Following is issue #99 of the Dreamcast Weekly Magazine.

This issue was first published on September 17, 2000. The magazine was written by Graham Parker and used to be available from http://www.dreamcastweekly.com/. The original TXT file containing this issue is available for download from our archive. This issue has not been edited in any way, except to add links where appropriate.

Issues 007 through 084 of the magazine can be downloaded in all their TXT file ASCII glory from our Dreamcast Weekly magazine archive page. Issues 001-006 appear to have been lost forever, unfortunately.

Without further ado, please enjoy issue #99 of Dreamcast Weekly Magazine.

    ________________________________________________________________
   /                                                                \
  /______________> > > DREAMCAST WEEKLY MAGAZINE < < <_______________\
 ////                                                              \\\\
////                 ~ Issue #99 - Sep 17th 2000 ~                  \\\\
\\\\                                                                ////
 \\\\            Sponsored by http://www.PrimaGames.com            ////
  \\\\                                                            ////
   \\\\           Best read with the Courier New font.           ////
    \\\\                                                        ////
     \\\\        Past issues at www.DreamcastWeekly.com        ////
      \\\\____________________________________________________////
       \________________________________________________________/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 (((  DREAMCAST WEEKLY INFO  )))                              | Page 1 |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> For daily game news, over 200 Prima Fast Track Guides(tm) online,
  codes, downloads, and contests every day, be sure to visit Primagames.
  Prima is the number one source for video and computer game strategy in
  the world!
---------------------- http://www.PrimaGames.com -----------------------
---------------------- http://www.PrimaGames.com -----------------------

> For the latest game news, reviews and previews visit the premier video
  games site TotalVideoGames.com With over 300 archived news articles &
  the greatest game reviews. Updated throughout the day with everything!
------------------- http://www.totalvideogames.com ---------------------

> You can unsubscribe from http://www.dreamcastweekly.com but you must
  use the address you signed up with (a common mistake!).

> Our domain name is provided thanks to Total Video Games, the UK's
  premier video games magazine updated daily, and The Junction, the
  best place for Teens to chat.
-------------------- http://www.the-junction.com -----------------------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 (((  EDITORS COMMENTS  )))                                   | Page 1 |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tell Your Friends: Our 100th issue next week - Featuring our interview
with one of the most IMPORTANT men at SEGA! Our cover feature for this
week however is looking at the Olympic games, and what's missing in this
age of 128-bit sporting glory.

Looking for a prototype Genesis game? How about a Sega Puyo Puyo UFO
Toilet Cover? lol! Well starting this issue in our "Sega On The Web"
page, we list some of the rare Sega collectibles on sale at Ebay, and if
your planning to sell something hot, let us know!

Then we tell you how to power your VMU with AA Batteries, fixing the
smallest consoles problem having the biggest apatite for power.
Followed by introducing a Dreamcast fighting stick with a built-in
rumble feature! It's all in the Sega On The Web page near the bottom.

We've also got a hot rumor involving Sega, their online gaming network,
and Total Annihilation 2 which can be read after the news page. Oh and
for those playing Dreamcast online, the cheats page includes a very handy
tip to speed up your modem, and the news page includes details on how
Sega.net members can win a Dodge Viper GTS and several other prizes!

Finally, don't forget to look out for our 100th issue next week! Until
next time remember, The Game Is Never Over!

- Graham "Tails" Parker (Editor)

              .oO   Page 2 - Cover Story          Oo.
              .oO   Page 3 - The Weeks News       Oo.
              .oO   Page 4 - Red Hot Rumors       Oo.
              .oO   Page 5 - Prima Games Corner   Oo.
              .oO   Page 6 - Cheats               Oo.
              .oO   Page 7 - Sega On The Web      Oo.
              .oO   Page 8 - Our Support Sites    Oo.
              .oO   Page 9 - Credits              Oo.

HOT QUOTE this issue: "If you scored a World Record you'd probably run
out into the street singing your national anthem, and hire a PR person
to handle your new found fame."

