Hokuto ga Gotoku demo hits Japanese PSN later today

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If you have been waiting to get your hands on Hokuto ga Gotoku, the Yakuza Studio’s take on a Fist of the North Star game, you won’t have to wait that long since the demo is launching in Japan on February 22nd! Considering how time zones work, if you live in America it should be later tonight.

If you live in America (like me) it will hit the Japanese PSN store at 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET.

The demo will include

  • “Experience Hokuto Shinken” – Learn the game systems by battling Shin. Includes a battle tutorial.
  • “Experience the Story” – Play a side mission from the game. This mission will have Ken driving a buggy, fighting scoundrels, and exploring Eden.

Hokuto ga Gotoku will hit PlayStation 4 in Japan on March 8, no release dates announced outside of Japan. Yet SEGA was (not so) quick to announce Shining Resonance Re:frain, so don’t count this game out yet.

[Via: Gematsu]

Space Channel 5 VR to get downloadable demo later this year

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Space Channel 5 VR Arakata Dancing Show  isn’t a new game, it was actually shown at the Tokyo Game Show back in 2016. It is interesting is that SEGA has changed the name of the VR experince, before they called it ‘Ukiuki Viewing Show’, now its ‘Arakata Dancing Show’. The VR ‘experience’ was up for people to try out and then SEGA stopped talking about it. According to a recent tweet, gamers will be able to give the demo another go at Game Party Japan 2018, which happens to be the first official tournament held by JeSU (Japan e-Sports Union) on February 10th and 11th.

While Japanese site Panora got the official scoop that Space Channel 5 VR Arakata Dancing Show will get demos in VR stores this spring and get a download version later this year. For what I gather, the download version will be the ‘demo experience’ shown at events and not a full game. Bummer. The demo experience will still be shown off using HTC VIVE headsets and SEGA still hasn’t mentioned if they have plans on showing it off on PlayStation VR. I think this is SEGA testing the market, see if the general public still has interest in Space Channel 5 with a demo release. Hit the jump to see screenshots of the game.

Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology demo hits 3DS, DLC schedule revealed

Atlus has been on a roll promoting the upcoming remake of Radiant Historia, which was originally released on the Nintendo DS back in 2010. Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology is set to offer the original game story with a ton of extra modes. Above you see the unboxing of the Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology launch edition.

But we also got a demo for the game, out now in the e-shop. The demo lets you play the start of the story and will even let you transfer saves to the full game if you pre-ordered. No reason not to give the title a shot. The 3DS e-shop is also offering a free Radiant Historia theme, for those that want to further ‘Radiant Historia-pimp out’ their 3DS. After the jump we will detail the DLC schedule for the game.

A Certain Magical Virtual-On Demo Out Now on Japanese PSN

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If you have been excited to try the upcoming A Certain Magical Virtual-On for the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation Vita, the demo is now available. As for sizes of the demos, the PlayStation 4 comes in at 2.37 gigabytes and the PlayStation Vita version hits a much smaller 431.55 megabytes. The demo will feature all 13 playable Virtuaroids from the full game, include a tutorial and CPU battle mode. No online, of course.

SEGA is set to release A Certain Magical Virtual-On in Japan on February 15, 2018. SEGA West hasn’t announced any plans on localizing it. The last Virtual-On title to come West was Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram port on the Xbox 360 back in 2009, so its been awhile. I say make a Japanese PSN account, try the demo and if you like it, bother SEGA to release the game West.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 demo available now on Japanese PSN Store

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The demo for SEGA’s upcoming remake of Yakuza 2, being called Yakuza Kiwami 2, is now available for you to download via the Japanese PSN store. The demo will weigh in at 9.89 gigabytes and allow users to play through some of the main game’s story. SEGA has confirmed that Yakuza Kiwami 2 demo saves will not transfer over to the full version of the game.

If you never made a Japanese PSN account, I suggest giving some YouTube guides a quick look, it isn’t hard to do. I would say its worth it just to try out some upcoming Japanese game demos. Its free, nothing to lose. Yakuza: Kiwami 2 hits Japan on December 7, no western release date has been announced as of posting. But don’t be surprised if we get an announcement sometime next year.

Sonic Forces demo hits PS4 and Nintendo Switch’s Japanese stores

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SEGA has released the Sonic Forces demo in Japan on both the PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch. The demo will let you play through three separate stages, one for each playable version including Modern, classic Sonic and avatar hero. Each stage is on a timer.

