DC15

Remember remember the 9th of September
Dreamcast release and next-gen splendor
1999 and a new year comes soon
The PS2 means for Sega's doom
Awkward controller and internet activity
Fell short into the massive tragedy
But with homebrews still made
And games still played
The last great console is still not downtrodden
I can think of no reason the Dreamcast should ever be forgotten

I've unfortunately almost missed this year's DC anniversary but its been on m mind today more than the release of Destiny. I wasn't able to come up with something big, just this that I wrote while on break. If you've fallen into the hype of the year's biggest release (like I have), at least take a minute to hook up your DC and play one of your favorite titles.

Keep Playing.

A Second Look @ F355 Challenge: Passione Rossa

(The things I do for a review. I knew about this game long ago because I bought it from Play N Trade. I owned it for a total of one week before taking it back. I played it for a total of 10 minutes before I was completely disappointed. I spent a total of zero hours thinking about this game from that point on. I knew I had to get this game again to review for Ferrari Month so I got it from eBay. I was willing to give it a second chance for the sake of the review but even after setting the game up through the menus I was disappointed even before I started racing. As I literally hit the first turn of Monza I knew that there was no hope for me ever liking this game.)

(Screen shots taken from Gamespot, and are the only "quality" pics that I could find)
 

Personally, I've always felt that if a game makes you work too hard without any reward it quickly becomes a chore. For example, MMOs gradually increase in difficulty the further along you are. Boss battles become more difficult as knowledge of the game world and skill utilization increases. It becomes fun through the adventure of gaining things, whether it be loot or levels, that adheres you to want to play more. With F355 Challenge the opposite occurs as the driving feels like the player's understanding of physics is put to the test with the only reward awaiting you at the end of each race is another race. No unlocks, no special modes, no surprises. In this sense F355 Challenge is completely a chore to play: you play it only if you want to, not because you feel compelled to. There is nothing to draw you in and nothing to hold your attention unless you're either intent on beating it or are a huge Ferrari fan.

Arcade and Single Play modes are the exact same, each has three different sub-levels of Training, Driving, and Racing. Training adds a recommended line and vocal assists. Driving takes you out on the field in a Time Trial where it records your best lap and ghost. and Racing (where the screen to choose this says you can "Praticipate" in a real race...) pits you against a full field of cars when you're ready for it. In Arcade mode, you can choose any of the immediately available 6 tracks out a total of 11 tracks, the remaining five are unlocked by advancing in the Championship mode, or by going ahead and unlocking them through the password codes. Championship mode is a straightforward race to cross the finish lines first. Versus play pits you against another player. Network Race makes use of the Dreamcast's dial-up modem for you to take to the track against players from around the world, but since its now defunct there isn't an option to choose this.

The game is more geared to be used with a steering wheel for maximum effect but doesn't hinder the playing when using the Dreamcast controller. The controller's analog pad is very accurate and better to use than the d-pad. Since there isn't an option to just look back behind your car, the game uses two of the face buttons for selecting driving assists and turning them on or off. Spin Control, Traction Control, and ABS are the usual assists you'll find along with auto-braking, using this feels like the game is holding your hand but is very necessary for those who aren't used to sim racing games. The selection for the assists could have been mapped to the d-pad while a look behind and hand brake button could have been used instead, but it seems that design flaws are abundant.

Design flaws come in all shapes and sizes and are never glitches. These are ideas that are implemented into a game during its creation that the developers put in place thinking they will be good to play with. The single in-car narrow first-person camera view that can't be changed is the biggest design flaw this game is guilty of. The length the game goes to uphold the title of racing simulator is dumbfounding. Its an idea that's good in theory, but mediocre in practice. It works, but not well. The only way you'll know when a car is behind you is either the rear-view mirror or the small radar at the top of the screen.

Graphics aren't breathtaking and it looks like the typical Dreamcast style, but its not pushing the limits of the system. It goes for a realistic graphical design and its pulled off well but it seems dark, blurred, and just visually unappealing. There is no damage and bumping into a wall will immediately turn your car into the direction you have your steering wheel. Its almost as if its saying "Oh, I'm sure you didn't mean that. Here you go, mate. Be on your way." Additionally bumping into another car on the track will result in a loss of speed for you.

The only time you get to see the car model is just before the race and the opponents on the track. Regardless of that drawback, the F355 looks accurately detailed, down to the air scoops on the side. As for the tracks themselves, a few turns missing turns here and there means that whatever you may be familiar with will have to be relearned. They don't feel like accurate representations of the real courses since they seem to go faster than what you may be used to. I may be judging too harshly as a lot of racetracks are known to reinvent themselves for the sake of keeping things new. 

