5 Indie Dreamcast Games Worth Your Time

While there are a lot of great independent Dreamcast games out there, many worthy of a Dreamcast collector’s collection, not every game is worth it for the casual fan. Some games are too short, too difficult or too simplistic. Gamers shouldn’t be expected to pay $20 to $60 for a so-so indie game simply because that money goes towards development of new games. We’re not dealing with charities. People buy games with the promise that the game will be worth their money.


As such, I thought I’d share five independent Dreamcast games that are worth the time and money of not only collectors, but also those who have a Dreamcast console but aren’t into the indie scene. The following five games are just as good, and in some cases better than official Dreamcast games.

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In the comments, let me know what indie Dreamcast games you've enjoyed!

Dreamcast News Roundup

9/9 is a magnet for Dreamcast news. Within one week there are more stories of interest to Dreamcast fans than there is in a typical month! As such, I've rounded up some stories and news tips rather than stagger them over a series of posts (hence the term "roundup"). Let's get a long lil' doggies!

First up is a ALERT for those who subscribed to GOAT Store Publishings newsletter in an attempt to recieve their super special coupon, which is said to be all five of their indie titles for $50 (that's $36 savings!). Due to a glitch in their system on 9/9, many requests for their newsletter were lost. If you did not receive an email notification after signing up, you are not signed up. If you aren't subscribed, head on over to this link and do so. They've extended the coupon application time to Friday due to the glitch.

Next up is are two cool interviews with indie developers Senile Team and NG:Dev.Team courtesty of SEGAbits and brought to my attention by forum member cube_b3. These are the teams that brought us Rush Rush Rally Racing and the upcoming Fast Striker. Give the Senile Team interview a read here and also check out the NG:Dev.Team interview here!

This third piece of news is all about the rereleases of Dreamcast classics! Tomorrow Sonic Adventure will hit XBLA and PSN for $10, making it the first of the many promised Dreamcast releases from SEGA. The game will feature achievements/tropies and is said to feature DLC, though this feature has only been seen in very early leaks and could be cut for all I know. Check out the video above  and make sure to download the demo tomorrow if you can. Always try before you buy.

Another Dreamcast game being resurrected, this time on the iPod Touch and iPhone, is the awesome Chu Chu Rocket. Impressions of the game have been very positive, such as those found in this preview from Touch Arcade. Highlights from the preview include:

Multiplayer is 1-4 players, and you can either join up in teams of two or play free for all style. The goal here is to get as many mice to your own rocket as possible, while using arrows to direct cats into players rockets in order to prevent them from gaining any mice. This mode can be played over WiFi, 3G, or Bluetooth, and if you can't find any friends to play with you can add bots to the game and play against the AI. There are 25 levels to battle on, and the game will be the first from Sega to utilize Apple's new Game Center social network.

...

ChuChu Rocket! was a total blast when I had a chance to play it today, and it makes me sad that I never tried out this title almost a decade ago. It seems like a perfect fit for the iPhone, with all of the original levels reworked to be touch screen friendly. Gamers have been begging Sega to bring ChuChu Rocket! out on a current platform for years, and finally they will get their wish on the iPhone and iPad. Both versions will be exactly the same except for the iPad version which will contain a same-device 4 player multiplayer mode. Expect to see ChuChu Rocket! sometime in late October.

So there you have it for the Dreamcast news roundup! It seems every aspect of the undead console is thriving: the fan community, the developers and the games of old. All hail the undead console!

DCJY Insideout: Last Hope Pink Bullets

The updated re-release of NG:Dev.Team's indie shooter Last Hope arrived in the mail yesterday. It comes in the brightest pink DVD case you'll ever see, and the manual is still mostly in Japanese despite not coming from there.

The game has definitely had improvements: most important of all being that it now has a lot more difficulty settings and has been re-balanced so not so expert gamers like me can actually play it through! In the original It's far more forgiving this time around, and as the title suggest the enemy bullets are now pink so they don't blend in with the explosions and your own bullets like they used to.

If they decide to do the same with a more forgiving version of Dux, can I trade my old one in? I still can't beat the first level in that! XD

Dreamcast Love On The Eve Of The Wii...

Well it’s about time I put ‘pen to paper’ (so to speak), and make sure I don’t find myself sacked off from the Dreamcast Junkyard team for lack of effort, in the wake of the Gagaman(n)’s recent Herculean posting odyssey...

Much has happened since my last epistle. Man Utd. saw off Man City in an embarrassing 1-0 Derby defeat at the City Of Manchester Stadium, which I had the misfortune to watch in an Australian Bar in Barcelona. It was full of Reds and there was a bigger cheer when City missed their penalty, than when United scored theirs.

