The news is always on the march, and though it sometimes seems like anything Genesis-related is meandering at a casual stroll, there’s still lots of juicy nuggets of info out there to keep our readers informed!
Bring the Thunder
By now, fans of Technosoft’s awesome Thunder Force series have no doubt heard the news: a new game is in the works! That’s right, the Ohn Empire is back and in full force. Set for release on October 30 of this year, the sixth installment of the legendary franchise will join Gradius and R-Type as yet another revived classic shooter series on the Playstation 2. The only problem is that’s it’s a Japan-only release, so if you don’t have an import-ready console, you’re out of luck. Perhaps someone will be kind enough to give this one a domestic version?
Who are we kidding? If ever there was a reason to mod your Playstation 2, this is it. Sitting around, waiting for a publisher to see the light usually results in disappointment, so there’s no reason not to get ready for this one right now. It’s 2D goodness with 3D eye candy, and even Gargoyle makes a return! Hmm, maybe Technosoft somehow read our article on Thunder Force III and got nostalgic? Who cares? We’re getting a new Thunder Force! Gaze upon the beauty below.
More New Genesis Games On the Horizon?
With the release of Beggar Prince and the upcoming Pier Solar & the Great Architects, Genesis fans are getting the most playtime out of new titles than during any other period since 1998. If Tec Toy, Sega’s longtime Brazilian distributor, has its way, there will be four more titles coming later this year. There’s just one catch:
The games are among eighty-six pre-loaded titles on the company’s new Mega Drive 3, an inexpensive router-like plug-‘n-play console. Disappointing, I know, but accompanying games like Battle Golfer Yui, Shinobi III, and ESWAT are new versions of recently released EA hits –
Fifa 2008, Need for Speed Pro Street, The Sims 2, and Sim City – which are supposedly all licensed by Electronic Arts. I don’t know if it’s weirder that Tec Toy decided to make 16-bit renditions of these franchises or that EA actually licensed them! Regardless, it’ll be interesting to see how the games play, and we’ll be sure to keep our Brazilian contacts busy so that we can track down one of these units for a full hands-on.
Here are unit’s specifications:
- General: One-year guarantee (console) and three months for accessories (Joysticks, A/V cables, and console stand).
- Power: Bi-Volt automatic system (110/220 volts). Energy consumption: 3,0 W
- Connection: Composite video
- Dimensions/weight: Console – 17 x 5,6 x 16,7 cm (LxAxP), Packaging – 43,6 x 8,6 x 28,4 cm (LxAxP), Net weight – 798 g, Gross weight – 985
- Package Contents: – 1 Mega Drive 3 with AC adapter, 86 pre-loaded games, 2 joysticks – 1 stand for the console, composite audio/video cable, instruction manual with warranty information.
Sega Keeps Sharpening Its Axe
We’ve been constantly reporting on Sega’s upcoming Golden Axe: Beast Rider, and as the clock winds down to its eventual October release, we’re more hopeful than ever that the game will kick start the franchise for the modern era. Recently, Sega was kind enough to share an awesome mini documentary on the series (the first of four) with the press, and in between all the reminiscing by gaming journalists, there are some excellent bits with series creator Makoto Uchida. Among the things discussed are the inspiration behind the series and some of the intricacies of making a game that would be attractive to arcade goers but still swallow quarters. Of particular note is the discussion of how Golden Axe became the Genesis’ first killer app and truly defined the term “arcade at home.”
Uchida, who was only involved in the original title and Revenge of Death Adder, isn’t involved with Beast Rider, so we hope that Secret Level can do the franchise justice!
Oy Vay! Sega CD RPG Is Back for iPhones
Working Design is best remembered on the Sega CD for bringing the Lunar games stateside, but one of its other releases is a hard-as-nails RPG called Vay. Taking grinding to the next level, Vay was actually quite fun and involved, and it sported an excellent soundtrack. SoMoGa’s iPhone iteration sports a full quest with ten minutes of anime cut scenes, and for a paltry $5, players can help
Heibelger save his bride Elin and the land of Lorath all while sitting on the bus or in the bathroom! The visuals have been redone, but the actual gameplay retains the same style of the CD original. The gameplay shouldn’t suffer too much, being that everything is turn-based. Vay is now available for download from the App store.
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