Newsletter: Sega World Weekly issue 54 (then Dreamcast Weekly)
From Video Game Morgue File
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/_______> > > DREAMCAST WEEKLY MAGAZINE < < <________\
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//// ~ Issue #54 - www.DreamcastWeekly.com ~ \\\\
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\\\\ Sega X - www.segadreamcast.net ////
\\\\ Sega 2000 - www.sega2000.net ////
\\\\ Perfect Zero - www.perfect-zero.com ////
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o> Please SCROLL DOWN to Editors Comments for the start <o
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======| ABOUT DREAMCAST WEEKLY |==========================
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> For past issues please visit www.dreamcastweekly.com
> DREAMCAST QUESTIONS: Please note because of the huge
amount of mail I get personally, I can't reply to all the
Dreamcast questions sorry. Please send your questions to
Rob@sega2000.net
As he does a great job on our mailbag. Thanks.
> For the latest game news, reviews and previews visit the
Premier Video Games Site http://www.totalvideogames.com
With over 300 archived News Articles and the greatest game
reviews. Up-dated throughout the day with everything!
----------------- www.totalvideogames.com ----------------
> Our domain name for DC Weekly 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.com ------------------
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======| EDITORS COMMENTS |================================
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Over a month ago the Dreamcast took America by storm, and
as cliched as that line is, it's so true. Dreamcast was an
instant hit! Now on October 14th, Sega's mega-console was
released in Europe, and what was their reaction? To buy
over 100,000 units in the first day!
Be sure to check out our news section for all the launch
info. This week I also had the chance to play on the old
Mega Drive Sonic games, and compare them to Sonic Adventure
in our cover feature. You may be surprised to see what's
missing from his shift into the 3rd dimension.
Cheats this week include tricks on the Dreamcast system
it's self, and more for the ever popular NFL 2K.
Finally, aside from 2 at the end of November, my exams
are over. So from Monday Sega 2000 is back to regular
updates. Happy Gaming!
~ Graham "Tails" Parker (Editor)
> Dreamcast Questions to Rob@sega2000.net
.oO Page 1 - Cover Story Oo.
.oO Page 2 - The News Oo.
.oO Page 3 - Rumors Oo.
.oO Page 4 - Importing Oo.
.oO Page 5 - Sega X-tra Oo.
.oO Page 6 - Cheats Oo.
.oO Page 7 - OUR SUPPORT SITES Oo.
.oO Page 8 - Credits Oo.
HOT QUOTE This Issue: "The best time on Emerald Coast is
an amazing 1:06 mins"
-- Sonic Adventure World Ranking News
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======| COVER STORY |=====================================
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>>>> Sonic Success
>>>> Written by Tails
This week I took the good old Mega Drive Sonic's for a spin.
These are the games that ran rings around Nintendo's fat
plumber, and any other platformer for that matter! But what
I was left thinking about is Sonic Adventure, and what it's
missing.
Don't get me wrong here, Sonic Adventure is a great game,
and the problems are far over rated (did the camera bugs
in Banjo Kazooie get that much attention?), and the new
World Ranking that just opened (see news) is very cool,
but after playing the original's, it is missing a few
things.
First is the actual level design. Many reviews have said
Sonic made the transition from 2D to 3D perfect, but after
playing the 2D games again, I beg to differ. In Sonic
Adventure, abliet short cuts, there really is just the
one path through the levels.
Now in the original series, the levels were high as well
as wide. You could make your way higher up in the level,
or take the bottom route. There was certainly multiple
ways to reach the finish.
Here's hoping Sonic Team will add this feature to the
level design in the sequel.
Next, I'm sure you'll all agree, the chance to burn
through levels at super sonic speeds is something you won't
find anywhere else. But in some reviews, I was shocked to
read Sonic actually moves TOO fast! So fast that you can't
see where your going. What are people complaining about?
If it was too hard to control that would be a fair point,
but the game takes over for you. When Sonic's moving that
fast, you just enjoy the ride. Now in the originals, I
was shooting around them like a hyper little hedgehog!
The screen almost couldn't keep up with me! Awesome fun!!
Digging through my old game magazines, I couldn't see a
single complaint about going too fast in the Sonic reviews.
