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When I walk into my "local" games shops (namely, GAME and Electronics Boutique), what do I see?
I see X-Box
I see PlayStation 2
I see Gamecube (which, fair enough, is fine by me)
Then I see the Dreamcast section of the stores....and you know what? I feel like crying. In comparison to the immense shelving sections of the other consoles, the Dreamcast looks almost as small and weedy as the shelf in GAME where the old Atari Jaguar games are.
And I think, it couldn't have happened to nicer piece of kit.
Until I bought an N64 with my brother back in 1999, I was strictly a SEGA kinda guy. I owned the Game Gear and Master System, and my Mega Drive still sits all lovely like in my bedroom... and the 2D joys of Sonic the Hedgehog and an array of other SEGA classics were my entertainment of chocie. But going halves with my younger brother (you may have spotted the elusive character here in the forums, as he goes by the name of CombatGold1), the N64 pretty much took over my life. Then after 2 years of Nintendo goodness, I started to think, well wouldn't it be great to own a Dreamcast? I've always liked SEGA. I was brought up on it. The likes of the Saturn narrowly escaped my cash, as the Mega Drive pretty much ruled my life at the time. So it came to me that the Dreamcast was something I had to own.
Sadly, and to my utter disbelief and horror, I was to discover that the Dreamcast had been discontinued. With the knowledge of the Saturn's ungainly demise still lingering in my head, I wondered if it was safe to purchase SEGA's 128bit console. But after countless hours of pondering, I went ahead and bought one. The third week of September 2001 saw me and me best mate Edgy going into Electronics Boutique after school so that I could purchase a second hand Dreamcast. Fifty English pounds onto the counter, thanks and goodbye. Then it was into GAME (because for some reason, their games were cheaper than in EB, despite the 2 stores using the exact same till system), to choose 2 games for my lovely new console. After much thought, Sonic Adventure 2 and Quake III Arena were exchanged for £44.98 of my cash (and a £5 off voucher).
Once home, any doubts over whether or not I should have bought a Dreamcast were flung straight out of my attic bedroom skylight (I prefer them to conventional windows). Sonic Adventure 2 was a fast and frantic game starring the blue spikey one, and Quake III Arena (which is one of my fave PC games of all time) proved to be just as action pakced and blood-filled as I remembered. A week went by, and I ordered the superb Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 from Special Reserve, which arrived just in time for me and my mate Dave to play almost non-stop when he came for a sleepover that day. Admittedly, the absense of another control pad and a memory card proved to be somewhat annoying (handy tip: NEVER buy a CD / DVD based console WITHOUT a memory card because I guarantee it will drive you insane), but within another week or so, I had a lovely green VMU and another control pad...and playing with myself (phhwwwwwwwarrrr!!!) was no longer my only option as I could now play with a friend (ooooooooooooooooh, saucy!!!).
Since that time, I've bought into the wonders of Worms World Party, Jet Set Radio, Virtua Tennis 2, Spider-Man, Unreal Tournament, Power Stone 2 and Phantasy Star Online 2. I've been bought the fabulous Sonic Adventure (by my brother, bless 'im), Outtrigger and Skies of Arcadia, and I've even won Crazy Taxi 2, Headhunter, Shenmue II and Metropolis Street Racer as Gameaday prizes. And every game (except maybe Shenmue II, because...well, read my review for my somewhat contreversial opinion on the game) has provided me with truckloads of enjoyment. A 4MB memory card, a keyboard, a mouse and another VMU have also since joined the fun...and I've even started playing the likes of Quake III Arena and Worms World Party over the Internet since getting my hands on the DreamKey 3 disc.
So, what's the point of this topic? Well it's just so I can say that no matter how good or how bad the console you own fares / fared in the ongoing wars, just remember how much fun and enjoyment you got out of it...which in the long-run, is the whole reason that you bought the console in the first place. I for one will be playing my Dreamcast for many years to come, as there's still loads of new experiences to be had with it. I'm always looking to expand my collection of Dreamcast games, with Marvel vs Capcom 2, Dead or Alive 2, Soul Calibur, Rez and NBA 2K2 on my "wish list". Plus, I'm still to experience Phantasy Star Online 2 actually online with the masses, which I'll get right onto as soon as I alter my ISP details. And who knows, maybe in the future I'll be able to show some little albinos what I got up to as a teenager?
