September 9th has come and gone, but the glory of the Dreamcast is here to stay. For the uninitiated, Sega launched a new gaming system that blows the competition away. What makes this unit unique among console systems is it's inclusion of a 56k modem to allow an internet connection. Let me give a breakdown of what you get: the Dreamcast unit, one controller, an RCA television adapter and a 50' telephone cord. I had everything hooked up and running in 10 minutes. Internet connectivity operates like a game: insert the internet disc into the system and start surfing, using either an existing ISP account or setting on up. I use iPrimus for internet service so I entered my information and that was that. Keep in mind that this is on your television, and as such rivals WebTV but doesn't come close to a PC. I grabbed a few items to go with the system; a second controller for a little head to head action, a VMU or visual memory unit, Namco's Soul Calibur and Capcom's Power Stone. Check out www.dreamcast.com for full details.
I am a huge fan of Soul Edge, an amazing fighting game where characters face each other with various weapons. It set the stage for all other Playstation titles to follow, and is one of the few I've kept these past years. Namco was recruited to release their follow up for the Dreamcast, and the final product sets a new level for fighting games. I can't gush enough over this title: I love fighting games and this is the best. The story is thin and follows the previous title: each fighter has a different reason to win so they face each other during the middle ages in a contest of champions. Animations are slick and fluid, weapon swings and hits very colourful. The backgrounds are rich, and the sounds are effective. The character animation is amazing: highly detailed in all aspects. This game takes full advantage of the Dreamcast platform, showing off just what can be done. The nice thing about this title are the various items that can be "unlocked" by beating the game in different ways: extra players, levels, even extra game art. Check out www.namco.com for full details, but let me say this: if you buy a Dreamcast get this title.
Power Stone is a very different kind of fighter from Capcom. After choosing one of eight fighters, you go to an interactive level and compete for three power stones to get super powers for a short period of time. Let me expand on that: when I say interactive levels, I mean any item on that level is usable. Pick up a box and throw it, or slide a chair, or pull up a lamp post and swing it. This game is extremely fast paced, and takes some getting used to. Each character starts with a power stone, but loses it if they're knocked down. After a few seconds into the level the third power stone appears, making your gameplay something like this: knock the opponent over, grab their power stone, run over and get the third one once it appears then use your super powers on the enemy. The characters are simplistic in their animation, but this style works into the game and presents an appealing visual experience. This is a different animal, but well worth a look; check out more details on www.capcom.com and see for yourself.
As always, check out my website at www.globalserve.net/~tbabble for more than I could fit here.
by Scott VanderPloeg
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