Full text of ' 6 EXCLUSIVE PLAYABLE DREAMCAST DEMOS! TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER FUR FIGHTERS TOMB RAIDER 4 SILVER SUPER MAGNETIC NEO RAILROAD TYCOON II Off iciald^Sega special online issue: ^ Issue 6 July/AugUSt 2000 www.DailyRadar.co EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW! Agazine Fight Club/48 >y Official Sega ^ Dreamcast, ^ '/August 2000 Magazine Jet Set, er, Grind Radio/32 FEATURES/ * * DCDIRECT COMINGSOOW ij We knock ourselves out in the name of edutainment Jet Set Radio Trade your guns for inline skates, kids: Gang warfare is about to change forever! Travel with ODCM to Tokyo for a hands-on exclusive preview of Sega's hot new graf itti-tag skater (newly titled Jet Grind Radio). Sega.com/38 4 You and your Dreamcast are about to be launched into the World Wide Web: But who's gonna catch you?

The Sega Dreamcast GD-ROM disc is intondod for use exclusively on the Sega Dreamcast video game system. Do not use this disc in anything other than a Sega Dreamcast console, especially not in a CD player. • Do not allow fingerprints or dirl on oilher side of the disc. • Avoid bending the disc. Do not touch, smudgo.

We'll uncover Sega's online strategy for getting Dream- cast users— and company profits— right where it wants them. Everyone wins!

Fight Club 48 You talk the talk. But how good are you? ODCM takes both cheeks off the sofa and into the moody spotlight of a Buick's high beams, to walk the talk with fighting games. And the pain was real! All the news that fits— we grease it up good to slide it into those corners. Free Dreamcast! 14 Is anything good truly free?

Unless it's the toy surprise in a box of Cracker Jacks, no. Lucky for us, this DC isn't really free at all! What's that smell? Is Meet the iSmell: promising to turn Dreamcast into smell-o- vision. What could your favorite DC games smell like? Tokyo Game ' *JJ£ in Show 2000/24 ODCM tours the industry's biggest inter- national showcase.

Simon hits up the games, the bars and the booth babes.And more 18 22 • SC5 s Ulala: pop star in the making • We kick NextGen's ass at Tennis • Dreamcast taste test • More dirt about Seaman • Richard Simmons? •The Hot List! • El Dorado's Gate Hands-on looks at games that are gonna be out real soon.

Ill Bleed 62 Use all sfx senses in this horrific game. Sonic Shuffle/66 * 'I wanna play as Tails!' Wacky Races/68 Hanna Barbara meets Dreamcast Sydney 2K/68 Eidos goes for the gold UFC/73* * Now, that's what we call..quite good Cool Cool Toon/77 Better brush up your platforms, Ulala! Super Runabout 79 Smash-up San Francisco driving game Eternal Arcadia/so The eternal wait is almost over! Capcom/82 30% more fun per polygon Sno-Cross Championship Racing/84 Summer's winter wonderland World Series Baseball/84 When the Fox coverage isn't enough Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram 88 Now, about those twin sticks.

Three things to count on: death, taxes and ODCM's tight editorial pants DONATION New! We'll show you how to become a part of the worldwide Dreamcast community— including How to Get Online in Ten Minutes (or less, if you're smarter than we are). DCROM One good reason not to throw the mag away after you've eviscerated the packaging and ripped the disk from i its cardboard strip. You want to know: how to press the buttons, don't you? ENDZO/VE Find out which new games are served ■ up in Issue #7.

And we'll give you a j chance to win a brand spankin' new Birdhouse skateboard and T-shirt— ' plus copies of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 i and 21 Read on for contest details. Better get out your magic-markers!

TEStZONE Terminator 2: Judgment Day for lots of new Dreamcast games. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater/92 Evan Shamoon's happy marriage l-SPY: Operation Espionage/95 This is your brain on Dreamcast Evolution 2: Far Off Promise/96 ^ ^ Not so far off at all * ^ Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm /9S + Treyarch's ofner title Maken X/100 Meet the monster under your bed Tomb Raider Last Revelation 100 Everything old is new again. Or not Tech Romancer 101 «.

Full metal hack it. Super Sonic Controller/ioi No, it's not a remote.A.

If •a v Now the most chilling game series of all time awaits you on Sega D r e a m c a s t I Resident Evil Code: Veronica delivers a terrifying new chapter in survival horror. F r i g h t e n i n g 1 y realistic. Graphically astonishing- Relentlessly terrifying- It's two disks of lOO/i pure fear- And it's all so real i you'll start sleeping with the lights on- CODE:Veronica Sega Dreamcast CAPCOM www-capcom-com Disc Guide Welcome to the DiSC! Bhere are a few four-tetter words that come to mind when flipping through an issue of the Official Sega Dream cast Magazine While we won't list them all here (you know, the kids are listening), we know that two of the most important ones are spelled: D-E-M-0 and D-l-S-C. And while every issue is always filled to bursting with our entertaining and informative editorial that you know you simply cannot live without, we certainly know which side our bread's buttered on— the GD-Rom side, that And with shiny new demos of Crave's droolalicious Tony Hawk's ProSkater and Miss Croft's latest adventure.

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, you'd be hard pressed to find a reason NOT to buy this magazine (nudge, nudge). Just think of it: telling your friends that you have the latest, most up-to-date Browser for Dreamcast, or that you were abie to play Crave's addictive platformer, Super Magnetic Neo. Weeks before you could buy it. Or how about getting your hands on Infogrames' RPG. Silver, and Acclaim's cuddly shoot 'em up, Fur Fighters? Well, dig in.

Dear reader and get your bragging shoes on. Tt only gets better from here on out. TOfiy HclWK S Pf© SRcHCr publisher crave release date out now players i 202&: £y Mm— hp - • - ' CfiOUEOHP?**-*'.. Fin rasifn -„--'' 3E0 KICKIIIP ID MltY 4GS Jt? Trust us when we tell you that you're about to invest countless hours in this demo.

While you're limited to skating in the Warehouse level, the tricks you can pull off are entirely up to you and your crazy talent. This is a great practice level, so use it to help prep your skating skillz for the marathon skate sessions you'll have in June (ish). And love that 'Retry' option. '4Bw Stick: Move/Turn rLJej D-Pad: Move/Tun T 8 *!

O Tail Grab ©Jump Crouch/Crawl © Draw Gun t PUBLISHER CRAVE RELEASE DATE JULY PLAYERS 1 Two levels of blindingly colorful glee are about to infect your DC! The rules are simple: use Neo's head 'A to polarize either North or South in order to use launch pads and destroy enemies.

Polish your skills enough, and you might even get a chance at the Bonus Round that follows Level 1. We'll only warn you once: it's addictive! Silver publ ' T~ Given the dearth of DC RPGs. We welcome this hack 'n' slash with wide arms. Realtime action instead of turnbased combat asks you to master a bevy of moves in order to come out alive.

Join David and his Granddad (yes, this is truly an all ages affair) for a small portion of their journey to track down the evil emperor who has stolen David's wife. '4IBfc» Stick: Movement HSg D-Pad: N/A f*' 21 *' ©Accept/Swing ©Command Cluster Attack Switch © Command Cluster •maSftT f mm / 1 We're bringing you a timed jaunt in the one-player version and a two-player deathmatch. The control takes a bit of getting used to (much like MDK2), but have patience, young Skywalker. Switch between characters Gump on their icons to be teleported into their bodies) to have the most fun. And make sure you use the right guns. Oh, and let the fur fly..

Stick: Rotate can j D-Pad: Change Weapons i © Move Right © Move Forward © Move Back Shoot Railroad Tycoon II •» JBLISHER GOO RELEASE DATE OUT NOW PLAYERS 1 MB Sim junkies weaned on Sim City and Theme Park, here's your chance to make a bigtime stab at being a-well. Railroad tycoon. Lay down tracks, build stations and get involved in local politics, while keeping an eye on your cash stash at all times in - UJU order to keep the dream alive.

This sample level gives vou a taste of the good life of every monopolist. Stick: Move Cursor © Option Select 4i Button Display 1 D-Pad: Move Cursor © N/A j>Button Display I © Option Select © Game Info Dreamcast Browser ver. §■ >JL PUBLISHER SEG A/PLA N ETW E B RELEASE DATE OUT NOW PlanetWeb's latest browser is finally here, completely free to our readers! Get online quicker and easier with a streamlined interface that includes Flash 3.0 and force feedback support. And DC web surfers can now (drum roll, please) download and play MP3s, and upload VMU data to the internet using the new browser! Stick: N/A D-Pad: N/A ©N/A Having Trouble? Can't get your GD-ROM to work properly?

Sometimes a little cleaning does wonders. Try wiping it gently with a soft, lint-free cloth, If that doesn't work, contact our customer help mailbox at dischelp@imaginemedia.com and we will be happy to help. Bear in mind that our disc isn't intended to work on your personal computer-it' I! Only run on a Dreamcast.

That's the whole point. So don't even try it on one of those 'other' CDROM based videogame systems, either.

Help Mail: dischelp@imaginemedia.com 6 Official Sega Dreamcast Magazine July/ Aug 2000 www.DaityRadar.coin wW [rpg survival tactic #1] Shrouded in mystery and cloaked in secrecy, a new force has divided Mag and Linear, threatening the trust between them. With no clear motive, and always one step ahead of everyone, Yurka alone possesses the immeasurable power of destruction, and the subtle power to rend Mag and Linear apart. Only the strong survive.

Evolution 2, sequel to the best-sell- ing RPG on the Sega Dreamcast™. >3>2 Sega Dreamcast ujbi soft *i £ Far Off Original D-MAIL Letters Team ODCM IT'S BEEN QUITE AWHILE since we changed this text, and we feel that, as a regular, loyal reader of this magazine, you deserve more.

You may not agree, but that's just low self-esteem talking. Anyway, below are the mugs and mildly amusing bios of the six simians that put together the mag.

Send adult beverages to help us through the next issue. Cards are always nice. We'd like to hear from you..honest! SIMON COX (Suddenly Former) Editor-in-Chief Having finished birthing the lovable monstrosity that is ODCM. Simon had his nether bits sewn up and moved to Imagine s Revolution music mag, where as Launch Editor he continues to spout patently absurd ideas that somehow turn out great. We'll miss him. DAN FTTZPATRICK Aft Director New York transplant who can't believe how easy this writing gig is.

'I just write whatever crap comes into my head, and they print it!' He displays amazement every other Friday when, due to what must be a clerical error, he is paid again.of course, we do make him work 15-hour days. 10 Official Sega©Drearncast Magazine July/Aug 2000 Point Taken HI like to think I'm not alone in that I'm sick of seeing only sports, fighting, and racing games on the market. Back in the days of the Genesis, there were limitations on what kinds of games were feasible for a console system.

With the DCs capabilities, I had hopes that things would change- yet the only PC games being produced now are sports, racing, and first-person shooters. My question is this: I know that LucasArts has signed a deal to develop some of their Star Wars games for the DC, and I was wondering ff there was any chance they'd port their anti-point-and- click u be r-ad venture title Grim Fandango? Tom TomMcWeeny@webtv.net ODCM: We've got some beef right here for ya, Tommy. Concerning adventure games-well, we couldn't agree more. Our gaming hearts bleed console gray when we think of some of those LucasArts point-and-click games.

They're some of uldn't oget Grim Fandango on Drearncast? Urn, we'll get back to you. Our all time favorites, and we'd sell our (albeit worthless) bodies for the opportunity to play them on Drearncast. So write to LucasArts and let 'em know what you want! That's the only way these guys will ever get an honest picture of what their market's looking for. As far as what we know is coming for unimpacted genres-i.e., NOT sports, racing, or first-person shooting— Stupid invaders looks awesome, and Arcatera looks good. We like adventure games.

So that's why you're Letter of the Month. B] Fight, Fight, Fight EDCastle Kept?

What ever happened to Fighting Vipers 2? It utilized Model 3 technology and would be easy work for Drearncast. It's weird that no one, to my recollection, has mentioned any plans of a Drearncast conversion. So it's up to me. What's its future?

