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SEGA AM2’s KanColle Arcade shown off at Japan Amusement Expo

February 20, 2016 by George

The Japan Amusement Expo has been going on this week, one of SEGA’s big upcoming arcade games is SEGA AM2’s KanColle Arcade which is based off a license property. KanColle Arcade was set to come out sometime in 2015, but SEGA pushed the game back and now its set to come out in Japanese gaming centers this spring.

KanColle Arcade will include a ‘Kanmusume Cards’ dispenser, these cards will be used to create fleets. The game actually has a steering wheel and vessel speed lever for users to play with, which includes four attacks: ‘Main Gun’, ‘Secondary Gun’, ‘Torpedo Attack’ and ‘Air Strike’.

Hopefully after the game is released, SEGA AM2 can work on a in-house property for the virtua generation. Check out the new screenshots below, including a look at the new cabinet!

[Source: Gemastu]

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DARIUSBURST Chronicle Saviours getting Fantasy Zone, Space Harrier and Galaxy Force II DLC

February 17, 2016 by George

DARIUSBURST Chronicle Saviours, the latest entry in Taito’s DARIUS series of side-scrolling shoot’em up games is getting some very SEGA-fied DLC. Taito is set to release SEGA themed DLC packs that span from Fantasy Zone, Space Harrier and all the way to Galaxy Force II. Above is the Fantasy Zone one, which includes Opa-Opa as a ship to drive, theme music and even coins drop from the enemies (and is used as currency for other weapons!). Very interesting way of including the franchise.

Even more interesting, SEGA’s Hiroshi Kawaguchi is a guest composer on the game who wrote a few new remixes being used on the Space Harrier DLC. New Hiro remixes of his old tracks? Yes, please! DARIUSBURST Chronicle Saviours is out now on PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PC.

If you want to see gameplay of the Space Harrier and Galaxy Force II DLC, hit the jump

[EDIT: Looks like the Japanese news site Game Watch put the previews in private. We will update the article when they release said videos]

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Cancelled 1992 SegaSonic Bros. arcade puzzle game detailed – here’s how it played and a new screen!

February 6, 2016 by Barry

The SegaSonic Bros. saga continues with a new screen and a detailed description of how the cancelled 1992 arcade game played. First off, it is now abundantly clear that the game was not a prototype of 1993’s SegaSonic the Hedehog. Despite a similar name and title screen, and the appearance of two additional characters colored red and yellow, SegaSonic Bros. was actually a drop down puzzle game from Bubble Bobble creator Fukio Mitsuji – a far cry from SegaSonic the Hedgehog‘s isometric platforming controlled with a trackball. Amazingly, SegaSonic Bros. was revealed as far back as June 2014 when SEGA 3D Classics developer and SEGA legend Yosuke Okunari tweeted a zoomed in screen of the game in action in reply to a tweet from Kenjoh Kohji who had shared a link to a site describing SegaSonic Bros.. Unfortunately, the conversation went unnoticed by fans, likely because Okunari was replying, it was in Japanese, and the screen was not overtly Sonic the Hedgehog.

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Cancelled SegaSonic Bros. arcade game designed by Bubble Bobble creator – check out the new screen

February 5, 2016 by Barry

Yesterday we posted a presumed prototype of 1993’s SegaSonic the Hedgehog arcade entitled SegaSonic Bros.. Today, the Tumblr user It’s ShouTime, who came across the game, has shared a new screen and new details. The screen, seen above, was accompanied by the caption “Play with yourself or against your bro. Designed by the creator of Bubble Bobble, Fukio Mitsuji, this went to location test and failed.”

What is interesting about this latest development is that is moves SegaSonic Bros. away from being a prototype to SegaSonic the Hedgehog and makes it appear to be its own unique title that went as far as location tests and failed. Perhaps this is what EGM’s 1992 magazine rumor writer saw or heard about? Also interesting is that despite apparently being a separate game, there are still similarities between this and SegaSonic the Hedgehog, namely the title and the colors of the additional red and yellow characters. Could this title have at least influenced SegaSonic the Hedgehog?

Keep an eye on the blog for more SegaSonic Bros information as it hits.

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UPDATED: SegaSonic the Hedgehog arcade prototype supposedly uncovered – presenting SegaSonic Bros.

