Indie

New visual coding program for Genesis/Mega-Drive, MD Engine, coming soon

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Look. I get you, Sega fans. You saw all these cool new homebrew games for Genesis/Mega-Drive coming out and you wanna make a game just like those, but you don’t know how to write code for Genesis. Thankfully, Two Black Cats have got you covered.

MD Engine is a new visual coding program made for easy development of games for Sega Genesis. A visual coding program, much like Game Maker or Clickteam Fusion, allows for the development of video games with an interface that allows for you to build a game with visual assets and menus without having to rely so much on writing code. With this, and a bit of patience and inspiration, you should be able to make your very own new Genesis games without having to write one line of code.

MD Engine was made as a fork of GB Studio, an open source visual coding program for making games for Nintendo’s Game Boy (Color) handheld. It uses much of the same interface and menus, so MD Engine should look familiar to anyone who has worked in GB Studio. However, MD Engine touts some extra special features that are not available even with GB Studio, such as exporting your game as a special PC or HTML5 game with extra features not possible on Genesis, such as a widescreen visual mode and CRT visual filters. Of course, if you just want to make a game ROM that can play on Genesis consoles or in Genesis emulators, you can do that as well.

Be sure to take a dive past the break to find out more about how MD Engine could help you make the Genesis game of your dreams.

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New Chao Garden inspired indie game, Star Garden, launches Kickstarter and downloadable demo

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Hey, Sonic fans. You miss the Chao Garden. I miss the Chao Garden. We all miss the Chao Garden. Game Garage misses the Chao Garden too, so they made a whole new game based on it.

Star Garden is an all-new 3D action racing game from indie developer Game Garden. Taking the cuddly creature customization and caring aspect of Sonic Adventure 1&2’s Chao Gardens, the unconventional, yet fun racing action of Nintendo and HAL Labratory’s Gamecube classic Kirby Air Ride, and the cute and whimsical Y2K stylings of many games on both the Gamecube and the Dreamcast, Star Garden promises a unique racing and exploration experience for you and up to 5 other players in multiplayer. Now the game is ready for the big time, with a demo now available on Steam and a Kickstarter which has burst WAY past it’s initial fundraising goal of $35,000 USD. As of this writing, the game has raised over $140,000, 4x their goal, with no sign of slowing down and more and more stretch goals coming in. People seem to think this game’s kinda neat.

Currently, the game is only planned for a PC release on Steam, with Nintendo Switch 1&2 ports being considered as a potential possibility. A stretch goal was added later on to guarantee PlayStation and Xbox ports when (At this rate, there’s no point in saying “if”) the Kickstarter raises $165,000.

EDIT: Sure enough, that stretch goal was reached. PlayStation and Xbox ports are happening now.

To find out more about this game, and its surprising star power that Sega fans may be familiar with already, as well as directions to the Kickstarter if you got money to spare, you can race past the break and learn more.

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Gamescare announces a December 2025 release date for their new FPGA Genesis/32X console: the GF-1 Neptune

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The Brazillian company GamesCare have announced a December 2025 release window for their hotly anticipated Genesis/32X hybrid FPGA console: the GF-1 Neptune. At the moment, pre-orders are not yet available and no price has been announced, though they have stated it will be average for consoles of this nature. Given the usual cost of most FPGA consoles, I would estimate somewhere in the ballpark of $200-300 USD, but we’ll see soon. (Expect tariffs to be an issue as well) They have also promised that crowdfunding will not be part of their plans.

This announcement was made public through GamesCare’s Twitter, along with a link to a signup page for their new email newsletter. You can sign up there to hear when more info comes out. The link will be right below the break.

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New indie shooter “Frontier Force” released for Master System

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We love new games released for Sega consoles here at SegaBits, and this is one you won’t want to miss. Homebrew developer Badcomputer has just released an amazing new shmup for Master System called Frontier Force. The game sees your Space Harrier-looking character on the ground firing upwards at enemy forces with six different weapons, five of which have limited ammunition that requires replenishing. The game boasts some incredible graphics with plenty of detail and parallax scrolling, more than you saw in most official Master System games at retail back in the day. It also features an incredible soundtrack by chiptune musician Crisps as well as a printable digital manual.

The game is now available as a digital ROM file for your favorite Master System emulator or to run on a flash cartridge on any Master System, Mark III, or Master System-compatible Genesis/Mega-Drive console for only $5 USD from Badcomputer’s itch.io page, which will be linked beyond the break below.

