Archive Highlights/News
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E3 Happened and we have all the news!
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Check out all the news and information from this years Electronic Entertainment Expo in LA by clicking here. We have all the highlights of the show right here at Burn Game Station. |
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Friday June 25 1999
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| Interesting News Bit - Nintendo have announced they will bring the Pokemon movie MewTwo Strikes Back to US cinema's on November 12. No word if we will see it in Australia.
Researchers at the Brandeis University are using Video Games to examine responses from teenagers who suffer from Epilepsy. The object is to find out how memory and learning are processed in the brain. - So maybe they ARE good for you after all?
Accolade released some new screens of their upcoming racer Test Drive 6. The game is being developed for DC, PS and GBC and will feature 40 licenced vehicles, 30 tracks and more than 5 upgrabeable options on each car. A new environment mapping technique will be used to enhance the graphics. It is due for release Q3 in the US.
Dreamcast - Marigul and Sega are developing a new VMS card which will have much higher capacity (thankfully) and will be able to store and play MP3 music and even a headphone jack will be included in the VMS for listening on the go!
According to online sources, EA are secretly developing all their popular sports titles for the DC. While the companies official line is that they will wait and see, sources are stating that they are already in development and are awaiting a deal good enough to suit them. We'll keep you posted as news breaks.
Game Center online have posted a bunch of new screens for the upcoming survival-horror game Resident Evil: Code Veronica. Click here to check em out.
| You'll need fresh underwear after looking at the new images of Resident Evil: Code Veronica! |
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Accolade released some new screens of their upcoming 3rd person 3D action game Slave Zero. The game will be released in September and will feature fluid animation, with each stage containing hundreds of moving objects, highly animated characters and interactive environments. It will also support up to 16 players via network play for death match modes.
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Accolade's Slave Zero will feature hundreds of moving objects in each stage. |
Sega are working on a sequel to their popular arcade skateboarding game Top Skater. To run on the Naomi board, Top Skater 2 is due for release in the arcades mid 2000. No word yet on a DC port, but it is almost a certainty.
Redline Racer will be renamed Suzuki Alstare Racing for the October US release. We do have Redline Racer in stock now!
64DD - Marigul have revealed plans to port a number of popular Famicom (NES), Super Famicom (SNES), Gameboy and Mega Drive games to the 64DD. The games will run in emulation software, meaning there is also the possibility of downloading other games from yesteryear direct to the 64DD.
N64 - ASCII are hard at work on a N64 version of their popular Horse Racing Sim Derby Stallion. The game will be compatible with the 64GB for transferring info to and from the GBC version. It is due out late this year.
ESP have officially announced they are developing for the N64 with their first title Bangaioh, a 3D shooter, due for release on September 2 in Japan.
Playstation 2 - Rumor has it that Capcom's upcoming 3D fighter Power Stone 2 will run on a PS2 compatible arcade board. It will also have support for up to 4 player simultaneous action.
Playstation - 989 Studio's have signed Detroit Red Wing coach Scotty Bowman as a consultant on their upcoming hockey title NFL Faceoff 2000.
Crash Bandicoot 4, the 4th in the series of popular 3D platform adventure titles will be developed by Eurocom, not NaughtyDog as the last three have been.
Accolades new racer Demolition Racer will feature 16 cars, 12 tracks and many modes including Bowl Match, Career Mode and more. Gamers will race and demolish with 15 other cars and damage will be visible and will effect performance. It is due for release around Christmas.
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Accolades Demolition Racer will show the damage you sustain and will effect performance accordingly. |
Also from Accolade, Test Drive Offroad 3 which is due for release Q3 this year. The 3rd in the series will feature the ability to modify different parts of your truck for different tracks. Racers will also be able to crash through fences and roadblocks to discover new racer areas and shortcuts. With 30 licenced vehicles and 15 point to point tracks that are modeled on real world locations, this will be a great game!
Ultimate Videogame Accessories have announced an MP3 player add-on for Playstation called MP3Station. The device plugs into the external port of the PS and will allow users to play MP3 files from any CDR, which you can fit more than 12 hours of near CD quality on a single CD. They are also working on a remote control so you can run it like a stereo system! Both the MP3Station and Visoly's MP3 Enhancer won't fit on the new 9000 series PSX thanks to Sony removing the External Port.
Capcom have revealed some new info on their upcoming Dino Crisis for PS. The main character Regina will be joined by a fighter named Gale and a machinery expert named Rick as they investigate Dr Kirk's fake death and the secret weapon he was developing which killed all the dinosaurs on the island. It is due for release July 1.
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Capcom's Dino Crisis will have Dinosaurs which are much faster than Zombies, so you will be able to perform 180 degree turns quickly to attack what is behind you! |
Gameboy Color - ASCII are hard at work on a GBC version of their popular Horse Racing Sim Derby Stallion. The game will be compatible with the 64GB for transferring info to and from the N64 version. It is due out late this year.
Eidos have announced plans to port Dragon Quest 1 & 2 for an English release. No dates have been confirmed.
Neo Geo Pocket - Namco have announced they are to release Pacman on the NGPC in August. No word on what they will do to update the game, but we'll keep you posted. |
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Thursday June 24 1999
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| Dreamcast - Konami have announced they will distribute Microsoft Flight Simulator for the DC. No news on any enhancements or extra features yet. The game is due for release at the end of this year.
During an online interview, Sega of America's Charles Bellfield has spoken about the ease and ability to port PC games to DC and has stated that they don't want purely re-hashed PC software, they want original aspects of the games to take advantage of the DC hardware. He mentioned Baldur's Gate which will make use of the network play and Slave Zero which is being developed simultaneously on PC and DC. Red Storm's Rainbow Six also got a mention and is due out later this year.
Lucky Japanese gamers will be able to play Shen Mue in subway stations this August thanks to an advertising campaign between Sega and Tokyometro.
N64 - New game: Mystical Ninja 2 (PAL) now in stock. New Orders are welcome.
THQ have released new info on their first WWF title WWF Wrestlemania 2000. The game will run on an advanced WCW Revenge Engine and will include Pay Per View and Wrestler creation modes. It will also feature new wrestler entrance intro's. The game is due for release late this year in the US.
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WWF Wrestlemania 2000 is shaping up to be an excellent game for fans. |
Japanese developer Noise have finally released new info on their upcoming title Custom Robo. The game is now in its beta stages and is due for release Q3 in Japan and should be on show at this year Spaceworld Expo.
Playstation 2 - Stormfront Studios, best known for their work on NASCAR 99 for PS and N64 have confirmed they are working on a title for the PS2. No details were given as to what the title is or its release date. Thanks to Core Magazine.
Discreet, a division of Autodesk has announced they will supply developers with key character animation technology found in Disceets 3D Studio Max R3 product, which was used for games like the Tomb Raider series, Metal Gear Solid and Jet Moto III. This will assist developers in producing titles for the PS2 which seems to be fairly complex and difficult to develop for.
According to the producers, Trickstyle is a distinct possibility to appear on the PS2. The game which is due for release on the DC could make it to the PS2 following a recent alliance between Criterion Software (the developers) and SCEI whereby Criterion will provide its 3D graphics library Renderware as a middleware component for the PS2.
Playstation - New games: Driver (PAL), Anna Kournikova Smash Court Tennis (PAL), Evil Zone (PAL), Driver's Dream (PAL), Formula 1 97 (PAL - Platinum) are all in stock. New Orders are welcome.
New info has been released on the upcoming PS release of Mission Impossible. The game will have some tweaking done over the N64 version and will include tighter controls and an auto-aiming gun option. It will feature 20 missions for players to get through and is due out later this year.
| Mission Impossible on the PS will have some enhancements over the N64 version. |
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Acclaim are hard at work porting South Park from the N64 for an August release on the PS. Appaloosa is doing the port and so far the game looks to be pretty close to the N64 version. Also good news, the multi-player modes are to be included.
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South Park on the PS will include the Multi-Player options like the N64 version. |
Midway have released new information on the PS version of Ready 2 Rumble, it will feature a character named Motar who is so far not in the DC version. It is due for release in September.
Psygnosis have confirmed Wip3out will retain the most popular features of the Wipeout series and will also include several new ones. However some projected inclusions have been dropped to remain loyal to the pure racing experience gamers expect. Among the features dropped will be the ability to upgrade ships and a radar option. The gameplay however has been elevated, there are new strategic elements to increase the depth of play and the graphics have been greatly enhanced. There will be seven additional new weapons, new ships, Hyperthrust, 2 player split screen and true Wide Screen features. It is due for release late this year.
| Wip3out is looking great with greatly advanced graphics and many new features. |
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Square have released some new screens of their upcoming RPG Legend of Mana. It is due for release July 15 in Japan.
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Square's Legend of Mana is looking excellent. |
Grasshopper Manufacture have announced a new horror adventure game called The Silver. The detective adventure will us a newly developed system called Film Window. The game is due for release Q3 this year.
Gameboy Color - Nintendo have confirmed they will ship Mario Golf GB on August 10. The game will support the 64GB Pak, allowing players to create original characters on the GBC and import them into the N64 version of the game.
WonderSwan - Following the announcement of the Gameboy add-on for downloading software via cellular phones, Bandai have announced an add-on for their handheld called Wonder Gate, the device will allow full TCP/IP & PPP protocol access to the internet, similar to a laptop computer. The built in software will supoprt HTML 3.2 standards and store up to 20 bookmarks and 50 email addresses. A battery S-RAM will be used for saving info. It can operate for 5 hours on one AAA battery and can transfer at speeds upto 38.4Kbps. Gamers will also be able to download mini-games and updates to games from the net. It will be available at the end of the year, before the Gameboy add-on.
| Bandai's upcoming WonderGate will allow users to access the net as if they had a laptop! |
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According to online sources, Ghosts N Goblins will be enhanced for the WS. It is said to take advantage of the WS different display modes for vertical and horizontal play. It is due fore release July 22 in Japan. |
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Wednesday June 23 1999
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| Interesting News Bit - Following the very well covered law suits against Microsoft in the US, Japan's Fair Trade Commission has added VIdeo Game Consoles to their list of products being watched for price fixing and market monopoly. As from July 1 Nintendo, Sega and Sony will be under the microscope to make sure gamers can shop with confidence in a competitive markerplace.
Dreamcast - To promote the upcoming Voice Recognition title Seaman: Forbidden Pet, Sega are to release a special limited edition Skeleton DC which comes with a controller, VMS, Microphone and the Seaman game. It is due to ship in Japan July 29.
More info on Microsofts upcoming 3D horror adventure title Cut Away, it is said to be similar to Resident Evil and is set in mountainous locations somewhere in the US. Let's hope it turns out as scary as it sounds!
