Featured

SEGA Tunes: Sonic Heroes ventures into Hang Castle

by


 
Those who follow us on our social networks have likely seen our seasonal spooky posts and know full well that the Sonic the Hedgehog series and Halloween-inspired creatures and settings have crossed paths numerous times. Thanks to the common platforming trope of a scary setting, we’ve seen ghosts in Sonic & Knuckles Sandopolis Zone, referred to as Hyudoro. We’ve also seen ghosts in Sonic Adventure 2, though this time the ghosts were called Boo and they had a leader named King Boom Boo. These Boo ghosts were Knuckles’ worst nightmare as he ventured into Pumpkin Hill, a stage which featured fantastic music accompanied by some pretty funny lyrics including “I’m walkin’ through valleys cryin’ pumpkin in the alley”. Most recently, Sonic Lost World saw the return of Sonic Adventure 2‘s Boo ghosts.

Despite all of these spooky stages and enemies, no Sonic stage came closer to Halloween than 2004’s Sonic Heroes which featured a full haunted house stage called Hang Castle. Featuring invisible walkways, levitating platforms, pumpkin-headed ghosts, and changing gravity, Hang Castle was truly bizarre. To this day, it is the only Sonic stage that scared me thanks to a creepy skeleton that peeked around a corner. Run towards where the skeleton should be and… he’s gone! Silent Hill has nothing on Hang Castle. Accompanying Hang Castle is a great soundtrack that fuses hip-hop samples and instruments that wouldn’t be out of place in a 1930’s cartoon featuring a haunted house and dancing skeletons. Give the track above a listen, and after the break… Pumpkin Hill. Because we can’t do a Halloween themed Tuesday Tunes without it!

Continue Reading ➜

2 Comments

The SEGA Five: Cancelled SEGA 32X games that could have been great

by

Written by My Life with SEGA’s A.J. Rosa

32x
 
Much has been said about SEGA’s last console add-on. Jaremy Parish of 1UP.com stated in his article ’20 Years Ago, SEGA Gave Us the SEGA CD’ that the 32X “tainted just about everything it touched.” GamesRadar was far more damning with their Top-10 List of Worst Consoles, where the “product of boneheaded short-sightedness” placed ninth. Oh, that wasn’t harsh enough. They went on to call it “an embarrassing footnote in console history, as well as an object lesson in why console makers shouldn’t split their user base with pricey add-ons.”

Obviously, the 32X has left quite an impression. That’s nothing new though. Prior to it’s release, the 32X was met with some enthusiasm; most notably, I feel, in EGM2’s July ’94 issue. In their special feature “32X Brings the Arcade Home!”, they were impressed with its technical specifications and ever widening list of third-party support, such as Activision, Atlus, Capcom, Core Design, Crystal Dynamics, GameTek, Interplay, Konami, Time Warner Interactive, Vic Tokai, Virgin Interactive, Acclaim and Sunsoft….just to name a few. Kenji Hiraoka, former president of Konami of America, is quoted “We have seen the specs on 32X, and are thoroughly impressed by how powerful it is. We can make amazing games on this platform.”

Shame they didn’t, which brings us to…. My personal Top 5 List of Cancelled 32X Titles!

14 Comments

SEGA Memories: Dave’s Sega Saturn Page

by

MondayMemoriesDaves

Obviously SEGAbits isn’t the first and won’t be the last website dedicated to the big blue. Throughout the life of the internet, there have been thousands upon thousands of SEGA related websites and out of all those websites there are few webpages that we would visit regularly. Dave’s Sega Saturn Page was one of those sites I always kept bookmarked along with others that we will most likely cover here on Monday Memories.

Continue Reading ➜

1 Comment

My Life with SEGA vs. Aliens vs. Predator

by

The screaming continues on My Life with SEGA with Aliens vs. Predator for PlayStation 3. For the first time ever, I’m reviewing a current generation title on a non-SEGA console, based on the long-standing franchises from 20th Century Fox.

