Player Two Start: An SNES-CD Timeline
- Thread starter RySenkari
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Hm.... I might do something on that. Not now, but maybe sometime circa 2004-2006.
Been working on E3 1999, and man, this is going to be a massive update. Clip some pizza coupons and buy a two-liter of Dew, tomorrow's update is going to be a marathon to read. 
Here's a tease. It's the trailer for Squad Four: Rebellion. (It will also be included in the update, so no need for an index entry for this.)
-
*Shad, Marcus, Rebecca, and Lane are walking down the main street of the Lockstar capital as confetti and ticker tape rain down on them.*
President of Lockstar: You're the bravest heroes this planet has ever known, and you have saved us all.
Shad: Thank you, Mr. President.
General Vasher: Your courage and hard work are an inspiration to us all. You will forever be known as four bright lights, shining above Lockstar to protect us from evil.
*The squad is returning to their homes now*
Marcus: Another day, another successful mission.
Rebecca: Good job, everyone.
*In the halls of the presidental palace, soldiers are marching. In the beds of Squad Four, Shad is peacefully resting.*
*The door to Shad's room is blown in.*
Soldier: Wake up!
Shad: What the? *sits up to see his bed surrounded by soldiers, Marcus, Rebecca, and Lane wake up in their own rooms in a similar predicament*
Rebecca: What's the meaning of this?
Marcus: You can't arrest me!
Lane: Hey, get off!
*Squad Four is marched into a courtroom in chains to face a judge.*
Judge: You, the members of Squad Four, are charged with high treason... *as the judge speaks, various scenes play, the presidential banner is replaced with the icon of the Lockstar Military, and on all TVs throughout the city, a message is read.
Reporter: All citizens remain calm. There is a mandatory curfew in effect. The new government will ensure peace and order on Lockstar.
Shad: We're not traitors, we've risked our lives for the people of this planet!
Judge: You stand with those who would oppress the people of Lockstar!
Rebecca: The only oppression is coming from you!
General Vasher: *standing at a podium* The galaxy stands at a new age, and only with strength can we maintain peace. For too long, our people have been at the whims of those who would destroy us. An invasion, one we barely survived, brought great death and destruction to our world, and only with strength can we protect our people! Squad Four are criminals of the highest order. These so-called heroes have sided with our enemies in the past and they would do so again if given the chance! We will not give them that chance.
*As the general speaks, Squad Four is found guilty and is taken to a massive prison complex, they're thrown into individual cells and locked away, desperate looks are seen on their faces as the general's speech concludes.*
Vasher: Squad Four has betrayed you. I will protect you. There is a new order now. Resistance will not be tolerated.
*Shad leans against the wall of his cell.*
Shad: Why would they lock us up? We've done nothing wrong...!
*In a common room, Rebecca is slumped against the wall when a woman sits next to her.*
Woman: The new government, they're taking over everything. Anybody who objects gets thrown in here.
Rebecca: They threw us in here before we said a single word against them.
Woman: Because they know you're the only ones who can stop them.
*Marcus, Rebecca, Shad, and Lane are together in the common room now, talking with the woman.*
Woman: *extends her hand to Shad* I'm Raquel. And I want to help.
Shad: *narrowing his eyes as he looks ahead* Let's bust out of here.
*Scenes of Squad Four and their friends attempting to escape the prison are interspersed with gameplay scenes of the game's prison levels, showing off the new 3D gameplay*
Vasher: *to one of his subordinates* I want them found and I want them brought to me dead or alive! Preferably alive!
Subordinate: Why alive...?
Vasher: So I can execute them myself...
*Squad Four is seen outside the prison now, in what looks like a refugee camp, rallying rebels.*
Marcus: We can't let Vasher and his armies intimidate us! The people of Lockstar want to be free!
Lane: *to Rebecca* It's an army of millions against a bunch of ragtag rebels, even with all our skill we don't stand a chance!
Rebecca: Wouldn't you rather die than hide?
Raquel: *passing out weapons to other rebels* Finally my life means something....and it's all thanks to you. *looks into Shad's eyes and smiles*
*Scenes of warships bombarding refugee camps are shown. Shad and the other squad members charge toward a huge army of Vasher's heavily armed soldiers. Gameplay scenes show hundreds of enemies on screen at once. Another gameplay scene shows Rebecca slicing through monsters in a massive cave complex.*
Shad: *screaming as he leaps down toward a huge crowd of enemy soldiers*
Marcus: *rolls under a gigantic mech's leg and blasts it with his shotgun*
Rebecca: *standing back to back with Raquel, fighting off waves of soldiers*
Lane: *sets off a massive trap to bury a tank*
*The screen goes black... a transmission comes on*
Rebecca: This is Rebecca of Squad Four....don't give up hope. For those still keeping the light of freedom alive, don't let that light die. We will return to the city and free all of you. Even at the cost of our lives. Squad Four is still here...and we will always keep fighting.
SQUAD FOUR: REBELLION
November 15
Here's a tease. It's the trailer for Squad Four: Rebellion. (It will also be included in the update, so no need for an index entry for this.)
-
*Shad, Marcus, Rebecca, and Lane are walking down the main street of the Lockstar capital as confetti and ticker tape rain down on them.*
President of Lockstar: You're the bravest heroes this planet has ever known, and you have saved us all.
Shad: Thank you, Mr. President.
General Vasher: Your courage and hard work are an inspiration to us all. You will forever be known as four bright lights, shining above Lockstar to protect us from evil.
*The squad is returning to their homes now*
Marcus: Another day, another successful mission.
Rebecca: Good job, everyone.
*In the halls of the presidental palace, soldiers are marching. In the beds of Squad Four, Shad is peacefully resting.*
*The door to Shad's room is blown in.*
Soldier: Wake up!
Shad: What the? *sits up to see his bed surrounded by soldiers, Marcus, Rebecca, and Lane wake up in their own rooms in a similar predicament*
Rebecca: What's the meaning of this?
Marcus: You can't arrest me!
Lane: Hey, get off!
*Squad Four is marched into a courtroom in chains to face a judge.*
Judge: You, the members of Squad Four, are charged with high treason... *as the judge speaks, various scenes play, the presidential banner is replaced with the icon of the Lockstar Military, and on all TVs throughout the city, a message is read.
Reporter: All citizens remain calm. There is a mandatory curfew in effect. The new government will ensure peace and order on Lockstar.
Shad: We're not traitors, we've risked our lives for the people of this planet!
Judge: You stand with those who would oppress the people of Lockstar!
Rebecca: The only oppression is coming from you!
General Vasher: *standing at a podium* The galaxy stands at a new age, and only with strength can we maintain peace. For too long, our people have been at the whims of those who would destroy us. An invasion, one we barely survived, brought great death and destruction to our world, and only with strength can we protect our people! Squad Four are criminals of the highest order. These so-called heroes have sided with our enemies in the past and they would do so again if given the chance! We will not give them that chance.
*As the general speaks, Squad Four is found guilty and is taken to a massive prison complex, they're thrown into individual cells and locked away, desperate looks are seen on their faces as the general's speech concludes.*
Vasher: Squad Four has betrayed you. I will protect you. There is a new order now. Resistance will not be tolerated.
*Shad leans against the wall of his cell.*
Shad: Why would they lock us up? We've done nothing wrong...!
*In a common room, Rebecca is slumped against the wall when a woman sits next to her.*
Woman: The new government, they're taking over everything. Anybody who objects gets thrown in here.
Rebecca: They threw us in here before we said a single word against them.
Woman: Because they know you're the only ones who can stop them.
*Marcus, Rebecca, Shad, and Lane are together in the common room now, talking with the woman.*
Woman: *extends her hand to Shad* I'm Raquel. And I want to help.
Shad: *narrowing his eyes as he looks ahead* Let's bust out of here.
*Scenes of Squad Four and their friends attempting to escape the prison are interspersed with gameplay scenes of the game's prison levels, showing off the new 3D gameplay*
Vasher: *to one of his subordinates* I want them found and I want them brought to me dead or alive! Preferably alive!
Subordinate: Why alive...?
Vasher: So I can execute them myself...
*Squad Four is seen outside the prison now, in what looks like a refugee camp, rallying rebels.*
Marcus: We can't let Vasher and his armies intimidate us! The people of Lockstar want to be free!
Lane: *to Rebecca* It's an army of millions against a bunch of ragtag rebels, even with all our skill we don't stand a chance!
Rebecca: Wouldn't you rather die than hide?
Raquel: *passing out weapons to other rebels* Finally my life means something....and it's all thanks to you. *looks into Shad's eyes and smiles*
*Scenes of warships bombarding refugee camps are shown. Shad and the other squad members charge toward a huge army of Vasher's heavily armed soldiers. Gameplay scenes show hundreds of enemies on screen at once. Another gameplay scene shows Rebecca slicing through monsters in a massive cave complex.*
Shad: *screaming as he leaps down toward a huge crowd of enemy soldiers*
Marcus: *rolls under a gigantic mech's leg and blasts it with his shotgun*
Rebecca: *standing back to back with Raquel, fighting off waves of soldiers*
Lane: *sets off a massive trap to bury a tank*
*The screen goes black... a transmission comes on*
Rebecca: This is Rebecca of Squad Four....don't give up hope. For those still keeping the light of freedom alive, don't let that light die. We will return to the city and free all of you. Even at the cost of our lives. Squad Four is still here...and we will always keep fighting.
SQUAD FOUR: REBELLION
November 15
Seeing this trailer... it makes me wonder how Argonaut will reconcile the animal cast of Star Fox with the human focused Squad Four and Space Squadron X, especially with the different tone in terms of presentation.
well, Star Wars pulled it well, so here will not be that diffcult...right!right?
Squad Four aren't from Earth so they probably would not even know what a fox or any of the other animals are... best example Rocket the Raccoon in GotG film. To them they are just some other alien in a universe full of aliens.
Epic trailer!!
Also the last update was great as usual! Glad to see a break in the clouds for SEGA, looks like the Saturn is going out a with a bang before they announce the Katana.
Haven't even heard any whisperings that Nintendo/Sony is even giving any thought to what might come after the Ultra; guess they probably won't until they see what the Katana can do.
As far as reconciling StarFox goes, worst case they could imply genetic manipulation or that Humanity abandoned Earth entirely and they've had time to evolve in our stead (possibly with the aid of genetic manipulation).
Also the last update was great as usual! Glad to see a break in the clouds for SEGA, looks like the Saturn is going out a with a bang before they announce the Katana.
Haven't even heard any whisperings that Nintendo/Sony is even giving any thought to what might come after the Ultra; guess they probably won't until they see what the Katana can do.
As far as reconciling StarFox goes, worst case they could imply genetic manipulation or that Humanity abandoned Earth entirely and they've had time to evolve in our stead (possibly with the aid of genetic manipulation).
I'm still hoping for Nintendo-Sony to get over confident and make a blunder, and I'm eagerly waiting for the third party to rise in the console race. Sega's position seems to be much more secure than OTL's. "Katana" seems to be a much better name than "Dreamcast". Would it be too late for Microsoft to purchase what's left of Atari to use as their console-manufacturing arm? It'd be a way to skirt around any further anti-trust lawsuits to have them be an autonomous branch of Microsoft.
The authors have said during the end of 1998 update. I'm guessing it might have already happened with them losing out on the Potter license.
Been working on E3 1999, and man, this is going to be a massive update. Clip some pizza coupons and buy a two-liter of Dew, tomorrow's update is going to be a marathon to read.
Here's a tease. It's the trailer for Squad Four: Rebellion. (It will also be included in the update, so no need for an index entry for this.)
If you teased this game, it means it's probably going to be a massive hit, just like the second chapter of the series.
Katana was actually the Dreamcast's development codename OTL. Not sure why they changed it; but then I'm not sure why they did a lot of things OTL.
My hypothesis is that they changed the name once it was discovered that "Katana" is a terrible name for a video game console. It has inappropriate war connotations, its overly-Japanese name is an insult to a company that started in Hawaii, and it's just a weird name. Some people just don't appreciate the sheer poetry of "Dreamcast". The first syllable gives it a mystical, almost adventurous feeling, while the second part subtly advertises its online capabilities.
Rants aside, it's extremely common for consoles to be given development names that the company never intends to use. Dolphin became GameCube, Revolution became Wii, stuff like that.
This is correct, the universe is full of weird looking aliens
I'm still hoping for Nintendo-Sony to get over confident and make a blunder, and I'm eagerly waiting for the third party to rise in the console race. Sega's position seems to be much more secure than OTL's. "Katana" seems to be a much better name than "Dreamcast". Would it be too late for Microsoft to purchase what's left of Atari to use as their console-manufacturing arm? It'd be a way to skirt around any further anti-trust lawsuits to have them be an autonomous branch of Microsoft.
You'll be hearing about Microsoft soon enough, as for Nintendo and Sony, they'll continue cruising for the time being.
Yep
E3 1999 - A Star-Studded Affair
“Headlining E3 was the culmination of a life's dream for me. For Nintendo to trust our team to carry the best selling game console in the world through the rest of the year was an enormous honor, especially after Mr. Miyamoto himself met with all of us before the show. Nintendo had all these amazing games to show, including the new Game Boy, and to pick our little game to lead off? I had to fight back the tears watching them present our game, I was so proud.”
-Argonaut creative director Dylan Cuthbert, remembering E3 1999 and Squad Four: Rebellion in a 2008 interview with Kotaku.com
“It was my very first E3! They wanted me at the booth to help show off Final Fantasy VIII. I really wasn't sure what everyone would think, I had to hope we'd live up to the great expectations set by the previous game.”
-Final Fantasy VIII director Tetsuya Takahashi, remembering E3 1999 in an interview in the July 2009 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly
“This Summer, The World Of Sonic Is Finally Revealed”
-the tagline for Sonic the Hedgehog 5, first used at E3 1999
“Handheld Gaming Reborn”
-the North American tagline for the Game Boy Nova, first revealed at E3 1999
“#1: Nintendo (1999)”
-from “The 20 Greatest E3 Lineups Of All Time” on Screwattack.com, posted on June 11, 2015
“Where's the Katana?”
-overheard many times at Sega's E3 1999 booth
-
May 13, 1999
*Tom Kalinske steps onto the stage, receiving vigorous applause from the crowd as he approaches the podium.*
“Good morning, everybody! I'm Tom Kalinske, and once again, I'd like to welcome you to Sega at E3! For nearly four years, the Sega Saturn has provided countless hours of entertainment to gamers all over the globe, hosting some of the most revered and well-known video game franchises around. And today, we're going to be featuring perhaps the most beloved video game franchise of them all. Today, I'd like to show you why Sonic the Hedgehog 5 is not only going to be the game of the year, but also might just be the greatest video game ever made. Check this out.”
*Sonic is seen standing in the middle of a bustling city. The camera pans around him to show all the different landmarks and buildings.*
Sonic: It's time to go!
*Sonic takes off in a rapid spin down a busy street, knocking out robotic enemies and collecting rings all along the way. He hits a ramp and speeds up it, doing a quick loop that spits him out on the other side, onto a much longer ramp that takes him up into the air, where he does a flip through several large rings before landing on a tall building, from where he can see the entire city laid out before him. A large blue arrow is pointing to something down below. Sonic takes off from the roof, landing on another street and charging down it. He runs toward the arrow, where a massive robot with two huge claws is holding Tails and Cream hostage.*
Tails: Help us, Sonic!
Cream: Hurry!
*Sonic dodges a lunging claw from the robot before spinning toward it, slamming into a weak spot on its chest. The robot tumbles back, and then Sonic launches a furious combo of punches and kicks, knocking the robot onto its back.*
*Next, we see Sonic running across a grassy field, collecting more rings. He comes across a large enemy with two huge mallets, pounding the ground and creating large cracks. Sonic leaps over the enemy and begins spinning as soon as he comes down, dodging a mallet blow before slamming into it again.*
*Sonic runs around a massive boss creature made of crystal energy. He collects a power-up, which causes him to leave a trail of fire on the ground behind him. The boss creature tries to attack Sonic, but misses and burns himself on the fire, leaving him vulnerable for a spin move.*
*A rapid-fire montage of scenes now, of Sonic spinning around a jungle, Sonic doing some impressive flip moves on a ramp, Sonic running across several loops before leaping down onto a beach filled with enemy crabs, Sonic exploring a laboratory, and Knuckles fighting off some masked ninja-looking enemies.*
Knuckles: This isn't gonna be easy, Sonic.
Sonic: If we don't find the Chaos Emeralds, the whole universe could be destroyed!
Tails: But we don't even know where to begin!
*A salamander with crazy white hair and a long beard shuffles over to Sonic.*
Dr. Scales: I can help!
*After a quick scene shift...*
Dr. Scales: The Chaos Emeralds are scattered all over the multiverse!
Sonic: And let me guess, Robotnik's trying to find 'em?
Dr. Scales: Oh no, something far more powerful! *as he speaks, a video is shown of a massive creature emerging from the ocean* A being made from pure chaos itself!
Sonic: That could be bad...
*Another scene shift*
Amy: Sonic, look out!
Sonic: *barely rolls out of the way as an enormous tail slams into the ground behind him*
Rouge the Bat: Well well, lucky me finding a cutie like you here. *touches Knuckles' cheek*
Corona: *rolling her eyes* You've gotta be kidding me.
Emerl: *firing shots at a mysterious robotic ninja*
Tails: *doing calculations on a mini-computer as Cream looks over his shoulder*
Sonic: Dr. Robotnik, I know you're in there! Come out and face me now!
Robotnik: *standing on the roof of an ancient castle* You need my help to save the universe? *laughing* Well now, THIS is a surprising turn of events.
Knuckles: You'd better help us, or we'll tear you limb from limb.
Robotnik: Oh, this IS serious! *laughs*
*Sonic and his friends face down the massive water being*
Sonic: We won't let you have our universe!
Chaos: *just makes a hideous noise and sends a massive tsunami toward the gathered heroes*
Sonic: *spins out of the way as the other heroes draw their weapons*
*There's another rapid-fire montage of scenes with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Corona, Big, Emerl, Cream, Rouge, Dr. Scales, and Vector all displaying various combat abilities, while other scenes show off how huge the levels are, finally the scene shifts back to Sonic and Tails approaching the huge castle where Robotnik was seen earlier in the video.*
Sonic: Tails, you ready?
Tails: I'm always ready!
Sonic: Then let's go!
*One more scene is shown of Sonic and Tails fighting the castle's massive stone golem boss. Then the screen goes black. The horrible Chaos noise is heard again, and then the game's logo is displayed.*
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 5
July 20, 1999
*cue the Sega! Scream*
*the crowd gives a very loud standing ovation as Tom Kalinske begins to speak again*
“Sonic the Hedgehog 5 is our biggest, most ambitious video game to date, the culmination of more than three years of incredible efforts by our amazing Sonic Team. Here's the director of Sonic Team, Yuji Naka, here to show off some of the awesome things Sonic and his friends will be able to do.”
*Yuji Naka takes the stage, and he and Kalinske show off Sonic 5's features for a few minutes, demonstrating the game's huge open world levels and Sonic's new melee combat moves, which include punches and kicks, along with his familiar spin attack. Footage of Tails, Knuckles, and the new character, Dr. Scales, who uses a variety of technological weapons in combat are also shown. Then Kalinske begins to speak again.*
“I've played this game and I've gotta tell you, it's one you won't be able to tear yourself away from. Sonic the Hedgehog 5 can be played with or without the Ring, though the Ring adds two exclusive worlds to the game and a number of hidden bonuses, along with an extra final boss and a secret ending. We'll be offering a special Sonic 5/Ring bundle that will retail for $99.99, and a Sonic 5/Ring Saturn bundle for $249.99 when the game launches on July 20. We'll have plenty of playable Sonic 5 booths down on the show floor, so I definitely suggest that you go try the game for yourself immediately upon the conclusion of this presentation. Our next title is another Sega original. It's the latest installment in one of our flagship series that has been around since the Sega Genesis days, and that you might have played in the arcades over the past year. I'm of course talking about the hottest racing title in arcades today, Virtua Racing Reality.”
*A brief trailer of the game is shown, demonstrating the game's detailed graphics and large selection of challenging courses.*
“Virtua Racing Reality brings the series to all new heights, with better visuals than ever, based on our latest arcade hardware. It's coming exclusively to the Ring, and when you're home playing it, you'll understand why a game like this could only be possible on a Ring-enhanced Saturn. Virtua Racing Reality brings a new level of racing intensity to one of our most beloved franchises, and with 16 tracks, you'll be hooked as you try to top your best runs. Virtua Racing Reality will be released on July 6, and will be offered by itself or as part of a bundle with the Saturn Ring.”
*The screen now shows an image from the new Saturn exclusive, Battleborn.*
“And now we'd like to show off a couple of new games from our software partner Treasure, best known for the Gunstar Heroes series.” *a small cheer goes up from the crowd as that game is mentioned* “First up is Battleborn, a brand new shooter where you play a soldier whose planet is threatened by a horrifying menace.”
*Footage from the game displays a rail shooter very much like OTL's Sin and Punishment. Hordes and swarms of aliens fill the screen, and the player can switch between a variety of weapons to target and destroy them. You can also call upon allies in battle to assist with their own weapons, though you have to watch their damage meter to protect them from being killed themselves.*
“Battleborn is full of futuristic environments and weapons that you can mix and match for maximum effect.”
*The player on screen is shown swapping between weapon combinations, combining a gatling gun-like weapon with a fire enhancer to spray the screen with napalm bullets that catch dozens of enemies on fire, bringing them down quickly.*
“And as par for the course in a Treasure game, Battleborn contains some difficult and highly stylized boss fights as well.”
*One of the game's bosses, a massive creature with three huge toothy mouths and gigantic horns, is seen menacing the player as they fire their weapon at it. The creature extends its horns, causing massive damage as the player is gored.*
“Battleborn is an alien-blasting war for the fate of humanity, and you'll be pushed to your limits to save the world. Now, Treasure has another title on the way, and it should be familiar to anyone who played a certain platformer in 1997...”
*The trailer for Troublemakers 2 is shown, showing Marina Liteyears piloting a spaceship with Dr. Theo in the co-pilots seat. She receives a distress call from a nearby planet.*
Woman in Black: Marina Liteyears, you must come to our aid. Our planet is in grave danger.
Marina: I'm on my way!
Dr. Theo: Are you sure this is a good idea, Marina? *looks at the screen and gets a peek at the Woman in Black's ample cleavage* O-ho-ho, we'd best get down there right away!
*Marina's ship lands on the planet, which is convulsing with storms. She is immediately attacked by a robot horde, which she destroys by flinging them into one another. Meanwhile, the Woman in Black is seen watching this over a video monitor.*
Woman in Black: Good...she's here...now I shall destroy her...
*Gameplay footage of Marina exploring various environments is shown. We see a map, where it's shown that Marina explores several planets over the course of the game. We see a number of new characters, including a tall, burly man with green hair and a woman in a purple jumpsuit firing a laser cannon. We also see appearances from Teran, as well as Lunar, Tarus, and Merco in their human forms.*
Woman in Black: *holds Marina up by her throat* Did you think you could interfere with my control over this system?
Lunar: *blasts the WiB in the back* HEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE'S LUNAR!
Marina: *breaks free and deploys a huge laser cannon*
Dr. Theo: *being dragged off by tentacles* HELP ME MARINAAAAA!!!!
*Marina is shown riding a huge winged bug creature across a field of lava*
Marina: Hi-YAAAAAH! *throwing a moon at an enormous city-sized robot*
Woman in Black: I will crush her!
*More rapid-fire scenes are shown, followed by the game's logo*
TROUBLEMAKERS 2
*applause is heard as Tom Kalinske begins to speak*
“Troublemakers 2 debuts next month for the Sega Saturn, and a complete North American version of the game is playable on our floor right after the show! Now I'd like to introduce Shinji Mikami to talk about Resident Evil: Code Veronica.”
