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Just so I can build up a profile of each of you, i want to know how old you all are and what you look like. Anyone who 'comically' says 'I'm green with eight arms, ho ho' will be taunted until my throat (and fingers) are sore.
Page:
I read that entire post! I deserve a medal.
I have one comment: lack of piracy will not necessarily make the GameCube more successful than it would otherwise be - think about it - would you rather buy a console for which you can obtain pirated games for £5 each, or a console where each game will set you back £40?
Think about that and you'll see why the PSX was so popular.
I have one comment: lack of piracy will not necessarily make the GameCube more successful than it would otherwise be - think about it - would you rather buy a console for which you can obtain pirated games for £5 each, or a console where each game will set you back £40?
Think about that and you'll see why the PSX was so popular.
God dan, you think people would read this!
OH MY GOD! are you some kind of robot or something how did you write that much?
I've been given a random number not at all based on which the order that I joined - unlike the unreal 583 Dan's before me I actually pose a purpose on this dusty little planet and I'll conquer Arakis one day, you'll see.
I like gaming, but not too much, you CAN have too much of a good thing, and I think we all should appreciate this.
If you look in this months Edition of Official Dreamcast magazine, you will see that I have had my first, and most probably last, reader review of 4Wheel Thunder put in.
My location is given away by this, but do not let the reputation of the town in which I live set any prejudicial nonsenses about my person. I am ageless, limitless perhaps, and I like informing people of my opinions and thoughts, theredore I have compiled a mega mix of all that YOU need to know about.. well, I'm sure you know.
Here is a review of the gaming situation. Go get yourself some coffee, as you must simply read this!
(coffee acting as a stimulant of course)
HERE is what you should read first. Please note, this is not spam, and is my own work:
Past, Present and future:
Well, just who is going to win the next generation console war? Is it really going to be war like? Does it really matter? Has Sony become all empowered in its 32bit supremacy? Could Sega's Dreamcast indeed be the 128bit console to own? Will Nintendo release their Game Cube on time, or will it be too little too late? Could Microsoft extend their reign as the one of the most successful companies ever by taking the console market by storm with their highly anticipated X-Box? Let’s have a little look back in time and see what has happened, maybe there’ll be some indications as to what we can expect.
New times await us, and these are very exciting times indeed. The console market is no longer simply about games, us, the public demanded more, and as a result we are going to get more, and I mean a lot more. In the past, consoles have been nothing more than games machines, and in some people’s eyes, just a form of antisocial amusement. The whole console era started off back in the late 70’s/early 80’s with Atari launching the first proper games console, which was soon joined by the ZX Spectrum – the first colour console/computer! However, these two machines didn’t sell very well at all (to put it kindly) and so the market needed something new.
Sure enough, with the launch of the first real ‘mass market’ games machine in Nintendo’s NES: Nintendo Entertainment System. The console offered something new, something exciting, and proved to be very popular amongst the general public all over the world, especially in Japan and the USA. Slightly later on, in 1987, Sega joined the fray and introduced their very own machine: The Master System. Both consoles had strong points, the control pads were something new at the time, although you’d laugh today if a company released a system with a joy-pad /controller like these 1st generation consoles’. Also, in 1989 the most successful console of all time was released in the form of Nintendo’s handheld masterpiece – the Gameboy. Sega tried to compete in this niche founded by Nintendo, their handheld was more comfortable and had full colour, but the Game Gear was a failure. The battery life was incredibly short, and the system had nowhere near as many games as the Gameboy.
Back then, the machines were about games, and Nintendo produced some classic titles that have been graced with many a re-incarnation; games like Mario and Zelda have been recreated so many times, simply because we loved them. The game-play was unrivalled, even today I could easily spend a couple of hours playing through Mario 3 on the NES without getting bored. Again with Sega; Sonic, created by Yuji Naka, first appeared on their little 8bit-er, has become a global corporate mascot for the Japanese company, and has also had many games based around the little Blue spiky haired hedgehog. Mario is Nintendo’s main character and mascot, but recently the Pokemon phase has dominated all things Nintendo, and Pikachu has taken his place somewhat.
The 16bit ‘battle’ was, again fought by Nintendo and Sega, with both consoles (Nintendo’s SNES (super) and Sega’s Mega-Drive) offering gamers some amazing titles to choose from. In the early nineties the SNES and Mega-Drive both arrived (in Japan firstly of course), but this time it was Sega’s turn to dominate the market: the Mega-Drive was a more successful console, but, one of the greatest games ever ‘Mario Kart’ was released on Nintendo’s machine (I’d recommend you getting a SNES for this game alone!). The 16bit machines brought with them more comfortable controllers and a mass of quality fighting titles, with Capcom leading the way with its Street Fighter series. A few years later on in 1993 Atari released its Jaguar to a discerning public, who neither liked it or disliked it because they simply didn’t know about it. Needless to say the machine was a complete flop, and was Atari’s last attempt to break back into a market that it had, in a way, started. Panasonic tried its luck with the 3D0 (what? I hear you say?), and hardly anyone bought it.
Sega brought out many add-ons for its Mega-Drive (known as the Genesis in the US) including the 32X and the Mega CD. The sales spoke for themselves, a true failure on Sega’s part, as the public really didn’t know, or care about these; a shame seeing that the Mega-Drive was a great success.
Only 5 and half years ago saw the release of the Sega Saturn, signalling times of change. The world’s first 32bit console had arrived offering games of near arcade quality such as Sega rally and Daytona USA. However, Sega had lost a lot of image – people weren’t aware about this new console, and a lack of serious advertising didn’t help things. Only a few months from the release of the Saturn came the 32bit 33.9mhz Playstation from Sony – the electronics giant’s first ever console, developed in collaboration with Nintendo who were quick to leave the Playstation alone and hand the reigns to Sony: they obviously didn’t feel it would be a success. Everyone loved the Playstation, it could do all things the Sega Saturn could like offering CD playback, but was a superior console in many ways, and ultimately it was, and still is a hugely successful console. The problems that Sega had were the following; developers were finding the Saturn too hard to develop games for, and could not get the desired effects (transparency effects) on the Saturn, and were finding the Playstation much easier to program and make games for. Sony’s success grew and the Playstation has now sold over 70 million units worldwide. This is no mean achievement. Even when Nintendo brought out the Ultra 64, (which immediately changed name to N64) which offered brilliant graphics and a 94mhz 64bit processor, but it still had the same old Mario, and a lack of a really decent driving or fighting game. The console was still cartridge based (no copying of games, see?). Sony was still enjoying success as the Playstation was outselling every other machine. The brand identity of the Playstation grew and grew, and is instantly recognisable by the PS logo and the circle, triangle, square and cross/x. The ball had rolled into Sony’s hands, and neither Nintendo nor Sega could stop the ever-popular Playstation.
The N64 has sold around 12million worldwide, and the Saturn not even half this amount, but all 3 manufacturers began to start on new consoles.
Times have rapidly moved on, and the N64 has kind of been left behind now (certainly has been left off the retailing shelf at least), but the Playstation has continued to sell well, with only PS games and the occasional GB game dominating the top 20 console charts. In 1999 Sega released its next generation console to the UK public, a year after the Japanese release. The Dreamcast was set to redefine gaming, and add new elements to it. Firstly the console was complete with a 33.6K modem, allowing for instant Internet access, and, in spring 2000 the launch of the first European online game: Chu Chu rocket! An instant hit, mainly due to it being absolutely free! There have been many fantastic games on the Dreamcast that can only be described as groundbreaking: take a look at Crazy Taxi, Soul Calibur, Metropolis Street Racer, Shenmue, and many more. You’ll see that the games still have an important role. Sega have been criticised for only giving European Dreamcast owners a 33.6K modem, whereas the USA gets a 56K!! From personal experience I don’t think its all that slow, but I’d prefer a 56K or higher so that all time lag is wiped out when playing multiplayer games like Quake 3 over the net (released on Friday the 8th of December). An innovative range of peripherals including a smashing VMU (Visual Memory Unit), a DC mouse, microphone, keyboard, great controllers, and the soon to be released Web-cam meant that Sega was surely on to a winner with the Dreamcast. However, many people chose to ignore it as they thought that it would fail within a year or two and repeat the demise of the Saturn, but as the sales increase, and the market share grows, the Dreamcast looks set to be around for a very long time and has all of Christmas, effectively, to itself, which leads me on to my next discussion: The sequel to the Playstation.
