Newsletter: Sega World Weekly issue 30 (then Dreamcast Weekly)
From Video Game Morgue File
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/ ___> > > DREAMCAST WEEKLY MAGAZINE < < <____ \
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/ / ~Issue #30 - www.DreamcastWeekly.com~ \ \
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\ \ Sega 2000 - http://www.sega2000.com / /
\ \ Sega X - http://www.segadreamcast.net / /
\ \ Dreamcast.net - www.dreamcast.net / /
\ \______________________________________/ /
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======| ABOUT THE MAGAZINE |==============================
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Dreamcast Weekly is proudly sponsored by Extreme Imports.
When you buy anything from them, please remember to click
Dreamcast Weekly as your referral. THANKS for your support
and it helps to keep this magazine going, and free.
If you have any Dreamcast questions please e-mail Steve at
Steve@sega2000.com, rather than clicking reply to this
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The domain name www.DreamcastWeekly.com is provided thanks
to Total Video Games, the UK's premier video games magazine
up-dated daily, and The Junction, the best place for Teens
to chat. www.the-junction.net & www.totalvideogames.com
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======| EDITORS COMMENTS |================================
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Maybe it's just all the sugar in this sherbet stick I'm
eating, but I got a urge it improve and play with things at
the moment. So a few changes added to the layout this week,
and a new "Red Hot Rumors" section. Next week I'll open
"Sega Trivia" too, and we have the first part in the House
Of The Dead story.
We also welcome a new support site, Gaming Central Starpath.
You can find them at http://www.startpath.com/gamingcentral
Until next week... Happy Gaming everyone!
~ Tails (Editor)
O Page 1 - Cover Story O
O Page 2 - Importing O
O Page 3 - The News O
O Page 4 - Arcade Zone O
O Page 5 - Tips & Cheats O
O Page 6 - Best Of The Web O
O Page 7 - Credits & More O
O Page 8 - Finally... O
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======| COVER STORY |=====================================
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>>>> Playstation 2000 Blues
>>>> By Steve
Good day, Sega 2000 readers. As most of you know, I run
the Mail Bag of Sega 2000. And I have been noticing a very
disturbing trend. That's right, none other that the infamous
Playstation 2/2000. Now, I don't know about the rest of you,
but I am sick to death of hearing about this thing. I have
heard the specs so many times it's pathetic. I've heard
"Dreamcast is gonna die" from letters and other sites more
times that I can count. So why am I writing an editorial about
it? I hope to put it to rest, until Sony puts some money where
its mouth is.
It all started early last week. Sony made an announcement
that stirred up the industry like ants when you spray Raid
in their nest. And at first, I said, "You know, I'm going
to ignore it. It doesn't exist yet. This is a Dreamcast
site. I'll report on DC, and that's it." Well, how wrong
I was. The mail is flooded with it, and so is every other
site. Now, with all the 70 million polygons, 300 Mhz, and
all of those other things, people got confused. I'm going
to try to clear things up.
PSX2 is certainly a powerful system, certainly more powerful
that Dreamcast, at any rate, but how powerful is it? Not
powerful enough to make everyone turn around and have DC
burning, that's for darn sure. For those of you who want
a real world number of effected polys a second, here's one
for size: 12 million. Yes, it's still 4 times more powerful
than Dreamcast, but not nearly as powerful and menacing as
that 70 million thing. Also, the TV in your family
room/basement/room, whatever, unless it is a HDTV, can only
display about 18 million polygons, and that's if each one is
the size of a pixel. And having to decode MPEG2, Playstation
2 won't be able to handle that much, which brings me to my next
point.
One of the coolest things about PSX2 is DVD. I said it. There.
It can play DVD movies right out of the box, which means that
you don't have to spend $300 for a DVD player. Unfortunately,
as a video game storage media, the DVD is pretty much useless,
unless watching hour after hour of FMV is your idea of a fun
game. Also, if developers fill up an entire DVD with
information, the game would take about 10 years to make.
