I haven’t owned a console since the Sega Genesis, but I’ve been seeing Sega Dreamcasts floating around Dublin recently for pretty cheap (less than 50 euros). Most of the DC games seem to show up in cut-out or used bins for 5-20 euros.
So I was thinking of picking myself up a DC sometime soon. As such, I’m drawing up a small list of software I’d like to buy for it if I can find it. So far:
Virtual Tennis (thanks to the Chickster’s numerous plugs in Shoot Club)
Soul Calibur
Quake 3: Arena
Skies of Arcadia
Chu Chu Rocket
Shenmure (?)
Anyone else know of any really killer, must have games for the system? I’d like some recommendations.
PS: Also, will American games work on a European Dreamcast?
Oh, yeah, Rayman 2! Didn’t Erik at one point pause from limp-wristedly applying moisturizing lotion to his hands, in order to squint effetely through his monocle at that one and talk about how pretty its rainbows were? If so, I’ll put it on my list.
All good choices. Don’t forget about these though…
Test Drive: Le Mans
Ferrari F355 Challenge
Jet Grind Radio
Space Channel 5
Crazy Taxi
San Francisco Rush 2049 (I still play this one weekly and my kids play it daily)
Hydro Thunder
Tech Romancer
Street Fighter III Third Strike
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Looney Tunes: Space Race
Mars Matrix
Re-Volt
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram
PS: Also, will American games work on a European Dreamcast?
Not without modification or a boot disc. Then there’s the NTSC -> PAL thing which I’m not too up on and being in Dublin, I’m not sure how that affects you.
Here’s the list of what I own for the system. Dave’s DC Collection. I think IGN has the easiest method of getting info on all the DC games. Hit dreamcast.ign.com and start going through the reviews. Nothing is Insider except the screenshots and the movies and you can still get five of those a day.
Depending on what genres you enjoy, you’ll find a ton of great games on the Dreamcast. Most of them still look great compared to the latest console games too. I play my DC every week and sometimes it’s the only system that goes on in a night. As noted above, my kids love Rush 2049 and so do I. There’s a pile of great game modes and lots of shortcuts. The DC game is the pinnacle of the series of Midway arcade racers IMO.
Also note that you’ve got an advantage over US gamers. Sega released Shenmue II, Rez and Headhunter in the European territory but not in the US. Be sure to snatch those up as they’re all good to excellent games. We’re stuck importing over here. Rez especially is just brilliant.
Also, you can hook the DC up to your monitor easily with a VGA box. Check around for one. You’ll get crisp 640x480 display on your PC monitor in almost all DC games. With a boot disc, this might be your way around territorial lockout too. You can often play releases from other territories through VGA without worrying about the PAL/NTSC thing. I’ve got two Dreamcasts, one for the TV and one for the monitor for that and other reasons. It’s a great feature that should have been in the newer consoles.
Yeah, Rayman 2 is great. But not as great as all the world’s fine foxy ladies. I’d suggest saving some of your fancy french money by giving Quake 3 a miss. It’s not as good as the PC version. Or at least it’s no better. Come to think of it, you can get Rayman 2 for the PC as well.
Chu Chu Rocket isn’t nearly as good as the ads for Chu Chu Rocket. Shenmue actually has a section where you honest to god get a job in a warehouse moving crates from one place to another, and it’s boring in lots of other ways as well. Bangai-O is awesome. And if you think I’m effete, just wait till you see yourself playing the very, very gay Skies of Arcadia.
I’m not sure how much 50 Euros is in actual money, but if it’s somewhere around fifty American Cowboyos, it’s worth buying a Dreamcast just as a dedicated Virtua Tennis machine.
Why the hell did none of the newer consoles do this. With all of their support for different HD standards, you would think that VGA would have been easy. I especially am befuddled at Sony for this. The Linux kit for the PS2 comes with a cable that outputs a sync on green signal. It needs less electronics than the Dreamcast vga box, and that’s saying something.
Chu Chu Rocket is an extremely difficult puzzle game. That is, someone who has a lot of practice will wipe the multiplayer floor with someone who has played it only casually.
