*We were one of the first to report on NG: Dev Team’s latest Dreamcast project: Fast Striker. Good news: the game can now be pre-ordered!
*Some more websites reviewed the Gunblade NY & L.A. Machineguns Arcade Hits pack:
-6/10 (Metro UK)
-6/10 (VGT)
-7/10 (Dealspwn)
*The PAX2010 is approaching fast, so SEGA USA thought it would be nice to give you an idea of all the ’swag’ to be won.
*STOP! Demo time! Two playable demo’s are now available; a playable Vanquish demo is now available from XBOX Live, while a playable demo of PSP Yakuza (in Japanese obviously) is available from HERE.
*Remember that special day in either 1998 or 1999 on which you popped your Sonic Adventure disc into your Dreamcast? Downloading it September 15th won’t be quite the same, but at a friendly price of 800 points, it should be able to give you some pleasant flashbacks nonetheless!
*Even more XBOX Live news: Fans of Aliens vs Predator will be happy to know the Swarm map-pack will be one of next week’s ‘Deal of the Week’ offers and should only cost you 400 points.
*SEGA USA obviously had the right idea when promoting their latest game: Win a Gunblade NY arcade machine!
*Game Informer reviewed the US version of Valkyria Chronicles 2 and rated it 8.5/10. Eurogamer ‘did’ the European version and rated it 8/10.
*Gamefront posted the boxart for both Shining Hearts (PSP, JPN) and Vanquish (D1 edition mit 3D cover).
*According to Gamefront these games will be part of SEGA’s Tokyo Game show line-up:
- Vanquish (PS3, Xbox 360)
- Phantasy Star 2 Infinity (PSP)
- Kurohyou: Ryu ga Gotoku Shinshou (PSP)
- Shining Hearts (PSP)
- Sonic Colors (Wii, NDS)
- Dennou Senki Virtual-On Force (Xbox 360)
*A site called ‘Aeropause’ reviewed the Gunblade NY & L.A. Machineguns Arcade Hits pack and rated it 3/5.
*The second batch of Mega Drive games from the ‘Mega Drive Classics’ line-up (Eternal Champions, Bonanza Bros, Sonic Spinball..) arrived at Get Games.
*SEGA West (USA & Europe) launched a promotion called ‘back to school’ in which various iPhone/iPad/iPod touch games are temporarily discounted.
==
’till next week!
*Japanese Wii owners can expect another classic arcade game by SEGA soon: Super Hang-On will be added to the Virtual Console next month. America and Europe to follow, please?
*The official website for Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity has opened.
It can be found HERE.
*The Gunblade NY & L.A. Machineguns Arcade Hits pack is now on sale. SEGA Europe gave us a little tidbit.
*Speaking of the G.N.Y & L.A.M. Arcade Hits pack: Nintendo Power magazine reviewed the game in their latest issue and rated it 5.5/10.
*Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA 2nd sold another 12.973 copies and secured spot 9 in the Japanese all-format software chart.
*It seems people from Japan won’t be able to escape the Yakuza hype:
SEGA Japan are planning TV series (!) based on the upcoming PSP Yakuza game. The shows will be broadcasted on Japanese TV by TBS & MBS soon.
*Robert Medina, creator of the impressive Sonic & Knuckles fan-video we posted yesterday, talked to PlayStation Lifestyle about his creation.
*Segadatabase network update: BETA footage of Shutokou Battle (DC)
was added to our Youtube channel.
Sometimes life is too easy..thanks to TSSZ News for all these updates:
*A Sonic the Hedgehog 4 -episode I trailer from the Gamescom shows the game still has some problems.
*Five screenshots/scans from Sonic the Hedgehog 4 -episode I’s Lost Labyrinth zone.
*News on jazwares’s latest Sonic the Hedgehog action figures.
*Even more Sonic Colo(u)rs and Sonic the Hedgehog 4 -episode I screenshots.
*A very impressive fan-game based on Sonic & Knuckles.
*1UP was the first to review the Gunblade NY & L.A. Machineguns Arcade Hits pack. They rated it with a respectable B-.
