Dreamcast was the console that kick-started the post-PSone era and had an incredibly high percentage of great games in its catalogue despite only being on store shelves for two years. Some of them would actually find themselves truly at home on current-gen consoles, so here are 20 Dreamcast games we want added to the download stores and why.
What: Shenmue
What: Power Stone 2
Why: This was never as good as the first game when it was on Dreamcast, but mainly because its four player mode made the characters so small, you couldn't see what the hell was supposed to be happening. It's like it was made for 1080p HD.
What: Sega Rally 2
Why: We got a slightly crappy conversion of this excellent racer as it was rushed out in time for Dreamcast's launch. A proper 60fps version with online leaderboards and multiplayer racing would be awesome.
What: Virtua Striker 2
Why: Because Sega could turn off the 'run away from the ball' command in the AI's programming and give us glorious technicolour arcade footie action. You could upload your score-ranked goals to the net and let others see your amazing goals, and that 'Today's Best Goal' could run automatically off the net whenever you load up the game. It would be like a global arcade!
What: Phantasy Star Online
Why: It's one of the best MMOs ever seen and none of its sequels have been quite as good as the first. The game featured an auto-translation system for text chat using preset sentences. Couple that with today's voice chat and you could play with anyone anywhere.
What: Chu Chu Rocket
Why: It was the first online console game, but the dial-up modems of the time meant the delay when you placed a square was a good second long. There's no need for that kind of nonsense now, and the gameplay is still as fresh as it wasten years ago. Those graphics are actually 3D, by the way - and they would look great in HD.
What: Jet Set Radio
Why: Because Jet Set Radio is quite simply the coolest game ever made. The cel-shaded style has meant this has barely aged over the past decade and the music is ludicrously awesome. It wouldn't need any modern-day additions. It's perfect just the way it is.
What: Virtua Athlete 2K
Why: As a cheap 'n' cheerful sports game, there's little wrong with Virtua Athlete. Only the longest running races are crap (with weird stamina mechanics), leaving the rest of the game as the perfect example of how to balance button-mashing prowess with technical skill. Add in Live support and the fun will flow like wine.
What: Daytona USA 2001
Why: This was practically made for the machines of today. In Europe, we never got to sample the game's online multiplayer, which is a crying shame as Daytona was always best in four or eight-player mode in the arcades. This version had almost zero graphical pop-up, more tracks, better graphics and better handling than any other home conversion. We just hope the Daytona license hasn't timed out - we need this game back in our lives.
What: F355 Challenge
Why: Yu Suzuki's other Ferrari racer was the first post-GT racing sim to truly impress. It still looks phenomenal today with its 3D-rendered drivers and shiny bodywork and the driving simulation is as good as any racer on the market today. It's pretty hardcore, mind, though just seeing it again with hi-res, hi-def graphics would be enough of a reason to buy it again.
