Latest Posts

Super Monkey Ball Bounce now available from the App Store and Google Play

September 4, 2014 by Barry

SEGA has just released Super Monkey Ball Bounce to Apple’s App Store and to Google Play, along with the above launch trailer. The game, which was revealed back in May, received the SEGAbits hands-on treatment in June at a special SEGA mobile event outside E3. Described as “Super Monkey Ball meets Peggle”, Super Monkey Ball Bounce is (as described by our own nuckles87 in his preview) a free-to-play game in which you launch a ball into a 2D course, try to bounce it off of various objects in the environment and hit specific targets marked with stars. There are bumpers and curved surfaces to bounce and roll the ball off of, as well as special “power up” blocks. This game is all about using physics and objects in the environment to hit all the targets before you run out of balls. It’s a fairly simple concept, but a fun diversion.

So if you have an iOS or Android device, give Super Monkey Ball Bounce a try and let us know what you think about it in the comments below!

There’s gonna be a Nintendo Direct that’s all about Bayonetta 2 today

September 4, 2014 by TimmiT

Update: The Nintendo Direct has aired, you can see it above.

If you wanted to see more new stuff of Bayonetta 2, you’ll be able to see a lot pretty soon. Nintendo announced yesterday that they’ll be streaming a Nintendo Direct showing new Bayonetta 2 stuff later today. You’ll be able to watch it here. As for when it will start:

3PM PST
6PM EST
11PM BST
12AM CET on September 5th

This post will be updated when alternative streaming links are available.

My Life with SEGA experiences full-motion video magic in a Digital Pictures double feature

September 3, 2014 by AJ

It’s a very special episode of My Life with SEGA where A.J. Rosa and his girlfriend Erica Winter play through some tried-and-true SEGA CD “classics” produced by Digital Pictures.

First off, Erica is exposed to the horrifically cheesy 1992 panty-raid Night Trap for the very first time. Can she save the airhead teenagers from the dreaded Augers, or will she have to sit this one out in the S.C.A.T. mobile?

Second, A.J. takes the controls in the SEGA Club oddity Kids on Site. Yes, the full-motion video epic that gave youngsters of the 90’s a taste of the fun and exciting world of….construction?!

Grab your tennis racquets and hard hats, kids. It’s gonna’ be a bumpy game!

Like this video? Subscribe to the SEGAbits YouTube channel!

SEGA says Gearbox just as involved with marketing Aliens: Colonial Marines

September 3, 2014 by George

Seems that the drama never stops for SEGA of America and Gearbox Software, continuing with details on a new court filing by SEGA on September 2nd. According to SEGA’s attorney that despite what Gearbox said about them not being responsible with marketing. SEGA disagreed and stated that they had equal part and would sometimes overstepped their boundaries. SEGA went as far to say that they were kept in the dark about certain promotional decisions.

One of these claims is that Gearbox co-founder Randy Pitchford wold go to events and state to the press that the demos where “actual gameplay” which of course is false.

SEGA has already admitted to wrong doing and will pay $1.25 million dollars, Gearbox was allowed to join in with SEGA if they would agree to pay a additional $750,000 in the settlement, but it seems they will continue to fight on. According to Gearbox they operated as a contractor and that SEGA had final word on the game and marketing.

Junaio using dancing Bayonetta in their Augmented Reality app

September 3, 2014 by George

Bayonetta 2 is coming soon and a promotion just started with the augmented reality app called Junaio. If you download it right now you will be able to put a dancing Bayonetta anywhere you take a photo. The app is avalible for iOS and Android.

If you download the fan, hit the search and type ‘bayonetta2’ to get what your looking for. What’s cool is if you put her next to a pole shaped object she’ll do a little pole dancing.

I guess this is a photo contest in Japan, you can find details here.

SEGA Tunes: Propeller Arena’s Shaving Your Life

September 2, 2014 by Nuckles87

I thought it would be best to start out the month with something many of you may have never heard, at least not in a SEGA game. The above track is a little gem from the canceled (and subsequently leaked) SEGA Dreamcast game, Propeller Arena. We’ll be covering the game in more detail later this month, but for now I’d like to talk about the game’s soundtrack.

Propeller Arena’s soundtrack is filled to the brim of punk rock, including nine tracks from five different guest bands. I have to admit that I don’t really care for a lot of it (including many of the AM2 produced tracks), but there are definitely some gems in it that I absolutely love. The above track was composed by a “Mad Caddies”, a band I definitely intend to check out after this. Whenever I’m blasting through the game I usually try to keep it on this and one or two other tracks because it does a great job getting your blood pumping while you’re dogfighting seven other planes over cityscapes, volcanic islands and castle.

Below I’ve included another track that I discovered when I downloaded the game’s OST. I suspect it’s something I need to unlock since I can’t currently find it in the game’s options menu. I also can’t find any info of it online, so I have no idea who made it. Should I ever find out I’ll be sure to give it its own Tuesday Tune, since it is my favorite track in the OST bar none.

Please check out “Welcome to the Promised Land” below the fold.

SEGA Europe to publish Persona 4 Arena Ultimax in Europe, SEGA also publishing in Australia

September 1, 2014 by InTheSky

This NeoGAF topic reported that Persona 4 Arena Ultimax’s (the expansion/sequel to Persona 4 Arena) PEGI classification was recently registered. That registration lists the game’s publisher as SEGA Europe. The move comes across a notable display of the new relationship between Atlus and Sega, fast approaching its first anniversary. Towards the end of May, Atlus took over distribution rights for Persona 4 Arena in Europe from Zen United, delisting the game from PSN in the process. Zen United previously handled distribution of other Atlus games in Europe, including Rune Factory 4 and Persona 4 Arena.

