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Source: Official@Dreamcast Magazing, March/April 2001, pages
22-37
Transcriber notes: While there may be a few errors on
my part, ODCM was usually filled with typos and whatnot anyway, and instances of
bad grammar or words that don't look right are taken right out of the magazine
accurately to the best of my ability. Also, as the list goes on, it gets
skimpier, and skimpier in details. This is what ODCM did, I didn't get lazy. ^O^
Also note, "148. Caesar's Palaca Interplay / ODCM Score: 9" is an obvious
misprint, but not on my end, in the magazine itself. I'm sure it didn't get a 9
if it was #148. Plus, there seems to be no #155 in the magazine at all... it
just hops from #154 to #156... why? I don't know. So the gap in my list isn't an
error on my end, it's ODCM's. Thank you, you can go away now.
U L T I M A T E
D R E A M C A S T
R A N K I N G S
[ The Unofficial List ]
It sounded like a good idea at the time.
We'd take every single Dreamcast game ever released, and rank them in order from
best to worst. No cheating---no dividing the list by genre, no pulling punches,
no whining about apples and oranges---just looking at every single Dreamcast
game ever released in America (to date, anyway) and doing what had to be done.
The result of course, was editorial combat that would have made Russel Crowe
wince a little.
So, why is this the unofficial list? Simple: we don't want to confuse anyone.
We're the Official Dreamcast Magazine, but this list isn't endorsed by Sega---or
by anybody else, for that matter. It's ODCM's list, not Sega's. It's also the
result of hours of debate (don't say fighting) among the editors of ODCM, with
plenty of help from the rest of the peanut gallery at Imagine Media (special
shout-outs to Garret and Greg at SegaRadar, and Tom Russo at NextGen for their
freely-offered-even-when-not-really-requested advice).
Our methodology was simple: we compared every game against every other game
until a list started to emerge, and then went down that list comparing each game
with those above and below it. Some of the comparisons were easy (Shenmue or
Frogger?"), while others ("Tony Hawk 1 or Virtua Tennis?") were harder, and some
("Test Drive Le Mans or Quake III?") began to approach impossibility. Frequently
debate broke out, and more than once (more than 30 times, in fact), Fran or
Chris or Evan would have to get up and venture into the ODCM cold-storage vault
to retrieve the games in question so we could finally decide on a tough ranking.
Ties were decided by a simple vote of the three editors (Chris's attempt to
claim he had two votes was eventually overruled).
We were happily surprised to see just how close our list matches our
rankings---most of the sixes were together, etc.---although a few games moved
dramatically up the list (Speed Devils) and one or two moved down (Slave Zero).
Will you agree with every call we made on the list? Of course not---even for us,
several of these rankings are the result of uneasy compromises---but hopefully,
even if you disagree, the list will help you figure out your own personal top
Dreamcast list. And we want to see it! Send your personal DC Top Ten to dcmag@imaginemedia.com
with "top ten" in the subject field. We'll create a readers' top list and run it
in a future issue.
And now...on to the list!
1. Soul Calibur
Namco / ODCM Score: 9 [11/99]
The Game - 3D weapon fighting from the masters at Namco.
The Hook - The characters are huge and meticulously detailed, the combat engine
and collision detection are perfect, and there are more moves than you can shake
a stick at.
Memorable Moment - The endless fighting about whether the intro was FMV or used
the in-game engine. (It used the in-game engine.)
2. Shenmue
Sega-AM2 / ODCM Score: 10 [10/00]
The Game - In this first chapter of Yu Suzuki's epic adventure game, you play
Ryu, who must learn who killed his father and exact his revenge (or at least,
get ready to go to Hong Kong for the next chapter).
The Hook - Shenmue features a totally realistic world that is fully realized.
You can talk to anyone, you can o anything: the freedom you have is lifelike,
and the game itself is brilliantly designed.
Memorable Moment - The freedom and the FMVs are all amazing, but what really
stands out in our minds is the scene in which you're on a motorcycle rescuing
your girlfriend. Never have we seen a videogame convey such a romantic mood.
3. NFL2K1
Sega: Visual Concepts / ODCM Score: 10 [10/00]
The Game - The best video football game got even better in this sequel, with a
revamped running game, massive playbook expansion, and...
The Hook - ...online play. Seamless, easy, perfect online multiplayer make
NFL2K1 the best console sports game ever.
Memorable Moment - We're losing, Badly. But we have a keyboard and DetHmArm
doesn't. Let the smack talking begin...
4. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Activision: Neversoft/Treyarch / ODCM Score: 10 [12/00]
The Game - Take control of Tony, one of the many other pros, or even create your
own skater. Proceed to 'rip it up' over all-new levels.
The Hook - Awesome new tricks, even better graphics, more secrets and the same
fantastic control and camera angles. All of this means that Activision has done
the impossible: improved on the classic Pro Skater.
Memorable Moment - Mastering the manual and pulling our first 100,000 point
trick.
5. Resident Evil: Code Veronica
Capcom / ODCM Score: 10 [10/00]
The Game - Capcom's trademark survival horror series gets the Dreamcast
treatment, with graphics to die for and a plot that adds new layers and more
starch to the Umbrella/STARS conspiracy.
The Hook - Great adventure gameplay and truly scary moments make this the best
survival horror game on any platform.
Memorable Moment - The spider...
6. Jet Grind Radio
Sega: Smile Bit / ODCM Score: 10 [12/00]
The Game - You're a member of a rollerblading, spray painting, underground youth
gang. Your job? Blade around Tokyoto, a neo-Tokyo hybrid, write your tag, and
avoid The Man.
The Hook - Unbelievable cel-shading results in 3D graphics that look like
nothing else you've ever seen. This game has more hip in its pinkie toe than
some whole consoles have in their---um---hips. And the beat-infested soundtrack
is just wicked.
Memorable Moment - You're standing there holding a can of spray paint in Shibuya
district facing tanks, gunship helicopters and about 15 cops. Isn't that an
overreaction to Krylon?
7. Virtua Tennis
Sega: Hitmaker / ODCM Score: 9 [10/00]
The Game - An arcade tennis game. Basically an update of Pong, right?
The Hook - Wrong. With control so perfect you'd swear you were on the court,
mini-games galore and a fantastic four-player mode, Virtua Tennis is like a
virus that consumes every second of your free time. Words practically can't
express just how addictive this game is.
Memorable Moment - For us? Cleaning the court with Blake "I can beat anyone at
Virtua Tennis" Fischer's pride, and bringing home the intra-office trophy to
ODCM.
8. Skies of Arcadia
Sega: Overworks / ODCM Score: 10 [10/00]
The Game - A brilliant and original RPG, it features swashbuckling adventures in
cloud-sailing ships.
The Hook - Not only are the side quests (exploring for treasures) original and
fun, but the plot is incredibly compelling.
Memorable Moment - Without spoiling anything? Can't b done. But let's just say
this: All of it. We mean it.
9. Dead or Alive 2
Tecmo / ODCM Score: 10 [4/00]
The Game - 3D fighting from the surprising new masters of the genre at Tecmo.
The Hook - Throwing characters off platforms and through walls adds a great new
element to the game, and the graphics are fantastic.
Memorable Moment - If we say "The bounce" you're all going to groan, eh?
