Sega Dreamcast

Crazy Taxi

• dreamcase

Editorial Review
If you reflect it’s hard to flag down a cab in a huge city, try driving one in Sega’s zany straight-from-the-arcade port of Crazy Taxi. If you’re one of the teeming fans who keenly played Crazy Taxi in the arcade at a buck a pop, then this game is a must-buy, if only from a purely economic standpoint. Even those who don’t know the difference between Crazy Taxi and the long-running TV series Taxi will immediately recognize the appeal of this game. In fact, this game is so impressive and addictive that it should easily convince a whole new wave of buyers to buy a Sega Dreamcast.

What’s so hot about Crazy Taxi? For starters, the graphics sport the most impressive re-creation of a living city ever seen in a video game. The level of detail is astounding and never ceases to bolt from the blue the player as block after unique block speeds by. The city is a distilled version of San Francisco with some landmarks and neighborhoods left intact. Making it seem all the more real are obvious product placements of real-world retail locations such as KFC, Tower Records, and Pizza Hut. And just about everything you see on the screen is interactive: boxes, phone booths, and mailboxes topple when bumped or smashed, pedestrians leap and tumble out of your path, and the heap of traffic attempts to avoid your erratic high-alacrity antics. While some driving sports meeting brag about a lack of boundaries, this one delivers–players guide on the ocean floor, off the second floor of a parking garage, owing to parks, and down stairs. A helpful hovering arrow points drivers in the right management, but you can truly guide wherever you want at any time, making for tons of replay regard.

While the game is a direct port from the arcade game of the same name, there’s plenty more depth in the home version. In addition to the city that appears in the coin-op version, the Dreamcast version also includes an entirely new city. Crazy Taxi includes a trunk-load of mini-sports meeting that help to teach drivers how to go the special alacrity boosts and drills in the game.

Though this game would be plenty exciting without any sounds at all, it has an adrenaline-pumping soundtrack supplied by punk crossover bands the Offspring and Terrible Religion, as well as some excellent, if sometimes monotonous, dialogue between the driver and the passengers. –Jeff Young

Pros:

• Wonderful, realistic graphics
• Simple to get into, and full of many long hours of addictive play
• Even more to offer than the fantastic arcade game upon which this is based

Cons:

• On very few occasions players will encounter some graphic brake

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Soul Calibur

Editorial Review
Featuring graphics that surpass even the incredible NFL 2K, Soul Calibur is the martial arts fighting game to end all fighting sports meeting and the game to get if you’re a Dreamcast owner. Based on the arcade classic of the same name, Soul Calibur lets you choose to represent one of 10 fighters in a series of battles against your peers. If you can successfully defeat all of your opponents, you will then face the fiendish Inferno in a final confrontation that will determine the fate of the world. Each of the game’s warriors is armed with a different deadly weapon–sword, ax, stave, nunchaku, you name it–and an assortment of special moves all tailored to that specific weapon. The warriors include men, women, and creatures from all over the globe and from various mythologies. Each is brought to life with incredible motion-capture animation, which results in incredibly lifelike and realistic duels. If you own a Dreamcast or are thinking of buying one, do yourself a favor and add Soul Calibur to your pool. –Mike Ryan

Pros:

• Exceptionally lifelike graphics and animation
• Multiple game modes–1-player, 2-player, team, computer vs. computer, martial arts demo, and more
• Secrets and extra features will keep players coming back

Cons:

• May be too violent for some parents

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Jet Grind Radio

Product Description
In Jet Grind Radio, you play a whacked out kid who’s completely torqued off about the system. It seems that the city of Tokyoto is not terribly kid-friendly and wants to keep things clean and pretty. You, the skater punk, figure that the only way to rebel is with your inline skates and a couple of cans of Krylon. That kind of attitude can lead to distress when you’re in the real world; but, in the world of Jet Grind Radio, there are no paint fumes, and it’s all done in the name of fun and scoring points.

Jet Grind Radio’s gameplay has some of the feel of Crazy Taxi. As you skate, you see small floating arrows that indicate where you should go (and where you should be tagging). Also, like in Crazy Taxi, the pace of the game is absolutely nonstop. There is moving traffic in the street, and nearly everything can be jumped, hopped, or ground. Underscoring all of this action is a DJ at the local hip-hop station, who spins cool tunes while you tear up Small Tokyoto.

The game starts out with a training course that’s designed to bring you up to alacrity. Pay excellent attention to this section; it teaches you the basics, and you’re tested on one of the lessons straight away. Learning how to hop over obstacles while keeping a rail grind going is particularly helpful.

