Sega News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

SEGA has released a new trailer, information, and screenshots for Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble introducing the game’s new multiplayer battle modes, through which players can race and roll with two players locally or up to 16 players online.

The most recent games from the long-running Like a Dragon franchise, including Infinite Wealth, are discounted on Steam for a week. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth was released back in January to critical acclaim. Many fans praise it as one of the franchise's best entries, with its incredible writing and characters, new setting of Hawaii, and updated turn-based combat system. It's also the largest game in the franchise by far, as Infinite Wealth is jam-packed with tons of side activities across multiple different locations.

I can feel some kind of sore throat bug coming on. It must be the baleful influence of Creative Assembly's latest free update for bellowing strategy bonanza Total War: Warhammer 3. Out 30th April, the update introduces Epidemius, Proctor of Pestilence - a new Nurgle Legendary Lord who gains rewards based on how many ickle diseases you’ve spread to other factions (already my favourite aspect of playing Nurgle in the game). Does Epidemius also get buffs if the player is infected by something? I hope so. It would be a consolation to know that my ailing trachea is contributing to the Nurgle cause.

Sega has released a new Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble which details the game’s five multiplayer battle modes.

Unicorn Overlord received the 1.04 update with bug fixes, performance enhancements, stability improvements, and new features. Unicorn Overlord puts players in charge of managing units in small armies, and the latest update makes it easier to select said units while improving the information displayed in a squad.

Sega has declared 2024 the year of Shadow the Hedgehog, which means fans of the Ultimate Lifeform (as he likes to be referred to) have plenty to look forward to in the coming months. That, of course, includes Keanu Reeves voicing him in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which will release in theaters worldwide this December, but Sonic fans in the gaming space won’t be left behind either.

Since before Sonic Frontiers even launched, Sega made it abundantly clear that future instalments in the franchise would be building on the foundations laid down by the open world platformer, and with Frontiers having sold as well as it did, it’s safe to assume that the company is probably sticking to those plans. In fact, a direct sequel to Sonic Frontiers seems to be in development.

When the Sonic the Hedgehog movie was first teased in April 2019, the internet recoiled in collective horror. Reborn as an unholy, humanoid CG abomination, Sonic’s gangly legs, un-conjoined eyes and terrifyingly lifelike teeth felt less like dream fulfilment and more like a waking nightmare.

One of the former voice actors of Shadow the Hedgehog, Jason Griffith, gave his opinion on casting Keanu Reeves for Shadow in the upcoming third Sonic the Hedgehog film. After several rumors and theories, it has finally been confirmed that Keanu Reeves will be playing Shadow the Hedgehog in the upcoming Sonic 3 movie. The cast of Sonic 3 is already filled with notable actors like Ben Schwartz and Idris Elba as Sonic and Knuckles, with Reeves as Shadow having been a widely lauded choice for Sonic's edgy rival. Before this reveal, there were a number of rumors that said Shadow would be played by one of his previous actors, Jason Griffith.

Sonic X Shadow Generations, the upcoming remaster from SEGA, has been rated in South Korea.

Sonic Frontiers 2 is reportedly currently in development at SEGA with the gameplay being a sequel to 2022's Frontiers gameplay-wise.

The latest mainline installment in theSonic franchise, Sonic Frontiers, is getting a direct sequel, according to recent claims made by credible insiders. This is likely to excite many Sonic fans, as a potential sequel to the 2022 open world 3D platformer could build upon the foundations of Sonic Frontiers and rectify the wrongs of its predecessor.

A well-known insider has shared some new details about Metaphor: ReFantazio. Their information emerged online just ahead of Atlus's next Metaphor: ReFantazio preview event.

Sonic x Shadow Generations has been rated in South Korea.

Sonic x Shadow Generations has already received age classifications in several jurisdictions, with its latest rating emerging on April 19. This turn of events is a promising sign for Sega's fandom, as it indicates that Sonic x Shadow Generations is on course to hit the store shelves without any delays.

