"If I win this race, they'll make Shenmue 3!"

“Kart Racers” as a genre have a bad rap. Back when Nintendo had success with the original Mario Kart, everyone wanted a piece of that hot, mascot racing action. The sad thing is that nearly every one of these attempts have failed. From Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing to M&M’s Kart Racing, most entries in the genre have been groan inducing.

Because of this, my hopes were pretty low for Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing, but the addition of some very nostalgic Dreamcast characters drew me in. The first time I saw a screen-shot of Ryo Hazuki on his motorcycle, I knew I’d be playing this game one way or the other.

Character balance is a big factor in a Kart Racers. It’s not just about being able to pit Big the Cat against Alex Kidd, they have to bring variety to the table without making any one character over-powered. All-Stars Racing has a pretty decent balance of characters ranging from the low top speed but awesome handling to the high top speed with no handling.

Another important factor is each character’s turbo attribute. Turbo is triggered after you let off the drift button when taking corners. If your character has a low turbo, it will charge quickly, but not give that much of a boost, while a high turbo takes longer to charge, but is a much more substantial boost. The drifting is one of the best I’ve seen in a Kart Racer, since they simplified it to holding down one button while you take a turn. This will lock you into turning sharply in that direction, but it still allows you a little bit of control over your kart.

Core to any racing experience is the track selection. While not every character has a level themed after them, and some of the themes repeat on a couple tracks, each one manages to feel unique and fun. I was very impressed with the variety they managed to put into each level. If they are able to keep up this level of quality, DLC tracks would be highly welcome.

As you race, you collect “Sega Miles” which can be spent at the in-game store to unlock more characters, tracks for multiplayer and music. The music is a fun assortment of songs from the various games that the race tracks are themed after. Once you have unlocked more songs under a theme, you can select which one will play during the race.

"Holy Adam West Bat-Mobile, Sonic!"

Any racing game that includes weapons runs the risk of having the weapons diminish the fun of the actual races. While they can make it more frenzied and add to the fun-factor, it is easy for them to overshadow the rest of the game. When an “I Win” item is included, it ruins the game for everybody. Fortunately, Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing did a good job of keeping the weapons subtle. They are there, and they add that element of needed danger from the other racers, but there is no magic “win” button included.

Multiplayer is very easy to pick up and play. When playing this for review, I had a few different groups of people over that were able to pick up a controller and instantly be having fun.

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing does a lot of things right. They took a fun mix of characters, and while the aesthetics of each don’t always mix, it still brings a smile to my face to see characters like Ulala, B. D. Joe and Amigo back on my TV Screen.

This review is based on a copy of Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing for the Xbox 360 provided to us by SEGA.

On a very special thirty-third episode of “Barrel Roll! A Video Game Podcast”, we see nearly all of the WingDamage crew stepping up for the podcast. Dave, Luke, and Nate join the regular hosts to talk about what they’ve been playing in our appropriately titled “Whatcha Been Playing?” segment.

All those present that have had a chance to play Batman: Arkham Asylum agree that it is fantastic. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story is carrying the torch of the series extremely well, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2… is also talked about.

The news gives us a chance to talk about which Flight of the Conchords songs we’d like to see on Rock Band. We also discuss the infamous Sega Fishing Controller and related games that Jonah is obsessed with tracking down. This is brought on because of the recent leak regarding the possibility of Dreamcast games on the PS3 download store.

In “Let’s Play Together”, Jesse and Jonah talk about Capcom’s new Wii brawler, Spyborgs. You can actually win a copy of that from us right now. Speaking of giveaways, the winner of our PAX Pack #2 is picked and PAX Pack #3 is announced.

Then we talk about stuff in “Let’s Talk About Stuff”. The stuff we talk about this week is the fantastic new album from The Protomen, “ACT II – The Father of Death” (Check out Jesse’s review). We got permission from the band to play a few clips, but you should really just go buy the album. You’ll be glad you did.

