Dreamcast Reviews F-G

It's good to know that people are still making quality Dreamcast titles. Somebody's got to keep this thing going for Pete's sake! While it might look like a garden-variety vertical shooter, Fast Striker has extraordinary depth. The game also has a fine sense of humor, evident by the load screens warning of "Huge load times ahead!" Unlike many other vertical shooters, Striker consumes the entire screen. The action is 2D in nature, but objects are very large and rendered in full 3D. Enemies tend to rotate and bosses sometimes reassemble themselves as if they were Transformers. The backgrounds are nearly photorealistic, but the repetitive gray industrial scenery is pretty bland. It's easy to spot danger, but enemies lack distinctive forms, looking like blobs of flying metal. What makes Fast Striker intriguing is its rich control scheme, which allows for plenty of technique. You spray missiles when you tap the fire button, and unleash a concentrated stream when you hold it down. When not firing, bonus pods gravitate toward you, giving you reason to let off every few seconds. Another button lets you fire behind your ship, which is unusual but not particularly useful. There's also a shield button that comes in handy when faced with a barrage of missiles with no escape in sight. Actually, escape is usually possible thanks to some extremely forgiving collision detection. Unless your ship takes a hit dead center, you can often weave your way through a torrent of missiles with miraculous results. Fast Striker isn't easy, but it's possible to get into a zone. As my friend George pointed out, the less thinking you do, the better! The game is designed to be played for high score, and when I say high, we're talking 12 digits long. Continues are available, but they reset your score (as they should). There are four game variations, each with its own ship and difficulty level. Fast Striker is designed for shooter enthusiasts, but you don't need to understand advanced techniques to enjoy the game, and figuring it out is half the fun. The upbeat techno music is appealing but not particularly catchy, and it tends to cut out on occasion. High scores are saved to VMU for each skill level, and codes are provided so you can post your high scores on-line. First Striker is fun to play for score, and its depth is sure to intrigue hardcore fans. Note: This is a region-free CD. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

Playing Fighting Force 2 is like participating in an experiment to see how much pain the human body can endure. I haven't had this much fun since being kicked in the groin in the eighth grade. The first Fighting Force (Playstation, 1996) had its share of issues, but at least it didn't take itself very seriously. Fighting Force 2 has no sense of humor and its uninspired gameplay blows enormous chunks. I can understand why Eidos dropped the two-player mode from the first game (the camera was unwieldy), but there's no excuse for such a lackluster single-player mode. The opening sequence explains how you are a super-cop trying to infiltrate evil corporations. You get a tantalizing glimpse of a Blade Runner-style futuristic world, but don't get too excited because you'll be relegated to exploring concrete bunkers. These rooms look so similar that it's hard to tell if you're forging ahead or backtracking. The awful graphics feature chunky characters and unsightly pixelation. Some of the henchmen look like Power Ranger rejects and they don't put up much of a fight. There are weapons all over the place, but who needs them? The controls are terrible. Your character will sometimes refuse to grab a ladder right in front of him, and he'll sometimes turn in the wrong direction while engaged in hand-to-hand combat. There were times when I couldn't interact with a computer system just because I couldn't figure out how to put my [expletive] weapon away! The touchy analog controls make it nearly impossible to navigate narrow walkways, and the collision detection is an absolute joke. At one point a conveyer belt sucked me into a grinding wheel where I was helplessly stuck as I watched my life dwindle to nothing. Not my idea of a good time! A cheat code let me preview advanced levels with labs, factories, and prisons, but it was basically just more of the same. When Eidos began releasing throwaway titles like Fighting Force 2, it became obvious that the once-respected company had officially entered free-fall mode. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

The original Fighting Vipers (Saturn, 1996) was a showcase title, so it's a shame this fine sequel never saw an American release. Fighting Vipers 2 retains all the spirit of the original, only with crisper graphics, tighter controls, and a few new additions. The character models are chunkier than those in say, Soul Calibur (Namco, 1999), but that's partly due to the game's armor system. It's possible to weaken portions of your opponent's armor, but considering how quick the matches are (45 second limit) that's rarely a factor. The vibrant visuals, fast action, and dramatic camerawork really have the feel of an arcade coinop. I highly recommend using a sturdy joystick, as you can expect a lot of aggressive button tapping. The fighting action is wild and it's possible to jettison your foe right out of the enclosed arena. It's especially satisfying to send his ass off a building, although you never see where he lands. Apparently it was on an awning or in a dumpster because he's right back for the next round. Arcade mode offers a string of eight battles, and there seems to be some kind of branching stage mechanism I couldn't figure out. I hate it when I need to face "myself" in battle. Even with different color palette I always find it confusing. Like the original Fighting Vipers the stages boast magnificent skylines with soaring skyscrapers against the night sky. I love that! Even more spectacular views can be seen in the cinematic intro. It's a shame that the scenery in stages like the museum is obstructed by ugly fencing. And why aren't the characters rendered on the character selection screen? Did they expect players to know them all by name? But these are minor issues. Fighting Vipers 2 follows the tried-and-true formula of the original and the results are every bit as good. © Copyright 2017 The Video Game Critic.

