Newsletter: Sega World Weekly issue 139
From Video Game Morgue File
_________________________________________________________
/ \
S E G A W O R L D W E E K L Y
M A G A Z I N E
~~ Issue No. 139 June 26 2001 ~~
Proudly sponsored by http://www.lik-sang.com/
\_________________________________________________________/
_________________________________________________________
/
-- Our Website Intro --
\_________________________________________________________/
> Why not share your thoughts online today with our forum?
-- http://www.segaworldweekly.com/forum/
> Sega World Weekly is best read in the Courier New font.
For past issues see http://www.SegaWorldWeekly.com/
_________________________________________________________
/
-- Issue Intro Page 1 --
\_________________________________________________________/
- Greetings and welcome to another summer issue of SWW. The
summers are usually slow as far as news goes, but just the
anticipation of what’s coming this fall creates plenty of
news on its own. With the Gamecube and the X-Box looming
on the horizon, there are rumors that the PS2 is soon to
experience a major price drop. Which system will come out
on top is anyone’s guess. The PS2 has a head start, while
the Gamecube looks to have some amazing games, and the
X-Box sports the most impressive specs. As we have all
learned (the hard way??) is what it comes down to is the
games. No matter how impressive your system specs are,
how many millions you spend on advertising, or how great
the launch titles look, the most important aspect is good
3rd party support along with some 1st party classics.
Sega’s decision to become a 3rd party developer has the
potential to greatly influence the upcoming console war.
Any console manufacturer that receives the support of
Sega should consider itself very lucky.
The outsider in this whole lineup of videogaming
machines is the GameBoy Advance. It might just
outsell all the others as well as exercise
the same longevity we saw in the original
GameBoy.
On a side note, if you want some more entertainment
than just playing video/pc games, there are some game
related movies playing in theatres right now. I
saw both Tomb Raider and the Final Fantasy movie
the last few weeks. While Tomb Raider received
the most attention, it was Final Fantasy that I
liked the most. The movie has amazing computer
animated graphics. Even though the storyline is
shaky at best; Final Fantasy is a groundbreaking
movie. As for Tomb Raider, I rather watch reruns
of Indiana Jones any day.
Off course it is summer, so don’t forget to enjoy the
outdoors and get some fresh air as well. I am off
to vacation in Norway for a few, so except the next
issue of SWW in about 3 weeks.
Taxi, Taxi! We finally have our full review of the sequel
to one of the best games of all time. More crazy ways of
driving, bigger cities, and more fun. Check out our full
review to see how it all adds up. In addition we have
readers’ top ten lists, readers' letters, questions and
answers, and a cover story about online gaming. Enjoy!
-Chris
heggelun@msu.edu
/ /
|| C O N T E N T S ||
|| ||
|| 2 - Cover Story ||
|| 3 - Review ||
|| 4 - Question & Answer ||
|| 5 - Letters ||
|| 7 - Our Support Sites ||
|| 8 - Credits ||
/ /
HOT QUOTE this issue:
"The cars in this game drive like
a dream, and for the most of the game there is no slow down."
_________________________________________________________
/
-- Cover Story Page 2 --
\_________________________________________________________/
<<.>> Online Gaming
-- Written by Chris (Clay.Camel) Heggelund
With the release of Phantasy Star Online for the DC,
console gamers were finally introduced to a persistent,
online world in which they could play and interact
with other human beings from across the globe. I know
there have been other online games for the DC, but with
PSO it really took off. Thousands of players log on every
day, teaming up with friends to gain levels, items,
and kill monsters. I know that for PC gaming, the online
games are becoming very popular, and in the next few years
I think the vast majority of PC games will be designed with
online play as the main focus. In today’s cover story I
would like to look at what online gaming will mean to
console gamers and look at some of the positive
and negative sides of online games.
One good thing about console games is that when a game
ships, it is complete. In the PC games market, not
many games ship 100% complete. Many times you have
download multiple patches just to make a game playable.
