Segamad

Aliens vs Predator

2010-03-01T23:20:00.006Z

Published by Sega, and debuting at No.1 in the ELSPA GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top Ten last week, Aliens vs Predator is a first person survival horror with a twist. Developed by Rebellion Developments, who coded the original game released onto PC back in 1999, this completely new game contains three individual single player campaigns where you choose to play as a Colonial Marine, as the Predator, or as the Alien!

There is a storyline to it all but I shan't bother. Each character has a completely different motive and completely different gameplay; for example as the Alien you can traverse any surface at speed making your kills swift and lethal! As the Predator you are the master of the hunt, focusing on the close up trophy kill.

There is of course a huge multi-player environment too.

The game is out now and has been met with mixed reviews. Probably best to buy on PC or Xbox360 currently as most PS3 owners are not allowed to turn on their console until Sony advises it is safe to! Bless them.

More Info is available at the original Sega Micro-site:

Aliens vs Predator Website Link

Screenshots and Artwork from Sega Europe below:

Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing

2010-02-28T15:31:00.005Z

Debuting at No.8 in the ELSPA GfK Chart-Track All Formats Top Ten last week, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is out, so go and buy it!

You could even track down the Special Wii version with the steering wheel:

Afterburner Returns

2010-02-22T00:06:00.014Z

Sega have announced that the latest version of the Afterburner Series, that being Afterburner Climax, is in development for Home Systems. The game , which was originally launched in the Arcades in 2006, will be presented in high definition and available to download via Xbox Live Arcade for the 360 and Playstation Store for the PS3.

(2006 Arcade Flyer)

The Afterburner Series started way back in 1987 when it followed Out Run, and Super Hang-on, as the next generation of Arcade Games hosted in Sega's over-the-top mechanised cabinets, built to create a greater Arcade Game experience. The game itself saw you flying an American Tomcat Fighter Jet, into waves of incoming enemy jets and the cabinet moved in parallel with your movements, shifting wildly left and right depending on how you weaved to miss that enemy fire.
At the time, it was revolutionary and worth every penny of that huge £1 cost per go!

(1987 Arcade Flyer)

Its success spawned not just Arcade Sequels but conversions to the Home Computers of the time. After the first sequel was launched, Sega took Air Combat to the extreme launching G-Loc in 1990, hosted in a full 360 rotating cabinet! Now this was something special! You were actually strapped in like a rollercoaster ride and you found yourself flying upside down in Air Combat. A wonderful piece of early nineties excess! (Wouldn't get it now, Health and Safety wouldn't allow!)

(R360 cabinet - Photo courtesy of System 16.com)

Back in the Home Market, Activision had the job of converting the game to the main Home Systems of the later eighties, those being the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64 and the Spectrum. The graphics were far from high definition (or even low definition on the Spectrum!) however you were actually playing "afterburner" in your bedroom! Heaven!

(Atari ST Game Cover and In-Game Screenshot)

(Mmmm.... that'll be the Spectrum Version then! Blimey, I bought this at the time and thought it was sooooo Arcade Perfect!)

Sega continued in the arcades releasing Sky Target in 1995 (which saw a conversion to the Sega Saturn Console) and then a further arcade outing with Sega Strike Fighter in 2000 on the Naomi Hardware.

History Lesson Over. For more detailed reading on this subject, you can visit www.system16.com where you will find the Ultimate History of all Sega Arcade Gaming or you can order a copy of Retrogamer's Afterburner Special, available from the Back Orders Web Page.

Screenshots? Oh Yes, here some are courtesy of Sega Europe (you can see the rest by following the link to the website at the top of this page):

Forget the Cufflinks.....

2010-02-20T21:00:00.004Z

The Out Run cufflinks seemed quite important at that moment. Things change quickly in gaming. Sod them. Contact your best import shop and beg them to tell you where you can get a Limited Edition Sega All Stars Ryo Promotional Forklift Truck (it would look better on your desk than the cufflinks would on your sleeves)

You need these!

2010-02-19T23:17:00.004Z

What Can I say, Out Run cufflinks on Ebay

Out Run Cufflink Auction Link

Sonic Races into 2010 !

2009-11-17T22:39:00.000Z

Set for release in early 2010, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing brings together all of Sega's most popular gaming characters, to compete in a head to head racing game.

All of the most famous Sega characters are in the line-up including Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Beat From Jet Set Radio, Aiai from Monkeyball, Dr Robotnik, Samba (the Amigo!), and Ryo from Shenmue!

