dEX Update - 02/22/1999 - New DC Titles, Naomi Games, Import Pricing, and more...
Greg Wittel
Again I apologize for last week's update being so late. I've been extremely
busy with exams and papers and haven't had the time to deal with network
problems, etc. There hasn't been a whole lot of Sega news this week, but more
is sure to come as the Spring release schedule picks up. The release of
titles at the end of this month marks the beginning of a heavier schedule with
about 14 Dreamcast games set for release this March.
Two titles are coming up this week for the Dreamcast. First off is Capcom's
Power Stone. The game received an average of a 8.5/10 rating in Famitsu.
Konami's Pop 'n' Music received a 30/40 review from the magazine. There are
images along with info on Power Stone in the snapshots area if you haven't
checked them out yet.
Dreamcast pricing has also dropped quite a bit in recent weeks. In the US,
the average inflation in cost of Dreamcast items has been as low as 88%, but
currently ranges between 95% and 150% depending on what importer you contact.
Those in Europe will have to wait a bit longer for the price drops to effect
them. Retailer Computer Exchange has yet to drop prices and inflation levels
remain near 200%. Another British importer, Games Terminal
(www.gamesterminal.com) has prices that are close to CEX, and even a bit lower
if you are a member (free). A Japanese Dreamcast for members costs £286,
while the Asian model sells for £240. There are some minor savings to be had
in Europe for now, but prices will most likely drop soon. When they do, I'll
of course let you know.
With all the talk of Dreamcast pricing and import prices, I will soon put a
currency convertor on the site. Right now I am debating the best area to link
to the convertor page. That is, should I have it in the New Release area,
News, or something else. It can also go into the links area, but the convertor
is not completely off site, so I don't really want it there. E-mail me and
let me know what you think would be best.
In the past week, several Naomi games made their debut in Japan. First off is
Capcom's Strider 2. The game isn't really second in the series, as the
original Strider 2 appeared on the Genesis several years ago. Regardless of
that, the game looks pretty good, but there isn't really any detailed info on
the game that I know of other than the game uses 3D graphics but will have 2D
gameplay. It looks quite impressive, and the 3D graphics work quite
effectively while still maintaining the '2D' play. No word on a release date
or DC port, but a DC port is extremely probable.
Tecmo's fighter Dead or Alive 2 is on its way to a Naomi based system as well.
The game is very much like the excellent Model 2 original in terms of
gameplay, but takes advantage of the improved power of the Naomi board. Most
of the characters from the original DoA will return. The game will also have
new play modes including a 3 v. 3 battle mode similar to the team battle mode
in VF3TB.
Sega recently announced three Naomi games for release in the near future.
First is a puzzle game called Puzzle Kurutto Stone which appears to be very
similar to Columns in gameplay. Boat Race will be also coming, its title
pretty self explanatory. Remember the old game called Space Taxi for the C64?
Well, something very similar will be coming to a Naomi based system.
Essentially, in Crazy Taxi the goal of the game is to get the passengers to
the destination within a given amount of time. You'll face the regular rigors
of driving including obstacles, traffic, etc.
At next month's Tokyo Toy Show, about 30 Dreamcast titles will be shown along
with 8 Saturn games. Along with Shenmue, there are now persisting rumors that
Sonic Team _may_ announce the sequel to the famed Saturn game, Nights. At
this time, Sega will neither confirm or deny these reports.
That's all for this week, again, let me know where on the site you'd like to
see the currency convertor!
-Greg
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