SEGA Master System Fist of the North Star gets English translation patch

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If you are one of the many people excited for the upcoming PlayStation 4 Fist of the North Star (Hokuto Ga Gotoku), you might have something to play while you wait. If you didn’t know SEGA has created and published several Fist of the North games in the past, their first title was Hokuto No Ken (Fist of the North Star in Japanese), which released on the SEGA Master System (Mark III in Japan) in 1986. The game did make it outside of Japan as Black Belt, dropping all licenses to the manga. SEGA would later release a sequel to the game, which we got as Last Battle.

Fist of the North Star (SMS) Translation

As far as the Fist of the North Star Master System game, the title was actually one of the early games programmed by famed Sonic the Hedgehog co-creator Yuji Naka. Looking at all the past SEGA published Fist of the North Star video games makes me want SEGA to port the 2005 arcade/PlayStation 2 game by Arc System Works. Please SEGA? While its cool to have a English patch, I don’t think you really need it to play the game.

The SEGA Master System version of the game will also be playable in the upcoming PlayStation 4 game, as an unlockable. No idea if the new one will make it over stateside. I guess we can only hope.

Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap translated to Russian by fans

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SEGA Master System and Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap fan TEPA6ANT has released a fully playable version of Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap in Russian. Or would we call it Чудо-мальчик III? I don’t know Russian, so you’ll have to excuse me. But if you have been waiting since 1989 to play Wonder Boy III in Russian, now is your chance. According to the translation notes, the game is fully translated but some words had to be abbreviated, possibly due to restricted spacing and Russian having more characters per word.

You can get Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap in Russian right here. If you are interested in the new HD remake, the game has gotten a USA physical release on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch for a decent price. Pick those up if you want to keep retro franchises like Wonder Boy III relevant! Of course the HD remake is also available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC digitally.

[Via RomHacking]

Strider games on SEGA retro systems now available to play in Spanish

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Are you a fan of the Strider games on the SEGA Genesis, SEGA Master System and the SEGA Game Gear? Did you ever want to play those games in Spanish? Well, Romhacking.net user Wave has got a few releases that will be right up your alley!

He has released the following Spanish translation patches for the following Strider games:

You can see some screenshots of the modified Spanish translations at the bottom. While this isn’t a huge news story, I always love how the fan community will go back and edit roms just so more people can enjoy these old games. What are your thoughts on Strider being bilingual now?

Retro City Rampage DX physical edition for Switch to feature Master System style reversible cover

Calm down, we haven’t become a Nintendo new site! (Though I hear that’s where the money is these days…) Vblank Entertainment has announced that the retro gaming-inspired action-adventure game Retro City Rampage DX will be receiving a physical Nintendo Switch release in both collector’s edition and retail edition options. Of interest to SEGA fans is the fact that the reverse of the cover art is inspired by SEGA Master System box art, complete with the grid and simplified drawings of characters and enemies. You can learn more about the release in the trailer above and at the Vblank Entertainment website. The physical edition releases October 9th!

2017 appears to be the year of Master System covers, as Limited Run Games released Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap with a reversible Master System cover as well.

SEGA Forever Officially Revealed and Detailed

SEGA Forever has officially been revealed, the service has been a mystery to fans since it was leaked a while back as it was being tested. We even did a SEGA News Bits on SEGA Forever (expect a follow up one now that the product has been fully detailed) on what the service could be. But what is it? According to the press release, which you can read in full after the break, SEGA Forever is a mobile name for classic SEGA re-releases on both Android and iPhone. Prior to this, a rumor came around that it was supposed to be ‘a subscription service’, but this press release says you get the option to play either free, ad supported version of the game or unlock it forever (SEGA Forever) for $1.99.