Racing through different environments inspired from previous games, each character will have their own custom built vehicle. Beat has a streetwise car, Aiai has a banana(!), and Ryo switches between a cool Harley and his forklift from the docks!

Not only does each character drive their own custom vehicle but they each have their own special move, such as the "Super Sonic", the "Banana Blitz", and the "Tails Tornado".

From medieval ramparts to Lush Rainforests each course will contain power ups and shortcuts, to aid and divert as you aim each character for the Number 1 spot.

See the preview videos at Sega's Mini-Site (click here)

Its a screenshot frenzy below:

Samba (look at that grin!)

Aiai's Custom Banana Car!

Knuckles!

Beat!

Ryo (check out that forklift!)

Jambo!

2009-11-15T22:03:00.004Z

I can't believe I hadn't mentioned that Jambo Safari is now out to buy on Wii or DS so head to the shops like an "animal" and "rescue" a copy (see what I did there? I know, amazing!)

Sega have also partnered with Pizza Hut to promote the game. In store they are giving out poster based games and puzzles but if for some reason you want to get them direct, then just click the picture to go to the Pizza Hut site to download them in pdf format for free ...

Football Manager is Premiere League

2009-11-11T21:57:00.000Z

Football Manager 2010 has debuted in the ELSPA GfK Chart Track All Formats Top 40 at Number 1 !

FM2010 fought off competition from WII resort plus, FIFA 2010, and PES 2010 to debut and hold the number 1 spot for last week.

Dazzling Bayonetta Coming in January 2010

2009-11-09T23:04:00.000Z

In Last Week's release of Famitsu, Japan's most revered gaming magazine, Bayonetta scored an incredible perfect 40/40 score on the Xbox and 38/40 on the Playstation 3!

Bayonetta - published by Sega, but created at Platinum Games by the legendary Hideki Kamiya who worked on the original Resident Evil, then directed Resident Evil 2 and Devil May Cry - has the player controlling the Witch "Bayonetta", a member of an ancient witch clan and possessing powers beyond the comprehension of mere mortals, who faces off against countless angelic enemies, many reaching epic proportions.

Reviews across the rest of the world are raving too:

The ponses at Edge Magazine said "Easily the fastest, most dazzling action game in history".

Playstation Magazine "In a word: Amazing".

The game is now out in Japan and due for release in the UK in January for both the PS3 and the XBOX360.

Screenshots are below, courtesy of uk.gamespot.com.

Check out the movie at the Bayonetta Official Game Site

Crazy World of Collectables

2009-11-04T23:25:00.000Z

Companies like Sega aren't complacent to the world of branded collectables that can be sold alongside a series of their most successful games. There is big money to be brought in from selling the rights to manufacture these products.

At any time, on the UK or US Ebay sites, you will find a host of crazy collectibles for the truly Sega Mad. I have highlighted a few examples below showing the breadth of what is available:

Die-Cast Models:

Plushes from UFO Catchers:

Figures

Clothing (yes that really is a Sega Saturn Tie! )

Don't Use the Word "Daytona" OK?

2009-10-28T21:43:00.000Z

Sega recently announced the release of a new arcade game, and they did it with a copy of the following poster:

As you can expect the crowds went wild, a new Daytona was imminent, brought to you via AM2, and Technology 16 years more advanced than the original.

Alas as more news started to leak out the excitement died, especially at the point when someone noticed the Hardware Emblem at the bottom left of the poster that we wanted to say "RingEdge", the new all singing and dancing hardware for Sega's Top of the Range arcade releases, but actually said "RingWide", the Intel Celeron (yes, Celeron I said) based hardware used to produce low cost Arcades (and I presume redemptions where some technology is needed).

The word "Daytona" is now owned by Electronic Arts (check your dictionaries, I believe it has been removed and you will have to pay additional to have the word re-entered!) so Sega cannot make Daytona 3 and then port it to console where EA's rights to the word exist.

So welcome "Sega Racing Classic".

Basically Sega have taken Daytona USA and upscaled it to a 1280 x 7209 resolution so they can pump it through a 32" Hi-Def screen in a modern Arcade Cabinet. It is linkable upto 4 cabinets as is expected these days and force feedback steering is included.

It still cannot fail to make money though; who in the right minds, even if they own the 2001 Dreamcast copy, could walk past the Arcade without wanting to sit in for a full on Daytona Experience all over again.

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines .......

