TGS07: Bleach DS hands-on impressions
Posted by Graham. Filed under G, Japan, News, Nintendo DS. Tagged with Bleach, Exhibition/ Show, Shining Force, TGS.
 
Now I’m going to be honest, I have never seen an episode of Bleach or played a game, (if there are other games), well you would no doubt find out soon enough, from reading this, if I hadn’t told you. I know of Bleach, that it exists, but nothing else, what it’s about of characters, nothing.
While some may see that as being bad, some can also think it’s good. I am pretty impartial on this, so my views should not be swayed by bias, (not that they normally are). But due to my lack of knowledge, this could be a pretty short article.
The Bleach DS game, was located opposite Ghost Squadand had two systems setup for play, linked to tv sets, so people could watch you play, without bending over your shoulder.
A look back: Shining in the Darkness
Posted by Hudson. Filed under News, Nintendo Wii, Virtual Console. Tagged with Shining Force.
“The King of Thornwood is beside himself with worry. His daughter and his most trustworthy knight, Mortred, have disappeared. You, as the son of Mortred, must unravel the mystery!”
Thrilling, no? So spake the mighty back cover of the 1991 Genesis game that would spawn a number of great (and not so great) sequels. Join us here at Sega Nerds as we plunge deeper into the corporately-induced nostalgia machine that is retro gaming on today’s consoles with the latest Sega release on the Virtual Console: Shining in the Darkness.
Sega raises the bar with their latest EU Virtual Console releases
Posted by Graham. Filed under Europe, G, News, Nintendo Wii. Tagged with Downloads, Shining Force.
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The latest in Sega’s retrospect titles, have hit the European Virtual Console, this morning.
First up, is a game we mentioned just the other day, but in regards to the US Virtual Console- Dynamite Heady, and we promptly put up a look back, to help you decide if the game is worth the purchase.
Next up is a slightly more familiar (and popular) title, Shinobi III. Originally released on the Sega Mega Drive, becoming the 1993 best-seller, Shinobi III is often viewed as the best of the Shinobi series. Players assume the role of Joe Musashi, a ninja, taking on hordes of enemies, in a bid to defeat the evil of the Neo Zeed, a crime syndicate.
Last but, most definitely, not least we have possibly the greatest game yet to come to the Virtual Console. In fact I think that Nintendo are going to be hard pressed to put out any Snes or Nes game, that will come close to the awesomeness that is… Shining Force.
Shining Force hits the Virtual Console
Posted by Hudson. Filed under News, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii. Tagged with Downloads, Shining Force.
Well, Sega has released Shining Force for the Wii’s Virtual console, leaving many a Sega Nerd wondering: should I fork up eight hard-earned dollars? Well, it’s not already on the Sega Genesis Collection, so this time it’s actually a valid question!
Shining Wind drops out of top 10
Posted by Chris. Filed under Chris, Sony PlayStation 2. Tagged with Sales Chart, Shining Force.
I said last week, the big test for Sega’s Shining Wind would be how well it could sustain its sales in its second week of release. Unfortunately, the newest addition to the Shining series couldn’t even stay in the top 10, dropping down to the 12th spot.
Since Media Create only publishes sales numbers for games in the top 10, we don’t know exactly how big the drop was, but Wii Play sold only 18,000 copies at the 10th spot, so that should give you an idea.
Compare less than 18,000 sales against Shining Wind’s first-week sales of more than 78,000, and that’s a pretty far fall. However, Sega’s RPG was the highest-sold PS2 game for the week, so considering it’s a last-generation RPG, it’s not as bad as it looks at face value.
[Original - Media Create, via NeoGAF]
Shining Wind tops Japanese sales chart
Posted by Chris. Filed under Chris, News. Tagged with Sales Chart, Shining Force.
Sega’s newest entry in the Shining series is making quite an impact in the Japanese sales charts by topping the whole damn list and selling more than 78,000 copies in its first week of release.
Shining Wind was released in Japan May 19 and is the successor to Shining Tears. Sega has said that the sequel will feature faster loads and better controls and graphics.
1. Shining Wind (PS2) - 78,030 / NEW
2. Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 (DS) - 70,821 / NEW
3. Odin Sphere (PS2) - 59,248 / NEW
4. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Lion War (PSP) - 39,480 / 194,371
5. Wii Sports (Wii) - 27,788 / 1,601,564
6. Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (DS) - 23,904 / 445,237
7. More Brain Age (DS) - 18,790 / 4,284,904
8. Wii Play (Wii) - 18,179 / 1,317,807
9. New Super Mario Bros. (DS) - 17,862 / 4,458,786
10. Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree (Wii) - 15,816 / 133,304
It’s nice to see something else on top of the list that’s not coming from Nintendo for a change, but it will be interesting to see if Shining Wind can keep its momentum past its first week. If it’s better than the lackluster Shining Force EXA, I’d say it has a good chance.