No kidding. Games on a lousy 650 megs take 2 years, so imagine
what something like 10 'gigs' would take. Also, there is no
DIVX support, so, as for those cool little things you don't
have to return you're out of luck. Also, I refuse to quote
Mr. Stolar saying that DC would have DVD, because it's not
standard. Doesn't count. Sorry.
The next topic is time. Sega will have about a year to play
around in the market place before Sony can do anything to even
touch Dreamcast. Same with (choke) Nintendo. Let's not forget
Sega's advertising powers, and what effect they have. Sega
poured a ton of cash into the DC launch, and it paid off.
To be truthful, Dreamcast's launch wasn't nearly as good as
it could have been. It was rushed, there weren't enough units,
and a game that could have had everyone in Japan going for it,
slipped (Sonic). But advertising covered it up.
Another thing people are talking about is the backwards
compatibility issue. Or as I like to think of it, non-issue.
It's cool, but extremely unnecessary. A letter I got pointed
out all the good things about it, saying that you didn't have
to have 2 systems hooked up, prolong your old games' life, etc.
However, I really doubt you'll be able to use the same memory
cards, so that means you'll have to start FFVII all over again
every time you play. Sob. That's a long time to be sitting
in front of a TV.
The last thing that should be clarified about PSX2 is it's
price. Sega supports say it will cost more than $400, some
even speculating it to be $500. I doubt either of these
prices are true. Right now, I'd have to say the PSX2 launch
price will be $350, which is bad. Think of it this way.
It's late March, in Japan. You walk into your favourite video
game store, and you see a Playstation 2 unit display right next
to a Dreamcast unit display. On the PSX2, you see a re-issue
of Final Fantasy 8, on one disk, with better graphics, better
sound, etc. You also see another Crash Bandicoot game, with
him running around and killing stuff. Then, the thing that
catches your eye the most is the $350 price tag. "Woah!"
You say. "That sure looks cool, but it costs a pretty penny."
Now, you look over to the Dreamcast display. You see
Shen Mue, with a number of awards posted on it, a big picture
of a familiar hedgehog, looking at you the same way he did
that made you get a Genesis. You keep looking, and see a
sticker that says "More than 1 million people waiting to
frag you right now!" on a shooter. You look and see a
demo of VF4, and you can play it, and it is the best
fighting game in the arcade. Then, the most attractive thing
you see is the $150 price tag. What would you pick? See,
the Dreamcast will be in the market. It will be solid, with
a steady stream of games and an established on-line community.
Sony will just be getting started.
Now, there are some other loose PSX2 ends that need to be
tied up. First of all, there is no modem confirmation.
That doesn't mean there won't be one, it's just not confirmed.
Second, there is no work on how many polygons Playstation 2
will be able to render on screen.
Well, that's all I can think of right now, and I hope to
talk about this topic as little as possible until another
large confirmation by Sony is made. I will still answer
letters which you can send to me at Steve@sega2000.com.
Next week, I hope to have an editorial about violence in
video games. Thanks for reading.
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======| IMPORTANT MATTERS |===============================
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House Of The Dead 2 - March 25th - You can now pre-order...
Please support Dreamcast Weekly and when you buy an import
game, please select us our your referral at Extreme Imports.
Thanks, and enjoy your games!!
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* House Of The Dead 2 + Gun
* Blue Stinger
* Marvel Vs Capcom
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You can order them now at our own official sponsor
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magazine if you select Dreamcast Weekly as your referral.
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======| NEWS |============================================
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>>>> Soul Calibur In June!
Last week we printed the rumor of Soul Calibur coming soon
to Dreamcast, and yes, it turned out to be true. Shots of a
30% complete version are currently doing the rounds on the
net, but here's some even better news... The release date
is June 1999!
>>>> Monaco Grand Prix 2 Reviews
More reviews of Monaco Grand Prix 2 have come in.
