Retro

NBA Jam announcer Tim Kitzrow (and Fox) just discovered as hidden players in Saturn version of NBA Jam: TE after 28 years

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As reported by SEGA SATURN, SHIRO!, Saturn hacker Malenko, who created Saturn romhacks (For lack of a better word) Drift King ’97 and NBA Jam TE Walrus Edition, discovered two never before seen or reported on secret characters in NBA Jam: Tournament Edition, who seem to be exclusive to the Saturn version for whatever reason. The first, and most exciting, is NBA Jam’s legendary announcer, Mr. BOOM-SHAKA-LAKA himself, Tim Kitzrow. (Who was also featured in other sports titles like NFL Blitz, NBA Showtime, NCAA College Slam, and Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball) The other is some guy named Fox. (We’re sure he’s a nice guy) To anyone’s knowledge, the existence of these characters has never been revealed by anyone after all this time. Who knows if even Tim Kitzrow himself was aware? (UPDATE: He was not.) Malenko discovered this just from perusing the Saturn game’s hex data and finding curious entries within the character data area, which allowed him to figure out the secret codes for both characters.

To play as these two, make sure you enter these names and birthdates at the name entry screen while holding L or R.

  • Kizrow: KIT – June 8th
  • Fox: FOX – August 3rd

So far, Malenko couldn’t find any sign of these two being in any other version of the game, having checked every other port besides the Atari Jaguar version. It’s not yet known why only the Saturn versions contain these two. It’s certainly not even known who the heck Fox is. Perhaps someday, the answers to all these mysteries will materialize…?

Special thanks goes to Malenko as well as SEGA SATURN, SHIRO! for reporting on this news as well as uploading the above video of the two hidden characters in action. Check out their article here for more info.

If you have NBA Jam: TE for Sega Saturn, try out these two and tell us what you think in the comments below. Were they on fire?

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Rent-A-Hero No. 1 on Dreamcast gets fan translation, includes bonus content

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Rent-A-Hero No.1 on Dreamcast, a remake to Rent-A Hero on the Mega Drive, which both have been exclusive to Japan, has been translated by fans. The crazy part is, its not just a translation that the team has done, but have also added extra exclusive features, making this the definitive release!

The exclusive features include:

  • Unlockable content
  • 3D models / animations
  • VMU graphics / animations
  • Opening/Ending subs
  • Interface controls
  • Debug menus
  • Secret modes ( One-Punch man fans rejoice! )
  • Developers message board with original team + Rent-A-Modders dev comments
  • Skip logos sequence with START button
  • Bug fixes

Rent-A-Hero No.1 has been one of the games that a lot of Western Dreamcast gamers wanted a translation for. The game even got a port for the Xbox and was revealed via a leaked English prototype in 2017 that there was plans to bring the game West. Now, fans have translated the SEGA Mega Drive original and have translated the Dreamcast version. What a time to be a SEGA retro gaming fan. j

[Via: Romhacking]

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Samba de Amigo ver. 2000 English fan conversion now available

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While you wait for the release of Samba de Amigo: Party Central for Nintendo Switch, here’s a new development for what is probably the next best Samba de Amigo game. 

Samba de Amigo ver. 2000, which originally released on Sega Dreamcast exclusively in Japan in the year 2000, has gotten a new English conversion by Dukeblooders. While the game originally didn’t have much Japanese text in it, and didn’t strictly require a mastery of Japanese to play anyway, Dukeblooders went the extra mile and converted as much of the game’s text as possible, mostly using audio or graphics from the Wii version of Samba de Amigo from 2007, which had most of ver. 2000’s features anyway. It may not seem like too much of a change, but it should help the game feel like a more complete English release that never was.

Currently, you can download the patch from Dukeblooders’s Github page. According to this page, patching your copy of the game requires the Universal Dreamcast Patcher software by Derek Pascarella, which you can get from his own Github page. Playing the patched game currently requires a Dreamcast ODE (Optical Drive Emulator) such as a MODE or a GDEMU, as it cannot run from a burnt CD-ROM at this time. It should run perfectly fine in a Dreamcast emulator, theoretically. 

If you’re able to try this out, let us know what you think in the comments below.

