Virtual On: Ontario Tangram

The US Dreamcast finally gets a Virtual On game thanks to Activision. And boy is it a doozy. Of course the first thing you'll notice are the amazing graphics. The mechas are intricatically designed and feature a wild assortment of weapons/attacks. The stages are mostly remakes from the original but look years better thanks to the facelift. There's also alot of neon and other vibrant colors flooding the tv screen. Kinda trippy but cool nonetheless. And the package is all sealed up with the sweetly smooth 60 frames-per-second animation. VOOT is definitely a graphical powerhouse.

Gameplay wise it's pretty much the same as the original Virtual On. Whereas you have 3 attack buttons, a boost, and a jump. Depending upon the different combinations and your target lock-on you'll get an array of different attacks and manuevers. The stages can also play into your battle tactics. Such as dodging behind buildings or using the water to slow down your enemy. So there's alot of variety and surprises in the fighting sequences. The game ain't no push over either. Expect to spending some time with the title to truly master it.

The only thing that bothered me is the feeling that this game is nothing more than an update to the original Saturn Virtual On. Which in reality is all VOOT really is. But I wouldn't take a look at it as a bad thing. Finding the original is kinda hard. And you can never go wrong with the improved graphics and additional characters in this version. All I'm a saying is don't expect any drastic changes or surprises and instead prepare yourself for a nostalgic trip like no other.

(thanks to www.gamefan.com for the pics)

Overall 8.8