SEGA Dreamcast

Indie shmup NEO XYX releases today for the SEGA Dreamcast

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It has been a busy time for indie SEGA Dreamcast games. Last month we saw the release of Redux: Dark Matters, next month is expected to see the release of Pier Solar, and today we see the release of NG:DEV.TEAM’s NEO XYX. Described as a maniac shooter, the game features 6 stages with 6 endbosses and 5 midbosses, all rendered in 16-bit hand-drawn graphics. The game supports the VMU, VGA out, and the Dreamcast arcade stick. The game also features both vertical (TATE) and horizontal (YOKO) controls, and depending on your screen orientation, the HUD changes to suit the screen mode.

You can purchase the game at the official NG:Dev.Team store, or you can find it for a bit less at Play-Asia in a Standard Edition release, a Limited Edition release which includes the game’s soundtrack, and a Collector’s Edition release.

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Retro Review: Sakura Taisen 2

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After the first Sakura Taisen game was met with commercial and critical success in 1996, a sequel was inevitable. The SEGA Saturn, though successful in Japan, was hemorrhaging money abroad, making a sequel to one of the company’s few late 90s success stories all the more important. So, SEGA collaborated with RED again to produce a sequel.

Sakura Taisen 2: Kimi, Shinitamou Koto Nakare, which roughly translates to “Beloved, You Must Not Die” was released for the SEGA Saturn on April 4th, 1998 as a three disc set. Introducing two new characters and improved game play, it remains the most successful game in the series. It sold over half a million copies, making it the second best-selling dating sim of all time. It was re-released for the SEGA Dreamcast two years later with brand new features that showed what the system was capable of.

Here is our retro review of Sakura Taisen 2 for the Saturn and Dreamcast.

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Xbox’s Fable was originally to release on SEGA Dreamcast

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Examiner.com shared an interesting bit of news today regarding the early development of Xbox’s Fable. According to Fable Anniversary Lead Designer Tim Timmins, the game was originally intended for the SEGA Dreamcast. In a recent interview with Examiner, Timmins revealed that he learned this during recent discussions with Prima Games, who were handling Fable‘s strategy guide at the time the game originally released. “Did you know that Fable was originally going to be a Dreamcast game, before the Xbox came along?” Timmins told Examiner, “There was also supposed to be a boss fight with a boss that was about 50 feet tall that mirrored your every move.”

These sorts of stories shouldn’t be new to SEGA fans, as several SEGA developed games in the early Xbox era were initially planned to be Dreamcast titles, including ToeJam and Earl 3 and Jet Set Radio Future. Still, it’s interesting to hear that one of Microsoft’s big titles could have appeared on the Dreamcast had the past gone in a different direction.

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Indie Dreamcast game Redux: Dark Matters is now shipping

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It has been a long road, but Hucast’s Redux: Dark Matters for the SEGA Dreamcast has finally begun to ship out for Kickstarter backers at the $65 level. Funded in June of 2012, and originally expected to ship in December of the same year, Redux: Dark Matters saw several delays and some controversy over the game’s exclusivity to Kickstarter backers. But all that may be behind us as Hucast shared the following via their blog:

Redux: Dark Matters is the up and coming space shooting game with fresh scoring elements and an incredible soundtrack composed by Andre Neuman featuring legendary video game composer Chris Huelsbeck (Turrican, R-Type). Featuring Highres visuals with in-space, robot blasting, shooting game action. Developed by René Hellwig from NG:DEV.TEAM (GunLord, Fast Striker, Last Hope and DUX) and programmed by KTX Software Development. The game was now released, and is now shipping.

Those who didn’t back the Kickstarter project can purchase the game at the Hucast shop, or you can purchase the Redux: Dark Matters standard edition and the limited edition at Play-Asia.

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2014: The Year of the SEGA Console – join us as we celebrate SEGA hardware all year long!

