When it comes to the Sega versus Nintendo debate, Nintendo almost always wins in the west. In Japan, however, the country of origin for both companies, Sega was much more appreciated with Japan even seeing the exclusive Sega SG-1000 which predated the Sega Master System. This even bleeds into their final console, the Sega Dreamcast.
Loved in its country of origin but never quite catching on in the west, the Sega Dreamcast had a total of 620 games released until it seen its untimely demise, with only 248 of those being released in North America. To ensure that some of these games get the recognition they deserve, we have collected 10 of the best Dreamcast games that never left Japan.
9 Segagaga
While Nintendo can’t go a day without shoving its legacy in its face these days, it wasn’t always like that. With Sega, however, they have always celebrated their long legacy, with the perfect example of that being Segagaga.
Segagaga is described as a Sega simulation, as you play as Sega Tarō, who must help a struggling Sega from losing the console war to its rival DOGMA which is an obvious stand-in for Nintendo. Segagaga is a love letter to all things Sega, with many cameos from characters across all generations of Sega up to that point.
8 Zero Gunner 2
Zero Gunner 2 is a 3D multidirectional shooter developed by Psikyo that started off an arcade game and was later brought home to the Dreamcast. It takes the traditional shoot em’ up formula but adds in the ability to turn your ship 360 degrees to create a unique game that is built around that ability.
The game offers massive polygonal bosses and great level design that compliments your ability to turn 360 degrees. Luckily, Zero Gunner 2 has recently been ported over to the Nintendo Switch so you can go and give this a shot today!
7 Frame Gride
Frame Gride was developed by From Software the developer of the incredibly popular Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Bloodborne, and Souls series. Frame Gride is a mecha fighting game with highly customizable mechs, similar to From Software’s Armored Core series.
The game takes place in a medieval setting which creates an interesting and unique contrast with the mechs. The battles take place in large, wide-open arenas that you can fly around in, shoot, and use melee weapons to take out enemies all while gaining gems you can use to later upgrade your mech.
Godzilla Generations
Godzilla Generations is a city destruction simulator where you pick from one of the classic Kaiju from the films and wipe out a city. Depending on the Kaiju you choose, you will have different abilities for destroying the living hoods of millions such as Godzilla’s nuclear breath or Mecha Godzilla’s lightning.
There is a meter at the bottom of the screen that details just how many lives you have ruined and the more lives you ruin, the higher your score - it must be really rewarding being a destruction hungry monster.
6 Ikaruga
Treasure’s Ikaruga is a spiritual sequel to the also Japanese exclusive Sega Saturn game Radiant Silvergun. As with most of Treasure’s games, they take an established genre, in this case, the shoot em’ up genre and add an interesting gimmick to make it something entirely different.
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In Ikaruga you can change your ship to either white or black which also changes your attack. All of the enemies are also black and white so you must change the color of your ship to align with the enemies which both inflicts more damage and increase your special meter.
5 Rainbow Cotton
Rainbow Cotton is a third-person rail shooter similar to the Space Harrier series. The Cotton series as a whole was typically not brought over to North America, possibly due to the west being too tough to want to control a cute witch on a broom.
Rainbow Cotton has some great anime cutscenes that provide a bit of story to go along with the arcadey action. The game is very colorful and packed with personality, as most Cotton games are. While it does have a cute aesthetic, it still offers a good challenge.
4 Twinkle Star Sprites
If you are looking for something entirely unique unlike anything you have ever played before, you need to check out Twinkle Star Sprites. Twinkle Star Sprites combines shoot em’ up action with a puzzle game.
The game is always you versus another character, whether that is the computer or a friend who you convinced to play weird old Japanese games with you. The better you do, the more trouble you cause for the person you are playing with - so take the gameplay of Gunbird and combine it with Tetris Attack then you will have a good idea of what to expect from Twinkle Star Sprites.
3 Space Channel 5: Part 2
Space Channel 5: Part 2 is a fun, quirky rhythm game starring the television reporter Ulala as she uses her dance moves to take on aliens and rival television stations. You must time your button presses to the beat to make Ulala dodge, dance, and shoot.
Micheal Jackson plays a big role in the Space Channel series. He is the chief of Channel 5 and is said to be a legendary star that saved the world 500 years prior to the events of the game. Space Channel 5 is classic creative Sega, taking an odd and quirky concept and including some addictive arcade fun.
2 Shenmue 2
While we are slightly cheating here as Shenmue 2 was released in Europe, we still feel that it deserves a mention here as North America had to wait until the Xbox original release. Shenmue 2 stars Ryo Hazuki as he continues to look for the killer of his father.
You spend most of the game exploring the games open world, looking for clues, examining your surroundings, and talking to other characters in hopes of finding more information about your father’s killer. You will also occasionally enter fights that play very similarly to Sega’s Virtua Fighter series.
1 Rez
Rez is a rhythm game mixed with a third-person rail shooter that allows you to turn 360 degrees, similar to Sega’s Panzer Dragoon series. In Rez are a hacker, going through a computer in an attempt to take out a malfunctioning AI system.
The gameplay consists of the player going through a TRON like world, meant to represent a digital space. The game has now seen widespread release with an HD remake and a VR version that gives full immersion so luckily everyone gets to experience some of Sega’s best work.