A Tribute to Retro Gamer Magazine's Nick Thorpe

Second from the left: DCJY founder Tom Charnock, furthest to the right: Nick Thorpe

Everyone here at The Dreamcast Junkyard is extremely sad to learn of the passing of Retro Gamer Magazine’s Features Editor, Nick Thorpe. Nick’s tragic passing occurred on the 1st December 2025 at the age of 38, and was sadly announced to the retro gaming world in the days that followed. We offer our condolences to Nick’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time.

Some words from The Dreamcast Junkyard founder Tom Charnock:

"I first met Nick at a gaming event of some description back in the mists of time. I knew who he was because I'd read so many of his articles in Retro Gamer over the years, and knew he was a fan of the Dreamcast — anyone with the social media handle "HKT3030'" must know his stuff, right? I had many conversations with Nick over the years, and he often commented on my articles on esoteric Dreamcast-related topics here at the Junkyard. I certainly appreciated that we shared a love of the highly obscure (and dry humour).

"The last time I saw him in person was at an open day at The Retro Collective's studio/museum in Gloucestershire where we played some arcade cabinets and discussed Amstrad CPC games at great length (for some reason!) Nick was always affable, incredibly well read, hugely respected, and a genuine joy to speak with. I think everyone who had even a brushing encounter with Nick would have only positive things to say about him; and his catalogue of features for Retro Gamer... well, the sheer quality of the research that went into his oeuvre will be hard to beat. My condolences go out to Nick's family, his colleagues and his friends. Thanks for your time in this crazy world, Nick — you will be missed."

Kev Mason recounts his memories of hosting Nick on the DreamPod:

"The impact that Nick made on us here at the Junkyard is difficult to describe in words at such a sad time, especially for someone like me, whose written word is the weakest of their communication skills. But the evening we got to spend chatting with Nick back in December 2023 for DreamPod episode 126 —where we discussed Nick's career along with the Dreamcast special edition of Retro Gamer (issue 254)— is something that myself and Lewis fondly remember, having been lucky enough to be the co-hosts for that episode.

"Nick's enthusiasm and knowledge utterly shone through during that conversation, alongside his warmth and charm, as he discussed his career and favourite games on the Dreamcast, and how he got extra pages added to that special issue of Retro Gamer on the final day of the deadline; all so it could have more Sega Dreamcast content.

Top-tier taste.

"During the chat, he told us about how he convinced his mum to buy him a Dreamcast under the guise that it could function as a family computer and could be used for homework by him and his sister due to its online capabilities. He then went on to explain how he coded his first-ever HTML website (a Sonic fan site, no less) using the on-screen keyboard and a Dreamcast controller, as he didn't yet own the Dreamcast keyboard. He would later go on to create and write for his own Dreamcast blog, Dreamcast-Lives, where he covered the later era of Dreamcast releases, before going on to write for Edge, GamesTM, and other magazines and sites during his career.

"Whilst the recording itself was shared with fans, myself and Lewis had the pleasure of a near hour-long chat after the show, where Nick shared a frankly fantastic story about Sega Rally 3 and its secret UK location test that had myself and Lewis cracking up. We also had a lengthy discussion on wrestling and the Dreamcast's various wrestling games, which was another topic he had an incredible amount of passion and enthusiasm for. This inspired some early planning discussions about needing to get him back in the future to record a full-fledged wrestling DreamPod episode."

We thank Nick for all the time and passion he shared with us, and we hope his family and friends can find comfort in knowing the impact he made on us and so many others in the wider retro gaming community.

- Signed on behalf of all the team here at The Dreamcast Junkyard.

Dream Disc 25 is Here! - Key Details and an Interview with the Organisers

Guess who’s back? Back again? Dream Disc’s back. Tell a friend. Guess who’s back, guess who’s back, guess who’s back, guess who’s back un-nuh-nuh….

Emboldened by the stonking success of their inaugural Dream Disc game jam in 2024, today (1 December 2025) Psyops Studios and Orc Face Games launch this year’s iteration of the competition ‘Dream Disc '25: Monster indie hits to grind until your eyes bleed’. Ok… I made that subtitle up. But if the outputs from the jam are anything like last time, then its sentiment will hold true.

For those new to this project, here is a basic run-down. The small but mighty development outfit Psyops Studios and the publishing maestros of Orc Face Games team up to organise a game jam (like a musical jam, but with coding) in which creatives of all hues are invited to collaborate and compete to produce games, applications, or even hardware for our beloved Dreamcast. The idea being that, with a supportive atmosphere and a clearly defined deadline to keep to, those involved will be motivated to produce new material that may otherwise have failed to materialise. Not convinced? Well, there are also the much more tangible incentives of cash prizes and a potential spot on a physical professionally produced demo disc. 

Pop in Dream Disc 24 and zone out to the trippy menu screen. You won't be disappointed.

Last year’s jam brought forth 24 software submissions, many of which were staggeringly well polished given the circumstances. The top ten made it onto a demo disc which is still available at the extremely generous price of shipping alone, but some of my personal favourites (Dream Ride and Big "Mfkin" Drill) didn’t make it past the crooked esteemed judging panel, and so I would still highly recommend checking out the full range of entries which we covered on the blog and the pod. 

Dream Disc '24 winner: Sky Pirates of Etalmar

Get the gist? Alright, on to the important points about this year’s game jam: 

• It begins today (1 December) and runs all the way through until the end of February 2026, after which the public can review entries, and the judges begin the arduous task of whittling down the winners.  
• Everyone is welcome, from beginners to old hands. Think you fancy producing something for the Dreamcast? Then check out the jam’s itch.io page, read the rules over on the Orc Face website and drop into the Orc Face discord server to meet up with others. 
• The jam has a super wide remit. Aside from software and hardware for the DC, applications that run on other platforms which are directly related to Dreamcast development or gaming are welcome. However, all submissions must be based on original content or content you have the rights to use, which rules out most mods and fangames.
• Lacking in time or creative thoughts (I feel you), but want to support the jam? Consider throwing a few quid into the prize pool – every penny counts!