*The crowd erupts into applause as Shinji Mikami takes the stage.*
“Hello, I'm honored to be here at E3 in Los Angeles. Resident Evil: Code Veronica has been developed exclusively with the Sega Saturn in mind, and utilizes the Saturn Ring to produce the best graphics ever seen in a Resident Evil game.”
*A gameplay video, featuring Claire Redfield running down a dark corridor is seen. The graphics look outstanding, even better than the two Resident Evil ports on the Ultra Nintendo. Claire is accosted by a monster with large claws, and has to back away from it while firing her pistol.*
“As you can see, Claire Redfield is the star of this game, and she must escape from an Umbrella controlled facility, while also discovering what experiments the evil company is cooking up. Code Veronica comes with a number of gameplay elements new to the Resident Evil series, including the ability to dual wield weapons for maximum effect.”
*A video shows Claire firing two pistols at once to fend off a horde of mutated creatures.*
“Code Veronica will be the most terrifying game in the series to date, with threats lurking around every corner. This will force the player to be completely aware of their surroundings. You won't be able to divert your attention for even a single second.”
*A scene shows Claire walking past a window, only for a tentacle to wrap around her neck, she tries to escape it but it squeezes tightly and eventually pops her head off in a spray of blood. The crowd gasps and then applauds.*
*laughing* “Yes, there are consequences for not paying attention! But Claire won't be alone. You'll be joined by Abigail Chambers, and the two of you will need every resource you can find to survive and escape back to the mainland. Resident Evil: Code Veronica is the best Resident Evil game yet, and it'll only be playable on the Sega Saturn. Thank you.
*Tom Kalinske shakes Shinji Mikami's hand and then begins to speak again.*
“Also from Capcom is another fantastic game, this one being a fighting game. In Marvel vs. Capcom, your favorite video game characters and your favorite superheroes will clash in a three-on-three, winner-take-all brawl for supremacy! Marvel vs. Capcom comes to the Saturn in December, and is not to be missed by anyone who loves comic books or videogames, it's going to be a real treat.
Last year, one of the biggest surprises was Commander Keen: Mars' Most Wanted. The story of how Billy Blaze saved Mars resonated with players and made the Commander Keen series into one of Sega's hottest franchises. Now, Commander Keen is back in the all new game Commander Keen: When Universes Collide.”
*The crowd cheers as the logo is revealed.*
“Commander Keen returns, now with his sister Becky. Keen and his friends must travel the universe and beyond to battle the archvillain Captain Chaos. Here's some gameplay footage that I'm sure will have Keen fans drooling with anticipation.”
*The game's trailer plays, interspersed with various gameplay moments, including Keen using his new Black Hole Bazooka to suck up enemies, Becky sneaking around Chaos' HQ under a cardboard box, Keen hitting enemies with his new Wedgie Gun (prompting laughs from the crowd), Princess Lindsay battling enemies before confronting the cackling Commandant Lindsay, and footage from the game's multiplayer mode showing off some of the new weapons and levels. The trailer ends, and Kalinske begins to speak again.
“Commander Keen: When Universes Collide is coming to the Sega Saturn in October. Also coming to the Saturn this October is a new Saturn exclusive from Rockstar Games, whom you might know for their Race'n'Chase series. Now, the company is trying their hands at the beat-em-up genre, and for those familiar with games like Final Fight and Shenmue, Chaos City is an irreverent twist on a beloved old formula.”
*Some gameplay footage from Chaos City is shown, featuring a smartass protagonist who runs around a city, beating up thugs and other miscreants. Unlike in games like Shenmue, the fighting is much more comical, and also much more violent. Blood spurts from enemies with every blow, and usually when someone is finished off, their body explodes in a shower of blood and gore. There's also plenty of swearing and rudeness, and your character can also just beat up random pedestrians on the street if they so feel like it.*
“In Chaos City, you play as Elvis McCracken, a down-on-his-luck criminal who takes a once in a lifetime job offer to be the enforcer for crime boss Big Billy Balls. In addition to doing jobs for crime bosses and criminals, you can also choose to fight crime in the city...or just beat up random folks on the street. Everything's legal in Chaos City, and that can make for some extremely interesting situations.”
*Elvis is seen fighting a horde of clowns who seem to be very angered by his insults. He beats up the clowns, though one of them manages to score a hit with a pie to the face.*
“Do anything and go anywhere, if you're looking for freedom or just for a fight, Chaos City is the place. Now, in our next game, you're on the side of justice, in a city plagued by a criminal scourge. Here's the trailer for NYPD: Narcotics Squad.”
*A cop car is seen driving down the streets of Brooklyn.*
Fred Kroenin: *to his young partner, Ethan Stone* First day on the job?
Ethan: Yeah.
Fred: You nervous?
Ethan: A little.
Fred: Good.
*The car drives up to a large warehouse, where prostitutes and drug dealers are seen frequently entering and exiting the building. Fred and Ethan go inside and confront a group of drug dealers, who put their hands up.*
Fred: You're under arrest for dealing narcotics. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to-
*One of the drug dealers draws a gun, and the game shifts to a third-person shooter perspective, where you have to quickly aim at the bad guys as Ethan dives behind a dirty-looking couch.*
Ethan: Backup, requesting backup!
*Fred and Ethan report to their superior.*
Police Captain: The 13th Street Blades are the deadliest drug dealing gang in the city. They control huge territories and they've even chased out the mob.
Ethan: How the hell is that possible?
Police Captain: Through brutal, unforgiving violence. *as he speaks, his words are intercut with scenes of the Blades' violent deeds, including executions, torture, and even bombings*
*The scene shifts to Fred and Ethan in the precinct's locker room.*
Fred: Don't ever take your guard down for a second. Every stop, every step, you could be a second away from getting your head blown off. If you're not ready for that, you need to quit right now.
Ethan: This job's what I was born to do. I got a wife at home, she's got a kid on the way.
*Ethan enters his house.*
Ethan: Baby, I'm home... *enters the kitchen to see his wife gagged and tied to a chair, she's been roughed up* Oh God! *as his wife is trying to scream a warning to him, we see someone come up behind Ethan with a gun*
Fred: *hanging up his coat at his own house and collapsing into his chair in front of the TV, letting out a groan* I been doing this job too damn long. *Fred's words are intercut with scenes of him mourning at the grave of another longtime officer, of him being serviced by a prostitute, of him drinking away his sorrows at a bar*
Police Captain: The narcotics business in New York City alone is a multi-billion dollar a year business, and these pieces of scum will do ANYTHING, and I mean ANYTHING to keep that money flowing.
*Numerous action scenes from the game play, showing off the third-person shooting aspect, it's much more complex and involved than the Virtua Cop series, a real third person shooter instead of an on-rails game*
Ethan: You think I don't know how dangerous this is?
Fred: Until you've been on the force even half as long as I have, you don't know a damn thing about how dangerous this is.
*More scenes from the game play, showing Ethan morally conflicted as the villains who kidnapped his wife seem to be forcing him to work as their mole on the force, we see Ethan and Fred bonding as well, Ethan kissing his wife goodbye, the police precinct going up in flames, and Fred being beaten on by a gang leader*
Fred: All my life I've been trying to clean up this city. I've seen what these drugs can do. I've seen what these thugs can do. And I've seen what happens when good men do nothing.
Ethan: Do you think we're good men?
Fred: Compared to the son of a bitch running the drugs in this city, I think anyone's a good man.
*More gameplay scenes are shown, culminating in Ethan pulling a gun on Fred.*
Ethan: I'm sorry.
Fred: So am I.
*The screen goes black as a gunshot is heard.*
NYPD: NARCOTICS SQUAD
Only on Sega Saturn
*The crowd erupts into massive applause louder than anything so far except the applause for the Sonic 5 trailer.*
“NYPD: Narcotics Squad will be coming out this summer. And now, I'd like to welcome Mr. Glen Warren from Namco to show off a pair of arcade hits soon to make their way to the Sega Saturn.”
“Thank you, Tom. Now as you know, Ridge Racer has been one of our most successful franchises, and last year, Ridge Racer 2 debuted in the arcades to a great reception from players and critics alike. Ridge Racer 2 will finally be making its way to the Saturn early next year, and thanks to the Ring, it's going to look and play just as great as it does in the arcades. Check it out.”
*A brief trailer showing off Ridge Racer 2, looking much better than OTL's game because of the far longer lead time between releases. The trailer ends and Warren begins to speak again.*
“Of course, you're all probably waiting for me to tell you about Namco's other big arcade adaptation, and it's almost here. On August 31, Soul Calibur will be released for the Sega Saturn, and fighting games will never be the same.”
*The crowd erupts into applause as the trailer for Soul Calibur is shown, featuring all of the game's fighters, 16 in all (less than IOTL's Dreamcast title). The game's graphics are outstanding, better than Virtua Fighter 3, though the game is also announced as being exclusive to the Ring, unlike VF3. Once the trailer ends, Warren begins to speak.*
“As you can see, Soul Calibur is the most beautiful fighting game ever made, and the gameplay is top notch as well. It introduces smoother combos and more complex fighting moves than Soul Edge, which was already regarded as one of the very best Sega Saturn titles. And, exclusive to the Sega Saturn version are two new characters. We'll show them both off today.”
*Another trailer plays, this time showing off the character Turok in battle, using a high-tech tomahawk against his foes. Then, another character, Lenneth Valkyrie, is shown in battle with her large spear.*
“From the Turok franchise and from the new ActRaiser Valkyrie come Turok and Lenneth, and we know they'll be welcome additions to the Soul Calibur ring. You can of course play the complete game down at the Sega booth, and while you're there, check out our new Soul Calibur collectible action figures, featuring all the characters from the game. Thank you and enjoy the show!”
*Tom Kalinske takes the podium again, smiling.*
“You know, it's very appropriate that Mr. Warren brought up Turok, because we have some new Turok footage to show...”
*A very brief trailer for Turok III: Generation War is shown, featuring Turok and his sister Danielle battling a massive army of warriors armed like they are. The new villain is shown to be a man decked out in black armor known as the Lord of Ages, and he has at his command a portal that can open the gate to any dimension, calling forth terrible creatures. The game's logo is shown, along with “2000”, the game's release year. The crowd applauds.*
“Turok III will be coming to the Sega Saturn in 2000, and we'll have much more information on that game over the coming months. Indeed, we have more than 40 playable games at the various booths set up by Sega and its software partners, and video previews of even more games, showing just what we're working on over the next year and beyond. Now, we'll conclude the show with one final preview...”
*Some murmurs of “Katana” are heard from the crowd*
“Our latest RPG epic, Phantasy Star VI.”
*A video is shown of Phantasy Star VI, boasting amazing graphics, probably the best yet seen in a Saturn RPG to date, and also showing off the game's cast of heroes as they wander a massive open world. The game draws some impressed murmurs from the crowd, and plenty of cheering at the end of the trailer, but some are left disappointed that nothing from the Katana was shown.*
“Phantasy Star VI will be coming to North America in 2000, and we've got a gameplay demo set up at our booth from the Japanese version which is set to be released in December of this year. We hope you've enjoyed this presentation, and we plan to make many more awesome games for the Sega Saturn, fulfilling our promise to make the Saturn the best video game console on the market today. Thank you, and enjoy E3, everyone!”
-Sega's keynote address at E3 1999
-
*Howard Lincoln approaches the podium.*
“Hello again, it's good to see all of you here for Nintendo's E3 presentation. The last year has been one of our most successful ever. The Ultra Nintendo is now in over 40 million homes worldwide, something we couldn't have imagined when we first set out with the cooperation of Sony to create what we believe is the ultimate home video game console. Already, nearly 300 games have been released for the Ultra Nintendo, and combined with nearly a thousand playable Super Nintendo CD titles, the Ultra Nintendo has one of the most robust video game libraries in history. And over the next two years, that library will be getting a lot more impressive. I'm here to talk about a few of our upcoming games, and I'll be inviting some of our top software developers on stage to share our vision with you. We're also planning to introduce a brand new gaming device to North America here at E3, but that will be a bit later on. For now, here are a few of the games we've got coming up.
And we're starting off the show with one of our biggest releases of the year. In 1993, Argonaut Software helped us bring Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto's vision about a group of hotshot pilots who save the Lylat System from evil to life. Star Fox was one of the most technologically advanced games ever made, and sold nearly three million copies. And when we asked Argonaut Software if they had an idea of their own to share with us, they revealed to us and to the world their own dream about a group of four brave heroes, traveling space and fighting for freedom. And now, this November, Squad Four is ready to battle evil again. Here is the world premiere trailer for Squad Four: Rebellion.”
*The crowd cheers as the trailer begins.*
*Shad, Marcus, Rebecca, and Lane are walking down the main street of the Lockstar capital as confetti and ticker tape rain down on them.*
President of Lockstar: You're the bravest heroes this planet has ever known, and you have saved us all.
Shad: Thank you, Mr. President.
General Vasher: Your courage and hard work are an inspiration to us all. You will forever be known as four bright lights, shining above Lockstar to protect us from evil.
*The squad is returning to their homes now*
Marcus: Another day, another successful mission.
Rebecca: Good job, everyone.
*In the halls of the presidental palace, soldiers are marching. In the beds of Squad Four, Shad is peacefully resting.*
*The door to Shad's room is blown in.*
Soldier: Wake up!
Shad: What the? *sits up to see his bed surrounded by soldiers, Marcus, Rebecca, and Lane wake up in their own rooms in a similar predicament*
Rebecca: What's the meaning of this?
Marcus: You can't arrest me!
Lane: Hey, get off!
*Squad Four is marched into a courtroom in chains to face a judge.*
Judge: You, the members of Squad Four, are charged with high treason... *as the judge speaks, various scenes play, the presidential banner is replaced with the icon of the Lockstar Military, and on all TVs throughout the city, a message is read.
Reporter: All citizens remain calm. There is a mandatory curfew in effect. The new government will ensure peace and order on Lockstar.
Shad: We're not traitors, we've risked our lives for the people of this planet!
Judge: You stand with those who would oppress the people of Lockstar!
Rebecca: The only oppression is coming from you!
General Vasher: *standing at a podium* The galaxy stands at a new age, and only with strength can we maintain peace. For too long, our people have been at the whims of those who would destroy us. An invasion, one we barely survived, brought great death and destruction to our world, and only with strength can we protect our people! Squad Four are criminals of the highest order. These so-called heroes have sided with our enemies in the past and they would do so again if given the chance! We will not give them that chance.
*As the general speaks, Squad Four is found guilty and is taken to a massive prison complex, they're thrown into individual cells and locked away, desperate looks are seen on their faces as the general's speech concludes.*
Vasher: Squad Four has betrayed you. I will protect you. There is a new order now. Resistance will not be tolerated.
*Shad leans against the wall of his cell.*
Shad: Why would they lock us up? We've done nothing wrong...!
*In a common room, Rebecca is slumped against the wall when a woman sits next to her.*
Woman: The new government, they're taking over everything. Anybody who objects gets thrown in here.
Rebecca: They threw us in here before we said a single word against them.
Woman: Because they know you're the only ones who can stop them.
*Marcus, Rebecca, Shad, and Lane are together in the common room now, talking with the woman.*
Woman: *extends her hand to Shad* I'm Raquel. And I want to help.
Shad: *narrowing his eyes as he looks ahead* Let's bust out of here.
*Scenes of Squad Four and their friends attempting to escape the prison are interspersed with gameplay scenes of the game's prison levels, showing off the new 3D gameplay*
Vasher: *to one of his subordinates* I want them found and I want them brought to me dead or alive! Preferably alive!
Subordinate: Why alive...?
Vasher: So I can execute them myself...
*Squad Four is seen outside the prison now, in what looks like a refugee camp, rallying rebels.*
Marcus: We can't let Vasher and his armies intimidate us! The people of Lockstar want to be free!
Lane: *to Rebecca* It's an army of millions against a bunch of ragtag rebels, even with all our skill we don't stand a chance!
Rebecca: Wouldn't you rather die than hide?
Raquel: *passing out weapons to other rebels* Finally my life means something....and it's all thanks to you. *looks into Shad's eyes and smiles*
*Scenes of warships bombarding refugee camps are shown. Shad and the other squad members charge toward a huge army of Vasher's heavily armed soldiers. Gameplay scenes show hundreds of enemies on screen at once. Another gameplay scene shows Rebecca slicing through monsters in a massive cave complex.*
Shad: *screaming as he leaps down toward a huge crowd of enemy soldiers*
Marcus: *rolls under a gigantic mech's leg and blasts it with his shotgun*
Rachel: *standing back to back with Raquel, fighting off waves of soldiers*
Lane: *sets off a massive trap to bury a tank*
*The screen goes black... a transmission comes on*
Rebecca: This is Rebecca of Squad Four....don't give up hope. For those still keeping the light of freedom alive, don't let that light die. We will return to the city and free all of you. Even at the cost of our lives. Squad Four is still here...and we will always keep fighting.
SQUAD FOUR: REBELLION
November 15
*The crowd cheers wildly after the conclusion of the trailer. Howard Lincoln begins to speak again.*
“Squad Four: Rebellion takes the series into full 3D for the very first time. Here you can see the basic gameplay, this is Shad and he's currently in prison, this is one of the very first levels of the game.”
*Shad is running around the prison area, you can run in all directions now as the game is no longer on-rails but in full 3D, like OTL Jet Force Gemini but with infinitely better controls*
“You use the left control stick to run and the right control stick to control the camera. For the first time in the fully 3D environment, you can shoot and move at the same time! You can also dodge as seen here, and lock onto enemies...”
*Shad is able to lock onto foes and blast them, switching targets is quite easy as well and he can use melee attacks also, quickly switching back and forth between ranged shots and melee in an impressive display that causes the crowd to cheer again.*
“And there are also power-ups to collect throughout the level. While your power-ups don't carry over from level to level, as the game goes on, the collectibles get more and more powerful to keep pace with the growing power of your enemies. Of course, you can choose your characters in most levels, and for the first time...”
*Shad reaches a checkpoint, and is given the option to switch to either Rebecca, Marcus, or Lane.*
“You can also switch between characters in mid-level! So, for example, if you're using Shad and decide, well, he's not the best for this level, I want to use someone else...”
*The player switches to Marcus, who then approaches a big guard mech with his shotgun and blasts it to pieces.*
“And there you go! Of course, what would the Squad Four series be without some boss fights...”
*Rebecca is seen running into a big area and fighting a giant mechanized battle armor, she slashes at its legs with her sword only to get kicked away, we see someone shooting at the battle armor and Rebecca runs over....it's Raquel fighting with her*
“Sometimes you'll be joined by helpers. Here's Raquel, she's a rebel leader in the game, but there are other helpers as well, including Jack the grenadier, Froggo the diver, and there's also Karen who's a medic. And sometimes the other members of Squad Four will join you. In this mission, Lane must navigate a sewer tunnel by himself to rescue Rebecca. And after he saves her...”
*Lane is fighting a massive crocodile beast, Rebecca is seen fighting alongside him.*
“There's Rebecca as your companion in battle. So that's Squad Four: Rebellion, and of course there are many more elements of the game that we'd like you all to experience for yourself down at our big booth.
So up next, we have another sequel to a classic SNES-CD game. Back in 1994, F-Zero CD was a major hit, with some of the most challenging and innovative tracks, and the game also brought in a host of new characters to race alongside classic characters like Captain Falcon and Samurai Goroh. And now in 1999, F-Zero makes its debut on the Ultra Nintendo. Here is the trailer for F-Zero: Ultracharged.”
*The trailer for F-Zero: Ultracharged is shown, showing off the game's new tracks and the 30 on-screen racers at once, along with several new racers. The game looks difficult even in the trailer, and 22 tracks are promised in it, including a new version of Fire Field that looks incredibly intense, both visually and in terms of difficulty. The trailer gives the game's release date as July.*
“F-Zero: Ultracharged is not only the most challenging F-Zero game ever, but the fastest as well, with vehicles zooming around tracks at speed that could only be made possible on the Ultra Nintendo. We can't wait for players to take the ultimate challenge when the game is released in July. Another game coming later this year is from Masahiro Sakurai, whose Super Smash Bros. recently brought forth some of your favorite video game characters in an all-out slugfest. And in Ultra Kirby: Dreamland Friends, Kirby's favorite pals, including Girby, Rick, Meta Knight, and even King Dedede will need to team up against a dangerous new threat to Dreamland, the powerful Dark Matter, which seeks to overtake all they hold dear. If they can work together to find the magical Crystal Shards, Dreamland will once again be restored to its wonderful glory. Ultra Kirby is playable down in our Nintendo booth, and we encourage all of you to take it for a spin.
In the meantime, we're not done with Argonaut. In addition to Squad Four: Rebellion, they've also been working on the latest title in the series X. Captain Xenda, now promoted to Colonel, must command a platoon of battle tanks as a new army of evil invaders threatens civilization. You'll plot out your moves on a map before charging into battle. If you pick your battles properly, you'll have a much easier time. But mess up, and you could find yourself facing hopeless odds. The battle enters a new phase when X: Tactics comes out on the Ultra Nintendo next month.
And this summer is also the summer of Mario, with two brand new games featuring your favorite plumber and all of his friends. Next month, join Mario for a round of golf, as Mario Golf makes its way to the Ultra Nintendo. Mario, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Peach, Luigi, and a cast of original characters are all competing on a variety of fun and challenging courses that will test your skill at one of the world's oldest and grandest of sports. Then, in August, kick back when Mario throws a party. Mario Party is an all new board game starring Mario and his friends competing to collect stars and thwart Bowser. It's the most fun you'll ever have rolling dice. Every turn holds new twists and surprises. Compete in fun minigames and battle it out on the board, racing to win. Mario Party is four player fun when it comes out on the Ultra Nintendo in August.”
*As Howard Lincoln has been speaking, scenes from the various games have been displayed on screen. Now the logo of a new game, Fire Emblem: The False Princess appears, drawing cheers from the crowd.*
“At long last, Fire Emblem joins the many classic Nintendo franchises that have made their way to the Ultra Nintendo, and this September, Fire Emblem: The False Princess will be released here in North America.”
*A trailer begins to play, detailing the game's basic plot involving a young peasant woman with dark hair, her clothes tattered in rags, shoving a young man up against a wall to rob him in an anime cutscene.*
Peasant Woman: Give me everything you've got, I won't hesitate to hurt you!
*The woman is pulled off by guards*
Guard: It's execution for you...!
Young Man: Wait, she was just-
*The peasant woman fights off the guards easily, then glares at the young man.*
Peasant Woman: Why were you going to help me?
Young Man: You're....the one I've been looking for.
*In the palace, another young woman, the princess of the realm, her hair long, beautiful, platinum blonde, is seated at her throne.*
Princess: What do you mean she beat up the guards and got away?
Soldier: She has...unusual power...
Princess: This is unacceptable...
*The princess is shown in a room showered in stained glass, pointing her hand at a wall, out of which comes a beam of pure light energy, she fires it and the beam creates a powerful explosion, meanwhile the peasant woman is seen in lord's armor, practicing her knife wielding skills against a soldier and besting him easily.*
Young Man: You've been a soldier before.
Peasant Woman: Not by choice.
Lead your armies into battle...
*Gameplay scenes show the various battlefields, and 3-D battles not unlike those in OTL Fire Emblem: Awakening, though the graphics aren't quite as smooth*
Young Man: The princess of our realm is Magris, the Princess of Light. She is beloved throughout the realm.
Peasant Woman: She's an impostor. The real princess is me.
Young Man: Is that true?
Peasant Woman: When I was a child, my birthright was stolen from me. I don't know when or how this Magris assumed the throne, but I want it back and I will take it from her.