We even manage to squeeze in a quick “Movie Time” where we discuss how horrible Mortal Kombat: Annihilation was.

All this and other off-topic wackiness on episode 33 of Barrel Roll.

Download

RSS

iTunes

Show Links:

Outro Music – “Fortuna (Star Fox)” by The OneUps

The Protomen – “ACT II – The Father of Death“

Do you guys remember Captain Caveman?

On a very special thirty-first episode of “Barrel Roll! A Video Game Podcast”, Wes asks that thought provoking question. Sadly, we are too busy talking about PAX Pox, our first PAX giveaway, and random gaming nonsense to pay it much attention.

None of us have been playing as much this week compared to normal, but Jesse did find time to start his play-through of the excellent 2D action/RPG: Muramasa, Wes has been obsessing over his iPhone games, and Jonah… well let’s just say his band of Hobbits is just getting off the ground.

We also see the return of “Let’s Play Together”, our segment that focuses on multiplayer games. Jesse and Jonah played co-op through the newly released Contra: ReBirth and give their thoughts on what it takes to be a manly Contra man.

In the news we discuss NIS’s decision to release discounted version of their PSP games on the Playstation Network (for a limited time), the possibility of a new HD 2D Sonic the Hedgehog game actually being good, and a whole lot more. There is even a brief Mega Man News Roundup.

We also take a little bit of time to reminisce about our favorite console, The Dreamcast, in honor of our big Dreamcast retrospective day.

All this an a whole lot more on the latest episode.

Download

RSS

iTunes

Show Links:
Outro Music – “Fortuna (Star Fox)” by The OneUps

2D, HD Sonic
Reading Rainbow
Metroid Metal

The Sega Dreamcast was the greatest system that never really had a chance. When most systems die after a year and a half, it is because they are terrible systems with horrendous game libraries (see 32x, Atari Jaguar). The Dreamcast had arguably the greatest first 18 months of any console in history. The unfortunate thing is those 18 months were all we got.

Why did the Dreamcast die?

The Dreamcast faced three nearly insurmountable obstacles, any one of which would have been enough to derail most systems. The first obstacle was EA. Still bitter about the failure of the Sega Saturn and unsure of the Dreamcast’s potential, EA, the largest publisher at the time, decided not to release games for the Dreamcast.

This meant that some of the biggest franchises, such as Madden and Live, were not going to appear on the Dreamcast. Sega and 2K Sports did an awesome job of filling this gap with amazing sport games, but for many people Madden is football. No Madden meant lots and lots of people sticking with their PS1 and waiting on PS2.

The second obstacle was the hype for the PS2. When the Dreamcast was released on 9/9/99 most people were playing Playstations. Sony was the undisputed leader with no one else even close. For a generation of gamers, Playstation meant video games. Sony was in such control that everyone was anticipating the launch of the PS2. In fact, the hype generated by Sony for the PS2 was enough to convince people that the next generation did not start until Sony released the PS2. This perception caused a lot of people to consider the Dreamcast as competition for the PS1 instead of the PS2. Sony convinced people that the Dreamcast was a toy, and the PS2 was the future.

People always say that everything always comes down to the games, but if you were to compare the first year of Playstation 2 games versus the games that were out on the Dreamcast, the PS2 library doesn’t even come close. The PS2 launch really only had 3 games: Madden 2001, Timesplitters, and SSX. Compare that to: Soul Calibur, Power Stone, NFL 2K, NBA 2K, Skies of Arcadia, and dozens of others. Even with a superior library, the Dreamcast was still demolished by the perception that Sony had created.

The final obstacle was Sega itself. After much success with the Sega Genesis, Sega managed to dilute their brand name by releasing way too many systems. At one point you could go to the store and purchase: a Nomad, a 32X, a Sega CD, a Genesis, a Game Gear, and a Sega Saturn. Having so many systems confused retailers and consumers. By the time Sega got it right with the Dreamcast it was too late. People no longer trusted Sega consoles. They had been burned too many times before. The Dreamcast could have dispensed Nacho cheese and free Beer and people would have wondered if they would need 7 expansions and attachments to play all the games for it.

