Attention, all Anglers and Spacecats!

We have some dates for you: SEGA Bass Fishing and Space Channel 5, Part 2 are going to be available, digitally, over Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network – October 4th for PSN and October 5th for XBLA!

The games will each be available for either 800 Microsoft Points (same for all territories), or $9.99/£6.29/€7.99/AUS$12.95 on PSN.

Space Channel 5 Part 2 is the infectiously fun action rhythm game that follows fan-favorite and funktastically spunky newscaster Ulala as she fights off the Rhythm Rogues. These dastardly dance deviants have captured the noble leader, Space President Peace, and thousands of other innocents — and forced them to dance until there is literally no tomorrow.

Although there is considerably less dancing in SEGA Bass Fishing, it nonetheless runs with the Dreamcast spirit of being infectiously fun and engaging — perhaps bass fishing is not your idea of wild action, but this game has a unique charm all its own, and like the best of the Dreamcast era runs with a concept as far as it can, concerned both with being a great fishing game and being a great game on its own. Or put less dramatically: Fish!!!

Update: It is 100% worth mentioning that the PlayStation Network version of SEGA Bass Fishing supports Sony Move! The original was a fun game regardless of how you played it, but one of the neat features was, of course, the awesome Bass Fishing controller for Dreamcast. Now, you can use your Sony Move controller in your relentless pursuit of the big one!

To recap: Anglers and Spacecats! Space Channel 5 Part 2 and Bass Fishing! October 4th, PSN! October 5th, XBLA! Dance! Fish!!!

E3 is just a few days away ( #SegaE3 ), and we’re excited to announce our roster of titles to be shown! We will have more than 13 new games across all major platforms, including several games in stunning stereoscopic 3D, support for PlayStation Move for the PlayStation 3, Kinect for the Xbox 360, and Nintendo 3DS. The lineup spans multiple genres and includes adaptations of blockbuster film franchises, an original squad-based shooter from the creative mind of some of SEGA’s most popular franchises, the first “M-rated” game on Kinect, AAA digital titles, an all-new title from critically acclaimed developer PlatinumGames, and many more!

Also, as you probably know by now, we’ll celebrate this year’s 20^th birthday of Sonic the Hedgehog with Sonic Boom,  featuring Sonic Generations™ on Wednesday, June 8^th, 6PM PST at the Club NOKIA in Downtown Los Angeles.

We’ll be posting lots of blogs, Facebook updates, and tweets during the show! We want to hear what you think, so please use the hashtag #SegaE3 for tweets about all of our E3 activity, including our games, our booth, and Sonic Boom!

The list of titles in display at SEGA’s E3 booth (South Exhibit Hall, Booth 2023) includes among others:

Aliens: Colonial Marines

Aliens: Colonial Marines  (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC) – Launch Date: Spring 2012

From the award-winning first-person shooter powerhouse Gearbox Software comes Aliens: Colonial Marines, the highly anticipated horror-based action FPS set in the Aliens universe with cooperative multiplayer at its core. Bringing new levels of bone-chilling suspense and adrenaline-filled action to the renowned franchise, the game pits players against the universe’s ultimate alien killing machines, the Xenomorphs, in claustrophobic environments guaranteed to produce horrifying shocks and surprises.

ANARCHY REIGNS

ANARCHY REIGNS  (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 ) – Launch Date: January 2012

ANARCHY REIGNS is the much anticipated next title from critically acclaimed developer PlatinumGames. With ANARCHY REIGNS, PlatinumGames will be using their hallmark creativity and technical excellence to challenge the boundaries of the conventional brawler genre by allowing multiple players to get involved in heavy-hitting action simultaneously. ANARCHY REIGNS incorporates a diverse range of multiplayer modes to provide players with different challenges, including a co-op survival mode and an all-out Battle Royal mode, where players can challenge others in a full-on fight for victory. Additionally, all modes will be available as offline single-player experiences as well. In the single player campaign mode, players can choose between Jack and Leo for different story experiences.

