Author Archives: Barry the Nomad

Year of the Developers: Rolling with the arcade kings of SEGA’s Amusement Vision

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YOTSD-AVAs we hit the halfway point of the Year of the SEGA Developers, we turn our attention to a favorite of ours: Amusement Vision. Okay, so being a SEGA fan site, every SEGA developer is our favorite. But just look at Amusement Vision’s portfolio: imaginative new games like Monkey Ball and Ollie King , follow-ups to classic franchises including Space Harrier’s Planet Harriers, Daytona USA 2001, and Spikeout and Virtua Striker sequels. Amusement Vision also holds the distinction of being the first SEGA developer to take on a Nintendo franchise with the much loved F-Zero GX and F-Zero AX.

As is customary for a developer month kick-off article, join us as we look back on how Amusement Vision came to be, their library of games, and where the staff are now!

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Persona 4: Dancing All Night American launch details revealed

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Atlus has revealed Persona 4: Dancing All Night‘s American release details, with the game confirmed to release this Fall. No specific date is known yet, but we now know that the game will receive two editions: a Launch Edition and a Disco Fever Edition. The launch edition, seen above, costs the same as the regular game ($49.99) but will include a PS Vita skin and ten wallpapers as bonuses. The Disco Fever Edition, seen after the break, costs a bit more ($79.99) and includes the skin, wallpapers, and additional bonuses including 14 DLC costumes, a song, a Teddy keychaun, and a physical 2-disc soundtrack, and a reversible pouch for your Vita. Basically, Atlus wants Persona 4 to take over your Vita. You can learn more at the official site.

No news on Europe, but as soon as we hear something we’ll news it!

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Classic SEGA Ads: “Open New Sense” with Rez on the Playstation 2

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It’s unfortunate that a game like United Game Artists’ Rez, the third and final title from the developer, ended up releasing at the time it did. One one hand it could be said that it was one of the Dreamcast’s final great games from an in-house developer, but on the other hand due to the time in which it was released over in Japan, US and European releases were at the time up in the air. While the United States missed out on Shenmue II, Headhunter, and Rez, those in Europe were lucky enough to end up with all three titles for their blue swirl emblazoned console. When it comes to digging up english language commercials for Rez, prepare to be disappointed. Due to SEGA’s shifting interests, english Dreamcast ads for the game are non-existent. In fact, when digging for UGA game ads, I didn’t even come across a Japanese Dreamcast ad for the game.

Thankfully, not all is lost! Rez saw worldwide release on Sony’s Playstation 2, and while english ads still seemingly never materialized, we did get a collection of corny Japanese ads for the game. The first, seen above, features a man on a toilet who gets into a wall pounding contest with a man who really has to go. They end up pounding the wall in rhythm, and in turn they “Open New Sense” before the man outside punches straight through the wall.

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Contest: Win a 3D Thunder Blade download code for Nintendo 3DS

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Thanks to our friends at SEGA, we’re giving away copies of 3D Thunder Blade for Nintendo 3DS to fans on all of our social networks! The contest is open to fans in the Americas and EU, and we are giving away codes on the following networks:

  • Twitter – Follow SEGAbits and retweet the dedicated contest tweet – 3 Americas and 3 EU codes will be awarded
  • Facebook – Like SEGAbits and share the dedicated contest post, remember to leave a comment on the dedicated contest post telling us your region – 3 Americas and 3 EU codes will be awarded
  • Instagram – Follow SEGAbits and leave a comment telling us your region – 2 Americas and 2 EU codes will be awarded
  • SEGAbits.com (you’re already here!) – Leave a comment below telling us your favorite game (so far) from SEGA’s 3D Classics series and tell us your region, use a valid email address when leaving your comment (fill in the email field, do not post your email in the comment field) – 2 Americas and 2 EU codes will be awarded

Fans can enter on any network, and there is no limit to how many networks you enter on. The more networks, the more chances you have to win! Contest ends Tuesday, May 26th

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Retro Review: Space Channel 5 (Sega Dreamcast/PS2)

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The Dreamcast era was a unique time for SEGA when it came to marketing their characters. While the Saturn’s launch made the error of shifting the spotlight away from Sonic the Hedgehog, the Dreamcast launch proved that there was more than enough room for established characters as well as new faces. Joining Sonic was a lineup of first party and third party faces, from Midway’s Afro Thunder of Ready 2 Rumble and Namco’s Soulcalibur fighters to SEGA’s own creations.

Space Channel 5’s Ulala was without a doubt the most heavily marketed of these new characters, with her face seen just about everywhere. Ulala appeared in a promotional stage show at Universal City Walk, she dominated SEGA’s booth at 2000’s E3, she was seen in print and on TV and even appeared as product placement in the 2001 movie Josie and the Pussycats. There was even talk of Ulala hosting her own TV show! Suffice to say, there came a point in Space Channel 5‘s promotion where Ulala nearly overshadowed her own game. There is no doubt that Ulala is a fantastic character (she is a favorite of the SEGAbits staff, so much so that we named our podcast after her report show), but has the original game stood the test of time? Let’s find out as we look back at the United Game Artists’ classic Space Channel 5!

