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NiGHTS, AiAi, Tangle & Whisper Coming to Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds as Free DLC Characters

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Today, during Sony’s State of Play in Japan, SEGA released a new trailer giving fans a deeper look into the highly anticipated Season Pass content coming to Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds in the coming months.

Players can look forward to racing as familiar characters both from the SEGA universe and beyond including SpongeBob SquarePants, NiGHTS, Tangle and Whisper from the Sonic the Hedgehog comic series, and AiAi from Super Monkey Ball.

Starting next week, fans can compete for first place as SpongeBob and Patrick through a Bikini Bottom themed course! Check out the SpongeBob content in the new trailer here.

Please see below for more details on the upcoming Season Pass content below.

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Kickstarter launched for Bang² Busters 2, a Neo-Geo game sequel for Dreamcast and Neo-Geo

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🐇🐇 Space Bunnies are back on NEO GEO and more!

Bang² Busters 2 expands upon the eccentric, vibrant universe of the original game, while significantly enhancing its core mechanics and scenario

Support the project here 👉 bit.ly/4qp83H0
💚 Free demo available

[image or embed]

— PixelHeart (@pixelheart-eu.bsky.social) October 31, 2025 at 1:02 PM

Just what the Dreamcast needed: Space Bunnies!

The niche Neo-Geo classic from Visco, Bang² Busters (That’s Bang-squared, so “Bang Bang Busters”), is finally receiving an official sequel courtesy of Pixelheart games, a longtime publisher of indie games on Dreamcast. Bang² Busters 2 is being developed for Neo-Geo AES/MVS as well as Sega Dreamcast, but first, the team has turned to Kickstarter to fund the project.

As of this writing, they have 22 days left to raise $40,378 USD and are a little over halfway there. If you’re interested in helping them reach that goal and securing your own copy of the game, check below the break for more info.

UPDATE: Rejoice! The game was successfully funded on November 30th, 2025. They managed to raise $47,527.

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Lost Genesis/Mega-Drive RTS from Sega Technical Institute, Dark Empires, recovered and preserved

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Another unreleased Genesis game long thought lost has now been found and preserved thanks to The Hidden Palace.

Dark Empires, which was being worked on alongside Kid Chameleon at Sega Technical Institute in 1990, got cancelled in order to get the studio to work on Sonic the Hedgehog 2 instead, as we had learned thanks to The Video Game History Foundation back in 2023. While Kid Chameleon made it to store shelves, Dark Empires wasn’t far enough along to get in the hands of Genesis/Mega-Drive owners everywhere. Thankfully, former STI artist Craig Stitt had found a pre-release copy of Dark Empires among his personal archives and shared it with Hidden Palace.

Interested in learning more? You can see more after the break, including the link to download the prototype.

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Sonic Racing Crossworlds launches on Nintendo Switch 2 on December 4th, 2025

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Sonic Racing Crossworlds fans on Nintendo’s ecosystem rejoice. The long awaited Nintendo Switch 2 port of the game finally has a release date: December 4th, 2025.

The game will finally launch for Nintendo’s newest hybrid console digitally first on that date. Physical versions (Which will not be installed on one of the dreaded Game Key-Cards) will come sometime in early 2026. If you have the game on Nintendo Switch already, a $10 upgrade pack will be available to convert your game to the native Switch 2 port, giving you sharper graphics and higher resolutions and framerates not possible in the Switch 1 version even when playing it on a Switch 2 console. Even better, the upgrade pack will be available for 50% off until December 10th.

For fans of Sonic’s Werehog form, you’ll receive the Werehog character DLC, originally a pre-order bonus for all other versions of the game, if you purchase a Day 1 edition of the Switch 2 version’s physical release. If you already have any DLC from the Switch 1 version, including the Werehog, it will remain accessible in the Switch 2 version after upgrading, along with any saved progress you’ve made.

More info on the Switch 2 version of the game is available in Sega’s updated Switch 2 version FAQ page, such as the max resolution and framerate of the game.

Do you already own Sonic Racing Crossworlds on Switch or any other platform? Were you holding out for the Switch 2 version? Let us know in the comments below.

