Best Dreamcast Games: Tried, Tested and Rated in 2024

The hotly contested debate still continues to this day on places like Reddit as to whether the Dreamcast was a true 128-bit console, or a 32-bit console as the techie people soon discovered after launch.

The whole 128-bit ‘thing’ was incredible marketing speak and sat somewhere between the truth and a lie.

I mean in the 1990s all consoles were measured and advertised based on how powerful the console was, the more powerful the more realism a game would be.

The Master System and NES were 8-bit, the Mega Drive and SNES were 16-bit, the 3DO and Saturn were 32-bit – and then came the mighty (flop) of the Atari Jaguar at 64-bit that sent young teenage hearts a racing.

Dreamcast tried to go one better with their 128-bit machine that really ran games on its 32-bit processor but had ability to draw processing power to enhance gameplay.

Now that the argument is out of the way, on to what made Dreamcast great – the games.

Before we move to the best Dreamcast games, it is worth mentioning that the Sega Dreamcast was the first console to launch with a 56-kbps modem for internet connection.

This was incredibly state of the art back in 1999 when the internet started its early journey of going mainstream.

It meant players could connect their devices online back in the day for multiplayer gaming.

That being said, anyone older than 40 will probably remember the dial up modem tones coming out of the phone line (ahh memories) and just how slow 56 kilobits per second in terms of data movement up and down the phone line really was.

Images took almost a minute to load at times.

I’m digressing again.

Ultimately what made the Sega Dreamcast great was the power of the machine, even at really 32-bits, but also the wide range of games.

620 games were developed and launched for the Sega Dreamcast between 1998 and 2001, when sales figures were not as Sega predicted, and the console ultimately met it’s end when manufacturing stopped at this point.

Despite its short life, a number of unique and enticing games sprang on to the shelves.

Here are the best Dreamcast games, tried, tested, and rated.

Toy Commander

Toy Commander is one of those hidden fun quirky titles you find on most consoles, usually at flea markets and boot sales.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would feel like flying around your kitchen in a toy airplane, then this is the game for you.

Toy Commander really does start to show off the beautiful capabilities the Dreamcast had over its rivals and set the scene for the PS1, which launched 13 months later.

The concept of the game is relatively simple, although advancing is not.

You control a toy airplane in a kitchen with a flight mission and an eventual goal line to reach.

You can fire and explore missiles from your plane, as you navigate the dangers you never knew existed in a kitchen!

The Dreamcast controller was never one many players came to grips with very easily.

Personally I have found this a downside of the console itself, but the controls of Toy Commander are not particularly pleasant.

Right shoulder for acceleration, left shoulder for brake and d-pad and mini joystick controlling camera angles by default.

Controlling the plane properly is a bit challenging with the standard configuration, which may need adapting to be able to really get stuck into the game properly.

Many games that are developed fit some kind of foundation or mould, so its great to see developers break out of those constraints and come up with a hidden novelty once in a while.

Toy Commander is one of them.

Sonic Adventure 2

No Sega console would be complete without a Sonic game or several.

Sonic Adventure 2 on the Dreamcast is the follow on to Sonic Adventure, and the upgrade adds a little more to the gameplay hence why being featured here.

We are all familiar with the classic Sonic the Hedgehog platformer type game the Mega Drive made famous, but as consoles moved from 16-bit to 32-bit, Sonic was given a bit of an upgrade.

This time with intro video sequence setting the storyline and scene – where Sonic doesn’t quite like the budget flight with no movies or food and decides to break out of the maximum secure plane carrying him and venture off down the great steep roads of suburban San Francisco on his skateboard.

OK, still with me?

The skateboard disappears soon enough for Sonic to be left on foot to enjoy the 3D go anywhere type of imaginative world, collecting coins and destroying robots.

So much goes on at once, and often it feels a little like playing Crazy Taxi 2 (don’t worry, we’ll be getting to that game soon!) and you do wonder sometimes if you’re heading in the right direction, or even playing the game right.

It’s a frantic fast filled game but enjoyable nonetheless, even if it feels most of the time it doesn’t truly make much sense.

Of course, nothing will ever compare to the classic original on the Mega Drive, but this quirky 3D version certainly is one to try for many Sonic fans.

The graphics are a dream, and the render rate for the speed travelled is impressive.

The controls are good enough, although feel less than solid at times.

Sonic Adventure 2 on the Dreamcast is a good effort, and one certainly worth trying.

Crazy Taxi 2

This is the game that almost made the Dreamcast.

Crazy Taxi 2 is the first go anywhere type of 3D city racing or car game, and surprisingly it took the Playstation to reach PS3 levels before it achieved the same effect for GTA.

As the title suggests you’re a crazy taxi driver set on a mission to deliver customers from one place in town to another in the very short time frames on offer.

This means usual street etiquette and rules go very much out of the window.

