Sega Dreamcast was undoubtedly ahead of its time. The short-lived console boasted more graphical power than the PlayStation 2 and stood on almost level ground with the GameCube and the Xbox Zero (?) – impressive for a system that came out a full year before any other entry in its generation.
A variety of factors led to Sega Dreamcast’s demise, but its enduring legacy is the bizarre lineup of titles -games utterly unique and unlike anything else at the time. Sega Dreamcast was home to many arcade ports of the most popular fighters at the time, but in an effort to hold more of a presence in the home console space, many developers came up with games that were just downright weird.
Here’s a list of some of the most eccentric games you will ever encounter, even in today’s sea of no-holds-barred indie games.
Seaman
Let’s get this one out of the way first. Seaman is perhaps the strangest, most unsettling game in existence, even twenty years later. And it has the obvious innuendo in the title. You watch a creature – a type of fish with a realistic human face – and provide him with what he needs. It’s a bit like raising the most terrifying Tomagotchi in existence.
After a while, Seaman will grow and evolve. He will become domesticated. And he will speak with you, remembering details about your answers. Many players report that Seaman memorized so much about them that it almost felt like having a conversation with a real person.
Oh, and Seaman is narrated by Leonard Nimoy. Yes, THE Leonard Nimoy.
Space Channel 5
Rhythm-based games are nothing new. Between titles like Dance Dance Revolution and Crypt of the Necrodancer, the genre has a respectable pedigree. At the time of the Dreamcast, though, rhythm games were few and far between. Especially those that had a plot and a cast that included the likes of Michael Jackson, who plays the part of Space Michael in SC5.
You take the role of Ulala, a reporter for Space Channel 5. She deals with rival reporters, fights off an alien invasion, and does it all while dancing.
The art style is part of the charm, as is the gameplay. While Space Channel 5 is definitely a fun game worth checking out, it also stood out at the time of its release and is still a strange game.
Shenmue
Shenmue is an insane cult classic in the modern day. It has a massive fanbase that “enthusiastic” doesn’t even begin to describe. Yu Suzuki is something of a superstar in the game development community, especially when you consider he launched an open-world game at a time when almost none existed, especially on a home console. It was also the most expensive Dreamcast game ever made with a budget of $47-70 million.
You play as Ryo Hazuki, a young man who witnessed his father’s murder. You spend the game trying to find the man responsible, but it’s a bit more than just a murder mystery. You can explore the neighborhood, play arcade games, and even take a job as a forklift driver.
Shenmue hasn’t aged well, and the clunky mechanics make it less than pleasant to play today – but at the time of its launch, Shenmue was one of the best games on the system.
Illbleed
Illbleed is a game trapped on the Dreamcast. It has never seen a port, and is probably a bit odd to play today. Much like Resident Evil, Illbleed is a survival horror game. It’s spaced out over six different levels, each represented as a movie theater. You have to fight your way through the enemies and traps to complete a specific objective.
If you’re a fan of horror games, check it out. Illbleed is a bit unsettling to play today due to the graphics. There’s something about polygonal faces that packs as much horror as modern, more atmospheric games.
Omikron: The Nomad Soul
A single look at Omikron: The Nomad Soul will tell you it’s a weird game. If you need more confirmation, the developer is Quantic Dream, the company behind games like Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls. The games are narrative-heavy titles that are as much movie as they are game, often with surprising twists.
The Nomad Soul is a slightly different style of game. It’s an action-adventure game, often in the third-person or almost side-scrolling viewpoints. It has a plot reminiscent of bad pulp sci-fi, but if you’re a fan of Quantic Dream and their style of games, it’s worth checking out. Or, you know, if you want to see the weird Zordon-head guy voiced by David Bowie.
Sega Dreamcast is a treasure trove of weird titles. If you’re a bit tired of Call of Duty clones, pick up a used Dreamcast and try out some of the weirdest, most wonderful games you’ll ever play in your life.
Did you experience Sega Dreamcast’s impressively eclectic library back in the day? Which odd games did we miss that could only have been conceived on DC? Which games do you still play on your Sega Dreamcast