As per usual for this time of year, the big three gaming giants have once again cranked up their respective hype machines in order to let gamers know exactly which incoming titles they can start getting amped up about. These were all in the form of near-hour-long video presentations featuring closer looks of already somewhat-known quantities along with a few surprise reveals as well. Though the first presentation was held over 2 months ago now, we decided to wait until all three had shown their hand, which the last of them finally did this past week. So now, for your convenience and reading pleasure, please enjoy this brief roundup of some of the highlights of those presentations.

One might be forgiven for having thought that by the end of September, most of the year's big releases had already been released. Apparently this was not the case, however, as the last several weeks have seen the arrival of a number of high profile titles. This past week alone gave us the Octopath Traveler-inspired HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest III, a game that has been hotly-anticipated by many a fan of the beloved Dragon Quest series and/or high quality RPGs in general.

Also out in the last 7 weeks, the latest installment in the Mario & Luigi RPG series, a sweet-looking turn-based tactical spin on the action-packed Metal Slug series,  and a remaster of the PSP port of the PS2 classic tactical RPG, Phantom Brave. A beloved masterpiece, reimagined. Jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 49 days.

After a trial launch in Japan in October of 1982, the compact disc was first released in the West in March, the following year. It was a digital stranger in an analog world. Yet it was able to completely revolutionize the record industry in less than a decade. The compact disc would subsequently go on to do the same for computer software, and shortly thereafter, video game consoles.

The first company to utilize this technology for a game console would be NEC, with their 1989 CD-ROM add-on to the TurboGrafx-16, the TurboGrafx-CD/PC Engine CD-ROM2 (and later Super CD/TurboDuo). They would soon be followed by Sega, who would release a CD add-on for their own Genesis (Mega Drive) console in 1992, known as the Sega (Mega) CD. Several others would also appear in the years that followed, including Sega's Genesis/Sega CD follow-up, the Saturn, as well as Sony's incredibly successful PlayStation console. Eventually, the industry would begin to experiment with other, similar formats, starting in 1999 with what would sadly be Sega's final home console, the GD-ROM equipped Dreamcast.

While the formats would continue to evolve over the years, first to DVD, then Blu-ray, and finally Ultra HD Blu-ray, digital disc media use in the video game industry has continued on, right up to the present day. Yet, despite having inferior storage capacity and being more prone to piracy, CDs were always able to offer one thing that none of the disc formats that have followed since could, the ability to double as an audio disc. That being said, not every CD game released came with audio tracks on the disc, and the number of TurboGrafx-CD and PlayStation releases that boasted them was somewhat limited. A pretty significant number of Sega CD and Saturn games all did, however.

That specific feature makes all of those consoles a particular boon to both those nostalgic for that era of gaming, and general audiophiles alike. As one who considers himself to be in both of those camps, and as a service to like-minded individuals, I thought I might take it upon myself to compile a list of some of the best CD games to include playable audio tracks on the disc. Continue on after the break to see 12 of the best of these games to appear on these consoles. I'm also including the composer, year of release, and number of audio tracks (not counting blank and/or unplayable data tracks).

Welcome to the first notable new releases post of 2024. Since the last post wasn't since late October, I've made sure to round up some of the more prominent releases from the end of 2023, as well as the beginning of this year. This last week saw a very notable release with a GOG version of Toaplan's final shmup, the legendary arcade classic, Batsugun. Aside from arguably being their all-time best shooter, Batsugun is also famous for being the very first manic (aka bullet hell) shoot 'em up game. It may be great, but it's definitely not easy!

Also out in the last 16 weeks, the 8th installment to the long-running and incredibly popular Tekken series; the next entry in the also long-running and popular Yakuza/Like a Dragon series; and the first official sequel to the excellent 2012 Arcade fighter (and it's multiple updated ports), Under Night In-Birth. Take on the final chapter in Toaplan's Shmup saga, then jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 112 days.