No longer are street lights a problem, well that is until you slam in to one when it gets in your way around a tight fast bend.

Those who are GTA fans will see a lot of similarities here, and perhaps GTA took this as some kind of inspirational secret to its success, but reality is this is an incredibly fast, dynamic and fun game that broke a lot of game moulds back in the late 1990s.

There are a lot of game options, modes and even taxi types to choose from including a beautiful convertible driven by Hot-d, that’s wonderful to drive.

I also love the quirky way the passengers in the convertible stand up and point out the direction the taxi should be going, a cool fun little touch.

The graphics are great, and gameplay really fun but the controls do let the game down ever so slightly.

It doesn’t have the fluidity of future games such as the forementioned GTA, and as such corners and bends are a little tricker than they need to be, and slow the game just a little.

If it wasn’t for that small frustration I’d be scoring Crazy Taxi 2 on the Dreamcast with full marks.

Metropolis Street Racer

The intro video to Metropolis Street Racer is just wow.

Consoles such as the 3DO five years earlier attempted this type of quality using video animation but the technology wasn’t quite there (as much as I am a fan of the 3DO).

The Dreamcast though took the concept of 32-bit to another level, and it shows here.

A game of course can’t thrive on intro video alone.

There is no doubt about it, the graphics are superbly crafted down to a very fine level.

The streets of Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco in the opening scene are very well designed, but despite a great look and feel, the game can feel a little slow at times.

I would argue that the attention to detail and reduction of fast changing frame rate could have been a reason why this game isn’t more highly regarded.

Metropolis Street Racer focuses more on the precision of driving rather than speed and clinging to the road surface.

This type of racing game doesn’t appeal to everyone of course.

The Dreamcast is a great console for such a game, but like games such as Gran Turismo that focussed more on the cars and driving accuracy rather than breakneck turns it appeals to a certain audience.

A game to focus on the level of craftmanship that went in, and the mechanical nature of driving real cars in urban environments, although won’t appeal to the adrenalin junkie car racing enthusiasts.

NFL 2K2

Sports games become more realistic and exciting the moment 32-bit consoles started hitting the markets.

The early 32-bit consoles such as the 3DO started a trend, but it wasn’t until the more powerful 32-bit Dreamcast came along – a few months before the PS1 – that the realistic sports gaming dream started to become a reality.

The intro video sequence is smooth NFL footage, not the usual pixel based video footage often seem, this time smooth transitions, clear graphics, and frame rates.

This alone sets a scene and an anticipation to start the game.

There are many game modes to play, such as Practise, Tourney, Exhibition (for newbies or just plug and play), Season, Playoffs and Franchise.

Despite whatever the gameplay does, the graphics are superb – even down to how the players heads follow the coin for the coin toss. Genius.

The gameplay and frame rate during play are a little slow at times, and rendering rate does struggle to catch up.

The controls are ok, although as a player you control the passes and strategy plays by selections and button presses.

It feels more strategy based than actually playing based as found in NHL and NBA titles.

Unfortunately, though players who are not fans of NFL, and not familiar with the rules and strategies, will struggle with this game without a steep learning curve.

Although this can be said for any game, it is particularly key here.

Those who like strategy sports games and is familiar with the NFL rules will love NFL 2K2 on the Dreamcast.

Daytona USA

My fondest memories of Daytona USA came between 1996 and 1997 where a large chain store opened up the top floor to gamers and arcade games, and there stood a glistening 8-player connected Daytona cabinet along the back wall.

Many of those who went to nearby colleges spent lunch times and free periods playing Daytona, and rarely were all 8 full machines with seats, steering wheels, gears and pedals not completely fall.

Spectators all around watching on the big screen to see who the winner was.

Daytona never had the best graphics, or the best controls in the arcade, but it was a dominating beast that commanded attention.

It didn’t take many more years before the first console to truly do the game justice launched.

Daytona USA on the Dreamcast was everything the arcade version was, despite kids bunking off school to play.

The graphics, sounds and even tricky brake-sliding turns were exactly the same.

Of course playing now means a controller rather than full size cockpit, but still this brought everything the arcade version had to the home screen.

Although the graphics remain true, they still aren’t as smooth and the frame rate doesn’t render as fast as other Dreamcast titles.

It’s still a tough game though.

Even catching every corner and turn well can still see you languish in fourth place after four laps.

Maybe I just need to improve.

Daytona USA had its critics, but for sheer nostalgia for anyone who loved playing this at the arcade, it’s a real retro treat!

Test Drive Le Mans

Despite there being 620 games released on the Dreamcast over it’s three year existence, it’s surprising to see racing type games taking pole position (pardon the pun!).

A great thing about Test Drive Le Mans is its Quick Start mode, perfect for players who don’t want to set names and customise their cars.

The graphics are subline. Wonderfully put together and the first real smooth taste of a racing game that probably launched on any such console.

