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Analogue's Mega Sg sounds like the ultimate Sega Genesis
Analogue, the retro console manufacturer behind the Nt Mini and Super Nt, excellent modern NES and SNES reproductions, is now bringing back a seminal '90s rival. The company has announced the Mega Sg, a Sega Genesis, Mega Drive and Master System recreation that can play over 2,180 classic cartridges. Unlike other retro console clones, Analogue, as its name suggests, doesn't use emulation methods. Rather, the company opts to use an Altera Cyclone V FPGA chip to ensure 100 percent compatibility -- and so that games can be played exactly how they were intended. It's not the exact chip used in the Genesis, but using an FPGA chip that runs off HDL (hardware description language), it can essentially be any other chip. It's a solution that bypasses emulation through an operating system, to connect and speak directly between game cartridge and motherboard.
Imad Khan10.16.2018
Sega started and cancelled a 'Shenmue' remake
Did you play the remastered versions of the Shenmue games and wish that Sega and d3t had done more than port the titles largely unchanged? So did the developers, apparently. Digital Foundry has discovered that the team had originally been working on remakes that included dramatically improved graphics. While the characters and locations were extremely familiar, virtually everything had much more sophisticated geometry and higher-resolution textures -- flat roofs and blocky people suddenly popped with detail. There were also more advanced lighting effects, such as ambient occlusion (how objects interact with ambient light), more realistic reflections and shadow maps.
Jon Fingas10.15.2018
Sega's Mega Drive Mini won't arrive until 2019
The retro console craze kicked off by Nintendo's NES and SNES classic systems, with Sony's miniature PS1 inbound, has proven bountiful for nostalgic gamers keen to relive their 8- to 32-bit glory days. But Sega's plans to join the rose-tinted celebrations with its own Mega Drive Mini has hit a speed bump. Slated for release in Japan this year, the iconic console is now being delayed until 2019, the company announced on Twitter.
Saqib Shah09.19.2018
'Project Judge' is the new series from the creators of 'Yakuza'
If you're all Yakuza'd out, then we have some good news. The creators of your favorite gangster series have something new -- Project Judge (or Judge Eyes, depending on your translation choice). This time you're starting off on the other side, playing a lawyer-slash-detective who's looking to clear his name, save innocents and generally do good. The teaser trailer appears more narratively driven, with creator Toshihiro Nagoshi hinting that you'll be able to control dramatic interactions of the characters, and making it sound possibly less violent and less action-driven than the Yazuka series. For now, it's hard to discern how the game will play, but it looks like it'll have the same drama and angst that fans loved from Sega's gangster series.
Mat Smith09.10.2018
The first 'Valkyria Chronicles' comes to Switch on October 16th
Valkyria Chronicles 4 will be available on the Switch, but what if you never played the original and want to brush up on your WWII-inspired turn-based strategy? Don't worry, you're set. Sega has confirmed that the original Valkyria Chronicles will be available on Nintendo's system October 16th for $20, or $15 if you have the newest title in your Switch library. This isn't the remastered edition from 2016, so you might not get a visual extravaganza -- though you might not mind if you're defending Gallia in handheld mode.
Jon Fingas09.03.2018
Strategy RPG 'Valkyria Chronicles 4' is a wonderful return to form
For 99 percent of people, Valkyria Chronicles 4 might as well be called Valkyria Chronicles 2. The first game was a captivating war story that blended top-down strategy with third-person movement and gunplay. The second, admittedly decent title was stuck on the PlayStation Portable and the third instalment never made it to the West. Sega tried to revive the franchise last year with Valkyria Revolution, an action-focused spin-off, but it was panned by critics and fans alike. A true successor to the 2008 original has been an awfully long time coming.
Nick Summers09.01.2018
'Streets of Rage 4' revives Sega's beat 'em up classic
Streets of Rage has received ports to other platforms, but a true sequel? Not since 1994. You're in for a treat if you miss Sega's classic left-to-right broawler, though. Lizardcube, Guard Crush Games and Dotemu have unveiled Streets of Rage 4, a proper sequel with updated mechanics, a "fresh story" and, naturally, plenty of thugs to thrash. The developers are saying precious little beyond that, but you can play two-player co-op (as either Axel Stone or Blaze Fielding) -- and it's evident the art has taken a big step forward thanks to 24 years of technological progress.
Jon Fingas08.27.2018
Yakuza Kiwami 2's tangled plot is half the appeal
The Yakuza series on the PS4 is, at its heart, a story of family. It explores this theme through the narrative lens of the protagonist Kiryu Kazuma and the Sisyphean task of protecting the people that constitute various iterations of his family -- often from one another. In Yakuza Kiwami 2 (a remake of the 2006 original), Kiryu is in for more of the same challenges but with even higher stakes.
Andrew Tarantola08.23.2018
'Shenmue III' makes its long-delayed debut on August 27th, 2019
The long-awaited, crowdfunded Shenmue III was originally supposed to arrive by December 2017, but that clearly never came to pass -- delays have pushed it back two years. The developers at Ys Net appear ready to hold their ground, though. They've announced that the third installment in Ryo's martial arts saga will launch on August 27th, 2019. The studio hasn't shed much more light on the story in the process, but the accompanying trailer (below) reiterates the prophecy that Ryo and Ling Shenhua would join together on a "rocky path."
Jon Fingas08.21.2018
Sega is releasing a 'Phantasy Star' mobile game in Japan
Phantasy Star is a popular Sega RPG franchise that spawned numerous titles; it was Sega's answer to the Final Fantasy series. Now, for the franchise's 30th anniversary, Sega has announced a new mobile smartphone game called Idola: Phantasy Star Saga will arrive in Japan later this year.
