SEGA Forever loses its head and adds Decap Attack to the mobile lineup

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The latest SEGA Forever title has been revealed, releasing later today, and it is none other than the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive classic Decap Attack. A westernized version of the Japanese Mega Drive game Magical Hat no Buttobi Tabo! Daibōken, Decap Attack is arguably the better game if only because it stars a decapitated mummy named Chuck D. Head. As with previous SAEGA Forever titles, they are available on smart devices and are free-to-play. Expect Decap Attack to roll out later today!

Return to the Fantasy Zone as “Space Harrier II” joins the SEGA Forever lineup

The SEGA Forever lineup of classic console games on mobile devices has slowly been expanding since the service was announced two months ago. So far, we’ve mainly seen SEGA Genesis games and pre-existing mobile games based on Dreamcast titles, and while the latest addition doesn’t break this trend it is a cool game. 1988’s Space Harrier II was a launch title for the SEGA Mega Drive in Japan, and was special as it was a console-exclusive sequel to an arcade classic. While fans debate whether Space Harrier II was a worthy sequel, most fans of the franchise can agree that the sequel does not see a lot of love when it comes to rereleases. So with that in mind, it’s great to see it joining the SEGA Forever lineup.

Since launching the service, SEGA has been updating the emulator and added some additional visual options for graphics and controls. As an iPhone 7 owner, I’ve seen an increase in quality, but I can’t speak for all devices and operating systems. Check it out for yourself, as it’s free-to-play.

Cave Story gets an almost complete SEGA Genesis port

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We posted last year about a fan working on a port of Cave Story for the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive, which he is calling ‘Cave Story MD‘. While the developer released a proof of concept demo, which we discussed on the SEGA News Bits last year, it is now mostly fully ported over. While Cave Story might be almost fully playable on the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive, it doesn’t mean its perfect. On Cave Story MD‘s GitHub page it says to expect ‘alpha quality’ on this release and that the farthest you can reach in this game is ‘Last Boss room’, which has the hardware hang upon entry.

You can download the Cave Story MD rom over on the game’s GitHub page. The game should be playable on any major emulator or even on official SEGA hardware if you have a EverDrive. Let us know what you think of the work being done on Cave Story MD, tell us in the comments below.

 

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 News Bits: SEGA Mega Drive Getting Limited Edition Relaunch in Brazil Next Year

TecToy has announced a limited edition Mega Drive for Brazil that will come pre-loaded with 22 SEGA games. On this episode of SEGA News Bits, George and Barry talk about TecToy’s answer to the NES mini, the console’s features and run through the list of games. Is the console and its games worth R$ 399,00 ($125 USD)? Give the video a watch and sound off in the comments below!

Pre-order the console for yourself here.

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TecToy relaunching limited edition Mega Drive in Brazil next year

originalWhile I wrote about what SEGA could learn about the NES Mini, I made reference to a lot of TecToy releases of the Mega Drive. TecToy has re-released the Mega Drive over in Brazil many times, but this time they are taking a note from the NES Mini and keeping the original form factor. Above is the photo of their limited edition Mega Drive.

The limited edition Mega Drive will  come with 22 pre-installed games, support original cartridges, come with one controller and a micro SD slot. Sadly the limited edition Mega Drive only supports composite output. That means no HDMI port. The 22 pre-installed games are a mix bag, while you have your Golden Axe and Shinobi titles, it seems lots of big names are missing. Hit the jump to see all 22 pre-installed games. This console is being aimed at a different audience than us, so maybe these titles are more popular in that region.

The console is up for pre-order now on TecToy’s website, they are charging R$ 399,00 ($125 USD). Which is more than double the price of the NES Mini, is having a working cartridge slot worth the extra cash?

[via: tectoy]

Cave Story being ported to SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive

If you haven’t played the 2004 indie game ‘Cave Story‘ then you are really missing out on a classic PC game. But don’t worry a retro developer is ‘demaking’ the classic for release on the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive. The game will scale down the graphics to run on the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive 16-bit hardware (I think it still looks pretty damn close though) and will have the full soundtrack (remade for Yamaha YM262 sound).

Not only that, the developer has already released a playable demo of his Cave Story demake. You can download it here. The Cave Story demo is limited to the first few areas of the game. You can also see gameplay of Cave Story running on SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive hardware above.

