SEGA Releases New High-Octane Update for Sonic Racing on Apple Arcade

Today, SEGA released a new content update for Sonic Racing, the ultimate high-speed, multiplayer racing experience available exclusively on Apple Arcade. The latest update brings Popstar Amy, Idol Shadow, and new community challenges!

Here is the breakdown on the latest update:

  • A Team that Races Together, Wins Together!

    • Community challenges are now available – work together with the rest of the Sonic Racing community to clear objectives and unlock big rewards.

  • Popstar Amy and Idol Shadow Join the Fun

    • Two new characters enter the race! Players can now unlock Popstar Amy through time trials and unlock Idol Shadow through the new community challenges.

Sonic Racing also had a few updates earlier this year that included new racers Rockstar Rouge and DJ Vector, the addition of time trials, and team combos, which allow players to use special team setups to get powerful abilities like super drift, bonus XP, and more.

Sonic Racing is available now exclusively on Apple Arcade and is playable across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro.

SEGA Releases New Content Update for Sonic Dream Team

Today, SEGA announced the latest jam-packed content update for Sonic Dream Team – the latest 3D Sonic the Hedgehog action-platformer, playable exclusively on Apple Arcade. This update brings some overhauls to the popular Tails Challenges, as well as newly added Powers including Stomp, Super Glide, and more!

Here is what the update has to offer:

Powers Have Arrived!

Unlock and equip Powers to grant Sonic and team powerful new abilities including Stomp, Super Glide, Wall Boost, and more. These are unlocked via Tails’ Challenges and let you customize your loadout to suit your playstyle. There are 16 Powers to unlock and experiment with!

Daily Rewards and More

Tails’ Challenges now refresh daily and deliver more rewards! Players can also earn rankings on every Challenge mission, with the coveted S-Rank awarding bonus XP for faster unlocking of rewards and Powers.

Score Attack Levels Now Available

In Tails’ Challenges, players can dive into new Score attack levels. Smash through targets, destroy enemies and obstacles, and chain together moves for combo streaks. Post high scores to the leaderboards and see who gets to the top!

Rock Out to More Sonic Tunes!

Fan favorite music tracks from other Sonic games can now be unlocked through Tails’ Challenges, and players can now groove to any of their unlocked songs during gameplay!

Sonic Dream Team is available now exclusively on Apple Arcade and is playable across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro.

SEGA Announces Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop; Launches April 4th Exclusively On Apple Arcade!

Today, SEGA has announced that another entry to their iconic matching puzzle themed franchise, Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop, will be making its way exclusively to Apple Arcade. The mobile title will have the cherished classic gameplay on the go for new and veterans alike with tons of fun features including:

  • Single Player & Multiplayer Modes (Endless, Lesson, Online)
  • 24 Playable Characters
  • All-new Voice casted Story
  • Optional Rules (Puyo Puyo 2 or Puyo Puyo Fever)
  • Additional Rules & Characters in future updates.

Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop will be available exclusively for Apple Arcade on April 4th.

 

SEGA News Bits Live: Sonic Dream Team Revealed

I had the strangest dream. Sonic and friends went on an adventure inside my iPhone and… oh wait, it’s real! Sonic Dream Team was announced and on SEGA News Bits Live, Barry takes a look at all the details revealed about the Apple Arcade exclusive game.

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Yu Suzuki’s Space Harrier-inspired “Air Twister” heading to consoles and PC on November 10th

Released June 24, 2022 to Apple Arcade, Yu Suzuki’s Air Twister was a Space Harrier inspired behind the back 3D shooter from the man who created the original SEGA franchise. In what was perhaps our biggest “get”, we managed to interview Yu Suzuki himself to talk about the game! And yes, I will try to link to that interview whenever given a chance.

ChuChu Rocket! Universe pulled from App Store as three year Apple Arcade exclusivity ends

Fans have noticed that ChuChu Rocket! Universe, the semi-sequel to the Dreamcast puzzle game ChuChu Rocket!, had disappeared from Apple’s App Store. The game, developed by SEGA’s Hardlight studio, was a worthy follow-up to the Sonic Team original, featuring new and returning puzzles, inventive 3D maps, a story mode and a classic multiplayer mode. The game was also exclusive to Apple Arcade, Apple’s pay to play collection of apps which were all free to download and free of any micro-transactions and in-app purchases.

It appears that the game was pulled due to a three year exclusivity window closing, as fans on Twitter have pointed out other Apple Arcade apps that debuted alongside ChuChu Rocket! Universe have also been pulled. If you still have the game installed, it can still be played. However the game cannot be redownloaded if your device offloads apps that go unused.

Yu Suzuki’s Air Twister is now available on Apple Arcade

Yu Suzuki’s return to arcade gaming arrives today in the form of Air Twister, an Apple Arcade exclusive. Now before you moan and groan about it being on Apple products only, as revealed in our exclusive interview with Yu Suzuki it was Apple who asked him and his team for an arcade-style game. Apple is also listed in the game’s credits as a producer. So without Apple, this game would not have happened.

