Tag: Sega - Page 22
Video We Put The Pedal To The Metal In Sega's 3D OutRun
Can M2 keep up their winning streak?
It hardly feels like Japanese 3DS owners have finished with Fantasy Zone, but M2 is back on the eShop and granting gamer wishes once again, this time bringing Yu Suzuki's OutRun into the palms of arcade fans. As we've come to expect this is yet another fantastic port with just the right balance of hardcore...
News 3D OutRun Given a Release Date and Details for Japan
We want it yesterday
The 3D series of classics from Sega were, in the Nintendo Life office at least, among the highlights on the 3DS late last year. With a mix of arcade and Mega Drive / Genesis games getting the impressive remastering treatment from M2, it was pleasing that Sega had made the investment to localise that first run outside of Japan...
News Job Cuts Hit Sega's London Office
Part of a restructuring of the Sonic and mobile departments
Sega Europe has confirmed to Polygon today that it's laid off an unspecified number of employees at its London office, as the company's Sonic and mobile departments are consolidated into Sega of America: Sega is in the process of consolidating certain functions of the Sonic and Mobile...
Out of this world
Following their epic tussle for supremacy during the early part of the decade, the remainder of the '90s were difficult times for rivals Sega and Nintendo. The arrival of hardware newcomer Sony — and its phenomenally successful 32-bit PlayStation system — totally changed the landscape of the video games industry. Sega and...
News These Sega 3D Classics T-Shirts Will Be Perfect For The Summer
To be this good takes ages
3DS owners will be aware that Sega is giving the console some retro love at the moment with its superb range of 3D Classics. We've seen the likes of Space Harrier, Shinobi III and Galaxy Force II so far (along with the guilty pleasure that is
News Sonic Lost World Gets Free Legend of Zelda DLC Tomorrow
But can we team up Knuckles with Tingle?
Hot off the heels of Sonic Lost World's Yoshi's Island DLC, tomorrow the hedgehog's latest Wii U outing will get some Zelda-themed downloadable content to boot; it'll be free for all that have the game. Entitled The Legend of Zelda Zone, IGN reports the new level will be more than a reskinning of an old...
Matters of Import 3D Fantasy Zone: Opa-Opa Brothers Powers Up A Sega Classic
This colourful classic is tougher than it looks
Sega’s enthusiasm for the 3DS continues unabated, which means that gamers have another excellent port-with-extras from the technical wizards at M2 available on the Japanese eShop: the twenty eight year-old Fantasy Zone. As we've now come to expect, this 3D remake is a port of the arcade version of...
News OutRun Confirmed As The Next 3D Classic Racing to Japan
3DS gamers, get ready to race
While Sega had us distracted with the excellent 3D Fantasy Zone: Opa-Opa Brothers, it's gone and announced another classic that Sega fans have all been patiently waiting for — Outrun. This information is so minty-fresh that nothing else is currently known — not even an estimated release date — but we can at least...
Video 3D Fantasy Zone: Opa-Opa Brothers Shoots Down The Competition
Pastel coloured pew-pew
We gave you a brief overview of Sega's latest 3D Classic Fantasy Zone: Opa-Opa Brothers last week, but now we've finally got our hands on it we can show you some real footage of our own. It should come as no surprise at this point to hear that M2 has once again produced an exceptional port, arcade accurate in the most minute...
News "Dark And Edgy" Sonic The Hedgehog Film Reportedly In Development
He can really move
According to Hollywood insider website The Tracking Board, a “dark edgy” movie adaptation of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise is on its way courtesy of Columbia Pictures. The film, which is aimed squarely at older audiences, will use a combination of live-action and animation. This news comes less than two months after the...
News Shenmue 3 Could Happen Via A Kickstarter Campaign, Says Creator Yu Suzuki
Famous game designer is "researching" crowdfunding the sequel
Shenmue and its sequel cost around $70 million to make — an incredible figure when you consider that Sega was on the ropes when it bankrolled them. Unsurprisingly, the death of the Dreamcast — combined with Sega's gradual shift from developer to publisher — has put Shenmue 3 on the...
News How One Man Is Giving Sonic Fans The Game They Want To Play
And he wants to do the same with Stunt Race FX next
Let's be honest here, Sonic's recent outings haven't been all that hot. Sonic Lost World on 3DS and Wii U was a crushing disappointment when you consider the level of hype it received, and most of the character's recent 3D outings have failed to recapture the brilliance of his early adventures...
