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Sno-cross Championship Racing (DC)
by thole09
"Sno-Cross Championship Racing" is a racing video game. It was first released for the Sega Dreamcast in 2001 by Crave Entertainment. In the United States, the game received a guidance rating of "E" which deemed it suitable for all ages.
Offroad racing, especially in a snowy or arctic environment, is a real ... jewel in the rough when it surfaces on a home games console. There are very few examples which spring to mind when reflecting on the genre, and Sno-Cross comes across as something which was barely able to skip on the slushy waters.
The gameplay of this title is standard to what one may expect from a racing video game. The featured modes include championship, single race exhibition, time trial, and a two player mode for split screen action with another physical player at the same system. The bulk of the game is concentrated in its championship mode where players race through a series of 10 races across three progressive levels of difficulty represented by engine speeds; 500cc, 600cc, and 700cc. Successful completion of this mode will unlock the title's 12 different "Yamaha" licensed snowmobiles which players may then use in single exhibition races. The video game also boasts an in-game track editor, but I find it to be rather limited in its design as computer controlled opponents are not able to race on the player's creations. Players may only use their edited tracks with a friend in the two player mode or on their own in a solo time trial race.
While it could be credited to an excellent physics engine driving the video game, I find the controls to be very sensitive to the point of extreme difficulty. The snowmobiles are very responsive to the terrain below and, as the courses are often icy and slippery, players will teeter and slide in all directions while trying to guide their vehicle. Because of this there is a very steep learning curve when first starting out in the video game. I often found myself sliding into barricades and other environmental features of the course when attempting to make a turn as I'm used to a stiffer style of play. My typical "full force" pulls of the analog joystick usually send my vehicle spinning madly out of control, and I remember it taking me a long while to come to terms with this aspect of play. This sensitivity seems to have crossed over into the computer opponents as well. In a seeming lack of testing, I found most opponents simply crashed into a barricade at the first turn or were reduced into a permanent spin after sliding across a patch of ice. That's not to say each level of play sports this hindrance, but a lot of the gameplay experience does come across as a bit too easy due to the poorly programmed computer opponents.
The graphics are presented from a trailing view of the player's vehicle. For the most part the game remains consistently smooth and visually responsive to sudden turns; only showing obvious slowdown when several competitors are in the same frame. What is painstakingly apparent, though, is its high level of "blockiness" and pixelation in the environmental features. The snow on the ground resembles a coarse white sand which is accented only by the repetitive images of trees standing proudly in all of their flattened two dimensional glory. Despite the visual shortfalls, Sno-Cross features an excellent soundtrack. Exhilarating and lively musical scores follow the expected engine noise of the snowmobile, and make for a complimentary listen in a race setting.
It would be difficult to suggest this video game as worthy of purchase. The combination of several technically flawed instances in gameplay and below par visuals isn't the best showcase for the capabilities of the Sega Dreamcast. It's possible that those seeking a modern snowmobile racing game could forgive these aspects but a casual gaming audience should avoid this title.
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Pen Pen (DC)
by thole09
"Pen Pen" is a racing video game. It was first released for the Sega Dreamcast in 1999 by Infogrames. In the United States, the game received a guidance rating of "E" which deemed it appropriate for all ages.
Glancing through the other reviews on this video game brought a smile to my face. While this is ... certainly not worthy of a prospective purchase, the criticism it receives is largely undue. In Pen Pen, players assume the role of one of several hybrid alien races which inhabit "Iced Planet". Human scientists don't know what exactly they are, though due to their close resemblance to the penguin they're given the alias "Pen Pen" until more proper discoveries can be made. This underlying plot has little effect on the actual game as it focuses on their apparently favourite activity: racing and the annual "Trilcelon" racing tournament.
