The first change you'll notice is the US logo. The dash between the two Chu's has been eliminated, and an exclamation point has been slapped onto the end, thus changing the title from "Chu-Chu Rocket" to "ChuChu Rocket!" (Yeah, I notice these things.) But heck with that, we'll just continue referring to it as ChuČ.

   Pop in the demo disc, select ChuChu Rocket! from the menu, and the first thing to flash onto the screen is the Sonic Team splash (er...unless you count the Sega logo, of course). It's the old "teaser" logo from back when the Team's "Enjoy Four" collection was unveiled in August (the one that looks like the cartoon text bubble). "Sonikku Teimu!" is chanted in a high-pitched female voice, although it's not the same one as in previous ST games. There's no Ring chimes of any sort, either.

   The title screen features the ChuChu Rocket! logo along with the sobering "Trial Edition" reminder. You'll note a bunch of cute pics being streamed into your VMU (I just love those), including: the Japanese Chu-Chu Rocket! logo, a ChuChu running for its sorry life, a KapuKapu excercising its massive maw, and "ChuČ" written in hiragana.

   The menu screen lists the following features: Help, 4P Battle, Team Battle, Stage Challenge, Puzzle, Puzzle Edit, Network, Homepage, and Options. Of those, only four are accessible in this demo: Help, 4P Battle, Puzzle, and Puzzle Edit.

   Help dials 911 via the Dreamcast modem and signals a rescue team to rush over to your home. Then they wheel you off when you've been inflicted with ChuChu Fever. Okay, actually, it just explains the game's rules and control scheme in a set of easy-to-understand visual instructions.

   4P Battle gives you a small sample of the frantic four-player battle mode. Very small. For one thing, the parameters are secured at two human players and two computer-controlled opponents. You can view a range of difficulty settings to set the AI opponents to: Weak, Hates Cats, Loves Mice, Tough, or Random. But once again, you can't actually select which option you want. It's stuck on the "Weak" setting, like it or not. Okay, so you're all set with a second human opponent and the two idiot computer players ("It's Thinking" indeed)...what comes next? Pure insanity. The spawn points spew ChuChus and KapuKapus out at an obscene rate, and it's a mind-bending clash of wits to herd the mice into your rocket and send the cats away, while simultaneously trying to reverse that scenario on your opponents. You can only place three arrow tiles at a time, so they should be used wisely.

   Players are color-coded (blue, yellow, red, and green) and the voices have been changed to English, but freak not: they're not nearly as irritating as you'd expect.

   The first stage is playable in its entirety, after which you move on to the second board for 30 seconds or so. At that point, the game fades out and you get the ad for the full version. After playing half a dozen rounds, I still don't know what to think. The whole thing moves so darn fast, you whip through the demo in no time at all and it's really impossible to make an accurate judgement.

   Puzzle gives you access to the first five stages of the Puzzle Mode, playable in any order. The object is to direct the Chu-Chus to safety (the Rockets) using only the allotted arrow tiles. Once you've placed your tiles and think you've got it, pull the R trigger to set the board in motion and view the fate you have created for the rapid rodents. After you've completed a board, a check mark appears on it in the stage-select screen. This mode reminds me of the old NES brain-teaser Kickle Cubicle more than anything else. I'm not big on puzzlers of this nature, personally, but it's adequately entertaining. I can picture myself whiling away some otherwise eventless afternoons in this mode. I'd better keep a FAQ handy, though...there are some lulus in there, and it was all I could do just to solve the five demo puzzles...

   The Puzzle Edit is, of course, where you concoct your own ChuChu churning boards to sic on your comrades. All the features are active in this demo, but you can't save anything...so feel free to fool around, but stow your true genius for the full version.

   In tune with the general theme of the game, the graphics are simple and never strive to blow your mind, but at the same time are pleasant and easy on the eyes. Likewise for the music, which is pleasant and suiting the game's mood, but don't expect MMV to release a Chu2 soundtrack anytime soon. (Admittedly, though, I can perceive it as growing irritating during extended Puzzle mode sessions...)

   All in all, if the demo is any indication, ChuČ really will be as good as they say and a worthy addition to the expanding Sonic Team repetoire. Can't wait to get my hands on the full version, and here's hoping they pull a Sonic and include the original Japanese voices.

   Also included in the mag is a brief Q&A with the Man (note: henceforth on this site, Yuji Naka will be referred to simply as "the Man"). The short interview is part of a "DC Heroes" feature, which also includes interviews with the likes of Yu Suzuki (big cheese at AM2), Tetsuya Mizuguchi (the Space Channel 5 dude), Yoshiko Okamoto (head of R&D at Capcom), and Gergely Csaszar (the man behind Ecco 3), among others. In it, Naka-san predicts the trend of DC games in 2000, making the bold statement that over 90% will use online features. He goes on to reveal that his most anticipated title in 2K is his own Phantasy Star Online (which I daresay holds true for most of us), and that he's currently enjoying some quality time with Shenmue. Finally, he reinstates his love of originality in games, and expresses disappointment in 2000's height of technology. (Oh well, perhaps by 3K we'll get the flying cars and robot maids and stuff.)

   Oh yeah...completely unrelated to ChuČ... In the Sega Swirl game, both Shinobu Toyoda and Richard Jaques are listed among the "special thanks" names. If you don't know who they are, then this tidbit ain't important enough for you to care about anyway... Remember, that's issue #4 of DCM, for March 2000. It hits the shelves any day now; it's the one with Ulala on the cover.

   -- Green Gibbon!

Compiled and arranged by Jared "Green Gibbon!" Matte. Hosting provided by Emulation Zone and Emulation World.