Here at the Junkyard we are delighted to be sponsoring the Dream Disc jam once again. In practice that means one or two of us from the editorial collective will offer up our meticulous and fair-minded judging services, and that we will endeavour to give the game jam entries the coverage they deserve. OK, maybe they deserve better, but we will try our best…

Alright enough rambling from me. Here are a few words from the keystones of the whole shebang, Cypress from Psyops Studios and Ross from Orc Face Games.

DCJY: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us. We know you’re busy, so we’ll keep this sweet and to the point. Its great to see the Dream Disc game jam return for a second round. Presumably the inaugural competition must have been good fun if you are back for more?!

Cypress: For me, it was the most fun I’ve had with a jam, so it’s a no brainer to attempt to host it every year for my own interest. That being said, when we were originally coming up with the idea for Dream Disc, we envisioned it as a yearly jam, but understood that the deciding factor would be whether or not the year one event actually went successfully. Back then there was a point where we were worried we wouldn’t even get 10 submissions to fill up the disc!

Ross: Indeed! There were way more submissions than we anticipated last time and this year it’s looking to be nearly double that again! Orc Face Games’ contribution will be the same as last time: to compile and manufacture the physical CD-ROM with the top 10 submissions and provide it free of charge (at the cost of shipping) to anyone who wants one. Our belief is that the indie Dreamcast scene will become more interesting and vibrant with organised jams like this, and hopefully it will encourage more developers to consider making full releases for the platform. That’s where we’d be happy to provide publishing services.

The jam is being organised by Psyops Studios and Orc Face Games. Practically speaking does that mean Cypress and Ross, or is there a broader network of people involved?

Cypress: At least on the Psyops side, it’s just me (Cypress) handling it. The rest of the Psyops team is going full steam ahead on our next game, with Haikuno handling his libGumball UI library for our game, Nupi working on game and engine code for our Dream Disc submission, and Chao-Etta working on her VMU games.

Ross: Although the jam belongs to the community, it does fall to Cypress and myself to handle the organisation side of things. Generally the work is split between us with me handling the rules, the submission format, the promotional assets and the physical disc production side, and with Cypress handling the promotion and outreach side - getting more people involved in the jam, looking for judges, setting up the itch.io page and nudging me to get things done in between my very busy schedule.

The timeframe for the jam seems to have been extended quite significantly this time around, running over a 3 month period. What was the reasoning behind that choice?

Ross: Last year there were at least three people who said they would be unable to participate because they were travelling or seeing family over the holidays. Running the jam over the winter break is a great idea for many people as they have enough time to dig in and get some work done, but it was a shame to exclude those with other commitments. We hope extending the time will give more people a chance to contribute.

Are there any other changes to the format or approach? Anything you’re hoping to achieve that differs from the inaugural jam?

Ross: It was a struggle to get all the games working correctly on the compilation disc last time - so much so that it ended up taking me maybe two weeks of full-time work days including the time to build and optimise the menu and get the disc in the right format for pressing. I even had to modify the code for some submissions to fix bugs and get them to play nice on the final disc. This time around we’ve learned our lesson and are giving very strict submission format requirements. While this does mean a little more work for participants, the end result will be quicker to put together with fewer bugs. If this goes well, it will be our standard format for future years too.

The roster of entries last year was pretty special. Do you think enough time has passed for devs to cook up new projects?

Cypress: At least for Psyops team, the amount of steep competition has only driven us to work even harder on this year’s entry. I hope other developers feel the same heat, and bring some fire this time around. 

Ross: Even though the jam hasn’t formally started yet at the time of writing, we already have nearly double the submissions compared to last year. It looks like developers are really inspired to build something awesome for the Dreamcast and that’s everything we wanted for this project.

What’s the reception been like so far to the physical disc for Dream Disc ‘24?

Ross: Incredible! The quantity of orders of the physical CD-ROM has eclipsed our previous releases and this has pushed me to streamline our approach to picking, packing, labelling and shipping. It also boosted sales of our existing published Dreamcast titles, The Storied Sword and Chew Chew Mimic, plus an increase in preorders for our first in-house title HarleQuest! There are still a few copies of Dream Disc ‘24 left but we’re quickly running out. We don’t intend to manufacture another run, so if you haven’t got yours yet, I’d suggest ordering soon!

Cypress: It’s been big enough that it’s the first time I’ve heard people randomly talking about Psyops studios in the wild, as well as bringing up Orc Face Games too. Not only that, but seeing people online talk about it and introduce it to others - it feels surreal.

Producing a physical disc is quite the endeavour - are the time and resources available to manage that while keeping other projects on track?

Ross: For Dream Disc ‘24, the answer is no. Our other projects at Orc Face Games definitely took a hit as we had to divert time, money and energy into overcoming unforeseen problems. I felt a sense of guilt as HarleQuest! is already running quite behind our planned schedule from 2023, but at the same time I saw Dream Disc as a good investment for the company’s future and for the health of the scene.

It’s a tough balance trying to build a company with a strong presence in the indie Dreamcast world while also staying focused on the quality of our own releases. At the end of the day there isn’t a lot of money to pay people and so everything has to be done on a shoestring budget, with as much work as possible landing on a very small number of people (2 or 3 at a time maximum). The good news is that with all the lessons learned and processes in place, Dream Disc ‘25 will be much easier to put together and won’t have the same impact on our other work.

