Newsletter: Sega World Weekly issue 65 (then Dreamcast Weekly)
From Video Game Morgue File
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//// ~ Issue #65 - January 18th 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
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======| EDITORS COMMENTS |================================
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Now this is a full issue! So full in fact we had to cut
some things out. First up is a DC Weekly interview with
Scott Hawkins, producer of Sega Swirl. If you haven't
heard of the game before, this is the perfect place to
learn.
Then in our review, we feature Sega Rally 2 PAL. True, it's
not the latest game out, but the PAL version is hugely
different from the Jap and US versions. A must read if
your thinking about buying this.
Shenmue Chapter 2, and a Do-It-Yourself Mod Chip are
detailed in the "Into The Web" page, along with a Q&A
to Lik-Sang's Mod Chip.
Finally, we round up the Vigilante 8: Second Offense
cheats.
Until next week then, Happy Gaming!
~ Graham "Tails" Parker (Editor)
.oO Page 1 - Cover Story Oo.
.oO Page 2 - The News Oo.
.oO Page 3 - Into The Web Oo.
.oO Page 4 - Review Oo.
.oO Page 5 - Cheats Oo.
.oO Page 6 - OUR SUPPORT SITES Oo.
.oO Page 7 - Credits Oo.
HOT QUOTE This Issue: "We had so much fun with this mode
(Split Screen) that we actually had a SEGA Swirl tournament
at Tremor Entertainment's Christmas party."
-- Interview With Sega Swirl's Producer
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======| COVER STORY |=====================================
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>>>> Interview With Scott Hawkins
>>>> Written by Tails
This week we have an interview with Scott Hawkins, the
producer of the new Sega Swirl.
Q: Could you start by telling us a little about your self,
what projects have you worked on in the past?
A: I have always been a big fan of games. Growing up, pizza
was my favorite food because they always had Arcade games.
I studied Computer Science at the University of California,
Santa Barbara and knew that I wanted to make games, so where
was the best place to go?? SEGA!! Despite the fact that I
had my Computer Science degree, I couldn't walk in the first
day and say "I want to be the lead programmer on this game",
so I got my foot in the door at SEGA's test department in June
1995. After a couple of months, an opportunity came up to
write a program to burn the EEPROMS for Genesis, 32X, Game Gear,
and Pico.
I knew this was my chance to show that I could program, so I
volunteered to do it and went all out. I included a SEGA Logo
screen, GUI, multi-user support, encrypted passwords, usage
log, etc. When I finished the EEPROM program, one of the people
I had been working with, Crisi Albertson, interviewed for an
Assistant Producer spot in the new SEGA PC group. Although she
did not get the job, she recommended me to the person who
interviewed her and then I got the job.
I started in the SEGA PC group in September of 1995 on the
day the SEGA PC group was officially announced. I have worked
on every title SEGA has released under the SEGA PC and SEGA
Entertainment brands for the U.S. market. My favorite
titles that we have done to date on the PC include Baku Baku,
Virtua Fighter PC, SEGA Rally 2, SEGA Puzzle Pack, and a
slew of Sonic titles (to name a few).
Q: What was the main idea behind creating Sega Swirl?
A: Although I have chosen to go the Producer path
instead of the Programmer path at SEGA, I have
regularly been doing programming projects (writing the
front end for our sampler discs, promotional programs,
etc.) in addition to producing the titles that we are
bringing out for the PC. Each time I work on one of
these projects, I always try to improve it a little more
and add a couple of new features.
I became a huge fan of the SEGA Dreamcast Swirl and
decided to start making a puzzle game with the SEGA
Dreamcast Swirl. This is where the name for the game
came from, but due to some legal issues with the Dreamcast
Swirl, we had to change Dreamcast Swirl to another object.
Within a couple of weeks I had the basic gameplay and
scoring working and I started showing it around to some
of the people in our group. They really liked it and
where very excited. My boss said it would be cool if
the Swirls animated like the SEGA Dreamcast Swirl, so I
added that in there and continued to add modes and other
features. I played Scrabble over email and thought - it
would be really cool if SEGA Swirl could do this too.
After putting some more thought into it, I realized that if
I could pull this off on the PC, it would also be possible
on SEGA Dreamcast and this would also allow PC and SEGA
Dreamcast users to play head-to-head. This is something
that I have wanted to support since early in 1996 (with
PC and Saturn Netlink), but the project was killed before
it was finished (we were too ahead of the online curve at
that time) :(.
