Nothing makes a retro console more interesting than one that could have gone onto greatness, which is why this list of the best Dreamcast games of all time has an exciting yet bitter-sweet feel to it (that’s a good thing – please don’t stop reading).
The SEGA Dreamcast is a bit of an enigma. It’s perhaps the greatest ‘what if’ story in gaming history, Sega’s swan song and a last-ditch attempt to keep the Sonic ship afloat in a world of bandicoots, Italian plumbers, and green hatted forest children (if you need help on deciphering those three games, then there’s no hope).
It sits in second-hand gaming stores like a mysterious object in a fantasy quest and prompts strange looks from children, a constant reminder of what Sega could have gone on to achieve had they got the formula right.
Many consider the Dreamcast to have been way ahead of its time, especially with the removable VMUs that are now used by many aspiring modifiers and the fact that it was the first console that could connect up to the internet.
620 titles were released for the console, a lot of which are incredibly innovative and fun to play, but sadly without the longevity needed to make the Dreamcast a house-hold name today.
But that’s the history lesson over – let’s crack on with Number 1!
1. Sonic Adventure
Selling 2.5 million copies, Sonic Adventure wholeheartedly deserves the top spot in our list of the best Dreamcast games of all time!
The first fully 3D Sonic adventure – it’s what we all dreamt of during the side-scrolling days of the Sega Mega Drive, and Sonic Adventure certainly didn’t disappoint.
All of the usual suspects including Tails, Knuckles, and Amy are back, as is Robotnik who just doesn’t know when to give up! I spent hours playing this game back in the day, raising my Chao’s and making them win races to bring me eternal glory.
Make me proud, my little odd-shaped minions!
The premise is tried and tested – collect rings, stop ol’ ‘moustache face’ from using the Chaos emeralds for his own evil gain, and run as fast as hedgehogly possible everywhere you can.
Seeing Sonic in a 3D adventure was absolutely amazing and finally put the blue wonder at the same level as Mario and Spyro.
Sonic was always a gaming hero, but being able to move him in any direction and having the ability to revisit certain areas felt so good.
It wasn’t just about speed anymore (ok, it’s always about speed with Sonic), and many people saw this game as the one that would bring Sega back to the forefront of the console market (how many times have I written something like that so far in this article!).
This will always be one of the best Sonic games in my opinion, and I hope that you agree with my choice!
2. Skies Of Arcadia
This game was fantastic and the vast landscapes that you could explore were breathtaking. Turn-based battles, flying spaceships, epic soundtracks, and a host of weird and wonderful enemies to defeat.
Yep, Skies of Arcadia had it all and was described by critics as being one of the best games for the console.
I loved the epic fantasy storyline and the kick-ass weapons available throughout the game, and the fact that you could spend such a long time exploring the vibrant worlds (something that we take for granted in titles like Skyrim and BOTW) allowed you to fully immerse yourself in a completely different reality.
If you haven’t played Skies Of Arcadia before, then it’s very much like Final Fantasy and indeed Phantasy Star Online. Players can explore cities or delve into maze-inspired dungeons, collecting items that will help them in their quest and battling monsters and demons at every turn.
Like many RPG games, different mana points are used in the battle system with health being picked up along the way.
If you like any of the other fantasy titles that I’ve referred to throughout this article, then I urge you to give Skies Of Arcadia a try – you’ll be lost in another universe before you know it!
3. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
The Number 3 spot in our list goes to Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, which is one of our best PS1 games of all time too!
Soul Reaver is set 150 years after the first game in the series, Blood Omen. If you like the pain of being defeated time and time again on Dark Souls, then you’ll love this game.
It follows the journey of a vampire/wraith called Raziel (awesome name). He used to be ‘bezzy mates’ with Kain until the great Vampire Lord decided to kill him off.
Now, the Elder God has revived Raziel and made him his personal Soul Reaver.
If you’re confused, then don’t worry. This game has more angry feuds and battles than Game of Thrones!
Fans of Castlevania will love jumping into this dark and tense 3D adventure. Raziel’s weapons and abilities are completely out of this world (it’s mostly set in the underworld, after all), and the story is so immersive that you’ll find yourself sliding forward onto the edge of your seat in no time.