Now this is something I've marked Sonic Adventure down in
my own opinion, the music. From Star Light Zone in
Sonic 1 to the soothing Sky Chase Zone in Sonic 2, and
the pumping beats of the final boss in Sonic & Knuckles,
the music is just so damn catchy! Something sourly missing
from Sonic's latest outing.
Nights had brilliant music, along with Sonic 3D Blast (who
will forget those munk-like chants of Rusty Ruins), but
why Sonic Team didn't work their magic with Sonic Adventure
is a mystery to me.
Perhaps CD tracks don't suit Sonic, what do you think?
Any thoughts you have on this editorial can be sent to
our Mailbag at Rob@sega2000.net
Finally, is the innovation. In the olden days (heh), when
we had to make do with only 2 Dimensions in our platform
games, designers had to use their imagination to add new
toys to the levels. In Sonic 2 there's these huge nuts
which you dash on to spin around, and ride up the bolts.
In many levels over the series, were catapults. On one
side would be a badnik, which you'd send flying up into
the air. Stand on the other side of the catapult and
when the enemy lands back down, you'll go shooting up.
There's many other examples, but as you can see I'm
not the best at describing them. Never the less, I bet
if you were to play the originals, then Sonic Adventure,
you'd think Sonic Team could of added some of these
extras.
Along with all these were secrets hidden behind walls.
Spot them around the levels, spin dash into them, and
they would shatter away. These style of secrets were
even in the Saturn game, Sonic 3D Blast. But none were
to be found in Sonic Adventure. Any particular reason?
Sonic Adventure has brought many other features into
the genre however, like having 6 very different
characters to play as, and the awesome bonus levels
like Twinkle Circuit and the Pinball machines. I just
feel when Sonic Team design the next sequel (and there
will be one), they should play the good old Mega Drive
games again first. I certainly recommended you give
these classics another spin.
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======| NEWS |============================================
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>>>> 100,000 Dreamcasts Sold In Just 1 Day!
Demand for Dreamcast and launch software has surpassed all
expectations and broken all previously held sales record
for a video games console with an astonishing 100,000
Dreamcast consoles sold within the first 24 hours in Europe.
The sales rush began at midnight, Wednesday October 13, as
prime retailers remained open late in major European
cities, including London, Dublin, Edinburgh, Paris,
Madrid, Stuttgart and Essen, to service the huge demand.
Thousands of eager consumers queued to be among the first
to buy Dreamcast and select from its exciting line-up of
launch software and innovative peripherals.
JF Cecillon, Chief Executive, Sega Europe, said:
"The industry has never witnessed such enthusiasm for a new
games console. I am delighted that our confidence is so
widely shared with our European customers."
Dreamcast is here. Retailing in the UK at £199.99, it is the
world's most powerful home entertainment system and hosts
an impressive line-up of launch party titles with further
titles being released each week from now to Christmas.
Dreamcast is the first console to come with a built-in
33.6K modem which will provide gamers with free pan-European
Internet access, including chat, e-mail and surfing of the
worldwide web, through your television set.
>>>> Sonic Adventure World Ranking
Thanks to the guys at DC Tech Pages for spotting this... the
Sonic Adventure World Ranking is now online. Gamers can post
their their best times for each level, and challenge the
world. Within a matter of seconds however, Japan took the
top places, and shocked American gamers.
The best time on Emerald Coast is an amazing 1:06 mins. How
they got that time is beyond me, and everyone else for that
matter, but this is certainly increasing the replay value
of Sonic Adventure.
>>>> Gauntlet Legends for DC
Good news for Gauntlet fans! Midway recently announced their
plans to port the game over to Dreamcast, as soon as mid 2000!
The game will be not only be graphically revamped from the
other versions of the game, but Midway has stated they
have very specific Internet multiplayer plans.
This has all of us pretty pumped up -- Expect the company
to release more details soon. - Written by Matt White
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======[ RED HOT RUMORS ]==================================
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Welcome to the rumors section of Dreamcast Weekly, each
week we'll keep you upto-date with the latest rumors going
around. Written by Tails.
>>>> No Virtual On For America?
