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Sega Dreamcast Reviews Seaman Ever since its release last year, the Dreamcast name has become synonymous with innovation. Space Channel 5, Chu Chu Rocket, Crazy Taxi, among others, have proven to be some of the most creative games out in the market while Samba De Amigo, 18 Pro Wheeler, Phantasy Star Online, and the like lurk just around the corner. Yet does Innovation + Ambition = A Great Game? We put this equation to the test in Sega X's review of Vivarium's Seaman. For those of you who have been isolated from civilization under a rock for the past year or so, Seaman is a virtual pet fish the gamer must look after and care for. Differentiating itself from the rest of the pack, Seaman employs the latest voice recognition technology, allowing one to actually speak with the creature he is raising. Throughout the game, Seaman evolves through many stages of life, beginning as an egg and through good parenting eventually develops into a frog. You care for your Seaman by feeding, maintaining a comfortable temperature for his tank, and occasionally talking to him (so as to expand his English vocabulary). The process can be tedious and at times frustrating (like real parenting) but your persistence is paid off through Seaman's growth which is reward in itself. From the moment you pop the Seaman disc into your Dreamcast, you realize that this game, or rather experience, is going to be something special. Greeted by the raspy voice of Leonard Nimoy, you are debriefed on the task at hand along with some "background information" on Seaman himself (which you can find at http://www.yoot.com) at which point you proceed to view the tank. Even with the Dreamcast's tremendous graphical prowess, Seaman's visuals remain bland throughout. The aquarium and its contents (rocks, sand) are nothing more than four blocks of texture, setting a mellow yet dreary ambiance. Algae growth or anemones would have been a nice touch, alas, these omissions make for a barren, dismal home for your badmouthed baby. Seaman himself, however, is quite the contrast. Although drab in color, your conniving little friend has eerily realistic facial expressions-his face and eyes alone contain so much expression that his voiced replies could be considered obsolete. His body is, nevertheless, blocky, detracting from the realistic "I'm a Scientist" feel emitted from the game. Where it lacks in eye candy, Seaman makes up in sound. Its lack of music or sound effects of any kind can easily allow the gamer to forget that they are playing a polygon-based game but rather caring for a newly discovered creature. Leonard Nimoy serves as the perfect narrator, his soothing voice welcoming you back to the "experiment," with a thrown in insult or two. In Seaman's early "Gillman" stages, his voice is young and enthusiastic, similar in sound to a character from "The Rugrats." Over time (or rather four days) the animal's once childish voice deepens into a low-pitched monotonous voice oozing sarcasm and wit. A little more sound would've been appreciated (such as grunting noises while eating) although that would've been just the icing on the cake. For the most part, however, the game's sound (or rather lack thereof) only adds to the game's serene experience. And who could forget the arguably biggest draw to Seaman: the voice recognition feature! This, my friends, is innovation. Starting out as a gibberish-babbling baby, your Seaman soon develops a fancy for the English language, eventually being able to speak it fluently. Although the voice recognition can be a little shaky, for the most part it's incredible and leaves much hope for the future. An example of a conversation with Seaman would go as follows: Me: Hi Seaman! Seaman: Greetings and condolences. *grins* Me: Wazaaaaaap? Seaman: What's up? Me: You're looking handsome tonight. Seaman: Goodnight. Me: I said you're handsome. Seaman: Aww shucks, little me? *grins* Me: Are you my friend? Seaman: No, I'm fine. As you can see, Seaman's responses are based mainly on specific words. Take, for example, where I complimented him on how he looked tonight. After hearing the word "night," he immediately assumed I was saying "Goodnight" and leaving him alone. Seaman is also able to ascertain when questions are being asked, and usually answers with a rather generic reply as in the case of my questioning our friendship -- he assumed I was asking if there was anything I could do for him. For the most part, though, it is rather impressive how he can comprehend what I am saying and how I am saying it (nicely, angrily, each having an impact on his attitude) and I can only imagine what heights the sequel's voice recognition will reach. The absolute best aspect of Seaman (and you can't argue this) is the experience. I strongly believe that this game is worth purchasing simply because of the experience-be it the thrill of watching the "Nautilus" release your newly formed baby Gillmen or your Gillman's first word; Seaman is filled with precious moments. Although it may be slow-paced for many (this IS a fish-raising sim, for crying out loud), through perseverance you will grow to love your Seaman. Like Yoot Saito, creator of Seaman said, he created a being that we would hate. Seaman is ugly, he has an attitude, he's stubborn, he even throws his feces at you, but even in spite of this, you'll remain faithful. This hate you have for Seaman creates a passion, an addiction, to see what crazy or cooky things he'll do next. And, as long as you don't play it in very long sessions (as the game can get repetitive with more than three visits a day) you'll find yourself returning to talk with your finned friend on a regular basis. This isn't a Pocket Pikachu we're talking about here-this is one mean beast…but you gotta love him. An ingenious choice by Mr. Saito, indeed. That's not to say, however, that the game isn't without its faults. First of all, slowdown can be found all too often, especially toward the beginning when eight Gillman fill the tank. The slowdown, although not terrible, does detract from the "feel" of the game, letting the harsh reality that this is just a game, and not some scientific experiment conducted by you. This should have been easy enough to fix, as the visuals aren't that complex to start out with, so such a problem is inexcusable. Seaman is NOT the kind of game you should spend playing hours at a time. The only thing you must remember while playing is to keep the tank's air and temperature at decent levels (as well as feed him when prompted), and sadly enough, that's pretty much the entire game. You can always have an occasional conversation with Seaman, but once you realize that he only has so much to say, the interest begins to wear thin. Bringing me to another gripe. When I first picked up Seaman, I expected a game where I would be the parent of a fish-there to teach him, aide him in his growth, and make sure he is healthy and comfortable at all times. Regrettably so, this isn't true. First, to put all the rumors to rest, you CANNOT introduce Seaman to new words, but you rather "unlock" them from a pre-stored library. Heck, one day he was blabbering on in his native tongue and the next he was speaking articulate English. It just doesn't work for me. I completely understand that in this day and age technology still restricts us from being able to "teach" Seaman words, but the rate at which Seaman develops is FAR too fast. I would have liked to introduce Seaman to words before he could begin speaking English better than half the nation. Seaman grows not on the quality of your parenting, but rather as time passes. As long as you are there to feed him and keep him alive, he'll continue to grow. Once you realize this fact, the game itself seems like just that… a game. Building false hope that you are putting your effort into something that is non-existent, the pride that you once felt is now diminishing…it's rather sad. As long as you are able to forget that Seaman is a game, however, you'll be entertained for a long time. So, is Seaman more than just a glorified Tamagotchi? No, not really, but those "glories" certainly make the game enjoyable. Although the game is faulted in several areas (visually, technically, etc.) the experience you get out of actually speaking to your game is priceless. It may not be the best of Dreamcast's games, but is certainly the most innovative and well worth your money. As long as you don't get "obsessed", as Mr. Nimoy would say, you'll enjoy the game… Maybe I just got too emotionally attached to the little critter, go figure. But for a price of 50 bucks WITH a cute little microphone included, Seaman makes for a pretty good deal on Dreamcast. Be sure to rent it though, at least-who knows, maybe you'll get your fill of Seaman from one rental. Its got some great points, but Seaman isn't without some very rough angles either, that will hopefully be improved with the pending sequel. Graphics: 7.9/10 Sound: 8.9/10 Gameplay: 8.4/10 Lastability: 8.6/10 Overall: 8.4/10 John Cochran |
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