Genesis
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Metro: Last Light's Genesis trailer is sad, cheer up with free 2033
Metro: Last Light's title is slightly misleading, since there's really nothing "light" about the game at all, at least according to the latest grim, Bible-quoting trailer. Hey, we never liked being happy anyway.Along with that uplifting video, THQ is offering a free Steam key for Last Light's predecessor, Metro: 2033, to each person who "likes" the Metro Facebook page from December 11 - 16, while supplies last. There's only so much room in the THQ digital vault, after all.
Genesis RPG 'Pier Solar' goes HD via Kickstarter
Pier Solar was developed for the Sega Genesis and released on cartridge in 2010. With the benefit of fifteen years or so of technological advancements, developer WaterMelon Co. was able to put it on a 64MB cart, making it the biggest Genesis RPG ever. It's a traditional role-playing game about a botanist named Hoston on a quest to find a rare herb and cure his sick father. Now, the developer wants to update its turn-based throwback RPG for platforms people still use ... and Dreamcast too.Pier Solar HD is planned for Xbox 360, PC, Mac, Linux, and Dreamcast – that last one won't actually be in HD. The style is reminiscent of the original, but places more detailed 16-bit style sprites on hand-drawn HD backgrounds. To fund the redrawing of assets and licensing for new platforms, WaterMelon is seeking $139,000 on Kickstarter.Backers get a copy of the game for PC, Mac, Linux, or Xbox 360 by pledging at least $15; $49 is required for the Dreamcast CD or a physical copy on the other platforms. Naturally, there are more expensive collector's editions, as well as luxury items like a Pier Solar branded Dreamcast or arcade stick.
The Nook Simple Touch can run a Genesis emulator, but should it?
There we were, thinking touch-based versions of gaming classics were a bad idea on a device intended for gaming -- and then we saw Sonic the Hedgehog 2 running on a Nook Simple Touch. YouTube user "ndncnbvcuyuys" rooted his touch-based Barnes & Noble e-reader, installed the Android 2.1 OS on it, and hooked up a Sega Genesis emulator. The results are not what we'd call "ideal," but as the hacker says, "It is playable." Sure, technically speaking, the on-screen virtual buttons allow interaction with Sonic and his buddy Tails, but whether it's any fun at all is another question altogether. "ndncnbvcuyuys" seems to have a penchant for the impossibly fast games on touch-based e-readers, as he got PlayStation 1's WipeOut running on the Nook Simple Touch just a few weeks back. Might we suggest a PlayStation Vita instead? [Thanks, Ron]
Steam adds Genesis Classics Collection 5: Beyond Oasis, Phantasy Star 2 and more
The fifth Genesis Classics Collection is now available on Steam, perfect for PC players who want to relive the glory of their Sega-oriented youths. The same goes for Nintendo-aligned Console War veterans, who now, wise beyond their years, look to experience what life was like on the other side of the trenches.The Genesis Classics Collection 5 boasts 10 games for $7.99, or $2.99 a piece if you'd rather go a la carte. Amongst the recommissioned relics from yesteryear are Phantasy Stars II through IV, Wonder Boy in Monster World, Vectorman 2, and Beyond Oasis. Jump past the break for the full list, which also includes Dynamite Headdy, one of the best, weirdest games ever made for Sega's classic warhorse.
