Highlights

• The Sega Dreamcast was ahead of its time and a breakthrough for video games.
• Hydro Thunder on the Dreamcast is a visually stunning and action-packed racing game.
• ChuChu Rocket was the first Dreamcast game with online functionality and still offers clever puzzles and multiplayer fun.

The Dreamcast was Sega’s final and most underrated console. It never generated enough buzz to stay afloat as the PlayStation 2 conquered the market. However, since it launched 16 months prior and three years before the Xbox and GameCube, it had the honor of being ahead of its time and a breakthrough for video games.

The Sega Dreamcast was a game changer in the ‘90s since it was the first video game console to feature internet support for online play. Along with this groundbreaking feature came many incredible titles that paved the way for 3D gaming. But which Dreamcast games are the best?

Updated on November 29, 2023, by PJ Molloy: Sega fans have been eating well lately with the launch of Sonic Superstars, Persona 5 Tactica, and Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name. If you're looking to experience more Sega magic, the following Dreamcast games have aged very well and will satisfyingly scratch that itch.

To qualify for this list, a Dreamcast game has to have stood the test of time gameplay-wise. This list is in no particular order.

15 Hydro Thunder

The Best Port Of A Visually Stunning Racing Game

While Hydro Thunder can be played on PlayStation 1 and N64, the Dreamcast port blows them out of the water. The game has you zooming through violent bodies of water in high-speed boat races where you're free to wipe out anyone in your way. With plenty of power-ups scattered across the tracks, every race is just as action-packed as the last.

Hydro Thunder is pure eye candy on the Dreamcast, thanks to the console's incredible lighting engine accentuating the game's vibrant colors and gorgeous skyboxes. If you want a fun, over-the-top racing game, then Hydro Thunder is the perfect choice.

14 ChuChu Rocket

A Delightfully Charming Puzzle Game

ChuChu Rocket is a quirky puzzle game where you place arrows on the ground to guide the ChuChu mice into rockets while avoiding the KapuKapu cats. The game has a single-player mode, where you must lead the mice safely to the goal, and a multiplayer mode, where up to four people battle to get the most mice in their rocket.

This game was groundbreaking for being the first Dreamcast title to feature online functionality, allowing you to play with others and upload custom-made puzzles. While that era of online play is long gone, ChuChu Rocket's clever puzzles and excellent multiplayer mode are still fun to play.

13 Bangai-O

An Action-Packed Shooter

Bangai-O is the perfect Dreamcast game if you like mecha anime. It's a side-scrolling shoot 'em up that follows siblings Riki and Mami as they hunt down a vicious smuggling ring. You take to the skies in a giant mech and blast everything around you, making each stage a whirlwind of explosions and bullets.

You can shoot in eight directions and switch between two types of ammo - one that locks onto enemies and another that bounces off walls. With plenty of fast-paced levels and tough bosses, Bangai-O is a must-play shooter with tons of content to keep you entertained.

If you want a more arcade-style shooter on Dreamcast, check out the games Ikaruga and Border Down.

12 Dynamite Cop

A Hilariously Over-The-Top Beat 'Em Up

In Dynamite Cop, you fight your way through 3D beat 'em up stages as secret agents Bruno Delinger, Jean Ivy, or Eddie Brown to save the President's daughter from pirates. If that sounds like the plot of a cheesy '90s action movie, that's the vibe the game is going for.

Dynamite Cop's combat is delightfully cartoonish and hilarious, letting you use almost any object in the room as a weapon. You can pelt bad guys with food or smash them over the head with an arcade machine. You can even pick up enemies and use them as weapons. Nothing is more satisfying than hitting a bad guy with another bad guy.

11 Power Stone 2

Capcom's Most Underrated Fighting Game

In a nutshell, Power Stone 2 is essentially Capcom's take on a 3D version of Super Smash Bros. Up to four people can battle it out in colorful levels littered with items, stage hazards, and rapidly changing terrain. You can also pick up any furniture you come across to smack your enemies.

The roster is full of quirky fighters, from the evil, frying-pan-wielding chef Gourmand to the mummified sword fighter Jack. Everything comes together to form a brilliantly silly fighter that's perfect for casual fans and parties.

10 Sonic Adventure

An Iconic 3D Platformer

Though it's been remade and ported to several consoles, Sonic Adventure on the Sega Dreamcast is still the best version of the Blue Blur's first 3D platformer. While the GameCube port is more well-known, the Dreamcast version features tighter controls, smoother gameplay, and a superior lighting engine that gives the visuals a unique flair.

Gameplay-wise, Sonic Adventure is still a blast, offering six unique campaigns ranging from Sonic's speed-based levels to Knuckles' exploration-based treasure-hunting stages. Between levels, you can explore a unique overworld packed with secrets, side stories, and three adorable Chao Gardens.

For fans of Sonic the Hedgehog, don't forget to play the sequel, Sonic Adventure 2, as well.

9 Crazy Taxi

An Outstanding Port Of An Arcade Classic

Initially launched for arcades in 1999, Crazy Taxi is a chaotically fun racing game that encourages you to drive as recklessly as possible without hitting other cars. You explore a San Francisco-inspired city as taxi drivers Axel, B.D. Joe, Gena, and Gus, with the goal of picking up as many passengers as possible before time runs out.

