MDK2

While most believe MDK stands for "murder, death, kill", this game's initials stand for the names of the three heroes Max, Dr. and Kurt. It is in this second outing that Shiny allows us to use all three of these interesting characters. The previous game had you controlling only Kurt.

Kurt is a kind of eerie latex suited Batman, armed with a parachute-like device which allows him to float around while he blasts off shots from his uber-cool chain gun.

The game is, at times, extremely hard to beat. But it has been engineered in a way which, while you may end up dead often, it makes you come back for one more attempt. It is, in other words, extremely playable from beginning to end.

The game also features a smashing techno soundtrack by renowned game composer Jesper Kidd; it really puts you in the mood for the constant carnage you're about to experience. Music can make any game even better.

The series has a trait which sets it apart from most current games. I'm speaking of the wacky sense of humor MDK has to offer. The baddies are usually quite humorous, mooning you when they are at a safe distance. Kurt himself, a janitor-cum-hero, is one wisecracking individual.

What really stands out, besides the wonderfully detailed graphics, and the series trademark sense of humor, is the excellent gameplay. It's really a lot of fun to control these characters and this is the type of game you will want to revisit often. There's no shortage of great action games on the Dreamcast, but MDK2 manages to offer something new and fun that almost anybody can get into. Just as long as you're into the ultraviolence!