In the annals of video game history, September 9th, 1999 -- or, as it’s more commonly known, 9/9/99 -- will forever be known as the day that the Dreamcast, Sega’s fifth and final video game console, launched in North America. Though its run was cut short barely a year and a half later, the Dreamcast remains one of the most beloved gaming systems of all time thanks to a host of arcade-style, multiplayer-friendly games, fresh new Sega franchises, and unique features like the VMU, a hybrid handheld system and memory card. In fact, Dreamcast devotees are still making games for the system to this day, which should tell you something about how much people love this system.

With the 17th anniversary of 9/9/99 having just passed, I don’t think there’s any better time to commemorate this star that faded so fast, but burned so bright. I can’t possibly stuff all of its greatest games in here, but I can at least recommend some starting points for those interested in picking one up. So, in honor of gaming’s so-called “white plastic JFK,” here are 9 Dreamcast games everyone should play.

Sonic Adventure

Sonic the Hedgehog is a franchise of extremes. They tend to be either awesome and unforgettable experiences or broken and ungodly horrors. Sonic Adventure, thankfully, falls into the former category. Not just content to bring the Blue Blur into 3-D, Adventure significantly expanded the world and mythos of the Sonic universe, with three different open-world playgrounds that were absolutely massive for the time, a Rashomon-style approach to storytelling, cinematic cutscenes--even with the bizarre, unintentionally hilarious attempts at lip-syncing--and the misguided actions of an ancient tribe dovetailing with Dr. Eggman’s latest evil scheme. On top of that, we got six different heroes, each with their own story and unique playstyle, and while some of those styles didn’t work out--looking at you, Big the Cat--they provided some refreshing new mechanics and helped keep things from getting too repetitive. And once you finally finish the new level missions and the Chao Garden provide hours of fresh experiences. This was the game that, going into 9/9/99, was hyped up as the Dreamcast’s killer app, and after running through the game’s iconic setpieces, like the orca attack in Emerald Coast or the charge down a side of a building in Speed Highway, it’s easy to see why.

Jet Set Radio

Sega made a conscious effort to create vibrant, original games for the Dreamcast, and we’ll be getting to a couple of them later on in the list. But in terms of uniqueness, none of them came close to matching Jet Set Radio--or Jet Grind Radio, if you’re one of the three people who still calls it that. The gameplay is fairly simple--you rollerblade around a section of Tokyo-to and try to tag everything that you possibly can with graffiti, all while dodging trigger-happy police. But really, the gameplay isn’t really the focus, so much as a vehicle for showcasing a vibrant, colorful world with outlandish character designs, a revolutionary cel-shaded look, and a legendary soundtrack of turntablism, house, J-rock, drum’n’bass, hip-hop, and everything in between. It’s the kind of game that pulls you in the moment you start playing, and even when things get frustrating, the atmosphere keeps you motivated to try again. It may not be the deepest game in the world, but in terms of aesthetic and artistic value--and sheer cool factor--Jet Set Radio is on a level that few other games, before or since, have ever dreamed of achieving.

Crazy Taxi

Sega originally made its name in the 1980’s off of arcade classics like Space Harrier and Out-Run, and while many arcade or arcade-like games graced the Dreamcast, few stood out like Crazy Taxi. As the name might indicate, this isn’t the kind of driving game that your local DMV would recommend as a teaching tool. You pick up customers, drive them to their destination as fast as possible, going over, around, and through every other car on the road, charge them ludicrous triple-digit fares upon reaching your destination, then move on to the next customer and do it all over again, all while a punk rock soundtrack provided by The Offspring and Bad Religion blares in the background. Basically, it’s crack cocaine, only instead of killing you, it gives you adrenaline rushes and shills Pizza Hut and Levi’s. Fortunately, there’s enough variety to keep you chasing down customers, with two cities to explore, varying time limits, and various Crazy Box minigames to switch things up. Whether you play for five minutes or five hours, Crazy Taxi provides rewarding thrills at breakneck speed. Just don’t try and pull these stunts as an Uber driver.

NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC

When it came to arcade-style sports games, regardless of the system, few game companies excelled quite like Midway. NBA Showtime: NBA on NBC, a near-perfect port of the original arcade version, comes from the same blueprint as the early ‘90’s billion-dollar smash NBA Jam, with 2-on-2 basketball action, players catching fire after making three baskets in a row, hammy commentary from Tim Kitzrow, and an array of over-the-top dunks. The main gameplay change is the introduction of a fouling system, which prevents games from devolving into shove-fest, but what really makes this game stand out is the presentation. If you’re a fan of ‘90’s basketball, then this game will definitely send nostalgia chills up your spine the moment “Roundball Rock” starts playing--and even if you’re not, then this game will still provide hours of multiplayer fun.

