...Without Breaking a Few E.G.G.s

Author's Rating:

Pros: Gorgeous "oldschool" graphics and powerful music

Cons: Gameplay and story is boring at best.

Author's Review
Vatical Entertainment brought Hudson Soft’s Elemental Gimmick Gear [E.G.G. for short] to the states for an early 1st quarter release. But despite valiant efforts to bring more RPGs to the Dreamcast, this is one egg that should have stayed in the carton.
E.G.G’s story focuses on a bizarre mech fashioned after – you got it – an egg. Scientists from the ruinous town of Fogna have excavated this mech, called an E.G.G., and brought it back to their lab for their perusal and prodding only to find a young man sleeping in it. Apparently the E.G.G served dually as a crude cryogenic chamber. As sleeping beauty continues to lie dormant in his E.G.G., the scientists scrutinize the technology of the mech and begin mass-manufacturing them for common and martial use. When humanity inevitably screws everything up, the young man awakens to a world completely unbeknownst to him, and shoulders the responsibility of saving is from utter decimation. And that is the story in an eggshell.
Since it was originally intended for release on the Dreamcast’s forebear, the Sega Saturn, E.G.G.’s graphic engine dates itself – and I’m not talking about what you do at home alone on Friday night. The color palette is lush and vibrant with sharp contrasts and variegated hues, but overall, it does not look like anything that could not have been done on a Super Nintendo during the better half of its term. The majority of the game features sprites with a whopping two frames of animation on detailed 2D backgrounds, but during boss-fights you will be transported to a uninhibited polygonal 3D arena to wage battle against your adversary mano a mano. Not only do the gladiatorial arena combat events feature drab, washed colors, but battle is extremely slow too. Which is great because I know that whenever I am facing off against a huge nemesis of any sort I like to be bored out of my mind! However, those who enjoy being able to tolerate heated battles without suffering an induced narcoleptic fit may want to seek their fight fix elsewhere.
Now that you have read about the gimmick, let me explain how the elements fit in. As you scramble through a world of modest size, punching and spinning your way through profligate hordes of leafy plants and flying insects, you will obtain the power to command several different elemental skills. You acquire color-coded gems to fuel your E.G.G.’s ability to expel fire and ice, create earthquakes, and summon plasma storms. This adds to the Zelda-esque style of the game, but the spells are about as exciting as the rest of the game, if you have been paying any attention to this review you can extrapolate how I feel about those. You also get a wide range of accessories in E.G.G. that are standard fare in this sort of game. An underwater breathing apparatus, a grappling hook, energy augments, and shields are a scant few of the myriad items at your disposal. In fact, one good thing about this game is the sheer number of additions you have to find to ameliorate your E.G.G. Of course it would be more fun questing for said additions if the game had even a mangled semblance of gratification.
To say possibly the most contrived cliché I can current conjure, E.G.G. is not all it’s cracked up to be. Sure it’s lame, but you know you were thinking the same thing. Elemental Gimmick Gear means well, but it is simply too dull to elicit any enjoyment, a game’s main purpose. If you are desperately seeking another Dreamcast RPG to dive into you may have to try this because the next is a way away, but be careful, the water’s pretty shallow. Try your luck at Evolution if you haven’t already.