According to online sources, the US release of the DC will go without the popular Puru Puru Pak (which will be called the Jump Pak when released there).
Konami have confirmed they are to release Guitar Freaks 2nd Mix and Dancing Blade on DC. No dates have been announced for their release yet.
Sega have delayed (gee that's unusual) the release of the Dream Passport v2 software in Japan until late August. No word as to why, but we'll keep you posted.
N64 - New info on EA's upcoming snowmobile racer Sled Storm, players will be awarded bonus points for running over.. rabbits!
IGN64.com have posted a three movies of the upcoming Resident Evil 64. The game, which will ship on a 512Mb cart (twice the size of Zelda/Turok 2) is to have enhancements over the PS version. Click here to check out the movies and get ready for a fright!
THQ are to back the release of Rugrats: Scavenger Hunt with a multi million dollar marketing campaign. The game is due for release later this month and looks like a fun game, especially for the young at heart.
Playstation - Square's awesome RPG Final Fantasy VIII finally has a confirmed US release date of September 7, making it to the day exactly two years after the release of FFVII.
Square's Chocobo Racing also got a confirmed release date of August 10 for the US.
Sound Source Interactive have extended their distribution and publishing agreement for PS titles with TDK. TDK convert games for them into different languages for release in Europe, Australia and Japan. |
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Tuesday June 22 1999
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| Interesting News Bit - Europress have confirmed they are to release Rally Championship 99 on the PS and DC this year. The game features incredibly detailed, photo realistic graphics, 25 rally cars, 36 British Rally Championship stages and each track will have no repeated sections.
| Rally Championship 99 will have the most incredible photo realistic graphics seen so far, with physics to match. |
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Dreamcast - New stock: First shipments of Expendable, Giant Gram All Japan Pro Wrestling 2, King of Fighters 99: Dream Match, Shotoku (Highway Battle) and Neo Geo Pocket Link Cables arrived in today.
Sega have added info on their web site about the upcoming Kita He MIL-CD White Illumination Pure Songs and Pictures. It is the first disc to use the new technology of including pictures/movies on a music CD that can be played through DC. Click here to check out the page.
Konami have confirmed they are to port their popular PS anime adventure games Dancing Blade 1 & 2 to DC. Both games will come on the same disc and it will be titled Dancing Blade Complete. It will also feature additional events and anime movies not found in the original. It is due for release September 2.
Interact's range of DC accessories is almost ready for release. Included will a six button control pad, Light Gun, Arcade Stick, VMS cards and Puru Puru (Jump) Paks.
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A great looking six button control pad will be amongst the new range of Interact Accessories out soon. |
Microsoft have released a new version of the DC Windows CE development Tools which have improved network features and will make conversion between PC and DC even easier.
Sega of Japan have announced that a lot of unique elements in the Phantasy Star Series will feature in their upcoming RPG Project Ares.
Project Dolphin - Square, developers of the Final Fantasy series among other masterpeices have hinted at developing for Nintendo's next generation console. No details have been released yet, but we'll keep you posted on any news.
N64 - Rare's spectacular looking Jet Force Gemini has been delayed to a September release in the US.
Taito have announced Densha de GO! 64 will ship on July 30 in Japan. The popular Train Sim will be available in two packs, one with a Microphone and one without. Gamers will be able to control the game with the VRS (Voice Recognition System).
| Densha de GO! 64 is to be released on July 30 with and without the Voice Recognition Microphone. |
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Imagineer have confirmed they will release Eltale Monsters in Japan on July 9. The RPG follows the adventures of a young boy as he grows, similar to Zelda. It will feature changing time periods (day/night) and plenty of puzzles to solve.
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Eltale Monsters is similar in a lot of ways to Zelda and is due to ship July 9. |
Treasure have announced they will only be producing 10,000 copies of their upcoming shooter Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaior for N64. The game will be available September 2 and we are not sure how many we will get allocated, but if you are interested, let us know.
The cover for the upcoming Violence Killer: Turok New Generation in Japan has surfaced and should be an eye catcher!
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Violence Killer: Turok New Generation will get the attention of some. |
Playstation - Namco are reportedly working on an exclusive PS version of Time Crisis 3, which is due out mid 2000. Time Crisis 2 is rumored to be going to Dreamcast because of the power required to run it.
Sony's Ape Escape, the first game to only use the Dual Shock controller (original non analog pads won't work) has shipped to us from the US. It features some beautifully rendered graphics and gameplay that will challenge your skills. We expect first shipments through early next week. New Orders are welcome.
More on the new publishing agreement between Eidos and Capcom, with an announcement Eidos will be distributing Resident Evil 3 throughout Europe and Australia and Capcom will distribute Tomb Raider 4 throughout Japan and Asian.
| Lara will be in the hands of Capcom in the Asian regions thanks to an agreement between Capcom and Eidos. |
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Sony and Sugar Rockets have announced they are developing Poporoque 2 for PS. Little is known of the sequel at this stage, however they are placing much emphasis on character design. We'll keep you posted.
Human are reportedly working on a new board game for the PS, which has a working title of Dice Island Destiny. It will feature strategy and survival through the building of resources. It is due out in September in Japan.
The excellent looking Grandia has now been released in Japan on the PS. The title, previously famous on the Saturn should arrive to us by early next week. New Orders are welcome.
| Grandia makes it way to PS in a big way! |
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Banpresto have announced they will remake the mega hit of the SNES days The Lord of Elemental: Super Robot Side Story for PS. Official details will be released on August 20.
Who comes up with these names? Konami have just announced they are to release a sequel dancing game to Dance! Dance! Dance! called Goo! Goo! Soundy! According to online reports the game will allow players to use other music CD's during the game and it will support the special controllers from Dance Dance Revolution, Beatmania and Pop N Music. It is due for release September 22.
Gameboy Color - Nintendo have confirmed Mario Golf will be released on August 10 in Japan. The game will support link cable for 2 player games and will only work on Gameboy Color. Gamers will be able to train their golf players on the GBC, then import them into the N64 version of Mario Golf 64 using the 64GB Pak. |
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Monday June 21 1999
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| Interesting News Bit - An Anti-Videogame bill has been rejected in the US. The proposed amendments were to curb access by children to explicit sex or violent material in video games and movies. The bill was rejected with a 282-146 vote. The proposal was to force video game manufacturers to come up with a labelling system for violent content, however because they already have a comprehensive rating system with easy to identify symbols for violent content, it was not necessary.
Titus have announced they are working on RoboCop for release on PSX, DC, PSX2 and N64. No dates have been given yet.
Dreamcast - Capcom have confirmed they are to port the arcade version of Star Gladiator 2, which runs on the PSX compatible System 11 board, to DC this September.
Konami have announced that they will be the ones to port Microsoft's hit PC game MS Flight Simulator to the DC. It should be available by the end of the year.
Although the PS version of Lufia III has been put on hold, there is the possibility DC owners will see it first. According to online reports, it is under consideration for a next gen release and could be out as soon as the end of this year.
Shoeisha have announced they are working on a shooter for the DC called Super Dimension Fortress Macross. It is due for release mid 2000.
Toka have announced they are working on a new DC action fighting game called Soul Fighter. The game is said to resemble Sega's classic Golden Axe and will contain stunning visuals. There are 6 levels in the game and a mode that allows you to play in a 1st person perspective, similar to Quake. It is due out in September.
| Judging by the screens, Soul Fighter looks amazingly detailed and makes use of the DC graphics prowess. |
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Titus are working on a DC version of Roadsters, which is being developed by the creators of Dead in the Water on PS.
Rumours are that Activision are working on Space Invaders and Toy Story for the DC... wahoo Space Invaders in 128bit (umm?).
64DD - The Nintendo 64 Disk Drive will come with a built in 28.8k modem and there should be 10 launch titles when it is released. It will also come packaged with Internet software allowing gamers to access the net. No word on what sort of browser will be included. It is due for release December in Japan.
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Nintendo's Disk Drive will feature a 28.8k modem and internet software. |
N64 - Disney have announced they will release Tarzan on N64 as well as PSX.
It is starting to get exciting now, Quake 2 is due out on June 30 and NGO.com have posted a movie of what will be a killer game! Click here to check it out, then click here to pre-order it.
Playstation - Sony have released the new 9000 series Playstation in Australia. These new consoles do not have a Parallel Port, making the Action Replay and GameSharks useless to owners of the new consoles. It is general consensus that Sony have done this in an effort to try and stem piracy by using the anti-mod protection scheme currently used in Japan with a console that can't use an Action Replay. We find this to be quite useless considering most people who do use pirated games just patch the original game and play it anyway, so the only real people it hurts are those who do the right thing and purchase originals - ultimately meaning it damages us and the developers because no-one will buy originals if they can't play them! We'll have to wait and see what Datel (makers of the Gameshark/Action Replay) do. Our technicians are working on the mod chip conversion for these new consoles and we'll keep you posted on progress.
The PAL version of Metal Gear Solid: Integral, to be called Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions will not include the original game, it will only be an add-on disc. However users will not need the original to play the VR Missions.
Takara are working on Brave Saga 2 for PSX. The sequel will continue on with the story of the first Brave Saga, however there will be new characters and the 2D maps will be full 3D now. There will also be new types of weapons.
NGO.com have added an online review of Star Wars Episode 1: Phantom Menace. Click here to check it out and click here to pre-order it!
SNK have announced 2 new characters will be added the PSX version of Fatal Fury: Wild Ambition. They will be Mr Karate and Duck King.
| Two new characters will be in the PSX version of Fatal Fury Wild Ambition: Mr Karate and Duck King. |
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Konami have confirmed they are working on a sequel to World Soccer Jikkyo Winning Eleven. No details were available for release date.
Treasure and Enix have announced they are working a new action title called Rakuga Kid Show Time, which is due for release July 29 in Japan. It has been likened to Power Stone in which you can interact with anything and throw them at your opponent to get them out of the arena. The characters will al be drawn by crayon and up to 4 players can play simultaneously.
Rumours are stating that the 4 playable demos to be included with Seiken Densetsu: Legend of Mana are Dew Prism, Vagrant Story (an RPG cross between Parasite Eve and Metal Gear Solid), Front Mission 3 and Chrono Trigger.
The US version of Final Fantasy VIII is now due September 7. We are now starting to take pre-orders for what will be a massive release. If you want to get on the waiting list, click here.
Fighter Maker was released today in the US, it allows gamers to create their own fighter and train him/her in what ever style they like. Players can choose from 800 moves and once they have the perfect warrior, save them to mem card then use em in 3D battle. We should have first shipments through early next week. New Orders are welcome.
