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Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Mega Mix Review – Rock It On (Nintendo Switch)

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Review code provided by SEGA.

Rhythm games are cool. Anime is cool. Anime rhythm games are pretty cool. Sure, Hatsune Miku: Project Diva Mega Mix is not an anime game, but its energy, style, and content are sure to catch the attention of anyone who has even a passing interest in Japanese pop culture. At the very least, it might catch the attention of people who recognize the name attached: Hatsune Miku. I assume our readers have at least some grasp on who and what Hatsune Miku is, but I’ll give the skinny anyway.

Hatsune Miku is/was (the name situation is currently up in the air if I remember) a Vocaloid, a Japanese voice synthesizer program from the late 2000’s that became hugely popular, influential, and got massive worldwide attention. While most musicians and Japanese idols (whom Miku is meant to evoke) have a stable cast of producers, writers, and other musicians, Vocaloid is for anyone to use, and so, a rhythm game showcasing the best of what her users create was a no-brainer. This game is a tenth anniversary celebration of that game, and is chock-full of fantastic and funky beats and tracks.

However, to find out if it’s a game worth your passing attention or a deeper dive, you should read below to see if this is a ‘cool’ you want to get down with.

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SEGA AGES Thunder Force AC releasing internationally on May 28th

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Get ready shmup fanatics, as the classic Thunder Force is back again with the arcade version of Thunder Force III, Thunder Force AC, with this SEGA AGES release. SEGA AGES Thunder Force AC will be available on the Nintendo Switch eShop, for $7.99 and equivalent, in all regions.

In Thunder Force AC, you take on the role of piloting the FIRE LEO-03 “Styx” through 5 different planets and eventually the ORN headquarters, blasting anything that gets in your way with an assortment of weapons that have different properties. While similar to Thunder Force III, there are several differences to still make this a worthwhile playthrough, including audio improvement due to the SEGA System C2 hardware, and rearrangements of enemy and weapon layouts. SEGA AGES Thunder Force AC will also come with several additions, such as the ability to play as four different ships, including the ship Fire LEO-04 “Rynex” from Thunder Force IV, and a Kids Mode for novices who want to play the game without getting a weapon deduction punish from dying.

[Source: Official Website / Twitter]

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Panzer Dragoon: Remake update v.1.3 released

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Since the game’s surprise launch, Panzer Dragoon: Remake has been keeping aloft with various update to add new content and fix standing issues. The Saori Kobayashi soundtrack was even a post-launch addition! MegaPixel and Forever Entertainment have been proactive about addressing player feedback, culminating in today’s 1.3 update. This update has been teased for a while now, and surprise dropped for Nintendo Switch this morning. The update features several improvements to controls, as well as to the Shadow Menu (now Pandora’s Box), sound design, and adds a few new control features and a sixty frames per second mode.

I tested the update a bit, and it’s far more hit than miss than prior updates or the game’s release. The 60FPS mode runs and feels fantastic without sacrificing everything that made the game look so good in the first place. I did notice a rendering error at one point, but that was the only issue. The sound design is also MUCH improved over either previous iteration. The game now has what I would classify as just good sound design and mixing! Pandora’s Box is mostly unchanged, but there are a couple new welcome options. As well, the controls feel much tighter, though they do still keep it faithfully stiff in areas. The motion controls are a letdown, too stiff to do anything with, but the HD Rumble is pretty nice. It’s nice to see points from my original review addressed, and I have hope that if more updates come, they’ll only make the game better.

For full patch notes from the update, read below.

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Limited Run Games adds Streets of Rage 4 soundtrack CD to existing orders

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There has been a bit of a kerfuffle going on with the physical release of Streets of Rage 4. We haven’t been covering it, but with a recent update from Limited Run Games I thought it was worth writing about. In March, Limited Run Games announced physical editions of Streets of Rage 4 for North America (with international shipping) in standard, classic and limited collector’s editions. Shortly after the pre-order window closed, Merge Games announced they too would have a North American physical release of the game, at a lower price with its own exclusive bonus items and releasing earlier than the Limited Run Games releases.

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Rumor: SEGA files trademarks for several Sakura Wars related projects

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The recent release of Sakura Wars (aka Shin Sakura Taisen) has had a solid enough release, with it generally receiving mixed to positive reception and a slew of multi-media adaptations such as a manga, anime, and stage play. But if you’re still on the fence about this new take on the series, read this review by writer Kori-Maru.

However, it seems like SEGA is not quite done with the Sakura Wars IP. SEGA of Japan has recently filed several trademarks, for the purposes of multiple things such as miscellaneous types of physical media and software. This includes Sakura Taisen B.L.A.C.K., B.L.A.C.K., Sakura Ishin (Restoration), and Sakura Kakumei (Revolution). What these titles would be is not clear, but it’s likely Sakura Ishin is some type of remake or remaster of a past title and Sakura Kakumei is a spin-off. Currently nothing has been officially announced, but considering the recent Sakura Wars project has had a positive response from consumers so far, it would make sense to continue expanding on the brand in the near future.

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SEGA AGES Thunder Force AC releasing on May 14th in Japan

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We have a release date for SEGA AGES Thunder Force AC. You can  travel across different planets and fight against the ORN Empire this upcoming May 14th, from the Japanese Nintendo Switch eShop for ¥999.

SEGA AGES Thunder Force AC is an arcade remix of the game Thunder Force III. While the general structuring is similar to the original game, there are several differences for this new arcade iteration to mix things up for veteran players, such as enemy and weapon placements being tweaked, some levels being overhauled, and the lack of a stage select. This SEGA AGES iteration also includes extra features, including the ability to play as four different ships with their own properties, and a Kids Mode meant for less experienced players where the player doesn’t lose their weapons upon death.

