Panzer Dragoon Zwei/Magazine articles
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1995-12-08 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1995 12-22" | "Kitai no Shinsaku Totsugeki Special" 4 pages. The game is listed as 15% complete (as of November 27), scheduled for release in Spring 1996. Cryptic lines foretell the game's story. Includes a recap of the game's showcase at Toshimaen VS Sega Saturn. It details 3 changes known to have been made from the original: ground mode, the dragon's growth throughout the story and an increase of the dragon's visible range, each of which are explained in detail and with clear imagery (various screenshots for ground mode, and only a single for the other two, instead mainly using CG concept art). Half of the final page is dedicated to the first boss. Includes an interview with producer Tomohiro Kondo, discussing its connection to the first Panzer Dragoon, the dragon's growth and run, what kind of enemies will appear and the game's lower difficult after backlash toward the first game. | |||||||||||||
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1995-12-08 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "1995-14 (1995-12-22)" | "Special Report" 2 pages. The game is reported as 15% complete. Mentions that the title "Zwei" is the German word for 2, and that 2 is emphasized in the game by having 2 characters, the human and the dragon, grow in unison. An assortment of screenshots show moments from the first stage, each of them captioned. A few of these are collected to showcase the dragon's new ability to run on the ground. Using the same images as the previous Saturn Fan issue, it shows off the dragon's growth and increased field of vision. Includes an interview with Tomohiro Kondo (Sega Planning Design Production Department), discussing the game's concept focusing on seeing the world of Panzer Dragoon from a different perspective, and the gameplay changes, going over the ground running and 360 degree vision. | |||||||||||||
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1995-12-22 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1996 No. 1-2" | "Kitai no Shinsaku Totsugeki Special" 2 pages. The game is listed as 15% complete (as of December 11). The first page focuses on the story, through character profiles for Landi Jean Jacques and Lagi, a summary of the history behind the Empire and Meccania, and stills from the opening cutscene. The second page explores the diverging paths, where players can choose one course that leads to an aerial battle and one that continues the grounded battle. | |||||||||||||
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1995-12-22 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "1996-01 (1996-01-12,26)" | "Special Report" 3 pages. The game is reported as 15% complete. It fully recounts the plot leading up to the opening and goes through many captioned stills of the opening cutscene. Many new in-game screenshots are also included and captioned. Some of these which are grouped together focus on the branching paths and on the first boss Imperial Giant Cargo Ship. A smaller section covers the dragon's growth throughout the game, but has no screenshot or specifics to illustrate it. | |||||||||||||
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1996-01-12 | Computer & Video Games (UK), "February 1996" | From a report on Toshimaen VS Sega Saturn, with Panzer Dragoon 2 (the German name Panzer Dragoon Zwei is later commented on) being labeled the "hottest game to be revealed at the show". Various comparisons are made to the original Panzer Dragoon and how this sequel improves upon it. The introduction of new dragon rather than the previous one is noted as possibly being a dissapointment, however. The game is teased to be covered more the next month. | |||||||||||||
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1996-01-12 | Edge (UK), "February 1996" | The original Panzer Dragoon is briefly described, before discussing the sequel's new features and seemingly identical combat, ending off with the hope that the gameplay will see a "substantial overhaul" instead of just improving graphics. | |||||||||||||
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1996-01-26 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "1996-02 (1996-02-09)" | "Special Report" 6 pages. The game is reported as 35% complete, scheduled for release in March. Breaks down in great detail 2 never-before seen stages. Throughout, vary minor changes since previous images were shown are noted. Features an interview with Tomohiro Kondo and Manabu Kusunoki (both Sega CS Software Dept. Development Div.) discussing graphical changes both since the previous game and the last showing of Zwei, the branching routes, the dragon's growth stages and overall design influence, and the rejected jump feature for grounded battles. | |||||||||||||
