Newsletter: Sega World Weekly issue 36 (then Dreamcast Weekly)
From Video Game Morgue File
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////// ~Issue #36 - www.DreamcastWeekly.com~ \\\\\\
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\\\\\\ Sega 2000 - http://www.sega2000.com //////
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o> Please scroll down to Editors Comments for the start <o
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======| ABOUT THE MAGAZINE |==============================
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Any DC questions can be sent to Steve@sega2000.com and
questions about this magazine by just clicking reply.
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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Next week, DC Weekly will have a special E3 issue. I'm sure
I don't need to tell you the E3 is the biggest video gaming
show of the year, and that there's gonna be some pretty
big stories breaking next weekend!
A big issue this week, we've got a feature on the DC
promotional video, a review of Redline Racer and some very
cool cheats. Including a Napalm Gun for House Of The Dead
2, some secret images on Redline Racer, and to fly as a
Dolphin in Aero Dancing!
You can pick up an copy of Redline Racer in fact for just
under $40US in our importing section!
Plus of course all the news and rumors. Finally, a very well
written letter I received about Video Game Violence. It made
Hot Quote for this issue in fact.
Ok, until next week then (and what a week it's gonna be!),
Happy Gaming!
~ Tails (Editor)
O Page 1 - Cover Story O
O Page 2 - The News O
O Page 3 - Red Hot Rumors O
O Page 4 - Importing O
O Page 5 - Letters O
O Page 6 - Feature O
O Page 7 - Tips & Cheats O
O Page 8 - Sega Trivia O
O Page 9 - Best Of The Web O
O Page 10 - Credits & More O
HOT QUOTE This Issue: "Before video games there was Cops n
Robbers and before that Cowboys and Indians, we've been
pretending to kill one another forever, which was taught to
us by none other than our elders that it was only a game.
Well everyone, It's still only a game!"
-- Video Game Violence, this week's letter, page 5.
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======| COVER STORY |=====================================
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>>>> DC Promotional Video Impressions
>>>> Written By 'DC Prophet'
I finally got to see the DC Promotional Video (at Software
Etc. or Babbages) yesterday, and man am I shock! There
were six games on it: Virtua Fighter 3:TB, Sonic Adventure,
Geist Force, NBA 2000, NFL 2000, and Ready 2 Rumble. I'll
just break them down briefly.
- SONIC ADVENTURE: Pretty much the exact game as the
import version but I did notice the helicopter sequence
done a bit smoother, and at a slightly different camera
angle. Mostly the same game. Sega said they were working on
fixing all the problems but most of them were camera
problems which didn't seem to show themselves on the
video and collision, which didn't happen often to begin
with, also didn't rear it's ugly head... there was still
some pop up though.
- VIRTUA FIGHTER 3:TB: This one looked a whole lot
better! For one the shadows are connected and are
smoothed out. The import version, which I own, has the
shadows reflect the polygonal joints and made the
shadows look ugly. The characters look a bit smoother
as well, they seem to have a bit more polygons, but
that could be just me.
- NBA 2000: "VC Sports, if it's in the game..it's in our
game!" should be the new slogan, NBA 2000 is the best
looking basketball game I have ever seen! My girlfriend
at times said she thought she was looking at CG clips!!
She even said that about the NFL game!! Now when an
average gamer says that, you know the graphics are out
of this world. The uniforms are extremely detailed.
The players are great, they sport high socks, knee
pads, elbow pads, and even the socks with the NBA
logo!!! The arenas are completely rendered individually,
like the baseball and football for years now. You will
actually see Madison Square Garden in all it's glory.
The crowd is awesome. The scorers table and refs
animate beautifully. The players moves are great.
The dunks look so realistic some one asked if this
was NBA Inside Stuff, no kidding!! The crossover
moves are great, I seen a couple of post moves already,
defenders slide their feet, the basketball is even
sponsored, you can actually read Spalding on it!! I
can't wait!!
- GEIST FORCE: This game is supposed to be in trouble? It
looks fantastic! It does have a huge Star Fox influence,
but Geist Force takes it a step beyond. The enemies are
extremely well animated and the environments are huge,
detailed and exciting to look at. This game looks like
a sure fire hit!
- NFL 2000: Madden who? Visual Concepts are gods (with
the right system of course!) NFL 2000 still amazes me.
The players are simply fantastic. There are different
body types and even animation styles for each position!
