Fur Fighters

"This game deserves a 15, but I can't do that!"

Looking back on the Sega Dreamcast and its games, one will always stand out in my mind as simply outstanding. This one game kept me playing for hours on end. That one game is Fur Fighters. This game is really something special; you can tell through all the attention that's been given simply to the details. And while this game is a third-person shooter, it rarely tries to be serious. It'll have you laughing whilst you play through the adventure, which is definitely a plus.

Storyline - 8
Okay, so it's not exactly an RPG. But for an action/adventure/shooter, or whatever this is, the storyline's definitely above average. It goes like this: long ago the Fur Fighters stopped the evil General Viggo from taking over the world. Now, he's back for his revenge, kidnapping all of the Fur Fighters' children. Joined by the just-born newcomer Tweek, Roofus, Chang, Bungalow, Rico, and Juliette must put a stop to Viggo's evil plans, while rescuing their children at the same time. The story makes sense, and it fits the gameplay well enough, so I'd say it's pretty good. My only complaint about it is the reason why Viggo didn't kill Roofus and the others when he had the chance. He said something about it, but it didn't really make any sense. Oh well.

Graphics - 10
This game is beautiful. It really is. The visuals are awesome; you may find yourself staring absentmindedly at a particular landscape or horizon, it looks so real. It definitely pushes the Dreamcast's power to the limit. All the textures on walls, the ground, everything, are very well done. The camera in this game is also great. It hardly ever gets stuck, and you're never left with a bad view. I have nothing to complain about here.

Sound - 9
Contrary to some other reviews I've read, I simply love the music in this game. It's very catchy, and changes to fit each character, depending on who you're playing as at the time (i.e. Juliette has French-sounding music). All the sound effects in the game are very realistic, yet somehow manage to sound comic in a way, such as that gun noise for whenever you pick up ammo or something. My only complaint here are the voices. Okay, so they're not really voices, they're animal sounds, such as grunts and squeaks, while the dialogue is shown as subtitles. While it does add a sense of realism to the game (can't have talking animals now), it can get a bit repetitive and annoying. Other than that, it's great.

Gameplay - 10
This is the area where games fall apart. This field can make or break a game, and Fur Fighters' gameplay is simply outstanding. See, there are six different "hubs" branching off from Fur Fighter Village, which is like the main hub. From these six hubs, you have access to three different levels, and a boss. The point is to go into the levels and collect as many babies and gold tokens as you can, while shooting anything that gets in your way! Aside from being the main objective in the game, you'll need a certain amount of babies rescued to enter the boss fights, so round up as many as you can. Gold tokens grant you access to later levels, so grab those whenever possible as well (they also restore some health). But there's a twist: babies will only allow themselves to be rescued by the right parent (i.e. puppies can only be rescued by Roofus, etc.). This requires you to switch between characters via the telepoint machines scattered around the levels. Some areas are only reachable to certain characters as well, so you'll need to switch accordingly for that too. Overall, the gameplay is excellent. Nothing to complain about.

Control - 10
Control in this game is easy to pick up, and for some reason, it just feels right. For the default setting, you use the ABXY buttons to move around, with each button corresponding to a direction. L jumps, and R fires your armed weapon. The control stick lets you look up and down, as well as "rotates" your character. The control pad selects weapons. Overall, control is great, and very responsive.

Fun - 10
This game is FUN. Believe me, you'll be captivated in front of your TV for hours with this game. It's great fun to solve all the puzzles within the levels, and lots of fun just to move on to the next level.

Multiplayer - 7
The game kind of takes a hit here; the multiplayer mode is a 2-4 player battle that takes place in a chosen arena based on one of the six different worlds. The arenas vary in size; some are gigantic, while some are so cramped you may feel uncomfortable. The multiplayer is okay with 3 or 4 people, but really suffers with 2 players, as you'll just find yourselves running away from each other and not really doing anything. Overall, it's okay, but not really that much fun. It's obvious they put more effort into the one-player game, which is just fine with me.

Replayability - 9
There's a lot to do in this game. You'll want to go back and get all the babies if you haven't done that already. Cheats can be unlocked by completing the various mini games in the Fur Fighters' houses. This game will keep you playing for a while.

Pros:
+ Awesome gameplay
+ Tight, responsive control
+ Beautiful graphics
+ Lots of replay value
+ Good storyline
+ It's FUN
+ Good sounds and music

Cons:
- Voices can get repetitive
- Multiplayer isn't a whole lot of fun

Overall - 10/10
This game is simply fantastic. One of the best I've ever played. If you ever see it in a used game store or something, pick it up. Right away.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/10/05