This week on the Swingin’ Report Show we have the startling George, the noble Barry the Nomad and the surprising Shigs (from Sonic Talk). This week we discuss mouses, zombie filled houses and a ton of other cute SEGA related bits. Sit back, hit play and enjoy the show!
File this one under “release this West, SEGA!”. The free to play iOS game Puyo Puyo! Quest has released to the Japanese App Store. Described as a puzzle RPG, the game has players challenging their friends to see who is the strongest player. The game appears to be a bit different than traditional Puyo Puyo titles, relying on teams, character cards, creating guilds, and utilizing power ups. While the game is free to play, there are some pay elements. The game looks just as bright and colorful as the excellent Puyo Pop Fever, fingers crossed that SEGA brings this west.
Are you ready to kill some motherf***in’ mutants?
Hitting the App Store today for $4.99 is the mobile port of SEGA’s The House of the Dead: Overkill, dubbed “The Lost Reels”. Via the App Store description comes a slew of features:
DISCOVER THE LOST REELS
▪ Experience 3 goregasmic worlds full of carnage in Story Mode.
▪ In Papa’s Palace of Pain, Ballistic Trauma, and Naked Terror, you’ll be screaming ‘til your last breath.DISMEMBER UTTERLY DISGUSTING MUTANTS
▪ Enjoy non-stop shooting action as you blow apart mutants for high-score thrills.
▪ See how long you can hold off the swarms of undead in Survival Mode.REJOIN THE ORIGINAL CAST
▪ Isaac Washington: a hard-drinking ladies’ man who deals damage in droves.
▪ Agent G: an inexperienced but deadly assassin who keeps a steady hand under pressure.
▪ Varla Guns: the hottest stripper on the Bayou City club scene who enjoys the largest clip.
▪ Candi Stryper: an expert with her hands who knows how to reload.FINGERBLAST ON THE GO
▪ Obliterate mutants with one of three control mechanisms optimized for your mobile device – Accelerometer, Virtual Pad and Frenzy Tap (unlockable)UPGRADE YOUR ARSENAL
▪ Destroy mutants to earn Ka$h, the in-game currency, and upgrade your pistol to something that really blasts through flesh.
▪ Enhance your killing prowess with combo extenders, reload boosters, and other game-changing upgrades.
But that’s not all! The game also features some super sweet bits of SEGA fan service. Want to know the details? Hit the break for our impressions and stay tuned to SEGAbits and The Website of the Dead for our reviews.
Android Police have posted gameplay video of the remastered Sonic the Hedgehog game, which is releasing soon to Android and iOS platforms. How soon? According to Android Police, the game is set to hit this month and will retail for $2.99, the same price as the existing app on iOS (which SEGA has said will update to the remastered version).
It appears that the video above has been edited to remove the menu screen, which has been noted in past previews. Perhaps there were a few surprises that SEGA didn’t want spoiled just yet? Also, oddly, there is little to no sound in the above video. Hopefully SEGA releases a proper trailer soon so we get more of an idea of how the game will look and sound.
SEGA has released an update today that drastically changes the iOS game Sonic Dash. First off, the game is now free to play. Great news for those who have yet to buy the game, though it is a bit of a kick in the leg to fans who paid for the game initially. However, the game has been improved across the board. For starters, performance is much better on iPhone 4 and iPod Touch 4 devices. I’ve noted much smoother gameplay on my own iPhone 4. Another big improvement is the tweaking of object placement. Before, players might run up a hill, only to reach the top and run right into a barrier with little time to react. Now, SEGA promises that players will encounter this far less. A major complaint lodged at the game was that it was very difficult to earn red rings, and there was a finite amount. Red rings allow players to buy additional playable characters.
Now, thanks to daily play challenges, players are tasked with collecting four puzzle pieces a day, which in turn can be redeemed for a daily prize. Day one gives 100 rings, day two gives two head start power-ups, day three gives five respawns, day four gives two red star rings. Day five is the big prize, as you have the chance to win five red rings, ten respawns, 200 rings, five head starts, or a new playable character (in the case of this week, it is Tails).
Do these changes make Sonic Dash a better game? Sound off in the comments section! Also, after the break a detailed list of what the update contains.
As GDC 2013 continues, more details regarding the upcoming rerelease of Sonic the Hedgehog are rolling in. Pocket Gamer reports that on-screen controls will retain the virtual d-pad and single button layout, however new features include a cartridge art gallery and the ability to use Sonic’s spin dash attack, which can be turned on and off in the game’s menu. As most Sonic fans know, the spin dash made its debut in the sequel, while the first game has only featured the addition of the move in Sonic Jam and various ROM hacks.
