Game Title: Bangai-O

Why It Shouldn’t Be Overlooked: It’s another shooter from Treasure. While not as constantly praised as Ikaruga is, this game is still something special with quirky characters and bite-sized explosion filled levels to keep a frenetic pace throughout the whole game.

- Chris

Game Title: Cannon Spike

Why It Shouldn’t Be Overlooked: This collaboration from Capcom and Psikyo brought another Arcade shooter to the system. This one features 8 way directional shooting while your character flies around on rollerblades and destroys swarms of enemies. A lot like Smash TV, but more stage based, and also features some Capcom characters that players should be able to recognize.

- Chris

Game Title: Giga Wing 2

Why It Shouldn’t Be Overlooked: This is yet another Capcom gem on the list, a shooter that expanded upon the decent first game and really became what I liked to call a “party shooter”. This game is a visual smorgasboard of ridiculousness, where half the time you lose track of what the hell is going on during other ship’s “supers” and it never gets particularly hard (and infinite continues helps too). So sure it’s not necessarily a legendary old school shooter, but for a gang of 4 friends who just want to have a great time for 30 minutes, this game is an extremely enjoyable diversion.

- Zach

Game Title: Project Justice

Why It Shouldn’t Be Overlooked: Another arcade fighter from Capcom, Project Justice was the sequel to the 3d high school anime styled fighter Rival Schools. It keeps most traditions from the first game in tact, with air combos and tag team super attacks out in full force along with interesting characters that are full of style. A better team based fighting option for those that can’t keep up with Marvel vs. Capcom’s pacing and balance issues.

- Chris

Game Title: Seaman

Why It Shouldn’t Be Overlooked: Honestly, I assumed most people knew about this game, but I’ve consistently met gamers who don’t really remember Seaman at all. Seaman was essentially a really fucked up virtual pet. It wasn’t a game really. It was more of an experiment. You booted up your virtual aquarium once or twice a day (or moved the internal clock forward if you were impatient), and took care of a strange sea creature that would go through many mutations, and oh yeah, he talked to you, and you could talk to him. With Leonard Nimoy guesting as your host, some snappy and amusing dialogue from the Seaman as well as the weird stuff you could do in the game, it’s worth scooping out of the bargain bins to give it a try sometime. There’s still nothing quite like it on the market today.

- Zach

Game Title: Sword of the Berserk: Guts’ Rage

Why It Shouldn’t Be Overlooked: Guts’ Rage is an ultraviolent 3d hack n’ slash game based heavily on a story from the Berserk manga. While the game has a great story, the action helps take it over the top. Even though the goal never really changes (PRO TIP: kill everything), chopping bodies in half never loses its fun.

- Chris

Game Title: Tech Romancer

Why It Shouldn’t Be Overlooked: Yet another Capcom arcade fighting game, Tech Romancer was unique because it embraced Japan’s popular giant robot culture. Full of great designs and stories with multiple paths and endings to take while also featuring 3d gameplay based around items and destructive final attacks for finishing moves.

- Chris

Game Title: Typing of the Dead

Why It Shouldn’t Be Overlooked: This one was actually kind of a minor hit, but nevertheless, I’ve gotten quite a few “….uh what?” looks when I talk about this ‘mod’ of House of the Dead 2. And that’s really what this is; it’s House of the Dead 2, but instead of shooting zombies, each one has words attached to them that you need to type in order to kill them. Adding to the ridiculousness is that the graphics have remained exactly the same, except that instead of the heroes having guns, they have Dreamcasts strapped to their backs and mounted keyboards in from of them. Awesome. Also legitimately helps you speed your typing skills.

- Zach

Game Title: Virtual On Oratorio Tangram

Why It Shouldn’t Be Overlooked: Virtual On was always known for its robust Arcade setup with a control scheme that made anyone think they could pilot a real robot if given the chance to. Oratorio Tangram is considered to be the high point of the series, and it could=2 0be played on a regular controller even though the Twin Stick setup is preferable. This version was actually just re-released for XBox Live Arcade.

- Chris

#1: Soul Calibur

Why it’s #1: Soul Calibur did a lot for the Dreamcast. Right out of the gate, it was a tremendous looking game with great control and lots of depth. Soul Calibur is, in my opinion, the best 3D fighter series. The sequels, while all living up to the expectation of quality, have struggled to really be as mind blowing as the original. It’s amazing that this game was a launch title for the Dreamcast in the US, and still looks better than most PS2 games. The game has a low barrier to entry, but has a deep combo system that rewards skilled players. Button mashers always have a chance to win, as was proven in the legendary battle: Raub vs. Hohman’s drunken foot.

- Andrew

#2: Rez

Why It’s #2: Rez, at the very core of its gameplay, isn’t terribly different from another Sega series, Panzer Dragoon. You float along a 3D linear plane, destroying enemies that come your way, and fight some big, interesting bosses. However, if that’s all Rez was, it likely would not be #2. What makes this a classic game is the synergy of music, action, and dazzling graphics. Mixing a superb blend of underground electronic artists with gameplay that pulses along to the music according to your movements on screen, Rez truly is mesmerizing to play. As you level up and advance through levels your character becomes more defined and beams you fire become different tones to shoot along to the beat. Then there is the graphics, which to this day are some of the most creative ever in a game. You start out in a level that could best be described as a vector graphics tribute, but as you progress, the world becomes more detailed and intricate, leading up to the finale level where the game takes you through the birth of life on earth on up through the cosmos. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention some of the most creative boss fights ever. Battling monster electronic octopus creatures from outside and within and taking down hard charging monolithic block-golems are just some trippy stuff you will find. Every gamer should give Rez a chance.

- Zach

#3: Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes

Why It’s #3: The culmination of Capcom’s years of developing non-technical, high energy fighting games, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 took the best elements of games like Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, and (naturally) Marvel vs. Capcom and took it to another level. Tag teams became three-man groups, the character list takes an enormous leap up to 56, backgrounds were rendered in 3D (as contrasted to the 2D sprite based characters), and the soundtrack…well, that actually went to a weird place, infusing these incredible, action packed battles with smooth jazz. It was a love it or hate it move that I adored, as anyone that has played this game with any regularity now has “I’m gonna take you for a riiiiiide” burned into their heads. It was an arcade perfect port with unlockables and replay value galore. There is a reason Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is one of the most demanded games that may never happen, and that is because MvC2 did such an amazing job of bringing a rich experience to the fighting genre.

- Skip

#4: Crazy Taxi

Why It’s #4: HEY HEY HEY! IT’S TIME TO MAKE SOME KER-RAZY MONEY! ARE YA READY! HERE! WE! GO! *YEA YEA YEA YEA YEA!* (insane driving, with hilarious guests, driving up and down a recreation of San Fran, trying to come damn near hitting nearby cars and earning outrageous amounts of money, follows)

- Skip

While it’s not incredibly diverse, the game is just too fun to put down. Going for high scores, clearing challenges and learning the shortcuts for every course would lead to some late nights and fun experiences to share with friends. Who would ever think that racing through crowded streets trying to get a fat man to a baseball game in time while blasting The Offspring would make for one of the best experiences on the Dreamcast?