Binary Domain

Binary Domain (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) – Launch Date: Early 2012

Binary Domain is an original IP by Toshihiro Nagoshi, the creator behind some of SEGA’s most well-known video game franchises, including the critically acclaimed Yakuza series. The atmospheric squad-based shooter puts players in the middle of a fast-paced and intense battle against hordes of deadly robots, and a secret that could threaten all mankind. Fighting upward through the derelict lower levels of 2080 Tokyo into the beautiful upper city, players control an international Special Forces squad, specializing in covert ops, which sets out to battle to the heart of the crisis.

Captain America: Super Soldier

Captain America: Super Soldier (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS) – Launch Date: (US) July 19; (EU) July, 15, 2011; 3DS in Fall 2011

Become Captain America, the ultimate Super-Soldier, in the darkest days of World War II as you face the Red Skull and his army in this epic third-person action adventure. Wield Captain America’s legendary shield to take out multiple enemies at once, deflect incoming fire back at your enemies, solve puzzles, and scale walls. Above all, hurl yourself shield-first into the fray, with the superior force of the world’s first Super-Soldier at your fingertips. Engage in devastating open combat and acrobatic platforming to infiltrate Hydra’s massive and mysterious castle complex and battle the infamous Iron Cross, the forces of Hydra, and a host of nefarious enemies serving the Red Skull in an all-new Captain America story and adventure.

CRUSH3D

CRUSH3D (Nintendo 3DS) – Launch Date: (US) September 6, (EU) September 9, 2011

Redesigned for Nintendo 3DS, CRUSH3D is the unique platform game that gives you the ability to change perspective from 2D to 3D as you try to solve brain-teasing puzzles. Built on the foundation of the award winning CRUSH, CRUSH3D features a host of exciting new features specifically designed for the Nintendo 3DS system, including new locations, characters and an intuitive hint system. Navigate across the surreal platforms of Danny’s mind by ‘crushing’ your way from a 2-dimensional to a 3-dimensional world and back again whenever you need to.

Guardian Heroes

Guardian Heroes (Xbox LIVE Arcade) – Launch Date: Late Summer 2011

Coming exclusively to Xbox LIVE® Arcade, get ready for more swords and sorcery than you can shake your magical staff at. An ancient evil threatens the world after years of peace. Step into the shoes of one of five mighty heroes; each with their own unique attacks and customizable stats. As you fight through forests, graveyards, castles and volcanoes, your every decision will decide the ultimate fate of the world. Do you have what it takes to be a Guardian Hero? Due out this summer, Guardian Heroes features Co-Op and Online play for you and your friends, multiple game modes, optimized graphics, and brand new achievements for Xbox LIVE.

House of the Dead: OVERKILL Extended Cut

House of the Dead: OVERKILL Extended Cut (PlayStation Move for PlayStation 3) – Launch Date: (US) October 25, (EU) October 28, 2011

The pulp-style reinvention of the classic light-gun shooter comes to the PlayStation 3 in this exclusive Extended Cut with an avalanche of new content including brand new levels, weapons, mutants and more. Experience the over-the-top, mutant blasting madness with your PlayStation Move motion controller for PS3 all in stunning 3D and re-mastered HD graphics.

Renegade Ops

Renegade Ops (Xbox LIVE Arcade, PlayStation Network, PC digital download) – Launch Date: 2011

Created by Swedish developer Avalanche Studios, Renegade Ops will unleash unprecedented mayhem and exhilarating destruction. Players are sent behind enemy lines in a mobile commando unit to defeat Inferno, a madman intent on global domination. Defeat enemies across a range of stunning environments using a wide variety of vehicles and weapons, from dispersing electromagnetic shock waves to the deployment of a huge Gatling gun armed to the teeth. Players have the choice to fight alone in single-player mode, team up offline with two-player split screen or join the dynamic 4-player online co-op experience.

Rise of Nightmares

Rise of Nightmares (Kinect for Xbox 360) – Launch Date: TBA

Rise of Nightmares offers a spine-tingling horror experience unique to the massively successful Kinect. Using their whole body the player will experience fear and tension as never before in this first-person horror adventure. Fight off hordes of undead creatures and mad scientists in this uniquely horror themed adventure that sees players desperately searching for their kidnapped wife.

