Yakuza social game coming to Android and iPhone by the end of the month

 

SEGA announced that they where working on Yakuza Kizuna, a game for the popular GREE social gaming platform in Japan. Today SEGA Japan has released the first details and screens of the game.

The game will be a card battling game where you have to build your collection of character cards by battling and using synthesis. You will have to create alliances with other plays and work together to defeat bosses and other powerful opponents. Yakuza Kizuna takes place in good old Kamurocho.

The title will be released on March 26th, only on iPhone/iPod Touch and Android. Basic play is free. Even though its Japan only (so far) it looks fairly simple to play. SEGA should port this to America to promote Yakuza: Dead Souls!

Alexandria Bloodshow announced, sequel to Samurai Bloodshow

SEGA has announced a iPhone sequel to the popular Samurai Bloodshow. This new title is called Alexandria Bloodshow and is set 3,000 years in the past. In this title you will take command of Egyptian or Greek armies and battle around Aegean. The iOS app is due to be released this spring.

If you never played the older title, Samurai Bloodshow, it is now on sale for 99 cents. Lucky you.

Total War Series Goes Mobile

Real time strategy series Total War will enter the mobile world with Total War Battles. The game will be handled by Total War Digital, a new Creative Assembly team. Total War Battles lead designer Renaud Charpentier says that the game “isn’t the traditional Total War you might expect, we are working on a title that is specifically tailored to the play styles and control methods of mobile platforms. We want to deliver a game that plays to the strengths of handheld RTS mechanics, and perfectly adapts to a host of different platforms.” Platforms have yet to be announced, however iOS and Android are a given. The question is, will the title also see a release to the Vita and 3DS?

Sonic 4: Episode 2 will only have one throwback level

Over at the official SEGA of America forums, a fan brought up the ultimate question. Are we going to suffer through throwbacks the whole time like episode one? Good news, Sonic 4 brand manager Ken Balough says that no, we won’t. He confirms that only one of the zones is a genuine throwback.

Also there is going to be a nice unveiling later this month. Now, he does admit that fans will call anything a throwback, only because it’s a similar environment. Read his full response after the jump.

Sonic 4 Episode 2 is being built for multicore mobile phones

SEGA has just has released a press release which gives us a hint at what kind of game we can expect for Sonic 4 Episode 2. The game is being built for multicore mobile phones, and SEGA is working with nvidia on a version for the worlds first Quadcore mobile phone processor for android.

This news personally has me really excited. It’s great to see that SEGA is putting so much concern for quality for Episode 2. For those who don’t know, the TEGRA quadcore processor is capable of running XBOX 360 and PS3 style games.

Hit the jump for the press release

Sonic 4 Episode 1 on the iPad, As You Truly Imagined It

SEGA has released an iPad version of Sonic 4 Episode 1 just in time for the holidays! No longer will players have to upscale the original iOS version of the game. Now, the game appears in HD! What more, word has it that the level select now matches the one found on the console versions, the original iOS version only had the simple menu listing. Also, Sonic sports a new model (perhaps what we’ll see in Episode 2?). The revamped Lost Labyrinth and Casino Street act 2’s are not present, however. Instead, the game features the original pinball mini-game and the strange mine cart. I noted in my original iOS review of the game that the strange mine cart, while a boring level in itself, does sport fun tilt controls. You can buy the iPad version now for only $1.99!

Sonic CD on Android getting lots of one star ratings

I wake up this morning from a hazy slumber to go straight to the Android market to see if Sonic CD was uploaded. Expecting near perfect scores for the game, I get shocked to see so many one stars rating from users. It seems that a ton of people are angry due to three factors:

  • Most can’t download the additional 270mb of data required. Some are saying that the server got hit too hard.
  • You can’t install additional data to a SD card. It has to be on the phone memory. This is easily fixable and has been fixed for ChuChuRocket in the last update (another Android SEGA game).
  • Doesn’t seem to work with the Nexus Prime, the new ‘Google’ branded Android phone released today.

