So It Goes - RIP Tomonobu Itagaki

Today we say goodbye to a pioneer, an enigma among others. I am, of course, referring to the one of the most recognizable names in all of gaming, the one, the only, Tomonobu Itagaki.

Born on April 1st, 1967, Itagaki was destined for greatness, especially in the world of gaming. After graduating from Waseda University, he joined the famed video game company Tecmo in 1992 as a graphics designer for certain SNES/Super Famicom games, such as Captain Tsubasa 4 and Tecmo Super Bowl. His most well-known accomplishment was the creation of the very fighting game series that brought Tecmo out of its financial rot, Dead or Alive, starting with its first game in 1996, and the rest was history, when he founded Tecmo's gaming division, Tecmo Creative #3, better known by its well-known name, Team Ninja.

Dead or Alive became one of the most gaming franchises of all time under Itagaki's leadership, focus solely on its female cast, especially Itagaki's most favorite character, the runaway shinobi of the Mugen Tenshin clan, Kasumi. Not only with the main gaming series, but also its spin-off, Dead or Alive Xtreme, which focuses on the girls spending 2 weeks on Zack Island for a vacation, in their exotic swimsuits. Itagaki not only created DOA, but he also revived the legendary classic gaming series, Ninja Gaiden, for a new generation, bringing the adventures of the Dragon Ninja, Ryu Hayabusa, to a whole new light.

Although highly successful, but like the old saying goes, "Success can really go to your head". Itagaki, known for having long hair and wearing sunglasses in public, is often known for being a bit outspoken and having somewhat of an ego, especially when it comes to games like Dead or Alive. Let's just say, Itagaki wasn't the only one with such bravado. That's what some people say about Koji Igarashi or IGA for short, when he was in charge of making some Castlevania games like Lament of Innocence or Aria of Sorrow, but that's just me. And because that, along with multiple lawsuits among other things, he left Tecmo on June 2, 2008, and formed his own gaming company, Valhalla Games Studios in 2010, creating the action-adventure game, Devil's Third, and then later in January 2021, he created his namesake studio, Itagaki Games.

Unfortunately, even after wanted to create more games, physically and emotionally, Itagaki couldn't commit to what he wanted to do. And on October of 2025, at the age of 58, Tomonobu Itagaki passed away. At first, I thought his death was a rumor, thinking he lost his drive to create more games. But, his death was confirmed by his family on his Facebook page, along with a farewell message thanking the fans for his journey and his apologies for not making a new game. His death was a huge shock to the gaming community, especially those who are fans of both Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden, me included. So, in closing I will say this:

Tomonobu-san, thank you for all the memories, especially with Dead or Alive. Through Kasumi, our favorite character, I am forever linked to you. And if I ever do a DOA game, especially your cancelled project, Code Chronos, I will do it in memory of you. Wherever you are now, you are no longer suffering. Godspeed, good sir. Be at peace, father of Kasumi.

"I'm sorry, Kasumi", as Ryo Sanada consoles the runaway shinobi, as she sobs for the very man who brought her to life, with cherry blossoms flowing around them, thinking about the legacy Tomonobu Itagaki has left behind. Godspeed, Tomonobu-san.

So it goes. - そういうものだ。

The Mega SD: Returning to the Glory Days of the Sega CD!

 

Behold! The Mega SD cart, in all of its nostalgic gaming glory!

For so long, gaming, just like anime, has been in my blood. And the games from the Sega consoles were no different, especially systems like the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive. Aside from the Genesis, the one other console I like to play the most was its add-on, the Sega CD. Although my time playing that console was short, I had a big time blast, even with some of the games I got. Unfortunately, because of my inexperience with CD based games at the time, plus the software within the Sega CD was wearing thin, resulting in system breakdowns, I was without the Sega CD, preventing me from getting more games I like to play. And for years, even with the other CD/DVD/Blu-Ray based gaming consoles, and learning to take better care with the games and the systems, I long for the day I want to own a Sega CD and play its games once more. However, the Sega CD add-ons, in all forms, especially the Sega CDX, were so used, that is virtually impossible to get it on online stores, not even Amazon and Ebay. And I thought I would continue down this road forever. All that changed around 2019, when a Spanish engineering company known as TerraOnion, known for creating optical disc emulators (ODEs) that allow users to play games from storage devices like SD cards or USB drives on original hardware, such as the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast, created the very flash cart that changed the face of retro gaming forever, the Mega SD.

Released around 2019, The MegaSD cart was another line of flash cart emulators created by TerraOnion. Compared to the Mega Everdrive Pro, this cart is a retro gamer's dream come true, especially when it comes to playing your favorite Sega games on your console, whether being the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive in their three versions or newer retro gaming systems compatible to the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive itself. This drive requires a MicroSD card up to 400GB, formatted with FAT32 or ExFAT, to save your games. While it can play Sega Master System and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games, but real story of this cart is its driving force to own this cart, playing games from your Sega CD/Mega CD. The Mega SD cart contains the very same FPGA hardware that powers the Sega CD console itself, that enables you to play the Sega CD games, without the use of the console itself. Loading times, though shortened, are the thing of the past. That, and not worrying about scratched discs that can prevent the game from working.

