Powerstone

Pros • easy to learn • challenging enough for seasoned players • Unique style of gameplay • great graphics • cool group of anime characters • awesome interactive environments • good sound	Cons • tedious after about the second round • soooo much going on at once • damn dreamcast controller • no ability to protect yourself
Bottom Line Jam Packed with anime action extreme that will last a few hours before you get bored and go back to Soul Calibur Powerstone is the latest fighting incarnation from the pros at Capcom. An anime inspired title with fully interactive environments, and over the top fighting styles, this game takes fighting to a whole new level. The objective is to gather "powerstones" for special power-ups that your opponent can't protect himself against, all while hurling and smashing objects at each other. Powerstone is jam packed with gameplay but becomes frustrating with a clunky controller and the repetitive power ups that leave you the victim of an inevitable and violent death.

Power Stoned

I'm attempting to type with an extremely sore trigger finger. Despite blaming some of this pain on a poorly configured Dreamcast controller, I have to admit that Powerstone becomes very difficult to put down once you start getting the hang of it. Capcom has created a novel game that is not only easy to pick up and learn, but also challenging enough for the more experienced player.

Because Capcom is known for its intensely addictive Street Fighter series, I had high expectations for Powerstone. And, I can easily say that I was initially awed by the graphics and style of the game. While other fighters like the recently released Erghiez have attempted to create a truly 3D environment for gameplay, Powerstone is the first title to really do it well. The game pays tribute to the anime artform, with a variety of lovingly designed worlds and characters. The simple story line and game objective requires players to gather three different colored "powerstones" in order to recieve magical powers that will completely annihilate your enemy if he can't run away in time. Powerstone also lets you fight and interact with every element of its universe, giving players even more potential for damage as you hurl tables, barrels, and benches about the place.

My initial concerns were regarding camera angles and control mechanisms. Do not fear. Powerstone plays smoothly, using intuitive and simple controls to carry out killer combos and dodges (a hugely important part of the game). At times I became angry with the cluncky white box that Dreamcast claims to be an ergonomic controller (when will they make a controller that fits small hands??) and the control stick never quite seemed to go where I wanted it to. I circled a powerstone about 5 times before my opponent jumped down and hoarded the thing to himself. Also, there are moments where your character does seem to get lost in the scenery, but the style and speed of gameplay help to overcome this issue. It's a tad bit saddening to see the immaculately polished environments get overlooked while your screen becomes stuffed with explosions, lens flares, animations, and blinding effects as you fight your opponent.

There is so much going on in Powerstone that it almost becomes too much for my blonde little brain. You've got magically appearing cartoon proportioned weapons (with a punch that is anything but cartoon like), brilliant glowing powerstones, randomly placed tables, chairs, other interactive objects, alongside the ongoing array of fancy effects that each character wields. And I'm not even including the time period when you or your opponent captures the three almighty powerstones and turn the entire screen into a violent rainbow explosion that would make any leprauchan jealous.

Besides the fireworks festival on the screen, you have to contend with a slew of jumping, twirling, rolling characters who can move faster than the speed of light (it actually reminds me of Vic when he ingests too much caffeine!). Of course, each character is unique with a specific speed, strength and set of moves. The larger characters like Gunstone pack a mighty punch (and bodyslam) that will leave poor tiny Rouge lying flat on her back... that's if you can catch the bounding bombshell as she hops, skips and glides her magic carpet across the room. Falcon and Watsang embrace the martial arts with speed and agility while some of the more off-the-wall characters like Jack (some sort of mechanical spidery thing) implement a more alien type of fighting (think crawling and helicoptering about the level). Naturally, the graphics on this Dreamcast title are spectacular. I don't think this title could play well on PlayStation or Nintendo without causing epileptic seizures in game players. The animations are insane with what seem to be hundreds of possible moves including those which involve actual elements of the environment. Swing around poles, hang from the ceiling and dive from the upper levels on to your opponent. Yep, pretty darn cool.

Another aspect of Powerstone that I really enjoyed was the music within each level, developed to suit the actual environment. Dullstown is a western inspired level filled with barrels and similar to an old saloon. It's the music that helps bring out each unique level, and the sound effects never interfere with this flavouring. With the many layers of sound and graphics in this game, you would think it impossible to tolerate, but somehow Capcom pulls it off.

So how come Powerstone isn't my favorite game on the Dreamcast? Unfortunately, I can't stand feeling helpless within a fighting game. Without the ability to block, you become an easy target for your opponents massacre during his powerstone power-up. Sure, running and dodging may seem like a strategic angle in the game, but after a couple rounds it becomes tedious and then outright frustrating! By the third or forth level, as the game becomes more difficult, you really notice the lapses in gameplay as you watch the same giant bolts of fire and lightning pierce your entire body and leave you limp on the ground. Even the narrow escapes become anticlimactic as you run in circles, leaping and rolling and awaiting the end so you can get back on the same fighting plane once more.

With Namco's Soul Calibur, the classic Tekken3, and even Street Fighter Alpha3, Powerstone is not without stiff competition. As a Dreamcast launch title, its a huge leap forward in gameplay and stylized graphics, and I look forward to seeing where Capcom can take this game. However, I'll be playing Soul Calibur for a long time after the novelty of Powerstone wears off.

Info & Screenshots