Josh Newey
Sega and I high-five. A lot. Mostly over classic Sonic and the Dreamcast, but these days are looking pretty high-five-able too.
Posts by Josh Newey
This Generations mod brings Sonic’s buddies back into the fold
Jan 31st
Ok, I’ve got to come clean… As much as I loved Sonic Generations, I eventually found myself itching to play some of those amazing stages as my beloved Knuckles. Just seeing him in those awful side missions only made that yearning more painful. Don’t look at me like that–I know I have a problem.
Even so, it seems I’m not the only one with these irrational desires, as a Russian PC modder has breathed life back into my beloved echidna by injecting him and many more of Sonic’s controversial comrades into his once-lonely adventure. In these videos, you will see Knuckles, Tails, Amy, Shadow, Blaze, and Rouge invading Sonic’s personal Generations playground.
I’m especially fond of the Shadow Vs. Shadow showdown in Stardust Speedway. No battle in history could possibly reach that level of gloomy, edgy angst. Hit the jump to check it out.
[Source: Sega Bits]
Phantastic news! Phantasy Star Online 2 has some new videos
Jan 30th
…Did I really just write that title?
Anyway, a couple new gameplay videos from PSO2′s alpha 2 build recently popped up on the youtubes. They both offer a glimpse of the game’s Forest area, as well as the Fonewearl and Fomarl character classes.
I’m not much of an MMO guy, but at the very least it looks like the developers are doing a good job of keeping the unique style of the PSO series intact. Obviously, we’re still in the very early stages, but so far so good. Yeah, that’s all I’ve got on this one. Hit the jump to see the second video.
[Source: Siliconera]
Sonic-themed DLC now available for Spiral Knights
Jan 24th
Have you ever seen a piece of cosmetic DLC that looks so damn cool that you find yourself wanting the game only for that one tiny piece of online sweetness?
…Well now, I really freaking want Spiral Knights.
If you purchase the PC version of Sonic CD before February 1st, you will be treated to the utterly badass Metal Sonic armor you see above, as well as an accessory for Tails’…er…Tails, which you can see after the jump.
Sega’s cross-promotional fervor for both Sonic CD and Sonic 4: Episode 2 is a really masterful thing to watch. No matter what they do to push one game, they are automatically building interest and intrigue for the other. Now, with Spiral Knights in the mix, this veritable stew of self-sustaining marketing begins to swallow us whole. Pretty soon, Sega will be able to conquer the world with a single neato-looking Sonic Avatar hat.
Then we’ll be sorry for mocking that Were-hog.
[Source: SegaShiro]
Sega recruiting for new European studio, PS Vita game
Jan 23rd
Rumors have been floating around for a little while now, but based on the “Help Wanted” listings and newly registered trademarks, it’s probably safe to call it official–Sega’s new European Studio is being called “Hardlight”. This brand new team, founded by former members of Sega’s racing studio, has already announced their first project–a “unique action-adventure” game developed exclusively for release on the Playstation Vita later this year.
While there’s no official confirmation on the game’s title, the general belief now is that it shares the same name as its developer, though the only evidence that seems to support this is the recent filing of a trademark for the logo you see above. Since developer logos apparently don’t get that kind of protection, everyone is assuming that Hardlight is at least the game’s tentative title.
Sounds interesting, to say the least. The concept of a brand new action adventure title is nothing to scoff at, especially since the job listing on Sega’s site promises that this studio will be focusing on “the cutting edge of developments in technology, middleware and game expiences.” That could mean something truly original…Or just another load of trumped-up PR speak.
[Source: Sega Portal]
Sega announces London 2012–The Official Video Game of The Olympic Games (and I laugh at that name)
Jan 21st
It looks like Mario and Sonic aren’t the only ones with an Olympic game this year…
Earlier this week, Sega announced the official videogame companion to this year’s London Olympic games. Like Mario and Sonic’s bro-grab-fest, the title of this game (London 2012 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games) is needlessly long and convoluted, and as with any sports/olympics game, I struggle to get excited about it.To set the different versions of the game apart, Sega is throwing in special motion control gameplay for several events, like Beach Volleyball (exclusive to the Kinect), and Rapid-Fire Pistol (exclusive to the Move).
