Many Dreamcast Questions...

[Truffle]

Recently I aquired ( to my disgust and horror ) a load of empty Dreamcast game boxes. My boyfriend and I were looking over them , and we realized how badass the Dreamcast was. Now i want to get ahold of a system, and evenually get the games I need for the boxes I have.

So now for my questions...
Most consoles have multible versions, usually hardware improvements or bug fixes, etc.
Does the Dreamcast fit this mold; is there a Model # I should be looking for? Or are they a nice system all around ?

Is there anything I should watch out for when buying a used one? Am I going to get faulty systems %75 of the time like the PS1, or the Genesis? What are some issues it commonly suffers from?

Help Me! The Dreamcast looks so cool, I must have one!!!
x_x

[Nez]

There were a few revisions manly though it was to make the dreamcast unable to load burned games. Thats about it, I don't think the system like forany major upgrades.

Only thing you have to worrie about is the power supply. Sometimes these wear out. You'll have problems like random resets and the system wont keep the current date. Oh and these also the whole laser thing but I have yet to come across one with a bad laser.

Good system theres something for eveyone.

[goatdan]

Recently I aquired ( to my disgust and horror ) a load of empty Dreamcast game boxes. My boyfriend and I were looking over them , and we realized how badass the Dreamcast was. Now i want to get ahold of a system, and evenually get the games I need for the boxes I have.

Good choice! The Dreamcast had a lot of really great arcade-style games, and that it sets it apart from other consoles in my opinion. It's definitely worth picking up, especially because you can find them cheap. I'll be adding some to the GOAT Store site later today for $30.00, and if you look harder you can find some even cheaper than that!


So now for my questions...
Most consoles have multible versions, usually hardware improvements or bug fixes, etc.
Does the Dreamcast fit this mold; is there a Model # I should be looking for? Or are they a nice system all around ?

Sega supposedly revised the console at the end of its lifespan so that it would not support the MIL-CD mode that it built into the original ones. Supposedly, there were a few thousand of these made and sold, almost exclusively in Asia.

To this date, none of those systems have been found nor accounted for. With the Dreamcast releases I have done, we have sold thousands of copies already and not heard of it not working in any game console. I have an offer that if anyone ever gets a Dreamcast that works with everything but our games, I'll trade a bunch for it. I don't think it'll ever happen, as I doubt very much they were ever actually released.

Any release, therefore, should be a good one to grab.


Is there anything I should watch out for when buying a used one? Am I going to get faulty systems %75 of the time like the PS1, or the Genesis? What are some issues it commonly suffers from?

The only thing that the Dreamcast regularly suffers from is being really loud, in my opinion. When it moves it's laser around, it makes a loud whirring noise.

A bunch of people have complained that the Dreamcast is really finicky, but I personally haven't found that to be the case. I have had pass through my hands at least 50 Dreamcast systems in the past year, and every one that did worked just fine for me. The only ones that didn't I knew were coming as broken, and they usually had something very obvious and not "natural" happening like parts inside falling around, or large cracks in the cases where they were obviously dropped.

My console bought in 2000 which has logged hundreds of playtime hours on it including hundreds more of playing with the games that I've been doing is still working 100% fine.

I would suggest purchasing from a place that you're sure of, either online (for instance, the GOAT Store does guarantee everything we do to work) or a brick and mortar store where if you have any problems you can return the system. Other than that, I don't think there is too much else.


Help Me! The Dreamcast looks so cool, I must have one!!!

I found the same thing! Good luck! Any further questions, I'm around to help :)

[Kuros]

Agreed with what they have said. The Dreamcast has so far been the most reliable disc based system I have seen. Everyone I've picked up at swap meets and garage sales have worked just fine.

Plus, the games are cheap if you know where to look. I just got a lot of 15-17 games the other day for $10. Great deal.

Finally, if you wanna purchase a system, let me know, I have one up for sale.

[PapaStu]

Only other issue I can think of (but this doesnt pertain to a model as its shown on all of them) is that controller ports are known to burn out.

Other than that all you need to do is pick a system color, here in America you get a Black one (Sports edition, which does command a little more) OR the white one. They both do the exact same thing. Only other choices are controllers, as there were numerous colored ones released not to long after they came out (i've got a nice clearish green and clearish yellow one with matching VMU's).

[Gamereviewgod]

The only problems I had were with the video cables. Been through more official S-video cables than I care to count. I finally decided to try Mad Catz and had it ever since (probably in 2000). Go figure.

