Happy Birthday Dreamcast Junkyard...


Well I was kind of waiting for the great Tomleecee to make his triumphant return with this post, as the 'Yard is his creation. However we are now two thirds of the way through this most festive of months, and so far no word... So I feel it is my bound duty, to mark this occasion in his absence, and raise a celebratory glass to my favourite website of all time, about the best console ever made!














Just looking back at the December 2005 archives, it is amazing to see how this place has grown, from it's humble beginnings to it's current Heavyweight Champion status. A small collection, including a console, two controllers, a couple of light guns and VMUs, and a handful of games, were the initial stash that inspired the site, historically and pictorially documented on Tom's technically challenged digital camera.




Since then through the magic of bloggery, we've been shown a stunning array of Dreamcast images, had an informative tutorial on the console's history, been linked to a host of fantastic sites and blogs, been shown a cinematic Dreamcast journey, courtesy of Google and Youtube and seen a plethora of games reviewed, dissected and compared. Added to that it's all been posted with a brilliant sense of humour, some eloquent prose, and some hilarious asides.



All of the Dreamcast peripherals have been considered and assessed. Unfinished Dreamcast developments of both hardware and software have been uncovered. Mods, emulation and homebrew have been flagged up, and highlighted. Dreamcast related humour, art, photos and film have all been promoted. What a blast!




If you're a regular visitor to the site, spend a few minutes trawling the archives for hidden gems you may have missed, or key in a few words of interest into the sites search facility. So many topics have been considered and presented, that it is becoming increasingly challenging to add new stuff!




The addition of the Gagaman(n) to the site's team, opened up an encyclopaedic world of knowledge about the console's hardware and software to the 'Yard. At once Tomleecee had a partner who was able to double the quantity of posts, providing excellent and insightful articles, but with a very different style of writing. Thus the range of documentation of this great console was increased.
His much coveted Dreamcast collection, also boosted the collective amount of Dreamcast exhibition items on display in our Virtual Museum.



I was lucky enough to become the third member of the team, at the end of August. Having discovered the 'Yard by simply typing 'Dreamcast' as a search word into Google, I was immediately hooked, on it's down to earth, Mancunian humour, occasional cynicism, but overall burning love for Sega's finest.

I became a regular commentor (more about this later), checking regularly and hungrily for each new post. Reviews helped me to make some informed choices as to which games I should buy.
Discoveries such as Bleem, the VMU tool (and indeed the fact that games could be played on the VMU), the hidden uses of the fishing rod peripheral, etc. were revolutionary for me in my awareness of the console's potential.



The comments of the site's readers and contributors have been an integral part of the DCJY's growth. Heroic names such as... son_et-lumiere, Pierre La Stank, Caleb, Deitrix, J, Gamer C, Ross and of course DCJY stalwarts Gnome and The Elderly Gamer (amongst others -BTW if you feel you deserve a mention, post a comment and I'll amend this epistle...) have fleshed out the bones of the articles posted on the site.




Highlights for me have been the afforementioned VMU tool post, the fact that a fishing rod peripheral can produce 'Wii' style gameplay on Soul Calibur, my first mention on a 'Yard post, (and indeed my first post on the 'Yard), finding links to the Elderly Gamer and The Gnome's Lair, watching all the good stuff posted on video links, Gagaman(n)'s post about oft repeated theme's in DC games, and above all the silliness factor... like Tom finding DC 'swirls' everywhere. Oh! and some of the frankly horrendous merchandising that accompanied this most wonderful of Sega produce.



And if none of the above makes sense to you, I urge you, nay command you, to check out a whole year's worth of blogging in the archives.

So at the end of this historic year, thanks to the DCJY's insight, I am able to come up with my top twenty Dreamcast games of all time... Apart from the top 3, they're in no particular order...
I hope that anyone reading this post will take the time to flag up theirs... They are as follows:




1.) Shenmue 1 & 2
2.) Soul Calibur
3.) Caution Seaman

4.) House Of The Dead 2/Typing Of The Dead
5.) Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2

6.) Blue Stinger
7.) Super Runabout
8.) Sega Worldwide Soccer
9.) Crazy Taxi
10.) Virtua Tennis 1 & 2
11.) Sega Rally
12.) Jet Set Radio

13.) Dead Or Alive 2
14.) Confidential Mission
15.) Rez

16.) Vitrua Fighter 3tb
17.) Sega Marine Fishing
18.) Marvel vs. Capcom
19.) Outtrigger

20.) V Rally

But that's only the story so far... Hopefully, posting on the 'Yard will continue to shape and change that particular perspective.



