Dragon’s Crown Pro Coming West sometime in Spring 2018

Atlus USA has now revealed a launch window for the upcoming Dragon’s Crown Pro, which is an updated version of last generations PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita game. This time its coming to PlayStation 4 in North America and Europe sometime in Spring 2018. The price for the game has been revealed to be $49.99 in the United States and $64.99 in Canada. European prices have yet to be revealed.

So what is new in Dragon’s Crown Pro that separates it from the last generation version? They have updated the in-game graphics to support 4K resolution, Hitoshi Sakimoto’s soundtrack has been re-recorded with a live orchestra, this copy will include both Japanese and English audio, and will also include all the DLC on disc. The game has also confirmed to support English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish subtitles. Dragon’s Crown Pro will also let you use your own PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Vita save files and even play co-op online with PlayStation 3 or PlayStation Vita users. I think that’s a great move by Atlus and Vanillaware, allowing all versions to crossplay online.

Dragon’s Crown Pro will be featured and playable at this year’s PlayStation Experience 2017 which goes on from December 9-10 in Anaheim, California.

Bare your knuckles as Streets of Rage joins the SEGA Forever lineup

The SEGA Forever free-to-play mobile lineup expanded today, with the classic SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis beat ’em up Streets of Rage joining the fight. Released in 1991, Streets of Rage (Bare Knuckle in Japan) was SEGA’s answer to Final Fight and Double Dragon. Players take control of Adam, Axel or Blaze in a bare knuckle battle to take down a criminal syndicate led by Mr. X. This version of the game has local multiplayer over Wi-Fi, so you and a friend can play together. We here at SEGAbits love Streets of Rage, and we know SEGA fans do too as it made #44 on our Top 100 SEGA Games list.

Streets of Rage is available now on the Google Play store and App Store. You can follow @SEGAForever on Twitter and share your thoughts on the lineup using the hashtag #SEGAForever.

After the break, give our SEGA Talk podcast a listen as we discuss the history of Streets of Rage!

SEGA’s new A Certain Magical Virtual-On trailer shows off animated cutscenes, more gameplay

SEGA has unleashed a brand new trailer for the upcoming A Certain Magical Virtual-On, a crossover game featuring A Certain Magical Index and Virtual-On. The new trailer, which is a bit over 5 minutes in length will give you a look at the in-game characters you get to team up with, a glimpse at the in-game villain and even show you what the in-game animated cutscenes look like!

Personally, as a SEGA fan, I don’t care too much for the anime tie-in and happy that the gameplay looks likeVirtual-On with A Certain Magical Index being used to carry the story. One of the things that Virtual-On doesn’t have is good characterizations to make a story around. I’m sure the story will be silly, but hey, its Virtual-On, no whining! A Certain Magical Virtual-On hits Japan on February 15, 2018 only on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. No Western release for this title has been confirmed, as of right now.

[Via: Dengekionline]

Check out the Official Shenmue themed Yokosuka Tourist Guide

shenmueYokosukaguideSEGA was asked to help design a tourist guide map by The Yokosuka Action Promotion Committee. Why did they ask SEGA to help design a map of Yokosuka, Japan? Yokosuka is one of the big locations featured in SEGA’s hit video game Shenmue, which is seemly making a comeback thanks to the Shenmue III kickstarter launched a few years back. You can check out the official SEGA Japan twitter flipping through the guide here, which features lots of cool Shenmue promotional art. According to the same tweet, the English version is being worked on right now. They are calling this Yokosuka Tourist Guide ‘Sacred Spot’, since its mostly covers parts of Yokosuka that where featured in Shenmue. As for how you can acquire one, they are being sold locally in Yokosuka. Oh, don’t live there? Maybe its time to go on vacation?

I think having something like this is really cool and its nice to see that Shenmue‘s legacy still matters in places in Japan. Like most fans online, I really hope this means SEGA isn’t forgetting about the franchise, which if you have seen the rumors about the Shenmue HD releases, you’d agree. I think the Shenmue HD Collection is coming, just a matter of when. You can check out what the guide has to offer below via some helpful scans, of course.

[Via: Shenmue500k]

Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap translated to Russian by fans

WonderBoy3Russian

SEGA Master System and Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap fan TEPA6ANT has released a fully playable version of Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap in Russian. Or would we call it Чудо-мальчик III? I don’t know Russian, so you’ll have to excuse me. But if you have been waiting since 1989 to play Wonder Boy III in Russian, now is your chance. According to the translation notes, the game is fully translated but some words had to be abbreviated, possibly due to restricted spacing and Russian having more characters per word.

