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The History of Slot Machines in the Sonic the Hedgehog Franchise | The many casino zones of Sonic the Hedgehog | SEGA's Plans for the Next Generation of Gaming | What gambling games are the most popular in online casinos? | How to choose an online casino? | Looking to the Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Celebrations

Looking to the Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary Celebrations

Thursday, 7th January 2021, 7:28pm (UTC), 0 Comments

In 1991, Sonic the Hedgehog launched on the Sega Genesis, giving the Japanese company a mascot to hold up and use to compete with compatriot Nintendo's Mario. Since then, Sega and Nintendo have gone down different lanes as game companies, but Mario and Sonic remain as two of the most iconic and relevant characters in gaming to this day.

Mario has recently enjoyed his 35th anniversary, celebrating with a vast range of promotional goods and new games. In 2021, it'll be the Sonic the Hedgehog 30th Anniversary, with Sega gearing up to make it a colossal year for fans of the blue speedster.

In 2020, the Sonic series' intent on making a splash in the following year was made clear. Taking out an advertisement in a licensing book for Europe, there was a stack of enticing Sonic stats for licensors to mull over, and a commitment to 2021 being huge for Sonic. So, along with some Funko Pop! vinyl figures and special edition energy drinks, what are the big-hitters to look for when the anniversary celebrations get underway?

We all knew it was coming after the first broke records

In February last year, Sonic the Hedgehog smashed the video game movie opening record, landing a $70 million splash at the box office. This was remarkable for a couple of reasons, the first being that video game movies had suddenly been doing rather well. The second was that the movie was delayed because the creators had to do a complete reworking of the titular character after its ill-received debut. They do say that any publicity is good publicity, and it seems as though the rather terrifying live-action debut of Sonic worked a treat. With an eccentric Jim Carrey playing Dr Robotnik and Sonic fixed for the big screen, few pundits would have expected the movie to take off and dominate as it did. However, as is tradition, one success will now lead to a sequel.

So perhaps the most inevitable of the predictions would be for Paramount to reveal the initial trailer for the sequel. Amidst a huge juggling of the Hollywood schedule throughout 2020, and likely through 2021, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has been given the provisional release of 8 April 2022. If the planned release date holds true, a short reveal trailer at some point in 2021 seems all-but-inevitable - especially because it'd continue the 30th Anniversary celebrations.

Breaking into a new sector of gaming

The classic 2D platformer game series has broken into many different genres that once would have deemed incompatible with Sonic. The hedgehog has starred in 3D runs, racing games, arcade fighters, pinball machines, puzzlers, sports titles, and action-adventure games over the years, but one of the more obvious licensing opportunities for a spinoff game is yet to be embraced fully.

For the most part, when the best Sonic stages of all-time are discussed, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and its Casino Night Zone level is often involved. Becoming a staple of the series, the colorful neon lights, giant pinball tables, and chimes of rings make it a very memorable experience. Given the other pop-culture crossovers, particularly in slots, casino game developers should be poised to jump at the chance to licence Sonic - particularly now that the US has joined the scene. Legal Betting shows how online casino gaming is becoming increasingly popular across America, with players partaking in slots, craps, roulette, and video poker online. With bonuses always available on iGaming platforms, casual players are more and more aware that they can add casino games to their entertainment options. Now may be the opportune time for Sega to licence Sonic to a slot or table game developer, bringing the iconic to a new, but familiar, space.

The next instalment to the long-running series

For Sonic's 25th anniversary, in 2016, Sega announced two new games: Sonic Forces and Sonic Mania. They didn't come out until 2017, but Mania still stands as the latest in the 2D platformer line, with Forces being the newest in Sonic's 3D platformer series. Other than those, 2019's Team Sonic Racing is the latest video game from the iconic hedgehog.

Back at SXSW Gaming in 2019, the head of Sonic Team announced that the next major title in the franchise was already in production, and the advert in the licensing book also cited "new games" being on the way. Whether or not those new games will be released in 2021 is unclear, even more so given the delays seen in 2020, but it's nearly certain that Sonic's next great adventure will at least be revealed for the anniversary.

