New The King of Fighters XIV trailer highlights free stages

SNK has released a new trailer showing off the two free stages that will be included in The King of Fighters XIV 2.00 update. The two new The King of Fighters XIV stages are “Transcontinental Railroad and “City Circuit” and like said in our last article about the game they are free. Like free, free.

The 2.00 update for The King of Fighters XIV will also bring fan favorite characters back including Whip, Ryujii Yamazaki, Vanessa, and Rock Howard. Expect the update to hit on April 5th. I really wanna tip my hat to SNK’s team that have been updating this game and really taking fan feedback seriously. Maybe Capcom could learn a lesson or two. Like always, The King of Fighters XIV is already out, so if you haven’t played the game does having free stages make you wanna jump into the action? Let us know.

[Via: Gematsu]

SEGA SAMMY offices consolidating and relocating in Fall 2018

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According to a recent press release, big changes are coming to SEGA in Japan. In the fall of 2018, SEGA SAMMY and its group companies located in the Tokyo metropolitan area will be consolidated and relocated to a business building in the “Nishishinagawa 1-chome District Type 1 Urban Redevelopment Project” now being developed in an area south of Osaki Station. Osaki Station being in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. The SEGA SAMMY group companies include SEGA SAMMY HOLDINGS INC., Sammy Corporation, SEGA Holdings Co., Ltd., SEGA Games Co., Ltd., ATLUS. CO., LTD., Sammy Networks Co., Ltd., DARTSLIVE Co., Ltd. and others.

The move is said to promote cooperation among the companies, creating synergy and more active interaction of personnel while pursuing efficient group management. To do this, SEGA SAMMY plans to consolidate currently scattered head office functions. The new office space will occupy 8 floors and 43,891 square meters (472,439 square feet).

SEGA silently puts Castle of Illusion back on Steam, PSN and XBLA

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We talked about SEGA losing the Mickey Mouse license this past September and having to pull Castle of Illusion from online stores, it seems something has changed since they have silently put them back on sale across all major digital platforms. When SEGA was warned about pulling Castle of Illusion they put it on sale as low as a dollar and now that its back its at regular price of $14.99. No idea what happen over at SEGA to make them change their mind or if this is some sort of mistake. Regardless Castle of Illusion is back on digital platforms, if you never picked it up I suggest get a copy while they are live.

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Castle of Illusion is also available on mobile platforms, but those were published by Disney, so I didn’t mention them in the pull.  Maybe SEGA has a World of Illusion remake under their belt or Disney came to their senses? If SEGA is renewing old licenses and bringing back pulled games, maybe its time to bring back Afterburner Climax and OutRun 2? What are your thoughts on Castle of Illusion coming back to digital platforms?

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SEGA releases 8-Bit Bayonetta on Steam

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SEGA hears that you want Bayonetta on PC, so instead of putting in the work for a full PC port, why not release 8-Bit Bayonetta on Steam? Of course its not the title we all wanted, its at least free with no ads, so its a nice little surprise from SEGA coming up on April 1st. Platinum Games released the 8-Bit Bayonetta ‘flash game’ last year for fans to play and was originally posted online for Platinum Games to advertise that they were hiring new staff.

Now SEGA has published 8-Bit Bayonetta on Steam with the following features:

  • Jumping!
  • Double jumping!
  • Shooting!
  • Scoring!
  • Achievements!
  • Wicked chip-tune Bayonetta theme song!

Download the game here, via Steam! 

8-Bit Bayonetta weighs in at 60mb, which means its a tiny game. This is the first time SEGA has actually published a Bayonetta game since the first title back in 2009. If you play the game, 8-Bit Bayonetta teases a countdown page with a promotional image from Bayonetta 1. Maybe SEGA wants to revive the franchise? What is your thoughts on 8-Bit Bayonetta and what do you think it means for the future of the franchise? Sound off in the comments below.

If you play the game, you are lead to a countdown page here. The countdown ends on April 11th and has a promotional photo of Bayonetta‘s foot used for the first game. Putting my detective skills to work, I will safely assume that SEGA has a Bayonetta PC port to announce.

SEGA announces Total War: Warhammer II

If you didn’t know, when SEGA first announce the Total War: Warhammer project a few years back they said that the game was going to be so large, that it would take three parts to experience the whole thing. Not surprisingly, SEGA announced Total War: Warhammer II earlier today.

Total War: Warhammer II will introduce the following new races to the game:

  • High Elves
  • Dark Elves
  • Lizardmen
  • Secret fourth unannounced race

Total War: Warhammer II will continue expanding its Total War type gameplay, but Creative Assembly have promised that the game will have a “new style of narrative campaign”.  This new campaign promises to offer hundreds of hours of gameplay. The Creative Assembly promises old Total War: Warhammer owners an update that will combine thecampaign maps that will consist of both games. This means you can play any race you own (consider each game has its  own races) via the campaign. This new update is expected to hit the first game after Total War: Warhammer II launches.