The Playstation 2 was released in Japan in March after an extensive amount of hype had built up about the console. With many newly made fans from the Playstation success, Sony could expect the Playstation 2 to be just as successful. With stats that showed a DVD playback facility, a 291mhz processor, and the ability to play nearly all of your Playstation titles on the new machine got a lot of people very excited indeed. On it’s release the PS2 broke the record as the fastest selling console – previously held by the Dreamcast. And many Japanese gamers now use the machine as a DVD player in favour of playing games on the system: Sony had expected an average of 4-5 games to be sold per PS2 console, but only half that figure has been achieved so far. So, has the games market moved away from games? I don’t think so, but with added elements and features to consider (DVD playback and Internet capabilities) it seems the market is changing in a big way.
The PS2 was released in the states a few weeks back, with a promised 500,000 consoles for the whole of the USA available at launch: only half the original amount promised. The launch caused fights to break out in the streets, as people couldn’t get hold of the new console; demand truly did exceed supply. This is because of various problems at Sony regarding production difficulties of the console – a tiny but essential chip was in short supply and so not as many consoles could be produced. In the UK though it seems Sony actually did us a favour. Forget the price of the console and forget the fact the USA public has to pay a third less than the UK public, because Sony introduced a fair way of distributing the consoles through an organised pre-order scheme. No consoles were available at launch last Friday because people had to pre-order their machine. With 165,000 consoles said to be ready at launch this was a sign that Sony’s new toy was very in demand. Unfortunately only 80,000 consoles were dispatched at launch, but the other 85,000 should reach their owners by Christmas.
So, that’s two out the way, what about Nintendo? You may well have heard rumours about the name of Nintendo’s next generation console - many believed it would be named the Dolphin. It isn’t and Nintendo have unveiled their new super console, which is a pure games console (which will offer internet access and a DVD playback facility, hmm.) called the Game Cube. A strange name, a strange design and the controllers look very weird indeed, but don’t worry, it won’t be released in Europe for a good 18 months yet, so there’s plenty of time to get used to the look of Nintendo’s new offering. Many games are set to be resurrected on to the Game Cube including Metroid, Zelda, and a new, more grown up, version of Mario.
And for the final console, yes, you guessed it: The X-Box. This will be the first console from Bill gates’ Microsoft, and looking at the statistics could be the best console yet. It will be a kind of PC-console hybrid I feel, and I’m sure it’ll be a huge success, as long as Microsoft can launch their ‘machine’ before the market has been filled. I am looking forward to the X-Box. It could offer just the right blend of PC technology and facilities, with console gaming and DVD playback. The X-Box will arrive Internet ready, complete with a top of the range DVD drive. I can’t wait!
Whatever happens when these new consoles arrive, it will be an excellent time to be playing games, surfing the net or watching DVD movies. The future will be ever changing, virtual reality is just on the horizon, and we’re all beginning to see more clearly now. If you aren’t into games consoles then don’t worry, you might really like watching DVD movies or surfing the Internet – games consoles aren’t just about games now, they’ve evolved and are ever evolving as I type. Have fun with what ever you do, and I hope this opinion has been of some use to you.
PS2:
Timesplitters and Fantavision have been highly praise. The console IS a sequel, Emotion Engine (hyperbolly at its best), Ridge Racer 5, Price compared to similar products.
Yes, it is the time that many Playstation fans have been waiting for: The European launch of Playstation 2. Unfortunately not all of them will be able to get one on release as there will only be 165,000 units this year. Ok, so many people have slated the PS2, but the fact remains that it will be bought by the masses, and probably, and somewhat unjustly, outsell the Dreamcast by a long way. If you think about the situation for a moment: Sony sold 70million Playstation consoles whereas Sega sold no more than 3million Sega Saturn consoles, just a slight difference! So far, the PS2 has sold well despite its faults and problems, so far I think over 3 million consoles have been sold since March! The Dreamcast has exceeded Sega's expectations and is on a respectable 6.2million as I speak.
I do no want to turn this into another PS2 versus Dreamcast post or opinion, so I'll talk solely about Sony's machine. So, what does it have to offer? Well, at £299.99 you get a 128bit, 291MHz Console offering DVD playback technology. This price may sound high, but then think back to when Playstation was first released! I seem to remember it was exactly the same price! For what you get, the Playstation 2 isn't THAT expensive, but the amount the British consumers must pay IS too much when you compare the US and Japanese prices - In Japan the console is a mere £175, and in the US of A it is also cheaper at £199.99. So, are we getting ripped-off by Sony? Work it out....
The cost is expensive at double the price of the Dreamcast and at over 3 times the price of the PSone and N64. The DVD player isn't the highest spec machine that you'll ever see, it isn't that great actually, but it's still an added USP for Sony to preach about, and it'll save getting a standalone unit.
Let's forget the competition for the moment. Let's say you are getting a PS2 and nobody's thoughts will convince you otherwise. What should you get with the console? GAMES: The games that the Playstation 2 will have at launch aren't that exciting. From personal experience I can warn you NOT to get Ridge racer 5 or Tekken Tag Tournament, you'll be far better off with a copies of Dead or Alive 2, and Smuggler's Run, but if you can wait until the release of Gran Turismo 3 (arriving in the new year) then I suggest you hang on, because it will be PS2's premier racing game. However, Timesplitters is said to be a great game based on the quake 3 engine. Don't forget you can still play most of your original PS titles on the console, but they will be running at the same speed, so there won't be any graphical advantages by playing them on the new machine. But this is a superb idea as people with tons of PSone games won't need to sell them.
Metal Gear Solid has won a lot of fans, and the sequel looks as though it'll be even better, I'd hold out for this one if I were you! If you like football then forget FIFA 2001, it doesn't matter if Sony own EA, do YOURSELF a favour and get the fantastic ISS evolution as it really will be in a different league.
DVD! Well, in Japan the Playstation 2 sparked off a frenzy of DVD sales, and boosted the market in a very significant way, but it seems as though our Japanese relatives (however distant they might be) are using their machines mainly for DVD usage, the games sales speak for themselves, with games rivalling Dreamcast titles in terms of sales - the Playstation software sales are still the highest! What DVD titles do I recommend? Well, I cannot tell you which to avoid, but I strongly recommend The Blair Witch Project, The 6th Sense and The Matrix. The DVD market has already grown substantially in Europe and in the UK in particular, but it’s going to grow even more.
Peripherals and Add on equipment: Ok, so you can lie you PS2 flat, or stand it upright, vertical and horizontal stands will cost you an extra £10 – I hope you know what you should do. A memory card will be £30, but will have more space, and the control pads are £20 still. Of course, you can still use your old pads from the Playstation they’ll work just as well.
There is no doubt in my mind that the PS2 won’t be all its been hyped up to be. For example the so-called ‘emotion engine’ is not all that it is cracked up to be, but it's still a decent processor running at near 300mhz. Also, the initial PS2 games will all run at 50hz, and not 60hz. Now, you might not think that’s very important, but just ask any well educated Dreamcast owner, and they’ll tell you how much better games run at 60hz. I have to say that most TVs now support 60hz, but Sony haven’t chosen to include this beneficial feature at present.
In today’s world £299.99 is a lot of money to pay, and you should feel annoyed that the Americans and Japanese are paying £100 or more LESS than you, then simply don’t buy one if you feel that you are getting ripped off. There are plenty of alternatives on the market, including the 32bit and 64bit machines, and, of course Sega’s Dreamcast, which is amazing value at £149.99 with 4 games, Internet access and the best Christmas line-up of games ever.
The PS2 will be advertised – a lot, but Sony have chosen to go for the obscure advertising campaign, just like Sega did when the Dreamcast was released. If you have seen the 3 or 4 second advert with a black screen and a flashing blue dot, then you’ll see what I mean (could the dot represent Morse code or something?), and could the Playstation 2 lose any Brand Identity? This Christmas will be a great time for gamers across the land, whether you chose to get a PS2 or something else. I do not own a PS2, I won’t be, and I would highly advise you to get a Dreamcast as well as a PS2 as I have been delighted with mine, but get what you will, and have a great time playing games this Christmas!!!
