Review: Shenmue – 10 years later, there’s still been nothing else like it


[Even 10 years later, Shenmue’s still a fanbase favorite]

All throughout the life of the Dreamcast, we were teased with images and trailers for what promised to be the most amazing and cinematic game to ever grace a home console. There were certainly high expectations for Shenmue to deliver, and, well, it may not have been the game everyone was expecting. For those of us who “got” Shenmue, though, it ended up being one of the most incredible gaming experiences of our lives, and to date, surpassed only by its sequel. This is a series that every gamer should play and playing it when it was released in 2000, 10 years ago, was a journey that, like much on Sega’s awesome white console, forever changed the way I looked at video games.

HYPE: Famitsu gives Vanquish near perfect score


Even though everyone dislikes Famitsu, it is the second magazine to review the game and its another positive hit for SEGA and Platinum Games. The magazine gave the game a 9/9/10/9. Famitsu has four people give a score and adds it up for a total. The game got a 37, three points shy from getting a perfect score.

The first review for the game was done by PLAY UK, which gave the title a 93 out of 100. They stated “Vanquish is about as good as action gaming can get.” Get hyped, Vanquish launches in the end of the month, worldwide.

[Source: Nintendo Everything]

Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 4 – Episode 1 (iPhone)

After a staggering two years of waiting, 2D Sonic gameplay has finally returned to the handheld world! What? Oh, you’re probably used to the usual Sonic 4 article intro recounting the 16 year wait fans had to endure before seeing the return of a 2D Sonic to home consoles. Well, such is not the case with Sonic in the portable world. Ever since 2D Sonic left Angel Island, he had found a new home on handheld gaming devices. Between 1994 and 2010, Sonic fans have been treated to more than ten 2D adventures. It is probably due to this fact that the iPhone version of Sonic 4 hasn’t been receiving the same level of enthusiasm and attention as its big brother console versions have.

Kingdom Conquest early reviews, screens and info

A few beta testers for Kingdom Conquest have already submitted their ratings and they have been pretty positive. The game has two parts to it, one being a up town strategy game and the other being a 3-D dungeon crawler. When you go dungeon crawling  with friends you will be able to find items to equip your army with and help you win more land.

“at first i thought this game will be like any other game, but i was wrong… the developer team is genius to ever create a game like this !” – dimaz91

I agree with dimaz91, when I heard about the game I thought it was going to be crap. But it seems that SEGA has got this down. Glad, more quality software for everyone. The game carries a 9+ rating for Fantasy Violence and Infrequent/Mild Realistic Violence.

[Source: iTunes]
[Thanks: Liam via email]

(Product description after the break)

Zero Punctuation reviews Alpha Protocol


Here is a really fast talking review of Alpha Protocol, actually does not bash the game too hard. Even compares it to Deus Ex, which most reviewers have done and pointed out why that game is better. Regardless, still worth a watch.

[Thanks: Crackdude]

First Alpha Protocol review comes in

The first review is in, from Spanish magazine PlayMania (issue 127). The review is that the game is great, scoring a 88 out of a hundred.

Graphics -> 80 – The exteriors are not so bad but the models and their animations are far from perfect.
Sound -> 90 – Appropriate soundtrack.
Diversity -> 89 – Even though it’s the same game, there are many possibilities when it comes to customizing your character and deciding how to play.
Duration -> 90 – The replayability factor is really high. You can play Alpha Protocol a lot of times without experiencing the same adventure.

Overall -> 88 – A spy role playing game that succeeds in blending action with stealth and gives players a high degree of freedom in choosing how they want to proceed.

Game comes out on June 1st in America, you can pre-order it on Amazon [360 PS3PC] and save yourself a few bucks.

[Source: Free-PC-Guides]

Review: Yakuza 3


[Not the Official box art for the Western release. That one sucks]

Before we begin, I should start by telling you what Yakuza is and what it is not, it is an action RPG brawler, it is not the spiritual successor to Shenmue, it shares closer ties to typical role playing games like Final Fantasy than it does with anything in relation to Grand Theft Auto. There is actually plenty more I can expand on, but I think it’s better if I start the actual review, so without further ado, read on for SEGAbit’s Yakuza 3 review.

Retro Review: Shining Force III Trilogy

Shining Force III is a game that had many Saturn owners wishing that they could speak fluent Japanese. Considered to be one of, if not the best game on Sega Saturn, only one third of the full story ever saw an English translation. While most fans will already know this, the Shining Force III that most westerners are familiar with is only a fraction of an intricate trilogy of games, a true epic in every sense of the word. Three different scenarios, three different stories, all intertwining and combining to form an intricate, sprawling story and game. Recently however, thanks to the hard work of some very dedicated and skilled fans, almost every part of every game has been translated finally allowing the game’s English speaking fan base to enjoy the game as it was intended. So, how does it hold up over a decade later?

Super Monkey Ball: Step & Roll Review

Such a weird concept, who thought about making a game about monkeys in balls that you roll down tracks? I mean its borderline insane, even more insane is that this is now a franchise. Hit the jump and read our review for the latest entry in the Super Monkey Ball franchise.

Game Informer reviews Aliens vs Predator

[Scan available here]

One of the first reviews for Aliens vs Predator has now been leaked online and comes from Game Informer. They seemed to only enjoy the Predator campaign, but ended up complaining about it having linear game design. I guess this is now a negative thing? Most stealth games feature linear game design. I also thought Call of Duty games were linear, but that didn’t stop it from getting awards.

“Curiously, Rebellion’s 1999 PC release, Aliens vs. Predator was well received, but the update captures none of that game’s unique spark. Instead we have a title trying to live off the fumes of two dormant franchises.”

I have to say, I think the review is a bit rough and doesn’t go into great detail about the games multiplayer aspects. I assume it was a rush review and was just put up as soon as possible. I quite enjoyed the demo, for what it was. If you have not played that, I suggest you give it a spin.