Original Content
SEGA CD Month – My Life With SEGA returns with Batman Returns
Well, SEGA CD Month – Hell, this year – has come to an end. Before we call it a night, the bat, the cat and the penguin have something to show us; Batman Returns. While the movie split both critics and audiences, this game has been met with praise due to it’s impressive pseudo-3D graphics, exciting gameplay and kick-ass soundtrack….
But is there more hiding beneath that cowl? Let’s take a peek.
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SEGA Tunes Holiday Special: Featuring Sakura Wars and Shenmue!
How do you know something is big in Japan? When the above exists. I’m sure many of you have heard of Sakura Wars, SEGA’s series of strategy/dating simulator games that until recently never made it outside of Japan, but did you know that the franchise has also been used as the source material for a variety of stage shows dating all the way back to 1997?
The above video is from a Christmas stage show that the cast of the games performed back in 1998. In it, you can see many of the core cast members of the original Sakura Wars being portrayed by their voice actors as they sing a variety of Christmas tunes. Its hard to believe that there was once a SEGA franchise big enough to warrant this amount of production.
So pour yourself some eggnog, sit back and enjoy some pleasant Christmas-y SEGA tunes. Given that this is Christmas, we can’t exactly just give you one song now can we? Check below the fold for more Christmas music from both Sakura Taisen and Shenmue.
SEGA CD Month – My Life With SEGA goes to FMV Hell in Wirehead
SEGA CD month continues, and misery loves company in the latest episode of My Life With SEGA.
If you love FMV games, as well as watching Mickey Mac suffer, this one’s for you. This is the full-motion shit-fest only Tom Zito of Digital Pictures could produce. That’s right, I’m talkin’ about Wirehead. Written and directed by James Riley (Night Trap), this game takes FMV gaming to a whole new plateau. This is the 2-Man Scramble that nobody wanted to experience. Especially Mickey Mac, because he’s yet to speak to me since.
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SEGA CD Month – My Life With SEGA ventures into Soul Star
SEGA CD month heats up with Soul Star; the pseudo 3D space shooter set thousands of light-years away….
“Across a yawning gulf of space and time, the six planets of the Soul Star system perform a peaceful celestial dance around their youthful suns, unaware of the horror soon to come. A horror in the dreaded shape of the Myrkoids, an alien species older than the stars themselves, with a unified mind far colder than the space between those stars. The Myrkoids – killers of worlds – descend upon unsuspecting star systems, sucking them dry and draining every planet of its internal energies. They leave nothing in their savage wake but empty husks drifting lifelessly in space.”
C’mon, tell me you’re not curious?
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Sonic Talk Episode 15 – “And a heeyy nonny nonny!”
[Download]
So Shigs and Nux did record another pocast ’tis true.
They talked about the new gaming system known as the Wii U
They discussed some news, comics and racing that’s transformed.
While Nux sang off-key, which for him is quite the norm.
An a heeyy nonny nonny!
Show notes after the break!
SEGA Tunes: Sonic Generations’ Casino Night Modern Remix
The Sonic series has played host to a wide variety of musical styles over the years, ranging from the old school chiptunes of the Genesis era to today’s modern cheese rock from bands like Crush 40. Never, however, have I ever thought to associate Sonic the Hedgehog with swing music. That is, until Sonic Generations was released.
Anyone who’s been paying close attention to Tuesday Tunes may know I have an affection for old school American genres like jazz and swing. So, when I first heard this track play in Sonic Generations 3DS, I was blown away. This is a really great piece of swing, serving as the perfect backdrop for the remake of Sonic’s first casino stage. Easily my favorite remix to come out of the Sonic Generations games.
Of course, it helps that the original track from Sonic 2 was also pretty kick ass. Nice example of what the Genesis could do musically in the right hands. Go ahead and see for yourself below the fold!
SEGA CD Month – My Life With SEGA investigates Rise of the Dragon
32X month is behind us, and SEGA CD month has begun! A.J. kicks things off with a fun, and affordable, SEGA CD classic!
It’s Sega CD month, gang! First up, we’re playing Rise of the Dragon. This is the graphic adventure game that is often compared to another Sega CD classic, Snatcher. While it does bare resemblance, thanks in large part to the cyberpunk influences, this isn’t some knock-off; Rise of the Dragon has it’s own identity. So strap in, ladies and germs….
The dragon is rising.
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SEGA Tunes All-Stars: Burning Rangers’ Angels With Burning Hearts
The inclusion of a Burning Rangers course is easily one of the biggest surprises in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. In addition to a surprisingly dynamic stage that has you racing through an underwater water park that is slowly falling apart and filling with water over the course of the race, you are also treated to an excellent remix of the game’s main theme; Angels with Burning Hearts, courtesy of Richard Jacques.
This week I’ve decided to go with the Japanese version of the track, given that I’m sure you’ve all heard the English lyrics ad nauseam while racing through the course. Keep an ear out for the awesome saxophone solo at the three minute mark! Check out Richard Jacques’ remix of this track after the break.
