Newsletter: Sega World Weekly issue 64 (then Dreamcast Weekly)
From Video Game Morgue File
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//// ~ Issue #64 - January 9th 2000 ~ \\\\
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o> Please SCROLL DOWN for the Editors Comments <o
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======| ABOUT DREAMCAST WEEKLY |==========================
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> For past issues visit http://www.dreamcastweekly.com
> For the latest game news, reviews and previews visit the
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======| EDITORS COMMENTS |================================
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After the Christmas break, welcome back to Dreamcast
Weekly! We start off 2000 with a preview of possibly the
years biggest racing game, Sega GT. Being a large racing
fan myself, this is a title that's topped my most wanted
list for a few months now.
News starts off with a bang, as Dead Or Alive 2 is hitting
America much sooner than you'd believe. Further headlines
include how Sega is not planning to fight Mod Chips,
another delay for Rainbow 6, and an update for your
Dreamcast Browser.
Then this weeks review puts Suzuki Alstare Extreme
Racing to the test, and as the Dreamcast's only
motorbike racer, how does it hold up? Find out on page 5.
Our "Into The Web" page includes an interesting adapter
that lets you use your PC Joypads and Keyboards on the
Dreamcast, and 3 hi-quality Shenmue movies at
NextGenVideos.com
Finally new cheats include Vigilante 8: Second Offense,
and the Sega Demo Disc #3.
Until next week then,
~ Graham "Tails" Parker (Editor)
.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: "With House Of The Dead 2, and
Zombie Revenge, can the Dreamcast take another Zombie
shooter?"
-- This Weeks Rumors, just after the News.
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======| COVER STORY |=====================================
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>>>> Sega GT: Homologation Special Preview
>>>> Written by Tails
Some of the biggest games in history have appeared out of
nowhere, Nights in particular is a title that really
springs to mind. But back at the end of October 1999,
Sega revealed a top secret racing game, which looked
very promising indeed.
Sega GT: Homologation Special, (is a little hard to
pronounce), and going head to head against the
Playstation's Gran Tourismo. In fact the game has already
been hailed by many as a "Gran Tourismo beater".
Sega GT does stand for Sega Gran Tourismo after all.
The graphics are certainly a high point in the game, the
textures being nothing short of stunning. Everything from
the smooth car models, to the fine grass on the road side
screams care and quality from the development team. Even
the animation on the cars them selves is a far cry from
the "floating vehicles" in Sega Rally 2. Each wheel has
independent suspension, and gives the cars a very 'bouncy'
look.
However eye candy alone doesn't make for a great game...
Championship Mode is where the gameplay is really at,
putting you into a variety of tournaments, where the
object is to earn money and upgrade your car. Starting
your virtual driving career isn't easy. You begin with
a base level car, and must go through a qualifying
round, and earn the license (by taking a Driving Test)
to compete in either the JGTC (All Japan GT Championship),
or a private race, from one of the many real life sponsors.
For those of us used to Sega's arcade style gameplay,
power sliding around corners and such, taking Sega GT
for a first drive may be a little shocking. This driving
sim uses highly realistic physics. To begin with,
taking real acceleration and breaking times taken from
the car manufacturers. If the control is a little too
much however, Arcade mode may be a better place to begin.
Single Race and Time Attack modes are the perfect place to
practice, and the realism is taken down a notch. Single
Race is pretty self-explanatory, and Time Attack features
the now standard ghost cars. For those new to this genre,
your best run is recorded, and your "ghost car" drives
around the track while you race.
For those who want to battle it out with a mate however,
Dual Mode is up next. 2 players can enter their cars from
the Championship mode, and take to the tracks in a split
screen battle. Wether the CPU cars are in the race with
you or not remains unknown at the moment, although given
the history of racing titles I'd bet on the later. Pity,
because I'm sure the Dreamcast wouldn't have a heart
attack trying.
As I mentioned, with your winnings you can visit the Car
Dealer and purchase upgrades, but also take your vehicle to
the Factory Mode, and edit it your self. Everything from
giving the engine an overhaul, to changing the suspension,
reducing the weight and more, are at your fingertips. Expect
to get into the real nit and grit of the driving sim here.
Now one of the major features of Gran Tourismo was the sheer
number of cars included. Sega GT gives Sony's title a run for
it's money, with over 100 cars to choose from. Models include
Japanese import's, Toyota Supra, Nissan Skyline, Porche 911,
Nissan Silvia, Mazda RX7, Ferrari F355, BMW M3, Toyota MR2,
Diablo GTR, Honda NSX, Porche 964, Nismo GTR, and more.