[Source: Official Website]

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Yakuza: Like a Dragon announced as Xbox Series X launch title, also coming to Xbox One, PS4 and PC

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Announced today, via an Inside Xbox stream, was that Yakuza: Like a Dragon will be releasing to Xbox Series X as a launch title as well as to Xbox One X, Xbox One, Windows 10 PC, Steam and PlayStation 4. The seventh in the mainline Yakuza series, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a new entry point in the series featuring new RPG-like gameplay styles and a new protagonist. It was also announced today that the game will see a physical Day One Edition, and listings have started to appear at various retailers, however pricing, a release date and content of the Day One edition will be revealed at a later date.

Also announced is that Yakuza: Like a Dragon will support Xbox Series X Smart Delivery, allowing players to buy the game once and play it on Xbox One or Xbox Series X with cross-save functionality. We’ll share more details as we learn more!

PRE-ORDER

PlayStation 4 | Xbox One | Xbox Series X

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Steam Database leak suggests Yakuza: Like a Dragon is coming to Steam

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Steam Database, a tool that tracks down applications and packages on Steam has picked up a recent update for an application of Yakuza: Like a Dragon (aka Yakuza 7), the latest installment in the Yakuza series as of this writing. While it is unusual for Yakuza 6 to still not be available on Steam, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is possibly next in line since it has key differences that separate it from past installments. Mainly because it focuses on a new character Ichiban Kasuga and adapts a turn based battle style inspired by the Dragon Quest games (which funnily enough is referenced in-game).

However, SEGA has not officially announced anything about Yakuza: Like a Dragon coming to Steam at this time, and there is no page officially uploaded. It’s also unknown what features the game will support with a PC release, but it will likely support higher resolutions and frame rates, similar to past Yakuza games released on Steam.

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SEGA Talk Podcast #43: Sonic The Hedgehog (2020 Movie)

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Grab the popcorn, because on this episode Barry and George discuss the Sonic The Hedgehog movie from Paramount! We follow the film’s development from the earliest signs of a Sonic movie all the way to the premiere and beyond! As a bonus, enjoy our long awaited review of the movie!

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!

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Unreleased ‘Breach’ port for SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive has been unearthed

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The site GamingAlexandria has posted some assets from the unreleased SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive port of Breach. This whole project was compiled and preserved by David Ashley.

Thankfully if you wanted to try out the beta port of ‘Breach’ on your original hardware, you can download the rom and assets here. If you didn’t know Breach was the first installment of a trilogy of sci-fi strategy games developed by Omnitrend Software who are mainly known for their 1983 text adventure game ‘Universe’. Lots of people would describe Breach as a early version of X-Com. You can read more about this ports development via GamingAlexandria’s in-depth post. According to our sister site, SEGA Retro, the game was last seen again at Winter CES 1993.

 

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Sakura Wars (2020) Review – The Revived JRPG Classic for the New Era of Gaming (PlayStation 4)

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It has been a long journey and Sakura Wars is now available for a worldwide audience with a brand new cast of characters, a new story, and the charm of the original series that debuted on the SEGA Saturn back in 1996. But does it meet expectations for newcomers and older fans alike? Take a look at my review of Sakura Wars for PlayStation 4!

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13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim physical & digital sales reaches 130,000 units in Japan

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13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is one of the games that I have been looking forward to since it was announced way back in TGS 2015, since it was being developed by Vanillaware ( Odin Sphere, Dragon’s Crown and Muramasa: The Demon Blade). The game has been postponed and delayed. When it was first announced there was two versions: PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita; since then the Vita version has been cancelled. The game came out (with whispers considering how acclaimed the studio is) in Japan November 28, 2019 and since then Atlus Japan has confirmed the game has sold 130,000 units.

That means that it sold only 30,000 units in the last four months considering that Vanillaware confirmed in January that the game had sold 100,000 units. Is this good for the game that has been in the works for such a long time? I couldn’t tell you. As far as a western release, Atlus hasn’t announced a release date yet.

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SEGA Talk Podcast #42: Skies of Arcadia (2000)

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Ahoy! On this SEGA Talk, George and Barry take to the skies to discuss the SEGA Dreamcast JRPG Skies of Arcadia! Known as Eternal Arcadia in Japan, the game is often cited as one of the best RPGs on the Dreamcast, and an underrated GameCube port has since helped its legacy. Learn about the early character designs, the game’s many innovations and the game’s legacy.

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!

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Son of Segata Sanshiro’s backstory revealed in latest commercial – translation details!

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SEGA has been rolling out a new ad campaign in Japan for the company’s 60th anniversary, cleverly depicted as “GO SEGA” since “60” and “GO” look so similar in the SEGA logo font. The star of the campaign is Maito, the real life son of Hiroshi Fujioka, the actor who played Segata Sanshiro during the Saturn era. Maito plays Segashiro, whose catchphrase “It’s a SEGA” sounds a lot like “Segashiro”.

Previous ads just had Segashiro walking around spouting his catchphrase, but this latest ad really goes all out on fan service and Segata Sanshiro lore.

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Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix will launch west on May 15 for Nintendo Switch, demo out now

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SEGA has confirmed that the Nintendo Switch game Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix will launch May 15th in the west. The company has also confirmed that this title will launch as digital only, at least for now.

SEGA has already opened digital pre-orders for the game which includes two versions: The base game for $39.99 (101 Songs) and a Mega Pack for $59.99 which includes six downloadable content packs. Five of the six downloadable packs have already been released in Japan. But that isn’t all, SEGA has confirmed that if you pre-order the game you will also get early access to the “Theme Song DLC Pack” which includes playable versions of previous Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA theme songs like (will be free to all users after June 12th):

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