Mega Drive

Phantasy Star II getting a fanmade port to the Amiga platform

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These are interesting times for retro ports. First, we had folks porting games to Sega consoles from other platforms, then someone ported Shinobi and Golden Axe to SNK’s Neo-Geo platforms, and now someone wants to bring Phantasy Star II (1989) to the Amiga platform. I’m certainly not against it.

Homebrew developer RetroLover is now hard at work on an Amiga conversion of the seminal and very influential Genesis/Mega-Drive JRPG Phantasy Star II. That game is their favorite RPG of all time, and this is their way of paying tribute to it and the Amiga platform. The game is being rebuilt in Scorpion Engine, which is made for development of Amiga, Genesis, and even Neo-Geo games, but RetroLover is aiming to make this as faithful to the Genesis original as possible. They’ll still be adding enhancements to make it easier to play through, such as an improved battle system based on that of Phantasy Star IV (1995).

For now, though, the port is still early in development. However, RetroLover has released a demo for the public to try and is open to feedback. If you have a way to run Amiga games, I’d say give it a go. You can find a link to download it below the break.

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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 mid-range Genesis/Mega-Drive flashcart, the Mega Everdrive Core, launches from Everdrive creator Krikzz

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The ever-so-busy creator of the Everdrive line of flash cartridges for various retro systems, Krikzz, has debuted his newest edition to the Mega Everdrive lineup for Genesis/Mega-Drive hardware: The Mega Everdrive Core. This new mid-range flash cartridge, in terms of functionality, sits between his most feature rich option: the Mega Everdrive Pro, and the next best option: the Mega Everdrive X5. (Not to mention a much bigger step up from the next newest edition to the Mega Everdrive family, the OpenED)

Like any flash cartridge, this allows you to run digitized Genesis game roms on original Genesis consoles, as well as certain clones. The Mega Everdrive Core can also run Master System and 32X game roms on Genesis systems as well. (Provided you’re using a system compatible with Master System games in the former case or have an original 32X equipped in the latter case.) It also has support for the Genesis version of Virtua Racing too, unlike the OpenED. The most important difference between this and the Pro model is that it cannot run Sega CD games, the modern classic Genesis RPG Pier Solar (2010), or games patched with MSU-MD support.

After the break, you can expect a handy chart detailing the differences between the Core and the Pro and X5 models, as well as a link to order directly from Krikzz’s Everdrive store.

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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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Limited Run Games opens up pre-orders for new English printings of Earnest Evans and Annet Returns for the first time until March 9th

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Here’s a retro reprint that you do not see often. Limited Run Games have opened up pre-orders for the first ever English versions of Earnest Evans and Annet Returns for Sega CD. Both games released exclusively in Japan on that platform (Though a Genesis version of Earnest Evans had been made exclusively for North America) and have had their animated cutscenes finally dubbed in English for the first time, exclusively in this release. LRG has also begun pre-orders for reprints of the Genesis cartridge version of Earnest Evans at the same time. Each of these games can be purchased separately or altogether in a special collector’s edition bundle. Pre-orders are currently open right now until March 9th, 2025.

For a brief synopsis on each game, pre-order links, and a bit of a warning for buyers, check in after the break for more.

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Long lost Genesis/Mega-Drive shooter P-47 II: The Freedom Star now up for pre-order for the first time ever by Retro-Bit

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Get those wallets out, Genesis/Mega-Drive collectors, cause Retro-Bit’s got an all new Collector’s Cartridge to open up 2025 with, now with a crazy new twist, as this is their first time releasing a previously unreleased game.

Retro-Bit have now opened pre-orders for P-47 II MD, also known as P-47 II: The Freedom Star, for everyone’s favorite 16-bit Sega console. As previously mentioned, P-47 II MD was in development at Jaleco way back in the late 80’s, but for unknown reasons, the game was cancelled in all regions it was planned for. It was a port, not a sequel like the title would have you believe, of the arcade game P-47: The Freedom Fighter, which was distributed by Jaleco and developed by NMK. City Connection, the company in possession of the rights to all of Jaleco’s games, and named for their classic arcade title City Connection (1985), announced at Shooters Fes last year that they had uncovered P-47 II: The Freedom Star and would release it on cartridge in Japan as P-47 II MD, and now they have entrusted Retro-Bit with releasing this game in the western world for them.

