Author Archives: Kori-Maru

SEGA Releases New High-Octane Update for Sonic Racing on Apple Arcade

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Today, SEGA released a new content update for Sonic Racing, the ultimate high-speed, multiplayer racing experience available exclusively on Apple Arcade. The latest update brings Popstar Amy, Idol Shadow, and new community challenges!

Here is the breakdown on the latest update:

  • A Team that Races Together, Wins Together!

    • Community challenges are now available – work together with the rest of the Sonic Racing community to clear objectives and unlock big rewards.

  • Popstar Amy and Idol Shadow Join the Fun

    • Two new characters enter the race! Players can now unlock Popstar Amy through time trials and unlock Idol Shadow through the new community challenges.

Sonic Racing also had a few updates earlier this year that included new racers Rockstar Rouge and DJ Vector, the addition of time trials, and team combos, which allow players to use special team setups to get powerful abilities like super drift, bonus XP, and more.

Sonic Racing is available now exclusively on Apple Arcade and is playable across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro.

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Hatsune Miku and Godzilla rolls into Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble + Free 2.00 Update Coming On November 26

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SEGA has announced that virtual singer idol, Hatsune Miku, and the King of the Monsters, Godzilla, will be the next set of playable DLC characters for Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble. Players can smash the competition as Godzilla, with banana pickups replaced by trains, or groove through various stages as Miku, collecting musical notes instead of bananas. Along with the character DLC, a free 2.00 update will be available to enhance players’ experiences with Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble. The new features in free 2.00 update will include:

  • NIJSANJI Outfit Set – For Virtual YouTuber fans, the outfit set will include a NIJISANJI UKIUKI Cup logo t-shirt, monkey ball with the NIJISANJI UKIUKI Cup logo emblazoned on it, and costume inspired by Saegusa Akina from NIJISANJI.
  • Super Punchy Brawl – A new multiplayer game that will be added to Battle Mode as part of the 2.00 update. Here, players can send their opponents flying by knocking them off the map with a big boxing glove! Players can use panels scattered around the stage to buff their boxing gloves up to two times to make punches even stronger, increasing the amount of damage caused. They can also store damage from an opponent’s punch up to two times – the more damage stored, the easier it is to knock opponents away. The player with the most points at the end of the round wins! Furthermore, a new stage has been added to the existing Banana Hunt game.
  • Time Attack will now include a new Banana Bonus option where the players can collect bananas to reduce their overall time.
  • The No Miss Challenge tests players to see how far they can survive in Adventure Mode with only one life.
  • Super Speed makes players’ balls roll even faster. Don’t fall off the Stage!
  • Step into the world of your character with Monkey See, where players can see the world from inside their ball!
  • The bravest monkeys can show their skills with even more difficult courses in Ultimate EX stages.
  • Quick retry feature has also been added that allows players to immediately restart a stage without pausing the game. Plus, when you’re playing Adventure Mode with friends, you won’t have to disband your room anymore when going between Worlds.

Hatsune Miku, Godzilla, and the free 2.00 update will all be available on November 26th. Watch the Hatsune Miku and Godzilla reveal trailers by clicking the highlighted links and the next section of the article for screenshots.

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Phantasy Star Tabletop Roleplaying Now Available For Pre-Order + New Details

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If you have been following up with the news on the upcoming Phantasy Star Tabletop Roleplaying game since its announcement, Skydawn Game Studios has now announced a special-pre-order offer for the game. Pre-order your copy today and receive a free PDF of the book and a bonus starter adventure”: The Search for Luveno. This adventure provides a quick-start tutorial on how to play the game and comes with four pre-generated characters from the original Phantasy Star.

Here are some details on the Core Rules for the upcoming tabletop role playing game:

Origins

  • Choose from a range of planetary origins from utopian cities to frozen wastelands or remote space colonies.
  • Shape your lineage and culture from a variety of galactic species such as Human, Newman, Android, Beastkin, Dezolian, or Motavian.

Professions

  • Each persona is trained in one or more professions. Slay marauding bio-monsters as a Hunter. Become an Esper and channel ancient spells and rituals. Or wield specialized tools and techniques as an Agent or Scientist.
  • You can also choose from one of many other available professions such as the Guardian, Warrior, Thief, and more.

Pre-orders for Phantasy Star Tabletop Roleplaying is now available on the website for $69.99 and set to be release for Summer 2025.

 

 

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Topgolf Sonic the Hedgehog Game Launching in Topgolf U.S. Venues

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Attention Sonic the Hedgehog fans and golf players! Sonic are friends are coming to all Topgolf U.S. locations starting Friday, November 15, 2024 with the official launch of the new game, Topgolf Sonic the Hedgehog. Play golf with friends head-to-head in iconic virtual Sonic environments like Green Hill Zone and Sky Sanctuary, while hitting springs, collect rings and destroy Dr. Eggman’s badniks.