Each car is significantly different from the last, and with
100 vehicles, that's quite a task finding the ideal car for
you. If your just looking for speed however, the Drag Race
is the perfect place to go. Just recently announced, this
mode is a battle of pure speed, and will put each cars
real life acceleration times to the test. Modifying your
car to shave a few tenths of a second of the best time
is going to be a long lasting challenge.
Myself, I love watching races on TV, and they always have
me itching for a real TV style racer to play. Introducing
the next mode, the Replay Booth. After finishing an
impressive run, you may like to save your replay to a memory
card, and view it from various angles in the Replay Booth.
Here's hoping for some serious TV presentation here.
Finally, comes the Internet screen. Unfortunately, as with
many titles at the moment, it doesn't mean racing over
the net. Instead, you can use the Internet mode to swap
best times, ghost cars, and perhaps even your upgraded
cars. Which while a nice touch, it's still a pity you
can't race, that would have really kicked the Playstation 2
where it hurts :) Without a modem, multi player GT 2000
isn't possible.
We can already see from the screens and movies that the
graphics are close to Shenmue in terms of excellence and
detailed textures, but as for the control and music,
we'll have a full review after the games release in Japan,
on February 17th. Until then, a Hong Kong site, Gameplayers
posted a great 10mb movie, which can be downloaded from
this address...
ftp://203.169.133.11/videogames/movie/gt.mpg
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======| NEWS |============================================
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>>>> Dead Or Alive 2 On Feb 18th!
Tecmo's fighter, Dead Or Alive 2 has certainly drawn it's
fair share of press, but with good reason, the game is
stunning! But what's been really on everyone's mind is
when the Dreamcast version is coming. Surprise!
February 18th is the date, and not for Japan, but the US.
Along with Crazy Taxi due out on Feb 2nd, next month is
shaping up great.
>>>> Upgrade Your DC Browser
Planetweb and Sega will be releasing the upgraded version
of the Dreamcast Browser to gamers with the next issue
of the Official Dreamcast Magazine.
The next version includes fixes to all-too-common
JavaScript problems, along with fixes for cookies and a
speed enhancement.
New art will be visible upon booting up, along with a
configuration area being added for dailing up your ISP.
This will let you fine tune how the modem works with
your ISP.
>>>> Sega Not To Fight Mod Chips
Early this week NCS announced news that certainly made
many gamers happy, they finally have a Dreamcast Mod
chip ready to sell.
Today Videogamespot talked to Sega about their view on
this development. Quite surprisingly, and quite the
opposite to Sony's approach, Sega don't have any plans
to fight against mod chips.
"There are only a few plants worldwide that can
produce Dreamcast software, so we are not worried about
piracy. As far as I know we have no intention of
combating the mods or import software.", Sega Of America
commented.
>>>> Rainbow 6 Delayed (again)
Yes how many times have we printed that headline. Majesco
have announced another delay for Rainbow 6, from next
Tuesday till February 2nd. Oh dear.
>>>> News Shorts - Shenmue, Sega GT, Crazy Taxi
The first week's numbers are in for Shenmue, and are looking
very good. The game has sold over 260,000 copies in the
first week, making reaching the all important 1 million
mark not quite so hard.
Gamers in Japan will have the chance to play Sega GT:
Homologation Special early this weekend, at the "Tokyo Auto
Salon With Auto Asia 2000" show (phew!).
Sega's exhibit there will feature both Crazy Taxi and
Sega GT. More than 300 exhibitors, 700 vehicles and over
200,000 of the car enthusiasts are expected to turn up
over the 3 days from the 7th-9th.
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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.
>>>> A Resident Evil Shooter?
Rumors from Japan this week suggest what Capcom has in
store next for the Dreamcast, after finishing up on
Resident Evil: Code Veronica. Sega X reported an arcade
shooter based on the Resident Evil / Bio Hazard series
might on the way. Not to be confused with Bio Hazard
Gun Survivor, a recent Playstation shooter however.
With House Of The Dead 2, and Zombie Revenge, can the
Dreamcast take another Zombie shooter? Sure, why not.
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======| INTO THE WEB |====================================
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>>>> 3 Hi-Quality Shenmue Movies!
Prepare your modem... This week NextGenVideos have
updated with movies you simply can't miss.
> 3 HI-quality Shenmue Movies
> Bio Hazard: Code Veronica Demo
> Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram
All can be downloaded from www.NextGenVideos.com in small
and large sizes. But why are they featured in Dreamcast
Weekly? Because the movies are quite possibly of the
highest quality on the net, that's why. If you haven't
checked them out yet, now's a good time to start.
www.NextGenVideos.com
>>>> Coloured Dreamcast Cases!
