Developer: Sony Publisher: Sony 1 - 2 Players PS2 Memory card compatible 1 - 3 mb Analog control Vibration function Rating: Everyone Da Introduction: DINNNGGG!!! The next round in the next generation super video game console is here and the PS2 has landed. After E3 2000 I honestly didn't see what all the hype was about. I thought Sony had a poor E3, and while the PS2 is a very powerful console, the games just didn't look that promising. After all, my DC hasn't seen any prolonged rest since its own launch. Still, being a hardcore gamer I was somewhat excited about Sony's new baby. The first title I played was their own Fantavision, a puzzle game, but with fireworks. Not my favourite genre, but it looked pretty, and may hold some addictive qualities. Da Graphics: The PS2's graphical abilities are mind-boggling. They even exceed my beloved DC's capabilities. Bearing this in mind, Fantavision is somewhat anti-climatic, hardly using any of the PS2's gargantuan power. Graphically, Fantavision's game screen is always dark with city lights in the background and fireworks going off in the forefront. It is like watching a firework display on TV. The fireworks themselves are very accurately depicted with bright and vivid blues, reds and greens, along with everything else that you would expect from a fireworks show. Unfortunately, that's it. It's very unbecoming of such powerful hardware. The only thing I found impressive on the graphical front was the real time lighting. For example, a plane passing by would light up with various colours. Da Sound: Strangely I found the music and ambient sounds in Fantavision kind of appealing. The music can be likened to futuristic elevator type stuff that is slightly dreamy and not really meant to be heard. The sounds on the other hand are done quite well. If you have any type of surround sound system, turn it up. The sounds are very realistic and occasionally startling especially when big rockets blow up and scream skyward. The only other sound to be heard is that of an announcer. He tracks your progress through the game listing various chains and combinations you pull off. Da Gameplay: Playing Fantavision is a hit and miss affair, literally. The gamer controls a cursor with a 360-degree play area. The cursor can be moved about, as you highlight the ascending firework(s). The tough part here is to recognize them and to group and explode them properly. In later levels, this aspect will require a great deal of skill. There is about a half dozen fireworks, all of them having different characteristics. The fun begins as you chain them together. The results can be beautiful as the screen lights up with colours. Thrown into the mix are several bonuses. An example being "starmine" where you spell this word by capturing the star shaped fireworks. Upon completing the word, a very bight and large flare can be detonated. This usually concludes the stage. Fantavision is not without it's problems though. I found the difficulty ramped up far too quickly. I frequently began missing chains or combos, inducing a controller throwing action. The 2-player mode in Fantavision is a cool spot, and may require multiple plays. Reason being, screen size. As I and fellow writer The Outcast battled, the chains and combos we inflicted on each other caused our share of screen space to shrink or grow larger. If I chained together 20 or 21 players, the Outcast's screen would be compromised, as my own would grow larger. With us being so competitive this could go on all night. One other thing I played with was flash sound effects delay. This option enables the gamer to delay the sounds of the explosions. It was quite cool to delay them and make them seem as if I was miles away. Da Conclusion: Fantavision feels very much like a family game. I suppose parents who bought a PS2 could benefit by buying this title. With Sony including a DVD player, the family element seems even stronger. For the hardcore gamer, Fantavision will get lost in the shuffle of the other big name titles. That's not to say that Fantavision is a bad game, in fact it is very challenging at higher levels. I guess I am spoiled by playing my DC for over a year now, and I'm wowed by Sega's library of titles. I expected more from such powerful hardware and I guess time will tell. In my opinion, Fantavision squeaks by with a joystick up. Graphics: 6.5 Sound: 7.0 Gameplay: 7.0 Reviewers Tilt: 6.0 Overall: 6.6 Fantavision was reviewed by DA GAMEBOYZ contributor Alucard