Xbox the new Dreamcast?

[josekortez]

I just got my Xbox limited set over the holiday, and I'm noticing that most of the good stuff consists of Dreamcast sequels or games with content that is similar to Dreamcast games.

Examples of sequels:

Project Gotham is the sequel to Metropolis Street Racer
DOA3 is the sequel to Dead or Alive 2
Jet Set Radio Future is the sequel to Jet Grind Radio
Sega GT 2002 is the sequel to Sega GT

Examples of mimic titles:

Wreckless plays like Super Runabout
Rallisport plays like Sega Rally 2
Hunter (my new favorite) plays like Zombie Revenge

What I want to know is if anyone thinks the Xbox is the spiritual successor to the Dreamcast!

Begrudgingly, I say yes. Same controller design, same hard-core game ethic...

<turns away from Dreamcast in corner and wipes away a single tear>

[IntvGene]

Well, it seems that Sega has definitely jumped into bed with Microsoft, increasing their holiday sales with that 2-pack-in version of the X-box.

But, I believe that it is far from the spiritual successor to the DC!

The controllers are similar, but the Xbox design is worse and my hands even hurt after playing it enough.

The system design are practically polar opposites. The DC was sleek and compact, the Xbox is a huge block with a hard-drive.

Now, don't get me wrong, I have an Xbox and I love Sega's contribution to it, but it will NEVER compare to the DC.

[Kid Fenris]

Don't forget that Gunvalkyrie originally began life as a Dreamcast game, and I doubt it was the only Sega-made Xbox title that started that way.

[/Obligatory mention of GunValkyrie, which you can now get for $20 at Best Buy.]

I for one like the Xbox controllers, large or small, better than the Dreamcast pads. The DC controllers had too few buttons and an awful d-pad, but the Xbox designs improve on both problems, even if those convex keys are a pain on the fingertips.

[congobongo]

The XBox is definitely not the successor of the DC as far as style goes. It's big and ugly. I too like the controllers though. Some people will always have a soft spot in their heart for Sega. The same will never be true for Microsoft. Just the way it is. It's a big, ugly, powerful box. With that in mind I'd say it's the successor to the Atari 5200. ;)

[NE146]

YES it is. The xbox IS the new Dreamcast. Why? Because of the emus! I hear Xbox plays a mean Mame, SNES, 2600, and Colecovision amongst others. But due to the underground nature of it (it apparently requires a modded Xb0x), it's not talked about much....

Maybe in 3 years or so.

[Anonymous]

NE146 has hit the nail on the head. I've been saying this for awhile now, I think that all the same people who have begrudged the xbox will soon come to love it simply because it is already the most poked, prodded, modded, and modifiable system ever! This lovely box is going to have the most homebrew everything for it in the history of mankind, and I for one can't wait to see what's in store for Microsoft's baby.

Aside from the emus, the Xbox has been modded to accept Hard drives of any size, it's been modified to act as an ftp server on a network, as a media player (for mp3s, divx, and other media formats), and as a cheap server, running either homebrew software or Linux. The possibilities with this system are far greater than the dreamcast.

[WiseSalesman]

Are you still able to do that with new Xbox's though? I thought it was updated so that that didn't work anymore.

As an aside, when I first saw the sentence "because of the emus" I thought you meant the big birds....

[hamburgler]

I already knew xbox was the new dreamcast.Both controllers have the A,B,Y,X buttons in the same place and both controllers feel the same.

[Zaxxon]

Remember back before the DC was released when everyone was criticising the DC as being just a stripped down PC, with it's MS operating system, easy PC ports, PC graphics chip. These are the same things said about the Xbox.

[Nature Boy]

I have to agree - it just *feels* like a Dreamcast to me. And by feel I don't mean the size of the console or the controllers or anything else. Just the mistique around it (with the emus and the wealth of Sega exclusives).

[josekortez]

I started this thread earlier this year, and I want to know if anyone's feelings have changed for better or for worse. Sorry, this thread has been calling me in my sleep...

