News

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team and Metaphor: ReFantazio™ announce new partnership for the Singapore Grand Prix

September 19, 2024 by Kori-Maru

Today, ATLUS and the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team announced a race partnership bringing gaming entertainment to racing fans.

The one race partnership will see Metaphor: ReFantazio logo adorn the top nose of the cars for Nico Hülkenberg and Kevin Magnussen during the Singapore Grand Prix. The logo will feature the in-game characters’ Hulkenberg for Nico Hülkenberg’s car (no relation) and the Protagonist for Kevin Magnussen’s car.

More details and press release on the partnership can be found at the jump!

SEGA News Bits Live: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Movie Toy Guide

September 18, 2024 by Barry

The third Sonic movie is on the horizon, and with it is merch! Toys, plush, playsets and more are releasing right now – and on this video, Barry breaks down what is releasing, where to find it all, and what to pass on.

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HJC Helmets Unveils New Shadow the Hedgehog Helmets

September 16, 2024 by Kori-Maru

Today, SEGA has announced its partnership with HJC Helmets for the release of a brand-new Shadow the Hedgehog themed helmet, following the release of the Sonic the Hedgehog helmet. Fans can now bring their favorite brooding hedgehog along with them on their own Dark Rider adventures this October 2024.

The RPHA 12 helmet features Shadow the Hedgehog’s distinctive mischievous smile, including his trademark red eyes, complemented by a striking black and red color scheme that captures his fearless and intense personality.

The transition from the RPHA 11 to the RPHA 12 showcases HJC’s commitment to continuous improvement. The RPHA 12 is designed for both racetrack and street use, making it a choice for riders looking for exceptional performance in various riding conditions.

The new RPHA 12 helmet is lightweight, which will play a role in the all-new aerodynamics of the helmet. The new aerodynamics will help with less wind resistance and head movement, allowing riders to experience less drag. Additionally, the new vents keep the rider cool and help prevent fogging.

SEGA Releases New Content Update for Sonic Dream Team

September 12, 2024 by Kori-Maru

Today, SEGA announced the latest jam-packed content update for Sonic Dream Team – the latest 3D Sonic the Hedgehog action-platformer, playable exclusively on Apple Arcade. This update brings some overhauls to the popular Tails Challenges, as well as newly added Powers including Stomp, Super Glide, and more!

Here is what the update has to offer:

Powers Have Arrived!

Unlock and equip Powers to grant Sonic and team powerful new abilities including Stomp, Super Glide, Wall Boost, and more. These are unlocked via Tails’ Challenges and let you customize your loadout to suit your playstyle. There are 16 Powers to unlock and experiment with!

Daily Rewards and More

Tails’ Challenges now refresh daily and deliver more rewards! Players can also earn rankings on every Challenge mission, with the coveted S-Rank awarding bonus XP for faster unlocking of rewards and Powers.

Score Attack Levels Now Available

In Tails’ Challenges, players can dive into new Score attack levels. Smash through targets, destroy enemies and obstacles, and chain together moves for combo streaks. Post high scores to the leaderboards and see who gets to the top!

Rock Out to More Sonic Tunes!

Fan favorite music tracks from other Sonic games can now be unlocked through Tails’ Challenges, and players can now groove to any of their unlocked songs during gameplay!

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

SEGA Releases New ‘Fearless’ Takashi Iizuka Interview All About Shadow

September 10, 2024 by Kori-Maru

Today, SEGA released a new, exclusive interview with Sonic Team Creative Officer Takashi Iizuka, who sat down to answer questions from fans in the Sonic community about Shadow the Hedgehog and the Fearless: Year of Shadow campaign.

Sonic Team’s Fearless: Year of Shadow campaign spotlights Shadow, who is set to star in the upcoming video game, SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS, which is set to be released on October 25, as well as the highly anticipated movie, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3”, heading to theaters on December 20 this year. The campaign celebrates what it means to be Fearless and embracing your inner Shadow by bravely facing challenges head on.

Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis -The Answer- Available Now + New Launch Trailer

September 10, 2024 by Kori-Maru

Today, ATLUS launched the final content release for the Persona 3 Reload Expansion Pass, Episode Aigis -The Answer- on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, Steam, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.

Added to the game 16 years ago with the release of Persona 3 FES, Episode Aigis -The Answer- (originally known as “The Answer” in North America) is a major post-ending DLC that expands the story of Persona 3 Reload. Delve into a modern version of the final chapter with over 30 hours of new gameplay, now with cutting-edge graphics, updated quality-of-life features, fresh animations and UI, and a rearranged soundtrack.

