SEGA Announces Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop; Launches April 4th Exclusively On Apple Arcade!

Today, SEGA has announced that another entry to their iconic matching puzzle themed franchise, Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop, will be making its way exclusively to Apple Arcade. The mobile title will have the cherished classic gameplay on the go for new and veterans alike with tons of fun features including:

  • Single Player & Multiplayer Modes (Endless, Lesson, Online)
  • 24 Playable Characters
  • All-new Voice casted Story
  • Optional Rules (Puyo Puyo 2 or Puyo Puyo Fever)
  • Additional Rules & Characters in future updates.

Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop will be available exclusively for Apple Arcade on April 4th.

 

Celebrating the SEGA Dreamcast Legacy: Join the Newgrounds Dreamcast Collab!


Artwork by @inksaji on Twitter

Are you an artist or animator who grew up with the SEGA Dreamcast and its games, such as Sonic Adventure, Shenmue, and Power Stone? Look no further! A group of SEGA Dreamcast fans, led by shleptboi, is gathering to create the ultimate collab on Newgrounds to celebrate the legacy of the console and its video games. They’re seeking tons of talent for the project, whether you’re an artist, animator, musician, voice actor, etc.

Currently, the project has over 200 artists/animators contributing and continues to grow. You can join in on the collaboration as well. Be sure to read the guidelines for the project and check the spreadsheet to see how you can contribute. The deadline for the Newgrounds Dreamcast Collab is June 2nd, so don’t miss out on sharing your love and favorite memories of the Sega Dreamcast! We’re excited to see how the project turns out!

SEGA Announces Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble for Nintendo Switch

Today, SEGA has announced a brand-new Super Monkey Ball game during the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase for the Nintendo Switch titled “Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble”. The new entry will have new characters joining AiAi and gang on a brand-new journey to seek out 7 mysterious artifacts that are said to be the key to locating The Legendary Banana in 200 all-new stages.

The game will also have tons of features including local 4-player co-op in an all-new Adventure mode, 16 players online battles where players can compete online across multiple game modes, customize your character with over 300 stylish items to choose from, and a brand-new gameplay mechanic called Spin Dash that allows players to sprint past rivals or create new shortcuts to victory.

Pre-Orders are now available for Nintendo Switch for both Physical and Digital Editions on the game’s official website. Hit the jump to check out screenshots of the new game.

Sonic Revolution Launches Kickstarter; The Next Event Announced for June 30, 2024

Have any plans for the summer to celebrate all things Sonic the Hedgehog? Look no further, as Sonic Revolution, a fan-run Sonic the Hedgehog convention held in Los Angeles, California, will be returning this year to celebrate the event’s 10-year anniversary featuring guests from the Sonic fan community, artists, activities, and much more! In order to make the event more exciting for attendees, the Sonic Revolution staff have launched a Kickstarter page with the goal of raising $7,000 for this year’s event, with the theme focusing on Dr. Eggman.

Sonic Revolution 2024 will be held on June 30, 2024, at the Carson Event Center located at 801 East Carson Street, Carson, CA, and will feature many special guests such as former Sonic voice actors Ryan Drummond and Pete Capella, Archie artist Jay Axer, current voice of Dr. Eggman Mike Pollock, Sonic Fan Animator Balena Productions, and more! You can support Sonic Revolution’s Kickstarter with multiple tiers to choose from here.

SEGA vs. Capcom: The Next Level Fan Game Demo Out Now

Have you ever wanted to see SEGA’s very own Sonic the Hedgehog and Akira Yuki duke it out against Capcom’s iconic characters like Mega Man X and Ryu?

Well you don’t have to wait anymore as fighting game fan, madxruler, has created the ultimate crossover that fans of both gaming companies has ever wanted featuring franchises such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man, Virtua Fighter, Street Fighter, Skies of Arcadia and many more.

SEGA vs. Capcom: The Next Level demo is now available for download here and it features Arcade and Practice Mode with Sonic and Megaman X as playable characters.

Be sure to try out the demo and give the developer feedback to make further improvements for the final version.

