---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ~ S E G A F A N S W E E K L Y ~ ~ ISSUE #2 - Feb 19 2006 ~ copyright 2006 segafans.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A Message from benstylus ~ Page 1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, we're back again for another week, and due to the positive response from the first issue, it looks like we're a hit. It's always easy to start a new project, but often difficult to follow through with it to the end. And with no end in sight, it looks like we've got a lot of following through to do. The last issue was pretty good - covering game releases, news, the SegaFans forums, and a couple of articles about the games themselves. You may be wondering if this "sequel" stands up to the original in terms of content and quality? Guess it's time to find out... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents ~ Page 2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 - A Message from benstylus 2 - Table of Contents 3 - Top Story - Rub is Love 4 - Weekly News Roundup 5 - SegaFans Forum Digest 6 - ben's Top Ten - 7 - New and Upcoming 8 - Game of the Week - Evil Twin (Dreamcast, Europe) 9 - Links 10- Credits / Contact Information ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Top Story - Rub is Love ~ Page 3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- In a world where dark, edgy video games with gritty realism are the norm, it's nice to have a breath of fresh air every now and again. The Rub Rabbits for the Nintendo DS is a light-hearted romp that throws caution to the wind and immerses you in a delightfully whimsical tale of rivalry and romance in a moonstruck rainbow sherbet world. If it sounds a bit outlandish, that's because it is. But you're given fair notice when you power up the game in your DS: WARNING: Continuous stroking, blowing and poking could lead to unwanted attention in public places. The Rub Rabbits is the sequel Feel the Magic: XY XX - the shining star of the DS launch titles. As such, it had a mighty big legacy to live up to, and, believe it or not, managed to deliver in spades. If you're unfamiliar with either game, think of them as a collection of eccentric mini-games cohesively strung together through an equally over-the-top (yet somehow cohesive) story - all delivered with a striking visual flair. All the characters are rendered in silhouette, with only the clothes and hair colored for the major characters. The actual face of each character is completely blank. I think this lends itself to a somewhat more personal involvement in the game - your dream girl isn't just some artist's idea of what a perfect woman should look like - you are given the outline, but your imagination fills in the details. Fans of Feel the Magic will be pleased to hear that The Rub Rabbits sticks to the same basic formula of mini-games sandwiched between comical storyboard sequences. While the story in Feel the Magic was centered around the fairly simple concept of a love triangle (boy and girl fall in love, rival also wants girl and will do anything to get her), The Rub Rabbits ups the stakes considerably. Instead of one rival for your dream girl's affection, you now have eleven. But that's not all - there's also "the other woman". The final result is an unforgettable love tetrakaidecagon of truly epic proportions. The game's story mode will put you through 37 mini-games before you finally get your happy ever after. There's a good mix of fast paced action (such as using a blowgun to prevent your rivals from swooping in and stealing your girl) and slower, more "relationship-building" games (such as pulling a blanket over her as she sleeps). In addition to the story mode, there's several extra modes to play including Another Story (a short side story from a different perspective), Attack (go for high scores on selected games), and Memories (pick your game and see if you can clear all the stages in one life). If there was one thing that was truly missing from Feel the Magic, it was multiplayer. Well, it's been added too. The DS Download & Play option will probably be what most players go for, as that's where you'll find most of the multiplayer games (basically variations on the single player games). However, there's also the option to play multiplayer on a single DS. You can choose to play babymaking or hullabaloo. Babymaking is pretty much what it sounds like. Two people... um... well, they get together and, um... cooperate... to make a child of their very own. Hullabaloo, on the other hand, can be a great deal of fun, but also quite frustrating. The game asks you to hold a button or two, then someone else must hold a different button combination. Once that person gets their buttons, you have to release your buttons, and a new combination shows up. It makes for a great party game as you pass it around the room to see how many people you can string through before time runs out or before someone fails. ----------------------------------------------------- SHABADABADA... SHABADABADA... SHA BA DA... BREAK TIME ----------------------------------------------------- It's not without its downfalls, however - people who don't know the DS button layout will be confused when it asks them to press B or X. Also, the game will ask you to touch the touch