|
Earlier this month we brought you the history of the Dreamcast, our favorite memories of the system, and its top ten imports. We here at theBBPS love the Dreamcast so much that one week of celebration just isn't enough. To add to this barrage of DC articles, check out our top ten domestic releases.
10. Seaman
After we got over the embarrassment of asking our parents for "Seaman," we played the hell out of this game. Who knew swearing at a virtual man-fish could be so much fun? While we were inventing new ways to make Seaman pissed off, Dreamcast was revolutionizing voice recognition and virtual pet games (for better and for worse, in that respective order). Designed by Yoot Saito, who would go on to make the underrated Odama for Gamecube, Seaman featured the voice of Leonard Nimoy. Players are tasked with raising the prickly Seaman, caring for his basic needs, and interacting with him over the microphone. Widely considered one of the weirdest games of all time, Seaman gets points from us for sheer originality. Milo, meet your daddy!
9. Street Fighter Alpha 3
The Alpha series moves at break-neck speeds compared to other Street Fighter games. Not only that, but there are far more moves that can be chained together to create huge combos, as well as three different Special styles of "-isms." Plus, the roster was huge compared to previous games. Only the Capcom vs. series holds more playable characters. And did the Dreamcast choke when you tossed your enemy around with Sakura's 17-hit X-ism combo? Not for a second. The Dreamcast epitomized "arcade-perfect" ports.
8. Power Stone 2
Multiplayer gaming is old hat by now, and it was old-hat by the time Power Stone 2 rolled around as well. But up until the viable online multiplayer consoles of this generation, there had been few multiplayer games that really hit the mark. But of those games, you can count Power Stone 2 amongst them, an arena-based mulitiplayer fighting game for up to four players, a perfect fit for the Dreamcast's standard four controller inputs. The star of show here was the combination of silky fisticuffs on insane levels featuring environment weaponry and power-ups. Yet another game in the Dreamcast's repertoire with simple yet thrilling and deep arcade fun.
7. Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike is, hands down, the best fighting game. Period. And for years, the only way to play Capcom's masterpiece at home was on a Dreamcast. Sega's hardware had no problem at all churning out highly animated, beautiful sprites, and tons of moves, as well as calculating carefully timed combos and parries down to fractions of a second. While most Steer Fighter fans poo-pooed the new characters like Q and Ibuki, once you give them a chance, you'll love them. A lot of fans dislked the complexity of the game as well, but anyone who leans towards "twitch" gameplay will feel right at home.
6. Skies of Arcadia
There have only ever been 3 RPG’s I’ve enjoyed: Pokemon, Chrono Trigger, and Skies of Arcadia. I haven’t yet figured out what it is I enjoy about those three games that make them the sole representatives of their genre, but I do know they’re damn fun. Skies of Arcadia was inviting and straightforward. It had an awesome pirate/future/fantasy motif going on with a teeny bit of steampunk thrown in for good measure. Let’s face it; at least one of those aesthetics appeal to you. From memory, I can’t recall how the epic overworld airship battling was handled, but I do know I never had any idea what was going on. Even thing somehow worked out though. The game was eventually ported to the Gamecube (as Skies of Arcadia Legends) and rumors of a true sequel will never seem to die. If and when it does happen, I’m sure no one would complain.
5. Marvel vs. Capcom 2
Although this arcade classic was ported to the Xbox, PS2, and recently XBLA, for many gamers its the Dreamcast version that is the definitive Marvel Vs Capcom 2. A game that is incredibly accessible, while at the same time remaining extremely deep and technical, MVC2 is perhaps the fighting game of all fighting games. Crazy three-on-three dream teams, combos that are epilepsy’s worst nightmare, and an infamous soundtrack make it a classic. Having played it on several other consoles, MVC2 will always feel the best on the Dreamcast.
4. Crazy Taxi
Forget about the music game craze of present, because Crazy Taxi was one of the first great crossover successes in the traditional gaming industry. (Coincidentally, it also had a rockin' soundtrack.) Non-gamer friends of mine would praise Crazy Taxi for its simple yet amazingly entertaining and addictive gameplay, showcasing Sega's nearly pitch-perfect ability to meld rollicking yet simple arcade thrills with subtle yet deep mechanics. The more you played, the better you got, the better you got, the more rewarding your experience, and the experience was a rollcoaster in taxi form. The height of Sega's arcade brilliance.
3. Soul Calibur
Remember the first time you saw individual fingers in a video game, not just a block where a hand should be? If you don't remember, get off the internets--you are making us feel old. If you do, you remember playing Soul Calibur for the first time. Now in its fourth main edition, Soul Calibur was a reboot of the original Soul Edge game. And it was awesome. As one of only nine games to receive a perfect 40/40 score from Famitsu, Soul Calibur is undeniably one of the greatest games ever made. Soul Calibur gave the player the "eight way run," the ability to run in three dimensions in any of eight directions. It also opened up fighting games to the masses, being far more forgiving in button pressing than Tekken or Virtua Fighter. You'll have to import the game in order to get a glimpse of Voldo's controversial codpiece, however: the crotch armor with a suggestive bull was pulled from the North American release. You can download this game on XBLA and relive the glory days all over again, but then we might have to deliver a frown of uncompromising seriousness: original DC version for life.
2. Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure promised a proper reintroduction of the beloved Sega mascot in glorious 3D. And it delivered. Sure, it was rough in spots, but gorgeous scenery, thrilling sequences, balls-out speed and imaginative level design were the hallmarks of this addition to the franchise, likely the last truly great Sonic game to ever grace a console. Sonic Adventure also introduced gamers to the VMU, with a game-linked Chao raising sim, a Tamagotchi inspired virtual pet. As a launch title, this game struck a chord with hardcore gamers and spoke to the Dreamcast's potential.
1. Jet Grind Radio
It's up to you, as leader of the GG's, to wipe out three rival gangs in different parts of the city. Each part of the city corresponds to a different time of day. In the evening, you'll fight the Noise Tanks, a gang of cyborg otaku. In the daylight, you'll fight the Love Shockers, a girl gang founded on heartbreak. And under the clouds, you'll grapple with Poison Jam, a gang of thugs who dress up as...fish. You'll need to skate and tag your way around to claim territory for your gang. Jet Grind Radio was one of the first truly stylish games. And talk about style: not only did Jet Grind Radio feature one of the earliest great game soundtracks, the game popularized the cel-shading you see all the time in games like Crackdown, Dragon Quest, and Champions Online. If you miss living the life of a "rudie," good news is afoot: Sega renewed the trademarks for Jet Grind Radio (not to mention Chu Chu Rocket) this past March, leading many to speculate that a second sequel is coming. I'll get my kneepads on.
|
Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site.. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 