After graduating into the real game, you have the option of going it cool or lessening up and figuring out how to do the flips, splits, and other midair antics that make this game so much fun. Once your skating skills are set, you’ll learn the spray-can side of things. You pick up cans of paint as you maneuver around (keep your eyes open–some cans are positioned in those hard-to-reach places, so that you’ll have to catch honest air to get them). After securing your fill, use the left trigger and the analog to spray as you pass by areas that have been indicated by the arrows.

The game’s tunes are right on schedule. Much of the Japanese soundtrack has beenAmazon.com Review
In Jet Grind Radio, you play a whacked out kid who’s completely torqued off about the system. It seems that the city of Tokyoto is not terribly kid-friendly and wants to keep things clean and pretty. You, the skater punk, figure that the only way to rebel is with your inline skates and a couple of cans of Krylon. That kind of attitude can lead to distress when you’re in the real world; but, in the world of Jet Grind Radio, there are no paint fumes, and it’s all done in the name of fun and scoring points.

Jet Grind Radio’s gameplay has some of the feel of Crazy Taxi. As you skate, you see small floating arrows that indicate where you should go (and where you should be tagging). Also, like in Crazy Taxi, the pace of the game is absolutely nonstop. There is moving traffic in the street, and nearly everything can be jumped, hopped, or ground. Underscoring all of this action is a DJ at the local hip-hop station, who spins cool tunes while you tear up Small Tokyoto.

The game starts out with a training course that’s designed to bring you up to alacrity. Pay excellent attention to this section; it teaches you the basics, and you’re tested on one of the lessons straight away. Learning how to hop over obstacles while keeping a rail grind going is particularly helpful.

After graduating into the real game, you have the option of going it cool or lessening up and figuring out how to do the flips, splits, and other midair antics that make this game so much fun. Once your skating skills are set, you’ll learn the spray-can side of things. You pick up cans of paint as you maneuver around (keep your eyes open–some cans are positioned in those hard-to-reach places, so that you’ll have to catch honest air to get them). After securing your fill, use the left trigger and the analog to spray as you pass by areas that have been indicated by the arrows.

The game’s tunes are right on schedule. Much of the Japanese soundtrack has been retained, with new tunes rounding out the selection. The new playlist additions give the game that special flavor that U.S. audiences crave: Jurassic 5, Mix Master Mike, and Rob Android, to name a few.

Much about Jet Grind Radio has “classic” stamped on it; but, of course, liking it or not liking it will be up to the individual. With its fresh characters, cool design, splendid music and audio, and high replayability, Jet Grind Radio is likely to lodge itself into the library of many a Dreamcast owner. –Todd Mowatt

Pros:

• Nonstop pace
• Cool design of both characters and backgrounds
• Splendid soundtrack

Cons:

• Some might be turned off by the rebellious theme and graffiti gameplay

Amazon.com Product Description
In the 21st century, the Tokyoto city government bans kids from expressing themselves in any way. Only three things keep their spirits alive: Overdriver magnetic-motor skates, graffiti, and a pirate-radio broadcast that’s called Jet Grind Radio. Explore and, uh, decorate three fully interactive worlds in which traffic moves at real time and pedestrians wander the streets. Watch out for police who’ll want to nab you for breaking the law, and rival crews that want to deface your artwork. The “Cartoon Dimension” art stylishness gives the game the appearance of a 2-D comic, but the characters go owing to it in complete 3-D. Animations run at 30 frames per second. Ten characters are available at the outset, each of which has its own stylishness and abilities.

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Shenmue

Amazon.com Review
To say that Shenmue is an anticipated title is an understatement; the game made huge waves in Japan upon its release, and American gamers have been waiting since then to see what the fuss is all about. It’s a game in which the concept itself is the selling point. What if you could described a young hero in a fully realized Japanese city? Would you like to participate in and influence an over-the-top kung fu-stylishness action-mystery flick in your living room? What if lots of combat, cinematic thrive, detail, and a dash of romance were thrown in?

The game itself is awash in small details, crammed into a confined space. The city of Yokusuka circa 1986 is rendered perfectly in a small series of neighborhoods that are long on detail even if small on variety. The tale itself is ripped straight from a chopsocky flick: you described the young hero Ryo Hazuki, whose member of the clergy (a kung fu sensei, naturally) is killed before his very eyes by a mysterious and frightening villain. Ryo must uncover the identity of the killer and fight his way owing to the city in an effort to avenge this wrongful death.

Shenmue’s Yokusuka might be small on space–in total, it represents maybe a square mile–but the detail is overwhelming. You can cooperate with nearly every person or object that you see; 300 citizens go about their daily routines, and whom you encounter is as much determined by where you are as when you are there.

