Come Fly(er) With Me - An Exploration of Dreamcast Flyers

 

For the sake of fitting an awful pun into this article's title, I've decided to call those little bits of paper whose purpose is to crassly shill a product or service, 'flyers'. Around these parts I believe the more commonly used term is 'leaflet', although I suspect folks on either side of the pond (and indeed elsewhere in the Anglosphere) will know what is being referred to regardless of which term is employed. Flyer, leaflet, handbill, pamphlet, handout, circular; why there are so many synonyms beats me.

Regardless of linguistic preferences though, the purpose of these objects in angling for sales is all the same, as is the typical end result. After being thrust into your hand on the street by a weary-eyed distributor, or unceremoniously jammed through your letterbox, most flyers are dumped straight in the (recycling) bin, perhaps after being afforded a brief glance if they are lucky. After all, once they have conveyed their message to the reader their primary purpose has been fulfilled. Fortunately though for geeks like us, a hefty crop of Dreamcast flyers have managed to survive the perils of the last 20 years and are safely tucked away in private collections. Of course, keeping a hold of printed material like this isn't a sign of deviant hoarding instincts. Oh no, this is all about curating a collection and preserving precious artefacts.

Ok, ok, calling a pre-order form for Sega Bass Fishing a precious artefact might be an egregious bastardisation of the English language. However, it wouldn't be unreasonable to presume that flyers may hold some kind of value that makes them worthy of preservation - whether that be to hobby enthusiasts with a penchant for oddities, or folks undertaking more serious research into video game history. Therefore in the interests of appeasing these pressing needs, I've recently scanned and uploaded around 20 or so Dreamcast flyers for your viewing pleasure.

What follows is a full list of the haul, with titles hyperlinked to PDF files hosted over at the virtual Aladdin's den that is Sega Retro. Scribblings on some of the more noteworthy pieces can also be found below the list for our hardier readers…

• @barai Eternal Arcadia (4 pages, Japan, 2000) 
• DeeDee Planet (2 pages, Japan, 2000)
  
• Dreamarena Xtreme Dream competition postcard (double-sided, UK, 2000)
  
• Dreamcast Karaoke (2 pages, Japan, 2001)
  
• Dreamcast E3 postcard (double-sided, USA, 1999)
  
• Dreamcast launch (6 pages, Japan, 1998)
  
• Dreamcast launch feat. Hidekazu Yukawa (1 page, Japan, 1998)
• Dreamcast launch postcard (double-sided, Spain, 1999)
• Dreamcast-Scene.com and Wind & Water Puzzle Battles (double-sided, Germany, 2008)
  
• Dreameye (4 pages, Japan, 2000)
  
• Evolution (quad-fold A4, Japan, 1998)
• Garou: Mark of the Wolves postcard (Japan, 2001)
  
• Grandia II (quad-fold A4, Japan, 2000)
• Maken X (tri-fold A4, Japan, 1999)
  
• Phantasy Star Online (tri-fold A4, Japan, 2000)
• Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear competition postcard (double-sided, UK, 2001)
• Record of Lodoss War postcard (double-sided, UK, 2000)
  
• Roadsters (2 pages, UK, 2000)
• Sega Bass Fishing (2 pages, UK, 1999)
  
• Shutoko Battle 2 (8 pages, Japan, 2000)
  
• Space Channel 5 postcard (double-sided, US, 2000)
  
• Speed Devils (2 pages, Japan, 1999)
• WAO! Sega WAO! (6 pages, Japan, 2000)
  

Genki Show-off the Goods

That's an awful lot of copy squeezed into a two-page spread! Here Genki seem to be hoping that readers will gaup in awe at the length of their race track and the selection of souped-up cars on offer.

The marketers at Sega and Genki evidently felt that Shutoko Battle 2 (Tokyo Highway Challenge 2 in PAL regions) warranted more space than usual to flaunt it's red-hot features, shelving the typical flyer format for an 8 page 'Special Guide Book'. As to be expected, the piece delves into hyperbolic detail about the game's graphical improvements, enlarged track and various modes, but also includes an interesting little interview with two of the developers, Tomo Kimura and Tsutomu Hagiwara. Props to Mr Kimura for rocking that mullet in the year 2000 - a brave move that is worthy of our upmost respect.

Wao? Yes, WAO!

Apologies for the bodged centre-fold where two pages meet. Despite this I wanted to exhibit this two-page art piece in all it's glory. The PDF linked to above provides a much higher quality view.