Tomleecee took a chance making me a team member. Hopefully the gamble paid off. Being able to post has opened up a whole new world for me.
Fellow Bloggers have become comrades and colleagues, a few even friends. From being a team member on the 'Yard, I have also become a co-contributor to Gnome's Gaming On the Go, and finally spread my wings to produce the DCJY's little brother...the unimaginatively conceived Saturn Junkyard.

However, my favourite website of all time will remain this hallowed 'Yard.



And so , without further ado, raise your glasses and receive a toast for Tomleecee and his most esteemed of creations... "The Dreamcast Junkyard"....

Happy Birthday!

42 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday....! It was like yesterday when you were just a small bug that I stepped on... hhmmm .. that can't be right.. Any hoo ..

I like the ass on that girl... thats my focus.. along with that rod! They would make an excellent dreamcast pair... My rod and that ass in my dreamcast...!!

Hey, that was pretty good..!

Ok a very serious Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas guys...! Have a good one!!

.....and many more

fatherkrishna said...

Thankyou Deitrix!
I'm trying to blank out the image of that 'rod' and that 'ass'!
You are cordially invited to our blogging community's 'Virtual Office Party' time and date to be announced very soon... We're all meeting up on one of our sites, festively attired, drinks and mince pies in hand, to have a night of virtual festive revelry! (Hic!) Bring a guest if you like! (Burp!)
Happy Holidays!

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday DreamCast junkyard!!! Wooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

*Looks around desk...* Hold up, how come I didn't get an invite to the party!?

Anonymous said...

(gnome enters holding 2 crates of Hose Quervo Especial, 1 crate of Martini, 3 bottles of Stalin Vodka, a fine collection of Dreamcast wine glasses and a six pack of cheap beer, while also juggling a DC Junkyard cake)

Happy Birthday DCJK!

A touching and most excellent post dear Father Krishna. Now, guess I'll have to at least manage to get them top 20 games!

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

Ecco defender of the future is still one of my favorite Dreamcast games.
Amazing diversity, amazing graphics amazing sound, fun and easy to pick up.
It had everything.

fatherkrishna said...

J! You're invitation to the 'Virtual Office Party' goes without saying... and you can bring a couple of mates too!
Are you going to be in cosplay attire like so many of the special' types that appear on your site?

fatherkrishna said...

Gnome! so gald you could make it, Just plonk all that stuff down over there... Champagne?

BTW, Ivy off Soul Calibur (as pictured in Birthday post,) is with me tonight, despite Deitrix getting all leery with her...

Cracker?... Oh...You won...Ooh! Its a little plastic Sonic capsule toy...not bad... Now put your paper crown on... very festive...

Can I introduce you to this young lady... Ms. Lara Croft... Oh and you're right by the mistletoe...

fatherkrishna said...

Anonymous...There is a lovely review of Ecco by TLC in the archives, check it out... Thanks for dropping in...Grab yourself a beer...

Anonymous said...

BRB (not as in Big Red Book... more of the be right back kind)

(gnome is right back!)

Tadah!

Champagne! Load-up Ecco...

Caleb said...

Happy Birthday Dreamcast Junkyard!

Holy Crap!

Name my favorite 10 Dreamcast games!??!?!?!

How the hell could I pick just ten!?!?!!?!?!?

Anyways. Here are some of dreamcast games I enjoy playing. In NO particular order since I love them all for different reasons...along with quotes.

House of the Dead 2
- "No don't come!"

Resident Evil Code Veronica
-"Wesker!?!?"

Resident Evil 3 Nemesis
-"S.T.A.R.S"

Grandia 2
-"Yeah! We did it!"

Skies of Arcadia
-"I was going to leave him here but it seems I have a use for him"

Dead or Alive 2
-"*Grunt*!"

Soul Calibur
-"*Sword clashing sound* *grunt*!"

Quake 3
-"Doom"

Alone in the Dark - new nightmare
-"Ok. I can see your light"

PSO - Version 2.
-"I am crazy about weapons"

D2 (Paraphrased since I forgot what the exact quotes are)
-"What I am saying is that you need to kill to get meat so that you can survive"
-" Even a mouse will kill if it's life is in danger"
*Creepy old man voice*
-"I will show you a magic trick"

The Ring
-"Seven...Days..."

Gauntlet Legends
-"Use magic on Death to defeat it"

Outtrigger
-"Out*slight pause*trigger"

Capcom vs. SNK
SNK DREAM MATCH
Capcom vs. Marvel
-"*Any number of girly fighting noises, moans and squeals*"

Tony Hawk 2
-"*Music* The only card I need is the ace of spades, the ace of spades!"

Soul Reaver 2 Legacy of Kain
"*SFX* weird sucking noise as soul is being pulled into Raz's body"

So many others...being left off that list by doesn;t mean I don't love the game.

Long live Dreamcast! Long Live THE DREAMCAST JUNKYARD!

Anonymous said...