Chase cnfatty@hotmail.com ODCM: Very noble of you, Chase. Actually, we've heard from our sources in Japan that Sega is 'looking into' porting Fighting Vipers 2 to DC, but no word yet on when, where or who. Apparently, it can be far more difficult to port Model 3 games to DC than it is to Naomi, since most of the game has to be redrawn and reprogrammed to suit the power of Drearncast. We saw what this conversion could do to a game in the import DC version of Virtua Cop 2— let's hope FV2 won't suffer the same fate. Blame Canada I feel that it's about time Sega stopped ignoring Canadians. I can't enter any of the contests at Sega's web page, they didn't even think about bringing the Sega Assault Tour vehicles here, and while I was reading the ad for Chu Chu Rocket, it said at the bottom of the page: 'Go online and face wacko opponents from all across this great nation.'

What about Canada? I'm not saying that Sega is a crappy company— it's the best. I just think that it should care a little more about us Canadians. And contrary to popular belief, we don't live in igloos. Gary Derdall gderdall@home.com ODCM: Hahahahahaha.Hahahahaha. Well, Friend from the North, Sega seems to think that it wouldn't make enough money in the Land of the Smaller Dollar to justify acknowledging its consumer existence— or they just hate Terence and Philip.

We suggest, Gary, that you and your friends to write to Sega: maybe it's ABOOT time they got a loud reminder. I am not your typical gamer, though I have been gaming for more than half of my life. I am a 30 year old Ph.D. Working at a major internal medical practice in Manhattan (NY). After reading your May/June 2000 Issue, I was so influenced by your ability to analyze and describe the Drearncast experience that I went out and purchased one (along with RE: Code Veronica, Dead or Alive 2 and House of the Dead 2).

Playing the DC is breathtaking. I never would have thought of purchasing it if it wasn't for your excellent game journalism skills. I do have a question. According to DailyRadar.com, Castlevania Resurrection was cancelled, yet you have it listed as a Q4 release. Can you clear this up?

As well as print any information on the upcoming Half-Life? Please keep up the excellent work, and please go monthly.

I need more ODCM— stat! Take care, Robert L. Pastore, Ph.D., CNC, CN j ODCM: Unfortunately, Doc, Konami has pulled the plug on Castlevania for 'quality reasons.' Rumors point to the fact that the game basically. Well, sucked. And the company stopped paying for it. As for Half-Life, don't you worry.

We're paying the Lone Star State a visit, and we're going ' to ambush its developers. Expect a really great port with extra goodies. There was only one thing wrong with J Castlevania: Resurrection. EQKnows It All Your magazine is probably the best videogame publication out there. The content, art, layout, and (God help me) even the humor are all top notch. Because you're the most knowledgeable DC mag on the planet, I've got a few questions for ya: 1) It looks like you guys were correct when you reported that Namco's new fighting games would be Naomi based.

So, it is almost certain that Soul Calibur 2 v.DailyRadar.com and Tekken 4 will be coming to Dreamcast soon, as will (the very boring sounding) Mr. Any idea what the next Namco DC title will be? 2) Capcom certainly seems like they're on board for the long haul, don't they? Any chance that we'll see a version of Onimusha? To me, it's the only PS2 game that shows much promise. 3) I need news on Sonic 21 Any news?! I don't even care if you make stuff up!

Nathan Ahrens via e-mail ODCM: 'Probably?' Okay, let's do this up one at a time: 1) Word on the street is that Namco's DC trump card wifi be Soul Calibur 2— although that is entirely unconfirmed at this point. We know that the arcade game is going to be Naomi-based (as reported by reliable Japanese arcade super-site Amusement Graffiti), which means that the game would be incredibly easy to port. And considering the truckloads of money that Namco made on the original, let's just say we'd be 'very surprised' if the second coming of Soul Calibur didn't show up on Dreamcast. 2) While Capcom has definitely proven itself as one of the most aggressive Dreamcast developers out there, we don't think that Onimusha will make it onto Dreamcast. While it does took incredibly cooi, the game is now being developed for PS2 (after beginning on N64, then switching to PSX), and is more than a year from completion. 3) Sonic 2 will be a romantic 17th-century period piece starring John Malkovich as Sonic and Ru Paul as Tails.

We'd be bringing you all the juice that's fit to drink next issue. ESChuChu-ism If you so strongly agree with Mike T. (issue #5's Letter of the Month) that the video game industry has been 'burdened by backward, regressive politics and stereotyping,' how do you justify running a Chu Chu Rocket ad that includes offensive stereotypes? In this ^^^^^^^^ particular ad, (ODCM Issue #5), an online player from Eugene, Oregon gleefully taunts a player from Tuscaloosa, Alabama by calling him a 'monster truck-loving, buck-toothed hillbilly' who would probably eat mice when he 'runs out of possum.' Further, the player from Alabama is shown unable to compete AND spell.

Perhaps the worst aspect of the ad is the fact that the ■ -*:Y^-il person who's shown uttering blatantly stereotypical comments is also shown as the best player. Southerners are frequent and undeserving victims of stereotypical jokes— how about helping stop the insults rather than perpetuating them?

Lowell Cunningham Via Email ODCM: Ouch, Lowell. You're 100% right, actually.

Unfortunately, the editorial staff doesn't know what ads will run in the magazine until it's already printed. But after taking a glance at the ad in question, we were quite shocked. We encourage you, Lowell— and all of our other readers— to write to any company with advertising that gives offense. They won't change unless you teil them to. Imperfect 10? This is the first time I have ever written to complain about a review for a game.

I just received Issue #5 in the mail and your magazine is great, but I was quite disappointed with your review of Dead or Alive 2. Correct me if I'm wrong, but a 10 means that a game is perfect (or at least above reproach). Granted, it is the most beautiful fighter invented and the animations are smooth and the gameplay balanced, but after I'd been playing for an hour and beaten the game with three different characters I was bored.

Yes, I did get a friend over later and we played the two-player mode, but once again, after an hour, we turned it off. Soul Calibur, on the other hand, had me hooked for hours on end with a thirst for more. It had secrets galore and challenge modes. Where are the extras in DOA 2? Oh yes, there are supposedly two hidden characters that are time released or something (yawn). I really don't care that you gave a game that deserved an 8 a slightly higher rating, and yes, you can make mistakes.

But PPLLLEEAAASSSEEE save the '10's' for games that are worthy of such a high honor. Keep up the work on an otherwise great magazine. John Schmidt sitandstare@juno.com ODCM: Here's our reviewer's response: Hi John, Evan here.

Let me try to explain why I believe DOA 2 is better than Soul Calibur. Now don't get me wrong— I love my SC. But when it comes to brass tacks, fighting games are not about the extras'— they're about the combat.

For my money, the DOA 2 fighting engine simply allows for more variety—matches rarely feel like you've had them before, and button mashing doesn t get you nearly as far as it does in SC. The fighting is more pure and more subtle than that of its weapons-based counterpart, and the defense/reversal system is more usable than that of SC. These are definitely two of my favorite fighting games of all time (along with SFII and Power Stone), but D0A2 wins by a nipple. » WRITE AWRY, CRPTRIN! This is your page, reserved for answering your questions about Dreamcast, ODCM and life in general. We don't really get out of the office enough to have the latter, but we can fake it better than Cruise and Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut. [Plus it's the last call for those who want to reserve a hot Chu Chu Rocket date with Simon..going, going.] Send your queries to: ODCM, c/o Imagine Media, 150 North Hill Drive, Brisbane, CA, 94005.

Or do it digitally by sending us email at dcmag@lmaginemedia.com Magazine publishing is 50% perspiration,.08% intoxication, and 49.92% music-induced trance channeling of someone talented (and dead). To create each issue of ODCM, we tisten to the same damn songs over and over. This helps us achieve a truly altered state.trust us. Here's this month's playlist: Space Channel 5 Soundtrack, Roni Size, Evolution, Fight Club Soundtrack, Rakim, Resistance D, Giaxxoweicome, Roots, Reflection Eternal, Pop Will Eat itself, Blur, Bassic, Groove Armada, The Jam, Fatboy Slim, AC/DC, and Everthing But the Girl www.dreamcastmagazine.coi July/Aug 2000 Official Sega#Dreamcast Magazine 11 Tough as it is, you must resist. Otherwise, you could end up with something like Seaman on your hands.

Oh sure, treat him nicely and he's your buddy. Slack off, though, and he becomes just another verbally abusive mutant. Remember that the next time you feel the urge to fiddle with Mother Nature.

SEAMAN ON THE 'F' WORD: 'I'm too polite to use that word, so I'll just say, 'Bite me, you baboon-faced ass scratches ' SEAMAN ON HIS ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: '1 need a middle finger to show you' » Bill HE PEHOLKB l, Sega©Dreamcast IT'S THINKING NEWS NEWS INDEX WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FREE to be DC 14 El Dorado's gold 15 ismell, you smell 18 Lifestyle give-away 18 Dream On 18 Cats & dogs unite 18 Japan rules, again 18 NextGen gets creamed 20 Capcom capper 20 Separated at Birth 20 MP3 alert! 22 Anime animus 22 Ulala is everywhere 22 You don't know Seaman 22 Dreaming is Free Sega.com throws down a $200 rebate ^ for joining its speedy gaming ISP It's true. Sega is giving away Dreamcasts. The company believes so strongly that the future of gaming is moving online that it's willing to put its money— $200 per Dreamcast of it, anyway— where its mouth is. Here's the deal: If you sign up for SegaNet, the new ISP from Sega.com, Sega will cut you a check for $200 to rebate the cost of your Dreamcast and send you a DC keyboard.

If you don't have a Dreamcast yet, the company will either send you the check (so you can run to the nearest dealer to buy one), or send you the console itself with the keyboard. Anyone who's ever bought a Dreamcast (that means you, Chester) is eligible— and there's no need to worry about saving receipts or clipping coupons or talking to a telemarketer. All you have to do is sign with SegaNet. Needless to say, of course, there'a catch: You have to agree to keep the SegaNet ISP service (at $21.95 a month) for two years. So, over the life of the contract, you'll pay $526.80.

Why use SegaNet instead of some other ISP- aside from that $200 rebate? In addition to the cash (and the keyboard), Sega is making a pretty big promise: by using SegaNet, you'll get a dramatic reduction in latency— that's the lag time between data leaving your Dreamcast, going to a remote server, and coming back— versus that of other ISPs. Since SegaNet controls the ISP, it gives priority to Dreamcast game traffic, white less time-sensitive transactions, like email postings, have to wait. It's like a gamer's carpool lane on the information superhighway- gaming data just cruises by while all the squatty business stuff has to sit in traffic, honking horns and talking on cell phones.

If you don't use SegaNet, you can still surf the web and play online games, but you may not get the same kind of speed that SegaNet users do: which means that you might not be able to compete on their level. In addition to its rebate program, Sega is mounting an all- inclusive campaign to keep you and your Dreamcast happy, Sega promises that users of their network will get speedier connections than users of rival ISPs. Including a whole new wardrobe of online games (for full details on all of these games, see Modem Operandi, p. The company has also announced that SegaNet will indeed work over broadband connections, like DSL or cable modems— so no worries; go ahead and buy the speed. September is the maqic month: That's when SegaNet launches online, when checks go out to us greedy Dreamcast owners, and when the first online games released. To sign up for SegaNet and get your filthy lucre, you can head over to or fill out a form at your local retailer. >FYL Dreamcast News Network ^ From Final Fantasy to El Dorado's Gate Famed FF designer Yoshitaka Amano goes Dreamcast I oshitaka Amano, known for his character designs for Square's Final Fantasy series, is currently hard ' at work on a Dreamcast RPG (planned for Japanese release)— Capcom's El Dorado's Gate.

The 24- episode game will be published as a bimonthly low-priced game in Japan only (at the equivalent of around $25), with every game being both a stand-alone title and an addition to the mysteries of an epic story arc created by Resident Evil plot-guru Flagship. 'I've been working on El Dorado's Gate for about three years,' Amano tells ODCM, 'And whenever I come to New York I sit down to work on the Capcom game.' He laughs, 'I have to come up with 300 characters by the end of summer.' The exclusive artwork you see here is straight from the master's pen—and these screenshots are straight from Amano, himself, and Capcom Japan. We're hoping that the publisher will release this unconventional multi- episode RPG in the US, but all signs point to 'no' as of press time (of course, with Capcom you never know what to expect— witness the oddity that is JoJo's Bizarre Adventure).