SEGA Rally Online Arcade

SEGA Rally Online Arcade (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) – Launch Date: Out Now on Xbox LIVE Arcade, Coming Soon on PlayStation Network)

When was the last time you enjoyed getting dragged through the mud? Race through five different types of terrain in more rally-bred vehicles than a baker can shake his dozen at – including the Ford Focus RS, the classic Lancia Delta Integrale and the ferocious Bowler Nemesis. Play through a slew of modes including Time Trials, Single Races, and Championship Events. Cut to the chase and face off online in a variety of 6 Player multiplayer racing events – isn’t it about time you showed your friends who’s numero uno?

Shinobi

Shinobi (Nintendo 3DS) – Launch Date:  September 2011

Shinobi for the Nintendo 3DS sees the eagerly anticipated return of the legendary Shinobi. We follow our hero, Jiro Musashi, through a wide variety of exotic locations as he battles his way past hordes of enemies using magical Ninja powers in this intense action-filled title. Shinobi will include some classic gameplay elements found in previous Shinobi titles, while introducing several exciting new features and experiences specifically designed to take advantage of the technology offered by the Nintendo 3DS system.

Sonic Generations

Sonic Generations (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo 3DS) – Launch Date: Holiday 2011

Delivering the definitive gaming experience for Sonic fans old and new and part of the celebrations for Sonic the Hedgehog’s 20th Anniversary, Sonic Generations sees Sonic the Hedgehog playable as both the much loved classic 1991 character, and the modern day video game hero he has become. In this exciting new fast paced adventure set across three defining eras from 20 years of Sonic the Hedgehog, you can now speed through some of the most iconic environments, playing as Classic Sonic in re-imagined 2D side scrolling levels, and as Modern Sonic in all new, stunning 3D levels.

Where to Find Us

SEGA will be located at BOOTH 2023 in the South Exhibit Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Out now on Xbox Live Arcade — SEGA’s own championship-bred, hi-def off-road racing game, SEGA Rally Online Arcade!

Inspired by SEGA Rally Revo and SEGA Rally 3, SEGA Rally Online Arcade brings back all the features players could want from the popular arcade and console racers. Options include Championship Battle mode and Time Attack, and an exciting online racing mode that lets players race with up to five drivers around the world in intense rally action.

The game features a brand new achievement system, 13 rally cars to choose from, and online leaderboards — gameplay is a blend of solid racing physics (and of course the physics of chewing up mud, dirt, and snow on the track) and the arcade-style feel of tearing around in a powerful rally car for lap after lap.

The game is out now on XBLA for a mere 800 MSP — stay tuned for info on the PlayStation Network release as well!

In case you’ve missed it we have, right now, a huge selection of our Xbox Live Arcade titles on sale — 19 in all, as well as all avatar items discounted until April 25th. The full list of discounted titles with old and new prices is below, so let’s get to that:

And, as I said, all of the avatar items are discounted as well. There is what I would call a plethora — a wealth — of titles here; a wide variety. Something for everyone!

Many of these — particularly those involving rapid hedgehogs — you are all quite familiar with. They need no introduction. Some of these I feel compelled to call out: I had almost forgotten some existed on XBLA until now, and others are simply games I love to talk about at every opportunity.

For the record, many Sonic games are on sale. By which I mean, all of them. Sonic and the 2nd one and the one with Knuckles and the other one with Knuckles; Sonic 4 and the one with Knuckles and Big the Cat.

After Burner Climax

There is never a wrong time for After Burner Climax — it represents both SEGA’s arcade lineage and some of the most mind-bending arcade technology ever delivered. For me, it reaches back to one of my favorite 80s games, the 8-bit version of the original arcade title. A challenging game that invites you to blaze through it over and over, in glorious HD.

Phantasy Star II

Honor bound to mention this title, as I continue to represent the series to this day and the originals are some of the finest examples of the genre. A step up from the insidious grinding of the Master System original, Phantasy Star 2 has excellent heroes and villains to spend your time with.

