SEGA AGES

SEGA Talk #84: Space Harrier Sequels (1988-2000)

by

Get ready! We return to the Fantasy Zone one last time to talk about Space Harrier‘s sequels. The Mega Drive exclusive Space Harrier II, the Master System 3D glasses game Space Harrier 3-D and Nagoshi’s arcade exclusive Planet Harriers all get discussed PLUS we cover the SEGA AGES release of Space Harrier. That’s a lot of Harriers, but to be fair it is Thanksgiving week and it’s all about being stuffed.

Support us on Patreon! Get early access, tell us what games to cover, and have your SEGA memories read at the end and more!

[iTunes – Stitcher – YouTube – RSS – Download]

If you want to give us feedback, suggest a topic for the next podcast or want to ask a question for us to answer on the next episode you can add  them as a comment below or send theme directly to our email. Make sure you use subject line ‘SEGA Talk’ and as always, thanks for listening!

No Comments

Real-Time Strategy Classic “Herzog Zwei” Joins the SEGA AGES Lineup on Nintendo Switch

by

The SEGA AGES lineup has expanded on Nintendo Switch with the release of the real-time strategy classic Herzog Zwei. Released in 1989 to the Japanese Mega Drive, the game saw a release in the west the following year. Per SEGA, “In Herzog Zwei, each of the eight featured maps will require strategy and planning to beat your opponent as you issue commands and take over Outposts to best your foe. You will protect your base and accumulate units to expand and achieve ultimate victory. Command a special mech unit to leverage and order around combat units, and most importantly, make sure to keep a keen eye on resources like “Energy” so you can be combat-ready at all times!”

Continue Reading ➜

No Comments

How To Make Sega Ages Releases More Appealing

by

[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.

Continue Reading ➜

7 Comments

SEGA AGES Thunder Force AC releasing internationally on May 28th

by

Get ready shmup fanatics, as the classic Thunder Force is back again with the arcade version of Thunder Force III, Thunder Force AC, with this SEGA AGES release. SEGA AGES Thunder Force AC will be available on the Nintendo Switch eShop, for $7.99 and equivalent, in all regions.

In Thunder Force AC, you take on the role of piloting the FIRE LEO-03 “Styx” through 5 different planets and eventually the ORN headquarters, blasting anything that gets in your way with an assortment of weapons that have different properties. While similar to Thunder Force III, there are several differences to still make this a worthwhile playthrough, including audio improvement due to the SEGA System C2 hardware, and rearrangements of enemy and weapon layouts. SEGA AGES Thunder Force AC will also come with several additions, such as the ability to play as four different ships, including the ship Fire LEO-04 “Rynex” from Thunder Force IV, and a Kids Mode for novices who want to play the game without getting a weapon deduction punish from dying.

[Source: Official Website / Twitter]

1 Comment

SEGA AGES Thunder Force AC releasing on May 14th in Japan

by

We have a release date for SEGA AGES Thunder Force AC. You can  travel across different planets and fight against the ORN Empire this upcoming May 14th, from the Japanese Nintendo Switch eShop for ¥999.

SEGA AGES Thunder Force AC is an arcade remix of the game Thunder Force III. While the general structuring is similar to the original game, there are several differences for this new arcade iteration to mix things up for veteran players, such as enemy and weapon placements being tweaked, some levels being overhauled, and the lack of a stage select. This SEGA AGES iteration also includes extra features, including the ability to play as four different ships with their own properties, and a Kids Mode meant for less experienced players where the player doesn’t lose their weapons upon death.

[Source: Official Website]

No Comments

M2’s Shoot ‘Em Up Game Ikusaba is launching this fall in Japanese arcades

by

During the live stream of the Famitsu Dengeki Awards in Japan, developer M2 (SEGA Ages, 3D Classics Collection) announced that their previously announced shoot ’em up game ‘Ikusaba’ will be heading to arcades this fall. During the event M2 director Naoki Horii showed off the game’s first two stages, suggesting those stages are nearly done.

