Back in March we shared the news that indie Dreamcast developer Senile Team, creators of Rush Rush Rally Racing and Beats of Rage, were working on a platformer titled Intrepid Izzy. Now, it looks like the team plans to bring the game to Dreamcast, PC and (should they hit a stretch goal) PlayStation 4 via a Kickstarter campaign. With a €35,000 goal ($41,268), they still have a ways to go having just hit the 10% mark.
Senile Team, the creators of Rush Rush Rally Racing and Beats of Rage, have announced a new game for the SEGA Dreamcast titled Intrepid Izzy. The game combines action platforming with beat ’em up and RPG elements for a 2D action adventure platformer experience with the game running on a custom-made engine. The visual style promises to be crisp and cartoony with bright, warm colors and smooth animations designed, illustrated, animated and programmed by Roel van Mastbergen. Music will be created by Black Device, who also composed the soundtrack to Rush Rush Rally Racing.
Intrepid Izzy is set to release to the Dreamcast and PC with the potential for additional platforms. Additional release information, such as date and price, have yet to be given but as soon as we learn more we’ll be sure to share! In the meantime, you can visit the game’s microsite and check out screenshots after the break.
Remember the Senile Team indie Dreamcast game Rush Rush Rally Racing that came out way back in 2009? The game also got a WiiWare release back in 2012 featuring two new modes titled challenge and time attack. Now Senile Team is set to re-release the game as Rush Rush Rally Reloaded back on the SEGA Dreamcast with the two modes that used to be exclusive to the Wii version.
Senile Team isn’t stopping there since they have said Rush Rush Rally Reloaded will also feature re-designed menus, improved graphics, faster loading, optimized video code, and a lot more features. If you want to see everything that is new in Rush Rush Rally Reloaded has to offer hit the jump to check that out.
The Bomberman-inspired indie Dreamcast game Alice Dreams Tournament, successfully funded on Kickstarter in late 2015, inches closer to backer’s hands thanks to a recent project update. According to the team, they have received the games from the manufacturer. All versions are accounted for, except for the PAL collector’s edition which is lacking the front and back covers which are still in production. The team promises to keep backers informed as to when they are ready to ship.
Also announced, the team will be at Retro Game Play this Saturday the 18th and Sunday the 19th in Meaux, France. Backers were told that if they plan to be at the event or in the area they can pick up their game and get autographs. Copies of the game will be sold at the event itself.
Back in September of 2014SLaVE, a Dreamcast game by indie developer Isotope and GOAT Store Publishing, was announced. The game was to combine the game design sensibilities and aesthetics of 80s arcade shooters with old school first person shooters like Doom and Wolfenstein. At the time of the games announcement, it looked as though the release was just around the corner with Goat Store taking pre-orders for a Limited Edition and a Limited Limited Edition. Since then, however, little has been said about the game aside from a mention in April 2015 of a “final bug test” and the cover art reveal.
And then? Nothing, at least until this week when Isotope developer Coraline released the following statement.
In addition to this list, Berto has also compiled a handy list which links to the respective crowdfunding campaigns, pre-orders and ROM/ISO download links. So what indie SEGA games are coming in 2017?
Are you looking to support interesting indie SEGA Genesis titles and want to see more games for the platform be developed? The team at Mega Cat Studios has now launched their kickstarter page for a brand new title called Coffee Crisis. Pledges start at $25 dollars giving you a PC download code and all the way up to a grand. M$ad Cat Studios has set their fundraising goal at $10,000, which at the time of writing this they are almost at 50% of their goal. So how much for the limited edition boxed SEGA Genesis version of Coffee Crisis? You will be dropping $55 buckaroos, with a ‘estimated ship date’ of December 2016.
Henshin Engine is a game based on a web comic that is set to release in early 2017 to PC-Engine/TurboGrafx-16 and PC CD-Rom/Steam. The game features 2D action platforming and was programmed from the ground up for classic systems. With 6 days remaining in their Kickstarter campaign, Henshin Engine is $8,000 past their $16,400 goal, meaning they’ve started to chip away at their stretch goals. Of interest to SEGA fans is the promise of a Dreamcast post, set to release in late 2017, should the campaign pass $22,400. Given they are $2,000 past this goal, a Dreamcast version seems assured, though the developer has yet to release an update sharing this news.
The indie Dreamcast game Xenocider opened pre-orders awhile back but now, like most indie Dreamcast games, it will allow you to pre-order various versions including:
According to the developers blog, the limited edition of these games, the two big ones being the PAL edition and the Steelbook edition will be limited print run to only 50 copies. Only 100 copies if you combined them. That is almost nothing. So if you are interested in the indie Dreamcast game Xenocider and want a ultra rare limited edition, you might want to go for the PAL or Steelbook editions.
The indie Dreamcast game Xenocider is set to release during June 2017, no exact date has been given and considering how indie development scene goes, don’t be surprised if the game is delayed. This is notable for being one of the first indie Dreamcast games to use full 3D graphics and is heavily inspired by rail shooters such as Space Harrier. You can check out their new demo for the game, for free, right here. The team has also been rather open on receiving feedback during development, that is always a positive move.
