Puyo Puyo CharaGumin Series 3 figurines announced

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SEGA has announced 4 more figurines in the Puyo Puyo series of CharaGumin, as part of Puyo Puyo celebrating it’s 25th anniversary. These figures are the announcement of Schezo Wegey, Witch, Raffine, and Suketoudara with a blue Puyo, ready to be assembled later this year.

A CharaGumin is essentially a beginner friendly model kit based on different characters from anime and video games, with the majority of details already filled in, allowing for quick assembling. All you need is super glue, sandpaper, clippers, degreaser, and some paint to fill in minor details. The amount of parts depends on the figurine, though figurines exceeding 100 are rare.

If you have no interest in these figures or want to start collecting these figurines, you can buy previous Puyo Puyo series CharaGumin containing Arle Nadja, Carbuncle, Amitie, Ringo Andou, Satan, Sig, Draco Centaur, and Onion Pixy, along with other miscellaneous CharaGumin, on the official CharaGumin website. There’s also other SEGA CharaGumin from series like Valkyria Chronicles and Sakura Wars if you’re interested. Still, the opportunity to assemble a fish with muscular legs is too good to pass up, baby.

[Source: SEGA Japan]

Sakura Wars 20th Anniversary event coming to Japan in September

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The Japanese SEGA franchise Sakura Wars is turning 20 years old, and to celebrate it, a special event will be hosted in Japan. Titled “Chisa Yokoyama’s Sakura Wars 20th Birthday Party”, it will feature a total of five talk events from the varies voice actors who have been involved with the franchise in both the games and the special OVA Sakura Wars: The Radiant Gorgeous Blooming Cherry Blossoms. This event will span between September 23rd to September 25th, which is coincidentally a few days before the release date of the SEGA Saturn version of Sakura Wars that started it all.

Sakura Wars has not made a presence for itself outside of Japan, but in Japan it’s one of the most beloved franchises from SEGA. Combining strategy RPG and visual novel elements, the series has had the longevity to produce 5 mainline titles, several prequels, gaiden, and spin-offs titles, and anime and manga. Most games take place in an alternate universe in the early 1900’s after the first World War, with the key difference from our timeline is that it involves advanced steam powered machinery and the concept of spiritual power or reiryoku (霊力).

For information on pricing, talk events scheduling, and location, click the Read More tag.

Alpha build of Ecco II: Sentinels of the Universe leaked

Ecco the Dolphin is a familiar face for SEGA fans, appearing in 4 different games and gaining a bit of a cult following due to it’s bizarre and surprisingly dark premise of a dolphin traveling through time to save his comrades from evil aliens. What many people didn’t know is that there was a fifth game in the series that was in development, acting as a sequel to the Dreamcast game Ecco the Dolphin: Defenders of the Universe. The game titled Ecco II: Sentinels of the Universe started in development sometime in 2001-2000, around the time the Dreamcast was on it’s last legs, with the build leaked in particular being made on February 19th, 2001. The game did not reach far into development, not receiving press coverage of any type and being silently cancelled when SEGA started to move away from the console business, though Ecco the Dolphin: Defenders of the Universe receiving mixed reception may of also contributed to the cancellation.

Atlus to feature NicoNico stream for Persona 5 on June 15th

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Persona 5 is shaping up to live up to the hype, but for those that are still not sold on the game, a NicoNico stream tied to E3 will be hosted called “Uncover the Phantom Thieves” that will provide more details on Persona 5. What this stream will feature is unknown, but will feature the reveal of a “classified video” and general new information. The stream will be live on June 15th at 5:00 a.m. PT / 8:00 a.m. ET / 21:00 JST.

To actually view the stream, you’ll need a NicoNico account in order to access the general website. Be warned as the website is in Japanese, so navigate with caution. When information drops on the game, anything new will be reported. Persona 5 itself will be released on Playstation 4 in Japan on September 15th and February 14th for American regions. A release in PAL regions is unknown as of this writing, not helped by the relatively recent SEGA buyout complicating releases of Atlus titles in European countries.

[Source: NicoNico]

Madeon & SEGA collaborating on a “new Sonic game trailer”

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We have information that a new trailer is in the works and that licensed music will be used from Madeon, whether it’s for the new Sonic game constantly teased or something related to Sonic Boom Fire & Ice. Either way, the official Twitter for popular French musician Madeon and Sonic the Hedgehog accounts have talked about using Madeon’s music in a Sonic trailer. The exact context though is ambiguous, such as which song from Madeon or for what game.

D4 and EGG Project release new Madou Monogatari collection

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After the success of the first collection with Madou Monogatari 1-2-3 and Madou Monogatari ARS, a new compilation has been released for Windows in Japan regarding to the Madou Monogatari series called Madou Monogatari yu~ Kyoku Taizen-Tsu MD & DS by companies D4 and EGG Project. In this collection contains the Mega Drive version of Madou Monogatari I and varies DiscStation titles, along with the original cover from the Mega Drive Madou Monogatari I and an OST. In addition, the first collection that contains Madou Monogatari 1-2-3 and Madou Monogatari ARS is receiving a reprint until September 2016.