In September, I was able to get the game to work properly
over email and soon after, I had to give a product
demonstration to Irimajiri-san, the president of SEGA of Japan.
After seeing the game running on my laptop, he gave us the
directive to get this game on Dreamcast (which was exactly
what we were hoping he would say). I had known of a talented
developer down in Burbank (Tremor Entertainment) that would
be a perfect fit to convert and enhance the game for Dreamcast.
We started on the Dreamcast version in October and after many
long nights and weekends, SEGA Swirl was completed for SEGA
Dreamcast in December. This made SEGA Swirl the first playable
game over the Dreamcast network in the U.S and also the first
cross-platform compatible game that allows PC and SEGA Dreamcast
users to play against each other. :)
Q: Did any titles in particular influence Sega Swirl,
or what puzzle games do you enjoy playing yourself?
A: Considering that I am a big fan of SEVERAL puzzle
games, there has been a lot of influence. I would have
to say that Same Game would have the most direct influence.
When I first played this game, I always wondered, what
would happen if you could remove ALL of the objects from
the screen? After playing it for a couple of months, I
was finally able to achieve this, and was very saddened
to find that there was no reward for being able to finish
the entire screen - the game was simply over. This
would also have to be the most similar game to SEGA Swirl
although, there are many features separate these two
games from each other.
SEGA has brought out many great puzzle games that have
really inspired me. When I first played Baku Baku, I
immediately came up with a quick design concept for a
sequel to Baku Baku, which I would still love to do.
If SEGA Swirl is successful enough, maybe I might get
my chance to work on this next?? Lose Your Marbles by
Segasoft, Columns, and Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine
are other games that SEGA has brought out to the PC that
are also great puzzles. Recently a friend also pointed
out Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo and that one is a lot
of fun too!!
Q: So when did development begin, and how many people
have been working on it?
A: I started programming the game in the last week of
April '99 and did all of the artwork and programming myself.
One of my friends who used to work at Segasoft volunteered
to do the sound effects and this really helped out a lot
(Thanks Dave!). After the project got approved for SEGA
Dreamcast, I was able to "upgrade" some of the art with
new assets from Tremor Entertainment, the team I selected
and worked with from the SEGA Dreamcast version.
Q: Now the PC version is out, when will Dreamcast owners
have their chance to play?
A: We have completed the SEGA Dreamcast version and it
will be available VERY soon. The first place people
will be able to get it is on the GD that comes with the
March Edition of the Dreamcast Magazine (which actually
comes out in February). We will also be including the
game with future versions of the Dreamcast Internet
Browser, with new SEGA Dreamcast systems, on future
sampler discs, and wherever else it makes sense to
include it. We are giving this game away for free and
hope that users enjoy playing this game online and also
against both PC and SEGA Dreamcast opponents!
Q: If any, what differences does the Dreamcast version have?
A: We have included a lot of special "goodies" for
the SEGA Dreamcast version. The SEGA Dreamcast version
includes an exclusive Split Screen Challenge mode which
allows 4 players to compete head-to-head in real-time
in a fast and furious race! We had so much fun with
this mode that we actually had a SEGA Swirl tournament
at Tremor Entertainment's Christmas party. I am happy
to say that I successfully defended SEGA's honor and
took first place!
The SEGA Dreamcast version also has enhanced graphics
and special effects (the artists and programmers at
Tremor Entertainment did a great job on this!!). Unlike
the PC version, the SEGA Dreamcast version has several
different animations that appear based on the size of
the combo the player executes.
We also included Timed and Untimed options for Level
Challenge and Single Game Mode (Practice Mode on the
PC version) which will allow users to play against the
clock or at their own pace. This also means that when
users play Timed Level Challenge on the SEGA Dreamcast
version, they have an extra goal to satisfy to make it
to the next level. The time challenge can also be
helpful too; for every second remaining on the clock
when the user completes the level, they receive 50
points for their time bonus. The time bonus is added
to their score and this can be the difference between
having enough points to go onto the next level or
falling just short.
We also added an original character to the Dreamcast
version. His name is Swirly the Snake and he watches
and reacts to the different moves you do in the game.
