One-Offs - Dreamcast

In the interest of completion I'm going to take short looks at the few remaining exclusive games I have for the Dreamcast. After this I'm more or less finished with the system and will probably move on to discussing the Saturn, 3DO, or some other games from other systems.

Record of Lodoss War - Matrix software has accumulated quite the lineup of Diablo-esque action RPGs over the years with RoLF being I think one of their first. Essentially you kill stuff, find stuff, and level up. It's actually quite decent but if you want one of the best you should look for Shining Force Exa. Fans of the SRPG Shining Forces need not apply here. Exa is actually an extremely well-done action-rpg which takes many elements from previous titles like RoLF and improves on them. If you can get over the rather trite but well-drawn cast of characters you'll find an immensely rewarding game with a good 50 hours or so of content. Chances are you'll pay about half for Exa than you would RoLF so unless you're a huge fan of the anime I wouldn't bother(you don't even play as any of the cast from the series, all those guys do is cameo).

Blue Stinger - I mentioned this game earlier in the Illbleed review. While I think Blue Stinger is a better game in some respects(as in terms of actual gameplay and design) it's still not something I can recommend spending a relatively serious amount of time with. It's little more than a curiousity.

Seventh Cross Evolution - This game is similar to the old Enix game E.V.O. The Search for Eden. Starting from a protist you evolve through a variety of plants & animals until you eventually become a human being and solve the mysteries of the world you're in. However while EVO has charming graphics SCE suffers from dreamcast-launch graphics and art. Most of the game will be spent shooting birds and fish with lightning while trying to create the right body parts. This is done through a very unique system where you apply colors to a grid that determine your stat gains as well as what parts you'll create. If you can get into it it's certainly unique but it is a really slow starter and definitely not for everyone. It's extremely cheap though so there you go.

Shenmue - I'll go ahead and say that if for nothing else you should pick this game up for the great ports of Space Harrier and Hang-On. I'm really not quite sure what else to say about the game.

Draconus: Cult of The Wyrm - At one time this was actually a very underrated game that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend. Now however it looks quite dated and plays about as well as it looks. I guess if you can get over things like that it's probably a decent little action-adventure game.

There's still quite a few days before Arcade Appreciation April beings so maybe I'll look at something else in the interim.