Dreamcast Game Developers, Start Your Engines

The success of Sega’s new Dreamcast console ultimately depends on whether outside game developers deliver titles that players want to buy. While there is little doubt that games developed internally by Sega will exploit Dreamcast’s every nuance, no console can survive for long with a single supplier of top-quality software.

Judging by a recent batch of third-party racing titles, external developers are enjoying different levels of success with Dreamcast. From “Hydro Thunder’s” jet boat racing to “TNN Motorsports Hardcore Heat’s” rally action, third-party game designers clearly appreciate the power of Dreamcast--even if not all of them seem ready for it.

Racers were chosen for this comparison because they have many features that can be compared across sub-genres. True, a cool technical simulation such as “Monaco Grand Prix” differs from a down-and-dirty speedfest such as “Tokyo Xtreme Racer.” But the technical elements that underlie such different games are the same. Players still have to navigate tracks. They still have to compete against artificially intelligent opponents. And physics are physics.

For example, in Midway’s “Hydro Thunder” players guide fanciful jet boats through watercourses so realistic they threaten to make some players seasick. Waves and currents knock boats around and players frequently find themselves underwater for a few seconds as they cut through chop.

“Hydro Thunder” is instantly familiar. Players who have not seen the arcade version will no doubt have played at least one of the many knockoffs. Visually, though, this is the best water racer on any console--beating even “Wave Race” on Nintendo 64 and the “Jet Moto” series on PlayStation.

The tracks in “Hydro Thunder” range from traditional tropical islands to the canals of Venice and the Nile River valley. Each sparkles with color and detail as objects on the horizon snap neatly into view. Navigating these tracks takes some doing--in part because the Dreamcast controller’s thumbstick is hyper-sensitive. It’s easy to over-steer and then overcorrect.

Computer-controlled boaters in the game--which also offers a two-person head-to-head mode--are nothing special. They go fast and make few mistakes on the track, but rarely will players feel as if their computer opponents are actively trying to thwart them.

In Crave Entertainment’s “Tokyo Xtreme Racer,” it’s tough to tell whether other drivers on the Tokyo freeways are actively malevolent or just too stupid to get out of the way. Whereas “Hydro Thunder” dropped players into stadium-style, sanctioned race environments, “Tokyo Xtreme Racer” puts them out on the streets for rogue challenges with other drivers.

Of all the racers in this early wave of Dreamcast games, “Tokyo Xtreme Racer” is by far the most elegant. Action takes place at night so the Tokyo skyline is cloaked in shadow. This device allows for some great play with light. The headlights of players’ cars illuminate scenery and the brake lights of other cars are almost hypnotic.

Rather than start at a starting line and race to the finish, players cruise in search of opponents. Once one is spotted, they flash their brights and the race is on. As players pull ahead of a rival car, that car’s points drop. When the points hit zero, a player has won. It all takes a little getting used to.

Like most newer racers, “Tokyo Xtreme Racer” allows players to customize cars with their winnings from successive races. Players can swap engines and transmissions as well as doodads that spiff up the appearance. Perhaps the only thing wrong with “Tokyo Xtreme Racer” is its extremely limited selection of tracks.

Track selection is no problem in Ubi Soft’s “Monaco Grand Prix,” which boasts 16 tracks from Austria to Australia. The real fun of “Monaco Grand Prix” lies in its seamless blending of hard-core technical simulation with visually appealing racing action. It also features a retro mode that allows players to race vintage Grand Prix cars from the 1950s.

Although “Monaco Grand Prix” shares many features with its cousins on Nintendo 64 and Sony PlayStation, this is a very different game. Visually, it’s tough to tell the three are even related. That’s the difference between 32-bit, 64-bit and 128-bit systems. But compared to other racers on Dreamcast, especially “Tokyo Xtreme Racer,” “Monaco Grand Prix” looks a little dowdy.

Like “Hydro Thunder,” “Monaco Grand Prix’s” control can tend to be twitchy, which makes navigating some of the hairpin turns in the game’s realistic tracks extremely difficult. Overall, though, the game feels like one would imagine it would feel like to be behind the wheel at 180 mph.

Although “TNN Motorsports Hardcore Heat” has its moments, they are too few and far between to make this dirt-track four-wheeler anything more than an also-ran. For devoted dirt-track enthusiasts, it is Dreamcast’s sole offering at present.

The tracks are nicely done, with plenty of curves, banks and obstacles over varied surfaces such as dirt, gravel and snow. But in the name of realism, designers made it virtually impossible to keep the cars going in the right direction. Maybe this is just what it’s like to drive on gravel at high speeds in a dune buggy, but most players appreciate a little warmup before the really nasty driving kicks in.

The neatest feature of “Hardcore Heat” is its use of Dreamcast’s processing power and memory capabilities. Race enough and the computer “learns” how you drive, which enables it to more efficiently try to beat you. It can be scary. But the key here is playing long enough. Given how hard it is to get started, many would-be racers may not make it.

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To comment on a column or to suggest games for review, send e-mail to aaron.curtiss@latimes.com.