Conduit 2 Hands on Preview

Note: This preview was actually written after PAX 2010, not the recent Conduit 2 community event. As a result, the build I played would now be considered outdated. The only part of the preview this really effects is my opinion on the  frame rate, but nevertheless keep this mind. I actually have a few articles from PAX that never went up. You’ll be seeing the other article soon.

The original Conduit garnered a lot of press for being the first serious attempt at a Wii first person shooter. At the end of the day, despite all the hype surrounding it, The Conduit garnered only a good review score average. The game was criticized for being a very generic corridor shooter, with not much beyond typical running and gunning. With Conduit 2, High Voltage Software has set its sights on correcting all of the flaws of the original.

More after the break.

SEGA Sequel Saturdays: Craaaaazy Taxi

We’re at episode 3 of SEGA Sequel Saturdays, and for this go-round, I’m taking a look at Crazy Taxi, a series that many SEGA fans (especially those old enough to have been to something called an “arcade,”) have fond memories of. Though the home console ports got old for me after about a weekend, there’s just something about the first entry in this series (I never really got into the other two) that screams “SEGA!” and it’s a series I’d love to see brought back, though only if it really expands upon what the earlier entries offered.

5 Annoyingly Catchy SEGA Genesis Tunes

… or Mega Drive tunes, if you’re of that persuasion. Every blue blooded SEGA fan knows the distinct sound of Genesis/Mega Drive music. Having played dozens of Genesis games throughout the 90’s, a number of game tunes stuck with me. Many great, due to the sheer genius of their composition (Sonic 2’s Chemical Plant Zone and Streets of Rage 2 Stage 1-1 come to mind). But what of those game tunes that stick with you due to them just being plain old annoyingly catchy? Today I’m going to share 5 of those tunes. I actually find myself unknowingly whistling these on a daily basis. Proof of their annoying “catchocity” (a scientific measurement of catchiness).

SEGA-Sammy Q3: $451 million in net income

SEGA-Sammy has posted a net income of ¥36,821 million (about $451 million), that’s 117.3% increased compared to last year. So what branch of SEGA made the most money? Not a big surprise. Pachinco/Pachislots division ranked in ¥54,666 million(about $670 million) operating income.

Coming in at a hot second was Amusement Machine Sales, which had a operating income of ¥8,458 million (about $103 million). Guess who isn’t losing money and didn’t come dead last? Consumer Business (SEGA you know and love, they make those games you play). They brought in an operating income of ¥2,811 million(about $34 million). Congrats SEGA!

The Last Boss: White Fang

Now, when you think of a game based around Die Hard, you would think the last boss would be Hans Gruber. Not so in Sega’s Die Hard Arcade though, this time you get to beat White Fang (better known as ‘The last guy from Die Hard Arcade’) into unconsciousness with the Presidential golf clubs. This Die Hard also features killer death robots that shoot laser beams, and giant Mexican Wrestlers called ‘Jocko’ so that kinda sets the tone for things to come, really.

SEGA Sequel Saturdays: JET SET RADIO!!

[The one, the only……..Jet Set Radio]

Few franchises have managed to achieve such iconic status with only two installments, but the Jet Set Radio series (Jet Grind Radio for the first one in North America,) was one that managed to do it. The series represented all that was great about Sega during the Dreamcast era: their incredible ability to take risks and deliver groundbreaking and inventive experiences that you simply couldn’t get anywhere else.

What better series to get a sequel than this one? Here’s how I’d do a sequel if I were in charge.

Fly like a butterfly through the break to read more and comment with your own thoughts/ideas.

5 Indie Dreamcast Games Worth Your Time


While there are a lot of great independent Dreamcast games out there, many worthy of a Dreamcast collector’s collection, not every game is worth it for the casual fan. Some games are too short, too difficult or too simplistic. Gamers shouldn’t be expected to pay $20 to $60 for a so-so indie game simply because that money goes towards development of new games. We’re not dealing with charities. People buy games with the promise that the game will be worth their money.

As such, I thought I’d share five independent Dreamcast games that are worth the time and money of not only collectors, but also those who have a Dreamcast console but aren’t into the indie scene. The following five games are just as good, and in some cases better than official Dreamcast games.

SEGA Sequels: Vectorman 3

[You know you want to see him back]

Annnnnnd introducing…..SEGA Sequel Saturdays. The new feature where we discuss what we feel would be the perfect way to do sequels to some of our favorite SEGA games. This week, I tackle Vectorman, a pretty awesome SEGA Genesis run-and-gun platformer that was developed by BlueSky Software and published by SEGA. Though an attempt was made to revive the character back on the PS2 in 2003, the game was cancelled. All hope shouldn’t be lost, though. I still definitely think it’s possible to make a great next gen Vectorman game, and if you hit the jump, you’ll see how I’d go about reviving this Genesis icon for the current gen, and you can express your own ideas as well.

5 Things an All-Star Racing 2 MUST Have

2010 has come and gone, and with it came a slew of excellent SEGA games. I won’t list them off as I’m certain every reader here knows all the great titles that released. However, I do want to point out one of the releases that made it into my top ten games of 2010 list: Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing. When first announced in 2009, many let out a collective “meh”, and rightfully so. Up until that point, Sonic spin-off titles have ranged from terrible to good, but never great. SEGA Superstars Tennis, the predecessor to All-Stars Racing, was a good game. However the roster was lacking, the mechanics needed polish and the mission mode was a bit unforgiving.

Crushing Disappointments: Shadow the Hedgehog

Let’s face it, SEGA can’t knock them all out of the park. No company can. Games have budgets and deadlines, and more often than not it’s more profitable to release a bad game and make some of your money back then cancel it and make none. SEGA is regrettably no stranger to bad games, especially in its awkward early years as a third party.

Among these bad games was a game that ultimately marked the decline of the company’s mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog, into a pit of mediocrity. A pit the character wouldn’t even begin to climb out of until the release of Sonic Colors last year. This game was Shadow the Hedgehog.

Full article after the break.

SEGA in the Media: Inbetweeners play Virtua Tennis


In the 3rd series (5th episode) of the Inbetweeners, Will gets a Wii. What Tennis game does he try out on it? Hint: Not Grand Slam Tennis or Wii Sports whatever. Its Virtua Tennis 2009.

In the show Simon is too scared to stay home alone, since his mom is going away for the weekend with an old college buddy she re-kindled with via Facebook. So he decides to ask Neil, the dim-witted friend, to stay over.


“As long as I bring my PS3 so we don’t have to play those shit Wii games” –
Neil

Oh, great they had to bash the game. You can’t have a SEGA game on a show without being called shit afterwords. Curse you!  E4 airs the show in Europe, America gets it on BBC America. As for the rest of the world, check here!

Round Table: Our favorite SEGA Soundtracks


After you spend hours in your favorite SEGA game, you always get those damn catchy tunes stuck in your head. They won’t go away, now we will share our favorite SEGA soundtracks, hopefully they stay stuck in your brain like they have ours.

If your favorite soundtrack wasn’t featured, make sure you head down to the comment section and share.