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?
As we hit the halfway point of the Year of the SEGA Developers, we turn our attention to a favorite of ours: Amusement Vision. Okay, so being a SEGA fan site, every SEGA developer is our favorite. But just look at Amusement Vision’s portfolio: imaginative new games like Monkey Ball and Ollie King , follow-ups to classic franchises including Space Harrier’s Planet Harriers, Daytona USA 2001, and Spikeout and Virtua Striker sequels. Amusement Vision also holds the distinction of being the first SEGA developer to take on a Nintendo franchise with the much loved F-Zero GX and F-Zero AX.
As is customary for a developer month kick-off article, join us as we look back on how Amusement Vision came to be, their library of games, and where the staff are now!
We talked about it before that SEGA planned to drop older titles that they either weren’t going to update or didn’t fit their quality of standards.
The following titles are no longer available on Google Play or iTunes:
After Burner Climax has also been taken down from XBLA and PSN, so it makes sense that the mobile version would also be dropped. As for those Genesis/Mega Drive games, SEGA has been trying to have higher quality versions of them starting with Sonic CD, Sonic 1 & 2. SEGA did say; “Given the right situation, these titles may return in an updated form,” so you never know if we will see some of these return.
If you paid for any of the games, you can still download them at anytime on iTunes or the Play Store.
[Via: Eurogamer]
From what it seems, all the Sonic the Hedgehog games are 99 cents on Android and iOS, but on iOS most titles are discounted to 99 cents too. There are also a few other titles on sale on Android, but mostly Sonic titles.
If you have been waiting for these games to be discounted, now is your time to pick them up. What games are you guys planning on getting?
First lets talk about why F-Zero GX news is posted on a SEGA blog, if you didn’t already know the game was developed by Amusement Vision (SEGA AM4) the guys that did games like Super Monkey Ball and later Yakuza series. Did you also know that F-Zero GX used the Super Monkey Ball engine?
F-Zero AX is the name of the arcade version of the game, which was developed along side F-Zero GX for GameCube. Well, it happens that the full arcade version was hidden away on the Gamecube disc of F-Zero GX and if you have an Action Reply or Gameshark, you could online the game. You have to check out the Retro Collection lists of codes, that will get you started. Though as pointed out by some YouTube comments, there are subtle differences from the arcade version. Probably never completed and was scrapped as an unlockable?
I can’t believe that four weeks have passed since we began this salute to the SEGA All-Stars appearing in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed! Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 can be viewed at those handy links. If you’re all caught up with us, let me introduce you to our five All-Stars for this week: Ulala of Space Channel 5, Shadow of Shadow the Hedgehog (oh, and some franchise called Sonic the Hedgehog), Sonic’s not-quite girlfriend Amy Rose, Aiai’s wife MeeMee and our flagman of the game Ristar.
Our Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed celebration continues with part 2 of our salute to the SEGA all-stars who will hit the track this November. In part 1 we featured Sonic, Vyse, NiGHTS, Gum and Amigo. This week, we take a look at more characters from the Sonic and Jet Set Radio franchises, keep the ball rolling with the star of Super Monkey Ball and we see the return of a certain iconic ninja. After the break, it’s an all out all-star salute!
Nagoshi posted a short post on his blog stating that there will be an announcement tomorrow. What on earth could the announcement be? Could it be Monkey Ball related? Yakuza 5 related? Who knows, he never says what it is related to or if it even is related to video games.
Your thoughts?
Yesterday it was the announcement, preview and podcast. Today: concept art! Thanks to French gaming site console-toi.fr comes a collection of artworks from the Panzer Dragoon and Monkey Ball tracks. They also released a few new screens including a look at the back of B.D. Joe’s vehicle in flight. Fun fact: some screens have a “ASN” label. This refers to the game’s internal name “All-Stars Next”. Check out the concept art, and new screens, after the break!
Sega has become synonymous with San Francisco. Station Square and the City Escape level from Sonic Adventure are loosely based on it as well as the first Crazy Taxi game. Even Sega of America itself has its offices based in the city by the bay. So it’s only natural that here is where they show off their latest game in the All-Star/Superstar series that includes both the blue-blur and B.D. Joe.
Just off the 101 freeway in good ‘ol San Fran is a Go-Kart tracing track which for one Tuesday afternoon, was taken over by Sega. In a meeting lounge, me and Nux (check out his preview at TSS) and other press were presented with the first preview of two tracks from Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed. (Sega, if you’re going to shorten the title, wouldn’t “Sonic and Sega Racing Transformed” have been better? You’re cutting out your own name!) Anyway, onto the preview!
Not formally announced but it seems that the newest entry into SEGA’s highly successful Super Monkey Ball series will be rolling onto the Playstation Vita. It seems SEGA America had left three images tagged PS Vita on their Flickr photostream. The manner of which this has occurred should be of no surprise to long term SEGA fans, as the company has been making numerous blunders ranging from leaked trailers to even full games.
One thing to be noted from the screens, however, is the absence of the red rails; an addition to the series for its debut on the Nintendo Wii, these rails have resulted in a decrease in the franchise’s complexity ever since. Whether this is an indication that the Monkey Ball series will be returning to its more traditionally challenging roots remains to be seen. Expect more in the coming days, as the Tokyo Game Show is about to get started.
You own an iPod? Do you, for some inconceivable reason, not own a copy of Super Monkey Ball 2 for it? Well, now you have no excuse. From today until April 25th, four of SEGA’s iPod games will be available for ridiculously low prices. Be sure to take advantage!
Sale-priced titles:
As many of you may know by now Super Monkey Ball has three game modes: Main game, which plays much like any good Monkey Ball game should, roll the ball to the goal! Monkey Race, which looks like a poor mans’ ‘Sega All-Star Racing’ and Monkey Fight, which has more than a passing resemblance to Super Smash Bros.
This trailer highlights the gameplay found in Monkey Fight mode, which looks much better than Monkey Race. Still, is it really too much to ask for the fun gameplay of ‘Monkey Fight’ from Super Monkey Ball Deluxe?
SEGA just released a trailer showcasing the racing Mini-game in Super Monkey Ball 3DS. Does it look exciting or boring to you? Tell us in the comments.
I am very fortunate to live near a brand new Round 1 Arcade. It’s a bowling, Karakoe, UFO Ctacher and Video Arcade that originated from Japan. They tend to have the most brand new video arcade games out there. One they just recently got was Super Monkey Ball: Ticket Blitz. A fairly different take on Monkey Ball that rewards you with prize tickets.
