The Sega Dreamcast's Greatest Launch Titles

Image via Complex Original

Release date: 1999
Publisher: Acclaim

The problem with a decent launch title released amongst stellar launch titles is that a lot of people won't even bother playing it. Well, fortunately for us, we did play TrickStyle, which was a hoverboard racing title that was actually pretty good.

And while it wasn't great, we did have a lot of fun at the time racing and doing low to the ground tricks. We just hated the music. Let's just say techno has come a long way since the late 90s, early 2000s. 

Release date: 1999
Publisher: Konami

There were actually two flight games at launch for the Dreamcast, this, and Aerowings.

We're going to pick this one because Aerowings felt about a generation behind compared to AirForce Delta, which at least looked next-gen at the time. Fly, shoot, and destroy things was the name of the game. Er, what we mean is, the name of the game was AirForce Delta, but, arg! You what we meant. Never mind. 

Release date: 1999
Publisher:  ASC Games

While it wasn't a game that changed the world, we did love its off-road controls at the time. It wasn't the best launch title, but it wasn't a bad one either by any stretch of the imagination. It was one of many racing titles at launch for the Dreamcast.

Release date: 1999
Publisher: Imagineer

Remember Loaded for the original Playstation? No? How about Total Carnage, Smash TV, or Ikari Warriors? No again? Well, then this is just not your genre. But for all others who love walking around and shooting the holy hell out of everything, then Expendable was quite the launch title. All others needed not apply.
 

Release date: 1999
Publisher: Crave Entertainment

Tokyo Xtreme Racer was actually one of a few racing launch titles for the Dreamcast, but we liked this one the most. It was a mission-based racing game, which was new at the time, and it made us feel all Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift like a whole SEVEN years before that movie even came out. Only on the Dreamcast, people. Only on the Dreamcast.

Release date: 1999
Publisher: Sega 

Let's be real with ourselves now and just admit it.

Today, Blue Stinger really sucks. It makes the Dreamcast look dated now and SO 1999. But back in 1999, Blue Stinger was kind of cool. It was a kooky, bizarre action survival horror game with strange monsters and even stranger music. It was very Japanese, and probably the most Japanese game for the Dreamcast at launch. We're not going to say that we miss it exactly, but we did like it back then. We're not going to lie about that, either. Blue Stinger was pretty rad back in 1999.

Release date: 1999
Publisher: Midway

Ready 2 Rumble Boxing kind of sucks now, and it definitely was no Punch-Out!!

Back in 1999 it was still a pretty solid new IP at the time, and it made a good launch title. The boxing was ridiculous, but not as outlandish as one might expect a Midway sports title to be. It was fun while it lasted, and made a good diversion when your eyes grew tired of playing countless hours of SoulCalibur. 

Release date: 1999
Publisher: Midway Games 

Hydroooooo Thundeeeer!

Honestly, if you loved the arcade scene, then you had to love the Dreamcast, as the system had tons of games that matched or rivaled their arcade counterparts, and Hydro Thunder was no exception. Sure, it greatly missed the arcade cabinet that it came with, as you couldn't sit in a giant, rumbling boat at home, but the water physics were still great and it made for an excellent home conversion. We played the shit out of this game when it came out at launch. The shit! 

Release date: 1999
Publisher: Sega

The House of the Dead 2 was and will always be ridiculous.

Between the outrageous dialogue and the constant jump scares, it also has the priviledge of being the basis for one of the most ludicrous (and fun) titles ever: The Typing of the Dead. But this is where it all began on the Dreamcast and it was a launch title at that. Using a Mad Catz light gun (Since Sega didn't release their own light gun here in America after the Columbine shootings), you could get all the thrills from the arcade game and thensome, but in the comforts of your own home. Please remind us again why the Sega Dreamcast failed.

Release date: 1999
Publisher:  Midway Games

The other football launch for the Dreamcast, NFL Blitz 2000 was pretty much the football game for those who weren't avid sports fans and just liked to run into each other and press the turbo button. There wasn't much to it, but it was just as fun as its arcade counterpart, and just as ridiculous. We loved it. 

Release date: 1999
Publisher: Sega Sports

Believe it or not, but there was a time when Madden wasn't the only football franchise in town that had actual players from the NFL in it.

NFL 2K would be the first of an era of football games that rivaled, and even sometimes, surpassed Madden, and that ain't no joke, Jack. The visuals were beautiful, and it played differently enough from Madden that you could even claim which one you preferred back then. It was like a Sega vs. Nintendo, Street Fighter vs. Mortal Kombat, which is better, rivalry all over again, but this time, concerning football titles.

Unforutnately, EA destroyed the NFL 2K series when they bought the exclusice rights to the NFL license. Oh, well, nothing lasts forever.

Release date: 1999
Publisher: Midway 

A lot of people hate Mortal Kombat 4 today, but back when it came out, it was actually a well-received follow-up to Mortal Kombat 3, and Gold was like an upgrade to MK4 in many ways.

It featured new characters not featured in the arcade version with Baraka, Cyrax, and Kung Lao entering the fight, just to name a few, and it contained all the other elements that made MK4 a moderate hit back in the day. It may not be the best launch game to look at now, but time is rarely kind to older titles. Trust us, as fighting game nuts, having this, and Power Stone, AND SoulCalibur, on day one were like a dream come true. Don't front. You know you loved MK GOLD, back in 1999, too. 

Release date: 1999
Publisher: Capcom

 The first of many great Capcom fighting games to come to the Dreamcast (Street Fighter 3 and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 would later follow), Power Stone became a fan favorite almost instantly, and it truly showed the limitless potential of the system at the time.

It was like Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style, but fun. Players would run around the screen and collect stones while picking up items around the arena to use against their opponent. It was silly, it was outrageous, and it was one hell of a party game. Unfortunately, Capcom hasn't showed the series any love since its sequel, which came out a year later. Come on, Capcom! Don't you know how much the people love Power Stone?!

Release date: 1999
Publisher: Sega 

Some people say that the Sega Saturn failed because there were no good Sonic games.

And while we wouldn't completely agree with that statement, we will admit that there is some merit behind it. Would Nintendo ever release a console without a Mario game for it? Of course not, and Sega should have known better than to drop a console and never support it with their blue speed demon.

Well, Sega rectified that problem on the the Dreamcast, releasing Sonic Adventure on day one. It was a vast departure for Sonic, as it was in TRUE 3D (None of that Sonic "3D" Blast crap), and it also offered playtime for some other characters, like Knuckles, Amy, and (yawn) Big the Cat. We didn't say all of the characters were winners. Sonic Adventure is one of the greatest Sonic games ever, so it's little wonder that it was so successful at the time. It was an amazing title. What else could we possibly say?

Release date: 1999
Publisher: Namco 

The creme de la creme. The holy grail of launch titles, back in 1999, it was unheard of that a console game was actually better than its arcade counterpart, but SoulCalibur was that title.

Everything about it was outstanding, from its graphics (Oh, God, those graphics), to its eight-way run system, to its addictive Mission Mode, the Dreamcast version was everything a launch title should be and more--a graphical powerhouse that really showcased the new hardware, and an all-around fun game to boot. Honestly, if not for Super Mario 64 on the N64, we'd call SoulCalibur the greatest launch title EVER. And that's no exaggeration. Other launch titles are good and some are great, but few are even close to being SoulCalibur great. Its soul still burns.