Video Games
Lost-Lost ‘Akira’ Sega Genesis Prototype Discovered
We’re still waiting on that live-action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira, but in the meantime, the YouTube channel Hidden Palace has uncovered a blast from the past for Akira fans: The long-lost prototype for the Sega Genesis game based on the anime!
The story goes that there were plans to create a game based on the Akira IP back in 1993 for the Genesis, with developer Black Pearl Software beginning development sometime in late 1993 for a planned release in 1995. The game was to feature several genres such as first person shooting, racing, platforming, and beat-em up segments to help illustrate the various points in the anime’s story. Despite making an appearance at the Summer Consumer Electronic Show (SCES 94) in 1994, the game never saw the light of day. Until now, with the early prototype.
While certain aspects of the prototype are impressive, it’s far from being complete: None of the levels can be completed (though you can go to a stage select by pressing start), the game freezes when it loads the fifth stage, several music cues are present in the sound test but are unused by the game itself, the first levels are missing enemies, and the game is prone to crashing around the second level. This new footage is also from an earlier build than the one shown during SCES ’94, so there remains an elusive later version that could potentially have more polish.
To read up on this prototype, you can head to the Hidden Palace wiki.
Video Games
Limited-Time Crossover Event for ‘Resident Evil Survival Unit’ With ‘Monster Hunter’ Announced [Teaser]
If you haven’t yet checked out Aniplex Inc. and JOYCITY Corporation’s Resident Evil Survival Unit, the free-to-play real-time strategy game has just announced a new collaboration with another Capcom property in Monster Hunter to entice prospective players. Kicking off on July 2 and running until July 29, the limited-time collaboration will introduce Monster Hunter–inspired elements into the post-apocalyptic world of Resident Evil Survival Unit, adding large-scale monster encounters to the game’s strategic systems.
Details on the collaboration are being kept under wraps for now, but during the event, players will be able to participate in collaboration-exclusive in-game events that will earn them special rewards inspired by the Monster Hunter series. We do get a brief teaser trailer for the upcoming event, which in addition to teasing various monsters for players to battle, also promises new units for players to recruit.
Set in a parallel world inspired by the Resident Evil universe, the game features an original storyline and real-time strategic gameplay designed for mobile platforms. Players will build bases, secure resources, and battle creatures in a collapsed city. Iconic characters such as Leon S. Kennedy, Claire Redfield, and Jill Valentine appear throughout the game, allowing for team formations that bring together characters from across the Resident Evil franchise, enabling unique combinations not seen in the original titles.
Resident Evil Survival Unit is available on iOS and Android devices.