WEEKLY STUFF E-ZINE #24-B (10-24-98) -Plain Text Version ^_^ Contents ^_^ 1.)Pioneer's Evolution Part 5 (of 6) 2.)Pioneer's Evolution Part 6 (of 6) 3.)Nausicca.net: Death & Rebirth 4.)Princess Mononoke -or- The Phantom Princess? 5.)Sailor Moon: Final Episodes Scheduled! 6.)K.O.R. LD box sets headed for presses 7.)Castlevania Revisited - Nintendo 64 8.)Zelda 64 sighted in Germany - Nintendo 64 9.)Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete - PlayStation 10.)Mailing List Technical Info ------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.) Pioneer's Evolution Part 5 (of 6) Pioneer's Evolution Part 5 By Adam "OMEGA" Arnold +Visit The Unofficial History of Pioneer Anime at http://members.tripod.com/~kishin_corps/+ In the tradition of Tenchi Universe, The Wanderers (El-Hazard TV) brings and altered telling of the OVA series. But, where Tenchi Universe mirrors the Tenchi-Muyo!: Ryo-Ohki OVA at a lot of points, The Wanderers makes the most of the TV medium by offering a totally original, linear story with tons of characterizations and non-stop plot building with enough changes to keep your interest through all 7 volumes (26 episodes). If you loved the OVA, you'll enjoy critiquing the TV series because there is no Fatora, Run Venus is younger (and interested in Makoto), and Ifurita has a totally different personality. The best part of The Wanderers is comparing the 2 series! DragonBall Z "doesn't need much of an introduction" because, it is as recognizable as Sailor Moon is. But just in case you have no idea of what it is about. Goku has grown up and now people form his home planet show up on Earth ready to destroy it! Can the hero actually die? What is the true power of the Dragon Balls? The first volume Arrival, featuring a non-stop movie cut of the first 4 episodes of FUNimation's DBZ was released August 12 along with the release of Ani-Mayhem Set 2: The Dragon Ball card game with both a starter deck and booster packers that are fully compatible with the Ani-Mayhem set 0 and set 2. Sci-Fi Channel's 5th Annual Anime Feast, known as Anime '97 this year, brought not one, but two Pioneer movies into homes of Sci-Fi Channel subscribers. First came the television debut of Armitage III: Poly-Matrix, the theatrical version of the OVA with new scenes and big name talent voice actors. And lastly Green Legend Ran, the 90 minute compilation of the classic 3 episode OVA series. September 30 brought Tenchi The Movie: Tenchi-Muyo In Love on DVD, making it the first Pioneer Anime to debut on the new medium. It featured all the special features of the CAV Laserdisc along with Menus that have character information, a interview with composer Christopher Franke and much more. Two weeks later a CLV laserdisc was released of this unforgettable movie. On October 3, 1997, Armitage III: Poly-Matrix was released on VHS Dubbed along with the new soundtrack, entitled Armitage III: Poly-Matrix. Incidentally, though the DVD and Laserdisc and VHS were supposed to be released on October 3, the Laserdisc came out a week late, and the DVD (with menus that showcase music tracks) was released two weeks later. "Armitage III was one of the best OVAs in recent years, and now this story of dire doings amongst the citizens--of Mars is available in this critically acclaimed feature film. Join one of the sexiest heroines in all of anime as she and her partner try to find out who's bumping-off Martian robots and terrorizing the planet in the process. This new English language edition features the vocal talents of Elizabeth Berkley and Keifer Sutherland." November 11, saw the delayed release of the sixth and final volume of the Tenchi-Muyo! P-Anime Comic Book, and December 25 saw the release of the first Dragon Ball Z movie, Dragon Ball Z The Movie: Dead Zone and Tenchi Universe Volume 7. December 16 gives us the third volume of The Wanderers. 1998: The year where Pioneer goes all out. Start out the new year with Dragon Ball Z volumes 4 and 5, and the final climatic conclusion to Tenchi Universe with the release of volume 8. This year has it all. February 1998 brings more Dragon Ball Z (volumes 6 and 7), The Wanderers Volume 4, and two long awaited soundtracks: The Wanderers: The Soundtrack "Illusion" and The Tenchi Universe Soundtrack. But, that wasn't all. February marked a the debut of the Tenchi Collection. The Tenchi-Muyo!: Ryo- Ohki OVA series was back re-packaged with new sleeve art and 2 episodes per tape, included free trading cards, and was re-priced for a new generation of Tenchi Otaku. And you could get the first 2 of 7 volumes in one month to start your OVA collection, or if you were really looking for a great deal. You