A quarterback looks like a QB, and runs like one too,
while a lineman is huge and also has his set of
position specific animation. The video showed the
different ways to take someone down and showing off the
collision effects. The stadiums look great, I even
noticed a couple of ESPN banners...hmmm, I wonder what
ESPN is contributing to the game, most likely it will
be announcers. The crowd looks great, the sideline
people and even camera men!! This game is a visual
treat, hope the gameplay matches it.
- READY 2 RUMBLE: Punch Out in 3D! The characters are
huge and extremely detailed. Facial animations and
human like movements make R2R a great game to
watch. The crowd seems to be weak compared to NFL
and NBA 2000, but the overall visuals are amazing. The
boxers have tons of moves and they even taunt after a
victory. This game looks like tons of fun.
You guys should visit Software Etc. or Babbages soon,
it really gives you a glimpse at the future. And by the
way the " Sega@Dreamcast " logo is official as it was
plastered all over the video.
--- Tails: Well, just count the number of times he said
"amazing" and "great" in there, and Wow, the official
lineup this September sounds better than I ever imagined!
Hopefully we'll have some play test reports next week
from the E3 as well.
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======| NEWS |============================================
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>>>> SOA Confirms Ridge Racer Coming To Dreamcast!
Sega Of America has officially confirmed that Ridge Racer
is indeed coming to Dreamcast next year. However, neither
Namco, or Sega Of Japan have had any comments on this.
>>>> Street Fighter III Confirmed
Another big game confirmed this week was Street Fighter 3.
Capcom themselves announced it, only they didn't mention
which version would be getting the port to Dreamcast.
>>>> Media.Seganet.Com Is Back, and Wow!!
Media.seganet.com went down just over a week ago, and is
now back online. Along with a name change, to Chupamedia,
the site has been totally re-designed. And I have to say,
YOU JUST GOTTA SEE IT! One of the coolest designs for
a website I've ever seen.
>>>> Floigan Brothers: The Forgotten Game
Thanks to Videogamespot.com: Sega showed off a video of
Floigan Brothers to a select group of editors a few months
back at its Gamers' Day event, the NDA expired some time
ago, and somehow no one wrote about it. Here's what we
learned:
Developed by Visual Concepts, the tentatively titled
Floigan Brothers is a cartooney looking game where you
control two 1950's style Brooklyn street kids, one short
and smart and the other big and dumb. You play as the
short one, and must work with your big brother to solve
puzzles by doing things such as piling boxes into his
hands so he can place them near high platforms and you
can climb up them. The smaller of the two characters
was seen executing a Tasmanian Devil-style spin move
at one point.
The game we saw was about 30 percent complete but it
looked intriguing. It appeared much closer to a 3D
cartoon than many console games that have tried in the past.
Sega has not announced a release date for the game yet,
but it's expected to be displayed at next week's E3
convention.
>>>> News Shorts
Konami's Castlevania for the Dreamcast, will be shown at
the E3 show, although only in video form.
No Cliche (developers of games such as Little Big
Adventure, and Time Commando), now a SOE 1.5 party,
released some details about their two titles this week.
Gutherman Project was a working title, while the official
name is now Toy Commander. "The aim of this action game is
to drive vehicles through several breathtaking missions.",
is the only description given so far.
Their second game, codenamed 'Agartha', is described as
"The horror-adventure game uses a new innovative character
control."
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======[ RED HOT RUMORS ]==================================
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Welcome to a new section of Dreamcast Weekly, each week
we'll keep you upto-date with the latest RUMORS going around.
Written by Tails - webmaster@sega2000.com
>>>> Virtua Striker 2 For Australian / Europe Launch
Virtua Striker 2 is listed as one of the launch titles for
Australia / Europe and New Zealand, that's fact. But this
rumor involves who will be handling the port. Gamespot
suggests Genki, the company who translated Virtua Fighter
3:TB.
>>>> A Namco / Sega Racer ?
A year ago, if you had told me SNK and Capcom would have
a game together, I probably would of thought it was nothing
more than wishful thinking. But now it's confirmed, and
fast heading to the arcades thanks to Naomi technology.
Now, the latest rumor suggests Namco and Sega working
together on a racing game. Could this be true as well?
>>>> Scud Racer Rumors Continue
Ever since the original tech demo of the Dreamcast, showing
the first track from Scud Racer, rumors of a conversion
have been flying around. The latest say that Sega has a
50% chance of converting the game over to Dreamcast. I for
one, hope it does happen, Scud Race was one seriously fun
game!
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======| IMPORT-ANT MATTERS |==============================
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>>>> Redline Racer For An Amazing Price
We've managed to source new copies of Redline Racer at an
amazing price so we can pass the saving onto you. We'll
now be selling this arcade style motorbike racer for
$59AUD! That's under $40US!