 
The music goes for an 80's hair metal theme throughout and aside from the opening video only comes off as ANNOYING. In-race is an auditory assault where the main sounds you'll hear are the whine of the engine, the squeal of the tires, and the terrible unlicensed hair metal that the game tries to pass off as music. Its cheesy to the fullest effect and is actually distracting while driving. A radio DJ speaks at the beginning of each race to talk about the song and most of is inaudible as it quickly goes into the song. Oddly enough it goes well together, as well as a peanut butter and melted plastic sandwich.

While it tries to pass as a true-to-life racing simulator, it ends up not being a very fun game at all. There's little or no sense of progression and as far as racing simulators go it would have definitely pushed the boundaries had it been more accessible and had a willingness to not be so stuck up. Better simulation of speed rather than just handling. More options for the player and less restrictions. So what do you do when a game throws out fun for the sake of always trying to be right? Throw it out. You don't need to play F355 Challenge. What you'll find is a game that played by its own rules and ends up constantly smacking you on the back of the head to insist that you're driving wrong. Its not a terrible simulator since its adhesion to reality is commendable and it offers realistic physics on a console meant for arcade ports, but that does not excuse it for being annoying.

The Ferrari license is wasted here and how the game was popular enough to attain an arcade-exclusive sequel is mind boggling. I always do try to find the good in each game, a fair chance has to be given, but in the case of F355 Challenge I won't. With terrible physics, annoying sound, bland graphics, and bad presentation there is no hope for F355 Challenge to even be considered playable in my book. I can't think of a niche of sim racing or Ferrari enthusiasts that would find this game appealing.

Keep Playing

 

A Second Look @ OutRun 2

(Images used from MobyGames, Gamespot, and IGN)

(It does say OutRun 2006, but the same songs are in both games)

The only experience I ever had with the original OutRun game was on my copy of OutRun 2. I shouldn't have to say that the great arcade classic had gone unnoticed by me for years. But my first experience with OutRun 2 was in a bowling alley arcade years ago and after just one minute in the driver's seat I surprisingly found myself loving the force feedback of the steering wheel, the bright colors that blurred by, and the freedom of the old arcade racing days. When I found out that OutRun 2 was also released on consoles I knew I had to track down my own copy of the game.

In the gaming industry "porting a game over to consoles" is a dangerous thing to do. Its either a carbon copy or a rough approximation of the previous version. OutRun 2 fits into the former and was perfectly ported over to the Xbox with added extras. It has the same feel of the arcade game and has lost none of its luster or speed. This is an arcade port done right. Perfectly, I dare say. 

OutRun 2 features three different game modes: OutRun Arcade, which is the original no-frills Arcade game; OutRun Challenge, which gives you several specific goals to achieve along each route; and OutRun Xbox Live which is currently unavailable due to the original XBL being offline. Arcade mode features the classic point-to-point race as well as the new Heart Attack mode, where you earn hearts and points for completing requests from your female passenger such as drifting through an entire zone, passing cars, or staying within a certain lane. It offers quite a challenge for both beginner and experienced players. The final mode is Time Attack, which is self-explanatory.

OutRun Challenge Mode is for those who want a little more out of their time with the game. There are 101 different missions to complete with several objectives that you take on one-by-one along each route, be it knocking over cones, staying in a lane, or racing against a single rival. Challenge Mode justifies why the arcade game was ported over and you'll find the bulk of the enjoyment here.

There is a party mode for couch co-op where you and three friends can race to outperform one another through the same series of trials found in Challenge Mode. If you have a steering wheel controller for either your original Xbox or Xbox 360 (it is backwards compatible), then that may be the best way to play it if you want that true arcade feeling.

The usual host of Ferrari pedigrees are present including the 360 Spyder, Enzo, Testarossa and 250 GTO. The best and most famous machines are here each with different stats that don't really seem to matter in the grand scheme of things. Although the cars are classified by Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert level, they're all accessible and are easy to drive. The faster cars are reserved for the more advanced players but they're also more unruly in their drift traction and handling. Regardless of that, the slower cars and easier routes may still provide a little bit of a challenge for those who are new to the concept. Traffic changes each time you play and where other cars may be present on a tight turn, they might not be there the next playthrough, giving the replayability factor a little bump. While drifting may be the big show in this game, it feels as though its pretty much the only way to get around any turn regardless of the degree of difficulty. The original OutRun was simply about avoiding traffic and not crashing into objects on the side of the road while here it could be argued for the sake of evolving the franchise that the drifting was added in and given so much attention.