High Score for Mario and Sonic

2009-10-25T23:04:00.000Z

In its first week of release, Mario and Sonic at The Olympic Winter Games has entered the All Formats UK Gaming Chart at Number 5!

Extreme Wii Action

2009-10-22T22:20:00.000+01:00

Just four weeks after release, a brand new copy of Sega's "Wackly World of Sports" on the Wii is only £14.15 at Amazon UK! (click here for link)

As the title suggests, this isn't your standard Athletics based simulation but rather a collection of "zany" mini-games consisting of, and I kid you not:

Extreme Ironing (with combos!)
Tuna Fish Throwing
Cheese Rolling
Mud Sliding
Log Cutting
Ice Golf
Fierl Jeppen
Future Racing (on furniture basically!)

Screenshots below, videos are on Sega Europe or You-Tube. Worth every penny, just for the building combos whilst ironing!

Nintendo Winters Come Early

2009-10-18T21:02:00.001+01:00

This weekend Sega launched Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games on the Wii and DS.

The title release is timed (for Christmas lets face it!) for the Winter Olympics taking place in Vancouver in early 2010 and continues on from their success with the first game Mario and Sonic at the Olympics released for China 2008.

You can play as many of the Team Sonic and Team Mario stars you expect including Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Metal Sonic, Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Donkey Kong and more!

With Alpine Skiing, Ice Hockey, Speed Skating, Bobsleigh, Figure Skating, Snowboard Half-Pipe, Snowboard Cross Country, Skeleton, and Freestyle Skiing as well as a group of great Dream Events including Dream Snowball Fight, there is a great combination of Single and Multi Player events with some clever focus on co-operative mode challenges (the Bobsleigh is very amusing).

There are also shops to keep your Mii looking cool on the slopes!

This is a big Pre-Christmas release for Sega and should chart well over the coming weeks. As always you can head over to Sega's own E-Shop (http://www.sega.co.uk/ecommerce) to pick up your copy, but to keep you going until then, here are some great in game shots, a free wallpaper, and the link to the Official Winter Olympics Game Site:

Screenshots:

Wallpaper (1280x720):

Official Winter Olympics Site

10 Years On - Still Too Challenging For Some

2009-10-11T10:44:00.000+01:00

When Ferrari F335 Challenge was released in 1999, there were no other driving games like it. In the Arcades Sega's Model 3 board had recently given us Daytona 2, Sega Rally 2, and Le Mans 24, and at home the closest we had to a simulation was Gran Tourismo 2 on the Playstation!

Produced and Directed within AM2 by the legendary Yu Suzuki himself, Ferrari F355 used 4 linked Naomi boards to take the arcade driving game to a new level, bringing brilliant visuals and sound as well as removing the need for out and out speed and focusing on accuracy and realism.

The game starts by you choosing on which of the well known race tracks included in the game you wanted to race your Ferrari round:

You were then given the choice to drive round each circuit in Training Mode (with vocal guidance and an on-track driving line to aid braking and cornering), or in Full race Mode against the computer or a Player2.

Sega then added a group of Player Assist features including :

Stability Control
Traction Control
Anti-Lock Brakes
Intelligent Braking System

These were buttons that allowed the player to simply Turn the assistance on or off:

Depending on the level of difficulty you chose to play the game with, these would be turned on or off:

NOVICE - All On
INTERMEDIATE - Intelligent Braking Off
EXPERT - All Off

If there wasn't enough simulation for you so far then Sega added a manual gearbox WITH CLUTCH! Yes, an actual clutch pedal! This was a first anywhere and added greatly to the realism of the game.

This was all housed in a special Deluxe Arcade Cabinet containing three 29" screens to give a 170° viewing experience:

So was what it like to play?

As an Arcade game it could be incredibly frustrating as it took so long to get to grips with the handling. Even as a driver, you were not used to walking into a noisy arcade and having to concentrate on your driving technique!.

If you were expecting a quick fix from F355 then you were better heading off to the back of the Arcade to find Scud Race! However give it time (and alot of money) and you were greatly rewarded. The trick was to take off each of the driving aids one by one and as always move to a manual gearbox for additional speed. In time you found you were braking in the right places and no longer slamming your foot down on the accelerator when coming out of every corner! Learning to hit each corner in the right gear, and at the right speed, was also a major benefit, shown nowhere better than when diving into the Parabolica at Monza.

