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Henshin Engine Kickstarter moves Dreamcast port to first stretch goal

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henshin engine kickstarter dreamcast stretch goal

Henshin Engine is an independent game that currently has an active Kickstarter campaign for a PC Engine and Steam release. Henshin is a 2D action platformer with a few horizontal shooting stages in the mix. It follows the adventures of a young gaming fanatic named Yuki who is transformed by her beloved console, the FX-Engine. Her opponents include Ultra Drive Unit: Genji, an obvious take on the Sega Mega Drive.

Today the team behind the project announced that they have adjusted their stretch goals for the Kickstarter campaign to make a Dreamcast port a higher priority.

The people have spoken! So we’ve gotten TONS of emails asking us to specifically port Henshin Engine to the Dreamcast and that it should be a reward that’s realistic to achieve. Although I would like to think that ALL the stretch goals are realistic to achieve *wink*, we did ultimately decide to make it the very first stretch goal we hit. I would be more than thankful to just hit our funding goal so that the game gets made, but if we hit that first stretch goal, that would be extra awesome! So remember you DC fans, thank your friends for the countless emails about Henshin on DC, but more importantly, SHARE with all your DC friends so that we can bring Henshin Engine to the DC! I wouldn’t mind seeing an animated cutscene for Yukis transformation

The campaign currently sits at $10,502 out of their $16,400 funding goal, with 23 days left to go for the campaign. The Dreamcast stretch goal is $22,400.

The team project has a target release date of March 28th, 2017.

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New Xenocider demo out, pre-order now available

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xenocider demo

Developer Retro Sumus has dropped a nice surprised today in the form of a new Xenocider demo, a public declaration of their goals, and the ability to pre-order the Dreamcast game.

The developer discussed how conflicted they were in accepting money for the game before the work being finished. However, they decided to commit to the project and to exclusively develop it for the Dreamcast. They have set a tentative goal of finishing the game in less than a year.

The demo contains three stages that the team describes as “virtually finished.” The areas available are Fantasy Land, Planet Krok and Planet ORL. You can download the demo right here.

If you’re sold on Xenocider already, you can now pre-order a copy on Retro Sumus’ new shop. You’ll find all of the Kickstarter’s editions available, which is rather nice. You can also throw down some money on a Retro Sumus shirt featuring the team’s logo.

In addition to the Xenocider news, the team also teased an upcoming announcement concerning their other Dreamcast game, Ameba.

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Extensive Famitsu interview with Persona 5 art and audio leads

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persona 5 famitsu interview

Play Asia has posted the entire exhaustive interview Famitsu ran with some of Persona 5’s art and audio leads.

First up is Art Director Sudou Masayoshi. He discusses the usage of color for the last few Persona games, the wild UI that Persona 5 boasts, his sources of inspiration, and more.

From the first full Persona 5 trailer we saw a lot of the Game User Interface (GUI) that you created for the game, it really is a splendid piece of work. Your chance to create such work began with Persona 3, correct?

Sudou: Yes, whilst working on Persona 3, Mr. Soejima (the games character designer; Soejima Shigenori ) we got together a lot to throw ideas and see if we could confirm how to create the games GUI. Not just the GUI but also the game’s website design. Speaking of design, we really wanted to create a GUI that didn’t just stand out in a game related magazine but also something that would look interesting and stand out in magazines aimed primarily at females as well, it was an idea that I never thought of before. I always like using traditional methods, I tend to not add gradations, but prefer filling in each and every graphic. When I’m designing, I will continue to create my best work through trial and error until I feel 100% satisfied.

Is there something that you’ve put your entire heart and soul into when it comes to your designs?

Sudou: The biggest thing I put my all into was regarding the color of the interface compared to the game’s main color scheme. For example, the main color for Persona 3 was teal, Persona 4’s a vivid yellow color and so I had to decide the right colors for the menus etc. Of course Persona 5’s main color scheme is a crimson red and therefore after much deliberation I sat down and after trying out black and white text I was confident with it.

Lead Sound Designer Tsuchiya Kenichi and Sound Composer Mr Meguro Shouji are also featured. You can read the entire piece here.

