Chu Chu Rocket is, in a way, similar to the multiplayer modes found in Psygnosis' Lemmings series. The multiplayer and team games are setup in an overhead view on a 2D polygonal checkered playfield, all of which are littered with rockets, Chu Chus (space mice), Kapu Kapus (space cats), and assorted puzzle elements. The goal is simple- herd your Chu Chus into rockets by placing colored arrows on the playfield, all before the Kapu Kapu catch up to them. Up to 4 players can join in on the multiplayer games, either Online or on the same Dreamcast. Each player has a color assigned to them, and can place a limited number of directional arrows on the play field, to direct the Chu Chus into your own color rocket. Every standard Chu Chus that makes it to your rocket, scores you a point. All would be fine and dandy, however, if it weren't for those pesky space cats. kapu Kaput and Chu Chus randomly originate from various generators scattered throughout the playfield, and when the cats catch the mice, they are eliminated. If the cats somehow reach your rocket, by accident or by your opponent's strategically placed directional arrows, you lose a whopping third of the mice you have collected up to that point. Two or more Kapu Kapu attacks can easily force you from first place, right into last, in a number of seconds. To mix things up a bit, there are 2 special Chu Chu's, both of which perform different functions. The gold Chu Chus, when collected, scores you 50 points; And the pink Mystery Mice triggers a roulette wheel which can either- flood the playfield with cats or mice, slow down or speed up the action, and even swap the positions of your rocket with the other player's rockets.

Besides the above multiplayer modes, Chu Chu Rocket features a number of addictive single player puzzle modes. In these Puzzle and Stage Challenge modes, the goal is to guide a set group of Chu Chus through a maze, into the rockets, without losing any to the Kapu Kapus or holes scattered about. All stages are timed, and clear times recorded, so when you log onto the Chu Chu Network you can be entered into the Worldwide or Local rankings. Some of the later stages require plenty of planning and strategy to actually clear, and there are undoubtedly a few that will drive you insane. Also, if you feel that you can compete with Sonic Team's evil puzzle designers, a Puzzle Edit mode is included as well. Of course, all your custom built puzzles can be uploaded onto the Chu Chu Rocket servers for others to download and try out.

Ok, so onto the big question- "How are the Online Multiplayer games?" Honestly, even though there are some minor lag issues, I was very impressed. Playing against up to 3 others online, is a fairly simple process. Select "Network Battle" (which will dial up and connect to your ISP), choose a nickname and password and you are ready to go. When successfully logged on, the next step is to choose a server to join. At this time, there are 8 US servers, 2 Japanese, and some ranking, puzzle and information servers. After selecting a server, you are presented with a list of rooms to join, to either chat, or play games in. It didn't take long to jump into my first 4-player game. I selected a room with 3 other players, checked out the opponent's stats, chatted a bit, and the battle began. Even using a not so great ISP, lag was not bad at all. Chu Chu Rocket compensates for lag by running as fast as the slowest connection can handle. In other words, everyone is equally lagged. There were many instances where there were a mixture of Japanese and US players in a given game, and despite the huge amount of physical distance and difference between modem speeds, the game was playable. Most of the time. Once or twice, the 4 player games became totally lagged out, and winning relied on absolute luck. In general though, it was really fun fun meeting/playing against others that I know from various gaming sites and message boards. Even on the first night the game was available, there was a nice amount of gamers playing on the servers. One thing is for sure, based on win records, some of these individuals have played quite a few games. I have played a ton of multiplayer PC titles in the past, but there was just a certain something about relaxing in front of a TV, playing against others around the world.