A closer look at Origin PC's Phase Change cooling system (and its new gaming laptops too)
Believe it or not, we just spent 45 minutes with two of Origin PC's founders and weren't treated to a gaming demo. Then again, the company isn't here at CES to brag about 3DMark11 scores. Instead, it's showing off its new Phase Change cooling technology, which enables the Genesis desktop to be overclocked to 5.7GHz, and which pushes that desktop's starting price from $1,337 to $4,499. So how does that $3,000 feature work? As it turns out, not unlike an air conditioner. The setup relies on a compressor to compress gas, which liquifies first and then evaporates, absorbing heat along the way. The Little Devil chassis used for the purpose of this demo has an LED screen displaying the -40-degree operating temperature, but you won't need it: the system automatically shuts down if it gets too cold, and it won't boot into Windows until Phase Change is up and running. In addition to all this, the Genesis uses liquid cooling around the motherboard, and an air-based system on the video cards. While we were there, we also checked out the EON15-S and EON17-S laptops, which will be available with an updated design sometime this quarter. Though the interior should look familiar to anyone who's ever laid eyes on a Clevo, Origin remodeled the lid, adding a matte finish option and race car-inspired molding (to evoke the idea of speed, natch). As for specs, Origin's founders directed us to the company's website, which suggests the internals won't change along with the design (certainly, the prices remain the same). Expect these to start at $1,539 for the 15-incher and $1,590 for the larger model -- prices that now include 24/7 free lifetime support. Find some photos below and continue on past the break for a video where you can see (and hear) that Phase Change setup in action.
Origin PC boosts Genesis factory clock to 5.7GHz, reveals new EON gaming laptop design
Origin PC has been spitting out 5.2GHz Genesis desktops for a few months already, but apparently some people wanted more. Thanks to a new 'Phase Change' cooling system that'll be available from late Q1, they're about it get it: a Core i7 2700K system factory clocked to 5.7GHz. Cooling controls and temperature displays will help you to establish the proper balance of power and pollution, while lifetime technical support (which now applies to all Origin PCs in the US) is just a phone call away in case you need to share the rush. There's even an X79 mobo inside, offering scope for a Sandy Bridge E upgrade, plus NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 580 in four-way SLI. Origin has a little something for portable gamers too: a refreshed A-panel on the EON17-S and EON15-S laptops to help you strike the right note of grinning malice in front of your LAN victims. It's not yet clear how these updates will affect pricing, but there are plenty of clips on YouTube that'll show you how to smear thermal paste on your credit cards. Full PR after the break.
Retrode 2 USB device lets you play real SNES and Genesis games in emulators
Combining game consoles and emulators, the Retrode 2 is a device that lets you play SNES and Genesis games on your computer. It's a USB device that accepts SNES and Genesis cartridges and controllers, and uses them with any emulator program. When not in use, it folds up into a little clamshell box. It's kind of magical, as far as we can tell. It's hard to say why you would be playing on a computer, in an emulator, when you have the cartridge and controller handy. Perhaps you want to be able to use save states or other emulator niceties. You might just want to take a bunch of screenshots. Whatever the reason, we like having the option! It'll be available January 23 for 65 euro or $85, depending on your region.
Retrode 2 retro gaming adapter brings SNES / Genesis support to your PC for $85
We were already head over heels for the original Retrode, and we've gotta say -- version 2.0 looks mighty good in that attire. As the story goes, the product shown above is the result of some three years of toiling, with the second iteration handling cartridges for Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo. In fact, there's a pair of ports on here, enabling one cart from each console to be loaded up and carried around. Users need only to find and install an emulator on their machine, plug a cartridge and / or an associated controller into the device and then connect the Retrode 2 to one's computer via USB. Once you've loaded a ROM into your emulator, configured your controller and canceled every appointment on your calendar for the next 48 hours... well, you're in for quite a weekend of retro gaming nirvana. It's up for pre-order now in the source link for $84.99, with shipments expected to begin on January 23rd.
PlayStation Vita shown running Sega Genesis titles (video)
Still mulling whether or not to pick yourself up a PlayStation Vita? Obsessed with retro gaming titles? If you answered "yes" to both, you should probably start socking away a few extra coins, buster. YouTube user frwololo has just upped a video showcasing the Half Byte Loader running the Picodrive emulator on Sony's PS Vita -- the first major proof that this kind of wizardry is indeed a possibility. The nuts and bolts of how it happened are being kept under wraps for now, and he seems certain that Sony's inbuilt security will make the mod unusable as soon as it's released. That said, there's still a lot of hope to be found in the clip just after the break, and c'mon -- who doesn't need a little hope to kick off a year where we're all supposed to perish?
