SEGADriven is a SEGA news and information source that focuses on SEGA's console history, retro games and new software hitting the shelves. We want to share a love of great, quirky, clever and down-right fun games - something that SEGA have always specialised in. See below for the latest news, reviews and features added to the website.
Another cult SEGA title receives an English language translation! For this release it’s time to get acquainted with the Dreamcast cult life sim L.O.L.: Lack of Love, which has been Japan exclusive since it’s original 2000 release.
L.O.L.: Lack of Love puts you in control of a primitive creature on an alien world who must evolve to stay alive as the planet is being slowly terraformed. The game infamously features no heads-up-display and is played in a non-linear fashion. You can talk to or eat other life forms to advance your evolution.
The Madō Monogatari series has long been a Japanese exclusive franchise, but that changes today as the Mega Drive remake of the first 3 games is now available in English for the very first time.
Western gamers will recognise the characters of Madō Monogatari from their later appearances in the Puyo Puyo franchise, but they actually debuted here. The action of Madō Monogatari is largely a traditional JRPG which is why an English language patch is so essential to play it. With this patch the game becomes Sorcery Saga I in English.
SEGA has officially confirmed that “Shin Sakura Wars” will be launching westwards under the name Sakura Wars, for Playstation 4.
The game offers a unique blend of dating sim and action RPG gameplay, against the backdrop of a fictionalised Japan. As SEGA’s site for the game puts it:
The stage is set in a steampunk version of 1940s Imperial Tokyo. Only a short while ago, a cataclysmic event destroyed the Imperial Combat Revue of Tokyo, the capital’s global defense force stationed at the Imperial Theater. Now home to the Flower Division, an inept rookie squad who also strives to impart hope on the citizenry with their theatrical talents, the theater has fallen on hard times and risks closure. It’s up to Seijuro Kamiyama as the captain of the new Tokyo revue to lead his squad and restore the Imperial Combat Revue and the theater back to their former glory! With the help of the revue’s five colorful performers, he must rise to the challenge of competing in the Combat Revue World Games, protecting the inhabitants of Tokyo and getting the theater back on track.
Also notable is that the game runs on the Hedgehog Engine 2 – the very same engine used to deliver Sonic Forces’ graphics. It looks like it’s been put to good use here, too.
The game is currently slated as a PS4 exclusive, with no word on ports to other consoles or PC. The launch edition will include a reversible cover and sticker set.
It’s been announced via the Playstation website that Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash! will be releasing on February 25th in America, and the 26th in Europe.
The game is a brand new adventure in the Space Channel 5 series, seeing Ulala return to her reporting duties alongside a slew of new characters. On offer are various modes, including Story Mode, an Arcade Mode for beginners, Trial Dance, Viewing Mode, as well as extra content such as unlockable outfits for Ulala and a set of character biographies. Ulala’s also sporting a new voice actress – Cherami Leigh, who SEGA fans may recognise from her role as Makoto Nijima in Persona 5.
Numskull have been producing a line of model ducks that cosplay as various video game and cult movie characters for a while now, but with the release of their 2nd wave of ducks they have also introduced Sonic and Eggman ducks.
Each Tubbz duck comes in a presentation case shaped like a bath. Even though the models float, they are a bit too top heavy for their own good and don’t float upright on the water’s surface.
SEGA’s recently announced Sonic 2020 initiative is off to a flying start – earlier today it was announced that SEGA AGES Sonic 2 will release on the eShop on February 20th, and now it’s been confirmed that Sonic will once again make his presence known at the SXSW expo in Texas, as the annual Sonic panel returns for 2020.
The panel’s onsite description is as follows:
Sonic the Hedgehog is back at SXSW! Join special guests from SEGA and Sonic Team as they talk about the latest for the blue blur and his next steps for 2020 and beyond. There’s almost always a special announcement or two to be had, so be sure to stay tuned!
The panel is usually hosted on the 16th, but the switch to the 20th conveniently lands it within the Sonic 2020 campaign. As for what’ll be announced there – only time will tell!
SEGA has now confirmed the Feburary 20th release date for Puyo Tsu in the West, with another surprising detail – Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s AGES release will launch on the same day!
