Newsletter: Sega World Weekly issue 63 (then Dreamcast Weekly)
From Video Game Morgue File
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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 back issues please visit www.dreamcastweekly.com
> DREAMCAST QUESTIONS: Please note because of the huge
amount of mail I get personally, I regret that I can't
reply to all the Dreamcast questions. Please send your
DREAMCAST questions to...
Rob@Sega2000.net - http://www.Sega2000.net
> For the latest game news, reviews and previews visit the
Premier Video Games Site 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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Phew! What a decade, everything from the boom of the
Internet and Video Games themselves, to the evil of the
Spice Girls, and the terror of Interactive movies.
And this would be the last issue of the Millennium! Since
Xmas is next weekend, there won't be an issue sorry, and
then the weekend after is into 2000. Feel like I should
have something special to say now, some wise words
perhaps... but no, nothing comes to mind.
This issue includes the 3rd, and final part of our
History Of Video Games feature. We look back on this
decade, and see how the games industry has changed.
We've also got a special review, not of a game, but of
the new Sonic Movie, now out in English. The movie can
be found at most local video stores, but you may want to
read our review before hiring.
I'm looking forward to covering Sega next year, as the
company changes, the console wars heat up, and of course
the multiplayer revolution begins.
Until we meet again then, have a Merry Christmas, and
thanks for reading DC Weekly over the year!!!
~ Graham "Ho Ho Ho" 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 - Into The Web Oo.
.oO Page 5 - Review Oo.
.oO Page 6 - Cheats Oo.
.oO Page 7 - OUR SUPPORT SITES Oo.
.oO Page 8 - Credits Oo.
HOT QUOTE This Issue: "Why couldn't Sega get these people
to do the Sonic Adventure voice overs?"
-- Sonic The Movie Review
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======| COVER STORY |=====================================
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>>>> The History Of Video Games - Part 3
>>>> Written by Tails
As the end of the Millennium comes, Dreamcast Weekly takes
a look back at how video games began, and grew to what we
know and play today. This is the final of the 3 week feature,
covering the 1990's, and how the industry has changed. Finally,
look out for a feature on the future of video games in early
January next year.
1990 marks the beginning of the Super Famicom (SNES), a year
after the Genesis was released in the US, for $249.95. Sega
also brings out the Game Gear, Neo Geo releases the 24-bit
Neo-Geo, and NEC the Handheld TurboGrafx-16. As you know,
the SNES and Genesis came out the winners of the early 90's,
but there were certainly other consoles in the market.
The next year the SNES was released in the US, for the same
price as the Genesis. With hits like Mario, what could make
gamers turn to Sega? Sonic :)
Sonic was faster and cooler than Mario, and Sega knew they
had hit something big. Where Alex The Kidd had previously
failed to compete seriously with Nintendo's lead plumber,
Sonic ran rings around with his eyes closed.
But strangely sales didn't go as high as you may think in
1991, and most gamers still picked to play as the
traditional Mario. In 1992 however, Sonic 2 was released
for the Christmas season, and the game sold like crazy.
Just before we dive too far ahead though, a few other
important events happened in 1991...
Street Fighter II launched into arcades, NEC's TurboDuo
launched, and the 32-bit era was approaching. The Sega CD
was announced, the Panther from Atari, and Nintendo and
Sony were working on a CD Add-on for the SNES (which was
set to cost $700!)
The next year, more 3rd parties now took further interest
in Sega, and decided to develop games on the Genesis.
Sega CD development was made less than easy thanks to
Sega keeping most of the development tools to themselves.
Meanwhile another 32-bit console enters the market, the
3DO. Most people know the history of this console, but
for those who don't, it isn't the best. Nintendo leaves
Sony and their work on a CD add on for the SNES, but Sony
continue work on the "Playstation".
In 1993 the 3D0 is marketed by Panasonic, and while
powerful, the $699 price tag puts everyone off. The Jaguar
is created by Atari, and is hyped up as a 64-bit console
(which isn't really true, and leads to many people
being a little confused).
This year marks the beginning of the "dark side" of
video games. Interactive movies and multi-media are
the latest buzz words, and developers are jumping in
to the new technology without thinking. Graphics over
gameplay takes a new meaning with many limited games.
Night Trap from Sega caused a major stir in the public,
as with Mortal Kombat released the year before. The
cover art of Night Trap showed girls in their underwear
being attacked, and you have to remember at the moment
there wasn't any real ratings on video games. Kids
across the world could play game.
The game it's self however was a far cry from the
"evil" images on the cover, but many journalists used
the title to simply make shocking headlines. Here's
just a few quotes I found from the era...
