Sheep

"Be Surprised."

Game play: 10/10
The game play is very easy: your dog runs in the direction you press and you only have to use two other buttons to guide the sheep to the end of the level.

There are three different game modes: Normal Mode, Arranged Mode and Training Mode. In Normal Mode you have to go through all the different levels in chronicle order. You can choose the type of sheep and the dog you want to use. You can also choose the difficulty. Training Mode is like Arranged Mode, the only difference is that you can choose which level you want to play. In the third and last game play mode, Arranged Mode, you have to level up your dog and your sheep.

Graphics: 9/10
The graphics are very good and all the levels have some activity. In one level there are chickens running around, in others there are cows. In some levels are paint baths and if the sheep go through it there color changes. The graphics are also very clear and they are like a cartoon.

Sound: 7/10
The sound and the music is the only minor side of the game. It is not bad but it is just repeats itself to much. If the game had more tracks, it would have had a better score.

Extras: 10/10
This game has quite a lot of extras. First there are the dogs that you can get from playing through the different modes of the game. The second extra is the new mode that you get when you play through Arrange Mode called Training Mode. In this mode can you play all the different levels again. You also get to choose the kind of Sheep you want to use, the dog you want to use and the difficulty setting. The difficulty influences the number of Sheep you have to save and the time you get to save them.

Replay: 9/10
It lasts very long because you can play every field again in Training Mode with other dogs, sheep and other difficulty ratings. You also can play through Arrange Mode again to get high level dog or play through the Normal Mode on the different difficult settings.

Story: 8/10
The story is very easy to understand. You can predict most things that are going to happen but that is not a bad thing. The story starts with a couple of Sheep that want to see what is behind the green fields. It is your task to get them back. After that the truck that you get on goes to the wrong ranch and you have to find your way back. You will have to guide your sheep through corn fields, castles, and a couple of other locations before you reach Jan's ranch, your home and the game ends.

Multi player: 0/10
Unfortunately, this game doesn't have a multi player. It would have made the game so much better to be able to play with two sheep dogs in a co-op mode or a time mode to be the first to finish the level.

Overall: 9/10
This game is very interesting. It is very original and deserves this is high score. The only minor side to this game is the sound and the music. I don't count the lack of a multi player because the lack of it doesn't make the game bad.

Rental or buy:
I really advise you to buy this game. It lasts very long because you can play every field again with other dogs, sheep and other difficulty ratings. But you will have to search good to find this game because it is very rare but you probably order it in every European Game Store because Cap Com cancelled the American release, probably because the game didn't sold well in Europe. But that is mostly Cap Com fault because it is hard to find the games in the different stores. This has also a good side, when you find it, it is very cheap.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/20/03, Updated 04/20/03