The Little Console That Couldn't — and Why You Should Buy One in 2025
Photo: Evan-Amos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Dreamcast was too weird to live. Sega pulled the plug in 2001 after barely a year and a half in the US, and for two decades the console lived in the shadow of everything that came after it. But here's the thing about dying young: you leave behind a short, dense, gloriously strange catalog — and in 2025, that catalog is finally getting the respect it deserves while prices haven't caught up to the hype.
If you've been circling the Dreamcast from a distance, this is your window. Here's how to build one right.
Why Now, Specifically
Three reasons. First, pricing: mainstream retro consoles like the N64 have ballooned, but Dreamcast hardware and most of its library remain stubbornly reasonable. Second, the homebrew scene is thriving — new indie games are still being pressed on actual GD-ROM discs, and the community has cracked most of the console's reliability headaches. Third, the games themselves have aged weirdly well. The Dreamcast was a forward-looking machine, and the industry finally caught up to it.
What to Buy First
Start with a console from a reputable seller, ideally one who's replaced the clock battery and cleaned the laser. The stock controller is fine — genuinely underrated — but budget for a VMU memory unit, because the Dreamcast saves nothing without one. The VMU's tiny screen and built-in minigames are half the charm anyway.
One accessory worth considering: a VGA or HDMI adapter. The Dreamcast's picture over modern TVs is the difference between "huh, neat" and "wait, this game looked like THIS in 1999?"
What to Skip
Skip the fishing rod controller unless you're committed to the bit. Skip the third-party controllers, most of which feel like they were designed by a rival console. And skip paying collector prices for sealed games — this is a library meant to be played, and loose discs run cheap.
The Five Games That Justify Everything
- Jet Set Radio — Cel-shaded before anyone knew what that word meant. Still radiates style.
- Shenmue — Clunky, sincere, and unlike anything else. You're not playing a game; you're visiting a place.
- Crazy Taxi — The arcade dream, condensed. Four minutes of pure '90s California energy.
- Soulcalibur — A launch title that looked a generation ahead of everything around it.
- Skies of Arcadia — The sprawling airship RPG that got lost in the shuffle and deserves your evenings.
The Console That Got the Last Laugh
The Dreamcast failed because it arrived too early and trusted its players too much. Twenty-five years later, that's exactly why people keep coming back. Build one now, while the entry fee is still friendly — and tell your friends you got in before the prices did what you know they're going to.
