New
Ogre Battle Game
Sighted for N64
06.16.99
The original Ogre Battle inspired such an incredible cult
following on the SNES that Enix directly ported the
game with no upgrades or changes to the PlayStation. The
SNES version of the game is still in such demand that
certain used retailers can get away with charging fifty
bucks for it.
Well folks, guess what? Nintendo has announced that a new
Ogre Battle will be setting sail for N64 waters this fall.
The game will be called Ogre Battle 3 and appears to be
strikingly similar to the previous game.
According to Nintendo Power Source, the game's combat
will take place in a real-time environment, but we're not
sure if that's right or not, or if they just mean certain
parts of the game are real-time. These are the same people
use "real-time strategy" and "resource
management" interchangeably in their Command &
Conquer story.
Oh well, enough of this. We got the pictures from Nintendo.
For the direct, but possibly flawed skinny on the game,
check out the link below. We also have a direct link to one
Ogre Battle 64 or Chapter 6 at Nintendo of Japan's site.
Don't get too excited. They're obviously the same game.
Enjoy, but don't leave Game Informer for too long. We get
lonely.
Courtesy Game Informer
PlayStation
2 Provides Change and Growth
Industry analysts predict temporary slowdown in software
sales with introduction of new systems.
June 16, 1999
When the next generation PlayStation arrives sometime next
fall, the small, formidable sector of hardcore gamers won't
have any doubts as to which system they will buy. But casual
gamers and those who wait for months and even years to buy
new systems will have - and always have -- a major effect on
the videogame industry's overall sales volume, which is
expected to drop in the next two years.
According to industry the analyst firm Piper Jaffray, when
the PlayStation 2 arrives, sales will slow down
because of the rift in the system generation - the change
from PlayStation to PlayStation 2, Dreamcast from the
Saturn, or Nintendo's new Project Dolphin from Nintendo 64.
But after the systems are set in place, a spurt in
software sales typically follows for several years, Chief
Executive Bobby Kotic of Piper Jaffray said.
Kotic explained that growth in the software market would hit
about 18% in 1999, and calculated a total income of
about $11.4 billion, but that in the year 2000, this same
figure would be negligible.
Industry analysts expect the PlayStaton 2 will be the
dominant game console in 2000, ahead of competing consoles
by Sega (Dreamcast) and Nintendo (Project Dolphin), which
are also launching next-generation products.
Courtesy IGNPSX.com
TEST
DRIVE 5
All Cars
To access all cars, enter your name as RONE.
Submitted by cyscorp@hotmail.com
All Tracks
Beat a drag race and save your name as "mthree".
Submitted by chris crs357@usa.net
Bonus Cars
For three bonus cars in single race mode, enter your
name as NOLIFE at the high score screen. Submitted by Da Man
wwfsux@yahoo.com
Cop Chase Mode
Simply enter your name as VRSIX to enable the
"Cop Chase" play mode. You can use Time Trials,
Cup Race or any method that requests you to enter a name for
this code to work. Submitted by Lord Stormblade Samhain666@aol.com
Fear Factory Music Video
As you know, select Fear Factory songs are included
in the soundtrack for Test Drive 5. There is also a hidden
music video of their song, Replica. To access the video, do
the following:
At the main screen, select Full Race
Select Drag Race
Win a Drag Race match
Enter your name as auxyray
Go back to the main screen
Select the Fear Factory Video option Note: If the Fear
Factory Video option doesn't show up, go to the options menu
and return to the main screen and it should appear. Be
sure to save to your memory card so that you can instantly
access the video in the future. Submitted by Vector vector@gamesages.com
New Car in Tournament
Go through the first race of a tournament (except
Ultimate) then save your game. Then reset your playstation.
After it loads your previous game, go to Full Race and
choose Time Trials. Pick the car you want and race the time
trial. After finishing the race, quit time trials and got to
continue race. Do not go to load, but go straight to race.
Hit Next Cup Race and you will start the race. You will have
the car you picked in time trial and there will be no
computer cars. Have fun!!!! Submitted by weapon 62@hotmail.com
Super Arcade Mode
For a change of pace, enter your name as SPURT after
winning a drag race or entering a cup race. Submitted by
Clayton margolin@sj.bigger.net
Courtesy GameSages
NBA
2000
While football fans drool over the pictures and movies of
NFL 2000, basketball fans might be feeling a bit left out.
Never fear, Sega is here to rectify the situation by
creating a basketball game to end all basketball games.
Visual Concepts, the company currently working on NFL 2000
and a few other secret projects, is once again handling NBA
Basketball 2000, a breakthrough Dreamcast title that is sure
to impress fans and critics alike.