Sega will undoubtedly go all-out for the 30th birthday of their most beloved game character, with Sonic fans set to be treated to a myriad of announcements and new content.

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How to choose an online casino?

Wednesday, 4th November 2020, 2:32pm (UTC), 0 Comments

To date, a huge number of gambling establishments have appeared on the Internet. And the variety of choices prevents many fans of virtual gambling entertainment from finding a high-quality and reliable online casino. No one will be surprised by the fact that the number of fraudulent organizations on the global network is extremely high. The schemes of fraud and deception of users can be strikingly different, but the essence is the same. Such establishments are just fiction, the purpose of which is to steal as much money as possible from players.

Reliable casino: selection criteria

There are 5 main features of a reliable and safe casino, indicating the high quality of the services provided by the institution:

One of the main points is the range of gambling entertainment that online casinos can offer to their visitors. In the internet there are sites of various sizes, offering from several dozen to several hundred gambling games. Of course, the priority for modern players should be large resources, such as Casinonic which can be found here - https://www.casinonic.com/en-CA/games/slots. Casinonic has a wide selection of games. The wide catalogue of games provides the freedom of choice according to your taste and preferences. It is easier to choose a slot according to your mood or in accordance with specific gaming goals from a large assortment. Also, as practice shows, most gamblers do not play the same slots and simulators for a long time, but prefer to switch to other games from time to time. This diversifies the gameplay and makes it more interesting, moreover, a variety of slots contribute to a more dynamic professional growth and diversified development of gamblers.

Legit Canadian online casino Casinonic

When choosing a virtual casino for placing bets, you need to take into account the financial characteristics of the presented software. If we are talking about slot machines, then you need to determine their RTP (Return to player percentage). Of course, slots with different RTP can be presented in the catalog, but it is important to find out which ones are the best.

It is also important to pay attention to the slots of which brands are presented in the casino. It is desirable that the catalog contains games of well-known and popular developers (such as QuickFire, Play N Go and others).

So, what is a good casino?

Finally, we would like to note the need to participate in various gambling forums and discussions on specialized blogs, where avid gamblers share exclusively truthful information, including facts based on their own experience. Here you can chat with other fans of virtual gambling, asking them for advice or asking a question of interest. And after that, it will not be difficult for you to make the final decision regarding the choice of a particular online casino.

We sincerely wish with all our hearts, every player to get big wins, and a lot of bright impressions!

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What gambling games are the most popular in online casinos?

Wednesday, 4th November 2020, 2:18pm (UTC), 0 Comments

Since the 9th century BC, when the prototypes of modern cards were first mentioned in ancient Chinese sources, card games never cease to excite mankind. On the territory of Europe, cards appeared much later - in the XIV century and then acquired a special distribution among the settlers of the New World.

Since the creation of the first prototype of the modern deck of cards, gambling games have experienced a real evolution, traveling around the world, from country to country, changing their guises and rules. And today, the standard in gambling games is a deck of 52 cards, divided into 4 suits. Traditionally, all existing card and top gambling games can be divided into two main categories:

Intellectual - in which the fundamental component of victory is a competent mathematical calculation and the player's ingenuity - Poker, Pai Gow, Red Dog, etc.;
Randomized (luck-based) - where success largely depends on luck, and this is baccarat, blackjack, slots, roulette, etc.

Today, despite the global popularization of bright and simple video slots, the most popular type of gambling are card games.

Strategy and excitement

First of all, the main reason for the popularity of card gambling games in casinos is their fundamental difference from online slots. This is a feature that virtual cards have not lost during their centuries-old history.

Namely - the complete unpredictability of the distribution results (subordinate today to the random number generator), combined with the ability to influence the outcome of the round by one's skill. Therefore, numerous strategies for the most popular card games are so common on the Internet.

