So… I bought a Dreamcast

Almost exactly ten years since the console’s release, I am now the proud owner of a Sega Dreamcast. I didn’t think it would do so well back in 1999, so I didn’t even bother getting one. I was right (yay for me?), but what I didn’t count on was the serious cult following this system would engender. Homebrew coders are still releasing games for the system, some Dreamcast arcade ports are the most faithful, and the thing really was technologically years ahead of its time. I also have to admit, next to the GameCube logo, the Dreamcast swirl is one of the coolest gaming icons I’ve seen. Now, thanks to a Craigslist post, I finally get to see what the quiet fuss is all about.

Setting up the little guy was, of course, no problem. I have A/V hookups to spare on my TV, seeing as how everything else uses HDMI, so in just a few minutes I was setting the system time and tossing in that first disc. Sonic Adventure was the first Dreamcast game I ever played, so I thought it fitting to make it the first I ever played… again. Initial impressions: the Dreamcast is loud. I mean, loud loud. The system fan makes the Xbox 360 sound like gentle summer breeze, and when the disc starts spinning, you’d swear the system’s innards were composed of steel cogs and gears. Somewhat unnerving, but this is ten year old technology we’re dealing with, so I’m pretty much happy the thing works at all.

Noise aside, I was pleasantly surprised by what the Dreamcast gave me. Playing games from before the turn of the century isn’t anything new for me, so I knew the visuals wouldn’t blow my mind. They were a notch or two above what competing systems offered at the time. It goes to show you superior graphics don’t make a system sell (PS3, I’m looking at you). The controller has an awkward inside curve, just the opposite of modern controllers (and what feels natural to your hands), but I really didn’t notice it after a few minutes. One thing I do love are the buttons on this thing. They have a definite tactile feel to them, no light and fluffy plastic parts, just sturdy and thick movable parts. Who needs waggle when you have real buttons to mash?

And now begins the quest to find more Dreamcast games. I have eight so far, a few notable ones include Crazy Taxi, The House of the Dead II, Resident Evil: Code Veronica, Shenmue, Sonic Adventure and its sequel. Jet Grind Radio is definitely on the horizon and so is Seaman. We’ll see what follows after that. Good thing for me most DC games sell for under $10. Time to haul them in by the box load.