*Magris casts powerful light magic onto a battlefield, scattering a number of rebel forces.*
Magris: All who oppose me will be vaporized...
Soldier: Your majesty!
Magris: *she glares at him*
*The peasant woman stands before an army.*
Peasant Woman: Come with me....fight at my side and together we will take back the throne of this realm!
*More scenes of gameplay are shown, then the game's logo appears.*
FIRE EMBLEM: THE FALSE PRINCESS
Fall 1999
*The crowd cheers and Howard Lincoln once again begins to speak.*
“The False Princess will be available to play down on the show floor, it's the same classic Fire Emblem gameplay but with some amazing new twists, some of which you saw in the video. And now for another long awaited sequel, here's a brand new Wave Race game coming out next summer.”
*A short trailer for Wave Race: Ultramarine, showing off the game's even better new graphics along with a few new racers and lots of new stunts, is shown. The crowd cheers afterward and Howard Lincoln begins to speak once again.*
“One of the most beloved Nintendo franchises ever has been the Donkey Kong Country series, and today-” *the crowd cheers loudly* “Today I am proud to once again welcome to the E3 stage Mr. Chris Stamper, here to show off the new Donkey Kong Country game for the Ultra Nintendo.”
*Chris Stamper takes the stage to some very loud applause.*
“Thank you Mr. Lincoln, thank you everyone. As everybody here knows, Donkey Kong Country has always been a groundbreaking series, setting new standards for technological and gameplay innovation. And in Ultra Donkey Kong Country, we've broken new ground yet again. Take a look.”
*The Ultra Donkey Kong Country trailer is almost pure gameplay, showing off the new levels and gameplay to the crowd. Unlike OTL's Donkey Kong 64, Ultra Donkey Kong Country is a hybrid sidescroller and 3-D game, sort of like Super Mario 3D World. The game contains a mix of pure sidescrolling levels and linear 3-D levels where Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and the newest playable character, Lanky Kong, can roam and explore. Both kinds of levels are playable in four-player splitscreen mode, which means that the sidescrolling levels can be played as a pure race to the finish where the Kongs can either help or hinder one another's progress, while the open world levels can be played either cooperatively or competitively as well. Levels take place in a huge variety of environments, with jungles, ice levels, fire levels, undersea levels, desert levels, factories, pirate ships, cloud areas, temples, and others all represented, the biggest variety of Donkey Kong Country levels to date. The crowd again cheers after the trailer ends.*
“In Ultra Donkey Kong Country, King K. Rool has once again returned to mess with our favorite monkeys, sending his Kremlings to destroy Kong Island once and for all, and our heroes have to team up to stop him. As you saw in the trailer, this game features the biggest variety of levels ever seen in a Donkey Kong game, or any platformer for that matter. With 60 levels spread across ten different worlds, it's easily our most ambitious game yet, and the culmination of our efforts across the entire series. There's also a multiplayer battle mode where you can take on your friends across six different arenas. Take a look.”
*Another trailer is shown for the game's multiplayer battle mode, which is fairly similar to the one in OTL Donkey Kong 64, complete with weapons like Donkey Kong's Coconut Gun and Diddy's Peanut Pistol.*
“Ultra Donkey Kong Country brings all the incredible fun of the classic DKC series to the Ultra Nintendo, and if you're a fan of the SNES-CD series, you'll absolutely love our newest game. So come down to the booth and check it out. So that's Ultra Donkey Kong Country, and along with Ultra Blast Corps, we've got a busy lineup for 1999. But we've also been planning out the games of 2000, and here are your first looks at both of them.”
*A pair of trailers are shown. The first is for Velvet Dark, TTL's version of Perfect Dark. The trailer shows off both the game's multiplayer, which is a much more advanced version of Goldeneye 007's with a variety of different modes, and the game's single player mode, which features Joanna Dark and involves a plot revolving around AI rather than an alien invasion, with Joanna's sister Velvet as a major character. The second trailer shows off the game Conker's Twelve Tales, which features the titular squirrel in a 3-D platforming collectathon and retains the game's original, fairly innocent motif rather than the vulgar, foul-mouthed appearance it took later on.*
“Velvet Dark is our spiritual successor to Goldeneye 007 and a game we've been working on even since before Goldeneye was released. It features the same great first-person shooter gameplay you've come to love, but with many, many changes that we believe optimize the FPS experience and make Velvet Dark the best shooter ever created. In addition to a robust single-player campaign with a cinema-quality storyline, we've also worked hard on bringing you the best multiplayer experience on the Ultra Nintendo console. For the very first time, you'll be able to utilize sims in your multiplayer game, so that you can either compete alone or team up with friends against a team that's trying to take all of you down. The multiplayer experience also carries over to our campaign, with a brand new Counter-Operative mode where one player can leap into the body of an enemy soldier to stop Joanna from completing her mission. Velvet Dark will take first-person shooters to a whole new level, and we plan to give you a lot more information on the game before it launches next spring. And later next year, Conker's Twelve Tales is our take on the 3D platforming genre. You'll take control of the adorable squirrel Conker as he explores a massive world in search of missing presents stolen by the villainous Hoodlums. Along his way he'll also have to save his woodland friends, who have been kidnapped and hidden away.”
*After a bit more gameplay footage of Conker's Twelve Tales is shown, Chris Stamper leaves the podium and Howard Lincoln returns to speak once again.
“One of Nintendo's oldest software partners has been Squaresoft, makers of the fantastic Final Fantasy series. And once again, we have a Final Fantasy game to show off here at E3. Here, for the first time, is the introduction to Final Fantasy VIII.”
*The intro starts out like OTL's Final Fantasy VIII intro, with the tide washing up on a sea as the song “Liberi Fatali” begins to play. Unlike OTL's intro, however, the Guardian mecha, the equivalents of the Gears from OTL's Xenogears, are heavily featured, with a flashback to a massive Guardian battle between Galbadia and Esthar being shown as scenes of Squall, Elly, Bart, Cid, Edea, Ramsus, and Miang are also featured as well. The connection between Squall and Elly is paralleled by the connection between Ramsus and Miang, while Miang's scenes and Edea's scenes are also heavily interspersed, implying a connection between them as well. The trailer ends with a rapid-fire succession of images that concludes with Squall and Elly reaching out toward one another. Then the trailer and song end and the Final Fantasy VIII logo is shown, instead of depicting Squall and Rinoa as IOTL, it depicts a Guardian mech that will later be revealed as Xenogears. The crowd erupts into loud applause as the trailer concludes.*
“And here to discuss more about Final Fantasy VIII is Square's director of North American operations, Mr. Ted Woolsey!”
*Ted Woolsey takes the stage and begins to speak, while video of the game's battle system is shown on the screen.*
“Final Fantasy VIII is a collaborative effort, the work of countless thousands of people here at Square, from writers, to developers, to programmers, to voice actors, to translators, bringing this game to all of you this fall is an enormous effort, and as you can see, it's going to be our best looking and I think our best playing game yet. Here you have in battle, Squall, Bart, and Quistis, and for this battle, they're on foot. Now, each of them has their own weapon, Squall has a Gunblade, which is exactly what the name implies, Bart uses his fists, and Quistis has a whip. In battle, your attacks take the form of combos that you can learn as you advance through the game. Basically, the more powerful the weapon, the more advanced combinations you can use. In addition, Squall's Gunblade can utilize timed hits in order to double the damage he can do.”
*The player is shown executing a three-hit combo, Squall's blade executes its timed trigger on each one and the enemy, a Gayle, goes down easily.*
“So if your timing's right and you pick the right combination, you can easily score a lot of damage! As for magic, you gain magic by drawing it from the enemy. So, for example, you can draw Water, Quake, and Cure from this enemy. When you draw magic, it goes into your pool and you can cast the spells you've drawn at any time. For your basic characters, you gain experience by defeating enemies, and your levels and stats increase accordingly. Now, we're going to summon our Guardians. So, in certain battles, you'll be able to do that by hitting R2 and then selecting Call Guardian.”
*There's a cool animation sequence as the Guardians, Quezacotl, Shiva, and Ifrit enter battle and the heroes board them. The Guardians have significantly better stats than the heroes alone do.*
“So now you're in your Guardians and there's an entirely new set of commands to use. You can utilize basic attacks or magic, and for Guardians, their magic doesn't use up anything from your pool, but it DOES use up Fuel, which is limited, so you'll need to watch that. There's also a Special, it uses up all your remaining fuel but does a massive amount of damage and you can use that any time you like.”
*Shiva's special, Diamond Dust, is unleashed, killing the remaining enemies and easily ending the battle. The audience cheers at the spectacular effects.*
“Now let's show you how to improve your Guardians. They don't level up normally, they get stronger through equipping them with various Parts. Some Parts are specific to certain Guardians, others can be used by all. You can buy Parts, find them as treasure, or....”
*The player enters a Triple Triad card game.*
“You can win them by converting cards won in Triple Triad. Some of the most powerful Guardian parts are only available through winning in Triple Triad, though to keep things balanced, a lot of the best cards don't show up until much later in the game.
So that's a bit on how you'll play Final Fantasy VIII. The plot of the game involves a war fought between Galbadia and the rest of the world. There's an organization called SeeD that sends mercenary soldiers to protect the people from Galbadia's advances. SeeD trains its soldiers at special Gardens, which are like enormous dormitories, one of which our main character, Squall Leonhart, joins at the start of the game after using the Guardian Quezacotl to defend Balamb Town from a Galbadian squadron. Unfortunately, Squall's use of this Guardian also causes great death and destruction in Balamb, and he is haunted by guilt and discouraged from fighting. His guardian, Cid Uzuki, who happens to also be the headmaster of Balamb Garden, takes Squall in and helps train him to use his Guardian to protect others. He's trained by his new teacher, Quistis Trepe, and he soon begins to make friends, including the energetic young Selphie Tilmitt and the young prince Bart Fatima, who Squall helps out on his very first mission. He also gains a dangerous rival in Kahran Ramsus, who has a mysterious relationship with a woman named Miang, a woman who becomes very important over the course of the adventure. And then of course there's Elly...”
*We see Elly pointing a gun at Squall in a rendered CGI cutscene*
“Elhaym Van Houten, Elly for short, is a soldier from a mysterious and secluded country on the other continent known as Esthar, which fought Galbadia to a draw in the last great war. The mysteries that Elly holds are key to Squall's future and that of the world as well.
Final Fantasy VIII is set to release on October 10, 1999, and will come on three discs. The game is our biggest and most ambitious RPG to date, and we all hope you really love it. The next game we'd like to talk about is an upcoming RPG called Academy, and here's a quick preview...”
*The trailer for Academy, which depicts six young students, three male and three female, at a magic school, is shown. The game features anime cutscenes and a battle system almost identical to that found in Live-A-Live, and shows the students uncovering a threat to their school from within before the trailer ends. The game is applauded, though not nearly as much as Final Fantasy VIII.*
“Academy will put you in the shoes of six young students studying magic while uncovering a threat that could bring an end to their world as they know it! You'll have to get to know these six young heroes very well, as all of them bring their own stories and skills to this magical world. Academy releases this December for the Ultra Nintendo.
Also releasing this December, the Final Fantasy Collection, which brings all six Final Fantasies on two discs to the Ultra Nintendo. While all six games are already playable as SNES-CD titles, we've included new animated cutscenes for all six games and plenty more extras including a soundtrack selection and a special artbook as well, showing off some previously unreleased works from Nobuo Uematsu. All six games will be available at a special price of $59.99, and the collection will be in stores this December.
Now, before we go, there is one more thing we'd like to announce...”
*The logo for Super Mario RPG 2: A Plumble Beginning appears on screen, drawing massive applause and cheers from the crowd.*
“Squaresoft has once again been working with Nintendo on a brand new Super Mario RPG. And for the first time, you'll find out how Mario and Luigi came to live in the Mushroom Kingdom. This game will tell their origin story, from their childhood growing up in Brooklyn to their first arrival in the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond. We hope you'll enjoy playing Super Mario RPG 2, and we hope to have more information at next year's E3. We plan to release the game worldwide by the end of next year. So that's it for Squaresoft's E3 presentation, come see us at our booth and enjoy the show!”
*Ted Woolsey leaves the stage and Howard Lincoln returns to the podium.*
“That was an excellent presentation from Squaresoft, and we're not through yet. Here's a preview video for the upcoming action game from Sony, Dog Dash 3.”
*The Naughty Dog logo is shown, with Woofle making mischief and Clark calling him out for being a “naughty dog”, before a gameplay preview of Dog Dash 3 is shown.*
Explore New Worlds!
*Clark and Woofle roam around a giant grassy field, then are shown dodging rocks spewed from a volcano.*
Battle Bad Guys!
*Woofle pounces on a robotic cat monster, before Selkie is seen spewing a bunch of fire at some advancing caveman cats with clubs.*
Free Your Friends!
*Clark and Woofle attack a cage, destroying it and freeing the grateful people inside.*
Become A Legend!
*A cutscene of Clark, Woofle, and Selkie atop a castle, raising their fists in the air as thousands of villagers cheer below.*
And Take Down The Evil General Catsmeow!
General Catsmeow: I'll tear them apart, and I won't even play with them first! *bats around a mouse on a string*
Clark: You'll never defeat us, Catsmeow! *hops on Woofle's back and charges forward*
DOG DASH 3
It's A Barking Good Time!
July 19
*the familiar “Playstation”/Nintendo mashup sound is heard*
*Cheers from the crowd as Howard Lincoln speaks*
“Dog Dash 3 is only two months away, and you can play a complete version of the game down at the Nintendo/Sony booth. Now for this next preview, I'd like to introduce Mr. Mark Cerny.”
*Mark Cerny takes the stage and shakes Lincoln's hand before approaching the podium.*
“How's everybody here doing? You know, I'm doing great, and it's not just because Sony has the year's most killer lineup of Ultra Nintendo games. From Dog Dash 3 to Twisted Metal 3, Emergency, and Umjammer Lammy, 1999 is shaping up to be our best year ever. But next year is going to be just as good, and this next game is a big reason why.”
*Another video begins to play.*
Victoria: *narrating* All my life, they've told me I should be a noble woman... marry into a noble family, live in a castle, be rich and safe and happy...
*Brief flashbacks of Victoria's adventures across the previous two Tales of the Seven Seas games are shown.*
Victoria: But I've only been happiest when I've been out on the open sea...to feel the wind in my face, to feel the spray of the water, to smell the salt of the ocean...yes, there have been rough times. I've been hurt, I've been dirty, I've been in peril...but I've never felt more alive.
*Victoria walks through a set of fancy doors.*
Victoria: And yet...I've missed my home.
Next summer...
*Victoria embraces her parents as Erick and the others look on.*
Victoria: Mummy, daddy, I'm home...
*Erick and Dona stand out on a balcony, overlooking the sea.*
Dona: What do you think, is she gone for good?
Erick: That's...really up to her.
*Victoria is in her study, looking at a map as her father points something out.*
Victoria's father: There. That's where they've been coming from.
Victoria: The Empire is already here?
Victoria's father: Our nation is about to become a part of something... something bigger. And you, Victoria...you can be a part of it as well.
*A well-decorated young man enters the mansion.*
Young Man: You must be Victoria...
McKenna: *grumbling* I don't trust any of this.
The Seven Seas come to life like never before...
*Gameplay scenes of the various characters, including Erick, Dona, and Victoria, fighting in various environments are shown. The gameplay is now fully 3-D and resembles Dynasty Warriors, though without the massive hordes of enemies and with the ability to jump and climb*
And one woman must make a choice that will change the course of her own destiny...
Victoria: Dona, I thought he'd be a monster, but he's not....and I think I love him.
*The Emperor's son is holding Victoria close as she smiles up at him.*
Emperor's son: What my father is doing is wrong. But we can make it right.
Victoria: I....
And the destiny of the entire world.
*Erick is riding his pirate ship into a storm toward the Emperor's massive flagship.*
Erick: I won't let you do this, I won't let you take away Victoria's freedom!
Emperor: Boy, she's made her own choice!
Erick: Fire!
*The cannons rip through the sides of the Emperor's ship. Victoria is seen clashing swords with a heavily armored soldier.*
Victoria: You won't take me without a fight!
*A ship is seen sailing into unknown waters, Victoria is standing on the bow, her hair flowing in the wind, an unsure look on her face.*
Victoria: Where I go, the world follows...
TALES OF THE SEVEN SEAS: THE VICTORIAN LEGACY
Only on the Ultra Nintendo
Summer 2000
*The crowd again erupts into loud cheers as Mark Cerny continues to speak.*
“Tales Of The Seven Seas: The Victorian Legacy will let the player choose what path our lovely heroine takes, while also taking control of her six best friends to help her on her path. This game will be a new paradigm in interactive storytelling, and we'd love to have you all along for the ride. And as we said before, we have more games coming out before the end of the year. Umjammer Lammy is a spiritual successor to 1997's Parappa the Rapper, starting a young guitar player named Lammy who's counting on you to help her achieve her dreams. And Twisted Metal 3 picks up right where Twisted Metal 2 left off, with more carnage than ever and an even more destructive multiplayer mode, it's thrilling vehicular combat at its finest.
The last game we're showing off today is a game you've probably read about in magazines or even online. We first showed it off last year in Japan at the Tokyo Game Show, and it's our first attempt to create a survival horror frightfest. Here is the trailer for Emergency.”
*The trailer for Emergency, which depicts its main character as a doctor who has to barricade himself in a room from a massive outbreak of diseased and homicidal freaks, before crawling out through the vent and exploring the hospital for survivors, is shown. He finds one survivor in the trailer, a 20-something woman named Anessa, and the two have several narrow escapes from the monsters. There's one scene where something comes out of the floor and grabs Anessa, and then the trailer ends, drawing lots of cheers from the crowd. Mark Cerny speaks as gameplay video plays on the screen, the game seems to play like a faster-paced Resident Evil with a lot more dialogue.*
“Emergency is a game we've been working on at Sony for the past couple years. It's a survival horror game where you never know what's waiting for you around the corner. You can choose to find the quickest way out of the hospital or to try and save as many people as you can, and your actions effect how the game's events will play out. Emergency will be coming out November 1st.”
*After the Emergency presentation, Mark Cerny once again cedes the podium to Howard Lincoln, as the logo for Silent Hill appears on the screen.*
“Emergency isn't the only horror game coming to the Ultra Nintendo. From Konami, the people behind this year's amazing Metal Gear Solid, comes Silent Hill, a psychological thriller where your enemy isn't just the monstrous threats facing you on the outside, but the terror within your own mind. Play Silent Hill at Konami's booth if you dare. Also from Konami is a platformer exclusive to the Ultra Nintendo.”
*Gameplay from Outfoxed, which depicts a wise-cracking anthropomorphic fox who collects magical orbs to rescue his friends, is shown on screen. The fox protagonist, named Phil, uses his tail to sweep enemies off their feet, and can also wield a variety of weapons, including a freeze ray and a lasso.*
“This is Outfoxed, a 3-D action title from Konami. In it, you play as Phil, whose friends have been kidnapped by an evil hunter.”
*A big, burly hunter with a massive chin is shown on the screen, wielding a shotgun that fires a net that captures some of Phil's friends, including his girlfriend Lisa.*
“In order to stop the Huntmaster, you can't just beat him, you'll have to outfox him! Outfoxed makes its way to the Ultra Nintendo next month. And now we've got another preview for you. Take a look at the newest RPG from Konami, Primrose Soldier.”
*Another preview video is shown. In it, a soldier in training is walking around what appears to be a modern city, when he spots a beautiful and mysterious girl in a crowd. In contrast to the drab looking people around her, the girl has lovely pink hair and is dressed in an outfit that's more like a flower than a dress. As he approaches her, the girl disappears in a cloud of flower petals. Later, the soldier is talking to his superiors about the girl, who is said to possess magic, something that's been banned in their world for centuries. We see that soldiers in the army have devices to detect magic, and that magicians are routinely found and shot on sight. The soldier is shown chasing down the girl, who kneels before him and closes her eyes, expecting him to kill her...but he doesn't. The game's battle system, which isn't quite an action-RPG but involves rapid-fire button presses and precision timing, is also shown, and another cutscene, depicting a skyscraper-sized robot fighting against a massive magical beast, is briefly shown as well. The game's logo is shown, and the crowd cheers*
“In Primrose Soldier, technology and magic clash as we follow the story of young Exeter, a soldier assigned to a special task force whose job is to slay the last of the world's magicians. When he meets the mysterious Flora, a girl seemingly made entirely of magic, his oath becomes a burden, and he must decide whether to help destroy magic or to help save it.
We have another RPG to show you, this one is more of an open-world RPG, and it takes place in an ancient kingdom beset by beasts and invaders. In Rise A Knight, you start as a simple peasant, but as you accomplish different tasks and show your courage, you'll rise through the ranks to become a great knight, and eventually, a legend.”
*Gameplay footage from Rise a Knight is shown. It's a pure Western-style RPG, taking place in an open world similar to that of the Ultima games. A bit of the game's combat, showing the player battling against goblins is shown, and the player can also rise from place to place on horseback. A cutscene showing the player being knighted by a beautiful queen finishes the presentation.*
“In Rise a Knight, while becoming a knight is the goal, how you accomplish that goal is up to you. And now I'd like to talk a little bit about Pokemon...”
*The crowd cheers as the Pokemon logo appears on screen.*
“Over the past eight months, Pokemon fever has taken America completely by storm. The Gameboy games were some of our best selling titles ever, the anime is a ratings hit, and the toys are selling out of stores faster than we can restock them. So it's no surprise that 1999 and beyond will feature even more Pokemon games for players to enjoy. Pokemon will be coming to the Ultra Nintendo for the first time in the form of Pokemon Safari, a game where you'll be able to explore eight different areas, capturing photos of Pokemon to have them rated by Professor Oak. You'll need to be quick, as Pokemon don't always cooperate for the camera....”
*Brief footage is shown of the player capturing various shots of different Pokemon.*
“And after you've snapped a great picture, take your memory card down to any Blockbuster Video to print out stickers that you can put on almost anything! But that's not all the Pokemon fun coming to the Ultra. Next year, Pokemon Stadium will make its North American debut, and it'll be worth the wait. We're bringing over the second Japanese Pokemon Stadium game, which means that all 150 Pokemon will be playable in battle, and you can even bring the Pokemon from your Gameboy games into the arena! We're even getting the Super Nintendo CD involved. That's right, Pokemon is coming to the Super Nintendo CD, in the form of Pokemon Super Adventure, a brand new Pokemon adventure designed specifically for the SNES-CD. You'll be able to play it this July, it'll be one of the very last Super Nintendo CD games and I can think of no better way to send such a great system off into the sunset than with one of our franchises of the future.”
*The lights come up now, and the screen goes blank.*
“And while we're on the subject of the future... I think the time has come to introduce to North America our newest gaming handheld.”
*The crowd erupts into wild applause at this, many of the reporters have been waiting for the Nova's unveiling, and the excitement has now reached a fever pitch.*
“To help introduce the Game Boy Nova, I'd like to welcome to the stage Mr. Gunpei Yokoi and Mr. Ken Kutaragi!”
*The two men, accompanied by a translator, step up to the podium and shake Lincoln's hand. The translator takes the podium as the two men begin to speak, Kutaragi speaks in English while Yokoi speaks in Japanese and lets the translator translate.*
“Hello friends, I'm Ken Kutaragi and you might know me as one of the fathers of the Super Nintendo CD. I was very pleased to hear it mentioned here, I'm hoping some of you still play it!”
“I'm Gunpei Yokoi, and I helped to develop the original Gameboy. All throughout my career, I have worked to make video games accessible and fun for everyone. Mr. Kutaragi and I both have very different ideas on what makes a video game device special. But, with the Game Boy Nova, his ideas about the wonders of technology and my ideas about simplicity and fun have come together to create the best handheld gaming machine ever made.”