If you make bad moves, he might shake his head or cover
his eyes, but if you are putting together good moves,
he has different reactions including one where he does
his "happy dance". In Timed mode, Swirly will stick
out his tongue and give you a raspberry if users fail
to remove all of the Swirls before time runs out.
The user interface and control method were also updated
to make them more Dreamcast-friendly. We felt that it
was very important that Dreamcast users be able to take
advantage of their peripherals and the new control
method really reflects this. The Dreamcast version
also has a cool Swirl Screen Saver and a Swirl VMU
animation.
As you can see, the SEGA Dreamcast version of SEGA Swirl
has many extra features and enhancements that we think
users will appreciate. I think it will be very
interesting to see how PC and SEGA Dreamcast users
compete against each other and which platform will
dominate the online high score list.
Q: What's the team's high score we should all aim to beat?
My personal high scores are 56018 on Level 11 (missing
Level 12 by less than 100 points) and 13016 in Practice
Mode (I had a huge combo and was able to double my score
by completing the game without any Singles). My
Practice Mode score was the top score until yesterday,
but my Level Mode Record did not last as long. Two
people have already passed my Level Mode Record and one
person set a new standard with 153897 getting to Level 23!
Congratulations to "EstoyLoco". These scores can be
found at: www.SegaSwirl.com/scores/top_scores.htm. One
of the my favorite features about this game is that users
can "defend the honor of their platform" since the top
score list also says which platform they are playing on.
Q: Do you have any hints or tips for players?
A: There are three tips that I think are really important:
(1) Try to remove all of the Swirls without removing
any Singles. If you can complete the current level
(Level Mode) or game (Practice Mode) without any singles,
your score will get doubled (for that Level in Level
Mode and for that game in Practice Mode).
(2) Swirls on the bottom affect the Swirl above, but
Swirls on the top do not affect the ones below. This
is why I usually work from the top down, unless I want
to try to line up more Swirl near the top of the current
level.
(3) Try all of the different modes because they all
have unique rules and play very differently. Everybody
seems to have their own favorite mode, but mine is
Probably Level Mode.
Q: Sega Swirl aside, what games have you been yourself
playing lately?
A: Considering that I am a hard-core gamer, I am always
playing anything I can get spare time to play. I love
playing PC and console games and the ones I have been
playing lately include: Crazy Taxi for Dreamcast (this
is soooooo good), Rippin Riders for Dreamcast, Quake III
for the PC, Who Wants to be a Millionaire for the PC,
and Driver for the PC. I am also really looking forward
to NHL 2K, Dead or Alive 2, and Shen Mue.
Q: This will be one of the first generation online games
to hit the US, have you been involved in creating the
Sega Network? How is development coming along?
A: The Dreamcast Network is being developed by another
group at SEGA. Although I work with many of these guys
all the time, I am not directly involved with the
development of the Dreamcast Network. I also think that
the fact that SEGA Dreamcast shipped with a modem shows that
SEGA realizes that online gaming and online content is
important and a very high priority for SEGA. As for the
progress on the network, I am not the right person to answer
that question.
Q: Is there any games your looking forward to playing
online yourself later this year?
A: There are several games that I am really looking
forward to playing online in the future (on the PC and
on SEGA Dreamcast). Some upcoming games that I cannot
wait to play online include: Chu Chu Rocket for
Dreamcast and Diablo II for PC. There are a lot of
cool games coming out in Japan which support online
play including Phantasy Star Online and others.
Although these titles have not been confirmed whether
or not they will come over to the U.S. market, I really
hope they do - and I know that I will be playing them
if they do come over.
I have been a huge fan of playing over networks for a
long time - in college we built our own 10 Base-T
Ethernet network in our apartment complex so we could
play anything that supported network play. I feel that
online gaming is going to be a huge part of the future
of gaming and we have only begun to scratch the surface
of what is capable online.
Q: Early in 1999 there was a buzz of excitement and life in
Sega Of America, now after the important Christmas season,
what's the atmosphere like there now?
A: Thing are going great for us. We recently announced
that we have sold over 1.5 Million Dreamcast units and the
numbers are continuing to rise :). There are several
titles great titles in development and also a promising
number of titles coming from both Japan and Europe (not to
mention many great 3rd party titles). We know that if we
continue to make great games and push the envelope, SEGA
Dreamcast will continue to become even more successful.