[GameGuru]

The Dreamcast was a very good system, I still play it today even though I have all three of the next gen systems. I really feel if Dreamcast had EA Sports games it would have destroyed PS1 because some people just didn't like the 2K series (I did). I wonder what a Dreamcast version of Madden would have looked like? Dang, we will never know.

[QBert]

Yep, Im going to have to agree with most of you guys here too. For sure it is!
For all those reasons!
Emus(not the birds ;) )
Moddable
Controllers
Those games that spawned from DC to XBOX.(Theres lots more too than listed, but good start)
4 Controller ports
etc...



QBert

[kai123]

I have to agree with everything anotherfluke said. It is so easy to get into the emu scene. If they release a new version they always hack it. Evil hackers or crackers I should say.

[Half Japanese]

The Dreamcast is probably my most beloved console of all time. It's where I popped my online-gaming cherry, played some of my all-time favorite games and generally just enjoyed the hell out of myself. That said, I love the Xbox as well. Like the DC before it, it has it's share of turds, but when certain titles shine, they shine to blind. I will admit a love of the Xbox, no matter how unpopular it may be among the "hardcore classics" crowd, where it's perceived as a threat to Nintendo's well-being (last time I checked, Nintendo were doing more to ruin their market share than any one else could ever hope to).

One aspect I think a lot of you failed to touch on is perhaps one of the most important in my opinion: both systems have an uncanny amount of sleeper hits. Bangai-O, Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage, Jet Grind Radio, Toy Commander, Record of Lodoss War and several other oft-overlooked titles for the Dreamcast, to me, define a great time and help show that originality can still prosper in a market of soulless clones. The Xbox has Phantom Crash, Kung Fu Chaos, Gunvalkyrie, Panzer Dragoon Orta, Deathrow, Serious Sam and tons of other games that the average gamer tends to scoot to the side while digging for the newest Madden or Tekken. Sleepers for both systems have helped them to find a place in my memories and I'm sure each will be recalled fondly years from now (and then pulled out a closet for a couple weeks of use from time to time).

I didn't mean to get all sentimental and long-winded there, but when talking about games that have a special significance for me I tend to ramble.

[josekortez]

Preach on, Justin, and pass me a tissue.

Seriously, the Dreamcast and the Xbox are hardcore gamer machines, whether anyone else wants to agree with that statement or not. Recently, I decided that they were my first and second favorite consoles, respectively. With that said, I like PS2 and the GameCube a lot, but they're a little too mainstream in different ways. Yes, Microsoft makes the Xbox, but the offbeat titles like the ones you named are what makes it memorable.

Now, if we can get some vertical shmups on the Xbox, it'll be like the DC never left...

[Half Japanese]

That's very true. In my opinion, that's one market that the Xbox has failed to capture, as there are very few 2D games for the system (discounting emulation). You just KNOW that a system that powerful could have some truly awesome 2D games! The sad part is that gameplay has given way to things like graphics and mature concepts, so I doubt we'll see a 2D revival anytime soon. You never know though, stranger things have certainly happened in this so-called "industry."

I would dare say that had Sega's Dreamcast had a built-in DVD player, it would not only still be alive and kicking, but also kicking some serious ass. It's just a shame that some of the accessories and games often rumored for it never appeared. Anyone else remember the "VMU with a ponytail" that was supposed to be released as a VMU shaped mp3 player? And surely I'm not the only one that looked through and read Gamefan's coverage of e3 2000 so many times and had built up such a feverish anticipation for some of the titles shown for the DC. I would have loved to have played Gorka Morka, as well as two other games (one an online team-based RPG, the other a futuristic online shooter) whose names fail me at the moment. I remember reading a fellow gamer's statement regarding the Dreamcast that "if it dies a premature death, I'm giving up the hobby," which is almost exactly how I felt at the time. I remember defending the Dreamcast right up until it wheezed and struggled for it's last breath (fall 2001), and still do when it's legacy and library come into question. Other people have the NES, Playstation, and what have you that they regard as their favorite console of all time. For me, however, it will always be Sega's white (or in my case, translucent lime green ;)) box with the orange swirl. As a matter of fact, I'm going to go hook mine up tonight...

