Post a Comment On: The Dreamcast Junkyard

[Image] Issue 18 of Paragon Publishing's unofficial Dreamcast periodical hit the shelves on the 25th January 2001, just a month before production of new Dreamcast hardware was announced as cancelled. Even with this heartbreaking news on the horizon, Dreamcast Magazine issue 18 hit it home that the Dreamcast wasn't yet out for the count, with some truly stunning games reviewed. Before we get to those though, let's look at some of the interesting news and previews in the first half of the mag...
[Image] Previews include Daytona 2001, Phantasy Star Online, Giant Killers, Ducati World (shudder), Confidential Mission and Championship Surfer. The infamous Black & White development diary returns and news of Sega Europe's then chief JF Cecillon leaving the company is also reported. There are some intriguing news stories, such as a snippet mentioning rumours of a successor the Dreamcast coming out of Japan, and information on yet another Virtual On game heading to the Dreamcast, this time titled Virtual On 4: Force.

Apologies for the slightly wonky scans. No matter how many times I repositioned the magazine it simply would not scan straight. Not going to lie - the scanner nearly got elbow dropped...even though it is an inanimate object and the fool was the one holding the magazine (that's me, folks!). Click the images for larger versions that you can actually read. [Image] [Image] [Image] [Image] First news on a Jet Set Radio sequel is revealed (later to become Jet Set Radio Future for the Xbox), and likewise rumours of a return for extraterrestrial duo Toejam & Earl is hinted at. As with JSRF, this also came to fruition as an Xbox title, although an unfinished Dreamcast version can be found online. One final story worth mentioning is the news that EA and Sega were apparently in talks to bring EA games to the Dreamcast as a result of dissappointing PlayStation 2 sales figures. Whether this news ever had any basis in reality is questionable, but this was a big deal back in the day. Who knows if an EA turnaround could have also turned the Dreamcast's fortunes around? We'll never know, but it's an interesting point nonetheless.
[Image] [Image] [Image] [Image] Reviews in issue 18 cover such turds as Sonic Shuffle, Exhibition of Speed and Star Wars: Demolition, but balance is restored in the form of Starlancer, Project Justice and Record of Lodoss War. Other games covered include Aqua GT, Sno-Cross Championship, Surf Rocket Racers, Tom Clancy's Rainbox Six and The Grinch. Here's a video walkthough:


1080p playback should be available by selecting the little cog and choosing the video quality option. If you'd like to see more of the magazines covered in this series, either click or tap the image below! [Image]