Author Archives: Barry

Preview: IDW Sonic the Hedgehog #3 & #4 – Meet Tangle the Lemur

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Yesterday we shared previews for IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog issues 1 and 2, and today we have previews for issues 3 and 4 which will round out the month of April which will see an issue released each week. While the first two issues feature Tails and Amy, issue 3 will feature Knuckles while issue 4 will feature Blaze. We will also be introduced to new characters including enemies named Rough and Tumble in issue 3, and a new hero named Tangle the Lemur in issue 4. IGN got the exclusive on what Tangle the Lemur is all about. Their preview features a quote from IDW associate editor David Mariotte who says that the intention was to create a character with a special ability tied to their features, like Sonic’s speed and Tails flight. The end result was a ring-tailed lemur who could use her tail as a whip or a fist.

After the break, check out the synopsis for issues 3 and 4 as well as the available covers!

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Preview: IDW Sonic the Hedgehog #1 & #2

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IDW’s Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series begins in April with an issue per week, and the publisher has been releasing exclusive previews on various sites. Yesterday, Entertainment Weekly debuted the previously revealed issue 1 cover art along with a variant cover reveal and some story details. Each issue released in April will star Sonic and spotlight a classic ally, with issue 1 featuring Tails. Issue 2, revealed today by CBR, will feature Amy Rose and – if the cover follows the story – Eggman robots from Sonic Forces as well as new characters including a pink goat girl (possibly IDW’s soon to be revealed character). Also, Amy will invite Sonic to join the Resistance, which makes me wonder if the first arc will be a Sonic Forces adaptation. The next two solicits should hit tomorrow.

After the break, check out the newly revealed covers and solicitation information.

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Unboxing: Jet Set Radio Beat action figure

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Let’s unbox the brand new Jet Set Radio Beat action figure which is part of the GAME CLASSICS line from Union Creative! Unlike the long running Figma line from Max Factory, GAME CLASSICS is just two figures deep with Arthur of Ghosts ‘n Goblins being the first. While GAME CLASSICS has room to improve, this is a really cool figure. Watch the video above to hear my thoughts on it, and if you like what you see you can own one yourself!

If you enjoy our SEGAbits Unboxing videos and want to support us: Give us a sub and give this video a like so it shows up on more like minded fans YouTube recommendations. You know, how that YouTube algorithm is.

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IDW reveals cover art for Sonic The Hedgehog #1, revealing the return of artist Tracy Yardley!

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IDW’s Sonic The Hedgehog comic book series is fast approaching, with the first four issues releasing weekly in April 2018. While we don’t know much about what we can expect from the new series, we do know a few things. The numbering will not resume from where Archie left off, IDW is starting back from square one. Also, we should expect a new canon, likely more game based. We even have an official description of the first arc thanks to the Amazon description for the first trade paperback which is due out September 18 and is titled “Fallout!”:

Join the Blue Blur for brand-new adventures as he and his friends race around the world to defeat the evil Dr. Eggman’s robotic forces!

The evil genius Dr. Eggman has been foiled–but the work of Sonic the Hedgehog isn’t over yet! In the aftermath of the latest epic battle, rogue robots continue to attack small villages around the world. In order to succeed, Sonic will need the help of his friends Tails, Knuckles, and Amy, along with some new and surprising allies. This new collection from acclaimed writer Ian Flynn features the blue blur like you’ve never seen him before. Gotta go fast!

Oh, and we also have the cover art, which can be seen above. Shared on the IDW Sonic Comic Squad Facebook group, the post reveals one of the official covers for issue #1 created by artist Tracy Yardley, meaning the longtime Archie Sonic comic artist is back alongside writer Ian Flynn. We’ll share more IDW Sonic news as we hear it!

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Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux set to release May 15 in the Americas for Nintendo 3DS

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Atlus has announced today that Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux is set to release for the Nintendo 3DS on May 15. This is a full 16 days earlier than we had originally slated the game for release. Compared to the 2009/2010 Nintendo DS release, Redux will feature additional story content, new illustrations by Masayuki Doi and a new character named Alex.