could get the entire OVA series on 2 Laserdisc sets: Tenchi-Muyo! Collection: Book of Heaven (Episodes 1-7) and Tenchi-Muyo! Collection: Book of Earth (Episodes 8-13 plus the Mihoshi Special, still episode 13.5 and the voice actor interview). March brought the release of the long awaited Tenchi The Movie 2: The Daughter of Darkness (Manatsu no Eve) on VHS subbed (with the original box art), Dubbed, on Laserdisc, and on DVD with a special 'Tenchi Encyclopedia' featuring info from every Tenchi Continuity with clips. A soundtrack entitled 'Tenchi The Movie 2: The Daughter of Darkness Original Soundtrack' was also domestically released. This second movie introduces Tenchi's daughter, Mayuka. Wait, a minute. Daughter? How did that happen? Crimson Blade The Mix - The Hakkenden Music Video "combines footage from the Hakkenden animation with the pulsating grooves of Magic Alec's "Moloko Plus." The music getting wide play in British dance clubs, provide an adrenaline pumping background for sampled video segments that provide an entertaining overview of the violent epic of The Hakkenden." PAC De America #9 even goes as far as to give a warning of "Includes graphic violence, blood, and mind bending grooves. Parental discretion is advised for children. Contains excessive visual and aural stimulation, do not mix with alcohol, if the viewer is using any medication, a medical consultation is recommended." But, I just thing PAC was being careful, because that doesn't appear on the box. March by far broadened the market with Pioneer/Manga Video's Street Fighter II V volume 1-4 on Laserdisc, Dragon Ball Z The Movie: Tree of Might on all 4 formats, The Wanderers volume 5, and yet another soundtrack (two in one month) Tenchi-Muyo! OVA Series Best Volume 2. This monumental month also brought the release of Green Legend Ran on DVD and VHS. Due to the original Laserdisc and VHS sets being out of print, Pioneer makes use of their special Sci-Fi Channel cut of GLR and release the theatrical cut it on VHS dubbed, and release the 3 episode OVA uncut on DVD with a music video and interview to boot. This month has it all in terms of releases. April brings Volumes 5 and 6 of Street Fighter II V, Dragon Ball Z volumes 8 and 9, Tenchi-Muyo Collection Volumes 3 and 4, and the latest OVA of Pretty Sammy 3. Tenchi & Friends Special: Pretty Sammy 3 - Super Kiss brings a toning down of the cuteness factor and introduces a love interest for Sasami! Oh, it also has a great storyline, more karioke, great action, and you get to see some great 'Fan Service.' ====================================== + Note 22: The Wanderers: El-Hazard TV Volume 1 is available VHS dubbed for $19.95, VHS subbed for $24.95, and on Laserdisc for $39.98, Volumes 2-7 are available VHS dubbed for $24.95, VHS subbed for $29.95, and on Laserdisc for $39.98. + Note 23: Dragon Ball Z Volumes 1 and up are available VHS Dubbed for $14.95 each. + Note 24: Dragon Ball Z Movies 1, 2, and 3 are available un-cut on VHS dubbed for $19.95, VHS Subbed for $24.98, Laserdisc for $29.98, and on DVD for $29.98. + Note 25: Ani-Mayhem Set 2: Dragon Ball Z card game Starter Decks are available for $8.98, and Booster Packs are availble for $1.98. + Note 26: Armitage III: Poly-Matrix is available on VHS dubbed for $19.98, Laserdisc for $29.98, and on DVD for $29.98. + Note 27: Tenchi The Movie 2: Daughter of Darkness is available on VHS dubbed for $19.95, VHS subbed for $24.95, Laserdisc for $29.98, and on DVD for $29.98. + Note 28: Pioneer Soundtracks - Tenchi Universe, The Wanderers "Illusion", Tenchi the Movie 2: Daughter of Darkness, and Tenchi-Muyo! OVA Best Volume 2 are available for $15.98 each. + Note 29: Crimson Blade The Mix - The Hakkenden Music Video is available for $9.98. + Note 30: Tenchi-Muyo! Collection Volume 1-7 are available VHS Dubbed for $19.95 and VHS subbed for $24.95. + Note 31: Tenchi-Muyo! Collection is also available on 2 Laserdisc for $39.98 each. TENCHI- MUYO!: THE BOOK OF HEAVEN contains OVA episodes #1-7, TENCHI-MUYO!: THE BOOK OF EARTH contains OVA episodes #8-13, plus the Mihoshi Special. + Note 32: Tenchi & Friends Special: Pretty Sammy 3 - Super Kiss is available on VHS Dubbed for $24.95 and VHS subbed for $29.95. ====================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------ 2.) Pioneer's Evolution Part 6 (of 6) Pioneer's Evolution Part 6 By Adam "OMEGA" Arnold +Visit The Unofficial History of Pioneer Anime at http://members.tripod.com/~kishin_corps/+ The unstoppable Pioneer forges ahead in May with the release of The Wanderers penultimate Volume 6 and Dragon Ball Z The Movie: The World's Strongest. June 9 brings the VIZ/Pioneer release of Ranma 