This was talked about earlier this year when the price drop to $99 was done. Apparently there are POP materials showing up at retailers for placement on Black Friday making the Dreamcast $49.99.

If you don't have one and were still thinking about it, wait another couple weeks. At $49.99, this is easily one of the best deals in the history of gaming.

On a related note, Capcom has marked all their Dreamcast games down to $19.99 at their online store. This has probably carried over to retail. I highly recommend Resident Evil: Code Veronica, Capcom vs. SNK, Power Stone 2, Street Fighter Alpha 3 and any of the shooters at that price.

--Dave

Ha! Now GamePen will have to drop their DC bundle price to $2470!

Hmmm, dare I finally upgrade my PS-One?

I just don't want to end up buying another Jagaur where my selection of games is limited to the 3 they have available at the local used games store. I know no new games are coming out, but are the old games going to continue to be published for the time being?

Jim,

There are still a TON of old Dreamcast games available. And, at worst, there's always eBay...
But at $49.99 you absolutely cannot go wrong. Soul Caliber alone is worthy of that price.

Jeff
(who bought his DC for $150, 5 days before the price drop)

I wouldn't count on new DC games being sold in stores six months from now. If you get a DC, you should also grab the games you want. They may be hard to find in a few months.

I've thought about getting a console, but not with any real intent. At this price I may buy one.

Not being a console person, I'm not sure "what games I want."

What are the "absolutely must have, AAAA, can't miss" dreamcast games?

dfs

Soul Caliber, and......uh......that Sonic game looked pretty cool.

I hate Sonic! Too fast, not in a good way, like GT3 or ssx, but in a bad way, as in "let's have you randomly fly into the water 87 times until you hate sonic adventure more than any game you ever played before.

If I've been reading certain columns on this site correctly, there's a tennis game that seems to be OK.

Here's what I own for the DC. The only game I'm not too keen on from this list is Trickstyle but for $4.99 it was worth it.

Armada
Bangai-O
Bust-A-Move 4
Cannon Spike
Capcom vs. SNK
Chu Chu Rocket
Crazy Taxi
Ferrari F355 Challenge
Grandia II
Hydro Thunder
Jet Grind Radio
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Looney Tunes Space Race
Mars Matrix
Marvel vs. Capcom 2
Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness
NBA2K1
NHL2K
Phantasy Star Online
Rayman 2
Resident Evil 2
Resident Evil Code: Veronica
Re-Volt
San Francisco Rush 2049
Sega GT
Shenmue
Skies of Arcadia
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure 2
Soul Calibur
Space Channel 5
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Test Drive Le Mans
Tokyo Xtreme Racer 2
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Trickstyle
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Virtua Fighter 3tb
Virtua Tennis
Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram

There are a lot of things I've got my eye on or have played and really enjoyed. NFL2K1 or 2K2 are a must for football fans. Power Stone 2 kicks major ass as does Power Stone but Power Stone 2 allows four players. Samba de Amigo is legendary provided you're willing to fork over $120 for the game and the maracas. Heavy Metal Geomatrix is gorgeous but a bit shallow gameplay-wise. Shooting fans should look at Giga Wing 1 and 2 along with Gunbird and Gunbird 2. Cannon Spike (on the list) is incredible but short. If you love Capcom characters, it's a must though. On the Capcom trail, there's also the underrated Tech Romancer based on a cool anime. Project Justice, the fruity fighting follow-up to Rival Schools and Street Fighter III Third Strike which speaks for itself.

Some other stuff to watch for...Fatal Fury: Mark of the Wolves which is coming out in about two weeks from Agetec. NHL2K2, developed by Treyarch, a developer you might have recently seen snatched up by Activision. If you love Tony Hawk, you can get the BMX version with Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX.

Driving fans should also consider Metropolis Street Racer which I'll be getting imminently. You've seen Project Gotham on Xbox, well, that's MSR with an extra city and a graphics upgrade. Other than that, from what I've read of those that had played MSR first, it's literally the same exact game just easier.

Dead or Alive 2 is another fighter I don't own but is easily worth the price. It's more shallow than Virtua Fighter 3TB which is why I've kinda skipped it for now. It's really fun, but mainly with two players which isn't often an option for me. Throw Tekken 3 for Playstation on the fighting list now too with the Bleemcast disc. That's $25-$30 for one of the best 3D fighters ever made and it looks BETTER than it does on Playstation or even with the minimal enhancements the PS2 would give it. While you look at bleem!, Metal Gear Solid and Gran Turismo 2 are excellent choices as well.

There are a lot of good imports that won't be out here to look for too. You need a DC-X or a Gameshark to play them, but they're definitely worth it. Cosmic Smash, Headhunter (UK only), Napple Tale, Capcom vs. SNK 2, Zero Gunner 2 and the upcoming REZ and Shenmue II (yup...still being done in english for the UK) are all good imports to look for. Good luck on Napple Tale...I found one that I plan to grab, but I'm not telling where. :)

That's enough to get anyone started. The DC is loaded with racing games if you're a fan. I highly recommend that if you're buying a PC steering wheel, you consider getting the ACT Labs Force RS and the Dreamcast cartridge. You can then use that wheel to play all the DC racers. Ferrari F355 is as close to the arcade as you'll ever see with a wheel like that. Make sure you buy a bunch of VMUs to save games too. Don't pay more than $9.99 for one though. That's the official price. $14.99 for controllers. Watch out at EB since they were tacking on $3 or more extra for these peripherals.

