Dennis the Kangaroo Hands-On

Dennis the kangaroo was shown behind closed doors at E3, running only on the PC platform. The Titus representative confirmed, however, that the game is currently being ported to the Dreamcast console as well. In fact, instead of doing a straight port, Titus is looking into specific enhancements for the DC version of the game to take advantage of the console's advanced graphics engine.

The game itself is a straight action title with tons of levels. You take control of a kangaroo that jumps and punches his way through most of the game's levels. The object is to collect as many coins as possible as you make your way through the game. One cool feature is the ability to create checkpoints at any location. At the beginning of each level, Dennis has a few checkpoint flags that can be placed anywhere in that area. So, if you come up to what looks like a tough section, you can place a checkpoint flag before that area and return to it if you're killed. There are also specific levels throughout the game where you can snowboard, hang glide, and Jet Ski - adding diversity to the in-game action. Although the exact number of levels is yet to be confirmed, the final version of the game could end up with over 30 unique levels in all.

The game's environments are wacky and colorful, with the surroundings adorned in bright colors such as green, red, and blue. The characters, other than our yellow kangaroo, are also crazy concoctions, ranging from purple monsters with giant heads to malicious snowmen with brooms. For the most part, the camera uses a behind-the-back 3D perspective, but there are some side-scrolling sections as well.

Dennis the Kangaroo, being developed by X-Ray, is scheduled for release in October.