Elemental Gimmick Gear
| a game by | Birthday |
| Platform: | Dreamcast (1999) |
| Editor Rating: | 6.3/10, based on 2 reviews |
| User Rating: | 8.7/10 - 3 votes |
| Rate this game: | |
| See also: | RPGs |
DownloadsPeople say:
There are only two RPGs on the Dreamcast as of this writing, and while neither are of Final Fantasy calibre--EGG is a start in the right direction. But only a start. There's a lot that could've been done to make this game better-there's no map feature (could've been useful in dungeons), bosses don't have life gauges and character animation is choppy. The translation is horribly awkward, and should have been edited and improved before going out the door. On the plus side, EGG's graphics are lushly detailed and in 2D, which sometimes makes it hard to see staircases or other things you can interact with. When up against bosses, the graphics switch to 3D, but the gameplay is still the same. Why couldn't the whole game have been in 3D? And I'm not complaining, as I dig 2D games. The enemies in the overworld seem overly difficult--I died a LOT. More times than in any other action RPG. Puzzles are about on par with games like Zelda or Alundra. Some of the dungeons are interconnected by one spot, although the entrance to each is in the overworld, making it difficult to track exactly how far you are in each one. Still, couldn't they (Hudson, not Vertical) have named this something other than Elemental Gimmick Gear? What kina of name is that? If your an RPG fan/Dreamcast owner, this is a good choice.
I hate to say it, but the Dreamcast's second RPG is just as bland as the first. EGG does look nice (you can hardly tell Hudson originally intended it for Saturn). The 2D cartoony graphics are lush and detailed. I only wish the story was as pleasing. This thing suffers from badly translated dialogue that's often so bad it's funny. Otherwise, EGG goes through the same old motions of most action RPGs. You do encounter some nifty puzzles, though.
As the second of its kind available for the DC, EGG excels as a unique, somewhat engrossing, next-gen RPG. The 2D graphics give it a cool retro appearance while remaining functional. I didn't have problems identifying staircases or other passageways (sorry Chris). The transition to 3D works fine as well, although the battles could stay in 2D like the rest of the game. If you don't mind playing the same title for a bazillion hours. EGG is right up your alley.
While EGG won't replace Zelda in the hearts of gamers, it is a decent action/RPG worth playing. The puzzle elements, for the most part, are easy to figure out--the challenge lies in trying to find your way around (you'll probably get lost on more than one occasion, no thanks to the lack of a mapping feature). Still, the unique premise, traditional gameplay elements and nice visuals combine to make this an interesting, if not unusual, experience.
Download Elemental Gimmick Gear
System requirements:
- PC compatible
- Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Game Reviews
In a surprise move, Vatical Entertainment recently announced that they would be bringing Hudson Soft's Japanese role-playing game, Elemental Gimmick Gear (or E.G.G. for short) to the U.S. Perhaps even more surprising is the game's level of completion, and the fact that it's being readied for a January 2000 release. What is Elemental Gimmick Gear, you ask?
E.G.G.'s story revolves around a strange, egg-shaped mech found during an excavation in the ancient city of Fogna. Apparently the E.G.G. functions as some sort of suspended-animation device, for inside the E.G.G. lies a person referred to as the Sleeping Man. While the Sleeping Man is carted off somewhere else to continue his extended nap, the city's engineers attempt to emulate the E.G.G.'s bio-structure in their own robots, designed for use by consumers and military alike. Naturally, everything goes berserk, and it's up to the recently awakened Sleeping Man and his E.G.G. to put an end to the chaos that ensues.
In the tradition of old-school RPGs like Square's Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy, E.G.G. features overhead 2D graphics that take advantage of the Dreamcast's superior color palette. The graphics are lush, and the characters are well-animated. Enemies and locales are all beautifully rendered in 2D, but, during significant boss-battles, things take on a decidedly 3D appearance. All of the fights are executed in an action-RPG fashion and are fully polygonal and 3D. Perhaps E.G.G.'s most significant attack is the move where he pulls in his arms and legs (like Gamera) and begins a deadly top-spin that usually does a good job of clearing out a room. Unless you have a special item, though, this move takes way HP from your E.G.G., and so, must be used sparingly. Of course, with a name like Elemental Gimmick Gear, you can expect various elemental powers to be featured prominently in E.G.G.'s attacks.
It's good to see yet another quality, niche title make its way into the hands of the large U.S. market. Now let's hope some publisher picks up Frame Gride and Berserk.
Snapshots and Media
Dreamcast Screenshots
