Author Archives: Barry

New Sonic toys revealed at New York Toy Fair 2013

by

jazwarestoys2013

The super Sonic fans over at The Sonic Stadium have come across a bevy of photos from the Jazwares booth at the 2013 New York Toy Fair. Jazwares, who has the license for Sonic toys, has a few new items planned for release this year. While nowhere near as big as the 20th anniversary line of toys, some of the new toys are pretty cool. Spotted in the photos are Sonic branded disc shooters, Sonic and Shadow masks, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed figures of Shadow and Sonic with their vehicles in jet form, mini-figures of various All-Stars Racing Transformed vehicles, a life-size ring that lights up when held, and plushes of Metal Sonic, Silver and Super Sonic. To see more images, check out the article over at The Sonic Stadium!

1 Comment

Want to see more images of the SEGA Note PC, and a learn a few more details?

by

t5uXSUt.jpg

Courtesy of Eurogamer comes a few new photos of the SEGA Note PC, and this time they aren’t just mock-ups! On display is the general blue SEGA branded laptop, both in use and being carried. We also get a peek at the desktop, which features a snazzy Dreamcast themed wallpaper. According to Eurogamer, while the laptops will probably not include SEGA emulators or games, they will include SEGA Windows themes and SEGA music pre-loaded onto the laptop. A full list of the specs can be found here, and after the break check out a gallery of new images.

Continue Reading ➜

6 Comments

From SEGAbits with Love – new SEGA-themed Valentines are here!

by

segabitsvday_2

Last year we presented a collection of print-and-cut-out SEGAbits themed Valentines, and this year we’re doing it again! We’re sharing these a day early to give SEGA fans time to prepare. Simply print, cut-out and give (or tweet or instagram or Facebook post) a SEGA Valentine to the man or woman in your life, and pretty soon they’ll be on you like an E-19 Egg Keeper (Sonic Adventure enemy reference, look it up). Have a happy Valentine’s day tomorrow!

After the break, double your love by checking out our Valentines from last year.

Continue Reading ➜

3 Comments

Expand your mind as My Life with SEGA reviews Saturn expansion carts

by

Import Month continues with my review of the SEGA Saturn expansion cartridges from two arcade masters; Capcom and SNK. In addition, we’ll be looking at several arcade classics that utilize these carts, such as X-Men vs Street Fighter, Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter, Metal Slug, Amakusa’s Revenge: Samurai Showdown IV and King of Fighters ’95.

The Saturn was a capable 2D machine upon release. Is it even possible to improve on it without resorting to a more power console? See for yourself.

The SEGAbits 3rd anniversary contest is going on now – win prizes like a SEGA Genesis, Genesis games and brand new My Life With SEGA DVD’s! All the details can be found here.

Like this video? Subscribe to the SEGAbits YouTube channel!

9 Comments

New release Tuesday – Aliens: Colonial Marines and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed 3DS

by

feb12

It’s a big day for packaged SEGA games in the US today! Aliens: Colonial Marines releases to Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed releases on the Nintendo 3DS. In the case of Aliens: Colonial Marines, there is a Wii U version coming in March for the US and sometime in the first quarter for other regions. Both games feature bonus content, with Aliens: Colonial Marines featuring pre-order content from Gamestop in the form of playable movie characters, a flame thrower, and additional marine customization. Aliens: Colonial Marines also has a Collector’s Edition for PS3 and 360 owners, which includes a load of goodies including a figurine, the pre-order DLC, and a number of replica print materials from the Aliens universe. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed for the 3DS features the same bonus content that the 360, PS3, Wii U and Vita had, with a playable Metal Sonic racer and an OutRun track. The content is downloaded to your 3DS via codes, and the codes are contained within the game case. The bonus content is limited to the first run of the game.

ypb fVyOQoCdL YuJQf

1 Comment

Nagoshi discusses the next Yakuza title – promises a more physical experience

by

iloveyou

Yakuza series producer and SEGA of Japan CCO Toshihiro Nagoshi discussed the next Yakuza title this weeks issue in Dengeki PlayStation magazine. According to Nagoshi, the development team will be taking a programmatic approach with the next title, meaning players can have a more physical experience. The game’s battle system is said to see new innovations, and in general the plan to broaden gameplay. The next Yakuza game will most likely not be seen on the Playstation 3, as Nagoshi believes that Yakuza 5 will be the last entry for the series on the current Sony console. Given the interview taking place in a Playstation magazine, the next game will probably end up on Sony’s next gen console. Nagoshi hopes to show something related to the new game this year.

Thanks to SEGAbits forum member Aki-at for the tip!

