Original Content

The Weekly Five: Reasons why Sega is failing in the western markets

by

 

It’s sad to see how bad Sega is doing these days. With the whole restructuring and with many offices closing it’s hard not to worry about our favorite game company’s future. Heck, if I were Kellie, Ken or the rest of the community staff, I’d be dusting off my resume’s right about now. But I feel many of us kinda saw this coming. We promoted and championed our favorite new Sega games (and still do) only to see them poorly marketed and handled like garbage with little promotion outside of Sega’s own website. So why is Sega doing so badly as of late? What are they doing wrong? Read on to see my own personal feelings on the matter. Just remember folks, this is an opinion article.

Continue Reading ➜

28 Comments

Hands-on with Rhythm Thief: Find out why this should be on your radar

by

There’s no doubt about it; there are many games out there, all of them vying for your money and attention in a competitive marketplace. At a time when the industry’s favoring, by and large, a play-it-safe approach to development, it’s always a breath of fresh air when a game surfaces that feels like something truly unique. Judging by its latest demo (now available on the 3DS’ North American eShop) Rhythm Thief and the Emperor’s Treasure is one such game.

Continue Reading ➜

5 Comments

SEGA Tunes: Sonic Rush’s What U Need

by

Hideki Naganuma has a very distinct style that is very difficult to miss, often mixing Japanese techno with hip-hop and funk. He’s probably one of the most notable composers to ever work with SEGA, having contributed a number of songs to games like Jet Set Radio, Jet Set Radio Future, and Ollie King. His work set the tone for these games, and meshed very well with the off beat Japanese style of these games.

Needless to say, his work on Sonic Rush is similarly revered. It’s composed of some of the most eclectic, energetic and unique songs you’ll hear in a Sonic soundtrack, such as the above song. Fans of Naganuma will also be happy to hear that as of today, the Sonic Rush soundtrack is now available on iTunes for everyone to download!

2 Comments

SEGA Memories: Sonic Adventure 2 Commercials

by

http://youtu.be/btocx2o5gZQ

Of all the things I remember about the Dreamcast days, the Sonic Adventure 2 commercial is about the only ad that actually sticks in my mind. Why? Well, for one, it was the only Dreamcast ad I ever actually saw on television. Thanks to Youtube I know that the Dreamcast had the sort of ads that console makers never even bother with these days. I don’t know what Master Chief and Marcus Fenix are doing in my Xbox, but I know exactly what Sonic and other Dreamcast stars are doing in my little white box: having a never ending dance party!

Continue Reading ➜

2 Comments

5 things Sonic can do now that he is 21

by

Tomorrow marks Sonic’s 21st birthday! While not a milestone like the 20th anniversary, Sonic’s 21st is a big deal in regards to the perks that come with being a 21 year-old, at least in the United States. In a very special Weekly Five, we’ll take a look at five things Sonic will be doing tomorrow. Some good, but mostly bad. Okay, mostly bad. Do you really think we’d be all cheery and PC when it comes to Sonic?

Continue Reading ➜

25 Comments

My Life with SEGA reviews the Master System

by

Take a nostalgia trip this week with My Life with SEGA. This time around A.J. reviews the SEGA Master System. He also looks at some Master System games like After Burner, Alien Syndrome and Ghost House.

If you like it, what are you waiting for? Subscribe to our YouTube channel and get all the latest SEGAbits media right on your feed. As always, feedback is welcomed. What would you like to see in a future My Life with SEGA episode?

4 Comments

SEGA Tunes: Crush 40’s In His World

by

Five years ago, I was really into Sonic music. It had the great beats and cheesy lyrics that I absolutely love. When Sonic 2k6 turned out to be an utter disappointment, I was able to take solace in one thing: its soundtrack was pretty good.

Though the one song I didn’t care for was Sonic’s theme “In His World” by Zebrahead. I loved the violins and the beat, but I didn’t care for the vocalist, whom couldn’t really match up to Crush40. The beat of the song was also a bit too slow for a Sonic song. The Crush40 version fixed all that, by speeding up the song and of course, using a vocalist whom I prefer. This version feels more like a Sonic song.

1 Comment

E3 Preview: The Cave

by

Welcome. Don’t let my sultry and mysterious voice startle you. For hundreds…nay, thousands….nay, nay, nay…..TENS of thousands of years, people have come to me in search of what they desire most. Few find what they are looking for…even fewer ever leave. Welcome to…the cave. That’s me, the cave. Yes, I’m a talking cave. Don’t laugh, it makes dating hell.

Thus begins the start of Ron Gilbert’s new adventure game “The Cave” from Double fine studios. An adventure game in the same vein of other 2-D adventure titles like Lost Vikings or one of Gilbert’s previous games, Maniac Mansion. Much like that game, it is full of character and dark humor. Not to mention some mind-bending but fun logic puzzles. Keep reading to get a little sample of what the game is all about and see if it’s to your “heart’s desire”.

Continue Reading ➜

2 Comments

My Life with SEGA – Batman

by

This week on My Life with SEGA we are having a classic episode. This week A.J. looks at Batman the video game on the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive.

“The Dark Knight Rises will be hitting theatres July 20th. It seems only fitting that we take a look back at Batman: The Video Game for SEGA Genesis….”

If you like the video subscribe and never miss an episode. If you have suggestions for other retro games you want to see reviewed, leave those in the comments.

8 Comments

SEGA Tunes: Sonic CD’s Toot Toot Sonic Warrior

by

I love Crush 40, but no one can stop the Sonic tunes of the mid-90s. Toot Toot Sonic Warrior has become a legendary song within the fandom. The song is incredibly energetic and upbeat, like a Sonic song should, and while the lyrics make no sense, the song still has a clearer meaning and relevance to Sonic as a character than anything done by Crash 40.

Not much more for me to say about this one, so just sit back and listen!

1 Comment

E3 2012: Aliens: Colonial Marines interview with Design Director John Mulkey

by


Recently, SEGA of America announced big changes in the way they publish their games. From now on, they will only publish what they feel are AAA titles. Sega then, must be really happy with Gearbox’s upcoming release of Aliens: Colonial Marines as it has been given a big push as of late. Despite several delays, the game seems to be coming together nicely. Yesterday, we got to talk with design director John Mulkey about the upcoming game based on the blockbuster franchise.

Continue Reading ➜

No Comments

E3 2012: Arkedo Studios talks with us about Hell Yeah!

by


While waiting in the ridiculously long line for Metal Gear Rising, I let Nuckles87 hold my place in line while I went to speak with Aurelien Regard and Dimitri Pean of Arkedo Studio to talk all things involving Hell Yeah! This is the developer’s first time working with a big publisher and Hell Yeah! looks to be the studio’s most successful game to date. Read on to see what they had to say.

Continue Reading ➜

3 Comments

E3 2012: Super Monkey Ball Banana Splitz Hands On

by

Hardcore has returned to Super Monkey Ball. After being completely absent from the disappointing 3DS release, SEGA is bringing the difficulty back to the franchise in what looks to be the strongest handheld entry in the series yet.

Several modes were available in the E3 demo: Beginner’s Mode, Advanced Mode, Monkey Bowling, Love Maze and a stage generator mode. Beginner’s mode is exactly what it sounds like: easy Monkey Ball levels. People who are either new to the franchise or want to freshen up on easier levels can play this mode without worrying about being brutalized by the game’s difficulty. It is essentially like the early levels of any Monkey Ball game.

Continue Reading ➜

4 Comments