*’If you’re primarily a PC gamer, but still like console games, Sega’s Dreamcast Collection is now on Steam, and it’s on sale until April 1st.
The Dreamcast Collection comes with high-definition of Crazy Taxi, Sega Bass Fishing, Sonic Adventure DX and Space Channel 5: Part 2.’ [full news story]
*’Yakuza fan wins $9000 back tattoo courtesy of SEGA’. [full news story]
*The latest Super Monkey Ball 3D review scores are quite disappointing:
-4/10 (Eurogamer)
-5/10 (Gamespot)
-6/10 (Game Informer)
-C+ (1UP)
-7.5/10 (IGN USA)
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’till next week? Not quite. SEGA news.net will make a server switch and will resume service on April the 6th. See you then!
Remember that XBOX 360 Kinect powered horror game called Rise of Nightmares? We did. Barely, though. Thankfully, MTV Multiplayer provided us with an update.
*Phantasy Star Portable 2: Infinity moved up two spaces (#6 to #4) in the Japanese all-format chart by selling another 16.175 copies (grand total now: 286.014).
*Resident Evil: Code Veronica (of Dreamcast fame) is getting an HD for the PlayStation 3 and XBOX 360. It should look something like this.
*The latest review scores:
Total War: Shogun 2 - 9.6/10 (Mygamer)
Total War: Shogun 2 - 9.3/10 (ImpulseGamer)
Total War: Shogun 2 - 8/10 (gamesTM)
Total War: Shogun 2 - A (GameShark)
Total War: Shogun 2 - 9/10 (Gametrailer)
Super Monkey Ball 3D - 7/10 (Official Nintendo Magazine UK)
Super Monkey Ball 3D - 8/10 (Cubed3)
Yakuza 4 - 7.9/10 (Play UK)
Yakuza 4 - 8/10 (gamesTM)
Yakuza 4 - 4.5/5 (GamePro)
We didn’t want to leave our US readers down, so here’s another overview,
this time around filled with US retailers:
In the upper-left corner we have AiAi (Play-Asia)
He offers the game for $44.90
Free shipping: No ($3.40)
In the upper-right corner we have MeeMee (Best Buy)
She offers the game for $39.99
Free shipping: No ($2.99)
In the lower-left corner we have Gongon (Amazon.com)
He offers the game for $39.95
Free shipping: Yes
Finally, in the lower-right corner we have Baby (Toys “R” US)
It(?) offers the game for $39.99
Free shipping: Yes
Hmm, we were a little disappointed. Are those really your best offers, retailers?! Seen a good deal on SMB3D? Let us know!
*SEGA confirmed the release date for Captain America: Super Soldier.
The game will be hitting the XBOX 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and Nintendo DS platforms on July 19th. Jeuxvideo also posted some screenshots.
*’SEGA has started a slow stream of Ebay auctions of some rare company merchandise, all the profits of which are going to the American Red Cross to benefit relief in ravaged Japan.’ [full news story]
*Destructoid posted a ‘hands-on’ feature of the Nintendo DS version of
Thor: God of Thunder. Quote: ‘It looks a lot better than I expected it to’.
*Nintendolife reviewed Super Monkey Ball 3D and awarded it an 8/10.
*Play.com now offers a Nintendo 3DS console bundle (in two colours) including Super Monkey Ball 3D. Price: £209.99 / €262.49
Total War: Shogun 2 and Yakuza 4 make their chart debut with
mixed results..
This week’s entries in the Full price Top 40:
[#3](NEW) Total War: Shogun 2
[#21](NEW) Yakuza 4
[#30](+2) Football Manager 2011
[#33](-11) Sonic Colours
This week’s entries in the Budget price Top 40:
[#10](-2) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
[#20](-5) Aliens vs Predator
[#32](+2) Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing
[#40](-) Iron Man 2
The Nintendo 3DS console launch is just mere days away and because no console is complete without a SEGA game, we took a look at the various pre-order prices of Super Monkey Ball 3D. Meet the contenders:
In the upper-left corner we have AiAi (Play.com)
He offers the game for £32.99 / €41.49
Free shipping: Yes
In the upper-right corner we have MeeMee (BlahDVD)
She offers the game for £26.99 / €31.44
Free shipping: Yes (UK only, mind)
In the lower-left corner we have Gongon (TheHut)
He offers the game for £29.85 / €35.93
Free shipping: Yes
Finally, in the lower-right corner we have Baby (Zavvi.com)
It(?) offers the game for £29.85 / €35.95
Free shipping: Yes
’till next week!
