Keanu Reeves cast as Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie, and yes that is something I just typed

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File this one under “headlines I never would have thought I’d type”: Keanu Reeves has been cast as Shadow the Hedgehog in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie. The news was a rumor earlier today, leaked from discussions held at last week’s Cinemacon, and has since been confirmed by Variety. Keanu Reeves was a long hoped for casting decision by fans, and despite rumors of Hayden Christensen getting the role, it has since been clarified that such casting was only considered AFTER a rumor emerged of Hayden landing the role and Paramount considered it once fan sites ran with the rumor. However, Keanu was the top of the list for Paramount and it seems a deal has been struck. Hopefully we hear from the man himself soon!

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SEGA Talk #138: Power Drift (1988)

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Welcome to the SEGA Talk Podcast, where we dive into SEGA’s golden age of gaming and bring you the classics that defined a generation. Today, we’re shifting gears and taking a high-speed trip down memory lane with SEGA’s iconic arcade racer, Power Drift. Released in the late 80s, this game took the racing genre to new heights with its innovative 3D-like graphics and adrenaline-pumping gameplay. So buckle up, grab your tokens, and let’s power slide through the history, the hype, and the high scores of this SEGA masterpiece.

[iTunes – Stitcher – YouTube – RSS – Download]

Support us on Patreon! Get early access, have your memories read on the show, select the games we talk about!

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Cosmic Smash VRS Review (Meta Quest 2) – A Smashing Triumph!

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RapidEyeMovers and Wolf & Wood have joined forces to bring back the nostalgia of SEGA Russo’s cult classic, Cosmic Smash, in a stunning virtual reality experience. Now available on Meta Quest 2, 3, Pro + Pico 4, and PlayStation VR2, with a non-VR version for PS5 slated for later this summer, Cosmic Smash VRS catapults players into an intergalactic adventure like never before.

We were lucky enough to receive a review copy of the game for Meta Quest 2 to share our thoughts on the game. Does the virtual reality version of SEGA Russo’s cult classic fair up to the original? Find out in our review of Cosmic Smash VRS!

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Unboxing: Pix’n Love Sonic Origins Plus – Collectors Edition

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After many months, the Pix’n Love Collectors Edition of Sonic Origins Plus has arrived! This big box edition went up for pre-order last year and it has been several months. But now fans have it in hand and I just had to make a quick unboxing video showing off all the cool items included. If you like what you see, the PS4, PS5 and Switch versions are still up for order and the bonus Mega Drive style case is included.

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SEGA Releases Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble – Adventure Trailer; Announces Optional Assist Features

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SEGA released the latest Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble trailer this morning showcasing the game’s Adventure Mode, an immersive story mode which features 200 all-new stages set across different worlds with their own unique twist and turns players can experience either solo, or with friends local or online 4-player co-op.

Here is the synopsis of the story:

“While visiting a tropical island, AiAi and the gang meet an adventurer named Palette who’s searching for the Legendary Banana. They agree to join her journey across wondrous worlds to collect special parts said to be the key to locating this prized relic. Along the way, they’ll meet new friends and encounter mysterious rivals in a thrilling story told through fully developed cutscenes.”

Banana Rumble will also offer a variety of optional assist features to help both new players and those who would like to improve their skills to challenge any obstacle. These include:

  • Rewind to a previous point of a stage and attempt a tricky area once more.
  • Ghost Guide adds a transparent racer alongside the player, demonstrating the key methods needed to reach the goal.
  • Checkpoints inside stages, and more!

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble will launch on June 25, 2024 for Nintendo Switch. Pre-Orders for the game is now available on the official website.

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Fearless: Celebrating the Year of Shadow – SEGA announces celebration of Sonic’s not-so-friendly rival

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To celebrate all things Shadow the Hedgehog who made his debut in Sonic Adventure 2 for the SEGA Dreamcast, SEGA has unveiled their second annual fan celebration with Fearless: Year of Shadow to celebrate the amazing fans of Sonic and Shadow similar to last year’s campaign, Fast. Friends. Forever, which highlighted the special bond that Sonic and friends Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose share with their fans.

This year the focus shifts to everyone’s favorite brooding hedgehog, Shadow, who is set to star in the upcoming video game, SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS, as well as the highly anticipated movie, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3”, later this year. The campaign celebrates what it means to be Fearless and embracing your inner Shadow by bravely facing challenges head on.

To kick off the campaign, SEGA released a bold launch trailer featuring original music that celebrates Shadow and the fearlessness of the fans.

Hit the jump for more information on other events and action packed activations that will take place during the Year of Shadow.

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Sonic 3 Movie Speeds Up! Big Screen Battles Meet Deep Dives in New TV Shows

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Knuckles Gets His Own Show: Diving Deeper into the Sonic Movieverse

Gear up, Sonic fans! The lightning-fast blue blur may be sharing the spotlight as the movie franchise ramps up for “Avengers-level events,” but that doesn’t mean your favorite side characters are getting left behind. In a recent interview, Sonic movie producer Toby Ascher hinted at an exciting future for the franchise, with television shows offering a deep dive into lesser-known heroes.

“We got really excited about the idea of expanding our characters in our world into television,” Ascher says. This is fantastic news for fans who crave more backstory and development for characters like Tails, Knuckles, and maybe even Amy Rose! The movies, according to Ascher, are primed to become massive crossover events, much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s epic team-ups. “Sonic 3,” with the introduction of Shadow the Hedgehog, is a clear sign of this direction.

