Power Stone

Power Stone features characters from the 19th century battling in 3D arenas filled with objects that can be hurled at the opponent. There are eight characters to choose from with a possibility of more being unlocked or at least added when the game comes home to the Dreamcast. The fighters include Fokker (a boxing English nobleman), Ryoma (a samurai warrior),

Gun Rock (a Brazilian coal miner). Rouge (a flame-wielding Arabian fortune teller), Jack (a knife-toting criminal), Wang Tang (a fast Chinese martial artist), Galuda (a Native American wrestler) and finally Ayame (a deadly ninja).

The controls are simple. You use the joystick to freely maneuver around the 3D environment, while three buttons are used to punch, kick and jump. You'll need to jump, not only for jumping attacks but also for hopping up onto objects or up onto the platforms of varying heights. One of the big attractions of Power Stone is the level of interaction you have with the 3D environments. You can grab tables, chairs and just about anything you can think of to use as a weapon. Traditional weapons like flamethrowers. bazookas and guns can be found in little golden chests (a key strategy when playing is to head for one of these chests right away to get yourself a weapon).

The environments are smaller, which seems to keep the action going since the two fighters never get very far apart.

Graphically, the game is beautiful, with a distinct 3D cartoon look. The characters and other 3D objects within the environments all look incredibly detailed, the fighters move with nearly flawless animation, and great lighting effects complement it nicely. Let's hope for a quick and smooth home conversion for the Dreamcast.

MANUFACTURER - Capcom

THEME - Fighting

NUMBER OF PLAYERS - 1 or 2