February 4, 2016 by Barry

Remember when the SegaSonic Popcorn Shop ROM was dumped and playable on MAME? Well that same person who did that is now teasing something else Sonic arcade related! Originally shared on Tumblr is what appears to be a working prototype of SegaSonic The Hedgehog the arcade game. The user tagged the Tumblr post with “#unreleased” and added the caption “…it’s the megaton…”. The megaton indeed. For those not in the know, SegaSonic the Hedgehog was a trackball controlled arcade game released exclusively to Japan and North America in 1993. Given the control scheme, the game has not released outside of arcades as Sonic Team has claimed it is too tricky to make the game playable with standard control pads. The game featured the debut of Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Squirrel, but as this supposed prototype dated 1992 reveals the game was initially known as SegaSonic Bros. and featured blue hedgehog Sonic and a yellow and orange version of our hero (or perhaps two new hedgehogs?). Let’s just hope this hedgehog trio don’t form a band and look for their long lost mother.

We hope to hear more details on this soon, so in the meantime consider this a rumor. Fingers crossed this game gets dumped as well.

Discuss multi-colored Sonics and more in the SEGAbits forums, and after the break check out a small update on this story!

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Club Sega Shibuya location has closed

February 1, 2016 by Barry

Some sad news for SEGA fans at the start of the week. We learned that Club Sega Shibuya has closed its doors as of yesterday. News of the arcade’s closing became known with the posting of signs outside the arcade, politely advising customers of the impending closure. The location’s website also has a message, which also gives the January 31, 2016 closing date as well as a thank you to customers for their patronage. No word on why the arcade had closed, though it may simply have to do with the fact that it is a dwindling business in the country. There has also been speculation that the closure could have to do with the renovation of Shibuya Station, which Club Sega sits just outside of.

Club Sega can still be found in Akihaba, Nagoya-Fushimi and Nishiguchi. For a full list of operating SEGA amusement centers, check out this link.

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SEGA Games That Are Celebrating Big Anniversaries in 2016

January 27, 2016 by George

SEGA has created some highly popular and cult classic series of games that have stuck with people over the years. While most of you guys already know that Sonic the Hedgehog is celebrating his big 25th Anniversary this year, many other games get ignored because they aren’t as relevant as they used to be. Today we will list those mostly ignored video game franchises we all love. Did your favorite game make our list?

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Classic Virtua Fighter figures now available for pre-order

January 27, 2016 by George

Are 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.

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The History of Sega Japan R&D, Part 4: The Current Sega

November 19, 2015 by Trippled

A NEW STRUCTURE, A NEW SEGA

The executive team, Hideki Okamura (Left), Hisao Oguchi (Middle) and Takayuki Kawagoe (Right).

In 2005, Sega was back in the black in all areas for the first time in a long time. The Sega Sammy structure was completed, and the next generation home consoles were ahead. Like in the formation of twelve new R&D studios in 1998, executive management had a reset. Long time executives Hideki Sato and Hisashi Suzuki retired from Sega, after their thirty – or even in Suzuki’s case – forty years of service.

As mentioned in Part 3, Hisao Oguchi would atain the highest executive position which he held until 2008 where he received even wider responsibilities as Chief Creative Officer of Sega Sammy.

Then there is Masano Maeda, who joined in 1991. Madea was responsible for building a new Western management team that made crucial partnerships and buyouts of Western companies, like Creative Assembly, Sports Interactive and Secret Level On a side note: the amount of games developed for Xbox 360 amount to roughly forty games, and on PC to about sixty games. On the Dreamcast, the amount comes to fourteen, and old PC releases amount to sixteen.

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The History of Sega Japan R&D, Part 2: The 90s Golden Age

October 9, 2015 by Trippled

THE NUMBER ONE ARCADE ENTERPRISE

The Model series of arcade hardware by Yu Suzuki in co-operation with Lockhead Martin, where the next step in the Sega arcade world. Virtua Fighter sold Sega Saturns in Japan.

In Part 1, we looked at Sega’s origins and their Japanese game development during the 80s. In Part 2 we turn our attention to the golden age, when Sega was fought in the console wars and arcades were in full-force globally. Throughout the 90s, Sega would really grow up and mature and have individual divisions, splitting into arcade and consumer software and product development. Many of the programmers, designers and planners of the 80s and earlier would become managers and producers of their own divisions.
Let’s start Part 2 off with the growth of their AM studios, which is short for Amusement Machine Research and Development.

