20 Years of The Dreamcast Junkyard

I was just going to ask ChatGPT to write me a post about this and add some fuel to the ever-churning AI slop engine that now both powers the internet and pushes RAM prices to cataclysmic levels; but as I was about to click 'generate,' I was visited by a ghastly apparition. The spectre that appeared before my very eyes was a scruffy, hungover urchin uttering barely coherent gibberish about GD-Rom drive emulation, hi-tech VMUs with colour screens, countless new independently developed games, wireless Dreamcast controllers and revitalised online servers. Disgusted by its unkempt appearance, I tried to waft the unspeakable phantom's form away with a swipe of my hand. It was then that I realised that I was actually seeing my own image reflected in my monitor.

Shocked and appalled by what I had witnessed, I promptly closed ChatGPT (other shite slop generators are available) and came to my senses. The 'this' I mention in the opening sentence of this post — and alluded to by the title — is the realisation that yes, we have indeed been here for twenty years. Two decades of Dreamcast-related nonsense here at The Dreamcast Junkyard. And lo, I thought that was worth waffling on about for a bit. Well, waffling in text form. You get the idea.

Before I continue though, just for shits and gigs, I did actually ask a popular AI thing what it knew about this very blog. I know this is super cringe, and the modern day equivalent of Googling yourself or putting yourself on Hot or Not to see if your face does indeed look like a three week old jack-o'-lantern that's been left in the sun...but let's just have a bit of fun here. So, what does...er...Gemini think The Dreamcast Junkyard is? 

Here's what it projectile vomited:

That's a great question! The Dreamcast Junkyard is a well-known, independent, and passionate online collective dedicated to the Sega Dreamcast console.

Here is a breakdown of what they do:

• Online Hub for Fans: It's considered a leading source for news, reviews, retrospectives, and everything else related to Sega's final console, which was discontinued in 2001 but still enjoys a dedicated fan base.
• Content Focus: They produce a variety of content, including:
• Reviews and Articles: Deep dives into both classic Dreamcast games and new, commercially released indie/homebrew titles.
• The DreamPod Podcast: A podcast that focuses on Dreamcast culture, collecting, the community, and general retro gaming topics.
• Hardware Coverage: They often look into Dreamcast peripherals, different console variations, and preservation efforts.
• Passion Project: The site started as a personal blog in 2005 by a fan named Tom Charnock and has grown into a collaborative, not-for-profit effort run by a team of dedicated enthusiasts.

In short, it's a thriving online community that keeps the spirit and excitement for the Sega Dreamcast alive and well!

As if to demonstrate how utterly unhinged these AI models are, and to further illustrate why we absolutely do not need this bullshit, the gushing nature of this response actually makes me feel a bit embarrassed. Also, I'm aware that copying and pasting that garbage back into this blog is only going to add to the ever-decreasing circle of content scraping depravity that these LLMs engage in...but at this point the internet is so far removed from the one that existsed back in 2005 when I started this blog, that its a bit of a moot point.

You can probably tell from this opening gambit that I'm no fan of AI, and I apologise for even using it to try and be funny (I'm not). Interesting that the whole 'It's Thinking' US Dreamcast campaign leaned so hard into the whole 'Dreamcast is so advanced it knows what you're going to do' thing. But I've digressed again...so let's get back on track. It's been twenty years since my first post here at the 'Yard — a blog I started because I was insufferably bored. I'd recently got back into the Dreamcast, and I'd been engrossed by resources such as Dreamcast Scene et al and thought I might take a stab at just making a personal blog about buying all the Dreamcast games I could find now (then) that had become super cheap.

2005 was a very different time in the world of Dreamcast. The console was essentially in the bin; the Xbox and PS2 and GameCube were the stars of the show and Dreamcast games, consoles and peripherals were on sale —at least here in the UK— for literal pence. Nobody wanted or gave a shit about the Dreamcast, outside of those spaces on the internet such as the aforementioned DCS and similar hotspots of the fandom. When I first started this blog, I never intended it to be any more than a personal diary where I recounted buying up all the old games I'd previously owned, while casting an eye over the ones I'd never had the opportunity to experience the first time around. I didn't set out for anyone to read it, I had no expectations at all. It was simply a thing for me to exercise my limited creativity, try to replicate the actual games journalists I'd grown up reading in magazines, and just have a bit of fun. I never for one moment thought I'd be here, twenty years hence, writing this drivel on a blog that has — as surprised as I am to realise it — become something of a cornerstone of the very community I looked up to in the first place. For that, I am truly grateful.

But it was not, and never has been a solo endeavour (well, apart from those first few months where I simply amused myself by writing slightly unhinged posts about stuff only tangentially related to the Dreamcast). Many talented individuals have graced the pages of this blog and not only served the memory of the Dreamcast, but have gone on to be highly successful in other fields. There have been events held in person, I've somehow been invited to write for esteemed magazines and books and launched a podcast (and been a guest on other podcasts) even though I can barely string a coherent sentence together.

What I guess I'm trying to say here, is that this whole thing isn't about me. It's about you — the ones here reading this right now. You, the people with the skills and knowledge and knowhow and enduring curiosity and love for the Dreamcast. The hardware, the software, the endless possibilities when it comes to engineering new limitless solutions which keep this platform alive. The ones who buy the indie games, post online, make YouTube videos, chat about recently discovering the Dreamcast and asking which games you should buy. To you I take my hat off — you keep the dream alive. I have done nothing really, but report on what you do while simultaneously being a spectator and a commentator on what awesome people can achieve with awesome ideas and awesome hardware. I'm just a fan, as it were. 

I've not been alone in keeping The Dreamcast Junkyard going for the last couple of decades; there have been many people who have exhibited their talents on the pages of this blog, on the podcast, on the YouTube channel and on our social media accounts. I'm not going to list them all, but they know who they are. So yeah, here we are, in 2025 still keeping the fires burning and below are some nice comments from people who have either consumed the content produced by the team here over the years, produced the content themselves, or are friends we met along the way. And I might add, if you want to skip the following messages, you might want to scroll down to the bottom to see what we have planned to celebrate this milestone outside of this simple blog post.