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Persona 6 Leak Hints at Green Color Theme, Fans Rejoice

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Persona Fans Rejoice: Paint Bucket Theory Was True!

Eagle-eyed Persona fans can celebrate – their wild theory about the next game’s color scheme seems to be spot-on. Long time Persona leaker Midori spilled the beans on X/Twitter, confirming Persona 6 will rock a green theme.

This lines up perfectly with the series’ tradition of each game having a distinct color palette. Remember the blue hues of Persona 3, the sunshine vibes of Persona 4, and the fiery reds of Persona 5? Green’s the next logical step.

But wait, there’s more! This leak validates a crazy fan theory bouncing around since 2022. Back then, anniversary artwork featured all the Persona heroes against a graffiti wall. Notably, a bucket of mysterious green paint sat there, sparking speculation about a green-themed Persona 6 (despite the wall itself lacking much green). See that photo:

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Sonic the Hedgehog Co-Creator Yuiji Naka Blasts Yu Miyake in Square Enix Shakeup

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Looks like there’s some drama brewing on Twitter! Yuji Naka, fresh off his legal dust-up with Square Enix, isn’t exactly stoked about their recent employee shuffle. Apparently, the longtime Dragon Quest producer heading to mobile games ruffled some feathers. But hey, at least the new president seems alright in Naka’s eyes! I guess there’s always a silver lining, even in the land of corporate musical chairs.

Below is a tweet on Yuji Naka’s thoughts on Yu Miyake’s internal transfer within Square Enix:

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Review: Sonic the Hedgehog X IHOP Menu – Blueberry pancakes and onion rings are a winning combination!

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Sonic the Hedgehog speeds his way back into restaurants with a Sonic themed menu at IHOP (aka The International House of Pancakes), and SEGAbits was there to sample Sonic’s offerings! Longtime readers of the site might know I have an affinity for Sonic food promotions, so much so that I dedicated a YouTube series to chronicling past promotions. When SEGA emailed me to tell me about the limited time menu, I had to make plans to visit my local IHOP to see how the promotion was rolled out.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters physical soundtrack available at Limited Run Games

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Cowabunga! The final TMNT soundtracks are finally available to pre-order from Limited Run Games now. The rounds of pre-orders cap off with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (1993) soundtracks. These soundtracks all contain the music from the Genesis/Mega-Drive version of the game, as well as the SNES and NES versions of the game too. Like all the other TMNT soundtracks before it, including the one for The Hyperstone Heist that was up for pre-order last month, this comes in cassette tape ($14.99 USD), CD ($24.99), and vinyl record options ($59.99), plus there will be 1,000 optional “Green Ooze” edition vinyl soundtracks you can order if you want (and if you’re fast enough). The vinyl and CD versions of the soundtrack even come decorated with the box art from the Japanese version of the Mega-Drive game.

We only talked about this and the Hyperstone Heist soundtracks because these are the two soundtracks relevant to Sega, so if you wanted any of the others and didn’t pre-order already, then don’t panic. Those may hopefully be available at certain online retailers after those soundtracks have finished production. This is actually true for many games produced by Limited Run Games, which go up for sale at retailers like Video Games New York, Video Games Plus, PNP Games, and even Best Buy. Contrary to popular belief, scalpers are not your only recourse if you miss the pre-order window for anything from Limited Run Games, but you have to keep your eyes open.

Now that that’s out of the way, check in after the break for links to pre-order directly from Limited Run Games, the path of least resistance. Remember, you have until May 5th, 2024 to pre-order this way.

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SEGA Talk #137: Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love (2005)

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Calling all Imperial Combat Revue fans! This week on the SEGA Talk podcast, we’re setting a course for 1920s New York City in the unforgettable Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love. We’ll dive deep into the tactical RPG combat and charming visual novel romance that make this game a unique gem. Join us as we discuss piloting giant steam-powered mechs, building relationships with the captivating heroines of the Flower Division, and facing off against a dastardly villain who threatens the world!

[iTunes – Stitcher – YouTube – RSS – Download]

Support us on Patreon! Get early access, have your memories read on the show, select the games we talk about!

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Homebrew Saturn port of X-Men arcade gets updated demo, adding 3-player co-op and playable Storm

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Remember the homebrew port of the 1992 X-Men arcade game for Sega Saturn being worked on by hotrodx? They just came out with an all-new version of their demo adding Storm to the playable roster, as well as 3-player co-op and a new 2nd stage.

Might as well cut to the chase. Check in past the break for info on the update as well as a download link.

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Sega Genesis Mini 3 announced for North America and Japan exclusively; Details and first 10 games revealed (April Fools)

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Sega, out of nowhere, just announced their newest mini console and successor to the Sega Genesis Mini 2. The Sega Genesis Mini 3 will be releasing on October 16th, 2024 exclusively in North America and Japan (Sorry, Europe, but you better get ready to import.) Unlike the previous two Genesis Mini plug-and-play consoles, this console will release in the exact same condition both in North America and Europe, as the Majesco-built Genesis 3 console was released originally only in North America. This means the console will have the exact same game lineup worldwide and will be known as the Genesis Mini 3 even in Japan.

At the same time, Sega have revealed that the console will include 50 games while also revealing what the first 10 games will be. Like with the previous two Genesis Minis, more games will be revealed gradually throughout the year before the console’s retail release. To find out what the first ten games are, check in after the break while containing your excitement.

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