PlayStation 3

Famitsu gives Anarchy Reigns high marks – so can we have the game already, SEGA?

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I’m really getting sick of opening articles with a rundown of Anarchy Reigns delay in the west, so I’ll keep it short: SEGA delayed the game again and again, it now looks to be coming in 2013, and it pisses me off. To add salt to the wound, Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu reviewed the game, which releases July 5th in Japan by the name of Max Anarchy. What did they rate it? Straight 9’s for both XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 versions. So it appears the game is very, very good. 9,9,9,9 good. So tell my again why SEGA continues to delay the game? Excuse me while I belt out an old chestnut from Doctor Robotnik: “DUMBOTS!!!”

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Jet Set Radio HD achievements revealed – game to include JSRF tunes?

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Achievements for the upcoming release of Jet Set Radio HD have been revealed, and with them comes a hint towards a bonus that SEGA has yet to speak of. At the top of the list of thirty achievements is one titled “Back to the Future” with the description “Unlock all songs in the bonus menu”. To my knowledge, there was never a bonus menu that unlocked songs in the original game. There was a sound test, but that was complete from the start. No unlocking necessary. The achievement’s title mentions “future”, which of course was in the title of the franchise’s second game Jet Set Radio Future. Could SEGA be adding an option to play select tunes from Jet Set Radio Future? Or is it simply a nod to the sequel and nothing more? After the break, the full list of achievements.

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All-Stars Racing Transformed gameplay footage appears on PS Access

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The UK PSN exclusive show Playstation Access showcased snippets of new footage from Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. The footage is exclusive to UK PSN users on their consoles. But hey, at least if you don’t have a PS3 and don’t live in the UK, you can now see the footage! If you do live in the UK and have access to PSN, make sure to turn on your PS3 and check the footage out. You can definitely see the influence Bizarre Creations racing game Blur had on All-Stars Racing Transformed in the neon boosters and weapons. Transformations appear seamless and the final shot of the dragons is awesome.

Thanks to The Sonic Stadium’s Ashthedragon and Rawrdom for uploading the footage.

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SEGA bringing Fist of the North Star slot machine game to Playstation 3

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I was not aware that SEGA had the license to Fist of the North Star, but it seems they do and for their first (Actually they released some PS2 games and also a 2D fighter last generation) title with the license they want to do a port of Sammy’s First of the North Star slot machine.  SEGA is getting ready to release “Fist of the North Star Pachislot” in Japan May 31st.

The game will feature a production mode and let you see in-game art and watch Kenshiro punch the screen if you are into that. I’m a Fist of the North Star fan and this seems like a rip off compared to the game that Koei released.

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The next Hatsune Miku game gets details leaked early, coming to Vita and PS3

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SEGA has now given details on their tease for the next Hatsune Miku game. Sinobi, a Japanese blogger who happens to have early access to Weekly Famitsu has posted up details for the game.

As of now the game doesn’t have a real name and is using the placeholder title “Next Hatsune Miku Project Diva“. The game will keep the basic gameplay from the previous Miku games while introducing new elements like touch controls (referred to as “scratch”) and new bonuses will be given to users that connect combos in specific time limits. The game has confirmed it will have four difficulty settings.

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Virtua Fighter’s Akira Yuki Playable in Dead or Alive 5

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Akira Yuki of Virtua Fighter has been announced to be a guest character in Dead or Alive 5. Could this be an early sign of Virtua Fighter X DOA? Akira’s addition marks the first time that the Dead or Alive franchise has added a character from another fighting game to their roster. studio head of Team NINJA Yosuke Hayashi said, “Gamers will have an opportunity to enjoy an unforgettable battle with an esteemed competitor in Akira Yuki set in the Dead or Alive environment. This year will prove to be an amazing one for our loyal fighting fans as we are delivering a fantastic fighting game that can only been experienced in Dead or Alive 5.”

This SEGA fanboy says: Hayashi failed to note that an even more fantastic fighting game known as Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown is set for release this year.

Expect DOA5 to release this year to the XBOX 360 and Playstation 3. Once you buy VF5: Final Showdown, you are allowed to purchase DOA5.

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SEGA delays Anarchy Reigns to July 2012

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Following hot on the heels of Konami’s recent announcement that Platinum Games would be taking over the development of the next Metal Gear game, we now have information on a delay for the studio’s other project, Anarchy Reigns.

The beat-em-up, which had already been delayed until January, has been pushed further back to July. The semi-sequel to MadWorld will now release on July 3 in North America, and on the 5th and 6th in Australia and Europe, respectively. SEGA West’s Gary Knight has said that the delay will be to increase the scale of the game, teasing that 1 vs 1 and 2 vs 2 fighters will become “a thing of the past.”

