Author Archives: George

Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast Tees Launch at Don Quijote

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Alright, fellow Sega faithful! Dust off your VMUs and plug in those 6-button controllers, because Don Quijote is about to drop a pixel-perfect power-up for your wardrobe!

Yes, you heard right! Our beloved Sega consoles are getting the fashion treatment, courtesy of a collaboration with the legendary discount haven, Don Quijote. Get ready with three sleek, limited-edition black tees, each paying homage to the iconic Mega Drive (or Genesis), Saturn, and Dreamcast.

For a mere 2,199 yen (that’s roughly $14.61), you can snag these threads in sizes L and XL. Each shirt boasts a subtle chest logo, a bold back graphic, and—as if that wasn’t enough—a bonus sticker of the console’s logo to slap on your console, laptop, or wherever your Sega spirit takes you.

But here’s the kicker: these are Don Quijote exclusives! So, if you’re planning a pilgrimage to Japan, set your GPS for your nearest Donki and be there bright and early. These treasures drop sequentially from March 29, 2025 at 9:00 AM JST, and they won’t stick around forever.

Let’s recap:

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SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance getting physical release by Limited Run Games

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Limited Run Games has partnered with SEGA to produce physical editions of the highly anticipated SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles. Limited Run Games has stated that pre-order details and collector’s edition information will be announced shortly.

SEGA’s official announcement confirms Limited Run Games as the exclusive distributor of the physical release (so it seems, at least in America). This exclusivity has raised concerns among consumers due to Limited Run Games’ historically long fulfillment times. Some customers are still awaiting shipments of the Sonic x Shadow Generations Collector’s Edition, which began pre-orders in October of the previous year.

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SEGA Crowned Metacritic’s Publisher of the Year 2024

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In 2024, SEGA delivered an impressive lineup of games, solidifying its position as a powerhouse in the gaming industry. The year began with the highly acclaimed releases of Persona 3 Reload and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the latter of which expanded the Yakuza franchise by taking its beloved characters to new international settings. Over the summer, SEGA continued its winning streak with the multiplatform release of Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengence, which had previously been exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. However, the crown jewel of Sega’s year was Metaphor: ReFantazio, a brand-new IP from Atlus that garnered widespread praise and multiple awards for its innovative story and gameplay. These successes not only showcased Sega’s ability to reinvent its franchises but also its commitment to delivering fresh, high-quality experiences. Not surprising, SEGA has announced they will be focusing more on these two properties. 

SEGA’s stellar year culminated in it being named Metacritic’s Publisher of the Year, a title it has now won multiple times in the past. Metacritic calculates this award by averaging each publisher’s game scores and factoring in the ratio of positive to negative reviews. With a total of 325.5 points, SEGA surged from 9th place in 2023 to claim the top spot in 2024. This victory marks another milestone in Sega’s history, as it previously won the award in 2020, thanks to hits like Persona 5 Royal and Yakuza: Like a Dragon. Capcom, the 2023 winner, came close to repeating its success with 323 points, while Microsoft also made significant strides, climbing to 9th place with 301 points. Sega’s 2024 triumph underscores its consistent ability to produce critically acclaimed games and reaffirms its legacy as one of the industry’s most respected publishers.

 

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SEGA’s New Focus: Why Sonic, Yakuza, and Atlus Are Top Priorities

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SEGA-Sammy’s latest fanicial report made one thing clear: The company will be focusing on what they consider its holy trinity which is Atlus JRPGs, Yakuza aka Like a Dragon titles and of course Sonic the Hedgehog brand. The wild thing is, SEGA is actually more focused on Japanese title more than ever because a decade a go Like a Dragon wasn’t considered a big pillar for SEGA; but seems to have released the Total War franchise on SEGA’s top three list. SEGA Europe’s issues are definitely something to talk about in its own post.

Let’s look at what this new focus could mean:

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NetEase to Close Nagoshi Studio Amid Major Cuts

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Nearly three years have passed since Toshihiro Nagoshi departed SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio to establish his own venture, Nagoshi Studio, under NetEase. Unfortunately, reports indicate the studio may not see its debut project come to fruition. According to Bloomberg, Nagoshi Studio is among the casualties of NetEase’s recent restructuring, facing closure.

While the studio will be granted time to finalize its current projects, but will not receive further time, funding or marketing support. This severely limits the game’s prospects for widespread release and promotion.

