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Minecraft celebrates Sonic’s 30th anniversary with new DLC

Minecraft and Sonic the Hedgehog have come together for a new collaboration, which starts today. To celebrate Sonic’s 30th anniversary Minecraft players can play as the blue hedgehog in a new DLC that recreates the spirit of the iconic franchise. The Sonic Character Creator item is free to download on the Minecraft Marketplace starting today.

Minecraft - Sonic the Hedgehog DLC - Nintendo Switch

The DLC creates procedurally generated levels for players to speed across that are inspired by the Green Hill Zone, Chemical Plant Zone, and other famous Sonic the Hedgehog levels. The trailer shows off 3D levels, as well as side-scrolling levels. Sonic can be seen rolling into a ball and moving faster, and Knuckles is shown flying in the air. The new Character Creator items appear to have more functionality than basic Minecraft skins.

According to the Minecraft site, the levels are filled with rings to collects and bosses to fight. Players can also get their hands on a Sonic skin, as well as skins for Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Shadow. Besides the playable characters, the DLC will also include iconic enemies and fan-favorite characters like the Chao.

There will also be a two-week-long event hosted by The Hive that will be filled with mini-games and feature a full server-hub takeover. Tails’ biplane and Shadow’s motorcycle are featured in the trailer, suggesting that players can drive these iconic vehicles. The Hive promises that there will be something special happening on one of the weekends and encourages players to check in so they do not miss out.

Andrew Zucosky
Andrew has been playing video games since he was a small boy, and he finally got good at them like a week ago. He has been in…
Sonic Frontiers is getting a free update this week, including new modes
Sonic holds his heels during a midair trick in Photo Mode.

Sonic Frontiers will receive its first of three planned updates on Wednesday, March 22. The free DLC -- dubbed Sights, Sound, and Speed -- has a load of new features, including Photo Mode, Jukebox, and new challenge modes.

Sega previously detailed its plans to support Sonic Frontiers in the long term last November, but it didn't share a timeline for when the updates were coming. Now that first wave is finally here, giving the game it's first significant update since it launched last year.

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Celebrate the holidays like a true gamer with these 6 yule log videos
best video game yule logs hades log

Sometimes you just want to create a cute holiday vibe in your home, letting you curl up next to a roaring fire. That mission can be tough if you don't have a fireplace, though. That's where yule log videos come in. You can head over to YouTube and load up any number of cozy yule log videos simulating that experience.
There are plenty of traditional yule log options for you to choose from, but what if you're a gamer? Perhaps you won't settle for anything less than a neat gaming-themed fire that will make your younger cousins think you’re very cool and have the rest of your family concerned about your life choices. If that applies to you, here are six great gaming yule logs you can fire up this holiday weekend.
Minecraft Holiday Yule Log
Minecraft Holiday Yule Log (Official)
Let's start with an old standby. If you want a good-natured, uncomplicated gaming fire, look to the blocky world of Minecraft. Released in 2016, this two-hour YouTube video lets you watch a fire burn in a holiday-decorated Minecraft cabin. While it lacks the realistic graphics of The Last of Us Part II and it plays the same fire sound effect every couple of seconds, this will do if you’re looking for a gaming-themed yule log that almost anyone can recognize. It's official, too -- it says so in the title. 
Happy Holidays featuring Charlie the Yule Dog from Marvel's Midnight Suns
Happy Holidays featuring Charlie the Yule Dog | Marvel's Midnight Suns
Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of Marvel, but it’s this neat comic book universe that has spawned some movies and video games. The latest Marvel game, Marvel’s Midnight Suns, even got a Yule Log of its own almost an entire year before it was released. The official video is titled Charlie the Yule Dog, so I don’t really think I have to put in that much comedic effort here after that pun. I just want to highlight that it’s nice for a game to give such a fledgling universe of characters some time in the spotlight.
AVGN's Yule Log of Video Games
AVGN's Yule Log of Video Games
Are you celebrating Christmas with people who really don’t like video games? Then you can try to convince them that you, a gamer, are actually on their side with this yule log from the Angry Video Game Nerd. This timeless classic is over an hour long and shows video games burning over chiptune music. Warm your family's weary bones by the flames of Bonk's Adventure and Beavis and Butthead's Sega Genesis game.
Little Inferno: Ho Ho Holiday
Little Inferno Ho Ho Holiday Expansion - Official Trailer
“Wait, that’s a trailer, not a yule log video you madman!” is what you’re probably thinking. Well, I'm just trying to keep you on your toes. We have gamified everything from language learning to literal geese, so of course, we’ve found a way to gamify yule logs. If your least favorite part of these videos is the fact that you can't interact with them, then Little Inferno’s Ho Ho Holiday expansion is for you. Little Inferno is a funny, satirical indie game that's all about burning things, and this expansion that just released in November adds over 20 new toys for you to burn. I think this technically counts as a yule log, because it makes you feel like one. 
House of Hades Yule Log
House of Hades Yule Log [4k]
This isn’t a comedic yule log entry. I’m just here to tell you that Hades is a good game and has a great yule log video. Put on this calming 12-hour yule log and just play Hades. Watch the Hades II trailer while you’re at it, and then play Hades again. Why are you still here? You should be playing Hades -- it’s one of the best games of all time.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Yule Log
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) - "Yule Log" - Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures released a Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Yule Log ahead of the film's release earlier this year, and it's actually a pretty great one. I'm extending this one to Sonic fans as a holiday olive branch after my very critical review of Sonic Frontiers earlier this year. I hope this gift brings you peace this holiday season. Regardless, this is actually a nice yule log, especially if the people around you know who Sonic is. Roast some chili dogs over an open flame while you watch this one.
Hopefully, one of these very niche yule logs can fill your weekend with some gaming cheer. Happy holidays from the Digital Trends gaming team!

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Sonic Frontiers is getting new playable characters and story content next year
Sonic in his fighting stance in the latest Sonic Frontiers trailer.

Sega revealed the roadmap of all the new content that's coming to Sonic Frontiers in 2023. The company shared a graphic on the official Sonic Twitter account on Wednesday, showing three separate updates that will come with new features, modes, character skins, and other exciting new content throughout the year.

https://twitter.com/sonic_hedgehog/status/1598000246772023296

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