Bring back the Sega Dreamcast
In a slight departure from my regular tone here on The Digital Home, I wanted to share an experience with you that has helped me regain my love for old video games and force me to reconsider my thoughts on what video gaming should be.
And although it wasn't one of the most welcome consoles in the history of video games, I truly enjoyed my Sega Dreamcast. Was it perfect? Certainly not. After all, this is a console that was advanced when it came out and disgustingly obsolete once the Playstation 2 hit store shelves just one year later.
But for all of its bad (can you say Sega's awful business practices?), the Sega Dreamcast was one of the greatest consoles of all-time.
Success in this business isn't always measured in sales and revenue, sometimes it's measured in what it does for the average person. And while Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo left Sega in their wake, the Dreamcast provided an experience that acted as the forerunner to many of the consoles we enjoy today.
Simply put, the Sega Dreamcast was great when it was released on 9/9/99 (in the US) and I'm a firm believer that Sega should release Dreamcast 2 on 9/9/09.
So where did this sudden change in mentality come from? Well, I got a bit nostalgic last week and I decided it was time that I break out the old consoles to have a go at some of the games that played an important role in my life -- Shenmue, Virtua Tennis, all the Sega Sports games and of course, Sonic Adventure.
After playing through each of those games (and a few others -- Fighting Force, Toy Commander, Skies of Arcadia), I realized once again just how great that console really was.
Consider this: the Dreamcast was the first major console to offer networking capabilities and although the device was only capable of dial-up connectivity (a major blunder), it still set a precedent that obviously had a far-reaching impact.
Besides that, the Dreamcast was the console to have if you wanted to play outstanding sports games from Sega Sports and although it was a bit funky, the console's controller provided a comfortable feel and a downright advanced schematic. Take a look at the Dreamcast controller then peek at your Xbox controller. Do you see some similarities there?
And although the Dreamcast only had 323 official games in its library, it was the first console to bring you Shenmue and for all of you Sonic fanatics out there, Sonic Adventure was easily one of the most fun platform games ever made. And if you have never played Skies of Arcadia or Soul Calibur on this console, you should try to find yourself a Dreamcast and play it now.
But for many gamers, the allure of the Dreamcast has not worn off. Sure, it's outdated and the graphics on it are enough to make you vomit when compared to today's offerings, but it has a nostalgic appeal that begs us to be played.
And it's for that reason that I would like to see Dreamcast 2.
Now, I'm well aware of the fact that my hope for a second Dreamcast will fall on deaf ears over at Sega's headquarters, but I can't help but ask that a newly upgraded Dreamcast hit store shelves.
I want Dreamcast 2 to look exactly like its predecessor and use the same crazy controller and those utterly ridiculous VMUs and rumble packs. I would like to see the innovative gameplay that used to be Sega's hallmark to come back and solidify itself on the new platform. I want a console that thumbs its nose at the competition and is created for the benefit of gamers -- not suits. I want a second Dreamcast that balks at derivative gameplay and welcomes an online space and old-fashioned gaming that will let the younger gamers among us finally see what it's like to play in a world where games are made for gamers and not for a profit.
But more than anything else, I want Dreamcast 2.
Who is with me?
Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
Sounds like you want a Wii. Ha!
Who are these "suits" you keep talking about, anyway?
Also, you neglected to point out(intentionally or unintionally somethign which I deem very important ; the Dreamcast has had games come out for it up to this year. The games are mostly released in Japan, but that proves how much staying power the system has.
Also, in relation to the games from Japan is the fact that playing imports is very easy. A simply boot disc you can download suffices. Another interesting point about the Dreamcast is the whole homebrew games scene that is still popular till now.
As you can see, I love the Dreamcast and I too want to see another one.
I too would like to see a DC2, although I believe the Wii has a lot for it if you consider the revolutionarity of it.
For fun, have a look at the Treamcast, which is essentially a DC with a TFT screen stuck on top. Ugly as hell, but cool nonetheless.
