--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~ S E G A F A N S W E E K L Y ~ ~ ISSUE 10 - Apr 16 2006 ~ copyright 2006 segafans.com------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A Message from benstylus ~ Page 1----------------------------------------------------------------------It's been an extremely slow week on the Sega front, so you're no doubt starved for something - ANYTHING - Sega to read. Well, even when Sega has a slow week, SegaFans Weekly is still running full steam. A word to the wise - if you're in the US and haven't filed your taxes yet, better get to it! They're due tomorrow (Monday!) Don't want to get penalized! Every dollar in penalties is a dollar that should have gone towards the purchase of a Sega product. So without further ado, it's time to get to what you really came to read: the issue! ~ benstylus---------------------------------------------------------------------- To subscribe to the free SegaFans Weekly newsletter and have itdelivered to you via email before it shows up on the SegaFans website,send an email to sfw.subscribe@segafans.com & follow the instructions!----------------------------------------------------------------------Table of Contents ~ Page 2----------------------------------------------------------------------1 - A Message from benstylus2 - Table of Contents3 - Top Story - Burning Fists: Force Striker... almost4 - Weekly News Roundup5 - SegaFans Forum Digest6 - Sega Genesis - The Eulogy7 - New and Upcoming8 - Game of the Week - Goiken Muyo: Anarchy in the Nippon (Saturn)9 - Links10- Credits / Contact Information----------------------------------------------------------------------Top Story - Burning Fists: Force Striker... almost ~ Page 3----------------------------------------------------------------------At least that was the plan. Had it ordered from GoodDealGames and it arrived this week with plenty of time to write a full run-down of the game. But then - tragedy struck in the form of a death in the family. Yes, tragically this last week, my dear Sega Genesis was laid to rest the very day after I received Burning Fists in the mail. It's quite a shame, but the Genesis is sort of an integral part of a Sega CD setup, and so I am unable to play the game. I would like to discuss in detail the combos, the special attacks, the characters, the graphics, and a hundred other things, but without a working Genesis, I cannot. To those of you who would recommend an emulator, I would recommend you shut up and let me mourn my loss. Also, I would argue that emulation is NOT the same as playing it the original hardware a console, and thus would not be an accurate yardstick by which to measure the game's success. In any event, a new Sega CD game is always welcome news, and hopefully I'll be able to replace my genesis within the next couple of weeks. None of the local game stores have any at the moment, so I've got to go online. I've been wanting to upgrade to a CDX for quite some time, so perhaps I'll just bite the bullet and get that. In the meantime, I don't know what else to tell you... there's no Burning Fists writeup from me this week. All I've got is that Activator video that Filious sent me... so I guess I'll link you to that. I tried my hand at AVI encoding for this video, and though it's good quality, it's also quite large. So rather than use up all segafans.com's bandwidth with video downloads, I've put this one on fileplanet. You can catch it here: - http://www.fileplanet.com/dl.aspx?/ClassicGaming/saturn/videos/ Activator/Activator.avi My favorite part of the video is when the ultra-hip 'activated' youth is playing Eternal Champions against his poor controller-based friend and is totally beating him. Now I will agree that the controls for Eternal Champions are imperfect, but I doubt an Activator would remedy that. Anyway, go check out the video, and we'll all hope for a Burning Fists writeup soon. - benstylus----------------------------------------------------------------------Weekly News Roundup ~ Page 4---------------------------------------------------------------------- Almost nothing happening outside Japan this week. But here are the highlights of the Japanese news week. Live in Japan? Want to be among the first to play Virtua Fighter 5? Sega's added a list of a bunch of Location Tests on the Virtua Fighter website. Go check it out - maybe it will be at your local Game Center! - http://www.virtuafighter.jp/ If Soccer's more your thing, Sega's also added some Location Tests to their Virtua Striker 4 website. Again, only in Japan - but perhaps you were planning a trip there anyway? - http://www.virtuastriker.net/ Yet more Japanese goodness - Sega's Joypolis will be opening up a new attraction later this month - Wild River Splash! The latest in Sega's popular "Wild Tour" series of attractions, this one will simulate a raft down a river - complete with water sprays! - http://sega.jp/joypolis/attraction/a_wildr_tjp.