Activision have announced another classic collection of days gone by games, this time.... wait for it... Intellivision Lives! It will feature over 70 Intellivision titles and is due for release in September. - Oh my god! :-)
Gameboy Color - Gust have announced they are porting their two PS RPGs to the GBC. To be titled Atlier Marie: Zarlbrug and Atlier Ellie: Zarlbrug, they will feature the ability to breed and train the characters and use them on the quest. Both games are due out in September.
WonderSwan - Rumors are suggesting that Bandai will release a colour screen version of the WS in March 2000 to co-incide with the 1 year anniversary of its release.
Four new games were also announced for the WS: Vistro Recipe - An RPG about cooking, but uses cards in the battles??, Rockman (MegaMan) - A portable version of Capcom's little guy, Armored Unit - A strategy game utilising fully customisable robotic machines called Armored Units to attack enemies, Mingle Magnet - A new puzzler which has players manipulate a 4 way magnet to clear monsters. All are due in September and will use the link up cable for 2 player action. |
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Friday June 18 1999
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| Interesting News Bit - Eidos, makers of the Tomb Raider series have signed a 3 year sponsorship deal with Manchester City.
Hot on the heels of the new sports division in Hasbro being set up, they are wasting no time in obtaining licences, with a signed 5 year deal with the F1A already sealed allowing them to produce Formula 1 games for consoles and PC.
On what is bound to be a huge Movie, the Final Fantasy Movie stars have been revealed. A list of stars who will be doing the voiceovers include Alec Baldwin, Ving Rhames, Ming-na Wen, James Woods, Donald Sutherland, Steve Buscemi and Peri Gilpen. The movie is not due for release until mid 2001, so don't hold your breath just yet.
A new beta version of the PSX emulator Bleem! is now available for download, however you will need a CDKey to run it. For more info check here. Or to download it straight away, click here.
The battle rages on in Japan over the sale of 2nd hand games, with Sony crying foul following the decision of the Tokyo District Court to allow the sale of 2nd hand games to go on. Sony are accusing the courts of violating existing copyright laws by refusing to stop the sale of used games. (and you though we had it bad!).
Online reports are stating that a fall out between Sony and Konami has happened due to a Silent Hill demo being omitted from the latest issue of the official UK Playstation Mag.
Dreamcast - Yukes have released new screens of their upcoming wrestler Toukon Retsudin 4 for DC. This game will have you drooling! It is about 90% complete and is due late July. It looks to be the most realistic looking wrestler ever! We are accepting pre-orders on this now.
| Check out how real Toukon Retsudin 4 is looking! It is due for release late July. |
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Genki have released a new commercial of their upcoming racer Shotoko (Highway) Battle, which is due for release this week. The game received a very good rating from Famitsu magazine with a 32/40 score. Click here to check out the movie (it is compressed with lzh format). We are accepting pre-orders on this now.
In other news from Genki, they have admitted their FAQ for the upcoming Shotoko (Highway) Battle may have misled some people as they cannot guarantee the game will be compatible with the upcoming DC Zip Drive.
Gamespot online have posted some DC movies from the E3 and from Electronics Boutique (US). They include Gundam 0079, Metropolis, NFL 2000, NBA 2000, Air Force Delta, Toy Commander, Wild Metal Country, Red Dog, TNN Motorsports Hardcore Heat and Trickstyle. Click here to check em out!
Want to see more of the awesome looking Metropolis? Well Gamefan online have posted 2 movies of it. One is 3.1MB and the other 5.4MB, so check em out!
Acclaim have shocked a lot of people with the announcement that WWF Attitude will be released on DC this September! Apparently they have been keeping it a well guarded secret up until now.
Game delays galore! Lets Make a Professional Baseball Team has now been moved to an August 6 release along with the awesome looking Toukon Retsudin 4. Climax Landers (once again!) has been delayed until July 29.
Treyarch, developers of Die by the Sword, are to release Swords of Vengeance on DC before the end of the year.
Microsoft have formed a new development group called Classified Games, which is currently working on a DC title called Cut Away. The game is a horror title based in San Francisco. No release date has been set yet.
Shoeisha has announced they are developing a new mech-anime Macross title for release on the DC. Little is known about the title other than it is due for release Mid 2000.
N64 - NGO.Com have done a review of the new release World Driver Championship and stated it is 'Not for the arcade racer or the weak of heart, World Driver is harsh, unforgiving and very real.'. Check out the whole review here. New Orders are welcome.
Quest have released some new screens of their upcoming Strategy RPG Ogre Battle 3: Person of the Lordly Calibur. The game is due on July 14 and is to be on a MASSIVE 320Mb Cart!!
| Quests Ogre Battle 3 will keep gamers very busy with a massive 320Mb of data cramed onto the cart! |
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Playstation - Sunsoft have announced they are to release an enhanced 3D version of their classic 2D tank title Master Blaster for PSX.
A sequel to Maniru Kingdom will be released before the end of the year according to online sources. Little is know about it other than it is in the early stages of development.
Ape Escape, the first game that is not compatible with the standard controller is due for release June 24. The 3D Action Platformer will use the two analog stick of the dual shock to control play. Pre-Orders are welcome.
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Sony's new Ape Escape will not be compatible with the standard controller, meaning gamers have to use a Dual Shock to play it. |
According to online sources, Capcoms port of the original Rockman (Mega Man) will not be visually enhanced, however it will contain different modes such as Navi-Mode, which gives newer players hints, Database mode, which lets you view character data, PocketStation mode, to allow mini-games for the PocketStation to allow players to train Rockman into different characters. It is due for release August 5 in Japan.
Takara have announced details of their next Choro~Q game for PSX. This time it will be an RPG incarnation of the series which will include dialog, character building (by way of vehicles) and the exporation of places unrestricted. It is due for an August release in Japan.
Gameboy Color - Sunsoft have announced they are to release an enhanced 3D version of their classic 2D tank title Master Blaster for GBC.
Nintendo announced that they are to release Gameboy games that can be downloaded through a cellular network in Japan. The exact details of how it will work are not clear, however it will be compatible with the existing Gameboys.
Dragon Quest 1 & 2 will be packaged together and released later this year in Japan.
Microsofts new Classified Games development team are to release a whole slew of GBC games, including MS The best of Entertainment Pack 1 & 2, MS Soccer, MS The Puzzle Collection, MS Pinball Arcade, Magical Drop, Viewpoint, The Mask of Zorro and Burger Time Deluxe starring the Flinstones. |
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Thursday June 17 1999
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| Interesting News Bit - Hasbro have announced a new development section of the company with early titles likely to be in the NASCAR and NFL type genre.
Acclaim announced they are already working on a next gen wrestler to follow up WWF Attitude when it is released later this month. No details were given as to which platform it would be on or when it will arrive, but we'll keep you posted.
Dreamcast - Capcom have announced Resident Evil: Code Veronica will make use of the DC Networking abilities for gamers to download additional game data such as new weapons over the net.
Some new details on Shen Mue Chapter 1: Yokosuka, it will feature a Quick Timer Event (QTE) which will occur any time in the game, players will have to press the correct button displayed on screen to win battles otherwise you get knocked out. The result of the battles will affect and form the storyline. There will also be a number of mini-games including a dart game. When you need to travel you can choose to walk, or take a bus, taxi, motorbike or bike, each at different costs.
For those of you excited about the upcoming release of MDK2 on DC, there is a site set up with information on the game. Click here to check it out.
Ward Six have confirmed they will release the Quake II: Dawn of Darkness title on Dreamcast. Although no release has been set, just the news is making us happy!
ToeJam & Earl Productions have stated that they would love to make a DC version of ToeJam & Earl III. They haven't given any solid details or confirmation however we'll keep you posted.
64DD - News is coming in now on the add-on. Param have announced a new title called The Giant Dosin which will be available on launch. It is a 'unique action plus breeding sim'. Gamers will play as the Giant Dosin and have to make friends with villagers on a southern island by creating new land or mountains for them to live and farm on.
N64 - Restock: Star Wars Episode 1: Racer (US), Super Smash Brothers (US), Castlvania (US), South Park (PAL) all in stock now. New Orders are welcome.
News on new games, World Driver Championship (US) has just been released and we expect our first shipment through early next week. Duke Nukem: Zero Hour has gone into manufacturing finally and is due to be released August 15. We are taking pre-orders for this and expect it to be a sell out.
Acclaim officially announced NBA Jam 2000 for N64. The game will all new 2-on-2 JAM mode in addition to a realistic 5-on-5 NBA sim. It will feature models of real life faces, smooth skin Hi-Rez textures and special effects galore. No release date has been confirmed as yet.
IGN.com have posted a preview with screens of the upcoming NFL Blitz 2000 and it is looking good. Click here to check it out.
Finally Confirmation that Neon Genesis Evangelion will ship June 25 from Japan. If you have a pre-order on this game, please email us to confirm your order. If you would like to pre-order, what will be an excellent game, click here.
Playstation 2 - A Sony Spokesperson has confirmed the PocketStation will be used and released for the PSX2 following recent reports that the unit will not be released outside of Japan. We do have them in stock now and they are compatible with many games. Click here if you want to order one.
ArtDink announced they will release A-train VI on PSX2 ahead of even the PC version as it will be much more powerful. The graphics will be in all 3D high resolution and each building will have variable size, height and color. It is due to be a launch title.
In an online report, a Japanese Technology company has stated the Playstation 2 will be technologically superior to even the most powerful PCs in the year 2001 and went on to say that eventually PCs as a gaming platform could become defunct following announcements of PSX2 Specs. Not to forget Project Dolphin a little further down the track, no wonder Microsoft spokespersons are stating they consider gaming consoles a threat now!
Playstation - Restock: Lunar SSS Complete box set (US), Streetfighter Alpha 3 (US), Final Fantasy Collection (Japan), Bust a Move 2: Dance Paradise Mix (Japan), Mystic Dragoons (Japan), Action Replay Carts, PocketStations, Dex Drives, XenoGears (US), Syphon Filter (US), Silent Hill (US), Metal Gear Solid (US & PAL) are all in stock now. New Orders are welcome.
Red Lemon have announced Aironauts for PSX. The game is based on the Arnie movie The Running Man - I want to go to Paradise too!! =-) No release date has been set.
Capcom released some new screens of their upcoming 3D Horror adventure Oni-Musha: The Demon Warrior.
| Capcom's upcoming Oni-Musha: The Demon Warrior is shaping up to be another hit. |
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Ward Six have confirmed they will release the Quake II: Dawn of Darkness title on PSX. Although no release has been set, just the news is making us happy!
Affect are to release a puzzle game in Japan called Finger Flashing. Players will control a guardian character and have to destroy all enemies on screen before they approach using chain combos. It will feature 2 player simultaneous modes and will be available July 15.
