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Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal and Rise of Lyric receive Nintendo eShop price drops through March 21st

March 14, 2016 by Barry

Both Sonic Boom video games, Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal for the 3DS and Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric for the Wii U, are currently on sale over at Nintendo’s eShop. Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal has dropped from $39.99 to $19.99 (50%), and Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric has dropped from $29.99 to $19.99 (33%) while the original retail price was $49.99. If you’ve yet to experience either game, and really really want to own it digitally, these are the lowest prices as of yet. Meanwhile, the physical versions are about on par with the $19.99 price point at select stores. We have been told that these prices go through March 21st.

I reviewed Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal way back with it released, and awarded it a C+. Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric has yet to receive a SEGAbits review, but from my experience I’d avoid it and just check out the 3DS game.

Thanks to SEGAbits Forums member fernadeth for the tip!

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SEGA News Bits: Sonic Boom Season 2 and Fire & Ice Coming This Fall

February 24, 2016 by George

SEGA has revealed that they are planning on releasing Sonic Boom Season 2 (TV) and Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice (Nintendo 3DS) this fall. Along with the announcement they have stated that they will be airing re-runs of Sonic Boom Season 1 this spring on Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Hulu. Now there really is no excuse for you not to watch if if you haven’t! Watch us give you chit chat and information about the announcement you might have missed. Who is looking forward to Sonic Boom Season 2? How about Fire & Ice on the Nintendo 3DS? Let us know in the comments below.

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7th Dragon III Code: VFD Nintendo 3DS launch edition to include art book

February 23, 2016 by Barry

In a clear case of SEGA’s acquisition of Atlus rubbing off on SEGA of America comes news of yet another launch edition of an upcoming physical release. SEGA 3D Classics Collection has decals, Valkyria Chronicles Remastered has a steelbook case, and now 7th Dragon III Code: VFD has been confirmed to include a 28-page art book and collector’s box. SEGA promises that the art book will contain “a closer look at the design work that went in to creating the game’s esoteric character classes, ferocious dragons, vile monsters, and the environments that span three time periods”. The box will likely be no different from the Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX launch edition, which is a cardboard box featuring the game’s case art. Still, it looks nice on a shelf.

7th Dragon III: Code VFD will arrive this summer in retail stores and on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo 3DS in the Americas. The game will be available for $39.99/CA$54.99 and had been rated T by the ESRB. For more information please visit: http://7thdragon.sega.com

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Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice 3DS and Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Wii U release date information

February 22, 2016 by Barry

A slew of Sonic the Hedgehog hit last night via information posted at Tomy’s booth at the New York Toy Fair. Tomy currently holds the license for Sonic the Hedgehog toys, following Jazwares, and as such their booth had not only upcoming action figures, RC vehicles and plush dolls, but they also had informational signs posted throughout the booth. The delayed Nintendo 3DS title Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice, originally planned for Fall 2015, has now been confirmed for a Fall 2016 release. This new date means the game has been pushed back a full year, and that it will now coincide with the release of Sonic Boom season 2. SEGA has already gone on public record saying that the delay is only good news, as it gives Sanzaru Games Inc. more time to refine and polish the title. Sanzaru’s first game in the spin-off franchise, Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal [read our review] also for 3DS, was notorious for having a rushed development. Though, it was a far better game in my opinion than Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, and the fact that SEGA is once again working with Sanzaru shows they still have faith in the developers.

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SEGA Dreamcast Nintendo 3DS theme brings the nostalgia with the Phantasy Star Online lobby theme

February 19, 2016 by Barry

If you haven’t been following us on the social networks, earlier this week we shared that more SEGA themes are heading to the Nintendo 3DS for those in the west. Yesterday, Americans received a SEGA Dreamcast theme for $1.99 while today Europeans receive Dreamcast, Saturn and Hi-Tech (arcade) themes. Saturn and Hi-Tech had already released in America some time ago, so no surprises there, but what was surprising was that aside from the expected regional tweaks to the Dreamcast theme (blue swirl in Europe, different packaging designs on the top screen) there was also another change to the original Japanese Dreamcast 3DS theme. While the Japanese theme had some happy background music ~~that I can’t quite place~~ from the Dream Passport internet application, the western theme has the incredibly iconic Phantasy Star Online lobby music.

It may sound like I’m fanboying out over this, and I probably am, but man does the inclusion of that music make this theme a must own for any Dreamcast owner who has fond memories of 2am PSO play sessions. Not only did this music ensure that you have properly connected your console to the internet, but it was also the beginning of the adventure. Picture chat with your friends, pretend to be a Japanese girl, trade some guild cards, form a team, and hit the forest of Ragol for some rare blue Al Rappys. After the break, check out the theme in action and if you like it download it yourself. It’s well worth it.

