Newsletter: Sega World Weekly issue 138
From Video Game Morgue File
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S E G A W O R L D W E E K L Y
M A G A Z I N E
~~ Issue No. 138 June 26 2001 ~~
Proudly sponsored by http://www.lik-sang.com/
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-- Our Website Intro --
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> Why not share your thoughts online today with our forum?
-- http://www.segaworldweekly.com/forum/
> Sega World Weekly is best read in the Courier New font.
For past issues see http://www.SegaWorldWeekly.com/
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-- Issue Intro Page 1 --
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- Hello and welcome to this summer issue of SWW. Even
though our editor in chief, Graham "Tails" Parker is out
of town (Pennsylvania, US to be exact) life still must go
on. Tails actually entrusted Ross "Zondaro" Fisher and
myself (Chris) with the responsibilities of publishing
SWW. Tails probably thought that was a good idea, but
that's only until he reads this first issue of SWW without
his editorial touches (j/k).
Until Tails gets his butt back home to New Zeeland,
SWW will not be a weekly magazine. So expect an issue
of SWW every two or three weeks until the end of
September, when we will resume our weekly publication
schedule. At the end of July I am going on a short
vacation to Norway, but it shouldn't disrupt anything
as far as SWW goes.
As we all know, this year marks the 10-year anniversary
of a certain blue, spiky creature. Namely, Sonic The
Hedgehog! It has been 10 great years for gaming in my
opinion, which is what this week's editorial reflects.
Instead of doing a regular editorial, I have compiled
a list of my top 10 favorite games during the last
10 years, or the best games A.S. (after Sonic).
If you read the list carefully you might just find a
familiar little blue hedgehog in it someplace.
I have also seen the new commercial for the new Sonic
Adventure game the past few weeks. Has anyone else
seen it? If not here is a short synopsis:
There are a bunch of scientists in a room with 2 big
cages, one for each hedgehog. The one hedgehog sits
still and seems perfectly nice and normal, while
the other hedgehog is in a huge cage with thick steel
bars. What happens next is that a live cow is lowered
into the thick steel cage. Then cow parts are flying
everywhere and we hear some quite disgusting noises
from the cage. The commercial now switches views and
shows us actual gameplay from the new Sonic game,
while it asks us whether we want to be a nice or a
bad hedgehog.
Pretty nifty stuff! The concept of playing as the
EVIL Sonic or as the GOOD Sonic seems pretty cool
to me.
I would also like to say hi to Graham (Tails), I hope
you are enjoying your stay in the US of A!
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|| C O N T E N T S ||
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|| 2 - Cover Story ||
|| 3 - Weekly News ||
|| 4 - Question & Answer ||
|| 5 - Letters ||
|| 7 - Our Support Sites ||
|| 8 - Credits ||
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HOT QUOTE this issue:
"Hey, what with Tails going away for most of the summer,
does this mean that we will have NO SWW?"
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-- Cover Story Page 2 --
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<<.>> Top 10 Games for the last ten years
-- Written by Chris (Clay.Camel) Heggelund
These are the top ten games in my opinion (platform independent),
so feel free to disagree or even argue with me (if you do so
intelligently). They don't have to be technologically superior
or a brand new concept in order to make my list. They are
simply the 10 games that I think have been the most fun to
play during the last 10 years. The games I enjoy the most
would fall into one of these categories: Real time strategy,
turned based strategy, sports, action, and adventure. The games
are presented in no particular order.
*Super Tecmo Bowl (NES)*
-This football (NFL) game from Tecmo chewed up so many
hours of my time that I almost missed graduation. The great
head to head play; the season play, which allowed for multiple
people to pick a team and play in the same season, was really
what hooked me. In addition this game was one of the first to
include comprehensive statistics. Not only did you want to beat
the other players, but you also played to make sure your quarterback
had the most passing yards, touchdowns etc. The game featured all
the actual players from the NFL as well. I still enjoy this game
today.