I shall raise a glass of Drambuie to the 'yard and wish all of you a happy whatever the hell you celebrate. I may even drink enough to start to think that Americans are still liked throughout the world and my fearless leader wasn't a eedjit. Anywho... happy happy to all and to all a good night.

P.S. Speaking of Drambuie... Anyone know where I can get my hands on a bottle of "Drambuie Black Ribbon"?

Anonymous said...

What an honorable post that was, Krish. I can't say I remember when or how I found this blog, but when I did, like you, I was hooked. I was surprised to find someone actually just as hooked on the Dreamcast even now as I was, and just had to have some input. Along with joining in on the blogging, I've attempted to extend the Junkyard name out even further across the interwebs with the YouTube and Wiki sites.

Top 20 games? Let's see...just take note that this will be ather rough:

1) Soul Calibur
2) REZ
3) Samba De Amigo
4) Shenmue 1+2
5) Crazy Taxi
6) Jet Set Radio
7) Virtua Tennis 1+2
8) Marvel vs Capcom 2
9) House of the Dead 2
10) Capcom vs SNK 2
11) Power Stone
12) Sonic Adventure 1+2
13) Seaman
14) Space Channel 5
15) Giga Wing 1+2
16) Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
17) Sega Marine Fishing
18) Daytona USA 2001
19) Le Mans 24 Hours
20) Dynamite Cop

Anonymous said...

(gnome enters holding 2 crates of Hose Quervo Especial, 1 crate of Martini, 3 bottles of Stalin Vodka, a fine collection of Dreamcast wine glasses and a six pack of cheap beer, while also juggling a DC Junkyard cake)

YOU LUSH LITTLE DEVIL... (DEITRIX runs over and picks up all 3ft of Gnome and kisses him on the cheeks..)

(Then runs outside to help back in the Tanker Truck holding 10,000 gallons of Guinness).. (Pitcher in hand..!)

fatherkrishna said...

Jeez this is turning out to be quite a party! Welcome Pierre! (we love American people...just not that George Bush fellow...)
Welcome Caleb! Welcome Gagaman(n)!
Welcome back Deitrix! (Put gnome down!) Ah this is going better than I thought it could...

Father Krishna adjusts the elasticated waist of his Don Niu cosplay pants and surveys Caleb and Gagman(n)s lists...

Alone In The Dark! Agreed!
Capcom vs. Snk! Agreed!
Samba De Amigo! Very Agreed!
Space Channel 5! Agreed!
Powerstone 1&2! Agreed!
Street Fighter III! Agreed!
Daytona USA? It's on order arriving in two weeks!!!! Hooray!
Dynamite Cop! Agreed!

So many titles, so little time!

Father Krishna goes out with Deitrix carrying a four pint tankard... Places hose like contraption at the back of the tankes and syphons off some of the cool, black Dublin goodstuff...

PAAARRTTTYY!!!

Hey, where's Elderly?

fatherkrishna said...

Hey Caleb! Your'e allowed twenty not ten! so come on.. the next ten please...

Deck the halls with Jet Set Radio etc.

Anonymous said...

(sitting on Gnomes drink crates.... tears in his eyes offers a toast to the host.....)

A happy birthday and what a beatiful ovation...... i can't, i can't... gin always does this to me....

(elderly breaks down.....having supped too long at the fountain....)

extraordinary overview of a most illustrious blog...

(falls off crate....)

Caleb said...

Top 20 corrected list.

(I really put some thought into it this time)

1. Soul Calibur
2. RE Code Veronica
3. Power Stone
4. Alone in the Dark NM
5. RE 2
6. Dead or Alive 2
7. PSO Verion 2.0
8. Skies of Arcadia
9. Illbleed
10. D2
11. Record of Lodoss War
12. Giga Wing
13. Marvel vs Capcom
14. Capcom vs SNK
15. SNK Dreambout
16. House of the Dead 2
17. Grandia 2
18. Crazy Taxi
19. Jet Set Radio
20. Tony Hawk 2

And if I may add I really like some of my new games on the DreamSNES.

Caleb said...

"SNK Dreambout?"

Capcom vs SNK 2 is what I meant...wtf. I gotta stop typing posts early in the morning. Why the hell did I think it was called Dreambout???

And I know I left Shemue and Sonic off the list. Thats because I have not played Shemue in depth yet and the fates have prevented me from buying sonic adventure 1 or 2 yet.

Tom Charnock said...

WAHAY! Great post FK - and guess what?! I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!! Watch this space...

fatherkrishna said...

Crikey! It's the guvnor!

(Father Krishna quickly starts to tidy up the apocolyptic level of alcoholic devestation that litters the DCJY office...)

