Author Archives: Barry

Classic SEGA Magazine Corner: GameFan says SEGA’s Jet Grind Radio is “the next BIG THING”

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As Smilebit Month comes to an end, we crack open one more classic magazine for a look at what gaming journalists thought of a SEGA classic. GameFan magazine was quite a unique publication at the time. From 1992 to 2000, GameFan not only covered general gaming news, but also anime, manga, and featured extensive import coverage. It really was the perfect magazine for gaming fans who were also steeped in anime and importing the latest and greatest RPGs and generally more off the wall titles. So, of course, it was only fitting that SEGA’s Jet Grind Radio received the GameFan cover treatment for their August 2000 issue and had a four page preview and interview with the then unknown Smilebit team.

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Leaked Sony Pictures e-mails show excitement for SEGA’s “SONIC – THE HEDGE DOG”

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You probably remember when Sony Pictures had thousands of emails leaked last year following controversy over their movie The Interview. Despite Sony’s best efforts to pull the emails from the internet, once they were out there the damage was done. The emails revealed a ton of strange and fascinating behind-the-scenes information, from a Men In Black crossover with 21 Jump Street to silly salary disputes. Given Sony’s dealings with SEGA in regards to an upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie, it was only a matter of time before some emails related to the upcoming movie leaked out. One such email from Senior Vice President of Sony Pictures Releasing International, Noriaki “Dick” Sano, features a funny typo and some details about the upcoming film. Dick writes:

SONIC – THE HEDGE DOG
Dear All,

Hannah Minghella just called to give me an early heads up that a very popular video game for years from Sega game maker
named SONIC – THE HEDGE DOG will be made into a Live Action film.

Script is not yet completed but it would be financed 50-50 by SPE and Sega. Ms. Mie Ohnishi from Sega ( actually now called Sega/Sammy)
would be stationed to Burbank until the completion of the film. She will be coming to my office for a courtesy visit this afternoon,
so Hannah’s phone call was very timely and appreciated.

According to Hannah, the release date in the US would hopefully be in 2016.

I hope this would be another franchise like RESIDENT EVIL for our Japanese market.

Sincerely,
Dick

Aside from the funny typo of “SONIC – THE HEDGE DOG”, we now know the film will be financed 50/50 by Sony Pictures Entertainment and SEGA. Also, SEGA’s Mie Ohnishi who serves as a Producer/Development Executive at Marza Animation Planet Inc. will be stationed in Burbank, CA working on the film with Sony. It is also noted that as of June 2014 a script was not written and the goal is to release the movie in 2016. Dick ends his email with hope that a Sonic movie would be a good fit for the Japanese market like Sony’s Resident Evil movies. Nobody show him Sonic‘s Japanese sales numbers!

After the break check out a few more SEGA related details from Sony that have surfaced.

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A look back at Smilebit’s Gunvalkyrie – an underappreciated SEGA classic

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In the West, SEGA’s Smilebit has become synonymous with the Jet Set Radio games, and for good reason. Like Sonic The Hedgehog to the Genesis and NiGHTS into Dreams to the Saturn, the original Jet Set Radio became one of the Dreamcast’s defining games, showcasing unique graphics and reinventing a video game genre. As SEGA left the hardware market in 2001, internal developers announced which consoles they would favor and Smilebit fittingly ended up with Microsoft’s Xbox.

I say “fittingly” because it only made sense that a developer known for pushing the graphical envelope would choose the Xbox, given Smilebit members’ propensities for expansive worlds in past titles like Team Andromeda’s Panzer Dragoon Saga and the first Jet Set Radio. While Jet Set Radio tried to conceal the fact that the game actually consisted of several small areas linked by clever tricks allowing the Dreamcast to load the next area as the player skated to the another section of the map, on the Xbox Smilebit could truly create expansive and detailed worlds. Utilizing the Xbox’s power, Smilebit did just that with Jet Set Radio Future, Panzer Dragoon Orta, and Gunvalkyrie.

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Archie Comics Sonic the Hedgehog July 2015 Solicitations – Worlds Unite heats up!

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Direct from Archie Comics comes the latest solicits for what Sonic and Mega Man fans can expect for July, and if the covers and descriptions are any indication, general SEGA and Capcom fans should also pay close attention to what is to come. As the Sonic and Mega Man crossover Worlds Unite heats up, several other franchises from the famous video game companies join the fray including Golden Axe, Ghosts ‘n Goblins, Ōkami, NiGHTS, Street Fighter, Skies of Arcadia, Panzer Dragoon, Monster Hunter 4 and more! If that’s not enough, another milestone issue is hit with Sonic The Hedgehog #275 which features a whopping six different collectible covers and the special one-off Sonic: Worlds Unite Battles expands the crossover story with even more pages dedicated to classic characters duking it out.

All this and more after the break!