Speculation now turns to Toshihiro Nagoshi’s future. His departure from SEGA was reportedly fueled by dissatisfaction with a demotion and disagreements over company expenditures. Regardless, Nagoshi’s reputation remains strong within the Japanese gaming industry. It would not be surprising if other publishers are already expressing interest in his services. Who would that be?

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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s New Trailer Unleashes Naval Combat Chaos

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SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s latest trailer for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (launching February 21 on PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, and PC) unveils the game’s jaw-dropping naval combat—a feature fans have craved since Assassin’s Creed Black Flag. Command customizable ships, unleash cannon barrages, and dive into chaotic boarding battles as the Yakuza series swaps street brawls for high-seas warfare. With upgradable weapons, tactical skirmishes, and physics-driven chaos, the trailer teases a pirate fantasy that blends the franchise’s signature absurdity with the strategic depth!

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Sonic 4 is Speeding into Theaters in 2027

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The fourth ‘Sonic the Hedgehog‘ movie is set to arrive in theaters on March 19, 2027.

Paramount Pictures announced plans for a fourth installment in the popular video game franchise even before the third movie hit theaters. This decision has proven wise, as ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’ has become the highest-grossing film in the series, earning over $422 million worldwide.

The first ‘Sonic‘ movie in 2020 was a surprise hit, grossing over $319 million globally. The 2022 sequel, ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2,‘ surpassed its predecessor, earning over $405 million worldwide.

The ‘Sonic‘ franchise has now collectively grossed over $1 billion at the box office worldwide. Considering how each of the movies have gotten better critical and audience scores, it should be interesting what the studio can manage for a fourth film! Especially after that end credit teaser in ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 3’.

[via: Variety]

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Limited Run Games’ SEGA Dreamcast Trading Cards: Are They Worth the Cost?

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It’s no secret if you read this blog that I’m a big fan of both SEGA Dreamcast and Limited Run Games. So, the idea of both of them coming together into a 25th anniversary collaboration should have me giddy with excitement. I was hoping that Limited Run Games did have something planned for the anniversary because they recently put out Sonic x Shadow Generations Limited Edition and Valkyria Chronicles on the Nintendo Switch up for sale. Today, they announced the SEGA Dreamcast Trading Cards. That’s right, with ‘over 200 to collect’.

First of all, we all know what trading cards are and their gambling and addictive collective nature that drives some hobbyists into bankruptcy. That’s why I think that people who create trading cards should be very careful about limitations, production, and pricing of these cards. With that said, let’s look at what the people over at Limited Run Games have to offer.

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Shadow Creator Disavows Vegeta Comparison, Not Friends with Sonic

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The comparisons between Sonic the Hedgehog and Dragon Ball aren’t new; the two series share a lot of similar aspects in terms of tropes between their characters and power-ups. At this year’s Gamescom 2024, Catherine Lewis from GameRadar asked Shadow the Hedgehog creator Iizuka if he thinks the character has been interpreted differently over the past decade than he originally conceived him. His answer didn’t surprise anyone: ‘Yes.’

“So yes, there are some ways that people interpret Shadow that are not how the team is intending,” Iizuka begins (via translator). “I think the biggest one, if you look online, everyone’s like, ‘Oh, this is Dragon Ball Vegeta.” states that Shadow is “not Vegeta in any way. Vegeta really starts out as an enemy and then later becomes a friend and an ally and kind of, like, fights for justice and trying to save the world and whatnot. Shadow is not like that. I never want him to be like that. Shadow is doing his own thing, he’s not friends with Sonic, and he’s gonna go off and, you know, do whatever he feels is correct or right, or what he needs to do. And it’s not like, ‘Well, okay, we used to be enemies, but we’re friends now. Let’s save the world.’ He’s not that kind of character, and [I don’t] want him to be that kind of character. 

“So when people are always online saying, ‘Oh, it’s Vegeta, it’s Vegeta,’ it’s like, it’s not Vegeta,” he laughs.

It’s quite interesting that he seems to be suggesting that he doesn’t agree with this sort of characterization that has been given to Shadow the Hedgehog by fans. While Shadow the Hedgehog isn’t really friends with Sonic the Hedgehog, they do save the world together when their goals align and would say they have a more ‘rival’ type of relationship, which I think Iizuka shouldn’t be afraid of promoting. I think it gives Sonic and Shadow an interesting dynamic.