At the end of each run, you're given a ranking based on how much money you have earned. You're rewarded with extra cash by performing stunts and nearly colliding with other drivers, creating a satisfying risk-versus-reward system. While it received a sequel on Dreamcast, the original will always be a timeless classic for action-packed fun.

8 Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes

A Phenomenal Version Of A Legendary Fighting Game

Widely considered one of the greatest arcade fighters ever, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 received a fantastic port on Dreamcast in 2000. Featuring tag-team-based fighting, the game lets you swap between three characters during one-on-one battles, including fan favorites like Spider-Man, Wolverine, Mega Man, and Ryu.

Thanks to the simplified control scheme, combos and special moves are easier than ever to pull off. Since it debuted as a Sega Naomi arcade cabinet, the Dreamcast port offers the most arcade-accurate experience out of all versions. The combat has aged very well, making Marvel vs. Capcom 2 an exceptional choice for a fighting game.

7 Rez

A Mind-Melting Musical Shooter

Rez is the most fascinating game on Dreamcast, mixing rail shooting with light rhythm game elements. You play as a hacker who flies through cyberspace to save a corrupt AI named Eden from viruses. The catch is that the impact of your bullets automatically syncs to the music, creating a unique audio experience where your attacks are part of the song.

Matching the avant-garde premise is an equally unique art style presented through wire frame graphics. Everything combines to create a visually stunning game with an incredible soundtrack and tight on-rails gameplay.

6 Jet Set Radio

The Dreamcast's Finest Platformer

Jet Set Radio is a 3D action-platformer that follows the Rudies, a gang of teenage roller skaters in Tokyo who spray as much graffiti as possible while avoiding the police. The gameplay has you skating, jumping, and grinding on rails through open sandbox levels to tag every designated spot with graffiti before time runs out.

Jet Set Radio was one of the first video games to use cel-shaded graphics, which still look gorgeous today. The catchy hip-hop soundtrack is the cherry on top and perfectly complements the game's '90s tone. Overall, Jet Set Radio is a must-play for fans of retro platformers.

5 Resident Evil Code Veronica

The Scariest Horror Game On Dreamcast

Despite being a lesser-known game in its series, Resident Evil Code Veronica is one of the scariest, most challenging, and best-looking titles of the classic Resident Evil format. You explore the decrepit, zombie-infested Rockfort Prison after Claire Redfield is abducted by Umbrella, the company that created the zombie virus.

The world is brimming with puzzles, tough bosses, and spooky surprises made even more terrifying by the Dreamcast's eerie lighting effects. The 3D environments and dynamic camera were new to the series and helped bring the frightening atmosphere to life in a way that still looks scary. If you want a good survival horror game, give Code Veronica a shot.

If you like Code Veronica, be sure to check out the Dreamcast's phenomenal port of Resident Evil 2.

4 Samba De Amigo

An Innovative Rhythm Game

Samba De Amigo is a port of a classic '90s arcade game that puts a unique spin on the rhythm genre by having you shake maracas at various heights to the beat of the music. The game came with two maraca-shaped controllers and a sensor bar that could tell how high or low you held the instruments.

But what's a rhythm game without a good soundtrack? Samba De Amigo features a stellar score of Latin music and popular Western songs like Take On Me and Tequila. It was surprisingly ahead of its time and holds up remarkably well for a retro game. Give it a try if you can track down a copy.

3 Soul Calibur

A Revolutionary Fighting Game

Debuting as a launch title for Sega Dreamcast, Namco's Soul Calibur revolutionized fighting games thanks to its fully 3D movement. While three-dimensional fighters existed before it, none felt as intuitive or liberating to control in a 3D environment. Not to mention, Soul Calibur outshines its arcade counterpart by featuring more content and better graphics.

The plot follows a group of warriors who seek to reclaim the legendary sword Soul Edge from a dark knight named Nightmare. The combat and graphics have aged exceptionally well, cementing Soul Calibur as the best fighting game on Dreamcast and one of the best fighters of all time.

2 Shenmue

An Open-World Masterpiece

Set in the '80s, Shenmue is an action-adventure game that follows a teenager named Ryo Hazuki who scours the streets of Yokosuka to solve his father's murder. You explore an open world, look for clues, talk to NPCs, and battle bad guys with combat akin to Virtua Fighter.

Shenmue was beyond impressive for a Dreamcast game, featuring highly detailed environments, stunning graphics, and a living, breathing world that runs on an in-game time system. With so much to see and a gripping story to experience, it's easy to sink dozens of hours into this retro masterpiece.

1 Skies of Arcadia

The Best RPG On Dreamcast

If you want an outstanding RPG on Sega Dreamcast, look no further than Skies of Arcadia. You play as Vyse and Aika of the Blue Rogues, a group of air pirates who seek to take down the tyrannical Valuan Empire. The game features a breathtaking overworld where you soar through the skies in an airship, searching for cities to explore and dungeons to conquer.

Fans of retro RPGs will feel right at home with Skies of Arcadia, thanks to its engaging turn-based combat and thrilling story. There's an impressive amount of content here for a retro title, making it the perfect Dreamcast game to immerse yourself in for hours. Don't sleep on this legendary RPG.