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1996-01-19 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1996 No. 3" | "Kitai no Shinsaku Totsugeki Special" 4 pages. The game is listed as 30% complete (as of January 8), scheduled for March release. Reports come from a demo version planned to be installed in stores come February. Some highlights of the game are written from the perspective of a 1-week old Lagi, specifically the developers' attention to detail with the movement of the dragon's tail, the sudden dynamic changes in perspective to draw attention to enemies, and the beautiful graphics, especially the blue skies. Includes an interview with producer Tomohiro Kondo and design chief Manabu Kusunoki, discussing the inspirations behind the world of Panzer Dragoon, the unconventional dragon designs in Zwei, and the improved processing speed. The second set of pages has much to say and show about the newly-revealed forest stage, as well a few screenshots showing a strange underground waterway. | |||||||||||||
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1996-xx-xx | Maximum (UK), "February 1996" | Called Panzer Dragoon 2. Scheduled for March release in Japan. References a preview issue of Maximum where the game was covered, but at the time only one stage was known about, rather than three and a fourth in development. New features discussed are the lengthy FMV sequence and "berserker" mode, only recommended to be used sparingly. The coverage on the new stages note them as "a bit of a departure from the first Panzer Dragoon", and the half-finished level 4 was, despite plenty of bugs obscuring the player's vision, the most impressive of them all. On the FMV CG movies, the writer mentions the theory that these lay the groundwork for an forthcoming Panzer Dragoon RPG. No UK release date can yet be confirmed, and more coverage is guaranteed for the future fifth issue of Maximum, possibly scoring an interview with a member of Team Andromeda. | |||||||||||||
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1996-02-02 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1996 No. 4" | "Specil Report" 4 pages. The game is listed as 50% complete (as of January 22). It features hands-on previews of 2 stages, Empire & Meccania's Battlefield (帝国とメッカニアの戦場) and Densely Grown Forest (鬱蒼と茂る森). The first page is once again written from the perspective of little Lagi, covering more improvements to minor details and the first time seeing how Lagi's growth sequences look. The boss breakdown of Giant Cargo Ship (巨大輸送艇) is written as normal. Includes a third interview with Tomohiro Kondo, discussing the different hurdles in development compared to the the previous game, the higher standard for boss attack patterns (with screenshots as reference) and the game's emphasis on replayability. The second stage preview is entirely written as normal, as is its boss fight Hanumunn (ハヌマン), but Lagi makes one point about the boss' amazing animation (and complains about not having received any fan mail yet). | |||||||||||||
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1996-02-09 | Computer & Video Games (UK), "March 1996" | Called Panzer Dragoon 2. The game is listed as 20% complete, scheduled for release in May (though the text says it does not have a fixed release date). PC and Saturn versions of its prequel are also listed. Begins by placing said prequel in the context of its original release, its impact on the console game landscape and the contents of the game. The topics on Panzer 2 itself cover the "baby dragonlette" and the way its growth depends on the player's skill level, the forked routes in the larger levels, the 360 degree view and the plot as shown in the opening cutscene. It ends by explaining the background behind the series' art style, being inspired by French comic book artist Moebius and his strip Arzach. | |||||||||||||
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1996-02-09 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "1996-03 (1996-02-23)" | "Special Report" 6 pages. The game is reported as 50% complete, scheduled for release on March 22. Reveals screenshots of how the dragon looks when growing, and specifies that it occurs at the end of a stage. It also reveals for the first time the order in which stages take place, going on to cover each of them in depth. Opening (オープニング), Village Attacked (襲われた村), Empire & Meccania's Battlefield (帝国とメッカニアの戦場), Densely Grown Forest (鬱蒼と茂る森) and Old Century Underground Plant (旧世紀の地下プラント, Ruins in the final game). Includes an interview with Tomohiro Kondo (Sega CS Software Dept. Development Div.), further recapping the story up to stage 4 and discussing highlights from each stage. After all that is a small piece about the newly revealed meter for berserk attacks. | |||||||||||||
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1996-02-16 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1996 No. 5" | "Special Report" 4 pages. The game is listed as 70% complete (as of February 5), scheduled for release on March 22. It shows the same list of stages in chronological order as the previous issue of Sega Saturn Magazine, but with a spot for the undisclosed stages 5, 6 and 7. The stages known about so far are recapped in the top half of the next 3 pages, while on the bottom half of 2 and 4 have descriptions from Tomohiro Kondo of stage 1 and 4 respectively. These also come with comments by little Lagi. The third page instead explains berserk attacks and their respective meter. | |||||||||||||
