"The dreamcast may be lost, but never forgotten"

When the Dreamcast was first announced back in 1998, I immediately ran to my local Software ETC to reserve my copy of the first of the next-generation platforms. I still am proud of the fact today that I was number two out of 200 to have reserved the little gray box. I would’ve been number one but, damn employees. One year later, I finally got my hands on what I’ve been waiting for for so very long. And I was NOT disappointed. The Dreamcast seemed like an far off idea, but it was here, now, in my grubby little hands (my hands aren’t the little). The first 128-bit console, a piece of history, it was all mine.

Graphics – 10
At launch, I bought two games to accompany my system. Soul Caliber and Hydro Thunder. Both games had literally jaw-dropping graphics. I couldn’t believe that any game was capable of such great graphics. I mean, right off the bat, we get excellent games. It’s like the programmers for the Dreamcast have had many years experience.
Two things that really made the Dreamcast stand above the rest as far as graphics go is that it featured a massive 8MB video card and it supports games made in Macromedia Shockwave (some of those games you play on the internet are programmed in Shockwave).

Sound – 10
The Dreamcast is likewise capable of some awesome sounds. Of course, the sound department is dependent solely on the games.

Features – 10
The Dreamcast straight out of the box (at least in America) features a 56K V.90 modem for online play. This is an idea that never quite caught on with its predecessor, the Saturn. But now, online play is here to stay. There is also a broadband adaptor upgrade you can buy to replace the modem. Another cool feature is VCD (video compact disc) support. But, I don’t have any VCDs to confirm this.

Games – 10
With the launch of the Dreamcast came some of the most beautiful games ever seen outside of the arcades. In fact, the Dreamcast carries a lot of the arcade hits. Most all launch title were worth getting. All in all, an almost perfect launch. And quite a memorable date to, 9/9/99. games today can be spotted for as low as $20 new (perhaps lower) so I’d say owning a Dreamcast is definitely a good investment for only $100. plus, for all those of you how are nostalgic for the old Genesis and Saturn days, there is also a Dreamcast bundle available with the SEGA Smash Pack. The Smash Pack come loaded with a lot of goodies from the good ol’ days.

Overall – 10
A great system that never should’ve died. But, with every cloud has a silver lining. SEGA is no longer in the console making business, however, they are still making games. So you’ll see some of your favorite SEGA series making appearances on the PS2, Gamecube and the X-Box. The Dreamcast will be supported until sometime around march of next year and there are no more Dreamcast units being made. Those two facts suggest that if you want to get your piece of gaming history and a mighty fine system, you better hurry up.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/30/01, Updated 07/30/01