Hucast Games reveal new screens from the upcoming indie SEGA Dreamcast game ‘The Ghost Blade’

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Hucast Games, developer of the recently released Redux: Dark Matters, is at work on the upcoming indie Dreamcast game The Ghost Blade. Four new screens, as well as a photo taken of the game in action, were recently shared on the developer’s blog. Fans, including our own The Gagaman, complained of low resolution graphics in the recently released Redux, which might explain why Hucast shared a close up shot of The Ghost Blade showing off what Hucast promises is an all new engine that will take advantage of the Dreamcast’s RAM better leading to high-res graphics.

Expected to release in October 2014, the game is currently in an alpha state, and Hucast promises that they will be “adding more enemies to give the game a blasting Caravan shooting game thrill!”.

Indie shmup NEO XYX releases today for the SEGA Dreamcast


 
It has been a busy time for indie SEGA Dreamcast games. Last month we saw the release of Redux: Dark Matters, next month is expected to see the release of Pier Solar, and today we see the release of NG:DEV.TEAM’s NEO XYX. Described as a maniac shooter, the game features 6 stages with 6 endbosses and 5 midbosses, all rendered in 16-bit hand-drawn graphics. The game supports the VMU, VGA out, and the Dreamcast arcade stick. The game also features both vertical (TATE) and horizontal (YOKO) controls, and depending on your screen orientation, the HUD changes to suit the screen mode.

You can purchase the game at the official NG:Dev.Team store, or you can find it for a bit less at Play-Asia in a Standard Edition release, a Limited Edition release which includes the game’s soundtrack, and a Collector’s Edition release.

First Impressions: ‘Redux: Dark Matters’ for the SEGA Dreamcast

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First of all, hello! The Gagaman here. You may remember me from such films websites as the Dreamcast Junkyard, Sega Memories and Lucky Hit. Shameless plugs aside, I’m humbled to become a contributor here on Sega Bits and hope to bring you guys some fancy-pants articles in the future, hopefully not too riddled with typos.  For now though: Look!

Being the first successfully crowd funded Dreamcast indie game released, Redux: Dark Matters is finally here after two years of development, sent to me in the post yesterday morning. Has this kickstarted shmup been worth the wait and the cash? Read on to find out…

Indie Dreamcast game Redux: Dark Matters is now shipping


 
It has been a long road, but Hucast’s Redux: Dark Matters for the SEGA Dreamcast has finally begun to ship out for Kickstarter backers at the $65 level. Funded in June of 2012, and originally expected to ship in December of the same year, Redux: Dark Matters saw several delays and some controversy over the game’s exclusivity to Kickstarter backers. But all that may be behind us as Hucast shared the following via their blog:

Redux: Dark Matters is the up and coming space shooting game with fresh scoring elements and an incredible soundtrack composed by Andre Neuman featuring legendary video game composer Chris Huelsbeck (Turrican, R-Type). Featuring Highres visuals with in-space, robot blasting, shooting game action. Developed by René Hellwig from NG:DEV.TEAM (GunLord, Fast Striker, Last Hope and DUX) and programmed by KTX Software Development. The game was now released, and is now shipping.

Those who didn’t back the Kickstarter project can purchase the game at the Hucast shop, or you can purchase the Redux: Dark Matters standard edition and the limited edition at Play-Asia.

Check out the trailer for Hucast’s upcoming Dreamcast game The Ghost Blade

Coming soon to an undead console near you is Hucast’s top down shoot ’em up The Ghost Blade. As you can see in the teaser trailer above, the game is in an alpha state, but is already looking great. That game is set for “TBA 2013”, so expect it within the next 8 months. You can pre-order it now in a 3-disc Collector’s Edition, a 2-disc Limited Edition, and a single disc standard edition.

Pier Solar HD project hits Kickstarter, Dreamcast named as one of the platforms

We’ve written about the indie SEGA Genesis game Pier Solar a number of times, and here we are writing about it again. WaterMelon Co., the team behind the original game, are taking to Kickstarter in hopes of funding an HD version of the game for a number of platforms including the SEGA Dreamcast. Other platforms include Xbox 360, PC, Mac and Linux. As you can see above, and at their Kickstarter page, the game is making a big graphical leap! If fully funded, the project appears to have an estimated completion date of December 2013. All the details concerning the project can be found over at their Kickstarter page, but after the break check out the SEGA related bits.

The Dreamcast Junkyard takes a look at the Gunlord Limited Edition

SEGA Network partner The Dreamcast Junkyard has uploaded a great unboxing and gameplay video of the latest indie Dreamcast game, Gunlord. DCJY writer The GagaMan(n) got his hands on the Limited Edition version of the game, which includes a soundtrack CD along with the game. The package art looks beautiful, and the booklet is loaded with great artwork. The game itself looks unlike any other indie Dreamcast game we’ve seen, despite the storyline having ties to NG:Dev.Team’s Last Hope: Pink Bullets. Check out the video here!