Both franchises have experienced their fair share of hardships. The Alien series was effectively derailed after the ill-conceived Alien 3 in 1992, while the Predator went dormant after the been-there-done-that reception of 1990’s Predator 2. In spite of this, the comic series published by Dark Horse comics has fairly well received since its conception. It has lived on in comics, novels, films and, of course, video games.

The first game based on the series appeared on Atari’s swan song, the Jaguar, and grew from there. Now, it has found its way to PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, published by our beloved SEGA….

So, how does it stack up now that it has been cast into several bargain bins across the country with little reverence? Let’s find out! Like this video? Subscribe to the SEGAbits YouTube channel!

No Comments

SEGA Cinema: Shenmue the Movie

by


Hello and welcome to our new feature called ‘SEGA Cinema‘ where we provide commentary tracks for SEGA related films. For our first film we’re checking out Shenmue The Movie, which was released in Japanese cinema’s back in 2001. Go grab some popcorn and join George, Barry the Nomad and Bartman while we watch some of the best acting that early 2000’s gaming had to offer.

[MP3]

2 Comments

My Life with SEGA Season 2 kicks off with Alien Trilogy: Revisited

by

My Life with SEGA: Season 2 opens with a three-part episode detailing the Alien franchise, from Alien Trilogy on SEGA Saturn to Aliens vs. Predator on PS3, even Aliens: Colonial Marines. Ugh! I think I just vomited a little. In my pants.

Anyway, in this week’s episode, I’m revisiting Alien Trilogy. You may be thinking, “Jesus, what more does he have to say about it? Move on already!” Well, I wasn’t entirely happy with that video to begin with, and my feeling’s towards it have changed a bit since….2011? Good lord.

Without further ado, I give you Alien Trilogy: Revisited. Like this video? Subscribe to the SEGAbits YouTube channel!

No Comments

Interview: Ron Gilbert, industry legend and Director of The Cave

by

cave_interview_1

Continuing our The Cave coverage, which we will hereby refer to as “The SEGAbits 2013 Cave In” (or not) we have an interview with Ron Gilbert provided to us by SEGA. Double Fine’s The Cave, available on several digital platforms and releasing to iOS on October 3rd with enhanced touchscreen controls, is an adventure game in the vein of the LucasArts classic Maniac Mansion. Ron Gilbert is the man behind many LucasArts classics as well as the The Cave.

Continue Reading ➜

No Comments

SEGA Five: How to be the best Dreamcast collector that you can be

by

dc5
 
In celebration of Dreamcast month, the Friday Five is back! In this installment, I thought I’d share some collecting tips for both budding, and seasoned, Dreamcast collectors. Despite the Dreamcast’s short lifespan, the console has a vast library and a number of accessories. In total, there exist around seven hundred and twenty Dreamcast games, both licensed and unlicensed. Accessories range from various controllers, to keyboards, mice, lightguns, twinsticks, arcade sticks, cameras, and more! Suffice to say, collecting for the Dreamcast is a lot of fun.

Let’s kick off the list with one of the most important things a Dreamcast collector needs to remember…

Continue Reading ➜

6 Comments

Check out the SEGAbits YouTube channel trailer – OutRun Edition

by

To celebrate 150 uploads, nearly 1,000 subscribers, and a new addition to the SEGAbits YouTube channel team, we’ve created a special trailer showcasing all that our channel has to offer. “A new addition?”, I hear you ask? Yes, Tracker of TrackerTDGaming and Sonic Wrecks will be joining the SEGAbits team! His first contribution will be a new video series for the channel entitled “This Is Saturn” – a show that celebrates all things SEGA Saturn.

So OutRun, don’t walk, to to the SEGAbits YouTube channel and subscribe today if you haven’t already!

