Top Ten Sega Dreamcast Games - News
by VGChartz Staff , posted on 17 April 2011 / 45,927 Views
Background:
A few years ago, VGChartz ran a series of articles that ranked the top ten games for a number of modern systems including the 360, Wii, and PS3. The voting was handled by the staff and a small “reader’s choice” section was added with the reader’s opinions. A year has come and gone, and tastes change, so we decided to see what kind of games you guys wanted listed in a top ten this time, except we are handling things differently this time. Not only will the list be compiled entirely by you, the fans, but we will go through a large number of game systems all the way back to the 1970’s with the Atari 2600 to modern day. We hope to do these over a few months, so stay tuned for your favorite systems! Since our readers are a diverse group, be prepared for some surprises!
Method:
Our voting was carried out on the forums, where we asked patrons to list their top five Sega Dreamcast games in order, and numerical values were placed on the rankings. After compiling all the totals, this is the list that we came up with.
History Lesson:
The SEGA Dreamcast was a system that many would say was way ahead of its time and a system many would argue was taken from us far too young. Before it was cool to participate in online gaming on a console, Dreamcast had it. Before it was cool to speak to your games, Dreamcast had a microphone. Because of a grand list of shenanigans on everyone’s part, the Dreamcast crumbled due to the unstoppable juggernaut that was the PS2. Love it or hate it, Sega’ s last hurrah was an innovative system with its share of great games.
Here’s what The Staff Said in 2009:
10. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
9. Skies of Arcadia
8. Power Stone
7. Jet Grind Radio
6. Sonic Adventure
5. Shenmue
4. Sonic Adventure 2
3.Soul Calibur
2. Crazy Taxi
1. Resident Evil: Code Veronica
Here’s what you voted for in 2011:
10. Crazy Taxi
Crazy Taxi was so popular that it not only got ports to other systems, but started a new genre basically, one that we can clearly see in the Simpson’s Road Rage. The main objective of the game is to pick up customers and take them to their chosen destination as fast as possible. If this sounds easy, well you haven’t played Crazy Taxi.
9. Power Stone 2
Most fighting games feature a one-on-one contest between two opponents. Power Stone adds to this formula by giving you the ability to pick up and fight with such objects as tables, chairs, rocks and bombs. Power Stone was one of the first fighting games to implement a free roaming fighting experience with weapons in the environment, and do it well.
8. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
Of the three home versions of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 (X-box, PS2 and DC) The Dreamcast version is the closest to the arcade version, due to its hardware being similar to that of a NAOMI arcade motherboard. If there was a definitive home version of Marvel vs Capcom 2, it was the Dreamcast Version.
7. Resident Evil: Code Veronica
The most underrated over game in the Resident Evil franchise, Code Veronica carries over everything that made Resident Evil 3 such a success. This includes 180 degree turning and fully 3d backgrounds, not pre-rendered mattes. The game is set three months after the events depicted in Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. The plot moves away from Raccoon City and onto Rockfort Island, a solitary private isle owned by the Umbrella Corporation.
6. Shenmue
When many think of the Dreamcast, one game comes to mind – Shenmue. Shenmue had many features completely unheard of at the time of release. Yu Suzuki, the creator of the game, coined a genre that he called "FREE" meaning Full Reactive Eyes Entertainment at the time of release. Shenmue plays out a lot like a typical adventure game, but aspects of the FREE system make the game immensely more immersive.
5. Jet Grind Radio
Cel-shading may be passé today, and even scoffed at by some, but in 1999 it was amazingly revolutionary, and no other game did cel-shading like Jet Grind Radio. The game itself tells a bizarre story of a skater named Beat trying to use tagging and skating as a form of self-expression in a dystopian world. Jet Grind Radio also featured a fairly well reviewed soundtrack featuring many popular pop, techno and even rock songs to assist you on your voyage to fight the man.
4. Skies of Arcadia
The story in Skies of Arcadia focuses around Vyse, a young sky pirate in a Jules Verne-inspired fantasy world, and his friends as they attempt to stop the Valuan Empire from reviving ancient weapons with the potential to destroy the world. The game was later ported to the Gamecube, but the true version of the game was the original.
3. Shenmue 2
Sadly, many gamers had to wait a LONG time for this game to come out in the west, this was especially true in the United States, as the game finally came out on the original Xbox long after the Dreamcast release. Shenmue II begins shortly after the first installment of Shenmue concluded. While the first game told the story of the first chapter of the saga, the second game tells the story of the second, third, and fourth chapters.
2. Soul Calibur
The follow up to Soul Edge/Soul Blade was a big surprise, and is still looked at as one of the best fighting games of all time, only bested by its eventual sequel Soul Calibur 2. Sporting a healthy dose of weapons based combat, this is the fighting game that many franchises wanted to be last generation.
1. Sonic Adventure
It had to happen, there had to be a Sonic game on our list. Sonic Adventure is arguably the best 3d Sonic game on the market according to fans of the series. Not only was the game well received, but it still holds the crown for the best selling Dreamcast game... EVER!
