Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Deja Review: Radiant Silvergun]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/deja-review-radiant-silvergun/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/deja-review-radiant-silvergun/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/20/deja-review-radiant-silvergun/#commentsWe're of the firm opinion that your time is too precious, too valuable to be spent reading a full review for a game that was already reviewed many, many years ago. What's the point of applying a score to a game that's old enough to be enrolled in the sixth grade? That's why we invented Deja Review: A quick look at the new features and relative agelessness of remade, revived and re-released games.
It may not have garnered the same enthusiastic posthumous cult following as its little brother, but the Sega Saturn was a very good console -- provided you were a very specific type of gamer. Unlike its contemporaries whose processing architectures were designed to excel at 3D graphics (not 3D-glasses 3D, just, you know, polygons), the Saturn's extremely complex and unconventional processor configuration was uniquely suited for 2D, sprite-based games.

While the Crash Bandicoots, Crocs, and Super Mario 64s of the period were pioneering the field of depth perception, the Saturn became a safe haven for 2D skill-based games like Radiant Silvergun. Despite the fact that it was never released stateside, Treasure's manic 1998 shooter is thought of as a definitive Saturn classic, which continues to influence contemporary shmups even to this day. Now, through the magic of XBLA, an entirely new generation of gamers are being exposed to the genesis of bullet-hell, and even after 13 years, Radiant Silvergun is still a relevant, infuriating masterpiece.

Gallery: Radiant Silvergun (XBLA)

Continue reading Deja Review: Radiant Silvergun

JoystiqDeja Review: Radiant Silvergun originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Deja-ReviewmicrosoftRadiant-Silvergunradiant-silvergun-hdremakeSaturnSega-SaturnTreasureXBLAxboxTue, 20 Sep 2011 14:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Guardian Heroes remastered for XBLA this fall]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/05/guardian-heroes-remastered-for-xbla-this-fall/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/05/guardian-heroes-remastered-for-xbla-this-fall/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/05/guardian-heroes-remastered-for-xbla-this-fall/#comments If you've been intensely monitoring eBay, hoping to nab a factory-sealed copy of Treasure's rare Sega Saturn beat-'em-up, Guardian Heroes, it's time to relax. Sega revealed this morning that it intends to release the game for Xbox Live Arcade sometime "this fall," with flashier 2D visuals (HD!) and online play (both co-op and battle modes). And it won't cost upwards of $50 to get it, unlike that eBay auction you've been eying. (Our condolences to the sellers, though!)

"Players have been clamoring for this treasured favorite from the Saturn days, and we cannot wait to show them what we have got for them," Sega VP of digital business Haruki Satomi noted in the announcement, calling the fan response to previous Dreamcast re-releases "overwhelming." So overwhelming, in fact, that Sega had to step back to an older console.

JoystiqGuardian Heroes remastered for XBLA this fall originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 May 2011 09:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>guardian-heroesmicrosoftq3-2011release-datesaturnsegasega-saturntreasurexblaxboxxbox-live-arcadeThu, 05 May 2011 09:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Sega thinking about downloadable Saturn games]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/30/sega-thinking-about-downloadable-saturn-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/30/sega-thinking-about-downloadable-saturn-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/06/30/sega-thinking-about-downloadable-saturn-games/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Sega is already selling its Genesis library all over the place (as downloads on XBLA, PSN, WiiWare, and iPhone, and on retail collections). Dreamcast games are due this fall for XBLA and PSN. Now Sega is considering adding selections from the Saturn library to its catalog of digital releases.

Yosuke Okunari, producer of the Dreamcast remakes, told GAME Watch (translated by Andriasang) that Sega might consider Saturn games in the future, though it's a different initiative from the current releases. "What we announced this time is a project where we will have consecutive releases of titles that were debuted on Dreamcast," he said. "Separate from this, we're of course thinking about ports of Saturn games. It's the same as how Sega Ages and Virtual Console were separate existences. It's not that we have no intention of porting Saturn titles, so please share your requests." Sega Ages was a series of disc-based PS2 rereleases of classic Sega titles.