Also, if you own a PS2 now then I'd recommend selling it at auction as they are selling for around £550, and I have seen one at £1100!!! Then you could just wait until the new batch of consoles arrive and get one then.
Dreamcast games:
Virtua Tennis has to be the greatest ever Tennis game and is now in my eyes the undisputed world champion Sports game the world has ever seen. Created by Sega, this has to be the game that will win over playstation and N64 owners and convert them to Dreamcast. The graphics are outstanding with incredibly detail and accuracy to the players' expressions and reactions.
There are 8 players to start with (all 8 are real players!) with 8 more to unlock, but unfortunately there are no women players in the game. It's so easy to pick up and play thanks to a simple but brilliant control system. If you want to play a good game this summer - don't get Virtua Tennis - if you want to play one of the finest game's ever created, then do. Ace.
There is an exhibition mode where you can control all the settings - this is basically a one off match (as it doesn't unlock or count towards anything) and you can select 1,2,3,4,5,6 games or have a set with a tiebreak. There are no 'full matches', which is fine as a 5 set match would take ages and would definitely bore you.
Arcade mode sees you play through 5 matches, each one more difficult than the last, with the aim to become the champion! You also get a certain amount of money which is based on your performance in each level (1-5) If you do beat all these 5 matches on the default setting then you get the chance to play against Master or King (depending on whether you are playing singles or doubles). If you beat them, then you get them. It really is as simple as that.
The World circuit mode is without doubt the most challenging. You must select a player of your choice and, starting at a very low ranking, progress through various training modes and trial matches which, when completed, unlock new features and up your world ranking. The training modes are particularly well thought up (they are not unlike the crazy box modes in Crazy Taxi) as they really are quite fun and add a lot of replay value to the game.
You can select from the following players:
Tim Henman! You have to give Tim a chance as he is Britain's best, and is also a very good player. In the game all of his qualities are true to life in some way, and although he looks like a drunken zombie in the game, he is the best player at volley shots just like in real life.
Jim Courier! Personally I think Jim is the worst player to choose, simply because he isn't particularly brilliant in any aspect, he is however a good all round player who has proven very difficult to beat in the world ranking mode! The in game virtual Jim courier (dressed in orange?!) doesn't look much like the real Courier because Sega somehow managed to forget his eyes!
Cedric Pioline (France). Pioline is a very powerful player with a strong forehand and stroking shots, however, he isn't the best player in the game and is rarely ever used by myself, or my friends. Pioline is one of the toughest computer opponents, and is very annoying at times - he always wins!
Mark Philippoussis (Australia). Now, this may not be spelled correctly, but Mark is one of the best in game players. he has an incredibly powerful serve, is also very quick and has an amazing smash technique. Philippoussis isn't the best player in the game, but he is one of the most popular.
Tommy Haas! Germany's representative is the Forehand master Tommy Haas; he really does have the fastest forehand shot in the game, and is very athletic. Although Haas would seem an obvious favourite to choose, he is bettered by the likes of Moya and Philippoussis.
Carlos Moya - from Spain is the best player in the game (joint with Kafelnikov) as he is a very strong all rounder and is very fast as well. Moya's backhand and forehand are both brilliant and he has the ability to smash the ball as hard as any one. I am nearly always Moya when I do play, because he is one of the best.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov is the joint best player in the game, and as I'm sure you are aware, he's the current Olympic world champion at Tennis and will be for the next 4 years! The virtual Kafelnikov is a very accurate representation of the actual Russian superstar although he looks about 40! (He is only 25.) Yevgeny's strongest points in the game are his incredible serve, and his powerful backhand.
The other player is the speedy Swede Thomas Johansson. He's by far the quickest player in the game, but lacks a lot of shot power. Easy to beat in the world circuit mode, but if you select him his speed will be to your up most advantage.
There are also 8 other made up players to unlock when you complete various sections in the game. Also, there are an extra 2 characters on top of this in 'King' and 'Master' which can be unlocked from the arcade mode (singles to get master, doubles to get King.)
The game really does have to be seen and played - to be believed because the slickness and smoothness are quite outstanding. It will last you for ages as the multiplayer option alone is enough to warrant a purchase; Virtua Tennis is easily the most advanced and exciting multiplayer sports title in the history of gaming - it'll take one hell of a good game to beat it. Virtua Tennis is available from many shops and I cannot say anything more to you than - GET VIRTUA TENNIS!
MSR:
Gran turismo? No chance, this will wow the world - Metropolis Street racer has been delayed for a while - 1 whole year infact. But it'll all be worth the wait as this racer will be completely different to ANYTHING you've played before. Forget Gran Turismo 3 (4the mo) - MSR will be the definitive racing game to grace any console. With hundreds of tracks - all incredibly detailed - and a wealth of beasty sports cars to choose from, and promised online support giving you the chance to win REAL sport cars - if you're good enough at the game that is.
MSR is a very impressive game and, from what I've heard, it's selling like nobody's business the game is massively huge and really shows off the dedication of the Bizarre people at BC. The game has its faults - yes it does, but this are outnumbered by the good points by at least 1000 to 1.
I'm sure you all know this (but just in case), the game is set in 3 real cities! Tokyo, London and San Francisco, and you actually drive in REAL TIME, which is nice.
The graphics are very impressive. Very smooth - now who said the game gives you no sensation of speed? I think it was that Gameplay review - they also said that the lack of a living city (i.e. Pigeons) down graded the game - but to be honest you don't even notice if there are any people or pigeons BECAUSE the game has a fantastic sensation of speed! I bet they only played the game with an above car view - as that makes the game have a much slower feel then when you are right down low close to the road.
However, the two-player mode does suffer from a little slowdown, but it isn't such a big problem, because they game hasn't any graphical glitches or anything like this. The single player mode though has NO slowdown from what I can make out and is just amazing in my view!
There are so many tracks, and these chapter and Kudos ideas are brilliant! I'm only on chapter 1 out of 24 I think, and so I can not tell what the further races and challenges will be like, but I'm glad that you only get 3 cars (and variations of the MX5) at the start because when you reveal a new car you know that you've actually worked hard for it - I've almost got the Vauxhall Astra!
The car details are superb and the fact that you can change the lightness or darkness of your windows - change the roof of the car: hard/soft or no top; change the colour and change the number plate, all make the game 'special'. The music is great and the best tune apart from the Bullet in the gun trailer/advert is definitely the Club Paris song! The radio station is a great inclusion and innovation, and is it not true that you can upload your OWN songs into the CD player? I say this because there seems to be a space where you can put a personal song in. The radio presenters do repeat themselves, but the variations from city to city is superb.
The handling is great in my opinion, the cars feel just right and I can tell the difference between cars, which makes a change! The cars also handle differently in the wet weather too. The engine sounds are very realistic and also vary from car to car, the VX220 makes a lovely growl (in the demo) and my MX5 Miata is very perky.
The game has loads of options; MSR really is a perfectionist's dream game. You can change all the usual stuff like Weather tracks and laps etc, but you also have to choose the type of game you want to play: in Multiplayer you can choose head to head, pursuit, match play, fastest lap wins, fastest section time wins etc. In the single player mode there's the Main Street racing game, quick race, an internet-mode, garage option and much more. I have to say that I don't mind at all if it takes me 5 minutes to set up the race because the way the game is presented is second to none.
With 50 real life sports cars to keep you happy - and don't think they'll be handed to you on a plate because you have to work for the best cars; your driving has to literally reek of skill and style (the essence of burning tyres) in order for you to progress and get more of those all important Kudos.
The game has been conceived beautifully; MSR has broken into the world after 2 and a half years of developement. Buy this game as it is the only one you'll ever need.
There's a very nice intro trailer, which is the same as the advertisement (showing on Monday ITV!) and there's loads of great music in the game to.
Thank you Sega for advertising this game as we all NEED to know how amazing it is, but KEEP advertising! I now can see why MSR has taken so long to complete and develop, because Bizarre Creations have really gone to town with this game. It is, in a word - AWESOME!