In Episode Aigis -The Answer-, after unraveling the mysteries of the Dark Hour, fighting epic battles through Tartarus, and all the unforgettable events of Persona 3 Reload, the S.E.E.S. members find themselves trapped in a never-ending March 31st. Journey through the Abyss of Time as Aigis, undertake new challenges and uncover the cause of this strange fate and the truth of what happened on that day…

Special to Persona 3 Reload’s version of the epilogue is the return of a fan-favorite character and iconic music from Persona 5 Royal as a challenge battle boss fight. Watch the “A Familiar Foe” trailer here to unveil the face behind the mask.

The Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass includes Episode Aigis -The Answer-, the Velvet Costume & BGM Set, and the Persona 5 Royal EX & Persona 4 Golden EX BGM Sets. The Expansion Pass is available on digital storefronts for $34.99 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, Steam, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. The Expansion Pass is available at no extra cost to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers through January 31, 2025.

The Sega Dreamcast turns 25 years old today (In North America)

September 9, 2024 by Big Elk

The year is 1999. In that year, films such as Toy Story 2, The Sixth Sense, The Matrix, Fight Club, and Pokémon: The First Movie came out in theaters. Shows like SpongeBob SquarePants, The Sopranos, Futurama, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?, and Ed, Edd, n’ Eddy premiered on TV. Songs such as “…Baby, One More Time” by Britney Spears, “Can I Get A…” by Jay-Z feat. Amil and Ja Rule, “No Scrubs” by TLC, “Butterfly” by Crazy Town, and, yes, “All Star” by Smash Mouth topped the charts. In Japan, anime such as Corrector Yui, Excel Saga, Medabots, and One Piece premiered on TV while Digimon Adventure premiered both in Japan and internationally. Video games like Super Smash Bros., Unreal Tournament, Final Fantasy VIII, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, Roller Coaster Tycoon, and Persona 2: Innocent Sin came out while Sega launched arcade games like Crazy Taxi, Emergency Call Ambulance, Harley-Davidson pinball, and South Park pinball. (Sega Pinball‘s last two games before they were sold off to Stern Pinball this same year.) Sega had done something else even more significant on this day that very same year, though. (Anyone else feeling a little Déjà vu?) Sega launched the Dreamcast on the easiest date in video game history to remember: 9/9/99. Happy 25th Anniversary!

Throughout 1999, Sega had cranked the hype machine up to 11 for Dreamcast, setting this up to be Sega’s grand return to the console race following their many missteps with the Sega Saturn. On September 9th of that year, the Dreamcast would launch with an abundance of excellent games available right away, including Crazy Taxi, The House of the Dead 2, NFL 2K, Power Stone, Soul Caliber, Hydro Thunder, and, of course, Sonic Adventure, and that’s not even half of what gamers could choose from on day 1. In fact, because Sonic hadn’t made a big splash on the Saturn, Sonic Adventure was as much a return to glory for Sonic as the Dreamcast was for Sega. With such an incredible launch, Sega raked in almost $100 million USD in just that first day, insuring that no matter what happens after that, Sega rang in the new millennium in style. While the console did not last long commercially, even compared to the Saturn, it made such a lasting impression that it enjoys just as much of a lofty spot in gaming and pop culture history as the Genesis before it.

Join us after the break as we start thinking about this incredible legacy.

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Celebrate the SEGA Dreamcast 25th Anniversary with the Dreamcast Anniversary Collection from Limited Run Games

September 9, 2024 by Kori-Maru

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the SEGA Dreamcast. To celebrate the console release, SEGA has teamed up with Limited Run Games once again to provide new merchandise such as trading cards, apparel, and many other items.

This Dreamcast Collection will feature 200 premium trading cards featuring art from the system’s most iconic games and franchises along with hoodies, t-shirts, pins, keychains and a Dreamcast coin.

In addition to the trading cards, every month starting in October, new trading card merchandise will be available for pre-order focusing on games from the Limited Run Dreamcast Trading Card set which includes:

Skies of Arcadia
Shenmue
Shenmue II
Phantasy Star Online
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure 2
Crazy Taxi
ChuChu Rocket!
Jet Set Radio
Space Channel 5
Virtua Fighter 3tb
Samba de Amigo
House of the Dead 2
Zombie Revenge
Dynamite Cop!

Pre-orders are available now here until October 13th.

New Metaphor: ReFantazio “ATLUS Exclusive” – World Tour Livestream Featuring Katsura Hashino

August 29, 2024 by Kori-Maru

This evening’s stream showcased Metaphor: ReFantazio’s fantastical world, in which players will encounter the beautiful, the strange and the unique during their journey. Studio Zero director Katsura Hashino led viewers on a guided tour through multiple never-before-seen locations, from small towns, to islands, to labyrinths and to the belly of a worm. Hashino-san also introduced a new ally, Eupha, and hinted that more about her will be revealed in the future.

