10 Reasons Why It's Worth Buying A Second Hand Dreamcast

The Sega Dreamcast: the most shamefully overlooked console in history. But one that now represents astonishing value for money.

Simon Brew

The finest, most unloved console of the last decade, the Sega Dreamcast, is available second hand now for £20ish. And for those who love pure gaming, who appreciate a quality software library over a collection of brand names, it’s very much worth picking up. Here are ten reasons why…

Crazy Taxi
Granted, Crazy Taxi and its sequels have appeared on a fair few formats now, but there was nothing quite like discovering it on the Dreamcast for the first time, and there still isn’t. Combined with the arcade wheel, this is an arcade game in pretty much every sense, and all the better for it.

Virtua Tennis
A game that also subsequently got converted to any format that’d take it, and again, there’s nothing quite so undiluted as the Dreamcast version. The sequels expanded on the fun, but the original Virtua Tennis is still superb. And the King match at the end is still a beast of a challenge.

Shenmue
An ambitious, sprawling mix of action, adventure, storytelling and, well, tons of stuff. Shenmue was envisioned as a multi-chapter story, although poor sales of the original meant that Shenmue 2 arrived in subtitled form, rather than translated. It’s a divisive title, with as many detractors as fans, but it showed the sheer ambition of the Dreamcast software library, and Sega at the time.

Power Stone 1 & 2
Or: the Capcom fighting game that seemed to be forgotten by everybody. Apart from an uncomfortable PSP conversion, there’s been little sign of any love for the gleefully over the top Power Stone games for some time. The sequel, in particular, is four player madness at its best.

Jet Set Radio
A sequel made it onto the original Xbox in its early days, but the cel-shaded Jet Set Radio really was something different. Which made it all the more depressing when it pretty much flopped on release. It mixes a healthy dose of vandalism with a lot of action, and deserves a revisit.

Samba De Amigo
Ah, the finest rhythm game of the last decade. Samba De Amigo cost this writer £80 on release date, and it’s still some of the finest money he’s ever spent on gaming. One day he might tell you about the incident where he got so into shaking his maracas in the party games segment that he shattered the light in his living room. But not today.

Soul Calibur
Pretty much the critics’ choice as the finest Dreamcast game ever, and certainly one of the very best fighting games of all time. Ever. Quite, quite brilliant, and still preferred by a great many to the sequels that followed.

Resident Evil: Code Veronica
One of the better entries in the Resident Evil franchise, and for a long time it was Dreamcast exclusive before it finally made its way across to the PS2. It’s still brilliant, by the way. And suitably cheap on the second hand market.

Daytona USA
The Dreamcast was not bereft of very good racing games – Ferrari F355 and Metropolis Street Racer, for instance – but we have to lean with the most arcadey. And while the home conversion didn’t match the fun of a row of sit-in arcade cabinets, it had a damn good try. And cost this writer a lot of late nights…

Ikargua
The Dreamcast was all but dead in the mass market by the time this distinctively old school 2D vertically scrolling shooter came out. It was one of the very last major releases the console enjoyed. And it kept the quality of the software library going right to the end…

Join in the Dreamcast nostalgia in the comments box. Then head off to eBay and buy one...

30/01/08

Re: 10 Reasons Why It's Worth Buying A Second Hand Dreamcast

Posted by tictac on Feb 6, 2008

I loved crazy taxi. No matter how many times I'd played it I could always go back to it. Unfortunately I've lost my rgb cable for it so I can't play it for the time being.

Re: 10 Reasons Why It's Worth Buying A Second Hand Dreamcast

Posted by DuncanMonkey on Feb 1, 2008

I can't believe I missed this article as I love my Dreamcast. I've just sold my N64 and Sega Saturn on ebay, but the DC remains on my shelf here at work...

I actually have 2 lightguns and House of the Dead 2 as well, such is my zombie blasting love. I'd also rate MSR above Daytona even though I love both. I have pretty much all those games in front of me too, though Boooo! to Craig and Sarah I LOVE Code Veronica.