-- How To Improve The Dreamcast's Olympic Games - Cover Feature

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 (((  COVER STORY  )))                                        | Page 2 |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>>>> My Olympic Dream
     - Written by Graham "Tails" Parker

I won't deny every four years getting really into the worlds greatest
sporting event, the Olympics. The memories of the "Barcalonaaaa" song
back are still fresh from 1992, and constantly switching between
watching the games on TV, and playing them on the Master Systems
"Olympic Gold" brings a sentimental tear to my eye. But now in the new
millennium, with a new 128-bit console to power my Olympic Games, I've
being practicing my button mashing techniques for the past few weeks,
if there is such a thing, in preparation for breaking a few world
records.

With not one, not two, but three different Dreamcast games to choose
from and a mass of detail in Sydney 2000, my fingers were going to be
flat out for these two weeks. But after reading the review of Sega's
own Virtua Athlete, the words "rushed" and "bugged" jumped out of the
page of each website. With a lack of events the game couldn't even
compete with Athlete Kings, a Sega Saturn game back from 1995. But not
to worry, there's still two more games.

Or at least I thought. ESPN International Track & Field didn't cut it
either? Oh! Boring events (where's the swimming?!?), and poor blocky
graphics which the developers wouldn't get any medals for. But will all
the features and detail that's gone in Eidos's official title of the
Olympics, Sydney 2000, it has to win gold right? Wrong, in fact this
third and final Dreamcast is just as disappointing as the others.

Sydney 2000 does include a wider range of events than the former two
mentioned games, but it's still missing what you'd except from an
official license. Plus the slow down, plain graphics, long loading,
and the typical controls (I could go on) do nothing to spark the
imagination and make you believe your in there with the worlds very best
at Sydney.

What a disappointment this generation of Olympic games has been. But why?
And what can they do to fix all these problems?

Firstly, more development time certainly wouldn't go a miss. Instead of
a feeling or pride and sporting glory, these games give you a rushed and
unfinished feeling. Even though developers are still getting used to the
Dreamcast, they could have done much better. However more time in
development does mean higher costs, and perhaps a game based on the
Olympics isn't worth too much. The shelf life of say, Virtua Tennis, is
much higher than Sydney 2000 for example. The answer to that I believe,
is to do what Sega did with Athlete Kings, and don't actually make the
firm connection to the Olympics and restrict most of your sales to those
two weeks when the world is caught in the fever of competition.

Speaking of competition, the four player modes aren't a bad touch. But
isn't the point of the Olympics to see who's on top of the world. That's
the entire planet, not just your living room. Imagine a diving contest
where your skill and timing are put to the test with the very best. If
you scored a World Record you'd probably run out into the street singing
your national anthem, and hire a PR person to handle your new found fame.
Then the Olympic Records could be the record on each console, if you want
to compete with yourself and leave the few million others out of it.

Finally we come to the most important part of the game, and perhaps the
biggest reason for this generation failing, the events. Aside from a few
polygons, textures, and motion captured animation, has the 100m sprint
really changed since the days of the 8-bit Master System? It's still
A,B,A,B,A,B,A,B... as fast as your poor little fingertips can take. It
was fun at first, but now it's just old and boring. In particular when
the other events of the game are nothing more than a new set of props
from the last, and perhaps a press of the D-Pad once or twice.

But imagine an Olympic game with Boxing, Tennis, Hockey, Softball,
Beach Volleyball, and maybe even a Tri-Athelon. Each event listed would
have a totally different setup of controls, a totally different
path to the road of victory, and provide once and for all the variety
we're crying out for here. True it would take a crack team of
programmers and countless hours of development time to pull off, but it
would be the greatest sports game in human history. If they didn't link
it directly to the Olympics either, copies of the game would continue
to fly off the shelves for years to come. After all, it's not like the
GD-Rom and DVD storage these days couldn't handle all those events.

