Maker - Sega/AM2   Catalogue No. - HDR-0182

Type - Action Flight Shooting

Propeller Arena Aviation Battle Championship has got to be the most sort after Dreamcast game EVER !!  So how does it live up to it's reputation?  Well it must be said that the game has some very solid play mechanics which truly give the feeling of flying a propeller driven aircraft.  The game looks outstanding through the VGA box.  Possibly the best looking Dreamcast game out there !! There are so many little neat touches that shine out.  One touch that I like is the motion of the aircraft's propellers.  The actually slowdown and speed up as you fly.  Great touch.  The music is bloody awful but I'm sure most Americans will like it.  Personally I prefer the type of music found in Initial D Arcade Stage.  So apart for the music being pants everything else at first impression is great.  So how does Propeller Arena fair in the long run?  Well, I've been playing it every night for the last week in one player mode and 4 player mode with my friends without the slightest bit of boredom yet.  One player mode offers a type of Tournament mode were you must slug it out against 5 AI aircraft in a battle to shoot down the most targets whilst avoiding being shot down yourself.  This mode lasts for 10 rounds with points being given for each successful round you complete.  Next there's Quick Battle mode which is basically like the Tournament mode but only 1 round.  The other options are Network (play Online VS) and training.  The training mode is more of a Crazy Taxi type affair were by you have to complete a number of given tasks to advance to the next level.  Not really a training mode in my book.

Propeller Area makes good use of the Dreamcast's mic device unlike any other game before it or after it.  While playing online you can either type your messages or shout down your mic device for all other players to hear you.  This is great fun !!  It's just a shame that no other games have adopted this system.  But what about privacy?  Well, you're voice can only be heard by the other players when you press the "X" button on the Dreamcast controller.  So you can secretly slag off your opponent with out him/her ever knowing (^v^)