I would get Mr. Driller as well. Another, slightly less difficult, puzzle game but with some of the best music in any game ever.
Soul Calibur, yes. Virtua Fighter 3 too.
MAYBE GET:
Space Channel 5.
Seaman, though you might not be able to even find that.
Shenmue, and since you’re in Europe, Shenmue II.
Sonic Adventure, if you like Sonic.
Sega Bass Fishing, if you like listening to a random English-speaking guy and girl at Sega’s office try real hard.
AVOID:
Evolution, Evolution II
Resident Evil: Code Veronica
Marvel vs. Capcom 2, unless you’re tone deaf, in which case it’s shoots all the way up to get.
Crazy Taxi, it’s neat but as many have said before, just get GTA 3.
Probably because 640x480 looks pretty damn bad on a 19" or larger monitor. Heck, I was stuck in 800x600 for a while in Soldiers of Anarchy, and I couldn’t believe how terrible things looked.
It wouldn’t be a bad option for sheer flexibility, but I’d much rather play 640x480 games on a TV. Interlacing can be irritating in a fast moving game, but there’s always progressive scan.
I like kafka’s list, and I will disagree with Matthew and say that Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is the best 2D fighter I have every played. I loved it. Of course, I don’t normally like 2D fighters, so take that how you will.
If you like shooters, Mars Matrix is a good one…but tough!
Grandia 2, Skies of Arcadia, and Lodoss War are all excellent. I wouldn’t get Phantasy Star unless you are going to play it online.
BTW, I liked Armada. Good old Asteroids style gameplay, with ship development included. I’ve been looking forward to the sequel for a couple of years now…keeps getting pushed back…that should make it a good game. I love it when devs. take time to develop something.
Some good games on the various lists there. Unfortunately most of them are available in some form another on other systems, so if you own an Xbox and/or PS2 you can slash most of the games people listed off your ‘to buy’ sheet.
As for the VGA box issue, there are VGA boxes for all the consoles currently on the market, and more on the way.
As for the VGA box issue, there are VGA boxes for all the consoles currently on the market, and more on the way.
As far as I’m aware, there is no VGA box that displays in a native resolution like 640x480. You’re always faking it out with any other type of display box.
Crypt also was buying a Dreamcast because it’s cheap. He can’t do that with current consoles.
Is there really an Armada sequel on the way? I loved the concept and the gameplay, but the game felt like they released it when they reached their 85% milestone.
Yeah, cheap, like Dave Long says. And like Erik says, a loaf of bread in this Mickey Mouse country costs ten wheel barrows, slopping over with hundreds of thousands of Eur-Ohs each, which are made of thinly sliced potatoes. So you can see, simply from a veloci-logististical perspective, why it is in my best interests to be thrifty when purchasing another gaily colored electronic purse. Let alone align myself with either one of the sissy factions loudly slapping those purses at each other in forum cat fights around the Internet.
Thanks for the advice on the games! I was thinking of Q3A as just a good two-player game on the old television.
I’m a bit shocked no one has mentioned PowerStone 2. It’s a lot like playing a full 3D Smash Brothers. It definately benefits from having at least one other human player (or better 3), but it is even fun alone. Great fighting, fun characters, and the game has over a hundred random weapons to use, and for the most part there is a lot of variety. And the system to unlock the weapons
When I actually manage to get together and game with my friends, it takes up the majority of our time.
Oh man, comparing Soul Calibur to DOA is heretical. SC is one of the best, if not the best, fighting games out there, period. We got it on an import DC when it was first released in Japan. Practically everyone here played it almost every day. It has since faded, but only recently and has taken up residence in an artists office where the diehards (me included) play it to this day. SC is far more balanced and reponsive than DOA and in my opinion way more fun and accesible than games like Tekken or MK.
Alright Dave Long, your dreamcast proselytizing has finally paid off. I just bought my first console since the atari 2600. This was an impulse bid, placed with a minute left on the auction. Did i just rip myself off?
