Quake III Arena

"Directions: Run, Shoot, Kill. Repeat if necessary."

Its hard not to get excited about Quake III for Dreamcast. This is, after all, arguably the best first-person shooter of all time, and its also the first to arrive on Dreamcast. Ported over to the console by id software's choice developer, Raster, it represents a first for online, console deathmatch-style warfare. And despite all the hype that was generated about Quake III: Arena for Dreamcast-and despite all the disappointment that huge hype normally breeds-this game delivers on nearly everything it promised.

The first this evident in QIII is just how incredible to looks. Raster has done a spectacular job with the port, and everything from the sharp character models to the abundant special effects wizardly has been translated with gusto. Playing the game on a monitor, one would be seriously be hardpressed to tell the game from its PC counterpart. No small feat, that, especially when one considers the price difference between a Dreamcast and a comparable 3D-accelerated PC ($150 vs $1,500).

In single-player mode, gamers choose between five difficulty level, and must battle in a series of arenas against single and multiple opponents who get increasingly more difficult as the player progresses.

It's inevitable that you'll tire of playing against bots however, when the temptation of fragging living, breathing opponents from all over the world is but a click away. While it has received wide acclaim for its innovative engine and breakneck pace, you don't play Quake to hear stories and make believe--you play to frag your friends.

And so it was with some apprehension that I first went online with Quake (i aint telling name :-)). I knew that the online play might make or break the game, and being a fan of the genre, really wanted this one to shine. I was able to go from a cold Dreamcast to the bullet-riddled arenas in less than three minutes, and with over 500 QIII servers on SegaNet, there's no lack of competition. So how was it? Bloody great.

Most significantly, QIII delivers the intense action that has addicted an entire population of gamers. Those well-versed in first-person shooters will testify that stepping into a Quake arena is to step into the most intense, fast-paced deathmatches in all of gaming. And armed with a mouyse and keyboard, console owners can officially now see what all the fuss is about. We can honestly saw that playing multi-player QIII on Dreamcast is one of the most intense, addictive, and exhilarating experiences one can have on a videogame console.

Which is not to say that things are all sunshine and ice cream. Aside from the fact that online arenas and limited to four players, the biggest fault is QIII Dreamcast actually has little to do with the game itself, but rather with the somewhat unpredictable performance of SegaNet. Bullets and rockets can sometimes flyo out of the end of your weapon long after you pull the trigger (and long after your enemy has vacated that exact location). While some servers are better than others, those conditioned to playing Quake over a T1 connection will notice the lag. For those who have never has the oppotunity to play multiplayer deathmatch, however, this is simply the bomb. (Note: I did not have an ethernet adapter, so all this lag business could be moot.)

Despite the lag, Quake III: Arena for Dreamcast is still a tremendous achievement--and more importantly, its fun as hell. Being able to reach out and touch somebody from across the country with a shotgun blast is a beautiful thing and now--finally--console owners are able to join the fray. Once more unto the breach, dear friends. You won't be sorry.

Graphics: 9/10

Impeccable translated. Well done, Raster.

Sound: 8/10

High-quality, frenetic effects. Wanky music.

Control: 9/10

Mouse + Keyboard=Only way to play. Get yours.

Fun Factor: 9/10

Lag, schmag. Really addicting multi-player!

TOTAL: 8.75 rounded to 9

Happy gaming and ''Don't forget your mouse and keyboard!''

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/13/01, Updated 07/14/03