.jpeg)
While the Sega Dreamcast homebrew scene has been busier than ever as of late, the same sadly cannot be said for the console's commercial indie scene. Releases have slowed down considerably in the last few years, and the closure of WAVE Game Studios has left many questioning the future of the scene altogether. Fortunately, there are still reasons for optimism: upcoming titles from Orc Face Games —HarleQuest!, Chew Chew Mimic, and the Dream Disc '24 demo disc— promise fresh indie experiences, while publishers like VGNYsoft continue to keep the platform alive with new releases. Still, it’s become increasingly slim pickings for those eager to add brand new physical Dreamcast games to their collections.
Still soldiering on after all these years is PixelHeart (also known as JoshProd). Once known for releasing multiple Dreamcast titles each year, their output on the console has also slowed, but if their recent release GladMort is anything to go by, the quality is stronger than ever.
On Friday we learned that the next release in the PixelHeart gameography —Retro Army's Verdict Guilty Clash— is now available for pre-order. This 90s arcade-style one-on-one fighter with a law enforcement vs. criminals theme, and a gritty, neon aesthetic, first saw a release in 2016 on Steam, with releases on the PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch eventually appearing in 2023. Now the game is coming to the Dreamcast with the "Clash" subtitle, and will feature exclusive content, unique to this port. During my research, I found that this game had actually been touted for release on Dreamcast all the way back in 2019, with a Saturn version also mentioned. Well, good things come to those who wait, I guess, although I doubt we'll be seeing that Saturn version any time soon.
The Dreamcast port of Verdict Guilty will include new stages and four exclusive fighters, each with their own unique story mode. Among the newcomers are Sho Kamui and Tia Langray from Breakers (another of JoshProd’s previous Dreamcast releases), as well as Saizo Tobikageno from Breakers Revenge. Rounding out the roster is perhaps the most intriguing addition: Ken Anderson, a genuine real-life professional wrestler who goes by the ring name Mr. Kennedy.
We can also reveal that this port is running natively on Dreamcast, and is not emulated in any way. This seems to be something PixelHeart have been prioritising going forward, as some of their previous releases to Dreamcast —such as their Neo Geo releases— were powered by emulation.
Verdict Guilty Clash's physical release will be available in three region-themed variants familiar to Dreamcast collectors, with the PAL-style edition coming in a PAL case with a certificate of authenticity. As with all of PixelHeart's Dreamcast releases, it will be professionally pressed on MIL-CD.
To pre-order yourself a copy of Verdict Guilty Clash, head over to PixelHeart's store, where you can pre-order your preferred edition for a cost of €39.90 (about £34.52), plus shipping. The game has an expected release date of October 24th 2025.
7 comments:
Interesting to hear a Saturn version was thought about, what a shame it hasn't materialised with Saturn being the best 2D fighting system of all time.
I hope the "feeling" of the game is improved. It has lots of issues on the current releases.
I'm cautiously optimistic. I like that PixelHeart is getting away from the JoshProd branding, and this is a native port, like GladMort. That said, and I haven't played it, but GladMort in general wasn't the best received. We'll see how this turns out. The DC has a lot of fighters. A lot of excellent fighters.
Exciting. Seeing the Dreamcast is getting a lot of love with peripherals at the moment but needs some more new homebrew love that isn't NES maker ports. Looks like a cool game and I'm always down to support quality homebrew titles. Waiting for the Junkyards review of Gladmort but I enjoyed the small time I've had with it so far.
Very little confidence in anything these guys do. They have shoved out way too much slop. Gladmort looks okay but I'm not giving them too much credit for producing an okay game on try number 100
A bit harsh, I think they have released some decent stuff, Astroport games are all very good (Rocketron is a must), 4x4 jam, Flashback, Volgaar and Orion softs games
Lots of confidence in what these guys do. They are the bastions of the dreamcast. They have had a few misses but going to their store and searching for dreamcast is eye opening. You could think it was a current console if you didn't know better. Hoping these guys continue supporting the DC scene for a long time.
Post a Comment