4 forgotten Dreamcast gems that deserve the remaster treatment

Many gamers who grew up in the early 2000s have fond memories of the Sega Dreamcast. It was the turn of the new millennium, and gaming had just begun to enter the 3D era. During that time, many beloved classics were released for the Dreamcast that helped define Sega's final console generation. Unfortunately, most games for the console weren't remembered fondly enough to see a remaster years later for newer consoles.

For as many great Sega Dreamcast games there were, the console had just as many games that became relics of the age in which they were released. Whether it was because they were forgotten over the years or just never given enough time in the spotlight to shine, these gems on the Dreamcast should get another lease on life for players to discover. Here are 4 Sega Dreamcast gems that should get the remaster treatment on modern consoles.

4 Seaman

The most bizarre thing ever

One of the weirdest games to ever be released on any console, without question, is Seaman for the Sega Dreamcast. The game was released in 2000 by Jellyvision and Vivarium, with a port for the PlayStation 2 in 2001 that was a Japanese exclusive. Seaman is a game where you raise a lifeform known as a seaman through various stages of its lifecycle. However, much of this is accomplished in real time and through limited actions as you witness the growth of the seaman. By talking to it through a microphone for the Dreamcast, feeding it at various points, and answering questions it brings up, players can help the Seaman grow and eventually release it into the wild.

While the unique gameplay and premise of Seaman drew a lot of attention, another part of the game was the voice-over done by Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy. Players would hear instructions and detailed info read by Leonard Nimoy as they raised the seaman and kept it alive throughout all of its maturity stages. It's a truly bizarre and unique game that has never seen a re-release or HD remaster. A sequel to Seaman was made for the PlayStation 2 in 2007, titled Seaman 2, which plays very similarly to the original. A version of Seaman was going to be developed for the Nintendo 3DS, but was canceled before development was completed.

3 Skies of Arcadia

A truly beloved SEGA role-playing game

One of the most requested Sega games to get a remaster is Skies of Arcadia. It was released for the Sega Dreamcast in 2000 and received very positive reception from nearly everyone. The game focuses on an air pirate named Vyse and his quest to stop the Valuan Empire from destroying the world. Along the way, he teams up with a number of different characters that make up the core party, and an epic quest to save the skies of Arcadia from an ancient weapon unfolds. The gameplay in Skies of Arcadia is very similar to other 3D Japanese role-playing games of the era, with a turn-based battle system and an overworld to explore. Travel is done through the use of airships as the party traverses Arcadia's six regions, charting new locations and key points of interest along the way.

Over the years, attempts to port Skies of Arcadia to different platforms fell through. It wasn't until 2002 that a Nintendo GameCube port called Skies of Arcadia Legends was released. There was even a planned portable version for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance, but it was canceled midway through development. However, an HD remaster of the game never materialized, despite Sega re-releasing multiple classic games on various platforms like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game's popularity has allowed for characters from Skies of Arcadia to make cameos in other games, but there still hasn't been an official remaster of the game. With Sega continuing to revisit many of their older titles for newer releases, this should be the first among them to get a remaster.

2 Phantasy Star Online

Real-time action RPG over the net

To many role-playing game fans, Phantasy Star is a legendary name. However, while the origins of the name go back to the Sega Master System and Genesis, a big change for the series was the release of Phantasy Star Online for the Sega Dreamcast. This action-RPG was released for the console in 2001, and was later ported to both the Nintendo GameCube and original Xbox. The story of the game is completely unrelated to the original Phantasy Star series, and instead is a new story set on the fictional planet of Ragol. Thousands of refugees fleeing a dying planet arrive on Ragol and have to compete with monsters as they try to reestablish themselves. However, a mysterious message found on the planet hints at an ancient evil that lurks in the shadows.

Phantasy Star Online has players creating a character that can team up with others online to accomplish quests and take down enemies on an uncharted planet. Characters work together to fight groups of enemies that appear on the planet, while also bringing down larger bosses that appear at the end of quests. The game was well-received by audiences, which highlighted how different it was compared to other MMO titles of that time, as well as recognition as the first true MMO title for home consoles. Phantasy Star Online received a few iterations following its initial release, right up to the point when servers for the game were closed by Sega in 2003. Fans created private servers for everyone to play following the official ending of support for the game.

1 Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future

Vibing in deep waters

Ecco the Dolphin has a very strong connection to Sega across multiple consoles. While the Sega Genesis games for Ecco the Dolphin went on to become retro classics, not many people remember the game that was released on the Dreamcast. Part of this is probably due to the game not being connected to the previous titles, other than bearing the same name. Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future was released on the Sega Dreamcast in 2000 and was later ported to the PlayStation 2 in 2002. It's the fifth and last entry in the Ecco the Dolphin series, and was viewed as a reboot at the time. However, the series was dormant following its release, with not much happening for the series until most recently, when Ecco the Dolphin creator Ed Annunziata announced a re-release of the classic Genesis games.

Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future has a gameplay design that is very similar to its 2D predecessors, but with everything done in full 3D. Ecco can interact with the world around him and get a layout of his surroundings using his sonar ability. Like the previous titles, this Ecco game has players solving puzzles, traversing new areas, and fighting enemies while maintaining enough air and health. The game is also recognized as having some of the most realistic graphics on the Sega Dreamcast, with environments underwater and Ecco himself looking very realistic. In the year it was released, critics praised Ecco the Dolphin: Defender of the Future as one of the best games of the year for the Dreamcast. However, it has since been forgotten and never got a re-release on any platform in the years that followed. Series creator Ed Annunziata wasn't involved with the development of this entry, so that may be part of the reason why it was never revisited again.

Returning Dreamcast gems

The Sega Dreamcast is a beloved console for gamers who grew up in the early 2000s. It was a platform where many risks were taken, and original ideas were allowed to flourish. And while not everything was a success or would go on to become iconic, it was still a snapshot of the time that many remember fondly. As Sega continues to bring back older franchises and hits from throughout their history, each of these Dreamcast games would be great to remaster and offer to audiences who love experiencing nostalgia. They are gems of the console that could shine brighter with just a little bit of extra polish.