Saturn - New release for the Saturn is a puzzle game called Girls in Motion. Players have toplay against girls to progress through the game and see more girls (more of?)
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A new Saturn Puzzle is now available for those who can't get enough of those gorgeous Asian girls! |
Gameboy Color - Nintendo are working on a new Pokemon game for the GBC, titled Pokemon Picross it is scheduled for release Q3 this year. Gamers will have to take out different blocks of Picross according to hints and form a complete pictures of different Pokemons. There are more than 200 stages and each time you complete a stage you are awarded with a full colour Pokemon that you can save. |
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Wednesday June 16 1999
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| Interesting News Bit - For those of you with PC's (or PowerMac's running Windows), Mindscape/SSI are looking for beta testers for their upcoming Prince of Persia 3D. If you would like to be one of the first to play it and have a hand in it's debugging, click this link now for more info.
Nintendo have announced they will show Pokemon Gold & Silver, Kirby 64, Donkey Kong 64 and Legend of Zelda: Gaiden at the upcoming Space World in Japan.
Now you know things are going a little strange when they start naming streets after Video Games! In Sweden a street, right outside a Nintendo Distributor, has been renamed Mario's Street after Nintendo's famous plumber! It was previously called Energy Street, so we wonder if people will be climbing out of holes in the ground to get to work? =-)
Dreamcast - Sega have confirmed Crazy Taxi will be ported from the Naomi to DC. In case you don't know the game, it is one of the most fun games to come out in a long time, you must try to get fares, then take your passenger to their destination as fast as possible - even if it means up one way streets, through parks, jumping over ramps! No release date has been set as yet.
The Anime DC title Revive has been delayed in Japan from September to October to allow further work on 3D viewpoints to be completed.
Sunrise Interactive announced new details on their upcoming RPG Sunrise Heroes, it will feature popular anime characters from the Sunrise series and take place on the Sunrise Planet where you must search for a mystery Robot that attacked you. It will feature more than 80 characters and 22 Robots.
The DC Puru Puru Pak will be renamed in the US after it's launch to the Jump Pak, obviously a little easier to, however the Puru Puru Pak name has grown on us (just try saying it fast!).
Konami have announced plans to port Pop N Music 2 from the arcade to DC.
According to some online reports, the DC Zip drive is designed to fit under the DC in the same way the Mega CD did with the Mega Drive.
Ubi Soft have announced a new submarine shooter/adventure titled Deep Fighter: The Tsunami Initiative. Gamers will live in an underwater city on a mission to take control of a submarine, while trying to save all the people of the city from volcano's and pirate attacks.
| Deep Fighter: The Tsunami Initiative will feature many submarines with different weapons and power. |
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Some rumors that Namco's next DC game will be an updated version of the super-gory PC Engine game Splatterhouse.
The DC version of Streetfighter Zero 3 will include a network play mode for online play. We are accepting pre-orders for this now.
64DD - After many statements from Nintendo that the 64DD will not see the light of day outside of Japan, an online report with a Nintendo Spokesperson stated that Nintendo will consider releasing the Add-On in the US and Europe, depending on the performance in Japan. It is due for release in Japan this December.
As mentioned above, Nintendo will show Zelda: Gaiden at this year's Space World Expo in Tokyo. The 64DD add-on to the biggest game ever doesn't have a confirmed release date yet and exactly what content will feature in the add-on is not clear, however we will keep you posted as news breaks.
N64 - Taito have confirmed Densha de GO! 64 will ship on July 30 in Japan. The popular Train Sim will ship in two different packages, one with a special microphone pak and the other without. We are now accepting pre-orders on this game, so if you want one, click here.
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Densha de GO! 64 will ship on July 30 in two different packs, one with the special Mic, the other without. |
Infogrames are working on an action puzzle games called Taz Express. The game will feature Taz the Tazmanian Devil from Looney Tunes who must go through 6 levels, each with 5 stages. Gamers will have to deliver different packages to customers and protect parcels from being damaged or stolen by your opponents Marvin the Martian, Wile E Coyote and Yosemite Sam.
| Taz Express will feature Taz the Tazmanian Devil along with Marvin the Martian and others. |
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3DO are to release the RPG Crusaders of Might and Magic on N64 early next year. The game will feature different battlefields for either Might, where gamers will fight hand to hand, or Magic, where gamers will use spells to blast the baddies.
Playstation - Take 2 have announced Grudge Warriors for PSX. It is a futuristic tank based shooter. No release date has been confirmed.
Taito have confirmed their upcoming sequel to Arkanoid R, titles Arkanoid R 2000 will be release in Japan on July 1. We are now accepting pre-orders for this.
SCEI have announced they will ship MDK and Stray Sheep on August 5 in Japan. We are now accepting pre-orders for these.
Sony US announced they will not be publishing the European made Speed Freaks. No other developers have stepped up to convert the game at this stage.
Some new info surfaced on From Software's upcoming horror adventure Echo Night 2: The Ruler of the Sleep. The mission will be to search for your girlfriend who has disappeared in an abandoned mansion. The mansion is filled with lost souls, spirits and mysteries. To free a soul you may have to go back to their past and search for something or complete an event.
Konami have confirmed ports of their arcade titles Hyper Bishi Bishi Champs and Gachagachamp to PSX. It will be renamed Bishi Bishi Special 2 and will feature 48 multiplayer mini games. It is due for release September 2 in Japan.
ASCII have announced they will release an updated version of their popular Horse Racing title Derby Stallion. Titled Derby Stallion 99 it will be released in September.
First screens of THQ's upcoming 3D fighter Knights of Carnage. The game is in a third person perspective featuring battles with medieval characters such as Warlocks, Werewolves, Gargoyles, Warlords and Demons.
| THQ's Knights of Carnage looks like another hit for the company. Thanks to IGN for the piccy. |
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Core Online has posted a new movie of the upcoming Crash Team Racing. It is due for release Q3 in the US and you can click here to check it out.
Infogrames announced V-Rally 2 will ship Q3 this year and will feature 92 tracks! Plus a built in track editor for creating additional tracks. It will have 18 licenced 99 world rally cars, plus 10 hidden ones. It will also feature 4 player split screen action when using a multi-tap.
| V-Rally 2 will feature 92 tracks, track editors, 28 cars, plus 4 player split screen! |
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Neo Geo Pocket Color - New Stock: Neo Geo Pocket Color (US) now in stock. |
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Tuesday June 15 1999
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| Interesting News Bit - Sega have announced a sponsorship deal with Sampdoria, an Italian Soccer Club and current home to Ariel Ortega. This follows their huge deal with English Premiership side Arsenal.
Nintendo have confirmed the dates for 'Nintendo Spaceworld Expo' in Japan. The show, which many believe Nintendo will exhibit the 64DD and Networkable N64 titles, is due to run from August 27 to 29. We'll be gathering all the news from the expo and posting updates right here at Burn.
Dreamcast - Tecmo posted some new screens of the upcoming Naomi arcade fighter Dead or Alive 2 and rumors are strong that the DC port is already under way. The screens are very detailed and crisp and along with Soul Calibre will have DC fans, or any fighting fans for that matter, drooling for them.
| Dead or Alive 2 is looking awesome and is just another reason why we believe Sega have done an excellent job with the DC. |
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Softbank also released some new screens of their upcoming Space Adventure title Nadesico The Mission. Based on the popular Japanese Anime series of the same name, the game was delayed until August 26.
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Softbank's Space Adventure title Nadesico The Mission is due for release on August 26. |
Climax Graphics are working on a title named Project Viking for the DC. It is said to be a sequel to the popular Blue Stinger and is due for release mid 2000. Not much else is known at this stage.
Sega and NEC-HE have announced the Seventh Cross: Fighting Integration Disc expansion pack will be released July 9. It will feature monster build and save options and VMS battle compatibility.
CRI are to give away another 30 copies of their upcoming arcade style DC racer Buggy Heat, following the success of the 100 copy giveaway earlier.
Capcom are to feature many modes of play for their upcoming Streetfighter Zero (Alpha) 3 release on DC. Modes available for gamers will include: Arcade, Vs, Team Battle, Training, World Tour, Entry, Memory Card, Network, Survival, Dramatic, Vs Dramatic and Final.
Sega are to do the port of Baldur's Gate themselves, allowing BioWare (the developers) to concentrate on their upcoming DC title MDK2. BioWare have stated that Sega may make some changes to the title, however would not give any specific details.
64DD - Again rumors are stating that the upcoming Nintendo Add-On, the 64DD is to be compatible with their next gen console the Project Dolphin. One thing is for sure though, that is the hype and rumors are getting rather thick of late in the lead up to the supposed (once again) Japanese release of the add-on.
Also in Japan, news is coming of confirmed titles for the 64DD, the long awaited networkable version of F-Zero X, a Golf title and a Shogi title are confirmed for the add-on. No news on other announced titles such as Giant Step and Mario Artist, however 10 titles are rumored to be available on the December launch.
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Nintendo's 64DD, will it ever appear and if it does what games will be out for it? |
N64 - Surf Technologies officially confirmed they will be supplying the Software Modem technology for use with N64. This will mean network communications with low cost due to it being software based. Exact plans for the technology have not been announced by Nintendo, however we expect some news soon.
IGN.64 have posted some new screens on Knockout Kings 2000, click here to check em out.
Playstation 2 - The US Department of Commerce may try to block exports of the PSX2 to China due to fears that the Super-Powerful Emotion Engine could be used by the Chinese Military. A DOC spokesperson stated that if the Emotion Engine is as powerful as the company claims it to be they would need to take a look at it. We don't know exactly what jurisdiction the US Government has over Japanese technology and more so if Sony have 'created' the situation to get some publicity on the power of the Emotion Engine. Either way we'll keep you posted.
Sony has denied online reports that the PSX2 Development kits have been delayed. They have confirmed that the kits are right on schedule and the PSX2 will ship in Japan in March 2000.
According to online reports, Sony will begin mass production of the PSX2 chipset in July and the PSX2 console in October.
A new version of the popular Train Sim Densha de GO! is rumored to be in development for the PSX2 and it is possible to be a launch title.
Rumors around are stating that Sony are working on a new PocketStation for the PSX2. No news on what would be different/better, however it is seen as a move to counter the DC VMS cards which have become very popular.
Playstation - New games: Lord of Monsters (Japan), Super Robot Wars Complete (Japan), Blaze & Blade (PAL).
Namco are reportedly working on an Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere add-on disc. The add-on, dubbed 'Direct Audio' is said to incorporate new music selections and new CG movies which require the Ace Combat 3 disc to run. It is expected to be available by August 26 in Japan.
