Intro
The late 90s and early 2000s experienced a drastic growth in technology. Anything and everything felt possible. I feel like even though technology continues to evolve, something about it just feels so stagnant. It's no longer about the marketing gimmick or the tangible novelty that the consumer can touch and see, but it's now at the micro level where anything that came before is taken for granted.
Growing up and seeing the major differences between one console and the next was an experience in itself. The race to be the best console was about which cool things companies could sell to people. Developers were on top of this new hardware, releasing games that took full advantage of it. Sega and Nintendo once had a fierce rivalry, pushing both companies to create new devices like the 32X and Satellaview. We all know how this race ended, with Sega eventually running out of steam, dropping out of the consumer hardware market, and becoming solely a games publisher.
Now, let's take a look at possibly the greatest fighting game ports ever available on the Sega Dreamcast.
Sega Dreamcast
While the Dreamcast had a short-lived lifecycle, some of its heavy hitters remain best enjoyed on the Sega Dreamcast and set the standard for home console ports. In fact, some releases on the Dreamcast are considered the best versions, only fully enjoyable on this platform.
Developer: Project Soul
Publisher: Namco
Release Date: August 5, 1999
Serving more as an expansion than as a sequel to Soul Edge, the original arcade version of Soulcalibur enhanced gameplay and introduced the unprecedented eight-way run, allowing players to freely move around the arena. Players were also given a more lenient input buffering system, lowering the skill barrier for executing attacks in quick succession. Guard impact was expanded, enabling players to deflect attacks by either pushing the opponent back or redirecting their swing. The Dreamcast port received the definitive version of the game, featuring 19 characters, a mix of new and returning characters compared to the arcade version. The most significant enhancement was the improved graphics.
Developer/Publisher: Capcom
Release Date: September 13, 2001
Essentially an overhaul of the foundation laid by Capcom vs. SNK and its Pro update, Capcom vs. SNK 2 reworks the ratio system by allowing players to freely select up to three characters and assign the ratios themselves. Previously, players could select up to four characters with lower ratios. It also introduces additional ability presets known as Grooves, beyond the original Capcom and SNK options, offering six Grooves in total. The most significant update is the expansion from four buttons to six, which further deepens the combo system. Rather than restrict the roster to Street Fighter and The King of Fighters, the 48-character roster includes additions such as Haohmaru from Samurai Shodown, Hibiki from The Last Blade, Maki from the SNES-exclusive Final Fight 2, and Kyosuke from Rival Schools. This vast array of options opens up unprecedented levels of strategic choice, from selecting a Groove to choosing whether to use one, two, or three characters, and how to allocate the ratio power.
When it comes to the console ports, there was a notable discrepancy. Players could either choose the version closest to the arcade, or opt for the EO version. The Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 versions are the closest you can get to arcade perfect. The Dreamcast version, based on the same hardware as the Sega Naomi, is essentially the arcade game at home, with added bonus characters, and is the preferred version for tournaments when convenience is prioritized. The GameCube and Xbox received an EO version, which fixes a few bugs, such as the roll cancel glitch, and makes balance changes. It also adds accessibility options for players unfamiliar with fighting games known as GC-ism for GameCube and EO-ism for Xbox.
Developer/Publisher: Capcom
Release Date: September 19, 2002
Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is the culmination of the 2D series that began with X-Men vs. Street Fighter. Featuring a 56-character roster from various Marvel and Capcom properties, along with three exclusive characters, the range of team compositions feels limitless. The real-time three versus three team fighting format allowed for wild, complex combos to be executed. Upon release, fans were unsure of how to feel about the presentation, with the music choice being a common criticism. Nevertheless, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 gained momentum that hasn't slowed down since.
While Marvel vs. Capcom 2 has been ported to Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, and Xbox, the tournament standard for console play has consistently been the Dreamcast port. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 ports were later based on this version as well. Unlike the arcade version, where characters were unlocked as players paid money, the console ports featured an experience system. Players would accumulate experience points by winning matches or completing arcade mode. The accumulated points could also be used to unlock additional content.
Developer/Publisher: Capcom
Release Date: July 8, 1999
The final entry in the Alpha series, and the most expanded of the three, Street Fighter Alpha 3 wraps up the loose ends between the events of Street Fighter and Street Fighter II, while also integrating the lore of Final Fight and introducing new plot elements. It features all the characters from the previous Alpha games, including console exclusives, with each new update to Alpha 3 adding more characters. While Alpha 3 MAX on the PlayStation Portable is widely regarded as the best iteration of the series, it has never been available on a home console. One of the biggest features added through the console updates is World Tour mode, where players can take a character and level them up. I personally feel that the Dreamcast port is the best console release of Street Fighter Alpha 3, simply due to having the most content and international releases.
The core gameplay of Street Fighter Alpha 3 revolves around preset mechanics known as "isms." If you were a fan of the previous Alpha games, you'd feel right at home using A-ISM (Z-ISM in Japan), which features a 3-meter gauge offering varying levels of super combos. X-ISM functions similarly to Super Street Fighter II Turbo, though you're still at the mercy of Alpha 3's movement and mechanics, which can make it feel like a different game altogether. Many players favor V-ISM, which allows for custom combos that can rack up massive damage. It's important to note that each style grants characters different abilities. X-ISM, for instance, increases damage output while lowering defense, but only allows access to a level-3 super combo. Other changes include Sagat regaining his original Tiger Knee input, and Chun-Li having her classic costume.
Honorable Mentions:
- Fighting Vipers 2: Developed for the Sega Model 3, it's understandable that not many players have heard of this game. It features characters with breakable armor in a square ring with destructible walls. The mechanics revolve around a 3-button layout similar to Virtua Fighter, offering both simple and deep gameplay.
- Marvel vs. Capcom: The Dreamcast port includes an exclusive mode called Dramatic Battle, allowing four simultaneous players to fight in two versus two matches.
- Vampire Chronicles For Match Making: Another Capcom title with a superior PSP version, this compilation allows players to select modes that offer different iterations of the characters from the Darkstalkers series.
- Tech Romancer: A port of the Capcom Sony ZN-2 game, featuring stereotypical anime mechas fighting in 3D arenas with random pick-ups, similar to what is found in Final Fight Revenge.
- Capcom vs. SNK Pro: While some argue that CvS2 eclipses all earlier releases, this entry is still worth revisiting. The Dreamcast port includes unlockable content not seen in CvS2.
- Mortal Kombat Gold: Though Mortal Kombat 4 may not be the first game that comes to mind for early 3D fighters, the updated Mortal Kombat Gold offers a fun experience with expanded content.
- The King of Fighters '99 Evolution: A remake of The King of Fighters '99, this version features 3D stages, arranged music, and exclusive content. Borrowing from the Neo Geo version and KoF 2000, the striker roster has been greatly expanded.
Outro
As we all know, or may have just learned, the Dreamcast remains just as relevant today as it was when it first launched. This has been my selection of the best fighting game ports available on the Dreamcast.The final entry of this series will feature the PlayStation 2. If you have not read the article featuring the PlayStation, check it out HERE!
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