Fur Fighters will always be a sentimental favorite to many Dreamcast faithful. It stars a cast of loveable animals blasting each other to hell with automatic weapons. To be fair, this game contains about as much violence as a Bugs Bunny cartoon, so the "teen" rating is an absolute joke. Played from a third-person point of view, Fur Fighters lets you switch between a number of animal characters. Naturally, each possesses a special ability. The hound can burrow, the cat can climb, the penguin can swim, the kangaroo can jump - you get the idea. Unlike most adventures which feature an evil scientist seeking world domination, Fur Fighters features an evil cat seeking world domination. Your main goal is to rescue baby animals scattered throughout seven enormous stages, including New Quack City, a jungle, and a futuristic dinosaur metropolis (huh?). The stages are surprisingly well crafted, and when you see the towering buildings and beautiful falling snow of New Quack City, you'll realize the designers actually put some effort into this game. The stages are generally fun to explore, and while the graphics aren't the best you'll see on the Dreamcast, they have a certain charm. The controls on the other hand take some getting used to. Using the four face buttons to move is not intuitive, and aiming using the analog stick is touchy (although the auto-aim feature helps a lot). The initial training stage is so painfully boring that it actually gave me a headache. Once the action is officially underway, not only do you need to switch animals often to reach new areas, but the babies can only be saved by animals of their same species. For the life of me, I can't think of any good reason for this stupid rule, and it makes the game all the more tedious. Shooting cuddly animals is satisfying however, and I enjoy the dramatic "death" animations. The puzzles make sense, but the game is definitely slow, lending itself to brief play sessions. Fur Fighters really falters in its four-player split-screen mode. It should have been a good time, but the overly-complicated, maze-like arenas are a confusing mess. Without a doubt, Fur Fighter's best feature is its outstanding soundtrack, which won me over in a big way. Not only are its unique, jazzy numbers easy on the ears, but they actually give the game a distinct personality. For the most part Fur Fighters is an average platformer, but more patient gamers will find a lot to like. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

The Dreamcast console has become so legendary that even its unfinished games are highly sought after. Geist Force was a shooter canceled a few months prior to the system's launch in 1999. The project had been largely forgotten, but in 2012 someone pieced together the remnants of the code and made them available on a semi-playable disc. It's just enough to provide a fascinating glimpse back in time. Geist Force was clearly derived from Star Fox (SNES, 1993) as you glide over a planet surface while blasting polygon enemies into shards. Upon booting the disk you're presented with a debug menu with the label "last updated 4/23/1999". The menu lets you select "Start Game", select stages 1 thru 6, Mike's room, and Nimai's room. The first few options let you play a portion of the game, and some of the others let you explore unfinished stages. Nimai's Room loads some kind of sound test widget, but I couldn't get my Dreamcast mouse or keyboard to operate it. Selecting "start game" treats you to a very elaborate CGI intro video of a planetary invasion. It's a shame there's no audio because it's a lot of fun to watch. The actual game is playable to a modest degree, but clearly the project had a long way to go. The system thrashes like crazy as the stages load and members of your squad check in via a window in the lower corner. They speak Japanese and sound pretty excited. The action begins as your ship descends onto a smooth planet surface. In stage one you'll blast plant-like aliens over water and rolling green meadows before chasing two-legged creatures through a rocky gorge. The fluid animation and colorful textured scenery is inviting, and I really like the look of those curved gauges across the top of the screen (even though I don't know what they mean). It's fun to unleash rapid-fire missiles and cluster bombs which reduce buildings and massive boulders into a thousand polygons. The gameplay seems appealing at first, but when things heat up the collision detection goes to hell and the frame-rate fluctuates like mad. The game usually locks up before you can advance more than a stage or two. It's not unusual to collide with the scenery and become trapped in another dimension. What really struck me about Geist Force is its beautiful, surreal sights. There are towering waterfalls, misty river valleys, floating cities, and some gorgeous sky-scapes. If you're a Dreamcast fanatic, this disc provides a tantalizing look at what might have been an amazing game. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.