Cyber Troopers Virtual On Oratorio Tangram

One of the first titles I ever wrote about as a Community Manager here, this is one I’d nearly forgotten about. Seeing it on sale a) warms my heart and b) makes me want to turn into a giant robot and blow other robots up. This game boasts one of the most awesome titles on XBLA and is, in fact, one of the coolest games in the genre. That genre is “robots who fight each other”; with multiplayer and a pedigree from the finest in Japanese robot battlin’ entertainment, what are you waiting for?

Streets of Rage 2

Because it’s Streets of Rage 2, for goodness sakes. The best side-scrolling brawler of the 90s, and therefore, of all-time. The music was excellent, and it was incredibly realistic, in that you could heal yourself by turkey legs concealed under breakable objects while fighting off swarms of thugs with co-ordinated names and jean jackets. I’ve heard Tokyo is actually a lot like this.

Crazy Taxi and Sonic Adventure

The advanced guard of the Dreamcast’s digital return — Sonic and friends adventure across the expanse of the Dreamcast platform in Sonic Adventure, in a unique combination of high speed action, epic story, and puzzle-based adventure. Meanwhile, Crazy Taxi turns you loose on streets that unmistakably pay homage to my own city of San Francisco, featuring an incredibly realistic driving sim of what it is actually like to drive in this city arcade-fueled driving mayhem. For the screenshot here, I picked my favorite one — the one where the car is driving fast and all crazy, and in which you are making crazy money.

Ecco the Dolphin

The most eerie, haunting, difficult, and enchanting game you could possibly have devised of an adorable dolphin searching for his lost pod. Rumors of a next gen sequel are unconfirmed as of press time.

Shinobi

The original, the arcade version, the quarter taking, green ninja wasting, shuriken flinging, advancing wall of spinning-head boss-round having, Joe Musashi-introducing master of side-scrolling 2D old-school excellence. I remember playing this one in the local Safeway back in nineteen eighty-something, thinking I could master it because I had the Master System version at home. I was wrong. This one is hard. Ninjitsu!

Today is the day – December 30th – we are happy to reveal the Xbox Live Arcade games for our Holiday Mega Sale. Remember, these are available in North America, Europe, United Kingdom, and Australia! You have only one day to get in on these crazy deals – do not delay! The Xbox community has been very patient so without any further delay …

Xbox Live Arcade

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
→ Xbox Live Arcade price was $5.00 now $3.00 save 40% – Buy Now!

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG2
→ Xbox Live Arcade price was $5.00 now $3.00 save 40% – Buy Now!

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3
→ Xbox Live Arcade price was $5.00 now $3.00 save 40% – Buy Now!

SONIC & KNUCKLES
→ Xbox Live Arcade price was $3.00 now $1.50 save 50% – Buy Now!

SONIC 4 EPISODE 1
→ Xbox Live Arcade price was $15.00 now $10.00 save 33% – Buy Now!

SONIC ADVENTURE
→ Xbox Live Arcade price was $10.00 now $5.00 save 50% – Buy Now!

AFTER BURNER CLIMAX
→ Xbox Live Arcade price was $10.00 now $5.00 save 50% – Buy Now!

iPhone

› Super Monkey Ball
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)
› Sonic the Hedgehog
$4.99 $2.99
£2.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Sonic the Hedgehog 2
$4.99 $2.99
£2.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Super Monkey Ball 2
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)
› Super Monkey Ball 2 Sakura Edition
$4.99 $2.99
£2.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Sonic 4 Episode 1
$6.99 $2.99
£3.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Phantasy Star 2
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $0.99 (AUS)
› ChuChu Rocket!
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)
› ChuChu Rocket! HD
$4.99 $2.99
£2.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Gunstar Heroes
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)
› Altered Beast
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)