Given that the announcement was made weeks ago now, during the 2023 Game Awards presentation, most gaming fanatics will likely already be in the know, but in case you live under a rock or something, or only follow us for some reason (thank you, if so), we'll go ahead and make the obligatory post about it here. It seems that Sega has done the unthinkable and announced multiple sequels to actual fan favorite classic franchises. The ones specifically mentioned in the announcement trailer were Shinobi (screen shot pictured above), Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi, Golden Axe, and Streets of Rage, with even more to follow!

​Given the relatively recent success of the Wonder Boy: the Dragon's Trap remaster and Streets of Rage 4 by indie studio, Lizardcube (and others), it may be a difficult proposition to contain our excitement. Sadly though, no release date information has been given as of yet. Hopefully, Sega won't make its fans wait too long to start getting their hands on these titles. To those who missed it, or just want to experience the hype again, feel free to follow the link to the pretty awesome announcement trailer, after the break.

Due to the abysmal peformance of Sega's disastrous Saturn console, and not long before its premature cancellation, Sega set about development of their next generation of video game hardware. In an effort to cut costs, and to make sure that the Saturn's successor would be easy to create games for, Sega opted to use preexisting, off-the-shelf PC components and a custom Windows operating system, in favor of more complicated proprietary options. The new console would also share architecture with Sega's own NAOMI arcade hardware, which was developed around the same time, thus all but ensuring it would be the recipient of a steady stream of home-playable arcade hits, pretty much from day one. Finally, Sega decided to give the system a built-in modem for online play and internet access, the first console to include such a feature.

After finalizing the hardware specifications, a public contest was held by Sega to name their new system and "Dreamcast" was selected out of more than 5,000 entries. In order to avoid the same anemic launch that the Saturn had suffered, Sega took steps to have plenty of Dreamcast games available to choose from when the console made its North American debut on 09/09/1999. Sega also acquired American sports game developer Visual Concepts to ensure that the system's library would be adequately stocked with a variety of great sports titles, both at launch, and over the months and potentially years to follow. In addition (and as they did for all of the company's previous consoles), Sega's other internal studios all worked diligently to provide the Dreamcast with a multitude of high-quality first-party fare over the console's life.

Despite making a number of savvy decisions with the design and launch of the Dreamcast, Sega was ultimately unable to sell enough systems to cover their past losses on the Saturn. Nor were they able to gain enough market share to turn the tables on Sony and Nintendo. Eventually, the Dreamcast also began to burden Sega with losses and so, just over a year and a half into its life, they reluctantly exited the console industry altogether. It is said that the candle that burns half as long burns twice as bright. That may have been true in the Dreamcast's case. It's difficult to name another console that was able to amass such an amazingly diverse library of incredible titles over such a short run. Please read on for a list of the very best of these games to ever have graced Sega's final console.

Sorry to be tardy to the party but I just realized we never did a roundup for the non-E3 non-Sony console mid-year showcases. Thankfully, the only important game shown that we would have included, but has since seen a release, seems to have been Pikmin 4. But now that we've at least mentioned that one, we can get on with the rest. Continue on after the break for a look at some of the highlights from both Microsoft and Nintendo.

Well, the year is more than half over and we're starting to notice some pretty interesting titles being released. This past week saw the return of the Lee brothers in a brand new entry in the legendary Double Dragon series. Double Dragon Gaiden looks to be largely inspired by last year's outstanding arcade-esque TMNT beat 'em up, Shredder's Revenge. Assuming the developer nailed more than just the art style, this too may be one that's well worth checking out.

Also out in the last 5 weeks, the 4th numeric installment to Nintendo's charming Pikmin series; a pretty fun-looking family-friendly 4-player platformer starring Mickey Mouse & friends;  and GOG ports of Sega's Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Double Fine's The Cave. Double Dragon Returns with tag team action. Jump past the break to see more new releases from the last 35 days.