3RRDC PowSto2

After the success of the first game, Capcom goes back into the Power
Stone world to deliver another round of 3D go-anywhere-grab-anything
action. And this time they've added lots of new stuff, from characters,
to weapons, to levels and modes. But not everything from the first
game made the jump. Because of this, a lot of gamers are unsure of
which one to buy as they both have things the other does not. The big
thing about the sequel isn't the amount of weapons or additional
modes; Oh no. It was about it being 4 players baby. Yes, that's right,
the Power Stone series had it's eye on being the ultimate Dreamcast
party game. And you know what folks, it really is one of the best
multiplayer games in existence. So let's find out what made the jump
and what didn't in the second exciting installment of Power Stone!

The story takes place right after the first one. It seems that there is a
floating castle in the sky that comes out of nowhere and the Power
Stone heroes are all magically transported to the castle. Once inside
they have to then try and escape from the weird castle and get back
to their normal everyday lives. A few things of note here. One, Valgas,
the final boss from the first game, does not make an appearance at all
in this game. There is a brand new (non-playable) final boss. Second,
there are no individual endings for the characters, only one generic
one. There's hardly any story in the game, and so the original Power
Stone wins in the story department. There are a few little blurbs of
information in the instruction manual, but nothing really in the game.
This is a crying shame because the characters are so cool and full of
life that I really wish more would have been done with them to expand
on their stories and lives. Maybe next time?

When it comes to modes though, Capcom went and added a bunch to
suit your pleasure. You get the Arcade mode which is you vs the
computers. The higher the difficulty the more computers (up to three)
will fight you. Then there is Original. This is where you can play vs and
choose how many computers and how many humans will play and
which levels you want. Then there is Adventure mode where you
collect items to use in the game. A lot of time will be spent in this mode
to get all 121 different items. There is also a 1-on-1 mode where it is
you vs 1 other opponent.

Adventure mode is the big draw here because the items you find in the
gameplay are tallied up and then that's how many might appear in the
other modes like Original. Also, some items are combined from other
items in the item shop, and thus, you go to the item shop to try and mix
items to make rarer ones. This is a really sweet aspect of the game. If
you and a friend both have the game, you can trade and give items
through the VMU.

The 4 player fighting is pure fun. It's one of my most played DC games
and one of my friend's favorite videogame party multiplayer
experiences (up there with Unreal Tournament and Super Smash
Brothers). It is just pure chaos. There are now a total of 121 different
items to harness and they range from Mega Man's Mega Buster to fire
works to bee hives to roller blades to a naughty magazine and more.
There are even different items that act as costume pieces that you
can customize your character to wear. Mix and match with bunny ears,
cat tails, and much more.

The graphics have gotten a little polish here but now everything is
seen from a much farther away angle to account for the increase in
onscreen characters, so we don't really see the character models up
as close anymore. The levels themselves are good and multi-layered
though. This makes the game very fun when you are fighting on an air
ship, it explodes, you fall towards the ground (while still fighting) and
once you land you can take the tank and blast the computers or try
and launch rocks at them. Other examples are the Egyptian temple
with the rolling ball after you or the space station with the giant alien
at the end that tries to kill you.

In addition to the original eight Power Stone fighters there are 4 new
fighters that all fit well at home in the crazy mix; Accel the cowboy,
Pete the little boy, Julia the beautiful British girl, and Gourmand the
chef add even more zaniness and style to the series. Really, a nice set
of characters. Their Power Stone forms (see my first review) are just as
cool as the other characters, from turning into dinosaurs to robots.
Neat stuff.

Audio wise, the music is good and somewhat memorable, but I liked
the first Power Stone's beats just a little more. All the characters still
maintain their original Japanese voice actors and you can listen to the
music and voices in sound test just like in the first game. The
announcer is much easier to understand in this game and the voice is
just as memorable. Overall some good stuff, but just a pinch below the
original.

With all of the glory of the 4 player battles, the item finding Adventure
mode, and then the three hidden levels and the two secret characters
(Pride and Mel), there is plenty here to keep you coming back for more.
Adventure mode will take awhile for you to get all the items made in
the item shop, and when you do, you'll be too busy playing 4 player
mode to even notice.

But not all is well. First Kraken and Valgas from the first game are not
playable. There are no VMU mini games to speak of here, unlike the
three in the original. No hidden first-person battle. And no endings! So
if these things seem like to much to give up you may want to give
Power Stone 1 a look first. There are two bosses to fight in this game:
the mid-boss Pharaoh Walker and the final boss Dr. Erode. Both are not
playable.

This is just one of those games that my friends always bring up when
talking about the Dreamcast. I don't blame them either; it's a great
game. I have so many fond memories of playing this for hours with
three close friends, and while in recent memory we haven't played the
stone for a while, it definitely got its price tag paid off. So if you're
wondering which power stone to get, I'd say for multiplayer fun the
sequel is the one to own. But after you get that make sure you get the
first one as it has stuff that isn't in the sequel. Had this one had VMU
mini games, the characters from the first game, and the most
important factor-endings-then it would have almost achieved a perfect
score. But for what it's worth this is one stone that you don't wanna
pass!

Review by: Orochi Sonic