Of course though, as usually the case, amazing graphics usually mean a sacrifice in something else.

It’s a hard unforgiving game.

Again, like other games on the Dreamcast, racing games tend to go for a more realistic meticulous feel rather than keeping the player on the track with speed as the main goal.

Watching the map in the lower left hand side of the screen is a must, as by the time you have seen the bend it’s often too late.

Reaching top speed takes time, breaking needs to be done in advance as corners will see you end up off track and hitting the rather poorly designed stack of tyres that look too much 2D in a very 3D world.

Test Drive Le Mans is similar to Gran Turismo than it is Need for Speed.

All that said, the rendering and smooth background scrolling has been done very well.

Virtua Tennis 2

Tennis is such a tricky game to get right for developers.

Getting the balance between graphics, gameplay and control for a realistic experience must be one of the toughest challenges of most sports games out there.

We’ve had tennis games on home consoles as far back as the early 1980s.

Virtua Tennis 2 though is, in my opinion, one of the first consoles that manage to really hit an ace with all three challenges!

Now things are not perfect of course.

The controls, despite the good gameplay, can be a little tricky and counter intuitive at times.

Opponents can be tough in standard mode, and defeating them or even scoring a point against them takes a lot of work.

A tip I have found is to get as close to the net as possible, not only will you put your opponent on the back foot but will give you the greatest reach. Careful of those cheeky lobs though!

The replays are a nice touch to the game and all around the graphics and gameplay for Virtua Tennis 2 are really immersive.

A few attempts will be needed to really understand the logic of the gameplay and how to match the opponent point for point, but once mastered it will not be put down easily.

Shenmue

Shenmue is arguably one of the most talked about Dreamcast games of all time.

A true legend and a classic, but does it really deserve the attention it got, and still gets.

It combines so many elements of classic games into its own art based puzzle, RPG and adventure game that wasn’t seen before or since.

The name Shenmue means ‘Spirit Tree’ in Japanese, rather than a character’s name.

He mood and ambience reflected in the direction onset is truly a marvel worthy of study as to how games can be crafted from the ground up to create an incredible long lasting experience.

Shenmue on the Dreamcast was certainly appreciated as a result, and still revered 25 years later.

The intro sequence has to be watched and beautifully tells the story.

Shenmue plays a little like controlling a character in GTA, with similar camera angle.

Buttons control much in the surroundings including opening doors, picking up items and checking your inventory – including your watch to keep track of time.

For those who truly get into the Shenmue experience will be exposed into a game like none before.

It isn’t a fighting game, or shoot ‘em up, it’s an unravelling storytelling experience set with puzzles and adventure.

Much to do, see and figure out along the way.

Shenmue on Dreamcast is beautiful. There is no better way to describe it.

But time is needed to invest to get anything magical out of the game, it’s just whether patience is your virtue.

Rez

Rez is one of those very unique games unlike any other.

It looks a little out of place on such a console, but its uniqueness creates a curious pull.

As a vector like character you set out on a slow sombre flying mission, gliding through space whilst spaceships and spacecraft that appear from beneath you are targeted and destroyed.

It’s known as a music rail shooter, whatever that truly means and developed by United Game Artists back in 2001 and launched primarily in Japan, although a number of copies have made it across the continents.

It’s a beautiful game to look at, and quite calming to play despite being a shoot em up really by all definitions.

Rez didn’t just end on the Dreamcast, it was given a reincarnation on the Xbox 360 too.

The simplicity of the opening stages morphs in to an almost matrix world in later stages as vectors become more sophisticated, many things happen on screen and absorption in to the strange world continues.

The graphics are, well different. Great, good and different and difficult to judge against other Dreamcast games as Rez stands out on its own.

The controls are somewhat easy, which certainly adds to the over gameplay.

A creatively unique game and rare hidden gem on the Dreamcast that should be experienced by more European and North American audiences who missed out on the game first time around.

Suggested Reading: Best Sega 32X Games, tried and tested – another 32-bit retro gaming blast from the past!

Hydro Thunder

Hydro Thunder was created for pure adrenalin gamers.

There isn’t a long learning curve, manuals to read or complicated instructions to follow.

Simply hop in to your speedboat and set off at breakneck speeds along a waterway course and take on up to 16 other opponents.

Along the way there are speed jumps to navigate, and boosts to grab, but ultimately it comes down to precision, speed and sometimes forcing your other speedboat opponents out of the way.

The graphics here are really well done, and really give you a feel of being in a speedboat navigating water at high speeds.

Some of the controls on the cumbersome Dreamcast control pad are a little tricky, but buttons can be customised if it makes it easier.

Fortunately, the control pad, and mini joystick, make manoeuvring your speedboat simple. The developers have done a great job here adding to the game play.

Hydro Thunder on the Dreamcast is one of those unassuming hidden gems we like to find.

It’s the perfect type of plug and play game that requires little thinking.