*TSSZ News posted new Sonic the Hedgehog 4 -episode I details from a preview in Nintendo Power. Gamefront also posted four new screenshots.
*SEGA Japan posted a commercial for their latest PSP game: K-On! After school live!!
*Gamefront posted seven scans of Phantasy Star Portable 2 Infinity. A game that’s news to us!
*More surprise news:Team Senile’s homebrew Dreamcast racer Rush Rush Rally Racing will hit the Wii. The game will be released under the Wiiware label and is planned for Q4 2010 / Q1 2011.
*It’s been posted at various websites, but came too late for our Saturday deadline: A playable Vanquish demo will be available from early next month. Also check out this new pre-order DLC trailer.
*Is SEGA working on a third Valkyria Chronicles game? Well, SEGA Japan DID register a domain called ‘Valkyria3.jp’. We’re expecting more news during next month’s Tokyo Game show. In the mean time check out this new Valkyria Chronicles 2 trailer.
*TSSZ News posted another new ‘Sonic Colors @ the GamesCom’ video (sourced from IGN). See more of Planet Wisp in action.
*So Obsidian, whatever happened to that rumoured Alpha Protocol patch?
Not much, it seems. *sigh*
*Despite being released today (in the USA), it seems no-one has bothered to review the Gunblade NY & L.A. Machineguns Arcade Hits pack yet. Yuji Naka’s Ivy the Kiwi? however, got ratings of 6/10, 9/10 and 4/5 respectively.
*Remember that impressive homebrew RPG for the Mega Drive / Genesis called Pier Solar? It’s done and will be shipping soon! Expect a review on Segacollection.com.
*And while we’re on the subject of retro, get a load of this: It seems TecToy actually released a 32X CD version of Surgical Strike (the best FMV game of the lot in our opinion). The game was planned for the American and European markets, but never made it out (bar the regular Mega-CD/Sega-CD versions, obviously). Cool stuff!
*SEGA Europe opened up their formerly ‘private’ set of Virtua Tennis 4 screenshots at Flickr. SEGA USA also uploaded some (creepy) artwork.
*US Phantasy Star fans will be happy to know a playable demo Phantasy Star Portable 2 is now available from PSN.
*The official Sonic the Hedgehog 4 -episode I website was updated. There’s a brand new Lost Labyrinth zone theme, new screenshots, new information and even some downloadable music. See the full list of new items HERE.
*SEGA Japan added a new Shining Hearts trailer to their Youtube channel. They also updated the official site with info on the game’s characters.
*SMSpower came up with some more releases: special show demo’s of Ghouls ‘n’ Ghosts and World Cup Italia ‘90, two proto’s of Monopoly and R.C. Grand Prix (All Master System) and Smurfs 2 for the Game Gear.
*One of the games strangely missing from our recent schedule was Football Manager 2011; it has been steeped in mystery. Well, no more, as SEGA Europe just announced a release before Christmas. Expect a schedule update when more release dates become known.
*Nintendo posted a list of the best selling Wii games since the system’s launch back in 2006. Two SEGA games made the third party list: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games at #2, while its ‘Winter sequel positioned itself
on #10. Impressive.
*SEGA Japan added a new video of Virtua Fighter 5 -Final Showdown to their Youtube channel.
*The Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA hype machine is running on full force as yet even more merchandise was produced; Crypton Future Media came up a Blue-ray, DVD, UMD, CD and even a cup for the upcoming ‘39’s Giving Day’ event.
*TSSZ News posted some new Sonic Free Riders footage that came from a recent ‘On the Spot’ feature by Gamespot.
*A playable Valkyria Chronicles 2 demo is now available from the American PSN. Gametrailers posted some footage.
*A round-up of the latest Gadgets & Merchandise:
-Bayonetta Art Book: The Eyes of Bayonetta
-K-On! iPad skin
-SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Handheld console (6 buttons & SD card slot)
-Sonic the Hedgehog Cast Poster
-‘You must Play the Sega Saturn’ t-shirt
*As we reported yesterday, Sonic Colours will -indeed- be released November 2010. The 12th to be exact. A new trailer can be seen HERE.