SEGA has not given a specific release date for Total War: Warhammer II, but it promised to release it before the end of the year. The last game, Total War: Warhammer III should release sometime in the future. Considering that the first game has over 1.4 million steam owners, I’d say this is a highly anticipated title.

7th Dragon III Code: VFD “God Hand” Figgy figure up for pre-order

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A new figure from Figgy is now available for pre-order, this time based on 7th Dragon III Code: VFD. The figure dubbed the “God Hand” figure is based on the maid design in the character customization, using the “A” style and the middle color scheme. God Hand referring to one of the classes in the game, a class that specializes in physical combat and healing. Note that technically the character design and class are not mutual, so you can choose whatever you want.

The 7th Dragon III Code: VFD God Hand figure is priced at ¥‎14,904 ($133.25), but for a limited time the figure has an 18% discount on AmiAmi for ¥‎12,220 ($109.26). The figure will be available on a tentative August 2017 release date. For more information about the figure including photos, check the official Figgy page, but be warned as it is in Japanese.

SEGA News Bits: Genesis/Mega Drive Indie Brawler Paprium Announced

On this episode of the SEGA News Bits we discuss the newly announced 2D brawler for the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive titled Paprium. The game is being developed by Watermelon Games, who are best known for Pier Solar and pre-orders for Paprium are available now. The game is set to push the SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive to its limit with large sprites, tons of enemies on screen and an 80 meg cart. Now that’s playing with power. Check out the episode to hear us discuss Paprium, its art style and discuss all the different versions available. Are you picking up Paprium? Which version are you getting? Let us know in the comments below.

If you enjoy our SEGA News Bits segments and want to support us: Give us a sub and give this video a like so it shows up on more like minded fans YouTube recommendations. You know, how that new YouTube algorithm is.

Shin Megami Tensei: Deep Strange Journey first screenshots released

Atlus-02114-720x340Shin Megami Tensei: Deep Strange Journey, the refined version of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey from the Nintendo DS. Shin Megami Tensei: Deep Strange Journey will be easier for new players to play, well adding new elements to give the game a ‘deep’ demonic experience. The game adds to offer content for both new and old fans, giving you more reason to double dip on this game.

If you check out the screenshots, the game also features a new, slightly changed art style from the original. Though outside of that, the game looks pretty much like the original Nintendo DS game.

Shin Megami Tensei: Deep Strange Journey‘s story line:

“As the expansion of the Schwarzwelt is threatening to destroy Earth, the United Nations send in multiple teams, led by Gore, to investigate and eradicate the phenomenon. During their attempt to enter the Schwarzwelt, all ships but the Red Sprite are destroyed. During their missions, the crew is helped by Arthur, who gradually accumulates knowledge of the Schwarzwelt and develops a personality. During an early mission within the Schwarzwelt, Gore is killed. As the protagonist and members of the Red Sprite’s crew explore the regions of the Schwarzwelt, they slowly uncover the truth behind its existence.”

Shin Megami Tensei: Deep Strange Journey hits Japanese store shelves this fall for the Nintendo 3DS. No news on the Western release date, yet.

[Via: Siliconera]

King of Fighters XIV gets Rock Howard DLC, updating to 2.00 on April 5

SNK and Atlus has just announced that the new King of Fighters XIV character is none other than Rock Howard. The character actually leaked early, but now SNK have confirmed that Rock Howard is the last of the four new DLC characters coming via the game’s April 5th update. Rock Howard has been a fan favorite since he debuted on the legendary Garou: Mark of the Wolves.

Rock Howard joins the other three DLC characters:

While the DLC characters will cost you $4.99 each, the April 5th update will also include some free content including:

  • “Transcontinental Railroad” and “City Circuit” stages added (free)
  • Overall character balance adjustments
  • Action record and playback feature during dummy reversals in Training Mode added
  • Background music added
  • Feature improvements and some bug fixes

Got to say, two free stages isn’t bad. You can check out teases of both of the stages below in picture form. I have actually seen King of Fighters XIV on sale for rather cheap lately and I recommend a pretty underrated fighting game.  For those of you who have played it, how do you feel about SNK giving the game a ton of free updates, including the graphics update earlier this year? Does free content and returning characters make you want to get back into the game? let us know in the comments below.

SEGA News Bits: Valkyria Revolution Launch Day Edition details

Welcome to another episode of SEGA News Bits, on this video we discuss the newly announced Valkyria Revolution Launch Day Edition that is coming out in June. George and Barry sit to discuss what you get in the box, the pricing and our opinion on the overall quality of the game. So if you are interested in Valkyria Revolution Launch Day Edition, give the video a listen. Are any of you guys going to pick up a copy of Valkyria Revolution Launch Day Edition? Are you getting it on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One? Let us know in the comments below.

Pre-Order: Valkyria Revolution “Vanargand Edition”
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If you enjoy our SEGA News Bits segments and want to support us: Give us a sub and give this video a like so it shows up on more like minded fans YouTube recommendations. You know, how that new YouTube algorithm is.