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Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s Ichiban Kasuga is now playable in Sonic Racing CrossWorlds!

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Today, SEGA officially released the free Ichiban Kasuga content for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds! Players can now compete for first place as Ichiban Kasuga, the Hero of Yokohama! The free Ichiban Content Drop includes the following:

  • Ichiban as a playable character
  • Ichiban’s vehicle, the Dragon Brave
  • Special emotes and sounds

Players who own either the Standard (physical or digital) or Digital Deluxe versions of the game will automatically receive the free Ichiban Content Drop. Please ensure that the game is updated to the latest version for the content to be downloaded properly.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds is available now both digitally and physically on PlayStation®5 (PS5®), PlayStation®4 (PS4®), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC starting at $69.99 USD and on Nintendo Switch™, Nintendo Switch™- OLED Model, and Nintendo Switch™ Lite starting at $59.99 USD.

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Sonic Rumble Launches Globally Today On iOS, Android, and PC!

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Sonic Rumble has officially launched worldwide, inviting players to dive into the exhilarating party royale mayhem. Players can now step into Dr. Eggman’s twisted fantasy world where players control toy figures of beloved Sonic the Hedgehog characters.

These miniature heroes and villains are battling it out in a series of treacherous obstacle courses and competitive arenas to see who can collect the most Rings and prove they are number one in the ultimate toybox showdown.

People everywhere can now join the global Sonic Rumble community of over 10 million early ‘Rumblers’ who pre-registered, pre-ordered, wishlisted or downloaded Sonic Rumble in the pre-launch period.

Check out the full press release for Sonic Rumble in the next section of the article!

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First-Ever Persona Live 2026: Awakenings Concert to Debut in Los Angeles

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Attention Persona and ATLUS fans! For the first time ever, SEGA is thrilled to share new details about the highly anticipated musical event that will unite fans of the acclaimed Persona series: Persona Live 2026: Awakenings.

Persona Live 2026: Awakenings is the first U.S. show of the Persona Music Experience series, which includes the full cast from Japan, set to debut at the iconic Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on Saturday, January 24, 2026. The day will include two shows, and the performance will feature live performances by fan-favorite artists including:

  • Lyn Inaizumi: Singer of Persona 5 series
  • Azumi Takahashi: Singer of Persona 3 Reload
  • Lotus Juice: Rapper and vocalist of Persona 3 & Persona 3 Reload
  • Toshiki Konishi: Composer and guitarist from the Atlus Sound Team

Following the success of the Persona Live Tour across Asia, which excited audiences with its high-energy performances and talent, the 2026 Los Angeles shows are eagerly awaited by U.S. fans excited to experience the magic firsthand. These shows give fans the chance to enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience with the music and talent that defined the Persona game franchise.

Key Information:

When: Saturday, January 24, 2026

Where: Dolby Theater, 6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028

Ticket Sales:

Pre-Sale: Wednesday, November 5, 2025 at 10 AM PT

Public On-Sale: Friday, November 7, 2025 at 10 AM PT

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JAKKS Pacific and SEGA of America Renew Global Toy Partnership for Sonic the Hedgehog Merchandise

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Today, SEGA and JAKKS Pacific announced a partnership renewal for the core Sonic the Hedgehog Collection, maintaining JAKKS as the franchise’s lead global toy partner.

JAKKS will continue to design, manufacture, market, and sell Sonic the Hedgehog branded toy product lines worldwide.

This multi-year partnership extends until 2029, allowing JAKKs to continue to design and produce action figures, playsets, vehicles, plush, collectibles, and other categories.

Check out the full press release for more details!

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SEGA Talk #173: Sonic the Hedgehog 8-Bit (1991)

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On this SEGA Talk, we take a look at Sonic the Hedgehog! No, not THAT one… and not THAT one… we’re talking about the one for the Master System and Game Gear! What’s the story behind this 8-bit version of the Genesis classic? What does it do differently? Find out on SEGA Talk!

[iTunes – Stitcher – YouTube – Download]

Support us on Patreon! Get early access, have your memories read on the show, select the games we talk about!

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Enter the World Stage! Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage Now Available!

