Newsletter: Sega World Weekly issue 57 (then Dreamcast Weekly)
From Video Game Morgue File
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/_______> > > DREAMCAST WEEKLY MAGAZINE < < <________\
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//// ~ Issue #57 - 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 DREAMCAST
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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NBA 2K. Enough said to excite thousands of American gamers,
who have been eagerly awaiting Visual Concepts take on the
NBA. This week we review the game as our cover feature.
SONIC ADVENTURE 2. Another big name mentioned this week,
and it's confirmed. Check out the news section, along with
Resident Evil 2 news, and an Evolution delay.
The final part of the Resident Evil Halloween Story is
waiting on Page 5. Apologizes for not including it with
last weeks issue, but we reached our 30k mailing list
limit.
Speaking of 30k, we've almost broke that mark in
subscribers. Thanks to everyone reading this, and those
who have followed us for awhile, will know the numbers
are shooting up faster now than ever.
The first Video Gamers League is coming up in less than
2 weeks now, and finally... Don't forget to check out
the rumors, for Metal Gear Solid, and Die Hard Trilogy 2.
~ 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 - Video Gamers League Oo.
.oO Page 5 - Halloween Story Oo.
.oO Page 6 - OUR SUPPORT SITES Oo.
.oO Page 7 - Credits Oo.
HOT QUOTE This Issue: "From Shaq's Superman tattoo to
Iverson's cornrows, it's all here."
-- NBA 2K Review - This weeks cover story
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======| COVER STORY |=====================================
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>>>> NBA 2K REVIEW
>>>> Written by Sajed
Let me preface this review by relating how much of a
hoops fanatic I happen to be. I don't know whether it was
some type of enlightening experience with the game as a
young lad, but basketball has firmly entrenched itself into
the nether recesses of my fragile little mind. Just in case
you're wondering my basketball games library spans all the
way from 'Great Basketball' for the Master System to the
latest installment of the 'NBA Live' series. I've owned them
all, and I've played them all - perhaps a bit incessantly.
So, it's with great anticipation, and a glimmer of skepticism,
that I sunk my claws into Visual Concept's latest Dreamcast
project, Sega Sports NBA 2k.
Like a blind man turning the corner I didn't know what to
expect. Would it be an orgasmic experience of basketball
gaming, replicating my beloved sport right down to Kobe's
boyish confidence and Vince Carter's godly athleticism? Or
would it be just a melange of eye candy, without the essence
of hoops clearly mirrored in its gameplay? Upon meticulous
analysis, for what its worth, NBA 2k is neither. It's not
the pinnacle of hoops gaming I had expected - especially
after VC achieved near perfection with NFL 2k - but it is
also an entertaining, visually impressive, feature rich,
basketball game that easily holds my wavering attention.
It's fun to play and is laden with the possibility of future
achievement. So much so, it already has me beaming with
anticipation for next year's version, which incidentally
should prominently feature online play.
The place to start with either of VC's sports games is of
course the amazing graphics. The same cutting edge visual
detail in NFL 2k has made it almost unscathed onto its
basketball counterpart. The player faces are precisely,
albeit painstakingly, rendered to look exactly like their
real life counterparts. I can't recall how many times I
found myself muttering, "Wow! That looks exactly like..."
during the course of the player introductions. The VC team
missed very few details. From Shaq's Superman tattoo to
Iverson's cornrows, it's all here. Even all 28 NBA home
courts, including new arenas like the Staples Center is
virtually replicated.
Just like in NFL 2k, as you watch a ballgame being played
through the eyes of the "cinematic" camera, you will be
hard pressed to recognize NBA 2k as a virtual facsimile.
You will actually find yourself watching a demo
basketball game, and almost believe you're watching the
real NBA. Despite the vaguely polygonal look of the
players up close, NBA 2k is eons ahead of anything you've
seen in basketball video games, in terms of visual detail.