PlayStation Network

› Sonic Adventure
$9.99 $4.99
£6.29 £3.19
€7.99 €3.99
$12.95 (AUS) $6.95 (AUS)
› Sonic Adventure DX
$4.99 $1.99
£3.19 £1.19
€3.99 €1.49
$6.95 (AUS) $2.45 (AUS)
› Sonic 4 Episode 1
$14.99 $9.99
£9.99 £5.49
€12.99 €6.99
$19.95 (AUS) $11.45 (AUS)
› Afterburner Climax
$9.99 $4.99
£7.99 £3.99
€9.99 €4.99
$15.95 (AUS) $8.45 (AUS)
› Phantasy Star Portable 2
$39.99 $15.99
£27.99 £13.99
€34.99 €17.99
$54.95 (AUS) $27.95 (AUS)
› Valkyria Chronicles 2
$39.99 $15.99
£27.99 £13.99
€34.99 €17.99
$54.95 (AUS) $27.95 (AUS)

› Sega Genesis Collection $15.99 $9.99

› Iron Man 2 $19.99 $15.99

› Gunstar Heroes $4.99 $2.99

└─═[ MEGA SALE HOLIDAY 2010 ]═─┐

This Holiday save up to 70% on over 20 SEGA games! Buy for yourself, or buy for a friend! The Sale starts tonight on December 21st and runs until January 3rd, details below, read on!

Super Mega Special Deals!

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 4 EPISODE I

→ iTunes AppStore was $6.99 now $2.99 save 57% – Buy Now!
→ iTunes AppStore was £3.99 now £1.79 save 55% – Buy Now!
→ iTunes AppStore was € 5.49 now € 2.39 save 56% – Buy Now!
→ iTunes AppStore was $8.99 (AUS) now $3.99 (AUS) save 56% – Buy Now!

→ PlayStation Network was $14.99 now $9.99 save 33% – Buy Now!

SONIC ADVENTURE

→ PlayStation Network was $10 now $5 save 50% – Buy Now!

CHUCHU ROCKET!

→ iTunes AppStore was $2.99 now $0.99 save 67% – Buy Now!
→ iTunes AppStore was £1.79 now £0.59 save 67% – Buy Now!
→ iTunes AppStore was € 2.39 now € 0.79 save 67% – Buy Now!
→ iTunes AppStore was $3.99 (AUS) now $1.19 (AUS) save 70% – Buy Now!

Plus a special treat for Xbox LIVE Arcade customers on Dec 30th. Don’t forget to buy for your friends and Santa won’t forget to bring you gifts!

iPhone

› Super Monkey Ball
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)
› Sonic the Hedgehog
$4.99 $2.99
£2.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Sonic the Hedgehog 2
$4.99 $2.99
£2.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Super Monkey Ball 2
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)
› Super Monkey Ball 2 Sakura Edition
$4.99 $2.99
£2.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Sonic 4 Episode 1
$6.99 $2.99
£3.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Phantasy Star 2
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $0.99 (AUS)
› ChuChu Rocket!
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)
› ChuChu Rocket! HD
$4.99 $2.99
£2.99 £1.79
€ 5.49 € 2.39
$8.99 (AUS) $3.99 (AUS)
› Gunstar Heroes
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)
› Altered Beast
$2.99 $0.99
£1.79 £0.59
€ 2.39 € 0.79
$3.99 (AUS) $1.19 (AUS)

Xbox Live Arcade

› Afterburner Climax $10.00 $5.00
› Shhh, it’s a secret – no really – we can’t tell you – so check back on December 30th to see what we’ll be discounting!

PlayStation Network

› Sonic Adventure
$9.99 $4.99
£6.29 £3.19
€7.99 €3.99
$12.95 (AUS) $6.95 (AUS)
› Sonic Adventure DX
$4.99 $1.99
£3.19 £1.19
€3.99 €1.49
$6.95 (AUS) $2.45 (AUS)
› Sonic 4 Episode 1
$14.99 $9.99
£9.99 £5.49
€12.99 €6.99
$19.95 (AUS) $11.45 (AUS)
› Afterburner Climax
$9.99 $4.99
£7.99 £3.99
€9.99 €4.99
$15.95 (AUS) $8.45 (AUS)
› Phantasy Star Portable 2
$39.99 $15.99
£27.99 £13.99
€34.99 €17.99
$54.95 (AUS) $27.95 (AUS)
› Valkyria Chronicles 2
$39.99 $15.99
£27.99 £13.99
€34.99 €17.99
$54.95 (AUS) $27.95 (AUS)