Dreamcast:
For all of you out there who are sceptical about the Dreamcast, and won't buy one simply because of how the Saturn turned out, then I urge you to actually consider further. Hopefully, by reading my opinion you will gain a greater knowledge about Dreamcast and how you should get one!
Firstly, yes the Saturn did 'poorly' but they are still very popular with the 2nd hand market. 2ndly, the Dreamcast is a totally different machine to the Saturn and has sold more in its first year than the Saturn did in 4 years. So there are now 5.56million Dreamcast consoles been sold throughout the world so far.
This is a great sign, and it seems that Sega will capitalize this Xmas when it picks up all the sales due to it's superb forthcoming games, it's amazing existing games, and the fact that there are going to be no Playstation2s in the shops for sale as they've all run out at pre order.
This means, with no competition for this very festive period, Sega could do very well to make their console THE 'must have' for all children and adults alike come December 25th. Personally, I think there will be a lot of unhappy Sony fans, because they cannot get a PS2, and so they will opt for Dreamcast. After all, it has a fantastic catalogue of games including many original and innovative titles such as the following (please note, the best of the genre are in Bold capitals):
RACING:
Crazy Taxi,
Ferrari F355 Challenge Passione Rossa
Metropolis Street racer,
Sega Rally 2,
V-Rally 2,
Pod II,
Le Mans 24
Wacky Races
San Fransisco Rush 2049,
Re-Volt,
F1 World GP (1 and 2)
Tokyo Highway Challenge (1 and 2)
Suzuki Alstare Extreme Racing
Fight 'em ups: (The Dreamcast has officially got the best range of Fighting games in the world of Video games out of ALL formats) (This is in part due to Capcom's excellent support of the console)
DEAD or ALIVE 2,
POWER STONE
POWERSTONE 2
SOUL CALIBUR
Street Fighter Alpha 3,
Street Fighter 3 Double Impact
Tech Romancer,
Marvel vs Capcom (1 & 2)
Mortal Kombat Gold,
Ultimate Fighting Championship,
WWF Royal Rumble
Ready2Rumble (1 & 2)
Virtua Fighter 3TB
ADVENTURE/RPG:
SONIC ADVENTURE
Resident Evil Code: Veronica
Resident Evil 2,
Shadowman,
Soul Reaver,
Tomb Raider 4,
The Nomad soul,
Maken X,
House of the Dead 2,
Blue stinger
Rayman 2
MDK 2
ECCO THE DOLPHIN: DOTF
Evolution
Fur Fighters
SPORTS TITLES/Alternative: (The DC has some fantastic sports games, namely form Sega themselves)
NBA 2K (and 2K1),
NFL 2K (and 2K1),
Virtua Tennis,
Uefa Dream Soccer (due soon)
Uefa Striker,
Jimmy White's 2 Cueball,
NHL 2K,
NFL BLITZ 2000,
Ready 2 rumble boxing,
SWWS Euro (football),
Sega Bass fishing,
Trickstyle
Tony Hawk's (1 & 2)
Puzzle, Multiplayer:
ChuChu Rocket
Fur Fighters,
Toy Commander,
Slave Zero,
South Park Rally,
Sega Swirl! (free game)
Wetrix,
Bust a Move 4
And this is only a select few. There really are many triple A class titles on the Dreamcast, and many more are on there way before Christmas. I for one cannot wait for SHENMUE- possibly Yu Suzuki's greatest game ever. And Quake 3 Arena ONLINE should prove great fun.
So, what can Dreamcast offer you? Well, for a very reasonable price of £150 with 2 free games, you get the world's FIRST online console, through which you can send and receive emails, surf the net (just like on the PC) and play online games, such as Quake 3, Pod2 and Chu Chu Rocket.
As you may be aware also, the Dreamcast as a large catalogue of great games, which will hopefully include all the current Playstation games as well in the near future. This is because a company called Bleem! Who emulate games, are currently converting and programming software to allow you to play all your Playstation games on to Dreamcast via the Bleem! box. This box also improves the graphics and speed of the game, and will be out before March next year (I hope!)
I have been very pleased with mine; I got it on the day of release and I haven't had a moment of doubt since, I'm sure a lot of others have been as well. At the end of the day, it's your decision, but I strongly recommend the Dreamcast to you!
Nintendo!
The Game Boy Advance has a very sexist name, but it hasn't changed and the new machine will be the GBA or Game boy advance so it's still a masculine handheld, but it's a name that is instantly recognisable, so it won't be changed. I think that Nintendo will not sell as many of these, and it will be a major let down. Even still, Nintendo will always be unrivalled in the world of Mini Games machines to play on the move.
Let me explain:
Admittedly Nintendo are fairly innovative and sony have mad a few classics - but no one is as brave as Sega - how many times has Zelda and Mario and Metroid been in Nintendos's launches - or even first year of gaming for that console - and compare these to the likes of nearly every new sega game bar SR2.
With regards to why don't these companies make a portable? well, they dare not dive nose first into the mini world of gaming on LCD screens - why would they? Nintendo already dominate and practically own the portable games machine market - the gameboy has sold DOUBLE the number of playstations! (although, it has been around for double the time)
So, If Sega did do a follow up to the Game Gear ( an incredibly flawed handheld which literally drank alkaline) they would be shooting themselves in the foot - the shear cost of developement and marketing would set them for a financial disaster. The only thing they can afford is the wonderful little VMU which is very cool and you can download loads of games onto it for FREE - like etcha sketch, and tetris.
And sony - have actually attempted to involve themselves in the mini handheld thing - they made the highly unpopular Pocket station but chose not to bring it across from the land of raw fish as it failed miserably just because the Gameboy market was too strong.
Sony are trying to edge into this world, with the New PSone which will in the future incorperate an LCD screen - but you'll still need a mains adapter as the battery time would be less than 15 mins of play time as the screen will be too large etc.
But I think Nintendo pretty much have this sector of the games industry in their bag, but I doubt if the GBA will have such a great success as many people will not be prepared to pay £30 - £40 for a game for it!
And then there's NO piracy going to happen - but Nintendo cannot really afford to sell the games at any less than this price. Oh well, another day, another games machine..
Ok, now this review may seem a little strange as I really just wanted to express my thoughts on pirating and how pirate games could destroy video gaming. But It is about Nintendo, and how I think they will probably emerge victorious due to their choice of using cartridges (also for using a new type of disc for their Game Cube).
For me, the N64 never really appealed, because I think it is more for the younger generation of gamers who appreciate the likes of Mario and Pokemon (and colourful graphics), but it did and does have some killer titles. For instance you'd be missing out big time if you have never played Goldeneye; one of the greatest multiplayer and single player games that has ever been released, the graphics are more grwon up on these type of games (Perfect Dark also) and they are actually great fun to play wasn't too gory.
But the thing that possibly let the N64 down was the fact that it used carttidges, so the console is nothing else than a games console - no CD drive so no CD playing functions. And, although the 64 did OK, it never really lasted long enough to compete as it should have done. I mean it should have outlived the Playstaion, but, it didn't.
But I think Nintendo could change things, and I am sure they know this. Read on..
How can we ensure that the future will bring good quality titles?
Read on...
When people say that pirating is good for the games industry I just have to disagree. All pirates: go away. Sail your Skull and Cross Bones flags else where as you do not help the gaming community - only prevent future success for games gcompanies, which means they'll have less money for which to develope games for, we'll all end up playing Fifa Clones ( I don't mean pirate copies here ) as games firms will not have the resources to develope well and gaming as we know it will collapse.
Sega did try to make their console pirate proof, but thanks to DC-UK and stuff, it isn't anymore.
The playstation has the biggest black market around and please tell me HOW it can be good for games companies? Yes the console will sell more - does that help them financially? No, not really because most money comes from the games - and with less of them selling I think we'll see a very downward trend in video gaming.
The only real pirate free consoles have been from Nintendo - this may not have helped them in regards to the N64, but really - the G-Cube could just win the battle for Original gaming-a-bility and Nintendo wil get many developers and publishers wanting to place their games on the console as they know that there will be NO black market.
