What a year it's been. Zelda, Dreamcast, Sonic, Metal Gear, Resident Evil 2… so much to get excited about. If the 32-bit generation (including the N64 in that generation for simplicity's sake) is going to have a peak year, this is it. With Dreamcast on the horizon for 1999, you have to wonder exactly what Sony and Nintendo are going to do to keep their own systems alive. You also have to wonder if Sega's actually going to get it right this time…but enough about that. Let's look back at the big stories of '98.

　　Follow the link below - it will take you to the first in our lineup of top stories for the year.1. DreamcastSega's new superconsole was without a doubt the biggest news story of the year. It's hard to believe when the system debuted in May, the only title shown to the public was Warp's D2 - and that won't be out until '99. But Sega made it hard to forget about Dreamcast, announcing product in July (Godzilla Generations and Sonic Adventure) that would accompany the system at launch. The unveiling of Sonic Adventure was a big deal in itself, with an Internet broadcast beaming signals of the blue mascot's return to every corner of the globe. At the Tokyo Game Show we got our first hands-on test of the system and a few of its games. Then on November 27, it finally came out, selling out the entire first shipment of 150,000 machines on its first day of release.

　　Not only is Dreamcast big because it is a new system, but Dreamcast brings several new components to video games that haven't been utilized much in the past - online gaming and a small LCD memory card/handheld gaming system called the Visual Memory System. While its initial launch of games wasn't that impressive to western tastes, we were happy to see Sega back in the game. But really, what Japanese system launch has been filled with all impressive games? It's something to be expected and something Sega of America will make stronger when assembling its line-up of US launch games.

　　Sega made more news than any other video game company in 1998 - a surprising feat when you think that for a majority of the year, Sega of America had no products to show.2. ZeldaIt was a long time in coming, but was worth the wait. Shigeru Miyamoto's latest chapter in the epic Legend of Zelda series gave the Nintendo 64 the push it needed into the holiday season. Game of the millenium? Maybe not, but certainly one of the best games made on any system or PC to date. We saw the first screens of the game over two years ago, and only now are we playing the finished product. As they say, good things come to those who wait, and even though many played the game at E3 in May, no one quite knew what to expect from the finished game. Now we know.3. Game Boy ColorAdd color to Game Boy, sell another couple million units. At least, with Nintendo that's how it's gone. With each new version of Game Boy, from the original to Pocket to Color, the system has gotten better. It proves that you really can have a simple video game system that is a hit for more than the traditional cycle. Of course, look at that old Game Boy model that was introduced in 1989, and you'll see that maybe it wasn't so pocket-sized to begin with. Much like the N64, Nintendo's own games are the best ones, and releasing colorized versions of those with minor upgrades is a great way to make us buy them all again. When Nintendo first announced the color version of the Game Boy, everyone was happy, but even happier once we found out that a color version of Link's Awakening was coming too. Here's to another million more, Nintendo!4. PocketStationThe Sony PDA - that's what the PocketStation was known as for most of the year, until the Tokyo Game Show when its final name was announced to the world. Sony's latest PlayStation add-on isn't designed to be a system by itself (and trying to compete with Game Boy is just…impossible--ask Tiger, SNK or Bandai), but instead it's an extension of the PlayStation hardware that has dominated the industry for more three years. Sony is going after the keychain game market, with a small screen that can play simple, Tamagotchi-like games. PocketStation could also prove to be an interesting bridge to Sony's next system, if PlayStation 2 ends up using the same memory card format. Only problem is, the screen isn't quite big enough to display a lot of information. Although not released in 1998, the announcement of Sony's handheld was one of the bigger stories out of Sony in '98.5. Final Fantasy VIIIJust as Dreamcast was being announced, Square pulled the wrapping off Final Fantasy VIII, its latest entry into the company's signature RPG saga. This promises to be the most cinematic yet, as Square's designers have learned the ins and outs of the PlayStation hardware and have seemingly learned how to accurately put human characters on the screen in a lifelike way. Starting off only with a movie trailer, Square began to build the hype early by offering a demo of the game in Japan followed by a release U.S. (with Brave Fencer Musashi). Final Fantasy VIII will be big in '99 too, as both the Japanese (on Feb. 11) and US versions are scheduled to come out within a year of each other.6. Square EAOne is known for making killer RPGs, the other is known for sports titles. Who would've thought that they'd be teaming up on both sides of the Pacific? But that's exactly what happened when Square and EA joined forces to form Square EA in the US and Electronic Arts Square in Japan. This was good for Square as EA has major distribution channels to the US and other territories for Square's product, while Square has distribution routes in Japan to get EA's product out. The first game to benefit from this newfound partnership in the US was Parasite Eve. While the team-up makes sense, no one had predicted this.7. Thrill Kill…deadEven if you've never played the game, if you're a video game fan, you know what Thrill Kill is. Virgin and Paradox's ultraviolent four-player fighting game was not ready for prime time, and despite being a finished product, never saw the light of day. After Westwood Studios was purchased by Electronic Arts (it was previously part of Virgin Interactive), Thrill Kill went on the chopping block…literally. After close examination and even one round of sanitizing to secure an 'M' (Mature) rating over an 'AO' (Adults-Only), they decided to shelve the product and never release it. Perhaps it was the best move made - if Thrill Kill had been released under Virgin Interactive, it would've been very successful, perhaps even picked them up out of their financial state. If released by EA, well…it wouldn't have done them any favors. Either way, it would've come at a heavy price--the video game violence debate would've been back with a vengeance, with probably more stringent policies on what is and isn't decent.