I know that I am living out my dreams creating games at
SEGA and many other SEGA employees feel the same way - so
overall, I would say things are very positive and optimistic.
Q: After finishing off the Dreamcast version, what do you
plan to do next?
A: The U.S. Dreamcast version of SEGA Swirl was completed
just before Christmas and we have been working on the
PAL version for Europe currently. We are also looking
into doing localization for different languages, but this
has not been fully confirmed if we are going to support
this or not. I am also working on a couple of other
titles for the PC including Battle of the Sexes, a
trivia game where men are asked questions that women
would know and women are asked questions that men would
know, Sega Smash Pack 2, a collection of 7 classic SEGA
Genesis games on the PC, and Winnable Solitaire, a game
that turns solitaire into a game of skill where every
hand is solvable. Although our group is called "Sega PC"
we are working on both PC and SEGA Dreamcast development
and plan to continue to support both platforms - SEGA
Swirl was the first example of this and there will be
more titles in the future.
Q: Finally, how does it look for a PAL version of Sega Swirl,
and maybe even a sequel in the future?
A: PAL support is a definite - we are already working on it.
As for a sequel, if the game is successful, we have many
ideas and thoughts that would make a great sequel to SEGA
Swirl. I would love to do it - let's see what happens :).
A huge thanks for your time completing this interview, and
also thanks for being a reader of Dreamcast Weekly yourself :)
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======| NEWS |============================================
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Apologies for the lack of news this week, but as you might
know, we ran out of space. Full more news please check out
our archives here... http://www.sega2000.net/news.htm
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======| INTO THE WEB |====================================
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>>>> More Shenmue Movies!
If the 3 movies they had last week wasn't enough to fill
your Shenmue craze, they now have 7 total, along with
Shenmue Chapter 2 screens, and a full review!
> 7 HI-quality Shenmue Movies
> Shenmue Chapter 2 & Crazy Taxi Screens
> Dreamcast Mod Chip Information
> Street Fighter 3 Media
All can be downloaded from www.NextGenVideos.com in small
and large sizes.
www.NextGenVideos.com
>>>> Mod Chip Q&A
Lik-Sang now sells Mod Chips! Rather than send off your
Dreamcast, you can buy the chip and install it your
self. Here's some Q&A I thought you might be interested
in on the chip...
Q: Does the DC Mod Chip work with my PAL, USA or JAP
Dreamcast?
A: Yes, the DC Mod Chip is 100% universal, it can be used
in ALL Dreamcast machines all over this world.
Q: If I install the DC Mod Chip on my French Dreamcast,
am I able to play JAP and USA games?
A: After installing the DC Mod Chip you are able to play
games from all regions, this means JAP, USA and PAL games.
Q: Can it play backups, like the PSX Mod Chip does?
A: The DC Mod Chip is for Import Games only. It is not
possible to play Backups, and there are not Backups
available.
Q: Do I need to solder it into my Dreamcast? If yes, how
many wires?
A: Yes, you have to solder it into your Dreamcast machine
with 24 wires.
Finally, Lik-Sang are setting up a credit card system, and
are currently waiting for the new secure server. Credit
cards should be a major plus.
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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>>>> Sega Rally 2 PAL
>>>> Written by Tails @ www.Sega2000.net
O Publisher: Sega
O Genre: Racing
O Players: 1-2
O Region: Europe / Australia / New Zealand
Back in the first months of the Saturn I picked up Sega Rally,
and didn't put it down again until I got the import version
of Sega Rally 2. "Slow Down", and "Frame Rate Problems" people
debated, but Bah! I loved it, and next to Sonic, it was my
most played game for '99. But now, after selling my import
console, and turning to the PAL version, Sega Rally 2 sits
near the back of my games collection, gathering dust with
Expendable (shudder).
Truth be told, everyone loved the import version, even if
there was a few slowdown issues. Same goes for the US
version, PAL however, is a obviously a different story. A
shame as with the original Sega Rally, the European version
was top.
Now after reading the first 2 paragraphs, you may be
thinking what could possibly be so bad? Well ok it's not
all bad, but we'll get to the good points soon. After
looking forward to many years of playing this title, I
really have to get some things off my chest. First slow
down, something that actually, has never really bothered
me in the past. But in Sega Rally 2, as you go around the
corner, it's not a smooth-slide-around-we-go, it's
jerk-jerk-jerk-jerk-jerk-jerk. So bad, that you can
probably count how many times it jumps around each corner,
and that crosses the line. If it was just one corner in
the game, no problem, but this is every turn.
