Ah, the Dreamcast…it was the swan song for Sega’s foray into the console market. It was a criminally underrated machine that simply got crushed by the crowded gaming market and prominent competition of Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony’s line of consoles of the early 2000s.
One of the most tragic aspects of the Dreamcast falling off the map so fast is that many of its franchises followed suit; a number of which proved underrated and enjoyable in their own right. Many of these games, for one reason or another, received naught but a port or remaster; and some were one-and-done entirely.
Let’s journey back to the turn of the new millennium as we examine 10 of these forgotten relics of the Dreamcast we’d love to see revisited.
10 Samba De Amigo
Aside from an out-of-left-field port to the Wii in 2008, this fun little rhythm-based romp has pretty much been missing in action ever since it rattled its way to the Dreamcast in late 1999.
This game is similar to the likes of Donkey Konga, as it also features a plastic peripheral that you and your friends can kick back and have some chuckle-worthy fun with. Rather than plastic bongos, however, you’ll be shaking two maraca controllers to the rhythm-based queues; which vary in speed, location, and intensity.
9 18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker
Props to Sega - they’ve managed to take a seemingly bland, uneventful premise of driving a large truck across highways, and molded it into an entertaining driving game.
18 Wheeler: American Pro Trucker is somewhat like the trucker’s version of Crazy Taxi. While the pacing and overall insanity might be toned down compared to that classic, trucking your way down various roads while raking in cash and scrambling to make your deadlines is actually a blast. This is one obscure racer that needs to be brought back into the limelight for modern consoles.
8 ChuChu Rocket
As far as multiplayer efforts go, this is probably one of the most enjoyable split-screen games you can find on the Dreamcast. ChuChu Rocket is a feverishly fun and addictive experience that’s sure to invoke some laughter - in addition to some anger between friends.
Despite the game’s basic, cutesy appearance, ChuChu Rocket can be quite the pressure-cooker, as you and your friends will be scrambling to guide hordes of scurrying mice to your rocket ship. You achieve this by slapping a handful of interchangeable arrows on the map, and can also sabotage the effort of others.
A sequel with new items, more mice types, and online gameplay would be quite the epic party game indeed.
7 Space Channel 5
While this zany sci-fi game resides in the same genre as Samba De Amigo, this rhythmic foundation is pretty much where the similarities end. Rather than seeing an overly-happy monkey on screen mimicking your moves, you’ll be controlling a scantily-clad outer space female reporter out to save her fleet from an alien invasion.
How does she achieve this? By pulling off rhythmically-timed dance moves and blasting the creatures to different queues, of course! While the gameplay is bare-bones and brief, the actual experience is a joy to rock out to and boogie along with. Thankfully, it seems like a PS VR game is on the way.
6 Power Stone
This short-lived arena fighter by Capcom was somewhat overshadowed by the massive hit that was Smash Bros, which came out around the same time as this hidden gem. Yet, this fighting frenzy can easily go toe-to-toe with Nintendo’s party brawler in terms of fun and insanity; at least when it comes to the original Smash.
The main appeal of this game - aside from its myriad of crazy, unique fighters - is its colorful, dynamic stages that constantly change, keeping you and your three opponents on your toes. Between the chaotic environments and the mad-scrambles to nab Power Stones which trigger awesome special moves, this is a super exciting split-screen romp that’s still a delight to play.
A spruced up third Power Stone title with sleeker graphics and online gameplay would be another level of awesome.
5 Virtua Tennis
One thing that the home of Sonic had over its Nintendo counterparts was its abundance of quality sports software from both Sega themselves and from 2nd/3rd parties. The NFL and NBA 2k lines come to mind on this front. Yet, one less appreciated but similarly awesome example is Virtua Tennis. This series has seen a handful of sequels, but it’s most recent entry, VT Challenge, is now several years old.
This original hit - which nicely simulates the nuances of tennis while remaining fast-paced and accessible - is rarely matched when it comes to tennis games.
4 Jet Set Radio
Take the thrilling extreme sports concept of Tony Hawk and add some artistic flair - in more ways than one - and you’ve got this massively underrated virtual ride, Jet Set Radio. There is something both exciting and oddly therapeutic about skating around bustling cities, grinding on every flat surface you can find, and decorating the scene with colorful graffiti.
This series sadly hasn’t seen the light of day since its one and only sequel, Jet Set Radio Future, which ironically now rests far in the past. While the likes of Sunset Overdrive captures some of the Sega franchise’s zany, extreme-sports spirit, an actual full-fledged sequel for modern consoles would be a blast.
3 Crazy Taxi
Ok, so Crazy Taxi technically got its start at the arcade, though Sega and developer Hitmaker managed to create the definitive port of this exhilarating racer, making it one of the Dreamcast’s greatest draws.
Outside of an obscure management sim and basic free-to-play mobile game, this franchise has seen little activity in well over a decade. With the prospect of modern hardware allowing for expansive, rich settings, as well as online leaderboards, there’s endless potential for an authentic and badass Crazy Taxi sequel.
2 Phantasy Star Online
As the name itself might have illustrated, the core gameplay of this elaborate, sprawling RPG revolves around online gameplay - which is all the more reason it could use a sequel. During this game’s launch in the early 2000s, online functionality was still largely in its infancy, and yet, the delightful, addictive gameplay of PSO still managed to shine.
How about a truly open-world new “episode” of this Sega RPG classic, or even an outright MMO? This would certainly compliment the game’s epic landscapes, emphasis on co-op combat/exploration, and abundance of collectibles. While Phantasy Star Online has never really gone away in Asia, the rest of the world will have to wait until 2020 to get access to 2012’s sequel.
1 Skies Of Arcadia
It’s quite a shame that one of the best JRPGs of the 2000s was essentially a one-hit-wonder, only ever reemerging in the form of an enhanced GameCube port a couple of years later.
Skies of Arcadia features a myriad of imaginative landscapes, cool baddies, and memorable characters. The game largely feels like prime Final Fantasy with exploration that elevates your sense of wonder thanks to its emphasis on epic airship travel. This is one RPG odyssey in desperate need of a modern rendition.
