Space World 2001 Recap: Sega Showcase

Written by Kyle Williams on August 30, 2001

Space World 2001 Recap: Sega Showcase: They are truly greater than the sum of their parts.

It wasn't long ago that you had to choose between the NES and the Master System, the SNES and Genesis, the N64 and Saturn, basically between Mario and Sonic. With one announcement earlier this year, Sega changed all of that. Now they are producing software for all of the major home console systems and Space World has confirmed several titles in store for the Nintendo GameCube. Take a look below and see what is coming along...

Super Monkey Ball
U.S. Release Ц Launch
File this one under an incredibly bizarre game premise. However, games with monkeys (I'm thinking Donkey Kong) seem to do pretty well, especially if they play well. Just think about Ape Escape for the Playstation. Back to the game at hand though, Super Monkey Ball is the first release from Sega on a Nintendo home console. While that information alone is breakthrough enough the game is also looking like a good time. Basically, you control a monkey in a giant American Gladiator's inspired sphere, navigate your way through level upon level, and try to collect bananas. The overall idea reminds me of a cross between Marble Madness and Pac-man. I think that it is fitting that the first Sega title on the GameCube is an original title, not a port of a DC game.

Sonic Adventure 2
While many people feel that SA2 for the DC was the weakest game in the Sonic Series it was still a fantastic game. Space World has confirmed for us what we've been hearing for a while now, that Sonic Team is bringing this latest Sonic title to the GameCube. Now Mario and Sonic, probably the greatest video game rivals ever, will share a system. Is there enough room for both? You bet, and you can guarantee that gamers will flock to the GameCube to get their hands on both of them. Sonic Adventure 2 brings with it a great sense of speed, multiple playable characters, and fantastic looking visuals. Hopefully the guys porting SA2 will take care of the few problems that the DC version sported when bringing it to Nintendo's new console.

Phantasy Star Online ver.2
Online gaming is proving itself to not be just a flash-in-the-pan gaming fad. Combine that with the current trend towards playing everything online it is possible that the console with the strongest online library will be the most successful in the coming years. Phantasy Star Online ver.2 is going to help secure Nintendo a market share of that online gaming dollar. When PSO came out for the Dreamcast it broke the console RPG mold by being the first to offer the opportunity to play with people around the world. True, there were a limited number of people that you could play with, but you've got to start somewhere. Version 2 of this game will be launched this holiday season and kick-start Nintendo's online gaming network. Expect to see new monsters and player classes along with a spruced-up set of graphics. All in all the GameCube will benefit twofold from this game: 1) A fantastic RPG and 2) a fantastic online game.

Sega Sports Series
Competition is what makes us all stronger. The same can be said for video games. With that in mind just think about what it will mean to have Sega and Electronic Arts developing for the same systems. Electronic Arts has known years of success with their ultra-realistic series of sport titles including the top notch Madden football games. Sega really came onto the sport scene just a few years back with their "2K" batch of titles and then opened up the floodgate with the online capabilities of their 2K1 batch. Now there is no room for either company to sit on their laurels and past successes. The first Sega Sports title for the Gamecube, NFL 2K2, is set to challenge Madden 2002 directly and really get this rivalry kicking. Sports fans have never lived at a better time.

Bottom Line
Now that Sega is putting all of their resources into software development we will see a rebirth in their titles. With three consoles available to them, Sega can pick and choose which one will meet the needs of a specific game. We will start to see more and more games from them that utilize the perks of the various hardware advantages available. The fact that Sega is choosing to bring so many of their beloved franchises to the GameCube is a huge boost for Nintendo's new baby and may wind up playing a bigger role in its success than one may think. I've told you before but I'll tell you again, if you wait until the console comes out to try and get your GameCube you will be short of luck and stuck without one.