Unimaginative Japanese to English language translations aside, the player assumes the role of one of eight Pen Pen creatures. Once a selection is made, players may select one of four race tracks which each contain five variants. The variants do little to alter its designated race course; as little as a few stumbling blocks in the centre of one race course was enough to be considered a variation. Once a race course is selected it's off to the tournament. The gameplay experience itself is very limited and doesn't boast much by the way of a challenge. Computer opponents wander aimlessly which leaves the player repetitively striking the A button to propel his or her Pen Pen forward. Unfortunately, Pen Pens move at a very slow pace which regularly wears out my trigger finger by the end of a single race. The ratio of button strikes in relation to movement is far too unbalanced and I have never found myself all that interested in mashing my game pad into oblivion to reach the finish line. Once a race is complete it's back to the main menu to restart the process.
The title's presentation features are its only redeeming points. Despite their slow movement, Pen Pens consistently animate with a smooth frame rate and boast bright colour schemes which leap out from the arctic scenario. Courses keep with the idea of an "iced planet" well, though they feature little by the way of visual differentiation. The same well designed wall textures repeat themselves throughout a single course to create a uniform track from start to finish. The soundtrack features an abundance of memorable upbeat tunes and simple sound effects such as a "bop" noise which follows the Pen Pen's dash through the race course.
I often wonder when I will find this game disc useful. It's possible that small social gatherings would make good use of the game's multiplayer mode, though it's highly unlikely that this video game would keep a single player gripped for any period of time. I would not recommend it to prospective buyers.
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Championship Surfer (DC)
by thole09
"Championship Surfer" is a stunt based sports video game. It was first released for the Sega Dreamcast in 2001 by Mattel. In the United States, the game received a guidance rating of "E" which deemed it appropriate for all ages.
Surfing games are few and far between on most modern gaming consoles. In ... comparison to other "extreme" sports, surfing seems to be lag behind in favour of more popular events such as skateboarding and BMX biking. This title handles similarly to the aforementioned pursuits, and pits the player at the helm of a professional surfer and his surfboard. Through a grand total of seven different gameplay modes which are spread across 10 beaches, it is the player's objective to execute a series of stunts and tricks to accumulate points and satisfy any mode specific objectives. The bulk of the gaming experience is found in the title's "Championship" mode which fuses the time attack and arcade exhibition modes together. In it, players must progress through a ladder-style ranking system based on trick performance within certain time limits or based on accuracy as calculated by a judging panel. Players may also access more suitably "arcade" modes such as "Rumble". Here, players are matched up against one computer opponent and must attempt to remove him from his surfboard by collecting power ups and attack items within the waves.
The stunt based video game legacy is typically known for its high learning curve, and Championship Surfer is something I found to be particularly difficult in this respect. Timing seems to play a crucial role in trick execution as quickly maneuvering the surfboard while airbourne lowers one's accuracy rating which rewards a lower score, and similarly taking too long to execute a trick often results in the surfer plummeting into the depth of the water. In the early stages of the video game I found the ultra high sensitivity to be very hard to master, and even today still find myself struggling to perfectly time an intricate and graceful move. This usually makes for a frustrating experience and after several losses per gaming session I hastily remove the game disc and replace it with something more suitable for an average skill level.
The graphics are presented from an isometric perspective which initially focuses as a side scroll but will automatically adapt to suit certain maneuvers and situations such as paddling towards the high tide. I didn't find myself all that interested in the visual presentation of this video game. Many times I found myself losing track of my surfer's position within the wave as the object seems to envelope itself over the scene. This creates a funnel-like white curtain which masks the surfer completely. It's often necessary to guide the surfer out of this to a seemingly calmer portion of the wave, and this brings the surfer back into view. The images are otherwise standard fare and are what I would have expected before loading; blue waters, sandy beaches, and tropical accents such as palm trees. The soundtrack was somewhat appropriate for this video game though its lively techno nature seems more suitable for a racing title as opposed to something requiring precise focus such as this. Sound effects are limited, and are concentrated solely on the white noise hiss of the waves and infrequent overlaying commentary which compliments the player's performance.
Stunt enthusiasts may find themselves at home on Championship Surfer. It is certainly something geared for an expert skill level player. Despite its visual faults it is something I would recommend to those interested in the finer points of trick and stunt performance video games. Those dabbling in the genre may want to give this a miss, though, as it is likely the very high learning curve may send players back to shore for an easier game.
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