- Chris

#5: Grandia II

Why It’s #5: Grandia II is not only one of the best RPGs on the Dreamcast, it’s one of the best RPGs I have ever played. The combat in Grandia II is awesome. It has more depth than other time based RPG fighting systems, with distance to your enemies being a factor, as well as which enemy will attack next. It allowed the player to develop strategies for each individual fight, rather than using the same moves over and over to defeat your enemies. The music in Grandia II is some of the best in video game history. Rarely would I characterize video game music as beautiful but Grandia II is an exception. Fight songs are energetic, evil enemies are introduced with an ominous tone, suspenseful songs add to the excitement of exploring a new area or encountering something new and unknown. It is one of the best and most complete soundtracks available for any video game. Add this feature to a game with great environments and engaging characters and you have one hell of an immersing game. Check out some songs here, here, here, and here.

Even with all these highlights, the best part of Grandia II is the story. The story in Grandia II starts off as a typical good versus evil type of story. However, towards the end of the game, an amazing twist unfolds that no other RPG has explored. The progression of events is linear (this being the only downside to this game) but everywhere this adventure takes you feels unique. I remember loving the towns and dungeons because each was distinct and fresh. So many RPGs fail to create an interesting story. I’m glad Grandia II chose a more creative path. Overall the level of originality in Grandia II is superb, and the attention to detail will not go unnoticed.

- Chuck

#6: Power Stone 2

Why it’s #6: Power Stone 2 was simply the best choice out there for more than 2 players to get in on. Colorful characters and incredibly interactive stages that often morphed or changed locations along with tons of items made the crazy action fun and accessible for anyone to enjoy. Before Smash Bros. broke out and never looked back with Melee, Power Stone 2 was the party fighter at the top of the heap.

- Chris

#7: Dead Or Alive 2

Why it’s #7: Up until the time I played Dead or Alive 2 on the Dreamcast, I was losing the desire to play a fighting game. There was nothing new and exciting happening circa 1999 to energize the genre. Enter Dead or Alive 2. This game brought with it two innovative features. First, the stages were more than just a fighting arena. There were many stages where you could throw your opponent off a roof, through a wall, or down a high structure onto a lower one. It made knowing where you were on a stage a matter of dignity. You didn’t want to be the player that was kicked off a building. Being knocked off a platform and getting a “ring out” defeat sucked but it never felt the same as watching your character fall several stories down a building. Second, this game has a deep counter system that a player needs to get familiar with and know if you want to succeed. You can counter high moves, low moves, even throws. I remember playing against my friends and countering every move they made in order to defeat them. I never had to throw a punch. It was very rewarding looking at them with a shit eating grin afterwards.

On a system that has so many great fighters, DOA2 gets lost in the mix sometimes. This game looks just as good as Soul Calibur 2 and plays just as smooth. The sound quality and music are highly underrated and there are many different match types. At the time of its release DOA2 did more to evolve the fighting game than most fighters since Street Fighter 2 debuted. Because of this, it is one of the best DC games.

- Chuck

#8: Street Fighter III: Third Strike

Why it’s #8: On a system littered with fighting games, it takes a lot to stand out. Soul Calibur’s allure was in the technical aspects of the game. DOA2 had fairly unique and refined hand-to-hand combat. What did Street Fighter III have? Subtle but important improvements over its predecessors. Fluid 2D graphics a very balanced and tight fighting system, and a parry system that brought in expert players all helped make Street Fighter III a successful sequel.

- Andrew

#9: Virtua Tennis

Why It’s #9: Virtua Tennis, like many of the other titles on this top ten list, began as an arcade game. At its core, it is a more advanced version of Pong, where your intent is to simply return the ball back to the opponent and hope he messes up. But Virtua Tennis takes that basic gameplay and expounds upon it greatly, adding in a world tour mode where the player starts out ranked 300th in the world and, through training and playing tournaments, works his way up to #1. Each player had their own strengths and weaknesses, which forced a change in strategy with each game. And as difficulty ramped up, it wasn’t a simple “computer player hits impossible shots” improvement in challenge, but rather the computer would employ the most difficult strategy for that player’s noted strength. The sequel, Tennis 2K2 in America, added in women players, expanded the world tour and training modes, but the core gameplay remained the same, as it should. Virtua Tennis took what is a pretty boring game to watch and injected it with excitement and strategy that most gamers had not previously considered while watching tennis on television.

- Skip

#10: Resident Evil: Code Veronica

Why It’s #10: One of the last entries before the series went to over the shoulder 3rd person shooter, Resident Evil: Code Veronica was the proper sequel to the previous best entry, RE2, and continued all of what made the series great. Cheesy voice acting? Check. Awesome scares? Check. Ridiculous puzzles and scary ass bad guys? Check. Creepy villains? Check. It just did what REs do best, and did it with a sheen and polish that the previous games could not accomplish (ie. it didn’t look like a jaggy piece of shit). I am still, to this day, awaiting the story of Chris and Claire taking down Umbrella…

- Skip

Top Ten Thoughts:

It’s rather interesting that so many of us agreed that 5 different fighting games could crack the top 10 games for the system, but in a way, that epitomizes what the Dreamcast was; a classic arcade experience. Even Crazy Taxi and Virtua Tennis were great arcade games that really made a name for themselves on the Dreamcast. Our list also has an action/shooter game, an RPG, and a survival horror adventure game, proving that the DC’s best was an interesting mix of genres. Also, the 5 fighting games aren’t just there because there were no better options; they are probably 5 of the best fighting games ever made. One thing to remember is that while this is the “essential” list, there’s a litany of other great experiences available for the system, from obscurities like the shooter Bangai-O to underrated gems like the beat’emup Cannon Spike.. Below is a couple honorable mentions that were on many of our top lists, but just missed the top 10.

Honorable Mentions:

Game Title: Jet Grind Radio

Why Honorable?: One of the first games to help usher in the cel-shaded era of graphics, Jet Grind Radio was a wonderful display of unique gameplay mixed with a funky fresh soundtrack. It was a complete package of coolness.

- Chris

Game Title: Mars Matrix

Why Honorable?: A fun gameplay mechanic of collecting gold while shooting the shit out of aliens, Mars Matrix was hard as hell. The only way to get through the game? Keep collecting gold, buy more lives and continues, then keep buyingthings as you go through the game over and over, trying to fully unlock every item. I still need to get that BGM option…

- Skip

Game Title: NFL2K1

Why Honorable?: First console sports game to truly go online, I took part in the beta of this online portion. Online competition, a franchise mode that could keep one playing for months, fast action, great graphics and animation. This one had it all .Visual Concepts created the most important football game until they one-upped themselves with NFL2K5, their last hurrah.