When it comes to collectibility. The hardest games to find so far are Tokyo Xtreme Racer 2, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and some of the imports like Napple Tale. As things get older, stuff like maracas controllers will probably get near the $200 mark. There are Saturn games that go for that high now including the import Radiant Silvergun, considered by many the greatest shooter ever made (by Treasure, makers of the super DC game Bangai-O and the Genesis ultra classic, Gunstar Heroes).

You guys know I'm crazy about this system, so if you're just a casual console guy, you can stick with this list and it'll do you well. It's a bit dated and I'd add a few of the newer games to the list too, but it's a good place to start.

--Dave

Uh Dave ... 38 Dreamcast games and counting? Please refrain from ever saything something about "budget" gaming again ... or else!

In other words, Dave recommends EVERY FRIGGIN GAME EVER MADE FOR DREAMCAST.

My tastes may not reflect everyone's but here are my favorite Dreamcast games:

The Coolest (Not available on PC)
1) Soul Calibur (Two Player and great solo modes)
2) Tokyo Xtreme Racer 2 (One player)
3) Crazy Taxi (It's crazy.)

Four Player Games (DC comes with 4 controller ports - extra 3 controllers sold seperately)
1) Virtua Tennis (Play as doubles).
2) Gauntlet Legends (Four player cooperative! Based on the classic video game.)
3) Test Drive: Le Mans (Great racing game even single player)
4) Unreal Tournament (PC version is superior but no split screen mode. Good for the LANless).
5) NFL 2K1 (Two players per team)
6) Maximum Pool (Not going to thrill but more portable than a pool table).
7) Caesar's Palace 2000 (Cheaper than Vegas or video poker but not gonna leave anyone breathless. Includes tutorial and certified odds and payouts. Good way to learn the games or brush up before a trip to Atlantic City).

Classic Arcade Games
1) Atari Anniversary Edition: Includes Asteroids, Asteroids Deluxe, Battlezone, Centipede, Missle Command, Pong, Super Breakout, Tempest and more.
2) Midway's Greatest Hits: Includes Joust, Defender, Defender II, Robotron, Sinistar and Bubbles(?).
3) Namco Museum: Includes Pac Man, Ms. Pac Man, Dig Dug, Pole Position, Galaxian and Galaga.

Some of these collections are available in better versions I've heard (for PC or other consoles) but they do the job for me. I have the arcade I always wanted as a troubled teen now.

Other Stuff
1) Seaman (Wierd and unique. Won't see this on the PS2 or X-Box...Tamagachi with attitude.)
2) Shenmue (Great graphics and a believable little Japanese town with too little great fighting and too much bad voice acting. Still, this one will convince you that Dreamcast's still a cutting edge platform. Hundreds of NPCs and 'epic' storyline. Lots of items to collect and even working arcade versions of a couple old Sega games).
3) Skies of Arcadia (The best console style RPG for Dreamcast. If you go for that stuff you'll probably love this. I even liked it a bit. If this is your speed try Grandia II as well).
4) Sega Bass Fishing 2 (Get a fishing controller and thank me later).
5) Gundam Side Story (Giant robot sim that got mediocre reviews. I loved it. Wonderful graphics and a real sense of gundam combat. I think it was too 'simulation' like for console reviewers. Didn't know what to make of it).
6) Ultimate Fighting Championship. (Realistic, fun and brutal. Also allows you to custom out fighters with their own moves. So can your buddies.)
7) Metropolis Street Racer (Classy racing game with some unique ideas. Real world settings that cycle between day and night. Peppy but not entirely arcade.).

That's it for me. There may be some better games out there that I haven't played and I'll not apologise for my taste or lack thereof. YMMV. :)

Anyone with four players around and a DC MUST get Chu-Chu Rocket. One of the greatest multiplayer games ever devised. I'm serious.

Frakly, my DC library has a far greater quantity of decent games in it than my now defunct PSX library. And I had near 100 PSX games, and only have 30 for the DC.

I spent $750 over two years to amass that collection. I think that's fairly reasonable given this is my hobby and a part time job. I like to think that the piles of games I purchase (often at cut rate prices just so I can put knowledge of it in my head) make me a better reviewer, but whatever...

You anonymous guys enjoy your little crusade against me on this board. I hope someone appreciated the list. If not, I'll just refrain from posting any help for you shmoes in the future.

Later.

--Dave

Add this link to the above post and put it on "make me a better reviewer".

Enjoy.

--Dave

I appreciate the lists, Dave. In fact, I consulted one of the previous ones while working on my Christmas list for this year ;). Besides, if someone thinks 38 games is a lot, they aren't much of a gamer in my opinion.