News Sega's Classic Shooter Fantasy Zone Is Blasting Onto Japanese 3DS eShop This Month
Welcome to the... ah, you know
If you're a fan of Sega's 3D Classics range then you'll be pleased to know that the company has revealed that a new version of Fantasy Zone — entitled 3D Fantasy Zone: Opa Opa Brothers — will hit the Japanese 3DS eShop on the 19th of March. As with all previous 3D re-releases, the usual Sega love is on show —...
News Bandai Namco Cheekily Projects An 80-Foot Pac-Man Onto The Side Of Sega's UK HQ
"We hope Sega aren't offended, more delighted"
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures may be old news in the US but the European launch is only just happening, and to remind everyone of that fact publisher Bandai Namco has picked a rather unique approach when it comes to promotion: projecting a massive image of Pac-Man himself onto Sega's HQ in...
News Console Wars Book Paves The Way For Movie Written By Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
Nintendo or Sega, the ultimate question
In many respects the current home console scene is relatively complex. Nintendo is pursuing its own ideas and philosophies, while Microsoft and Sony are in a tug of war over resolutions, framerates and probably things called gigaflops. Throw in the rise of smart device gaming, some stuttering micro consoles...
Remake Request Virtua Fighter 2
A 3D 3D fighter, if you see what we mean
It may be celebrating its twentieth anniversary in November this year, but Sega’s classic 3D fighter is a game that’s arguably showing little sign of age. A technical marvel in the '90s both in arcades and at home on the Saturn, the passage of time has done nothing to this game other than prove that it...
News SEGA Splits Index Into Two Companies, Secures Continued Atlus Game Development
Moving forward
Last year, after much speculation, Sega Sammy acquired Atlus via its parent company, Index, after the latter had endured financial problems. Once the acquisition was complete Atlus stated that it was continuing its development projects as normal, though Sega has now confirmed how it will restructure the acquired business — the...
News Sega's New Shining Game Is Rather Different From What You Might Have Been Expecting
Turn-based action is replaced by 2D fighting
Sega's Shining series is one of gaming's most beloved franchises, but for the past few years western fans haven't been able to join the party, as all of the recent instalments have been strictly Japan only. However, that doesn't mean that we haven't been keeping a keen eye on upcoming entries, largely in...
News Sonic Lost World Sales Reached 640,000 in 2013
In just over two months
Sonic Lost World was one of a small batch of major Holiday season releases to push the Wii U in the retail market, though the Nintendo-exclusive title was also available on the 3DS. Both games were different experiences — as is likely to also be the case with Sonic Boom and its separate development teams — and Sega...
News Before Sonic, Sega Almost Picked ToeJam & Earl As Its Official Mascots
Alien pair were rejected for being "too American"
Cast your mind back to the 16-bit console war between the Mega Drive (Genesis to our North American readers) and the SNES, and you'll no doubt think of Sonic's titanic struggle against Mario. These two mascots towered over their rivals, and have gone on to become instantly recognisable all over the...
News Sega Moves To Quash Sonic Rumours, PS4 & Xbox One News Was "Incorrect"
“Sega is yet to announce details of upcoming console video games"
A short while ago, we ran a story about Sonic's next console adventure, and how it appeared to be destined for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2015. A sign displayed by US toymaker Jazwares at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair suggested that the next Sonic outing would be...
Video Puzzle Mashup Puyo Puyo Tetris Works Better Than You Might Think
Two puzzle giants collide, with interesting results
We've dished out info on Sega's curious Puyo Puyo and Tetris fusion before, but now the playable demo has finally hit the Japanese eShop we've been able to get our grubby mitts on it and give you a real look at how it all works. It sounds quite jarring to play Puyo Puyo against someone else who's...
Matters of Import Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict Joins The 3DS Library
Like a light Shining in the Darkness
Thanks to Sega’s continuing support of the 3DS Virtual Console service we now have all three Game Gear Shining Force games available to buy on Nintendo’s much loved handheld — in Japan, at least. The emulation is so consistently brilliant on the 3DS it’s hardly worth mentioning these days: we’ll simply...
Matters of Import Taking Initial D: Perfect Shift Online For A Spin
A Not-So-Hot Rod
Free-to-play is all the rage these days, with in-app purchases proving profitable for developers while allowing users to decide exactly how much they want to spend and everyone — from Square-Enix to Capcom to probably your Gran — has an iOS game or MMO available to install for free with optional micro-transactions attached. So...
Video Thirty Glorious Minutes Of Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict
Yet another excellent but untranslated Sega RPG hits Japan
The last Game Gear Shining Force game, Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict takes place in between the mainline Genesis / Mega Drive titles Shining Force I and II and — as you'd expect — features many, many, fan-pleasing plot threads, characters and general references to the events in...