If you have an Apple Arcade subscription, the game is available to play now! I’ve tried it myself on an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and iMac and all platforms play the game very well. My preferred method is a gamepad on the TV. I’ve tried the old iCade arcade stick and sadly it does not work due to how the iCade maps its buttons. Still, I am certain a bluetooth flight stick or arcade stick would work.

Stay tuned to SEGAbits for more Air Twister news!

Interview with Yu Suzuki: Air Twister and His Return to Arcade Rail Shooters

It goes without saying that Yu Suzuki is one of the most influential figures in video gaming. Yu Suzuki was instrumental in the development of full body motion controls, 3D racing, 3D fighting, open-world gameplay and QTE. Even if you have never played one of his titles, which you really need to rectify right now, you have played a game that includes one of his contributions to the gaming industry.

Space Harrier, one of Mr. Suzuki’s early arcade titles, was a third-person rail shooter set in a fantasy environment. The player controlled a jet propelled cool blonde dude, shooting down everything from geometric shapes to robots to one-eyed woolly mammoths. The game was such a success that it was one of Japan’s top two highest-grossing upright arcade games in 1986. The other title was Mr. Suzuki’s Hang-On, released a year prior. Now, in 2022, Yu Suzuki is returning to the world of third-person rail shooters with the Apple Arcade exclusive game Air Twister which is set to release on June 24, 2022.

Mr. Suzuki was kind enough to grant us an interview to talk about the upcoming title, and as luck would have it we are releasing this on his birthday! So before we kick things off, we would like to wish Mr. Suzuki a happy birthday and thank him again for taking the time to answer our questions.

Classic Sonic content added to Sonic Racing for Apple Arcade

Just a few days ago, we mused on Twitter about how the promised Classic Sonic content announced back in June for Sonic Racing, the Apple Arcade version of Team Sonic Racing, was nowhere to be seen. Either a SEGA HARDlight staffer saw our tweet and realized they needed to get to work OR (more likely) it just so happened to be that today was the day they planned to debut the new content. Included in the new content is Sonic in his Sonic Drift car, the Cyclone, as well as new Green Hill tracks and new music!

You can check out the content now on Apple Arcade, but no word on any new content for Team Sonic Racing for consoles.

Sonic Central: Classic Sonic coming to Sonic Racing on Apple Arcade, Werehog coming to Sonic Dash and Forces for Halloween

Announced on Sonic Central are some new content for smartphones and Apple devices. First up we have Classic Sonic and three new tracks set in Green Hill Zone coming to Sonic Racing for Apple Arcade. Next up, in October, we have Sonic the Werehog coming to Sonic Dash and the mobile Sonic Forces game. Also announced are pirate costumes for Sonic Dash and Super Sonic in Sonic Forces for mobile.

Apple Arcade launches with ChuChu Rocket! Universe and Sonic Racing

Apple Arcade has launched, if you haven’t been keeping up with the new Apple news around the web it will be a paid service (much like Netflix or Microsoft’s Game Pass) that let’s you play a catalogue of premium mobile games with included features:

– Player can continue the in-game status within iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV devices linked to the same iCloud account.
– There are no ads or in-app purchases for games.
– No always-on DRM.
– Up to six family members per iCloud account are allowed access.
– Players’ privacy is protected by committing to having no tracking of gameplay or behaviors.
– Various game controllers are supported, such as the DualShock 4 and Xbox One controllers.

The service will cost you $5 a month and it seems as of right now its the only way to play Sonic Racing and ChuChu Rocket! Universe, the new entry in the ChuChu Rocket! franchise.

ChuChu Rocket! Universe coming to Apple Arcade

It has been speculated behind the scenes at SEGAbits HQ that this would be happening, and today’s the day! Apple’s keynote revealed new information about their upcoming streaming gaming subscription service Apple Arcade, including new games. We knew about Sonic Racing, but another SEGA title is going to appear on the service as well. ChuChu Rocket! Universe is an all new puzzle game which “launches the beloved ChuChus into a universe of strange and wonderful planets with over 100 mind-bending puzzles”.

Team Sonic Racing mobile port revealed as Sonic Racing joins Apple Arcade lineup


Apple’s newly announced streaming game service Apple Arcade features titles from a variety of studios and developers, and unsurprisingly SEGA is one of many on the list. SEGA has long been a supporter of Apple’s mobile game services, with Super Monkey Ball being an App Store launch title. Now, SEGA will be bringing Team Sonic Racing to mobile with Sonic Racing as a launch title for the service when it debuts this fall. With the “Team” dropped from the title, we have to wonder if the game will lack the team mode which is the backbone of the console version. Interestingly, this also makes the previously leaked 3D ChuChu Rocket mobile game more of a legitimate possibility. Both games appeared as Facebook ads earlier this month. More information as we hear it!