Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Creator, Juro Watari, leaves SEGA

Cyber Troopers Virtual-On creator, Juro Watari, recently made an announcement on his personal Twitter that he has resigned his position at SEGA by the end of February and said that he is grateful of everyone who took care of him during his time at the company and offers his sincerest appreciation. In the next set of tweets, Watari-san said that his future is unclear and hopes that he could find a new workspace with an interesting theme that he can pour his heart into with guidance and encouragement. As a final supplement, Watari-san said that there were not any troubles that led to his resignation.

As for the future of the Cyber Troopers Virtual-On series, Watari-san said,

“I imagine many of you may be worried about, ‘What happens to Virtual-On?’ While I’m sorry to say that I don’t have an answer for you right now, if there are any developments at SEGA in the future, I would like to watch with anticipation how it plays out alongside everyone.”

If you are curious to check out Cyber Troopers Virtual-On series, you can checkout the first game on Yakuza Kiwami 2 which is now available for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and Steam as well as Cyber Trooper Virtual-On: Oratorio Tangram on Xbox Live Marketplace.

[Sources: Gematsu, Game Talk]

Panzer Dragoon II Zwei: Remake to Launch This Year

Last  year was the launch of the first Panzer Dragoon: Remake. While the game had issues when it first launched on Nintendo Switch, publisher Forever Entertainment actually went in and fixed the game through updates. Later we got PlayStation, Xbox and PC versions with higher resolutions.

Now the Panzer Dragoon: Remake twitter account has confirmed that Panzer Dragoon II Zwei: Remake is coming this year:

Forever Entertainment is also doing a remake of House of the Dead 1 & 2, but we still haven’t gotten updates on that. I guess one game at a time.

Sonic Boom Season 1 Blu-Ray and Season 2 DVD now available for pre-order


We previously reported on Sonic Boom season 1 releasing to blu-ray and now we have pre-order listings and box art! Season 1 will not only include 9 hours of episodes on 3 blu-ray discs, but there will also be a digital code to be redeemed on a service called movieSPREE. Also revealed is the cover art and bonus item in the Limited Edition Gift Set for Season 2 Vol. 1 of Sonic Boom Season 2. Instead of more figures, they’re including a backpack hanger. Not as exciting as Amy and Sticks figures, but it could be because TOMY no longer produces the figures which were included in previous sets. There is also a standard version without a toy included. All three releases hit May 4, 2021 and pre-order links can be found below.

Sonic Boom: The Complete Season 1 Blu-Ray | Sonic Boom: Season 2 Volume 1 Gift Set

SEGA Talk Podcast #64: D2 (1999) Kenji Eno Retrospective

George and Barry finish up their retrospective on Kenji Eno by talking about Real Sound, D2 and what Kenji Eno was up to before his death. Sit back, grab some popcorn and lets D2 it!

Support us on Patreon! Get early access, tell us what games to cover, and have your SEGA memories read at the end and more!

[iTunes – Stitcher – YouTube – Play Music – RSS – Download]

If you want to give us feedback, suggest a topic for the next podcast or want to ask a question for us to answer on the next episode you can add  them as a comment below or send theme directly to our email. Make sure you use subject line ‘SEGA Talk’ and as always, thanks for listening!

Did you pre-order that indie Dreamcast game SLaVE? Better login now and save your receipt!

On September 9th, 2014 we shared the news of a new indie Dreamcast game called SLaVE. The game has been in development for so long, that back in 2017 I posted a story updating readers on why it was taking so long, and while I am not here today to give another update, you can read that article. The reason I am writing about the game again is that GOAT Store, which is the home to GOAT Store Publishing who had taken 400 pre-orders for the game back in 2014, emailed those with user accounts giving an update on the site:

You are receiving this email because at some point, you signed up for a GOAT Store member account. Your member account gave you access to a record of your past GOAT Store orders – but that was it, we kept no other information. I’m writing this email because this weekend, we will be performing a major site upgrade, and when we do, we will not be able to carry over our current member system.

Because of this, if you wish to access or save any part of your order record, please head to https://www.goatstore.com ASAP as we intend to upgrade this coming weekend.

If this is a reminder that you loved the GOAT Store and want to order more great gaming stuff, our old site is available for ordering now!

Basically, if you ordered SLaVE, which is an old unfulfilled order, it is likely that your order history will disappear after this weekend. So head to the site now, login and screen capture or print out your order because you may lose any evidence that you pre-ordered the game.

I do not know what their future plans are, but if pre-orders are disputed or refunds are issued, it’s good to have proof you paid for the game 7 years ago.

Watch Pepelogoo and Asha in action in this new Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World trailer

In case you didn’t know, Japanese publisher G Choice and Studio Artdink are bringing Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World to the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Steam on April 22nd in Japan. Western publisher ININ Games plans for an “early 2021” for both PlayStation 4 and Switch. The game is a remaster of Monster World IV, and it has been confirmed that the original game will be included as a bonus. The latest trailer showcases Pepelogoo, Asha’s round and blue buddy.

We’ll share more news about the upcoming remake as we hear it!

Sonic Revolution Announced for 2021 Online Event

Sonic the Hedgehog’s 30th anniversary keeps getting better with the announcement of Sonic Revolution, the 7th year that the event has been concurrently going and is the 2nd one to be online. The event has been a Los Angeles-located Sonic convention but due to the Covid-19 virus, the event will be hosted online through the Sonic Revolution Discord servers. Front runners Shanye (@sonicremix) and Licide (@Angelidia) are back to bring the biggest Sonic fan convention in the world on June 19th and 20th, 2021.

