How one Dreamcast shirt made me think a Dreamcast 2 was near

E3 2010: How one shirt made me laugh and cry

By Jeffrey L. Wilson On 30 Jun, 2010 At 12:22 AM | Categorized As Consoles, E3 Expo, Geek Culture | With 0 Comments

My love for the SEGA Dreamcast knows no bounds. None. NONE.

I recognize and realize that it’s more than a little bit geeky/odd/insane to imply that my experiences in this video game hobby draws sharp parallels to dating actual living breathing women, but it feels apt. Sonic, for example, is the abusive wife who continuously takes advantage of my love and forgiveness only to hurt me time and time again.

The Dreamcast, on the other hand, was the dream girl that instantly caught my eye and had everything that I could ever want in a woman. But, alas, she mysteriously vanished just as she ensnared my heart. So it was with a small sting in the the chest that I crossed SEGA booth’s E3 2010 booth in search of Crazy Taxi and Sonic Adventure-two of the first Dreamcast games that are going to be re-released on the PS3 and Xbox 360 (and also two of the first Dreamcast games I ever played). SEGA sought to simultaneously promote and celebrate this occasion by distributing this item of deisre:

Knickers? Soiled.

At that moment my mind couldn’t connect the dots between the shirt and the impending Dreamcast downloadables. Dreamcast 2 was all that danced in my skull. Dreamcast 2. Dreamcast 2. Dreamcast 2. SEGA had finally listened to its base and returned to crafting innovative hardware–at least in my temporarily out of order brain. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the shirt read “Dreamcast 2010″, not “Dreamcast 2 2010.” I had to hold back the man-tears.

After the initial shock faded, I was able to absorb the fact that Dreamcast games are coming to modern consoles–it’s not the Dreamcast 2, but still a most excellent occurrence. Much like the SEGA Saturn’s library, the Dreamcast catalog has been living in limbo for quite a time; a shame, really, as it has one of the deepest and most creative innovative libraries in video game history. I’m happy that SEGA Dreamcast games are returning, but it also makes me sad in a way.

This Dreamcast t-shirt is an artifact representing the last hurrah of a company long associated with the type of arcade-hardcore style of play that I enjoyed as a kid, teen, and now as an adult. I’ve given up hope that SEGA will return to the console wars, so all I have are the memories and the company’s new crop of games to keep the warm fuzzies alive.

I think I’ll fire up Sonic & SEGA All-Star Racing and relive the Dreamcast-like magic.