Original Release:
Japan: August 10, 2000
North America: October 1, 2000
Europe: January 19, 2001
Game Details:
1-4 Players
VMU enabled
Standard Controller, Arcade Stick
VGA Box
Gameplay
Spawn “In the Demons Hand” is a NAOMI arcade title by Capcom
that eventually saw release on the Dreamcast system. The genre it evokes is
that of a hybrid 3rd person action arena game with an emphasis on 4 player
deathmatch multiplayer and Co-op play in said style or in a Boss Rush objective.
The game adopts a simple 4 button style of play that controls your characters
jump (A), attack (X), weapon change (B) and limited on-the-fly camera control (Hold
Y to go into 1st Person view or simply tap Y to re-position the
camera view to its default 3rd person position). Many critics early
on gave the game a hard time due to camera issues that do occur during combat.
Mastery and understanding of the Y button alleviates a majority of these issues
(a feature many critics perhaps never even bothered to experiment with). The
game by default provides players with 12 characters to choose from, with an
additional 24 that must be unlocked by playing through the games single player
campaign with certain team combinations. A bit of the tried and true Capcom
gameplay is injected via a limited special moveset for the cast and a Power Stone
like feature that has players scrambling to collect 4 orb types found throughout
the arenas. These orbs strengthen certain attributes (Health, Speed, Defense,
and Offense). As mentioned previously, the game supports 4 player deathmatches
via split screen. Unfortunately, the games visuals as well as the blistering
framerate take a major hit as a result (even during 2 player split screen
matches). In Japan, the game additionally supported multiplayer via online matchmaking.
It’s such a shame that the game in other territories had this feature omitted.
At the very least, Capcom should have considered local multiplayer via Vs. Link
support.
Story
Demon Lord Malebolgia loves bloody amusement. This sick MOFO
gets his jollies from imprisoning various Warriors and making them destroy each
other for their own souls. However, he is unaware that one of his favorite toy
soldiers is the deadliest assassin… one with the capability to destroy even the
Demon Lord himself. His name is SPAWN! (Insert crazy hair metal guitar riffs
here!).
Graphics
The visuals of Spawn on Dreamcast impress and astound in
various aspects. The game looks mighty fine overall running in 640x480
progressive scan with the use of a VGA adapter (I recommend anyone who owns
this game to play it in this manner if possible). Standard size character
models like Admonisher, Grace, Tremor, to the various representations of character
Spawn sport crisp detailed polygons with well done textures and solid colors.
But it’s really the larger character models that instantly become the real
spectacle of the games visual splendor. Characters like Overtkill, as well as
the 5 Phlebiac brother’s have some REALLY well put together polygon models that
I’m sure even MacFarlane approved of early on during the games development
(both Terry Fritzgerald and Todd MacFarlane seem to have served as executive
producers for the game). Black Brimstone’s graphical design is noteworthy. It’s
simply astounding even to this day as I reach his level to see how graphically
impressive he looks by today standards. Backgrounds and arenas look a bit
bland and shallow especially when compared to the combatants that inhabit them.
Fortunately, a majority of the fighting arenas are quite large, sporting
multiple paths, rooms, floors and some hidden areas to discover as well as
providing many interactive objects. Rumor has it, the game was initially
planned to be ported to the PS2 in time for its inaugural launch. At some
point, that course of action was not meant to be and that release was canceled.
Perhaps Capcom quickly became aware of the difficulties of porting it over to
the PS2 hardware (anyone remember the mess that was SF EX3 in Japan?).
Sound
Capcom does a pretty good job in the audio department for
the game. The announcer sounds very appropriate considering the material and
the music is all out in your face with ridiculous rock metal inspired tunes.
The game’s main intro and ending theme songs are composed for Capcom by the lesser
known group known only as Crackshaft. While “Rip it Up” (intro) sounds a bit
corny and silly thanks to some of the lyrical content, “Dress is Torn” (ending
credits) is amazingly catchy thanks to the lyrical content and nicely executed
guitar riffs. That guitar sequence at the beginning is something of beauty to
the rock metal junkie in me.
Conclusion
Spawn ITDH for the Dreamcast is easily the best video game
to ever represent the universe Todd MacFarlane established during the 90’s.
Unfortunately, such a statement gives little credit to the games sheer ambition
and execution, considering all other video game representations of the
anti-hero have been… underwhelming to say the least. What the game embodies to
me in a personal sense is not only a game worthy of the property it attempts to
convey within the respective medium of entertainment, but perhaps more
importantly, it’s a reminder of a product that falls dead center on a clear mark in the final
peak of one of my favorite game companies as both a trailblazing game publisher and a
Coin-op manufacturer. Despite some of its obvious flaws, Spawn on the Dreamcast deserves a
look see.
8/10
