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Hardcore Gaming 101 Sega Arcade Classics Vol. 2 and Fan Jam books available now

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If you haven’t checked out the excellent book SEGA Arcade Classics Vol. 1 by Hardcore Gaming 101, you really should fix that. The book is an excellent guide to SEGA’s arcade history, spotlighting not just games but their many sequels, revisions and home console counterparts. While volume 1 covered the early days, there was so much more to be covered. Thankfully HG101’s Kurt Kalata is giving us another volume with SEGA Arcade Classics Vol. 2, which is now available to purchase just in time for the holiday season! Per the description, covered games include golden era arcade classics like Pengo, Zaxxon, Congo Bongo, and Flicky; racing titles, ranging from classics like Monaco GP and Turbo, up through Hang-On and Rad Mobile; beat-em-ups like My Hero and Arabian Fight; SEGA’s super scalers Subroc 3-D and Buck Rogers and the Planet of Zoom; overlooked classics like Spatter, Ninja Princess, Bonanza Bros., and Aurail; and the long forgotten Sonic the Hedgehog arcade game.

Also available is The Hardcore Gaming 101 and Sonic & Sega Fan Jam 2016 Fanbook, which was produced in conjunction with SEGAbits (hey, that’s us!) for the Sonic & Sega Fan Jam 2016 event in Savannah, Georgia of which we are a sponsor. The book features a sampling of HG101 articles highlighting a range of SEGA games, including Streets of Rage, Sakura Wars, ToeJam & Earl, NiGHTS, Puyo Puyo, and Virtua Fighter. Also included are reviews of two games: Segata Sanshiro Shinken Yuugi, the Saturn minigame collection starring SEGA’s ultra manly spokesman, and Segagaga, the Dreamcast simulation game where you attempt to run SEGA as a company to save the realm of video gaming! Also included are reviews of three lesser known Master System games: Ghost House, Maze Hunter 3D, and Kenseiden. The Fan Jam book is available in two flavors: the standard edition with a Master System-inspired cover and a variant cover featuring Sonic and several SEGA all-stars.

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Book Review: “Playing at the Next Level: A History of American Sega Games”

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PlayingattheNextLevelReview

Playing at the Next Level: A History of American Sega Games was written by Ken Horowitz, who runs the long running SEGA-16 fansite. As a longtime Sega fan and lurker on various sites, especially before I started this blog, I was a huge fan of what Ken was doing at Sega-16.  One of the biggest resources the site offers is a review for almost every single Sega Genesis game published. That’s quite the feat. While his work on getting a review for almost every single Sega Genesis game is amazing, I truly love his website because he interviews some of the most interesting people from Sega’s glory days. I first heard about the site when doing research on Sega Technical Institute, after finding his interview with Roger Hector about his time being director of the studio I started checking daily for more Sega historical content. Ever since then I have been a huge fan of the site, when I heard Ken was writing a historical Sega book we invited him on our podcast (listen to that below).

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Sonic and Tails gameplay footage from Sonic Mania

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IGN has posted a nearly 4 minute gameplay video of Sonic and Tails together and apart in… Studiopolis Zone Act 1 from Sonic Mania. In case you get confused like some YouTube commenters, about a minute and a half in, there’s a dissolve edit where Sonic gameplay transitions into the player controlling Tails. It’s not a new switching feature or anything.

It’s great seeing more footage of the game in action, but it would be quite nice to see some different levels!

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Check out these pics of the Persona Twentieth Anniversary FES event

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Persona Twentieth Anniversary FES header

The Persona Twentieth Anniversary FES event is being held at the 3331 Arts Chiyoda art museum. The folks at Anime Now have posted a large gallery of photos from the… uh… gallery. The event is being held to recognize the 20th anniversary of the first Persona’s release in 1996 and will conclude on December 18th, 2017. However, tickets are now sold out, so these pictures will likely be your only chance to scope them out.

Not only will you find official artwork, accessories, and merchandise from the series; but you’ll also see Morganna and Teddy roaming, as well as Persona artwork from professional manga artists. Winners from a fan art contest on PIXIV are also on display. It looks like one hell of a gallery.

Persona Twentieth Anniversary FES
Persona Twentieth Anniversary FES
Persona Twentieth Anniversary FES
Persona Twentieth Anniversary FES
Persona Twentieth Anniversary FES
Persona Twentieth Anniversary FES
Persona Twentieth Anniversary FES
Persona Twentieth Anniversary FES

This is just a fraction of the images Anime Now posted. Be sure to check out their full report for the rest.

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Contest: Numskull Designs Sonic Green Hill Zone Christmas Jumper/Sweater Giveaway

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sonicnumskull

Thanks to our amigos at Numskull Designs, we have a holiday competition kicking off today on Twitter! To celebrate their line of 2016 Christmas jumpers (the European way of saying sweaters), we’ve teamed up for a Twitter giveaway where one lucky fan will win a Sonic Green Hill Zone Christmas jumper/sweater.

