Frivolous topic... Dreamcast PAL games cases

[fishsandwich]

Who the $&@#! designed the awful, awful cases that go with PAL Dreamcast games? Could it be anymore fragile? You can throw a case on a BED and it will shatter. Seriously, who thought this was a good design? I can deal with with a bad design... look at Sega CD and Saturn. The PAL Dreamcast cases just flat-out suck ass.

And while I'm bitching over something so trivial, why have the last two sellers that I bought games from wrap my games in a sandwich bag and a cheap envelope? Don't they know these thing break when they hear harsh language, much less take a slow boat from France to the USA? I bitched at one of my sellers about the condition of the game due to his shoddy packaging and asked for a replacement case... know what he said? "The same thing would happen again!" Not if you wrapped it in something other than a napkin, dumbass!

I'm done now.

:embarrassed:

[MegaDrive20XX]

Well speaking of Saturn, you guys got some pimped out cases, we got the big jewel cases that break with ease.

Our Dreamcast cases in the US, as you know, are pretty basic jewel cases.

I actually like the PAL DC cases design, but I've never seen one in person, sucks to hear that they break with such ease.

Tell me something, Saturn PAL cases, are they like the original PSX long cases that are made out of solid plastic?

[Charlesaway]

I've had some Saturn PAL cases in the past, and they varied in design and shape. Most of the games I had were cardboard cases, similar to some of the original psx long box releases (glossy cardboard)

[thegreatescape]

The PAL saturn cases are okay.. they look nicer than the massive US ones, but the PAL cd holder inside the case is worthless. Its not uncommon for me to put a game back on the shelf only to hear the cd drop off and hit the bottom of the case.

I like the blue of the PAL DC cases, and the little manual/2nd cd cavity at the back :)
I dont like the afformentioned fragility :/

[Fuyukaze]

Even in good bubblewrap I find the DC Pal cases to be fragile. I only own 1 Pal game (Rez) but I like the design for it more then any other case I have seen. If they had used better plastic, perhaps a rubber/plastic mixture, it could have been great. As is, they used the cheap brittle plastic that breaks under dirty stares, harsh words, and lewd hand jestures. For once, the simple CD case works best. If it breaks or gets scratched, you can simply replace it with a new one. Also, you can replace it with custom cases to add color and varity to it. Smoky grey doesnt look good with D2 though. Blood red looks nice with it on the other hand.

[goatdan]

Personally, I like the unique nature of the PAL Dreamcast releases a TON. In fact, I'm going for a complete PAL set now because of it... I'm currently about 40% of the way there. :D

Will Japanese releases be next? Probably not. I don't like the cases as much...

[Damon Plus]

I like the design, it´s pretty original, but I don´t think it´s so breakable. Just don´t throw it! :D

[hydr0x]

the design is good, the technical design sucks, that's how easy it is, still going for a complete set though LOL

[dreamcaster]

I love them because they look so incredibly nice. :)

I hate them because they break easily and are impossible to replace. :angry:

One of my cases snapped when I removed the price tag. :(

But, I've done well - 28 PAL cases and only one has broken on me (Rush 2049) and I managed to glue it and it's held together ever since.

I often swap cases in store if I have to, and the store clerk is usually pretty accomodating.

[devilman]

I hate the Pal DC Cases with a passion. It wouldn't be so bad if there were sources to buy lots of replacement cases - although you could probably break one just by changing the inlay sleeves. ;) I rarely buy Pal DC games on Ebay anymore as I can't guarantee they'll get to me in decent condition.

[AtariBuff]

i also have the problem with broken jewel cases - but mainly with PS1 games won from eBay UK. some guys really don't give a damn about packaging but surely they include these costs in their shipping costs. i bought all my Dreamcast games locally and never had one broken jewelcase so far - i guess i'm just lucky.

[Cauterize]

The best way to stop them from breaking (i personally found out over the years)

is to store your game and manual in the back half of the case. This way you arent opening the fragile half of the case to get your game out, instead the slightly more solid end... Give it a try!


the design is good, the technical design sucks

Too true... The blue cases look so nice when all put together, its just a shame they can be fragile at times...

however, i noticed someone on ebay selling replacement cases...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4303&item=8184996729&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4303&item=8184996733&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4303&item=8184996734&rd=1


ha and jsut a side note, have a laugh at this Dreamcast auction... Buy a Slimline case, get a free game... (Hmmm anyone smell a CDR Backup?)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=27236&item=8184531631&rd=1

[thegreatescape]

however, i noticed someone on ebay selling replacement cases...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4303&item=8184996729&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4303&item=8184996733&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4303&item=8184996734&rd=1


Somewhere out there is a landside filled with Trickstyle cds..

[Big Papa Husker]

I hadn't seen a PAL DC case until my friend order Shenmue II from EBGames. I actually think they do look cool, but from what I am hearing... the quality sucks. I actually have the game here right now. My friend, being the nice guy he is, let me borrow it because he is out of state at college w/o any game systems.

