Here is Sega’s official statement:

“SEGA and D3T indeed had started exploring the feasibility of a full HD remaster for Shenmue I & II. That being said, we soon realised that this was a project with its own set of challenges. Working with original animations and characters but meshing them with enhanced HD visuals gave us a game that we felt would not meet the standards that Shenmue fans expect and deserve. Rather than going ahead with a release that may disappoint fans, we chose to focus on bringing the classic game to PC and modern consoles, so that new players could experience Shenmue’s original charm.”

I buy it. A faithful port with enhancements was the right way to go about it.

I am not a fan of meshing old animations with half baked modern visuals, Yakuza Kiwami is a prime example. I don’t like that in a remake. If I am to buy a remake I’d prefer that it be like Capcom’s Resident Evil remakes.

If Sega can’t do a remake from scratch then I will gladly take an enhanced port over a half old – half new mesh of a game.

Those now-infamous words that SEGA of America President Tom Kalinske uttered during the company’s E3 press conference in May 1995 not only shocked the journalists in attendance but also many of SEGA’s retail partners, who weren’t expecting the Saturn to launch for several months.

Of course, this was only one of the many bad decisions SEGA would ultimately make with the Saturn that would derail much of the momentum it had gained during the 16-bit era against Nintendo. The Saturn would cede SEGA’s market share to the PlayStation, and Sony would go on to rule the video game industry for a long time.

But while SEGA’s failings with the Saturn have been well documented, it certainly wasn’t all bad, and Tyler at iRetroGamer has just published a new video showcasing some of the system’s good aspects, like being a 2D powerhouse and having a great library of import games.

It’s a shame SEGA so poorly managed the Saturn, but this video is a cool trip down memory lane. Be sure to give it a watch and comment below on what you thought of the Saturn!

Developed by Sumo Digital, the team behind the Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing series, Team Sonic Racing will allow players to play either solo or within teams of up to 12 members online (4 offline) in various single and multiplayer modes, including Grand Prix, Time Travel and Team Adventure. Teammates will also work together with new features, such as Item Transfer, Skim Boost and Slingshot.

Players can even pimp their rides (rapper slang for “vehicle customization,” in case you didn’t watch MTV’s Pimp My Ride) to suit their racing style. Unfortunately, a multi-platform game does not a cross-platformer make, as PS4 gamers cannot race their Switch-playing friends, and Xbox One players cannot challenge PC gamers and vice versa in multiplayer races.

Also, Crush 40, every Sonic fan’s favorite rock band, is returning to spice up the race with new music.

Team Sonic Racing will be racing to the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam this winter. Pre-order now!

The game’s protagonist, Jin, has been given an updated look, and the trailer showcases music from Sonic Mania’s Tee Lopes, too! The trailer also promises 15 hours of gameplay, which sounds awesome to us.

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom will release on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch this summer.

Here’s a sample of the DLC’s back story, taken from SEGA’s press release.

Throughout the lands of Avelorn, the very presence of Everqueen Alarielle brings great joy and tranquillity to the Elven havens. Yet across the Great Ocean in the dark lands of Naggaroth, something wicked stirs. The Hag-Queen, Crone Hellebron, in a storm of jealous rage, leads forth a murderous army of Dark Elves, to extinguish all beauty from the world.

So it is in this time of grave peril that Alarielle will take to the battlefield, for only she can vanquish this darkness and defend Ulthuan from the depredations of the impure.

The Queen & The Crone will be the first ‘Legendary Lords’ pack released, playable in both the Eye of the Vortex and Mortal Empires campaign. It introduces new elite units, quest chains, magic items and skill trees.

The DLC is due for release on May 31, 2018 and is currently available to pre-order at a 10% discount from SEGA approved digital retailers. Further details are available here.

Well, OrionSoft has launched a Kickstarter, not for a new game, but for the ‘Retro Game Designer’ – a piece of software that he has been working that will allow YOU to make your own games for the Mega Drive/Genesis, Dreamcast, Jaguar or PS1!

The good news is that, he’s promising the Retro Game Designer won’t require any coding knowledge, so anyone should be able to create their own games.

Now, admittedly, this idea isn’t totally new; there’s plenty of PC-based software out there that allows you to create your own games. But those software packages rarely allow development for console, and if they do it’s usually for modern platforms. This will be one of the few that caters for specific retro consoles.

The basic packages/tiers are aimed at people who want to dabble in game design, but not sell their wares. While the higher priced tiers (going up to 500Euros) will be for professionals and you’ll be free to sell your game made with the software.

By the looks of it, Orion is aiming to use stretch goals to help advance the creation of different game engines. He’s hoping, with full funding, to be able to include engines for: 2D Platformers, Point ‘N Click Adventures, Scrolling Shoot ‘Em Ups and RPGs.

This is definitely another Kickstarter project, I’ll be backing. If it’s successful, hopefully we’ll see plenty more games coming to the Mega Drive and Dreamcast for years to come!

Check out the Kickstarter project, here.

I’ve been tardy in my writing, so I apologize and promise to be better. But the good news is I was able to snag some pretty sweet Dreamcast games over the past couple weeks, so I hope you won’t be too cross with me.

I took the day off on Friday, March 30, and decided I’d finally check out the Columbus Farmer’s Market in Columbus, NJ, because I’ve heard some really good things about one of the video game stores located there. I did go there before a couple years ago, but only looked around at the outdoor area, and it was all the typical stuff you see at flea markets, but I didn’t know there were stores inside, too.