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1996-02-23 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "1996-04 (1996-03-08)" | "Special Report" 6 pages. The game is reported as 80% complete. Recaps the opening (オープニング), episode 1: Village Attacked (襲われた村), briefly recaps the next 2 episodes Empire & Meccania's Battlefield (帝国とメッカニアの戦場) and Densely Grown Forest (鬱蒼と茂る森), and then recaps episode 4: Old Century Underground Plant (旧世紀の地下プラント) in more detail. It goes in-depth on how Berserk Mode works. Includes an interview with Tomohiro Kondo (Sega CS Software Dept. Development Div.), discussing how a player's scores are calculated compared to the first Panzer Dragoon, more info on how Berserk Mode works and some details about stages 1 and 4. | |||||||||||||
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1996-0x-xx | Game Players (US), "Vol. 9 No. 3 March 1996" | "Previews" 2 pages. Called Panzer Dragoon II Zwei and PDIIZ. The initial batch of text highlights new features, being alternate paths, an evolving dragon. One new feature, 360 degree view, is said to be carried over from the original, as are locking missiles. Meanwhile, the graphical improvements and on-foot gameplay are primarily previewed with screenshots. The second page then explains the story leading up to the game. The characters Lagi and Lundi have their names translated as Raguy and Randy Jeanjacques, and at one point are also swapped around, so the dragon is referred to as Randy. Finally are an assortment of screenshots previewing 2 stages, possibly named River Run and The Forest. | |||||||||||||
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1996-03-01 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1996 No. 6" | "Special Report" 4 pages. The game is reported as 75% complete (as of February 16). It reveals more about the dragon's growth with screenshots of Lagi at different stages. The story also becomes more clear with info about 2 enemy characters, Shelcoof (シェルクーフ) and a strange rival dragon. The latter reveal gets a comment from little Lagi. More details are revealed about the later part of the game as well, mainly the stage 4 boss Rand Dora (ランドドーラ) which had been kept secret before. | |||||||||||||
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1996-03-08 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "1996-05 (1996-03-22)" | "Special Report" 8 pages. The game is reported as 95% complete. Now that the available ROM is near complete, they can present the completed opening cinematic, also showing a few storyboards and noting the inclusion of professional voice actors. Players who struggled with the difficulty the previous work are also reassured that the difficulty automatically adjusts based on their performance. A couple new evolutions in Lagi's growth are shown and their attributes explained, one which changes its lasers and another which increases its attack power, but the writer notes that it is still unknown what factors determine this growth. This section also includes a CG render of an unknown stage in its evolution, and brings back the CG render of the 360 degree view from the earlier previews. The following 3 pages break down the first 4 episodes again, paying close attention to what changes have been made since the previously public build, such as the mysterious other dragon being redesigned and a never-before seen branching route in episode 4. Episode 1 has been renamed "STARTING DESTINY", though this is not commented on. The final page is an interview with Tomohiro Kondo (Sega CS Software Dept. Development Div.), discussing the language spoken in the series (as heard in the opening), the areas in episode 4, what's really going on with Shelcoof and the other dragon, and a tease of what to expect from episode 5. | |||||||||||||
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1996-03-08 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "1996-05 (1996-03-22)" | "Sega Saturn soft review" Sample build is clarified to be 95% complete. The description reads "The sequel you've all been waiting for! Popular shooter Panzer finally gets a sequel. It introduces a new attack system called "Berserk Mode". As noted by the editorial department, its average score of 9.66 is the exact same as previously set by Virtua Fighter 2. Female user Kaori praises the game for its graphical and musical beauty, espeially during gameplay, which itself is addicting. While difficult, Berserk Mode can help people who struggle with lock-on. High Roller Ike Sara marks it a noticeable improvement on the first game, with exquisite controls and non-player controlled camera movements. He was so engaged that various moments in the game left him emotional, from the opening to the boss fights, making it a guaranteed day one purchase. Guest Writer TETSU, who is biased against cheap fantasy, is notably captivated by the game's almost steampunk setting, and found it to be of higher quality than many of the more modest arcade games of recent years.
