Author Archives: Nuckles87

SEGA Tunes: Astal’s “Let Me Try Again!” and “River of Dreams”

by

Astal is a severely underrated game, even by Saturn standards. Even when people talk about the great underappreciated games, discussion of Astal never really seems to come up. It’s not hard to imagine why: Astal was an unapologetically two dimensional game released in an era when games that weren’t pushing polygons or where at the very least pre-rendered were all but ignored. That’s a crying shame, because Astal is not only a beautiful and well-crafted platformer, but also plays host to an awesome soundtrack.

The Japanese vocalized opening posted above was only the tip of the iceberg. Astal is a game loaded with spectacular tunes, which we will be featuring more of later in the year. Perhaps during a certain themed month of a certain console? Who knows!

Check below the fold for another awesome track from the game, “River of Dreams”.

Continue Reading ➜

1 Comment

SEGA Tunes Anniversary: Phantasy Star Online 2

by

A few months ago, someone suggested to me that I use Tuesday Tunes to introduce people to the more obscure works of SEGA’s music library. I was told that my choices were often too predictable, and that I was focusing on works people were already familiar with. That person was right. Since it started in its new form a year ago, Tuesday Tunes has spent much of its time focusing on newer games and games that SEGA fans are more familiar with. Though many of the games that person suggest I feature were games I had either already featured or were games I am currently saving for future themed months I’d like to do, the criticism had convinced me to two things: feature more obscure tracks from a wider variety of games and other SEGA related media, and to also think about just what Tuesday Tunes was supposed to be about. You saw the results of the former last week. As for the latter, well, I came to that decision this week as I was reflecting on a year of Tuesday Tunes for the purpose of this article.

Continue Reading ➜

1 Comment

SEGA Tunes Holiday Special: Featuring Sakura Wars and Shenmue!

by

How do you know something is big in Japan? When the above exists. I’m sure many of you have heard of Sakura Wars, SEGA’s series of strategy/dating simulator games that until recently never made it outside of Japan, but did you know that the franchise has also been used as the source material for a variety of stage shows dating all the way back to 1997?

The above video is from a Christmas stage show that the cast of the games performed back in 1998. In it, you can see many of the core cast members of the original Sakura Wars being portrayed by their voice actors as they sing a variety of Christmas tunes. Its hard to believe that there was once a SEGA franchise big enough to warrant this amount of production.

So pour yourself some eggnog, sit back and enjoy some pleasant Christmas-y SEGA tunes. Given that this is Christmas, we can’t exactly just give you one song now can we? Check below the fold for more Christmas music from both Sakura Taisen and Shenmue.

Continue Reading ➜

2 Comments

SEGA Tunes: Sonic Generations’ Casino Night Modern Remix

by

The Sonic series has played host to a wide variety of musical styles over the years, ranging from the old school chiptunes of the Genesis era to today’s modern cheese rock from bands like Crush 40. Never, however, have I ever thought to associate Sonic the Hedgehog with swing music. That is, until Sonic Generations was released.

Anyone who’s been paying close attention to Tuesday Tunes may know I have an affection for old school American genres like jazz and swing. So, when I first heard this track play in Sonic Generations 3DS, I was blown away. This is a really great piece of swing, serving as the perfect backdrop for the remake of Sonic’s first casino stage. Easily my favorite remix to come out of the Sonic Generations games.

Of course, it helps that the original track from Sonic 2 was also pretty kick ass. Nice example of what the Genesis could do musically in the right hands. Go ahead and see for yourself below the fold!

Continue Reading ➜

No Comments

SEGA Tunes All-Stars: Burning Rangers’ Angels With Burning Hearts

by

The inclusion of a Burning Rangers course is easily one of the biggest surprises in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. In addition to a surprisingly dynamic stage that has you racing through an underwater water park that is slowly falling apart and filling with water over the course of the race, you are also treated to an excellent remix of the game’s main theme; Angels with Burning Hearts, courtesy of Richard Jacques.

