There’s a PSO 2 trading card game (in Japan)! Wild, right?
What’s even wilder (OK it’s not actually that surprising) is that there is a book collecting art from the cards. It’s full of large, textless illustrations featuring supporting characters from the game.
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Phantasy Star 0 Mini is a Japanese DSi-exclusive bite-sized version of Phantasy Star 0. It cost 200 yen, and allows for up to four players to team up and face its single stage.
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Included with a copy of Teddy Boy I recently purchased, the 1986 Sega catalog highlights what was being released on Master System in the U.S. at the time.
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I randomly stumbled upon this site, which has a surprisingly robust amount of Phantasy Star III content. The most exciting subsection to me however, was the “gallery of dead sites” that they had reposted. Here there is a collection of PS sites from the GeoCities days.
I visited the sites and saved photos with good vibes, which I present to you here.
Click on an image to visit the sites!
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I recently wrapped up Sega Ages Phantasy Star on the Switch. It’s my 3rd or 4th time finishing this game in one form or another, and I can confidently say that the Switch version is the best way to play it. From the FM Sound Unit to the auto mapping in dungeons, I can’t really imagine ever revisiting another version of the game.
As far as the end section of the game itself (spoilers, I guess), it’s just another way this game continues to impress 30+ years later.
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This 418-page monster is a very distinctly Japanese item. It’s a visual guide to fashion in PSO2. Specifically, customization options made available in 2017-2018.
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Phantasy Star is arguably the marquee title for the Master System, so it’s no surprise that it gets a lot of love in Bitmap Books’ (excellent) visual compendium.
The book is filled with history, interviews, and reviews which tell the story of why this oft-forgotten (in the US at least) console is so important and beloved.
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I’ll be honest- I don’t know much about modern 2D fighting games, and I know even less about the publisher Dengeki Bunko and their work. Yet, I am having an absolute blast with Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax on the Vita. I’ve found the game to be really inviting and easy to pick up and enjoy, even as a total fighting game novice.
I reviewed some of the Sega 3D Classics for Nintendo World Report!
I also wrote a little blurb over there about my dream Sega 3D Classic:
Welcome to My Phantasy Zone: Why a 3D Phantasy Star Would Rule
Sega news doesn’t get much cooler or more random than what happened yesterday with Phantasy Star Online 2. As you may know, PSO2 does, in fact, have a localized English version. However, it is based out of Asia, and was previously inaccessible to those without an IP address in that region (or use of a VPN). But yesterday, the IP region lock was mysteriously lifted, with no fanfare or official statement.
As soon as I saw the news, I went to the PlayPark site and began downloading the client. The client itself is a hefty 14+ GB, and after installations and updates, the entire process ended up taking me about two and a half hours (I’m using Windows 8.1, btw).
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1994 / Sega Saturn / Japan-only
Gale Racer is a slightly modified port of the 1991 Sega AM-2 arcade racer Rad Mobile. Rad Mobile is probably most famous for being the first in-game appearance of Sonic the Hedgehog, in the form of a keychain (or air freshener?) that hangs from the roof of the car.
As far as rad and unexpected Christmas presents go, it doesn’t get better than this gift I received from my (amazing) wife this year.
Yesterday, on Christmas Day, my wife and I downloaded the Crunchyroll app for Wii U. We then watched Hi-sCoool! SeHa Girls in its entirety.
A day later, I still can’t get over how much I loved it.
The basic premise of Hi-sCoool! SeHa Girls is that three Sega consoles: Mega Drive, Dreamcast, and Saturn (who are personified as moe girls) are trying to finish high school. In order to graduate, they need to earn 100 credits, which they receive by completing tasks within Sega game worlds.
Back in 2012, I made a list of 99 Ways to Celebrate the Dreamcast in honor of the 13th anniversary of its North American release. To celebrate the 15th anniversary, I made yet another list of Dreamcast-related fun so you can make the most out of this significant day!
