apparently I'm a system hoarder (Sega Dreamcast)

[Edmond Dantes]

(note: I'm not sure whether this is classic or modern, but the description for "Classic" says "before PS2" and, well, this preceded the PS2 by two years)

Wow, the last year has been the one for me getting new consoles, hasn't it? got back into PS2 with a vengeance, followed by Turbografx (two of them!), Sega Master System, Sega CD, PSP, Neo-Geo Pocket Color... and now the Sega Dreamcast. I never owned one of these great white pearls when they were new, but I wanted one. And now... just holding one, I can feel the sheer untapped potential, waiting for some Light Warrior to come along and REVIVE the POWER of the ORB.

Mine came with two games: RE Code Veronica, and Crazy Taxi. The former is honestly IMO better (but not by much) than the PS2 "updated" version, namely because I think the minor story tweaks were kinda lame. Crazy Taxi, three words: Best. Game. Ever. It all costed me $45, that included a VMU and a Jump Pack.

So, obligatory question: What other games should I look for? I don't think this system is modded, but I think I know someone who can fix that.

Also, any tips for system maintenance? the Crazy Taxi disc gave me some issues, but I dunno if that's the disc or the system (I'm gonna buy an extra of both just to be sure).

[SpaceHarrier]

Some of my faves:

Dead or Alive 2
Ecco the Dolphin
GigaWing 2
Hydro Thunder
Jet Grind Radio
Rush 2049
Seaman
Sega Rally 2
Skies of Arcadia
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure 2
Soul Calibur

There is a bootdisk called DC-X if you want to play foreign region titles. Unless you meant that other kind of modded.

I find that most DC games that were ported to the PS2 appear inferior on the PS2, with muddier visuals.

[Ryudo]

My fave system of all time, I have a dedicated DC collection of systems games and merch. It was the first console I followed the hype from before we even knew the name pre internet.
Still have all the Magazines.

My fave games on the system
Shenmue
Skies of Arcadia
Grandia II
Elemental Gimmick Gear
Sonic Adventure
Jet Grind Radio
Marvel Vs Capcom 2
Power Stone
Toy Commander

and a shit load more (my list would be forever)

Te one I wanted most never got offically released. Giest Force and at the time it blew my mind visually. It did get a fan rlease but I didn't have the money at the time:(

[Genesaturn]

Good pickup, Welcome to the club! I'm a dreamcast system hoarder if you will. I'm always on the prowl for special editions...I'm currently scouring yahoo auctions japan for a Divers 2000 edition dreamcast. If you mean modded as in playing imports there is a bootdisk...but if you mean copies of games you HAVE.... :) then unfortunately one of the biggest downfalls of the dreamcast was how easy it was/is to pirate.....there is no modding needed.

I'd say some of the best games have been mentioned..but some of my fav's are...

Bangai-O
Soul Caliber
Skies of Arcadia
Grandia 2
Marvel Vs Capcom
Powerstone
Shenmue 1 & 2
Jet Grind Radio
Space Channel 5
Rez
Dead or Alive 2

To name a few...

There are a LOT of really good dreamcast games and I anticipate you will have a lot of fun finding and playing them

[Sunnyvale]

Congrats on the DC! Most of the gems have already been mentioned, but I'll elaborate a bit, based on what I've seen of your tastes (RPG's and fighters, if memory serves).
Soul Cailber is a must have. It got amazing reviews in it's time, and is credited with selling DCconsoles even, so grab it. It's cheap, too. Shenmue, from my brother's opinion, is a great game, but he (like everyone else) is frustrated by the storyline still hanging. Dead or Alive 2 isn't as good as Marvel vs Capcom, imo, but both are good games.
Others I like a lot are Jet Grind Radio, the Sonic Adventure's, and Aerowings 2.
Also, I'd recommend getting one of these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Official-Sega-Dreamcast-4X-Memory-Card-Used-Box-/150729507551?pt=Video_Games_Accessories&hash=item23182dc2df
4x the space, it's official, and it takes no batteries, so you won't lose your data every 3 years. You lose the VMU's LCD crap, but who cares?

[Edmond Dantes]

I think I'll look for one of those DC-X things, instead of having the system modded.

Umm... I kinda like the LCD screen, actually. and... I thought the battery was strictly to power the minigames and that actual saves wouldn't be affected by it?

