Top Ten Dreamcast Games

Twenty years ago on one of the best release dates for anything ever--9/9/99--the Sega Dreamcast launched. While Sega exited the hardware market shortly after, in just two brief years, the Dreamcast managed to amass a library that consoles that have been on the market much longer can only dream about. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Sega Dreamcast, SuperPhillip Central takes a look at some of the best games to ever grace the system and--since many of these have been ported elsewhere--other systems as well (though that just shows how strong the legacy of the Dreamcast really is!).

After you've checked out, SPC's picks, which Sega Dreamcast games are your favorites?

10) Power Stone 

Capcom showed a competent amount of support for Sega and its Dreamcast, and one of its most beloved titles on Sega's final home console was Power Stone. This arena brawler was less of a traditional fighter and more of a game where you beat your opponents senseless with character attacks, objects strewn about the 3D arena environments, and items that occasionally dropped in to the playing field. Collecting the fabled "Power Stones" in battle meant your character charged up immensely, ready and able to deliver some devastating damage to your opponent's or opponents' life bars. A sequel would release, bringing more of the same to the series and Sega's system, but I have a soft spot for the original Power Stone.

9) Hydro Thunder

A launch title for the Dreamcast--and later ported to the original PlayStation and Nintendo 64 down the road, though the Dreamcast original remained the best way to play it on a home console back then--Hydro Thunder was a high-speed, high-octane aquatic racer where you piloted futuristic speedboats across rocky waters in a bevy of exhilarating locations. Carving a path through the waters with your speedboat felt so fantastic, and the speeds at which you did so was nothing short of jaw-dropping. Hydro Thunder packed a lot of entertainment within its courses, its boosting-based gameplay, and phenomenal tracks.

8) Crazy Taxi

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, YEAH!" Any fan of Crazy Taxi has those initial lyrics and notes engrained deep in their virtual taxi-driving brains. Having roots in arcades, Sega created and ported a lot of its arcade hits to its home consoles, and that tradition continued with the Dreamcast. Such a defining example of a proven arcade hit and putting it on the system was Crazy Taxi, a game where you drove your yellow, checkered limousine and chauffeured passengers to their desired destinations around a closed-in city setting. Performing--ahem--crazy stunts and tricks while getting your passengers to their destinations in quick fashion awarded more in tips during your timed sessions racing around town.

7) Jet Grind Radio

Paint the town up with graffiti as you skate, jump, and grind your way through colorful, cel-shaded, open environments in Jet Grind Radio (future releases would establish the brand of the game and series as Jet Set Radio, in line with the international releases). As a fierce fighter to anyone who would degrade the cel-shaded art style, due to his heavy love for it, Jet Grind Radio brought with it the goal of tagging specific spots on maps before the game's timer ran out. Of course, the MAN (aka the authorities) would just have to make this mission of your inline-skating, graffiti-tagging gang member more challenging. The controls, favoring simple button presses as opposed to something slightly more complex like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, allowed for a level of accessibility for beginners while also granting a great deal of depth for masters of the game to unleash some killer moves and nail insane shortcuts in the game.

6) Sonic Adventure 2

It was a bit of a struggle to pick between Sonic Adventure or Sonic Adventure 2 to be the representative of Sonic the Hedgehog's Dreamcast debuts, but in the end, I had to go with the game that trimmed a lot of the fat that the original Sonic Adventure possess--that being the hub worlds and plodding extraneous gameplay types like Amy Rose, Gamma, and of course, Big the Cat. While there are some lesser parts to Sonic Adventure 2, the more streamlined approach, excellent Sonic and Shadow levels, okay to good Tails and Dr. Eggman vehicle levels, and passable Knuckles and Rouge emerald fetch quests made for one of Sonic's most memorable adventures to this day.

5) Shenmue

After almost two decades of waiting, the next chapter and the third installment in Ryo Hazuki's adventure, Shenmue III, will finally be available later this year to fans who have been with Ryo since the very beginning. And that beginning was on none other than the Dreamcast and from the mind of Yu Suzuki. Combining small open world areas, fighting segments, quick-time events, and an insanely obsessive amount of detail in the actual game world, Shenmue is a fantastic quest that showed just how ambitious Sega was during its final generation as a console manufacturer.

4) Marvel vs. Capcom 2

Capcom took players for a ride not just with the Power Stone series, but also with Marvel vs. Capcom 2, which the Dreamcast version is deemed one of, if not the best of the versions of the game. This second ultimate crossover between the superheroes and supervillains of Marvel Comics and the video game star power of Capcom brought accessible 2D fighting game action to the Dreamcast with its simple to pick up and play combat, flashy visuals, gorgeous colors, and supersized cast of characters. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 remains a fantastic fighting game that fans of one or both companies come back to on a regular basis, even if it's not the most balanced fighter out there.

