SEGAbits talks Sonic 3 movie and more on the Sonic Weekly podcast

SEGAbits, well Barry specifically, made an appearance on the Sonic Weekly podcast to talk all things Sonic 3 movie, Gerald Robotnik, Wreck-It Ralph and more! Check out the episode in the video above, or search out “Sonic Weekly” on your podcatcher of choice. Thanks to David and Grant for the invite!

After the break, you can listen to Barry’s first appearance on the show!

A hidden (and broken) stage has been revealed in Fighters Megamix after 28 years.

Can anyone believe it’s been 30 years since the Sega Saturn launched in Japan? To celebrate the occasion, Yutaka Ito, who works today as a director at RGG Studio, revealed a well hidden secret about Fighters Megamix (1997), the acclaimed crossover fighter on Saturn that he worked on during his early years working for Sega as a programmer at AM2. There was a secret stage hidden away in the game, only accessible through a secret code that he had originally intended to reveal to players through magazines. The reason he didn’t? The stage contained a bug that softlocks the game, which he didn’t find out about until the game already shipped to retail. He really seems to take that mistake personally too.

Want to see what this mysterious(-ly destructive) stage looks like? Check it out after the break.

Internationally Renowned Artist Romero Britto and SEGA Bring an Exciting Art and Consumer Goods’ Collaboration to Miami

Today, SEGA and internationally famed artist, Romero Britto, are excited to announce they will be teaming up in December 2024 to debut artworks and consumer goods from the BRITTO x Sonic collaboration through a pop-up at Britto’s flagship gallery in Miami, Florida.

On December 7, in Miami, fans will have the opportunity to experience Britto’s vibrant and bold artwork, including a collection of fine art and fun consumer goods from the Sonic collection.

The launch event of the BRITTO x Sonic collaboration in Miami will be held on December 7th, 2024 Saturday, from 6-8PM EST at the Romero Britto Gallery on 1102 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33139 and will feature the presence of Romero Britto as well as the official Sonic character.

Check out more information on the event by clicking the next section of the article!

Good Smile Company reveals Jet Set Radio’s Gum as a Nendoroid figure

SEGA’s presence in the Nendoroid line of figures will expand with the first Jet Set Radio figure of the series star Gum! While Beat is seen as the face of Jet Set Radio, with the character seeing multiple action figures, statues and even a toy car of his appearance in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, other characters from the game series never seem to get the same level of love.

Jelly Roll’s “Run It” revealed for the Sonic 3 movie soundtrack – possible end credit song?

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (the movie, not the Genesis video game) is less than a month away, and promotion has kicked into high gear with in-person events, weird press kits and soundtrack reveals. In the case of the latter, Paramount has debuted a new song from country music artist Jelly Roll entitled “Run It”. The Song is set to be included on the Sonic 3 movie soundtrack, but whether it is the end credits song has yet to be confirmed. However, given past end credit songs had debuts around this time before their respective movie’s release, it is likely that “Run It” is joining the ranks of “Speed Me Up” and “Stars In The Sky”.

Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. Announced for Steam; Launching This Winter

Virtua Fighter players can finally rejoice as SEGA has made surprising announcement that Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O (based on Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown) is coming to Steam this winter and will provide players an optimized gaming experience in their quest to become the world’s greatest fighter with new features such as:

  • Rollback Netcode support, gorgeous 4K visuals with updated character models, stages, and cinematics.
  • Custom Combatants: Enter the ring with one of 19 playable characters. Master each of their unique fighting styles and customize them with distinctive costumes and items.
  • The Full Experience: Enjoy the pinnacle of Virtua Fighter as you battle it out across your favorite modes like Rank Match, Arcade, Training, and Versus
  • Crush the Competition: Take on challengers from around the world as you compete with up to 16 players in new online modes including Tournaments and League.

Game balance updates will also be reflected in the existing version of Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown on PlayStation 4 as a future update. You can wishlist Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O today on Steam. We will update everyone when more news arrives.

SEGA Releases New High-Octane Update for Sonic Racing on Apple Arcade

Today, SEGA released a new content update for Sonic Racing, the ultimate high-speed, multiplayer racing experience available exclusively on Apple Arcade. The latest update brings Popstar Amy, Idol Shadow, and new community challenges!

Here is the breakdown on the latest update:

  • A Team that Races Together, Wins Together!

