News

New budget, entry level Genesis/Mega-Drive flash cartridge, the OpenED, launches from Everdrive creator Krikzz; goes open-source

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The creator of the Everdrive series of flash cartridges, the one and only Krikzz, has just debuted a new budget priced Mega Everdrive cartridge for Genesis/Mega-Drive systems called OpenED (Open Everdrive). How budget? Try $40 USD. That’s right. For less than the cost of most brand new video games (And certainly less than most original Genesis cartridges cost), you can get your very own new Mega Everdrive cartridge and run lots of Genesis roms on original hardware. (Including many an all-new indie Genesis game, or a long-lost prototype, if you’re so inclined.)

What’s more, the OpenED is also open-sourced, so anyone with the know-how is free to submit improvements on the software or produce their own OpenED cartridges. This way, quality, entry-level Genesis flash cartridges should be available to everyone without having to resort to buying cheap knockoffs from dubious sellers online.

Of course, even with the assured quality, the low cost does present some drawbacks. Head on in after the break to hear more about the OpenED and to order one if you’re interested.

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All-In-One Sega FPGA console “SuperSega” in development; shows world’s first Dreamcast FPGA footage

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There’s been talk lately of an all-in-one Sega FPGA console in the works called the SuperSega. Lots of people are excited by the reveal of this indie project, while others are skeptical about its chances of fulfilling its promises or even coming out at all. We’ve waited a bit for more concrete info about the SuperSega before reporting, so now we’re ready to talk about it at last.

The SuperSega is an FPGA console currently in development that can play games from every single console Sega has ever released (Except the Game Gear, for some reason, at least for now). We’re talking about SG-1000, Mark III, Master System, Genesis/Mega-Drive, Sega CD, 32X, Saturn, and Dreamcast games. Currently, the only Sega FPGA console ever released commercially was Analogue’s now decommissioned Mega SG, which was designed to play Genesis games, as well as SG-1000, Mark III, Master System, and Game Gear games via separately available cartridge adaptors. The SuperSega, on the other hand, only needs an original 32X unit for 32X cartridges. It has built-in cartridge slots and a disc drive for everything else. 

It sounds impressive so far, but as of this writing, no hardware prototype has yet been produced. Work has been done on the software, and a hardware prototype is planned to be produced this September. The SuperSega team has put together test videos, including one of Dreamcast games running on their targeted hardware. At least this way, we know it’s unlikely to be fake. Stop in past the break to see these videos and to learn more.

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Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe returns to San Diego on July 25

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If you happen to be attending San Diego Comic Con or around the area. The official Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe, the popular Sonic-themed restaurant, will be making its return in San Diego with the Grand Opening taking place on July 25, 2024, on 910 J St Space 2, San Diego, CA 92101 from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. PT.

Throughout San Diego Comic-Con (July 25-28), the first 25 people in line each day will be eligible to receive special Sonic giveaways from SEGA. The official blue mascot will be onsite throughout the four-day celebration and surprise guest autograph signings and appearances will take place during Comic-Con.

The three-month pop-up eatery is the fourth iteration of the exclusive collaboration between gaming brand SEGA and Secret Sauce Society’s Andy Nguyen, Kevin Seo and Phillip Huynh. After a successful launch in San Diego in 2023, the restaurant also opened pop-up shops near Los Angeles and Houston.

The latest Speed Cafe location continues to feature iconic characters and themes from the Sonic universe but will also be heavily inspired by the Ultimate Lifeform, Shadow the Hedgehog, in honor of the Fearless: Year of Shadow brand campaign and other exclusive elements for San Diego Comic-Con.

Not only that Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe is coming back during San Diego Comic Con, the Sonic Symphony performance will also take place July 27, 2024 at the San Diego Civic Center. Additionally, the custom Shadow-inspired motorcycle will be cruising around the Gaslamp District on both July 27 and July 28.

Click here for more information on what to expect at Sonic the Hedgehog Speed Cafe!

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SEGA Memories: The Sonic Generations Hype of 2011

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Back during the heights of first person shooters and gritty settings & characters, it was also at a time where Sonic looked he was on the up. After Sonic Colors, something interesting happened that hadn’t been as exciting since the unveiling of Unleashed trailers. Odd that I have 11/1/11 etched into my brain but to me this was a countdown: that at the right place, the right time, and the right feeling, turned into what became a good, if not great, if not awesome, if not outstanding, if not amazing game that would be. I would like to take you into back to 2011 and what it was like to be a fan during that time, the expectations, and the outcome of what is still considered my favorite video game of all time: Sonic Generations for the 360/PS3/PC (unless Sonic x Shadow Gens becomes better lol).