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Sonic Dash Extreme arcade machine trailer released

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Sega Amusements has released a trailer showing off Sonic Dash Extreme to potential vendors.

Yes, the recent trend of game creators making arcade machines out of their hit mobile games keeps rolling on. This arcade cabinet conversion of Sonic Dash allows vendors to set it up for either ticket redemption or just for fun.

Sonic Dash Extreme features a 55″ HD screen, leaderboards, and a giant-sized d-pad controller. You’ll find Sonic joined by Eggman, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, Cream, Rouge, Silver & Blaze.

If you were a fan of the mobile game, then perhaps this is something to keep an eye out for. Sonic Dash Extreme has been available in America since some point in 2015. Maybe this marketing push will see more vendors picking up the machine?

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Next Retro Gamer magazine to feature Streets of Rage 2, Sonic 25th issue now available

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UK retro gaming enthusiast magazine Retro Gamer is on a roll with Sega coverage!

In their most recent issue (#158), their cover story was Sonic’s 25th anniversary. They included an interview with Sonic Team’s Takashi Iizuka, where they discussed Sonic’s past, present and future. The Sonic coverage was pretty extensive, with it making up a good portion of the issue. SEGAbits and Sonic Retro contributor Nick Thorpe penned the piece.

Interested fans can still find copies of this issue on some newsstands or order it online.

In the next issue of Retro Gamer (#159), the cover story will be Streets of Rage 2. They promise to show “how Sega beat Capcom’s Final Fight to create the Mega Drive’s greatest scrolling fighter.” Well, that certainly sounds promising. The same issue will also have a feature on the Sega Master System.

You can look for it when it arrives or order it here.

It’s not every day you see Sega games gracing the cover of a magazine anymore, at least in English. You might as well take the chance when you get the opportunity.

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SEGA shows off Tokyo Game Show 2016 stage schedule

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Sega-TGS-2016-Stage-ScheduleSEGA is now showing of their Tokyo Game Show 2016 stage schedule. The games they are listed to be showing off at Tokyo Game Show 2016 includes Yakuza 6, Valkyria: Azure Revolution, Puyo Puyo Chronicle, and more. The schedule also includes games by WB and EA which SEGA is helping bring over.

Hit the jump and see the long list of SEGA Tokyo Game Show 2016 schedule, with set times and where to stream them.

[Source: Gematsu]

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Dreamcast indie devs show off new Xenocider swamp stage prototype

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The Xenocider Kickstarter campaign may have been cancelled after it they failed to raise the entire $92,000 goal, but developer Retro Sumus‘ soul still burns! They have been keeping true to their promise to continue working on the game and bringing their vision to fruition.

This week the team posted this short demo of the latest stage they are working on, Planet ORL. This new area has a swamp theme and features hostile plants and animals.

Sumus notes it is still a prototype of the intended final product.

As we reported on previously, Xenocider is a new original game for the Dreamcast heavily inspired by the Space Harrier and Sin & Punishment. The game was set to be one of the more ambitious independent posthumous Dreamcast releases, with loads of features.

What do you think of the Xenocider swamp stage? What sorts of objects and obstacles would you like to see the team add to the final version?

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Superdimension Neptune VS Sega Hard Girls limited edition announced

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Superdimension Neptune VS Sega Hard Girls limited editionIdea Factory has revealed the Superdimension Neptune VS Sega Hard Girls limited edition for the American market. Pre-orders will open for the PS Vita game on September 15th, with it hitting North America on October 18th and Europe on October 21st.

$65 will get you:

  • Superdimension Neptune VS Sega Hard Girls for the PlayStation®Vita system
  • Superdimension “PS Vita” Skin for both the Fat (1000) and Slim (2000) PS Vita
  • 17.7” x 17.7” Iffy’s Chunni-Pillowcase
  • 28-page Superdimension Neptune VS Sega Hard Girls Official Art Book
  • 28-track Superdimension Neptune VS Sega Hard Girls Official Soundtrack
  • Reversible Cover Sleeve
  • Collector’s Box with Slipcover

Hit the jump to see a gallery of all of the contents individually.