[josekortez]

And now the question that's been burning in my brain:

If Microsoft can release a dogfighting game like Crimson Skies, where the hell is Propeller Arena?

[Duncan]

I just bought a Dreamcast, and I badly want an Xbox (if only for a few specific games, namely Sega GT and Ninja Gaiden). So I totally get this thread. :)

Let me make one thing clear: the Dreamcast is still a "next-generation" system. The graphics are definitely cleaner than PS2, it's got online support (now dead, sadly) and it has enough hardware flexibility to do any number of things very well.

What it didn't have was marketing -- or, more specifically, market penetration. Those who knew (and know) what the Dreamcast was (and is) were aware that it is one of the best game systems ever created. Along with the lack of a DVD player (which is also one of the things biting the GameCube in the ass at the moment), Sega's inability to lure distributors back after fiascos like the 32X and Saturn was the Dreamcast's biggest problem.

Developer support was also an issue. When the megalithic Electronic Arts -- from the very beginning, mind you -- refused to port any of its numerous hit franchises over to the Dreamcast, it was obvious there was going to be trouble. Fortunately for gamers, the Sega Sports series turned out to be at least as good as anything from EA Sports (if not better). But the crushing hordes didn't want to trust anything that didn't say "Madden" or "Live" on it...their loss, I think.

And when the PS2 included the ability to play all the hundreds upon hundreds of available PS1 games, the hammer began hovering into view above that final nail. Add that to the already long-awaited DVD capabilities, and Sony would become the unchallenged leader in video games. Unsurprisingly, Nintendo's respectable but aging cartridge-based N64 was left cowering on the floor by that point -- but strangely, so was the ultra-modern Dreamcast.

But the question is, did Microsoft originally set out to build a Dreamcast-beater? The similarities -- especially in controller design and game selection -- are obvious. And MS had to have noticed back in 1998-99 just how well Windows-based software worked on a gaming platform...and that's about the time that they started to develop their own.

I had hoped for a while that Sega and Microsoft might actually be joining forces to a certain extent in the future, but with Sammy's increased involvement in Sega's operations that may end up being a pipe dream.

All that being said, isn't the ability to hack Linux into an Xbox perhaps the greatest of ironies? ;)

[Nature Boy]

I definitely haven't changed my mind on the whole thing. I treat them both pretty much the same - which is to say I have them connected but I still play my Gamecube more :)

[josekortez]

DrJustin, I think one of the online shooters you referred to in your last reply was called Shrapnel. I just saw it in the manual for Spec Ops II.

What happened to Gorkamorka, Legend of Blademasters, and Shrapnel? I see 2000 as the date for the Spec Ops manual, so I know these games were killed long before the DC's production was stopped...

[Packerfan66]

I have to disagree with you about the X-Box being a hardcore gamer system. The 20 or so people I know who own one just bought one just to have prettier sports games then thier PS2 buddies.

[Half Japanese]

If you don't think there's a hardcore following for Xbox, you should hit up the Xbox boards at www.veterangamers.com . Those guys seem to play the Xbox almost exclusively (which there is nothing wrong with, they still acknowledge good games on other systems). Jose, you got one of them right. Legend of the Blademasters was the ARPG I wa referring to, but I think the shooter was initially titled in letters with periods in between them, I could be wrong though, and they may have changed the initial name to Shrapnel. I'll have to dig that old GameFan out someday.

[bargora]

I bought the Xbox exclusively to play Steel Battalion, although I have also enjoyed GUNVALKYRIE, SERIOUS SAM, and PANZER DRAGOON ORTA. And Bloodrayne.

[josekortez]

Like I told Cmosfm, Bloodrayne kicks ass!

Also, if you're an Xbox owner, you have to try Deathrow. I've owned this game for over a year and didn't play it until last night. Now, I'm addicted. Think an ultra-violent futuristic Frisbee game with leagues. Now, I'm not a fan of sports games, but it plays really well. This game did swearing and excessive violence right on the Xbox long before Grand Theft Auto Double Pack...