One thing's for sure: the Dreamcast may be dead in most people's eyes, but to me the fun has only just started.
I see X-Box
I see PlayStation 2
I see Gamecube (which, fair enough, is fine by me)
Then I see the Dreamcast section of the stores....and you know what? I feel like crying. In comparison to the immense shelving sections of the other consoles, the Dreamcast looks almost as small and weedy as the shelf in GAME where the old Atari Jaguar games are.
And I think, it couldn't have happened to nicer piece of kit.
Until I bought an N64 with my brother back in 1999, I was strictly a SEGA kinda guy. I owned the Game Gear and Master System, and my Mega Drive still sits all lovely like in my bedroom... and the 2D joys of Sonic the Hedgehog and an array of other SEGA classics were my entertainment of chocie. But going halves with my younger brother (you may have spotted the elusive character here in the forums, as he goes by the name of CombatGold1), the N64 pretty much took over my life. Then after 2 years of Nintendo goodness, I started to think, well wouldn't it be great to own a Dreamcast? I've always liked SEGA. I was brought up on it. The likes of the Saturn narrowly escaped my cash, as the Mega Drive pretty much ruled my life at the time. So it came to me that the Dreamcast was something I had to own.
Sadly, and to my utter disbelief and horror, I was to discover that the Dreamcast had been discontinued. With the knowledge of the Saturn's ungainly demise still lingering in my head, I wondered if it was safe to purchase SEGA's 128bit console. But after countless hours of pondering, I went ahead and bought one. The third week of September 2001 saw me and me best mate Edgy going into Electronics Boutique after school so that I could purchase a second hand Dreamcast. Fifty English pounds onto the counter, thanks and goodbye. Then it was into GAME (because for some reason, their games were cheaper than in EB, despite the 2 stores using the exact same till system), to choose 2 games for my lovely new console. After much thought, Sonic Adventure 2 and Quake III Arena were exchanged for £44.98 of my cash (and a £5 off voucher).
Once home, any doubts over whether or not I should have bought a Dreamcast were flung straight out of my attic bedroom skylight (I prefer them to conventional windows). Sonic Adventure 2 was a fast and frantic game starring the blue spikey one, and Quake III Arena (which is one of my fave PC games of all time) proved to be just as action pakced and blood-filled as I remembered. A week went by, and I ordered the superb Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 from Special Reserve, which arrived just in time for me and my mate Dave to play almost non-stop when he came for a sleepover that day. Admittedly, the absense of another control pad and a memory card proved to be somewhat annoying (handy tip: NEVER buy a CD / DVD based console WITHOUT a memory card because I guarantee it will drive you insane), but within another week or so, I had a lovely green VMU and another control pad...and playing with myself (phhwwwwwwwarrrr!!!) was no longer my only option as I could now play with a friend (ooooooooooooooooh, saucy!!!).
Since that time, I've bought into the wonders of Worms World Party, Jet Set Radio, Virtua Tennis 2, Spider-Man, Unreal Tournament, Power Stone 2 and Phantasy Star Online 2. I've been bought the fabulous Sonic Adventure (by my brother, bless 'im), Outtrigger and Skies of Arcadia, and I've even won Crazy Taxi 2, Headhunter, Shenmue II and Metropolis Street Racer as Gameaday prizes. And every game (except maybe Shenmue II, because...well, read my review for my somewhat contreversial opinion on the game) has provided me with truckloads of enjoyment. A 4MB memory card, a keyboard, a mouse and another VMU have also since joined the fun...and I've even started playing the likes of Quake III Arena and Worms World Party over the Internet since getting my hands on the DreamKey 3 disc.
So, what's the point of this topic? Well it's just so I can say that no matter how good or how bad the console you own fares / fared in the ongoing wars, just remember how much fun and enjoyment you got out of it...which in the long-run, is the whole reason that you bought the console in the first place. I for one will be playing my Dreamcast for many years to come, as there's still loads of new experiences to be had with it. I'm always looking to expand my collection of Dreamcast games, with Marvel vs Capcom 2, Dead or Alive 2, Soul Calibur, Rez and NBA 2K2 on my "wish list". Plus, I'm still to experience Phantasy Star Online 2 actually online with the masses, which I'll get right onto as soon as I alter my ISP details. And who knows, maybe in the future I'll be able to show some little albinos what I got up to as a teenager?
