Pen Pen Trilcelon

Also known as: Pen Pen (Europe)

Developer: General Entertainment

I’m all for quirky, different games…However, while Pen Pen Trilcelon is definitely quirky and different, it’s also not very good, unfortunately. Essentially, you choose from a bunch of aquatic and/or arctic animals that happen to be triathletes. Then you participate in a three-part race where you run, swim, and slide. Depending on the course that you select, the three could be in different order. The slide and swim sections require you to paddle and the running sections require you to jump and/or slide into your opponents. It’s not necessarily horrible racing action, but it does get boring pretty quickly…especially since, aside from playing to unlock all of the costume pieces, there isn’t a whole lot of reason to continue playing after you’ve completed all of the courses. As far as gimmicky racers go, I’ve played worse, but this still isn’t passable, especially when you’ve got plenty of other, solid racing games to choose from on the Dreamcast.

Review added: 04/15/2019

Power Stone

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Capcom

I was never big into Power Stone. When it first came out, I liked the idea of a 3D environment containing a fighting game...but I just never really got into this game or its sequel. 20 years later I've finally grown to appreciate it a little more...but I still prefer most of the other fighting games on the Dreamcast over this. I feel like one thing that holds Power Stone back a little bit is that it’s not as easy to pick up and play as other Capcom fighters. It takes a little time to get used to. When you do get used to it, you’ll realize that the fighting is a little deeper than it first appears. It requires a bit of strategy, not just for out-thinking your opponent, but to also out-maneuver them in order to pick up all the power stones on the stage. Picking up the power stones allows you to power-up your fighter and unleash harder-hitting moves…or your opponent to, if they get the stones first. It’s not a bad game by any means, but since we’ve got a lot of quality fighting games to choose from o the Dreamcast, I feel like this one falls a bit down the list. It's not for everyone, but it's still decent and worth checking out if you're a fan of the fighting genre.

Review added: 04/04/2019

Project Justice

Also known as: Moaro! Justice Gakuen (Japan), Project Justice: Rival Schools 2 (Europe)

Developer: Capcom

Rival Schools was a so-so 3D fighting game developed by Capcom. It wasn't bad, but it failed to reach the quality that many other Capcom fighting games had in the past. Still, it found itself popular enough where Capcom created a sequel for it on the Dreamcast…and honestly, with the sequel, I feel like they created a very solid 3D fighting game. Tweaking everything from the gameplay to the graphics, Project Justice takes the fighting engine from Rival Schools and improves upon it, making it a game well worth tracking down if you're a fan of fighters. Keep in mind, though, if you're a button masher, you're probably not going to enjoy this game as much as you'd enjoy a game like Street Fighter. Project Justice is a slower-paced fighting game with an emphasis on being strategic as you fight. You need to block at the right time while also picking the right time to attempt launching a special move at your opponent. Project Justice can be somewhat unbalanced at times, though. One special move, in particular, heals you and also re-fills your special meter so you can just spam that attack for the majority of the fight if you have the right timing. That complaint aside, though, Project Justice is a solid 3D fighting game, and if you want a good, slower-paced, strategic, 3D fighter for your Dreamcast, then Project Justice can provide it for you.

Review added: 09/14/2022

Puyo Puyo Da!

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Compile

Puyo Puyo has been my favorite puzzle franchise for a long time, and I still remember over a decade ago when I got my hands on a copy of Puyo Puyo Da! I was looking forward to some more glob-popping puzzle action, but what I got was a…music game? Despite the initial disappointment, I soon found myself enjoying how Compile managed to take popular aspects of the Puyo Puyo games, like the head-to-head competition, and merged it in with aspects of a rhythm game. That isn’t to say that this game is flawless, mind you. The lack of game modes hurts this game a bit – basically you’ve got an “arcade” mode where you challenge the computer for several rounds, and you’ve got a two-player mode where you can battle against a friend. That’s it, unfortunately. Puyo Puyo Da! is fun while it lasts, but there just isn’t enough content to keep you coming back for more. If you’re a fan of music games or even a fan of the Puyo Puyo games and want to see some characters from there in a different game genre, then Puyo Puyo Da! is worth checking out.

Review added: 04/01/2021

Puyo Puyo~n

Also known as: Puyo Puyo 4

Developer: Compile

Puyo Puyo~n, also known as Puyo Puyo 4, is pretty tough. Not just pretty tough, but it often feels pretty cheap. As a former co-worker of mine would say, I feel like I’m “pretty darn good” at Puyo Puyo games. I usually have no difficulty completing them…but this game adds the gimmick of “special moves” to story mode. That in itself probably wouldn’t be a pain, but for much of story mode the opponent has special moves and you do not…or their special moves are superior when you do have one to choose. You know when you play a kart game like Mario Kart, and you’re destroying the competition…then that blue shell hits you right before the finish line and you drop from first place to last? It’s a similar situation here. There were a few times where I was completely dominating, then they used a special move, and suddenly I’m seeing a screen that says “Continue?” on it. That frustration aside, this is still a fun, solid puzzle game and worth checking out…especially if you’re up for a challenge.

Review added: 04/24/2019