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Lost in Time No More: SEGA’s Canceled Dreamcast MMO “Far Nation” Leaks Footage Online

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Back in the day, the SEGA Dreamcast had quite the list of unreleased games, one of which was “Far Nation.” Briefly announced in 2000, Far Nation was planned to be one of the first console MMORPGs alongside Phantasy Star Online. Details about Far Nation have been scarce for over two decades. Sega only mentioned the title a handful of times before its quiet cancellation in 2001. No screenshots or gameplay details were ever officially revealed.

But now, thanks to Reddit user fuperslizzle0, we might be getting a glimpse of the game. In a post yesterday, they said:

“I’m not going to get too verbose or overbearing with this, other than to say the footage shown here is from a legit disc belonging to a friend of mine who worked at Sega during the time Farnation was in development. We sat down and “played” (or really, experimented with) the game for about 35 minutes, all of which I recorded, and these clips are all we’re prepared to share for now.

Please enjoy, and rest assured, more is coming! ;)”

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Sneak Peek at SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS: Dark Beginnings

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If you were unable to attend Anime Expo this year, no worries as SEGA has officially released the teaser for SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS: Dark Beginnings in high definition.

Serving as a prolouge animation to the upcoming game, past and present collide in a frantic chase for truth and understanding! Shadow is haunted by the memories of battles fought and lives lost. But these nightmares aren’t just lingering pain! They’re prompted by a force Shadow thought was destroyed.

SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS: Dark Beginnings will be released with 3 episodes this fall!

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SEGAbits @ Anime Expo 2024: Metaphor: ReFantazio – Story Trailer

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Today, ATLUS released a new trailer for their upcoming fantasy RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio. The trailer was first revealed to attendees of today’s Anime Expo 2024 panel, “ATLUS Presents: The World of Metaphor: ReFantazio featuring Katsura Hashino & Shigenori Soejima.”

This story-focused trailer offers viewers an early peek at the turbulent events that kickstart the player’s journey in Metaphor: ReFantazio.

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

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A new Genesis/Mega-Drive shmup, ZPF, begins crowdfunding on Kickstarter; already achieves its goal nearly 5x over

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Are you guys ready for an especially wonderful new Sega Genesis/Mega-Drive experience? Apparently a lot of people were. A Kickstarter has been recently opened up for an incredible new shooter by the developer of indie Genesis darling Tänzer and its publisher Mega Cat Studios. ZPF is a game that aims to push the beloved 16-bit console like few modern indie hits have before, and it’s already gone way past it’s initial modest goal of $15,000 USD in less than half an hour after going live on July 1st, 2024. In fact, it is already over $100,000 raised. I think people might be a bit impressed so far.

ZPF is a horizontal scrolling shmup, much like Genesis classics such as the Thunder Force games, Steel Empire (1992), Arrow Flash (1991), and another hotly anticipated indie hit which was also a smashing success on Kickstarter, Irena: Genesis Metal Fury. ZPF aims to set itself apart with some incredibly detailed and imaginative artwork, three playable characters with their own unique attacks, and many secrets, including hidden stages and endings. ZPF aims to go hard or go home.

Suffice it to say, this game’s coming out with or without your support, but there’s still all of July to put a couple of bucks down and earn yourself some rewards. For a rundown of what you can get, as well as more of the game itself, scroll on past the break and be ready to contain your excitement.

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Phantasy Star receives a Table Top RPG

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The original role playing Master System title that started it all, Phantasy Star will be receiving a table top roleplaying game powered by Esper Genesis, a comprehensive sci-fi roleplaying rules system you can use to build, customize, and expand your game, with the only limit being your imagination.

The Phantasy Star Tabletop RPG is a cooperative, storytelling game where you and your friends take on the roles of heroic protagonists in a boundless universe based on the popular Phantasy Star video game series.

The table top role playing game will be available in 2025. You can check out further details and sign up to the mailing list on the official website.

Thanks Mike Cisneros for the news!

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Retro Diner Amy skin for Sonic Superstars now available free to everyone

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Remember the Retro Diner Amy skin that was recently available exclusively to Ihop Rewards members? It is exclusive no longer. You can now finally download this skin completely free on the digital storefronts where Sonic Superstars is available. So if you’re like me and don’t have a Ihop for many miles to travel to just for some delicious Sonic pancakes (I’ve heard from Barry that they were good, anyway.), you can now just have the skin right now for nothing, even beyond the United States, where Ihop restaurants may not even exist depending on your country.

For convenient download links for all the different consoles and PC storefronts, check in past the break.