- Skip

Game Title: Samba de Amigo

Why Honorable?: This could have been a mainstream hit if Sega could have gotten the maraca costs down so more people could experience it. However, it’s legacy, as one of America’s first peripheral based music games and frankly just being a charming, easy-to-learn game with acid-drenched cutesy monkey visuals and an eclectic soundtrack, remains secure.

- Zach

Game Title: Skies of Arcadia

Why Honorable?: Skies of Arcadia was one of the few RPG gems the system had. A fun and original battle system and embellishment of Final Fantasy’s airship tradition made this game a great adventure.

- Andrew

Game Title: Sonic Adventure

Why Honorable?: Sonic Adventure successfully and beautifully took Sonic into 3D after basically being ignored on the Saturn. Sonic became relevant again.

- Andrew

What Was It? Online gaming

Why Was It Different? Console games had dabbled with online connectivity in the past, but the Dreamcast put the console game market on the straight path to the internet with the bold step to include a modem with every console. While SegaNet was not up and running by the launch of the console, a year later, with NFL2K1, SegaNet brought (relatively) smooth online gaming in mass form to the console market. [Note: this writer does have a slight bias, having been part of the beta process of NFL2K1's online system]

How Did It Change Gaming? The Xbox 360 and Microsoft thrive upon their online integration with every game. If a console game today does not have some sort of online capability, gamers wonder what is wrong with it. Online communities around games such as Halo 3, Gears of War, Call of Duty and more are a staple of the gaming world. One cannot imagine a console game market without the internet these days.

- Skip

What Was It? Downloadable content

Why Was It Different? Downloadable content was a brand new foray into the possibilities of online gaming. Games could provide extra content to the current game to help extend playing time through new weapons, new levels, and new songs. Continuing their streak of supporting the community perhaps to the detriment of their business, the Dreamcast games that took advantage of these capabilities did so at no cost to the gamer.

How Did It Change Gaming? Downloadable games and content are their own microcosm of the console online business model. One can download entire games through Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network, or the Virtual Console on the Wii. XBLA and PSN also sell movies, television shows, and all sorts of other content. Games themselves sell map packs, new weapons, different costumes, and other notorious items such as “horse armor”.

- Skip

What Was It? Samba de Amigo Maracas

Why Was It Different? Technically, music game peripherals had already made their way stateside by way of Dance Dance Revolution. What made the Samba maracas different was that Samba de Amigo did not have an arcade presence to build its audience upon. It was expensive (DDR pads were around $30; one pair of maracas cost $80) and was designed for one game and one game only (DDR had multiple arcade iterations off of which to spread the “pain” of the peripheral cost).

How Did It Change Gaming? Half a decade after Samba de Amigo brought music gaming peripherals to America, a little game called Guitar Hero was released for the Playstation 2 with an expensive plastic instrument peripheral. Five years after that, music rhythm games are a massive force in the games industry, with Guitar Hero alone generating over a billion dollars in revenue.

- Skip

What Was It? Fishing Rod

Why Was It Different? This goofy device resembled the hilt of a fishing rod, along with a reel and most of the DC buttons. However, the look wasn’t just for show. There was limited motion sensitivity here, allowing you to flick the controller to cast a line, and then pull left and right to bring in a catch. It wasn’t perfect, but for the Sega Bass and Marine Fishing games, I remember it working surprisingly well, and this was the first time I recall thinking that a motion based controller was a pretty intriguing idea that made a very different, arcade-like experience.

How Did It Change Gaming? I’m not going to sit here and try to tell you that the fishing controller basically turned into the Wii, because I don’t think it’s true. However, this accessory was in every game store in America as a first party device, with several solid arcade fishing games to back it up. Their execution was limited in scope, but may have been many people’s first home console experience with motion controls that actually worked. Nintendo, after some tilt-sensitive portable games that got their feet wet with the idea, unleashed the Wii, and that story essentially speaks for itself. Soon both Xbox 360 and PS3 will have their motion controls out there. Sega had a solid idea, and while they were not the direct influence of the oncoming motion controlled gaming phenomenon, they certainly played a part in getting the idea into homes back in the early part of the decade.

- Zach

What Was It? VMU

Why Was It Different? The VMU was essentially a very limited portable storage device with a few minigames on its small LCD screen, but it allowed a range of interesting possibilities for developers. Sonic Adventure used it as a Chao Adventure mini-game, NFL 2K series used it to view plays anonymously from your friends for more competitive gaming, Skies of Arcadia used it as a mini-RPG game, and so on. While the batteries just loved dying in it, it was an interesting idea that no one had tried before, and held so many more possibilities than it was given.

How Did It Change Gaming? In the coming years, iterations of this idea would begin popping up everywhere. Sony made the Pocketstation, a clear competitor of the DC’s VMU. The Pocketstation never quite got to America, and was sparingly supported, its most prominent use coming with Final Fantasy IX and the Chocobo World mini-game. Additionally, Nintendo put out the idea of the Transfer Pack for N64, which worked essentially for Pokemon games to move the Pokemon back and forth. It never became a popular item. However, the idea wasn’t completely dead there. Later the idea of connection between the console and a portable device became more elaborate, most prominently with GBA->GC connectivity. I’m surprised as many games support this as it did, considering the amount of hardware and cords needed to make it work, but nonetheless, there were many games that used the Game Boy Advance as a controller or second screen for the Gamecube. Titles were made just with the connection in mind, like Zelda: Four Swords, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, and Pac-Man Vs. Each one of these games used the extra screen in interesting ways to really push a new way of gaming. It was like the Dreamcast idea taken to a new level. Some games allowed you to download entire games to the GBA, like Metroid Prime, where you could unlock the original Metroid, or Animal Crossing, where there were tons of bonus NES games that could be played through the GBA. The idea of two screens for gaming has also carried on to the Nintendo DS, and while it was originally an idea many were skeptical of, this has proved to be one of the most innovative and fun systems of all time.

- Zach

What Was It? Microphone

Why Was It Different? The microphone, starting with Seaman, was initially used as a new way to interact with the game itself, similar to Hey You, Pikachu! on the Nintendo 64. However, it later was integrated into the brand new online aspect of the Dreamcast in Alien Front Online, where you could have real time voice chat with your opponent online.

How Did It Change Gaming? Microphone games have not really done much to change games. Few examples have come out in recent history (N.U.D.E. for the Xbox, Odama for the GameCube, Lifeline for the PS2) but microphone integration has become a standard in the online arena. Microsoft ships out a headset with every Xbox 360. Sony allows Bluetooth headsets to be compatible with the PS3. I once played Fallout 3 for three hours while on my headset with a friend of mine who was watching episodes of The Office on Netflix, all the while we were talking online. That opportunity started with the Sega Dreamcast.

