The Dreamcast Games of 2018

Welp! It’s February already and we haven’t even done a year in review for 2018 yet. Shame on us.

If you recall, 2017 was an unprecedented bumper year for Dreamcast games. There was a total of 27 physical releases last -  er.. the year before - including nine brand new titles, various re-releases and packaging variations. Along with the physical releases, we also got out hands on the previously unpublished game Millennium Racer: Y2K Fighters during 2017 as well. It was going to be hard for 2018 to top this lot.

Just what did the year that heralds the 20th anniversary of our little white box have in store for us? Let's take a stroll back down memory lane through the Dreamcast releases of 2018.

Every Dreamcast release of 2018

Rush Rush Rally Reloaded Heads Up List Of Dreamcast Re-Releases

Heads up folks. There's a new Dreamcast release coming very soon. Rush Rush Rally Reloaded is heading our way and it features a whole host of improvements and fixes. Rush Rush Rally Racing was released on the Dreamcast a few years ago and it was then re-released on the Nintendo Wii.

This re-re-release on the Dreamcast (still with me?) is based on the Wii version, but includes a ton of further updates. We spoke to Roel van Mastbergen from Senile Team to get the full lowdown on this latest addition to the Dreamcast's library. Here's a full list, courtesy of Roel himself:

Hi Dreamcast Junkyard! It's true - Rush Rush Rally Reloaded is coming to the Sega Dreamcast and it will come in both PAL and DVD-style long box packaging! Both will be available in limited quantities but will feature the following improvements to the game:

• Two new single player modes: Time Attack and Challenge, which is  like "Get Ahead" from the original game, but against CPU players.
• Totally redesigned menus
• Changed camera distance so you can see more of the road ahead
• Some improved graphics, including: light beams are larger and rotated more smoothly, more colourful billboards, additional illustrations
• Faster loading times
• Stable 60fps in both single and multiplayer modes
• Removed video mode switches between 640x480 and 320x240 resolutions, so low-resolution parts are now upscaled to 640x480
• A mode for detecting when people copy and paste lists
• Support for more character sets in name entry
• Usability improvements, such as last entered name is remembered for name entry so you don't have to re-enter your name every time you play
• Improved legibility of internet score codes
• Improved control configuration options
• Added engine sound options
• 6 languages: English, German, Dutch, Spanish, French, Italian
• DVD case version will feature an 8 page colour manual

As stated by Roel, the game will be available in a DVD style case, but also in PAL flavour too. Even more interesting is that the PAL print run will be handled by JoshProd, a small company based in France specialised in re-releasing old games. Josh Prod have been involved in several re-release projects, the most notable of which was a re-issue of Neo Geo AES cartridge Neo Drift Out (in collaboration with Visco) in 2016. 

Along with Rush Rush Rally Reloaded, JoshProd will also be offering re-prints of certain previously released Dreamcast games such as Ghost Blade, Dux, Alice Mom's Rescue and a run of a new-to-Dreamcast 2D SNK fighter called Breakers. All of these come with PAL-styled packaging and redesigned manuals; and in some cases also include new content.

10th Anniversary Competition Bonus Stage - Winners!

Once again, massive thanks to Play-Asia.com for supplying us with the prizes for this, our final 10th anniversary competition; and thanks to everyone who entered. The VMU images seem to have flummoxed most of you (it wasn't meant to be easy!), but that said most of you got the vast majority of them right. So well done. Before we announce the winners, here are the answers:

How many did you get right? In truth, nobody got them all 100% correct but as stated in the original post, if that happened, the entrants with the next best number of correct answers would be crowned winners and recieve a prize. And so here they are:

1st Prize Winners: Mike Lodato & Alex Young

Runners Up: Yu Kajima, Ricardo Almeida & Anna Frohling

Well done to you all, and thanks again to Play-Asia.com for supplying us with copies of Dux and ReDux. Winners will also get a copy of our DCJY Collectors Guide. We hope you enjoyed the competition, and remember: keep dreaming!

Redux: Dark Matters due for release December 3rd!

Redux: Dark Matters, the kickstarted sequel to DUX, finally has an official release date! The game will be released on Decmeber the 3rd, and is up for pre-order as a regular edition for 32.95 Euros or as a bundle with DUX 1.5 (released earlier this year) for 39.95 Euros. Because the kickstarter limited edition comes bundled with DUX 1.5, I have had to wait till Redux is released to also get that game, so I will be getting both games at the same time!

Dux 1.5 is shipping! Unless you pledged to the ReDux kickstarter..

Hucast Games revealed today that Dux 1.5 begins shipping out tomorrow, earlier than planned, so if you pre-ordered this expect your copy in the mail soon! If you pledged enough for Redux: Dark Matters on kickstarter to get that game with this one, apparently Hucast will not be shipping Dux 1.5 until Redux is out, as they are in a bundle box set I assume. A bit of a weird snag there; anyone that pledged any amount on the kickstarter gets discounts on the hucast store on everything so in theory I could buy it now at a discount, but I already technically bought it with Redux, but I guess I can wait for them both to arrive together, although a release date for ReDux is yet to be confirmed.

Dux 1.5 Trailer: Release date April 22nd

Looks like our first Dreamcast game of 2013 to ready to escape into the wild, though in this case it's not an entirely new game. Much like Last Hope: Pink Bullets, Dux 1.5 is a revision of, well...Dux, which came out back in 2009, and has made changes to make the game more balanced with adjustments to various gameplay elements, bug fixes and enemy patterns, instant re-spawn instead or re-loading from a check point, a new soundtrack and 'custom controls' which I assume means you can customize anything to any button.

The good news is if you already own the original Dux you can get your hands on this new edition. I;m not entirely sure how you go about claiming one but this is mentioned on hucast.com so if you log in from there and contact them they will let you know I would imagine. Also if you pledged to the Redux kickstarter you can get a discount on anything from their store, and if you pledged enough for Redux you will get Dux 1.5 as well.

The game has been revealed to be on it's way at the end of this month, the 22nd of April, although there is still no release date for Redux as of yet. As for wherever kickstarter pledgers will get this on street date or will have to wait till Redux is out, I'm just asked Hucast about that on Twitter..

Either way when this pops through the mail I will bring you a video including side by side comparisons with the 2009 release. I was pretty darn awful at Dux, so hopefully the changes will help go towards me getting further in it! :P