No word yet on whether Anarchy Reigns will be seeing a similar delay in Japan.

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Binary Domain to feature over 4 hours of cutscenes

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The British Board of Film Classifiction has revealed that SEGA’s up and coming third person shooter Binary Domain is going to feature 255 minutes (4 hours and 15 minutes) of cutscenes. It has not been made clear if the figure includes in-game cutscenes or if certain cutscenes are dependent on player’s trust levels with other characters.

However it would not be out of the ordinary for a game directed by SEGA’s famed Toshihiro Nagoshi, whose Ryu Ga Gotoku/Yakuza series features more than several hours of cutscenes. It is interesting to note that Binary Domain could possibly have a longer duration in cutscenes alone than certain shooters have in their main campaign.

Thanks for the tip Suzuki Yu!

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New Speed Highway Screens Go Up and Down and All Around

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Six days to go until Sonic Generations arrives! In the meantime, enjoy these new screens of the rarely seen Speed Highway while your digital copy of Daytona USA downloads. The screens come courtesy of Famitsu, and show not only the remade Sonic Adventure stage, but also the Sonic and Shadow race plus more screens on the 3DS stage Radical Highway. You’ll note that the above screen seems to be taking place at dawn. Could that mean… at dawn concludes the stage? Also, nearly every Speed Highway screen features a fan service sign somewhere in the background. One screen in particular, you’ll know it when you see it, name drops just about every Sonic character in a cluster of road signs. Pretty funny stuff.

UPDATE: See high res versions of the screens here.

[Source: Famitsu]

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Sonic Generations Original Stage Review

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With less than a week to go ’til Sonic Generations, I thought it would be fun to take a leap back and run through the original stages featured in Generations. What made the original stages so memorable? Are they a fitting choice for representation of the game they originally appeared in? Were there better choices that could have been made? Those questions and more will be explored after the break!

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Sonic Generations Early Reviews and More!

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With the release just a week away, early reviews are beginning to roll in for Sonic Generations. Thanks to members of Sonic Stadium’s forums, reviews are being compiled and new details from the game are being revealed. Before we get to the reviews, I thought this was an interesting tidbit: Iizuka revealed at Paris Games Week that the original Sonic the Hedgehog will be an unlockable in Generations. As long as the emulation is perfect, I’m all for adding a ninth copy of the game to my collection.

As for early reviews, the Germans have gotten their hands on the finished game. Videogameszone.de rated the game an 85/100 while the magazine 360 Live rated the game a similar 8.5/10. Very respectable scores! After the break, details from the two reviews.

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Sonic Generations – Six Screens from Speedy Highway!

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Take a gander at these high-speed Sonic Generations screenshots featuring ‘Speedy Highway’ (first seen in Sonic Adventure) now in glorious HD!

I remember playing Sonic Adventure when it first released on Dreamcast and that one particular set piece in Seedy Highway where Sonic Runs down the side of a sky scraper blew my mind. I’d never seen anything so mind bending, graphically stunning (for its time) and fast in a videogame before. It will stay with me for ever; I hope Sonic Generations can recapture the magic of Speedy Highway!

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Spoiler Alert: Giga.de Shows Insane Amounts of Sonic Generations

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Video contains a LOT of Generations footage:

While Sonic fans have been eagerly awaiting an IGN preview of Sonic Generations, only to learn that it had been pushed back due to SEGA extending the embargo, German gaming site Giga.de has gone all out with a near 30 minute video preview of Sonic Generations. Within the first minute viewers are introduced to the interactive menu, and I gotta say it looks fantastic. It actually reminds me of Kirby’s Epic Yarn in the way you traverse it. Also included are full playthroughs of many stages. So if you want to avoid spoilers, just watch the first few minutes for a taste of the menu and then click “stop”.

After the break, a list of observations. Of course, these venture into spoiler territory.

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New Generations 3DS Stage Revealed PLUS HD Birthday Picnic

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From The Sonic Scene comes two special screens from Sonic Generations. The first, seen above, reveals a new stage for the 3DS version of the game: Sonic Adventure’s Emerald Coast! While I had thought they would have gone with a stage from Sonic Advance instead, I much prefer this. Unless, of course, this is actually Neo Green Hill from the first Sonic Advance with the whale thrown in. I’m interested to see if they copy the modern layout verbatim, or offer up something new. The second image, which can be seen after the break, might be a spoiler to some, as it appears to be from the opening cutscene. Want to see it? Continue on!

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