As I went inside, they had some pretty cool stores, like an Amish bakery, a toy store with some Japanese toys and a pet store with a gigantic lizard slithering around a wooden cage.

What really caught my eye, though, was a legit arcade tucked away in one of the corners of the marketplace. It wasn’t all that big, but they did have a Crazy Taxi and House of the Dead 2 cabinets.

We finally found the video game store called Video Nutz, and they had some really good assortment of retro games, ranging all the way back to the Magnavox Odyssey.

There was a guy who walked in a little bit later to trade in some stuff. I got curious, so I walked over to see what he was trading in, and it was an old, dirty SEGA Saturn, but there was also a copy of Radiant Silvergun! I wish I would have seen that before he came in to offer to buy it off him.

I ended up buying five games there, including Bang! Gunship Elite, Fighting Force 2, Spec Ops II Omega Squad, Test Drive 6 and WWF Attitude.

I still had some time left, so I decided to drive about an hour east to visit Powered By Games in Lanoka Harbor, NJ. They had a huge inventory of Dreamcast games that all seemed pretty reasonably priced.

They probably had the best overall selection of any retro store that I’ve seen since starting the Dreamcast Challenge. I wish I had a bigger budget, but I ended up buying another five games: Blue Stinger, Frogger 2 Swampy’s Revenge, House of the Dead 2, Speed Devils Online Racing and Urban Chaos.

Oh, I also received Confidential Mission from an eBay purchase, so that officially marks another 11 games added to my Dreamcast collection.

With Weeks 3 and 4 in the books, that officially brings my collection to 81 games!

Remember when we used to have to beg for Sega to release Yakuza titles in the west? Seems farfetched nowadays, with Zero and Kiwami released in the past year, and Yakuza 6 just around the bend. It’s been a banner year for the series, and tonight, it was revealed that the Year of the Dragon’s been extended a little longer.

At tonight’s Yakuza 6: Essence of Art grand opening in Los Angeles, Sega formally announced the localization of Yakuza Kiwami 2, with a release date of August 28th, 2018. For those just getting up to speed, Kiwami 2 is a remake of Yakuza 2, which is considered by many to be the best story in the series, using Yakuza 6‘s Dragon Engine. Kiwami 2 also adds a brand new side-story starring Goro Majima to the mix, as well as bringing back Yakuza 6‘s Clan Creator minigame, this time featuring New Japan Pro Wrestling legends such as Keiji Mutoh and Masahiro “How Has He Not Been In RGG Sooner” Chono as the rival squad.

The game will be releasing in both regular and Steelbook variants, with preorders opening at a soon to be determined date. No price point was announced, but if it follows Kiwami‘s $30 USD price point, Kiwami 2 will be an absolute steal when it releases.

More information and screenshots can be found on Sega’s official Yakuza Kiwami 2 website.

The Untold Tales content adds 25 new quests, four new minor factions and four new heroes, while the Lost Symphony brings seven new musical scores, creating a new soundscape for your game time in the galaxy, plus it includes the ‘Harmony’ minor faction from the original Endless Space.

Both content packs are available to download now on Steam, with a 10% discount until March 19th: Click for Lost Symphony – Click for Untold Tales.

You can listen to a few samples of the Lost Symphony‘s music in the trailer above, or visit G4F Bandcamp to buy it. Plus, check out the full press release and screenshots, below!

Screenshots

Press Release

Endless Space 2 DROPS 2 SURPRISE CONTENT PACKS

Music, lore, and sales galore! Amplitude Studios has let loose dual unannounced new content packs entitled Untold Tales and Lost Symphony, alongside weeklong promotions.

Has the cold weather left you in need of a pick-me-up? We have just the thing… No, it’s not space-cocoa, it’s two surprise content packs for Endless Space 2! And what better time than the final rainy weeks of Winter to get back into the grand strategy title that puts players at the helm of their very own space opera.

And for those of you who have yet to dive into Endless Space 2, you’re in luck. To celebrate release week, Endless Space 2 will be 50% off on Steam from March 12th – March 19th.
Endless Space 2 is available on Steam!

Untold Tales
With 25 exclusive quests, 4 new Minor Factions, and 4 new Heroes there’s something for everyone in the Untold Tales. Are you into the more “down-to-earth” factions like the terraforming Sowers? Or do you fancy the community-picked gelatinous Sefaloros and their hero Ooblart Essacius? (…all hail Ooblart the galactic Jellyfish!)

Lost Symphony
Your newfound adventures deserve a new soundscape! Cruise through the outer-rims of the galaxy with 7 new musical tracks to accompany you on your quest for space domination. As a bonus, we will be including the Harmony Minor Faction, the famed conscious crystals from the original Endless Space.

Listen to the tracks on the G4F Bandcamp and check out our special visual trailer! Both content packs are available now on Steam with a 10% discount through March 19th.

Why the slight name change, you might be asking? Well, SEGA has confirmed that the game is the same PSO2 that has previously been released in Japan (and some other parts of Asia) on PC, PS Vita and PS4, but the Switch version will be running via the cloud. So rather than downloading the game to the device, you will stream it from servers.

Plus, along with the announcement (via Nintendo Direct, see video above) Switch players will also have access to exclusive Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild content, including playing as Link and, by the looks of it, Zelda too!

That’s great news for PSO fans in Japan. The bad news is that there’s still no sign of PSO2 getting a Western release… although SEGA still hasn’t said it’s not happening, just “delayed” – so we’re going to keep on hoping!