Hauls: 5th Blogiversary Edition!

It's 2023 now, and what better time for the Lazy Shell to enter the new year than on its 5TH ANNIVERSARY?! Yep. Five years ago, I started this little blog as a way to get out my extremely nerdy thoughts and it's been a (kinda) consistent stream of pure nonsense ever since. I'd like to thank every one of you in the VERY small group of people who take precious time to give every post on this thing a brief glance. It's been a lot of fun running this thing and I really appreciate the fact that anyone out there cares enough to read it.

Anyway, enough preamble. This might be a special Anniversary thing, but it's also a hauls post, and boy, do I got a lot to share!

KAWS Monsters Figures

Starting things off with some leftover stuff from last year. (Actually got these in LITERALLY THE DAY AFTER I got my Armaggon Loot Crate, but didn't feel like they were a big enough deal to bother making an entire post for.) These neat little figures are courtesy of a giveaway that General Mills ran for the Monster Cereals last year. (Said giveaway had THOUSANDS of possible winners and I saw people all over Twitter talking about winning their own set shortly after entering, so I couldn't resist giving it a shot.) They're all unpainted, solid-color pieces that are not unlike the cereal box prizes of yesteryear, but free is free and they should make for fun seasonal decorations for my shelf. (Though, I wish they had included Fruity Yummy Mummy to complete the crew.)

$20 Nintendo eShop Card 

$10 Nintendo eShop Card

Continuing with leftover stuff, here's a Christmas gift I received on New Year's Day from my favorite cousin. Immediately put all this eShop credit towards 3DS and Wii U Virtual Console stuff in preparation of both of those eShops going down. (In particular, I grabbed Minish Cap on the Wii U and the Oracle games on the 3DS...which Nintendo then revealed for their Switch Online service in a Direct shortly after. Go figure.)

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Omnibus Volume 6 (Barnes & Noble)

The SpongeBob Musical: Live on Stage! (Blu-ray) (Barnes & Noble)

Put my Christmas cash to work by scoring additions to both my book AND media shelves. First off, I decided to use this year to finally grab the rest of the IDW MLP FIM books that I wanted, so I started by ordering the ongoing's sixth Omnibus from Barnes & Noble's site. I had to get it there because this particular volume is pretty much out-of-print and very hard to find for retail elsewhere. (Heck, B&N's stock disappeared shortly after I ordered mine!) I don't even have Volume 5 yet, but I just couldn't risk missing out on certain stories collected in this one. (Particularly a four-parter introducing a new villain and a two-part follow-up to the Movie.) As for the other item, I needed to grab something else from Barnes & Noble to qualify for free shipping and after a bit of ruminating, I found the perfect candidate in the SpongeBob Musical's Blu-ray. I already had it on DVD, but ever since the Blu-ray version released a couple months after it, blindsiding me, I've been waiting for the right chance to upgrade. This was that chance. Now I have the absolute highest quality home media viewing experience for the "Hero is my Middle Name" number!

Sephiroth amiibo (Best Buy)

Kazuya amiibo (Best Buy)

Next up, two more fighters join the amiibo shelf, one from Square-Enix and one from Bandai Namco. Barring any restocks or miraculous Disney-related announcements, this should be the last Smash amiibo haul for a good while.

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake (Switch) (Best Buy)

Ever since THQ Nordic announced The Cosmic Shake, SpongeBob's first brand new 3D platformer in YEARS, I've been super hyped and eagerly awaiting its eventual release. Well, that day finally came, I played it, and I adored it. Sure, it's not going to best any giants of the genre, but if you love SpongeBob and enjoy 3D platformers, give it a shot. It's super fun, has a nice amount of variety, is filled with fanservice, and has a script full of good laughs. Also got it for half-price due to a Best Buy error, so that makes for a nice bonus.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Complete Newspaper Comic Strip Collection Volume 1, 2, and 3 (Amazon)

These kinda came out of left field! It all started in January when listings for three books collecting the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles newspaper comic strip hit Amazon. A lot of TMNT nuts were, of course, overjoyed but also a bit puzzled by these releases. They popped up in stock out of nowhere without being announced beforehand, didn't use ANY official TMNT branding or logos on the covers, and the publisher was listed as an on-demand printing service. Everything just seemed a little sketchy. Well, after a fair few people ordered the books for themselves, the reality of them became clear: these were indeed NOT officially-licensed collections, but instead a labor of love on the part of what appears to be a single TMNT fan looking to get this obscure corner of the Turtles' history into people's collections regardless of whether Viacom even knew that they owned it. Given both the rarity of the material included as well as the HIGH likelihood that they'd get yanked by Viacom eventually, I knew I had to order these books right away.