So it’s a little repetitive, but no more so than Dark Souls and certainly far less than games like Hyrule Warriors.
And the creepy enemies in Soul reaver will leave you wanting to get back in the game and destroy them as soon as possible once you turn off the console, which means that it’s a title that you’ll hardly ever put down!
4. Garou: Mark Of The Wolves
You might remember this next entry from when we covered the most sought-after Neo Geo games. Garou: Mark of the Wolves is the final installment in the Fatal Fury series. And for me, it’s one of the best fighting games there is.
This isn’t your average fighting game, and compared to the others, it just feels more carefully thought out.
For starters, there are returning characters from the King of Fighters series, which is a nice little touch for fans of the genre.
Then there’s the Tactical Offence Position gauge which grants you special moves, health rejuvenation, and increased attack power.
There are hidden characters to unlock, just like in Super Smash Bros., and you are rewarded for pulling off the perfect block via the ‘Just Defend’ rating system.
All of these extras serve to keep you on your toes. You’re thinking while you’re fighting, which is unusual in a game like this.
The levels are nice and busy too with plenty going on to look at in the background. The storyline is engaging, and the whole thing simply works.
All in all, a great buy!
5. Quake III Arena
Quake III Arena is a multiplayer classic and one of the best first-person shooters for the console.
This game has no story mode to play through; it’s literally a battle arena that focuses on the one element that made games like Goldeneye so much fun; destroying your mates.
The graphics are super crisp, and the simplified gameplay provides a no-nonsense gaming experience like many of today’s most-loved online multiplayer titles.
You can play this game in single-player mode, honing your skills against bots instead of real players. But the real action came in the form of online play.
Four players could fight online with some of the best weapons in the Quake franchise at their disposal. You could also play agains PC gamers from your Dreamcast too, so there were plenty of butts to kick no matter what time you wanted to play.
There is a European server that still has dedicated fans playing online too, so if you fancy some retro Dreamcast online gaming, then get hold of a copy and get online!
6. Sonic Adventure 2
Playing as Shadow the Hedgehog was absolutely awesome! He was just as fast as Sonic but cooler because he was a new character to play with.
Yeah, I’m that fickle.
This game was great fun from start to finish, with multiple storylines all swirling around one another and the chance to play as the bad guys as well as the good ones for a change.
So why isn’t Sonic Adventure 2 further down this list?
Well, I just feel that it worked a lot better on the GameCube than it did on the Dreamcast. The controls were easier to manage, and the ‘Battle’ variation on the GC added more exciting features that sadly trumped the Dreamcast version.
Don’t worry though, I still love playing this game right after I’ve finished the original Sonic Adventure.
It’s an essential title if you enjoyed playing the first game in the series, and now that Sega has teased a new Sonic game, we may be about to see Sonic Adventure 3 finally hitting virtual shelves!
7. Jet Set Radio
The next title on our list was all about being a massive rebel, inline skating your way around Tokyo, and graffitiing up any surface that you could find. It was one of the first games to use cell-shaded graphics, a style that would later go on to be used for the ever-popular Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker.
This game follows in the footsteps of titles like Parappa the Rapper and is a mixture of Crazy Taxi and the spray-tag minigame on Tony Hawks Pro Skater.
Long story short; it’s awesome!
As you might expect, the game plot is a bit insane.
Rival gangs of street-taggers compete to win pieces of a mysterious vinyl that can supposedly summon the devil. The main antagonist is eventually defeated by destroying his turntables and tagging his head as he plummets to his death.
It’s all a bit bizarre, which makes it even more fun! This is one game that you should definitely give a try if you’re looking for something to do during the Covid19 lockdown.
(If you’re reading this from the future, then I would like to think that lots of people bought Dreamcasts during the pandemic because they finally had time to experience this groundbreaking console. And because ‘why the hell not!’).
8. Rez
I don’t ever think that I’ve come across a game quite like Rez in all my years of gaming. Sure, it has similarities to Tron, Guitar Hero, and VR Troopers, but it’s the only game that would dare put all three of those things together.
And the weirdest thing is that it actually works, and it’s addictive.