No Comments

Sonic Talk #23: Laptop vs. 3DS case

by

This week, Nuckles’ Laptop is brutally engaged in Mortal Kombat with his 3DS case (With Mortal Kombat music playing over it). We discuss more on the Ouya since I have one now, making your animal characters swear at others in Animal Crossing New Leaf, and why Blinx: The Time Sweeper isn’t nearly as bad as critics made it out to be. We then go into Sonic news, my trip to Sonic Boom West Coast Chapter and a long discussion on the Sonic/Mega Man crossover “Worlds Collide”. Nuckles ends the podcast by swearing at our listeners. (Yeah. Good way to keep what little listeners we have.) Go 3DS case! Smash that laptop and silence its loud fan forever!

Read on for show notes.

[ MP3 Download ] [ iTunes ]

Continue Reading ➜

No Comments

SEGA Tunes: Soul Calibur’s Light and Darkness (Soul Mix)

by

It’s impossible to talk about the Dreamcast without eventually talking about Soul Calibur. Still arguably one of the best 3D fighting games ever made, the original Soul Calibur was absolutely groundbreaking in its day both in its spectacular next generation visuals and its supremely fluid and accessible game play. On top of all of this, the game had a presentation that was surprisingly grandiose for its time. While many of its contemporaries either tried to play themselves off as silly, over-the-top, or ridiculous, Soul Calibur presented itself with dignity. It was not just a fighter, it was “the stage of history!” You will not find a kick boxing kangaroos, bouncy boob physics, or gory fatalities here: only fighters battling their way toward their ultimate destiny.

This attitude is reflected in the game’s spectacular soundtrack. The game is filled to the brim with beautiful orchestrated themes meant to compliment the diverse characters and locations in the game. Back in its day, this soundtrack helped give the game a special epic quality that other fighters lacked. I confess, I do find the soundtrack to be a little dated by modern standards: these tracks were clearly produced on a budget with a limited orchestra, but that doesn’t mean they don’t still sound damn good. For your benefit, I’ve decided to feature the far superior “Soul Mix” version of the game’s epic theme song. You can check out the original track below.

Continue Reading ➜

No Comments

SEGA Sequels: Sonic Shuffle

by

SequelSaturdayShuffle

Hey, I know you guys are asking why I picked Sonic Shuffle for this week’s Sequel Saturdays.  I mean, the first game wasn’t that good (at least in my opinion) and it wasn’t a ‘Dreamcast classic’ compared to something like Jet Set Radio, Shenmue or Skies of Arcadia. Well, I think there is a huge market for a Sonic the Hedgehog party franchise and Sonic Shuffle had potential to fill it.

So if there was to be a sequel, what should the sequel improve upon? Well, that is this week’s Sequel Saturday article!

Continue Reading ➜

7 Comments

Editorial: Fourteen years later, SEGA’s final hurrah is still one to remember

by

It’s incredibly rare for a failed system to carry with it such a long-lasting legacy. With the closing of one console generation comes the opening of another, and with time, the systems of old one fade into the realm of memories.

The Dreamcast didn’t get to see the end of the sixth generation of video game systems; at least, not in a traditional sense. But its thriving indie scene was then created, living on for years after the system’s discontinuation, with small independent games released, even today, for SEGA’s white box. Digital remasters of Dreamcast games on HD consoles continue to be greeted with interest and enthusiasm, this anticipation reaching even beyond the SEGA community.

For those of us who owned a Dreamcast from 1999 through 2001, we know that the system was truly something special. It was the only video game console to see its launch at the tail-end of the 90s, carrying with it not only the cultural magic that was the year 1999, but also carrying on its shoulders the last remnants of a dying arcade industry, without a doubt making the most of both. But the Dreamcast also had an eye to the future. As the first sixth gen video game system, it lead the way for many of the games we would go on to experience in a generation that saw storytelling and presentation make a significant jump. The Dreamcast’s games were not (for the most part) the types of linear “movie-games” we see today, but they were certainly cinematic; far more than what came before. They were innovative, they were different, they were funky, and they had soul.

They were art.

Continue Reading ➜

1 Comment