Genesis
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Origin launches custom gaming rig shop, starts with Genesis and EON18
Does the world really need another high-end gaming PC shop? Looks as if we'll soon find out, as Origin has just launched itself into the mix with a pair of new rigs catering to those with specific (and pricey) demands. Poised to take on the likes of Falcon Northwest, this boutique outfit has ushered itself into the sector with the new Genesis desktop and EON18 laptop. The former gets going at $1,699, and if we're reading this right, Origin allows buyers to select "any chassis on the market, any color and design" and pretty much any other hardware they can dream of. The lappie is an 18.4-inch beast with a 1080p panel, limitless color and design options, twin GeForce GTX 280M GPUs, 8GB of RAM, a trio of HDDs, dual-layer Blu-ray burner and a starting tag of $2,599. So, who's up for celebrating the real end of the recession?
PEGI: Moonwalker throwing a magical hat into Virtual Console
Somehow, Sega has done the impossible: reacquired Michael Jackson's likeness rights for a digital re-release of Michael Jackson's Moonwalker. At least, that appears to be the case, because the game has been re-rated by PEGI for release on Virtual Console. To give you an idea of the ridiculousness of that feat, Q? Entertainment has yet to release its PSP game Lumines for download on the same system because it has yet to acquire a license for digital release of its music. We don't know if this will be the Genesis version or the very different arcade game -- or even, we suppose, the Master System port of the Genesis game. We're contacting Sega for those and other details. Right after we catch a shooting star and turn into robotic, missile-firing versions of ourselves. Ow! [Via Nintendo Life, image by Orioto]
Sega lighters set on fire what Nintendon't
Now that there's a lighter in the shape of a Sega Saturn, we think Segata Sanshiro would insist that people start smoking. Through November 6, retailer Net-You is accepting pre-orders on these beautiful Sega Hard Memorial Zippo Lighters made by Banpresto, which feature the likenesses of the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Saturn, for ¥10,500 (roughly $115) each. That's quite a bit more than you'd pay for the real systems in Akihabara, but, then, the real systems can't get your "just light the bag" charcoal started. Now is time to the 68000 cigarette on fire![Via Andriasang]
SNES / Sega Genesis USB cartridge adapter now available for pre-order
Looks like our old friend, Matthias -- the developer of the USB SNES cart reader -- is back on the scene, and this time he's going commercial. His newest project, Snega2USB, adds Sega Genesis, read and write for battery-backed SNES games, open source firmware, and up to four gamepads to the homebrew fave of classic gaming fanatics world o'er. This is a work-in-progress, but all the pieces are in place to have all orders met on the December, 2009 street date. Pre-orders will be taken until October 31 for $90 in the United States or €75 in Europe. Video after the break.[Via Gadgetoid]
PlaySega without having to PaySega
Sega's casual games portal PlaySega has just added Genesis classics to its lineup. If, like us, your attention has yet to turn to the browser-based service since its December launch, now would be a good time to check it out. N-Europe reports that you can access a free 10-day trial of the paid "VIP" service now, which allows you to play, in addition to the collection of free games, those that are normally behind a pay wall -- like all the Genesis games, including Sonic the Hedgehog, which also includes (get ready to freak out) a level editor.If you like the service and then sign up for a three-month ($14.95) subscription, Sega will send you one of the Saturn-style USB controllers seen here. Just don't sign up for the controller and forget you've subscribed, or you'll end up paying a lot more than you wanted to.
Patch 3.3 PTR: Undocumented druid changes
Our esteemed colleague Boubouille has datamined some undocumented changes to druids on the patch 3.3 PTR, so while I'm waiting for it to download (53 more minutes.../sigh), let's take a look:BALANCENATURE'S GRACE: Now procs from non-periodic spell criticals (old: all spell criticals).So direct-damage spells (e.g. Wrath, Starfire, Moonfire's initial hit) or direct-healing spells (e.g. Regrowth's initial heal, Nourish) will be the only ones that can trigger the 20% haste effect from 3/3 Nature's Grace. This is definitely a nerf for Balance concerning Starfall and Hurricane crits, but it's also a nerf concerning specific gear sets. Moonfire's DoT component can crit if you're using Balance 2-piece Tier 9, and a Restoration druid rocking 4-piece Tier 9 gains the ability for Rejuvenation to crit.For Balance's AoE situations and Starfall cooldowns, it's an out-and-out nerf, albeit a limited one given Starfall's cooldown and the unlikelihood of Hurricane playing a major role in any given boss fight. Otherwise, it's also a nerf directed at Tier 9 bonuses, unless Blizzard's planning on future tier bonuses (or class changes) that will make periodic damage and/or healing crits a routine thing. Stay tuned.
FireCore console pre-loaded with Genesis games, plays carts
We don't do usually cover plug-and-play consoles, but this one was too cool to pass up. While Innex and AtGames' Firecore Classic Console is pre-loaded with 30 Genesis games like Sonic and Knuckles and Ecco the Dolphin, it can also play all your old Genesis carts. We're not sure where all it's available, though you can find it on Buy.com right now for $50. The console also supports wireless Firecore gamepads, though you'll have to buy them separately, and newly developed "Truecolor" games. Innex is also releasing a very cool portable system with 20 Genesis games playable on a 2.4-inch LCD screen. You can get a look at it right after the break.
