Taxi 2: Le Jeu

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Blue Sphere Games

Taxi 2: Le Jeu would be better named Taxi 2: Le Caca…But anyway, Taxi 2 seems to be yet another example of the movie-to-game stereotype where most video games licensed after a movie should be flushed down “les toilettes” where the “caca” belongs. Basically, you’re racing the clock in this game, speeding down narrow roads and trying to avoid traffic…which sounds fun, right? Well, the problem is that the controls aren’t exactly tight…and if you happen to hit something and spin out, be prepared for the car to not move for a second or two as you change from forward to reverse and vice versa. The game also looks a generation behind in the graphics department, with blocky cars that look like they were modeled after cardboard boxes – a far cry from other racing games on the Dreamcast where the vehicles look gorgeous. Stereotypically, the French like to stick their noses in the air at others…I’m pretty sure that it’s not because they’re snobs, but because they’ve got this game in their hands and they’re trying to get their noses as far away from the stench as possible.

Review added: 04/21/2019

Tetris 4D

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Bullet Proof Software

I wish I could say mostly favorable things about Tetris 4D, but, unfortunately, I can’t. Numerous little annoyances plague the game. One example is how you rotate blocks. In other Tetris games, if you have the block pressed against the wall and rotate, the block will still rotate. In Tetris 4D, you have to pull the block away from the wall, rotate, then push back to the wall. And speaking of rotating, there seems to be a delay when rotating blocks at times, which isn’t a huge deal when you’ve got everything under control, but once the blocks start piling up, it makes you feel like you’ve got an unnecessary handicap. Complaints out of the way, Tetris 4D does have an interesting art-style that makes it stand out, and “battle mode” to play if you’ve got a friend or two (unfortunately, no option to play against the computer), so it’s not a completely awful game. However, the little annoyances do add up enough where a lot of people will just throw their arms up and migrate to a different, better version of Tetris instead.

Review added: 04/15/2019

Time Stalkers

Also known as: Climax Landers (Japan)

Developer: Climax Entertainment

Time Stalkers has an interesting premise - chunks of various worlds disappear and reappear in some strange realm, lumped together with each other. Your goal is to figure out why, protect the people living on those chunks of land, and find a way to get everyone back to where they came from while exploring dungeons and beating bosses along the way...Unfortunately, the gameplay isn't nearly as interesting as the story. Very basic dungeon crawling mixed with equally basic turn-based battles creates a game that already begins to feel dull within the first hour of playing. Nothing is technically "bad" here, it's all passable, and I enjoy the bizarre aspects of some of the characters and story...but without much meat to the combat or the exploration, I can't imagine that too many folks would stick with this game until the end.

Review added: 03/31/2019

Tokyo Xtreme Racer

Also known as: Shutoko Battle (Japan), Tokyo Highway Challenge (Europe)

Developer: Genki

Tokyo Xtreme Racer is almost like a hybrid between a fighting game and a racing game. The concept of the game is to drive around the highways of Tokyo and challenge people to street races. Once in the race, two health bars pop up on the top of the screen - one for you and one for your opponent. Whoever is ahead in the race is fine, but whoever is behind constantly has their health bar drain. The loser is the one who has an empty health bar first. It's a neat concept and fun game,but doing the same thing over and over again gets a bit repetitive. While I find it fun, I also wish that there was more to this game. If there were more modes or options in the Tokyo Xtreme Racer, I'd give it a higher score, but for what it is, it's still well worth a look from any street racing fanatics out there.

Review added: 04/21/2019

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater

Also known as: Tony Hawk's Skateboarding (Europe)

Developer: Treyarch

I first played Tony Hawk's Pro Skater on the original Playstation a year prior to its release on that console via a demo disk. The game was extremely basic when compared to the final product, but it was still fun enough where a few friends and I lost hours playing the demo. Then, a year later Pizza Hut released a demo much more true to the original game...And I was sold. I went out of my way to purchase this game...And to this day, I can still pop it in and love every minute of my time with it. And I'm not a music guy by any stretch, but I enjoy every song on the soundtrack, which also adds a tad to the enjoyment. While the sequel might be a superior game overall, I'll always have a preference to the simplicity of the original. This version on the Dreamcast came out a little later, but it's still just as solid as the original release on Playstation One. Even if you don’t know a single thing about skateboarding, but want to play an excellent game, give Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater a try. I think there’s a very good chance that it’ll quickly win you over.