*The XBOX360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Thor: God of Thunder and Captain America: Super Soldier will feature ‘eye-popping stereoscopic 3D graphics’. [full press release]
*Looking for some new music to put on your iPod/MP3 player? SEGA offers four free tracks from the Yakuza 4 Official Soundtrack, which can be downloaded from the official website.
*The Nintendo DS version of Sonic Colors failed to win a BAFTA Video
Game award, losing out to a game called ’Cut the Rope‘.
*Monkeys take the road in SEGA Europe’s short video of the Monkey Race minigame from Super Monkey Ball 3D.
*Eurogamer’s ‘Game of the Week’ unveiled: Total War: Shogun 2.
*‘SEGA Fails horribly with Dreamcast Collection’. Indeed..
*The latest review scores:
-Total War: Shogun 2 - 9/10 (EDGE Magazine)
-Total War: Shogun 2 - 9/10 (IGN USA)
-Total War: Shogun 2 - 9/10 (GameSpot)
-Yakuza 4 - 8.1/10 (PSX Extreme)
-Yakuza 4 - B+ (1UP)
-Yakuza 4 - 7/10 (PlayStation Official Magazine US)
*IGN posted a new video of Conduit 2 simply entitled ‘Global trailer’.
*Another video by IGN: a video review of Total War: Shogun 2.
*SEGA USA posted a cute new trailer of Super Monkey Ball 3D..
*..as well as the ’Mathilda’ character trailer from Anarchy Reigns.
(haven’t we seen this one before?)
*Definitely new is this Anarchy Reigns character trailer of ’Baron’ by
SEGA Europe. It contains ’scenes of an adult nature’. Uh, yeah.
*Sonic the Hedgehog 4 -episode I will be featured as the XBOX Live ‘Deal of the Week’ next week. It will cost 800 instead of the regular 1200 points.
*Yes Conduit 2 -will- be available in Germany and this will be the game’s packaging (indeed, it’s the same apart from that big USK rating label).
*Eurogamer re-reviewed Yakuza 4 (the European version this time around, last time they reviewed the Japanese import version) and awarded it an 8/10.
*More Japanese earthquake funding support by SEGA: ’SEGA is helping support victims by slashing its prices on apps. All donations made via these price cuts will go to Red Cross’. [full news story]
*SEGA USA have just released the SEGA Genesis Classic Collection -GOLD edition for PC. It contains 46 classic Genesis games.
*1UP will be having a ‘Yakuza 4 giveaway’. Follow @1UPsweeps and check back around 12PM EST/9AM PST for your chance to win!
*Segadatabase network update: A video of an internal Saturn test game by SEGA USA called ‘Astrocade’ was added to our Youtube channel.
*Coming soon from SEGA and Three Rings: Spiral Knights. A ‘Multiplayer online action adventure’.
*SEGA USA posted the second part of their Shogun 2 dev diary..
*..as well as a Conduit 2 preview.
*Some Yakuza 4 footage courtesy of Eurogamer.
*The latest review ratings:
-Total War: Shogun 2 - 9.5/10 (Game Informer)
-Total War: Shogun 2 - 4/5 (Gamespy)
-Total War: Shogun 2 - 9/10 (Videogamer)
-Total War: Shogun 2 - 4.4/5 (Cheat Code Central)
-Yakuza 4 - 6.5/10 (IGN)
-Yakuza 4 - 9.1/10 (PSM3 Magazine UK)
Some new entries in the budget Top 40 but the main question is ‘how will
Total War: Shogun 2 fare?’ Find out next week..
This week’s entries in the Full price Top 40:
[#22](+16) Sonic Colours
[#32](-2) Football Manager 2011
This week’s entries in the Budget price Top 40:
[#8](+1) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
[#15](+5) Aliens vs Predator
[#34](RE) Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing
[#40](RE) Iron Man 2
*The current events in Japan didn’t pass us by and SEGA USA’s latest Flickr set proofs the earthquake shocks even reached Tokyo with -thankfully- less dramatic results. Our thoughts go out to all of those who are effected by this disaster.
*’SEGA and its UK studio Sports Interactive have pledged to donate a portion of revenues to a Japan earthquake relief fund.’ [full news story]
*Jeuxvideo reviewed both Total War: Shogun 2 and Yakuza 4. The former received a score of 18/20 (9/10) while the latter received 16/20 (8/10).
*SEGA Europe offers a Digital Download for Total War: Shogun 2. (£29.99)
*Segadatabase network update: A video of the unreleased Game Gear game Yogi Bear was added to our Youtube channel.
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’till next week!