Just wondering, how long do Shenmue and Shenmue II take to beat?

[Vroomfunkel]

Yeah, the DC cases are far FAR too easy to break - and the difficulty of finding replacements is very irritating. However, I have found a couple of places that will actually give away copies of Chu Chu Rocket, as they aren't worth the effort of actually selling - so that can be a good source of replacement cases.

But anyway, before you start complaining about our PAL DC cases .. what about those NTSC Sega CD and Saturn cases? They ALWAYS get cracked or broken in the post and those hinges are constantly snapping off. At least the DC cases look good!

Vroomfunkel

[fishsandwich]

I'm actually an American collector who just found the last PAL Dreamcast game that he wanted. Well, I wouldn't turn down REZ but I have the Japanese copy and it has an English tutorial. so I can deal with that.

I have mixed feelings about the NTSC Saturn and Sega CD case... they do break with dreadful regularity, but they are not as bad as the &$%@! PAL Dreamcast cases. They do indeed crack easily and the damn tabs/hinges break off at the slightest provocation, but they sure do look nice when properly displayed. BIG BIG BIG. Just lovely. You also get more and better box art (generally) than PSX games as you have 4 times the room for art and screenshots. Of course, if you let your Saturn games sit flat you will end up with bowed instruction manuals. Can't win for losing! Of couse, there's a similar situation like Chu Chu Rocket... you can get new copies of overproduced sports titles and games like Fighting Vipers, Myst, etc... just take out the crap game and replace it with the one you want to keep.

I actually love the way PAL Dreamcast games LOOK... that blue colour scheme is sure purty. But i'd trade them all for a regular, easy-to-switch CD case like the NTSC games.

I have mixed feelings about the PAL Saturn and Sega CD cases... could someone give more detail on all the variations? Some are very cool (and heavy) plastic jobs, others are more fragile plastic and cardboard affairs.

:D

[Big Papa Husker]

Speaking of the case color... Dont all the Dreamcasts in the different territories have different color swirls on the console?

[anagrama]

I have mixed feelings about the PAL Saturn and Sega CD cases... could someone give more detail on all the variations? Some are very cool (and heavy) plastic jobs, others are more fragile plastic and cardboard affairs.


The cardboard & plastic cases were the original ones, and tend to come apart pretty easily as the glue ages. Also, the discs are not held in particularly well, and will often rattle around the inside of the case.

At somepoint (mid-97ish?) these were switched for the all-plastic DVD-esque cases (not exactly the same as DVD cases, but pretty similar). These correct all the problems of the earlier ones and are much better. Some games were issued in both style covers (there's an old thread somewhere where we were trying to list these).

The only other exceptions are the pack-in Nights w/3d pad and Virtua Cop 1 & 2 w/gun, which were in standard CD cases, and EA's games which were in oversized plastic cases about twice as wide as standard games.


Most PAL MegaCD games were all in the old-style double-CD cases that are twice as wide as a standard CD case. The only exceptions were some Sony/Psygnosis-published games which were in the US-style cases (and a couple of these were also issued in the double-CD cases).

[anagrama]

Speaking of the case color... Dont all the Dreamcasts in the different territories have different color swirls on the console?

It's orange in Japan and the US, and blue in Europe. The only reason it was changed is because the orange swirl design was already copyrighted by someone else in Europe.

[hydr0x]

The only other exceptions are the pack-in Nights w/3d pad and Virtua Cop 1 & 2 w/gun, which were in standard CD cases, and EA's games which were in oversized plastic cases about twice as wide as standard games.


eh don't forget the Virtua Fighter Remix incl. CG Edition, it comes in a case similar to the "normal" PAL Mega CD games

[Vroomfunkel]

eh don't forget the Virtua Fighter Remix incl. CG Edition, it comes in a case similar to the "normal" PAL Mega CD games

In fact, this CD case was originally housed in a larger cardboard box (of the sort that the Enemy Zero / KOF 95 etc etc came in) - but for some reason you hardly ever see it complete with the outer box.

Vroomfunkel

[Arcturius]

Somewhere out there is a landside filled with Trickstyle cds..

Na more likely it's full of WCW Hardcore, ChuChu Rocket & UEFA Dream Soccer. The 3 games that the preowned section is always full of for 50p - £1.99 each

[Arcturius]

but for some reason you hardly ever see it complete with the outer box.

Probally because that outer card box was very easily mangled by uncareful owners or that it was just a lot easier to keep the double CD jewel case out on a shelf and the box ends up getting tossed out. (I have a outer box on mine but aat some point in it's like the previous owner taped it all up around the edges. >..< At least I got it cheap.)

[Lord Contaminous]

To be quite honest I like those PAL cases.

My Japanese Breath of Fire 3 on PS1 has one of those.