Yakuza Zero’s first trailer shows Kazuma being a bad ass

September 1, 2014 by TimmiT

Toshihiro Nagoshi went on stage at Sony’s TGS press conference to present this trailer of Yakuza Zero, which shows a younger Kazuma Kiryu in the year of 1988 as a debt collector. This is during a time when the economy in Japan was in shambles, which will have an affect on the game’s plot. He also announced that the game will have two playable characters: Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima.

The reveal of this trailer at the conference can be seen here. The game will be coming to Playstation 3 and Playstations 4 during Spring 2015 in Japan.

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The Year of the Console – SEGA Dreamcast month, it’s still thinking

September 1, 2014 by Barry

In nine days, SEGA’s final console the SEGA Dreamcast turns 15 years old in the United States. The Dreamcast is a rare instance in which the US launch overshadows the Japanese launch, thanks to the memorable date of 9/9 and a stellar launch lineup. While Japan had a paltry four games, the US had nineteen which covered just about every major genre. Racing fans had the most options, with CART Flag to Flag, Hydro Thunder, Monaco Grand Prix, Pen Pen Trilcelon, TNN Motorsports Hardcore Heat, Tokyo Extreme Racer, and TrickStyle. While those who prefer their speed in the skies had AeroWings and AirForce Delta.

Persona 5 coming to Playstation 4, has a pretty sweet logo

September 1, 2014 by TimmiT

Sony’s TGS press conference had a big surprise for Persona fans: the upcoming sequel Persona 5 will be coming to Playstation 4 as well as Playstation 3. A new trailer showing the protagonist was also shown. The game will be released at the same time on both platforms in 2015.

Retro Review: Shadow Squadron (SEGA 32X)

August 31, 2014 by Nuckles87

Anyone who thinks the 32X was nothing more than a steaming pile of shit has never played Shadow Squadron. If they had, they’d not only know that the 32X had its share of great titles, they’d know it played host to what was quite easily the best space sim available for fourth generation consoles. It may have paled in comparison to PC sims like Wing Commander and the X-Wing series, but it beat the shit out of anything on the 16-bit consoles.

I think there’s no better way to end 32X month then with a look back at one of the platform’s best titles. Known as Stellar Assault in Europe and Japan, Shadow Squadron was one of the closest things the 32X had to a true killer app during its brief lifespan. Check below the fold as we explore what makes this hidden, forgotten gem so special.

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Play as Akira Yuki in the console version of Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax!

August 30, 2014 by Kori-Maru

Akira Yuki from one of SEGA’s long running franchise, Virtua Fighter, appeared in Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax as the final boss.

Now, you can get a chance to play as the Hakkyoku-ken master in the console version of Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax along with Pai Chan as an support character. In additional news, a complete guide for the game will be released sometime this December with details on every characters moveset.

Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax will be released on November 13, 2014. Hit the jump for artwork of the Virtua Fighters and in-game screenshots.

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Classic SEGA Ads: Doom 32X helps butchers keep their mind off work

August 30, 2014 by Nuckles87

Alright, we haven’t been too kind to SEGA’s marketing campaign for the 32X, so I thought it would be great to end things on a high note: the Doom ad. The Doom ad is fucking awesome, embodying everything that was great about SEGA marketing in those days.

Is it edgy? Yeah. Does it match the tone of the game? Hell yeah. Does it make you want to go out and buy the game? Fuck yeah. Doom was known for being a gory, violent, bloody game, and on the higher difficulties it could be a hell of a meat grinder. Placing it in a slaughter house, with lots of kid friendly gore and even an actual meat grinder? Having butchers who are surrounded by real gore every day talking about how intense the violence in Doom is? Genius. This is an ad that understood its product and knew how to sell it, easily making it the best 32X ad SEGA’s produced. It’s simple, smart and doesn’t get into any of the distracting weirdness or camera mugging of other ads. Most importantly, this ad didn’t just tell, it showed, something every other 32X ad failed to do.

So enjoy, and be sure to tune in next week, as we start taking a look back at a considerably better advertisement campaign for another, more successful SEGA platform…

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Masami Ueda discusses music in Bayonetta 2 and announces OST

August 29, 2014 by Kori-Maru

Masami Ueda, lead composer of Bayonetta 1 & 2, discusses about the music featured in Bayonetta 2. He talks about composing the battle themes with more of a livelier feel than its predecessor. Ueda tries to have the boss themes divided into movements that went with each of the stage and made it a lot harder to find where to smoothly loop the song, but added impact was worth the effort.

He then talks about stages theme as most of them loops, but some are a single song that lasts from start of the stage to its finish. Lastly, he discusses about the theme song to Bayonetta 2 as it has a connection to the moon similar to the previous game’s theme song, “Fly Me to the Moon“.

Most of the composers of the original Bayonetta returned to help out on Bayonetta 2 with 183 songs composed. The Bayonetta 2 OST has also been announced in his blog due to the warm reception of the first game’s soundtrack. Further details on the OST will be revealed later on his blog post. You can check out his latest blog on Platinum Games site here.