To enter, all you need to do is follow SEGAbits and Numskull Designs on Twitter and retweet the contest tweet. One winner will be chosen and the contest is open worldwide. The contest ends on Friday, December 16th at 11:59PM CT and a winner will be announced the following day.

Good luck to all who enter, and even if you don’t end up winning don’t fret. We always have competitions cooking here at SEGAbits. Plus, aren’t we all winners in our own ways?

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SEGA News Bits: Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza 6 Are Coming West Reaction

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SEGA punched us square in the jaw with a reveal at the Playstation Experience event that both Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza 6 will be coming in the summer of 2017 and early 2018 respectively to the Playstation 4. Combined with the fact that Yakuza 0 is due out just next month, we think it is safe to say that Yakuza is back, baby! On this SEGA News Bits, George and Barry react to the news and share their thoughts on both the past and the future of the series. New to Yakuza? Learn just where to start and what games to check out. In the comments below, tell us your thoughts on the news!

If you enjoy our SEGA News Bits segments and want to support us. Give us a sub, if you are already subscribed you can always like the video.

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SEGA News Bits: Streets of Rage and Altered Beast TV & Movie Adaptations Revealed

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On this episode of the SEGA News Bits we talk about The Walking Dead production staff being signed on to handle the TV/movie adaptions of Streets of Rage and Altered Beast. We discuss what this means for Streets of Rage and Altered Beast, how we feel about this move and if we think if any of the media produced out of this deal would be worth watching. But what do you guys think? Do you think Streets of Rage and Altered Beast would work as either a TV show or movie? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

If you enjoy our SEGA News Bits segments and want to support us. Give us a sub, if you are already subscribed you can always like the video.

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Sonic Unleashed preview build released

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bPcl

Sonic Unleashed is seen as one of the biggest 3D entries in the history of Sonic. Whether you like the werehog or not, it brought a massive overhaul to the game design philosophy of Sonic working in the third dimension. The beautiful environments based on real-life locations, fast gameplay and a unique lighting engine all housed under the “Hedgehog Engine” helped achieve a major milestone for fast-paced 3D platformers. Fast forward towards the end of the downer year that is 2016, it has brought us one thing that can shed some meaningful insight on the development of Sonic Unleashed; the release of an Xbox 360 preview build.

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SEGA Talk Podcast #05: Panzer Dragoon (1995)

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We are back with another SEGA Talk podcast, on this episode we take to the skies as we discuss Team Andromeda’s SEGA Saturn classic Panzer Dragoon. Tune in and hear us talk about Panzer Dragoon pushing the rail shooting genre to 3D, its unique art style, full motion CGI and of course its legendary soundtrack. So sit back, hang out and let’s talk some Panzer Dragoon.

[iTunes – Stitcher – Play Music – RSS – Download]

If you want to give us feedback, suggest a topic for the next podcast or want to ask a question for us to answer on the next episode you can add them as a comment below or send theme directly to our email. Make sure you use subject line ‘SEGA Talk’ and as always, thanks for listening!

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SEGA News Bits: First Look at the Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary Art Book

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Cook & Becker’s Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary art book is now up for pre-order, and on this SEGA News Bits George and Barry share their thoughts on the upcoming book. Take a look at several images of the Special Collector’s Edition of the book and learn some details of what we might expect to find in the book.

Are you a Sonic collector with original official art? Contact Cook & Becker as they are looking for potential rarities to include in the book!

If you like our SEGA News Bits segments, make sure you subscribe to us on YouTube. Thanks for watching!

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First look at the official ‘Sonic The Hedgehog 25th Anniversary’ art book from Cook & Becker – available for pre-order

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Thanks to the next-gen art dealers at Cook & Becker, we have a first look at the upcoming Sonic The Hedgehog 25th Anniversary art book via an in-depth gallery of images as well as a full press release. So let’s get down to it! The art book, the first ever official art book and design history for the long running series, encapsulates 25 years of history. The book will be made available in a limited Special Collector’s Edition as well as a Standard Hardcover Edition. The Special Collector’s Edition features an outer box, a special inner sleeve that folds into a display stand for the book and an exclusive newly drawn matted art giclee print by Sonic Team’s Yuji Uekawa. The Collector’s Edition is limited to 2,500 copies and sells for $120/€120 respectively. As a pre-order bonus, Cook & Becker offers a 10% discount on the Collector’s Edition if it is ordered before February 2017. The Standard Edition, meanwhile, retails for $45/€45 and consists of the book itself.