*The Game Boy Nova is held up for the crowd. It resembles in some ways a Nintendo DS without the bottom screen, it has a clamshell design, a single, wide screen on top and the familiar shoulder buttons, start/select buttons, and A/B/X/Y buttons on the bottom, along with a third speaker to go with the ones flanking the screen. Ken Kutaragi begins to speak again.*
“The Game Boy Nova is where technology and functionality meet in beautiful harmony. While being able to run six hours on a single battery charge and being able to be held in your pocket, it also plays games never before thought possible on a handheld device. Its graphics processor is capable of producing visuals that far outshine those on the Super Nintendo CD, and its advanced soundchip and speakers put console-quality audio in the palm of your hand for the very first time. Here is the Game Boy Nova in action.”
Introducing...A New Era In Handheld Fun
*Pounding techno music plays as the Game Boy Nova's visuals are shown on screen. Versions of Street Fighter, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Resident Evil, all with graphics approaching those on the OTL Playstation 1, are shown off.*
Games Like You've Never Seen Before
*New entries in the Contra and Castlevania franchises are shown, Contra boasting some excellent 3-D while Castlevania shows incredible animation.*
Brand New Experiences
*A swimming level of another, unknown game is shown, depicting how good the ocean looks. An anime cutscene from an unknown RPG shows how well the animation can be depicted on the screen.*
Old Favorites In The Palm of Your Hand
*Super Metroid and Squad Four are both shown running on the device, along with Final Fantasy VI. A version of A Link To The Past with graphics like those in Ocarina of Dreams is also shown.*
Amazing Sound
*Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is again shown, with lifelike sound effects and even some real-life songs able to be heard, though in compressed form. Street Fighter III is shown off as well.*
Incredible Control
*A boy is shown playing the system, his fingers hitting the buttons, showing off the system's SNES-like controls.*
The Revolution Is Here
*Super Mario Nova is shown off, with 2-D visuals better than those in Super Mario World 2, including some great animation effects*
The Game Boy Nova. Coming March 2000.
Handheld Gaming Reborn
*The video ends and the crowd again erupts into applause as Ken Kutaragi begins to speak.*
“The Game Boy Nova is coming and handheld games will never be the same. Not only does this system play some amazing games, it's also fully compatible with all of your old Gameboy games, and you can even save your games on the system's built-in memory. Certain Game Boy Nova games will have compatibility for transferring data between these games and the old Game Boy Color games, but more on that will be revealed at a later time. The system also has on it...”
*Ken Kutaragi holds up the system to his face and a low-res picture of his face is displayed on the screen. The crowd cheers.*
“It has a built-in camera! Now this camera can be used with certain games not only on the Game Boy itself but you can do things like take a picture of something and then put it into the new game Velvet Dark, so that in the multiplayer, you and your friends can actually appear in the game! Or you can use the new Game Boy Printer accessory to print out stamps of any picture you've taken!”
*The crowd cheers again, Kutaragi holds up the Nova.*
“The Game Boy Nova will be released on March 26, 2000, and will retail for $169.99, that price will include both the Game Boy Nova and Super Mario Nova, which will be packed in with every unit. We have nearly a dozen playable games including the new Super Mario, Street Fighter, Tony Hawk, and Resident Evil down at the booth for you to try!”
*Now Gunpei Yokoi takes the console and begins to speak.*
“And there is one more game to show off, and for that, we give the podium back to Mr. Howard Lincoln.”
*Kutaragi and Yokoi leave the stage, and Howard Lincoln returns to the podium.*
“Thank you gentlemen for introducing the folks here at E3 to the Game Boy Nova. We do indeed have one more Nova game to show off, and I think a lot of you already know what that is. Please look at the screen.”
*The screen begins playing another preview video, this one of Pokemon Sun and Moon. It's accompanied by the Pokemon Theme Dance Mix as it shows off not only the new gameplay, but several new Pokemon as well, including OTL ones like Ariados and Ampharos, and new ones like a timberwolf Pokemon and a fierce looking tarantula wasp. The graphics appear much like OTL HeartGold and SoulSilver, and the gameplay shows full Pokemon animation in battle, much like OTL Black and White. When the trailer is over, the crowd roars with applause.*
“Pokemon Sun and Moon will be making their way to North America a few months after the launch of the Nova in the summer. Now, the Game Boy Nova is our next generation handheld device, but we still have a few more games to show off for the Ultra Nintendo. Take a look.”
*A preview video shows off a few more Ultra Nintendo games, including the long-awaited ports of Half-Life and Starcraft. There's also a special segment of the video introducing games “from best-selling authors”, showing off Tom Clancy: Secret War and then another game, Runner Mike, “from the author of the technological thriller Digital Fortress”, which shows an explorer investigating an ancient Greek temple and dodging gun-wielding pursuers. The video seems to end, but there's another longer segment, showing off the exclusive Ultra Nintendo Resident Evil title, Resident Evil: Operation Stormwind. The game shows Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine landing at a heavily guarded military site, where mercenaries clad in body armor with the Umbrella logo are waiting for them. Jill is then seen going through an underground tunnel system, where a massive mutated beast lumbers toward her. She shoots at it with numerous bullets. The scene switches to show Chris hacking a computer when he's grabbed from behind by a man who tries to inject him with a needle. Chris throws the man off of him just in time. After the Operation Stormwind footage, the video ends. Howard Lincoln remains on stage.*
“I'd like to thank everyone here for coming to our Nintendo at E3 1999 presentation. There's just...one more game I'd like to show before we finish up today. Please look at the screen.”
*Another video begins to play, depicting the inside of a futuristic looking area, like the inside of a massive spaceship. A female voice is heard.*
From when I was a little girl, I made it my goal to protect the innocent. I've always been fighting alone, a silent sentinel, rarely getting to see with my own eyes the people I was protecting...
*People are pacing around the inside of the ship, a massive open area with elevators and trees and white walls and rooms, like something out of 2001. It's a bustling space colony.*
I guess that's why I took this job, so I could...be around people again.
*A hand is seen sliding a keycard through a reader, then blue boots are seen walking through a door.*
It's not the most exciting job in the world, but..
*A little girl looks up at the camera, smiling and giggling. A blue gloved hand is seen lightly touching her face.*
But I feel like I'm home.
*The camera pans up to show a tall, blonde woman clad in blue, as the Metroid musical motif quietly plays. The crowd, slowly recognizing the music erupts into the loudest applause of the entire show.*
*In a science lab, various creatures are seen trapped in containment.*
Samus: *to a scientist* You're keeping them here? With all these people?
Scientist: There are countless security measures here designed to keep these things and the people separate. And besides...if anything does happen, that's why you're here, Miss Head of Security.
Samus: I should have this operation shut down.
Scientist: This operation's been ordered by the Federation itself. We need to study these things precisely so they can't threaten humanity.
Samus: You have no idea what you're doing.
*Another scene of many, many people out in the colony. Then, the lights all go off. Auxillary power kicks in, then goes off as well. There are a few lights flickering, but mostly darkness. Samus enters the area and can see people nervous and starting to panic.*
Samus: What is going on...?
*The screen goes black. The roar of a monster can be heard. Samus, still clad in her Zero Suit, rushes to put on her armor. A pack of monsters can be seen rushing out of containment and into a large crowd of people. Samus in her armor blasts a few of them but she is quickly tackled to the ground as one of the creatures begins tearing at the armor viciously. The little girl from before screams.*
And my home is about to be shattered again...
*A version of Samus Aran's Theme from Super Metroid now plays as rendered cutscenes of Samus trying to save people while monsters attack are interspersed with gameplay scenes, showing that the game features the same 2-D gameplay of previous series titles, but with 3-D graphics. Samus is shown fighting a pair of large bosses at the same time, collecting new powerups including a version of OTL's Annihilator Beam, before another rendered cutscene shows her diving to grab the little girl as a vicious flying beast swoops overhead. Then there's another cutscene, of a battered Samus in a tattered Zero Suit, lying on the ground and gasping for breath, she has her blaster on one of her arms and she's looking up defiantly at something coming down at her.*
Samus: Come and get me you son of a-
*The screen goes black. The crowd goes ballistic.*
METROID: DARKNESS
2000
*The crowd is still hollering as the video ends and the lights come back up.*
“Thank you again and enjoy E3!”
-Nintendo's keynote address at E3 1999
-
*1999's E3 keynotes were broadcast on television for the first time, in this case they were filmed and broadcast as part of 1999's three hour GameTV E3 special, and after the keynote speeches, we see the hosts' reactions to both of them.*
Ted Crosley: Whoa, whoa-ho-ho, what an amazing presentation by Nintendo!
Alex Stansfield: Yeah, that was really amazing. Nintendo just blew me away with all the great games they just showed off, and don't forget the Game Boy Nova. Squad Four: Rebellion looks absolutely incredible, the combat looks like a lot of fun and the plot is incredibly intriguing.
Ted: Hey, what about the game we just saw? Metroid, we're finally getting a new Metroid!
Gary Westhouse: Final Fantasy VIII looked killer, as did the new F-Zero and Fire Emblem.
Brittany Saldita: I can't wait for the new Final Fantasy, that intro was a thing of beauty and got me hyped up to play it right now! But yeah, out of the two keynote presentations I definitely thought Nintendo's was the best, they were showing off a lot more games-
Alex: And it makes sense, because, you know, the Ultra Nintendo's earlier in its lifespan than Saturn.
Ted: Yeah really, um, why didn't Sega show off the long-rumored Katana? That's what I'm wondering, we've been hearing about the Katana forever but it doesn't look like we're gonna see it this year.
Adrian Fry: Well, I thought Sega took more of a quality over quantity approach this year. They showed off a bunch of good games, I mean, Sonic 5 looked awesome, Soul Calibur looked amazing, and I gotta be honest, I think I like what I saw from their Resident Evil game more than Nintendo's. Nintendo's had better graphics, but Saturn's Code Veronica looked straight up scarier.
Alex: Well, I will say this, NYPD: Narcotics Squad could be the surprise of the show.
Brittany: Yeah, that game looked absolutely incredible. And I love Sonic, so Sonic the Hedgehog 5 is a must-play for me.
Lyssa Fielding: Are you all forgetting about the new Pokemon game that's coming out? I mean, did you see it? How much the graphics have improved, that definitely shows off the power of the new Game Boy.
Ted: Well, we're going to have to get down to the floor and play some actual games before we can call anything the best game of the show. When we come back, we'll bring you more coverage from the E3 floor. That's next on the 1999 E3 Spectacular, right here on GameTV!
-
*Ted and Alex are at the Nintendo booth now, playing the Game Boy Nova.*
Alex: So this is the Game Boy Nova, and I think the camera guy should zoom in so you can see just how good this looks. I'm playing the new Super Mario game right now and it's just amazing. It's just as fun as I remember Super Mario World 2 being, it's been a long time since we've had a proper old school Mario game, and this one plays fantastically.
Ted: I'm playing Resident Evil, and the graphics are just out of this world. It looks about as good as it did on the Sega Saturn, and on this tiny little handheld! I still don't know how this thing can keep a charge for six hours, though the battery pack in the back does feel kind of hefty.
Alex: Right, I feel that, the bottom is a bit weighty though the system can easily fit into your pocket. It's got a built-in backlight, which is great, and the speakers make the music sound just as good as it does coming out of your TV. I'm in awe of this little thing.
*The camera zooms in to show Ted blowing some zombies away in Resident Evil.*
Ted: I remember the Tiger Game.com trying to do Resident Evil 2-
Alex: Ew, oh God, don't remind me of that thing.
Ted: Yeah, it really couldn't handle it, but this is just amazing.
*The scene switches now to show Ted and Alex both trying out the new Pokemon game.*
Alex: Okay, the graphics have gotten a MASSIVE bump, and these new Pokemon are pretty cool. I'm playing with one of the new starters, Chikorita...
Ted: Alex picked the wimpy one, I'm going with Totodile, he's a little crocodile and he's badass.
Alex: Get this. You can take your old Pokemon from the original game and transfer them to the Game Boy Nova's built in memory before then transferring them into Pokemon Sun and Moon. It's really incredible. It's a one way trip though, so make sure you want to take your Pokemon off the old game before bringing them into this one.
Ted: All right, enough talk, I wanna keep playing!
(…)
Brittany: All right, Alex and I are now gonna check out the new Squad Four! Here I am as Rebecca, and right now I'm in prison.
Dylan Cuthbert: Right, you begin the game trapped here in this large prison area, and over the first few levels you've got to figure out how to escape. Once you find a way out, you'll be set upon by guards and security devices, so make sure you're prepared before making your break for it.
Brittany: I'm loving the lock-on system in this game. You can choose to aim manually or you can lock-on, and the game will either pick the most threatening enemy or you can lock on by using the D-pad to scroll rapidly between targets.
Alex: Right, the game gives you so much freedom to play the way you want to play it.
Cuthbert: That's the key, from the very outset of the game we made the decision that the player would have a lot more fun if they had the most amount of control possible over their style of play.
*Rebecca rolls out of the way of incoming fire before dashing over to a guard and taking him out with her twin energy blades.*
Brittany: This is just incredible, and just like in Eclipse, you can charge up for special moves as well.
Alex: And you can also find special collectibles that give you all new special moves within that stage! That is really something and I think it'll encourage players to go off the beaten path and explore the levels you guys have created.
Cuthbert: That's absolutely something we want to see.
(…)
*Ted and Lyssa are checking out the new Sonic the Hedgehog 5, Ted has the controller and he's sending Sonic through a series of loops in one of the city levels.*
Ted: It's so weird but so cool getting to take Sonic anywhere I want him to go. For the very first time, Sonic can move pretty much anywhere we want to take him. I see a big ring on top of that building, I'm gonna try to go and get it.
Lyssa: This game doesn't just have city levels either, there's all kinds of levels to explore and over on the other monitor, somebody's exploring the beach, while Ted tries to get that big ring let's check out how this guy is doing!
*The camera briefly shows the beach level before going back to Ted maneuvering Sonic up onto the building to collect the big ring.*
Ted: Now my goal in this stage is actually to find the entrance to the subway, and there are arrows all over the place pointing out where I need to go. There's also some enemies here so let's just take them out...
*Sonic goes up to a crowd of enemies and uses melee attacks to knock them all out, Ted doesn't bother with Sonic's spin move, instead he has Sonic run around a corner, where a big gorilla mech is waiting for him.*
Tails: Sonic, catch! *tosses him a banana cannon*
Ted: Oh, I see! *shoots the bananas at the mech, distracting it and causing it to expose its weak spot, which Ted damages with a spin move* Nice, nice...
Lyssa: Why does the robot gorilla like bananas?
Ted: It's his programming, makes him a more realistic gorilla!
(…)
Gary: I'm here with Ubisoft's Michel Ancel, and this is their new game Welcome to Magicka. Now how this game works is that you explore different areas of this world called Magicka, your goal is to get to the end but if you explore, you can find items that power up your sorcerer.
Michel Ancel: That's correct, it's a more freeform take on the open world platformer genre, we don't require you to collect a lot of things to advance in the game but instead we reward you with power-ups and stronger spells.
Gary: And I gotta say, this game really reminds me a lot of The Dreamers, with emphasis on exploration and combat. It looks really beautiful and I'm in awe of the variety of spells I've already found.
*Gary shoots a spell at an enemy on screen, turning it into a chicken.*
Gary: I'm assuming this spell doesn't work on everyone?
Ancel: It doesn't, but it'll work on most basic enemies, yes! But watch out, a lot of your enemies have spells and they can turn you into things as well.
Gary: That's not good!
(…)
*Ted and Alex are now at the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater booth with the skating legend himself, Tony Hawk.*
Ted: It's an honor to meet you, you're one of the most talented and creative athletes who's ever lived and I've loved watching you at the X-Games over the past few years.
Tony Hawk: Thanks, it's a pleasure to meet you guys, I'm a big fan of the show.
Alex: Man, we should've had you on earlier then!
Ted: But anyway, your video game, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, it really is something else. The amount of tricks you can do, it's really addictive to try and string together big combos.
Hawk: Well, I wouldn't put my name on a game if it wasn't fun, being a gamer myself, I made sure this was the type of game that I would want to play.
Ted: It's definitely the type of game I want to play!
Alex: Now, this game's going to be on the Ultra Nintendo and the Sega Saturn, but also on the upcoming Game Boy Nova.
Hawk: That's right, you can take it with you anywhere, even out to the skate park! I wouldn't recommend playing it while skating though.
Alex: No, that would definitely be a mistake.
Ted: Thanks again for talking with us and we'd love to have you show off some tricks on the show sometime. We'd even let you jump over Gary.
Hawk: *laughing*
(…)
*Brittany and Lyssa are at a booth trying out the new Syrielle game for the Ultra Nintendo, Syrielle Soul.*
Brittany: Syrielle Soul is a really unique game because it'll give you the option of either starting fresh or using your save from Syrielle on the SNES-CD to import your choices from the old one to this new game.
Lyssa: Even if you don't have a copy of the old game, it'll still let you make a few choices because there's an interactive scene at the start of the game that will call on you to make decisions that simulate a playthrough of the previous title. Or, again, you can start totally clean. I loved the original Syrielle, so when I found out there was gonna be a sequel, I was absolutely thrilled.
*The screen shows Syrielle, her spider powers having manifest visually on her body, giving her several extra legs and a big bulbous spider butt, looking embarrassed as she has a dialogue with Stacy. In this playthrough, Stacy is Syrielle's best friend and tries to comfort her through her embarrassment.*
Brittany: There you see Stacy from the original game, but most of Syrielle's friends in this new game are all new and you can form all new relationships with them.
Lyssa: Yeah, only a few of the really important characters like Stacy return from the old title. Also, I'm told that there's a lot more dialogue and sim elements and less action elements to this one, so those like me who were really pleased with that aspect of the game are gonna be hyped up to play this new one. Syrielle Soul comes out this winter, but gosh darn it, I really wanna play more of it right now!
(…)
Ted: I'm here with Dan Houser and we're checking out Chaos City. Dan, I have beaten the (bleep) out of a bunch of innocent people and now the cops are after me.
Dan: *laughing* Well mate, looks like you're gonna have to kick the cops' arses as well!
Ted: I guess so! *runs up to the cops to fight them, only to get shot and killed in a hail of gunfire* That's not fair!
Dan: You gotta be more clever about it, you ain't got no firearms but you can find a sword or a chainsaw to use maybe.
Ted: There's a chainsaw in this game?
Dan: Maybe not this early on. *laughs* Good luck though!
(…)
Alex: *is playing Junction Point for the PC, he's going through a dimly lit hallway and is getting creeped out by the numerous weird noises he's hearing* This game is significantly scarier than I thought it would be!
Ken Levine: Well, it's largely based on the original System Shock, which in and of itself was pretty creepy. Plus it's got the whole Heart of Darkness thing going for it.
Alex: Now that was a fantastic book. So basically, I'm trying to hunt down a captain who's gone totally out of his mind, and this ship is flooded with crazies and freaks. *collecting some health items as he turns a corner, he sees a disheveled woman stumbling down the hallway and has to open fire on her* Believe it or not this isn't nearly the creepiest thing I've seen in this game! *comes across a room with a sparking floor, it's a puddle of water that will shock him if he goes into it* All right, this could be tricky...
*Before long, two more crazies are coming through the doorway, forcing Alex to step onto the electrified puddle which shocks and kills him*
Alex: Damn!
Levine: It's not easy!
Alex: It's really fun though. *keeps playing*
(…)
Brittany: I'm here with Peter Molyneux, and we're talking Colony, his new game due to be released by the end of the year.
Peter Molyneux: Thank you, Brittany, I'm glad to be discussing this game with you. Let me just say, Colony is a game that's going to blow a lot of people's minds. It combines the best aspects of life-sim games with a thrilling RPG adventure. So it's the best of both worlds really.
Brittany: From what I got to play, I'm pretty impressed with how well the relationship development is in this game. How you deal with your fellow colonists does effect how much stronger your character becomes, though I didn't get to try the gameplay outside of the colony yet, the RPG aspects of the game, but I'm sure if it plays anything like the colony itself it's gonna be a lot of fun.
Molyneux: The combat is something I'm quite proud of, you'll be able to choose a discipline, swordsmanship, archery, magic, etc., depending on what you want to specialize in. So there's so much freedom and choice in the game, and I'm looking forward to players getting to play and enjoy it on their PCs this fall.
Brittany: I'm looking forward to playing a lot more of this, thanks again!
(…)
*Lyssa is seated in a limo outside the E3 convention in Los Angeles.*
Lyssa: So you guys all know that E3 is the biggest show in gaming, and we've given you a ton of inside access to all the biggest upcoming games of the year. But how is it possible for us to get all of that access? Well, thanks to all the loyal GameTV viewers, GameTV gets closer to the games and the developers than anyone else, and that royal treatment starts even before we get to the show!
*A little featurette is shown, detailing the red-carpet treatment the GameTV hosts enjoy during E3, including private limos and extremely nice hotel rooms*
Lyssa: *resting on the bed in her hotel room* I live like five miles from here, but who's gonna turn down a suite, huh? *giggles as she kind of bounces on the bed a little bit* I'm gonna order up some room service! *she orders up a jumbo hamburger* Now let's go see how my fellow hosts are doing! *makes her way across the hall to Brittany's room and knocks on the door* Brittany?
Brittany: *opens the door* Oh, hey there Lyssa, what's up?
Lyssa: We're showing all the viewers about how awesome it is to cover E3! *pokes her head in* Are you...playing Chrono Trigger?
Brittany: ...maybe.
Lyssa: You're supposed to be compiling your notes, we still have lots of games to talk about!
*A hotel worker approaches Lyssa with her room service burger*
Worker: Room service!
Brittany: *raises her eyebrow* You ordered room service on the job?
Lyssa: ….*begins rapidly shoving the burger in her mouth to make the evidence disappear* ...no!
Brittany: *rolls her eyes and shuts the door*
Lyssa: ...well, while I head over to Ted's room to go bug him, here's Gary with a look at the all new Commander Keen: When Universes Collide! *casually munches on the other half of the burger as she heads down the hallway*
-excerpted from the May 18, 1999 episode of GameTV
-
Adam Sessler: Hey there, I'm Adam Sessler and this is Dan Hsu, editor-in-chief of Electronic Gaming Monthly, and we're reporting from the floor of E3. There's been a lot of games shown off so far, including games from some of the biggest franchises around. Sonic, Final Fantasy, Squad Four, Metroid, and Resident Evil among many others have all had their games shown off here, and we talked to several developers who are excited about the future of the industry.
*A series of interview snippets are shown*
John Romero: As technology improves, we're gonna be seeing games getting more and more realistic. With Doom: Inferno, we were able to use console technology to make monsters and dungeons more vivid and realistic than ever, and I think the next generation of console FPSes are going to take graphical fidelity to a whole new level.
Peter Molyneux: Oh, there's absolutely a paradigm shift in gaming. You can already see it. The worlds are getting bigger, and games are getting a lot more complex in what you can do with them.
Dylan Cuthbert: The graphics have just taken a quantum leap. The technology is at a level where we're creating these huge, realistic worlds, and the sky is absolutely the limit.
Gabe Newell: It's what I say to everybody who tells me about how amazing Half-Life looks: “guys, you haven't seen ANYTHING. We're already seeing chips that can put out graphics that make Half-Life look primitive. The leap is coming and it's going to be incredible.”
*The snippets end.*
Dan Hsu: And Adam, I was surprised that Sega didn't show off their Katana console. We saw some great games from them, but compared to what Nintendo was showing off, only a few of those games managed to measure up to Nintendo's best.
Adam: The Saturn is still a capable system. We saw that with games like NYPD, but yeah, I was definitely surprised to see the Katana as a no show. I'm wondering if it's even ready, though that would mean we don't see it actually released until 2001 or even 2002.