Another feature in this cart, is you can also played modded and hacked games, especially some Genesis/Mega Drive games with CD based music, fixed gameplay and balanced difficulties, and/or playing patched versions of imported games with English translations like Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon, for instance.

However, with all its positives, there are some drawbacks, but most of them are minor. When you play your Sega Master System games, you can't pause them with a regular controller. Just like with the Master System itself and with the Sega Genesis Power Base Converter, you have to pause the game by pushing a button on your console, and the Mega SD cart has a button to pause the Master System games. And it doesn't stop with this, the Mega SD cart can also play Sega 32X games, as well, but it will only work if you have a 32X plug-in attached to your Genesis/Mega Drive. As for playing them on the Genesis handheld, the Nomad, you can play it, but you got to mod your Nomad to play it. Good luck with that.

In short, I will leave you with the pros and cons of this wondrous flash cart, along with its final grade:

Pros

- Plays Sega Master System, Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega 32X and most importantly, Sega CD/Mega CD games.

- Unlimited Battery Backup for your Sega CD games (as long as you have a MicroSD card)

- Plays Modded, Translated or Hacked roms (provided you use programs to change a copy of the rom into the patched version of it)

- Plays Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games with CD based Audio

- Saved States

Cons

- Playing 32X games on the cart requires the 32X plugin itself

- The cart won't play Sega CD games if your Genesis console is hooked up to a Sega CD add-on (You must unhook the add-on for the cart to work properly).

- Not able to pause your Master System games on your controller (only the button on the cart can pause them)

- Playing the cart on a modded Sega Nomad handheld, especially with the Sega CD games

Final Score: 8 out of 10 (Despite a few hiccups, the Mega SD cart is a must have for retro gamers, especially die-hard fans of the Sega CD itself)

If you haven't got the cart, it is not too late to buy one at online stores like Stone Age Gamer. I know you will not regret it. Until next time, resist modern attitudes, embrace the past, create a better future and stay frosty, my friends.

Saraba da (Farewell)...for now!

Jason's Gallery - Delilah and Pooch: Ezekiel's Curse

Here is another fanart featuring characters from the "Delilah and Pooch" ASMR series by Sensory VA Audios. Compared to the last one, this one is a bit darker, since it takes place after Delilah's life changing experience, being turned into a unwilling werewolf, by an Alpha with a vendetta against her lover, who is revealed to be this Alpha's former Beta, who left the pack, and with very good reasons.

All alone in a dark, full moon night, Delilah McNamara contemplates on her current dilemma, living the rest of her days as a werewolf, a curse placed upon her by Ezekiel Duke, a ruthless Alpha from his wolf pack, who bit Delilah, as an act of revenge against her lover, Pooch, a Beta who rebelled against him for his ruthless leader and his cruelty towards humans and beast folk alike, leaving the pack in the process along with his fellow pack mates. His attack on Delilah is his way of striking Pooch, right through the heart, by hurting the people he cares about. As Delilah gazes on the large bite mark Ezekiel has given her, she thinks about her future, and the consequences of being a werewolf in an otherwise peaceful village like Tumric, as she confides in Pooch for some comfort.

 

Delilah: "I'm scared, Pooch. I don't know what to do.  Ever since Ezekiel passed this curse on me, I have spent some sleepless nights, thinking about the consequences of being a werewolf. I'm afraid that Travis and Hugo would disown me, see me as a monster, and all of Tumric would hunt me down like a wild animal, either kill me or serve me as an attraction for the King of Rockwell's amusement, locked in cages with the other beast folk, and possibly your fellow wolves who rebelled against Ezekiel, following your lead. I don't want to be viewed as...(sighs) as a monster. I will lose everything if Ezekiel has his way with me and the townsfolk. I will lose my farm, my friends, my family's memories, everything. As he gets way scot-free, I would be labeled a freakshow, a sideshow attraction, a wild animal, locked away for a long time. I wish Ezekiel never came to my life. It's my fault I let him into our lives, just to get back at you, through me. I am so sorry, Pooch. Please, forgive me."

To my friend and fellow storyteller, Sensory VA Audios

Jason's Gallery - Delilah: The Lovely Southern Belle

 

Delilah McNamara: the lovely Southern Belle farmer of Tumric, Rockwell. Strong, confident, kind, and feisty to the last!

From a quiet farm, near the village of Tumric, Rockwell, is this lovely Southern Belle farm girl, Delilah McNamara. Ever since the passing of her family, especially her two brothers, who died in a war near Fargas, Delilah, by her own lonesome, tend to her family's farm, raising the animals and doing heavy duty chores on the way, leaving her with a few dozen scars or two. Her only sense of comfort was her lovely pet cat, Barron, who always brings a smile to her face, whenever she feels down a lonely. However, on one fateful night, Delilah's life changed forever, when she stumbled across a werewolf, mortally wounded, in her room. Rather than being afraid, she took comfort into the creature and nursed it back to health.

Since then, she and the werewolf, who she affectionately nicknamed "Pooch", worked at the farm together, eventually growing romantically close. But her life, and her story, is just the beginning.

