In 2000 Kalista Entertainment (developers) and legendary publishers Midway Games unleashed 4 Wheel Thunder onto the Dreamcast audience, and due to slick visuals and cracking playability it was a well deserved success. Unfortunately this was yet another title that slipped under my radar a decade ago because I was too immersed in other Sega diamonds, but having recently purchased a copy for my Dreamcast collection and taken it for a spin it gets a thumbs up from me too.
The tracks are pretty varied and satisfying enough to drive around. At first I had doubts on the 4x4's handling because initially it felt unresponsive but I soon realised it was me at fault and not the trucks, over-eagerness on my part at wanting to tear around like Ayrton Senna when trucks don't do that.
My only moan is directed toward actual races - they can be very unforgiving. Circuits are littered with blue and red speed boosts and the player NEEDS to pick these up because other drivers zip around at a fair old pace and rarely make mistakes, so these boosters are a must if you are to win any type of race. And at first I struggled to finish even 4th or 5th and that was WITH the pick ups!
Stick at it tho and learn the shortcuts of the courses and you''ll steadily rise to the podium finishes, just don't expect them to be handed to you.
This game sells for anything between £1 to £4 and at those prices its hard to argue with this enjoyable title. Start your engines and go for it!
On 9th September 1999, Sega released a new console to an excited public, the now legendary Dreamcast. Many would argue the first in Next Gen visuals, and online gaming, the Dreamcast was overtaken by Playstation2 but never forgotten. To this day, a decade on, it is still a powerful force in the gaming world. This is my tribute to the console and games, where a poet becomes fanboy.
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Friday, 26 February 2010
Toy Racer
Released on 22nd December, 2000 by Developers No Cliche and published by Sega, Toy Racer was a low budget game and an extension of Toy Commander. It was a title similar to Micro Machines V3 on the Playstation where players raced tiny toy cars, tanks, camper vans, jeeps, etc around tracks littered with giant every day objects such as milk bottles and pencils.
It was quite a passable title with a wide range of vehicles to throw about the twisty circuits. But it is those circuits which helped let the title down in that there were only four of them. Okay one might argue that being an expansion pack (and made on a low budget) you can forgive Toy Racer's miserly offering but surely a few more different tracks were possible? Having just four spreads the replayability a little whippet..a tad thin.
However on the (big) plus side we must remember that this game was one of the first to offer online gaming due to the Dreamcast's nifty internet capability. Toy Racer was the FIRST ever title that I (and no doubt thousands of others) played online and I still remember logging onto the game hub as if it was yesterday. As it was a 4 player I waited in the hub for around 5 minutes for the other 3 to show up and when they did, when I actually saw that I was going to be racing against other gamers from all over Europe it hit me; this online gaming lark is going to be HUGE!
I think my first race consisted of a German, a French guy, an English chap and Welsh ME. It was all so new and at first we kicked our heels in the hub until someone tapped in the words LET'S RACE! and off we went, 4 gamers at the dawn of online gaming (easy tiger. Dramatic Ed) and glad to say that after a good start by Germany, the Welsh succeeded in nailing the trophy.
So while I can moan about lack of circuits, it really doesn't matter because Toy Racer was about more than racing small cars, it was on the first wave of gaming via the internet giving excited players the first taste of what was to come. And for that it will always have a special place in my heart. (there you go again. Dramatic Ed)
So not much to do if you play solo, (you can't even race AI controlled cars!) and there is only Time Attack and Practice modes but this game was a blast in the beginning of the online trend.
It was quite a passable title with a wide range of vehicles to throw about the twisty circuits. But it is those circuits which helped let the title down in that there were only four of them. Okay one might argue that being an expansion pack (and made on a low budget) you can forgive Toy Racer's miserly offering but surely a few more different tracks were possible? Having just four spreads the replayability a little whippet..a tad thin.