Because of the intense competition it is common to rush
out your game as soon as possible in order to satisfy
the bottom line. So far in the console industry, there
are no ways for the consumers to upgrade games they have
bought, and this forces the developers to make sure the
game they ship is playable and without serious bugs.
With the introduction of the X-Box and the PS2 hard
drive later this year, this can all change. Console
gamers will now have a hard drive and an Internet
connection on their gaming machine. While the
developers (and gamers?) will appreciate the ability
to produce game enhancing products or free add-ons,
this also opens the possibility of games being
shipped half baked.
For most PC gamers, online play is the only way in
which they can face human competition. Sure some people
have LANs, and some games provide multiplayer via email,
but there are exceptions rather than mainstream. If you
want to play StarCraft against you friend across
the street you better connect to your ISP and then log
onto battle.net. If you want to play Soul Calibur with
your friend from across the street. All you have to
do is invite him/her over. You see, consoles already
provide the multiplayer option right out of the box
(if you have enough controllers off course). Up to 8
people can play on one Dreamcast at the same time.
I’d like to see someone hook 8 mice up
to a computer and try to play on the same machine.
PSO was a rather simple, yet addictive game. If this
game was only available in the off-line mode, I am not
sure if I would have ever bought it. Part of the fun
is playing with friends or people from across the U.S.,
and another aspect is finding and trading great items.
After I beat the game on all the difficulty settings,
what drove me to keep playing was the knowledge that
I could find better armor, weapons, and spells.
And part of the fun is to trade these items with
other players.
Perhaps the best side of online gaming is also its
worst; namely the people, or the actual human beings
that control the avatars you meet in the game. Most
people I play with are very nice, polite and fun to
play with, but a small percentage of the people you
meet online are definitely not nice. We have the item
stealer, that is the guy who instead of helping you
kill the monsters runs around the room and picks
up all the items while you are busy fighting. Then
we have the beggar, this is the person who always
asks you for money, items, or help. If you
don’t give it to them they will whine until you
do so. There are also player killers (PK). While
PK is not allowed in PSO, I am sure this will
be an option in upcoming RPGs. As if this isn’t
enough, we also have the hackers/dupers. They are
players that either exploit bugs in the game to
their own advantage or they create programs that
give them unfair advantage while playing.
The last aspect of online gaming I am going to discuss
is the pricing structure. PSO offered free online
gaming, while I believe PSO v.2 will charge a monthly
fee. How many console gamers will be willing to shell
out $50 for the game, $200-300 for the system, $10
per month to play the game, and $10-$50 to their
ISP? While the crowd that plays video games
now includes a large segment of people over 20,
I still have a hard time seeing the average
kid/teenager being willing to pay for all this.
In addition it requires a credit card, which means
that the parents must also be involved.
I can definitely see a market for online console
gaming , but the inherent tradition of console gaming
is sitting down in the living room with a bunch
of friends playing Goldeneye 64 until 2 in the
morning. We will see more online console games, but
I don’t think they will have the same mass appeal
as the traditional games. I am sure that more games
will offer online gameplay, but I still don’t see
online-only games as being the immediate future of
console games. Off course we will see some of games
that are online only, but for now the bulk of these
games will come for PC gamers. For now, the
PC gaming industry is more dependent on online games
than the console industry.
Do you agree or disagree with me? I welcome you
comments and criticism (well..maybe not criticism,
but send it anyway).
-Chris
heggelun@msu.edu
_________________________________________________________
/
-- Review Page 3 --
\_________________________________________________________/
Crazy Taxi 2
Gameplay: So, how does this game really play? Let’s start
off with the Crazy Pyramid, originally named Crazy Box.
