Going Dreamcast (2000)
The Croft Times


It seems that Core Design couldn't wait for the end of the exclusivity deal with Sony. Some weeks ago it was announced the release of Tomb Raider for Nintendo's Game Boy Colour, and now the company just announced the release of Lara's latest game, Tomb Raider: The Last revelation, for Sega's 128-bit, Internet-ready videogame console, the Dreamcast.

With hi-resolution graphics, the Dreamcast rendition of The Last Revelation will appear vastly superior to its PlayStation counterpart, being graphically comparable to versions currently displayed by high end, accelerated PC incarnations.

A wealth of features originally specific to the PC version will be adapted and imported, including bump mapping, environment mapping and volumetric fogging. Features specific to the Dreamcast version will include real-time shadow casting, an enhanced lighting system and a greater draw distance than seen on any previous version of the title. The processing power of the hardware will also be maximised for enhanced sound and accentuated ambience.

Lara Croft will undergo some re-modelling and will be displayed in hi-resolution to match the title's lavish environments. Gameplay will follow an identical course to the existing format.

For the last three years, the Tomb Raider series has only been available on the PlayStation game console and PC. Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation for Sega Dreamcast, is expected to be released World-wide in March this year.

Mike McGarvey, Chief Operating Officer of Eidos, says; "Eidos has been a supporter of the Dreamcast since the launch of the console in Europe. Alongside publishing original Dreamcast titles, we have a strategy of developing versions of our most successful franchises for the platform. Tomb Raider is one of the most successful brands in our industry's history and the power of the Dreamcast console greatly enriches the whole Lara Croft experience for game fans the world over."

The Tomb Raider series has already enjoyed tremendous success, selling more than 18 million copies world-wide and Sega expects that this well-known franchise will further fuel the retail demand and consumer enthusiasm for the Sega Dreamcast hardware.

Kazutoshi Miyake, Sega Europe's Chief Operating Officer, comments: "We are delighted to welcome the industry's biggest icon onto Dreamcast. Sega has had a long-standing relationship with Core Design and Eidos, and it is great to see Tomb Raider back on a Sega machine. The Tomb Raider series has captured the imagination of gamers everywhere and now, with the power of Dreamcast, Lara Croft will look better than ever before!"

"We are honoured that Eidos is bringing a well-known property such as Tomb Raider to Sega Dreamcast," said Neal Robison, group director of third party licensing for Sega of America. "This further solidifies the commitment and enthusiasm of the third party community for the platform and signals how well it is selling in the marketplace. We will continue to focus on third party support for Sega Dreamcast to bring the best library possible to our consumers."