Atlus has announced that a new wave of merchandise items themed after its hit RPG Persona 3 Reload will have a practical purpose, namely disaster preparation and first aid. The special Persona 3 Reload kits will be sold in Japan through merchandise company Movic and launch in mid-2024.

The immortal SEGA brawler Golden Axe is being resurrected as a comedic animated series, of all things. Ordered by Comedy Central and produced by CBS Studios in collaboration with Sony Pictures, the series will undoubtedly feature buxom men and women battling dragons and various beasts, and presumably, hilarity will ensue.

We are living in a second golden age for console gaming. Active communities, open developer tools and easy distribution have given new life to many once-dead systems. If there's one company who deserves the most thanks for bringing a love for '80s and '90s cartridge-based console gaming back to the semi-mainstream, it's Analogue.

Comedy Central has ordered a 10-episode animated series based on the SEGA game series Golden Axe, the company announced.

Sonic Dream Team's Content Update 2, or Version 1.3, has introduced a host of new content to the game, including a new zone. The last big content drop for the title was released in February.

Sega is delving deep into its enviable IP archive to bring the world an animated adaptation of its 1989 side-scrolling arcade beat-'em-up Golden Axe.

Sega’s arcade hack-and-slash beat-’em-up Golden Axe is being adapted for television. In something of an unexpected twist, that TV series will be an animated comedy. Mike McMahan (Star Trek: Lower Decks, Solar Opposites) and Joe Chandler (American Dad!) will co-write the first episode and executive produce the 10-episode series, Comedy Central announced Wednesday. The announcement came two days after Paramount revealed that season 5 of Lower Decks would be the series’ final installment.

An animated Golden Axe series is in the works at Comedy Central, based on the popular Sega video game series of the same name.

Knuckles, Paramount Plus’ episodic spinoff of the Sonic movies, is gliding under the radar. Between Fallout commanding all of the video-games-can-actually-make-for-good-TV discourse and news that Keanu Reeves will voice Shadow in the third Sonic movie due out in December, it would be easy for even the most dedicated Sega buff to forget that an entire six-episode series starring the Master Emerald guardian is dropping next week.

Comedy Central has announced a 10-episode animated series based on the classic Sega game Golden Axe.

Publisher Sega and developer Creative Assembly have revealed that the next expansion for Total War: Warhammer 3, titled Thrones of Decay, will be releasing on PC on April 30.

I've been watching this year's ostensible "major" news developments - the launch of a Fallout TV show, the impending release of Elden Ring: Shadow Of The Erdtree, to pick a couple - with a sense of zealous disapproval and weary resignation as to the hubris of human beings. Do these brazen publishers and developers not know that this, the year 2024, is the Year of Shadow the Hedgehog?

Last night it was revealed that Keanu Reeves will be the voice of Shadow in the forthcoming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film.

Atlus has announced a special event taking place on April 22, where there will be a special livestream event focused on the upcoming Metaphor: ReFantazio. Metaphor: ReFantazio is a brand-new RPG IP from Atlus' Studio Zero, with the game being developed by the same staff who had worked on the modern Persona entries. Both Metaphor and Persona share the same DNA in terms of mechanics, having similar social simulation and RPG dungeon crawling mechanics. The main difference between the two is that Metaphor is a high-fantasy setting as opposed to Persona's urban fantasy.

Keanu Reeves has joined the cast of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, according to reports.

When Sega dubbed 2024 the year of Shadow the Hedgehog, the company really wasn’t kidding. Now, it’s looking like beloved actor Keanu Reeves may be the voice of Sonic’s rival in the Sonic 3 movie. The casting was confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter on Monday, citing multiple anonymous sources.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2’s post-credits scene made it abundantly clear that fan-favourite Sonic character Shadow – first introduced in 2001’s Sonic Adventure 2 – would have a major role to play in the next instalment of Paramount Pictures and Sega’s film franchise. Speculation and rumours about who the Ultimate Lifeform would be played by have been rampant since then, and it seems we now have concrete details on that front.