Download Demo Here

[Source: Retro Collect]

SEGA News Bits: Sonic the Hedgehog turns 25 years old

Sonic the Hedgehog’s 25th anniversary officially kicked off on June 23rd, which was of course the release date of the eponymous game that started it all. In this SEGA News Bits, George and Barry look back on 25 years of Sonic by spin dashing through all the main series Sonic Team developed console games. There are quite a few to get through, so consider this more of a SEGA News Smörgåsbord. Why are you still reading this? Click play and enjoy!

What are your favorite Sonic games? Let us know the comments below and like always thanks for watching! If you like our SEGA News Bits videos, make sure to subscribe to us on our YouTube channel.

SEGA Europe announces free Mega Drive Classics Hub for Steam, releasing April 28

The latest episode of SEGA Central, SEGA Europe’s video series covering SEGA happenings in Europe, have just revealed SEGA Mega Drive Classics Hub, a free Steam digital hub which allows for an updated way to view and access SEGA Mega Drive games available for the service. The hub is a digital recreation of a 90s kid’s bedroom, complete with an old TV, Mega Drive console, shelf of games and various SEGA collectibles. It also appears this European kid clearly was not a Fleetway fan and decided to import the Archie series instead. The hub also features various settings for both Mega Drive games and and the room itself. The hub is free and releases April 28th to Steam. No word on if the hub is a European exclusive or not, or if it will be retitled to Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Classics Hub if it ends up releasing to the Americas.

Also worth noting, SEGA Europe now has their own news page at www.sega.co.uk/news. Meanwhile, US news will continue to be posted at the SEGA Blog which will remain more US-centric. The division makes sense, given SEGA of America and SEGA Europe don’t always release the same products or have the same promotions.

After the break, check out the trailer for SEGA Mega Drive Classics Hub.

SEGA News Bits: Shining series turns 25 years old

25 years ago today, on March 29th 1991, Shining in the Darkness released to the Japanese Mega Drive. While the original game did not light the world on fire, the later Shining Force games would become some of the best strategy RPGs ever produced. The series is still going strong, at least in Japan, with Blade Arcus from Shining EX releasing just last year.

Whatever you may think about the recent installments, most fans agree that the Shining Force games were legendary and the original Shining in the Darkness is to thank for starting the franchise. Join us on this SEGA News Bits as we share our Shining memories and talk about the possible future of the series, and don’t forget to brush up on all the SEGA anniversaries hitting this year!

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SEGA News Bits: Fantasy Zone turns 30 years old

2016 is filled with milestone SEGA anniversaries, and one of the most anticipated by us – for obvious reasons – was Fantasy Zone! Join us on this SEGA News Bits as we discuss our thoughts on the franchise’s past, present and future.

Released to arcades on March 28, 1986, the Fantasy Zone franchise has released a surprising amount of games in its 30 year history. Despite the many titles, the story often remains the same: the sentient spaceship Opa Opa traverses the Fantasy Zone, sometimes joined by his brother Upa Upa, battling bizarre bosses and upping his arsenal thanks to a floating Parts Shop. Outside the franchise, Opa Opa has made appearances in both All-Stars Racing games as well as Amusement Visions’ Planet Harriers, a 3D installment in the Space Harrier franchise which also takes place in Opa Opa’s Fantasy Zone.

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Play Fatal Smarties, a new scrolling shooter for the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive

At this year’s Global Game Jam a group of indie developers had a special treat for SEGA retro fans, a new scrolling shooter called ‘Fatal Smarties‘ made its debut for the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive.

The game was developed by four students that represent the University of Southampton. The students tried to think out of the box for this co-op game, having an interesting mechanic where one player shoots and the other navigates the on screen characters.

The game was developed on a deadline during the Global Game Jam and seems very promising. Want to try it out on an emulator or flash cart? Get the rom here.

[Via: RetroCollect]

SEGA Games That Are Celebrating Big Anniversaries in 2016

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SEGA has created some highly popular and cult classic series of games that have stuck with people over the years. While most of you guys already know that Sonic the Hedgehog is celebrating his big 25th Anniversary this year, many other games get ignored because they aren’t as relevant as they used to be. Today we will list those mostly ignored video game franchises we all love. Did your favorite game make our list?

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.