To be honest, I still don’t really have a clue what the storyline is, but that doesn’t matter. All that matters is getting into the groove and pulling that pistol trigger… pushing that shoot button… you get the idea.
So what is Rez all about? It’s a musical rail shooter, kind of like Sewer Shark (one of the best SEGA CD games), but without the weird FMV characters and zombie rats, and more music.
Still with me?
Players must shoot down enemies to ‘killer tunes’ (see what I did there).
The game fx and music both combine together to create a sort of experimental soundscape that was incredibly clever and very intricate for a computer game of its time. This is another one of those titles that you really have to play for yourself to truly understand.
I couldn’t resist sticking it in our list because, while it’s a bit of a wild card, it certainly leaves a lasting impression.
9. Marvel VS Capcom 2
What could be better than seeing Captain America face off against Ryu, Wolverine fighting Blanka, or Spider-Man taking on Chun-Li? It’s the stuff that dreams are made of!
This could possibly be one of the most influential fighting games ever made and one of my favourite titles when I fancy a bit of ‘beat em up’ action.
It’s the ultimate nerd frenzy, with every kick-ass character from film and video gaming history taking part in the biggest clash of muscles, superpowers, and egos.
The game works very much like any Street Fighter title and indeed the previous titles in the Marvel VS Capcom series. All characters have special abilities as well as button-mashing attacks, and the player can choose to call in a sidekick for tag-team style action throughout the fight.
‘Oi, Hulk; give us a hand will you?’
The Dreamcast port of this game looked superb and played incredibly well, and it’s one that you should definitely include in your collection.
10. Power Stone 2
Like many of the best titles on the console, the Power Stone series started life as an arcade game. It’s essentially Sega’s version of Super Smash Bros. and is a great title to kick back with while socialising with your mates (in the flesh this time, and not online).
The worlds are insane and the items are very Smash Bros-esque, especially the big K.O hammer! Some levels have sub-areas and interactive scenery that might change or disappear entirely at a moments notice, forcing you and your mates to battle while skydiving or literally jumping ship!
Power Stone 2 utilised the VMU for trading items bought in the store or picked up in the Adventure Mode with other gamers. You could also keep certain items to hand and pull them out in a fight to give you an advantage over your opponent.
Capcom certainly has the special formula for making a great fighting game – all you need to worry about is finding a set of mates and persuading them to take a beating!
11. Phantasy Star Online
If you’ve read my articles before, then you’ll know that I love a good RPG game. Phantasy Star Online was the worlds first online RPG game for home consoles, allowing up to four people to join forces from anywhere in the world for role-playing nerdiness.
Titles like this really make me wonder how Sega got it so wrong with the Dreamcast – this was pioneering stuff, and the game was an absolute belter too!
Playing in real-time with people who weren’t sat right next to you was huge back in the day and is pretty much the only way that people play multiplayer games today!
PSO is undoubtedly the main muse behind many of our favourite RPG games, and critics called it a ‘landmark game’ for the console.
If you’ve ever played games like PSO before, then you’ll pretty much be already acquainted with how this title works.
There is an offline mode that frankly was a little bit dull, but the online mode allowed you to meet your friends in a virtual lobby and fly a spaceship to an uncharted planet where you had to defeat monsters and aliens.
Players could choose their own race of fighter and special skill, spend coins on items, make battle plans, and throw out pre-set phrases to get everyone hyped up. It’s like a virtual Dungeons and Dragons with nice graphics and gameplay that is 100% addictive.
Hobbyists still keep private servers open for playing Phantasy Star Online even today, which proves what a dedicated cult following this game has!
12. SoulCalibur
I first got into Soul Calibur on the Game Cube when Link became a playable character. Since then, I’ve gone back to collect all of the variations on my previous consoles and still can’t decide which one I like the best.
Nightmare is undoubtedly my favourite character, but you can’t beat Voldo or Yoshimitsu either.
The Dreamcast port of this game is one of the first titles that really outshined its arcade counterpart. It gave home console owners a better experience than the kids queuing up with a pocket full of quarters ready to beat each other to a virtual pulp.
Players could work their way through a main ‘mission’ mode with their favourite fighters and collect points that could be used to unlock different costumes and add-ons.
