Creatures, from the aptly named developers at Creature Labs, has made the jump to console with the release of Creatures for the Playstation.  The game is based around raising and teaching the Norns (the Creatures) how to live.  Acting as their omniscient godfather it is up to you to teach them each the basic lessons of life.  Spoon feed them through childhood and teach them all the things they will need to know to grow into old age.  It is up to you to help produce generations of Norns, each possessing the characteristics of their forefathers.  Teach your Norns well and you'll see their gratitude in the birth of every baby Norn, fail and the Norns will vanish into extinction.  Their future is in your hands.

The game is definitely not made for those who want instant gratification.  Patience is the key word as the sometimes excruciatingly slow gameplay and irritatingly unresponsive Norns can make you want to use the scolding button a bit hastily.  Though with a little love and dedication you will be well on your way raising the next generation.  The controls are easily learned considering the game was originally designed for the computer and the Norn's AI isn't bad.  This game takes the same idea used in the Tamagotchi craze and brings it to a whole new level.

Graphically Norns feature a smooth and pleasing environment with a largely interactive environment.  It didn't take me long to find a glitch though whereby objects could become stuck in your Norns.  However it had no game effect and would resolve itself within a few seconds so it wasn't much of a problem.  The sound track and effects were definitely high quality.  The Norn's cheers and whimpers, along with their well developed facial expressions, made it hard to think of them as just virtual pets.

Creatures is a game for those with a massive amount of patience.  However, if you're a fan of top of the line simulations, the Norns may be a good pick for your gaming library.

Gameplay: 7
The only real fault is the speed.  A slightly faster pace would have been nice.

Graphics: 9 
Well designed and executed the graphics are probably some of the best on the PS1.

Sound: 8
A sound track that can be listened to for hours, not only without irritation, but with enjoyment.

Difficulty: Medium
The games not difficult to learn but it requires dedication.

Concept: 8 
Well executed, but I personally would have preferred some battle or competition element.  However it is easily on par with most other sims.

Overall: 8.5
A cute game featuring a fuzzy world of happy Norny love.