Summary
- The Sega Dreamcast was a highly ambitious console with innovative features that helped to set it apart from other systems of its era.
- The console had an impressive library of games that still hold up well today, showcasing the hardware's ability to push boundaries.
- The Dreamcast is often seen as a failure, but for those who owned one, it was an incredible piece of hardware with a robust library of games that excelled in multiple genres.
Released right at the end of the twentieth century, the Sega Dreamcast was one of the most ambitious video game consoles of all time. It boasted many innovative and state-of-the-art features, which ultimately helped to earn the console a very special place in the hearts of many gamers.
Things The Dreamcast Did That Were Way Ahead Of Its Time
The Dreamcast may not have had a lot of success in comparison to other consoles, but in many ways, it was ahead of its time.
As well as being a console that was years ahead of its time, the Dreamcast also boasted an incredible library of games, many of which still hold up surprisingly well to this day. The best Dreamcast games found ways to push the hardware to its limits, not to mention the boundaries of what many thought possible at the time.
Updated July 2, 2024, by Tom Bowen: For those who never got to experience it, the Dreamcast is typically seen as a failure and the reason why Sega was forced to bow out of the home console market. For anybody who owned one, though, the Dreamcast was more likely regarded as an incredible piece of hardware that brought with it a slew of innovative new features and ideas and a small, yet surprisingly robust library of titles. The best Dreamcast games left a lasting impression on players and are a big part of the reason why many people see Sega's swansong system as one of the best video game consoles of all time.
15 Dead or Alive 2
GameRankings Score: 91% (Dreamcast)
Dead or Alive 2 may not have been the best fighting game on the Sega Dreamcast, but it wasn't too far off. Like many of the console's other heavy hitters, the popular arcade title made use of the Sega NAOMI hardware, which ultimately made porting it to the Dreamcast a lot easier for Tomonobu Itagaki and the rest of the Team Ninja devs.
It's worth noting that the Dreamcast release uses a simplified hold system when compared to the original arcade version, although it does include a few new game modes to make up for this. Dead or Alive 2 would eventually go on to be released for the PS2 as well, although most consider this version to be inferior to the Dreamcast port due to it using field rendering rather than frame rendering.
Dead or Alive 2
- Released
- February 29, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Team Ninja
- Publisher(s)
- Tecmo
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
14 Virtua Tennis 2
Metacritic Rating: 90 (Dreamcast)
Before venturing into the home console market, Sega was responsible for plenty of great arcade games; a trend that continued even after the release of the SG-1000. The fact that the Dreamcast used a similar architecture to the company's NAOMI arcade board made it easy to bring some of these titles to the console, thus providing players with an arcade experience from the comfort of their own homes.
Virtua Tennis was one of many Sega arcade games to make its way to the Dreamcast and received widespread acclaim upon its release. Although it did later come to PC and a few handheld consoles, the Dreamcast version is vastly superior and one of the best multiplayer experiences that the console has to offer. Virtua Tennis 2 offers improved visuals, more players, and a new World Tour mode, effectively rendering its predecessor redundant despite boasting a slightly lower Metascore.
Virtua Tennis 2
- Released
- October 23, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
13 Phantasy Star Online
Metacritic Rating: 89 (Dreamcast)
When MMORPGs began gaining popularity in the mid to late nineties, they were very much a PC thing. At that time, most consoles couldn't even connect to the internet, let alone do so in a way that would allow players to team up with people all over the world. The Dreamcast changed all that though, with Phantasy Star Online serving as the very first console-based MMORPG.
Though the game was a little rough around the edges and lacked many of the features and mechanics that one might expect from a modern MMORPG, it was still an incredibly impressive achievement for the time. The game garnered a small but loyal fanbase, with some still playing the game even to this day with the help of special custom servers.
Phantasy Star Online
- Released
- December 21, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Sonic Team
- Publisher
- Sega
- Genre(s)
- RPG
12 Power Stone 2
Metacritic Rating: 87 (Dreamcast)
1999 saw the release of Super Smash Bros. For the Nintendo 64, which helped to define the now popular platform fighter sub-genre. It wasn't the only popular platform fighter released that year though, with Capcom's first Power Stone game hitting arcades just a few weeks after Super Smash Bros' Japanese release and arriving on the Dreamcast just a week or so later.