*First 4 Figures produced a six-in-one Sonic-themed action figure set. It contains Sonic, Super-Sonic, Amy, Tails, Knuckles and Metal Sonic and will retail at a very reasonable $29.99. Pictures can be found HERE.
*SEGA Japan opened the official Shining Hearts website. It’s absolutely useless at the moment as you can see, but better keep an eye on it, eh? Thankfully Famitsu provided us with some screenshots and nice pieces of artwork.
*Famitsu lets us know Japanese PSP owners will be able to download a trial version of Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA 2nd from the PlayStation store. It contains four playable rhythm games.
*Retro fans rejoice: 1UP did a feature on the recent CGE show. There’s plenty of SEGA stuff to be found if you look hard enough.
*SEGA Japan has just announced a budget release for both the XBOX 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Bayonetta. Pictures and pricing details can be found HERE.
*ChartTrack provided Eurogamer with a whole load of chart stats. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games is listed in the ‘Longest time holding a top-5 position’ category. See the full set of stats HERE.
*A user called ‘gavarms’ has been busy uploading loads of new Vanquish videos to his Youtube channel. Not sure where he gets them from, but take a look at the latest one HERE.
*It seems Sonic Colours is planned for release in November. Details HERE.
*SEGA Europe added part 5 of their in-depth Vanquish blog. Subject: character modelling.
*SMSpower came up with two more classic releases: there’s Speedy Gonzales for Game Gear and a Korean (!) version of Antarctic adventure (Master System).
*Phantasy Star Universe was added to the XBOX 360 ‘Games on Demand’ service. Details HERE.
*SEGA Japan added a new video of their upcoming PSP game K-on! After school LIVE!! to their Youtube channel.
*Eurogamer posted an interview with one of the people behind Sonic Colours: Takashi Iizuka. He’s been busy answering questions as Total Video Games also interviewed him.
*Bayonetta is less than a year old, but there’s some buzz about a sequel now thanks to a mysterious Tweet by the game’s producer, Yusuke Hashimoto. Full story HERE.
*IGN posted a Sonic Free Riders (Kinect) preview. Check it out HERE.
*GamesRadar’s ‘Game Music of the day’ (well, yesterday): Billy Hatcher.
*A little overdue but still post-worthy material: Shining Force (Mega Drive / Genesis) will hit the iPhone.
Our favorite Penguin makes a return! An eight player return to be exact, as Triangle Service (them of Trizeal) is currently location testing the game (running on SEGA’s recent RingWide hardware) in CLUB SEGA Akihabara.
Various photos and screenshots can be found HERE. While a trailer can be found HERE. We demand an XBLA release!
==
’till next week!
*SEGA Europe posted a Vanquish Q&A with PlatinumGames. Read it HERE.
*Phantasy Star Universe (XBOX360) owners will be able to download the ‘Amibition of the Illuminus’ expansion for free. Full details HERE.
*Want to visit this year’s ‘Summer of Sonic’ fan convention? Better hurry and get those tickets!
*TSSZ News posted some pictures of another batch of Sonic figures by First 4 Figures.
*A whole load of Virtual-On Force screenshots ‘you might have missed’ can be found HERE.
*iPhone users will now be able to buy another two classic SEGA games from the iTunes store: Space Harrier II and Ecco the Dolphin.
*SEGA Japan uploaded a video of a rather trippy new arcade game called ‘Ami no.3′ to their Youtube channel.
SEGA Europe just announced a second batch of Mega Drive games for the PC. Here’s the list in full (and our -hopefully valued- opinion on them):
-Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (Pretty poor, really)
-Bonanza Bros (Classic)
-Columns (Pretty good)
-Ristar (Very playable)
-Fatal Labyrinth (Meh)
-Ecco Jr (Oh please..not again)
-Galaxy Force II (Incredibly outdated)
-Kid Chameleon (Nice one)
-Super Thunder Blade (*sigh*)
-Dr. Robotniks Mean Bean Machine (Alright)
-Eternal Champions (Pretty good, actually)
-Sonic Spinball (OK)
The games will be available via digital partners like Get Games with pricing from £2.99/€2.49/ AUS$3.49. A short trailer can be seen HERE.
