Quake 3 Arena is one of the best releases available for your Dreamcast
In Quake 3's case for the Sega Dreamcast, one of the most common games for the system, it is hard not to say no to what quality is on offer in this version of the now legendary multiplayer shooter. The first thing that draws everyone in is the online play. The Dreamcast has this. The second thing that draws everyone in is the graphics. The Dreamcast has this. And finally, but most importantly the third final ingredient for an ultimate game is the cool-o-meter. The Dreamcast goes off the scale it is that high.
Quake 3 Arena on the DC does well to restore the PC game's brilliance on the 128 bit powerhouse. So much so that a few extra features have been added in just for good measure. Raster have added a wealth of new maps, new layout and new single player mode to suit the average DC player. They've done well to include support of the VMU (which even has a little mini-game you can unlock further in Quake 3) and they even remembered to stick in all of the guns with most of the levels.
Just to make sure everyone knows the game. Arena was a first person shooter that pitted you against the world in many different game modes such as deathmatch, capture the flag, team deathmatch, etc, etc. While this may sound a little standard now, for Quake 3 back in 1999 it was jaw-dropping stuff, and in a sense, it still is. Fragging Yard is still as crazy as a map could've been then as it is now. The rail gun never grows old in it's ability to grab cheap kills and using the melee weapon to "humiliate" your opponents is about is exciting as it gets.
Apologies to non ID fans who are unaware of these guns, but the Quake series was renowned for it's well designed set of weapons. Shotguns, machine guns, plasma rifles, all make an appearance in Quake 3 which is all good. The grand-daddy of them all, the BFG, also makes a return for any of those big gun fans out there.
The visuals in Quake 3 are very close to the higher settings in the PC version. There is a little more optimisation in the design but levels can still have a good few bots and special effects playing with no real hassle. As far as the frame-rate is concerned, it is mainly smooth. There is very occasional FPS drop when action becomes intense, however the game is still very playable even at around 30-20 frames per second.
It probably goes without saying by this point that the levels themselves look outstanding, even when the game was a year old on Dreamcast. The gothic and depressing looks of each levels, trademark of the Quake series, are pleasant and present. Each character looks beautifully detailed and original, with a few classic ID characters, such as Doom and Ranger, making appearances in this outing.
Action and adventure really isn't slim in Quake 3 Arena. If you have online play, the game's experience is likely to intense, even now (servers were still apparently running when this review was written). With the single player in Quake 3 however, the game is fun and frantic granted you are accustomed to the chosen control scheme of the controller.
Unfortunately as one of the flaws of Quake 3, the controller is quite difficult to grasp comfortably in default settings, unless you're left handed. The controls can be changed but this makes little difference and isn't as pin-point or precise as you'd expect. Thankfully though, Sega did release keyboards and mice for Dreamcast, and a few third-party companies have their own versions of these too.
This makes playing the game much easier and the game feels more professional this way. On a side note, the DC keyboard and mouse are both worthwhile products to buy whenever the opportunity arises to do so. These devices work with more than a few DC games and allow for more convenient play in games.
Looking at the other modes, there is a splitscreen mode, which unless everyone is suited to using controllers would be a blast (sadly this isn't so) and there is an off-line play mode where you can practice your skills against AI opponents of your chosen skill level and stage. Otherwise though, that is it. The sound of Quake 3 is also good but really nothing special, the game features heavy rock and a demonic announcer but they're never stretched out enough to annoy the player.
If you have online play Quake 3 is bound to be a lengthy game, although it is sadly a little short if this isn't possible. The game does have replay value though and the extra challenge can be in finding more secrets and unlockables as well as improving your own skills in other ways. Perhaps torturing yourself with the Dreamcast controller until you're an expert with it would make the game at least a little bit longer.
Fortunately, for the price expected to be paid anyway, there isn't much to gamble when thinking about getting this game. And summing this review up, Quake 3 Arena is one of the best games to find for your Dreamcast. Picking it up is little to none of an issue and neither is finding a keyboard or mouse to play with on the game either.
While finding it in a store without the keyboard or mouse would make it a little hard to recommend, it is still by far the best game for value on Dreamcast besides the famous Sonic Adventure and the critically overwhelming Soul Calibur. Go find it!