So, what do we really want in the long term?
Better games.
How?
Don't buy pirate games.
What if I have to?
You don't - get a Nintendo Game Cube
I do own a DC, but I have been thinking.
The only console in the future that you should consider getting is a console that is pirate proof.
I hope you read it all.
dan584
I like gaming, but not too much, you CAN have too much of a good thing, and I think we all should appreciate this.
If you look in this months Edition of Official Dreamcast magazine, you will see that I have had my first, and most probably last, reader review of 4Wheel Thunder put in.
My location is given away by this, but do not let the reputation of the town in which I live set any prejudicial nonsenses about my person. I am ageless, limitless perhaps, and I like informing people of my opinions and thoughts, theredore I have compiled a mega mix of all that YOU need to know about.. well, I'm sure you know.
Here is a review of the gaming situation. Go get yourself some coffee, as you must simply read this!
(coffee acting as a stimulant of course)
HERE is what you should read first. Please note, this is not spam, and is my own work:
Past, Present and future:
Well, just who is going to win the next generation console war? Is it really going to be war like? Does it really matter? Has Sony become all empowered in its 32bit supremacy? Could Sega's Dreamcast indeed be the 128bit console to own? Will Nintendo release their Game Cube on time, or will it be too little too late? Could Microsoft extend their reign as the one of the most successful companies ever by taking the console market by storm with their highly anticipated X-Box? Let’s have a little look back in time and see what has happened, maybe there’ll be some indications as to what we can expect.
New times await us, and these are very exciting times indeed. The console market is no longer simply about games, us, the public demanded more, and as a result we are going to get more, and I mean a lot more. In the past, consoles have been nothing more than games machines, and in some people’s eyes, just a form of antisocial amusement. The whole console era started off back in the late 70’s/early 80’s with Atari launching the first proper games console, which was soon joined by the ZX Spectrum – the first colour console/computer! However, these two machines didn’t sell very well at all (to put it kindly) and so the market needed something new.
Sure enough, with the launch of the first real ‘mass market’ games machine in Nintendo’s NES: Nintendo Entertainment System. The console offered something new, something exciting, and proved to be very popular amongst the general public all over the world, especially in Japan and the USA. Slightly later on, in 1987, Sega joined the fray and introduced their very own machine: The Master System. Both consoles had strong points, the control pads were something new at the time, although you’d laugh today if a company released a system with a joy-pad /controller like these 1st generation consoles’. Also, in 1989 the most successful console of all time was released in the form of Nintendo’s handheld masterpiece – the Gameboy. Sega tried to compete in this niche founded by Nintendo, their handheld was more comfortable and had full colour, but the Game Gear was a failure. The battery life was incredibly short, and the system had nowhere near as many games as the Gameboy.
Back then, the machines were about games, and Nintendo produced some classic titles that have been graced with many a re-incarnation; games like Mario and Zelda have been recreated so many times, simply because we loved them. The game-play was unrivalled, even today I could easily spend a couple of hours playing through Mario 3 on the NES without getting bored. Again with Sega; Sonic, created by Yuji Naka, first appeared on their little 8bit-er, has become a global corporate mascot for the Japanese company, and has also had many games based around the little Blue spiky haired hedgehog. Mario is Nintendo’s main character and mascot, but recently the Pokemon phase has dominated all things Nintendo, and Pikachu has taken his place somewhat.
The 16bit ‘battle’ was, again fought by Nintendo and Sega, with both consoles (Nintendo’s SNES (super) and Sega’s Mega-Drive) offering gamers some amazing titles to choose from. In the early nineties the SNES and Mega-Drive both arrived (in Japan firstly of course), but this time it was Sega’s turn to dominate the market: the Mega-Drive was a more successful console, but, one of the greatest games ever ‘Mario Kart’ was released on Nintendo’s machine (I’d recommend you getting a SNES for this game alone!). The 16bit machines brought with them more comfortable controllers and a mass of quality fighting titles, with Capcom leading the way with its Street Fighter series. A few years later on in 1993 Atari released its Jaguar to a discerning public, who neither liked it or disliked it because they simply didn’t know about it. Needless to say the machine was a complete flop, and was Atari’s last attempt to break back into a market that it had, in a way, started. Panasonic tried its luck with the 3D0 (what? I hear you say?), and hardly anyone bought it.
Sega brought out many add-ons for its Mega-Drive (known as the Genesis in the US) including the 32X and the Mega CD. The sales spoke for themselves, a true failure on Sega’s part, as the public really didn’t know, or care about these; a shame seeing that the Mega-Drive was a great success.
Only 5 and half years ago saw the release of the Sega Saturn, signalling times of change. The world’s first 32bit console had arrived offering games of near arcade quality such as Sega rally and Daytona USA. However, Sega had lost a lot of image – people weren’t aware about this new console, and a lack of serious advertising didn’t help things. Only a few months from the release of the Saturn came the 32bit 33.9mhz Playstation from Sony – the electronics giant’s first ever console, developed in collaboration with Nintendo who were quick to leave the Playstation alone and hand the reigns to Sony: they obviously didn’t feel it would be a success. Everyone loved the Playstation, it could do all things the Sega Saturn could like offering CD playback, but was a superior console in many ways, and ultimately it was, and still is a hugely successful console. The problems that Sega had were the following; developers were finding the Saturn too hard to develop games for, and could not get the desired effects (transparency effects) on the Saturn, and were finding the Playstation much easier to program and make games for. Sony’s success grew and the Playstation has now sold over 70 million units worldwide. This is no mean achievement. Even when Nintendo brought out the Ultra 64, (which immediately changed name to N64) which offered brilliant graphics and a 94mhz 64bit processor, but it still had the same old Mario, and a lack of a really decent driving or fighting game. The console was still cartridge based (no copying of games, see?). Sony was still enjoying success as the Playstation was outselling every other machine. The brand identity of the Playstation grew and grew, and is instantly recognisable by the PS logo and the circle, triangle, square and cross/x. The ball had rolled into Sony’s hands, and neither Nintendo nor Sega could stop the ever-popular Playstation.
The N64 has sold around 12million worldwide, and the Saturn not even half this amount, but all 3 manufacturers began to start on new consoles.
Times have rapidly moved on, and the N64 has kind of been left behind now (certainly has been left off the retailing shelf at least), but the Playstation has continued to sell well, with only PS games and the occasional GB game dominating the top 20 console charts. In 1999 Sega released its next generation console to the UK public, a year after the Japanese release. The Dreamcast was set to redefine gaming, and add new elements to it. Firstly the console was complete with a 33.6K modem, allowing for instant Internet access, and, in spring 2000 the launch of the first European online game: Chu Chu rocket! An instant hit, mainly due to it being absolutely free! There have been many fantastic games on the Dreamcast that can only be described as groundbreaking: take a look at Crazy Taxi, Soul Calibur, Metropolis Street Racer, Shenmue, and many more. You’ll see that the games still have an important role. Sega have been criticised for only giving European Dreamcast owners a 33.6K modem, whereas the USA gets a 56K!! From personal experience I don’t think its all that slow, but I’d prefer a 56K or higher so that all time lag is wiped out when playing multiplayer games like Quake 3 over the net (released on Friday the 8th of December). An innovative range of peripherals including a smashing VMU (Visual Memory Unit), a DC mouse, microphone, keyboard, great controllers, and the soon to be released Web-cam meant that Sega was surely on to a winner with the Dreamcast. However, many people chose to ignore it as they thought that it would fail within a year or two and repeat the demise of the Saturn, but as the sales increase, and the market share grows, the Dreamcast looks set to be around for a very long time and has all of Christmas, effectively, to itself, which leads me on to my next discussion: The sequel to the Playstation.
The Playstation 2 was released in Japan in March after an extensive amount of hype had built up about the console. With many newly made fans from the Playstation success, Sony could expect the Playstation 2 to be just as successful. With stats that showed a DVD playback facility, a 291mhz processor, and the ability to play nearly all of your Playstation titles on the new machine got a lot of people very excited indeed. On it’s release the PS2 broke the record as the fastest selling console – previously held by the Dreamcast. And many Japanese gamers now use the machine as a DVD player in favour of playing games on the system: Sony had expected an average of 4-5 games to be sold per PS2 console, but only half that figure has been achieved so far. So, has the games market moved away from games? I don’t think so, but with added elements and features to consider (DVD playback and Internet capabilities) it seems the market is changing in a big way.
