What really knocked me for a loop was the game's amount of charm. Being bright, colorful, and sugary sweet on the outside, Neo harbors some oddball humor deeper within. In what other game could I have a neon pink GD-Rom with a mouse hanging from a noose on the cover? The oddities don't stop there though - a rampaging ballerina robot, a maniacal toddler dictator, and other things fill this game. Throw into the mix a hyperactive hero, a panic-stricken robot, and an absent minded professor and you have the stage set for Neo's story.

Pinky, the adorable psycho baby is bent on taking over Pao Pao Park. This amusement park has been the source of fun for many, including the Professor. The resident genius hears of Pinky's plans and deploys his latest invention to stop the occupation. His gizmo just happens to be Super Magnetic Neo, a robot with a serious case of ADD and the power to control magnetic pulls. Your job is take control of Neo as he fights through the four worlds of Pao Pao Park to restore the place to normal.

Okay, that might have scared off about 50 people but if you're still here, great. The next thing to jump into is the graphics. SMN is by far the most visually taxing Dreamcast game to date. The game blazes along at a constant 60 frames per second, slowing only for a second at the most intense scenes. All of the games textures are incredibly crisp and vivid, assaulting the eyes with graphics that were thought to be impossible. Then there are the environments and characters, all goraud shaded (with some texture work) and sleekly modeled. Neo himself is endearing - with a gaping mouth and a blank stare, he won me over in a second. Levels range from glassy ice caverns to bright deserts to volcanic regions. Each area is meticulously detailed with subtleties such as signs, decorative plants, reflective ice, metal, water, or rushing streams. It'll be hard to concentrate on the game itself, with so much eye candy to see. This happens to be Neo's big flaw; the game is so bright, imaginative, and retina-searing that it's sometimes hard to concentrate.

Trust me when I say you'll need plenty of concentration too. Super Magnetic Neo is without a doubt the hardest game for the Dreamcast. Reason for the game's difficulty is due to the simple nature of gameplay but ingenius execution in design. Neo's main objective is to get to the end of a level with his magnetic powers aiding him. As we all know (or should), opposite polar points attract, while likes repel. This fact is the basis for Neo's main abilities. Aside from jumping and running, our hero can generate bubbles of magnetic power. Charged either with north (red) or south (blue) polarity, you have to use this technique to get around. Levels are littered with charged platforms and can be attracted to or repelled from. In the first level you'll easily learn that you want to repel off platforms and attract to balls. Neo will bounce off the former and grab onto the latter, and this is where the game's challenge takes off. Later areas will test you against all types of blue/red patterns, filled with things to grab onto and bounce off of. By the end of the game, facing off against patterns that are impossible to react to are common. Be prepared to lose 20 lives a stage and memorizing the place front to back.

This is what makes Neo so addictive. Playing the game for the sake of playing the game is a long lost art and SMN revives it. This is no cakewalk however and you should expect to spend up to 20-30 minutes on one stage alone. This might help cover the fact that Neo is very short in terms of length. 4 worlds with 4 stages and a boss each would never work if the game were easy. Good thing Genki decided to make the game so challenging and fun, as well as add a few extras. First off, every stage in Neo has side objectives that can be tackled. There are 8 coins, a hidden item, and a time trial to conquer. This adds extra longevity and challenge to the game. Especially the time trials - imagine beating a level in 20 minutes when the target time is 1:30. o_O It definitely shows that there's room for improvement. Finishing all three tasks nabs a special item, which goes directly to Neo's 'house.' Ranging from desks to lamps, these bonuses are merely for show and I don't know what happens if you can finish all of the stages' trials. Another extra are the inclusion of 'rides' in some areas. Hopping onto motorized camels, horses, and mine carts break up monotony from normal play nicely. Finally, Genki implemented a Challenge mode. This is by far the best feature I've seen in a 3D platformer! It pits Neo against 100 mini-stages, each with a pattern of red/blue objects to use in moving onward. With only 40 seconds to get to the end, many challenge stages will have you in 'controller throwing mode.' Worry not though, as every stage can be tackled in the time given or less. All it takes is a bit of practice...and practice...and practice...

Assuming that you will be spending A LOT of time with SMN, Genki has blessed gamers with an incredible soundtrack. Full of bouncy techno that can be best described as a mix between cartoon and rave music, Neo is a joy to hear. Then again if all you listen to is downtrodden industrial rock, maybe this isn't for you. I know, I'll just put it this way: if you have had no qualms with Neo's story or graphics, then the music will please you. Now if I could only hunt down a soundtrack.

With the game's playability, music, and visuals all coming up positive, it's time I nitpick. I don't like to do it, but I have to be fair in pointing out SMN's shortcomings. Aside from the spurts of slowdown, animating textures look odd. They run framey and stick out like a sore thumb given the 60fps movement of all the poly objects. Control-wise the game is awfully touchy, especially on the side scrolling portions. This can be remedied by using the d-pad, but I wish the analog stick wasn't so sensitive. The camera tends to stay where it wants to as well, whether Genki intentionally did that or not is beyond me. Finally, the game obviously borrows play elements from a certain bandicoot. I've never been as challenged by the furry mascots' exploits though, so Neo goes above and beyond being a rip-off.

Minor gripes aside, I can find no way to discourage getting this. Filled with the best visuals, gameplay, and music to be seen in a 3D platformer, Super Magnetic Neo is a must have. New platforming fans may just want a rental, but veterans will proud to have this in their collection. The little guy may not be the next Sonic or Mario, but Neo is definitely worth your attention.

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