*NHL 94 (Sega Genesis)*
-This is another great sports title. As a matter of fact this
was one of 2 games that made buy a Sega Genesis (guess what
the other game was? It is listed below). Fast paced, great graphics,
and high scoring. This game was loads of fun and it even allowed
for players to be traded and created from scratch, a feature that
really made season play interesting. SNES also had NHL 94, but
the Sega version was a notch better.
*Civilization II (PC)*
-This masterpiece from Sid Meier is still on my hard drive.
Starting out in the Stone Age with one lonely settler and
making your way to the 20th century was such a rewarding
experience. In between the Stone Age and present time you
create wonders of the world (Pyramids, the Great Wall, The
Hoover Dam and many more), you manage your resources (food,
gold, trade units), you wage war against countless other
civilizations, you decide what kind of government system you
want (communism, democracy, monarchy etc), and you construct
cities, buildings, roads, and railroads to further your
civilization. The game culminates in you destroying any
opposing civilizations or if you send a colonization space
ship to outer space.
*StarCraft : Brood War (PC)*
-Hands down the best real-time strategy game I have ever
played. It is not the first, nor the best looking right
now, but it has the best, most balanced game play in a
game ever. This game is still being played by thousands
of players every night on Battle.net (Blizzard's free online
gaming service). StarCraft is also partly responsible for
launching professional gaming in Korea.
StarCraft lets you pick one of three distinct races and
offers myriads of game play options. Control the defense
oriented, yet versatile Terrans, the insect like swarm of
the Zerg, or the mysterious, but powerful Protoss.
*Super Mario Cart (SNES)*
-This was one of the games that really brought me into the 16
bit gaming era. Still to this date, I rather play the original
Mario Cart than its big brother on the N64. I have many fond
memories of zipping around the oval with Toad, while simultaneously
collecting coins and toys; such as heat seeking turtle shells,
speed mushrooms, and lightning bolts. The 2-player tournament
mode was by far the most popular, but time trial mode and battle
mod also made for fun play. Simple to play, yet hard to master.
I still break this game out once in a while and try to break
the old course records I set years ago. If it wasn't for my
girlfriend at the time this game really would have caused me
to flunk out of school.
*PSO (DC)*
-Phantasy Star Online is the game that finally brought
thousands of console gamers online. Great graphics, addictive
game play, and the ability to team up with players across the
country to play were the features that really sold me on this
game. Throw in tons of items, cool and different character classes,
and a relatively lag free game play, and you have yourself a
sure hit. I know the game isn't perfect (thin story line and
small levels), but just the fact that it is the first really
popular console game designed for online play makes it a hit in
my book.
*Soul Calibur (DC)*
-I had a hard time deciding on whether or not to rank Tekken or
Soul Calibur in my top ten (there isn't enough slots for both).
After playing the two games with this ranking in mind, I decided
that Soul Calibur is my all time favorite fighting game. I have
yet to see any games on the PS2 that can rival the graphics and
pure game play of Soul Calibur. I also very much enjoy the fact
that weapons play an important part in how you play the game.
It makes for more varied and tactical combat than fists and
feet can provide by themselves. The characters have some awesome
moves as well, with Voldo's "scissor frenzy" being one of the
coolest. My personal favorite in the game is Kilik (guess I
just like the simplicity of beating someone with a big wooden
stick). Off course multiplayer is where it's at, but Soul Calibur
also managed to make the single player mode very enjoyable.
*Goldeneye (N64)*
-What's the most fun console game to play in 4 player spilt screen
mode? I am sure many of you will agree with me when I say Goldeneye
for the N64. Amazing graphics for a 64 bit console, and just as
amazing gameplay. The great thing about Goldeneye is that it
not only was a fun multiplayer game, but it is also one of the
best single player games I have ever played. The joy of picking
up the sniper gun for the first time and taking out those pesky
Russians in the guard towers, or going in head first with one
clob in each hand. When you finished the single player mode,
you were ready to take on your friends in the multiplayer mode.
Pick your map and head at it; with rocket launchers, proximity
mines, hand slapping, knives and guns galore. The only thing
I missed was the Bond girls :-)
*Panzer Dragon (Saturn)*
-This gem of a game almost justified the price of the Saturn.