Some nice words from real people who are definitely not AI

James Harvey (DCJY): "As someone who read the Junkyard from the very beginning, it was a surreal honor to finally meet Tom and become a part of this wonderful team. Twenty years covering the greatest console ever, and we still have new things to talk about every month!"

Laurence Goodchild (DCJY): "The fact that the Junkyard has been kicking out articles for two decades on a strictly independent and non-profit basis is a huge achievement. No grifting, no clickbait, no shilling, and a messy website that actually maintains some character in a sea of monotony. I bloody love it. Hopefully the DIY ethos and community spirit can be sustained by future generations of volunteers."

Lewis Cox (DCJY): "The Junkyard is a pillar of the Dreamcast community, and I think I speak for many fans when I say it's a pivotal stop on anyone's Dreamcast fanboy journey. I was absolutely stoked when Tom asked me to join the site in 2018. Fast-forward a few years and I’m deep into writing deep dives and recording the podcast — and loving every minute of it. I’m honoured to be one of the many people helping to keep this wonderful website alive, and grateful to Tom for allowing me to take on more of an administrative role as he roams the rain-soaked country roads of the United Kingdom on his motorbike. I can’t believe it’s been 20 years, let's make it 20 more!"

Mike Phelan (DCJY Alumni): "Longevity is a rare commodity nowadays. Fads rise and fall, what is ‘hot’ and indeed what is ‘not’ changes on a near daily basis in a world where information bounces around at light speed and ‘trending’ and ‘viral’ have become bywords for our collective inability for things to keep our interest. Against that, a little blog started 20 years ago has stood the test of time. Outlasting Sega’s own time in the home console market, one site has kept the fires burning for a machine that has proven to be a true gaming underdog. What started as one man’s Dreamcast journey has morphed into a hub of information, a community of like-minded nostalgic gamers passionate both about the past and shining a light on a niche, underground scene still brimming with life. In doing so, it differentiated itself from ‘other’ gaming sites — a very British sense of humour, never afraid to tell it how it is and a self-deprecating ability to never take itself too seriously.

"There’s been ups and downs; a podcast listened to by thousands, panels at gaming conventions, exclusive, exciting ‘breaking news’, interviews with DC legends; many have passed through the hallowed halls of the Junkyard, some continue the fight for recognition of the swirl, others now content with the occasional re-emergence and more still faded into the midsts of time. Friends have been made, enemies too I’m sure (the Wild West days of the DCJY Facebook Group certainly were interesting!) but the Junkyard perseveres.

"My own favourite memories of the Junkyard start before I even came on board. It was a site that I discovered not long after getting back into the machine (2007-ish? My memory, unlike the DCJY, has faded with the years); Tom and the early apostles of the DCJY scripture were beacons of a shared love for the little machine of dreams. I watched as it morphed into something bigger than Tom surely ever imagined. I remember recording a podcast dockside in Bristol, interrupted intermittently by the sounds of a train; representing the ‘Yard in the Vegas of the North, myself and Tom sharing a panel with Dreamcast luminaries in a moment that still feels slightly surreal. The chaos of podcast recording, the joy of reading articles ranging from ultra informative to downright anarchic, and of course the infamous Dreamcast Junkyard Ultimate Collectors Guide. I will forever be grateful to Tom for helping to get the first version of the guide out into a physical form; it started with a random email to a site I held as the epitome of the Dreamcast scene and ended with a cease and desist from SEGA.

"Today the Junkyard remains as strong as ever. The captain may have changed — now steered through treacherous waters by Lewis with a fresh crew of Dreamcast zealots (Lewis and the Dreamcastanauts? Would make a great name for a pop-punk band), it continues to present insightful commentary and news in its own way. Here's to 20 years more —and beyond— of The Dreamcast Junkyard!”

Aaron 'Animated AF!' Foster (DCJY Alumni): "Surely it's not been 20 years, right? Now I think about it, it does feel like quite a while ago since I was walking down to my nearest GameStation to nab a few more two for a fiver Dreamcast games! My memory is pretty fuzzy about how exactly I stumbled upon the Dreamcast Junkyard back then, but when I did I was enamoured to find Tom doing the same GameStation trek and documenting it, so much so that I wanted to join in! This was in a point of my life where I was really starting to find my voice online and the wonders of tech like YouTube meant I could start even showing people silly stuff like playing Virtua Tennis with a fishing controller and talking about how blowy-shitty-uppy Bangai-O was! The Dreamcast console still holds a special place in my heart and most of that is due of the wonderful community that grew from this at-the-time humble little blog! Cheers! *clink*"

James Brown (Shenmue Dojo): "The Dreamcast Junkyard has been my go to retro gaming website and podcast for as long as I can remember now, consistently keeping me connected to the wonderful world that was SEGA’s swan song console. It’s been my main source of news and allows me to keep in touch with all of the inner workings of the Dreamcast community, who are all as passionate (and just as mad) as myself. The Dreamcast has literally shaped my life, and continues to do so, with Shenmue my biggest inspiration. The Junkyard has stood by our side through thick and thin and ‘I await whilst praying’ for many more moons to come!"

Patrick Traynor (Sega Saturn, SHIRO!): "I first encountered the Junkyard back in the Spring of 2015. I just started getting back into Dreamcast collecting after a couple year break, and followed a few retro podcasts prior. Looking for Dreamcast content, I found the DreamPod and fell in love. The podcast had everything I was looking for: an early 2000s aesthetic, an amazing knowledgeable staff, great guests, and recommendations for Dreamcast titles I've missed or overlooked. 

"The podcast was so amazing, it eventually inspired me to start my own about the SEGA Saturn with a few friends, which became SEGA Saturn, SHIRO! Years later, I've gotten to collaborate with the Junkyard, and proud to call many of you involved with the Junkyard friends. Just saying thanks would not even be close to what I owe the Junkyard. Congratulations on 20 years everyone, definitely looking forward to the next 20!"