At the conclusion of today’s showcase, Hashino-san teased the next “ATLUS Exclusive” showcase – airing this Fall – and invited viewers to visit ATLUS at Tokyo Game Show 2024 to try a demo of Metaphor: ReFantazio.

Metaphor: ReFantazio launches October 11, 2024 for Xbox Series X|S, Windows, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and Steam. Physical and digital pre-orders are available now.

SEGA News Bits Live: Sonic Movie 3 Trailer Breakdown and Analysis

August 28, 2024 by Barry

SEGA News Bits Live is back! When big news drops, we have to jump on and talk about it. This week, the first trailer for the Sonic 3 movie dropped, and Barry breaks down and analyzes the trailer.

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Shadow Creator Disavows Vegeta Comparison, Not Friends with Sonic

August 27, 2024 by George

The comparisons between Sonic the Hedgehog and Dragon Ball aren’t new; the two series share a lot of similar aspects in terms of tropes between their characters and power-ups. At this year’s Gamescom 2024, Catherine Lewis from GameRadar asked Shadow the Hedgehog creator Iizuka if he thinks the character has been interpreted differently over the past decade than he originally conceived him. His answer didn’t surprise anyone: ‘Yes.’

“So yes, there are some ways that people interpret Shadow that are not how the team is intending,” Iizuka begins (via translator). “I think the biggest one, if you look online, everyone’s like, ‘Oh, this is Dragon Ball Vegeta.” states that Shadow is “not Vegeta in any way. Vegeta really starts out as an enemy and then later becomes a friend and an ally and kind of, like, fights for justice and trying to save the world and whatnot. Shadow is not like that. I never want him to be like that. Shadow is doing his own thing, he’s not friends with Sonic, and he’s gonna go off and, you know, do whatever he feels is correct or right, or what he needs to do. And it’s not like, ‘Well, okay, we used to be enemies, but we’re friends now. Let’s save the world.’ He’s not that kind of character, and [I don’t] want him to be that kind of character.

“So when people are always online saying, ‘Oh, it’s Vegeta, it’s Vegeta,’ it’s like, it’s not Vegeta,” he laughs.

It’s quite interesting that he seems to be suggesting that he doesn’t agree with this sort of characterization that has been given to Shadow the Hedgehog by fans. While Shadow the Hedgehog isn’t really friends with Sonic the Hedgehog, they do save the world together when their goals align and would say they have a more ‘rival’ type of relationship, which I think Iizuka shouldn’t be afraid of promoting. I think it gives Sonic and Shadow an interesting dynamic.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 adds Dreamcast classics Power Stone, Power Stone 2, Project Justice, & more

August 27, 2024 by George

HIT THE BELL! Its finally here, the grand return of Power Stone. Are you ready for the Power Stone wars once again? I guess this new Capcom Fighting Collection 2 marks the end of an era, the era of the such titles like Power Stone, Power Stone 2 and Project Justice finally getting a ‘superior’ release to the SEGA Dreamcast. I know some people will say that Power Stone Collection from 2006 would be considered ‘better’, but quite frankly found the loading and graphics superior on Dreamcast.

Though this new collection is set to make all that a thing of the past and…. I’m all for it! I think if you want a new generation of gamers to fall in love with your amazing older franchises you need collections like these with all new additions like online rollback netcode. Let’s be honest, when this releases playing with your discord friends across the country.

I’m excited. Let’s go!

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 theatrical trailer FINALLY premieres

August 27, 2024 by Big Elk

The moment everyone has been waiting for has finally come. Paramount Pictures has at last unleashed the movie trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the long awaited third chapter in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie universe, as well as the movie debut of everyone’s favorite edgehog, Shadow, shown above doing the famous Akira motorbike slide. He does more than slide though. He also speaks for the very first time, sounding a lot like a certain movie star we all know and love who’s quite experienced with firearms himself.

This trailer’s also the movie debut of another very well known Sonic character with an intimate connection to Shadow, which I won’t spoil. Just motorbike slide in below the break to see for yourself, then contain your excitement and your holiday spirit until Sonic the Hedgehog 3 debuts in theaters on December 20th, 2024.

Yakuza Kiwami announced for Nintendo Switch; Available on October 24th!

August 27, 2024 by Kori-Maru

During the last bit of the Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase stream, Yakuza Kiwami was announced to be ported to the Nintendo Switch for the first time and will be available digitally on October 24th.

New players can experience the early adventures of Kazuma Kiryu as he emerges from prison 10 years later after taking a fall of a murder to yakuza clans on the brink of a war that hurtles him on an intense journey of love, humanity, and betrayal, fueled by his fists and unyielding resolve, set against a bustling red-light district in modern day Japan.

This is also a great way to promote the upcoming live action TV adaptation of the game coming to Amazon Prime Video on October 25th. Will you get the Nintendo Switch version of Yakuza Kiwami? Let us know in the comments below!