Ok the other place I like to check up on often is Lik-Sang,
an importer whom many of our readers have recommended.
Fancy a colored Dreamcast console? Lik-Sang have DC
replacement cases of clear blue, clear, clear yellow,
and smoke on sale now, along with the Sega Millennium
Color Pad (available in transparent pink, green, blue
and smoke).
Just as interesting an adapter to use PC Joypads and
PC Keyboards on the Dreamcast has been announced. We'll
keep you updated as usual.
Finally, new games released in Japan include...
> Shenmue limited edition
> Biohazard 2 - Survival Horror
> Street Fighter 3 - W Impact
Dreamcast Weekly recommends checking out www.Lik-Sang.com
for importing, and have received great feedback from
our readers. They are not an advertiser in DC Weekly.
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======| REVIEW |==========================================
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>>>> Suzuki Alstare Extreme Racing
>>>> Written by Paulo @ www.Sega2000.net
O Publisher: Ubi Soft
O Genre: Racing
O Players: 1-2
With Monaco Grand Prix 2, Speed Devils and also Evolution,
Ubi Soft has become a major and a strong Dreamcast
supporter. But they still want to support the Dreamcast.
This time, the recent release is Suzuki Alstare Extreme
Racing, a motorbike racer, that was already been released
for DC in Japan (such like MG2) named Redline Racer. PC
fanatics should remember this, it was one of the best
racers released for PCs in Summer 1998. But, now that
almost 2 years have passed, Can Redline (oops, Suzuki
Extreme Racing) be any good?
From the second you start a race, actually, you'll see
the influence of Criterion in Suzuki. The game just
looks like Trickstyle, with a similar CG-style motif.
Everything's real shiny, complete with crazy
reflections, like something you'd expect to see in a
CG movie that doesn't attempt to mimic reality (think
Beast Wars and Reboot, and you'll know what I'm
talking about). This theme works well in Trickstlye,
as that game uses hoverboards and seems to be set in
the future, but in a motorcycle game, it comes off as
somewhat inappropriate.
Suzuki's visuals are a mixed bag. The textures on both
the tracks and the racers themselves are very good
indeed. The frame rate is good and the speed is cool
also. Some lightning effects are excellent indeed.
The great problem is that the graphics engine in Suzuki
seems almost like an alpha version of that found in
Trickstyle (it probably is, seeing as how Redline
Racer was released to the PC last year). The problem
centers around the geometry for the tracks and bikers
not being up to the level of the recent launch title.
The developers also seem to have ignored the notion
of draw-in what-so-ever, allowing the horizon to, at
times, slowly fill in with color, as if some artist
was frantically working away at pencilling in the
track. Other games certainly have draw in, but the
developers usually try and soften the effect by fading
the backgrounds in slowly. The presentation screens
are way too simple for notice and the two player
mode isn't very good, although the frame rate is
still decent, you will lost tons of detail here.
As for music, nothing particularly bad or good, but
the techno-like music is hardly even noticeable due to
the fact that most of the player's attention is
focused on the race, especially on tracks with tighter
turns. The techno music would be more appropriate
in a different style of racing game, and even then,
only a few of the tracks are a good listen, with most
of them just sitting in the background and making
you feel like parking you’re your cycle and heading
off to bed. As for sound effects, yikes! These bikes
have little variety in the way of engine sounds, and
hardly manage to exercise that powerful Dreamcast
sound chip.
The game has a reasonable number of bikes and tracks.
You can enter a tournament, pick your bike, make a
few modifications, then head off to race, trying to
place high in the tournament in order to unlock new
tracks and bikes. The tracks actually have some nice
design elements, with twists, turns, a few hills and
ramps (although I would have like to have seen more
in the way of jumps), and a couple of cool little
shortcuts that, when you find them, manage to make
you utter "Oh yeah, baby!". Thankfully, the control
of your bikes feels good, with analogue steering,
accelerating, and braking. Overall, the controls are
good, but some bugs get in the way. sigh... I'd
sometimes fly off my bike, and my biker would repeat
the crashing animation sequence twice. I also managed
to get my bike stuck behind a fence a couple of times,
and the only means for the game's getting me out of this
predicament was to force me into the crashing animation.
There are also some problems involving the bad
behavior of your opponents. They don't seem to care
about hitting you, which would be a good thing, if
Criterion had managed to fit this into the game just
a bit more. It's not like they needed to give the riders
weapons or anything, but if they were trying to make
sliding up against your opponent an integral part of
the gameplay, just as it is in arcade racers out of
Sega, they didn't do a good job of it.