For a good look at Amano's virtuosity, check out his work in graphic novel The Sandman— The Dream Hunters (nominated for a Hugo Award), or heat up your Dreamcast Web Browser and visit his official website: A full interview with Amano is comin' at you in Issue #7! The company behind D2, Warp, has effectively relaunched itself as Superwarp. According to the redesigned website, Superwarp will shift its focus from games to network, DVD and music multimedia interests. Contrary to online reports and various publications (including this one-oops!), Eternal Arcadia will not be compatible with the fishing rod controller. Consider this a rumor gone wacko.

Sega's Shibuya-based development studio R&D #9 has confirmed that it is hard at work on the sequel to Space Channel 5 and www.dreamcastmagazine.com Doreamon, the earless cat fearlessly beloved by millions in Japan (if only it could hear the cheers!), will have its own DC puzzle/sim title this Fall, courtesy of Sega Toys. Expect a merchandise blitz! Watch out, Pikachu! Media Factory, maker of the handheld Pikachu unit in Japan, has announced that it will be giving the same treatment to Sega's Sakura Taisen characters. Pocket Sakura features the lovely ladies in a game series linked to the Game Boy Color title, and is set to debut in Japan in late June. T>DCURECT Dreamcast News Network 'Smello-vision' is in your gaming future But do you really want to smell your games? [TT e hide out in our rooms with I i i our Dreamcasts for weeks on ■■P end, eating frozen food, not answering the phone, while the cat comes unfed on the rug because we've neglected to change the litterbox.Why?

Because games are an escape from the real world, not an affirmation of it. Yet Digiscents, pioneer of digital scent technology, is about to bring a whole new dimension to the 'real world' aspect of console gaming.

Created by co-founders Joel Bellenson and Dexster Smith (who alsocofounded biotech giant Double Twist), Digiscents can index almost any scent according to its chemical composition and digitize it into a small, workable file — which can then be attached to any kind of web content, game or email. All you need to 'amplify' the scent is the 'iSmell': a small box about the size of a soda can, which contains (among other things) vials of oils of various compositions that heat up or cool off in accordance with impulses sent by your hard drive. A tiny fan blows the scent produced by these oils toward your nose— and vo/7a! The downside, of course, is the inevitability of the stinkbomb: the e-world's version of the letterbomb.

Will it happen? Rob Dyer, President of Eidos Interactive, says, 'Once I saw the demo, I was sold. I see the gaming space all over this.' We Think the Game. Will Smell Like. Resident Evil: Code Veronica Dead or Alive 2 Chu Chu Rocket Jeffrey Dahmer's Basement Teen Spirit Deodorant Quake 3 Tidy Cat 71 ^ Kitty Litter Los Angeles bus exhaust Crazy Taxi Space Channel 5 Chafed vinyl Chafed vinyl Seaman er.Seaman HHi World Series Baseball 2K1 Freshly mown grass & Bud belches The Toys of Summer DailyRadar.com wants to pay you to play games & eat pizza ORERH ON GAMES WE WISH WERE ON DC □ our rent and cable bill is paid for the summer.

You've got ten free movie passes to use whenever you get sick of cable. A free Dreamcast (in addition to the one Sega wants to give you) arrives at your door. Throw in a $200 pizza party AND a $1000 spending spree at the online game store GameStop, and then open your eyes— this lifestyle isn't a dream! The Perfect Summer Contest, i brainchild of Imagine Media's 1 DailyRadar.com, will soon be giving three complete prize packages away to lucky entrants. 'We figured gamers like to sit around and play games, watch movies MDAR and not go to work— especially during the summer, when there's no school,' says Daily Radar's chief suit, Aaron John Loeb.

How do you win? Just send pictures of yourself in your mom's sexiest lingerie to 150 North— what? It's a sweepstakes; you can put the garter belt back in the drawer. For us.) For complete rules and an entry screen, head on over to www.dailyradar.com/contests/ perfectsummer.

Check out the site's crack DC news, reviews, previews ^ and more. And yes, the contest is Dreamcast Browser compliant. SNATCHER KONAMI 1988 (MSX/JAPAN) It's 2047 A.D. Androids are killing humans and assuming their identities; Gillian:>s^~^**WWfi5H = -•- Seed must sift out these; -^N^I^^*^fct C'^Z imposters as a detective f vA mind of Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear), Snatcher (which appeared on MSX, PC- Engine, PlayStation, Saturn and Sega CD) plays like a digital comic with lightgun tendencies. Its dedicated fanbase still hopes for its updated release.

5 The Rebirth of Cool Dream Passport 3: Further proof that Japan gets all the best stuff With release of Dream Passport 3 in Japan, Sega has officially opened its DreamLibrary service. The DreamLibrary is an online emulation system using the Dreamcast Network - in Japan, whereby gamers can choose from / classic Megadrive (Genesis) and PC-Engine (TurboGrafx 16) titles, and play them for a specified period of time (for a small fee). / The partial launch list is as follows: R Type I, R Type II, Vigilante, Fantasy Zone, Super Volleyball, Langrisser, StarCruiser, Flicky, Columns, Puyo Puyo, Phantasy Star II, Crackdown, Monster. World IV and Shining Force.

New titles appear almost daily on Japan's menu; a US release of the DreamLibrary service is still pending. BleemlCAST PlayStation games on DC The impossible has become reality: Thanks to bleem! For Dreamcast, you can now play Sony PlayStation games on your Sega Dreamcast.

Even takes advantage of Dreamcast's power to improve the look of PlayStation games, rendering graphics at 640x480 (twice their resolution on Playstation), and adding enhancements like full-screen anti-aliasing and bi linear filtering. The program will be sold in four separate 'bleempacks', with each $19.99 GD-ROM allowing you to play 100 different Playstation games. 18 Official Sega 0 Dreamcast Magazine July/ Aug 2000 www.DallyRadar.com 'Fun? -EC3M 'will become a long-played title in your game library' - Game Informer' 'If entertainment could be measured, GTAS would bust the scale' -Gamespy.com Grand Theft Auto is back. A Completely open & non-linear game play frees you to f carve your own way to the top of the crime underworld. Steal everything. Fk Intelligent gang system - Earn and maintain the respect Ij of gangs to gain the best jobs.

Or, play the gangs off against each other in turf wars. A Fierce playability: against a backdrop of urban anarchy If the game play is more absorbing & involving than ever.

The incredibly fast-paced and fluid game play now matched by Sega's 128-bit system makes GTAS a must have for the Sega Dreamcast owner's game library. Segaf^Dreamcast WWW.GTAS.COM www.rockstargames.com PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. DMA and the DMA logo are trademarks of DMA Design Ltd.

Rockstar Games and the Rockstar logo are trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. © 1999 All rights reserved. DCURECT 1'.IpiilTlWE Dreamcast News Network Tennis, Everyone?% How to Clean a Tennis Court With Fran's Ass PRODUCTIVITY HASN'T BEEN THIS LOW SINCE the Great Depression. A surprise gift called Virtua Tennis has arrived in the mail, and— in spite of imminent deadlines— we've done nothing but bash balls around ever since.

Our demo has allowed us to play not only high-stakes singles (it's pretty obvious who won the ODCM Rights To the Title tournament), but doubles matches— which gives us a wonderful chance to join together as a team to duke it out with other mags. NextGen keeps challenging us to rematches, and we keep beating them— soundly. You work the angles using the analog pad, while the buttons control what type of shot you smack down your opponent's throat. Tennis runs at 60fps, with realtime shadows and incredible graphics; even the finance guys are sticking their heads through the bars of our chimp cage to watch us play.

Sega's game is nearly flawless: except the demo didn't contain ANY female players, and everyone wants to get some play with Kournikova. Japanese developer Lovedelic has announced a monster breeding DC RPG (of sorts) called Lack of Love— and wunder-musician SEPARATED AT BIRTH? From the Uncanny Resemblances Department: ^^2^ CHUCKY'S BACK Oh, wait. That's just Sonic. Sega has just released this new Sonic doll to the American market, and now that Simon has left the magazine, it's this beady-eyed little bugger who has been vigilantly watching our every move. We're thinking about putting together a little Child% Ptey- ripoff and putting it on the disc for your viewing enjoyment.

Let us know what you think. And help us think of a title. 20 Official Sega The kids at Next Generation [above) were gluttons for punishment. 'Come on, you ODCM cowards, bet you can't beat us 13 times in a row!' Chris Charla Eats Tokyo ODCM's new Editor Chief is hungry. F YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT, I'm probably polygons instead of proteins.

I've eaten Pac Man ramen, Virtua Fighter rice candies, Mario cookies, Pokemon chocolates, PaRappa toast (from a PaRappa toaster no less) and Mega Man- well, I wasn't really sure what it was, but it had the texture of cartilage and the flavor of, urn, ass. All thanks to the twisted product design perspective of Japan's videogame industry. Here's a taste of some new Puyo Puyo treats: So in vogue right now in Japan, this yogurt drink is conveniently ultra-pasturized, so it won't spoil during its twelve hour flight home in your suitcase. It's basically just a thin, grape-flavored yogurt with a viscosity sadly reminiscent of baby puke (a realization that will prevent me from drinking it ever again). I must admit I had high hopes for the beef curry mixture, since it's my favorite Japanese dish, and I wasn't disapointed. Over rice, it's delicious.

It may have been better had it actually included beef, but that's neither here nor there. Don't try this stuff at home. US stores may soon stock more otaku tidbits with the shelf life of Twinkies, or— by virtue of the fact that we inhale them— us, but you'll want to leave the testing to the experts. Ryuichi Sakamoto (of Yellow Magic Orchestra fame) has signed on to compose the game's soundtrack. Sega is working on a new DJ music game for NAOMI entitled Crackin' DJ, which officially pits it squarely against DJ giant Konami for the title of arcade turntable king. It ain't Soul Calibur 2, but Namco has confirmed its plans to release its puzzler Mr. Driller and a 3D adventure, Ms.

Pacman MAZE /VMDNESS-plus that old-school favorite, Namco Museum Collection— on DC. Crave 's support of Dreamcast will soon include Genki's street racer Tokyo Xtreme Racing 2, CRI's more WE'RE L 5. A FULL NIG 4.

MP3 PLAYER 3. PHANTASY STAR ONLINE 2. TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER 2 1.

JET GRIND RADIO YOU'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO. SONIC ADVENTURE 2 3.

ETERNAL ARCADIA 2. POWER STONE 2 1. PHANTASY STAR ONLINE YOU'RE DREAM! SOUL CALIBUR 2 4.

MEGAMAN GAME 3. PANZER DRAGOON SAGA 2 2. SHINING FORCE ANTHOLOGY 1. DRAGON BALL Z Got a dream game? Get a keyboard and send it in to hotlistl3imaqinemedia.com ly/Aug 2000 action-oriented Aerowings 2: Air Strike and the shoot 'em up stealth title, Soldier of Fortune. The Neo Geo Pocket Color peripheral SongBoy will soon allow you not only to play audio files (MP3's among them), but to display lyrics on the screen while a song is playing! USB ports, cables, and 16MB of memory are included.

So is the $79 price tag. The arcade smash Top Skater will soon have a sequel called Air Trix, which will use a 360 2 floor pad connected to the skateboard to encourage players to pull of the sickest tricks this side of the train tracks. Need more Gundam for your DC mech fix? Bandai's Gundam: Gfren's Ambition will soon meet the demand. It releases in Japan at the end of June.

Sega's mysterious sports title Virtua Athlete 2K is now slated to release in July. Eidos holds the Olympics license in the US, but we're guessing that VA2K will feature Olympics-sfy/e events. 'The first thing I did when I played MDK™2 was poop in my shorts'.' Sega X - 97% 'No Sega Dreamcast™ title available is more worthy of your money.'

9.4/10 - IGN.com 'One of the best looking and best sounding Sega Dreamcast™ games.' Videogames.com 'A Must Own' dailyradar.com - Direct Hit 'Action gamers. Need look no further than MDK™2.' 4.5/5 - Gamepro.com 'Buy it! That's the bottom line.' 95% - Dreamcast.net '. Best action game on the Sega Dreamcast™.'

91/100 - Gamerankings.com '. A must have for any Sega Dreamcast™ gamer.' 5/5 lncite.com Developed By BioWare Seqa#Dreamcast CORP C ' HY 'AMEBS. FOR GAMERS MDK2 © 2000 Interplay Entertainment Corp. Omen Engine © 2000 Bioware Corp.