As for both demos, the Nintendo Switch version is 573MB in size while the PlayStation 4 version comes in at 1.9GB in size. That’s quite the difference. Will you be making a Japanese account on either consoles to try out Sonic Forces? Or will you just wait for it to be released in English?

Yakuza Kiwami 2 demo hits Japanese PSN in late November

yakuza-kiwami-2-and-fist-of-the-north-star-game-announced-fo_mhjtYakuza Kiwami 2 is coming out this December 7th in Japan, so SEGA is starting to get their hype train going over there. They have promised a Yakuza Kiwami 2 demo by the end of November, starting on December 2nd to the 17th, SEGA will be launching TV advertising campaign for the game. SEGA will also be holding signing events in November.

As far as what the demo will contain, that is all a mystery but I hope it gives us a glimpse at some of the Goro Majima content that is exclusive to this title. This will also give us a look to see how this title is running on the Yakuza 6 Dragon Engine, since this is the second title by the studio to use the new engine. The first Kiwami game actually ran on the Yakuza 0 engine.

[Via: Gematsu]

Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth Demo Hits 3DS eShop

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If you have been waiting for Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth for the Nintendo 3DS, it seems you can now play the demo since it has hit the Nintendo eShop.

The Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth demo will let you create a party with every character and class available. The only limit imposed in the demo, compared to the full version is that it only lets you reach level 10 and explore until the third floor in the tree dungeon. But if you like Etrian Oydssey V: Beyond the Myth demo and you buy the full game, your demo data will transfer over to the full release. Pretty cool and worth giving the franchise a try, if you haven’t already.

Etrian Odyssey V Beyond the Myth will also have a launch edition as shown above that will come with a 24-page art book, six track music CD and an outer box. SEGA fans might also like to know that Etrian Odyssey franchise features music by Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage, Revenge of Shinobi), which to me is a huge selling point. Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth comes out in North America on October 17, 2017 only on Nintendo 3DS.

Puyo Puyo Tetris demo live today

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As previously reported, the PAL eShop accidentally dropped information about a free demo for Puyo Puyo Tetris. But now with the Nintendo Direct today it is officially confirmed that the demo will be live, and will be available for play today on the Nintendo Switch. This demo will provide players a sample of how Puyo Puyo Tetris plays, providing a limited selection of options for both solo and multiplayer. All you need to do is go on the Nintendo Switch eShop and download it, free to play and as much as you want.

Please try out the game for yourself to see if Puyo Puyo Tetris will be up your alley when it drops April 25th (North America) or April 28th (Europe).

SEGA Channel Retro: Sonic 06 Unity Demo Today

Sonic 06 has gone down as one of the blue hedgehog’s more divisive adventures. But like it or not some dedicated fans have gone through the trouble to recreate the game in the Unity engine. I’ll be checking it out on today’s shorter stream.

You can now watch our live streams on YouTube or Twitch!

Puyo Puyo Chronicles demo live in Japan [UPDATE]

Puyo Puyo Chronicles Demo

Puyo Puyo Chronicles has recently received a demo on November 22nd, 2016 in Japan, which can be downloaded on the Japanese eShop. This demo is a limited 5 use demo that acts as a quick gateway into the game’s RPG mode, providing the player with a few battles along with amusing banter from the characters. However, the demo doesn’t contain any multiplayer whatsoever, so it’s not possible to play any of the 17 returning multiplayer modes or the new Battle Skill mode. If that disappoints you, the full version of Puyo Puyo Chronicles will be released on December 8th, 2016 in Japan, roughly a 2 week gap as of this writing.

Credit to @Amey0619 for the photo of the demo, with a full image from this tweet.

Yakuza 6 demo hits Japanese PSN on November 29

Yakuza-6_2016_10-27-16_031If you have been waiting to play the Yakuza 6 demo before the game hits Japanese retail on December 8th, you are in luck! SEGA has announced that the Yakuza 6 demo will hit Japanese PSN on November 29th! Yeah, it does seem that the free public demo is hitting a bit close to the release date, but this might be normal for the series. We did a post about what content will make it to the Yakuza 6 demo.. The demo will basically allow you to play the first chapter and even carry over your save data to the full game. Play spots are available during the demo, but are you are limited to the ones placed in the first chapter’s area. If you are live outside of Japan and want to try the Yakuza 6 demo, you can always make a Japanese PSN account for free.

