SEGA News

Several Sega Forever mobile games unceremoniously delisted + End of Service announcement

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Remember Sega Forever, and how that started out in 2017 as Sega Europe’s initiative to bring classic Sega games to mobile app stores as free, ad-supported games? Well, Sega Forever is now “Sega For-never,” as more than half of the games released through Sega Forever have now been delisted from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store without so much as an official announcement. On top of that, the games now display an “End of Service” message like the one shown above saying that the games will remain playable, but will lose their online features, which amounted to save states being stored online, leaderboards, and offering you the option to pay $1.99 USD to play without ads. It also has a “More Info” button to show you where else the games available through Sega Forever can be played, but it only currently leads to Sega’s home page. (The above message comes from the Space Harrier II Classic app. I have not been able to confirm if the non-Genesis games display a message like this.)

Check in past the break to see what the remaining games are, as well as some more unsettling news…

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Like a Dragon Gaiden’s opening movie and main theme “Katatoki” released featuring Yojiro Noda & Rapper JID

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SEGA has released Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, this opening movie really shows a contrast to Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth, which is more upbeat story trailers featuring the main cast on an adventure; Like a Dragon Gaiden shows Kazuma Kiryu on the other hand living in the shadows.

What is Kazuma Kiryu doing? What he does best, hanging out at bars and smoking cigarettes.

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Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Trailer shows improved gameplay, guest stars Danny Trejo joining cast and looks tropically amazing

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Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth might be breaking my hype meter, I was on the fence when SEGA revealed that Yakuza: Like a Dragon would take the game from action gameplay to turn-base and not only that replace our favorite hero Kazuma Kiryu. But after playing Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the new combat system, characters and story have become my favorite in the franchise. I did feel like one of the only things holding it back was a more fleshed out combat system and it looks like the team is working overtime to deliver not just making our hero Ichiban a fish out of water in Hawaii, the first time the series has visited America, but also improving a lot of the gameplay. Like the ability to move your characters and actually refocusing on how the characters use items in their paths being shown so far. While the trailer has also shown brand new jobs, I think an issue with the previous title was that only a few jobs where viable in the long run. While new jobs are great, I hope they are all good enough to play in their own way and it isn’t like the previous game where only a few really viable to play high level.

OH AND SEGA BASS FISHING AND SPIKEOUT ARE AVIALBLE TO PLAY IN ARCADES! WE WILL ALSO FIND OUT ABOUT ICHIBAN’S MOM! HYPE METER TO 100%!

You can also check out the ten minute story trailer after the jump, this story trailer shows the first American celebrity to be featured in a Yakuza/Like a Dragon game, Machete himself Danny Trejo!:

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Sonic Superstars gets fantastic “Trio of Trouble” animated short

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One thing that I have loved about the recent classic Sonic the Hedgehog games have been the animated shorts they’ve been releasing, starting with Sonic Mania Adventures! This time, Sonic Superstars gives us this really nicely animated “Trio of Trouble” short. Sadly, when I say short, I mean too short. I could really go for a classic Sonic, silent cartoon. I love it. Obviously the animated short’s name is a reference Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble, the Game Gear exclusive game that was the first time Fang (or Nack) was introduced! We even did a SEGA Talk discussing the game, which you can listen to! 

Sonic Superstars is getting closer to release date as October 17th will be here faster than you can say “Does Fang have a Nack for treasure hunting?” .

 

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SEGA Model 3 Classics, Daytona USA 2 (SEGA Racing Classic 2) and Fighting Vipers 2, set to be playable minigames in Like A Dragon Gaiden

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In a recent issue of Famitsu, it has been confirmed that classic arcade titles, Daytona USA 2 (now renamed SEGA Racing Classic 2) and Fighting Vipers 2 will be fully playable as minigames in Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. For the first time ever, arcade goers can now play Daytona USA 2 at home and Fighting Vipers 2 can now be played worldwide as the original home ports were only available for Europe and Japan territories.

In addition, SEGA Master System titles will also make an appearance again as playable games since Lost Judgment such as Flicky, Galaxy Force, and many more. It amazes me to see more arcade titles ported to RGG games from Yu Suzuki’s classics, Model 2, and now Model 3 games. If this keeps up, I wonder what rare classic SEGA games will appear in Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth?