One thing's for sure: the Dreamcast may be dead in most people's eyes, but to me the fun has only just started.
I just hope we will see the day when Sega return to the console market.... Even though the Dreamcast was a [commercial] failure, it was a glorious failure.
Miserableman wrote:
> Great post. Until the N64 I was a staunch Nintendo supporter, but with
> the Dreamcast so cheap and with so many seemingly fabulous games
> available I took the plunge - and never looked back. The Dreamcast is
> the smash hit that never was, everything you can do on the PS2, Xbox
> or GameCube can be done on the Dreamcast just as well, and I look
> forward to acquiring Rez, Headhunter and Skies of Arcadia.
> Unfortunately Special Reserve no longer have these titles in stock -
> like you I've been lucky enough to win gameaday (2 reviews won from 3
> submitted |o/), but now it looks like I'll have to go out and actually
> buy them. What an outdated concept :O(((
>
>
> PS I can confirm that Soul Calibur and Marvel vs Capcom 2 will both
> make you cry. Another game to snap up, if you ever see it, is Bangaio
> - 2D shooting action at it's hairy best.
Although my anti-SR slander is keeping me well away from gameaday, SR is just as 2-faced as all the other game retailers and only stocked Sega's games when they were selling by the shed-load. As soon as sales slowed down they ditched the DC as quickly as everyone else did and their DC selection of games now is laughable.
Yea SR, I know I'm not going to win gameaday with this attitude, but so what? Truth hurts yea?
> Great post. Until the N64 I was a staunch Nintendo supporter, but with
> the Dreamcast so cheap and with so many seemingly fabulous games
> available I took the plunge - and never looked back. The Dreamcast is
> the smash hit that never was, everything you can do on the PS2, Xbox
> or GameCube can be done on the Dreamcast just as well, and I look
> forward to acquiring Rez, Headhunter and Skies of Arcadia.
> Unfortunately Special Reserve no longer have these titles in stock -
> like you I've been lucky enough to win gameaday (2 reviews won from 3
> submitted |o/), but now it looks like I'll have to go out and actually
> buy them. What an outdated concept :O(((
>
>
> PS I can confirm that Soul Calibur and Marvel vs Capcom 2 will both
> make you cry. Another game to snap up, if you ever see it, is Bangaio
> - 2D shooting action at it's hairy best.
Although my anti-SR slander is keeping me well away from gameaday, SR is just as 2-faced as all the other game retailers and only stocked Sega's games when they were selling by the shed-load. As soon as sales slowed down they ditched the DC as quickly as everyone else did and their DC selection of games now is laughable.
Yea SR, I know I'm not going to win gameaday with this attitude, but so what? Truth hurts yea?
Great post. Until the N64 I was a staunch Nintendo supporter, but with the Dreamcast so cheap and with so many seemingly fabulous games available I took the plunge - and never looked back. The Dreamcast is the smash hit that never was, everything you can do on the PS2, Xbox or GameCube can be done on the Dreamcast just as well, and I look forward to acquiring Rez, Headhunter and Skies of Arcadia. Unfortunately Special Reserve no longer have these titles in stock - like you I've been lucky enough to win gameaday (2 reviews won from 3 submitted |o/), but now it looks like I'll have to go out and actually buy them. What an outdated concept :O(((
PS I can confirm that Soul Calibur and Marvel vs Capcom 2 will both make you cry. Another game to snap up, if you ever see it, is Bangaio - 2D shooting action at it's hairy best.
PS I can confirm that Soul Calibur and Marvel vs Capcom 2 will both make you cry. Another game to snap up, if you ever see it, is Bangaio - 2D shooting action at it's hairy best.
Nice post there mark, another cool thing is that allot of sega games on other console are a standing tribute to the dreamcast after its death.
Good post. You should put it in Prime.
I bought my DC at launch, and I don't regret it for a second.
The Dreamcast will always be favourite console.
Just think how unbelievably great it would be right now if it had been a commercial success.
Jet Set Radio Future would be out, Virtua Fighter 4, etc, etc.
I bought my DC at launch, and I don't regret it for a second.
The Dreamcast will always be favourite console.
Just think how unbelievably great it would be right now if it had been a commercial success.
Jet Set Radio Future would be out, Virtua Fighter 4, etc, etc.
When I walk into my "local" games shops (namely, GAME and Electronics Boutique), what do I see?