The ultimate sports game, and the Olympic Dream. Will it become a
reality? If publishers want to take the lead and bring out a game
that's fun and not a cause of OOS, I certainly hope so.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 (((  THE WEEKS NEWS  )))                                     | Page 3 |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For daily news check out Sega X at http://www.segadreamcast.net

>>>> Win A Dodge Viper GTS & More With Sega.net

SegaNet Registered users 18 or older can head over to the site below and
fill out a form in the Events section. By doing so, you will be entered
into the draw to win a hot Dodge Viper GTS baby! Other prizes include
two Sega GT Dodge Viper racing jackets, 50 copies of Sega GT, and 100
Mad Catz steering wheels. SegaNet users: GET OVER THERE NOW! I know I
am!!   - Kevin Parrish

http://www.sega.net/seganet_pc/events/events_segagt.jhtml

>>>> NHL 2K1 Delay

Sega Of America announced this week their hockey sequel, NHL 2K1 will
be released in 2001 instead of this fall which was all but confirmed.
NHL 2K was widely known as the weaker of Sega's sports lineup, compared
to NBA 2K and NFL 2K that is. So the extra development time on the
sequel should be worth the wait, and we'll see how Sega does early
next year. - Graham Parker

>>>> Cheap Games For Aussie!

Australian gamers now have a selection of cheaper Dreamcast titles to
choose from at their local BIG W stores. Including Vigilante 8: Second
Offense, Trick Style, Worms Armageddon, and Psychic Force 2012, the
budget lineup costs AUS$29.95 per game. But if none of those titles
interest you, House Of The Dead 2, including Sega's light gun is selling
for just under AUS$100. Now that's a deal! - Thanks to Future Games for
the news.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 (((  RED HOT RUMORS  )))                                     | Page 4 |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Each week here we'll keep you up to-date with the latest rumors going
around, but please remember these are only rumors. Just before we start
this week however, we'd like to say sorry to Planetweb for the rumors
printed two weeks ago on their upcoming browser. We urge our readers to
ignore those details, and await an official announcement from Planetweb
themselves in the future.

>>>> Total Annihilation 2 - Sega Raises The Dead

When Cavedog went under last year, sadly their highly anticipated sequel,
Total Annihilation 2 went with them. TA was one of the most popular real
time strategy games the PC ever saw, right up there with Command and
Conquer. Now this past week some interesting rumors have surfaced that
Sega Of America has picked up the rights to the sequel, and is going to
release it on the Dreamcast, including online play powered by Sega.net.
Commanders the world over await the news of their next mission.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 (((  PRIMA GAMES CORNER  )))                                 | Page 5 |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>>>> What's Cool This Week - HOT!

Every week PrimaGames own Mr. News Guy dishes up what's cool on the
web. This time it's your chance to colonize the planet Mars, visit
the underwater paradise of Atlantis, and possibly one of the best game
developers websites in the history of the internet. Keep up with
what's cool thanks to Mr. News Guy.

http://www.primagames.com/news/article/2168/

>>>> Three Contests - ENTER TODAY!

Primagames.com is currently running three contests, giving you chances
to win an N64, three games (including The Legend of Zelda: Majora's
Mask), three strategy guides, an extra controller, and an expansion
pack. Or if you prefer to enter their PS2 contest, you could find
yourself owning 10 hot new games this fall. Plus there's PS2 strategy
guides, and even games for the ten runner-ups! If that wasn't enough to
enter, try Primagames.com Perfect Dark contest. The winner takes an N64
console, Perfect Dark game, expansion pack, strategy guide, and just for
fun four Hersheys "Special Dark" chocolate bars. So what are you
waiting for?! Enter today... - http://www.primagames.com/

>>>> 250 Fast Track Guides - http://www.primagames.com/guides/pftg.php

Remember, Primagames.com has more than 250 Prima Fast Track Guides
online for you to check out right now. For the best, fastest, and most
up-to-date game strategy you'll find, Prima's the ticket. Click the
link above for the Fast Track Guide index.

