Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse E3 trailer shows off SEGA’s re-imagining of a classic!


 
SEGA’s latest trailer for Castle of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse shows off even more gameplay of the upcoming SEGA remake of the SEGA Genesis classic. This time, SEGA promises a mix of old and new, with recognizable layouts and brand new gimmicks. Check out that playing card vortex! Admittedly, the CG scenes aren’t all that great, but in the end it’s the gameplay that counts.

Stay tuned to SEGAbits for E3 coverage, we’ll make sure to give our gameplay impressions of Castle of Illusion and ask SEGA our burning questions.

More Bayonetta 2 screens arrive – Are U ready to dance?

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Nintendo’s press site just released a load of new screens from Bayonetta 2. Like the recent Sonic screens, a majority comes from what we’ve already seen in video form. However, the screens are big and crisp and full of details that fans are sure to pour over for the coming months. Bayonetta 2 is due out sometime in 2014.

After the break, more screens than you can shake a broomstick at. Due to the file type, the usual gallery mode was not working. So I’ve simply posted all the screens full size. Those with slow internet beware.

Feast your eyes on these Mario & Sonic 2014 and Sonic Lost World screens

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Via Nintendo’s press site comes a ton of new screens from Sonic Lost World for Wii U and 3DS as well as Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games for Wii U. Seen in the screens are the stages SEGA’s Aaron Webber revealed on IGN late last week. However, it is great to see them nice and crisp in the new screens. Mario & Sonic reveals… not as much. However, it does give a good look at our first HD entry to the series.

After the break, enough screens to make your head spin!

Sonic Lost World gets a release date [Update: it doesn’t], The Deadly Six get names

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Via GoNintendo comes Nintendo’s E3 press release, which features a bit of information important to Sonic fans: the release date of Sonic Lost World for Wii U and 3DS. That date? According to the press release, October 13th. Update: Seems GoNintendo goofed up. In copy and pasting the press release, the formatting was thrown off and the Skylanders release date was assigned to Sonic. Still Holiday 2013. Oh, but read on for the names of the Deadly Six!

Another notable bit of news is the reveal of the names of The Deadly Six. Thanks to Nintendo, we have a ton of assets from Sonic Lost World. While we compile the screens in a seperate news piece, please enjoy a Deadly Six roll call after the break.

Check out Bayonetta’s new look in 30 images from Bayonetta 2


 
The latest Nintendo Direct has finished, and the biggest reveal (outside the usual Nintendo properties) was a new trailer and gameplay video of Bayonetta 2 from Platinum Games. Despite SEGA having limited involvement in the sequel, as far as we know they are only involved as the IP holders, this was too cool not to share. Bayonetta 2 is set for a 2014 release. Also on show during the event was Sonic Lost World for Wii U and 3DS, though little new was seen. Another Super Smash Bros. was shown off, but Sonic was nowhere to be found. Another certain blue mascot did appear, however.

After the break, check out 30 images from the stream as well as the full stream itself! Bayonetta 2 appears at the 29 minute mark.

Yu Suzuki turns 55 years old today. Happy Birthday to Yu!

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Yu Suzuki turns 55 years old today. Yu Suzuki is known for his many arcade titles like After Burner, Out Run and many others. The thing is, Yu Suzuki is a big part of how SEGA became the company it was famous for. Yu Suzuki delivered huge hits before Sonic Team ever existed and most of those titles stand the test of time. The man created driving games, took us to the Fantasy Zone and even laid out the foundation for 3D fighters. Have I mentioned Shenmue? Just check out the twitter and facebook fans demanding SEGA to finish off the trilogy.

Any way you slice it, Yu Suzuki is a huge part of SEGA and since SEGA is a huge part of my life, so is Mr. Suzuki! Just want to say happy 55th birthday and hopefully there are many more to come.

SEGA Memories: My First E3

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There is nothing quite like your first E3. Before I first went to E3 back in 2010, the event seemed like this wondrous and mythical place, like Narnia. A place that you read about and see pictures of, but never a place you actually go to. In 2010, thanks in part to some incredibly good luck, spurred on by a personal loss that made me decide to go out and see the world, I stepped through the wardrobe and raced off to something I had been dreaming about going to since middle school, but never in a million years thought I would be able to actually see.

It all started just a few weeks before the event. I had just lost someone dear to me and I was anxious to find something to do with myself. That’s when Sharky contacted me and told me that SEGA was interested in inviting SEGAbits to E3, but no one on the site would be able to attend. SEGAbits had caught my interest a few months after its debut, but I had decided not to apply for because I knew I wouldn’t be able to write for it regularly. After hearing  that they might be getting an invite to E3, I jumped at the chance and offered myself up as a part time writer and as someone who could cover E3 for them. I quickly wrote up a review of House of the Dead: Overkill, and kept my fingers crossed that it would pan out. Unfortunately, it didn’t. SEGA had sent out the industry passes to other people, and I resigned myself to being a faraway spectator of E3 again. No big deal, this was how these things normally worked out anyway.