Power Stone proved to be so popular that a sequel was released the following year, bringing with it a number of new mechanics and features. Though the series effectively died with the second game, both titles were immensely popular with Dreamcast players and performed incredibly well with critics, comfortably beating out Super Smash Bros. On sites like GameRankings and Metacritic.
Power Stone 2
- Released
- April 27, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
11 Metropolis Street Racer
Metacritic Rating: 87 (Dreamcast)
Metropolis Street Racer is a game that oozes style at every opportunity it gets. Its innovative Kudos system encourages players to drive with passion and flair, while its free roam mode served as one of the racing genre's earliest examples of open-world driving.
The game was developed by Bizarre Creations, who would go on to be responsible for the Project Gotham Racing series on Xbox. MSR is not only one of the best street racing games ever made but also one of the most underrated gems in the Dreamcast's incredible library.
Metropolis Street Racer
- Released
- November 3, 2000
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Bizarre Creations
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Genre(s)
- Racing
10 Ikaruga
Metacritic Rating: 85 (GameCube)
There were a few fantastic shmups on the Dreamcast, with Bangai-O and Gunbird 2 being some of the more notable examples. However, neither could quite compare to Ikaruga, which serves as the spiritual successor to Treasure's Radiant Silvergun.
The Best Shmups For Newcomers To The Genre
Shoot 'em ups, or "shmups," can be a hard genre to get into due to their difficulty. These titles are perfect for new players trying their hand.
One of the many things that set Ikaruga apart is its innovative polarity system, with every enemy and projectile being either black or white in color. Players can change the polarity of their ship, allowing them to absorb one particular color rather than being damaged by it.
Ikaruga
- Released
- April 15, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer
- Treasure
- Publisher
- Treasure, Sega, ESP, Atari
- Genre(s)
- Shoot 'em Up
9 Crazy Taxi
GameRankings Score: 90% (Dreamcast)
Both of the Crazy Taxi games on the Dreamcast are fantastic due to how fun they are to play. A big part of this is down to the games' soundtracks, with The Offspring featuring prominently throughout the Dreamcast versions of both titles.
Although the second game does get a few extra mini-games and a bit more polish here and there, the soundtrack of the original just about gives it the edge. Players can't really go wrong with either title though, as both still hold up surprisingly well today.
Crazy Taxi
- Released
- February 12, 1999
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- HitMaker
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Genre(s)
- Racing
8 Sonic Adventure 2
Metacritic Rating: 89 (Dreamcast)
Contrary to what many people believe, there were actually a few 3D Sonic games before Sonic Adventure, but it was the Dreamcast launch title that finally got the formula right. Granted, it's no Mario 64, but it's still a fantastic platformer with a unique approach to storytelling.
Sonic Adventure 2 took everything that made the original game great and improved it, introducing new mechanics, characters, and concepts to great effect. Even the Chao Garden mini-game got a complete overhaul, with the introduction of Hero and Dark Chaos.
Sonic Adventure 2
- Released
- June 19, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Sonic Team USA
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
7 Rez
Metacritic Rating: 89 (PC)
Rhythm games were all the rage around the turn of the century, but producer Tetsuya Mizuguchi was keen to innovate rather than imitate. This led to the creation of Rez, a musical rail shooter like nothing else that had ever come before it.
The game is visually stunning and a lot of fun to play through even today. There are arguably much better ways to experience it than on the Dreamcast though, with the PS VR2 version being particularly impressive when it comes to its ability to trigger Synesthesia in players.
Rez
- Released
- November 22, 2001
- ESRB
- e
- Publisher(s)
- Sega
- Developer
- United Game Artists
- Genre(s)
- Musical, Shoot 'em Up
6 Marvel vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes
GameRankings Score: 90% (Dreamcast)
Though most of the best Dreamcast games came courtesy of Sega, Capcom was responsible for its fair share as well. Power Stone and Resident Evil - Code: Veronica are great examples of this, as too is Marvel vs Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes.
Released in the year 2000, the crossover fighting game looks fantastic and features a wide range of playable characters. It also introduces three-on-three battles as well as a newly revamped assist system that would later go on to inspire several other popular fighting games.
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes
- Released
- June 29, 2000
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Blood, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Developer
- Capcom, Backbone Entertainment
- Publisher
- Capcom, Virgin Interactive
- Genre(s)
- Fighting