Author Archives: Kori-Maru

Lizardcube’s Art/Creative Director, Ben Fiquet, explains how Streets of Rage 4 came to be

July 21, 2021 by Kori-Maru

After the recent release of Streets of Rage 4: Mr. X Nightmare, Lizardcube’s Art/Creative Director, Ben Fiquet, explains how the Streets of Rage project came to be after finishing Wonder Boy on his latest blog post.

The blog post contains early artwork/animations and screenshot mock-ups of a remastered version of Streets of Rage 2 and an earlier version of Streets of Rage 4 along with details on how the project was greenlit by SEGA of Japan and his experience working with Guard Crush, Dot Emu and several composers together on the game. Check out Ben’s blog to see cool concepts on Streets of Rage 4.

New described details on modes and features showcased in Sonic Colors Ultimate Japanese Website

July 21, 2021 by Kori-Maru

The official Japanese website for Sonic Colors Ultimate has been updated with descriptions on the new modes and features that will be included in the upcoming remaster which were also shared on the spotlight video that was uploaded by the official Sonic the Hedgehog YouTube Channel. Hit the jump for screenshots and descriptions on each mode and features coming to Sonic Colors Ultimate.

Explore the Wondrous Worlds of Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania in the latest trailer

July 14, 2021 by Kori-Maru

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Super Monkey Ball series, SEGA has uploaded a new trailer for Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania showcasing the recreated levels from the original trilogy and a story mode featuring Dr. Bad-Boon. From the lush scenery of Jungle Island to the mechanical madness of the Clock Tower Factory, play as AiAi and your favorite monkey gang as you race through imaginative worlds in your quest to save your beloved bananas from the dastardly Dr. Bad-Boon!

Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania will be released on October 5th for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Pre-order your copy today!

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You’re Already Dead! Try out Sonic the Hedgehog in Fist of the North Star LEGENDS ReVIVE collaboration event on June 19th

June 18, 2021 by Kori-Maru

If you own Fist of the North Star LEGENDS ReVIVE for IOS and Android devices, there will be a collaboration event held on June 19th and will feature Sonic the Hedgehog as a playable character to celebrate the Sonic series 30th anniversary. In order to have him in your team, you would need to obtain Sonic the Hedgehog Fragments during the event to earn the collaboration character UR, “Sonic the Hedgehog”.

This will be one of Sonic’s few appearances in Mature rated games starting with Phantasy Star Online 2 and Lost Judgment which will feature Sonic the Fighters as an arcade minigame. Check below for artwork and in game screenshots of Sonic the Hedgehog.

Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown Announcement Trailer – To Be Released Next Week Digitally on PS4

May 25, 2021 by Kori-Maru

IGN has an exclusive announcement trailer for Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown aka Virtua Fighter Esports in Japan. The trailer features the entire VF cast and stages remade with the Dragon Engine and is developed by the collaboration between SEGA AM2 and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio as part of SEGA’s 60th anniversary project.

The game will include include new background music for every stage, a new user interface, a new opening cinematic, and new lighting and shaders. In addition to updated graphics and background music, it will allow players to spectate online matches in real-time, and will also include the ability to build robin-robin style online tournaments. The private and public lobby system will support up to 16 players, and will include new communications tools like stamps.

Check out screenshots of Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown and let us know what you think? Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown will be available digitally on PS4 on June 1st.

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Virtua Fighter x Esports Official Announcement Broadcast to be held on May 27th

May 20, 2021 by Kori-Maru

The official Twitter account for the Virtua Fighter series teased that there will be an official announcement broadcast for the “Virtua Fighter x Esports” project held on their official YouTube channel on Thursday, May 27th at 20:00 JST (7 AM EST, 6AM CST, 4 AM PST). You can head on over to their countdown site and the official Youtube channel for the game to keep yourself updated.

We are finally about to receive some news on the project. What are your expectations for Virtua Fighter x Esports? Let us know in the comments below.

Judgment Day Stream reveals gameplay details for Lost Judgment; Yakuza series to remain Turn-Based RPG

May 7, 2021 by Kori-Maru

Following the announcement trailer for Lost Judgment. SEGA hosted a global reveal stream, “Judgment Day”, for the upcoming title with Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio executive producer Toshihiro Nagoshi and producer Kazuki Hosokawa sharing details on story and gameplay. During the stream, RGG Studio revealed that in addition to the setting of Kamurocho, fans will be able to adventure to the scenic port city of Yokohama which was last seen in Yakuza: Like A Dragon. Along with Yokohama, there will be a high school setting that will play a key role in both the story and optional side content such as School Stories and unique mini games.