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SEGA Retrospective: Jet Set Radio Future and The Latch Brothers

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LatchBrothers

Jet Set Radio and its sequel Jet Set Radio Future are often cited as having some of the best music to come from SEGA thanks in a large part to Hideki Naganuma and Richard Jacques. While in-house talent played a large role in creating such memorable soundtracks, the soundtracks also consisted of licensed music from artists that included Guitar Vader, Cibo Matto, Deavid Soul and others. This week on SEGA Tunes (the feature formerly known as Tuesday Tunes) we’re focusing on a third type of Jet Set Radio music contributor: The Latch Brothers.

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3D Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Streets of Rage 2 and Gunstar Heroes added to SEGA 3D Classics wave two!

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The SEGA Blog has unveiled more SEGA 3D Classics titles! Just when we thought the series was over with the second wave featuring SEGA arcade classics, SEGA hits us over the head with a trio of Genesis/Mega Drive classics: 3D Sonic The Hedgehog 2, 3D Streets of Rage 2 and 3D Gunstar Heroes. Rather than being a third wave of titles, these new additions are a part of wave two. Though interestingly, their announcement appears to be exclusive to the West at the moment.

3D Streets of Rage 2 is set for July, 3D Gunstar Heroes in August, and 3D Sonic The Hedgehog 2 in September 2015. Also announced are the dates for the already announced 3D Classics arcade titles: 3D Fantasy Zone II (April 16, 2015) and 3D Thunder Blade (May 14, 2015). As with past releases, new modes and features are planned but are not yet revealed. Prices will be $5.99/€4.99/£4.49 and the games will be releasing exclusively to the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS.

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Classic SEGA Magazine Corner: Xbox Nation interviews Smilebit’s Panzer Dragoon Orta artists

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As evidenced last month, the unofficial Microsoft Xbox magazine Xbox Nation (XBN) really liked Smilebit. Their premiere issue featured Smilebit’s Jet Set Radio Future, which is surprising given Halo‘s dominance at the time, and their third issue featured a Panzer Dragoon Orta cover and an eight page preview and interview with former Team Andromeda staff. As the magazine continued, XBN kept up on various SEGA and Smilebit titles. In the magazine’s sixth issue they returned to Japan for another Smilebit interview, this time with Panzer Dragoon Orta artists Takashi Iwade and Kentaro Yoshida. Let’s crack open this issue to see what these legends had to say!

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The crossover chaos continues in Project X Zone 2: Brave New World for Nintendo 3DS

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Project X Zone, the 2012 crossover for the Nintendo 3DS which threw together SEGA, Bandai Namco and Capcom characters into an epic adventure, is set to return! According to a report from website e-duessee, a sequel is in the works for the 3DS entitled Project X Zone 2: Brave New World. The article itself is a report of an April 7th Bandai Namco press event held in Milan at which the game was announced alongside another unannounced title, Saint Seiya: Soldiers’ Soul for the PS4, PS3, and PC. The original article has since been edited to remove the mentions of the games (whoops!) but thankfully NeoGAF caught it before the removal.

What are your thoughts on another Project X Zone title? Have any characters you’d like to see make an appearance? I’m hoping to see Mega Man, Pac-Man and Sonic, as well as an expanded SEGA cast including Ryo Hazuki and some 1980s characters.

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The merchandise of SEGA’s Jet Set Radio: Collecting that Uki-Uki-Waku-Waku feeling

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Unless you’re a Sonic The Hedgehog fan, collecting merchandise from SEGA franchises can be a difficult venture. Some games simply have little to no merchandise. Bug!, for example, only has a windup figure from SEGA’s Jack in the Box kid’s meal and a few Saturn era promotional pieces. Ecco the Dolphin and Toejam and Earl merchandise is almost non-existent; the former also had a Jack in the Box kid’s meal toy and the latter is just now getting products thanks to the recently funded Kickstarter campaign. Japanese franchises, like Phantasy Star Online, have quite a lot of collectibles but much of it is Japan only and requires importing and ebay hunting. Other franchises, like Shenmue, have had quite a bit of merchandise in the past and in recent years, but good luck finding any of it for a low price point.

Jet Set Radio, meanwhile, has quite a bit to offer fans when it comes to collectibles with several items releasing outside of Japan and many of them being surprisingly affordable. Seeing as Jet Set Radio is one of my favorite franchises, I’ve amassed a small collection over the years which I wanted to show off both because I am incredibly conceited and because I thought it would serve as a nice guide for those wondering what sort of Jet Set Radio merchandise is out there.

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GOAT Store provides an update and cover art for indie Dreamcast game “SLaVE”

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During September of last year, longtime indie Dreamcast game publisher GOAT Store announced a new game entitled SLaVE. Described as a colorful first person shooter built around an enhanced Doom engine called 3DGE, SLaVE was due out in April of 2015. Since then, news has been light, but seeing as it is April of 2015 we finally have an update! Read the full e-mail from GOAT Store News after the break.

