SEGA Dreamcast is clearly an underrated video game machine of 6th-gen era that has suffered a tragedic console lifespan in early 2000s due to a massive launch of SONY's own machine with the Playstation 2 had the cutting edge technologies and shares the exciting launch titles that caught the gaming world interest to buy the SONY's system had exploded with a huge popularity sales numbers is the reason why the Dreamcast sales unit aren't doing well that had causes SEGA decided to quickly decline their hardware business in 2001-02.
Despite the poor hardware sales by SEGA themselves, Dreamcast was being regarded as the people's cult-following system that was been celebrated for its excellent numbers of the game titles that made everyone recognises SEGA's last console such as Soul Calibur, Skies of Arcadia, Jet Set Radio, Chu Chu Rocket, Power Stone 1+2, Marvel vs Capcom 2, Crazy Taxi, Sonic Adventure, Resident Evil: Code Veronica, Quake III Arena, Virtua Tennis, and of course Shenmue 1+2.
While these common titles on Dreamcast's libary are incredibly impressive, there are some of the obscure titles that you may have missed out ones or have not been heard of it before are the reason it's been left them kept behind the door, which is why I am here to pick any of my 5 undiscovered titles that one of you console owners don't want to miss out these hidden gems because it is interesting to try out the games that you never played it but should probably go check it out for a good reason to play it on Dreamcast.
So without go further do, here is my top 5 SEGA Dreamcast Hidden Gems.
5 - Outtrigger
It's interesting to see any of Japanese companies like SEGA AM2 attempting to create an FPS game originally for Arcade running on SEGA Naomi hardware in 1999, and was later released on SEGA Dreamcast in 2001.
Outtrigger is a FPS title where you take control of anti-terrorist group traveling around the stages and taking out bad guys, as you will select any of 4 default characters where each of them has different weaponry such as rocket, rifles, guns, grenades, and etc, as well as having different attributes in speed and jumping.
What makes the game quite fun is that the single-player has two modes such as arcade and mission which shares with cool segments such as taking out many terrorist as possible, collecting all medals within time limits, dodge all of the enemies attacks, and destroy all bombs which is quite short, but plays decently for most time.
The main highlight of this game is the split-screen versus mode which is a local deathmatch where you must battle against the opponents within frag limits or time limits just like most arena shooters, and it also has online play adds the overall fun factor of the game which sadly lacked in PAL release back then, but the game still retains as the fun and addictive to play.
Outtrigger is the criminally underrated shooter for Dreamcast's library that you will be interested to play an arcade-style shooters like this deserves the attention to those who loves the FPS in general.
It's a shame that this is the only SEGA's FPS game that you will never see on other platforms which leaves Outtrigger being stuck on the Dreamcast, so hopefully this deserves an re-release or sequel for modern PCs and consoles platform if SEGA ever had a interest to consider in future perfect.
If any of you are intrested in playing an arcade-style FPS games then this game is definitely for you to play on SEGA's last-gen system.
4 - Super Magnetic Neo
There are few numbers of 3D platformers that are incredibly fun to play on Dreamcast like Rayman 2: Great Escape, Donald Duck Quack Attack, Jet Set Radio, and of course Sonic Adventure 1+2, where as the others like Toy Story 2, 102 Dalmatians, and The Grinch are not quite as fun in comparsion, but there's one of the game that some of you may never heard of it which is Super Magnetic Neo was created by Genki, a same development team behind Tokyo Xtreme Racer series.
It's a 3D platformer game where you take control of Neo, a young robot kid has abilty to use magnetic field gadget, going on his adventure to take back and restore the amusement park from the group of Pinki gang.
The game has vertical viewpoint and design layouts are quite simular in the style of Naughty Dog's PS1 classics like Crash Bandicoot series, but the game's mechanism plays differently which your playable character like Neo must use his magnetic field gadget which allowing him to interact with platforms, contraptions, and enemies.
For example: you have 2 colored magnetic fields such as red and blue, so if you use red magnetic field near a red colored enemy then it will bounce them off-distance, where as you turned the blue colored enemy into a small sized box which act as an projectiles that can be used to defeat other enemies or to destroy roadblocks such as walls, so these concepts work in the same way as using the blue magnetic field.
It can also be used to interact with platforms, so using the red platforms with the red magnetic field allowing him to use super jumps or he can stick to them with the blue magnetic field, and you have a ziplines that you can attach to by using the opposite colored magnetic field and levers that can be pushed by using the same colored magnetic field.
I find these gameplay concepts quite unique for its time which I really liked the idea of having a 3D platformer game with the abilty to use a magnetic machanism throughout the platforms that are something plays it different that you don't see it on any of 3D Platformer games is what made the game quite interesting to play.