I see X-Box
I see PlayStation 2
I see Gamecube (which, fair enough, is fine by me)
Then I see the Dreamcast section of the stores....and you know what? I feel like crying. In comparison to the immense shelving sections of the other consoles, the Dreamcast looks almost as small and weedy as the shelf in GAME where the old Atari Jaguar games are.
And I think, it couldn't have happened to nicer piece of kit.
Until I bought an N64 with my brother back in 1999, I was strictly a SEGA kinda guy. I owned the Game Gear and Master System, and my Mega Drive still sits all lovely like in my bedroom... and the 2D joys of Sonic the Hedgehog and an array of other SEGA classics were my entertainment of chocie. But going halves with my younger brother (you may have spotted the elusive character here in the forums, as he goes by the name of CombatGold1), the N64 pretty much took over my life. Then after 2 years of Nintendo goodness, I started to think, well wouldn't it be great to own a Dreamcast? I've always liked SEGA. I was brought up on it. The likes of the Saturn narrowly escaped my cash, as the Mega Drive pretty much ruled my life at the time. So it came to me that the Dreamcast was something I had to own.
Sadly, and to my utter disbelief and horror, I was to discover that the Dreamcast had been discontinued. With the knowledge of the Saturn's ungainly demise still lingering in my head, I wondered if it was safe to purchase SEGA's 128bit console. But after countless hours of pondering, I went ahead and bought one. The third week of September 2001 saw me and me best mate Edgy going into Electronics Boutique after school so that I could purchase a second hand Dreamcast. Fifty English pounds onto the counter, thanks and goodbye. Then it was into GAME (because for some reason, their games were cheaper than in EB, despite the 2 stores using the exact same till system), to choose 2 games for my lovely new console. After much thought, Sonic Adventure 2 and Quake III Arena were exchanged for £44.98 of my cash (and a £5 off voucher).
Once home, any doubts over whether or not I should have bought a Dreamcast were flung straight out of my attic bedroom skylight (I prefer them to conventional windows). Sonic Adventure 2 was a fast and frantic game starring the blue spikey one, and Quake III Arena (which is one of my fave PC games of all time) proved to be just as action pakced and blood-filled as I remembered. A week went by, and I ordered the superb Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 from Special Reserve, which arrived just in time for me and my mate Dave to play almost non-stop when he came for a sleepover that day. Admittedly, the absense of another control pad and a memory card proved to be somewhat annoying (handy tip: NEVER buy a CD / DVD based console WITHOUT a memory card because I guarantee it will drive you insane), but within another week or so, I had a lovely green VMU and another control pad...and playing with myself (phhwwwwwwwarrrr!!!) was no longer my only option as I could now play with a friend (ooooooooooooooooh, saucy!!!).
Since that time, I've bought into the wonders of Worms World Party, Jet Set Radio, Virtua Tennis 2, Spider-Man, Unreal Tournament, Power Stone 2 and Phantasy Star Online 2. I've been bought the fabulous Sonic Adventure (by my brother, bless 'im), Outtrigger and Skies of Arcadia, and I've even won Crazy Taxi 2, Headhunter, Shenmue II and Metropolis Street Racer as Gameaday prizes. And every game (except maybe Shenmue II, because...well, read my review for my somewhat contreversial opinion on the game) has provided me with truckloads of enjoyment. A 4MB memory card, a keyboard, a mouse and another VMU have also since joined the fun...and I've even started playing the likes of Quake III Arena and Worms World Party over the Internet since getting my hands on the DreamKey 3 disc.
So, what's the point of this topic? Well it's just so I can say that no matter how good or how bad the console you own fares / fared in the ongoing wars, just remember how much fun and enjoyment you got out of it...which in the long-run, is the whole reason that you bought the console in the first place. I for one will be playing my Dreamcast for many years to come, as there's still loads of new experiences to be had with it. I'm always looking to expand my collection of Dreamcast games, with Marvel vs Capcom 2, Dead or Alive 2, Soul Calibur, Rez and NBA 2K2 on my "wish list". Plus, I'm still to experience Phantasy Star Online 2 actually online with the masses, which I'll get right onto as soon as I alter my ISP details. And who knows, maybe in the future I'll be able to show some little albinos what I got up to as a teenager?
One thing's for sure: the Dreamcast may be dead in most people's eyes, but to me the fun has only just started.