The coaches, who are also rendered, based on their real
life counterparts, pace the sidelines and bark out
directions. Benchwarmers celebrate after a big basket,
and in more than one occasion we've seen them actually
throw the ball back in after it rolled out of bounds
near the bench. Referees drag their out of shape,
prescription glasses needing selves up and down the court.
And the crowd not only reacts according to the action on
the floor, but they each react differently. Some wave
their hands, some jump up and down, and some presumably
catch up on much-needed sleep, glued to their seats.
The realistic ambiance of the NBA 2k courts is simply amazing.
Despite the detailed graphics however, the player
animation is not quite in the same league as NFL 2k. Both
games used similar motion capture technology, but whether
it was some inherent difficulty in creating realistic
basketball movement or whether the motion capture "dummy"
wasn't a visually aesthetic hoopster to begin with, the
players in NBA 2k don't move with the same fluidity as
their football counterparts. Their movements look
"fundamentally sound," rather than sporting the athletic
grace of today's players. Imagine a court full of John
Stockton clones scampering around, and you get the idea
(Yes, a very scary thought! I know). But the player animation
isn't all bad, the myriad of dunking and layup animations
are both realistic and intense - you can actually feel the
thunder, and see the basket quiver, as Shaq throws one down.
But enough about the graphics, what about the gameplay?
Hold your horses young Jedi, we're getting there. To keep
this review vaguely coherent, let's talk about the game's
options first, and use my perspicacious writing skills to
flow seamlessly into the depths of the gameplay details. The
first thing you'll notice about the game's interface is that
it looks strikingly similar to NFL 2k, with the same ovoid
options menu. You'll get to choose from Practice, Season,
Exhibition, Playoffs, Quickstart, and Customization modes.
Practice mode lets you take your team to the Sega Sports
practice facility, which incidentally looks eerily similar
to my local YMCA gym, devoid of the Dreamcast symbols of
course. In one player mode, all you can do is basically
shoot around. Playing with a friend or two, or three, you
can assume control of four starters and run your own
precision passing drills and fast breaks. What fun!? The
reason for my shifty sarcasm is that none of the players
can perform defensive moves in the Practice mode, like
block shots or steal the ball, so forget about inter-squad
scrimmages - which would have been a very cool addition.
Eh, maybe next year.
The Exhibition mode is as it sounds. It lets you pit any
two of the 28 NBA teams head-to-head in games that don't
count. In the Season mode, you can either play a fantasy
season, complete with a full fantasy draft, or take you
team barreling through the current '99-2000 season. The
schedule is of course an authentic one, which means you
can play virtual replicas of actual NBA game as they happen.
Peachy! Which reminds me, the Lakers are playing the
Blazers on Saturday. I better get that game in before the
real hoopsters take to the court. Now we smoothly seagway
to the Customization mode, which as in NFL 2k is detailed
and entertaining, in a Dr. Frankenstien sort of way. The
player editor is the most comprehensive, and incidentally
also the funniest, we've ever seen. Just for the fun of
it, because I'm demented like that, I created a basketball
monstrosity named Bolo. He's 6' 8" and looks to be just
a tad below 420 pounds. Bolo running down the court with
his pear shaped head and thunder thighs is a sight
to behold. Because you can customize everything from the
player's leg width, arm scale, waist, and chin shape to
their ear size, mouth shape, tattoos, and facial hair,
you too can create your own freakish ball player. Of
course, you can opt to create realistic looking ballers
as well, but where's the fun in that?
After you deftly maneuver through the game's options
menus and get to the court, you'll realize that NBA 2k's
gameplay is a tattered mix. Visual Concepts, after
being scoffed at by some for the realistic, but
relatively less playable NBA Action '98, went back and
attempted to combine arcade action with simulation play.
For the most part they were successful. Gameplay
features like backing down defenders in the post, which
is extremely effective by the way, to incredibly
intelligent AI (Artificial Intelligence) showcases the
game's simulation aspects. But, elements like the ability
to initiate moves 15-18 feet from the basket with some
players, plays heavily to the game's arcade characteristics.
