Hardlight Studio‘s Chris Southall and James Booth both took the time out to give us a short interview about their newly released mobile game, Sonic Dash. The addictive score based game has been draining the battery on our phones here at SEGAbits, so naturally we had burning questions that needed answering!
Several gaming news sites have picked up on the fact that the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive (or Master System?) classic Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse, developed by SEGA AM7, has been rated by the Brazilian ratings board. The platforms listed include Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii U, and Playstation Vita. No other information, such as potential release date or whether this is the Master System version of the Genesis/Mega Drive version, is given. Could it be that Disney and SEGA have a stronger relationship following Wreck-It Ralph, and the two worked out a deal to rerelease the licensed game? Hope so! Ideally they’d release both versions of the game in a Vintage Collection, and other SEGA developed Disney titles such as World of Illusion and QuackShot are to follow. When we learn more, we’ll be sure to share.
Shining Ark, the latest Shining game in the franchise came out in Japan today for the Sony PSP. As you would expect, lots of information has started to come out, like the fact that the game will have difficulty settings like ‘Standard’ and ‘Casual’. This has been a new trend in RPGs, hoping to catch audiences that thought JRPG’s where too hard, who now can enjoy the game on casual. The game allows you to pick your difficulty at the start, choosing either won’t affect item drops or storyline. Best part is that you can scale the difficulty back whenever you want from the start menu.
SEGA Japan has released a new trailer for Phantasy Star Online 2 for the Playstation Vita. The PC version has been released in Japan since early last year and now they are preparing to release the Vita version this February. Yes, the Vita version will also be free to download and play, which of course is awesome.
The best news? You will be able to play with PC players on the Vita and also use ‘character data transfer’.
Vita owners in the United States can finally get their hands on Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, as the game is now available to purchase! While released on the 7th in Europe, Americans had to wait a little longer to get the game. Was it worth the wait? Vita owners who picked it up, feel free to sound off in the comments section or over in our lovely forums. So far, critic reviews hover around 8/10, which is a great score! For those of you who plan to buy the game, remember that Gamestop is still giving away a free diecast Danicar Hot Wheels car with the purchase of any version of the game.
While the HD version of Jet Set Radio has been out since September, fans were left wondering when the Vita and mobile versions would be announced. SEGA’s blog has the answers! Jet Set Radio is heading to iOS, Android Devices and Playstation Vita. Vita players get the game on the 20th of November, and iOS and Android fans can buy the game on the 29th of November. In North America, the game will be a PlayStation Plus Vita Instant Game Collection launch title. PS Plus members can enjoy Jet Set Radio for free from November 20th through December 31st. After the break, screens of the Vita and mobile versions!
Back when the game was released in September, it reported it sold 186,000 copies. Now a few months after its release, SEGA reports that the title has reached 230,000 copies sold. Sadly SEGA didn’t specify if they included Playstation Store digital units in the sales figure or not.
The developers have stated that the game might have had too big of a budget and that they were aiming on this title being the best selling Vita game for 2012. So was it? Well, its competition is actually Persona 4: Golden, a Vita port of the PS2 Atlus RPG Persona 4, which has sold 260,000 copies in Japan. The year isn’t over, Hatsune Miku can still take the crown for the best selling Vita game of 2012. The only issue is, Persona 4: Golden is coming out in the west and Project Diva f isn’t.
There have been some rumors stating that Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed is being delayed and it seems that this is true. According to Amazon, the game will be releasing on November 18th and be a reduced price from day one.
Less than a month away!
SEGA already released Hatsune Miku: Project Diva f on Vita. Notice how they now capitalized the F for the Playstation 3 version that was recently announced to be coming out in Spring 2013? Clever, clever.
The Playstation 3 version of the game will feature six new songs, new modules and customization items. All your system data and edit information for the Vita game will transfer to the Playstation 3 version when it’s released. Famitsu teased that new modes are being planned, but no details have been provided yet.
Vita only features like AR and scratched notes are obviously not going to translate into the Playstation 3, so instead you have a star icon. What does it do? Sorry, SEGA hasn’t provided information on this either. Of course, this is a Japan only game as well.
I’m there with many of you getting excited about Phantasy Star Online 2 on the Vita. I mean, it’s an awesome idea, take the PC game on the go without a big laptop? Awesome idea. Almost as awesome as a console version *nudge nudge SEGA*. So how is cross-play going to work between the PC and Vita?
They have also suggested that the Playstation Vita version will be getting a beta. Sounds exciting. Now release the game in the West, come on!
We already know how much Hatsune Miku Project Diva F sold. But is this enough for a sequel? Not according to Nakanohito, spokesperson for Hatsune Miku, who stated on his twitter that seeing the current sales trend it will be difficult to make a sequel.
Also interesting is that the download version of the game only accounted for 10% of sales, 90% was the box version. Nakanohito has stated that his team at SEGA want Hatsune Miku Project Diva F to be the best selling Playstation Vita title of 2012 and will work hard achieving this.
The Playstation Vita hasn’t been selling like hot cakes, but last week it saw a huge spike in sales thanks to SEGA’s Hatsune Miku Project Diva F. The Playstation Vita sold 46,877 units, quadrupling what it did the week before.
As for Project Diva F, the game came in #1 for the week with 158,009 units sold. Hit the jump for the full sales charts for last week in Japan.
SEGA of Japan has announced what titles people can expect at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. Here is the list:
As for ‘partner software’ hit the jump.
Hatsune Miku appeared in a chibi form in her debut on the Nintendo 3DS, well the chibi Miku isn’t only exclusive to Nintendo’s platform. The upcoming Hatsune Miku Project Diva F in a forum of a costume/module.
Today SEGA has released a brand new trailer for Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed and it’s a must watch for any SEGA fan. Not only does the game looks pretty darn sweet, but it also confirms a few more tracks including an After Burner track named “Carrier Zone” where you race around air craft carriers, a track based on Starlight Carnival of Sonic Colours fame named “Galactic Parade” and a Samba de Amigo stage based on a movie studio named “Samba Studios”. But most exciting of all, for me, is that there is a track based on Skies of Arcadia, entitled “Rogues Landing”. Consider my timbers well and truly shivered! Names for previously revealed tracks have also been named: NiGHTS will race through “Dream Valley” and the special/bonus edition of the game will feature OutRun’s “OutRun Bay”.
See if you can spot anything I’ve missed, and after the break check out the first screen of the Seaside Hill track named “Ocean View.