In recognition that the Dreamcast is 5 years old in this territory this month will feature some of the games that remind us why the system is great and still being kept alive by some developers and groups of fans.

SONIC ADVENTURE Dreamcast Pal | 1999 Sonic’s first ever fully fledged 3D title. This was the game that brought Sonic out from the murkiness that was the ‘Saturn Years’ reinstating the Blue Wonder as the greatest gaming hero. During the excavation of some ancient ruins Robotnik comes across some scriptures that depict a monster with a connection with the Master Emerald. This creature was responsible for wiping out a civilization many years before. Upon further analysis it is discovered that this creature exists within the Master Emerald itself. Robotnik plans to unleash this creature and destroy Station Square to make way for him to build Robotnik Land. Initially there are 6 playable characters in the game each of who explore a different route. Levels differ in both sequence and appearance. Sonic’s adventure has the full 10 levels to complete. As well as the Action Stages tasks need to be completed in the Adventure field and sub games are added to the mix also. A tweaked version was released sometime later on the Dreamcast as Sonic Adventure International and more enhanced versions were released in 2003 on PC and Game Cube entitled Sonic Adventure DX – Directors Cut. For some screenshots checkout this page.

VIRTUA FIGHTER 3tb Dreamcast Pal | 1999 The port of VF3 from the highly powerful model 3 arcade board hits the DC as a launch title. The TB in the title means team battle and thus In this game you choose a team of 3 to go up against a CPU team of 3 in each round. Classic Virtua Fighter gunplay is an option. VF3 also adds a dodge/evade button letting you walk around your opponent. A somewhat controversial addition. All the previous cast members return for this fight and 2 new characters - Aoi Umenokoji a high school student turned Virtua Fighter and Taka-arashi a sumo wrestler. For more info and screenshots check out the Virtua Fighter 3tb page in the Dreamcast section.

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2 Dreamcast Pal | 1999 The sequel to the popular House of The Dead arcade machine. As with the first game you are part of a government agency stopping the destruction of the human race by the hordes of monsters created by a certain Mr Goldman only in this game you actually get to see him. This home version was enhanced over the original arcade version with better graphics and more play modes. For the best experience the game has to be played with a gun. Blast open the gory green hole in them zombies! For more info and screenshots the game checkout The House of The Dead 2 Page.

SEGA BASS FISHING Dreamcast Pal | 2000 Ever wanted to go fishing and not want to smell? No your can with Sega Bass Fishing. This game a straight conversion of the arcade version direct to your DC with a fishing rod too. The goal is simple. You simply have to catch a quoted weight in fish inside of the time limit. Different fish have different weights. The amount or size you catch does not matter as long as you get the weight. Attracting the fish with the various lures is only half the job. Depending on it’s size you have a struggle to get it to your boat. As arcade mode is beat easily there is the additional Original Mode opening up more play modes with more depth and difficulty to the gameplay. The best experience is with the fishing controller winding intensely as the thing shakes out of your hand. The official Dreamcast fishing rod is quite a rarity though there are some third party models available. Another fishing game was released sometime later called Sega Marine Fishing and a sequel - Sega Bass Fishing Duel was also released on several formats.

CRAZY TAXI Dreamcast Pal | 2000 The DC punters get another perfect arcade port in the form of Sega’s novel taxi game. The gameplay is simple. As 1 of 4 taxi drivers you rocket around the city picking up customers and dropping them off at their destination and collecting fares. If you get them there quickly you’ll receive a time bonus giving you chance to get more customers and ultimately a better ranking. As well as the simple gameplay - a simple control system give the game a great pick up and play feel with plenty of fun to be had. Additions over the arcade mode include more play modes and an entire new city to conduct business in. Crazy Box is a mission based mode where you can learn some of the special moves of the game. The graphics make the game stand out. All the colours are bright and vibrant and everything moves along very smoothly. The games rock soundtrack has songs from Offspring and Bad Religion which you may or may not want to turn up loud when racing around. Crazy Taxi has since been released on Game Cube, PC and PS2. Crazy Taxi 2 was released on Dreamcast in 2001 and Crazy Taxi 3 was released on X Box in 2003.

SOUL CALIBUR Dreamcast Pal | 1999 Namco’s legendary 3D beat’em up. Rated to the highest scores in almost every view you will encounter this game is a true Dreamcast showcase title. This is not just an arcade port but a superior home version with better graphics, more gameplay modes and plenty of secrets. For more info and screenshots check out the Soul Calibur page in the Dreamcast section.

SEGA RALLY 2 Dreamcast Pal | 1999 The acclaimed Sega Rally gets updated for the Model 3 arcade board and ultimately ported to the Dreamcast for a launch title. The Pal version of the game has several fixes over it’s Japanese predecessor. The highly simplistic game play of the original is intact for instant playability with the addition of a hand brake button for some craft power sliding. There is also some extra cars and tracks over the arcade version. The addition of a 10 year championship mode adds plenty of longevity over the simple blast-thorough in arcade mode. Sega Rally 2 was also released on the PC. The original Sega Rally has just been released for Gameboy Advance. The guy behind this game and others like Rez and Space Channel 5 Tetsuya Mizuguchi has since retired from Sega.

POWER STONE Dreamcast Pal | 1999 This is beat‘em up kings Capcom’s early works for the Dreamcast. In this game you are pitched against an opponent in an arena where literally anything can be used as a weapon. Your goal is to achieve a KO over your opponent. As you fight you can also battle for the possession of the Power Stones. These are jewels of immense power. When your character has all 3 you will turn into your all powerful version of yourself. Great fun for the single player and really fun in 2 Player mode There are also 3 VMU games unlockable when you complete the game and some extra characters. This game was originally released in the arcades. Power Stone 2 was released later and allowed up to four player simultaneous combat.

DYNAMITE COP Dreamcast Pal | 1999 The sequel to Dynamite Arcade game released several years earlier. A cruise ship with the presidents daughter onboard has been taken over by a band of pirates. Like its predecessor it is a 3D beat ‘em up. As 1 of 3 members of an elite squad sent to infiltrate and rescue you journey around the ship taking on rooms of enemies. Amusingly just about all objects in any area can be used as weapons even down to a plate of cakes which are not likely to do much damage to your adversary but it’s worth a shot. There are 3 episodes with varying routes to take. On occasion there are sequences where an action needs to be performed at a specific time. This all takes place aboard the cruise ship, with a quick trip to the pirates' island base at the end of the game. The game looks ok as the graphics are simple and move very smoothly. Music is not worth mentioning. It is straight arcade port with no extras. It’s OK for a blast in 2 player mode but that’s about it. Where was the updated Streets of Rage everyone wanted?