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Shinobi: Art of Vengeance Review – A Ninja Legend Reforged

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The Shinobi legacy returns with Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, a modern reimagining of SEGA’s iconic ninja action series. Released earlier this year, the game slices its way onto PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC, bringing a mix of stylish combat, retro-inspired flair, and fresh design sensibilities. Behind the project is Lizardcube, the Paris-based studio best known for revitalizing another SEGA classic with Streets of Rage 4. Having earned widespread praise for blending hand-drawn artistry with tight, old-school gameplay, Lizardcube now turns its attention to one of SEGA’s most enduring heroes, aiming to reintroduce Shinobi to a new generation while respecting the series’ stealth-and-slash roots.

But will their trademark flair fit seamlessly with the iconic Shinobi franchise? I spent time with Art of Vengeance, and in this review, we’ll talk about what works, what doesn’t, and whether this revival lives up to its legendary name.

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Rumor: Leaked Sonic Racing CrossWorlds Box Art Reveals NiGHTS’ As Playable Character

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It seems unsurprising that NiGHTS, the SEGA Saturn mascot from Sonic Team, will likely be a new racer in Sonic Racing CrossWorlds. This is based on a leaked physical box art image, assuming the image isn’t a clever hoax.

I believe the leak is legitimate for a few reasons:

  • Sonic Team has a history of including NiGHTS in their games.
  • A NiGHTS-themed vehicle was previously spotted in an official SEGA trailer.
  • The leaked art reuses the cover art from NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, which, while good, has been in use since 2007. Just seems like Sonic Team would continue to re-use this art, since they love it so much (get married you two).

It’s exciting to see NiGHTS appear alongside two of SEGA’s modern-day icons: Joker from Persona 5 and Ichiban Kasuga from the Like a Dragon series. Considering that the last NiGHTS game was 20 years ago, its crazy that he’s on a box with two characters have had more recent, high selling games.

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“Stranger Than Heaven” is the Official Title for RGG Studio’s “Project Century”

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Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, fresh off the critical and commercial success of their Yakuza/Like a Dragon series and currently developing a new Virtua Fighter title, has officially named their previously teased “Project Century” as “Stranger than Heaven.”

This new action game, from one of SEGA’s most prominent studios, features an interesting historical setting. Although an initial teaser trailer placed the game in 1912, the most recent trailer also indicates at a 1943 setting. This transitional period in Japan’s history promises a rich and dynamic backdrop for the gameplay.

A key element of the game seems to be the protagonist’s journey through these distinct time periods. His striking blue eyes appear to be a consistent visual thread, visible on the younger character featured in the 1912 teaser and again on the older gentleman in the 1943 trailer. You can checkout the 1912 teaser below.

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SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance getting physical release by Limited Run Games

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Limited Run Games has partnered with SEGA to produce physical editions of the highly anticipated SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series consoles. Limited Run Games has stated that pre-order details and collector’s edition information will be announced shortly.

SEGA’s official announcement confirms Limited Run Games as the exclusive distributor of the physical release (so it seems, at least in America). This exclusivity has raised concerns among consumers due to Limited Run Games’ historically long fulfillment times. Some customers are still awaiting shipments of the Sonic x Shadow Generations Collector’s Edition, which began pre-orders in October of the previous year.

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Dave the Diver Ichiban’s Holiday DLC coming out April 10th, 2025; only available for purchase for six months

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The wait is almost over to see the Hero of Yokohama Ichiban Kasuga join forces with Dave The Diver. The Ichiban’s Holiday DLC expansion for Dave The Diver will become available on April 10th, 2025 and will be the first paid DLC released for the game. The price has not yet been revealed as of this writing, but it will be available on all platforms that Dave The Diver is currently on, which is PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Steam (For Windows and Mac). A demo is also available for the Nintendo Switch version, if you’d like to try Dave The Diver before buying.

Now for the bad news. Ichiban’s Holiday, like other crossover DLC the game has seen besides the Dredge Content Pack, will only be available to purchase for just six months. It will be delisted in October 2025. Anyone who buys it before then will be able to play with it as long as they want, but it is sad that it doesn’t even get to stick around for a whole year. And they say video games aren’t facing a preservation crisis.