Unfortunately, Dreamcast Magazine in Japan doesn't think very
highly of the game, awarding it an average 19/30 (7,7,5).
However, considering that a genre such as this is more suited
towards the Western markets, and Weekly Famitsu did give it
31/40, I don't think we have too much to be concerned about.
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======[ RED HOT RUMORS ]==================================
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Welcome to a new section of Dreamcast Weekly, each week
we'll keep you upto-date with the latest rumors going around.
Some, like Soul Calibur, turn out to true, while many others
shouldn't be taken too seriously.
>>>> Sat-Cast: Rumour Or Reality?
Most sites have printed the news on Dreamcast's Saturn
emulator, "Sat-Cast", but more recently, many have said it's
a hoax. Sega themselves won't confirm or deny it, but the
Tokyo Game Show this month would be the perfect time to
reveal such a thing I think.
>>>> Time Crisis 2 & Tekken 3:
After all the talk of Soul Calibur turning out to be true,
the old Time Crisis 2 & Tekken 3 on Dreamcast rumors return.
Personally I don't think we'll hear anything about these from
Namco for awhile to come, Soul Calibur is probably going to
be used to 'test the market'.
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======| ARCADE ZONE |======================================
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>>>> Hydro Thunder
>>>> By Gavin Matheson
>>>> Dreamcast version coming soon
Sega dominates the racing genre in the arcades, with their
creation of benchmark titles to keep them ahead in the
industry. Many developers started to hype and popularize
their anticipated titles until it was eventually released,
but most of them came up short when compared to Sega's
quality racing titles. For example, 'Racing Jam' on the
much hyped Cobra board, was ill fated to fall thin in
comparison to Sega's strong hold of 3 main key racing titles:
Daytona 2: Power Edition, Sega Rally 2, and the awesome
Scud Racer. The 3 titles alone set the standard that
developers must either match or surpass, in order to rekindle
the minds of the arcade racing fans from thinking that only
Sega can provide the satisfaction needed. This resulted in
titles coming in from left, right and center, to an extent
where a cut off point had to be made. In other words, if a
title was good, it will stay, but if the title is poor in
quality, then it will never be released.
Midway had a reputation that was admirable in the arcade
industry. Especially after their efforts made on Mortal
Kombat, which is a series that was once flowing strong
like a fountain to the small drips from a water tap.
Having this in the mind of the public, Midway introduced
its next title involving Powerboats racing. When Midway
mentioned powerboats racing, the minds of the public
thought Rapid Racer, which is a title that many wished
they never fixated their eyes upon.
Midway powerboat racing game was eventually called Hydro
Thunder. Utilizing the next generation 3DFX cards inside
the arcade board, they indirectly stated that they could
produce graphics and gameplay that can match any racing
title out there. Did they do it? Yes they did! You damn Skippy...
The main sit down cabinet is just as good as Sega's efforts.
Opting for a speed lever, steering wheel and boaster, you
have to use these to guide your selected craft to victory.
The sub-woofer placement located underneath your seat
enhances the experience further. The vibration generated
is enough to actually give you a good message. Which is a
good thing actually, if you're extremely stressed out.
Supported with sub-woofers and bass speakers outside the
seat, to provide the sounds of the main engine, plus a
speaker for the music, you cannot ask anymore more satisfying.
You have 3 main views, which is a good thing for Midway,
as they'll avoid the Sega lawsuit for the Virtua
viewpoints. I'm afraid that due to the closeness of realism
concerning controls, playing in pilot viewpoint was
extremely problematic. Even though I usually play 'Eat the
dirt/Bumper' view in Daytona 2, Hydro Thunder is literally
says 'hell no', forcing me to control the craft to success
with a different viewpoint.
Like Rapid Racer, boaster icons are scattered throughout the
planes. These boasters are essential for you to reach to the
secret areas, or short cuts, which I'm happy to say that the
game has plenty of. In fact if you find a secret area, the
co-pilot will tell you. The artificial intelligence of the
game used for the individual crafts are not as convincing
to real life like Daytona, but they're intelligent enough so
you don't think that the other crafts are running on rails.