- Skip

What Was It? The VGA Cable

Why Was It Different? It was a video converter cable used to hook your Dreamcast up to a computer monitor to give the games enhanced visuals full of crisper graphics that a regular video cable setup couldn’t provide. This made the Dreamcast’s at the time top of the line graphics even more beautiful to behold. Not every game worked with it, but notable companies such as Capcom backed the technology with almost all of their Dreamcast releases.

How Did It Change Gaming? While the VGA cable was considered to be old technology by 1999, it was the first instance of one being compatible with a gaming system along with one of the first times a video game could be enhanced visually (the Nintendo 64’s expansion pak would be the other example). This ultimately helped pave the way for gaming to help complement the HD TV boom, with the XBox 360 along with the PS3 becoming the current torch carriers for top of the line HD graphics.

Thoughts - I love my VGA cable because it worked so well (regardless of mine being from a third party). I remember fondly playing through Skies of Arcadia on it and also practicing Marvel vs. Capcom 2 in my room with it nonstop. It was a great novelty to have for sure, and it got me through a lot of college nights when my roommate was hogging the TV. I’d recommend it to anyone that can find it.

- Chris

What Was It? Homebrew

Why Was It Different? Until the Dreamcast, consoles were limited to what publishers released. The closest thing to homebrew was using a Game Genie / Game Shark / Action Replay or unlicensed game development. But the Dreamcast was special. Instead of a very limited underlying OS, it ran on top of a version of Windows CE that was developed by Microsoft. This opened the doors for hackers to develop software for the Dreamcast that was not standard to console gaming.

How Did It Change Gaming? First, it’s noteworthy that Microsoft developed the Dreamcast’s OS in that it was probably what helped Microsoft move into the game console arena. But more importantly, the Dreamcast became more than just a gaming console. One of the first things I remember is a port of Quake II, as well as the website DCEmu, which is now a site relating to homebrew on all consoles. Many different applications, homebrew games, and emulators were available over the Dreamcast’s lifetime, making the system a full on multimedia machine. Even with no hard drive or DVD drive, it was nice being able to play emulated consoles and watch movies. Now nearly every modern console is homebrew friendly. The DS has the R4 card, the PSP has custom firmware, the Wii has the Homebrew Channel, the PS3 can install Linux, and the orignal Xbox is still useful for being able to turn into a complete media PC. Console manufacturers may push against it, but homebrew capability is a big draw for many gamers. Microsoft and Sony have been making obvious efforts to include many features into their newest consoles, while Nintendo has been, some would say stubbornly, keeping their consoles as pure gaming machines out of the box.

- Andrew

What was it? Piracy

Why was it different? Piracy was not new when the Dreamcast came out, and Sega tried to prevent it from happening with a specially designed optical media, the 1GB GD-ROM. Cart-based piracy existed, but it was so difficult that it was not prevalent or much of a threat. During the years of the PSX, it became apparent that optical media allowed much more piracy. However, at the time CD-Rs were still expensive, and the time and computing power to rip and burn a PSX game was not a luxury. As the Dreamcast matured, CD-R prices dropped drastically, computing power soared, and DSL and cable Internet started becoming the norm. I barely bought any Dreamcast games, and opted to utilize my DSL connection and CD burner for downloading games. It was not as simple as burning an ISO image, but it was still easy. Eventually I discovered a Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 ISO that had a custom soundtrack. After much research, I discovered guides on how to create custom soundtracks for several games. This became another awesome thing I could do with my Dreamcast that no other system could do. Also, thanks to the ease of piracy, I was able to play import games like Rez and Ikaruga without buying a Japanese Dreamcast, experiencing games that at the time had no tangible plans for a US release.

How did it change gaming? Mainly it opened the eyes of publishers to the rampant use of piracy. No console since has been so easy to pirate game for, although it is certainly still possible. Like the homebrew scene, it showed console manufacturers that there is a fine line between what a console is designed to do and what hackers will make it do. The custom soundtrack aspect may have played a part in perpetuating custom soundtracks in later systems, or even helped push the idea of user generated content. It might be a stretch to cite it as influence, but it no doubt started on the Dreamcast.

- Andrew

Game Title: Crazy Taxi

On Dreamcast: While the whole arcade taxi genre has all but died in 2009, in 1999, there was quite the buzz about this game. Featuring a wonderful punk soundtrack by The Offspring and Bad Religion, tons of real life locations (KFC, Tower Records, Gap, etc), and a fun cast of characters, the seemingly simple gameplay hid the fact that this was a deep and complex game to truly master. A port of a fiercely addictive arcade game, the Dreamcast version was the definitive copy to have, as it improved the graphics, and added an entirely new gigantic city to cruise around in, in addition to some real meat beyond the game in the Crazy Box. This was a bonus minigame portion that allowed you to ever-so-slightly master your skills while competing in fun-yet-ever-challenging games such as bowling, drift events, balloon popping, monster jumps, and crazy traffic evasion. The whole package resulted in a game that challenged you to keep coming back for more. I remember spending hours by myself and with friends learning small tricks, shortcuts, and mastering the art of evading traffic in the pursuit of that monster high score. What once was a game that took a few minutes per session soon became a game where I would be playing a single credit for over an hour. The sequel features more of the same addictive gameplay, but added the ability to jump your vehicle and pick up multiple passengers. I never got quite as intimate with the sequel, but it certainly had its own charms, and the Crazy Box returned as well for another go.

Later Resurrected For: You name it, it probably got a port of this. Okay, that’s a little dramatic, but there were ports to PS2 and Gamecube a few years later, most of them popping up in bargain bins nowadays. Additionally, there was an inferior Windows version that removed the original soundtrack (sacrilege!). Crazy Taxi 3 for Xbox snuck in the original cities from Crazy Taxi 1 and 2 as bonuses. Finally, after years of the series being in hiding, an upgraded port of Crazy Taxi 1 and 2 was released for PSP. I love this version of the game, but it has its issues. The game is much glitchier than the original, the sponsors are taken out of the game, giving it a sterile feel, and the soundtrack is completely stripped out for generic stuff. Luckily, you can add in your own soundtrack, so feel free to welcome back in The Offspring and Bad Religion. There’s lots of nice bonuses in this version, and if you like Crazy Taxi as much as I do, it’s worth taking a look at.

Legacy: Crazy Taxi managed to get a high profile sequel for Xbox called Crazy Taxi 3: High Roller, but unfortunately, the game simply didn’t do enough to keep the series going. It flopped, and seemingly the entire Taxi arcade game genre of games disappeared with it. Before that, The Simpsons Road Rage and titles like GTA III managed to incorporate the Crazy Taxi idea into their games. In fact, Road Rage was as blatant a knockoff as it could be. A middling GBA game was released, and finally the PSP compilation. This series was an artifact of the time in 1999, and has kinda lost its relevance since its release.