› Sega Genesis Collection $15.99 $9.99

› Iron Man 2 $19.99 $15.99

› Gunstar Heroes $4.99 $2.99

Are you ready to make some Crazy Money? Well, it’s time, because the HD remake of Crazy Taxi will be available for download worldwide this November! This re-mastered classic will arrive on Xbox Live Arcade on November 24^th, and on the PlayStation Network on November 23^rd (for America) and November 24^th (for Europe and Australia). Players will be able to hurtle off parking garage roofs and barrel through traffic-packed streets for a low fare of 800 Microsoft points, or $9.99.

New features in this remake include high-definition 720p graphics presented in a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, leaderboards and trophy awards, and two game types to experience – Arcade Mode and Original Mode. Classic features making a comeback include sixteen minigames that hone taxi-driving skills, huge San Francisco-style hills for plenty of hang time, and occasional deep-sea exploration opportunities.

Personally, I’ve found Crazy Taxi incredibly addictive. The driving mechanics are, of course, wild & arcade-driven — a driving simulation this isn’t — but taking advantage of the “crazy physics”  as you careen wildly through streets hits all the right notes. Even better, the Crazy Taxi city seems clearly modeled after San Francisco — a seaside town filled with steep hills, unexpectedly twisty streets, and colorful pedestrians. The perfect place to lose a hubcap (or five).

We’ve got multiple exciting announcements for you!

First, as you know Sonic Adventure releases today (as in, right now!) on XBox Live Arcade! We’ve only just passed the 11th Anniversary of the 9/9/1999 release of the Dreamcast, and Sonic Adventure was the first Sonic game to release for the Dreamcast and was the first Sonic game in 3D. All of those milestones are befitting a game that is presented with a grand and epic sense of “adventure”, exploration, and fun, and this is definitely a game to revisit, or to check out if you’ve somehow missed out on it all these years.

Second, if you’re waiting to get the game on PlayStation Network, you don’t need to wait long — it’s releasing next week, on the 21st in North America (22nd in Europe), on PSN!

Actually, it’s confession time, and I never really played Sonic Adventure until just this past year or so, when I snagged a Dreamcast from our incredible game room and brushed up on some of the classics. There’s a certain grandeur and sense of excitement when a definitive flagship title shows up for a new system, and Sonic Adventure definitely helped fill those shoes for the Dreamcast.

The game actually even has a bit of old-school adventure game to in (fitting enough considering the name), in that there’s an open world to explore and not always a ton of direction in how to proceed: you explore areas on your own, find ways to proceed, and gradually uncover how the multiple characters have interlocking stories.

Of course, the adventure stages are just one part of the game, and they invariably give way to action stages built around pure speed. The Sonic stages work most like the classic ones, as you battle your way through a level collecting rings, whereas the Tails stages that follow have their own unique twist, as you race against Sonic to be the first to catch Chaos Emeralds.

My favorite stages are probably the Knuckles ones — he retains his gliding and climbing abilities from the original Sonic & Knuckles game, and the first Knuckles stage in Sonic Adventure smartly takes place in a city environment. It feels, to be honest, like one of the Spider Man games, as you race around an open level looking for Chaos Emeralds. Flinging yourself from building to building and avoiding cars has a great innate appeal to it.

Final piece of news: there is also a DLC pack available for the game — if you wish, you can download it and convert this original Dreamcast version of Sonic Adventure into the “Director’s Cut” version, Sonic Adventure DX! Sonic Adventure DX was the enhanced version released on the Nintendo GameCube, and includes 60 additional missions as well as Metal Sonic as a playable character.

There’s a lot to explore and discover in the game — I haven’t even touched on the Chao (not to be confused with the boss enemy Chaos from the game, or the Chaos Emeralds), the pet “minigame” which has attained a special cult following among some SEGA fans. To this day we still receive drawings in the mail of Chao designed by fans, and it’s awesome seeing this portion of the game getting a new release & new exposure.

