Lets Remember...9/9/99!

9/9/99 was one of my all-time favorite gaming events. Stores everywhere were opening at Midnight on Sept 9 to deliver Dreamcasts to those who preordered. Pure magic.


I was in college, and the semester was still fresh. I had my preorder since Febuary '99. I had my preorder in my hometown- an hour drive from my college. EB told me to show up at the mall at around 11 PM- there would be a line.

Carting two of my buddies (with 7-11 Double Gulps and Truck Stoppers) we showed up at 10:30. The line was already quite long. Inside the EB, the monitors were playing videos of upcoming DC titles- notably Shenmue.

The PS2 had recently been announced and was being hyped to be superior to HAL from 2001. I spent my time talking to others in line about the PS2 and our excitement for its eventual coming. We spoke about what launch DC games we were getting. We discussed the Saturn and other such things.

By midnight, the line was OUT THE DOOR of the mall (EB was pretty far inside, too. My buddies got tossed out of the mall by the security guards for playing in the water fountains. I was alone.

The gates to the EB were raised, and the line let in. The excitement grew as one after another new DC owner walked out with their loot. Finally, it was my turn- at around 12:30.

I got: DC system, another controller, one VMU, Sonic Adventure, and Soul Calibur. It was all lovingly put into a plastic bag adorned with MK Gold and Hydro Thunder advertisements.

The next day was spent with me skipping ALL of my classes. Soul Calibur was the order of the day. I had to go back to EB to replace my Sonic Disc- The damn thing was one of those infamous non-working launch discs. D'oh!

If only the PS2, GCN, and XBox launches were this fun :(


Who else wants to share their memories of 9/9/99?

I was living in a converted laundery room in the basement of a Philadelphia apartment complex at the time of the launch, and didn't have enough money for one. I also wasn't interested as I had become distrustful of SEGA over the past few years. Then I saw Soul Calibur.

Blam!

I saved every penny I got for two months, and managed to buy a used one off of Ebay. It gave up on me a while later and I bought my first (not the last) new one at a Funcoland.

This is my favorite system that has ever come out. Although I am sure none of you could have ever guessed that. :)

I had an import DC for quite a while before the US launch, so I held off for a couple of months before getting one.

First run DCs were all glitched up along with their software. After laughing at my pals for a year I picked up my #3 favorite system for about 150 dollars during their SEGAnet rebate era.

I too had mine on reserve from the local EBX. My friend and I arrived at the mall around 7:00am. We managed to score about the 10th and 11th spots in line. Conversation was full with Sega sentiment and there was little to be heard from those who looked forward to the PS2. I scored a Dreamcast, 2 VMUs, Power Stone, House of the Dead 2, and Sonic Adventure. Luckily for me, I had no problems with my sonic disk. Unfortunately, I also had a MadCats Starfire Lightblaster on reserve and it didn't show for a week. At least it worked for a month once I got it. All in all, my favorite launch day ever. Xbox and GameCube launches weren't hyped even close to the amount that the Dreamcast launch was (at least in my mind...)

i was one of the late bloomers who caved in for a little game called Crazy Taxi... i could have cared less about Soul Cali..

but props to those who had the foresight to get it on launch day.

Well, It was a GREAT day :) I remember getting to EB where I reserved my DC, and standing in line to pick it up. Getting Sonic Adventure, Blue Stinger, Soul Calibur and HOTD2 and being impatient to get home as fast as possible to play them :)

Fiding out later that my copy of SA is a BAD one, and going to exchange it next day, to find out that the NEW copy is also a BAD one, and having have to wait few days, till store gets a shipment of NEW copies !!!

And Finding out that store worker DIDNT count Blue Stinger when scanning the games, and getting it for FREE.

Oh, Memories. Memories :p

Damn, Just remembered. I got PowerStone and not HOTD2 that day. I got HOTD2 later on with gun.