Dan: And how many games would Nintendo have released by then?
Adam: It's hard to say what Sega's thinking. But even without the Katana, I think this has been the best E3 yet and I'm really glad to be here.
Dan: Oh, so am I.
-excerpted from a ZDTV special on E3 1999 on the Gamespot television program, airing May 19, 1999
-
-E3 1999: Live Updates (471 posts)
-Damn this dial-up, I wanna see the Metroid video! (8 posts)
-Nintendo owned Sega so hard (53 posts)
-WHERES THE KITANA?!?!! (20 posts)
-Squad Four 3 (759 posts)
-Double Dragon at E3 (14 posts)
-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (25 posts)
-Oh man is that a tarantula wasp pokemon those things scar me (3 posts)
-NYPD Narc Squad: Game Of The Show (13 posts)
-All things Sonic thread (1428 posts)
-Sphere Soldier 2 Confirmed For Winter (7 posts)
-Klonoa sequel revealed at E3 (11 posts)
-Can we talk about Lissa Fielding's boobs plz guyz?!1 (240 posts)
-oh no samus shouldnt talk this games gonna suk (38 posts)
-Sonic 5 > All Nintendo's E3 stuff. (171 posts)
-from a topic list on the Gaming Age Forums on May 18, 1999
-
Game Critics Awards- E3 1999
(based on the OTL Game Critics Awards, OTL's winners can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Critics_Awards )
Best Of Show: Squad Four: Rebellion
Best Original Game: Colony
Best Console Game: Squad Four: Rebellion
Best PC Game: Colony
Best Peripheral/Hardware: Game Boy Nova
Best Action Game: Sonic the Hedgehog 5
Best Action/Adventure Game: Squad Four: Rebellion
Best Role-Playing Game: Final Fantasy VIII
Best Racing Game: Virtua Racing Reality
Best Sports Game: Grant Hill Basketball 2000
Best Fighting Game: Soul Calibur
Best Strategy Game: Homeworld
Best Social/Puzzle Game: Samba de Amigo
Best Online Multiplayer: Team Fortress
Special Commendation Awards: Squad Four: Rebellion, Junction Point, NYPD: Narcotics Squad
Best Booth: Sony
-
In 1999, E3 finally came back to Los Angeles.
It was a star-studded show. Celebrities like Tony Hawk and Haley Joel Osment were there, helping to promote Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Star Wars: Battlefront respectively, while others like Phil Hartman and Alyssa Milano were pacing the floor simply to check out the games. There were also plenty of concerts with Janet Jackson highlighting the show over at Sega's booth, promoting the upcoming Samba de Amigo game.
Sega might've pulled out all the stops in terms of celebrity guests, but they held back on the one thing that might've turned their E3 into one for the ages, and that was the Katana. Sega's upcoming console was a complete no-show at E3, though Sega reps did give cryptic answers when pressed on their next-generation console, saying they were hard at work on the next console but that their current focus was on the Sega Saturn. Make no mistake, the Saturn did boast an impressive lineup. Sonic the Hedgehog 5 was the star of the show, but Soul Calibur impressed boothgoers even more with its arcade perfect graphics and incredible gameplay. Commander Keen: When Universes Collide didn't surprise everyone like Mars' Most Wanted did the previous year, but that's because 1998's game had significantly raised the profile of the series. We were expecting Keen to be great now, and its demo booth was among the show's most crowded. The Saturn did, however, have a surprising hit in NYPD: Narcotics Squad, whose gritty storyline and slick looking gameplay brought the game a ton of attention, with many calling it the sleeper hit of the show. Code Veronica, the latest title in the Resident Evil series, also impressed, even moreso than Nintendo's exclusive Operation Stormwind in the eyes of many. Though the Saturn was clearly winding down, E3 1999 still proved that the console could still churn out some quality games.
Sega's sparse lineup and lack of info on the Katana might have been acceptable had Nintendo not shown up with what many even today still call the greatest E3 lineup of all time. After blowing us all away with a Squad Four: Rebellion trailer and gameplay demo, the hits just kept on coming. By the time Nintendo got around to showing the Game Boy Nova, we were already exhilarated over the Ultra Nintendo lineup, and the fact that a new Pokemon game was coming (the trailer even brought a few Pokemon-loving reporters to tears of joy) was just icing on the cake. All of that would've been more than enough...then Nintendo showed off Metroid: Darkness, and sent the crowd into hysterics. By the time the show was over, those Sega executives who were standing near the back to snoop on Nintendo's show could be seen looking like a bunch of kids who'd just been caught egging the principal's house. They knew they were in trouble. 1999's E3 is known today as the beginning of the end for the Sega Saturn, with the Ultra Nintendo just entering its peak years. While 2000's show would be the Year of the Katana, 1999 belonged to Nintendo, and everyone in Los Angeles with half a brain knew it.
Among PC games, the all-time classics Junction Point, Team Fortress, and Homeworld were shown off. Peter Molyneux was all too happy to show off his upcoming game Colony, but we all know how that one turned out.
Tom Kalinske's ill-fated decision not to show the Katana at E3 1999 has been cited as one of the industry's biggest mistakes, though knowing what he knew at the time, it's hard to blame him. The Saturn still had more than a pulse, it had a strong heartbeat, and the Saturn was on the verge of entering one of its strongest stretches of games. Kalinske clearly wanted to keep the Saturn alive, and announcing a $149.99 Saturn price cut at Sega's booth on the last day of the show did stop the bleeding at least a little bit. The Ultra Nintendo, however, was still going strong at twice the price of the Saturn, and its first price cut, to $249.99, wouldn't happen until November of that year (to coincide with the release of Squad Four: Rebellion). Whether or not Kalinske's decision was a mistake or not, Sega's continued declining sales inevitably created internal pressure at the company, and that call would come to haunt him sooner rather than later...
-excerpted from IGN's E3 1999 article (based on this real-life article on IGN.com about OTL's E3 1999: http://www.ign.com/wikis/e3/E3_1999 )
-Argonaut creative director Dylan Cuthbert, remembering E3 1999 and Squad Four: Rebellion in a 2008 interview with Kotaku.com
“It was my very first E3! They wanted me at the booth to help show off Final Fantasy VIII. I really wasn't sure what everyone would think, I had to hope we'd live up to the great expectations set by the previous game.”
-Final Fantasy VIII director Tetsuya Takahashi, remembering E3 1999 in an interview in the July 2009 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly
“This Summer, The World Of Sonic Is Finally Revealed”
-the tagline for Sonic the Hedgehog 5, first used at E3 1999
“Handheld Gaming Reborn”
-the North American tagline for the Game Boy Nova, first revealed at E3 1999
“#1: Nintendo (1999)”
-from “The 20 Greatest E3 Lineups Of All Time” on Screwattack.com, posted on June 11, 2015
“Where's the Katana?”
-overheard many times at Sega's E3 1999 booth
-
May 13, 1999
*Tom Kalinske steps onto the stage, receiving vigorous applause from the crowd as he approaches the podium.*
“Good morning, everybody! I'm Tom Kalinske, and once again, I'd like to welcome you to Sega at E3! For nearly four years, the Sega Saturn has provided countless hours of entertainment to gamers all over the globe, hosting some of the most revered and well-known video game franchises around. And today, we're going to be featuring perhaps the most beloved video game franchise of them all. Today, I'd like to show you why Sonic the Hedgehog 5 is not only going to be the game of the year, but also might just be the greatest video game ever made. Check this out.”
*Sonic is seen standing in the middle of a bustling city. The camera pans around him to show all the different landmarks and buildings.*
Sonic: It's time to go!
*Sonic takes off in a rapid spin down a busy street, knocking out robotic enemies and collecting rings all along the way. He hits a ramp and speeds up it, doing a quick loop that spits him out on the other side, onto a much longer ramp that takes him up into the air, where he does a flip through several large rings before landing on a tall building, from where he can see the entire city laid out before him. A large blue arrow is pointing to something down below. Sonic takes off from the roof, landing on another street and charging down it. He runs toward the arrow, where a massive robot with two huge claws is holding Tails and Cream hostage.*
Tails: Help us, Sonic!
Cream: Hurry!
*Sonic dodges a lunging claw from the robot before spinning toward it, slamming into a weak spot on its chest. The robot tumbles back, and then Sonic launches a furious combo of punches and kicks, knocking the robot onto its back.*
*Next, we see Sonic running across a grassy field, collecting more rings. He comes across a large enemy with two huge mallets, pounding the ground and creating large cracks. Sonic leaps over the enemy and begins spinning as soon as he comes down, dodging a mallet blow before slamming into it again.*
*Sonic runs around a massive boss creature made of crystal energy. He collects a power-up, which causes him to leave a trail of fire on the ground behind him. The boss creature tries to attack Sonic, but misses and burns himself on the fire, leaving him vulnerable for a spin move.*
*A rapid-fire montage of scenes now, of Sonic spinning around a jungle, Sonic doing some impressive flip moves on a ramp, Sonic running across several loops before leaping down onto a beach filled with enemy crabs, Sonic exploring a laboratory, and Knuckles fighting off some masked ninja-looking enemies.*
Knuckles: This isn't gonna be easy, Sonic.
Sonic: If we don't find the Chaos Emeralds, the whole universe could be destroyed!
Tails: But we don't even know where to begin!
*A salamander with crazy white hair and a long beard shuffles over to Sonic.*
Dr. Scales: I can help!
*After a quick scene shift...*
Dr. Scales: The Chaos Emeralds are scattered all over the multiverse!
Sonic: And let me guess, Robotnik's trying to find 'em?
Dr. Scales: Oh no, something far more powerful! *as he speaks, a video is shown of a massive creature emerging from the ocean* A being made from pure chaos itself!
Sonic: That could be bad...
*Another scene shift*
Amy: Sonic, look out!
Sonic: *barely rolls out of the way as an enormous tail slams into the ground behind him*
Rouge the Bat: Well well, lucky me finding a cutie like you here. *touches Knuckles' cheek*
Corona: *rolling her eyes* You've gotta be kidding me.
Emerl: *firing shots at a mysterious robotic ninja*
Tails: *doing calculations on a mini-computer as Cream looks over his shoulder*
Sonic: Dr. Robotnik, I know you're in there! Come out and face me now!
Robotnik: *standing on the roof of an ancient castle* You need my help to save the universe? *laughing* Well now, THIS is a surprising turn of events.
Knuckles: You'd better help us, or we'll tear you limb from limb.
Robotnik: Oh, this IS serious! *laughs*
*Sonic and his friends face down the massive water being*
Sonic: We won't let you have our universe!
Chaos: *just makes a hideous noise and sends a massive tsunami toward the gathered heroes*
Sonic: *spins out of the way as the other heroes draw their weapons*
*There's another rapid-fire montage of scenes with Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Corona, Big, Emerl, Cream, Rouge, Dr. Scales, and Vector all displaying various combat abilities, while other scenes show off how huge the levels are, finally the scene shifts back to Sonic and Tails approaching the huge castle where Robotnik was seen earlier in the video.*
Sonic: Tails, you ready?
Tails: I'm always ready!
Sonic: Then let's go!
*One more scene is shown of Sonic and Tails fighting the castle's massive stone golem boss. Then the screen goes black. The horrible Chaos noise is heard again, and then the game's logo is displayed.*
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 5
July 20, 1999
*cue the Sega! Scream*
*the crowd gives a very loud standing ovation as Tom Kalinske begins to speak again*
“Sonic the Hedgehog 5 is our biggest, most ambitious video game to date, the culmination of more than three years of incredible efforts by our amazing Sonic Team. Here's the director of Sonic Team, Yuji Naka, here to show off some of the awesome things Sonic and his friends will be able to do.”
*Yuji Naka takes the stage, and he and Kalinske show off Sonic 5's features for a few minutes, demonstrating the game's huge open world levels and Sonic's new melee combat moves, which include punches and kicks, along with his familiar spin attack. Footage of Tails, Knuckles, and the new character, Dr. Scales, who uses a variety of technological weapons in combat are also shown. Then Kalinske begins to speak again.*
“I've played this game and I've gotta tell you, it's one you won't be able to tear yourself away from. Sonic the Hedgehog 5 can be played with or without the Ring, though the Ring adds two exclusive worlds to the game and a number of hidden bonuses, along with an extra final boss and a secret ending. We'll be offering a special Sonic 5/Ring bundle that will retail for $99.99, and a Sonic 5/Ring Saturn bundle for $249.99 when the game launches on July 20. We'll have plenty of playable Sonic 5 booths down on the show floor, so I definitely suggest that you go try the game for yourself immediately upon the conclusion of this presentation. Our next title is another Sega original. It's the latest installment in one of our flagship series that has been around since the Sega Genesis days, and that you might have played in the arcades over the past year. I'm of course talking about the hottest racing title in arcades today, Virtua Racing Reality.”
*A brief trailer of the game is shown, demonstrating the game's detailed graphics and large selection of challenging courses.*
“Virtua Racing Reality brings the series to all new heights, with better visuals than ever, based on our latest arcade hardware. It's coming exclusively to the Ring, and when you're home playing it, you'll understand why a game like this could only be possible on a Ring-enhanced Saturn. Virtua Racing Reality brings a new level of racing intensity to one of our most beloved franchises, and with 16 tracks, you'll be hooked as you try to top your best runs. Virtua Racing Reality will be released on July 6, and will be offered by itself or as part of a bundle with the Saturn Ring.”
*The screen now shows an image from the new Saturn exclusive, Battleborn.*
“And now we'd like to show off a couple of new games from our software partner Treasure, best known for the Gunstar Heroes series.” *a small cheer goes up from the crowd as that game is mentioned* “First up is Battleborn, a brand new shooter where you play a soldier whose planet is threatened by a horrifying menace.”
*Footage from the game displays a rail shooter very much like OTL's Sin and Punishment. Hordes and swarms of aliens fill the screen, and the player can switch between a variety of weapons to target and destroy them. You can also call upon allies in battle to assist with their own weapons, though you have to watch their damage meter to protect them from being killed themselves.*
“Battleborn is full of futuristic environments and weapons that you can mix and match for maximum effect.”
*The player on screen is shown swapping between weapon combinations, combining a gatling gun-like weapon with a fire enhancer to spray the screen with napalm bullets that catch dozens of enemies on fire, bringing them down quickly.*
“And as par for the course in a Treasure game, Battleborn contains some difficult and highly stylized boss fights as well.”
*One of the game's bosses, a massive creature with three huge toothy mouths and gigantic horns, is seen menacing the player as they fire their weapon at it. The creature extends its horns, causing massive damage as the player is gored.*
“Battleborn is an alien-blasting war for the fate of humanity, and you'll be pushed to your limits to save the world. Now, Treasure has another title on the way, and it should be familiar to anyone who played a certain platformer in 1997...”
*The trailer for Troublemakers 2 is shown, showing Marina Liteyears piloting a spaceship with Dr. Theo in the co-pilots seat. She receives a distress call from a nearby planet.*
Woman in Black: Marina Liteyears, you must come to our aid. Our planet is in grave danger.
Marina: I'm on my way!
Dr. Theo: Are you sure this is a good idea, Marina? *looks at the screen and gets a peek at the Woman in Black's ample cleavage* O-ho-ho, we'd best get down there right away!
*Marina's ship lands on the planet, which is convulsing with storms. She is immediately attacked by a robot horde, which she destroys by flinging them into one another. Meanwhile, the Woman in Black is seen watching this over a video monitor.*
Woman in Black: Good...she's here...now I shall destroy her...
*Gameplay footage of Marina exploring various environments is shown. We see a map, where it's shown that Marina explores several planets over the course of the game. We see a number of new characters, including a tall, burly man with green hair and a woman in a purple jumpsuit firing a laser cannon. We also see appearances from Teran, as well as Lunar, Tarus, and Merco in their human forms.*
Woman in Black: *holds Marina up by her throat* Did you think you could interfere with my control over this system?
Lunar: *blasts the WiB in the back* HEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE'S LUNAR!
Marina: *breaks free and deploys a huge laser cannon*
Dr. Theo: *being dragged off by tentacles* HELP ME MARINAAAAA!!!!
*Marina is shown riding a huge winged bug creature across a field of lava*
Marina: Hi-YAAAAAH! *throwing a moon at an enormous city-sized robot*
Woman in Black: I will crush her!
*More rapid-fire scenes are shown, followed by the game's logo*
TROUBLEMAKERS 2
*applause is heard as Tom Kalinske begins to speak*
“Troublemakers 2 debuts next month for the Sega Saturn, and a complete North American version of the game is playable on our floor right after the show! Now I'd like to introduce Shinji Mikami to talk about Resident Evil: Code Veronica.”
*The crowd erupts into applause as Shinji Mikami takes the stage.*
“Hello, I'm honored to be here at E3 in Los Angeles. Resident Evil: Code Veronica has been developed exclusively with the Sega Saturn in mind, and utilizes the Saturn Ring to produce the best graphics ever seen in a Resident Evil game.”
*A gameplay video, featuring Claire Redfield running down a dark corridor is seen. The graphics look outstanding, even better than the two Resident Evil ports on the Ultra Nintendo. Claire is accosted by a monster with large claws, and has to back away from it while firing her pistol.*
“As you can see, Claire Redfield is the star of this game, and she must escape from an Umbrella controlled facility, while also discovering what experiments the evil company is cooking up. Code Veronica comes with a number of gameplay elements new to the Resident Evil series, including the ability to dual wield weapons for maximum effect.”
*A video shows Claire firing two pistols at once to fend off a horde of mutated creatures.*
“Code Veronica will be the most terrifying game in the series to date, with threats lurking around every corner. This will force the player to be completely aware of their surroundings. You won't be able to divert your attention for even a single second.”
*A scene shows Claire walking past a window, only for a tentacle to wrap around her neck, she tries to escape it but it squeezes tightly and eventually pops her head off in a spray of blood. The crowd gasps and then applauds.*
*laughing* “Yes, there are consequences for not paying attention! But Claire won't be alone. You'll be joined by Abigail Chambers, and the two of you will need every resource you can find to survive and escape back to the mainland. Resident Evil: Code Veronica is the best Resident Evil game yet, and it'll only be playable on the Sega Saturn. Thank you.
*Tom Kalinske shakes Shinji Mikami's hand and then begins to speak again.*
“Also from Capcom is another fantastic game, this one being a fighting game. In Marvel vs. Capcom, your favorite video game characters and your favorite superheroes will clash in a three-on-three, winner-take-all brawl for supremacy! Marvel vs. Capcom comes to the Saturn in December, and is not to be missed by anyone who loves comic books or videogames, it's going to be a real treat.
Last year, one of the biggest surprises was Commander Keen: Mars' Most Wanted. The story of how Billy Blaze saved Mars resonated with players and made the Commander Keen series into one of Sega's hottest franchises. Now, Commander Keen is back in the all new game Commander Keen: When Universes Collide.”
*The crowd cheers as the logo is revealed.*
“Commander Keen returns, now with his sister Becky. Keen and his friends must travel the universe and beyond to battle the archvillain Captain Chaos. Here's some gameplay footage that I'm sure will have Keen fans drooling with anticipation.”
*The game's trailer plays, interspersed with various gameplay moments, including Keen using his new Black Hole Bazooka to suck up enemies, Becky sneaking around Chaos' HQ under a cardboard box, Keen hitting enemies with his new Wedgie Gun (prompting laughs from the crowd), Princess Lindsay battling enemies before confronting the cackling Commandant Lindsay, and footage from the game's multiplayer mode showing off some of the new weapons and levels. The trailer ends, and Kalinske begins to speak again.
“Commander Keen: When Universes Collide is coming to the Sega Saturn in October. Also coming to the Saturn this October is a new Saturn exclusive from Rockstar Games, whom you might know for their Race'n'Chase series. Now, the company is trying their hands at the beat-em-up genre, and for those familiar with games like Final Fight and Shenmue, Chaos City is an irreverent twist on a beloved old formula.”
*Some gameplay footage from Chaos City is shown, featuring a smartass protagonist who runs around a city, beating up thugs and other miscreants. Unlike in games like Shenmue, the fighting is much more comical, and also much more violent. Blood spurts from enemies with every blow, and usually when someone is finished off, their body explodes in a shower of blood and gore. There's also plenty of swearing and rudeness, and your character can also just beat up random pedestrians on the street if they so feel like it.*
“In Chaos City, you play as Elvis McCracken, a down-on-his-luck criminal who takes a once in a lifetime job offer to be the enforcer for crime boss Big Billy Balls. In addition to doing jobs for crime bosses and criminals, you can also choose to fight crime in the city...or just beat up random folks on the street. Everything's legal in Chaos City, and that can make for some extremely interesting situations.”
*Elvis is seen fighting a horde of clowns who seem to be very angered by his insults. He beats up the clowns, though one of them manages to score a hit with a pie to the face.*
“Do anything and go anywhere, if you're looking for freedom or just for a fight, Chaos City is the place. Now, in our next game, you're on the side of justice, in a city plagued by a criminal scourge. Here's the trailer for NYPD: Narcotics Squad.”
*A cop car is seen driving down the streets of Brooklyn.*
Fred Kroenin: *to his young partner, Ethan Stone* First day on the job?
Ethan: Yeah.
Fred: You nervous?
Ethan: A little.
Fred: Good.
*The car drives up to a large warehouse, where prostitutes and drug dealers are seen frequently entering and exiting the building. Fred and Ethan go inside and confront a group of drug dealers, who put their hands up.*
Fred: You're under arrest for dealing narcotics. You have the right to remain silent. You have the right to-
*One of the drug dealers draws a gun, and the game shifts to a third-person shooter perspective, where you have to quickly aim at the bad guys as Ethan dives behind a dirty-looking couch.*
Ethan: Backup, requesting backup!
*Fred and Ethan report to their superior.*
Police Captain: The 13th Street Blades are the deadliest drug dealing gang in the city. They control huge territories and they've even chased out the mob.
Ethan: How the hell is that possible?
Police Captain: Through brutal, unforgiving violence. *as he speaks, his words are intercut with scenes of the Blades' violent deeds, including executions, torture, and even bombings*
*The scene shifts to Fred and Ethan in the precinct's locker room.*
Fred: Don't ever take your guard down for a second. Every stop, every step, you could be a second away from getting your head blown off. If you're not ready for that, you need to quit right now.
Ethan: This job's what I was born to do. I got a wife at home, she's got a kid on the way.
*Ethan enters his house.*
Ethan: Baby, I'm home... *enters the kitchen to see his wife gagged and tied to a chair, she's been roughed up* Oh God! *as his wife is trying to scream a warning to him, we see someone come up behind Ethan with a gun*
Fred: *hanging up his coat at his own house and collapsing into his chair in front of the TV, letting out a groan* I been doing this job too damn long. *Fred's words are intercut with scenes of him mourning at the grave of another longtime officer, of him being serviced by a prostitute, of him drinking away his sorrows at a bar*
Police Captain: The narcotics business in New York City alone is a multi-billion dollar a year business, and these pieces of scum will do ANYTHING, and I mean ANYTHING to keep that money flowing.
*Numerous action scenes from the game play, showing off the third-person shooting aspect, it's much more complex and involved than the Virtua Cop series, a real third person shooter instead of an on-rails game*
Ethan: You think I don't know how dangerous this is?
Fred: Until you've been on the force even half as long as I have, you don't know a damn thing about how dangerous this is.
*More scenes from the game play, showing Ethan morally conflicted as the villains who kidnapped his wife seem to be forcing him to work as their mole on the force, we see Ethan and Fred bonding as well, Ethan kissing his wife goodbye, the police precinct going up in flames, and Fred being beaten on by a gang leader*
Fred: All my life I've been trying to clean up this city. I've seen what these drugs can do. I've seen what these thugs can do. And I've seen what happens when good men do nothing.
Ethan: Do you think we're good men?