Silkroad Online rolls out premium server tomorrow
Wanna feel like a VIP? Silkroad Online's got you covered. Tomorrow Joymax will take the wraps off of its new premium server, Genesis, which will cater to the high-rollers and high society among MMO gamers. The members-only server will reward loyal customers by offering huge XP, SP and drop rates, GM events, and discounts on cash shop purchases for a limited time. Joymax isn't limiting the fun to just subscribers, either; all players on all servers are invited to partake in Silkroad's Carnival. The Carnival will deliver a smaller but still significant XP boost than what Genesis is offering, and any players who head over to an attendance event will rack up SP and skill/stat reset scrolls. This event goes until December 13th, so there's plenty of time to shake your booty and rack up the rewards! [Source: Joymax press release]
Maingear and Origin PC shove Intel's Core i7 2700K into gaming rigs, overclock it beyond 5GHz
Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock were both unavailable for comment, but we're guessing the pair would be quite pleased to see that the tech world's Need For Speed is hardly fading. Maingear and Origin PC have both announced this week that their high-end gaming desktops are now available with Intel's Core i7 2700K -- a beast of a processor that's clocked from the factory at 3.5GHz. Maingear's shoving this guy into its SHIFT (starting at $1,985) and F131 (starting at $1,228) rigs, with factory overclocking options pushing it beyond 5GHz. Origin is hawking its Genesis desktop with a factory speed of 5.2GHz, and yes, gratis warranties are thrown in for the paranoid. Hit the links below to give your wallet the dent it's been asking for.
OOP Tetris cartridge begs you to buy it now for $1 million
It may shock you to know that you're a simple lottery win away from picking up a Like New copy of Tetris for the Sega Mega Drive (that's the Genesis to us Yanks). That's right, for the low price of $1 million American, you can pick up an original Japanese Mega Drive cartridge signed by the game's creator, Alekséi Pázhitnov on eBay. No word on whether the Russian game designer will actually hand deliver the red-boxed piece of gaming history if you're the lucky winner.
LG Genesis coming to US Cellular, enV Pro rising from Verizon's ashes
Hey enV fans, remember when Verizon scrapped its Android-based enV Pro citing a failure to impress? Fortunately, US Cellular is keeping the QWERTY clamshell's tradition alive with its appropriately named Genesis. Historically a feature phone, this LG is being reborn as a full-fledged smartphone, complete with Android 2.2, dual 800 x 480 touchscreens and a 1GHz Snapdragon processor. You'll find a familiar 3.5-inch display on the front, and a smaller 3.2-inch landscape screen positioned above the keyboard. The Genesis packs a 5 megapixel camera and supports DLNA sharing, though its camcorder only supports VGA resolution -- so you might want to reconsider streaming those videos to the big screen. As an added bonus, the phone serves as a mobile hotspot for up to five devices, though its price may be hard to swallow -- it retails for $249 on contract. Knowing the high cost of nostalgia, who's in on this one?
Perfect World dev diary shows off all changes coming in Genesis
Perfect World International, the largest game in Perfect World Entertainment's free-to-play MMO stable, is set to erupt with enormous world-changing goodness. On March 2nd, the game's largest expansion, Genesis, is nearing launch. We've checked out the expansion in earlier developer diaries, but today we have a video showing off the many changes players can expect, all in one tasty, ready-to-devour package. In this video, the game's Product Manager, Clifton, and Community Manager, Steven, sit down to tell us all about the myriad things that will be coming to the game on March 2nd. The Earthguard race will emerge from the underground; players can pick up Runecrafting to buff their weapons; and even new dances will be added to replace some of the older ones. (Those are apparently so embarassing that Clifton and Steven are loath to put them on camera!) For active Perfect World International players, a huge rollback of Territory Wars to pre-nerf is coming as is a full map reset, which will open up the season for one heck of a power-grab. Finally, we also get a look into the upcoming guild bases, which players have been wanting for quite some time. You'll find the newest dev diary video behind the break, ready for those who want to check out more on Perfect World International's upcoming Genesis expansion.