Besides, the presence of a demo mode in virtual gambling clubs provides users with the broadest opportunities for practicing strategies. Martingale, Donald-Nathanson, basic blackjack strategy, etc. And this opportunity influences the course of the gameplay with decisions that player makes during the process of playing both real and online card games.

Easy to learn, but hard to master

Playing cards in virtual format (in particular, due to the presence of the demo mode already mentioned above) is much easier in comparison with real casino halls. Due to the presence of a detailed paytable, where the rules are described in detail, as well as an indication of the payout rates for all combinations, thanks to which acquaintance with the game will not take much time. And after studying the game, you can immediately consolidate the obtained rules in practice, first in a demo mode, and then in a game with real money.

Main Reasons to play card gambling games in online casino

The high percentage of return. It is no secret for experienced players how important the return rate of a particular game plays the main role for success. And playing cards for money in a casino is much more profitable for players in terms of RTP, both in comparison with video slots and roulette. While the dealer's advantage (in this case, the program code) in roulette is up to 2.7%, in slots - 3-5% on average, in cards (in particular, blackjack and baccarat) this figure does not exceed 1% ...
The opportunity to play with a live dealer. Along with lotteries and other table games, you can play cards with a professional dealer in a live video broadcast format, and experience the atmosphere like in a real gambling club.
Variety of choices. If in the same online slots, the gameplay is similar within each slot game and consists of spinning the reels and waiting for the formation of combinations of symbols, then in gambling with cards the list of variations and gameplay possibilities is much wider. Poker alone, for example, is presented in an incredible number of varieties - Pai Gow, Texas Hold'em, Caribbean Stud poker, and many others.

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SEGA's Plans for the Next Generation of Gaming

Tuesday, 20th October 2020, 2:27pm (UTC), 0 Comments

The legendary Japanese video game developer is getting ready to welcome the beginning of a new era for gaming with a variety of game releases across several consoles. The SEGA developers are working on new titles, remakes, remasters and enhanced versions of games, which players will get to enjoy not only on Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo devices but also on computers, arcades and streaming environments. Their gaming development plans include projects for a variety of action games, RPGs, e-sports games and of course titles that have earned legendary status in previous decades. The question in every SEGA fan's mind is of course "Is SEGA going to release a ninth-generation Sonic game".

SEGA's most iconic character is turning thirty, and it feels like its creators are looking for ways to release gaming products that will give Sonic the birthday party the character deserves. Following the not so successful Sonic movie release (at least as far as reviewers are concerned!), fans are hopeful that SEGA is ready to take a more direct approach on modernising not only the character but also the wider Sonic the Hedgehog universe. Gaming is about to take a giant leap forward, and if SEGA wants to keep up, then it will have to find ways to deliver. Classic and free-to-play Sonic games are great, but when Nintendo goes to great lengths to celebrate Mario's 35-year anniversary, and Sony is releasing a new and improved Crash Bandicoot, then SEGA needs to go the extra mile, to give Sonic what its legacy deserves.

Gaming Reality and Realistic Expectation

It is true that we live at a time during which creating a game means years of development work. Unlike gaming fans who have the opportunity to enjoy online games at websites featuring the innovative Everybody's Jackpot slot, gaming developers are working hard to keep up with the competition. If the rumours are more than just rumours and SEGA is really planning to release a series of Sonic games for ninth-generation environments, then this means that its developers have already put in at least a year's worth of coding and script writing.

During this period, the iconic gaming giants are working on several gaming projects simultaneously, even though many people are saying that SEGA's time has been and gone. Sonic titles aside, SEGA is working on numerous titles that will be available on multiple gaming environments. Starting with ninth-generation consoles, SEGA is releasing an enhanced version of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Puyu Puyo Tetris 2: The Ultimate Puzzle Match, Football Manager 2021 and Phantasy Star Online 2. Fans will be happy to hear that SEGA is also at the final development stages for Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX and on an updated version for the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020.