I tried to download the homebrew game Paranoia, but apparently the download server is borked. Anyone know an alternative?

[fluid_matrix]

If you mean modded as in playing imports there is a bootdisk...but if you mean copies of games you HAVE.... :) then unfortunately one of the biggest downfalls of the dreamcast was how easy it was/is to pirate.....there is no modding needed.


Rumors were that in later revisions they removed the ability to read CDR's. If this is true, I haven't ever seem to come across one that doesn't read CDR's yet.

[tomwaits]

If your TV/monitor can run at 480p, get a VGA box.

The DC-X boot disc is great. Besides booting imports it can also force VGA or SCART RGB on some of the games that didn't support high-end video output.

[Polygon]

Nothing wrong with that. Congrats on the DC. You're going to love it. Here's my list of games I'd get. Note, I'm not much of an RPG fan. So don't get mad at me because I'm missing PSO.

Bust A Move 4
Bomberman Online
Capcom Vs. SNK
Chaos Field
Crazy Taxi
Daytona USA
F355 Challenge: Passione Rossa
Marvel Vs. Capcom
Marvel Vs. Capcom 2
San Francisco Rush 2049
Sega Rally 2
Sega Smash Pack
Shenmue
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure 2
Soul Caliber
Star Wars Episode 1 Racer
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Virtua Tennis
Worms Armageddon

[SpaceHarrier]

Umm... I kinda like the LCD screen, actually. and... I thought the battery was strictly to power the minigames and that actual saves wouldn't be affected by it?



It will save fine without the battery. The batteries run down incredibly quick on their own, so I just removed them from mine (or left the pull tag in and never used them). You will need a couple of the normal VMUs if you plan on building a healthy DC collection. A good storage comparison would be the Playstation memory cards. They only hold so much data.. and certain games, like Phantasy Star Online, hog a massive amount of space and can only save one character per VMU.

Also, seconding:

Daytona USA
Marvel vs. Capcom 2

Don't know how I forgot those!

For quirky fun:

Typing of the Dead (You'll need the DC keyboard of course, which shouldn't cost too much. Or you could just get House of the Dead 2 and a gun)

[retroman]

if you like Shenmue, then get Shenmue 2 Euro import...best game for the system in my opinion..

[Sunnyvale]

Wow, I lost data on two 'screamers', so I assumed the battery ran the show. Damnit, I wasted money on that 4 banger :-/

[Ed Oscuro]

I actually got a Dreamcast last year and, just from the fan noise, couldn't see myself able to stand using it for long. The fact that so many titles were sent out to other systems makes it less compelling (a shame). That said there were a few oddball titles, like D2, that I want to try out. I can't throw any stones though - I've got two DCs myself (at least)!

[Tron 2.0]

What i'd recomend.

Border Down
Under Defeat
Gunbird 2
Garou MOTW
Skies of Arcadia
Grandia 2
Chu Chu Rocket
Crazy Taxie
SA 1&2
Bangai-o
Record of the Lodoss War
Last Blade 2:I'd recomend the import version.
Mars Matrix
Yu Suzuki Game Works

[Ryudo]

Most overlooked gems on DC.

Also 650 games in Japan fr DC were officially released. One gem is Roomania.

This game needs more attention

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRkzW-ayoTc

[goatdan]

Rumors were that in later revisions they removed the ability to read CDR's. If this is true, I haven't ever seem to come across one that doesn't read CDR's yet.

I have been told more or less that this was something that Sega announced, but it only made it to testing phase and was never officially released. There is a chance that there were a few Dreamcast consoles that may have been made at the very, very end of the console's life with the spare parts that would have included these parts, but the likelihood is very slim they ever made it out of the test phase.

*If* you got a console without this ability, the main thing that would be different is when you turn on the system without a disc in it, the system menu should look totally different. The ability to play CDs would have had to been completely wiped from the system, and that menu would have had to have been changed to not distribute consoles with a non-working menu item.

I made an offer in 2003 to trade for any console that had this update (I'll even send you every GOAT Store Dreamcast game and a bunch of other stuff), and so far with over 150 Dreamcast consoles that have passed through my hands, and thousands of indie Dreamcast games that we decided to press onto CDs instead of GD-ROM because of the price difference, and I have yet to have anyone unable to play a game we've sold because their machine didn't play the games. Japan in particular got a ton of our games (where, theoretically, the revision should have been the most prevalent) and we have never heard of one problem over there.

