Atlus has just announced a spin-off for Persona 5, this one being called Persona 5 Scramble: The Phantom Strikers which will NOT be developed in-house at Atlus or SEGA. The developer will be Koei Tecmo studio Omega Force (Team behind the Dynasty Warriors titles including the anime spin-offs).
You can check out the trailer above but this Persona 5 S isn’t what most Nintendo Switch fans actually wanted. A port of Persona 5… the JRPG, not a spin-off! What is your thoughts? Would you wanna play a Persona 5 themed Dynasty Warriors type game?
Atlus Japan had a full blown event to show off the latest update for Persona 5, being called Persona 5 Royal. The teaser above doesn’t show off any of the new footage, that on the other hand is teasing the western release of Persona 5 Royal in the West. Expect it sometime in 2020!
So what’s new in this version of the game? So far we know:
Joker has a grappling hook
Battle system upgrade
New character (Kasumi)
New social link (Takuto)
Third semester, includes New Years Shrine.
New city area (Arcade)
New date spot (Aquarium)
Twins can go outside with you
Memorable moments can be revisited via phone
PlayStation 4 Pro graphic enhancements
Darts (Shenmue, is that you?!)
If you waited this long to play Persona 5, there is no doubt you should be keeping an eye on this release. The original Persona 5 was jam packed with things to do, explore and a hecka of a fun JRPG. As for people that did play the original release, are you going to double dip on this one? Personally, can’t wait to see what new tracks this version has and the music alone is worth playing through the game again.
Disclaimer: The author of the review is a Kickstarter Backer and received a copy of the PC version through the campaign. A Nintendo Switch review copy was also provided by the via the game’s PR team.
ToeJam and Earl have returned during a time that could not be more appropriate for not only SEGA fanatics but also for the roguelite genre’s recent surge in popularity with ToeJam and Earl Back in the Groove. The game serves as a return of the adventure-like aspect from first game, serving as an all-star tribute to the history of the franchise and provides a strong artful representation of the culture with it’s cast of characters and musical appreciation. Starting as a Kickstarter project in 2015 this allowed the developers to stick closer to the first game without having to bend to publisher direction and create the long awaited follow-up to the original ToeJam and Earl. Despite the long development time, having to shave off a few goals, (Sorry Wii U) and going through two publishers, the game succeeds bringing the first game’s roguelike experience up to date with bigger multiplayer opportunities while struggling with performance issues on consoles.
Puyo Puyo eSports is getting a localization, renamed as Puyo Puyo Champions and will be available in western territories on May 7th, effectively confirming a previous rumor about SEGA trademarking “Puyo Puyo Champions” back in November. In addition to the Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch versions previously released in Japan, Puyo Puyo Champions will also get new versions for the Xbox One and Steam, with the console versions all getting digital releases.
For reference, Puyo Puyo Champions is a Puyo Puyo game that caters to a competitive crowd. It trims the fat, providing players with the bare necessities, focusing heavily on the recurring Tsu and Fever rules from past games only and small quality-of-life additions to streamline Puyo matches further. Both offline and online will provide several multiplayer options, such as a new tournament mode and the ranked mode from Puyo Puyo Tetris making a return.
Puyo Puyo eSports has been available on the digital stores for both the Nintendo Switch and the Playstation 4 since October 25th 2018. But for those that want physical copies instead, SEGA has been nice enough to announce that both the Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch versions will receive a retail release on July 27th for ¥1,990.
The contents are the same as the original digital version. This includes the ability to play with Tsu and Fever rules, along with both offline and online options, such as a tournament mode for offline and the ranking system for online. However, in addition, Puyo Puyo eSports will receive a new update that brings back the Lesson Mode from past Puyo Puyo games. This mode will go into detail over various aspects of how to play Puyo Puyo, ranging from the basics such as rotating to more complex tactics like how to build specific chain types, overall useful for new players. Both the digital release and the upcoming physical release will receive this update in the future.
SEGA Talk is back, and with our return we thought we’d cover a very important game in SEGA’s history. On this episode we discuss the 1999 SEGA Dreamcast classic Shenmue! George and Barry discuss the game’s history, the many innovative gameplay features and our own experiences playing the game.
In addation to the audio podcast, we are offering a special YouTube enhanced version of the show. We are still working out the kinks and feedback would be appreciated. If you like the show, make sure to leave us a positive five star review on iTunes, it always helps!
If you want to give us feedback, suggest a topic for the next podcast or want to ask a question for us to answer on the next episode you can add them as a comment below or send theme directly to our email. Make sure you use subject line ‘SEGA Talk’ and as always, thanks for listening!
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SEGA has dropped the release date of SEGA AGES Virtua Racing. The game is slated for an April 25th release date in Japan, for the asking price of ¥925 (roughly $8.50).
SEGA AGES Virtua Racing is based on the arcade version, with additional enhancements. Players can play one-on-one against another player in online matches, while offline they can play up to 8 people at once with multiple Joy-Cons. Players also have the option to toy with a new replay feature, which allows the player to view recorded races at different angles and can rewind, fast forward, and pause. Overall SEGA AGES Virtua Racing preserves the original arcade experience, even going as far to introduce a “Grand Prix” mode, where players have to endure 20 laps in a single race, strategizing how to use the pit stops efficiently to prevent their tires from wearing out.