Fred: Compared to the son of a bitch running the drugs in this city, I think anyone's a good man.
*More gameplay scenes are shown, culminating in Ethan pulling a gun on Fred.*
Ethan: I'm sorry.
Fred: So am I.
*The screen goes black as a gunshot is heard.*
NYPD: NARCOTICS SQUAD
Only on Sega Saturn
*The crowd erupts into massive applause louder than anything so far except the applause for the Sonic 5 trailer.*
“NYPD: Narcotics Squad will be coming out this summer. And now, I'd like to welcome Mr. Glen Warren from Namco to show off a pair of arcade hits soon to make their way to the Sega Saturn.”
“Thank you, Tom. Now as you know, Ridge Racer has been one of our most successful franchises, and last year, Ridge Racer 2 debuted in the arcades to a great reception from players and critics alike. Ridge Racer 2 will finally be making its way to the Saturn early next year, and thanks to the Ring, it's going to look and play just as great as it does in the arcades. Check it out.”
*A brief trailer showing off Ridge Racer 2, looking much better than OTL's game because of the far longer lead time between releases. The trailer ends and Warren begins to speak again.*
“Of course, you're all probably waiting for me to tell you about Namco's other big arcade adaptation, and it's almost here. On August 31, Soul Calibur will be released for the Sega Saturn, and fighting games will never be the same.”
*The crowd erupts into applause as the trailer for Soul Calibur is shown, featuring all of the game's fighters, 16 in all (less than IOTL's Dreamcast title). The game's graphics are outstanding, better than Virtua Fighter 3, though the game is also announced as being exclusive to the Ring, unlike VF3. Once the trailer ends, Warren begins to speak.*
“As you can see, Soul Calibur is the most beautiful fighting game ever made, and the gameplay is top notch as well. It introduces smoother combos and more complex fighting moves than Soul Edge, which was already regarded as one of the very best Sega Saturn titles. And, exclusive to the Sega Saturn version are two new characters. We'll show them both off today.”
*Another trailer plays, this time showing off the character Turok in battle, using a high-tech tomahawk against his foes. Then, another character, Lenneth Valkyrie, is shown in battle with her large spear.*
“From the Turok franchise and from the new ActRaiser Valkyrie come Turok and Lenneth, and we know they'll be welcome additions to the Soul Calibur ring. You can of course play the complete game down at the Sega booth, and while you're there, check out our new Soul Calibur collectible action figures, featuring all the characters from the game. Thank you and enjoy the show!”
*Tom Kalinske takes the podium again, smiling.*
“You know, it's very appropriate that Mr. Warren brought up Turok, because we have some new Turok footage to show...”
*A very brief trailer for Turok III: Generation War is shown, featuring Turok and his sister Danielle battling a massive army of warriors armed like they are. The new villain is shown to be a man decked out in black armor known as the Lord of Ages, and he has at his command a portal that can open the gate to any dimension, calling forth terrible creatures. The game's logo is shown, along with “2000”, the game's release year. The crowd applauds.*
“Turok III will be coming to the Sega Saturn in 2000, and we'll have much more information on that game over the coming months. Indeed, we have more than 40 playable games at the various booths set up by Sega and its software partners, and video previews of even more games, showing just what we're working on over the next year and beyond. Now, we'll conclude the show with one final preview...”
*Some murmurs of “Katana” are heard from the crowd*
“Our latest RPG epic, Phantasy Star VI.”
*A video is shown of Phantasy Star VI, boasting amazing graphics, probably the best yet seen in a Saturn RPG to date, and also showing off the game's cast of heroes as they wander a massive open world. The game draws some impressed murmurs from the crowd, and plenty of cheering at the end of the trailer, but some are left disappointed that nothing from the Katana was shown.*
“Phantasy Star VI will be coming to North America in 2000, and we've got a gameplay demo set up at our booth from the Japanese version which is set to be released in December of this year. We hope you've enjoyed this presentation, and we plan to make many more awesome games for the Sega Saturn, fulfilling our promise to make the Saturn the best video game console on the market today. Thank you, and enjoy E3, everyone!”
-Sega's keynote address at E3 1999
-
*Howard Lincoln approaches the podium.*
“Hello again, it's good to see all of you here for Nintendo's E3 presentation. The last year has been one of our most successful ever. The Ultra Nintendo is now in over 40 million homes worldwide, something we couldn't have imagined when we first set out with the cooperation of Sony to create what we believe is the ultimate home video game console. Already, nearly 300 games have been released for the Ultra Nintendo, and combined with nearly a thousand playable Super Nintendo CD titles, the Ultra Nintendo has one of the most robust video game libraries in history. And over the next two years, that library will be getting a lot more impressive. I'm here to talk about a few of our upcoming games, and I'll be inviting some of our top software developers on stage to share our vision with you. We're also planning to introduce a brand new gaming device to North America here at E3, but that will be a bit later on. For now, here are a few of the games we've got coming up.
And we're starting off the show with one of our biggest releases of the year. In 1993, Argonaut Software helped us bring Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto's vision about a group of hotshot pilots who save the Lylat System from evil to life. Star Fox was one of the most technologically advanced games ever made, and sold nearly three million copies. And when we asked Argonaut Software if they had an idea of their own to share with us, they revealed to us and to the world their own dream about a group of four brave heroes, traveling space and fighting for freedom. And now, this November, Squad Four is ready to battle evil again. Here is the world premiere trailer for Squad Four: Rebellion.”
*The crowd cheers as the trailer begins.*
*Shad, Marcus, Rebecca, and Lane are walking down the main street of the Lockstar capital as confetti and ticker tape rain down on them.*
President of Lockstar: You're the bravest heroes this planet has ever known, and you have saved us all.
Shad: Thank you, Mr. President.
General Vasher: Your courage and hard work are an inspiration to us all. You will forever be known as four bright lights, shining above Lockstar to protect us from evil.
*The squad is returning to their homes now*
Marcus: Another day, another successful mission.
Rebecca: Good job, everyone.
*In the halls of the presidental palace, soldiers are marching. In the beds of Squad Four, Shad is peacefully resting.*
*The door to Shad's room is blown in.*
Soldier: Wake up!
Shad: What the? *sits up to see his bed surrounded by soldiers, Marcus, Rebecca, and Lane wake up in their own rooms in a similar predicament*
Rebecca: What's the meaning of this?
Marcus: You can't arrest me!
Lane: Hey, get off!
*Squad Four is marched into a courtroom in chains to face a judge.*
Judge: You, the members of Squad Four, are charged with high treason... *as the judge speaks, various scenes play, the presidential banner is replaced with the icon of the Lockstar Military, and on all TVs throughout the city, a message is read.
Reporter: All citizens remain calm. There is a mandatory curfew in effect. The new government will ensure peace and order on Lockstar.
Shad: We're not traitors, we've risked our lives for the people of this planet!
Judge: You stand with those who would oppress the people of Lockstar!
Rebecca: The only oppression is coming from you!
General Vasher: *standing at a podium* The galaxy stands at a new age, and only with strength can we maintain peace. For too long, our people have been at the whims of those who would destroy us. An invasion, one we barely survived, brought great death and destruction to our world, and only with strength can we protect our people! Squad Four are criminals of the highest order. These so-called heroes have sided with our enemies in the past and they would do so again if given the chance! We will not give them that chance.
*As the general speaks, Squad Four is found guilty and is taken to a massive prison complex, they're thrown into individual cells and locked away, desperate looks are seen on their faces as the general's speech concludes.*
Vasher: Squad Four has betrayed you. I will protect you. There is a new order now. Resistance will not be tolerated.
*Shad leans against the wall of his cell.*
Shad: Why would they lock us up? We've done nothing wrong...!
*In a common room, Rebecca is slumped against the wall when a woman sits next to her.*
Woman: The new government, they're taking over everything. Anybody who objects gets thrown in here.
Rebecca: They threw us in here before we said a single word against them.
Woman: Because they know you're the only ones who can stop them.
*Marcus, Rebecca, Shad, and Lane are together in the common room now, talking with the woman.*
Woman: *extends her hand to Shad* I'm Raquel. And I want to help.
Shad: *narrowing his eyes as he looks ahead* Let's bust out of here.
*Scenes of Squad Four and their friends attempting to escape the prison are interspersed with gameplay scenes of the game's prison levels, showing off the new 3D gameplay*
Vasher: *to one of his subordinates* I want them found and I want them brought to me dead or alive! Preferably alive!
Subordinate: Why alive...?
Vasher: So I can execute them myself...
*Squad Four is seen outside the prison now, in what looks like a refugee camp, rallying rebels.*
Marcus: We can't let Vasher and his armies intimidate us! The people of Lockstar want to be free!
Lane: *to Rebecca* It's an army of millions against a bunch of ragtag rebels, even with all our skill we don't stand a chance!
Rebecca: Wouldn't you rather die than hide?
Raquel: *passing out weapons to other rebels* Finally my life means something....and it's all thanks to you. *looks into Shad's eyes and smiles*
*Scenes of warships bombarding refugee camps are shown. Shad and the other squad members charge toward a huge army of Vasher's heavily armed soldiers. Gameplay scenes show hundreds of enemies on screen at once. Another gameplay scene shows Rebecca slicing through monsters in a massive cave complex.*
Shad: *screaming as he leaps down toward a huge crowd of enemy soldiers*
Marcus: *rolls under a gigantic mech's leg and blasts it with his shotgun*
Rachel: *standing back to back with Raquel, fighting off waves of soldiers*
Lane: *sets off a massive trap to bury a tank*
*The screen goes black... a transmission comes on*
Rebecca: This is Rebecca of Squad Four....don't give up hope. For those still keeping the light of freedom alive, don't let that light die. We will return to the city and free all of you. Even at the cost of our lives. Squad Four is still here...and we will always keep fighting.
SQUAD FOUR: REBELLION
November 15
*The crowd cheers wildly after the conclusion of the trailer. Howard Lincoln begins to speak again.*
“Squad Four: Rebellion takes the series into full 3D for the very first time. Here you can see the basic gameplay, this is Shad and he's currently in prison, this is one of the very first levels of the game.”
*Shad is running around the prison area, you can run in all directions now as the game is no longer on-rails but in full 3D, like OTL Jet Force Gemini but with infinitely better controls*
“You use the left control stick to run and the right control stick to control the camera. For the first time in the fully 3D environment, you can shoot and move at the same time! You can also dodge as seen here, and lock onto enemies...”
*Shad is able to lock onto foes and blast them, switching targets is quite easy as well and he can use melee attacks also, quickly switching back and forth between ranged shots and melee in an impressive display that causes the crowd to cheer again.*
“And there are also power-ups to collect throughout the level. While your power-ups don't carry over from level to level, as the game goes on, the collectibles get more and more powerful to keep pace with the growing power of your enemies. Of course, you can choose your characters in most levels, and for the first time...”
*Shad reaches a checkpoint, and is given the option to switch to either Rebecca, Marcus, or Lane.*
“You can also switch between characters in mid-level! So, for example, if you're using Shad and decide, well, he's not the best for this level, I want to use someone else...”
*The player switches to Marcus, who then approaches a big guard mech with his shotgun and blasts it to pieces.*
“And there you go! Of course, what would the Squad Four series be without some boss fights...”
*Rebecca is seen running into a big area and fighting a giant mechanized battle armor, she slashes at its legs with her sword only to get kicked away, we see someone shooting at the battle armor and Rebecca runs over....it's Raquel fighting with her*
“Sometimes you'll be joined by helpers. Here's Raquel, she's a rebel leader in the game, but there are other helpers as well, including Jack the grenadier, Froggo the diver, and there's also Karen who's a medic. And sometimes the other members of Squad Four will join you. In this mission, Lane must navigate a sewer tunnel by himself to rescue Rebecca. And after he saves her...”
*Lane is fighting a massive crocodile beast, Rebecca is seen fighting alongside him.*
“There's Rebecca as your companion in battle. So that's Squad Four: Rebellion, and of course there are many more elements of the game that we'd like you all to experience for yourself down at our big booth.
So up next, we have another sequel to a classic SNES-CD game. Back in 1994, F-Zero CD was a major hit, with some of the most challenging and innovative tracks, and the game also brought in a host of new characters to race alongside classic characters like Captain Falcon and Samurai Goroh. And now in 1999, F-Zero makes its debut on the Ultra Nintendo. Here is the trailer for F-Zero: Ultracharged.”
*The trailer for F-Zero: Ultracharged is shown, showing off the game's new tracks and the 30 on-screen racers at once, along with several new racers. The game looks difficult even in the trailer, and 22 tracks are promised in it, including a new version of Fire Field that looks incredibly intense, both visually and in terms of difficulty. The trailer gives the game's release date as July.*
“F-Zero: Ultracharged is not only the most challenging F-Zero game ever, but the fastest as well, with vehicles zooming around tracks at speed that could only be made possible on the Ultra Nintendo. We can't wait for players to take the ultimate challenge when the game is released in July. Another game coming later this year is from Masahiro Sakurai, whose Super Smash Bros. recently brought forth some of your favorite video game characters in an all-out slugfest. And in Ultra Kirby: Dreamland Friends, Kirby's favorite pals, including Girby, Rick, Meta Knight, and even King Dedede will need to team up against a dangerous new threat to Dreamland, the powerful Dark Matter, which seeks to overtake all they hold dear. If they can work together to find the magical Crystal Shards, Dreamland will once again be restored to its wonderful glory. Ultra Kirby is playable down in our Nintendo booth, and we encourage all of you to take it for a spin.
In the meantime, we're not done with Argonaut. In addition to Squad Four: Rebellion, they've also been working on the latest title in the series X. Captain Xenda, now promoted to Colonel, must command a platoon of battle tanks as a new army of evil invaders threatens civilization. You'll plot out your moves on a map before charging into battle. If you pick your battles properly, you'll have a much easier time. But mess up, and you could find yourself facing hopeless odds. The battle enters a new phase when X: Tactics comes out on the Ultra Nintendo next month.
And this summer is also the summer of Mario, with two brand new games featuring your favorite plumber and all of his friends. Next month, join Mario for a round of golf, as Mario Golf makes its way to the Ultra Nintendo. Mario, Bowser, Donkey Kong, Peach, Luigi, and a cast of original characters are all competing on a variety of fun and challenging courses that will test your skill at one of the world's oldest and grandest of sports. Then, in August, kick back when Mario throws a party. Mario Party is an all new board game starring Mario and his friends competing to collect stars and thwart Bowser. It's the most fun you'll ever have rolling dice. Every turn holds new twists and surprises. Compete in fun minigames and battle it out on the board, racing to win. Mario Party is four player fun when it comes out on the Ultra Nintendo in August.”
*As Howard Lincoln has been speaking, scenes from the various games have been displayed on screen. Now the logo of a new game, Fire Emblem: The False Princess appears, drawing cheers from the crowd.*
“At long last, Fire Emblem joins the many classic Nintendo franchises that have made their way to the Ultra Nintendo, and this September, Fire Emblem: The False Princess will be released here in North America.”
*A trailer begins to play, detailing the game's basic plot involving a young peasant woman with dark hair, her clothes tattered in rags, shoving a young man up against a wall to rob him in an anime cutscene.*
Peasant Woman: Give me everything you've got, I won't hesitate to hurt you!
*The woman is pulled off by guards*
Guard: It's execution for you...!
Young Man: Wait, she was just-
*The peasant woman fights off the guards easily, then glares at the young man.*
Peasant Woman: Why were you going to help me?
Young Man: You're....the one I've been looking for.
*In the palace, another young woman, the princess of the realm, her hair long, beautiful, platinum blonde, is seated at her throne.*
Princess: What do you mean she beat up the guards and got away?
Soldier: She has...unusual power...
Princess: This is unacceptable...
*The princess is shown in a room showered in stained glass, pointing her hand at a wall, out of which comes a beam of pure light energy, she fires it and the beam creates a powerful explosion, meanwhile the peasant woman is seen in lord's armor, practicing her knife wielding skills against a soldier and besting him easily.*
Young Man: You've been a soldier before.
Peasant Woman: Not by choice.
Lead your armies into battle...
*Gameplay scenes show the various battlefields, and 3-D battles not unlike those in OTL Fire Emblem: Awakening, though the graphics aren't quite as smooth*
Young Man: The princess of our realm is Magris, the Princess of Light. She is beloved throughout the realm.
Peasant Woman: She's an impostor. The real princess is me.
Young Man: Is that true?
Peasant Woman: When I was a child, my birthright was stolen from me. I don't know when or how this Magris assumed the throne, but I want it back and I will take it from her.
*Magris casts powerful light magic onto a battlefield, scattering a number of rebel forces.*
Magris: All who oppose me will be vaporized...
Soldier: Your majesty!
Magris: *she glares at him*
*The peasant woman stands before an army.*
Peasant Woman: Come with me....fight at my side and together we will take back the throne of this realm!
*More scenes of gameplay are shown, then the game's logo appears.*
FIRE EMBLEM: THE FALSE PRINCESS
Fall 1999
*The crowd cheers and Howard Lincoln once again begins to speak.*
“The False Princess will be available to play down on the show floor, it's the same classic Fire Emblem gameplay but with some amazing new twists, some of which you saw in the video. And now for another long awaited sequel, here's a brand new Wave Race game coming out next summer.”
*A short trailer for Wave Race: Ultramarine, showing off the game's even better new graphics along with a few new racers and lots of new stunts, is shown. The crowd cheers afterward and Howard Lincoln begins to speak once again.*
“One of the most beloved Nintendo franchises ever has been the Donkey Kong Country series, and today-” *the crowd cheers loudly* “Today I am proud to once again welcome to the E3 stage Mr. Chris Stamper, here to show off the new Donkey Kong Country game for the Ultra Nintendo.”
*Chris Stamper takes the stage to some very loud applause.*
“Thank you Mr. Lincoln, thank you everyone. As everybody here knows, Donkey Kong Country has always been a groundbreaking series, setting new standards for technological and gameplay innovation. And in Ultra Donkey Kong Country, we've broken new ground yet again. Take a look.”
*The Ultra Donkey Kong Country trailer is almost pure gameplay, showing off the new levels and gameplay to the crowd. Unlike OTL's Donkey Kong 64, Ultra Donkey Kong Country is a hybrid sidescroller and 3-D game, sort of like Super Mario 3D World. The game contains a mix of pure sidescrolling levels and linear 3-D levels where Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and the newest playable character, Lanky Kong, can roam and explore. Both kinds of levels are playable in four-player splitscreen mode, which means that the sidescrolling levels can be played as a pure race to the finish where the Kongs can either help or hinder one another's progress, while the open world levels can be played either cooperatively or competitively as well. Levels take place in a huge variety of environments, with jungles, ice levels, fire levels, undersea levels, desert levels, factories, pirate ships, cloud areas, temples, and others all represented, the biggest variety of Donkey Kong Country levels to date. The crowd again cheers after the trailer ends.*
“In Ultra Donkey Kong Country, King K. Rool has once again returned to mess with our favorite monkeys, sending his Kremlings to destroy Kong Island once and for all, and our heroes have to team up to stop him. As you saw in the trailer, this game features the biggest variety of levels ever seen in a Donkey Kong game, or any platformer for that matter. With 60 levels spread across ten different worlds, it's easily our most ambitious game yet, and the culmination of our efforts across the entire series. There's also a multiplayer battle mode where you can take on your friends across six different arenas. Take a look.”
*Another trailer is shown for the game's multiplayer battle mode, which is fairly similar to the one in OTL Donkey Kong 64, complete with weapons like Donkey Kong's Coconut Gun and Diddy's Peanut Pistol.*
“Ultra Donkey Kong Country brings all the incredible fun of the classic DKC series to the Ultra Nintendo, and if you're a fan of the SNES-CD series, you'll absolutely love our newest game. So come down to the booth and check it out. So that's Ultra Donkey Kong Country, and along with Ultra Blast Corps, we've got a busy lineup for 1999. But we've also been planning out the games of 2000, and here are your first looks at both of them.”
*A pair of trailers are shown. The first is for Velvet Dark, TTL's version of Perfect Dark. The trailer shows off both the game's multiplayer, which is a much more advanced version of Goldeneye 007's with a variety of different modes, and the game's single player mode, which features Joanna Dark and involves a plot revolving around AI rather than an alien invasion, with Joanna's sister Velvet as a major character. The second trailer shows off the game Conker's Twelve Tales, which features the titular squirrel in a 3-D platforming collectathon and retains the game's original, fairly innocent motif rather than the vulgar, foul-mouthed appearance it took later on.*
“Velvet Dark is our spiritual successor to Goldeneye 007 and a game we've been working on even since before Goldeneye was released. It features the same great first-person shooter gameplay you've come to love, but with many, many changes that we believe optimize the FPS experience and make Velvet Dark the best shooter ever created. In addition to a robust single-player campaign with a cinema-quality storyline, we've also worked hard on bringing you the best multiplayer experience on the Ultra Nintendo console. For the very first time, you'll be able to utilize sims in your multiplayer game, so that you can either compete alone or team up with friends against a team that's trying to take all of you down. The multiplayer experience also carries over to our campaign, with a brand new Counter-Operative mode where one player can leap into the body of an enemy soldier to stop Joanna from completing her mission. Velvet Dark will take first-person shooters to a whole new level, and we plan to give you a lot more information on the game before it launches next spring. And later next year, Conker's Twelve Tales is our take on the 3D platforming genre. You'll take control of the adorable squirrel Conker as he explores a massive world in search of missing presents stolen by the villainous Hoodlums. Along his way he'll also have to save his woodland friends, who have been kidnapped and hidden away.”
*After a bit more gameplay footage of Conker's Twelve Tales is shown, Chris Stamper leaves the podium and Howard Lincoln returns to speak once again.
“One of Nintendo's oldest software partners has been Squaresoft, makers of the fantastic Final Fantasy series. And once again, we have a Final Fantasy game to show off here at E3. Here, for the first time, is the introduction to Final Fantasy VIII.”
*The intro starts out like OTL's Final Fantasy VIII intro, with the tide washing up on a sea as the song “Liberi Fatali” begins to play. Unlike OTL's intro, however, the Guardian mecha, the equivalents of the Gears from OTL's Xenogears, are heavily featured, with a flashback to a massive Guardian battle between Galbadia and Esthar being shown as scenes of Squall, Elly, Bart, Cid, Edea, Ramsus, and Miang are also featured as well. The connection between Squall and Elly is paralleled by the connection between Ramsus and Miang, while Miang's scenes and Edea's scenes are also heavily interspersed, implying a connection between them as well. The trailer ends with a rapid-fire succession of images that concludes with Squall and Elly reaching out toward one another. Then the trailer and song end and the Final Fantasy VIII logo is shown, instead of depicting Squall and Rinoa as IOTL, it depicts a Guardian mech that will later be revealed as Xenogears. The crowd erupts into loud applause as the trailer concludes.*
“And here to discuss more about Final Fantasy VIII is Square's director of North American operations, Mr. Ted Woolsey!”
*Ted Woolsey takes the stage and begins to speak, while video of the game's battle system is shown on the screen.*
“Final Fantasy VIII is a collaborative effort, the work of countless thousands of people here at Square, from writers, to developers, to programmers, to voice actors, to translators, bringing this game to all of you this fall is an enormous effort, and as you can see, it's going to be our best looking and I think our best playing game yet. Here you have in battle, Squall, Bart, and Quistis, and for this battle, they're on foot. Now, each of them has their own weapon, Squall has a Gunblade, which is exactly what the name implies, Bart uses his fists, and Quistis has a whip. In battle, your attacks take the form of combos that you can learn as you advance through the game. Basically, the more powerful the weapon, the more advanced combinations you can use. In addition, Squall's Gunblade can utilize timed hits in order to double the damage he can do.”