I see X-Box
I see PlayStation 2
I see Gamecube (which, fair enough, is fine by me)
Then I see the Dreamcast section of the stores....and you know what? I feel like crying. In comparison to the immense shelving sections of the other consoles, the Dreamcast looks almost as small and weedy as the shelf in GAME where the old Atari Jaguar games are.
And I think, it couldn't have happened to nicer piece of kit.
Until I bought an N64 with my brother back in 1999, I was strictly a SEGA kinda guy. I owned the Game Gear and Master System, and my Mega Drive still sits all lovely like in my bedroom... and the 2D joys of Sonic the Hedgehog and an array of other SEGA classics were my entertainment of chocie. But going halves with my younger brother (you may have spotted the elusive character here in the forums, as he goes by the name of CombatGold1), the N64 pretty much took over my life. Then after 2 years of Nintendo goodness, I started to think, well wouldn't it be great to own a Dreamcast? I've always liked SEGA. I was brought up on it. The likes of the Saturn narrowly escaped my cash, as the Mega Drive pretty much ruled my life at the time. So it came to me that the Dreamcast was something I had to own.
Sadly, and to my utter disbelief and horror, I was to discover that the Dreamcast had been discontinued. With the knowledge of the Saturn's ungainly demise still lingering in my head, I wondered if it was safe to purchase SEGA's 128bit console. But after countless hours of pondering, I went ahead and bought one. The third week of September 2001 saw me and me best mate Edgy going into Electronics Boutique after school so that I could purchase a second hand Dreamcast. Fifty English pounds onto the counter, thanks and goodbye. Then it was into GAME (because for some reason, their games were cheaper than in EB, despite the 2 stores using the exact same till system), to choose 2 games for my lovely new console. After much thought, Sonic Adventure 2 and Quake III Arena were exchanged for £44.98 of my cash (and a £5 off voucher).
Once home, any doubts over whether or not I should have bought a Dreamcast were flung straight out of my attic bedroom skylight (I prefer them to conventional windows). Sonic Adventure 2 was a fast and frantic game starring the blue spikey one, and Quake III Arena (which is one of my fave PC games of all time) proved to be just as action pakced and blood-filled as I remembered. A week went by, and I ordered the superb Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 from Special Reserve, which arrived just in time for me and my mate Dave to play almost non-stop when he came for a sleepover that day. Admittedly, the absense of another control pad and a memory card proved to be somewhat annoying (handy tip: NEVER buy a CD / DVD based console WITHOUT a memory card because I guarantee it will drive you insane), but within another week or so, I had a lovely green VMU and another control pad...and playing with myself (phhwwwwwwwarrrr!!!) was no longer my only option as I could now play with a friend (ooooooooooooooooh, saucy!!!).
Since that time, I've bought into the wonders of Worms World Party, Jet Set Radio, Virtua Tennis 2, Spider-Man, Unreal Tournament, Power Stone 2 and Phantasy Star Online 2. I've been bought the fabulous Sonic Adventure (by my brother, bless 'im), Outtrigger and Skies of Arcadia, and I've even won Crazy Taxi 2, Headhunter, Shenmue II and Metropolis Street Racer as Gameaday prizes. And every game (except maybe Shenmue II, because...well, read my review for my somewhat contreversial opinion on the game) has provided me with truckloads of enjoyment. A 4MB memory card, a keyboard, a mouse and another VMU have also since joined the fun...and I've even started playing the likes of Quake III Arena and Worms World Party over the Internet since getting my hands on the DreamKey 3 disc.
So, what's the point of this topic? Well it's just so I can say that no matter how good or how bad the console you own fares / fared in the ongoing wars, just remember how much fun and enjoyment you got out of it...which in the long-run, is the whole reason that you bought the console in the first place. I for one will be playing my Dreamcast for many years to come, as there's still loads of new experiences to be had with it. I'm always looking to expand my collection of Dreamcast games, with Marvel vs Capcom 2, Dead or Alive 2, Soul Calibur, Rez and NBA 2K2 on my "wish list". Plus, I'm still to experience Phantasy Star Online 2 actually online with the masses, which I'll get right onto as soon as I alter my ISP details. And who knows, maybe in the future I'll be able to show some little albinos what I got up to as a teenager?
One thing's for sure: the Dreamcast may be dead in most people's eyes, but to me the fun has only just started.