Review: Parking Garage Rally Circuit (Walaber)

If you yearn to revisit the glorious need for speed that Sega provided you with stellar 90’s arcade racers like Daytona USA, Sega Rally Championship, or Manx TT Superbike, you’re not the only one. A few developers have begun taking a crack at recapturing that spirit with some brand new games. Today, we’re putting a spotlight on one of the newest games of that bunch: Parking Garage Rally Circuit. Developed by Walaber, whom we’ve had the pleasure of speaking to about this game before, PGRC aims to be the Sega Saturn racing hit that never was. A frantic time trial racer that aims to emulate the look of 90’s 3D console racers to an extreme degree, a lot of passion for that unforgettable time in gaming history is as clear as the blue, blue skies the game graces you with, but does that passion equal a game that’s as worthy of your time as most any racer Sega had developed during that decade? Find a cozy parking spot to sit back, relax, and read through our review of Parking Garage Rally Circuit after the break.

(A Steam copy of the game was provided by Walaber for the purpose of this review. They have not influenced the review in any other way and have not read it before it went online.)

Metaphor: ReFantazio live stream showcase set for April 22

Gear up, RPG fans! Atlus just dropped a bomb – they’re hosting a special livestream for their brand new fantasy RPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio, on April 22nd! Mark your calendars for 3:00 PM PT / 6:00 PM ET to catch a 30-minute deep dive with director Katsura Hashino himself. Expect fresh info, never-before-seen gameplay, and all the juicy details about this epic adventure.

The best part? You can watch it on YouTube in English, Japanese, or Traditional Chinese! Bonus points if you can decipher the Japanese follow-up stream on April 23rd, which dives even deeper into the reveal with special guests.

For everyone else, Metaphor: ReFantazio is slated to hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, and PC later this fall. Get ready to explore a whole new world!

[Via Gematsu]

Sonic X Shadow Generations remaster set for Autumn 2024 release

SEGA has announced a remaster to the 2011 hit Sonic Generations, titled Sonic X Shadow Generations. The remaster is obviously tied to tie in with the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie, which will prominently feature Shadow the Hedgehog. The remaster is being described as an “all-new collection” and will feature a new Shadow story campaign featuring new powers and abilities in stages from his 2005 solo game and 2001’s Sonic Adventure 2. The original Sonic Generations experience will also be present, with newly remastered stages, upgraded visuals and a promise of new bonus content.

The game is due out this Autumn for PS4 and PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series consoles, Nintendo Switch and PC.

The Creative Assembly suffers layoffs and Hyenas gets cancelled

This certainly is not The Creative Assembly’s finest hour. Their all new multiplayer shooter (And the subject of one of my first written articles here on SegaBits) Hyenas has been unceremoniously cancelled in a brief recent SegaSammy financial report. Citing “lower profitability in the European region”, the decision was made from on high to axe Hyenas, along with several unannounced titles being developed there. As if to throw salt on the wound, Hyenas’s UK-based developer The Creative Assembly, known for Alien Isolation and the Total War series, is also suffering layoffs. All this comes according to a report from Eurogamer, which you can read here. The above message was also taken from the official Hyenas Twitter page.

This comes as a shock as Hyenas was just demoed at Gamescom only last month and in a recent closed PC beta just this month, along with a few all new trailers getting released. The developers even seemed rather enthusiastic about the game’s reception, in spite of any challenges with development, as referenced in an interview Eurogamer did with representatives of Creative Assembly at that very same Gamescom event. It truly goes to show that you can never be too certain what will happen behind closed doors in the world of game development. I can only hope the staff being let go have little trouble finding new jobs and supporting themselves and their families.

Are you sad to see Hyenas canned? I know I am, especially cause I never even got to participate in any of the betas. Maybe any of you who did can tell us about your experiences in the comments below? I’d especially appreciate it.

Like a Dragon Gaiden’s opening movie and main theme “Katatoki” released featuring Yojiro Noda & Rapper JID

SEGA has released Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, this opening movie really shows a contrast to Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth, which is more upbeat story trailers featuring the main cast on an adventure; Like a Dragon Gaiden shows Kazuma Kiryu on the other hand living in the shadows.

What is Kazuma Kiryu doing? What he does best, hanging out at bars and smoking cigarettes.

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Trailer shows improved gameplay, guest stars Danny Trejo joining cast and looks tropically amazing

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth might be breaking my hype meter, I was on the fence when SEGA revealed that Yakuza: Like a Dragon would take the game from action gameplay to turn-base and not only that replace our favorite hero Kazuma Kiryu. But after playing Yakuza: Like a Dragon, the new combat system, characters and story have become my favorite in the franchise. I did feel like one of the only things holding it back was a more fleshed out combat system and it looks like the team is working overtime to deliver not just making our hero Ichiban a fish out of water in Hawaii, the first time the series has visited America, but also improving a lot of the gameplay. Like the ability to move your characters and actually refocusing on how the characters use items in their paths being shown so far. While the trailer has also shown brand new jobs, I think an issue with the previous title was that only a few jobs where viable in the long run. While new jobs are great, I hope they are all good enough to play in their own way and it isn’t like the previous game where only a few really viable to play high level.

OH AND SEGA BASS FISHING AND SPIKEOUT ARE AVIALBLE TO PLAY IN ARCADES! WE WILL ALSO FIND OUT ABOUT ICHIBAN’S MOM! HYPE METER TO 100%!

