SEGA has released the fifth and final episode of their Sonic Mania Adventures animated web series. The episode features all five heroes taking on Metal Sonic and Doctor Eggman in a final(?) battle. Also released is an official supercut combining all five episodes into an 11 minute video, seen after the break.
Released around 1989, A.B. Cop (Air Bike Cop) is a Sega X Board rarity that few know about and even fewer have played. A super scaler game, like After Burner and Thunder Blade (also Sega X Board titles), A.B. Cop was jointly developed by Aicom and SEGA. In the game, you control an air bike cop who is out to arrest criminals by crashing into their vehicles, thus disabling them. The game is played on a sweet dedicated cabinet in which you perch yourself on a seat and use handlebar controls to move left and right, a button to jump and a lever to accelerate.
SEGA has released a great Sonic Mania Plus infomercial which itself is a throwback to the classic Sonic the Hedgehog commercial featuring a sleazy salesman trying to upsell a customer on the competition. The original ad featured the SNES and Super Mario World going up against Sonic the Hedgehog and a SEGA Genesis, which was $50 cheaper. In the case of the new ad, a $60 first person shooter is going up against the $30 Sonic Mania Plus.
There are a lot of funny moments including the FPS graphics featuring finger guns as weapons, the customer – played by Aaron Webber – getting dizzy from the holographic box art, and the salesman – played by actor/comedian/dancer Nathan Barnatt (aka Keith Apicary) hanging up from a phone call in the same way the original ad began. A big thumbs up to SEGA for producing this!
You can order the game today for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One via Amazon, and in turn support the site. Sonic Mania Plus releases tomorrow!
After the break, check out the original commercial.
Via Twitter user KyroDRX and the Sonic Stadium comes some new details about the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie from Paramount. A friend of KyroDRX received a notice for an upcoming filming on their streets of the movie. The scene will take place in a residential area and will feature a car pulling up to a house, scenes will then take place inside the house. The scenes will be taking place during the day and night, so it is possible that this is a home of a main character and will be featured at various points throughout the movie.
There will be no action or special effects scenes films, only atmospheric smoke will be used. The home address given is a lovely little home just off of an inlet from the Pacific Ocean and the area has a very “Californian” vibe. You can see the home after the break.
Also worth noting is that the movie logo and title might be revealed in the image above. The title is a simple “SONIC” in italics. If you want my graphic designer expert opinion, I don’t like it. Dropping “the Hedgehog” and using italics makes it read like Sonic Drive-In, and the addition of Sonic’s silhouette in the C looks clunky. Sonic already has a logo, so why not use that one?
Our friends at Read-Only Memory, who published the excellent Sega Mega Drive/Genesis: Collected Works and is hard at work on the upcoming Sega Dreamcast: Collected Works, have announced a new SEGA focused book with a very different spin. SEGA Arcade: Pop-Up History will be a large format, high production book of pop-up sculptures of SEGA’s greatest arcade cabinets. The deluxe arcade cabinets include: Hang-On, Space Harrier, Thunder Blade, After Burner, and Out Run. The Holy Quincunx as I call them (I had to Google “trinity but for 5”).
Each pop-up model in this officially licensed book will be accompanied by schematics, game artwork and historical context from by Guardian games writer Keith Stuart – plus everyone who backs the project during the Kickstarter campaign will receive an exclusive limited version, sporting a silver foil, deep embossed cover design.
Read-Only Memory have proven time and time again that they produce the best quality video game history and art and design books, and we urge readers to show their latest project their support. You can learn more about the upcoming book on their Kickstarter campaign page. We will continue to share news about SEGA Arcade: Pop-Up History as we hear it.
The AM2 arcade game Border Break is hitting Japanese PlayStation 4 consoles on August 2nd, and to promote the upcoming release SEGA is doing something really big. Teaming with plastic model company Kotobukiya, SEGA is assembling a 1:1 plastic model kit of a mech from the game. The pieces come complete in runners (those plastic tubes that you cut the model pieces out from) and were on display at Shinjuku Station in Tokyo. Since July 8th, the pieces have left the station and the word is that the model will be assembled though a day and location has yet to be revealed. When we learn more, we will be be sure to share!
No word yet on a western release for the game, but our fingers are crossed. I mean, it’s AM2! Come on, SEGA!
