User Reviews (1 - 11 of 34)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

be prepared...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 36 / 37
Date: August 24, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Seaman is not a game. It is difficult to define just what type of program it is, but it is not a game. It is akin to a system simulation, but it also incorporates some advanced Artificial Intelligence as well as voice recognition.

The result is something like a virtual pet, one that is quite smart and entertaining. But it will take quite a bit of patience on the part of the user to enjoy Seaman to it's fullest. The simulation proceeds at a pace that is determined by the Seaman program, not by the user. And many users will get quite frustrated with this aspect of Seaman.

This program is experimental in several ways. Firstly, it is educational as a biological system simulation. However, part of the simulation is over simplified, and is based on a series of experiments by a fictional scientist in the 1930s. This story is explained in detail by the program narrator (Leonard Nimoy) and the manual. There is even an extensive website dedicated to the background story. Still, it can teach the basics of semi-closed and managed ecosystems.

It is also experimental in that the AI can be very entertaining and surprising, as long as the user has the patience to care for the Seaman in the beginning when things can get quite boring. This part of the Seaman program will really get inside of many people's heads, like it did mine. You will find yourself thinking of Seaman often even when you are not actually playing the simulation.

And, Seaman is also experimental in that the entire concept is new and different from anything that has ever appeared on a game console before. The very idea is unexplored territory for the video game market, and could possibly ignite an entire line of AI/Voice Recognition based 'games'. Seaman is wildly popular in Japan, where it has been available for a year or so. Given the type of program that Seaman is, it needs to be stated that the conversion of Seaman from Japanese to English must have been a monumental effort.

You rear and care for your Seaman via the Dreamcast controller, and you communicate with him via the included microphone, which plugs into the second VMU socket on the controller. In addition, you will need a dedicated VMU for Seaman. It needs to be stated that the less expensive third party VMUs are not satisfactory for use with Seaman. This is because essential feedback is conveyed to the user via the LCD display on the Sega VMU, and not on the TV screen. Also, the manual alludes to the future need for additional VMUs as the Seaman 'evolves'. Two Sega Dreamcast VMUs can be attached to each other, allowing for data exchange, and this may be necessary for Seaman's continued growth.

Seaman does not lend itself to hours of extended gameplay. The Seaman will let you know when your sessions are over, and the sessions can be quite short. I tend to my Seaman (his name is Shadrach) twice a day, once in the morning for about fifteen minutes or so and once in the evening. The evening sessions have lasted as long as an hour or more. Seaman has to be fed regularly and his environmental needs have to be attended to or he will die, and you will have to start the simulation over from the beginning.

Seaman learns from your interaction with him. The more you talk with him, the more he picks up on various aspects of your life. Seaman can be quite talkative at times. And he can be very rude and surly. You may want to think twice before bringing your Seaman up when company is around. Seaman regulary asks fairly personal questions, and will surprise you with his insights regarding your life (as you've described it to him) and remembers what you tell him quite well. Seaman also defecates and passes gas often, and is quite proud of his efforts, voicing the impending self-relief to everyone within earshot. So be advised.

With multiple VMUs, it is possible to have more than one simulation, so a Seaman provided with bogus personal information for one of them would be a real hit at a social gathering. The Seaman voice recognition is not capable of discerning individual voices, and he will happily converse with anyone who talks to him.

At first, I thought the voice recognition software was seriously flawed. But the Seaman, in his earlier stages, simply has not learned enough to comprehend much of what you say to him and cannot respond. Seaman comes with a limited amount of pre-defined reactions. As time passes, each Seaman develops his own unique personality, and his language and comprehension skills conform to you, your way of thinking, and your use of grammar. And he will ignore you less and less over time.

Seaman is not for everyone. But if you are an experimental, patient type of individual and willing to trod new and unexplored territory, then Seaman may be for you. Be prepared, however, for he really does get inside your head.

Artificial Intelligence Becomes a Reality

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 14 / 15
Date: August 12, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This game is simply mind blowing!

It supercedes "videogames", it is something different entirely.

It is more like a pet. A virtual pet, you have to take care of it, but it actually has a life of its own and you can talk to it and it talks to you.

The game takes a while to get into and it is boring at first but once your fish mature and learn to talk it becomes one of the most amazing feats of technology I've ever seen.

Review of Seaman on the Dreamcast

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 24 / 36
Date: March 27, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Seaman is quite literally the most innovative game that any company has come up with. Nintendo were at one point going to release a game called Pikachu Genki Dechu, but I haven't heard anything about it for ages so I am lead to believe it won't come out. I played the import Japanese version and it is so much fun. You talk to some sea creatures and you can have a conversation with them. The voice recognition system really works! As yet, you have to wait till and English version comes out. I was only able to find out how fun this is because I am fluent in Japanese. If not, there is no point even bothering, but if you can it is the best game in the entire world. It is the only game on the Dreamcast that Shigeru Miyamoto can bring himself to play. Therefore it must be good. If you can speak Japanese, buy it on import straight away, if not, buy it as soon as it comes out in the US.