Derek Pascarella (Hacker/Fan Translator): "Wow... 20 years of The Dreamcast Junkyard! It's hard to put into words just how significant the Junkyard is, and has been, for the Dreamcast scene. For me personally, the DreamPod remains one of my biggest comfort listens. Whenever I hear that "This is a Dreamcast disc, and is for use only in a Dreamcast unit" soundbite play, a warm blanket of SEGA goodness envelopes me from head to toe. I must also say that I adore how strongly The Junkyard supports so many personas in the Dreamcast scene: indie developers, content creators, and even romhackers (like me). 

"The finger is truly on the pulse, and you can always count on The Junkyard being at the forefront of posting about new games, new devices/mods, as well as new patches and hacks. Hell, you can even find amazing retrospective posts on Dreamcast games we've all been playing for over two decades, full of details and insights that somehow manage to make those old games feel like green fields with so much to discover and enjoy. We love you, Junkyard. Thank you for two incredible decades! My life is, without a doubt, better because of Tom's little pick-ups blog that grew into the world's best one-stop-shop for Dreamcast fans.”

KC (The Sega Lounge): “It’s crazy when everyone’s celebrating these big milestone anniversaries and you’re forced to face the fact that you, yourself, are getting older. However, as much as it’s weird that The Dreamcast Junkyard is already 20, it’s also strange that it isn’t older. To me, it feels like it has always been a part of my online life, if that makes sense. The Dreamcast is still, to this day, a big part of my life, and whether I want to be informed or entertained, I know DCJY is the place to be for all my (blue) swirl needs. I can always count on the Junkyard team to stay on top of the happenings around the Dreamcast scene, share their love for a new and promising indie darling coming to SEGA’s box of dreams, or even just find a barber!

“The DreamPod is also a permanent part of my podcast listening rotation and a very enjoyable show that never fails to leave me smiling after each episode. I’ve been fortunate enough to be on the show and privileged to have some of the guys on my own podcast. A delight. 

“When the topic of relevant websites comes up in conversations with friends, DCJY is always mentioned. Frankly, it’s not just a relevant SEGA or video game resource, but also a prime example of how to keep a community alive and well. So here’s to the Junkyard’s 20th anniversary! May you keep us all dreaming for many more years.”

Freakdave (Developer): "I’d come across DCJY before, but things really took off when Luke Benstead (Kazade) and I (Freakdave) released our Tunnels demo into the wild. We ended up with a mention on the DCJY site and a nod in one of their countless Dreampod episodes. Now here we are in 2025, and I’m raising a mug of coffee in my Dreamcast Junkyard cup to wish you a very Happy 20th Anniversary!"

Ross Kilgariff (Developer): "I was contacted by Tom from The Dreamcast Junkyard 8 years ago (!) for an interview on my work-in-progress game project, at the time called "Dungeon Ross". I had no previous experience promoting my games and getting a message from "the press" was a really big deal to me. I told my family members and proudly shared the link to the article and video. The interest that DCJY showed back then gave me confidence and made me want to stick around on the platform. So thanks DCJY for 20 years of service, and here's to 20 more :)"

Dreamcast Enjoyer (YouTube): "Raising a Hassy to celebrate 20 years of the Dreamcast Junkyard — a wonderful community and still my internet homepage to this day. Thanks for keeping the dream alive, lads!"

Adam Koralik (YouTube): "20 years of talking about the Dreamcast, at least you still make me look like the young one. Next year, come to the US for a bit and you'll be old enough for me to get you a beer, that I guess by my own logic I'm not old enough for. Keep dreaming!"

Video Game Esoterica (YouTube): "DCJY is turning 20? One more year and it can legally drink High Life! But seriously...how has it been 20 years? I still remember finding the site forever ago looking up some Dreamcast info and it's been a part of my "Sega Life" since then! I love that a console that had approximately a three year lifespan can make 20 years of engaging content and still not feel old! Here's to another 20 years so we can buy DCJY a '40th birthday' balloon like I got this year!"

Daniel Ibbertson aka DJ Slope (YouTube): “The Dreamcast Junkyard has not only been one of the most valuable sources for all things Dreamcast (and beyond) but the team behind it have personally helped the channel multiple times too with their invaluable knowledge. It's always a pleasure to remember to open up a browser and binge on what the site offers and as a hardcore sega fan. I'm chuffed that the site is still going strong 20 years later.”

PC Wizard (YouTube): "A 20-year accumulation of Dreamcast-related words and phrases that come together in a wonderful tapestry of articles to celebrate the world's best video game console. It brings tears to my eyes! Or maybe that's just the onion I'm cutting as I write this... Either way, happy 20th to the greatest junkyard on the web!"

Adrian O’Neil (DCJY Superfan): “Congratulations on the 20th anniversary of the Junkyard! Genuinely the Junkyard/DreamPod is my favourite Blog site and podcast. All contributors to the Junkyard are amazing. A special thanks has to be reserved for Tom.. Here’s to another 20 years!"

Uncle Clutch (also a DCJY Superfan): "I got caught in the Dreamcast spiral back in ’99, and the Junkyard has kept it spinning in my head ever since. Nostalgia pulled me in at first, but new games, projects, and the friendly community have kept me in its orbit. Congratulations on 20 years!"

What a lovely collection of messages, I'm sure you'll agree. Brings a tear to th'eye, I tell thi.

But wait, there's more!

It would be rather remiss of us to simply post a blog about reaching such a milestone. Back when we reached our 10th anniversary in 2015 we ran a competition in collaboration with SEGA Europe where they gave us a load of Dreamcast Collection limited edition vinyl records to give away. Hands up if you remember that? But I digress (again). This year we have something equally as cool, and we'll be announcing the details in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out!

Look up to see Aaron (Animated AF!)'s amazing tribute to the Junkyard's earliest header design!

For now though, I just wanted to once again thank everyone who comes here to read our articles, listens to our podcast and who just generally has a passion for keeping the Dream alive. To the people who continue to churn out the podcasts and the articles and the social media content. Without all of you out there keeping the Dreamcast relevant, there'd be no point in any of this. So thank you.

With that, I'm off to watch some AI-generated videos of Will Smith eating a Pot Noodle through a fence. Ciao for now!