10. Crazy Taxi
Sega: Hitmaker / ODCM Score: 9 [3-4/00]
The Game - Drive a (crazy) taxi around San Francisco's streets (and through SF
parks, and over SF piers and into oncoming traffic), picking up fares and
getting them to their destinations on time.
The Hook - Awesome graphics and crazy arcade physics, along with tightly tuned
gameplay difficulty, makes this one of the best arcade romps in years.
Memorable Moment - You find yourself humming a soundtrack song that you
absolutely hate while you're in the shower, simply because you've been playing
the game so much.
11. Grandia II
Ubi Soft: Game Arts / ODCM Score: 9 [12/00]
The Game - In a surprising departure from other RPGs, you and a rag-tag band of
cronies save the world.
The Hook - Okay, it's not a departure---but the rock-solid graphics, great
dialog (and voice acting) and well-written story make this one of the better
RPGs we've seen in a while.
Memorable Moment - See Skies: we could tell you, but you'd hate us for it.
12. Power Stone
Capcom / ODCM Score: 8 [11/99]
The Game - Free-for all combat in a truly 3D arena.
The Hook - Not only can you pick up nearly anything and throw it at your
opponents, and not only does collecting the power stones enable super moves, but
the game is surprisingly deep: The more you play, the more strategies you'll
discover.
Memorable Moment - The first time we picked it up and realized we weren't
constrained to a 1D line...
13. MDK2
Interplay: Bioware / ODCM Score: 9 [7-8/00]
The Game - Zany third-person antics of a dog, a mad professor, and an android,
out to save the world.
The Hook - The game design is devilishly difficult (and really well done), the
action is intense, and the game is actually really, really funny.
Memorable Moment - Constructing (and using) that handy nuclear toaster weapon.
(See, we said it was funny.)
14. Rayman2
Ubi Soft / ODCM Score: 9 [5-6/00]
The Game - The further adventures of Ubi's arm- and leg-less (but hand- and
foot-enabled) mascot.
The Hook - Few companies have managed the switch from 2D to 3D as well as Ubi:
Rayman moves great, and the level design is fantastic.
Memorable Moment - Watching a creature with no arms or legs swim so very
gracefully.
15. NBA2K1
Sega: Visual Concepts / ODCM Score: 9 [1-2/00]
The Game: The latest NBA sim from Sega, this update features more mocap,
swat-blocks, better animation, and tons of refinements to gameplay.
The Hook - The online play, of course. While it isn't quite as good as NFL2K1,
probably due to the nature of basketball itself, it's still a great time.
Memorable Moment - This is an online game that Evan is good at: watching him
beat everyone who beat him at NFL2K1 was refreshing.
16. Marvel vs Capcom 2
Capcom / ODCM Score: 9 [9/00]
The Game - Totally frenetic 2D fighting action from the masters of the genre.
The Hook - Top characters from the Marvel and Capcom universes square off in
tag-team action.
Memorable Moment - Pick one: all of those amazing, amazing arial attacks with
stunning animation.
17. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater
Crave: Neversoft/Treyarch / ODCM Score: 9 [7-8/00]
The Game - Skate, collect tapes, power-up your stats in one or two minute
sessions across the country. Simple, right?
The Hook - Wrong. The control is so perfect, the camera is so smart... it's hard
to even imagine the world before Tony Hawk burst onto the scene and changed
gaming forever. Even with Tony Hawk 2 out, we still pull this one off the shelf
with surprising frequency. Oh, and the pop-punk soundtrack was perfect.
Memorable Moment - Too many to list, but rather than go with some insane trick
combo, let's just pick the beautiful simplicity of getting tons of air on a
half-pipe and executing a perfect 540° Rocket Air with Tony Hawk.
18. Test Drive Le Mans
Infogrames: Melbourne House / ODCM Score: 9 [12/00]
The Game - The videogame version of the world famous 24-hour race, with several
mini-seasons at famous tracks around the world thrown in for good measure.
The Hook - The perfect control and camera, are great, sure, as are the stunning
graphics. But what makes Le Mans for us is the way it perfectly walks the line
between sim and arcade, enabling us to focus on the action of racing.
Memorable Moment - Playing---and beating---Le Mans in 24-hour mode. The's one
loooooooong moment.
19. Sonic Adventure
Sega: Sonic Team / ODCM Score: 9 [9-10/99]
The Game - Sonic makes his first real trip into 3D, with Tails, Knuckles, and
the rest of the gang.
The Hook - Playing as six characters gives a totally new perspective to the
Sonic saga. Plus the graphics are trademark Sonic Team: bright and brilliant.
Memorable Moment - The Speed! The speed!
20. Quake III: Arena
Sega: Raster / ODCM Score: 9 [12/00]
The Game - The ultimate multiplayer first-person shooter comes to console.
The Hook - That multiplayer part. It's wicked fun on the split-screen (way
better than Goldeneye), but the game really comes alive when you log on with
SegaNet and get going full steam.
Memorable Moment - Okay, we admit it: it has to be when we got our pre-release
broadband adapter going and went online, slaughtering a bunch of people with a
lower ping rate. That was pretty memorable to us...
21. Metropolis Street Racer
Sega: Bizarre Creations / ODCM Score: 9 [12/00]
The Game - Street racing in real cities around the world.
The Hook - These streets are photorealistic---they're real city streets!
Memorable Moment - Making our own "mix CD" to customize the soundtrack...
22. StarLancer
Crave: Warthog/Digital Anvil / ODCM Score: 9 [12/00]
The Game - The underrated PC space shooter blasts onto Dreamcast.
The Hook - It underwhelmed PC reviewers, but on DC---particularly with online
play---it comes alive with brilliant "space physics," smart mission structures
and graphics.
Memorable Moment - Fighting amongst the really, really big capital ships.
23. Ultimate Fighting Championship
Crave: Anchor / ODCM Score: 9 [11/00]
The Game - Step into the octogon with some of the toughest real fighters ever to
grace pay-per-view.
The Hook - If you want some realism in your fighting, this is for you: no
wrestling showboating, no fighting game fireballs, just perfectly done, real
violence. We love it.
Memorable Moment - Dropping a guy on his head for the quick KO.
24. Samba de Amigo
Sega: Sonic Team / ODCM Score: 9 [12/00]
The Game - A standard music game, you play along with a little monkey,
synchronizing your movements with the beats onscreen using...
The Hook - ...actual maracas! Real maracas plus samba beats equals ultimate
party game.
Memorable Moment - Suddenly... You're striking a pose.
25. Sega GT
Sega: AM2 / ODCM Score: 9 [11/00]
The Game - Don't think of it as Sega's answer to Gran Turismo. Um, think of it
some other way...
The Hook - If AM2 knows anything, it's cars. And giving us scores of them to
play with makes this a stunning racing experience.
Memorable Moment - Qualifying. It's harder than you think.
26. Street Fighter III: Third Strike
Capcom / ODCM Score: 9 [5-6/00]
The Game - The ultimate 2D fighting series continues in its latest incarnation.
The Hook - 2D purists may want to swap this and Marvel vs Capcom 2 (#15): some
argue that this game's slightly slower, more methodical pace enables a more
strategic battle and defeats button mashing.
Memorable Moment - Humiliating button mashers (who sometimes luck their way into
victory in MvC2).
27. SF Rush: 2049
Midway / ODCM Socre: 8 [11/00]
The Game - Arcade racing races (sorry) into the future: the game is set in a
distant San Francisco packed with giant glass tubes and other shortcut-enhancing
architectural features.
