Sega Dreamcast: The Forgotten Console
October 19, 2008 - 5:57 pm - Posted by Brandon W.
If you were asked about the Sega Dreamcast, what would you know?
It seems that nowadays many gamers are not aware of what the Dreamcast has had, and continues to offer.
The Dreamcast hit the scene in September 1999, when the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation dominated gaming. Quickly, the 128-bit Dreamcast rose to the top with characteristics that appealed to all. It doesn’t matter what genre you prefer, because the Dreamcast has amazing games to offer in all categories.
In fact, one of the key factors in the Dreamcast’s original success is the wide variety of great games released along side the system.
How do you go wrong with games such as:
- Sonic Adventure
- Soul Calibur
- Marvel Vs. Capcom
- Resident Evil: Code Veronica
- Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
- Quake III Arena
- Phantasy Star Online
- Unreal Tournament
- Virtua Tennis
- Hydro Thunder
Another key element of the Dreamcast was its online capabilities.
The Dreamcast, the likes of which had never been seen by console gaming before, brought about a revolution of online gaming. The Dreamcast was the first system that featured a built-in modem and online support. This basically means that for no cost, you were able surf the internet, check e-mail, or play favorite titles alongside other people. Although the online capabilities were at times frustrating, it is safe to say that the Dreamcast was truly a pioneer of online gaming.
So what went wrong?
Well, after about a year and a half the Sony PlayStation 2 was released. This much-awaited system grabbed most of the attention from the Dreamcast. With Sega’s marketing suffering, it was hard to shake the bad reputation that had come with previous systems such as the Saturn, Game Gear, or Sega 32x. With more recognizable, name brand companies like EA, the PS2 easily conquered. Adding fuel to the fire, with consoles like the Xbox and Gamecube looming close, Sega announced that the Dreamcast was to be discontinued by March of 2001.
Still today, the Dreamcast can easily be found on the internet for purchase. Despite a couple of games and controllers, it is one of the most affordable systems to purchase games and hardware for.
There is also a huge cult-like following for the Dreamcast. This modest underground enthusiast community has brought about numerous emulator and homebrew titles that are easily available.
It is a sad fact that the Sega Dreamcast is one of the most underrated game console systems of all time.
I challenge you to find one, play it, and tell me you do not like it!
I never personally owned a Sega Dreamcast but after reading your post, I’m tempted to track one down. I see them all the time for really low prices.
Great post by the way. Welcome to the team!
I actually just a week ago found a DC at goodwill for I think $15. It came with two controllers and a gun as well. I am wishing now that I would have picked it up, simply to sell and keep the gun. If anyone finds a cheap gun for DC let me know.
Yeah, I was always kind of disappointed I never got my hands on a Dreamcast. I suppose I could eBay it, but that option never really appeals to me.
Doesn’t the controller have a small LCD in it? I’m pretty sure I can see one in that picture, and I remember long ago seeing someone online mention the possibility of using that screen for the same purposes as the little LCD doohickey the PSX had. Y’know, the one that had the little chocobo game for/from Final Fantasy VIII (yeah, that doohickey didn’t get much love either).
@Luke: The controllers don’t have a small LCD in them, but the official Dreamcast controller Visual Memory Unit’s (VMU’s) have screens on them that show through a hole on the controllers. VMU’s are memory cards for game saves, etc.
P.S. earlier this evening after my first comment to this post, I tracked down my very own Dreamcast for $10.00 USD, so Luke, if you really want one, I can look for another one and send it your way. Let me know.
What is that little controller to the right of the Dreamcast? Looks like a remote.
@Tony: That little controller looking thing is called a Visual Memory Unit or VMU for short. The offical Dreamcast ones have a little screen on them. I don’t know a whole lot about the DC yet as I just acquired mine last night, so hopefully Brandon can shed a little more light on the VMU’s.
Well Sean, you got it pretty much right. It is the Dreamcast’s version of a memory card. Some of them have a little LCD screen that when you have saved info, lets you play small mini-games related to the game. I personally think that the Dreamcast has the best saving system out of any console. The only downfall is that some games take up nearly an entire 200 block VMU. But hey, they can be found pretty cheap nowadays.