In the late '90s, prospects were not looking good for console manufacturer and game publisher Sega. The company's 1995 Sega Saturn console simply couldn't compete with the Nintendo 64 and original PlayStation in the same way the Sega Genesis had with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Something had to give.
Sega created a bold plan -- an innovative new machine that would serve as a preemptive first strike on the sixth generation of video game consoles: the Dreamcast.
People always say the Sega Dreamcast was ahead of its time. While it may sound like a cliche, it's totally true. Released in 1999 in North America, the Dreamcast was the first console to support online multiplayer and include a built-in modem, while also sporting a screen-infused controller long before Nintendo dreamed up the Wii U. While Dreamcast came out of the gate strong, the release of the PlayStation 2 a year later caused sales to plummet, eventually resulting in Sega getting out of the console manufacturing business entirely.
Though Sega didn't find a happy ending with the Dreamcast, gamers couldn't help but come away impressed by a number of stellar game titles. Today marks the console's 15th anniversary in North America, and what better way to celebrate than to blow the dust off that white square and play some of the games that defined it.
Space Channel 5
Perhaps what makes the Dreamcast so special, even today, is the wide range of unique titles available. If you are looking for a uniquely Dreamcast experience, look no further than Space Channel 5.
To this day there is nothing quite like it. When a space station is taken over by aliens that force their captives to dance, Space Channel 5 reporter Ulala is on the scene to save the day (primarily by using her dance moves.) Players must follow spoken commands to the rhythm of the game's stellar soundtrack in order to defeat the aliens and uncover the truth of the events. You also team up with Space Michael Jackson, who is actually voiced by Michael Jackson. This game is a gem for that reason alone.
Power Stone
True 3D fighters are a rarity, but one of the Dreamcast's most memorable games nailed the formula perfectly. Rather than non-stop clashes between characters seen in fighting titles like Street Fighter or Tekken, Power Stone let players run freely around arenas and use the environment to their advantage.
From throwable objects to makeshift weapons, Power Stone is all about keeping on the move. This idea is reinforced by the actual power stones themselves, which drop into the arena over the course of a match. Pick up three and your character transforms into a new more powerful form, allowing you to dish out some serious damage to your opponent. A gem of a fighting game, Power Stone perfectly captures what made the Dreamcast great -- it simply had experiences gamers couldn't find anywhere else.
Hydro Thunder
Hydroooooooooooooooo Thunder! A Dreamcast launch title, the speed-boat racer Hydro Thunder doesn't seem like much, and it really isn't. Players race at high speeds through treacherous environments ranging from the frozen Arctic to a flooded New York City in a variety of brightly colored, super-fast boats.
That's about it. But what Hydro Thunder lacks in features or originality it makes up for with tight gameplay and top-notch visuals that still hold up surprisingly well today.
Sonic Adventure
Much as Super Mario 64 redefined Mario in 3D on the Nintendo 64, Sonic Adventure revolutionized the iconic Sega mascot by bringing the blue hedgehog to a 3D world for the first time. While players don't exclusively play Sonic -- a number of his friends like Knuckles and Tails were also playable -- the sense of speed and freedom the game delivers is still impressive.
With its near perfect combination of gameplay, bar-setting graphics and a fast-paced soundtrack, it isn't surprising Sonic Adventure would go on to become the Dreamcast's best-selling game of all time.
Resident Evil: Code Veronica
Resident Evil, a historically PlayStation exclusive franchise, making the jump to the Dreamcast was a big deal. Thankfully Code Veronica didn't disappoint. The game ditched the pre-rendered backdrops of previous games and opted for a more true 3D experience, while still keeping the classic survival horror/action the series is known for.
Featuring Chris and Claire Redfield, the game tasked players with stopping a T-Virus outbreak on Rockfort Island. Though the game would later be ported to the PlayStation 2 and Gamecube, Dreamcast fans got to play the game years ahead of time and counted the title as a valuable exclusive.
Street Fighter III: Third Strike
The Dreamcast might as well have been heaven for fighting game fans. No other console before or after Sega's white square has come close to delivering such an impressive and diverse roster of fighting titles to choose from. When it comes to 2D fighters, it doesn't get any better than Street Fighter III: Third Strike.
Gorgeous to look at and lightning fast, Street Fighter III: Third Strike introduced a number of new systems to the classic Street Fighter formula. In the hands of a skilled player, those additions opened up a whole new world of fighting possibilities that put on display the insane level of skill and precision needed to play the game at the highest level. That's probably the reason it was the game being played in what is considered to be one of the defining moments in competitive video game history. While not as well known as its predecessor or its more recent sequel, Street Fighter III still stands tall as one of the best 2D fighters ever made, and Third Strike is its definitive version.
Phantasy Star Online
There is a reason the Dreamcast is remembered as ahead of its time: despite being the first console to support online play, few games actually took advantage it. Sega set out to lead by example and prove that console players, like PC players, wanted online experiences. The result was Phantasy Star Online, a sort-of MMO that drew inspiration from PC action-RPGs like Diablo.
Console players for the first time were able to partner up with strangers from around the world in order to defeat monsters and score sweet loot. A handy universal translator feature using pre-loaded phrases tore down the language barrier and introduced a generation of gamers to the magical world of online gaming.