Silence Your Sega Dreamcast's Old Grinding GD-ROM Drive with a Fancy New Brass Gear

Right you lot, it’s time to get your five-quid soldering iron out, dust off that 30-year-old tin of flux, and bodge a good old-fashioned down-and-dirty modification to your Dreamcast. I’m not talking about the mainstream mods for the casuals out there like the Noctua fan, PicoPSU, or GDEMU. No, I’m talking about something you truly may not have heard of before. Something more nuanced. Something for the purist Dreamcast owners among you.

Errrrr, eeuurrrrrr, euurrreeerrrrrr… that glorious operatic groaning you hear when your GD-ROM drive is trying to load the inside of Ryo Hazuki’s gaff or desperately rendering the next corridor in Soldier of Fortune. It’s a wonderful sound. Deep. Rich. Textured. Central to the nostalgia of that white dreamy box.

However, I’ve recently discovered you can swap one of the plastic gears in the disc-drive mechanism for a fancy new one made of brass — British balls-of-brass. And the result is honestly astounding. That rattly, grumbling rumble transforms into a sleek, nimble, almost printer-esque hum.

I stumbled across this gem in an old Reddit post by user PacmaniaX_01, who detailed how they’d searched high and low to find the perfect replacement brass gear. The part you need is a ‘14-tooth brass pinion, 1.48 mm’ and you can grab a pack of five down your local AliExpress for three quid fifty including postage. So I ordered some from the Far East and patiently waited 13 weeks for delivery.

All you need is a fresh pack of nice British brass balls (gears)

I’ve written a step-by-step guide below but in essence you need to remove the motor from the disc drive, take off the old plastic gear, heat up the new brass gear, place the motor shaft in the hole on the gear and give it a few firm hits with a small hammer to get the gear on the motor shaft. Then, pop it back in and presto! It is so quiet and sexy sounding, it’s like a brand new console.

Phwoaarrrrrr!

Bear in mind that getting the gear onto the motor is quite tricky. If you’re not so handy, some total legend on eBay is selling the replacement motors with the brass gear already fitted making this mod plug and play (sort of).

One thing to note as well is when I first booted the console up after applying the mod, for a second I thought the console was broken. The fan starts to whir, the disc spins up, but there was no horrid disc drive grinding noises?! My brain didn't quite know how to compute this... It was like one third of a symphonic orchestra called in sick and the remaining two thirds were left to play. It was unsettling. The Dreamcast suddenly feels… modern? Mature? Dare I say… polite?

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Remove the top shell of the console
2. Push the laser module all the way back on the rails (makes the following steps easier)
3. Unclip the wires from the black clips on the side of the drive
4. Lift the top GD-ROM drive out and flip it over (I use the top of the Dreamcast’s shell as a stand as it's the perfect height)
5. Unscrew the motor (one single screw)
6. Desolder the motor wires and remove the motor (make a note of which one is positive and which is negative)
7. Slide the plastic gear off the motor shaft
8. Heat the brass gear (I used a chef’s blowtorch, a lighter should work too) while holding it with tweezers
9. Place the hot gear on a hard surface, align the motor shaft, and give it a few firm, controlled taps with a small hammer
10. LEAVE THE BRASS GEAR A FEW MINUTES TO COOL. Do not re-install gear when it's hot as it will melt the adjacent plastic gears - big sad if this happens! F*CK, THAT’S HOT! Don’t touch it either.
11. Re-solder the motor wires and screw the motor back in
12. Optional: apply a light layer of silicone grease to all the gears
13. Reassemble the drive and console.

What You Gain

• Reduced motor strain
• Slightly quicker seek times (No, it can't run Crysis)
• Almost no mechanical chatter
• Lower chance of disc-read errors
• A GD-ROM drive that feels 20 years younger

As a bonus, my Dreamcast had never reliably booted my PAL copy of Rez on the first try… until now. After this mod it boots instantly. Coincidence? Maybe. More on that here.

Final Thoughts

This mod isn’t glamorous. It won’t blow up YouTube, and it won’t get you a million likes on  TikTok. It’s a tiny hunk of metal that quietly brings the Dreamcast one step closer to modern times and keeps those old drives alive for years to come.

Just be warned: Your Dreamcast may never growl at you again... and you might actually miss it.

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Meditations

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike expertly blends fighters of martial arts —both fictitious and real— with its environments.

Released in 1999 on the Sega Dreamcast, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike is considered a sophisticated fighter. I started up the 25-year-old game with the intention to find out why.

What first grabbed my attention about 3rd Strike is not its sophistication in precision fight mechanics, but its late-night Hong Kong shopping district stage. In this stage, fighters face off on a building rooftop illuminated by neon shopping lights, as well as artificial light reflections and refractions from the rain-soaked environment. It is a serene and layered scene of blue and purple hues to simulate the moonlit buildings; a scene where animated rain droplets fill the screen as two fighters compete and negotiate to see whose martial arts are superior and which discipline will prevail in a given exchange, round, or match.

The shadowy water colors combined with the down-pouring rain exemplifies why 3rd Strike's Hong Kong district scene can survive a quarter-century of innovations in technology and art, yet still hold its place as pure video gaming perfection. In a world of 3D, hyper-realistic graphics and player models, 3rd Strike distinguishes itself with its saturated and even color tones, where fighters incredibly camouflage into the scene.

Born in an era that shifted both games and movies towards 3D animation, Capcom’s artists held firm and double and tripled down on perfecting its 2D mixed-martial arts. The game introduces nuanced fight mechanics and defensive counter-strikes and refines every aspect of the game, from its hand-drawn art style to its soundtrack, from its animations to its fight rhythms. It is almost as if Capcom’s artists purposely built environments that only could be filled with equally arcade-perfect fight gameplay.

I pick up the controller and decide to fight with Dudley, the dapperly-dressed boxer from England. Dudley arrives to the street fight in a polished Rolls-Royce-like ride, sporting a 1920s fade with a side-parted slick-back, fit for a scene of Peaky Blinders. I do not know much about Dudley, or why a scholarly gentleman in sleek dress shoes and suspenders might find joy in a brutal sport, but I am drawn to the powerful punches he throws. His hooks and uppercuts wind up and then land with a punishing smack. What’s more, Dudley’s moveset allows for freedom and promotes spontaneity, almost lifelike – a reminder of my days in the boxing gym where I would circle and weave and then let go flurries on the heavy bag as the combos came to me. Whatever felt natural. And fighting with Dudley – chaining together lefts into rights, hooks from highs and lows into powerful specials – feels natural.

