Pen Pen TriIcelon


Developer:  

 General Entertainment Co. Ltd.

Publisher:  

 Sega

Players:  

 1-4

Release Date:  

 27/11/1998 - Japan

Platform:  

 Dreamcast

Style:  

 Action / Racing


Pen Pen Triathlon is one of the first Dreamcast titles which displays a very cutesy game design. According to Sega Saturn Magazine, the game was conceived by four Japanese women. The graphics are bright, colourful and extremely detailed. At first glance, the game may resemble Diddy Kong Racing for the N64. However, if one looks past the cute graphics, a fresh idea may be in the making.

The game consists of four courses which have been designed according to their owners rather unique tastes. Within each course there will be a number of objectives to clear during the race to move on to the next course. Each course will also have 3 grades for the course: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Although the developer has not given all of the details, there will be a number of hidden courses and other secrets that must be earned. There will be eight competitors in each race. One to four players can play, thanks to the four controller ports found on the front of Dreamcast.


The Courses

Unexplored Region Course. This is located on an iced planet. The uncivilised land is an unexplored northern region known as the jungle of the tundra. The course is famous for its dynamics and high speeds. There are a lot of weird things living in caves, gigantic pools, waterfalls, and more. The course owner is a second generation Ngapugo from the Wakkaka tribe. He is the youngest of the 4 owners at age 23, and quite laid back. He lives with his friendly bird who likes to talk a lot, in a small hut.

Sweet Course. Owned by Mrs. Cream, an ice cream cone consisting of strawberry and vanilla swirls. She is 35 years old and the mayor of Sweet Village, a candy playland. Mrs. Cream is considered kind and gets along well with the others. Her main goal is create the best sweets ever made. In fact, all of the sweets found throughout the course are believed to be edible. This course is relatively easy and simply designed as everything is made from sugar.

Toy Course. Kambi Mask, a 53 year old who loves children is the master of this course. He wears a mask to appeal to his many admirers. His true facial features are a mystery that may be unfolded throughout the game. The course consists of mountains made of toy blocks, toy bricks, toy soldiers and the like laid out haphazardly all over the course.

Horror Course. Touted as the most difficult. Owned by the eerie Horror Man from the Horror Family. Incredibly aged at 4,771 years old! The level opens with a mysterious mansion in the middle of a snowy plain. Players will be treated to a variety of creepy encounters including: rolling bones, and large monstrous trees that are alive. You have to go through a narrow mansion with poor visibility and a sunken ship. This will require a lot of skill as you run, swim and slide your way through the level. Expect to be confronted by a number of enemies.


Characters

Here are a few of the characters that we know of thus far. One of the creatures is known as Pukuchan. It appears in one of the swimming areas of the game. It looks like a cutesy angler fish which is only in the game for aesthetic appeal and will not harm your progress. Naumanmo are large pink and blue elephants which can be seen in the far off distance. They slowly approach and then deliberately try to get in your way. Konpeianis are shaped like Sea Urchins. At this point they seem harmless to the player. Within the sweet village, players will find children who are crazy for ice cream. The children appear to have hats made out of ice cream.


Controls

Pen Pen Triathlon is extremely easy to play. The control is simple: use the analogue pad to manoeuvre the character around the stages. The A button serves as the primary and single movement control. Simply press the A button and your flippers start paddling and you will begin to move. By holding down on the A button, you will be completely flat on the surface. When you release the button you lose speed. Players must develop rhythm and timing in order to get the correct speed for the various courses. It is similar to swimming stages found in many games. In addition to the swimming movement, players will also have to run throughout some areas of the game. When running, use the analogue stick to move and the A button to attack enemies. Press the A button lightly to avoid obstacles by jumping over them.


Summary

Pen Pen Triathlon is shaping up to be a worthy title for the Dreamcast launch. Sega must feel confident, otherwise this title would be pushed into early next year. We will provide more details when we get a hands on demo this weekend at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show.



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Preview by: Douglas Abe Jr. & Mike Weatherup

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