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Indie fighting game Pocket Bravery getting an official Genesis/Mega-Drive port

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Here comes a new challenge on Genesis/Mega-Drive. Pocket Bravery, a modern, independent 2D fighting game by Brazillian developer Statera Studio, has an official 16-bit port being worked on for the Genesis. The port is being handled by RheoGamer, himself a Brazillian developer, who had previously ported Real Bout Fatal Fury to Genesis and is already hard at work on his own Genesis port of X-Men vs. Street Fighter and an original King of Fighters Genesis game. Needless to say, this makes him the perfect candidate for porting a game that was already clearly inspired by the best of Capcom and SNK’s fighting game pedigree. Never underestimate the love Brazil has for the old school Sega, Capcom, or SNK.

For more info on Pocket Bravery to get you excited for this 16-bit port, have a look past the break.

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New Genesis/Mega-Drive shooter ZPF now available for pre-order

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Remember the new hit indie Genesis/Mega-Drive shooter ZPF, which succeeded in its Kickstarter campaign to fund development in July of last year? The game is still in development as of this writing, but pre-orders have now opened up to the public on Backerkit (In December 2024, but hey, they’re still available right now, at least). Even if you didn’t back the Kickstarter, you now have a chance to get your order in and be assured to receive your copy of the game as soon as it’s available. If you did back the Kickstarter, you can take this opportunity to order any items that weren’t included with your pledge that you may want.

From Backerkit, you can order new exclusive Complete-In-Box packages, collector’s edition sets, and other goods such as an artbook or a vinyl or CD soundtrack. You can also order copies of the developer’s previous game Tanzer or the other recent new indie Genesis game Rocket Panda, if you feel like having an extra game with ZPF. These two games are available for $45 USD, while ZPF is available as a $50 cartridge-only package, a $60 CIB set, and a $150 collector’s edition complete with unique cartridge design.

For a link to the pre-order page, and details on other goods you can pre-order, have a look after the break.

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Mega Drive Tracker website set up to catalogue upcoming physical indie game releases for Genesis/Mega-Drive

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Brand new games for Genesis/Mega-Drive, coming from talented indie enthusiast developers, are a common occurrence today. It is rather exciting, but it might be a little tough to keep track of them all. Of course, you can search SegaBits for our own articles about new Genesis game releases, but what if I told you there’s now a website with an easy to read catalogue of upcoming releases to look out for?

Developed by fellow Sega fan and writer Mollie L Patterson, Mega Drive Tracker is a WordPress site keeping track of upcoming Genesis releases that are planned to come out on physical cartridges that you can buy and run on original Genesis hardware. The pages for each game include links to the websites where the games can be bought or pre-ordered, if they are still available. This includes a couple of games we have written about before too. They’re grouped by four categories:

  1. New Releases, which are brand new games being developed from the ground up for Genesis. (Examples: Phantom Gear, Earthion, ZPF)
  2. Ports, which are conversions of games that already exist on other hardware. (Examples: Black Jewel Reborn, P47 II MD, Asuka 120% Re-bon)
  3. Reprints, which are brand new printings of games that already released on Genesis years ago. (Examples: Aero The Acro-bat, Grind Stormer, Twin Cobra)
  4. Localizations, which are translated releases of games originally unreleased in English speaking countries. (Example: Eliminate Down, Slap Fight)

Take a look after the break for a link to the website for you to bookmark and look at.

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Rocket Panda now available to purchase on Genesis/Mega-Drive cartridge

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Looking for a new game in a functioning cartridge for your Genesis/Mega-Drive console? Rocket Panda is finally available to purchase as a physical cartridge complete with a box and manual to play on your original Genesis. The game was made available on September 16th, 2024. (Please excuse our tardiness in reporting the news.) 

Rocket Panda was made by Space Pants Games and published by Mega Cat Studios. Both companies collaborated on a Kickstarter campaign to develop this game back in February of this year, and now the game is complete and available to ship to buyers. If you backed that Kickstarter, chances are you may have received your own copy by now if you pledged enough money for one, or you may receive it soon. Be sure to keep up with updates on the Kickstarter page. Everyone else can now buy their own original copy complete in box or just the cartridge on its own. A special Limited Edition, coming with a cartridge of its own unique design, is also available.

For links to purchase directly from Mega Cat Studios, and to learn more about the game, dive on in past the break.