Oh, and a VGA box in combination with Soul Calibur will make you wonder how the PS2 ever beat it. :(

[njiska]

Oh, and a VGA box in combination with Soul Calibur will make you wonder how the PS2 ever beat it. :(

Yeah that was a sweet little VGA box. The one i had does S-Video too and it's never had problems.

[kainemaxwell]

If you can score yourself a first-gen DC, then you won't have to worry about a boot disc for imports or burned games.

[Vectorman0]

If you can score yourself a first-gen DC, then you won't have to worry about a boot disc for imports or burned games.

I still have my DC that I got the midnight of release, and it has never played imports or backups without a boot disc.

[Porksta]

My DC is on the fritz, it rarely loads Skies of Arcadia, Shenmue, or THPS 2, and when it does, it freezes. I really need to get a new one. The one I have seems to be a Model 0, as it has a 0 where a 1, 2, or 3 should be. So avoid getting one of those.

[InsaneDavid]

Is there anything I should watch out for when buying a used one? Am I going to get faulty systems %75 of the time like the PS1, or the Genesis? What are some issues it commonly suffers from?

Welcome to the Dreamcast scene, where some of the best of last generation and classic emulation meet!

First problem to watch out for is a faulty internal battery. The Dreamcast uses a hardwired 2032 button cel to retain internal settings and to run the internal clock. You cannot just pop open your DC and replace this with an off the shelf CR2032 from Wal-Mart or where ever (this isn't a Saturn). LOL It uses a rechargeable cel that must be replaced with another rechargeable cel, not to mention getting the damn thing loose and securing a new one in place. If buying a DC, boot it up and see if you are prompted to input the time, etc. If you are it's no big deal at this point. Then shut it off, unplug it, plug it back in, and turn it back on. If you are then prompted to input the date and time again, the battery is probably bad. The Dreamcast will automatically charge its internal battery (that should last for 20 days between power off / on) after a few hours of play - but I'm always weary of DC's that "work fine" but then keep prompting to have their clock set.

Now don't confuse this problem with bad batteries in a Dreamcast Visual Memory Unit, or VMU, or the memory card. LOL Those take a pair of standard CR2032 button cels however the batteries in them do not need to be functional for them to retain save data. The batteries in the VMU powered the unit away from the DC where a few games had little downloadable mini-games that could be played on them. However there was a technical screwup and the VMU batteries actually get drained when plugged into a Dreamcast controller, being used for file operations. (if you ask me THOSE are the batteries that should have been rechargable) So if you find a VMU that is dead on it's own, 99.9% chance it works fine, just plug it into a DC controller.

Next problem, random resets, hanging upon bootup, random lockups, loss of video signal but power still on, etc. These are all usually caused by a poorly seated power supply and not a bad power supply. See, the DC power supply feeds power down through the different layers of DC components (the DC is built like a sandwich) through a series of posts that the power supply slides down onto. If a DC gets knocked around or the AC plug on the back is inserted and removed frequently, it can cause the power supply board to shift, which then causes fluxuations in powerflow to certain components. For instance I had a DC that had a poorly seated power supply (because I didn't reassemble it as patiently as I could have when swapping cases) and the DC would reset repeatedly whenever it would go to initalize a disc after the Dreamcast splash screen. Opened it up, removed the power supply board, slid it back down onto the posts, no problems for over a year now.

Next, DO NOT USE THIRD PARTY ACCESSORIES WITH YOUR DREAMCAST. A lot of them can cause damage, especially to the controller socket assembly. There are some third party controllers that are famous for shorting out the controller ports. DC controllers are cheap, stick with the official stuff, same goes with VMU's since they interface through the controller which interfaces to the DC through the controller ports.

Backed up (pirated) games will cause wear to your CD drive in the long run. Heck, all DC games will, but pirated games make the GD-ROM drive to work a lot harder than it was ever meant to. However a good deal of the homebrew applications load in short spirts which aren't as bad. As for homebrew commercial releases (such as Feet of Fury) they don't pose any concern since they are optimized.

Don't buy into the "check the bottom for XXXX because XXXX model doesn't play XXXX games since it was manufactured before XXXX." If you buy a DC in the US from a person that also bought it in the US, you're fine. Back before we all knew what we were doing, yeah, it mattered. But now the homebrew community's work will run on all mainstream released Dreamcasts. For imports you can download a file and automatically burn a region swapping disc, it's very easy - PM me if you need help with that and I'll point you in the direction of the location to get what you need.