In 3rd Strike, a well-fashioned power counter is just as gratifying as landing a flurry of shots. I’m a counter-fighter at heart, and so the game speaks my language while the rain continues to pound the concrete rooftops. It reminds me of what it was like to once be able to train: the fear of not being good enough, the meditative wrapping of the hands, and the pop of the glove when it meets a training pad. Determination and exhalations defined those sessions. And for fleeting moments with 3rd Strike, I remember what the endorphins once felt like, what they meant to me in trying times of my life  — to have a trainer in Kru Niel to encourage me to keep going when I did not know that I could, to keep improving my technique, and more than anything, to let go of my thoughts and to let the gloves go. Martial arts training helped me out of a deep depression and catapulted me to be brave enough to take on challenges I never would have dared. It gave me self-confidence in who I am, which gave me peace.

Credit: the2dstagesfg

And so for some of us, to play 3rd Strike is to profoundly become one with the game’s scenic stages, blending in, even if just for a few moments of dreaming so. The sound of the rain on this bespoke Hong Kong rooftop is a reliable companion for any game player to find peace of mind — and if nothing else, the rooftop is a cozy place to pay visit.

Dreamcast Collection Oddities - A Gallery as Submitted by Readers

A selection of the many superb collection items submitted by readers for this article.

Back in July we put out a call for readers to submit photos of items from their personal Sega Dreamcast collections that are unusual, unique, custom, weird, odd, obscure, esoteric, rare or overlooked. And of course, the network of international Dreamcast afficionados didn’t let us down. When placed together, all the submissions we received offer a great spread across the Dreamcast-weirdness spectrum that I’m delighted to now present here in this article.

Before we delve in though, a few words on the inspiration for this task. Firstly, exploring the esoteric nooks and crannies of Sega’s swansong console is something that can (occasionally) bring me joy, and, considering that the Junkyard has maintained a readership for two decades now, I guess that is the case for others too. Secondly, given that having more than a passing interest in the Dreamcast is clearly a niche affair, most are unlikely to have ‘real life’ friends or family that genuinely wish to hear about odd collectibles, so sharing with an internet community is where it's at. Lastly, in the context of auction bidding wars and inflationary prices, I thought it would be nice for folks to be able to share with each other, not in a boastful way, but in a spirit of mutual appreciation.

Fed up with this pretentious justification? I hear you. Here are the photos of cool Dreamcast stuff that you’ve come here for…

Not Your Average Console

I imagine most of you reading this know what a Dreamcast looks like (a sleek machine that can perfectly offset the offensive ugliness of the PS2 that it is designed to sit atop). The console wasn't around for long enough for second or third iterations which vary considerably in terms of physical appearance or technical features. Even so, a wide variety of special or limited editions were released (mainly in Japan), and now and then we get glimpses of D.I.Y. customisations that can vary in looks from, uh, shall we say "homely", to professional-grade perfection. The aesthetic variations of the Dreamcast have always interested me, and so I was pleased to see that we received five contributions that scratch that itch.

First of all, we have two official variants of the console, both of which have peculiar origin stories. According to a sketchy internet source, the CSK Dreamcast, a photo of which was kindly sent in by JoeEardley77, was distributed by the health insurance arm of Japanese conglomerate CSK to Sega employees under the impression that they would use it to digitally connect with healthcare providers from home. Whether that actually occurred on a widespread basis is unclear. Using a DreamEye to consult with a doctor is definitely no longer possible (or advisable), but the console itself, whose origins are only given away by a sticker placed atop the console shell and packaging, is a neat artifact nonetheless. 

CSK Dreamcast submitted by JoeEardley77.

The Regulation 7 Dreamcast, a photo of which has been submitted by Rosewood, was supposedly distributed to Japan's pachinko (slot machine) parlours, presumably to be used as either as a demo kiosk or perhaps a cheap internet browsing device. I seem to recall folks explaining that, because gambling for cash is illegal in Japan, this variant was also offered as a prize to parlour customers, although Google is now telling me that it was made available for mail order in 2001 too. Whatever the exact answer may be, the console looks lush.

Regulation 7 Dreamcast submitted by Rosewood.

Next up, we have two variants of the Dreamcast console that definitely aren't official. The custom-painted Illbleed-themed Dreamcast submitted by waynejamesp will undoubtedly appeal to devotees of the quirky horror game which has amassed a bit of a cult following in recent years. With an average NTSC-U copy of Illbleed now costing above $200, painting your console might actually be a more affordable way to demonstrate your love for this particular game. 

Illbleed console submitted by waynejamesp.

The black Treamcast, submitted by le_Pot_de_Mayo, isn't quite as unique, but is still legitimately worthy of the "L@@K RARE" eBay label, and has bizarre origins that are perfect for the scope of this article. First produced in 2002 or 2003 by a Hong Kong-based manufacturer, the Treamcast is essentially a modified Dreamcast, repackaged into a smaller shell with an integrated fold-out screen. Despite arriving after the console's official death, this transportable Dreamcast allegedly sold quite well, even despite the fact that its distribution to Western markets was hamstrung thanks to Sega's disapproval. 

Treamcast submitted by le_Pot_de_Mayo.

The last console that we are to feature is one which, on the face of it, might look pretty ordinary. OK, admittedly the packaging for this first launch variant featuring eight photos of the then-President of Sega Japan, Hidekazu Yukawa, is cool — but those of you that have browsed internet auction websites will know they are fairly common. What makes this particular edition stand out though is that it features stamps confirming it was purchased on the original Japanese release day of November 27, 1998. Thanks go to The SegaHolic of the Sega Guys for submitting these photos. Next you need to track down and interview the person who bought this exact console... How hard could it be?

Launch edition Dreamcast submitted by The SegaHolic.

Dreamcast Curios and Oddities - Show Us What You Got!

A selection of reader submitted photos from last time around.