SEGA Filed Four Trademarks Of Classic Titles – Including Altered Beast, Kid Chameleon, and Eternal Champions

UPDATE: To follow up with this article, SEGA has filed eight more trademarks of their classic IPs which includes Alex Kidd, After Burner, Crazy Taxi, House of the Dead, Outrun, Shinobi, Streets of Rage, and Super Monkey Ball. We’ll keep you all updated when more news arrive!

Following up with the recent announcement during the Game Awards, SEGA has filed four trademarks of their classic IPs which includes Jet Set Radio (which was recently announced at the Game Awards), and three more titles such as Altered Beast, Kid Chameleon, and Eternal Champions.

With these trademarks being filed publicly, we might see more games in development from SEGA down the line or it could be something completely different from what we could expect. Until then, we will keep you all posted if there are any official announcements regarding these titles. Let us know what you all think of this news in the comments below!

Power Surge: SEGA Announces Five Brand New Games for Classic SEGA Titles; Now In Development

SEGA’s announcement at the Game Awards was a major treat for many SEGA fans as the iconic gaming company revealed five brand new games in a mind blowing trailer featuring their library of classic SEGA IPs such as Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Shinobi, Crazy Taxi and many more to come!

Currently the games are in development and we can hope to see more information in the near future. You can follow updates by signing up on SEGA’s Next Level website.

This is a big day for every SEGA fan who remembers the company’s iconic franchises and now we can experience these games again in a brand new era. Which game are you guys excited for, let us know in the comments below.

SEGA Announces Virtua Fighter 3tb Online for Arcades in Japan

SEGA announced Virtua Fighter 3tb Online for arcades in Japan during the Amusement Expo in Tokyo Big Sight event before beginning the “APM3” exhibition match event for Virtua Fighter esports. The game will have similar features seen in Virtua Fighter esports (Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown in US & EU) such as national matches, in-store matches, password competition with friends, ability to use Aime cards to save progress, and change from original and arrange BGM.

SEGAbits Exclusive Interview with Veteran SEGA Designers Akihito Hiroyoshi & Yumiko Miyabe

During our visit to Japan for the Tokyo Game Show, we seized the opportunity to meet and engage in conversation with former veteran SEGA Designers, Akihito Hiroyoshi—renowned as the character designer for classic SEGA AM2 arcade games such as Arabian Fight and Virtua Cop—and Yumiko Miyabe, the former art director for the Space Channel 5 series.

These interviews unveiled insights into their early lives, careers during their tenure at SEGA, and personal hobbies. By clicking the link, you can delve into the interviews and explore behind-the-scenes artwork from the games they passionately crafted during their time at SEGA.

Additionally, the interviews are available in video format, with links provided here for Akihito Hiroyoshi and Yumiko Miyabe. A special acknowledgment goes to our fellow writer, Dakota, for video recording, as well as SEGA fans, Martin Hemmingway and Scott Hamby for translating the interviews. *Please note: images provided in the interview are copyrighted and may not be reproduced without permission*

SEGAbits at TGS 2023: Sonic Superstars Hands-On Preview

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During our trip to Tokyo Game Show 2023, Dakota and I were able to check out the SEGA & ATLUS booth to try out Sonic Superstars where there were multiple stations available for the game at the event including cool swag giving out to people who played the demo. We only had 15 minutes to play the Sonic Superstars demo and are here to share our thoughts on the game. Hit the jump to read more on our hands on preview with Sonic Superstars.

SEGA Model 3 Classics, Daytona USA 2 (SEGA Racing Classic 2) and Fighting Vipers 2, set to be playable minigames in Like A Dragon Gaiden

In a recent issue of Famitsu, it has been confirmed that classic arcade titles, Daytona USA 2 (now renamed SEGA Racing Classic 2) and Fighting Vipers 2 will be fully playable as minigames in Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. For the first time ever, arcade goers can now play Daytona USA 2 at home and Fighting Vipers 2 can now be played worldwide as the original home ports were only available for Europe and Japan territories.

In addition, SEGA Master System titles will also make an appearance again as playable games since Lost Judgment such as Flicky, Galaxy Force, and many more. It amazes me to see more arcade titles ported to RGG games from Yu Suzuki’s classics, Model 2, and now Model 3 games. If this keeps up, I wonder what rare classic SEGA games will appear in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth?

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will be available for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC (Steam) on November 9.

Check out screenshots after the jump.

