«Our Saturday Retro Night» with Dreamcast and Arcade Sticks
Once again, we gathered for our traditional Saturday retro night, but this time, we decided to make it extra special-armed with arcade sticks and a collection of Sega Dreamcast games. This isn’t a review or a critique but rather a way to share our emotions, impressions, and how these games feel when played in a group of people who love retro gaming, a bit of alcohol, and lively conversations in front of a CRT television.
Now, onto the most important part the games.
We didn’t just play familiar favorites; we also tried something new, expanding our retro tastes. Here’s the lineup for the night:
-Soul Calibur
-Zombie Revenge
-Zero Gunner 2
-Cannon Spike
-Pro Pinball Trilogy
-Expendable
-Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
Zero Gunner 2 (First Time Playing)
If you love Raiden—which we do, as we play it regularly—but want something fresh, Zero Gunner 2 is a great alternative. It’s a vertical shooter with one unique twist- helicopters can rotate 360 degrees, making the gameplay more tactical.
Pros:
Simple yet intuitive controls Vibrant and colorful visuals Great mini-boss battles Dynamic levelsCons:
The music doesn’t match the intensity of the gameplay The real challenge only comes at maximum difficultyOn lower difficulties, the game feels too easy. But on the hardest setting, it truly shines: you have to discuss tactics with your co-op partner, watch enemy patterns, and carefully manage your attacks. We enjoyed it so much that we’ll definitely be playing it again.
Score: 8.5/10
Zombie Revenge (First Time Playing)
At first glance, this game gave us mixed feelings- the graphics teeter between “What the hell is this?” and “Huh, this is actually kinda fun.” But once we gave it a chance, it started to grow on us.
Zombie Revenge is a beat ’em up with survival horror elements where you fight off hordes of zombies using melee attacks and firearms.
Pros:
Keeps you on edge with a timer, preventing you from relaxing Varied levels and enemies that require different tactics Fun co-op gameplayCons:
The visual style is not for everyone Something was missing- maybe more weapon variety or unexpected twistsThe game left a good impression but didn’t blow us away. Maybe with more time, it would reveal more depth.
Score: 6.4/10
Expendable (First Time Playing)
The game kicks off with a cool intro, explaining that humanity has created super-soldiers to fight an alien threat. It looks awesome with a slight touch of humor.
But then comes the gameplay… On one hand, it’s a fast-paced “Run and Gun” shooter with intense action. On the other hand, it’s not great for co-op.
Cons:
The camera is locked onto Player 1, meaning Player 2 has to keep up or suffer It’s easy to get lost in dead endsOverall, it’s decent, but it plays much better solo. In co-op, it just feels awkward.
Score: 5/10
Cannon Spike (First Time Playing)
From the first few minutes, we felt a sense of familiarity… and sure enough, it turns out the developers are Psikyo, the same team behind Zero Gunner 2!
Cannon Spike is a mix of an arcade shooter and a beat ’em up, where you fight waves of enemies on small arenas. The controls felt weird at first, but once we got used to them, the game became incredibly fun.
Pros:
Each character has a unique fighting style Exciting co-op gameplay Mini-boss battles after every arenaCons:
The music… again… Seriously, Psikyo, what’s with your soundtracks? Just like in Zero Gunner 2, the game has an action-packed vibe, yet the music feels so… underwhelming?In one level, all we could hear was wolves howling and the wind blowing. Yeah… we’ll be playing this with our own music.
We’ll definitely play this again! But with our own soundtrack.
Score: 8/10
Pro Pinball Trilogy (Played Before, But Not Everyone Had)
Every Friday, we get together to play real pinball machines. So one of us said, “Let me show you a game that will impress you.”
And wow, Pro Pinball Trilogy is an incredibly realistic digital pinball experience. The physics, the mechanics, the difficulty-everything feels like a real pinball table.
Pros:
Realistic physics Well-designed tablesCons:
You have to reconfigure the controls every time you switch tables (which is especially annoying when using arcade sticks)For pinball fans, this game is fantastic.
Score: 9/10
Soul Calibur (Played Before)
When you have arcade sticks, you have to play a fighting game.
This is one of the best in the genre, and arcade sticks make it even better! Smooth controls, diverse character styles, and deep combat mechanics make it feel just as fresh as ever.
It’s a classic, and we’ll be playing it again many times in the future.
Score: 9.0/10
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (Played Before, But Not Everyone Had)
It’s hard to evaluate this game in a multiplayer setting, but we launched it not for co-op but to introduce it to a friend who had never played it (he had only played Resident Evil 2 on PlayStation 1).
Of course, we put the arcade stick away and used the original Dreamcast gamepad.
For me, as a fan of the classic trilogy, this game holds a special place in my heart-especially since this was my first time playing it on Dreamcast (I had only played the PlayStation 1 version before).
As the night was winding down, we relaxed, poured the last glass of whiskey, and casually progressed through the game, reminiscing about retro gaming memories.
We reached the police station, fought Nemesis, gathered supplies, and moved forward. And then it hit us-why not dedicate entire nights to playing classic games from start to finish?
The decision came naturally—we saved the game and realized we definitely wanted to continue playing another time, properly immersing ourselves in the experience.
Resident Evil 3 is absolutely worth it.
Kicker - A Break for the Eyes and the Mood
Between games, we played kicker. It gave our eyes a rest from the CRT screen while keeping our energy high and our skills sharp.
Nostalgia, Emotions, and the Meaning of Retro Gaming
We’re not game journalists, and we’re not reviewing the games-we’re just rating our experiences.
Retro gaming isn’t just about pixels and nostalgia. It’s about the atmosphere, the memories, and discovering games we missed.
Playing together in one room, discussing every second of gameplay, is an experience that online gaming can never replace.
The gaming industry of that era is gone, but we can keep its spirit alive-by gathering with friends, rediscovering forgotten gems, and creating new memories.
And we highly recommend you do the same.
Play games. Play together.
Thank you for reading.
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