Like A Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name will be available for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC (Steam) on November 9.

Check out screenshots after the jump.

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Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Movie Filming Location Tour in Canada

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I recently took a trip to Canada and was surprised to learn that a key filming location for the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie was just eight minutes off our main route! Located in Fort Langley, British Columbia, Canada, this location was home to much of the Green Hills scenes in the sequel including the town hall, main street and Mean Bean coffee storefront. Enjoy this walk through cinema history!

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Sonic Frontiers third free content update revealed, titled “The Final Horizon”

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Sonic Frontiers third content update has been revealed, with the subtitle “The Final Horizon” and a release date of September 28th. The update adds new story content, new challenges and the ability to play as Tails, Amy and Knuckles. The teaser trailer showcases a brand new boss and the return of Sage as she and Eggman appear to be working with Sonic and friends.

Sonic Frontiers is available now across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, the Nintendo Switch family of systems and Steam.

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Sonic Superstars release date, DLC and multiplayer detailed

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As gamescom 2023 kicks off, news has dropped on the upcoming Sonic Superstars! 2D classic Sonic is returning to all modern platforms, and he is bringing Tails, Knuckles and Amy Rose with him on a brand new adventure. While the game will have a single player mode, there is also a focus on 2-4 player gameplay and the latest trailer details that element. Local co-op and Battle Mode will allow up to four players to drop in and out of a local game, or battle up to seven other players online or four players locally in a Battle Mode. Most exciting for longtime Sonic fans is the appearance of metal doppelgängers including the long lost Metal Knuckles! These robot duplicates can be build in a new mecha building mode where players can mix and match parts to create new or classic mecha robots.

Also detailed was the Digital Deluxe Edition, which is priced at $69.99 and includes the base game, a Sonic Rabbit Skin (straight from the early Sonic Team concept art), a LEGO fun pack, Mecha Sonic (from Sonic 2) parts, bonus menu wallpapers, a digital artbook and mini-OST and a LEGO Sonic skin.

Sonic Superstars is launching October 17, 2023, and is available for pre-order physically and digitally for PS5 and PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, the Nintendo Switch systems and PC starting at $59.99 USD.

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Samba de Amigo: Party Central demo now available on Nintendo Switch!

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Out of nowhere, SEGA has dropped a demo of Samba de Amigo: Party Central for the Nintendo Switch. Usually these things get press releases or some fanfare from SEGA, but instead it’s just there. So head on over to the Nintendo eShop listing and check out the demo for yourself!

The demo will finally allow players to try the game for themselves to see if SEGA has finally perfected what was the perfect control scheme in the arcade original. The game was ported to the SEGA Dreamcast, with some excellent controls but sadly the dedicated controller cost a lot. The game then released to Wii, and the less said about the controls on that one the better. What are your thoughts on the demo? Sound off below!

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SEGA launches Fast. Friends. Forever. Campaign for Sonic fans

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Today, SEGA has launched the new Fast. Friends. Forever. campaign for Sonic the Hedgehog fans to show the importance of friendship, teamwork, inspiration, and loyalty. The initiative focuses on how Sonic and his friends demonstrate these values both in and out of the games.

The Fast. Friends. Forever. campaign will also continue throughout the year with variety of events and activations including:

  • A four-panel digital comic series by Sonic’s community of friends featuring talented artists from around the world. The first release drops August 9, followed by 14 more issues in the upcoming months.

  • The Sonic Symphony World Tour featuring Sonic and friends alongside popular music from the games. Tour stops include Los Angeles, London, Paris, Dusseldorf and more! Details HERE: https://www.sonicsymphonytour.com/

  • Season two of TailsTube starring Sonic’s best friend and sidekick, Tails.  Get ready for a bunch of new stories that are fun and educational!