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Free Sonic Jam Legacy Skin for Sonic X Shadow Generations being offered via email newsletter

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Sega’s back to raid your email with news once again for free cosmetic DLC. If you’re a fan of how Sonic was presented in the Sega Saturn days, you’ll wanna sign up for the Sonic X Shadow Generations email newsletter for this free Sonic Jam Legacy Skin for our favorite boy in blue. As the name suggests, this is directly based on how Sonic appeared in the 3D Sonic World hub from Sonic Jam (1997), only in much sharper detail than a Saturn could present. Sign up by November 1st and you’ll receive the above skin to use when playing as Sonic absolutely free. So check your email storage capacity, change your password if you haven’t for a long time, and come on in past the break for the link to sign up.

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Indie Genesis/Mega-Drive Action RPG “Secret of the Four Winds” opens pre-orders; features all-new arranged music hardware

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Every once in a while, there comes an indie game for retired game consoles that does something really special to stand out from all games on that system, new and old. This is one of those times. Kai Magazine Software, who have developed a bunch of games for the Genesis/Mega-Drive before, have debuted their newest, most ambitious game to date: “The Secret of the Four Winds.”

The Secret of the Four Winds is an action RPG inspired by the likes of cyberpunk classics like Snatcher (1994) and Shadowrun (1994) on the Sega CD and Genesis respectively. The game centers around a trio of protagonists brought together after a mysterious army of shadowy ghosts is summoned that are only vulnerable to a special pistol found by main protagonist Gillian Seed Al. Once you meet your two cohorts, you’ll be able to command each of them in battle and outfit them for any role in battle, such as a tank or healer, for example. You’ll also make choices throughout the game that will affect the outcome of the story and your relationship with your two allies and other characters.

What makes this game really special, and unlike any Genesis game ever seen before, is its use of an all new audio chip developed by Kai Magazine Software, allowing the game to run fully arranged music, as if it were a Sega CD game. While it also gives you the option of regular FM sound, the arranged music is an incredible technical achievement. This has never been seen on Genesis outside of certain flash carts such as the Mega Everdrive Pro, which allowed you to add arranged music to existing Genesis classics through special game patches with its MSU-MD and MD+ technology. The downside is that this game will not function on certain Genesis systems, such as the Genesis 3 or most Genesis clone consoles. Any Model 1 or 2 Genesis should work, according to Kai Magazine Software. They also recommend disconnecting your 32X or Sega CD if music isn’t playing.

For more info, as well as a special video showcasing the game in action, have a look past the break below.

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ESRB Rates The House of the Dead 2: Remake for Nintendo Switch

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The upcoming second remake of the classic arcade horror rail shooter set to be released by Forever Entertainment and Microids has been officially rated on the ESRB website with an M rating featuring the usual blood and gore.

Here is the description from the rating summary:

“This is a rail shooter light gun game in which players assume the role of an agent in search of a missing colleague in Venice, Italy. From a first-person perspective, navigate through the city while using pistols to shoot and kill zombies and mutant creatures. Killing creatures often results in decapitation and/or dismemberment, with large blood-splatter effects. Combat is often fast paced, accompanied by gunfire, screams of pain, and large explosions. A handful of sequences depict civilians attacked and killed by enemy creatures.”

With the game being officially rated on ESRB, we may not have to suffer like G did as The House of the Dead 2: Remake might be just around the corner. Once an official announcement trailer releases, we will be sure to cover the news here!

 

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Beat Returns in Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble via SEGA Pass DLC

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Jet Set Radio’s renegade Rudie, Beat, makes a triumphant return to the world of Super Monkey Ball as a playable character across all game modes while sporting his new look from the upcoming Jet Set Radio game! Get ready to glide, grind and roll with Beat as he joins the monkey gang’s search for the Legendary Banana.

The SEGA Pass is included with the Digital Deluxe Edition of Banana Rumble and will also be available as a separate bundle to purchase. Individual characters will also be available a la carte. All content is scheduled to be released over the coming months.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble launches exclusively for the Nintendo Switch family of systems June 25, 2024. Pre-order your copy here!

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SEGA Talk #142: Ten Electro-Mechnical Arcade Machines (1956-1985)

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On this SEGA Talk, we jump way back to SEGA’s early years as an Electro-Mechanical Arcade Machine manufacturer! So plug in and take a break from screens as we take a look at ten Electro-Mechanical SEGA Arcade Machines!

[iTunes – Stitcher – YouTube – RSS – Download]

Support us on Patreon! Get early access, have your memories read on the show, select the games we talk about!

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