Dreamcast

In the last couple of years, Sega has released a lot of games that had too many flaws to become classics, but had enough fresh ideas to make them worth playing. Sure, Shenmue was boring, but at least it wasn't rehashed. Although Phantasy Star Online might have been repetitive and shallow, nothing of its kind had ever been released on a console before. With the release of Confidential Mission, sadly, Sega has broken this trend. This title is simply mediocre, about as fresh as mold and as replayable as a hand grenade.

Unreal Tournaments arrival on the Dreamcast is kind of a double-edged sword. Its great for the 3D-card-deprived to be able to experience the immensely popular PC shooter firsthand. Yet despite being a well designed game, gamers must ultimately tread through a watered down version of the PC incarnation.

Game Description: What could be better than launching a rocket down a corridor as a computer-controlled opponent runs for cover? Answer: using an impact hammer on a friend. Unreal Tournament, the award-winning, multiplatform gem of first-person mayhem, has finally come to the Dreamcast. The game features more than 70 maps designed specifically for the old Swirl, as well as 10 very powerful weapons. The game's multiplayer mode allows you to take on up to six other players over the Internet, or go against a buddy in your own home via split-screen display.

The Dreamcast, however, had not been blessed with this genre of games until the release of Quake III Arena (Q3A) many months ago. That conversion was an excellent title, no doubt, but it fell short in many ways. Compared to the numerous play modes and 32-player deathmatches on the PC version, the limit of four players per match left something to be desired. Now that its PC rival, Unreal Tournament, has finally arrived for the Dreamcast, will it eclipse the id shooter?

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Blood & Gore, Animated Violence

Game Description: Crazy Taxi 2 is set in the most taxi-crazed city of them all: New York. Leaving the California sun behind, this sequel has a grittier, more urban aesthetic—and an attitude to match. Though the object of the game is still to pick up and shuttle fares across the city, Crazy Taxi 2 sports better graphics, new and returning drivers, more missions, and a wild new jump feature that lets you clear cars and intersections at the touch of a button. Adding to the game's challenge are cab-sharing groups of people who aren't always going to the same place.

How could Sega release a game about cabbies and leave out New York City: the cabbie mecca of the world? Our tales of cabbies in this city are legendary—some rival the very things you are expected to pull off in Crazy Taxi. I could only conclude (and hope) that the developer would realize its error and correct it in a sequel. Sure enough Hitmaker did just that with Crazy Taxi 2.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Strong Language

New York City may be the real-life mecca for cabbies everywhere, but the faux-NYC depicted in Crazy Taxi 2 isnt a place I particularly enjoyed driving in. While I loved the first installment of the game, I honestly didnt see much room for improvement.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Violence