Along with the gameplay, you can also appericate the whole main game consisting with 20 levels that are fun to play for its wacky platforming segments that are filled with multiples of enemies and hazardous obsticles to deal with are noted to be difficult just like many of the traditional platformers from previous generations do, but also keeps you feel entertained throughout the stages, and it also had the challenge mode featuring 20 puzzle levels each with 5 difficultes providing 100 levels to complete are also keeps you busy with the game.
Super Magnetic Neo is the 3D platformer game that are being trapped on the SEGA's 6th-gen machine is something that you won't able to see it on other system platforms, so this could mean you definitely need a system in order to play this title that are completely long forgotten but also a fun 3D platformer that you don't want to miss out because I bet this game is likely not getting a future modern platform re-release at all.
3 - Dynamite Cop
I had a blast time with the SEGA's 3D beat-em-ups classic like Die Hard Arcade is such an action packed title for SEGA Saturn that I clearly loved playing the hell of it.
Just like swing around the broomsticks, blasting them with pistols and rocket launcher, and fire spray them with the can and lighter is something to adore the 3D beat-em-ups action.
The fun fact is that the game on Saturn are titled as Dynamite Deka in Japanese release, where as the worldwide release such as US and EU uses the licensed title name based on the 80s action film franchise such as Die Hard which stars Bruce Willis as the titular cop hero John Mcclane goes on the mission in the Nakatomi Plaza to take down group of terrorist led by the hands of Hans Gruber.
I did see why the 80s action-hit movie had became a major influrence on Dynamite Deka in terms of presentation settings and action-packed gameplay are quite simular which is why SEGA had decided to use Die Hard trademark name for the US and EU marketing release on Saturn.
So unlike the 1999's sequel, while it's titled as Dynamite Deka 2 in Japanese release, the US and EU release will not use the trademark name from the film franchise so instead it's been titled as Dynamite Cop.
It's a 3D beat-em-ups game for SEGA Dreamcast where you take control of 3 squads such as Bruno Delinger, Jean Ivy, and Eddie Brown on the mission in the deserted island to save the president's daughter from the group of modern-day pirates terrorist led by Wolf Hongo, the main antagonist from the first game.
The game consists with 3 main missions to pick and select, and then you're playing on the 3D perspective where you must fight your way through waves of enemies using your fists, feet, and a variety of weapons that can be collected from enemies or environment starting from lighter items like brooms and pepper shakers to lethal damage machine guns and launchers.
You will also encounter with the mini bosses to deal with and completeing QTE events where you must push the correct button displayed on the screen to complete the sequence, but failing the QTE results in either a loss of health or an additional action scene which the players otherwise would not have to complete.
I have discovered the game had a mixed reception from the gaming magazines or online gaming websites which they are not being quite impressed and nowhere near good as the predecessor in terms of gameplay and visuals are quite dated on the 6th-gen system, and the overall content are quite a lackluster which didn't add up something new to the console release.
To me, I kinda disagree what they say is because I actually had a good time of playing the game especially with 2-player co-op, 3 main missions, and some unlockable stuff like mini-game, 3 challenge mode, and collectables illustration arts is what added the game's replayability.
I say the gameplay just plays fine as it should be is because with the punches, kicks, combos, and using weapons is quite straight-forward to play and having to battle against the waves of enemies and bosses throughout the levels and completing various of QTEs sequences is what made beat-em-ups games so entertaining and fun to play.
The game's visuals appears to be look decent with bold design and smooth performance which I had no issue with how the game really looks on the 6th-gen console.
It's a shame that the game didn't get the love as it deserve is because Dynamite Cop is still a fun 3D beat-em-ups game that you might give this game a worth of try, and I was hoping to wish that SEGA will concider re-releasing this game for the today modern platforms in near future, so who knows when to happen.
2 - Maken X
We all know Atlus is the gaming company was being highly recognisable for their successful JRPGs titles like Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series, but they also shares with numerous of their hidden gems titles back in the 90s such as Run Saber for SNES, Snowboard Kids for N64, and Groove on Fight for Saturn.
There's one of the game that nobody had talked about during the days of early 2000s era which is Maken X for the Dreamcast.
It's a 1st-Person Hack n Slash action game which set in a near-future world as you're playing as Kay Sagami, who merges with the A.I sword named Maken, on the quest to rescue her father from a sinister organisation called the Sangyokai.
What made the game quite unique at the time in the early-2000s is the interesting mix of Hack N Slash gameplay combined with the 1st-perspective view and arcade-style slasher, so it's literally described as the 1st-person slasher game which kinda gives the style of FPS games but instead you are using the melee sword act as an primary weapon which gives you an ability to slash, dodge, and parry at the enemies.
I say I really liked the idea of having a style of 1st-person Hack N Slash game which is quite an opposite from other genres like most traditional FPS and 3rd-person Hack N Slash games, so this kinda gives me a new experience of playing a game that is doing something different.
