Die as a hero or live as a zero
I should make this post next year which could be more appropiate...but I couldn't help it. Today is the 9th year of SEGA's last console: The dreamcast.
I loved that darn console. Really, I don't think that I haven't been heartbroke by a "machine" ever.
In the 90's I was a SEGA fanboy...ok, actually I did liked Nintendo too (a lot) but I thought that I would be cooler if I was on SEGA's side...ah naive youth XD
anyways...I did had a Genesis and despite what my friends/brother said I never regreted. Yeah the SNES had better graphx and sounds but guys, graphics are never the best thing in a videogame. Just look at the Wii.
Then the Saturn appeared and I was amazed. Now I look back and damn, that was a mediocre console. I was eventually dissapointed of that failure.
Mid-1997, rumours of Sega's new machine started to surface. Some were skeptical. Others were confident. Me I was both sad/happy. I was sad that the Saturn failed against the lame PS =P but I hoped that the DC would return Sega to the spotlight.
Time passed and I didn't knew very much of that console until I saw this ad in a spanish magazine:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y201/bob_buffalo/dreamcast.jpg
I was amazed again! Finally SEGA will destroy Sony and will return to be Nintendo's competitor!
I told you I was a fanboy XD
The dreamcast appeared and I followed his unknow short life. I wanted one so badly! I saw Sonic Adventure on a rental place. "Wow! Sonic on 3D!" I read about Shenmue "look at those characters! they are so REAL". I heard about Phantasy Star online "OMG! online in consoles! yayy!" House of the dead, Resident evil code veronica, Marvel vs Capcom, Power stone, Space Channel 5...it was like a dream come true. Way much better than Saturn's abysmal line up.
But then the PS2 appeared and DC's momentum vanished. I couldn't believed it! The DC was great but many ignored it! What the hell! Stupid fanboys! How could you!
2001 was Dreamcast's final year. SEGA announced it's end. I was heartbroke. Even more than the Saturn. I accepted, sadly that the Saturn failed because it wasn't that good, because it was nothing but a machine that overshooted it's audience (Playstation 3 anyone?) and...ok true, its graphics weren't THAT good...ok they were horrible T_T
But the Dreamcast? Powerful? accesible, cheap, easy to program, a nice and strong lineup of games..what was wrong? I blamed Sony and it's fanboys to death.
But time passed and I realised the akward truth. SEGA was in the brisk of bankrupcy. SEGA's decisions on the 90's were..well stupid (the 32X, saturn, the troubled development of Sonic Xtreme...), The Dreamcast was succesful but not enough. Yeah, one can see that the PS3 is having the same problem but SEGA was a "small" company compared to Sony. If Sony or even Microsoft fails, they have th emoney to come back. But SEGA didn't and to date is struggling to make new IP's
Still the Dreamcast was a great console, released in a wrong time and place. It faired poorly in japan but it was kinda succesful in the US. It had a nice library of games, ranging many genres and it was powerful enough. Not a beast but not a wimp. It had a nice controller, a modem and a very sweet design.
Dreamcast's short life is still remembred and appreciated. It seems that I wasn't the only one that thought that way. It was the epitome of good gaming. Affordable, friendly to both users and developers and good selection of quality titles.
I would loved to have one =( It may be silly to buy one nowadays (must of it's game are in newer consoles). or maybe not. That won't change that the DC is and always be my couldabeen console ever ^^
And to end I'll leave you with some youtube clips:
TOP 10 Best dreamcast games
Shenmue - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JvYY8RyAtQ
Resident Evil Code veronica- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON0eqmLSVGE
Space Channel 5- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNQRkUPSrFU
Power stone- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otOWRIjKEzc
Marvel VS Capcom- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbKFVFxhetE
Sould Calibur- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jEnq60dznc
Phantasy star online- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyEnJCgTZds
House of the dead 2- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW8mD4a6-UM
Sonic Adventure- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9giUAw4tFGk
Skies of arcadia- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nFMm8HXiF8
Some old ads
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAHAxB9oI4Q
And a cancelled game: CASTLEVANIA RESURRECTION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhFI4zqECvI
"It's thinking"
I loved that darn console. Really, I don't think that I haven't been heartbroke by a "machine" ever.