>>>> Special May Deal
o SEGA RALLY 2 - Save $20
o MONACO GRAND PRIX 2 - Save $20
OR BOTH FOR $149AUD - Save $50AUD ($33US)
The first of our special monthly deals with Extreme Imports
has begun. You can pick up those games for $79AUD each (the
normal price is $99AUD), which comes out at about $50US. Or
BOTH games for $149AUD, which means you save about $50!
>>>> Dreamcast Price Drop !!!
This week Extreme Imports started selling their Dreamcast's
for an even better price. An Asian Dreamcast will only cost
you $499AUD now, and the Japanese version, $559AUD.
>>>> US$25 Puru Puru Packs!
They have plenty of official Puru Puru packs, straight from
Japan, in stock right now at just AUS$39 (almost US$25 !).
This is the cheapest price you'll find anywhere in the world.
***********************************
* http://www.extreme-imports.com/ *
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======| LETTERS |=========================================
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>>>> Video Game Vioence
>>>> Written by Chase Ayers
I've read an article on the legislation and the "Toxic
Substances" that are poisoning our youth and I have but one
question. Have any of these So called Video Game Killers ever
worked in the industry? Have they ever Play tested any product
for hours on end? Have they made sure that the code is clean
and that every Sound byte, pixel, or even drop of animated
blood comes out on cue?...No! Then you can also say that all
the Testers and Programers and Artists and Producers that put
in 24 hours a day 7 days a week, making sure that the game
plays correctly haven't had any reports of trauma. So none
of these people that sit all day and make sure the correct
body parts come off when aiming at them have not committed
any crimes seems to me funny when making the senates case.
"They are more prone to killing." Or "They are using Military
games that train men to kill." I'm sorry but the Military
didn't give video games to us, we gave the military a safer,
oh I'm sorry SAFER, way to train. Battle Zone became a tank
sim back when Doom was an appending fear.
I for one have played games all my life and have also worked
in the industry for nearly 10 years. I enjoy all games as if
the were great novels with a story I must figure out and unfold
not simply turn a page. Like most books we have our Horror,
Fiction, Sci-fi, our Kings, Spielburgs, and Rodenberys. Lets
not burn the books or curse the writers or the Programers and
artists, but be better parents, better people, who like the
simple enjoyment of the Electronic Entertainment World.
Before video games there was Cops n Robbers and before that
Cowboys and Indians, we've been pretending to kill one another
forever, which was taught to us by none other than our elders
that it was only a game. Well everyone, It's still only a game!
Thanks for Listening
- CHASE AYERS
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======| FEATURE |=========================================
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>>>> Redline Racer Review - Import
>>>> Written by Matt
Being he first developers to produce a motorbike racing
game on the Dreamcast, Criterion Studio's Redline Racer
should have drawn a considerable amount of attention. Apart
from a few screen shots being released, little to no publicity
was given to RR's launch in Japan. Therefore, an obvious cry
of worry was going to arouse from a game which I was looking
forward to playing.
I've always been a fan of motorbike games, with classics such
as Super Hang On and Manx TT eliminating any sort of social
life I could have possibly had. Wondering what a 128-bit
version of these games would play like, I eagerly awaited
RR's release. Unfortunately, I didn't realize the
disappointment I was letting myself in for...
Redline Racer's objectives are fairly straightforward. Enter
a tournament, pick your bike, and do your best to win every
race. There are a number of different championships to test
your skills on, as you race over beaches, country lanes, snow
and other terrains in order to become the best racer in the
World, or more realistically, unlock a variety of other courses
and bikes. Offering 10 and 12 respectively, there's hardly a
lack of road to race around on. Each one is filled with tight
corners, hills and ramps, making it anything but a peaceful
drive.
Graphically, RR is a sort of hit and miss. While bright and
colorful at times, the graphics are nothing outstanding,
especially when compared to rivals such as Sega Rally 2 or
Metropolis. Thankfully, everything runs super smooth,
with neither pop up or fogging being easily spotted. This
does go some way to redeeming itself in this area.
Moving on to the sound, this is where Redline Racer really
falls. First off, the engine noises themselves. Guess what?
There are none! Well, that's not exactly true, but everything
is so subdued that you'd barely notice it regardless. The
audio itself is a mix of techno and rock. Obviously trying
to convey a futuristic appeal, it's let down dramatically by
the fact that it doesn't even suit the style of the game. In
fact, you'd be best to just switch the volume off your
television altogether.