Developed by Bioware Corp. The Bioware Omen Engir and Bioware logo are Trademarks ot Bioware Corp. MDK, MDK2 and related marks. Interplay, the Interplay logo and 'By Gamers. ' are trademarks of Interplay Entertainment Corp.

Certain characters are © Shiny Entertainment, Inc. Dreamcast and the Dreamcast logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Enterprises, Ltd. All other copyrights; trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. LUA © 1994-1998 TeCGraf, PUC-Rio. All rights reserved. >DCURECT Dreamcast News Network ANIME GOES BERSERK DC hack 'ri slash shows its anime roots LOS ANGELES BASED ANIME VIDEO COMPANY Urban Vision (Vampire Hunter D, Final Fantasy, etc.), has announced its intention to bring Eidos' recent hack 'n slash hit— Guts' Rage: Sword of the Berzerk— to the US in video form.

Already a long running anime series and manga in Japan, the storyline centers around an orphaned boy who grows up in the rough and tumble world of Europe in the Middle Ages. Urban Vision is set to release all twelve volumes of the series (with several episodes in each volume) beginning this August. Anime fans intrigued by the deep plotline in Guts' Rage will definitely want to watch the shelves. Look for a review of the first volume in our next issue.

SPACE POP Beautiful art, but we're a little disappointed by these teeny-tiny spots of blood. HOW TO MAKE A (JIFFY) POP STAR: 1. Promote her bellybutton. Give her a catchy tune (one catchy tune=infinite catchy remixes). Put her on MTV. Make sure she's the girl that guys talk about when they get drunk.

Clearly, Sega is following this recipe to the T with its US debut of SC5's Ulala. In the tunes department, not only has Sega released a 70-minute full soundtrack (right) from the game on CD, but a 6-track, 40-minute Mexican Flyer remix CD (left) has been released featuring Ken Woodman & His Piccadilly Brass, Gomi, and Kenji Eno— and produced by SC5 creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi. Make way for Sega Spice! 22 Official Sega Dreamcast Magazine July/ Aug 2000 YOU DON'T KNOW SEAMAN Seaman, the morose virtual eel pet that Sega continues to promise (or is that threaten) for the US, is getting a dialog coach. Sega has announced that Jellyvision, creators of the wisecracking (and, surprisingly for a game, genuinely funny) dialog for the You Don't Know Jack trivia series, is stepping in to give the eel a crash course in American humor and pop culture. Seaman might lack charisma, but you'll want to hear what he has to say. Screw cuddly.

VISUAL MUSIC UNIT Ok, so the rumored Dreamcast DVD drive add-on appears about as likely to happen as Square's sudden defection from Sony to Sega, but this is for real. Sega's enhanced VMU, capable of storing and playing an hour's worth of MP3 audio, will be available before the end of the year.

And of course, you'll be able to download MP3s from the web with your Dreamcast browser! Rather than a cable.

It releases this Summer in Japan. Anime fans, take note: Kadokawa Shoten will release its DC RPG Record of Lodoss War: Advent of Cardice in late June. Looks and plays a lot like the PC hit Diablo, but there's no news of whether it will see a US release. UK developer Cryo will bring its original title The Gift to DC this year. The game follows a young Brit with the ability to charm his way through life. Amazingly, it's not about Simon. Sega's bid to include two Ricky Martin songs (Cup of Life, La Vida Loca) on Japan's Samba de Amigo DC release has been denied, but Sega is appealing.

Do we really care? Wacky Characters. Dirty Tricks. Wild Racing Action.

Take the driver's seat in the quirky cartoon world of Wacky Races! There is no other racing game like it!

Get to the finish line first using diabolical schemes, pranks, and outrageous gadgets. Featuring 11 characters in unique vehicles from the original Hanna-Barbera cartoon, including Dick Dastardly, Muttley, Penelope Pitstop, the Slag Brothers, and more! Watch out for hidden shortcuts, jumps, tunnels, dirty tricks, power-ups, and wacky traps planted by Dick Dastardly & Muttley.

4-player mode adds to the mayhem. Do Dastardly Dead* Drive badly, behave badly.

It'* the only way to win. Bring the cla**lc Hanna-Barbera cartoon to life Sega#Dreamcast vyww.wackyraces-thegarne.com DCURECT Dreamcast News Network i^H ■ VTGS2 Diaries lit ODCM's Simon Cox and Francesca Reyes hit Tokyo Game Show. Does it hit back? SONYWORLD EVERY GAME STORE is pushing PlayStation 2.hard.

Not that you can buy one here— they've all sold out— but everywhere you look there are demo stations with D0A2 and Tekken Tag. Japanese gamers are lapping it up. But where is our beloved Dreamcast? The Sega flag is flown by..are you ready?.Typing of the Dead! 'Only Typing Can Save Your Life!' Blurts the tagline on the box.

Nothing, it seems, can save Dreamcast from a slow death in Japan. Most stores have ample software and consoles, but all have been shoved unceremoniously out of the way to make room for Sony's latest attempt to push every other logo out of your living room. SEGALAND EXHIBIT A: SAMBA DE AMIGO. Ricky Martin soundtrack.

Question: Is it possible to play this game in public without looking like Richard Simmons? Answer: Clearly, no. 'Why don't you have a go?'

Sithara Serial Actress Photos. Asks Fran, spying a perfect opportunity for an embarassing photo-spread. 'It's against my principals,' I reply. 'What principals?' 'My heterosexual principals.' Over in the corner, two guys are playing Typing of the Dead.

Conclusive proof that Japanese videogame otaku will play anything. Stick a joystick in a potato and they'll play it. Virtual On Oratorio Tangram, Powersmash Tennis (which is surprisingly good) and 18 Wheeler (the big-rig driving game that lacks only an orangutan in the passenger seat to pass for authentic 70s American schtick— or ick) are the big crowd pleasers. There's also group hovering around a game called Po-po-tato-da/, in which you control a potato with a joystick. 'ARE WE THERE YET?' TWELVE-HOUR FLIGHT, slightly less fun than being boiled alive.

Eyes like Dracula. Need blood..fresh virgin blood. Settle instead for hotdog. To my surprise, it doesn't contain fish— everything else here does (even the beef). We bus to our hotel, and I meet my toilet. I call it HAL.

It has a complex remote control, and is probably as smart as I am ('It's like you in another way,' Fran quips, 'It blows a lot of hot air and is consistently full of crap.' After having my bum water-jetted and blow-dried, I elect to turn HAL off and reach for the power switch. 'What are you doing, Dave?' Says the toilet. 'Nothing, HAL, just some routine maintenance.

It's nothing to worry about. 'You're shutting me down, aren't you Dave?' 'HAL, my name's Simon, not Dave. And it's for your own good. You blow-dried my ass, for God's sake! I really don't know how you sleep at night.'

'I don't, Simon.' 24 Official Sega Dreamcast Magazine July/ Aug 2000 S% www.DailyRadar.com FE, Fl, FO, FUM, I smell the blood of an Englishman. Be he alive or be he dead, I'll grind his bones to make my bread. This is a game of revenge.

A dark early 1900s revenge where you'll battle against 20 different creatures using new fighting techniques, combination moves, and fatalities. A revenge that goes deep into 30 game sectors in 8 different worlds including subways, castles, sewers, cities (London/Paris), cemeteries, villages, and underwater. A gory revenge. An extremely gory revenge. Soundtrack by Rob Zombie. I Animated Violence Animated Blood and Gore Nightmare Creatures II TM & © 2000 Kalisto Entertainment. Produced by Universal Interactive Studios, Inc.

Published and distributed by Konami Co., Ltd. PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Dreamcast, and the Dreamcast logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Enterprises Ltd. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Konami is a registered trademark of Konami Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

N ig htmarecreatu res. Com ^ DC£JfJ^EtLr'if Dreamcast News Network 'One of Sega's evil droids approaches!'

THAT NIGHT, I HEAD FOR A PARTY thrown by Infogrames at a club called Stella in Naka-Meguro. Everyone who is no one is here—in other words, me. Stella turns out to be a small basement wine bar with a live band (an ex-Sega programmer who does a pretty good Joe Cocker impression). It all goes swimmingly until the guitarist, Sugar Sasaki (open shirt, leather pants, tip gloss), decides to get 'interactive' by playing a wibbling solo three inches from my ear. At about the point that it can't get any worse, he starts gnashing the strings with his teeth, Jimi-Hendrix-style. Maybe he was out of floss.

THE MAIN EVENT ETERNAL ARCADIA: It's playable! I run around a floating village-thing for awhile, and then commandeer one of the sky-ships to fly off and seek my fortune. It's tricky when everything's in Japanese; at one point I find myself having a two- minute conversation with a dog (Hey, it's a step up from talking to Fran). Thinking (fleetingly) of our readers, I grab the video camera and start filming while Fran keeps a look out for security guards (the 'No Pictures!' Signs plastered all over the stand are hard to miss).

One of Sega's evil droids approaches with its hypodermic torture needle extended, and Fran gets ready to drop-kick it— or to throw her coat over its 'eyes', which always seems to be an effective countermeasure in 70s sci-fi movies. Instead, I yell 'Hey! That guy's drawing a mustache on Sonic!'

We are suddenly de-prioritized. Information Technology Pdf Notes In Hindi. Fran's coat breathes a sigh of relief.

MSR: Crowds have gathered around British racer MSR. We slip through the crack left by a disabled guy trying to get his wheelchair into position, and grab the controllers. Not our proudest moment, but then, we're journalist scum. Ironically, the guy in the wheelchair probably has a better sensation of speed rolling the thing up a hill than we get playing MSR.

It just feels slow and stodgy, with no fun powersliding and a decidedly underpowered feel to the cars. The graphics are pretty inspiring, though— you can see the little drivers inside each car, and even watch their little polygonal hands changing gears as they drive. 26 Official Sega. Dreamcast Magazine July/ Aug 2000 The starship Enterprise was made by Sega? We guess they never had an on-board network. Actually, this disc [left] can receive info beamed to your DC from your Swatch watch (we'll have more news on this, soon). A night of wine and song— and listening to Tetsuya Mizuguchi complain about how Ulala is always leaving laundry and shoes all over his house.

That's Tetsuya, Keith (DCUK), Francesca and Mineko (SCffs producer) behind those empty glasses. IT'S A WORLD OF INTENSE ACCUR ACY, RICH GRAPHICS AND UNBELIEVABLE DETAILS. NOW GET OUT THERE AND DESTROY IT. It's Gundam Side Story 0079, Rise from the Ashes with 3D battle simulation, movie-quality sound track and Gundam - quality mass destruction. Electronic Gaming Monthly™ called it, '. Some of the richest graphics yet on Dreamcast.

Each of the mechs are cut with so much detail, they look like FMV at a glance.' And a glance is all the insidious Zaku forces will get, before your jump jet action and zoom-in weapon features blow them into another dimension.

WATCH GUNDAM WING ONLY ON Tnanjxmi CQRQOQN □eOwHrQ Sega 65 Dreamcast. © SOTSU AGENCY • SUNRISE ©1999 Bandai Co., Ltd. Gundam and altretated logos, names, and distinctive likenesses thereof ate the property of Sotsu Agency and Sunrise. Alt rights reserved. Used under license by Bandai. Distrifattee-by B^ftda! Aflwrica Incorporated, 5551 Kateila Avenue, Cypress, California 90630.

Sega, Dreamcast and the Dreamcast togfr^ejther registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Enterprises, LTD. CARTOON NETWORK and logos are trademarks of Cartoon Network ©2000. ^ OCOIWlCOT'l Dreamcast News Network 'This stuff probably shouldn't be legal.' JET GRIND RADIO: Game of the show? It certainly shares the trophy— JGR is easily the coolest looking videogame ever made (yep, even cooler than Space Channel 5).

The lines to play it are never-ending, but I manage to get in a few minutes of fun pulling off cool tricks, like sliding along railings, jumping from elevated sidewalks and skating madly away from the 'cops'. It's gonna be big.

PHANTASY STAR ONLINE: Revealed at last! The game that finally puts the nail in the PC coffin— and the co-winner of Best of Show. EverQuest and Ultima Online can't hold a candle to the lush environments and curvy high-poly characters and behemoth monsters that characterize Yuji Naka's new masterpiece. Nothing playable is to be found, of course (you'd think, since we'd flown all that way to see it, that Sega would have obliged us.), but that doesn't stop us from getting a crick in the neck with the rest of the crowd from staring up at the video screens for what could very well be hours. In fact, all of the Western journos are standing there with mouths agape and dilating pupils.