The Hook - Rush is the best arcade racer ever, and the futuristic designs of the
cars---plus the crazy tracks and amazing shortcuts---make this one a stunna'.
Memorable Moment - The first time we extended the wings on our car to catch
maximum air. Wheeeee!
28. Chu Chu Rocket
The Game - Use arrows on a playfield to guide mice into your rocket---but keep
the cats out!
The Hook - Like most puzzle games, it sounds simple...but it's incredibly fun
and addictive, particularly with four players. A great party game.
Memorable Moment - Arranging the arrows perfectly so as to lead a cat into an
opponent's rocket, just as a cat attack begins. Kitty litter!
29. Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future
Sega: Appaloosa / ODCM Score: 8 [11/00]
The Game - Control Sega's trademark dolphin as he collects the shards of a
crystal that will---well---protect the future.
The Hook - The storyline is unremarkable, but the underwater graphics are just
breathtaking. Add tight control and wickedly difficult puzzles, and you've got a
game you'll be playing for weeks.
Memorable Moment - Just swimming around all of those peaceful undersea
enviornments...mmmmmm.
30. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Eidos: Crystal Dynamics / ODCM Score: 8 [4/00]
The Game - Cast into hell by the king of the vampires, you've come back for
revenge in this 3D, third-person action advenutre.
The Hook - The environments are truly amazing (they were designed by architects,
not geeks), and all of the characters have been significantly improved, when
compared to their PlayStation counterparts.
Memorable Moment - Ducking into the spirit realm to avoid a fatal attack.
31. Ready 2 Rumble: Round 2
Midway / ODCM Score: 7 [2/01]
The Game - Fast, funny, arcade boxing.
The Hook - Over-the-top characters and humor and a slightly deeper game give the
game serious legs.
Memorable Moment - Fighting as Bill and Hillary.
32. Power Stone 2
Capcom / ODCM Score: 8 [9-10/00]
The Game - More of everything you loved about PowerStone.
The Hook - Unfortunately, as we discovered with Austin Powers 2, more doesn't
always mean better, and wed rather play the original---even if PS2 does add a
four-player option. Still, this is a fun fighting romp.
Memorable Moment - Taking down that first huge Egyptian AT-AT style boss with a
friend.
33. NBA2K
Sega: Visual Concepts / ODCM Score: 8 [2/00]
The Game - Basketball, DC style.
The Hook - The best looking b-ball game ever when it was released, even if it
did have a few rough spots.
Memorable Moment - Cool Matrix-style replay cameras.
34. Looney Tunes Space Race
Infogrames: Melbourne House / ODCM Score: 8 [Hol/00]
The Game - Yet another licensed, themed kart racer, only...
The Hook - ...this one's actually good! It must be something in the water down
under at Melbourne House, but the control was great, and the cel-shaded
animation made us feel like we were actually playing in a Looney Tunes cartoon.
Memorable Moment - The weapons and power-ups are actually faithful to the
series---dropping an anvil on Yosemite Sam's head is awesome.
35. Fur Fighters
Acclaim: Bizarre Creations / ODCM Score: 8 [9-10/00]
The Game - Stuffed animals. Weapons. What else do you need to know?
The Hook - This deliciously zany third-person action shooter features one of the
weirdest premises ever, but it worked really well.
Memorable Moment - Going into the game store that advertised "Quack III ---
coming soon!"
36. Demolition Racer: No Exit
Infogrames: Pitbull Syndicate / ODCM Score: 8 [9-10/00]
The Game - Arcade racing with an emphasis on vehicular destruction.
The Hook - What a difference a system males: the PlayStation version was total
crap, but the Dreamcast version is a surprisingly fun racer, from some of the
same people who brought us Destruction Derby.
Memorable Moment - "T-boning" your opponents.
37. Evolution 2: Far Off Promise
Ubi Soft: ESP/Sting / ODCM Score: 8 [7/00]
The Game - Tried and true, classic RPG themes meet a new console
The Hook - Only the third RPG for DC in the US...and it's actually cute and
pretty fun.
Memorable Moment - Bosses. Big bosses. Lotsanlotsa bosses. Going up against one
of them and using your skills to pay the boss-fighting bills.
38. House of the Dead 2
Sega: Wow! Entertainment / ODCM Score: 8 [9/99]
The Game - This horrifically wham-bam lightgunner is only slightly hampered by
the lack of an actual lightgun.
The Hook - Ain't nobody can design a lightgun game like Sega.
Memorable Moment - The day we got a MadCatz lightgun, so we could play it like
we meant it.
39. Hydro Thunder
Midway / ODCM Score: 8 [11-12/99]
The Game - SF Rush on the water? Yes.
The Hook - SF Rush on the water! Awesome speed and tons of shortcuts make this
arcade aqua-racer one of the best racers ever.
Memorable Moment - When the ever-cheerful tour boat guide points out features of
interest in the game ("Each boat is constructed of thousands of tiny
triangles").
40. F1 World Grand Prix
Sega: Video System / ODCM Score: 8 [3-4/00]
The Game - There are some people for whom there is only one kind of racing: F1.
This is their game.
The Hook - A very sim-oriented version of the famous racing series, it's got
everything you'd want in a F1 game.
Memorable Moment - Monaco.
41. NFL2K
Sega: Visual Concepts / ODCM Score: 9 [11/99]
The Game - When it came out, it was the best looking football game ever---and
with a radical new interface and VMU play calling, it set the football world on
fire.
The Hook - The great play books, and of course, the graphics.
Memorable Moment - The day we turned to the tutorial instead of the manual, and
learned how to stiff-arm a would-be tackler.
42. Street Fighter Alpha 3
Capcom / ODCM Score: 8 [11/00]
The Game - The last game (so far, anyway) in the 2D Alpha fighting series.
The Hook - To us, nothing continues the fighting style codified in Super Street
Fighter like this prequel series, and that's a good thing.
Memorable Moment - Throwing fireballs, oldskool style.
43. Re-Volt
Acclaim: Probe / ODCM Score: 8 [3/00]
The Game - Arcadified RC car racing.
The Hook - All of the reasons that racing real model cars is fun (racing under
tables, quick turnarounds), plus stuff that's tougher in real life (like racing
through a toy store).
Memorable Moment - Everything you see RC cars do in commercials, that you can
never do yourself, we did here. Rad.
44. Test Drive V-Rally
Infogrames: Pitbull Syndicate / ODCM Score: 8 [11/00]
The Game - Rally racing.
The Hook - It's not big in the US, but in Europe rally racing is huge, and this
is a great example of the genre. If you're looking for racing with a slightly
different angle, check it out.
Memorable Moment Having to pay attention to the "curve ahead" warnings, because
there's no way you'll ever memorize the track.
45. Sega Rally 2
Sega: AM Annex / ODCM Score: 8 [1-2/00]
The Game - Rally racing with Sega's distinctive spin.
The Hook - Awesome graphics actually make you feel like you're really racing.
The enviornmental effects (mud, basically), also add flavor.
Memorable Moment - Feeling the sheer "weight" of the cars. It's hella
impressive.
46. Virtua Fighter 3tb
Sega: AM2 / ODCM Score: 8 [11-12/99]
The Game - 3D fighting.
The Hook - This is 3D fighting from the people who invented 3D fighting, and
with stylish looks and tons of graphical flair, it's an admirable port of the
original Model 3 brawler.