3) Phantasy Star Online

During its time as a console manufacturer, Sega brought so many important innovations into the gaming sphere, and one of the most notable of these was bringing about and helping to popularize online play on home consoles, a sector of gaming that the PC had a hard monopoly on. With the release of Phantasy Star Online, Dreamcast owners had the ability to step foot on the planet of Ragol, explore its wondrous world, and do battle with its dangerous creatures with a party of up to four players online. It's something we of course take for granted nowadays, but even still, the Phantasy Star Online series remains popular, with part of the big news from Xbox's E3 2019 showing being that Phantasy Star Online 2 was coming to Xbox One. We can thank the original Phantasy Star Online for its mark on gaming, and just for remaining a solid and addicting game today.

2) Skies of Arcadia 

Dreamcast owners had no shortage of excellent RPGs to play on their system, and my pick for the absolute greatest of the bunch comes from Sega's now defunct Overworks team. It's none other than Skies of Arcadia. So many RPGs coming out of Japan have similar medieval settings or futuristic locations, but none are as original as Skies of Arcadia's literal skies... of Arcadia! From taking your starting small fry airship and exploring floating islands, featuring cities and dungeons to explore, to eventually earning a massive vessel to face off against other ships in aerial battles, Skies of Arcadia made a mark on this JRPG fan when it originally released. While the GameCube re-release brought with it many sizable and notable improvements, the original Skies of Arcadia still remains an impressive feather in the Dreamcast's cap.

1) Soul Calibur

We take the Soul Calibur franchise for granted nowadays (after all, the sixth numbered installment seems to have come and gone already without too much fanfare), but it can't be understated just how awesome and amazing an arena fighter Soul Calibur was. No doubt Soul Calibur fans know of the series's arcade roots with Soul Edge, but the arrival of Soul Calibur on the Dreamcast brought with it an immense following from fighting game fans and just lovers of weapon-based battles. Whether beating your opponent to the pulp with the blade your character wielded or knocking your foe out of bounds for a ring out, the soul burned strong for this excellent and exquisite Dreamcast launch title.

One & Done: Games Without Sequels - Part One

In an industry full of sequels (though that isn't exclusive to the video game industry, of course), it's nice to see new franchises come about. However, not all of these wind up being successful. No, some end up having the best of intentions and end up either getting ripped to shreds by critics or sell horribly on the market. Other times, the publisher just moves on and doesn't give a game a chance to blossom into a series by giving it a sequel. Whichever the case, One & Done is a new series on SuperPhillip Central that delves into the games that saw but one entry, not including remastered versions or enhanced ports.

After checking out SuperPhillip Central's initial six picks, which games that never got a sequel are your favorites?

The Legend of Dragoon (PS1)

The original PlayStation took over the mantle as the JRPG machine from the Super Nintendo, and with it, a plethora of engaging and enjoyable games in the genre were made. Of course, many are familiar with the big guns like Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX, as well as games like Chrono Cross and Xenogears, but Sony also had their own JRPGs to add to the PS1's impressive library, such as Wild Arms, which would become a series, and The Legend of Dragoon, which sadly did not. The Legend of Dragoon used a combat mechanic called "additions" which were timing based button presses that either dealt more damage in an offensive move or helped to lessen damage from an enemy's attack. Despite lacking much in the way of originality, there is a sizable chunk of the PlayStation userbase that would love to see The Legend of Dragoon return. Even Sony hasn't completely turned its back on the game, as there were rumors of Dart, the hero of the game, appearing in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, before sales of that game didn't meet expectations.

Lost Odyssey (360)

We go from one JRPG to another, though two generations later. A joint effort between Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi's Mistwalker studio and Feelplus, Lost Odyssey was a game made for the Xbox 360 when Microsoft was seriously desiring to be a contender in Japan. Thus, several 360 exclusive games were made with Japan in mind. Lost Odyssey is somewhat of a relic of old school JRPGs, including things like turn-based combat and random battles, which some reviewers and players found to be unappealing. However, the game's battle system wasn't your run of the mill one-- it featured the use of rings and skills, as well as timing-based button attacks as seen in the previously mentioned Legend of Dragoon, to liven the otherwise hum-ho and typical combat much more exciting.

