Finally picked up a Dreamcast! (A couple decades late to the party...) What are the top must play games I need to check out to catch up on?
Edit: I like adventure, horror, RPG, and shooters best. Anything with a good story. But I'll play almost anything widely regarded as good or historic.
Posted Jan 29, 2020, 8:58 PM UTC · edited
I think it'd be helpful to know what kind of games you like.
Good idea, added to OP. I like single player story based games more than anything.
Shenmue for sure.
Resident Evil: Code Veronica is an easy one to recommend, because while the PS2 and later versions are superior, the Dreamcast release is still an interesting curio with various differences throughout.
One I don't see mentioned much is Maken X. It's certainly not a perfect game, but it has a lot of interesting systems and mechanics which held my interest until the very end, even if the check-pointing in the game is awful and it has some... 'voice acting'...
Dino Crisis, Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 are also on the system, RE2 arguably being the best version of the game aside from the PC release from what I've heard.
Illbleed is also another horror game I've heard good things about but I'm yet to try it out for myself.
sonic adventure
Yes! I love Sonic and have never played any of the story games. Good call!
Skies of Arcadia is a great RPG .... not cheap though. For horror probably RE: Code Veronica (though it's not system exclusive). If you like story probably check out Shenmue though it's a very different type of game and not for everybody (I love it personally).
Head hunter is a great game but only a European release so you would need to burn a copy of codebreaker
Head Hunter easily makes top 5 on the DC for me but gets very little attention, probably because it wasn't released in the US.
Or just import a PAL Dreamcast. That's what I did
Shooters as in shmups?
If so: Border Down, Giga Wing 1/2, Mars Matrix, Trizeal, and Ikaruga
Border Down is absolutely beautiful!
Trizeal love!
Under Defeat and Zero Gunner 2 are can't-miss DC shmups imo.
Grandia II
For horror: Illbleed, the Resident Evil series, and D2.
Crazy Taxi doesn't fall into any of your categories but definitely try it out. On that note: try out some stuff outside what you'd normally play and you might be surprised. The other day I got a cheap copy of 18 Wheeler on a whim and I've actually really enjoyed it. I didn't even know trucking games were a thing.
Powerstone 1 and 2 for best fighting games ever.
That's not Project Justice
It’s okay to be wrong, but don’t try to force your wrongness on everybody else. 😎
You should take your own advice
I bet you’re fun at parties.
Check out how to burn Dreamcast games! And burn yourself a sweet copy of Marvel vs Capcom 2, it's a blast!
the first Sonic Adventure. The game made our jaws drop back in 1999, seeing the characters talk and mouths move in real-time in-game. Also get Soul Calibur - one of the best fighters on the system, and a prime example of an arcade port going above and beyond when coming home. Ironically they were both launch titles for the system and are cheap. Also get a copy of Crazy Taxi, that's some good cheap fun there too.
Are you late to the party if you watch The Godfather, listen to Mozart or read Shakespeare?
Yeah
Record of Lodoss War is a Diablo-like action RPG that was pretty solid (I don't see it mentioned that often)
Beyond that, the obvious Skies of Arcadia and Grandia 2 were good enough at the time to turn me away from PSX RPGs for awhile.
The amount of hours I put into Phantasy Star Online at the time is...scary, but those servers are obviously long gone.
Absent any information about what kind of games you like, I would recommend starting with YouTube videos which list the best Dreamcast games and hidden gems.
Oh that's right, pretty sure Metal Jesus did a video on that. Don't know why I didn't think to check, thanks!
My partner just got me my first Dreamcast as well like a week ago as a late Christmas gift! I just picked up Sonic Adventure and Resident Evil - Code: Veronica from a local exchange and I'd highly recommend both. While Code: Veronica isn't exclusive to Dreamcast like someone else already mentioned it's still an older title that I personally skipped in the series and it's just different to experience on the Dreamcast. I couldn't put it down the first night honestly. Sonic Adventure is soooo fun I don't think I even have to say anything to really sell it but playing as all the characters and putting the chao guys on your controller is just so cool! Shenmue is next on my list but it's a little pricier. Carrier was another game I was looking at that you may enjoy (horror/shooter).
You didn't mention fighters but I think Street fighter third strike is the best all time SF game.
The Dreamcast honestly has some of my favorite fighting games ever: -Capcom vs Snk -SF Alpha 3 -Marvel vs Capcom 2 -SF 3 -Dead or Alive 2 -Soul Calibur Powerstone 1and 2 -Jojos Bizarre Adventure -Project Justice
Not a game, but a VGA cable/box is very nice to have, running games in 480p is like jumping half a console generation ahead. Dreamcast image quality is very good but in 480p it can look supernice.
I was looking at getting an HDMI out converter so I can play on my modern TV. (No CRT unfortunately.) Would that have similar effect?
No, Hdmi converters tend to make colors worse. Unless you get something like an Ossc or framemeister. The hdmi hardmod is really nice tho.
Shucks, that'll probably have to wait til down the road then. Thanks for the suggestion!
Shenmue 1&2
Grandia 2
Skies of Arcadia
Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2
EGG
Record of Lodoss War
Silver
Sonic Adventure 1&2
Jet Grind Radio
Crazy Taxi 1&2
Ecco the Dolphin
Headhunter
Sword of the Berserk: Gut's Rage
D2
Illbleed
Blue Stinger
RE Code Veronica
RE2
RE3
House of the Dead 2
The Typing of the Dead
Zombie Revenge
Shadow Man
LOK Soul Reaver
Bangai-Oh
Giga Wing 2
Mars Matrix
Gunbird 2
Armada
Also you don't like fighters, eh? I feel like a Dreamcast is going to waste if you aren't at least playing Soul Calibur on it. Would also highly recommend Last Blade 2, Project Justice, Garou Mark of the Wolves, Capcom vs. SNK, MvC2, Virtua Fighter 3tb, Dead or Alive 2, and Power Stone 1&2.
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Skies of Arcadia, Soul Reaver, Toy Commander, Shenmue, The Resident Evil games, Soul Calibur