Memorable Moment - Fighting from below on a fight on stairs.
47. Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram
Activision: Hitmaker/Sega / ODCM Score: 8 [9-10/00]
The Game - 3D mechanized giant robot combat.
The Hook - In Japan: The twin sticks used to control the robots. Here: seeing
just how good a job Activision did in designing a non-twin stick control
mechanism.
Memorable Moment - Finding some import twin sticks.
48. Resident Evil 2
Capcom / ODCM Score: N/A [5-6/01]
The Game - Survival horror of the finest calibur: this sequel to the original
lets you play as two different characters.
The Hook - Fighting zombies is scary, and producer Shinji Mikami knows how to
maximize our fear. If this hadn't been just a port of the PC version, it
probably would have scored much higher.
Memorable Moments - The gun shop owner! Of course. It scared us silly on
PlayStation and it will again for those new to RE2 on Dreamcast.
49. Wacky Races
Infogrames: Melbourne House / ODCM Score: 8 [Hol/00]
The Game - Another brilliant cel-shaded racer from Infogrames, this time
featuring an extremely oldskool Hanna Barbera license. Does anyone actually
remember this show?
The Hook - Great racing, even if most of the characters are recognizable only
from the very periphery of our memories.
Memorable Moment - Penelope Pitstop? That's an awesome name.
50. Toy Commander
Sega: No Cliche / ODCM Score: 8 [2-3/00]
The Game - A 3D romp through your childhood toy chest.
The Hook - Imagine if your toys could really do all the things you pretended
they could (organize themselves into armies, shoot, fly, and explode, mostly).
Here, they can.
Memorable Moment - Da plane! Da plane!
51. NHL2K
Sega: Black Box / ODCM Score: 8 [5-6/00]
The Game - Hockey from ex-Radical developers who created the NHL PowerPlay
series on Saturn.
The Hook - Great hockey, but it didn't seem to have the development resources of
NFL or NBA, and it suffered from some year-one jitters.
Memorable Moment - The skating felt better than that in any other hocket game
we've ever played.
52. Capcom vs. SNK
Capcom / ODCM Score: 7 [Hol/00]
The Game - The game we've all been waiting for: Finally, we get to pit both
companies' 2D fighting characters against one another.
The Hook - The interaction of the Capcom and SNK fighting styles really has to
be played to be believed.
Memorable Moment - The fact that they managed to pull this off at all---both on
the licensing front, and on the gameplay front, leaves us almost in tears of
awe.
53. 4 Wheel Thunder
Midway / ODCM Score: 7 [7-8/00]
The Game - 4x4ing on gigantic outdoor tracks, replete with many
Midway-trademarked shortcuts.
The Hook - While the game falls a little short of the SF-Rush-in-a-4x4 goal that
we think Midway was shooting for, it's still a very nice ride.
Memorable Moment - The amount of air we got off of some jumps almost convinced
us that our 4x4 was filled with helium.
54. Aerowings
Crave: CRI / ODCM Score: 7 [11-12/99]
The Game - Precision flying---with no shooting allowed---over a variety of
terrains.
The Hook - The graphics are just intense: while PC flight sims have rezzed-out,
blurry ground textures, in Aerowings you can fly inches off the ground and it
still looks perfect. Plus, the flying model and environments are amazing.
Memorable Moment - Taking your plane 90-degrees to fly through incredibly narrow
canyon walls.
55. Sega Bass Fishing
Sega: Wow / ODCM Score: 6 [11-12/99]
The Game - An arcade-style fishing game, in complete 3D.
The Hook - Not only does the game have fine graphics and fairly realistic
fishing strategy, but the addition of a force-feedback fishing controller makes
the experience as true to life as possible---minus all the fish guts.
Memorable Moment - Introducing a non-gaming friend to the fishing controller and
watching his jaw drop. This should be a mandatory right of passage for all
Dreamcast gamers.
56. Space Channel 5
Sega: United Game Artists / ODCM Score: 7 [9-10/00]
The Game - You play as Ulala, a futuristic music news anchor. When aliens
invade, you've got to save humanity (and get great ratings) by---what
else---out-dancing them.
The Hook - Only the short play time knocked the game this far down the list: on
style points alone it would have scored much higher. Because this game has style
to burn. Not only did creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi find an amazing '60s soundtrack,
he also found some amazing art talent to create the retro-future look of the
game; some amazing programmers to seamlessly meld FMV and realtime graphics;
some amazing game design talent to create a game that ramped perfectly; some
amazing character designs (rumor has it the team worked for three months on the
character before even a line was coded); and some amazing voice talent.
Memorable Moment - The level where you suddenly realize that all of the controls
are backwards. And it's got a random cameo by Michael Jackson.
57. Seaman
Sega: Vivarium / ODCM Score: 6 [9-10/00]
The Game - One of the weirdest virtual pet games ever, you've got to raise
Seaman.... a weird fish/eel with-the-head-of-a-man creature.
The Hook - Once you raise him, you talk to him with an included microphone, and
thanks to speech recognition technology, he can understand you and talk back
(with dialog provided by the JellyVision crew of You Don't Know Jack fame)
Memorable Moment - Seaman: "Come close. Are you single?" Creepy. Very creepy.
58. Speed Devils
Ubi Soft / ODCM Score: 3 [11-12/99]
The Game - Pure arcade racing in environments ranging from Canada in winter to
the rain forest in summer.
The Hook - Maybe ODCM's only real ratings blunder, the game's shortcuts, fast
speed, and general weirdness made it much more fun than we gave it credit for at
the time.
Memorable Moment - The moose that wanders onto the Canadian road in winter.
59. Marvel vs. Capcom
Capcom / ODCM Score: 9 [9-10/00]
The Game - Capcom's first Marvel cross-over fighting game.
The Hook - Two words: Freneticism unleashed. (Freneticism is a word, right?)
Memorable Moment - Button-mashing our way to glory over all those Street Fighter
masters was a brilliant triumph for the fighting-game disabled, like Chris.
60. Sega Marine Fishing
Sega: Wow Entertainment / ODCM Score: 7 [Hol/00]
The Game - The fishing engine of Sega's Bass Fishing comes out of the lake and
into the sea.
The Hook - Fighting big game fish adds a totally new element that few fishing
games have attempted.
Memorable Moment - You can actually land a coelacanth, the fish thought to be
extinct for thousands of years until one was hauled up in 1938.
61. D2
Sega: Warp / ODCM Score: 7 [11/00]
The Game - The continuing third person adventures of Laura, hero of the original
D.
The Hook - Given the mind of Warp's Kenji Eno, you just knew that this
long-delayed (it was originally designed for the aborted M2 system) would be,
well, warped. And it was. Unfortunately, while it was delayed, Tomb Raider and
Resident Evil burst onto the scene and raised the bar slightly.
Memorable Moment - As much as we want to, we'll never forget the exceptionally
disturbing tentacle scenes that made the Japanese version so nightmarishly
creppy.
62. NFL Blitz 2001
Midway / ODCM Score: 8 [12/00]
The Game - No rules, rock'em sock'em football.
The Hook - No rules, rock'em sock'em football. Fast and furious (and possibly
the role model for the real-life XFL football league).
Memorable Moment - All the unnecessary roughness after the plays ends.
63. Carrier
Jaleco / ODCM Score: 7 [5-6/00]
The Game - Survival horror on an aircraft carrier.