Skies of Arcadia (DC, GCN)

Generally, JRPGs take place in either a futuristic or medieval world of sorts. However, Skies of Arcadia bucks the traditional trend by not having a typical medieval or futuristic world to explore. Rather than walk and run on a land-based world map, Skies of Arcadia's world took place in the sky with protagonist Vyse and company piloting airships to various destinations elevated high in the clouds, separated by air rifts to ensure that players don't have the full world map to explore right from the beginning. Skies of Arcadia has seen cult classic status for being a tremendous JRPG unlike any other, featuring both character combat and epic ship battles, creatively designed dungeons, and a setting rarely seen in the genre. Skies of Arcadia did so many things so well that it was media and fan darling. It's just a shame that the critical success of the Dreamcast original and then GameCube port didn't equate into commercial success.

Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (GCN)

Nintendo worked with Silicon Knights on two projects on the GameCube. The first was a horror game unlike any other at the time and even to date with Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem. The game took place in a third-person perspective across multiple time periods, through four unique locations. The major gameplay component that made Eternal Darkness infamous was the Sanity Meter, something so great that Nintendo patented it. As the player's character took damage and encountered things in the game that stressed them out, the game would do various sanity effects. The more the Sanity Meter was depleted, the greater the effect. Some were innocuous enough like sound effects haunting the area, while others broke the fourth wall, such as the game controlling the volume or even displaying a blue screen of death error to mess with the player. Silicon Knights has since filed for bankruptcy with one of the lead directors of the game trying to get funding for a spiritual successor. Meanwhile, Nintendo still holds the Eternal Darkness IP, which will hopefully see the light of day again.

Killer7 (PS2, GCN)

From one game that messes with the player's mind to another, while Killer7 didn't receive the same critical acclaim that Eternal Darkness did, the game did receive a cult following nonetheless. Directed and written by Suda51 (who would later go on to create No More Heroes on Wii), Killer7 told the tale of a group of assassins known as Killer7 who took on jobs to take out targets on the behest of the United States government. What followed is a deep and somewhat convoluted plot that adds in a healthy dose of government conspiracy and some very disturbing story elements. What made Killer7 so polarizing with critics was the gameplay that featured players moving in a first-person perspective, confined to predetermined paths that they can move back and forth on. Through solving environmental puzzles and vanquishing initially invisible Heaven Smiles enemies, progress was made. Killer7 was an ingenuous and deep game cultivated from the insane (and I mean that in a good way) mind of Suda51. The type of a game that I would like to see him return to one day.

P.N.03 (GCN)

I didn't mention this in the Killer7 blurb of this article, but it and this final game on part one's list, P.N.03 (standing for Project Number 03) were initially declared to be a part of a series of games known as the Capcom Five. These were supposedly to be exclusive to the GameCube, including three others titles: Resident Evil 4, Viewtiful Joe, and Dead Phoenix. Only P.N.03 remained exclusive with the others arriving on the PlayStation 2 and Dead Phoenix being cancelled mid-development. P.N.03's developers wanted to distinguish the game from other action titles. Thus, an emphasis on defense as well as offense was made. Despite having good intentions, the game received a majority of negative reviews and even worse sales. However, it wasn't a total bust. Famed director Shinji Mikami would use the foundation of P.N.03 for a much better title for the next generation of home consoles. That game would be Vanquish.

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - Winter Role-Playing Edition

It's Monday, so that can only mean one thing. Well, aside from obvious things like most people going back to work or school. What I'm talking about is SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs! I have for you a themed edition this week, an edition chock full of RPG goodness.

This week we start off with some Ys I & II Chronicles music. Then we enter into a waltz with music from Kingdom Hearts II. Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan leads us to the halfway mark of this week's edition, while Chrono Trigger and Skies of Arcadia take us home.

If after listening to the VGMs this week has left you yearning for more, check out the VGM Database, where more than 1,000 past VGM volumes are located for your listening pleasure!

v1061. Ys I & II Chronicles (PC) - First Step Towards Wars

Yuzo Koshiro originally composed the themes heard in many early Ys games. Falcom's masterful arrangers took the already excellent compositions and turned them into even greater pieces with the Ys remakes. This theme, First Step Towards Wars, plays early in the first Ys game, which featured simplistic combat compared to future games in the series.

v1062. Kingdom Hearts II (PS2) - Waltz of the Damned

Yoko Shimomura is a goddess of a game composer. That's not spreading it on too thick, is it? Her work in Kingdom Hearts 2 is fantastic, as exemplified by this theme that plays during the Beast's Castle level of the game, obviously modeled after Beauty and the Beast. Played in 3/3 time, as waltzes are wont to be, Waltz of the Damned is a magical and marvelous piece of music.

v1063. Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan (3DS) - Area I - Windy Plains