Stay tuned for more — with the PlayStation Network release on the 21st and more Crazy Taxi news coming soon, and still more to come, there’s lot’s to look forward to with digital Dreamcast titles.

If you’ve been deliberating on whether or not you should take to the skies in one of the most awesome aircraft action games ever to come out of the arcade, can we entice you by making After Burner Climax the Xbox Live Arcade Deal of the Week?

That means that one of the most visually stunning games (in my humble opinion) ever to hit the arcades drops in cost for this week only (July 5th – 11th), from 800 MSP to the practically nonexistent cost of 400 MSP.

There’s a lot of things to like about After Burner Climax. While you can dive right in and start doing barrel rolls and blasting enemies in one of three officially licensed fighters, there’s also a high degree of difficulty, and mastering the games many modes and unlockable features and options takes skill, precision, and patience.

In the arcade, this was a quarter-hungry beast of full-on action; at home, you can sit back and get ready to take off into the wild blue yonder, now for half price!

Attention, SEGA Fans!

It’s summertime, it’s Sonic’s Birthday, and we’re celebrating all week long with sales on select SEGA games on three different platforms: PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, and the iPhone!

The sales below all have special dates, so be sure to check these for reference:

PlayStation Network: Tuesday June 22^nd to Tuesday July 6^th
iTunes AppStore: Wed June 23^rd to Wed June 30^th
Xbox LIVE Marketplace: Thursday June 24^th, one day only!

A ton of Sonic titles are going on sale, as well as some SEGA classics for the iPhone.

Check out the schedule for the sale below — these price drops are applicable in North America, Europe, and Japan!

Tuesday, June 22nd – PlayStation Network and PlayStation Portable over PSN

Its Sony Tuesday, with tons of Sonic and Sonic DLC available over PlayStation Network.

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing: Metal Sonic Death Egg       $7.99 $5.49
Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing: Ryo with Forklift Character       $4.99 $3.49
Sonic Unleashed Apatos & Shamar Adventure Pack       $2.99 $1.99
Sonic Unleashed Chun-nan Adventure Pack       $2.99 $1.99
Sonic Unleashed Empire City & Adabat Adventure Pack       $2.99 $1.99
Sonic Unleashed Holoska Adventure Pack       $2.99 $1.99
Sonic Unleashed Mazuri Adventure Pack       $2.99 $1.99
Sonic Unleashed Spagonia Adventure Pack       $2.99 $1.99
Sonic the Hedgehog 2006: Very Hard Shadow Missions       $2.49 $1.49
Sonic the Hedgehog 2006: Very Hard Silver Missions       $2.49 $1.49
Sonic the Hedgehog 2006: Very Hard Sonic Missions       $2.49 $1.49
Sonic Unleashed Add On Bundle       $17.94 $8.99
Sonic Racing Add On Bundle       $12.98 $6.49
Sonic Rivals 2 (PlayStation Portable over PSN)       $19.99 $13.99
Sonic Rivals (PlayStation Portable over PSN)       $15.99 $10.99
Sonic Rivals 1 & 2 Bundle (PlayStation Portable over PSN)       $35.98 $17.99

Wednesday, June 23rd – iPhone
Celebrate Sonic’s birthday on the go with these iPhone games on sale this Wednesday:

Super Monkey Ball       $4.99 $2.99
Sonic the Hedgehog       $5.99 $3.99
Super Monkey Ball 2        $5.99 $3.99
Sonic the Hedgehog 2       $5.99 $3.99
Streets of Rage       $2.99 $0.99
Golden Axe       $2.99 $0.99
Super Monkey Ball 2: Sakura Ed.    $7.99 $4.99

Thursday, June 24th – Xbox Live Arcade

And then on Thursday we have great Sonic titles going on sale, over Xbox Live Arcade — all featuring the Lock-On Technology of the Genesis originals!

Sonic the Hedgehog 2       $5.00 $3.00
Sonic the Hedgehog 3       $5.00 $3.00
Sonic the Hedgehog       $5.00 $3.00
Sonic & Knuckles       $5.00 $3.00