Product Description

Brand New and Sealed Sega Dreamcast Game. Backed by a 45-day guarantee.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5645 in Video Games
• Model: 51049
• Released on: 2000-03-07
• ESRB Rating: Rating Pending
• Platform: Sega Dreamcast
• Dimensions: .28 pounds

Features

• Addictive action puzzle game
• Help mice escape the menacing cats
• Over 75 challenging levels
• Design your own puzzle levels

GameSpot Review
Controlled madness is what great puzzle games are made of. When frenzy is harnessed then unleashed - that's where the competition is fiercest and the moments tensest. The rewards are also the greatest. Sonic Team has tapped into the power of the ancient animosity between mouse and cat, added a dash of technoamphetamine, and wrought Chu-Chu Rocket - the most violent game senators won't try to ban - upon the world. You might be skeptical. It's natural for everyone but the rabid niche to look askance at these characters - the delirious orange bubble of the neko (cat) and the pasty, panicked blobs of the nezumi (mice) - and wonder what Sonic Team is wasting its time on when it could be making sequels to Sonic Adventure or NiGHTS. The answer is: the best multiplayer puzzle game we've seen in years. The presentation might be simple, and the game might lack the bells and whistles we crave from that still-shiny Dreamcast, but the solidity of this game cannot be denied. The premise is simple.It should only take you a few moments to learn this game, which is the hook of all great puzzlers. The playfield contains rockets (a target) and a generator (which releases mice). The point of the game is to shuttle mice into your rocket, and when the time runs out, the person with the most mice wins. How do you accomplish this? You lay arrow tiles on the ground, and any character walking across an arrow tile will immediately switch direction and go the way it points. While mice contribute to your score (which is, in fact, just the number of mice you have in your rocket), cats detract from your score by consuming a percentage of the mice in your rocket. Cats will also eat any mice in their path. Mixing it up even more are the mystery mice, which are pink in color - whenever they enter your ship, a random effect occurs. The mouse or cat population might skyrocket, for example, or the rockets might switch places - not to mention that things might slow down, speed up, or freeze momentarily; cats might be given to the three unlucky competitors who had not picked up the pink mouse; or that other random circumstances might happen, accompanied by the high-pitched voice of a girl screaming her lungs out. In addition to this mode, which can be played by up to four people (empty slots are invariably taken up by CPU players), there's a team version, where you pair off in twos. There is also a puzzle mode, where you're given a limited number of tiles and then you must rescue all the mice. Your brain hasn't experienced this sort of pain since the SAT. You can even design your own puzzles in edit mode. Let's not forget challenge mode, a timed mouse-rescue exercise that can be played by one or two players, and what could've been the crowning gem of Chu-Chu Rocket, the network mode. Unfortunately, due to the high lag involved in a modem-based network game, this mode does not live up to the potential it had. As the game sometimes warns you during the inordinately long wait between starting an online game and entering one, it takes longer to put down arrows in an online game. Basically, you'll be waiting between one and five seconds for your arrow tiles to show up after you plunk 'em down - this can lead to some extremely frustrating moments. Chu-Chu is definitely better with a room full of friends than it is played over the internet. The graphics in Chu-Chu are basic, and while it's all polygonal, there's ultimately a 2D experience to be had - but if you're quibbling over the graphics you're probably too self-conscious to enjoy a game that involves cats and mice. The music is a great mix of jungle and funky Sonic Team goodness - the kind of bouncy tunes Sonic Adventure should've had more of. Hyperactive grinds and chirpy game music mesh, and it's so good. The control is simple and sensible, and you won't be complaining or getting lost. In short, Sonic Team has created a party experience for the ages - like Bomberman, the best idea is to grab a bunch of friends and go head-to-head. While you might not get a chance to go network, the discount pricing and simplistic interface means you can plunk even your most recalcitrant nongaming friends in front of this game, and they'll be sucked into the Chu-Chuverse. The only black mark is the lag in network mode, and that's more an inconvenience than a misery. Hopefully Sega's proposed cable modem interface will alleviate this. That being said, if you like combative puzzlers, Chu-Chu is definitely a rocket you won't want to miss. --Christian Nutt
--Copyright ©1998 GameSpot Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of GameSpot is prohibited.