A lot has changed in the 20 years that the Junkyard has been in existence, yet our obsession with exploring the obscure and weird aspects of the Dreamcast and its scene has remained constant. Sure, we reminisce about the console's big hitting titles, and cover contemporary developments that attract attention from outside our niche community, but third-party fishing rods, potato-focused marketing events, and Chinese VCDs are also firmly within our wheelhouse. 

One way our passion manifests itself is in the collecting of esoteric Dreamcast-related items - little nick-nacks like this fan that Lewis cracks out during the (now worryingly common) sweltering British summer days. Should he have saved that money instead? Maybe. But now he has the perfect accessory that is coveted by all those who lay eyes upon it. 

We know full well that thousands of such items are tucked away in private collections over the globe... But why hide what your fellow nerds would love to see? Back in 2017 we published an article highlighting readers rare and unusual items, and a sequel is long overdue. 

So, we're making a call to the Scene. By no later than Saturday 16 August please send us photos and descriptions of any Dreamcast goodies in your possession that are unusual, unique, custom, weird, odd, obscure, esoteric, rare or overlooked. 

Update 17th August - the period for submissions has now ended.

Setting clear boundaries is going to be difficult, but to help, here are some examples of the types of things we're looking for:

• Promotional items (VHS tapes, CDs, posters, flyers, clothing)
• Third-party rarities (Treamcasts, controllers, memory cards)
• Obscure accessories (link cables, MIDI cables, karaoke units)
• Development stuff (dev kits, GD-ROMs, manuals)
• Autographed items (bonus points if it's Freddy D)
• Lesser-spotted indie releases (Frog Feast, Witching Hour, Geist Force)
• "Display Only" or "Not For Sale" goods
• Any unique items with a backstory

What we're not looking for:

• Photos of pristine "full sets" 
• Items that are expensive but not unusual (a PAL copy of Cannon Spike is cool, but too vanilla)

Our bar isn't set high, so don't be shy. We look forward to seeing what the community can muster and will feature submissions (with credit) in a forthcoming article.

Compilation of Late-Stage Dreamcast Trailers (2003-2007) Now Available

Both here in Europe and across the pond in North America, the final official Dreamcast releases arrived in the Spring of 2002, around a year after Sega announced they were halting production of the console. By stark contrast, over in Japan, the final official Dreamcast game didn’t see the light of day until 2007. To put that into context, while the first crop of Dreamcast games in Japan were competing with comparatively puny N64 cartridges and PS1 CD-Roms, the last few were vying for shelf space with the latest PS3 and Xbox 360 multi-million budget behemoths. 

Of course, the release schedule slowed to a trickle towards the end, but the fact that nearly a 100 games were officially released for the Dreamcast in Japan after the PAL and North American markets had shut up shop is something that continues to fascinate me. Why on earth did this happen? Who was behind it? Are there any comparable phenomena in the gaming industry? 

Well, I’m currently scribbling a longer-form piece that will dive into this bizarre period and address some of these questions, but before finishing that up, I wanted to share these trailers which should act as a nice little appetizer. They have been ripped from a set of Sega Press DVDs released between 2003 and 2007, and, as far as I am aware, this is the first time they have been made available online.

The Sega Press DVDs from which these trailers were sourced.

My understanding is that the ‘Sega Press' DVD series was distributed to gaming retailers, journalists and various other industry heads. Though dominated by the newer platforms of the time, Sega were fairly generous in giving space to the otherwise low-key Dreamcast titles of this era. Each DVD was also accompanied by leaflets/information sheets on a few chosen games, and on several occasions, despite the little white box being well into its twilight years, Dreamcast games were amongst the picks.

A typical 'Sega Press' kit, complete with contents sheet, DVD and flyers. 

Now, lastly, I'd like to give fair warning: this trailer compilation is mostly composed of shmups and ‘visual novels’, so will not be to everyone's tastes. Personally, though believing myself to be open minded, I often struggle to see the appeal of the visual novel genre, indeed, lots of the output from this time is, uh, a little off-putting (to put it mildly). Nevertheless, there are undoubtedly some gems, such as Ever 17: The Out of Infinity which features here.

Anyway, that’s enough jibber-jabber. I’ll leave you with the trailer compilation which, for the older heads, may stir memories of pre-ordering these games on Lik-Sang and insisting to your uninterested mates that the Dreamcast is ‘current-gen’.

What are your thoughts on this era of Dreamcast history? Are there any games featured here that are dear to your heart? Or, should Sega have afforded the Dreamcast a swifter demise in Japan, like they did in other markets? Let us know in the comments below.

Soulcalibur II on Sega Dreamcast: Who Would the Exclusive Character Have Been?

One of my earliest memories as a Dreamcast owner was playing Soulcalibur and frankly being amazed at how it looked and played. I had never even heard of the "Soul" series before, let alone seen the arcade game it was based on. My purchase had been entirely fuelled by magazine reviews in all their static glory, so finally seeing it running was one of those special moments of awe you'd get as a gamer during that era.

Despite not being a Sega game, it is a title that is culturally linked to the Dreamcast by many. Yet by the time the sequel hit in 2002, the Dreamcast had sadly stepped out the ring (RING OUT!), leaving the follow-up to find its new home split between the Xbox (Dreamcast 2) the GameCube (the other Dreamcast 2) and the PlayStation 2 (Dreamcast stand). 

Each edition came with an additional fighter exclusive to that console. For the GameCube it was Link from the Legend of Zelda series, Xbox had Spawn, and the PS2 had Heihachi Mishima, who is apparently from Tekken (who I had to look up for this article as I honestly had no memory of the PS2 special guest).

The point of this whole preamble is actually to set me up to share a question that I've long pondered...

"If the Dreamcast had actually received Soulcalibur II, which character would have been the console-exclusive fighter?" 

In an alternative timeline where the Dreamcast had powered through and continued to succeed where we saw it fail, it would've ultimately received Soulcalibur 2 and other Soulcalibur sequels on follow-up Sega consoles. Also in that universe, there is a fan blog of PS2 fans moaning that if only people had been more into DVDs as a concept, the PS2 could have succeeded and Sony would still be making consoles today, rather than eventually being acquired by Philips Electronics...