You can pre-order Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux now for $39.99, and if you’re a Amazon Prime member the pre-order price is just $31.99.

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Yakuza 6: The Song of Life mini-games trailer reminds us that Virtua Fighter 5 is coming soon to PlayStation 4

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The Yakuza 6: The Song of Life mini-games trailer has hit, and as expected they are packing a TON of side content into the latest title in the franchise. Everything to batting cage, darts and karaoke to undersea spearfishing, baseball management sims and playable SEGA arcade games including the likes of Hang-On, Space Harrier, Puyo Puyo and Virtua Fighter 5. The latter of which sold as its own game for the PS3 and Xbox 360 over ten years ago, and is now essentially a bonus game.

You can pre-order the Yakuza 6: The Song of Life Essence of Art Edition for the PlayStation 4, and act quickly as SEGA tells us they are just about sold out! The package features the game and a collectible hardcover art book.

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Two Point Hospital announced, releasing this fall on Steam

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SEGA’s lightbulb teaser has been revealed and the game is Two Point Hospital, developed by Two Point Studios and published by SEGA. Now I know, I know, the teaser led me to get a little overly excited at the prospect of Dreamcast remasters. I partially blame my own naivety and SEGA Europe’s foolish decision to release a tease on the SEGA of America Twitter account without any hint of who the developer was. A simple Two Point Studios logo would have been a better decision, that’s all I’m saying.

In any case, the game itself is being developed by former Lionhead and Bullfrog developers and looks to be a fun hospital sim with Aardman Animation-style aesthetics. As the clever trailer lays out above, the game will allow players to design their own hospital, manage staff, expand operations and collaborate and compete with friends. The game is due out this fall on Steam, and you can learn more at their official site.

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SEGA News Bits: House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn announcement reaction

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The House of the Dead franchise returns with an all new arcade game in 2018! Titled House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn, the franchise drops the “The” and the numbering and seemingly returns to the franchises roots, bringing things back to a mansion and reviving a classic enemy. On this SEGA News Bits, George and Barry are joined by Patrick aka Kori-Maru who is the owner of The Website of the Dead, a The House of the Dead fansite. Hear our reaction to this news, what we can glean from the screenshots and website, and what past interviews with the franchise developers can tell us about this new game.

If you enjoy our SEGA News Bits segments and want to support us: Give us a sub and give this video a thumbs up so it shows up on more like-minded fans YouTube recommendations. You know, how that YouTube algorithm is.

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Unboxing: Christa Lee – Welcome to the Fantasy Zone vinyl

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Newly released on vinyl and with brand new artwork created by Data Erase, Christa Lee’s Welcome to the Fantasy Zone is “a loving tribute to the games of SEGA, the artists who worked on them, and the composers who made them sing.” Let’s unbox (unsleeve?) this SEGA fan creation and give it a listen!

Purchase vinyl on Ship to Shore Phono Co. | Purchase digitally on Bandcamp | Follow Christa Lee on Twitter

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What could SEGA’s “16th January” lightbulb tease mean? [Updated]

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Today, both SEGA and SEGA Europe Twitter accounts (why are they have separate accounts still is best left for another article) shared a teaser image of “16th January” and a lightbulb. What could this mean? While it could mean anything really, there are a few clues here. For starters, this image comes from SEGA Europe. The ordering of days before month is a dead giveaway. The lightbulb, meanwhile, is commonly used to evoke an idea. How does one get to an idea? By thinking. The SEGA Dreamcast had the well known slogan “It’s Thinking…”. Could the lightbulb be the idea that the years of thinking is leading to? Could this be SEGA’s tease for impending Dreamcast ports? It’s possible. [Update: Or not? Read on!]

