How the Dreamcast ruined my gaming experience on all other systems 

  When you first read the headline, you probably thought to yourself "What the hell is this guy talking about?". But please let me make my point before you begin criticizing me for being a complete crack pot.

  Now let me tell you that I bought my first Dreamcast shortly after it came out. I had several games then, but I couldn't buy too many because I just didn't have the cash flow.

  Then, the terrible news came. Sega was quitting on my little white box. In a defiant act against Sega, I quickly went to my local pawn shop and sold off all me DC equipment.

  I thought to myself that I would just wait on the PS2 or Gamecube to come out and I would buy one of those. Besides, I figured, I knew that Sony and Nintendo would be around forever.

  As luck would have it, I won my PS2 from a raffle. That was totally crazy because I never won things from raffles up to that point.

  Well, in all honesty, I played a few PS2 games but I never felt that magic that you feel from Sega games. I can't really put a finger on it. It's just one of those crazy things like the Easter bunny or the Sasquatch. (A little D tribute.)

  Well, in time, I stumbled upon the Sega Dreamcast message boards, and after reading some of the posts about all the Dreamcast games, I knew I had to get my grubby little hands on a DC again.

  I managed to pick one up with two controllers for about $35 a year and a half ago. After buying Powerstone and Tony Hawk 2 for about $6 each. I was hooked, and my declination of buying, or even renting,  next-gen games began.

  Every time I went to Hastings to rent a game and spend about $5 on it, I would question myself on why would I spend the same amount of money renting a game when I could buy a killer DC game for the same price.

  It just pains me to see so many AAA titles going for so cheap on Ebay that I can't help but bid on them.

  Today, my DC collection is growing so fast I can hardly keep up with it.

  Now you may start to understand my dilemma.  Since, I have bought my Dreamcast again, I have only bought Everquest Online Adventures and Wind Waker for my NGC brand new. All my other games I got used.

  I honestly can't remember the last time I rented a game. I know I'm not a fanboy because I honestly like all the consoles, but when I play most other games, I just don't feel the excitement I do when I play those DC gems.

  I can't help it. However much I try to get into Wind Waker, I always think "Why don't you try to finally beat Code Veronica?" or something similar to that.

  So you see, my friends, how the seemingly innocent white box sitting beside my monitor is ruining all next gen gaming for me. But you know, I probably wouldn't have it any other way.

  In an ironic twist, it's not the success of the Dreamcast but rather the failure of it that's caused this strange phenomena. If the Dreamcast succeeded and was still prospering today, then it's games wouldn't be bargain priced, but would probably still be in that $40-$30 range.

  To sum it up folks, I love and hate the Dreamcast. On one end, it gives me hours upon hours of gaming zen, but on the flip side, I just can't bring myself to spend the dough on a new game.

  You might even go so far as calling me a Dreamcast Junkie.

You wouldn't suspect this little white box of having the sole power to rid all next-gen gaming fun. But this should have a Surgeon General's warning - Be prepared to totally lose all fun in any other next gen console's games if you immerse yourself in this system.