Characters each had special moves and lots of quick attacks that could be pounded out in close-combat, and the level of thought that went into creating the characters themselves is what really sets this game apart from other fighting titles (excluding Number 10 up above on our list, of course).
If you haven’t visited the Soul Calibur series, then this is certainly a good place to start. Game on!
13. Crazy Taxi
Everyone around the world has probably had a go at Crazy Taxi at some point in their lives.
You might have played Simpsons Road Rage or other similar titles, but Crazy Taxi was the first and best game of its kind. It went on to spawn various sequels on different platforms and was super fun to play.
As well as the original map that you could play on the arcade version, the Dreamcast port featured a MASSIVE San Fransisco map where the player could really explore and get completely lost (something that you don’t want to do when you’re trying to get a lot of points and keep that clock from running down!)
The premise of Crazy Taxi is simple – take passengers to their destination while pulling off cool tricks and destroying stuff. Get them there quickly, and you get more points and cash.
It’s so simple it hurts, making it one of those games that anyone can pick up and play no matter how much gaming experience they have.
Sega used this title to show off the fact that their new console could hold 60 frames a second, and it received positive feedback from game reviewers the world over.
Just imagine how Crazy Taxi might look if we were opening up the ‘Dreamcast Series X’ or something today – maybe we’ll see an improvement when the Dreamcast Mini eventually drops.
14. Rayman 2: The Great Escape
Fans have been getting super excited over the Rayman Redemption fan ‘re-imagination’ title that’s set to drop soon, but they, and you, can always play on this classic Dreamcast title in the meantime.
Rayman games are epic no matter what console they are on. For a man with no arms and legs (but floating limbs?) he sure can whoop bad-guys into touch and overcome some of the toughest obstacles known to gaming kind.
Rayman 2: The Great Escape came out for pretty much every console of the time, but the Dreamcast had some of the most stunning visuals.
It replaced the 2D sprites used in the N64 version with 3D sprites, paving the way for more detailed levels and richer textures in the level backgrounds.
There are also minigames that the player can play through too, and who doesn’t love a good minigame from time to time.
Hand on heart, this is the best and most immersive version of Rayman 2: The Great Escape out there. And that’s coming from me, the biggest N64 nerd alive!
15. Resident Evil – Code: Veronica
Code: Veronica is one of the most well-known survival horror games around. In fact, I think it’s safe to say that it’s the ruler of the genre.
It’s set three months after Resident Evil 2 and follows on from the destruction of Racoon City that occurs in Resident Evil 3.
This game was the first in the series not to debut on the PS2, and it’s also one of my favourite.
In Code: Veronica, we experience stunning real-time 3D environments and dynamic camera angles for the first time in the Resident Evil series. It makes the whole game so much better, and consequently a lot scarier!
Code: Veronica sees Claire and Chris Redfield kicking Zombie ass once more.
The game is split between a remote prison and a research facility, two of the most creepy settings on earth. You split between the two storylines as the game progresses, keeping things fresh and the player hooked.
The gameplay, controls, and puzzle-solving elements are all similar to the previous titles in the series. As is the sheer volume of braindead, undead cretins trying to take a chunk out of your face.
This is one of my favourite storylines out of all of the R.E games. I’m not telling you any more; this is one that you need to experience for yourself!
16. San Fransisco Rush 2049
Long before Mario Kart 8 characters were driving upside down and flying through the air, the cars in San Fransisco Rush were soaring along tracks and pulling off unbelievable moves.
In this futuristic version of San Francisco city, sometimes you’ve got to fly to reach the finish line.
The cars in San Fransisco Rush 2049 have the ability to sprout extendable wings from their sides, giving you control over your car in mid-air.
Rocket League eat your heart out; the Dreamcast was doing this kind of crazy stuff long before you!
This game started out life as an arcade title and proved to be a big hit. It was originally supposed to be for 8 players at once, but how many arcades have got space for 8 of the same machine!
This multiplayer madness was recreated perfectly on the Dreamcast, however, with impressive deathmatch, stunt, and racing modes. You can also play through battle arenas and a brutal obstacle course named ‘The Gauntlet’.
Like all the best racing games, 2049 had an epic soundtrack. You gotta’ get pumped up if you’re going against The Gauntlet, and the techno tunes never disappointed.