By the way: The Dreamcast have had it's 9th birthday only a week and a have ago, and we at Dreamcast Scene have a big sweepstake in cooperation with official support from Sega of Germany, redspotgames, Play-Asia and Van Basilco. Unique prizes like Dreamcast special editions, Last Hope games, posters, t-shirts and jackets can be won.
If you're insterested, check this:
www.dreamcast-scene.com
www.dreamcast-scene.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=1854
Don, while I appreciate you bringing back the memory of the Dreamcast, do you really want the Sega of today to create a Dreamcast 2? The Sega of today who pump out endless, terrible Sonic spin-offs, and the Sega who haven't had any innovative games for half a decade?
It's sad, but, personally, I'd just rather keep on playing my original Dreamcast and forget about a new console from Sega.
The graphics on the Dreamcast for the most part were far superior to the PS2 using a VGA signal. I highly suggest you go out an get yourself a true VGA cable (not a scanline converter) to experience some of the Dreamcast's best titles:
Soul Calibur, Phantasy Star Online 1 & 2(which has BroadBand Access), Tokyo Extreme Racer (1 and 2), Test Drive LeMans Racing , Ikaruga, Virtual Tennis1 &2, Crazy Taxi (1 and 2), Heavy Metal GeoMatrix, Shemue, HeadHunter, Jet Grind Radio (Jet Set Radio in JPN), Guilty Gear X, PowerStone 1 & 2, Quake 3 Arena, Ready 2 Rumble Boxing 1 and 2, Record of Lodoss War, Shenmue 1 & 2, Space Channel 5, Armada, Sonic (of course).
I could write volumes about each and every single one of those games and how much fun they are. Each one in their own right, bring something to the table, a fun and immersive gameplay experience.
I'm with you on the dreamcast 2, but i'm not expecting hardware, i want sega style games on my Wii60.
I miss Dreamcast and hope Sega will one day return to hardware =)
there's no way sega can return to the hardware maket... and even if they do... do they go the way of the wii with it's innnovative play and originality over graphics and processing power or do they try and compete with the 360 or ps3 and make the most advanced system in the market?
Internal Saving -Sega Saturn/Sega CD
Controller -Sega Dreamcast obviously
hmm been too long since that rant.
and I agree I want a Dreamcast two. I have all the systems from that Era.. Playstation 2, Xbox, Gamecube... So far my Dreamcast has the most games in it's library and I've had to purchase another one because I wore the motherboard out.
Too many good games.. Ahh... I miss the good days.
What I really liked, was the mini game that uploaded to the memory stick that you could carry with you and you could upload your booty from the mini game into the main program. I made so much monies that way *hee*
Even though they revamped that game for the GameCube, I miss the cool features that was incorporated into the Dreamcast version.
I think I'm going to have to hook that back up and buy batteries for the memory sticks again.
As much as I agree with your nostalgia, I don't think Sega as it is today would be able to recapture that feeling. Maybe if they'd joined up with Namco when the opportunity presented itself things would be different, but as it is now, it just wouldn't work. :(
- by ToyCommander December 6, 2007 6:55 PM PST
- The DC was and still is a sublime piece of kit. I actually have two of them in the house, plus the broadband adapter which fitted into my home network very nicely...
- Like this Reply to this comment
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Showing 1 of 2 pages (31 Comments)I'd been waiting for the PS2 to come out, then tried my luck on Crazy Taxi - had to buy a console one the spot.
The downside of this great piece of kit? No dvd player. Most people I spoke to were buying PS2s just for this (and now are buying PS3s with BlueRay for much the same reason...)
The upside?
The graphics (via the VGA) were easily better than the PS2, and just as good as the gamecube.
Those weird chunky controllers, so ugly to look at, were practically bulletproof. I can't count how many PS or GC controllers I've had to replace over the years (thanks kids), but never a single one for the DC...
The VMU, so cool for mini games, especially Time Stalkers...
If you get really experimental, try running linux from it (if like me you bought a keyboard...)
And so small and easy to store this console. It took up so little space under the TV, even less than the GC.
And now I read that Sega might be considering DC2 (or some fanciful name) and have regregistered the 'Dreamcast' trademark.
Offer to re-release Toy Commander and I'll put my name down on the waiting list now!