Anyway, let's get to looking and speculating at the Dreamcast-exclusive characters that we might have had a chance to play as. 

Obvious characters tier

Ryo Hazuki from Shenmue

Given that Shenmue was based on Virtua Fighter tech and design principles, it's perfectly conceivable that Namco would've just did the obvious and slotted Ryo straight into the game. The only problem is that Soulcalibur is a weapon-based fighting game and Shenmue is more about advanced fisticuffs, but Ryo does find a sword guard in the first Shenmue, so maybe he could've just pivoted to using a sword? Failing that, he could even just have used one of the forks from the front of his forklift if needed, or the handle bars from a Hang-On arcade machine. To be fair, the PS2-exclusive Heihachi was weaponless in that version of Soulcalibur 2, although this does seem at odds with the rest of the roster to me.

Every bout could have ended with "I won't let you down, Father" or some other stoic phrase about loss and regret, or maybe a "Maybe I'll have some more fun?" This would've opened the way for having Lan Di potentially as a boss too, similar to what they would later do with Yoda, Darth Vader and Starkiller in Soulcalibur 4.

Dreamcast Millennium Cup - The Celebrity Football Competition Lost to Time

I love a bit of footy. I also love the Dreamcast. When the two collide, I sit up and take notice. Indeed, over the years here at the Dreamcast Junkyard, we've pored over the various digital representations of the beautiful (and not-so-beautiful) game pressed to GD-ROM, as well as the somewhat questionable sponsorship deals SEGA Europe entered into with football clubs across the continent. Hell, we even looked somewhat briefly at the Dreamcast Beach Football Challenge which was held in July 2000 in the exotic environs of...erm...Richmond, Surrey.

Richmond was the natural choice for beach football. 

But there was another Dreamcast-themed footy event which preceded the Dreamcast Beach Football Challenge; an event which until very recently had completely passed me by, and an event which is almost impossible to find any real information on, even though photographic evidence confirms it was pretty well publicised, featured quite a few celebrity competitors and was even shown on Sky TV.

Now, this all stems from a listing that recently appeared on eBay for a football shirt listed as a 'genuine rare 1999 Dreamcast Millennium Cup celebrity retro football shirt' (thanks to my eagle-eyed Dreamcast Junkyard colleague Kev Mason for the heads up). Intrigued, and initially a little skeptical of the title of the listing, I looked deeper into the background of this shirt, and I feel I may have inadvertently slipped down yet another Dreamcast rabbit hole of lost media. Buckle up for the tale of the Dreamcast Millennium Cup 5-a-side football tournament.

Screenshot in case someone with £50 to spare sees this before I cash my giro.
Update: Kev bought the shirt.

Before I continue, I must warn you that everything I've gleaned about this competition is derived from the scant information I can find online and so there's some guesswork included, but I thought I'd document my insanity search results here for posterity. Where else than the internet's premier repository for useless Dreamcast nonsense that only seven people on Earth care about? That's a rhetorical question, by the way.

Anyhow, here's what I discovered. It appears that the Dreamcast Millennium Cup was a nationwide 5-a-side football tournament held across the UK in 1999 and 2000 which was sponsored by SEGA. It's odd to me that the competition wasn't called the SEGA Millennium Cup or something similar, but I suppose that's in keeping with the company's desire to remove almost any reference to the SEGA name from the Dreamcast's branding in Europe at that time. As mentioned, I had never heard of this tournament prior to seeing the eBay listing, but a cursory Google search (other search engines are available) resulted in a few Getty Images/Alamy results and a brief mention over at Sega Retro.

The Sega Retro entry reads: 

Dreamcast Millennium Cup

A British celebrity five-a-side tournament was sponsored by the Sega Dreamcast during 1999 and 2000. Thousands of teams took part, with the last 16 having their matches broadcast on Sky Sports in early 2000.

Heavily armed with that information, I looked at the metadata held for the few snaps which appear on the photo-hosting sites that still have images available and it appears that the vast majority of them were snapped on Sunday 13 August 2000 by a photographer named Tom Hevezi. Now, looking for information on Tom Hevezi will show that he was a sports photographer who covered some major sporting events back in that time period, most notably several FA Cup Final games, along with many Premier League matches. So far, so good. 

The curious thing about the photos of the Dreamcast Millennium Cup though, is that there are no images of the actual games being played, only shots of some of the celebrities who took part. These include such titans as members of 2000s pop group 911 (one of them wearing the very shirt listed), Quadrophenia star Phil Daniels, Lily Allen's dad and vindaloo worrier Keith Allen, TV presenters Angus Deayton and Bradley Walsh and even the international heart throb and superstar Dean 'Wellard' Gaffney. Oh, and Borat's ex Isla Fisher was there too. Disclaimer: other than Isla Fisher, I'm aware that many of our international readers will have no fucking idea who any of those late '90s and early 2000s British 'stars' are/were, but trust me. They were well known...ish.

The Dreamcast Games We Want Back Online the Most

In the late 1990s, with the bitter taste of the Saturn's commercial flop lingering in their mouth, and the looming presence of a gargantuan new competitor on the scene, the folks at Sega rallied round the idea that they could revive their financial fortunes by getting a new home console onto the market. In that moment, high-stakes decisions needed to be made about the characteristics that would define what came to be known as the Dreamcast. What would the technical architecture of the hardware be? How would developers be brought on board? What direction would the branding take? How comically loud could the operation of the disc drive possibly be?

One concept that Sega firmly hung their hat on was online gameplay. The Dreamcast was to be the first home console to be online out of the box, a distinction which Sega hoped would have punters flooding forth with a much-needed cash injection into the company's coffers. Online gameplay was a central pillar of the Dreamcast brand, featuring front and centre in the console's marketing campaigns. In the States, Sega called on nu-metal titan Fred Durst to push SegaNet. Here in Europe, a range of tongue-in-cheek adverts were published that played to nationalistic jockeying (think harmless English-French banter, rather than the disintegration of Yugoslavia). Japan didn't miss the memo either, although a big chunk of their marketing eschewed the macho competitive aspect in favour of pushing the Dreamcast's internet capabilities to a female demographic. 

