So how is Half-Life for Dreamcast?

[kainemaxwell]

Our topic about downloading and getting HL for Dreamcast is going over big, but the bigger question is: how does it play and what ratings would you give it?

[Wavelflack]

It plays great, has a few hiccups here and there, but my main irritation is how often the loading happens. 2nd irritation is the VMU management system. It looks at the VMU free space, and regardless of whether or not it's Half Life files, if there isn't enough free space for a save, it asks you to delete a file.

In other words, let's say you have a vmu with only a single HL file on it. To save again, you have to have enough free space remaining to make an entirely new save file. If you have that much free space, then you'll have the option of making a new file, OR overwriting the old one. If you don't have enough free space, then you must delete the previous save, then write the new one. The solution would have been to have the game look at HL files as "potentially free", and simply give you the option to overwrite them each time.

Once you play it, you'll understand.


What grade would I give it? Well, I presume that both of these issues would have been addressed if it had actually made it to print (I doubt this was actually a "gold" version). With those out of the way, and a nice manual, I would give it an A. As it stands currently, it gets a B.

[Raedon]

The load times are in the exact same places as the PC version, but without the HD it takes a goot 5-10 seconds to load.

[Zaxxon]

5-10 second load times sound great compared to Soldier of Fortune on the DC. Ever played that one?

[kainemaxwell]

If anything this'll get me to get a 2nd VMU then for my larger games like Lodoss War and Soul Reaver too.

How many VMU blocks does Half-Life take up?

[Raedon]

32 blocks me thinks

[mitmoe]

this game rocks! \^_^/

[clumsy colin]

had a saved game take 110 blocks on the vmu :o

[kainemaxwell]

Crap, that's more then Lodoss War takes up!! :o

[digitalpress]

Seems a LOT better than the PS2 version to me! The game "flows" better. The PS2 seemed like MORE of a direct port, and every 100 virtual yards it had to pause to load up more data. The Dreamcast version does that but seems much more forgiving.

[kainemaxwell]

Does it load as often as the PC version too? So smooth frame rates except for th eloading times?

[Wavelflack]

BTW, the save file size resets to the 30-40 block size each time you get to a new stage. It gets progressively larger the farther you go through a stage.

[kainemaxwell]

I'mg etting a copy of this next week from a friend of mine in my class at Chubb. :)

[devilman]

5-10 second load times sound great compared to Soldier of Fortune on the DC. Ever played that one?

Christ... I couldn't believe the load times on that one. :evil: If I want to play SOF I play the PC version and leave the DC game on the shelf.

[kainemaxwell]

A friend of mine at Chubb's got HL for DC and burning me a copy. he's got other European and Japanese imports too.

[Half Japanese]

If anyone would be willing to burn me a working copy I'd be willing to reimburse you for your troubles :D. I have a thread in the buying and selling forum you're free to look around in or I can do a money order!

-J

[kainemaxwell]

I don't need anything special to play a burned DC game do I?

[Half Japanese]

I don't think so, a friend burned me some games a while back (these games were impossible to find at the time damnit!). I think as long as the disc has a self-boot file or something it should work fine. Check www.dcemulation.com for the most up to date and best info.

[kainemaxwell]

Justin, check your PMs later please.

Might be the case, I think most burned games work if you have a DC made before a certain time, which is the cas eof mine.

[Ed Oscuro]

The load times are in the exact same places as the PC version, but without the HD it takes a goot 5-10 seconds to load.

Nice...I remember trying to play that game on my old 200MHz Packard Bell (had 16MB of RAM at the time). That thing took three-five MINUTES to load between areas!

[jonjandran]

Justin, check your PMs later please.

Might be the case, I think most burned games work if you have a DC made before a certain time, which is the cas eof mine.

It has been determined that ALL Dreamcast work with the self-boot burned games.

http://www.dcemulation.com/article-supported.htm

Look under Non-Working Models:

It has been determined all models, that were previously thought un-working, infact do work that were in this list. So this concludes that so far, all DC's work :)

[kainemaxwell]

...and I don't need a boot disc? great, thanks. :)

[wcmiker]

Really?

Self-Boot games work on my DC but not my friend's (His was made after Feb 2001).

[jonjandran]

Really?

Self-Boot games work on my DC but not my friend's (His was made after Feb 2001).

I've had almost every DC system made . (I've had over 30) With dates before snd after FEB 2001 and they ALL worked with every self-boot game i have. The only one that didn't was bad anyway ( it would mess up with regular games sometimes).
And I think you can trust the guys at www.dcemulation.com . I think they just might Know what they're doing. :D

[GaijinPunch]

Anyone got a link to how this one was leaked? Where it came from?
I remember back in the day, waiting, and waiting, and waiting... nice to see that it's out.

[SoulBlazer]

Well, I'm not sure how the game got FIRST leaked, but the game was READY to be released, by all accounts -- the version floating around the Net is the Gold print. Just at the last second, Sierra decided that the DC was dying and they could'nt make their money back if they released the game, so they canceled the release.

[Ed Oscuro]

The story I heard was that Sony told Sierra that if they released it for the DC, there wouldn't be a PS2 release. Probably far off the mark, but that's an interesting possible answer (though the DC failing so no release one seems pretty conventional and probably not far off the mark).

[kainemaxwell]

I got a question on burning DC discs? Which is better or easier to use: Nero and copying the cd itself, or using Disc Juggler?

[jonjandran]

I got a question on burning DC discs? Which is better or easier to use: Nero and copying the cd itself, or using Disc Juggler?

You can't copy an original DC game.

[kainemaxwell]

I meant for copying a burned DC disc, like Half-Life or the like.

[jonjandran]

I meant for copying a burned DC disc, like Half-Life or the like.

I use the newest nero. The older (before version 5.10.7 or something like that) won't work.

[kainemaxwell]

I've got 6.0.0.15

[jonjandran]

I've got 6.0.0.15

You should be fine then.