Perhaps the most interesting new feature is a new leaderboard system that tallies each player’s individual medals and adds them to their nation’s overall standing globally. It might be cool to see just how different parts of the globe can stack up in the long run. Let’s just hope the game’s quality can support that kind of ongoing competition.
Whatever the case, the game will be out in June of this year, right in time for the big games.
These bloody Yakuza Black Panther 2 screenshots are bloody lovely
Jan 20th
Even with the Vita peeking over the horizon, the PSP still looks like it has one or two decent cards hidden up its sleeve. Unsurprisingly, Yakuza Black Panther 2 is on the top of this small stack, and if the response to the last Black Panther is to be believed, these handheld offshoots certaingly hold up to the series’ lofty standards of quality.
Anyway, Andriasang has a whole new batch of screenshots for Black Panther 2, focusing primarily on the game’s bloody-looking combat and snazzy-looking character models. Hit the jump to see a handful, and head on over to Andriasang to see the whole batch.
[Source: Andriasang]
Dreamcast port of Half-Life finally released…on PC
Jan 20th
See if you can wrap your head around this one:
Eleven years after its last minute cancellation, the Gearbox-developed Dreamcast port of Half-Life is finally going to be playable to PC gamers. That’s right–a PC game, ported to the Dreamcast, ported back to the PC.
Aside from the obvious visual improvements, the Dreamcast version offers a fair amount of exclusive features, including new NPC models, redesigned areas, and a tweaked difficulty that accomodates the Dreamcast’s one-stick control scheme.
Anyone interested in trying this out? As someone who has had the pleasure of playing a bit of it, I can certainly stand behind this as a distinct port that’s worth trying out. There isn’t that much new content, but the little Dreamcast-themed surprises and entirely unique visual additions are a nice little treat for any Sega obssessive.
[Source: Dreamcast Junkyard]
Binary Domain’s DX Pack includes a sweet scarf and headset
Jan 15th
The next time you’re wondering which of your friends are real and which ones are the unfeeling, cold-hearted robots planning the invasion and enslavement of all humanity, here’s a good test to administer: take them out into the cold and offer them a scarf. If they be creatures of flesh and blood, they’ll gladly take you up on your generous offer. If they be empty shells of metal and mechanics, they’ll break your arm, take you out at the shins, and vaporize you with their laser eyes. It’s a fool-proof test, 100% guaranteed.
The folks at Sega are well aware of this, and as such are offering the unique little DX Bundle in Japan for their upcoming robot-blasting adventure Binary Domain. The bundle includes the absolutely gnarly scarf you see above, as well as an equally sweet headset for shouting at your in-game comrades. Check it out after the jump.
Binary Domain’s DX Bundle is going for a hearty 9,890 yen (that’s $130 in American moneys), though I doubt we’ll be getting the fool-proof robot tester scarf stateside. How am I going to protect my family from robots now?
[Source: Siliconera]
AiAi is up to some hijinks in this new Super Monkey Ball Splitz trailer
Jan 14th
Sega’s obligatory Monkey Ball game for the PS Vita has this adorable new trailer, and while it shows no gameplay to speak of, it is full of some “D’AWWW”-worthy shenanigans featuring AiAi and friends. It also looks like we can see a few stage themes in the trailer, including what looks like an ancient temple, a dinosaur jungle, and the wild west.
I doubt this will be the Vita’s killer app (I’m personally much more excited about Virtua Tennis 5), but Monkey Ball has always been an inoffensive, consistently entertaining little franchise. Anybody out there planning on picking this up? If you are, I’ve got a better question: Can I have your Vita, please?
Binary Domain’s Achievements revealed
Jan 14th
Nothing gets me intrigued about a game’s lesser hyped aspects like its list of Trophies/Achievements. Binary Domain’s is no different, with exciting hints at scarcely discussed gameplay modes like the Invasion Mode (which I assume is Binary Domain’s Horde Mode) and awesome-sounding in-game prospects like nanomachines. That’s right. NANOFREAKINMACHINES.
I am surprised by an underwhelming list of multiplayer Achievements, though. That’s kind of odd for a genre that’s usually so dead-set on online combat. Whatever the case, hit the jump to see the list of what’s been revealed so far. There are a few minor spoilers in there, but nothing too severe.
[Source: Sega Bits]
