Seaman, the game with possibly the most controversial name ever, has finally made it to North America. We have had the US version for about a week and a half, and have been quite enthralled with it from day 1. The game, which comes packaged with the Dreamcast Microphone for $49, is one of those extremely quirky games that many would think would never make it out of Japan.

Take one of those now incredibly annoying Tamagotchi style virtual pets, transform it into a creepy looking, cynical, wise-cracking man/fish creature with voice communication, and what you have is (more or less) Seaman. Of course it is a little deeper than that, but in essence the game is about raising, interacting and caring for, a creature.

Even though the manual and the game itself attempts to convince you otherwise, Seaman the creature, is pure fantasy. When beginning the game, and creating a new habitat, Leonard Nimoy (very good choice) will fill you in on all the details and history of the "legendary" Seaman. From there, simple instructions are given, and you are furthermore, on your own.

From there, you simply adjust the heat, light, and the oxygen level of the tank, select the Seaman egg from the storage matrix (inventory) and drop it in. What happens next, is up to you. If the proper habitat conditions are maintained for long enough, then 8 "mushroomers", which look surprisingly similar to, well, err, sperm, hatch. These mushroomers leisurely explore the tank. You can attract their attention by tapping on the glass or an object within the tank, and they will usually respond and follow. In the beginning, the habitat consists of a heater, 3 rocks, an air hose, and one other living creature, the nautilus. The nautilus (actually a hermit crab), plays a pivotal role in the evolution and development of the Seamen, as is described in the manual and by the narrator.

Within a couple of days, a portion of these mushroomers will re-emerge as Gillmen (tadpoles with human faces). Now this is when the real fun starts. Because these Gillmen now require food, you must drop a food pellet in once in a while. Since the Seamen are a bit more grown up at that point, you can interact with them in a number of additional ways, including by voice. Because the Gillmen are still young, their vocabulary is limited. They will speak to you on occasion, but speaking to them first is the best way for them to increase their knowledge of speech. Simple phrases such as "Hello", "What is your name?", and "Do you want to play?" are all recognized, among many other phrases. Experimentation is the key, and basically what the game is all about. Some of the responses are rather amusing, and the voices fit the look of the creatures just perfectly. The voice recognition works surprisingly well as long as the mic instructions are followed. Interacting with an on-screen character through voice, in general, is pretty damn cool, and something I didn't really expect to see in a console title anytime soon.

A few days later, assuming you have taken proper care of your little friends, you will end up with a full grown Seaman. While at one time you may have had 4 or more Gillmen in the habitat, the pack will indeed be thinned out (think Darwin's Evolution Theory, survival of the fittest). At this time, Seaman's level of speech will have increased considerably. According to Sega of America, the US Seaman features over a 10,000+ word vocabulary, which is pretty large for a man/fish. Now, Seaman will more actively speak with you, ask you questions, or even insult you based on the mood he/she/it is in. This is probably where the real core of the game begins, and from there on in, the experience will most likely be fairly unique for each game and gamer.

Speaking of days, and the passage of time... one thing that Seaman does, that many gamers may not realize, is that it really runs in "real time". In other words, when "a day" is referred to, it is actually a true 24 hour day. Seaman utilizes the Dreamcast's internal clock to the fullest, as it keeps track of both the time spent with Seaman, as well as the time you do not spend with it. If you decide not to play the game for 2 days, the game knows, and reminds you of this upon staring the game up the next time. Your Seaman and habitat still live on while the game is off for that period of time, so not attending to it for more than 2 days, will most likely result in a tank full of dead creatures. This is both a blessing and a curse, but that depends on the type of gamer you are. Seaman requires you play the game for many days consecutively, though playing it for many hours at a clip, wont really do anything. Sometimes, spending 15 minutes a day tweaking the habitat and checking on the Seamen, is all you need to do. While other times it is beneficial to spend much more time conversing and caring for your Seaman.

While a game such as Seaman doesn't rely on visuals, what Sega has concocted isn't half bad. Seaman in all its various forms, are nicely modeled and textured, but the habitat and surroundings could be considered bland. Occasionally, the framerate bogs down somewhat, though because this isn't exactly a fighting or racing game, it doesn't really matter in the end.

Sega has made the correct decision in bringing Seaman over to the US, as it is among the most quirky and original console games ever created, along with being good ammunition against Sony's impending PS2 release. Those in the market for something different and unique, will most likely get the most satisfaction out of the game. Impatient gamers, looking for results on day 1, however, may become bored and/or frustrated after a short amount of time.