In what was a surprising rumor this week, SOA man not be
brining Virtual On 2 to the U.S. It seems they are worried
about too many arcade conversions, and while compared to
other machines the Dreamcast does receive plenty, this is
Virtual On were talking about... if SOA doesn't pick it up,
you can be sure a 3rd party will.
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======| IMPORT-ANT MATTERS |==============================
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__________________________________________________________
E x t r e m e - I m p o r t s
www.extreme-imports.com
www.lik-sang.com
>>>> Extreme Imports Stops Importing
Unfortunately, you read correctly. Extreme Imports will no
longer be importing any product until further notice. The
decision did not come lightly as you could imagine. It's a
shame that Australia isn't ready for a reliable, honest
video game importer yet, but we'll be sure to resurface
when it is.
So what about our customers? Are we just going to bail-out
and leave you in the lurch? Not a chance! We've lined up
a very trustworthy company in Hong Kong that has agreed
to take over were we left off. Lik-Sang Plaza
(www.lik-sang.com) is a trustworthy and honest supplier
of video game entertainment.
Whether it be Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Playstation or
even the up and coming Playstation 2. On top of all that,
they are one of the industry leaders in supplying 3rd party
peripherals (such as the new Dreamcast 4MB memory card).
We'll be helping them streamline their order system and
basically help them offer you, the gamer, what we have been
in the past. We urge that none of our customers purchase
stock from ANY local Australian Importer - you run the risk
of any materials you purchase being confiscated from you
down the track. If your going to import, IMPORT. Make
sure you order your product from overseas which will see
that your never on the wrong side of the law. This is
why we're using an offshore company to defer our customers
to. If you know of other reliable ofshore importers such
as Game Dealer or EB World they're fine too.
So what about my warranty for the system I've bought off
you in the past? We'll still be supporting the product we've
sold thus far, so none of our customers need worry if
any of their products they purchased from us have problems.
All email addresses and the extreme-imports.com domain will
stay alive and we can still be contacted for whatever reason.
So WHY did we stop importing? A number of reasons, most
which we aren't at liberty to discuss. Obviously, one of
the greatest concerns was with the official distributors
of Sega in Australia, Ozisoft. Although we haven't ever
been confronted by them, we know that this is the right
time for us to stop in respect for Ozisoft's distributorship.
We wish them all the best with their up-and-coming PAL
launch in Australia. It's sure to be a smash hit.
Well, that about wraps it up. A big thanks to all of our
customers for their support in the past, and anyone else
that saw what we were trying to accomplish. We hope to
deal with all of you again in the future! All the best.
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======| SEGA X-TRA |======================================
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1. Activision Interview.
Sajed sits down with the developers of Vigilante 8. A good
read, so check it out!
http://www.segadreamcast.net/interviews/10111999_tegulapalle.html
2. Dreamcast Racining.
We could have one of Dreamcast's best racers here. This
week's review, Matt reports on Speed Devils!
http://www.segadreamcast.net/reviews/american/speeddevils_01.html
3. Perfect Port?
Mike checks out Marvel vs. Capcom and finds out whether
the game still has what it takes.
http://www.segadreamcast.net/reviews/american/mvc_01a.html
4. Eternal Arcadia shots!
Chris Tang, owner of Magic Box and our very own News Editor,
provides the latest screens of Etnernal Arcadia for our visual
enjoyment.
http://www.segadreamcast.net/news/101499_eternalarcadia.html
5. The European Launch Party
Our columnist, Will Curely parties hard with countrymen in
the UK. Find out how the whole thing went.
http://www.segadreamcast.net/news/101599_eurolaunch.html
6. The Dreamcast Wermacht!
In his latest column, Mike takes apart Sega's strategy
for Dreamcast and determines what needs to be done against
this year's rival and next's PS2.
http://www.segadreamcast.net/features/mikeb_dcwarma.html
7. The Sega X Mailbag!
What would the site be without its fans? Check out the
feedback from this week's troop of letter writers.
http://www.segadreamcast.net/interact/letters_101599.html
8. Last, but not least...
Mike Bess gives his thoughts on last week's gaming goodness,
and discuss what you can expect next week at "The X."
http://www.segadreamcast.net/news/101599_ednotes.html
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======| CHEATS |==========================================
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>>>> Dreamcast System
O Reset Internet Connection:
When you're downloading something & its taking too long
or it freezes press X+Y+A+B+START to reset the internet
connection & start again from the beginning.