It looks like every other vertical shooter I've ever seen in my life, yet I still can't resist a manic shooter like Ghost Blade. If you're wondering if it's one of those insanely-busy "bullet hell" shooters, the answer is yes. As you wipe the screen with streams of missiles bonus objects spill from explosions and gravitate toward your ship. There's a lot to process but you may want to focus on avoiding green orbs and pink bullets. There are three ships to choose from, each represented on the menu screen by a smoking-hot lady. The stages are rendered with remarkable richness and color saturation is used to good effect. The visuals are forgettable however, outside of the flower-adorned space station of level three. Your enemies look like high-resolution holdovers from the 16-bit era. Pulsating techno music helps you get into a groove but it's more chaotic than melodic. The shrill noise of stage three reminds me of Archie Bunker's wife's voice. I do love the end-of-stage music however. But what really makes Ghost Blade appealing is its fine-tuned gameplay. Your firepower is formidable from the start with weapons that are all slight variations of the "pillar of death" (no homing missiles). Your normal shot has wide coverage but focused fire lets you bear down on specific targets while sacrificing speed. The stages are relatively short and the bosses don't overstay their welcome. Ghost Blade offers three continues and the top eight high scores are saved with initials. A two-player simultaneous mode is available but the slowdown is pronounced. I wish this mode had a separate high score table because it's easier to rack up astronomical scores with a partner. Also, it would be nice if your best score was saved instead of your last score. The glossy manual is short on content but I enjoyed the colorful artwork. Ghost Blade won't win any awards for originality, but it's a great game to play when you don't want to use your brain. Just let your instincts take over, enjoy the fireworks, and try to remember blink every once in awhile. © Copyright 2015 The Video Game Critic.

When I first reviewed this 2D shooter back in 2001, it was part of a deluge of similar games released for the Dreamcast at the time. Giga Wing's intense 2D gameplay features dozens of enemies and hundreds of projectiles flooding the screen. At the time, I thought this unbridled chaos represented the future of shooting games, but as it turns out, they were a dying breed. Many years later I can attest Giga Wing is a remarkable title, not just on a technical level but also with regards to its gameplay. There are four ships to choose from, each with its own brand of fantastic firepower, and the ship you select determines which stage you'll start on. The five stages are short but far more interesting than those in Mars Matrix, including a river valley, a volcanic area, a railroad, and a floating continent. Blasting planes, tanks and boats cause gold medals to rain down, and catching them racks up you bonus multiplier. Giga Wing's relentless onslaught of enemies, coupled waves of missiles and falling bars results in some of the most insane visuals ever witnessed in a video game. Sometimes you can barely find your ship amidst it all! How will you survive? Well, your firepower is formidable from the start, and the power-ups are abundant. Your "reflect force" lets you repel enemy shots by holding in the fire button, and it's awesome to redirect torrents missiles back to their originator! The shield takes a few second to recharge, but I like how there's an audible "ok" heard when it's armed. You also have a limited supply of bombs that obliterate everything on the screen. Even so, I'd recommend sliding the difficulty level down to easy. I wish Giga Wing didn't have unlimited continues, because that takes the challenge out of finishing the game. Remember, your main goal is to achieve the high score - and these things are high. There are so many digits that Capcom highlighted the billions just to make them easier to read! That's pretty silly, but Giga Wing is a remarkable title that really shows what the Dreamcast is capable of. I may have taken this for granted in 2001, but I certainly don't anymore. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