It did seem like he was recommending every game made for the Dreamcast, though...Not that that's a bad thing...

I'll probably pick one up at that price. Pretty hard to resist -- especially with the games being so cheap. (Come on -- I can get a Dreamcast for the cost of one game for my N64, or for a PS2/Xbox/Gamecube -- none of which I have...Seems like a no-brainer, doesn't it?)

I bought used at a $75.00 price point, and never regretted it. You can pick up a Jet Grind Radio/VMU bundle new for $19.99 and then cruize the used titles. So far I've bought Shenmue, Sega Rally 2, Skies of Arcadia and Grandia 2. Still planning on picking up Resident Evil: CV when I can. Just Jet Grind is going for $9.99, so I'll get that when I can. Don't know if I'll ever buy Soul Calibur, though, used copies are still like $30...

Brad Grenz

Jet Grind is definitely worth the price of admission. Soul Calibur, if you're into fighting games, is STILL the best fighting game out there. For awhile, it was selling at $19.99, but I don't know what it's at now. (I know a friend of mine was recently trying to locate a copy, and couldn't...)

Dave, anonymous crticism is worth exactly as much of his/her reputation that the critic puts on the line.

Anonymous is a fag.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Soul Caliber, Chu Chu Rocket, Crazy Taxi and Virtua Tennis have all drawn comments from different people.

I'm really after the "can't miss, must have titles." I already have far more PC gameplay on the shelves then I will ever get to.

I've no interest in collecting games. I already have a perfectly nice Pc game collection that I prune back twice a year.

Thanks all.

dfs

Okay -- if this guy's name is REALLY Dave Short...

Well, I don't know what I'll do. But that would really be...ironic.

Dave Long, meet Dave Short.
Dave Short, meet Dave Long.

\/"If I've been reading certain columns on this site correctly, there's a tennis game that seems to be OK.""

Mark I know the game that you are thinking, it is called Virtual Tennis. It is fine that you do not remember. I do not know about this game but I know it is a good game I am hearing about it. It has a feature though, that it is not at all the rules of tennis but another game completely! It will surprise you! But then you will get to play it at all with no problems.

Greetz

If I was going to buy just one of these Capcom fighting titles, which would you guys advise? Marvel? SNK? One of the Street Fighters? Does it matter? I want to take advantage of the sale at Capcom but cannot spend all of my allowance there. I think I'll be picking up the Veronica game and was considering getting something else to go along with it.

Furthermore, if I'm into a game of Soul Caliber's, um, caliber and DOAH 2 should I even bother with a 2D fighter? Is it just a nostalgia move, because if it is it won't do much for me since I never played any of those games way back when.

Thanks again guys.

Amanpour

Hmmm...the most instantly entertaining one is the one they're sold out of...Marvel vs. Capcom 2. Barring you going to a store and finding that one, I'd recommend Street Fighter Alpha 3. It has the best single player modes and of course lots of multiplayer. Capcom vs. SNK rocks hard, but I think my appreciation is skewed by years of Capcom and SNK fighters and my sheer love of the 2D fighting genre.

If you want to skip 2D altogether, get Power Stone or Power Stone 2. They're "full 3D" fighters. Go anywhere, whack your pals. Both are great fun but PS2 is four player and PS is only two player.

--Dave

It is official... Dreamcast at 50

--Dave

Thanks Dave.

Amanpour

How much is the Commodore Vic 20 going for?

About the same as yo mama.

Hey! I liked TrickStyle!

The racing mode kinda sucked, I'll grant you that. But the trick missions were actually ahead of their time (pre-Tony Hawk, pre-SSX). I had a blast going through the trick missions.

Actually, you're right Jeff. The trick stuff was ahead of its time. The game's biggest problem was the variable framerate and slowdown (on the DC, wasn't there a PC version?). It gets really annoying.

Sure looks good though.

--Dave

Break out the irony cake, that's really my name.

Sonic, Chu Chu Rocket, Crazy Taxi and Virtua Tennis, a console unit and a spare controller all shiped for less than $140. Did I miss anything I'll need?

Soul Calibur is $13 at Amazon, but since it's being justified as a gift for a 7 year old girl, I don't think that one would fly.

Thanks all for the help.

dfs

You just need a VMU. It's the little memory device that plugs into the controller with an LCD screen on it. That's how you save your games. One should easily cover the above titles and it's even a mini-portable game system for use with a mini-game in Sonic Adventure. You should be able to get one for no more than $10.

--Dave

I got the system, NFL2k1, NBA2k1, and MLB2k1 for $70. I added a controller and a non-VMU 800 Block memory card (looking at the games, they all said "180 blocks", which I assume is full season or whatever, and the non-VMU card was $10 and the VMU was $15) for $30 more. So $100 all told for the system, 3 games, a 2nd controller, and memory. Suh-weet.

I later added Crazy Taxi used for $8.50. I thought about Shenmue (new) for $20, but I refuse to buy from Best Buy (long story). If I only added Shenmue and Soul Calibur, it's probably the best $150 I've spent on games in a long time.