Given the peculiar font used, at first glance I assumed the 'WAO!' emblazoned all over this flyer was a brand name of some sort. That stylised 'O' is definitely supposed to be something other than just a letter, but I haven't the foggiest what (answers in the comments please). After digging a little further though, I discovered that 'wao' appears to just roughly translate to 'wow', and Sega are suggesting that customers would be 'wowed' by the cornucopia of internet services available via the Dreamcast. Many of the features shown, such as video-chatting via the Dreameye and on-demand downloads of Mega Drive and PC Engine classics, as fleeting as they may have been, did in fact exist. Others, such as the chance to get a medical check-up via your Dreamcast (a horrendous idea with dystopian undertones), never came to pass. In any case, the distinctive art style shown on the inner pages is quite endearing and the flyer shows how ambitious Sega were with their vision for the expansive role that the Dreamcast would play in domestic settings.

High Hopes for @barai

The @barai concept explained via cartoon strip, complete with FAQ.

 
@barai was one of many innovative concepts that was put into practice for the Dreamcast. As advertised and explained in this flyer, @barai versions only allowed players to progress part-way through a game, after which point a digital key needed to be purchased to unlock the full game. These editions sold for a much lower price than regular retail releases, thereby allowing customers to try a game without committing to a big outlay of cash. Sega clearly had hopes that @barai would catch-on, touting the likes of Illbleed and House of the Dead 2 as future releases, but that wasn't to be. Aside from Eternal Arcadia, Hundred Swords was the only other title to actually get the @barai treatment.

Xtreme Dreams

Did Sega ever really care about my Xtreme Dreams, or did they just want to lure me onto Dreamarena to inflate my dial-up internet bill even further?

XTREME! I had been blissfully ignorant of the fact that this iteration of the word 'extreme' had seeped over onto our shores, assuming that it was safely contained over in the United States. Alas, as seen here, it reared its head in the title of the 'Xtreme Dream' competition that Sega was operating for Dreamarena users in the year 2000. To enter, Dreamarena users simply had to explain their dream holiday to Sega who would then stump-up the funds to make it a reality for selected lucky winners. Who actually won this competition? Was their holiday in fact 'Xtreme'? Here lies another mystery that should be thrown onto the heaving in-tray of our in-house private investigator, Tom Charnock.

* * *

I'll mercifully wrap things up my ramblings here, but must close out with an obligatory appeal to readers. Who else has curios like these squirreled away in dusty cupboards? Why not scan and share them before they are 'accidentally' scrapped during a spring clean or perish in a mains water leak? Come on, let's be having you!

A Tribute Documentary about D2 Creator Kenji Eno is on the way

A documentary about 90s gaming visionary Kenji Eno is on the way from documentary maker Archipel.

For those unaware, Kenji Eno was a maverick game developer and musician who founded WARP game studios. With WARP, Eno most famously brought us the excellent D trilogy: D, Enemy Zero and D2, the last of which was on the Dreamcast. All three games pushed the boundaries of what people at the time considered a "video game", the latter two of the trilogy in particular experimenting with multiple genres. Eno sadly passed away on February the 20th, 2013, due to heart failure brought on by hypertension.

On the tenth anniversary of Eno's passing, Archipel, a documentary maker that specialises in documentaries "about Japan's creative minds and culture" on YouTube, plan to honour him with a tribute documentary.

Back in October of last year, Archipel announced the documentary was being worked on, saying they'd recieved some "moving testimonials" about Eno, presumably from those who worked with him in the industry. They followed this up seven days ago, when they provided an update, saying they'd wrapped up shooting and that a teaser trailer will be released soon.

We've wrapped shooting. Happy and honored for all the guests who participated to the project and the conversations we've had about this truly avant-garde creator. Teaser coming soon.

— Archipel | アルシペル (@SailToArchipel) January 16, 2023

Update: On the 20th of February - the anniversary of Eno's death - Archipel finally released their teaser for this documentary. This very sombre clip shows the faces of Eno's friends, colleagues, and family who will be providing testimonials. Many highly regarded creatives from the Japanese video game industry are shown, including Hideo Kojima (Metal Gear Solid), Tetsuya Mizuguchi (Rez, Space Channel 5), Yoot Saito (Seaman), Kenichi Nishi (L.O.L.: Lack of Love), and Fumito Ueda (Ico, Shadow of the Colossus). The teaser ends confirming that the documentary will be out in 2023. Check out the teaser below.