The Hook - Although the plot was only so-so, it was one of the first survival
horror games on the system, and it was pretty damn scary.
Memorable Moment - The moment you discover that not enemies are visible and you
need a scope to find 'em.
64. Super Runabout: SF Ed.
Interplay: Climax Ent. / ODCM Score: 8 [3-4/01]
The Game - Imagine Crazy Taxi with even more wacked-out graphics.
The Hook - The cartoonish game physics, in which a tiny car can knock a giant
cable car off its track, enabling some incredible wipeouts.
Memorable Moment - The game tallies the cost of the damage you cause, whether
wrecking a cable car or knocking over a newspaper box. Finally, carnage is
quantifiable.
65. Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness
Namco / ODCM Score: 7 [3-4/01]
The Game - Ms. Pac-Man returns after nearly 20 years for more dot-munching,
ghost-dodging action.
The Hook - Rather than try to develop some new game around the property, Namco
actually stuck to the maze game format (albiet updated for the next generation),
and the result was surprisingly novel.
Memorable Moment - Even when the gameplay got tired, we were compelled to keep
going to see what would happen in the cinemas.
66. Episode 1 Racer
LucasArts / ODCM Score: 7 [5-6/00]
The Game - The one good sequence from Star Wars: Episode One that didn't involve
a lightsaber battle with Darth Maul was a natural for a game. This is that game.
The Hook - The pod-racing really is a natural, and while other tracks suffer a
little, the Tatooine track does indeed feel like you're in the movie. The weird
physics of the pod racers also adds a twist.
Memorable Moment - Unfortunately, we were never able to get the memory of little
Anakin Skywalker saying "Yippee!" out of our heads while we were playing.
67. Evolution
Ubi Soft: Sting/ESP / ODCM Score: 7 [1-2/00]
The Game - A dungeon-crawling RPG with superdeformed characters fighting the
good fight.
The Hook - The only RPG at the time.
Memorable Moment - Upgrading your Cyframe and learning new skills for battle was
always a treat.
68. Army Men: Sarge's Heroes
Midway: 3DO / ODCM Score: 7 [12/00]
The Game - A third-person action-adventure in 3DO's Army Man universe, you play
Sarge as he fights the Tans in his world and in ours.
The Hook - Despite some inconsistencies in this N64 port's graphics, the
difficulty ramping and level design are top flight. Levels are always
interesting and always just a tiny bit more than you can handle: the perfect
recipe for addiction. This may be the best of the Army Man games.
Memorable Moment - Pretty much anytime you find a bazooka, but using the sniper
rifle to take out the Tan camp before you cross the river is also extremely
satisfying.
69. Deep Fighter
Ubi Soft / ODCM Score: 7 [9-10/00]
The Game - Rescue your peaceful undersea race by finishing the fifty missions it
takes to build The Leviathan.
The Hook - We liked this game practically more than anybody, and we still do.
It's got a slower pace and some frustratingly underpowered weapons, but most of
the missions are fun, and the story and graphics both add to the experience.
Memoral Moment - Completeing The Leviathan.
70. Ferrari F355 Challenge
Acclaim: Sega AM2 / ODCM Score: 7 [12/00]
The Game - Super realistic simulation of driving an F355.
The Hook - Super realistic simulation of driving an F355. For some people, there
is just no substitute for absolute realism, and for them, there is Ferrari F355.
Memorable Moment - Feathering the gas oh-so-precisely while getting sideways in
a turn. (And for us, watching Dan suddenly come over to the TV and just school
everyone at this game on his first try.)
71. Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge
Majesco: Hasbro / ODCM Score: 7 [Hol/00]
The Game - The second next generation outing for the classic frog.
The Hook - We expected this to suck, frankly, but we were happily amazed at just
how good a job Hasbro did. Forget the hype (and Frogger 1), this game is a fun,
hopping good time.
Memorable Moment - This may be the biggest improvement between an original game
and its sequel in the history of gaming. No joke.
72. Gundam Side Story: 0079
Bandai / ODCM Score: 7 [5-6/00]
The Game - Based on the long-running TV show universe, this game puts you in a
lead mech (with two wingmen and a scout rover at your service) as you attempt to
defeat the colonization forces invading Earth.
The Hook - The mech combat is really fun, the graphics are great, and if the
mech had just controlled a little more tightly, this game would have moved
significantly up the list. As it is it's great, but you'd probably have to be a
Gundam fan already to get into it.
Memorable Moment - The radio chatter between your wingmen adds a great sense of
realism (at least until it starts repeating), and the cinemas, of course, are
brilliant.
73. Maken X
Sega: Atlus / ODCM Score: 7 [7-8/00]
The Game - A so-cheesy-it's-kind-of-funny horror plot and some typical action
don't promise too much.
The Hook - But for some reason, it has an addictive game quality we can't put
our finger on. Maybe it's the "brainjacking" feature, which enables you to take
over another character's brain. Maybe it's the fun of the sometimes ham-fisted
story. But you can't put this one down.
Memorable Moment - We started playing this during the day, but by the time we
stopped, it was quite dark out and we were alone in the office, and that
"cheesy" story made us scurry to our car.
74. Mr. Driller
Namco / ODCM Score: 7 [9-10/00]
The Game - Driller, Mr. Driller! Drill! This is a puzzle game that could best be
described as being inside the Tetris well---you drill through pieces, while
trying to keep pieces from falling on your head.
The Hook - The need for oxygen adds a key element here: you sometimes have to do
incredibly dangerous things to get an O2 container, which can set up awesome
runs of drilling as fast as possible to avoid death.
Memorable Moment - You can use the Seaman microphone with this game. Watching
somebody playing and just saying "Drill. Drill. Drill." over and over is
hilarious.
75. Midway's Greatest Aracde Hits, Vol 1
Midway: Digital Eclipse / ODCM Score: NA [NA]
The Game - Flawless emulations of Joust, Defender, Defender II (a.k.a.
StarGate), Sinistar, Robotron 2084 and Bubbles.
The Hook - Flawless emulation of five classic games and Bubbles. What else da ya
want?
Memorable Moment - Using the "butt-bounce" to slip between those platforms in
Joust in order to kill our friend's during a cutthroat game. Our friends liked
it, too.
76. King of Fighters Dream Match 1999
SNK / ODCM Score: 7 [1-2/00]
The Game - Probably no longer available due to SNK's rapid departure from the
planet, it's the former company's flagship 2D fighter.
The Hook - You'll find people---not in our office, maybe, but in a lot of
places---that swear this is better than Street Fighter.
Memorable Moment - If you're one of those people? All of it.
77. NBA Showtime
Midway / ODCM Score: 7 [1-2/00]
The Game - Rule free, two-on-two, arcade b-ball in the NBA Jam mold.
The Hook - It's fast, it's fun, and there are tons of secret characters to
unlock. Unfortunately, what it's not is all that different from previous
versions of the game.
Memorable Moment - Making the basket catch on fire is always fun.
78. Railroad Tycoon II
God Games: Tremor / ODCM Score: 7 [11/00]
The Game - Engrossing railroad building strategy game.
The Hook - Online play. Or it would have been, if it wasn't pulled at the last
second. It's still fun, but we felt so cheated when we learned that online play
was nixed that we still haven't fully recovered.
Memorable Moment - Looking at the box and suddenly realizing that online play
had been pulled.
