Dreamcast Review
by dUKECategory Console Players 1 - Multiplayer Difficulty N / A Review Date 9/9/99 Publisher Sega
Dreams really can come true.
Computer gaming technology progresses at a breakneck speed, as I'm sure you've noticed. It seems like every week there is a new 3D or sound card that easily surpasses the one you just bought. Even the CPU chips are optimized for gaming rather than tax preparation. Witness the Pentium III and the AMD K7.
Not
to be left behind, the console systems are now drawing from the testing ground
of computer hardware. They (hopefully) learn from the successes and failures of
the chaotic PC world and produce consumer systems that take away the heartache
of compatibility issues, patches, driver updates and system crashes.
Enter the Dreamcast, the newest system from Sega and the first console that draws at least as much from the world of PC gaming as from previous console systems. We've had the luxury of playing with the Dreamcast for a few days now, and I am astonished. If the first-generation games I have been playing are any indication of what is to come, this is one kick-ass system.
The Dreamcast itself is noticeably smaller and heavier than both the N64 and the PlayStation. It has a CD tray on the top, like the PSX, but four controller ports in the front, like the N64. It also has what many sad owners of broken PlayStations wish they had from the get-go: a cooling fan. Click HERE for all the hardware specs.
In fact, the Dreamcast is a combination of the best of the PSX and N64. It has cutting-edge 3D graphics and faster loading times (12x CD-ROM), as well as the sound, movies and massive capacity of a "GD" system. It may seem obvious, but kudos to Sega for getting it right anyway.
Add to that several important elements taken from PC gaming. The system operates using a custom Windows CE, a scaled down version of Windows designed for handheld 'digital assistants.' The key here is that it supports DirectX. This is intended to make the task of porting games from the PC over to the Dreamcast (and vice-versa) a whole lot easier.
How are the graphics? I'm so glad you asked. They are, in a word, fabulous. I was totally impressed by the smoothness, clarity, speed and remarkable framerate of the Dreamcast. In all four of the games we currently have for testing (reviews coming soon!), the graphics are simply phenomenal to watch. Comparing polys, lighting effects, textures, Z-buffering and a slew of boring technical terms, the graphics easily rival those on a high-end PC with a 3D card. They are a huge leap past the graphics on both the PSX and N64, as they should be. In particular, Soul Calibur and NFL 2K look simply amazing.
However, the single most important advantage that PC gaming has had over the consoles is network play. The Dreamcast has that in spades, with a built-in 56k modem for getting online and scaring up a little deathmatch, or just browsing the web. You can use any Internet service provider that you like, though the multi-player game network won't be up until January. The only game with online support so far is Sonic Adventure, and that only includes trading and racing 'Chao' virtual pets. However, there are a whole slew of online games on the way.
The
controller is based on the Saturn Nights controller, which is a good thing.
It has both analog and digital controls pads, analog triggers (yay!) and four
buttons. However, I do think that the Nights controller was slightly superior.
It had two more buttons and was a bit larger and more comfortable. Also, the
cord comes out of the back of the Dreamcast controller and not the front,
due to the placement of the memory card. While this is fine if you like to play
facing away from the television, most people will find the cord placement to
be somewhat awkward.
Saving games is done with the 'Virtual Memory System' (VMS). This little gizmo is both memory card and basic hand-held game machine. It even has a little LCD screen like the Gameboy so that you can manage your memory card or play little games right there with the card. You can also connect two VMS units together to swap and share data.
So can the Dreamcast break into the cuttroat console market? I think it stands a good chance. It has all the right technology and third party developers are lining up to make games for the Dreamcast, thanks to development-friendly Sega policies. There are 16 games available on the very first day of release, and many of those games look simply incredible. This is a much more impressive launch than the N64 got a couple of years ago.
With a very competitive street price of $199, it's plenty of bang for the buck; not to mention that this price is far cheaper than the original release price of the PlayStation.
With reports of the PlayStation 2 being delayed and the Nintendo Dolphin still in the very early stages of development, the Dreamcast has a bit of time to relax as the most powerful system available. Looks to me like Sega has finally put that Saturn fiasco behind them and come up with a winner.