There's a ton of content to unlock and play so if you're not feeling like waiting to beat each of the Challenge Mode missions there are cheats that can unlock the original unaltered Out Run arcade game and music set as well as Eurodance remixes. You pretty much have three entire games in one if you count the Xbox exclusives apart from the OutRun Arcade mode.

Graphics are crisp, clean, and bright with no frames dropped and a steady 30 fps. Even though the Xbox version is currently 10 years old, it has shown little signs of age and looks good even today. The animated menus are never bothersome to navigate and gives the entire game its own personality. Its not trying to be just another racing game, and as creator Yu Suzuki has said "it's a driving game." Understanding that brings a whole new perspective to it.

Each route you take has a different theme and you can feel immersed in this world of speed as the advertisement billboards fly by and traffic is left in your review mirror; of course you don't have enough time to stop and gaze at how each route looks but you do get the feeling that a lot of work went into the details to get them just right with no glitches and no level breaks to distract you.

Each Ferrari looks amazing with clear defining lines, shadows over the models, and an accuracy that not even Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli could achieve. However it does come across as a little lacking in the car options department: more cars could have been added to give a wider variety. The options of paint jobs on each car is a nice thought, but it doesn't give a lot to the players.

Music is plentiful and each track is worth listening to, suiting the game perfectly and giving it more of a light-hearted feeling. There might not seem like a lot of variety at first with only 9 songs to choose from but after the Eurodance remixes and original soundtracks are unlocked you have plenty of options to cruise to.

The sounds you'll hear the most are your engine's rev limits and your tires screeching along the pavement. Its never bothersome and when combined with the music it completes the game's personality. As your passenger compliments you for driving well or berates you for crashing, as you see a cityscape form over the horizon, as your engine roars at the starting line, you get the sensation that the game is alive each time you play it. Most games are weak in the sound area whereas OutRun 2 has put as much effort into sound quality as it did the graphics.

Unfortunately for me, while the arcade racing experience is thrilling, it wears on my attention span quickly. Traveling down the same road(s) in a few different cars is okay for at least 30 minutes at a time but I can't see myself putting dozens of hours into this game. You may feel the same if you're stuck playing alone, it may be better with friends though. But you can't hate this game for doing what it does. Its not a racing game, its a driving game. It set out to be its own thing and accomplished that with flying colors and most importantly it is fun even if you just want to play through Arcade Mode once. The ease of accessibility and the amount of content make this a must-own for any Xbox/360 owner. It does the OutRun name proud.

This is the definitive Ferrari racing game and is meant to be enjoyed in the same way driving a Ferrari is meant to be (minus the insane drifting, of course). Sega has done the Ferrari license justice and has re-invented a classic game, it has a lasting power for years to come and has not lost its shine throughout the years. If you don't own OutRun 2 on Xbox its never too late to find a copy since they're definitely not rare. If you prefer just a little extra than the already large amount of content here, there's always OutRun 2006: Coast 2 Coast on Xbox, PC, PS2, and PSP. These have more tracks, tuned graphics, and more music. If you're wondering how to improve a game that was already great to begin with, it would be with Coast 2 Coast. As the days of arcades and arcade games are slowing down, OutRun 2 is a treasure, it proves that games can still be fun.

Keep Playing

Dreamcast 12th Anniversary!

Its that time of year again, where we look back on one of the most successful failures in video gaming history. A system, that even to this day, has games still being made for it. A pioneer console of the online network, MMORPG, DLC, and ease-of-creation with Windows CE. While everyone was waiting patiently for a PS2, there were some loyal DC owners and Sega fans that refused to give in and let their system die. When Sega finally folded, they still couldn't get the DCs off of the shelf. Sony was putting that much harm into them and since then Sega seems to have been unable to get almost anything right. (I'm looking at you, green-eyed Sonic...)

I'm short on words, time, and attention span and since I've already posted in the past about Remembering the DC, I also talked about the underground homebrew scene, gave some facts, etc. Last year I gave mini-reviews of my (then current) DC game collection. Lately and honestly I haven't felt drawn to write anything new in the way of blogs but I can think of a few things to say about the newest games that I've gathered as well as a few questions to ask.

Yes, its a repeat of last year unfortunately, but with this job I now have its hard to stay away from Amazon and the classic game sellers so the only DC action I've had lately is used games that take a week to get to me.

