SEGA is considering remaking more Yakuza titles on PS4

PS4YakuzaGamesSeems that Yakuza: Kiwami was a success for SEGA, if you didn’t know Yakuza: Kiwami is a remake of the first entry of the franchise. Sadly the title has only been released in Japan and Asia, but it did so well in that region for SEGA that there might be more remakes hitting the PlayStation 4.

Producer and SEGAbits tan icon Toshihiro Nagoshi during a livestream mentioned how popular Yakuza Kiwami was, so much so that sold half a million units in Japan and Asia that its making SEGA consider various ways to remake Yakuza 2, 3, 4, and even 5 for the PlayStation 4. Yakuza 2 is seriously the crown jewel, story wise, in the franchise and I hope they do remake it (and release it west). I also hope if they do remake it, they don’t destroy the overall serious tone the game had.

In the stream Toshihiro Nagoshi stated that even though Yakuza 6 will have playable characters from previous titles in the series the game is all about Kazuma Kiryu, who is the only real playable hero. No word if SEGA plans on releasing these remakes outside of Japan or Asia. But if Yakuza 0 does well in January 24, who knows.

[Via: DualShockers]

Shenmue game director returns for Shenmue III

Shenmue game director, Keiji Okayasu was just announced as a new production team member for Shenmue III. This announcement is part of their new Kickstarter update, this time giving us a interview with Keiji Okayashu and what he will bring to Shenmue III. Keiji Okayasu describes his ‘game directing’ role as a sub director role with Yu Suzuki being the main director. This will continue with Shenmue III he has confirmed.

Keiji Okayasu talks about how early he was involved on the Shenmue project, saying he was there when it was still the Virtua Fighter RPG for the SEGA Saturn, which is considered pretty early on since it wasn’t even officially Shenmue at that point. I think if you are a old school Shenmue fan, the above interview is pretty interesting to watch since Keiji Okayasu talks about working with Yu Suzuki and how hard it was understanding what he wanted to do with Shenmue at the time. Got to admit, I love that this is how Yu Suzuki is spending Shenmue III’s Kickstarter money, bringing back old team members that made the first two games. Makes me excited to actually see gameplay of Shenmue III in the near future.

SEGA News Bits: Project Sonic 2017 Debut Trailer Reaction & Discussion

During the Sonic 25th Anniversary Party SEGA showed off the Project Sonic 2017 debut trailer which sent shock waves across the interwebs. Why such a huge reaction? Because this Project Sonic 2017 debut trailer is the first look at Sonic Team’s next big Sonic the Hedgehog video game. So join George and Barry as they discuss their thoughts on the Project Sonic 2017 debut trailer and what it means for the future of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Project Sonic 2017 will launch in winter 2017 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo NX, and Windows PC!

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Yakuza 5 going free for PlayStation Plus users in August

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Didn’t pick up Yakuza 5 when it launched late last year? Well, you might be in luck since Yakuza 5 is will be a free PlayStation Plus game for August. That means that the game will be free to download and play, as long as you are subscribed to PlayStation Plus. If you cancel PlayStation Plus, you will no longer have access to Yakuza 5.

But Yakuza 5 isn’t the only game going free in August, so are the following games:

  • Tricky Towers (PS4)
  • Rebel Galaxy (PS4)
  • Retro/Grade (PS3)
  • Patapon 3 (PS Vita)
  • Ultratron (PS Vita, PS3, PS4)

If you have been reading this blog for awhile, you will know that I’m a huge fan of the Yakuza series and I even did a Yakuza 5 review which was mostly nothing but praise for the game. While I rather have people buy the full game when it was out, if you haven’t tried it I would highly suggest giving this a spin. If you like it, make sure to pre-order Yakuza 0 which is set to launch Januray 24, 2017. If we want SEGA to bring more Japanese focused games West, we have to start supporting these type of titles!

Yakuza 0 set to hit the Americas and Europe on January 24, 2017 – pre-order now!

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A press statement from SEGA has just released, detailing the release information for the upcoming western localization of Yakuza 0. The prequel game to the longtime running franchise is set to hit the Americas and Europe on January 24th, 2017 on the Playstation 4  both physically and digitally, and will be priced at $59.99. Show your support for localized games and physical release by pre-ordering Yakuza 0 today! If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you get 20% off the game, which is a pretty sweet deal.

After the break, check out the full press release as well as some new screens.

SEGA News Bits: Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice Hands On Impressions

What’s that? After the big Sonic Mania and Project Sonic 2017 reveals you forgot that Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice was still coming out? I don’t blame you, but this is the first time we got to play the game, so enjoy our hands on Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice preview. Did we like it? Did we hate it? Listen in and find out. Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice comes out this September 17th exclusively to the Nintendo 3DS.

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Puyo Puyo Tsu 3D getting an independent 3DS eShop release

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Puyo Puyo Tsu (or Puyo Puyo 2) is regarded as an arcade classic in Japan, setting the foundation for future titles with it’s fleshed out mechanics. Which is why recently the game received not only a 3D remake on the 3DS, but also made it one of the exclusive titles to SEGA 3D Reprint Archives Vol. 2 (SEGA 3D Classics Collection outside of Japan). That is until recently, where it’s been announced the game will receive an independent version on the eShop, and adding an additional Tournament Mode on top of the base game. This version will release on August 3rd, 2016 for the price of ¥864 ($8.22) in Japan.

Whether or not the similarly exclusive Power Drift 3D or the Master System games will receive an independent release too is currently in the air. No release for outside of Japan is currently announced, but keep an eye out in the near future.