A Good Period for Incremental Innovation

With just a couple of months to go before the new year, SEGA has the opportunity to reinvent both itself as well as its products. Starting from their outdated website and continuing with games that could use a boost, SEGA needs to take the steps required to keep up with other developers. The company is the sole owner of gaming treasures, and it would be a pity if they did not take advantage of these copyrights.

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The many casino zones of Sonic the Hedgehog

Friday, 25th September 2020, 11:49am (UTC), 0 Comments

Ask most people to name, off the top of their head, the most iconic Sonic the Hedgehog level themes, and the casino zone will no doubt fall from their lips - albeit right after the obligatory introductory tropical paradise level of course. Dr. Eggman has to fund his nefarious schemes one way or another, so perhaps this explains the abundance of casinos throughout the series history. Let's look back at some of the most notable entries..

Casino Night Zone

The grand daddy of them all, from Sonic the Hedgehog 2, released in 1992. Taking cues from the first game's vaguely similar Spring Yard Zone, the Casino Night Zone pushes the Las Vegas vibes up to eleven with glitz and glamour strewn across a vast metropolis set at night. Illuminated brightly by dazzling neon, the colours are bright and garish with reds and blues decorating the luxurious golden buildings. Sonic's movement physics naturally lend themselves to pinball style gameplay elements, which this level takes advantage of with its iconic flippers, bumpers and drop targets. Perhaps most memorable though are the potentially lucrative slot machines - drop into them and aim to match three icons for huge ring jackpots! Whatever you do though, just be careful about matching three of the Eggman icons!

Casino Night Zone was included in both versions of 2011's anniversary classic, Sonic Generations - though in the home console version it appeared only as a themed DLC pinball table. The 3DS game managed to include it as a full level, and in both, you can hear a tremendous big band version of the original level's classic theme tune - the way it was no doubt always intended.

Casinopolis

Sonic Adventure, first released in 1998, took on a far more realistic design for its stages than ever seen in the series before, placing itself in the world of humans. With that too came perhaps the most realistic of the casino levels, Casinopolis. Sonic's take on the level has an ahead-of-its-time open world flavour to it, consisting of multiple parts, including two separate pinball tables and a sewer system underneath. Most striking though is the lobby, designed much like a real casino's interior, with slot machines and game tables. When explored as Knuckles, you'll even find a large decorative pirate ship hanging from the ceiling!

Casino Park and BINGO Highway

Sonic Heroes (2003) harked back to the more abstract visual designs of earlier games, bringing with it a key characteristic - the casino zone. Split into two named stages, Casino Park is a nod to the original Casino Night, with its heavy use of pinball tables and slot machines, though it also adds large spinning roulette wheels and moving dice platforms. The visual design is very much its own too - everything is glowing neon in all sorts of vibrant colours. Its sister stage, BINGO Highway adds more blue to the colour scheme, and the tables become long roads to build up speed as your team of characters roll across them. Grab the numbered icons to match up the BINGO numbers displayed along the way.

Both of these stages have reappeared multiple times as race tracks across the Sonic & SEGA Racing series and Team Sonic Racing.

Casino Street Zone

2010's Episode 1 of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 was heavy on nostalgia as far as its levels went, with every single one of them leaning heavily on particular stages from Sonic 1 and 2. Casino Street Zone came in as the second level, and there's no prizes for guessing which stage it was based on. Visuals are very similar to Casino Night Zone, with golden buildings adorned with luxurious red carpets backed by a bustling nighttime metropolis. The golden buildings have interior sections this time, and Act 2 welcomes some new playing card mechanics, both as spinning platforms and forming winding trails on which to run.

Frozen Factory Zone 3

The casino theme occupies only one sub-stage of a larger, predominantly ice level in 2013's Sonic Lost World, the rest of which, it bears no resemblance to whatsoever. It does, however, bear more than a passing resemblance to the Casino Night Zone once again, particularly in its pinball tables which are separated from the rest of the stage and accessible only by collecting enough small silver coins, seen only in this act. Also watch out for the huge slots themselves - now free from the machines that once spun them as they roll slowly towards you.

