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"Tweety:I taw I taw a puddy t.......opps, wrong game"

If you watched the ''Tom and Jerry'' cartoons way back in the 80s, or watched that looney cat Sylvester chasing Speedy Gonzales, this game is somewhat reminiscent of those ''cat chase mouse'' cartoons. Chu chu rocket plays like a combination of action and puzzle games in multiplayer, while offering tough puzzles in single player mode.

Chuchus aren't ordinary mice. We're space mice!
KapuKapus aren't ordinary cats. We're space cats!
Uh, whatever....

For the single player game, you are sort of like a ''mouse god'', or rather, a ''chuchu god'', since the mice are referred to as chuchus. These poor chuchus are lost and confused, and having a limited sense of direction, they can only travel in straight lines and can only go forward, unless, using your wondrous powers as a god, you place an arrow that tells them where to go. The single player game is essentially a puzzle game ONLY. You are given various maps (around 75) which are filled with obstacles, traps, and those space cats called kapukapus (hey, I'm not making this up, they are really called that. Japanese game companies simply adore cute names for simple creatures.). Put it simply, chu chu rocket in single player mode is basically lemmings with different sprites and a top down view.

As in Lemmings, you try to guide your little chuchus to a location, in this case, a rocket. Unlike in Lemmings, you can only alter the direction of travel, by placing arrows (which are limited in number and have preset directions) on the map, and nothing else. The single player game starts paused, so you have plenty of time to plan, plus you can play over and over if you got the wrong ''answer''. Chuchus turn right immediately upon hitting a wall (universal disability affect them, I guess), and so do those kapukapus (apparently everyone who's in this game suffers from the same disease...oh, wait, that includes the player...). Not every stage has those cats, but should they appear, you can alter their route of travel also. If they touch your chuchu..... it becomes kitty chow, and your chuchu becomes a cute little chuchu spirit rising to chuchu heaven... Ooooohhhhh, how cute.....

All right, I'm digressing. As mentioned, there are obstacles and traps. Actually, the only obstacles are walls, and the only trap, besides those dumb cats, are holes. Since this takes place in a ''space port'', dropping into a hole will typically lead you on a journey into outer space. As for the walls.....they're walls. They're blue. They block. They come in various delightful orthogonal shapes. One thing though: in single player, losing ONE chuchu leads to immediate moderatio....I mean immediate expulsion from the realm of chuchu godhood. Take heart in the fact that the cats, despite their size, are just as vulnerable to space exploration, so leading them to holes will help you get rid of them and lead those poor chuchus back to their rocket.

So, single player wise, as mentioned, it's just a puzzle game. The puzzles start of easy, then slowly get harder and harder and require quite a large amount of brain cells to figure out. Entertaining for puzzle fans, but for other gamers, single player mode can be quite boring. And once you solve all the puzzles, that's the end of single player. You won't really want to go back, since you know all the answers already.

So many rats, so little time

The multiplayer aspect of this game is what REALLY makes this game so great. You can square off with 4 players in a free for all contest, or play a 2 vs 2 team cooperatively. In multiplayer, you have an unlimited number of arrows that can be placed in any of the 4 directions (Up, down, left and right, what else can they be?), but can only place 3 at a time. Your opponent gets the same deal, and the winner is the one who gets the most chuchus into his/her rocket before the time runs out. Chuchus continuously spawn from a little round chute, each player/team having their own chute. You try your best to get chuchus into your rocket while preventing your opponents from getting any. Oh, and did I mention that kapukapus spawn from the chute? And that they can enter your opponents' rockets and have a huge chuchu buffet? Deep fried chuchus....yummy.....

For the record, besides being an extremely fun game for a party (protect your Dreamcast controllers: lots of swearing and cursing will occur, and thrown controllers will be a common sight.), you can actually play this game online. While online gaming has been a common sight for PC gamers, console gamers finally get a chance to experience the online thrill. You can taunt your opponent during battle too (and unlike in a party, you won't get bashed. Unless the person actually lives next door). And there's appeal of playing with unknown players all over the world. Players of varying intelligence and skill. The shear thought of that gives one gossebumps, doesn't it...

Another aspect of the multiplayer game is that there are ''random encounters'', where special mice with a question mark above them appear from the chute. These mice can make or break your game, as they cause a variety of effects, like a sudden huge flood of chuchus, a huge flood of kapukapus, switched rockets, increased speed, and so on. They add variety to the game, as well as tension, since your opponent may suddenly get a huge advantage over you, or your advantage over other players may be lost as he sends a huge, hungry cat to your rocket....

Overall, chu chu rocket's multiplayer is entertaining, fun, and exhilarating.

