Thunder Force AC Released on Switch

My first experience at the arcade was when I was 6 and it was at my local video store, there was Pacman and Space Invaders. I suppose that was my first intro to shoot 'em up games, that little sit down cocktail cabinet.

They've always held a special place in my heart as once the enemy patterns are learnt and memorised you can look like a boss completing a game. I have a vivid memory of playing R-Type at Heathrow airport and getting to level 3, that huge base ship. Over the years I bought R-Type again on the Master System and then progressed to the Megadrive where I continued my love of shoot 'em ups. This system was excellent at shoot ‘em ups but there were a couple that stood out and those were the Thunder Force series.

I am pleased that Sega Ages released Thunder Force IV a while back for the Switch but I have more fondness for its predecessor, Thunder Force III. Now Sega Ages have released Thunder Force AC, a made for arcade version of Thunder Force III. Whilst not exactly the same, as it more a slightly remixed version, the game is still gorgeous to look at and still slick as heck. The shooting mechanics are meaty and the enemy waves and designs are interesting. Look out for a ‘Video Games As Art’ portfolio on the game soon.

SEGA Forever Service Offers Classic Games For FREE!

Nostalgia is a powerful thing and it seems that Sega finally realise that too. With the Sega Forever service people are able to download and play classic Sega games for FREE on their Apple and Android devices. The games are free to play (including offline) but will feature adverts, so to turn off the adverts you have to pay a small fee. However the possibilities of playing these games on the go and with modern features like cloud saves, Bluetooth controller support, and online leaderboards putting up with a few adverts doesn't seem so bad. Currently there are five games including: Sonic the Hedgehog (the original, not the god-awful 360 game, Comix Zone, Altered Beast, Kid Chameleon, and Phantasy Star II.

Sega Forever

Sega have promised that this list will grow and that the service will not just feature games from the Genesis or Master System era but also may include Saturn and Dreamcast games. The possibility of playing Panzer Dragoon, Wonderboy IV or Streets of Rage II on the move sounds great. 

Streets of Rage 2 Soundtrack on Vinyl

I am very excited to have received the Streets of Rage 2 vinyl from DataDiscs today. The classic soundtrack has been remastered and optimised for the vinyl format by Yuzo Koshiro, the famed composer of the game. The double disc set contains a few bonus and remixed tracks but overall is the same quality soundtrack that you remember from years ago. The soundtrack is one of the greatest in video gaming history and to have it on vinyl is very cool. I feel so hipster it hurts but vinyl is a fun way to collect 16-bit soundtracks of yore.

The Genesis Power Team

We all have fond memories of our childhood but few of us have video footage. Tyler Esposito, the creator behind the Sega Channel, found some old video footage and has been slowly uploading it on youtube. Of particular note is the promo he and his father made in the early 90's to convince some of his family to pack in their NES and jump on over to the Genesis. It's a wonderful video clip and the enthusiasm and bond father and son have is there for all to see.

Tyler has described the video thusly:

My Dad and I were a video game duo in the early 90's. This is a promo video we made for some of our family in an attempt to win them over to SEGA. Dedicated in loving memory to my Dad.