Dreamcast and Y2K Game Aesthetics

[atebitnate]

Hi all, been obsessed with Y2K era art and I think the Dreamcast is the perfect mix of Vaporwave aesthetics for that era. Both with graphics and music. To kick things off, here is an arcade game that was later ported to the dreamcast. It has a lot of the blobby and angular artwork of the time, plus some airy nice drum and bass.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sF11Xwhk7MI&feature=emb_title

 

[vaporwavemaster1]

はい、夢のキャストは常に蒸気波シーンで人気のコンソールでした。初期のリリースであるドリームキャストの夏の曲は、ドリームキャストにインスパイアされたアートワークを多用しています。夢のキャストがなぜ蒸気波を助長するのか正確にはわかりません-それはおそらく、シーマンゲームのようなそこにあるすべての奇妙でシュールなゲームと関係があります。

 

[Vaporweeb]

はい、夢のキャストは常に蒸気波シーンで人気のコンソールでした。初期のリリースであるドリームキャストの夏の曲は、ドリームキャストにインスパイアされたアートワークを多用しています。夢のキャストがなぜ蒸気波を助長するのか正確にはわかりません-それはおそらく、シーマンゲームのようなそこにあるすべての奇妙でシュールなゲームと関係があります。

View attachment 1926

I agree. The experimental nature of many Dreamcast games is a fascinating thing to look back on. Certainly, nobody else was doing anything like Seaman, as per your example. To those unaware, coming across bizarre games like that piques their interest in a "that was a thing?!" sort of way.

In addition, we all know that the very name "vaporwave" is derived from the term "vaporware," and while the Dreamcast itself isn't technically vaporware (real vaporware is never released at all, of course), I have to wonder if its lack of commercial success contributes to its popularity on the scene. Combined with the nostalgia of those who did have a Dreamcast, there might be a sort of desire to share with the world what they missed out on (tying back to my point about people not knowing anything about the Dreamcast). Indeed, to this day I believe the Dreamcast was unfairly misaligned, and it's a shame that it's mostly known today as a failure.

Anyway, I also adore the look of Dreamcast games (and the Y2K aesthetic as a whole) and hope more creators explore it in the future.


View: https://youtu.be/n86xEwVdocc

 

[atebitnate]

I agree. The experimental nature of many Dreamcast games is a fascinating thing to look back on. Certainly, nobody else was doing anything like Seaman, as per your example. To those unaware, coming across bizarre games like that piques their interest in a "that was a thing?!" sort of way.

In addition, we all know that the very name "vaporwave" is derived from the term "vaporware," and while the Dreamcast itself isn't technically vaporware (real vaporware is never released at all, of course), I have to wonder if its lack of commercial success contributes to its popularity on the scene. Combined with the nostalgia of those who did have a Dreamcast, there might be a sort of desire to share with the world what they missed out on (tying back to my point about people not knowing anything about the Dreamcast). Indeed, to this day I believe the Dreamcast was unfairly misaligned, and it's a shame that it's mostly known today as a failure.

Anyway, I also adore the look of Dreamcast games (and the Y2K aesthetic as a whole) and hope more creators explore it in the future.


View: https://youtu.be/n86xEwVdocc

I think that's certainly part of it, but I also think it's safe to say SEGA managed to tap into some aesthetics that were really trendy at the time. Whether it be the music, graphics, the overall design of the console or even the menu. Aside from being ahead of its time with the second screen and online play, it managed to capture a cultural zeitgeist that has yet be recreated by a singular gaming console.

Everyone talked about the PS2 and loved it, but in the end the brand is what carried it into stardom and created the mass amount of clout that would spawn its iconic library. Again no hate for the PS2, it's one of the greatest consoles of al time. Yet the Dreamcast wasn't just a question of what could have been for the sake of nostalgia, it was a statement about the style of the time and it managed to grasp at things that would eventually become commonplace for technology as well as gameplay. It really was a marvel of a console that took a lot of risks!

 

[naa]

I really love how many collaboration consoles, special game release consoles, and alternate colorways there were for the Dreamcast. They really made super, super cute consoles, and they all have pretty trendy designs. It's clear they cared about their audience. Here's some limited edition Dreamcast consoles that I think are super cool
I really miss clear shell housing for tech..

 

[Shi_dawg]

Jet Set Radio always had a very interesting and unique style that's not often seen in other media. I wish Sega would bring it back.

 

[[lime]]

Jet Set Radio always had a very interesting and unique style that's not often seen in other media. I wish Sega would bring it back.
View attachment 3081

this.
btw have u heard of lethal league blaze? pretty similar aesthetically

 

[Shi_dawg]

this.
btw have u heard of lethal league blaze? pretty similar aesthetically

oh yeah, thats a good game. That track they got naganuma to do was some bangin shit

 

[[lime]]

also i had tony hawks pro skater 2 for the dreamcast which was pretty sick. i noticed it looked smoother than the ps2 version, but once nice little thing is that the tiny screen on the controller will react to whatever happens in game, showing scores and making little remarks

 

[AnanaSUPREME]

Jet Set Radio always had a very interesting and unique style that's not often seen in other media. I wish Sega would bring it back.
View attachment 3081

I wish SEGA had given JSRF the HD makeover they did to the first, it's ultimately the better game and it's annoying that the only way to get it is on XBOX. I bought my XBOX simply because of that game and I got lucky because nobody wanted any of the XBOX inventory in the Neo Japan Games store.