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Twenty-five years ago, the SEGA Genesis graced American shores, where it would come to dominate the console market for years and make SEGA a household name. Twenty years ago, the Saturn was released in Japan and went on to become SEGA’s biggest success in their home country, though success that would unfortunately not be repeated abroad. That same year, the SEGA Pico and 32X left some US gamers scratching their heads as they introduced weird concepts of what gaming hardware could be. Finally, fifteen years ago on 9.9.99, SEGA released their swan song, the Dreamcast.

We at SEGAbits love a good anniversary, and 2014 is full of them. Throughout 2014, we intend to honor these core pillars of SEGA’s hardware legacy with 2014: The Year of the SEGA Console. We’ll be devoting entire weeks to certain games, entire months to certain consoles, and we have several special guests planned for the SEGAbits Swingin’ Report Show. We’ll write about the Genesis and how it introduced many of us to SEGA. We’ll look back at SEGA’s quirky art house console, the Saturn, and the many ups and downs the console experienced. We’ll remember the Dreamcast for the good times and unique and innovative experiences it delivered in the twilight years of SEGA’s time as a platform maker. We’ll give the 32x some overdue respect. Finally, we’ll all get SEGA Picos so that we can tell you about games like Tails and the Music Maker and The Great Counting Caper With the 3 Blind Mice!

Hope you’re looking forward to 2014 as much as we are, it’s gonna be a blast!

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ToeJam and Earl 3 Dreamcast Beta Released

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Christmas kept on giving this year for SEGA fans as Assembler user ZakhooiTM has released on the internet the unfinished build of ToeJam and Earl 3 running on Dreamcast hardware. The game was originally found on a dev-kit that was purchased for $1200. ZakhooiTM was initially looking to begin a fundraiser but has instead decided to release the build as-is.

The beta is noticeably different in that it lacks some of the finer details seen in the final Xbox version. It also makes the game mechanics feel much closer to the original ToeJam and Earl game seen on the Mega Drive as there is no jump button and no cutscenes to break up the action or provide hints, likely due to the date while in development drew closer to SEGA’s exit from the hardware business. Be sure to check out their forums for more information as well as a link to download the game.

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SEGA Memories: Fred Durst pimps the Dreamcast

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In an act of sheer epic randomness, one of my buds recently reminded me of one of SEGA’s most unlikely of past sponsors. It was back during the Dreamcast era, as many of their publicity stunts were. SEGA was trying hard to get their online service, SegaNet, to gain traction. To do so, they enlisted the help of none other than a certain popular band… one who had just made it ridiculously big with a song called Nookie.

Yes, I’m talking about Limp Bizkit. Believe it or not, they’re actually still around today, but there was a time when they were at the top of the music industry, and that time coincided with the final months of the Dreamcast.

With their album, Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water, set to release in October of 2000, Limp Bizkit was preparing to embark on a major tour. SEGA, seeing their golden opportunity, chose to serve as one of the tour’s sponsors. It might seem ridiculous now, but at the time this was actually a huge snag for them, as Limp Bizkit and their form of rap metal was on the edge of releasing what would become the fastest-selling rock album on record; an honor that it, amazingly, still holds to this day.

For more, including a quote from SEGA from back then, read on.

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The Dreamcast Junkyard Top 200 results are here – Happy 15th birthday to the SEGA Dreamcast!

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SEGA Network partner site The Dreamcast Junkyard, specifically the hardworking site contributor The Gagaman as well as myself who built the original poll (my fingers still hurt), have been busy the last few months polling SEGA fans to select their favorite Dreamcast games from a list of every single title. The end result would be a top 200 of the best Dreamcast games as selected by the fans! The polling has now ended and the results are live just in time for the Dreamcast’s Japanese release anniversary. Yup, that’s right, the SEGA Dreamcast is 15 years old today! Celebrate by checking out the Top 200 results and of course play some of your favorite Dreamcast games.

