Dreamcast

SEGA Tunes Kenji Eno Tribute: Snow

by

Kenji Eno, a composer who created soundtracks for a few SEGA published games, as well as his own original albums, passed away last month. I confess that I’ve never played any of the games he was involved in, so I’m afraid I am rather unfamiliar with his work. If it is anything like the above, then it seems like I’ve been missing out on some of the most beautiful and atmospheric soundtracks in SEGA’s library.

Expect to see more Kenji Eno tracks featured here as I continue to peruse his work. Until then, here’s another song from D2, “Morning Theme”. Be back next week when we finish off the SEGAbits staff spotlight with an entry from Kori Maru!

Continue Reading ➜

No Comments

My Life with SEGA returns from Yokosuka with a very special Shenmue review

by

Shenmue. Yu Suzuki’s masterpiece has become something of legend. It completely redifined a genre and showed gamers around the world that Dreamcast was more than just a pretty face….

More than a decade later, the game retains a rabid cult following and fans cry out for a continuation to this incredible series. But is Shenmue truly worthy of all this praise? Should this title be revered? Watch and learn, my dear viewers.

The SEGAbits 3rd anniversary contest ENDS TODAY – win prizes like a SEGA Genesis, Genesis games and brand new My Life With SEGA DVD’s! All the details can be found here.

Like this video? Subscribe to the SEGAbits YouTube channel!

11 Comments

Up from the depths, My Life with SEGA tackles Godzilla Generations

by

What’s this? My second review of a Dreamcast title? Don’t get your hopes up. It’s not Shenmue. Believe me, I wish it was. Instead, I’m reviewing Godzilla Generations. A Japanese launch title, which just so happens to be a Dreamcast exclusive….

Good. That means it can’t spread. Yeah, I know. “What are you talking about? Godzilla’s awesome!” Oh, Godzilla’s all well and fine, but this game? Just watch it and count yourself among the lucky ones.

The SEGAbits 3rd anniversary contest is going on now – win prizes like a SEGA Genesis, Genesis games and brand new My Life With SEGA DVD’s! All the details can be found here.

Like this video? Subscribe to the SEGAbits YouTube channel!

3 Comments

Ikaruga gets ported to Android devices, dodge bullets on the go

by

http://youtu.be/cbmCCjDC67c
Ikaruga is probably one of my favorite shoot ’em ups during the Dreamcast era, created originally for the SEGA NAOMI board. This little bugger has seen its fair share of ports, including the Gamecube, Xbox 360 and now Android powered devices. How much are they charging for this masterpiece? $9.

So head over to the Play Store and pluck down some money and if you haven’t played it, do so please.

2 Comments

Capcom asks fans what digital titles they want – survey includes Power Stone and Project Justice

by

Don’t freak out, we’re not turning into CAPCOMbits. However, this story may be of interest to some SEGA fans. Capcom wants to know what sorts of digital titles fans want to see, and to let them know all you need to do is take a survey. Of interest to SEGA fans is that the survey asks “From which Capcom franchises are you most interested in seeing digital games?” followed by a number of franchises that were popular on SEGA consoles, including Power Stone and Project Justice (aka Rival Schools). Once you select the games you wish to see digitally rereleased, you get to answer more detailed questions including your levels of interest for HD ports of Power Stone 1, HD ports of Power Stone 2, and an HD port of a Power Stone Collection.

So if you’ve ever wanted to see some classic Capcom titles that appeared on SEGA consoles rereleased, head on over to the survey and make sure Capcom hears you!

6 Comments

SEGAbits contributes to 1UP.com cover story – “A Dream Deferred: When Sega Got Out at the Right Time”

by

Gaming website 1UP.com has posted their cover story for the week, entitled “A Dream Deferred: When Sega Got Out at the Right Time”. The story covers the Dreamcast’s exit from the market, and argues why it might have been a good decision in the long run. 1UP writer Ray Barnholt reached out to SEGAbits earlier in the month for our thoughts on the Dreamcast’s demise, and the finished article features quotes from our very own Shigs and -nSega54-! Head on over to 1UP.com to read the article, and feel free to share your thoughts both there and here.

Again, a big thanks to 1UP and Ray Barnholt for thinking of us when it came to the opinions of SEGA fans!

3 Comments

Classic Game Room names indie Dreamcast game Gunlord game of the year

by

Leave it to Mark of Classic Game Room to still believe in the SEGA Dreamcast! In his top ten games of 2012 video, Mark named the Dreamcast indie game Gunlord from NG:DEV.TEAM as his favorite game of the year. Other notable titles mentioned by Mark: Under Defeat HD (an HD title, but originally an arcade and Dreamcast game), Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (which beat Forza Horizon and F1 2012 on the list), and Yakuza: Dead Souls. Truly a SEGA fan after my own beer- I mean, heart.

3 Comments

Happy 14th Birthday, SEGA Dreamcast!

by

Fourteen years ago today, in Japan, the final SEGA console released: the Dreamcast. Of course, being an English speaking blog, we tend to put more emphasis on 9-9-99. Still, 11-27-98 is just as, if not more, important than any other Dreamcast launch date simply because it was the first. Also, it is the day before my birthday. A-hem! Anyway, Japanese launch titles included: Sonic Adventure, Pen Pen TriIcelon, Godzilla Generations, July, and Virtua Fighter 3tb. July and Godzilla Generations never made it outside Japan. Considering Famitsu gave Godzilla Generations a 20 out of 40, and Western import reviews were even worse, it seems those outside Japan weren’t missing out on Godzilla.