    • Community challenges are now available – work together with the rest of the Sonic Racing community to clear objectives and unlock big rewards.

  • Popstar Amy and Idol Shadow Join the Fun

    • Two new characters enter the race! Players can now unlock Popstar Amy through time trials and unlock Idol Shadow through the new community challenges.

Sonic Racing also had a few updates earlier this year that included new racers Rockstar Rouge and DJ Vector, the addition of time trials, and team combos, which allow players to use special team setups to get powerful abilities like super drift, bonus XP, and more.

Sonic Racing is available now exclusively on Apple Arcade and is playable across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro.

G FUEL x Metaphor: ReFantazio “Awakening Collector’s Box” collaboration announced

Energy drink maker G FUEL and SEGA owned game studio Atlus have announced a collaboration which will see the game Metaphor: ReFantazio reimagined as a peach raspberry energy drink flavor. The flavor will be released as a powder tub in the Awakening Collector’s Box which also comes with a Metaphor: ReFantazio branded shaker featuring the game’s logo and character art.

Fans can join a waitlist to order the collector’s box, and if you use the promo code “SEGABITS” at checkout you can knock 20% off your order!

Hatsune Miku and Godzilla rolls into Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble + Free 2.00 Update Coming On November 26

SEGA has announced that virtual singer idol, Hatsune Miku, and the King of the Monsters, Godzilla, will be the next set of playable DLC characters for Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble. Players can smash the competition as Godzilla, with banana pickups replaced by trains, or groove through various stages as Miku, collecting musical notes instead of bananas. Along with the character DLC, a free 2.00 update will be available to enhance players’ experiences with Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble. The new features in free 2.00 update will include:

  • NIJSANJI Outfit Set – For Virtual YouTuber fans, the outfit set will include a NIJISANJI UKIUKI Cup logo t-shirt, monkey ball with the NIJISANJI UKIUKI Cup logo emblazoned on it, and costume inspired by Saegusa Akina from NIJISANJI.
  • Super Punchy Brawl – A new multiplayer game that will be added to Battle Mode as part of the 2.00 update. Here, players can send their opponents flying by knocking them off the map with a big boxing glove! Players can use panels scattered around the stage to buff their boxing gloves up to two times to make punches even stronger, increasing the amount of damage caused. They can also store damage from an opponent’s punch up to two times – the more damage stored, the easier it is to knock opponents away. The player with the most points at the end of the round wins! Furthermore, a new stage has been added to the existing Banana Hunt game.
  • Time Attack will now include a new Banana Bonus option where the players can collect bananas to reduce their overall time.
  • The No Miss Challenge tests players to see how far they can survive in Adventure Mode with only one life.
  • Super Speed makes players’ balls roll even faster. Don’t fall off the Stage!
  • Step into the world of your character with Monkey See, where players can see the world from inside their ball!
  • The bravest monkeys can show their skills with even more difficult courses in Ultimate EX stages.
  • Quick retry feature has also been added that allows players to immediately restart a stage without pausing the game. Plus, when you’re playing Adventure Mode with friends, you won’t have to disband your room anymore when going between Worlds.

Hatsune Miku, Godzilla, and the free 2.00 update will all be available on November 26th. Watch the Hatsune Miku and Godzilla reveal trailers by clicking the highlighted links and the next section of the article for screenshots.

SEGA in the Media: Detroit Lions Superstar Duo Nicknamed “Sonic & Knuckles”

During the run of this 2024 season, the Detroit Lions have sparked success in having their best overall regular season start at 8-1 and it is partly thanks to running back’s dual-threat duo: Jahmyr Gibbs (#26) & David Montgomery (#5). But what has added to their fun of winning is their newly dubbed nicknames: Sonic & Knuckles, respectfully. Memes and even fans are starting to get into the names and it isn’t just for show. With Gibbs’ elusive speed combined with Montgomery’s bulldozing tenacity, the RB pair have a combined 15 TDs and over 1200 combined rushing yards as of Week 11.

Phantasy Star Tabletop Roleplaying Now Available For Pre-Order + New Details

 

If you have been following up with the news on the upcoming Phantasy Star Tabletop Roleplaying game since its announcement, Skydawn Game Studios has now announced a special-pre-order offer for the game. Pre-order your copy today and receive a free PDF of the book and a bonus starter adventure”: The Search for Luveno. This adventure provides a quick-start tutorial on how to play the game and comes with four pre-generated characters from the original Phantasy Star.