Any one of these obstacles would have been enough to derail a system. The poor Dreamcast faced all three. Is it any wonder the Dreamcast died?

This day isn’t about us. It is about a mutual love and respect for Sega’s final and greatest console, The Dreamcast.

On that note, I asked around within the gaming communities I am a part of to see what others remember about the console. Come along with me and enjoy “Thoughts from Around the Internet”.

“The thing I remember most about the Dreamcast was the launch, because I had just started working at my local Babbage’s (they’re all GameStops now, I believe). I’ve never experienced a more exciting launch than when I got to be the guy handing out the consoles to the waiting fans.

I remember on Sept. 10, work was slow at Babbage’s, because every employing was carrying their newborn Chao around in their VMU.

Nothing earth-shattering, I know. But when I think of the Dreamcast, that’s the memory that springs to mind. Happy times.”

-Justin McElroy, Joystiq.com

“I was living in my first apartment away from home and trying to get into the routine of eating right, managing my money, and getting good sleep for my the job.

My roomate was working as manager for Game Crazy at the time and when Tony Hawk came out it ruined any responsible plans I had made. My entire existence for the next month was dedicated to playing, watching, and talking about this game anyway I could.

I remember it as one of the few times I was completely obsessed about a game to the point of unhealthiness! Dreamcast was new then, exciting, and I for one really liked the console design and feel. A fun, fun time in gaming for my friends and I.”

-Kyle Stevens, Kirby Krackle

“I remember the Dreamcast came out on a Thursday. I was living with my buddy Matt in Seattle at the time. He pre-ordered a DC and on the Thursday it came out, we both called in sick to work.

We headed down to EB Games, he bought the DC and Soul Caliber, I bought a controller and Power Stone. We went back to our place, hooked it up, and proceeded to spend the rest of the day playing those two games, ordering in pizza and drinking beer and having a great time. That’s my fondest memory of the Dreamcast!”

-Jim Demonakos, Emerald City ComiCon

“I was so excited about the Dreamcast, maybe more than any other console launch up to that point. Things were looking truly next gen, and it looked like this would be the big comeback we all wanted to see Sega have.

I waited in line at 4 in the morning in a mall food court outside of a Software Etc, which later became Game Stop. Got my DC, ran home, and proceeded to play Soul Calibur for roughly 3 days straight.  Took all my sick days off.

In a way, the Dreamcast represents the last real time I have really gone crazy on launch day.

Soul Calibur was soooo great at the time. Played the living crap out of that game. I played a lot of NFL 2k as well, and later became enchanted by titles like Ready to Rumble, among others. Crazy Taxi also ate a bunch of my free time.”

WD – What is your fondest memory of playing the console?  With friends/family?

“Probably the little home grown SC tournaments I’d have with friends an family. For me, that game defined the Dreamcast in kind of a Wii Sports on the Wii sort of way, but in a much cooler way.

Also, the first time I played NFL 2K with a friend over a modem was a really cool experience. There had never been anything like that on a console before and we could see the future as a result.”

-Scott Johnson, My Extra Life

“Back then I was writing for a Polish console magazine, Neo Plus. You can say I got it at launch. While I enjoyed Soul Calibur it wasn’t enough to pay for the console with my own money. The game that made me buy a DC was Crazy Taxi. It looked great and it was so awesome to perform all the crazy stunts while listening to “All I Want”.

I believe that Shen Mue was the best game on DC and one of the best ever made. You could spend long hours mastering your fighting technique, racing forklifts or just wandering around the city. Its production values were unmatched for some time as well. Oh, and I liked QTEs.