In the 90's I was a SEGA fanboy...ok, actually I did liked Nintendo too (a lot) but I thought that I would be cooler if I was on SEGA's side...ah naive youth XD
anyways...I did had a Genesis and despite what my friends/brother said I never regreted. Yeah the SNES had better graphx and sounds but guys, graphics are never the best thing in a videogame. Just look at the Wii.
Then the Saturn appeared and I was amazed. Now I look back and damn, that was a mediocre console. I was eventually dissapointed of that failure.
Mid-1997, rumours of Sega's new machine started to surface. Some were skeptical. Others were confident. Me I was both sad/happy. I was sad that the Saturn failed against the lame PS =P but I hoped that the DC would return Sega to the spotlight.
Time passed and I didn't knew very much of that console until I saw this ad in a spanish magazine:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y201/bob_buffalo/dreamcast.jpg
I was amazed again! Finally SEGA will destroy Sony and will return to be Nintendo's competitor!
I told you I was a fanboy XD
The dreamcast appeared and I followed his unknow short life. I wanted one so badly! I saw Sonic Adventure on a rental place. "Wow! Sonic on 3D!" I read about Shenmue "look at those characters! they are so REAL". I heard about Phantasy Star online "OMG! online in consoles! yayy!" House of the dead, Resident evil code veronica, Marvel vs Capcom, Power stone, Space Channel 5...it was like a dream come true. Way much better than Saturn's abysmal line up.
But then the PS2 appeared and DC's momentum vanished. I couldn't believed it! The DC was great but many ignored it! What the hell! Stupid fanboys! How could you!
2001 was Dreamcast's final year. SEGA announced it's end. I was heartbroke. Even more than the Saturn. I accepted, sadly that the Saturn failed because it wasn't that good, because it was nothing but a machine that overshooted it's audience (Playstation 3 anyone?) and...ok true, its graphics weren't THAT good...ok they were horrible T_T
But the Dreamcast? Powerful? accesible, cheap, easy to program, a nice and strong lineup of games..what was wrong? I blamed Sony and it's fanboys to death.
But time passed and I realised the akward truth. SEGA was in the brisk of bankrupcy. SEGA's decisions on the 90's were..well stupid (the 32X, saturn, the troubled development of Sonic Xtreme...), The Dreamcast was succesful but not enough. Yeah, one can see that the PS3 is having the same problem but SEGA was a "small" company compared to Sony. If Sony or even Microsoft fails, they have th emoney to come back. But SEGA didn't and to date is struggling to make new IP's
Still the Dreamcast was a great console, released in a wrong time and place. It faired poorly in japan but it was kinda succesful in the US. It had a nice library of games, ranging many genres and it was powerful enough. Not a beast but not a wimp. It had a nice controller, a modem and a very sweet design.
Dreamcast's short life is still remembred and appreciated. It seems that I wasn't the only one that thought that way. It was the epitome of good gaming. Affordable, friendly to both users and developers and good selection of quality titles.
I would loved to have one =( It may be silly to buy one nowadays (must of it's game are in newer consoles). or maybe not. That won't change that the DC is and always be my couldabeen console ever ^^
And to end I'll leave you with some youtube clips:
TOP 10 Best dreamcast games
Shenmue - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JvYY8RyAtQ
Resident Evil Code veronica- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON0eqmLSVGE
Space Channel 5- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNQRkUPSrFU
Power stone- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otOWRIjKEzc
Marvel VS Capcom- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbKFVFxhetE
Sould Calibur- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jEnq60dznc
Phantasy star online- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyEnJCgTZds
House of the dead 2- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW8mD4a6-UM
Sonic Adventure- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9giUAw4tFGk
Skies of arcadia- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nFMm8HXiF8
Some old ads
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAHAxB9oI4Q
And a cancelled game: CASTLEVANIA RESURRECTION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhFI4zqECvI
"It's thinking"