Kart racers are usually a dime a dozen, especially back in the old days, when it seemed like every gaming company wanted to make its own version to capitalize on the popularity of the Mario Kart games.  But Sega did it quite effectively several months back with Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing, a smorgasbord of racing goodness stemming multiple characters and tracks inspired by various Sega classics, including the House of the Dead, Samba de Amigo and more.  The formula worked extremely well for both the company and players, so it should be no surprise that the long-rumored sequel was finally announced today.

Sega’s downloadable game slate is looking incredible.  We certainly won’t lie.  Along with a revamped version of Jet Set Radio, the recently released House of the Dead 4, the upcoming original game Hell Yeah (more on that shortly) and the return of Sonic the Hedgehog (part four, episode two), Sega has a lot of genres covered.  You can count fighting in there as well, as the company is bringing Virtua Fighter 5 back to market with the upcoming expansion Final Showdown, set for release on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.

SAN FRANCISCO – Nintendo had a strong showing at the Game Developers Conference (GDC 2012). The game maker abandoned Wii U for Nintendo 3DS and featured some brand new games. On display and playable was Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir, Mario Tennis and Kid Icarus: Uprising.

BARCELONA -- On the first day of Mobile World Congress here in Barcelona, SEGA showed Sonic the Hedgehog for the first time on a tablet powered by NVIDIA's quad core Tegra 3. Called Sonic the Hedgehog 4, Episode II, the new mobile game will launch some time in the Spring this year. It will come out first exclusively for NVIDIA Tegra-powered smartphones and tablets in NVIDIA's Tegra Zone before rolling out onto other Android devices after. We got a first hand look at the blue wonder doing his thing on the Tegra 3-powered Asus Transformer Prime tablet in this exclusive video.

It’s inevitable.  Ever since the success of their first outing a few years ago, Sega’s Sonic and Nintendo’s Mario have managed to shake off their whole 16-bit rivalry in favor of collaborative sporting efforts, usually revolving around the Olympic games.  Like clockwork, just in time to celebrate the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Sega has released yet another compilation featuring the duo, as well as their respective casts, in 50 various mini-game sporting events.  It sounds like a fun time.  Unfortunately, for the most part, it isn’t.

Sonic the Hedgehog has had a splendid 2011.  There, we said it.  But he really has.  Between Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing for mobile platforms, the awesome Sonic Generations and the surprising return of Sonic CD in downloadable format, Sega really brought him back to, ahem, speed.  And he's not slowing down in 2012, as the company has announced the follow-up to his original Sonic the Hedgehog 4 adventure.

As the Nintendo 3DS library is just now picking up, there's a number of games to check out for this holiday season, among them Sonic Generations, WWE All Stars and, of course, the Mario misadventures that are 3D Land and Mario Kart 7.  However, even though these more popular titles guarantee good times, there's a chance you might miss out on the more smaller, compelling experiences.  Like, say, Nano Assault.

On October 22nd some of the biggest names in skateboarding history converged in California to compete in the first-ever Sonic Generations of Skate.  Now their exploits will air on Fox Sports Network on Black Friday, November 25th. In celebration of Sonic the Hedgehog’s 20th Anniversary and the release of Sonic Generations, the one-hour special features top professional skateboarders from three generations such as Steve Caballero, Sandra Dias, Pierre Luc Gagnon (PLG), Tony Hawk and Andy Macdonald.  Skaters from each generation battle it out in teams over four events; performing various tricks, jumps and team routines.  Watch as one team is crowned the first Sonic Generations of Skate winner and receives their trophy from the legendary video game icon Sonic the Hedgehog. Check out the video below to see the action.

In celebration of Sonic the Hedgehog’s 20th Anniversary and his upcoming videogame, Sonic Generations, Sega has teamed up with action sports event producer ASA Entertainment for Sonic Generations of Skate. The event will feature three generations of professional skaters competing throughout the Sonic-themed day. On Saturday, October 22, Sonic and skateboarding fans will descend on Venice Beach, California (on the basketball courts near Muscle Beach), the iconic location where performance skateboarding planted its roots. Viewers at home will also be able to catch all the action on Fox Sports Network on Friday, November 25th.

Sega's attempts to bring back Sonic the Hedgehog in a whole new light have been bungled at best.  Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 was all right, but a bit too short considering its $15 price tag and large amount of hype.  The original Sonic the Hedgehog rebirth was unquestionably bad, due to poor platforming segments and a rather questionable relationship with a human girl.  And Sonic Unleashed didn't do the brand any favors, thanks to an annoying new character and Sonic's poor Were-hog stages.  But now, this year, it looks like Sega's finally getting it right, simply by going back to basics.

You don't often hear about gangbusters announcements happening at an evening like the Penny Arcade Expo, as they're usually saved for the likes of GamesCom or Electronic Entertainment Expo.  But there are those smaller ones that still make a significant dent, like the return of Duke Nukem Forever, which was a highlight from last year.  This year marks the return of a Sega favorite, Sonic CD, which is rumored to be making an appearance at the company's booth in downloadable form, on Xbox Live Arcade.  It's big news -- and a good second chance for a game that deserves one.