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SEGA 3D Classics Collection to include cool SEGA decals for your Nintendo 3DS

February 10, 2016 by Barry

When SEGA of America announced the SEGA 3D Classics Collection for the Nintendo 3DS, we lamented that it didn’t include a cool pack-in like a poster. While it’s not a poster, today SEGA has announced that every physical launch edition of the game will include a sweet silver decal sticker sheet featuring classic SEGA logos and images to use to decorate your 3DS (or anything else). Knowing my collector’s mentality, I’ll never use the stickers and just stare longingly at them.

After the break, read SEGA’s full breakdown of the decals and don’t forget to pre-order SEGA 3D Classics Collection which releases in stores and digitally exclusively in the Americas for $29.99/CA$44.99 on April 26, 2016.

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SEGA News Bits: 7th Dragon III: Code VFD is coming to America

February 5, 2016 by Barry

Another SEGA of Japan game is making its way to the Americas, and this time its 7th Dragon III: Code VFD for the Nintendo 3DS. In this SEGA News Bits, George and Barry share their thoughts on this happy development and discuss both the upcoming game and the franchise. While the first 7th Dragon released back in 2009 to the Nintendo DS to Japan, 7th Dragon III: Code VFD is the franchise’s debut in the west. Is SEGA taking a gamble with the game, or is this a brave new world of SEGA of America releasing niche titles with little expectation of games attaining “pillar franchise” status? All this and more is discussed in the video above. Click play and check it out!

If you enjoyed the video make sure to like, share and subscribe to us on YouTube if you haven’t already. Thanks for the support!

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Nintendo 3DS RPG 7th Dragon III Code: VFD announced for summer 2016 Americas release

February 2, 2016 by Barry

The localizations keep on coming! SEGA has just announced that the Nintendo 3DS dungeon crawling RPG 7th Dragon III Code: VFD will be receiving a physical release in the Americas. The original game released in Japan on October 15, 2015, while the localized release is set for a summer 2016 release. Not too bad a gap!

The 7th Dragon franchise has been a Japan-exclusive series, releasing to handhelds like the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. 7th Dragon III Code: VFD is the franchise’s third main series title and the franchise’s first appearance on the 3DS as well as the first title to receive a western release. If you’re afraid jumping into the third game in the series will leave you lost, don’t worry. SEGA knows that too, as their press release specifically mentions that the game is a “self-contained episode”. The game will retail for $39.99/CA$54.99 and, as mentioned, will be a physical release (feels so good to type that). No word on Europe yet.

Check out the trailer above, and more information about the game and screenshots after the break!

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SEGA News Bits: SEGA 3D Classics Collection reaction and games discussion

January 22, 2016 by Barry

Yesterday, SEGA of America announced a new physical release for the Nintendo 3DS: SEGA 3D Classics Collection. The compilation, due out April 26th for $29.99/CA$44.99, features seven 3D Classics, including two new titles for the West as well as an additional two bonus Master System games. Listen to our reaction to this announcement as we discuss whether this is worth your money as well as our thoughts on the included games.

Like always, if you enjoyed our video make sure to like, share and subscribe to us on YouTube if you haven’t already. Thanks for the support!

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New Project X Zone 2 trailer released, demo coming soon

January 20, 2016 by Shigs

A brand new trailer for Project X Zone 2 has arrived! Along with it, we get some of the gameplay in action including a more cartoonish Kazuma from the Yakuza series. Once again, Sega, Capcom and Namco/Bandai come together for one large crossover action RPG (along with some characters from Nintendo’s own JRPG franchises).

If you haven’t played the first one and are curious about the gameplay or just want a sneak peek at the upcoming title, Nintendo will have a demo available on the 3DS E-Shop Thursday, January 26. In the meantime, read on to find out which Sega franchises will be represented in this sequel.

Project X Zone 2 releases on the Nintendo 3DS in North America February 16.

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SEGA and Atlus storm Metacritic’s best-reviewed 3DS games chart

January 7, 2016 by Sharky

Metacritic have released their list of the 25 best reviewed 3DS titles of 2015 where SEGA and Atlus have swept the floor with the competition. Metacritic– for those who don’t know– compiles review scores from major video game critics to find the average score.