Weirdness Alex Kidd Infiltrates The Legend Of Zelda, With Disastrous Results
Crossover chaos
Before Sonic the Hedgehog sped onto the scene, Alex Kidd was Sega's undisputed mascot, appearing in a host of Master System adventures — as well as a single 16-bit outing — and attempting to challenge Nintendo's Mario in the sphere of platforming goodness. Since being ousted by the blue hedgehog, Alex Kidd has wandered in the...
Remake Request Shining The Holy Ark
Why Sega's Saturn dungeon crawler would be perfect for a 3DS remaster
While Shining Force continues to entertain players in some form or another with its own brand of deep tactical gameplay, it's worth remembering that the Shining line of games didn't begin life on a grid-based battlefield. The first instalment — Shining in the Darkness — was a...
First Impressions 3D After Burner II
GET READY!
Japanese code-shop M2’s range of Sega 3D Classics consistently puts everyone else’s retro remaster efforts in the shade, and the time we've spent with the Japanese version of 3D After Burner II yet again shows that the studio simply cannot be beaten when it comes to getting an arcade-accurate port running smoothly on the relatively...
Matters Of Import Conflict Is Always On The Cards In Sega's Sangokushi Taisen Ten
Like Magic the Gathering and Dynasty Warriors after a stint in a blender
Sangokushi Taisen is a long-running and popular series in Japanese arcades, its initially strange mix of collectable trading cards and real-time strategy turning out to not only be incredibly good fun but also commercially successful; it has spawning multiple sequels,...
News Shenmue's Ryo Hazuki Is Speeding Towards Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
"I see"
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed was one of the true gems of the Wii U's early software line-up, and until Mario Kart 8 crosses the finish line and hits store shelves it remains one of the console's best racers. After a leaked reveal on Yogscast a short time ago, Sega has been tweeting various images over the fes
Review 3D Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master (3DS eShop)
Much more than an Average Joe
In many ways, Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master represents Sega at its very best. It boasts lush visuals, excellent music and a surprisingly versatile lead character, all wrapped up in a game which practically screams action and excitement. Launched at a time when the Mega Drive was really beginning to hit its...
Weirdness Show Your Loved One You Care This Christmas With Phantasy Star
Tyler "Christmas Sega Kid" Esposito provides some sound advice
Tyler Esposito — the lucky scamp you saw in that heart-warming compilation of Sega-released Christmas footage — is of course all grown up now, but that doesn't mean he has lost his adoration for the Japanese video game veteran. Esposito dropped us a line to let us know about another...
Review 3D Ecco The Dolphin (3DS eShop)
A bit grim beneath the surface
Ecco the Dolphin has always been something of an oddity. At the time of release, the Mega Drive / Genesis platform was defined by its solid arcade ports and action-packed titles such as Golden Axe and Ghouls 'n' Ghosts, so when a dolphin-based adventure came along it was a totally original concept for players to take...
Review 3D Streets of Rage (3DS eShop)
Street smart
When Nintendo secured the domestic conversion of Capcom's Final Fight for its newly-launched SNES console way back at the dawn of the '90s, it left many Sega fans utterly distraught. Cody, Haggar and Guy's coin-op escapade was the hottest ticket in arcades at a time when the side-scrolling fighter was very much the genre of choice...
Feature 10 Sega Titles We'd Like To See Reborn As 3D Classics
M2, please take note
Sega's range of 3D Classics has finally hit the west, and with the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog, Space Harrier, Super Hang-On and Galaxy Force II already thrilling 3DS owners, this fine selection of reheated vintage legends proves beyond all doubt that good, old-fashioned gamepl
Matters Of Import Shining Force Feather
We take a look at Sega's Japan-only DS strategy RPG
Sega's Shining Force series is still well thought of, even if the PS2 instalments arguably got off on the wrong foot by drastically rewriting series canon and deviating from the strategic gameplay found in older titles. Evidently someone was buying these games anyway, as after four entries on the...
News This Video Brings Back Festive Sega Memories of the '90s
When new games dominated letters to Santa
We suspect many know what we mean when referencing "the Nintendo 64 kids", a short video that showed the excitement that a new games console could prompt on Christmas Day. Naturally a games console is for life — or at least a generation — and there are plenty of Holiday seasons when games for our...
Review 3D Galaxy Force II (3DS eShop)
A sense of Super Scale
Galaxy Force II has something of a bad reputation with many players, purely because the domestic ports of the game which followed the arcade release way back in 1988 were, by and large, abysmal. Many fans base their opinion of this on-rails space shooter on the Mega Drive / Genesis version, which was downright unplayable...