Coincidentally, the NiGHTSintodreams.com fan community sent out an announcement today for its campaign to convince Sega to port NiGHTS Into Dreams to modern consoles, in honor of the game's 15th anniversary. As one of the most prominent first-party games, NiGHTS has a good chance of being one of the first releases, should Sega decide to pursue Saturn ports.

[Update: This post originally referred to the XBLA Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram as a Dreamcast port. It's actually a port of version 5.66, which was released as an arcade game after the Dreamcast version.]

JoystiqSega thinking about downloadable Saturn games originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>nights-into-dreamssaturnSegasega-saturnYosuke-OkunariWed, 30 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Jump out of your seats for old game commercials]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/04/jump-out-of-your-seats-for-old-game-commercials/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/04/jump-out-of-your-seats-for-old-game-commercials/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/04/jump-out-of-your-seats-for-old-game-commercials/#commentsWe've seen many of the classic video game console commercials in this GamePlayer feature before, but never all in series like this. The site has compiled one ad each, in roughly chronological order, for game consoles from the Atari 2600 to the PlayStation 3, revealing a lot of actors who are very excited about video games.

That seems to be the common thread throughout most of these ads: since realistic enjoyment of video games doesn't play well on television, these commercials exaggerate the excitement of games to the point of personal injury. The Saturn commercial after the break, for example, makes some pretty terrifying suggestions about what playing Sega Saturn does for your body. At least it doesn't make your head detach from your body like the 3D0 does.

Continue reading Jump out of your seats for old game commercials

JoystiqJump out of your seats for old game commercials originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 May 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>commercialsretrosega-saturnMon, 04 May 2009 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Top 5: Christmastime in Gaming]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/22/top-5-christmastime-in-gaming/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/22/top-5-christmastime-in-gaming/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/12/22/top-5-christmastime-in-gaming/#commentsFiled under:


Ahh, Christmastime. Every year, we look forward to cherished traditions such as fighting traffic, stressing out over finding gifts, and even the occasional Black Friday trampling. Yet one would be surprised to learn that December 25th has a history which shares very little with frivolous lawsuits and Bill O'Reilly frothing at the mouth.

Indeed, aside from its litigatious and hostile depiction on the news, Christmas is largely an excuse to shower our loved ones with food, presents, and joy. It's also an easy inspiration for a stressed columnist trying to finish his Christmas shopping to create a Top 5 list. As such examples of religious-based holidays are rare in gaming, this list will not be Nintendo-specific. For those who celebrate the date, I wish you a Merry Christmas. For those who don't, I wish you well just the same.



The Top 5 is a weekly feature that provides us with a forum to share our opinions on various aspects of the video game culture, and provides you with a forum to tell us how wrong we are. To further voice your opinions, submit a vote in the Wii Fanboy Poll, and take part in the daily discussions of Wii Warm Up.

JoystiqTop 5: Christmastime in Gaming originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>christmasdonkey-kong-countrydonkey-kong-country-3hit-and-runjoystiqfeaturesnightsnights-into-dreamsnights-journey-of-dreamssantasaturnsecret-of-manasegasega-saturnsimpsonsthe-simpsonstoejam-and-earlMon, 22 Dec 2008 12:50:00 EST<![CDATA[WRUP takes a trip to (Sega) Saturn]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/15/wrup-takes-a-trip-to-sega-saturn/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/15/wrup-takes-a-trip-to-sega-saturn/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/15/wrup-takes-a-trip-to-sega-saturn/#commentsFiled under:

While most people hail the Dreamcast as Sega's swan song, we want to go back one generation and remember the Saturn, which gave birth to person favorites NiGHTS Into Dreams, Dragon Force and ... um ... Christmas NIGHTS. We know there are other classics, so tell us your experiences with the console. Note how the special NIGHTS controller (mid left) looks conspicuously like the Sega Dreamcast pad. Here's what we'll be playing this weekend. Be sure to let us know what games will be occupying your time!
  • Alexander Sliwinski: I'll be at a wedding in New Rochelle, NY this weekend, so it's DS time for me. The plan is to keep my Civilization Revolution addiction going with the DS version. Also, hoping to be back in time on Sunday to make some more money with the Fable II pub games. Need to learn and play the table better on Keystone (a variation of Craps -- yes giggling youths out there, that's the name of a real casino game).
  • Andrew Yoon: I'm only a small handful of Trophies away from getting 100% in PixelJunk Eden. This weekend, I'll be going through the latest Ratchet & Clank adventure, Quest for Booty, and then some demo time with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
  • Christopher Grant is the leader and doesn't have to answer for himself.
  • Griffin McElroy won't hear our Roll of Thunder call until the weekend begins.
  • Kevin Kelly: The Fable II pub games will be occurring, with several liftings of ale. I'll also be playing in my D&D campaign (hello, nerdom!) and trying out this new card game called Pecking Order. It's crazy, I tells ya. Plus some of my family is in town, so there will be some board game happenings going on as well.
  • Kyle Orland is a bunny rabbit.
  • James Ransom-Wiley: For the first time -- ever! -- I went with a PS3 version; in this case: Bionic Commando Rearmed. I also plan to spend some time psyching myself up for Too Human's imminent release. (Oh, and Amazon, where is my Pub Games code?!)
  • Jason Dobson: After grinding this week through the Netherworld, I'm going to be spending the weekend mastering the subtleties of the Xbox 360's terrible d-pad in Bionic Commando Rearmed, most likely falling to my death in the process.
  • Justin McElroy: I'm playing Space Siege as we speak, and I'm enjoying it so far. I'm also going to be listening to the Joystiq Podcast, because it's so funny and good and right. [Ed. - Justin later told me to add "Too Human" to the list because he wanted to flaunt it over the peons.]
  • Ludwig Kietzmann: I'm taking my copy of Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes (cry more, purists!) to a friend's place and introducing him to the world of cardboard boxes and heavy handed exposition. When I'm back home, I'll be hacking away at Crisis Core's never-ending side missions, fumbling my way through Alone in the Dark and slashing wildly at scantily clad sword mistresses in Soul Calibur IV.
  • Randy Nelson: My brief stint behind the handlebars of Burnout Paradises' motorcycles has once again revved the throttle of my addiction to the game, so you'll no doubt see me Freeburning on PSN this weekend. I'm also aching to get into the swing of Bionic Commando: Rearmed (I opted for the XBLA route) and should probably brush up on my Soul Calibur IV skillz if I ever hope to go toe-to-toe with Ludwig online.
  • Ross Miller: XBLOverload with Braid, Bionic Commando and Pub Games. I'm still going through Rock Band drums on left-handed hard mode to try and get the other half of my body more in sync.

JoystiqWRUP takes a trip to (Sega) Saturn originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>segasega-saturnwhat-are-you-playingwrupFri, 15 Aug 2008 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Sega: No plans to release NiGHTS PS2 outside of Japan]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/nights-coming-to-ps2-outside-of-japan-maybe-maybe-not/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/nights-coming-to-ps2-outside-of-japan-maybe-maybe-not/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/03/nights-coming-to-ps2-outside-of-japan-maybe-maybe-not/#commentsFiled under: ,

Those hoping that the PS2 port of the Sega Saturn classic NiGHTS would be released outside of Japan may be out of luck. Takashi Iizuka -- producer, director, and lead game designer on the Wii-sclusive NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams -- recently spoke with Sega Nerds about all things NiGHTS.

When asked about the PS2 enhanced port of the original NiGHTS Into Dreams, Iizuka commented that at present, the title is only scheduled for release in Japan, and that there are no plans to bring the title to other regions, or, for that matter, to the Nintendo Wii.

Iizuka also commented that the PS2 port was the direct result of a high demand for the game in Japan. Given that, it's still possible that solid sales of the NiGHTS sequel might inspire releases of the original in more regions. Let's keep the hope alive.

JoystiqSega: No plans to release NiGHTS PS2 outside of Japan originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>japannightjourneyofdreamsnightsnights-into-dreamsnights-journey-of-dreamsnightsintodreamsps2saturnsegasega-agessega-saturnsegaagessegasaturnsonic-teamsonicteamTakashi-IizukaTakashiIizukawiiMon, 03 Dec 2007 14:25:00 EST