How is your Dreamcast gaming going on?

[GSZX1337]

What are some of the games on DC that uses auto-save? I thought auto-save was a feature that came with HDD-consoles.

I don't know of any Dreamcast games that utilize auto saves off the top of my head, but I know auto save isn't a feature introduced by the seventh generation consoles. The PlayStation 2 (which does have an HDD, but isn't included) and GameCube both have games that auto save as do the Nintendo DS and PSP.

I haven't come across a single game that auto saves without having some kind of warning on screen, informing you that the game is saving. Plus, even if there wasn't one, every time a game saves or loads, a symbol flashes on the VMU screen.

I was thinking the same thing. If I recall correctly, every game I've ever played has a message displayed whenever the game saves, auto or manual.

[ExedExes]

Spawn In The Demon's Hand saves to VMU but does not tell you on screen, only on the VMU itself (as SAVE OK!) but only saves at each Game Over. It does warn you not to take the VMU out for the remainder of the game.

I don't like games like this one that *require* you to have a VMU in slot A-1. Sometimes if you have multiple VMUs it's nice to have it on another controller port.

[3DSStrider]

What are some of the games on DC that uses auto-save? I thought auto-save was a feature that came with HDD-consoles.

Goldeneye has autosave and that came out in 1997.

[Gunstar Green]

I just beat Sonic Adventure 2 for the first time. It was the game that essentially killed off the Sonic franchise for me, as I hadn't touched another non-handheld Sonic game until Sonic Generations. Time and time again over the years, no matter how hard I'd try, I'd get to an exceptionally annoying Knuckles or Rouge stage and give up on it.

After all these years I finally sat down and muscled through it and... I still think it's a terrible game. It's got most of the problems and none of the charm of the first Sonic Adventure.

I feel mentally and physically drained, and puzzled at how this is some people's favorite Sonic game. No offense to any of those people but this was an ordeal for me.

At least I've finally beaten the last mainline Sonic game on a Sega console and can put it behind me. Forever.

[Reprise]

That's exactly my experience of Sonic Adventure 2 too, Gunstar. Although I actually did manage to persevere and complete it back in the day, but I really found myself disliking it. I also didn't play another non-handheld Sonic game until Generations (although I played the first stage of Unleashed once, as my brother had bought it).

I actually loved the first Sonic Adventure (you can call it young age and being blown away by the graphics and it being Sonic's first real 3D game, if you want), but SA2 really just didn't click with me. It took all the mediocre parts from the first Sonic Adventure (Knuckles emerald search stages, robot shooting stages) and seemed to increase them by a billion percent and, not only that, but actually make them worse! Every time I had to play as Rouge, Knuckles, Tails or Robotnik (sorry, Eggman), it made me just want to quit the game and not even bother, which unfortunately seem to make up about 85% of the game...

[3DSStrider]

Sonic Adventure 2 (the Gamecube version, never played it on Dreamcast) was my favorite Sonic game as a kid. However, I never got past Security Hall or Crazy Gadget, two of the most frustrating levels in any game I've ever played. I went back to it last December and beat it the day after Christmas. I got this game when I was eight, and couldn't beat it until I was sixteen. Of course my friends beat it when they were kids, so maybe I just suck.

God, that game was frustrating. Cannon's Core, Mad Space, Biolizard, and Final Chase all made we want to strangle the level designer. My opinion of this game has dropped considerably, and nowadays my favorite 3D Sonic game (at least pre-Unleashed) is the first Adventure. Everyone says the Sonic/Shadow levels are the saving grace of this game, but the later ones are incredibly frustrating and none of them are as good as what Adventure 1 had to offer.

On the bright side, it does have the best thing to come out of the Sonic franchise: Live and Learn!

[Nemoide]

I'm definitely in the "SA2 is garbage" camp. There are good elements of the game: the Sonic & Shadow levels (which are passable, but not great), the soundtrack, the story and cut-scenes... but MOST of the game is a total mess.
I don't remember when I first played it... I know it wasn't right when it came out, but it was also some time when I was in high school (I graduated in 2004) and I played the DC version. Even though I loved SA1 when it first came out, I was turned off by SA2 PRETTY QUICKLY. I don't know what they did to the shooting mechanic of Eggman & Tails but I thought those stages were *terrible* compared to Gamma's in SA1. Rouge and Knuckles just took FOREVER as I wandered around getting more and more frustrated. Even those Sonic levels have some SERIOUSLY ANNOYING parts what with the "grinding on rails, brought to you by Soap shoes" mechanic.

I really don't understand how Sonic continues to have a large fanbase of young people!

[ExedExes]

So was it safe to say the Sonic series was beginning its descent *earlier* than the 2006 abomination? The first SA was a huge hit, safe to say.

[3DSStrider]

Honestly I think Heroes is worse than '06, but the decline really started with 3D Blast.

[BogusMeatFactory]

So was it safe to say the Sonic series was beginning its descent *earlier* than the 2006 abomination? The first SA was a huge hit, safe to say.

It may have been a huge hit, but it still wasn't very good. Sure it wasn't nearly as bad as Sonic Heroes or Sonic '06, but the controls are still wonky as all get out and the camera is unmanageable.

I do have to defend Sonic 3D Blast. The game isn't that bad actually. It is heavily influenced by Flicky and the Saturn version has a great bonus stage that is similar to sonic 2, but a lot better!