- Zach

Game Title: Dead Or Alive 2

On Dreamcast: A beautiful looking fighter with big breasted women, multiplatform environments, and Ryu Hayabusa. This one, like Soul Calibur really legitimized this series as a premier 3D fighter, with great locales, amazing effects for the time, and an easy-to-learn-difficult-to-master rock paper scissors fighting system that separated itself from the rest of the pack of fighters on DC. Also noted as an upgraded arcade port.

Later resurrected for: PS2, as an upgraded port called DOA2: Hardcore. Added new characters, outfits, and locations, among other things. Finally, Dead Or Alive 2 Ultimate was released for Xbox as an online capable, graphically updated fighter, designed to be the “ultimate” version of the game.

Legacy: Dead or Alive is still going strong, and you can look at DOA2 as the reason. DOA2 was a big hit, and DOA3 was a flagship Xbox game. DOA4 has also since been released for 360, as well as gratuitous Beach Volleyball spinoffs that essentially function as creepy skimpy dress-up simulators.

- Zach

Game Title: Grandia II

On Dreamcast: A wonderful RPG on a system starving for them, this was likely the high point for the genre on DC. Great battle system, fun characters, good translation, and built on everything that made the first game great.

Later Resurrected For: PC, PS2. The PS2 version was a shoddy port, but the PC version is solid.

Legacy: The Grandia series never quite hit it big, but it received a sequel in Grandia III for PS2 and a dungeon crawler in Grandia Xtreme. Grandia II and its predecessor remain the high points of the series.

- Zach

Game Title: House of the Dead 2

On Dreamcast: An arcade perfect port of the hit gun shooter. Grabbing this game, 2 guns, and going at it double barrel or with a friend was the definition of a great time for DC. The hammy acting, tough bosses, and plethora of little secrets made it a little more than just a throwaway shooter.

Later Resurrected For: Xbox, Wii, PC. For Xbox, it was included as a bonus with HOTD III. For Wii, it was packaged together with HOTD III.

Legacy: This version of House of the Dead propelled the series into every arcade in America, and spawned 2 more arcade sequels, a pinball game, a typing game, and more recently, a Wii console exclusive, HOTD: Overkill with a grindhouse style to it. It received near universal acclaim.

- Zach

Game Title: Ikaruga

On Dreamcast: The heralded vertical shooter from hardcore gamer darlings Treasure. Featured a system in which you had to change your ship to either black or white to affect how you damaged enemies while also absorbing bullets.

Later resurrected for: Gamecube, XBox Live Arcade

Legacy: It was only available on the Dreamcast in Japan, but it garnered a huge cult following through word of mouth and importing frenzy. It may be a difficult game, but it’s a game everyone had to play. Tons of gamers still refer to it as the pinnacle of shooters and the one that broke a whole new mold for future shooting games to build from.

Thoughts: I bought a Japanese Dreamcast on EBay just so I could play this game. Enough said.

- Chris

Game Title: Marvel Vs. Capcom 2

On Dreamcast: An Arcade perfect port of the insanely hectic 3 on 3 2d fighting game that features 56 total characters from the Marvel and Capcom universe. Also featured online play in the Japanese version, although the major lag was a big reason behind not throwing it in the North American copy.

Later resurrected for: PS2, XBox, XBox Live Arcade, Playstation Network

Legacy: A game that is both simple to learn and hard to master, MvC2 is regarded as one of the greatest 2d fighters ever. While character balance is far from perfect, which renders most of the roster obsolete, the game is still played in tons of tournaments small and large (some tournaments even still use the Dreamcast version) and is currently enjoying new found life as a downloadable game on the 360 and PS3.

Thoughts: I have a deep love/hate relation with this game. I remember vividly how the disc never left my Dreamcast for months on end, and how I maxed out the game’s timer at all 9’s in the blink of an eye through playing with friends every week or staying up late nights in training mode. I learned every move, every combo, theorized over the best possible teams that work with each other. Then when I saw the best gamers in the world play the game, my world was turned upside down. I saw how the game truly needed, nay, HAD to be played in order to have a chance of winning. I learned then and there that if you ever want to have fun playing a fighting game, never watch the pros take it apart and discover the only “useful” characters.

- Chris

Game Title: Phantasy Star Online

On Dreamcast: For those that never played Ultima Online, Everquest or Diablo and were somewhat intimidated by the experience, PSO was an easy and welcoming game to get into. It had a varied character class system with a fair amount of customization to make your character unique. There was an game looked better than those MMO’s too, with its bright colors and simple character designs, it was almost like a 3D Zelda game online. The combat was real-time with a simple combat system instead of selecting actions, which made it feel a bit like an action-adventure game at times. The soundtrack was memorable and appropriate for every moment of the game. The addiction was in building your character and working in a team of four to get through each level all while searching for coveted rare items such as scythes and bushido swords. This game and its followup were pretty much the first console MMORPGs. It sucked years out of my life. I have fond memories of playing until 4 in the morning on a dial-up connection just to find that ultra rare item.

Later Resurrected For: Gamecube, Xbox, PC. Gamecube and Xbox versions were a compilation for PSO I and II.

Legacy: Phantasy Star Online essentially kicked off the MMORPG for consoles. This paved the way for titles such as Final Fantasy XI to jump over to consoles. The Phantasy Star series lives on as well, with two additional sequels to the DC games, with C.A.R.D. Revolution and Blue Burst. The series also spun off to Phantasy Star Universe for mulitple platforms, and a couple portable versions in Phantasy Star Zero and Phantasy Star Portable.

- Matsu

Game Title: Power Stone

On Dreamcast: The first Power Stone title was a launch title, alongside the juggernaut that is Soul Calibur. While one might think that it would have been totally overshadowed by one of the marquee titles on 9/9/99, Power Stone garnered its own following for being a fun, non-technical fighter that had great use of color, frenetic action, and a new 3D arena fighting style that had not really been mastered on consoles prior to that point. (I will now get 200 retorts stating otherwise, I just know it.) And while there are some that endear themselves to the original, in this writer’s opinion, it is Power Stone 2 where the series really took off. Launching less than a year later, Power Stone 2 kicked the action up a notch by bumping up the user controllable players to all four fighters on screen, creating multi-layered arenas (one level has you starting on an airship, which soon explodes and has you and the characters falling to the ground, attempting to grab an umbrella so when you eventually arrive at a waterfall platform, you float down as opposed to crash landing…that’s just bad ass in so many ways), and an item creation mode that I never got to work right. It took all that made the original Power Stone great and amplified it to a truly great casual fighting experience.