We’ve heard whispers that Murph’s big screen debut is in the works with Spielberg directing it… can you confirm or deny these rumours?

Cypress: Really? I’m going to have to grill my team and find out who the leaker is.

* * *

Thanks go out to Cypress and Ross for gracing us with a fresh edition of the Dream Disc game jam. As and when any other jam-related news drops we'll have it covered here on the blog. Of course, we're always interested to hear the views of our readers too. You've made it this far, so why not leave us a comment below?

Bang Bang Busters 2 Kickstarter Goes Live — a Sega Dreamcast Indie Sequel!

Have you finished the last puzzle on Chew Chew Mimic and are now finding yourself hungry for your next Dreamcast fix? Well, PixelHeart might have you covered with their latest Kickstarter campaign for Bang Bang Busters 2.

As the "2" in the title might infer, this is the sequel to the 2010 Visco-developed Neo Geo title Bang Bang Busters (also stylised as Bang² Busters), a single-screen arcade title akin to the likes of Bubble Bobble and Snow Bros where you clear stages by grabbing the enemies and hurling them at other enemies to build up combos and boost your score.

Bang Bang Busters 2 sees cutesy space bunnies Lazy and Refia return to once again defeat Emperor Honey and stop his evil plan to transform the kings of the universe into giant mascots and imprison them all in a planetary amusement park called Happy Universe. 

Okay, so the plot may have been ripped straight out of a 90s quarter-munching cabinet, but if you enjoy classic action platforming, Bang Bang Busters 2 could be well worth a look.

Although the lead platforms for the project are the Neo Geo MVS and AES cartridges, PixelHeart have confirmed that the Dreamcast version is a dedicated native port for the platform, and will sport improvements over the base game including a larger colour palette and refined visuals. The audio is also going to be improved with stereo sound and a CD-quality soundtrack. This is a definite improvement over the Dreamcast release of the original Bang Bang Busters, which was effectively just an emulated ROM on a disc.

As with other PixelHeart titles, regional packaging design options are available for Dreamcast, including our favourite love-to-hate option of a PAL jewel case (priced at €50) as well as US and Japanese themed versions (priced at €35) to best fit your current collection.

You can check out the Kickstarter here, where as of writing, the project is £15,042 towards its goal of £30,845. The Kickstarter runs until the 30th of November so it's looking promising that the goal will be achieved. There are also downloadable demos available for free for both Dreamcast and Neo Geo, if you want to test out an early build to see if it's up your street. 

Have you played the original Bang Bang Busters? Are you looking forward to a sequel? Let us know in the comments or on social media.

Dream Disc '24 Compilation Goes up for Preorder! Dream Disc '25 also Announced!

The Dream Disc '24 Game Jam —which ran from December 20th to January 3rd— was a huge success, showcasing a wide range of fantastic new software from the Sega Dreamcast's passionate coding community. It was also an absolute blast to cover here at the Junkyard, and we did so at any opportunity we could — our podcast episode discussing the winners with organisers Ross Kilgariff and Cypress was a particular highlight. 

As fabled in the jam’s original press release, the top ten entries —as selected by a panel of judges— were promised a spot on a physical demo disc. Perhaps this is the titular "Dream Disc"? (We’ll have to wait for Ross and Cypress to officially confirm that particular piece of Dream Disc game jam lore.) Well, Ross's publishing outfit Orc Face Games has finally announced that preorders are open for the physical Dream Disc release. The best part about this whole arrangement? The only thing you need to pay is the shipping fee. In my case, it only cost three measly Great British pounds, which is an absolute steal. If you're not based in the UK, though, Orc Face Games also ships internationally. 

The games featured on this compilation will be Rizzo Island Remix by Dreameater Games, dRxLaX by dRxL_dk, Murph's Big Puddle Fishin' by PsyOp Studios, Order of Titan by bertholet and Ajaxpigeon, Trick Truck and Sky Pirates of Etalmar by WufSoft, Starship Madness by yomboprime, Black Hole Descent by Frogbull, The Eternal Sleep by Locked Door Puzzle, and Defuseball by Freakdave.

For those who have consigned their Dreamcast to a digital-only fate, there is also a digital .cdi version of this release which you can download right now, totally for free. Of course, all of the Dream Disc '24 entries were available digitally for free anyway, but this still gives you the chance to experience the glorious landing screen that Ross has put together, which is a loving homage to the magazine demos of old.

Orc Face also announced on their Twitter account that the disc should arrive with them this month, so if you pick up any other games alongside your Dream Disc preorder, they can be shipped out all at once. Perhaps a perfect opportunity to double up with a copy of the upcoming Chew Chew Mimic, which is now imminently due for release following a video update Ross provided towards the end of last month.

The final version of Chew Chew Mimic we will be recieving.

So, with the final echoes of Dream Disc ‘24 fading, the question on everyone’s mind is… will there be a Dream Disc ‘25 this December? The answer is yes! The organisers are still working out the details, but it’s definitely happening. In the meantime, feel free to stare longingly at this sleek new logo that Ross designed for the event.

Will you be preordering one of these Dream Disc '24 compilations? Are you looking forward to Dream Disc '25? Let us know on our socials or leave a comment below.

Dream Color Plus — New Controller Mod Turns the Sega Dreamcast's VMU Screen Full Colour

Dream Color Plus being tested with Resident Evil: Code Veronica. Credit: Costenaro

There's been a lot of buzz within the Dreamcast fan community as of late over Dream Color Plus, a new controller mod from Brazil-based developer Nai Adventure, which converts your controller to show VMU graphics in full colour, as opposed to its typical monochrome display. The idea with the mod is that by taking apart an existing Dreamcast controller, and removing the existing PCB, you can pop the Dream Color Plus in, and voilà, you now have a wireless Dreamcast controller that has a built-in, backlit VMU screen that displays in full colour. The mod will also include on-board save game storage. You can watch the mod in action below. It's looking very impressive indeed...