Like its NBA counterpart, NBA Basketball 2000 is full of
details and graphical wonderment. With technical
numbers like 400 player models and 1,400 motion-captured
animations, one would certainly hope the game would at least
look semi-decent. It certainly does. Those 400 models aren't
just generic characters that could be any NBA player - they
are the actual players. You'll see every detail of your
favorite NBA star; from Rodman's tattoos to Kobe's unique
hairstyle nothing has been left out.
Character models aren't the only things so detailed. 28 of
the 29 NBA stadiums, and everything that comes along
with them, are here in all their glory. When they say
everything they mean everything. Floorboards, score
tables, fans, and a host of other basketball elements are
recreated with amazing realism.
Watch as anxious coaches pace the sideline in frustration
and pain as angry fans just pick up and leave in bitter
resentment if their home team is bombing. Along with an
amazing polygon count and seamless animation which runs at a
smooth 60 fps, NBA 2000 is quite a visual treat to say the
least.
At the heart of the game is some fairly decent gameplay as
well. All the swipes, touch-passes, and fake-outs are
there as well as the regular sticks and moves you'd expect
from a top-notch basketball title. In addition, the post
moves provide a system that'll allow anyone to cover those
really fast or huge superstars that might be causing you
trouble on the defense.
You can adjust your strategy to whatever the situation
calls for, and even use your character's unique moves and
talents to get the upper hand in a tough situation. Visual
Concepts is also making sure that the AI is realistic and
smart enough to make the game look and feel like a
regular-season basketball game, as opposed to the laughable
dunkfests many gamers are so used to nowadays.
Although recently delayed until late fall or early winter,
Sega is ensuring that NBA Basketball 2000 sets the standard
for all future basketball titles. 4-player support is
definite and the rumored "internet-updatable
rosters" might make its way to the surface. If not,
this game will instantly appeal to the die-hard sportfans
out there anyway.
Everything from the graphics to the gameplay to the
little details, seems to be coming together to give us
gamers the best experience possible. And if these first few
sports games are the Dreamcast's first generation, the
public should prepare themselves for Sega's upcoming
baseball and hockey titles (among others). If all goes well,
these games will further prove that EA isn't the only
company out there that can make a good sports game. Here's
hoping all goes well.
Previewed by: Kevin DuPuy
Courtesy of SegaDreamcast.net
Square Talks DC & PS2
Recently, Yoshii Maruyamma Vice Chairman of the subsidiary
company Square-EA, spoke out about the Dreamcast, its
obstacles to success, and their involvement with the
tentatively titled Playstation 2. "I think there are a
group of hard-core gamers in any market who will buy any new
system that comes out. So selling half-a-million to a
million Dreamcast units by the end of the year won't be that
hard for Sega," Maruyamma expressed in his assesment of
the Dreamcast's sales in Japan thus far. "But after
those hard-core gamers buy the system, selling the system to
a broader audience will be the challenge."
From his comments, it seems that Square and company are
still very skeptical of Sega's new system, and possibly with
good cause. They have had a strong relationship with Sony
and the Dreamcast isn't exactly flying off the shelves in
Japan. Commenting on that relationship Square has had with
Sony, Maruyamma-San commented:
"We hope to have at least four or five games available
within 12 months of the launch of the PlayStation 2 in
Japan. And with the PlayStation 2 coming a year after
Dreamcast, I think their hardware should be much better than
Dreamcast. But more important to us is the kind of support
they provide to us to develop games, and Sony has been very
good to work with."
The Square saga continues. Will Sega be able to coax this
very loyal Sony supporter with promises of a large
volume of software sales? Only time will tell. In fact, it
will be some time, if ever, that Square does decide to
develop for the Dreamcast.
Written By: Sajed Ahmed
Courtesy of SegaDreamcast.net
Pokemon Gold And
Silver Postponed
06.15.99
Nintendo Co., Ltd of Japan announced that the release date
of Pocket Monster Gold and Silver in Japan had been pushed
back from summer to early September. Apparently, the
Nintendo needs more time to perfect the link system
and more debugging. Reportedly, playable demos will be on
hand at the Nintendo Space World on August 27th and 28th. No
word as to how this will affect the American release of the
game.
Courtesy Game Informer
PlayStation 2 Leans
Toward Linux
Development community welcomes Linux Development
Environment.
The PlayStation 2 may use the infamous open-platform Linux
development environment for the PlayStation 2,
according to a report from Nikkei Computer Graphics.
The software tools will sell this winter for the hefty sum
of about $20,000, about the same price for a
PlayStation development kit.
Courtesy of PSX.IGN.COM |
Lara Croft To Star In Ad
Campaign
06.16.99
The new millenium belongs to Lara Croft, or at least it would
seem. In addition to her upcoming debut on the silver
screen, Ms. Croft will be appearing in the Sci Fi Channel's new
television ads. The ad campaign, entitled I Am Sci Fi, will
seek to explode society's geeky stereotype of sci-fi fans. Lara
Croft is one of many celebrities chosen to represent science
fiction, including former pornstress turned singer/Melrose Place
alum Traci Lords, the band Everclear, tennis stars Venus and
Serena Williams, and freaky deaky rap superstar Busta Rhymes.