A new gameplay video of Persona 5: The Phantom X highlights a rhythm-based mini-game that fans can play. Persona 5: The Phantom X is an upcoming mobile and PC spin-off of the Persona franchise. Unlike the game it is based off of, The Phantom X is similar to gacha games like Genshin Impact and Tower of Fantasy, with this game being developed by Black Wings Studio and published by Perfect World Games. Despite being a very different game from the original Persona 5, it carries a lot of the same DNA in terms of story, characters, and gameplay elements.

According to a well-known Sega leaker, Atlus' upcoming Metaphor: ReFantazio is on track for release later this Fall with no delays. Metaphor: ReFantazio is a brand-new IP from Atlus, having a lot of the same staff who previously worked on the developer's Persona series in charge of the game. Unlike the Persona series, which is an urban fantasy RPG series, Metaphor: ReFantazio has a more traditional high-fantasy setting. While Metaphor: ReFantazio's gameplay loop is different than Persona's, they both share the same DNA by retaining a lot of social simulation and dungeon-crawling elements.

A Reddit user has discovered a bizarre 'deal' at Target for the Nintendo Switch version of Sonic Superstars. This so-called 'deal' is sure to turn the heads of a lot of fans interested in Sonic Superstars, but not in a good way.

Late last year, over 100 employees of Avalanche Studios, the makers of Just Cause, announced an intent to unionize. The workers have officially ironed out a collective bargaining agreement with the Swedish labor unions Unionen and Engineers of Sweden. The agreement goes into effect during the second quarter of 2025.

is the next game coming in the classic platform game franchise, and it's likely to deliver the reliable fun that the series is known for. The fast-paced, frantic gameplay oforiginally debuted in arcades before coming to home consoles with arguably one of the best GameCube games, and it's enjoyed over two decades of popularity since. Although the series had a comparative dry spell for some time in the 2010s, it's made a major comeback on the Nintendo Switch and other contemporary platforms.

Ah, the Sega Genesis days. A simpler time when you didn’t need to purchase a season pass or coordinate time zones with your friend in Japan. No, if you wanted to play, you’d fire up your console and get to it. Back then, the superhero genre, or the superhero game genre, wasn’t as massive as it is now. Sure, people knew all about Batman, Spider-Man and all the rest of them, but it wasn’t the mania we have now. There was still a plethora of superpowered video games to play. Truth be told, most of them were okay, while only a handful stood out. So, let’s take a look at those Marvel and DC superhero games on the Sega Genesis that deserve to be revisited.

Ahead of its release this summer, Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble is bringing plenty of fast-paced hype with a new trailer highlighting the title’s new Adventure Mode. Featuring 200 stages across numerous different worlds, players can look forward to both local and online four-player co-op.

SEGA has released a new trailer for Super Monkey Ball: Banana Rumble dubbed the “Adventure” trailer, as well as new information and screenshots on the game’s assist features and worlds.

Just in case you didn't already know, 2024 is the Year of Shadow. The often-ignored Sonic character is finally getting the spotlight as he prepares to be introduced to the series' movies in December, and becomes a part of Sonic x Shadow Generations in the fall. So much more Shadow stuff has already happened this year with more still to come, starting with a first look at a real-life Dark Rider being showcased at the MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas this weekend.

Sega has officially declared 2024 the Year of Shadow in honour of the ultimate lifeform. Sorry Luigi.

Sega has announced Fearless: Year of Shadow, a promotional campaign celebrating Shadow the Hedgehog.

Sega is declaring 2024 the Year of Shadow, with a plethora of events and content planned in honor of the edgy anti-hero of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. Shadow the Hedgehog was first introduced in 2001’s Sonic Adventure 2 as an evil doppelganger of the Blue Blur who plotted to destroy the world. In later games, he would evolve into a heroic yet dark figure who assists Sonic and his friends in times of need and is still considered to be one of the most popular Sonic the Hedgehog characters.