Review added: 04/03/2019

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Treyarch

I've always preferred the simplicity of the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, but let's face facts - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 took an already excellent game, tweaked everything, and added enough new content to create a game that is about as near to perfect as this style of game can be. While I prefer the original, I can't deny that Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 is the best game in the history of the Tony Hawk franchise. It's masterfully done. Like the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, anyone can pick this game up and see the majority of what this game has to offer…even with limited experience. However, with the inclusion of manuals, veterans of the original Tony Hawk's Pro Skater were given a whole new way to experience the game and gain insane high scores. Using manuals aren't necessary at all - it's entirely possible to complete the game and unlock everything without them, but including them allowed veterans to experience the classic THPS gameplay in a whole new way. Toss in the inclusions of create-a-skater, build-a-park, and hidden skaters and parks to unlock, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 really gave gamers a lot of bang for their buck when it first released. All these years later, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 may not have aged too well graphically, but it still plays just as great as it did back when it originally released. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 very well could be the greatest sports game of all time (at the very least, it’s in the conversation), and it reached heights that the Tony Hawk series was never able to duplicate or surpass again.

Review added: 12/27/2023

Triggerheart Exelica

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Warashi

I first played Triggerheart Exelica about ten years ago to review it for the website that I had at the time. While I enjoyed playing Triggerheart Exelica, I hadn’t touched it since, until sitting down to write this review and to rank it amongst other games. I think Triggerheart Exelica could best be described as a beginner’s scrolling shooter. In comparison to most other scrolling shooters, this game is pretty easy (though, it can get rough if you ramp the difficulty up) which makes it perfect for folks new to the genre to get their feet wet before tackling more difficult challenges. It’s not a simple “shoot stuff and aim for a high score” shooter, though. With the added gimmick of being able to “steal” enemies to use as a shield and/or weapon makes this game interesting enough to also make it worthwhile for veterans of the genre to play through. It was a solid game that showed that even though it was released in 2007, the Dreamcast still had the occasional worthwhile release, long after the console was discontinued here in the West.

Review added: 04/21/2019

Twinkle Star Sprites

Also known as: N/A

Developer: SNK

I like it when two seemingly unrelated genres combine together to create a new style of game, and that’s what happened with Twinkle Star Sprites, a game that mixes the frantic action of a 3rd-person, scrolling shooter with the head-to-head aspect of puzzle games like Puyo Puyo. The end result has players shooting down enemies on their side of the screen, which sends attacks over to the opponent’s side of the screen, or sometimes even a boss for them to battle. There aren’t many better feelings in a video game than having the enemy sending a wave of attacks your way while you shoot them all down and send them right back at your opponent, resulting in their game ending. I can easily see some people avoid this game because of its cutesy appearance, but if you’re looking for a unique multiplayer game (the single player is almost as fun) and into scrolling shooters, Twinkle Star Sprites will likely be something that you can find some enjoyment in.

Review added: 04/16/2019

Typing of the Date

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Hudson Soft

Did you like the concept of Typing of the Dead, but didn't want all of the horror and gore? Maybe you’d rather use the same concept towards going on dates with ladies that, when angry, may be scarier than zombies? Well, Hudson had you covered if you lived in Japan, with Typing of the Date...a date simulator mixed with a little bit of the typing frenzy found in Typing of the Dead. The pace here is slower by design because instead of simply typing what appears on screen, you’re given three options as to how you will respond to your date, and you have to read and reply quickly. Make the wrong reply and even if your typing is great, you may not get the results that you want. The end result is a unique dating simulator that is passable and worth checking out, especially if you’re into that genre of game, but everyone else may find it a little too plodding for their tastes…especially if they can’t read Japanese to understand the story.

Review added: 04/16/2019

Typing of the Dead

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Smilebit

I remember when I worked at Funcoland (remember them?) a man came in and purchased this game and a Dreamcast keyboard for his son. He told me that he could not get his son to remember how to type, but for whatever reason, this game helped what he learned stick. See, parents? Blood and guts CAN be educational and beneficial for young minds. But really, Typing of the Dead is fantastic. It has all of the frantic fun of the House of the Dead, but with the need to type words instead of shoot guns...And some of the stuff that you're asked to type is just wonderful, ridiculous, and just adds to the fun. If you thought that all educational games were dull, boring, and lacking entertainment, then you need to play Typing of the Dead. The Typing of the Dead is well worth the purchase of a Dreamcast keyboard just so you can enjoy this gem, especially if you never learned to use a keyboard efficiently and want an entertaining way to motivate you to get better. Typing of the Dead is basically just a clone of House of the Dead II, with keyboards replacing guns, even on the character models, but I'd argue that it's a rare case of the clone surpassing the original in terms of fun and gameplay. If you've got access to play it, I highly suggest doing so.

Review added: 10/12/2022