Today marks the Anniversary of the Sega Dreamcast launch and I thought I'd take the time to think back on this wonderful system. The Sega Dreamcast was a true underdog console that actually revolutionized gaming in several different ways. The console was released September 9th, 1999 which was just a few months before the Playstation 2 release. The Dreamcast had some stiff competition ahead of them not only with Playstation but Xbox and the Gamecube. With that said, I won't be focusing on why the system failed, I want today to be about the positive things the console left behind.
If there is one character that every Sega fan is familiar with, it's Sonic. In Sonic's Adventure you got to play as Sonic but you also get to play as 5 other characters throughout the game. The game was one of the first fully 3-D Sonic games and that provided some pretty intense chase sequences, even one with a giant killer whale. That level makes you feel like you are in Indiana Jones and you're running away from the giant ball! Of course the main enemy of the game is Dr.Robotnik...why won't he just die?! The game breathed new life into the Sonic character and opened the box for more 3D sequels.
Power Stone 2 was 4 player fighting game that was ported from the Arcade to the Dreamcast, like several other titles. The game featured the ability to have 4 people fighting on screen at once as opposed to the normal 2 characters. The game also featured the ability to pick up items and use them on your opponent. You could pick up chairs, tables, rocks, etc. The game also features the ability to interact with stages, like hopping into cannons that you can use to fire on your opponent. To add more chaos to the mayhem, you can also pick up weapons like a hammer,axe, and flame thrower! With four people playing at once this game is some good ole fashioned arcade fighting fun.
Jet Set Radio is a beautifully fun skating game with a twist. In the game you play a young punk who is part of a gang in Tokyo. Instead of unleashing gang violence you skate around town and tag parts of the city with graffiti! You will encounter rival gangs, police, and bosses throughout your journey. The game is strangely addictive and kind of feels like an anime version of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater. The art style is absolutely unique and I think that's a big part of what makes this game so memorable. This is a must have for any Dreamcast owner. In fact, most people I knew that had the system, owned this game as well.
Ready 2 Rumble was an over the top boxing game developed by Midway. It was an arcade style boxing game like Punchout, but instead of being one single character, you are able to pick from a variety of personalities created for the game. The more memorable ones were guys like Afro Thunder, Boris the Bear, and secret characters like Michael Jackson! The game also featured the voice and appearance of world famous announcer Michael Buffer, which gives it a cool official vibe. Each player would have a special move they could use whenever their rumble meter was full. They were often unrealistic crazy movies, almost fatality level. It was a great game and a lot of fun if you have a buddy over.
The fourth game in the Resident Evil series saw a slightly different approach. The completely 3-D backgrounds made for a crisp and beautiful experience. Some actually consider this one of the better looking games in the series. The game focused on Claire Redfield who was the main character in Resident Evil 2. This game was remembered for it's intense difficulty and badass villains. The villain that gets the most attention is a creepy terminator-esque Tyrant man named Wesker. If you can some how make it to him in the game, I suggest playing him with the lights out! If you want a good zombie survival experience on this console, you can't beat Code Veronica.
Speaking of awesome Zombie related things, this game is an absolute gem. "House of the Dead" is a very popular arcade series where you shoot zombies with a light gun as fast as possible. Well "Typing Of The Dead" was a sequel that used a keyboard instead of a light gun. Sounds weird right? Well It was actually a blast! You would have to type words to defeat enemies and sometimes even full sentences. The further you got into the game, the more awkward the words get. Boss fights are especially rewarding because you have to type as fast as you can, and the AI will throw some bizarre sentences at you. I highly recommend picking this one up. It's an odd and addicting game.
Soul Calibur is the second in the now famous Soul series. The game was developed by Project Soul but produced by Namco. It started out as an arcade exclusive but then it was ported to the Sega Dreamcast with updated graphics and a bigger roster. The game was basically a 3-D weapon fighting game. It was like Tekken with weapons. The game featured many interesting characters that would later become iconic as the series continued. My personal favorite would have to be the boss of the game "Cervantes". The story is kind of hard to pick up on in the game, but it apparently is all about possessing the "Soul Edge" sword, which is held by Cervantes and eventually turns another character into "Nightmare". The gameplay was almost identical to Tekken except for the inclusion of weapons. The weapons would provide a deeper element to the moves. This game is about as fun as it gets and if you grew up going to Pizza Hut, you probably played this in their lobby at some point. You can't go wrong with a "Soul" game.
In the game Crazy Taxi you play a taxi driver who likes to play things close to the edge. You are basically in some type of cartoon world where you can drive like a maniac, get outrageous speed and high jumps, and above all else you get to pick up random people. You will be tasked with delivering certain people to certain places in a short span. This is what causes you to amp things up. Not only is the driving a blast, but the world you play in is also a lot of fun. The range of people you pick up are endless. It's quite funny when the passenger comments on your driving skills, or in some cases their brush with death. Another big highlight of this game would have to be the soundtrack! It's mostly a bunch of Offspring songs that mesh PERFECTLY with the tone and pace of the game. The main track is stuck in my head as I type this.
Perhaps one of the most beautiful titles of it's time, Shenmue was a game that many instantly fell in love with. It was an action adventure game that featured nonlinear gameplay that would allow you to walk and do whatever you wanted. This was executed beautifully in the game, but it would come at a cost. The game was one of the most expensive in history! It cost 47 million dollars to produce, which is about 65 million adjusting for inflation. Unfortunately while there was a sequel, the game creators never got to complete the trilogy, most likely due to financial losses on the game. I had heard somewhere that almost every dreamcast owner would have to buy 2 copies of Shenmue for them to make their money back. It's quite sad because it really was a remarkable game that opened the door to many other games like it. I think it was really before it's time.
The gameplay revolved around a young guy named Ryo who is trying to solve the death of this father. You escalate the story by traveling around the city and finding different items. In terms of combat it has a nice 3-D RPG feel to it, as you fight the Yakuza and street thugs, then eventually you solve the mystery. It was a very deep game for it's time and it was very easy to get immersed in it. Fans of the game are still hoping and praying that someday we will finally see the completion of the series.
Now I know this may be a controversial pick for number one, but I just had to do it. I've dumped countless hours into this game, and I've got the thumb blisters to prove it! This game is possibly one of the best sequels in gaming history. The original Marvel vs. Capcom was your basic 2-D fighter but featured comic book characters squaring off against characters owned by Capcom. It was quite a cool idea and it allowed fans to live out dream matches. The sequel took this idea and increased the roster ten fold. You get to pick a team of 3 characters and you battle your way through some pretty epic combinations of characters.
The game became famous on the arcades and was eventually ported to the Dreamcast, then later on other consoles. Many consider the Dreamcast version to be the definitive version and the one that reminds people the most of the arcade. Not only was the gameplay an absolute blast, but the competition was also very steep. The game became so popular that it spawned a series of gaming tournaments, where the best face off. I never was one for playing against strangers in the arcade, plus if they know combos you're probably going to lose anyways. To top the game off, it features an extremely catchy menu select song which I'll post below. All of these things combined with the adrenaline rush of fighting as fast as you can, make for the perfect Dreamcast experience!
Well folks that wraps up our list for today, but please comment and tell me what were some of your favorite Dreamcast games? Do you agree with my list?
