Believe it or not, the Sega Dreamcast turns 25 years old today. When I think back on my formative years playing games, and more importantly Tim Walz’s youth, it’s the first console that comes to mind. I’m positive that if I were to go looking through one of my closets right now, I’d be unable to earth mine, on which I played games like Power Stone, Project Justice, and Sonic Adventure. Games that for all intents and purposes taught me that the sky is the limit when I was but a wee child.
The Dreamcast was not the most popular choice of console at the time. No, that honor would go to the PlayStation 2, which is still the best selling console of all time. Stiff competition, y’know? But it was my favorite and it remains an oddity in the console landscape. There will never be another Dreamcast, for good or ill.
Flash forward 25 years and you’ll still find folks (like me!) who champion the Dreamcast. Its failure was predicated on so many factors that were beyond Sega’s control, but that didn’t stop the Dreamcast from generating bangers and once-in-a-generation games, like Jet Set Radio, before its untimely demise. It went down, but it went down swinging.
To commemorate two and a half decades of the Dreamcast, Limited Run Games—a storefront known for celebrating old hardware and redistributing classic pieces of software—is now selling merchandise related to it. Below, you’ll find collectible items such as monthly trading cards, skateboard decks, and keychains, as well as clothing like hoodies and hats that are emblazoned with the console’s branding, right down to the orange spiral and the “It’s thinking” slogan.
I’m not one for physical merch, and often balk at the lack of fashionably sound and tasteful video game clothing, but even I’m eyeing some things being sold here. The Dreamcast doesn’t get this much love often! The collection isn’t particularly eye-popping, but it isn’t an eyesore either, and given the onset of autumn here in a bit, I’m looking for my umpteenth black hoodie to throw into the mix. There’s a little something for everyone here, which feels true to the spirit of the Dreamcast too. Now, it’s time to pay homage to the GOAT by eating shit trying to kick flip on that skate deck.