*Looks at date*

Oh yeah. Happy 9/9 everybody! :) Yup, I own a 9/9/99 DC as well. Took it home with Soul Calibur, Sonic Adventure, and a VGA box. It went straight onto a monitor. After one look I was converted and thus began my quest for video signal perfection on all systems.

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Originally posted by Golgo13
First run DCs were all glitched up along with their software. After laughing at my pals for a year I picked up my #3 favorite system for about 150 dollars during their SEGAnet rebate era.

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That's funny since my 9/9/99 DC and Sonic Adventure did not experience any "glitches". That's not to say there wasn't a problem with some games at launch, there definitely were - but not "all" of the first run DC's and games had problems.

And hey, I still don't have to turn my DC upside down to get it to work. :D

-Kevin

The only time I feigned being sick to play video games. :) I drove to TRU since they were opening early (6am), got the system, two controllers, Sonic, Soul Calibur, and a memory card. Called in sick, drove home, and played for 14 hours straight. Never had a problem with the unit, except it hated demo discs something fierce.

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Originally posted by Despair

And Finding out that store worker DIDNT count Blue Stinger when scanning the games, and getting it for FREE.

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you got ripped off. :jest:

I never get systems at launch. I wait until there's 10 games that I conside A+ material to gget the system. Really didn't take long at all with DC. I think Crazy Taxi put me over.

Happy Third Birthday, Dreamcast !!!!!

At 12midnight, the mall doors were opened up to a group of about fifty of us. The short trek towards EB began as a calm powerwalk, but all of a sudden some kid took off running. Half a millisecond later I was in full sprint. At the 90-degree left turn to the EB hallway I grabbed the metal grate that covered up a store front and used it to propel myself forward, cutting off the two guys in front of me. The finish line was now in sight.

I got to EB fifth in line, and quickly purchased a Dreamcast system, VMU, extra controller, Sonic Adventure, and Soul Calibur (Powerstone had not come in yet, sadly). I got back to my college dorm and played Soul Calibur until about 2am. If it wasn't my first semester at college, I probably would have skipped class all the next day, but instead I was forced to make it through hours of class with my new Dreamcast on the brain.

The Dreamcast 9/9/99 launch was one of my favorite gaming moments. The GBA and GameCube launches I was at didn't even come close to the excitement of the Dreamcast launch.

Ikaruga comes in today, exactly three years after the US Dreamcast launch date. What a way to say Happy Birthday to my Dreamcast !!

- Kabuki

I got my DC on 9/9/99, and it was only the second time I had bought a system on launch day. All I got with the system was Sonic Adventure, but that was enough for me. The funny part was, I was at school in the morning of 9/9/99, so at lunch time I bought my DC, quickly ran home and played the demo disc, shit myself at the sight of such amazing graphics, and then I went back to school for the rest of the afternoon. :lol:

I was there, 9am on 9/9/99 got my cool 9.9.99 Black Dreamcast t-shirt with my Dreamcast and a nice Dreamcast bag to put everything in to boot :D

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Originally posted by Golgo13
First run DCs were all glitched up along with their software.

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Software yes, hardware, no. I've never heard any reliable reports of any DCs being defective. Many of the discs were, but that issue was quickly resolved. That situation really pissed me off though because it got so blown out of proportion, yet the notoriously awful and shoddy PSX which breaks if you just breath on it barely gets any flack :mad:

Anyway, I got my DC on 9/9/99. Sonic Adventure and Soul Calibur. Sonic Adventure was a bum disc so I traded it in for NFL2K (the only thing they had). That's how badly I wanted to experience the DC because I friggin hate football games :)

Today that same Dreamcast chugs along with Ikaruga plopped down inside. Chu Chu Rocket, Mars Matrix, MvC2, CvS, SF3:2i and Ikaruga managed to make the DC one of my most played systems, I've logged countless hours on the thing.