NOTE: this will not damage or reset the internal memory
of the dreamcast. - Submitted by Oscar Banda
O Resetting Internal Memory:
To reset your Dreamcast's internal RAM, insert the Web
Browser GD into your Dreamcast. Now plug a single
controller into slot B amd hold buttons B and X while
turning on the system. Continue to hold them until the
Web Browser's login screen appears.
Note: This is very useful if you were disconnected while
registering with Worldnet. It's the only way to restart
the process.
>>>> NFL 2K
O Weird Text:
To see weird text, enter SCRAWL in the code options.
- Submitted by Jose Z
O Perfect Kicks Everytime:
Whenever you kick the ball, whether it be an extra
point, field goal, a kickoff, or just punting. When
your team is lining up to kick, hit the B button to
select anyone besides the kicker, and your kicker will
be controlled by the computer and will kick a perfect
kick everytime. - Submitted by Fabes
O Pump Up The Crowd:
First pick a linebacker or defensive back. Then press X
before the snap. - Submitted by Three j
O Quiet the Crowd Down:
During a game, before you hike the ball (you have to be
on offense!), press the X button and your QB will move
his arms and the announcer will say " The quarter-back
wants quiet on the play." - Submitted by Jesse "Essej87"
O Sack the Quarterback Every Time:
Having trouble sacking the quarterback? Just go under
penalties and turn the offsides and neutral zone off.
With this done you can sack the quarterback or easily block
punts or field goals. Try this code while playing a friend
and see how long until he realizes your cheating.
- Submitted by Waldo
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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 X - www.segadreamcast.net
Plenty of news added every day, and the best coverage of
the US Launch details you'll find anywhere.
>>>> Sega 2000 - www.sega2000.net
Sega 2000 has grown a lot lately, and one section that
really has... is reader reviews. Sega 2000 is THE place to
send your reader reviews. Don't forget to send in your Top
10 Most Wanted games either.
>>>> The Next Level - www.the-nextlevel.com
The Next Level is a multi-platform gaming magazine focused on
all current and upcoming next-generation systems. We provide
up-to-date news, in-depth reviews, reader reviews, intriguing
editorials, and more.
>>>> Sega Next - www.seganext.com
"Live the Dream" World class Sega coverage. One of the
newer websites dedicated to Sega and their Dreamcast on
the internet, SegaNext has quickly emerged as a worthy
competitor. With a crisp clean layout and a healthy
supply of content, this is a must stop for anyone even
vaguely interested in Sega.
>>>> Perfect Zero - http://www.perfect-zero.com
A brand new design, and what a design!! You have to see this!
They have the biggest collection of video game mp3's, video's
(including some Saturn video's you've probably never seen
before) and more. Also don't forget to vote for your favorite
staff member.
>>>> 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.
>>>> 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!!
>>>> Gaming Central Starpath - www.startpath.com/gamingcentral
Our newest support site and provides hundreds of links for
anything a gamer might be interested in.
>>>> DC Australia - www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/6831/
With the Dreamcast launch in Australia fast approaching it
is my pleasure to bring to you interviews with some of the
most important people in the gaming industry. Recent
interviews include Archer Maclean (Awesome Developments -
Jimmy White's 2), Frederick Raynal (No Cliche - Toy Commander),
Trip Hawkins (3DO - Heroes III) and Greg Zeschuk (Bioware -
MDK2). But thats not it, there are several more surprises in
the coming weeks (does Sonic Team sound good?)
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 Writer: Graham Parker "Tails" - Webmaster@sega2000.net
O Co-editor: Steve - Steve@sega2000.net
O DC QUESTIONS: Please send to - Rob@sega2000.net
But please NO tips questions
>>>> www.DreamcastWeekly.com - Official Website!
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Copyright, 1998-9 Graham Parker - Webmaster@sega2000.net
Written and edited by Graham Parker. No parts may be
copied without prior permission. Otherwise I would be
forced to send out my group of goons... Ok so I don't have
any goons, but copying is just mean... very mean. There,
that should scare them off :)