Customer Reviews

Oh yes, a new era has begun.
Yes, It is true! Sega has released its VERY FIRST online game! This game utilizes complete on-line gaming with people from ALL over the world! This simple, yet VERY addicting game is made by the one and only, Sonic Team! Sonic Team has brought you titles for the DC such as: Sonic Adventure, and Chu Chu Rocket! I preordered my copy already, and i have the Japanese version, if you are a DC owner you MUST buy this game! Besides, $29.99, what can you lose? NOTHING! :)

Wonderfully addictive puzzle game! A classic.
This game is incredibly simple yet dangerously addictive... Basically it is a game of cat and mouse; you have a rocket positioned on the game field and you have to lead 'chu chu's (mice) to your rocket by placing arrows for them to follow. If you (or your opponents) lead a 'kapu kapu' (cat) into your rocket, you lose a third of all the mice you have collected so far. Whoever has the most mice after three minutes wins. Throw in the fact that some mice trigger special events (mouse mania, cat mania, speed up, etc.) and also that you can only place three directional arrows at a time and you have a fantastic, fast-paced puzzle/party game that should be in any self-respecting Dreamcast owner's selection. The best moments in this game are those panic-stricken moments when you have 10 seconds left and you're losing by 100 mice. Can you lead that cat to the winning rocket in time and take the lead? Only one way to find out...

While the game has brilliant puzzle and challege modes that will keep you occupied for a while, the brilliance of the game lies in it's multiplayer modes. Play with up to four players (two teams of two or four single players) on one Dreamcast for ultimate party fun (and black eyes, if it gets out of hand, and it usually does!) or, if you can't persuade your friends to join you, play with three other people online. The online play is excellent. Lag is definitely a factor, but you just have to get used to the fact that there is a delay and treat it as a challenge to think ahead. The online menu interface is very simple to use, and it is easy to find and play your friends up in North Dakota or out in Oklahoma. The server lets Japanese and American players play simultaneously, and surprisingly the lag is no different to when all players are local. Sadly, there is now a slew of other online games, which means interest in Chu Chu Rocket (a pioneer in Dreamcast online gaming) is waning. There are a loyal group of followers who play online, however, and it isn't too difficult to get a game or two, especially in the evening when the server is at its busiest. During the day the chances of finding someone to play a game is remote, although if you hang around for a few minutes you can usually bump into a lost soul from Tokyo who's willing to take you on. There is a ranking table for online players, but you'll have to win over 6000 games if you want to take the #1 spot!

You can still enjoy the multiplayer mode on your own using the computer AI, which is generally very intelligent. You can set the level of difficulty to suit your skill level.

The puzzle mode should not be overlooked, as it has some very interesting (and frustrating!) puzzles to complete. And if the many puzzles aren't enough for you (I'm at #79 and still going!) then you can make your own. If you think they're good enough you can upload them onto the Internet for other players to dowload and try, and of course you can download other people's puzzles.

There is also a 'stage challenge' mode where you have to finish 24 challenges as fast as possible. This is much easier if you persuade a friend to help you. You can upload your times onto the Internet to see how you rank in the world, but don't expect to see your name near the top unless you're prepared to spend a lot of time perfecting each challenge.

The graphics of the game are quite sufficient. They're simplistic and colorful; they are in full 3D, too. Although they aren't exactly pushing the Dreamcast to its limits, they are perfect for the game. One bonus is that the game only uses 3 blocks of your VMU memory card space, so you can use those precious 197 remaining blocks to save those VMU-hungry games in your collection.

This game is well worth the money if puzzle/multiplayer games are your thing. If you hate all puzzle games then don't bother, but if you are looking for a departure from your usual Dreamcast gaming then you will undoubtedly find this an enjoyable game to own. It simply oozes fun all over, something many newer games lack. Go for it, you won't be disappointed as long as you don't expect an earth-shattering gaming experience. If you want a simple, frenetic game to pop into your Dreamcast every now and then and relieve stress, this is a must-have.

this game ROCKS
This game is very easy to learn, the rules are simple. The game play is great! 1 player, the puzzle mode starts out simple, gets a little more difficult, but in MANIA mode, it is pretty hard!

2 player, you can play cooperative, and this isn't so challenging. You can also play competitive, and this is just crazy!

4 player is simply MINDBLOWING. It becomes extremely intense and brings out the most selfish people in all of us (be prepared). Loyalties shift, 3 gang up on 1, etc. etc. This is the BEST aspect of the game.

a must buy for ANY dreamcast owner!