News 3D After Burner II Is Jetting Towards The Japanese 3DS eShop
Missiles locked on
Take a moment to reflect on the gaming days of yesteryear, and no doubt there’ll be some fond memories of Sega’s jet fighter classic, After Burner. Originally released in 1987 — and following on from Sega’s equally successful arcade racer Out Run in 1986 — After Burner placed the player in the seat of an F-14 Tomcat...
Video Learn Some Sega History in Just One Minute
Right up to the Genesis / Mega Drive era
After the VGX shenanigans absorbed far too lengthy a period of our lives this weekend, perhaps a snappier, more to-the-point video is needed. This will work nicely, in that case, as it's a history of Sega's early days in just over a minute. While we've had plenty of opportunity to learn about Nintendo's...
News M2 Developed a "Virtual" Sega Console for 3D Sonic the Hedgehog
We want a "GigaDrive"
Just last week we shared details from an interview with M2 President Naoki Horii and SEGA CS3 Yosuke Okunari that revealed some of the challenges in producing 3D Space Harrier, making it clear that producing a 3D remaster of the arcade classic wasn't a simple process. With 3D Sonic the Hedgehog arriving in Europe and North...
News SEGA Working on Second Round of 3D Classics
May come worldwide if the first set sells well
This week saw the arrival of the first two titles in SEGA's range of 3D re-releases on the 3DS eShop, with 3D Space Harrier and 3D Super Hang-On. There are another six games coming in the next three weeks to give retro SEGA fans — and perhaps those trying them for the first time — a taste of...
Sega went and got itself some RPGs
Fans of popular Atlus games like Shin Megami Tensei IV and Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan can start to turn that sigh of defeat into a sigh of relief. In mid-September, SEGA Sammy Holdings obtained Atlus's parent company, Index Corporation, after Index was forced to declare bankruptcy — an event that...
News Mega Drive: Collected Works To Include Input From Creators Of Ecco, Comix Zone And Vectorman
US developers on-board for the definitive history of Sega's 16-bitter
We recently reported on the Kickstarter campaign for Sega Mega Drive / Genesis: Collected Works, and are happy to report that the project has already passed its initial funding goal of £30,000. However, Read-Only Memory founder Darren Wall has gotten in
News Publisher Read-Only Memory Is Creating The Ultimate Retrospective On Sega's Mega Drive
Or the Genesis, if you're American
We recently investigated Read-Only Memory's excellent Sensible Software 1986–1999, a book which uncovers the history of one of Britain's most iconic games studios. Now, the publisher is back with another Kickstarter campaign, and this time it's Sega's legendary 16-bit console which is the main focus.
Review Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (Wii U)
Back on the slopes and going nowhere fast
Unless you’re an enthusiast or currently living in Sochi (that’s in Russia, by the way), there’s a good chance you aren't aware that the Winter Olympics are almost upon us. Yes, it’s time for all your favourite winter sports to hit the screens again; sports such as skiing, skiing off a cliff,...
News SEGA Confirms Western Release Dates and Details of 3D Classics Range
Rejoice, retro fans!
We've been aware of the 3D range of retro remakes from SEGA for a good while, splashing the cash on our Japanese unit while waiting for their eventual localisation. Of course, that's not an option for everyone, so the pleasing news is that SEGA has now confirmed release details for both Europe and North America, with a total of...
News Sega's Most Successful Console Is 25 Years Old Today
Happy birthday, Mega Drive
A quarter of the century ago, Sega released its most successful console. The Mega Drive hit Japanese retailers on October 29th, 1988 and would go on to sell an estimated 40 million units globally. Known in North America as the Genesis, the system was the first to genuinely challenge the supremacy of Nintendo's NES, and the...
News Sega Genesis Owners Very Nearly Missed Out On Treasure's Gunstar Heroes
Sega of America almost passed on the legendary run-and-gun title
Localising Japanese games for western release is a costly process, and even today we still see a lot of titles remaining Japan exclusives and therefore tantalisingly out of reach. Back in the '90s it was very much the same deal, with many amazing 16-bit games failing to make the jump...
News SEGA's Retro Remakes Down to Fans for "Next Lineup"
Europe and North America still awaits retro 3D series on the eShop
While now a software developer and publisher with other major interests in entertainment such as Pachinko machines in Japan, for some SEGA will always be the hardware and arcade company that brought joy to their early gaming years. It's a strong legacy, and the company often shows a...