NFL Blitz 2000

If basketball’s not your thing, don’t worry. There’s an even better Midway arcade port for you. NFL Blitz 2000 is the product of an era where, rather than trying to downplay its violent nature, the NFL embraced it. The players are all built like Superman, including the offensive linemen, all the penalties are removed, and all the violence, much of which consists of adapted pro wrestling moves, is consequence-free. You can even dish out late hits on the other team after the snap, which is particularly satisfying when the AI starts cheating to keep the game close. The game is as simplified as possible, with a control scheme based around three buttons, 7-man teams, 30 yards to a first down--which, trust me, is a lot easier in this game than it sounds--and a passing system that’s best described as “point and shoot.” The result is an endless parade of big plays and bigger hits where every game plays like a highlight reel. If you needed a football fix on 9/9/99, NFL Blitz 2000 was the go-to game, and after 17 years, this game still reigns among the greats of the sports genre.

NFL 2K1

Of course, those looking for a more serious football experience can always turn to EA’s Madden NFL experience...well, almost always. See, EA outright refused to make any games for the Dreamcast, which contributed to the system’s early demise. But rather than take it lying down, Sega took the Bender Bending Rodriguez approach and said, “Fine! We’ll make our own football sim!” Unlike Bender, they couldn’t include blackjack and hookers--it’s an NFL game, not Blitz: The League--but for years, the NFL 2K series consistently delivered a quality product .Of the three games released for Dreamcast, I’ve chosen 2K1, since 2K didn’t have features like a multi-season franchise mode and online play, and 2K2 didn’t come out until the Dreamcast was dead. Really, though, any of the three is worth a look if you want a grounded football game that’s faster-paced and better-looking than its Madden contemporaries of the time.

SoulCalibur

Ironically, the system famous for its arcade ports was also host to the game that put a giant supernatural sword in the American arcade’s back. For years, the idea of an arcade-perfect port was something game developers chased the way alchemists did the Philosopher’s Stone. When SoulCalibur, another 9/9/99 release, hit the shelves, it turned the industry by looking better than the original arcade release. Fortunately, in an industry where graphics that looked awe-inspiring on release are often ugly compared to what’s out ten years later, SoulCalibur brings not just visual wizardry, but a top-tier 3D fighting experience. The 8-Way Run system provided unparalleled freedom of movement at a time when its contemporaries, like fellow 9/9/99 arcade fighting port Mortal Kombat Gold, limited Z-axis movement to sidesteps and rolls, if that. Its cast of medieval warriors from all over the world, each with their own signature weapons, provide varied styles and strategies, while Mission Mode ties them all together through a tale of two swords battling for the fate of the world. Simply put, this might be the greatest 3D fighter of all time.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes

The Dreamcast’s legacy of great fighting games is just as much defined by 2D fighters as 3D ones, and few 2D fighters can ever stack up to the juggernaut that is Marvel vs. Capcom 2. With 56 playable fighters from both the Marvel Universe and various Capcom games in 3-on-3 tag team fights, the premise alone is crazy enough to sell, and the Dreamcast handles the bombastic chaos set to ill-fitting jazz music better than any other console of its time. But once you really start digging into the game’s mechanics, you’ll find a host of complex strategies that take the various potential teams and myriad glitches and exploit them to maximum effect. At its peak, the competitive scene for Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was among the biggest in e-sports, and although its sequel might have replaced it at Evo, it’s still a deep and rewarding game if you take the time to learn it.

Shenmue

The video game industry has always strove to make the computer-generated look real. With each passing year, the graphics push forward in capability, growing more detailed, more complex, more lifelike. Yet as real as graphics look on today’s systems, few games are as realistic as Shenmue. This game helped define the open-world genre, and while later games like Grand Theft Auto V and inFAMOUS feature larger, more detailed cities to explore, few games have ever built a city that feels as alive as Shenmue’s rendition of Yokosuka, Japan circa 1986. Everyone in the city, no matter how trivial, has a name, a backstory, and a daily schedule, and the weather patterns for each in-game day are based on real-world meteorological data. The main story offers plenty of intrigue, investigation, and Virtua Fighter-style combat, but the game gives you so much time to complete that quest that if you’d rather take care of your pet kitten, collect toys from gumball machines, or do practically anything else you want to do, you can waste hours on those mundane tasks and not feel like you’re being rushed. At the time, it was the single most expensive video game ever produced--and, sadly, that cost probably contributed to the Dreamcast’s early demise. But for its sheer ambition and innovation, Shenmue still stands as one of the greatest games of all time.