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1996-03-14 | Computer & Video Games (UK), "April 1996" | The game is reported as 60% complete. Mentions the game having the codename "Project Perseus". Shows 2 screenshots for each of first 4 episodes, and an additional one for the episode 4 boss. It describes a bit about berserker rage and the way the dragon "morphs" throughout the game. More details are teased for next month's issue and it wishes good luck to readers planning on importing the game from Japan. | |||||||||||||
| 1996-03-15 | Famitsu (JP), "1996-03-29" | "Cross review"
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1996-03-15 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1996 No. 7" | "Special Report" 5 pages. The game is listed as 100% complete. Brings up the fact that the game was first revealed in November and its release wouldn't have been possible without the hard work of its developers. It recaps every feature known about so far: 1. Diverging courses within levels which add replay value. 2. Ground-based battles which are mandatory at the start. 3. The dragon grows through the game, initially growing after every level until level 4 where the player's performance determines if it grows or not (a new stage in the transformation is also revealed). 4. Difficulty is automatically adjusted by your rate of average kills. 5. Berserk Mode, which can only be used after filling up an energy meter, will make the dragon fire lock-on lasers on its own. 6. First of three vision-related changes, the vertical range of sight has been upped to 60 degrees. 7. Being able to move the camera horizontally with complete freedom. 8. Holding down the shoot button now fires continuously, rather than having to press it repeatedly. After all that, summaries are given for the prologue and first 4 levels (each of which have an accompanying piece written by little Lagi). Episode 1 is back to being called Village Attacked (襲われた村), and Lagi says it is mostly a practice round (but Lagi is intent on beating up that strange dragon). Episode 2 has a lot of enemies, which makes it difficult to get 100% shot down ratio, Lagi only scoring 11%. Lagi is very opinionated about episode 3, loving the feeling of slipping in-between trees, but being grossed out by the Naga creatures. The highlight of episode 4 is the hidden diverging path, so people can team up to spread the info when they find out where it is. | |||||||||||||
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1996-03-22 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "1996-06 (1996-04-12)" | "Special Report" 8 pages | |||||||||||||
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1996-03-29 | Maximum (UK), "March 1996" | ||||||||||||||
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1996-03-29 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1996 No. 8" | "Kouryaku" Walkthrough, 4 pages | |||||||||||||
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1996-0x-xx | Mean Machines Sega (UK), "April 1996" | "Work in Progress" | |||||||||||||
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1996-xx-xx | Freak (IL), "3/96" | ||||||||||||||
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1996-04-04 | Mean Machines Sega (UK), "May 1996" | "Cover Story"
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1996-04-10 | Fun Generation (DE), "05/96" |
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1996-04-12 | Computer & Video Games (UK), "May 1996" |
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1996-04-12 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1996 No. 9" | "Kouryaku" Walkthrough, 6 pages | |||||||||||||
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1996-04-12 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1996 No. 9" | "Hyper UL-Tech" Tips and tricks | |||||||||||||
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1996-04-12 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1996 No. 9" | "Hyper UL-Tech" Tips and tricks | |||||||||||||
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1996-04-12 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "1996-07 (1996-04-26)" | "Sega Saturn Soft Complete Guide" Walkthrough, 6 pages | |||||||||||||
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1996-04-23 | VideoGames (US), "May 1996" |
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1996-04-24 | Sega Saturn Magazine (UK), "May 1996" |
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1996-04-24 | Video Games (DE), "5/96" |
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1996-04-26 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1996 No. 10-11" | "Ranking Street" Game Seisekihyou
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1996-04-26 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1996 No. 10-11" | "Kouryaku" Walkthrough, 3 pages | |||||||||||||
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1996-04-26 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "1996-08 (1996-05-10,24)" | "Sega Saturn Soft Complete Guide" Walkthrough, 4 pages | |||||||||||||
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1996-04-27 | Maximum (UK), "April 1996" |
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1996-04-27 | Maximum (UK), "April 1996" | ||||||||||||||
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1996-04-xx | Mega Fun (DE), "05/96" |
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1996-0x-xx | Consoles + (FR), "Mai 1996" |
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1996-xx-xx | Electronic Gaming Monthly (US), "May 1996" | "Review Crew"
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1996-xx-xx | GameFan (US), "Volume 4, Issue 5: May 1996" |
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1996-0x-xx | Joypad (FR), "Mai 1996" |
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1996-0x-xx | Mega Force (FR), "Mai 1996" |
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1996-0x-xx | Player One (FR), "Mai 1996" |
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| 1996-xx-xx | Strana Igr (RU), "May/Iyun 1996" |
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1996-05-03 | Edge (UK), "June 1996" |
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1996-05-04 | Game Players (US), "Vol. 9 No. 6 June 1996" |
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1996-05-09 | Sega Power (UK), "July 1996" |
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1996-05-15 | neXt Level (DE), "Juni 1996" |
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1996-05-24 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "1996-09 (1996-06-14)" | "Sega Saturn Soft Complete Guide" Walkthrough, 4 pages | |||||||||||||
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1996-05-24 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1996 No. 12" | "10 Dai Kouryaku Carnival" Walkthrough, 6 pages | |||||||||||||
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1996-xx-xx | GamePro (US), "June 1996" | "ProReview" As Panzer Dragoon Zwei II.