So, what does each book contain? Well, Volume 1 features the entire run of a full-color Teenage Mutant HERO Turtles strip that ran in the UK, while Volumes 2 and 3 collect the black-and-white TMNT strip that ran in America produced by Mirage themselves. While the Hero Turtles strip is pretty much just a newspaper comic take on the '87 cartoon universe (complete with Shredder, Krang, the Henchmutants, Burne Thompson, and even the Punk Frogs,) the American strip is much more interesting. It starts off with a decently serious tone very much like the Archie Adventures comics (complete with the same writer) but eventually goes into full-on comedic, gag-a-day mode, only with a serialized story. It makes for a really fun, unique take on TMNT as a whole, as it not only has its own new characters, but also introduces new versions of TMNT favorites like Leatherhead, Rat King, the Utroms, Renet, and Cudley the Cowlick. The story just becomes very unpredictable, and it's a lot of fun in that regard. Here's one of my favorite bits:

As for the quality of the books themselves, they're solidly built and the comics are nicely laid-out and easy to read as a complete story. (Volumes 1 and 2 even include a brief history write-up on both the UK and US strips.) However, as the comics were scanned from their printings in newspapers rather than from the original artwork, the image quality can be pretty inconsistent. While reading, you'll come across certain strips that look fuzzier than others or where the text is faded and a bit harder to read as a result. (This issue was most evident in the US strip.) However, it's never SO bad that it's impossible to read. You just have to keep in mind that these were likely done by one person with the best resources they had. Another issue to note is that Volume 3 has a misprint that repeats a strip, resulting in one ending up completely missing from the collection. Luckily, though, said missing comic was already archived on the internet beforehand, so you can just use it to fill in the blank:

Yeah, this comic gets kinda weird. Lastly, there's the matter of the price. Volume 1 costs $27.99 while 2 and 3 both cost $29.99, meaning that if you want these comics in your collection, you'll have to pony up over $90, which is a pretty tough pill to swallow for an unofficial product. If you're a TMNT fan looking for a unique addition to your comic shelf, though, I'd definitely recommend picking up at least the latter two books. (The Hero Turtles stuff in the first one is a good piece of history, but the stories just aren't anywhere near interesting enough to warrant a close to $30 price IMO. Curse my need to complete a collection!) The books disappeared from Amazon a while back, but you can still find Volumes 1 and 2 on Barnes & Noble and Walmart's sites. You'll probably need to search around for 3. (Wonder if they're reworking that one to include the missing strip and THAT'S why it's been missing from storefronts for a while?) All in all, I'm glad that I snagged these when I did, as they kinda serve as a nice compliment to my Adventures collections on my comic shelf and who knows if Viacom ever plans to give this stuff an official release?

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania DMI Exclusive Pym Particle Pin (Disney Movie Insiders)

Not really a pin collector, but DMI was giving away this Ant-Man one for free, so I figured, "why not?" 

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Mini-Series) (Amazon)

A kinda spur-of-the-moment purchase, I already owned the Avengers: EMH comic mini-series in the form of a large magazine complete with ads and such, but it didn't really gel with my much smaller-in-size collections of the brief ongoing series. So, I decided to pick up the official trade collection of the mini on Amazon to see if it'd be a little closer to those. It wasn't exactly the same size, but it still slid in nicely next to them on the same shelf, which is what I was after. Now I don't have to dig through my larger shelf to read the mini!

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes: The Complete Second Season (Blu-ray) (Amazon)

Continuing on the EMH train, the Season 2 Blu-ray was like TEN BUCKS on Amazon, so I couldn't pass it up. (Especially since the DVD release of Season 2 swapped a bunch of episodes around randomly, messing up the order. The Blu-ray doesn't have that issue AND includes all the special features from those DVDs!) Now I can watch EMH on home media without swapping discs in the middle of a set!

