Dreamcast

Our favorite level is Windy Valley, which requires you to survive the stormy perils of a tremendous tornado. This tyrant of nature chases you relentlessly before ultimately sucking you into the air and up through its eye. During the chase, the tornado manages to tear up just about everything on the screen. This dizzying visual spectacle moves so fast that you will literally hold on to the game controller for dear life.

Assuming you survive the tornado, there are several more challenging areas to conquer, including a level that requires you to snowboard directly in the path of a fast-approaching avalanche. During the Emerald Coast level, you will race across a precarious dock as a killer whale attacks from below, destroying the wood planks underneath your feet while you attempt to outrun the crazed creature.

We also liked the numerous mini-games scattered throughout this title. When you least expect it, Sonic Adventure tosses in some old-fashioned arcade action, such as pinball or bumper car racing. In between, you can raise virtual pets, known in the game as "Chao." These characters, which are saved using the optional Visual Memory Unit (VMU), can be combined with other Chao characters exchanged between friends or downloaded via the Internet.

Gamers looking to show off the strong processing power of the 128-bit Dreamcast will definitely want to pick up this title. Simply put, Sonic Adventure's graphics surpass those of any other game currently available on any home video game system. Let the Sonic assault begin. --Brett Atwood

Pros:

• Strong replay value
• Stunning graphics
• Bonus virtual pet game
• Six different game characters

Cons:

• May be too fast-moving for some players
• Awkward camera angles can inhibit gameplay in some areas

Jet Grind Radio's gameplay has some of the feel of Crazy Taxi. As you skate, you see little floating arrows that indicate where you should go (and where you should be tagging). Also, like in Crazy Taxi, the pace of the game is absolutely nonstop. There is moving traffic in the street, and nearly everything can be jumped, hopped, or ground. Underscoring all of this action is a DJ at the local hip-hop station, who spins cool tunes while you tear up Little Tokyoto.

The game starts out with a training course that's designed to bring you up to speed. Pay good attention to this section; it teaches you the basics, and you're tested on one of the lessons right away. Learning how to hop over obstacles while keeping a rail grind going is particularly helpful.

After graduating into the real game, you have the option of going it cool or easing up and figuring out how to do the flips, splits, and other midair antics that make this game so much fun. Once your skating skills are set, you'll learn the spray-can side of things. You pick up cans of paint as you maneuver around (keep your eyes open--some cans are placed in those hard-to-reach places, so that you'll have to catch serious air to get them). After securing your fill, use the left trigger and the analog to spray as you pass by areas that have been indicated by the arrows.

The game's tunes are right on schedule. Much of the Japanese soundtrack has been

Amazon.com Product Description:
In the 21st century, the Tokyoto city government bans kids from expressing themselves in any way. Only three things keep their spirits alive: Overdriver magnetic-motor skates, graffiti, and a pirate-radio broadcast that's called Jet Grind Radio. Explore and, uh, decorate three fully interactive worlds in which traffic moves at real time and pedestrians wander the streets. Watch out for police who'll want to nab you for breaking the law, and rival crews that want to deface your artwork. The "Cartoon Dimension" art style gives the game the appearance of a 2-D comic, but the characters move through it in complete 3-D. Animations run at 30 frames per second. Ten characters are available at the outset, each of which has its own style and abilities.

• dreamcase

• Addictive action puzzle game
• Over 75 challenging levels

• Explore the vast 3D world of Nosgoth
• Over 1000 cinematics

Sonic Shuffle, as it's known, easily could have been called Sonic Party, because of the countless similarities between it and the Nintendo title. Players move from space to space--going after Precioustones (instead of stars), collecting rings along the way (instead of coins), and participating in minigames (same for both). As an added twist, characters also get into card battles with monsters, à la Pokémon.

Unfortunately, the minigames in Sonic Shuffle are painfully uninspired and frequently un-fun. Also, players are forced to sit through battles between the computer and the computer. The fact that four can play is a plus; but, on the whole, this one's just a pretender to the throne. --Robb Guido

Pros:

• Colorful graphics

• Minigames are uninspired and un-fun