SEGA Talk #138: Power Drift (1988)

Welcome to the SEGA Talk Podcast, where we dive into SEGA’s golden age of gaming and bring you the classics that defined a generation. Today, we’re shifting gears and taking a high-speed trip down memory lane with SEGA’s iconic arcade racer, Power Drift. Released in the late 80s, this game took the racing genre to new heights with its innovative 3D-like graphics and adrenaline-pumping gameplay. So buckle up, grab your tokens, and let’s power slide through the history, the hype, and the high scores of this SEGA masterpiece.

[iTunes – Stitcher – YouTube – RSS – Download]

Support us on Patreon! Get early access, have your memories read on the show, select the games we talk about!

l sUMKOLkgIUqZbwTQrnVi Je oWg

3D Power Drift standalone Nintendo eShop release to feature a SEGA all-stars bonus mode

3dclassicspower

Okay, this is amazing. Remember when SEGA released the SEGA 3D Classics Collection (Sega 3D Fukkoku Archives 2 in Japan) and it featured some new games including the arcade Power Drift? Well, SEGA is planning on releasing a standalone Nintendo eShop release and as an added incentive the game features a new special mode! As detailed on the official Japanese product page is a special mode that is earned upon completing the game once. One element of this mode replaces course music with medleys from other SEGA arcade classics. The course and medley breakdown is as follows:

  • Course A: Space Harrier medley
  • Course B: OutRun medley
  • Course C: Fantasy Zone medley
  • Course D: Thunder Blade medley
  • E courses: AfterBurner medley

The other element of this special mode is really cool. Each Power Drift driver is replaced by an all-star cast of characters from past SEGA 3D Classics, effectively making it a super scaler SEGA All-Stars Racing game! The roster is as follows: Harrier, Binsbein (3D Space Harrier), Nameless Beast Warrior (3D Altered Beast), Flagman (3D OutRun), Joe Musashi (3D The Revenge of Shinobi Ⅱ), Dralinflore (3D Fantasy Zone), Axel, Blaze, Adam (3D Bare Knuckle), Mr. Hang-On (3D Super Hang-On), Galaxy Lady (3D Galaxy Force), and Alex Kidd (who did not appear in a 3D Classics title yet, but has made cameos in many credit sequences in the series).

This mode is exclusive to the Japanese Nintendo eShop release of 3D Power Drift. More information on this awesome bonus as we hear it, and here’s hoping we get a localization with this new mode! After the break, check out a full gallery of the roster.

SEGA 3D Classics Collection rated for Australia

sega3dclassicscollectionIt seems that SEGA 3D Classics Collection on the Nintendo 3DS will be getting a Australian release, if the newly filed rating by SEGA is anything to go by. SEGA hasn’t officially confirmed SEGA 3D Classics Collection Australian release, but seeing this rating pretty much guarantees an announcement. Let’s hope its physical and not just digital.

SEGA 3D Classics Collection was released in the Americas on April 26th which has been the only other release outside of Japan. Yes, SEGA of Europe hasn’t released it either. Come on SEGA, share the SEGA 3D Classics Collection love!

[Via: Gematsu]

tgilNtd

SEGA releases new 3D Power Drift screenshots

power-drift-1
SEGA has released some screenshots for 3D Power Drift, which was released as part of the SEGA Reprint Archives 2 collection, a physical collection piling up all the digital SEGA 3D Classic releases. So far these physical releases have been exclusive to Japan.

The exclusive games in the physical version are suppose to eventually make it to the digital store. As far as those exclusives coming over to America, we don’t know. I hope so, its not like there is a whole lot to translate in Power Drift, Puyo Puyo 2 and/or Maze Walker!

3D Power Drift and 3D Puyo Puyo 2 gameplay footage shown off

SEGA Japan  announced that they are releasing a second boxed version for their SEGA Reprint Archives, which gathers up SEGA 3D Classics digital releases into a physical format. While the first release was only made up of already released digitally titles, this second one has a few new titles that have not yet been digitally released. The two biggest titles are 3D Power Drift and 3D Puyo Puyo 2! During their Tokyo Game Show presentation, SEGA showed off gameplay footage of both these titles which you can see above.

3D Power Drift is actually running in widescreen, not every SEGA 3D Classic is released with native widescreen support (See their Genesis/Mega Drive releases), so its nice that they put in the extra effort. Seems that Puyo Puyo 2 will keep its original aspect ratio, from the footage being shown. Though, I guess if I had to choose one of the two games to get widescreen support it would be Power Drift. I’m pretty excited for these two titles to hit the US eShop at the very least, though also getting a physical release would also be nice.

[Via: Nintendo Everything]

Trailer releases for SEGA Reprint Archives 2 collection, featuring 3D Power Drift and Puyo Puyo 2

The trailer for Japan’s upcoming packaged release of SEGA 3D Classics has landed, featuring footage from 3D Sonic the Hedgehog, 3D Galaxy Force II, 3D Thunder Blade, 3D Altered Beast, and 3D Fantasy Zone II, as well as new 3D Classics titles 3D Puyo Puyo 2, 3D Power Drift, and 3D Maze Walker. From what the trailer shows, 3D Power Drift has been made to fill the full screen, while 3D Maze Walker and 3D Puyo Puyo 2 retain their original framing. No word yet on if these three titles will make their way to the West. Currently, 3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is due for a September release in the Americas and Europe.