Phantasy Star II coming to the iPhone!

One month ago SEGA brought iPhone and iPod Touch owners Shining Force. This Thursday the SEGA RPG love continues with the release of Phantasy Star II! For just $2.99 the classic game will be fully playable, running on the same emulator as previous games. However, unlike games that require precise controls and fail on SEGA’s Genesis emulator (I’m looking at you, Sonic 2), Phantasy Star II is promised to be a smooth experience as the game itself does not require fast timing or a fast frame rate.

Here’s hoping that we get more SEGA RPGs in the coming months!

[Source: TouchArcade and The Nomad Junkyard]

Shining Force shines on the iPod!

Didn’t SEGA say they were reassessing their iPod presence? Because it seems to me that they’re doing the same thing they were doing before: the occasional great 3D title and a number of emulated Genesis budget titles. Despite that, I’m glad SEGA has finally released a Genesis game worth buying an iPhone version of: Shining Force!

Offered up on the same emulation software as past Genny titles, Shining Force actually plays very well. As the game doesn’t require precise controls for split-second jumps (a la Sonic), players will barely notice the hiccups that may occur on older i devices. I might even buy the thing for my first generation iPod Touch.

The game is now available in the App store for $2.99

[source: TouchArcade and The Nomad Junkyard]

Ecco and Space Harrier II hit the iPhone

Remember ages ago when that Genesis emulator was announced for the iPhone and then SEGA canceled it? SEGA seems to have salvaged what they could from the canned project and have released Ecco the Dolphin ($2.99) and Space Harrier II (99¢) as single releases for the iPhone. The games are reported to run much more smoothly on the latest iPhone 4 than past Genesis releases, but any users on earlier platforms may encounter slowdown and crashes.

RetroN 3: Play your SEGA and Nintendo in harmony


So you want to play your SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis, but your brother has the Super Nintendo hooked up? Fear no more, now you can play SNES and Genesis off the same console, they even threw in NES as well. That is 3 consoles, all in one. This isn’t the first time a company have done this, but this one looks fairly good.

The console has 2 controller ports for each platform, so you don’t have to use a Genesis pad to play NES games. Unless you really want to. So yes, this will work with your original controllers from the official console. The console already comes packed with ‘wireless’ controllers. If you like that stuff. You get to choose either red or black for the console. Cost? $69.99.

[Product Page]

Super Mario Bros. now on SEGA Genesis


If for some odd reason, you have to play Super Mario Bros. on your SEGA Genesis. Now you can! Thanks to a kind soul that ported the game over to the 16-bit blast processor.

I’m pretty sure this would have been a bigger deal if it was the days of the ’16-bit war’, but Genesis does what Nintendon’t and now does what they do as well. Take that! The game is titled SMB4MD, standing for Super Mario Bros. for Mega Drive. Makes sense. Also can’t work with Genesis hardware yet, only emulator.

I remember the stories about Yuji Naka making a working NES emulator for the Mega Drive back in the day, seems like everyone else is just catching up.

[Source: Kotaku]

The Firecore Genesis Reviewed

Before the insanity that is E3 begins, I thought I’d give a hardware review of the Firecore Classic Console. Manufactured by Innex under license by SEGA, the Firecore is essentially a mini SEGA Genesis. Fittingly, it was around this time last year that the Firecore as well as its mobile brother the Retrogen were previewed at E3. You can check out the video preview if you’d like, but I warn you: a cringe inducing interview awaits.

click here to read the review

First ever screens of Sonic the Hedgehog


June 7th, 1990, SEGA showed off Sonic the Hedgehog to the public at the Tokyo Game Show.  When they showed it, the game was 2 months into development. So what they showed was very early.

Above is one of the first screens ever shown to the public and you can tell much has changed. First of all the background, from its odd city and mountains was changed in the final product. Though, regardless of stuff being changed, the art style and vision seemed to be there from day one.  The other screen that 1up had was the early title screen, which looks a lot like the original only without the Green Hill Zone backdrop.

[Source: 1up]

Virtua Fighter 5R getting classic SEGA console items


Even though SEGA is preparing for the upcoming Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown, does not mean it will stop adding stuff to Virtua Fighter 5R. SEGA updated VF5R this month, with classic SEGA consoles.

The image above shows the prices of the consoles, which can be used on your characters back. The prices for the in game items are the same price as the real consoles when they launched in Japan. Of course, you buy the consoles with in-game currency.  Make Akira look like Segata, with a Saturn on his back? Brilliant!

[Source: Versus City]

SEGA 16-bit console war dog tags


SEGA used “Pirate TV” as a advertising campaign for the SEGA Mega Drive (US: Genesis) in Britain. The dog tag above was given to a UKR reader by SEGA during a event to try out the Mega CD  and Sonic 2.

This is where I talk about how in my day, console wars where fought on the playground, not behind a computers.  You get the idea.

Goozex adds SEGA Genesis and SEGA CD trading


Anyone here can tell you that I love Goozex. It basically lets you trade in games you never play, for points that you use on Goozex to get other games. So you never really trade a game for a game. It has a 100% guarantee and no one rips you on shipping (like ebay).

“Since we launched our site in 2006, a frequently asked question has been about adding classic game system titles to our service. We’re happy to say that we are going to meet that demand. Our focus has been to become the best in online game trading and adding retro titles to our service helps maintain that vision. Like many of our members, we’re excited about trading classic games from the titles that started it all!” –Jonathan Dugan, COO and co-founder of Goozex

The site already had SEGA Dreamcast trading, so adding SEGA Genesis and SEGA CD is makes me very happy. All we need is SEGA Saturn. Since its my post, I can put a referral link to sign up.

SEGA Genesis games coming to Xbox’s Game Room?


Microsoft has launched their Game Room, with mixed views; but after trying it myself it is rather good (could use better selection of games). Seems that the developers have sprinkled some clues of what will  coming, one of the teasers is Mega Drive/Genesis titles?

I mean, there is only one console that has a controller like SEGA’s Mega Drive/Genesis, it had a very unique look. Also, its not like SEGA does not like releasing Genesis/Mega Drive games over and over again. I can see this happening, now give us Toe Jam & Earl!

[Thanks for the picture SEGA Uranus]