What games should be on a Dreamcast Mini?

Despite there not being any indication that Sega is working on one — indeed, the company noted in the summer of last year that the production thereof would be impractically expensive right now — people seem pretty convinced that there’s a “Dreamcast Mini” in our futures.

We here at Rice Digital certainly wouldn’t object to such a device, as the Dreamcast plays host to some absolutely fabulous games, many of which deserve a second chance to shine. Because as fondly regarded as the Dreamcast remains today, it was ultimately its poor sales that caused Sega to pull out of the hardware market completely. Which means a lot of you didn’t buy the bloody things first time around, which in turn means you probably haven’t played a bunch of these.

So let’s come up with an arbitrary number of games that we think we should include on a Dreamcast Mini. This selection wouldn’t make up the complete library, obviously — but it would be a great starting point for people to explore the platform, including both established classics and slightly lesser-known titles that deserve another opportunity.

Sonic Adventure

Should a Dreamcast Mini happen, there’s no way that Sonic’s 3D debut won’t be on it. Not only because he’s Sega’s mascot, but because it’s also an extremely fondly regarded title from the Dreamcast’s back catalogue. Featuring varied gameplay across its multitude of playable characters, some excellent music, wonderful setpieces and an enjoyable if dumb story, Sonic Adventure is, for many folks, a textbook example of a Dreamcast game.

SoulCalibur

Alongside Sonic Adventure, Namco’s fighting game SoulCalibur is the one game that pretty much every single Dreamcast owner had in their collection. And there’s no qualifiers about “oh, it was good for its time but it’s janky now” as there are with Sonic Adventure; this is still a top-notch one-on-one fighting game with slick animation, excellent character design, impressive dynamic stages and plenty to do for both solo players and groups of friends. An essential inclusion for a Dreamcast Mini, for sure.

Crazy Taxi

Another highlight of the Dreamcast library, Sega could win themselves a lot of goodwill if they actually relicensed the classic soundtrack for this game on the Dreamcast Mini rather than the alternative one that more recent ports have included. But even if they don’t, this is still a classic game, featuring open-world driving with exaggerated physics and a surprising amount of hidden depth in terms of its mechanics. Pick up passengers against the clock, deliver them to their destination. Simple, chaotic fun.

Resident Evil: Code Veronica

While most of the other Resident Evil games have had either a full remake or at the very least a rerelease at this point, Code Veronica remains trapped in the past, with its most recent ports stuck on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. And that’s a shame, because although its classic tank controls are tricky to get to grips with for modern gamers, this remains an excellent horror game, with its use of dynamic camera angles and polygonal backdrops representing a significant step forward for the genre. A Dreamcast Mini would be a great opportunity for it to make a comeback.

Metropolis Street Racer

Most of the titles we’ve suggested so far actually already have ports available to modern platforms, so let’s turn our attention to some of the Dreamcast exclusives that exist — beginning with Bizarre Creations’ fantastic racer Metropolis Street Racer. Forming the basis for what would become the Project Gotham series with its emphasis on stylish driving while completing objectives, and featuring an incredible soundtrack that parodies real-world popular music of the time, Metropolis Street Racer would be an essential part of a Dreamcast Mini’s library.

Project Justice

Another exclusive? Another exclusive — and one that’s extremely pricy to nab on the second-hand market today. Project Justice is Capcom’s follow-up to their PS1-era polygonal fighting game Rival Schools, and it improves on that title’s already solid, speedy gameplay with improved visuals and a delightfully varied cast of characters. Featuring accessible mechanics but plenty of technical depth for fighting game pros, Project Justice would be a great addition to a Dreamcast Mini.

Outtrigger

A rather strange game, Outtrigger is Sega’s take on the competitive shooter. Adopting a third-person perspective and a peculiar control scheme — remember, the Dreamcast only had one analogue stick and the twin-stick method that is the norm today hadn’t yet been established — Outtrigger is an enjoyable, arcadey-style affair that features a surprising amount to do for solo players as well as multiplayer groups. And it’s all wrapped in delightful early 2000s Sega flair. While its controls make it tough to go back to, it would be a great inclusion for a Dreamcast Mini to show off the system’s varied library.

Tokyo Highway Battle

Also known as Tokyo Xtreme Racer, this interesting racing game puts a new twist on one-on-one races by featuring an almost fighting game-style mechanic. Rather than beating your opponent around a set number of laps, you instead need to simply stay ahead of them long enough to deplete their “health” bar. It makes for some thrilling encounters, and combined with the in-depth car upgrade system and thumping Eurobeat soundtrack, this is a hidden gem from the Dreamcast’s library that deserves to shine on a Dreamcast Mini.

Power Stone

And finally, because I know multiple people who will slap me if I don’t include it in this list, Capcom’s 3D arena fighter Power Stone should also be considered an essential inclusion on a Dreamcast Mini. Featuring a varied cast of characters, lively and energetic gameplay and some great stage design, this remains a formidably enjoyable party fighter to this day — and it deserves another chance to be discovered and loved.

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There’s our picks — what about you?

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