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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderfully addictive puzzle game! A classic., January 12, 2001
This game is incredibly simple yet dangerously addictive... Basically it is a game of cat and mouse; you have a rocket positioned on the game field and you have to lead 'chu chu's (mice) to your rocket by placing arrows for them to follow. If you (or your opponents) lead a 'kapu kapu' (cat) into your rocket, you lose a third of all the mice you have collected so far. Whoever has the most mice after three minutes wins. Throw in the fact that some mice trigger special events (mouse mania, cat mania, speed up, etc.) and also that you can only place three directional arrows at a time and you have a fantastic, fast-paced puzzle/party game that should be in any self-respecting Dreamcast owner's selection. The best moments in this game are those panic-stricken moments when you have 10 seconds left and you're losing by 100 mice. Can you lead that cat to the winning rocket in time and take the lead? Only one way to find out...While the game has brilliant puzzle and challege modes that will keep you occupied for a while, the brilliance of the game lies in it's multiplayer modes. Play with up to four players (two teams of two or four single players) on one Dreamcast for ultimate party fun (and black eyes, if it gets out of hand, and it usually does!) or, if you can't persuade your friends to join you, play with three other people online. The online play is excellent. Lag is definitely a factor, but you just have to get used to the fact that there is a delay and treat it as a challenge to think ahead. The online menu interface is very simple to use, and it is easy to find and play your friends up in North Dakota or out in Oklahoma. The server lets Japanese and American players play simultaneously, and surprisingly the lag is no different to when all players are local. Sadly, there is now a slew of other online games, which means interest in Chu Chu Rocket (a pioneer in Dreamcast online gaming) is waning. There are a loyal group of followers who play online, however, and it isn't too difficult to get a game or two, especially in the evening when the server is at its busiest. During the day the chances of finding someone to play a game is remote, although if you hang around for a few minutes you can usually bump into a lost soul from Tokyo who's willing to take you on. There is a ranking table for online players, but you'll have to win over 6000 games if you want to take the #1 spot! You can still enjoy the multiplayer mode on your own using the computer AI, which is generally very intelligent. You can set the level of difficulty to suit your skill level. The puzzle mode should not be overlooked, as it has some very interesting (and frustrating!) puzzles to complete. And if the many puzzles aren't enough for you (I'm at #79 and still going!) then you can make your own. If you think they're good enough you can upload them onto the Internet for other players to dowload and try, and of course you can download other people's puzzles. There is also a 'stage challenge' mode where you have to finish 24 challenges as fast as possible. This is much easier if you persuade a friend to help you. You can upload your times onto the Internet to see how you rank in the world, but don't expect to see your name near the top unless you're prepared to spend a lot of time perfecting each challenge. The graphics of the game are quite sufficient. They're simplistic and colorful; they are in full 3D, too. Although they aren't exactly pushing the Dreamcast to its limits, they are perfect for the game. One bonus is that the game only uses 3 blocks of your VMU memory card space, so you can use those precious 197 remaining blocks to save those VMU-hungry games in your collection. This game is well worth the money if puzzle/multiplayer games are your thing. If you hate all puzzle games then don't bother, but if you are looking for a departure from your usual Dreamcast gaming then you will undoubtedly find this an enjoyable game to own. It simply oozes fun all over, something many newer games lack. Go for it, you won't be disappointed as long as you don't expect an earth-shattering gaming experience. If you want a simple, frenetic game to pop into your Dreamcast every now and then and relieve stress, this is a must-have.
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