Albert Art Samba De Amigo Custom MadL Dreamcast Anniversary Sept 9 2011

HAPPY SEGA DREAMCAST ANNIVERSARY 2011



The Dreamcast may be a long dead game console of the past, but it will never be forgotten. And although a little over a decade has passed, since the last SEGA game console launched on the market in 9.9.99, many fans including myself continue to reminisce and celebrate SEGA's final console.

And you have to understand, I was in high school at the time of the Dreamcast. An eager kid who soaked up gaming like a sponge. I wanted to be an artist after high school, and while most kids (would-be artists) were watching anime, and reading comics in their spare time as their way of absorbing art, I was playing videogames, and was exposed to many SEGA titles that inspired me in their design, and art style.

Though, before there was a Dreamcast in the house, my brother had a SEGA Saturn. Games like Panzer Dragoon, NiGHTS, Virtua Fighter, Guardian Heroes, and Astal opened my eyes, to the creative side of games out there.

The Dreamcast, was a big influence on me wanting to become an artist. If the SEGA Saturn was the gateway drug, the Dreamcast would be the hard stuff.

For me the Dreamcast started out strong, which got better over time, before SEGA decided to pull the plug. Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi, Q3A, Power Stone, Virtual On, Virtua Fighter 3TB, Soul Calibur, Chu Chu Rocket, Sea Man, Shenmue, Phantasy Star Online, Skies of Arcadia to name a few. I spent hours with the wide variety of games, some more than others, Quickly the games collection grew. Including a collection of Dreamcast magazines.





I became hooked to the bizarre Seaman creature featuring narration by Leonard Nimoy. I trained hard with Virtua Fighter 3, racked up the score in Crazy Taxi, became immersed in the world of PSO, and Skies of Arcadia. I played Unreal Tournament and Quake III Arena with the DC mouse and keyboard, and even the Twin Sticks for Virtual On: OT. Jet Set Radio blew my mind with the urban art, and animation. Shenmue showed me the beginnings of a martial arts, sandbox epic. My gaming life revolved around the Dreamcast, and only the Dreamcast.




And you can't talk about the Dreamcast without talking about Rez, the epileptic, music driven rail-shooter game, which will forever be one of my all-time favourites. The flashing lights, and sci-fi theme was the epitome of SEGA's push to create unique gaming experiences.

And then there was Samba De Amigo...




This year, I'm doing things a little differently to celebrate the Dreamcast Day.




With a custom toy SEGA wishes they had made. ALBERT ART CUSTOM MAD*L SEGA DREAMCAST ANNIVERSARY TOY - 'SAMBA DE AMIGO,' stands 10inches tall without the hat, and took several weeks to paint. The toy I got earlier in the year from http://www.madtoydesign.com/. I waited months just to tie in the toy with the 2011 Dreamcast Anniversary. I'm so glad I have a chance to show it to all the Dreamcast fans.




This is a hand-painted, one of a kind piece of art that captures the mascot of Samba De Amigo. A game that was pre-Rock Band, pre-Wii, pre-Kinect, which utilized it's own unique peripheral SEGA Dreamcast MARACAS.











SAMBA DE AMIGO would be my 6th videogame theme custom vinyl toy, following Bonk, Bomberman, Megaman, M. Bison, and Ness. I do take commissions, so if you have a design in mind, just shoot me a message on http://www.facebook.com/pages/Albert-Art/45649548740 or http://albertart.net








And so, the sun sets on the Dreamcast, to some it was a failure, to others it was the best thing ever, but the games and gaming memories will live on.

Thanks for the memories Dreamcast.



AS SEEN ON:

DESTRUCTOID
TOYSREVIL
GO NINTENDO
GAMESETWATCH
SEGABITS
Plastic and Plush

PAX 2011 Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown

PAX 2011 Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown

SEGA at PAX
"VFer Looking to Challenge other VFers." If I put up a classified ad during PAX, it'd probably sound a little something like that.
SEGA gave gamers a chance to play the latest in the popular fighting game series during the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle (Aug.26-28), and though Virtua Fighter may not be as big in North America, as it is in the Japan, the fans are just as enthusiastic.


