Reviewed
03.04.2000
Publisher
Sega
Developer
Sega
Format
GD
Origin
Domestic
Available
Feb.
20, 2000 (USA)
Exclusive
Yes
Difficulty
Normal
Dimensions
2D
View
Side
Genre
Puzzle
Players
1-4
Options
Backup
4
Internet
VGA
Box
Requires
n/a
Importable
n/a |
INTRO:
> This is a puzzle game that is designed to be played by both Dreamcast
and PC players.
Both the PC/Windows and
Dreamcast versions are available now (see Bottom line for the download
URL). The Dreamcast version features both online and split screen
multi-player joy. Unfortunately, it's not yet written for Mac users,
but a Mac version is supposedly in the works.
> Instead of having multi-colored blocks/gems/whatever falling from the
sky, you start out with a screen filled with different colored swirls.
By clicking on a Swirl, any others of the same color that are directly
next to it (touching diagonally doesn't count) all become white.
Clicking again makes them disappear. The more that connect, the larger
your bonus. You can eliminate single swirls, but you get a minus 100 point
penalty for doing so. It features Practice, Level, Versus, and Email
modes. You and a friend can play, with your moves being sent back and forth
through your email program.
GRAPHICS:
> Simplistic, yet pleasing. There is no eye candy here. What you
get is four different colored swirls. That's it. This games isn't going
to push your Pentiums, Acceleration cards, or SH-4's to any great
heights. But it's a puzzle
game, so it doesn't need to.
CONTROL:
> You use the mouse (PC) or control pad (DC) to move around and
click once to highlight your chosen Swirl(s). Click again to make them
disappear. Simple and effective.
SOUND:
> (PC version) Being that this is a 2.5 meg download, there isn't
much to it, and that is quite apparent in the sound department. There is
no music, which I don't see as a big deal. Rather there be none than some
of the junk that is tacked on to some of the games out there. When
you make a combo, there is some audience reaction. The bigger the combo,
the more "oohs", "ahhs", and applause you receive. Other than that, and
a little intro/outro effect, there is no sound.
> (DC version) It has some decent background tunes that tend to get repetitive.
At least what you hear isn't offensive. As with the PC version, the
effects are based on the size of your combo.
FUN:
> Finally, the part that really matters. Puzzle games generally
have to meet two criteria to be worth anything: 1) the premise has to be
simple and easily picked up, so anybody walking by could have a basic understanding
of the gameplay, and 2) be so frigging deep, that one doesn't loose interest
after a few rounds of play. Does Sega Swirl meet these criteria?
You betcha! There is a lot of strategy involved in trying to get
your large combos, column bonuses, and keeping your number of singles down.
It's not going to wow you with it's graphical/ aural achievements. There
aren't any. But there is one heck of an addicting game here. It doesn't
hurt that it's free.... It's very easy to let the minutes slip into
hours here. It's that good.
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