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Retro-bit SEGA USB and Bluetooth Genesis, Saturn and Dreamcast accessories revealed!

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Last month we shared the news that Retro-bit would be creating USB, bluetooth and classic controllers for the SEGA Genesis, Saturn and Dreamcast, with the products debuting at CES 2018. Well CES 2018 is happening now, and images of the Retro-bit SEGA products are online! The community section of the RGT 85 Facebook page and Madlittlepixel show us just what we can expect from the new line of products. After the break, let’s check out the images and see what we can see!

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Miles “Tails” Prower character designer Yasushi Yamaguchi creates new artwork to celebrate the character’s 25th anniversary

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Seen above (click for high res version) is new art from Yasushi Yamaguchi aka Judy Totoya, the character designer of Sonic the Hedgehog’s trusty sidekick Miles “Tails” Prower. Yasushi’s design came out of an internal competition at STI where numerous designs were submitted, including a rocket-powered turtle named Boomer, but in the end Yasushi’s two-tailed orange fox named Miles Prower won out. As Tails turned 25 years old with the 25th anniversary of the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 in November, 2017, Yasushi decided to create new art to celebrate. Yasushi also revealed some facts about the character’s creation, seen after the break!

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Sega Dreamcast: Collected Works teases never before seen production materials from Jet Set Radio, Shenmue and more

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Sega Dreamcast: Collected Works, an upcoming book from Read-Only Memory, is the followup to SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Works. Successfully backed on Kickstarter late last year, Read-Only Memory sent a new years update to backers and boy is it an exciting one! Read-Only Memory received a large amount of production materials from SEGA of Japan, including several never-before-seen pieces from popular Dreamcast games. Included in the haul are:

  • Game mechanic sketches, environment concepts and high end renderings for Sonic Adventure
  • The complete design document for Jet Set Radio/Jet Grind Radio, including some amazing graffiti artwork concepts
  • A very early proof of concept video for Space Channel 5
  • Character studies and production artwork for Phantasy Star Online
  • Storyboards, character designs and environment artworks for Shenmue

Read-Only Memory will spend the coming weeks sorting through all the materials and identifying pieces to include in the book, with the final cut of the book to be laid out in a few months. Also revealed is that photoshoots for the Hardware Showcase chapter of the book will be taking place in the next few weeks, featuring everything from consoles to the fishing controller to the Samba de Amigo maracas. If you’re the proud owner of a Dreamcast hardware rarity you think should make the final cut, please do drop Read-Only Memory a line!

We here at SEGAbits can’t wait to get our hands on the book, and in the meantime we’re working to get Darren Wall of Read-Only Memory back for another Swingin’ Report Show podcast.

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Kickstarter Genesis/Mega Drive and Dreamcast game Xeno Crisis releases new gameplay footage

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We’re only a week into 2018 and we already have our first indie Genesis/Mega Drive (and Dreamcast) game about to be successfully backed on Kickstarter. With a little over two days to go, the top-down arcade style shooter Xeno Crisis is $80,382 pledged of its $27,138 goal. As the campaign nears its end, the team has released a new video showcasing more gameplay footage including footage of the new female marine and 2 player co-operative play.

You can check the campaign out for yourself here, and as always read everything and think about it before backing.

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Gunstar Heroes joins the SEGA Forever mobile lineup

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The Treasure classic Gunstar Heroes has been added to the SEGA Forever mobile lineup, available to download now on Google Play and the App Store. If Gunstar Heroes on iOS sounds familiar, it’s because the game released to that platform 7 years ago. Those who have previously downloaded the iOS version of the game will be able to restore their purchase for the premium SEGA Forever version. A new addition to the mobile version is cross-platform local multiplayer over Wi-Fi. You can interact with the SEGA Forever team on Twitter at twitter.com/segaforever and follow them if you’re so inclined, as they post some pretty cool stuff.

We’re a bit late in newsing this, as the game released to around the busy holidays, but better late than never!

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