The first online system, Sega’s Dreamcast was a revolutionary system that backed it up with great games of all genres. Here’s a list of the top games on the system as we see them.
Honorable Mention: Marvel vs Capcom, Tennis 2K2, Air Force Delta, Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of time, Dead or Alive 2.
10: Seaman: This strange little game isn’t for everyone, but those with patience will love its virtual pet type gameplay with a Japanese twist.
9: Crazy Taxi: Dozens of other games have tried to emulate it, but failed. Regardless of your affinity for it, you’ve played it in the arcade and on a home console. The magic started on the Dreamcast first and with rock-solid gameplay and great graphics, the game is still fun to play today.
8: Jet Set Radio: Other games before it have utilized cel-shaded graphics, but this title was easily the first one to revolutionize it. That, combined with a fun story and excellent control made this one of the best games ever on the system.
7: Ultimate Fighting Championship: This game fully captures the essence of the UFC and without it, it’s hard to see later games like “Pride FC†and “UFC Undisputed†even being released. Simple control and excellent graphics highlight a game that also had a create a fighter mode. Not too shabby for a near decade old game.
6: NFL 2K: A true blast to play that forced Madden to up its game. The running game is still easily one of the most realistic in sports gaming history and utterly satisfying to play. The graphics still hold up well and the gameplay is still uber solid. Anyone missing the days of this game should definitely check out “All-Pro Football 2K8,†as it stands as a warm tribute to this classic game. However, if you still have a working Dreamcast, you can buy it online for under five bucks.
5: NBA 2K: Unlike the NFL 2K series that got pushed under the rug when EA got exclusive rights to the NFL and the NHL series that hasn’t been as solid over the past few years, the NBA 2K series is still the best in basketball. Starting out on the Dreamcast, the series has continued to ask more of itself and has gotten better every year since then. Realistic, beautiful and fun, this title warped the minds of millions of gamers who thought it could never get better than “NBA Live.†Wrong.
4: NHL 2K: Sure the NBA series is still on top, but the NHL 2K series did something that other sports series’ on the system never did, it attracted them to the sport. “NHL 2K†is such a great game that it’ll make you a fan of hockey. Realistic, fluid and easy on the eyes, “NHL 2K†pushed EA to develop their hockey games in the same vein and because of that, the public has amazing games like “NHL 10.â€
3: Shenmue: If you’ve seen the new “Drake’s Fortune 2” commercial lately, understand this. “Shenmue was the first game to make gamers feel like they were watching a movie. With an intense, intricate and intriguing story, it pushed the envelope in terms of what to expect from a video game. Solid voice acting and excellent in-game tunes made the whole package a surprise, but sure-fire hit.
2: Soul Caliber: The best fighting system on the system, hands down. It’s available on other systems now, but it’s still a treasure on the DC. Try it now.
1: Sonic Adventure: Sonic’s red shoes were as out of fashion as a pair of British Knights through the early millennium, thanks in part to a few sloppy games on the Sega Saturn. However, his debut on the Dreamcast proved that he still had plenty of star power and is easily one of the best platformers ever created.
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