Sonic Talk Episode #21: Tracy Take Two

It may have taken several more weeks and one more recording session than expected, but we’ve finally got Tracy Yardley on Sonic Talk! As they say, good things come to those who wait, and that is definitely true for anyone who was looking forward to this. No need to skip through to the interview either, as we have Tracy Yardley! for the entire show, so just sit back and enjoy. Or not. We won’t judge you.

Today, in addition to the Yardley interview, we (sorta) discuss Sonic coming to the Ouya, the Sonic Lost World game play trailer, finally having a 3D Sonic game on a handheld, and the fact that the third Sonic game is in fact not coming this year.

Check out the high res version of a special piece of art Tracy did for us below. If you want a chance to commission him for a piece of SEGA art, you can enter into our SEGAbits Summer of Art Contest.

IGN and Aaron Webber reveal Sonic Lost World Wii U and 3DS gameplay footage!

IGN.com and SEGA brand manager Aaron Weber have just revealed a ton of gameplay footage from the Wii U and 3DS versions of Sonic Lost World. The footage features Aaron’s handy commentary, telling fans what to expect in Sonic’s next adventure. So what are you waiting for? Check out the video above as well as the three after the break and share your thoughts in the comments section.

Announcing the SEGAbits Summer of Art Contest!

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SEGA has created some of the most beautiful games and iconic characters that gaming has ever seen. As such, SEGAbits would like to celebrate SEGA’s legacy of creativity with the Summer of Art contest! We will be taking submissions from across the world from fans expressing their SEGA passion! Not only will we be taking art, we will also be taking poems, original music and short videos! The more creative and passionate, the better! Just, you know, don’t get weird.

The contest will run until July 15th. The winner will receive:

  • A set of Jet Set Radio pins, given out by SEGA during PAX East and E3 2012
  • A set of Valkyria Chronicles 2 pins, given out by SEGA exclusively at PAX Prime 2010
  • A Jet Set Radio music CD
  •   A copy of the Valkyria Chronicle Design Archive
  •   A free commission of a SEGA character drawn by Archie Sonic the Hedgehog artist Tracy Yardley
  •   A free SEGAbits t-shirt

Select pieces of art and music will also be entered into our banner art rotation and featured in Tuesday Tunes.

Four runner-ups will also be receiving Valkyria Chronicles 2 pins and Jet Set Radio pins.
To help inspire you, SEGAbits will be posting an article full of concept art every Sunday! If we get enough submissions, we may also post some samples of what we’ve been receiving. Continue reading for guidelines on what will be accepted and how we will be taking submissions. We may be updating this contest with additional prizes as they become available. Stay tuned!

Sonic CD & Sonic 4 heading to Ouya

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The Android powered, crowd funded indie console Ouya will be receiving optimized ports of Sonic CD and Sonic 4 Episodes I & II on June 27th, SEGA revealed today. These three games mark the first time SEGA has supported the console, and at the moment these are the only games currently planned for Ouya. When talking to Game Industry.biz, SEGA of America’s director of mobile business David Zemke had this to say about other titles heading to the platform.

“At this time, that’s what we have planned,” he said. “We’re always looking for other titles and there may be some future titles that we’d like to bring over. For us, we’re always trying to bring the best gaming experience to the right platforms. It’s a delicate mix of how and when to do it.”

These games will go on sale for $6.99 each, though it will be possible to download these games for free beforehand and play the first few levels. Will this mark the beginning of wider support from SEGA for the platform? We will just have to wait and see.

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F heading West

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After months of teasing and testing the waters, The SEGA Blog has revealed that Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F will be receiving a Western release. The game is set for an August 2013 release on PlayStation 3 and Playstation Network in North America, and in Europe on Playstation Network. So no physical copy for European fans, unfortunately. Still, Miku fans finally get a Western console release so beggars can’t be choosers – unless you’re living in America.

The SEGA Blog post details Miku’s popularity in the West, citing over 950,000 English speaking fans on Facebook, the Nokia Theater concert selling out, and the time when SEGA asked fans to like and share an image of Miku and in less than three days the post received over 25,000 likes and 15,000 shares. Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F will also be getting a demo, which will be available on June 11th for the U.S. and June 12th for Europe.

Slightly off topic: Remember when Sumo Digital stated that SEGA had approved a DLC racer for Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, and Miku was second to Ryo Hazuki? Given that Miku now has a Western presence, could Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Miku DLC be planned to release alongside Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F? We’ll have to wait and see…

Read the full press release after the break!