This is the first time an AGES release has had it’s Western release in-line with the Japanese versions since launch, so it’s great news. AGES Sonic 2 will include the extra modes from the 3DS version, as well as Knuckles in Sonic 2 and the Drop Dash from Sonic Mania.
ORIGINAL STORY
Back in January, Puyo Puyo Tsu joined the SEGA AGES lineup on Nintendo Switch over in Japan. The good news is Western players won’t have to wait much longer to get their Puyo fix; as the port will be coming westwards on February 20th.
The information comes from a listing on the Nintendo eShop’s “Coming Soon” section, stating the ‘planned release’ date is 20/02/2020. For those unaware, this is a port of the arcade version, with a slew of extra features including online multiplayer, an endurance mode in which you fight every single opponent in a row, and even options to assist colourblind players. It’ll be £5.99, as with the other AGES ports.
The removed tracks have now returned to the service – along with some new additions, including Phantasy Star Zero, Roommania and Ollie King soundtracks. Much like the last time happened, it seems the downtime had something to do with expanding to other services, as SEGA has added their music library to new services such as Rakuten and LINE Music over the past day or two.
ORIGINAL STORY
And now for some not-so-good SEGA music news – SEGA’s back catalogue on Spotify has suddenly dwindled from the comprehensive selection it offered, virtually overnight – with a seemingly random selection of the company’s beloved music being pulled from the service.
Right now, it’s probably easier to list what is still there than what isn’t; most Sonic soundtracks have survived the cull, as well as soundtracks for Yakuza, Chain Chronicle, Border Break, Rhythm Thief, Jet Set Radio, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz HD, NiGHTS Journey of Dreams and IDOLA Phantasy Star Saga. Even Rent a Hero’s soundtrack release is still up!
…however, that leaves a lot on the cutting room floor. The original NiGHTS into Dreams soundtracks, for example, are now nowhere to be found. Music from SEGA’s arcade lineage, including Power Drift, Space Harrier, OutRun and others have also been axed from the service. Other soundtracks removed include Virtua Fighter, Puyo Puyo, and even the SEGA Sound Team [.H]’s rearrangement album (although Takenobu Mitsuyoshi’s album From Loud 2 Low is still up, somehow).
Even Sonic wasn’t completely safe – in addition to part of Sonic Generations’ and Sonic Rush’s soundtrack being AWOL for a long time now, Team Sonic Racing’s soundtrack has now also vanished – kind of a confusing removal, given how recent it was.
However, this exodus may not relate to SEGA directly; as noted by several users, albums from EXIT TUNES, a Japanese label responsible for many Vocaloid album releases, have also gone. Could it be a legal thing holding these soundtracks back from the service? The main point of confusion is why certain albums are affected, while others remain up.
Tags: music, sega, Spotify Posted in News | Comments Off on Numerous SEGA Soundtracks Vanish from Spotify overnight, including Virtua Fighter, Puyo Puyo, and Team Sonic Racing OSTs
Back in the day, SEGA music was so beloved that it was frequently performed live by SEGA’s own in-house band, the SEGA Sound Team Band (S.S.T. Band). They gave us some of the most incredible performances of SEGA music the world’s ever known, and in recent years several members of the group actually reformed under the new banner of Blind Spot. Their latest albums include both entirely new original pieces, as well as covers of classic SEGA tunes – and now they’ve announced a fourth album (technically their fifth?) is on the way.
With 12 tracks on offer, Blind Spot IV offers a mix of new and old tracks from beloved composers such as Katsuhiro Hayashi, Koichi Namiki, Takenobu Mitsuyoshi and more. In the SEGA department, the album promises remixes of tracks heard in Virtua Racing, Daytona USA, and even a new arrangement of the main theme of NiGHTS into Dreams – complete with a fresh vocal track!
SEGA Japan have revealed plans for a new Sonic the Hedgehog initiative that will run every month this year. The ‘Sonic 2020’ initiative promises new Sonic news on the 20th of every month throughout 2020 with today’s news being the reveal of the initiative alongside new key art, wallpapers, a Twitter header and profile icons. You can view and download them from this page on SEGA Japan’s Sonic Channel.
It looks like SEGA has big plans for the Sonic franchise this year, so keep an eye on the official Sonic 2020 page to see what new announcements come our way. If you’re a Sonic fan then this is definitely worth bookmarking!
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