Upgrade cars, risk your neck finding shortcuts, and prove that good drivers don’t need to keep all four wheels on the ground.
17. Crazy Taxi 2
There’ nothing wrong with Crazy Taxi 2; it’s a great game with lots of action and added elements that tried to push it that one-step beyond the original game.
But for me, the original game will always be the best, and while the format is the same, there isn’t enough change to place this game higher in the list.
But what has changed?
Well, you can now pick up more than one passenger, and there are a couple of new levels based on New York for you to play through.
Minigames can be completed to unlock some nice extras, and extra time can be earned by performing a ‘crazy hop’ over certain items or surfaces.
Apart from that, it’s the same ol’ Crazy Taxi action, which means you’ll love it if you’re still mad for the original game.
18. Samba de Amigo
If you’re a fan of games like Donkey Konga and PaRappa the Rapper, then you’ll love Samba de Amigo. It’s all a bit bonkers, but that’s what makes it so much fun!
This rhythm game developed by Team Sonic features a monkey named Amigo as the main character. He looks as though he should be rolling around with Ai-Ai and Gon-Gon in Super Monkey Ball. Instead, he’s wielding a pair of maracas, and so are you!
Instead of using the Dreamcast controller or the VMU, the player uses two maracas that are plugged into a bar at their feet.
You have to shake your funky controllers in line with the symbols on the screen, keeping in time with the Latin American carnival music.
Shake your maracas and strike poses in a bid to attract more people to the weird spectacle you’re taking part in. Do well, and you’ll get a bigger crowd. Do bad, and amigo will be performing to an empty street.
Keep your curtains closed for this one – the neighbours might think that you’ve gone mad!
19. Toy Commander
Next up on our list is Toy Commander, a ‘Toy Story-inspired game with serious firepower.
A kid named Andy (even more Toy Story-esque) receives new ‘Army’ toys for Christmas and forgets all about the other toys that he has played with while growing up.
The forgotten toys, led by Andy’s childhood bear ‘Huggy Bear’ decide to rebel and try to destroy the new toys.
Are you with me so far?
I liked this game because it had so many memorable challenges on it. Once you’ve controlled a toy car while rolling eggs into boiling water, you really start to develop a serious taste for adventure!
Players control a number of different vehicles from pick ups to helicopters as they ferry toys around the different rooms in Andy’s house while fighting off Huggy Bear’s henchmen.
I don’t know why they can’t all just get along; maybe they need a sit down chat with Buzz and Woody.
20. Headhunter (2001)
Headhunter isn’t a game about finding a person to work that accounting job you need to fill. It’s a stealthy game where players track down nasty criminals and get them off the streets.
It’s got a very strong Splinter Cell meets Perfect Dark vibe to it, and to be honest it’s one of the only stealth titles on the console, so if you’re into your covert operative games, this one should be really high on your list.
Graphically, this game is a tour de force. I’m going to be saying this so many times through this article, so you should probably get used to it now.
And another thing you need to make the most of while playing this game is the epic soundtrack. For those of you who know the name Richard Jacques, it won’t surprise you to know that his score with this game won an award.
21. Resident Evil 2
The branching paths and intertwining stories in Resident Evil 2 made it such an exciting game to play, especially when twinned with hordes of zombies that find human flesh so irresistible.
I hope something like this never comes true!
Both critics and players alike were convinced that nothing could top the original game, but Resident Evil 2 brought better graphics, puzzles, audio, and gameplay, making it the perfect survival horror title and the best game in the genre at the time.
I also liked the fact that the Dreamcast version of the game had a role for the VMU to play too.
Players could use the device to check on their character’s condition and see how much health they had etc.
Mine would have probably said ‘scared stupid’ every time the player looked at it!
Resident Evil 2 is a classic game with all of the mindless-zombie-killing action that we have come to know and love over the years.
22. Sword of the Berserk: Gut’s Rage
Sword of the Beserk has one of the biggest weapons I’ve seen in any computer game!
If hack and slash titles with lots of enemies to slay and mighty bosses to take down are your bag, then Gut’s Revenge will be right up your guts-strewn street.