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------SegaFans Forum Digest ~ Page 5---------------------------------------------------------------------- benstylus shares the pain of dealing with the loss of a loved one. - http://www.segafans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1857 Even though I couldn't play Burning Fists, I wasn't the only one who ordered it. Das picked up the game as well and posts his miniscule impressions of it. - http://www.segafans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1862 JoshF posts a link to an interview with Masato Maekawa - head cheese over at a little development studio called Treasure. - http://www.segafans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1861 SegaFans Weekly Issue #9 prompts all sorts of questions about the subscription process for the newsletter... remember, it's a two part deal! first you send the email to sfw.subscribe@segafans.com, then follow the instruction in that email to confirm your subscription! - http://www.segafans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1861 ----------------------------------------------------------------------Sega Genesis - The Eulogy ~ Page 6---------------------------------------------------------------------- My late Genesis' final words were few, as Genesis systems aren't known for being big talkers. However, out of respect for the departed, I have prepared this brief Eulogy. Let us not mourn the death of our friend, but instead celebrate her life and what she accomplished. PART 1 - THE ARCADE POWERHOUSE First and foremost, Sega Genesis was the system to own if you wanted quality arcade ports. Golden Axe, the ever-popular hack and slash, landed on the Genesis with more levels and modes than the arcade version offered. It was so succesful that it inspired two Genesis-exclusive sequels. Ms. Pac-Man had a Genesis release as well, featuring more mazes and - as far as I know - a feature that has not been included in any other version of Ms. Pac-Man to date: two player simultaneous play. Namco's Marvel Land also appeared on the Genesis, and manages to hold its own against the arcade version. Tons of secrets combined with a theme park motif for the game, and you've got yourself a winner. Another arcade classic that should never be missed is Columns. The soothing audio and simple jewel dropping gameplay can entrance you for hours. Truly an excellent game, and way better than Tetris ever was. Sega Genesis also was home to Mortal Kombat. And while it didn't look quite as nice as its Super-Nintendo counterpart, there was one phrase that could make your SNES owning friends hopping mad with jealousy. All you had to do was say Abacabb. Early adopters of the Genesis system likely have fond memories of Altered Beast. While it was short and easy, it was way beyond anything the Nintendo was doing graphically. It was a wonderful bragging piece. PART 2 - THE BIRTHPLACE OF NEW CLASSICS In addition to fantastic arcade ports, Sega Genesis was the birthplace to some of the finest home video games ever created. Streets of Rage took the popularity of arcade beatemups, and brought it home in a manner that an arcade machine would have been proud to have. Part 2 improved the formula dramatically (as well as the graphics) and many consider it the greatest beat-em-up of all time. Crusader of Centy is a Zelda-style adventure game with a somewhat complex helper system - you can hire and use various animal partners on your journey, some with a greater effect when used in tandem with another animal. Gunstar Heroes remains one of the best run-n-gun titles ever made thanks to its unique dual-weapon setup and constant barrage of enemies. Add to that a string of detailed bosses and it's no wonder the game is such a fan favorite. The Shining Force games are classic Strategy RPGs that still maintain their playability today. The combination of gathering a rag-tag group of heroes with the easy to learn battle system made for a very winning combination. Toe Jam and Earl brought cool to new heights. Not only was the game itself fun, but you could randomize levels to maximize replay value. Toe Jam and Earl is even better in two player, and features a split screen when the two heroes get too far apart. And no one should forget Sonic the Hedgehog. PART 3 - WORTHY SEQUELS Genesis also carried on legacies started elsewhere with excellent sequels