Dreamcast Collection
Score: 80% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Sega Developer: Sega Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Classic/Retro
Graphics & Sound: In comparison to today's consoles, yes, the Dreamcast does show its age. Blocky models, simple textures, primitive voice-overs: it's all there. I won't turn this into a Dreamcast soapbox, but its important to note that the Dreamcast was very impressive for its time. Dreamcast Collection sometimes feels like it tried to enhance the experience over the original Dreamcast versions of its games. That's a little sacreligious for we original Dreamcast owners. That's all I'll say on that. For the most part, the four games in this collection are pretty faithful to the originals. It's also worth noting that looking at these games with hi-def TV sets reveals a lot that we would not have seen on the Dreamcast's original composite cable setup. I'd like to note that I did actually pull out my Dreamcast to make sure my comparisons were fair (being a fan, it wasn't exactly hard to motivate myself to do this). I had played most of these games when they originally came out, but of course, that was about a decade ago. I can still say the Dreamcast looked damn good for its time, and it has aged rather gracefully for that amount of time. The most obvious enhancement culprit is Sonic Adventure. Dreamcast Collection has rather obviously updated Sonic's model to a crisper, shinier one. Strangely, Sonic seems to lose some of his shine later in the game, and looks more like the original, matte Sonic. After this point, I'd say the improvements to the look of the game are actual improvements, but shiny Sonic (and shiny townsfolk and shiny just about everything, for that matter) is pretty annoying for me. Adding shine to everything indiscriminately does not make a game "newer" or better looking. Sound and music seem to be slightly different as well, but the most noticeable game on this matter is Crazy Taxi. As you may have heard in passing, now the game is stripped of its original Offspring soundtrack, and replaced with what could be some old man mumbling the words to a Creed song for all I care. Ok, the background music is now a generic rock track, just to explain for this review's sake, but it's just not the same. Beyond that, however, the sound effects are just off. Honks from passing cars seem annoyingly loud and repetitive. Taxi patrons sometimes sound like they're speaking from a tunnel. Worst of all, your car now makes the loudest, most annoying, tinny scraping sound anytime it touches anything. It was there in the original, but it seems tuned way up in this port to just plain disrespectful levels.
Gameplay: There's a variety of games here, and therefore a variety of gameplay experiences in Dreamcast Collection. Can you back up all the wild, nostalgic raving for the Dreamcast with this collection? Sadly, I'd say no. But these games do represent some very good things about their genres in their early years. Sonic Adventure is a 3D adventure game with lots of secrets, a touch of RPG elements, and even a simple pet-raising sim that lets you raise cute little creatures called Chaos. Space Channel 5: Part 2 is a Simon Says-style rhythm game that is unfortunately more fun to play than it is to watch (ensuring you clear a room of any friends that may have been there rather quickly). Crazy Taxi and Sega Bass Fishing are two arcade style games with timed challenges, with Crazy Taxi being a pretty original concept for a racing game. Are newcomers really going to want to play through these games? I can't say that I'm sure. Space Channel 5 and Crazy Taxi were such creative concepts back in their time and were enjoyable because they were so different from anything out there, and really well done. But Crazy Taxi can feel a little confined and repetitive. Even when you find all the secrets of the city map, it's still only one city. Plus, the original game also had licensed franchise destinations like a Levi's jean store, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken. These elements (as well as the original Offspring soundtrack) have been stripped away from the game, reducing its charm and character. The game does keep its addictive and challenging nature, and has mini-challenges where you can hone your basic crazy taxi skills like getting huge air on jumps. Space Channel 5 is still a game that defies explanation. You play as a space reporter that uses dance to battle foes. As you rescue hostages, you gain a giant dancing entourage that provides moral support, I suppose. Space Channel 5 still features the same 60's flair to its music, and the same hokey Japanese elements like repeating "Chu Chu" over and over. The game was always wacky and out there, but now it feels like everything but the spunky space reporter Ulala could use a bit of an update. At it core, it's just a Simon Says game, and one that requires a few playthroughs on some of the more advanced sequences just to get through the game. Because it's also a linear game, there's not much reason to play it again unless you like the memorization challenge. Finally there's Sonic Adventure and Sega Bass Fishing, two games that I'm sorry I have to group together. Sega Bass Fishing is a decent fishing game, but it would probably be better replaced by its cousin Sega Marine Fishing, which offers a larger variety of fish to go for. Sonic Adventure is still an enjoyable game with lots to explore and do, though it feels pretty simplistic now. It doesn't help that the writing and voice acting are at a very primitive level, so there's not much in terms of a riveting storyline. Still, the fast-paced action levels are enjoyable, and the Chao-raising element can be addictive. But it does help to look at it in perspective as the first true 3D Sonic game. The transition could have been a disappointing one, but Sonic Adventure turned out to be quite a faithful and solid 3D adventure game.
Difficulty: Dreamcast Collection features some arcade style games, which are notorious for a high difficulty level. Most of the games feature adjustable difficulty, with Crazy Taxi going so far as to allow you to tune the level of traffic up or down independently from other difficulty settings. A game like Space Channel 5 simply forces multiple playthroughs, since you can't always anticipate when your cue is coming. Sonic Adventure is probably the "easiest" of the games, though if you count finding all the animals and hidden Chao eggs, it can get a little more tricky. Overall, these games were designed to let the player get in and get started fairly quickly. There are few in-game tutorials for the most part, but most of what you need to know, you can figure out by trying different buttons or combinations.
Game Mechanics: This is actually an area where Dreamcast Collection tends to fail. In games like Crazy Taxi, this port feels looser, and a little sluggish in its controls compared to the original Dreamcast version. Sonic Adventure had the same problem. It becomes a big problem when you consider that both of these games are known for their fast-paced gameplay. I also wish a nod had been given to the Virtual Memory Unit (VMU) of the original Dreamcast, which was unique for having its own LCD screen. While you were playing, you could look down at your memory unit in your Dreamcast controller and see various animations or messages being displayed. Sonic Adventure, for example, shows a sleeping Chao snoring away when you have the game paused. You could also take the VMU out of the controller and play mini-games with it that would help it grow and advance. It was a gimmick, yes, but it's one that has never been duplicated since then, and truly something that makes the Dreamcast unique. Alas, there's nothing in these ports that even suggests it existed, not even a little graphic during Pause menus. These were, indeed, good games for the Dreamcast. It's just not enough to satisfy fans of the system though. Shenmue, Jet Grind Radio and even Seaman are just a few more original Dreamcast games that deserve to be remembered. Sure, this collection gives these games achievements and leaderboards, but I'm not sure that's enough. And perhaps some of these games would be better served by remakes then by endless re-releases. Still, Dreamcast Collection is a good, albeit small, set that will have at least one game in it that will satisfy fans.
-Fights with Fire, GameVortex Communications AKA Christin Deville
Related Links: Dreamcast Collection - Sega Official Site Game Vortex's Review of Crazy Taxi Game Vortex's Review of Sonic Adventure Game Vortex's Review of Space Channel 5
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