Neither of my 2 DC's qualify to celebrate 9/9/99 B-day...
As one is from Japanese launch and the other, the American unit, is dated 2K. :D

Bought mine on launch day, along with Sonic Adventure. Took it up to a friend's place on campus, as it was the nearest place I could go to immediately fire it up. Got there, put in the disc, power on, and... nothing. Not even a flicker of life. It seems I was unfortunately enough to get one that was missing several vital internal components, like the processor and some other minor things. :( By the time I got back to the store with it, they were sold out. :(

that sucks :(

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Originally posted by dorikyasu
Neither of my 2 DC's qualify to celebrate 9/9/99 B-day...
As one is from Japanese launch and the other, the American unit, is dated 2K. :D

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Same here. One if from the Japanese launch, and the domestic was purchased in (I think) late Sept. or early Oct. 1999. Oh well, happy U.S. birthdday, DC!

Of course it's interesting that virtually all of the currnet DC talk pertains to the import scence and ... what's the name of that game again? I think there's a thread or two about it on these boards....

I went right after school on 9/9/99 and picked it up along with Sonic Adventure and a VMU. My Sonic wasn't glitchy, but the manual was messed up, like the pages were not placed in the book properly. If I had a scanner I would show you.

Oh yeah, this is Final Fantasy 8's third birthday as well.

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Originally posted by Regus
Oh yeah, this is Final Fantasy 8's third birthday as well.

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That was actually September 7, 1999 :D

Happy b-day Dreamcast. My system has been unplayed for awhile now, maybe I should go back and show that I still remember it. :)

I wish I was there on launch day with a friend who wanted the system. Unfortunately, no one I knew was interested. :( So I missed out on the excitement.

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Originally posted by Frogacuda
I never get systems at launch. I wait until there's 10 games that I conside A+ material to gget the system.

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10 games? :eek: I think my limit's now like 3-4 games... I bought a N64 for retail price for 4 games (Golden Eye 007, Perfect Dark, Mischief Makers, Sin & Punishment) and consider them some of the best games on any console... well... I haven't played PD yet, but knowing what I know now, if I had to forego those 3 games in order to wait for 7 more, I'd totally be missing out.

I have those 4 games and only those 4 games. I wouldn't mind if the system had more appealing stuff but hey, a gem's a gem right?

I bought mine on launch.

My birthday is September 1st, and I remember asking that year that my parents, as my birthday gift, pay off the balance on my pre-order. :D

I love my Dreamcast. To date, it's the absolute only system I've ever bought at launch (It just happened that way. If I had my way I'd have got them all at launch), and also the system I play the most.

i got my DC alonmg w/ NBA2k and Soul Calibur on the 9th, i also got a black Dreamcast shirt and a cool bag from EB...the closest i ever came to being a true video game dork and it felt good.

oh yeah, im still using that same DC to play Ikaruga and KOF2000 as of last nite...pretty cool.

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Originally posted by Werewolf
I was there, 9am on 9/9/99 got my cool 9.9.99 Black Dreamcast t-shirt with my Dreamcast and a nice Dreamcast bag to put everything in to boot :D

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I still wear that t-shirt all the time. I can't believe I'm not wearing it today !! How silly of me to forget...

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Originally posted by kabuki

I still wear that t-shirt all the time. I can't believe I'm not wearing it today !! How silly of me to forget...

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eh, mine is now a mid grey color instead of black, and wouldnt fit my girlfriend who is a size 2....

Oh well, the EB logo in on the sleeve ruined that shirt from the start.

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Originally posted by kabuki

I still wear that t-shirt all the time. I can't believe I'm not wearing it today !! How silly of me to forget...

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Bah. What size were those shirts, Mediums? Barely fits my little brother... I'd rather my Strider 2 shirt, anyway.

