Author Archives: Barry

Fastest Food Alive: A look back at the 1993 & 1995 Sonic the Hedgehog Cookie Crisp Cereal promotions

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Our Fastest Food Alive video series continues as we look at more food promotional items from Sonic the Hedgehog’s past! Last time we took a trip to McDonald’s, this time we’re staying home and having breakfast. What’s on the menu? Cookie Crisp Cereal! In 1993 and 1995, Sonic was a toy surprise in specially marked boxes of the chocolate chip cookie inspired cereal. First as a plastic figure in 1993, oddly standing on a skateboard, and again in 1995 as a set of 16 POGS. Remember those things? Click play on the video above and take a trip down memory lane as we check out this food promotions and give a short history lesson on Cookie Crisp Cereal.

If you enjoyed the video make sure to like, share and subscribe to us on YouTube if you haven’t already. Thanks for the support!

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Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 for iPhone and iPod Touch receives graphical update

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Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1, that highly controversial 2D episodic game that has since released to just about every platform, has received a long overdue graphical update for the iPhone and iPod Touch version of the game. When Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1 first released, there were several different versions out there. Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 received the version of the game with the best graphics and sound while the Wii version was a step below, with less than stellar graphics and sound. Below that was the iPhone and iPod Touch version which not only featured very blocky graphics, but also had stages that existed before SEGA overhauled the game and did away with the mine cart and pinball machine levels. SEGA marketed these as “2 EXCLUSIVE LEVELS!!!”, but savvy fans knew that SEGA likely just didn’t have the time or resources to retool the mobile versions as they did the console versions.

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Summer of Sonic UK fan convention attempts a revival via Kickstarter

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Having taken a break since the last event in 2013, the Summer of Sonic organizers are feeling revitalized and ready to bring the event back for 2016 – and they need your help! Dubbed the largest fan run officially recognized Sonic the Hedgehog event in Europe, Summer of Sonic is relying on a Kickstarter campaign to fund their 2016 convention. With a goal of $28,675, and $20,842 already raised with 28 days to go, it should be no difficult task to fund the event. The planned location is the ILEC Conference Centre in Earls Court, London, and the proposed date is August, 6th, 2016. Activities at the event are said to include meet and greets with the special guests, competitions in art, gaming and cosplay, Q&A sessions with guests, and fan showcases.

If this sounds like the event for you, head on over to their Kickstarter and show your support!

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Big’s Big Fishing Adventure 3 The Trial is a real game that you can play right now!

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Screen Shot 2016-04-01 at 9.19.13 AMIt has been teased for the past few months, but now we can confirm it is real. That’s right, Big’s Big Fishing Adventure 3 is a real fan made game that you can play right now! What more, while it is fan made it does have the support of SEGA’s Aaron Webber and the Sonic the Hedgehog social media accounts. This is The Trial edition of the game, meaning it is only a tease of the full game. However, despite being released on April Fool’s day, we can confirm that The Trail is not a joke and that there will indeed be a full game in the near future. The game can be found at www.bigthec.at and features static cutscenes, branching paths, and a variety of mini games which we won’t spoil here.

For those wondering why this game is the third in the series, aside from being an obvious Sonic Adventure 3 joke, this is actually Big’s third fishing game. Big first dropped his line in Sonic Adventure, and his second game entitled Big’s Fishing released in 2004 as a part of a McDonald’s Happy Meal LCD games collection. Sonic Heroes, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing and Sonic Runners don’t count because there was no fishing, an omission that clearly hurt sales.

I am proud to confirm that I played a very very small part, as the Big the Cat action figure you see upon completing the game is from my collection. Which means my Big the Cat toy visited SEGA’s Burbank offices before I did. 🙁

Play the game for yourself, and in the comments below tell us what you think!

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Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X releasing Fall 2016 to the Americas for Playstation 4 and Vita

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SEGA of America has just announced that Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA X will be releasing to the Americas in Fall 2016. Both Playstation 4 and Vita versions are receiving localizations, however there is no word on a European version just yet. The games will be released in digital and physical formats.

Project DIVA X sees players helping Miku and her friends as they sing and dance their way though 5 clouds that comprise of their world. Each cloud is unique, with themes that include Classic, Cool, Cute, Elegant, and Quirky. The game promises 30 new and classic songs as well as nearly 300 costumes. The game also features a full concert editor.

After the break, check out some screens from the Vita version as well as SEGA’s full press release.

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Join us for SEGA Week at Galloping Ghost Arcade in Brookfield, IL, April 25th to 30th

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SEGAbits is excited and honored to reveal that we’ll be collaborating with Galloping Ghost Arcade, America’s largest arcade, for SEGA Week from Monday, April 25th to Saturday, April 30th at midnight. Galloping Ghost Arcade is located just outside Chicago in Brookfield, IL, and features over 500 classic and modern arcade machines, and several of them are made by SEGA. SEGA Week’s main focus will be tournaments covering 10 SEGA arcade titles, of which will remain a mystery until the day of the tournament. Still, if you want an idea of what to expect, the arcade has SEGA titles which include OutRun, Space Harrier, Thunder Blade, Monkey Ball, Crazy Taxi, Zaxxon, SegaSonic the Hedgehog, Sonic Championship, Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker, Golden Axe, Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder and several more.

