The official Astro City Mini website has now gone live and with it we have the reveal trailer you can watch below, and our first look at one of the system’s extra peripherals which will be sold separately.
The Astro City Mini control pad will be sold for an additional 2,780 yen (approximately £20) and feature a d-pad instead of an arcade stick, as well as the standard 6 button setup.
We also have a more accurate release date of December 2020, but the console is still Japan exclusive at the time of writing. The same lineup of 10 titles from yesterday’s news leak are also confirmed. There was some confusion about whether it was Puzzle & Action: Tant-R or Ichidant-R that was making it to the system, but as previously reported it is in fact Puzzle & Action: Tant-R.
Pre-orders from Amazon Japan are now available but only the Astro City Mini ships worldwide. The control pad is Japan exclusive:
– Astro City Mini
– Astro City Mini Control Pad
SEGA Japan (more specifically their SEGA Toys subsidiary) are back on the micro console hype train with their latest effort – the Astro City Mini. This mini arcade cabinet features 36 SEGA arcade titles and is due to release by the end of the year.
The full list of games has yet to be revealed, but a small selection have been confirmed and they are listed below:
– Alien Syndrome
– Alien Storm
– Golden Axe
– Golden Axe: Revenge of Death Adder
– Columns II
– Dark Edge
– Tant R
– Virtua Fighter
– Fantasy Zone
– Altered Beast
All games will be presented in their original arcade format. The Astro City Mini can be played using its built-in screen or sent to a television via HDMI. The system itself has its own arcade 8 way micro-switched joystick and 6 button setup. When the console is powered on the marquee also lights up. The system needs to be powered via a micro USB connection and there are also 2 extra USB slots for additional joysticks which are going to be sold separately. There is currently no word on whether the system will release in Western territories. The Astro City Mini will be priced at 12,800 yen which currently converts to £93.70.
A new batch of website updates have just gone live in both the Merchandise and Hardware sections. See below for the full list of additions with direct links to each entry:
The next SEGA Ages game for the Switch has been confirmed as Herzog Zwei. This title originally released on the Mega Drive back in December 1989 and is often regarded as one of the first RTS titles.
Developed by Technosoft of Thunder Force fame, this new port by M2 features a brand new practice mode which offers an extensive tutorial for new players. Alongside the game’s Original mode is a SEGA Ages mode which adds information panels and a mini map to help manage your craft and weaponry. We also have a Helper mode which gives you more resources and health for an easier gameplay option. The game will also support online multiplayer between 2 players, but the player you’ll face off against is chosen at random with no support for friends. The usual SEGA Ages settings and features like screen resizing, wallpapers and replays are also supported.
SEGA Ages: Herzog Zwei is due to release on the Switch eShop “soon” and will be priced at 999 yen for Japan. There is currently no word on a release date or pricing for the Western versions.
A brand new Mega Drive & Mark III edition of Picross S for the Nintendo Switch has been revealed by the game’s developer Jupiter in a recent BitSummit video. This new version of the game features puzzles based on characters from various retro SEGA properties, including Sonic the Hedgehog, Alex Kidd, Phantasy Star and more.
The game will contain 4 modes: Picross, Mega Picross, Colour Picross and Clip Picross. The game is due to release worldwide this Autumn 2020 as a digital eShop title. You can watch the reveal trailer below:
2 new hardware features are now available to read in our Hardware section. A detailed system synopsis and multiple high quality images of both the SEGA Genesis Nomad and the Pioneer LaserActive with its Mega Drive Control Pack have now been added to the website. Click below to go to each system’s individual page. Once you’ve done reading about those systems, why not browse the entire Hardware section and learn even more about the multitude of SEGA systems available and unavailable?
Columbus Circle are back once again with a new Mega Drive game, but this time we have something really special. The publisher is producing a brand new port of Mad Stalker: Full Metal Forth for the Mega Drive. This title has never been released on the Mega Drive before and was originally released for Sharp X68000 computers. The game is supposedly one of the biggest influences on the development of Guardian Heroes. You can watch the reveal trailer below:
Mad Stalker: Full Metal Forth will release on the Mega Drive on the 17th of September 2020 and can be pre-ordered now from Amazon Japan. It is priced at 6,578 yen, which currently converts to £48.68 in British sterling. Columbus Circle have previously been responsible for re-releases of Advanced Busterhawk Gleylancer and the release of 16-Bit Rhythm Land and Ultracore.
The previously Playstation Vita exclusive re-release of Atlus’ beloved RPG Persona 4, Persona 4 Golden, has arrived on Steam; marking the series’ first ever PC outing.
Due to be revealed at the PC Gaming Show 2020, but let slip a bit too early, Persona 4 Golden for PC costs £15.99 (with a £19.99 Digital Deluxe Edition, including a digital soundtrack and artbook). It comes with a slew of enhancements over the Vita version, such as improved framerates, dual audio, and higher resolution support.
Many have cited Persona 4 Golden as one of the main (or rather, only) reasons to own a Vita, so suffice to say it making the leap to PC is very welcome. Hopefully, there’s more where this came from down the road; Persona 3 next, perhaps?
When Tracker isn’t playing SEGA games, he’s talking about SEGA games. Or drawing about SEGA games. Or all of the above. You can also catch him over on Twitter.
SEGA has detailed what exactly their plans are for Phantasy Star Online 2’s Western release over the coming months, in a hefty content roadmap.
Currently, only content up to Episode 3 of the game is available for Western players, whereas Japan is currently on Episode 6. That, and the game is technically only available in North America right now; and on the Windows Store, which has rendered the game’s launch a bit of a mess for many, who’ve had to deal with a slew of bizarre installation issues.
Apparently that’s all set to change; SEGA is aiming to get the game “to reach parity with the Japanese servers eventually, with simultaneous releases moving forward to ensure that both services deliver the best experience possible to our players.” As the above visual shows, the aim to have that parity reached before the year is over; which is great, and there’s a lot of excellent features in the later episodes!
There also seems to be some reprieve on the way for those who can’t stand the Microsoft Store, as the blog notes that “more PC platforms” are coming soon. Presumably this means Steam, as it was mentioned in a manual for the game during the beta; but there’s every chance it could also mean the Epic Games Store. The plural has us hopeful, at least.
Crucially, they also state that:
We are also working hard to introduce this legendary online action RPG to a global audience this year. We will have more information about the regions where the game will become available in the near future.
Given the initial furore European fans had in response to the blind-eye turned towards fans beyond America (or perhaps that was just me…), it’s about time we heard more on plans to expand globally; even if there’s pretty much nothing to stop said non-American fans getting the game right now anyway.
All in all, it’s shaping up to be an exciting year for PSO2 fans in the West. Episode 4 is currently planned to release in August 2020, bringing with it great features such as crafting and an increased level cap.
When Tracker isn’t playing SEGA games, he’s talking about SEGA games. Or drawing about SEGA games. Or all of the above. You can also catch him over on Twitter.
Developed by Merge Games and Jankenteam with publishing duties also being helmed by Merge Games under license from SEGA, Alex Kidd in Miracle World is getting the remake treatment. Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX has been revealed for PC, Switch, Xbox and PlayStation with a release date set for the first quarter of 2021. Because neither model of Xbox or PlayStation are specified, this could mean the title is also cross-generational as the PS5 and Xbox Series X are releasing soon.
This new version of the Master System classic features a new art style, new stages, new modes and “alternative” boss fights. It also features the option to switch between the new art style and the look of the original Master System version, similar to the Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap remake by Lizardcube. Check out the reveal trailer below:
Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX has already been listed on Steam so if you want to wishlist it and you’re a PC user then click here.
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