My DC is on the fritz, it rarely loads Skies of Arcadia, Shenmue, or THPS 2, and when it does, it freezes. I really need to get a new one. The one I have seems to be a Model 0, as it has a 0 where a 1, 2, or 3 should be. So avoid getting one of those.

Open it up, remove and reseat the power supply.

[googlefest1]

one thing that bothers me about what people have said is that games are cheap -- i have not found any cheap games -- all games i find are over priced and disk only

and when i look for DC games on ebay i rarely find any cheap AND any games -- most of the time on ebay i see the same sellers selling the same sealed games over and over

but besides this -- yes the dreamcast is awsome - it totaly kicks butt - to bad the gameing population was convinced not to accept it

[jezt]

I'll be adding some to the GOAT Store site later today for $30.00, and if you look harder you can find some even cheaper than that!

I have so much respect for you.

[goatdan]

one thing that bothers me about what people have said is that games are cheap -- i have not found any cheap games -- all games i find are over priced and disk only

I don't know what you're looking for then? A lot of the releases that people consider to be some of the top-notch examples of Dreamcast greatness can be had for $10.00 or less. Some examples:

Crazy Taxi
NBA 2K series
NFL 2K series
NHL 2K series
Resident Evil: Code Veronica
Sega Bass Fishing
Shenmue
Sonic Adventure
Tennis 2K2
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Virtua Tennis

All of those can be found on the GOAT Store for under $10.00. I also know that you can find Soul Calibur for under $10.00 at some points.

The most expensive games tend to be things like Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 ($25-40ish), the Street Fighter series ($25-40ish), Gigawing 2 ($20-$40), Skies of Arcadia ($15-25) and Grandia 2 ($15-25). Compared to other systems, I don't think any of those are horribly expensive to obtain, and they are all great games to boot!

[goatdan]

I'll be adding some to the GOAT Store site later today for $30.00, and if you look harder you can find some even cheaper than that!

I have so much respect for you.

:embarrassed:

Heh, thanks. That's just the way I do things. You can sometimes get Dreamcasts for only $19.99 from EB Games, but you've got to wait for it to show up. I'm not going to lie to anyone and say we're the lowest, but we do our best :)

You do get three games with those consoles from us, by the way ;) They're only the 2K1 series of sports titles though, so it's really only like $5.00 of value.

[Schenley]

If anyone needs parts, I have a whole box full of parts - power supplies, controller ports, etc.

[googlefest1]

one thing that bothers me about what people have said is that games are cheap -- i have not found any cheap games -- all games i find are over priced and disk only

I don't know what you're looking for then? A lot of the releases that people consider to be some of the top-notch examples of Dreamcast greatness can be had for $10.00 or less. Some examples:

Crazy Taxi
NBA 2K series
NFL 2K series
NHL 2K series
Resident Evil: Code Veronica
Sega Bass Fishing
Shenmue
Sonic Adventure
Tennis 2K2
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2
Virtua Tennis

All of those can be found on the GOAT Store for under $10.00. I also know that you can find Soul Calibur for under $10.00 at some points.

The most expensive games tend to be things like Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 ($25-40ish), the Street Fighter series ($25-40ish), Gigawing 2 ($20-$40), Skies of Arcadia ($15-25) and Grandia 2 ($15-25). Compared to other systems, I don't think any of those are horribly expensive to obtain, and they are all great games to boot!

OK - if thats considered cheap - then you add 5$ shipping and the game is actualy 15$

to me cheap is $1-$5 plus shipping - also, i was under the impression that was the general consensus

thats why i made that remark

now i know that cheap around here means $10

[Smithy]

Some games seem to flood ebay with 99 cent BIN prices, and $5-7 in shipping. The only 'good' game that seems to show up like this often is Space Channel 5.. check it out.

[goatdan]

OK - if thats considered cheap - then you add 5$ shipping and the game is actualy 15$

to me cheap is $1-$5 plus shipping - also, i was under the impression that was the general consensus

thats why i made that remark

now i know that cheap around here means $10

I'm confused. Yes, if you want to only purchase one game, shipping is high for that. But you can purchase from our site (and I'm sure others) three Dreamcast games and pay $4.10 shipping. So, if you get Crazy Taxi for $6.00, NFL 2K1 for $1.50 and Virtua Tennis for $5.00 (all complete), you're talking slightly more than $5.00 per title including shipping. Considering that those are three of the standout titles for the console, I don't think that is by any means "expensive."

