The reason why the Dreamcast is amazing in terms of gaming history — is that it died while producing truly great games. Great games that are good today. The Dreamcast has only around 600 games total (from beginning to end), but the amount of quality per quantity of games is significantly better than almost any other console we’ve ranked.
We debated for 3 weeks on which ten games best represented the Dreamcast. Not which ones were the most important in the historical context (all of them are). Not which ones sold the best (they did not sell well enough to save the Dreamcast). But which games show Sega at their highest level — in terms of creativity, philosophy and technical ability. Because Sega showed with the Dreamcast something that still applies today: brilliant games don’t always result in commercial success. The market can decide your fate before you have a chance to ship.
The Dreamcast was released in 1999 (Japan) and 1999 (North America) with one major approach to revolutionise the industry — a modem built into the console for internet gaming, GD-ROM media that cost less to manufacture than cartridges, and 128-bit processing that allowed the Dreamcast to compete with both PS1 and N64 simultaneously. It was technically fantastic. However, it was also doomed to fail commercially.
Quick Rankings
- Shenmue — The adventure game that redefined exploration
- Crazy Taxi — The arcade port that became something more
- Jet Grind Radio — The art game that influenced an industry
- Soul Calibur — The fighting game that justified the hardware
- Power Stone — The 3D fighter that proved innovation matters
- Skies of Arcadia — The JRPG that competed directly with PlayStation
- Sonic Adventure 2 — Sonic’s most ambitious 3D attempt
- Resident Evil: Code Veronica — Survival horror that worked on Dreamcast
- Phantasy Star Online — The game that created online console gaming
- Rez — The experimental game that was ahead of everything
1. Shenmue (1999)
Genre: Adventure | Developer: Sega AM2
Shenmue isn’t just a game — it is a piece of history that shows what Sega was willing to take risks on. Yu Suzuki, the legendary creator, received a massive budget to create an open-world detective game that was considered crazy anywhere outside of Sega. You’re Ryo Hazuki — a teenage boy who is investigating the death of his father. Your investigation will include a large open world, conversations with NPCs, finding clues, and experiencing a story that evolves over multiple seasons.
What makes it untouchable: What it attempted to do. The scope of the project was larger than anyone had ever attempted previously. All of the voice acting. The day/night cycle system. The fact that the schedules of NPCs mattered. The quick-time event system that was groundbreaking at the time (now it’s everywhere, but Shenmue essentially pioneered the idea). The stubble system where Ryo visibly grows older. The side quests that are essentially stories of the supporting characters. The fact that the world responds to your choices. The fact that none of this was needed but all of it was added anyway.
While Shenmue isn’t flawless — it has padding, it has slow moments, and it has some clunky controls. However, Shenmue wasn’t trying to be flawless; it was trying to be ambitious and it was.
Does it still hold up? The visuals are charming but outdated. The pacing is slower than most modern games. Some of the controls are awkward. However, the ambition and the story are both still very engaging. This is a game that you play to see a moment in gaming history when a developer said “we are going to do something that no one has asked us to do and we are going to do it completely.”
Read Carl’s analysis of Shenmue as Sega’s most ambitious risk →
2. Crazy Taxi (2000)
Genre: Arcade | Developer: Sega-AM
Crazy Taxi is an arcade game. That’s the point. Sega took the exact same arcade cabinet that they had used in arcades and brought it home perfectly. You are a taxi driver in a vibrant city with customers standing at bus stops. Pick them up, take them to their destination, get paid based on how quickly you can deliver them. Do this repeatedly with increasingly difficult challenges.
What makes it untouchable: The arcade experience is perfectly captured in Crazy Taxi. There is no story. There are no complicated mechanics. There is just pure gameplay — pick up passengers, drive fast, collect money. The controls are responsive. The game is instantly understandable but mastering it takes real skill. The licensed music (The Offspring, Bad Religion, etc.) adds atmosphere to the game. The over-the-top driving physics make each turn satisfying. The addictive nature of the gameplay loop that makes you want to play “just one more run” for hours.
Is it still good? Absolutely. Crazy Taxi is a perfect example of translating an arcade game to home console. Modern games are trying to add complexity to arcade games by adding new mechanics and a sense of progression. Crazy Taxi proves that sometimes the arcade model is perfect as is.
Read Joe’s defence of Crazy Taxi as the arcade port that elevated its source →
3. Jet Grind Radio (2000)
Genre: Action | Developer: Sega AM2
Jet Grind Radio, or Jet Set Radio in later releases, is a game that revolves around graffiti tagging in a stylised and colourful city. You are a member of a street gang spray painting buildings, battling rival gangs, and generally causing chaos. On paper, the premise of the game appears juvenile. However, in execution, Jet Grind Radio is an authentic work of art.
The cel-shaded graphics were a technological leapfrog for the video game industry. The characters are drawn like comic books, with the city itself being brightly coloured in a manner that was unprecedented for the time. The camera pans out to frame action in a cinematic fashion. Every aspect of the visual design screamed “art game” long before art games were a serious consideration.
