There are many successes and failures in the video game industry that cannot really be explained. Oddly enough, SEGA’s Dreamcast, which was released in 1999, falls on both sides of the fence. At its release, the console was one of best consoles ever created, impressing gamers everywhere. It continuously broke new ground in many areas of the industry, with all of its unique attachments and extra features. This allowed game designers to create some of the best games of any genre.
In fact, the Dreamcast is famous for having an all-star game in every genre. However, the company seemed to be too ahead of their time, as many other gaming companies laughed at their innovations. It appeared that SEGA was not quite ready for their competition, as they discontinued the Dreamcast after only three years of being released, due to poor sales.
It seems that over time, like the many systems that came before it, the Dreamcast gained much more popularity. Gaming enthusiasts everywhere pride themselves on owning a Dreamcast collection of games. The Dreamcast marked SEGA's return to victory within the video game industry, even though its sales petered out after the release of the PlayStation 2. This list will shock and awe even the seasoned gamer, as there were so many secrets held within SEGA and their Dreamcast console. Without further ado, here are 25 things that only super fans knew the SEGA Dreamcast could do.
25 Pirate Every Genesis Game On A Dreamcast
There was one group in particular that was responsible for most of the SEGA Piracy. Whenever a new title was released, Echelon had made it available for download a few days later.
In 2001, hidden in the code of "Sega Smash Pack: Volume 1" was a .txt file named Echelon.
This file that told you exactly how to pirate Genesis games onto the Dreamcast. It is rumored that the file was written by Gary Lake… the lead American programmer for Sega Smash Pack.
24 Every Dreamcast GD-Rom Disc Held A Hidden Surprise
Each GD-Rom Disc developed for SEGA by Yamaha actually contains a hidden Easter Egg. These discs look very similar to a standard CD, and if you use it in a CD player you will hear one playable track. The track was used as a way to protect the game discs from being damaged, and says "This is a Dreamcast disc and is for use only on a Dreamcast unit. Playing this disc on a Hi-Fi or other audio equipment can cause serious damage to its speakers. Please stop this disc now."
23 Use Unique Memory Cards
The Dreamcast had a special type of memory card that needed to be used with it. The cards were known as VMUs, Visual Memory Units, but there was so much more than just game data stored on these babies. VMUs ran off of batteries, and had a calendar and clock stored inside of them. VMUs were even integrated into. Several minigames for the Dreamcast, such as Sonic Adventure. Using the VMU, you could transfer eggs or even raise your Chao's stats, allowing it to perform better in Chao Garden races.
22 Use A VGA Hookup For HD Gaming
The Dreamcast was actually the first console that had VGA hookup capabilities, beating out the original Xbox. Using a VGA adapter, players could connect to a computer monitor or television and experience the improved quality of 480p. This resulted in a much crisper image, with better clarity and overall quality on the screen. You can even use an HDMI cable with the Dreamcast, but the difference in technology standards at the time doesn’t allow for the improvement you would hope.
21 Take Pictures And Edit Them On Your Console
Ever heard of the DreamEye? The DreamEye was a webcam attachment, and was one of the first cameras that was modified for use with the Dreamcast. It was released in Japan in the late 2000s, beating out Playstation’s EyeToy by three years. The DreamEye was also a digital camera, meaning it could be used outside to capture photos, while also functioning as a webcam. Then, players would just use Visual Park to edit their photos on their Dreamcast.
20 Developed Wii Controller-Like Technology, Before Nintendo
Which gaming company pioneered motion controls has been a topic of debate for quite some time. The Wii controllers are seen as revolutionary, but Midway actually developed a concept controller for the Dreamcast that worked in the same way.
It was never released for the system, but the controller worked just like Nintendo’s nunchucks of today.
Although it was also never released, they also had a controller that was very similar to the Wiimote! What they did release was the Light Gun and fishing rod controllers.
19 Become A Train Conductor
Densha de Go! was a Japan-only released title, which came with some pretty interesting hardware. This game was a train driving simulator, and players could follow actual train routes from Japan. Densha de Go! came with its own unique controller that players had to learn how to operate, which was very similar to that of real train controls. Using these controls, the player had to follow a strict time table while maintaining the correct speed limit, all while protecting track workers from the dangers of their approach.
18 Its Logo Changed Colour Depending On Where You Bought It
The color of the Dreamcast’s swirl is different in various parts of the world. Japan, where it was originally released, has an orange logo. In Europe, the swirl can be seen as blue. This change was rumored to have happened as a preventative measure against a potential lawsuit. The German game company Tivola also has a logo with an orange swirl, making the two company logos too similar. North America’s version of the Dreamcast logo is in red.
17 Use The Same Hardware As Arcade Machines
Fans wondered about why the Dreamcast featured so many arcade ports, as there must have been a reason behind it. There was.
