On the ninth anniversary of the Dreamcast's release it's worth taking a tiny look at three games that are still unique enough to keep the old gal around for. Other games may be deserving but have by and large been released or superseded by newer titles—here are three that still deserve to be played on the Dreamcast.
Treasure-developed Bangai-O made waves when it originally came out for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. Though we didn't get it on the Dreamcast until 2001 in the states, this psychotic multi-directional shooter is noted for the alarming amount of particles and projectiles that pepper the screen and surround your enormous robot (rendered as a comparably tiny speck in relation to the environments you traverse). In 2008, with the recently released DS Bangai-O Spirits creating quite a stir, there's no better reason to revisit the original.
Say what you will about its gameplay today, but Shenmue still offers one of the most intriguing worlds we've seen in a video game. 100 yen capsule toys, the arcade version of Space Harrier, and some unforgettable music and graphics combine to really place this game in a category by itself. The game's setting in time also offers us a look at the mid- to late-1980s in Japan, a time period not often visited in contemporary games. Most of all, the damned thing is just charming, and you'll be buying dried squid to feed the idiot cat for hours once you let yourself get lost in it.
This one was re-released as a two-parter on the PS2 years down the line, but without the same streaming background movies the original used (occasionally quirky but ever-so-cute). Space Michael Jackson, tiny Morolian aliens shouting "chu, chu, chu," Ulala in sexy heels and orange latex skirts—what's not to love? You'll be humming the theme song for years.
It's often said that the Dreamcast was ahead of its time. By my math that makes these three games actually newer than unreleased future titles!
We might not be able to go back to those early Dreamcast days of innocence, but we can still remember them by playing some of these tasty anniversary morsels—maybe you'll even notice some things you never did before.
Happy ninth birthday you little gray wonder!
Bangai-O
Treasure-developed Bangai-O made waves when it originally came out for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. Though we didn't get it on the Dreamcast until 2001 in the states, this psychotic multi-directional shooter is noted for the alarming amount of particles and projectiles that pepper the screen and surround your enormous robot (rendered as a comparably tiny speck in relation to the environments you traverse). In 2008, with the recently released DS Bangai-O Spirits creating quite a stir, there's no better reason to revisit the original.
Shenmue
Say what you will about its gameplay today, but Shenmue still offers one of the most intriguing worlds we've seen in a video game. 100 yen capsule toys, the arcade version of Space Harrier, and some unforgettable music and graphics combine to really place this game in a category by itself. The game's setting in time also offers us a look at the mid- to late-1980s in Japan, a time period not often visited in contemporary games. Most of all, the damned thing is just charming, and you'll be buying dried squid to feed the idiot cat for hours once you let yourself get lost in it.
Space Channel 5
This one was re-released as a two-parter on the PS2 years down the line, but without the same streaming background movies the original used (occasionally quirky but ever-so-cute). Space Michael Jackson, tiny Morolian aliens shouting "chu, chu, chu," Ulala in sexy heels and orange latex skirts—what's not to love? You'll be humming the theme song for years.
It's often said that the Dreamcast was ahead of its time. By my math that makes these three games actually newer than unreleased future titles!
We might not be able to go back to those early Dreamcast days of innocence, but we can still remember them by playing some of these tasty anniversary morsels—maybe you'll even notice some things you never did before.
Happy ninth birthday you little gray wonder!