Dreamcast Mini We need one and chances are we will get one. Especially with the popularity of the recent Sega Genesis Mini. However a Sega Dreamcast Classic or Mini is a much more complex idea than any of the previous mini classic consoles to date. Online capability, a large controller and the VMU. These are just three unique aspects of the Dreamcast that make it stand out compared to all other mini consoles.
Sega Genesis Mini
The Sega Genesis Mini released to critical acclaim. A lot of people are calling it the best mini classic console yet. Marking a triumphant come back for Sega after multiple batched classic consoles at the hands of At Games.
It’s fantastic to see Sega finally make a successful step back into the world of hardware manufacturing. After more than 15 years out of the game since the Dreamcast ceased production. This has got me thinking, what’s next for Sega.
Sega Saturn Mini
With the success of the Sega Genesis Mini and the huge popularity of Sega in the retro gaming community. It would be crazy for Sega to not follow on hot off the tail of the Sega MegaDrive Mini. Well as most of us probably know, Sega followed up the Sege Genesis family with two other standalone consoles. The Sega Saturn and the Sega Dreamcast. Both of these consoles seem like ideal candidates for the mini classic treatments.
However unlike the Sega Mega Drive, both of these consoles are considered commercial failures by Sega. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t great consoles, especially when it comes to the Dreamcast. Which had a small but solid library of quality games! Games like Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, Soul Calibur, Shenmue, Sonic Adventures 1 & 2 and Silent Scope just to name a few.
New Sega Console
What console is one the most loved retro game consoles by the community? Which console is seen as a missed opportunity that gamers would love to see revived and has just celebrated its 20th anniversary. The Dreamcast.
So what Mini Classic console would get fans fired up the most when we hear of its announcement? The Sega Dreamcast Mini! The Sega Dreamcast was a pioneer of its time setting the standard for a lot of functionality we take for granted in modern consoles. So it makes sense that the Dreamcast Mini be a pioneer in the mini classic console market.
Sega Dreamcast Mini
One of the ways the Dreamcast innovated was by coming with a built in modem. Making it the first fully online video game console out of the box. To date none of the Mini Classic consoles from Nintendo, Sony or Sega have had any online functionality. They have all been standalone devices. One of the concerns with including online functionality in the Dreamcast Mini is that the extra hardware. To support online functionality would undoubtedly add to the overall cost of the mini console.
However the benefits we would receive by having the Dreamcast Mini online would justify this extra cost in my opinion. Not only would we be able to enjoy a world of retro online gaming experiences like Phantasy Star Online and P.O.D racing to name a few.
Dreamcast 2
We would also get the added benefit of Sega being able to send out firmware updates and additions to the library direct to the Dreamcast Mini. This would elevate the Dreamcast Mini for being a unique nice collector item that looks great on a shelf. To a genuine console experience that can be evolved and sustained over its lifecycle. Possibly giving the Dreamcast the second chance it always deserved.
We could have a thriving online community. An amazing selection of retro game classics. Brand new gaming experiences from the homebrew community. Regular updates to keep the Dreamcast Mini fresh. And relevant and maybe even built in support to make creating new homebrew games even easier. This could make the Dreamcast Mini a truly unique modern day console experience.