Very original concept, great graphics, and most of all, fun
gameplay. I am still amazed that we haven't seen a Panzer
Dragon 2 yet (rumors have it that we might). Panzer Dragoon
was one of the most graphically impressive uses of the 32-bit
consoles for a long time. Creating a fully fleshed 3D
environment, gamers were awed by the graphical capabilities
of the Saturn once this game was released. I also enjoyed
the storyline of this game very much. Even though you were a
bit limited as far as movement on the dragon is concerned, I
still couldn't leave this game out of my top ten list.
*Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Sega Genesis)*
-Even though Sonic The Hedgehog was the game that introduced
the concept of speed and style that totally blew away a certain
plumber and his brother Luigi, I still rank Sonic The
Hedgehog 2 (STH 2) as my favorite game. The levels are
bigger, better, more colorful, and amazingly detailed
for a 16-bit console. I also loved the fact that STH 2
let you spin whenever you wanted to spin. Maybe the greatest
improvement from Sonic The Hedgehog is that STH 2 introduced
us all to Tails. This sidekick could be both controlled by
the computer or by another human. The levels were so well
designed that you could just speed through them and be
amazed at the tight control of Sonic's movements as well
as the pretty scenery as it zipped by at a 100mph. The
non-linear level design was another very nice feature.
In my opinion STH 2 is one of the best games of all times,
and it has paved the way for many clones or "wannabe Sonic"
games during the last ten years. However, there is no one
above this classic.
Well, there you are. So what do you think? If you have your
own top 10 list of games feel free to e-mail it to me and
I will publish your lists in the upcoming issues of SWW.
Feel free to start a thread on the forum as well, where
we can all share our top game/games during the last 10 years.
http://www.segaworldweekly.com/forum
Direct your comments, praise (yeah right), flames
(that's more like it), questions, or top 10 lists to
ceo@flexicorp.com
-Chris (Clay.Camel) Heggelund
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-- Weekly News Page 3 --
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<<.>> According to Reuters, Sega Corp. announced plans to
enter into non-gaming fields by leveraging its entertainment
expertise. Mainly the educational and training segments of
this industry.
<<.>> Sega of America has shipped Sonic Adventure 2 for
the Dreamcast. This game marks the 10 year anniversary for
Sonic The Hedgehog. Happy Birthday!
<<.>> Sierra has officially announced that there will be no
Half Life on the DC.
<<.>> The Sega Stock has been rather unstable lately, but
with all the new deals that Sega has struck their stock seems
to have settled down a bit. From a low of $1.50 this year, it
now sits comfortably at about $3.50 per share.
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-- Question and Answer Page 4 --
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Do you have a question for your Sega know-it-all? Simply
e-mail in your questions to Ross at zondaro@usa.net and
look for the answers soon in an issue of Sega World Weekly.
We are unable to personally reply to all emails.
You can also post your questions online, via our forum
which we all check regularly at...
http://www.segaworldweekly.com/forum/
>>>> Conspiracy Theory
I was wondering if any new information has come to light
regarding the cancellation of Half-Life for the DC? I
cannot fathom any good reason for not releasing a game that
is already finished, can you? There is a huge investment in
the game already with the development of it, not to mention
the advertising that is already in print. I have read two
reviews and a strategy guide for the DREAMCAST version,
it just doesn't make ANY sense. I do have a theory though
and would like to know what you think about it:
We all know of Sony's attempts to halt to the production
and release of Bleemcast. I have read that an injunction
has been filed against Bleem, that is why it is so hard to
get a copy of it. Sony doesn't seem to "get it", for every
copy of Bleemcast GT2 that is sold there HAS to be a copy
of GT2 bought as well. Bleemcast just sells more copies of
their game. I have read rumors that Sony has threatened to
withhold shipments of PS2s to KBToys if they carried Bleem.
All the KB stores in my home city have stopped carrying ANY
DC products and put the ones in stock on sale.
