Dreamcast Is It Worth Having A Sega Dreamcast?

[MemeAlert]

I only own a Dreamcast for a few years and played only two games. I played the rereleases of the other games like Jet Set Radio, Crazy Taxi & Power Stone and felt they were alright. So are those the best games the system has to offer or am I good to skip the Dreamcast?

 

[MajesticSiN]

You could just emulate some Dreamcast games to see if you're even into the system.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

Yes, it's absolutely worth it.

Stuff like seeing what's going on with the VMU during gameplay or handling that awesome controller can't be replicated outside of using the system itself.

 

[MemeAlert]

You could just emulate some Dreamcast games to see if you're even into the system.

I was planning to whenever the Flycast emulator for the Vita gets updated but I don't have the space for the games.

 

[ZombieFish]

There’s way more. Code: Veronica, all the Capcom fighters, Soul Calibur, Ikaruga, Soul Reaver, Rez, DOA2, THPS2, Typing of the Dead, etc. Not to mention the wild new ports like GTA3, Wipeout, Doom 64, and Mario Kart 64, all of which can be played via burned CD with no mod required.

 

[YourWishes]

I was planning to whenever the Flycast emulator for the Vita gets updated but I don't have the space for the games.

Flycast vita is a bit of a mixed bag, vita lacks a lot of the oomph needed to emulate most Dreamcast games.

Definitely consider buying the hardware, there's tonnes of games simply not re-released on anything else, but if you're just interested in the "system sellers" they have mostly been ported to something else.

If you do decide to buy a Dreamcast; you can get most backups to work on real hardware with a burnt disc, and you can load some using the DreamKey but I had mixed results, for most backups you'll need an ODE, but I don't think it's hard to install.

 

[MemeAlert]

Stuff like seeing what's going on with the VMU during gameplay or handling that awesome controller can't be replicated outside of using the system itself.

I never own the VMU, only the regular memory card. Why does the controller with the VMU looks like the WiiU GamePad?

 

[iamthemilkman]

Most definitely. There's tons of great games, way more than the few that had rereleases, and the originals are almost always better than the rereleases (Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi, etc). I can't do Crazy Taxi without Bad Religion and The Offspring.

 

[MemeAlert]

Most definitely. There's tons of great games, way more than the few that had rereleases, and the originals are almost always better than the rereleases (Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi, etc). I can't do Crazy Taxi without Bad Religion and The Offspring.

Excluding Sonic Adventure & Crazy Taxi, do the other games control great? Thats the one thing that makes me hesitate on investing in the Dreamcast.

 

[Felipe]

It's worth having this or any other videgame if you dont like to play on PC.

 

[YourWishes]

Excluding Sonic Adventure & Crazy Taxi, do the other games control great? Thats the one thing that makes me hesitate on investing in the Dreamcast.

Not sure I understand the concern?
If they are designed for the Dreamcast they play great, the lack of a right stick is weird from a modern perspective but the games were designed before it was commonplace to have it.

The controller feels good in the hands and personally I like the fact the cable comes out the bottom of the controller. The triggers are also so good Microsoft essentially copied them for the original Xbox. Only nitpik would be no built-in rumble, need to add that yourself.

 

[MemeAlert]

Not sure I understand the concern?
If they are designed for the Dreamcast they play great, the lack of a right stick is weird from a modern perspective but the games were designed before it was commonplace to have it.

The controller feels good in the hands and personally I like the fact the cable comes out the bottom of the controller. The triggers are also so good Microsoft essentially copied them for the original Xbox. Only nitpik would be no built-in rumble, need to add that yourself.

The controls in the game, not the controller. I don't think Jet Set Radio controls that well and hoping thats not the case with the others.

 

[Graves Ruinwalker]

Yes . Absolutely .

I hope one day becomes Dreamcast emulation smoother than smoothie-cocktails at a smooth-jazz concert.

I want to play all those treasures to believe the Dream that i Cast from my deepest wishes out of my soul .

 

[YourWishes]

The controls in the game, not the controller. I don't think Jet Set Radio controls that well and hoping thats not the case with the others.

ah I misunderstood, pardon me.

Really depends on the game, I personally think Sonic Adventure is basically unplayable but more to its design and lousy hitboxes rather than controls specifically, but I think the games that control bad are few and far between. Bit surprised you think Jet Set controls bad, would love to know your reason for thinking so?

Anything 2D/2.5D plays great, including fighters, platformers, Chu-Chu Rocket, etc.
All the JRPGs I've played were great too.
Some of the 3D games still used the tank style controls, but not all.
All the racing games play fantastically.
Shoot-em-ups play great.
The few first person shooters worth playing on Dreamcast tend to have mixed controls, owing to the lack of a second stick mostly.

 

[bjork]

It has Phantasy Star Online, so yes

 

[solnK!]