EA have picked up the rights to publish Koudelka, the RPG developed by ex-Square staff, for release in the US.
Some new info on Macross VFX2 which is due for release in Japan on August 26. It is a mission based 3D shooter with strategic, flight sim and romance elements. The graphics will be in a 3rd person perspective and there will be a number of new mechs in the game such as VB-6 and diving VA-3M. We are accepting pre-orders on this game now.
More reports that the PocketStation may not make it outside of Japan at all, reasons for this have been from lack of software support, to compeition from Sega with the DC VMS Cards and lack of promotion/marketing. We have PocketStations in stock now and new orders are welcome.
Still on PocketStations, Human are said to be developing an exclusive PocketStation title called Pocket Tuner. It is a music simulation and is due for release August 12 in Japan.
Infogrames have announced Gekido will be a 3D beat em up adventure, similar in style to Fighting Force (but hopefully better). Not much else is known about it yet, however we'll keep you posted.
Kronos Digital has announced their upcoming Action title Fear Factor will attempt to feature the look of a 2D but the freedom of a 3D game. It will contain real-time 3D characters over pre-rendered backgrounds. Control of the game will be a cross between Tomb Raider and Resident Evil.
From Software have revealed their upcoming horror title Echo Night 2: The Ruler of the Sleep, will be released in August in Japan, the original Echo Night is to be released in the US in July.
Neo Geo Pocket Color - Puyo Puyo (Published by Sega/SNK) will be released on July 22. |
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Monday June 14 1999
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| No updates Today due to the Public Holiday and us being let off the ball and chain for the day. We'll be back tomorrow though with all the latest from around the globe!
Stay Tuned To BURN! |
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Friday June 11 1999
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| EA have finally released Australian Rules Football League 99 (AFL99) for the Playstation, after many delays, you will now get the chance to choose from over 300 real players, all the teams, play in 5 game modes with up to 4 players. It also includes live commentary and varying difficulty levels. We suspect this may be a sell out, so if you want to try your hand at being Plugger and kicking 1300 then order your now!
Interesting News Bit - Namco's Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere has entered the Japanese Top 10 charts at the number 1 spot. Sega's Dynamite Deka 2 for DC came out at number 3. Both titles are available now from Burn. Click here if you want to order.
Dreamcast - Restocks: Redline Racer, Dynamite Deka 2, Sega Rally 2, Marvel v Capcom, Virtua Fighter 3, DC Controllers, DC VMS Cards are all in stock. All back orders have shipped. New orders are welcome.
Some news out of Japan on a new venture between Sega, Hitachi, Nippon Columbia and Hirano and Assoc. which will see the production of a Internet/DVD distribution system that will reach consumers early next year. The system is seen as the DVD capability for DC that Sega US Boss Bernie Stolar mentioned in his teleconference prior to E3. So does this mean another add-on from Sega? We'll have to wait and see how the reaction to that goes.
ASCII will be promoting a new Internet drama series on Sega's Dricas DC website in Japan. Beginning Oct 1, the Japanese show will air daily and will be compatible with PC and DC net connections.
BioWare have confirmed MDK2 will ship by the end of the year. It will feature innovative action, stealth, puzzle and adventure elements.
Capcom are to confirm the release date for Resident Evil: Code Veronica soon and rumors are already stating that the title will miss it's December release date.
Warp have confirmed in a recent interview that D2 will ship on November 18 in Japan and it will be on 4 GD-ROM's.
Dreamcast.IGN have posted six movies of the upcoming Mortal Kombat Gold, they are in 320 x 240 format and anyone interested in the game should check em out. Click here to check em out.
Project Dolphin - In a recent Nintendo Press Release, they announced they will work with a company called Recruit to set up online services for the 64DD. It will allow gamers to purchase and download games directly to their units as well as play online against other people and subscribe to online newsletters. It is seen by most as an intermediate step towards the setting up the Dolphin Network.
Already rumors of a delay in Nintendo's next gen console the Dolphin. Apparently it won't make it's scheduled 2000 launch date and a source at Nintendo has stated if Sony can say the PSX2 release date with a straight face, so can we.
N64 - THQ have purchased the rights to release Psygnosis' Destruction Derby on N64. No release has been given.
For all those with Star Wars Episode 1: Racer, Sages.IGN have posted some rather cool cheats including one to let you play as Darth Maul. Click here to check em out.
For those excited about Ura-Zelda, the sequel to Ocarina of Time, Nintendo of America has flat out denied it even exists. They have stated there are no plans for another Zelda game and Ura-Zelda does not exist in any way, shape or form.
In a recent online interview with Rare, they revealed Banjo-Tooie will feature multiplayer modes, but not what you might think. It is due for release sometime in 2000.
News coming in from everywhere is that WWF Attitude has been delayed. We are still trying to find out when it is delayed to. We'll Keep you posted.
Playstation 2 - Sony will officially unveil the PSX2 and examples of software at the Tokyo Game Show 99 September 17-19. It will be a prototype unit and Sony are refusing to give details which games will appear.
Playstation - Restocks: PocketStations, VCD Adapters, PAL Boosters are all in stock. All back orders have shipped. New Orders are welcome.
Square have announced they will release Legend of Mana and Racing Lagoon mid 2000 in the US.
THQ have announced their fighting title Knights of Carnage has been canned, stating that it does not fit their current product stategy.
EA Sports have officially changed their hunting titles name to Deer Hunter Challenge and announced it will not be released on PSX anymore due to Sony's restrictions about shooting animals on PSX. (what so it's OK to shoot people but not animals?)
Sony of Japan have announced they will release new in-house-developed PSX titles during the next three months, including a Human Street Racer and a Model Building Sim.
Sony has confirmed Grandia is still on track for an October release in the US.
Spike have confirmed their next PSX title will be called Dusk Expedition, gamers will follow the explorations of a young group of travelers and the game incorporates actual photographs of the backdrops from the groups meetings. It is due September 22.
EA have announced they will publish SNK titles for the western markets (US/PAL), the first title under the new agreement will be the Hyper Neo Geo 64 arcade hit Fatal Fury Wild Ambition.
The PAL release date for Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver has slipped yet again. We do have the US version in stock now.
The original Megaman games are to be re-released in Japan. The PSX versions will feature special options and PocketStation support. No dates were given as yet or whether they would be in a collection.
Tiger Woods 2000 will be released by EA, rather than EA Sports now according to online reports. EA Sports are working on a more simulation based PGA game.
Gameboy Color - New Games: Super Mario Bros. DX, Conker's Pocket Tales, V-Rally (restock), Ken Griffey Jr's Slugfest, WWF Attitude. New Orders are welcome. |
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Thursday June 10 1999
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| Interesting News Bit - Acclaim are following EA's lead in running a competition for independent bands to record background music for Jeremy McGrath Supercross 2000.
Dreamcast - Following reports from the Dow Jones that Sega were coming up short for orders on the US DC release, Sega of America has replied stating they have not taken any pre-orders yet and the figure of 2.5 million units was a figure a Sega boss was given by retailers at the E3. We'll have to wait and see.
Sega have announced Virtua On 2 will have new features including a spectator mode, which will allow players to watch fights without actually taking part.
Another Naomi title was announced, called Toy Fighter it will feature toys fighting against each other. More as we get it.
Jaleco have released some new screens of their upcoming 3D Horror Adventure Carrier which show off some of the incredible detail of the game.
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Jaleco's Carrier is going to scare your pants off! |
Some new info was unveiled on Langrisser Millennium: The Birthday Eve, it will be split into two modes, a Battle Mode, which will feature 4 on 4 situations that will only occur when opposing forces clash on the 'Strategy Map', which is the other mode that will run in real time.
N64 - Nintendo have confirmed July 26 as the date for the US release of Pocket Monster Snap (Pokemon Snap). It will receive a US$5 Million advertising campaign.
IGN64 have posted six new movies of the upcoming Perfect Dark and it looks amazing! Click here to check em out!
Playstation 2 - According to SCEI President Ken Kutagari, Sony are looking towards a September 17 date to showcase prototypes of the PSX2. Many opinions are that like the unveiling of the PSX2 was timed to steal Sega's US launch announcements, September 17 is only 11 days after the US launch, possibly to hold gamers back from buying the DC to see what the PSX2 has.
Rumors about the PSX2 only having 8 launch titles are circulating. The complexities with programming for the console are said to be the blame. - Does anyone remember why the Saturn never made it? It was more powerful, yet harder to program for...
Sony are apparently finding it difficult to get the PSX2 down to their target price of 50,000 yen (A$710) with rumors placing it around 80,000 yen or A$1,150 and that is without distribution channel costs and importing costs, which would easily drive that to A$1,600 or higher!
From Software have recently run ads in Japan magazines looking for 3D artists to work on Armored Core for PSX2. The ads mention the strengths of the Emotion Engine and stress that is a true 128-bit chip.
News out of Japan is that Sony plan to package the complete development environment and tools from the original PSX into the PSX2 kit. The price won't be affected and will still be around US$20,000.
Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear series, has confirmed Metal Gear Solid 2 will appear on PSX2 as it has the power to create the world that he envisages for it. Despite this, some insiders are still maintaining it will appear on PSX.
Playstation - New Game: Square's Racing Lagoon (Japan) is in stock.
Perhaps in a sign from the legal battle going on with Jaleco, Konami have already delayed Beatmania Append 4th Mix to September 9.
Gamefan online have posted a movie on the upcoming release of Crash Team Racing. The game will feature gameplay similar to Mario Kart 64 and players will be able to choose from Crash or his friends to race. Click here to check it out.
989 Studios have confirmed NFL Xtreme 2 will be released on PSX and will have many improvements over the original.
Quantic Dreams have announced Omikron has been delayed till September 2.
Ape Escape has now been confirmed for a US release on June 22, we are already accepting pre-orders for this title, so if you are interested in it, click here to get on the waiting list.
Sony have held their Playstation Awards 1999 and announced they have shipped more than 55 million units worldwide. 24 Titles received awards and like 1997, Square has again taken the Triple Platinum prize, this time for Final Fantasy VIII of which it has now sold over 3 million copies.
Following our recent stories on Square's upcoming Seiken Densetsu: Legend of Mana containing a demo with it, it is now confirmed it will feature 4 playable demos! It will be in a 2 CD pack and contain Beigrant Story, Dew Prism and 2 others. It is due for release on July 15.
Gameboy Color - Subscribe to E-News for a some great exclusive prices this weekend, not to mention reviews, previews, codes and cheats. Look to the <-- Left bar and insert your email now!