I also liked the choices of brain jacking ability where you can able to switch it to other playable characters with their different statistics and melee weapon abilities depending on how high is your ranking level system are good enough to meet their requirement, but if so then you can able to transfer it to a higher ranking level characters.
Aside with the decent combat system and has playable brainjacked characters, the game has 20 linear missions on single-player campaign with multiple dialogue choices and brainjacked characters to choose from may result different endings outcome just adds up the game's replayability.
The campaign levels are filled with platforming, puzzles, and waves of enemies and bosses to encounter just keeps me going.
I say I wanted to praise the visuals for its crispy and detailed graphical environments looked pretty impressive on the SEGA's last-gen machine, and the original soundtrack are quite upbeating that fits the game's atmospheres, and of course the story can be sometimes hit and miss depending on which version of the game you've picked may result with different script, so for better localisation some say they preferred the Japanese version has better voice acting and dialogue translations than the English release.
There are a PS2 port titled as Maken Shao: Demon Sword made significant changes from the previous version such as shifting to 3rd-person view as opposed to original's 1st-person view, new story scenes, and some added content.
The PS2 port is okay, but it's nowhere near fun as the Dreamcast's counterpart which has a superior gameplay design appears to be more polished and responsive to play thanks to 1st-person view are much easier for faster paced combat, has better vertical movement and being able to jump over the enemies as opposed to PS2's 3rd-person view has slower restrictive combat and clunky camera control which makes the Dreamcast version a huge win over the PS2 port.
Maken X is one of the Atlus's criminally overlooked gem that are completely forgotten and ignored but also a niche action experience that the Dreamcast owners should not miss out this title filled with the challenging single-player action and multiple story branching paths is something to appreciate.
1 - Headhunter
At nearly the end of the SEGA's last-gen console lifespan in 2001, one of the final last hurrah for the Dreamcast that are actually great but completely ignored by public eye which is the Headhunter.
It is a 3rd-Person Action-Adventure game created by Amuze, as the game takes place in the near future in a city simular to Los Angeles, California.
You take control of bounty hunter named Jack Wade, who was suffered with the amnesia after the escape from the laboratory, was hired by Angela Stern as she gave him a mission to investigate the murder of her father Christopher Stern, a founder of anti-crime network.
Jack must regain his license, explore the city, and engage in stealth-shooting to uncover a conspiracy involving illegal crime activity and his own missing past.
What made the Headhunter so special on the Dreamcast is the mix of Action-Adventure segment where you had an open-world driving section in which you'll be traveling through between the levels on the motorcycle, and these sections take the form of a racing game in which your goal is to increase many points with the speed, so having to earn enough points can lead you to the new areas such as training VR missions in which you will need to complete these stealth-combat training in order to proceed to the main campaign mission.
On the main campaign mission, it plays on 3rd-person perspective as you had a ability to use your stealth-combat such as take downs or hide behind walls to avoid getting contact by the nearby enemies which plays really simular to Konami's Metal Gear Solid in terms of gameplay design.
I say it plays well throughout the campaign which I really liked getting into with the stealth-action genres that involves hiding and sneaking to the next area while trying not to get caught in action is something that I can able to enjoy this kind of game.
There are some good shooting segment depending on the story mission progression, there are some puzzles to solve like codebreakers and pattern matching going on, there are driving section and VR training to progress, and of course the action-heavy boss battles that are quite unique to fight against which often requires a finding strategic solutions rather than going for the direct combat.
I also wanted to praise the overall story presentation with rich and detailed cinematic design just feels like watching one of those 80s or 90s Sci-Fi films looked incredibly stunning to watch, and I did manage to enjoy the game's storyline can be just as good as the other cinematic stealth-action games has to offer.
I concidered the graphics in this game as spectcular for the Dreamcast's technical power showcasing the detailed environments and high-quality animation is quite appealing that aged really amazing on the system.
The original soundtrack has cinematic feel with the style of 80s or 90s action films fits the game's overall atmosphere.
Headhunter is definite one of the Dreamcast's most underrated gem that many of console owners had totally missed out is due to the lack of the US release which is the reason why the game had never sold quite well at the EU release.
There are a PS2 port that was released a year after the Dreamcast version and makes the first debut in the US release which is also decent, but not quite as good in comparsion with the Dreamcast counterpart which has better driving control thanks to Dreamcast controller's analogue triggers sensitivity that the PS2 controller had lacked, so that doesn't mean the PS2 port are let down because you might gonna enjoy the version as well.
If you want to go for the best overall experience then you might concider getting the Dreamcast version.
Honorable Mentions:
Toy Commander
Incoming
Blue Stinger
Carrier
Heavy Metal Geomatrix
Cannon Spike
Zero Gunner 2
Border Down
Under Defeat
Plasma Sword
Fighting Vipers 2
Hydro Thunder
18 Wheeler American Pro Trucker
Confidential Mission
Tech Romancer
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