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Charles Bellfield, former SEGA VP of strategic planning and corporate affairs, has passed away

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Sad news this morning as we have learned that Charles Bellfield, SEGA of America’s former VP of strategic planning and corporate affairs from 1998 to 2003, has passed away. Bellfield was best known as the spokesman for Sega of America during the launch of the Dreamcast. The news of his passing came from his brother Edward through Facebook, saying that Bellfield had passed away in San Francisco on Friday night. Bellfield held other positions in the gaming industry including executive roles at Edelman, Capcom, Codemasters, 3DV Systems, EmotionPlay, and Imagination Technologies’ Pure North America division.

Peter Moore, Bellfield’s SEGA boss during the Dreamcast era, described him as “good time Charlie. The life of every party, a true bon vivant. The quintessential Englishman abroad. You’ve left us way too soon Charlie, but you’ve also left us with a hundred stories to tell and a thousand smiles on all of our faces. The room was a better, more fun-filled place when you were in it.”

We here at SEGAbits send our condolences to Bellfield’s family and friends. He will be missed.

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SEGA Five: How to be the best Dreamcast collector that you can be

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In celebration of Dreamcast month, the Friday Five is back! In this installment, I thought I’d share some collecting tips for both budding, and seasoned, Dreamcast collectors. Despite the Dreamcast’s short lifespan, the console has a vast library and a number of accessories. In total, there exist around seven hundred and twenty Dreamcast games, both licensed and unlicensed. Accessories range from various controllers, to keyboards, mice, lightguns, twinsticks, arcade sticks, cameras, and more! Suffice to say, collecting for the Dreamcast is a lot of fun.

Let’s kick off the list with one of the most important things a Dreamcast collector needs to remember…

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Help The Dreamcast Junkyard decide the top 200 Dreamcast games!

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SEGAbits partner site The Dreamcast Junkyard has set up a poll which includes every single Dreamcast game from all regions, including indie titles. The mission: to create a definitive top 200 list of the best Dreamcast games. If this sounds familiar, it’s because back in 2009, a top 100 list was created by The Dreamcast Junkyard using data collected from a similar poll. Given attitudes towards certain games have likely changed with time and rereleases, as well as the additions of new indie Dreamcast games to the console’s library, now it a good time as any to revisit and expand the list.

To contribute, simply head on over to the polling site and select every game that you would deem to be a worthy addition to a top 200 list. You can select as many as you’d like, and it is encouraged that you select a sizable amount. This is not a popularity contest for one specific title. It is a comparison of many (at the time of this writing, 100+) Dreamcast fan’s lists. Games that appear one more lists are the ones that are more likely to make it near the top. The poll runs until November 18th and the results will be revealed on November 27th, which is the Dreamcast’s 15 anniversary in Japan.

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The Dreamcast Junkyard fills us in on the Dreamcast games of 2013

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SEGA Network partner The Dreamcast Junkyard has released a new video, courtesy of DCJY contributor The Gagaman, which both revives the YouTube channel with a brand new look as well as gives us a handy rundown of the Dreamcast games slated for 2013. Check out the video above and make sure to stay tuned to The Dreamcast Junkyard this year. All hail the undead console and all hail The Dreamcast Junkyard!

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My Life with SEGA returns from Yokosuka with a very special Shenmue review

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Shenmue. Yu Suzuki’s masterpiece has become something of legend. It completely redifined a genre and showed gamers around the world that Dreamcast was more than just a pretty face….

More than a decade later, the game retains a rabid cult following and fans cry out for a continuation to this incredible series. But is Shenmue truly worthy of all this praise? Should this title be revered? Watch and learn, my dear viewers.

The SEGAbits 3rd anniversary contest ENDS TODAY – win prizes like a SEGA Genesis, Genesis games and brand new My Life With SEGA DVD’s! All the details can be found here.

Like this video? Subscribe to the SEGAbits YouTube channel!

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