Sega and Creative Assembly have released the first proper trailer for Total War: Warhammer 3's forthcoming Thrones of Decay expansion, which pits the human Empire, Chaos Nurgle faction and industrious Dwarfs against each other in what the press release terms "a showdown of mohawks, maggots and machines". Alliteration, is it? Well, two can play at that (strategy) game: the new expansion explodes upon the extensive environments of this elaborate ex-tabletop experience with an eccentric... ensemble of new legendary lords, battle units and campaign features, plus various free bits for owners of the base game.

We have an interesting new rumor about Persona 6, which is more loaded than it looks at first glance.

Yuji Naka, co-creator of Sonic the Hedgehog, has returned to social media after an extended hiatus to accuse Dragon Quest producer Yu Miyake of lying during Naka's insider trading trial last year.

The Sonic the Hedgehog films are aiming to be «Avengers-level events».

Atlus has released many high-profile titles over the past several months, from Persona 5 Tactica to Persona 3 Reload and Unicorn Overlord. It also has Studio Zero’s Metaphor ReFantazio out later this year, but in 2025, rumors indicate that the next mainline entry in the Persona series could finally launch.

Persona 6 will have a green color theme, a well-known insider has claimed. The same source also shared some new insights into the Persona 6 development timeline.

A talented woodcarver has created a custom case for Sonic Adventure 2: Battle out of wood. The awesome fan art replicates the details of Sonic Adventure 2: Battle's cover, including its many iconic characters. After finishing the impressive project, they shared their work on social media for other fans to see.

Disney and Sega may be collaborating on a new game that might be released on mobile phones in the near future. This could mean that Sega fans longing to see the likes of Sonic the Hedgehog do a crossover with Disney icons like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck might finally have their wishes come true.

Yuji Naka, formally of Sonic Team and Square Enix, has accused a Dragon Quest lead of lying about him in court. Breaking his social media silence for the first time since his arrest, Naka says that Dragon Quest producer Yu Miyake lied about him during the criminal proceedings, and implies that he is not a "good" person.

Relic Entertainment, the freshly-independent developers of Company of Heroes, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War and Age of Empires IV, have confirmed a number of job losses. The layoffs come just a week after the studio announced their sale from former owners Sega, returning them to independence after two decades.

Relic Entertainment recently announced that it was splitting from parent company Sega and going back to being an independent studio, but with that shake-up has come unfortunate upheaval, with the developer joining the ever-growing list of companies in the games industry that have been hit with layoffs.

Esteemed developer Relic Entertainment — the creators of acclaimed RTS franchises like Homeworld and Company of Heroes — has confirmed a further round of layoffs at the Canadian-based studio. This news came only a few days after Relic's departure from Sega as a former subsidiary of the company.

Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance has offered fans a glimpse at some of its new story tidbits, demons, and locations, among other novelties. The content was showcased as part of the newly debuted SMT5: Vengeance trailer.

Relic Entertainment has announced redundancies following its sale from Sega last week.

UK high street second-hand gaming and technology retailer CeX has launched a new repair service in partnership with the specialist gaming console repair company Tech Centre.

Atlus has released a new trailer for Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance, this time around showcasing a new form for the protagonist, as well as new demons and dungeons that players can take on. Check it out below.

Company of Heroes developer Relic Entertainment has said it will make further layoffs, following its sale by Sega announced last week.

Relic Entertainment has announced sweeping cuts it said were made to give the studio “the best possible chance to survive.”

Thrones of Decay, the upcoming expansion for strategy game Total War: Warhammer 3, will now be available to purchase as either three separate faction packs, or as a bundle at a discount. So, if you don’t fancy shelling out the full £19.10 for all three factions, you can grab new bits for either Nurgle, the Empire, or the Dwarfs for £7.49. If you do buy just one to start off with - say, to get a feel for the quality of Thrones of Decay as a package - you’ll get a 15% discount on the remaining two packs in the future.

Company of Heroes maker Relic Entertainment is cutting some jobs as the firm prepares to go independent.