1/2 Movie: Big Trouble in Nekonron, China on DVD. On June 30 we get the final 2 volumes of Street Fighter II V laserdisc (volumes 9 and 10), Dragon Ball Z Volumes 10 and 11, and the first volume of the joint VIZ/Pioneer Night Warriors - Darkstalker's Revenge release. El-Hazard 2 is the continuation of the much, loved El-Hazard: The Magical World OVA. "Makoto and Company continue their adventures from the original OVA's continuity" with a 4 episode (2 volume) series set before the final scene of the first OVA. Volume 1 is released July 14 before the release of the seventh and final volume of The Wanderers (July 28) on VHS dubbed and subbed. A Laserdisc was scheduled to be released with all 4 episodes when the second volume of El-Hazard 2 was released on August 25, but due to Pioneer stopping production of Laserdisc this release was scrapped. July also not only brought El-Hazard 2 volume 1 and The Wanderers Volume 7 but Tenchi-Muyo! Collection Volume 5 and 6 as well. And August 25 brought 5 different releases, El-Hazard 2 Volume 2, Dragon Ball Z Volume 12 and 13, VIZ/Pioneer's Night Warriors - Alpha: Darkstalker's Revenge DVD #1 (contains volumes 1 and 2), and even the long awaited Bastard!!: Resurrection (Volume 1). Bastard!!, the six episode OVA series (3 volumes) is about Dark Schnider, a wizard with unimaginable power, as he does battle in a series right out of a RPG lovers dreams. "Interestingly, the word "bastard" in the title is the name of a certain type of medieval sword, not the little baby that traps the spirit of a studly magician banished to infinite infancy by a wizard who'd had enough of his ill-tempered excesses. But now the town is menaced by evil forces so the locals have to figure out how to bring him back. Anime Movie Guide calls Bastard!! 'a hugely successful OAV series with titanic battles, armored warriors of both sexes, excessive use of dangerous magic, and masses of fun." Prior to its release was "The Best of Bastard!!" CD Soundtrack featuring all the excellent music form this hit series. Pokemon fever hits America as Pioneer's dub of Pokemon hits the syndicated air-waves on September 7. VIZ in conjunction with Pioneer will release Pokemon on home video starting on September 15 brings us the first volume of a can't miss Pioneer OVA, Battle Athletes. Battle Athletes (Dai Un Do Kai: Battle Athletesses) is one of those few series that just make you feel good about being human. This 6 episode Ova (3 volumes) is about Akane Kanzaki, former 'Galactic Beauty' winner Tomoe Midou's daughter, and all the trials she must face with her U.S.S.A. friends. This is a series set in the distant future (4999 AD) where humanity strives for perfection through athletics (sounds like an All Sport commercial, doesn't it?) in order to Battle against an alien race in a 'Galactic Olympics.' Will Akane succeed in getting out from her mothers shadow? Or will another take her place? September 29 brought the three volume set of the Dragon Ball Z movies for one price. And it also marked the debut of Pioneer's second price cut/repackaging. El-Hazard: The Magnificent World OVA gets its' makeover with the rerelease of volume 1 for a new lower price. October 6 gives us the seocnd Viz/Pioneer DVD with Ranma 1/2: Movie 2. Nihao My Concubine. As a sign of how much Pioneer has changed over the past few years, Pioneer has changed their familiar BLUE logo to a new RED logo. Pioneer's products have changed and so have the ways they are used and viewed (Tenchi-Muyo!: Ryo-Ohki on DVD anyone? It is rumored to happen.). Pioneer has renewed their focus on innovation and what it can mean to you. "The bottom line is that we wanted to change our logo to reinforce the new direction we are heading in as a company." To Be Continued (at a later date)……. ====================================== + Note 33: El-Hazard 2 is available VHS dubbed for $24.95 and VHS subbed for $29.95. + Note 24: The Best of Bastard!! CD Soundtrack is available for $15.98. + Note 35: Bastard!! Volume 1-3 are/will be available on VHS dubbed for $24.95 and VHS subbed for $29.95. + Note 36: Battle Athletes Volume 1-3 are/will be available on VHS dubbed for $24.95 and VHS subbed for $29.95. + Note 37: El-Hazard: The Magnificent World are/will be available on VHS dubbed for $19.95 and VHS subbed for $24.95. ====================================== ++ Author's notes 1: Be sure to check out The Official Pioneer Animation Web Site at http://www.pioneeranimation.com because it is being totally redone to better serve you. ++ Author's notes 2: As of this writing, October 24, 1997. We are eagerly awaiting the release of Fushigi Yugi: Mysterious Play Vol.1 (ep. 1-4), Tenchi-Muyo: Tenchi In Tokyo (Shin Tenchi-Muyo!), Battle Athletes Volume 2 and 3, and Bastard!! Volume 2 and 3, just to name a few. If you have enjoyed this 6 part special feature, please visit the special web site I created to showcase this feature. It has corrected versions of all 6 parts, product scans, an in-depth product chronology with *hopefully* every Pioneer Product ever released in America. The Url is: http://members.tripod.com/~kishin_corps/ . And if you have enjoyed what you have read why don't you send me some feed-back at ablarnold@csi.com to tell em what you thought. This was a lot of hard work and it took a lot of research to get this done. I hope you enjoyed it. ^_^ ------------------------------------------------------------------ 3.) Nausicaa.net: Death & Rebirth On Friday 10-19-98, Nausicaa.net, run by Team Ghibli, was penetrated by a team of Russian hackers. Apparently the Ivans got in to the core system and wiped out the harddrive at Nausicaa net. Everything from "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" to "Monoke Hime" has been wiped clean from the site. All that remains is an ftp. message (ftp://ftp.nausicaa.net/pub/readme.txt) indicating what happened and what we can do to help out. All of the data on Nausicaa.net was lost, including the following: * the Miyazaki web (but there are old mirrors on TCP.com and in Hong Kong) * www.baka-con.org (BAKA!-Con - Seattle-area anime convemtion) * www.japanese-animation.org (www.anime.tj) * mailing list archives * nausicaa@brownvm.brown.edu (Fukumoto-san has a backup in Japan) * nausicaa-offtopic@nausicaa.net * ghiblink@nausicaa.net * animedia@nausicaa.net * presskit@nausicaa.net * listar*@nausicaa.net * baka*@nausicaa.net * eolo@nausicaa.net * news.nausicaa.net - the ghiblink.* newsgroups * Team Ghiblink mailing list and archives (Nausicaa.net maintenance project) * Team Eolo list, archives, and web (Nausicaa.net translation project) * all public file (FTP) archives * Press Kit project mail and file archives and press contacts list (I have a backup of the Kiki press kit, however) * all user accounts (incl. Larry Greenfield's) * Jeremy's Listar mailing list project (but he has backups somewhere) All of this data was lost and is not recoverable from the hard drives. Jeremy and I are going to work on a solution to this, but we will also be needing your help. If you have copies of: * any of Nausicaa.net's web pages in your web browser's cache (eg. "Temporary Internet Files" for you Microsoft Internet Explorer users) * any of the file archives (pictures, movies, sounds, scripts, synopses, FAQs, etc) * any of the message archives (ghiblink@nausicaa.net, animedia@...) WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE: * collecting people's copies of material to be uploaded to the server (so that I am not the only person who receives files to be stored on Nausicaa.net) * searching for backups at various archiving projects such as archive.com or Google (Google.Stanford.edu) (these show the most promise of recoving large numbers of web pages and files) * decoding and uploading files to the server (decoding files sent via e-mail that is) * moving files to the correct directory (we'll move them to their old directory, then to a new, easier to navigate directory structure that the site was long overdue for) * fixing broken links and cataloguing missing files For those who want some instructions on how to search through their caches a little easier than just by opening each file to see if it belonged to nausicaa.net, Paul McAllister has created a little webpage to help you out. It is located at http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/~paulmca/ghiblink.html and includes instructions and helpful hints for PCs, Macs, Unix, and Linux. If you have visited any of our web pages or downloaded any files from this site, please check your hard disk for copies of those web pages or files -- we can use them to rebuild the web server and FTP server. YOU can help make this site as good as it used to be, or better! If you have any files from Nausicaa.net, please let us know by sending mail to michj@nausicaa.net with the following information for each file you have a copy of: * the name of the file (eg. availability.html, or nausicaa.qt.hqx) * the directory path that it used to be stored at (eg. http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/kiki/, or ftp://ftp.nausicaa.net/pub/file-archive/nausicaa/movies/) Note: the Miyazaki mailing list is still functioning properly, because it is hosted on a completely different machine. Just as the site grew to a size that was too much for one person to maintain, rebuilding the site is a task