Dreamcast Update

Some time ago, I posted about acquiring a copy of "Jet Grind Radio" for the Dreamcast. At the time, I knew someone that was willing to lend me a Dreamcast but that plan fell through. Tired of waiting, I once more delved into Ebay. After weeks of fishing, I hooked me a functioning Dreamcast with 2 controllers and couple of sports games bundled in. Got it for cheap too; the description mentioned a cigarette odor which apparently repelled some bidders.

It doesn't really smell though

Since I now own a Dreamcast, I was also free to purchase other games for the system. After getting a memory card (some people sell them wholesale on ebay) I started building my very own collection of games. Here's the current list:

• Jet Grind Radio
• Marvel vs. Capcom 2
• Phantasy Star Online
• Skies of Arcadia
• Resident Evil: Code Veronica
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
• NFL 2K
• F355 Challenge (racing game)

I am very pleased with this list as I was able to get some quality games for this system without breaking the bank. Jet Grind Radio didn't work halfway through, but I found someone at college who sold me their copy. I got MVC2 for really cheap, mostly because MVC3 had just come out, driving the price down. Unfortunately, my Dreamcast doesn't appear to be able to go online anymore. This is unfortunate, as there are STILL private servers for Phantasy Star Online to this day. 

So for a while now, I will be doing long form reviews of most of these games. They take a little while to play through, so I won't be posting them immediately. I'm also open to any requests for dreamcast games to review, assuming I can get them for a reasonable price. I am in the market for Powerstone 2 if anyone knows where I can get one cheap. 

As for the system itself, let me say some words. The dreamcast was an unfortunate half step between console generations. It was more powerful than the N64 and Playstation, but wasn't able to keep up with the Playstation 2 generation. It has a very tight design with a pleasant look. The controller is admittedly bulky, but it doesn't feel bad in your hand it just takes up a lot of space. The idea of having a screen built into the controller that doubles as a memory card was novel. It wasn't much, but it had some game functionality and for some games it came with take it with you mini games. A big selling point for the console was the online functionality. This was a really new thing in 1999 and, though I haven't played it online, what I have read suggests that the games that supported it were well designed and relatively lag free. 

The Dreamcast has a nice menu screen if you don't put in a game. It can actually play CD, but that function is pretty much useless now. As far as I can tell, the system is just very..... friendly. Its fun to use, and the games are made with FUN in mind. It had no grand ambition beyond being played with. And I am glad to have one, even though I am a bit late to the party.