What makes it untouchable: The cel-shading that influenced the entire video game industry’s visual aesthetic. The music composed by Hideki Naganuma is superb. The graffiti features allow players to express themselves artistically. The confidence in the visual design was such that it didn’t require realism. The fact that it showed that visual innovation could be a driving force behind a game as much as mechanical innovation. This game set the bar for all future art games.
Still holds up? Cel-shading is forever — it’s not dated due to its stylism. The camera can be awkward (it’s a common trait of many Dreamcast games). The story is charming, if shallow. However, the experience is uniquely creative and offers a feeling that few games are attempting to replicate today.
Read Timothy’s analysis of Jet Grind Radio’s visual innovation →
4. Soul Calibur (1999)
Genre: Fighting | Developer: Namco
Soul Calibur is a fighting game that was a perfect recreation of the arcade cabinet. Namco’s arcade cabinet came home with virtually no changes — the same combos, the same balance, the same characters, the same depth. Eight unique fighters with their own fighting styles. The ring-out system adds a strategic element of space to the game. The weapon-based fighting system is fundamentally different from traditional fighting games.
What makes it untouchable: This was a straight-up arcade to home console port, so the developers did nothing to mess around with the formula that had already worked — unlike many other ports back then. The eight fighters each had their strengths and weaknesses, and every fighter was viable in terms of winning matches; no one was a total weakling. The three-dimensional ring-out mechanic gave the fighters room to move around and create strategic space that traditional 2D fighters could not provide. The graphics were visually appealing and easy to read. The soundtrack was fantastic. For the people interested in depth, the developers provided plenty of complexity for tournament-level fighters to enjoy and analyse in terms of combos and frame data, yet still provided enough simplicity for casual players to simply play and have fun.
Still holds up? The graphics will look dated to today’s gamers. The roster is minuscule compared to today’s fighting games. However, the fundamental fighting game structure is still solid — all the fighters are viable, all the matches are competitive, and modern day fighting game enthusiasts will still get a solid experience playing this.
Read Samuel’s technical breakdown of Soul Calibur’s fighting game perfection →
5. Power Stone (1999)
Genre: Fighting | Developer: Capcom
Power Stone is a 3D fighting game that few people remember, which is a shame. In the game, you have four fighters fighting in a large, open 3D area. Throughout the arena, objects lie around that you can pick up and use as weapons. The Power Stones themselves are hidden throughout the arena and give you a temporary super mode. The overall experience is chaotic, yet controlled chaos.
What makes it untouchable: Innovation. At the time, fighting games were either 2D fighters or occasionally 3D, but always ultimately turn-based one-on-one affairs. Power Stone asked the question “what if fighting games were chaotic party games?” and answered it successfully. The developers found a surprisingly balanced level of competition despite the chaotic nature of the arena. There are four fighters competing at once, environmental hazards like falling objects and fireballs, and collectible power-ups that give you temporary advantages. Yet it all seems to work together without appearing to be arbitrary.
Still holds up? Yes. Although the 3D graphics appear dated, the general philosophy behind the design of the game remains timeless. As such, when you play Power Stone now, it feels fresh and new again because no one has really attempted to explore the genre in quite the same way since.
Read John’s passionate defence of Power Stone as the fighting game nobody remembers →
6. Skies of Arcadia (2000)
Genre: JRPG | Developer: Sega
Skies of Arcadia is a JRPG in which you fly around in your ship as a sky pirate. The game is incredibly whimsical and earnest in ways that may seem almost unique. The story itself is pretty straightforward — you’re fighting against an evil empire — but the delivery of the story is charming. The battle system uses turn-based tactics, but instead of the typical battlefield, the battles are fought in the air between your ship and the enemy’s ship. Between battles, you explore the world on foot, which allows for additional interaction with characters and the environment. Skies of Arcadia is a JRPG that directly competed with the Final Fantasy VII and VIII series on the PlayStation and arguably stood its ground.
What makes it untouchable: The fact that Skies of Arcadia is an honest-to-goodness solid JRPG developed by Sega and released on a console that everybody thought was dead. The charming world and the charming characters. The ship battles are genuinely interesting. The difficulty curve is fairly balanced. And the game is long — it’s over 40 hours long — and respects the player’s time investment. This is a JRPG that should have had a bigger audience, but it didn’t due to console wars and poor marketing.
Still holds up? Yes. The turn-based battle system has not aged. The character development is still interesting. The world is still charming. The pacing is still good. This is a game that should have had more players, but due to bad timing, it didn’t.
Read Joe’s historical context on Skies of Arcadia as the JRPG that could’ve been →
7. Sonic Adventure 2 (2001)
Genre: Action | Developer: Sonic Team
Sonic Adventure 2 is Sonic’s most ambitious attempt to date in 3D. Six different playable characters with vastly different gameplay mechanics. Treasure hunting levels featuring Knuckles and Rouge. Shooting levels featuring Tails and Eggman. Levels with running gameplay mechanics featuring Sonic and Shadow. The story where both Sonic and Eggman are imprisoned, and the true antagonist is revealed to be someone else altogether. And finally, the Chaos Emerald collecting experience is extensive and rewarding.