*I'd like to point out that as I started writing this, I ordered Jet Grind Radio and Phantasy Star Online v2 from Amazon. JGR arrived a couple days ago and I was able to throw a few sentences together about the overall game. PSO arrived today (9-9-11) and I'm going to do a full retro review of the game later on. Its in my DC right now. Offline, of course.*

Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future is best described as a "dolphin simulator" game. You need to suspend disbelief when trying to understand the storyline: Dolphins and humans live together in peace and have come to a greater understanding of the universe. But an alien race wants to disrupt that peace by causing... something. Who knows. You're Ecco once again and its mostly a repeat of the first game. When you get to that point of "How high in the sky can you jump?" things go incredibly wrong. A warp hole opens up and everything gets sucked into it. Now you're on a quest to fix everything cause YOU screwed it up!

The gameplay is incredibly smooth and there's full circular motion when moving around the open areas. The problems come by way of uninspired quests, confusing pathways, and enemies that are more annoying than troublesome.

The graphics are bright and you can expect to see a loooot of blue. They're very tight with light refractions and shadows abundant. Unless you look for things, like flat textures on background objects, you'll be impressed the whole way through.

The music is ambient and flows with the game; increasing at the right moments when the action ramps up. The sound effects are dulled in water while things like echolocation and responses are clear.

Its an adventure game worthy of a Dreamcast lovers collection but it might not keep someone glued to their seat due to the confusing pathways and unclear objectives at some points.

Evolution: The World of Sacred Device is a hard game for me to appreciate. The storyline isn't appealing: you're the son of an infamous treasure hunter who did something and now owes the treasure hunter guild a lot of money and blah blah blah. Maybe I'm just not a fan of child-RPGs but I can't seem to stay interested in any of it.

The combat consists of placing your three characters either front, middle, or back of the action. The healer preferably behind it all. You choose your action, you attack, you get attacked, you need to level up extremely high to beat a single boss. Aside from the character placement mechanic,  the rest of the action is pretty cookie cutter.

The graphics aren't all that impressive either with dull surfaces, cartoonish action, and bland character models. No real flash or flare to it. I know that's not what it takes to make a great game but you'd think they would at least have some polish.

Maybe I'm too harsh on it but I can say that after only about 45 minutes total playtime I won't be returning to it. With Dreamcast hoarders becoming more common these days I'll still keep it in my collection.

As of writing this I actually just received Jet Grind Radio in the mail yesterday (9-8-11) and have only played about an hour of it, but from that hour I can definitely say that this game has STYLE. The cell-shaded graphics were unique for the time and made the game look and play smoothly. You play as one of three members of the gang "the GG's" and tag your way across Tokyo fighting off other gangs and the relentless police. I played the "sequel," Jet Set Radio Future, before this one and I have to say that JSRF has smoother controls, faster gameplay and a different and larger city. But I digress, Jet Grind Radio is a must-have for anyone. It's a unique game in that it isn't a sports title at all; its about artistic expression and Sega has created and nailed it with that in mind. 

The main downfalls of the game are the controls and camera. Sometimes the controls just don't feel accurate enough and they take some getting used to. Meanwhile the camera is the biggest problem. Using L-trigger, it refocuses behind your character, when all along it should just be set that way.

The music is the main draw-in with a funky beat that plays all throughout and really sets the atmosphere. The inclusion of the soundtrack player in the garage menu is an awesome afterthought. You don't have to load up a level and wait to hear that one good song.
The graphics are also one of the main selling points. The cell-shading keeps the game running at a smooth pace and never causes clutter. Its always interesting to turn a corner and see what's there. Although despite being the middle of Japan, the streets are quite devoid of people, which can be good so you don't have to worry about running into people when attempting to flee from the police.

Its a classic Dreamcast game that deserves to be remade or have several sequels already. Its unique, atmospheric, and with a lot of hidden tags and pathways, its worth it to play again to hunt down everything.

Have you ever played the first Project Gotham Racing on the original Xbox? Then you've played this. Metropolis Street Racer is the predecessor to PGR and in reality, PGR is just the graphical upgrade of MSR. Same tracks from all the same locations. Does that make it a bad game? No way. Never.

The graphics are tight and really shows off what the Dreamcast is capable of with each locale resembling the real world area in great detail. Car models are rendered perfectly and are the best I've seen in a DC game.

But its not about the graphics, its all about style and how you drive. Wanna be reckless? Prepare to lose Kudos, style points that are used to unlock new cars and tracks. Proper braking and acceleration, drifting cleanly around corners, overtaking cars without colliding, and passing between checkpoints without hitting walls is what its all about.