Retro-Bit’s release is identical to City Connection’s release in Japan, but with Retro-Bit’s usual touch ups. Like all their Collector’s Cartridges, the game comes in a new, quality-built cartridge for North American Genesis consoles or European Mega-Drive consoles, equipped with beveled connectors with gold-plated pins and proper 5 volt chips to prevent damage to original consoles. It also comes in a lovely plastic box with a slipcover and a full color instruction manual. Unique from all other Retro-Bit releases, though, is an 8mm CD featuring the game’s soundtrack. This is the same CD being included with City Connection’s cartridge release in Japan. The set can be ordered for $54.99 USD, $79.99 CAD, or €69,99 for European regions and pre-orders will run until February 16th, 2025.

For more info on the game, and pre-order links, have a look after the break.

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SEGA Talk #153: SEGA Accessories Part 1 (1984-1994)

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This time on SEGA Talk we take a deep dive talking about our favorite, worse and most innovative SEGA Accessories starting from SEGA SG-1000 through the SEGA Genesis for this first part episode of SEGA Talk.

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Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack updated with Mercs, Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron, and Vectorman

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On November 26th, 2024, Sega added Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron, Vectorman and Mercs to Sega Genesis – Nintendo Switch Online. Japan, despite only seeing Mercs release there originally, gets the same three games at the same time.

All four games are immediately accessible to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers following a quick patch update to the app. For more info on each game, check in after the break for a synopsis on all of them.

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Lost Sega Channel exclusive Genesis/Mega-Drive games “The Chessmaster” and “Klondike Solitaire” discovered and dumped online

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We got more long lost Sega Channel material for ya. Thanks to the hacking community on our very own sister website Sonic Retro, a new data disc of Sega Channel material has been found and uploaded to the internet. This was an archive of the game selection made available on the service in September, 1996, which includes a variety of Genesis/Mega-Drive games many of us are already familiar with, but most importantly, it includes two exclusive games that were never released anywhere else: The Chessmaster and Klondike Solitaire. News of this discovery was brought to our attention by famed romhacker and Sega Channel enthusiast Billy Time Games, who had very recently preserved someone else’s video tapes of the Sega Channel experience.

This is a great time for lost Sega Channel media returning for the first time in decades, so if you’re as excited as we are, log in through the break and find out more about these discoveries.

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Retro-Bit postpones pre-orders for all-new Toaplan Genesis/Mega-Drive game reprint collection over licensing issues

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In a rare moment in which Retro-Bit bit off more than they could chew, they have announced that they will need to postpone pre-orders for their recently announced Toaplan Shooters Vol. 2 Collectors Cartridge set, which was originally meant to run all throughout November 2024. This was a collector’s set compiling official cartridge reprints of Genesis/Mega-Drive Toaplan classics Twin Cobra (1991), Slap Fight MD (1993), and Grind Stormer (1994). Unfortunately, their licensor, Tatsujin, seems to have noticed an unspecified snag with one of the games in that collection, preventing pre-orders from continuing until further notice.

To anyone who has already pre-ordered this set or any of the individual games, your pre-order seems like it will still be honored. However, if you do want to have your money refunded to you, Retro-Bit recommends you take it up with whichever online retailer you pre-ordered from. We hope you ordered from an understanding outlet. Retro-Bit cannot share any more information than this at the moment, so for now, we’ll all just need to show some patience.

Were you planning on pre-ordering the Toaplan Shooters Vol. 2 Collector’s Cartridge set? Are you seeking a refund now? Let us know in the comments below.