Neo Geo Pocket Color - SNK and Capcom's upcoming card battle game SNK vs Capcom has been delayed until September. |
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Wednesday June 9 1999
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| Interesting News Bit - News from Tokyo that Konami and Jaleco are in the middle of a legal battle over the Beatmania Licence and the associated hardware/software. Konami believe Jaleco infringed their rights with the VJ arcade game. We are not sure if this will effect the release date of Beatmania 4th Mix or Dance Dance Revolution 2nd Mix, both due on August 26.
An amendment has been placed before the US Senate calling for a Unified Rating System to be introduced across all forms of media including video games, film and music, to warn consumers of violent content.
Dreamcast - President of Sega, Shoichiro Irimajiri recently told the Dow Jones in the US that Sega has received 2.4 million DC orders from the US but had to turn many away because they can only produce slightly more than 1.5 million units by next March (7 months after the launch date). What does this mean for the PAL territories? We don't know, however we suspect it could mean a severe shortage.. .one of the reasons most companies don't do a close to simultaneous launch in the US and PAL regions. We'll keep you posted.
Also in the US, perhaps linked to the above article, Sega of America have announced they have partnered with a Rental Chain to make the DC available for rent from July, a full 3 months before the September 9 release.
Online rumors are stating Sega are working on an upgraded version of the DC and it could be ready by mid 2000, featuring an improved SH-4 or SH-5 processor and possible DVD compatibility. Sega won't comment on it and Hitachi have stated that there are no plans to incorporate the upgraded version of the SH-4 into a new version DC. Also a DVD add-on is said to be released by Mid 2000 which will sit under the DC and connect to the DC's expansion port. - Looking at the two speculated release dates, one wonders if Sega are preparing an add-on with a new processor - 64DD style?
Sega of Japan and Softbank publishers have released a guide book for Get Bass. It is over 50 pages and includes maps for all stages. We are looking at bringing some of these in if there is enough interest. So if you want one, let us know.
Glass Ghost's space trading sim Jump Runner will have gamers playing as a bounty hunter named Ethan Fall, who is being chased by assassins and must get rid of them to find out the mysteries behind an ancient artifact. It will feature a new 3D graphics engine to produce amazing special effects and will support the DC modem for playing online.
| Glass Ghost's Jump Runner will feature a new 3D graphics engine for creating amazing special effects. |
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D2, the title that seems to have disappeared, will now ship in Japan in early December. It will be on an amazing 4 GD-ROMs and will be competing directly with Resident Evil: Code Veronica.
Arc System Works has announced their first DC title will be a Chess Game. It will be released in Japan this November.... hmm chess in 128 bit, sounds interesting don't you think?
More info on the Dream Passport v2 software, it will support Javascript, MIDI, wav sound files and, interestingly, parental locks.
Sega are to include a 56k Modem with future Japan version DC's. No word as to when and if the price will increase, however check back here daily for new updates.
New dates have been confirmed for King of Fighters 99: Dream Match, Shotoko (Highway) Battle and Expendable, now all due on June 21. All are in high demand so if you want one pre-order now to avoid disappointment.
N64 - Crave have released new info on their upcoming 'reincarnation' of Asteroids, titled Asteroids Hyper 64 it will feature different multiplayer modes including a 'Tow Rope Co-Op' mode!
It is confirmed that the N64 version of Gex3: Deep Cover Gecko will ship on a huge 256Mb cart. The same size as Zelda and Turok 2!
Playstation 2 - NDL's NetImmerse 3D game engine will be available to assist developers for the PSX2. The engine is designed to cut development time significantly.
Playstation - Square have stepped in to quash rumors of Final Fantasy IX, they have told DigiCube, their retail division, to remove all evidence of the game. Digicube last week confirmed on their web site that FF9 was to be released on PSX not PSX2. Now we'll have to wait and see.
Square meanwhile have confirmed a demo of Legend of Mana will be packaged with Vagrant Story when it is released in July. There are also rumors that a Parasite Eve 2 movie will be included.
Takara have released new info on Choro~Q Wonder Four, the game will feature 4X4 sport utilities and a sophisticated tune up mode. New options will include twin prop jet turbines and rockets. Also new modes will include Car Billiards and Car Soccer where the Cue or Soccer balls will be replaced by Choro~Q cars. It is due for release August 5.
Rival Schools 2 will feature athletics and dancing bonus games. You can pre-order it now.
Following Square's confirmation about the existence of an RPG called Dew Prism, they have revealed new info, there will be 11 characters in the game and the main baddie will be a character called Bell. No release date has been confirmed yet.
Saturn - Bet you thought we forgot this didn't you? Well we haven't and we are still doing special orders for members who want games/products, so if you are after something on the Saturn, let us know and we'll try our best to source it for you.
Capcom confirmed a date of August 5 for Streetfighter Zero 3. It will use the 4MB RAM pack and no doubt be better than the PSX version. Versions with and without the RAM will be available and if you want one you have to pre-order as we will only get enough to fill orders. Also now with the dwindling support for the Saturn, most products are becoming harder to get.
We have also sourced a small supply of Vampire Savior, Shining Force 3 part 2, Shining Force 3 part 3, Gun Griffon 2, Konami MSX Collection, Marvel vs SF and Capcom Generations Vol 2 (Ghouls and Ghosts Trilogy). All can be special ordered, however supplies are limited and won't last long.
Neo Geo Pocket Color - Sega don't take any time in announcing their first title for the NGPC, Puyo Puyo 2 will be released July 22 and pre-orders are welcome.
WonderSwan - Ghouls N' Goblins has been confirmed by Capcom for release on July 1. We are now accepting pre-orders on this. |
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Tuesday June 8 1999
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| Dreamcast - Capcom have confirmed that a sequel to Power Stone is in development.
The DC Iomega ZIP Drive is in it's final stages of production, it will allow gamers to store data from the DC network, save emails and other files and reportedly have ports for a keyboard and mouse.
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The new DC Zip Drive will be available later this year and will allow gamers to store information and emails. |
Climax Landers and King of Fighters 99 Dream Match have both been delayed to July and late June respectively. All pre-orders will remain unless we are contacted with instructions otherwise. New Pre-Orders are welcome.
New details about Sega's first DC RPG Cho Hatsumei Boy Kanpan, it is based on the popular anime series in Japan and games will play the part of Kanpan where they need to collect different parts and items to invent equipment and weapons for your robot as you need your robot to fight for you in battle. You can train your robot on the Boy Kanpan VMS card (available now) so it learns new moves. It is due for release July 8 and pre-orders are welcome.
Noishia are working on a new 3D real-time war sim called Rune Caster. The game will be set in a fantasy world where gamers can summon monsters from other dimensions to do battle for them. The game will feature network support for online gaming. No release date has been set.
New details on Soul Calibre have emerged, there will be atleast 6 modes of play, including arcade, vs, team battle and survival, it will feature many new features not found in the arcades, including different facial expressions, body motions and costumes. It will also support the Puru Puru Pak for feedback. Pre-Orders are welcome.
| Namco's Soul Calibre will feature many enhancements not found in the arcades. |
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N64 - Another adapter is available to allow owners of the N64 to play NES/SNES games on their console. This one is called Tristar 64 and seems to be a quality product.
Fox Interactive have announced they will release Die Hard 64 in early 2000. The game will be based on the Die Hard movies.
Playstation 2 - Rumors are saying that the group who broke away from the Tomb Raider development team are to release Galleon on the PSX2.
Sony announced today that they have developed a new laser that is capable of reading both CD-ROM and DVD-ROM discs. Although they haven't confirmed it will be used in the PSX2, it seems the obvious choice for them, seen as the PSX2 will read both PSX (CD-ROM) and PSX2 (DVD-ROM) discs. More news as we get it.
Playstation - New Games: Lunar SSS Complete (US - restock), Centipede (US), Shadow Madness (US), Monster World Complete (Japan), Derby Stallion (Japan), Star Ocean 2nd Story (US - Sold out to pre-orders).
Ubisoft have announced they will not release the first person shooter Mortyr due to concerns it does not fit into their 'family image' - one must wonder why they took it on in the first place then?
Capcom have released new information on their upcoming fighter Jojo's Venture. It will feature 4 characters not found in the arcade and the 3 hidden characters from the arcade will be available at the start. It is due for release in August.
More info on Whoopee Camp!'s upcoming sequel Tomba! The Wild Adventure. This time the game will be in full 3D, there will be over 100 tasks to complete and there will be new elements such as mine cart racing. It is due for release Q3.
Sony announced two new games for release in Japan Q3, a port of MDK from the PC and a title called Panekit. Not much is know about Panekit yet, but we'll keep you posted.
Konami have announced Beatmania Append 4th Mix to be released August 26. It is another extra's disc that utilizes the original Beatmania disc.
Gameboy Color - New Game: WWF Attitude, V-Rally (restock), Ken Griffey Jnr Slugfest.
Nintendo of Japan have delayed the release of Pokemon Gold and Silver to September.
Neo Geo Pocket Color - New Game: Samurai Shodown 2
WonderSwan - Capcom's Rockman & Forty is confirmed for release in September.
The 3 new colours of Bandai's WonderSwan to be released July 22 are Soda Blue, Frozen Mint and Sherbert Melon. |
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Monday June 7 1999
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| Interesting News Bit - All of a sudden Jaguar seems to be getting support - a little too late, but better late... OMC games have now announced they will release two RPGs - The Assassin, a futuristic murder mystery and Age of Darkness. They are due to be released next year.
Dreamcast - Rumors are online that Microsoft have announced they will release Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator for DC on December 15. We are yet to confirm this.
Hudson have announced Super Producer for DC, which is a superstar sim where gamers will play as a producer to bring up new popstars. You can audition, make up, train, promote, organise live shows, check on the charts and world rankings how your stars are going. It is due for release in September.
Dreamcast.IGN have posted 7 new screens of the upcoming racer Trickstyle, click here to check em out.
Despite receiving announcements to the contrary, some online sources have announced that South Park Rally will not be coming to DC. No official word has come to us as yet, so we'll just have to wait and see.
Masaya have released new details on their upcoming 3D RPG Langrisser Millennium: The Birthday Eve. It will be available late 99 or early 2000 and will focus on strategic role playing using five main characters.
Sega have announced Virtua On: Oratorio Tangram will support online internet play. The game is due for release Q3 in Japan.
Namco have announced they will release a strategy guide for Soul Calibre when it is released on August 5.
UEP have announced Coolboarders for DC will be released August 26 now.
N64 - Left Field Studio's have announced their upcoming racing game Excitebike 64 will use the 4MB RAM Pak for high-resolution modes.
Playstation 2 - Microsoft Lawyers have stated that the upcoming PSX2 is being cited as a potential competitor to the PC platform. The statement was made during a testimony in the ongoing US anti-trust trial.