"Police and psychologists believe we are spawning a
nation of monsters through the fantasy world created
by violent video games"
"The manufacturers are evil"
"Parents should be forced to give their name and
address if they buy it"
The year was far from bad overall however, with
games like FIFA International Soccer, Micro Machines,
and Gunstar Hereos.
The ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) was
formed in 1994, to alert buyers of how violent
certain video games were. Joseph Lieberman wanted to
have these violent games banned, but settled for
the ESRB in the end.
The 32X was launched by Sega, at $179.95, along with
impressive titles like Doom, Virtua Racing and Star
Wars. The system doesn't receive enough from support
from developers, including Sega, and never takes
off.
In better news, the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation
were released in Japan in 1994. Followed by the US
and European launches in 1995. This was the start of
more trouble for Sega, as they pushed the release
date for the Saturn up 4 months! Everyone is taken
by surprise, including developers.
While games like Virtua Fighter, Daytona USA were
solid gameplay wise, bugs plagued them and both
were later re-released. Panzer Dragoon impressed,
but failed to draw too much attention from the
upcoming Playstation.
Come the fall of 95 the Playstation is released
for a good price ($299), and with very hot titles,
such as Ridge Racer and Wipeout just to name 2.
The 16-bit generation wasn't over yet however,
but very slowly died down. Developers were putting
most of their efforts into the future, and more
consoles were announced...
The Virtual Boy is a stop-gap while people wait
for the much delayed Project Reality, Ultra 64,
or as it was finally named, the N64. A failure
for Nintendo, who stop all development for in
1996.
Sega has been working on a new console, known
as the Neptune, which will combine the Genesis,
32X, and Mega CD into one. The machine was
created as a proto-type, but never released.
Actually, I know someone who has the machine :)
The Neptune is scrapped because Sega decides
to drop support for the Sega CD and 32X, and
concentrate on the Saturn. Retailers and
gamers alike are left with harsh feelings
against Sega.
Nintendo released it's N64 in Japan during
1995, and after a huge launch, begins a
trend still slowing the N64 down today,
too few games. The games, even though of good
quality, were released too far apart, while
the Playstation was receiving hordes of titles.
Square drop Nintendo and bring their next title,
Final Fantasy 7 over to the Playstation.
1996 is marked with Virtua Fighter 3, a new
standard in video game graphics. A Saturn port
was long rumored, and possibly was in development,
but never confirmed.
The Nintendo 64 is released in America during
the year, to sales of 1.7 million units in the
first 3 months. Mario 64 received perfect
ratings across game magazines, and was indeed the
perfect start for a system.
The Atlantis is a new 32-bit color Gameboy to
be released by Nintendo, although soon canned as
they concentrate more efforts on the N64 and
the Gameboy Pocket.
The 64DD is delayed again, and again, and again.
The machine only recently launched in Japan, and
isn't coming the US or Europe.
By 1997 people are already seeing the end in the
Sega Saturn, and the next machine from Sega is
rumored.
Sega also announces it intendeds to merge with
Bandai, and be renamed SegaBandai (eek!). The merger
was called off, only 2 days later. Bandai is
the company reasonable for the next video gaming
boom, the Virtual Pet.
Their Tamagotchi is released in the US, followed
quickly by other country's, and loved by all. Other
companies quickly came up with their versions,
from Virtual Dogs, to Virtual Baby's, and even
some licensed from the Jurassic Park movie.
Unfortunately some people became too addicted to
their virtual pets, and the little machine had to
be banned around many schools. A very sad story from
Japan involves a person committing suicide when his
virtual pet died.
A year later the Tamagotchi I bought from $40 (US$20),
was in the bargain bin for just $5. The craze was
over, but they certainly had an impact on the
industry. Perhaps reasonable for Pokemon, and surly
reasonable for the Chao mini-game in Sonic Adventure.
Later that year the handheld console, Gameboy, is
still amazing people with it's sales, and Nintendo
work on the Gameboy Color. As everyone knows, the
color version is selling strong, despite a still
high price tag. Further add-ons like a camera and
printer were added to the Gameboy lineup.
In 1998, the Dreamcast was revealed, and by the
end of the year released to a complete sell out of
all 150,000 units.
Rumors of the Playstation 2 build up during the
year, and some fairly high specs are laughed off
by Sega fans, which turn out to be more correct
that we thought in 1999. Sony has no comment on the
system, and are happy to let rumors fly around the
net.
The Legend of Zelda is THE title for 98, receiving
the first perfect 40/40 rating in the Weekly Famitsu
magazine. Helping to boost sales of the N64, Nintendo
are fairly happy with how their system is going.