If you want to learn more about Puyo Puyo Tsu 3D, read up on our review of SEGA 3D Classic Collection which includes Puyo Puyo Tsu 3D, and our guide on Puyo Puyo Tsu that talks about how the game works.

[Source: Nintendo Japan]

 

Yakuza 6 to release in Japan on December 8th – Watch the new trailer now!

Released last night is a brand new trailer for the upcoming Playstation 4 game Yakuza 6! The trailer reveals several things including the release date, December 8th, and the price of 8,190 yen. The game’s full title is Yakuza 6: Inochi no Uta which translates to “Poetry of Life”. For those wondering if this is the end of the road for series star Kazuma, the trailer carries the message “The final chapter of the legend of Kazuma Kiryu.” It is unknown if this means the franchise will debut a new hero in subsequent games, or if SEGA plans to put the franchise to rest after this game. Though given how reliant SEGA of Japan are on the franchise, a new hero or more prequel titles like Yakuza 0 are probably more likely.

Check out a large gallery of screens and renders after the break, and let us know your thoughts on the game in our dedicated forum topic or in the comments below!

[Via: gematsu]

SEGA News Bits: Sonic Mania Hands On Impressions

We played Sonic Mania, and now we’re going to tell you what we think! In this SEGA News Bits, George and I (Barry) rest our aching feet just hours after the Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary Party in San Diego to share our reaction to the Sonic Mania reveal and give our thoughts on how the game plays. Do we have another Sonic 4 on our hands or is Sonic Mania the true successor to Sonic 3 & Knuckles? The answers are obviously “nope!” and “hell yes!” in that order.

Special thanks to Neo Hazard for letting us use his footage, you can check out his channel here! Also, thanks to Bartman for being the one to play the game in our footage. You can find Bartman’s YouTube channel here!

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Take a look at SEGA’s Sonic Mania press materials

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Friday night in San Diego at Sonic the Hedgehog’s 25th Anniversary Party saw several reveals, most notably being a brand new 2D Sonic game titled Sonic Mania. George and I were there, and we shared our thoughts on the event itself in a recent SEGA News Bits, with more videos from the event to come. Unfortunately, as is the case with being on location, it’s tricky to news things immediately. Thankfully, we had our website designer Will on writing duty posting up stories as soon as they hit.

Now that the dust has settled, I managed to obtain SEGA’s press materials for Sonic Mania to offer our readers some more details on the game. Per the press release, seen in full after the break, the game is confirmed to have select returning zones from Sonic, Sonic 2, Sonic CD, Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles. This is excellent news, as fans of Taxman and Stealth know full well that Sonic 3 & Knuckles has been a tricky title, likely due in large part to rights disputes over the game’s music. But given that these reimagined stages will have newly composed music by Tee Lopes, new music means no issues.

While we knew who was developing the game, the press release also lays things out in a more official capacity stating that SEGA of America is developing the game in collaboration with PagodaWest Games, Christian “Taxman” Whitehead and Simon “Stealth” Thomley (of Headcannon). Also confirmed is that this will only be a digital release, and will hit PS4, Xbox One and PC. While at the event, we did ask if a physical release was in the cards but SEGA representatives sounded very iffy. Perhaps if fans make some noise we might see one? Also, additional platforms are also possible, but none are being talked about at this time.

Check out the press release and screens after the break!

SEGA News Bits: Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary Party Impressions

Pre-recorded just hours after Sonic the Hedgehog’s 25th Anniversary Party wrapped at the San Diego House of Blues, it’s Barry and George’s first impressions of the night! Hear how the event went down, from the literal all the way around the block line to the game announcements to the final curtain call. How did the audience react to the return of Taxman and Stealth? Why do people faint when they hear the opening guitar licks to Crush 40’s “What I’m Made Of”? Where was the computer room? These questions and more are answered in this very special episode of SEGA News Bits!

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See the first trailer of Sonic in Lego Dimensions

Along with all the other news unveiled at Sonic the Hedgehog’s 25th anniversary party, we got to see the first gameplay of Sonic in Lego Dimensions! The trailer shows Sonic running through Green Hill Zone and other dimensions within the Lego crossover game. It’s also our first glimpse at Super Sonic. Overall, looks really cool. Sonic specific Lego Dimensions content comes out this Fall.

Project Sonic 2017 announced for Holiday 2017 for PS4/XBOX One/NX/PC

Just at the end of the Sonic the Hedgehog 25th Anniversary Party, SEGA had one last surprise. This is Project Sonic 2017, a modern Sonic game being worked on by Sonic Team. It is coming to PS4, XBOX One, PC and NX Holiday 2017! Enjoy the trailer. Holiday 2017 is pretty far away, SEGA is all about quality now though. So the wait will be worth it most likely.

Classic Sonic and Green Hill Zone announced for Sonic Dash

Just a while ago at the Sonic 25th Anniversary event, Sonic Dash, one of SEGA’s popular games for Android and iOS was featured on stage for a bit. Sonic Dash, developed by Hardlight, has hit 200 million downloads, and that isn’t the only news. Green Hill Zone and Classic Sonic were also announced as new content for the game. The new Sonic Dash content will be available to play tonight.

Sonic Mania (Classic Sonic Game) Announced for PS4/XBOX One/PC

At Sonic the Hedgehog’s 25th anniversary party a new Sonic game was finally unveiled! This game is called Sonic Mania and it seems to be a remix of past Sonic games and entirely new levels, made by Christian Whitehead aka Taxman, and Stealth.

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles are all playable and the game comes out in early 2017. It was playable at the Sonic the Hedgehog 25th anniversary event, and will be playable at the upcoming Summer of Sonic. We will update this post when we have more info, in the meantime, enjoy the trailer!