Original Content

Why SEGA should stick with PlatinumGames

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The closure of Clover Studio several years back was a sad day for the gaming industry, not only because they had just developed a multiple Game of the Year award winner (the beautiful Okami) but also because it was such a shame to see the developer of some of Capcom’s most interesting and innovative content getting the axe. It was a dose of reality: a reminder that originality and innovation doesn’t always pay off (and SEGA knows that probably better than anybody) in an industry that’s rapidly becoming more and more hit-driven and sequel-based.

The good news came shortly after, when it was revealed that the heads of Clover Studios had no intention of folding back inside Capcom. Instead, key developers Atsushi Inaba, Hideki Kamiya, and co. formed what would eventually become PlatinumGames, taking many former Clover Studios developers with them. In a move of pure brilliance, SEGA picked up the partnership, what turned out to be an incredible fit.

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SEGA Sequel Saturdays: Yakuza 5

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Hey guys, hope everyone in Internetland enjoyed their April Fools day! Welcome to Episode 11 of SEGA Sequel Saturdays. This week I’ll be expressing my thoughts on the (inevitable) sequel to a game that just released, Yakuza 4. SEGAbits’ official review will be up soon, but you can read my own opinion on Yakuza 4 at my blog, here. I feel that Yakuza 4’s a fun game with lots and lots to do and some great storytelling, but at the same time, its formula is really beginning to show its age. I don’t think Yakuza 5 is even worth announcing if we’re not going to be getting some big changes and updates, and here’s what I think they should be.

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Round Table: Our favorite SEGA advertisments

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SEGA has been around the gaming business longer than most companies and when they came into the home console business they changed the game. Especially in the 90’s with their marketing campaigns that really expanded the demographic for video games.

Now we tell you what our favorite advertisements are, you can share yours as well in the comments.

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5 SEGA Things Found on Etsy

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It’s not surprising that Etsy, the popular online shop devoted to selling handmade and vintage items, has a number of video game related things for sale. I mean, the place is basically a hot spot for those trendy kids who like combining their love for Pac-Man and NES games with their creative talents.

In this week’s weekly five, I thought I’d share five SEGA related products that caught my eye. While I could have highlighted the worst ones, I thought I’d go the positive route and show off some of the best items. You never know, you might like something enough to buy it!

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Sonic Stories: Barry the Nomad

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In celebration of Sonic’s 20th anniversary, SEGAbits proudly presents a limited feature highlighting SEGAbits stories from writers and readers of how they got into the franchise and their history with Sonic. Want to share your Sonic story? Check out the dedicated topic in the SEGAbits forum.

Welcome to the first entry of Sonic Stories! I’m one of those fans who was introduced to SEGA by way of Sonic the Hedgehog. Specifically the 1991 original classic. As such, despite now being a fan of many different SEGA franchises, it always comes back to Sonic the Hedgehog. To kick off this series, I wanted to share how I got into the franchise, my favorite moments as a fan as well as open up the article series to other SEGAbits readers and writers.

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SEGA Tunes Vol.3 “End of the Millennium”

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The long, long struggle of ancient times finally ended…
The victor sacrificed the vanquished to the heavens.
Four bells tolled. Four torches were lit.
And the world continued for thousands of years…

Phantasy Star: End of the Millennium is an epic journey of Self Discovery and finding purpose in life and most importantly, learning the value of love and friendship. Arguably one of the most memorable games from the Genesis in terms of Graphics and Gameplay was your typical JRPG, featuring the usual dungeons and the old school 2D top down camera angle. What elevated the game to the next level was the deep and fleshed out story, complete with the finest character development in video game history.

This tale of epic proportions was paired with some classic tunes that, nearly 2 decades later, fans fondly remember and remix. While there literary are thousands of remixes and arrangements out there, we share some of our favorites with you today.

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SEGA Sequel Saturdays: Sonic 4 Episode 2

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Episode 9 time, ladies and gentlemen. Back when SEGA announced that a return to 2D Sonic was being developed, (then code-named Project Needlemouse,) there was a surge of excitement throughout the industry and the fanbase. After so many years, and after a series of hit-or-miss 3D Sonic games, SonicTeam was finally about to deliver us a modern-day console 2D Sonic game. At the time, my opinion was that that SEGA absolutely could not afford to wuss out with the name: if they were really going to do this, I said, there was no point without calling it Sonic the Hedgehog 4. Sure enough, Project Needlemouse did become Sonic the Hedgehog 4, and well…read on.

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Hands On: Super Monkey Ball Ticket Blitz

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I am very fortunate to live near a brand new Round 1 Arcade. It’s a bowling, Karakoe, UFO Ctacher and Video Arcade that originated from Japan. They tend to have the most brand new video arcade games out there. One they just recently got was Super Monkey Ball: Ticket Blitz. A fairly different take on Monkey Ball that rewards you with prize tickets.

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SEGA Sequels: Disappointing SEGA Sequels

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Last week, SEGA Sequel Saturdays took a look at 5 of my favorite SEGA Sequels and why they managed to overcome my usual “sequel hatred” to become games that I really enjoyed. This week, it only seemed natural to look at the other side of that; to write about 5 of my least-favorite sequels and why I feel they failed to deliver. So, without further ado, let’s jump into episode 8!

(As always, feel free to throw in your own two cents via the comments section.)

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Greg Miller/IGN’s Yakuza 4 Review – My Thoughts

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Usually at Segabits we would stay clear of critic bashing but I really feel this needs to be said.

This is of course in regards to the review score Greg Miller of IGN has just given Yakuza 4 (6.5/10).

Just about everyone who has played the Japanese version of the game, be it the Japanese people I’ve spoken to about it or the Westerners who have imported the game, seem to all agree that Yakuza 4 is one of the best games in the series yet.  On the other side of the coin, it’s generally agreed by most fans that Yakuza 3 was the weakest installment in the series so far with a very slow start with its baby sitting children and rather monotonous fetch quests making up the first quarter of the game.

However not Greg Miller it seems, who, throughout his review, speaks about how much he enjoyed Yakuza 3’s story and, even more jarring, how Yakuza 4 has a weak story which seems to contradict what every other Yakuza fan has said.

Hit the jump for MORE!

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