This week I’ve decided to go with the Japanese version of the track, given that I’m sure you’ve all heard the English lyrics ad nauseam while racing through the course. Keep an ear out for the awesome saxophone solo at the three minute mark! Check out Richard Jacques’ remix of this track after the break.

Continue Reading ➜

3 Comments

SEGA Tunes All Stars: Space Harrier Main Theme

by

http://youtu.be/TuU_6NpHPkY

This track acts as the perfect book end for a near perfect SEGA tribute. Much like After Burner, Space Harrier is an arcade classic with an awesome soundtrack. Are you feeling down today? Do you need a little pick me up? No worries, because I’ve brought an extended version of this song today. If you’re feeling blue, just sit back for 15 minutes and let this little tune wisk you away to a far off place with dragons and giant floating heads and some blonde dude inexplicably floating in mid-air with a giant laser gun.

So as to not get the hopes of anyone who hasn’t beaten the game yet up, Space Harrier is not in this game. Just the soundtrack, which plays on a track I don’t intend to spoil.

Speaking of spoilers, though, you’d best have beaten the game by next Tuesday. For the last three weeks I’ve been sitting on music for a course that Sumo kept under wraps so as to not spoil the surprise. Next week I’m spilling the beans. So you’d best have beaten Career Mode by then!

Still want more music from the fantasy zone? Check below the fold for a remixed vocal version of the Fantasy Zone theme from the 1996 SEGA AGES release! Its pretty sick.

Continue Reading ➜

2 Comments

SEGA Tunes All Stars: After Burner theme, Bayonetta Remix

by

I think there are two things any group of SEGA fans can agree on: After Burner is pretty awesome, and the After Burner easter egg in Bayonetta is one of the coolest moments in the last decade of gaming. After years of dormancy, the After Burner franchise has seen a resurgence of sorts over the last several years, including the XBLA/PSN release of the latest superb entry in the franchise After Burner Climax, as well as cameos in four games including SEGA Superstars Tennis, Shinobi 3DS, the aforementioned Bayonetta easter egg, and of course Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed.

This track is easily my favorite rendition of the Afterburner theme. It’s a shame they didn’t use this version in All Stars Racing Transformed. Check out the original theme after the break.

Continue Reading ➜

6 Comments

Sumo Digital challenges SEGA community to get behind 3 DLC characters

by

Are you not happy with All Stars Racing’s current line up? Are there some other characters you’d like to see included in future DLC releases? Well, now may be your chance to let Sumo Digital and SEGA know… if you’re willing to work with other SEGA fans. Here is the challenge Sumo Digital Executive Producer Steve Lycett issued to the SEGA community on the SEGA forums a few days ago:

I’ll set you a challenge. Without any policing from the SUMO or SEGA crew, if you can all agree on three characters by the 1st of December and prove there is sufficient interest of at least 1000 unique people *per* character, I will present the result to SEGA. I can’t promise anything will happen as a result, but since you’re starting it…

Let’s see if you can organise yourselves in the next few weeks to pull that off!

My sole hints, first you probably need to define some rules, then agree on who will police them, and then run it fairly (no cheating) and deliver something professional and credible I’d be able to use. You are on your own for the rest

So nothing is guaranteed. Still, if the community can actually organize itself and put its weight behind three characters, we may get some awesome SEGA DLC characters. Are you guys up for this?

11 Comments

SEGA Tunes All Stars: Vyse’s Theme

by

With All Stars just a week away, now seems like the perfect time to start posting Tuesday Tunes again, focusing tunes for the characters and tracks featured in the game.

Skies of Arcadia is an upbeat game that eschews the usual heavy drama common in Japanese RPGs for optimism and a thrill for adventure. Embodying this is Vyse, a young idealistic air pirate who wants explore the world and do things no one else has ever done before. The above track is the perfect theme for the character, embodying Vyse’s energy and optimism.

I’ve got Fina’s character theme below the fold for another dose of Skies of Arcadia auditory glory!

Continue Reading ➜

7 Comments

Playstation Plus members get 80% off Wonder Boy, SMB DLC tomorrow

by

Sony’s slew of awesome discounts for Playstation Plus members continue tomorrow with both Wonder Boy in Monster World and Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz’s DLC being offered for 80% off.

