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Happy 15th birthday Dreamcast!

turtleantturtleant Gunpla Dadis the best.Registered User regular
The Dreamcast

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Sega's last (and greatest?)console, released on 9/9/1999, was a weird ass machine. The Dreamcast was the first 128-bit console, and used a disc format known as GD-Roms that held up to 1.2gigabytes of data, way bigger than the then standard CD-Rom. It also had a built in 56k modem to connect to Seganet, and a broadband adapter could be bought for $50, making it the first home console with fully functioning online play.

Unfortunately, the Dreamcast was not long for this world, and had pretty much been forgotten by developers by 2002, at least in the west. Some independent developers in Japan are still releasing new Dreamcast games today.

The Dreamcast had a ton of great, at the time exclusive games such as

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and many more. Many of these were ported to other systems, including the Sega games after the company bowed out of the console market. The Dreamcast versions are still considered to be the best version for many of the games though.

The Dreamcast will always hold a special place for me, as it was the first video game console I purchased with my own money, and I played the hell out of it. So many hours in Phantasy Star Online, you don't even know.

So happy 15th Dreamcast, you weird, silly, ahead of your time machine!

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    FAQFAQ Registered User regular
    thanks

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    -Tal-Tal Registered User regular
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    This is... the ultimate...

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    ButlerButler 89 episodes or bust Registered User regular
    Couldn't you play little games on the memory unit itself? They were way ahead of their time with that one.

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    JoeUserJoeUser Forum Santa Registered User regular
    Butler wrote: »
    Couldn't you play little games on the memory unit itself? They were way ahead of their time with that one.

    Yep! In Sonic, you could send a Chao to the VMU and raise it like a Neopet.

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    BrainleechBrainleech 機知に富んだコメントはここにあります Registered User regular
    you forgot Skies of Arcadia

    I too played the hell out of PSO I have tons of memories like trolling the trolls while playing soccer and my first experiences playing with people from all over the world

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    KwoaruKwoaru Confident Smirk Flawless Golden PecsRegistered User regular
    I have a dreamcast in a box in my room!

    Young me spent a lot of time playing the dreamcast demo disc

    Got very good at the DOA2 demo

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    RandomHajileRandomHajile Not actually a Snatcher The New KremlinRegistered User regular
    Man, you guys. I was just about to make this very thread in G&T. I'm getting my PS4 today, but I had to bust out the ol' Dreamcast last night. I love that thing so much. My wife was happy to see Soul Calibur, Crazy Taxi, and Tony Hawk last night. Her first comment was "you know, for 15 years, this kinda still looks sort of alright."

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    JoeUserJoeUser Forum Santa Registered User regular
    It's time to make some crazy money!

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    JoeUserJoeUser Forum Santa Registered User regular
    It's time to make some crazy money!

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    jgeisjgeis Registered User regular
    I have never owned a Sega system and I feel like this is a problem.

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    JohnHamJohnHam Registered User regular
    I was a young man on 9/9/99, when two conspicuous packages arrived at my doorstep from the online shopping website Amazing! Dot Com! (since changed to Amazon.com)

    I had pre-ordered a Dreamcast bundle that included Sonic Adventure and Soulcalibur, but these two boxes were too large to have been separately-boxed bundle components. Imagine my surprise when I found out Amazon had sent me two bundles, but had only charged my parents' credit card once.

    I was struck by a moral dilemma. I thought "what would Sonic do?", and then, upon realizing the irrelevance of my own question, played Sonic Adventure. Ultimately, I decided that it would be cruel to hoard this second Dreamcast; I had no real use for a second one, and what if there was some dude out there who missed out on his launch console because of my selfish deeds?

    So, I e-mailed Amazon, boxed it up, and sent it back to them. I will never forget the e-mail conversation where they expressed utter shock that I had decided to return the extra console. They gave me a $50 giftcard for literally not stealing from them, and then I bought Power Stone.

    Other notes:
    • Soulcalibur might be my favorite fighting game ever?
    • Power Stone is great, Power Stone 2 is better.
    • The first two Sonic Adventure games were a-OK and I don't know why you feel the need to DISPARAGE them.
    • Seaman???

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    The Cow KingThe Cow King a island Registered User regular
    Sonic sucked soul caliber is butts, chao garden was cool

    The real saviour of the system was its MvC2 port and sf3 third strike imo

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    JohnHamJohnHam Registered User regular
    Really though why in the hell did the controller cable come out of the bottom of the controller. What the eff, Sega.

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    schussschuss Registered User regular
    Pre-ordered and still proudly wear my dreamcast t-shirt.

    *pours one out on the ground*

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    KwoaruKwoaru Confident Smirk Flawless Golden PecsRegistered User regular
    JohnHam wrote: »
    Really though why in the hell did the controller cable come out of the bottom of the controller. What the eff, Sega.

    Because you gotta put the sweet VMU into the top so you can see a little pixel thing that relates to the game (assuming you have enough direct light to see anything on the vmu screen)

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    JohnHamJohnHam Registered User regular
    Kwoaru wrote: »
    JohnHam wrote: »
    Really though why in the hell did the controller cable come out of the bottom of the controller. What the eff, Sega.

    Because you gotta put the sweet VMU into the top so you can see a little pixel thing that relates to the game (assuming you have enough direct light to see anything on the vmu screen)

    You're right, thank you Sega!!!

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    JayKaosJayKaos Registered User regular
    Me and my brother got a dreamcast when it was already in its death throes and 99$. It wasn't very long before we got a PS2 but those few months with the Sonic games, the Crazy Taxi games, and Jet Grind Radio were pretty great. Sadly since JGR was a bootleg copy it died halfway through - the fact I didn't beat the game was a sore spot for me until last year when it came out on Steam.