[Via Kotaku/Source Media Create]
There is a God, and he’s given Sega the order!
Posted by Graham. Filed under G, News, Nintendo Wii, Sonic, Virtual Console. Tagged with Downloads, Shining Force.
For all those non-believers out there, who have been saying how rubbish the line-up of games on the Wii’s Virtual Console is, I have good news. Very good news!
According to Vooks, a Nintendo gaming site, several brilliant Megadrive titles have recently been licensed by Sega and Nintendo, and the list of Megadrive titles is very, very cool;
- Streets of Rage 2
- Toe Jam and Earl in Panic Funkotron
- Kid Chameleon
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Golden Axe II
- Shining in the Darkness (!)
- Shining Force (!!)
Now I know that our main editor, Chris, has been gagging to see some Shining Force action appear on the Virtual Console, (well haven’t we all?), and I am over the moon at this list.ÂÂ
The only title I didn’t like too much was Golden Axe II, it was fun but never as good as the original. However, all the other titles were brilliant, and I never got a chance to play Shining in the Darkness. But I am a huge Shining fan and this will help to further my addiction collection of the great franchise.
Vooks have stated that the games have not been given an official date of release but, by the looks of it, they are definitely on the schedule and no doubt will be released within the next month or two (we hope!).  But this shows that Sega are not just fobbing us off with the same old re-releases, they are listening to some cries from the gaming community and coming up with the ‘good stuff’. Great times ahead Sega Nerds, great times…
[Source: Vooks.net and oflc.gov.au]
Review: Shining Force EXA
Posted by Chris. Filed under Chris, News, Review, Sony PlayStation 2. Tagged with Shining Force.
The Shining Force series is one of my most beloved RPG franchises ever. I loved the turn-based strategy, the vibrant colors and interesting characters (talking animals anyone?) that had been a long-time series’ staple.
But for some reason, Sega thought it would be wise to transform the series into more of a real-time, hack ‘n slash RPG with Shining Force Wisdom, Shining Soul and Shining Force NEO.
It seems as if Sega thought the formula in Shining Force NEO was pretty good, because EXA is basically the same exact game with the addition of new characters, storyline and a few new gameplay elements.
But does Shining Force NEO EXA distance itself enough from its predecessor to warrant your purchase?
Much success! Sega ships five titles this week
Posted by Chris. Filed under Chris. Tagged with After Burner, Armored Core 4, Shining Force, Virtua Tennis.
This is the week all the Sega Nerds (Well, at least the ones in North America) have been waiting for since Sonic and the Secret Rings was released. Sega is shipping five … count ‘em, five games this week!
I like that Sega is supporting several platforms in this batch of releases:
- After Burner: Black Falcon (PSP)
- Full Auto 2: Battlelines (PSP)
- Shining Force EXA (PS2)
- Virtua Tennis 3 (Xbox 360, PS3)
- Armored Core 4 (Xbox 360, PS3)
I’ve heard mixed reactions about After Burner, which is developed by Planet Moon Studios. Apparently, a lot of people just don’t like it very much, but IGN did enough to give it a 79, and that ain’t that bad.
Now, Full Auto 2 is the only game out of the batch that is a port of its console big brother. But if this PSP title is anything like what Warren has played on the PS3 version, we should all be in for a nice treat.
Shining Force EXA looks to be an interesting game, but like After Burner, it’s received mixed reviews thus far. But with all the changes Sega has implemented since the last iteration, it looks to be worthy of a look.
We’ve played the Virtua Tennis 3 demo on Xbox Live, so we know what to expect. I just can’t wait to get into those awesome mini-games, check out the player creator and finally beat Federer’s weak ass again.
Lastly, we have Armored Core 4, which also ships last, on March 23. Now I’ll admit that I’ve never been the family AC guy, no, that title has gone to my younger brother who has some pretty damn good mech-fighting skills. I know he’s excited for this game, so may have to check it out if only because of the eight-player online multi-player.
This is quite a big week for Sega. When was the last time you guys remember any publisher releasing four games on the same day and another a few days later? So now that we know what Sega has in store for us, which of these games do you fellas plan to pick up?
Last look at Shining Force EXA
Posted by Chris. Filed under Chris, News, Sony PlayStation 2. Tagged with Shining Force.
Just like our earlier post for Full Auto 2: Battlelines, we have one last look at Shining Force EXA before it hits store shelves.
These rounds of screens show more boss fights and just some general, all-around kick-assiness (is that even a word?). So sit back, enjoy, have a cold beer and enjoy some Shining Force goodness.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot; Sega’s promised the Sega Nerds crew an advance copy before it releases, so check back here for our early review.