Via Arcade Heroes comes news that Dave & Busters have purchased House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn units for all of their arcades nationwide. The plan is to have the game up and running at all locations in time for Halloween 2018. The units should be shipping end of September to early October. This is according to Dave & Buster’s Senior VP, Kevin Bachus on Reddit. Kevin also states that it is the best by far in the franchise. Meanwhile over in Japan, SEGA has released another location test version at the High-Tech Land SEGA Shibuya with more changes made. You can check out location test details over at The Website of the Dead.
This is great news for fans who wanted to play the game but thought it would be tricky to find a machine, seeing as Dave & Busters have locations in 38 states as well as Canada and Puerto Rico. If a Dave & Busters isn’t near you, fear not as SEGA Amusements are selling units to other chains. If an arcade chain is near you, maybe give them a call and request some Scarlet Dawn!
On our last IDW Sonic video, we asked if you wanted more and you did! So here it is, our SEGA News Bits discussion of IDW Sonic the Hedgehog issues 5 and 6. We’ll be covering these as arcs moving forward, and on this episode we’re taking a look at “The Fate of Dr. Eggman”. How is the writing and art, and what’s the big twist? Click play to find out!
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Good news, Master System fans! Funimation has licensed the 80s anime Zillion! Zillion is a 1987 sci-fi anime from Tatsunoku Productions than ran for 31 episodes. It centers around White Knight J.J. and his fellow White Knights Apple and Champ as they defend the earth colony Maris from the evil Nozas, an alien race intent on wiping humans off the face of the planet. The White Knights battle the forces of evil with their signature weapon, the Zillion Weapon System, a Master System light gun (complete with the cord) capable of destroying the Nozas, who are otherwise invulnerable to human weaponry.
E3 has come and gone, but the content keeps coming! SEGAbits reporters Patrick and Dakota present this very special E3 2018 recap featuring a tour of the SEGA booth and interviews with SEGA and ATLUS staff. Thanks for the hard work, boyos!
On the fence about buying Yakuza Kiwami 2 (what the hell is wrong with you?) or just can’t wait to play the game? The Yakuza Kiwami 2 demo has landed on the PlayStation Store! Pre-orders have also opened for the digital version on PSN, with an exclusive “Dragons” theme and the “Special Item Pack” which includes: Demonfire Blade weapon, Hostess Ono Michiyo, Sotaro Komaki R Clan Card, Jo Amon R Clan Card, The Comedian Suit Outfit, and 1 Million Yen.
Login today and check out the demo and digital pre-order content!
SEGA has released part one of a two-part developer diary in anticipation of the upcoming Sonic Mania Plus, an enhanced physical release of last year’s Sonic Mania. The first part features Sonic Team creative director Kazuyuki Hoshino and Sonic Mania Plus art director Tom Fry discussing the inclusion of Mighty and Ray, the new aesthetics of Encore Mode and more.
It’s great to see Sonic Mania Plus getting behind-the-scenes videos and we can’t wait for the second part! You can pre-order the game today for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One via Amazon, and in turn support the site.
Cook & Becker (who once joined us on a Swingin’ Report Show to discuss their Sonic the Hedgehog art book) have just announced a new SEGA-inspired art print! The latest SEGA art print is inspired by the Dreamcast classic Space Channel 5. Created by artist Veronique Meignaud, whose past work includes Dishonored, Far Cry, Wakfu and Child of Light, the print features star reporter Ulala in stunning futuristic colors.
Those who subscribe to the Cook & Becker newsletter can reserve a low or specific number edition, with the window closing on Sunday, July 8th at 23:59 CET. After that we presume the prints will go on sale to the public. You can browse Cook & Becker’s SEGA selections here.
SEGA has released a new trailer for Shenmue I & II, as well as new screenshots and revealed an exclusive poster and release date. The game releases soon, August 21, 2018, and both European and American versions come with a two sided poster and a reversible cover. As revealed yesterday, save data will carry over from I to II, however save data from II will not carry over to the upcoming III. I do hold out hope that III will at least have some way to check for a save file from the remasters and give some sort of bonus for players.
UK based Bitmap Books have been around for a while, producing high quality art books featuring classic game consoles. “SEGA Master System: a visual compendium” is their first foray into the world of SEGA, and to make the book happen they’ve turned to Kickstarter. The book will feature pixel art, product design and graphic design associated with this iconic 8-bit system. The book is also officially licensed by SEGA and is the first book of this kind to be released for the Master System.