screen - so be prepared for fingerprints unless you've got a screen protector. Another big plus for The Rub Rabbits compared to the original Feel the Magic is that there are three save slots instead of just one. This is especially important because it's a game that you'll want to fully experience on your own, but at the same time you'll want to share it with friends. With the two additional save slots, you won't have to compromise. The Rub Rabbits is a game that makes you smile. Between the antics of the game's characters or the sheer fun of many of the mini-games, it's impossible not to. Sega is slowly but surely bringing the joy back into video gaming. While I doubt the big mags and websites will remember it in December when its time to start choosing Game of the Year, you can bet it will still be a contender here in SegaFans Weekly. - benstylus ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly News Roundup ~ Page 4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- According to The Magic Box, Sega's Sonic Riders (GC, PS2, XB) scored fairly high marks in Famitsu, garnering scores of 7, 9, 8, and 8 (32/40). Initial D Street Stage for the PSP also turned out some respectable marks of 8, 7, 7, and 7 (29/40) - http://www.the-magicbox.com/gaming.htm Dreamcast Scene reports that Milestone doesn't think Under Defeat will be the last Dreamcast game. According to DCS, Milestone has confirmed with Sega that Dreamcast games will still be able to be made in the future. Hearsay or not, it's still a nice possibility. - http://www.dreamcast-scene.com/index.php/Main/News200602 UK's Official Xbox Magazine reports that Sonic's back catalogue might just be hitting the Xbox 360's Xbox Live Arcade. At the very least, Sega has expressed interest in doing "something like it." - http://www.oxm.co.uk/articles/news Also, Sega no Hi (Sega Day) is this coming Thursday. For those of you who don't know, Sega no Hi is the 23rd of every month. This month, you're invited to celebrate by giving the gift of Sega to someone special. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SegaFans Forum Digest ~ Page 5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Back again for another week of what's going on in the SegaFans forums. das breaks the story on Good Deal Games planning to release Burning Fists for the Sega CD in the US. Forum members respond. - http://www.segafans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1673 JoshF continues work on his Saturn fansite, and the true meaning of the word benstylus is discovered! - http://www.segafans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1649&st=20 Ironmonger ponders whether or not to buy Panzer Dragoon Saga without the manual or hold out for a complete copy. SegaFans members chime in with their opinions. - http://www.segafans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1679 Not content with just pondering Panzer Saga, Ironmonger also considers Burning Rangers and asks for opinions. And we give them to him. - http://www.segafans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1683 Things heat up as Steve points out an eBay auction for Tekken on the Sega Genesis! More homebrew and bootleg genesis titles are discussed, and the truth about the Genesis being able to run Virtua Fighter 3 perfectly is revealed! - http://www.segafans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1681 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ben's Top Ten ~ Page 6 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, we didn't get any emails this week except ones that say "CONFIRM SUBSCRIPTION" in the subject header, and I'm not about to do a mailbag of those... so this week, I'm putting in a replacement feature called ben's Top Ten. Everyone loves top ten lists. There's usually some agreement, some disappointment, and always a bit of controversy. So without further ado, I present Sega's top ten "power females." Number 10 B.B. from Winter Heat manages to rank to us at number 10. Why? Well, she's a darn fine athlete, and that automatically puts her above the regular rank and file. Number 9 Any way you look at it, Vanessa from Virtua Fighter 4 is one tough cookie. She's skilled in Brazilian martial arts and is a high profile security guard. Number 8 In a land where power is law, Ramaya from Arabian Fight sure knows how to brawl. Those Arabs are some tough S O B's, but Ramaya makes short work of them. Number 7 No matter how good you think your kung fu may be, Master Xiuying Hong from Shenmue II could still drop you faster than you can whistle Dixie (or the Chinese equivalent). Number 6 Built to be the perfect fighting machine, Dural from Virtua Fighter learns from every move she's attacked with and will never make the same mistake twice. And she keeps getting better. Number 5 That's right - in a game filled with people using bladed or spiked weapons, Dora from Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder enters the fray with a long staff weighted at either end - and she swings it around like it's a Q-Tip. And did I mention she's a centaur? Anyone who's ever been kicked by a horse knows that those legs can make a serious impact. Number 4 What's more deadly than a centaur gal who can hold her own against wave after wave of angry opponents? How about a woman who can hold her own