*The player is shown executing a three-hit combo, Squall's blade executes its timed trigger on each one and the enemy, a Gayle, goes down easily.*
“So if your timing's right and you pick the right combination, you can easily score a lot of damage! As for magic, you gain magic by drawing it from the enemy. So, for example, you can draw Water, Quake, and Cure from this enemy. When you draw magic, it goes into your pool and you can cast the spells you've drawn at any time. For your basic characters, you gain experience by defeating enemies, and your levels and stats increase accordingly. Now, we're going to summon our Guardians. So, in certain battles, you'll be able to do that by hitting R2 and then selecting Call Guardian.”
*There's a cool animation sequence as the Guardians, Quezacotl, Shiva, and Ifrit enter battle and the heroes board them. The Guardians have significantly better stats than the heroes alone do.*
“So now you're in your Guardians and there's an entirely new set of commands to use. You can utilize basic attacks or magic, and for Guardians, their magic doesn't use up anything from your pool, but it DOES use up Fuel, which is limited, so you'll need to watch that. There's also a Special, it uses up all your remaining fuel but does a massive amount of damage and you can use that any time you like.”
*Shiva's special, Diamond Dust, is unleashed, killing the remaining enemies and easily ending the battle. The audience cheers at the spectacular effects.*
“Now let's show you how to improve your Guardians. They don't level up normally, they get stronger through equipping them with various Parts. Some Parts are specific to certain Guardians, others can be used by all. You can buy Parts, find them as treasure, or....”
*The player enters a Triple Triad card game.*
“You can win them by converting cards won in Triple Triad. Some of the most powerful Guardian parts are only available through winning in Triple Triad, though to keep things balanced, a lot of the best cards don't show up until much later in the game.
So that's a bit on how you'll play Final Fantasy VIII. The plot of the game involves a war fought between Galbadia and the rest of the world. There's an organization called SeeD that sends mercenary soldiers to protect the people from Galbadia's advances. SeeD trains its soldiers at special Gardens, which are like enormous dormitories, one of which our main character, Squall Leonhart, joins at the start of the game after using the Guardian Quezacotl to defend Balamb Town from a Galbadian squadron. Unfortunately, Squall's use of this Guardian also causes great death and destruction in Balamb, and he is haunted by guilt and discouraged from fighting. His guardian, Cid Uzuki, who happens to also be the headmaster of Balamb Garden, takes Squall in and helps train him to use his Guardian to protect others. He's trained by his new teacher, Quistis Trepe, and he soon begins to make friends, including the energetic young Selphie Tilmitt and the young prince Bart Fatima, who Squall helps out on his very first mission. He also gains a dangerous rival in Kahran Ramsus, who has a mysterious relationship with a woman named Miang, a woman who becomes very important over the course of the adventure. And then of course there's Elly...”
*We see Elly pointing a gun at Squall in a rendered CGI cutscene*
“Elhaym Van Houten, Elly for short, is a soldier from a mysterious and secluded country on the other continent known as Esthar, which fought Galbadia to a draw in the last great war. The mysteries that Elly holds are key to Squall's future and that of the world as well.
Final Fantasy VIII is set to release on October 10, 1999, and will come on three discs. The game is our biggest and most ambitious RPG to date, and we all hope you really love it. The next game we'd like to talk about is an upcoming RPG called Academy, and here's a quick preview...”
*The trailer for Academy, which depicts six young students, three male and three female, at a magic school, is shown. The game features anime cutscenes and a battle system almost identical to that found in Live-A-Live, and shows the students uncovering a threat to their school from within before the trailer ends. The game is applauded, though not nearly as much as Final Fantasy VIII.*
“Academy will put you in the shoes of six young students studying magic while uncovering a threat that could bring an end to their world as they know it! You'll have to get to know these six young heroes very well, as all of them bring their own stories and skills to this magical world. Academy releases this December for the Ultra Nintendo.
Also releasing this December, the Final Fantasy Collection, which brings all six Final Fantasies on two discs to the Ultra Nintendo. While all six games are already playable as SNES-CD titles, we've included new animated cutscenes for all six games and plenty more extras including a soundtrack selection and a special artbook as well, showing off some previously unreleased works from Nobuo Uematsu. All six games will be available at a special price of $59.99, and the collection will be in stores this December.
Now, before we go, there is one more thing we'd like to announce...”
*The logo for Super Mario RPG 2: A Plumble Beginning appears on screen, drawing massive applause and cheers from the crowd.*
“Squaresoft has once again been working with Nintendo on a brand new Super Mario RPG. And for the first time, you'll find out how Mario and Luigi came to live in the Mushroom Kingdom. This game will tell their origin story, from their childhood growing up in Brooklyn to their first arrival in the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond. We hope you'll enjoy playing Super Mario RPG 2, and we hope to have more information at next year's E3. We plan to release the game worldwide by the end of next year. So that's it for Squaresoft's E3 presentation, come see us at our booth and enjoy the show!”
*Ted Woolsey leaves the stage and Howard Lincoln returns to the podium.*
“That was an excellent presentation from Squaresoft, and we're not through yet. Here's a preview video for the upcoming action game from Sony, Dog Dash 3.”
*The Naughty Dog logo is shown, with Woofle making mischief and Clark calling him out for being a “naughty dog”, before a gameplay preview of Dog Dash 3 is shown.*
Explore New Worlds!
*Clark and Woofle roam around a giant grassy field, then are shown dodging rocks spewed from a volcano.*
Battle Bad Guys!
*Woofle pounces on a robotic cat monster, before Selkie is seen spewing a bunch of fire at some advancing caveman cats with clubs.*
Free Your Friends!
*Clark and Woofle attack a cage, destroying it and freeing the grateful people inside.*
Become A Legend!
*A cutscene of Clark, Woofle, and Selkie atop a castle, raising their fists in the air as thousands of villagers cheer below.*
And Take Down The Evil General Catsmeow!
General Catsmeow: I'll tear them apart, and I won't even play with them first! *bats around a mouse on a string*
Clark: You'll never defeat us, Catsmeow! *hops on Woofle's back and charges forward*
DOG DASH 3
It's A Barking Good Time!
July 19
*the familiar “Playstation”/Nintendo mashup sound is heard*
*Cheers from the crowd as Howard Lincoln speaks*
“Dog Dash 3 is only two months away, and you can play a complete version of the game down at the Nintendo/Sony booth. Now for this next preview, I'd like to introduce Mr. Mark Cerny.”
*Mark Cerny takes the stage and shakes Lincoln's hand before approaching the podium.*
“How's everybody here doing? You know, I'm doing great, and it's not just because Sony has the year's most killer lineup of Ultra Nintendo games. From Dog Dash 3 to Twisted Metal 3, Emergency, and Umjammer Lammy, 1999 is shaping up to be our best year ever. But next year is going to be just as good, and this next game is a big reason why.”
*Another video begins to play.*
Victoria: *narrating* All my life, they've told me I should be a noble woman... marry into a noble family, live in a castle, be rich and safe and happy...
*Brief flashbacks of Victoria's adventures across the previous two Tales of the Seven Seas games are shown.*
Victoria: But I've only been happiest when I've been out on the open sea...to feel the wind in my face, to feel the spray of the water, to smell the salt of the ocean...yes, there have been rough times. I've been hurt, I've been dirty, I've been in peril...but I've never felt more alive.
*Victoria walks through a set of fancy doors.*
Victoria: And yet...I've missed my home.
Next summer...
*Victoria embraces her parents as Erick and the others look on.*
Victoria: Mummy, daddy, I'm home...
*Erick and Dona stand out on a balcony, overlooking the sea.*
Dona: What do you think, is she gone for good?
Erick: That's...really up to her.
*Victoria is in her study, looking at a map as her father points something out.*
Victoria's father: There. That's where they've been coming from.
Victoria: The Empire is already here?
Victoria's father: Our nation is about to become a part of something... something bigger. And you, Victoria...you can be a part of it as well.
*A well-decorated young man enters the mansion.*
Young Man: You must be Victoria...
McKenna: *grumbling* I don't trust any of this.
The Seven Seas come to life like never before...
*Gameplay scenes of the various characters, including Erick, Dona, and Victoria, fighting in various environments are shown. The gameplay is now fully 3-D and resembles Dynasty Warriors, though without the massive hordes of enemies and with the ability to jump and climb*
And one woman must make a choice that will change the course of her own destiny...
Victoria: Dona, I thought he'd be a monster, but he's not....and I think I love him.
*The Emperor's son is holding Victoria close as she smiles up at him.*
Emperor's son: What my father is doing is wrong. But we can make it right.
Victoria: I....
And the destiny of the entire world.
*Erick is riding his pirate ship into a storm toward the Emperor's massive flagship.*
Erick: I won't let you do this, I won't let you take away Victoria's freedom!
Emperor: Boy, she's made her own choice!
Erick: Fire!
*The cannons rip through the sides of the Emperor's ship. Victoria is seen clashing swords with a heavily armored soldier.*
Victoria: You won't take me without a fight!
*A ship is seen sailing into unknown waters, Victoria is standing on the bow, her hair flowing in the wind, an unsure look on her face.*
Victoria: Where I go, the world follows...
TALES OF THE SEVEN SEAS: THE VICTORIAN LEGACY
Only on the Ultra Nintendo
Summer 2000
*The crowd again erupts into loud cheers as Mark Cerny continues to speak.*
“Tales Of The Seven Seas: The Victorian Legacy will let the player choose what path our lovely heroine takes, while also taking control of her six best friends to help her on her path. This game will be a new paradigm in interactive storytelling, and we'd love to have you all along for the ride. And as we said before, we have more games coming out before the end of the year. Umjammer Lammy is a spiritual successor to 1997's Parappa the Rapper, starting a young guitar player named Lammy who's counting on you to help her achieve her dreams. And Twisted Metal 3 picks up right where Twisted Metal 2 left off, with more carnage than ever and an even more destructive multiplayer mode, it's thrilling vehicular combat at its finest.
The last game we're showing off today is a game you've probably read about in magazines or even online. We first showed it off last year in Japan at the Tokyo Game Show, and it's our first attempt to create a survival horror frightfest. Here is the trailer for Emergency.”
*The trailer for Emergency, which depicts its main character as a doctor who has to barricade himself in a room from a massive outbreak of diseased and homicidal freaks, before crawling out through the vent and exploring the hospital for survivors, is shown. He finds one survivor in the trailer, a 20-something woman named Anessa, and the two have several narrow escapes from the monsters. There's one scene where something comes out of the floor and grabs Anessa, and then the trailer ends, drawing lots of cheers from the crowd. Mark Cerny speaks as gameplay video plays on the screen, the game seems to play like a faster-paced Resident Evil with a lot more dialogue.*
“Emergency is a game we've been working on at Sony for the past couple years. It's a survival horror game where you never know what's waiting for you around the corner. You can choose to find the quickest way out of the hospital or to try and save as many people as you can, and your actions effect how the game's events will play out. Emergency will be coming out November 1st.”
*After the Emergency presentation, Mark Cerny once again cedes the podium to Howard Lincoln, as the logo for Silent Hill appears on the screen.*
“Emergency isn't the only horror game coming to the Ultra Nintendo. From Konami, the people behind this year's amazing Metal Gear Solid, comes Silent Hill, a psychological thriller where your enemy isn't just the monstrous threats facing you on the outside, but the terror within your own mind. Play Silent Hill at Konami's booth if you dare. Also from Konami is a platformer exclusive to the Ultra Nintendo.”
*Gameplay from Outfoxed, which depicts a wise-cracking anthropomorphic fox who collects magical orbs to rescue his friends, is shown on screen. The fox protagonist, named Phil, uses his tail to sweep enemies off their feet, and can also wield a variety of weapons, including a freeze ray and a lasso.*
“This is Outfoxed, a 3-D action title from Konami. In it, you play as Phil, whose friends have been kidnapped by an evil hunter.”
*A big, burly hunter with a massive chin is shown on the screen, wielding a shotgun that fires a net that captures some of Phil's friends, including his girlfriend Lisa.*
“In order to stop the Huntmaster, you can't just beat him, you'll have to outfox him! Outfoxed makes its way to the Ultra Nintendo next month. And now we've got another preview for you. Take a look at the newest RPG from Konami, Primrose Soldier.”
*Another preview video is shown. In it, a soldier in training is walking around what appears to be a modern city, when he spots a beautiful and mysterious girl in a crowd. In contrast to the drab looking people around her, the girl has lovely pink hair and is dressed in an outfit that's more like a flower than a dress. As he approaches her, the girl disappears in a cloud of flower petals. Later, the soldier is talking to his superiors about the girl, who is said to possess magic, something that's been banned in their world for centuries. We see that soldiers in the army have devices to detect magic, and that magicians are routinely found and shot on sight. The soldier is shown chasing down the girl, who kneels before him and closes her eyes, expecting him to kill her...but he doesn't. The game's battle system, which isn't quite an action-RPG but involves rapid-fire button presses and precision timing, is also shown, and another cutscene, depicting a skyscraper-sized robot fighting against a massive magical beast, is briefly shown as well. The game's logo is shown, and the crowd cheers*
“In Primrose Soldier, technology and magic clash as we follow the story of young Exeter, a soldier assigned to a special task force whose job is to slay the last of the world's magicians. When he meets the mysterious Flora, a girl seemingly made entirely of magic, his oath becomes a burden, and he must decide whether to help destroy magic or to help save it.
We have another RPG to show you, this one is more of an open-world RPG, and it takes place in an ancient kingdom beset by beasts and invaders. In Rise A Knight, you start as a simple peasant, but as you accomplish different tasks and show your courage, you'll rise through the ranks to become a great knight, and eventually, a legend.”
*Gameplay footage from Rise a Knight is shown. It's a pure Western-style RPG, taking place in an open world similar to that of the Ultima games. A bit of the game's combat, showing the player battling against goblins is shown, and the player can also rise from place to place on horseback. A cutscene showing the player being knighted by a beautiful queen finishes the presentation.*
“In Rise a Knight, while becoming a knight is the goal, how you accomplish that goal is up to you. And now I'd like to talk a little bit about Pokemon...”
*The crowd cheers as the Pokemon logo appears on screen.*
“Over the past eight months, Pokemon fever has taken America completely by storm. The Gameboy games were some of our best selling titles ever, the anime is a ratings hit, and the toys are selling out of stores faster than we can restock them. So it's no surprise that 1999 and beyond will feature even more Pokemon games for players to enjoy. Pokemon will be coming to the Ultra Nintendo for the first time in the form of Pokemon Safari, a game where you'll be able to explore eight different areas, capturing photos of Pokemon to have them rated by Professor Oak. You'll need to be quick, as Pokemon don't always cooperate for the camera....”
*Brief footage is shown of the player capturing various shots of different Pokemon.*
“And after you've snapped a great picture, take your memory card down to any Blockbuster Video to print out stickers that you can put on almost anything! But that's not all the Pokemon fun coming to the Ultra. Next year, Pokemon Stadium will make its North American debut, and it'll be worth the wait. We're bringing over the second Japanese Pokemon Stadium game, which means that all 150 Pokemon will be playable in battle, and you can even bring the Pokemon from your Gameboy games into the arena! We're even getting the Super Nintendo CD involved. That's right, Pokemon is coming to the Super Nintendo CD, in the form of Pokemon Super Adventure, a brand new Pokemon adventure designed specifically for the SNES-CD. You'll be able to play it this July, it'll be one of the very last Super Nintendo CD games and I can think of no better way to send such a great system off into the sunset than with one of our franchises of the future.”
*The lights come up now, and the screen goes blank.*
“And while we're on the subject of the future... I think the time has come to introduce to North America our newest gaming handheld.”
*The crowd erupts into wild applause at this, many of the reporters have been waiting for the Nova's unveiling, and the excitement has now reached a fever pitch.*
“To help introduce the Game Boy Nova, I'd like to welcome to the stage Mr. Gunpei Yokoi and Mr. Ken Kutaragi!”
*The two men, accompanied by a translator, step up to the podium and shake Lincoln's hand. The translator takes the podium as the two men begin to speak, Kutaragi speaks in English while Yokoi speaks in Japanese and lets the translator translate.*
“Hello friends, I'm Ken Kutaragi and you might know me as one of the fathers of the Super Nintendo CD. I was very pleased to hear it mentioned here, I'm hoping some of you still play it!”
“I'm Gunpei Yokoi, and I helped to develop the original Gameboy. All throughout my career, I have worked to make video games accessible and fun for everyone. Mr. Kutaragi and I both have very different ideas on what makes a video game device special. But, with the Game Boy Nova, his ideas about the wonders of technology and my ideas about simplicity and fun have come together to create the best handheld gaming machine ever made.”
*The Game Boy Nova is held up for the crowd. It resembles in some ways a Nintendo DS without the bottom screen, it has a clamshell design, a single, wide screen on top and the familiar shoulder buttons, start/select buttons, and A/B/X/Y buttons on the bottom, along with a third speaker to go with the ones flanking the screen. Ken Kutaragi begins to speak again.*
“The Game Boy Nova is where technology and functionality meet in beautiful harmony. While being able to run six hours on a single battery charge and being able to be held in your pocket, it also plays games never before thought possible on a handheld device. Its graphics processor is capable of producing visuals that far outshine those on the Super Nintendo CD, and its advanced soundchip and speakers put console-quality audio in the palm of your hand for the very first time. Here is the Game Boy Nova in action.”
Introducing...A New Era In Handheld Fun
*Pounding techno music plays as the Game Boy Nova's visuals are shown on screen. Versions of Street Fighter, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Resident Evil, all with graphics approaching those on the OTL Playstation 1, are shown off.*
Games Like You've Never Seen Before
*New entries in the Contra and Castlevania franchises are shown, Contra boasting some excellent 3-D while Castlevania shows incredible animation.*
Brand New Experiences
*A swimming level of another, unknown game is shown, depicting how good the ocean looks. An anime cutscene from an unknown RPG shows how well the animation can be depicted on the screen.*
Old Favorites In The Palm of Your Hand
*Super Metroid and Squad Four are both shown running on the device, along with Final Fantasy VI. A version of A Link To The Past with graphics like those in Ocarina of Dreams is also shown.*
Amazing Sound
*Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is again shown, with lifelike sound effects and even some real-life songs able to be heard, though in compressed form. Street Fighter III is shown off as well.*
Incredible Control
*A boy is shown playing the system, his fingers hitting the buttons, showing off the system's SNES-like controls.*
The Revolution Is Here
*Super Mario Nova is shown off, with 2-D visuals better than those in Super Mario World 2, including some great animation effects*
The Game Boy Nova. Coming March 2000.
Handheld Gaming Reborn
*The video ends and the crowd again erupts into applause as Ken Kutaragi begins to speak.*
“The Game Boy Nova is coming and handheld games will never be the same. Not only does this system play some amazing games, it's also fully compatible with all of your old Gameboy games, and you can even save your games on the system's built-in memory. Certain Game Boy Nova games will have compatibility for transferring data between these games and the old Game Boy Color games, but more on that will be revealed at a later time. The system also has on it...”
*Ken Kutaragi holds up the system to his face and a low-res picture of his face is displayed on the screen. The crowd cheers.*
“It has a built-in camera! Now this camera can be used with certain games not only on the Game Boy itself but you can do things like take a picture of something and then put it into the new game Velvet Dark, so that in the multiplayer, you and your friends can actually appear in the game! Or you can use the new Game Boy Printer accessory to print out stamps of any picture you've taken!”
*The crowd cheers again, Kutaragi holds up the Nova.*
“The Game Boy Nova will be released on March 26, 2000, and will retail for $169.99, that price will include both the Game Boy Nova and Super Mario Nova, which will be packed in with every unit. We have nearly a dozen playable games including the new Super Mario, Street Fighter, Tony Hawk, and Resident Evil down at the booth for you to try!”
*Now Gunpei Yokoi takes the console and begins to speak.*
“And there is one more game to show off, and for that, we give the podium back to Mr. Howard Lincoln.”
*Kutaragi and Yokoi leave the stage, and Howard Lincoln returns to the podium.*
“Thank you gentlemen for introducing the folks here at E3 to the Game Boy Nova. We do indeed have one more Nova game to show off, and I think a lot of you already know what that is. Please look at the screen.”
*The screen begins playing another preview video, this one of Pokemon Sun and Moon. It's accompanied by the Pokemon Theme Dance Mix as it shows off not only the new gameplay, but several new Pokemon as well, including OTL ones like Ariados and Ampharos, and new ones like a timberwolf Pokemon and a fierce looking tarantula wasp. The graphics appear much like OTL HeartGold and SoulSilver, and the gameplay shows full Pokemon animation in battle, much like OTL Black and White. When the trailer is over, the crowd roars with applause.*
“Pokemon Sun and Moon will be making their way to North America a few months after the launch of the Nova in the summer. Now, the Game Boy Nova is our next generation handheld device, but we still have a few more games to show off for the Ultra Nintendo. Take a look.”
*A preview video shows off a few more Ultra Nintendo games, including the long-awaited ports of Half-Life and Starcraft. There's also a special segment of the video introducing games “from best-selling authors”, showing off Tom Clancy: Secret War and then another game, Runner Mike, “from the author of the technological thriller Digital Fortress”, which shows an explorer investigating an ancient Greek temple and dodging gun-wielding pursuers. The video seems to end, but there's another longer segment, showing off the exclusive Ultra Nintendo Resident Evil title, Resident Evil: Operation Stormwind. The game shows Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine landing at a heavily guarded military site, where mercenaries clad in body armor with the Umbrella logo are waiting for them. Jill is then seen going through an underground tunnel system, where a massive mutated beast lumbers toward her. She shoots at it with numerous bullets. The scene switches to show Chris hacking a computer when he's grabbed from behind by a man who tries to inject him with a needle. Chris throws the man off of him just in time. After the Operation Stormwind footage, the video ends. Howard Lincoln remains on stage.*
“I'd like to thank everyone here for coming to our Nintendo at E3 1999 presentation. There's just...one more game I'd like to show before we finish up today. Please look at the screen.”
*Another video begins to play, depicting the inside of a futuristic looking area, like the inside of a massive spaceship. A female voice is heard.*
From when I was a little girl, I made it my goal to protect the innocent. I've always been fighting alone, a silent sentinel, rarely getting to see with my own eyes the people I was protecting...
*People are pacing around the inside of the ship, a massive open area with elevators and trees and white walls and rooms, like something out of 2001. It's a bustling space colony.*
I guess that's why I took this job, so I could...be around people again.
*A hand is seen sliding a keycard through a reader, then blue boots are seen walking through a door.*
It's not the most exciting job in the world, but..
*A little girl looks up at the camera, smiling and giggling. A blue gloved hand is seen lightly touching her face.*
But I feel like I'm home.
*The camera pans up to show a tall, blonde woman clad in blue, as the Metroid musical motif quietly plays. The crowd, slowly recognizing the music erupts into the loudest applause of the entire show.*
*In a science lab, various creatures are seen trapped in containment.*
Samus: *to a scientist* You're keeping them here? With all these people?
Scientist: There are countless security measures here designed to keep these things and the people separate. And besides...if anything does happen, that's why you're here, Miss Head of Security.
Samus: I should have this operation shut down.
Scientist: This operation's been ordered by the Federation itself. We need to study these things precisely so they can't threaten humanity.
Samus: You have no idea what you're doing.
*Another scene of many, many people out in the colony. Then, the lights all go off. Auxillary power kicks in, then goes off as well. There are a few lights flickering, but mostly darkness. Samus enters the area and can see people nervous and starting to panic.*
Samus: What is going on...?
*The screen goes black. The roar of a monster can be heard. Samus, still clad in her Zero Suit, rushes to put on her armor. A pack of monsters can be seen rushing out of containment and into a large crowd of people. Samus in her armor blasts a few of them but she is quickly tackled to the ground as one of the creatures begins tearing at the armor viciously. The little girl from before screams.*
And my home is about to be shattered again...
