The RetroBeat: The Dreamcast needs its own micro-console



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I looked at the Sega Genesis Mini earlier this week and I love this micro-console tribute to the 16-bit masterpiece. But it was not the only retro event of the week on the theme of Sega. The Dreamcast celebrated its 20th anniversary on September 9th.

The Dreamcast is one of my favorite systems to date, but I had a hard time thinking about anything new on the console. Now that we know that Sega can make a fantastic retro box, I'd be happy to be able to create a Mini Dreamcast.

I know, I'm skipping a little forward here. Listen, I'd love a Sega Saturn Mini. But given the lack of popularity of this system and known problems in the emulation of its games, a plug-and-play Saturn seems unlikely. The Dreamcast was not a huge commercial success, but it has a much bigger cult. It's not like you see many people celebrating Saturn's launch date in the United States.

The games he needs

The Dreamcast also had the best library. I do not know if you can play 42 games like Sega did with the Genesis Mini, but a library of about 20 games (comparable to the SNES Classic Edition of the PlayStation Classic) should be simple. Heck, I bet I could create a list:

  • Sonic Adventure
  • Sonic Adventure 2
  • Jet Grind Radio
  • Roquette Chu Chu
  • Sega Swirl
  • Ecco the dolphin: defender of the future
  • Soul Calibur
  • Rayman 2: The Great Escape
  • A virtual cyber-soldier on the Tangram oratorio
  • Crazy taxi
  • Hyrdo Thunder
  • Street Fighter III: Third Strike
  • Resident Evil: Code Veronica
  • Power Stone 2
  • San Francisco Rush 2049
  • Shenmue
  • Sky of Arcadia
  • Space Channel 5
  • Virtual tennis
  • Inheritance of Kain: Soul Reaver

Pfft, it was easy. And I'd even stopped including some of my favorites, like Samba de Amigo (who relies on those weird maraca controllers), Seaman (who uses a microphone connected to Dreamcast's controller), and Phantasy Star Online (which is an online game). I also refrained from adding Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 to the list, assuming that licensing for this game would pose problem.

But, man, that's always a good list. A console that contains only half of these games would be great. It would also help to give a new life to Dreamcast. Of course, people like me who had a Dreamcast at the time like the machine, but I want this fantastic system to attract new fans. A Mini Dreamcast would give a new generation the opportunity to understand why this original and inventive system has so many fans.

It would be so practical. Yes, I still have a Dreamcast, but I would like to have a retro machine that I could easily plug into a modern TV.

Above: the VMU.

Image credit: Sega

Oh, and to be clear, a Dreamcast Mini must always have VMU. This is the Dreamcast memory card that also acts as a thumbnail display on the controller. You can even take it out and use it as a tiny gaming device. I do not really want to store my backup data on a disk, but I want to be able to raise Chaos from Sonic Adventure again on my VMU.

Hopefully the Genesis Mini will be a great success, which will encourage Sega to give the same treatment to the Dreamcast. Then, one of my favorite consoles could become relevant again. He might even have a chance of being the hit that he has always deserved to be.

RetroBeat is a weekly column that examines the past of the game, delves into classics, new retro titles, or examines how old favorites – and their design techniques – inspire today's marketplace and experiences. If you have retro-themed projects or projects that you would like to send, please contact me.

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