Indie Dreamcast game Xenocider reveals ultra limited edition versions

XenociderLimitedEditiongThe indie Dreamcast game Xenocider opened pre-orders awhile back but now, like most indie Dreamcast games, it will allow you to pre-order various versions including:

According to the developers blog, the limited edition of these games, the two big ones being the PAL edition and the Steelbook edition will be limited print run to only 50 copies. Only 100 copies if you combined them. That is almost nothing. So if you are interested in the indie Dreamcast game Xenocider and want a ultra rare limited edition, you might want to go for the PAL or Steelbook editions.

The indie Dreamcast game Xenocider is set to release during June 2017, no exact date has been given and considering how indie development scene goes, don’t be surprised if the game is delayed. This is notable for being one of the first indie Dreamcast games to use full 3D graphics and is heavily inspired by rail shooters such as Space Harrier. You can check out their new demo for the game, for free, right here. The team has also been rather open on receiving feedback during development, that is always a positive move.

SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive Japanese game ‘Dahna: Megami Tanjou’ gets English fan translation

All the way back in the year 1991 a small developer known as Information Global Service released a action-platformer game for the SEGA Mega Drive known as Dahna: Megami Tanjou. Sadly the game never made it out of Japan, now a fan has went and translated Dahna: Megami Tanjou to English. While its nice to play the game with English text, I don’t find it a big deal considering Dahna: Megami Tanjou didn’t have much text to begin with and was fully playable in Japanese. It’s still nice of course.

Download English Patch Here

(You will need a Japanese Rom & LunarIPS)

Above you can watch 28 minutes of Dahna: Megami Tanjou gameplay and see if its for you. RetroCollects describes it as a hybrid mix between Castlevania, Rastan and Golden Axe; if those games are up your alley you should give it a go.

[Via: RetroCollect]

SEGA Game Tester documentary from 1996 emerges online

This video was uploaded online a few days ago, titled ‘This is SEGA TEST’ a titled “trainumentary” created by the SEGA test department in 1995-1996. The video was shot on location at Sega of America in Redwood City, CA. The SEGA Game Tester documentary talks about what SEGA is looking for in a game tester, but gives you a interesting inside look at the company during that era and the people that worked as testers.

Tom Kalinske, President of SEGA of America at the time is in the video talking about the processes of selecting a SEGA game tester. We had a chance to interview him in our podcast, if you haven’t listened. Its a great little documentary, especially for retro SEGA game fans. Watch it and let us know what you guys think in the comments below and tell us how many of you wanted to be a SEGA game tester during the mid-90s.

A User’s Guide to Puyo Puyo Tsu (Puyo Puyo 2)

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3D Puyo Puyo 2, better known under the Japanese name Puyo Puyo Tsu, is one of several games as part of the upcoming SEGA 3D Classic Collection. Puyo Puyo Tsu is considered an arcade classic in Japan, with it being played on a high level even today and setting the standards for future Puyo Puyo games like the concept of offsetting, All Clear, and standardizing four colors. But playing the game might be intimidating since for people this might be the first time playing the game. Luckily this guide will explain how the game works so you can feel more confident.

Swingin’ Report Show #85: Interview with The Dreamcast Junkyard founder Tom Charnock

On this episode of the SEGAbits Swingin’ Report Show we’re joined by Tom Charnock, founder of the The Dreamcast Junkyard and co-creator of The Dreamcast Junkyard: The Ultimate Collectors Guide. Tom talks to us about the creation of the information-packed collectors guide, the legal issues they faced, and what they are planning for future revisions of the book. Also covered are the indie Dreamcast games slated for 2016, which include Leona’s Tricky Adventures, SLaVE and Alice Dreams Tournament, Tom’s plans for a heavily modded and tricked out Dreamcast console, and the state of Dreamcast collecting.

If you want to hear more of Tom talking about SEGA’s final home console, make sure to check out The Dreamcast Junkyard Dreampod podcast, and of course pay a visit to The Dreamcast Junkyard for their many interesting articles.

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Play Fatal Smarties, a new scrolling shooter for the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive

At this year’s Global Game Jam a group of indie developers had a special treat for SEGA retro fans, a new scrolling shooter called ‘Fatal Smarties‘ made its debut for the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive.

The game was developed by four students that represent the University of Southampton. The students tried to think out of the box for this co-op game, having an interesting mechanic where one player shoots and the other navigates the on screen characters.