One positive point about RR has to be the two player mode.
Not only is almost all of the detail kept, but the frame
rate remains intact, letting you enjoy some very fast and
fun races. With the power underneath the Dreamcast's bonnet,
this is something which should now be a standard affair, but
hold on, where's the four player option? Once again, this
feature is left out in the cold...
Overall, Redline Racer isn't that bad. The control of your
bike is nice and tight, and once accustomed to the analogue
pad, you'll enjoy playing alone or with a friend, albeit
for a certain amount of time. With no apparent competition
around the corner, Criterion Studio's PC port will remain
the only type of game in this genre. However, this shouldn't
be the reason to make do with second best. Unless you can
get over its faults, I'd advise you to stay away - it's not
worth it.
Final Scores:
-------------
o Graphics - 79%
o Sound - 48%
o Gameplay - 83%
o Lastability - 76%
o OVERALL - 78%
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======[ TIPS & CHEATS ]===================================
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O If you've discovered a secret on a Dreamcast or O
O Arcade game, and would like to share it with the O
O world, please e-mail me on Webmaster@sega2000.com O
>>>> Redline Racer - Import
Secret Images - Like a few other Dreamcast games, if you put
the CD into your PC or Mac, you get some extra secret images.
Redline Racer has some high quality JPEG and .BMP files of
the bike image on the cover.
>>>> House Of The Dead 2 - Import - Thanks to Freddy Lopez
Napalm Gun - To get the napalm gun, get a perfect head shot
on the first three zombies in Stage One. If you're successful
their heads will fly off and a new gun will appear on the
ground. Shoot it and the napalm is yours.
>>>> Aero Dancing - Import - Thanks to CameronCD
Fly a Dolphin - To fly the Dolphin you must first complete
Missions 1-7 of the Sky Mission Attack. That unlocks the
8th level mission attack. Once the 8th mission is beaten,
your reward is a dolphin that can be used in free-flight
and sky mission attack.
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======| SEGA TRIVIA |=====================================
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>>>> Weekly Sega Trivia
>>>> By Alex
O If you have any questions you think could be printed, O
O feel free to e-mail Alex on Alex@sega2000.com. Thanks. O
1: Who is the Tomb Raider?
2: What is the name of the machine in Blam! Machinehead?
3: How do Yobs travel to your theme park?
4: Who did the voice of Sonic in the Sonic cartoon?
5: Who is Bean?
>>>> Answers
1: Lara Croft
2: The Vorpal Blade
3: On scooters
4: Jaleel White, better known as Urkel.
5: The big-headed, green duck who throws bombs from Sonic
Fighters and Fighters Megamix.
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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.com
Sega 2000's new news system means our staff can put news
online any time of the day, and from anywhere in the world.
>>>> Media Site - http://media.seganet.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.
>>>> Dreamcast.net - www.Dreamcast.net
Updates daily, to keep you up with the latest on all things
Sega.
>>>> Gaming Central Starpath - www.startpath.com/gamingcentral
Our newest support site and provides hundreds of links for
anything a gamer might be interested in.
>>>> 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.
>>>> www.videogames.au.com
The newest supporter of Dreamcast Weekly, and a site with
a great design. Be sure not to miss this site!
>>>> DC Australia - www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/6831/
Dreamcast Australia has gone undercover to find out the
latest in release dates, prices and titles for the
Australian Dreamcast launch. Add in some of the best
previews, reviews, news and other info and this is one
hell of a site. Have a look.
>>>> 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!!
The official website for the Dreamcast Weekly is now open at
www.dreamcastweekly.com :) We've got the history of the
magazine, daily news and plenty more. Specially if your a
webmaster, there is lots of great information about how
you can be involved as well! Then in the future... who knows,
hopefully we'll be a print magazine one day :)
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======[ CREDITS ]=========================================
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O Writer: Graham Parker "Tails" - webmaster@sega2000.com
O Co-editor: Steve - steve@sega2000.com
O DC Questions: Please send to - Steve@sega2000.com
>>>> www.DreamcastWeekly.com - Official Website!
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Copyright, 1998-9 Graham Parker - WEBMASTER@SEGA2000.COM
Written and edited by Graham Parker. No parts may be
copied without prior permission. I would have to send
out my group of highly trained thugs otherwise, who will
have a tea party with you until you crack and your mind
turns into jello... MMmmmmm.... Sweet Sweet Jello....
hehe.
Oh and finally...
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Be sure to check out the new 'South Park Movie' trailer
at www.southparkmovie.com ! Kick A$$ !!!