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SEGA Tunes: Fan recreates the unreleased Rez edit of Adam Freeland’s “Fear”

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Like Space Channel 5, United Game Artists’ Rez was a game in which music was not only a defining element, but a vital one. While Rez played very similarly to the Panzer Dragoon rail shooters, music acted as a heartbeat for the game, a pulse which every action was tied to. To say Rez was a rhythm game, however, would be inaccurate. Attacking enemies out of synch with the beat was doable, and in some of the more hectic moments of the game it was necessary. Yet if you truly gave in to the game’s soundtrack and pulse you’d discover a whole other level of play where music and visuals meld into some magical new sensation.

Rez’s soundtrack featured the likes of Keiichi Sugiyama, Ken Ishii, Mist, Joujouka and Adam Freeland. Each artist contributed a unique sound a feel for their respective stages, and no track was more memorable than Adam Freeland’s “Fear”. Perhaps I say this because the track accompanies the final stage, a moment when the game is building to its big climax and the player is now fully invested. “Fear” itself is quite epic, starting small and building to a electronic string section crescendo. Seeing as Rez‘s soundtrack is popular with fans, the music is readily available on both an official game soundtrack and on albums from the individual artists. However, unique to Adam Freeland’s “Fear” is the fact that while the track is out there, the in-game edit is not… until now.

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SEGA 3D Classics Space Harrier and Fantasy Zone themes now on North American Nintendo eShop

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While SEGA has released several awesome Nintendo 3DS themes over in Japan, here in the West all we have are Sonic the Hedgehog themes. Don’t get me wrong, I like Sonic, but what about SEGA’s non-blue hedgehog stuff? Well today things change, at least for North American fans at the time of this article. Via SEGA Localization Producer Sam Mullen comes news that 3D Space Harrier and 3D Fantasy Zone themes release today! Available now for $1.99 each, these two themes feature graphics and sounds from both games and are an excellent way to scrub every hint of Nintendo off of your 3DS. Fill the home screen with SEGA games, pick a SEGA 3D Classics theme, slap on a SEGA branded skin and you’re all set!

No word on Europe yet, but when we hear something we’ll update the story.

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Classic SEGA ads: Space Channel 5’s killer Dreamcast commercial

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SEGA fans love to wax nostalgic on old commercials. Whether they’re the fast paced and competitive ads of the Genesis/Mega Drive era, the bizarre ads of the Saturn era, or in the case of today’s featured SEGA ad, the American Dreamcast campaign featuring fun vignettes taking place inside the console. We’ve featured an ad from this campaign before, and its no wonder we’re going back to the same well because it truly is one of SEGA’s best. The campaign’s concept was simple. Viewers would be introduced to the Dreamcast console’s triangular orange light which acted as a gateway to a magical world inside the console consisting of several levels. On each of these was a different scenario, it could be a DJ party or it could be a sleepy cantina. Sometimes viewers would be treated to an epic crossover of characters from recently released and upcoming Dreamcast titles and every ad ended with a zoom out featuring the console, controller and the memorable slogan “It’s thinking…”.

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Review: 3D Thunder Blade (Nintendo 3DS)

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The final arcade title in wave two of SEGA’s 3D Classics line of games releases this Thursday, and boy is it a special one! While Thunder Blade is not SEGA’s most famous 80s arcade title, eclipsed by greats like OutRun, Space Harrier, and Hang-On, it certainly deserves a spot with the big boys. Perhaps the general public’s neglect of Thunder Blade stems from the game’s home console releases. While other SEGA arcade classics have seen near perfect home ports, Thunder Blade never truly saw a worthy release that stacked up with the arcade original. But now, nearly 30 years later, SEGA and M2 just may have done the original justice with their latest SEGA 3D Classic release. How did they do in porting this 1987 classic? Read on!

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Presenting “My Life with SEGA: Nothing Else Matters ”, a short film by A.J. Rosa

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Andrew Rosa and Mickey Mac team up once again to take on a new threat. Their new flagship, SEGA Saturn, must ward off an army of palette swapped goons loyal to the Sony Empire in this high-octane geek-fest that DOES what Ninten-WON’T.

Starring Mike Bean (Getting it ‘N’), Mickey Mac (2-Man Scramble), Erica Winter (Raven Heights Radio Podcast) and Alex Gonzales. Written, Edited and Directed by Andrew Rosa.

Like this video? Subscribe to the SEGAbits YouTube channel! After the break, check out a collection of outtakes from the production of the short film.

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