NetLink Browser 3.0

WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH DISTRIBUTION?

Hey gang, how come those of us who purchased a Netlink in late 1996 have to mail-order this package from Sega's warehouses in California? For precisely the same reason Capcom's 2D brawlers that require the 4MB cart are in such distribution limbo: distributing an expensive product to an ever-dwindilling audience is a hit-or-miss proposition that doesn't guarantee profits and can leave Capcom with yet another warehouse full of of unsold inventory (remember the "Street Fighter II" debacle of the early 90's?). Depending on the taxes of the state you live in, it will cost between $25-$35 to purchase the software that Sega is giving away with the Netlink modem for $99 at retail. You'll get the newest (as of 12/13/97) version of PlanetWeb's Internet browser (version 3.0), and internet-friendly Saturn ports of AM3's arcade hits "Sega Rally Championship" and "Virtual On". I won't be reviewing the graphics, sound and gameplay of these games on this review, but rather what advantages and/or disadvantages using them over the Netlink presents, and if it's worth your time and money updating your Saturn games and Internet browser (it would seem like a no-brainer decision to do so, but you wouldn't believe the amount of people on Internet chatrooms still downloading their Beta versions each time they surf the net...check it out). Feel free to review my rather lengthy (and as always, all over the place) reviews of the regular "Rally" and "VO" versions to get a skinny of how they measure up against the 200+ other Saturn games.

WARNING: the grapevine report on the net hints that Sega may add an internet-friendly "Daytona Championship Edition" to the Net Pak, but at this time it's pure speculation. You may want to hold on purchasing the Netlink and/or order the software from Sega until the final word is made public; otherwise you may find yourself getting one less "free game" with your order than expected. Of course, if after reading this you're just aching with a desire to kick Val-Bas-Ras with Vorkas over Montana, or leave a New York Celica eating the dust of a secret car, who am I to stop you from emptying your wallet?

PLANETWEB BROWSER (VERSION 3.0): B
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It still doesn't support the major features PC browsers are getting known for: no Real Audio, no Quicktime or Real Video, no Java script, no high-resolution, etc. And despite claims that frames-enhanced sites are now supported, it is a pretty unreliable claim since it varies from site to site. At best a site will be easily navigated and be like a non-frames site (Dave's page, NG Online, VGS, Gamefan, CNN, ABC News, etc.), but at worst it will give you choices of what menus and hot spots within a site you can visit as you click the homepage (banner, top, content...those are some of the groupings in which PlanetWeb's browser will handle some frame-enhanced sites).

The homepage is now a more elegant starting point than version 2.0's artsy-looking city landscape (the color and resolution make it seem washed-out), and the option to access the chatrooms/help/features is now more clearly laid down. Not every chatroom is accessible by Netlink, so surf around looking for sites that provide pointers and locations of friendly sites (not every server listed in the "ChatRoom" option supports it, how come?). The Netlink should be considered a bare-bones Internet alternative to Oracle's Network PC, Sony/RCA's Web-TV and $1,000 cheapo PC's; for the money (a couple of hundred bucks), the Saturn has brought the Internet to those of us who choose not to bring a computer into our humble living rooms. With a big-enough TV set, Picture-In-Picture technology and an ability to handle more than two remotes at once, you can surf channels and the net with ease (a situation that is likely to increase in the future with Microsoft's involvement in both Web-TV and Sega's new system). Nothing beats typing this review and be watching "The Living Daylights" (part of a TBS James Bond movie festival) simultaneously on a Saturday night...except having the girlfriend come over for a late night visit :-) .

"SEGA RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP" / "VIRTUAL ON": A-
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Aside from "Rally" having a slight improvement made to its visuals from the upgraded Japanese version (less clipping in the horizon, livelier background colors and none of that weird X & Y access effect), both versions of these games are identical to the versions released in late 1995 ("Rally") and 1996 ("VO"). Every option, every sound effect and every menu screen looks exactly the same...although "Rally" now has the accelerator/brake options of the analog 3D pad placed in the L & R shift buttons (with no option to use the A,B,C,X,Y & Z), which has screwed up my game and timing like you wouldn't believe.