Skies of Arcadia
Sky pirates. That premise alone attracted many a gamer to Skies of Arcadia, and once they started playing they couldn't put it down. Featuring an optimistic leading man in the swashbuckling Vyse and a classic JRPG style, Skies of Arcadia is a blast whether you are battling it out against hulking monsters or in the air against fellow sky pirates.
Sadly, it seems Sega has all but abandoned any ideas of returning to the world of Arcadia with a sequel, instead only opting to port the title to the GameCube. That just means you have one more reason to bust out the old Dreamcast, as Skies of Arcadia is an experience that has yet to be duplicated.
Shenmue
Do you enjoy open-world epics like Red Dead Redemption and Assassin's Creed? If you do, you have Shenmue to thank. Truly a first of its kind, Shenmue tells the story Ryo Hazuki, a young man living in Yokosuka, Japan in the 1980s. After seeing his father killed by a mysterious man, Ryo sets out on what quickly becomes a sweeping tale of revenge.
Shenmue is all about player freedom. For the first time a video game featured a persistent day and night cycle, changing weather, daily routines for fully voiced non-playable characters, and huge interactive environments to explore. While some criticized the game for its slow pace and "quick-time event" heavy action sequences, there is no denying that for the first time a video game had delivered on the idea of a living, breathing world.
WWF Royal Rumble
Another fighter for the Dreamcast, WWF Royal Rumble breathed new life into the wrestling game genre. This game is all about absolute mayhem. With a maximum of eight wrestlers on screen at once, and playable with four players, WWF Royal Rumble is a blast to play with friends, even if they don't know anything about wrestling.
The game isn't without its faults: a relatively small roster meant that in the game's Royal Rumble mode, where players must eliminate a certain number of opponents in a given time, caused multiple versions of the same wrestler to appear in order to meet the number of wrestlers demanded by the mode. That grievance aside, it is still hard to top the four-man brawls that were responsible for many a good time.
Seaman
You can't make a list of defining Dreamcast titles without including by far the console's strangest game (which on the Dreamcast is definitely saying something.) Seaman is part pet simulator, part video game curiosity. You raise what is at first a human-headed fish to maturity, issuing voice commands via a required microphone and watching how the creature responds. Eventually your Seaman grows to adulthood, becoming a human-faced frog creature. To top it all off, the whole game is narrated by none other than "Star Trek's" Leonard Nemoy,
It is still hard to comprehend how the Japanese developed Seaman ever made it overseas to the U.S., but we aren't complaining. The sheer number of jokes and weird looks it inspired make us more than happy it did.
Toy Commander
Almost certainly inspired by Pixar's "Toy Story," Toy Commander revolves around the boy Andy, who for Christmas one year gets a brand-new batch of Army toys. Andy quickly forgets about his old toys and neglects them, but they aren't going down without a fight. Led by Andy's childhood teddy bear, the old toys rebel and begin a violent campaign to ride Andy's house of the rival army toys.
Players take control of various makeshift toy vehicles, going on missions around the house from Andy's room to the kitchen dinner table in order to defeat the Army toys. The idea of experiencing the giant human world from the perspective of a small children's toy is still a great idea, and lends itself to some creative scenarios, like one mission requiring the player to use a toy car in order to roll eggs into a pot of boiling water. Topped off with a four player battle mode, Toy Commander is a good time for kids and adults alike.
Soul Calibur
If Street Fighter III is the defining 2D fighter for the Dreamcast, there is no doubt that Soul Calibur is the cream of the crop when it comes to 3D combat. Unlike other 3D fighting games like Tekken or Virtua Fighter that focused on punches and kicks, Soul Calibur characters each sported a unique weapon and fighting style for players to master.
What makes Soul Calibur a gem to this day is that it strikes the perfect balance between depth and accessibility, with new players able to instantly jump in and have a good time while still providing plenty of strategy and precision for more experienced fighters. Throw in the fact that it is one of the best looking games to ever grace the Dreamcast and it is little surprise that the Soul Calibur franchise is still going strong today.
Jet Grind Radio
"Cool" is probably the best word to describe the experience that is Jet Grind Radio. One of the early games responsible for popularizing the cartoon "cel-shaded" look, Jet Grind Radio looks gorgeous and plays like a dream.
Playing as the member of a rebellious graffiti art gang, you skate around the police state of Tokyo-to expressing the will of the people with your graffiti art while always on the run from the cops. It's a unique premise that still captivates, and the game's kicking soundtrack doesn't hurt either.
Crazy Taxi
No collection of Dreamcast nostalgia is complete without mentioning Crazy Taxi. The classic Sega title falls perfectly line with Sega's Dreamcast identity: fast, fun, original and with plenty of attitude.
With a wacky cast of drivers and its simple premise of picking up passengers and then hauling ass, Crazy Taxi is still a frantic and fun ride thanks to its spot-on control scheme and open world possibilities. Racing from destination to destination is an adrenaline rush, as you weave between traffic, hit ramps, and generally disregard the safety of all involved. The high-score nature of the game means it is endlessly replayable as you perfect your technique and makes every session an attempt to improve. Arcade racers don't get much better than this, and it is the Dreamcast port of the game that introduced Crazy Taxi to the world.
Photo: Evan Amos, Wikimedia Commons