Wonder Boy in Monster World will be available for $1 when the discount starts tomorrow. It is a classic side scrolling action RPG that dates back to the Genesis era, and a follow up to another SEGA classic also currently available on the Playstation Network, Wonder Boy in Monster Land.

Super Monkey Ball’s DLC will be available for $0.40. The DLC gives players all new content and level pieces to use in the game’s level creator, including a Sonic statue and a SEGA Genesis. I hope all of your SEGA fans picked up this stellar Monkey Ball game, as it’s easily one of the best entries the franchise has seen in a long time.

These prices will go into effect when the Playstation Store update hits tomorrow.

1 Comment

SEGA, Random Encounter team-up for Super Monkey Ball Musical

by

Remember that awesome Rhythm Thief musical from a few months ago? Well, SEGA and Random Encounter have teamed up again to give us another musical. This time, it’s a three part Super Monkey Ball musical, created to promote the upcoming Super Monkey Ball Banana Splitz game for the Playstation Vita.

Hope you guys enjoy this. I think it’s pretty awesome.

3 Comments

Bayonetta 2 would not exist without Nintendo

by

Much hullabaloo has been made about Bayonetta 2 being a Wii U exclusive. Comments have ranged from fans cheering that the game is getting a sequel months after rumors circulated that the game had been canceled, to disinterest or disappointment from fans who don’t want to buy another platform for just one game they really wanted, to finally and most famously, immature and over the top Twitter rage from fans screaming of betrayal and thievery.

Well as it turns out, Platinum Games did not “betray” anyone, nor did Nintendo steal the game from other platforms. In an interview with video game website Polygon, Platinum Games executive director Atsushi Inaba explained in no uncertain terms how critical Nintendo’s involvement was to Bayonetta 2’s existence.

“Would Bayonetta 2 not exist without Nintendo? The answer is yes.”

In the interview, Inaba goes on to say that the game’s core game play won’t be affected by the move from Xbox 360 and PS3 to Wii U, “We create the basic framework of our games on the PC, so even though the hardware changes it doesn’t influence the creation of our games. We’ve already developed our own engine to work with multiple platforms.” In the interview, Inaba goes on to discuss the Wii U platform and SEGA’s handling of Anarchy Reigns, among other things. Click the source below to read all about it.

Update: Nintendo producers are also involved with Bayonetta 2’s production, as revealed by Hideki Kamiya on Twitter.

12 Comments

Sonic to have more appearances in Wreck-It Ralph

by

Yes, that is Sonic the Hedgehog on a movie poster. We’ve known for some time that Sonic was getting a cameo in Disney’s upcoming film Wreck-It Ralph, and at Sonic Boom we thought we may have seen that cameo. As it turns out, probably not! In a recent interview with TOTAL FILM, Wreck-It Ralph producer Clark Spencer discussed and another scene featuring Sonic, while discussing the input video game companies had over the course of the movie’s production.

“We had a scene where we wanted the rings to come out of Sonic, and SEGA said the only way that happens is if he falls over, and we didn’t have him fall over in the scene, so we actually went back and re-animated it.”

If you want to read the interview in full, check out the source below. A poster featuring Eggman standing alongside Q*Bert, M. Bison and an original Wreck-It Ralph character is posted below the break.

Continue Reading ➜

7 Comments

American Wii U owners get All-Stars Transformed two days early

by

Panzer Dragoon stage concept art

For anyone who is picking up a Wii U on November 18th, you’ve now got Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed to look forward to come launch day! SEGA has apparently decided to launch the Wii U version of the game two days ahead of the other releases in order to make the Wii U’s launch.

The Wii U version of the game will feature exclusive features including a rear view mirror on the Wii U pad, the ability to stream the game to the controller, and exclusive mini games and multiplayer modes such as a Monkey Ball mini game and a British Bulldog style multiplayer mode. For more information on the game, please check out our interview in the Sonic Talk podcast.

1 Comment