However on the (big) plus side we must remember that this game was one of the first to offer online gaming due to the Dreamcast's nifty internet capability. Toy Racer was the FIRST ever title that I (and no doubt thousands of others) played online and I still remember logging onto the game hub as if it was yesterday. As it was a 4 player I waited in the hub for around 5 minutes for the other 3 to show up and when they did, when I actually saw that I was going to be racing against other gamers from all over Europe it hit me; this online gaming lark is going to be HUGE!
I think my first race consisted of a German, a French guy, an English chap and Welsh ME. It was all so new and at first we kicked our heels in the hub until someone tapped in the words LET'S RACE! and off we went, 4 gamers at the dawn of online gaming (easy tiger. Dramatic Ed) and glad to say that after a good start by Germany, the Welsh succeeded in nailing the trophy.
So while I can moan about lack of circuits, it really doesn't matter because Toy Racer was about more than racing small cars, it was on the first wave of gaming via the internet giving excited players the first taste of what was to come. And for that it will always have a special place in my heart. (there you go again. Dramatic Ed)
So not much to do if you play solo, (you can't even race AI controlled cars!) and there is only Time Attack and Practice modes but this game was a blast in the beginning of the online trend.
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Soul Calibur
Developed/published by the fantastic Namco, and released in Europe on December 1st, 1999, Soul Calibur is often cited as the greatest fighting game of all time ever to grace the Dreamcast and many would argue ALL gaming consoles. It needs no introduction suffice to say it is a beat 'em up pitting the player against a host of colourful characters.
I hang my head in shame when I admit that I shunned this stunning game back in the day. I was firmly in the Tekken camp, that other popular (and in ways inferior) fighter. I can only hope that in recently buying Soul Calibur and enjoying every bruised minute, that I have gained some gaming polish to clean my tarnished joypad.
All the characters from the arcades are present from the cool Nightmare and the disturbingly sexy Ivy through to the hulking Astaroth and mad as a lizard Voldo. Every one of them is faithfully drawn and have stunningly beautiful sets in which to scrap it out.
Also available are the various modes; Mission (Story) mode, Arcade, Team Battle, Exhibition, Survival and Training all offer different choices with the chance of unlocking new characters, clothes, etc. Players are also able to earn gold to upgrade weapons and buy flashier garments. Its very involving and nothing feels like a chore to accomplish.
This delightful title is another gem that can be bought for the price of a few beers (my copy cost £2, even less than ONE beer) so what are you waiting for? If you own a Dreamcast but don't have Soul Calibur then you either despise beat 'em ups or can't recognise a bargain in a bargain shop filled with bargains! Fabulous game 10/10
I hang my head in shame when I admit that I shunned this stunning game back in the day. I was firmly in the Tekken camp, that other popular (and in ways inferior) fighter. I can only hope that in recently buying Soul Calibur and enjoying every bruised minute, that I have gained some gaming polish to clean my tarnished joypad.
All the characters from the arcades are present from the cool Nightmare and the disturbingly sexy Ivy through to the hulking Astaroth and mad as a lizard Voldo. Every one of them is faithfully drawn and have stunningly beautiful sets in which to scrap it out.
Also available are the various modes; Mission (Story) mode, Arcade, Team Battle, Exhibition, Survival and Training all offer different choices with the chance of unlocking new characters, clothes, etc. Players are also able to earn gold to upgrade weapons and buy flashier garments. Its very involving and nothing feels like a chore to accomplish.
This delightful title is another gem that can be bought for the price of a few beers (my copy cost £2, even less than ONE beer) so what are you waiting for? If you own a Dreamcast but don't have Soul Calibur then you either despise beat 'em ups or can't recognise a bargain in a bargain shop filled with bargains! Fabulous game 10/10
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
The House Of The Dead 2
Lightgun survival horror, The House Of The Dead 2 was released on September 9th, 1999 by WoW Entertainment and published by Sega. Its an On-Rails shooter which incorporates a branching system that allows the player a variety of different routes which lead to the same points in the story. A story which takes place roughly 14 months after the Curien Mansion incident where all kinds of creature themed mayhem occurred. Gamers took on the role of an AMS Agent, a secret international agency (hey aren't they all?) who is sent to Venice in order to find missing agent 'G'.
