READY FOR A NEW LEVEL OF GAMING???
YES... It is coming. I have an Imported model. What do I have to say about this new machine by Sega? Advances in home gaming have come a long way, but this is by far an extremely impressive machine.
I have been a fan of SEGA for quite a long time - as most gamers actually are... there should at least be one Sega game that has been someone's favorite game at one time or another. Many have had a dislike for their home systems though...? Sega has had less than great luck in the home system battle. Although the company has done the MOST to make their systems useful and fun, Nintendo and Sony have managed to take the spotlight. Even when it comes to revolutionary-type games that Sega makes - most of the time, credit goes to another companie's game on another system. SEGA has made the first 3D fighter (Virtua Fighter), first 3D fighter with full movement on the field and obsticles (Virtual On), first home game with 2 players who can go splitscreen on the same level (Toejam & Earl), and the advancements of Virtua Cop and House of the Dead for shooting games, first home action game with branching stories and multiple endings, first 6 player fighting game, first to allow blood in a home game (Mortal Kombat #1), and as far as I know first to incorporate randomizing stages in a home game (Burning Rangers).
The Dramcast is an excellent machine and I am very pleased I bought it. I am also not in the least worried if I have to buy an American system as well (to play U.S. games), it has been nothing but a pure pleasure to own. The FMV is clear - everything is clear - very arcade-looking games. Virtua Fighter 3tb is great - high detail, but I felt there were differences yet from the arcade. Still the most breath-taking home 3D fighter yet though by far... The Naomi board (which is built for Dreamcast porting) has already gotten some big name companies making arcade games with it - CAPCOM just made POWERSTONE - and it is on Dreamcast already! DEAD OR ALIVE 2 is also made with it, here are the shots...
Here is a pic for HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2... it is supposed to have the original hidden in the home version - to be playable if you beat it on the hardest setting - COOL!!!
All I can say is "WOW!!!!!" The Dreamcast itself is very tiny - smaller than N64 - and loading time is fast - no "NOW LOADING" on the screen. I've got VIRTUA FIGHTER 3tb, SONIC ADVENTURE, POWERSTONE, HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2, and PSYCHIC FORCE 2012. Sonic Adventure is amazing to look at. It moves super fast with NO BREAKUP. You have your snowboarding stage, pinball (one is NIGHTS, and looks totally cool cuz you fly through the Nights scenery in it as well), air combat on Tail's biplane, and plenty of mindblowing running. The transperancies are beautiful to look at. The characters are seemless, but the hands remain somewhat "cubie". I dabbled with Mario 64 and some other games and can say without a doubt - this game blows them away - as it should. Every game I have so far is excellent, I cannot believe people are actually still wondering if the system is any good. Saturn hurt because it wasn't able to make strong 3D games... now that the major excitement over 3D gaming is dying down a bit, Sega has a machine that can handle it - it does extremely well... silly worries over PSX2 specs is uncalled for because it will still just make 3D games as well - simply because it can do a couple things better with 3D shapes is little to brag about. In the end the 2 will not be that far apart anymore. It is now said that with the setup Dreamcast has - the system can evolve without making a new home system - for 5 years... with the help of Microsoft programming. With arcade games already hitting the system, and the companies making games: CAPCOM, NAMCO, SNK, SEGA, KONAMI, TECMO, NEC and many others - it only leaves Squaresoft as SONY's big name company, though Sony has made some cool games themselves... like TENCHU. With most systems the first few games are nothing compared to what "can" be done, with that said, SEGA's got a real winner here... SONIC ADVENTURE is amazing - the fog, the texturing, camera movement - all of it is something that might be able to be done if you combine the PSX and N64's abilities into one machine - and then add more power. They really must be seen to be believed. I had some worries, but after turning it on - all worries went away.
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