to existing games. Castlevania: Bloodlines rocked the house with fantastic visuals and plenty of whip-slinging action. Though it is one of the less difficult Castlevania games, it's fun all the way through. Contra: Hard Corps is also usually brought up whenever Bloodlines is mentioned. Often argued as the best Contra game in the series, you have your choice of several different characters, each with different weapons. And when they say Hard Corps, they mean it - you won't be clearing this one on a single credit without a lot of practice. Technosoft's Thunderforce games are some of the best shooters available on the Genesis, and with killer music to boot. PART 5 - DIVINELY DISNEY Castle of Illusion set a benchmark for platform gaming. It offered high quality graphics and simple, fun gameplay starring Mickey Mouse. Quackshot starring Donald Duck was equally impressive. The gameplay was a bit less linear (you could choose where you wanted to go), and the animation quality was even better. Then World of Illusion came along and featured both Mickey AND Donald - It's just as impressive graphically, but manages to add replay value by making different paths available depending on which character you choose. And if you're playing two-player, then there's even more variety. Aladdin is considered by many to be the pinnacle of Disney games. Fast paced, action packed, and an all around good time, it'd be tough to disagree. PART 6 - SPORTS GALORE During the 16-bit days, it was apparent that anyone who liked sports games would want to own a Genesis. Sega Sports has made quite a name for itself, and its rival EA was providing quite stiff competition with Madden NFL, A vs B and the NBA Playoffs, NHL Hockey, and others. In the fantasy sports camp, Midway's NBA Jam was the hottest thing going. EA's Mutant League Hockey and Football were also pretty memorable for their over the top violence and humor. Yes, if you were a sports fan, you HAD to own a Genesis. PART 6 - OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS On the hardware end of things, Sega Genesis was a pioneer in audio, being the first home console to offer stereo sound. It was also backwards compatible with the Master System with the Power Base Converter peripheral. The next console to be backwards compatible would not be until the Playstation 2, released over a decade later. Finally, the system was expandable thanks to the Sega CD and 32X units. Using those would open up yet more games, including such gems as Sonic CD and Popful Mail (Sega CD), and Knuckles Chaotix and Shadow Squadron (32x). Yes, dear Sega Genesis, you will be missed. May you reach heaven and may God plug you into his own TV and play all your classics Himself. After all, He named a book after you. - benstylus ----------------------------------------------------------------------New and Upcoming ~ Page 7----------------------------------------------------------------------Here's a list of Sega's upcoming releases (within 2 weeks of thisnewsletter) as well as recent games in case you accidentally missedany of them. This list covers games developed by Sega, published bySega, or on Sega systems. These dates are direct from Sega, butsometimes they change em. So this should be considered a "roughestimate" rather than hard facts. RECENTLY RELEASED - USA-----------------------Condemned: Criminal Origins PC 04/11/06UPCOMING GAMES - USA--------------------OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast PS2 PSP XB 04/25/06RECENTLY RELEASED - EUROPE--------------------------Football Manager 2006 360 04/13/06Football Manager Handheld PSP 04/13/06UPCOMING GAMES - EUROPE-----------------------None :(RECENTLY RELEASED - JAPAN-------------------------Guilty Gear XX Slash PS2 04/13/06UPCOMING GAMES - JAPAN---------------------- Zoo Tycoon DS DS 04/20/06 Machi ~ Unmei no Kousaten Tokubetsu Hen PSP 04/27/06 Sega Ages 2500 vol. 26 - Dynamite Deka PS2 04/27/06 Sega Ages 2500 vol. 27 - Panzer Dragoon PS2 04/27/06----------------------------------------------------------------------Game of the Week - Goiken Muyo: Anarchy in the Nippon (Saturn)~ Page 8----------------------------------------------------------------------For every mega hit like Virtua Fighter there are a thousand wannabes. Some - like Fighting Vipers or Dead or Alive - are memorable as the better 'second tier' fighting games, while others - such as Criticom - prove without a doubt that the proverbial barrel has a bottom. So where does Goiken Muyo: Anarchy in the Nippon fall on this scale of fighters? The only way to know for sure is to play it and discover for yourself. As the story goes, the game was programmed by former members of