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The original Powerstone was one of the Dreamcast’s launch titles in October 1999. A year on and doesit still have what it takes to compete now the PS2 is snapping at the console’s heels?Essentially, Powerstone 2 is like the 1980s ZX Spectrum classic “Target Renegade” and the arcade’s“Double Dragon” but with a futuristic bent, with scenes extending over more than one arena andyou’re forced to move on. Scenarios include fighting on a plane that breaks up piece by piece until itcompletely falls out of the sky and running away from a huge boulder Indiana Jones-style or facebeing crushed. Many of them allow you to jump about the screen, launching yourself off high ledgesand landing on your opponents, like an even more violent version of WWF, although it can get veryrepetitive if you play it too much.
Various game modes are available: “1-on-1”, Arcade – which places four people onscreen and the lasttwo to survive go through to the next level, Original mode – up to four people, allowing a choice of one against three or 2-on-2, plus a Co-operative mode which stops a player from hurting his partner.Finally, the Adventure mode has the inclusion of an item shop. After collecting items during a gameyou can combine them to form new ones. Also, Material Cards (eg. Iron, Oil) and Essence Cards can be combined with themselves or other items to bring about the same effect, although a Suprise Cardcan introduce a mutation to an item and a Copy Card will produce multiple versions of it.
Many weapons and pieces of scenery are there for the picking up and shooting/throwing at the baddies.I favoured the mallet, the gun and the mini-turrets. Sometimes when you throw something at theenemy, they actually catch it and use it back on you!
The graphics are spectacular. They move very fast, are lifelike and colourful and the arena is movedaround in an attempt to keep up with the action, but when there’s four people onscreen banging awayat each other it gets overbearing and you lose track of where you are and what’s going on. I foundsome enemies creating electrical rainstorms out of nothing and my character was kept inside amaelstrom of madness for a good ten seconds before he died, leaving me helpless. The sound is equallyexcitable. It’s an exercise in being lively and loud as the mele ensues and the neighbours will be sureto bang on your door if you have a blast at night.
Other features are included such as the ability to create a “Mini Book” on your VMU, which keepstrack all the items you’ve saved on it, while Decorative Items created earlier can be adapted to makeyour fighting clothes rather dapper.
Overall: 3½/5
This review was on Freeloader.com before they closed.
Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2000.
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.