SEGA Genesis Classics hits Nintendo Switch on December 7

It looks like the Nintendo Switch version of the SEGA Genesis Classics compilation will hit the console hybrid portable this December 7, 2018. Looks like they really wanted to hit that holiday period. The collection will feature over 50 SEGA Genesis era titles.

Hot on the heels of the Sega Ages titles announced last week and set to launch during the Tokyo Gaming Show, SEGA continues a winter of bringing great classics to the portable Switch. Retro fans can now finally play the Genesis / Mega Drive collection on their way to school or work, in their lunch break or basically anywhere on the go! Sega Genesis Classics / Sega Mega Drive Classics has over 50 retro favorites to experience across every genre: arcade action, shooters, beat’m ups, puzzlers and hidden gems, with a raft of modern features. Exclusively for the Nintendo Switch players can now compete in same-screen local coop mode and use each Joy-Con individually if desired. Familiar features like online multiplayer, achievements, mirror modes, rewind and save states are all part of the collection for everyone to revisit and enjoy.
You can check out the list of games included after the break.

SEGA AGES Phantasy Star gets new release date for October 31st


Previously, SEGA AGES Phantasy Star was planned for a tentative September release date, but was quietly delayed as the SEGA AGES versions of Sonic the Hedgehog and Thunder Force IV filled in that month instead. However, now we have official confirmation as to when SEGA AGES Phantasy Star will be released, and it’s much more sooner than expected. The game is currently planned for this Halloween, October 31th 2018. An odd and sudden choice, but this is likely a side effect of these SEGA AGES delays causing the original scheduling to be messed up.

The game is slated for a ¥925 (roughly $8.50) pricing, and like the other SEGA AGES titles will come with an assortment of bonus features. In addition to the original game, players will have access to other features such as the ability to listen to both the PSG and FM sounds, an optional mapping system for dungeons, an “easy” mode for novices, and a special encyclopedia called the “Monster-Codex” that allows you to view the sprites, stats, and descriptions of different enemies.

[Source: Game Watch]

SEGA News Bits: Team Sonic Racing Delayed Until May 2019 Reaction

It has finally been confirmed that Team Sonic Racing won’t be hitting this holiday season, instead we will have to wait until May 2019 to get our hands on the upcoming Sumo Digital Sonic the Hedgehog themed racing game. On this episode of the SEGA News Bits we discuss why it might have been delayed, what they can do with the extra time to get Sonic fans more excited and more!

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Team Sonic Racing Delayed To May 21, 2019, Surprises No One

Have you noticed something about Team Sonic Racing? There has been very little hype and update for the game and it seems the reason for that is that the game is being delayed. There have been rumors about this delay in the past but it has officially been confirmed by the Sonic the  Hedgehog twitter account this morning:


It feels to me that this could be a good idea if this actually means we are getting a better game for it. Quite frankly, I’m pretty sure that Team Sonic Racing might have not have done too hot this holiday season with big titles like Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Fallout 76 coming soon. What are your thoughts on the delay?

Puyo Puyo eSports now available for Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch, discounted till late November

Puyo Puyo eSports has finally dropped for the Nintendo Switch and Playstation 4, available as a download title on the Nintendo eShop and Playstation Network respectively. This bite sized version of Puyo Puyo contain the bare essentials, 24 playable characters, two main modes with the traditional Tsu and Fever rules, and a streamlined presentation so it’s easier for both spectators and players to follow matches. Overall the goal of the game is to be a straightforward Puyo Puyo experience that anyone can easily obtain on modern systems.

Puyo Puyo eSports is currently available for Japanese, Korean, and Chinese markets. For those that want to download the game outside of these three regions, the game is readily available for anyone on both the Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch, due to a lack of region locking. All that’s needed is to create an appropriate account for one of the three respective regions. However to sweeten the deal, SEGA has also discounted the game from it’s initial ¥1999 pricing to a mere ¥500, effectively only asking for 1/4 of the original price. This heavy discount will be active from today to November 30th, so it’s recommended to buy it as soon as possible.