Welcome back to the next level: how to play Genesis games today
The best way to observe today's Genniversary, of course, is to play some Genesis games. Sega has done a quite thorough job of making sure even the Genesis-deprived among you can do so without having to resort to eBay or a used game shop. In fact, in addition to several excellently well-stocked disc compilations, there are even multiple digital options -- so you could start playing right now without leaving the house at all. After the break, we've rounded up options for buying and playing Genesis games on modern systems. You'll be playing Sonic sooner than -- what's something really fast?
Sega wants your vote for the next Genesis XBLA game
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Genesis, Sega is asking you, The Internet, to pick the next Genesis game to arrive on Xbox Live Arcade. It doesn't look like an easy choice either, as the list of candidates has some of the console's best games. All told, you can cast your vote for: Earthworm Jim Streets of Rage Golden Axe II Toejam & Earl Shining Force Revenge of Shinobi Wonderboy in Monster World Sega is accepting votes until August 21, so head over to genesispoll.com and vote. We'd be remiss not to mention that all of these games are available on Virtual Console already, but XBLA is guaranteed to add a few extra features, like game saving, Achievements and online multiplayer. Keep that in mind when casting your vote.
Joystiq remembers the Sega Genesis
Today marks the 20th anniversary of the North American release of the Sega Genesis. To welcome the Genesis to the next level ... of its life, several Joystiq writers have revisited the Enchanted Castles of our memories to share a favorite anecdote about the beloved console -- which altered our lives as drastically as it altered beasts. Truxt - on past the break for a blast (processing) to the past, and then let us know what set your 68000 heart on fire in the comments. And if you don't have any Genesis stories in your life, go make some! You'd be surprised at just how good the old Sonic games are. Like, so good they aren't terrible. [Image credit]
Sega giving away Columns on iPhone for free all this weekend
Normally we'd just send out a tweet about this (that's usually what we do with free app deals, so if you're not one of the almost 40,000 people following us yet, you definitely should be), but this is a good one, and it's a holiday, so we wanted to make sure you knew. Sega is feeling particularly generous this weekend, so they're giving away free copies of their Columns Deluxe, a port of the old Genesis game, for the iPhone. The game is a pretty straightforward port -- it doesn't have any extras, and the accelerometer controls are a little tacked on from what we hear, but if you like the puzzler gameplay of Columns, and you should, it's a fun one to pull up for a few minutes at a time.Plus, it's free -- from July 3rd to Monday, July 6th, Sega says it'll be on sale for the low price of nothing at all. Sounds good to us -- sit back, put a few brats and burgers on the grill, grab a Corona (and lime, of course), and enjoy some old-school dropping block gameplay for no money at all.
Sega-licensed "Retro Gen" might have you hunting for cartridges
Sega's already given its seal of approval to a few Genesis / Mega Drive-based handhelds, but never one like this new "Retro Gen" device from Innex, which makes use of actual, dust-collecting cartridges instead of just some mere on-board memory. Of course, not everyone has a stack of Genesis carts at their disposal (a sad state, indeed), so the handheld also apparently comes pre-loaded with 20 unspecified games, and you'll supposedly even be able to eventually load some "licensed ROMs" onto an SD card using a special cart. While it's still not clear exactly how widespread of a release it'll get, at least one retailer does already has it up for pre-order for just $49.99 (discounted from $59.99), and it's promising a ship date of July 25th.[Via Softpedia]
The question of emulators
Gizmodo recently posted this video, which is beautiful to any PSX-era gamers: it's Final Fantasy VII running right on the iPhone, like buttah thanks to the 3GS hardware. How is this possible? Through the magic of emulation -- ever since computers got powerful enough to pretend to be other computers, people have resurrected old consoles and hardware by writing code that makes old games and software think its right at home in the computer it belongs in (an old NES system, a Genesis, or even a Playstation or Nintendo 64). As a result, by loading up ROMs into an emulator program, you can play old games you can't find (at least working) in the store any more.But the problem, as it usually does, lies in the legality. Even though those games are hard to find, companies still often own the copyrights on them (Square, for example, just released FFVII in an official emulator on the PSP, and they wouldn't be very happy with someone else releasing it on the iPhone). So while it's very easy for someone to write software that pretends to be an old NES (and there are lots of jailbroken apps around that will do just that), it's not easy to get all the rights and legal sign-offs to make it legit. Legit enough for Apple to keep it in the App Store, anyway. And while the video Gizmodo shows is awesome, and is possible on a jailbroken phone, it's not likely we'll ever see that app make it through Apple's approval. Not to mention that even when people jump through the legal hoops, Apple isn't happy with running other systems' code on their hardware anyway. Lame.That doesn't mean that the old games are gone forever -- there are certainly emulators of open-sourced or expired hardware on the App Store (here's one for Chip-8), and obviously there's a commercial reason for companies who do own the copyrights on popular games to bring them into the App Store officially. But as great as it would be to have a GBA emulator that automatically played any GBA game ROMs you loaded into it, that kind of stuff will have to stay in the jailbreak underground for now.
