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Fantavision

The rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air... Only in Japan?

February 17, 2000

Originally written off as a quickie puzzler rushing to slip in unnoticed with PlayStation2 launch, Fantavision is actually turning out to be something else entirely which -- of all things -- shows off the power of the PlayStation2. As a game where you're in charge of conducting an amazing fireworks display live over a neon-lit skyscraping city, Fantavision uses a tech demo to create an entirely new and interesting new puzzle genre -- much like Tetrisphere, IQ, and Wetrix.
How, you ask, can a puzzler flaunt the power of PlayStation2? For one thing, all of the firecrackers are individually rendered in 3D with the system's particle system. Every "Oooohh" and "Ahhhh" is a unique firework pattern. Potentially, every game will be a one of a kind Fourth of July. After gameplay, you can watch your show in the replay mode, watching the rockets leap and embers dance in the sky from any angle. The game also boasts other effects, including on-the-fly rendering of lighting on buildings and unique effects in the replay mode (which include slow-motion and stop effects the Fantavision team has described as "Matrix-like").

Described as an action-puzzle, gameplay seems to be a combination of Super Puzzle Fighter and Missile Command. The object is to catch fireworks in the air with the cursor and redirect them to blow up with other in-air rockets to make a colorful pyrotechnics show. Linking like colors leads to combos that burst more and more explosions on the screen. If you can pile on the combos, special fireworks shoot off called Wilds, and those can daisy chain into even bigger sequences of explosions. As you rack up the points, keep an eye out for letters in the sky -- spell Starmine and super sparklers light up the sky, leading to even bigger scoring opportunities.

Fantavision has not been announced for the US yet, but with such a compelling concept and universal appeal (who wouldn't want to put on a fireworks show?), there's no reason for Sony to skip this one in the states. We'll have first impressions on Fantavision once the PS2 launches next month, and look for news on this wild action-puzzler when Sony releases its plans for the US PS2 line-up.

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Page Updated Sat Apr 29, 2000 5:29am EDT