The Truth About Ben Kalough video hints at things to come

For months, the Sonic the Hedgehog social media accounts have been hinting at something. It could be the reveal of the new Sonic game, or it could be something bigger. Whatever it is, another piece of the puzzle has arrived in a video titled The Truth About Ben Kalough. The video, seen above, catches us up on what the former SEGA of Antarctica staffer has been up to and what the future holds for him. Memes, the word “big” and Aaron Webber all come into play. Could this be it? Or are we all about to be taken for buffoons? Who knows, but once we learn more we will certainly share it in a cryptic article that keeps using the word “big”.

SEGA News Bits: SEGA survey includes classic IPs discussion

SEGA wants fans to “Help Us Make Our Games Better” by unleashing a new survey which asks what your favorite classic SEGA franchises are! Did your favorite IP make the list? Find out as George and Barry go through all the classic franchises mentioned in the survey.

Want to take the survey? Check it out here and don’t forget to tick that SEGAbits box when they ask you what fan sites you frequent!

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SEGA News Bits: 7th Dragon III: Code VFD is coming to America

Another SEGA of Japan game is making its way to the Americas, and this time its 7th Dragon III: Code VFD for the Nintendo 3DS. In this SEGA News Bits, George and Barry share their thoughts on this happy development and discuss both the upcoming game and the franchise. While the first 7th Dragon released back in 2009 to the Nintendo DS to Japan, 7th Dragon III: Code VFD is the franchise’s debut in the west. Is SEGA taking a gamble with the game, or is this a brave new world of SEGA of America releasing niche titles with little expectation of games attaining “pillar franchise” status? All this and more is discussed in the video above. Click play and check it out!

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SEGA News Bits: Most Disappointing SEGA Games of 2015

Not all games can be winners, we know that. But even though this year was light on SEGA releases, none of the games released were terrible. Now the SEGAbits staff sits and nitpicks what title was the most disappointing for them this year. Trust us, it was harder to pick a disappointing game then it was to pick a favorite!

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Unboxing: Rodea the Sky Soldier Limited Edition (Wii U, 3DS)

While yes, this is not a SEGA product, it IS the long awaited action adventure game from Sonic the Hedgehog co-creator Yuji Naka. Naka and his studio Prope had been working on this game for quite some time, and it has been an equal (if not more) amount of time that the game has been delayed. In fact, the game is so old it had to be ported from the Wii to the Wii U! Naka has been pretty vocal about being disappointed with the Wii U and 3DS versions of the game, urging players to try the original Wii version as that is the version he and Prope truly developed.

Having said that, I bought the Nintendo 3DS version. Mainly because the Limited Edition was about $20 cheaper and included the exact same extras. So ignore which version of the game I bought and check out what bonuses came with the NIS America produced Limited Edition version of Yuji Naka’s long awaited Rodea the Sky Soldier!

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SEGA News Bits: First impressions of the indie SEGA Dreamcast game Pier Solar

2015 sure has been a great year for indie SEGA Dreamcast games! We’ve seen shmups, odd puzzlers, vikings, and now we’re seeing an RPG by the name of Pier Solar and the Great Architects. While Pier Solar released way back in 2010 to the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive, the recent Dreamcast port features improved graphics, new scenarios, and special extras that take advantage of the Dreamcast’s unique capabilities (VMU mini-games!). As seen in my recent unboxing, the game’s packaging is beautiful. Now, in this latest episode of SEGA News Bits, I talk with George about my first impressions of the game.

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Unboxing: Pier Solar Japanese packaging for the SEGA Dreamcast

The long awaited Dreamcast release of Pier Solar has started to arrive in mailboxes, and I was so impressed with the packaging that I knew it had to get the unboxing video treatment. This isn’t the first SEGA console the game has released to, back in 2010 the game hit the Mega Drive/Genesis and I shared an unboxing of the reprint edition. The Dreamcast version I present to you today is a first edition in the Japanese style packaging, other versions include US and PAL, but seeing as how most indie Dreamcast releases emulate the Japanese packaging, I went with this style and don’t regret it in the slightest. A lot of effort went into this release, and it really makes modern game unboxings look like crap by comparison. Seriously, who wants to see somebody opening a Wii U game where all you get is a disc and a slip of paper telling you to read the digital manual.

You can buy Pier Solar on several platforms. The Dreamcast and Mega Drive/Genesis versions are sold out at the moment, but more may be available in the future. Check out the official site for more details. Like this video? Subscribe to the SEGAbits YouTube channel.

SEGA News Bits: Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice Delay Reaction

This is the first entry in our new series called ‘SEGA News Bits’, giving you digestible video content laced with our opinions. On this SEGA News Bit, we cover the recent delay of Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice. Let us know what you think of the new Boom series and if you think delaying a game is going to do it good.

If you like it, support us by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Feedback? Opinions? Leave them in the comments!