QinlKZHN STM fL tjdmJZKMGM

8 Comments

SEGA partners with Enterbrain to create SEGA Note PCs

by

pc_image

You wanted SEGA hardware? Here’s your SEGA hardware! SEGA has teamed up with Japanese PC retailer Enterbrain to create the SEGA Note PCs. Features of the entry-level include an Intel Pentium 2020M chip with a 500GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM, the next model up features an Intel Core i3-3120M processor, 500GB hard drive and 8GB of RAM, and replaces the lower model’s DVD drive with a Blu-ray reader. The third version has an Core i7-3630QM chip with 8GB of RAM and a 120GB SSD, and the top-end model matches those specs and replaces the Blu-ray reader with a writer. All models feature a Full HD 15.6″ display, and a choice of four lid finishes – a basic SEGA blue, Mega Drive, Saturn and Dreamcast. The top-tier model comes with all four lid types, which can be easily swapped out. Prices range from ¥99,750 to ¥194,250. Currently, these are Japan only. Pre-orders are currently being taken for the hardware, and it appears that if a certain number is not reached, the PCs will not be produced. Imagine: a SEGA PC loaded with all the SEGA PC game releases. That is a SEGA game on SEGA hardware! Close enough, right?

Thanks to SEGAbits forum member ROJM for the tip. After the break, check out a gallery of the various awesome lids!

Continue Reading ➜

15 Comments

Giant egg appears in London, Billy Hatcher fans sad to learn it is Aliens: Colonial Marines related

by

ITV is reporting on a bit of bizarre marketing from SEGA West, in which a giant 20 foot tall alien egg has on the lawn of London’s Potters Field Park today. The egg is reported to be guarded by Colonial Marines who are also on the lookout for a Xenomorph. ITV appears to be the first to report on the marketing event, and given the quality photos credited to Lunch PR, it could be that SEGA tasked Lunch PR to put this event together and the PR agency reached out to ITV to “report” on the event. Once we learn more about the event, and receive more photos, we’ll be sure to share!

No Comments

After Burner Climax available now on iOS for $2.99

by

After announcing the title just three days ago, After Burner Climax for iOS has today appeared on the App Store for $2.99. The game is described as follows:

After Burner Climax is fast and frantic arcade-style action, putting you in the cockpit of the world’s fastest fighter plane. Dodge planes, rockets and bullets while trying to target multiple on-screen enemy aircraft. Built for all skill levels, everyone will be able to take to the air and blaze through a branching storyline of over 20 stages. Unlock achievements along the way to activate exclusive power ups using your experience and expertise.

Features include the ability to choose from three fighter planes: the F-14D Super Tomcat by Northrop Grumman, the F-15E Strike Eagle or F/A-18E Super Hornet by Boeing. Each fighter plane has four paint schemes to choose from. In addition to the 20+ stages, the game features Arcade Mode, Score Attack Mode and Climax Mode. iOS features include Airplay support, HDMI support, Retina Display on iPhone 4/4S/5 and iPad 3rd and 4th Gen, and iPad Mini support. After the break, check out a gallery of images of the game running on both iPhone and iPad.

Update: SEGA’s message to Android users: “Android version is coming out too, just around the corner!”

Continue Reading ➜

ZxQEj r

3 Comments

Aaron Webber to host Behind the Scenes of Sonic the Hedgehog panel at AOD 2013

by

The Sonic Stadium is reporting that Sonic Brand Manager Aaron Webber, also known as Ruby Eclipse on various social platforms, will be hosting a panel at Animation On Display 2013 entitled “Super Sonic: Behind the Scenes of Sonic the Hedgehog”. The panel is described as follows:

Explore the rise, fall, and recent resurgence of Sonic the Hedgehog in games and other media. An in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at Sonic’s creation, his rise to fame in the early 90′s, and his transition into 3D and the present day. Bring your questions and your passion for Sonic – all are welcomed! With Aaron Webber, Brand Manager, SEGA America

The event itself takes place from February 16th-17th at Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco, CA. The Sonic panel takes place on Saturday February 16th at 3pm PST in the Live Events 1 room. Early registration closes today, and tickets can be purchased here. Many fans are speculating that the next Sonic title will be revealed at the event, and this lines up with a rumor that the next main series Sonic title will be revealed mid-February. It is also important to note that Ken Pontac, the writer responsible for co-writing Sonic Colours and Sonic Generations, will also be at AOD 2013 and early materials list Ken as a writer for an upcoming Sonic game.

Update: Aaron has clarified for us on Twitter just what to expect from the panel: “Like the title and description read, it’s a look at Sonic’s history, from creation to now. No new game announcements – sorry! :)”

etQ nLA QAC WdFrE

1 Comment

SEGA of Japan teasing new game – most likely a Japanese release of the Korean game Chaos Online

by

SEGA of Japan have posted up a teaser site for an upcoming game, with the date of “2.12” being the only text floating atop a series of painted fantasy lanscapes. Could it be a new Phantasy Star? A Sonic Chronicles 2? Shenmue 1.5: How Goro Got His Groove Back? No, the game being teased is in fact a Korean massive online battle arena game known as Chaos Online. Most likely, SEGA will be localizing and releasing it for Japan. As you can see after visiting the site, the above image appears in the rotation, without the character and game logo of course. Most likely, the game will not be released outside of Japan, so as they say “move along, move along”.