A selection of advertising materials focusing on the Dreamcast's online functionalities,
from left to right: USA, France, Japan.

Of course, during it's official lifetime, the Dreamcast never got close to fulfilling the upper limit of its "up to 6 billion players" tagline. However, Sega did erect a superb online architecture that allowed hundreds of thousands to experience online competitive and cooperative gameplay for the first time. Compared to the lifespan of the official servers of some contemporary games, many titles in the Dreamcast's online library had a damn good innings too. The official PAL and Japanese servers for the OG grandaddy of online RPGs, Phantasy Star Online, were maintained well into 2007, with hundreds of players logging on to say emotional goodbyes in the final couple of days (I'm not crying, you're crying). Others lasted even longer. The official servers for Starlancer, hosted by GameSpy, held on all the way to 2014, although we cannot be sure whether that was a deliberate stay of execution or some admins simply forgetting that the things still existed.

Source for dates: Online Consoles (dreamcast.onlineconsoles.com); DreamCast Online Gaming (dcog.netfirms.com, available via Wayback Machine); dreamcastlive.net; Sega press releases; sleuthing around old forums; and a smidge of informed guesswork.

However, regardless of the staying power of some, eventually every single online Dreamcast game had its official servers switched off. Luckily for us though, the scene has persistently had a cohort of skilled and generous technicians working in the shadows to revive these online functions through unofficial measures (shout out to the likes of bluecrab, Flyinghead, ioncannon, petter3k, and Shuouma). More recently, they have even been bolstered by developers bringing brand new titles online, such as the indie smash-hit Driving Strikers, or freely distributed homebrew projects like ClassiCube, NuQuake and even Counter Strike. 

'There's an interesting story behind this Dreamcast game. In 1999 I remember it was. I got up in the morning and made myself a piece of toast. I set the toaster to three - medium brown...'

Alas, despite all this wizardry, there are still 64 games with online functions which have not been used since the day their official servers closed, 55 of which had fully fledged online multiplayer modes. Some of these titles, such as Unreal Tournament, are highly recognised and the status of their online multiplayer modes are asked after time and time again. Yet, I would contend that there are others which are actually worthy of more attention, and that is exactly what I hope to achieve with this article. So, with the customary rambling introduction over, let's get into it. Here are the Dreamcast games whose online revival I am anticipating the most...

Dream Disc '24 Dreamcast Game Jam - A Showcase of All 24 Entries!

The entry period for the first ever Dream Disc game jam —a homebrew jam for the Sega Dreamcast— came to an end on January 3rd. Organised by Cypress of PsyOp Studios, and Ross Kilgariff of Orc Face Games, the jam was created with the aim of uniting the talented developers of the Dreamcast homebrew scene behind the shared challenge of developing new software for the console in a short space of time — and boy, did they deliver! 

Although judging is still yet to take place, each entry is already available to download from the Dream Disc '24 itch.io page for free. While the majority of submissions take the form of bitesize game demos for play on the console itself, there are also VMU games and some other miscellaneous pieces of software to check out too.

As detailed in Lozz's article from October (check it out for more details on the jam), the top ten entries chosen by the judges will go on to be featured on a physical compilation disc from Orc Face Games. While we intend to talk in more detail about those chosen games on an upcoming episode of our DreamPod podcast, for now I wanted to showcase every submission here so you can learn more about them and choose your own personal favourites from the bunch! 

Update (08 March 25): the judges have made their decisions! Click here to see the top ten.

Junkyarder Mike Rogers also took the time to record some footage of all the Dreamcast software entries, which we have uploaded as a nice compilation to YouTube, which you can watch below. I also recommend checking out The Sega Guru's great coverage on each entry as well.

So without further ado, let's get into the entries — all 24 of them. 24 entries for Dream Disc ‘24. How fitting!

Game Entries

Each of the 20 games submitted to Dream Disc '24 is unique, with an eclectic mixture of gameplay, graphical styles, and game engines on offer — there's something here for everyone to enjoy. 

While compatibility can vary, you should be able to burn all of these games onto a CD-R, stick them on an ODE (i.e. GDEMU, MODE), or play them on an emulator like Flycast.

A-Blaster by PrOfUnD Darkness

Mashing up ideas from classic space shooters Astro Blaster (Gremlin/Sega) and Megamania (Activision), A-Blaster is the first of many entries that will be challenging your dexterity. You get a single life to shoot down nine single-screen levels’ worth of alien invaders, as they move quickly across the top of the screen. To help overcome their barrage and be within a chance of staying in the game, you have a “warp” ability at your disposal (a feature made famous by Astro Blaster), which slows down enemy movements and lasers for a few seconds.

Download A-Blaster

Beach Box by PsyOp Studios

A complete remake of a Summer Jam 2024 entry, Beach Box is the first of two submissions to Dream Disc '24 by jam organiser Cypress, aka PsyOp Studios. This summery romp may be made up of simple shapes, but its gameplay is addictive. Taking control of a little square, the aim is to dodge larger rectangles by jumping or shifting dimensions, collecting coins as you go. It's sort of like Flappy Bird, except if Flappy Bird was actually fun. You also don’t have to give yourself carpal tunnel to play it.

It's a nice touch to see such a simple game have such a surprising range of unlockable power-ups and characters. I'm still trying to collect enough coins to get the little sock dude, Murph.

Download Beach Box

Big Drill by captkuso

Big Drill is what trendy internet pundits would call an "idle" game (wait, does that make me one of them?), in which you are in charge of a... big drill. It does what it says on the tin, really. 

Basically, the 3D blocks on screen are mined away automatically, with your resource numbers —which are listed on the right-side of the screen— increasing as you go. When your resources total specific amounts, it's time to take charge and buy upgrades for your drill. Upgrades include speeding up the drill, making it more durable, and increasing the amount of resources it collects. Pick the correct upgrades at the best time to see how deep you can drill.

For those looking to challenge themselves further, there is also a "prestige mode" to unlock, which resets any current progress and starts you again at a higher difficulty. 

Keep your eye out for a video detailing Big Drill's development coming to captkuso's YouTube channel in the next couple of weeks.

Download Big Drill