If you are into fighting games, it´s the perfect console.

 

[Akiba]

Ya know, the neat thing about having a Dreamcast, is you can invest in a way to enjoy the entire catalogue and see what all the system has to offer.

You wont know if there are good games you enjoy if you dont browse the catalogue and sees what catches your eye. Just like you would if you owned a Dreamcast, and walked into a EB games in the era.

 

[nobitakun]

It depends on what does your wallet say to you. I am a supporter of original hardware for playing games, but I also use emulation for convenience, nothing to do with filters, upscaling or other stuff. I sometimes want to try a game from a different console, for a few minutes, then go back to another console and so and so. If you are only playing with Dreamcast all the time for a long time, then you only need to find a small place where to put it, problem solved. But again, if your wallet tells you to keep the money for buying a Dreamcast + ODE (or whatever way you load games other than discs), and you're comfortable with emulation flaws, then no, do not buy it. Otherwise, welcome to the wonderful world of Sega :)

 

[Morgana Veil]

Unless you have a setup for it. Not really, a good CRT for the Dreamcast really makes a difference.
But the system itself is meh. Now don't get me wrong, I have an original Dreamcast and the last time I actually hooked it up was at least five years ago. Not that I don’t like the old girl, it’s just easier to emulate it.

1. You can use whatever controller you like
2. You can upscale, tweak, etc.
3. Load times, the Dreamcast wasn’t slow really, but it is still reading optical media. And no, I’m not in the optical media bad camp, but really a digital file is going to load quicker than optical. Not even an argument.

And unless you plan on playing copied games on the Dreamcast, the games are fairly high-priced anymore because of "Muh' nostalgia" and honestly, you may not even like the games. Like @MajesticSiN said, emulate them at least first.

I know you have the little VMU games, but they’re Tamagotchi levels of interesting, honestly.

 

[Kremiso]

of course it worth!
play whatever Dreamcast title released also on PS2, and then try the original on Dreamcast, there is imo an abyss of difference in image detail and quality on screen, the DC had an awesome RGB and VGA output

Ecco the Dolphin, Shadowman, Shenmue, Headhunter, Grandia 2, Skies of Arcadia look gorgeous on DC

 

[thecrow2313]

Keep in mind, if you plan to use CD-R backups the disc laser in time will give out. You should look into GDemu or DreamTray

 

[driftwood]

looking at an old list... there are 67 games, possibly less now, that are only playable on the Dreamcast. That maybe reason enough if price is right.

Then again all 67 games maybe crap.

 

[Nelson2001 Nelson2001]

Honestly, I never had any sega console, but the Sega Dreamcast I met through emulation between 2021-22 and I found it wonderful and ahead of its time because it had an Internet connection (slow but secure), online (although it was not so used or popularized since then), It had VMU support that you could not only save/transfer data even though it only had 200 blocks (241 extra blocks through external programs) you could also play with it, better graphics for the time although it only supported a resolution that is 640x480), a unique physical format (GD-ROM) and also that served as the basis for the creation of Arcade Systems such as Naomi, Hikaru, Naomi 2, Atomiswave (by Sammy) and SP (which were moderately successful) until the competition came later (PS2, XBOX, GameCube) and made the Dreamcast fail unfairly because of that.

 

[ShadowsofCreationAga]

The controller feels good in the hands and personally I like the fact the cable comes out the bottom of the controller.

All right, all right. There is opinion, and then there is cope! The cable thing is an objectively bad design idea!

xD Some people swear by the dreamcast controller, I personally am not a fan. Honestly the Dreamcast may be my least played console. I'm a huge RPG guy, and most of the RPGs on it are pretty lame (With everyone's main exception being Skies of Arcadia, which I personally found to be a slog, despite its creativity).

That said, when I do get the rare itch to play the dreamcast, I prefer Retro Fighters dreamcast controller (the wired one with VMU and rumble slot). The Analog triggers are a bit squishier than I'd like, but ergonomically it is much better than the originals completely vertical handles that make my wrists feel like they are wrenched into a very unnatural position.

Edit/PS: I think the dreamcast is a really cool piece of tech, I love the VMU, there is just very little on it that I feel is actually worth playing. It is great for arcade style games and people love it for fighting games (Especially if you get a fight stick) but a lot of it's bigger/better games have since been ported to other systems. Sorta like the Wii U really.

Double P.S. If someone were to finally translate SeGaGaGa I'd be all over that though.

 

[Blamhammer]

Huh, what timing, I bought a Dreamcast again this week. Mainly for Shenmue I & II, which I know they are on the PC and can be emulated perfectly, but I first played it on the DC and thats where I prefer to replay it on. That first game intro cutscene is still really really good.
Also love the Shenmue game covers and little boxes they came in.