Thanks to SEGAbits forum members Trippled and Aki-at for the news tip and for solving the mystery.

No Comments

Today marks our three year anniversary!

by

The number three is quite an important one for SEGA fans: the highly successful Mega Drive/Genesis was the third SEGA console (excluding the many variations of the SG-1000 and Master System), Sonic 3 & Knuckles is considered to be Sonic’s greatest 2D epic, and fans often request Sonic Adventure 3 and a Shenmue 3. It is fitting, then, that we make such a big deal of our three year anniversary. While three years may not seem like a long time, for a website it is quite a feat. For three solid years our writers, admins and mods have strived to bring SEGA fans the best general SEGA fan site we can. We’ve done our best to keep up to date on SEGA news and reviews, from official stories to fan projects, and strived to create as much original content as we can. As such, we are very proud of our many features including the My Life with SEGA video series, Tuesday Tunes, writer round tables, the Friday Five (which will return soon), the Sonic Talk podcast, and our general SEGA podcast the SEGAbits Swingin’ Report Show. We have also redesigned the site a number of times, but always for the better, to give readers and followers the best visual experience we can.

Of course, all of the above means nothing without a crucial element: our readers and community members. Without all of you, SEGAbits probably wouldn’t have lasted as long as it has, and would be nowhere near the success that it is. As such, we want to give a huge “thank you!” to our readers. Thank you for frequenting the site, thank you for the comments and news tips, thank you for the hours spent in our forums and thank you for making us the number one general SEGA fan site on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. Also, a big thank you to the many members of SEGA’s staff who helped us out with articles, interviews, contests, and events. You know who you are, and you’re awesome. So here’s to three years, and here’s to many more!

Check out these notable articles from our past three years: our first post, our second anniversary post, our exclusive preview of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, our interview with Steve Lycett, our interview with Nagoshi, that time we got angry at Kotaku, our incredibly long special edition podcast looking back at ten years of SEGA games, our Dreamcast marathon, why we’re glad to be SEGA fans.

 

19 Comments

Breaking down and explaining the SEGA Sammy Q3 2013 results

by

Numbers nerds rejoice, SEGA has released their 3rd quarter earnings for 2013! Of course, to the average SEGA fan, it’s a lot to take in and a bit difficult to work out the positives and negatives. Thankfully, the SEGAbits community has members who know their stuff. So a big thanks to Aki-at for sharing the news and making sense of the many PDFs. Overall net profits currently stand at ¥3 billion (£20,433,810/$32,003,400), this is from an original ¥7 billion which dropped to ¥3 billion due to costs. SEGA arcade sales operating profits were ¥2,6 billion (£17,742,998/$27,993,160) while the consumer division profited ¥519 million (£3,541,775.37/$5,587,865.40) and arcade centers profited ¥984 million (£6,715,042.32/$10,594,334.40).

Sammy, meanwhile, recorded ¥7.7 billion operating profits (£52,512,691/$82,168,240), a decrease from last year’s ¥71 billion (£483,600,170/$757,413,800). It is important to note, however, that the arcade division had no new major titles being sold and that some pachislot machines were delayed. A Fist of the Northstar pachislot machine was forecasted to sell over 200,000 units. As such, numbers were adjusted to account for this changing the net income projection down from  ¥40 billion to ¥12 billion.

Continue Reading ➜

7 Comments

Import Month: My Life with SEGA sinks his teeth into Dracula X

by

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was a sleeper hit in North America when it landed on the Sony PlayStation way back in 1997. Beautifully drawn 2D sprites with dazzling 3D effects, and a brilliant score. There’s a very good reason why many fans consider it the very best of the franchise. As incredible as the game already is, Konami released an expanded version for the SEGA Saturn….only in Japan.

That’s right; it’s import month on My Life with SEGA. This week, I’m reviewing Dracula X: Nocturne in the Moonlight for SEGA Saturn. If you’re a fan of the American version, as well as the Saturn, you’re probably thinking, “Holy shit! The Saturn is one of the best 2D gaming machines ever created. This is gonna’ blow the PlayStation outta’ the water!”

Also, a reminder that the SEGAbits 3rd anniversary contest is going on now – win prizes like a SEGA Genesis, Genesis games and brand new My Life With SEGA DVD’s! All the details can be found here.

Like this video? Subscribe to the SEGAbits YouTube channel!

4 Comments

After Burner Climax to release to iOS!

by

SEGA dropped a bomb today, revealing that After Burner Climax will be receiving an iOS port. The game, which will be playable on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch platforms, looks to be completely rebuilt to support touchscreen play. Graphics appear to be scaled down, but presumably the smaller screen and super fast speeds will make the scaling down not so noticeable. In case you can’t tell, I’m trying to pad this article out to make it a paragraph, because SEGA has shared little else other than a screen, the platforms and a promise that more info is to come. Given the announcements of past SEGA iOS titles, we could very well see the game releasing within a week.

xIiTbYza ltj RYQnK gYvd jr

5 Comments