The Crazy Pyramid is one of the major improvements in this
game. There are now more challenges for you to take on,
and Hitmaker has become more creative with the possibilities
of the Crazy Pyramid. The Crazy Pyramid features mini-games
such as hopping up a building, all the way to playing golf
with your car. Unlocking all of the games in the Crazy
Pyramid will also lead you to more things to do and use
like in the first game.
Let’s now move onto the main game. Crazy Taxi 2 plays
just like the original game but better. You simply pick
up a passenger and drive them to their destination. A
nice little feature that has been added to this game is
the ability to pick up a group of people at once instead
of having to pick everybody up one by one, and having the
maximum of one person in your car a the same time. We are
also given the Crazy Hop feature which allows you to
hop your car up a tall 3 story building, or just to help
you earn some extra points.
At the start menu you are given the option to choose
Around the Apple, and Small Apple mode. They are both
based heavily on New York City. They even go
as far as including the Brooklyn Bridge in this
game. Small Apple mode is exactly like Around the
Apple mode, but it gives you less of an area to drive
around in.
Driving in this game can be a pain sometimes due to
two main factors. One reason, is that this game is
much harder to drive around in, due to the short
time given from each passenger, and the second
reason is that this game is just too darn big. Yeh,
you’re probably saying what’s so bad about having a
big game with so much area to roam around in? The
problem with this is that you can’t remember where
you are going and it gets hard to maneuver around
the city. Not knowing where you are going and what
the shortest route to get there makes you use up
more time, and you don’t have to much time in the
game. There are also those green arrows that will
point you into the right direction, but there are
always shortcuts by not following the arrows, and
it’s hard to learn them. At least from this
difficulty you can always keep trying and get
better and better.
Graphics: The graphics in this game are simply
amazing. Everything in this game is well textured,
colorful, and smooth. The cars in this game drive like
a dream, and for the most of the game there is no
slow down. Occasionally there will be some pop-ups
though but it doesn’t effect the quality of the
game that much. This game also features some real
locations like in the first game. These locations
include: Of Course NY, FAO Schwartz, Burger King, Hard
Rock Cafe, and the Gap. Overall the graphics in the
game are one of the best areas of this game, and
they are virtually flawless.
Sound: This game features great music and sound.
Methods of Mayhem, and Offspring both play songs
in this game. Their music is great, but unfortunately
there are very few songs in this game. I mean very few,
so the music does get somewhat repetitive. At least
we are always reminded that we are in New York City
by all of the horns honking at us, and everybody
screaming and yelling at us. I’m pretty sure one
guy also cursed at me for almost running over him.
Ending Notes: This game is great. Although you may find
that driving in this game can be a pain, a real pain.
After an hour or two you should be somewhat
settled into the game. This game is pretty good,
but it just doesn’t feel right, it feels like it’s
missing something. I guess we have to remember that
sequels aren’t always as good as the originals, as
this is true in many games and movies. Like in NiGHTS
into dreams. Yuji Naka just wouldn’t make a sequel
to his masterpiece. Overall this is a pretty good
game, and it’s worth the purchase despite some of its
flaws.
Score: 85/100
By: Michael Monahan
_________________________________________________________
/
-- Question and Answer Page 4 --
\_________________________________________________________/
Do you have a question for your Sega know-it-all? Simply
e-mail in your questions to Ross at zondaro@usa.net and
look for the answers soon in an issue of Sega World Weekly.
We are unable to personally reply to all emails.
You can also post your questions online, via our forum
which we all check regularly at...
http://www.segaworldweekly.com/forum/
Next issue: Answer hazy at this time, try again later.
>>>> Taunting the Free Throw Man
Q) I've acquired NBA2k1 from a friend but there is no
manual. How do I shoot free throws?
- Ronald Silva
What are the taunt's buttons for NBA2K1?
- Raynard Gaines
A) I'm sorry, but I'm not a sports fan. So I don't really
know this. I do know a great site for getting info on
games: http://www.gamefaqs.com You can also call Sega's
support line and order new manuals direct from them.
