Sonic the Hedgehog Co-Creator Yuiji Naka Blasts Yu Miyake in Square Enix Shakeup

Looks like there’s some drama brewing on Twitter! Yuji Naka, fresh off his legal dust-up with Square Enix, isn’t exactly stoked about their recent employee shuffle. Apparently, the longtime Dragon Quest producer heading to mobile games ruffled some feathers. But hey, at least the new president seems alright in Naka’s eyes! I guess there’s always a silver lining, even in the land of corporate musical chairs.

Below is a tweet on Yuji Naka’s thoughts on Yu Miyake’s internal transfer within Square Enix:

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Review: Sonic the Hedgehog X IHOP Menu – Blueberry pancakes and onion rings are a winning combination!

Sonic the Hedgehog speeds his way back into restaurants with a Sonic themed menu at IHOP (aka The International House of Pancakes), and SEGAbits was there to sample Sonic’s offerings! Longtime readers of the site might know I have an affinity for Sonic food promotions, so much so that I dedicated a YouTube series to chronicling past promotions. When SEGA emailed me to tell me about the limited time menu, I had to make plans to visit my local IHOP to see how the promotion was rolled out.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters physical soundtrack available at Limited Run Games

Cowabunga! The final TMNT soundtracks are finally available to pre-order from Limited Run Games now. The rounds of pre-orders cap off with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (1993) soundtracks. These soundtracks all contain the music from the Genesis/Mega-Drive version of the game, as well as the SNES and NES versions of the game too. Like all the other TMNT soundtracks before it, including the one for The Hyperstone Heist that was up for pre-order last month, this comes in cassette tape ($14.99 USD), CD ($24.99), and vinyl record options ($59.99), plus there will be 1,000 optional “Green Ooze” edition vinyl soundtracks you can order if you want (and if you’re fast enough). The vinyl and CD versions of the soundtrack even come decorated with the box art from the Japanese version of the Mega-Drive game.

We only talked about this and the Hyperstone Heist soundtracks because these are the two soundtracks relevant to Sega, so if you wanted any of the others and didn’t pre-order already, then don’t panic. Those may hopefully be available at certain online retailers after those soundtracks have finished production. This is actually true for many games produced by Limited Run Games, which go up for sale at retailers like Video Games New York, Video Games Plus, PNP Games, and even Best Buy. Contrary to popular belief, scalpers are not your only recourse if you miss the pre-order window for anything from Limited Run Games, but you have to keep your eyes open.

Now that that’s out of the way, check in after the break for links to pre-order directly from Limited Run Games, the path of least resistance. Remember, you have until May 5th, 2024 to pre-order this way.

SEGA Talk #137: Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love (2005)

Calling all Imperial Combat Revue fans! This week on the SEGA Talk podcast, we’re setting a course for 1920s New York City in the unforgettable Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love. We’ll dive deep into the tactical RPG combat and charming visual novel romance that make this game a unique gem. Join us as we discuss piloting giant steam-powered mechs, building relationships with the captivating heroines of the Flower Division, and facing off against a dastardly villain who threatens the world!

[iTunes – Stitcher – YouTube – RSS – Download]

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

Homebrew Saturn port of X-Men arcade gets updated demo, adding 3-player co-op and playable Storm

Remember the homebrew port of the 1992 X-Men arcade game for Sega Saturn being worked on by hotrodx? They just came out with an all-new version of their demo adding Storm to the playable roster, as well as 3-player co-op and a new 2nd stage.

Might as well cut to the chase. Check in past the break for info on the update as well as a download link.

Sega Genesis Mini 3 announced for North America and Japan exclusively; Details and first 10 games revealed (April Fools)

Sega, out of nowhere, just announced their newest mini console and successor to the Sega Genesis Mini 2. The Sega Genesis Mini 3 will be releasing on October 16th, 2024 exclusively in North America and Japan (Sorry, Europe, but you better get ready to import.) Unlike the previous two Genesis Mini plug-and-play consoles, this console will release in the exact same condition both in North America and Europe, as the Majesco-built Genesis 3 console was released originally only in North America. This means the console will have the exact same game lineup worldwide and will be known as the Genesis Mini 3 even in Japan.

At the same time, Sega have revealed that the console will include 50 games while also revealing what the first 10 games will be. Like with the previous two Genesis Minis, more games will be revealed gradually throughout the year before the console’s retail release. To find out what the first ten games are, check in after the break while containing your excitement.

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Sega announces a 99% stock purchase of Nintendo (April Fools)

In a move that shook the entire video game industry, Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. have announced that they have purchased a 99% share of Nintendo. Yes, that Nintendo. SegaSammy president and CEO Haruki Satomi have announced their near total takeover of Sega’s former console war nemesis late yesterday, March 31st, 2024, for exactly one billion yen.

So what is keeping Sega from acquiring the remaining 1% of Nintendo? Check in past the break to find out.