The PS2 was released in the states a few weeks back, with a promised 500,000 consoles for the whole of the USA available at launch: only half the original amount promised. The launch caused fights to break out in the streets, as people couldn’t get hold of the new console; demand truly did exceed supply. This is because of various problems at Sony regarding production difficulties of the console – a tiny but essential chip was in short supply and so not as many consoles could be produced. In the UK though it seems Sony actually did us a favour. Forget the price of the console and forget the fact the USA public has to pay a third less than the UK public, because Sony introduced a fair way of distributing the consoles through an organised pre-order scheme. No consoles were available at launch last Friday because people had to pre-order their machine. With 165,000 consoles said to be ready at launch this was a sign that Sony’s new toy was very in demand. Unfortunately only 80,000 consoles were dispatched at launch, but the other 85,000 should reach their owners by Christmas.
So, that’s two out the way, what about Nintendo? You may well have heard rumours about the name of Nintendo’s next generation console - many believed it would be named the Dolphin. It isn’t and Nintendo have unveiled their new super console, which is a pure games console (which will offer internet access and a DVD playback facility, hmm.) called the Game Cube. A strange name, a strange design and the controllers look very weird indeed, but don’t worry, it won’t be released in Europe for a good 18 months yet, so there’s plenty of time to get used to the look of Nintendo’s new offering. Many games are set to be resurrected on to the Game Cube including Metroid, Zelda, and a new, more grown up, version of Mario.
And for the final console, yes, you guessed it: The X-Box. This will be the first console from Bill gates’ Microsoft, and looking at the statistics could be the best console yet. It will be a kind of PC-console hybrid I feel, and I’m sure it’ll be a huge success, as long as Microsoft can launch their ‘machine’ before the market has been filled. I am looking forward to the X-Box. It could offer just the right blend of PC technology and facilities, with console gaming and DVD playback. The X-Box will arrive Internet ready, complete with a top of the range DVD drive. I can’t wait!
Whatever happens when these new consoles arrive, it will be an excellent time to be playing games, surfing the net or watching DVD movies. The future will be ever changing, virtual reality is just on the horizon, and we’re all beginning to see more clearly now. If you aren’t into games consoles then don’t worry, you might really like watching DVD movies or surfing the Internet – games consoles aren’t just about games now, they’ve evolved and are ever evolving as I type. Have fun with what ever you do, and I hope this opinion has been of some use to you.
PS2:
Timesplitters and Fantavision have been highly praise. The console IS a sequel, Emotion Engine (hyperbolly at its best), Ridge Racer 5, Price compared to similar products.
Yes, it is the time that many Playstation fans have been waiting for: The European launch of Playstation 2. Unfortunately not all of them will be able to get one on release as there will only be 165,000 units this year. Ok, so many people have slated the PS2, but the fact remains that it will be bought by the masses, and probably, and somewhat unjustly, outsell the Dreamcast by a long way. If you think about the situation for a moment: Sony sold 70million Playstation consoles whereas Sega sold no more than 3million Sega Saturn consoles, just a slight difference! So far, the PS2 has sold well despite its faults and problems, so far I think over 3 million consoles have been sold since March! The Dreamcast has exceeded Sega's expectations and is on a respectable 6.2million as I speak.
I do no want to turn this into another PS2 versus Dreamcast post or opinion, so I'll talk solely about Sony's machine. So, what does it have to offer? Well, at £299.99 you get a 128bit, 291MHz Console offering DVD playback technology. This price may sound high, but then think back to when Playstation was first released! I seem to remember it was exactly the same price! For what you get, the Playstation 2 isn't THAT expensive, but the amount the British consumers must pay IS too much when you compare the US and Japanese prices - In Japan the console is a mere £175, and in the US of A it is also cheaper at £199.99. So, are we getting ripped-off by Sony? Work it out....
The cost is expensive at double the price of the Dreamcast and at over 3 times the price of the PSone and N64. The DVD player isn't the highest spec machine that you'll ever see, it isn't that great actually, but it's still an added USP for Sony to preach about, and it'll save getting a standalone unit.
Let's forget the competition for the moment. Let's say you are getting a PS2 and nobody's thoughts will convince you otherwise. What should you get with the console? GAMES: The games that the Playstation 2 will have at launch aren't that exciting. From personal experience I can warn you NOT to get Ridge racer 5 or Tekken Tag Tournament, you'll be far better off with a copies of Dead or Alive 2, and Smuggler's Run, but if you can wait until the release of Gran Turismo 3 (arriving in the new year) then I suggest you hang on, because it will be PS2's premier racing game. However, Timesplitters is said to be a great game based on the quake 3 engine. Don't forget you can still play most of your original PS titles on the console, but they will be running at the same speed, so there won't be any graphical advantages by playing them on the new machine. But this is a superb idea as people with tons of PSone games won't need to sell them.
Metal Gear Solid has won a lot of fans, and the sequel looks as though it'll be even better, I'd hold out for this one if I were you! If you like football then forget FIFA 2001, it doesn't matter if Sony own EA, do YOURSELF a favour and get the fantastic ISS evolution as it really will be in a different league.
DVD! Well, in Japan the Playstation 2 sparked off a frenzy of DVD sales, and boosted the market in a very significant way, but it seems as though our Japanese relatives (however distant they might be) are using their machines mainly for DVD usage, the games sales speak for themselves, with games rivalling Dreamcast titles in terms of sales - the Playstation software sales are still the highest! What DVD titles do I recommend? Well, I cannot tell you which to avoid, but I strongly recommend The Blair Witch Project, The 6th Sense and The Matrix. The DVD market has already grown substantially in Europe and in the UK in particular, but it’s going to grow even more.
Peripherals and Add on equipment: Ok, so you can lie you PS2 flat, or stand it upright, vertical and horizontal stands will cost you an extra £10 – I hope you know what you should do. A memory card will be £30, but will have more space, and the control pads are £20 still. Of course, you can still use your old pads from the Playstation they’ll work just as well.
There is no doubt in my mind that the PS2 won’t be all its been hyped up to be. For example the so-called ‘emotion engine’ is not all that it is cracked up to be, but it's still a decent processor running at near 300mhz. Also, the initial PS2 games will all run at 50hz, and not 60hz. Now, you might not think that’s very important, but just ask any well educated Dreamcast owner, and they’ll tell you how much better games run at 60hz. I have to say that most TVs now support 60hz, but Sony haven’t chosen to include this beneficial feature at present.
In today’s world £299.99 is a lot of money to pay, and you should feel annoyed that the Americans and Japanese are paying £100 or more LESS than you, then simply don’t buy one if you feel that you are getting ripped off. There are plenty of alternatives on the market, including the 32bit and 64bit machines, and, of course Sega’s Dreamcast, which is amazing value at £149.99 with 4 games, Internet access and the best Christmas line-up of games ever.
The PS2 will be advertised – a lot, but Sony have chosen to go for the obscure advertising campaign, just like Sega did when the Dreamcast was released. If you have seen the 3 or 4 second advert with a black screen and a flashing blue dot, then you’ll see what I mean (could the dot represent Morse code or something?), and could the Playstation 2 lose any Brand Identity? This Christmas will be a great time for gamers across the land, whether you chose to get a PS2 or something else. I do not own a PS2, I won’t be, and I would highly advise you to get a Dreamcast as well as a PS2 as I have been delighted with mine, but get what you will, and have a great time playing games this Christmas!!!
Also, if you own a PS2 now then I'd recommend selling it at auction as they are selling for around £550, and I have seen one at £1100!!! Then you could just wait until the new batch of consoles arrive and get one then.
Dreamcast games:
Virtua Tennis has to be the greatest ever Tennis game and is now in my eyes the undisputed world champion Sports game the world has ever seen. Created by Sega, this has to be the game that will win over playstation and N64 owners and convert them to Dreamcast. The graphics are outstanding with incredibly detail and accuracy to the players' expressions and reactions.