that is too much for one person to undertake. Jeremy is working with friends of his to make Nausicaa.net more secure and easy to back up. He's got a big task ahead of him because it involves rewriting parts of the operating system (Linux) to remove the security holes that made the site vulnerable in the past. "Thank you all so much for your help and support. I'm very touched." ~This Article is a combination of edited postings by Christopher Jefferson , Paul McAllister , and Michael S. Johnson -Miyazaki Web and Mailing List Owner . If you have any of the files of Nausicaa.net, please E-Mail michj@ESKIMO.COM The Name and Directory path it is stored at. For The latest Updates and info please visit ftp://ftp.nausicaa.net/pub/readme.txt ------------------------------------------------------------------ 4.) Princess Mononoke -or- The Phantom Princess? + ‘Mononoke' Gets Final Title The Insider reads in the Deseret News (a Utah newspaper) that Mononoke Hime / Princess Mononoke's translated title will be The Phantom Princess (not to be confused with Star Wars: The Phantom Menace). The News report was shortly corrected with…. + Make That ‘Mononoke' Miramax's release of the Japanese animated box office hit Princess Mononoke was reported earlier in the week to be headed stateside with a title very close to The Phantom Menace, which might well have annoyed the folks over at Lucasfilm. In an advertisement in today's Variety, Miramax is now officially promoting the American version of Princess Mononoke as...Princess Mononoke. This should put to rest the questions surrounding the title that were raised when a reporter with the Desert News claimed it would be called the Phantom Princess. The trade ad also reports that Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie will be throwing their voices for the film as well... + PRINCESS MONONOKE + Written and Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki Voices of: Gillian Anderson, Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Minnie Driver, Angelina Jolie, Billy Bob Thornton Adapted by: Neil Gaiman Produced by: Studio Ghibli Dubbing ~ The preceding excerpts have been taken and edited from 'daily newsbriefs' at Cinescapes website at www.cinescape.com, and the last tidbit is from page 2-3 of the Oct 19-25, 1998 issue of Variety. ++The Food Court Presents Ghibli Vs The Mouse: http://users.vei.net/jng/fcp/mvm/mvsm.html. It has a series of humorously doctored pictures, showing San and Ashitaka in combat with the characters from Mulan. ++Studio Ghibli calendars: 1999: http://www.hknet.com/~wylau/?.jpg 1998: http://jurai.murdoch.edu.au/ghibli/ Others: http://www.loria.fr/~michel/English/Anime/index.html Others: http://www.loria.fr/~michel/English/Anime ------------------------------------------------------------------ 5.) Sailor Moon: Final Episodes Scheduled! The Cartoon Network has decided to forgo the November Sweeps and has instead scheduled the final 17 episodes of "Sailormoon-R" to air starting on Monday, November 30. Originally the episodes were slated to start on Monday, August 31 but were pulled to make better use of them. We believe that overwhelming fan reaction to not airing them caused the network to reject the option of scheduling the episodes out-of-order in mid-November. From the network's perspective: If not airing them caused this much negative reaction then why risk showing them out- of-order? Some of the executives at The Cartoon Network were unaware of or discounted the network's interest in Sweeps. Sweeps, after all, only involve rating local U.S. TV stations and not Cable Networks. But they are in competition with one another and advertising rates are determined by these ratings. When a Cable Network does not compete in these Sweeps they get lower ratings as viewers flock to the local stations (which carry networks) that do compete. Local Cable Operators cannot charge as much for the commercials they place on non-competing networks. Local Cable Operators do not want to carry Cable Networks which consistently get low ratings. This is one of the reasons why The Cartoon Network is only available in 60% of U.S. homes with television. If the network is to expand it must convince more Local Cable Operators to pick up its signal. Meanwhile, we applaud The Cartoon Network on its decision and look forward to the first nationwide airing of the final "Sailormoon-R" episodes. For the complete article check out the Sailor Moon SOS web site: http://dau.physics.sunysb.edu/~ming/sos/index.shtml, and while you are there read about the possiblity of MORE SAILORMOON JAPANESE EPISODES!!! ------------------------------------------------------------------ 