Fans of the manga series ‘Beserk’ will no doubt know Gut and the associated characters. For newbies to the series, this game provides a great way to blow off steam and a narrative that has, quite literally, jumped out of a comic book series.
Like Shenmue, Sword of the Beserk was one of the first games on the scene to make use of quick-time events. That’s the bit where you have to make a quick decision that can change the way the game plays from that moment onwards.
Critics gave Gut’s Rage a reasonable review, praising the original music, graphics, controls, and value of play.
Everyone loves playing a good button-mash-slash game every now and again. It’s why Hyrule Warriors is so popular, and why my thumbs are always sore.
23. Chu Chu Rocket
Next up on our list is ChuChu Rocket! It’s an action/puzzle game developed by the genius minds over at Sonic Team, and it’s addictive as hell.
It was also the first game for the console to support online play.
The aim of the game is to direct mice into escape rockets so that they can get away from hungry cats.
Sounds totally legit, right?
Critics and the gaming public alike went mad for this game. It topped the charts in Japan when it first came out, and it was also the fist Sega release on a Nintendo console in the form of a GBA launch title.
‘ChuChu Rocket!’ was a groundbreaking title for the console. If only the Dreamcast could have got into one of those rockets and escaped its own terrible fate too!
24. Metropolis Street Racer
This next fast-paced racer was made exclusively for the Dreamcast and was officially intended to be a launch title.
In true Sega style, however, this never happened.
It was one of the first games to introduce the idea of a Kudos points system, where players are rewarded for slick driving moves.
The main levels are based around London, Tokyo, and San Francisco, and they look a lot like the real thing too.
The graphics are swish, and there were plenty of nice cars to choose from. Player garages could hold up to 6 cars, so you had to pick your ultimate favourites.
Metropolis Street Racer had a lot of attention to detail that other racing games simply hadn’t thought of before.
If the player logged on to their Dreamcast at 9am in London, then all of the races in San Fransisco would be at night. Likewise, if you logged on at 12am, the American races would be in glorious sunshine.
Details like that really make a
lasting connection with a player. Given that there were a whopping 262 tracks to play from, all in different time zones, this game had a huge re-playability factor.
Most of these were unlocked through the one-player mode and could be enjoyed again and again with a friend.
25. Seaman (1999)
Seaman really is one of the weirdest games that I’ve ever seen or played.
How would you feel if I told you that this game requires players to raise a cantankerous talking fish with a human face, a creature that gives you abuse on a regular basis.
Then what would you say if I told you that Leonard Nimoy, Mr Spok himself, was the narrator.
A weird combo, right?
I’ll say one thing for Sega; they don’t care about making seriously weird titles!
I guess in a way, this is like a strange Tamagotchi experience, one that requires you to look after, feed, and even talk to your weird Seaman.
Yep; you’ll need to talk into the Dreamcast microphone and listen as this annoying aquatic marvel speaks back.
It’s odd, it’s slightly uncomfortable at time, but you need to give it a go.
Final Thoughts. . .
I don’t normally write a final thoughts section on these ‘best games’ articles, but I think that this one calls for a brief conclusion.
Look how many of the games above had positive reviews from critics or were hailed as being ‘the Dreamcast’s saviour, and the console still didn’t manage to take off.
I honestly believe that the world just wasn’t ready for this style of next-gen console back in 1999.
People were still playing with the NES and SNES for crying out loud, unboxing N64s and getting to grips with sticking CDs in consoles instead of cartridges.
I think my mum had just found out about Tetris back then too! Most other online consoles didn’t start taking off until around 2005, making the Dreamcast around 6 years before its time.
I honestly believe that, had the Dreamcast come out a little later, it would have been a much bigger commercial success. Now, sadly, it’s too late for Sega to make a resurgence in the console world. They’ve had a lot of success with the Sega Mega Drive Mini, but times are changing, and the Dreamcast will forever be an albatross around Sega’s neck.
Luckily, Dreamcast consoles do still exist in the world, and those of you that are dedicated to achieving retro gaming enlightenment can sit back and pretend that this console actually made it, that it went on to be one of the greats.
If you’re reading this in Brazil where the Sega Master System is still in production, then ignore everything I have said; you’ve got one hell of a console coming your way soon!
