What are some arcade sports and simple arcade style action games worth checking out? Preferably from the GBA and earlier, but anything will do.
Late, but-
What Dreamcast titles should I check out?
So far I have tried: Soul Reaver (a visual update of the classic PSX game and it does look better, only downside is that you can't move the camera up or down but only to the sides), Ready 2 Rumble (sucked), Cannon Spike (bland), Dolphin Blue (Cult Classic), Spawn: in the Demon's Hand (fun and mindless), Silent Scope, House of the Dead 2, Virtua Cop 2, all the lightgun games are great, Crazy Taxi 2 (very meh, sorry hipsters), and a couple of shmups like Last Hope, Gigawing 1 and 2, Mars Matrix, and Under Defeat.
Do not recommend fighters. I have zero interest.
Do not recommend Sanic.
Doing it anyway. Try Soul Caliber. It's good. Has a great single player I've not seen replicated since. It's also not as autistic as other fighting games. I highly recommend trying it. Especially over something like Ready to Rumble (more on that later)
I'm not sure what's up with the other recommendations in this thread, but here's mine.
Toy Commander. Is good but the controls are stiff at first.
Since you've started on the AM2 ports, look into Crazy Taxi 1 (read a guide online for how to do the special moves), 18 Wheeler, and Virtual Tennis. I've not tried the DC version of Daytona, but I assume it's good. There's Fighting Viper 2 as well, but you don't want fighters.
Farrari 355 if you're a masicist. Metropolis Street Racer doesn't hold up (at least when I last played it) but was a classic in it's day.
If you have a friend to play with, UFC is really good. A technical fighting sim instead of a Street Fighter clone. Highly recommend.
Shenmue I've not seen mentioned. I guess someone said it but I missed it.
I also don't see a mention of Blue Stinger. It's not a good game, but a cult classic.
Super Runabout. I'm a big Runabout fan generally, but yes.
I've not played Outtrigger, Virtua On, D2, Gunbird 2, or Bangai-O, but they're considered classics.
Finally, the Dreamcast has good versions of Resident Evil 2, Fur Fighters, and Resident Evil Code Veronica.