Author Archives: Big Elk

Phantasy Star Jun Senoue Rock Remix coming to PSO2: New Genesis in Phantasy Star 35th Anniversary Event

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Did you know that this year marks the 35th anniversary of the Phantasy Star series? It’s come a long way. To celebrate, Sega have released a brand new rock remix of the main theme for PSO2 New Genesis, featuring beloved Sonic musician Jun Senoue and arrangement by NGS community staff member GWIZOFTHESTARS. You can listen to it right now on YouTube, and if you log into NGS between now and November 21st 2023, you’ll receive this same remix as a music disc (Not a physical disc, like a CD) that you can play within the game and a poster to be displayed within your creative space. Both items will be absolutely free as long as you log in within the event period. Keep logging in every week to see more gifts, which will be revealed later.

In addition, there will be more music remixes soon to be revealed on the official PSO2 NGS YouTube channel and the various official social media pages: (Facebook) (Instagram) (Discord) (I’ll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I start calling Twitter “X”). Between November 7th and November 21st, the final day of the event, there will also be special movie concerts, which will play on the big screens in the in-game central city hubs, such as Aelio Town. If you’re playing NGS, you won’t want to miss any of this.

Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis is free to play and available for PC on Steam, Windows Store, and Epic Games Store as well as on Xbox, PS4, and PS5. All versions of the game are all cross platform, meaning you can play with anyone on any system. You can read more from the official website.

Are you already playing PSO2 NGS? What do you think of this new NGS theme remix? How long have you been a Phantasy Star fan and which game did you start with? Tell us all about it in the comments below.

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Wireless Pro Saturn controllers with hall effect analog sticks announced by Retro-Bit; coming December

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What’s that? I think that’s the sound of Retro-Bit making another announcement.

If you need a new Sega Saturn controller, they’ve had you covered since 2019, but now they’ve got something new to offer that they kept people waiting four years for: the new Wireless Pro Saturn controllers, in both black and Japanese white with 2.4 Ghz wireless technology for original Saturn consoles, Nintendo Switch, and computers. This could very well be the ultimate Saturn controller.

And yes, people have been waiting with bated breath for this controller since Retro-Bit first revealed it at CES 2019, but wasn’t able to say much throughout the years since besides that it was never cancelled. Retro-Bit cites the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic, the ultimate party pooper, as the main factor for its delay in their own timeline of their collaboration with Sega. Even so, salivating fans kept asking about it on social media after every other Sega controller they’d made was announced. (Not to mention asking about their new Dreamcast controller, which there is still no more news for yet) The wait will soon finally end, as the estimated release date has finally been made: December 2023. Let’s hope it can make it out in time for Christmas.

But enough about that. Time to wait a few seconds more as you check in past the break to hear more info. (Unless your internet is out, in which case, I feel bad for ya.)

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Climax Entertainment illustrator Yoshitaka Tamaki passes away at 55 years old

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Man, what’s with all the bad news lately? I’m sorry today’s been such a downer, Sega fans. I’ve saved the saddest, most serious news for last though.

Beloved artist and character designer behind some of the Shining Force and Stalker games at Climax Entertainment, Yoshitaka Tamaki, unfortunately passed away from lung cancer on July 13th, 2023 at the still-too-young age of 55. He was just recently mourned in a private funeral service, according to a post from his own twitter that was translated by Gosokkyu.

Tamaki-san’s artwork was easily recognizable with its stylized merging of anime and Disney-esce visual styles. Sega fans will remember his art best from games like Shining in the Darkness, Shining Force, Landstalker, Time Stalkers, and Shining Soul I and II, each of the Sega games he worked on during his time at Climax Entertainment, the developers of all except for the two Shining Soul games. Before all that, he got his start in the video game industry working freelance at Enix until getting noticed by Climax and asked to design art for their first Genesis game, the aforementioned Shining in the Darkness. Besides those games, he would also illustrate for games like FEDA: The Emblem of Justice (both the Super Famicom original and its Sega Saturn remake), FEDA 2: White Surge, Alundra, and Assault Suits Vaiken. Unfortunately, photos of him are rare because he was rather camera shy in life.

We at Segabits humbly thank him for gracing us with his talent and wish the best for his friends and family. His stamp on Sega and video game history will remain long into his absence. 

Feel free to take in some of his amazing art from the Sega games he worked on as well as leave some best wishes and fond memories in the comments after the break.

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The Creative Assembly suffers layoffs and Hyenas gets cancelled

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This certainly is not The Creative Assembly’s finest hour. Their all new multiplayer shooter (And the subject of one of my first written articles here on SegaBits) Hyenas has been unceremoniously cancelled in a brief recent SegaSammy financial report. Citing “lower profitability in the European region”, the decision was made from on high to axe Hyenas, along with several unannounced titles being developed there. As if to throw salt on the wound, Hyenas’s UK-based developer The Creative Assembly, known for Alien Isolation and the Total War series, is also suffering layoffs. All this comes according to a report from Eurogamer, which you can read here. The above message was also taken from the official Hyenas Twitter page.