The game will be exclusively available for play at Topgolf venues across the U.S. and Glasgow and will roll out across additional Toptracer-enabled franchise venues around the globe in Q1 2025. Developed by Topgolf in partnership with SEGA®, the game is the first venture into the golf entertainment space for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.

Check the next section of this article to read the press release for more information on the Topgolf and Sonic the Hedgehog collaboration.

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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii – New Game Details, Naval Combat Info Revealed

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SEGA’s Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has released new details for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, providing a closer look at combat elements such as “dark instruments,” as well as more insight on life on the high seas, including ship customization and tips for emerging victorious in battle!

Taking place after the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the game follows Goro Majima as he reclaims his memories, forms his own pirate crew, and conquers the open sea in search of legendary treasure.

Check out the next section of the article for further details and screenshots on battle styles, navel combat, and dark instruments.

Pre-Order on Amazon

Standard Edition: PlayStation 4 | PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X

Collector’s Edition: PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X

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Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Demo Available Today on Steam and PlayStation

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Today ATLUS announced that a free demo for the demon-collecting RPG Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is now available on Steam, and will also be available for PlayStation today at 9pm PT.

In the demo, players can choose between two story paths, the brand-new story “Canon of Vengeance” or the original story from SMTV “Canon of Creation”. Explore a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, now reduced to an expansive wasteland called Da’at that is torn apart by a conflict between angels and demons. Progression from the demo will carry over to the full game, so players can continue their journey right from where they left off. Both story paths can be experienced for those interested in exploring each.

The free demo release follows the patch released earlier this month on all available platforms that includes the following.

  • New Demon Kishin Marici

  • Addition of Fan-selected Demon Navigators (Hell Biker, Idun, Fionn mac Cumhaill, Mothman, Mara, and Cleopatra)

  • The New Elite Difficulty for the Virtual Trainer

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is the definitive version of the critically acclaimed RPG, which introduces a new storyline, brand-new characters, a new area to explore, a new dungeon, more accessible gameplay, an improved battle system, new demon experiences and currently has a metascore of 90 (PC) and 87 (PS5) on Metacritic as of today.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is available now for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Windows.

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SEGA and Louis De Guzman Announce Sonic the Hedgehog Collection

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Today, SEGA announced a new collaborative collection with artist Louis De Guzman in celebration of Sonic the Hedgehog, which will debut this month.

The collection will include a range of apparel and merchandise including t-shirts, a work jacket, fleece sweatshirts, kids tops, a tin lunchbox, and a printed throw pillow. Alongside these goods, the collection will include hyper limited fine art screen prints and collectible sculptures standing at 11.5” tall.

The collaboration will bring an activation to ComplexCon Las Vegas on November 16-17, and will also be included in a retail/gallery pop-up in Chicago from December 10 to 17 where fans can meet the artist, view Sonic the Hedgehog-inspired paintings, take pictures with life size sculptures, and play SEGA’s latest Sonic game, SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS™.

Hit the next section of the article to check out press release and screenshots of the Louis De Guzman x Sonic the Hedgehog collection.

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SEGA Plans to Delist SEGA Classics Games starting December 6th

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This news might be disappointing for SEGA fans who care about the preservation of the companies’ rich history of video games ranging from arcade to consoles, including myself and fellow SEGAbits writers. As of now, SEGA plans to delist a selection of games and bundles from virtual stores across gaming platforms including Steam, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Playstation starting on December 6th at 11:59pm PST.

If you happen to own the games on the following platforms, they will still be available in your library. You can still get them all for very good prices, so be sure not to miss out on the opportunity. Do you all think that this is a bad decision from SEGA or do you think they might have something planned for the titles down the line? Let us know in the comments below and hit the next section of the article to see the list of games that are planned to be delisted.

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New Virtua Fighter Game In Development According to Executive Vice President Head of Global Transmedia Group SEGA, Justin Scarpone

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In a published interview about why SEGA is reviving their classic IPs across media with Executive Vice President Head of Global Transmedia Group SEGA, Justin Scarpone, with Video Game Chronicle, he was asked how challenging it would be for SEGA to revive their IPs that are nearly 30 years old to resonate with a modern audience.

He responded that the IPs would need to be reinvented with persistent slate plan, marketing initiatives, product, and more transmedia. Scarpone would also confirm that numerous SEGA Legacy IPs are currently in development, including Virtua Fighter. Here is a snippet of the interview:

“So we have a suite of titles in development right now that fall into that legacy bucket, which we announced last year at The Game Awards; Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage, Shinobi, and we have another Virtua Fighter being developed. And so all that’s very exciting. And then in certain instances, we’re also doing animation series, or live-action films to augment that and be part of those roadmaps.” – Justin Scarpone, Executive Vice President Head of Global Transmedia Group SEGA

It’s been sometime since we seen a new Virtua Fighter title (with the exception of VF5: Ultimate Showdown). Are you all excited to see a new Virtua Fighter game in the works? Let us know in the comments below!