Swapna Krishna07.24.2018
Did a single typo screw up the AI in 'Aliens: Colonial Marines'?
In case you need help selecting an old game to spend the weekend with, it might be a good time to revisit 2013's Aliens: Colonial Marines. In a one-star review written when it was released, Xav de Matos called out the game's AI as a problem and said: "Enemy encounters feature stunningly moronic xenomorphs that show none of the tactical sense seen in the films. There's no tension or challenge to the engagements. The highly intelligent alien race simply leaps or rushes toward the player, exploding in a mist of acidic blood after absorbing enough shots. If any of them fail to combust, they simply fade away." Why would I recommend a game that only received a one-star review when it was released? Because there's a chance a much better version of the game was hiding within, only to be stymied by, of all things, a single typo.
Richard Lawler07.13.2018
America's love affair with firearms bleeds into gaming culture
Gaming culture is rife with graphic representations of gun violence and has been since arcade goers first blew aliens out of Space Invader's skies. You'll be hard-pressed to find more than a handful of AAA titles designed for adults (sit down Rayman) that don't rely on firearms, or use gore in substitution, either as a primary tool for the gameplay or as a thematic element.
Andrew Tarantola07.05.2018
‘Shenmue’ returns August 21st
With the third chapter in the Shenmue saga delayed yet again until 2019, fans (and newcomers) can keep themselves busy in the meantime with the first two games on their fancy modern consoles and PCs. Sega is re-releasing Shenmue I and II on PS4, Xbox One and Steam August 21st. Pre-orders are now open, and the console editions of Ryo Hazuki's revenge story are getting physical copies, with a double-sided poster tucked into the case.
Kris Holt07.03.2018
Sega is bringing 'Yakuza 0' and 'Valkyria Chronicles 4' to PC
Hot on the heels of Shenmue I and II's re-release announcements, Sega Europe has confirmed that two additional franchises will be coming to PC. During E3's PC Gaming Show, the company revealed that PlayStation-bound titles Yakuza 0, Yakuza Kiwami and tactical RPG Valkyria Chronicles 4 will all make the move across, joining the likes of Bayonetta and Vanquish.
Katrina Filippidis06.12.2018
'Sonic the Hedgehog' and other Sega classics are coming to the Switch
Sega's latest nostalgia trip isn't limited to a mini Genesis and Shenmue ports. In the wake of a Japanese announcement, Sega has confirmed that it's releasing a swath of classic Master System and Genesis games on the Nintendo Switch in North America and Europe this summer. The titles will fall under the Sega Ages bundle, and most of the initial roster are titles you'll recognize: Sonic the Hedgehog, Phantasy Star, Alex Kidd in Miracle World, the arcade version of Gain Ground and Thunder Force IV. The new series should ultimately include over 15 titles.
Jon Fingas04.16.2018
Sega Japan teases a mini Genesis coming later in 2018
Along with the rereleases of Shenmue I & II, Sega also showed off its own attempt at retro console loaded with classic games. While knockoff Genesis systems have been easy to find, the success of Nintendo's miniaturized NES and SNES may have pushed Sega to get serious about nostalgia. MegaDrive Mini is apparently just a tentative name, but it's also timed to arrive for the system's 30th anniversary. So far Sega's social media and PR for Europe and Japan are quiet on the subject, but if we find out any more details we'll let you know.
Richard Lawler04.13.2018
'Shenmue' I & II return on PS4, Xbox One and PC this year
Die-hard Shenmue fans don't just have the crowdfunded Shenmue III to look forward to anymore. Tonight at the Sega Fest event, Sega announced the first two games in the series will be re-released later this year for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. Fans can expect both physical and digital releases, while the games promise a "definitive version of these all-time classics." Relive Ryo Hazuki's quest for revenge with the classic or updated controls, options for either Japanese or English voiceovers and an updated UI. You can check out the reveal trailer with some pre-release footage after the break.
Richard Lawler04.13.2018
'Football Manager' will be on Nintendo Switch very soon
Football Manager, the simulator that's all about handling a professional soccer team, is on its way to the Nintendo Switch. Engadget has confirmed the news via a person familiar with the matter at Sega, the publisher and parent company of series developer Sports Interactive.
Jessica Conditt04.10.2018
'Yakuza Kiwami 2' set for Western launch on August 28th
While Western fans of the Yakuza series are still patiently waiting for Yakuza 6: The Song of Life's delayed PS4 launch next month, Sega decided to tease further by announcing that Yakuza Kiwami 2, the remake of Yakuza 2 from 2008, is also heading to the West on August 28th. This is surprising considering that there is a 28-month gap between the Japanese debut of Yakuza 6 and its Western counterpart, whereas for Yakuza Kiwami 2 it's just going to be a nine-month wait -- assuming that there will be no delay, of course. In other news, following the botched release of the Yakuza 6 demo that let folks play beyond the intended limit, Sega said it will finally be releasing the demo back online "early next week." This should keep fans busy until April 17th, at which point their progress in the demo will be carried over to the full game.
Richard Lai03.18.2018
'Yakuza 6' makes Tokyo's red-light district virtually real
I'm a relatively late fan of Sega's famed Yakuza franchise. It was the 2015 prequel, Yakuza 0 on the PS4, that got me hooked: It was the series' first title to be localized in Chinese, which helped me understand its rich storyline on the humble beginnings of series protagonist Kazuma Kiryu and his strangely charming acquaintance, Goro Majima. What also fascinated me about these open-world games was how most of the world was based on Tokyo's Kabukicho and Osaka's Dotonbori, often with incredible attention to detail.
Richard Lai03.15.2018