AND has an army to back her up. Ranking at number 4 is the skilled warrior and master tactician - General Spiriel from Shining Force III. Number 3 Don't let her name fool you. This crimson flower is as fast as lightning and twice as deadly. Hibana could kill you and all your friends three weeks before you'd even realize you were dead. Ranking at number three is Hibana from Kunoichi. Number 2 Nei from Phantasy Star II is about as strong as they come - when given dual bars she can serve up major damage, but she's not content to stop there. Nei is also skilled in techniques, so even if you did manage to hit her, she can heal herself with ease. Need even more proof that she belongs powerful? The greatest weapons in the Phantasy Star universe are named after HER. Number 1 With Nei being at number 2, who could possibly be number 1? I guess the question becomes who could possibly beat Nei? When you phrase it that way, the answer becomes obvious. There's only one answer, of course, and that is the infamous Neifirst. In what was quite possibly the most influential moment in RPG history, Neifirst battled and destroyed Nei - not even the clone labs could bring her back. Sure, offing a main character nowadays is commonplace - nay, it's almost required in today's RPGs. But in 1989, it was novel, beautiful, and wretched all at the same time. So not only did Neifirst kill off her only real competition, she also changed the RPG world forever. If that isn't power, I don't know what is. Well that's the list. Do you agree? Disagree? Well, better speak up now or sit back down! If you think you can make some better picks, write your list and send it in! See the end this newsletter for our contact details. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- New and Upcoming ~ Page 7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's a list of Sega's upcoming releases (within 2 weeks of this newsletter) as well as recent games in case you accidentally missed any of them. This list covers games developed by Sega, published by Sega, or on Sega systems. These dates are direct from Sega, but sometimes they change em. So this should be considered a "rough estimate" rather than hard facts. RECENTLY RELEASED - USA ----------------------- The Rub Rabbits! DS 02/07/06 Rome: Total War Gold Edition PC 02/14/06 Full Auto 360 02/15/06 UPCOMING GAMES - USA -------------------- Sonic Riders GC PS2 XB 02/21/06 Super Monkey Ball: Touch & Roll DS 02/21/06 RECENTLY RELEASED - EUROPE -------------------------- Full Auto 360 02/10/06 The Rub Rabbits! DS 02/10/06 Super Monkey Ball: Touch & Roll DS 02/17/06 UPCOMING GAMES - EUROPE ----------------------- None :( RECENTLY RELEASED - JAPAN ------------------------- Mr. Incredible ~Kyouteki Underminer Toujyou~ DS GBA GC PS2 02/09/06 Rajirugi DREAMCAST! 02/16/06 UPCOMING GAMES - JAPAN ---------------------- Initial D Street Stage PSP 02/23/06 Sega Ages #22: Advanced Daisenryaku PS2 02/23/06 Sonic Riders GC PS2 XB 02/23/06 Doraemon Nobita no Kyouryuu DS 03/02/06 Tenkabit PS2 03/02/06 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Game of the Week - Evil Twin (Dreamcast, Europe) ~ Page 8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- In the many Christmases of my youth, my family would always go out caroling to our friends and neighbors and give them a big plate of delicious holiday cookies. Mom had a dozen or so different Christmas-themed cookie cutters - some were star shaped, others were shaped like a snowman or a gingerbread man. We'd all help make the cookie dough, then we'd roll it as flat as we could and cut out shapes and arrange them on the baking sheet. Mom would then would pop them in the oven for just the right length of time to make perfectly crisp sugar cookies. We'd all sneak a few pieces of the remaining cookie dough before it was rolled back up and re-flattened to make more cookies. After the first batch had cooled for a little bit, the real fun began. Sugar cookies were nice, but they were even nicer if they were decorated. Relying heavily on food coloring and Mom's easy frosting recipe, we slathered red and green holiday frosting onto cookie after cookie after cookie. And before the frosting dried, we would add sprinkles or jimmies or Red Hots or other small candy bits. Even though we were making the cookies for our neighbors, we knew there was a payoff. Mom never made "just enough" of anything. She was a big fan of leftovers. Whether it was turkey on Thanksgiving, mashed potatoes during the week, or pasta on Friday nights - we knew there were gonna be good eats for lunch the next day. Naturally, this motherly urge to overestimate need extended to cookies. Of course, Mom was not as lenient on us chowing down on leftover cookies as she was about mashed potatoes, so the cookies always lasted a lot longer. We'd be having cookies well past New Year's Day. We'd always look for the cookies with the most frosting or sprinkles, because, quite honestly, without the frosting the cookies were pretty bland. As the days went buy and the "good" cookies were eaten, the remaining cookies were less thoroughly frosted, or without jimmies - just less desirable overall. They weren't awful, but at the same time weren't really anything worth grabbing a chair and getting to the top of the fridge for. Ubisoft's Evil Twin