Preview:
Chu Chu Rocket!
Game Boy Advance Launch Title
One of Sega’s two launch titles for the GBA, Chu Chu Rocket! is going to be a must-play title. Packing all the features of the Dreamcast version, plus some new additions, this is much more than the simple cat-and-mouse game we all know and love. Multiplayer action has rarely been so good on any system, and Chu Chu Rocket! will make the GBA an excellent value for your multiplayer dollar.
For those unfamiliar with the Dreamcast version of Chu Chu Rocket, here’s a quick rundown: Your goal is to get mice into your rocket so you can launch them off to safety. Game play is conducted on a “board,” and each board is designed differently. Various placements for walls, mouse generators, and rockets give the game an almost infinite variety and provide for lots of replay value. In the standard game, one to four players place arrows on the board to guide the mice, who continue in a straight line and turn right when they hit a wall, into their respective rockets. For extra fun, certain mice make special events occur and there is always the threat of a cat entering your rocket, which will eat about a third of the mice you have collected.
In addition to the multiplayer mode, there are several other game modes that provide an equally good time. The major highlight is the Puzzle Mode, which can be played with one or two players. In this mode, you are presented with a board and a limited number of arrows you can place. You are required to guide all of the mice into the rocket with only that number of arrows. These puzzles can be incredibly difficult and are a whole lot of fun.
Of course, Chu Chu Rocket! also sports a couple of new gameplay features, such as Night Time, Blindfold the Leader, and Four Player Battle Roulette, along with some others. Details about these modes are sketchy, but we welcome any expansion to the Chu Chu format. Also new in the GBA version are a whole lot of boards – over 2500 of them – which should add greatly to the replayability of the game.
You’ll be able to play with up to four player multiplayer with a single cartridge, which is very good news. In addition, you’ll be able to trade custom characters and puzzles, edited on your own GBA, with your buddies via the link cable. I can’t think of a more exciting title for the GBA launch. Chu Chu Rocket! will be an even bigger hit on the GBA than it was on the Dreamcast. If you miss it, you’re just plain missing out.