The sound effects have a depth that other racers, and games, just didn't have at the time: clear engine sounds, tires screeching, cars crunching. The soundtrack features unlicensed music but its not bad at all.

Its an arcade racer with a heavy emphasis on sim driving. One other game that comes to mind that attempted to pull the same thing off is Enthusia on the PS2. Where Enthusia was too focused on an odds system, PGR almost does the same with its Kudos. In spite of that fact, its another must-have in a collector's.... collection.

It takes balls to take on one of sim racing's most prolific racing series, Gran Turismo, and Sega went all out to try and take it on. Sega GT works well, for the most part. While it doesn't really do anything ground-breaking or exciting, it is a solid racer and one that goes in-depth enough for a gearhead to enjoy. All others might not care to try out the overly precise controls and generally bland presentation. There are license classes that must be done in order to get to the higher levels (just like in GT) and while some of them can be easily done for those who are used to sim racers, some are just ridiculously hard and will leave you with only tenths of a second to complete.

The graphics are tight for the most part and the car models are excellently detailed. The tracks are unique but there aren't a lot of them, and you'll be racing the same small-time races several times over in order to get enough money for either a tournament race or upgrades. 

I can't really recall the sound right now but I do know that its not worth talking about.

As far as sim racers go, Sega GT is a weak link but still a must-have for DC owners, sim racing fans, and collectors alike. But if you really want to try out Sega GT, there is a better sequel on the original Xbox that was a pack-in title, a double disc that includes, go figure, Jet Set Radio Future.

Take all of the classic Sega games you know and love, port them to the Dreamcast, give them sloppy controls and HORRIBLE midi sounds, and you've got a poor excuse for a Dreamcast game. If you play it on mute and re-learn your controls by using either the overly-sensitive control stick or the bad d-pad, it could be good. But if you don't care to do that, stick with the original Genesis games or one of the newer collections and give this one a definite pass.

Have you ever played SSX? Well this isn't it. Its a boring and uninspired racing game that features hoverboards, generic characters, overly futuristic but bland locales, and a trick system that doesn't want you to succeed. As misleading as the name is, the game isn't about tricks, its about getting through the 2-minute twisting tracks the fastest while getting a small score from tricks and not crashing. If you're looking to hunt down a full collection of Dreamcast games, then by all means go for it. But if you want only good games to show off, definitely never give this a second glance.

Its freakin' Unreal Tournament, on the Dreamcast, and its compatible with the DC mouse and keyboard. What more could you ask for? Its a perfect replacement to the PC version since its directly ported over.

While there aren't as many maps (there are a couple of DC exclusive ones) as the PC version it doesn't pull punches in the amount of action that takes place. Mods, tournament ladders, and characters are all here. The same insane action that an FPS-arena fan craves. It's a must-have for any Dreamcast owner.  I also own the PS2 version and I can definitely say that, without a doubt, the PS2 version is the weakest while the DC hits all the right body parts. Now you can yell "HEADSHOT" when playing on your Dreamcast.

Believe it or not, Rockstar was experimenting with open world games even on the DC. Wild Metal is a perfect example of how NOT to do it. You choose from a small assortment of tanks that differ in firepower, speed, and armor and take it to the battlefield... a very barren battlefield. Why are you fighting an overly accurate enemy AI AND poor controls at the same time? Who knows. Rockstar definitely missed the mark with this one and while the terrain is open its just very bland. There's not much to see besides powerups, enemies, and more desert. Wild Metal is in the same lines as Trickstyle: you can do without it if you're going to play these games for real, but its okay to have in a collection.

So here's a couple of questions for you all...

What is your favorite game, THE killer app that everyone must own, for the Dreamcast?
If you've never owned a DC, why?
If the DC had succeeded how do you think the gaming scene would be different today?

Keep Playing Your Dreamcast.

Sonic Fan Film Teaser Trailer

From Eddie Lebron, the mind that brought us the live-action Mega Man fan film. Finally, my childhood hero of the SatAM cartoons makes the jump to the real world.

And yes, that is Jaleel White as Sonic.

And I nerdgasmed.

Dreamcast's 11th Birthday

Right.

So.

It snuck up on me.

Dreamcast's 11th birthday.

Had it not been for checking Blogspot and seeing The Dreamcast Junkyard mentioning it I would have forgotten. So this means I need to write a blog. Well, unfortunately I can't think of anything in such a short amount of time with most of the day being passed by already.
I can always mention MY SMALL GAME COLLECTION. Yes. I think that'll do. Maybe a mini-review for each. So before this intro drags on too long, let me get started.