Many of our followers have been tagging us under social media posts about the Dream Color Plus in the past week — don't worry, we've been paying attention, and since a crowdfunding campaign has been confirmed, we thought it was time we spoke with the dev to get the lowdown on this exciting project.

DCJY: Nai Adventure, thanks for chatting with us. The Dream Color Plus project looks awesome — it’s wild to see VMU graphics of games we’ve been playing for decades suddenly brought to life in full colour. Can you explain how it all works? And with such a huge library of Dreamcast games, how do you plan on colouring every VMU graphic?

Nai Adventure: The controller has three modes:

• Monochrome, like the original Dreamcast. 
• Palette mode, [which is] similar to what the Super Game Boy does with Game Boy games. To switch palettes, you hold the analog stick (which works as a new button) and press A to change line colors, B to change background colors, and the start button to invert them (like a photo negative). Here’s a quick demo: 

• Full color mode: for new games, devs can send pixel-by-pixel colors directly to the controller (I’m preparing some sample code for that). For older games, the process is more manual. We capture the frames that the games send to the VMU, color them, and whenever the VMU calls for that frame, the controller swaps it.

It sounds crazy, but we already have a good list of games converted. Of course, coloring the whole Dreamcast library is almost impossible, but the main games will get full color support. Since the PCB has an SD card slot, new games can be added little by little over time.

Left: Dream Color Plus showing off a coloured-version of the Sonic Adventure 2 VMU graphic.
Right: The Dream Color Plus PCB.

Sounds great! So is swapping the stock Dreamcast controller board out for the Dream Color Plus easy?

Yes! The whole idea is for it to be plug and play. You just open the controller and replace the PCB. That’s actually why we didn’t make a version with a second analog stick (something people ask for a lot). If we can get a partner to make new shells in the future, then a dual-stick version would totally be possible.

That potential dual-stick mod is something the community would go crazy for, I'm certain. So, with the Dream Color Plus, as it is effectively a VMU built into the controller, how much storage for saving can we expect to see?

Right now we’ve got eight VMU pages by default, but that number can be changed with a config file on the SD card. The controller also comes with built-in rumble. You lose the external VMU slots, but the main features are all there.

New Dreamcast Game "Verdict Guilty Clash" up for Pre-Order — Exclusive Details Revealed!

While the Sega Dreamcast homebrew scene has been busier than ever as of late, the same sadly cannot be said for the console's commercial indie scene. Releases have slowed down considerably in the last few years, and the closure of WAVE Game Studios has left many questioning the future of the scene altogether. Fortunately, there are still reasons for optimism: upcoming titles from Orc Face Games —HarleQuest!, Chew Chew Mimic, and the Dream Disc '24 demo disc— promise fresh indie experiences, while publishers like VGNYsoft continue to keep the platform alive with new releases. Still, it’s become increasingly slim pickings for those eager to add brand new physical Dreamcast games to their collections.

Still soldiering on after all these years is PixelHeart (also known as JoshProd). Once known for releasing multiple Dreamcast titles each year, their output on the console has also slowed, but if their recent release GladMort is anything to go by, the quality is stronger than ever. 

On Friday we learned that the next release in the PixelHeart gameography —Retro Army's Verdict Guilty Clash— is now available for pre-order. This 90s arcade-style one-on-one fighter with a law enforcement vs. criminals theme, and a gritty, neon aesthetic, first saw a release in 2016 on Steam, with releases on the PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch eventually appearing in 2023. Now the game is coming to the Dreamcast with the "Clash" subtitle, and will feature exclusive content, unique to this port. During my research, I found that this game had actually been touted for release on Dreamcast all the way back in 2019, with a Saturn version also mentioned. Well, good things come to those who wait, I guess, although I doubt we'll be seeing that Saturn version any time soon.

The Dreamcast port of Verdict Guilty will include new stages and four exclusive fighters, each with their own unique story mode. Among the newcomers are Sho Kamui and Tia Langray from Breakers (another of JoshProd’s previous Dreamcast releases), as well as Saizo Tobikageno from Breakers Revenge. Rounding out the roster is perhaps the most intriguing addition: Ken Anderson, a genuine real-life professional wrestler who goes by the ring name Mr. Kennedy.

We can also reveal that this port is running natively on Dreamcast, and is not emulated in any way. This seems to be something PixelHeart have been prioritising going forward, as some of their previous releases to Dreamcast —such as their Neo Geo releases— were powered by emulation.

Verdict Guilty Clash's physical release will be available in three region-themed variants familiar to Dreamcast collectors, with the PAL-style edition coming in a PAL case with a certificate of authenticity. As with all of PixelHeart's Dreamcast releases, it will be professionally pressed on MIL-CD.

To pre-order yourself a copy of Verdict Guilty Clash, head over to PixelHeart's store, where you can pre-order your preferred edition for a cost of €39.90 (about £34.52), plus shipping. The game has an expected release date of October 24th 2025.

Mute Crimson DC Releases for Sega Dreamcast – Play It Now for Free!

 

Well, this was a nice surprise! To mark the 26th anniversary of the Sega Dreamcast’s North American launch (the iconic 9.9.99), two-person indie studio Iced Lizard Games has released a Dreamcast port of their stylish ninja platformer Mute Crimson DX, fittingly renamed Mute Crimson DC. And the best part: it's totally free to play!

Mute Crimson can already be found on all the usual modern platforms (Steam, Xbox, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch) — so to see the Dreamcast being added to a lineup like that is wild. The Dreamcast's weak copy-protection may have been one of many factors that hindered its commercial success, but it's also the reason the console gets to live on more than two decades later, continuing to receive a steady stream of new indie titles and homebrew constantly.