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Several VHS recordings of never before seen Sega Channel footage found and preserved online

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The Sega Channel, a long dormant online games-on-demand service for the Sega Genesis/Mega-Drive, has long been an enigma in the years since its official sunset in 1998. Very little material from the service has been preserved or documented, and there is still so much that only those who subscribed to the service and have vivid memories of it would know for sure. Thankfully, @Ghostsencore and prolific Genesis romhacker Billy Time Games have come across a smorgasbord of archived VHS tapes containing recordings of someone, presumably the person who recorded the footage in the first place, perusing the menus of Sega Channel during a few months where the service was still alive and well.

Login to get through the break and see all the videos.

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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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SEGA Talk #151: SEGA Controllers (1983-1998)

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On this SEGA TALK we go hands on with SEGA’s many controllers! We take a look at the base controller for each major console, pointing out the weirdest and most essential controllers and share our personal preference. Stick around until the end, because we will crown best SEGA controller of all time! On SEGA TALK!

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Support us on Patreon! Get early access, have your memories read on the show, select the games we talk about!

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Retro-Bit opens pre-orders for all-new Toaplan Genesis/Mega-Drive game reprint collection; Pre-orders open until December 1st 2024

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Here comes Retro-Bit once again with a new set of Genesis/Mega-Drive Collector Cartridge sets that you can pre-order right now.

Retro-Bit, in collaboration with current Toaplan rights holders Tatsujin, have revealed the Toaplan Shooters Vol. 2 Collector’s Cartridge set, consisting of Twin Cobra (1991), Slap Fight MD (1993), and Grind Stormer (1994). Not familiar with Vol. 1? That began pre-orders in 2020, consisted of Truxton (1989), Hellfire (1990), Fire Shark (1990), and Zero Wing (1991), and we somehow neglected to do a write-up about it. (Hey, I wasn’t here to cover retro news back then. Sorry.)

Anyway, all three games can be ordered separately or together in one big, bad collectors set with all three games in a nice slipcase. The collector’s set also includes a digital pocket clock, a sheet of puffy stickers, and a booklet featuring an interview with Toaplan developer and composer and current day president of Tatsujin, Masahiro Yuge. It can be had for $159.99 USD and is now up for pre-order in North America from Castlemania Games, Rondo Products, Limited Run Games, and PNP Games. Pre-orders in Europe are currently available at Just For Games, Retro Cables, Spel & Sant, Strictly Limited Games, Dragon Box Shop, Xtra Life, Zedlabz, and NedGame. Each separate game costs $59.99 and is NTSC and PAL complainant. This is a limited product and all pre-orders will only run throughout November 2024 and end December 1st, 2024.

Have a look after the break for the deets on each of the individual games.

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Aero The Acro-Bat Genesis/Mega-Drive cartridge reprint now up for pre-order from Limited Run Games

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Limited Run Games and Sunsoft have teamed up to bring you a new reprint of Aero The Acro-bat (1993) with a box, manual, and high quality translucent “Sparkle Black” cartridge. Pre-orders will be open all throughout November 2024 for just $59.99 USD and the game is estimated to ship to customers in June 2025. The Genesis/Mega-Drive version, as well as the Super Nintendo version, will be available simultaneously. This comes long after LRG’s reprints of Aero The Acro-bat 2 (1995) and Zero The Kamikaze Squirrel (1994). Strange that they decided to sell this trio of games in reverse order of their original releases, but at least now, if you had your chance to get these games, you can finally complete your collection if that’s what you aimed to do.

Unlike Aero 2 or Zero, however, Aero The Acro-Bat on Genesis can still be found very cheap, even complete in box, as of this writing. A brand new copy will currently cost you just over $100, so if you really gotta have a sealed, new copy of Aero The Acro-Bat, LRG’s reprints can be a bargain, as long as you don’t mind the lack of a Sega Seal of Quality. If you just want a copy of Aero for Genesis, you can get a decent copy for a decent price and not have to wait until next Summer to see it. No judgement from us if you got the other two games from LRG and just want to complete your collection of the whole trilogy, though. Fortunately, LRG seems to, at least so far, take printing quality new cartridges more seriously than printing new game discs.

To learn more about this release of Aero The Acro-bat, and to pre-order, glide right in past the break for the skinny.

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