*A version of Samus Aran's Theme from Super Metroid now plays as rendered cutscenes of Samus trying to save people while monsters attack are interspersed with gameplay scenes, showing that the game features the same 2-D gameplay of previous series titles, but with 3-D graphics. Samus is shown fighting a pair of large bosses at the same time, collecting new powerups including a version of OTL's Annihilator Beam, before another rendered cutscene shows her diving to grab the little girl as a vicious flying beast swoops overhead. Then there's another cutscene, of a battered Samus in a tattered Zero Suit, lying on the ground and gasping for breath, she has her blaster on one of her arms and she's looking up defiantly at something coming down at her.*
Samus: Come and get me you son of a-
*The screen goes black. The crowd goes ballistic.*
METROID: DARKNESS
2000
*The crowd is still hollering as the video ends and the lights come back up.*
“Thank you again and enjoy E3!”
-Nintendo's keynote address at E3 1999
-
*1999's E3 keynotes were broadcast on television for the first time, in this case they were filmed and broadcast as part of 1999's three hour GameTV E3 special, and after the keynote speeches, we see the hosts' reactions to both of them.*
Ted Crosley: Whoa, whoa-ho-ho, what an amazing presentation by Nintendo!
Alex Stansfield: Yeah, that was really amazing. Nintendo just blew me away with all the great games they just showed off, and don't forget the Game Boy Nova. Squad Four: Rebellion looks absolutely incredible, the combat looks like a lot of fun and the plot is incredibly intriguing.
Ted: Hey, what about the game we just saw? Metroid, we're finally getting a new Metroid!
Gary Westhouse: Final Fantasy VIII looked killer, as did the new F-Zero and Fire Emblem.
Brittany Saldita: I can't wait for the new Final Fantasy, that intro was a thing of beauty and got me hyped up to play it right now! But yeah, out of the two keynote presentations I definitely thought Nintendo's was the best, they were showing off a lot more games-
Alex: And it makes sense, because, you know, the Ultra Nintendo's earlier in its lifespan than Saturn.
Ted: Yeah really, um, why didn't Sega show off the long-rumored Katana? That's what I'm wondering, we've been hearing about the Katana forever but it doesn't look like we're gonna see it this year.
Adrian Fry: Well, I thought Sega took more of a quality over quantity approach this year. They showed off a bunch of good games, I mean, Sonic 5 looked awesome, Soul Calibur looked amazing, and I gotta be honest, I think I like what I saw from their Resident Evil game more than Nintendo's. Nintendo's had better graphics, but Saturn's Code Veronica looked straight up scarier.
Alex: Well, I will say this, NYPD: Narcotics Squad could be the surprise of the show.
Brittany: Yeah, that game looked absolutely incredible. And I love Sonic, so Sonic the Hedgehog 5 is a must-play for me.
Lyssa Fielding: Are you all forgetting about the new Pokemon game that's coming out? I mean, did you see it? How much the graphics have improved, that definitely shows off the power of the new Game Boy.
Ted: Well, we're going to have to get down to the floor and play some actual games before we can call anything the best game of the show. When we come back, we'll bring you more coverage from the E3 floor. That's next on the 1999 E3 Spectacular, right here on GameTV!
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*Ted and Alex are at the Nintendo booth now, playing the Game Boy Nova.*
Alex: So this is the Game Boy Nova, and I think the camera guy should zoom in so you can see just how good this looks. I'm playing the new Super Mario game right now and it's just amazing. It's just as fun as I remember Super Mario World 2 being, it's been a long time since we've had a proper old school Mario game, and this one plays fantastically.
Ted: I'm playing Resident Evil, and the graphics are just out of this world. It looks about as good as it did on the Sega Saturn, and on this tiny little handheld! I still don't know how this thing can keep a charge for six hours, though the battery pack in the back does feel kind of hefty.
Alex: Right, I feel that, the bottom is a bit weighty though the system can easily fit into your pocket. It's got a built-in backlight, which is great, and the speakers make the music sound just as good as it does coming out of your TV. I'm in awe of this little thing.
*The camera zooms in to show Ted blowing some zombies away in Resident Evil.*
Ted: I remember the Tiger Game.com trying to do Resident Evil 2-
Alex: Ew, oh God, don't remind me of that thing.
Ted: Yeah, it really couldn't handle it, but this is just amazing.
*The scene switches now to show Ted and Alex both trying out the new Pokemon game.*
Alex: Okay, the graphics have gotten a MASSIVE bump, and these new Pokemon are pretty cool. I'm playing with one of the new starters, Chikorita...
Ted: Alex picked the wimpy one, I'm going with Totodile, he's a little crocodile and he's badass.
Alex: Get this. You can take your old Pokemon from the original game and transfer them to the Game Boy Nova's built in memory before then transferring them into Pokemon Sun and Moon. It's really incredible. It's a one way trip though, so make sure you want to take your Pokemon off the old game before bringing them into this one.
Ted: All right, enough talk, I wanna keep playing!
(…)
Brittany: All right, Alex and I are now gonna check out the new Squad Four! Here I am as Rebecca, and right now I'm in prison.
Dylan Cuthbert: Right, you begin the game trapped here in this large prison area, and over the first few levels you've got to figure out how to escape. Once you find a way out, you'll be set upon by guards and security devices, so make sure you're prepared before making your break for it.
Brittany: I'm loving the lock-on system in this game. You can choose to aim manually or you can lock-on, and the game will either pick the most threatening enemy or you can lock on by using the D-pad to scroll rapidly between targets.
Alex: Right, the game gives you so much freedom to play the way you want to play it.
Cuthbert: That's the key, from the very outset of the game we made the decision that the player would have a lot more fun if they had the most amount of control possible over their style of play.
*Rebecca rolls out of the way of incoming fire before dashing over to a guard and taking him out with her twin energy blades.*
Brittany: This is just incredible, and just like in Eclipse, you can charge up for special moves as well.
Alex: And you can also find special collectibles that give you all new special moves within that stage! That is really something and I think it'll encourage players to go off the beaten path and explore the levels you guys have created.
Cuthbert: That's absolutely something we want to see.
(…)
*Ted and Lyssa are checking out the new Sonic the Hedgehog 5, Ted has the controller and he's sending Sonic through a series of loops in one of the city levels.*
Ted: It's so weird but so cool getting to take Sonic anywhere I want him to go. For the very first time, Sonic can move pretty much anywhere we want to take him. I see a big ring on top of that building, I'm gonna try to go and get it.
Lyssa: This game doesn't just have city levels either, there's all kinds of levels to explore and over on the other monitor, somebody's exploring the beach, while Ted tries to get that big ring let's check out how this guy is doing!
*The camera briefly shows the beach level before going back to Ted maneuvering Sonic up onto the building to collect the big ring.*
Ted: Now my goal in this stage is actually to find the entrance to the subway, and there are arrows all over the place pointing out where I need to go. There's also some enemies here so let's just take them out...
*Sonic goes up to a crowd of enemies and uses melee attacks to knock them all out, Ted doesn't bother with Sonic's spin move, instead he has Sonic run around a corner, where a big gorilla mech is waiting for him.*
Tails: Sonic, catch! *tosses him a banana cannon*
Ted: Oh, I see! *shoots the bananas at the mech, distracting it and causing it to expose its weak spot, which Ted damages with a spin move* Nice, nice...
Lyssa: Why does the robot gorilla like bananas?
Ted: It's his programming, makes him a more realistic gorilla!
(…)
Gary: I'm here with Ubisoft's Michel Ancel, and this is their new game Welcome to Magicka. Now how this game works is that you explore different areas of this world called Magicka, your goal is to get to the end but if you explore, you can find items that power up your sorcerer.
Michel Ancel: That's correct, it's a more freeform take on the open world platformer genre, we don't require you to collect a lot of things to advance in the game but instead we reward you with power-ups and stronger spells.
Gary: And I gotta say, this game really reminds me a lot of The Dreamers, with emphasis on exploration and combat. It looks really beautiful and I'm in awe of the variety of spells I've already found.
*Gary shoots a spell at an enemy on screen, turning it into a chicken.*
Gary: I'm assuming this spell doesn't work on everyone?
Ancel: It doesn't, but it'll work on most basic enemies, yes! But watch out, a lot of your enemies have spells and they can turn you into things as well.
Gary: That's not good!
(…)
*Ted and Alex are now at the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater booth with the skating legend himself, Tony Hawk.*
Ted: It's an honor to meet you, you're one of the most talented and creative athletes who's ever lived and I've loved watching you at the X-Games over the past few years.
Tony Hawk: Thanks, it's a pleasure to meet you guys, I'm a big fan of the show.
Alex: Man, we should've had you on earlier then!
Ted: But anyway, your video game, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, it really is something else. The amount of tricks you can do, it's really addictive to try and string together big combos.
Hawk: Well, I wouldn't put my name on a game if it wasn't fun, being a gamer myself, I made sure this was the type of game that I would want to play.
Ted: It's definitely the type of game I want to play!
Alex: Now, this game's going to be on the Ultra Nintendo and the Sega Saturn, but also on the upcoming Game Boy Nova.
Hawk: That's right, you can take it with you anywhere, even out to the skate park! I wouldn't recommend playing it while skating though.
Alex: No, that would definitely be a mistake.
Ted: Thanks again for talking with us and we'd love to have you show off some tricks on the show sometime. We'd even let you jump over Gary.
Hawk: *laughing*
(…)
*Brittany and Lyssa are at a booth trying out the new Syrielle game for the Ultra Nintendo, Syrielle Soul.*
Brittany: Syrielle Soul is a really unique game because it'll give you the option of either starting fresh or using your save from Syrielle on the SNES-CD to import your choices from the old one to this new game.
Lyssa: Even if you don't have a copy of the old game, it'll still let you make a few choices because there's an interactive scene at the start of the game that will call on you to make decisions that simulate a playthrough of the previous title. Or, again, you can start totally clean. I loved the original Syrielle, so when I found out there was gonna be a sequel, I was absolutely thrilled.
*The screen shows Syrielle, her spider powers having manifest visually on her body, giving her several extra legs and a big bulbous spider butt, looking embarrassed as she has a dialogue with Stacy. In this playthrough, Stacy is Syrielle's best friend and tries to comfort her through her embarrassment.*
Brittany: There you see Stacy from the original game, but most of Syrielle's friends in this new game are all new and you can form all new relationships with them.
Lyssa: Yeah, only a few of the really important characters like Stacy return from the old title. Also, I'm told that there's a lot more dialogue and sim elements and less action elements to this one, so those like me who were really pleased with that aspect of the game are gonna be hyped up to play this new one. Syrielle Soul comes out this winter, but gosh darn it, I really wanna play more of it right now!
(…)
Ted: I'm here with Dan Houser and we're checking out Chaos City. Dan, I have beaten the (bleep) out of a bunch of innocent people and now the cops are after me.
Dan: *laughing* Well mate, looks like you're gonna have to kick the cops' arses as well!
Ted: I guess so! *runs up to the cops to fight them, only to get shot and killed in a hail of gunfire* That's not fair!
Dan: You gotta be more clever about it, you ain't got no firearms but you can find a sword or a chainsaw to use maybe.
Ted: There's a chainsaw in this game?
Dan: Maybe not this early on. *laughs* Good luck though!
(…)
Alex: *is playing Junction Point for the PC, he's going through a dimly lit hallway and is getting creeped out by the numerous weird noises he's hearing* This game is significantly scarier than I thought it would be!
Ken Levine: Well, it's largely based on the original System Shock, which in and of itself was pretty creepy. Plus it's got the whole Heart of Darkness thing going for it.
Alex: Now that was a fantastic book. So basically, I'm trying to hunt down a captain who's gone totally out of his mind, and this ship is flooded with crazies and freaks. *collecting some health items as he turns a corner, he sees a disheveled woman stumbling down the hallway and has to open fire on her* Believe it or not this isn't nearly the creepiest thing I've seen in this game! *comes across a room with a sparking floor, it's a puddle of water that will shock him if he goes into it* All right, this could be tricky...
*Before long, two more crazies are coming through the doorway, forcing Alex to step onto the electrified puddle which shocks and kills him*
Alex: Damn!
Levine: It's not easy!
Alex: It's really fun though. *keeps playing*
(…)
Brittany: I'm here with Peter Molyneux, and we're talking Colony, his new game due to be released by the end of the year.
Peter Molyneux: Thank you, Brittany, I'm glad to be discussing this game with you. Let me just say, Colony is a game that's going to blow a lot of people's minds. It combines the best aspects of life-sim games with a thrilling RPG adventure. So it's the best of both worlds really.
Brittany: From what I got to play, I'm pretty impressed with how well the relationship development is in this game. How you deal with your fellow colonists does effect how much stronger your character becomes, though I didn't get to try the gameplay outside of the colony yet, the RPG aspects of the game, but I'm sure if it plays anything like the colony itself it's gonna be a lot of fun.
Molyneux: The combat is something I'm quite proud of, you'll be able to choose a discipline, swordsmanship, archery, magic, etc., depending on what you want to specialize in. So there's so much freedom and choice in the game, and I'm looking forward to players getting to play and enjoy it on their PCs this fall.
Brittany: I'm looking forward to playing a lot more of this, thanks again!
(…)
*Lyssa is seated in a limo outside the E3 convention in Los Angeles.*
Lyssa: So you guys all know that E3 is the biggest show in gaming, and we've given you a ton of inside access to all the biggest upcoming games of the year. But how is it possible for us to get all of that access? Well, thanks to all the loyal GameTV viewers, GameTV gets closer to the games and the developers than anyone else, and that royal treatment starts even before we get to the show!
*A little featurette is shown, detailing the red-carpet treatment the GameTV hosts enjoy during E3, including private limos and extremely nice hotel rooms*
Lyssa: *resting on the bed in her hotel room* I live like five miles from here, but who's gonna turn down a suite, huh? *giggles as she kind of bounces on the bed a little bit* I'm gonna order up some room service! *she orders up a jumbo hamburger* Now let's go see how my fellow hosts are doing! *makes her way across the hall to Brittany's room and knocks on the door* Brittany?
Brittany: *opens the door* Oh, hey there Lyssa, what's up?
Lyssa: We're showing all the viewers about how awesome it is to cover E3! *pokes her head in* Are you...playing Chrono Trigger?
Brittany: ...maybe.
Lyssa: You're supposed to be compiling your notes, we still have lots of games to talk about!
*A hotel worker approaches Lyssa with her room service burger*
Worker: Room service!
Brittany: *raises her eyebrow* You ordered room service on the job?
Lyssa: ….*begins rapidly shoving the burger in her mouth to make the evidence disappear* ...no!
Brittany: *rolls her eyes and shuts the door*
Lyssa: ...well, while I head over to Ted's room to go bug him, here's Gary with a look at the all new Commander Keen: When Universes Collide! *casually munches on the other half of the burger as she heads down the hallway*
-excerpted from the May 18, 1999 episode of GameTV
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Adam Sessler: Hey there, I'm Adam Sessler and this is Dan Hsu, editor-in-chief of Electronic Gaming Monthly, and we're reporting from the floor of E3. There's been a lot of games shown off so far, including games from some of the biggest franchises around. Sonic, Final Fantasy, Squad Four, Metroid, and Resident Evil among many others have all had their games shown off here, and we talked to several developers who are excited about the future of the industry.
*A series of interview snippets are shown*
John Romero: As technology improves, we're gonna be seeing games getting more and more realistic. With Doom: Inferno, we were able to use console technology to make monsters and dungeons more vivid and realistic than ever, and I think the next generation of console FPSes are going to take graphical fidelity to a whole new level.
Peter Molyneux: Oh, there's absolutely a paradigm shift in gaming. You can already see it. The worlds are getting bigger, and games are getting a lot more complex in what you can do with them.
Dylan Cuthbert: The graphics have just taken a quantum leap. The technology is at a level where we're creating these huge, realistic worlds, and the sky is absolutely the limit.
Gabe Newell: It's what I say to everybody who tells me about how amazing Half-Life looks: “guys, you haven't seen ANYTHING. We're already seeing chips that can put out graphics that make Half-Life look primitive. The leap is coming and it's going to be incredible.”
*The snippets end.*
Dan Hsu: And Adam, I was surprised that Sega didn't show off their Katana console. We saw some great games from them, but compared to what Nintendo was showing off, only a few of those games managed to measure up to Nintendo's best.
Adam: The Saturn is still a capable system. We saw that with games like NYPD, but yeah, I was definitely surprised to see the Katana as a no show. I'm wondering if it's even ready, though that would mean we don't see it actually released until 2001 or even 2002.
Dan: And how many games would Nintendo have released by then?
Adam: It's hard to say what Sega's thinking. But even without the Katana, I think this has been the best E3 yet and I'm really glad to be here.
Dan: Oh, so am I.
-excerpted from a ZDTV special on E3 1999 on the Gamespot television program, airing May 19, 1999
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-E3 1999: Live Updates (471 posts)
-Damn this dial-up, I wanna see the Metroid video! (8 posts)
-Nintendo owned Sega so hard (53 posts)
-WHERES THE KITANA?!?!! (20 posts)
-Squad Four 3 (759 posts)
-Double Dragon at E3 (14 posts)
-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVVVVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA (25 posts)
-Oh man is that a tarantula wasp pokemon those things scar me (3 posts)
-NYPD Narc Squad: Game Of The Show (13 posts)
-All things Sonic thread (1428 posts)
-Sphere Soldier 2 Confirmed For Winter (7 posts)
-Klonoa sequel revealed at E3 (11 posts)
-Can we talk about Lissa Fielding's boobs plz guyz?!1 (240 posts)
-oh no samus shouldnt talk this games gonna suk (38 posts)
-Sonic 5 > All Nintendo's E3 stuff. (171 posts)
-from a topic list on the Gaming Age Forums on May 18, 1999
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Game Critics Awards- E3 1999
(based on the OTL Game Critics Awards, OTL's winners can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_Critics_Awards )
Best Of Show: Squad Four: Rebellion
Best Original Game: Colony
Best Console Game: Squad Four: Rebellion
Best PC Game: Colony
Best Peripheral/Hardware: Game Boy Nova
Best Action Game: Sonic the Hedgehog 5
Best Action/Adventure Game: Squad Four: Rebellion
Best Role-Playing Game: Final Fantasy VIII
Best Racing Game: Virtua Racing Reality
Best Sports Game: Grant Hill Basketball 2000
Best Fighting Game: Soul Calibur
Best Strategy Game: Homeworld
Best Social/Puzzle Game: Samba de Amigo
Best Online Multiplayer: Team Fortress
Special Commendation Awards: Squad Four: Rebellion, Junction Point, NYPD: Narcotics Squad
Best Booth: Sony
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In 1999, E3 finally came back to Los Angeles.
It was a star-studded show. Celebrities like Tony Hawk and Haley Joel Osment were there, helping to promote Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Star Wars: Battlefront respectively, while others like Phil Hartman and Alyssa Milano were pacing the floor simply to check out the games. There were also plenty of concerts with Janet Jackson highlighting the show over at Sega's booth, promoting the upcoming Samba de Amigo game.
Sega might've pulled out all the stops in terms of celebrity guests, but they held back on the one thing that might've turned their E3 into one for the ages, and that was the Katana. Sega's upcoming console was a complete no-show at E3, though Sega reps did give cryptic answers when pressed on their next-generation console, saying they were hard at work on the next console but that their current focus was on the Sega Saturn. Make no mistake, the Saturn did boast an impressive lineup. Sonic the Hedgehog 5 was the star of the show, but Soul Calibur impressed boothgoers even more with its arcade perfect graphics and incredible gameplay. Commander Keen: When Universes Collide didn't surprise everyone like Mars' Most Wanted did the previous year, but that's because 1998's game had significantly raised the profile of the series. We were expecting Keen to be great now, and its demo booth was among the show's most crowded. The Saturn did, however, have a surprising hit in NYPD: Narcotics Squad, whose gritty storyline and slick looking gameplay brought the game a ton of attention, with many calling it the sleeper hit of the show. Code Veronica, the latest title in the Resident Evil series, also impressed, even moreso than Nintendo's exclusive Operation Stormwind in the eyes of many. Though the Saturn was clearly winding down, E3 1999 still proved that the console could still churn out some quality games.
Sega's sparse lineup and lack of info on the Katana might have been acceptable had Nintendo not shown up with what many even today still call the greatest E3 lineup of all time. After blowing us all away with a Squad Four: Rebellion trailer and gameplay demo, the hits just kept on coming. By the time Nintendo got around to showing the Game Boy Nova, we were already exhilarated over the Ultra Nintendo lineup, and the fact that a new Pokemon game was coming (the trailer even brought a few Pokemon-loving reporters to tears of joy) was just icing on the cake. All of that would've been more than enough...then Nintendo showed off Metroid: Darkness, and sent the crowd into hysterics. By the time the show was over, those Sega executives who were standing near the back to snoop on Nintendo's show could be seen looking like a bunch of kids who'd just been caught egging the principal's house. They knew they were in trouble. 1999's E3 is known today as the beginning of the end for the Sega Saturn, with the Ultra Nintendo just entering its peak years. While 2000's show would be the Year of the Katana, 1999 belonged to Nintendo, and everyone in Los Angeles with half a brain knew it.
Among PC games, the all-time classics Junction Point, Team Fortress, and Homeworld were shown off. Peter Molyneux was all too happy to show off his upcoming game Colony, but we all know how that one turned out.
Tom Kalinske's ill-fated decision not to show the Katana at E3 1999 has been cited as one of the industry's biggest mistakes, though knowing what he knew at the time, it's hard to blame him. The Saturn still had more than a pulse, it had a strong heartbeat, and the Saturn was on the verge of entering one of its strongest stretches of games. Kalinske clearly wanted to keep the Saturn alive, and announcing a $149.99 Saturn price cut at Sega's booth on the last day of the show did stop the bleeding at least a little bit. The Ultra Nintendo, however, was still going strong at twice the price of the Saturn, and its first price cut, to $249.99, wouldn't happen until November of that year (to coincide with the release of Squad Four: Rebellion). Whether or not Kalinske's decision was a mistake or not, Sega's continued declining sales inevitably created internal pressure at the company, and that call would come to haunt him sooner rather than later...
-excerpted from IGN's E3 1999 article (based on this real-life article on IGN.com about OTL's E3 1999: http://www.ign.com/wikis/e3/E3_1999 )
Well, names changes all time, otl sega have two codename(katana and blackbelt) how infamous sega division become and two sets, plus otl genesis name was because mega drive trademark issues, i used to like sega planetary scheme but a more japanese name is something to differenciated(well sega was more 'americans' that nintendo but shusshh
)People remember revolution branded wii? i'm still puzzle why the name change at the last minute but well, loved the wii name, simple and easy to pronunce.
weel this more 2.5D(2d PLANE but full fledge 3D polygonal characthers) and we're working if doing 3D sections(bosses,etc) but stay tuned that regard
Mario RPG 2 incorporating the Brooklyn background for the plumbers, which was only found in Western adaptations? How will Yoshi's Island fit in? Hopefully it'll be just as lighthearted in tone like OTL's Mario RPGs.
What of Pokémon Yellow? Is it still a thing?
I wonder Pokémon Sun and Moon can fit all that in the maximum cart size for the Nova. Heartgold and Soulsilver was 128 MB in size. Pokémon Black and White were 256 MB. It's gonna need a lot of compression.
Not showing the Katana looks like it'll hurt Sega somewhat.
What of Pokémon Yellow? Is it still a thing?
I wonder Pokémon Sun and Moon can fit all that in the maximum cart size for the Nova. Heartgold and Soulsilver was 128 MB in size. Pokémon Black and White were 256 MB. It's gonna need a lot of compression.
Not showing the Katana looks like it'll hurt Sega somewhat.
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