Power Stone 2 (Dreamcast)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Jeff Gerstmann
• Reviewed on: 05/02/2000
• Updated on: 08/23/2000
• Released on: 08/23/2000
• Originally published on GameSpot: Power Stone 2 (Dreamcast) Review

The original Power Stone was one of those games that petered out a little too quickly. The Japanese release was well timed, but the US release coincided with the Dreamcast's launch, pitting it against games like Soul Calibur and Ready 2 Rumble Boxing. This made Power Stone an easy game to overlook, as its charm made for short-term excitement. Power Stone 2 adds longevity to an already solid formula by bringing the concepts of four-player mayhem to an already crazy fighting engine. The result is a game you will either love, because of its sheer gameplay insanity, or hate, because you won't be able to locate your character in the middle of all the action.

The story of Power Stone 2 places the crew of fighters (enhanced by the addition of four new characters and two hidden characters) in a castle from which they're trying to escape. The only way out is through several wild fighting levels, including two boss fights. While the levels in the original Power Stone were pretty cool, the backgrounds are definitely the real stars of Power Stone 2. What makes the backgrounds so incredible? Interactivity. One level has you carry on the battle while you run away from a gigantic Indiana Jones-style rolling boulder. Along the run you can pick up a skateboard and use it to stay ahead of the boulder while trying to trip up your opponents so that they are crushed. Another level puts you on top of two submarines. As they occasionally submerge and resurface, you'll have to hop back and forth between the two boats. The tops of the subs have turrets that you can man, and one even has a little hovership that lets you float around above the surface and drop bombs on the fighters below.

The graphics are roughly the same as the original Power Stone's, but since you're seeing more fighters onscreen, the characters are a little smaller. Also, because of the wild backgrounds, the action moves along at a much faster pace. But even though the game is even more action-packed than the original, the backgrounds add a lot of strategy to the game. Now, you don't simply hop around small levels kicking each other in an attempt to collect all three power stones. Now you've got to think about where you're going to land, as well as which harmful obstacle you can knock your enemy into next. There is so much going on in a four-player battle that collecting the power stones takes a backseat to just constantly beating up one of the other three characters.

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