We just can't get away from Yuzo Koshiro, can we? While we sampled a composition from his past works, his compositions on Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan is much more recent, but no doubt just as capable and compelling. This beautiful travel theme for the Windy Plains area of Etrian Odyssey IV welcomes the listener with gorgeous strings and piano.

v1064. Chrono Trigger (SNES, DS) - Secret of the Forest

We've already had some great composers featured on this RPG-filled edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs. Now I feature one of my favorite game music composers of all time, Yasunori Mitsuda. His work on Chrono Trigger was quite stressful to him, making it so he became ill during working on the music. Thankfully, the equally awesome Nobuo Uematsu of Final Fantasy fame came through and assisted Mitsuda with work on the soundtrack.

v1065. Skies of Arcadia (DC) - Little Jack

Vyse and crew travel the skies of Skies of Arcadia in a variety of vessels. The Little Jack is Drachma's ship and namesake, one of the earlier ships used in the game. Little Jack as a theme is heroic and majestic, great for soaring through the skies, passing by towns and clouds alike, as the adventure continues.

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs - "What Is This Doing On A Tuesday?" Edition

As any SuperPhillip Central regular will tell you, SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs usually appear on a Monday to jump start the week with great video game music. However, any SuperPhillip Central regular will also tell you that I occasionally am late or a bit lazy with posting these on time. It happens rarely, but when it does, it makes a reader's Tuesday all the more special. That's exactly what has transpired with this edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs.

No worries, though, as I have come up with awesome video game tracks for us all to enjoy on this fine Tuesday afternoon. We start things off with Kumi Tanioka's Fort Farthest from Ragnarok Odyssey. Then we get rocking with some music from Mega Man X7 and Paper Mario: Sticker Star. Lastly, we wind this edition up with music from Skies of Arcadia and a jazzy little number from SimCity 3000. Let's get to the music!

v876. Ragnarok Odyssey (Vita) - Fort Farthest

Kumi Tanioka delivers to us a military march styled theme that plays at the hub area Fort Farthest of Ragnarok Odyssey and its expansion, Ragnarok Odyssey ACE. I played the latter, enjoying it as a much more beginner friendly Monster Hunter-esque game. Ragnarok Odyssey features Norse mythology and creatures, bringing with it intense battles with up to four players online or off.

v877. Mega Man X7 (PS2) - Bomb Recovery ~ Central Circuit Stage

Despite the game being the main bomb in a critical sense, Mega Man X7 should be admired for at least trying something new, fully 3D levels. However, I think most of us can be happy that Capcom went to a strictly 2D and 2.5D design sense with Mega Man X8. Still, while the quality of the Mega Man X series has been like a roller coaster, one constant is present throughout all of the games-- they have fantastic music, as evidenced by this theme for Hellride Boarski's stage.

v878. Paper Mario: Sticker Star (3DS) - My Things!

Talking about games that aren't viewed with the highest of regards, Paper Mario: Sticker Star was a competent but overall underwhelming title. It's more to do with it being part of the Paper Mario series than anything else. It lacked gaining experience from battles, partners to help Mario in battle, and the lack of a pronounced story hurt more than they helped the game. However, the music of this Paper Mario is by far my favorite yet seen in the series with its abundance of catchy tunes, such as this one for Bowser Jr. encounters.

v879. Skies of Arcadia (DC) - Blue Pirates' Ship

The Blue Rogues is led by Vyse the pirate, who is also the main character of Skies of Arcadia, known as Eternal Arcadia in Japan. The game would see a port on the Nintendo GameCube, lowering the amount of random enemy encounters that the Dreamcast original notoriously had. The game remains one of my favorite JRPGs I've ever played, and it's the charming cast of characters, unique setting, fun battle system, and wonderful music that I thank for that.

v880. SimCity 3000 (PC) - Central Park Sunday

We conclude this late edition of SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGMs with a jazzy song from SimCity 3000, Central Park Sunday. Sure, Sunday was two days ago, but this song is just as nice for a Tuesday. A mixture of original music is heard while tinkering around with the various tools available for creating magnificent cities with SimCity 3000, and basically all of it is just as wonderful as Central Park Sunday.