M2 also discussed some of the system, including that the game will have four different ships, with different pilots. Instead of dying and losing a life, in this game you will die and move on to the next character until you run out. As we covered this game last time, Ikusaba is a temporary title. The game was also set to get a demo at a Japanese event this month but due to the virus pandemic all events have been withheld but the game is still set for release this fall. This game is suppose to be added via SEGA’s ALL.Net P-ras MULTI Version 3 (APM3) arcades.

4 Comments

SEGA AGES G-LOC Air Battle releasing on April 30th in western territories

by


SEGA AGES G-LOC Air Battle has a release date for western territories. For those in North America and European regions, you’ll be able to take to the skies on April 30th, available on the Nintendo Switch eShop for $7.99 and equivalent.

In this spin-off of the popular arcade game After Burner, you once again pilot a fighter jet called the A8M5 Thunderfox “Zeek”, soaring through the landscape blasting down anything in your path with bullets and missiles. The key difference is the emphasis on switching between a first-person and third-person perspective, influencing how you control and aim with the jet. The SEGA AGES release will also include new features, such as a AGES Mode which adds more enemies, more missiles, and an improved lock on system, and a special border that mimics the swaying of the original arcade cabinet.

[Source: Official Website / Twitter]

No Comments

SEGA AGES G-LOC Air Battle releasing on March 26th in Japan

by


Take to skies with the newest release in the SEGA AGES series, G-LOC Air Battle, which is confirmed to be released on March 26th in Japan for ¥999. Commonly cited as a spin-off to SEGA’s After Burner, you once again take on the role of a fighter jet soaring through the skies blasting anything in your way with either a standard shot or homing missiles. The main difference is the emphasis on switching between third-person and first-person, as each perspective allows for better mobility or better precision respectively.

SEGA AGES G-LOC Air Battle will have a special border designed to emulate the R360 arcade cabinet’s dynamic movements, with the screen shifting based on your actions within the game. In addition, a new SEGA AGES mode will be included, with new missions, a larger search range, and faster lock-on cursor, making it ideal for novice players. Like past SEGA AGES releases, there will also be online rankings.

[Source: Official Website]

1 Comment

SEGA AGES G-LOC: Air Battle Announced for Nintendo Switch

by

Today out of nowhere, SEGA Japan announced it was adding G-Loc: Air Battle for Nintendo Switch’s SEGA AGES line-up. G-Loc: Air Battle is the 1990 combat flight simulator arcade game developed by SEGA-AM2 and was meant to be a spin-off of the popular After Burner series.

The game was designed by Yu Suzuki and had music by the legendary Hiro (Hiroshi Kawaguchi) and Yasuhiro Takagi. It should be a interesting port, I do know that the Mega Drive port wasn’t well received but personally I have only played the arcade version. What do you think of SEGA adding a oddity like G-Loc: Air Battle to their SEGA AGES line-up?

7 Comments

The History of Sega Japan R&D Part 5: The Road to 2020 is Complete

by

It was 2015 when I posted the four part retrospective of Sega of Japan’s game development. 2015 was the year where they announced a new initiative and went as far as to make their previous corporate divisions their own separate companies. Such as Sega Games, Sega Interactive for arcades and so on (which they are already undoing again in April). Sega Game’s new president, Haruki Satomi, promised that he would right the wrongs of the past, gain back the trust of consumers and also shareholders with their “Road to 2020” initiative. Of course this encompasses the evolution of their Japanese in-house studios, which are arguably the core of Sega.

Continue Reading ➜

3 Comments

As a shock to no one, there are no plans for SEGA AGES Sonic 3 & Knuckles

by


Going to be honest, I picked this story up because our favorite Sonic the Hedgehog movie hater Tristan Oliver (no relations to John Oliver) picked this up from a Game Watch interview with SEGA Ages head honcho Yosuke Okunari and Naoki Horii where they talk about the upcoming SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog 2 release.