79. Red Dog
Crave: Argonaut / ODCM Score: 7 [Hol/00]
The Game - Tank fighting a la Dreamcast, complete with brilliant graphics and
awesome 3D explosions.
The Hook - Although difficulties in aiming in one direction while firing in
another irritate slightly, overall, this game is a super fun, if not super deep,
shoot 'em up. And sometimes that's all you want.
Memorable Moment - The challenge mode's high speed races.
80. Rippin' Riders
Sega: UEP Systems / ODCM Score: 7 [1-2/00]
The Game - Cool Boarders comes to Dreamcast in a shallow but hella crazy-fast
snowboarding title.
The Hook - Speed, speed, speed. It may not be the best snowboard game ever
created, but it's one of the fastest.
Memorable Moment - Unlocking everything, and then snowboarding through Area 51
as an alien.
81. Shadow Man
Acclaim / ODCM Score: 7 [3-4/00]
The Game - You control Mike LeRoi---a.k.a. Shadow Man---for an overwhelmingly
grim romp through dark, gothic and altogether seamy environments.
The Hook - Third-person, Tomb Raider-style gameplay: Solve puzzles, kill dudes,
go exploring. Does it better than Lara.
Memorable Moment - Being so bad-ass that rabid zombie-dogs cower in fear.
82. Street Fighter III: Double Impact
Capcom / ODCM Score: 7 [5-6/00]
The Game - The second in the SFIII series.
The Hook - More 2D fighting action, but without the impact (haha) of MvC or
SFIII:TS.
Memorable Moment - The evolution from the first Street Fighter III is
impressive.
83. Super Magnetic Neo
Crave: Genki / ODCM Score: 7 [9-10/00]
The Game - Wacky, zany, crazy platformer of the super-deformed, super cute
variety.
The Hook - It really is wacky, zany, and crazy, even if the action occasionally
wears a bit thin.
Memorable Moment - When you master the use of Neo's magnetized head and riding
the camel on wheels.
84. Tech Romancer
Capcom / ODCM Score: 7 [7-8/00]
The Game - It's no Soul Calibur, but this 3D (although fighting is always on the
2D plane) giant robot fighter has moments of brilliance.
The Hook - The combat system will be familiar to combo-charged fans of Killer
Instinct, and the damage meter is a nice innovation.
Memorable Moment - Crushing buildings during the course of a bout makes you feel
like you really are a giant robot.
85. Sword of the Berzerk: Guts' Rage
Eidos: ASCII / ODCM Score: 7 [7-8/00]
The Game - This aptly titled game features a giant sword attached to a little
man who kills everything.
The Hook - You can go into rage mode, enabling you to kill even better.
Memorable Moment - The dialog, courtesy of the writer of the manga the game is
based on, is a nice touch.
86. Worms Armageddon
Hasbro: Team 17 / ODCM Score: 7 [3-4/00]
The Game - Cute little worms trying to blow each other to kingdom come.
The Hook - It's a simple 2D game, but once you play, you'll find it so addictive
that it's impossible to stop.
Memorable Moment - The worms are cute. That's what makes it so funny.
87. 4X4 Evolution
God Games: Terminal Reality / ODCM Score: 9 [12/00]
The Game - 4X4 racing in giant, go-anywhere environments.
The Hook - Online play against DC, Macs and PCs really makes this game stand
out. A few little bugs aside, this is a fun game, and it gets even better
online.
Memorable Moment - The immense air, and the fact that going off the "track" is
often rewarded make this stand out from the pack.
88. Armada
Metro 3D / ODCM Score: 9 [12/00]
The Game - Imagine an Asteroids RPG.
The Hook - You get proven space combat with the backdrop of an epic storyline
and some persistence and point to combat beyond a high score.
Memorable Moment - The four-player mode is amazing.
89. Vigilante 8: Second Offense
Activision: Luxoflux / ODCM Score: 7 [3-4/00]
The Game - By the some of creators of the original Twisted Metal, this is car
combat with a vengeance.
The Hook - While this port suffered uneven graphics and slippery control, if you
want some quick car combat, it's hard to beat a multiplayer V8 attack.
Memorable Moment - The moon buggy.
90. Bust-A-Move 4
Acclaim: Taito / ODCM Score: 6 [9-10/00]
The Game - Shoot the colored ball at colored balls of like color. Eliminate
colored balls. Repeat.
The Hook - Down here only because the game hasn't changed since the Jurassic
age, this is still one of the most fun puzzle games around.
Memorable Moment - Listening to the impossibly cute chorus scream when you clear
a level.
91. Blue Stinger
Activision: Climax Graphics / ODCM Score: 6 [11-12/99]
The Game - Survival Horror.
The Hook - Tripped up by spotty voice acting and a sometimes nauseating camera,
if you're willing to work for it, there is some fun to be had here.
Memorable Moment - Playing through the game twice to get the secrets.
92. Gauntlet Legends
Midway / ODCM Score: 6 [6-7/00]
The Game - 3D update to the classic, you hack and hack and hack your way through
tons of monsters.
The Hook - It's simple (don't say brainless!), but dammit, it's fun,
too---especially if you've got some friends with you.
Memorable Moment - Shooting a fire barrel next to your friend. Oops!
93. Gigawing
Capcom / ODCM Score: 9 [12/00]
The Game - Oldskool 2D shooter.
The Hook - For die-hard fans only, this provides stunning proof that 2D shooters
aren't dead. For everyone else, it may prove that they are.
Memorable Moment - Hey look, the whole screen is filled with bullets!
94. Hidden and Dangerous
TalonSoft: Illusion Softworks / ODCM Score: 6 [11/00]
The Game - Third-person tactical WWII combat. You command a group of commandos
who sneak in (hidden) and destroy stuff (dangerous).
The Hook - A cool concept, but the graphics and complexity will limit its appeal
somewhat.
Memorable Moment - Driving the enemy vehicles (also, for Chris, the time the
president of Illusion Software bought him some ice cream in Prague, no joke.)
95. Jedi Power Battles
LucasArts / ODCM Score: 6 [12/00]
The Game - Ever wondered what Final Fight would be like with the Star Wars
characters? Wonder no longer.
The Hook - The Star Wars characters, and the non-stop action.
Memorable Moment - Using your lightsaber to deflect laser shots is pretty damn
cool.
96. Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm
Crave: Treyarch / ODCM Score: 6 [5-6/00]
The Game - Bearing more in common with Treyarch's PC game, Die by the Sword than
its flawless conversions of Tony Hawk, this game is medieval hack 'n slash at
its... well, not reall best, exactly, but maybe best on DC.
The Hook - The high concept and epic plot are certainly cool: if only the game
didn't trip over the little stuff (like the tiny hills, which you can't seem to
cross no matter how hard you try), we'd be happier.
Memorable Moment - The combat itself is very good.
97. I-Spy Operation Espionage
UFO Interactive: NEC Interchannel / ODCM Score: 6 [7-8/00]
The Game - This is a weird one: maybe the least known Dreamcast title. You watch
and control industrial spies...
The Hook - ...without controlling the action yourself. High concept and executed
well, but not for everyone.
Memorable Moment - If you can actually find it in a store, the whole thing
should be memorable!
98. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Capcom: Capcom/Tommo / ODCM Score: 6 [3-4/00]
The Game - Despite the cool ads, this is ultimately a 2D fighter that competes
better with Dark Stalkers circa 1995 than with the best of today.