Revolutionary Simulation

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: August 19, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This is not a game. This is not a game. This is not a game.

Repeat that phrase and you will begin to understand what Seaman is all about. Seaman is about taking care of another life for weeks and weeks and weeks. I bought this game with a brief knowledge of what it was about. 'Taking care of a fish with a man's face', when I popped that GD-Rom out of the case and played it in my Dreamcast I was in absolute shock. Your taken to a whole other world. Leonard Nemoy greats you, with his typical monotone voice which fits perfectly in this bizare and extrodinary piece of software. Your job is to to raise a Seaman from birth [in a most shocking experience] to adulthood...or if your not very caring death. It is from your parental guidence that the Seaman begins to learn to speak. [Which in the long run can be a mistake]. Because if you don't treat him well, he's gonna tell you and sometimes he isn't exactly the nicest pet you'll ever meet. This has been such a great experience for me. I'm on the fifth day for the second time, after a brief "experiment" where I was unable to feed them for a few days.

Let me just say this. This "software" is not for the faint at heart. Once you start the habitat you have a responsibility to take care of it. If you can't take at least once a day to take care of your tank, maybe this isn't for you. Because Oxygen, Heat, and Light must be kept up or else your comfortable environment will become a death trap for the baby seaman.

So if you have the patience and the guts take a trip into a gaming experience like no other. Seaman is terrific and, well, if your thinking about getting a real pet such as a dog, a cat, or a fish....buy this game....maybe you'll even learn its quite the undertaking and you won't just buy the puppy in the window because it looks cute.

Graphics: 4 out of 5 [The tank is somewhat bleak, it contains very little action. A few rocks, a few plants, and the seaman. But the level of detail the seaman have are wonderful. From their large variations of facial expressions to their deeply descriptive bodies]

Sound: 5 out of 5 [Wonderful Sound! This game captures the sounds of water perfectly. The voice of your very own Seaman changes from a high baby voice to a deep man's voice. The audio is very very good]

Lasting Appeal: 5 out of 5 [Basically Seaman will last for however long you want it to, Granted that you take care of it. There is no "End Level" or "Final Boss", this is simply the experience of having your very own pet and for that reason it is wonderfully lasting. You may be intrigued to start various habitats on different VMU's just to see the evolution over and over again. There is a great deal of change in the growth of your seaman. It is not the same experience over and over again. Also on a final note, I find myself going to check on my Seaman at least 3-4 times a day, that's gotta be worth something.]

Gameplay: 5 out of 5 [Very well crafted, works very well with the game mechanics. Taking care of the tank and your seaman is an easy and simple process.]

One of the most original and satisfying games ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: September 03, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This is a great game overall. The originallity to the game just makes it even better. I was skeptical at first like most people I thought the game would be stupid, untill i played the game at a friends house. That is when i realised how great this game is, not only is it like another human to talk to some of the things he says are amazing. He remembers everything you say to him and can piece them together. Like i told him i was a forensic scientist, then when i told him my favorite movie was the silence of the lambs like 3 days later. He told me that he was scared that a scientists likes a movie on serial killers. Then he said hey keep thoose needles away from me. Overall the game though takes a lot of patience and daily care. I don't mind though because it's a lot of fun to raise something and then be able to talk to it. I mean how many people can talk to their pets and have them talk back. There is one general rule to remember though is that what you put into the game is what your going to get back. The game has a tremendous replay value considering that one seaman will always be different then another one. A must buy for dreamcast owners. Just to get the microphone is worth the price trust me it's a great game.

This game is an even better deal now that it is only 20 dollars. Buy this game just for the unique sake of playing it. Its a very good game, and worth a play by everyone. Its hard not to get hooked (no pun intended) by Seaman

I love you Seaman

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: December 10, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Like others here have already said- this game isn't for everyone. In fact, it's only for a select few gamers- the kind that are looking for new and strange things. It's cool that Sega never cares about money, and is always the one company we can count on for innovation. It's just too bad that they never get the credit they deserve. Sega's always been ahead of their time, as we saw with the Dreamcast.

Anyway, I love this "game". When I first got it when it came out, I wasn't really sure what to expect. You actually do take on the role of a scientist, creating life before your very eyes. You start out with an empty tank, and an egg + some food pellets in your inventory. Place the egg in the tank, and set the heat to 19.9 (under 20 at least), and the oxygen all the way up. After a few minutes, the egg hatches, and you get mushroomers. Soon after, the natilus starts moving, and eats your mushroomers. Make sure that it leaves at least one alive. Try tapping on the glass away from the natilus to draw the mushroomer(s) closer to you. After a few minutes, the natilus comes out of its shell and dies. Now, you have Seamen.