As a huge fan of Eno's work, I'm really excited for this upcoming documentary. Will you give it a watch when it's released? Let us know via our social media channels, or simply by dropping us a comment below.

Related Articles: 

• In White 1999: The Time D2's Laura Appeared as a Model in a Japanese Fashion Magazine
• A Quick Look At Real Sound: Winds of Regret
• The Haunting D2 Music Box

DeeDee Planet - Newer Beta Version Uncovered and Preserved

In 2021 we reported on the public release of an all but complete build of DeeDee Planet, the quirky and endearing Dreamcast game that was intended to be a spiritual successor to ChuChu Rocket!, which was sadly shelved just before going on sale. This release was made possible by a stalwart of the Dreamcast scene, Pcwzrd, who managed to source the beta from an unnamed developer, ripped the contents, and put it out into the world. What really put the icing on the cake though was the implementation of online play in 2022, thanks to one of the gurus of Dreamcast server revivals, Shuoma, thereby enabling dozens of folks to experience the game as it was meant to be (cursing your inexplicably skillful opponents as they rain missiles down upon you from their levitating sheep).

Well, here we are in 2023, and the DeeDee train still appears to have more track to traverse just yet. Today, BANANABREAK, a prolific preservationist with a lot of work already under their belt, has kindly released another DeeDee Planet beta (available to download here). This version was allegedly acquired from an ex-Sega UK employee who worked for the team in charge of Dreamarena, the online service that was available across Europe. Could this mean that a localised version was tentatively in the works? It would be a bit of stretch to claim so, but if anyone out there would like to produce a translated version complete with cover art in the majestic PAL-blue style, then we certainly wouldn't turn our noses up!

The GD-Rom containing the latest DeeDee Planet beta to be found and digitally preserved by BANANABREAK.

What we do know (or at least, assuming the scribblings on the GD-Rom are correct) is that this beta is around 10 weeks newer than the version that was previously available. To my uninformed eye, there are no obvious differences between the two builds. However, given that the purported reason for the game's abandonment by Sega was a problem with the game's server connection, it could well be the case that changes affecting this part of the code are in-fact there, hidden away behind the scenes.

Pcwzrd and Shuouma did run some tests with this new build. Pcwzrd had this to say about it:

“As far as we can tell, nothing changed. Nothing obvious anyway. Shuouma says the game is still sending the same corrupted stats back to the server so [Sega] didn't fix that. Shuouma thought that they may have possibly tried to implement a fix for something but it didn't work. That might have been the point at which when they just gave up and cancelled the game.”

Can any of our eagle eyed readers sniff out the differences between these builds? Are we going to see even later builds gracing the internet in years to come? As always, do let us know your thoughts in the comments.

P.S. As a little treat for anyone who is as enamored with this game as I am, I have recently scanned a promotional flyer that was produced for the game. A preview is available below, but a higher quality PDF is also to be found over at Sega Retro. 

The 18th of May release date touted here sadly wasn't to be, but over 20 years on from being scrapped DeeDee Planet's developers can rest easy in the knowledge that their work wasn't in vain.

Review: Andro Dunos

I did consider labelling this post as a 'retrospective' as opposed to a 'review,' and that's because Andro Dunos is not a new game for the Dreamcast. It's not a new game, period. Indeed, this latest release physical for the venerable old console represents something of an enigma in that it's an officially sanctioned release of a game that was previously released a long time ago in an unofficial guise. Are you confused yet? I know I am. But allow me to attempt to unpack this little conundrum.

See, Andro Dunos is a Visco developed side (and occasionally vertical) scrolling shooter that was originally released for the Neo-Geo AES and MVS platforms back in 1992, and which was subsequently made available for the Dreamcast using the Neo4All emulator in the mid 2000s. Indeed, you may have even seen (or possibly own) a copy of the lesser-spotted physical release of Andro Dunos that was previously available, which was essentially a printed CD-R containing Neo4All and an Andro Dunos rom file, presented in a rather nice folded cardboard sleeve. There was a similar Neo Drift Out release too, if memory serves (found them!)...but I digress.