　　Thrill Kill's unique fighting system will be back though. Westwood told GameSpot News that there's always the possibility that it will be used in a cleaner, less-violent fighting game.8. PokemonCan a Japanese phenomenon be brought to the US and start something that isn't just a passing fad? If you're talking about Tamagotchi, no. But if you're talking about Pokemon, then the answer is a resounding yes--if you're Nintendo. In September Nintendo release Pokemon Red and Blue, and had the fastest-selling Game Boy game ever on their hands. Having spawned a billion-dollar a year industry in Japan, Pokemon began its journey here with the animated series, produced in English by 4Kids Productions. The games hit second, followed by toys from Hasbro and the handheld LCD game Pokemon Pikachu in November. There's no question Nintendo made all the right moves - Pokemon has done well in the US and doesn't show any signs of slowing…yet. In '99, Nintendo will probably release the N64 version of Pokemon Stadium in the US along with the sequel to the game - which hits Japan this spring. Now all we need is a Pikachu Furby, and we'll be set for another year.9. Project X/NUONIt began with Project X, VM Labs' codename for its interactive entertainment system on a chip design that will piggyback itself to DVD players and other digital video devices in '99. With manufacturers like RCA and Toshiba expected to include hardware inside products slated for '99, and a business model that is anything but just games, VM Labs confused more people than winning fans in '98. Having dropped the Project X moniker (in favor of NUON), VM Labs' brainchild is slowing leaping out of the starting gate, expected to be shown to the public for the first time in any tangible form at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show being held in early January. Will it have any games? Will it survive? What is it, anyway? Those questions are difficult to answer, especially because much of what VM Labs is doing is still tightly wrapped in non-disclosure agreements. But one thing's for sure - don't call it a video game system.

　　10. Death of the SaturnAfter providing loyal Sega fans with countless hours of entertainment, the Saturn died a swift death in '98, three years after its release in the US. Despite this, Sega still managed to release a few games until July, when Shining Force III became the last first-party game to be released. Working Designs has the dubious honor of having released the last, new US Saturn title - Magic Knight Rayearth was finally released in mid-December. Even though the system had relatively few games this year, all of them were high quality games, especially Panzer Dragoon Saga, which garnered critical praise and fan support. Plus, when a system dies, all the games go down in price. That happened in February, when Best