Famitsu will also be releasing a article tomorrow, revealing new information on Yakuza 6. If anything noteworthy is shown we will update the blog. I’m pretty excited to finally give Yakuza 6 a try, even if its a demo.  How many of you are going to give Yakuza 6 demo a try? Let us know in the comments below!

[Via: Yakuza Fan]

SEGA releasing a Yakuza 6 demo soon

Yakuza-6_2016_10-27-16_029SEGA has recently announced via a live stream hosted by Famitsu that Yakuza 6 will be getting a playable demo in Japan before its release, which is December 8th. The Yakuza 6 demo allows players to experience the first chapter of the game.

SEGA has also confirmed that the Yakuza 6 demo will be level capped but save data will transfer over to the full game. This is a great way to get into the game early before you purchase Yakuza 6, considering that the first chapter in Yakuza games is always a bit slow. The demo will also allow you to visit all the play spots within the designated areas, which is fantastic because there are plenty of great looking play spots in this game. While the Yakuza 6 demo is only for Japanese audiences, its rather easy to make a Japanese PSN account. Are you guys going to give Yakuza 6 demo a chance?

Yakuza 6 hits Japanese store shelves on December 8th, 2016. While there hasn’t been a western release date for Yakuza 6, the franchise isn’t dead considering we are still getting Yakuza 0 in January 2017. If you want a English release of Yakuza 6, make sure you support the release of Yakuza 0!

[Source: Siliconera]

SEGA planning a third Valkyria: Azure Revolution demo

ValkyriaAzurreRevolutionSEGA is readying itself to release Valkyria: Azure Revolution in Japan. They already released one demo in earlier this year and had the second demo with the latest build at Tokyo Game Show 2016 (where we posted up a hands-on impressions of the game). Unsurprisingly lots of fans have had nothing but negative things to say about the latest demo (including our preview), which was given limited access by SEGA. Well, soon anyone with a Japanese PSN account will be able to try Valkyria: Azure Revolution, at least when the third demo is released:

“We released Ver. 2.0 of the Battle Demo the other day, and starting next week we’ll be holding hands-on experience events across the country. In the future, we’re planning to provide one more, additional demo. At that time, we’re planning for everyone to be able to enjoy it, rather than just a limited amount of users.” – Youichi Shimosato, Valkyria: Azure Revolution producer

But I wouldn’t be expecting major changes, even though they did state that they changed the game due to fan feedback a lot of the issues users had with the first battle demo are still present in the 2nd demo and from what Valkyria: Azure Revolution‘s producer is saying it doesn’t sound like much will change with the latest demo:

“We’re putting in all the elements that should be included, leaving only minor adjustments and bug fixes after.” – Youichi Shimosato, Valkyria: Azure Revolution producer

Valkyria: Azure Revolution hits Japanese store shelves on January 19, 2017 only on PlayStation 4. No western release date has been announced but little birds told me that SEGA Japan did hand out English ‘how to play’ cards at the Tokyo Game Show 2016 for Valkyria: Azure Revolution and Puyo Puyo Chronicle, so anything is possible. But would you be interested in purchasing Valkyria: Azure Revolution if it comes over?

[Source: Gematsu]

SEGA teases Valkyria: Azure Revolution 2.0 demo

Valkyria-Azure-Revolution-1-1280x720SEGA has announced that more information regarding the second Valkyria: Azure Revolution “Battle Demo Ver. 2.0” will be released towards late August, if their official blog is to be believed.

If you didn’t know, SEGA released the Valkyria: Azure Revolution Battle Demo Ver. 1.0 a few months back to some very heavy fan criticism. The developer Media.Vision and SEGA said that they would be taking the fan feedback seriously and implementing changes to the core game, now those changes will be displayed in the new upcoming Valkyria: Azure Revolution Battle Demo Ver. 2.0. According to the team, the new demo will be more ‘strategic’ in nature.

But that isn’t all the upcoming news, the blog promises that we will get other information about Valkyria: Azure Revolution before the end of August including confirmations about the game’s Japanese voice cast. Valkyria: Azure Revolution will also be shown at this year’s Tokyo Game Show in September.

Valkyria: Azure Revolution will release on the PlayStation 4 in Japan this winter. There has been no western release announced.

[Source: Gematsu]