Wii Shop Channel Guide for SEGA Fans – Controller Adapters, Mega Drive & Genesis

wii shop

The Wii Shop Channel is beginning it’s operations to shut down the service on the 30th of January in 2019. Nintendo put out a reminder that the service will prevent you from being able to add points to purchase games from their service March 26th.

Not only will you be unable to redownload games you purchased from the service after the shutdown date, this will take away several games that include titles that are very difficult to find in the after market. Leading up to the closure of the service we will be posting articles featuring games that SEGA fans will want to keep their eyes on. SEGA has been a major supporter for the service since the beginning of Nintendo’s foray into the digital market. Starting off with titles from the Mega Drive and the Genesis, the service grew to provide cult favorites, rare and valuable titles and even imports from Japan. There are also a few WiiWare titles to consider, exclusive games that were hampered by small file size limits for developers and lack of advertising. We won’t exactly be recommending recommend Sonic 4 Episode 1, but it is worth mentioning since it will no longer be on sale.

Sonic The Hedgehog 1 & 2 Virtual Console and XBLA to be delisted October 30th

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Via XBLA Watchdog Twitter user Lifelower comes news that SEGA Japan has announced that the Xbox Live Arcade and Wii Virtual Console versions of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 will be pulled tomorrow, October 30th. The reason for the games being pulled is unknown, but there are two possibilities. The most likely reason is that the contract for the games’ music rights, which are held by the original composer Masato Nakamura, are expiring and these versions of the game are affected. Another possible reason is that the Taxman/Stealth remastered versions are finally making their way to consoles, but take that possibility with an Oil Ocean sized amount of salt.

If you haven’t bought these versions yet, you have less than a day to do so. However it should be noted that there are several other versions out there including the original cartridges, Sonic Jam for Saturn, Sonic Mega Collection (playable on both the Xbox 360 and Wii via backwards compatibility), Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection, the aforementioned Taxman/Stealth remastered versions, and 3D Classics versions. I’m sure I missed a couple dozen others, but you get the point.

ChuChu Rocket! coming Wii U Virtual Console in Japan

ChuChuRocket!
ChuChu Rocket!, the Sonic Team created action-puzzle game originally released on the SEGA Dreamcast is getting a Wii U re-release, only this isn’t the Dreamcast version but the Gameboy Advanced version. What are the differences? Well outside of the lower resolution and some lesser quality sounds (due to being on the Gameboy Advance) not much, it offers the full Dreamcast 100 puzzle levels and as a extra it includes 2,500 user-submitted levels. The game will cost 702 yen ($5.88 US) and launch on October 21st (in Japan of course).

Sadly for us westerners this game has only been announced for release in Japan, so if you want SEGA to release this game west, you better start bothering them on social media.

Here is a comparison: 

ChuChuRocketGBAvsDC

 

[Via: SegaFans, official page]

3D Outrun to have two new BGM, new car and more!

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In the second wave of 3D SEGA classics, Outrun will return on the Nintendo 3DS in stereoscopic 3D along with a virtual Deluxe Version. SEGA and M2 has also included brand new additions to 3D Outrun.

One of the newest additions for the game are two BGM pieces such as “Cruising Line” from Black Rock Shooter: The Game  by composer Manabu Namiki and “Camino ami Amor” from Jane-Evelyn Nisperos.

Another few additions is a new car colored in green, five goals, and four other customization parts. 3D Outrun will be released in Japan on April 23rd. Hit the jump for the images.

The SEGA Five: Five Game Gear games that need to come to eShop

3DSGG copy

This may not surprise you, but I was a Game Gear kid. While everyone else was bringing their Game Boys to school, I happily chugged away on my full color backlit power house, playing Sonic Triple Trouble, Lion King and Lucky Dime Caper. So when I heard the 3DS was going to have its own handheld centric Virtual Console, I was stoked. Finally, some of my favorite games from childhood would be available to play on a modern screen!
 
So far, SEGA’s selection of Game Gear titles have been pretty solid, with only a handful of mediocre Sonic games ruining what is an otherwise fine selection. Yet, there are still some spectacular titles missing from the line-up, titles which should be given their due before SEGA calls it quits on the Virtual Console.

Tails Adventure and Crystal Warriors rated by the Australian Rating Board

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Seems that Tails Adventure and Crystal Warriors could be heading to the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console shop soon over in Australia. The Australian Rating Board has recently put a rating on both Game Gear titles, the rating states that SEGA Europe is the publisher.

It is awesome to see more Game Gear games are making it on the 3DS, since it was one of my favorite handhelds growing up.