As for 1999, the year isn't over yet. Shenmue is still
to be released, and Sega Of America hopes to sell 1.5
million Dreamcast consoles in the US. Despite the
Playstation 2 and the Nintendo Dolphin being announced,
sales of the Dreamcast around the world have even
blown Sega away. A great finish for the Millennium, and
a great start for the future of video games.
History Trivia:
---------------
Q) What was the Playstation originally designed to be?
A) A CD drive add-on to the Super Famicom (SNES).
Q) Which year was Sonic first revealed?
A) 1991
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======| NEWS |============================================
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>>>> Soul Calibur Sells 1 Million
Namco of Japan were happy to announce today that Soul
Calibur, the game dubbed by some as the best fighting
game ever, has sold over 1 million copies.
To celebrate this achievement, Namco are offering 3 VMU
mini-game downloads on their website. Upon completing
these games, you'll be treated to a surprise.
To download please visit the Namco page on the dricas
network (for Japan).
>>>> Capcom's 2000 Lineup
Capcom announced it's Dreamcast lineup for the first
few months of 2000 this week, and take a look for your
self, this is strong!
February:
O JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
O Street Fighter Alpha 3
O Plasma Sword
March:
O Resident Evil Code: Veronica
O Tech Romancer
April:
O Street Fighter III: Double Impact
O Giga Wing
Resident Evil Code: Veronica is clearly the most
anticipated video game for the first quarter 2000. It
is an entirely new chapter in the award-winning
blockbuster series that sold more than 13 million
units worldwide and established the survival horror
genre. Capcom's Shinji Mikami, creator of the Resident
Evil series, is the executive producer.
Capcom's fighting game line-up of franchise favorites
includes: Street Fighter III: Double Impact, Street
Fighter III: Double Impact, and the revolutionary 3-D
fighting game; Plasma Sword, the surreal 3-D fighter
sequel to the acclaimed Star Gladiator.
Capcom also introduces two brand-new fighting games.
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, currently one of the best-selling
video games in Japan, is based on the popular classic
Japanese comic book. Tech Romancer, based on famous
Japanese robot animes, is a 3-D fighter featuring
monstrous mechanoids battling in beautifully rendered
three-dimensional worlds.
Achieving better than arcade perfect graphics is Giga
Wing, an addictive futuristic scrolling-shooter.
>>>> Michael Makes An Out of This World Appearance
Word on the street has it that the voice of a very
popular performer is on the soundtrack of Sega's Space
Channel 5. Known as "Space Michael" in the game, the
voice is actually from none other than the gloved one
himself, Michael Jackson. In fact, conquer the game
and you'll even see his name in the credits. (This isn't
the first time he's done work for Sega either, he was the
star of their now old AS-1 space arcade sim - Tails)
Why he would be in a video game in the first
place puzzles us, but if its going to be a game, it
might as well be a hot music game from Sega! Oh
plus, that screech he makes when singing gave it
away too.
>>>> 16 Bit Treasure Box
In the recent issue of Denkigi Dreamcast magazine in
Japan, Treasure announced that they will be producing
a classic compilation title for Dreamcast console. This
compilation GD ROM will include popular 16-bit Treasure
game titles for Super Famicom and Mega Drive. Gunstar
Heroes on the Dreamcast, nice.
There is no word on whether these game will have any sort
of enhancement, or just a direct port.
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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.
>>>> Secret To Be Revealed In March 2000
This year Sega has surprised gamers with titles like
Sega GT (previewed on Sega 2000 this coming week by the
way), and Phantasy Star Online. But Sega is said to be
working on another secret project, to be revealed next
March, the month before the big E3 show.
What could it be? Expect more rumors to come out of this
one! We'll keep you updated if anything big comes up.
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======| INTO THE WEB |====================================
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>>>> Bizarre is correct!
Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is Capcom's latest 2D fighter,
and you have to see this one in action! It isn't the
latest movie on NextGenVideos, but like Chu Chu Rocket
last week, is a must see.
www.NextGenVideos.com
More Capcom titles include Giga Wing, and Star Gladiator 2.
>>>> Importers To Stay Well Away From
The other site we like to keep updated with is Lik-Sang.
While there isn't any new hardware, the latest lineup of
games could give your credit card a heart attack!
O Shenmue
O Biohazard 2 (Resident Evil 2)
O Street Fighter 3 - W Impact
O Virtual On 2: OT
O Zombie Revenge
O Virtua Striker 2000
Not a bad way for Sega to finish up the year eh?
Dreamcast Weekly recommends checking out www.Lik-Sang.com
for importing, and have received great feedback from
our readers.
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======| REVIEW |==========================================
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>>>> Sonic The Movie
>>>> Written by Tails
Ever since I got Sonic Jam and saw the trailer for a
Sonic movie, I've wanted to see more. Sonic doing battle
with the very, very cool Robo Sonic is hard to pass up.