Come on SEGA, fix your damn servers. There is a reason why you have 63 one star ratings and 69 five star ratings. I have a feeling if the servers worked and people would be able to download their data, that it wouldn’t have gotten such low scores, even if you couldn’t install to SD or work on Nexus Prime. If it makes you feel better, its getting near perfect scores on Apple’s iTunes stores because people can actually download the game.

Sonic CD is out, it’s cheap and it’s really, really good!

SEGA have done something fantastic today, something you don’t see big publishers doing very often. They have chosen to reach out to the community and nabbed themselves Christian Whitehead aka ‘Taxman’ and his quite marvelous ‘Retro Engine’. It’s my understanding that Whitehead has been developing his ‘Retro Engine’ for quite some time now and gained a name for himself in the Sonic Community, and I can see why. His re-master release of Sonic CD for XBLA, PSN, iOS, Android, Windows Phone and of course PC is really, really good!

Unlike Backbone’s rather poor and often botched efforts at updating SEGA classics, Christian Whitehead’s ‘Retro Engine’ has given us Sonic CD locked at 60fps on every platform, both Euro/Japan and US sound tracks, new features, playable Tails, a choice of filters and modes, achievements and more… It really boasts the lot!

Hit the jump to find out why I think SEGA should snap up Whitehead and his engine!

Sonic CD Release Date, Price and Launch Trailer!

You heard it right. Sonic CD releases tomorrow for XBOX LIVE worldwide at 400 MS Points, on PSN in Europe/Australia for $5 American and on iOS for $1.99. Android too, but price unknown. PSN America gets it one week later for $5. Sega has released a trailer for the launch. Here’s what was said in a press release sent via E-Mail….

“Sonic’s 20th Anniversary has been a banner year for him – as well as for everyone at SEGA. Gamers around the world are rediscovering their love of Sonic through his adventures, new and old. Whether you’re a long-time hedgehog aficionado looking to enjoy a favorite moment from Sonic’s past, or a brand-new player who wants to join in on the fun, there’s no better place to start than with one of Sonic’s most celebrated games, Sonic CD.”

All I gotta say is…5 bucks?!! DAAAANG That’s way cheaper than I was expecting. May buy it for both my console and iPhone.

Yuji Naka’s Prope shows off ‘FlickPig’ for iOS

Above is the latest title from Legendary SEGA developer Yuji Naka and his team at Prope. The game is already out and available on the iOS App Store. Good news? Its only a buck.

The game will even offer you 100 different stages to unlock, Game Centre support and achievements. Not bad.

Sonic 4: Episode 2 gets South Korean rating

So a South Korean rating board has now leaked the rating for Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 2. What does this mean? It means that it is coming very soon. You can see a picture of the rating here.

It seems that SEGA’s Ken Balough is also teasing the game. Saying they will talk about it more once Sonic CD is released. Come on SEGA, don’t just drop digital titles, do some online promotion through your community team and other sites to promote it. Hey, we are a site that would love to get some hands on with the next Sonic 4 episode (wink, wink).

Yakuza social game might be headed to a smart phone near you


GREE platform, a mobile social gaming company that brought hit games to cell phone is moving its operations world wide. On the site they said they will expand their business to iOS and Android devices. They announced Seven major publishers who are joining, one of those publishers being SEGA.

Here is the less exciting news, some of the publishers listed their games as Japan only. So Yakuza for GREE a Japan only title? Nope. But it isn’t confirmed to be coming West yet, it says “locations TBA.” Hit to the jump to see all the publishers involved and click here to see the product page.

Sonic CD Played on Tablet

Yet more Sonic news today, here is some game play of the re-release of Sonic CD on Tablet devices, XBLA and PSN. It will feature improved physics, real HD and Tails as a playable character.

If you can find your way to a GameStop, you can test the game on tablets now.

New Sonic CD Trailer

A new, very TV broadcast-like (Is that a word?) trailer of Sonic CD has now been put up by Sega. The trailer emphasizes it’s Genesis Sega CD roots, while also keeping up the “prequel to Sonic 4” thing.

Sonic CD is due out later this year for LIVE, PSN and iOS platforms.

Source [Sega]