What this game needs is a little more direction, a
little more personality, and a few updates to the
gameplay department. It's not such a bad game, but
after the excellent Trick Style, Criterion Studios this
time decided to release for us a mediocre racer. For
those who want a really ace racing game, go for Sega
Rally 2 or Speed Devils. If you like Wipeout, you may
choose Trick Style but if you are a hardcore fan of
racing boats, Hydro Thunder could turn the best
option for you. It's up to you. If you are planing to
pick up Suzuki, rent it first. If are starved of a
motorbike racing game, you could try this one,
because it isn't really that bad.
> Graphics - 70%
> Sound - 70%
> Gameplay - 59%
> Lastability - 78%
> OVERALL - 68%
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======| CHEATS |==========================================
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>>>> Vigilante 8: Second Offense
O Attract Enemies:
Enter "UNDER_FIRE" as a password to have three enemies
attack simultaneously. - Submitted by LatinLover
O Big Ant in Arizona Stage:
Destroy the observatory in Arizona and wait until you
will hear a big boom. Go check the big crater in the
middle of the stage and you will see a big asteroid.
Destroy the asteroid and a giant ant will come out and
shoot anyone in the stage. - Submitted by Ryan Cazabat
O Big Wheels:
Enter "GO_MONSTER" as a password. - Submitted by LatinLover
O Entering Passwords:
To enter passwords, go to the OPTIONS screen, highlight
GAME STATUS, and hold L + R and press A twice. - Submitted
by maggilla@hotmail.com
O Fast Action:
Enter "QUICK_PLAY" as a password to enable a random fast
action arcade feature. - Submitted by LatinLover
O Faster Cars:
Enter "MORE_SPEED" as a password. - Submitted by LatinLover
O Heavier Cars:
Enter "GO_RAMMING" as a password to increase your car's
weight and ramming ability.
O High Suspension:
Enter "JACK_IT_UP" as a password. - Submitted by LatinLover
O No Enemies in Arcade Mode:
Enter "HOME_ALONE" as a password. - Submitted by LatinLover
O No Gravity:
Enter "NO_GRAVITY" as a password to reduce gravity to the
point that your car will almost float when a bump is hit.
- Submitted by LatinLover
O No Weapon Delay:
Enter "RAPID_FIRE" as a password to remove the delay when
shooting weapons. - Submitted by LatinLover
>>>> Official Sega Dreamcast Magazine: Demo Disc 3
O Extra fight for Street Fighter Alpha 3:
First, select the Network option. Then select the Dojo.
Next select JOIN. Select the character that you want to
fight with and exit. Go into the GR match and select the
first (and only) option it gives you. You will fight Dan,
but be careful-he has a tremendous 10-12 hit combo.
- Submitted by Howard Falcen
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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...
>>>> Sega X - www.segadreamcast.net
Plenty of news added every day, including a IRC Java
chat room where you can chat about all the latest Sega
topics.
>>>> Sega 2000 - www.sega2000.net
More than your average Sega site. We have daily news,
reviews, previews, etc... but also fan art, your top 10
most wanted, reader reviews, sub sites dedicated to
RPG's, Sonic, and Star Trek, along with many more
sections.
>>>> 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.
>>>> 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,
and even Fan Created Games, this is your one stop Sonic site.
>>>> Gaming Central Starpath - www.startpath.com/gamingcentral
This site contains hundreds of links for anything a gamer
might be interested in, no matter what format, including
some game specific links.
>>>> DC Australia - www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/6831/
Now the Dreamcast is out in Australia, and after SegaDC.co.nz
closed, this should be your first stop for news down under.
The official website for the Dreamcast Weekly is now open at
www.dreamcastweekly.com :) The site includes the history of
the magazine, back issues, and more. Then in the future...
who knows, hopefully we'll be a print magazine one day
(Hint hint to any publisher that may be reading this :) )
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======[ CREDITS ]=========================================
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O Editor: Graham Parker "Tails" - Webmaster@sega2000.net
Thanks to all our support sites above, for helping make
Dreamcast Weekly as big as we are!
>>>> www.DreamcastWeekly.com - Our Official Website!
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Copyright 1998-2000 Graham Parker - Webmaster@Sega2000.net
Written and edited by Graham Parker. No parts may be
copied without prior permission. Otherwise I'd be forced
to send out my goons... Ok so I don't have any goons, but
copying is just mean... very mean. There, that should
scare everyone off :)