Yeah, I bet that sounds boring to you. For the first 2-3 days, you teach Seaman small words (like "hello", "afternoon", "seaman", etc.), but the baby Seamen start killing eachother, and you're left with two. As they grow up, their voices become very deep and cool. Seaman is quite the scholar. He'll ask you questions about your life and what you like whenever you talk to him. Of course, you can only put in 15 hours of gameplay a day, and you'll be doing just fine...as your talk sessions don't last that long. They're more of a Q&A. But that's ok, I enjoyed the responses Seaman gave me. When I told him my birthday, he told me that I share it with Elizabeth Hurley and a few other cool celebrities. Thanks Seaman!

The voice recognition isn't as bad as people say. As long as you speak clearly and not too fast, Seaman should be able to understand most of the things you say to him. Please give Seaman a chance, he's a good guy. And you'll be sad to let him go in the end.

SEAMAN GOOD! FIRE BAD!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 13 / 27
Date: July 13, 2000
Author: Amazon User

First, let me warn you. I have NOT yet played this game. Any information that you find incorrect in this review is completely my fault, not Amazon.com, Vivarium, Inc., or SEGA Enterprises, Ltd.'s.

OK, folks, I've done a LOT of research on Seaman, and have done my best to seperate fact from rumor. Seaman is a fish-man thing with a human face and legs [somewhat]. There is a green-tipped microphone that goes into your VMU slot so that later on you can talk to and train your Seamen. They first start as eggs that you have to drop into the tank. Then those hatch into sperm-like creatures called mushroomers. Then, by freak accident, they become baby seamen, or "gillmen", and eventually grow up to be adult seamen. Sound easy? Well it isn't. For one, you have to have a LOT of patience. And for two, you set the temperature and oxygen in the tank and if you don't set them just right, it could mean death for seaman. And third, your seamen will age even while the game is turned off, meaning that if you neglect seaman for awhile, you could find him floating at the top of the tank the next time you turn it on. This game has voice recognition built in. It can recognize over 5,000 words and phrases. It can also remember what you say and use it against you! Even though I haven't played it yet, I preordered it [through Amazon.com, of course!] and I highly anticipate it and recommend it to you. It definately deserves 5 stars.

Short. Seaman gives up. Can't Recognize Me

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 7 / 12
Date: November 30, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Sure, this game is cool. I Mean, you get to talk to a fish type human thing. That's cool. THIS GAME IS WAY OVERRATED. I loved it the first 2 weeks, when Seaman would ask me questions and get to know me. It never realized to me though that he would only ask me about 5-10 minutes worth of stuff a day and then say "we'll talk more tomorrow". Sure.. what are friends for? Let's just put it off for tomorrow. A lot of times they'd not even understand me. Then there's the problem of this game lasting about two weeks and then it's all over and your seaman is in a new environment and he really has nothing to say to you. It did make me cry when my first seaman died in order to keep his species going. It also made me cry when my last Seaman finally got out and he gave me this long speech about our friendship. He's witty and all. Think of it like this: how would you like it if you got a new best friend in two that you could tell anything and not worry about being abused (well, not that much, at least). Then imagine that same friend leaving you right after you having to get used to him. I heard there might be an observation kit coming out. Why should I Keep waiting money on this? I mean, video games don't come cheap. It's worth a rent or a borrow from friends for a week or so, but afterwards, it's almost worthless.

One Seriously Warped Fish-Man

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: August 25, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Seaman is a strange adventure that rewards the patient. If you're looking for button-mashing, then move on, because you will be sorely disappointed in this game. What Seaman provides is a totally emersive experience in which you raise your "babies" to eventually become a full-fledged Seaman. As he grows you converse with him using the included microphone pack and learn about each other. While he can be moody and acerbic, Seaman seems to be truly well-intentioned. I've been raising mine for about 3 weeks and look forward to my daily visit. I can't wait to find out what he will say next or what the next step in his evolution can be like. A hint for the impatient folks: you can advance Seaman by adjusting the clock of your dreamcast and restarting the game. This is especially helpful if you get occupied and can't get to the tank on a given day to check in. I wouldn't recommend using this trick to accelerate play, however, because part of the overall experience is to have the daily interaction that allows your Seaman bond to grow deeper over time.

seaman is great!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: August 20, 2002
Author: Amazon User

this game is really fun. it's kinda like a sim mixed with a giga pet. you feed it , raise it, take care of it, and of course, talk to it. yes, some of the time the words are missunderstood, but if you talk loud and clearly enough, it's just fine.

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 Next 

Actions