Orange cats. White and blue mice. A chessboard. Lovely graphics, no?

Seriously, the game's graphics are nothing. In fact, if Sonic team was working for Sony, this game would have been on the PS, sans online play. Still, one doesn't really border about graphics in this kind of game. It's a puzzle/action game. What else do you expect?

As for sound, again, nothing remarkable. You get a couple of cutsy tunes that where composed to grate your nerves and ruin your concentration, and the best part about it is that they keep repeating those tracks over and over. I'm sure you'll get the picture... The chuchus go ''squeak'' and the cats go ''mhrawww...''. Yup, that's about it. Wonderful, eh?

Storywise......you'll laugh. It's a really silly, dumb, cutesy and nonsensical story about the sudden, unexplained appearance of a lot of kapukapus and the grand feast that followed. So now the remaining chuchus have to run and escape, and it's up to you, almighty one, to guide these idiots to their rocket. It's only a puzzle game (with loads of multiplayer action), and puzzle games aren't known even for having stories at all.

As for controls....you use the buttons to lay down arrows (for single player, one button, for multiplayer, 4 buttons each representing different directions) while the D pad is used to move the cursor around. The cursor will highlight the box selected. Controls take a while to get used to, but after a while, they will become second nature to you and the game will be a lot more enjoyable.

As for replay.....it's a mixed bag. If you do not intend to go online, then the replay value is extremely low. Upon completing a couple of stages, you get a few bonuses, namely a few different race of rats. Yup, that's it for all the hard work. But.... if you go online to play, the experience will be unbelievable. You'll be hooked so badly, you'll ignore all bodily needs......well, maybe not that bad, but still, online play is fun and addictive.

Concluding thoughts

Chu Chu Rocket, on the whole, is an average single player puzzle game, but it is amazingly fun as an online game. I strongly recommend not buying it for the single player experience, but for the multiplayer experience. If you do not intend to go online, chu chu rocket loses it's appeal rather quickly.

Final Scores:

Gameplay : 7 (single player), 9 (multiplayer)
Graphics : 6
Sound : 5
Extras : 3
Replay : 2 (single player), 10(multiplayer)
Story : 4
Originality : 10
Fun factor : 6(single player), 9(multiplayer)
Controls : 8

Overall : 5 (Single player), 9 (multiplayer), 7 (average).

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/15/01, Updated 11/15/01

Tweety:I taw I taw a puddy t.......opps, wrong game

If you watched the ''Tom and Jerry'' cartoons way back in the 80s, or watched that looney cat Sylvester chasing Speedy Gonzales, this game is somewhat reminiscent of those ''cat chase mouse'' cartoons. Chu chu rocket plays like a combination of action and puzzle games in multiplayer, while offering tough puzzles in single player mode.

Chuchus aren't ordinary mice. We're space mice!
KapuKapus aren't ordinary cats. We're space cats!
Uh, whatever....

For the single player game, you are sort of like a ''mouse god'', or rather, a ''chuchu god'', since the mice are referred to as chuchus. These poor chuchus are lost and confused, and having a limited sense of direction, they can only travel in straight lines and can only go forward, unless, using your wondrous powers as a god, you place an arrow that tells them where to go. The single player game is essentially a puzzle game ONLY. You are given various maps (around 75) which are filled with obstacles, traps, and those space cats called kapukapus (hey, I'm not making this up, they are really called that. Japanese game companies simply adore cute names for simple creatures.). Put it simply, chu chu rocket in single player mode is basically lemmings with different sprites and a top down view.

As in Lemmings, you try to guide your little chuchus to a location, in this case, a rocket. Unlike in Lemmings, you can only alter the direction of travel, by placing arrows (which are limited in number and have preset directions) on the map, and nothing else. The single player game starts paused, so you have plenty of time to plan, plus you can play over and over if you got the wrong ''answer''. Chuchus turn right immediately upon hitting a wall (universal disability affect them, I guess), and so do those kapukapus (apparently everyone who's in this game suffers from the same disease...oh, wait, that includes the player...). Not every stage has those cats, but should they appear, you can alter their route of travel also. If they touch your chuchu..... it becomes kitty chow, and your chuchu becomes a cute little chuchu spirit rising to chuchu heaven... Ooooohhhhh, how cute.....

All right, I'm digressing. As mentioned, there are obstacles and traps. Actually, the only obstacles are walls, and the only trap, besides those dumb cats, are holes. Since this takes place in a ''space port'', dropping into a hole will typically lead you on a journey into outer space. As for the walls.....they're walls. They're blue. They block. They come in various delightful orthogonal shapes. One thing though: in single player, losing ONE chuchu leads to immediate moderatio....I mean immediate expulsion from the realm of chuchu godhood. Take heart in the fact that the cats, despite their size, are just as vulnerable to space exploration, so leading them to holes will help you get rid of them and lead those poor chuchus back to their rocket.