Sonic Superstars players have the chance to unlock another costume, this time a retro outfit for Amy Rose. This latest costume being added to the game is part of a collaboration with IHOP and adds to the extensive list of cosmetics available for Sonic and his pals in Sonic Superstars.

C-Smash VRS — last year's well-recieved PSVR2 update of Sega's cult 2001 arcade and Dreamcast sci-fi sports game Cosmic Smash — is wiggling out of its headset to get a non-VR edition on PlayStation 5, also available to existing owners, later this year.

Last year’s revival of Sega’s late-Dreamcast-era obscurity Cosmic Smash is coming to a much wider audience in 2024. C-Smash VRS, based on the Sega game that combined Rez aesthetics with racquetball and vintage arcade game Breakout, has been exclusive to Sony’s PlayStation VR2 headset for the past year, but it will get a version playable on PlayStation 5 without that headset sometime this summer.

The critically acclaimed VR game C-Smash VRS is getting a non-VR release on PlayStation 5.

Last year, Sega revealed a newfound commitment to its wide catalog of franchises. In December, it announced that several series would get the revival treatment, including long-dormant franchises like Crazy Taxi. We’d even get a tease at that IP comeback with three new Samba de Amigo games, which were released across Nintendo Switch, VR, and mobile.

A well-known Sega leaker has confirmed that a sequel to Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles is currently in development. The first Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles was released in 2021, based on the 2019 anime adaptation of the same name. Hinokami Chronicles was developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Aniplex in Japan and by Sega globally. CyberConnect2 worked on a number of action-heavy anime style games before Hinokami Chronicles, such as the Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm series and Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. Hinokami Chronicles, much like the Ninja Storm series, has both an action game focus and a 3D arena fighter multiplayer mode.

A reliable Sega insider has claimed that a sequel to Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles is currently in development, presumably at CyberConnect2.

Loud disapproval for Sonic's original film design has prompted far greater scrutiny within Hollywood for getting video game adaptations right.

The head of Like a Dragon developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio says he wants to make Yakuza Kiwami 3 at some point.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, the team behind the longstanding Like a Dragon franchise, has expressed interest in remaking Yakuza 3, the franchise's third mainline entry that originally released in 2009. The studio had previously remade the first two games of Sega's celebrated Yakuza series, Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2, in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Ever since, fans have been eager for confirmation of a potential Yakuza 3 remake.

Sega and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (RGG Studio) are gearing up for a new installment in the Like a Dragon series, revealing today that the next installment will begin its cast auditions soon and and that it won't be Yakuza Kiwami 3.

Though Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio delivered two solid Yakuza remakes in the form of Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza Kiwami 2, contrary to what many had expected (and hoped for), the studio did not keep that remake train going. Of course, we did get Like a Dragon: Ishin! last year, but those who’ve been waiting for a Yakuza Kiwami 3 (or Like a Dragon Kiwami 3, as it would now be known), have been left wanting, with RGG Studio seemingly content to have remasters available for the series’ third, fourth, and fifth numbered entries.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio said last week that it would be making an “important” announcement related to the Like a Dragon series today, with many expecting that new details would be shared in the series’ next instalment- which is sort of what’s happened. During the recent episode of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio TV, though a new Like a Dragon game wasn’t announced, RGG Studio shared the first behind-the-scenes update on it.

Publisher SEGA and developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio will hold cast auditions for the next Like a Dragon title, series director Masayoshi Yokoyama announced on the latest episode of “Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio TV.”

Sega has found a great deal of success with the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, and that train is going to keep chugging along. Paramount Pictures announced back in 2022 that a third film in the franchise had been officially greenlit, and ahead of its release later this year, the movie has wrapped up filming. The same was confirmed by its director Jeff Fowler in a recent tweet.

More Sonic Toys Party gameplay footage has leaked online, giving fans a possible look at some of the stages and character costumes in the rumored mobile game. Sega had stated earlier this year that it was interested in developing titles exclusively for mobile devices. Spin-off games like Persona 5: The Phantom X and Sonic Toys Party are some of the ways that Sega is looking to expand its reach into the mobile gaming market.