Samba de Amigo

Samba de Amigo

Released with a pair of motion-sensing maracas, Samba de Amigo came at a time when the Dreamcast was practically on life support and could have been viewed as the ultimate peripheral-based folly – but, if like us, you bought it anyway, you'll know it was a total riot. The Dreamcast original is perhaps the best way to experience this game, but the Joy-Con could easily stand in for those maracas. If this wish doesn't come true, we've always got the Wii version.

Rez

Rez

Tetsuya Mizuguchi's on-rails masterpiece came right at the end of the Dreamcast's criminally-short lifespan, but what a send-off it was. Imagine After Burner and Panzer Dragoon fused with Tron and you're not far off. Rez has been ported to other systems since then, including the PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 and – more recently – PlayStation VR and even smartphones. Despite the vast array of conversions, we'd love to see the Dreamcast original as part of the Sega AGES lineup; what a swansong this was for the console.

Fighting Vipers 2

Fighting Vipers 2

It's odd that Sega never did more with the Fighting Vipers series; outside of the arcade releases and the Saturn and Dreamcast ports (not to mention its role in the all-star Saturn release Fighters Megamix), the franchise has been largely forgotten; that's a shame, because the game's unique armour-destruction mechanic was fun, as was the ability to smash opponents through the walls of the arena. A Sega AGES port of the excellent second game would just about make amends for this oversight.

Virtua Tennis 2

Virtua Tennis 2

Here at Nintendo Life, there's one universal truth that has stood the test of time, and that is that Super Tennis on the SNES is the best tennis game ever made. In second place is the superb Virtua Tennis 2, which, while arguably offering less nuanced mechanics, looks and sounds a lot better. One of best multiplayer options on the console, we'd love to get back on the court with a Sega AGES conversion.

Dynamite Cop

Dynamite Cop

By the time the Dreamcast launched, the side-scrolling fighter was very much out of favour, which made the arrival of the astoundingly good Dynamite Cop (Dynamite Deka 2 in Japan) all the more remarkable. The original Dynamite Deka had been released in the west as Die Hard Arcade, but Sega couldn't obtain the movie licence for this sequel, hence the name change. Don't allow that to put you off, however; this is one of the most enjoyable belt-scrollers ever made and is bursting with fresh ideas, fun moments and multiplayer mirth.

Metropolis Street Racer

Metropolis Street Racer

Coded by the sadly defunct Bizarre Creations in the UK, MSR was billed as Sega's answer to Sony's all-conquering Gran Turismo. It certainly didn't disappoint, despite lengthy development delays; the game's unique 'Kudos' system encouraged skilful driving and the visuals were, for the time, nothing short of incredible. It perhaps hasn't aged as well as it could have done, but it's still fun to play even by modern standards.

Soul Calibur

Soul Calibur

Namco made a big song and dance out of the fact that it was supporting the Dreamcast with this amazing fighter – the sequel to Soul Blade, which of course appeared on the Sony PlayStation a few years beforehand – but outside of an almost obligatory port of Mr Driller, the famous Japanese firm didn't release any other games for the console. It's easy to be bitter even after all these years (we were at the time), but Namco arguably did more for the Dreamcast's fortunes with the release of Soul Calibur than almost all of the other third-parties combined. A stunning showcase for the platform's powers, and a pretty solid fighter even by 2018 standards.

Outtrigger

Outtrigger

Sega has, at times, been accused of playing it safe, but this unique team-based shooter was anything but a safe bet. Released in arcades with a multiplayer focus in mind, the subsequent Dreamcast port took the premise to new heights by adding in online support for up to six players. While the controls were a little rough at the time, this is one of Sega's true underrated classics which deserves a new lease of life.

Sega Rally 2

Sega Rally 2

An early release in the Dreamcast's life, Sega Rally 2 was an incredibly close port of an arcade game that, lest we forget, was still pulling in the coins all over the world at the time. Being able to actually experience such a close conversion in the comfort of your living room was a revelation, and while it's undoubtedly showing its age, we'd love to get reacquainted with this seminal racer on Switch.

Cosmic Smash

Cosmic Smash

Released around the same time as Rez, Cosmic Smash has remained in the shadow of Tetsuya Mizuguchi's classic for years – and unfairly so, if you ask us. While it's a very basic setup – this is like a game of Squash but the objective is to smash blocks, like in Atari's Breakout – there's a surprising amount of depth on offer. The single-player focus certainly harmed the game's chances of mainstream success, but perhaps M2 could work its magic and solve this issue with a Switch port that allows for a second player?


So there you have it; 20 games to celebrate 20 years of the Dreamcast. This was a hard list to compile and we left out many titles – such as Zero Gunner 2, Street Fighter III, Gunbird 2, Street Fighter Alpha 3, The King of Fighters: Dream Match 1999 and Ikaruga – because they're already on Switch in some form or another.

Notable mentions must also go to the likes of Airforce Delta, Sword of the Berserk, Quake III Arena, Marvel vs. Capcom 1 & 2, Phantasy Star Online, Resident Evil: Code Veronica, Mars Matrix, Dead or Alive 2, Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein, Cannon Spike, TrickStyle, Zombie Revenge, Tech Romancer, Sonic Adventure 1 & 2, Virtua Striker 2, Grandia II, Psyvariar 2: The Will to Fabricate, NBA 2K2, NFL 2K2, Seaman, 18 Wheeler, Border Down, Giga Wing 2, ChuChu Rocket!, Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram, Gundam Side Story 0079: Rise from the Ashes, Headhunter... the list goes on.

Let us know your personal picks with a comment.