VGC Special: Top 10 Dreamcast Games

 

The SEGA Dreamcast, a system that many would say was way ahead of its time and a system many would argue was taken from us far too young. Before it was cool to participate in online gaming on a console, Dreamcast had it. Before it was cool to speak to your games, Dreamcast had a microphone. Because of a grand list of shenanigans on everyone’s part, the Dreamcast crumbled due to the unstoppable juggernaut that was the PS2. Love it or hate it, Sega’ s last hurrah was an innovative system with its share of great games. The following is a top ten list hand picked by our very own staff to crown the 10 best Dreamcast games of all time.

 

10. Marvel VS Capcom 2

When Capcom originally announced the Marvel vs. Capcom series in the form of Street Fighter vs. X-men way back in the day, many scoffed at it – that was, until anyone played it. The game was surprisingly balanced, and really fun for fans of 2-d fighting games. Flash forward to the fourth and final game in the series, and you have one of the most loved fighting games to come out last generation. Of the three home versions of the game (X-box, PS2 and DC) The Dreamcast version is the closest of the three home console ports to the arcade version, due to its hardware being similar to that of a NAOMI arcade motherboard. If there was a definitive home version of Marvel vs Capcom 2, it was the Dreamcast Version.

 

9. Skies of Arcadia

 

In the age-old argument of who would win between pirates and ninjas, I feel that one fact is left untouched. Sky Pirates and Spaces Pirates respectively must be getting the job done somewhere, because have you ever heard of sky ninjas? No you haven’t because the sky pirates killed them all. One of the best games to feature sky pirates is probably Skies of Arcadia, and outstanding Dreamcast RPG. The story in Skies of Arcadia focuses around Vyse, a young sky pirate in a Jules Verne-inspired fantasy world, and his friends as they attempt to stop the Valuan Empire from reviving ancient weapons with the potential to destroy the world. The game was later ported to the Gamecube, but the true version of the game was the original.

 

8. Power Stone

er Stone

When I think about the Power Stone franchise, on thing comes to mind. No, it isn't that terrible anime they made ten years ago. What comes to mind is innovation. Most fighting games feature a one-on-one contest between two opponents.  Power Stone adds to this formula by giving you the ability to pick up and fight with such objects as tables, chairs, rocks and bombs. Power Stone was one of the first fighting games to implement a free roaming fighting experience with weapons in the environment, and do it well. Power Stone lives on in various other systems, but if you help it seek out the original.

 

7. Jet Grind Radio

et Grind Radio

Cel-shading may be passé today, and even scoffed at by some, but in 1999 it was amazingly revolutionary, and no other game did cel-shading like Jet Grind Radio. The game itself tells a bizarre story of a skater named Beat trying to use tagging and skating as a form of self-expression in a dystopian world, where that isn’t allowed. Jet Grind Radio also featured a fairly well reviewed soundtrack featuring many popular pop, techno and even rock songs to assist you on your voyage to fight the man.

 

6. Sonic Adventure

It had to happen, there had to be a Sonic game on our list. Sonic Adventure is arguably the best 3-d Sonic game on the market according to fans of the series. Not only was the game well received, but it still holds the crown for the best selling Dreamcast game. The game itself added a lot of needed storyline to the series, including a new net of Chaos Emeralds that Dr. Eggman is still trying to collect. This was helped by the game featuring six playable characters, and different storylines for each character as they progress through the game. You can still find the Gamecube directors cut for Sonic Adventure hanging around some used game stores if you look real hard, or try to find the Dreamcast original. Its pretty easy to find.

 

5. Shenmue

5 Shenmue

When many think of the Dreamcast, one game comes to mind – Shenmue. Shenmue had many features completely unheard of at the time of release. Yu Suzuki, the creator of the game, coined a genre that he called "FREE" meaning Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment at the time of release. B this genre was based on the interactivity and freedom he wanted to give to the player. Suzuki intended to achieve this by simulating aspects of real life through the game, such as the day/night/sleep system, and real time variable weather effects unheard of in a game of this kind at the time. Shenmue plays out a lot like a typical adventure game, but aspects of the FREE system make the game immensely more immersive.
Closing words: Do you know where I can find some sailors?

 

4. Sonic Adventure 2

4 Sonic Adventure 2

Look what we have here! Sonic is pulling double duty on our list! Sonic Adventure 2 picks up right where the first game left off as Dr. Eggman has a new plan to take over the world, and enslave all of the little animals he can. Sonic Adventure 2 is notable because it had 2 storylines, one good and one evil as well as a few new characters. This game introduces two new playable characters, Shadow the Hedgehog and Rouge the Bat, and is also one of the few Sonic games to officially feature Doctor Eggman as a playable character in the evil mode. Most will have become entranced with this game due to its later release on the Nintendo Gamecube, but it still holds it roots on the Dreamcast.

 

3. Soul Calibur

Soul Calibur

The follow up to Soul Edge/Soul Blade was a big surprise, and is still looked at as one of the best fighting games of all time, only bested by its eventual sequel Soul Calibur 2. Sporting a healthy dose of weapons based combat; this is the fighting game that many franchises wanted to be last generation. Some franchises tried it and failed (see Mortal Kombat 4) but Soul Calibur pulled it off. Hosting a bizarre cast of characters including everything from a lizard man, to a bondage aficionado with a creepy gimp mask, this game has it all. The game takes place three years after the events in Soul Edge/ Soul Blade. The legendary sword, the Soul Edge uses Siegfried as its host, and now Siegfried is Nightmare, a knight wearing Demonic armor. A new group of heroes has banded together to stop Nightmare’s slaughter.

 

2. Crazy Taxi

Crazy Taxi

If there was any profession that I would not have imagined as a playable videogame, Taxicab driver would definitely be one of them. Sure we have Mario as a plumber, and Paperboy, but who would imagine driving a taxi would be so fun. Crazy Taxi was so popular that it not only got ports to other systems, but started a new genre basically, one that we can clearly see in the Simpson’s Road rage. The main objective of the game is to pick up customers and take them to their chosen destination as fast as possible. While this sounds easy, well you haven’t played Crazy Taxi.

 

1. Resident Evil: Code Veronica

sident Evil:

Here it is folks! and this might be a huge surprise to everyone. The staff here at VGChartz has designated Resident Evil: Code Veronica as our favorite Dreamcast game of all time. Hot of the heels of the release of Resident Evil 5, it’s cool to see one of the older games get some recognition, especially since this is easily the most overlooked game in the series. The game carries over everything that made resident Evil 3 such a success like the 180 degree turn, as the two games were created at the same time, but Code veronica is the first game in the series to use fully 3d backgrounds, and not pre-rendered mattes. The game is set three months after the events depicted in Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. The plot moves away from Raccoon City and onto Rockfort Island, a solitary private isle owned by the Umbrella Corporation. The game also features appearances from Claire Redfield, and Albert Wesker.

 

 

Stephen Kelley
skelley@vgchartz.com

 

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