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Final pre-order run of Analogue Mega SG coming on Oct. 28th

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In a brand new announcement from Analogue, the creators of FPGA consoles like the Mega SG and the Analogue Pocket, their last ever pre-order run of the Mega SG will take place on October 28th. After this, there will be no more. This will also be your last chance to order a Super NT from Analogue, which is their FPGA Super Nintendo clone. Both will be available for $199, excluding shipping, and will ship in “Q4 2023”. 

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Phantasy Star II soundtrack getting vinyl release, pre-orders up now!

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SEGA soundtracks have been pouring in on vinyl for the last few years, this time we are getting Phantasy Star II from Ship to Shore. This is a limited time release, coming in a “Rolf & Nei” blue and magenta swirl vinyl. While having a big, physical copy of the Phantasy Star II soundtrack is awesome, this release also features all the original Japanese artwork by Hitoshi Yoneda. Its beautiful.

While pre-orders are open now, the vinyl won’t ship until Q4 2022.

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Shenmue: The Animation to premiere February 5 on Crunchyroll & Adult Swim

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The upcoming Shenmue Th Animation is set to premiere next month! February 5th, it has been announced by Adult Swim and Crunchyroll. The series will run for 13 episodes that follows our hero Ryo Hazuki through the story of the first game and part of the sequel.

The new trailer also seems to show that the anime will be fleshing out more of Ryo’s regular life before the tragic events that set him on his new path. Should be a interesting show.

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SEGA Mega Drive Shoot ’em up Gleylancer coming to all current consoles on October 15

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The classic shoot ’em up for SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive, Gleylancer (I swear it was Gley Lancer?) is coming to all modern consoles on October 15, 2021. This includes PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Sadly looks like PC gamers have been left out.

Originally the game was a Japanese exclusive but got a world wide release for the first time in 2008 via Wii’s Virtual Console. This version of the game will have even more improvements, according to the company it will feature:

  • Improved modes available with accessibility features and modern controls.
  • Classic and deep space shoot ’em up gameplay.
  • Epic space opera with anime cutscenes.
  • Option to customize the ship’s attacking power.
  • Iconic retro console graphics and sound.
  • Legacy 16-bit title from the 1990s!

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Shadow Man: Remastered coming to PC on April 15th

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Do you guys remember the game Shadow Man? This action-adventure game by Acclaim launched on almost all platforms back in the day including Windows PC, Nintendo 64, PlayStation and of course the SEGA Dreamcast.

Well the game is coming back as Shadow Man Remastered, while we know its coming to PC on April 15th, its also coming to Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 (no dates set yet). Also did you know the game had a sequel called Shadow Man: 2econd Coming on PlayStation 2? Wow.

Check out the press release and screenshots:

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Guilty Gear Isuka and Rumble Fish 2 have now been ported to SEGA Dreamcast

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It looks like those SNK Atomiswave arcade ports continue to pour in for the SEGA Dreamcast. It seemed I even missed a few, but I had to come do a post for the release of both Guilty Gear Isuka and Rumble Fish 2! I have seriously been waiting for Rumble Fish 2 since this whole port thing got started.

Guilty Gear Isuka GDI Download | Rumble Fish 2 GDI Download

Its also cool to see other people in the community start porting some of these arcade titles over, even adding little short cuts to get into Time Attack and other options. Is the Atomiswave ports the best thing to happen to the Dreamcast in 2020?

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Knights of Valour: The Seven Spirits is the latest Arcade port to Dreamcast

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If you guys missed the news post about the latest SNK/Sammy Atomiswave arcade ports to Dreamcast, Dreamcast-Talk user Megavolt85 has been porting the titles over. According to him its rather easy and only needs a few lines of code changed to get them working on the SEGA Dreamcast. He has ported over Metal Slug 6, King of Fighters XI, Samurai Shodown VI, and NeoGeo Battle Coliseum. Now, for his fifth title he choose… Knights of Valour: The Seven Spirits? I actually never played the franchise, so I’m interested in trying it.

I do know that the franchise has a ton of entries and this title actually is the fifth release in the franchises history.

You can download the GDI file for the Dreamcast via the Dreamcast-Talk thread. I do know a few of the last few GDI games have gotten CDI (to burn on disc) images as well.