Of course, I have no problem with being able to begin
dribble drives from outside the paint - in fact, there's
some essence of realism in the ability to do that - but
I do have a problem with not being able to play tight
defense. Its significantly difficult to clamp down on
teams defensively in crunch-time, especially using either
the pro or all pro modes and with the game speed set on
fast, which I have become accustomed to. It's easy enough
to patrol the paint, and get crucial blocks, but stealing
the ball, from a point or a shooting guard on the move is
virtually impossible. Go for a steal on a moving player
and you'll easily find yourself grabbing your ankles as
the offensive player makes a bee-line to the hoop. In the
end, you're relegated to just staying between your defender
and the basket and playing fundamental defense. There's
that word again, fundamental. I enjoyed taking control of
the point or shooting guard and stripping opposing guards
(of the ball, get your mind out of the gutter), and using
my lightning quick reflexes of course, in other basketball
games of late. But with NBA 2k I find it more entertaining
to take control of one of the tall trees and get block
happy in the paint. Playing effective defense becomes that
much more difficult when taking on a human opponent,
especially a skilled one. I guess offensive basketball is
fun - see all the NBA rule changes this year - but I'll
always be a sucker for innovative defensive schemes and
athletic defensive stoppers without a hint of fear in their
eyes.
Aurally, NBA 2k sounds like a real basketball game,
meaning it's a harmonious clattering of several different
noises. During play, you can hear the coach barking out
commands and encouragements, players bad mouthing
opponents, referees calling out fouls, and the crowd
chanting. As icing on this auditory cake is the smooth
delivery and accurate commentary of the Sega Sports voice
actors. Although not as diverse as NFL 2k, the announcing
is NBA 2k is more attuned to the on-court action, and is
in essence better overall. The catch phrases and witty
interjections in NBA 2k are actually interesting, and
don't come out sounding corny as it did sometimes in
NFL 2k. But once again, actual NBA announcers would
have made it that much better. Wasn't someone like Hubie
Brown, Doug Collins, or Marv Albert available? Actually,
check that last one - forget Marv.
If you take a step back and look at the complete package
of NBA 2k, it's nothing but entertaining and fun. With
the fast, fluid, realistic gameplay, including team
specific playbooks like the Lakers' Triangle Offense,
and amazingly detailed graphics NBA 2k has plenty of
depth. As I said earlier in this review, way back when,
NBA 2k easily holds my fragile attention span, and that's
not an easy task. It's doesn't approach perfection as NFL
2k did in its unwavering realism, but it is a very good
basketball game - and a truly worthy addition to my
ever growing hoops video games library, and yours.
FINAL RATINGS:
O Graphics: 94%
O Sound: 91%
O Gameplay: 90%
O Lastability: 90%
O OVERALL: 91%
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======| NEWS |============================================
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>>>> Sonic Adventure 2 CONFIRMED
Late this week Sega Of America spoke at the 9th Annual Toy
and Interactive Entertainment Conference. During Charles
Bellfield's speech, he confirmed the development of Sonic
Adventure 2, and it's expected release date of late next
year.
It seems almost too sudden for a Sonic sequel, although
when the game is released next year, it will be 2 years
on from the original in Japan.
Exactly who will be handling the game still remains a
mystery at the moment, but given Sonic Team's busy
schedule this year, and Phantasy Star Online next, that
wouldn't leave them with much time on their hands.
Travellers Tales perhaps? We'll keep you updated.
- Written by Tails
>>>> Resident Evil 2 For Europe?
According to IGN today, Resident Evil 2 has appeared on the
European release list at a Game store.
The manager of the store commented, "As far as we know,
Resident Evil 2 will not be released over in America, but
Sega of Europe is planning to release it over here, in
order to further increase sales of the Dreamcast. We were
told that it will be available by December or January."
If Sega Of Europe is paying for the translation, who
knows, maybe it will turn up in America some time. For
now however, that's certainly good news for Europeans.
- Written by Tails
>>>> Evolution 2 Delay
Bad news for RPG fans this week, as the Dreamcast's first
title has been delayed.