SEGA launches Fast. Friends. Forever. Campaign for Sonic fans

Today, SEGA has launched the new Fast. Friends. Forever. campaign for Sonic the Hedgehog fans to show the importance of friendship, teamwork, inspiration, and loyalty. The initiative focuses on how Sonic and his friends demonstrate these values both in and out of the games.

The Fast. Friends. Forever. campaign will also continue throughout the year with variety of events and activations including:

  • A four-panel digital comic series by Sonic’s community of friends featuring talented artists from around the world. The first release drops August 9, followed by 14 more issues in the upcoming months.

  • The Sonic Symphony World Tour featuring Sonic and friends alongside popular music from the games. Tour stops include Los Angeles, London, Paris, Dusseldorf and more! Details HERE: https://www.sonicsymphonytour.com/

  • Season two of TailsTube starring Sonic’s best friend and sidekick, Tails.  Get ready for a bunch of new stories that are fun and educational!

  • A dedicated website showcasing all of Fast. Friends. Forever. activities, as well as character bios, spotlights, digital comics, and more! Details HERE: https://www.sonicthehedgehog.com

LEGOLAND is also offering a FREE kid’s ticket, with purchase of an adult ticket, good at any LEGOLAND Theme Park or LEGOLAND Discovery Center in North America through the end of the year. Terms and conditions apply. For more information, go to LEGOLAND.com/SonicSuperstars

Chaos Creators Presents: Sonic EXPO; Event Kickstarter Page Now Available

Another Sonic the Hedgehog fan event is on the horizon this fall with Sonic EXPO, a new and upcoming Sonic fan convention taking place in the heart of Dallas, TX on November 11 and 12 in 2023 and will be held by the experienced Chaos Creators team, known for their Arts Festival held in 2022.

Sonic EXPO will be a celebration of our collective enthusiasm for Sonic the Hedgehog. Fans will be able to meet their favorite Sonic voice actors and industry guests in person such as Ryan Drummond (Sonic), Lisa Ortiz (Amy), Jason Griffith (Sonic & Shadow), Pete Capella (Silver) and Johnny Gioeli, the singer for Crush 40, with more guests to being announced! The expo will also feature panels, a live rock concert, and a Sonic themed Artist Alley & Vendors.

The team released a Kickstarter page where you can support the event with way past cool tier rewards to choose from and details on location. If you are interested in Sonic the Hedgehog fan events, Sonic Expo is an experience you won’t want to miss. Don’t forget that we also have our SEGA themed event, Arcade Adventure, which will be held at the Galloping Ghost Arcade in Brookfield, Illinois on September 9th, 2023 with tons of SEGA arcade games to play!

Calling All SEGA Enthusiasts: Ask Your Questions to Former Designers Yumiko Miyabe and Akihito Hiroyoshi

Fellow SEGAbits writer, Dakota, and I are planning to make a trip to Japan from September 17th to September 28th for Tokyo Game Show. During our trip to Japan, we plan to interview former SEGA designers, Yumiko Miyabe, known for her work as Art Director for the Space Channel 5 series, and Akihito Hiroyoshi, known for his work as character designer for SEGA AM2 classics such as Arabian Fight and the Virtua Cop series.

Our exclusive interview will delve into their remarkable careers in the gaming industry, exploring their early beginnings, the notable games they helped design at SEGA, and even their current hobbies. We warmly invite you to participate by submitting your burning questions for Yumiko Miyabe and Akihito Hiroyoshi. We will keep everyone updated on the interviewing process. If you have any questions for them to answer, let us know either in this Twitter thread or leave them here in the comment section below.

Samba de Amigo Party Central Shakes Its Way On Meta Quest 2 & Meta Quest Pro

During the Meta Quest Showcase, SEGA announced that Samba de Amigo: Party Central will be arrive for Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest Pro later this fall. Pre-orders for the game are available on the Meta Quest Store.

As a special bonus to those who pre-order the game ($29.99 MSRP) up until launch will also receive the following unique in-game accessories they can use to dress up their Amigo:

  • A virtual replica Meta Quest 2 VR headset
    A pair of virtual replica Meta Quest controllers that replace the player’s maracas

Samba de Amigo will also be arriving on Nintendo Switch on August 29 with pre-orders now available here.