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My Life with SEGA reviews the AtGames Genesis Console

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For many SEGA fans, the Genesis was their first SEGA console. In North America, it was easily the most successful system released by the then 49-year old company. Sonic the Hedgehog made his debut on the 16-bit juggernaut, followed by a string of classics, such as Streets of Rage, ToeJam & Earl, Comix Zone and Vectorman…. just to name a few.

Now, 25 years later, the Genesis is now a cherished memory of our gaming history. Many of its games have ported to several current-generation gaming consoles, like the PS3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. In addition, there have been countless “cloned” Genesis consoles from RetroGen and AtGames. These are typically cheaply made, easy on the wallet, come with several built-in classic games and they’re fuckin’ EVERYWHERE! I’m not even kidding. I’ve found them book stores as well as Bed, Bath & Beyond. In fact, that’s where I purchased mine. Now, why would I buy one of these things? I have a CDX and a Model 1 Genesis. I certainly don’t NEED another Genesis. Why blow another $40 on something that undoubtedly wind up collecting dust in my closet? It’s simple, watch the video.

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First 4 Figures Akira Yuki statue pre-order goes live

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Another First 4 Figures statue in the SEGA All-Stars line, Akira Yuki of Virtua Fighter fame, is now available for pre-order and is priced at $184.99. Teased last week, Akira has been revealed to be limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide and First 4 Figures have said that if you have the first in the series (Ryo Hazuki) and have been authenticated on their website, you will be entitled to receive the same number piece for Akira. First 4 Figures have also shared that the statue will be 11 inches in height and is set to release in the third quarter of 2014.

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Editorial: Sonic Lost Identity? Why Sonic should branch out, but why he should remain true to himself

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There’s little doubt that Sonic has, against all odds, cemented his place in the gaming landscape.

There was a time, and it was a time that I’m sure many reading this will remember, when Sonic existed exclusively on SEGA platforms. He was the face of the company: the representation of an edgier and more daring console competitor, and, in many ways, the total opposite of his rival, the mascot representing those other systems.

With SEGA’s exit from the hardware business, it was only a matter of time before this would all shift. Sonic Adventure 2, a game developed without any intention of ever being released on a Nintendo platform, was nevertheless met with incredibly warm reception among the Nintendo fanbase when it debuted on the Gamecube roughly eight months after its Dreamcast release. And rather then fading away like many mascots of old, Sonic was, in a sense, reborn to an entirely new audience.

It’s sometimes easy to worry about Sonic remaining true to himself, especially as he and his games have taken on several incredibly different forms over the years since. With the latest rumor that we’ll have a new Sonic game next year, I think it makes sense to look ahead at where we all think the hedgehog should be going. I’m definitely excited to see what plans SEGA has for the blue blur; it’s my hope that Sonic can continue to evolve and change while at the same time never leaving behind the essence of what defined him all those years ago.

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RUMOR: Atlus to bring Yakuza 5 to the West! [UPDATE]

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Update: Barry here. We have a bit of more news regarding this rumor. While EGM says one thing, a NeoGAF member says another. User jschreier shared the following:

I just asked a couple Atlus USA folks and they haven’t heard anything about this. FWIW. Seems pretty unlikely to me – they’re not a big company and they just announced like 4 new Persona games.

Original story: According to the latest issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly, Q-Mann (that’s their rumor guy) states that Atlus may be currently working on localizing Yakuza 5 to the West. With news of Sega giving Atlus some free reign when it comes to their IP’s and Atlus having a great localization team, this doesn’t seem so far fetched. Am I hyped? Check above the comments section and see.

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New Sonic the Hedgehog game due in 2015 for Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Wii U

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The toy company Jazwares featured an interesting sign at last week’s Nuremberg toy fair. As reported by The Sonic Stadium, the sign charts the future of the Sonic brand including the reveal that 2015 will see the release of a new Sonic game for the Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Wii U. Little else is revealed, but the lack of Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 may be a sign that Sonic’s days on those platforms have come to an end. Also interesting, no sign of the supposed third exclusive Wii U Sonic title. Either it is still on the way, and has yet to be revealed, or the upcoming 2015 is that third title and the deal with Nintendo has since changed. More on Sonic 2015 adventure as we hear it!

Also detailed is the upcoming CG cartoon series Sonic Boom, however none of the information is new.

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Classic SEGA Ads: Yes, every SEGA CD can change into a woman

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I’d like to introduce all of you SEGAbits’ latest feature: SEGA Saturday Morning Ads. This feature will take a look back at SEGA’s advertisements, their admen and their context in SEGA’s history. Today, we take a look at one of the most intense infomercials I’ve ever seen: SEGA Europe’s Mega Drive/Mega CD infomercial from 1993, released via VHS in the UK just as the MEGA CD was finally making its way across the Atlantic.

I first saw this infomercial back in 2002 when I was researching the SEGA CD and considering a purchase. The moment I downloaded and watched this commercial…I knew I had to have a SEGA CD. It just looked so awesome! I had no idea what the hell Make My Video was or how the hell it was a game, but I just wanted to play it immediately!

Of course, most of the SEGA CD games in this commercial ranged from barely mediocre to utter trash, but the fact that it got this reaction from me in 2002 should speak volumes of this infomercial’s sheer quality, from its sound, to its script, to its cinematography. Making someone lust for ten year old hardware and terrible FMV games? That is a quality piece of advertisement my friend. Unfortunately good ads aren’t always enough, and in the case of the SEGA CD, they weren’t enough to get more then 60,000 UK consumers to buy the peripheral at its £269.99 price tag.