To celebrate, enjoy the hilarious Japanese Dreamcast commercials starring Senior Managing Director of SEGA Hidekazu Yukawa. The man truly was the Segata Sanshiro of the Dreamcast era, though he acted the complete opposite. Yukawa appeared on the Japanese Dreamcast box, he had his own game, his own merchandise including a cell phone charm, and even appeared in a cameo in the Shenmue demo “What’s Shenmue?”. You can see a complete playthrough of that after the break. Happy 14th Birthday, SEGA Dreamcast!

Continue Reading ➜

8 Comments

SEGA Tunes All Stars: Vyse’s Theme

by

With All Stars just a week away, now seems like the perfect time to start posting Tuesday Tunes again, focusing tunes for the characters and tracks featured in the game.

Skies of Arcadia is an upbeat game that eschews the usual heavy drama common in Japanese RPGs for optimism and a thrill for adventure. Embodying this is Vyse, a young idealistic air pirate who wants explore the world and do things no one else has ever done before. The above track is the perfect theme for the character, embodying Vyse’s energy and optimism.

I’ve got Fina’s character theme below the fold for another dose of Skies of Arcadia auditory glory!

Continue Reading ➜

7 Comments

Pier Solar HD project hits Kickstarter, Dreamcast named as one of the platforms

by

We’ve written about the indie SEGA Genesis game Pier Solar a number of times, and here we are writing about it again. WaterMelon Co., the team behind the original game, are taking to Kickstarter in hopes of funding an HD version of the game for a number of platforms including the SEGA Dreamcast. Other platforms include Xbox 360, PC, Mac and Linux. As you can see above, and at their Kickstarter page, the game is making a big graphical leap! If fully funded, the project appears to have an estimated completion date of December 2013. All the details concerning the project can be found over at their Kickstarter page, but after the break check out the SEGA related bits.

Continue Reading ➜

1 Comment

My Life With SEGA hails the king in Evil Dead for the Dreamcast

by

Halloween month continues, as My Life With SEGA tackles Evil Dead: Hail to the King.

At long last, I’m finally reviewing a Dreamcast game….

Now, why for the love of Shenmue would I review Evil Dead: Hail to the King, besides the fact that it’s October and Evil Dead’s one of my favorite horror franchises of all time? I don’t know. Why can’t Ash stay outta’ the goddamn woods? Why can’t he remember three very simple magic words? Why are YOU still reading this?

Watch the fuckin’ review already, you primitive screw-head!

Was this video… groovy? Subscribe to the SEGAbits YouTube channel!

8 Comments

Retro Review: Cannon Spike

by

The Dreamcast’s greatest strength is easily its selection of arcade perfect ports. Few games exemplify this trait better then Capcom’s Cannon Spike. This game is a pure arcade shooter through and through and a nice little love letter to Capcom fans. It also holds the increasingly rare distinction of being a Dreamcast exclusive. Cannon Spike was a difficult game for me to find. I have only seen it a half dozen times since its release, and its price has been increasing for years. When I finally decided to buy it, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but my hopes were high. I’ve picked up a couple fan favorite Capcom games over the last few years, like Project Justice and Power Stone 2, and they had yet to disappoint. I am grateful to report that Cannon Spike doesn’t break that trend, though it’s also not quite what I was hoping it was. Eleven years after its release, is Cannon Spike still worth checking out?

Continue Reading ➜

11 Comments

Happy 13th Birthday, SEGA Dreamcast!

by

Thirteen years ago today, the SEGA Dreamcast released to the United States. Why is it that the US release is so widely celebrated? Well, the marketing geniuses behind the launch chose an incredibly memorable date: 9/9/99. Of course, that isn’t to say that the European launch date of 10/14/99 or the Japanese launch date of 11/27/98 aren’t just as important, but nothing sticks like a string of nines. Despite being one year older, and well past the point where it is still deemed a current gen console or even a last gen console, the Dreamcast has managed to remain relevant. SEGA has kept the dream alive with rereleases of popular Dreamcast games, including the Dreamcast Collection and the upcoming SEGA Heritage Collection titles. Indie developers have been hard at work on new Dreamcast games including the awesome GunLord, the Dux sequel Redux: Dark Matters and redspotgames Sturmwind. Like a fine wine, the Dreamcast just gets better with age. Even now, fans are still discovering titles on the console. Just check out our forums where fans are sharing their favorite obscure titles.

So whatever you have planned for today, try to squeeze in a play session of your favorite Dreamcast game. Don’t have a Dreamcast or don’t have the time? Check out a retrospective video, read an article, or just think back to that time thirteen years ago when SEGA ruled the console world and wowed us with hardware and games that were as technologically impressive as they were filled with innovation and imagination.

10 Comments

The Weekly Five: 5 games best experienced on Dreamcast

by

The Dreamcast’s birthday is right around the corner, and you know what that means? That’s right, Dreamcast articles! As a big fan of many of the Dreamcast’s more obscure games I enjoy writing about Dreamcast games that even many Dreamcast owners, over a decade later, haven’t played yet. The five games in this list are games that are still relevant, games that Dreamcast owners should still pick up even years later. These games have aged gracefully and while not necessarily unique to the Dreamcast, are still games that need to be experienced on the Dreamcast.

Continue Reading ➜

19 Comments

SEGA re-trademarks Skies of Arcadia

by


No idea if this will mean that the game is coming to digital services, but seeing how we are getting NiGHTS into Dreams and Jet Set Radio, I wouldn’t be shocked if this is announced soon.

It could also mean that SEGA hates us and loves to tease us.

4 Comments