Hydro Thunder can match any racing game that I have ever put
my eyes upon in the arcades. The graphics are amazing. In
fact, I have to admit, they nearly surpass Naomi's efforts so
far; but bear in mind though that we haven't seen the true
performance of the Naomi yet. Even though the graphics are
PC accelerated, this baby performs nearly every graphical
effect in the books. What's most important is that they
included spray effects, and convincing water effects, that
provide that sense of immersion into the game.
In fact, the water effect are the best seen on any game;
even surpassing the water on Jeffrey's beach stage. The
graphical speed hovers around a rock solid 60 frames per
second, complemented by the high density dynamic lighting
effects, high resolution graphics, real time reflection, the
works.
The track design is the true winner of the game. You have
a choice of 9 crafts with different attributes. Also with
a total of 10 courses, with 2 of them as bonus races, you
have to race at the highest velocity to reach first place.
These levels range from the Greek isles, the Lost Island,
the Ship Graveyard, Ultra Hard Venice, Mountain Crazy Far
East China and so on.
Each stage wonderfully is designed to a point that every
section you reach in the game has a landmark area. The
landmarks are extremely dazzling, from a huge rotating
tunnel, a electrifying Bermuda triangle that you have
to enter, a monster lurking under the water, just to name
a few.
The graphics move at an outrageously fast pace that easily
takes on the almighty Daytona. In fact the only way you can
truly appreciate the graphics is by watching someone else play
it. I cannot stress enough that the graphics are a real tour
de force. The mind boggling ride accompanied with a co-pilot
that assists you in the game, is enough to send that
adrenaline rushing through your veins. Even though the
co-pilot doesn't talk as much compared to Daytona, but it's
still a great addition that accelerates the rush further.
Only a few racing titles, excluding Sega's, actually provide
you this type of rush (Need For Speed 3 is an exception).
Action involving craft accelerating over 300rpm up a ramp,
ascending 100's and 100's of feet into the air, smashing
through a cathedral window, descending 1000's of feet down
a massive waterfall, complimented with thunder and lightning
causing you to literally scream, then slamming back down
onto the rapids below. If that doesn't make you ecstatic
then I don't know what will.
No matter how glorious and exhilarating the graphics are in
the game, thunderous ride that it provides the game is
really the winning aspect of this game. However, although you
have level settings ranging from Very easy, to Ultra Hard,
it appears that they don't really make any difference. The
only difference is that the Ultra Hard track has more turns
than the antecedents.
Rather than focusing on both time and position like Sega
Rally and Daytona, finishing in first position is the high
order of the day. Also the other crafts don't pose much of
an opposition against you, as in Daytona, even though you
can with them.
Hydro Thunder rocks the heavens and shatters the sky, as it
is right up there against Sega's big 3 in the arcade industry.
I still feel that Daytona 2: Power edition is the superior,
disregarding the graphical superiority of HT, as Sega's
racing game requires more skill to master each track.
Hydro Thunder is a thunderous ride, a hyper Rapid Racer,
and contains the frills and spills spelling the word 'Fun'.
Quite how Midway is going to improve the Dreamcast version
is unclear at this point. We are greatly looking forward to
Hydro Thunder on the DC. In the meantime, check out the
images, the cool movies, and elusive tips personally done
by Midway by following the link below.
HYDRO THUNDER BREAKDOWN ---
Hydro Thunder is an awesome game that deserves to be
placed, right on part with the great Sega racers. Although
placed in a different setting, the game captures the thrill
and adrenaline rush of the Sega originals..