Mystic Jungle

Don't let the name fool you. This is a group of levels found in Sonic Forces (2017) that depict a previously undisturbed jungle being transformed into one of Dr. Eggman's casinos, already full of bright colours and all the glitz and glamour you've come to expect. An unusual merging of the casino theme with another common platforming trope - the jungle theme. Classic Sonic's stage, Casino Forest, again borrows heavily from Casino Night Zone, deploying all the usual bumpers, flippers and slot machines, while Luminous Forest sees Modern Sonic on one of his typical high speed dashes through the region. There's little in the way of unique features here, save for a set piece at the end in which a gigantic jungle snake attempts to eat him for dinner!

As you can see, the casino theme has long been established as a go-to Sonic level trope that's absolutely iconic to the near 30-year franchise. We're still eagerly awaiting news of the next Sonic game to hit the consoles - maybe it will include an all new iteration of the long-standing casino theme!

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The History of Slot Machines in the Sonic the Hedgehog Franchise

Tuesday, 23rd June 2020, 5:01pm (UTC), 0 Comments

Slot machines have been a part of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise for longer than most fans will realize. Players are typically encouraged to interact with these video slot games to help them unlock additional in-game rewards, or run the risk of losing gold rings. Since their first appearance in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, video slots have becoming a recurring feature, although the slots have been given a revamp in line with the differing themes of each Sonic release.

The first image that slot machines conjure up in the heads of most is the packed casino floors of Las Vegas. According to Vegas Betting, there are 40,000 slots on the Las Vegas Strip. Although the Sonic slot games found in the Sonic franchise don't offer the same mega wins and progressive jackpots that you find in "Sin City", they are certainly a great starting point for those new to the slot concept - and all you're risking is some in-game gold rings too!

From Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to Sonic Forces

The very first appearance of a slot machine in the Sonic franchise was in the second instalment. Within the Casino Night Zone, players could take part in a slot game within the pinball tables of the Zone. The key was to land two jackpot symbols with either a Sonic, Tails or Bar symbol in the remaining reel. This would earn you up to 120 gold rings and a 2x win multiplier. The launch of Sonic & Knuckles also included a slot game within the game's Bonus Stage. The game was in the shape of a + sign, with the reels embedded within it. It was another three-reel slot, with only a single payline to play with and hunt out more jackpot spins and a chance to win up to 120 gold rings. 1998's Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut was designed with a "Casinopolis" feature, which had the slot machines based within it. SEGA opted to try and gamify the slots in this release by fusing slot and pinball gameplay in the 777 Slots Pinball game.

Fast forward to 2011 and the Sonic franchise was still enchanted by slot gaming. In the Sonic Generations game, released on PC as well as games consoles to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the franchise, the slot machine is located within the Casino Night section of the game. In homage to Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the reels were designed to look almost identical, with similar gold detailing around the edges.

A year later, the Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed karting release, akin to the world-renowned Super Mario Kart, also nodded to the franchise's history with slots. Video slot terminals were displayed on-screen during the loading of every race. Players with a minimum of five All-Star coins could spin the reels. In the event that all three reels landed a matching symbol, players would be rewarded with a new item to use at the start of the race, or indeed at the beginning of each lap. If the reels didn't match first time, players could spin once more before the race, providing they had enough gold coins in reserve.

The most recent example of slot machine gameplay in the Sonic franchise was found in 2017's Sonic Forces game. The reels are only accessible in the Casino Forest feature. Again, the reels are designed to act as part of the pinball game. Just like in the first appearance of video slots in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the slot is only activated once the playable character is inserted within the parallel bars on the slot.

Yuji Naka, the former head of Sonic Team and lead programmer of the original Sonic the Hedgehog game, admitted that the nod to Las Vegas and slots was due to the team's own experiences during their trip to America, which they dubbed "Entertainment Research".