6.) K.O.R. LD box sets headed for presses I just got off the phone with Rebecca Houk at AnimEigo. After multiple delays due to installation of new computer software (and loss of some information which was restored from the old-fashioned paper backup of everything), staff's repeated personal illnesses, changes requested by the controlling Japanese company Toho, and extended time in studio production to evaluate/tweak the work in progress.........the finished D2 Digital Masters were shipped out *today* via UPS (cross your fingers they'll arrive in one piece ^_^ ) to head for Japan for laserdisc pressing. The finished product is expected to be returned to the U.S. in three or four weeks. So we can anticipate them arriving at our doorsteps around the third week of November. None of the people at AnimEigo have ever gone thru the experience of a project of such grand scale. Rebecca says that now that everyone has already done it once for the first half of the series, the second half will go somewhat faster. Their translator has already begun working on the second half, and production will be easier when it begins. The actual credit card billing takes longer than anything (!) and will not resume until February. (December is end of year inventory, January is taxes.) I am guessing that this puts the arrival of the second box set at around....I dunno, what do *you* guys think? I wouldn't expect it until the beginning of April. I would be shocked if we got it by March. I'll suffer a heart attack if arrives by late Februrary :) [ ain't gonna happen]. -Kelley From: AA Fansub ML ------------------------------------------------------------------ 7.) Castlevania Revisited -Nintendo 64 Konami's monster sequel forges ahead with big strides. October 21, 1998 18:00 IGN64.com was able to play a more advanced version of Castlevania, highlighting some of the changes and improvements the game's designers have made since its closed-door debut at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Atlanta. Judging from the latest version we were able to play, Castlevania looks like it's right on track for an early 1999 release. Players choose from two characters: Schneider Belmont, a master of the whip, and Carrie Eastfield, a young girl adept at using magic spells. Originally, Konami planned to offer a choice of four characters, but two were dropped in favor of focusing the programming team's development efforts and moving completion of the game forward. A good move, as it turns out, because Castlevania is finally coming together and looks like it could become one of N64's premier action titles when it's done. Depending on which character you choose, the game's quest will be slightly different. For example, playing as Schneider you will never face a certain boss, whereas Carrie will be able to avoid another tough obstacle designed for Schneider. There are two endings for each character, a good one and a bad one. And yes, your main character will turn into a vampire during the quest. The game starts off in the forests of Transylvania. As Belmont enters the clearing, he sees a skeleton on the ground. Off to the left a dead body lies next to a crashed motorcycle. Approach the dead body and the game will seamlessly proceed to one of the many real-time rendered cutscenes that drive the story forward. As Belmont kneels down to examine the body, the skeleton behind him starts to violently shake, accompanied by the appropriate bore rattling noise - and finally gets up. Other skeletons rise from the dirt, reminiscent of Ray Harryhausen's undead warriors in the movie Jason and the Argonauts. This is where you take over. Using Belmont's whip and sword, you cut the skeletons down to size. However, cutting off a head or a limb doesn't prevent the undead from attacking, so be sure to scatter the bones with a well-placed hit. Gameplay is very reminiscent of the original 2D games, with timed platform jumping, candle whipping and all the creatures and weapons that made the series a hit. Asides from skeletons, bone dragons and spider women, a recently demoed version of Castlevania at the Tokyo Game Show also offered a glimpse at a large skeleton boss that lurks in the first level. In case you're worried about the music, don't be. Konami's MIDI sound teams are the most capable in the industry and the tunes in Castlevania sound as good as the ones in Symphony of the Night on PlayStation. Check back for more screen-shots and info on Castlevania soon. - Courtesy IGN64.com ~ Source: Arc Nova / Forum Staff <72064.3304@compuserve.com> of Video Gaming Central on CompuServe. ------------------------------------------------------------------ 8.) Zelda 64 sighted