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Paul W.S. Anderson set to direct and write The House of the Dead Film

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According to Deadline, there is a new House of the Dead movie in the works with Paul W.S. Anderson (Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil) writing and directing the upcoming film. Anderson will produce alongside his partner Jeremy Bolt, Sega’s Toru Nakahara will produce along with Story Kitchen’s Dmitri M. Johnson, Mike Goldberg and Dan Jevons. Timothy I. Stevenson will be executive producer.

The plot of the film will be based on the third installment in the franchise, The House of the Dead III, with Lisa Rogan in search of her father and Daniel Curien, who’s the son of the man who caused this mutant outbreak in the first place and who has to deal with the sins of the father. The film will take place in an abandoned research facility where these creatures were hatched, before, as Anderson quipped, “the inmates took over the asylum.” The filmmakers say these inmates are way more capable killers than zombies.

They will pitch the project immediately, with plans to be in production by mid- to late-2025. Anderson is repped by Ken Kamins at Key Creatives & Alexander Lea at Wiggin, Bolt by Alexander Lea at Wiggin LLP, and Story Kitchen by WME and Pryor Cashman. Toru Nakahara negotiated on behalf of Sega. Check out concept art for the film in the next section of the article.

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SEGA and PDP Debut New Sonic Realmz Wireless Controller: Shadow Space Colony ARK

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Today, SEGA and PDP unveiled the all-new Sonic REALMz: Shadow Space Colony ARK Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch systems. The new Sonic REALMz: Shadow Space Colony ARK controller celebrates the immersive universe from Sonic games, including the just launched SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS, with an exciting design featuring a collectible Shadow figurine set in the controller’s grip.

Sonic fans can pre-order the Sonic REALMz: Shadow Space Colony ARK controller today from www.pdp.com and participating retailers for $64.99. The Sonic REALMz: Shadow Space Colony ARK controller launches in the U.S. on December 7, 2024. The controller will be available in the UK and Europe on January 10, 2025.

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SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS Arrives on Consoles and PC Today

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Today, SEGA launched SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS, the definitive blend of Shadow, Classic Sonic, and Modern Sonic gameplay. SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS introduces a brand-new Shadow story campaign featuring the new Doom Powers, as well as a complete remaster of the original Sonic Generations™ for the latest console era.

SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS is now available both digitally and physically starting at $49.99 USD on PlayStation®5 (PS5®), PlayStation®4 (PS4®), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, the Nintendo Switch™ family of systems, and PC.

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SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS Surpasses One Million Units

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With SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS officially releasing to all major platforms today, SEGA has announced that the title has surpassed one million units in worldwide sales!

SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS brings together Classic Sonic, Modern Sonic, and Shadow in an all-new collection featuring iconic 2D and 3D Sonic levels within two completely unique experiences, making it a standout game for 2024.

In the newest entry to the Sonic franchise, players will dive deep into Shadow’s dark past in a brand-new story campaign introducing never-before-seen abilities for the character, while also experiencing a complete remaster of the original Sonic Generations for the latest console era.

Check out the official press release on the announcement in the next section of the article.

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Prime Video Like a Dragon: Yakuza – Review

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Thanks to Amazon Prime Video, we had the chance to preview the first three episodes of Like a Dragon: Yakuza. Based on SEGA’s global hit video game series, this crime-suspense-action adaptation spans two decades—1995 and 2005—following the lives of childhood friends and exploring the lasting consequences of Kazuma Kiryu’s choices. Kiryu, a feared Yakuza warrior, is renowned for his combat skills and strong sense of justice, duty, and humanity.

But does this adaptation live up to the video game’s reputation for fans, and is it worth watching for newcomers to the series? Check out our review in the next section of the article.

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SEGA set to open an official store in Shibuya for next summer

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SEGA’s Head of Global Transmedia Group, Justin Scarpone, spoken with VGC at Gamescom Asia that the company plans follow steps from Nintendo, Capcom, and Square Enix to open its own official store in Shibuya’s Parco department complex with another store opening in Shanghai, China. The decision to launch a physical SEGA outlet was motivated by the desire to put the SEGA brand in front of more consumers in order to strengthen it and to look after fans with the already surprising amount of fandom as a brand by offering new experiences to them.

With the success of the Sonic movies and licensee deals such as Lego, SEGA’s transmedia business received a strong growth in revenue as the company now generates nearly $1 billion in annual retail sales of toys, clothing, and merchandise alone. He also noted that partnerships such as Paramount, Netflix, and even Roblox, helped the company reach a broader audience.

Scarpone’s ultimate goal is to replicate that success with other IPs such as Persona, Like a Dragon, and other SEGA IP in other territories. SEGA had a great history of having numerous stores in Japan such as the SEGA Specialty Stores until it gaming landscape changed and online shopping became more prevalent in the early 2000s. Seeing this plan come to fruition would be a dream come true for SEGA fans to visit. Will you visit the SEGA Store in Shibuya and Shanghai? What SEGA merchandise would you like to see in the official store? Let us know in the comments below.

Source: VGC

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