Playstation - New Game: AFL99 (PAL - A$75.95), Live Wire (PAL) should be in tomorrow!
Digicube, a subsudiary retailer of Square in Japan have stated that Final Fantasy IX will be on Playstation now AND it could be out as early as Q2 next year. Square EA have not confirmed the statement and online sources are seeing it as confirmation the game will be coming to PSX. It is still possible however that a PSX2 version will be released as well, we'll keep you posted as news breaks.
SCE has announced a new running/racing game called Sprint! Toma Runner. The game will feature 7 playable characters and many different tracks/places such as in the middle of a party room and even public bathrooms! It is scheduled for release in July in Japan.
Activision have released more info on their upcoming 3D fighter Xmen, the game will feature real time character morphing and battle damage, there will be 14 characters to choose from and each character can morph into their ultra powered alter ego form. No release date has been set as yet, but it is looking great!
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Activisions Xmen is looking great with more than 14 characters and the ability to morph into their alter ego's. |
Konami announced Dance Dance Revolution 2nd Mix will have twice as many songs as the arcade version, it will also have many new features like the Disc Change mode which allows players to play back songs from the first DDR and it will have a unique link feature to allow exchange data with the arcade version. It is due for release on August 26.
SCE also announced the Japan version of Crash Team Racing, which will be called CBR - Crash Bandicoot Racing and rumors suggest it will have a new PocketStation mode not in the US version.
Takara have confirmed August 12 as the release date for Toshinden: Sabaru, the 4th installment which will feature all new characters, design and 3D engine.
Human have confirmed the release date for Fire Pro Wrestling G as June 24 in Japan. The game will feature over 300 characters, including WWC characters. There will be over 1000 moves and 13 different play modes. It will also be compatible with the PocketStation, where you will be able to train your wrestler in the gym and challenge other players with PocketStations.
| With more than 300 wrestlers and over 1000 moves, as well as PocketStation compatibility, Fire Pro Wrestling G looks like a great 2D wrestler.Thanks to Magic Box for the Pics. |
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Capcom have confirmed they will include a playable demo of Rockman Dash 2 (Megaman) in their upcoming 3D action adventure Tron & Kobun. Rockman Dash 2 will have much improved graphics and the quest will be at least twice the size of the original.
Tokuma Shoten have announced they will release Tondemo Crisis on June 24 for PSX. It is a collection of mini-games, connected with a complete story line which emphasises fun and humor. The mini games will mimic a number of famous games and will include Dance Fever, Death Trap Elevator, Quiz, The Modern Titanic, Wheel Chair de GO! and more.
Arika have announced they have canned the release of Tetris the Grand Master due to copyright policies of the author which states only one Tetris game can be released per platform per year and Capcom have already released Magical Tetris Challenge.
Takara have released more info on their upcoming racer Choro~Q Wonderful, the 4th installment of the popular cartoon racer. The story mode will be greatly enhanced with more events and mini games and once you win enough races you can buy parts to upgrade your cars. It is due for release on August 5 and is PocketStation compatible.
Gameboy Color - Konami have announced they will port Castlevania II and Bionic Commando from the 8bit NES to the GBC. They are also to release Spawn on the handheld.
Nintendo announced they will port the N64 titles F-1 World Grand Prix and Rainbow 6 to GBC.
WonderSwan - Following the announcement that Bandai will stop producing two of the versions of their handheld WonderSwan, they have announced they will release 10 new versions, however they will only produce 3 of them, so if you want to see a particular color, you can vote for it on their site.
Ecole have announced they will release an action title called Musapy's Miracle Death Palace on the WS. |
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Friday June 4 1999
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| Interesting News Bit - Songbird Productions have announced they will revive two of Atari's dead consoles in the Jaguar and Lynx with the release of several previously unreleased games. Ponx is due for the Lynx on June 18 and Soccer Kid, among others, is coming for the Jaguar. For all those that hung onto them as paper weights, your sustenance has paid off!
Nintendo has won a court appeal in regards to patent infringements alleged by General Electric (GE) over the Game Boy. The court completely exonerated Nintendo from all infringement allegations.
Also on Nintendo, they are considering building an entire theme park based on.. you guessed it Pokemon. The park will be situated in Kyoto Japan and would be a huge success going on the craze in Japan for Pokemon, which generates 400 Billion Yen per year.
Dreamcast - ASC has announced they will release TNN Motorsports HardCore Heat in September. The game will feature 8 vehicles, 6 international tracks over varying terrain, varying weather conditions as well as many modes of play.
Koei has announced a delay in their upcoming horror adventure title The Seven Secret Chambers: Frightening Smile to August 26.
Masaya announced development of Langrisser Millennium: The Birthday Eve should be completed by October.
Dreamcast.IGN have put up a preview of Rockstar and DMA's upcoming action title Wild Metal Country. Click here to check it out.
Capcom have confirmed Rival Schools 2: Justice Academy is being developed for the DC and will be available before the end of the year.
Kalisto Entertainment released more info on their upcoming racer Xleration, it will feature 16 tracks set in both indoor and outdoor environments.
Sega of Japan is planning to give away all sorts of Shen Mue merchandise in the lead up to the August release of the first chapter. We're not sure if international customers will be eligible to enter, but we'll keep you posted.
Namco have confirmed the release date of Soul Calibre at August 5 now, they also announced they will be releasing an enhanced version of Tekken 3 as their next DC title!
According to some distributors Castlevania is due to be released on the DC January 16 2000.
An anime dating sim called Eidolon Moonlight Night is in development and due for release this September in Japan. Not many details are available at present.
Ecole released more info on their upcoming 4 player light gun shooter Death Crimson 2. It will take place in a huge mansion where the owner was murdered and you must investigate the incident. The game will be split into adventure sections where you must seek out items and hints, and action sections where you use the light gun like House of the Dead. It supports 4 players simultaneously and also contains some RPG elements.
Kadokawa Shoten has announced they will release The Mission for DC on August 26. It is a strategy war sim based on anime Nadesico, with love simulation, adventure elements and 3D battles.
Yuke's, the creators of Squares Soukaigi and Evil Zone, have announced they are developing Berserk for DC. No release date has been set as yet.
SNK have revealed there will be a hidden VMS game in the DC version of King of Fighters 99, however to access it, gamers will need to use the link cable with a Neo Geo Pocket.
Project Dolphin - In recent interviews with several semiconductor manufacturers, IBM and ArtX revealed they are still designing the CPU and Graphics Chip for the Dolphin. Nintendo also declared that there were no demonstrations of the Dolphin at E3, although several sources stated differently. Some suggestions are now that the demo's were on hardware emulating the final product or the demo's were not supposed to be leaked outside the rooms. We'll keep you posted on updates as they progress.
N64 - Activision have announced they will release Spiderman on the N64. No release date was set, but let's hope it turns out better than the feeble Superman!
Infogrames announced a new 3D action/adventure title called Jest. It is a cartoon based game with humorous themes. No release date has been set.
Rare released some new screens and info on Jet Force Gemini and it looks to be another incredible Rare game. If you own an N64, click here to check it out now.
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Rare's Jet Force Gemini looks like another incredible game from the greatest developers on N64. |
Playstation - GT is about to get their advertising campaigns underway for Driver and in the PAL territories is said to be using Huggy Bear and Starskey and Hutch to promote it.
More info was revealed on Capcom's upcoming 3D horror Adventure Oni-Musha The Demon Warrior. The game will take place in ancient Japan and use a control system similar to Resident Evil. The main character can use two different weapons at once. You will be able to perform various attacks and counter-attacks depending if you have learned the moves.
Activision have confirmed the PSX release of Spiderman, no release has been given as yet.
Some new info has been release on Nightmare Creatures 2 for PSX. The game will take gamers in a situation where they are still after the evil Adam Crowley, facing all kinds of monsters, however it will be a hundred years later and the game is set all over Europe and the US. |
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Thursday June 3 1999
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| Interesting News Bit - Following all the violence and accusations in the US, the US Justice Department is looking into claims that violent game advertising is targeting children younger than the recommended ages of the games.
Dreamcast - Rumors are circulating that Capcoms upcoming PSX strategy game Gaea Master is to released on DC as well.
Some almost unbeleivable rumors are stating that Square is developing 3 titles for the DC, which are said to be Chrono Trigger 2 and two Final Fantasy related games. We'll keep you posted if anything official is released.
Sega have announced they are developing an animal hunting game called Jiyasoho (Jumbo) Safari for the Naomi board. No details have been confirmed about a DC release, however it looks like a certainty.
Sega have also confirmed DC users will be able to upgrade free of charge to the new Dream Passport v2 software in late July. The new version will now support most web standards including movie formats and JavaScript.
Some more details have emerged on the upcoming Metropolis Street Racer. It will feature more than 10 cars and support online net based play.
Raindow 6 has been confirmed for a US launch release.
Dreamcast.ign have put up a preview of the upcoming hack 'n' slash action title Soul Fighter for DC. Click here to check it out.
N64 - Rare have released some new screens of the upcoming Perfect Dark. The new shots reveal 3rd and 1st person perspectives within in the game as well as the 4 player death match mode.
| Rare's Perfect Dark is looking to be an amazing title... Stay tuned for more info as it breaks! |
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EA have announced that FIFA 2000 is not on their release lists, instead they will be focusing on the PC and PSX versions of the game. No reasons were given as to why the N64 was excluded or if a future version is coming.
Playstation - More news and rumors that Tomb Raider IV: Last Revelation will be released before Christmas. Also there may be another playable character that can be chosen instead of Lara... Mmm let's hope it is another well shaped female superstar!
Rumors are again circulating regarding a new Final Fantasy title for PSX. The word this time is the title will be a spin off of the series as Final Fantasy IX is to be released on PSX2.
Agetec's Rob Shreve has announced he beleives Fighter Maker has a distinct advantage over Tekken 3 and Street Fighter because it gives you the power to create your own game.
Capcom have announced their new strategy title for PS Gaea Master will be released Q3.
Gameboy Color - Compile have announced Puyo Puyo Gaiden Wars will be released on August 6 in Japan.
Takara have announced Choro~Q Hyper Customal GB will be released July 30.
Neo Geo Pocket Color - SNK has released the NGPC in the US, handhelds from all regions are compatible and we will have US NGPC in stock next week. (Don't forget we have clearout sales on NGP!)
