Copyright © Sega Enterprises, Ltd., 1998, 1999

Imagine, if you will, a furious battle between two massive humanoid machines on the open deck of a space station. Pulses from a beam rifle meld pefectly into the blue sphere in the background, only to be matched by multiple explosions from a napalm blast. One machine, white with blue with orange trim, ducks behind a storage crate for cover as deadly bursts of light wash over and around then fade away. A glance reveals the other has exhausted its ammunition and is closing the gap instead. Timing is critical—there is only a second left before the weapon recharges; the white machine dashes out. Suddenly there is a brilliant flare as a bomb goes off, and half-blinded, both robots collide with their energy swords drawn for close-combat. A block, a feint, a side-step, and finally a fatal mistake... An almost lazy strike passes through armour with ease and the victor calls its triumph over the blackened scrap that is all that remains.
No, this is no Gundam anime nor any other mecha show from heaven; this is a 3D fighting game from the wizards at Sega—the superbly crafted CYBERTROOPERS VIRTUAL ON ORATORIO TANGRAM (or affectionately "Oratan" to Japanese gamers). Originally an arcade game that managed, as far as I know, two (that's right, two) measly distributions in all of North America, it is quite simply one of the most incredible games to grace humankind.
The reason lies in the originality of ORATAN's 3D fighting engine. Like other 3D head-to-head fighters, it is polygon based and features two opponents battling it out on a plane, but that is where all the similarity ends. When a player controls a Virtuaroid, the perspective is from behind but the field of movement on the plane is completely free. There is no "lock" to keep you to facing the opponent, who is similarly free to move about the expansive arena. Most attacks are from a distance, hence the "shooting" category that appears in the genre description of this game. Controls, performed optimally with a Twinstick—double joysticks with a trigger button and a dash button on each—are extremely basic. Movement is forward (both sticks forward), left (both left), right (both right), back (both back), and turn (one up, one down). Push a dash button when walking in any direction and your Virtuaroid hits the jets for a sustained high-speed glide that, conveniently, rotates you to face your enemy. Just move those sticks, hit the dash, and fire away!!
Of course, the actual gameplay is not that simple, but rather than risk confusing readers on what is actually a very intuitive control setup, let us go on to the other aspect of ORATAN that earns it a place in the hearts of all mecha fans—the Virtuaroids themselves. Designed by none other than reknowned GUNDAM mecha designer Hajime Katoki, they are at once creative as well as familiar. The programmers at Sega really love their craft, because they have rendered them painstakingly into detailed 3D models that move fluidly at 60fps.
There are eleven selectable Virtuaroids, two bosses, and one hidden character. Each has its distinctive fighting style characterized by their weapons and their appearance. SAILOR MOON fans take note of Fei-Yen Kn! This one sports the equivalent of odango and a short sailor suit, and lets loose a pink heart attack that will have you running for cover. You have the massive, lumbering giants with firepower en masse, the lightning fast mechs with flypaper armour, and all the variants in between. In addition to three basic weapons, each Virtuaroid is also equipped with swords, knives, or a big club for close combat.
The fighting takes place on very large open areas. The Dreamcast easily handles the uneven terrain and the small obstacles that litter the landscape. A big part of being a good ORATAN player, aside from decent spacial visualization skills to track where the other guy is in relation to where you are, is memorizing each arena so you know that there is that one big crate over there that you can duck behind when the going gets tough. And the going does get tough, what with all the shots and bombs and explosions flying about, so much so that you hardly have time to notice the care that has gone into creating the backdrops of each stage. "Ascent Corridor" is one sterling example; it is a huge elevator that actually moves along its rails during battle. (This should bring a nostalgic tear to BARE KNUCKLE fans from the ol' Sega Megadrive days.)
All right, we have glorious giant robots running around and blasting armour off each other. The graphics are crisp and clean. The sound is good, if not award-winning. The pace is so frantic you can't breathe. What more could we ask for? Two player mode, you say. That's in there, split-screen if you only have one Dreamcast as well as link cable if you happen to have two TVs and a spare Dreamcast lying around. Wait, you cry, I have no friends who want to play ORATAN with me! For you, then, Sega has very kindly provided an ORATAN server just for internet matches. Hoping for a little individuality when going up against the best in Japan? Then hop over to the Customize menu where you can color your Virtuaroid and stick your very own logo on.
In addition to the arcade mode, where you battle your way through other Virtuaroids before confronting the nasty boss Tangram, there is also a training mode for you to hone your skills against the computer. To be honest, however, the computer is no substitute for a good human opponent who will read all your habits, such as always dashing in one direction, and punish you for falling into patterns.
And that is really what ORATAN is about—strategy and tactics. Instead of combo memorization, you study vectors and dash times. It is an almost psychological match, trying to keep your opponent guessing as to where you are, all the while using your weapons to force him or her into a situation where you can get a clear hit. It is an easy game to jump into, but it takes months to master. The rewards, however, are worth it. Just imagine two Newtypes in a battle to the finish, and know that you could do the same sitting in the comfort of your room.

Rating: 9.0 / 10.0

Sega Dreamcast
3D fighter/shooting
1-2 players
Modem, Twinstick, Dreamcast link cable, Purupuru Pack, VGA Adapter, Dreamcast Keyboard
HDR-0040
¥5800
Available now in Japan
Where to buy