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Formula One World Championship: Beyond the Limit, known as Heavenly Symphony: Formula One World Championship 1993 (ヘブンリー シンフォニー フォーミュラーワン ワールド チャンピオンシップ 1993) in Japan, is a Formula One racing game for the Sega Mega-CD. It was produced by Sega in co-operation with Fuji Television and is licensed by FOCA.
Though it shares many similarities with Sega's prior Formula One racing games, specifically Super Monaco GP and Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II, it is thought to be produced by an entirely different team within Sega, so is not considered a sequel. Ironically Ayrton Senna is omitted from this game's lineup for licensing reasons, and is therefore the only missing driver from the 1993 Formula One season (although his name and car number can be defined by the player).
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Gameplay
The game takes place in a first person view from the cockpit, like many racing games on the early era consoles, but instead of using pre-defined road pieces or background deformation, this game makes use of the Sega Mega-CD's extra hardware and uses scaling and rotation of an image, similar to the Super Nintendo's Mode 7. This effect is also used in Sonic CD's Special Stages and various other games.
All 16 tracks are available from the 1993 season, including the fictional Sega Park, given the location of Japan. The tracks themselves are accurate recreations of the real tracks, with appropriate elements from their real-life counter-part. For example, Donington Park, which was sponsored by SEGA, had various SEGA logos littered all over the place (with various billboards of Sonic the Hedgehog).
Modes
Like most racing games, this features a main Grand Prix mode, where you take the reins and take the 1993 season on. You will start off on the Sega Park test track, in a very generic car. From your performance, you will be able to select a team to drive for and make your contract. Based on how the player does during the season, they can either get new contract offers, or get fired from their current team. There are 4 save files to use for this mode, the player can do the season as various teams, or to be allowed for a friend's save.
There is also a 1993 Mode, allowing the player to take on challenges based off events in the 1993 season. For example, for the European Grand Prix, the player must take the role of Rubens Barrichello for 6 laps on Donington Park. The rain is at play and drivers are constantly pitting in with the changing weather. Rubens' tires are wearing out, and the player must pit, retain position, and don't let the Williams driver, Damon Hill, overtake Rubens. Upon selecting a scenario, a FMV will play showcasing a bit of the race's events, then transition into the gameplay. There are also another 4 saves for this mode.
Finally, there is a Free Run mode, where the player can drive on any track, with any amount of laps, any car of their choice, and the choice of weather.
Circuits
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Sega Park
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| Sega Park is a fictional track designed as a test circuit.
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 South African Grand Prix, Kyalami
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 Brazilian Grand Prix, Interlagos
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 European Grand Prix, Donington
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 San Marino Grand Prix, Imola
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 Spanish Grand Prix, Catalunya
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 Monaco Grand Prix, Monaco
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 Canadian Grand Prix, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
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 French Grand Prix, Magny-Cours
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British Grand Prix, Silverstone
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 German Grand Prix, Hockenheimring
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 Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring
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 Belgian Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps
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Italian Grand Prix, Monza
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 Portuguese Grand Prix, Estoril
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 Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka
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 Australian Grand Prix, Adelaide
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Teams/vehicles
In Grand Prix mode, the game does not initially let you race for some of the stronger teams of the season (Williams, Benetton and McLaren).
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Williams, FW15C
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Drivers:
- 0: Damon Hill
- 2: Alain Prost
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Tyrrell, 020C
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Drivers:
- 3: Ukyo Katayama
- 4: Andrea de Cesaris
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Benetton, B193B
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Drivers:
- 5: Michael Schumacher
- 6: Riccardo Patrese
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McLaren, MP4/8
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Drivers:
- 7:
 Michael Andretti
- 8: "PLAYER"
Ayrton Senna, who drove for McLaren in the 1993 season, is not officially in the game, and is represented by a generic driver which the player can name. This is the only driver whose portrait just shows a man in a helmet, though there's nothing stopping you from entering "A. SENNA" for a more authentic experience.
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Footwork, FA14
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Drivers:
- 9: Derek Warwick
- 10: Aguri Suzuki
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Lotus, 107B
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Drivers:
- 11: Alessandro Zanardi
- 12: Johnny Herbert
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Jordan, 193
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Drivers:
- 14: Rubens Barrichello
- 15: Ivan Capelli
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Larrousse, LH93
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Drivers:
- 19: Philippe Alliot
- 20: Érik Comas
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Lola-BMS, T93/30
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Drivers:
- 21: Michele Alboreto
- 22: Luca Badoer
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Minardi, M193
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Drivers:
- 23: Christian Fittipaldi
- 24: Fabrizio Barbazza
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Ligier, JS39
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Drivers:
- 25: Martin Brundle
- 26: Mark Blundell
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Ferrari, F93A
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Drivers:
- 27: Jean Alesi
- 28:
 Gerhard Berger
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Sauber, C12
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Drivers:
- 29: Karl Wendlinger
- 30:
 JJ Lehto
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History
This game controversially uses Tobacco Sponsoring. While it was standard practise for other racing games to avoid this, it would seem to be complete ignorance by the Japanese developers, despite being under supervision of FOCA and Fuji Television. Various sponsors, while visible in the cutscenes, are visible on cars and the track - Player's LTEE, for example, on the Canadian Grand Prix, and Camel on the Benneton.
