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So Shigs and Nux did record another pocast ’tis true.
They talked about the new gaming system known as the Wii U
They discussed some news, comics and racing that’s transformed.
While Nux sang off-key, which for him is quite the norm.
An a heeyy nonny nonny!
Show notes after the break!
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!
32X month is behind us, and SEGA CD month has begun! A.J. kicks things off with a fun, and affordable, SEGA CD classic!
It’s Sega CD month, gang! First up, we’re playing Rise of the Dragon. This is the graphic adventure game that is often compared to another Sega CD classic, Snatcher. While it does bare resemblance, thanks in large part to the cyberpunk influences, this isn’t some knock-off; Rise of the Dragon has it’s own identity. So strap in, ladies and germs….
The dragon is rising.
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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.
As November comes to a close, so does our 32X month. Our My Life With SEGA video series has featured the ill-fated add-on in weekly video reviews, and I thought it would be fitting to end 32X month with an extra special SEGA Five. I’ll admit it, I was a 32X hater until not too long ago. When the add-on released in 1994 I didn’t quite understand what it was. The Genesis already took cartridges, and CD’s thanks to an add-on, so why was yet another add-on being introduced? To be fair to myself, I was only 10 years old at the time, and before I completely understood what SEGA was trying to do with the 32X, the add-on was dead. A few years later I began to understand what the 32X was, and thought it was a complete joke.
A giant plastic mushroom that only offered up an additional 36 titles to Americans, and even then a bulk of the games were not worth owning? HA! Much later, the Angry Video Game Nerd tore the 32X to shreds and finished it off with an arrow. Again, I laughed. But soon, I became acquainted with sites like the SEGA Junkyard blogs (see our SEGA Network links in the right column to check those out) and in turn began to appreciate aspects of SEGA that I originally only thought negatively of or outright ignored. In October 2009, I finally gave in and bought a 32X used (with all cords, amazingly) off ebay for $30. It was one of the best SEGA purchases I ever made, and I’ll tell you why.
32X month is coming to a close, so what better way to finish things than with the 32X’s most popular exclusive: Knuckles’ Chaotix!
Yes, it’s the 32X exclusive that left many gamers confused and somewhat disappointed. How could this be? After the the one-two punch of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, both of which were a tremendous success for Sega’s 16-bit juggernaut, I find it hard to believe this game met with such a lukewarm response….
Was it deserving? Let us a break out that ‘shroom one more time before we put 32X month to bed.
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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.
Fourteen years ago today, in Japan, the final SEGA console released: the Dreamcast. Of course, being an English speaking blog, we tend to put more emphasis on 9-9-99. Still, 11-27-98 is just as, if not more, important than any other Dreamcast launch date simply because it was the first. Also, it is the day before my birthday. A-hem! Anyway, Japanese launch titles included: Sonic Adventure, Pen Pen TriIcelon, Godzilla Generations, July, and Virtua Fighter 3tb. July and Godzilla Generations never made it outside Japan. Considering Famitsu gave Godzilla Generations a 20 out of 40, and Western import reviews were even worse, it seems those outside Japan weren’t missing out on Godzilla.
To celebrate, enjoy the hilarious Japanese Dreamcast commercials starring Senior Managing Director of SEGA Hidekazu Yukawa. The man truly was the Segata Sanshiro of the Dreamcast era, though he acted the complete opposite. Yukawa appeared on the Japanese Dreamcast box, he had his own game, his own merchandise including a cell phone charm, and even appeared in a cameo in the Shenmue demo “What’s Shenmue?”. You can see a complete playthrough of that after the break. Happy 14th Birthday, SEGA Dreamcast!
UPDATE: Patch is in, so the WiiU score will be changed.
Last year, SEGA released Sonic Generations. A celebration of Sonic’s history showcasing some of the greatest parts of Sonic’s past and being a celebration of all things Sonic in general. It gave you a strong feeling of nostalgia while offering new kinds of gameplay and a great, remixed soundtrack.
This year, SEGA releases Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. A game showcasing and glorifying the greatest parts of SEGA past and being a celebration of all things SEGA in general. It gives you a strong feeling of Nostalgia while offering new kinds of gameplay and a great, remixed soundtrack. Deja-Vu!
But does this game hold up to 2010’s offering? And how does the Wii U version compare to the others? I’ll be going in depth about the game and discussing its greatest strengths and weaknesses. Is it a champion or does it stall out the gate? Get Ready. 3…..2…..1…..GO!
Happy Thanksgiving and a happy belated birthday to SEGA’s 32X, which turned 18 yesterday. To celebrate, My Life With SEGA takes a look at Metal Head.
The ‘shroom is now a man. What say we celebrate by taking a long, hard look at Metal Head; the first-person mech shooter developed and published by Sega. Sure, it may not be anything Earth-shattering now, but – back in 1994 – it was a bit of a showpiece for this fresh-faced add-on….
18 years later, is it worthy of our cheers, or 18 great big slaps to the face? Let’s find out.
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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.
An early show this week as we are just two days away from the release of Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed! With that in mind, I talked to Brand Manager Aaron Webber with some final questions on the game that I didn’t get to ask Steve Lycett. I also talk with him about Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz on the Vita and the upcoming Anarchy Reigns. We have a shorter show this week due to everyone’s schedule, but Alex, GX and I still get in some chat about Paper Mario Sticker Star, The sonic Super Digest book and veer off topic on Felix the Cat and Heathcliff for some crazy reason (Which drives GX nuts).
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Read on for the full list of topics discussed.
While the modern SEGA gaming world is enthralled with Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, the retro SEGA gaming world is in the midst of 32X month. In celebration of the little add-on that couldn’t, we continue with a brand new episode of My Life With SEGA. This week, AJ and Mickey Mac play Cyber Brawl.
Mickey Mac joins the 32X celebration. This week, we’re playing Cyber Brawl, otherwise known as Cosmic Carnage in North America. Released alongside Doom, Virtua Racing and Star Wars Arcade, this was the first fighting game to grace the ‘shroom with it’s presence….
I guess the big question is, “How does it fare after 18 years?”
The answer lies within.
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Earlier this year, SEGA and Sonic fans heard the sad news of a four year old Sonic fan who lost his life in an unfortunate accident while on holiday. The boy, Dylan Cecil, was such a big Sonic fan that the family had a Sonic casket and flower arrangements made for the boy. Really heartbreaking stuff. Members of the Sonic and SEGA community, from Sonic Retro to Sonic Stadium, knew something had to be done to help the family. AAUK of Sonic Wrecks, with the support of SEGA of America and several fan sites, has created a series of eBay listings featuring rare and unique Sonic items. All profits will go towards the Burnham Area Rescue Boat fund at the request of the Cecil family. Fans who do not want to bid, but still want to help, can donate on the BARB website directly.
Items include a rare Sonic Generations press kit, t-shirts and Generations gold Sonic rings. There are currently ten items up but there will be more additions in time.
You can find a summary of goods on the SSMB Marketplace whilst the items themselves are on sale here: http://www.ebay.co.uk – Seller: Kevskingdom
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!