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Discotek Media to release complete series DVD of SEGA’s Sonic X anime

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Discotek Media, the company planning a Sega Hard Girls complete series DVD later this year, have just announced on their Facebook page that they will be releasing the complete series of the 2003 Sonic the Hedgehog anime Sonic X to DVD later this year. Details beyond that are scarce, but they did state in the comments “English dub right now, not sure on Japanese version yet”. In the past, Discotek has released separate sub and dub releases, so while a sub release is not confirmed, it’s not completely out. More details as we hear them!

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Sonic’s ad venture: SEGA and Capcom join new ad agency GameBridge

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Remember when Sonic appeared in a Progressive Auto Insurance commercial? Or when Sonic was pushing LifeSavers candies and cans of pasta in the 1990s? Well, expect to see more ads like this in the near future. Reported by MediaPost comes the news that SEGA as well as Capcom have joined up with a new agency that licenses video game characters for ad campaigns. The agency, named GameBridge, was founded by Billy Bell and the agency’s goal is, in his words, “to make it much easier and more efficient for both advertisers and game publishers to connect their respective characters and brands”. The name GameBridge refers to a ‘bridge’ for brands and gaming characters to connect for cross promotional opportunities.

GameBridge will act as SEGA’s agent for licensing partners, serving as the middle man for advertisers and agencies and IP holders of video game characters. For now, the New York based agency is acting as SEGA and Capcom’s agent, but in the future they could expand to represent other game companies and characters. Also announced is that GameBridge has partnered with video game music digital download service Sumthing Else, providing clients a music licensing service. Additional GameBridge partnerships will provide production services, including film and video production, post-production resources, and animation and effects.

While Sonic was specifically called out as a likely character SEGA would utilize in future marketing opportunities, GameBridge could utilize other characters from the company. How about Jet Set Radio‘s Beat selling cans of Krylon?

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Classic SEGA Ads: Jet Grind Radio’s crazy BIG GO! commercial

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Jet Set Radio had a bit of an identity crisis when it reached the West. When the game was first revealed in Japan, few media outlets knew exactly what to make of the game. Was it rhythm game? Was it a Japanese take on Tony Hawk Pro Skater? From the teases we got, it appeared to be a bit of both. The first real concrete explanation of the game came from America’s Official Dreamcast Magazine, which featured an in-depth interview with Smilebit and a preview of the game. While ODCM did a fantastic job with explaining the game and selling many Dreamcast owners on it, myself included, SEGA of America did a less than fantastic job of letting the general public know what the game was all about.

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Developer Retrospective: The wonderfully unique games of SEGA’s Smilebit

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YOTSD

SEGA’s development team Smilebit existed in the public eye for only four short years, yet in that time they managed to create one of the company’s most unique franchises, revived a classic Saturn franchise, contributed to a long running series of popular Japanese sports titles, and managed to create a few new franchises that have gone on to become true hidden gems. It’s fitting that we follow Team Andromeda Month with Smilebit, as Smilebit was actually the bringing together of the SEGA AM6’s Team Aquila, Team Andromeda, and G9 Team (though some staff ended up moving to United Game Artists). This mix of talent lead to Smilebit being primarily tasked with the Let’s Make series of sports titles, franchises that were largely confined to Japan. Utilizing former Team Andromeda staff, the team spearheaded the latest (and thus far last) Panzer Dragoon game. But what really made Smilebit unique were their new franchises including the Jet Set Radio games, Gunvalkyrie, and Hundred Swords.

All month long we’ll be celebrating Smilebit’s eclectic mix of games, celebrating the classics, the lesser known titles, and the ones that never left Japan. Ready to look back? Let’s go!

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Toejam and Earl: Back in the Groove Kickstarter fully funded and some funky stretch goals met

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Moments ago, the Toejam and Earl: Back in the Groove Kickstarter ended and much to the delight of fans the campaign was a success and then some. With 8,873 backers pledging $508,637, $108,637 more than the $400,000 goal, fans can expect the full game as well as some stretch goal bonuses! Additional features include old school skins for Toejam and Earl, featuring their original designs seen on the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive games. Also returning from the 90s is the Hyperfunk Zone as seen in ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron. Minutes before the campaign ended, a third stretch goal was met, adding the female lead from the third game, Latisha, as well as Toejam’s cousin and Earl’s mom.

While the base game sounded great, these bonuses only sweeten the upcoming release by bringing in characters and concepts from the first three games for a true love letter to fans of the series. Congrats to Greg Johnson and his team, and good luck on the development of the game.

In case you missed it, we interviewed Greg earlier this month on our Swingin’ Report Show podcast – give it a listen if you haven’t already!

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