SEGA has announced more titles coming to the SEGA Genesis Mini and the Mega Drive Mini. A total of 10 more games have been announced separately between the North America/Europe lineup and the Japanese lineup; 6 shared between the two lineups, 3 exclusive to the western consoles, 4 exclusives for the Japanese console, and the previously announced Sonic the Hedgehog 2 being confirmed to appear on the western consoles. Arguably the most notable titles to note here are the Disney titles Castle of Illusion and World of Illusion, as it confirms some licensed titles will also appear in the SEGA Genesis Mini selection.
If you have been playing SEGA Heroes, a mobile cross-over game featuring SEGA IPs and have been loving it, you are in luck. SEGA seems like they will support the game going forward if a new survey asking fans what characters they want to see return.
The list of IPs is rather massive even featuring thins like Toejam & Earl, Wrestle War, Alien Solider, Flicky, Football Manager, and even Hatsune Miku. Of course there are alot of other hardcore SEGA franchises but those really stood out as strange for various reasons. There are also some Atlus franchises listed. So SEGA/Atlus Heroes update coming?
Nintendo has finally dropped information on when Joker will steal your stocks in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, on April 17th (aka tomorrow). In addition, Nintendo has released a new trailer that goes into great extent over how Joker plays, plus other content from the Persona series. Joker by himself primarily uses a mixture of his knife and pistol to rake up damage, giving him solid ranged and close combat capabilities. But his main gimmick is the ability to summon his Persona Arsene by filling up a gauge, which causes his normal attacks to have additional power and his Specials to change completely as long as Arsene is summoned. He has two different costumes, ones based on his Phantom Thief persona, and the other based on his school uniform, and his taunts can summon Morgana.
Along with Joker, he will be accompanied by a new stage called Mementos, based on the location from Persona 5, the stage receiving music tracks throughout the Persona series, and the addition of Spirits from the Persona series being included. Additionally, new Mii costumes based on Persona 3 and Persona 4 characters will be included, along with the return of the Tails and Knuckles Mii costumes from Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS.
So when you get the chance, try out Joker in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and comment on your first impressions.
Throughout Yagami’s investigation, he’ll have to collaborate with, and occasionally face off against, some of the most powerful individuals in Kamurocho.
If you guys have been following Judgment, the latest game from the studio behind Yakuza, you would know that SEGA Japan halted sales of the game in Japan after one of the main characters was arrested on drug charges. SEGA said they would replace actor Pierre Taki from the game via an update, which included the model of the game character since it was based on the actor.
According to SEGA the new model isn’t modeled after any actor, which might be something SEGA should consider doing this moment forward. As far as the new voice for Hamura, we still haven’t gotten who will replace him in Japan and they haven’t completed the voice work as of now.
After the ESRB leaking it’s rating and SEGA themselves teasing it on Steam, SEGA has officially revealed that Yakuza Kiwami 2 will arrive on PC in May 9th, for the asking price of $29.99. The game is available for pre-purchase on it’s Steam page, with the promise of unlocked framerates, 4K support, customizable controls, and extensive graphics options. In addition, for those that pre-order Yakuza Kiwami 2, they will receive the Clan Creator Bundle for free, which contains exclusive weapons, outfits, items, and rare Leader Cards.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 on PC is also notable for technically having a Virtual-On game appear on PC for the first time, and also having the new “Dragon Engine” introduced in Yakuza 6 be utilized on PC for the first time. So if you have the spare money, join in on one of the finest games in the Yakuza series this May.
The latest issue of Japan’s Famitsu magazine has a new interview with Yu Suzuki discussing the upcoming Shenmue III, and the highlight is an in-game image of Ryo once again riding a forklift. The website Twinfinite details some of the information Suzuki reveals in the interview, with the focus being on mini games and how the system works in the game. It seems China is once again impacting our entertainment, as the real world strict gambling laws in the country has changed the way mini games function in Shenmue III.
Last month we shared the news that the ESRB had rated Yakuza Kiwami 2 for PC, and now it seems SEGA is ramping up their marketing for a reveal of the release. The official SEGA Steam account has updated their profile picture to Goro Majima’s eyepatch, which is right in line with past PC reveals by the company. As discussed on SEGA News Bits Extra, we think Yakuza Kiwami 2 coming to PC before Yakuza 6 is a wise move as the prequel Yakuza 0 and the first Yakuza Kiwami have previously released to PC. With the next chapter in the story soon to be released on the platform, it sets SEGA up nicely for a release of Yakuza 3-5 for PlayStation 4 and PC in the west, followed by Yakuza 6.
We’ll share more as we hear it, but expect Yakuza Kiwami 2 for PC news very very soon.
On this week’s EXTRA (and this month’s preview episode) George and Barry talk about all the news that broke at SEGA FES 2019, including a new Sakura Wars, SEGA AGES titles, and more! Also on this episode, we talk about a potential change to our Patreon content including the return of SEGA Talk.
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