The Best and Worst Dreamcast Games (Sept 1999 to Sept 2000)

The Best and Worst Dreamcast Games (Sept 1999 to Sept 2000)

It's hard to believe that it's been a full year since Sega's 128-bit killer was unleashed. 9/9/99 will forever be burnt into our heads as the day that Sega, once again, immerged from the depths to deliver the next best thing. I was one of the thousands waiting in line at midnight to purchase Sega's monster. Games were in low supply, as Sega failed to rally the troops for the promised 20+ releases and I was left with few choices. Ready to Rumble was the first Dreamcast game that found it's way into my machine, but a short day later I was back at the dealer, trading it in on Soul Calibur. A wise move, indeed.

MDK 2

MDK 2

The first MDK was one of the coolest games I've ever played. It was pure action, and pure fun. At first glance it would seem as though the game was just another mindless third-person shooter, but after playing it, you'd come to the realization that there was also a very healthy mix of puzzles along the way as well. This mix was quite possibly the best mix of thumb-reflexes and mind-binding in any game ever. It was also unique. The concepts were truly original, which is great to see with games nowadays.

There's good news: MDK2 features that same great mix, and even more originality.

NHL 2K

NHL 2K   

NHL 2K has been the subject of some rather harsh reviews since its release. The main fault of this game seems to be that it isn’t NHL 2000 by EA Sports. Give EA credit, they invented the genre of sports sims with the first Madden football, and then they extended that concept to every sport imaginable, including a fantastic treatment of hockey over the years. My favorite hockey game of all time was NHL 95 on the SNES. The graphics looked downright horrible compared to any 32, 64, or 128 bit hockey game, but the actual gameplay was dead on. NHL 2K combines the great gameplay of that ancient EA Sports title, with visual splendor never seen before in a console hockey game.

Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver

Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver

I always loved Horror games like Resident Evil and Silent Hill, although those horror games are different then this one. Those games involved real people with some bizzard situations. This is more of a horror-like Spawn game. Where you play Raziel, Faithful lieutenant to Kain, the Vampire King. After a millennia of servitude and dedication, you have failed your master by your own evolution. Because of your magnificent sprawling wings, the lord Kain himself has sentenced you to a horrible death; A plunge into the Lake of Lost Souls. Falling into the painful abyss after what seems like forever, your descent has finally ceased. Trapped in a battered shell of a body and greeted by a mysterious booming voice, your purpose becomes clear... End the madness that has attached itself like a plague to the land of Nosgoth and destroy your former master... destroy Kain.

Crazy taxi

Crazy taxi

I have a callous on my finger.

Not from carpentry, weightlifting, fixing, or other tough manual labor that will give you callouses, but from playing Crazy Taxi. I kid you not, I have a callous on my finger from playing Crazy Taxi.

Crazy Taxi is virtual heroin. After you play once, you have to play again.... and again, and again. It calls you. As those of us who have played this game in the arcade know, just about the only thing that stopped you from playing Crazy Taxi in the arcade was the lack of tokens. Worry about tokens no more, my friend, because Crazy Taxi has hit the DreamCast... in a BIG way.