Of course nothing runs smoothly and you are faced with a hoarde of gruesome beasties including zombies, chainsaw wielding tubbies and rabid owls.
End of level bosses are no less impressive and include the awesome Judgment (imp-like monster Zeal and his headless, axe-wielding protector Khual), The Hierophant, (an aquatic monstrosity which wreaks havoc on Venice's famous waterways), and a serpent-like beast stalking the sewer system known as The Tower and Strength. Your lightgun never gets much of a breather, and its good to know that re-loading is a utterly simple affair - just point off screen and click and you are ready to go.
When I first got my hands on this near its release date, I wasn't so certain that I would enjoy it because my experience with lightgun titles was limited to Operation Wolf in the arcades. But as soon as I had booted it up on the Dreamcast my doubts were instantly shattered, House Of The Dead 2 is a FABULOUS game!
From the stylish looks (nasties are beautiful looking even when going for your throat) through to the sometimes eerie, sometimes snarling sounds; everything here rocks like Eurovision trouncing metal band Lordi at a free beer festival.
I don't have a gripe to throw against this fine game. Even the fact they tried dumbing down the violence and gore by having green blood fails to raise my annoyance levels. Sega triumphed with House Of The Dead 2 make no mistake, and proved just how powerful the Dreamcast console was/is. Put it on next to current Playstation3 or Xbox 360 shooters to see what I mean. Its fantastic!
Alone without the lightgun I have seen this title go for as little as £5 which is an absolute bargain. Bundled with a lightgun it can sell for anything between £10 to £20 which quite frankly is still a must have. 10/10
Of course nothing runs smoothly and you are faced with a hoarde of gruesome beasties including zombies, chainsaw wielding tubbies and rabid owls.
End of level bosses are no less impressive and include the awesome Judgment (imp-like monster Zeal and his headless, axe-wielding protector Khual), The Hierophant, (an aquatic monstrosity which wreaks havoc on Venice's famous waterways), and a serpent-like beast stalking the sewer system known as The Tower and Strength. Your lightgun never gets much of a breather, and its good to know that re-loading is a utterly simple affair - just point off screen and click and you are ready to go.
When I first got my hands on this near its release date, I wasn't so certain that I would enjoy it because my experience with lightgun titles was limited to Operation Wolf in the arcades. But as soon as I had booted it up on the Dreamcast my doubts were instantly shattered, House Of The Dead 2 is a FABULOUS game!
From the stylish looks (nasties are beautiful looking even when going for your throat) through to the sometimes eerie, sometimes snarling sounds; everything here rocks like Eurovision trouncing metal band Lordi at a free beer festival.
I don't have a gripe to throw against this fine game. Even the fact they tried dumbing down the violence and gore by having green blood fails to raise my annoyance levels. Sega triumphed with House Of The Dead 2 make no mistake, and proved just how powerful the Dreamcast console was/is. Put it on next to current Playstation3 or Xbox 360 shooters to see what I mean. Its fantastic!
Alone without the lightgun I have seen this title go for as little as £5 which is an absolute bargain. Bundled with a lightgun it can sell for anything between £10 to £20 which quite frankly is still a must have. 10/10
Sega Bass Fishing
Sega Bass Fishing was developed by SIMS and published by Sega, and released in 1999. Now this was one of the titles that was in my Dreamcast collection just over a decade ago, and personally I loved it. Its a straight forward fishing game, pick your character, male or female (marvel at the wondrous choices *cough*), then head out onto the lake and bait those Largemouth Bass!
There was an Arcade for sheer pick up and play, or Chamionship Event where players had to fish an entire day, and the fisher with the biggest total weight of scaley critters wins the day. (And goes home with Bass on the menu for the next week).
For added realism Sega Bass Fishing came with a fishing rod controller which allowed you to cast and reel in like a regular Matt Hayes. I cannot comment how well these worked because I was never suckered into getting one. Perhaps 'suckered' is too harsh a word to use as they did look great fun and no doubt thanks to Sega's brilliance in gaming, they worked well.