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1996-06-07 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1996 No. 13" | "Kouryaku" Walkthrough, 2 pages | |||||||||||||
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1996-06-14 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "1996-10 (1996-06-28)" | "Sega Saturn Soft Complete Guide" Walkthrough, 2 pages | |||||||||||||
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1996-06-18 | Next Generation (US), "July 1996" |
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1996-06-21 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1996 No. 14" | "Kouryaku" Walkthrough | |||||||||||||
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1996-06-28 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "1996-11 (1996-07-12)" | "Sega Saturn Soft Complete Guide" Walkthrough, 4 pages | |||||||||||||
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1996-06-xx | Sega Pro (UK), "August 1996" |
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1996-xx-xx | 576 KByte (HU), "Június 1996" |
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1996-xx-xx | Top Secret (PL), "Lipiec 1996" | ||||||||||||||
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1996-xx-xx | 576 KByte (HU), "Július-Augusztus 1996" | Tips | |||||||||||||
| 1996-xx-xx | Magazina Igrushek (RU), "7-8/1996" |
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1996-07-02 | Ultra Player (FR), "Juillet/Août 1996" |
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1996-07-05 | Saturn Fan (JP), "1996 No. 15" | "Kouryaku" Walkthrough | |||||||||||||
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1996-07-12 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "1996-12 (1996-07-26)" | "Sega Saturn Soft Complete Guide" Walkthrough, 2 pages | |||||||||||||
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1996-08-01 | Secret Service (PL), "Lipiec/Sierpień 1996" |
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| 1996-08-07 | Sonic the Comic (UK), "16 August 1996" | "Review Zone"
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1996-xx-xx | 576 KByte (HU), "Október 1996" | Tips | |||||||||||||
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1996-xx-xx | Świat Gier Komputerowych (PL), "10/1996" |
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1996-xx-xx | Sega News (CZ), "Říjen 1996"
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| 1996-xx-xx | Strana Igr (RU), "Oktyabr 1996" | Tips | ||||||||||||||
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1996-11-01 | Score (CZ), "Listopad 1996" |
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1996-1x-xx | Sega News (CZ), "Listopad 1996"
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1996-12-29 | Total Saturn (UK), "Volume One Issue Four" | "Every Saturn Game Ever Reviewed & Rated" Total Saturn re-reviews every UK title released up until this point.
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1997-02-21 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "1997-06 (1997-03-07)" | ||||||||||||||
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1997-04-04 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "1997-12 (1997-04-18)" | ||||||||||||||
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1997-xx-xx | Kiber Zona (LT), "Kovas 1997" | ||||||||||||||
| 1997-xx-xx | Strana Igr (RU), "Fevral 1997" | |||||||||||||||
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1997-xx-xx | Secret Service (PL), "Czerwiec 1997" | Tips | |||||||||||||
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1998-xx-xx | Igromania (BG), "Avgust 1998" | ||||||||||||||
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199x-xx-xx | Maximum (UK), "January 1996" | ||||||||||||||
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2000-03 | Sega Saturn Magazine (JP), "Readers rating final data" | "Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) readers final rating"
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References