Have any readers picked the game up? If so, what do you think of it? I’ve ordered the limited edition earlier this week, and hope to get my hands on it before July 4th. I figure all the shooting can act as our fireworks this year. You can buy yourself a copy at NG:Dev.Team’s shop.

Sturmwind Delayed


Redspotgames has been busy the past year with their usual promotions and sponsorships at Forumla events (yes, they promoted Rush Rush Rally Racing by sponsoring a BMW driver!) But wasn’t their next big release due this month? Whatever happend to Sturmwind? Well, it has been delayed. Why you ask?

After an internal evaluation as well as constructive feedback from fans, redspotgames and Duranik have decided to put even more efforts into ‚Sturmwind‘. Unfortunately this means that both parties have to announce a delay of the release of the game. The new street day will be 11-11-11.

The option to cancel the preorder has also been made avaialble (although no money will be deducted until unless the product ships, so why would one want to cancel it?)

For more information regarding the delay read the press release at redspotgames.com

Gun-Lord Concept Art & Screen Shots

NG:DEV:TEAM have released the first screenshots of their upcoming Neo Geo and Dreamcast platformer GunLord on their Teaser Site. The images are stamped with the words “ALPHA VERSION” to give us an impression that things might still change.They show off a very interesting art direction, the likes of which we’ve never seen on the Neo Geo or the Dreamcast. Very dark and surreal tones are displayed along with very eerie creatures throughout to give a cryptic feel to the game. The tone is set even more forcefully by what seems to be the game’s theme song by Rafael Dyll of Soniq Factory.

Not sure of what to think of the whole Green Alien though, I guess it would help differentiate Gun-Lord from Contra and Metal Slug but still, humans would be nice too.

Source: Dreamcast-Scene

Redspotgames surveying to cancel PSN port of R4

A Message from Senile Team:

On account of the recent PlayStation Network (PSN) account leaks, publisher redspotgames has started a survey to poll consumer confidence in Sony’s online platform. Is your trust irreparably dented, or will you be happy to hand over all your personal information to Sony as soon as PSN is up again? Speak up and your vote could help decide whether Rush Rush Rally Racing will go portable. And you can even win some goodies!

Tick the boxes here

So what does this news have to do with the Dreamcast-Scene? Well the Sceners who no longer wish to use Sony’s PSN service can inform redspotgames, and if the right amount of people have lost interest in R4 for Playstation, Senile Team would stop developing it, which would free up resources for Age of the Beast and you know what that means right?

Fan game Golden Axe Myth up for download

Here is a game we totally missed coming out, possibly due to all the news about Phantasy Star Online 2, Sonic Generations and SEGA taking down Streets of Rage Remake.

The game is supposed to be a fan prequel to the originals. It was created using Open Beats of Rage engine, so it’s technically a mod to that engine. Check out the fan game, it’s not as well put together as Streets of Rage Remake, but still a fun play through for fans.

[Download Here]
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[Via: Destructoid]

SEGA takes down Streets of Rage Remake download links

Fans want a Streets of Rage Remake and SEGA didn’t answer. What did they do? They did it themselves, without using any of SEGA’s code. They recently released the final version of their game and it didn’t excite SEGA too much.

“SEGA have contacted regarding the download hosted on this site. While this issue is being resolved, please do not upload the game for others to download. Any links posted on this site will be removed. Thank you.”

Seems that SEGA might think that a remake like this, that is free, will cut into sales from their re-releases. It sucks, I really liked it when SEGA would allow people to remake stuff like this. They don’t say much to all those Sonic fan games.

[Source: SorR site]

Segagaga translation project hopes to finish translation job this year

I was following this project for awhile, all the way back when I started writing for SEGA Nerds. In a new interview with RacketBoy, the team states they are 1/3rds of the way done with raw translation. Yes, far ways off. But they said that they are picking up steam now and hope to finish translating before the year ends.

“We hope to have the text translated within the year. Unfortunately, the largest obstacles to a completed patch might lie beyond the realm of translation and wordsmithing. We still need assistance working through some coding problems that will create the localization patch.”

That is all well and dandy, but they will still need to come up with a way to patch the text into the game. The team wants you, the user to play the game the way it was intended, on the Dreamcast. They say they will most likely patch it into a back up.

I for one I’m excited about this and can’t wait to take down Dogma!

[Source: Racketboy]

UK Resistance closes its doors

[1996 – 2011]

UK Resistance was a comedy site started by SEGA fan Commander Zorg. The site has a long history and was one of the sites that influenced me to start my own SEGA blog. You know, tap away at keys and bore you all.

UK Resistance has really been all over the place for awhile, but started off as a SEGA news and reviews site. Goodbye UK Resistance, you shall be missed. Why did the site shut down? Check out the video. Announcement is a bit too close to April 1st for my liking, might be a prank.

[Source: UK:R]