Visual Memory, Baby!

You know what I really, really hate about the Dreamcast? It's the noise. The noise is unbelievable. I have moaned about this in the past - about the disk accessing and the hum of the fan, but this is about something else. And I'm sure everyone reading this will have experienced this at least once:

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!

Yes, it's the VM politely telling me, the rest of the street and every dog in the neighbourhood that it's batteries are dead. I decided to remedy this annoyance by opening the VM and destroying the speaker module thing by twatting it with the screwdriver...but my common sense kicked in and told me that it'd probably disrupt the correct operation of the device. So I resorted to the semi-efficient practice of sticking a blob of blu-tack over the speaker vents on the back of all of my VMs.

However, it seems that all my beep induced problems have been solved. For today I picked up a Joytech 4mb VM (pictured) for the price of £2.49 stirling. I suppose it should really only be called an 'M' because it doesn't have an LCD screen, ergo dropping the need for the term 'Visual.' But it is this lack of an LCD that holds the true genius.

No LCD means no battery and no battery means no beep!!!! Plus, it's 4 VMs in one, so it abolishes the need to replace VMs every time I want to play a game with a save on another card.

Phantasy Star Online arrived too but I've had no time to have a go, but judging by the reports I've had fall across my desk about how good it is, I think my Friday night is sorted. Pub? nah. Phantasy Star Online. but offline. You get the drift.

***Tom Cruise update incoming***

Now, the Dreamcast Junkyard has brought up the subject of Mr Cruise on numerous occasions in the recent past. But this time, I feel I owe the pint sized scientologist freak a semi-apology. You see, I saw (not sure if that's good grammar) The Last Samurai yesterday and I must say that it's one damn fine movie. The story is quite believable, the fight scenes very impressive and the whole movie is beautifully shot. It doesn't quite undo the abhorrance contained within War of the Worlds, but it was good. But still, Mr Cruise worships alien ghosts that eat human souls. Quite.
***End Transmission***

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pay attention, Dreamcast Junkyard... are you ready for... (ye olde)... X-BOX??!!!!

No, neither am I. After the raves I've been hearing about the impressive staying power of the Dreamcast's gamage at low, low prices, I'm disapointed that I've yet to find anyone prepared to give me a free Dreamcast console. Why would anyone give away a console for free? I don't know, but I now have two old X-boxes (is that the generally accepted plural?) acquired at £0 (plus 0p delivery), both from the great town of Grimsby. I haven't used either of them... yet...

It's clear which console people are eager to get rid of. Evidence of Dreamcast's superiority over a more recent console? YOU DECIDE!!!

My powers of telepathy tell me that the visitors of the dreamcast Junkyard have voted for the superiority of...

DREAMCAST!!!!! (Fireworks etc)

Sorry, didn't know where else I should put this comment. So to move on to the content of your post...

Tom Cruise had to appear in something decent in order to prevent the balance of good and evil being permanently skewed thus throwing the cosmos into eternal darkness, although I fear we may once again be a step closer with the release of Mission Impossible 3. I wonder if they break into a top security building in this one...

Too big for a comment. Sorry... been away for while... won't do it again.

Animated AF said...

I haves me a 4-in-1 memory card sort of like that. Indeed, that beeping is bloody annoying. Maybe I should gie the blu-tack idea a go...

Anonymous said...

Or... Perhaps you could just buy a replacement battery(ies)and be done with it. Just a thought...

Anyway, greeting from 'across the pond' and all that. I have recently rediscovered the 'fun' in gaming that was just non-existent in the Xbox, PSbleh etc. I came across this site and have made it a daily stop for myself. Quite well done.

Animated AF said...

But it's onl;y worth slapping watch batteries in them if your actually going to use them toplay it's little downloadable games and that. Maybe I should give em another go.

Anonymous said...

It's worth the price to not hear the noise. That being said, mine screetch like women around a new baby. At some point I will get to it myself as both of mine make that noise on start up I just have not gotten around to it yet.

It's funny, it'll most likely end up costing me more for the batteries than it did for the VMU itself. I think I paid $2.00 for the VMU which at todays exchange rate is somewhere around... oh, say... .03pounds (sorry, don't know how to make that pound symbol).

Tom Charnock said...

Well, thanks for reading Pierre, new comments are actively encouraged! Ye olde leach, good to have you back. Long time no hear! I think Pierre has a point, I really should just go and get some CR2032 batteries...but they always come in 5 packs on ebay! I need SIX. ARSE-DAMMIT!!

The Chad said...

Wow, it's great to know I'm not the only one that hates that horrid sound!

I have heard, though, that some of the third party Memory Cards fit rather too snug, if at all. Have you had any problems with your new "M"?

Ross said...

I guess I'm the only who truly appreciates the VMU for its best feature - the ability to beep when the batteries are dead!

Because, y'know, I would forget if it didnt make that sound every time.

Animated AF said...

I'd rather forget than ave to hear the sound everytime I plug one in.

Ross said...

Admit it. We all love that sound.

Even though I dont care about the VMU battaries (I never replaced them once), I still need to know if the battaries are dead are not! We're all bound to forget! Yes!

Tom Charnock said...

Chad - no problems at all with the M! it works perfectly. You don't even have to turn the power off in order to switch between mem cards - just press the button and it flips between them effortlessly!