of goodies after today. 

*Spits on hands* *Takes overly dramatic pose* Open sesame!

Ah, it's a dupe, but an appreciated one! It's our second Chaos Emerald, a red one this time!

Star Post #1: General Info

For info on the Emeralds, check out Act 12.

Star Post #2: Trivia

While Sonic X would make use of the Chaos Emeralds in a more traditional way, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog did things a little differently. AoStH's world featured a total of five Emeralds rather than six or seven, with the first four being the focus of the show's ONLY multi-part storyline, Episodes 48 through 51, also known by a title given to them for a VHS release, "Quest for the Chaos Emeralds." In the story, Sonic and Tails race to recover the four Chaos Emeralds from different time periods before Robotnik and his henchbots can get them first. Unlike the Emeralds in the games, these actually each feature a unique ability that they bestow upon their wielder: invisibility, invincibility, immortality, and the power to bring life to anything. Much like the

Advent Hill Zone - ACT 20!

Feliz Navidad and welcome to Day 20 in the Advent Hill Zone! Just four more boxes after today, so let's see just what Jakks has planned for us!

Quite a large box today. Let's get cracking!

Well, it turns out "cracking" might've actually been a very fitting choice of words. We've freed the big bad himself, Dr. Eggman!

Star Post #1: General Info

Born Dr. Ivo Robotnik (eventually taking the name "Eggman" as a means of turning one of Sonic's derogatory nicknames against him,) Dr. Eggman is a genius scientist with an IQ of 300. However, whereas other men of his skill would work towards making the world a better, more peaceful place, Eggman is all about his own agenda, wanting to remake the world in his own, mechanized image. To this end, he builds destructive machines and robots to carry out his will and terrorize the land. However, he's always foiled by Sonic and friends, frustrating him to no end. That doesn't discourage him, though, as he's always right back to working on his next scheme following defeat. Despite being a genius, Dr. Eggman has a childish side, loving theme parks and taking immense glee in his own evil deeds. He also greatly admired the work of his grandfather, Professor Gerald Robotnik, wanting to be just like him in his younger days. Though he's not above working with Sonic to battle a common foe, Dr. Eggman is nevertheless ALWAYS focused on his #1: dream: transforming the world into his own Eggman Empire. Being the main villain of the series, Dr. Eggman has been featured (in a variety of different designs and forms) in EVERY piece of Sonic spin-off media, including the films, the OVA, and ALL the cartoons and comic runs. He might be the only other character besides Sonic himself with this distinction.

Star Post #2: Trivia

Did you know that Dr. Eggman could've been the star of the series in an alternate timeline? Back in the early 90's when Sega were looking for a mascot for their system that could truly rival Mario, one of the ideas submitted was the above sketch of a man with a large mustache by Sonic co-creator Naoto Oshima. However, it was, of course, beaten out in the end by another of Oshima's sketches of a Hedgehog character. This wasn't the end of the mustachioed man, though, as he was repurposed as the villain of the Hedgehog's game and given a new easy-for-kids-to-draw round shape by Oshima, resulting in the Dr. Eggman that we know today. Makes you wonder how different Proto-Eggman's game would've been from Sonic's.

Goal Plate: Closing Thoughts 

HE IS THE EGGMAN! Couldn't have a Sonic Calendar without the Doctor himself, so very happy to have him to round out our villains. (This is also my very first toy of Classic Eggman in general, so that's a great bonus.)

Just four Acts to go, so don't forget to come back here the rest of the week for the endgame of the Advent Hill Zone!

Advent Hill Zone - ACT 19!

Happy Hearth's Warming! It'a another day in the Advent Hill Zone and we're just six days away from Christmas, so let's pass the time by claiming what awaits us in this next box!

Day 19! LET'S RIP 'ER OPEN!

It's a box of bouncy fun! We just pulled a Spring!

Star Post #1: General Info 

Appearing first in the Sonic series as far back as the original game, Springs are very simple stage elements. Also called "Springboards," their one and only function is to bounce the player in the direction that they're pointing, meaning that they can either help or hinder your progress depending on their position. They come in a couple of different colors depending on the game, with the red ones being the most common and their design usually varies between the Classic and Modern games. (Most Modern Springs are red with a blue-and-yellow star design emblazoned on them.) As they're heavily utilized in common Sonic stage design, you'll find some equivalent to them in every platforming game in the series. (They also show up in a few of the more unorthodox entries.) Springs have also spawned quite a few spin-off variations (such as Propeller Springs and Egg Springs) and appeared in comics published by both Archie and Fleetway. Their animated appearances, however, are a tad more limited...