is a perfect example of a cookie-cutter 3D platformer. Once you get over the fancy shape of the cookie (the dark and twisted visual design), there's really not much there worth eating. So why the hype? Well, as far as I can tell, it was the last Dreamcast release in Europe (along with Shenmue II, which was released the same day). That along makes it desirable among collectors. Unfortunately, being a collector's item doesn't always equate to being a great game. The game starts off with a brief introductory cutscene where you get pissed off and your friends all get swallowed up by an evil tentacle thing after you leave, then plunges you into its odd little world. The first area is the obligatory training area, where you are given the helpful hints you will need to complete your quest. You learn the game's relatively simple controls and move on. Then you're introduced to your first enemy and taught how to attack. Evil Twin gives you two basic attacks - you've got your slingshot and your butt bounce. Either way, every enemy in the game takes several hits to defeat - waiting between each hit for them to become vulnerable again. In a game that isn't particularly entertaining to begin with, the added chore of hitting a soldier six or seven times is quite detrimental to the fun of the game. Eventually you'll discover that you must travel to many different areas, each with a different theme. After you clear an area, you save one of your friends and gain a new ability. If this sort of thing sounds familiar, it's because just about every other platformer does the same thing. So what sets Evil Twin apart, if anything? Where are the jimmies? Just about every platform game has a gimmick that tries to make it stand out above the sea of other platformers. Some pull this off rather well (such as Super Magnetic Neo's positive and negative polarity) and others fall flat (such as Kao the Kangaroo's "boxing kangaroo" idea). Evil Twin falls right in the middle of the road on this. They have an excellent idea for a gimmick - you can transform yourself into a superhero that can move faster, make longer jumps, and shoot energy rays and blasts that are far more effective at destroying enemies than your butt bounce. To change, you just have to collect enough spirit powerups that slowly fill a meter at the top of the screen. Any time the meter has some juice in it, you can switch to your superhero mode, and when it runs out, you're back to normal. And now the down side. The spirit powerups are often few and far between. It's quite rare that you get a chance to fully power up the meter. And the crushing blow that really kills it? The meter drains at about the same speed whether or not you're in super mode. So what we're left with is a snowman cookie with two drops of frosting and half a sprinkle. Oh, wait - no, that was an ant. Bon appetit. Make your own decision. Check out the video. - http://www.segafans.com/gotw/dc_evil_twin.wmv -benstylus ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Links ~ Page 9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SegaFans: Covering the past present and future of everything Sega - http://www.segafans.com Sega of America - http://www.sega.com Sega Europe - http://www.sega-europe.com Sega of Japan - http://www.sega.jp Cuddly Gamers: A forum where gamers are nice to each other - http://www.cuddlygamers.com Game Tribute: Provides ad free hosting to quality game fan sites - http://www.gametribute.com Whip Ass Gaming: A very hip gaming site run by BelPowerslave - http://www.whipassgaming.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Credits / Legal / Contact Information ~ Page 10 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SegaFans Weekly Issue #2 was created by benstylus. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- All original content copyright 2006 segafans.com. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You may redistribute this newsletter under the following conditions: 1 - You will not add, remove, or change any part of this newsletter. 2 - You will not charge for this newsletter. If you run a subscription-based website, this newsletter must be in a non- subscription area of the site. 3 - You will provide proper credit and a link to www.segafans.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- All games featured are copyright their respective owners. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Would you like to subscribe to the free SegaFans Weekly newsletter? Just send an email to: sfw.subscribe@segafans.com NOTE: To avoid spam, you will receive an auto-reply from that address. Read the instructions in the auto-reply to confirm your subscription. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Tired of receiving the newsletter in your email every week? If you want to cancel your subscription, send an email to: sfw.cancel@segafans.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Got any comments, suggestions, complaints, or even submissions (hint hint)? Just e-mail: sfw@segafans.com Make sure to put SEGAFANS WEEKLY in the subject header to get past the spam filter! Do not send file attachments without my approval - unsolicited e-mail with files attached will simply be deleted. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ~NOT EXPLAINING "BREAK TIME"~