The game was developed on a deadline during the Global Game Jam and seems very promising. Want to try it out on an emulator or flash cart? Get the rom here.

[Via: RetroCollect]

Classic Virtua Fighter figures now available for pre-order

FIGURE-016527_08Are you a big fan of the low polygon models used in the original Virtua Fighter? Today is your lucky day because Figma’s classic Akira and Sarah figures are now available to pre-order at AmiAmi. Each figure will cost you 3,560 yen (about $30 usd).

Each figure comes with:

  • Main figure
  • Base
  • Standard expression part
  • Shouting expression part
  • Hand parts

The figures will have a ‘variety of hand parts’ so you can pose them to fit your needs. Not to mention the screaming face. Look at the gallery after the break. According to Figma, they will be making Player 2 variants soon, you can see those figures in the image above. The figures are set to ship this upcoming September, so this is a long pre-order.

SegaSonic Popcorn Shop Dumped, Coming to MAME

800px-Segasonic-pop-corn-shop3Recently, Waku Waku Sonic Patrol Car finally made its way onto MAME thanks to the work and funds of some pretty cool individuals. I ended the article with a little bit of a rib saying that SegaSonic Popcorn Shop should be the next game dumped.

Now that one can be marked off the list because it too has now been dumped and should be hitting MAME. The main notable note is that this game also operates on MegaDrive-type hardware named the SEGA C2. It also curiously comes with an English switch, meaning there is a possibility the game came to the West in limited numbers, or at least was planned to.

You won’t find much of a game here since this was more a little video demo that played as the “player” waited for the selected popcorn to be finished. The cabinet did have button and a crank to distract the player, but it didn’t particularly matter if you played or not. Naturally, emulating it won’t yield much unless you have a microwave near your general vicinity and some flavoring agents (salt, butter or curry, if you want to keep the authenticity of the machine.)

But this could make for a neat arcade board to setup at home for the more dedicated.

Homebrew platformer ‘Mega Cheril Perils’ coming to SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis

Mojon-Twins-Announce-Mega-Cheril-Perils

Homebrew developer The Mojon Twins’ have announced that their recent homebrew title (originally released on the ZX Spectrum) will have a SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive release. Not much has been showing on the game outside of new screenshots that have been shared via RetroManiac.

I guess you can sit back and enjoy the screens released as we wait for more information, maybe the developers will explain to us why a naked girl decided to battle zombies in the nude?

[Via: Retro Collect]

Retro Review: Space Channel 5 (Sega Dreamcast/PS2)

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The Dreamcast era was a unique time for SEGA when it came to marketing their characters. While the Saturn’s launch made the error of shifting the spotlight away from Sonic the Hedgehog, the Dreamcast launch proved that there was more than enough room for established characters as well as new faces. Joining Sonic was a lineup of first party and third party faces, from Midway’s Afro Thunder of Ready 2 Rumble and Namco’s Soulcalibur fighters to SEGA’s own creations.

Space Channel 5’s Ulala was without a doubt the most heavily marketed of these new characters, with her face seen just about everywhere. Ulala appeared in a promotional stage show at Universal City Walk, she dominated SEGA’s booth at 2000’s E3, she was seen in print and on TV and even appeared as product placement in the 2001 movie Josie and the Pussycats. There was even talk of Ulala hosting her own TV show! Suffice to say, there came a point in Space Channel 5‘s promotion where Ulala nearly overshadowed her own game. There is no doubt that Ulala is a fantastic character (she is a favorite of the SEGAbits staff, so much so that we named our podcast after her report show), but has the original game stood the test of time? Let’s find out as we look back at the United Game Artists’ classic Space Channel 5!

Developer Retrospective: Experience synesthesia with SEGA’s United Game Artists

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This month we are proud to celebrate the unique and musical driven games of United Game Artists (ユナイテッド・ゲーム・アーティスツ). The team was made up of members of SEGA AM6 and headed by Sega AM3’s Tetsuya Mizuguchi. Unfortunately, the team was short lived and only released three titles under the ‘United Game Artists’ banner. Regardless, those three games have made such an impact on us gamers that we are still talking about them over a decade later.

My Life with SEGA kicks putty butt in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers for Genesis and SEGA CD

The power is on this week as Andrew Rosa revisits the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers on Genesis/Mega Drive and SEGA CD.

But the action doesn’t stop. For the first time, our Green Ranger worshiping SEGA boy will be reviewing Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, also on Genesis.

It’s time to get back in action! Like this video? Subscribe to the SEGAbits YouTube channel!