    Steam | SW-0844-0908-6004 and my Switch code
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    UnbreakableVowUnbreakableVow Registered User regular
    I appreciate Sega's forward thinking from a distance, like the VMU and online play, but I never owned a Dreamcast and it's one of the few consoles I never sought out to buy well after the fact

    There were a few neat-looking Dreamcast games, but they were all ported to other consoles, with the exception of Chu Chu Rocket and Samba de Amigo which always looks really awesome

    Some of those games are near-unplayable to me in this day and age (Sonic Adventure, Jet Set Radio, Shenmue), but the good ones still shine (Grandia II, Skies of Arcadia, Crazy Taxi)

    It probably still has the highest output of quality games for a Sega system IMO, but the fact that the DC just kinda dissolved and had nearly all its great games ported elsewhere kind of undermined my appreciation for the actual hardware

    Especially with one of the worst controllers, holy crap that thing was bad

    Still, absolutely an important console

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    PsykomaPsykoma Registered User regular
    I never had a dreamcast :(

    My friend did, and I preferred playing with that small thing that goes in the controller than the system itself.

    I did have a game gear which was pretty fun

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    UnbreakableVowUnbreakableVow Registered User regular
    I wish TheSonicRetard weren't banned, he'd come in here and drop some obscure, awesome knowledge about the DC

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    YaYaYaYa Decent. Registered User regular
    UP DOWN UP DOWN

    CHU
    CHU
    CHU

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    SimBenSimBen Hodor? Hodor Hodor.Registered User regular
    The Dreamcast wasn't 128 bits

    no console or PC has yet been 128 bits

    The Dreamcast was 32 bits (as were the GameCube, PS2 and original Xbox).

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    SimBenSimBen Hodor? Hodor Hodor.Registered User regular
    Hey that reminds me, I need to get that Console Wars book.

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    Speed RacerSpeed Racer Scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratchRegistered User regular
    There's a retro game store near me an every now and then I think about buying a dream cast

    And then I realize that barely any of the dreamcast's games have aged well and the ones that have were ported to other, better systems

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    SimBenSimBen Hodor? Hodor Hodor.Registered User regular
    There's a retro game store near me an every now and then I think about buying a dream cast

    And then I realize that barely any of the dreamcast's games have aged well and the ones that have were ported to other, better systems

    The only Dreamcast-exclusive game worth playing that's never been ported to anything else is Soul Calibur.

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    Speed RacerSpeed Racer Scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratch scritch scratchRegistered User regular
    SimBen wrote: »
    There's a retro game store near me an every now and then I think about buying a dream cast

    And then I realize that barely any of the dreamcast's games have aged well and the ones that have were ported to other, better systems

    The only Dreamcast-exclusive game worth playing that's never been ported to anything else is Soul Calibur.

    Yeah but soul calibur 2 is righ there

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    ZonugalZonugal (He/Him) The Holiday Armadillo I'm Santa's representative for all the southern states. And Mexico!Registered User regular
    You somehow left how the best Dreamcast game.

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    KwoaruKwoaru Confident Smirk Flawless Golden PecsRegistered User regular
    edited September 2014
    I tried to play powerstone after a buddy dug all his old dreamcast games out of a closet and gave them to me

    It was not very good at all and made me glad smash bros existed

    edit I played powerstone 2 apparently, I can only assume powerstone original recipe was also not very good

    Kwoaru on
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    KilroyKilroy timaeusTestified Registered User regular
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    ZonugalZonugal (He/Him) The Holiday Armadillo I'm Santa's representative for all the southern states. And Mexico!Registered User regular
    Kwoaru wrote: »
    I tried to play powerstone after a buddy dug all his old dreamcast games out of a closet and gave them to me

    It was not very good at all and made me glad smash bros existed

    edit I played powerstone 2 apparently, I can only assume powerstone original recipe was also not very good

    GET OUT

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    FAQFAQ Registered User regular
    powerstone 2 was huge amounts of fun

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    fightinfilipinofightinfilipino Angry as Hell #BLMRegistered User regular
    wait, @Zonugal how did you get the fancy "suit"

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    steam | Dokkan: 868846562
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    JohnHamJohnHam Registered User regular
    Power Stone 2 was silly fun

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    ZonugalZonugal (He/Him) The Holiday Armadillo I'm Santa's representative for all the southern states. And Mexico!Registered User regular
    wait, @Zonugal how did you get the fancy "suit"

    I presume I earned it.

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    ZonugalZonugal (He/Him) The Holiday Armadillo I'm Santa's representative for all the southern states. And Mexico!Registered User regular
    If you'd attended PAX-Prime maybe you'd know why!!!

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    KwoaruKwoaru Confident Smirk Flawless Golden PecsRegistered User regular
    I totally did not give powerstone a fair chance but I have a low tolerance for old ugly/janky games that I have no nostalgia for

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    KyouguKyougu Registered User regular
    I got the Dreamcast right around when SA2 came out.

    I might have played that stupid street surfing level so many times cause I thought it was so awesome that they sang a song during it.

    I also tied up my parent's phone line playing PO, until they made me get my own separate line.

    And Firepro Wrestling on it was amazing.

    Such a great little system.

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    Brovid HasselsmofBrovid Hasselsmof [Growling historic on the fury road] Registered User regular
    Dreamcast was my first games console. I went to a friend's one night and saw them playing Soul Calibur and was so blown away by how pretty it was that I skipped college the next day to go and buy one.

    I remember playing a lot of Soul Calibur and Tony Hawk and not really anything else ever.

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