the Virtua Fighter team AM2 (without the leadership of Yu Suzuki of course). As far as technical prowess goes, Anarchy in the Nippon holds its own against the mighty Virtua Fighter 2. Hi-res textures and blazing fast 60 frames per second gameplay make it a treat to look at, if nothing else. I did notice some texture flicker every now and then (mostly on stage 2 - not sure whether it's the stage or the character causing the problem), but overall the game is quite well programmed - you would expect nothing less from VF Veterans. The gameplay itself isn't too bad either. Though it's certainly not as deep as Virtua Fighter, there's enough variety in characters and in moves to keep the game afloat in the sea of wannabes. There's a lot of quick combos and juggle moves that can be used effectively. One of the interesting gimmicks that makes the game different from other fighters is that you do not lose the match when your health reaches zero. You have to be knocked down before you can lose. This can lead to some situations where you can take a huge beating at the beginning of a match, and still come back to win, provided you are never taken off your feet by your opponent. Anarchy in the Nippon also doesn't take itself as seriously as Virtua Fighter. It's somewhat reminiscent of Rival Schools, but without the team elements. Some of the attacks in Anarchy in the Nippon are nearly as bizarre as the things you'd see in Rival Schools - one of the characters slides through his opponents legs, then he turns around delivering a koncho* that would make any Japanese child proud. On the downside, Anarchy in the Nippon is about as import-unfriendly as you can make a fighting game. With the exception of the title screen, everything in the game - even the menus, is in full Japanese. Of course if you just want to play the arcade mode, it's a matter of hitting the start button repeatedly, as that's what the default option leads to, but if you want to try some of the other modes, like Survival Mode or Versus Mode, you're in for some trial and error if you don't know Japanese. Overall, it's certainly not a bad game. If you ever wanted a fighting game that has an older woman as a character, you're in luck. The game sold well enough to warrant a sequel on the PS1. If you're looking to expand your fighting game horizons, give one of them a try. Since the intro to the shows off all the regular characters doing some pretty sweet moves, that's the bulk of this week's video. After that, there's about a minute or so of actual matches in the game. - http://www.segafans.com/gotw/sat_goiken_muyo.mov *For more information on the koncho, visit Japan and hang around small children. Alternatively, the following link provides an amusing analysis (no pun intended) of Japan's "Koncho Epidemic." - http://jesterinjapan.blogspot.com/2004/11/zen-and-art-of-koncho.html -benstylus----------------------------------------------------------------------Links ~ Page 9----------------------------------------------------------------------SegaFans: Covering the past present and future of everything Sega - http://www.segafans.comSega of America - http://www.sega.comSega Europe - http://www.sega-europe.comSega of Japan - http://www.sega.jpCuddly Gamers: A forum where gamers are nice to each other - http://cuddlygamers.comGame Trading Zone: Buy, sell, or trade your games online for free - http://www.gametz.comGame Tribute: Provides ad free hosting to quality game fan sites - http://www.gametribute.comGenki Video Games: People at SegaFans like 'em! Bet you will too! - http://www.genkivideogames.comWhip Ass Gaming: A very hip gaming site run by BelPowerslave - http://www.whipassgaming.com----------------------------------------------------------------------Credits / Legal / Contact / Subscription Information ~ Page 10----------------------------------------------------------------------This issue was created in its entirety 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 asubscription-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.comNOTE: 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 youwant to cancel your subscription, send an email to:sfw.cancel@segafans.com----------------------------------------------------------------------Got any comments, suggestions, complaints, or even submissions (hinthint)? Just e-mail:sfw@segafans.comMake sure to put SEGAFANS WEEKLY in the subject header to get pastthe spam filter!Do not send file attachments without my approval - unsolicited e-mailwith files attached will simply be deleted.---------------------------------------------------------------------- ~IN LOVING MEMORY OF BENSTYLUS' SEGA GENESIS: 1991-2006~