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======[ TIPS & CHEATS ]===================================
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O If you've discovered a secret on a Dreamcast or O
O Arcade game, and would like to share it with the O
O world, please e-mail me on Webmaster@sega2000.com O
>>>> Daytona USA 2
>>>> Written by Tails
MIRROR MODE:
When your selecting your course, hold down Start and you'll
get the secret mirror mode. Now I wonder if that horse
is in there somewhere too... :)
>>>> Power Stone
>>>> Written by Sega X
To play as the 1st boss of the game, beat it with each
character once.
To get hidden weapons, beat the game with 4 different characters.
To get the 2nd boss, complete the game with the 1st boss.
To control the camera during the victory celebration after
a match, use the analog pad for rotation and A for zooming.
For alternate clothing, use B to select your fighter.
Beat the game with all characters to unlock most of the Book
of Power Stone for some secrets. Then play with those secrets
to unlock the rest of the book.
When you get the final boss (page 12 in the Book of Power Stone),
you can only play him in VS mode.
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======| BEST OF THE WEB |=================================
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There are sooooo many Sega sites across the web, wouldn't
it be great if one place listed the most interesting bits??
Presenting the "Best Of The Web" section...
>>>> Sega 2000 - www.Sega2000.com
Daily Trivia and Rantings will be returning this week,
along with lots more updates to keep Sega fans from
all around the world up-to date. If you have a DC
question too, we update our mailbag daily!
>>>> Sega X - www.SegaDreamcast.net
Sega X is back up now :) Look out on Monday for the full
report on how the Arcade Crawl went!
>>>> Dreamcast.net - www.Dreamcast.net
One of the newest Sega Dreamcast sites around, but this is
WELL worth the visit. It's quickly become another Sega X and
Sega 2000 and updates daily, even in the weekends sometimes!
>>>> Gaming Central Starpath - www.startpath.com/gamingcentral
Our newest support site and provides hundreds of links for
anything a gamer might be interested in.
>>>> SegaDC - www.segadc.co.nz
Updated daily with lots of news, a forum and more, this is
a must see site for any Sega fan.
>>>> Dreamcast Australia - www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/6831/
The Sega Ozisoft interview is up! With some excellent
questions from the readers this interview must not be
missed. Of course there is also news, reviews, cheats,
previews and the Q&A section with well over 70
questions answered.
>>>> The Sonic Zone - www.suneet.com/soniczone/
Updated daily with a HUGE amount of Sonic content that is
sure to blow you away! From Fan Fiction to Chatting to
Cheats and even Fan Created Games this is your one stop
Sonic site. You can now send online postcards too!!
The official website for the Dreamcast Weekly is now open at
www.dreamcastweekly.com :) We've got the history of the
magazine, daily news and plenty more. Specially if your a
webmaster, there is lots of great information about how
you can be involved as well! Then in the future... who knows,
hopefully we'll be a print magazine one day :)
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======[ CREDITS ]=========================================
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O Editor: Graham Parker "Tails" - webmaster@sega2000.com
O Assistant Editor: Mike - melbess@adelphia.net
O DC Questions: Please send to - Steve@sega2000.com
>>>> www.DreamcastWeekly.com - Official Website!
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Copyright, 1998-9 Graham Parker - WEBMASTER@SEGA2000.COM
Written and edited by Graham Parker. The Dreamcast Weekly
website is hosted thanks to www.totalvideogames.com
and the magazine is owned by... me :) No parts may be
copied without prior permission. I would have to send
out my group of highly trained thugs otherwise, who will
have a tea party with you until you crack and your mind
turns into jello... MMmmmmm.... Sweet Sweet Jello....
hehe, anyway... If you have any friends that might be
interested in this magazine, it would be excellent
if you could let them know about it. Thanks!
Oh and finally...
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This isn't Sega related but oh well... the new Star Wars
trailer looks GREAT! While I thought it was strange the
kid wasn't in it much (the first trailer was based all
around him) it showed plenty of action. Unfortantly
living in New Zealand means I've gotta wait till early June
to see the movie, but I can't wait. Star Wars 4 Ever :)
