Video game fans of a certain generation will never forget the date 9/9/99—that's the day the Sega Dreamcast launched in the United States, and it's the day we all got an early peek at the future of console gaming.
The Dreamcast came packed with personality: It combined a custom high-capacity GD-ROM drive, an early second-screen concept of the VMU that doubled as a removable memory card, analog triggers on the controller, VGA output support, battery-backed clock, modem and broadband support (true online console gaming), and playful peripherals galore (network camera, microphone, or fishing controller, anyone?) into an endearingly quirky but capable console that in some ways technologically surpassed the PlayStation 2.
Of course, Sony's console ended up drastically besting the Dreamcast in sales—and third-party support—curtailing the lifespan of Sega's final console. And although many think the Dreamcast died too soon, it still received its fair share of world-class games. Titles like Sonic Adventure, Shenmue, ChuChu Rocket!, Phantasy Star Online, Crazy Taxi, Skies of Arcadia, and many others are deservedly at home on many best-of-Dreamcast lists.
But we're here today to take a look at a handful of wonderful Dreamcast games that few people remember today. These are underrated classics that are still worth playing in 2017, with a particular preference for Dreamcast platform exclusives. And since this list is not a comprehensive survey of the best underrated Dreamcast games, I'd love to hear about some of your favorite Dreamcast games in the comments.
1. EGG: Elemental Gimmick Gear (2000)
Elemental Gimmick gear combines gorgeous, colorful hand-drawn backgrounds with a competent action-RPG formula similar to 2D Zelda games. It probably fell under the radar in the US because of its quirky EGG robot suit-wearing protagonist that can retract its limbs and spin around like a top. It also has challenging, fully polygonal-3D boss battles. But it's a blast to play, and a must for any Dreamcast fan.
2. Fire Pro Wrestling D (2001)
Fire Pro Wrestling is a famous and long-running series in Japan, although it has received very little attention in the US. This Japanese-only entry in the series for the Dreamcast features over 200 wrestlers from American and Japanese wrestling leagues in an incredibly smooth and fun but deep wrestling experience. It's worth importing if you have the capability to play Japanese Dreamcast games.
3. Record of Lodoss War: Advent of Cardice (2001)
If you're a fan of Blizzard's Diablo series and you're also a Dreamcast fan, you absolutely cannot miss Record of Lodoss War, a deep and fun Diablo-alike set in the universe the Japanese fantasy novel series of the same name. But you don't have to be a fan of the Lodoss franchise to enjoy this game: all the standard Western-style fantasy RPG goodness can be found here, including an innovative weapon-leveling system. Get it.
4. Toy Commander (1999)
Toy Commander manages to combine the playful innocence of childhood with visceral, sweaty-palm video game combat in a way that betrays neither concept. You play as a kid that takes control of cars, planes, and other vehicles in a suburban house-like setting that makes for a refreshing change from other vehicular combat games. There is a certain joy that comes through in this game that I think has rarely been replicated in other video games, so it still holds up well as a unique experience today.
5. Cannon Spike (2000)
What a strange and wonderful game. This arcade run-and-gun title from Capcom combines Smash TV and Robotron: 2084-like fluid shooting sensibilities with a cast of stars from Capcom's other games (like Arthur from Ghosts 'n Goblins, Cammy from Super Street Fighter, Mega Man, and more). It pits these characters in an unlikely war against zombies and ghastly monsters for reasons I still do not understand. But it plays smooth as butter, and as a two-player co-op title, a buddy can join in the carnage.
6. Armada (1999)
Armada is one of those unique gems you can only find on the Dreamcast. It combines an Asteroids-like space combat shooter with an action-RPG-like system of ship upgrades, AI ships, and quests (missions). Coolest of all, this game supports four-player local co-op, making good use of the Dreamcast's four built-in controller ports. Upon its release, the press generally derided it—especially since it lost its planned and hyped online component shortly before launch. But in retrospect, I think Armada deserves a special place in the Dreamcast pantheon.
7. Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm (2000)
Of all the games on this list, Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm surprised me the most when I first played it (several years after its release). On the surface, it looks like a brain-dead-brutal hack-and-slash, but it actually packs fun action RPG elements and wonderful graphics into a fun 3D experience that is definitely one of the most underrated games on the Dreamcast. It also has a unique live animation engine that renders character movement based on physics rather than pre-rigged animations. There's nothing else quite like it, which makes it a must-play for Dreamcast fans.
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