As for Half-Life, you know that there is also a version of
the game coming out for the PS2. Is it possible that Sony
told the game developer to stop the release of the DC
version or they would not be allowed to release it for the
PS2? It sounds like something Sony would do. It is also the
type of thing mobsters have been put in prison for. It is
called "extortion" but just like Bill Gates, Sony gets away
with it. Please note that I have absolutely NO evidence to
support this, I just cannot understand why a company would
throw away thousands of dollars by not releasing a finished
product. Look at the sales of Bleemcast, there are still a l
ot of us who support the DC and have looked forward to
Half-Life for a LONG time.
- Travis Stafford
[Actually, Sony has told retailers to not sell Bleemcast
which is why you can only find it at EB. They just
laughed at Sony and continued to sell it. Little stores
didn't have much of a choice though. Sierra didn't
really throw the game away, since Blue Shift was ported
to the PC for a quick buck. I've got a feeling that
Sony didn't want a DC Half-Life released right before
the PS2 version shipped. It would have been pretty bad
to see how close the two would have looked. If E3 was
any indication, the PS2 version will be like Myst...
a slide show. - Zondaro]
>>>> PSOv2 Anger Continues...Slowly
Whats the big deal about playing to play? All the
freesters out there gotta realize that the free ride does
not last forever. Zondaro made a comment on how the money
could be used to crack down on the hackers. Fine with me.
I like to play on Battle.net and I have seen people hack
when I play but its so hard to do anything about it. Fees
would be fine to me. Just not outrageously priced.
- lildude
[Yup. I'd like to take this moment to shamelessly plug
Gamecube Weekly. Yup. - Zondaro]
Anyone want to send me FZero for the GBA? - zondaro@usa.net
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Do you have a question for your Sega know-it-all? Simply
e-mail in your questions to Ross at zondaro@usa.net and
look for the answers soon in an issue of Sega World Weekly.
He is unable to personally reply to all emails.
Next time: More Q&A from Lady X of Gamecubeweekly.com
>>>> Phantasy Fantasy Questions and Shameless Plugging
Q) Do you have to have the original Phantasy Star Online
to play PSOv2? I was thinking about buying it, but
didn't want to buy the original if V.2 is going to be
the same game, only with more options. Thanks!
- Jeff
Is PSOv2 supposed to be a 'special edition' of the
original PSO or is it a whole new sequel?
- Brett "B Wax" McCabe
A) No, you don't need the original game to play. If you do
have the original and you've still got your save file
then you'll have a bit of a head start. PSOv2 isn't
really a full blown sequel. BTW, it is also coming out
for the Nintendo Gamecube including 4-player split
screen mode! Warning Shameless Plug Ahead!: Read all
about PSOv2 Cubed at http://www.gamecubeweekly.com
>>>> SWW is Cancelled!
Q) Hey, what with Tails going away for most of the summer,
does this mean that we will have NO SWW? I was wondering
what with the new talent on the zine, inluding Chris
and Zondaro... if some small section of the newsletter
will continue to go.. I would hate to be out of the loop
for so long. Especially with the nearing of console
launches right around the corner! Keep up the good work.
- Ben
A) Well, if you are reading this then SWW is still coming
out on an almost weekly bases eh? Also, what do you
mean by new talent? I've been working for SWW since
issue #107!
>>>> Third-Parties get NewZealand-ed!
Q) I've been reading #136 and I just want to ask the New
Zealander dude, Graham if 3rd party games are really not
gonna be coming here in New Zealand? Grandia 2 is
mentioned, does it mean that the new ones like Alone in
the Dark, Stupid invaders, etc.. arent so likely to hit
these shores? I looked at the list in the coming soon
binder at the local Electronics Boutique, and the Soul
Reaver 2 is still dated to come, wha? Is there a good
news for DC owners in NZ?
- Jonzki
A) Well, its starting to look really bleak for DC owners
everywhere. If Half-Life can be canceled so easly...
then any game could get the axe. If you really want
some third party games you may have to import. Sorry.