Good to see you back mate! I shall await your tales of life on the ocean waves, hidden treasure, Krakkens, Jamaican rum, anchor tatoos, pirates and a girl in every port...

Anonymous said...

Welcome back Tomleecee!

...and with one returning we have another another leaving: I'm off on holiday till the 3rd. California followed by New York! With any luck I might find some Dreamcast swag out there! See you guys around!

fatherkrishna said...

Safe journry and happy holidays Gagaman(n)!

Anonymous said...

Ah lovely party indeed... Just like my headache... Smiles all around and welcome Tomleece!!!!!!!

:)

Ross said...

What, Ross doesent get a meantion? ;-)

BTW, what happend to Tom? I havent been reading for the past month or so and now he's.... gone?

Ross said...

Oh wait, he's back!

fatherkrishna said...

Ross! Of course such an esteemed blogger and gamer gets a mention...
Yhe list of supporters is a moveable feast...
Sure more people need a mention...
Merry christmas one and all!

Anonymous said...

A cunning holiday strategy by a cunningest Father Krishna!

Caleb said...

I would also like to say that dreamcast junkyard has informed me about a TON of stuff that you can do with the dreamcast including the cool emulation stuff I have been doing. (And saving my sanity when my SNES died - Thankyou DreamSNES *more on my blog*)

I had no idea how much stuff the dreamcast could do without ANY physical modifications.

It has also provided me a place were I can say that the dreamcast is my favorite console without people looking at me like I was INSANE.

So thanks again and happy birthday dreamcast junkyard!

You guys rock! I hope that people will keep coming up with cool dreamcast stuff as emulation tools proliferate and more reviews are created.

fatherkrishna said...

Tis our esteemed pleasure Caleb... and rest assured saying the Dreamcast is your favourite console will get you a veritable certificate of sanity in these here parts...

You can emulate tons of stuff for other systems on the DC... I just found the Neo Geo disc a friend burned for me...

I never even owned this elusive system, but thanks to the Dreamcast can experience the goodies it has to offer!

God bless you Dreamcast...

Anonymous said...

Did you all have a Merry Christmas...?
I hope so!!!

Give me some of them booze to mix in this here hot cider...
I love some good ole' hot cider...!!
Stoke the fire and lets relax like we should... The calm before our New Years party...

fatherkrishna said...

Hot Cider? Awlright!
A big part of me wants to acknowledge Deitrix's festive comment (we've become firm friends throughout 2006)...

But there is also a very sad side of me that is loving the quantity of replies to this post...

Admittedly, I've contributed about 30 of these comments... But come on!!!

Add more... we're aiming for DCJY record of 40!

Well, what else are we meant to do whilst waiting (for days by the way) for Tomleecee's next post??

Anonymous said...

I think I have been talking to your ghost on AIM....? He never replies and he's been on for the last 2 days and 8 minutes...

So how was Christmas? The family doing pretty good?

Mine was swell.. My son got everything I asked for... hehe..

fatherkrishna said...

Well that's 33 then... any takers?

fatherkrishna said...

Sorry deitrix! It was all good... But we've already chatted about this in other arenas!

34... Come on the rest of you... We've got a Roy Castle type record breaker thing going on...

LOL!

fatherkrishna said...

The DCJY has been so static for a long while... I keep checking it out for another post (Lives in hope) or the odd comment... Is there anybody out there who can keep this esteemed blog going? (35 and counting...)

Porroe said...

whoa, a year already, congrats team!

It's been a really fun ride, and I'm glad to see it's still going strong, I haven't posted comments in a while, but I've never stopped to read.

Keep it up!

Anonymous said...

I'm back from my trip, and thanks to a small retro shop out in New York, I've come back with 3 Dreamcast games! Ill bleed, Atari Anniversary Collection and Floegan (whatever) Bros! I have a lot to do, so wont be able to post for a little while, though.

fatherkrishna said...

PullMyFinger! (I always would given the option, even well aware of the potential consequences...)

Good to see you and thanks for dropping in!!!

fatherkrishna said...

Gagamann! hope you had a good festive outing! (You lucky bugger!)

You know I won't leave you alone till you regail us with tales of your findings... BTW! having got very excited about the Floigans its just not me...

fatherkrishna said...

Tomleecee! I've been a watchin' and a waitin'... come on mate... show me the money... Show me the money!

LOL! :)

Tom Charnock said...

Sorry about the lack of postage (not the kind that comes through the letterbox, you understand). I've had lots on you see, plus DC stuff has become incredibly hard to come by!! I've been trying to come up with interesting shit to write about, but with no new merchandise it's ball-breakingly hard.

Unknown said...

No kidding..! Its amazing how you guys can keep this going like you do... Thumbs up to you all!

So whens that next-gen Dreamcast getting launched again..?
Sounds like soon would work out great!