Hope that helps. [editor’s comment: I am a sports fan,
and to Shoot free throws you press the two L and R
triggers simultaneously to line up the the 2
green "direction arrows" over the basket, then
hit the shoot button (x). -Chris]
>>>> Exploring the Import Button
Q) I read somewhere about a device called XPLODER DC that
supposedly lets you play import games without having to
get a mod chip implanted. Have you heard anything good
or bad about this? With the lack of new DC games I am
thinking of imports as a way to get my fix. Any advice?
Let us all pray to the gaming gods that Commandos 2,
Headhunter and NHL 2K2 actually make it to the stores
without the Al Capone of gaming (Sony) waylaying them.
- Travis Stafford
A) I've seen the device, which I believe is just a disk.
You can do the same thing with a Gameshark. I don't
know how well it works, I'm sure there are going to be
some games that won't work right. If you need help
figuring out an imported game, Game F.A.Qs can usually
help.
>>>> VM'ing the Game Masters
Q) In response to your answer about the VMU batteries, a
pretty good place to get them is on eBay.com Just try
'Dreamcast batteries' or 'VMU batteries' and you're
sure to find some.
- Mister Boo
A) That sounds like a good suggestion, my only worry is
"What if they send you dead batteries?"
>>>> Hardcore Gamers Never Forget Anything
Q) Only true gamers remember the pure agony of trying to
finish the original Chakan: the Foreverman. Great
gameplay, lots of weapons, and the hordes of enemies
that never stopped. I've had those early shots of the
3D Chakan on my computer forever! So is there any news
on whether it's still alive or has it too been
swallowed up by the dark void of canceled DC games?
- Chase Ayers
A) I haven't heard anything about it, nor do I remember
seeing it at E3. I'm not sure about it's status.
Don't expect it on the Dreamcast if they ever finish
it.
>>>> Sega World Weekly not Sony World Weekly
Q) I do not know if modifying the PS2 will damage the
console easily. I am thinking of modifying the set
because of cheaper games but, will it affect the
ports? Such as the i-link and other functions
of the PS2 e.g. online playing and HD connections?
- Raymond Cai
A) Well, its a Sony product which means it would probably
break easily. I wouldn't try it. Also, I'm the Sega
Know it All, not the Sony know it All. So please no
more PS2 questions.
>>>> Remember Mr. Lawsuit?
Q) You say that you are a Sega Dreamcast "guru", knowing
just about anything about Dreamcast games. Well since
the Dreamcast game I have: Prince of Persia has two
different websites where no one takes responsibility for
it: Mattel and the Learning Company, and since there is
no walkthrough for it on the net, I really could use
some help getting beyond a dead stop at the very
beginning of the game! Of the 149+ Dreamcast
games I have, only this title totally stumps me
right off the bat!
Initially, after the animated intro movie, you are
thrown in jail. No matter what I try, I cannot figure
out how to get out of that jail cell. Please tell me
how to get free, and I will take it from there.
This game is totally worthless to me, unless I
get unless I get an answer. Frankly I don't
know how Mattel could screw up the game so bad,
since both the Floppy Disk Version for the Amiga
Computer and the CD-ROM Version for the CD-32,
were no problem at all? Thank you. I hope to hear
from you soon with the information I need.
- Bob Malmet
A) Some people might not remember Mr. Malmet, but we had a
run in with him a while back. He threatened me with a
personal lawsuit for slander and defamation of
character. After bending over backwards to apologize for
misquoting him, we never heard from him again. Until
now. Oh, and his question... :P try GameFAQs.
[Editor’s comment: I have played this game on the PS,
and I assume it is the same. What you do is look for
an off colored block of the prison cell wall, then push
it through to the other side, and off you go. Now just
head right down the passage until you come to a corridor.
You can probably take it from there. -Chris]
>>>> Striking the Dreamcast Release List
Q) I was wondering if Virtua Striker 3 will be coming out
on Dreamcast? VS2 is still my fav soccer title ever and
I'm very anxious for the sequel. Regards.