So, what's Mute Crimson DC like? Well, it's a lot of fun! It's a one-hit death kind of platformer (like Super Meat Boy, Celeste, that kind of thing). You know, the kind with instant respawns and no fear of running out of lives, but a focus on timing precise jumps to reach the next platform. Miss a beat and you’ll be spectacularly splatted, but a second later you're back into the action. I’m also happy to report that the controls are tight and responsive as you slash, double jump and wall-climb through the game's various levels. If the challenge does prove to be slightly too much for you though, there's always an easy mode with more checkpoints. Oh, and there's also a save system.

The retro-inspired monochrome graphics, with their accents of crimson, look lovely on the Dreamcast, and the game runs fast, flawlessly, and with surprisingly little compromise. To achieve this level of performance, the developers did have to scale back a few things: particle effects were reduced, audio bitrate was lowered, rumble support was removed, and the modern versions’ rewind system was cut. These are all relatively minor concessions, however, and they do nothing to diminish the gameplay experience — especially if, like me, this Dreamcast version is your first time playing Mute Crimson.

Oh, and the cutscenes are charming and well illustrated, too.

If you want to play Mute Crimson DC, simply head over to the game's itch.io page and download the available .cdi file for play on your ODE (such as GDEMU or MODE), or for burning onto a CD-R.

Hopefully we will see more from Iced Lizard Games on the Dreamcast in the future, but if you do enjoy what you play of Mute Crimson DC, they have other games available on other platforms, including one planned for release in 2026.

Star Fox 64 Port for Sega Dreamcast is Now Available!

Update (Friday 5th December 2025): The Star Fox 64 port for Sega Dreamcast is now available to play! Visit the project’s GitHub page to find a download as well as instructions on how to compile your own version for play on your Dreamcast.

In January, we asked the question: is 2025 the year of the Dreamcast port? 

Yes. Yes it is. And undoubtedly the biggest force behind this trend is developer Jnmartin84, who has already brought extra-polished ports of both Doom 64 and Wipeout to the Sega Dreamcast. Now, as the Dreamcast community eagerly awaits the alpha release of his Mario Kart 64 port (which is apparently in its final bug-testing phase), Jnmartin has only gone and got another Nintendo 64 classic running on the system: Star Fox 64. Absolute mad lad.

I'm sure I don't need to explain what Nintendo's fifth-generation classic Star Fox 64 is — unless you're a European who entered a coma at the end of 1997, in which case, Lylat Wars is Star Fox 64. That trademark issue is no longer a thing. Oh yeah, and Sega's next console was called the Dreamcast... but it was a commercial failure, and it had issues with software piracy. But in a way that commercial failure is just one of many factors that still empower the passionate fan community to keep its legacy alive, and that piracy problem was actually what made homebrew development a lot more accessible than on other consoles of its era... Anyway, check out the footage below of Jnmartin84's impressive 48-hour Dreamcast StarFox 64 port.

UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE!!!! While I've been working on fixing the last couple of bugs in the Mario Kart 64 DC port, getting us ready for the alpha release, jnmartin has gotten STAR FOX 64 up and running on the Sega Dreamcast in just two freaking days!?!?

Sure, there are plenty of… pic.twitter.com/J3zgEK1sk7

— Falco Girgis (@falco_girgis) August 6, 2025

So yeah, it's looking like Jnmartin84 has firmly set his sights on StarFox 64. This means that once his Mario Kart 64 port finally releases publicly in the coming weeks (or likely days, at the speed he works), work will then begin on porting Star Fox 64. And just like his previous porting projects, we can expect another top-notch job.

What do you think of all these ports to the Dreamcast? Let us know in the comments below or on our socials!

Sovietborgs on IndieGoGo, El Dorado Gate Translation, Outtrigger Back Online - Summer DC News Round-Up

 Credit to Dreamcast Enjoyer for the Virtua Fighter 3TB background.

The scorching summer heatwave has finally dissipated, providing me with the opportunity to sit here and type up a Dreamcast news round-up without melting into my creaky computer chair. Fortunately though, while I've been lounging around outside, Mr Freeze in hand and with the neighbours clingy cat at my feet (Trevor, generally chill, occasionally bitey), others in the scene have been busy cooking up all sorts of goodness. And, really, given the variety on display, there should be something here to suit everyone's tastes...

One of the few consumer goods to have avoided the savage inflation of recent years. I'm still waiting for a response to my enquiry about a DCJY edition though - call me back Mr Freeze!

News from the Indie Front

The stream of commercial indie releases on Sega's swansong console has definitely slowed over the last year or two. During the frenetic period that roughly coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, dozens of titles were being published each year, and the pipeline of forthcoming games was packed. In hindsight, maybe that was never sustainable in the long-run, and it is feasible that the market became a little oversaturated. Who knows, maybe I'll scribble a deeper dive into the phenomenon soon, but regardless, the indie market is certainly far from finished and there is still plenty to look forward to.

Undoubtedly deserving of top billing here is the launch of the Sovietborgs crowdfunder by Dreamcast scene heavyweights Retro Sumus. After blessing us with the sublime Xenocider in 2021, this European development outfit took a well deserved break, but thankfully, last year we began to hear them stirring again. This time around they are pitching a top-down run 'n' gun game set in a parody world where the Soviet Union won the Cold War (and Gorbachev didn't end up starring in Pizza Hut adverts). Ample detail is available on the IndieGoGo page, so I won't regurgitate it all here. The campaign has around three weeks left to run, and the crew are 57% of the way towards their £41k funding goal. Here at the Junkyard we're hoping Retro Sumus are successful - if anyone is deserving of backing, then it is scene-stalwarts like them!