Lara Croft's ad will appear for the first time on June 18.
Courtesy Game Informer
Vigilante 8: Second Offense
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Lexoflux
Genre: Action
Origin: U.S.
Number of Players: 2
Dual Shock: Yes
Expected Release Date: October 1999
Peripherals: Analog, Memory Pack
New information and loads of screen-shots of Activision's
upcoming tour-de-force.
June 16, 1999
The sequel to Vigilante 8, a whopping graphic upgrade that
includes some of the more interesting changes in the
car-combat arena in some time, was demonstrated to IGNPSX
yesterday, and it nearly blew our socks off.
While today will be a screen-shot extravaganza, tomorrow will
be a massive detailed update to the preview. Enjoy the shots and
stay tuned for more, much more.
When freshly shrink-wrapped packages of Vigilante 8 slapped down
on retail shelves last summer for the first time, few
people realized what a gem had just been bestowed upon them.
Taking the Twisted Metal formula and bringing it to new heights
in gameplay and graphics, Vigilante 8 quickly toppled the
car-combat genre with its objective-based missions,
interactive backgrounds, and hellaciously fun car combat action.
With Second Offense, Activision looks to keep the combat recipe
intact, while spicing up the overall feel and scope of the game.
With more vehicles and more weapons than before, Second Offense
has also grown in geographic size. Terrain now spans across the
US with more levels and more detailed environments.
What this means dear fans is that more of the great outdoors
will likely be crumbling upon your sorry heads. Last year's
Vigilante 8 spotlighted snowbound avalanches and tumbling desert
rocks, which are sure enhanced and added to.
Gamers will be pleased to learn that newly enhanced Quest mode
has expanded as well, with more objectives involving a greater
diversity of tasks, and more complex and challenging adventures.
The Lexoflux development team has its work cut out for it because
after all, Vigilante 8 was a beautiful game. Hopefully, the team
will squeeze out more special effects from the PlayStation
without losing frame rates, and can dig deeper into the low level
programming aspect of the game to increase enemy AI, enhance car
physics, and realize more detail and color from this exceptional
engine. With new power-ups, weapons, special moves and additional
modes of play, in addition to improved graphic detail such as
water effects, fog, exhaust, and brake lights, the game promises
to be a real treat.
Douglass Perry
Courtesy IGNPSX.com
A Chat With Alan Jones of
SOE
Last Saturday we had a special opportunity to meet up with Sega's
UK Marketing Director Alan Jones. From the long conversation that
Sega X had with him, some interesting tidbit's surfaced regarding
the company's plans for Europe and the Dreamcast.
We were talking about the upcoming UK marketing strategy, and
from what was derived from it, Jones said that the major
advertising push won't start till around the end of August. This
actually turned the conversation into a slight argument for we
felt that August was too late.
This is Sega's last chance to survive as a hardware manufacturer,
and this time they have the machine to do it with. Sega cannot
afford to mess about with the European launch, because at this
present moment in time, there are no pre-orders, no teasers, and
no store promos. Sega of America has the United States teeming
with Dreamcast marketing from print ads, movie trailers, and
store displays; so it's only Sega Europe that are actually
giving people scary thoughts.
Alan Jones insists that the launch of the UK Dreamcast will be
just as successful as the one, State-side, will be. The reason
why Sega UK needs to be more careful is that most people in the
United Kingdom still don't know what Dreamcast is, and the
pictures of the games do not do the hardware justice.
The most interesting point of our discussion concerns Sega Rally
2 and the company's plans for its internet support. Whilst
the Japanese version only allowed four gamers net-play, the UK
version will incorporate up to 12 players, simultaneously.
The game's frame-rate was another key question at the moment, and
Sega UK is discussing the idea of adding some extra
features.
Baldur's Gate was mentioned as well for the Dreamcast, Mr. Jones
also talked excitedly about another upcoming game: 'Trick Styles
is one seriously cool game and I couldn't really stop playing it.
There's so much to do in Trickstyles that I couldn't really pick
a game that would describe it. It's one of the games that I'm
very happy about.'
Written By: Gavin Matheson
Courtesy of SegaDreamcast.net
Star Ocean: The Second Story
In the year of the RPG, the oncoming calculation of hours gamers
will sit in front of the TV screen may be greater than ever
before. Certainly, the amount of hours has been affecting the
staff at IGNPSX. Case in point is Star Ocean, which we have
yet to complete for purposes of review. Why? It's a big long
game, following two other big long games (Lunar and Shadow
Madness). In the meantime, we've already posted the entire intro
FMA, a gorgeous mood-setting movie-short, and today we're posting
first impressions and 25 screen shots for your pleasure.
