Sovietborgs on Mega Drive Preview

Sovietborgs is a new overhead shooter being developed for the Mega Drive/Genesis, created by the retro-gaming enthusiasts at Retro Sumus.

Gameplay Overview:

• A squad-based approach where you control multiple attackers.
• Requires managing your troops through relentless enemy fire, with the ultimate goal of advancing by destroying hostile nests and finishing waves of enemies.
• Combines strategic movement to maintain combat readiness alongside tactical shooting positions.

Features & Mechanics:

• Graphics & Aesthetics: Utilizes a distinct 70s communist theme with green, brown, and grey colours. Requires further development in detail but is promising in its early stages.
• Sound Effects & Music: Also at an early stage, with some initial voice work and sound effects appearing.
• Game Balance: Well-balanced design between movement and shooting, emphasizing practicality and experience.

Development Stage: This preview suggests that the game is still in development but shows promise. With additional firepower additions like more weapons and bombs, two-player cooperative mode is an interesting idea on the horizon too!

How do you think Sovietborgs will compare to other squad-based shooters on the Mega Drive? How should Retro Sumus refine the gameplay mechanics as it progresses through development?

King of Fighters '98 Scales at $13,000

Japanese company Tanita has collaborated with SNK to create a professional body composition monitor that not only measures your fitness but also serves as a platform for playing King of Fighters '98.

Key Points:

• The device costs 2 million yen (approximately $13,000 USD).
• It features an LCD screen where you can play KOF '98 by plugging in a controller through its USB port.
• The device combines health monitoring with gaming, though it requires significant investment for such a quirky feature.

This is one of the most unusual collaborations we've seen. Would you be tempted to purchase this, or do you think the price tag and functionality are too high?

The Booze of Monkey Island: A Fan-Made Game Paying Tribute

Monkey Island is a classic point-and-click adventure game that has captivated players since its release in 1990. The latest fan-made tribute, 'The Booze of Monkey Island', follows Guybrush Threepwood on Booty Island, where he must outsmart LeChuck and escape before it's too late.

This indie game is developed by the Bean Adventure Agency and currently available for free in Early Access. It offers a shorter but engaging adventure compared to its legendary predecessors.

• Developers: The Bean Adventure Agency
• Gameplay Style: Point-and-click adventure
• Setting: Booty Island
• Objective: Escape the island before LeChuck catches you!

With no official continuation in sight, this fan effort is a delightful homage allowing enthusiasts to revisit the beloved series.

Will this unofficial tribute inspire LucasArts to consider continuing the Monkey Island saga?

Sega has officially announced the development of a new Virtua Fighter game.

• Justin Scarpone, Sega’s global head of transmedia, confirmed during an interview with VGC that a new Virtua Fighter game is in the works.
• Key Points:
• The last mainline release, Virtua Fighter 5, was released almost two decades ago in 2006.
• Since then, only minor appearances of Virtua Fighter characters have been seen, such as in the Yakuza series and Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown.
• Speculations point towards this game possibly being Virtua Fighter 6.

This news marks a significant milestone for the series, which has been somewhat dormant in recent years. What do you think about this development? How might we see Virtua Fighter evolve in the future?

When Lunar Remastered was announced, it sparked widespread excitement among retro gaming enthusiasts. This renowned JRPG series has been through various localisations over the years, but one of the most memorable is certainly Working Designs' English voice acting for the Sega CD and PS1 versions.

However, GungHo, the company behind the remasters, is currently not including these original voice-acts in the Lunar Remastered package. Victor Ireland, founder of Working Designs, was quoted as saying that they have offered the old working designs recordings at a discount but are yet to hear back from GungHo.

Key Points:

• Original English Voice Acting not included in Lunar Remastered.
• Offered by Working Designs: Ireland made the content available at a low cost but received no response so far.

What do you think about GungHo’s decision? Do you think they have a valid reason for not including the original voice acting? Or is this just another case of prioritising profit over passion?

SuperSega Explains It's Afraid Analogue Will Steal Its Ideas

SuperSega, the project behind a FPGA console aiming to run games from all Sega home consoles, has faced backlash over poorly shot videos and misleading marketing. The Spanish development team has released a Q&A addressing some of these issues.

Key Points

• Financial Constraints: SuperSega members say they are not rich but claim enthusiasm is their driving force. They have limited resources due to funding challenges, resulting in basic prototypes with no excess money for professional video production or fully finished boards.
  • Quote: "We only have 2 boards, which cost us 15K euros per not finished board."
• Prototype Protection: They are worried that showing a prototype could expose their technology to Analogue or other competitors, risking intellectual property theft or copying of designs.
  • Quote: "If we send some unit, it may be damaged, loosen, etc, and also can be taken by other company like say Analogue etc.. and then they can reverse and copy us the cores and design."
• Video Quality: Poor videos are attributed to insufficient funding for better production quality. They have showcased limited progress due to the lack of proper equipment and resources.
  • Quote: "Not enough resources."

SuperSega aims to adhere strictly to a published timeline. Despite these challenges, their ambitions remain clear: delivering an FPGA console that can run all Sega classic games with minimal performance compromises.

Do you think SuperSega's concerns about Analogue are grounded in reality? Have you pre-ordered and been charged the full amount?

Sega's Emojam: A Pager for Kids... and a Missed Opportunity?

Context

For many retro gaming enthusiasts, the announcement of new hardware from a major gaming company is always exciting, especially when it comes to Sega. The company is known for making iconic home video game systems like the Dreamcast, but since 2001, they've not ventured into mainstream console territory.

