More Dreamcast games: From football to powerboats

'NFL 2K'

October 6, 1999
Web posted at: 4:53 p.m. EDT (2053 GMT)

By John Robinson
CNN Interactive Senior Associate Editor

In this story: 'NFL 2K' 'NFL Blitz 2000' 'Monaco Grand Prix' 'Ready 2 Rumble' 'Aerowings' 'Expendable' 'Hydro Thunder' RELATED STORIES, SITES

Last week we took a look at some of the initial software offerings for the Dreamcast video game console. This week we wrap up the report with more mini-reviews of the available games. This includes an amazing Sega football title, a couple of mediocre sims, a decent shooter as well as three strong offerings from Midway.

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Sega Dreamcast: Good games, better graphics

'NFL 2K'

Arguably the finest looking, and playing, console football game ever. The cutscenes after each play in "NFL 2K" are so realistic you will rub your eyes in disbelief the first time you see it. Sporting full NFL team and player licensing, "NFL 2K" comes prepared to compete. The game also features the must innovative use of the Dreamcast VMU to date. You can use the tiny LCD screen to call plays so your opponents will have no idea what hit them. Because of the fairly high learning curve, it does take a lot of practice before you'll be able to play with any competence. Thankfully, you automatically start out in rookie mode so that you won't get beat up too bad the first few times you play. While the graphics are fun to look at, gameplay makes this game stand out. On offense, if you try to run the same play twice you'll find out the hard way that the computer defense is good at reading formations. On defense, you have to work hard to bat the ball away from a receiver, unless you like getting burned for six points. An added bonus of the game's sharp graphics is the ability to see further downfield. That unfortunately doesn't make the running or passing game any easier, just easier to see. The bottom line is that "NFL 2K" plays as good as it looks and is a must have for sports fans.

'NFL Blitz 2000'

'NFL Blitz 2000'

Midway's Blitz franchise also makes an appearance on the Dreamcast. Aside from small control problems, it is a good conversion of the arcade game. Trash talking, late hits and no rules are what Blitz is all about. Thanks to the graphical power of the Dreamcast, "NFL Blitz 2000" looks identical to the coin operated version. Controlling all those pixels is another issue though. The Dreamcast controller setup for Blitz is less than optimal and makes playing the game a little frustrating. For example, it can be difficult to use the analog stick to call plays. While using the digital pad isn't that much of an inconvenience, it does conflict with the fast-paced nature of the game if you are accustomed to using the analog control. In addition, the turbo button is poorly placed and is the one button you can't change. If you can overlook the control issue, "NFL Blitz 2000" is always a lot of fun and a quality addition to the Dreamcast lineup.

'Monaco Grand Prix'

'Monaco Grand Prix'

As the first Formula One title available for the Dreamcast, "Monaco Grand Prix" has a definite appeal to fans of the sport. It offers an ultra-realistic racing simulation and for that reason, it is not a good choice for the casual racing game fan. It takes quite a bit of practice just to turn a clean lap in Arcade mode and racing in Simulation mode increases the difficulty another notch or two. Luckily, Arcade mode allows you to get away with driving on the grass and taking a corner a little too fast which really helps you get used to the feel of the car. Simply put, the only way to do well in this game is practice, practice and more practice. Graphically, "Monaco Grand Prix" is clean and detailed. The cars themselves look great and move extremely smoothly. The sound of the cars, as well as other ambient racing noises, get the job done but they are nothing to get too exited about. The music is of the rock and roll variety and although it is not too bad, turning it way down makes the game much more enjoyable. Unfortunately, "Monaco Grand Prix" doesn't offer any licensed cars or drivers, the only real detraction from an otherwise decent Formula One game.

'Ready 2 Rumble'

'Ready 2 Rumble'

"Ready 2 Rumble" is arcade boxing at its finest. Boxing games haven't been this fun since the days of Nintendo's "Punch Out". "Ready 2 Rumble" features silly boxers with names like Afro Thunder and Boris Knockimov and the voice of ring announcer Michael Buffer. Extremely detailed boxers and buttery-smooth movement make "Ready 2 Rumble" a delight to play and watch. What separates this game from its console brethren is that every detail is sharp. The crowds now actually move and cheer instead of looking like a blurry patch of colors. The only real flaw is that early copies of the game had skipping audio in one of the game menus. A revised version of the game that fixes the audio problem is now shipping. Dreamcast owners looking for a fun boxing game to play with friends and family should definitely look at "Ready 2 Rumble".

'Aerowings'

'Aerowings'

"Aerowings" is a flight sim that flies well, but looks awful. The point of the game is to practice flying a jet until you're good enough to perform aerobatic routines as a part of the "Blue Impulse" flyers. Flying the plane is easy enough to pick up and can be quite fun at times. The problem lies in the presentation. The missions are not terribly exiting and to make matters worse, the graphics are not quite up to what the Dreamcast is capable of doing. The planes themselves are rendered fairly well but lack any fine detail. In addition, the environments you fly the jets in are uninspired. Even so, playing "Aerowings" is not an altogether bad experience. It simply lacks any of the polish necessary to make it a great flying game.

'Expendable'

'Expendable'

Do you like to fire huge weapons at angry robots and watch things blow up? If so, "Expendable" is right up your alley. While not the most intellectual game, "Expendable" is an admirable shooting game that looks and plays great. Weapons-a-plenty await you at every turn including lasers, machine guns, rocket launchers and flamethrowers. Shoot your way through a level, defeat a boss, repeat as needed. The only drawback is that the camera sometimes moves so far away from the action it becomes hard to see what you're shooting at. "Expendable" does a good job of showing off some cool effects that the Dreamcast is capable of. Explosions, as well as the many other lighting and texture effects, are well utilized and a sight to behold. Sure the game is repetitive, but with "Expendable" what you see is what you get and it must be said that this one is real nice to look at.

'Hydro Thunder'

'Hydro Thunder'

"Hydro Thunder" is a powerboat racing game that looks and plays nearly exactly like the arcade version. In fact, if you had a steering wheel and a throttle controller, you would have the arcade version right in your home. The strong point of this game is that it is easy to pick up and play without much thought involved. However, it doesn't offer more than a straightforward arcade racer. There is no plot, nor an option to upgrade the boats. Despite the lack of depth in gameplay, "Hydro Thunder" is still a lot of fun to play and yet another testament to the power of the Dreamcast. The boats are highly detailed and move at a blistering pace with hardly any slowdown. The water looks and reacts realistically and the tracks are innovative and well designed. If you like racing games even a little bit, you may find it hard to stop playing "Hydro Thunder".

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