It’s been pretty smooth sailing for classic pseudo-SEGA game revival Toejam and Earl: Back in the Groove, since its Kickstarter announcement all the way up to its “soon” release. And for those excited for the game, the good news keeps piling up! Just today, a new trailer was revealed by Adult Swim, announcing the game’s release window and its publisher, Adult Swim Games, known for quirky titles like Jazzpunk and Robot Unicorn Attack. While Adult Swim doesn’t exactly come to mind when I think of TJ and E, the match-up does at least make some sense if you think about it.
In addition, the crew have released several batches of screenshots on their Facebook, and a Steam page has gone up with even more shots. Unfortunately, those looking to get in on the funky rogue-like action will have to wait until 2017 to get their hands on the game for both PC and consoles. Hopefully the wait won’t be too long, and you can at least keep yourself busy with the screenshots below the jump.
As great as it is to see so many SEGA-related Kickstarter campaigns, inevitably some will not reach their goals. In the past we saw Mega-Bit figures and Night Trap Revamped fail to make their money, and today we are sad to report that Xenocider has thrown in the Kickstarter towel. Xenocider is a 3D shooter inspired by the SEGA classic Space Harrier, and was planned to be released to Dreamcast, PC, Mac, Linux and 3DS. At the time of cancelling the campaign, the game had 342 backers and raised $24,061 of the $92,000 goal with 6 days remaining.
Homebrew indie developer Orion (creator of Alice’s Mom’s Rescue) has announced that they will be bringing their upcoming 16-bit JRPG Zia And The Goddesses of Magic to SEGA Dreamcast, Sony Playstation and Windows platforms.
Here is a short description of Zia And The Goddesses of Magic from their store page:
Get ready, as our Strike Harbinger coverage continues! In this SEGA News Bits, Barry talks George through what it was like playing an early arcade build of Strike Harbinger during its debut at Galloping Ghost Arcade‘s SEGA Week. Created by the game development and design studio HitSparks Games, which is co-owned by Lead Game Designer Chris Tang and Senior Artist Kiyoshi Okuma, Strike Harbinger takes inspiration from classic SEGA titles including Space Harrier and Phantasy Star. The game is not due out until 2017, but this early first look at the game shows a lot of promise! Featuring unique controls and RPG-style elements, there is a lot more to Strike Harbinger than you’d think. So click play above and hear what Barry thought of the game and see some lovely 1080p 60fps gameplay footage courtesy of the developers.
More SEGA Week coverage is to come, including even more Strike Harbinger details and footage, so stay tuned! If you enjoy the SEGA News Bits video formats make sure to like, share and subscribe to our YouTube for more.
The Kickstarter campaign for Xenocider, a new indie SEGA Dreamcast game, has launched. The game is unique as it is one of the first fully 3D indie Dreamcast games, and the gameplay itself takes inspiration from classic SEGA arcade games including Space Harrier and Nintendo’s Sin & Punishment. The game’s development team Retro Sumus describes themselves as “a small, independent game development team who got together to revisit genres and concepts we felt were underused, or not explored in depth back in their time.”
The small team is a mix of individuals who are both new and old to the indie Dreamcast development scene, including Lead Programmer Daniel Lancha who reprogrammed Pier Solar for modern platforms and developed Hucast’s Ghost Blade. Also involved is Carlos Oliveros who heads up the team’s Communications and who in the past handled Pier Solar‘s Spanish translation. So it should be no surprise that Tulio Goncalves, former president and founder of Watermelon games and creator of Pier Solar, is on the team serving as the Producer. All-in-all, it looks like Xenocider has a solid team with Dreamcast development experience, but if that still doesn’t sway you they have put together a real working demo of the game for the Dreamcast that you can play right now! Just click on over to their campaign page for Windows, Mac, Linux and Dreamcast download links.
Dreamcast isn’t the only planned platform, as the game will also be playable on PC, Mac, Linux and Nintendo 3DS. The team hopes to raise $92,000 to realize their vision. After the break, a full list of what the team plans for the game to make it extra special. Check out the campaign today, and if you like what you see give them your support!
On this episode of the Swingin’ Report Show podcast, Barry sits down with game designer and gaming tournament champion Chris Tang at the Galloping Ghost Arcade’s SEGA Week. SEGA fans may know Chris best as the winner of SEGA’s Sonic & Knuckles Rock the Rock competition in 1994, and before that Chris was a finalist in 1990’s Nintendo World Championships. Since then, Chris has worked on games at Atari and Capcom, including Gauntlet IV, Primal Rage, Street Fighter III, Rival Schools and Power Stone. Now, Chris is hard at work on a new game inspired by classic SEGA titles like Space Harrier and Phantasy Star. The game, titled Strike Harbinger, combines the fast paced forward flying gameplay of Space Harrier with the RPG and combat elements of Phantasy Star while utilizing a unique control structure that evokes Virtual On.
Strike Harbinger – developed by Chris’s company HitSparks Games – was revealed Saturday, April 30th at Galloping Ghost Arcade where I had the pleasure to meet Chris and the game’s Senior Artist Kiyoshi Okuma, whose past work includes Gauntlet: Legends, World Series Baseball 2K2, The Sims 2 and Darkspore. I also had the honor to be the first member of the public to play the game, and following that experience I chatted with Chris about his life as a tournament gamer, his career, and his plans for Strike Harbinger.
Want more information on Strike Harbinger? Stay tuned for an upcoming SEGA News Bits as well as a SEGA Week writeup!