As far as I can tell, this latest iteration of Andro Dunos for Dreamcast is almost identical to the aforementioned (it even displays the Neo4All icon on the VMU screen), albeit with a few subtle differences; the main one being that this is an officially sanctioned physical release with full license from Visco Games and limited to just 2000 copies, all of which come with a rather nice certificate of authenticity and a choice of PAL or NTSC jewel cases, professionally printed manual and case inlays, and the same type of top quality printed CD that you would expect from veteran Dreamcast publishers JoshProd and PixelHeart.

Just taking a moment to appreciate the physical presentation of Andro Dunos (I went for the PAL cased version as the NTSC flavours are not yet - at the time of writing - available), it's really quite hard to fault the level of care that has gone into the package. As mentioned above, you get a nice (if slightly threadbare) instruction manual, some excellent original box art, a little holographic sticker on the back of the box denoting which of the 2000 numbered copies you have acquired (mine is 0332 - what's yours?), and then there's a signed cardboard insert vouching for the authenticity of the copy in your possession. It's a nice touch, I must admit.

But what of the game Andro Dunos itself? Well, it's a pretty bare bones affair in all truth. Set against the backdrop of an alien invasion of Earth, players are thrust into the cockpit of the Yellow Cherry fighter ship and tasked with battling through 8 levels of increasingly more difficult enemies, many of whom seemingly only exist to waft onto the screen, fire a shot and then either exit or propel themselves at your ship, kamikaze style. Naturally, you are armed with a complement of weapons systems which are actually quite similar to those seen in Sturmwind, and these are used to blast your way through the unending swarms of baddies and the numerous multi-staged end of level bosses.

I never played the original Andro Dunos back in 1992, simply because I didn't own a Neo-Geo. I did have a school friend who professed to own one of SNK's mythical systems, but when I went to his house to see/play on it, he claimed his mother had thrown it in the bin because - and I quote - "she didn't know what it was." Because that's something that happens in reality, Chris. You know who you are. 

The upshot of these blatant school boy lies, is that the Dreamcast release of Andro Dunos is my first real experience playing it, and when compared to the other shooters available on the platform, it leaves me a little cold.

Want to see a voxel engine running on Dreamcast?

Again I ask: want to see a voxel engine running on Dreamcast? Of course you do. And now you can. See, programmer Luiz Gustavo (aka NaReeZ) has been working on a Dreamcast voxel engine for the past few weeks and has already produced something rather special, currently running in the Flycast emulator (real hardware is in the works):

As you can see, this short clip shows the disembodied camera roving across a rather nice landscape of lush green valleys, rolling hills, temples and rivers. It's all very tranquil, I'm sure you'll agree.

I first heard about this while browsing Dreamcast-Talk, and there's some interesting discussion in the thread about voxel-based games such as Outcast, which was rumoured to be coming to the Dreamcast at one point but then fell off release schedules as time went by.

I guess it shouldn't really come as a surprise that the Dreamcast can handle a voxel engine, especially since the Sega Saturn did it in commercially released title Amok (or A+M+O+K as the game refers to itself); but it is very encouraging that an independent developer is able to squeeze such an impressive looking and fluid engine out of the Dreamcast in a relatively short period of development time.

Voxel Space Engine Dreamcast with fixed resolution, Software Double Buffer and transferring data from RAM to VRAM using Store Queue Transfer(similar to DMA). It loses 15 to 20 FPS but it runs smoothly. Is there any way to implement double buffering without losing FPS?@sseraphini pic.twitter.com/f3ZhBhbBRm

— Luiz Gustavo (@NaReeZ) January 6, 2023

As it is, the engine - titled 'Voxel Space Engine Dreamcast' - is quite bare bones and is clearly in the 'tech demo' stage at the time of writing, but who knows where this could lead? A homebrew port of Outcast on Dreamcast, anyone? A Dreamcast port of Amok that runs above 8 frames per second? We can but dream...! You can also find the video from pikuma here, which is where the inspiration for Voxel Space Engine Dreamcast came from.

Update: Since posting this article, Luiz has been able to get his voxel engine running on real Dreamcast hardware, with assistance from Ian Michael and Luke Benstead (Kazade), see below.

needs optimization but now works properly on original hardware. Thanks @IanMicheal10 and @kazade for the help. pic.twitter.com/xbw4z4DFSU

— Luiz Gustavo (@NaReeZ) January 15, 2023

We'll be keeping a close eye on Luiz's progress, and if any helpful programmers can assist please do follow him on Twitter or get involved over at Dreamcast-Talk.

