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Three Dirty Dwarves - SegaSoft
by Nathan Stehle ([email protected])
Lowdown:
Three Dirty Dwarves is SegaSoft's first title for the Sega Saturn,
which I hope is a sign of a fraction of what they can do. This
side-scrolling beat-em up is best described as a cross between Streets of
Rage and Toe Jam & Earl, which doesn't do this game complete justice
either. That being said, I have never laughed so much playing a video
game, which is to say the game is very amusing. If most games had half
the quality of this title, life as a video game player would be vastly
improved. Play mechanics, graphics and sound are all above average, but
neither are they 32-bit cutting edge material. In summary this game is
worth purchasing if you enjoyed Guardian Heroes and other side-scrolling
fighters.
Three Dirty Dwarves represents to me how all games should be done-
meet the gamer's expectation (at the minimum)-which is to be fun. Games
such as these that are solid in all facets of the game are rare, and
unfortunately far between. The last game that impressed me this much was
Legend of Oasis. SegaSoft is setting a good standard, which bodes well
for their future. Playstation owners are reportedly getting this one, and
for those who do not have the financial resources to be able to have both
32-bit systems that is a good thing. Also, Saturn owners have much to
look forward to with SegaSoft now making games, if TDD is any indication.
In TDD, you play the part of the three dwarves: Greg armed with
a baseball bat and baseballs, Taconic who wields a bowling pin and bowling
ball and Corthag who uses a shotgun. Your goal is to free four children
(who summoned you with their imagination from another dimension) from the
weapons research lab where they are being imprisoned. Along the way you
face such enemies as Orcs (common), the Duct Tape Lady and Pit Bully (an
enemy covered with terriers who uses these mutts to attack you). There are
numerous more enemies each with unique attacks, which make this game very
interesting. The levels are side-scrollers mixed with some very creative
encounters with the enemy such as a skull baseball game and some 3D boss
encounters.
Graphics are like playing in a Saturday morning cartoon which is
to say they are not super slick or kewl. The biggest (and only) knock is
the lack of frames of animation for some of the characters, it just seems
a bit choppy at points. I am far from an expert, but it could have been a
little smoother. That being said, the variety of attacks and animations
more than compensate for this shortcoming. Attacks from characters such
as the naked ninja and Duct Tape Lady attack are truly hilarious. The Man
of a Thousand Swords (a New Jersey salesman who snapped) has my vote for
the coolest boss in a video game.
Sounds and music in the game are well done, but fall a bit short
in the variety department. The side-scrolling stages, due to their length
are plagued the most by this flaw. The music is quite catchy however, and
it fits the whacked-out nature of TDD very well. Sounds like the cackle
of an attacking enemy attacker or the firing of Corthag's shotgun are very
crisp and real sounding...a least for a cartoon. The voice acting in the
cinemas is also top-notch, completing the cartoon atmosphere and making
the game extremely amusing. The music is there, but does not overpower
the game sound effects, making for a nice mesh of the two. Only during
boss encounters does the music come to the forefront occasionally.
Gameplay is where TDD excels and sets a standard. The variety of
special moves and ease of execution of these moves by a lone button press
(for all but one) then followed but movement of the character makes the
game accessible for _all_ players. No super-complicated Street Fighter
type moves to have to execute when you are being attacked from all sides
here. Each dwarve has attacks related to his weapon of choice. Greg
uses his baseballs and bat, Taconic uses his pin and bowling ball and
Corthag uses the shotgun. Each of these moves are also parlayed into a
super-move that is called the Morph Dwarve, so if Greg is leading, the
move shoots a large number of baseballs across the screen. Each of the
dwarves' attacks work in a certain way, some are quicker, some are
stronger and some allow you to move out of harm's way faster. Figuring
out what to do is the challenge, but it is not overly difficult. Which
dwarve to use matters more for the boss encounters than any other enemies.
The number of enemies per level is usually 4 or 5 with some mid-boss
creatures occasionally. But from level to level, the enemies really don't
repeat that much, if at all. The boss or special encounters (Man of a
Thousand swords, the dragon, the trolley ride) are all well done and make
for a varied game experience. To kill the Man of a Thousand Swords, you
need to run around on a girder and jump large swords (both swung and
thrown). The dragon is hiding in a building, and you need to demolish the
building and put out his flame. The trolley ride involves driving around
on wooden tracks while destroying and/or avoiding obstacles and killing
enemies in your way. These are some of the unique stages found in TDD,
which keep the game from becoming side-scroller monotony.
The graphics, sound and gameplay all combine for a fun and amusing
experience. The opening and ending cinemas start the game off right and
end it satisfyingly. I have never, EVER laughed so much during a games,
and if you like side-scrolling beat-em-ups, and like a humorous twist,
then this game is worth it. Also, the manual is one of the best I have
see since my first WD game, which makes this game solid in ALL areas, if
not excellent.
Graphics: 8
- + Well-drawn characters with a Saturday morning cartoon feel.
- + Great variety in animations for character movement an attacks
- + Cinemas are well done
- - Rarely is there movement of 3D objects, but when it is there, it could
be a little crisper and smoother
- - A few cases of pixellation (I'm being REALLY picky here)
Sound/Music: 7.5
- + Music is quite catchy, especially the guitar material
- - Music gets repetitive
- + Game sounds are top-notch, fitting the cartoon atmosphere
- + Voice acting in the cinemas well done
Gameplay: 8.5
- + Various stages interspersed throughout the game (non-side-scrollering
stages) are creatively done.
- - The side-scrolling stages could have more variety and hidden stuff
- + Special moves for each dwarve are easy to execute
- - A fair amount of challenge, but could use a few more stages
Lasting Power: 7
- + Great game, if you like side-scrollers
- - A bit short, and it shouldn't be too hard to be for most gamers on
account of the save feature (which is nice for us without hours of free
time) and the unlimited continues. The hard level is definitely hard,
though.
- + Great two player fun
Overall: 7.75
A fun game and worth every penny of the $50 I paid for it
-Nathan Stehle
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