I unfortunately can't say I'm a big fan of Crazy Taxi. Its blasphemy, I know, but I find the driving and physics in this game impossible to deal with. The tires constantly spinning out as the precious seconds tick down, the insane amount of traffic even on easy difficulty, the passengers commenting about every turn you make, and the most repetitive soundtrack ever conceived (Offspring: "Yah! Yah! Yah! Yah! Yaaaaaaah!"), make it a teeth-grinder for me.
Regardless of all that I've said, Crazy Taxi has an undeniable charm to it. Its an arcade game through and through and its been converted nicely to the Dreamcast. The graphics are clean, the controls are sharp, and it's just fun. As for the soundtrack, it can always be muted, I suppose.

Hit or miss. Its the best way to describe Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX. The controls are sloppy, the graphics seem incomplete, the music is repetitive, and the levels are just lackluster. After completing the challenges of the first levels you have to compete, and place first in, three competitions. Second place wins you nothing but a pat on the back. The only unlockable character here is the SlimJim guy. Yes, you read that right. He's nothing special either. And its almost impossible to bail, just pressing the Y button while coming down from a vert lands you in a stalling position. Broken? Yes.
But despite the bad nature up front, its more like the Pro Skater series than Matt Hoffman's Pro BMX was. Its just as chaotic, the soundtrack, though small, is varied and soulful, and the tricks are insane. You can pull off moves that aren't even physically possibly in real life. Its a true arcade game and I'm proud to have it in my collection.

A game that's as unique as anything you can imagine, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver is the tale of Raziel, a vampire who has evolved beyond his master. Considering this a travesty, Kain kills Raziel. Many years later, Raziel is brought back to life by the gods with a task they want him to complete: kill Kain.
Thus begins your adventure.
This third person platformer is an amazing adventure through two worlds: the land of the living and of the dead, each with their on dangers, and at the end of each level lies a vampiric boss that has also been transformed.
The graphics seem pretty advanced for their time, the smoothness of objects lends to the game pretty well. The areas, though fogged in the distance, are varied and never just walking through a gray cave.
The voiceacting is superb and the actors put emotion into their words. No cookie-cutter blandness here.
If you can ever find a copy of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (not to be confused with Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain) it's a definite buy. They just don't make'em like this anymore.

With little to say about this game, Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear on the Dreamcast is... meh. The graphics are nothing to be impressed by, the voiceacting is there, the environments are impressive for back then, and the gameplay is hard. This is no run-and-gun one-man-army shooter. It's tactical in the sense that when the enemies see you they do not hesitate to aim for the head. One main problem lies in the controls, they take a while to get used to. Since there is no strafing, there is no easy way to dodge bullets.
This is one of my least-played in my Dreamcast collection.

If you don't know this game by now you should be ashamed of yourself.
Take all the real-world physics that you know and toss them out the window. A true arcade racer, the only enemy you have is the time limit. Race as fast as you can to get to the next checkpoint, rack up those extra seconds, and splatter some mud on the windshield of the car you're about to pass.
With a true sense of speed, mud splatters when you drive through it, water splashes, dust rises, sparks fly, and your car never gets damaged. Just like in Dave Mirra: there is no reward for second place.
This is one of the definitive Dreamcast games. Any collection wouldn't be complete without it.

ANOTHER arcade classic brought home by the Dreamcast, it's a perfect recreation of the original, with a large exception: since there is no gun attachment, you stay zoomed in all the time. You zoom out by holding down the left trigger. Firing is done with either the A button or the right trigger. Movement is done by the analog stick. It might not be as fast as aiming the gun in the arcade, but the movement speed of the crosshair can be changed in the menus.
Aside from a training mode, its the same as you would find in the arcade. The branching story paths are there, the same bosses, the same patterns. It might not seem appealing, but its better than having the actual arcade cabinet take up space in your room. Another definitive title of the Dreamcast.

Do I have to say anything about this? Well I think I should.
*FANBOYS!* I was a HUGE fan of Sonic when he first premiered, you have to consider that, before you read this, it is an opinion. It is biased. It is what I think. You can love this new Sonic all you want. I don't.

Sonic's transition to full 3D could have gone better. With controls that are too sensitive and wonky, levels that are lacking (and some that just seem like they were halfway completed), camera controls that are maddening, voiceacting that is phoned in, characters that shouldn't exist (I'm looking dead at you Rose and Big), and the useless Chao mini-game, Sonic Adventure is where the image of the blue blur with attitude was dragged through the new millennium mud.
Is it a bad game? Somehow no. But you can't ignore the stack of minor inconveniences that drag it down.