Crazy Taxi was frantically incredible, Street Fighter 3, MvC and Guilty Gears looked amazing in 2D and felt that way as well. Thanks to Virtua Tennis I learned that you can earn cash by beating other people in video games. Also, Metropolis Street Racer was the only racing game I wanted to play for a long, long time. Actually, when I was working from gog.com HQ (Warsaw, Poland) at the beginning of this year I was living at my friend’s apartment. When I found out that he had a DC I ordered used MSR and Virtua Tennis 2. Great games.

So, a friend of mine had a small store in Krakow, Poland selling video games. I was there almost every day just to hang out and play some games with the other guys. I remember that Virtua Tennis was a major hit in our community, with Street Fighter and Marvel vs Capcom following. I can’t recall any specific moment but I’m still in touch with some of the guys I met back then and we often chat about the days when gaming was something more than just sitting alone and pwning newbs.”

-Marty Kawa, games journalist turned developer and marketing guy

“Video game consoles were always a point of contention in my family- ever since i lost my Game Boy Pocket in a supermarket (along with Pokemon Red), my mother always told me that every video game system I own has to be bought with my own money- no one else’s. It was her way of instilling responsibility in me, but also put forth a sense of pride to the handhelds and consoles I bought forthwith.

I bought a replacement gameboy pocket, a gameboy color, but never owned a console of my own. I would be able to borrow a friend’s Nintendo 64 from time to time, but with the new generation of consoles on their way, my focus turned to the Dreamcast- the “It’s Thinking” commercials at the time had me in awe (seriously, look them up on youtube. They had charm.). I loved sonic, i loved Sega games in general, so a fondness grew for the system. I wanted to get one quite badly.

In the summer, my friend and I would make the trek, three miles in the hot sun to a nearby Sears with a demo station of Crazy Taxi 2 tucked away in the corner of the electronics department. We would play that game endlessly, to the point that the Sears employees would have to kick us off of the system. I vowed to my friend that I would buy a Dreamcast, to avoid the trek uphill in 100 degree weather.

I saved money. I recycled cans in my neighborhood- bags and bags of cans would be systematically cleaned and crushed to maximize the size of the trash bags before they would be stuffed into my mother’s car, to be driven to a recycling center a town or two over (i had actually called all the recycling places in town to try and find the best prices on aluminum cans). I’d do extra chores around the house, even some for neighbors for small amounts of money.

I kept as much of the money as i could, saving the money until I realized I could buy a refurbished Dreamcast from Gamestop. My mother drove me over one saturday afternoon and watched as I recieved the refurbished console, one controller, and a VMU in a non-descript white box. I held on to that box for dear life, cherishing my first real console as we got into the car. It was my new baby.

My mother paused, smiling as she saw the glee i had holding the system. “How happy are you right now?”

“Very” I replied, a sheepish grin forming on my face as i held it in my hands.

“Did you buy a game for it?” she asked as we pulled out of the parking lot and into the street.

I paused. My jaw dropped as I realized I had only enough money to buy the console and the VMU, and nothing else. My mother laughed, and drove me to Blockbuster. I ran around the aisles, finally picking out a copy of Shemnue from one of the lower shelves and running to her with a happy smile. The glee I had on my face playing that game is one I can still recall- even more so less than a month later, when my friend and I bought a copy of Crazy Taxi 2 to play together.

I still hold a soft spot for Shemnue and Crazy Taxi. To this day, that same Dreamcast works like a charm, and the joy and pride I have for the system goes a bit further than most- it was the first console I bought with my own money. I even named it- Naomi, after the arcade board it was built upon.

Naomi still has a place beside the newer generation of consoles, sitting ontop of the Wii, displaying it proudly as to show the first console I had poured my blood, sweat and tears into.”

-Daniel Orta, Team Mayhem Productions

“It was only a year ago that I first exposed myself to the majesty of the Dreamcast. I was too enamored with Nintendo around the time of the console’s release to pay attention to the praise it was drawing. Sadly, I only began experimenting with new consoles with the release of Sony’s Playstation 2 in 2000.