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Special interview with Tim of Walaber Entertainment, creator of Parking Garage Rally Circuit

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You may remember us reporting on Parking Garage Rally Circuit, an upcoming indie racing game coming soon to Steam, which is styled after a Sega Saturn game and could actually become a Saturn game if it gets enough sales on Steam. After that article, I have reached out to Tim of Walaber Entertainment, the studio developing Parking Garage Rally Circuit, for an interview with the man behind the game. He has kindly taken time out of his busy schedule to answer a few questions about the game for all our readers.

Join us after the break to hear about Tim’s history with Sega Saturn, his inspirations for Parking Garage Rally Circuit, and a bit more of what we can expect to see in this game when it launches on Steam sometime this year.

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Saturn inspired racer Parking Garage Rally Circuit coming soon to Steam; actual Saturn version teased

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This is for the Sega Saturn racing fans out there. Solo indie developer Walaber (Creator of the Jelly Car series and credited on Where’s My Water?) is paying tribute to the mighty Saturn with his brand new retro styled time trial racer Parking Garage Rally Circuit. This game is designed to look like an authentic Sega Saturn game from 1998 and is currently listed on Steam, where it is planned to release for Windows, Linux, and Steam Deck sometime within 2024.

More exciting than that is that Walaber wants to bring this game to Nintendo Switch and the very console he’s paying homage to, the Sega Saturn. He will bring the game to Switch if it can sell 50,000 downloads on Steam, and then make a special Saturn version of the game after achieving 100,000 downloads on Steam. If you wanna see this game in your collection for either console, then you can start by wishlisting the game on Steam right now and then buying it after it’s released. Let your money do the talking.

But if you need more convincing than that, we have extra info for you beyond the break. We bet you’ll be heading on down with this kind of ferocity.

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New Genesis/Mega-Drive & 32X FPGA clone console, the GF-1 Neptune, revealed

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If you’re a fan of old school Sega and the 32X, then chances are you’ve heard of the Sega Neptune before. It was an official Genesis console with the 32-bit 32X hardware built right in, allowing for Genesis and 32X games to be run from one unit. We all know what happened with the 32X in the end, and with it, so went Sega’s plans to finalize the Neptune and bring it to market. I’m sure 32X fans would’ve preferred a Neptune over installing a 32X into a Genesis with its 2nd power cable though.

The Brazilian company Gamescare seems to agree with that notion, and thus have designed their own, all new FPGA-based clone console based on this unreleased Sega console, called the GF-1 Neptune. This Neptune will be able to run Genesis, Mega-Drive, and 32X games all in one unit, just like Sega’s Neptune was meant to do. It even has the same shape as Sega’s original Neptune prototype. It can also attach to a Sega CD unit with its expansion port on its side, like an original Genesis and, presumably, the original Neptune would’ve done.

Sound exciting to you? Join us past the break, then, and find out more about this promising development.

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A new Genesis/Mega-Drive shmup, ZPF, begins crowdfunding on Kickstarter; already achieves its goal nearly 5x over

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Are you guys ready for an especially wonderful new Sega Genesis/Mega-Drive experience? Apparently a lot of people were. A Kickstarter has been recently opened up for an incredible new shooter by the developer of indie Genesis darling Tänzer and its publisher Mega Cat Studios. ZPF is a game that aims to push the beloved 16-bit console like few modern indie hits have before, and it’s already gone way past it’s initial modest goal of $15,000 USD in less than half an hour after going live on July 1st, 2024. In fact, it is already over $100,000 raised. I think people might be a bit impressed so far.

ZPF is a horizontal scrolling shmup, much like Genesis classics such as the Thunder Force games, Steel Empire (1992), Arrow Flash (1991), and another hotly anticipated indie hit which was also a smashing success on Kickstarter, Irena: Genesis Metal Fury. ZPF aims to set itself apart with some incredibly detailed and imaginative artwork, three playable characters with their own unique attacks, and many secrets, including hidden stages and endings. ZPF aims to go hard or go home.

Suffice it to say, this game’s coming out with or without your support, but there’s still all of July to put a couple of bucks down and earn yourself some rewards. For a rundown of what you can get, as well as more of the game itself, scroll on past the break and be ready to contain your excitement.

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Indie Genesis/Mega-Drive Action RPG “Secret of the Four Winds” opens pre-orders; features all-new arranged music hardware

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Every once in a while, there comes an indie game for retired game consoles that does something really special to stand out from all games on that system, new and old. This is one of those times. Kai Magazine Software, who have developed a bunch of games for the Genesis/Mega-Drive before, have debuted their newest, most ambitious game to date: “The Secret of the Four Winds.”