Phantasy Star Online 2 coming to Epic Games Store next week

Phantasy Star Online 2 used to be exclusively available on the Microsoft Store for PC players. SEGA has expanded their support to Steam and soon will also have the free-to-play game on Epic Games Store by the end of the week. February 17th, 2021, for those keeping notes.

SEGA has also been teasing that Phantasy Star Online 2 recently launched the newest Chapter 6 update; which means its a perfect time to launch on a new platform. The real question for me is when is this game launching on Sony consoles like PlayStation 4/5? What about the Nintendo Switch version titled: Phantasy Star Online 2: Cloud?

Sonic movie sequel officially titled Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – releasing April 8, 2022

The Sonic movie twitter account shared the news that the Sonic the Hedgehog movie sequel, which we have all been calling Sonic the Hedgehog 2, will in fact be titled… Sonic the Hedgehog 2! The animated logo reveal, which you can see after the break, features Emerald Hill Zone music and a stylized 2 featuring Tails’ tails. The release date is set for April 8, 2022.

Ben Schwartz says he hasn’t been asked by SEGA to voice Sonic in other media

Every since Roger Craig Smith announced he wasn’t going to be voicing Sonic the Hedgehog anymore, fans have been speculating who will take over voicing the blue hedgehog. We all know that Roger Craig Smith has been voicing the blue blur for a little over a decade and had a impressive run.

Recently SEGA hit it big last year with Sonic the Hedgehog movie being a big hit and the voice actor Ben Schwartz being accepted positively by fans, so obviously he would get the question if he is the one being asked to take over voicing Sonic the Hedgehog moving forward. Ben being a good guy started by praising Roger’s performance:

“Let’s all, for a second, before we even say that, Roger Craig Smith is an absolute legend. Like, his VO work, Sonic being one of them, but his career is unbelievable for a VO artist. He is so talented.”

But what about him taking over Roger Craig Smith?

Sonic the Movie 2 eyes Jason Momoa to voice Knuckles

According to the website ‘The Illuminerdi’ Paramount Pictures has officially offered the role of Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 to Aquaman star Jason Momoa but the actor is ‘yet to accept it’. I will say that in the past Jason Momoa has been ‘tagged’ in motion pictures that never happen, do you remember that Frosty the Snowman movie he said was 100% made up?

Outside of this rumored info, we don’t have anything new to report as we don’t even know the plot details as of now. What are your thoughts on the idea of Jason Momoa playing Knuckles?

Dr. Eggman Actor Mike Pollock to Continue Voicing Character

Despite the recent shakeups in the Sonic the Hedgehog voice cast, including the departure of Sonic voice actor Roger Craig Smith, and the previously unreported by us departures of Colleen O’Shaughnessey as Tails and Cindy Robinson as Amy Rose, one cast member has confirmed they are staying. Mike Pollock announced via Twitter that he will remain in the role of Doctor Eggman, a role he has held since 2003. Said Mike:

“You know what they say: the more the merrier! You’ve not yet heard the last of me as Dr. Eggman in Sonic the Hedgehog video games! Kindly prepare your ears accordingly. If you guessed otherwise, SURPRISE!!!! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to stock up on lozenges.”

Mike is the longest serving Sonic franchise voice actor, who also has the distinction of voicing the most versions of the character between the games, tv shows and spin-offs. It is also worth noting that Mike specifically mentions video games, with no mention of Sonic Prime. Given how far out the upcoming Netflix animated series is, it is possible they have not cast for it yet, or Mike knows something we don’t. But we don’t want to assume, because you know what they say about people who assume.

SEGA Talk Podcast #63: D (1995) Kenji Eno Retrospective

We are dedicating February to Kenji Eno, the game creator and founder of Warp. Eno passed away 8 years ago and left a brief but impactful legacy on the game industry. On this SEGA Talk, Barry and George discuss 1995’s D. Learn how Eno got his start developing games, what led to the founding of Warp, and the crazy stories behind how his FMV adventure game came to be.

Support us on Patreon! Get early access, tell us what games to cover, and have your SEGA memories read at the end and more!

[iTunes – Stitcher – YouTube – Play Music – RSS – Download]

If you want to give us feedback, suggest a topic for the next podcast or want to ask a question for us to answer on the next episode you can add  them as a comment below or send theme directly to our email. Make sure you use subject line ‘SEGA Talk’ and as always, thanks for listening!

Sonic Boom Season 1 Blu-Ray and Season 2 Volume 1 DVD Announced – Coming May 2021

Maybe its the recent voice cast departure news, or maybe I’ve softened on the now cancelled “new branch” of the Sonic franchise, but I have to admit I was really happy to learn today that not only will Sonic Boom season 2 receive a Volume 1 DVD release (with a Volume 2 to follow) but there will also be a Sonic Boom season 1 blu-ray release. Read on to learn more!

LEGO Ideas Sonic Mania Green Hill Zone Given the Green Light

LEGO Ideas, the official LEGO outlet that gives fans the ability to submit designs for official approval and release, has announced that the Sonic Mania: Green Hill Zone set from Viv Grannell aka toastergrl has been given the green light! This means that SEGA has signed on to the project and it will carry the official Sonic the Hedgehog license. The next step will have LEGO’s builders review the build and make any refinements or develop new unique pieces. From there, we should see an official reveal, box art and some pre-order links! But it is going to take some time. Hopefully the Sonic Mania branding remains intact and it releases for the 30th anniversary.

After the break, check out the official word from LEGO.