 

[vaporwavemaster1]

also i had tony hawks pro skater 2 for the dreamcast which was pretty sick. i noticed it looked smoother than the ps2 version, but once nice little thing is that the tiny screen on the controller will react to whatever happens in game, showing scores and making little remarks

ドリームキャストでのみ利用できる本当にクレイジーな機能がいくつかあります。目が覚めたとき、私のドリームキャストはいつも時間と天気予報を叫んでいたことを覚えています。私は数年の間それを見ていません、私はそれを最終的に見つけることを願っています

 

[Shi_dawg]

ドリームキャストでのみ利用できる本当にクレイジーな機能がいくつかあります。目が覚めたとき、私のドリームキャストはいつも時間と天気予報を叫んでいたことを覚えています。私は数年の間それを見ていません、私はそれを最終的に見つけることを願っています

Sounds like a property of it's time, how they were trying to make game consoles futuristic and all that. I loved the internet features on the dreamcast though, that was dope.

 

[vaporwavemaster1]

はい、それはかなり良いインターネット接続を持っていました

 

[Vaporweeb]

Jet Set Radio always had a very interesting and unique style that's not often seen in other media. I wish Sega would bring it back.
View attachment 3081

oh yeah, thats a good game. That track they got naganuma to do was some bangin shit

In case you didn't already know, the same team behind LLB is doing a spiritual successor to JSR with Naganuma:

View: https://youtu.be/fckQom8gTvA

 

[naa]

ドリームキャストでのみ利用できる本当にクレイジーな機能がいくつかあります。目が覚めたとき、私のドリームキャストはいつも時間と天気予報を叫んでいたことを覚えています。私は数年の間それを見ていません、私はそれを最終的に見つけることを願っています

I like how with the Dreamcast they clearly made an effort to integrate it into peoples' lives, through weather features, a clock, and by functioning as an online, social hub. It really felt like they tried to make using it intuitive, and tried to give it multiple uses too. I don't think there's been any consoles that was quite as innovative.
It also really bridged the gap between console and PC by using mouse and keyboard extensively, and porting PC games to dreamcast with mouse and keyboard controls in mind. I think it's really impressive how a Dreamcast had potential to be as integrated into someones' life as a computer did.

 

[Shi_dawg]

In case you didn't already know, the same team behind LLB is doing a spiritual successor to JSR with Naganuma:

View: https://youtu.be/fckQom8gTvA

yeah! team reptile has really been killing it. I was there for the premiere of the first teaser, the hype was unreal.

 

[Vaporweeb]

yeah! team reptile has really been killing it. I was there for the premiere of the first teaser, the hype was unreal.

Still think it's wild that they actually have the real composer back for this project. I don't think I've heard of that before.

 

[Shi_dawg]

Still think it's wild that they actually have the real composer back for this project. I don't think I've heard of that before.

Hideki Naganuma is proud of his work on JSR and actually has a pretty big public presence on social media (for better or for worse) and is still composing music for soundtracks. it makes sense they would be able to bring him back for a spiritual successor after all this time.

I do have to bring up how funny it is that Sega neglected the JSR fans for so long they just made another game by themselves

 

[Kommando]

I really love how many collaboration consoles, special game release consoles, and alternate colorways there were for the Dreamcast. They really made super, super cute consoles, and they all have pretty trendy designs. It's clear they cared about their audience. Here's some limited edition Dreamcast consoles that I think are super cool
I really miss clear shell housing for tech..

They made a Dreamcast-integrated TV as well.

I like how with the Dreamcast they clearly made an effort to integrate it into peoples' lives, through weather features, a clock, and by functioning as an online, social hub. It really felt like they tried to make using it intuitive, and tried to give it multiple uses too. I don't think there's been any consoles that was quite as innovative.
It also really bridged the gap between console and PC by using mouse and keyboard extensively, and porting PC games to dreamcast with mouse and keyboard controls in mind. I think it's really impressive how a Dreamcast had potential to be as integrated into someones' life as a computer did.

PS2 and PS3 did the same with the Linux partnership and the reason for the hollow compartment in the first-model PS2 was to insert a hard drive. The US military bought thousands of PS3s to be used as computers only in the classic American fashion connected them to the internet a day before Sony would update Linux support out of the console rendering them useless.

 

[naa]

They made a Dreamcast-integrated TV as well.

PS2 and PS3 did the same with the Linux partnership and the reason for the hollow compartment in the first-model PS2 was to insert a hard drive. The US military bought thousands of PS3s to be used as computers only in the classic American fashion connected them to the internet a day before Sony would update Linux support out of the console rendering them useless.

Man I love the Dreamcast TV, it has such a pleasant design and was a great way to close out the large amount of peripherals the Dreamcast had.

They churned out a lot of peripherals during the first year of launch, in particular add-on controllers like the gun controller, fishing controller, ascii controller, twinstick, dreameye, etc. Contrastingly, the Dreamcast TV was released around when the console's popularity was fading and I think they'd be much more widespread if they were released when more people still wanted them, there's not a lot of the TVs in circulation now. It feels like it was probably planned to release 2 years after launch but it's so unfortunate the console's popularity died down around then.

I didn't know that about the PS2 or PS3, missed out on those console generations, thanks for sharing! I feel like for a bit after the Dreamcast there was a real trend of trying to integrate independent social networking and internet browsers into consoles. I don't think it ever really stuck but it's fun to see what they tried and how it affected people. That info about the military is really funny.