Dreamcast – some of these games will be a nightmare to get hold of

A reader pays homage to Sega’s final home console and recommends the more obscure games you may have missed.

Around eight years ago I had to do a terrible thing, I sold my entire games collection, This included an N64, GameCube, Mega Drive and Mega CD, Neo-Geo, and PlayStation 2 among many other devices and games; just keeping my PlayStation 3 at the time.

The hardest thing to sell was my Dreamcast collection: every single PAL released game and around 50 to 60 US and Japanese-only released games, along with a whole range of accessories (my chrome arcade stick was much treasured – never seen another since).



Anyway, it had to be done for my family, as we moved to a new house and needed the cash. In total everything was worth around £4,000 at the time. God knows what it would be worth now. A fair number (maybe 40 to 50) of the Dreamcast games were duplicated (one new/sealed and one to play).


I often miss having the collection, not just for playing but for the absurd pleasure gained from just looking through the games and gadgets and owning it – a very bizarre human trait I suppose that serves no purpose at all really. Even had a neon Sega sign.

Anyway, I remember a fair while back now, someone praising the Dreamcast on GC, as happens from time to time. I can’t remember if it was Inbox comments, Underbox comments, or even GC, but essentially the point of bothering to buy a Dreamcast for the gaming experience was questioned somewhere, quite legitimately, as pretty much everything of note has been re-released on newer systems.

So for a while I thought I would remind myself of all the games I used to own that still made the Dreamcast worth owning. And browsing the Internet bored one lunchtime I had a look through, for my own fun as much as anything, and have listed them below. I have tried to avoid games that can be experienced in the same way or even in a superior way on newer formats, so no Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Virtua Tennis, F355 Challenge, Headhunter, Rez, Fur Fighters, Space Channel 5, Sega Bass Fishing, Samba De Amigo or even some oddities like Jo Jo’s Bizarre Adventure.

Not sure all would agree but these are all worth experiencing in my view (no significance to the order – just how they occurred to me as writing). Apologies if any have been reworked on to other formats without me realising.

Tech Romancer

This may have snuck out since the Dreamcast elsewhere, maybe under a different name, but I’ve never see this game get a mention so I will. It’s one of my favourite fighters, basically 2D mech brawling, that makes great use of the VMU. Arguably lacked the combat depth of some genre heavyweights, but I found it very intuitive to play and it seemed genuinely different from the rest of the pack. I particularly liked the variety between close combat and using longer range moves/weapons.



Daytona USA 2001

This game is quite frankly (in my view) rubbish played with a pad. Played with a decent steering wheel though it transforms the experience to one feeling so close to the arcade original it becomes an absolute must for fans of Sega’s arcade roots.

Shenmue

To be honest, I never liked this game. I tried and tried but found it too slow for me to persevere with. Many will, and do, disagree and this game has become a bit of a gaming legend and pretty much sums up the Dreamcast in many ways. Whatever my views it was hugely ambitious and different, and deserves a place in gaming history. For anyone getting a Dreamcast they should at least give it a whirl. Shenmue II of course made it to the Xbox, but Shenmue remains exclusive to Dreamcast.

Outtrigger

Really needs to be played with the mouse and keyboard, never online in Europe and really would be at its best as a multiplayer. But with a short sharp mission based single-player it is still an addictive blast. Pretty sure that had this arrived earlier in the Dreamcast’s lifespan, with full online and fleshed out a little more, it could have been a classic.

Power Stone 1 and 2

Great attempt to get these working on the PSP, and plays slightly better on the larger PS Vita screen, but this is about as much fun as you can have sat round a TV with your friends. My favourite multiplayer brawlers ever, still only experienced in that way with a Dreamcast.


Ooga Booga (NTSC)

If you can be bothered with getting NTSC games up and running, this is great – somewhere between Power Stone 2 and Fur Fighters for multiplayer fun, with some neat mini-games thrown in.

Project Justice: Rival Schools 2

Pretty sure this remains Dreamcast only – an absolute gem for the 2D beat ‘em-up genre. Fantastic wacky characters and standout art/visuals with amazing OTT moves.

Super Magnetic Neo

Third person platformer (sometimes side-on 2D) that I can’t recall ever getting a mention anywhere since the Dreamcast’s demise. Familiar looking in terms of the fundamental platforming mechanics but uses magnetics to defeat enemies or progress by repelling or sticking to things. The game was noted for some very inventive and entertaining boss battles, crisp visuals, and holding a fair challenge.

Bangai-O

Released on The DS and very decent it was too, but if you want to pay this brilliant but overlooked classic 2D shooter from Treasure on a big screen, then Dreamcast is the only option.

Confidential Mission

I love lightgun games, this is not quite up there with The House Of The Dead 2, but if you bother to invest in a Dreamcast surely you would play that, and this gives you some much needed and very decent extra use for your lightgun (all sorts of issues to overcome regarding lightguns and modem TVs, so you will need an old set).

Sega Extreme Sports

Ignored back in the day, despite relatively warm reviews, and seemed a novel concept at the time. Sort of a relay of events within a race (snowboarding, quad biking, and hang-gliding, etc.). A nice mix of extreme sports and all done relatively well, and still very playable.


Red Dog

Basically a vehicle-based third person shooter. I really enjoyed it, think it got middling reviews at the time, but it’s as much about getting to grips with the vehicle and manoeuvring it as it is about the shooting mechanics. Can’t think of much around like it.

Starlancer

To repetitive to be seen as a classic (also released on PC) but worth a blast. The space combat has been implemented really very well, although that is really all there is to do in the game. Probably intended to make better use of online gaming at the time. However, there is a substantial story-driven single-player game there. Mixed reviews at the time: 9/10 for some, barely a 5 for others.

Giga Wing

Not sure this made it onto other systems, and my liking of it may be a bit personal. I loved Zaxxon and 1942 in my gaming infancy and to me this felt very familiar and enjoyable.

Toy Commander

Often mentioned by many Dreamcast fans as a missed classic, essentially this is new toys vs. old toys, as you explore rooms around the house completing tasks/missions/puzzles culminating in boss battles through each area. Like many Dreamcast games there’s great multiplayer fun to be had in the battle mode. It is a novel game for sure, arguably not aged particularly well (clunky controls and very square-looking visuals at times) but still well worth a visit for any Dreamcast owner.

Cosmic Smash (NTSC)

Possibly my favourite import, rather like Rez it delivers a very stylised yet simple gaming concept. This is essentially squash/Breakout meets Tron. Hard to explain but very easy to enjoy.

Honourable mentions go to Virtual On, Mortal Kombat Gold, Mars Matrix, Zombie Revenge, The Typing Of The Dead, and MSR (brilliant at the time but too many superseding sequels – would love an HD remake). Also, many games made since its ‘death’, pick of the bunch probably being 2D shooter Under Defeat.

By reader Albavar (PSN ID)

The reader’s feature does not necessary represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

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