They promise to cover the following SEGA consoles:

  • SG-1000
  • Master System
  • Genesis/Mega Drive
  • Game Gear
  • SEGA Saturn
  • Dreamcast

The service will launch on June 22nd with the following five games, new releases every couple of weeks:

  • Sonic the Hedgehog
  • Altered Beast
  • Phantasy Star II
  • Comix Zone
  • Kid Chameleon

The press release also goes into the fact that the games will support leaderboards, cloud saves, offline play, controller support, community news feed, and a ton of languages for menus. So the real question is, what is you opinion on SEGA Forever? Is this what you expected, another re-branding service for retro SEGA re-releases?

SEGA Talk Podcast #08: Phantasy Star (1987)

Have your interplanetary passports at the ready as we venture to the Algol Solar System to discuss all things Phantasy Star on the SEGA Talk Podcast. Hosts George and Barry have a sit down discussion talking our history with the original game in the long running Phantasy Star franchise, the innovative gameplay, the music (both PSG and FM versions) and the impact the game made on the industry. Barry also dusts off some classic magazines to see what people were saying about the game at the time. So grab a burger and cola and enjoy the show!

In the comments below, share your memories of the original Phantasy Star!

[iTunesStitcherYouTube – Play Music – RSSDownload]

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 them directly to our email. Make sure you use subject line ‘SEGA Talk’ and as always, thanks for listening!

Hyperkin teasing RetroN 5 SEGA Master System & Game Gear converter

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Via RetroCollect and posted on the Hyperkin Facebook page comes news that the company plans to release a 3-in-1 adaptor for the RetroN 5 which will allow gamers to enjoy SEGA Master System cartridges, cards and Game Gear cartridges. The reveal was made at CES in Las Vegas, and the adaptor is a standalone cartridge that will work on the RetroN 5 multi-system emulator which was released back in 2014. No additional information is known, but once we hear something we’ll be sure to post an update. No word if this will also work on a SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive.

 

Indie games coming to classic SEGA consoles in 2017

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Happy 2017 from SEGAbits! As everybody is coming back from the holiday season, we are beginning to look ahead to what we have in store for 2017. Our latest SEGA News Bits video ran through the official SEGA games releasing this year, and now we thought it would be helpful to share what games we can expect to see hitting classic SEGA consoles in 2017 from the indie game community. Thanks to SEGAbits Forums member Berto, we have a helpful topic which compiles all the upcoming SEGA indie games for 2017.

In addition to this list, Berto has also compiled a handy list which links to the respective crowdfunding campaigns, pre-orders and ROM/ISO download links. So what indie SEGA games are coming in 2017?

SEGA 2017 calendar celebrates their retro console releases

tumblr_ohc0435I8N1qzp9weo2_1280SEGA Japan has released a new SEGA 2017 calendar being themed after their multiple consoles they have released in the past. While the SEGA 2017 calendar is exclusive to Japan, they do show that May will feature the SEGA Master System (released in Japan as the Mark III), which was the brand new for western markets. The SEGA 2017 calendar is available to buy via Amazon.jp, for those of you interested in purchasing your own.

What is your opinion on the way SEGA of Japan has been releasing a lot of merchandise relating to their past consoles? Is this something you would like SEGA West to do as well? Let us know in the comments below. tumblr_ohc0435I8N1qzp9weo1_500

[via: TinyCartridge]

SEGA News Bits: Wonder Boy Returns Announced Reaction

Welcome to another SEGA News Bits, this time we will be talking about the newly announced Wonder Boy Returns, which is set to be a remake of the first game. If you guys didn’t catch the news, Wonder Boy Returns was announced with a gameplay trailer and the internet wasn’t too happy with what they saw. On this episode George and Barry react and give their thoughts on what they think of Wonder Boy Returns and the sudden influx of Wonder Boy related games.

Like always if you like our SEGA News Bits segments, please give us a like and a subscribe on our YouTube page. Thanks!

Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap remake revealed

2016 continues to be the year of retro revivals, as a remake of the SEGA Master System classic Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap has just been announced. Published by DotEmu and developed by Lizardcube and based on Westone Bit Entertainment’s original game, the Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap remake is said to be made with the blessing of LAT and the cooperation of series creator Ryuichi Nishizawa. The game seemingly has no connecting with Wonder Boy and the Cursed Kingdom, despite also being made in cooperation with Ryuichi Nishizawa.

Interestingly, no mention of SEGA is made anywhere on the remake’s site, despite SEGA seemingly owning Wonder Boy. However, it is noted on the game’s website that “with the help of Ryuichi Nishizawa (Westone), Shinji Fujiwara (LAT), and a relentless commitment of DotEmu to untangle a bunch of documents covered in pixellated dustwebs, we have licensed the IP to create this new version (a first since 1994).”

The game has an unknown release date, and platforms are listed as consoles and PC. Check out the trailer above, and after the break read the full press release and check out some screenshots and artwork. More news on the remake as we hear it!

SEGA Retrospective: From Wonder Boy to Monster World to Adventure Island and beyond

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Over the years, video game franchises have come in many styles. Platforming, fighting, puzzle, shooting, the list is never ending. But one thing many franchises have in common is that they have to start somewhere, setting up the foundation for future titles to follow up and improve on. However, on occasion, something happens down the line that causes the franchise to become twisted, causing things to become complicated. Copyright issues might make the prospect of new titles impossible so spiritual successors might be necessary (For example Bayonetta being the successor to Devil May Cry), or the franchise suffers from an identity crisis when localized like with Puyo Puyo, or games having inconsistent releases cause confusion like the infamous Final Fantasy I to VI problem.

By far one of the most curious cases is with a franchise called Wonder Boy (Aka Monster World).

Accessorize yourself with new classic SEGA console products from Numskull, and save 10% with our promo

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There has been a serious uptick in quality of SEGA products over the past year, and UK company Numskull is one of the offical SEGA licensees to thank for this. In the past month they have released a variety of cool everyday and formal accessories that pay tribute to classic SEGA hardware. Products include keychains, wallets, and cufflinks that feature SEGA Mega Drive, Genesis and Master System designs. They also have notebooks that are in the shape of the Mega Drive, Game Gear, Saturn and Dreamcast. Numskull were nice enough to send us some samples, which we will detail in a soon to come video.

The quality is top notch, and I especially love how the products are both true to the original hardware and stylish enough not to make you look like a little kid. I mean, only a real sophisticated man wears Mega Drive/Genesis controller cufflinks. I took some time actually using these to see how durable they are day to day, and am happy to report that they stand up well to everyday use.

If you live in the UK, you can check out their line of products at the Numskull online shop. As an added bonus, using the promo code SEGABITS10 at checkout will knock 10% off all non-sale items.

If you live in the US, you can find the Genesis controller cufflinks on Amazon.

Homebrew developers bring Moggy to the SEGA Master System

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It’s not all that often we hear of new games for SEGA’s Master System. While 2015 appears to be the year of the Dreamcast, SEGA’s first Western console effort has received a new game available to play today entitled Moggy Master from homebrew development team The Mojon Twins. The game is a port of Moggy, a ZX Spectrum game from 2005 also by The Mojon Twins. In the game, players control Moggy, a little yellow guy, who is out to save his purple friends.

If you love classic Atari arcade games, this is definitely worth checking out. And why shouldn’t you try it out? The game is free and available to download today! Just use an emulator or flash cart, should you own one. 

[Via RetroCollect]

 

Check out this SEGA Master System/Game Gear modified hybrid console

Who hasn’t wanted to combine two consoles into one in their own Frankenstein type of experiment? I know I have. What about a Master System with SEGA’s handheld the Game Gear? That’s exactly what Sega Retro Gamers member Eric Bishop did, cramming a Game Gear into a Master System and have them both working. He posted the following video showing off his project, which he is still working on.

Below are a few photographs of his creation, what do you guys think?