Evolution, originally due out on November 15th, has been
pushed back to December 5th. UbiSoft Spokeswoman Sandra
Yee announced the reason to be "the game was originally
slated for the 15th, but had a few localization issues,
and we wanted to make sure that we had everything perfect
for release."
- Written by Tails
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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.
>>>> Big Industry Murmurings
An article in the latest issue of EGM details some very
interesting new Dreamcast prospects for the year 2000.
We're not sure what to think, but the article seemed to
have very strong reason to believe that each respective
rumored game is true.
Firstly, sources inside of Konami have indicated that
Metal Gear Solid is coming to the Dreamcast. Microsoft
recently acquired the rights to port the game over to the
PC, so it's completely believable that they'd also bring
it to the Dreamcast.
Secondly, EGM's sources at Fox Interactive reportedly
indicate that the company is making plans to bring Die
Hard Trilogy 2 to the Dreamcast, due to high light gun
and HOTD2 sales. A member of Fox was quoted as saying,
"They need another gun game for that system, this could
be one of them."
Finally, one bit of news that many of us have been waiting
for for a long time. Apparently Electronic Arts has
noticed how much the Dreamcast is catching on here in
the states and is now interested in porting over some
of its major sports franchises to the system. We're
expecting official announcements on this matter soon.
- Written by Matt White
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======| VIDEO GAMERS LEAGUE |=============================
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There's just 2 weeks till the first event in Dallas, TX
now. Registration can be done on their website,
www.videogamersleague.com
This week I contacted Jeff Gross at the VGL, and they
are "now considering setting up a few TVs for an open
gaming area. Participants would have to provide consoles
and games but that would allow them to play games that
aren't really suited for tournament play (Mario Party,
Mario Golf, etc) and give them something to do between
official tournaments."
The last 2 weeks we've listed the Dreamcast games that
will be at the event, now here's the Playstation &
Nintendo 64 tournaments...
PSX: Crash Team Racing, Gran Turismo, Ridge Racer Type 4,
Street Fighter Alpha 3, Tekken 3, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater,
Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, WWF Attitude
N64: BattleTanx II, GoldenEye, Mario Kart 64, NBA
Showtime, NFL Blitz 2000, Super Smash Bros, Turok 2,
WinBack
Website: http://www.videogamersleague.com
E-mail: info@videogamersleague.com.
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======| HALLOWEEN STORY |=================================
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>>>> Resident Evil Fan Story: Part 3
>>>> Written by Matt
As I stood in the hallway, my mind went completely blank.
It was like, I was standing up, but unconscience of
everything else going on. It was like, like I had
forgotten everything that had happened. Suddenly, I
heard a voice.
"Rick, get a move on will you! Like you said, we have to
lock as many doors as we can, and keep these zombies away
from us" Kenneth yelled. He had started to loose his patience.
"Oh, um, yeah, coming" I whispered. My throat started
to ache.
About a half an hour passed, and there was no sign of
anymore zombies. Zombies or no zombies, we were still
going to lock as many doors as we could find.
"I have two keys. I'm going to put one of them in the
dining room, behind the grandfather clock. We have a
special code for this you see. If you play a certain
tune in the piano room, a secret wall will open up.
Behind that wall is a stone, with an emblem in it. Take
out the gold emblem, and replace it with a wooden
emblem, like the one over at the fireplace. Anyway,
when you stick the gold emblem in the fireplace, the
grandfather clock will simultaneously move, revealing
the key. The other key, well, I'm going to put that
in the garden house, out beside the plants. I won't
hide it that well, so if someone does manage to get
trapped here, at least they'll be able to find that
key easily enough. There are another two, the helmet
and sword keys, but I'm not sure where they are, maybe
outside in the guard house."
Kenneth did just what I had said. It wasn't long
before we were finished. Things were weird, there
wasn't anyone in sight. It was quiet, too quiet.
"Ken, what do you think is really causing all this.