If you can find them in a store, shipping isn't a factor, and suddenly they are about $3.50 apeice.

Compared to the average cost of a PS2, Xbox or GameCube game, or even the average cost of an N64 game, I'd say those prices are more than reasonable. *shrug* Maybe I'm just used to paying more than a dollar or two for most of my games?

[evildead2099]

Backed up (pirated) games will cause wear to your CD drive in the long run. Heck, all DC games will, but pirated games make the GD-ROM drive to work a lot harder than it was ever meant to. However a good deal of the homebrew applications load in short spirts which aren't as bad. As for homebrew commercial releases (such as Feet of Fury) they don't pose any concern since they are optimized.

How did you come across this information?

[evildead2099]

Is there anything I should watch out for when buying a used one? Am I going to get faulty systems %75 of the time like the PS1, or the Genesis? What are some issues it commonly suffers from?

I can understand how CD-based systems (i.e. PS1s) would yield a lot of faults, but the Genesis?!?

[InsaneDavid]

Backed up (pirated) games will cause wear to your CD drive in the long run. Heck, all DC games will, but pirated games make the GD-ROM drive to work a lot harder than it was ever meant to. However a good deal of the homebrew applications load in short spirts which aren't as bad. As for homebrew commercial releases (such as Feet of Fury) they don't pose any concern since they are optimized.

How did you come across this information?

Many years with the dev community as well as having DC's with clear shells and observing disc spin up / down rates when loading things like Doom DC or some backups for games such as StarLancer. A pirated game makes the DC read data on a CD-R that the program on this disc is thinking (and sending information) was formatted to run on a GD-ROM disc.

[evildead2099]

Backed up (pirated) games will cause wear to your CD drive in the long run. Heck, all DC games will, but pirated games make the GD-ROM drive to work a lot harder than it was ever meant to. However a good deal of the homebrew applications load in short spirts which aren't as bad. As for homebrew commercial releases (such as Feet of Fury) they don't pose any concern since they are optimized.

How did you come across this information?

Many years with the dev community as well as having DC's with clear shells and observing disc spin up / down rates when loading things like Doom DC or some backups for games such as StarLancer. A pirated game makes the DC read data on a CD-R that the program on this disc is thinking (and sending information) was formatted to run on a GD-ROM disc.

If your DC gas a clear shell, does that mean that you can see the laser as the DC reads GD-ROM discs? If so, does it hurt your eyes to look at the laser? 8-) X_x

[Griking]

You'll have problems like...the system wont keep the current date.

I have a second Dreamcast that has this problem. Every time I turn it on after not using it for a few hours it asks me the time and date. Once I enter something it runs fine. I always thought that this was due to some battery that wore out. Is this easily fixable?

[goatdan]

I have a second Dreamcast that has this problem. Every time I turn it on after not using it for a few hours it asks me the time and date. Once I enter something it runs fine. I always thought that this was due to some battery that wore out. Is this easily fixable?

It is due to a battery, unfortunately it is not easily fixable. For the most part though, most games don't rely on the system clock being correct anyway. The notable exception I can think of offhand is Seaman of course.

[InsaneDavid]

You'll have problems like...the system wont keep the current date.

I have a second Dreamcast that has this problem. Every time I turn it on after not using it for a few hours it asks me the time and date. Once I enter something it runs fine. I always thought that this was due to some battery that wore out. Is this easily fixable?

Reading the thread is your friend... :roll:


First problem to watch out for is a faulty internal battery. The Dreamcast uses a hardwired 2032 button cel to retain internal settings and to run the internal clock. You cannot just pop open your DC and replace this with an off the shelf CR2032 from Wal-Mart or where ever (this isn't a Saturn). LOL It uses a rechargeable cel that must be replaced with another rechargeable cel, not to mention getting the damn thing loose and securing a new one in place. If buying a DC, boot it up and see if you are prompted to input the time, etc. If you are it's no big deal at this point. Then shut it off, unplug it, plug it back in, and turn it back on. If you are then prompted to input the date and time again, the battery is probably bad. The Dreamcast will automatically charge its internal battery (that should last for 20 days between power off / on) after a few hours of play - but I'm always weary of DC's that "work fine" but then keep prompting to have their clock set.


If your DC gas a clear shell, does that mean that you can see the laser as the DC reads GD-ROM discs? If so, does it hurt your eyes to look at the laser? 8-) X_x

Critical problem with that is....... there's a disc atop the spindle when the drive is reading.