The developers of Dave The Diver have also provided a video showing a more in-depth look at what you can expect to see in Ichiban’s Holiday. You can scope that out past the break.

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Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii’s New Trailer Unleashes Naval Combat Chaos

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SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s latest trailer for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii (launching February 21 on PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, and PC) unveils the game’s jaw-dropping naval combat—a feature fans have craved since Assassin’s Creed Black Flag. Command customizable ships, unleash cannon barrages, and dive into chaotic boarding battles as the Yakuza series swaps street brawls for high-seas warfare. With upgradable weapons, tactical skirmishes, and physics-driven chaos, the trailer teases a pirate fantasy that blends the franchise’s signature absurdity with the strategic depth!

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Metaphor: ReFantazio live stream showcase set for April 22

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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]

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Limited Run Games announces Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked! on Nintendo Switch, PS4 and PS5

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Rocket Knight Adventures was a cult classic SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive game developed by Konami way back in 1993, since then our hero Sparkster and in 1994 we got Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures! In the same year Konami would release Sparkster on SNES. At one point Sparkster was being printed on all Konami’s promotional material being pushed as a sort of mascot for the company.

Now PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch owners can play these classic 16-bit games in the new upcoming collection! Yep, all three games. Not only that, Carbon Engine has went back and even added dan all-new animated intro by Studio Meala, rewind feature, boss rush mode and museum mode featuring never-before-seen content!  In a nice change of pace, this collection was announced as a Limited Run Games physical release only instead of it coming out digitally first then a physical copy down the line.

Check out Rocket Knight Adventures Re-Sparked! on Limited Run Games. 

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

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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.

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

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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!:

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Sonic Superstars gets fantastic “Trio of Trouble” animated short

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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?” .

 

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Atlus & Vanillaware brings back old school SRPGs with the gorgeous Unicorn Overlord

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The last time Atlus & Vinallaware teamed up, they brought us the amazing 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim and now they have announced Unicorn Overlord coming to Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series world wide on March 8th, 2024.

The game in the West will have a standard edition and a Collector’s Edition pictured below:

Check out the press release after the break:

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Sonic Frontiers third free content update revealed, titled “The Final Horizon”

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Sonic Frontiers third content update has been revealed, with the subtitle “The Final Horizon” and a release date of September 28th. The update adds new story content, new challenges and the ability to play as Tails, Amy and Knuckles. The teaser trailer showcases a brand new boss and the return of Sage as she and Eggman appear to be working with Sonic and friends.

Sonic Frontiers is available now across PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, the Nintendo Switch family of systems and Steam.

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Sonic Superstars release date, DLC and multiplayer detailed

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As gamescom 2023 kicks off, news has dropped on the upcoming Sonic Superstars! 2D classic Sonic is returning to all modern platforms, and he is bringing Tails, Knuckles and Amy Rose with him on a brand new adventure. While the game will have a single player mode, there is also a focus on 2-4 player gameplay and the latest trailer details that element. Local co-op and Battle Mode will allow up to four players to drop in and out of a local game, or battle up to seven other players online or four players locally in a Battle Mode. Most exciting for longtime Sonic fans is the appearance of metal doppelgängers including the long lost Metal Knuckles! These robot duplicates can be build in a new mecha building mode where players can mix and match parts to create new or classic mecha robots.

Also detailed was the Digital Deluxe Edition, which is priced at $69.99 and includes the base game, a Sonic Rabbit Skin (straight from the early Sonic Team concept art), a LEGO fun pack, Mecha Sonic (from Sonic 2) parts, bonus menu wallpapers, a digital artbook and mini-OST and a LEGO Sonic skin.

Sonic Superstars is launching October 17, 2023, and is available for pre-order physically and digitally for PS5 and PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, the Nintendo Switch systems and PC starting at $59.99 USD.

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Sonic Superstars animated opening hits the internet

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SEGA has released the animated opening for Sonic Superstars and its beautiful. The art style is very reminiscent of the old school Classic Sonic from the 90s, its nice to see a new take on the classic formula. Hopefully the rest of Sonic Superstars matches up with the quality of this opening animation.

Sonic Superstars is coming out this fall for Playstation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.

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