While visiting Chicago last November, a good friend from the area and I stopped by a retro game store. They had a Dreamcast in stock for around $30. It just so happened that I had $30 bucks so I splurged. Needless to say, I fell in love shortly after plugging it in and skating across the colorful landscape of Jet Grind Radio. Sorry for not doing that sooner Sega! I hope we can still be pals.”

-Wesley Johnson, InsulinFunk.net

For more thoughts on the console from our favorite community, the JPAG, check out this thread on their Facebook page.

There are few games as unique and downright strange as the original “Ecco the Dolphin”. It was really hard, it had a very eerie atmosphere and most of all, it had an insanely weird story. “Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future”, the fourth and final title in the Ecco series, manages to retain all of the difficulty and eeriness of the original series and makes a perfect transition from 2d to 3d.

The visuals are nothing short of awe inspiring, and like nothing else on the Dreamcast. The ocean world is rendered so beautifully, I found myself getting sidetracked from my current objective because it is just so much fun to swim around and look at things. It’s all in the details. Like the tiny barnacles on the back of an enormous humpback whale, or the little specks of sand that are stirred up when Ecco skims the ocean floor.

The story is all kinds of strange. It’s the 30th century, 500 years after dolphins revealed their sentience to humans and dolphins and Humans have decided to co-exist and explore space. At some point, a mysterious foe called “The Foe” decided to destroy Earth, and Ecco is one of the guardian dolphins that must protect the planet. The Foe goes back in time, and takes the Noble Traits of ambition, intelligence, compassion and humility from the dolphins. Each trait was bound to a glowing globe and scattered across the planet, and Ecco must find all of the globes in order to save the future. It was interesting to see how the future changes as each trait is restored.

For example, without any of the traits, the dolphins become mindless animals and humans eventually become extinct, but once the dolphins have Intelligence and Ambition (without any of the other traits) they become aggressive, driving the humans from the sea and conquering all other sea life. It isn’t until all of the Noble Traits are restored that the future can be restored and the Foe is Defeated.

Ecco the Dolphin’s gameplay made the perfect transition from 2d to 3d. A few moves, like a quick 180 degree turn, have been added to make it easier to get around, but altogether, Defender of the Future plays almost exactly like the Genesis versions of Ecco.

Another feature Defender of the future shares with its 2d counterparts is an unforgiving level of difficulty. The puzzles are so difficult I found myself taking wild guesses at the solution until I stumbled onto it, or often had to resort to a FAQ.

The combat is no easier. Most enemies can take some big chunks out of your health bar, and there are a lot of hazards in the environment. On top of all this, Ecco needs to come to the surface for air every 60 seconds or so, adding another level of complexity to the puzzles.

If you liked the original Ecco games, I highly suggest dusting off the ‘ol Dreamcast and giving Defender of the Future a try.

A luxury cruise liner has been taken over by “modern day” pirates, and it is up to three heroes and their monkey to save the day in the Dreamcast beat-em-up, “Dynamite Cop”.

I have decided that I do not like that one line description, as it gives the impression that this game makes sense. Oddly enough, the nonsensical nature is what makes the game so much fun.

The weapons, for example, range from salt shakers (you shake salt and pepper in your enemies eyes) to anti-ship missiles that explode in mini-mushroom clouds. I don’t want to ruin any of the other surprises, so I shall leave my description at that.

Like all brawlers, you make your way through multiple levels all the while punching and kicking everything in sight. The game attempts to add in a little variety by occasionally cutting to button sequences (think a mini-Quick Time Event). Fail a sequence and you get the pleasure of beating up a few more enemies.

Not even these button sequences can save this games length. “Dynamite Cop” can be finished in just under 20 minutes on average. When you first start the game you are given the option of choosing three different “levels” (a classic arcade staple). Even with three separate paths, you are only getting around 60 minutes of gameplay.

"Beware the Kraken"

“Dynamite Cop”, in the end, is one of those “so bad it’s good” games. It is no “Earth Defense Force 2017″, but it is one you will pick up every so often for a good laugh with some friends.

