Tag Archives: Sega Genesis

Blaze’s GameGadget Is REALLY Cool. I Want One (You Probably Should Too)…

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Let’s see now: a discounted price PLUS 30 classic Sega Genesis/Mega Drive titles FREE with the unit if you grab one before April 30, 2012, PLUS it’s packed with some excellent features AND the potential to beat up (a tiny bit) on Apple’s massive success? OK, I’m in. Hmmm. I recently got a Vita and even it’s a little jealous of this handheld. even though Blaze’s slick little device isn’t as “cutting edge” in design, I’m actually looking into acquiring one for the collection at some point.  Anyway, the GameGadget site is live, so go check it out and GET ONEso you can thumb your nose at the mega-corps with one hand AND get to play some great games with the other. Me, I’m stocking up the pennies slowly, so this will get added into the collection at some point.

Retro Swag: Haunting Leather Jacket (Polterguy’s The Prize…)

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I guess you could technically call this airbrushed (and hopefully one of a kind) Haunting Starring Polterguy leather jacket a Sega collectible (sort of). Or perhaps it’s an Electronic Arts collectible, as they’re the ones who sent it my way along with a copy of the game. Anyway,  I won this for entering art in a Diehard Game Fan contest back in 1993. The goal was to finish a Haunting-themed comic strip based on elements in the game with a final panel that showed some sort of scary monster. I actually entered on a whim, not even thinking I’d win (or make the deadline) with a creature that had mouths where its eyes were and eyes in his mouth (eek). Unfortunately, I didn’t make a color copy of the panel I painted nor did I get the issue the panel was in thanks to the issue it appeared in not showing up (and I was a loyal subscriber, too!). But I think I may have a crappy faded black and white copy buried in a bunch of old art around here. If I manage to dig it up, I’ll post it here.

Game Appreciation 101 (Part I): The Phantasy Star III Project

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It took about 21 years, but I finally appreciate Phantasy Star III. Not that I was playing the game for that long, mind you. It just took me that long to see everything it has to offer and while it’s still flawed, I now have a bit more respect for the final product.  Like a number of Sega Genesis owners back in 1991, I didn’t like the game all that much. The visuals were dull compared to the original and sequel, the story was a confusing mess from the start and unless you paid good money for the strategy guide, it was tough to know what to do in a few key moments. A mere two save slots didn’t help either in a game with four possible outcomes. In my case, my younger brother and I played through the game and only completed two of the four endings. We didn’t shell out for the guide book, but concentrated on power-leveling the party members until getting through dungeons was easy.  I think all that grinding plus the game’s not so hot localization and depressingly bland color palette was what really killed PSIII for us, so back on the shelf it went for about a decade… Continue reading →

Gallery: Mega-CD Library

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Not as large as the other libraries (and nope, nowhere near complete), here’s some Mega-CD titles to pore over. I have a bunch of Sega CD and UK Mega CD titles as well, but I’d sold off most of the core titles, so it’s a shadow of its former self. It’s too bad Sega or any other publishers didn’t have enough time to localize MORE of the RPG’s for the add-on, as games such as Shadowrun (an all-new version created for the platform), Record of Lodoss War, Shin Megami Tensei, Illusion City, Fhey Area, Cosmic Fantasy Stories, Death Bringer and others here would have made for a much more impressive lineup. But, hey – we DID get the fighting/RPG hybrid Battle Fantasy here as Revengers of Vengeance, so THAT makes up for a lot (he said, eyes rolling in his head)…

Gallery: Mega Drive/Genesis Library (Updated)

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By popular demand (from a few places), here you go, along with Master System games since they’re living on the same shelf as the MD/Genny stuff. For those who’ve seen the older pics elsewhere, yes, the collection used to be larger by about 40 or so games, but here’s where we’re at now minus a few loose carts I have stored in a bin nearby. I’ll try to get to the Super Famicom stuff within the next couple of months, as it’s more of a project getting them from the closet in the other room…

Review: Star Odyssey

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Platform: Sega Genesis/Mega Drive

Developer: Hot-B/Starfish

Publisher: Super Fighter Team

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: N/A

Official Site

Score: B+ (80%)

 

After 20 long years one of a handful of “lost” Sega Genesis games finally surfaces thanks to Brandon Cobb and Super Fighter Team. While Star Odyssey may not be the best RPG on the platform, as a piece of gaming history, it’s something that’s truly great too see and play. Thanks to Cobb’s dedication to seeing the project through (and a solid localization job), a few hundred lucky gamers can now play this long lost gem and see what might have been had this one shipped when it was supposed to. Granted, I’m sure it wouldn’t have set the gaming world on fire back in 1991 or ’92, but the Genesis never really got as many great RPG’s as the SNES back in the day, so what’s here makes for a mostly solid game with a few quirks that keep it from perfection. Continue reading →

Review: Sonic Generations

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Platform: Xbox 360 (also on PS3, Wii)

Developer: Sonic Team

Publisher: Sega

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: A

 

The Sonic Team (and Sonic) renaissance continues with another solid and hugely fun to play Sonic the Hedgehog game. While not flawless, Sonic Generations does a mostly stellar job of recapturing the nostalgia of the blue hedgehog’s early days while also giving gamers a Shake ‘n Bake of pretty much every major Sonic game (and a few minor ones) that’s come along since. Those well-versed in Sonic lore will be grinning ear to ear at the presentation, looking for references all over the place as they play through the game. Like the classic games it cobbles its levels and characters from, the overall experience is somewhat brief. However, just like the old days, this is one game you’ll blow through once and go back to over and over until you’ve aced every challenge and scored “S” ranks across every single map. Continue reading →

What’s Old Is New…

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So, my copy of Star Odyssey arrived today, interestingly enough on a nice and quiet (but busy) Saturday. I spent a few hours playing it and yup, it’s definitely old-school goodness. Not the best RPG on the Mega Drive/Genesis, but a great deal of care went into the game and it’s one of those “lost” games that was well worth the long wait to finally play. For the heck of it, here are pics of the game one of my Mega Drives consoles and the original Japanese release, Blue Almanac. Enjoy!

Super Fighter Team Debuts Star Odyssey in France

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Sure, it happened last November, but for a time-traveling gaming junkie like me, it’s always going to be 19XX at some point during the day. How come games like this aren’t given the royal(e) treatment in the US? I guess flashy 3D graphics, millions of bucks spent on ads, parties and hype and generating celebrity-based buzz is more important than keeping these flames alive, but as Super Fighter’s Brandon Cobb says: “Never let Dreams Die!” I can’t wait to plunk down some hard-earned cash for this game once it’s all done. More information on Star Odyssey is available at the game’s official website