Photos and Video Footage of the VM2 Revealed!

In 2022, Dreamcast fans the world over were buzzing at the announcement of a “next-gen” Visual Memory Unit - the VM2. The news even reached the likes of Yahoo! Japan. Created by Chris Diaoglou, who brought us the very impressive DreamConn Bluetooth controller back in 2016, the VM2 blasted past its goal on IndieGoGo. Congratulations, Chris! 

Including a backlit LCD screen with higher resolution, along with Micro-SD storage internal storage of 128KB (200 blocks), and a rechargeable high-capacity internal battery with USB-C charging; the VM2 looks to be the VMU to end all VMUs. No more having to swap VMUs around when you run out of space, or running through CR2032 batteries every two seconds. Woo!

Anyhow, our friend Derek Pascarella shared some photos on our Discord (as well as his Twitter), courtesy of Chris, of the first test production run of the VM2, and it's looking damn good. Note the larger screen that includes icons for the battery and the SD card, along with a power button (instead of a sleep button).

If you still want to get your hands on a VM2, all hope is not lost despite the campaign having ended. The project has moved to "InDemand", meaning you can still order yourself one. Just head on over to the campaign page and select the VM2 perk you want! It will also be available on Chris’ website DreamMods at some point.

Update: Since putting this article up, Chris has returned to wow us yet again, this time with video footage of the early production units in action. Donning surgical gloves, Chris shows off the many bells and whistles of the VM2. He starts off showing the VM2's many settings options, before diving into some games, all presented on the beautiful backlit display. Some of the options that stood out to me the most included the ability to turn the backlight on and off, view the files contained on the SD card, increase VMU game speed, and change the system's region/language. One of the most notable options that grabbed my attention is one that allows you to turn off the VMUs sound (including toggling the famous startup beep on/off!), which is interesting as it wasn't really made clear if the VM2 was going to include a speaker. While I'm sure many wouldn't miss the VMU's death knell of drained CR2032 batteries, games like Skies of Arcadia use the speaker as a sonar, so good to know one is included on the VM2. Check the footage out below!

Anyway, thanks again to Derek and Chris for the photos and videos. Have you ordered or are planning to order a VM2? Let us know in the comments below!

Gemaboy Zero heads to Dreamcast in 2023!

Taking the prize for the first news story I could be bothered to report on in 2023 (don’t worry, there are plenty more to come - just needed a bit of a break after the festive period!), Nape Games have announced that the ‘retro’ version of their successfully Kickstarted Switch/PlayStation 4 title Gemaboy Zero X will also be gracing the Dreamcast. A companion release to the NES variant, Gemaboy Zero is a slightly paired back iteration of the current-gen game, which promises backers an ‘action, exploration and platform Cyberpunk Ploidmania’ experience. Their words, not mine.

Nape Games are no strangers to the Dreamcast scene, having previously released Reknum and Ploid on the platform; and Gemaboy Zero promises more of the same high quality Metroid-style gameplay that fans of this particular developer will be familiar with. Personally, I haven’t played any of the previous Nape Games Dreamcast releases; but you have to hand it to them - while the Spanish outfit might not be the most recognisable of indie studios out there, they have clearly poured a lot of time and effort into creating their own stable of interesting and original IP, with the Ploid canon in particular carving out its own niche and deep world building.

From the Gemaboy Zero Kickstarter page: “Within the RETRO version for the NES and Dreamcast we will include the new GemaBoy Zero adventure, which will be a parallel adventure to GemaBoy Zero X, a growth adventure for our protagonist Omega while he perfects his Skillmaster ability and thus, be the definitive PLOID X!”

If any of that makes sense to you, then congratulations - you are clearly fluent in the lexicon of the Nape Games universe! For the rest of us, basically Gemaboy Zero is a cool looking, retro-themed Metroid-style platform exploration adventure that is worthy - on first glance at least - of your attention. Visit the Kickstarter and the Nape Games website for further details.

I’m reliably informed that Nape Games usually have copies of their Dreamcast titles available to purchase after campaigns have ended, so even though Gemaboy Zero crowdfunding closed in December 2022 it’s well worth keeping an eye on these links to stay informed of when physical or digital will be available to purchase by us plebs who didn’t back it.

Are you a fan of Nape Games’ output on the Dreamcast? Will you be acquiring a copy of Gemaboy Zero? Are you a pleb like me? Let us know in the comments!