...still, 9/9/99 WAS one of the best days of my life...
...even though I rented a DC from Hollywood Video in mid-July. Sorta ruined the experience of SA on launch, but who cares?
I got the full package, too... the DC (still have the same one today, no burn-outs, no nuthin'), a second controller, a VMU, SA, and SoulCal. Played for hours upon hours, which in itself is quite a feat, being that hours are merely a point in time and not tangible objects. Stacking hours was rather difficult. Anyway, one o' the best days o' me life.
...but then there was the 'Cube launch day...
...nah. DC launch was the best ever.

heh, forgot about FFVIII. I also forgot about it on DC launch day.
Come to think of it, I STILL haven't beaten it. I guess a certain aspect of it "drew" it out longer than I expected.
*dodges rotten fruit*

I got a Dreamcast after I bought Virtual On Oratario Tangram.
Still play my Dreamcast to this day.

I almost got an import, but decided to hold off because of the whole online gaming thing. I guess it was a good decision.

As I recall, I had a reserve at Toys R Us and got there about 30 minutes before opening time and there were already like 20 people there. When the doors opened, everyone of course ran in, hell the games weren't even out yet so we started tearing open the boxes to get at them. The employees got pissed, but hell what did you expect. Picked up my system, Sonic, SC, an extra controller, and 2 VMUs. Of course SC blew me away, SA was cool too I guess. I didn't get HotD2 later until the guns came out.

I always forget that I have that black Dreamcast shirt. It's still inside the original packaging. I don't think I'll ever wear it.

I had a preorder on 9/9/99. That morning, my brother and I were driving to school because we both had a class together. Once we got there, we both stood around for a few minutes wondering WTF we were doing there, and got back in the car to head to Software Etc. Got there about 10:00 AM and there was NOBODY there. Strange. Though when I went back there at about 3:00 PM to pick up Sonic, the place was packed.

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Originally posted by Regus
I always forget that I have that black Dreamcast shirt. It's still inside the original packaging. I don't think I'll ever wear it.

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You should sell it to me. Mine is getting haggard.

I didn't buy my DC until after Bangai-O came out. I had held off until then, but by the time it released I realized the DC had far too many fantastic, exclusive games for me to pass on it.

I traded an unboxed copy of Chrono Trigger (SNES) and some other stuff for a used Dreamcast and haven't looked back since.

Memories of 9/9/99? I was likely playing Final Fantasy 8.

I never buy systems at launch, but the DC was the closest I have bought a system after its launch. I got mine in June 2000 with Sonic Adventure, Bust A Move 4 and Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram. Good times!

althought my fellow employees at the time thought i was crazy i had the lil sucker pre-ordered with a generic SKU at the SE i worked at almost a year before it came out. this summer it was sold....with everything else :(

I picked mine up in the afternoon that day. I would have gotten it in the morning, but the friend I was going with's satanically possessive girlfriend picked that day to have an argument with her parents and have "no choice" but to move in with him (while he was still living with his parents, no less). After a couple of hours of moving Imelda's gigantic shoe collection, I finally got him to ditch her - hell, we had a football game to buy! [/maxim]

Picked up NFL 2K, Soul Calibur, 2 vmus (vmu playcalling was the best) and an extra controller. (I went back and got Sonic the next day). Went home, popped in NFL and wow, look at those graphics! Okay, first play, Mike Alstott up the gut...crunch! One yard and done. After playing for an hour and realizing the running game totally sucked, it was on to Soul Calibur. Now here was a game! My mind couldn't even take the detail in, I was so used to the playstation.

Several hours of SC later, it was on to the demo disc. Power Stone was cool, but the biggest suprise was Fishing - the voices were hilarious, especially when you snagged one. The multicoloured word FISH! sprung onto the screen, a guy yelled out FISH!, and rock music started blaring like it was the raddest thing since the invention of radness. We might have had the most fun with that game, and none of us even fish.

Anyway, I can't believe it's only been three years since than. It's even harder to believe the thing only lasted 16 months at north american retail before debt-addled Sega pulled the plug. Along the way it offered a ton of genre breaking games, and is still the reigning king of 2D fighting.

