Good lord, we’re… EXCITED about something made by people on the internet! The below image is a collection of sprites from Sonic 2 XL – a hacked version of Sonic 2 where Sonic gets fat from collecting rings. And it messes with the physics accordingly.

“I know you’ll like this shit right here. Two members at Sonic Retro have just released a hack called Sonic 2 XL where the rings are replaced with onion rings. If you eat too much, Sonic gets fat and can’t jump as high or run as fast. It’s absolutely incredible and completely changes the gameplay of the original game (plus, it’s hard as hell). I did a write up on it with all the info” – Brad

This video does a better job of selling it. Excitement level slowly increasing back to where it was some 24 hours earlier.

All this promotional activity is coming 15 years too late.

Go here. Then come back feeling 5% more sad. From “Greg.”

From Ubisoft and Q Entertainment. Something that might be worth getting the cable that makes sound come out of our PC monitor as well as pictures.

Just let us be able to play it without having to use our biceps.

We’ve got an hour to go until dinner’s ready, so let’s LIVE BLOG the Nintendo conference for as long as our hearts can stand it.

We’ve already had enough.

NEW BLOG IDEA: Men who have bought new shirts especially to wear at important events.

Ten minutes of this. The crowd has long since been lost. Miyamoto’s controller isn’t working. This is the future of games and why we don’t currently have a plugged-in console.

LIVE BLOG ABORT.

You have to pity the “hardcore” Nintendo people in the crowd when stuff like this comes on. Do they show brand loyalty and cheer, or mock and jeer like they’ll be doing on internet forums via the hotel wi-fi after tonight’s wank marathon?

Now a man’s complaining about how much prescription glasses cost. He’s got a point.

Nervous Nintendo men about to get a go at standing near some ladies!

…and at this point we turned it off and went out for an angry walk:

That’s WALK.

SHOCK NEWS: SEGA is re-releasing an old game and it isn’t Golden Axe.

Official words stuff here.

Or it might just be how the French do games adverts.

There’s another one up on VG247 if you’re suddenly more than a bit interested in another bloody game about driving.

We’ve been saying this all along.

Part of SEGA [GENESIS] Classics, coming soon to the PC.

Apparently, there’s a new game around called Alpha Protocol. It’s technically “by” SEGA, as in it’ll be SEGA sending it out to the shops, then SEGA that processes all the returns nine months later, then SEGA that admits it wasn’t a particularly good idea in an interview in Edge magazine 18 months later and that it’s also refocusing efforts on the latest micro-trend instead.

But anyway. There’s a SEGA Saturn in it.

Play, which is where we find out about games nowadays due to having pretty much totally “lapsed,” says Alpha Protocol is subtitled “The Espionage RPG” which is about the least-thrilling description imaginable. Apart from, perhaps, “Squad-based Espionage Management RPG”.

You can see by the way Sonic’s falling off the loop that the controls are a NIGHTMARE. Tails is in the lead, for god’s sake. You know it’s gone badly wrong when Tails is in the lead. He’s even going to get some rings. You’ll never see them again.

The ability to be able to press right consistently is a rather important part of the Sonic formula. It’s not OK to simply get all the colours looking right. More screenshots over on the SEGA US blog.