>>>> Shooting the White Hog
Q) Where can I buy VMU's batteries?
- Max Trance
A) Why would you need batteries? Oh wait...thats right
you can play "mini-games" on a VMU. Too bad the battery
life makes the GameGear look like a battery god. If
you can't live without...then try Radio Shack or any
place that sells watch type batteries.
- zondaro@usa.net
Join in our forum - http://www.segaworldweekly.com/forum/
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-- Letter of the Week Page 5 --
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Do you have an opinion who wish to share with all the
readers of Sega World Weekly? Simply e-mail in your
thoughts to zondaro@usa.net and look for them in an issue
of Sega World Weekly. Letters will be edited for length.
You can also post your letters and thoughts online at our
forum... http://www.segaworldweekly.com/forum/
Hot Topic: The New Sonic Adventure
Cold Topic: Half life for the DC
- This from Syd Grand
From my point of view, it doesnt make any sense
to put a gaming machine together with a dvd player.
The gaming machines in our house have always been hooked
up to a spare TV, whereas our dvd player is hooked up to
our main TV (in our living room). For that reason
(if for no other), we would never consider buying a
Playstation 2 or any other gaming machine that is
going to include a dvd in its price structure. For
the record, we posess pretty much every Sega machine made,
a playstation, & a couple of Nintendo machines
(Super & NES). We MAY buy and X-box.
- Chris (Clay.Camel) Heggelund
Well Syd, I tend to agree with you. However, the industry
is trying to reach a broader market than just hardcore gamers.
In that regards, making a multifunctional piece of
hardware makes more sense.
I still think that having many of the secondary features as
options (such as DVD playback), rather than required items
(that you have to pay extra for) is a great idea.
Off course, ten years from now our "all in one machine"
can connect "wirelessly" to any other projector/TV in
our house anyway :-)
Join in our forum - http://www.segaworldweekly.com/forum/
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-- Support Sites Page 6 --
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Sega World Weekly goes out to 40,000 gamers every week, but
how did we get so many people signed up? With the help of
these websites, that's how...
<<.>> System Zero - http://system-zero.com
As game music goes well beyond the beeps and bleeps of the
past and into the soundtrack quality tracks we hear today,
Perfect Zero becomes one of THE most important sites for
game fans. Hosting hundreds of MP3s from different games,
turn up those speakers and click that link.
<<.>> DC-United - http://dc-united.com
The Premiere Dreamcast Community, DC-United.com gives you
the ability to view members online, build your own
homepage, send messages, read in-depth reviews, and much
more. DCU Network Members are also eligible for various
monthly prizes.
<<.>> The Next Level - http://www.the-nextlevel.com
The Next Level is a multi-platform gaming magazine focused
on current and upcoming next-generation systems. We provide
up-to-date news, in-depth reviews, reader reviews,
intriguing editorials, and more.
<<.>> PSY Online - http://www.consolereviews.net
PSY Online is a multiformat reviews website specialising in
the Sega Dreamcast console. With 24/7 updated news, forums
and chat, its a great place to hang out for Sega fans.
<<.>> Future Gamez - http://www.futuregamez.net
What ever console your looking for, Future Gamez have them
all. From Dreamcast to GameCube, and X-Box to Playstation
2. So get your news, reviews, previews, and more at Future
Gamez, and stay on top of all systems.
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-- Credits Page 7 --
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O Q&A / Letters: Ross Fisher - Zondaro@usa.net
O Staff Writer: Michael Monahan - Mikelad1@aol.com
O Staff Writer: Chris Heggelund - Heggelun@pilot.msu.edu
O Editor: Graham "Tails" Parker - (returning Sep 18th)
<<.>> http://www.segaworldweekly.com/ - Our Website
<<.>> http://www.segaworldweekly.com/forum/ - Our Forum
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Copyright 1998-2001 Sega World Weekly Magazine
No parts may be copied without prior permission or correct
credit where due. There should probably be a pile of other
legal lines here, but please just play nice and don't
steal, lol! Thanks for reading Sega World Weekly!
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