If you spend any time traversing the corners of the internet that many gamers of a certain age do (*cough I'm nearly 40, cry, cough*), you'll no doubt be familiar with the notion that Sega continually fails to capitalise on its rich, diverse and - quite frankly - incredible back catalogue. Before you spit your Earl Grey all over your comfy slippers dear reader, allow me to retort to your exasperated tea-infused convulsion. See, while Sega is very adept at re-releasing its 16-bit hits with (alarming) regularity, there are several generations' worth of titles which the fallen giant, for one reason or another, has failed to re-release or reimagine for a new audience.
We've never really seen the Mega-CD, 32X, Saturn or Dreamcast libraries plundered and re-released like we have the Master System and Mega Drive, and granted that's mainly due to the limitations of both hardware and software emulation endeavours, even today. Yes, we saw Sonic CD on iPhones and the Dreamcast Collection on the Xbox 360 and Steam, and even Streets of Rage was successfully rebooted recently; but post Mega Drive, the re-release choice has been decidedly threadbare.
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Gamers - this one included - are crying out for reboots or revisits to the likes of Jet Set Radio, Sega Rally, Virtua Fighter, Spirit of Speed 1937 and many other first and third party Dreamcast titles; and while some IPs have been reluctantly resurrected (I'm looking at you, Shenmue); it almost feels like we'll never see a return to some of the most popular and beloved franchises of the Dreamcast era. Almost.
See, even in the face of Sega's reluctance to revisit some of its most famous titles for a modern era, it looks as though other developers have taken the initiative themselves. Several games channelling the Dreamcast's unique visual and design styles have either already been released or are coming to modern platforms in the near future, taking the baton from Sega with varying results. And naturally, as advocates of the Dreamcast, we thought we'd take a glimpse at the best examples of Dreamcast vibes on modern systems...
Last Fight
Released back in 2016, Last Fight was met with fairly average reviews on both console and PC, and a Switch release followed. Initially expectations were high, especially since the developers openly mooted Power Stone as an inspiration.
Yes, we know Power Stone was developed and published by Capcom and not Sega, but really...is there any other top down, 3D fighter of this ilk that isn't as instantly recognisable as a Power Stone derivative? I think not. And by association, Power Stone is inextricably linked with the Dreamcast. Yes, it was later released on other systems...but the Dreamcast is synonymous with Capcom's 3D chaos-em-up. So there.
Capcom's seeming reluctance to remaster Power Stone for anything other than the Sony PSP undoubtedly lead French developer Piranaking to go it alone, putting together a similar - if not entirely equal - alternative for those yearning to run around a 3D arena throwing fists, feet and inanimate objects at their adversary. Check out Ross's review from 2016 here.
Taxi Chaos
Ah, Taxi Chaos. In a move some have described as 'not at all taking the piss,' Dutch developers Team6 Game Studios have blatantly taken the Crazy Taxi formula and...well, nicked it. While simultaneously taking the piss. Honestly, I don't think I've ever seen a game so blatantly mimic another. From the concept, to the NPC chatter, even down to the green 'touchdown' zones that appear and the 'jump' mechanic seen in Crazy Taxi 2. It's actually crazy how much Taxi Chaos apes Crazy Taxi (sorry).
That said, the fact remains that if Sega - for whatever reason - fails to give the gaming public a new Crazy Taxi title...then the onus is on someone else to do so, surely? Even if the resulting product is a bit of an Android-level mess. Copying is the best form of flattery is it not...even when done as poorly as this? The jury is out.
Whether you agree with this sentiment or not, the fact remains that Team6 have put out a pretty faithful reimagining of Crazy Taxi and well, there's nobody to blame but Sega. There's more than likely a lawsuit in the works (or at the very least a heated Twitter debate), but for now it's fair game. Check out Dreamcast Year One & Two author Andrew's video for The Cross Players above.
Bomb Rush Cyberfunk
Jest Set Radioooooo! Ah, the sound I wake up to every morning...as Professor K screams into my ear after another night spent lying in a drunken stupor as my Dreamcast plays the Jet Set Radio demo on repeat. Good times. Once I wipe the vomit from my face though, I realise it's 10am and I need to be in a Teams meeting I'm hosting...but I digress.
Jet Set Radio is the Sega franchise most people would like to see rebooted and brought to modern systems (probably). I mean, back in 2017 there was the news that Dinosaur Games tried to woo Sega with a concept for a reboot (titled Jet Set Radio Evolution) which was subsequently turned down. Yes, there was Jet Set Radio Future that most people got for free with their Xboxes alongside Sega GT 2002, but now Team Reptile has taken the concept (of love) one step further and basically created Jet Set Radio 3 in all but name.
Ladies and germs...Bomb Rush Cyberfunk:
I have no more words. What do you think? Happy? Sad? Indifferent and want to just eat a sandwich without your dog staring at you? There are probably more Dreamcast-infused releases too. Let us know in the comments.