SuperPhillip Central's Favorite VGM - Mega Men, Sky Pirates, and Bounty Hunters Edition

Welcome to a new week of SuperPhillip Central content. As we often do, we kick things off with our list of our favorite video game themes from past to present. We'll be focusing on the past with this installment, with titles like Final Fantasy III, Mega Man 2, and the first appearance of Super Metroid on our list. If you want to catch up on past VGM choices (and you have a significant amount of hours in your life to spare), check out our VGM Database. Now, let's get onto the music!

v511. Final Fantasy III (DS) - Dungeon

Haunting yet beautiful, the dungeon theme remastered for Final Fantasy III's much awaited arrival in the West is short but oh-so-sweet. One can imagine walking through a mysterious cavern, not knowing what monsters their party will run into. It's a sense of discovery that the creators of Final Fantasy games post XII seem to have forgotten about.

v512. Mega Man 2 (NES) - Wily Stage 1/2

A theme that has been long overdue, no favorite VGM list is complete without Mega Man 2's Wily Stage 1/2. Whether you prefer the NES original or the Complete Works version, there is no question that this theme from Mega Man 2 is one of the most revered of the 8-bit era.

v513. Skies of Arcadia (DC) - Last Battle (Opportunity)

As you can probably discern from this theme's title, this song plays during the final boss battle within Skies of Arcadia. No worries. We won't spoil anything. We just loved how Skies of Arcadia's battle themes would change depending on whether you were on the winning or losing end of the various fights. There was nothing like hearing a triumphant theme as you whittled away the last hit points of a boss. It was greatly satisfying.

v514. Star Fox Assault (GCN) - Aparoid Blitz (Boss 1)

Star Fox Assault was disappointing in a fair number of ways, but it's a much better Star Fox than what we received on the Nintendo DS. Regardless, one point of Assault that was nowhere near disappointing was the rousing orchestral soundtrack. This was one of the Nintendo's first forays into fully symphonic music, predated solely by Super Smash Bros. Melee.

v515. Super Metroid (SNES) - Brinstar (The Jungle Floor)

Samus Aran's debut on the original NES was mired with confusing and similar-looking hallways, making exploration practically impossible without charting your own map. As kids, we did such a thing, but nowadays we don't have the patience for that. Super Metroid made everything better-- the map system, the visuals, the structure, the gameplay, the controls, and yes, pertaining to this segment, the music.

SPC's Favorite VGMs - Spring Break 2013 Edition

SuperPhillip Central is back for a week's worth of new content. Starting that off is our Spring Break 2013 edition of the Favorite VGMs. This week is terrific for taking a vacation to the coast, but if you can't leave your troubles behind and go somewhere, why not get away with these five stellar tracks from video games? We have music from Nintendo Land, Final Fantasy III, and Skies of Arcadia. There. All better now?

v331. Nintendo Land (Wii U) - Main Theme

The game that won SuperPhillip Central's Best Wii U Game of 2012 award due to its clever mini-games and absolutely awesome multiplayer, Nintendo Land also comes with an incredible soundtrack. While most of it is remixes, the main theme is one of the original tracks the game possesses. While the Wii U is currently struggling, those interested in the console should have a great old time with Nintendo Land.

v332. Mario Party 2 (N64) - In the Pipe

Mario Party 2 might be our favorite entry in the series. 1) It had a fun collection of mini-games, 2) the boards were enjoyable to play on, and 3) there were no blister-inducing mini-games like its predecessor had. In the Pipe is a peppy tune that plays as Mario Party 2 owners choose their characters and board.

v333. Final Fantasy III (DS) - Crystal Tower

If you are looking for an old-school in design and difficulty game for your Nintendo DS (or your backwards compatible Nintendo 3DS), then Final Fantasy III is a grand game for you to look into. The game had previously never been released in the West, and this DS version (the game is also available on iOS platforms) featured new 3D graphics and a remastered soundtrack. Crystal Tower is an epic sounding theme perfect for the final dungeon it plays in.

v334. Skies of Arcadia (DC, GCN) - Kingdom of Ixa'taka

Full of tribal percussion and pan flute toots, Skies of Arcadia's Kingdom of Ixa'taka plays during the village of the same name. The village is suspended above the treetops and in the jungle canopy. Skies of Arcadia recently made a return in the spotlight in Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. Not only did the game have a track representative, but it also had Vyse as a playable character. Expect a review of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed on Wednesday.

v335. Elebits (Wii) - The Smile of You

A really catchy and perky song to cap the fun and quirky near launch game for Wii, Elebits, The Smile of You is a bouncy and bright vocal theme played during the credits of the game. On the other side of the Atlantic, Elebits is known as Eledees, as "bits" in the U.K. is a word for a certain under region of the male body. You know which one. I'm not spelling it out any further. We're a family site here... sort of.

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That wraps up our Spring Break 2013 edition of SPC's Favorite VGMs. Until next week, why not scope out the VGM Database for every VGM ever listed? As for now, the VGMs will see you later!