Later Resurrected For: Sony PSP in 2006 as the Power Stone Collection, which combined both Dreamcast games onto one PSP UMD. Not having a PSP himself, this writer cannot add much more to this other than that Wikipedia claims there were “slight updates”, whatever the hell that means!

Legacy: By releasing a game like Power Stone on an essentially failed system software-wise, Capcom makes one wonder how truly invested it is in the Power Stone franchise. There hasn’t really been a game out there that has properly replicated the frenetic action of these games, and the fighting genre itself has pretty much stayed in two dimensions for all of its big releases in the recent past (Street Fighter 4, Soul Calibur, even DC vs. Mortal Kombat) What truly boggles the mind is why a game like Power Stone (and Power Stone 2 especially) has not seen an XBLA/PSN version released. Capcom drops the ball every day by not taking advantage of the arcade and party foundation that the Power Stone series was built on. We can only hope that changes soon.

- Skip

Game Title: Resident Evil Code: Veronica

On Dreamcast: What the Dreamcast desperately needed early on was signs of developer trust and legitimacy to consumers on the fence. When they secured an exclusive Resident Evil game, I thought for sure this was a sign the Dreamcast was about to become a big-time player, as RE has always been a premier series. Code Veronica was the first game in the series to not have pre-rendered graphics, and had some pretty, creepy visuals with some scary scenes and new creatures in an entirely new environment for the series. It was a tough, rewarding game that stuck to the series’ conventions but was a great addition to the franchise.

Later Resurrected For: PS2, Gamecube as a slightly upgraded port. Updates included new cutscenes and a slick new haircut for the character Steve.

Legacy: I have fond memories of this title, but it’s often the more forgotten of the Resident Evil games. It wasn’t a numbered entry in the series, and for many people, that relegates it to the status of secondary games in the series. Additionally, the art design was a bit of departure from the rest of the series, and some people disliked the changes. Later, in 2005, Resident Evil 4 would transform the series and leave the older games in the dust. Resident Evil 5 was released earlier this year to most positive reviews. The series keeps on chugging along, and this is a solid entry.

- Zach

Game Title: Rez

On Dreamcast: Well, to be fair, if you were an American, you didn’t really get Rez on the Dreamcast. It was only released in Japan and Europe, with Sega of America failing to bring it stateside (being released at the end of 2001, when Sega had already announced its withdrawal from the hardware business, probably lead to that). But this on-rail shooter with its impressive visual style and “synesthesia” made itself a much desired import for those hardcore Sega fans who refused to buy a PS2 version (which, oddly enough, released at the same time as the Dreamcast version in Japan.) The on rails movement through the wireframe world was enhanced by a pulsing soundtrack and sound effects that were not a typical gunshot effect but rather melodies and sounds that were created by the player both locking on and firing at enemies on screen. This created an incredible visual and sound experience, the likes of which had not been seen before.

Later Resurrected On: PS2, kind of. The PS2 version launched at the same time in Japan as the Dreamcast version, so it’s hard to say it was “later” resurrected on that system. This was more than likely where most Americans got their introduction to the game, until it was re-released in 2008 for Xbox Live Arcade on the Xbox 360 in high definition. The PS2 version (and, through extra controllers, the Xbox 360 version) could also be used with a Trance Vibrator, which was to sit in the player’s pocket or be sat on and would pulse in time with the music. This truly brought the orgasmic pleasure of the game to the masses. Due to the fact that the graphics have been upconverted to high definition with achievements and the rest of the gameplay remains the same, the Xbox Live Arcade version is this writer’s recommended version.

Legacy: Mizuguchi, creator of Rez, has continued with his implementation of music, color and sound all coming together with Lumines, but still, Rez’s legacy remains unfulfilled. There hasn’t been a successful combination of music and another genre of gaming like Rez since it’s release.

- Skip

Game Title: Samba de Amigo

On Dreamcast: A ground breaking music rhythm game with rather expensive maraca controllers, but an undeniably catchy, fun, crazy atmosphere with festive pop tunes. Samba de Amigo still made you look like a goofball when playing, but unlike Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero, shaking a maraca controller is something that is pretty intuitive for a mass audience. If you could invest the $200 for the game and two maracas controllers from Sega (none of those $40 rip offs that never worked just right), you had a party just raring to go. (There was also the Samba de Amigo ver. 2000 to import, which added the “hustle” mode, where you would move your maracas in an arc that never was properly readable by the game, and also added new songs.) This game also shows that the Sonic Team could actually still make games that were fun!

Later resurrected for: Wii in 2008, using the Wiimotes as maracas. Surprisingly sharing many of the responsiveness issues of the original, but keeping the same spirit and adding in many new songs.

Legacy: The Wii remake failed to really inject new life into the series and can be found in most bargain bins, possibly due to the overpopulation of rhythm games in modern times. However, it was an early entry into the music rhythm genre that showed people were willing to pay extra money for the plastic instruments that could be used only for that game (though we did have Samba maracas controlled Marvel vs. Capcom 2 games that were ridiculous.) Samba de Amigo also has a legacy of downloadable content: special songs from the Sega library (Burning Rangers, Magical Sound Shower, Opa Opa, and more) were available to download straight to your VMU for the amazing price of FREE. Later developers would take this idea and make an entire business model out of it (Harmonix with Rock Band) by charging people for that luxury. So the next time you go onto Xbox Live and download an album pack for one of your plastic guitar games, remember the game that started it all.

- Skip

Game Title: Shenmue

On Dreamcast: Legendary game designer Yu Suzuki’s brainchild revenge saga was hyped to no end as the next big thing for storytelling and game play with a free roaming adventure aspect and day/night cycle which made it actually seem like a real life simulator. Featured some of the very first Quick Timed Event scenes that lots of current blockbusters still use and a deep fighting system with loads of moves to learn, along with collectibles mini games and almost every NPC being unique with their own voice/dialogue. The first chapter was released in Japan first then finally arrived in North America about a year later. The sequel, however, only reached Japan and Europe as the Dreamcast’s lifespan was sadly reaching its end in North America.

Later resurrected for: Xbox (in DVD movie form via sequel only)

Legacy: While the free roaming gameplay appealed to some gamers, others were turned off by the tedious things necessary to continue through the game such as working a real job or running around asking the same question to random villagers. Many also found the action sequences to be few and far in between before the game ended suddenly with a cliffhanger. It turned out not to be Sega’s savior blockbuster and sold less than expected. When the sequel finally came to the XBox the reviews were mostly positive, but it was too late for the series as most gamers had given up on the series or refused to play it on a different platform than the Dreamcast. To this day, Shenmue III has only lived through rumors and nothing more.