Star Post #2: Trivia 

While a Spring plays a minor role in the Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog episode "Tails Prevails," probably the most game-accurate animated appearance the stage element has had was in the OVA during Sonic and Tails' journey to Robotropolis. Interestingly enough, though, the featured Spring is green rather than the more common yellow and red hues. Maybe someone on staff was just a big fan of the 8-bit versions of Sonic 1 and 2?

Goal Plate: Closing Thoughts 

This is a fun little accessory. I like how it actually has a "springing" feature.

That wraps up Day 19, but be sure to come back here tomorrow for more of the final stretch of the Advent Hill Zone!

Advent Hill Zone - ACT 18!

Happy Pule! It's the start of our final week in the Advent Hill Zone, so let's get things started right away!

We're officially a week from Christmas!!

Bit of a weaker start to our last week, as it's another dupe. It's the non-Monitor Super Ring again.

Star Post #1: General Info 

See Act 7 for the full skinny on this particular Super Ring variant.

Star Post #2: Trivia 

While the 10-count standalone Super Ring is the most famous and recurring, the Wii and PS2 version of Sonic Unleashed also featured several variants that haven't recurred as much in the series. These include ones that you can grab to add 20, 30, 50, and even 100 Rings to your score. In that game, most of these only appear in the nighttime stages, so your Werehog should certainly have plenty of protection from Dark Gaia's goons.

Goal Plate: Closing Thoughts

It's another Super Ring, so not much to say. Didn't think they'd repeat an accessory that's strictly a Modern Sonic thing.

You just got through Act 18, but there are still 6 remaining, so stay tuned for our last lap through the Advent Hill Zone!

Advent Hill Zone - ACT 17!

Joyous bobunk! It's time for another trip into the wilds of the Advent Hill Zone, where we'll be hunting yet another plastic Hedgehog-related goodie!

We've reached Day 17. Exactly one week from now, we'll be done. December really flies by.

Whoa, speaking of flying, a golden flash just flew right out of the box! It's Super Sonic!

Star Post #1: General Info 

Super Sonic made his Emerald-charged debut in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, where vanilla Sonic could assume this form only after collecting all seven Chaos Emeralds AND 50 Rings. Obviously inspired by Dragon Ball Z's iconic transformation, Super Sonic is almost completely invincible and can easily bear enemy attacks and spikes with no damage whatsoever. However, DO make note of that "almost," as he is still vulnerable to instant death by bottomless pits or being crushed. His biggest weakness is that he can only maintain the form while he's carrying Rings, which he burns through automatically and constantly, so keep your eyes on that count. Like the Chaos Emeralds, Super Sonic's role in a game depends on which one it is. Sometimes he's a reward you can freely access in-level for collecting all the Chaos Emeralds and sometimes he's only playable during a plot-centric boss fight. He's appeared in numerous games throughout the series and has been featured in all three major comic runs as well as the Sonic 2 film. He's a little lacking as far as animated appearances go, though, as he's only shown up in Sonic X. (Hopefully Prime can change that.)

Star Post #2: Trivia 

Back to his comic appearances, one of the most interesting aspects of the Fleetway run is their depiction of Super Sonic, presenting the transformation as a violent, sadistic maniac who takes great joy in running wild and causing chaos. It's certainly a unique take, but did you know that this wasn't the only time Super Sonic went all berserker in a comic? In Issue #126 of Archie's series, Sonic wakes up on the planet Thoraxia (following a presumed heroic sacrifice at the end of #125) and is taken in by a tribe of alien insects called the Blodex. Their planet soon comes under siege by a rival species called the Bzzzz, though, and Sonic comes to their aid, utilizing a mysterious set of six all-red Chaos Emeralds (previously used by the Blodex's native hero to defend them) to transform into Super Sonic. However, Sonic is soon shocked to find that not only has Super Sonic manifested as an entirely separate being rather than he himself transforming, but he's also gone a bit nuts. Not satisfied with simply wiping out the Bzzzz and their Queen, Super Sonic turns on the Blodex, wreaking havoc until Sonic stands up to him. Despite being easily overpowered by his doppelganger, Sonic is saved when Super Sonic runs out of energy, causing him to fade into nothingness. Makes you wonder if the Archie writers had read their fair share of Fleetway's series for inspiration, eh?

