Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

I honestly didn't get a Dreamcast back in the day... I got one much later as someone gave it to me for free, but by then games were unobtainable locally, I'd have to shop online, and I just never bothered. Sure it was an excellent console, more powerful than the other consoles at the time... some would even say ahead of it's time. But honestly back in the day I feel like the Genesis has more fanfare than the Dreamcast ever did. All my friends had Genesis when it was popular, but no one I knew had a Dreamcast. There's only a handful of titles in the Dreamcast catalogue that I'd be interested in playing today, and pretty much all of those have been ported to other consoles with adjustments / debatable QoL improvements so not even really interested in a Dreamcast "Classic" if they announce one. The Dreamcast today tends to be talked about a lot more than I remember it being talked about during it's actual generation. It's just one of those things that only seemed to grow after it's time; at least from where I'm from.

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

In it's time underrated. Now I think it's generally thought of fondly so I would say properly rated. I had one back a little after launch and it had a ton of great games for it. Grandia II, Skies of Arcadia & Resident Evil: Code Veronica were all games I loved.

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

Agreed. It has its proper place in the history of game consoles. A fondly remembered game console with numerous unique games and VMUs.

Plus it had the single best console version of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

I loved my Dreamcast. I had more games for that system than any other system I have ever owned. I played my very first online game on the Dreamcast. IMO, it was way ahead of it's time.

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

Underrated.

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

Under rated, amazing system.

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

Most underrated console ever released, IMO

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

Probably my favorite console. Bought one at launch and loved it. It's too bad Sega had lost the handle on their segment of the hardware market. This should have been the followup to the Genesis (and I loved the Saturn, but it was so poorly handled from the get go). So many great games and features (built in modem, the VMS units) that were ahead of their time.

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

The Dreamcast was my favorite system of all time too. So many great games, great arcade ports, fun peripherals (loved Samba De Amigo with the maracas, Bass Fishing with the fishing controller, even talking to my pet Seaman), loved games like Space Channel 5 and Crazy Taxi.

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

Thanks for all of the replies.

Considering that the Sega Dreamcast was the first console to be released in the sixth generation, if Sega had been able to support it for the entire console generation, does anyone know how well the Dreamcast would have been able to compete with the PlayStation 2, and especially the Xbox and GameCube, at least from a technical perspective?

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

It was graphically inferior to the PS2, but I don't think that mattered as much as:
1) The fact that the Sega brand had been tarnished by the 32x and Saturn
2) DVD technology and the PS2 being a DVD player
2) The fact that it was super super easy to pirate games, in an era when everyone had a CD burner.

They came out swinging, and they had great software support for the US launch, even if PS2 locked up the mindshare pretty quickly.

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

I use to love importing games for it all the time, especially Darkstalkers and the Xmen/Marvel vs Street Fighter stuff.

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

4th option... rated appropriately, in that lots of people loved it for the great console it was.

My #2 favorite console after SNES.

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

its under rated and still is .... ahead of its time, imo

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

This is a console I never owned initially but I’ve actually thought about picking one up. Seems like it was under appreciated when it was originally out and died off faster than it should have.

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

I just "found" my Dreamcast in storage. Had to buy an adapter to get it to play on my tv, but I can't wait (it'll probably be super disappointing but I still love games like Techromancer and Record of Lodoss War, which have never been re-released).

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

The gameplay has aged pretty well and graphically it's still on par with a lot of modern mobile games (sharp with a decent poly count but slightly lacking in texture detail). What adapter did you get? HDMI Mod? VGA Box?

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

It's not really underrated because I remember that it was well-respected when it was out, and even after SEGA discontinued it, fans and gaming publications all say how great a system it was, ahead of it's time, great game library, etc etc.
The Sega Saturn, Atari Jaguar, 3DO, N-gage, Virtualboy, and other failed systems don't get that same near-universal acclaim and respect.

But it's not overrated either. For its limited life-span, it was a great system. When I first got it, it was like the feeling I had getting an NES for the first time.
Everything about the Dreamcast was great: the name, the design, the controller, the VMUs vs boring memory cards, innovative games like Shenmue, an exclusive Resident Evil game, and a strong 3rd party support.

SEGA did a lot right, but the DVD player and Microsoft entering the console arena was did in the Dreamcast.

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

This one:

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

Ah cool, the VGA box drove a higher resolution or something didn't it?

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

I think so, though not all games were compatible with it.

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

^
This

I still have my Dreamcast and absolutely love it.

It's still home to the best port of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2.

Re: Is the Sega Dreamcast overrated or underrated?
 

Who here remembers 9/9/99? It's hard to believe the Dreamcast is 20 years old today.