15 memories in honor of the Sega Dreamcast's 15th anniversary

You may have heard elsewhere that yesterday was the 15th anniversary of the Sega Dreamcast's North American launch. (For those of you who aren't great at math, that means it was released in this region on Sept. 9, 1999.)

In honor of that milestone, I thought it might be nice to take a little Dreamcast-focused trip down memory lane.

1. I bought one at launch--Oddly, I can only say that about a couple of consoles, like the Saturn and the Wii. And maybe the Nintendo 64. (I can't entirely remember when I got that last one, but I'm pretty sure it was within a few weeks or months of its release.) 

2. I sold my Japanese Saturn and games to pay for it--As much as I love my Dreamcast and the handful of games I've since acquired for it, I have to admit that I now regret this decision--or at least consider it to have been a somewhat questionable one. 

3. The system's design is what made me want the system--What can I say? It reminded me of NEC's PC Engine, which has long been my favorite console, aesthetically speaking.

4. Well, that and Sonic Adventure and Power Stone--Coming from the era that gave us the Nintendo 64, the PlayStation and the Saturn, these launch-day games looked positively futuristic to my young-ish eyes. I remember being especially entranced by Capcom's arena-based brawler.

5. I've never played Sonic Adventure, by the way--I'm not exactly sure why, unfortunately. Were reviews not so kind to this ambitious release? If so, that's likely the reason. Or maybe the other games I picked up at launch were enough to satisfy me?

6. I've also never owned or played Skies of Arcadia--Given my love of the RPG genre, and the praise that's often heaped upon this Overworks-developed title, that's sure to be a shocking revelation for some. I know it is for me.

7. Nor have I owned or played Samba de Amigo--Actually, this may be an even more surprising disclosure than the one above. I have a feeling the rather pricey (even back then) maraca controllers are what kept me from picking up a copy.

8. Worst admission yet: I also haven't owned or played Seaman--I mean, really--given the name of this blog, I should've at least played a game called Seaman, right? Seriously, despite the fact that this odd "virtual pet" has intrigued me since it first traipsed onto my radar, I've never experienced it firsthand. Maybe I'll rectify that sometime next year.

9. I've spent very little time with Shenmue despite liking what I've played of it--Here's another head-scratcher, or at least I think it is. At least there's a somewhat acceptable explanation for this one--that being that my older brother took this game and a few others (SoulCalibur being one, and Power Stone possibly being another) with him when we stopped sharing an apartment many, many years ago. As for why I've failed to buy a replacement copy in the ensuing decade or so, though, I can't say.

10. I'm pretty sure I've never imported a Dreamcast game--I say "I'm pretty sure" here because my memory's a bit foggy when it comes to this subject. Assuming that's the case, though, this is one of the few instances where I haven't bought even a single Japanese game for a system I still own. Don't worry, I plan to change that soon enough by picking up one or all of the following Japan-only Dreamcast titles: Boku no Tennis Jinsei, Net de Tennis, Lack of Love and Segagaga. 

11. Oh, and Space Channel 5: Part 2 as well--Sadly, I'm pretty sure acquiring this 2002 release is going to set me back a pretty penny--although maybe not as much as copies of the aforementioned Lack of Love and Segagaga are likely to cost me? Regardless, it'll be worth it, especially when you consider the following.

12. The original Space Channel 5 title is one of my all-time favorite games--I could play it over and over and over again and never become bored with it. In fact, I've done just that since first bought this fabulous rhythm game some years ago.

13. I don't believe I ever took my Dreamcast on line--I'm not entirely sure why that is, although I think it may have had a little something to do with the fact that the only online-enabled Dreamcast game I've ever owned is ChuChu Rocket!--which I didn't buy until a number of years after the system had exited the market.

14. I've never used a VMU to do anything other than data storage--In other words, I've never used it to play any of the mini-games that were included on a number of Dreamcast discs. Granted, a quick glance at this list suggests I own just a handful of titles that offer VMU support, so I guess I shouldn't feel too bad about this oversight.

15. I am determined to own one of the pink Hello Kitty Dreamcast systems before I die--In fact, maybe I'll make it a goal to check this off of my lengthy gaming wish list sometime in 2015.

Do any of you have fond (or otherwise) memories of Sega's final system? If so, please share them in the comments section of this post.

If this custom-painted, ChuChu Rocket-branded Dreamcast isn't one of the prettiest consoles ever, I don't know what is

I wish I could say I'm partially, if not completely, responsible for artist OSKUNK deciding to create the  ChuChu Rocket-branded Dreamcast seen below--I have, after all, suggested such a contraption in the past--but let's be honest: the French illustrator and "customiseur" probably doesn't even know I exist.



Which is likely for the best, because if he did know of my existence I'd have to use whatever influence I have (read: none) to get him to sell me this particular custom-made console--or maybe this Jet Set Radio-themed beauty, or the Samba de Amigo one seen in this previous post.

I'd also do my best to (virtually) twist his arm to get him to conjure up a Game Gear that features some sort of fabulous paint job inspired by one of my all-time favorite Game Gear titles, Magical Puzzle Popils.



Until then, I guess I'll just have to keep an eye (or two) on OSKUNK's blog, Custom Art, in the hopes of catching an advance glimpse of his next game-related pièce de résistance.

