*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)
All-format, budget price
[#8](+3) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
[#9](-1) Aliens vs Predator
Wii, full price
[#10](-2) Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
DS, full price
[#9](+3) Sonic Classic Collection
PSP, full price
[#6](-) Football Manager 2010
PlayStation 3, budget
[#3](-) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
[#4](-3) Aliens vs Predator
XBOX 360, budget
[#8](+3) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
PSP, budget
[#10](-1) SEGA Mega Drive Collection
PC, budget
[#1](-) Football Manager 2010
*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!
All-format, budget price
[#8](-3) Aliens vs Predator
Wii, full price
[#8](-1) Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
PSP, full price
[#6](+2) Football Manager 2010
PlayStation 3, budget
[#1](-) Aliens vs Predator
[#3](-) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
[#10](NEW) Alpha Protocol
XBOX 360, budget
[#5](-1) Aliens vs Predator
PSP, budget
[#7](+3) Sonic Rivals 2
[#9](+3) SEGA Mega Drive Collection
PC, budget
[#1](-) Football Manager 2010
[#4](+2) Napoleon: Total War
TSSZ News posted two new Sonic Colo(u)rs videos from the Gamescom.
Go check them out HERE.
==
’till next week!
*There have been various changes to Sonic the Hedgehog 4 -episode I’s levels, gameplay and effects lately. Adjustments were made to the ‘Lost Labyrinth’ zone, animations were changed and difficulty levels altered.
Read more about the game’s changes HERE.
*If you’re able to get on a plane now, you just might make the 1 year anniversary of the SEGA Republic in Dubai. For this occasion, they are launching a month-long bonanza for visitors with special promotions and weekly prizes from August 11 to September 14 at The Dubai Mall.
Read more HERE.
*SEGA Europe posted two more blog bits on Vanquish;
[#7.Special effects.] & [#8.The Birth of Boost.]
Our friends at SegaOnline posted the first footage of Virtua Tennis 4 in action. Go check it out!
*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.
In another surprise move, SEGA Europe just announced Virtua Tennis 4.
‘With a host of additional features and the full player line-up to be revealed in the coming months, Virtua Tennis 4 is slated for release in 2011 and will be available on PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system.’
Full story HERE.
All-format, budget price
[#5](NEW) Aliens vs Predator
Wii, full price
[#7](+3) Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing
PSP, full price
[#8](-1) Football Manager 2010
PlayStation 3, budget
[#1](NEW) Aliens vs Predator
[#3](+3) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
XBOX 360, budget
[#4](NEW) Aliens vs Predator
[#9](-) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
PSP, budget
[#10](+8) Sonic Rivals 2
PC, budget
[#1](-) Football Manager 2010
[#6](-2) Napoleon: Total War
German videogame website Gamepro posted some new Sonic Colo(u)rs footage. In it are some clean, alternate routes to stages we already know–Tropical Resort and Sweet Mountain. You’ll also get a peek at one of the boss stages in motion. (thanks: TSSZ News)
==
’till next week!
*SEGA Europe posted the sixth part of their Vanquish blog updates.
Naoki Katakai, Vanquish art director and lead background designer at PlatinumGames, talks about ‘designing the world of Vanquish‘.
*‘Sonic Colours lead designer Takashi Iizuka has admitted that his new game is aimed at children rather than veteran gamers who remember playing the MegaDrive games’. Hmm..we remember a certain Sonic Unleashed developer saying the same..
*PC game download service Get Games is offering a 50% discount on various SEGA (PC) games. Aliens vs Predator, Alpha Protocol and Napoleon: Total War are all available at 50% of their normal price.
*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
*Boxart time! SEGA USA posted both the Wii and DS boxart of Sonic Colors, while SEGA Europe posted an overview of the Vanquish boxart.
*I’m not sure what the people at SEGA Japan were thinking when uploading THIS video to their Youtube channel and perhaps its for the best we don’t know. Look out for a rather ’special’ camera angle at 7:37.
Who said sexual objectification was dead, eh?
*Segadatabase Network update:
Keep an eye on Segadatabase’s Youtube channel for some new videos in the upcoming days. Also, SEGA News.NET made the first page for ’SEGA news’ @ Google. Good stuff!
All-format, budget price
[#8](+2) Football Manager 2010
Wii, full price
[#10](-) Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing-
PSP, full price
[#7](-) Football Manager 2010
PlayStation 3, budget
[#6](+1) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
XBOX 360, budget
[#9](+1) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
PC, budget
[#1](-) Football Manager 2010
[#4](-) Napoleon: Total War