>>>> 20,000 Cheats - http://www.primagames.com/strategy/codes/

Prima Games, the company responsible for those brilliant strategy guides
launch their cheats database... and they feature more games than you can
shake a stick, no a whole danged tree at!

>>>> Hot titles that received Prima Official Strategy Guides:

Resident Evil: CV - http://www.primagames.com/guides/posg.php?ID=4572

Super Magnetic Neo - http://www.primagames.com/guides/posg.php?ID=4965

Space Channel 5 - http://www.primagames.com/guides/posg.php?ID=4909

>>>> Check out their site yourself at http://www.PrimaGames.com/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 (((  CHEATS  )))                                             | Page 6 |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>>>> NFL 2K1

-- Speed Up Your Modem:

Using the PlanetWeb browser 2.0, enter the "Modem Int." settings and
change "AT&F" to "ATs28=56" to give your modem an extra boost of speed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 (((  SEGA ON THE WEB  )))                                    | Page 7 |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Each week we print the best of Sega around the web. From videogame
movies, to import stores, VMU developments, to collectibles on Ebay!
If your starting to sell any interesting Sega related on Ebay, give us
an e-mail on Madcow@ihug.co.nz and we'll list it here.

>>>> Power Your VMU With AA Batteries
     -- Written by Isaac Rounds

Note: This must be viewed in a Fixed Width font (IE Fixedsys)
Website: http://www.crosswinds.net/kansas-city-mo/~algebraic/vmu_dev.html

 ..........              .....   UNDER SIDE OF ORIG. BATTERY
/   VMU    \            /     \  * solder a wire to the pos. connector
|          |           |   -   |+  and another to the neg. connector.
|Battery   |            \     /
|Comp'tment|             .....
|  ,/      | * plug your modified battery into the battery compartment
|(       +)|   (only one fit in mine after I soldered the bottom... it
|(----   +)|   may take a bit to get it to fit in taught) and attach the
|(        )|   wires to the battery pack, respectively (pos>pos, neg>neg)
\          / * my battery pack was just four AA batteries taped together.
 ..........    It would have been better to solder them or build a box to
               hold them in tightly, but I can always do that later. Oh -
               a note about the pack - the voltage must, of course, equal
		   6v. A few common batteries that can be used for this are:
		   4xAA,AAA,C,D,etc. But also, neither Dreamcast Weekly nor
		   Isaac Rounds is liable for any damages caused by this idea,
		   you should have some soldering skills if your going to do
		   this.

	You can visit Isaac's VMU Development website right here:

http://www.crosswinds.net/kansas-city-mo/~algebraic/vmu_dev.html

>>>> Sega Collectables On Ebay:

If your starting or planning on selling a Sega collectable on Ebay,
give us an e-mail on Madcow@ihug.co.nz and we might list it here for
all 40,000 readers to see. We don't ask for anything in return, but
we reserve the right to pick which products we list.

Dragon Force pin
-- http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=440710332

Game Gear TV Tuner
-- http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=440187395

Genesis Prototype Game - Pengo
-- http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=438415443

Lunar 1 & 2 (Sega CD)
-- http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=439637273

Panzer Dragoon Saga (US)
-- http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=440077067

Phantasy Star II, III & IV on Genesis (carts only)
-- http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=438461870

Sega CDX, 32X, 107 Games + More...
-- http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=440800820

Sega Virtua Fighter collectibles
-- http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=439085639

Shining Force 3 Scenario 1 (US)
-- http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=439414644

Shining Force 3 Scenario 2 (import)
-- http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=439660740

Sega Puyo Puyo UFO Toilet Cover (lol!)
-- http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=439658254

Undiscovered 3D Master System Game - Line Of Fire
-- http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=438695970

And finally, here is someone selling an almost totally useless 2nd Disc
of Panzer Dragoon Saga. Which naturally you can't access unless you have
the saved game off the first disc. I wonder what the price will get too:

http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=440967494

>>>> Lik-Sang Import Store Update:

-- Feel Every Punch!