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Wingman SD Review: Use Modern Controllers & Arcade Sticks on SEGA Dreamcast & Saturn

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There has been quite a surge in retro gaming devices that offering ways to modernize your SEGA consoles, one of these new interesting devices we have seen online is the Wingman SD Converter for the SEGA Dreamcast and Saturn, which I found out about online because it allows you to use modern USB fight sticks on both retro consoles. Let’s take a deep dive into what the Wingman SD Converter offers and if it fulfills all the promises it makes. According to the site the device offers the ability to use modern game pads and fightsticks along with rumble support and a full memory card for the Dreamcast. Let’s get into the review.

XPqP muErNxJtO

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Arcade1up’s Golden Axe cabinet up to order featuring Golden Axe, The Revenge of Death Adder, Shinobi, Altered Beast, and Wrestle War

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If you guys always wanted a almost full size arcade of SEGA games including some never released in home classics like Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder, you can now get it via Arcade1up’s Golden Axe themed arcade which will set you back a cool $399.99 (who needs a next gen console, when you can play Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder at home?).

This arcade will feature the following titles:

  • Golden Axe™
  • Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder™
  • Shinobi™
  • Altered Beast™
  • Wrestle War™

You can order via 1up Arcade’s website which also contains more pictures of the cabinet that are using Golden Axe 1 cabinet style.

U cnAoFMHo

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CBS All-Access’ “Console Wars” documentary about SEGA and Nintendo’s 16-bit rivalry gets a trailer, release date

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If you guys have been keeping up with this blog, you’d know that we have covered the Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo and the Battle that Defined a Generation book when it came out back in 2014,was a book written by Blake J. Harris, who we had on our podcasts before. (We also had great podcasts with Console Wars stars Ex-SEGA America President Tom Kalinske and Ex-SEGA Director of Marketing Al Nilsen). Blake J. Harris talked about how he was working a documentary and it seems that documentary is coming to CBS All Access by September 23rd. Considered we have been waiting personally since 2014, waiting a few more weeks is easy.

This project is being produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, which was gonna debut via the Southwest Film Festival but considering whats happening in the world, its going to debut on CBS All Access instead.

Check out the trailer above and watch it on September 23rd, I think having these retro gaming documentary is great for the industry.

[Via: ETOnline]

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How To Make Sega Ages Releases More Appealing

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[If you want to see more content like this, I’d appreciate if you guys subscribe to my YouTube channel. Have a few interesting videos in the works!]

SEGA Ages has been the longest running retro line in SEGA’s history starting up all the way back on the Sega Saturn in 1996, the series would evolve itself into the Sega Ages 2500 series on PlayStation 2, then become Sega Ages Online in early 2012 on PlayStation 3 & Xbox 360. SEGA would later rebrand the series as ‘SEGA 3D Classics’ for the Nintendo 3DS but switched it back to SEGA Ages when they launched the series on Nintendo Switch back in 2018. Since then SEGA has announced and released 19 retro titles on exclusively to Switch with its latest one being Herzog Zwei, a real-time strategy game for the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive.

During the announcement of Herzog Zwei the team mentioned that this could be the last release for SEGA AGES as they don’t have any plans for future releases. So I went ahead and asked you guys on the SEGAbits Twitter what SEGA Ages could change to make the titles more appealing and I feel like we are on the same track on changes we would love to see if SEGA continues moving forward with even more releases into 2021 and some issues with the brand that they could fix.

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SEGA Technical Institute’s Canceled 16-Bit Game ‘Astropede’ Revealed for the First Time

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SEGA Technical Institute had a short life at SEGA with the team being responsible for games like Kid Chameleon, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic Spinball, and a lot of canceled project. Some of these we know about, one that we didn’t know about has made it online for the first time ever. This canceled game was called “Astropede’ and was shared by artist Craig Stitt on the Facebook group ‘SEGA Retro Gamers’

“The only surviving video of ‘Astropede’, a game I pitched and went into production at SEGA (STI) circa 1994. Unfortunately after 14 months it was shelved after being starved to death by a lack of resources. The character had a train of pods with various power ups that would be pulled behind him. If hit, the pods would fly apart similar to Sonic and his rings. (my original intent was to have it be part of the Sonic universe) Somewhere I have a playable prototype… I just have to find it and hope it can be made to work!“

We have some assets that Craig has shared, including this concept art that really makes it seem like a ‘Sonic type’ game (hit the break to see that!), the animation loop on top of the page and he even found a protoype of the game… will he share it online tho?

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