The development of Resident Evil Code: Veronica has been long. After numerous delays and more than 18 months in development, the game has emerged as one of the most stunning the Dreamcast has to offer. After countless hours of entertaining and hectic playtime, Code Veronica presents survival horror situations that will astound fans of the series. For newcomers to the game, Code Veronica will just plain scare your pants off.

The now infamous battle between the vile Umbrella Corporation and Resident Evil’s number one family, the Redfields, unfolded in the first two Resident Evil games. The elder sibling, Chris, and his sister Claire have previously done battle with the faceless Umbrella and its legions of biohazard mutants, but Code Veronica introduces us to some faces behind the Umbrella Corporation. While the Redfields’ archenemies in Code Veronica are not the McCoys, they are indeed a family – an evil family. The Ashfords, descendants of an Umbrella founder, pose quite a threat to the Redfields.

As Code Veronica’s formidable adventure unfolds, players are treated to classic gameplay elements, as well as an unprecedented and masterful graphic presentation. Without giving too much away concerning details and specifics of the adventure (we saved that for our strategy guide), Code Veronica possesses the intrigue and challenge that hasn’t been seen since the original game. Frustrating and heart-pounding sequences dispensed in segments of ambitious gameplay and vivid cutscenes are truly entertaining.

Code Veronica’s appearance on the Dreamcast has been a long time coming, but the end product is incredibly produced and constructed. While the game’s violent content may keep some away, any survival horror expert, regardless of what system they currently own, should get the means to play Code Veronica.

Namco has a knack for launch games. On the PlayStation, Namco’s Ridge Racer was without a doubt the premier title to get; now on Dreamcast, Soul Calibur is far and away the must-have game. And why not? Soul Calibur not only looks better than its arcade counterpart, it comes packed with extra modes and characters, and a quarter slot is nowhere to be found.

In typical Namco fashion, the extra modes and fighters are unlocked through the Mission Battle mode where you collect points for completing each mission. These points can then be used to purchase art from the Museum Gallery, which in turn releases new modes, costumes, stages, and features. The missions aren’t terribly tough, but they do offer some interesting twists that you don’t usually see in a fighter – like strong winds that try to blow you off the edge, quicksand-floored arenas that slow you down, and rats that bite at your feet as you battle.

The animation for each of the 19 characters in Soul Calibur is amazing. This is even more impressive when you look at the number of moves, throws, combos, and specials that each character has in his/her/its arsenal. Hours on end can be spent just learning the characters’ moves lists in the Practice mode. After you get tired of that, you can explore any of Soul Calibur’s other modes including Time Attack, Survival, and Vs.

As far as fighting games go, Soul Calibur is in a league all its own with its unique concepts and extra modes. So if you are planning on buying a Dreamcast, make sure you have some cash left over for this fighting extravaganza that perhaps best represents the power of the Dreamcast with its gorgeous graphics and fluid animation.

Seeing Randy Moss on the cover of the game will automatically assure most Viking fans of perfection, but as soon as the rest of you see NFL 2K in action, you may agree.

All other football games pale in comparison. The graphics are simply amazing.

Developer Visual Concepts spent months viewing actual NFL footage to get everything just right. How many seconds does it take for the halfback to hit the hole off tackle? How fast does it take the cornerback to blitz to the backfield? These are the kind of questions Visual Concepts asked themselves, and then tried to exactly duplicate the real-life situation into NFL 2K.

Likewise, the team of artists used NFL footage to make animations equally realistic. A quarterback is grabbed by the ankle and tries to shake loose of the would-be tackler. He hobbles, trying to maintain balance, and is on the verge of a sack. Suddenly he breaks free and hurls a desperation pass. The defender jumps to knock it down, but the ball is just out of reach. The receiver jumps too and makes a finger-tip catch for a 45-yard gain. It’s like watching the Vikes on TV. The list of amazing animations goes on and on.

As you know, graphics can only take a game so far. Many football games have been great to look at. However, the minute you start to play, you realize that something isn’t right. Luckily, this isn’t the case with NFL 2K. This game was built around the action on the field. Visual Concepts made sure that executing the playcontrol was top priority. Work on the rest of the game’s menus, season play, and other options wasn’t started until the control was just right. NFL 2K doesn’t add any new control schemes or extra button combos that haven’t been seen in prior games, but it does all the fundamentals to perfection.

There are few weaknesses in NFL 2K’s package. You could argue that the game doesn’t have extra features to allow users to build a dynasty and manage the front office with salary caps and free agency. Some football fans will miss these options, but any who play NFL 2K will likely soon forget them. Without a doubt, Sega’s football game sets a new standard in video game football.

After viewing the versions of Blitz for the PS-X and N64, there is little doubt that this game is head and shoulders above the other two.

Like the others, it features expanded playbooks specific to each team, as well as voice-overs and player taunts not present in the arcades.