While getting the above image from Gamespot, one number jumps out at me directly: 10.
A perfect 10. A lot can be said for this game and yet I'm at a loss of words. Not only is it a perfect recreation of the arcade fighter, but it packs in a ton of extras such as an adventure mode, survival mode, galleries, and unlockable weapons and characters.
The graphics are crisp, bright, vibrant, and smooth. They run at a steady pace and are mind-blowing compared to the 3D fighters of the time.
This is the true definition of an arcade game. The tale of souls and swords eternally retold does not begin however. Soul Blade made its debut on the PS1 in 1995, and even then it was a technical marvel. Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast is just another reason why Namco is my favorite game company today.

I'm not quite sure what crowd this game is aimed towards. Any rednecks (I'm from Georgia, I can say it) that might have bought this game would have been very disappointed, as would have anyone else.
Controls that are sloppy, gameplay that isn't fun, race courses that are a pain to navigate through, and voiceacting with people that sounded like they were hired with the promise of payment of a new banjo or mud tires... its just not a good game at all.
Just by the cover you would think that this is an arena-racing game or open environment, Dakar-style rush to the end of the track. That's a great deception isn't it? Although its not quite Cover Art Fail material, I for one was disappointed when I first played it.

The Hawkman makes a jump to the Dreamcast. An arcade-style game on a console made for arcade games. What more could you ask for?
Although this game is a simple copy-and-paste job, its still the Pro Skater we all know and love. I can't say much about it. What I can say is that the original screenshots I had seen of it a long time ago made the game looking amazing, almost like a new entry. Instead we get the same game as all the other platforms.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 on the Sega Dreamcast is my favorite game of all time. Top favorite. Number 1. I have written in length about this game in other blogs. I can't keep re-writing the same things.
Take the Playstation 1 version, add in a few graphical effects such as: t-shirts blowing in the wind, greater anti-aliasing, better graphics and cleaner sound, a better fogging distance, and you get Pro Skater 2 on the Dreamcast. Its just the best version presented.

Forget all the skills you know about the current UFC games. Can you press a button? Then you can win Ultimate Fighting Championship. The roster of MMA stars is vast, and with the ability to create your own fighter it can be bigger. The main problems lie in that each match can last as little as 30 seconds, and that if your opponent gets in the dominant position, ground and pound, strangle hold, etc. then you're done for. There is no getting out of it, no fighting back. Instant submission. Game over.

Every time I think Vigilante 8: 2nd Offense, that theme song comes into my head. A strict copy-and-paste job of the PS1 version, there's nothing new to this game. I'm not even sure this game has the ability to unlock the levels from the first game, it can be done by swapping out the disc with the original V8 on the PS1 version, but with the Dreamcast, opening the disc lid takes you to the console menu.
Graphics are clean, audio is clear, controls are the same. Its on par with the PS1 version.

Its baseball, just not very good baseball. With convoluted controls, graphics that "just get the job done," and menu music that gives you a nervous twitch if you listen to it for too long, its the same as every other baseball game in existence. Maybe that explains why I got it for $1.

And that's about it. That's all the Dreamcast games in my collection. It's a short stack but they warrant their own CD holder. I would buy more, and I do plan on buying more, but with increasing rarity and price points that are a bit too high for old games, its hard for me to do. Soul Calibur alone cost me $15 and I bought that immediately. It came with no manual but it did have the back cover.
I'm the type of collector that prefers to have get everything with the game. I know I need to get over that otherwise Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation will be lost to me. There are two copies at the Play N Trade store that I bought my Dreamcast games from as well as others. If I don't buy them, someone else will.
Back in middle school, my friend and I used to bash the Dreamcast every day. It wasn't until I was able to buy one a few years ago that I realized just how wrong I was. The Dreamcast is an amazing console and it ended too shortly. There are still quite a few homebrew companies out there that are still making games for it.
I still need to download Half-Life for the Dreamcast. Getting the cdi image is the pain for me.
So how was that for a short notice blog? Took me two hours to write but that's fine by me. Its my contribution to the Dreamcast community and a small insight to my collection. Now if you'll excuse me, Silent Scope isn't going into demo mode with me just sitting here.

Keep Playing.

Random Blog #3: Remembering the DC

Oh, What Dream(cast)s May Come.

Not my article, just thought I'd point this out to everyone. It's on Retrojunk and is a pretty good read.
It's hard to believe that on 9-9-09 it will have been 10 years since one of the greatest and most under-appreciated consoles was released. I'm glad I found one last year, a few months ago on an episode of Yahoo's Playback, it turns out the DC is much sought after these days.