With fans showing much support from the original game with it’s fast-paced action, the team made improvements to the combat system with Crane and Tiger styles making their return, along with a brand new strategic Snake style which will allow you to counter and disarm enemies with weapons. Players will also experience the investigation gameplay in a new way with the ability to scramble up buildings, acrobatics, and perform stealthy objectives.

At last with an recent interview with IGN, the producers stated that the Yakuza series will remain turn-based RPG while Judgment will continue the classic action based gameplay. Lost Judgment will release simultaneous worldwide on September 24 for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One with dual audio (JP/EN), dual English subs, and FIGS language subtitles.

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Sakura Wars: Columns 2 English Fan Translation Patch now available to download

May 2, 2021 by Kori-Maru

Sakura Wars fans and Dreamcast gamers rejoice as the english fan translation patch for Sakura Wars: Columns 2 launches today! This fan translation of the puzzle game spin-off sequel features every mode, menus, and VMU images translated to english for players to experience one of the few spin-off games of an iconic franchise in english for the first time. The translation team even worked hard on a english cover art and disc of the game for those who are interested in customizing their own Dreamcast cases.

Originally titled Hanagumi Columns 2 in Japan, this title takes place during the events of Sakura Wars 2: Thou Shalt Not Die where the members of the Imperial Assault Force – Flower Division must compete with each other to be casted the main role of Shonen Red through a game of Columns.

The patch for Sakura Wars: Columns can be downloaded through here with instructions attached to the link. For more information on patch notes for the latest version game and VMU images, hit the jump to check them out. For in game screenshots, you can check them out on the previous article.

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Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio launches countdown website for Judgment Day

April 23, 2021 by Kori-Maru

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has launched a countdown website for “Judgment Day” with a stream scheduled for May 7th, 2021. While there isn’t much to be seen on the site, there are brief cutscene clips from Judgment: Remastered below the website. This could possibly related to the recent trademark that was posted on the Chizai Watch website titled “Lost Judgment”.

What will Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio reveal on that day? Could it be a sequel to Judgment? Let us know in the comments below.

The House of the Dead: Remake announced for Nintendo Switch

April 14, 2021 by Kori-Maru

It’s official! The House of the Dead: Remake was shown on Nintendo Indie World showcase and will be available for Nintendo Switch. The game will be published by Forever Entertainment and developed by MegaPixel Studio, the developers behind Panzer Dragoon: Remake and will feature the classic arcade rail-shooter gameplay with a whole new entourage of updated graphics and gameplay changes to suit modern gaming standards.

Release date and other console release for the title has yet to be announced. We will update this article when more news arrive. You can follow the game’s social media outlets to be keep up to date!

Facebook | Twitter | Website

UPDATE: Screenshots added to the article

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Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX to be released on June 24th on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

April 7, 2021 by Kori-Maru

An official release trailer for the upcoming Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX game developed by Jankenteam and published by Merge Games has been uploaded on to the web which showcases the story plot and retro platforming goodness with an modern take on the Sega Master System video game.

Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX is set to be release on June 24th for PC (via Steam and the Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

UPDATE: You can pre-order the Signature Edition of Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX for each console over on the Signature Edition website which includes the following:

Region free copy of Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX (including manual and keyring) on PlayStation 4.
A numbered certificate featuring the dev’s signatures.
Three exclusive enamel Alex Kidd pins featuring our hero.
A Jankenpon (rock/paper/scissors) card game featuring characters from Miracle World.
Original companion art book detailing the art behind Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX.
Alex Kidd’s medallion and a felt money bag.
The original Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX soundtrack on CD.
Collector’s box featuring alternative artwork.

Are you planning on checking out Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX when it releases? Let us know in the comments below!

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Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown rated in Korea for PS4

April 2, 2021 by Kori-Maru

Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown has recently been rated by Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea with it being originally listed as “Virtua Fighter Esports” for PlayStation 4. Could it be an enhanced port of Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown that everyone has been asking for since Playstation Network will be shutting down soon on Playstation 3 and other previous Playstation products? We’ll provide more news on the front until SEGA themselves make an official announcement.

[Source: VFDC]

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SEGA trademarks Lost Judgment

March 22, 2021 by Kori-Maru

News has dropped that SEGA has recently trademarked a intellectual property name for “Lost Judgment” on the Chizai Watch website. So far, we are not sure if it’s a sequel to Judgment (aka Judge Eyes: Shinigami no Yuigon in Japan), a Yakuza spin-off action game developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio which involves a lawyer-turned-detective, Takayuki Yagami, as he and his allies explore a case involving corpses whose eyes have been removed, or possibly a brand new title?

We’ll keep everyone posted as we get more news on “Lost Judgment” from SEGA soon. What do you all think this new trademark IP could be?

[Sources: Chizai Watch, Yakuza Fan]