Demon Girls homebrew game for Genesis/Mega-Drive demo now available

It’s Genesis/Mega-Drive homebrew time again. Coming to us from developer and artist JuiceLizard, Demon Girls is still in active development for the wonderful 16-bit console, and now a demo is currently available for all to try from his itch.io page. The demo consists of the entire first level of the game and is absolutely free, but if you’re feeling particularly generous, you can also leave JuiceLizard a gracious tip as you download the ROM file. Like any Genesis ROM file, it can be played in your favorite Genesis emulation software, on original hardware with a Mega Everdrive flash cartridge, or on the MiSTer FPGA console.

You’ll find download links beyond the break.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance announced from Atlus, available June 21st, 2024

Good ol’ Atlus with their expanded SMT/Persona re-releases. Seriously though, props for the clever logo design here.

If you liked Atlus’s recent hit JRPG Shin Megami Tensei V, then you’re gonna love Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. Just announced within the same Nintendo Partner Showcase Direct from February 21st, 2024, which also revealed the new demo for Unicorn Overlord, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance was revealed as an all-new definitive version of the original and highly lauded Shin Megami Tensei V (2021). This all new version of SMT V will include extra locations, demons, and an all new additional story to experience. From a technical side, the game also includes an improved battle, exploration, and demon fusion system, new accessibility features, and all the previously available DLC from SMT V as standard content within the base game.

Journey past the break for links to the game’s official website.

Unicorn Overlord demo now available to download

If you’ve been waiting with baited breath to try the brand new strategy RPG from Vanillaware and Atlus, Unicorn Overlord, you now have your chance with an official demo being available on all consoles’ digital storefronts right now. News of this was revealed in Nintendo’s Partner Showcase Direct livestream from February 21st, 2024 via the above video clip, but the demo has also launched on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox at the same time. Give it a shot right away and see what you’re in for.

Take a look beyond the break for links to each demo.

Long lost 1994 Sonic the Hedgehog movie treatment from Trilogy Entertainment Group uncovered and archived

In 1994, Trilogy Entertainment Group, who were behind such films as Tank Girl and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, partnered with MGM and SEGA to develop a movie that would evoke the same sense of entertainment found in films like Batman and Jurassic Park. The first of these attempts to be publicly known was actually the second attempt (we’ll get to the first attempt shortly).

Written by contracted screenwriter Richard Jeffries, “Sonic: Wonders of the World” was an eight page treatment written in 1995 that saw a Roger Rabbit-esque story of Sonic and Robotnik emerging from a child’s television as the video game world met the real world in a high stakes adventure. This treatment was discovered in March 2022 by Jacob Berkley who was researching for his book “The Complete History of Sonic SatAM”, and despite missing pages 6 and 7, the treatment gives a solid idea of how the film would play out.

However, little did Sonic fandom know that an earlier treatment existed. In fact, it has been something of a white whale for me for the past eight years and something I’ve kept a secret until recently. The first treatment sees a totally different take on the story of Sonic the Hedgehog. Sonic is a teenage boy named Jimmy Hedgeman who fights a fingerless bioengineer named Dr. Paul Elleson. But before we get to the content of the treatment, let me tell you how the treatment was discovered…

SEGA Announces Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble for Nintendo Switch

Today, SEGA has announced a brand-new Super Monkey Ball game during the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase for the Nintendo Switch titled “Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble”. The new entry will have new characters joining AiAi and gang on a brand-new journey to seek out 7 mysterious artifacts that are said to be the key to locating The Legendary Banana in 200 all-new stages.

The game will also have tons of features including local 4-player co-op in an all-new Adventure mode, 16 players online battles where players can compete online across multiple game modes, customize your character with over 300 stylish items to choose from, and a brand-new gameplay mechanic called Spin Dash that allows players to sprint past rivals or create new shortcuts to victory.

Pre-Orders are now available for Nintendo Switch for both Physical and Digital Editions on the game’s official website. Hit the jump to check out screenshots of the new game.