Re: 10 Reasons Why It's Worth Buying A Second Hand Dreamcast

Posted by Robmac on Jan 31, 2008

After reading this and passing it on a collegue of mine has bought one into work and we have been playing it during lunch and after work. I was never really a Dreamcast fan...but after playing Powerstone I am hooked! - How good is that game. I might even break my veto of never every buying anything from Gamestation and go and get myself one!

Re: 10 Reasons Why It's Worth Buying A Second Hand Dreamcast

Posted by stuxmusic on Jan 31, 2008

I did this about a year ago. Mainly for Shenmue. God, I want number three!! Still need to find Power Stone 1 & 2. Don't forget Crazy Taxi 2, It's better than the original. Plus, don't tell me you forgot House Of The Dead 2! Thats a classic... with lightguns. It's one I'm looking for on the Wii this year.

Re: 10 Reasons Why It's Worth Buying A Second Hand Dreamcast

Posted by moakle on Jan 30, 2008

May I humbly suggest that if you do write one on the GameCube, please mention the slice of genius pie that is Donkey Konga. It's such alarmingly good fun that we fell out with our neighbours after staying up until 2am banging away. And then we played Donkey Konga... I'll be here all week. Try the veal

Re: 10 Reasons Why It's Worth Buying A Second Hand Dreamcast

Posted by SebPatrick on Jan 30, 2008

As one of the ten reasons, rather than one specific game, I'd have said the homebrew potential of the thing. The fact that (unlike on certain Sony consoles we could name) you can run copied discs, and the fact that it's really easy to code for, means that there's tonnes of emulation and bedroom-coding possibilities, and it's much easier to play classic DC games without having to pay through the nose for them. If anything, I'd say it's worth buying a Dreamcast for that even without buying the above ten games...

Re: 10 Reasons Why It's Worth Buying A Second Hand Dreamcast

Posted by Airs on Jan 30, 2008

Good list Simon. And, although I know you could easily add many more, I'd always include Skies of Arcadia in any DC top ten. A true Final Fantasy killer that holds up today.

Re: 10 Reasons Why It's Worth Buying A Second Hand Dreamcast

Posted by simonbrew on Jan 30, 2008

To be fair, I could easily write a follow up with another ten games in it (Typing of the Dead!). I'm going to do one about the Game Cube too I think.

Re: 10 Reasons Why It's Worth Buying A Second Hand Dreamcast

Posted by kestrel1977 on Jan 30, 2008

Oh, and Rez, Shikigami no Shiro, Zero Gunner and Sonic Adventure 2...

Re: 10 Reasons Why It's Worth Buying A Second Hand Dreamcast

Posted by kestrel1977 on Jan 30, 2008

Great article - this is still one of my favourite consoles. You shouldn't forget the incredible Bangaioh - better than Ikaruga in my opinion and criminally underrated.

Re: 10 Reasons Why It's Worth Buying A Second Hand Dreamcast

Posted by cjlines on Jan 30, 2008

Code Veronica does have the most annoying camera positioning ever.

Re: 10 Reasons Why It's Worth Buying A Second Hand Dreamcast

Posted by Spidergirl on Jan 30, 2008

Code Veronica: just no.

Re: 10 Reasons Why It's Worth Buying A Second Hand Dreamcast

Posted by TVDust1 on Jan 30, 2008

I couldn't agree more; at the money they're available for Dreamcast's represent the bast gaming value money can buy. They cost Curazy moneh.
I picked up a machine and five games for thirty quid a couple of years ago, and Ferrari 355 is still my go-to game when I have a afternoon to myself. Quite wonderful... Daytona is a gonzo blast too, and Soul Calibre is simply awesome.

Shenmue: one of Sega's forgotten classics?

Shenmue: one of Sega's forgotten classics?