Total War: WARHAMMER gameplay shows off 16 minutes dwarf scrimmage

This Let’s Play is an example of an early Quest Battle from the Dwarfs campaign. In the vast tunnels of the Underway, a Dwarfen force lead by High King Thorgrim Grudgebearer is ambushed by a Greenskin horde.

Showcasing new features and never-before-seen units battling underground for the first time in a Total War game, this video is a taste of things to come and a glimpse into the dark and exciting fantasy world of Total War: WARHAMMER.

Total War: WARHAMMER will be released in 2016 for the PC.

This is Saturn Season 2 is here, with a look at SEGA’s 3D Control Pad

This is Saturn returns after an extended hiatus!

This time, we’re delving back into the world of SEGA peripherals, with SEGA’s 3D Control Pad for the SEGA Saturn. The pad was bundled with copies of NiGHTS into Dreams… and is often something associated closely with the Saturn’s legacy; but has it earned its place as part of the Saturn legend? Find out, as Tracker takes a gander at this old piece of kit.

This is Saturn is a video series created by British teenager Liam ‘TrackerTD’ Ashcroft, aiming to give an alternative and in-depth look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of SEGA Saturn gaming, all whilst maintaining a somewhat strong accent.

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MAGFest 13 Interview: DJ Cutman talks to us about his new album “Spindash”

At MAGFest, one of our colleagues Gunstar had a chance to talk with DJ Cutman about the new “Spindash” album, a 16-track remix tribute album to the Sonic series, recently put out through Cutman’s own label, Gamechops. We took the time to discuss song selection, how it helps both video game remix artists and Sega, and the goals of the label itself.

If you’d like to check out the album, you can check out the entire album through Gamechops’s youtube channel, and many other awesome video game remixes.

You can also pick up the album through Loudr or any other major music site.

Finally, you can check out the Gamechops website to see all the albums and remixes they’ve done, as well as find all their social media outlets.

SEGAbits Plays Episode #5: SEGA Dreamcast Holiday Classics

SEGAbits Plays gets into the festive mood as Barry and George play Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch and the Official Dreamcast Magazine demo disc Volume 10 for the SEGA Dreamcast. Join us as we destroy Whoville, fly about as a little toy Santa in Toy Commander‘s Christmas missions, and explore various demo disc oddities. Wait, was that an anti-smoking advert?

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Fighting Climax Developers Demonstrates Akira Yuki and Selvaria Bles’ Movesets In Action

Dengeki Online sat down with French-Bread battle planner Kamone and game director Takaharu Terada from Sega showcasing Akira Yuki (Virtua Fighter) and Selvaria Bles (Valkyria Chronicles) movesets for the upcoming console version of Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax at Tokyo Game Show 2014.

As you can see from the video, you can see how the two characters moves transition from their own respective franchise including a few interesting combos. Not only normals and specials, they’ve also demonstrated the support character system for each character. Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax is schedule for release on November 13, 2014 for PlayStation 3 and PS Vita.

Watch the full ‘Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation’ San Diego Comic Con panel


 
This past weekend, SEGAbits writers Ben, Shigs, and Nuckles hit San Diego Comic Con and SEGA’s game preview event located at the nearby Nerd HQ. While Comic Con isn’t as game centric as E3, there was quite a bit of SEGA goodness to be found. We were able to check out the latest preview builds of Alien: Isolation and Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, as well as interview Archie Comics on the upcoming Sonic Boom comic book series. But the main event had to have been Sunday’s Console Wars panel. The panel, which centered around the SEGA and Nintendo rivalry of the 90’s, featured special guests Tom Kalinske (Sega of America), Al Nilsen (Sega of America), Bill White (Nintendo of America), and Perrin Kaplan (Nintendo of America), as well as Console Wars author Blake J. Harris and Julian Rosenberg, producer of the upcoming Console Wars documentary.

Thanks to Blake, Nuckles and Shigs were given the VIP treatment and secured some awesome seats – allowing us to film the panel and Q&A session and meet the SEGA and Nintendo legends! Check out the full panel above, and make sure to pick up your copy of Console Wars if you haven’t already!

Want more Console Wars discussion? Check out our three part interview series with Tom Kalinske, Al Nilsen, and Blake J. Harris.

My Life with SEGA Season 3 begins with a pulpy SEGA Genesis classic – Comix Zone

My Life with SEGA is back, and in HD! That’s right, it’s retro gaming in high-definition.

In the season 3 premiere, I go back 18 years to re-experience a 16-bit piece of art, ripping through page after page of aliens and mutants in Comix Zone. Developed by Sega Technical Institute, this brawler from the mid 90’s was praised for it’s glorious presentation, but scolded for its late arrival and brief playthrough.

Now that Comix Zone is old enough to move out, how does it hold up today? Click it. Watch it. Love it. Damn! That sounds kinda’ dirty, doesn’t it? Oh well.

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