On both games (as well as the other two commercially-available games that support Netlink, "Saturn Bomberman" and "Duke Nukem 3D"), the game will give the opening cinemas, standard one or two player options if there is no modem hooked-up. If the modem's in place, the game will automatically detect it and give you the three Netlink options: regular (same as without the modem), Netlink Room (where you can register your game, access the yellow pages featuring fellow Netlinkers, and chatrooms to contact your opponents) and Head to Head (where you can skip the chatrooms and just wait for an opponent's call). Sounds complicated, and the amount of data on the manuals included in the Net Pak make it seem complex (a manual for the browser, and two manuals for each of the games)...trust me, it becomes intuitive once you get the hand of it. But just like with online PC gaming, expect to be tossed around and taught a few lessons by the rapidly growing league of Netlink veterans. Mastering the nuisances of gaming etiquette will be the key to your getting (a) satisfaction out of battling the skills of unknown gamers across the US (and if you can afford it, the world), and (b) a stable of regular partners who are willing to seek you for the pleasure of the hunt.

The lag time against opponents doesn't exist and is a negligible factor (if at all); after racing/fighting against opponents in Florida, Texas, Montana and New York (my neighbors), the reaction time between our matches was exact and uncompromising. By racing over the net, not only do you effectively increase the fun factor and surprise element of your gaming experience, but also get to experience what only a handful of PlayStation owners with a Link cable have experienced (at great expense I might add): full-screen field of view and opponents with varying degrees of skill that affect the gameplay. Some days my beloved Fei-Yen kicks monumental booty on "Virtual On", but other days the secret car and track of "Sega Rally" (selectable in the Options Menu for Internet multiplayer only) conspire to let a guy in Oklahoma City (Jeff7) kick my ass...AT MY OWN EXPENSE! If you hook up with players in your region of the world and employ an Internet connector with local access, then you'll be in business with minimal monthly costs. I spent 25 minutes playing "Virtual On" against a gentleman in Texas while I was in my New York City apartment; it was a weeknight, between 1:00 and 2:00AM. Total cost for me: $4.06 for the call. Not bad, but it may change depending on what Baby Bell, local carrier and/or time of the day the gaming session takes place. WHOEVER CALLS TO PLAY MUST PAY; remember that! This isn't LAN or carrier-supported service (the lagtime and bandwidth are just not available), but a regular telephone call transmitting videogame code rather than voice. Minutes and seconds do add up over the long run, so please exercise caution when allowing younger children the play with your Netlink games.

Those familiar with the 16-bit X-Band Internet service (recently discontinued) will easily jump into the icon-heavy interface that players use to call their opponents. You can configure what portrait (out of dozens), taunt, and phone number to dial; you can even play a solo game while the computer connects any incoming calls. Easy as hell once you get a hang of it. You'll discover, however, that the three chatrooms (for beginners, medium and advanced skills) offered to players by each game's homepage to recruit potential foes are usually empty and rarely active (unless a group has scheduled a meeting for a certain time). You'll have to actually go to other chatrooms and recruit gamers out of fellow chatters; this will become the second biggest source of gaming partners (the individuals you become friendly with will be first). Another bitch? Just that "Sega Rally" and "Virtual On" are old news by today's standards, and most Netlinkers are choosing to play these two (and also "Bomberman" and "Daytona CCE") out of necessity more than anything else. "Duke Nukem 3D" is a Netlinker's dream come true (an A title with Internet support fully implemented), but "Rally" and "VO" are more of a nice addition to instill value in the Netlink Pak than an incentive to buy one. Hopefully Sega will give us a couple of additional titles to connect with in 1998 (a fighting game, an off-road racing game and an RPG may be potential candidates).

OVERALL: A-
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If you're only interested in the new PlanetWeb browser, then you're out of luck because it won't be sold separately either by retailers or Sega of America; stick to downloading the Beta version if you can stand it. Should you purchase the software (including "Rally" and "VO"), there are stores that will give you credit for them should you wish to have the temptation of expensive online gaming removed from your hands. But if you can learn the Netlink protocol and want to have a guy you've never met give you a run for your money in the Desert Track of "Rally", or wanna ram Temjin's sword up another person's Dorkas, then the stand-alone copies of "Rally" and "VO" will be the one's sold for a handful of bucks (use that money for either "Duke Nukem 3D" or "Bomberman", should any of those two attract your attention). For just around $30, Sega has delivered the kind of console Internet gaming only Nintendo has been able to pull off...in Japan. Let's hope they're taking this money-losing enterprise and finessing the details for bigger better things on another planet...planet Katana? All bets are off!

NeXT!!!