Versions
Localised names
Also known as
| Language
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Localised Name
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English Translation
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| English
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Formula One World Championship: Beyond the Limit
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Formula One World Championship: Beyond the Limit
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| English (US)
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Formula One World Championship: Beyond the Limit
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Formula One World Championship: Beyond the Limit
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| Japanese
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ヘブンリー シンフォニー フォーミュラーワン ワールド チャンピオンシップ 1993
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Heavenly Symphony: Formula One World Championship 1993
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Localisation Changes
In addition to the name change, various other changes were made for the American and European release. These include;
- The game was made notably more easy for the localised release. The Japanese release, for example, is slower, and engine failure is a much higher possibility. Additionally, use of the boost for longer than one lap would cause an engine failure, in accordance to one of the texts in the game. Instead, it would take around 4 laps in the exported version.
- The heads-up-display was moved to the bottom of the screen in the localised release, whereas it was on the top in Japan.
- Various songs were given different usages between versions.
- In 1993 mode, the Japanese release had music playing while racing, which went unused in the exported game.
- A bonus menu could be accessed when the player won the Driver's Championship and the Constructors Championship, giving access to all the FMVs in the game. This was not in the Japanese version.
Production credits
Staff
- Producer: Ossy, Jitsunosuke Kawai (Fuji Television)
- Project Manager: Kunio Numabe (Fuji Television)
- Director: Yasuo Namitome (Fuji Television), Kyamura, Taka_Oh
- Program Director: Dehehe
- Art Director: K1
- Sound Director: Macky
- Game Designer: Taka_Oh, Mike, Iaka, Q-Taro
- Graphic designer: K1, Hirorih, Sanchan, Milcha, Tamamur∀, Geny
- Programmer: Dehehe, H.Suckamatt, Todo, Tek
- Test Course Design: Kazuhito Kawai
Sound Staff
- Producer: Yasuo Namitome (Fuji Television), Macky
- Composer: Yoshimasa Inoue, Mo, JunJun, So, Milpo, J.Shira, Watch, Lotty
- Arranger: Kanichiro Kubo, Yoshio Tsuru
- Sound Programmer: Macky, Jimmy
- Sound Effect: Macky, JunJun, Ker Akiyama
U. S. A. Staff
- Director: Atsushi "Sushi" Kosugi (Beat On Beat, Inc. N. Y.)
- Recording Engineer: Patrick Dillett, Michael Conrader
- Mix Engineer: Patrick Dillett
- Assistant Engineer: Justin Lucher, Hiro Ishihara
- Musicians: Larry Mitchell, Yossi Fine, Alex Alexander, Tommy Mandel, Dana Calitri, Gwen Guthrie, Andy Snitzer, Kurtis King, Anders Bostrom, Hiram Bullock, Willine Martinez, East 4th Hones (John Allmark, John Scarpulla, John Wheeler), Tsunekazu Aoki, Tetsuo Sakurai, Yoshihiro Tomonari, Takuo Uchida, Yukiyoshi Hujimoto, Yoshio Nomura, Masahiro Inaba, Hisanori Kumamaru, Funky Fujisawa, Jake H. Conception, Jun De Martini
Naration Staff
- Supervisor: Tetsuo Hamaguchi (Fuji Television), Nobuhiro Kasai (Fuji Television), Masanari Funaki (Fuji Television), Hirofumi Matsuno (Fuji Television), Jyun Minegishi (Fuji Television)
- Special Thanks: Rascal Fuku-Chan, Tetsu, Shigeyuki, Tatsuyan (HIC), Ykki (HIC), Sam Ohashi, Takumi, Ann, Samaore, Tac Iwd, Wagamama Sam, Masu, Chepeat, Bossanova Oyz, T.S., Hirochan, Hiyo-Hiyo, Yutaka Kobari (Fuji Television), Kenji Hoshiya (Fuji Television), Noriyuki Sakai, Hideto Kurihara, Makoto Satou, Masahiro Saito, Takehiro Motoyoshi, Nahna, Yuki,Crystal,Takako (Beat On Beat, Inc. N. Y.)
