Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram
- August 17, 2000 00:00 AM PST
Strap yourselves in, Dreamcast jockeys. Like it or not, Virtual On is here without the trademark Twin Sticks.
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Both Sticks Blazing
For those not in the know about Virtual On, the game relies on a pair of joysticks, used much like tank controls. Pushing both sticks forward makes your mech walk forward, both outward controls jumps, one forward and one back turns, and so on. The Twin Sticks are a rare commodity in the US and the Dreamcast controller is not capable of reproducing this paragon of mech control, despite Sega's best efforts. As a result, the control suffers greatly.
Here's the surprise of the week, though: the game is still fun without the twin sticks. It's still like trying to play Soul Calibur with the fishing controller-it's workable, but it's not the way the game was meant to be played. The use of both the D-pad and the Analog stick means that rotation is a chore, and rather than simply walking and rotating to face the enemy, jumping and dashing become a necessity, sacrificing method for speed. However, the game remains fundamentally the same-a pair of Virtuaroids zoom around at breakneck speeds and unleash barrages of solid death at each other, until one falls apart.
Twin sticks aside, the game is excellent. The Virtuaroids look sleek, and apart from an inexplicably choppy instant replay, the frame rate never suffers from all of the bullets, bombs, and dragons flying about. The sound is clean and pleasantly subdued, though the sounds of weapon fire can become repetitive. Of course, the multiplayer is as fun as you can get, with various Turbo moves available to make your fellow Virtuaroid pilot squeal in fear.
Dash and Shoot, Run and Hide
Overall, Virtual On is a must buy-if you have the Twin Sticks. If not, the game will still be fun, but it will not feel quite right to arcade veterans.