This one's for you, Sensory VA Audios (Ashley)!

Jason's Gallery - Evan and Mari: Seductive Manipulation

Evan, the disgraced son of Sigurd, having his way with Sunshine's girlfriend, Mari, who feels helpless at his mercy, as he prepares to use her to emotionally hurt his rival he deems a "False Alpha", even going so far in turning her into a werewolf through force lycanthropy transmission through his bite!

In the outskirts of the forest, far away from all seeing eyes, human and werewolf alike, Evan, the disgraced son of the old Alpha, Sigurd, has kidnapped and holds hostage the beloved childhood sweetheart of Sunshine, Mari. Mari, an aspiring writer in monster fantasy, has gotten more what she has bargained for, as she was introduced to werewolf lore by Sunshine, she becomes an unwilling pawn of one story that she didn't dream of.

Evan, who sees Sunshine as a "False Alpha", despite his small stature compared to the normally strong and huge Alphas, relies on treachery and underhanded tactics to achieve his goal in become an Alpha himself, even if it means killing potential Alpha candidates like Sunshine, and even the rumored death of Eric Anders, the Alpha before Sunshine.

As he has the lovely red-headed feisty writer in his clutches, Evan, through his sadistic and lustful mind, has sinister plans in store for Sunshine, especially hurting him through his heart, through his beloved mate, even going so far in planning to bite her, transmitting his lycanthropy, turning her into a werewolf against her will. 

Find her, Sunshine! The fate of Mari is in your furry shoulders!

This fanart is a inspired by fan speculation, stemming from the end of episode 4 of "Sunshine in the Moonlight", where Evan kidnapped Mari.

If you want to know more, visit Shezu Rivera's YouTube channel, and watch the first 4 episodes of this ASMR series. It's going to be awhile until Shezu recovers and episode 5 is posted, confirming Mari's true fate. Stay tuned. This one, if and when it comes out, will be a doozy.

ShezuRivera - YouTube  - Shezu's YouTube Channel

(F4A) Sunshine in the Moonlight [Ongoing] - YouTube - Sunshine in the Moonlight ASMR series

Programs used: GIMP and MSPaint

Jasons' Gallery - Zuko and Mai: Redeemed Guidance

 

Zuko, the crown prince of the Fire Nation, lending a helping hand to Mai Valentine, the Harpie Queen of Duel Monsters, who has been a victim of manipulation and false promises.

Mai Valentine, the lovely Harpie Queen of Duel Monsters, has a tough and struggling life. Ever since her time being manipulated by Dartz for false promises of power and ambition, she's been searching for herself, trying to get her life back on track, not only trying to better herself in Duel Monsters, but also make amends to the very friends she betrayed under Dartz's control, especially Joey Wheeler.

Just as she felt lost, she stumbled across another stranger, whose path is almost as similar to hers. His name is Zuko, the crown prince of the Fire Nation. His tale follows her own. The son of Fire Lord Ozai, Zuko was banished by his own father for speaking in turn during a war meeting (but not before giving him his scar from an Agni Kai he refused to fight in). Thinking that by capturing the Avatar, he would regain his honor. However, throughout his journey, he was joined by his uncle, Iroh, one of the fierce generals of the Fire Nation. Losing his son, Lu Ten, during the fail siege of Ba Sing Se, Iroh sees Zuko like a son to him, as he guided him down the right path. Despite his setbacks, including betraying Iroh, Zuko eventually embraced his uncle's teachings and denounced everything his father represents and joined the Avatar in saving the world from the Fire Nation itself. Zuko learned that honor is earned, never given. With this new motivation, Zuko went from a obsessed hot-headed prince into a humble, courageous and benevolent hero.

With all the wisdom from his experience, Zuko can be a great mentor to those whose tale is similar to his, and Mai Valentine is no different. Perhaps one day, Mai will truly realize that a true duelist is stronger with friends, not without, and valuing friendship is the greatest prize than all the money and trophies combined.

Keep on rollin', our Harpie Queen!

Programs used: MSPaint, PhotoImpression4, and GIMP

KNEEL (and Pray) BEFORE ZOD!! - RIP Terence Stamp

This just in.

Renowned British actor Terence Stamp has died on August 17th, 2025. He was 87 years old.

A character actor in his own right, Stamp played many roles, such as Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, John Tunstall from Young Guns, Ramsley from The Haunted Mansion, and most importantly, he is more famous for playing the role of General Zod from both Superman: The Movie and Superman II (both the original theatrical version and the Richard Donner Cut), making the phrase, "KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!", one of most popular phrases in pop culture history.

I am may have not seen a lot of movies of him, but his role as Zod is the one I remember the most, because of his commanding presence, with every sense of the word. On behalf of the planet Houston, I mean, planet Earth, Godspeed to you, our esteemed general. Your presence, even when playing a villain, will live on forever.

And now, KNEEL (and pray) BEFORE ZOD!!

(TAPS plays)

Terence Henry Stamp
(July 22nd, 1938 - August 17th, 2025)

This has been a Retro Rebellion Special Report.