SEGA News Bits: Sonic Forces Fan Theories Discussion

Welcome to another episode of the SEGA News Bits, this week George and Barry discuss Sonic Forces fan theories that have been circulating around the internet. Strap in, because we are in for a weird ride. On this episode we give you our take on some of the more popular Sonic Forces fan theories such as the third gameplay being a customizable character named Buddy, Tails giving up hope, Sonic Adventure style gameplay, and many more. This is more of a discussion episode and not really a news segment, for those of you who watch the show strictly for news. Let us know what your Sonic Forces fan theories are in the comments below. Like always, thanks for watching.

If you enjoy our SEGA News Bits segments and want to support us: Give us a sub and give this video a like so it shows up on more like minded fans YouTube recommendations. You know, how that new YouTube algorithm is.

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Valkyria Revolution Vanargand Edition announced to release June 27 to Xbox One and Playstation 4

Did somebody say launch edition? SEGA of America are at it again, as Valkyria Revolution the “Vanargand Edition” has just been announced to release June 27 to Xbox One and Playstation 4. The game is also due out digitally to the Playstation Vita that same day. The “Vanargand Edition” will be available in the Americas and will include a pin inscribed with the Vanargand’s ferocious coat of arms, a 12-track soundtrack by Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Trigger, Stella Glow) and the usual box containing it all. Those in Europe need not fret, as those who pre-order or buy the game at launch will receive the soundtrack.

Pre-Order: Valkyria Revolution “Vanargand Edition”
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After the break, take a peek at the “Vanargand Edition” and read the full press release from SEGA of America.

Etrian Mystery Dungeon 2 announced for Nintendo 3DS

While we covered two Nintendo DS remakes coming to the Nintendo 3DS from Atlus, they also have a brand new title. Atlus and Spike Chunsoft announced Etrian Mystery Dungeon 2 for the Nintendo 3DS which expected to launch in August 31 in Japan for 6,480 yen ($58 USD).

The company announced that all first print copies of Etrian Mystery Dungeon 2 will include a two-disc “User’s Best Album” containing popular songs from the Etrian Odyssey series. Atlus is allowing users to vote for what tracks make it into the Etrian Mystery Dungeon 2‘s “User’s Best Album” OST by voting here. Votes end in April 9th. The OST will be housed in a digipak case that will be illustrated by Yuji Himukai. Since the Etrian Odyssey soundtracks, including Etrian Mystery Dungeon, are done by Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage, Revenge of Shinobi) this is probably something that will appeal to SEGA fans.

But wait there’s more! Etrian Mystery Dungeon 2 will also be getting a Etrian Odyssey 10th Anniversary Box limited edition that will cost 9,800 yen ($88 USD) and will include a copy of the game, special box, and a 200 page Character Art Works book featuring art from all the Etrian Odyssey series. Hit the jump to see gameplay, screenshots and story details on Etrian Mystery Dungeon 2. 

[Source: Gematsu]

Atlus announces Shin Megami Tensei: Deep Strange Journey for 3DS

Atlus has announce that Shin Megami Tensei: Deep Strange Journey  is coming to 3DS, which will be a remake of Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey which came out for the Nintendo DS back in 2009. This will countinue the Atlus trend of remaking Nintendo DS games for the Nintendo 3DS platform. The last ‘remake’ announced was Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology.

Atlus first teased Shin Megami Tensei: Deep Strange Journey back in Janurary, this new version of Shin Megami Tensei: Deep Strange Journey promises a easier, redefined version of the original title while adding new content. To see all the new information regarding this remake, hit the jump and tell us in the comment section your opinion on Atlus remaking these DS games on 3DS.

[Source: Gematsu]

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SEGA and Archie still in talks over Sonic the Hedgehog license

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If you didn’t know, the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series has been delayed, this is the second month in a row that the series hasn’t appeared in solicitations, and of course this has long time fans worried. Archie Sonic the Hedgehog artist, Tracey Yardley gave us an update stating that Archie and SEGA are still ‘in talks’ regarding the comics, stating that if any updates happen he would let everyone know.

You can see ComicVine’s Archie solicitations and notice that Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comic series is absent. If you didn’t already know, Archie Comics recently also cancelled the Mega Man comic book series, so its looking weary for Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comic books which happen to be the longest video game running comic book series of all time. It is also confirmed that Sonic the Hedgehog Volume 5 graphic novel and Sonic Mega Drive: Overdrive #1 have been cancelled by Archie Comics. Sonic Mega Drive: Overdrive #1 was suppose to be the final part of the highly praised Mega Drive arc, a one-shot comic book series that debuted last year. As for our opinions on the whole thing, we did a pretty interesting SEGA News Bits video discussing our opinions, hopes and thoughts on the possibility of Archie cancelling the series.

But tell us what your thoughts on all this news is? Are you worried about the Archie Sonic the Hedgehog comic book series?

[Via: Sonic Stadium]