You can get Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap in Russian right here. If you are interested in the new HD remake, the game has gotten a USA physical release on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch for a decent price. Pick those up if you want to keep retro franchises like Wonder Boy III relevant! Of course the HD remake is also available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC digitally.

[Via RomHacking]

Valkyria Chronicles 4 reveals six new characters and details its Brave system

ValkyriaChronicles4SEGA revealed a ton of new information regarding the upcoming Valkyria Chronicles 4 via the latest issue of the Weekly Famitsu. They detailed six brand new characters (including one being a Valkyria) and the new “Brave” system being introduced in this title.

Check out all the information after the break. Valkyria Chronicles 4 is set to hit PlayStation 4 on March 21, 2018 and for Nintendo Switch in Summer 2018 in Japan. As for the European and American releases, its coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch sometime in 2018.

5a2658a0e773c_thumb

[Source: Gematsu]

Former Sega Enterprises, Inc. president and CEO Thomas Gill Petit has passed away

Sad news for SEGA fans. We’ve learned that Tom Petit, co-founder of Sega Enterprises, Inc. (USA) and president and CEO of the company for eight years, passed away at his home in Durango, Colorado on November 21, 2017. Tom worked in the video game industry for more than 28 years, with leadership positions at Atari, Nintendo and SEGA.

I’ll admit, in assembling information about Tom’s time with SEGA, I could not find a lot. I still do not have a firm idea of when he was at SEGA, though he did appear in news stories from 1986-1991. I came across an interview he did when the SEGA arcade game Time Traveler released in 1991 (seen above) and found this fun article on Tom and David Rosen at the 1986 JAMMA Arcade Game Show where OutRun was unveiled. I am also under the impression that Tom was the president and CEO of the coin-op side of things for America.

In 2004, Tom retired from the industry and started a career in ranch real estate development. His hobbies included fly fishing and scuba diving. A memorial service is planned for the summer of 2018, and you can leave a tribute here. We’ll provide more information on Tom Petit’s career as we find it.

Sonic Runners Adventure releasing to the App Store and Google Play soon

Sonic Runners, the Sonic Team developed always online 2D runner, was released in February 2015 and shut down in June 2016. While there was a good game there, SEGA made the mistake of including unfair casino-style awards and making the game always online. Since then, Gameloft has reworked the concept into Sonic Runners Adventure which received a soft launch in June 2017. The follow-up features gameplay tweaks and the ability to play offline. Now, Gameloft has announced the game will soon receive a wide release on the App Store and Google Play. You can check out the launch trailer above, which strangely is missing any mention of SEGA including the usual copyright information.

More information on Sonic Runner Adventure as we hear it!

SEGA launching Phantasy Star Online 2: Trading Card Game in Japan

phantasystaronline2tradingcardgame

While we cross our fingers for a Phantasy Star Online 2 western announcement, in Japan they will soon be launching a 1v1 trading card game based on the popular IP. The game will feature cards based on characters, weapons and other art assets found in Phantasy Star Online 2.  As far as how the game will play, that remains a mystery for now.

Phantasy Star Online 2: Trading Card Game isn’t just aiming at being a competitive 1v1 game, but will also feature “Cooperation Battles” where you and friends can play the game versus in-card (is that a word?) bosses. SEGA will be showing off the card game across Japan starting on December 9, where attendees will be allowed to try the game for themselves. If you’re from Japan and want to give the game a try, check out the participating stores here.

SEGA plans on launching Phantasy Star Online 2: Trading Card Game in Japan on March 22, 2018. The first expansion of the series will have 100 cards to collect. Each pack will come with 6 cards and go for 250 yen (about $2.25 USD) each. As far as this coming to the West, don’t count on it, obviously.

[Source: Siliconera]

SEGA and Two Point Studios announcing a new game on January 16

twopointstudiosSEGA and Two Point Studios (a team made up of ex-Lionhead and Bullfrog developers) have now teased a new game announcement via a twitter post telling us to check back on January 16, 2018. SEGA Europe announced their partnership with Two Point Studios back in May 30, 2017 and it seems that they have been hard at work on this new title if its going to be shown in a less than two months.

According to Two Point Studios twitter bio, the team is “Making sim games with ” . It makes sense that SEGA would try their hands at the PC sim market considering that new IPs such as Cities XXL, Cities in Motion and Cities: Skylines have carved a big chunk of the market away from EA. Not only that, they are already heading that way by purchasing the Endless Space developers, Amplitude Studios. It does seem that if they make a sim game that it will be based on something like Theme Park or Theme Hospital. But who knows at this point. While these PC games are usually aimed at another market, as a SEGA fan I actually like the brand name to grow into other markets. Plus the team being made up of people that worked on games like Theme Hospital and Fable really peaks my interest.