Project X Zone removed from North America & Europe Nintendo eShop

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For reasons unknown, the digital version of Project X Zone has been removed from the Nintendo eShop. Starting around 2012 games produced for the system typically sport a retail and digital version, with a few exceptions that are retail exclusive or vise versa. Typically the digital version would need to be loaded into an SD card, but the main benefit of choosing digital is slightly faster loading times, the convenience of not switching 3DS game cards, and the option to re-download the game at any given time.

Sonic and Puyo Puyo 25th anniversary museum exhibit will happen in Japan

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It’s been announced that a special museum exhibit for the 25th anniversary celebrations of Sonic the Hedgehog and Puyo Puyo will be hosted at the Huis Ten Bosch Game Museum between May 3rd to May 7th. This exhibit will have two floors dedicated to both franchises, with a selection of games highlighting their history. Meanwhile, a giant screen will display the games Sonic Generations and Puyo Puyo Tetris outside the venue. Merchandise from both franchises will also be available at the venue.

Review: SEGA 3D Classics Collection (Nintendo 3DS)

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SEGA 3D Classics Collection is the latest in the long line of compilations that SEGA loves to produce. For years the company has to rereleased various titles in a neat packages for convenience, often times Genesis titles from the golden days. Examples include both Sonic Mega Collection and Sonic Gems Collection, SEGA Genesis Collection, and SEGA Smash Pack. However, few of these compilations were released on handheld systems, and often times arcade games would get the short end of the stick. So SEGA 3D Classics Collection is a bit special in this case since it has several games that you don’t normally see in these compilations like Power Drift, Puyo Puyo Tsu, and Maze Walker.

SEGA Retrospective: From Wonder Boy to Monster World to Adventure Island and beyond

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Over the years, video game franchises have come in many styles. Platforming, fighting, puzzle, shooting, the list is never ending. But one thing many franchises have in common is that they have to start somewhere, setting up the foundation for future titles to follow up and improve on. However, on occasion, something happens down the line that causes the franchise to become twisted, causing things to become complicated. Copyright issues might make the prospect of new titles impossible so spiritual successors might be necessary (For example Bayonetta being the successor to Devil May Cry), or the franchise suffers from an identity crisis when localized like with Puyo Puyo, or games having inconsistent releases cause confusion like the infamous Final Fantasy I to VI problem.

By far one of the most curious cases is with a franchise called Wonder Boy (Aka Monster World).

A User’s Guide to Puyo Puyo Tsu (Puyo Puyo 2)

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3D Puyo Puyo 2, better known under the Japanese name Puyo Puyo Tsu, is one of several games as part of the upcoming SEGA 3D Classic Collection. Puyo Puyo Tsu is considered an arcade classic in Japan, with it being played on a high level even today and setting the standards for future Puyo Puyo games like the concept of offsetting, All Clear, and standardizing four colors. But playing the game might be intimidating since for people this might be the first time playing the game. Luckily this guide will explain how the game works so you can feel more confident.

SEGA to publish War Child compilation this summer for charity

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SEGA is publishing a special compilation for PC, with profits being donated to the UK based War Child charity. The compilation consists of various games from different developers including 343 Industries, Creative Assembly, Team17, Stealth Inc., and more. The purpose of the compilation is to not only donate profits to charity, but to also draw attention to the developers that make these games, effectively killing two birds with one stone.

Cranky Food Friends closing on March 31st, 2016

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The SEGA mobile closures continue, as the infamous Puyo Puyo!! Quest reskin Cranky Food Friends is closing on March 31st. Both Cranky Food Friends and Puzzle & Glory were announced at the same time, but unlike Puzzle & Glory, Cranky Food Friends experienced a much harsher time. Not even getting past the soft release phase and having reports of being very buggy to the point of being game breaking, Cranky Food Friends being closed down was not a surprise. This is especially good in the case of Puyo Puyo fans out there still bitter about the game.

GameFactory releases PC game Magical Stone, a competitive puzzle game inspired by Puyo Puyo

Japanese developer GameFactory has released a free to play beta of a new PC game called Magical Stone, a competitive falling puzzle game like Puyo Puyo. This game was developed to pander to the “eSports” crowd by focusing on a strong multiplayer presence, with features like rankings and tournaments to encourage players to improve their skills, in addition to creating a “pro” online version of Puyo Puyo for anyone to try. Progress is already being made to reach these goals, as competitive Puyo Puyo group Samurai Frontier Gaming is supporting the game, along with an official tournament on June 25th 2016 with cash prizes that will be the first season of possibly more.