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SEGA has officially launched Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam with the Nintendo Switch 2 version coming later this Winter.

The game features support for cross-play and rollback netcode, an improved training mode, and the brand-new single player World Stage mode where players will challenge powerful rivals on a solo quest to become the ultimate fighter!

In addition, for the first time since Final Showdown, the enigmatic Virtua Fighter series antagonist Dural is now available as a playable character via a paid DLC.

Current owners of the Steam version of Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. will automatically be upgraded to Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage at no added cost, with no impact on any purchased content. Those who own the PlayStation 4 version of Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown will be able to purchase the PlayStation 5 version of Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O. World Stage at a discount.

Check out further details on the game in the press release below!

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Joker Available To Play Now In Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds; CrossWorlds Surpasses 1 Million Copies Sold!

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Today, SEGA officially released the free Joker content for Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds! Players can now jump in and race alongside Sonic and friends as the leader of the Phantom Thieves, Joker from Persona 5! The free Joker Content Drop includes the following:

  • Joker as a playable character
  • Joker’s vehicle, the Arsène Wing
  • Three new Joker-themed songs added to the Jukebox
  • “Take Over”
  • “Wake Up, Get Up, Get out There”
  • “Victory”
  • Special emotes and sounds

Joker fans will also get to celebrate his arrival with the Joker Festival coming soon, starting October 24 until October 27! Players will get to collect Festival Points during the limited time event to claim exclusive rewards.

In other news, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has surpassed one million copies sold with tremendous accomplishments since release as players have:

  • Raced over 74.5 million times
  • Played in over 31.5 million Grands Prix
  • Played in over 13 million Ranked Matches

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SONIC WEEKLY: Knuckles Omnibus w/ SANGO

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It’s the season 4 finale of SONIC WEEKLY. That’s right, we’re taking another hiatus! But before we do, it’s an extra-sized episode as we crack open the mailbag to answer listener questions, spin the Rings of Saturn, and dive into reviewing Ken Penders’ Knuckles Omnibus vol. 1 with our friend Sango. Stay tuned for Season 5!

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SEGA News Bits Live: Sonic Christmas Ornaments!

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What better time than the Halloween season to look at Christmas ornaments! On this SEGA News Bits Live, Barry takes a look at the many Hallmark Sonic ornaments released over the past years.

If you want to support this type of content, you can check out our Patreon!

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

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SEGA Talk #172: Ristar (1995)

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Back in 1995, SEGA launched one of the Genesis’ brightest hidden gems, Ristar! Born from scrapped Sonic ideas, this star hero grabbed, swung, and headbutted his way through some of the most colorful worlds and catchiest music of the 16-bit era. Today, we’re diving into its wild development, planets, bosses, and lasting legacy!

[iTunes – Stitcher – YouTube – Download]

Support us on Patreon! Get early access, have your memories read on the show, select the games we talk about!

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New visual coding program for Genesis/Mega-Drive, MD Engine, coming soon

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Look. I get you, Sega fans. You saw all these cool new homebrew games for Genesis/Mega-Drive coming out and you wanna make a game just like those, but you don’t know how to write code for Genesis. Thankfully, Two Black Cats have got you covered.

MD Engine is a new visual coding program made for easy development of games for Sega Genesis. A visual coding program, much like Game Maker or Clickteam Fusion, allows for the development of video games with an interface that allows for you to build a game with visual assets and menus without having to rely so much on writing code. With this, and a bit of patience and inspiration, you should be able to make your very own new Genesis games without having to write one line of code.

MD Engine was made as a fork of GB Studio, an open source visual coding program for making games for Nintendo’s Game Boy (Color) handheld. It uses much of the same interface and menus, so MD Engine should look familiar to anyone who has worked in GB Studio. However, MD Engine touts some extra special features that are not available even with GB Studio, such as exporting your game as a special PC or HTML5 game with extra features not possible on Genesis, such as a widescreen visual mode and CRT visual filters. Of course, if you just want to make a game ROM that can play on Genesis consoles or in Genesis emulators, you can do that as well.

Be sure to take a dive past the break to find out more about how MD Engine could help you make the Genesis game of your dreams.

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