ATLUS announces Shin Megami Tensei V releasing west for Nintendo Switch

While we knew Shin Megami Tensei V was coming to the Switch in Japan, it was still unknown (but pretty much assumed) that the game would be coming west. Today, ATLUS has confirmed that Shin Megami Tensei V will be coming west for Nintendo Switch via a short press release and announcement trailer. Set in modern Tokyo, the game has players facing a new onslaught of demons in the latest entry from the highly-acclaimed Shin Megami Tensei series. ATLUS tells us that more details, including release date and pricing will be announced at a later date. I would not be surprised if we see a cool launch edition. After the break, check out some screenshots from the upcoming game!

Stay tuned to SEGAbits for those details and more.

SEGA shows off A Certain Magical Virtual-On box art

ACertainMagicalIndexBoxArt

Check out the official Japanese box art for A Certain Magical Virtual-On, an upcoming game being released on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. The game features characters from the light novel franchise A Certain Magical Index and SEGA’s arcade franchiseCyber Troopers Virtual-On in a epic cross-over competitive game. 

A Certain Magical Virtual-On Japanese box art features Touma Kamijo (A Certain Magical Index) and Virtuaroid MBV-707/VSL “Temjin 707” (Virtual-On). I think the box art is just OK, nothing special and feel that the art style differences between Virtual-On and A Certain Magical Index really clash on the cover. For example Temjin 707 looks rather 3D while Touma Kamijo on the other hand is a typical anime drawing. As for the game, its set to launch on February 15, 2018 in Japan on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. SEGA West hasn’t announced a western release date as of this posting.

[Via: Gemastu]

Yakuza’s Kazuma Kiryu joins Street Fighter V via fan mod

Yakuza‘s Kazuma Kiryu joins the fight in Street Fighter V, thanks to this fan mod created for the PC version of the game. The mod was crafted by Khaled Antar, who is known in the Street Fighter V community for his past mods, this time he is giving us SEGA fans something to cheer about. If you didn’t know, when Tekken 7 producer asked fans what DLC character they wanted, Kazuma Kiryu topped their list. Maybe someone will make a Kazuma Kiryu mod for Tekken 7 next?

Download the Street Fighter V Kazuma Kiryu mod here

The mod uses Ryu as a base for Kazuma Kiryu and features three variants of the skin that each have 15 color options. You can play with shades, no shades and even have breakable shades via fighting. According to the description it also features jacket and hair physics.

[Thanks Sanus]

New Madou Monogatari Game Gear collection announced

Madou GG

A new collection for the Madou Monogatari by D4 Enterprises and Project EGG has been announced. A follow up from past collections, such as the Mega Drive version of Madou Monogatari I and Madou Monogatari: Hanamaru Dai Youchienji ones previously reported, collection focuses on the Game Gear versions of Madou Monogatari I, II, III, and A. In addition to these game, the collection will also come with reprints of the manuals and a soundtrack, similar to the other Madou Monogatari collections.

Unlike the original Madou Monogatari I-II-III, the Game Gear versions were originally separate releases. These versions of the original trilogy contain elements of both the MSX and PC98 versions, still retaining the first person dungeon exploring and turn based battles. However they also introduce some changed elements, for example the Game Gear version of Madou Monogatari III has Rulue as the final boss instead of Minotaur like the other versions. Meanwhile Madou Monogatari A (technically called Madou Monogatari A: Doki Doki Vacation) is a remake of the “A” scenario from Madou Monogatari A-R-S, focusing on a 4 year old Arle obtaining her powers for the first time. Only the “A” scenario got a Game Gear remake, possibly due to it being a late 1995 Game Gear release.

The collection is slated for a 2018 release for 8,000円 (roughly $72)

[Source: Compile Station]

Hokuto ga Gotoku Japanese box art released and it looks amazing

FistoftheNorthStarSEGAcov er
Below I have posted both the clean and retail box art for the upcoming Hokuto ga Gotoku on the PlayStation 4. If you guys didn’t know, Hokuto ga Gotoku is a game based on the Fist of the North Star IP, being done by the team behind the Yakuza games. The game’s box art was drawn by the and only Tesuo Hara, who obviously did illustration for the manga.

Hokuto ga Gotoku hits Japan, exclusively on PlayStation 4 this February 22nd! No western release plans have been shared by SEGA, but don’t be shocked if we get an announcement release early next year.

[Via: Gematsu]