[BlastProcessing402]

I have been told more or less that this was something that Sega announced, but it only made it to testing phase and was never officially released. There is a chance that there were a few Dreamcast consoles that may have been made at the very, very end of the console's life with the spare parts that would have included these parts, but the likelihood is very slim they ever made it out of the test phase.

*If* you got a console without this ability, the main thing that would be different is when you turn on the system without a disc in it, the system menu should look totally different. The ability to play CDs would have had to been completely wiped from the system, and that menu would have had to have been changed to not distribute consoles with a non-working menu item.


They wouldn't have needed to change the menu because they didn't remove the ability to play CD's or even CDR's in general, they only removed the ability to play "Mil-CD" format discs, whatever those are. Also, that revision was apparently only ever released in Japan, which is why hardly anyone (at least on English speaking sites) is likely to ever run into them.

[SpaceHarrier]

Man, that's so weird.. I see ads on craigslist all the time for Dreamcasts "chipped to play copy games" so I wonder what that's all about!

[Edmond Dantes]

It's possible those people got a Dreamcast, found it could play CD-Rs and just assumed it was chipped.

Anyway, all those games are on my hit list. Didn't North America only get a handful of games? Maybe I should go for a complete North American collection.

Oh, and also, my system hoarding might include a Saturn later this month as well. Afterwards, I'll just need a Game Gear and I'll have practically all of Sega's NA consoles.

[Polygon]

Yep, not very NA releases. It reminds me a lot of the Saturn. There's a short list of NA releases with a lot of great JP releases. I'm in the market for a Saturn too along with a SMS and Sega CD. Then I'll have all the NA Sega systems save for a CDX.

[NayusDante]

I don't see anyone mentioning Evolution on their lists. I think those might have been the closest thing to traditional JRPGs on the platform. Grandia II, however, set the bar a lot higher.

The thing about the Dreamcast is that it was okay for the kind of games that were multiplatform, but seemed to really shine with certain genres that seemed almost exclusive to it:

"Sega" style games like Sonic, Space Channel 5, Chu Chu Rocket, Crazy Taxi
Quirky and bizarre games like Seaman and Seventh Cross Evolution
Arcade fighting games like Soul Calibur, MvC, King of Fighters
PC ports like Quake III, Unreal Tournament, and Half-Life


Games that were ported from DC to other platforms seem to lose certain visual qualities that really made them stand out on the Dreamcast. If you look at the Sonic games running on Dreamcast, pay attention to the characters. They're largely solid colors, but there's reflective qualities that appear as primitive shaders. On ports, everything just looks like flat textured geometry. It's a distinct renderer aesthetic that I've never seen anywhere else.

[drthielegood]

I've had a ball with my Dreamcast since I picked it up last year. My kids love it too. Its been fun collecting for too. Cracked cases have been easy to replace by cannibalizing my old music CD collection. A really awesome variety of titles, from hardcore to quirky.

Here's a few titles that may not have been mentioned but I would recommend (sorry if they have been mentioned before):

Giga Wing (and the sequel if you can find a copy)
Mars Matrix
Toy Commander
Soul Reaver
MDK 2
Wacky Races (I know....but I like it)
Spawn
Heavy Metal
Zombie Revenge
Hydro Thunder (I know it was mentioned, but this is the kids' farorite)
Disney's Magical Racing Tour (whats better than kart racing with c-list Disney characters?)
Looney Tunes Space Race
Speed Devils

Enjoy the DC. It may become a favorite.

Bob

[Genesaturn]

I've had a ball with my Dreamcast since I picked it up last year. My kids love it too. Its been fun collecting for too. Cracked cases have been easy to replace by cannibalizing my old music CD collection. A really awesome variety of titles, from hardcore to quirky.

Here's a few titles that may not have been mentioned but I would recommend (sorry if they have been mentioned before):

Giga Wing (and the sequel if you can find a copy)
Mars Matrix
Toy Commander
Soul Reaver
MDK 2
Wacky Races (I know....but I like it)
Spawn
Heavy Metal
Zombie Revenge
Hydro Thunder (I know it was mentioned, but this is the kids' farorite)
Disney's Magical Racing Tour (whats better than kart racing with c-list Disney characters?)
Looney Tunes Space Race
Speed Devils

Enjoy the DC. It may become a favorite.