Super Smash Bros. (N64)

My Dad surprised me with this. The original Smash, back in my collection! Already has all the characters unlocked, too! (NOT the Mushroom Kingdom stage, though. Gonna have to devote a dull afternoon to rectifying that.)

Bootleg Movie Star Mike

Just like she did with the Bootleg Movie Star Raph I mentioned in a previous post, my Mom found me a Bootleg Movie Star MIKE while thrifting! I'm building a whole TEAM of Bizarro Turtles with non-working elbows!

Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition (Best Buy)

Another spur-of-the-moment buy, I already had the digital version of Rayman Legends for Switch due to it constantly being on sale on the eShop for a tenner, but since I enjoyed the Wii U version so much, I figured it was absolutely worth it to upgrade to physical. (Especially since Best Buy had it for only twenty bucks. Combined, the digital and physical versions cost less than the full price game!)

River City Girls 2 (Switch) + Limited Run Trading Card (Limited Run Games)

Been waiting for this one! Loved the original River City Girls, so of course I needed to get the sequel physically as well. Excited to return to the mean streets and bust heads while laughing at funny lines. (Though, I'm probably gonna wait until that giant update that Wayforward is teasing.)

Power Rangers Ninja Storm Zurgane Figure

Another of my Mom's thrifting finds, it's Lothor's favorite toady, Zurgane, from Power Rangers Ninja Storm! I've only ever owned a single action figure from the Ninja Storm line (a Red Ranger, who I think came with an electronic Hurricane Megazord,) so it's really neat to add this guy to my collection. (Especially since he actually has his head. A lot of the ones I see online are all missing heads for some reason. I dunno. Probably a Sentai thing they retained for the toy.)

Topps Nintendo Game Pack

Two Loose Pokémon TCG Packs

This batch of cards was another of my Dad's surprises. That vintage Topps Game Pack is especially neat. Now I got me official stickers of Abobo from Double Dragon and Peach throwing an egg at Birdo who has wings for some reason! Good stuff.

My Little Pony The Manga: A Day in the Life of Equestria Omnibus (ThriftBooks)

Bringing things back to Pony comics, I had picked up the first Volume of the MLP manga and loved it, buuuuuuuuuut never got around to picking up the other two and the physical releases all went out of print. Sad face. Luckily, though, I spotted this used Omnibus collection of all three Volumes on ThriftBooks for a steal, so I pounced on it immediately. The condition ain't perfect (despite being given a "very good" rating on the site, several pages were ripped. Guess a kid owned this previously,) but it was still perfectly readable and I really enjoyed all the new-to-me bits. (Especially the Volume 3 stuff. I really love alternate universe crap and there was a lot of fun satire on super heroes and anime.)

My Little Pony: Nightmare Knights (IDW Publishing)

More Pony comics! Nightmare Knights is another book that's pretty much out-of-print, so I was very limited in my options for procuring a new copy of it. Thankfully, IDW themselves had a very limited stock of them on their site, so I jumped on it despite the ridiculous shipping costs. (At least they package their books well.) Was mostly interested in this mini because two of the stars are characters introduced in the Movie who didn't get any play in the actual show. Very much looking forward to reading all of Capper and Tempest's further adventures.

Mario Golf: Super Rush (Gamestop)

Mario Strikers: Battle League (Gamestop)

Metroid Dread amiibo 2-Pack (Gamestop)

Finishing things off, Gamestop had some pretty fantastic deals running this past week, so I had to take advantage. First, they had a BOGO free sale on select new games, which happened to include a pair of Mario sports titles that I had my eye on, so grabbed 'em both. (Only played Strikers so far and the AI is just as maddening as I remember it being in Charged. Next Level Games are sadists.) They also had certain amiibo available for just $5, so I grabbed the Dread 2-pack for good measure. Haven't decided where I'm gonna put Samus staring down this massive E.M.M.I., but I'm sure it'll make for a wicked display.

That concludes our Anniversary fun! See you all next time (which'll probably be June/July-ish) for another post and here's to another half-decade of my nonsense!

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!