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Shinobi III and Super Hang-On’s soundtracks coming to vinyl thanks to Data Discs

September 25, 2015 by George

If you haven’t heard of the London based video game record label Data Disc s, they have released both the Streets of Rage and Shenmue vinyls last month. Now they have announced their next SEGA related records, they will do a pressing of the Shinobi III: The Return of the Ninja Master and Super Hang-On soundtracks. Big props for not using the Western cover art, which is inferior to its Japanese counterpart. Also cut out design for the Super Hang-On record is very cool.

The record will cost £19.99 (About $30.45 USD) and come in three flavors (click read more to see those).

Since I have picked up their last two SEGA records, I will obviously be pre-ordering these as well. I’m just a little disappointed that they didn’t do one for The Revenge of Shinobi, which had an amazing soundtrack. Some might even say a better soundtrack than Shinobi III. But what are your thoughts? Excited? Press release after the break.

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SEGA officially confirms Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax hits America and Europe on October 6th

July 29, 2015 by George

Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax Day Bonus Soundtrack
SEGA has finally confirmed that Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax will launch for Playstation 3 and PS Vita on October 6 in North America, South America and Europe. We made a post in June stating it was suppose to come out on August 25th, a date given to us by a Gamestop listing, but that date turned out to be wrong.

North and South America will have ‘special launch edition’ version of the game that will include a bonus soundtrack CD that includes tracks from SEGA composers like Teruhiko Nakagawa, Naofumi Hataya, Kenichi Tokoi, and Jun Senoue. This will only be available to pre-orders and day one copies.

[Via: Gematsu]

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Blade of Arcus From Shining EX’s Japanese limited edition includes scantily clad anime girls

July 23, 2015 by George

SEGA has finally released all the high-resolution shots of the limited edition of Blade Arcus from Shining EX, which is a 2D arcade fighting game that is coming to the Playstation 4 and Playstation 3 in Japan this November.

The game’s limited edition is known as the “Tony Taka’s Premium Fan Box“, who is Tony Taka? He is the artist for the newer Shining series of games, specially famous for making anime girls, that well… aren’t exactly fully clothed (see the art in the image header for examples of such work).

Limited edition comes with:

A Tony Taka-illustrated special box
“Shining Heroine Works” 40-page art book
Shining Ark character 10-song CD
Shining Blade 60-song soundtrack CD (two discs)
“Shining Beach Heroines” 2016 13-month swimsuit calendar

The game hits Japanese store shelves on Novemeber 26th, all first print copies come with Sonia from Shining Resonance as a playable character. No western release date has been announced, but if you want this edition of the game you can always pre-order it at Play-Asia for $110 USD. For more info, check out the game’s official website.

[Via: Gematsu]

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SEGA’s Transformers: Human Alliance gets G-LOC deluxe style cabinet

July 21, 2015 by George

SEGA has launched Transformers: Human Alliance in arcades and it seems that the license has earned enough attention that SEGA went and made a deluxe cabinet (Titled Transformers: Human Alliance Special) for the game. Just how SEGA-AM2’s biggest titles all had big mechanical moving cabinets, Transformers: Human Alliance gets the SEGA R-360 type cabinet from the early 90’s, which was used with G-LOC: Air Battles.

Some people will suggest that G-LOC: Air Battles came out 15 years ago, how can that be impressive? Those people never played G-LOC on the SEGA R-360 cabinet which spins the players a full 360 degrees. Hit the jump to see the SEGA R-360 from 1990 and the new Transformers one in action after the break.

[Source: NintendoLife]

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SEGA bringing its Shining spin-off arcade game Blade Arcus from Shining EX to PS4 and PS3

July 21, 2015 by George

SEGA Japan has announced that they are porting the 2D arcade fighting spin-off Blade Arcus from Shining to the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 via Famitsu. SEGA will add ‘EX’ to the end of the game because the game will have loads of extras, including new playable characters.

In Japan the game will get two releases, a standard that will cost 6,990 yen ($56 USD) and a limited edition costing 9,990 yen ($80 USD). All first print copies come with the character Sonia from Shining Resonance. The “Blade Arcus from Shining EX Tony’s Premium Fan Box” limited edition comes with a Tony Taka-illustrated special box, “Shining Heroine Works” art book, Shining Ark character song CD, Shining Blade soundtrack CD, and “Shining Beach Heroines” swimsuit calendar.

As for it coming west, SEGA probably wants to see how Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax does later next month. As for the characters, if you are a old school Shining Force fan, don’t get too excited since all in-game characters are from Shining Hearts/Blade (some original characters for the game too). Hit the job to see who made the cut.

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