Like, people coming back from the dead, how could
it happen?" I asked, hoping for an answer.
"I honestly don't know Rick, but I do know one
thing. When I was a child, my grandfather used
to always tell me 'When there's no more room in
hell, the dead will walk the Earth'. Silly really,
but I always believed it would happen. Maybe it's
an omen..."
Immediately as the sentence was finished, the windows
smashed open. Dead bodies started to make their way
into the hall. There was tons of them, probably 15
in all. I felt as if they knew we were in here.
They wanted us badly. I could tell. We quickly took
out our guns, and started to fire. It wasn't helping,
they just kept on coming. One of them made a leap
for me. I pushed him back off my shoulder, and
slowly stepped away. Why weren't they dying?
"Go for their heads!" Kenneth shouted.
"I know, I know!"
And so we did. I managed to take down 4, while
Kenneth killed the others. He was obviously a
professional at this, he wouldn't be in this job if
he wasn't. We began to rest. The peace wasn't to
last though, as another 20 or so zombies started
appearing from everywhere! We couldn't kill them
all, not at the rate they were coming.
"Quick Rick, run out through the hallway and past the
stairs!"
We made a dash for it out the door, past the zombies,
pushing them off of us and doing our best not to let
them bite us. The were angry, very angry. Luckily,
we managed to escape. We hid in the smaller hall,
just outside of the piano room, which was now locked.
Kenneth was bleeding badly. The zombies had got him.
I was afraid, afraid he was going to turn into one
of them.
"I'll be all right", he pleaded. "I'll be all right."
"Keep back Ken. Just stay away from me!" I roared.
I started to back away. His eyes didn't look right,
he was looking pale. Suddenly, my chest began to
hurt. I fell onto the floor. The pain, it was so
sore. I was cold, so very cold. I gazed down at
my hands. They looked dark and cold, almost as if
I was dead...
"Are you all right Rick?" Kenneth tried to say, still
getting over the zombie attack from before.
"I don't know, what's going on, what's happening to
me? Please, please help me!"
It was too late. My mind had gone completely blank.
It was like, I was a different person, someone far
different from before. I began to scratch badly.
I was itchy, very itchy. I began to scratch my face,
its skin began to peel away. My legs felt weak.
I had no energy. I made an effort to sit on the
chair, but I couldn't drag my legs over to it. I
collapsed on the ground.
"Itchy, hungry, mmmmmm"
"What did you say? What Rick?"
In my last few minutes of remembrance, I grabbed onto
his legs. I don't know why. I wanted to eat him.
I was so hungry, I was starving. I tried to force
myself not to, but I had too, in order to survive.
Ken began to struggle, I grabbed his arms, and made
an attempt to bite him.
"No, you're one of them Rick, please no, get back!"
He took out his gun, and fired a shot. It had hit my
arm. There was no pain. Another shot was made, this
time at my stomach. I didn't feel a thing. Angry at
his attempts to try and kill me, I grabbed him tightly,
and began to chew on his neck. Kenneth began to
scream. I didn't care. I enjoyed it too much,
his blood, his flesh, it tasted so delicious.
A noise came from outside. I vaguely heard some
footsteps. The door opened. As I finished off
Kenneth, his head fell to the floor, and a varay
of blood splattered all over the ground. I slowly
turned my neck around, trying to see who it was. A
young woman stood there, dressed in blue. Who was she?
"What the hell? Who are you?" she cried.
"Itchy, hungry, mmmmm."
"Barry, Barry, get in here now!" she yelled.
"What Jill?" a voice from the other room shouted.
I made a leap for her knees. She took out her gun
and fired at my shoulder. I made one final effort to
bite her. She had shot again, this time at my head.
I fell slowly to the ground, letting out a groan, and
took one last look at the world around me....
THE END?
>>>> If you've written any fan stories, feel free to send
them into us at webmaster@sega2000.net and they may well
appear in DC Weekly for almost 30,000 people to enjoy!
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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 Editor: Graham Parker "Tails" - Webmaster@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 :)
