10 Best Dreamcast Games You Never Played Update 04/2024

best dreamcast games you never played

You’ve seen some of the best Dreamcast games now, so let’s look at some of the other things you can play on Sega’s last console. Some of these you’ve heard of, and some you may not have. It shows how great the Dreamcast was for games like casual sports games, fighting games, and unique shooters. Please let us know in the comments or on our Discord if there are any titles you think I’ve left out. It would be great to hear from you.

Bangai-O (Treasure, 1999)

Bangai-O (Treasure, 1999)

Treasure made games that no one else could make. In 1999, they ported their very limited Nintendo 64 shooter to the Dreamcast, and it was a huge hit. Multi-direction shooter with retro graphics and a love for huge, missile-related explosions. This one just missed my top ten by a whisker.

Border Down (G.rev, 2003)

Border Down is the best horizontal shooter on the system, even though it feels like it came out years ago. It was made by a former Taito team that worked on classics like RayStorm and G Darius. Border Down, on the other hand, was a lot like Metal Black. When G.rev worked on Ikaruga and Gradius V as a freelancer, he had enough money to pay for this song to be made. All you need to know about the people who made this belter in 2003 is what this paragraph tells you about their history. The idea that you start at an easy level, or “border,” and move down into more difficult borders each time you die makes this game feel different. I think it has a simple beauty to how it looks, and it moves as smoothly as a lightly greased chinchilla pelt does. Tremendous. Also, G.rev made Under Defeat, which was also on the “Cast.”

Sports Jam (Sega, 2000)

Sports Jam (Sega, 2000)

If this game had been released in the European Union, it would have been great. It’s a great multiplayer arcade minigame selection that would have been great to play against each other to see who could get the best score. In golf, these snippets could be right next to the pin, or they could be three pointers from the edge of the D, or even a bicycle kick in “soccer.” Run through all the events, or just do four at a time. It’s great fun.

Cannon Spike (Psikyo/Capcom 2000)

Another cult favourite that was snubbed when it came out is now worth a lot of money on the used market. It was the last European release for the platform. This is a boss fight that takes place in an arena. It looks a lot like Smash TV, but with more powerful weapons. Capcom fans won’t need to be told that the title is one of Cammy’s special moves in the Street Fighter universe. That’s because she, Arthur, BB Hood, and Mega Man are all playable characters in the game. These cockroaches made me want to vomit when I saw them in this fun arcade shooter.

Giant Gram 2000: All Japan Pro Wrestling 3 (Sega, 2000)

Giant Gram 2000 All Japan Pro Wrestling 3

Really, Sega made a mess of their WWF Royal Rumble game. It didn’t even feel like it was there at all! Acclaim’s WWF and ECW licences are fondly remembered by fans of the Attitude Era, where they used to work. It’s true that they were bad. There was a great Fire Pro game in Japan, and this – the best wrestling game on any system, and one of my favourite games ever. One of the best games ever made. It has simple arcade sensibility, a rock paper scissors system that mimics how bouts move, and a great grouping of legendary stars from Japan and abroad. This is a great game that still works well today. So, I would go so far as to say, “It’s better than the hyped No Mercy.” It has great character models that are easy to recognise. Having Big Van Vader and Dangerous K kick each other in the head has never been more fun.

Tech Romancer

Because I’ve never seen this game mentioned, I’ll talk about it now. It’s one of my favourite games. It’s a two-dimensional mech fight game that makes great use of the VMU. Maybe not as combat-heavy as some big-name games, but I found it easy to play and different from the rest of the games in the same genre. I especially liked how there was a lot of variety in how close combat and long range moves and weapons were used.

Shenmue

Shenmue

It’s true: I didn’t like this game. For me, it was too slow to keep going with. Many people will, and do, disagree with me. This game has become a legend in the gaming world, and it pretty much sums up the Dreamcast in a lot of different ways. Even if I didn’t like it, I think it was a lot of work and something new, and it should be part of gaming history. Getting a Dreamcast is a good idea for anyone who wants to play a game. At least try it. Shenmue II, of course, made it to the Xbox. Shenmue, on the other hand, is still only for the Dreamcast.

Outtrigger

In Europe, you can’t play this game online. It’s best played with a mouse and keyboard, and it’d be even better with other people. The single-player game is still a lot of fun, though. If this game had come out at the start of the Dreamcast’s life, with full online and a little more development, it could have been a real hit.

Super Magnetic Neo

Super Magnetic Neo

It’s a third-person platformer (sometimes in 2D) that I can’t remember seeing anywhere since the Dreamcast died. In terms of the basic platforming mechanics, this game looks like a lot of other games, but it uses magnetics to fight off or stick to things to move forward. The game was known for having some very interesting and fun boss fights, clear graphics, and a fair amount of difficulty.

Confidential Mission

I love lightgun games. This isn’t as good as The House of the Dead 2, but if you buy a Dreamcast, you’re bound to play that, and this gives you a lot of good extra use for your lightgun (all sorts of issues to overcome regarding lightguns and modem TVs, so you will need an old set).