Meanwhile, Slide to Play expanded on the on-screen controls, noting that “the large, visible buttons of the Genesis controller have been replaced by one tiny jump button in the corner. The joystick is now a virtual stick that feels much more natural and suitable for touchscreen gaming.”. Slide to Play also noted that a SEGA executive indicated that future Genesis games on digital marketplaces would receive the remastering treatment, by casually stating “that was the plan.” If true, SEGA could eventually update existing games like Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, Shining Force, and Gunstar Heroes, as well as release titles not yet seen on mobile devices.
Thanks to SSMB member Shadzter for the info!
Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2 remastered weren’t the only games on show at GDC 2013. SEGA has also revealed information and screens pertaining to a few existing and new mobile titles. First off is Puzzle Pirates from SEGA-owned developer Three Rings. Puzzle Pirates is a puzzle-based MMO with quite a history. Released back in 2003, this Java based browser game is considered by many to be one of the earliest free-to-play successes. Now, with SEGA in ownership of the developer Three Rings and the franchise, they’re setting their sights on an iOS and Android tablet release complete with touch screen optimization and the ability to play with the existing Mac, PC and Linux versions of the game. Also on show was SEGA’s other free-to-play browser game Godsrule: War of Mortals, which has iOS and Android versions planned for release this year and will support cross-platform play.
Finally, saving the best for last, SEGA has revealed an iOS and Android version of The House of the Dead: Overkill dubbed The House of the Dead Overkill: The Lost Reels. The game will not be a straight port, but rather a remix, repurposing characters and levels to suit mobile play. As for controls, SEGA has stated that the game will allow players to choose between a virtual joystick or the accelerometer, with tap to shoot being unlocked only after beating the game. Perhaps the developers found tap to play to be too easy? No price or date has been given, but if SEGA’s past mobile titles are any indication, we should expect a release very soon following this reveal. As for price, The House of the Dead Overkill: The Lost Reels will likely be priced between $2.99 and $4.99.
After the break, a gallery of images from the three mobile titles.
SEGA has revealed, at GDC 2013, that the original Sonic classic Sonic the Hedgehog will be releasing to iOS and Android this Spring for $2.99. While SEGA is only commenting on Sonic the Hedgehog at the moment, AndroidPolice.com is reporting that the sequel Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is also set for a remastered release. Thus far, iOS and Android are the only platforms announced, but if Sonic CD’s rerelease is anything to go by, we’ll see console ports as well. Speaking of Sonic CD’s rerelease, Christian “Taxman” Whitehead is likely behind the Sonic 1 & 2 rereleases if his recent tweet is anything to go by: “Those feels, I’m preparing a build for GDC and I won’t even be there.”
Now I hear you saying “but Sonic 1 & 2 are already on digital marketplaces! I don’t want to buy it again!”. Well SEGA has a few new features to entice you to buy the classic again. SEGA promises widescreen support, 60fps, a remastered soundtrack, and an added time attack mode. As soon as we learn more details, we’ll be sure to share! In the meanwhile, check out the gallery below.
UPDATE: Over on the Sonic Retro forums, Christian “Taxman” Whitehead has confirmed that he is behind the project, and that iOS users who already bought the past release of the game will receive the remastering as a free update. Also, in regards to the soundtrack, Whitehead promises that “The arrangements are identical to the originals, using FM synthesis. But they have been put together in a DAW environment and given an actual mix as opposed to simply recording the existing music. The Drum samples are sourced from the original synthesiser so they’re super clean and crisp too.”
Hardlight Studio‘s Chris Southall and James Booth both took the time out to give us a short interview about their newly released mobile game, Sonic Dash. The addictive score based game has been draining the battery on our phones here at SEGAbits, so naturally we had burning questions that needed answering!
SEGA has created a snazzy release day trailer for Sonic Dash, now available for iOS devices, and has also revealed that an Android version is on the way. According to the “Upcoming Games” section on SEGA’s website, Android is listed alongside iOS devices. Having played a half hour of the game, I have to say that it is a lot of fun! Sure the game would have probably never existed had Temple Run not been a hit, but it wouldn’t be fair to call Sonic Dash a complete rip-off. While Temple Run does predate Sonic Dash, games like Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings, and Sonic and the Black Knight in turn predate Temple Run. Share your thoughts on the mobile game in our dedicated forum topic.