At the time of this writing, you can grab a copy from Amazon for around nine dollars and it is well worth the laughs.

Before the 2K series, most video basketball games devolved into dunk contests. Things like defense, post play, and offensive sets were relegated to the bench to sit next to old Clippers players with blown out ACL’s. Before the 2K series, games were completely unrealistic.

A typical game consisted of running straight down the court at the hoop and dunking or launching a 3 from another county. For people who don’t know anything about actual basketball this was fine, but for those of us who understood the difference between a motion and a triangle offense it was physically painful. The 2K series was the first to understand there was more to basketball than dunks and 3-pointers.

The beauty of 2K1 in particular is that it forces you to actually run your offensive sets and use your teammates. Sure you can run down the court as Kobe and try to dunk every time, but the scoreboard will not be in your favor at the end of the game. Just like with real basketball, the game rewards you for making the smart play, pushing the ball up the court when you can and passing the ball to the open man when he is open. This sounds like simple fundamental basketball (cause it is) but the 2K games are where it got its start.

Even though they are no longer associated with Sega the 2K basketball games are still going strong, consistently providing the best basketball game experiences. The Dreamcast run consisted of 3 top flight basketball games. NBA 2K laid the groundwork and 2K1 refined a few things but would also be released on the PS2, Xbox, and Gamecube. For pure Dreamcastery it is all about 2K1 (and on Dreamcast day Dreamcastery is too a word.) Also NBA 2K1 was the first to feature Internet play which allowed Sega fans around the world the opportunity to connect and play. This was a huge moment in sports gaming.

Some of the other additions are subtle but very significant. Giving centers actual back to the basket moves gives big men something to do on offense besides clean up garbage rebounds. This meant players like Shaq are more than roadblocks on your trips to dunk city. You can actually play a little inside outside game by posting up, waiting for the double team and then kicking it out for three. When it comes to the actual moves your guys aren’t quite Kevin McHale but they can at least drop step and dunk or put up a jump hook.

The graphics are a little rough after all these years, the faces look okay (you can tell who most players are just by looking at their face) but the player models look muddy and Nintendo 64-ish. To make matters worse some of the animations are way off, some of the dunks in particular defy the laws of physics and basketball.

The game still plays surprisingly well. Sliding around in your defensive stance feels as fluid and simple as it did in the year 2000. The only major flaws come on defense where passes will fly right by your defender even if he is standing right in the passing lane. This means that defense consists of shot contests and steals, which means your middle school basketball coach would  groan and throw a fit. The other problem is rebounding A.I. Players will stand perfectly still while rebounds fall to the floor inches away. It is a very rare event in real NBA basketball when a rebound hits the floor before someone gobbles it up.

All in all 2K1 is one of the reasons my Dreamcast stayed out of the closet for as long as it did and is truly one of the best games on the system.

When I look back at the Dreamcast’s library of hits, there is one title that stands out most strongly in my memory. It was a game that was unapologetically odd, with a unique art style, a funky soundtrack, and gameplay unlike anything I’ve experienced.

“Jet Grind Radio” is a standout game worthy of praise, even a decade after release.

Titled “Jet Set Radio” in Japan, “Jet Grind Radio” is set in a slightly futuristic world in which gangs of street hooligans, dubbed “rudies”, roam the streets of Tokyo tagging up their city with their neon art and vying for control from rival gangs. The game centers around a new gang called the GG’s and covers their fight to drive out the other gangs and take the city for themselves.

As you progress through the city, the police struggle to crack down on your shenanigans, with increasingly ridiculous force. Utilizing everything from swat teams with tear gas, to tanks, to suicide bombers; it is apparent that the antagonists will stop at nothing to rid the city of street art.

The game’s plot takes off in a suitably odd direction that I found to be quite enjoyable, albeit simplistic. Narrated by the incredibly eccentric Professor K, DJ for the game’s eponymous radio station, the game’s entire cast is odd, but in a lovable sort of way. The rival gangs also have interesting designs, with the Noise Tanks being my personal favorite.