The Hook - Helper characters keep things interesting, but the real appeal is the
senseless, over-the-top fighting antics.
Memorable Moment - The "Motor Show" super move that has cars pop up from the
ground to juggle an opponent is awesome.
99. NFL Blitz 2000
Midway / ODCM Score: 6 [11-12/99]
The Game - No Rules Football.
The Hook - No Rules Football, but without the updated roster that moved Blitz
2001 ahead of it.
Memorable Moment - No Rules Football.
100. Rainbow Six
Majesco: Pipe Dream/Red Storm / ODCM Score: 6 [9-10/00]
The Game - Long-Delayed PC tactical combat port based on the Tom Clancy book of
the same name, featuring SWAT-like anti-terrorist missions.
The Hook - Was supposed to be online, but that was cut. The game itself is
great, but the mapping of the control to the D-pad is a complex exercise.
Memorable Moment - The sudden realization that you forgot to check behind that
door as a bullet thuks into your head.
101. Ready 2 Rumble
Midway / OFDCM Score: 6 [11-12/99]
The Game - It's like the SF Rush of boxing! No, we mean the NFL Blitz of boxing!
Whatever you want to call it, it's fast and furious.
The Hook - And it looks great on Dreamcast. The mini-games also add some depth.
Memorable Moment - The Christmas tree that appears in the club matches in your
Dreamcast clock says it's Christmas day.
102. Tokyo Xtreme Racer
Crave: Genki / OFDCM Score: 6 [11-12/99]
The Game - Street racing in Tokyo in souped-up cars.
The Hook - All the courses are based on real Tokyo freeways.
Memorable Moment - Just seeing the brights flash behind you, and knowing the
race is on...
103. Bang!
Red Storm: Rayland / ODCM Score: 6 [2/01]
The Game - Shoot 'em up in space with loads of cool weapons.
The Hook - Eye candy galore with sweet firearms to spare.
Memorable Moment - Arcade-style shooter in multi-colored space.
104. Silver
Infogrames: Spiral House / ODCM Score: 6 [9-10/00]
The Game - PC port of a PC adventure/RPG, you've got to recover the eight
artifacts of something or other.
The Hook - Actually the story is pretty involving, and the realtime combat is
done very well.
Memorable Moment - Watching your grandfather get killed; only then are you
allowed to fight the guy who killed him. Don't you think you would have attacked
the guy before he was done offing your kin?
105. WWF Royal Rumble
THQ: Yukes / ODCM Score: 6 [11/00]
The Game - Arcade-style wrestling (is that a redundancy?) featuring the WWF's
best.
The Hook - Up to nine grapplers can be in the ring at once.
Memorable Moment - The speed and size of the rasslers is impressive.
106. Trickstyle
Acclaim: Critersion / ODCM Score: 6 [11-12/99]
The Game - Futuristic hoverboard racin for those bored with snow.
The Hook - Super-fast snowboarding in intense environments.
Memorable Moment - It was probably supposed to be the control, but it ended up
being the incredibly difficult track designs.
107. Spec Ops II: Omega Squad
RipCord: Zombie/Warthog / ODCM Score: 5 [2/01]
The Game - A slow, strategic squad-based shooter without the squad.
The Hook - Despite some glitches, the slow paced combat can be thrilling.
Memorable Moment - Actually having your targeting reticle work!
108. Silent Scope
Konami / ODCM Score: 6 [12/00]
The Game - You are a sniper. A sniper without a lightgun.
The Hook - The Gun-free control actually works surprisingly well.
Memorable Moment - Shooting the gun out of a terrorist's hands is always
satisfying.
109. Zombie Revenge
Sega / ODCM Score: 6 [3-4/00]
The Game - It's essentially a third-person House of the Dead-style action-horror
game
The Hook - Two-button arcade action tied in with copious weapon selections and
the ability to pull combos disguises the fact that this is esentially Final
Fight in 3D, with lots of decaying human flesh.
Memorable Moment - The way the story kept us going brought back happy memories
of Altered beast.
110. Star Wars: Demolition
LucasArts / ODCM Score: 6 [01/01]
The Game - Vigilante 8 in the Star Wars universe.
The Hook - Some neat features (charging up your weapons, betting on the outcome
of each contest) and great graphics make this shine, but...
Memorable Moment - ...nothing really sticks out. But we had a memorable time
trying to remember.
111. Nightmare Creatures 2
Konami: Kalisto / ODCM Score: 6 [7-8/00]
The Game - A new angle on horror: straight-up action.
The Hook - Some especially, especially horrific ways to dispatch opponents.
Memorable Moment - The plot and hero are both genuinely creepy and disturbing.
112. Striker Pro 2000
Infogrames / ODCM Score: 6 [7-8/00]
The Game - The most popular sport in the world: soccer!
The Hook - It was one of the first soccer games on the system.
Memorable Moment - We didn't think that much of striker Pro, but that was before
we saw Virtua Striker 2...
113. Namco Museum Vol. 1
Namco / ODCM Score: N/A [12/00]
The Game - Poorly exectured emulations of some classic Namco titles. Fun, but
where are the museum sections that PlayStation buyers got?
114. Suzuki Alstare Extreme Racing
Ubi Soft / ODCM Score: 6 [01/00]
The Game - Deeply flawed arcade motorcycle racer that ends up being far more fun
than you'd expect. First lap: game sucks. Second lap: game sucks, but, well,
maybe one more lap. Third lap: yeah, it sucks, but leave me alone---I'm playing!
115. TNN Hardcore Heat
ASC Games / ODCM Score: 6 [11/99]
The Game - Crappy controls and questionable physics dampen its chances. Plus,
the publisher is history.
116. Virtua Striker 2
Sega / ODCM Score: 6 [5-6/00]
The Game - We loved it in the arcade, but a lack of depth dooms this soccer
title on Dreamcast.
117. ESPN Track and Field
Konami / ODCM Score: N/A
The Game - Button-bashoing in the classic mold---Konami knows track and field
and it shows, although this entire genre is pretty tired.
118. Aerowings 2
Crave / ODCM Score: 6 [11/00]
The Game - A competent shooter/flight sim that could've used a little more
decoration. It fails to impress as much as the original.
119. Grand Theft Auto 2
Rockstar / ODCM Score: 5 [7/00]
The Game - Play a bad guy and experience death, destruction, mayhem and cars...
a treat for delinquents, but 2D? Please.
120. Airforce Delta
Konami / ODCM Score: 5 [11/99]
The Game - Too rough around the edges to really shine, this aircraft shooter
does deliver some action-y action.
121. Elemental Gimmick Gear
Vatical / ODCM Score: 5 [3/00]
The Game - Tough, cutsey, 2D non-traditional RPG with a very light storyline.
Good for a laugh but not much else.
122. Dynamite Cop
Sega / ODCM Score: 5 [11/99]
The Game - Arcade beat'em up. It's the worst kind of arcade port---in the arcade
it's fun for a quarter or two, but at home it gets repetitive very, very
quickly.
123. KISS Psycho Circus
God Games / ODCM Score: 5 [2/01]
The Game - This long-awaited first-person shooter fails to impress, sadly. Where
are the KISS characters? Where's the online play? Where, in short, is the fun?
124. Buzz Lightyear 2K
Activision / ODCM Score: 5 [12/00]
The Game - Yet another Toy Story licensed game, this time it's based on the
cartoon, not the movies. That doesn't help. The word "uninspired" comes to mind.