In other recent news, Gladmort, the 2D action-platformer that pays homage to titles like Ghouls 'n Ghosts, Metal Slug and Magician Lord, has been landing on the doormats of nerds all around the globe. Lewis was enamoured with the game's visual panache when he covered its KickStarter launch last year, and now we'll get to see if it lives up to his (and others) expectations. Those who missed the pre-orders but are now interested can pick up a copy from Pixelheart should they wish. I didn't take the plunge on this one, but a couple of our other writers-at-large did - hopefully one will turn out a review (yeah, Mike, that means you, buddy).

The PAL edition of Gladmort. Photo courtesy of MikeRox.

Elsewhere, occasional updates continue to arrive about the handful of other indie titles that are in the oven. A few days ago, the good folks at JKMCorp let us know that Shadow Gangs Zero is making steady progress and that the Dreamcast version is expected to be ready in early 2026. Orc Face Games, who published The Storied Sword earlier this year, are juggling several projects. In late April they announced that Chew Chew Mimic was available to pre-order (for a mere £15 a piece), but their latest news is that the Dream Disc '24 build is tested and "good to go", which hopefully means that discs will be printed soon. Ross of Orc Face has admitted that development of their key title HarleQuest! has slowed as a result of these other initiatives, but nevertheless, transparent KickStarter updates continue to arrive on a steady basis, and the latest post (May 2025) notes that the aim is to get the game to a content-complete state by the end of Q3 2025. Personally, as long as the game gets there in the end, I wouldn't begrudge a few delays - Orc Face are doing a lot of good for the scene and are worthy of some patience...

A work-in-progress version of the Dream Disc '24 demo disc cover.

Patience? Patience?! But Lozz, I here you cry, where is the news on Izzy's Arcade and Terminator 2D No Fate? Well, since Senile Team playfully hinted that Izzy could make a return to the Dreamcast, Roel and his posse have been tight lipped. We really must see that semi-sequel on our beloved console, though. Ditto for Terminator 2D NO FATE, which Bitmap Bureau have declared will be coming to retro consoles (without specifying which).

Whopping Big Translations

Anyone with even a passing interest in the Dreamcast will know that the Japanese market received swathes of titles that never saw the light of day over here in Europe or across the pond in the States. However, thanks to some plucky and selfless people who dedicate hours to producing translations, this disparity has been gradually chipped away at over the years.

Most recently, bigbanana23 (look, that it a perfectly good username alright?) announced that they have begun translating Capcom's multi-volume RPG El Dorado Gate. Spanning seven(!) entries on the Dreamcast, which, if you are lucky enough, you can pull together in a neat slipcase, this title has undoubtedly been high on the wishlists of many for a long time now. Clearly it is still early doors on this project, but the initial signs are looking positive. 

A complete set of El Dorado Gate, including the snazzy green slipcase.

It also fills my heart with joy to see that Exxistance is inching ever closer to being able to release their translation of the iconclastic Segagaga. This month they released a new video which demonstrates how far the project is progressing. Word has it that the aim is to drop this muther as a 25th anniversary patch, which would suggest that 29 March 2026 should be booked off work (and maybe a few days after that actually). Of course, we don't want to apply any undue pressure - when it's ready, it's ready. For now, if you've got Segagaga on the mind, be sure to check out our interview with its creator Tez Okano.

Oh, and how could I make a blog post without mentioning the Italian Stallion himself, Derek Pascarella?! Those with an interest in the technical side of translations should check out his recent social media posts exploring some problem-solving in action on the Love Hina: Suprise Engagement translation (W.I.P).

Mario Kart 64 has been Ported to the Sega Dreamcast!

Update (Friday 8th August 2025): This port is now available to play! Visit the project’s GitHub page to find a download as well as instructions on how to compile your own version for play on your Sega Dreamcast.

Mario Kart has been dominating discussions in online gaming circles lately, what with the release of Mario Kart World for Nintendo's brand-new Switch 2. Is it good? Is it bad? I couldn’t tell you — I'm still here playing Mario Kart 8 like the peasant I am. Haven't even got the expansion pass for all the courses. Times are tough, bro. Something I do have though, is the godliest console ever forged by mortal hands —the Sega Dreamcast— and it's getting a port of the Nintendo 64 classic Mario Kart 64 very soon. The wizard behind this feat is none other than Jnmartin84, who previously brought exceptional ports of both Doom 64 and Wipeout to the console.

The Dreamcast wasn’t exactly lacking in quality kart racers during its commercial run. Titles like Looney Tunes: Space Race and Wacky Races offered solid alternatives to the Italian plumber's blue-shell-'em-up. But as with everything Dreamcast in the last few years, the boundaries once imposed by the Dreamcast's commercial failings and Sega's position in the console wars are being broken down by the scene's talented homebrew community, who are making ports once thought impossible a reality. We've had Grand Theft Auto 3 and Vice City come to Dreamcast, and now it's Mario Kart 64's turn.

Mario Kart 64 was recently decompiled, and Jnmartin84 wasted no time in getting something running. Last weekend, Falco Girgis announced the project's existence, explaining the technical side of the project in detail, and showcasing early footage of the port running on real hardware.

FINALLY time for the big announcement everyone has been begging and waiting for... Here's a VERY EARLY direct hardware capture of Mario Kart 64... RUNNING ON THE SEGA DREAMCAST, of course!

This game was literally just BARELY decompiled the other day, with a codebase that is… pic.twitter.com/h76glP2QGu

— Falco Girgis (@falco_girgis) June 7, 2025

Only four days later, Falco posted an update on the project, and the progress made in such a short time is frankly staggering. Jnmartin84 sure works fast!