After the break, check out a gallery of images showcasing the other characters available in the game. No, Shadow is not yet playable. Sorry.
Via Touchgameplay comes 13 minutes of Sonic Dash gameplay, and the game is looking quite impressive! Coming off of the 2D iOS and Android title Sonic Jump, fans most likely expected a 2D sidescroller with similar graphics. Instead, SEGA and Hardlight are offering up a fully 3D third person endless runner. While the gameplay does very much resemble the Temple Run series, Sonic fans who enjoyed the on-rails running of the storybook titles should feel right at home in Sonic Dash. The game will be available tomorrow on the App Store for £1.49/$1.99.
SEGA has officially announced that Sonic Dash will be releasing to the App Store “soon” and has confirmed that the game is developed by Hardlight and will be an endless-runner in which you challenge friends to beat your best distance and time records. For now, all we have is the above image as well as a larger render, seen after the break. As soon as we learn more, we’ll be sure to share it!
Update: The SEGA Blog posted a short article on the game, most interesting is that the game is said to be in 3D. So, unlike Sonic Jump, could the game feature fully rendered 3D characters and worlds?
How long can you run?
That’s the question you get to answer now: SEGA is proud to announce Sonic Dash — the agile, endless, running mobile game will be available soon at the App Store for iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad!
Our hero will be doing what he does best — making a fast and frenzied 3D dash through stunning stages, as he navigates over, around, and through interminable dangers. Challenge your friends and compete on leaderboards — you may know who the fastest is, but, for how long?
Stay tuned to find out more!
Via the Sonic Stadium comes news that SEGA’s Hardlight studio, the team behind Sonic Jump, is now at work on another Sonic title named Sonic Dash. The news came by way of job advertisements posted by the studio on LinkedIn. Sonic Dash is listed as a recent title, with Sonic Jump also being listed. The title has since been removed, but Sonic Stadium screen capped it to prove that they’re not talking nonsense. The job posting, pre-edit, read as follows:
Hardlight is SEGA’s third UK based studio and is focused exclusively on creating high quality, innovative game experiences for mobile and handheld platforms.
The Studio comprises small, agile teams working on new IP & well-known SEGA IP. Project durations are 5-10 months, building on the success of their first projects on iOS – Sonic Jump & Sonic Dash – Hardlight is now working on some new & exciting projects.
The team follows an ethos of staying compact, agile and focused – combining talent from a variety of game genres and backgrounds, and welcomes applications from candidates of all levels of experience.
More than likely, Sonic Dash will be a sidescrolling endless runner, not unlike the free app released around Sonic’s 20th anniversary entitled Sonic the Sketchhog or the more recent Sonic and Nike game Sonic X Vapor. The job listing appears to be for projects following Sonic Dash, which implies that the game is already finished and is awaiting release. Given that the game’s name came right from Hardlight and SEGA, we’re treating it as news but will slap a “rumor” tag on it just in case.
After announcing the title just three days ago, After Burner Climax for iOS has today appeared on the App Store for $2.99. The game is described as follows:
After Burner Climax is fast and frantic arcade-style action, putting you in the cockpit of the world’s fastest fighter plane. Dodge planes, rockets and bullets while trying to target multiple on-screen enemy aircraft. Built for all skill levels, everyone will be able to take to the air and blaze through a branching storyline of over 20 stages. Unlock achievements along the way to activate exclusive power ups using your experience and expertise.
Features include the ability to choose from three fighter planes: the F-14D Super Tomcat by Northrop Grumman, the F-15E Strike Eagle or F/A-18E Super Hornet by Boeing. Each fighter plane has four paint schemes to choose from. In addition to the 20+ stages, the game features Arcade Mode, Score Attack Mode and Climax Mode. iOS features include Airplay support, HDMI support, Retina Display on iPhone 4/4S/5 and iPad 3rd and 4th Gen, and iPad Mini support. After the break, check out a gallery of images of the game running on both iPhone and iPad.
Update: SEGA’s message to Android users: “Android version is coming out too, just around the corner!”
SEGA dropped a bomb today, revealing that After Burner Climax will be receiving an iOS port. The game, which will be playable on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch platforms, looks to be completely rebuilt to support touchscreen play. Graphics appear to be scaled down, but presumably the smaller screen and super fast speeds will make the scaling down not so noticeable. In case you can’t tell, I’m trying to pad this article out to make it a paragraph, because SEGA has shared little else other than a screen, the platforms and a promise that more info is to come. Given the announcements of past SEGA iOS titles, we could very well see the game releasing within a week.