If you thought the first Giga Wing was completely over-the-top in terms of the number of objects on the screen, then you're right. Yet Giga Wing 2 somehow manages to increase the level of chaos exponentially. This game pushes the Dreamcast to the limit, but the fun factor and framerate take a hit as a result. Like the first game, you select from a number of aircraft with crazy firepower from the very start. The stages include a city, factory, and "cloud sea", but this time the scenery is fully rendered in 3D. This provides for some vertigo inducing heights, high-speed dives, and dramatic camera angles. At times it's hard to tell which way is up - not that it matters since your path is predetermined. Complementing the impressive visuals is an operatic musical score that provides some epic flare but gets kind of annoying after a while. In addition to rapid-fire cannons, you have the ability to "reflect" enemy missiles with a shield that recharges every few seconds. On top of that, there's a supply of bombs that inflict carnage on a massive scale. The controls are pretty much the same as the first Giga Wing, but a rapid-fire button is also included, preventing you from accidentally engaging your reflect shield. That's not really an issue through, since you'll need to use the shield constantly. I'm telling you, Gigawing 2 is so relentless with its non-stop waves of missiles that you're almost always on the defensive! You rarely have the opportunity to aim at anything! Not only is this less fun that the original game, but extreme slow-down accompanies the more graphically intense sequences. A four-player mode is included (give me a break!) but that just seems gratuitous considering you can barely discern what's going on in the single-player mode. I did enjoy the two-player co-op mode however, where both players share the same score. The user interface has been cleaned up from the first game, including a nifty auto-save. Most will regard Giga Wing 2's gameplay as "too much", but the game's still a winner thanks to its insane firepower and off-the-charts eye candy. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

Submitted by special guest columnist The RPG Critic
You may be surprised to hear that Grandia II is totally unrelated to the first Grandia, which was released for the PlayStation and Saturn. The lead character of Grandia II is a mercenary-like "Geo-Hound" named Ryudo. Ryudo is hired by the Church of Granas (god of light) to serve as bodyguard for the beautiful and talented "songstress" Elena. Elena's mission is to exorcize a tower possessed by Valmar, the god of darkness. Thus begins an epic plot that explores Ryudo's dark past, Elena's faith, hidden political agendas, and the overwhelming power of Valmar. Thankfully, Grandia II's gameplay is every bit as compelling as its story. Combat encounters aren't random, and monsters wander freely throughout dungeons and over land. It's actually possible to avoid fights if you're careful. Strategy plays a key role in the battle system. Approaching an enemy from the rear gives you an advantage, and likewise, enemies can also sneak up on you! Combat is turn-based, but the characters are quite active on the screen, pausing only to let you input commands. A meter at the bottom of the screen indicates whose turn it is, and certain moves can affect the meter and slow enemy attacks. Winning battles earns you points towards purchasing magic spells and special attacks for your party. Your party can have up to four characters in it at a time. Grandia II is graphically stunning; the world is detailed down to the smallest object on a shelf. The developers at Game Arts really stretched the Dreamcast to Soul Calibur-esqe limits with breathtaking visuals embodied by reflections in marble floors, cascading waterfalls, and remarkable effects from magic spells. Additionally, a fully rotating camera eliminates tricky viewing angles. The characters are smooth 3D models but rendered in the traditional style of 16-bit RPGs. Dialog boxes feature hand-drawn, anime depictions of the characters, with roughly a half-dozen different facial expressions. The game even flawlessly integrates 2D animation at certain points throughout the game, such as during special attacks during the battles. Grandia II's audio couldn't be much better, and the voice acting features a generous amount of well-known American animation voices (they didn't include a Japanese track). Each monster has its own distinct grunt or growl, the environments have "natural" sounds, and the background music is expertly composed. As an awesome bonus, the game comes with its musical score on a second separate CD! Some might claim Grandia II has a slightly rehashed plot, but I couldn't wait to get home from work every day to play another 6 hours of this superb RPG. If you own a Dreamcast, Grandia II most definitely belongs in your library. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.

This vertical shooter offers fantastic controls, a whimsical cast of characters, and some truly dazzling eye candy. Gunbird 2's vibrant visuals boast hulking robots, blooming waves of projectiles, and crisp red explosions. Despite the tremendous amount of activity the action seems downright reasonable compared to modern "bullet hell" shooters. As as arcade conversion, you'll play Gunbird 2 with black bars along each side of the screen, and sadly the VGA adapter is not supported. Instead of a ship you control one of seven flying Capcom characters including a pixie named Marion, Alucard of Castlevania fame, Morrigan from Darkstalkers, a robot, and a chubby guy on a magic carpet. In addition to rapid-fire shooting you also have a charge attack, close attack, and bombs. As you become familiar with the game you'll learn how to best employ each one. Each character has unique weapons, like swarming bats, whirling blades, or stars that home in on elusive targets. Gunbird 2's stages look like works of art as you soar over meticulously illustrated 2D environments teeming with activity. There's a quaint Venice-like city with exquisite architecture, a dusty Wild West town, a castle surrounded by fall foliage, and a gorgeous snowy villiage at night. It's hard to absorb all the detail but that just adds to the replay value. I love how the stages are randomly selected so you get to enjoy them all. Upon taking down a large, screen-sized boss, a smaller boss will emerge from its ashes. The musical score is bouncy and fun and the Japanese voices add authenticity. You get unlimited continues, but your score resets when you use them (rightfully). You could argue Gunbird 2 is a little short, but this is an arcade experience. You play for high score and it's a great way to get a quick fix before bedtime. © Copyright 2018 The Video Game Critic.

