Adventure/Explore

Sega seems to have a theme going lately consisting of games which are extremely original and challenging on many levels, yet strangely, they aren't very much fun to play. Seaman was the first game in the recent trend, and Shenmue is definitely another.

So does the final release of Shenmue live up to all the hype of being the most expensive game ever made and deliver Dreamcast owners onto the promised land of gaming bliss? The answer is yes and no. Shenmue is the Bill Clinton of videogames; extremely ambitious, arguably successful, and yet undoubtedly flawed.

Game Description:  Banjo and Kazooie, that bear and bird platforming pair from their beloved, eponymous game, are back in Banjo-Tooie. Their second adventure will take them through eight new worlds, full of hulking bosses, minigames, and the series' trademark goofy gameplay. There are plenty of new moves to learn, but this time Banjo and Kazooie can work some missions independently, utilizing special skills. Banjo-Tooie features a multiplayer element to some of the minigames, in some cases supporting four players!

Game Description: In the 21st century, the Tokyoto city government bans kids from expressing themselves in any way. Only three things keep their spirits alive: Overdriver magnetic-motor skates, graffiti, and a pirate-radio broadcast that's called Jet Grind Radio. Explore and, uh, decorate three fully interactive worlds in which traffic moves at real time and pedestrians wander the streets. Watch out for police who'll want to nab you for breaking the law, and rival crews that want to deface your artwork. The "Cartoon Dimension" art style gives the game the appearance of a 2D comic, but the characters move through it in complete 3D. Animations run at 30 frames per second. Ten characters are available at the outset, each of which has its own style and abilities.