The Deluxe cabinet even had an optional printer which allowed the player to obtain a printed copy of their race results including best lap time, RPMs, and the driving line followed:

Knowing a few may find all of this too much of a simulation, Sega ensured there was relief in the form of a Twin Player Cabinet:

In 2000, Ferrari F355 Challenge was ported over to the recently released Dreamcast. The DC console was a light version of the Naomi board so conversions were easier but with the expected drop in graphics and sound quality from porting a 4 Naomi board arcade.

To add depth to the dreamcast version, 5 new courses were added including Ferrari's own test track Fiorano which became available after winning the Championship mode.

Back in the Arcades in 2001, Sega released F355 Challenge 2, which was a simple update of the original including those 5 additional tracks from the home console version.

With the demise of the Dreamcast and Sega's move to develop on other consoles, the game was updated and ported to the PS2 in 2002:

Just like playing Sega Rally on the Saturn, F355 Challenge still holds its own 10 years after its release into the aracdes. This endurability is a testament to the time and quality of programming put in by the AM2 team and of course by their Producer Yu Suzuki, who's obsession with real Ferrari's and Videogames, started a gaming revolution in 1986.

If you want to read up more then there is nowhere better than the Obsessional French site below!

F355 Challenge Web Site

Bummer : Can't Find Hummer

2009-10-06T22:51:00.000+01:00

Hummer is new to the arcades from Sega for 2009 and is unsurprisingly based on General Motors ugly and outrageous petrol guzzling monstrosity known to be driven by such men of style as Chris Eubank.

The game involves a whole load of "Off-Roading" in one of 3 different types of Hummer Vehicle (Rally, Sports & Sound/Street styles) .

There are 4 different courses with increasingly difficult environments to choose:

Beginner Stage: Bluster Canyon (Nice Wide Desert!)

Intermediate : Isolated Jungle (Mud and Rivers)

Hard : Caribou Valley (Ice and Snow)

Super Hard : Industrial Hill (Very Technical)

So what does Hummer offer that previous arcades don't?

Well Hummer offers a Co-Operative Driving experience! Using two steering wheels on each Arcade cabinet, two players can share the driving! When you first start the game you choose whether you are playing alone or in two player mode:

Within the game there is driver changing system prompt where the control of the Hummer moves between each player! At the end of each stage you get judged on your teamwork

You also get a boost function (gives extra speed and invincibility) which you can build up by landing your Hummer well off jumps and knocking over strategic obstacles around the courses.

So, see if you can find it in your local arcade soon however if you are looking for the monster 4 car linked machine below, your only hope maybe The Trocadero in London!

Virtual On Your Xbox

2009-10-04T22:54:00.000+01:00

In 1995 Sega (or specifically AM R&D Dept 3 of Sega Rally fame) released the amazing Virtual On: Cyber Troopers into the Arcades. Based on the latest version of the Model 2 Arcade board, this was a frantic 3d polygon-based Robot fighting game utilising a fantastic twin lever control system: Lever 1 controlled the direction of your robot and Level 2 controlled its rotation.

The game was a massive hit in the Japanese Arcades and was brilliantly converted to the Sega Saturn, twin sticks also included!

In 1998 an Arcade sequel was to follow, this time using the Sega Model 3 board but retaining the unique twin controller system. The game was named "Virtual On : Oratorio Tangram" and the following year saw another conversion, this time to the Dreamcast in Japan and the US:

In 2000, a revised version of the Oratorio Tamgram was released in the Arcades, and then in 2001, using the very flash but very expensive Hikaru hardware, Hitmaker (old AMD3) released Virtual On 4 : Force into the arcades.

In 2003 Virtual On : Marz was created as a new game for the Playstation 2 utilising the twin analogue sticks on the PS2 controller:

In 2007, under the Sega Ages 2500 banner, the original Virtual On Cyber Troopers was re-vamped and released on the Playstation 2:

Finally it has been released this year into the Xbox 360 Live Arcade, upgraded into full HD. Check on the screenshot below how good it now looks.

Unsure if the Twin Sticks were manufactured for Xbox which Sega was initially considering if they got 1500 pre-orders for the product - below is the first and second designs:

If you want to know anymore about the Virtual On series then try any of the links below. History lesson over. Goodnight.

Official Sega Virtual On Website

Official Virtual on Marz Website

Japanese Model Makers Kotobukiya

Safari Sogoodi

2009-09-28T23:52:00.000+01:00

I bet Sega couldn't believe their luck when Nintendo released the wii. It has potentially opened up a new market allowing Sega to release lesser successful games from other formats as well as previously unconverted arcade games that suit the wii console environment a treat.

