TOBAL NO.1

Okay, I'll admit it. I wouldn't have bought Tobal No.1 without the Final
Fantasy VII demo included. Of course, that would have been my loss,
because it's an incredible game in it's own right.

The opening animation is amazing. It's crisp, well animated, and all the
characters look perfect. The graphics in the game are initially
off-putting, because of the flat-shaded polygons, but once you see them
start to move, you'll forget that there aren't any texture maps anywhere.
The motion is so incredibly realistic that it balances out the lack of
detail in the graphics and makes the game the most realistic fighting game
I've ever seen. There are no special powers, just fighting, but without
Tekken's "hit effects." (just a little bit of streaking on the more
powerful hits and kicks) Grappling is very important in this game, and
when you see the characters grab each other and struggle for a moment
before someone executes a throw or a head-butt, it's amazing. The
backgrounds are fantastic, and at one point, I had a hard time fighting on
one of the stages because the light sourcing was so amazing that we had
practically become silhouettes, and I was marvelling at the effect as
opposed to blocking that kick.

The control takes a little getting used to, but strangely enough, it
doesn't take as long as I thought it would. Having total control over your
3-D movement is a great addition, and sacrificing jumping to the L1 button
isn't a big problem because jumping isn't all that important. Actually,
jumping is great, because it is the most realistic jumping I've ever seen.
(no floating!)

The music is pretty good. Nothing spectacular (meaning I'd want to pop it
in a regular CD player - like Wipeout), and a couple tracks are a bit
"fruity," but good. Nothing detracts from the game making you say "God,
this music sucks!"

As for the game itself, I was able to whizz through it and beat the three
bosses using only a handful of continues. Actually, all the other players
are pretty easy to beat, and it wasn't until the bosses that they became
skilled enough that I had to use a continue. The one gigantic boss is a
real pain. He doesn't really do any damage, he just keeps pushing you
until you fall off the edge, and you really have to use the 3-D movement
to get around him. Very cool.

But of course, the fighting game is only the beginning (and the part I'll
play the least). There is a Quest Mode that is absolutely the coolest
thing I've seen in a while. Basically, you can choose any one of the
fighters, and play as them walking through a 3-D dungeon. There are five
dungeons, and I read somewhere that the fifth one is over 30 levels deep.
I've been through the practice level, which explains the basic controls
(slight additions to the regular fighting commands) and lets you get a
feel for the gameplay. As you complete each maze, the next one opens up
for you. The only problem is, I'm still working my way through the first
level. There's platforming elements involved, which are my weak point, and
every time I think I've just about finished it, there's another level to
explore. You collect jewels that you can use to buy bread and meat that
replentish your health, and fight various enemies along the way, using the
same fighting techniques you learned in the tournament mode. The enemies
are little balls of flame that turn into the monsters when you get close
to them. (very clever way around it) From what I've read, it seems that at
the very lowest levels of the last dungeon, there are bosses that are more
powerful than the ones in the tournament mode (not too hard to imagine),
and I also get the impression that completing the Quest Modes will somehow
add something to the tournament mode. Don't know yet, because I'm still
working my way through level #1, but that's at least something to work
towards.The fact that level #1 is this difficult bodes well for the other
four, meaning that maybe this will last me until FFVII comes out. (as long
as it doesn't get so frustrating that I quit)

Oh yeah, as for that demo of Final Fantasy, you know what I'm going to say
already. It's amazing. But you knew that. The backgrounds are absolutely
gorgeous, and pan so smoothly that it's unbelievable. Nearly no loading
time, and you find yourself watching a cut-scene that seamlessly becomes
gameplay. WOW! The fighting system took a little getting used to, but
eventually I got the hang of it and was able to concentrate on fighting
(it's in real-time) while watching the cool spell effects at the same
time. Battles happen kinda often, but not as annoyingly as in Beyond the
Beyond. The story is cool, what little they included. It only took about
30-45 min. to play through completely, so there isn't much there. But GOD,
did it whet my appitite! (The other three games have video clips, and look
pretty awe-inspiring themselves - you have no idea how glad I am to have
Square developing for the system I bought last year...JOY!)

Tobal No.1 -- ****1/2 (out of 5)

 - Chris
wootinie@aol.com