- Senior Supervisor: Kazuhito Kawai
- Formula One World Championship 1993 Heavenly Symphony
- The End
Source: In-game credits (JP)
- Producer: Michael Meischeid
- Product Manager: Tim Dunley
- Assistant Producer: Gerald DeYoung
- Lead Tester: Steve Bourdet
- Assistant Lead: Sam Saliba
- Testers: Rey Alferez, John Amirkhan, Blair Bullock, Micke Callahan, Cary Camacho, Janine Cook, Marc Dawson, Alex Fairchild, Dave Forester, Tracy Johnson, Jeff Kessler, Mark Paniagua, Bill Person, Tim Spengler, Ben Szymkowiak, Maria Tuzzo, Fernando Valderrama, Gregg Watkins
- Product Specalist: Nemer Velasquez
- Special Thanks: Wayne Townsend, Steve Payne, Eric Smith, Lorene Goble, James Spahn
Source: US manual[5]
Track list
| 2. 1993 MODE - ROUND SELECT (01:31)
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| 4. Only One Way to Go (01:35)
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| Composed by: Jun Senoue
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| 6. Exhaustless Beat (01:04)
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| 7. Time to Detonate (01:39)
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| Composed by: Jun Senoue
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| 8. You Can Be a Star (01:10)
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| Composed by: Jun Senoue
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| 10. Winds of Victory (02:28)
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| Composed by: Jun Senoue
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| 12. Winning Beats (01:27)
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| 16. Song Of Pilots (00:41)
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| 20. Course introduction 01 (01:14)
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| 21. Course introduction 02 (01:00)
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| 22. Course introduction 03 (00:56)
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| 23. Course introduction 04 (01:04)
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| 24. Course introduction 05 (01:02)
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| 25. Course introduction 06 (01:15)
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| 26. Course introduction 07 (01:06)
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| 27. Course introduction 08 (01:05)
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| 28. Course introduction 09 (01:05)
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| 29. Course introduction 10 (01:03)
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| 30. Course introduction 11 (01:06)
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| 31. Course introduction 12 (01:07)
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| 32. Course introduction 13 (01:04)
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| 33. Course introduction 14 (01:11)
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| 34. Course introduction 15 (01:08)
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| 35. Course introduction 16 (01:32)
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| 36. Course introduction 17 (01:24)
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| 37. …And Close Your Eyes (04:03)
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| Composed by: Jun Senoue
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► Running time: 43:47
Magazine articles
- Main article: Formula One World Championship: Beyond the Limit/Magazine articles.
Promotional material
Physical scans
Formula One World Championship: Beyond the Limit
| Mega-CD, JP
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  Cover
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| Mega-CD, US
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  Cover
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 Disc  Manual |
| Mega-CD, EU
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  Cover
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 Spinecard  Disc |
| Mega-CD, BR
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 Cover
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Technical information
ROM dump status
| System |
Hash |
Size |
Build Date |
Source |
Comments |
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| ✔
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666,432,144
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CD (JP)
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G-6034
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| ✔
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676,571,616
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CD (US)
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4608
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References
- ↑ File:F1WCBtL MCD JP Box Back.jpg
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 https://sega.jp/history/hard/mega-cd/software.html (Wayback Machine: 2020-06-22 19:24)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Game Players, "Vol. 7 No. 10 October 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 100
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Sega Magazine, "September 1994" (UK; 1994-08-xx), page 78
- ↑ File:Formula1 mcd us manual.pdf, page 20
- ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "May 1994" (JP; 1994-04-08), page 18 (20)
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 83 (85)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Computer & Video Games, "October 1994" (UK; 1994-09-15), page 93
- ↑ Edge, "July 1994" (UK; 1994-05-26), page 74/75 (74)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Joypad, "Juillet/Août 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 30
- ↑ Mega, "July 1994" (UK; 1994-06-16), page 40/41 (40)
- ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "May 1994" (JP; 1994-04-08), page 20
- ↑ Edge, "July 1994" (UK; 1994-05-26), page 74
- ↑ Electronic Games (1992-1995), "October 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 116
- ↑ Famitsu, "1994-04-29" (JP; 1994-04-15), page 1
- ↑ GamePro, "November 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 195
- ↑ GamesMaster, "July 1994" (UK; 1994-06-30), page 59
- ↑ Games World: The Magazine, "January 1995" (UK; 1994-11-xx), page 21
- ↑ Hippon Super, "June 1994" (JP; 1994-04-30), page 61
- ↑ Joypad, "Décembre 1994" (FR; 1994-1x-xx), page 55
- ↑ MAN!AC, "07/94" (DE; 1994-06-08), page 68
- ↑ Mega, "July 1994" (UK; 1994-06-16), page 40
- ↑ Mega Force, "Septembre 1994" (FR; 1994-0x-xx), page 112
- ↑ Mega Fun, "07/94" (DE; 1994-06-22), page 52
- ↑ Mega Fun, "10/94" (DE; 1994-09-21), page 57
- ↑ Mega Power, "July 1994" (UK; 1994-06-23), page 38
- ↑ Player One, "Décembre 1994" (FR; 1994-1x-xx), page 148
- ↑ Play Time, "10/94" (DE; 1994-09-07), page 108
- ↑ Sega Power, "August 1994" (UK; 1994-07-07), page 54
- ↑ Sega Pro, "July 1994" (UK; 1994-06-16), page 48
- ↑ Sega Megazone, "October 1994" (AU; 1994-xx-xx), page 26
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 85
- ↑ Todo Sega, "Septiembre 1994" (ES; 1994-0x-xx), page 58
- ↑ Video Games, "10/94" (DE; 1994-09-28), page 90
- ↑ VideoGames, "October 1994" (US; 1994-xx-xx), page 91