Thoughts: My days and nights with Shenmue were special, to say the least. When I first got the game I somewhat knew what I was getting into, but I truly wasn’t prepared for what the game had in store. I was drawn in by the story immediately with the very memorable intro, but one of the most special moments is when the game puts the control in your hands and lets you do whatever you want. Go talk with townspeople, feed a stray cat, get a job and save up some money (or go spend it all at the arcade playing Space Harrier or Hang On, which I was pretty guilty of doing), or maybe stay up late at night and pick a fight or two by the playgrounds. It was kind of like a more realistic Animal Crossing or The Sims in which the game never had to end, except there was actually a progression towards an ending, if you’d call it that. You were just living an every day life of another human being, albeit a bit exciting and dangerous life at times. I was incredibly hooked, and when I did finish I couldn’t wait to transfer the game data straight into the sequel. Unfortunately that day never came, and I have yet experienced a game quite like Shenmue.

- Chris

Game Title: Skies of Arcadia

On Dreamcast: Along with Grandia II, Skies of Arcadia was a landmark RPG that hit the Dreamcast about a year after its launch. While a stereotypical JRPG story of underground freedom fighters taking on an evil empire was the foundation for this game, the bright graphics, endearing characters, and entertaining ship battles made Skies of Arcadia a much beloved game for the new generation of systems. Released a day before Final Fantasy IX, Skies broke from that series’s recent games by avoiding a brooding main character to give a much lighter and more adventurous feeling to the story. While the random battles occurred FAR too often during exploration of the skies, the actual battle system itself was pretty solid fare, as far as turn based RPG battle systems go. What made them so enjoyable was the Super Move system, which took great advantage of the graphics and looked amazing compared to the other RPGs of the day, and also had brief but well acted voiceovers. I never wanted to battle without hearing Aika’s sweet voice yell “Fire consume my enemies! LAMBDA BURST!” Just a very fun, captivating RPG that helped bring that genre out of emo territory.

Later resurrected for: Nintendo GameCube in 2003, with minor upgrade in graphics, improved loading times, additional content, lesser sound quality (to fit on one GameCube disc…bad move!) and decreased random battles (good move!). Still well received but not a massive seller on the GameCube.

Legacy: To be blunt, Skies of Arcadia doesn’t really have a legacy. It never had a proper sequel, the production studio that created it (Overworks) has moved on to Valkyria Chronicles, and the producer of the game is working on handheld titles. One can hope that someday they will reconvene and give the fans a sequel to the air pirate storyline, but seeing as how the RPGs Overworks has made have never reached Final Fantasy numbers in terms of units sold, it will be unlikely that another Skies will hit shelves any time soon.

- Skip

Game Title: Sonic Adventure 1/2

On Dreamcast: Sonic Adventure was the launch title that Sega needed. With crisp, colorful graphics, quick and varied gameplay, and a familiar face, Sonic Adventure was practically Super Mario 64 for the Dreamcast. Six playable characters (some old, some new) and a fairly expansive overworld made this the biggest and truly most adventurous Sonic game. Sonic Adventure 2 continued the tradition, although fell short in the eyes of some gamers. In my opinion it was tarnished by the fact that it forced you to play with certain characters, and thus gameplay modes, that could be skipped entirely in the first adventure. Overall the Sonic Adventure games were familiar enough to draw in Sega’s fan base, but cutting edge enough to appeal to a growing population of gamers.

Later resurrected for: Gamecube in 2001 (Sonic Adventure 2 Battle) and 2003 (Sonic Adventure DX). Each re-release contained extra bonuses and slight revamps of the original games. Sonic Adventure DX is notable for containing unlockable versions of every Sonic game released for the Game Gear. Each game also enhanced the Dreamcast’s VMU capabilities by using GBA connectivity.

Legacy: The Gamecube re-releases were popular enough for Sega to continue producing 3D sonic titles. Many games similar to Sonic Adventure have been released since, ranging from moderately successful (Sonic Heroes) to awful (Sonic the Hedgehog, the 2nd worst scoring Xbox 360 game). None have seemed to capture the essence of what made Sonic Adventure so great, and all continue to stray farther and farther from traditional Sonic values.

- Andrew

Game Title: Soul Calibur

On Dreamcast: This game was a big one. Available at launch, this is often one of the first games to come to mind when one mentions Dreamcast. To say this game was important to the DC is an understatement. A graphical tour de force for its time, this upgraded arcade port brought the Dreamcast one of the best weapons fighters of all time. I can look back at this now and almost be in awe of how much time I sank into it. Hours and hours of beating the arcade mode, unlocking fighters, and then conquering the mission mode. As much as I loved Soul Blade for Playstation, this ended up being a superior game in every way.

Later resurrected for: Xbox Live Arcade. Released as essentially a promotional tool for Soul Calibur IV, this port brought HD graphics and live leaderboards to the game, along with everything unlocked from the get go. The only thing it was missing was online play, which is a shame. All the same, it still holds up remarkably well both graphically and mechanically after 10 years.

Legacy: Soul Edge started the franchise, but Soul Calibur really launched this into the big time. Since its release, there’s been 3 susequent sequels. II was a multiplatform release for PS2/Gamecube/Xbox, III was a Playstation 2 exclusive, and IV was again a multiplatform release for PS3 and 360. Additionally, an adventure game was released for Wii called Soul Calibur Legends, and a portable version was released for PSP called Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny.

- Zach

Game Title: Street Fighter III

On Dreamcast: Originally released in 1999 as Double Impact, containing the original version and 2nd Impact. The final version, 3rd Strike was released in 2000. The Dreamcast version was an arcade perfect port, but featured its own soundtrack. The game is quite a bit different from Street Fighter II, but continues in the tradtion of quality 2D fighting. The only two returning characters are Ken and Ryu, and that was mainly a resuly of fan outcry. In 2nd Impact Akuma was re-introduced, and in 3rd Strike Chun-Li was brought into the fight. Many of the characters have familiar fighting styles but all in all this was a completely new game, especially with the parry system. Graphically Street Fighter III truly was a new generation of fighting game, being much more stylish and fluid than Street Fighter II or the Alpha series.

Later resurrected for: PS2 and Xbox. Street Fighter III was brought to the PS2 and Xbox in the form of Street Fighter Anniversary Collection, which included Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting as well as Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. The Xbox version also included an online versus mode, being one of the first fighting games featuring online play.

Legacy: Street Fighter III continued to be a hit with fans and tournament players, especially with renewed interest after the re-releases. It took over a decade, but what was once thought to be the last 2D Street Fighter finally got a sequel in 2009 with Street Fighter IV on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

- Andrew

Game Title: Virtua Tennis

On Dreamcast: An anyone-can-play arcade port of a great tennis game. This stands out as one of the finest arcade sports titles of all time, with real tennis stars, easy to learn mechanics, and the feel of playing real tennis with it being unfun like many previous tennis games on other consoles. It received a sequel Tennis 2K2 near the end of the Dreamcast’s life.