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Add your comment...This is an interesting list. Although I think a lot more can be added from this list http://www.ranker.com/list/all-dreamcast-games-list-of-sega-dreamcast-console-games/video-games-by-console
Grandia II is missing again....
Plus Crazy Taxi and especially Sonic Adventures haven't aged very well.
Loved Skies Of Arcadia... my favorite Dreamcast game, closely followed by Grandia II and Soul Calibur.
Sonic Adventure is just okay.
Fuck me for not voting... Was there even a vote for this? Phantasy Star Online should have been on that list.. I jizzed uncontrollably when I first played that game online. It became my crack and made me fail many classes... I also had many boners talking to girls on that game. Cyber sexing with real girls and guys pretending to be girls...
I imported Shenmue 2 as well.
@ gamerlife
I eagerly anticipated Shenmue 2 before it was canceled in the USA so I imported the UK version. I loved it and it's one of my favorite Dreamcast games, better than the first one. Works easily with a import boot disc. I never bought it on Xbox because. In the last days of the Dreamcast I resorted to imports for games like Rez, Evil Twin, Ikaruga, Boarder Down, and of course Shenmue 2.
Grandia 2 and shenmue are the definitive dreamcast games.
@ioi
There wording seems to imply more that it came out on the Dreamcast after the Xbox not that it didn't come out. I'm surprised it ranked so high without any US voters picking it anyway?
Sonic Adventure 2 >>>> Sonic Adventure
Shenmue 1 & 2 in 6th and 3rd? Joint 1st for me.
FOR SHAME!!!! No Grandia II ?!?!?!?
Okay, I looked it up. Shenmue 2 never came on Dreamcast in the North America but did in Japan and EU. I knew something was up because I was so depressed when it never came to Dreamcast because I was a huge fan. I eventually purchased an xbox just to play this.
I'm confused. When did Shenmue 2 come out on dreamcast. I'm pretty sure it never did. I'm going to go look it up to make sure.
Missing Grandia 2, Phantasy Star Online, and Sonic Adventure 2.
@sega4life
You bring back painful memories.
For the record, Pirated games was what hit the Dreamcast the Hardest, not PS2.
All you had to do for most games was to burn the game to a CD and insert it into your DC, and the rest needed a simple boot disc. No MOD chip, no opening of the DC, just insert a CD and play.
It was one of the easiest system to get games on without paying. Developers saw this, then saw their sales, and decided to cancel game after game, causing the Dreamcast to fade away gracelessly.
WTFFFFFFFFFFF! I do not see SEAMAN or PSO????????????? on that list!.... BS
- Skies of Arcadia
- Soul Calibur
- Resident Evil - Code: Veronica
- Shenmue 2
- Shenmue
- Quake III Arena
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
- Phantasy Star Online version 2
- Test Drive Le Mans
- Unreal Tournament
Not a bad list, still love Code Veronica and had many a great night on Soul Calibur! But where is MSR!!!It re-wrote the racing game and was the best of the generation IMO, a proper classic, should have been there.
Grandia 2 is my favorite RPG, I would've liked to see that on there.
Also, Toy Commander I think is a vastly underrated game for the system, especially for multiplayer. Anyone who still has a Dreamcast should track down that gem.
I should elaborate on my post. I realize that Jet Set Radio isn't on the dream cast :-/ Just posted my opinion on that one
I loved Skies of Arcadia, anyways I wish Grandia 2 was on the list. Also Jet Set Radio Future > Jet Grind Radio...
arcadia and powerstone, the 2 big misses I have from the DC (picked mine up when it was declared dead and prices droped :p... but some games became hard to find).
I got to play Skies of Arcadia but I am still wanting to play Shenmue sooo badly...Port it to PSN!!!
Why did you guys put a picture of Sonic Adventure DX on 1st? This isnt really fair...
Sonic Adventure?
... Seriously? That game has aged like [i]milk.[/i]
At least Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is higher than last year.
Good list until............. Sonic Adventure.
Those of you who voted for this have terrible taste in games. Not being a fan of the Sonic games, this is one game I've never owned for the Dreamcast. It was on sale on the PSN at one time so I decided to pick it up for $5. I thought Sonic Adventure was supposed to be the "good" 3d Sonic? It's hard to say which is worse. Sonic Adventure or Sonic the Hedgehog PS360.
Shenmue 2 higher than Shenmue one and Sonic in first place? Wow that some pretty bad votes if i have to say so myself -.-.
Great list. I voted and I'm happy with the results. I'd be happier if Rez was on the list, but I can consul myself by playing it on my Dreamcast.
Never heard of Jet Grind Radio....
where is sonic adventure 2?
Now THIS is what I'm talking about! Hard to argue with this Top 10... I agree with this more than the VGC's staff picks back in '09 (Crazy Taxi at #2? Really?!?)