Man Utd of course went on to win the Premiership, whilst City managed to clock up their first record in many years... fewest goals scored at home in one season. DOH!
This has ultimately lead to the sacking of Stuart ‘Psycho’ Pearce, whilst Fergie and his boys strolled triumphantly around Old Trafford last Sunday. BAH!
I have solved one Man United mystery that had always puzzled me though… Apparently the letters "A.I.G" on the United shirt stand for "Almost In Greece…" :)

But I digress… It’s at dark times like this, that one seeks solace in the little box of wonders that is the Dreamcast. I’ve been feeling super-love for my Dreamcast recently, since I committed to buying a Wii. (I’m getting it tomorrow, May 16th , for my almost top secret 40th birthday….But DOn’t tell anyone, I DOn’t want a fuss.)

It’s as if I need to prove my love for my DC, as if I’ve been caught by my significant other, with a pert young super-model on my arm. I need the Dreamcast to know it’ll always be ‘the one’, even if there’s another in my life…

So here’s a quick round up of some of the games I’ve been playing over the last few months, in a sort of "micro-review medley" type thing…

Last Hope: This fiendishly difficult side scrolling 'Shump' (I’ve become a bit of a shump fan of late…) comes to us courtesy of Germany’s NG:Dev team and is a 2007 release. That fact in itself, is one which fills me with a rosy glow, knowing that there are still brand new Dreamcast releases coming out. Then my rosy glow dissipates into icy water flushing through my bowels, as I remember that the announcement of the cessation of GD Roms, that could put pay to Dreamcast development forever…

Still the game is fantastic. Originally and (very costly) developed for the Neo Geo, the game was ported to the Dreamcast and released this January. The graphics are fabulous and the gameplay somewhat hypnotic. As your ship glides smoothly into the oncoming landscape, you must blast away at alien foes whilst, attempting to fly through power-ups and avoid the oncoming mines and missiles pitted against you. I’ve only managed to get as far as the first boss, but I’ve enjoyed it so far. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the game is its musical score, (available as a limited edition CD release bundled with a special game pack). The music is like ambient-trancey Kraftwerk and builds as your ship progresses through the game. Quite beautiful really. Oh and its region free. Games TM Magazine reviewed it recently and gave it an 80% score and I’ll agree… 8/10 Why not buy it here?

In total contrast to this frenetic kill-fest is Virtua Athlete 2K. This decathlon based sorts sim is a more serious update of Sega Sport’s ‘Athlete Kings’ which appeared on the Saturn. The gameplay involves a lot of speedy button mashing and split second timing as you power your athlete through a variety of track and field events. This is not a game to be played on your own, but is an ideal party game for up to four players. It must be good, as it has even enticed the two biggest Gingers to pick up and play. The ideal game for non-gamers and a great laugh after a couple of drinks! For the fun factor alone, 9/10. For a more considered review look here…

Moving on to Silent Scope, the best Light Gun game that never was… This arcade port was made for the Light Gun, but due to the legacy of the Columbine shootings, it was only released to be compatible with the standard controller. A shame, because this really is a great shooter! As the name suggests, the scope is the key, allowing you to ‘nail far away targets with pinpoint accuracy’ (according to the back of the box…)

You play as a former special operative in the British Anti-Terrorism force (very adept at killing innocent Brazilians no doubt…) currently residing in Chicago. Your foes include the quite wankily titled: Cobra The Iron Man, Hornet The Sniper, Tom & Jerry ( the genetically spliced mutated Killing Machine), Scorpion The Butcher and… Wait for it… Monica The Armoured Secretary… No shit! Un-fucking-believable!
What tosspot came up with these characters? I don’t bloody know… This game is excellent arcade style shooting fun, but I’m only going to give it 7/10 because it screams out to be played with a gun… So there! Wanna know more? Look here…

Head Hunter: The moment I started to play this game I knew it would become a lifelong favourite, up there with the likes of Shenmue 1 & 2 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica… Graphically lush and with fabulous gameplay, this game is something of a futuristic bounty hunter odyssey, set in a bleak, corporate, fascist America. (A little like today's USA then...)

Spanning two discs and with a brilliant storyline (interspersed with fake video news bulletins and product commercials), this game has been likened to Metal Gear Solid due to it’s stealth missions. However, it’s fusion of motorbike riding and assassination had me thinking of the Vice City franchise and the untapped potential of the Dreamcast…

The character you play is Jack Wade, a cross between Dirty Harry and Snake Plisken. He’s quite literally “cool as fuck”! Having lost his memory it’s your job to train him up again using the L.E.I.L.A virtual training facility, gain experience in riding your bike and regain your bounty hunter license and then go out an kick motherfuckin' ass in the criminal underworld…

It’s an utterly fabulous game, but can be a little frustrating when it comes to bike riding, as the streets are cluttered with other vehicles which you inevitably hit… this then causes your experience points to drop, which is a killer when its taken you so long to build them up… I’m not the first one to notice this, have a look here… Overall Score? It would have got a 10/10 but due to the bike crashy thing, it only gets a 9/10. Still very definitely recommended…

Resident Evil: Code Veronica- This is an excellent game, but one with which I definitely have a love-hate relationship with, that has oft been chronicled on my other blogs. Like Marmite or Shenmue, you’ll either love it or hate it. At times I felt both emotions about the game… I played right through the whole thing and then left it unfinished with about 40 minutes to an hour (if that) of gameplay to go. I ended up watching its conclusion on Youtube, I just couldn’t be arsed any more. ( I also bought RE:CV Survivors Guide and Light Gun for the PS2, enabling me to whizz through the stages of the game AND shoot Zombies in House Of the Dead Style… Which is nice...