There are 8 players to start with (all 8 are real players!) with 8 more to unlock, but unfortunately there are no women players in the game. It's so easy to pick up and play thanks to a simple but brilliant control system. If you want to play a good game this summer - don't get Virtua Tennis - if you want to play one of the finest game's ever created, then do. Ace.
There is an exhibition mode where you can control all the settings - this is basically a one off match (as it doesn't unlock or count towards anything) and you can select 1,2,3,4,5,6 games or have a set with a tiebreak. There are no 'full matches', which is fine as a 5 set match would take ages and would definitely bore you.
Arcade mode sees you play through 5 matches, each one more difficult than the last, with the aim to become the champion! You also get a certain amount of money which is based on your performance in each level (1-5) If you do beat all these 5 matches on the default setting then you get the chance to play against Master or King (depending on whether you are playing singles or doubles). If you beat them, then you get them. It really is as simple as that.
The World circuit mode is without doubt the most challenging. You must select a player of your choice and, starting at a very low ranking, progress through various training modes and trial matches which, when completed, unlock new features and up your world ranking. The training modes are particularly well thought up (they are not unlike the crazy box modes in Crazy Taxi) as they really are quite fun and add a lot of replay value to the game.
You can select from the following players:
Tim Henman! You have to give Tim a chance as he is Britain's best, and is also a very good player. In the game all of his qualities are true to life in some way, and although he looks like a drunken zombie in the game, he is the best player at volley shots just like in real life.
Jim Courier! Personally I think Jim is the worst player to choose, simply because he isn't particularly brilliant in any aspect, he is however a good all round player who has proven very difficult to beat in the world ranking mode! The in game virtual Jim courier (dressed in orange?!) doesn't look much like the real Courier because Sega somehow managed to forget his eyes!
Cedric Pioline (France). Pioline is a very powerful player with a strong forehand and stroking shots, however, he isn't the best player in the game and is rarely ever used by myself, or my friends. Pioline is one of the toughest computer opponents, and is very annoying at times - he always wins!
Mark Philippoussis (Australia). Now, this may not be spelled correctly, but Mark is one of the best in game players. he has an incredibly powerful serve, is also very quick and has an amazing smash technique. Philippoussis isn't the best player in the game, but he is one of the most popular.
Tommy Haas! Germany's representative is the Forehand master Tommy Haas; he really does have the fastest forehand shot in the game, and is very athletic. Although Haas would seem an obvious favourite to choose, he is bettered by the likes of Moya and Philippoussis.
Carlos Moya - from Spain is the best player in the game (joint with Kafelnikov) as he is a very strong all rounder and is very fast as well. Moya's backhand and forehand are both brilliant and he has the ability to smash the ball as hard as any one. I am nearly always Moya when I do play, because he is one of the best.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov is the joint best player in the game, and as I'm sure you are aware, he's the current Olympic world champion at Tennis and will be for the next 4 years! The virtual Kafelnikov is a very accurate representation of the actual Russian superstar although he looks about 40! (He is only 25.) Yevgeny's strongest points in the game are his incredible serve, and his powerful backhand.
The other player is the speedy Swede Thomas Johansson. He's by far the quickest player in the game, but lacks a lot of shot power. Easy to beat in the world circuit mode, but if you select him his speed will be to your up most advantage.
There are also 8 other made up players to unlock when you complete various sections in the game. Also, there are an extra 2 characters on top of this in 'King' and 'Master' which can be unlocked from the arcade mode (singles to get master, doubles to get King.)
The game really does have to be seen and played - to be believed because the slickness and smoothness are quite outstanding. It will last you for ages as the multiplayer option alone is enough to warrant a purchase; Virtua Tennis is easily the most advanced and exciting multiplayer sports title in the history of gaming - it'll take one hell of a good game to beat it. Virtua Tennis is available from many shops and I cannot say anything more to you than - GET VIRTUA TENNIS!
MSR:
Gran turismo? No chance, this will wow the world - Metropolis Street racer has been delayed for a while - 1 whole year infact. But it'll all be worth the wait as this racer will be completely different to ANYTHING you've played before. Forget Gran Turismo 3 (4the mo) - MSR will be the definitive racing game to grace any console. With hundreds of tracks - all incredibly detailed - and a wealth of beasty sports cars to choose from, and promised online support giving you the chance to win REAL sport cars - if you're good enough at the game that is.
MSR is a very impressive game and, from what I've heard, it's selling like nobody's business the game is massively huge and really shows off the dedication of the Bizarre people at BC. The game has its faults - yes it does, but this are outnumbered by the good points by at least 1000 to 1.
I'm sure you all know this (but just in case), the game is set in 3 real cities! Tokyo, London and San Francisco, and you actually drive in REAL TIME, which is nice.
The graphics are very impressive. Very smooth - now who said the game gives you no sensation of speed? I think it was that Gameplay review - they also said that the lack of a living city (i.e. Pigeons) down graded the game - but to be honest you don't even notice if there are any people or pigeons BECAUSE the game has a fantastic sensation of speed! I bet they only played the game with an above car view - as that makes the game have a much slower feel then when you are right down low close to the road.
However, the two-player mode does suffer from a little slowdown, but it isn't such a big problem, because they game hasn't any graphical glitches or anything like this. The single player mode though has NO slowdown from what I can make out and is just amazing in my view!
There are so many tracks, and these chapter and Kudos ideas are brilliant! I'm only on chapter 1 out of 24 I think, and so I can not tell what the further races and challenges will be like, but I'm glad that you only get 3 cars (and variations of the MX5) at the start because when you reveal a new car you know that you've actually worked hard for it - I've almost got the Vauxhall Astra!
The car details are superb and the fact that you can change the lightness or darkness of your windows - change the roof of the car: hard/soft or no top; change the colour and change the number plate, all make the game 'special'. The music is great and the best tune apart from the Bullet in the gun trailer/advert is definitely the Club Paris song! The radio station is a great inclusion and innovation, and is it not true that you can upload your OWN songs into the CD player? I say this because there seems to be a space where you can put a personal song in. The radio presenters do repeat themselves, but the variations from city to city is superb.
The handling is great in my opinion, the cars feel just right and I can tell the difference between cars, which makes a change! The cars also handle differently in the wet weather too. The engine sounds are very realistic and also vary from car to car, the VX220 makes a lovely growl (in the demo) and my MX5 Miata is very perky.
The game has loads of options; MSR really is a perfectionist's dream game. You can change all the usual stuff like Weather tracks and laps etc, but you also have to choose the type of game you want to play: in Multiplayer you can choose head to head, pursuit, match play, fastest lap wins, fastest section time wins etc. In the single player mode there's the Main Street racing game, quick race, an internet-mode, garage option and much more. I have to say that I don't mind at all if it takes me 5 minutes to set up the race because the way the game is presented is second to none.
With 50 real life sports cars to keep you happy - and don't think they'll be handed to you on a plate because you have to work for the best cars; your driving has to literally reek of skill and style (the essence of burning tyres) in order for you to progress and get more of those all important Kudos.
The game has been conceived beautifully; MSR has broken into the world after 2 and a half years of developement. Buy this game as it is the only one you'll ever need.
There's a very nice intro trailer, which is the same as the advertisement (showing on Monday ITV!) and there's loads of great music in the game to.
Thank you Sega for advertising this game as we all NEED to know how amazing it is, but KEEP advertising! I now can see why MSR has taken so long to complete and develop, because Bizarre Creations have really gone to town with this game. It is, in a word - AWESOME!
Dreamcast:
For all of you out there who are sceptical about the Dreamcast, and won't buy one simply because of how the Saturn turned out, then I urge you to actually consider further. Hopefully, by reading my opinion you will gain a greater knowledge about Dreamcast and how you should get one!
Firstly, yes the Saturn did 'poorly' but they are still very popular with the 2nd hand market. 2ndly, the Dreamcast is a totally different machine to the Saturn and has sold more in its first year than the Saturn did in 4 years. So there are now 5.56million Dreamcast consoles been sold throughout the world so far.
This is a great sign, and it seems that Sega will capitalize this Xmas when it picks up all the sales due to it's superb forthcoming games, it's amazing existing games, and the fact that there are going to be no Playstation2s in the shops for sale as they've all run out at pre order.
