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This episode of the Gaming Historian is sponsored by LastPass. Back in the day, I remember keeping a Notepad file on my computer with all my usernames and passwords. But then, in 2008, LastPass came along and changed my life. All of a sudden, I didn't have to worry about
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remember, or reset passwords. LastPass allows you to keep track of your passwords easily, so you can keep doing research without interruption. And LastPass goes beyond just a computer by auto-filling credentials on mobile sites, and apps too. When you open an app or a site, LastPass will automatically fill in your username and password. With unlimited password storage
and free cross-device sync, it's a no-brainer. Put your passwords on autopilot with LastPass. Click the link in the description below to learn more. Thanks again to LastPass for sponsoring this episode of the Gaming Historian. As a kid, I always loved it when I was playing a video game, and I would catch a reference or cameo of a character from a totally different game. They were always fun little Easter eggs, and... I don't know, I guess it made me feel like the games were connected in a big universe together. Thus began my Secret Games series. I've previously talked about Mario's secret NES games and Mario's secret Game Boy games. But now it's time to move on to the #1 request; Sonic the Hedgehog. So let's take a look at the system that made him famous: The Sega Genesis. Before we begin, a few ground rules: Number two: Sonic or any characters from the Sonic universe can't be on the cover art of the game. Some games have text alluding to him,
or you'll see his red shoes. But Sonic isn't actually on screen. And #4: With these rules in place, we know for sure that you won't
be expecting to find Sonic in any of these games. Okay, let's do it. These are Sonic's secret Genesis games. Released in May of 1992 in North America, Sports Talk Baseball has many cool features, including real players, statistics, full-season play, and battery backup saves. One of the most impressive features is the play-by-play commentary. Nowadays, this is pretty standard in a sports game. But back in the early 90s, this was very exciting to hear. COMMENTATOR:
Swing and a ground ball to second,
throws to second, base hit! [crowd cheers] NORM:
So where does Sonic come in? No, he's not fielding grounders or stealing second. But if you manage to hit a home run, Sonic appears on the jumbotron in the outfield. If you're a baseball fan, I highly recommend Sports Talk Baseball. It's one of the best, if not *the* best, baseball games on the Genesis. When it comes to tactical role-playing games, Shining Force II is considered one of the all-time greats. IGN even put it at #48 of their top
100 video games of all time. But enough about that. Where's Sonic? After you beat the game, sit on the end screen for a few minutes to unlock a secret battle. This is the hardest fight in the game. You fight just about every single boss in one map. And the map is in the shape of Sonic. Cool! One of the rarest and most valuable
games on the Sega Genesis: Crusader of Centy, is basically a Legend of Zelda clone. However, it's not as good. It has a rough translation, a severe lack of puzzles, and swinging your sword just doesn't feel as good as it does in the Legend of Zelda. But without comparing it to Zelda, Crusader of Centy is a decent little action RPG. When you reach the beach area early on in the game, you'll find Sonic catching some rays on a beach chair. If you speak to him, he'll say: "Tsk... Tsk...! I'm a gallant hedgehog. Don't mess or you'll get burned!" See what I mean by "rough translation"? It's Art Alive! Yep. Some might say this was Sega's answer to Mario Paint, but Art Alive actually came out a year earlier. There's not much to Art Alive. It's basically a paint program for your Sega Genesis. Sonic makes an appearance as a character you can stamp on your creations. There's even a few ToeJam & Earl stamps. Sonic has a couple of poses you can choose from to really make your drawings stand out. Let's jump across the pond for a minute and look at Ultimate Soccer on the Mega Drive. I find it really odd that a game that only came out
in Europe is called Ultimate Soccer, and not Ultimate Football. But I digress. This game has some pretty robust options, like changing how much the soccer ball weighs. You'll see Sonic right away in the main menu as you choose what game mode you want to play. In the early days of the Genesis, Sega hoped to attract an older audience by pushing their lineup of sports games. Most of the games were endorsed by athletes, too. There was Buster Douglas Knockout Boxing, Arnold Palmer Tournament Golf, and, of course, Joe Montana Football. It seemed like a good match. Montana was one of the all-time great quarterbacks. He wore the number 16, and the Genesis was the hot new 16-bit console. Fun fact: The first Joe Montana game was developed by Park Place Productions, the same team who made John Madden Football. But for the sequel: Joe Montana football II, developer duties were handed off to Blue Sky Software. Joe Montana Football II boasts it has the first ever live play-by-play, which was impressive at the time, but it doesn't work all that well. Anyway, where's Sonic? Well, if you score a touchdown, different scenes play out on the jumbotron. There's, uh... this. ...and, hey! There's Sonic. In December of 1994, Sega launched a new service: Sega Channel. In a partnership with Time Warner Cable, Sega Channel would deliver games to
the Genesis through a coaxial cable. For $15 a month, players could download a selection
of games, demos, and cheat codes. While this isn't technically a video game, Sonic does make an appearance. At the startup screen, he runs by and jumps on the power switch. Surprisingly Sega Channel lasted almost four years! Seems like a good topic for a future episode. Let's take a look at Wimbledon Championship Tennis, which features a...
surprisingly good soundtrack? Seriously, take a listen! This game has an official Wimbledon license, but no real players. As far as a tennis game goes, well, it's tennis. As for our blue hedgehog friend, his cameo only appears in the
European version of the game. His posters are plastered around the court as advertisements. Well, that's kinda boring. OutRunners is the third game in the classic OutRun series, and if you haven't played it, well, get on it! It's a fantastic arcade racer. Unfortunately, this is just another "show Sonic's picture" cameo. In the Mega Drive version of this game, he's on a billboard at the beginning of the race. Jeez! Come on, Sega! Is this all we're gonna get for the Sonic cameos? There's one game left. Show me somethin' cool. Let's wrap things up with Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II. Apparently, Ayrton Senna himself
supervised the production of this game. Fancy! Now, I'll admit, I have no clue when
it comes to Formula One racing, but I decided to look into it more, and Ayrton Senna is considered one of the greatest drivers ever. Sadly, he died in a race crash two
years after this game came out. As far as the game itself, Super Monaco GP II is right up your alley if you like Formula One racing. But where's Sonic? Well, let's see. Did you catch that? He's down there at the bottom when you select
your rival in World Championship mode. Well, overall, those cameos were... a little disappointing. So how 'bout a bonus? Let's look at some Game Gear games! Released only in Europe, the Sega Game Pack 4-in-1 contains four games, including Columns Flash, Penalty Shootout, Pan-American Road rally, and Championship Tennis, which is where we find Sonic the Hedgehog. Like Mario, he has taken up the job of chair umpire. But unlike Mario, he doesn't make any calls. He just watches the ball go back and forth. Come on, Sonic! Do your job! Let me start by saying I did not like
Tom and Jerry: The Movie as a kid, so the idea of playing this game is not appealing at all. Nevertheless, yes! Sonic is in this game. In stage 2, once you pass the Sega restaurant, there's a poster of Sonic in the bookshop. He looks...uh... Well it's the Game Gear. They did their best. That wraps up Sonic's secret Genesis games. Overall, not as exciting as Mario's many hidden appearances. Still, throwing Sonic into so many random games was evidence that back in the 90s, Sega really saw him as their flagship character. And he still is today. If you have a suggestion for a "Secret Games" episode, let me know in the comments below. Personally, I think a Final Fantasy
episode would be good. But tell me what you think. That's all for this episode of the Gaming Historian. Thanks for watching! FEMALE NARRATOR:
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