Engineer discovers “Blue Sky Burn-In” issue, prevalent with all Sega games; issues precautions (April Fools)

 

I don’t wanna alarm you, Sega fans, but I must inform you that Sega games have, for many decades, been damaging our eyes and our TV sets all along. A shocking discovery was just made by retro game engineer Salporoifl of an issue in which all Sega games, with the exception of any Atlus games pre-SegaSammy acquisition, can potentially burn a perpetual blue tint into your TV, monitor, or even your eyesight, if left playing for too long. Salporoifl has called this issue the “Blue Sky Burn-in” effect. (This also includes any Sega games not published by Sega, such as Streets of Rage 4) If you’re too careless in your Sega gaming sessions, blue, blue skies will be all you see.

Precautions have already been figured out, so check in after the break to find out how you can protect yourself and your displays.

Sonic Rumor Roundup: Sonic Toys Party leaks and whispers of Sonic Heroes remake

It seems these days, unless you’re constantly on social media and following a handful of oddly named accounts with shadowy account owners, you’re probably not going to be clued into what Sonic rumors are swirling around. Heck, even I had to crosscheck most of the stuff dropping this week as it seemed news was leaked and then dispelled within a few hours from the same people. So what is going on in the world of Sonic?

Jakks Pacific reveals first wave of Walmart exclusive SEGA action figures featuring Streets of Rage, Super Monkey Ball and Altered Beast

SEGA has been slowly dropping reveals of new SEGA action figures from Jakks Pacific on social media, and thanks to SEGA employee Mike Cisneros it has been confirmed that the first wave of figures has been fully revealed. Releasing exclusively at Walmart stores, the characters are Axel Stone from Streets of Rage, Aiai from Super Monkey Ball and the Werewolf transformation from Altered Beast. In addition to multiple points of articulation, the figures will also come packed with accessories. While Axel has seen a premium figure released featuring his Streets of Rage 4 look, the upcoming figure from Jakks Pacific is the first time (to my knowledge) that his original Genesis/Mega Drive look has been given a figure. Aiai, meanwhile, is no stranger to action figures, as he and some of his monkey friends had figures released by GamePro and JoyRide Studios around 20 years ago. The Werewolf form from Altered Beast has seen statues and vinyl toys, but this would be his first action figure release.

We should be seeing these at stores and hopefully online in the coming weeks, and if they sell well enough we should see a wave two! In the comments, let us know what SEGA characters you’d like to see in action figure form!

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SEGA Talk #136: SEGA World – International (1990s)

This episode we take another week off from games to talk about theme parks, specifically the short lived ‘SEGA World’ range of theme parks that went on from the UK to South Korea!

[iTunes – Stitcher – YouTube – RSS – Download]

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

SEGA appoints former Disney exec Justin Scarpone as new executive to lead global transmedia strategy

It looks like SEGA wants to increase their global presence, as they just recently announced former Walt Disney executive Justin Scarpone as the Executive Vice President, Head of Global Transmedia Group for SEGA effective April 1st, 2024. Justin is probably most well known for launching a little indie title known as Kingdom Hearts. Between the Sonic movies and the New Energy, New Era lineup of video game revivals, it looks like SEGA is serious about expanding their presence. Welcome to the team, Justin. Word of advice: don’t talk to Sonic fans on social media.

After the break, check out the full press release!

Red vs. Blue – Sonic X Angry Birds mobile event sees the two franchises cross paths in multiple games

It finally happened. Sonic and Angry Birds are teaming up for a mobile crossover event! Five mobile games – Sonic Forces, Angry Birds 2, Sonic Dash, Angry Birds Dream Blast, and Angry Birds Friends – will feature new events where Sonic and the Angry Birds characters cross paths. Characters from both franchises join forces in these events to defeat Dr. Eggman and the Pigs. The Sonic and Angry Birds Mobile Crossover Event is happening now from March 14 to March 21 on both iOS and Android platforms.

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SEGA Announces Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop; Launches April 4th Exclusively On Apple Arcade!

Today, SEGA has announced that another entry to their iconic matching puzzle themed franchise, Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop, will be making its way exclusively to Apple Arcade. The mobile title will have the cherished classic gameplay on the go for new and veterans alike with tons of fun features including:

  • Single Player & Multiplayer Modes (Endless, Lesson, Online)
  • 24 Playable Characters
  • All-new Voice casted Story
  • Optional Rules (Puyo Puyo 2 or Puyo Puyo Fever)
  • Additional Rules & Characters in future updates.

Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop will be available exclusively for Apple Arcade on April 4th.

 

Celebrating the SEGA Dreamcast Legacy: Join the Newgrounds Dreamcast Collab!


Artwork by @inksaji on Twitter

Are you an artist or animator who grew up with the SEGA Dreamcast and its games, such as Sonic Adventure, Shenmue, and Power Stone? Look no further! A group of SEGA Dreamcast fans, led by shleptboi, is gathering to create the ultimate collab on Newgrounds to celebrate the legacy of the console and its video games. They’re seeking tons of talent for the project, whether you’re an artist, animator, musician, voice actor, etc.

Currently, the project has over 200 artists/animators contributing and continues to grow. You can join in on the collaboration as well. Be sure to read the guidelines for the project and check the spreadsheet to see how you can contribute. The deadline for the Newgrounds Dreamcast Collab is June 2nd, so don’t miss out on sharing your love and favorite memories of the Sega Dreamcast! We’re excited to see how the project turns out!