And for once, they're looking at the game and not the 'booth babes'. This stuff probably shouldn't be legal.

PRODUCT PLACEMENT HERE ARE WHAT APPEAR to be the rules for creating game-related merchandise: 1. It must be utterly useless as an object.

It must admonish you loudly in Japanese. It has to be something you'd be beaten up for wearing in public. It has to cost ten times its real market value. It must contain either: a.

A dewy-eyed schoolgirl b. A brightly colored monster/poet that looks like a tennis ball with teeth c. A robot twice the size of last year's biggest robot. A spunky young hero with hair like fat Elvis. 'You'd have to be pretty sad to buy this stuff, ' I say to Keith.

Naturally, I buy a load of it. The Jet Grind girls! Sounds like a different kind of game altogether, when you say it like that, doesn't it? Despite (or because of) its nomenclature, Jet Grind Radio was one of the biggest hits of the show. We can't wait to play! CAUSE OF DEATH? WE CELEBRATE SEGA'S TGS ass-kickingness with Tecmo's John Inada, who drags Keith (Editor-in-Chief of our counterpart in England, DCUK) and Fran and I out to an authentic German beer hall in the Ebisu district.

Sounds promising, until the food arrives. Fran covers her nose and leans back so the scent doesn't overwhelm her. 'If this is what passes for German cuisine, you can see why they're famous for their cars,' she notes. 'What's that stili-beating-heart-of-a-pig-type thing next to the black thing with warts?' I ask, giving it a tentative prod with my fork. '1 don't know,' says John.

'We need Qutncy,' says Keith, glancing around the restaurant like he expects him to be there. 'I'd like to request an autopsy.' 'By the looks of that plate, somebody already did,' I say. I'd love to know the cause of death. 28 Official Sega >Dreamcast Magazine July/ Aug 2000 LOOK HOMEWARD, ANGEL!

WE ARRIVE AT THE AIRPORT to find everyone smoking. Even babies smoke here. The order of the day is getting an upgrade from Economy to Business Class. The key is to arrive late and dress smart— just walk on board and plop yourself down in a Business Class seat as if you own place. Of course, being busted back to Economy can be a tad embarrassing.

I board the plane and consider my options as I'm herded into my tiny Economy seat-ette. In situations like this, it's often helpful to imagine how the greatest Bond, Roger Moore, might approach things: Roger (to the stewardess): 'Aaaarrrrm. I wonder if you might allow me to sit in Business Class. 'stiffen up' on long flights.'

Uh, maybe not. Twelve hours of wishing I was Mini-me. ^ www.DailyRadar.com 'We DISCOVERED that Jet Grind Radio is the REASON we own Dreamcasts. Fast, hip and Stylish, the game pitches itself PERFECTLY to a generation weaned on vintage mtv and pop culture KITSCH' ci * cunw^alGr A BAD example. Jet Set Radio is called a lot of things (including its Skate opera.

ShowsteaW* ^'JJJ^ „ ^ 0DCIVI >S Fran cesca Reyes grabs a new moniker, Jet GRIND Radio), but what s it reaiiy an aooire. « can of spray paint and a nap on the plane, and camps at Sega HQ in TOKyo to yth #1: It's a music game. Myth #2: It's a 2D game. Myth #3: It's another racing game on a track. Myth #4: It's a futuristic mech game about street-smart, battle-hardened AM/FM turbo coffeemakers. Fact: Jet Grind Radio is none of the above. From early video footage (when the game was still sensibly titled Jet Set Radio), we weren't quite sure what to think.

We were already sold on its look, but as far as gameplay went, we didn't know whether it would vibrate our jump packs, so to speak. So when ODCM was invited to join its development team for i's version of a chips-and-dips (we brought the guacamole), salt-around-t he-rim kind of evening, we jumped at the chance. After getting up-close-and-personal with a (finally!) playable version of the game, we discovered that Jet Grind Radio is the reason we own Dreamcasts. Fast, hip and stylish, the game pitches itself perfectly to a generation weaned on vintage MTV and pop culture kitsch (i.e., us, except for Simon, whose adolescence was filled with BBC documentaries and Biack Adder episodes that have made him something totally other..trust us). With cutting edge design backed by a hip-hop soundtrack, players duck, dodge and 'tag' while attempting to outrun the police and rival skate gangs. Getting around the massive 3D stages requires players not only to be handy with a set of inline skates, but to have enough stunts and skills to take care of business.

And after spending quality time on the showfloor with JGR (scheduled for an August release in Japan and a Fall release in the US), we're ready to head to Sega's Haneda headquarters for a pow wow with the four brains responsible for all this madness: Ueda Ryu (Art Producer), Kawagoe Takayuki (Producer), Kikuchi Masayoshi (Director) and Hosokawa Kazuki (Designer). The JGR team turns out to be a fearsome foursome of young guns, with shared credits including Sega Rally 2 (Dreamcast conversion) and Panzer Dragoon Azel (PD Saga in the US). We've just spent the day with men in suits at Tokyo Game Show, who seem to be at a loss playing games that don't include putting or sitting in a natty little Daiwoo cart. So we're surprised. Pleasantly so— which we mention. Kawagoe Takayuki explains, 'The team is very young, an average of 26 to 27 years old, which is unique inside Sega. We started with three people, then added three more for a total of six.

Everyone brought new concepts and a brand new vision of videogames. We were told [by Sega] to do whatever we wanted to do..so we did.'

As we settle into our seats in the interview room' (actually, it's more like a table— sans chips, dips and tequila, of course— surrounded by three portable walls), we talk about the history of Jet Grind Radio's look and feel. 'Before I joined Sega, I saw how popular Sonic was [in the US],' says Ueda Ryu. 'I loved the design of the character, which was totally new at the time; like an underground element in the industry. It was completely refreshing, and I decided to start working at Sega. But when I joined, I was both surprised and disappointed. There were only anime and manga-like designs. It certainly wasn't the Sega I thought it would be.

With this game, I've been able to deliver my own ideas.' Takayuki and Ryu seem especially proud of the fact that JGR can't be reproduced for rival systems, like, say, the PlayStation 2. 'We really used a lot of Dreamcast's technical potential; nobody before has done what we did. For instance, we exploited one very interesting aspect of its PowerVR2, called the 'Modifier Volume', to manage the game's shadows in a realistic way— and in real-time,' boasts Takayuki. Ryu adds, 'In fact, we've been able to make this game impossible n on a PS2! Textures are so colorful and detailed that it just wouldn't be able to handle them with its weak memory.' After taking one look at the game in action, we believe them.

Of course, graphics do not a game make, so we continued to grill them about its mysterious gameplay: What about the freaky poltcenauts that parachute in from the sky? Or that DJ with a coif like a crockpot? Or the spray can power-ups littering the street?

Kikuchi Masayoshi broke it down ■ 'There are several competing groups of young inline skaters in Tokyo. To mark their territory and extend it, each group tags walls and buildings, while rival teams attempt to stop them.

The tags attract police, who try to stop the skaters. If they catch them, they'll drain life points from them.' Sounds like a Fox TV show: When Cops Attack Skaters. He continues, 'These versions of Shibuya, Kabukicho and Tsukishima are fully 3D. There are no 'tracks,' since you can skate practically anywhere: underground, in the subway, in the sewer or even in buildings or rooftops! You can even jump from one roof to another.'

But is it a i can I to write GRAFFITI in several 'You have w wine «r»™ locations in order to clear a stage. Then, after evading the POLICE, you'll face a mid- stage boss.

He might even have DOGS. Static backdrops, then? Or can we expect to bump into grannies carrying their groceries like any good skate punk would do?

'City life is reproduced faithfully, with plenty of cars and people milling around.' Mid what about the DJ?

-n^m get information about police movements from the game's very stylish DJ. Each skater has his own 'radio watch,' which is used to communicate with other skaters and to hear the DJ's instructions,' explains Ryu. 'You have to write graffiti in several locations in order to clear a stage. Then, after evading the police, you'll face a mid-stage boss, which is usually a rival team or a wanted criminal equipped with weapons.

He might even have dogs.' Masayoshi adds, 'You also have to reach a certain number of points. Bonuses can be accessed with high scores. And then you reach the true boss. Your only defense is to run, and your only weapon is graffiti.' We pressed them for more information about how much flexibility the tags' will have in the game.

After all, being the narcissists that we are, we'll take any opportunity to put our faces on anything (see Fight Club, p.48). Masayoshi tells us, 'Yes, players will be able to make their own tags in a special edit mode.

They can even upload the new tags to the JGR home page, so other players can download and use them in their own games.' Takayuki informs us that 'Moves are very easy, essentially 'one button.' We want a wide range of users to enjoy our title. So you have a certain number of moves available for each skater— two basic techniques you can use in many ways.

The moves change if you are on a road or in half pipe. With regard to graffiti, you have to reproduce the command displayed onscreen using the spray button and the analog joystick. Sometimes, you have to perform a series of moves to create a big tag.' Ryu jumps in: 'We've even created different modes to play in! Time attack, race and race attack mode.'

With that said, the team sits back, plugs in a Dreamcast and gives us some quality time with the game. Fact: Jet Grind Radio is exactly as good as it looks. Game over— until August. Jayers will be able to make their own TAGS in a special edit mode.

They can even UPLOAD the new tags to the JGR home page.' Would you trust these kids with your spray paint? Clockwise from top right: Beat, the hero with 'tude; Gum, the heroine with 'tudette; Combo, the hipster phatcat; ( the 'kewl' guy; Professor K., the DJ; Oni, the police captain.

The Crew Meet the guilty party behind Sega's ode to Generation Y {clockwise, from top left): Ryu Ueda, Kazuki Hosokawa, Takayuki Kawagoe, and Masayoshi Kikuchi. Aug 2000 Official Sega ' Dreamcast Magazine 35 ujHen you Haue h maGnetic Heao, UOlTPe BDiflG TO UttPaCt. Sega ' Dreamcast.

Www.cravcgamcs.com 'Every facet of the game, from its zany appearance to its goofy character designs and nutty score, is tailored to perfection. Rating: A-' Dave Halverson • Gamers' Republic 'Its rather unique look and feel, combined with solid gameplay and a zany cast of characters.ensure Neo a place among the Dreamcast's elite.' Greg Orlando • DailyRadar.com 'Everything moves so well, and the worlds are so full of color that Neo will make quite an impression on anyone who sees it.' Brandon Justice • Dreamcast.IGN.com Pinki and her goons have taken over Pao Pao Park and it's up to Neo to set things right! Use Neo's magnetic powers to capture metallic enemies, catapult off platforms and rocket through the air! Jump, run, ride and swing your way across fantastic colorful worlds! UPc rto ® the attraction Benms julh 2000.

©2000 Genki Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. Published and distributed by Crave Entertainment. Under license Irom GenKi Co. Super Magnetic Neo. Crave Entertainment and the Crave Entertainment logos are trademarks ot Crave Entertainment, Inc.

Crave Entertainment is a registered trademark in the U.S. Sega, Dreamcast. And the Dreamcast logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Seqa Enterprises Ltd All riolns reserved All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective holders. *«1 a >>begin transmission: Sega- com plans to change the f ace of online aming forever Are you readingn Neof ^DOWNLOADING »D0UNL0ADING »D0UNL0ADING ^^A/'/~p^^'TKJ/' • You could call it survival instinct. Caught ^^H - _L.^^XIMlJ » be t W een the rock of Sony's PS2 and the hard place of Microsoft's X-Box. One can almost see Sega's new strategy as the big push to lever itself up and out of the squeeze. Almost, but not quite.

Since Dreamcasts launch on September 7, 1999, gamers have had little use for the system's built in 56k modem— despite all the hoopla surrounding the company's 'Grand Online Gaming Plan.' But now, almost a year later, Sega is leaving its inconsistencies and internal setbacks behind to fook, once again, toward the future. Console gaming is about to take a bold step into the brave new world of the internet.

So you'd better grab your hat, your coat and your Dreamcast and get ready to hitch a ride on the highest-speed superhighway ever— because at long last, it looks like Sega has finally turned propaganda into practice. September 2000 will see the first full-service ISP in the world that is dedicated to online console gaming: SegaNet. Run by a wholly independent company under the moniker Sega.com, this new environment will give Dreamcast owners an all access pass to exactly the same features and perks that computer users enjoy: email, unlimited web access, chat communities and-here's the best part!— low-latency online gaming. All for a mere $21.95 a month..and you even get a free Dreamcast!