Sit back, turn up your speakers and play this ad on full screen. Just be forewarned: you will want a SEGA CD after this.

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First Impressions: ‘Redux: Dark Matters’ for the SEGA Dreamcast

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First of all, hello! The Gagaman here. You may remember me from such films websites as the Dreamcast Junkyard, Sega Memories and Lucky Hit. Shameless plugs aside, I’m humbled to become a contributor here on Sega Bits and hope to bring you guys some fancy-pants articles in the future, hopefully not too riddled with typos.  For now though: Look!

Being the first successfully crowd funded Dreamcast indie game released, Redux: Dark Matters is finally here after two years of development, sent to me in the post yesterday morning. Has this kickstarted shmup been worth the wait and the cash? Read on to find out…

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Demon Tribe iOS to shut down March 31, 2014 – four months after Western launch

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Despite launching in late November of last year for the West, and in late February last year in Japan, SEGA has made the decision to shut down services for the iOS title Demon Tribe on March 31, 2014. The announcement, made on Facebook and detailed on Demon Tribe’s website, stated the following:

Since we began service in Japan on February 28, 2013, we have put every effort into improving the game’s systems and operations, and providing enjoyable in-game events. Unfortunately, at this point we are unable to continue to give Demon Tribe the support it deserves. After careful consideration of all aspects of the needs of our players and the game’s development, we have arrived at the very difficult decision to end game services in all territories.

The development and operations teams are very grateful to all our players who have enjoyed and supported Demon Tribe, and we look forward to sharing future adventures with you.

In an FAQ following the announcement, the reason for service ending was “We are unable to provide a satisfactory level of service for our players, and have had to make the very difficult decision to end service.”

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SEGA has announced 2014’s Virtua Fighter tournament – the “SEGA CUP”

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SEGA of America is once again hosting a Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown tournament in the form of the “SEGA CUP”. The tournament, created in partnership with Alex Valle and Level|Up, is set to take place in Los Angeles, California at the Super Arcade on April 26, 2014 and The top 16 players will be rewarded cash prizes. The PS3 version will be the version used for the tournament, so start training those fingers on a DualShock!

SEGA says that details about how to participate in the “SEGA CUP” will be announced at a later date. For more information on the “SEGA CUP”, visit sega.com/segacup

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Xbox’s Fable was originally to release on SEGA Dreamcast

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Examiner.com shared an interesting bit of news today regarding the early development of Xbox’s Fable. According to Fable Anniversary Lead Designer Tim Timmins, the game was originally intended for the SEGA Dreamcast. In a recent interview with Examiner, Timmins revealed that he learned this during recent discussions with Prima Games, who were handling Fable‘s strategy guide at the time the game originally released. “Did you know that Fable was originally going to be a Dreamcast game, before the Xbox came along?” Timmins told Examiner, “There was also supposed to be a boss fight with a boss that was about 50 feet tall that mirrored your every move.”

These sorts of stories shouldn’t be new to SEGA fans, as several SEGA developed games in the early Xbox era were initially planned to be Dreamcast titles, including ToeJam and Earl 3 and Jet Set Radio Future. Still, it’s interesting to hear that one of Microsoft’s big titles could have appeared on the Dreamcast had the past gone in a different direction.

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First 4 Figures teases Virtua Fighter Akira Yuki statue

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First 4 Figures is at it again, teasing another statue in their SEGA All-Stars line. Shenmue‘s Ryo Hazuki was just recently released, and Vyse of Skies of Arcaida has been teased. Now, a new challenger approaches in the form of Virtua Fighter Akira Yuki! No additional information has been given, but it’s safe to say that pre-orders will go live sometime this year and the price will likely be in line with Ryo Hazuki – which sells for between $169.99 and $184.99. When we learn more, we’ll be sure to share it!

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SEGA in the Charts: MediaCreate Charts Jan 20 – Jan 26 2014

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SEGA’s latest dance rhythm title Utakumi 575 has entered the Japanese chart at 13th selling 9,701 units, managing to sell between 40% – 60% of the initial shipment sent to retailers (Roughly between 16,168 – 24,252) Considering the push SEGA is giving the title (Complete with an animated series that has been airing from January 8th this year) it is no doubt selling well below SEGA’s expectations. SEGA would be hoping that they could enjoy stronger sales in the coming month from their software. With Project Diva f 2nd, Ryu Ga Gotoku Ishin and Phantasy Star Online 2 Episode 2 on the horizon, SEGA should hopefully make up for the failure of their latest stab at the dance rhythm genre.

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Yakuza Ishin Japanese tv spots released

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SEGA has released two 16 second ad spots for their upcoming PS3/PS4 game, Yakuza Ishin. These J-pop infused spots showcase Ishin’s slick PS4 graphics, game play and storyline, pumping Japanese gamers up for its impending release on  February 22nd. There is currently no word on whether or not Ishin will be localized for the West.

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Swingin’ Report Show #54: SEGA Retro Talk with GameSpot editor Peter Brown

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The SEGAbits Swingin’ Report Show is back for 2014, and boy do we have a good show for you!

SEGAbits editor/writer Barry the Nomad and SEGAbits writer, Sonic Talk host, and Sonic Stadium writer Jason aka Shigs are joined by GameSpot editor Peter Brown for a retro themed round table discussion. Peter shares how he got into video game journalism and gives us his thoughts on the Xbox One’s Panzer Dragoon spiritual successor Crimson Dragon – which he officially reviewed for GameSpot. We also discuss the many SEGA consoles celebrating anniversaries this year and share some good ol’ SEGA memories. Listen today, and while you’re at it subscribe to us and rate us on iTunes!

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