I know Gamespot isn't most peoples' favorite gaming source but they have a piece that is close to my heart. A flashback looking over the history of the Sega Dreamcast(links at bottom). About that time I was still an avid gamer I remember reading all about Sega's Project Black Belt and Katana, and was quite interested to see what the "next generation system" would be like. Hearing developers saying its was so powerful they can do whatever they wanted was very exciting. On release day I somehow wiggled around my work schedule and found my way into a Toys-R-Us. I was a bit worried I wouldn't be able to find one but was pleased to find I did. I grabbed me a copy of Soul Calibur and waited in line. I hadn't actually seen or played the arcade SoulCalibur but I knew it was the game to get. I wasn't disappointed. It was the first time 3D games looked..well, good and it was on my TV running on a little system that cost half the price of my last one. It was a stunning moment in gaming for me. I was also pleased to find out the game played every bit as good as it looked. Still being tied as my favorite 3D fighters to this day. That night I turned around and store hopped to find a lingering copy of PowerStone which I also played to death. Back then I went to work then I came home and played Soul Calibur, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Streetfighter 3, Fatal Fury Mark of the Wolves, and various other non-fighter goodies all on my little Dreamcast. A day came shorty after they called it quits on the system where I had to sell everything including my dreamcast and all my games. That was a sad day. Not much later they were being desperately sold for $49.99 just to get rid of them. That was a sad day too, but not a total loss. I had $50 and took one of those rejects home which now sits next to me and my computer. Sometimes I dust it off and hook it up to my monitor with the VGA box and try to remember what it was like to be 21. Maybe today would be a good day for that. I'm sure not everyone was as fond of it as I was, but if you were here are the links. One to the whole thing and another to some guys reminiscing over the system. Full artical Flashbacks

Gamasutra had a really good article on it as well. Kind of sad, really, but still an interesting tale to hear. I never personally owned one (poor junior-high school student at the time), and I always thought the controller design was horrible, but still an interesting machine.

I acquired one recently, but I cheaped out on the 240 volt transformer (Japanese console, Australian power socket) and accidentally blew it up.
I can pretend to play Soul Calibur on the (now-)useless controllers though!

I've still got mine, great little console. Unfortunately around the time of the DC being phased out was also the time I started uni and my gaming time has pretty much disappered in the 6 years since then. Not that I'm too bothered - I get far more enjoyment out of digging out my old consoles every now and then than I do from the high-in-graphics low-in-character games that are on consoles today

Quote: Original post by Moe
Gamasutra had a really good article on it as well. Kind of sad, really, but still an interesting tale to hear. I never personally owned one (poor junior-high school student at the time), and I always thought the controller design was horrible, but still an interesting machine.

I was really confused when I saw the design but using was very comfortable and functional for many things. Not great for fighters so I tended to use a PS2/PS1/Saturn controller adapter for that sort of thing.

I never had Dreamcast

I loved the Dreamcast. I'd say my fondest memories with it were playing the first 3D sonic game (I was quite young when it came out) and of course Crazy Taxi.

It's been ages since I've played one, but as far as I remember I found the controller exceptionally comfortable.

The dreamcast was epic. The controller was great, it was like the first xbox controller, one you could actually feel in your hands. My favorite game was the RC racing game and putting little games on the VMU.

It was really ground-breaking, and the relatively few games were almost all high quality. And I wonder if games like GTAIV had existed like now if it weren't for Shenmue - a lot of hype back then though.

Sonic Adventure 2 still far exceeds the later games in the same series, considering both game mechanics and story (it was rather serious).

I didn't like that the VMU's required batteries though, I didn't bother getting new ones so they kept beeping when starting. I also find the wireless products today frustrating, what's so bad about a cord?

Haha, I just read a new game is coming for the Dreamcast! Rush Rush Rally Racing

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Still have mine. Awsome SHMUPS games on the system....Mars Matrix, Ikaruga (import), Gunbird 2, Gigawing 1 & 2, and of course the fantstic Bangai-O...even Triggerheart Exila, Border Down and Psyvariar 2 are pretty cool (released after Sega ditched the system, yes there were still games being released for it after it was dumped from the market...lots of old consoles have such games released after the fact...some fan made, some more polished than others. Even the Atari Jaguar has a hobbist scene that is still alive and kicking)