[see Dreaming is Free, p. 14 for details] The fact that SegaNet is a full-service ISP (and in partnership with the Heat.net server) means that gamers who aren't playing on Dreamcasts can still dial up the site, and enjoy its speedy privileges in head-to-head or multiplayer PC vs. In addition, Sega plans to make broadband access for DSL and cable connections fully functional by the end of the year (and available to Dreamcast members of SegaNet). See, now you know what that $21.95 per month buys you!

But the question on every player's mind, beyond all this talk of online communities and free Dreamcasts, is this: 'So. What games are we actually gonna get to play come September?' ' Read on to find out.

And you'd better sit down. The news is good. July/Aug 2000 Official Sega 'Dreamcast Magazine 39 >>begin transmission: Sonic TeanTs Yuji Naka speaks: This time you are not the only hero. DOWNLOADING »»I>0tilNLOADING »»D0dtNL0Al)ING >»>DO UNLOADING sega-com receiving »>>DO UNLOADING »»D0li)NL0ADING »»D0WNL0ADING If you think that the list of much-anticipated, soon-to-debut games stops at Phantasy Star Online, you're wrong. In fact, most of the best entrants aren't even coming from Sega!

While Greg Chiemingo, VP of Marketing & Communication at Sega.com admits that the biggest challenge is getting developers to 'think different' when it comes to creating online console games from the ground up, third parties don't seem to have any problem in making that leap. And they're finally beginning to unveil their plans- Here's a sampling of what's in store for Oreamcast gamers.

SOLDIER OF FORTUNE PUBLISHER CRAVE DEVELOPER RAVEN/ RUNEHART RELEASING Q4 ONLINE COMPONENTS: Death match-style first-person shooter with stealth elements. Crave has yet to release detailed information regarding which online components will survive from the PC version of the game. But you can rely on the fact that this port will have features not necessarily found in the original. 2025 PUBLISHER RIPCORD GAMES DEVELOPER ZOMBIE RELEASING NOVEMBER online components: Futuristic tactical warfare sim based around realistic military counter-terrorist training operations. Up to eight players will be able to face off against other DC owners or even PC gamers in online play. Single- player available. 4X4 EVOLUTION PUBLISHER G.O.D.

DEVELOPER TERMINAL REALITY RELEASING AUGUST ONLINE COMPONENTS: Using either Gamespy.com orSegaNet, G.O.D.' S SUV-off road racer promises to utilize all aspects of Dreamcast in order to provide head-to-head, split-screen (two players on each unit) racing for up to four players. READY 2 RUMBLE 2 PUBLISHER MIDWAY DEVELOPER MIDWAY RELEASING SEPTEMBER online components: Though little is actually known of the game's online content, we're quite sure that the sequel to one of the best-selling launch games for DC will feature head-to-head boxing.

More next issue! GORKA MORKA PUBLISHER RIPCORD DEVELOPER REAL SPORTS RELEASING OCTOBER ONLINE COMPONENTS: Head-to-head matches and team multiplayer races rule the day in Ripcord's orc-combat racer that's aiming to give Vigilante 8 a run for its money with plenty of weaponry and tough terrain. STAR LANCER » CRAVE DEVELOPER DIGITAL ANVIL RELEASIN: SEPTEMBER ONLINE COMPONENTS: A first person space shooter with a complex storyline to match, it has yet to be seen whether the online multiplayer death-match scenarios will remain intact from the PC version-but we're counting on it. >>continued on page 4E...

Other things, as well. Players decide tactics according to the monster they're facing: 'Should we surround it, or should we form a tine?' Also, when two players, one strong and another weak, are facing a monster, the game wilt adapt the monster level to the weakest party member. (' ) Did Sonic Team have the sufficient experience to do an online game? F;V We had to practically start from scratch.

We had made games with online features, like Sonic Adventure and Chu Chu Rocket, but they were nothing compared to the experience of actually building an online world, complete in every way, with online gameplay that is different from anything you would see on a console. We are still working diligently on the technology to make PSO happen. Www.dreamcastmagazine.com m— July/Aug 2000 Official Sega@Dreamcast Magaziri 41 The variety of games slated for Sega.com's future begins with Ripcord's Quest of the Blademasters, Bethesda's PBA Bowling 2001 and Lionhead Studio's splendid strategy, Black & White. Sega-com recaiving »»I>0(ilNLOADING »»DOtiJNL0ADING >» DOWNLOADING continued from page Ml QUEST OF THE BLADEMASTERS PUBLISHER R1PC0RD DEVELOPER RONIN RELEASING NOVEMBER ONLINE COMPONENTS: An action RPG, Blademasters allows players form all over the country to join up in parties to complete missions or to compete in a host of sub-games, including 'King of the Hill' and 'Last Man Standing'— plus other classic multiplayer activities. BLACK & WHITE PUBLISHER TBA DEVELOPER LIONHEAD STUDIOS RELEASING Q4 ONLINE COMPONENTS: A realtime strategy with enough imagination to fuel.a. Small empire, Peter Molyneaux's arty online wunder-title has yet to be fully revealed in terms of what will be available online to DC owners.

Expect a full report next issue. PBA TOUR BOWLING PUBLISHER / DEVELOPER BETHESDA SOFTWORKS RELEASING OCTOBER online COMPONENTS: Professional bowling is finally getting its due in the form of the first DC bowling game, PBA Tour Bowling. With a create-a-bowler mode as well as online multiplayer functions, you won't be knocking over the pins by yourself for long. SPEC OPS ONLINE PUBLISHER RIPCORD DEVELOPER: ZOMBIE/RUNECRAFT RELEASING NOVEMBER online components: The online counterpart to the single player Spec Ops: Omega Squad, gamers will have access to 25 new multiplayer missions while competing or joining up in action/tactical combat across the internet. KISS: PSYCHO CIRCUS PUBLISHER G.O.D. GAMES DEVELOPER TBA RELEASING JULY/AUGUST ONLINE COMPONENTS: A first person -shooter based on the Todd McFarlane comic book series, expect plenty of deathmatch multiplayer modes and mission-based singleplayer quests, as well as gratuitous licks from the prehensilinguistic Gene Simmons.

PARLOR GAMES PUBLISHER SEGA RELEASING SEPTEMBER online COMPONENTS: Did someone say virtual Checkers? How about 3D Hearts? SegaNet will launch this fall with both of these parlor games up and running, as well as two other games: Chess and Backgammon.

Clearly, Sega wants absolutely everyone to feel like part of its online family. X v.DailyRadar.com al Sega Dreamcast Magazine July/Aug 2000 lr¥J _E >>begih transmission nFirst person shoo »ACCESSING = The invasion of the first-person shooter is about to begin. With the launch of SegaNet in September comes two of Dreamcast's most highly-anticipated titles, and two of the greatest PC games of a I l-ti me. Ha/f-Ufe and Quake 3 Arena. In Quake 3, Dreamcast users will be able to take on bloodthirsty freaks from all over the map via the game's built-in matchmaking service. The development team is currently working to make sure that this process is as user-friendly as possible— more console than PC in character. 'We've updated the user interface in the DC version to make it easier for users to understand and check the performance of available network games.'

The game's producer Scott Hawkins mentioned in a recent interview with dc.ign.com. 'The Dreamcast version will also automatically eliminate any network games that will not offer optimal gameplay, and will not display them on the available network game list.' Basically, killing your friends will be as painless as possible. Suffice to say, we can't wait. For those who don't know, Half-Life is a highly-cinematic, story-driven, first- person adventure for the ages.

Since it ter mayhem online- n first dropped in late '98, Half-Life has been showered with Game of the Year accolades, and was even named best game of all time by PC Gamer {not to mention PC gamers everywhere). And as good as the one-player missions are. They're even better when you've got a wingman. The game will be ported to DC by Captivation Digital Laboratories— the team who created the Dreamcast tech demos at the 1998 E3. And who've spent the better part of this year working on Sega's Dreamcast Network Gaming Lobby— which means that network play is definitely in the right hands. You'll be able to play both co-op and deathmatch modes, as well as the countless online contests of the original. The inclusion of Team Fortress 1/2 seems like a definite at this point, and Opposing Force is also being considered.

If these two games end up with control schemes that are as precise as they ought to be (both are supporting a variety of input devices and combinations), they could be exactly what this console needs to compete against the big boys. The best part is that both titles will reportedly support play against PC and Mac opponents: a guarantee that there's about to be carnage a-plenty. # DOWNLOADING »»D0filNLOADING »»DOlilNLOADING sega-com transmission DOWNLOADING »»DOWNLOADING »»D01])NL0ADING So in the end, what does all this business mean to us gamers? With Sega.com giving away free Dreamcasts, does this mean that the hardware will simply be a portal for online gaming and not a viable stand-alone unit for single-player games? How will Sega.com address the wide variety of different connect rates for its online games?

Will those without internet access ultimately be left out? We wonder about Sega and its future, as well. But according to the folks at Sega.com and Sega itself, the company is not considering getting out of the hardware business or ceasing the development of single-player, offline titles. With strong first-party support from Sega Japan, you can bet that single- player games are far from dead. Instead, Sega plans to use this new online strategy in order to stay one step ahead of the competition. And by building a low-latency network from the ground up, SegaNet can avoid those nasty 'ping' problems that seem to be so prevalent on other servers for PC games. 44 Official Sega Dreamcast Magazine July/Aug 2000 Mr.

Driller 1 ' & © 1999 Namco Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

PlayStation and the PlayStation logos are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Licensed by Nintendo. Game Boy and Game Boy Color are trademarks of Nintendo of America Inc. © 1989, 1998 Nintendo of America Inc.

Sega, Oreamcast, and the Dreamcast logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Sega Enterprises, Ltd. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. Actual screen shots are for jse with the Sony PlayStation console. It's addictive. It's frenetic. It's a total blast!

Driller, the pick-up-and-play puzzle game that's a hole lot of fun. Strap on your hard hat, fire up your drill and tunnel into action. Driller takes seconds to learn, yet provides years of challenge and enjoyment. Be prepared: once you start drillin' there is no chillin'! Namco 8 Sega#Dreamcast.

Igv wiev t: Attempt to execute a reversal on an enraged oppo- nent. Stave tile whole ^reversal' thing a go at my cousin Nils' wedding. Since Wis is a professional ice skater, I figured that he would be the perfect adversary. I got the bill rolling when the priest asked us to 'Speak now or forever hold your peace' I stood up, grabbed my crotch, and exclaimed, 'ftey Nils! I'm speakin' now, so get your wife over here and let her forever hold my piece!'

Waiting for the vulgarity of my remark to have its desired effect on Nils, I find my Uncle Chuck staring me in the face, instead. Vncle Chuck fought in Vietnam, Barefoot. So the only reversal that actually took place that day was my face being kicked inside out.

J WE W 4: VIRTUA FldHTEIt 3T3 HIRTUA LOT Virtua Fighter 3tb Hit Levels tell you where your attacks hit your opponent. There are four possible hit levels for any given move— and some moves can hit multiple levels. High-level moves are executed at your shoulder level— any part of your opponent that is within range at that height will be hit.

This means that crouching opponents are not hit by such moves because the moves pass harmlessly above their heads. Middle-level moves strike your opponent at your waist level, while low-level attacks connect at shin level.

Middle- and high-level attacks can be guarded (blocked) high, while a low-level attack can only be guarded by a crouching guard. Middle-level attacks cannot be blocked low because they hit above a crouching guard. An opponent who has been knocked to the ground is considered to be at ground level and can only be hit by special attacks designed to strike ground-level targets. Counter Hits.

When you connect with an attack while your opponent is also attacking, you score what is called a counter hit. Counter hits not only inflict extra damage, they also make a really cool sound— the more severe the hit, the louder the sound— and they cause your opponent to be stunned or to float higher than normal (if the attack is designed to knock opponents off their feet). Additionally, the more damaging the move, the more powerful the effects of the counter hit.

Many combos and tactics are only available on a counter hit, and you need to con- stantly listen and watch for signs of a counter hit so that you can react as quickly as possible. A prime example is the low kick- counter hit-stun tactic, in which you counter hit your opponent with a basic low kick, then take advantage of the stun that occurs by dashing in and executing— or faking— a throw. Although this tactic was more effective in VF3, it is still one of the best tactics for throw specialists like Wolf Hawkfield and Jeffry McWild.