Aero The Acro-Bat 2 Genesis/Mega-Drive cartridge reprint now up for pre-order from Limited Run Games

Limited Run Games and Sunsoft are back with another Genesis/Mega-Drive cartridge re-release. You can now get a brand new boxed cartridge of the Genesis version of Aero The Acro-Bat 2 (1995). (By the by, they have not re-released the original Aero The Acro-bat yet, so don’t panic thinking you missed your chance to get the prequel. No word on why they started with the sequel.) Just like with their re-release of Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel, this comes officially licensed in a high quality cartridge complete with box and manual compatible with any official NTSC Genesis console or clone console. The game can be pre-ordered for $69.99 until March 10th, 2024.

Also, like Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel, Aero the Acro-Bat 2, in its original cartridge release form, is a lot more expensive than you might think. Prices for just the cartridge alone are just over $50 USD on the second hand market. Don’t ask me why. Maybe the game’s infamy over the years as an example of the 16-bit mascot craze started by our beloved Sonic the Hedgehog carried some value over the years? Either way, this will be your best chance to get a complete copy of the game for your collection at an affordable price, so make sure you get it while you can.

To learn more about Aero The Acro-Bat 2, and for the pre-order link, check in after the break for the whole skinny.

Gley Lancer & Gynoug Combo Pack available for pre-order from Limited Run Games

Limited Run Games are giving you the chance to own a combo pack of the Sega Genesis/Mega-Drive Masaya Games shoot-em-up classics Advanced Busterhawk Gley-Lancer (1992) and Gynoug (1991) on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch. These are the re-releases from Shinyuden and Ratalaika Games that came out on these consoles a few years ago, now collected together in physical form. Pre-orders start tomorrow, February 16th 2024, until March 17th 2024 and will cost $34.99 USD each.

These versions of both games play excellent, with special features such as button mapping, rewind, save states, some modernized control convenience options, and a surprisingly customizable CRT filter. In the case of Gley Lancer, which was originally only released in Japan, the game’s cutscenes have all their text translated to English. Beyond that, they are admittedly rather simple releases with not much else aside from the game, but they are fully playable and serve as an excellent and affordable way to play both classics.

For pre-order links, have a look past the break below.

SEGAbits, Sonic Retro & Cybershell read through a long lost Sonic movie treatment!

Update: Watch the archived stream here!

Join us TONIGHT at 7:45PM Central at The Game Show Game Twitch channel as we read through a 32 page treatment for a Sonic movie, drafted in November 1994!

This proposed film was from Trilogy Entertainment Group, a team who attempted a live action Sonic movie from 1994-1995. While fans have known about the 8 page treatment from 1995 called Sonic the Hedgehog: Wonders of the World, there also existed an earlier and much longer treatment called Sonic: The Movie which is so damn weird that SEGA asked them to start from scratch, which is where the Wonders of the World came in. So what we have to share is a HUGE piece of Sonic movie history that has been unseen until now!

Watch the first trailer for Knuckles, mini-series set to hit Paramount+ on April 26

The trailer for the six episode series Knuckles, a spin-off from the Sonic the Hedgehog films, has just dropped! With the trailer drop comes an April 26th date for all six episodes.

The trailer showcases Knuckles training Tom’s fellow Green Hills sheriff Wade in the ways of the warrior, and along the way we see a former Robotnik tech expert who seemingly has gone rogue and is using old robots combined with powered-up Knuckles quills. Two well dressed characters also seem to join this new villain, and if I can throw out one guess it is that these are the Sonic movie’s take on Black Arms. Don’t ask me why I believe this, but let’s just say it rhymes with “sneaked snorey chords”.