The Secret of the Four Winds is an action RPG inspired by the likes of cyberpunk classics like Snatcher (1994) and Shadowrun (1994) on the Sega CD and Genesis respectively. The game centers around a trio of protagonists brought together after a mysterious army of shadowy ghosts is summoned that are only vulnerable to a special pistol found by main protagonist Gillian Seed Al. Once you meet your two cohorts, you’ll be able to command each of them in battle and outfit them for any role in battle, such as a tank or healer, for example. You’ll also make choices throughout the game that will affect the outcome of the story and your relationship with your two allies and other characters.

What makes this game really special, and unlike any Genesis game ever seen before, is its use of an all new audio chip developed by Kai Magazine Software, allowing the game to run fully arranged music, as if it were a Sega CD game. While it also gives you the option of regular FM sound, the arranged music is an incredible technical achievement. This has never been seen on Genesis outside of certain flash carts such as the Mega Everdrive Pro, which allowed you to add arranged music to existing Genesis classics through special game patches with its MSU-MD and MD+ technology. The downside is that this game will not function on certain Genesis systems, such as the Genesis 3 or most Genesis clone consoles. Any Model 1 or 2 Genesis should work, according to Kai Magazine Software. They also recommend disconnecting your 32X or Sega CD if music isn’t playing.

For more info, as well as a special video showcasing the game in action, have a look past the break below.

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Sega 8-bit game publisher 2Minds opens pre-orders for Game Gear adventure “The Sword of Stone” + new Mark III and Genesis/Mega-Drive games

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Looking for something new to play on Sega’s 8-bit console library, including the Game Gear? French publisher 2Minds has reopened their online store as well as opened pre-orders for a new narrative exploration adventure for Game Gear titled “The Sword of Stone”. In addition, they’ve also opened pre-orders for new Mark III and Genesis/Mega-Drive cartridges of their Master System game library, along with a new Game Gear version of their existing Master System puzzle game “Heroes Against Demons”. The new Game Gear games cost €59 ($63.65 USD), Mark III games cost €55 ($59.33 USD), and Genesis and Master System games cost €50 ($53.94 USD). All pre-orders are estimated to ship in September, while Master System games, as of this writing, are already available to ship. Make sure you get the correct game cartridge for your personal setup.

All of the games are packaged with high quality cartridges containing brand new game PCBs of 2Minds’s own special design. They also come in a box with a color manual. The Game Gear games also come with brand new plastic shells for the cartridges, just like all brand new Game Gear games had. Really takes you back, right? Keep in mind, the Genesis cartridges are still Master System games, but playable on Genesis without the need of a Power Base Converter. They may not work with Genesis consoles incompatible with Master System games, such as the Nomad and Genesis 3, as well as the 32X. (Fun fact: Sega actually released a Master System game in a Mega-Drive cartridge themselves once.) Mark III games will have all text on the box and manual written in Japanese.

You can see links to the store after the break, along with picture galleries of all the available games.

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VGNYsoft preparing a new reissue of indie Dreamcast hit Sturmwind; Pre-orders open up May 15th, 2024

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Remember the amazing indie Dreamcast shooter Sturmwind? Developed by Duranik and originally published by redspotgames in 2013, Strumwind was a fun and beautiful side-scrolling shmup that has long since gone out of print. Now, a new publisher, VGNYsoft, who is no stranger to publishing new Dreamcast games, has gotten a hold of Sturmwind and is about to release an all new print of the game with all new packaging.

Like redspotgames before them, VGNYsoft is preparing a collector’s edition as well as a much more plentiful standard edition. The special edition packages the game’s jewel case into a cardboard box and includes an all new Sturmwind branded VMU plastic shell, silicone pad, and black d-pad, perfect for anyone trying to refurbish an old VMU. Only 500 copies of the special edition will be available, so act fast if you want one. (VGNYsoft have also cheekily pointed out the fact that their game discs will be professionally pressed instead of burned onto a CD-R, which is a jab at Limited Run Games for a very recent controversy of theirs.)

If you missed out on Sturmwind during it’s original release or during one of its other reissues through different companies, then this is a good chance to get an affordable and brand spankin’ new copy of it today, or at least May 15th, 2024, when VGNYsoft opens pre-orders on their own new print. You can find pre-order links, as well as a video trailer, after the break.

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