*No more support (=patches) for Aliens vs Predator? This is what this post by a SEGA USA forum moderator seems to imply. Hmm.
*TSSZ News posted a link to some more gameplay footage of Sonic Free Riders (XBOX 360 Kinect).
*SMSpower released a special sound test of the unreleased Lethal Weapon 3 game for the Master System.
*Gametrailers added a trailer for the recently released Napoleon: Total War ‘Peninsular’ campaign.
*Who says games aren’t art? A 6ft Temjin figure will be displayed at the Aomori Museum of Art as a part of the ‘Robots and the Arts -Visual Images in the 20th Century Japan’ exhibition. More pictures on SEGA Japan’s Virtual-On Force blog.
*SEGA USA posted the voice-actors for the upcoming games Sonic Colors and Sonic Free Riders.
*Computer and video games did another interview with SEGA West CEO Mike Hayes. They talk about the E3, Kinect, Alpha Protocol, the Nintendo 3DS and the upcoming Dreamcast games.
*Computer and video games also posted a whopping 49 new Sonic Colours screenshots.
*Living in the USA and planning to pre-order Sonic Colors? Take a look at this crazy offer.
*Despite being quite a while away, the Crazy Taxi (XBLA] achievements were uncovered.
*Another HOT rumour from SegaOnline: Space Channel 5 part 2 is likely to be one of the selected Dreamcast games to hit XBLA and PSN. More news soon?
*The balance is restored: PlayStation 3 owners will also be able to download After Burner Climax at 50% of its former price; €4.99 (was: €9.99). I smell a bargain!
*Gametrailers posted another Tournament of Legends trailer. ‘Epic fun’ indeed.
*It took only about four of five months, but US players of Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing can finally add a premium theme to their Playstation 3.
*The Japanese site Game.Watch conducted an interview with Yosuke Okunari (producer of the recently announced Dreamcast games for XBLA & PSN). As the interview is entirely in Japanese (feel free to to Excite to gain more from it) we gathered the most important information:
General
-SEGA still wants your game requests.
-Online features in Dreamcast games are likely to remain in-tact.
-The two announced games won’t be released simultaniously.
-SEGA already decided on the second batch of games.
-Some Dreamcast titles might hit the Wii Virtual Console. Size allowing.
-Many Jet Set Radio requests came in. The game seems likely.
-Avatar awards and leaderboards will be included in most games.
-The Dreamcast games are built from source and won’t be emulated.
-Saturn games will remain a possibility. (Shining Force sc 1-3? -S.F.)
Sonic Adventure
-Sonic Adventure will run on 720p at 60fps.
-The VMU features in Sonic Adventure are likely to be scrapped.
-Sonic Team will oversee the Sonic Adventure development.
Crazy Taxi
-Some of the Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars BGM will make a return.
-The ‘custom soundtrack’ option will also make a return.
-720p @ 60fps. A 16:9 option is also included.
*The Napoleon: Total War ‘Peninsular’ campaign is now available. More info HERE. SEGA USA also started several competitions.
*After Joystiq it was 1UP’s turn to interview Yuji Naka. They talk about Ivy the Kiwi, Let’s Tap, Prope and the ‘SEGA days’.
*Remember the 3-in-1 GamesAid charity package for the PlayStation 3? Well, it’s gone on sale today.
*SEGA Japan added a video of a new musical PSP game called ‘K-ON!’ to their Youtube channel. More on this game soon.
*Sonic the Hedgehog 4 -episode 1 was featured in Gamespot’s ‘Today on the spot’ show. (from 11:20)
*SEGA West’s president Mike Hayes quoted on the Nintendo 3DS:
‘3DS can attract mature audience to handheld gaming. It was interesting to see games like Saint’s Row on the device. If we could bring, let’s say, a House of the Dead or an Aliens title, if the audience for 3DS is much broader it could give us much more scope in that market, and that’s as exciting as well as Mario & Sonic and Monkey Ball games.’
*The official Virtual-On Force website was updated with a lengthy Q&A with the producer of a range of new Virtual-On Force figures from Hasegawa.
*You’ll soon be able to listen to the music of another unreleased Master System game. The Lethal Weapon 3 soundtrack is being converted as we speak..