Sonic Revolution Launches Kickstarter; The Next Event Announced for June 30, 2024

Have any plans for the summer to celebrate all things Sonic the Hedgehog? Look no further, as Sonic Revolution, a fan-run Sonic the Hedgehog convention held in Los Angeles, California, will be returning this year to celebrate the event’s 10-year anniversary featuring guests from the Sonic fan community, artists, activities, and much more! In order to make the event more exciting for attendees, the Sonic Revolution staff have launched a Kickstarter page with the goal of raising $7,000 for this year’s event, with the theme focusing on Dr. Eggman.

Sonic Revolution 2024 will be held on June 30, 2024, at the Carson Event Center located at 801 East Carson Street, Carson, CA, and will feature many special guests such as former Sonic voice actors Ryan Drummond and Pete Capella, Archie artist Jay Axer, current voice of Dr. Eggman Mike Pollock, Sonic Fan Animator Balena Productions, and more! You can support Sonic Revolution’s Kickstarter with multiple tiers to choose from here.

Japanese Saturn classic Kingdom Grand Prix discovered to have a hidden English translation setting, now unlocked with patch

Image curtesy of Sega Shiro

The long lost discoveries in Sega Saturn classics just keep on coming. Usually fans have to translate Japan-exclusive games in English themselves with fan translations, but it seems the cult arcade shooter Kingdom Grandprix, or Shippuu Mahou Daisakusen (1996), already had one prepared and hidden away in the game all along. Thanks to Saturn homebrew enthusiast and fan translator Malenko, who also discovered hidden characters in the Saturn version of NBA Jam Tournament Edition just last year, as well as Bo Bayles, who it turns out is another familiar name behind some recent crazy Saturn discoveries, a previously undiscovered English language script was found deep within this game’s code. Just like with his NBA Jam discovery, Malenko just happened upon this while poking around in the game’s code. He intended on making his own fan translation of Kingdom Grandprix, and he still ended up doing so as the ready made English script was… rough, to say the least, but it was still enough to aid him as a base for his new script.

Race straight on through the break to learn more and to download the English patch to try for yourself.

Ultra rare Sega AI Computer found and emulated; software rom files and sales fliers preserved

Photo curtesy of @orconut

Score one for video game preservation, or in this case, interactive edutainment software preservation. Thanks to Omar Cornut, going by @orconut on Twitter (X), as well as the website SMS Power, an ever-so-elusive Sega AI Computer has been procured and a bunch of stuff relating to it preserved online, including photos of the hardware and games, scans of sales fliers, print ads, and instruction manuals, and digital ROM files of all commercially released games. They’ve also prepared a MAME driver, allowing the AI Computer to be emulated for the very first time. 

Chances are you may not know what this is. I’ll admit, I’ve never even heard of it until now. If you’ll follow me past the break, I will sum up what this AI Computer is all about.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie logo revealed, Jim Carrey is back as Doctor Robotnik

In a very Shadow filled week, the Paramount Pictures and Sonic movie social media accounts have shared an official look at the logo for the upcoming third Sonic film, which will fittingly be titled Sonic the Hedgehog 3. In addition to the logo reveal, which was accompanied by an orchestration of Sonic Adventure 2‘s “Live and Learn”, Variety broke the news that Jim Carrey is returning as Doctor “Eggman” Robotnik. Carrey’s involvement was up in the air after the actor alluded to retiring from acting, though he did say he was not fully retiring. Clearly the Sonic movies are a good time for Jim, which explains his returning to the role.

Sonic X Shadow Generations remaster set for Autumn 2024 release

SEGA has announced a remaster to the 2011 hit Sonic Generations, titled Sonic X Shadow Generations. The remaster is obviously tied to tie in with the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie, which will prominently feature Shadow the Hedgehog. The remaster is being described as an “all-new collection” and will feature a new Shadow story campaign featuring new powers and abilities in stages from his 2005 solo game and 2001’s Sonic Adventure 2. The original Sonic Generations experience will also be present, with newly remastered stages, upgraded visuals and a promise of new bonus content.

The game is due out this Autumn for PS4 and PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series consoles, Nintendo Switch and PC.