Visually things were nice enough, with the fish moving underwater as you would think fish would move, then thrashing desperately on the surface as you struggled to reel them in without breaking the line. Different baits and lures behaved just like their real life counterparts which all lent towards a satisfying mess about on the water, as ratty would say.
It wasn't all plain sailing however (cringes at yet another predictable stab at watery puns). Lots of gamers, myself included, bemoaned the severe lack of fish to be able to, erm fish. And for severe see ONE species; yes thats right, players could only go for Largemouth Bass. Other fish didn't like the look of this lake it seemed because this was Bass County and trout or salmon were shunned.
Funnily enough tho, this lack of different fish never seemed to impede on the game as much as it could have. Sure it was an irritation but only ever a minor one, and once you got used to 'Bass Only' you could happily spend a few hours on the lake with its peaceful sounds and simple controls.
This can be found for between £2 to £5 nowadays and is quite a catch at those prices. So reel in a fun title today! *Exits as rotten fruit is hurled at the dire puns*
There was an Arcade for sheer pick up and play, or Chamionship Event where players had to fish an entire day, and the fisher with the biggest total weight of scaley critters wins the day. (And goes home with Bass on the menu for the next week).
For added realism Sega Bass Fishing came with a fishing rod controller which allowed you to cast and reel in like a regular Matt Hayes. I cannot comment how well these worked because I was never suckered into getting one. Perhaps 'suckered' is too harsh a word to use as they did look great fun and no doubt thanks to Sega's brilliance in gaming, they worked well.
Visually things were nice enough, with the fish moving underwater as you would think fish would move, then thrashing desperately on the surface as you struggled to reel them in without breaking the line. Different baits and lures behaved just like their real life counterparts which all lent towards a satisfying mess about on the water, as ratty would say.
It wasn't all plain sailing however (cringes at yet another predictable stab at watery puns). Lots of gamers, myself included, bemoaned the severe lack of fish to be able to, erm fish. And for severe see ONE species; yes thats right, players could only go for Largemouth Bass. Other fish didn't like the look of this lake it seemed because this was Bass County and trout or salmon were shunned.
Funnily enough tho, this lack of different fish never seemed to impede on the game as much as it could have. Sure it was an irritation but only ever a minor one, and once you got used to 'Bass Only' you could happily spend a few hours on the lake with its peaceful sounds and simple controls.
This can be found for between £2 to £5 nowadays and is quite a catch at those prices. So reel in a fun title today! *Exits as rotten fruit is hurled at the dire puns*
Tuesday, 9 February 2010
Pro Pinball Trilogy
Published by: Empire Interactive/Developed by: Cunning Developments
8th October 2001
Pro Pinball Trilogy is a fabulous pinball sim, which boasts great ball physics and lush visuals. In fact it could (almost) stand up to the beautiful Zen Pinball currently wowing gamers on Playstation 3. Like so many other titles, I totally missed this on my first Dreamcast wave ten years ago, but by the gaming Heavens I am pleased to have finally caught up with its steel ballery juggins. (Ballery? Heck thats got to be a word. Right?)
Greedy players will bemoan the fact that this simulation only has 3 different pinball tables on offer, but ignore them, they are foolish. The tables are fantastic fun to play on and give you a satisfying slab of pinball in the home, complete with cool background music/effects. Controls are easy; left/right shoulder buttons for the flippers and joystick to tilt the table. One of the great things about pinball is that it is soley about the hi-score, making you go back to it again and again in an attempt to shatter your personal best. Gaming at its purest.
The 3 tables are:
Timeshock - A futuristic themed table full of rockets and digital magic.
Big Race USA - A trip around America, pinball style.
Forgotten Journey - Here be giant snakes, lizards and a comedy 'evil' voiced guy.
