Sega DC Available Now 3/10/2000

It's not an illusion, folks. This is the first time (and most likely the last time) everyone's favorite dango will ever give a video game the highest score possible. And gee, it's for VOOT, what a surprise, right? Well, faithful readers, the perfect score didn't come immediately. Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram is one of my favorite arcade games of all time, so when the Dreamcast version finally arrived, I scrutinized every polygon, tested for slow-down issues and toyed with all the characters for unbalanced game play tactics. I made it my goal NOT to give this game the perfect score that everyone knew I would give. And after many long, sleepless nights, playing VOOT nearly every waking moment, on a television or in my mind, I gave up my quest to find any remarkable flaws or errors in the game, because there aren't any. Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram for Dreamcast IS the best video game this year.

Now, just because the game scores 100% doesn't necessarily mean it's perfect. In fact, there are minute flaws in the game that don't affect the excellent game play or your enjoyment of the game. One of its few, small bugs is the occasional slow-down. It only happened once every 100 times I play, though, and it's only for a breath of a second. Second, the game occasionally crashes when using the replay feature. After a match (single- or multi-player), you can save the entire game you just played onto your VMU and watch it from various camera angles. Well, I tried to save a match I'd played as Angelan against a computer Bal Bados, and when I tried to replay the match, the red crash screen appeared.

Graphically speaking, there is a lower polygon count that is noticeable on the robots (more so than the backgrounds). However, the hi-res textures make up for this flaw. That's really about all the flaws in the game… And mind you, I was deliberately LOOKING for flaws. In this game, they're very, very hard to find--particularly when the visuals blow everything you've seen on a home console out of the water.

If you thought Soul Calibur looked good on the Dreamcast, Soul Calibur can't even dance in the same footsteps as VOOT. The frame-rate is a diamond-solid 60 frames per second...no ifs, ands or buts. In single-player or split-screen mode, though there is a loss of detail, there is no significant drop in frame-rate. The lighting effects and special graphical effects look slightly different from the arcade (most noticeable is Dordray's Center Weapon Paralysis Ring attack), but that doesn't stop you from blinking as an overload of smoke trails, laser beams, mushroom clouds and other assorted pyrotechnics engulf your senses of sight and sound. Battle arenas range from space ports to the bottom of an ocean, a city landscape, even in space, with no floor to walk on. There are a few changes to the backgrounds as well; one major change is to the "Public Port" level. In the arcade version, the ground was transparent, with lines of light moving in an accordion-like formation. The DC version of the "Public Port" stage is now solid. Whether from a lack of muscle on the Dreamcast or what, I don't know, but it hardly affects the amazing look of this game. Best-looking visuals on a Dreamcast game? Without a doubt. And don't worry...there's more than enough substance in the game play department to equal (and surpass) the mounds of eye candy.

SEGA's been known for the insane amount of depth to their games, but VOOT takes deep game play to the next level. Take control of 11 different (one hidden) robots as you duke it out in a 3-D arena. This was the formula for the original Virtual On--an advanced game of "it" with missiles, lasers, ice bolts and other explosive devices. Sega takes this formula, and without sacrificing the exhilarating speed and action, makes a clearly superior game. Familiar favorites (Temjin, Fei-Yen Kn, Aphamrd-B, Cypher, and Raiden) return to the game with newer robots that add an incredible amount of new, tactical thinking.

Even if you played the first one and consider yourself a virtual sensei, don't think you can just jump in and play like a master. With added game play maneuvers like air-dashing, perpendicular dashing (which lets you change direction mid-dash without pressing the dash button), virtual armor and double jumping, you'll need every new technique to avoid the onslaught of new attacks. Every robot, new and old, has been given a US Army arsenal of weapons, and each has at least 39 standard weapon attacks (Bal Bados has too many). Turbo attacks (press Turbo while in a non-dashing attack) add much more strategy to a game that requires a brain-numbing amount of quick thinking.

Every weapon has a purpose in the game, whether it's pure damage (Raiden's Center Laser) or just to knock an opponent down and catch your breath (Apharmd-B's Crouching Left Turbo Grenade). When you close in on your opponent, you've got some kickin' close-combat attacks (which have also been improved), jumping close-combat attacks and dashing close-combat attacks. The side-step feature has also been refined and made more intuitive.

Now, what I've written about the game play cannot begin to describe the 10,000 leagues of depth this game holds. You need to know what attack works best for different robots, how to defend certain attacks and what the ideal position is for your robot, not to mention lightning-quick reflexes in close-combat situations. If ever there was a game made for the hard-core gamer, this is it.

And if this wasn't enough, it comes with an awesome array of options. Again, there's the replay feature... The "Virtuaroid Customization" mode (no steroid jokes, please) allows you to edit the colors of any robot and design you own emblem. This makes it easier to discern the differences between players when playing online. If you can't play online (like most US players), you can play via Battle Link cable on two separate Dreamcasts and TV's (you need two versions of the game as well). Finally, there's the training mode, a good way to get used to the DC controls.

While I would much prefer the Twin Sticks, the DC pad is adequate when playing the game. There are certain maneuvers that are difficult to pull off on the DC pad. Though the controls are super-responsive, my only gripe is that when you transform Cypher to a fighter, steering him is an act of futility. New players will also find it hard to turn the robot with the analog pad while moving with the D-pad (with the default type-A command button set). The other command button types aren't as intuitive as or easy to pick up as type A. And no, there's no way to tailor your buttons to your exact specifications. But these are minor gripes that really don't affect enjoyment of the game.

Sure, the control is pretty hard to learn for the average gamer. Yes, the game play tactics and strategy may be too much for most US gamers, and the fact that Internet play exists only in Japan makes finding competition hard. But it isn't made for the average gamer just to 'play.' It's a video game requiring an incredible amount of skill and technique, and gamers of any skill level, be it scrub or veteran, can easily immerse themselves. It takes the traditional idea of one-on-one combat and adds many revolutionary ideas. It utilizes the power of the Dreamcast to its full potential, creating an incredibly kinetic game, filled with jaw-dropping visuals and unique aural delights. But most of all, Virtual On Oratorio Tangram has upped the ante of every video game ever made... Any new "great" video game will now have to measure up to this one. And since no game to this point can even begin to compete with VOOT, it is without a doubt the finest video game of the year.

- Anthony Chau