Said Free button is new to the genre, and gets used in a num- ber of different ways: Blocking, moving in three dimensions, and executing reversals [see BOXOUT1- He's kind enough to demonstrate each of the moves on my allegedly pretty face. Although the learning curve for the controls is a bit steep at first, they quickly become second nature. Weil, apparently not quite second nature— I'm still getting my khakis kicked in by a bunch of busty schoolgirls in bun-floss undies. Their heaving breasts remind me of a guy named Bob and his enlarged male boobs.

Excerpt from a conversaf/on with Tyier: Tyler: 'Aren't you a man? Isn't there anything under the fly of those ridiculous Dockers?' I check and, unsurprisingly, see only a concavity covered by wet twill. Me: 'Just some chicken noodle soup, actually.'

Tyler: 'Yeah. You're very clever.' Me: 'Thank you.' Tyler: 'How's that working out for you?' Tyler: 'Being clever.' As I ponder his latest jab, Tyler takes off his jacket and calls for the appropriate' response. 'I want you to hit me as hard as you can.

I consider arguing, but the look on his face tells me not to. ' So, reluctantly, I put together the nastiest strike I can muster and let fly at his unkempt-yet- well-styled dome. With a flick of his wrist. Tyler grabs my arm, twists it around my body, and hurls me face-first onto the floor. To be confronted with the hazy vision of two Tylers shouting equally loudly in my face. 'You've got to master the art of the reversal,' they bark in unison. 'When your opponent strikes, you must determine whether his attack will arrive at a high, medium, or low level.

Once you've eyeballed the correct point of entry, press the Free button along with this level on the stick to deflect the attack. Timing is key— do it too early or too late and you're just standing there with your bondi- blue iDick in your hands. Think you can handle all that, chief?' Tyler mistakes the vaguely verti- cal bobbing of my head for an affirmative gesture, when in fact I am merely following the animated up-and-down jiggle of breasts on the screen before me. Fourth rule of Fight Club.

If this is your first night at Fight Club, you have to fight.' I open my eyes to find myself squatting on the floor of an ancient-looking Japanese pagoda, complete with cherry blossom-scented breeze (and not-so-blossom-scented martial artists pummeling one another into submission). A kitaro twangs wistfully in the back- ground, and my spinal column twangs angrily in the fore- ground— a jarring m reminder that my body is sorer than Robert Downey Jr. S posterior after a long shower. Despite my discomfort, 1 manage to stand up— well, sit down— for what is to be my greatest challenge yet: Virtua Fighter 3tb.

I am already aware of the game's legendary status— this is. By all accounts, the purest fighting game in all the world. Tyler sits me down in front of a bamboo-ensconsed television set and hands me a faux wooden Dreamcast controller. 'Welcome to the World of Virtua Fighter.' 4i far as I cav tell (from Tyler's rants), Yu Suzuki's Virtua Fighter 3tb is one of the deepest fighting machines ever devised. 'When it comes to technique, combos, and overall feel, few games can boast the sophistication of VF3's fighting engine,' Tyler declares.

And he's right— while it might not be as instinctive as the Street Fighters or Soul Caliburs of the world. VF3 is clearly even deeper than the $#it I've suddenly found myself standing in. As my opponent launches a calculated barrage of precise moves, I respond by smashing the controller's buttons as furi- ously as I can. The result of my panic attack is not unlike the episode of When Animals T-H- n-R- LU RECRUITS T-H- -El R -B-EOE3 DV Moscow to Mars, is only the beginning magnet power to hang suspended, increase speed and offensive and power-ups to blow your opponents away! Whether you're racing against the highly sophisticated Al, or up to 3 other live opponents, you'll have to master all of the weapons, from Strap yourself in, and get ready for the ride of your life.

C r -R- v -e g- -R-m-E s. C: a m Sega Dreamcastl © 2000 VCC Entertainment GmbH & Co. All ri^jJS Entertainment and the Crave Entertainment logos a re trade ma is a registered trademark in the US All other copyrights and tr FIMTCLU3 Attack in which the irate circus elephant tramples the epileptic circus goat.

Except that this match was even more more one-sided. Tyler is standing over me with arms folded, sniggering at my sheer ineptitude.

'That temper tantrum crap might help you get a refund when the folks at Starbucks give you a lukewarm double nonfat grande latte. But it ain't gonna fly here.'

I grit my teeth, but realize that he's absolutely right. More so than with any of the other games I've played thus far, those who attempt to button-mash their way through VF3 will meet a quick death when going up against a skilled virtua fighter. War 5: power mm% Hfft rule of Fight Club: Do mot-under any circumstances- cross the streams.* Tyler begins to pace about the room, refusing to make even a moment's eye contact with me. 'In Japanese arcades, hardcore gamers used to begin osotogari— Fight Clubs',' he proclaims, beckoning me to follow him with a crimping of his index finger.

'Virtua Fighter masters would meet at their virtual dojos and face off against each other, battling it out until only one man was left standing. Remember those scenes from Bloodfist?' I nod, remembering a significantly twisted porn movie I'd seen back in college. 'Well it's a lot like that— crowds of obsesesed spec- tators cheering these masters on as they battle to the death.' Different movie. 'The series has been so popular in Japan because mas- tering this game is not unlike learning a real martial art.

The moves are real-world representa- tions—from Jacky's Jeet-Kun-Do attacks to Shun Di's Drunken Gung-Fu stances— this is the real deal. Invest some serious time in this game and you'll soon amaze yourself with your skills.' 'I don't have that kind of time! I have a job.l have a car to fix..I'm..I'm..an editor, dammit!' Tyler elbows me sharply in the ribs and hurls my face into the nearest wall.

'You are not your job. You are not the money in your bank account. You are not the car in your driveway.

You are not how much money is in your wallet. You are not your goddamn khakis. You are the all- singing, all-dancing crap of the world. You are a gladiator. ' I try to stand up. 54 Official Sega#Dreamcast Magaz 1 Today Vanessa told me I'd been shouting manga-nese in my sleep, and that she was worried about my mental health (not to mention my financial stability, in which she has a major emotional investment).

Get this: she seems to think that I've been adopting the traits of some of the game characters I've been using in these glorious fighting games! Clearly she doesn't know what she's talking about— I have never worn knee socks with a mini-skirt. In any case, I muster what is left of my quickly- diminishing energy bar. Skip past the intro, and grapple with my newest challenge: Power Stone. A burst of emrqy surges through my body.

Now a battle-weary veteran, I feel as if I am finally beginning to understand the hidden art of the fighting game. 'Forget everything you know about fighting games.'

Tyler warns, 'cause Power Stone is an entirely different beast.' After playing the game for a few minutes, I realize just how correct he is— the game has its own fully-articulated 3D fighting engine, allowing full freedom of movement. Unlike other fighting games, which essentially exist on a single plane, Power Stone gives me direct control over all the movements of my virtual combatant. I can go anywherel Tyler interrupts my gravy-train of thought. 'Stop waxing sappy. Go anywhere!' Sounds like the slogan for Microsoft's next mar- keting campaign.

You cannot go anywhere. You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everything else.' I don't think Tyler had a happy childhood.

He whips out the Spring 2000 IKEA catalog from his bedraggled messenger bag, and we are suddenly standing in a fully furnished Power Stone arena. As Tyler points out. Stages in Power Stone are littered with an assortment of objects. 'You can actually pick up this crap up and hurl it at your enemy.' ' A new SAFSA birch cabinet (IKEA catalog, page 32) suddenly appears next to us. 'Take this thing, for example.

Tyler picks it up and hurls it at my head. If one of these objects is careening directly at you. Press the X and Y buttons together just as it is about to connect— that way you'ft catch it and avoid taking damage,' he suggests.

Since there are no X and Y buttons in the real world, I have no such luck. The cabinet hits the ground with me under- THE STONES Pomrstom Power Stone is all about the power stones.

Each character begins a round with one stone, and roughly ten seconds into the round a third stone will appear. By knocking an opponent down or connecting with an aerial attack, he will drop a power stone. Upon collecting all three power stones, a character will undergo a 'power fusion'— a good thing indeed. When a char- acter is experiencing a power fusion, a power meter appears I at the bottom of the screen.

For the duration of this meter, said character will become stronger, faster and buddy-buddy with super and special moves. The meter will slowly decrease on its own, sped up by the use of special/super moves. When the meter runs out, two of the power stones will shoot out across the stage, and the third will appear several seconds later. Special and Super moves can only be achieved during one of these 'power fusions'. Tyler hovers over my crumpled body, giggling like an over-caff einated schoolboy (or my girlfriend in IKEA). Home design begins to sprout up every- where—a RORLIG aluminum chair in the corner, a MOPPE wooden clock on the wall. I'm quickly standing in a veritable garden of quality-but-affordable Scandinavian furniture.

Tyler picks up the huge clock and lifts it high above his head— and then smashes it firmly across my skull. The last thing I see before losing consciousness is its MOPPE face. It reads 1:12 a.m. Akurum/Land kitchen display.

In a daze, I bring my hand to my face, expecting it to come away covered in blood. Much to my relief, however, there's not even a smudge. Was it all just a dream— or a Dreamcast? 'Urn, no— but I'm fine, thanks.' I respond winningly; I feel like I've just won an Oscar.

I feel a tap on my shoulder. 'Goddamn you look happy for someone who just kicked it.

You look like you just won an Oscar, for chrissakes.' Apparently God is Jimmy Durante.

'Anyway, Welcome to Editor Heaven.' — Simon Cox, who you find out somewhere along the line is actually Evan Shamoon appears to be formica in the JtssWment. Ntmec pullim oH m assortment of Counter Hits.

Hart for your opponent to strike you, and use their move against them. '*'TC» Result' t hitch a ride down to my local dojo. Men I arrive, -there is a judo class already in process.

I burst throixjhthe doors and-spittim as much offensive ■ melodrama as I can-do my best impression of a dubbed k«m-fu flick *l know *-un 2000 Ripcord Games. Rights reserved. Ripcord Games, the Ripcord logo and 'Buz?' Icon arii trademarks of Ripcord Games, LLC. Ro icon is a trademark of the Interactive Digital Software Association. All other trademarks are properties of ttteir respective owners.:i trademark of Ronin Entertainment Company.

Tlie rating dreamcast. Cam Surfin Wax up that Drea Online in Ten Minutes Relax— If the chimps at ODCM can do it, so can you! The Time is Now Okay, that browser disc is still in its cellophane wrapping and the phonejack and your Dreamcast aren't even on speaking terms. It's okay, we understand. It's been a slow, painful process- kind of like getting in shape— but let us assure you, online gaming for Dreamcast is about to take off. And you owe it to yourself to get connected.

We all understand if your grandma thinks the internet is pure evil—that's to be expected— but since when have you listened to her? Even if you don't already have an internet service provider (ISP), you can sign up for online service directly from your Dreamcast and get into the action within minutes. Just plug in that modem, attach your Dreamcast keyboard, throw in your PlanetWeb browser disc, and get biz-zay/ Don't have a Dreamcast keyboard yet? Don't worry, you can still sign up using the Dreampad and the browser's virtual keyboard. It might take you a bit longer than ten minutes, but the good news is that after you sign up, you'll get a brand spanking new keyboard sent to you as part of the deal. Here's a tip: when keying with the virtual keyboard, use the D-pad— not the analog stick!

Minute 1-5 If you don't already have an ISP, you can sign on with Sega and AT&T. The process is painless, Sign up for AT&T Worldnal Service 'Z'JX' * irfld byJ^WorldNef and you'll be fine as long as you remember to press tab to jump through all those forms. For those of you who already have an ISP, here's a checklist of the info you'll need to enter the PlanetWeb browser: your ISP login, password, dial-up, DNS (Domain Name System) address, mail login, POP (Post Office Protocol), and SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). Intimidating, right? Don't sweat it. Your own ISP customer service reps (you've got the number somewhere) can answer any questions you might have, especially in regards to that elusive DNS address. As for mail, your POP account is the mail server that receives messages and your SMTP is what sends them.