No word if Puyo Puyo eSports will get a localization outside of these three regions, but we will keep up on any future developments. Until then, the game is still easily obtainable for anyone curious enough to try it out, especially with the discount making it quite a bargain.

SEGA AGES team not ruling out Saturn & Dreamcast games in the future


The people over in Famitsu had a great little interview with the people behind SEGA Ages which t his time included Rieko Kodama (Skies of Arcadia, Phantasy Star, Deep Fear) where she talked about what it meant for her titles to make the list of most requested SEGA Ages titles. There was also a lot of discussion regarding Jet Set Radio getting the number one spot, with the team saying that composer Hideki Naganuma himself asking fans to vote for the series. They also said that some issues regarding the poll happen because this time voting was open to everyone, while the last poll they had (after SEGA 3D Classics wave 2 in Japan, polling for what games will be in Wave 3) they only let people that bought SEGA 3D Archives Vol. 2 to vote, saying that this time a lot more younger fans that might not have grown up with the type of games they are reprinting will get to vote. They showed Mushi King ranking highly as an example.

SEGA AGES Thunder Force IV (Lightening Force) Review – Lightning Strikes Again (Nintendo Switch)

After a long hiatus, partially due to the downfall of the company Technosoft, the Thunder Force series is steadily regaining it’s spark. SEGA has been courteous enough to give fans of the series some much needed love, first with M2’s version of Thunder Force III as apart of the SEGA 3D line of titles for the 3DS, then later it’s follow up Thunder Force IV (aka Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar) and the arcade game Thunder Force AC as apart of the SEGA AGES line of titles on the Nintendo Switch.

Today we’re going to be looking at SEGA AGES Thunder Force IV in particular. This is arguably the best game in the series, and commonly praised as an example of one of the SEGA Genesis’ best shmups available on the system. But does this SEGA AGES version live up to this praise, or is it more like flying into a stray bullet and dying multiple times?

SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog Review – Old Hog, New Tricks (Nintendo Switch)

The original Sonic the Hedgehog has a very long history with re-releases on many systems. Starting with Sonic Jam on the SEGA Saturn, the blue insectivore’s first outing has appeared on many systems from the likes of SEGA, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. These ranged from the fantastic like Taxman’s efforts on mobile devices, to the absolute atrocious like the infamous Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis on GBA. Either way, Sonic the Hedgehog is once again on a new platform, this time Nintendo’s latest console the Nintendo Switch.

Though on the surface it seems like a straight forward port, the developers at M2 decided to add new features to spice up the experience a bit, giving the player new options to toy with while retaining the original feel of the original release. Does SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog give the game a much needed breath of life, or is it just another cheap cash grab?

Virtua Racing coming to the SEGA Ages lineup, Twitter survey results revealed


Yet another title is coming to the Nintendo Switch’s lineup of SEGA Ages titles. This time it’s the AM2 developed racing game Virtua Racing, a formula one racing game notably being the first title in SEGA’s series of “Model” arcade boards that would later power games such as Virtua Fighter. At Tokyo Game Show 2018 SEGA has formally revealed the game will be coming to the lineup in the future, though has not specified any details such as a release date, pricing, or any bonus content like the other SEGA Ages titles.

In addition, SEGA has revealed the results of their official SEGA Ages poll on Twitter, asking what games people want to see in the collection in the future. These results are based on general franchises instead of specific games unless stated otherwise. Click below to see the results.

Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams to be playable in Umihara Kawase Fresh! on Nintendo Switch

Way back in 1991 a small developer known as Success worked with the SEGA System 16B Arcade Board to create the very first entry that would be known as their Cotton series. These scrolling shooting arcade games would become cult fan favorite games at arcades and even SEGA consoles.