Jambo Safari is one of them.

This game was originally released on the Naomi Arcade Hardware (twice the power of a dreamcast) in 1999 and was quite rare to find in the UK (see arcade flyer above).

The game was based on Sega's Real Life Simulation Series, which also included the Fire Fighting Simulation "Brave Firefighters", the flight simulation "Airline Pilots", and the drunken food preparation simulation "Friday Night Uncooked Kebab with chilli sauce" ..... although the latter may not have been official.

Set in Africa, your role is to drive your Jeep around, capturing wild animals for examination and tagging. Not a gripper of a plot you may say and why it was given a wide berth in the arcades!

However, for family fun on the wii, it is Purrrrfect (see what I did there?)

As well as the main stages there is also a bonus stage where you can catch Bengal White Tigers to sell for use by Stage Show Magicians in Las Vegas.... or maybe not.

Here are a few screenshots and the game box images in case you need help to find it in a shop!

The game is released on wii and DS on the 6th November this year and available at all good outlets including Sega Europe's own shop:

Sega's Online Games Shop

Sega Ages (to make it to the UK)

2009-09-25T20:30:00.000+01:00

The Sega Ages 2500 series was released onto the Playstation 2 between 2005 and 2008 and included many of Sega's original and most famous titles, re-vamped for the PS2 Format.

The naming "2500" was the cost in Yen for the game, about £17.50 in the UK.

These releases are becoming rarer to find now and are still worth picking up to experience the old and new in Sega Classic Gaming.

There were 33 titles released in the series. To kill some time I have painfully collated these as Downloadable Wallpaper below.

Happy searching!

Classic Game : Galaxy Force II

2009-09-24T19:09:00.000+01:00

Today is GF11 day. After consuming some nostalgia below, why not head to Blackpool and hunt down the real thing.

Arcade Cabs (which ones did you play?) ....

Master System, Megadrive, Saturn, and PS2 Releases....

Wallpaper x3 ...

Soundtrack ....

Download Links to Galaxy Force Music (midi format)

'Beyond the Galaxy' - In Game Music

'Try-Z' - In Game Music

Lets Go Spend Some Crazy Money

2009-09-22T20:27:00.000+01:00

Someone has the Crazy Taxi car on Ebay!

"Buckle up, its sheer asphalt anarchy"

Ebay Auction Link

Bring Your Own

2009-09-21T22:05:00.000+01:00

Ordered any of these yet?

HomeMade

2009-09-21T21:57:00.000+01:00

Did you make this up?

Thinking of doing it now? You'll need this bit too ...

Time

2009-09-21T21:52:00.003+01:00

Would you wear this out?

Sailors

2009-09-21T21:45:00.000+01:00

Like your Seaman seasonal?

Mad

2009-09-21T21:29:00.000+01:00

Do you wish you owned this?

...or this?

Shake it

2009-09-21T21:26:00.000+01:00

Tempted to grab your maracas?

Rapidshare

2009-09-21T21:19:00.000+01:00

Did you download the .cdi off a fileshare?

TV Girl

2009-09-21T21:15:00.001+01:00

Fancy her do you?

Convinced?

2009-09-21T19:52:00.000+01:00

Still want more do ya?

Sleepy?

2009-09-21T19:50:00.000+01:00

Bit of a dreamer?

Fire Fighting

2009-09-21T19:43:00.000+01:00

Prefer something a little bit more original?

VF

2009-09-21T19:27:00.000+01:00

Bit of a Fighter are ya?

Comprende

2009-09-20T21:53:00.000+01:00

Are we talking your language? Want some more do ya?

Absynth

2009-09-20T21:51:00.000+01:00

How many days did you lose to this?

Like it Dirty?

2009-09-20T21:48:00.000+01:00

How much time did you spend on this?

Space Frame

2009-09-20T21:43:00.001+01:00

Every get to play in this little beauty ?

A Racing Challenge

2009-09-20T21:39:00.000+01:00

Did the Air Drive System "drive up your emotions" ?

Drifting away ?

2009-09-20T21:33:00.000+01:00

Remember the 20° lean of the Deluxe Cabinet?

Remember this?

2009-09-20T21:27:00.000+01:00

Missing the "pitch and yaw of a real jet fighter"?

Feeling Nostalgic?

2009-09-20T21:20:00.000+01:00

Still remembering first sitting in one of these in 1986 ?

Welcome to Segamad

2009-09-20T20:44:00.000+01:00

Oh yeh baby, we're back ..........