For those of you who both receive and send your mail from your ISP e-mail account, they will look similar— but let's say you're a student at a university. You might receive mail under your school account (POP), but if you log in to an outside ISP, your internet provider is responsible for sending messages out (SMTP). In that case, the university is your POP (ie. Saluki- maiirasiu.edu ) and your ISP is your SMTP (ie. Mailf9midwest.net ). Again, consult your customer service representatives if you need assistance.

Minute 6-7 Once you've dialed in, you'll be able to enter the Dreamcast Network to verify your age as well as register your machine. For this, you'll need to enter For those of you who would like to protect the younger members of your household from such volatile material, the Dreamcast Network provides a feature to lock out sites that contain explicit subject matter (the internet is a big, scary place, and like any community, there are areas within it that are not suitable for children). If you want to enable or disable this function later, you can always come back to it. Minute 10 Welcome to the Dreamcast Network. Now it's time to take the tour and see what all the hooplah's about. Your name, mailing address and the serial number on your Dreamcast, and decide whether to receive mail from the Dreamcast Network. Minute 8-9 Pornography.

Naked pictures of your Aunt Flossie. Glossary Hate seeing weird acronyms and not knowing what they mean? Use the definitions below to impress chicks at Dreamcast cocktail parties.

In Nerd-land. Well, we didn't say cute chicks. BOOKMARK Electronic bookmarks work much like their namesakes— they're used to bring you back to a website you've already visited, without having to type in the address. FAQ Frequently Asked Questions. FAQ files contain answers to the questions most commonly asked about specific topics. Good to read before you start bothering people.

HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol. If you still remember this one in five minutes, you are unquestionably a true geek. HTTP is the main protocol used on the World Wide Web, as it enables linking to other web sites.

Utter this gibberish in social situations at your peril. LIN K Any active connection to another web page, file, or other Internet resource. Unking from page to page is a great way to find what you are looking for— but dont forget to bookmark the great pages you find! URL Uniform Resource Locator. More geekspeak. We can tell you what it means, but not whether to pronounce it 'You Are Elle' or 'Earl.' URLs are basically just addresses used to specify the location of a resource In the Internet Avoid geekiness by calling it 'web address.'

In Association with planetwEb never been better No Place Like Home Healthy surfing begins at dreamcast.planetweb.com Cool VMU Videos Need a friendly nest in the internet that's customized especially for Dreamcast owners? Look no further than PlanetWeb's Dreamcast portal In order to satisfy all of your gaming and browsing needs, it features one section that is completely devoted to downloads for your VMU screen, plus loads of game saves and links to other DC-related sites. For DC owners, a tour of the site is well worth the time and effort. Game Saves At the moment, PlanetWeb's page doesn't feature a huge number of different game saves for your Dreamcast games, but expect the figure to increase with frightening rapidity— more system owners are signing online every day, and the growth rate is impressive. Simply click on the VMU Downloads: Click on the VMU Central link to access a page featuring loads of animated VMU screens created by fellow Dreamcast owners (If you have a PC, you can opt to download PlanetWeb's VMU Animator program, which allows you to create your own VMU animated screens that can be shared with friends and other DC fans). VMU Central features over 24 pages of content, featuring an incredible assortment of animate screens ranging from 'Stick Death' (as imaginative as it sounds, it's literally two stick figures in a gunmatch) to the rather impressive video-feed quality of 'Meedo, The Puppet.'

The only requirement is that you must have a VMU plugged into your Dreamcast controller— then you simply have to follow the instructions given on the page. We've been alternately inspired and horrified by the snippets of creativity that we've viewed at VMU Central, but on the whole, it's a pretty entertaining place to visit. An ODCM mini-epic may be appearing there soon. P Title: ianet web's Virtual VMU. Gas click here i genre of your choice under the Gamer's Archive section and then choose the game you'd like to learn about.

Some of the game descriptions will also feature downloadable saves— currently, the roster of save- able titles is headed by none other than our favorite, Code Veronica. Community Part of Planetweb's push toward a more DC-friendly virtual online world, the 'Community' allows Dreamcasters to interact in a number of cool ways. Currently, clicking on the Community button gives you access to Chat, Mailing Lists and DC- related links, plus Create a Web Page and Submit a Web Page functions. Each section features detailed instructions on how to get the most out of every option, including helpful hints on how to get started creating your own web page. The links page transfers you instantly to the game reviews, import coverage, DC gossip, and even cheat pages available anywhere on the net. And the chat function gives you a chance to socialize with other denizens of the web, whether it's on the topic of Dreamcast or not (But really, what else Is there to talk about, after Elian Gonzalez was reunited with his dad?).

Make sure to give the instructions for each section a good look through before you take the plunge. Visit PlanetWeb's Dreamcast page by typing in com/ and get on your way. Don't worry, Clarence, there's no such thing as a stupid question. The brainiacs here at DCNation will wash your worries away. I'm online but I can't seem ■ to go back to the page I came from.

A„ Hit Esc on your keyboard or ■ the start button on your controller to bring up the command menu; from there you can easily navigate backward or forward. While I'm online, incoming ■ calls break my connection. Within your dial-up options, ■ you can enter a call-waiting prefix to temporarily disable it while you're online. Just bring up the command menu and select Options, then goto Internet Options and fill in the proper info under the dial-up heading. I want to search for other ■ sites I'm interested in— Where's a good place to start? Again, bring up the ■ command menu, then select search to bring up PlanetWeb's search page (courtesy of excite.com).

Not only does it allow you to search the entire web for key words or phrases, but it also contains a place where you can simply type in the address of the site you want to visit {later versions of the browser support URL lines which can be filled in directly). Some of the sites I visit ■ contain text that is too small for me to read properly.

Just zoom in using the Y ■ button on your controller. Press it once for 2X magnification, twice for 4X, and a third time to put the zoom window away. Q„ Is there an easier way to ■ scroll up and down these web pages?

The Left and Right ■ triggers on your controller move the screen down and up, respectively. For those of you with keyboards, PageUp and PageDown work similarly (or use the Home and End keys to jump to the very top or bottom of the page). I'm tired of typing in the ■ addresses for the sites I visit regularly. A„ Not to worry, just make the ■ site a favorite. Once you're at the site, go to the command menu and select Favorites, then choose the option at the bottom of the screen that allows you to add the current site to the list. From then on, just pull up the Favorites menu to jump directly to the web sites you want. July/Aug 2000 Official Sega 1;?-' Dreamcast Magazine 59 Battle Your Way Through The Gauntlet Realm and Become A Legend!

This new, enhanced version of the arcade classic is laying siege to your Sega Preamcast™ with brand new animated sequences, kingdoms, secrets, sub-quests, magical powcr-ups and an expanded storyline that only Midway can deliver! • Choose from cither 4 classic characters: the Warrior, Valkyrie, Archer, Wizard OR 4 all-new characters, exclusive to the Sega Preamcast'! • With over 50 evil enemies and countless potions ' powei-ups and secrets to uncover, prepare to venture where only Legends dare tread! • Advance your characters to 'Legend' status, getting stronger, faster and more powerful as you go] •Play with friends in up to 4-player action! • Save and bring your characters to a friend's house! 1 Buy Gauntlet Legends for I Sega Dreamcast*', send in the proof of purchase and get a set of Gauntlet pewter miniatures!* •Mail-in proof of purchase from Caunllci Legends Sega Dreamcast'- lo receive five Gaumtel legends pewter ni Complcie det.tils inside Gauntlet Leeends Sega Dr— - While supplies Offer ends U/) Based on the arcade smash hit!

• Collect coins in secret worlds to unlock even more characters! 6ft>MIDWA r www.midway.com Climax Graphics takes a lesson from Blue StfngdWHcreate: IK, so Blue Stinger wasn't the greatest horror adventure ever made. It^^^namera^stem— althoughijPRed for US release— was confusing, to say the least, and the pitiful voice acting made even Sega of America's localization work sound like Kenneth Brannagh reading Shakespeare sonnets.

The game had its merits, though, considering it was one of the first DC games in development and the first DC game created by Climax Graphics. And now, the company founded by former Oflmax Entertain^fft employee Shinya Nisjjjgaki (of Landstalkers ano^rerk Savior fame) is hard at work on llibleed.

What may seem, at first glance, Ifcbe yet another Residenttvil clone (or even a Blue Stinger clone, for that matler) is, in fact, a dramatic departure from the horror genre's cliches and aging gameplay. It is, instead, chock- full of fresh and frightening ideas. 'Hlbleed and Blue Stinger are very different games,' Nishigaki comments. 'But we did keep some elements from the first game, such as the combination of action and puzzle elements. And as far as Resident Evil is concerned, our r^w game is entirely different.' Hlbleed runs on a wholly new engine that will allow for higher framerates, more monsters and objects onscreen at once, more effects, faster loading times and bigger environments. The company's president says, 'We are trying to balance our improvements in the game, rather than focus- ing solely on better graphics and technology.'

That's a statement we welcome open arms. And from what^ Climax Graphics sh able to deliver g back up all of its PR noises. Although the early build shown at Tokyo Game, Show boasts impressive visuals with fluid animations, realistic effects and detailed back- grounds, this should be the first time that a horror adventure will be discussed mainly in terms of its gameplay. To survive the litany of more than 1500 horror events in lllbleed's 'Virtual Horror www.DailyRadar.com 't the greatest horror adventure ever made' COMII Previewed This Month Anticipation is sweet, and these DC games could be even sweeter. Read on, and find out what you'll be playing in months to come!

ILL BLEED /62 Climax Graphics promises more blood for the buck Q Expect the unexpected in lilbleed: This thrill ride is actually out to kill you..and you know what they say about anth^aomorphic walls with big hands, right? * J ^Bk 0 One of the m ^^^^Byour character will face: Walking through snow in a miniskirt. Monster that's more evil than resident Land', players will need to use at least four senses— sight, hearing, smell (metaphorically, at any rate) and that dandy 'sixth sense — to find the safest vwPout of danger, while trying to keep a pulse rate of 60. At the top of the 's the activity of Ajiajgybar screen snow each sense, and should be observed at; i^fcmes to avoid having a heart attack (which is probably less painful than being chopped up by a huge claw). This added strategy element clearly distinguishes lilbleed f rom its competition. Four playable www.dreamcastmagazine.com characters: Eriko, Kevin, Randy. And Michelle, although playing through as Eriko presents com- plications; she has to 'rescue a friend first, otherwise you won't be able to use the others.'

One of the biggest dangers they'll have to face will be 'Dummy Man', a creature who has apparently retired from the crash test business in order to do some serious killing. 'He is like a mascot of the Virtual Horror Land in lilbleed,' Nishigaki explains, 'Kind of like Mickey Mouse in Disneyland.' Adorable, isn't it? TITTEL PUBUSt MGR.

Player: NOkATI lUSHER SEGA I iRAPHICS) IRS 1 ORIGIN J a Pan online BATING TBA PERIPHERALS JUMP PACK, VMU MINI-GAME DATE 4 rfALL (JAPAN) TBA (US) ICIetfer premise using all the 'senses' helps III Bleed stand out from the rest of the horror flock. Plenty of playable charac- BWIII It live up to Its promise?

Is Climax Graphics experienced enough to tackle such a game? BOTTOM LINE I With the DC world riding high on the horror wave, III Bleed should add a new dimension of terror to the mix. SONIC SHUFFLE /66 Sega's mascot throws a multiplayer party WACKY RACES /68 Penelope Pitstop, Dick Dastardly, oh yeah! SYDNEY 2K /68 An Olympics game set to an INXS soundtrack-NOT! UFC /73 Men in tights again— proving their manhood. ETERNAL ARCADIA /80 The eternal wait is nearly over COOL COOL TOON /77 Better polish your platforms, Ulala! SUPER RUNABOUT /79 Find out how well vehicular crime pays MARVEL VS.

CAPCOM /82 Spider senses tingling! SNO-CROSS /84 Snowmobile racing for the DC generation WORLD SERIES BASEBALL /84 It s finally on the way. VIRTUAL ON: OT /88 Our giant robot can beat your giant robot Incoming! All Dreamcast.

Zackreaver rates this game: 5/5 Since no one else gave a description, I thought I would toss this one in for anyone who is wondering what this game is about. It's basically a horror game that plays as though you were walking through a haunted house in your neighborhood during halloween. There a traps that appear from random objects that are detected by your different scents. Using a pair of goggles, you tag places that you know traps will appear to cancel them out.

There's also combat for those violence junkies out there.