And wait... wha? What's THIS? A new Dreamcast?
Nah, it was just a rumor. Though it would be a nice surprise: a 10th anniversary edition with DVD playback, USB support, and HD compatibility. That's just my mind thinking though.

Random Fact: Dreamcast games are STILL being made today by homebrew game makers. Since the Dreamcast was built using Windows CE, it's always been easy for people to create games, burn them to discs, and play them on a Dreamcast. All DC game releases these days are done through the internet, most require payment while a few are free to download and share. For a look at one of these games that is in development, head over to Hypertension by TDG Mods.

Speaking of rumors, there was another swirling around the toilet bowl of the internet that SEGA was planning on releasing a new handheld, aptly titled the Hedgehog. (If you read the entire article, you'll find out that the mock-up is nothing more than an April Fool's prank.) As nice as the drawings and such may look, I think we're all doing okay with our third versions of Nintendo DS' and PSP Go! and whatever else hunks of junk we can fit into our ever-sagging pants. *tightens belt*

Random fact: One of the most popular games on the Dreamcast, Half-Life/Blue Shift, was never released. Announced in 2000, the game was initially developed as an add-on for a Sega Dreamcast port of Half-Life; however, the port was canceled and Blue Shift was instead released for Windows. The unfinished source code for the game can be found on multiple websites and can be downloaded, burned to a blank CD, and played.

I can't help but think of what might have been if the SEGA had enjoyed success from the DC:
We would probably be on the dawn of the release of the Dreamcast 3, or a clever name chosen for the new console.
Sonic would have never been sodomized (for lack of a better word) by Sonic Team, he'd be doing just fine and still breaking the sound barrier on his home console. Unfortunately we would still have to deal with that annoying voice of his.
Being the inventors they were, maybe we would be using motion controls on their console instead of Nintendo's.
2K Sports, SEGA's in-house sports game development team, would be a major competitor against EA, Electronic Arts. (Additionally, Peter Moore, former president of SEGA USA, would have never become president of EA Sports.)

Random fact: The Dreamcast was the first console to feature Downloadable Content, or DLC. When connected to the internet via the console's interchangeable dial-up or high speed modem, the player could "download" items for use in games. Although it was just an unlock code that opened up a new race track or song, it was still pretty innovative.

The Dreamcast was SEGA's final attempt to get something right. After the previous console releases, add-ons, and consoles under development (which cause a snafu, which in turn caused developers to turn away, which caused SEGA to lose money), the DC truly was a Dream for gamers. It had the perfect line between the hardcore and the casual.

On 9-9-09, dust off your DC, play some Soul Calibur. If you don't have one: ebay.

Keep Playing.

Random Blog #2: Why all the hate?

When Tony Hawk's Ride was first announced, the masses silently booed, which rose to an audible "Durr... wut r dey thinkng? We dun need no mo' periferrals...."
I for one wanted Tony Hawk to go back to the arcade roots, be different from skate. Return us to what the series once was.

And now it has. It just took me a few months to realize it.

The skateboard peripheral that it introduces has been done before. Example 1:


I'm sure plenty of you have seen this piece of carbon in an arcade before. It's Sega's Top Skater. During the demo it'll spew out random phrases such as "Radical!" "Awesome!" and other phrases that died with the early 90's. It was a straightforward, downhill-style game (and ironically, a Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam on the Wii and DS are of the same style. But that's another part of this situation I don't want to get into.)

And speaking of arcades, Tony Hawk's first game, believe it or not, was in the arcades. The aptly named 720° (Degrees is pronounced when saying the name, btw) was brought about after Tony Hawk landed the, you guessed, 720° rotation.



Although he was never mentioned in any part of the game (at least I don't think he is) the credit goes to Hawk for inspiring it.

The Tony Hawk games have been all about pushing the limits, inventing new ways to play. Albeit Project 8 and Proving Ground were overcooked (Nail the Grab? Seriously?) Neversoft developed it's own thing once again.

So to those haters who say Tony Hawk needs to quit: Stop whining. The man has done so much for the sport of skateboarding and skateboarding video games meanwhile the only thing you can do is try to guess a kickflip from a heelflip. I would dare to go as far as to say that if it weren't for the TH games, skate. wouldn't exist.
I also want the haters to recognize this: have you ever compared Need For Speed Underground to Gran Turismo? If you did, hand over your Gamercard now. They are two seperate genres: arcade racing and sim racing.

Tony Hawk games = arcade skating.
skate. = sim skating.

Am I getting through to anyone?

Keep Playing.