The new DC Dragoncast Rumble Fighter Stick is now on sale for US$35.
This arcade-style 6 button fighter stick features a VMU slot just like
Sega's own design, but also autofire and slow motion features, plus a
built-in rumble pack! Feel every punch with the Dragoncast Fighter
Stick. http://www.Lik-Sang.com

>>>> Latest On NextGenVideos:

-- Sega Stops Pirate Supporters!

With the recent appearance of Dreamcast copied games, starting out
requiring a boot CD now all self booting, Sega is franticly in search of
contributing fodder to make examples of. Find out who their latest victim
was. Excellent. http://www.NextGenVideos.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 (((  OUR SUPPORT SITES  )))                                  | Page 8 |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dreamcast Weekly goes out to around 40,000 gamers every week. How did we
get so many people signed up? With the help of these websites, that's
how. Thanks to them Dreamcast Weekly has become the huge e-magazine it
is today.

>>>> Sega X - http://www.segadreamcast.net

A website with plenty of news, and always the latest game reviews, but
also a IRC Java chat room where you can chat about all the latest Sega
topics. THE must see Sega site each and every day.

>>>> Sega 2000 - http://www.sega2000.net

Sega 2000 is back online! Come see our new design and meet many of the
new faces on the staff.

>>>> Game Ireland - http://www.game-ireland.com

Begorrah! Are you Irish? Half Irish? Enjoy a pint of Guinness from time
to time? Whatever your connections, visit Game-Ireland, the premier
source of Irish gaming on the Net. We cover everything from Dreamcast to
the Game Boy with the best Irish writers in the business.

>>>> The Next Level - http://www.the-nextlevel.com

The Next Level is a multi-platform gaming magazine focused on current
and upcoming next-generation systems. We provide up-to-date news,
in-depth reviews, reader reviews, intriguing editorials, and more.

>>>> Perfect Zero - http://204.30.23.21/

The Perfect Zero server is in trouble! Because their host server has
died, the staff have put an emergency version online at the above
address. Help support their comeback by visiting Perfect Zero today.

>>>> The Sonic Zone - http://www.suneet.com/soniczone/

Updated daily with a HUGE amount of Sonic content that is sure to blow
you away! From Fan Fiction to Chatting, and even Fan Created Games, this
is your one stop Sonic site.

>>>> Gaming Central Starpath - http://www.startpath.com/gamingcentral

This site contains hundreds of links for anything a gamer might be
interested in, no matter what format, including some game specific
links.

>>>> Future Games - http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Fortress/6831/

What used to just cover Dreamcast now covers Playstation 2, Dolphin, and
X-Box platforms too. A great site to visit for keeping an eye on the
competition, but also for the latest in Australian Dreamcast news.

>>>> Dreamcast Weekly - http://www.DreamcastWeekly.com

The official website for the Dreamcast Weekly is right here. It
includes our history, back issues, and more. Then in the future... who
knows, we might start up an HTML version, and hopefully be a print
magazine one day (Hint to any publisher that may be reading this   )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 (((  CREDITS  )))                                            | Page 9 |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

O Editor: Graham Parker "Tails" - Madcow@ihug.co.nz
O Red Hot Rumors: Michael Monahan - Mikelad1@aol.com

Thanks goes out to all our support sites above, along with our sponsor,
PrimaGames.com, all for helping make Dreamcast Weekly as big as we are
today!

>>>> http://www.DreamcastWeekly.com - Our Official Website!
>>>> http://www.PrimaGames.com - Our Sponsor

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Copyright 1998-2000 Graham Parker - Madcow@ihug.co.nz

Written and edited by Graham Parker. No parts may be copied without
prior permission or correct credit where due. There should probably be
a pile of other legal lines here, but please just play nice and don't
steal. Thanks for reading DC Weekly!