Preview: Shinobi 3D

 

This was the same demo available at E3. As such, there are certain things I don’t cover in this preview. For the full picture, check out our E3 preview!

Back at E3 I previewed Shinobi 3D for the first time. I loved what I got to play, but my time with the game was limited. At last month’s New York Comic Con I was able to give the game another go, so I’d like to talk more about it.

What’s Wrong with Binary Domain’s Box Art?

Since the reveal of Binary Domain’s box art, I’ve been thinking about just what is it that makes it so… ineffective. I hesitate to use the word “bad”, as artistry clearly went into producing the cover. However, I think the reason for the cover’s failing is that not a lot of thought went into it. Sure they threw a lot into the scene, but perhaps they threw in too much? I’ve been working in the graphic design industry for five years now, so I thought I’d put some of my professional experience to practice and pick apart Binary Domain’s cover art problems, and perhaps find a better solution. Is it worth the time picking apart the game’s cover? Of course it is! As a new IP, the only thing the game has going for it is SEGA’s name when it comes to appearing on a shelf. First impressions are key for a new franchise, and sadly Binary Domain is not making a good first impression.

Review: Sonic Generations

SEGA’s next big Sonic game is centered around his 20th anniversary. Even though Sonic started off this console generation with some awful games, Sonic Team has been learning from their mistakes and perfecting their skills. Have they finally delivered the Sonic game that all their fans want?

Swingin’ Report Show #22: Talkin’ about my Generations


On this week’s show, -nSega54-, nuckles87, shigs, and special guest GX Echidna from the Spindash podcast discuss Sonic Generations, which just came out a few days ago (in America), along with some other tidbits, including discussion of some bad boxart. Sadly I couldn’t make it to this week’s show, but the table was filled with regulars.

[audio:https://segabits.com/wp-content/uploads/Swinin_Report_Show_22_Talking_about_my_generations.mp3]

[Download] [Archive] [iTunes]

 

SEGAbits Halloween Playlist

Believe it or not, the day before Sonic Generations releases there’s a little holiday going on called Halloween. Everybody has their own Halloween traditions, mine focus on pumpkin carving and scary movies. This year I thought I’d mix things up by throwing video games into the mix, specifically five games with a Halloween slant, each played on a different SEGA console. What follows are the five games I’ll be playing over the Halloweekend, and I hope if you have any of them you’ll revisit them as well.

Sonic Generations Original Stage Review

With less than a week to go ’til Sonic Generations, I thought it would be fun to take a leap back and run through the original stages featured in Generations. What made the original stages so memorable? Are they a fitting choice for representation of the game they originally appeared in? Were there better choices that could have been made? Those questions and more will be explored after the break!

The Weekly Five: I’m Lovin’ Modern Sonic

The second Sonic Generations demo is out, and with it comes the first public demo of modern Sonic! Of course, we’ve had hours of footage and pages and pages of modern Sonic impressions. But none of that compares to actually playing the game. Having finally played the demo, I can happily say that modern Sonic is the best the 3D ‘hog has played in the HD era. Perhaps only being rivaled by the 3D Sonic of the Adventure titles. To celebrate Sonic’s return to form, let’s look at five reasons I’m lovin’ modern Sonic!

The Weekly Five: SEGA locations I’d want to visit

There’s a certain feeling I get when I’m playing a video game and, suddenly, I find myself absorbed into its world. It’s a feeling even greater than being pulled into a movie I’m watching, or even a book I’m reading, in the sense that this is a world in which I have control over my character. In a video game, you’re not simply along for the ride, but rather, you play a major role in the main character’s journey; you’re the force that guides your character through these worlds. SEGA has created some stunning worlds over the years, and the five I’m going to list here only scratch the surface. But these are a few of the worlds that SEGA has created which, ever since I first got to explore them, I’ve been wishing for a way to transport my real life self into them. Hit the break to read on.

Swingin’ Report Show #21: Eurolamer

This week I’m (George) joined by Aki-at and Shigs to talk about stuff like TGS, Eurogamer and the recently announced Yakuza Dead Souls. Enjoy listening to this podcast, which was suppose to be recorded last week.
[audio:https://segabits.com/wp-content/uploads/Swingin_Report_Show_21_EuroLamer.mp3]

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Sonic Generations: Sonic Team building on lessons learnt

Sonic Generation is looking to celebrate the 20th anniversary of SEGA’s blue mascot in style. The game is set to feature a number of throwbacks, references, past levels and a complete mishmash of the history of the entire series as publisher SEGA looks to restore the quality that was once synopsis with the series. I spent an extensive time playing the levels available for the Sonic Generations demo and got to play as both classic and modern Sonic, click after the break to find out how the title fared!

Review: Thor: God of Thunder (3DS)


SEGA’s Marvel games line up is one big missed opportunity. When I first heard that SEGA had managed to get the game licenses for all of the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, I could only imagine great things. After all, Activision had managed to turn its Spider-man license into a quality, long running, successful franchise. Surely SEGA could do the same! As we all know by now, this turned out not to be the case. However, in a sea of trashy movie games there have been a few bright spots. A few of the games have managed to be pretty decent. Thor 3DS is one of them.

The Weekly Five: Sonic Generations Classic Callbacks

While Sonic Generations release is still a month away, thanks to the many screens and video clips released by SEGA, fans have been able to pick apart every pixel. Some screens feature road signs with in-jokes, while others feature references to classic Sonic stages from the Genesis/Mega Drive days. Yes, even though the game only features a handful of classic era zones, that hasn’t kept Sonic team from including callbacks to zones not featured in the game. In this week’s Weekly Five we’ll run through five of these way past cool references.

Anarchy Reigns: The new Power Stone for parties

Platinum Games has enjoyed a beneficial relationship publisher and that is set to continue with their latest title, Anarchy Reigns. The title is set to be a number of new Intellectual Properties that publisher SEGA is set to be releasing next year and is a sort of spiritual sequel of Platinum Game’s first title, MadWorld. Although not as much as one would expect, there is still plenty that separate the titles, in particular is Anarchy Reigns heavy focus on multiplayer gaming and perhaps become to SEGA what Power Stone was for Capcom. Read on after the break to find out what I thought of the game at the recent Eurogamer Expo.

Years of the Dreamcast Part 4: Leaks and Homebrew


Click to Read Past Entries: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3

Through the next few years, I would continue to explore the Dreamcast. Starting in 2003 however, my focus began to shift towards the Xbox, as games like Halo, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Metal Gear Solid 2, and Splinter Cell blew me away. Even while these new games mesmerized me, I would continue to look for new Dreamcast games to play, trying to find the next gem.