Call your ISP to get all the details.
I was a telecommunications major in college, so naturally I tend to like games online, especially console games. Too bad the DCs online capabilities weren't as good as say, the Sega Channel or Xband.
IMHO, not many games play very well online.
I've played
Tetris:Net Edition
4X4 Evo
Phantasy Star Online
Bomberman Online
Worms World Party
Alien Front Online
Quake III
Online.
I will rate them all online with 1-4 *. One star being terrible and 4 stars being a great game to play online.
Let me preface this by saying that I live in a rural area where phone connections are not so hot. Connections may vary depending on where you live.
Tetris:Net Edition **
Great connection speed, but it's a matching service, which means you can only play ppl of your skill level. I don't think you can play vs ppl at a higher or lower skill level. This limits how often you can play online. It's not the best tetris around either, IMHO.
4X4 Evo ***
Plenty of players online (Cross net play with mac, DC, and PC), and good game engine. The only thing that keeps this game from being a perfect net experience is the horrible chat interface between races.
Phantasy Star Online **
If you would have asked me how this plays online 9 months ago, I would have given it 4 stars. As it stands today, PSO is a wasteland. If you like to get PKd, and if you like starting your character over when you discover your traded wpns/items are hacked, knock yourself out. V2.0 is supposed to fix these problems with tighter network security and a pay-to-play structure, but I don't care anymore. I've heard JP players won't even play with Americans because of our overuse of Gamesharks, etc. Not only does it make PSO a bad game, it makes us as Americans look bad. Too sad. This game had so much potiental. Oh well, there's always Gamecube.
Bomberman Online *
Now here's another one with tremendous potiental that just didn't work. Where do I start? Well, the first time you play, you will notice that connections are horrendous at best. Disconnects, failure to log-in, even with the correct settings, are common. And don't forget heavy lag during the game. And even if you do manage to hold a solid connection, the online play options are limited to stardard battle mode and fetch-the-orb mode. They axed all the fun modes (sub, ring, and paint) online. With the great menu interface and ability to play bomberman over the the internet, this game could have gone far. Instead, it's just another online DC disappointment.
Worms World Party ****
Now they got it right. Action/Strategy where you destroy obstacles and the opposing team with wpns like sheep (?!), bazookas, grenades, and guns. Great fun on or offline. Menu interface is a little cumbersome, but you'll get the hang of it in time. The only downside: not too many ppl are online. When I play this online, there are usually no more than 5-6 playing. Give it a try, if you can find it.
Alien Front Online **
An average third-person shooter. Connections on this game aren't the best, with frequent lag and disconnects. The Voice over IP is a cool feature. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Voices are loud and clear one minute, and garbled and scrambled the next. VOIP is supposed to be used to co-ordinate your team, but it is rarely used by players. Give it a try.
Quake III
Its been awhile since I've played this online with DC, so I will not comment. Anybody else have any details on this one?
Whoa! That was long, but I hoped it helped.
[ December 02, 2001: Message edited by: GregN. ]