SEGA and Atlus boast almost half of the list with 12 of the 25 spots, including two of the highest rated games; 3D Streets of Rage II and 3D Gunstar Heroes both scoring a well deserved 89/100. (Nintendo’s The Legend of Zelda: Majoras Mask 3D also scored 89.)
Also worth mentioning is SEGA and Atlus’ success on the PS Vita in 2015, where they claimed 5 of the top 25 best scoring games.
Unsurprisingly the duo didn’t fair so well on home console, having barely released anything for those systems 2015. Choosing to bump many of their games in 2016 for longer development cycles.

Hit the jump for the full list of 3DS titles in Metacritics 2015 highest scoring list..

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Unboxing: Rodea the Sky Soldier Limited Edition (Wii U, 3DS)

November 25, 2015 by Barry

While yes, this is not a SEGA product, it IS the long awaited action adventure game from Sonic the Hedgehog co-creator Yuji Naka. Naka and his studio Prope had been working on this game for quite some time, and it has been an equal (if not more) amount of time that the game has been delayed. In fact, the game is so old it had to be ported from the Wii to the Wii U! Naka has been pretty vocal about being disappointed with the Wii U and 3DS versions of the game, urging players to try the original Wii version as that is the version he and Prope truly developed.

Having said that, I bought the Nintendo 3DS version. Mainly because the Limited Edition was about $20 cheaper and included the exact same extras. So ignore which version of the game I bought and check out what bonuses came with the NIS America produced Limited Edition version of Yuji Naka’s long awaited Rodea the Sky Soldier!

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The History of Sega Japan R&D, Part 4: The Current Sega

November 19, 2015 by Trippled

A NEW STRUCTURE, A NEW SEGA

The executive team, Hideki Okamura (Left), Hisao Oguchi (Middle) and Takayuki Kawagoe (Right).

In 2005, Sega was back in the black in all areas for the first time in a long time. The Sega Sammy structure was completed, and the next generation home consoles were ahead. Like in the formation of twelve new R&D studios in 1998, executive management had a reset. Long time executives Hideki Sato and Hisashi Suzuki retired from Sega, after their thirty – or even in Suzuki’s case – forty years of service.

As mentioned in Part 3, Hisao Oguchi would atain the highest executive position which he held until 2008 where he received even wider responsibilities as Chief Creative Officer of Sega Sammy.

Then there is Masano Maeda, who joined in 1991. Madea was responsible for building a new Western management team that made crucial partnerships and buyouts of Western companies, like Creative Assembly, Sports Interactive and Secret Level On a side note: the amount of games developed for Xbox 360 amount to roughly forty games, and on PC to about sixty games. On the Dreamcast, the amount comes to fourteen, and old PC releases amount to sixteen.

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Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice delay doesn’t stop Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. from releasing a kid’s meal

October 8, 2015 by Barry

Despite being delayed to 2016, SEGA had Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice promotions in place for the game’s initial release window of Fall 2015 and it looks like they couldn’t get out of one of these promotions. United States fast food restaurants Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. (the restaurant name depends on your region) just began a Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice kid’s meal promotion featuring four toys. The toys include: Splat Ball, Sonic the Hedgehog Figure, Board Game (possibly the most unexciting name for a board game ever), and Communicator with Secret Compartment (how is the compartment a secret if they advertised it?).

In addition to the toys, the restaurant’s website offers digital wallpapers, coloring pages, a Sonic Boom character poll, and a place to enter a secret code found on the meal bags – meaning there will be branded bags to go along with the promotion. While it sounds like I’m ragging on SEGA for promoting a game that has since been delayed, I’m actually very excited for the promotion. Being a child of the early 90s, I have fond memories of the McDonald’s Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Happy Meal. I even own a store display and collection of bags! So it is very cool to see Sonic back in the world of fast food toys. I just wish the promotion fell closer to the game’s release.

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SEGA Hardware Nintendo 3DS themes officially announced for US and EU

October 8, 2015 by Barry

SEGA has officially announced the SEGA Hardware Nintendo 3DS themes that they’ve been hinting at for the past few weeks. Releasing today to the US will be Sega Genesis and Sega Game Gear themes, featuring imagery and sounds from the respective hardware. In addition to the Genesis and Game Gear, 3DS owners can also expect the Sega Master System, Sega Mark III, Sega Saturn, Hi-Tech Sega (80s style Japanese arcade machine), Sega SG-1000, and the Sega Dreamcast. The themes will be rolled out over the coming months, and are priced at $1.99 each.

It has also been announced that the themes will be hitting Europe, but on a different schedule. No word on if the themes will be altered to suit the EU versions of consoles.

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