The music is a very high point for the game. Featuring an incredibly diverse selection of songs, you won’t find a soundtrack like this anywhere else. Songs like Funky Radio and Let Mom Sleep are standouts for me, but each song is unique and interesting. Some new songs were added to the soundtrack when it came to the US, most of which sound good, except for Dragula by Rob Zombie, which is just darn out of place. The game also features transitions between the songs which makes it sound as though it has been mixed by an actual DJ, making each song flow into each other without a pause. All in all, it’s an excellent selection, and worth owning the soundtrack to, even if you aren’t into game music.

Graphically, the game uses a stylistic, cel-shaded look to make the game look like an animated comic book, full of exaggerated styles and really give the world of Jet Grind Radio life. I especially enjoy the fact that each character is quite different from the last, with some (Slate) bordering on absurd.  Since it has such a stylish aesthetic, the graphics still hold up rather well, with a few exceptions (The Love Shockers faces, for one). Colors are bright, hair is massive, and everything has that unique sense of Japanese oddness.

When it comes to gameplay, the game features some shining points, and some real rough spots. The gameplay consists of you skating around in roller blades, grinding along rails and getting SWEET AIR off jumps During your x-treme trip around the city, you will spend your time tagging billboards, trucks, and anything else with a flat surface with graffiti. Larger types of graffiti require more spray cans, and take more time. Luckily, spray cans are plentiful and re-spawn quickly, so you don’t really need to worry about hoarding them.

Unfortunately, the game suffers from a common malady. The wonky camera. It is unfortunate that they decided to link the same button for “spray” and “recenter camera”, which means if you hit the button too early, you will just send the camera whipping around behind you instead of doing anything productive. This can also cause problems if you’re running from the cops. As you try to recenter the camera to take a certain route, you may accidentally start spraying, which will get you some guaranteed damage.

There are also some points later on in the game where it begins to chug, as there is just a little too much going on in certain sections, but these are few, and last only for a short period of time. Additionally, the game forces you to backtrack at a certain point and revisit all the previous levels, which becomes tedious. There are some levels with absurd difficulty spikes due to the size of the area and the kinds of enemies thrown at you.

With that said, the gameplay manages to be fun and challenging simultaneously. Learning the exact pattern you want to spray the city so as to maximize your time and score, and minimize contact with the fuzz keeps levels interesting. All the while you can scour the city for new pieces of art to use, with 102 different pieces of street art available. There is also a ranking system for each level, and rewards of unlockable characters for higher rankings. You can also revisit earlier levels to complete challenges, so there is actually quite a lot to do.

As it stands, the game is fairly cheap, and worth a play-through at the least. It’s definitely a game that should be experienced, and is well deserving of its cult status.

"It's Thinking!"

Our very own Lucas Janke never had a Dreamcast when it was first around. After having been at Gamer Time for a while, his co-workers finally convinced him to pick one up. Sadly, before he ever had a chance to try it out, his house burned down taking his game collection down with it.

Shortly after that, he found one at a garage sale on the cheap. Not just someone’s old gaming console. No, this one was brand new in the box. He has been waiting to open it, so we are very happy to be able to bring you the unboxing of a brand new Dreamcast on the console’s ten year anniversary.

See all the pics after the break.

As you can see, Sega was very confident in their console at the launch. It was not misplaced, it just turned out the mass audience was still hung up on Sony’s Playstation brand.

Not only did they include a modem, they even had their own internet service you could sign up for in the form of SegaNet. The 56k modem was pretty standard at the time, but if you did have high speed internet, there was an adapter available.

I have a feeling Microsoft’s designers were Dreamcast fans. The 360 controller’s look and feel is very much a modern take on what Sega did with the DC controller.

So clean and shiny, fresh out of the box. I am insanely jealous.

"The Money Shot"