Quake 3 Arena

by Raster

Product Details

• ASIN: B00004T4XJ
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #5,064 in Video Games (See Bestsellers in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Quake series, the popular PC game puts players in a violent world in which the point is to collect weapons and kill as many opponents as you can. While not without its flaws, Quake III Arena goes well beyond just mimicking this experience for Dreamcast users. It's the best PC-to-console port yet.

Quake III Arena is the first title to allow multiplayer, real-time networked gaming between Dreamcast and PC players. Hooking up through the SegaNet servers, players can go online and shoot it out with other people around the world for the first time in console history. (We played with a keyboard and a mouse--the only way Quake III should ever be played--and with them we exacted my punishment on more than just a few unsuspecting patrons.)

A full slate of 25 nasty warriors has been rolled out for the Dreamcast game. The weapons--which range from shotguns and rocket launchers to lightning guns and plasma guns--and effects also are packed in tighter than Charlie Tuna in his can. It also has all of the nifty springboards, quad damage, space-age dungeons, and everything that we loved about our favorite shooter on the PC.

The Dreamcast version has a large variety of gameplay options, including single player, free-for-all, tournament, team deathmatch, and capture the flag, most of which are open for play in two-to-four-player split-screen mode. The game's rendering engine achieves smooth and realistic texturing, and stunning environmental effects. The environments in particular are great, with dazzling sky textures leading the way. Also, the geometry and large, detailed textures of the character models make them the envy of the console world.

The character's movements in Quake III Arena didn't feel nearly as smooth as in the PC version, because of a rather slow framerate. Compared to the PC version, this one makes you feel like you're battling with one leg in concrete. While it's good for console and ambitious even for the Dreamcast processor, you find yourself losing targets that you feel you should track with no problem. One can forgive Quake III Arena if at the end of the day you have something good to play online. With Quake III Arena, something good this way comes. --Todd Mowatt

Pros:

• Multiplayer, real-time networked gaming between Dreamcast and PC players
• Smooth and realistic texturing, and stunning environmental effects

Cons:

• Sluggish framerate

Product Description

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the <I>Quake</I> series, the popular PC game puts players in a violent world in which the point is to collect weapons and kill as many opponents as you can. While not without its flaws, <I>Quake III Arena</I> goes well beyond just mimicking this experience for Dreamcast users. It's the best PC-to-console port yet.<p> <I>Quake III Arena</I> is the first title to allow multiplayer, real-time networked gaming between Dreamcast and PC players. Hooking up through the SegaNet servers, players can go online and shoot it out with other people around the world for the first time in console history. (We played with a keyboard and a mouse--the only way <I>Quake III</I> should ever be played--and with them we exacted my punishment on more than just a few unsuspecting patrons.)<p> A full slate of 25 nasty warriors has been rolled out for the Dreamcast game. The weapons--which range from shotguns and rocket launchers to lightning guns and plasma guns--and effects also are packed in tighter than Charlie Tuna in his can. It also has all of the nifty springboards, quad damage, space-age dungeons, and everything that we loved about our favorite shooter on the PC.<p> The Dreamcast version has a large variety of gameplay options, including single player, free-for-all, tournament, team deathmatch, and capture the flag, most of which are open for play in two-to-four-player split-screen mode. The game's rendering engine achieves smooth and realistic texturing, and stunning environmental effects. The environments in particular are great, with dazzling sky textures leading the way. Also, the geometry and large, detailed textures of the character models make them the envy of the console world.<p> The character's movements in <I>Quake III Arena</I> didn't feel nearly as smooth as in the PC version, because of a rather slow fra

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quake and bake...>BING!< You're done for..., November 17, 2000

By	James Trascapoulos (The Netherlands) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a PC user and a new Dreamcast owner (no, I'm not a hard-core gamer, just a IT guy who likes to come home and whack at a few meanies to relax), I've throughly enjoyed a few of the translations from the PC and arcade world that have come to the Dreamcast. Crazy Taxi, House of the Dead 2, Dead or Alive 2, Sega GT...all are excellent games, and have pulled me in farther to gaming than I thought possible.

But Quake III did it...period. It's the reason I bought the Dreamcast over the PS2 (well, that and the vague feeling that the PS2 is just an expensive prima donna of a system). I actually *work* on my PC, and I didn't want to keep adding 400MB games to my harddrive and making my system more and more slow and unstable. A dedicated game machine, and especially one I *didn't* have to maintain, made sense. But after playing Quake III on a friend's system, I was hooked.

I don't know what drug the kid was on when he said it was slow, but unless you have 4 players onscreen at once, taking heavy damage, it's NEVER slow. And it's beautiful to watch...I think it actually looks better than on my Matrox card in the PC. The action is smooth, the AI very smart and swift and the controls quite decent. Of course you can use a keyboard and mouse (a decided advantage) but the controller, in it's simplicity, makes the game actually more fair. No sneaky superjumps or stuff like that...each player is kitted-out equally and that really makes the game rock.

Pity Half-Life is delayed, but if it's ANYWHERE near as fun as this translation, well this adult gamer can only say "WOO HOO!" Quake III is a keeper!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fun and frustrating, March 27, 2001

By	SL (RI) - See all my reviews

WARNING: If you don't have a keyboard and a mouse, you might consider buying them before you purchase this game. It's really impossible to play well using the game controller. You'll get blown away so fast as you try to aim. Aside from the game control the game is amazing. The graphics are outstanding, especially on a VGA monitor. The game play is fast. There is virtually no lag time on the broadband even with four players. On the 56K connection, there is an occational lag, and I have yet to be booted out of the connection. Of course, playing on-line is the key to this game. Online game play is extremely addictive. There are plenty of levels to chose from--I think 30 or so. One player game is fun too. But the opponents are tough (maybe because I am a beginner). I'd say this is one of the must-purchase games for the Dreamcast.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good game, December 28, 2000

By	"[e-mail]" (New York) - See all my reviews

Quake 3 has some of the best graphics i have seen on the dreamcast. Besides the graphics, the gameplay is good too. This game really shines in the multiplayer and internet sections. It is so much fun to play online against people, and frag the hell outta them! =) I only occasionaly recieve lag while playing online. It is also fun to play a split-screen game against your friened. Why not 5 stars? The single player game gets old, quick. Its just you in arena going against computer AI players. If only they made the gameplay like quake 2 it would deserve 5 stars. Still, overall its a great game. I only occasionaly recieve lag while playing online.

P.S If you see "TREND" on a seganet server, prepare to be fragged! =)