Heh, yep, I got mine that weekend, the EB guy at Sun Valley Mall in Concord CA said I'd better get it or my pre-order'd be cancelled. So I plunked down the money and got Powerstone and, egads, Expendable. I guess I'm the only here who got roped in by the flashy graphics of that game, I played it a little and promptly returned it when the returning was still good. Powerstone on the other hand keep me going for days.

It took forever to get my system. They had a horrible way to get people in to the store (cops would only let in 6 people at a time). There were at least 50 people in line. I bought SA (which was a bum copy) and Soul Calibur with a vmu and another controller. I missed my morning class to play it. Love SC to death and still have that original system running (though it doesn't like playing Jet Grind now).

I bought so many games that first year, to this day I have no idea how I paid for it all.

I picked up my Dreamcast with a VMU and Sonic Adventure, Soul Calibur, and House of the Dead 2 as soon as I possibly could, launch day, 9/9/99. I didn't pay attention in school that day. Hell, I slept dreaming dreams of playing Sonic. When I finally got it, I spent the rest of the night playing Sonic Adventure, Soul Calibur,. and HotD2. All were totally amazing in my eyes, and I had a fantastic time with each.

Oh yeah, it was also my birthday. :D

I heard some really bad horror stories on the PS2 launch. Haha. At least you didn't have some teenage hoodlums cut in line. :)

I picked up mine on launch morning with Sonic Adventure, Power Stone, and a VMU. The system; however, was defective. I'd get audio but no picture, ran right ack to the mall and got a replacement. After that, well, pure magic.

I got it on launch day with a VMU, Soul Calibur, and Sonic Adventure. I was so excited when I first played that system...

I didn't get around to picking up a Dreamcast until that $100CND mail-in-rebate was put into affect. I don't like spending more than $200 on hardware, but SEGA screwed me out of my rebate so I ended up paying $300 anyways. It was ultimately worth full price, but SEGA still owes me a hundred bucks.

Bought mine on launch day and hasn't given me any problems at all (and my DC gets worked).

Hmmm. Ah yes. After school, I went down to FuncoLand (closest place that said they'd be able to get me one on the 9th). Walked in, picked it up, a VMU, and SA.

...Then came the overnight sessions. And that following weekend, the World Rankings.

Ohhhhh yes. The World Rankings.

Brought home Sonic Adventure and Soul Calibur. What a glorious day it was.

I will always remember; I will never forget. . . 9/9.

Actually, I didn't really want a DC until a bit later in it's life, but now it's one of my favorite systems. Soo many great games.

I bought my DC the day after it came out but that's close enough. I had to return 7 or so defective Sonic Adventure games so I ended up getting Soul Calibur instead. I didn't get a fully-working Sonic Adventure until 4 months later.

I bought mine a year after it came out. Eerily, my co-workers I bought it from tried to dissuade me from the purchase. They were all "No! Don't buy this! It's gonna be defunct!"

I point this out because the very same thing happened to me when I bought my TG-16.

Weirdness.

Jet Grind Radio and Shenmue made that the best X-mas ever!@!

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...Then came the overnight sessions. And that following weekend, the World Rankings.

Ohhhhh yes. The World Rankings.

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I have Emerald Coast's music and lay out forever etched into my memory.

*sniff*

Good times.

I was so excited about DC and Sonic after reading about them in Gamefan (all 100's I think). A friend and I were at the mall some weeks before the launch, and there it was. Sonic in full 3D glory running around at insane speeds. I stopped right there with my jaw dropped. I didn't even notice my friend going up to play it before me. The day it came out I checked out of school (was in the 10th grade). A "friend" whom I told that I was going to buy a DC announced it to the class while I was leaving. One of the rednecks in the class looked at me as I was leaving and said, "You're so full of shit" (and it wasn't about him not believing I was getting one, it was more about me still playing videogames, whatever). The DC was my favorite launch, I got Sonic, Soul Calibur, and Power Stone. I love all three of those games, and I don't think I've spent more time on any single game than I have on Soul Calibur.