in Germany -Nintendo 64 UK Zelda sighted in Germany CVG get their hands on almost complete version [**Skip to the very last paragraph if you want to avoid spoilers**] Its been in development for as long as we can remember, but Zelda 64 has always remained top of most wanted lists. Now its almost here! Nintendo were adamant that Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time would get a European release before Christmas, but the games industry press dismissed it as nonsense us included. But credit goes to the people at Nintendo of Japan for getting it done, and making an absolutely storming game in the process. Only a select few journalists were invited to attend a the Zelda Summit in Germany, CVG being one of them, to play a virtually finished English language version. And despite the years of waiting, we werent disappointed. Your quest begins with you being awoken by Navi, a small fairy who is to become your companion throughout the game. She is an integral part of the quest, and has been sent by the Great Deku Tree to find you and help you save Hyrule. Navi will often fly to scout around the area that youre in, and if she does a message will flash in the top of the screen, telling you she has something to say. Press the top C button to activate her. Your house is situated in Kokiri Forest, and this is where the game begins. You are summoned by the Great Deku Tree, but before you can see it, you have to find a shield and a sword. The shield is for sale in the shop, so you need to find 40 rupees to get it and the sword is in a small cave at the top of the map. You have to crawl through a small hole to get to it. Talk to all of the people in the Forest because theyll all give you advice on how the controls work and some useful tactics. There not too boring, so you dont have to wade through tedious speeches and all of the info is relevant. It guides you nicely into the game, and prepares you for what is to come. Once youve scouted the area head up to the tree where the story unfolds. The tree has been poisoned and its down to you to cure it, so get in and start exploring. The most important aspect of succeeding in Zelda is to master the combat controls, otherwise you find yourself frantically reeling off shots in the vague hope of actually doing something. 1. You have to get used the Z button which is a targeting option. Itll lock onto the nearest target to you and follow it around until you unlock it, or one of you is killed. This also targets the weak spots of enemies so you can save on bullets. 2. While youre in the target mode, Links movements become slightly different as well. Holding a direction and pressing A, Link will jump sideways if you press left or right, backflip away if you tap backwards and lunge at the opponent with forwards. 3. If you have multiple enemies to defeat, pressing Z will toggle through all of the targets in your view. If there is only one target, Z will return to the normal attack view. 4. When in this mode, using the Slingshot will not bring up the first person view youd normally get when using it. The display at the top of the screen is a standard affair, showing the three items equipped to your C buttons, and well as the weapon youre holding and the action button. This blue sphere plays a very important part in the game, because it will basically tell you exactly how you can interact with whats going on. For instance, when you approach someone in a village, itll flip to speak and pressing the button activates that action or itll switch to climb when you walk past a box or ledge that can be scaled. The Rumble Pak will also give you a few pointers, because it shakes gently when you go over areas in the ground that can be bombed. The first few items you collect do a lot more than just give a few extra health points back for example. The Deku sticks can be used not only to batter opponents, but also as fire lighters. Equip one and walk past a flame and itll catch alight, enabling you to light all burnt out flames. The Slingshot is a cool weapon, as when you fire it the view switches to a first person view, enabling you to perfectly aim a shot. Shields are bought from most decent shops and as soon as you have to chance to upgrade one do so, as its usually relevant to the part of the story. A bit further in, the Egg you are given hatches into a chicken which can be used as a wake up call (a little tip for you there). As you leave Kokiri Forest for the first time, Saria gives you an Ocarina which becomes an integral part of the game. There are loads of tunes which you must learn, and each has varying effects. Play Zeldas Lullaby whenever you see the Triforce logo on the ground to open a door or other such effect. Sarias Song will let you talk to Saria telepathically wherever you are and she can sometimes offer cool snippets of advice. The third song youll learn is the Sun Song, which will freeze any undead zombie folk whore giving you a hard time. The Japanese release date is 20th November. The American release is the 23rd. In Europe well be getting it in early December. Thats the facts, and well have more info on this awesome game soon. --- Courtesy Game-Online ~Source: SYSOP*Joe Talladira, <104074.3641@compuserve.com> of Video Gaming Central on CompuServe. ------------------------------------------------------------------ 9.) Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete - PlayStation The RPG With Personality Size: 4 CD-ROMs (2 Game Discs, Soundtrack, & Making Of) Style: 1-Player RPG Special Features: Includes Cloth Map ; 45 Minutes of Anime FMV; Awesome Working Designs Text Translation; Slightly Altered Story; Intutitve Combat Scenarios With Auto-Battle Feature Created by: ESP/Game Arts/Jam for Working Designs Available: 1st Quarter '99 for PlayStation Each and every Working Designs release has been accompanied by a full-color manual, a chrome cover, and colorful CD art, making each purchase seem fulfilling before you even play the game. Can you name another video game developer that puts just as much care into the packaging of a game? Well, we're sure you came to the same conclusion as we did -- there is nobody out there who can compete with who we call the packaging king of the video game industry, the mighty Working Designs. With its new product, Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, Working Designs has applied the same "first-class" treatment to the package, but get this, it will include even more booty! BAM BAM, BABY!!! In Lunar's package you will find a kickin' cloth map that can be used for navigation purposes within the game, as a napkin for eating messy food, or as a bandanna which should make you twice as attractive as you already are. You will also find four different discs crammed into the box. Two of the CDs are the game itself. One disc is the complete soundtrack. And the last disc is a new "making-of" segment that includes interviews with the original Game Arts team, and Working Designs big cheese Victor Ireland (no relation to the seductive Cathy Ireland, but there are a few similarities). The game also features a few new enhancements over its old Sega CD version. For starters, the script has been rewritten. Apparently, Game Arts was not happy with several of the plot points, so approximately 85-90% of the story has been altered and is now brand-spanking new. Wow! Ya didn't expect that didja! The game will also feature several new animated cutscenes, which brings the total animation time in Silver Star to 45 minutes! Again, wow! And as expected, the graphics are slightly enhanced, and the loading times have been chopped to become nearly unnoticeable. Unless you order direct through Working Designs, Lunar: Silver Star Story cannot be found in retail shops. Silver Star Story and its sequel, Eternal Blue, were two of the best games on the Sega CD. Heck, they made that machine worthy of purchase. For those who missed the excitement, the chance to relive half of the legacy will be hitting the PlayStation in early '99. Lunar: Silver Star Story is an exceptional RPG that features great character interaction and personalities, quick and inventive combat scenarios, and a fancy look. We've always loved Working Designs' translations, and Lunar: Silver Star Story proves to be another excellent release. If you want a classic, then save your pennies, because Lunar is being resurrected to entertain another generation of gamers. Stay tuned for more information and news on this interesting RPG release. --- Courtesy Game Informer Online ~Source: SYSOP*Joe Talladira, <104074.3641@compuserve.com> of Video Gaming Central on CompuServe. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 10.) Mailing List Technical Info ~ Back Issues can now be found at Omega's Vanishing Point, the original home of this E-Zine: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/ablarnold/wsemain.html ~ You can set which Version(s) of WSE you wish to receive. A.) Anime/Video Games, B.) Sci- Fi/Comic Books, C.) BOTH Versions of WSE, or D.) Unsubscribe completely. ~ To subscribe a friend send e-mail to ablarnold@csi.com, with the subject of _Subscribe WSE_ . ~ To unsubscribe send an unsub e-mail to ablarnold@csi.com, with the subject of _Unsubscribe WSE_ . Until next issue. Ja Ne. Adam “OMEGA” Arnold ablarnold@csi.com ; ICQ #7737442 http://welcome.to/vanishing.point/