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Perhaps the biggest change though is how much the videogame industry has expanded. Millions of people have been introduced to gaming throughout the past ten years, and the medium's growing popularity is showing no signs of slowing down. Videogames are no longer just a hobby for the geeky and antisocial, but rather a full-fledged national pastime.

Sadly, many of those who are relatively new to gaming probably never even heard of the Dreamcast, yet alone remember it. For me, this reality is a bittersweet reminder that while the videogame industry continues to evolve and expand, its past is oftentimes buried and forgotten in the process. One thing is for certain though: millions of gamers continue to hold the Dreamcast in high regard, and for that reason, its tenth-anniversary is worth celebrating.

I can still vividly remember the launch of the Dreamcast. I was in eighth-grade at the time. In fact, 9/9/99 was my first day back from summer break. Instead of being excited about finally ruling middle school, I was instead waiting anxiously for the bell to ring. During that summer I worked painstakingly to save up for a Sega Dreamcast. For me, September 9th couldn't come soon enough, and I was probably the only kid who was actually looking forward to the end of summer.

After the first day of classes ended, my mom rushed me to the local Toys R' Us so I could pick up my preordered Dreamcast. Along with the console, I also purchased a copy of Soul Calibur and Sonic Adventure. Soon enough my friends started coming over after school, and eventually some of them ended up purchasing a Dreamcast as well. What eventually transpired was an underground gaming economy of legendary proportions. Each of us made sure not to purchase the same titles, and we all traded amongst each other. Collectively we owned all of the best Dreamcast titles, and more often than not we ended up playing them as a group. I still vividly remember many of these after school and weekend gaming marathons. Friendships soon turned into bitter rivalries as multiplayer sessions of Virtual Tennis and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 became more and more competitive. Nonetheless, behind all that teenage trash talk was a strong comradely and shared passion for videogames.

Looking back, it's hard to believe that a decade has passed since those humble times. I cannot help but become nostalgic when reminiscing about the Dreamcast. This period in my life was shortly before the trials and tribulations of high school and all the drama related to growing up. To this day I'm still close with some of these friends, but others I have lost touch with over the years. Therefore when reflecting on the Dreamcast, I cannot help but also think about all those memories associated with adolescence.

Unfortunately the Dreamcast died young; however, it burned brightly throughout its short lifespan. What made the Dreamcast so special is the fact that it provided compelling gaming experiences specifically for those who were passionate about videogames- a characteristic that many consoles fail to even accept, let alone embody. During the late 90s, the videogame industry was still primarily an isolated medium. Instead of trying to expand the videogame market, the Dreamcast was strictly designed for those who already lived and breathed videogames. The console's library was diverse and sophisticated, and many hardcore genres such as fighting and top-down shooters were abundantly represented. In addition, the Dreamcast was the first console to successfully utilize online capabilities. While an industry standard today, SegaNet introduced millions of console gamers (myself included) to online gaming long before X-Box Live.

A decade later, the Dreamcast remains the final console specifically tailored for the dedicated gamer. Since then, Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony have each adopted various business strategies to expand the videogame market. For better or worse, Sega instead opted for a different approach, one focused entirely on providing passionate gamers with the best gaming experience possible. Sadly this type of strategy may have played a role in accelerating the Dreamcast's demise. By this point the industry was changing, and most videogame companies were starting to expand their demographics. Even though the Dreamcast was successful on numerous levels, it was still technically a failure due to the simple fact that it prematurely kicked the bucket.

The videogame industry is not nostalgic; we as gamers oftentimes move on to the next big thing too quickly and frequently. Because of this, it's beneficial sometimes to look back and reflect on the industry's brightest moments. For me, the Dreamcast undoubtedly qualifies as one of my all-time favorite consoles. Even though I'm still very passionate about the medium, my enthusiasm for gaming reached its peak during my early teenage years. Most of this is obviously attributed to the simple fact that I had more leisure time for gaming throughout this period. In reality though, the Dreamcast played a crucial role in taking my already established passion for videogames and elevating it to another level. Had it not been for the Dreamcast, my interest for gaming may have actually subsided during my teenage years.

Fast-forward a decade. I'm now a 24 year-old graduate student who rarely finds the spare time to enjoy videogames. When looking back, the Dreamcast provided me with some of the most abundant and enjoyable gaming experiences of my life. Obviously I can't say that the industry has changed for the worse since the death of the Dreamcast, because that's simply not the case. Nonetheless, it's fair to argue that the countless memories I have playing the Dreamcast won't be duplicated or surpassed during my adult life. No matter how technologically impressive and groundbreaking videogames become, I will always have a soft spot for the Dreamcast. Ultimately, the Dreamcast provided the right gaming experience for me at the right time, and that's something that can never be replaced or forgotten.

So what say you, fellow gamers? What are some of your favorite Dreamcast memories, and how would you evaluate its legacy a decade later?

SnakeLinkSonic - Features Editor for GameTopius & Misanthropic Gamer

I didn't know...

I honestly didn't know what the loud little Sega console meant at the time.

I honestly didn't know that initially buying it for Sonic Adventure would mark one of the biggest splints in gaming I've ever had (which I'm still trying to live down)

I just didn't know that 90% of the games I played on that thing I would hold in such high regard a decade later.

I think I'm a year younger than 'Whitey Matt #2', so I was that much more moronic when I first picked the Dreamcast up. Like I just stated, my initial drive to even buy one was solely based around the fact that it featured Sonic's first 'real' 3D console game (yeah, I'm not counting the predecessor 3D Blast). For the most part, I was left pretty happy with what Sonic Adventure. Despite my vitriolic nature now regarding his 3D escapades, I still enjoy that particular game. It introduced me to the world of what Matt described above as a 'dedicated platform' for the more passionate of us and it even had some seductive little gimmicks, many of which I'm not ashamed to have enjoyed (see VMU). When the joy of that game waned, I found myself floating sporadically between titles, as that was one of the few points in my adolescence where I actually had a life. When I did come back to the system however, I came hard (*clears throat suspiciously*). I think I spent a month methodically crawling through what I now recall as the most boring game I've ever loved, Shenmue. Although I've floated far away from the fighting scene in games over recent years, the Dreamcast also gave me one of my most revered titles, Power Stone. Let's not even wind me up over my favored Resident Evil game, Code Veronica either, which made it's premiere on the system as well.

What's surprising me now are the number of titles I'm still finding being ported and released today, which were originally launched on the Dreamcast. Titles like Rez and Ikaruga are games that induce distinct levels of zen-like trances for me; although I'm sad I didn't initially play them on the Dreamcast , I'm in a perpetual state of admiration for what might be Sega's most exemplary production. Although it died under some specific circumstances, I don't think it's that much of an exaggeration to lament the fact that the gaming landscape of today would be very different had it survived.

Comments (2)

danielrbischoff said:

	I've never owned a Dreamcast, but it's one of the few old consoles that I think genuinely merits a purchase after it's release and death. The NES, SNES, Genesis, and more, of course, have storied history, but the Dreamcast is so beloved by so many that it's ridiculous to not own one. That being said, I don't know when it'll make it's way into my home.
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September 14, 2009
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Darke said:

	The Dreamcast was a time when I had good times with good friends. So, of course, I love the system.
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September 15, 2009
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