So how is the Sega Dreamcast's very own native port of Mario Kart 64 coming along? Well, lets take a look at some footage I just captured directly from my DC of jnmartin's latest build!

Minor texture corruption is still present on some of the sprites here and there, plus there's… pic.twitter.com/D3ng6SP0yX

— Falco Girgis (@falco_girgis) June 11, 2025

With Jnmartin84's Dreamcast ports of Doom 64 and Wipeout being regarded as the definitive way to play both games on any console, we have no doubt that his port of Mario Kart 64 is going to be nothing short of incredible as well. We look forward to seeing how he will leverage the console's power to add further enhancements to the game. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the project as it develops — in fact, I’m already taking bets on how soon a new update will drop after I hit publish on this news piece.

Are you excited to see Mario and friends race onto Sega Dreamcast? Let us know in the comments below or via our social media. And if you're a Nintendo AI bot out to get this project shut down, just remember — even in the robot world, nobody likes a snitch. Mario and Sonic competed at the Olympic Games together, so there's no reason why Mario Kart 64 can't be on the Dreamcast.

8BitMods announces the VMU Pro — their Modern Take on the Sega Dreamcast VMU

When we first laid our eyes on the Dreamcast's memory card, the VMU, we all collectively thought, "Wow, it has a screen. This is the future", only to soon realise it had a battery life so short it could rival the lifespan of an adult mayfly. Still, the VMU was undeniably cool. When slotted into the Dreamcast controller, it added to gameplay, like providing an easy way to track your health in Resident Evil: Code Veronica or becoming a compass so you wouldn’t get lost in D2. When removed, it could play a whole host of little applications, even doubling up as a sort of Tamagotchi, letting you raise your chao from Sonic Adventure on the go. The VMU had plenty of cool features but was ultimately held back by the technology of the time — a point ex-Sega peripheral designer Kenji Tosaki reflected on in his interview with us last year.

It’s only natural, then, that those manufacturing modern takes on retro hardware would want to revisit the VMU and finally unlock its full potential. We’ve previously seen the excellent VM2 from veteran Dreamcast modder Chris Diaoglou, but now the UK-based 8BitMods are throwing their hat into the ring with the “VMU Pro”.

Considering the success of 8BitMods' MemCard PRO line of souped up memory cards for both PlayStation (1 and 2) and GameCube, it was inevitable that they'd turn their attention to the Dreamcast's VMU, and they started teasing the development of such a product as early as 2022. Various videos of the VMU Pro's development process would show up on 8BitMods' social media channels in the intervening years, including a video of an in-development prototype running DOOM. Watching the teaser trailer 8BitMods put out at the weekend, it looks like the VMU Pro will be capable of doing much more than that, though. 

Don’t let Nintendo see!

One of the hooks that is being heavily promoted as part of the product's announcement is the fact it can play "8-bit era handhelds and games consoles like the Game Boy Color, NES and Master System" and do so "on a beautiful 16-bit [colour] IPS TFT display", so no monochrome here. Another feature that isn't mentioned explicitly but I did notice flash up in the footage, is the inclusion of an in-built music player. A spiritual successor to the ill-fated VMU MP3 player before Grand Theft Auto 6? Madness!

A showcase of the on-board file management system.

Touted by 8BitMods as "the last VMU you'll ever need for your Dreamcast", the preview also boasts these following features:

• Wi-Fi enabled
• Backwards compatible with original VMUs 
• Rechargeable battery
• “Unlimited” storage
• "The best on-device file management you've seen on a memory card" 

For pre-orders and a full list of features, head to the 8BitMods website on the 15th of May at 6pm UK time (10am PT/ 1pm ET). The VMU Pro will cost a respectable £74.99 and will ship in November. It will be available in a variety of different coloured shells, including some transparent ones that look straight out of Y2K.

Are you excited about the VMU Pro? Does it look like the perfect storage solution for all your Dreamcast save file needs? Let us know in the comments below or via social media.

Chew Chew Mimic - Dreamcast Edition Now Available for Pre-Order from Orc Face Games

Chew Chew Mimic, one of the latest efforts from renowned UK-based developer Lowtek Games, has taken a step closer to reaching the Dreamcast with pre-orders opening on the Orc Face Games website over the Easter weekend. For the princely sum of £15 (inclusive of shipping until the end of April), you can pick up a physical copy of the game, which comprises a professionally pressed disc and eight page full-colour manual enclosed within a sealed jewel case. Fortunately for the those who have long since switched their disc drive for an optical disc emulator, a complementary digital version is included too, to be accessed via a QR code on the manual. Also of significance is that those pre-ordering will not have a lengthy wait either, as Orc Face have informed us that they are aiming to have copies out the door by the end of May 2025.

So what is Chew Chew Mimic all about? Well, in a nutshell, it’s a bright and breezy puzzle game where the player is tasked with placing tiles in a formation that will allow one of four knights to reach the end of each of the 100 levels. Following on from the likes of Flea! and Tapeworm Disco Puzzle, the game maintains numerous signature Lowtek elements, including a distinctive art style, pun-heavy cutscenes, and a chiptune soundtrack from composer Tuï. The story goes that the game, which takes inspiration from a certain cat-and-mouse (and spaceship) Dreamcast classic, was first conceived by retro gaming YouTube personality John Riggs (who previously also brought us Yeah Yeah Beebis II) and Alastair Low after a couple of fateful encounters at gaming conventions. 