WonderSwan - Bandai have announced they intend to sell more than 1 million units of it's new handheld WonderSwan by the end of July and they are to release three new colours of the WS on July 22 to celebrate the achievement. |
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Wednesday June 2 1999
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| Interesting News Bit - Tantalus Interactive Australia have announced they have secured the rights to develop and release the second South Park game. Titled South Park Rally, it will be released on PSX, N64 and DC. The game is to remain faithful to the original TV series in character and world design and Tantalus Studios are touting it to be 'an entirely hilarious, action packed racing game'. The game is set for a Christmas release for PSX and N64 with DC dates to be confirmed. This is great news for gaming in Australia with this project being one of the biggest undertaken by an independent developer. Let's see more of it! - Perhaps we'll even get to see the game first?? <hoping!>
Dreamcast - For those with Japan or Asian version DC's who are concerned about playing US/PAL titles when they come out, first of all there will be a converter available, it is big business for companies to make converters, so the only question is, how fast can they get it out? The other thing to consider, Sega of Japan has just announced they will be bringing a list of games from the US and PAL to the Japan/Asian region for release. Therefore you will have access to the 60 or more titles available in Asian/Japan plus the ones that are to be released in the other regions. The list includes:
| Metropolis: Street Racer |
NFL 2000 |
| Ready 2 Rumble |
NBA 2000 |
| Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future |
Baldur's Gate |
The DC version of VOOT is rumored to take advantage of the DC's networking capabilities for online play.
Some new screens have been released of the upcoming 'Air Adventure RPG' Project Ares for Dreamcast. It is being created by the same developers who brought us the Phantasy Star series. The game features full polygon gameplay and is set in the romantic 15th century. No release has been given as yet.
| The first screens of the Air Adventure RPG Project Ares. |
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Capcom have hinted at a DC release of Rival Schools 2 in the near future. Although no details were announced, it looks very promising.
Just before the PSX version is released, news has come in that Super Robot Wars is under development for the DC. This could turn out to be awesome!
Mesiya announced their first DC title will be Lan Grisser Millennium! For those familiar with the series, this will be a sequel to the excellent MCD series. It is due for release in October (we can hear you drooling now!)
Kokukawa Shoten announced Nadesico The Mission will ship on August 26 this year.
Following Sega's announcement that the first chapter of Shen Mue has been delayed until October 28 in Japan, online reports are stating that the second chapter won't be out until mid 2000 now.
Sega's Giant Gram All Japan Pro Wrestling 2 will feature three familiar faces from VF3:tb - Kage, Wolf and Jeffery. We are accepting pre-orders on this title now. Click here to get one.
While still on the Giant Gram, A new Giant Gram VMS has been released in Japan with a mini - wrestling game that will offer additional functions and features to the Giant Gram game. We will be taking receipt of a small shipment of these early next week, if you are interested, let us know or order one by clicking here.
Majestic announced they are to port the very popular PC title Rainbow Six to the DC by September this year! No word as to any enhancements over it's PC predecessor.
Sega also excited a few people around here with the announcement of an Outrun arcade game for the Naomi, with a DC port being almost certain! No details were given as to dates, however we'll keep you posted.
Playstation 2 - Sony announced today that ToeJam & Earl will be released on the PSX2. The wacky Alien Duo should hopefully be out by the end of 2000.
Online reports are stating that Tetsyua Omuro is involved in the development of a PSX2 title in Japan. No details have emerged as yet, but we'll keep you posted.
Playstation - New Games: Gun Gauge and Jail Breaker have now shipped to us from Japan. Both should arrive by Friday.
Some distributors in the US have been given a release date of November 22 for Tomb Raider 4: Last Revelation. No other details are available at this stage, but she is looking good!
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Eidos' Sexy Superstar Lara is to bless us once again with Tomb Raider 4: Last Revelation to be released November 22 in the US! |
A sequel to Devil Dice has been announced for the PSX. Not much is known about it at this stage.
Takara have announced another sequel in the ever popular Choro~Q series (Penny Racers). To be called Choro~Q Wonderful, it will feature an improved story mode and PocketStation support.
Neo Geo Pocket Color - SNK are starting their big push in the US for the NGPC, touting it as better than the Gameboy Color by having more colors, more sound and linkability with the Dreamcast.
WonderSwan - Bandai have announced they will stop production of the Silver and Metallic Blue versions of the handheld, making them on the extinct list, so grab em while you can. |
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Tuesday June 1 1999
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| Interesting News Bit - Infogrames has signed the San Antonio Spurs manager George Graham for the upcoming Player Manager 99.
The new Pokemon Movie will be released across US cinema's on November 12 this year.
Dreamcast - Capcom's Gaea Master is rumored to be released on DC. No solid details were available from Capcom as yet.
Sega announced Virtua Striker 2 will be ported to the DC and should be available by October.
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First screens of Sega's DC version of Virtua Striker 2, due for release in October. |
Sega also announced Virtual On will be ported to DC. The 3D mech shooter currently runs on the Model 3 arcade board, so it will be interesting to see if they enhance it. It is due for release mid 2000.
N64 - New Games: Superman (US-Finally!), A Bugs Life (US), Fighting Force (US) should all be in stock Friday. New Orders are welcome.
Genki have announced more info on International Rally Championship 64, the sequel to Multi Racing Championship. It will feature 9 courses in various countries including US, Spain, Brazil, Italy and more. There will be a 4-player mode along with Championship, Arcade, Versus and Practice modes. Players will be able to use officially licenced cars, including Nissan Almera, Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 5, Toyota Corolla WRC, Subaru Impreza WRC and more, to race in and create realistic damage in all sorts of weather conditions. No release date was announced as yet.
| Featuring fully licenced cars and plenty of tracks, International Rally Championship could take the crown on N64 for rally games. Thanks to IGN for the piccy! |
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Playstation - More news is coming in about the new MP3 Enhancer add-on for Playstation, it is a cart based device, similar to the Action Replay, meaning it won't work on the new 9000 series PSX's that don't contain a parallel port.
Capcom have confirmed Gaea Master will be released on PSX. It is nearing completion and is due out our Winter. Described as a 'strategic board game' with various 'guilds' of people battling over land. It also features an in-depth multiplayer mode. |
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Monday May 31 1999
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| Interesting News Bit - Sega have now confirmed they will develop and release titles on Nintendo's Gameboy, SNK's Neo Geo Pocket Color and Bandai's WonderSwan.
Another sign of how big video games are getting, the UK National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences will award Grammys to video game music from next year.
EA's upcoming fighter Warpath: Jurassic Park could be released on other platforms following the Playstation release Q3 this year. No console/s have been confirmed to receive it yet, but they are exploring other hardware possibilities.
Japanese courts have ruled against an Enix Lawsuit to stop Japanese retailers selling second hand games. This decision is sure to start a flurry of new second hand games operators in Japan.
Dreamcast - Want to see how scared you will be after playing the upcoming Resident Evil: Code Veronica? Well Game Fan Online have posted a 50 second movie of the game for all to see. Click here to check it out!
Distributors are now giving July 8 as the date for Buggy Heat. The game is to feature 13 different rallies, many tracks including Desert and Snow, a choice of game modes including Championship, Time Attack, Vs, Level Select and Training modes. There will also be an option to racer other gamers online using the modem, upload AI data and download AI updates to make the game even more challenging.
Talonsoft are looking likely to port their upcoming PC title Hidden and Dangerous to the DC. It features support for up to four players over the net. No release date has been confirmed yet.
Kalisto Entertainment, of the Nightmare Creatures fame, are touting their new racer XLeration as a Sega Rally 2 beater. The game will feature 16 tracks, VMS support and multiplayer modes. DCIGN have posted some screens of the game, click here to check em out.
Rockstar have confirmed DC is under consideration for GTA2. The game was shown behind closed doors at the E3 and reports were very positive. It features real-time lighting and many new features like 15 weapons, 30 different vehicles, four levels of law enforcement, an all new innovative method of turf war gameplay and up to 200 people on screen at once.
The DC RPG that is being worked on by a previous character designer of the Final Fantasy series is due to be released by Capcom Q3 this year.
The project manager of the SNK vs Capcom game is reportedly working on a Naomi project as well. No details are available at this time.
More delays... This time Visual Concepts' 3D DC adventure game Floigan Brothers. It is now due sometime in 2000.
Shen Mue's development has now cost almost A$10 Million. This strengthens rumors that the game is being split into chapters to help recoup some of the production costs.
Compile, the company behind Puyo Puyo 4, has confirmed the existence of a special 108 chain combo. Whoa.. dump that on your friends!
Project Dolphin - Nintendo have already started work on their first title for the Dolphin, with Shigero Miyamoto having the storyboards already in place.
Nintendo are also reported to be working on a package of development tools for third party developers to work on software for the Dolphin well before the hardware is released.
Matsushita (Panasonic) and Universal Music have joined forced to produce DVDs in the US. The new company, called Matsushita Universal Media Services LLC of America, is looking like the plant that will produce the DVD titles for the Dolphin.
N64 - New game: All Star Baseball 2000 (PAL) now available.
Nintendo have announced Turok 2 has now passed the 1 million mark in sales and therefore is to be re-released as a Players Choice game in the US.
Playstation 2 - While doing a report for a UK publication, Eidos' CEO confirmed the Tomb Raider movie will not be CG, it will be a live action film based on the game and made with Paramount and Tomb Raider 4 should be out in time for Christmas with "New consoles such as Sony's Playstation 2" attracting new customers. Meaning that Tomb Raider and Lara will be traversing to the PSX2?
Playstation - New Game: Marvel Super Heroes v Streetfighter (PAL), Monkey Hero (PAL) now available.
Namco have released some screens and desktop wallpaper images for Ace Combat 3, so if you're looking for something different in the background, click here.
989's NHL Faceoff 2000 is to feature a 'Puck Halo' feature. The Halo will allow players to see the puck a little easier by placing a glow around it. It will also feature new animations and crowd interaction. Players will also be able to personalise goalie masks. It is due for release in October in the US.
Still on 989 Studios, NBA Shootout will allow players to create their own way of dunking the ball. Players will also be able to customize everything from the players to the playbook. It is due out in November in the US.
EA and Bullfrog have announced Theme Park World for Playstation. In the sequel, gamers will be able to create and manage their own parks, including building rollercoasters and charges ridiculous prices for popcorn and drinks! All in full 3D. No release date has been confirmed as yet.
Details of an interesting add-on are to be released this week for an MP3 enhancer for the Playstation. For those who don't know MP3 is a compression routine used to store music with almost perfect CD quality playback. We will post an update once details and pricing is confirmed.
We have been getting quite a bit of interest from Burn Members for the new Beatmania DJ Station Pro, a high quality controller similar to the arcade original. The price however will be around the A$200 mark, so we want to know, at this price, what sort of interest there is. If you would like one click here to let us know. |
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For past news check the Archives section on the left bar