Here are some details on the Core Rules for the upcoming tabletop role playing game:

Origins

  • Choose from a range of planetary origins from utopian cities to frozen wastelands or remote space colonies.
  • Shape your lineage and culture from a variety of galactic species such as Human, Newman, Android, Beastkin, Dezolian, or Motavian.

Professions

  • Each persona is trained in one or more professions. Slay marauding bio-monsters as a Hunter. Become an Esper and channel ancient spells and rituals. Or wield specialized tools and techniques as an Agent or Scientist.
  • You can also choose from one of many other available professions such as the Guardian, Warrior, Thief, and more.

Pre-orders for Phantasy Star Tabletop Roleplaying is now available on the website for $69.99 and set to be release for Summer 2025.

 

 

Lost Sega Channel exclusive Genesis/Mega-Drive games “The Chessmaster” and “Klondike Solitaire” discovered and dumped online

We got more long lost Sega Channel material for ya. Thanks to the hacking community on our very own sister website Sonic Retro, a new data disc of Sega Channel material has been found and uploaded to the internet. This was an archive of the game selection made available on the service in September, 1996, which includes a variety of Genesis/Mega-Drive games many of us are already familiar with, but most importantly, it includes two exclusive games that were never released anywhere else: The Chessmaster and Klondike Solitaire. News of this discovery was brought to our attention by famed romhacker and Sega Channel enthusiast Billy Time Games, who had very recently preserved someone else’s video tapes of the Sega Channel experience.

This is a great time for lost Sega Channel media returning for the first time in decades, so if you’re as excited as we are, log in through the break and find out more about these discoveries.

Topgolf Sonic the Hedgehog Game Launching in Topgolf U.S. Venues

Attention Sonic the Hedgehog fans and golf players! Sonic are friends are coming to all Topgolf U.S. locations starting Friday, November 15, 2024 with the official launch of the new game, Topgolf Sonic the Hedgehog. Play golf with friends head-to-head in iconic virtual Sonic environments like Green Hill Zone and Sky Sanctuary, while hitting springs, collect rings and destroy Dr. Eggman’s badniks.

The game will be exclusively available for play at Topgolf venues across the U.S. and Glasgow and will roll out across additional Toptracer-enabled franchise venues around the globe in Q1 2025. Developed by Topgolf in partnership with SEGA®, the game is the first venture into the golf entertainment space for the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.

Check the next section of this article to read the press release for more information on the Topgolf and Sonic the Hedgehog collaboration.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii – New Game Details, Naval Combat Info Revealed

SEGA’s Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has released new details for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, providing a closer look at combat elements such as “dark instruments,” as well as more insight on life on the high seas, including ship customization and tips for emerging victorious in battle!

Taking place after the events of Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the game follows Goro Majima as he reclaims his memories, forms his own pirate crew, and conquers the open sea in search of legendary treasure.

Check out the next section of the article for further details and screenshots on battle styles, navel combat, and dark instruments.

Pre-Order on Amazon

Standard Edition: PlayStation 4 | PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X

Collector’s Edition: PlayStation 5 | Xbox Series X

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Demo Available Today on Steam and PlayStation

Today ATLUS announced that a free demo for the demon-collecting RPG Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is now available on Steam, and will also be available for PlayStation today at 9pm PT.

In the demo, players can choose between two story paths, the brand-new story “Canon of Vengeance” or the original story from SMTV “Canon of Creation”. Explore a post-apocalyptic Tokyo, now reduced to an expansive wasteland called Da’at that is torn apart by a conflict between angels and demons. Progression from the demo will carry over to the full game, so players can continue their journey right from where they left off. Both story paths can be experienced for those interested in exploring each.

The free demo release follows the patch released earlier this month on all available platforms that includes the following.

  • New Demon Kishin Marici

  • Addition of Fan-selected Demon Navigators (Hell Biker, Idun, Fionn mac Cumhaill, Mothman, Mara, and Cleopatra)

  • The New Elite Difficulty for the Virtual Trainer

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is the definitive version of the critically acclaimed RPG, which introduces a new storyline, brand-new characters, a new area to explore, a new dungeon, more accessible gameplay, an improved battle system, new demon experiences and currently has a metascore of 90 (PC) and 87 (PS5) on Metacritic as of today.

Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance is available now for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Windows.