Right from the off, although being primarily developed for the NES, Chew Chew Mimic was touted for a Dreamcast release. Indeed, when we first got wind of the project in 2023, it was looking likely that a version for our beloved Sega console would be made available simultaneously with, or at least soon after, the NES version, as arrangements had been made with prolific Dreamcast publisher Wave Game Studios. Alas, versions for the NES, Evercade and Playdate came and went, whereas the DC edition entered a state of limbo when Wave seemed to enter an indefinite publishing hiatus as the months of 2023 rolled by with little progress. Thankfully though Orc Face Games, founded in 2024 by HarleQuest’s lead developer Ross Kilgariff, has picked up the thread, and will now be ensuring that Chew Chew Mimic isn’t added to the Dreamcast’s voluminous directory of cancelled indie titles.

Wipeout Ported, Segagaga Fan Translation Breakthroughs, Speed Devils now Online - Dreamcast News Round-Up April 2025

I must confess, there’s been a flurry of Dreamcast news these last couple of months that has largely passed me by. Distracted by the day job, some new(ish) part-time studies, and about a billion hours of pointing up the ugly paving slabs in my back garden (still somehow unfinished), I’d taken my eye off the ball. Fortunately though, a rainy Sunday has presented me with the opportunity to get caught up, and rather than taking notes just for my own benefit, I thought I may as well draft a news round-up for the Junkyard.

So, after dusting off my keyboard, pinching a list off Lewis, and conducting a systematic desktop review of relevant sources (skimming Dreamcast Talk), this is what I’ve managed to drum up. In no particular order, here’s what’s been happening in the Dreamcast scene lately.

Get in loser, we’re playing Dreamcast online

I know some folks take little interest in this aspect of Sega’s swansong console, but I MUST urge them to reconsider at every available opportunity, as 2025 is arguably the best time to be playing the Dreamcast online since its commercial heyday. We’re only in April and online multiplayer modes for several titles have already been launched or revived this year.

Most recently, in March, Speed Devils Online was brought back online thanks to the sterling work of Shuouma and flyinghead. As explained by PC Wizard in his Dreamcast Live blog post, Shu started work on this title way back in 2017, with some of us hoping that it could be cracked reasonably easily given that the game shares server code with the likes of POD 2 and Monaco Grand Prix Online (all developed by Ubisoft). Alas, it wasn’t as simple as that, but thankfully, eight years on, flyinghead has picked up Shu’s groundwork and managed to finally solve the puzzle.

Speed Devils Online opening screen, courtesy of Sega Retro.

Rewinding back a little further, in January the Dreamcast ports of two colossal PC titles were brought online. First of all, NuQuake, a version of Quake ported to the Dreamcast (thanks to mrneo420, dreameatergames, Ian Michael, BERO and Kazade), was brought online out of nowhere by a fellow called Maximqad. Why would you want to play the original Quake when the sublime Quake III Arena is available I hear you ask? Well, for one thing, NuQuake supports up to 16 players in a single match, far more than any of the officially licensed Dreamcast titles were able to manage. Fair warning though, if you do try NuQuake out, then a Dreamcast Broadband Adapter is highly recommended, as performance via dial up is currently still pretty sketchy.

The second port of a monster PC title that was brought online for the Dreamcast in January was no less than Counter Strike. Granted, unlike NuQuake which is publicly available, this title is still very much a work in progress and remains in a closed testing phase for now. Nevertheless, footage has been published by The Sega Guru showing the online multiplayer mode functioning via real hardware which is tantalising in and of itself. So, who’s responsible for this development? Maximqad of course. They’ve come out of left field, are rapidly stacking up big wins, and we’re all for it. God speed.

If battling it out over a phone line isn’t your vibe, then there are plenty of other reasons to get your Dreamcast online. For one, you could browse through the hundreds of thousands of internet radio stations available via the refreshed DCPlaya software released by Delux in February. Or, maybe you want to back-up your VMU saves, but don’t have a VM2 or one of those wacky cables Lik-Sang pushed back in the day? Well, now there is a web browser-based option in the wonderful Cloud VMU produced by Robert Dale Smith.

2025: year of the port

The last few months have seen an unprecedented wave of hefty high-quality ports released for our beloved little white box. Sometimes this blog may come across a little hyperbolic, but in this case I reckon there are reasonable grounds for getting hyped, and each of the following deserve your attention for varying reasons:

Wipeout box art snippet nabbed from Laced Records.

This month (April 2025) jnmartin84 released a port of the eternally cool Wipeout to the Dreamcast, which commentators such as The Sega Guys are (reasonably) touting as the best version of the game to date. Feature complete, running at 60fps, and with input remapping to allow for the Dreamcast controller, this is exactly the kind of work that we love to see. Check out the project’s GitHub page for more details.

Jnmartin84? Doesn’t that username ring a bell? Ah yes, that’s because in January, they also released a virtually perfect port of Doom 64 that features a whole suite of enhancements, some of which are exclusive to the Dreamcast edition, including real-time lighting. A gushing overview and interview with the developer from the Junkyard's founder, Tom Charnock, can be found here. 

Unless you’ve been entirely cut off from civilization lately, you’ll probably know that an alpha port of Grand Theft Auto 3 for the Dreamcast (yes, that still seems ludicrous to type) was released to the world on New Years Eve 2024. Without being paid a penny, a phenomenal international team of volunteers led by skmp achieved what many had thought would be impossible, thereby resolving a debate that has been running ceaselessly in the scene for nearly a quarter century. Oh, and as if that wasn’t impressive enough, they followed it up with a port of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City in April, as covered by Lewis for the Junkyard.

Ken Rosenberg upon reading this blog post...

Unwilling to let the momentum fade, skmp is now beavering away at porting a more contemporary title, The Liquid Jet, to the Dreamcast too. In fact, Sad Mask Party’s “slimy and psychedelic” PC adventure game is so fresh that only a demo is available right now. It is hoped that the first level will be playable by the end of this month – stay tuned for further updates.