- Marko
A) I don't think it's coming to DC, but there is a special
edition VS3 2002 coming out on Gamecube around the US
launch.
>>>> Xbox'd into Cube Shapes
Q) Hello. I've been reading Sega World Weekly for a long
time now. First of all I would like to say that Sega
makes the best games in the world! Okay, what day in
November is Shenmue 2 coming out? And also I was
thinking of buying an Xbox, but I was wondering. How
good is the relationship that Sega has with MS and Sony,
because I want to know which system Shenmue will
continue on. Thanks a lot!
- Sup Money
A) Wheel of Release Dates turn, turn, turn tell us the
date we wish to learn: "Unable to Answer, ask Later."
Sega's relationship with the big three is something like
this in order of worse to best, Sony, MS, Nintendo.
I don't know which system Shenmue will continue on, but
if I had to bet... it would be Gamecube.
Gamecube! Gamecube! Gamecube! - zondaro@gamecubeweekly.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Join in our forum - http://www.segaworldweekly.com/forum/
_________________________________________________________
/
-- Letters Page 5 --
\_________________________________________________________/
Do you have an opinion who wish to share with all the
readers of Sega World Weekly? Simply e-mail in your
thoughts to zondaro@usa.net and look for them in an issue
of Sega World Weekly. Letters will be edited for length.
You can also post your letters and thoughts online at our
forum... http://www.segaworldweekly.com/forum/
<<<<>>>>
Hot Topic: Top Ten Lists
Cold Topic: PS2
<<<<>>>>
You say you're amazed that there isn't a Panzer Dragoon 2.
Maybe you never noticed, but there is a Panzer
Dragoon 2, named Panzer Dragoon Zwei. It takes place
before the first game. There's even a 3, but it's an
Rpg called Panzer Dragoon Saga, so it's not really a 3.
(Just for accuracy, there also was a gamegear game
released in Japan, it's not great but it's nice,
so go and find the rom andplay it, it's called
panzer dragoon mini)
If you really like panzer 1, there's a PC-port
available from thetime sega was porting Saturn
games to PC (like virtua fighter, segarally ect.)
Umm so anyway, thanks for your great mag!
- Your die-hard Panzer Dragoon fan, Tevel
Thanks for the info. I have heard about those games, but
never really played them as I didn't consider them true
sequels. Maybe I'll try and find the PC port :) Thanks
again for educating me.
- Chris (Clay.Camel) Heggelund
<<<<>>>>
The writer last week put down the idea of including a
DVD player in a game console! This is crazy. I
think the market is looking for that multipurpose
media tool just for that fact. I don't know if they
understand that the situation described is mainly
for kid's situations. Gaming is not for kids anymore.
As a matter of fact it is dominated by the
18-30 year old category. I myself am 24 and have
noticed my newfound a bility to support the industry
by getting games whenever I want instead of having
to wait for my birthday orChristmas! Remember those
days? Wow. Well, I have a huge 43" TV in my living
room and I want to game on it as well. When you
add the DVDfunction to it you can justify bringing
that game console out of the spareroom and into
the living room where it should be! So more
media the merrier! Thanks
- Ben
I agree :)
- Chris
<<<<>>>>
Top Ten Games
Number 1 Sensible Soccer Amiga
Man, I must played this game for hundreds of hours.
I would convince myself just another quick 5 minute
game.....days later I'm still playing! Simple
graphics but the best sports gameplay I have ever tasted!
Who Dares Wins II Commodore 64
Maybe I'm feeling nostalgic, but this was a fun and a
ddictive shooter and I did finish it twice the way
through in one go!
Need for Speed 3DO
After playing games on the Amiga and Super Nintendo,
I was blown away when I bought a 3DO as an exchange
student in the US of A. Great graphics (for the
time) and a realistically fun driving game made this
a huge time gobbler!