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Capcom Fighting Collection 2 adds Dreamcast classics Power Stone, Power Stone 2, Project Justice, & more

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HIT THE BELL! Its finally here, the grand return of Power Stone. Are you ready for the Power Stone wars once again? I guess this new Capcom Fighting Collection 2 marks the end of an era, the era of the such titles like Power Stone, Power Stone 2 and Project Justice finally getting a ‘superior’ release to the SEGA Dreamcast. I know some people will say that Power Stone Collection from 2006 would be considered ‘better’, but quite frankly found the loading and graphics superior on Dreamcast.

Though this new collection is set to make all that a thing of the past and…. I’m all for it! I think if you want a new generation of gamers to fall in love with your amazing older franchises you need collections like these with all new additions like online rollback netcode. Let’s be honest, when this releases playing with your discord friends across the country.

I’m excited. Let’s go!

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Retro-Bit Gaming shows off its upcoming SEGA Saturn Fight Stick

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Retro-Bit Gaming has been releasing high-quality, officially licensed SEGA controllers for years. From Genesis to Dreamcast, they’ve had a strong lineup. However, they haven’t unveiled a major product like this until now.

Introducing Retro-Bit Gaming’s high-quality SEGA Saturn fight stick. Inspired by the Japanese SEGA Saturn Virtua Stick, this sleek controller features a black finish instead of the traditional white. For more images, check out Sega Saturn, Shiro!’s tweet after the jump. It has also come to my attention that the fighting stick is non-working and more of a pitch by Retro-Bit to SEGA, as its not ‘officially licensed’, well yet. I mean, we need one of these babies!

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Sonic CD getting regular SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive port by fans

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Let’s face it, The SEGA CD is expensive and prone to failure. It does offer that incredible CD quality sound but sometimes you just want to play all your classic Sonic the Hedgehog games on the regular old SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive. Guess what? Soon you can.

As part of this year’s Sonic Hacking Contest MDTravis has submitted a sorta demake port by making the once SEGA CD exclusive run on vanilla SEGA Genesis hardware. Like many great fan projects, MDTravis had the help of:

MD Sonic The Hedgehog is slated to get a full release on September 28th, so if your mom hasn’t let you upgrade to a SEGA CD for the last 30+ years, soon you will be able to try Sonic CD!

Edit: Forgot to mention that this would be a port of Sonic CD V0.02 which means it will be a early prototype build being ported over to the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive system.

[via: Time Extension]

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Lost in Time No More: SEGA’s Canceled Dreamcast MMO “Far Nation” Leaks Footage Online

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Back in the day, the SEGA Dreamcast had quite the list of unreleased games, one of which was “Far Nation.” Briefly announced in 2000, Far Nation was planned to be one of the first console MMORPGs alongside Phantasy Star Online. Details about Far Nation have been scarce for over two decades. Sega only mentioned the title a handful of times before its quiet cancellation in 2001. No screenshots or gameplay details were ever officially revealed.

But now, thanks to Reddit user fuperslizzle0, we might be getting a glimpse of the game. In a post yesterday, they said:

“I’m not going to get too verbose or overbearing with this, other than to say the footage shown here is from a legit disc belonging to a friend of mine who worked at Sega during the time Farnation was in development. We sat down and “played” (or really, experimented with) the game for about 35 minutes, all of which I recorded, and these clips are all we’re prepared to share for now.

Please enjoy, and rest assured, more is coming! ;)”

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Metaphor: ReFantazio live stream showcase set for April 22

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Gear up, RPG fans! Atlus just dropped a bomb – they’re hosting a special livestream for their brand new fantasy RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio, on April 22nd! Mark your calendars for 3:00 PM PT / 6:00 PM ET to catch a 30-minute deep dive with director Katsura Hashino himself. Expect fresh info, never-before-seen gameplay, and all the juicy details about this epic adventure.

The best part? You can watch it on YouTube in English, Japanese, or Traditional Chinese! Bonus points if you can decipher the Japanese follow-up stream on April 23rd, which dives even deeper into the reveal with special guests.

For everyone else, Metaphor: ReFantazio is slated to hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, and PC later this fall. Get ready to explore a whole new world!

[Via Gematsu]

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