Second, is a problem faced with many PAL titles unfortunately.
With a big game like this, you'd expect a full screen 50hz
translation, along with a 60hz option ala Sonic Adventure.
But instead we get neither, and if you've played the import
version, everything has a very squished look about it. I
believe these are the type of problems that deserve a
re-release, and an explanation just what Sega Europe actually
did for 1/2 a year while translating the game.
Again back to the original. Featuring only 4 tracks, and 3
cars, the game was still my most played Saturn title. Now
Sega Rally 2 boasts 6 (including the secret) tracks, and
in almost all cases, 3 different versions of each. If that
wasn't enough, the Ten Year Mode will keep you busy for long
enough. Each year you must race through 4 courses, and upon
reaching 1st gain an extra car, and it's onto the next year
you go. Unlike Arcade mode, there are different weather
conditions and times of day here, so playing with your
tires, gears, brakes is a must if you want to win those
extra cars.
Throw in a 2 Player Vs mode, and the ghost cars with a Time
Trial game, and you could really get some good mileage out
of Sega Rally 2. But again, we're brought back to the
problems, which will have you going back to other racers
like Speed Devils instead.
Gameplay is always the highlight with Sega racers, and I'm
glad to say all the power sliding and mud slipping have
made the translation from the arcade to your home perfectly.
Then when you get into the 10 Year Mode, you'll notice
everything from which tires you select, to the Gear Ratio
really have an impact on your race. Make no mistake, Sega
have got controlling your rally experience down to a fine
art. If you do buy Sega Rally 2, this should be the reason.
Other races such as Speed Devils which I mentioned, have all
the lastability and game modes of Sega Rally 2, but they
don't even come close to the gameplay.
Ah, the many a times I played Sega Rally just for the music,
in particular during the replays. After getting a little used
to, the tunes of Sega Rally 2 are not quite up to the same
standard, but are still worth turning up the stereo. Then
as you drive from the tarmac to gravel, you can not only
feel the difference thanks to the awesome gameplay, but
hear the stones shooting up from under your tires too. The
same goes for the splash as you burn through puddles (which
in terms of graphics should probably make much bigger
actual splashes, but oh well), and the engine bangs as
you slam on the breaks.
Now after writing the second half of this review, I had
the urge to pick up the game again. Perhaps it's not as
bad as I remember, but alas... I'm right back at the
computer again, and again disheartened with Sega. The
bottom line is if your thinking about buying this, please
please please rent it first, or at least ask the store
assistant go give you a go. For the average gamers
looking for a racer, I'd say give this a miss. There's
certainly no shortage of other racing games on the
Dreamcast. Finally, if your a real hardcore Sega Rally
fan, e-mail Sega with me and demand a re-release. A
great game ruined.
> Graphics - 88%
> Sound - 91%
> Gameplay - 69%
> Lastability - 92%
> OVERALL - 75%
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======| CHEATS |==========================================
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>>>> Vigilante 8: Second Offense
O Refill Energy in Arizona:
In Arizona, to refill your energy without having to slowly
pick up wrenches all over the stage, go to one of the Ed's
Rocketfuel Stations, and drive in between the pump & the
building, your energy will automatically be refilled.
- Submitted by Jake Midkiff
O Same Cars in Multi-Player:
Enter "MIXED_CARS" as a password to allow more than one
person to select the same car in multi-player mode.
- Submitted by Latin Lover
O Slow-motion Mode:
Enter "GO_SLOW_MO" as a password. - Submitted by LatinLover
O Super Missiles:
Enter "BLAST_FIRE" as a password to increase the damage
from missiles. - Submitted by LatinLover
O View All Ending Sequences:
Enter "LONG_MOVIE" as a password to view all endings in
one continuous sequence. - Submitted by LatinLover
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======| BEST OF THE WEB |=================================
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>>>> 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.
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======[ CREDITS ]=========================================
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O Editor: Graham Parker "Tails" - Webmaster@sega2000.net
>>>> www.DreamcastWeekly.com - Our Official Website!
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Copyright 1998-2000 Graham Parker - Webmaster@Sega2000.net
