Since we are celebrating 15 years with the SEGA Dreamcast, its probably time we did a Round Table based on our first experiences with the console. What was going through our minds when we first laid eyes on the white dream machine that could.
Back in 2011, I wrote a Weekly Five about the five best “unknown” Dreamcast games. The goal was to highlight some of the Dreamcast’s best titles that no one really talks about. Among the handful of comments it received was a complaint that I didn’t go “obscure” enough, even though that wasn’t really the point (though I will admit my topic is and continues to be pretty vague). Since then, I’ve done some real digging into some of the deepest parts of the Dreamcast library and I feel ready to come up with an all new selection of titles.
I hope some of these titles are new to you! There’s no better way to celebrate 15 years of the SEGA Dreamcast than with a new game.
It’s hard to think that the Dreamcast turned 15 years old today. For many of the writers here at SEGAbits, the Dreamcast holds a special place in our hearts, and even though the console was active in retail for less than 2 years, it amounted itself an incredible amount of great games. Let’s look back at the history of the iconic console, its death, rebirth, and its future…
With Dreamcast month currently underway, I thought I’d share my launch memories with all of you. It’s a little different from the launch discussion we’ll be talking about in our next round table, because I already had an import Dreamcast for a little while. This is more about helping a small business out by giving them a bigger launch while helping big business sell out it’s stock. Well…that and paying off some debt.
The Dreamcast is turning 15 years old and we here at SEGAbits will take this opportunity to talk about a game that we thought defined the console. Its hard to just pick one when the console had multitude of fantastic and unique titles.
Like always you can share your title via the comments.
Some people consider the 16-bit wars to be the golden age of gaming, but as much as we see the early 90’s with rose tinted glasses there where some serious mistakes made during the war (on both sides). This week we will discuss what we think SEGA’s worse decision during the 16-bit console wars was. Sit back and if you want to join in on the discussion, please do so in the comments.
This week on Tuesday Tunes we have a look at Virtua Racing Deluxe‘s song ‘Replay‘. Not only is this 32x port one of the best ports of the game to a console, it also has a pretty catchy soundtrack to boot.
Here we have an epic build up to a nearly nine minute song that is filled with nice dancing beats and epic saxophones that will put your ears’ in a 90’s nostalgia mood.
This is one of my favorite Virtua Racing tracks. Have you got a favorite of your own? Let us know in the comments!
We told you before that there was going to be a Kickstarter to bring back the FMV ‘classic’ to a new generation. The game was originally released on SEGA CD then later ported to 32x, 3DO and DOS/Mac. The project is asking for $330,000 dollars to remake this game in HD.
A minimum pledge of $20 dollars will net you a copy on either PC, Mac, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
You can check out their Kickstarter here. If you want to check out a sample of the HD footage from the game, check out this video.
People bashing Sonic around gaming publications isn’t anything new, but a new trend seems to be developing lately: attacking the original trilogy and claiming it’s overrated. This week’s Round Table is a direct response to Red Letter Media‘s video where they gave their opinions on classic Sonic. This week, we’d like to chime in with our two cents.
Beggar Prince was a Chinese RPG that was only released in that region in 1996. In 2006 Super Fighter Team decided to translate the game to English and manufacture them on the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive carts, touting that it was the first SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive made since 1998. They sold out and now the $40 dollar game has been highly sought after. This will be the fourth release of the game (counting the 1996 original) and 3rd reprint by Super Fighter Team.
From the team:
“The prodigal son has returned! Beggar Prince, our first commercial video game, will be put back into production in the form of a special twentieth anniversary edition. Originally released in Taiwan in 1996, this fabulous role-playing adventure game was first published in English by Super Fighter Team ten years later. Ever since the game sold out, countless fans have written in to request that we put it back into production. Well, here it comes! Don’t miss this chance to own one of the most stunning games ever produced for the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive!”
As a person that has the 3rd release of the game, the cart doesn’t use SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive screws and the feel of the box isn’t the same as an actual SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive box. It has a different feel. You can pre-order your copy here for $55. Game isn’t set to ship till sometime in 2016.
This up coming September will mark the 15 year anniversary of the Dreamcast and fans are still supporting the console with homebrew, independent games and now added modifications like a hard drive!
The hard drive support will allow users to boot GDI rips from the hard drive on actual Dreamcast hardware. The only issue is that booting some games as images won’t work (Crazy Taxi, Soul Calibur) and other times it has glitches. Honestly, I’m more interested in getting a working HDD for my Dreamcast so I can store save data, DLC and Jet Set Radio tags.
After the break, check out the images to learn how it was done. It’s still thinking…
It Came from the Desert is a 1989 computer game by Cinemaware and later got ports, of them being on the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive that was sadly cancelled before its release date in 1990. The SEGA 16-bit version was set to be different than the original by having custom power ups that where created by collecting machinery pieces, changing main protagonist who in the original was a scientist, now you are a teenage pest control worker named Buzz, and more.
Watermelon Games have announced that they will be working with the original developers Cineaware to bring an official limited release of ‘It Came From the Desert’. One of the main issues with the main game was that it was way too hard, Watermelon games said they will be tweaking the game to make it more enjoyable and will also be fixing a game crashing bug (reason it wasn’t officially released by EA).
You guys can check their product page here for more information.
[Above art by SavinArtem via DeviantArt]
Welcome to another installment of our Round Table series. This one will be part of our Comix Zone week and will be looking at the questions asked by SEGA fans in the mid-90’s: Is Comix Zone too hard? There have been very few people I know that have beaten the game without using stuff like safe states or cheats. It is just one of those games that takes dedication and patience. Something most of us didn’t have much as a kid. Of course you can tell us your opinions in the comments.
Let’s get this discussion started!
[Sketch Turner drawn by RainDante]
It’s quite obvious that Comix Zone is a 16-bit video game tribute to the comic book medium. It takes several aspects from a variety of popular comics throughout history and uses them in its own way to create a unique world. Here are some that I’ve noticed during play. Since the developers never talked about stories in comics that influenced them, some of these could only be coincidence.
Let’s have a look.
It’s no secret that Comix Zone‘s Sketch Turner was design around a grunge rock musician. Grunge music started in the mid-1980’s in Seattle and slowly spread thanks to labels like Sub Pop. It didn’t become commercially successful until the first half of the 90’s thanks to Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and of course Stone Temple Pilots.
Howard Drossin, the composer behind the soundtrack for Comix Zone put a band together called ‘Road Kill’ (named after Turner’s pet rat and humble side kick).