Later Resurrected For: PS2 (sequel). Additional similar upgrades/sequels arrived on various systems such as PSP, PS3, 360, GBA.

Legacy: Still going strong, though not the definitive tennis game it once was. It is still a source of easy to pick up arcade actions with great minigames. The latest version, Virtua Tennis 2009, was released this year for PC, PS3, 360, and Wii.

- Zach

They launched two largely unsuccessful add-ons for Genesis with the Sega CD and 32X to try to push 3D before Nintendo, a portable Genesis in the Nomad that ran side by side their declining Game Gear platform, and then an overpriced, under-advertised 32-bit console that struggled to produce the same sort of buzz that surrounded the burgeoning Playstation brand and the established Nintendo fanbase that followed them to the Nintendo 64. Sadly, the Saturn died a slow, protracted death as Sega continued to release great games over 1997 and 1998, but they were pretty much the only ones at the end. By 1999, Sega’s legacy was littered with the half-realized console husks of years past, with the early glory days of Hedgehog dominance being the lone bright spot in my (and many others) eyes.

But I began to see the Dreamcast as something different. Their “It’s Thinking” campaign was simple and clever. Instead of a black or grey ugly console, the Dreamcast was a milky white, in a compact, curved shape that, at the time, was simply elegant. The controller was offspring of the popular NiGHTS pack-in controller, with a mesmerizing swirl stamped on as their logo…this was a different Sega. Their brand was visible and being shown on TV…and most importantly, the look of those graphics! 3D graphics had been advancing quickly in the late 90’s, and while some may not recall, the 32-bit consoles simply could not keep up with the times by 1999*.

But the Dreamcast was a different animal. The graphics were crisp, bright, and fun. It seemed like it was as realistic as graphics were going to get at the time, and it seemed to do it effortlessly. Soul Calibur, a game I had lusted for since hearing a sequel to Soul Blade had arrived in arcades, looked mesmerizing.

Multicolored sparks flew from the weapons, new characters like Ivy wielded strange and wonderful weapons that couldn’t be done on Playstation, and the game came packed with tons of secrets and extras. House of the Dead 2 was a perfect arcade conversion of the fun zombie shooter that likewise looked brilliant. Ready 2 Rumble Boxing was all over print and TV and came packed with tons of personality and attractive graphics. If I wanted some racing? An arcade-perfect port of the eye-catching Hydro Thunder and the new Tokyo Xtreme Racer series were available, both quality games. Sports? NFL Blitz 2000 looked better than the arcade and was tons of fun, and the 2K series was just debuting in what would be one of the most important sports gaming company launches in the coming years. And how could we forget the centerpiece? Sonic Adventure.

Where Saturn hadn’t released that killer Sonic game they absolutely needed, Dreamcast had it ready on launch day. And boy was this big. Sonic had re-invaded the minds of gamers as he was emblazoned across every gaming magazine in America. The TV ads and demo stations showed mind-bending clips of in-game footage of you controlling Sonic as docks collapsed behind you, then running through classic loops and dramatic battles, all with fancy camera work that made it seem like a mesh of gaming, art, and cinema.

While I was rarely an early adopter, this was a big time for gaming for me, as well as my life. I was in the middle of getting fit for the first time in my life, getting my first job, learning to drive, and balancing school work and friends on the usual weekday. However, gaming was still a part of my daily routine, and the Dreamcast called to me. While looking over the mammoth launch library with many more games on the horizon, the beautiful system with its beautiful games, and reasonable price point, in addition to no real competition on the radar, I decided that Playstation and I were going to have an amicable separation, the Dreamcast was for real, and this was something I needed to have immediately.

* Sony’s Playstation may have become a juggernaut, and Nintendo’s console could match its output graphically, but their limitations had clearly begun to show, as arcades and PC’s had passed them and moved into a new generation. Playstation games were often compensating by including more and more pre-rendered cinemas to make the games more attractive to consumers, or releasing Resident Evil or Final Fantasy VII styled games with high quality pre-rendered backgrounds to give them the appearance of looking advanced, but the 3D models and textures were still limited. Nintendo’s problem was that in order to compete with the Sony with CG cinemas and CD sound, it required a tremendous amount of space, and cartridges simply could no longer be affordable at $70.

By Matt Jones

Ten years ago, my life was in transition like it had never been before. In January, I turned 16 years old, looking forward to getting a drivers license, begin dating, have puberty throw me into an emotional wreck, and growing up in Arlington Heights, IL, the only place I knew as home. The next month, my dad informed me that we would be moving in June, stranding me in a new town halfway through my high school career. So I ended up still being able to look forward to the emotional roller coaster and drivers license, but dating and Arlington Heights were no longer on the near term agenda.

As I spent the summer trying to get accustomed to the new landscape, I ventured into a bookstore and noticed a bright orange magazine that had the word “Sega” on it, instantly grabbing my attention. As I picked up the thick September 1999 edition of EGM (remember, this was 1999, so it would actually have been thick, as the internet had not made video game magazines obsolete yet),

EGM covers from back in the day covering the Dreamcast

I thumbed through the discussion on the launch of the Dreamcast, a console I had no idea was on the horizon. While I was a Genesis owner and a big Sega fan, I passed on the Saturn and optioned for a Nintendo 64, like most of my friends owned. So while I still had plenty of fond memories from my Genny days, I had not truly kept up with Sega over the three or four years I was an N64 guy. After purchasing the magazine and reading it over and over, I knew that the Dreamcast had to be mine. With the $500 I had received from my grandmother as a present to spend as I wished I walked into Best Buy and grabbed one of their pre-order slips. I had my ticket to gaming greatness and would be partaking in my first (and last, strangely enough) console launch.

By Andrew Raub

My relationship with the Dreamcast is an odd one.

Ten years ago, my interest in the Dreamcast was basically non-existent. I was fully sucked into the N64, having had one since launch and absolutely loving the games. Actually, thinking back, in 1999 I probably wasn’t playing too many games. Skateboarding had taken over my life and videogames were not my main interest. With that said, I probably didn’t even know much about the Dreamcast when it was in its early days.

When I finally played one at Funcoland, I remember being thoroughly impressed with the graphics. However the controller was, in my mind, stupid. I mean, what the hell? Am I supposed to be impressed by this big awkward round thing with the cord coming out of the bottom? The bottom?

Seriously? That was my biggest issue, I think. The cord. It was on the side of the controller facing the player. There was probably a lot of Nintendo fanboyism going on that helped perpetuate these irrational thoughts. So that was that basically. I didn’t want one.

But then on the downswing of the Dreamcast’s life, I had a change of heart. I bought one used and ended up having a blast. It wasn’t really the games that drew me in, but what the Dreamcast could do that other systems couldn’t. I’ll leave it at that for now. The rest will be told in due time.