Games You Just NEED To Play: Yakuza: Dead Souls

Posted on March 13, 2012 by geelw

Sure, it’s all about Mass Effect 3 for many out there, but for total goofballs like me, Sega’s just-released wild Tokyo nightmare is going to be more fitting for a few reasons. The mix of horror and humor makes for a wacky bit of balancing, but the game isn’t trying to be “serious” at all (zombies versus Japanese gangsters would make a great Takashi Miike flick, I say!). Those weird Yakuza 4 geisha club mini-games are back (enough said there) and hell, it’s just cool to support Sega and the supremely talented Yakuza team again this year, as Binary Domain was also a really nice surprise that’s worth a buy. Don’t get me wrong, though – I’m not skipping out on BioWare’s latest at all, folks. It’s just that it’ll always be around to dive into on multiple platforms (and will no doubt get some sort of reissue down the road) while this one’s a PS3 exclusive that’s only going to get a limited release and that’s that… unless there’s a Yakuza BOX on the way (note to Sega: hint, hint, hint…)

Jet Set Radio Trailer: What’s Old Is New(s) Again…

Posted on March 5, 2012 by geelw

Yeah, I missed running this short trailer update a few days back, but amusingly enough, a few weeks ago, I had the Dreamcast here plugged in and yup, got in some time with the original. Sega’s on the right track here, although in a perfect world, they’d just get a bunch of classic DC games out on a disc format so more people could play them. One game at a time may get the internet cheering (when it’s the RIGHT game), but I think the better thing to do would be to let more people see just what the Dreamcast era was all about with a bit of healthy budget-priced overkill….

Sega’s Hell Yeah!: A Downloadable “What The?!” Curiosity Worth A Shot

Posted on March 1, 2012 by geelw

Well, well, well… new IP is always a good thing in my book (and killer rabbits are hilarious to me for some reason), but I know the hardcore Sega fanatics are all doubled over backwards asking “Where’s Shenmue III?!!!” or whatever. I’m interested in seeing what’s up with this one as it gets further along in development and yup, I want to see some actual gameplay next time, guys. OK, radar activated, eyeball peeled, watch list checked. Thanks, Sega! Next!

Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode II “Reunion” Trailer: Change Is Good (Unless You’re A Nitpicker Who Thinks It’s Not)…

Posted on February 24, 2012 by geelw

While I’d still prefer Sega just get all the parts done and release this on a DISC with all the other Genesis/Saturn/Dreamcast Sonic games ever made (they’ll fit on a single Blu-Ray comfortably, I’d bet), we’ll have to “settle” for installments. The good thing is, the dev team is addressing the complaints about Part 1 and it looks as if the animation is fixed up quite nicely. Of course, SOME people out there are going on and on about how the game doesn’t PERFECTLY replicate the Genesis version to a T in terms of every single animation or how some parts seem to take control away from the player and so forth and so on. I say knock it ff and wait for the game (or at least a demo) to drop before swallowing that foot.

Jet Set Radio Finally Returns (This Time On PSN/XBLA)

Posted on February 24, 2012 by geelw

Excellent, but I have mixed feeling about this one. How funny that a very physical game based on the physical acts of graffiti and trick skating is coming back as a digital-only title. Well, kudos to Sega for FINALLY getting this one out there to the masses, but still. I recall that Jet Set Radio Future on the Xbox had some killer PR goodies such as a set of awesome headphones and a CD soundtrack and yes, a NEW disc version would have been cool just for a documentary on the original JSR and the sequel how they changed gaming. I still remember the first time I saw those ‘cel-shaded’ graphics running on the Dreamcast and thought they were the best thing to hit gaming in a while. Hopefully, all those folks that have never played either game will be as awed as I was back in the day. We shall see…

Sonic, Meet Flo. Flo, Meet Sonic…

Posted on January 12, 2012 by geelw

I think I’m the ONLY one I know who hasn’t seen this new Progressive ad on TV just yet, so after hearing so much about it, I’m glad it’s as cute as I’ve been hearing. In a way, it reminded me of those Japanese PlayStation TV spots with Crash Bandicoot that were all over TV and even ended up as bonuses on a few demo discs there… Go Sonic!

Retro Exploration: Dreamcast (Part 7)

Posted on January 11, 2012 by geelw

Here’s a ton of fun bonus images from Red Dog, the superb drive ‘n shoot game from the late Argonaut Studios. You get a few background artworks from loading screens, enemy render, unused logos and some more oddball stuff below the jump I remember this one from all the crazy four-player matches that were a huge part of the workday at the indie shop I worked at for a few years. No matter how crappy the day was, a few MP sessions would kick things into a cooler place. Of course, the single player mode was a ton of fun as well with all those challenging levels and tough boss battles. I haven’t played the game in ages, but I’ll absolutely give it a whirl when I get some more free time just to see if my reflexes are still as good as they used to be…

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Retro Exploration: Dreamcast (Part 5)

Posted on January 10, 2012 by geelw

Above: three simple but nice wallpapers from Sega’s hilarious and fun Action/RPG/Beat ’em up Rent-A-Hero #1, which WAS actually localized for the original Xbox and set to be released by AIA Games (who bought us Illbleed on the Dreamcast) here in the US. I even got to review the English version of the game for Digital Press before the game was set to ship. Alas, it got canned a few weeks before the release for some reason, but I still have my debug code here and a console to play it on, so there’s that. YOU, dear reader, unfortunately got chunks of the game presented in a more watered down form as Virtua Quest, a kid’s game for the PS2 and Game Cube… so there’s that. Hey, SEGA!!! Wake up and do RAH some justice with a proper remake!

More images below the jump…

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Sonic 4: Episode 2 Set To Roll In 2012

Posted on December 31, 2011 by geelw

Sega is set to send Sonic soaring into the stratosphere after two great games in a row on consoles (the super Sonic Colors and the even superior Sonic Generations). Here’s a quick peek at the Hedgehog’s latest speed-fest, set to hit XBLA and PSN in the New Year – enjoy!

D2: WARP’s Last Gasp Makes For A Curious Cure For Holiday Melancholy

Posted on December 30, 2011 by geelw

While the holiday season is usually packed with happy jolly tidings and the usual mass consumer craziness (that’s turned some shopping malls into pepper spray scented war zones), it’s also a time for reflection and a bit of moodiness about current and future events. Winter also brings in a bit of depression, as we humans are also prone to go gloomy when the lack of sun and warmth hits hard, sending some into a depressed state. Kenji Eno and WARP’s final console game, D2 has been my go-to holiday gift for myself ever since it was released on the Sega Dreamcast in Japan back in 1999. I’m not going to do a full review of the game (there’s an older one I wrote posted here), but I will say that the game manages to capture the feeling of being inside a bad winter dream that you can’t wake up from, yet one that you don’t want to simply because you want to see how it plays out. It’s definitely not for all tastes and in fact, can be baffling even when you piece things together into a more sensible narrative than what’s presented. On the other hand, the game also soars into unsuspecting territory a few times and packs an emotional punch where it counts. Continue reading →