Much of this interaction involves combat that ranges from Dragon’s Lair-stylishness reaction tests (such as timing a button press to dodge an oncoming car) to freeform kung fu fighting. Further, each second of real time equals about a minute of game time, and Ryo has to be home by 11 p.m. each evening. The game moves at a vigorous pace, and each challenge or battle feels like a race against time. Some might say that gaming doesn’t get shallower than this (you are essentially performing tasks and exploring, instead of gaming), but the game feels like no other and is ultimately satisfying by the time that it all ends. In this way, Shenmue is more than a game–it’s an event that’s worth experiencing. –Andrew S. Bub

Pros:

• Compelling, well-told tale
• Excellent action and combat
• Fantastic sound and graphics

Cons:

• Plot is familiar to fans of kung fu action films
• Task-and-exploration gameplay might seem slow to action gamers

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Sonic Adventure

Amazon.com
After several years in video game retirement, Sonic the Hedgehog returns as the star of a graphically stunning 3-D adventure game that blows away every other game in the genre. Sonic is joined by five of his friends in a massive quest that spans over 50 game levels filled with remarkable visuals and a pulsating soundtrack. Taking full advantage of the unprecedented processing potential of the Dreamcast, Sega’s development crew, Sonic Team, has designed several gravity-defying game levels that will keep gamers hooked.

Our favorite level is Windy Valley, which requires you to survive the stormy perils of a tremendous tornado. This tyrant of nature chases you relentlessly before ultimately sucking you into the air and up owing to its eye. During the chase, the tornado manages to tear up just about everything on the screen. This dizzying visual spectacle moves so quick that you will literally hold on to the game controller for dear life.

Assuming you survive the tornado, there are several more challenging areas to conquer, including a level that requires you to snowboard directly in the path of a quick-approaching avalanche. During the Emerald Coast level, you will race across a precarious dock as a killer whale attacks from not more than, destroying the wood planks underneath your feet while you attempt to outrun the crazed creature.

We also liked the copious mini-sports meeting scattered throughout this title. When you least expect it, Sonic Adventure tosses in some ancient-fashioned arcade action, such as pinball or bumper car racing. In between, you can raise virtual pets, known in the game as “Chao.” These characters, which are saved using the optional Visual Memory Unit (VMU), can be combined with other Chao characters exchanged between friends or downloaded via the Internet.

Gamers looking to show off the strong processing potential of the 128-bit Dreamcast will certainly want to pick up this title. Simply place, Sonic Adventure’s graphics surpass those of any other game currently available on any home video game system. Let the Sonic assault start. –Brett Atwood

Pros:

• Strong replay regard
• Stunning graphics
• Bonus virtual pet game
• Six different game characters

Cons:

• May be too quick-moving for some players
• Awkward camera angles can inhibit gameplay in some areas

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Sega Dreamcast Controller

• Original Design Sega Dreamcast Controller
• Offers two slots for memory & rumble pack.

Product Description
It’s as close as you can get to the real thing without getting wet. Now you’ll have no excuse for the “one that got away!” Motion sensor is built in. Go the controller and the in-game rod reacts. Vibration module is also built in – you can feel the fish hit and fight! It’s a right-action reel for authentic gameplay.

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Sega Dreamcast Console

Amazon.com Review
The Dreamcast system is, in a word, awesome. Fire up Soul Calibur, and instantly you’ll appreciate that the graphics and gameplay are even better than in the arcade version. And Sonic Adventure, with its light-alacrity gameplay, is sure to wow even the most jaded gamer.

It’s incredible that such a small machine (it’s about the size of your mouse pad) can deliver such incredible performance. Chalk it up to superior engineering. Dreamcast’s only downside is that it comes with only one controller and a demo disc. In order to truly take advantage of Dreamcast’s capabilities, we recommend outfitting the controller with a Jump Pack and a Visual Memory Unit. Getting one or more extra controllers is also a excellent thought, because some of the best Dreamcast sports meeting support up to four players at once.

Why it’s so cool:

• Ultramodern components: Custom-made video, audio, and processor technology blows away the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation and puts Dreamcast in the same league as PS2 and XBox.
• Integrated modem: In another video-game first, Dreamcast comes with a 56K modem. Use your regular Internet service provider and the separately sold keyboard to access e-mail, shopping, and the World Wide Web. Not only can you upload high scores, participate in chat discussions, and download updates and enhancements for your sports meeting, but, owing to a membership to the SegaNet Internet service provider, you can play Quake III Arena, NFL 2K1, and other sports meeting against Dreamcast owners over the Internet.
• The Visual Memory Unit (VMU): More than just a memory card, the VMU is a miniature portable game system that fits inside a controller–so its LCD screen is easily seen by you but hidden from your opponent.
• All-in-one entertainment: It plays sports meeting. It plays audio CDs. It connects to the Internet and lets you browse the Web or e-mail friends. Our note to the cost-conscious: If you have a Dreamcast system, you just don’t need a separate CD player or a separate computer. Dreamcast does it all, and does it well.

–Mike Fehlauer

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