When I caught the news on the SEGA BLOG that two arcade machines, were being brought in from Japan, and were playable (free) during the entire PAX weekend at Gameworks, I admit I was ecstatic.
In fact, everything else at the expo took a back seat to Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown, which required no PAX badge to play. I was itching to get to Seattle so I could get some rounds in, and to see what sort of competition would show up. Were there any Virtua Fighter fans out there PAX? And like a blinding kick to the face, I soon discovered there were.

Not since 2008, during a trip to Tokyo for TSG, have I played head-to-head Virtua Fighter 5 against an opponent in the same room. Online gaming on the XBOX 360 just isn't the same, and the Penny Arcade Expo isn't really known for being much of a Virtua Fighter scene. It still isn't, but SEGA brought something special this year, with an event outside the convention centre.
Situated in the main floor of the arcade, the machines were easy to miss if it wasn't for a few banners, and models. (There were two other Virtua Fighter 5 non-Final Showdown machines on the second level of Gameworks, but they were not free)
I stopped by on the Friday afternoon, and as expected there wasn't a big crowd around the machines, except for a few hardcore members of the VirtuaFighter.com forums. Most people travelled from other cities just for this game. Saturday night however was the opposite, being it was the SEGA party at Gameworks, VF5FS was a main attraction.
As usual with all versions of Virtua Fighter, things change, enough to take notice. VF5FS has changed quite a bit in terms of command input, dodging, throws, and general tuning. I personally find it frustrating when my favorite critical moves and combos have been shuffled around. VF5FS feels like a new game, refreshing for veterans, and more approachable for newbs interested in getting into it. That's not to say the game has been dumbed down for newer players. VF5FS is still quite complex, which makes it all the more satisfying when you learn how to play it.
Though, the best part of about going to PAX is the people, and in this case, it was the other Virtua Fighter fans. I really enjoyed the arcade vibe. Some of the really high-level players were nice enough to offer up some tips, and advice, and for the weekend it was like Seattle had an actual VF scene, if only for PAX. (Shouts to Chanchai!)
I honestly cannot wait for this game to hit the arcades officially in NA, as well on the home console in Summer 2012. It will be interesting to see how this game is marketed, as well as the reaction it will receive. Will Virtua Fighter finally catch on in NA? Even if it doesn't but remains as a game for specific fighting gamers, I'd still be very pleased to play it.
THANK YOU SEGA FOR MAKING PAX AWESOME!
Check out the Live-stream from the event and some pics!


Watch live video from IPLAYWINNER on Justin.tv

X-Men First Class Generation X Mutant X

X-MEN FIRST CLASS, emerges from a legacy of FAIL.

I know it's a bit too early to be judging a movie that has yet to be released, but I can't help but think about the previous attempts at a 'mutant teen drama.' And given the history of live-action mutant-themed productions that have come about in the past, my expectations for X-Men: First Class, are pretty low.

When I first heard that the next X-Men installment would be set in the past, back when Xavier and crew are in their youth, I immediately thought of the series, Generation X.

How could anyone forget Generation X, the Executive Produced Avi Arad, Stan Lee FOX TV Movie from 1996. It was based on the comic series of the same name, and filmed as a pilot for a series, which failed to happen. Generation X was like 21 Jump Street with mutant powers. It was filmed in Vancouver, BC like every X-Men film that followed in the years to come. I remember being mildly entertained by the movie as a youth, but looking back at it now, I cringe. This show is AWFUL.

(Kudos on the SEGA Virtua Fighter 2 arcade product placement. Jubilee sets that baby on fire!)

Flash forward to 2001, another attempt at bringing 'mutant youth' to the small screen, with the show, Mutant X. A series which unfortunately survived beyond it's original pilot and went on for 3 seasons. Maybe it's because they decided to go with a sexed up direction. Marvel Studios was the behind the series, with Avi Arad as Executive Producer. The main characters are genetically engineered mutants, rather than mutants who were born with powers. I don't believe Mutant X was based on an existing comicbook.

The only decent 'X-men Youth' series to ever hit the small screen was the animated X-Men Evolution. The show set Cyclops, Jean Grey, and others in High School. As a show, it was far better than the other crap.

In any case, maybe it is time for a proper reboot, remake, repackage of a teenage X-Men schtick, after all, the television series attempts have been nothing but fail.