Powerstone is without a doubt a true splendor of gaming ingenious, and not simply because its produced by Capcom. As any fan or knowledgeable gamer knows of the company, their entire lineup for the past 10 years consisted of a series of Street Fighter and Mega Man titles alike. Until the arrival of Playstation, they were typecasted as the company that lost its zest. Naturally, Capcom saw it was inevitable to break from the mainstream of their past and create a new atmosphere for the Dreamcast. Though they've been more exemplar with 2d as demonstrated primarily on the Saturn, they're off to a good start with their flagship title. Take heart die-hard gamers, Capcom has delivered and with a bang!

For starters, Powerstone is literally the sharpest fighting game out there, yes, even sharper than VF3tb on Dreamcast. Take a comparison folks, this game defies arcade resolution! The entire presentation is pretty solid, not something that'll have you jump out of you seat as with Tekken 3, but it can get the adrenaline going somewhat. Powerstone allows you to go against the computer, fight a friend in Vs. mode, and set Options, I didn't see a Training Mode which was quite disappointing since fighting games have made that a standard feature these days. Regardless of this minor quirk, the game is still very enjoyable. The game's premise escapes me (as with the Street Fighter series as of late, but who really pays attention to those things these days?) The characters in the game unfold in the intro segment as a group of fighters who are searching for what are called Powerstones (or at least, that's what I interpreted). Gameplay is pretty simple, but does require a certain amount of time to truly master the aspects. At the matchup screen, you'll have 8 characters to choose from. (Fokker, Ayame, Ryoma, Wang Tang are some of my favorites). As in any fighter, the object is simply to beat your opponent senseless! You and your opponent will be engaging each other on a total 3D environment. In addition, your characters are able to interact with the scenery.

To say that the graphics and sound in this game are excellent would be a slight understatement. For starters, they are truly original, I haven't seen fighting stages this unique since the Tekken and Street Fighter Alpha series was established. You can choose several areas such as an underground cavern, oriental dojo, an abandoned town, and other neat spectacles. All of the detail in the stages are very crisp and textured very well. The characters though are truly rich and look as if it required very little polygon processing power to render them. Visual integrity is truly at it highest in my opinion next to Sonic Adventure. Take a look at Ayame's outfit or the reflections in Ryoma when he transforms into a samurai; the game is simply visually stunning. Music has been a factor Capcom has achieved significant praise and here the result is no different. Many audible tones and gallant beats harmonize in pure musical bliss, it's enough to make me rush out and get the soundtrack once its available. All the sound effects are very sharp and vibrant. There is a number of dialogue spoken throughout the game. The announcer namely who has a much higher appreciation from me because he's not annoying like the one from Zero 3. In fact, the announcer taunts you, no really. A few times, I died, the announcer followed behind my defeat and balked: "Crying?" If that's not enough to incite you to play again, wait until you hear some of his other rants! I gained a lot of enjoyment from this game as it screams the word "fun". Though personally the premise of collecting stones to defeat, your opponent may sound dreary; there are a number of ways to approach the game to ensure a steady degree of replay value. Capcom has taken the liberty to hide a few features as a reward for 'eager gamers'. In short, it's a excellent title to pick up and a great effort from Capcom, the first of what I hope will be many new 3D titles to come.

Gameplay is relatively diverse as the Powerstone features various abilities such as jumping off walls, crawling on ceiling grates, slide on polls, steps, push carts and boxes, even roll on objects like carts and boxes to evade attacks; truly a highly involved game!!! To further aid you in your brutal quest, items such as a flamethrower, bazooka, and a lazer gun to name a few. You can also use combos which are similar to the "Hunter System" from Darkstalkers/MSH. You controls are Punch, Kick, Jump, and what I considered to represent the Action button (used to pick up items or evade). Your combos are somewhat limiting, but you'll find you'll be rewarded for dissecting the system. I've noticed a number of new combos each time with Wang Tang! Characters are also able to initiate reversal moves or escape attacks and throws; this naturally requires key timing. Of course, the primary basis behind defeating your opponent is to naturally collect the Powerstones. When you collect 2 stones, your character can iniate 'EX-type' moves. Collect 3, and your fighting character transforms into a enhanced being that reminds me of something out of anime flicks I've seen. Your character is given a series of 'enhanced' moves and one deadly Super Move which is activated by pressing Punch/Kick simultaneously. Other attacks generally consist of a 'projectile' or evasion move. What's noteworthy about this game is that there's more than one way to defeat your opponent and it's in the best interest to exploit them all. Beginners may simply feel its a mere race to the acquire the Powerstones, but be wary that many attacks when opponents are powered up can be evaded. For this reason, Powerstone does require a measurable degree of depth, and strategy!

A great lineup awaits the American market as Street Fighter Alpha 3 and Marvel vs. Capcom will soon join this remarkable game. Undoubtedly, I forsee a bright future for Capcom; (and they said they couldn't do 3D!)

· · · Bahn