Now Studio Saizensen President Toshinobu Konodo joined 4Gamer’s TGS livestream to talk about concepts and ideas for their upcoming game Umihara Kawase Fresh! which was announced for Nintendo Switch.During the live stream, they revealed that the cult classic Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams would be fully playable within Umihara Kawase Fresh! Not only that, after you get deeper into the game, Cotton herself will be unlockable and she even got a brand new look (see featured image) to match Umihara Kawase Fresh’s in-game art style. Does this mean there is an actual possibility that our girl Cotton could make a comeback? While she has had a few releases, everyone considers ‘Rainbow Cotton‘ on the SEGA Dreamcast to be the last true entry into the franchise. What are your thoughts? Would you be interested in a new Cotton game?

[Via: Siliconera]

SEGA AGES for Nintendo Switch launches with Sonic the Hedgehog and Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar

The M2 developed SEGA AGES for Nintendo Switch has launched today in the west with two games: Sonic the Hedgehog and Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar (Thunder Force IV in Europe and Japan). The reasoning for the title of the latter is because on the SEGA Genesis in America, Lightening Force: Quest for the Darkstar was the localized name. However, given the history of the Thunder Force series prior to and since the game’s release, it is odd that SEGA of America saw fit to keep the localized name.

SEGA AGES titles are priced at $7.99 in America and £6.99 in Europe. A little less than the ¥925 Japanese price point when converted to dollars and a little more converted to pounds. Players can expect new features and various settings. Check then out now on the Nintendo eShop and stay tuned to SEGAbits for our reviews of the first two titles.

Puyo Puyo E Sports Officially Announced – Coming to PS4 and Switch on October 25th

Puyo Puyo E Sports has been previously been rumored multiple times, both by Puyo Puyo producer Mizuki Hosoyamada on social media and a Korean ratings board. Now however we have official confirmation from SEGA themselves.

Puyo Puyo E Sports is effectively a simplified version of Puyo Puyo that heavily focuses on a competitive scene. This includes a new tournament mode where players pit against each other in a classic bracket 1 vs. 1 fashion, up to 8 players being able to participate. Unlike past games where there’s a focus on multiple different modes, Puyo Puyo E Sports simplifies it to the recurring Tsu Rules and Fever Rules only.

Puyo Puyo E Sports is slated for both the Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch, with a planned Japan release on October 25th, notably being the the franchise’s 27th anniversary. It’s unknown at the time of this writing if it will be available outside of Japan. Due to the minimal content and recycled assets, the pricing is slated to be only ¥1999 (roughly $18), a lot lower than a typical game.

[Source: Official Website]

Nintendo Switch SEGA Ages Out Run, Columns II, Thunder Force AC, and Sonic 2 New Content Detailed

The other day it was announced that SEGA Ages would double its output by putting out four more titles. I guess we can consider the first four released the first wave which included: Sonic the Hedgehog, Thunder Force IV, Phantasy Star, and Alex Kidd in Miracle World. As you know, with past M2 re-releases, they like to add new features to said game. Right now we are looking at all the new details and new content they added for wave 2’s re-releases.

Wave 2 is Out Run, Columns II, Thunder Force AC, and Sonic the Hedgehog 2. The following was translated by Gematsu.

New SEGA AGES titles revealed, Sonic and Thunder Force IV releasing next week

We have some SEGA AGES news for all your Nintendo Switch owners out there! It has been revealed that Sonic the Hedgehog and Thunder Force IV will release September 20 to the Nintendo eShop priced at ¥999. Don’t let the Japanese price throw you, this will be a worldwide release.

Also revealed are more games in the SEGA AGES lineup! In addition to the above titles and Phantasy Star, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, Gain Ground and Space Harrier fans can also expect Columns II Online Battle, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, OutRun and Thunder Force AC. No further details have been revealed, but we will be sure to share release dates once we learn of them.

[Sources: Famitsu, My Nintendo News, Japanese Nintendo]