Key Points

• The Announced Device: The "emojam" is a pager-style device aimed at children that uses emojis to communicate. It's produced by SEGA Fave Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the larger SEGA Group.
• Target Audience and Features: The device is designed for kids and equipped with Wi-Fi for messaging and featuring over 1,100 original emojis. Kids can create secret messages using a combination of emojis, and there's even an "emoji lab" function to make new ones.

Safety Measures and Concerns

• Safety Functionality: The device has measures in place to ensure that only contacts who physically touch the bottom of the device can exchange information with the child. This is aimed at preventing communications with strangers online, a common concern for parents of young tech users.
• Unique Selling Points: Unlike other messaging tools, emojam encourages safe communication and offers a "puzzle-solving" element by encouraging kids to decode messages using emojis.

Thoughts on the Release

• Market Positioning: Emojam is positioned as a novelty item for children in Japan, which is interesting given the current saturation of smartphones among youth. It remains to be seen if this unique concept can capture an audience in today's technological landscape.
• Future Implications: The release of emojam seems to position Sega more towards toy and technology innovation rather than traditional gaming hardware, a shift that could have implications for its future product lines and target market.

How do you think the emojam will be received by both children and their parents in today's digital age? Will it carve out enough of a niche to make a significant impact on kids' communication tools?

EGM Compendium hits $500K in Crowdfunding

Overview of the Fundraising Success

EGM Compendium, a significant project aimed at creating a comprehensive collection of Edge of Game Magazine (EGM), announced last month that they had reached over $250k on their crowdfunding campaign. This momentum has now propelled the campaign to surpass the $500k mark in just a couple of weeks.

Key Features and Perks

• $500K Milestone Reached: With this milestone, EGM Compendium unlocked additional perks for backers, such as better quality paper and extra articles in the final book. One of the most exciting new perks is the commemorative fold-out cover, which adds a premium finish to the book.

Project Details

• Campaign Duration: The campaign still has a week left, creating potential for even higher fundraising totals.
• Backers can Still Order: For those looking to relive nostalgia or add to their collection, it's not too late to place an order. Orders are accepted until the end of the campaign.

Community Engagement and Future Plans

• Artwork Announced: As soon as they hit $500k, EGM Compendium updated their campaign page to announce that they would commission a crossover-packed fold-out cover for EGM #265, paying homage to the iconic EGM #100. An artist will be selected in the days ahead.

How do you feel about EGM Compendium's success? Do you have particular issues or magazines that you would love to see included in this collection?

Earlier this month, Passageway Games released Passageway of the Ancients to Steam. The game is heavily influenced by classic Dungeons and Dragons RPG titles like Baldur’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights, blending turn-based and real-time gameplay with character progression similar to the genre's staples.

Key Points:

• Game Release: Passageway of the Ancients has now been released on Steam.
• Bundle Offer: A bundle including both the game and its original soundtrack is discounted by 15% for $21.23, while the soundtrack can be purchased separately for $4.99.
• Early Reviews: While some players found the technical aspects lacking or not as engaging as other titles in this genre, others praised the plot and story unfolding.

Technical Details:

• Genre: Dungeons and Dragons-inspired RPG
• Platform: Steam (PC)
• Features: Turn-based and real-time gameplay, character progression, equipment selection.

Have you played the game? What's your review?

Recently, it was reported that the renowned first-person shooter game DOOM can now run on the Nintendo Alarmo alarm clock. This unique device surprisingly manages to host the classic game despite its limited memory.

Limited Support: The audio for the game is not supported due to technical constraints imposed by the alarm clock's hardware limitations.

You can find the necessary downloads here.

Quote from developer, Gary:

After my last post, it was pretty clear what everyone wanted to see on the Alarmo. So, here it is - Doom running on the Nintendo Alarmo! pic.twitter.com/WimckYPnXZ

What do you think about this unique accomplishment?

Game Information:

• Name: [Rage of the Dragons NEO]
• Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam)
• Release Date: November 14, 2024

Key Features:

• Improved visuals, updated mechanics, additional content
• Tag-team combat system with new fighters and abilities
• Online multiplayer modes with rollback netcode for smooth play

Original Context:

• First developed by Evoga and Noise Factory in 2002, it was a spiritual successor to Double Dragon. Known for fast-paced action and deep combo systems.
• The original gained cult followings thanks to its challenging gameplay and strategic elements.

Will you be revisiting your old copies of "Rage of the Dragons" or trying out the remake?

A new and complete translation has been released for the classic PlayStation 1 RPG Popolocrois Monogatari 2. This game, originally developed by G-Artists and published by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEI), follows a young prince on an epic quest to save his kingdom from an evil goddess.

Summary of Key Points:

• The original game was released in Japan back in the year 2000.
• It's part of the Popolocrois series, which started with the 1984 manga and was followed by two previous PlayStation 1 titles: Popolocrois Monogatari (1996) and Poporogue (1998).
• A prior translation existed in a PSP game combining events of both Popolocrois games, but it wasn't entirely faithful to the original story.
• Zenksren has now created a more complete English patch, which includes staff credits for LostOkina, Wyrdwad, Aquagon, ERT, and ???. The translation is available on ROM Hack Plaza and has been tested on real hardware, Retroarch (SwanStation core), standalone DuckStation, and no$psx. A translation of the first PS1 game in the series is also online.

In your opinion, which fan translation projects should we see next, and why?