First Impressions
This is a brief fist look at Star Ocean: The Second Story.
Probably one of the most eagerly awaited sequels to an Enix game,
or to any major RPG, is Star Ocean: The Second Story. Enix is not
only well thought of because of its attention to detail, and its
excellent storytelling abilities, but because, although often
slow in delivery, it always produces an exceptional RPG and
emotionally engaging story. Star Ocean: The Second Story is no
exception.
First off, Star Ocean is in many ways old-school role-playing.
It's sprite-based characters are not just super deformed,
they're super, super deformed. They're tiny little characters
that look like two-year-olds in medieval adult clothing. I'm not
saying that's a bad thing, either. These characters appear in
luscious, finely detailed caves, islands, forests, towns,
pastures, and many other prerendered environments that are some
of the best on the PlayStation. The overall effect is a classic
16-bit look and feel that's sure to enthrall long-time RPG fans
and intrigue many newcomers to the growing genre.
Adding to the look of the game is the absolutely phenomenal
full-motion animation and video that weaves in and out of the
story, starting with the initial FMA, which looks like something
that George Lucas would be envious of. Also mixed into the game
are long, detailed, game-engine based cut-scenes that help to
tell several of the characters' back-stories. Overall, the mix of
high end video and sprite-based simplicity may strike cynics as
polar opposites, but the end all result is a cohesive whole, a
tightly bound visual production that truly embraces anyone with
20 minutes on their hands and a copy of the game.
There of course is a phenomenal amount of complicated stuff going
on in Star Ocean. The battle system is filled with combos, and a
weird mixture of realtime fighting and non-player interaction.
And the fighting system as well as the entire game is almost
entirely based on the gamers configuring and modifying your
characters, your "skills," specialties, and
Private Actions.
But what's certainly the best element the game is its story. The
storyline is so classicly Japanese. The stoic characters
inadvertently reveal their true feelings through real life scenes
and odd situations. Like for instance, Claude and Rena have a
certain relationship, or friendship, and as the story progresses,
it's apparent that, well, without revealing too much, it
"matures"...
One early event in a hotel with Rena's Aunt is hilarious, and
stands as a perfect example of just how deep and complex the
multiple-plots of Star Ocean are. One almost forgets the Claude
is lost and must get back to the world ha was transported from,
the initial thread into the game. We'll have a review as soon
as possible.
With the official announcement early this spring that Star Ocean:
The Second Story is coming to PlayStation today, Sony's
signal is clear. The PlayStation has become the number one RPG
console ever in history.
That may sound like a lot of PR crap, but if one peruses through
the monstrous library of RPGs on Sony's 32-bit wonder, there are
very few contenders, with say the early exception of the Super
NES, perhaps.
But still, while the Super NES had its wonders (the Final Fantasy
series, and Enix's Dragon Quest, to name a few), The
PlayStation library is bigger, more diverse, and because of its
more advanced technology, games' storylines are better
illustrated and more originally and graphically enhanced.
Developed by Enix, the makers of the Dragon Quest series (once a
Super NES game), Star Ocean: The Second Story is the company's
revitalized iteration of an RPG that at once harks back to the
RPGs of the past and looks toward the future with quirky new
innovations.
Star Ocean takes gamers on an adventure of wondrous proportions,
in which mini-events, magical item combination, and skill
enhancement make for a deep gameplay experience. Gamers will have
control over every character in their group, and can
"grow" them to be powerful allies in a quest that'll
take many hours to complete.
With the choice of two different characters to begin your game,
players will find that as they gain experience and friends,
their adventure will change subtly from their friends' games.
Star Ocean is structured to provide more than 80 different
endings, many of which depend on how you grow your characters and
whom you choose in your adventure.
Featuring realtime polygonal battles, many hours of exploration
and battles, and a cadre of optional mini-events that
assist in determining the game's endings, Enix's Star Ocean is
fluid with alterations and modifications. These range from
making items, such as weapons, armor, and food, to gaining
skills, in which characters in your group learn or even buy items
to help them increase their writing skills, become more
knowledgeable about minerology, sketching, or even get an
esthetic sense. As you progress through lands using this
"Skill System," the acquisition of skills to create
items from raw materials through cooking, alchemy, metalwork,
compounding and more adds to their inherent and individual
strengths.
Enix's first PlayStation RPG also approaches fighting in with a
different perspective. Fighting sequences feature realtime
polygonal battles wherein players create custom combo moves, and
in which they can switch between characters in the fight itself.
During their travels players discover a throng of mini-events,
oddly called "Private Actions," (sounds kinky,
but it's not) which actually effect the central storyline
possibly even the game's ending.
Shortly, we'll have more on Star Ocean's graphic look, the
storyline, and its overall sensibility.
Douglass Perry
Courtesy IGNPSX.com |