Goal Plate: Closing Thoughts

Wasn't expecting this guy to show up! (Especially not so soon!) Mine unfortunately has a black smudge on his muzzle from the nose, he's still a really cool surprise and a great addition to the Classic Sonic cast we've been building.

Seventeen days in and only a week to go, so don't you dare miss the final seven Acts of the Advent Hill Zone!

Advent Hill Zone - ACT 16!

Joyeux noel! It's another chapter in our thrilling Advent Hill Zone saga, where every day we become one Sonic toy richer and one factoid related to it wiser.

We've been at this for sixteen whole days! Weird, right? Seems like the month just started.

We've unearthed another Super Ring, but this time, the Monitor version!

Star Post #1: General Info 

Not much left to say here that I didn't already say about the previous Super Ring, but this Monitor version primarily makes appearances in the both the Classic games proper as well as Classic Sonic levels in modern games. When you bust it open, you get what you'd expect: 10 Rings added to your count.

Star Post #2: Trivia 

A Super Ring Monitor/Item Box is one of the many unexpected things you can hook during Big's fishing mini-game in Sonic Frontiers. Cyberspace certainly has some odd fishing ponds.

Goal Plate: Closing Thoughts 

Our second Monitor and a variant of an item we've gotten before! This Calendar's going some interesting places with the accessories.

That finishes things for today's Act, but come back tomorrow for another one as we work towards conquering the Advent Hill Zone!

Advent Hill Zone - ACT 15!

Mele kalikimaka! You've taken yet another stroll into the Advent Hill Zone on a path straight into another box of this Sonic Advent Calendar!

There's only TEN days until Christmas!

Big one today! (In a small package.) It's the one-and-only high-flying genius Fox, Miles "Tails" Prower! (Sporting an adorably festive costume featuring a pair of removable reindeer antlers!)

Star Post #1: General Info 

One of the most iconic faces in the whole franchise, Tails is Sonic's best buddy and "Player 2," appearing alongside the Blue Blur in a majority of his game appearances following his debut in Sonic the Hedgehog 2. He sports two tails which he can utilize to fly high into the air. (Until he eventually tires out.) While his most famous trait, he was actually bullied for his extra appendage in his younger days, until Sonic entered his life and inspired him to future greatness. Tails is a kind and gentle soul with a genius IQ, making him the only one of Sonic's pals able to match Dr. Eggman intellectually. He loves to tinker with and build machines, even having his own workshop dedicated to that passion. He's also an accomplished pilot, helping Sonic and crew out of many a jam in his trusty plane, the Tornado. While he can be a bit timid at times (especially in thunder storms,) Tails is all-in-all a dependable friend who you can always count on for support.

Star Post #2: Trivia 

Being Sonic's defacto wingman, Tails has the most appearances in other media of any Sonic character who isn't the Hedgehog himself or Dr. Eggman. He's featured prominently in five of Sonic's six cartoons (he was oddly absent from Underground,) hit the silver screen in both Sonic the Hedgehog films, co-starred alongside the Blue Blur in the OVA, and even appeared with Sonic on an episode of Cartoon Network's OK KO Let's Be Heroes. He's also made a splash in all of the franchise's major comic runs, with the pre-reboot Archie version in particular being given this whole crazy "Chosen One" arc where he's foretold as the one hero who can prevent an impending great calamity set in motion by the evil Mammoth Mogul. (Think Vandal Savage from DC as a Mammoth and you're in the ballpark.) This storyline eventually led to every Tails from across the multiverse (Archie Sonic was doing it BEFORE it was cool) uniting into a comic-exclusive behemoth called TITAN TAILS to engage in a kaiju-scale cosmic battle against a powered-up Mogul in Issue #150. Titan Tails has since gone down as one of Archie Sonic's most infamous moments because...I mean...LOOK AT HIM.

