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.
As part of their expanding line of backwards compatible titles, Microsoft has announced SEGA’s Sonic Generations and Panzer Dragoon Orta are headed to the Xbox One this month.
Sonic Generations is being made available today, and will include enhancements for Xbox One X users – notably, it now runs at 4K (check that out here). Perhaps more notable though is Orta’s appearance on the console; it’s SEGA’s first contribution to the original Xbox backward compatibility for Xbox One. SEGA supporting the feature relatively early in its life may give some hope to those who’ve been looking out for a possible Jet Set Radio Future re-release – as theoretically, it could be brought to the Xbox One in the same way as Orta.
Panzer Dragoon Orta launches for Xbox One backwards compatibility on April 17th. Also of note, while not technically SEGA related, is that Blinx the Time Sweeper is being added to the service too. Blink was the brainchild of Naoto Ohshima, the creator of Sonic and NiGHTS; it might be worth a look for fans of those series.
In an article published by Yahoo! Japan, SEGA Games COO Kenji Matsubara has stated the company are looking into bringing back the Mega Drive for a modern audience. This has lead to speculation that SEGA could be planning a proper rival to Nintendo’s massively successful NES and SNES Mini consoles – but unfortunately, the truth is slightly less glamorous.
In the full version of the article, Matsubara states:
“We are considering importing and selling the ‘Sega Genesis Flashback’,… [it] is built-in game software primarily sold in North America & Europe”
The SEGA Genesis Flashback is the latest effort from AtGames. Priced at an eye-watering $80, you’d expect some bang for your buck – but while there are some improvements to AtGames’ much loathed older units, it’s still not on par with Nintendo’s in-house efforts, or even M2’s attempts at rejuvenating Mega Drive titles. Even worse, many of the 85 games on the collection aren’t even classic Mega Drive titles!
As such, Matsubara’s announcement unfortunately doesn’t mean much in the long run; back to hoping for an M2-led Mega Drive release, we go.
If there’s one SEGA console that gets a rough reception in the West, it’s the SEGA Saturn. But it was certainly a unique specimen – which is why a newly dumped sampler disc demonstrating its numerous graphical features comes as an interesting look into the hardware’s capabilities.
The disc demonstrates rotation effects, how sprites could used in a way similar to clipping masks, and there’s even a short shoot-em up game to play (as well as plenty of Fantasy Zone sprites). Sonic fans may also notice just how many graphical techniques the recent Sonic Mania lifted from the original hardware in the name of authenticity! But that’s not all that’s here for Sonic fans – as there’s several unique pieces of artwork on the disc too, used as part of graphical effect tests.
Since the effects can make the artwork somewhat hard to see, we’ve ripped them from the demo for your viewing pleasure below.
It’s always cool to see development software come to light, and makes for a great way of getting insight into how our favourite games worked. The Saturn, underrated as it is, is no exception.
In today’s update to our Merchandise Catalogue, we have added 5 new vinyl releases to the SEGA Music Index. Please see below for the full list of additions:
We’ve made some new additions to the Music section of our website’s Merchandise section! There are now 5 new releases to explore and learn about, and for this update I’ve selected some of the more obscure and unique SEGA releases out there.
See below for links to the full list of additions:
Naoto Ohshima and Hirokazu Yasuhara were recently guests at the Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco and they gave an hour long postmortem talk on Sonic the Hedgehog.
The entire talk is now available to watch online via the GDC Vault and it’s a fascinating watch that details the creation, design and art direction of the original game. It also features interesting anecdotes and first hand experiences from Ohshima and Yasuhara themselves.
SEGA Japan’s music division Wave Master International have finally struck a deal with a European label to distribute SEGA soundtracks in the West. Wayo Records are working in collaboration with Wave Master and their first release with them is a 3CD soundtrack for Sonic Forces called ‘A Hero Will Rise’. This soundtrack contains the same content as SEGA Japan’s ‘A Hero Will Rise’ soundtrack and there’s currently no plans to release the now Japan exclusive, Sonic Forces Vocal Traxx: On The Edge CD.
The soundtrack can be ordered directly from Wayo Records’s store for €25.00 and the label ships worldwide. The soundtrack also comes with a bonus sticker and poster.
The latest in Bitmap Books’ acclaimed Visual Compendium series is on the way – and it’ll centre on SEGA’s 8-bit machine, the SEGA Master System.
Bitmap’s previous works have included visual compendiums for the Super Nintendo and Commodore 64, as well as artbooks centered on arcade games and an upcoming collection of NeoGeo visuals. Apparently, SEGA are actually involved with this book – making it the first somewhat official entry in the series. There’ll be a Kickstarter campaign to get the book made, starting May 7th.
The Master System was a surprisingly strong contender in the UK, so we’re always happy to see it get some love. It’ll be interesting to see how the book explores SEGA’s unique alternatives to Nintendo’s output – as well as if it’ll delve into the system’s staggering popularity in Brazil.
With Yakuza 6 on the way, and last year’s Yakuza 0 and Yakuza Kiwami still relatively fresh on our minds, SEGA has continued the Yakuza series love with the announcement that Yakuza Kiwami 2 (a remake of Yakuza 2 for PS4, in the shiny new Dragon Engine) is coming West. And you won’t be waiting long either, as it’s out on August 28th!
As the official description from SEGA eloquently puts it:
It’s been a full year since Kazuma Kiryu took his leave from the world of the Yakuza during the events of Yakuza Kiwami. Fate, however, has other things in mind for the legendary Dragon of Dojima, and Kiryu finds himself back on the front lines of a potential all-out war.
The game will also receive a steelbook edition, as has basically become tradition for the series now. It’ll be a limited edition though; time to get those pre-orders in!
The Film Distributors’ Association, the UK body for theatrical film distributors, have listed the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie on their site. Notably, it’s been given a later release date than the previously reported November 15th 2019 launch, suggesting the film will launch in the UK on the later date of Friday December 13th 2019.
While films releasing later in the UK is nothing particularly new, this is somewhat notable; as it puts the film a week before the projected release date for Star Wars: Episode IX. Perhaps Paramount are betting on Sonic’s historic popularity in UK stacking up to Disney’s holiday juggernaut? It’s no doubt a risky move, but with a relatively star-studded team behind the Sonic film (including Neal Moritz of the Fast and the Furious series, and Tim Miller of Deadpool), whether it’ll pay off is anyone’s guess at this point.
Tags: release date, Sonic Movie, sonic the hedgehog, uk Posted in News | Comments Off on Film Distributors’ Association Lists Sonic the Hedgehog Movie for a December 13th 2019 Release in the UK
SEGADriven and its original content are copyrighted to their respective authors. Media related directly to SEGA is copyrighted to its respective authors. Any comments on SEGA-related materials do not represent SEGA themselves. All rights reserved 2008-2025.
We use cookies to analyse site usage, provide social media features and personalise content and ads. We may also share information about your use of our website with our partners.