They are all fun to play, my personal favourite being Forgotten Journey (killer snakes rock!) and its only the stingy minded who would fail to enjoy this. The only downside is that Pro Pinball Trilogy is fairly hard to find for sale, and when you do find it it can be pushing the £30 mark. But if you do stumble across it for a little less (I picked it up for a rather pleasing £9.99) then go for it baby! You will be glad you did. Outstanding 10/10
** Check video out **
8th October 2001
Pro Pinball Trilogy is a fabulous pinball sim, which boasts great ball physics and lush visuals. In fact it could (almost) stand up to the beautiful Zen Pinball currently wowing gamers on Playstation 3. Like so many other titles, I totally missed this on my first Dreamcast wave ten years ago, but by the gaming Heavens I am pleased to have finally caught up with its steel ballery juggins. (Ballery? Heck thats got to be a word. Right?)
Greedy players will bemoan the fact that this simulation only has 3 different pinball tables on offer, but ignore them, they are foolish. The tables are fantastic fun to play on and give you a satisfying slab of pinball in the home, complete with cool background music/effects. Controls are easy; left/right shoulder buttons for the flippers and joystick to tilt the table. One of the great things about pinball is that it is soley about the hi-score, making you go back to it again and again in an attempt to shatter your personal best. Gaming at its purest.
The 3 tables are:
Timeshock - A futuristic themed table full of rockets and digital magic.
Big Race USA - A trip around America, pinball style.
Forgotten Journey - Here be giant snakes, lizards and a comedy 'evil' voiced guy.
They are all fun to play, my personal favourite being Forgotten Journey (killer snakes rock!) and its only the stingy minded who would fail to enjoy this. The only downside is that Pro Pinball Trilogy is fairly hard to find for sale, and when you do find it it can be pushing the £30 mark. But if you do stumble across it for a little less (I picked it up for a rather pleasing £9.99) then go for it baby! You will be glad you did. Outstanding 10/10
** Check video out **
Saturday, 6 February 2010
NBA 2K
When NBA 2K was released by developers Visual Concepts (and published by Sega Sports) on November 10th 1999, this 28 year old gamer (as I was then) was already a big fan of basketball games thanks to the original Playstation. Sadly I missed this cool title first time around but after playing it last night for the first time I can safely say its a winner.
There are Exhibition, Full Season, Playoffs, Practice and Customization modes on offer, and in Customization mode you are able to create fake players and teams (go The Carmarthen Hangmen!) As a nifty extra gamers are also able to import created players and teams to other Dreamcast consoles.
Matches are stunning to look at with polished basketball courts complete with official team logos and convincing commentary by the off screen pundits. Controls are straightforward although the aiming arrows during penalties could be simpler than what they are, but shooting and passing are great and the on court players are well modelled without the chunkiness of other sports titles.
Interestingly NBA 2K is the only game from the series which doesn't allow online play but seeing as the Dreamcast Arena is now down it doesn't much matter.
I can see me spending hours on this game, and like so many Dreamcast games its still quite the looker a decade on. The only downside is the memory it takes up on a 50 block visual memory card: a whopping 48 blocks which leaves little room for any other game. (But these cards can be bought new for £3 nowadays so its all good).
All in all if you are wanting a decent hoop shooter for the price of a couple of beers then NBA 2K is a slam dunk.
Check me checking it out here.
There are Exhibition, Full Season, Playoffs, Practice and Customization modes on offer, and in Customization mode you are able to create fake players and teams (go The Carmarthen Hangmen!) As a nifty extra gamers are also able to import created players and teams to other Dreamcast consoles.
Matches are stunning to look at with polished basketball courts complete with official team logos and convincing commentary by the off screen pundits. Controls are straightforward although the aiming arrows during penalties could be simpler than what they are, but shooting and passing are great and the on court players are well modelled without the chunkiness of other sports titles.
Interestingly NBA 2K is the only game from the series which doesn't allow online play but seeing as the Dreamcast Arena is now down it doesn't much matter.
I can see me spending hours on this game, and like so many Dreamcast games its still quite the looker a decade on. The only downside is the memory it takes up on a 50 block visual memory card: a whopping 48 blocks which leaves little room for any other game. (But these cards can be bought new for £3 nowadays so its all good).
All in all if you are wanting a decent hoop shooter for the price of a couple of beers then NBA 2K is a slam dunk.
Check me checking it out here.
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