The options and settings are also identical to the other console versions, but the DC version supports VMU with hidden cursor playcalling. What is most impressive is the detail and speed of the graphics. I wouldn’t call it arcade-perfect, but it is pretty close.

The speedy framerate and graphics make the control feel very tight and incredibly smooth. It would have been nice to see some more individualized stats and a player create in the home version, but otherwise this is a fantastic arcade experience.

When the Dreamcast made its North American debut, eager gamers snatched it up and launched this rookie console through the stratosphere, making it the fastest selling video game unit of all-time.

History has shown that a console launch accompanied by a platform game featuring a first-party mascot is destined for greatness. Sega brought Sonic along for the ride, but it wasn’t big blue that guided the Dreamcast to its landmark destination.

The title that sent gamers into convulsions was Sega NFL 2K. With Visual Concepts’ awesome gameplay code, some of the most remarkable graphics outside of Industrial Light and Magic, and the most electrifying player in football plastered on its cover – Sega NFL 2K was a must-have release in every way. Visual Concepts has already sedated football fans with its lethal video game IV. Now, the corrupt doctors at Visual Concepts are bringing a new drug to town for America’s tall, lanky, and somewhat dimwitted nation of hoops.

The same high caliber presentation found in NFL 2K runs rampant through Sega NBA 2K. From the dual commentary to the menu configuration, NBA 2K is styled to share the same DNA as NFL 2K. While you won’t see Randy Moss dunking over Jason Williams (maybe next year?), you will see the NBA’s finest brought to life with authentic detail right down to the color of mouth guard and number of rubber bands on the wrist. NBA 2K also delivers player moods and facial expressions. When Karl Malone gets tapped on the elbow, you’ll see him whine and complain like the big dope he is. NBA 2K also features on-court referees and coaches, plus animated benches featuring the NBA’s overpaid scrubs. To top off the realism, if your team really sucks the big one, the crowds will dwindle as the season drudges forward.

As far as gameplay is concerned, NBA 2K is once again the trend setter in both animation and player collision. From the forearm check on defense to the swift-footed drives on offense, NBA 2K is as realistic as our feeble minds can perceive. If you thought the one-handed snags in NFL 2K were awesome, wait until you see Kevin Garnett performing a tomahawk jam over Tim Duncan and David Robinson. For the intelligent crowd who enjoys the statistical side of basketball, a wide array of fantasy options and statistical categories bring every numerical change throughout the course of an entire season.

We think you’ll agree that Visual Concepts has once again proven that the Dreamcast is THE sports machine in the current console race.

Considered the raciest video game since Night Trap, Tecmo’s Dead or Alive reinvented fighting techniques and altered the way gravity affected the human body – mainly the upper torso of females. To put it oh so bluntly, and in a way that won’t offend our ever sensitive readers, Dead or Alive was the king of the polygonal breast movement. Never before have poly boobies looked so lively, so large, and so real. At times, the repetitive jiggles and wiggles almost seemed hypnotic…like it was delivering a secret message within each of its sensual slides.

When Dead or Alive 2 was announced, we confronted Tecmo and asked the hard question, “Will this sequel bounce back into the limelight of gaming?” Tecmo’s response rocked our world. It was a resounding NO. Apparently, the development team wanted gamers to remember this sequel for its gameplay and not its cup size. With breathtaking environments and amazing combat chemistry, Dead or Alive 2 has what it takes to overpower the bazooms and live large as another killer Dreamcast fighter.

Toy Commander gives you the chance to relive your diaper years and rekindle the thrills of running around the house with a three-inch piece of plastic.

The introductory FMV sequence shows that this game is portrayed through a little red-headed child’s point of view, and holy cow, does this kid have a vivid imagination! Actually, if his parents caught wind of him flying toy helicopters down the toilet, setting fire to pencils in the basement, and shooting the household cat with tacks, he’d be on a leash for the rest of his life and wearing a shock collar until he was 18.

Toy Commander’s playtime, as that of most kids, is constructed around war. The goal of the game varies from level to level. Sometimes you’ll be forced to compete in a race; other times you’ll be asked to perform the most miraculous stunts like creating hard-boiled eggs through the combined efforts of a truck and fighter plane, stopping Godzilla with a helicopter, and freeing the bathtub from red army control. Each and every level is completely different and accompanied by a different vehicle or two. Through the course of the game, and as you move through the house from room to room, the player will commandeer tons of vehicles. A slew of helicopters, transport vehicles, planes, jeeps, tanks, cars, and spacecraft are waiting to be unlocked. Each of these vehicles is equipped with its own unique attributes, and most have the ability to wreak havoc on other toys with pen-cap missiles and eraser bombs.

Toy Commander also comes equipped with a finely crafted multiplayer mode. Ooh la la!! Up to four players can bash heads and rage late into the night as sworn enemies, or teams can be formed and treaties can be signed, singling out one hapless friend as the toy on the run with a bounty on his or her head. It’s a toy-eat-toy world out there…Can you handle it?