See also: previous OSKUNK-centric posts

The Great Gaymathon Review #61: Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure (3DS)

Game: Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure

Genre: Music/Rhythm

Developer: Sega/Xeen

Publisher: Sega

System: 3DS

Release date: 2012

A few of the words I'd use to describe Sega's Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure: Ambitious, disappointing, dramatic (sometimes overly so), ridiculous and sweet. Oh, and tedious. Yes, tedious. As much as I hate to admit it, and as much as I enjoyed the Rhythm Thief demo, I found playing through the "real deal," so to speak, to be a chore.

That's not to say this Xeen-developed 3DS title failed to bring a smile to my face. On the contrary, I found certain aspects of it to be both charming and fun. The art style, for instance, is appealingly colorful and pleasant (although it appears a bit "cheap" at times). Rhythm Thief's funky, jazzy soundtrack--which harkens back to that of another Sega property, Space Channel 5--could be described in similarly positive terms. Also, it features the most unique array of control schemes I think I've ever encountered in a portable game.

So, why did I suggest in the first paragraph of this review that Rhythm Thief was disappointing and a "chore"? For starters, although the game is admirably ambitious, its many "pieces" never quite came together for me. You know how various folks have described this release as being "Professor Layton meets Space Channel 5"? Well, that's exactly what it is, at its core. Unfortunately, the mash-up just doesn't come together as well as I'd hoped it would.

Chiefly responsible for this, in my mind, is its story--or, rather, its ratio of story to rhythm games. If I were to guess what said ratio was, I'd say it's about 75-25 in favor of the game's story, and in the end it was just too much for me. I have to say, though, that I think I would have found Rhythm Thief to be a bit trying even if the ratio were closer to 50-50, as the story here--which is set in Paris and involves, among other things, a young guy who's leading a double life as an art thief and an older one who claims to be Napoleon--isn't all that engaging. Or at least it wasn't to me.

Another aspect that failed to engage me: The game's Layton-esque exploration element, or lack thereof. You're rarely at a loss for where to go or what to do next while playing Rhythm Thief, as the next plot point's quite literally pointed out to you (often by a big magenta exclamation point, no less). This game steals ideas from the aforementioned Level-5 series in other ways, too, although I think it would've been better off if its developers had refrained from doing so. In particular, the random tapping of background images--required to find medals (which allow players to buy items than can make difficult mini-games a bit easier), pieces of music and hidden scores--injects an additional layer of annoyance into a title that was annoying enough already.

Finally, it has to be said that although most of Rhythm Thief's mini-games are amusing, "have their heart in the right place" and all that jazz, a good number of them are downright broken due to awkward controls. (In fact, one particular mini-game nearly prompted me to give up on my playthrough altogether.) And even when they don't feel broken, they're often unforgiving to an unbelievable degree. All of which is too bad, as Rhythm Thief's best mini-games easily call to mind those found in such classics as Samba de Amigo and Space Channel 5.

Are those brief, shining moments--along with the others mentioned earlier--enough for me to recommend this quirky mutt of a release to anyone but the most diehard of Sega fans? (Do such people even exist anymore?) To be frank, no, they aren't. I guess if you can find a copy that's cheap enough, it may be worth picking up if you're really into rhythm and/or Professor Layton-ish games, but even then I have a feeling it's more than likely to disappoint.

See also: Previous 'Great Gaymathon' posts

It's not a ChuChu Rocket-branded Dreamcast, but I guess it'll do

French artist Oskunk (or, OSKUNK!, to be completely accurate) has conjured up a number of fabulous, custom-painted consoles over the years.

Surprisingly, most of my personal favorites have been Sega-centric, such as the Dreamcasts he's covered in Jet Set Radio, REZ, Samba de Amigo, Shenmue and Space Channel 5 designs.

The artist's latest (below) creation calls to mind yet another Sega classic: 1995's Virtual On.



I really like how this illustration complements, rather than attempts to cover up, the curves and grooves of the Dreamcast's top lid.

Where will Oskunk's imagination take him next? I'm hoping it'll take him to wherever he needs to go to produce a ChuChu Rocket-branded Dreamcast, or maybe a Magical Puzzle Popils-branded Game Gear.

See also: 'I will obtain one of these if it's the last thing I do'

Samba de Amigo + Space Channel 5 = another game added to my too-long 3DS wish list

I'm pretty fond of rhythm games, so you'd think I would have added Sega's upcoming 3DS release, Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure, to my wish list long ago.

Not so. I couldn't tell you why that is, to be honest, although I think it has something to do with not being all that interested in the game's rather colorless protagonist.

Anyway, my interest has soared thanks to the just-released videos below, which suggest Samba de Amigo and Space Channel 5 segments will be included in Rhythm Thief.

Here's some footage of the Samba de Amigo segment:



And here's some footage of the Space Channel 5 segment:



When will you be able to get your grubby little hands on Rhythm Thief & The Emperor's Treasure? Well, if you're American or Japanese (or you own an American or Japanese 3DS), you'll be able to pick up a copy of the game on Feb. 25. (Pre-order the North American version here.)

I'd guess Europeans will gain access to it on that date, too, but I can't say that with any certainty.

Cool custom consoles

You know, I've always thought my bog-standard Dreamcast, GameBoy Advance SP and PlayStation systems were pretty slick ... and then I came across the custom-painted consoles seen below.

This Parodius-branded PlayStation may be my favorite of the bunch:

That said, this Samba de Amigo-inspired Dreamcast is awesome, too:

And then there's this slick, Scott Pilgrim-themed GameBoy Advance SP:

All of these were created by French artist Oskunk, by the way. To see more (many more!) of his creations, check out his blog, custom-art.blogspot.com, and/or his Flickr photostream.

(Via doyoulovepuppiesido.blogspot.com and tinycartridge.com)