Ladies and gentlemen, we here at videolamer pride ourselves on our knowledge and coverage of both current gaming trends and the very best in classic gaming. However, everyone makes mistakes sometimes, and one piece of gaming history has gone unnoticed by us for far too long. Of course I am talking about the Sega Dreamcast.
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Almost a decade after its release, the Dreamcast still astounds new comers and old fans alike with its incredible library and fresh ideas. While the three console race of Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft is now ingrained in our minds and memories, we must never forget just how much the Dreamcast brought to the table, as well as how much more it could have done given a little more time. In a time where some gamers bemoan a lack of innovation and creativity, I cannot think of a better remedy than a Dreamcast and a hearty stack of its best titles.
So without further ado, I will be spearheading an effort to remember the little console that almost could, with a few weeks of Dreamcast reviews, discussions and retrospectives. I will be kicking it off tomorrow with an introductory article, and will continue later in the week with the first in a series of articles titled “What Did We Miss?” During this time, I also encourage you all to share your comments, and please recommend any games or topics you have an interest in.
Let’s get this party started, Sega style.
What a good time for this. Just this weekend I forced some friends into playing Power Stone 2, Chu Chu Rocket and Ikaruga. And after reading some gaming forums discussing the awesomeness of air ships, I also decided I love Skies of Arcadia.
i thought you have always known you love skies of arcadia. haven’t you been pestering me to play it for years? and i agree this is long overdue. dreamcast offers some terrific experiences and has some excellent games, none higher on my list than shenmue.
Rez is one of my favorite games of all time. It starts off as a very standard rail shooter with retro graphics, but as you spend time with it you start to notice the influence your actions (namely shooting) have on the environment and the sound, and as you get better you begin to realize that the enemies are actually coming in rhythmic and melodic patterns, and when you start to hear the patterns of enemy attacks in your mind then you’ve hit the point of synesthesia they were talking about. Coincidentally, shifting from trying to shoot down enemies to trying to “play” them in the right melody and meter improved the gameplay immensely, and where I had been squeaking by before I was suddenly floating through swarms of attacks unharmed and getting perfect runs on even difficult levels.
Stefan please do Rez for the “What did we miss?” feature. I forgot about that one.
I should mention Virtual On: Ontario Tangram as one of the most fun robot fighting games I’ve ever played, and Ooga Booga as a fun multiplayer beat-em-up that reminds me vaguely of smash brothers in the lighthearted approach and the way hit points aren’t a measure of when you’ll die. Also, I really enjoyed Toy Commander, since it does what every video game should do to one extent or another — let you live out your childhood fantasies of toy soldiers securing forts made out of building blocks, and missile launchers shooting crayons at planes when they take off from airstrips laid out in the upstairs hallway.
D’oh, it’s Oratorio Tangram. That’s what happens when you let spellcheck think it’s the boss.
looks like Stefan has some serious ammo for Dreamcast Mania!