SEGA Five: Why you should own a 32X
As November comes to a close, so does our 32X month. Our My Life With SEGA video series has featured the ill-fated add-on in weekly video reviews, and I thought it would be fitting to end 32X month with an extra special SEGA Five. I’ll admit it, I was a 32X hater until not too long ago. When the add-on released in 1994 I didn’t quite understand what it was. The Genesis already took cartridges, and CD’s thanks to an add-on, so why was yet another add-on being introduced? To be fair to myself, I was only 10 years old at the time, and before I completely understood what SEGA was trying to do with the 32X, the add-on was dead. A few years later I began to understand what the 32X was, and thought it was a complete joke.
A giant plastic mushroom that only offered up an additional 36 titles to Americans, and even then a bulk of the games were not worth owning? HA! Much later, the Angry Video Game Nerd tore the 32X to shreds and finished it off with an arrow. Again, I laughed. But soon, I became acquainted with sites like the SEGA Junkyard blogs (see our SEGA Network links in the right column to check those out) and in turn began to appreciate aspects of SEGA that I originally only thought negatively of or outright ignored. In October 2009, I finally gave in and bought a 32X used (with all cords, amazingly) off ebay for $30. It was one of the best SEGA purchases I ever made, and I’ll tell you why.
32X Month – My Life With SEGA scrapes his knuckles in Chaotix
32X month is coming to a close, so what better way to finish things than with the 32X’s most popular exclusive: Knuckles’ Chaotix!
Yes, it’s the 32X exclusive that left many gamers confused and somewhat disappointed. How could this be? After the the one-two punch of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, both of which were a tremendous success for Sega’s 16-bit juggernaut, I find it hard to believe this game met with such a lukewarm response….
Was it deserving? Let us a break out that ‘shroom one more time before we put 32X month to bed.
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SEGA Tunes All Stars: Space Harrier Main Theme
http://youtu.be/TuU_6NpHPkY
This track acts as the perfect book end for a near perfect SEGA tribute. Much like After Burner, Space Harrier is an arcade classic with an awesome soundtrack. Are you feeling down today? Do you need a little pick me up? No worries, because I’ve brought an extended version of this song today. If you’re feeling blue, just sit back for 15 minutes and let this little tune wisk you away to a far off place with dragons and giant floating heads and some blonde dude inexplicably floating in mid-air with a giant laser gun.
So as to not get the hopes of anyone who hasn’t beaten the game yet up, Space Harrier is not in this game. Just the soundtrack, which plays on a track I don’t intend to spoil.
Speaking of spoilers, though, you’d best have beaten the game by next Tuesday. For the last three weeks I’ve been sitting on music for a course that Sumo kept under wraps so as to not spoil the surprise. Next week I’m spilling the beans. So you’d best have beaten Career Mode by then!
Still want more music from the fantasy zone? Check below the fold for a remixed vocal version of the Fantasy Zone theme from the 1996 SEGA AGES release! Its pretty sick.
32X Month – My Life With SEGA celebrates with Metal Head
Happy Thanksgiving and a happy belated birthday to SEGA’s 32X, which turned 18 yesterday. To celebrate, My Life With SEGA takes a look at Metal Head.
The ‘shroom is now a man. What say we celebrate by taking a long, hard look at Metal Head; the first-person mech shooter developed and published by Sega. Sure, it may not be anything Earth-shattering now, but – back in 1994 – it was a bit of a showpiece for this fresh-faced add-on….
18 years later, is it worthy of our cheers, or 18 great big slaps to the face? Let’s find out.
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SEGA Tunes All Stars: After Burner theme, Bayonetta Remix
I think there are two things any group of SEGA fans can agree on: After Burner is pretty awesome, and the After Burner easter egg in Bayonetta is one of the coolest moments in the last decade of gaming. After years of dormancy, the After Burner franchise has seen a resurgence of sorts over the last several years, including the XBLA/PSN release of the latest superb entry in the franchise After Burner Climax, as well as cameos in four games including SEGA Superstars Tennis, Shinobi 3DS, the aforementioned Bayonetta easter egg, and of course Sonic & All Stars Racing Transformed.
This track is easily my favorite rendition of the Afterburner theme. It’s a shame they didn’t use this version in All Stars Racing Transformed. Check out the original theme after the break.
32X Month – My Life With SEGA packs a punch in Cyber Brawl
While the modern SEGA gaming world is enthralled with Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, the retro SEGA gaming world is in the midst of 32X month. In celebration of the little add-on that couldn’t, we continue with a brand new episode of My Life With SEGA. This week, AJ and Mickey Mac play Cyber Brawl.
Mickey Mac joins the 32X celebration. This week, we’re playing Cyber Brawl, otherwise known as Cosmic Carnage in North America. Released alongside Doom, Virtua Racing and Star Wars Arcade, this was the first fighting game to grace the ‘shroom with it’s presence….
I guess the big question is, “How does it fare after 18 years?”
The answer lies within.
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