You can also check out the ten minute story trailer after the jump, this story trailer shows the first American celebrity to be featured in a Yakuza/Like a Dragon game, Machete himself Danny Trejo!:

Sonic Superstars gets fantastic “Trio of Trouble” animated short

One thing that I have loved about the recent classic Sonic the Hedgehog games have been the animated shorts they’ve been releasing, starting with Sonic Mania Adventures! This time, Sonic Superstars gives us this really nicely animated “Trio of Trouble” short. Sadly, when I say short, I mean too short. I could really go for a classic Sonic, silent cartoon. I love it. Obviously the animated short’s name is a reference Sonic the Hedgehog Triple Trouble, the Game Gear exclusive game that was the first time Fang (or Nack) was introduced! We even did a SEGA Talk discussing the game, which you can listen to! 

Sonic Superstars is getting closer to release date as October 17th will be here faster than you can say “Does Fang have a Nack for treasure hunting?” .

 

Atlus says they want to remake Persona 1 and Persona 2

With Persona 3 getting a remake soon, the question in a lot of fans minds is when Atlus will reach back and remake older titles that deserve a brand new coat of paint. During a recent interview, Atlus was asked if there where other remakes in development which they said:

“Atlus and Sega are experimenting with many remake ideas for different franchises. But there is nothing in end production like P3RE right now. Atlus really wants to make a P1/P2 remake.”

While the original Persona (2009) game and the sequel Persona 2 (2011) had remakes on the PlayStation Portable, as all Sony PSP games, these these titles are rare and hard to buy. I think giving the original titles a fresh coat of paint could be interesting. But should modernize the gameplay to match the newer Persona games or keep it original? I guess we shall see.

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name set to launch November 9, 2023

During Summer Game Fest, SEGA dropped a new trailer and release details for Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. Set for a November 9, 2023 release date to PlayStation 4, 5, Xbox consoles and PC, the game will be priced at $49.99. Pre-orders will get players a Legendary Fighter Pack.

ERASE YOUR PAST TO PROTECT YOUR FUTURE Once a legendary yakuza, Kazuma Kiryu faked his own death and abandoned his name for the sake of protecting his family. Now, he is thrust into conflict by a mysterious figure attempting to drive him out of hiding.

When we learn more about release details, including physical copies and those steelbooks we like so much, we will be sure to share the news!

Sonic Frontiers becomes the best selling 3D Sonic game racing to 3.5 million units sold

While Sonic Frontiers isn’t the most perfect game ever made (check out our review), it is a huge step in the right direction for the franchise and it seems that Sonic fans have agreed as it becomes the best selling 3D Sonic game. SEGA confirmed the sales figures during their SEGA x Rovio press conference (16:40 in), marking the title as a huge success.

That means that the title sold 300,000 units from April, in just a month. That would mean that Sonic Frontiers has long lasting legs and that probably has to do to the free roadmap that Sonic Team has released. For example Sonic Generations sold 3 million units and it still seems Sonic Frontiers can easily break the 4 million sold marker by this fall!

Are you surprised at the success of Sonic Frontiers?

[Via: Sonic Stadium]

The Hedgehog is Dead – SEGA releases The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, free for PC and Mac

We did it. Sonic is finally dead.

At least in the context of this year’s April Fools from SEGA. To celebrate April 1st, SEGA has released a murder mystery game in which players solve Sonic’s murder. Titled The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, the game is free to download and play right now on PC and Mac platforms! Check it out and let us know what you think of the game in the comments below.

Scrape Your Knees, Kick Some Balls – Football Manager 2023 is out now!

In what is a big week for SEGA, Football Manager 2023 has released to PC and Mac on Steam, Epic and Microsoft Store. The game is the latest installment in the long running franchise which, funnily enough, actually appeared in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed for PC as the titular Football Manager appeared as a guest character. Check out the launch trailer above, and after the break read through the press release!

SEGA Talk #104: Sonic R (1997)

Can you feel the sunshine? Strap yourself in to your… uh… I mean grab the controller as you race as Sonic and his friends (and foes) in the SEGA Saturn and PC classic Sonic R! We talk about the history, the game, the tracks and of course the awesome soundtrack.

Support us on Patreon! Get early access, tell us what games to cover, and have your SEGA memories read at the end and more!

[iTunes – Stitcher – YouTube – RSS – Download]

If you want to give us feedback, suggest a topic for the next podcast or want to ask a question for us to answer on the next episode you can add  them as a comment below or send theme directly to our email. Make sure you use subject line ‘SEGA Talk’ and as always, thanks for listening!

Tokyo Game Show 2022 Sonic Frontiers trailer showcases new island and Super Sonic gameplay

Super Sonic has had a raw deal for the past decade or so. While Sonic’s super form showed up in 2D titles as expected, yes I even consider Sonic 4 to be a title that presents Super Sonic in the proper way, the 3D titles largely used the super form of Sonic as an end boss reveal and omitted him from being playable in the game’s main levels. Worse still, Sonic Forces initially debuted Super Sonic as paid DLC before realizing how crummy a move that was and making him free to download. Still, Super Sonic should be baked into the game! And thankfully, Sonic Frontiers latest gameplay trailer showcases Super Sonic within the open zone setting powering up upon collecting all seven emeralds. Just as Chaos intended. While it remains to be seen if you can play as Super Sonic while just running around and exploring the islands, his appearance in an open zone boss battle is a good sign.

What more, the trailer shows off a new fiery mountainous island and sports the new theme song “Vandelize” from ONE OK ROCK.

Judgment and Lost Judgment available NOW on PC

The time has come! It looks like any and all issues have been resolved and Judgment and Lost Judgment are now available for PC. That’s right, they are listed right now! Click on over for Judgment and Lost Judgment or download the bundle which includes free DLC. It has been a big day for RGG Studio fans, as we have had three titles revealed in the past 24 hours as well as two PC ports. How excited are you to play the Judgment games on PC?