Let’s talk about the book! Officially licensed, the book (310mm H x 275mm W) will feature 200+ pages of images and text, including interviews with key Sonic designers including Yuji Naka, Takashi Iizuka and Yuji Uekawa. As seen in the image gallery below, you can expect to find concept art, promotional art, 3D renders, box art and – as revealed in our recent article – original official art and rare collectibles submitted by fans (pending approval from Cook & Becker and SEGA, of course).

After the break, check out a full press release detailing the book as well as a gallery of several images showing off the ins and outs of the book as well as the Special Collector’s Edition. Don’t forget to pre-order the book today at the official Cook & Becker site!

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Yakuza Kiwami will get a completely fresh translation

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yakuza kiwami translated

It was recently announced that Yakuza Kiwami would be localized and released in the West next Summer in between the release of Yakuza 0 and Yakuza 6. Now, if you’re anything like me, you probably imagined that Sega and their localization partners at Atlus would lean heavily on the original Yakuza‘s 2006 script to finish the game in as swiftly and budget-friendly as possible. Evidently, that’s not so!

Atlus USA Producer Sam Mullen recently responded to fan questions on Twitter concerning the Western release of Yakuza Kiwami and had some surprising news!

With Sega committing to releasing three Yakuza titles in the West in roughly about a year’s time, things are looking up for fans of the franchise. Yakuza Kiwami goes above and beyond in remaking the game, giving it not only a stunning 1080p/60FPS facelift, but using the Yakuza 0 engine as a basis for providing a vastly improved playing experience. All of the original Japanese voices were also recorded again and there’s a ridiculously fun and stupid Majima Everywhere system added in along with so much more.

Yakuza Kiwami is slated for a Summer 2017 release on the PS4 in America and Europe. Don’t forget, Yakuza 0 launches on January 24th, 2017 for both regions as well. Be sure to pre-order both to show Sega you’re thankful for this stunning commitment to the series’ fans in the West!

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SEGA’s Streets of Rage, Altered Beast to be adapted to film/TV with Walking Dead production company

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alteredbeaststreetsofragewalkingdeadSeems that the SEGA established Stories International will be teaming up with The Walking Dead and Fear of the Walking Dead production company ‘Circle of Confusion‘ who has also produced TV titles such as The Talking Dead, Powers, Outcast and Dirk Gently. They have also worked on films such as Spare Parts, American Ultra and Mr. Right. Circle of Confusion also houses executive producer David Engel who produced Straight out of Compton. The interesting part here is that the variety article, where the source comes from, specifically lists Altered Beast and Streets of Rage as the titles that The Walking Dead production company  will be working with.

“These are some of the most well loved SEGA games, and we are thrilled to be working with Stories to adapt them into major film and television franchises,” -Lawrence Mattis, Circle of Confusion producer

If you guys didn’t know, Stories International announced awhile back that they will be making movies or TV show based on SEGA video game franchises including Shinobi with Marc Platt, Golden Axe, Virtua Fighter, The House of the Dead, Rise of Nightmares, and Crazy Taxi. While we have been hearing about these adaptations for years now, we still haven’t seen what it will amount to. Do you think this will turn out to be good for SEGA’s brand? Does having The Walking Dead production company give you confidence? Let us know in the comments below.

[Source: Variety]

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Attention Sonic the Hedgehog collectors: Cook & Becker are looking for rare original official art and collectibles

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c&bartbook

If you haven’t already heard, next-gen art dealers Cook & Becker plan to release a “Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary Art Book”. The book will cover the history of Sonic and will include design sketches, official character illustrations, in-game art, pixel art, rare promotional art and game box art. While SEGA has provided Cook & Becker with many great art assets from the company archives, as is the case with original art spanning 25 years there is always more out there in private collections.

Cook & Becker reached out to us asking if we would ask you, the fans, to lend a hand if you can. As the book enters the final stages of design, there is little under a month left before the window closes on what can appear in the book and we are asking any fans with cool rare retro merchandise, rare original promotional art and rare manual scans to reach out to Cook & Becker via their contact page or email maarten [at] candb.com. Cook & Becker is looking for high res photos and scans of what they may not already have. They will credit anyone in the book that sends in material that gets included. I know, for example, that there is some really great original art from the late SEGA Genesis-era artist Greg Martin in several collections.

It should be noted that Cook & Becker are NOT looking for fan art, only rare and original official pieces of artwork and collectibles. More news on Cook & Becker’s book to come, so stay tuned!

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SEGA Channel Retro: Sonic Riders Retrospective with S0LV0

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Ten years ago the 15th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog left us with a pretty sour taste. But did you know that there was one game that came out to celebrate the heritage with a racing game boasting an extreme attitude, extreme air and some extreme gear. Tune in 7PM Centra/1AM GMT for the livestream of Sonic Riders as the Retro crew and Unleashed Project’s own S0LV0 tour through the game in extreme style!

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