SEGA of Japan launches SEGA Archives site


Just today, one of the SEGA producers who is in charge of bringing back many classic games that we all know and love has launched a new Sega website called “Archives.sega.jp” . It’s a web portal of all 150 titles available for digital services and a pretty neat web design too. The site includes digital games from the SEGA AGES Online line-up to the MODEL2 Collection. Just looking at all the games in one site brings back good SEGA memories I had back in the day. I hope we can get more games like Virtua Cop & Sakura Taisen next. Check out the site here with a click on the link.

Two more Sonic Game Gear games for 3DS inclu-DEAR GOD NO!!!

What?! I don’t und-…wh-WHY?!!

Okay, before I freak out some more, let me clarify. The Australian Clarifications Board has rated Sonic Blast and Sonic Labyrinth (the game that most people see as the WORST Sonic game of all time) for the 3DS Virtual Console. Now, I can’t say much about Sonic Blast because I haven’t played it. But from video I’ve seen and reviews it’s gotten it doesn’t look too hot. Then there’s Sonic Labyrinth. A game where Dr. Robotnik’s big idea to stop Sonic…is to steal his shoes. It’s the Sonic game where Sonic is SLOOOOW! Sega, these are the kind of Sonic games you bury like E.T. carts and never mention again. It’s the equivalent of Nintendo putting those horrible CDi games on the Wii. These kind of games only hurt his reputation and give the haters more fuel.

Sonic Blast and Sonic Labyrinth should be available later this year on the 3DS Virtual Console for the morbidly curious.

ESRB rates two Game Gear Games for Nintendo 3DS

Back in March of last year, Nintendo announced that Sega’s Game Gear games would be coming to the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. Sadly, we hadn’t heard anything new since…until today! The ERSB has put up ratings for Sonic Triple Trouble and Shinobi. Both these Game Gear games were rated for the Nintendo 3DS. Looks like we’ll be getting them sooner rather than later.

Takashi Iizuka confirms Sonic 4: Episode 2

The guys over at Siliconera had a chance to ask Iizuka if Sonic Team is planning a follow up to Sonic 4: Episode 1, in which he responded:

“We named Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1, so there will be an episode 2. Since this year is the 20th anniversary of Sonic we wanted to focus on Sonic Generations. We don’t have a release date or anything.But, we can tell you it will be in the near future.”” – Takashi Iizuka

Near future? Iizuka and his love for time traveling plots. In all seriousness, it seems that Sonic Generations is getting the physics for cassic Sonic right. Would be interested if the physics being used in Generations will be used in Episode 2.

SEGA has 20 games to release on 3DS

Well, that is what the new financial results sheet lead us to believe. But is this 20 retail games? Not very likely. SEGA has said they are thinking of releasing less games to retail and since they hardly release 20 games for a single platform, much less a new one, I don’t see this happening.

So why list 20? Simple, there is such a thing as digital downloads. I think SEGA will be hitting us with some of the Game Gear sweetness. Who knows, might throw in some SEGA Genesis in there, you know they love to re-release those.

[Source: Siliconera]

Puyo Puyo online Virtual Console hits Japan on Tuesday


SEGA already announced that they would be releasing the arcade version of Puyo Puyo on Virtual Console. But not only that, it was going to be the first Virtual Console title to have online play. Well, the game finally got its release date. April 12th and will cost you 800 wii points.

Of course the release date we are talking about is only for Japan, since it has not been announced for America just yet. Below is a screen of the wi-fi screen that allows the users to play with strangers, friends or show your firends code. Basic Wii online stuff.

[Source: AndriaSang]

3DS Virtual Console will have Game Gear titles

Nintendo just announced at their GDC keynote that the 3DS Virtual Console will have TurboGraphx-16 and SEGA Game Gear titles. That is right, now you will be able to put down that battery hogging Game Gear and be able to play your titles on the go on the 3DS.

As for titles at launch, none where named. I would not be shocked at Sonic titles being the first to hit the service. Especially since this year is Sonic’s 20th anniversary.

[Source: Joystiq]

Super Hang-On coming west via Virtual Console

Super Hang-On was released for Japanese Virtual Console owners back in September, but what about us? I don’t know anything about Japan, but I want to play it! Well, seems that it will be heading soon to a Virtual Console store near you.

Australia’s Classifications Board has rated Super Hang-On, which will most likely end up being the Virtual Console game. Could it be a super awesome remake with HD graphics and all the trimmings? This is SEGA, don’t be silly.

[Source: Siliconera]