Goal Plate: Closing Thoughts

Can't have a Sonic Advent Calendar without good old Tails. Love his Chrismassy costume, especially the removable antlers.

That does it for today, so get outta here and go check out Sonic Prime on Netflix! (IT'S OUT NOW!) Be back here tomorrow for more Advent Hill Zone, too, I guess.

Advent Hill Zone - ACT 14!

Season's greetings! You've just stumbled back into the Advent Hill Zone, which means there's yet another door to open on this Sonic Advent Calendar!

Box #14! After today, we'll only have ten remaining!

Looks like we got our first repeat! It's another set of three Rings!

Star Post #1: General Info 

Already told you all that, so see Act 10 if you're somehow still curious.

Star Post #2: Trivia 

Though Rings have served roles in Sonic animated shows before, the upcoming Sonic Prime (releasing TOMORROW!!) seems to be the VERY first time that they'll fulfill the main purpose they have in the games: protection for Sonic. Pretty interesting that it took SIX cartoon adaptations for such an iconic element of the game series to finally appear 100% faithfully on screen. Sonic's animated history has certainly been unique, varied and creative.

Goal Plate: Closing Thoughts

Always cool to have more accessories, though it's interesting that THIS was our first dupe door. Thought we'd get another Chaos Emerald before a second set of Rings.

That's two full weeks down, but there's still another ten Acts of the Advent Hill Zone waiting for us!

Hauls: A Sharkmas Miracle

Yep, another haul post. I keep thinking that I've made my last one before Christmas, then BAM, here's something else. This one was definitely a good surprise, though:

If you've been following the newest wave of Loot Crate's Limited Edition TMNT Crates closely, you would know that the whole thing has been an absolute circus. Crates were constantly delayed, they started shipping out of order, people were getting the wrong size shirts, and Loot Crate themselves have provided minimal communication on the matter despite the fact that people put money down in advance for these things in February 2021. Yeah. It's been a whole thing. However, things have FINALLY started winding down recently, with more and more TMNT Crates getting out there until only ONE of the series remained unshipped. Figures it'd be the only one of the four I ordered. Which one was that? Well, see for yourself:

Loot Crate TMNT Limited Edition Series II Crate #2: Arcade

NECA Armaggon Figure

TMNT Tournament Fighters T-Shirt

Tokka & Rahzar Glass Set

Turtles in Time Mix-and-Match Socks

Krang Stress Ball

Leatherhead Pin

Yep, I opted for the Arcade crate. Who'da thunk it'd end up getting to me in a year where we've gotten BOTH a collection of all the classic Konami TMNT games AND a modern spiritual successor to them? Talk about super fitting in hindsight. Anyway, while I adore the fact that I can now rock an OFFICIALLY LICENSED TMNT Tournament Fighters shirt (mine was actually the right size, so yay) and I also really dig the Turtles in Time-based goodies, make no mistake, I bought this for ONE reason...THIS beeg boi:

OMFG HE'S BIG AND COOL AND ZOMGGGGGGG!!! Ahem. So Armaggon's one of my favorite TMNT characters ever and the second that Loot Crate announced that an exclusive NECA figure of him based on how he appeared in the SNES version of TMNT Tournament Fighters (my personal introduction to him) was going to be the star attraction of the Arcade crate, needless to say, I hit that pre-order button as fast as I possibly could. He definitely doesn't disappoint, either, as you could probably tell by that complete loss of function that started the paragraph off. He's big (about as tall as Leatherhead,) he's bulky, he includes a couple of different hand options, he's articulated just as well as any other NECA TMNT product (aside from his head,) and he even comes in this BEAUTIFUL SNES-style box:

*drools* So yeah, I'd say I'm completely satisfied with my purchase. He could've come by himself and I'd have been perfectly fine, but to get him AND all this bonus TMNT video game junk for like sixty bucks? A+. Of course, after all that monkey business, I have absolutely no desire to order anything from Loot Crate ever again, but I'm still glad that I at least bit the bullet on this particular crate. As late as Armaggon was, he was certainly worth it.

That's my whole Shark spiel. This SHOULD *knock on wood* be the last haul I get in before Christmas proper, so I'll see you guys for the annual Fallout post in less than two weeks. Also, don't forget to check out my Advent Hill Zone series in the meantime. I've been having a lot of fun with it. Toodles.