On April 30th join us for SEGAbits Saturday, which will highlight the many SEGA games celebrating anniversaries as well as the arcade originals of the SEGA 3D Classics titles – SEGA 3D Classics Collection releases that same week to the Nintendo 3DS. We also plan to feature special tournaments with prizes courtesy of SEGA and Archie Comics. There will also be surprise reveals of classic SEGA arcade machines, playable for the first time at the arcade, and you might even encounter a special guest or two.

More details to be shared as SEGA Week draws near, but make sure to mark both the week and SEGAbits Saturday on your calendar now as it is an event that is not to be missed! For details on the arcade and more, visit the Galloping Ghost website and the SEGA Week event page on Facebook.

After the break, check out some photos of the arcade, just to get a sense of the size and selection of games. It’s huge.

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SEGA News Bits: Fantasy Zone turns 30 years old

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2016 is filled with milestone SEGA anniversaries, and one of the most anticipated by us – for obvious reasons – was Fantasy Zone! Join us on this SEGA News Bits as we discuss our thoughts on the franchise’s past, present and future.

Released to arcades on March 28, 1986, the Fantasy Zone franchise has released a surprising amount of games in its 30 year history. Despite the many titles, the story often remains the same: the sentient spaceship Opa Opa traverses the Fantasy Zone, sometimes joined by his brother Upa Upa, battling bizarre bosses and upping his arsenal thanks to a floating Parts Shop. Outside the franchise, Opa Opa has made appearances in both All-Stars Racing games as well as Amusement Visions’ Planet Harriers, a 3D installment in the Space Harrier franchise which also takes place in Opa Opa’s Fantasy Zone.

If you enjoy the SEGA News Bits video formats make sure to like, share and subscribe to our YouTube for more.

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You can now play Flappy Bird on your Dreamcast’s VMU

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Thanks to Instagram user guacasaurus_mex, the world’s most frustrating iPhone game can now be played on your Dreamcast VMU! guacasaurus_mex is not new to the world of VMU game creation, having also created Deadpool and Star Wars: The Force Awakens VMU games, but Flappy Bird pushes things to a whole other level of absurdity. guacasaurus_mex had this to say regarding how to get the game working on your own VMU:

“If anyone is interested I just finished making a Flappy Bird clone for the VMU. Just put the file on an SD card, load with Dreamshell and once Speud’s VMU Tool has loaded navigate to ‘Open CD’ and copy FLPPYBRD.vmi to the VMU.

Like most VMU games this doesn’t work properly in the emulator so please use on an actual VMU!

Also, for anyone giving this a go, you hold A rather than tap like in the iOS and Android versions. Tap functionality didn’t work so well with only 32 vertical pixels!”

You can find the direct download link for the .VMI file here.

[Via The Dreamcast Junkyard]

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Contest: Tell us your favorite moment from Yakuza 5 for a chance to win an official t-shirt from SEGA

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Yakuza 5 for Playstation 3 is 25% off through April 5th, and to celebrate we’ve teamed with SEGA to give away eight Yakuza 5 t-shirts featuring the franchise’s iconic dragon emblazoned on the front and back. We’re especially excited for Yakuza 5‘s temporary sale as it means more people will play the game and in turn the fanbase will grow. The Yakuza franchise is an incredible series of games filled with rich stories, fun and interesting characters and varied gameplay.

To enter, all you have to do is share your favorite moment from Yakuza 5 (or another game in the Yakuza series) in the comments below. You must use a valid email address in the email field (nobody will see it except us, this is how we will contact you should you win) and please specify if you are in the US or Canada in the comment field, as we would like to give each region even chances. Shirt sizes are limited and the contest ends March 29th. Eight will win.

Learn more about Yakuza 5 and series creator Toshihiro Nagoshi:

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Yakuza 0 confirmed for Europe, early 2017 release date planned and new trailer released

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SEGA has good news for European Yakuza fans, as it has been confirmed that Yakuza 0 will be releasing to both the Americas and Europe. Prior, only an American release was confirmed when the localization was revealed at the Playstation Experience in December 2015. Even better, the game will be released both physically and digitally! SEGA’s plan is a simultaneous release in both territories and the release window is “early 2017”. While the game was released on both PS3 and PS4 in Japan, westerners will only be receiving the PS4 version. Given the PS4 version is obviously superior, I’m not going to complain. Better that than give us the one for older hardware. SEGA was also quick to point out that the localization is 100% SEGA, and that Sony and PlayStation have no involvement on a production level.