This comes as a shock as Hyenas was just demoed at Gamescom only last month and in a recent closed PC beta just this month, along with a few all new trailers getting released. The developers even seemed rather enthusiastic about the game’s reception, in spite of any challenges with development, as referenced in an interview Eurogamer did with representatives of Creative Assembly at that very same Gamescom event. It truly goes to show that you can never be too certain what will happen behind closed doors in the world of game development. I can only hope the staff being let go have little trouble finding new jobs and supporting themselves and their families.

Are you sad to see Hyenas canned? I know I am, especially cause I never even got to participate in any of the betas. Maybe any of you who did can tell us about your experiences in the comments below? I’d especially appreciate it.

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Several Sega Forever mobile games unceremoniously delisted + End of Service announcement

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Remember Sega Forever, and how that started out in 2017 as Sega Europe’s initiative to bring classic Sega games to mobile app stores as free, ad-supported games? Well, Sega Forever is now “Sega For-never,” as more than half of the games released through Sega Forever have now been delisted from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store without so much as an official announcement. On top of that, the games now display an “End of Service” message like the one shown above saying that the games will remain playable, but will lose their online features, which amounted to save states being stored online, leaderboards, and offering you the option to pay $1.99 USD to play without ads. It also has a “More Info” button to show you where else the games available through Sega Forever can be played, but it only currently leads to Sega’s home page. (The above message comes from the Space Harrier II Classic app. I have not been able to confirm if the non-Genesis games display a message like this.)

Check in past the break to see what the remaining games are, as well as some more unsettling news…

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Earthion releasing for Genesis/Mega-Drive and modern consoles in 2024 from Limited Run Games

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Looking forward to the new Genesis/Mega-Drive scrolling shooter from Yuzo Koshiro and Ancient known as Earthion? We have learned from them and Superdeluxe Games at this year’s Tokyo Game Show that Earthion is on track to release in 2024 both as a cartridge for Genesis consoles and on modern consoles from Superdeluxe Games and Limited Run Games. The former will handle Japanese distribution and the latter will distribute the game internationally. Put some money aside for that now if you want it.

Of course, when more concrete info comes out about when you can buy the game and how much it will cost, we’ll be sure to let you know as we come closer to 2024. Until then, tell us in the comments below how excited you are for this game.

Before we leave you to absorb this news, here’s an interesting fact about the “YKGGG” sign shown with the Sega font in the intro of Earthion straight from Koshiro-san.

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Jurassic Park: Classic Games Collection from Limited Run Games adds two Sega Genesis/Mega-Drive Jurassic Park games; is still up for pre-order

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A while back, Limited Run Games announced their partnership with Universal Pictures to make the Jurassic Park: Classic Games Collection on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5/4, and Xbox, a compilation of all the official Jurassic Park games on NES, SNES, and Game Boy using their all new Carbon Engine emulation platform. We didn’t talk about this at the time because it wasn’t relevant to Sega in any way, until now. Just today, Limited Run Games has announced the collection will now also include the two Sega Genesis/Mega-Drive games: Jurassic Park (1993) and Jurassic Park: Rampage Edition (1994). Life finds a way for Sega Genesis to get its dues after all.

Fortunately, Limited Run Games’s pre-order period for the collection is going on until October 15th, 2023, so you still have plenty of time to pre-order a physical copy of the game if you’re interested. There are standard editions and two different collectors editions available. Photos of each are below. (The extras in the two collector’s editions are the same for every console.) You can select and pre-order them from LRG’s Jurassic Park: Classic Games Collection page.

Will you be picking up this collection? Were you interested in it before the Sega games were added? Tell us in the comments below, won’t you?

And while you’re at it, listen to Barry and George talk about the original Jurassic Park game on Genesis in their latest Sega Talk episode.

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Two new Dreamcast games from Nape Games: Reknum Souls Adventure and Ploid, now available from VGNY Soft

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Here’s two more brand new Sega Dreamcast games for ya. Reknum Souls Adventures and Ploid, both originally made for NES by Nape Games, are now available for Dreamcast and up for pre-order in North America through VGNYSoft, a known publisher of physical indie games who also dabbles in Dreamcast games. Both games, like most other indie games on Dreamcast, are VGA compatible and region-free as well. Both can be had for $29.99 USD each.

Check in past the break for trailers and pre-order links.

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Disney’s Gargoyles Remastered, a remake of the Sega Genesis game, announced and up for pre-order digitally and from Limited Run Games

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Just announced earlier today at this year’s Disney D23 event, Gargoyles Remastered is a full-blown HD remake of the Sega Genesis game. That game, based on the classic Disney Afternoon cartoon series Gargoyles, originally released in November 1995, only in North America and only on Genesis. (It’s also most notable as the one game besides Virtua Racing that cannot run on a V2 model Genesis 3 console) Gargoyles Remastered launches on October 19th, 2023 and is now up for pre-order on PlayStation 4/5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam, and GOG. 