And it has custom soundtrack support. 8-)

[Half Japanese]

<shameless plug>

I wrote and FAQ for Deathrow that you can find over at IGN.com if you're so inclined. There's another one up at Gamefaqs, the guy wrote after claiming mine was "inadequate" and "nothing more than an expanded instruction manual." Keep in mind, however that mine was up a full 6+ months before his, and his contains much of the same information as mine :hmm: .

</shameless plug>

[crashdummycow01]

sadly i've never had a DC..

when PSX first came out, i didnt really know about N64 and DC... i had seen commercials and stuffa bout PSX and i was set on getting one.. i went to the store and i was like.. ok dad i'm getting the PSX.. its over there on the shelve.. and my dad was like.. hey what about this $199 console and i was like.. PFFT... i'm gonna get the PSX and i kinda wish i had both.. b/c the psx was really cool, but i never got to enjoy DC while it was around :( and i've been looking for one for a while now and still havent found one.. i dont shop on ebay and havent seen one in pawn shops in my town..

but i cant really say if i think xbox is becoming hte next DC since i never had a DC.. but i DO think its cool that Sonic is gonna be out for xbox and ps2.. and not just GC

[ReaXan]

i remember in 2000 when the PSX started showing its age and I decided to hope on the next generation bangwagon and I traded all my PSX games and accesories along with PSX and got me a nifty used Dreamcast and one game from gamestop,for some reason the Dreamcast started having a place in my heart unlike the rest of the systems I had owened since the original NES,it was just a great produced machine that wasnt clunky or an eyesore and had a simplistic design but had the hardwear to back it up.

I was a big NBA fans and NBA2K was a great sports title when the Live Series from EA started going downhill for a while{ 2001-2003},I also a huge Resident Evil fan and CV was simply a kickass game that really took the series to the next level,also alot of easy to use emulators for NES,SNES,etc where made for the dreamcast and that added to its appeal,I was also looking forward to the Half-Life for Dreamcast along with Shenmue 2 but Half-Life was never released and Shenmue only released in Japan

I think the biggest problem was that mainstream people wanted to see if it could continue the 3rd party support for the upcoming Playstation 2,When Sony announced the backwards compatibilby and the built in DVD the mainstream saved their checks and gave Sony the market back before a game was even sold on those two things alone.

Sega may come back again,or end up like 3DO and Atari and just develope games and not worry about loosing millions on another fallen system


R.I.P Dreamcast

[nesuser2]

i'm not quite sure how to describe it, but they are very much the same. While I must say that the "xbocks" plays older systems much better than the DC. The DC is still legendary in my mind and is one of the most simplistic systems that will hit the market for a long time, if we ever see one again. On a side note before I forget, the comment about your friends only buying an xbox for prettier sports games......get new friends LOL Because that's a pretty lame excuse to buy a console when that's the only reason.

One final note in comparison of the systems and their features. I played around with my DC alot, especially UT and I must say that even on my somewhat "OK" steal from walmart TV, it looked awesome and was probably the best console to play UT or any Unreal game on. It's still not as good as the keyboard and mouse combo, but it's pretty close. And about the controllers, they're awesome! When you first pick up a DC controller.....you play and think.....wow....are you kidding me? but once you get into the game and you're fixed on the tube, it doesn't even matter anymore. And the same follows with the xbox S controllers as I wouldn't recommend the original "Big" controllers....not what i look for anyways. But I beat Simpsons Hit and Run on Xbox and I always think the controller is too weird when I go to pick it up. But once you move from the controller to being in the game, it's perfect. Some games have issues with the button layout but this holds true with other systems as well. Much like I love my gamecube to death......but the upper most button on the front(x or y) is just unreachable to me. I know it's there and I can reach it but it just doesn't happen in gameplay for me. Play TMNT for gamecube and that button is jump......and i find it horrible to use. But I don't have any problems using it in Viewtiful Joe.....so who knows. But anybody who hasn't should check out an xbox on a 55" WS in HD, it's better than bad, it's good!!(Logggggg......Logg.....It's big, It's heavy, It's WOOD)