125. Fighting Force 2
Eidos / ODCM Score: 5 [3-4/00]
The Game - This port lost nothing in the translation, because there was nothing
to lose: it's a verrrry repetitive and medicore action game that barely
suffices.
126. Omikron
Eidos / ODCM Score: 5 [7/00]
The Game - This ambitious 3D adventure was sadly hampered by gameplay problems
and a touch of blandness. Not even David Bowie could redeem it.
127. NFL QBC 2001
Acclaim / ODCM Score: 5 [12/00]
Despite some real improvements over last year, QBC 2K1 is still decidedly second
string when compared to NFL2K1.
128. Incoming
Interplay / ODCM Score: 5 [3/00]
This repetitive alien blast-fest is like Brittney Spears. Cute for a second, but
about as deep as a fork.
129. Plasma Sword
Capcom / ODCM Score: 5 [5/00]
Capcom rules 2D, but their 3D efforts don't always pay off, as evidenced by this
vapid, me-too fighter.
130. Flag to Flag
Sega / ODCM Score: 7 [11/99]
This CART racing game has good attention to physics and detail.
131. Pod: Speedzone
Ubi Soft / ODCM Score: 5 [Hol/00]
'Net racer with plenty of options, but not enough solid gameplay
132. Hoyle's Casino
Sierra / ODCM Score: 4 [2/01]
Every casino game you could ever want, hampered by a terrible interface and bad
graphics.
133. Pen Pen Tricelon
Infogrames / ODCM Score: 5 [11/99]
Wacky penguin racer too goofy and short for anyone over 10.
134. South Park Rally
Acclaim / ODCM Score: 5 [9/00]
Licensed kart racers are the scourge of true gamers. This is no exception,
Cartman and gang are back for more mediocre cart racing.
135. Tee Off Golf
Acclaim / ODCM Score: 5 [5/00]
Super-deformed golfers 'tee-off' to charm, but not to gameplay
136. Sydney 2000
Eidos / ODCM Score: 5 [11/00]
Typical track 'n' field button-masher: Olympics events needed tweaking.
137. Time Stalkers
Sega / ODCM Score: 5 [7/00]
Flawed time-traveling RPG with good intentions, but unfortunately it has no
follow-through.
138. Wetrix+
Xatrix / ODCM Score: 5 [5/00]
This tetris-on-a-plane puzzle game is wet and wacky, and it could be fun for two
players---but it isn't.
139. Xtreme Sports
Infogrames / ODCM Score: 5 [12/00]
Failing to rise above being just the sum of its parts, this is a pentathlon of
"xtreme" events that individually play okay, but overall this is missing the
fun.
140. Magforce Racing
Crave / ODCM Score: 4 [9/00]
WipeOut wannabe that doesn't make it. This slick-looking racer doesn't handle as
well as it looks.
141. Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
Eidos / ODCM Score: 5 [7/00]
Pity Lara Croft. Once the symbol of the next generation, she's now saddled with
a sagging, outdated engine and lackluster gameplay.
142. Wild Metal
RockStar Games / ODCM Score: 5 [5/00]
This tank shooter had online play in its PC version, but not here. Unfortunately
the action is bland, even if the terrain is kind of cool.
143. Centipede
Hasbro / ODCM Score: 4 [1/00]
An update of the classic that just doesn't quite work.
144. Surf Rocket Racers
Mattel / ODCM Score: 4 [2/01]
Jet ski racing that fails to get our motors running.
145. Monaco Grand Prix
Ubi Soft / ODCM Score: 4 [11/99]
It's F1 racing for the F1 purist; all others need not apply
146. Psychic Force 2012
Taito / ODCM Score: 4 [3/00]
True 3D fighting with no gravity. And no good controls, either.
147. Dream Roadsters
Titus / ODCM Score: 4 [5/00]
Bad physics and bland visuals crash this could-be racer prematurely.
148. Caesar's Palaca
Interplay / ODCM Score: 9
Unimpressive casino "action."
149. Test Drive 5
Infogrames / ODCM Score: 4 [3/00]
Bad design + outdated engine = stay away.
150. World Series Baseball 2K1
Sega / ODCM Score: 4 [11/00]
What happened! No fielding and poor control make this an arcade experience at
best. This used to be the premiere franchise. Can it come back?
151. Seventh Cross: Evolution
UFO Interactive / ODCM Score: 4 [3/00]
Wacky breeding sim with simplistic graphics but complex gameplay. Ultimately it
can be satisying, but you've got to work for it.
152. Gunbird 2
Capcom / ODCM Score: 3 [11/00]
Old-school top-down scroller that's too hard and too short; a bad combo. Someone
please let this genre die.
153. Spawn: In the Demon's Hand
Capcom / ODCM Score: 3 [12/00]
Bad mechanics, cameras and no way to exit menus doom this action game. The heavy
metal intro is funny, at least.
154. Expendable
Infogrames / ODCM Score: 3 [11/99]
Perfectly titled, this simplistic shooter isn't worth the plastic it's printed
on.
156. Slave Zero
Infogrames / ODCM Score: 6 [1/00]
Great concept, but level design never makes you feel like your piloting a
60-foot mech. A shooter gone wrong.
157. Chef's Luv Shack
Acclaim / ODCM Score: 3 [3/00]
South Park license abused for gameshow aesthetic. Could be titled: Who Wants to
be Bored to Death?
158. MK Gold
Midway / ODCM Score: 3 [11/00]
Uninspiring fighter-by-numbers in the MK franchise.
159. Spirit of Speed
Acclaim / ODCM Score: N/R
Racing classic cars is awesome in theory, but distressingly unpleasant in
practice in this flawed game.
160. Virtua Athelete 2K
Agetec / ODCM Score: 2 [11/00]
A deeply flawed track 'n' field title that looks great but plays terribly.
Warning: twitch reflexes require massive quantites of sugar and caffeine.
161. Toy Story 2
Activision / ODCM Score: 2 [11/00]
Crapy cameras make this a title not fit for children, let alone adults. The only
fun here is turning it off.
162. Soul Fighter
Mindscape / ODCM Score: 2 [3/00]
3D weapons-based hack 'n' slash...the bottom of the DC barrel.
163. Mickey's Magical Racing Tour
Eidos: Crystal Dynamics / ODCM Score: N/R
Sometimes these Disney games surprise you by being far better than you'd expect.
This one doesn't.
164. The Ring: Terror's Realm
Infogrames / ODCM Score: 2 [9/00]
Slow, plodding horror adventure with an interesting plot but no pace. The only
danger in this game is that you'll fall asleep.
165. ECW
Acclaim / ODCM Score: 2 [7/00]
The old WWF engine with some very poor graphics make this a dud.
166. NFL QBC 2000
Acclaim / ODCM Score: 2 [3/00]
Bad gameplay mars a good franchise with no remorse at all.
167. WWF Attitude
Acclaim / ODCM Score: 2 [1/00]
Horrible port of a horrible PlayStation wrestling game---run, don't walk.
168. Jeremy McGrath Super Cross 2000
Acclaim / ODCM Score: 1 [11/00]
Now for the moment we've all been waiting for: the worst game eeeeever on
Dreamcast. Jeremy McGrath is crap on two wheels with its inconsistent framerate,
bad graphics, and poor controls. |
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