While its awesome we are getting SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog 2, everyone wanted to know if there would be plans to give the same treatment to Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles. Especially since SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will have Knuckles playable. Sadly, according to M2, there are no plans. According to the team, the second wave will be decided by SEGA but as hardcore Sonic the Hedgehog fans know; SEGA has stopped Sonic 3 & Knuckles releases because of copyright issues with Michael Jackson’s estate.

The twitter account @gosokkyu did a translation on how they got Knuckles in SEGA AGES and goes into detail on how the game was coded and how ‘lock-on’ technology worked and even how M2 didn’t know about Sonic Mania Plus content until it was announced.

10 Comments

SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Puyo Puyo 2 coming to western territories on February 20th

by

The month of February seems to be sequel month, as two hit SEGA follow ups are coming soon to the SEGA AGES series, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Puyo Puyo 2! Both releases are planned for a February 20th release date on the Nintendo Switch eShop for a price of $7.99 (and equivalent), in both North American and European territories.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is the sequel to the original Sonic the Hedgehog released a year later. Like its predecessor, you take on the role of the titular Sonic as you run through different zones avoiding hazards and beating Badniks. However this time Sonic is joined by his best friend Miles Tails Prower, and has a new move called the Spin Dash that allows him to rev up and dash forward in a ball. This SEGA AGES version comes with the original game, but it also includes new features like the optional Drop Dash, ring counter like SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog, and most notably Knuckles the Echidna being playable like he was when you connected a copy of Sonic 2 to Sonic & Knuckles.

Puyo Puyo 2 (aka Puyo Puyo Tsu) you once again take on the role of young mage Arle Nadja, as you are tasked with climbing up Satan’s tower by beating opponents and earning enough points to move up to the next floor. Like it’s predecessor, the main objective is to beat the opponent by dumping garbage called Nuisance Puyos onto their field, but Puyo Puyo 2 also polishes up the gameplay with new features such as offsetting, double rotation, and All Clear. With this SEGA AGES release, you also get a new mode called Endurance Mode where you must fight against every opponent in the tower, along with quality of life modifications such as the option to change the appearance of the Puyos and the ability to read up the descriptions of every character. Like its predecessor SEGA AGES Puyo Puyo, you also have the option to set up matches with people around the globe via internet.

[Source: SEGA AGES website]

3 Comments

Round Table: How SEGA Can Improve in 2020

by

We are in a brand new decade and SEGA has had a huge turn around in the last five years since they announced their last big rebuild and bought Atlus. It seems that SEGA’s Road to 2020 was a success in a lot of aspects. But like every company, there are always weak points that haven’t quite been ironed out.

On this Round Table we will discuss how SEGA can improve in 2020, if you have any ways that you think SEGA can improve in this new year, let us know in the comments below.

Continue Reading ➜

11 Comments

SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for Switch to feature Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog 2

by

In the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu revealed that SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for Nintendo Switch will include “Knuckles the Echidna in Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” which is a unique mode that was originally playable in the original Sega Genesis release by inserting a Sonic & Knuckles cartridge on top of the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 cartridge using the platform’s “Lock-On Technology.”

As previously mentioned, SEGA AGES Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will also include additional actions, “Super Sonic Mode,” online rankings, and other features. A release date for the title has yet to be announced. We’ll keep everyone posted as more news surface!

[Source: Gematsu & Ryokutya2089]

6 Comments

SEGA AGES Puyo Puyo Tsu releasing on January 16th in Japan

by

SEGA AGES Puyo Puyo Tsu has finally got a definitive release date. This popular arcade game from Japan can be yours on January 16th, for a price of ¥999 on the Japanese Nintendo Switch eShop.

This SEGA AGES release of Puyo Puyo Tsu comes with the original arcade game, in addition to a new Kachinuki Mode, where players have to fight every opponent in the tower starting from the bottom and working your way up. Players will also be able to read up on the descriptions of every character, and have the option to change the colors of each individual Puyo color with six choices. Like with past SEGA AGES releases, there will also be online compatibility, with leaderboards and online match making.

[Source: Official SEGA AGES page]

No Comments