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Dreamcast Becomes Reality
by Jeremy Horwitz for Gamers Today
There's good reason to be skeptical about Sega - since the releases of the Sega Genesis game system and Sonic the Hedgehog, they haven't done anything quite right. Remember the Sega-CD, 32X, Game Gear and Saturn, heavily hyped Sega game systems which failed to live up to their advertising campaigns? Surprisingly, Sega's new Dreamcast game system (MSRP: $199.95) just might buck the trend. Armed with incredible graphics, a variety of excellent games and an important one-year lead on new hardware from its competitors, the Dreamcast has everything it needs to succeed, except it carries the burdens of Sega's reputation. Will the Dreamcast find its way into your home? Take a look at the top three games Sega promises will be available at or around the release of the system in early September.
Sonic Adventure: It's hard to believe but true - Sonic the Hedgehog has finally outdone Mario. This 3-D Mario-style action game features Sega's well-known speed demon in the most fantastic environments ever seen in a video game, including an active volcano, a massive theme park, an ancient temple, and a stage that takes place in the heart of a tornado literally as impressive as those seen in the movie Twister. Sonic Adventure also lets you choose from seven characters, play two complete pinball machines, and raise Tamagotchi-style pets for use in other mini-games. It's the first Sonic game worth keeping in your collection. Fans of high-speed action games should also keep their eyes open for Acclaim's upcoming Trickstyle, a futuristic hoverboard racer inspired by Psygnosis' successful Wipeout series.
Soul Calibur: Namco won the hearts of arcade and PlayStation gamers with Soul Edge, a stunning combination of one-on-one martial arts combat with medieval swords and armor. The sequel's twice as cool, and not only is it exclusive to the Dreamcast, but Namco has also used the DC's incredible graphics capabilities to enhance Soul Calibur's animations and textures beyond those seen in the arcade. Characters move with smooth, natural motions in 3-D, even including detailed facial motions, and Namco's trademarked sword-clashing blur and spark special effects look better than ever. Though there will be a number of big-name one-on-one combat games ready for the Dreamcast's launch, including Capcom's similar and fun Power Stone, Soul Calibur is definitely the one to buy.
Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Mimicking the style and pacing of Nintendo's popular 2-D Punch-Out!! boxing games, Midway has developed Ready 2 Rumble, the first really fun 3-D boxing game. You might recognize some of the ever-so-slightly caricatured opponents from movies and real boxing, including a Mike Tyson-wannabe and a tall blonde Russian who bears more than a little resemblance to Rocky III opponent Ivan Drago. Unlike the PlayStation titles Contender and Knockout Kings, Ready 2 Rumble includes tight controls, lots of moves per boxer, and plenty of replay value. First- or third-person camera options add to the experience. As exciting as Sega's NFL 2000 and NBA 2000 look, Ready 2 Rumble will probably be the one you'll want to keep playing after a few weeks of ownership.