If early 2017 is too long a wait, SEGA has more good news. If you’ve yet to play Yakuza 5, the game is currently on sale for 25% off through April 5th. We loved the game, and we’re certain you will too. Now’s the time to pick it up, support the franchise, and play a great game. Win-win-win!

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Welcome your new SEGAbits writers!

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Last month, we put out a call for new writers to join our team. We received several applications from SEGA fans all over the globe, and in the end we landed on three who we think are best suited for a fan site like SEGAbits. That’s not to say that those who didn’t make the cut weren’t bits-worthy, and as with any application process we have your information on file should we ever need help in the near future.

So who are the new writers?

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The Truth About Ben Kalough video hints at things to come

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For months, the Sonic the Hedgehog social media accounts have been hinting at something. It could be the reveal of the new Sonic game, or it could be something bigger. Whatever it is, another piece of the puzzle has arrived in a video titled The Truth About Ben Kalough. The video, seen above, catches us up on what the former SEGA of Antarctica staffer has been up to and what the future holds for him. Memes, the word “big” and Aaron Webber all come into play. Could this be it? Or are we all about to be taken for buffoons? Who knows, but once we learn more we will certainly share it in a cryptic article that keeps using the word “big”.

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Sonic and SEGA print collections from Iron Gut Publishing announced for the UK, art event revealed

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Iron Gut Publishing has announced via a press release that they will be creating art prints for SEGA’s Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, as well as other SEGA IPs including Shinobi, Golden Axe and Streets of Rage. The collection is timed to release alongside Sonic’s 25th anniversary, and Iron Gut Publishing promises an art event which will feature the upcoming prints. At the moment, this is UK only. No word on if those from outside the UK can import the prints.

It is also worth noting that “art collaborations” were revealed last month at Tomy’s booth at New York Toy Fair. This seems to be what that Sonic poster was referring to.

Iron Gut Publishing, the company that specialises in creating limited edition art collections for global brands have signed a UK license with SEGA® Europe Ltd.

The art collection will feature the iconic video game character Sonic the Hedgehog, as well as a host of other classic brands from the SEGA video game portfolio including Golden Axe™, Streets of Rage™ and Revenge of Shinobi™.

2016 is the 25th anniversary year of Sonic and we will be organising an art event to celebrate this which will showcase the collection to fans. The event will allow us to drive awareness and increase visibility of both the brand and collection available.– Anthony Marks, M.D Iron Gut Publishing.

Framed products will be available from bricks and mortar stores and unframed for mail order and online sales. The range will be available from Q2 2016.

[Via: GoNintendo]

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Contest: Tembo The Badass Elephant Playstation 4 skin giveaway – game is 60% off on PSN & Xbox One

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Tembo The Badass Elephant from SEGA and Game Freak Inc is a loving homage to the early 90s platformer era, featuring outlandish gameplay and cartoonish over the top graphics. To celebrate the game, we’re teaming with SEGA to give away six Tembo The Badass Elephant skins for your Playstation 4 and controller. The artwork is awesome, and we especially love the use of the classic SEGA Seal of Quality logo. To enter, all you need to do is follow SEGAbits on Twitter and retweet the contest tweet. Six winners will be chosen, and the contest is open to the Americas and Canada. The contest ends on Monday, March 21st at 11:59PM CT and winners will be announced the following day.

Tembo The Badass Elephant is on sale for 60% off on both PSN and Xbox One, and a free Tembo The Badass Elephant theme is available for download now on PSN. Good luck to all who enter and don’t forget to take advantage of the sale and snatch up that free theme!

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Alton Towers Sonic Spinball ride has been re-themed, Sonic branding gone

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Note: “Closed” in the above graphic refers to how long the wait times are, not the permanent closure of rides. As the park was closed at the time of this screenshot, all rides are closed as well.

It is an end of an era for Sonic the Hedgehog at the English theme park Alton Towers. The rollercoaster ride Sonic Spinball, which has been in operation under the Sonic branding since February 2010 (almost exactly as long as SEGAbits has been in operation), has been re-themed as Spinball Whizzer. The ride originally opened in 2004 under the Spinball Whizzer name, but was given a Sonic re-theming with a lot of fanfare back in 2010. Not only was there a Sonic themed ride, but there was also a Sonic-themed hotel room as well as Sonic merchandise throughout the park. I’ve heard from fellow fans that the Sonic merch has been slowly drying up, signaling that the Sonic license may be coming to an end, and this recent news all but confirms it. It is unknown if the Sonic-themed hotel room has also been removed or will be removed. The room is best known to fans for being one of the earliest instances of Roger Craig Smith voicing Sonic the Hedgehog, as audio of Sonic would greet guests as they entered the room. Hilariously, due to an audio snafu the voice sounded much lower leading to the infamous “check out the consoles” line and many fans freaking out that the new Sonic sounds a lot older and slower. The audio was soon fixed, but it was funny while it lasted.

Roger spoke about recording for Alton Towers, as well as the audio mistake, on our Swingin’ Report Show podcast interview which can be heard right here.

[Via Sonic Stadium]

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