I got mine on 9999 with Powerstone, Sonic, Ready to Rumble and Blue Stinger. I remember staring into the hole in the box at the serial number while I waited to check out.

I played alot of Sonic in an import shop so I knew what I was getting into. Powerstone blew my mind. I got that black Dreamcast shirt too. Where is it now?

I have had about 5 DC's come and go through trades, but always kept the original. I just bought a new one so I can dedicate a cab to Ikaruga.

...the last great system launch...

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I have Emerald Coast's music and lay out forever etched into my memory.

*sniff*

Good times.

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Indeed. Emerald Coast was the best of 'em. All the time spent finding shortcuts, only to be absolutely amazed at that Japanese player's time of 1:06...

I'm one of the oddballs who didn't get it at launch. But that's because I didn't have the money because I had just started working. But where was I on 9/9/99? At my friend Gerald's house playing Sonic Adventure, of course.

Yeah I got mine shortly after midnight from an EB. Waste of cash. Oh well, water under the bridge.

I remember 9/9/99 like it was just yesterday -- it was my first week of College. My friend and I pre-ordered our systems at EB (both got issue #0 of ODCM) a few months before. With my Dreamcast I purchased Sonic Adventure (took it back twice because of disc problems) and a VMU. Later that night, I picked up an extra controller.

The next week, I bought Soul Calibur and Ready 2 Rumble, but returned it twice because of disc problems and ended up getting NBA Showtime instead.

The Dreamcast launch was one of the most fun-filled launches that I've ever been part of. :)

I didn't buy a US system on launch since I already bought a Japanese DC a few months earlier, but it didn't stop me from waiting in line with 7 friends at Software Etc for the midnight bell to drop...

We actually spent two hours at Bennigan's across the street drinking beer and eating like bastards. Bennigan's closed at 11 so we trolled across the street to get in line for the system launch. Two of us wound up ejected for bad behavior (just general hijinxs...my friend Jonathan let loose a bunch of DC balloons in the mall, which proceeded to float to the ceiling which cannot be reached, but that's in his nature)

I wound up buying a VMU (yes, finally a memory card in English!), an extra controller and a copy of Final Fantasy VIII for my roommate (which I had to badger the manager to sell me as they were just selling DC products only) We then proceeded to my friend Scott's work where there were plenty of couches and one TV. Played Soul Caliber and Mortal Kombat Gold until dawn, drinking enough beer in between to make it even more worthwhile... Good times, good times!

Actually I didn't get my DC at launch, I got it the day Resident Evil : Code Veronica was launched the following year. Still, 9/9/99 still has an odd tale for me.

I was heading over to the local EB to pick up my pre-ordered copy of Final Fantasy 8 when I found out that there was a CRAZED gunmen inside the mall. Every store was locked up. I went inside, bought my copy through a locked security gate and then saw the SWAT team take the guy down. The things I do for games...

Bought a DC, Sonic Adventure and Soul Calibur the afternoon of 9.9.99. Distinctly remember going :eek: :eek: :eek: at the sight of Soul Calibur's shockingly beautiful attract demo. Started playing at 9pm, finally finished and went to bed at 1pm the next day. I probably played so long because the VMUs weren't in stock at the Babbages I purchased my system from, 'forcing' me to finish all chapters of SA1 in one sitting. Anyway, very exciting moment of my gaming life, won't be forgotten anytime soon. And my 9.9.99 DC hasn't gone more than a week w/o play time; I only stopped playing for a week because I moved back in 2000.

I wonder how I missed this thread? :rolleyes: Anyways, I was 3rd person at my local wal-mart to pick one up (there wasn't any line to speak of) just a bit after 9:30 in the morning. With it, I also grabbed a VMU plus a copy of soulcalibur for $40. (everything else was listed at $50 :lol: ) I can't say enough that I had more fun with this system then any before it and I'm still plugging away at it's many streetfighter games every now and then.

I'm still pissed that it's off the market, after only 2 1/2 years... :(