Author Archives: Barry

Bonus Stage’s 72 Hour Sonic Gaming Marathon

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I love me a good ol’ fashioned gaming marathon, and I was excited to learn that an extremely long one involving the Sonic the Hedgehog series has been underway for 12 hours already! Held by the folks over at the Bonus Stage Marathons blog, their goal is to play all sorts of Sonic games for 72 hours in an effort to earn $1000 for the Baltimore Humane Society. As of writing this, they’re already 34% to their goal. The marathon continues through the 11th, so I’m sure they’ll make their money. Good luck to them!

Check them out on USTREAM, and save some kitties and puppies while you’re at it.

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Sonic 4 Pre-E3 Video Interview

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[click above image to visit the Gamespot video page]

SEGA’s Associate Digital Brand Manager Ken Balough sat down with Gamespot to tell us what to expect from Sonic 4 at E3. As an added bonus, we get a good amount of footage featuring the still in progress tweaked physics. Now supernerds can spend the whole weekend doing a frame by frame analysis of the altered physics!

Here are a few highlights from the video:

  • All of Splash Hill Zone will be playable at E3
  • Motion controls for the special stages will be optional
  • iPod is getting two exclusive levels (could the mine cart be moving?)
  • Sonic 4 technically has 16 stages (4 Zones with 3 Acts each plus 1 boss battle per Zone = 16)

I think I actually DO see a difference in the physics, way to go SEGA!

Check out the video at Gamespot

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The Firecore Genesis Reviewed

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Before the insanity that is E3 begins, I thought I’d give a hardware review of the Firecore Classic Console. Manufactured by Innex under license by SEGA, the Firecore is essentially a mini SEGA Genesis. Fittingly, it was around this time last year that the Firecore as well as its mobile brother the Retrogen were previewed at E3. You can check out the video preview if you’d like, but I warn you: a cringe inducing interview awaits.

click here to read the review

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SEGAbits All-Stars: Goro Mihashi

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Shenmonth continues with a new segment called SEGAbits All-Stars! Unlike the similarly named ‘SEGA All-Stars’ series of games, SEGAbits All-Stars will highlight the underdogs of the SEGAverse. The characters who weren’t the star of a game, nor were they playable, but they still made enough of an impact to be memorable.

Gotta take a leak before reading more? You should probably hold it in, because our first SEGAbits All-Star knows all the best spots to relieve oneself.

Continue Reading ➜

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5 Things Shenmue III Should Have

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If there is one thing Shenmue fans can’t get enough of, it’s ‘Shenmue III’ speculation. Fans have put everything from obscure items found in the Hazuki basement to AM2 concept art under a microscope in hopes of finding clues towards what we could expect from a ‘Shenmue III’. Unfortunately, that speculation went from fun in 2002 to nearly hopeless in 2005 to hopeless in 2009. Despite a sequel being nowhere in sight, the past year has provided a few glimmers of hope:

In October 2009 Ryo was announced to be in ‘Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing’ and in January 2010, Sega actually acknowledged that Shenmue exists and that fans want it. Couple that with Sega’s continued support of the Yakuza series (they got a “3”! And a “4” to boot!) and the return of a 2D Sonic on home consoles after 16 years and one could argue that Shenmue fans could move from hopeless back to nearly hopeless.

With all that in mind, let’s fuel that hope and take a look at 5 things ‘Shenmue III’ should have!

Continue Reading ➜

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Shenmonth Begins!

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May is Shenmonth! That’s right, a whole month devoted to articles about the beloved Dreamcast series ‘Shenmue’. Expect an article a week at the Dreamcast Junkyard and SEGAbits. If writers here or from any other Sega blog wish to participate, feel free to grab the header image above, slap it atop a blog post and write whatever you wish about ‘Shenmue’. A “Top Ten Ugliest NPC Characters” article is up for grabs.

Click Here To Read More…

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Forklift Number 5 of 1000

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Ryo's Forklift

It’s here! The major award has arrived: the ‘Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing’ Ryo Hazuki forklift statue. The short version of how I came about the figure: I entered a Sega contest a few months back and last week I won the figure. The figure was limited run of 1,000 was was only available via the online contest, with a handful making it over to Europe and distributed via Sega Europe’s Free Stuff Friday giveaway. Now enough chatter, let’s take a look at the figure!

Click Here To Read More…

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