You see the problem with this horror survival classic, is that failure to pick up items at the start of the game, can impact on your ability to succeed, way into the second disc (even with a walkthrough). Still fabulously plotted, stunning graphics and some great gameplay make this one of my all time Dreamcast favourites… 8/10! Intrigued? Look here… and here… (and I know the video is from the PS2 port, but it shows the graphic spleandour of the original and goes very nicely with the music!)

As well as these games I’ve also been playing some classic Dreamcast lovelies, oft discussed on this hallowed forum… Soul Calibur, Powerstone, Crazy Taxi, SWWS (Euro Edition) and Jet Set Radio. This is because I’ve sneaked a Dreamcast into the traditionally console free ‘little living room’, where we have a 60HZ TV, and I’m currently enjoying the improved graphics and smoother frame rates (or whatever it is that a 60HZ TV does for your DC). It’s made me think of investing in a new scart lead or even a VGA adaptor…

Finally to offset a disastrously poor purchase of three Japanese games from Play Asia, (I’m no Gagaman(n) when it comes to making wise choices…), I was delighted to receive my own copy of Half Life from the wonderful Gary from Dreamcasting@btinternet.com This legendary piece of un-published vapour ware was first brought to the DCJY’s attention by the great Tomleecee a while back. To own my own copy however is a sublime experience. The quality of the packaging is just amazing, coming in a PAL Dreamcast case, with glossy front and back cover, printed disc and even a glossy covered manual, replete with cheats! I cannot recommend Gary’s work highly enough! Check him out and BUY STUFF… Like a Dr. Feelgood of Dreamcasting, he can get you what you need… Have a look here

Well that’s me for now! I’m off to enjoy my last evening of being 39 and anticipating a new Wii flavoured chapter of my gaming life….

Goodnight dear children… wherever you are…

The Dreamcast Will Rise!

I started this off as a reply to someone on the Planet Dreamcast Forum, but then decided it would be a good topic for debate as a post in its own right...

There are a million links to click on, but put together I think they suggest that the Dreamcast as a console is far from dead!What I didn't mention in the original post, was the love for the DC on a large amount of websites like this one, the homebrew, emu and mod scene and I don't think I emphasized how huge the retro gaming scene both in terms of popularity and as a profitable industry in its own right! At a time when next gen consoles are battling out in the market place, its significant that a selling point for the Wii is the opportunity to play twenty year old games on the Virtual Console.Have a look at this and please let me know what you think.. my guess is that opinion will pretty much be evenly divided, especially since the demise of the GD Rom and the announcement that Sega will be withdrawing technical support for the Dreamcast on September 27th of this year, still...

Here goes my post...I found this article at the excellent http://www.seganerds.com/

"Reports from RetroBlast! indicate that French based website INpactVirtuel have the latest scoop on what could possibly be the next Sega console!Dubbed the ‘Sega Hedgehog’ this console will be a portable games device built on the same technology that the ill-fated Gizmondo platform ran on. Despite the flop that the Gizmondo was- the technology it held was actually more advanced and more powerful than the PSP- just very few games managed to show this and the Gizmondo company fell through soon after they launched the device in the US. The Gizmondo's main feature was that of the Satellite Navigation built in, which was not only used for in car SatNav, but was set to be used in many games too. It’s just a pity that the device was never marketed properly, nor had the support from the gaming community. On a side note- the Gizmondo's SatNav is actually very good- I use it in my car still today.Whether the ‘Hedgehog’ will have the same SatNav technology the Gizmondo had we do not know. Reports Rumours indicate that the Hedgehog will possibly have ‘retrocompatibility’ with old Sega consoles, namely the Mastersystem, Saturn and Dreamcast. Though how that is done, it is not yet known. From the rough image we have seen the device is set to have a USB port for possibly connection to printers, scanners, PC and possibly for wireless Internet access.Of course this is all heresay right now, and to be honest I don’t believe it to be true. Especially as it is said to be available at the end of 2007. But it’s always nice to dream isn’t it? Imagine a handheld Dreamcast or Saturn?"

Wouldn't you like one of

these?

Then there's the love for Dreamcast shown here: IGN Dreamcast...

and here:Play Asia
and here:Game Set Watch
and here:Amazon
and here:Gamestation
and here:Online Consoles
and here: The BBC

Plus there is the case in point of this little reincarnation of the defunct mastersystem/gamegear: Pocket Gaming

Then there's this:Kotaku

And this:Sega Nerds

If there is one fact of which we can be certain its that Sega as a company NEVER miss an opportunity to whore out (or 'recycle for cash' to put it more delicately...) its back catalogue! So who knows? The Dreamcast, like the Game Gear before it, could one day rise from the grave...My opinion? Well lets just say I'm living in hope!!!