While the game should play the same way the original did, it’s been completely rebuilt with a widescreen aspect ratio and an all new clean HD look, plus you can switch back and forth between the original pixel graphics at any time, just like Lizardcube and Dotemu’s Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap remake from 2017. There’s also a new rewind function to save you from dumb mistakes. All this is highlighted in the trailer above, which is narrated by Keith David, the original voice of series and game protagonist Goliath. 

See past the break for screenshots and a rundown on the game’s other new features.

EDIT: Various physical copies of Gargoyles Remastered are going up for pre-order from Limited Run Games, including working Genesis cartridges of the original game, starting September 8th, 2023 (That’s right. Tomorrow.) Info about this is also available after the break.

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Obscure SegaSoft Classics Rocket Jockey and Obsidian now available on Steam and Zoom

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Here’s one for fans of mid 90’s PC games. Some of you may remember the publisher Segasoft, the independent publishing arm set up by Sega of America to develop and publish games, not just for Sega Saturn, but also for Windows PCs and for competing consoles. (Though they never got to release anything on other consoles in the end.) Many of their games have been lost to time since Segasoft closed down in 2000, but two of their most beloved PC classics have been saved from the game preservation crisis. Rocket Jockey (1996) and Obsidian (1996) are coming to modern PC game platforms Steam and Zoom on August 28th, 2023, published by Zoom Platform and another company named Call Your Vegetables.

You may have heard of Steam, but what is Zoom Platform, you may ask? The short answer is that they’re another web storefront for PC games, mostly for retro PC games, created by the Jordan Freeman Group. Saturn era Sega of America President/COO Bernie Stolar, who sadly passed away last year, actually served as the original Executive Chairman. You can read more about them from their “About Us” page.

You can see more information on each of these games, along with links to buy them from either Steam or Zoom, past the break.

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Gunslugs for Genesis/Mega-Drive has opened pre-orders for physical copies

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Ready for another new Sega Genesis game? The new Sega Genesis/Mega-Drive version of Gunslugs is now available to pre-order in physical cartridge form, complete with box and manual. You can order it from The Retro Room Games right now as either a complete set for $44.99 USD, or just the cartridge and nothing else for $24.99. At the same time, a limited edition Gunslugs t-shirt is also available to pre-order for $20, but only until August 7th, so act quick if you want one. (EDIT: Despite the t-shirt page saying the shirt will not be available past August 7th, it is actually still there. If you try to order one, let us know in the comments if it works.)

Slug your way past the break for extra info.

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Hunter Girls, a brand new Genesis/Mega-Drive game, launches on Kickstarter

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We return once again to Kickstarter with an all new game for a Sega console. An all new action runner called Hunter Girls, starring three hunter girls of course, is in development for Sega Genesis/Mega-Drive from retro game publisher PSCD Games and has launched on Kickstarter. They have a surprisingly modest financial goal of $4,991 USD and has already made more than half of that goal by the time of this writing.

As an unusual style of game for a console as old as the Sega Genesis, Hunter Girls plays like an endless runner game that you may have played on a mobile device before, though Hunter Girls is not endless. This game stars, by order of their formation within the game, Agnes with her sword and shield, Kim with her bow and arrow, and Flora with her magical staff. All three girls run together automatically and each has their specialty for dealing with enemies in their paths, similar to The Lost Vikings, which is cited as an inspiration on the Kickstarter page. You’ll have to use each girl’s skills at the right time to direct them past each enemy, because if even one of them is attacked, you’ll have to start the level all over again.

Throughout the game, you’ll be treated to full screen cutscenes that flesh out the journey of these titular hunter girls, which are quite detailed and should be enticing enough to get you to check in after the break just to see them.

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Daytona USA 2001 online multiplayer restored thanks to Dreamcast Live

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Another Dreamcast game has had it’s online multiplayer mode reinstated thanks to Dreamcast Live. Daytona USA 2001 (Known in North America as simply Daytona USA) is now back online through the Dreamcast Live service, thanks to the efforts of a new member of their team called Ioncannon. This makes Daytona USA the 25th Dreamcast game supported on Dreamcast Live. (26th if you count the all new game Driving Strikers, from my last article.) This is fantastic news for fans of the game, especially considering the game had a few unlockable cars only attainable by playing online.

Take a rolling start past the break for more info.

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First brand new online Dreamcast game in 2 decades, Driving Strikers, now available for purchase

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How’s this for an impressive new leap in Dreamcast indie game development? All new Dreamcast car soccer game (Think Rocket League, but played from an overhead camera perspective), Driving Strikers, is now finally available to purchase as both a physical game package and as a digital download from WAVE Game Studios. Built around the modern Dreamcast online infrastructure Dreamcast Live, which I have detailed in an earlier article, Driving Strikers can be played online through that service either with an original modem adaptor and DreamPi or an official Dreamcast broadband adapter. To celebrate the occasion, WAVE Game Studios is currently selling the game at a discounted price of £19.99 ($25.66 USD as of this writing). 

Some of you may even remember Driving Strikers as the one Dreamcast game from the recent Homebrew Games Summer Showcase. Looks like it made it in after all.

For more info, break in after the check.

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