Bob

I'm with ya with that list, I really enjoy playing wacky races and space race from time to time....DC like the saturn has some really solid 2D games as well

[goatdan]

They wouldn't have needed to change the menu because they didn't remove the ability to play CD's or even CDR's in general, they only removed the ability to play "Mil-CD" format discs, whatever those are. Also, that revision was apparently only ever released in Japan, which is why hardly anyone (at least on English speaking sites) is likely to ever run into them.

I know the Mil-CD format inside and out, and that was the thing -- to break it from having the copyright issues the play was to remove the ability for the Dreamcast to play CDs, period.

You don't have to believe me, but I had huge potential issues on my hands with producing tens of thousands of dollars worth of games if they didn't work in any significant number of consoles, especially in Japan which for many releases has been our largest market. I feel very confident about the research that I did with it.

[Colorado Rockies]

Import these PAL Games:
Headhunter
Shenmue II
Rez
Evil Twin

These are my favorite U.S. Games:
Grandia II
Skies of Arcadia
Shenmue
Powerstone 1,2
Crazy Taxi
Jet Grind Radio
Typing of the Dead
House of the Dead II
Dynamite Cop
Tennis 2k2
NFL 2k2
NHL 2k2
Mortal Kombat Gold
Gundam Side Story

[Genesaturn]

I completely forgot about Evil Twin since it was one of the final games released on the system. I only got to play the first few minutes of the game at a friends house and I loved it.

[Tupin]

I have been told more or less that this was something that Sega announced, but it only made it to testing phase and was never officially released. There is a chance that there were a few Dreamcast consoles that may have been made at the very, very end of the console's life with the spare parts that would have included these parts, but the likelihood is very slim they ever made it out of the test phase.

*If* you got a console without this ability, the main thing that would be different is when you turn on the system without a disc in it, the system menu should look totally different. The ability to play CDs would have had to been completely wiped from the system, and that menu would have had to have been changed to not distribute consoles with a non-working menu item.

I made an offer in 2003 to trade for any console that had this update (I'll even send you every GOAT Store Dreamcast game and a bunch of other stuff), and so far with over 150 Dreamcast consoles that have passed through my hands, and thousands of indie Dreamcast games that we decided to press onto CDs instead of GD-ROM because of the price difference, and I have yet to have anyone unable to play a game we've sold because their machine didn't play the games. Japan in particular got a ton of our games (where, theoretically, the revision should have been the most prevalent) and we have never heard of one problem over there.

Don't most Dreamcast names need at least 90-minute CD-Rs? I have a few files and most of them are bigger than 700Mb.

[NayusDante]

Don't most Dreamcast names need at least 90-minute CD-Rs? I have a few files and most of them are bigger than 700Mb.

I've been told that many rips had the audio tracks downsampled or removed to fit on regular disks. I can't personally confirm it because I've only ever burned homebrew and beta images.

If you think about it, though, I doubt a lot of games really used the expanded storage capacity. If a game was multiplatform, it probably fit on a normal disk to begin with. A lot of them were probably just padded to fill the space, so I'm sure they compress to fit without serious issues. I seem to remember a customized PSO disk that had reordered and compressed the file structure to reduce load times, and it fit on standard CDRs.

[Edmond Dantes]

So basically, if I ever wanna play a Homebrew game all I have to do is burn a CD-R, right?

... I'm still looking for a place to download Paranoia by the way. Or if someone has cheap pressed copies, I might go there too.

Also, considering getting the Bleemcast discs. I've heard people say that just using a PS2 will do the same thing, but that doesn't seem to be quite true in my case (MGS has glitches if I use the enhancement features on my PS2).

Also saw a Youtube vid of someone running Strider 2 on Dreamcast. How does that work?

[Tupin]

I believe you can "overburn" the files to fit them on 700Mb discs, I'll have to test this.

A download for Paranoia, I believe this is okay to post because it's homebrew: http://www.dcisozone.com/downloads/1710/half-life-mod-paranoia-v11-%28final%29.html

As for Strider 2, a lot of games were unofficially "bleemed", but all lack video segments. So you could probably find that wherever you find other bleemed games.