What makes it untouchable: The sheer scope and ambition of the project. Not everything is perfect — the camera fights you from time to time, and some of the mechanics are experimental — but the sheer amount of effort put into the game is truly admirable. The music composed by Naganuma and others is genuinely excellent. The six playable characters offer a wealth of replay value. And the fact that Sonic’s 3D adventure featured more visual variety and mechanical variety than most action games.
Still holds up? To a degree. Some of the mechanics are clunky. The camera fights you from time to time. But the variety of characters, the music, the scope — it all still resonates. This is Sonic at his most creative, even if he isn’t the most refined.
Read Carl’s analysis of Sonic Adventure 2 as Sega’s bravest Sonic experiment →
8. Resident Evil: Code Veronica (1999)
Genre: Survival Horror | Developer: Capcom
Resident Evil: Code Veronica was the test case for whether survival horror could work on the Dreamcast. You play as either Chris Redfield or Claire Redfield, investigating a top-secret government lab that has been overrun by bioweapon tests. Tank-style controls. Item management. Puzzle solving. Survival horror elements that were established on the PlayStation but still worked on the Dreamcast.
What makes it untouchable: The fact that it was a solid survival horror experience from Capcom that demonstrated the capabilities of the Dreamcast hardware. The environments were detailed. The creatures were disturbing. The puzzles were enjoyable without being infuriating. The difficulty curve was balanced. And this was the result of applying a successful formula to better hardware and competent execution.
Still holds up? While the controls are tank-based, they can feel clunky to today’s standards. The fixed camera angles can be awkward. But the atmosphere, the design, the execution — it is still a solid survival horror experience.
Read Timothy’s technical analysis of how Code Veronica worked on Dreamcast →
9. Phantasy Star Online (2000)
Genre: Online RPG | Developer: Sonic Team
Phantasy Star Online was a historic moment — it was one of the first online console RPGs that actually worked. Create your character. Kill monsters. Get experience. Improve your equipment. Play with other players in multiplayer mode. Simple design, but revolutionary for consoles at the time.
What makes it untouchable: The fact that this game defined the template for online console gaming. The network adapters. Modem connectivity. Dedicated servers. All of these things were tested by Phantasy Star Online and shown to work on console. The gameplay is straightforward but enjoyable. The gear progression is rewarding. The boss battles are difficult and fun. And the fact that this game showed Sega understood online gaming architecture before anyone else did.
Still holds up? The servers are down now, but the game is still technically impressive as a demonstration of online architecture. When you play the single-player version offline, the solid gameplay loop is apparent even without online functionality.
Read Samuel’s technical breakdown of Phantasy Star Online’s online architecture →
10. Rez (2001)
Genre: Rail Shooter | Developer: Sega AM2
Rez is literally an abstract rail shooter where you’re flying through a cyberspace environment, destroying obstacles and enemies. Visually, it is very minimalist — geometric shapes, vibrant colours, and clean lines. The soundtrack pulsates with the action. The game is a synesthetic experience — the audio and visuals are completely intertwined.
What makes it untouchable: The pure fearlessness of the design. This was an experimental game produced by a big-name developer on a console that was already dying. Rez could have easily turned out to be terrible, but it’s actually amazing. The minimalist design is still timeless. The synesthetic union of music and gameplay influences countless games to come. And the fact that Rez demonstrates Sega was willing to risk developing art games.
Still holds up? Yes. The minimalist design is timeless. The synesthetic union of music and gameplay is still effective. The game is short and focused. This is what happens when developers trust players to appreciate innovative design.
Read John’s defence of Rez as the experimental game that was ahead of everything →
The Games That Did Not Make It (And Why Dreamcast’s Failure Matters More)
Grandia II. Jet Set Radio Future. Shenmue II. F355 Challenge. Evolution. Confidential Mission. Cannon Spike. Propeller Arena. There are dozens of truly good games in the Dreamcast library that did not make it onto this top ten list. And that is indeed impressive for a console that was only active for two years.
However, this is what we need to realise — the Dreamcast failed not because the games were not good. The Dreamcast failed because the market had already been decided. The PS2 was coming with DVD capabilities. The Dreamcast could not compete with the hardware advancements of the PS2. Third-party support was waning. Sega was experiencing financial troubles. And regardless of how good the software was, the numbers didn’t add up.
The list above is bittersweet, as it is a representation of a console that clearly proved one thing: creating great games does not necessarily equate to commercial success. The Dreamcast was a console that died while producing some amazing games. Many of those games went on to influence the gaming industry as a whole (Jet Grind Radio’s cel-shading, Phantasy Star Online’s online infrastructure, and more). But as far as commercial success? That’s another story altogether.
So if you’ve never experienced these games, find them. These games represent an era in gaming history where Sega clearly understood software excellence, but couldn’t leverage that excellence into hardware superiority.
It’s a tragedy, and also a lesson at the same time.
Deep-dive articles about individual games written by whatever New Player Ready crew member fought hardest to save the Dreamcast through their love for these games. Sometimes the best games appear on the worst-timed consoles, and that’s something to remember.
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