SEGA’s Dreamcast actually used the same hardware as some existing arcade machines of its time.
In 1998 the New Arcade Operation Machine Idea arcade board was originally developed, for use in arcade titles such as The House of the Dead 2. NAOMI was adapted into the hardware of the Dreamcast, which allowed many other arcade games and properties to be adapted for use on the console.
16 Run Nintendo 64 Titles
In 2007, a programmer known as Simpson474 ported Daedalus-N64 to the Dreamcast, which just happened to be a Nintendo 64 emulator. The emulator is strong enough to handle many top N64 classics, such as Mario Kart, Mario 64, and Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Unfortunately, the programmer was having difficulties perfecting the code, with frames running at 10fps and no sound being captured. The project was ultimately abandoned, left as just a test run of what could have been.
15 Play A Parody Of Millionaire
Yep, that’s right. If you have a hankering to beat up some millionaires just head on over to the Dreamcast and play Who Wants to Beat Up a Millionaire. The game itself is a parody of the popular game show of a similar title, Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. However, it adds in the bonus fun of being able to beat up your fellow contestants. Unfortunately, the game ultimately suffered from a lack of direction, and was unable to appeal to players.
14 End Zombies While Working On Your Typing Skills
If you’ve ever wanted to improve your typing accuracy and words per minute, go ahead and try out The Typing of the Dead. This game was released in 1998, and was a modification of the popular arcade game The House of the Dead 2, allowing you to use a keyboard to end zombies instead of a gun. The game even has influential choices for gamers to make throughout the story, which ultimately land the player with one of three final possible endings.
13 Send Emails
When the Dreamcast was first released, other game studios and developers laughed at how integrated it was with the internet. Nobody thought that people would want to play “online” with random strangers. When it came down to it, you could even send emails to others using your Dreamcast! This process has become somewhat obsolete now, as the way the internet actually works has been updated substantially. However, if you would still like to use your Dreamcast for emails, check out this guide by DreamPipe.
12 Outsmart Pirates
During the time of the SEGA Dreamcast, video game piracy was becoming a very real problem. As it already had difficulty with one of its previous consoles, SEGA tried to be one step ahead of pirates everywhere by creating their very own GD-ROM format. Some in the company fought against this, believing that DVDs were the better choice since they held more space. The company stuck with it, but the system was no match for some of the other stuff out there.
11 Play A South Park Racing Game
If a company is going to make a game based on an iconic show, you’d think that both sides would want it well advertised. This is not the case for South Park Rally, and those who did manage to hear about it and buy it were quickly disappointed with their purchase. South Park Rally tried to build new ground by allowing players to complete the track in a non-linear way, which ultimately just created a lot of confusion for players.
10 Raise A Virtual Pet Who Talks To You
Seaman was released in 1999, and quickly became one of the Dreamcast’s stand-out titles. This game allows you to raise a virtual pet by using a microphone plugged into the VMU port to talk to your pet.
However, your pet is no ordinary animal, they are actually a human-fish hybrid!
Your Seaman creature can understand basic questions and had a memory bank of facts you told it about yourself. If you neglected your Seaman pets for too long, they could get sick and even perish, as the game took place in real time.
9 Play Galaga... I Mean, Ikaruga
As I’m sure you’re aware, Galaga is one of the most popular arcade side-scrolling shooters of all time. Ikaruga is a very similar title that was released for the Dreamcast, and it quicklybecame one of the most sought-after titles of all time. It improved the elements of side-scrollers of the time, and its visuals were second to none. Ikaruga’s director, Hiroshi Luchi, only worked on the project during his free time, so it’s amazing how great the game turned out to be.
8 Play The First Open-World Sandbox Game
Shenmue was the first real open-world sandbox game to appear on a contemporary console, and it chose to be released on the Dreamcast. At this time there were no similar games in the market, meaning it was the first game to actually allow players to fully explore their interactive gaming environment. It was also one of the first titles of its time to include the concept of day and night cycles. The game creator, Yu Suzuki, estimates that the game actually cost roughly 47 million dollars to create!
7 It Survived Until 2007
Overall, the total number of consoles sold and it’s relatively short lifespan has caused people everywhere to consider the Dreamcast a failure. Some say that if SEGA just had the necessary resources to create more consoles, the Dreamcast might have had a longer lifespan.
What many people don't know, is that the last official game for the Dreamcast was released in 2007!
Surprising that it had the power to stick around for as long as it did. It should be noted that the Dreamcast has a hit game in every genre, which is no easy feat.
6 Play Homebrew Games
As previously stated, the last official game to be released for the Dreamcast was in 2007. However, we are now over a decade later and there are still games in development for this console… Full-fledged homebrew games are still currently being developed for the Dreamcast, with no signs of slowing, and they are available to be downloaded and played. In 2017, Saber Rider and the Star Sheriffs, a game based off the same named TV series, was released, so check it out!