Shifting Perspectives: Patch 3.0.8 for Druids
Every Tuesday, or sometimes Friday when the writer's internet has gone AWOL between Sunday evening and Thursday afternoon, Shifting Perspectives explores issues affecting Druids and those who group with them. This week we take a look at the upcoming patch 3.0.8. while penning an angry letter to our ISP.Greetings, folks. Patch 3.0.8 is coming, bringing a few significant changes for the Druid class. Feral attack power is disappearing from the game entirely alongside bonus armor contribution from non-leather items. Restoration is receiving a nerf in the form of a 6-second cooldown to Wild Growth but is otherwise getting some buffs. Balance is also getting a few buffs, including one that will make a big difference to PvP combat versus Rogues and Hunters. But I think, dear readers, we are overlooking the most important part of patch 3.0.8:Fixed a bug with a Wild Mustard plant that was under the ground in Dalaran. Oh, thank God. That drove me nuts.(Really).(I'd also love to see them do something about the underground Tiger Lily spawn in Sholazar).(It's just south of River's Heart).(Really annoying).(Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?).
Shifting Perspectives: The Druid of 2008
Every Tuesday, Shifting Perspectives explores issues affecting Druids and those who group with them. This week, our author is completely spaced out on cold medication, and is somewhat concerned that her raid performance has improved under the circumstances.The time has come (the Allie said)To talk of many things.Of Roots and Bash and Travel Form,And Strength (which scales with Kings).Why Tauren cat form sucks so hard,And whether trees have wings!And, yes, before anyone asks, I'm tripping on too much cough syrup and ibuprofen after receiving a belated viral Christmas gift from a relative. So I'll just put this out there right now; this column's probably on the weird side. I took a long look at all three Druid specs over 2008 and saw a few sad things, a few happy things, a little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants, and now I'm channeling the famous Mary Tyler Moore episode "Chuckles Bites the Dust," and that has to stop because I do not believe Mary Tyler Moore ever played a Druid.If you're completely uninterested in reading an account of any spec that's not your own -- although that would make me weep into my little cup of generic label cough syrup -- here's a set of quick links to each: Balance Feral Resto
Trophies: Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
You'll be going through a lot of classic 16-bit games to get the Trophies for this compilation title. View Trophy List | Visit Trophy Portal
Virtually Overlooked: Strider
I never questioned what was going on in Strider. I just took it at face value. A ninja hang-glides into some kind of futuristic Moscow, fighting guards, soldiers, and robots. Later he travels to Siberia and fights a giant robot gorilla. Of course, back in those days, not only did games not have to make sense, they usually didn't. I was so used to stuff like Kabuki Quantum Fighter (about a kabuki actor who lives inside a computer and attacks with his hair) that Strider didn't even register with me as weird. But hey, it's pretty weird!
Koei strategy pair rated by ESRB
The ESRB has rated a pair of Koei games that aren't Dynasty Warriors for release on the Virtual Console. Both are historical strategic RPGs, though with very different settings. The first, Nobunaga's Ambition (top screens above), tasks players with conquering feudal Japan, while Uncharted Waters: New Horizons is based more on life at sea, and lets you indulge in sailing, trading, and even piracy.We assume these are the NES versions, though could be wrong -- there were versions of each on the Genesis and SNES. Considering a boxed of copy of either goes for about $20 or $25 on eBay, we could be in for a bargain when these appear.
One Shots: Genesis
One of the things we really like about EVE Online is the creative ways that the players keep contributing to the lore of New Eden. Today's One Shots is actually a "found" screen, culled from the forums by Massively's own Brendan "Nyphur" Drain, showing just a small portion of the creativity behind EVE Online's player-base. Nyphur tells us a bit more about this screen: I found this ages ago on the EVE forums and it's been my favourite screenshot ever since. It was either produced by a strange graphical bug or by opening the map in the New Eden system, but the composition of the screenshot gives it a wonderful symbolic feel. The map is visible with the Genesis region labled (the region that the EVE gate originated in and where settlers first entered New Eden). It's almost as if the genesis is occuring; the EVE gate giving birth to the thousands of little interconnected star systems that make up New Eden. If you're an EVE player who can tell us a bit more about how this screen came about, or who deserves the original credit, please do leave a comment below!Have you found an area that just sums up your game world as the above sums up EVE Online for Nyphur? If so, we'd love to see a screenshot of it and hear your thoughts. Just send that screenshot, your name, and your description to us here at oneshots AT massively DOT com. We'll post it out here for everyone to check out!%Gallery-9798%
Sega announces 'Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection,' includes 40 titles
Don't let the name fool you, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is actually a compilation disc of 40 varied titles from the glory days of Sega. The $30 bundle for Xbox 360 and PS3 releases in "spring 2009" and outputs in 720p.As long as developer Backbone Entertainment keeps the quality high, this is looking like a must-have compilation for fans. [Until Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection PLUS. - Ed.]Update: Added full list of revealed games after the break. Apparently more will be announced at a later date.Source - Sega's press releaseSource - Sega's game details page
