Nintendo 64 and Dreamcast system reviews

Postby **VideoGameCritic** » March 6th, 2006, 5:39 pm

Would like to hear your thoughts so post them here.
Dave

IronKnux · Postby **IronKnux** » March 6th, 2006, 7:58 pm

I agree 100%, Critic. The Dreamcast was definitely underrated and justly deserves a spot in every gaming fan's library. Spot on with the Game section, too... after reading your article, it made me want to play my DC.

the N64 was a good read. Didn't know too much about it... interesting stuff.

Tremo01 · Postby **Tremo01** » March 6th, 2006, 10:35 pm

A CD-rom can store 800 mb not 650 mb. Fix that in your Dremcast review....

Zen444 · Postby **Zen444** » March 6th, 2006, 10:46 pm

You do great commentary.

Damon Plus · Postby **Damon Plus** » March 7th, 2006, 10:19 am

At long last the DC review!

I agree, the console design is still one of the best ever, and it had an amazing array of games for a system that only lived 2 and 1/2 years on the western market.

Also, shouldn't the GD-media count as an innovation?

Great work!

welcometoyourdoom · Postby **welcometoyourdoom** » March 7th, 2006, 11:32 am

"A CD-rom can store 800 mb not 650 mb. Fix that in your Dremcast review...."

CD-ROMs/CD-Rs/CD-RWs come in several sizes these days...650mb, 700mb, etc. 650mb was the original, "standard" size for the CD-ROM format. Next time do a little research before you post.

welcometoyourdoom · Postby **welcometoyourdoom** » March 7th, 2006, 11:58 am

To this day, I will never understand the all the moaning and groaning over the cord on the DC pad. Is it really that big a deal that the cord comes out of the bottom of the controller a few inches (at the MOST) before curving down and towards the console? Does it poke people in the balls or something? Who really holds a pad smashed up against their body anyway? I've been a DC owner since launch, and this has NEVER been an issue for me. I never even bothered to stick the cord into its little "groove" on the botton of the controller. I seriously don't see how this could affect gameplay AT ALL. And no whining about fanboyism please, I own enough systems (10+) with the "normal" cord position to know what I'm talking about. It could have maybe used a few more buttons, another analog stick, etc, but overall I feel the DC pad was comfortable and well designed. One look at the XBox pad makes it obvious that Microsoft thought so, too.

bluemonkey1 · Postby **bluemonkey1** » March 7th, 2006, 12:26 pm

I've never even seen an 800Mb CD before.

I think the GD-ROM shouldn't really be considered innovative as it was an extremely flawed storage medium. The way the data is packed on the disc makes it incredibly susceptible to scratches and bed pressings in general - I have several perfect discs that I brought brand new and just refuse to play some days.

I thought they were good reviews. I'm pleased you highlighted the way the N64 really changed multiplayer gaming. It was one of the driving factors that really sold it to me and my friends and started us coming together and playing games in much larger groups.

DC review was good quality too. Definitely a high note for Sega to go out on and generally a very good library across the board. It will always be my favourite system. I just wish Sega had produced more durable hardware. I noticed you mentioned the problem of wear on the laser. Have you managed to avoid the infamous internal reset problem critic? I end up having to open it up and fix mine a couple of times a year (and I am away the other half of the year!) to keep repairing that problem. Then there's the fact that third party accessories tend to blow one of the resistors in the control port making it unusable without a soldering iron and a quick change. Bad presses of discs - particularly the PAL version of Rez . Got to be one of the most innovative but also poorly designed systems around.

Great overviews.

bluemonkey1 · Postby **bluemonkey1** » March 7th, 2006, 12:31 pm

Ooh just one quick note Wacky Racers was the first Dreamcast game to use cell shading.

Fear Effect also came out before Jet Set Radio. I haven't played it but heard that that used cell shading?

John Rowland · Postby **John Rowland** » March 7th, 2006, 2:03 pm

[QUOTE=welcometoyourdoom]Is it really that big a deal that the cord comes out of the bottom of the controller a few inches (at the MOST) before curving down and towards the console? Does it poke people in the balls or something?[/QUOTE]

My only complaint about the DC controller is that my fingers/forearm sometimes get worn out pushing down those trigger buttons. I think it's because they're in sort of a funny position and you have to push them down so far.