So, single player wise, as mentioned, it's just a puzzle game. The puzzles start of easy, then slowly get harder and harder and require quite a large amount of brain cells to figure out. Entertaining for puzzle fans, but for other gamers, single player mode can be quite boring. And once you solve all the puzzles, that's the end of single player. You won't really want to go back, since you know all the answers already.

So many rats, so little time

The multiplayer aspect of this game is what REALLY makes this game so great. You can square off with 4 players in a free for all contest, or play a 2 vs 2 team cooperatively. In multiplayer, you have an unlimited number of arrows that can be placed in any of the 4 directions (Up, down, left and right, what else can they be?), but can only place 3 at a time. Your opponent gets the same deal, and the winner is the one who gets the most chuchus into his/her rocket before the time runs out. Chuchus continuously spawn from a little round chute, each player/team having their own chute. You try your best to get chuchus into your rocket while preventing your opponents from getting any. Oh, and did I mention that kapukapus spawn from the chute? And that they can enter your opponents' rockets and have a huge chuchu buffet? Deep fried chuchus....yummy.....

For the record, besides being an extremely fun game for a party (protect your Dreamcast controllers: lots of swearing and cursing will occur, and thrown controllers will be a common sight.), you can actually play this game online. While online gaming has been a common sight for PC gamers, console gamers finally get a chance to experience the online thrill. You can taunt your opponent during battle too (and unlike in a party, you won't get bashed. Unless the person actually lives next door). And there's appeal of playing with unknown players all over the world. Players of varying intelligence and skill. The shear thought of that gives one gossebumps, doesn't it...

Another aspect of the multiplayer game is that there are ''random encounters'', where special mice with a question mark above them appear from the chute. These mice can make or break your game, as they cause a variety of effects, like a sudden huge flood of chuchus, a huge flood of kapukapus, switched rockets, increased speed, and so on. They add variety to the game, as well as tension, since your opponent may suddenly get a huge advantage over you, or your advantage over other players may be lost as he sends a huge, hungry cat to your rocket....

Overall, chu chu rocket's multiplayer is entertaining, fun, and exhilarating.

Orange cats. White and blue mice. A chessboard. Lovely graphics, no?

Seriously, the game's graphics are nothing. In fact, if Sonic team was working for Sony, this game would have been on the PS, sans online play. Still, one doesn't really border about graphics in this kind of game. It's a puzzle/action game. What else do you expect?

As for sound, again, nothing remarkable. You get a couple of cutsy tunes that where composed to grate your nerves and ruin your concentration, and the best part about it is that they keep repeating those tracks over and over. I'm sure you'll get the picture... The chuchus go ''squeak'' and the cats go ''mhrawww...''. Yup, that's about it. Wonderful, eh?

Storywise......you'll laugh. It's a really silly, dumb, cutesy and nonsensical story about the sudden, unexplained appearance of a lot of kapukapus and the grand feast that followed. So now the remaining chuchus have to run and escape, and it's up to you, almighty one, to guide these idiots to their rocket. It's only a puzzle game (with loads of multiplayer action), and puzzle games aren't known even for having stories at all.

As for controls....you use the buttons to lay down arrows (for single player, one button, for multiplayer, 4 buttons each representing different directions) while the D pad is used to move the cursor around. The cursor will highlight the box selected. Controls take a while to get used to, but after a while, they will become second nature to you and the game will be a lot more enjoyable.

As for replay.....it's a mixed bag. If you do not intend to go online, then the replay value is extremely low. Upon completing a couple of stages, you get a few bonuses, namely a few different race of rats. Yup, that's it for all the hard work. But.... if you go online to play, the experience will be unbelievable. You'll be hooked so badly, you'll ignore all bodily needs......well, maybe not that bad, but still, online play is fun and addictive.

Concluding thoughts

Chu Chu Rocket, on the whole, is an average single player puzzle game, but it is amazingly fun as an online game. I strongly recommend not buying it for the single player experience, but for the multiplayer experience. If you do not intend to go online, chu chu rocket loses it's appeal rather quickly.

Final Scores:

Gameplay : 7 (single player), 9 (multiplayer)
Graphics : 6
Sound : 5
Extras : 3
Replay : 2 (single player), 10(multiplayer)
Story : 4
Originality : 10
Fun factor : 6(single player), 9(multiplayer)
Controls : 8

Overall : 5 (Single player), 9 (multiplayer), 7 (average).

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/15/01, Updated 11/15/01