1. Listen to the Sega Bits Dreamcast Birthday Bash podcast with former staff from The Official Dreamcast Magazine!
2. Buy the Dreamcast Collection on PC or 360!
3. Watch the Shenmue postmortem with Yu Suzuki from this year’s Game Developer Conference!
4. Read this review of Bust-a-Move 4 from a very concerned parent!
5. Buy something from Dreamcastgaga!
6. Read my series “The Phantasy Star Offline Project”- a chronicling of my recent solo playthrough of PSO V.2!
7. Listen to the Phantasy Star 25th Anniversary Concert!
8. Wish you had this rad Comic Market 86 exclusive Dreamcast shirt!
9. Buy a copy of the excellent Phantasy Star Online strategy guide by Nick Rox and Casey Loe!
Prior to 3D Thunder Blade, my only experience with the game was the “Super” port for the Sega Genesis. I never even SAW an actual cabinet, despite my frequent trips to arcades. Super Thunder Blade was serviceable for a launch window Genesis release, but I found the movement slow and controls somewhat unresponsive. Aside from a few jokes here and there, I rarely thought of Thunder Blade over the years.
Then I found this write-up on the game, praising the merits of the arcade release and lamenting the lack of a quality home port.
It got me interested, but that didn’t change the fact that Thunder Blade cabinets are EXTREMELY rare. In the hundred-plus arcades I’ve been to in the United States and Japan in my lifetime, I’ve yet to see a machine. For years, I wondered if I would ever have a chance to play an arcade-perfect version of the game.
Luckily, M2’s Sega 3D Classics line exists, so the answer is a big YES.
While it may be difficult to imagine now, there was once a time where the “futuristic racer” was a formidable sub-genre. The two kings of this space, F-Zero and WipEout, were fast and cool visual showcases for their respective consoles, through multiple generations. Yet in the shadows of these giants, there were many others vying for the throne. Some found moderate success, like Extreme-G, which started on the Nintendo 64 and spawned three sequels across multiple platforms.
Most futuristic racers, however, never found the success of F-Zero, WipEout, or even Extreme-G. From AeroGauge to Tube Slider, there are many games in the genre that are now almost totally forgotten. Sega Saturn exclusive Gran Chaser (or Cyber Speedway in the West) is one of those titles.
For a somewhat obscure title, Gran Chaser has some serious pedigree behind it. For one, the game is a spiritual sequel to the 1993 PC title CyberRace, which was developed by Cyberdreams (Dark Seed duology). Both CyberRace and Gran Chaser feature sled (the hovercraft vehicles you race) designs by Syd Mead. Mead is a legend in the field of sci-fi art and design, having worked on Aliens, Blade Runner, Tron, Short Circuit, Turn A Gundam, and more.
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Neon Genesis Evangelion is my favorite anime series of all time. From the beginning to the bitter end of the series, I love it dearly. I bought VHS tapes with 2 episodes on each as they were released for $30 a pop. I ordered a VHS fansub of End of Evangelion, years before it was released officially in the west. I even wrote essays and showed clips from the series as parts of projects in my freshman year of college. Yes, I was *that* kid in your intro to psychology class.
Something that endears the series to me even more is the close partnership between Gainax and Sega during the mid to late-90s. Most of the Eva merchandise from this era has Sega branding on it, which makes it all even cooler to me. As Evangelion was in full swing, so was the Saturn (in Japan, at least), so it’s no surprise that the system ended up with some Eva games.
One of these releases was Digital Card Library. It’s essentially an Evangelion-themed minigame collection where you earn and collect “digital cards” showcasing art and animation from the series.
When you start the game, you only have a few cards and even fewer minigames to choose from. You can browse your cards, or by using the menu, jump to the minigames.
Select “minigame” here to jump to that page
The nine minigames in Digital Card Library. For the sake of simplicity, I will be referring to them in order from left to right.
First off, if you’re curious about what Last Bronx is, or why it’s cool, check out this incredibly definitive article about the game over at Hardcore Gaming 101.
OK done? Cool. I’m going to talk a bit about the Japanese Saturn version, which I recently acquired for 20 yen (yes, about 20 cents) at Super Potato in Akihabara.
The game sports some pretty great packaging, full of goodies.
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Three years ago, I wrote a bit about Falcom games on Sega platforms. Today, I have something to add to that write-up, as I recently purchased a copy of Falcom Classics!
Here’s a look at the packaging:
My first experience with Japanese model kit building was over a decade ago, when one day Gundam Wing models showed up at my local Toys R Us. The kits were the most basic available, but I still snatched up every one I could and completed them all. From that point on, I’d grab a Gundam kit every few years, whenever the mood struck me.
This RAcaseal kit was my first attempt at a non-Gundam model, and it was initially a bit overwhelming.
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