Gundam is a long-running animated mech series in Japan. If you find it hard to get excited about a game called "Side Story", that's because it sounds like a half-assed afterthought! Clearly a poor translation, the subtitle actually refers to a colony called "Side 3". I will say one thing for this game - the intro kicks ass! The realistic scenes of mobilizing armies look amazing with hulking robots walking among scurrying humans and huge vessels looming in the sky. Unfortunately the first mission is a serious turn-off with its endless instructions. You're placed in a barren location with two other mechs (Fang 2 and Fang 3) and a chick in a transport vehicle (Oasis). Your commander refers to your team as "white dingos", which sounds a heck of a lot like an ethnic slur! The scenery looks really hazy and the game is not exactly "pick up and play". In fact, it's pretty much the opposite! You'll want to consult the manual to learn the controls, and even then it takes plenty of practice. In time you'll learn to dash, jump, hover, lob grenades, and use a sniper rifle. The dash command is handy but it seems like you're always hitting it accidentally. The control scheme would be ideal for the twin stick controller used with Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram (Sega, 2001), but it doesn't work with this game (*sad face*). Gundam Side Story is verbose and complex, but I tried my best to get into it. You wander around landscapes blasting tanks and missile launchers, but your toughest adversaries are enemy mechs. Swift and dangerous, these will dart from side-to-side to avoid your missiles. Sometimes they will bear down upon you and attack melee style, which is terribly disconcerting due to the first-person view. The controls seem unresponsive at times, possibly due to taking damage. The key to success is directing the two other mechs by issuing commands from an incredibly clunky menu. You can send these guys all over the map to attack specific targets, and watching them in battle is interesting. The problem is, you often don't know where to go and it's hard to locate enemies. It's easy to wander off the battlefield accidentally, causing your mission to abort if you don't immediately re-enter. Gundam: Side Story has a steep learning curve, and once you think you have a handle on it, you'll still find yourself wondering what the [expletive] is going on. © Copyright 2014 The Video Game Critic.

For anyone who enjoyed gaming in the 1990's, this new 2D shooter is a gift from the video game gods. Gunlord feels like a hybrid of Metroid, Turrican, and Shadow of the Beast, except it's much, much better! The opening cut-scene screams of 1992 with its pixelated graphics, semi-animation, and bad dialogue. What's not to love? In the game you control an armored warrior blasting through colorful, surreal sci-fi landscapes. The gorgeous (and lengthy) opening stage features marble columns, lush foliage, and cascading waterfalls. The resolution is a little low by Dreamcast standards, but those pixels just give Gunlord its old-school charm. Enemies include bugs, trolls, and plant-like creatures that can blend into the landscape. You get rapid-fire weapons, smart bombs, and a guided beam that can "hose down" all foes 360 degrees around you. Enemies attack from all angles so you'll want to take them out from a distance whenever possible. It's satisfying to watch the larger baddies explode into flying chunks. Your warrior easily leaps between platforms and can also roll into a ball to negotiate narrow passages. It's fun to collect shiny purple diamonds, especially with all the multiple routes and secret areas. The controls are very precise but it's not unusual to get caught up on a pixelated edge here and there. I love how a raging thunderstorm rolls in at the end of the first stage. Wait a second - are those monsters holding umbrellas? Best. Game. Ever. Stage two offers a nice change of pace with some flying shooting action. Checkpoints are frequent, several continues are available, and you always pick up right where you left off. The difficulty is perfectly tuned. Gunlord is superb on many levels, and its electronic soundtrack is no exception. Both relaxing and invigorating, these gentle rhythms really get you into the flow of things. I only regret not buying the limited edition which includes the soundtrack disc. Memorable audio effects include screeching insects, voice power-ups, and thunderous bass-filled explosions. The high score screen is saved to memory card automatically. Did I mention the gorgeous artwork in the instruction booklet? Gunlord might not look like much at first glance, but given the chance this amazing game will breathe new life into your Dreamcast console. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.