Goldeneye N64
Fantastic single player and feverish multiplayer,
need I say more?
Bomberman Amiga
Like Goldeneye......fun single player and brilliant
multiplayer. There was nothing like trapping a mate
with a bomb and watching their reaction.
Flashback Amiga
Fantastic Sci-Fi adventure/platformer that was very
engrossing
Resident Evil: Code Veronica Dreamcast
Easily the best Resident Evil and much longer than a
ny of the short playstation games.
Metal Gear Solid Playstation (though I can't wait to
play the Bleemcast version)
Played it through 3 times, too short but darn fun
while it lasted
Metal Gear Solid 2 demo Playstation 2
Man this was sweet, this game will sell systems!
(As this is only a demo, I'll add Tetris....how many
of you visualised moving blocks as you fell to sleep?)
Lemmings Amiga
Amazingly addictive game that while frustrating, was
immense fun!
- Matt Grocott
<<<<>>>>
My Top 10 games Lists --->
(Regardless of ranking)
1 ---> Smackdown 2(PS)
2 ---> DOA 2 (PS 2)
3 ---> Marvel Vs Capcom (PS)
4 ---> Mario 64 (N64)
5 ---> Soul Calibur (DC)
6 ---> CM 2001 (PC)
7 ---> Summoners (PS2/PC)
8 ---> Space Harrier (SS/32X)
9 ---> Panzer Dragoon (SS)
10 ---> Twisted Metal Black (PS 2)
- Raymond Cai
Join in our forum - http://www.segaworldweekly.com/forum/
_________________________________________________________
/
-- Support Sites Page 6 --
\_________________________________________________________/
Sega World Weekly goes out to 40,000 gamers every week, but
how did we get so many people signed up? With the help of
these websites, that's how...
<<.>> System Zero - http://system-zero.com
As game music goes well beyond the beeps and bleeps of the
past and into the soundtrack quality tracks we hear today,
Perfect Zero becomes one of THE most important sites for
game fans. Hosting hundreds of MP3s from different games,
turn up those speakers and click that link.
<<.>> DC-United - http://dc-united.com
The Premiere Dreamcast Community, DC-United.com gives you
the ability to view members online, build your own
homepage, send messages, read in-depth reviews, and much
more. DCU Network Members are also eligible for various
monthly prizes.
<<.>> The Next Level - http://www.the-nextlevel.com
The Next Level is a multi-platform gaming magazine focused
on current and upcoming next-generation systems. We provide
up-to-date news, in-depth reviews, reader reviews,
intriguing editorials, and more.
<<.>> PSY Online - http://www.consolereviews.net
PSY Online is a multiformat reviews website specialising in
the Sega Dreamcast console. With 24/7 updated news, forums
and chat, its a great place to hang out for Sega fans.
<<.>> Future Gamez - http://www.futuregamez.net
What ever console your looking for, Future Gamez have them
all. From Dreamcast to GameCube, and X-Box to Playstation
2. So get your news, reviews, previews, and more at Future
Gamez, and stay on top of all systems.
_________________________________________________________
/
-- Credits Page 7 --
\_________________________________________________________/
O Q&A / Letters: Ross Fisher - Zondaro@usa.net
O Staff Writer: Michael Monahan - Mikelad1@aol.com
O Staff Writer (temporary editor): Chris Heggelund
- heggelun@pilot.msu.edu
O Editor: Graham "Tails" Parker - (returning Sep 18th)
<<.>> http://www.segaworldweekly.com/ - Our Website
<<.>> http://www.segaworldweekly.com/forum/ - Our Forum
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Copyright 1998-2001 Sega World Weekly Magazine
No parts may be copied without prior permission or correct
credit where due. There should probably be a pile of other
legal lines here, but please just play nice and don't
steal, lol! Thanks for reading Sega World Weekly!
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
