This Console Got Its First Game In 20 Years

It's not every day that a console that has been out of production for two decades gets a brand new game. That's why it's super surprising to learn that an all-new title will be released for the Sega Dreamcast this very month. That game is called Arcade Racing Legends, and it appears to be a true labor of love.

Arcade Racing Legends was developed by indie game publisher PixelHeart and is the result of a successful Kickstarter campaign that brought in more than 300 backers. According to Game Rant, the Kickstarter raised €68,025, or nearly $80,000 USD. In other words, this appears to be something that quite a few Dreamcast fans are looking forward to as well.

PixelHeart has referred to Arcade Racing Legends as the "independent retro game of the year." The company created the game as a way of celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Sega Dreamcast.

According to the game's preorder page, it features "dozens of legendary cars" of all makes and models. The game also features several unlockables and multiple gameplay modes, including a 1-on-1 Duel mode, a Career mode, and a Time Trial mode.

In addition, Arcade Racing Legends has an original soundtrack of new rock and electronic songs recorded specifically for the game. For fans who dig those tunes, a "Road Trip Edition" of the game is also available, which comes with a CD of the Arcade Racing Legends original soundtrack.

To top it all off, PixelHeart ensures fans that the packaging of Arcade Racing Legends is as close to the original look and feel of a Dreamcast release as possible. In other words, this was clearly a passion project for the folks at PixelHeart. According to one of the members of the PixelHeart team, the game has been in development for two years, and all of that work appears to have made it onto the screen.

The trailer for Arcade Racing Legends should immediately take gamers back to the late '90s and early aughts. It starts with the Dreamcast logo popping up on the screen and immediately gets into the thick of a race. Set over a truly radical guitar track, the trailer shows the different modes of play available in Arcade Racing Legends. The trailer also gives fans a glimpse of the many different vehicles that can be raced within the game, including a few tantalizing shots of a stylish taxi cab that should immediately bring to mind one of the most beloved arcade ports of all time: Crazy Taxi for the Dreamcast.

The Sega Dreamcast was notably one of the biggest failures in the history of the company, as well as the final straw in pushing Sega out of the business of making consoles. Released after the failure of the Sega Saturn, the Dreamcast had a lot of heavy lifting to do in order to salvage Sega's reputation. Unfortunately, it received strong competition from the then-upcoming PlayStation 2, which featured a DVD player and therefore conquered the console market. Then there was the fact that the system just never had a very large library, partially due to the fact that Electronic Arts declined to make games for the Dreamcast. Sega ended up losing a ton of money on the Dreamcast, which prompted Sega to cut its losses and discontinue the console after just two years. 

Despite this, the Sega Dreamcast still has a huge following among gamers, with many considering it to be something of a cult classic among consoles. In the words of USgamer's Kat Bailey, "In ways large and small, the Dreamcast has affected the way that we see video games." With that kind of love still being displayed for the Sega Dreamcast after two decades, it's no wonder that PixelHeart would be so passionate about producing a new game for the console. 

As surprising as the release of a new Dreamcast game may be, it's actually not the only title to drop for a dead console this year. Back in January, it was announced that a port of 2019's Shakedown: Hawaii would be released for the Wii U. That was already wild, but it was further confirmed in June that Shakedown: Hawaii would in fact be released for both the Wii U and the Wii, making it a simultaneous release for two dead consoles. This year also saw the release of a new platformer called Regina & Mac, which was actually developed with the Wii U in mind.

The news of Arcade Racing Legends' impending release should be extra exciting for longtime Sega fans. If nothing else, it's a great excuse to hook up the old Dreamcast and relive the glory days of Sega's arcade racing ports.

Arcade Racing Legends is currently available for preorder and is targeting a release for later this month.