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Yakuza 6 website updates, first look at Puyo Puyo, Virtua Fighter 5, other activities

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As previously reported by Famitsu, the latest installment in the Yakuza franchiseYakuza 6 will have Puyo Puyo and Virtua Fighter 5 included as among the variety of minigames and SEGA arcade games included. However, the official Yakuza 6 website has updated with a first look at both games, plus the varies other activities you can play, including karaoke, darts, and mahjong.

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Bayonetta gets Xbox One backwards compatibility

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bayonetta

Have a copy of Bayonetta for the Xbox 360 but worried about upgrading to the Xbox One, or have an Xbox One but neglecting to buy a copy? Good news then, because today Bayonetta is getting Xbox One backwards compatibility along with the games de Blob 2 & Arkanoid Live!, as officially announced on Larry Hryb’s Twitter. This is especially notable for those that lack a Wii U or Xbox360 and want an alternative to play one of the finest games to come out of PlatinumGames, especially since copies that came with Bayonetta 2 are out of print for the former.

Bayonetta has made a recent splash with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS and Bayonetta 2, so if you have an Xbox One and if you’re curious about the game that started this crazy action packed series, give it a shot.

[Source: Larry Hryb’s Twitter/Major Nelson]

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Persona 5 screens let you compare PS4 and PS3 versions

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Persona-5-Release-Date

Atlus has now opened up Persona 5 digital pre-orders for the game on both the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 3 systems. That means that we get to see what Persona 5 looks like running on a PlayStation 3 and a PlayStation 4. You can see the Persona 5 screenshots below this article.

Atlus has also put up a Persona 5 20th Anniversary PlayStation Store edition for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3. This version comes with the following items:

  • Persona 4 Costume & BGM Special Set
  • Persona 3 Costume & BGM Special Set
  • Orpheus & Orpheus Zokujin Set
  • Izanagi & Izanagi Zokujin Set
  • Persona 20th Anniversary All-Time Best Soundtrack
  • 20th Anniversary Special Edition Limited Theme & Avatar Sets

Of course Persona 5 launches in Japan on September 15, 2016 for both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3. The rest of the world has to wait all the way till February 14, 2017 to get our hands on this highly anticipated JRPG. As you can see from the screenshots after the jump, the game doesn’t look much different on either system. What do you think?

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Yakuza 6 adds Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown and Puyo Puyo to play spots

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2978944-screen+shot+2015-12-14+at+11.47.46+amYakuza series is known for having a variety of play spots, mini-games throughout the map to enjoy and Yakuza 6 is no exceptions. While Yakuza 5 had a full playable arcade port of Virtua Fighter 2, it seems that Yakuza 6 will have Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown which is freaking amazing. I think I’m getting a little a ahead of myself with excitement so let’s talk about all the new Yakuza 6 play spots that have been revealed by Famitsu:

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SEGA Genesis Aladdin’s Chicago C.E.S demo rom released

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AladdinCESdemoBack in 1993 SEGA showed off the SEGA Genesis version of Aladdin during the C.E.S show in Chicago, this was a early prototype showing off what players can expect when Aladdin hit store shelves during the 1993 holiday season.According to Hidden Palace wiki, differences between Aladdin’s Chicago C.E.S demo compared to the retail versions are:

  • A lot of levels have enemies either missing from the final or incomplete pencil tests.
  • The level music for Level 2 “The Desert” is a completely different tune that was cut from the final. It’s based on a track from Jungle Book.
  • Aladdin’s lives icon looks different.
  • The “Inside the Lamp” level is completely different from the final. Instead of going all the way to the right of the level, the player instead has to reach the very top by riding on Genie bowling balls and jumping on springs. A lot of graphics appear that are not in the final iteration of the level.
  • The final level uses a different background.

The Aladdin’s Chicago C.E.S demo was dumped thanks to the user Billscat-socks, who has also dumped a ton of different prototypes. Its thanks to users like him that the retro scene gets all these interesting prototypes and we get to see changes made in prior versions. You can download Aladdin’s Chago C.E.S demo below.

Download Aladdin’s C.E.S Demo Here

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