This means, with no competition for this very festive period, Sega could do very well to make their console THE 'must have' for all children and adults alike come December 25th. Personally, I think there will be a lot of unhappy Sony fans, because they cannot get a PS2, and so they will opt for Dreamcast. After all, it has a fantastic catalogue of games including many original and innovative titles such as the following (please note, the best of the genre are in Bold capitals):
RACING:
Crazy Taxi,
Ferrari F355 Challenge Passione Rossa
Metropolis Street racer,
Sega Rally 2,
V-Rally 2,
Pod II,
Le Mans 24
Wacky Races
San Fransisco Rush 2049,
Re-Volt,
F1 World GP (1 and 2)
Tokyo Highway Challenge (1 and 2)
Suzuki Alstare Extreme Racing
Fight 'em ups: (The Dreamcast has officially got the best range of Fighting games in the world of Video games out of ALL formats) (This is in part due to Capcom's excellent support of the console)
DEAD or ALIVE 2,
POWER STONE
POWERSTONE 2
SOUL CALIBUR
Street Fighter Alpha 3,
Street Fighter 3 Double Impact
Tech Romancer,
Marvel vs Capcom (1 & 2)
Mortal Kombat Gold,
Ultimate Fighting Championship,
WWF Royal Rumble
Ready2Rumble (1 & 2)
Virtua Fighter 3TB
ADVENTURE/RPG:
SONIC ADVENTURE
Resident Evil Code: Veronica
Resident Evil 2,
Shadowman,
Soul Reaver,
Tomb Raider 4,
The Nomad soul,
Maken X,
House of the Dead 2,
Blue stinger
Rayman 2
MDK 2
ECCO THE DOLPHIN: DOTF
Evolution
Fur Fighters
SPORTS TITLES/Alternative: (The DC has some fantastic sports games, namely form Sega themselves)
NBA 2K (and 2K1),
NFL 2K (and 2K1),
Virtua Tennis,
Uefa Dream Soccer (due soon)
Uefa Striker,
Jimmy White's 2 Cueball,
NHL 2K,
NFL BLITZ 2000,
Ready 2 rumble boxing,
SWWS Euro (football),
Sega Bass fishing,
Trickstyle
Tony Hawk's (1 & 2)
Puzzle, Multiplayer:
ChuChu Rocket
Fur Fighters,
Toy Commander,
Slave Zero,
South Park Rally,
Sega Swirl! (free game)
Wetrix,
Bust a Move 4
And this is only a select few. There really are many triple A class titles on the Dreamcast, and many more are on there way before Christmas. I for one cannot wait for SHENMUE- possibly Yu Suzuki's greatest game ever. And Quake 3 Arena ONLINE should prove great fun.
So, what can Dreamcast offer you? Well, for a very reasonable price of £150 with 2 free games, you get the world's FIRST online console, through which you can send and receive emails, surf the net (just like on the PC) and play online games, such as Quake 3, Pod2 and Chu Chu Rocket.
As you may be aware also, the Dreamcast as a large catalogue of great games, which will hopefully include all the current Playstation games as well in the near future. This is because a company called Bleem! Who emulate games, are currently converting and programming software to allow you to play all your Playstation games on to Dreamcast via the Bleem! box. This box also improves the graphics and speed of the game, and will be out before March next year (I hope!)
I have been very pleased with mine; I got it on the day of release and I haven't had a moment of doubt since, I'm sure a lot of others have been as well. At the end of the day, it's your decision, but I strongly recommend the Dreamcast to you!
Nintendo!
The Game Boy Advance has a very sexist name, but it hasn't changed and the new machine will be the GBA or Game boy advance so it's still a masculine handheld, but it's a name that is instantly recognisable, so it won't be changed. I think that Nintendo will not sell as many of these, and it will be a major let down. Even still, Nintendo will always be unrivalled in the world of Mini Games machines to play on the move.
Let me explain:
Admittedly Nintendo are fairly innovative and sony have mad a few classics - but no one is as brave as Sega - how many times has Zelda and Mario and Metroid been in Nintendos's launches - or even first year of gaming for that console - and compare these to the likes of nearly every new sega game bar SR2.
With regards to why don't these companies make a portable? well, they dare not dive nose first into the mini world of gaming on LCD screens - why would they? Nintendo already dominate and practically own the portable games machine market - the gameboy has sold DOUBLE the number of playstations! (although, it has been around for double the time)
So, If Sega did do a follow up to the Game Gear ( an incredibly flawed handheld which literally drank alkaline) they would be shooting themselves in the foot - the shear cost of developement and marketing would set them for a financial disaster. The only thing they can afford is the wonderful little VMU which is very cool and you can download loads of games onto it for FREE - like etcha sketch, and tetris.
And sony - have actually attempted to involve themselves in the mini handheld thing - they made the highly unpopular Pocket station but chose not to bring it across from the land of raw fish as it failed miserably just because the Gameboy market was too strong.
Sony are trying to edge into this world, with the New PSone which will in the future incorperate an LCD screen - but you'll still need a mains adapter as the battery time would be less than 15 mins of play time as the screen will be too large etc.
But I think Nintendo pretty much have this sector of the games industry in their bag, but I doubt if the GBA will have such a great success as many people will not be prepared to pay £30 - £40 for a game for it!
And then there's NO piracy going to happen - but Nintendo cannot really afford to sell the games at any less than this price. Oh well, another day, another games machine..
Ok, now this review may seem a little strange as I really just wanted to express my thoughts on pirating and how pirate games could destroy video gaming. But It is about Nintendo, and how I think they will probably emerge victorious due to their choice of using cartridges (also for using a new type of disc for their Game Cube).
For me, the N64 never really appealed, because I think it is more for the younger generation of gamers who appreciate the likes of Mario and Pokemon (and colourful graphics), but it did and does have some killer titles. For instance you'd be missing out big time if you have never played Goldeneye; one of the greatest multiplayer and single player games that has ever been released, the graphics are more grwon up on these type of games (Perfect Dark also) and they are actually great fun to play wasn't too gory.
But the thing that possibly let the N64 down was the fact that it used carttidges, so the console is nothing else than a games console - no CD drive so no CD playing functions. And, although the 64 did OK, it never really lasted long enough to compete as it should have done. I mean it should have outlived the Playstaion, but, it didn't.
But I think Nintendo could change things, and I am sure they know this. Read on..
How can we ensure that the future will bring good quality titles?
Read on...
When people say that pirating is good for the games industry I just have to disagree. All pirates: go away. Sail your Skull and Cross Bones flags else where as you do not help the gaming community - only prevent future success for games gcompanies, which means they'll have less money for which to develope games for, we'll all end up playing Fifa Clones ( I don't mean pirate copies here ) as games firms will not have the resources to develope well and gaming as we know it will collapse.
Sega did try to make their console pirate proof, but thanks to DC-UK and stuff, it isn't anymore.
The playstation has the biggest black market around and please tell me HOW it can be good for games companies? Yes the console will sell more - does that help them financially? No, not really because most money comes from the games - and with less of them selling I think we'll see a very downward trend in video gaming.
The only real pirate free consoles have been from Nintendo - this may not have helped them in regards to the N64, but really - the G-Cube could just win the battle for Original gaming-a-bility and Nintendo wil get many developers and publishers wanting to place their games on the console as they know that there will be NO black market.
So, what do we really want in the long term?
Better games.
How?
Don't buy pirate games.
What if I have to?
You don't - get a Nintendo Game Cube
I do own a DC, but I have been thinking.
The only console in the future that you should consider getting is a console that is pirate proof.
I hope you read it all.
dan584
And me and highlander are the same because i told him about the site in school.
The boy is a bit dumb!
The boy is a bit dumb!
17, student, Exter Uni, Computer Science.
I like Fencing (by this I mean swordfighting, not building wooden property borders)
I am suffering withdrawl symptoms as I have not played on N64 or dreamcast for 6 weeks.
I like Fencing (by this I mean swordfighting, not building wooden property borders)
I am suffering withdrawl symptoms as I have not played on N64 or dreamcast for 6 weeks.
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