  • A dedicated website showcasing all of Fast. Friends. Forever. activities, as well as character bios, spotlights, digital comics, and more! Details HERE: https://www.sonicthehedgehog.com

LEGOLAND is also offering a FREE kid’s ticket, with purchase of an adult ticket, good at any LEGOLAND Theme Park or LEGOLAND Discovery Center in North America through the end of the year. Terms and conditions apply. For more information, go to LEGOLAND.com/SonicSuperstars

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Jet Set Radio 3: The Lost Sequel documentary looks at the past, present and future of the franchise

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YouTube video documentarian kayisthey has released a nearly hour long look back at the many failed attempts at a third Jet Set Radio game. “Jet Set Radio 3: The Lost Sequel” runs through all the concept art, footage and leaked information to give a rather concise history of the games we never got to see, and maybe one we just might see in the near future. Special thanks to kayisthey for reaching out to me, as I am featured throughout the documentary.

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Sonic Superstars animated opening hits the internet

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SEGA has released the animated opening for Sonic Superstars and its beautiful. The art style is very reminiscent of the old school Classic Sonic from the 90s, its nice to see a new take on the classic formula. Hopefully the rest of Sonic Superstars matches up with the quality of this opening animation.

Sonic Superstars is coming out this fall for Playstation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

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SEGA Japan President hinting at Sonic reboots and remakes

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In a recent interview with SEGA Japan President and COO Yukio Sugino via Famitsu, the boss man had expressed interest in ‘reboots and remakes’ of Sonic the Hedgehog games. The interview talks mostly about the success that the Sonic the Hedgehog brand has been having lately with a strong fiscal year and great reception of Sonic Frontiers. Not only that, the success of the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie.

When talking about Samba de Amigo: Party Central, a new revival of a previously dead Sonic Team franchise, Sugino confirmed that the game isn’t a reboot but a new title in the series but was interested in exploring reboots and reboot-like features within new games. He refrenced Sonic Superstars as an example

“a return to 2D action, and although it is a new game, I would like to implement reboot-like measures as well. Of course, we have to do new things, but as with all IPs, we don’t have new works or reboots,. We will develop while selecting which is appropriate at this timing for each IP, such as ‘This is the best way to do this IP’. ‘Sonic’ is also SEGA’s signature IP, and in parallel with the new game, we are considering reboots and remakes.”

This isn’t surprising since Sonic Colors Ultimate was a thing. Considering that a lot of Sonic fans have grown up with older 3D titles that they have been asking remakes for a decade plus, I’d say that I’m all for a Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2 and even Sonic Unleashed reboots or remakes. What older modern Sonic games do you think deserve a full on remake?

[Via Sonic Stadium, Dualshockers]

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Nintendo’s Top 30 downloaded games for 2023 features two Persona games, zero Sonic games

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Nintendo has posted the most downloaded games on the Nintendo Switch so far for 2023. The list was really surprising, since it seems people are really buying re-releases of older games with Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Vol. 1 and 2 made the rankings in the top ten. But on the SEGA side, the most interesting part is that the top 30 downloaded Nintendo Switch games, no Sonic the Hedgehog game made the list.

Though Atlus made the list twice with both Persona 4 Golden (13) and Persona 3 Portable (19) which I consider a big success for these re-releases. Why didn’t Sonic make the list? Good question, SEGA did release Sonic Origins Plus, it came out at the end of June which could mean that the game hasn’t had enough time to sell enough to make the top 30. I guess we will see in the end of the year when the list is re-released to see how that game performed. The surprising part is that Sonic Frontiers hasn’t continued to have the legs on Switch, what with all the free updates happening. I guess most Sonic gamers opted out to play it on beefier hardware?

Check out the top 30 downloaded Nintendo Switch Games for 2023 after the break:

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Retro Game Books’ “Video Game Maps: Genesis & Mega Drive” releases physically and digitally

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From Retro Game Books comes a new book focusing on video game maps from the SEGA Genesis and Mega Drive era, appropriately titled Video Game Maps: Genesis & Mega Drive. The book is the second video game maps book from Brian Riggsbee, the first focused on NES and Famicom games. This book features maps from over 100 Genesis and Mega Drive games, includes memories from thirty gamers and, oh yeah, features a foreword written by yours truly!

You can snag the physical version for $40, and it features 226 full color pages in a paperback format and includes a sticker of the cover art. The digital version, meanwhile,  can be had for $4.95. Having paged through it myself, it’s a really great selection of printed and pixel art maps from the past and is a great overview of that era of SEGA.

But don’t take my word for it!

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