Guild bases coming to Perfect World
Guild bases are on their way to Perfect World International, and the new functionality is the latest in a long line of updates scheduled to go live with the Genesis expansion on March 2nd. In terms of mechanics, the bases are instanced and feature four wings: an armory, an alchemy lab, the Manor of Justice, and the Heavenly Vault. Each wing offers different buffs, unique quests, and guild-only exclusive content to make your PWI experience all the more memorable. The guild bases also feature a fifth room, the Hall of Loyalty, centrally located between the four wings and home to more quests, trivia activities, and unique rewards. If all that isn't enough for you, guild bases also boast an area dedicated to raising monsters that can be hunted for experience and spirit. Head to the official Perfect World International blog for further details.
PlayStation Plus users get free, timed-exclusive Genesis games starting in March
The latest venue for the same set of Genesis ports seen everywhere else is the PlayStation 3's PlayStation Network, which adds another console to the system's retro roster. Sega is releasing them all for free to PlayStation Plus members for a limited time, starting with the March 1 release of Sonic the Hedgehog, which is free to Plus members through April 5. Sonic 2, Streets of Rage 2, Golden Axe 2, Comix Zone, and Altered Beast will all follow on the day the previous game is removed. Those without Plus will have to wait for the opportunity to buy these Genesis games for $4.99 each: Sonic won't hit the normal PSN store until March 29, with the other games showing up around a month apart. You could wait for that, or you could get the Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection disc, which has all of these games and 42 more for ... $16.79.
Sega Genesis CDX now portable thanks to Ben Heck (video)
It's no Bill Paxton Pinball, but Ben Heck's portable Sega Genesis CDX is certainly up there in terms of superfluous gaming mods. As Heck points out, a lot of the console's games were "FMV nonsense," but, like most gaming systems, the 1994-released CDX had its ardent supporters. For those of you who fit the description, Heck's combined the CD drive and motherboard from an old CDX with a chopped six-button Genesis controller, an old camcorder battery, and a four-inch LCD screen to bring you a bulky but portable console. Now you can enjoy a game of Snatcher at the laundromat while your Sonic the Hedgehog Underoos hit the spin cycle. Check out the video after the jump.
PWE reveals Perfect World International Genesis trailer
Perfect World Entertainment has unveiled a sparkling new trailer for Genesis, the latest expansion for its free-to-play Perfect World International MMORPG. The clip features just over a minute and a half of gameplay footage and shows off a ton of new content. First up is a glimpse of the new Earthguard race, followed by a montage of the new Seeker and Mystic classes in action. There's also a look at some of the new summonable pets as well as interior shots of the expansion's new faction bases. The new Genesis content will be hitting the PWI live servers on March 2nd, and in the meantime, you can get a sneak preview of all the juicy details after the cut.
New Perfect World International expansion gets launch date
Players of Perfect World International have been waiting patiently for some idea of when the anticipated Genesis expansion patch would be coming to the game. As we've seen, the team at Perfect World Entertainment has been hard at work creating all manner of new things in one of the most ambitious game updates to date. Now we've gotten news that Genesis will be launching into Perfect World International on March 3rd, and the listing of what's to come is definitely impressive. Along with the storyline changes, players will have access to the new Earthguard race, which has two new classes: Seekers and Mystics. As you'd expect with an expansive patch featuring a new race, there are new cities, new abilities, new gear, and tons of new quests for players to enjoy. Along with that, a new tradeskill, Runecrafting, has been added to the game, allowing players to create stones that will produce buffs and effects. For those more into PvP, the territory war system has been expanded with new maps and an all-new resource that will in turn allow guilds to take advantage of new guild bases -- ones with merchants who sell exotic items! Check out the Perfect World International site for all the Genesis information or to sign up yourself!
The worst version of Virtua Fighter 2 now on iPhone
The iPhone is a surprisingly capable gaming device, something that's been proven quite handily lately by titles like Infinity Blade. Try to forget about that as you read the following news: Sega has released the Genesis version of Virtua Fighter 2 for iPhone. That's right, the least impressive version of one of the most technically demanding fighting games is now available for $2 on a device with no buttons. Enjoy!