Finally, 3 years after making the movie, it has been
translated to English, and I got the chance to watch it
this weekend.
Now for a big Sonic fan like myself, it's not going to
matter if the movie is poor, I'm still going to hire it
out at least once. But for people who's walls aren't plastered
with Sonic posters, and who don't sleep with a Tails soft
toy every night, here's a full review...
The movie is 55 minutes in length, and aimed at the younger
gamers. The slapstick humor like Knuckles kicking Sonic
and running after each other is certainly aimed at kids,
but hey, there's still a little kid in everyone right?
The plot goes that Metal Robotnik (yes Robotnik) has taken
over Robotropolis, and the power generator is going to
explode within the next day. "This is bad!" as Tails would
often point out. Someone must make their way through the
traps in Robotropolis and stop the generator before it
destroys the entire planet. That someone would be Sonic,
taking his buddy Tails along too of course.
That however is only the beginning, there's a fare dose of
twists, abliet a little predictable at times, that build
up to a battle Sonic Vs Hyper Metal Sonic. Ok I won't tell
you anymore, but it's certainly exciting, and the battle's
well done!
Interesting facts are revealed through out the movie for
those Sonic fans amongst us, for example that neither
Sonic or Tails can swim, and what Knuckles favorite hobby
is.
A few more nice touches like badniks from the actual
Sonic games, springs and the Tornado plane are welcome,
and a change from most other Sonic cartoons.
One of the main characters however, Sarah, remains a little
of a mystery to me. At some times she's the damsel in
distress, and at others almost seems to be working with
Robotnik. How some of the characters react, almost too
calmly around Robotnik is a little odd.
Now since the film comes from Japan, the voices are dubbed.
Tails sounds like he has a stuffed nose for lack of a
better description, but after a little while you realize
it suits Sonic's young pal. Sonic's voice is, well... not
as good as the SamAM cartoon, but it still suits him too.
More importantly, totally unlike Sonic Adventure, the
voices actually do match the characters mouths very well.
Some lines seem like they are changed to fit the animation,
but overall it's well done. Now why couldn't Sega get
these people to do the Sonic Adventure voice overs?
Finally, the animation it's self. Why I left this to the
end is because to be honest, there isn't much to say. It's
a cartoon as you'd expect, and there's nothing too special.
A few nice effects, and some clear Jap style, but it
really is pretty average.
Overall the movie is a good hour spent for kids or big
Sonic fans, but for the average gamer, the Hedgehogs first
movie is nothing special.
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======| CHEATS |==========================================
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>>>> NBA Showtime
O Play As Mascots:
To play as team mascots, for each corresponding team enter
the following mascot names and PIN numbers:
Toronto Raptors - RAPTOR 1020
Seattle Sonics - SASQUA 7785
Denver Nuggets - ROCKY 0201
Charlotte Hornets - HORNET 1105
Atlanta Hawks - HAWK 0322
Chicago Bulls - BENNY 0503
Houston Rockets - TURBO 1111
Indiana Pacers - BOOMER 0604
Minnesota Timberwolves - CRUNCH 0503
New Jersey Nets - SLY 6765
Phoenix Suns - GORILA 0314
Utah Jazz - BEAR 1228
-- Contributed by Jb and Noah Bellotti
O Create-a-Player Characters:
Kerri the Female Player - KERRI 0220
Kerri in Alternate Uniform - KERRI 1111
Lia the Female Player - LIA 0712
Lia in Alternate Uniform - LIA 1111
Retro Rob - RETRO 1970
Pinto Horse - PINTO 1966
White Horse - HORSE 1966
Small Alien - SMALLS 0856
Large Alien - BIGGY 0958
Nikko the Devil Dog - NIKKO 6666
Old Man - OLDMAN 2001
Clown - CRISPY 2084
Pumpkin - JACKO 1031
Wizard - THEWIZ 1136
Referee - THEREF 7777
-- Contributed by Jb
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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, including a new IRC Java
chat room where you can chat about all the latest Sega
topics.
>>>> Sega 2000 - www.sega2000.net
Christmas Is Here! Be sure to check out our special Christmas
site design, and while your there, our preivew of Sega GT,
Xmas Buyers Guide, and more!
>>>> 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.
>>>> Perfect Zero - http://www.perfect-zero.com
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.
>>>> 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.
>>>> 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/
Now the Dreamcast is out in Australia, this should be your
first stop for news down under. Don't forget to check out
their interview with Sonic Team while your there too!
The official website for the Dreamcast Weekly is now open at
www.dreamcastweekly.com :) We've got the history of the
magazine, back issues, and more. 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 :)
