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Videogame
Source : Sega Dreamcast |
Chu
Chu Rocket |
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6.8 |
| Sounds |
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7.0 |
| Replay |
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8.7 |
| Gameplay |
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8.5 |
| Overall |
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8.1 |
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Review
by miffo |
There were a number of things to attract me to Chu Chu
Rocket. Being so poor, I liked the idea of it only being thirty dollars at the time. Not
only that, but it offered online play which was new to me, and I wanted to finally harness
the Dreamcast modem's power. Plus, the insane Japanese commercial for this was funny
enough to warrant a purchase. So I bought it, and was pleasantly surprised - it was more
addictive that it looked, especially because I don't generally like puzzle games.
But I personally consider Chu Chu a ''good'' puzzle game, if that means anything. It's
simple, but fun. The goal is to hoard hundreds of mice called ChuChus into rockets, which
blast them off into the safety of outer space. Why do they need to be safe? They're hunted
by orange cats called KapuKapus. The race between the two creatures is done on a simple 2D
grid, and the cartoony characters run either up or down between the grid squares. Special
cells produce the ChuChus and KapuKapus, and they run in a straight line turning right
only when they hit a wall. Rockets are placed in various parts, generally away from where
everyone is running.
This is where you come it. By using the joystick or D-pad, you can guide a special arrow.
By pressing A, B, X, or Y, you'll set an arrow down in the square pointing in the
corresponding direction. Each time something hits the arrow, it will turn in the direction
that the arrow is facing. That's how you guide them into your rockets.
Sounds easy, right? Well, that's half right, because there are two creatures you need to
control. Occasionally the KapuKapus appear, and they'll chase after your ChuChus - they're
slightly faster too, so they will catch up. Each time the cat reaches a mouse, it will eat
it and that's one less to add to your collection. The real nasty part is when a KapuKapu
goes into a rocket because it will take away one third of all the ChuChus currently
residing in it.
Occasionally (actually, it's quite frequently) special mice will cause certain things to
happen that temporarily change the gameplay. These add a nice twist, but are a bit
overdone and happen too often.
So you're constantly directing the mice in but the cats out, which is where the challenge
comes from. And the fun comes in too. You see, Chu Chu Rocket puts a strong emphasis on
multiplayer, as four people are attempting to get mice into their own rocket all at
once. This can get pretty hectic, and you can also cause a little commotion by pushing a
KapuKapu into someone's rocket and stealing their mice.
What if you don't have any friends? Then get a life, really. But if you're too lazy to do
such a thing, the AI acts decent enough to play a few rounds. Other solo options include
the puzzle mode and puzzle editor. These involve placing a limited amount of arrows in the
right places to get all the ChuChus into the rocket. You can also make your own puzzles,
and save them for a mere 2 blocks a piece.
Connecting to the online world is the real treat in this however. It's always fun
conversing with strangers on late nights, and you can do so here. Once you're connected,
it's divided into a number of servers that each include chat and game rooms. You can
create your own game, or join an existing one - after you've done that, you can play as
soon as everyone is ready.
My biggest complaint is the two second lag you generally experience. The arrows don't
appear when you want them to, and that makes it more difficult to play and the last-second
plays that this game thrives on can't be accomplished. It's definitely playable...just not
as enjoyable. Plus, it's hard to find someone to play with these days as the lobbies are
usually deserted.
So basically, Chu Chu Rocket is fun, simple, and addictive. But it also grows stale
quickly. You'll have a blast during parties, and I suppose it's worth the $10 or so it
costs now. If you like puzzle games (or even if you don't) this is a good one to add to
your collection. |
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