*‘When PC strategy sequel Total War: Shogun 2 launches next week it will not support DirectX 11. SEGA confirmed to Eurogamer this morning that DirectX 11 support will be patched in through an update scheduled to release two to four weeks after the game comes out.’ [full news story]
*SEGA USA announced a Shogun 2 ‘crossover’ for Team Fortress 2.
*Eurogamer was the first site to review the game. Seems they liked it.
*Want to score Shogun 2 ‘on the cheap’? We made a handy price overview*:
-Blah! - £25.99 / €30.80 (Limited Edition)
-Play.com - £27.49 / €34.49 (Limited Edition)
-GAME - £26.99 (Limited Edition) - £49.99 (L.E. with Chess Set)
-GetGamesGo - £23.99 / €39.99 (Digital download + Free Rome Total War)
-TheHut - £24.85 / €29.93 (Regular Edition) - £54.85 / €65.43 (Collectors Ed.)
-Zavvi.com - £26.85 / €32.45 (Limited Edition)
*Take note: prices quoted without shipping costs!
*Phantasy Star Portable 2: Infinity sold another 42.000 copies last week and claimed the #7 spot in the Japanese all-format chart (thanks: Gamefront).
*EDGE magazine reviewed the European version of Yakuza 4 and awarded it with a score of 7/10. I guess they were in a good mood..
*Yesterday we’ve introduced you to SEGA Play! Baseball, now it’s time to take a look at SEGA Play! Football.
*Eurogamer posted a video of Total War: Shogun II featuring some of the game’s secrets. ‘Mo-capped samurai and really big drums’ indeed.
*IGN (5/10) and Game Boyz (4/10) both reviewed Dreamcast collection.
Monsters &Critics reports:
‘SEGA today announced that SEGA PLAY! Baseball has officially launched on Facebook. The game enables players to create, customize and manage a baseball team made up of their own players—as well as players created by Facebook friends.
SEGA PLAY! Baseball is free-to-play and allows players to choose their team name and uniform, customize avatars, level up their players’ skills and recruit friends’ players. Players can also build up their own ballpark with a variety of items. Lastly, players can challenge their friends in one-on-one matches or compete in global league play. ‘
*Are you fluent in Japanese and addicted to Twitter? Take a look at this new Ryu ga Gotoku Twitter App for your iPhone.
*Mastervidiot posted a video playthrough (split up in six parts) of the recently released playable demo.
*Famitsu magazine reviewed the game and awarded it ratings of: 10/9/9/9.
*You’ve probably seen the short GDC2011 video of Yu Suzuki we posted last week. It was a cut of just the Shenmue related parts of the interview. Now the full interview was posted. Great stuff.
*Gamefront posted two Super monkey Ball 3D gameplay videos.
*Dengeki PS reviewed Ryu ga Gotoku: Of the End. It was awarded ratings
of 85/80/90/90.
*SEGA Tale of the week
So why did the American Daytona USA 2001 (Dreamcast) online servers go down? An ex-employee of SEGA USA tells us;
‘Here is the true story. Daytona USA was rocking, everyone loved it. Our contract (with whomever was hosting us) went out or we moved. It was discovered at that point that the temporary IP addresses meant only for temporary use in the alpha code hadn’t been replaced with DNS named sub-domain / domain. So when we moved the game turned off.
It was something we never did - giving out direct IP addresses (specifically for that reason), but the domain wasn’t ready yet and access was needed immediately. At the point the address was given I understand it was made very clear that the switch needed to happen at a later point but something got lost in translation / transition. So… very sad. Everyone @ Sega loved that game.
Options obviously might’ve been a VMU upload (patch) or worse a re-issue of all Dreamcast discs (an impossibility at the time). I am not sure if a VMU patch would’ve worked. As I know a bit about VMU and Dreamcast innards, boot, etc. I think it could’ve, but I wasn’t there when this happened so I am not sure if it was considered.’
Dreamcast Collection didn’t make a dent (i.e. it didn’t even make the top 40) in the UK Chart, hopefully that will tell SEGA something..
This week’s entries in the Full price Top 40:
[#30](+9) Football Manager 2011
[#38](-14) Sonic Colours
This week’s entries in the Budget price Top 40:
[#9](-1) SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection
[#20](-2) Aliens vs Predator
It seems like ages since we were playing the Gamecube version of Super Monkey Ball..and it actually is, as the Super Monkey Ball franchise turned
10 this week!
To celebrate that fact SEGA Japan opened a special Anniversary website. You’ll be able to take a look at all the games and download some special wallpapers.
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’till next week!