Memories of One Last Dream — Sneak Peek of Continue Magazine Vol. 88 (and How to Win a Copy)

The cover of Vol. 88 of Continue Magazine featuring the design classic Dreamcast swirl.

Although the Junkyard is almost an entirely online operation, our editorial collective has always harboured a love for print media. Sure, broadcasting your ramblings to a global audience via the world wide web is neat, but there is also something undoubtedly special about holding a book or magazine in your hands - the texture of the paper, the smell of the ink, the coffee mug rings on the cover and all that jazz. As laid bare in my prior Junkyard posts, and our latest DreamPod episode, I too am afflicted by a borderline unhealthy obsession with Dreamcast magazines. Therefore, when I was trawling eBay looking for old issues to scan and happened to lay eyes on the latest issue of Continue magazine, with its tantalisingly minimalist cover advertising a Dreamcast special feature, I knew I had to get my grubby mitts on a copy.

Of course, as this is a contemporary magazine which is still very much alive and kicking, scanning the entire mag or even the special section is out of the question. However, following a long honoured Junkyard tradition (sometimes titled “Let’s take a look at”), I am able to share my humble thoughts on its contents, along with a few choice snapshots and info on where readers can purchase this product themselves. 

So, here we go. Let’s take a look at Continue Volume 88…

Continue: The Story so Far

Continue, or Continue Motion Graphic to use the full title, is a Japanese magazine that describes itself as “the world's greatest otaku, subculture, and entertainment magazine”. Its first issue was published in March 2001, arriving on newsstands at a time when the Dreamcast was in a peculiar state of limbo - officially discontinued, but with several more years of software releases ahead of it (in Japan, at least). Published by Ohta Publishing Company on a quarterly basis through until the end of 2002, it then picked up pace, publishing bimonthly through until February 2010 when what would appear to be its final issue appeared. 

Top: Three covers from the initial run of Continue (2001-2010).
Bottom: Three covers from the revived run of Continue (2018-Present).
Cover artwork © Continue Motion Graphic.

Fortunately that wasn’t the case. In 2018, Ohta decided to shake Continue out of its lengthy hibernation, spruce it up, and put the magazine back to work, with little change in terms of its scope. Since its revival, the magazine has been published continually on a bimonthly basis, with each issue containing coverage of contemporary and retro gaming (among other 'otaku' topics) over a span of 120 pages or so. 

As someone who has only just come across the mag, my understanding of it, beyond what I’ve been able to glean from internet sources, is admittedly shallow. According to the blurb on RetroMags, right from its early days Continue was characterised by an avoidance of “fluff” previews, in favour of more considered coverage of games and the gaming industry, along with in-depth interviews. And, flicking through Volume 88, that description seems to hold up…

Volume 88: Memories of One Last Dream

The first pages of the special feature with a snap of one fine looking Dreamcast. 
Magazine content © Continue Motion Graphic, 2026.

Front and centre in this issue (or should I say volume?!) is a special 48-page feature on Sega’s swansong console aptly titled “Memories of One Last Dream”. The remainder of the issue has a variety of other neat features too, including a 2025 Game of the Year section, but given our remit, I will exclusively focus on the former item. Broken down into its constituent parts, the Dreamcast feature encompasses:

• Brief reviews of 24 games;
• Two full page panel comic strips (including one where the Dreamcast meets the PS5);
• An interview with Akira Nishino and Takaharu Terada (focused on Sakura Taisen, aka Sakura Wars);
• An interview with Yosuke Okunari (Dreamcast and Sega-wide discussion);
• An interview with Tadashi Takezaki ((Dreamcast and Sega-wide discussion); and
• A reproduction of Sega of Japan's 31 Jan 2001 "To everyone who supports Sega" message addressing the end of the Dreamcast and the shift to third-party software development.

All of the above is laid out beautifully, with the text interspersed between some extremely clean shots of the console and its paraphernalia, some interesting photos of Sakura Wars sketches and concept artwork, and of course, some shots of the interviewees during their in-person interviews (photography by Kazuki Ohashi and Hiroyuki Matsuzaki).

Left: Examples of the brief game reviews. Right: Sketches and concept artwork for Sakura Taisen.
Magazine content © Continue Motion Graphic, 2026.

The 24 games that are selected to be reviewed/highlighted are invariably bangers and would make a decent menu for those new to the console. They include the iconic titles that were big hitters in western markets like Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio, as well as a smattering of more understated delights like Death Crimson 2, Segagaga, and The Typing of the Dead. For incorrigible DC obsessives like us though, these reviews are unlikely to be of much interest. After all, we have probably played the featured titles many times over, and have little desire for our stubbornly held views on them to be challenged (ok, maybe that last part is just me). 

The mag's main hook then, beyond the admittedly gorgeous aesthetics, is its interviews with those who helped make Sega tick during the Dreamcast era. For those of us who don’t comprehend Japanese, an extremely rough inkling of what is said can be ascertained using a translation app of one sort or another. Of course, this method is replete with potential issues, and cannot match the touch of a skilled human translator. We're hopeful that Ohta may permit us to translate and publish one of the three interviews in English, but until then, here is a rough synopsis of each:

Akira Nishino and Takaharu Terada are interviewed about the Sakura Taisen series, whose multiple releases on the Dreamcast were central to the identity of the console in Japan. They have both been employed by Sega since the 90s and took up key roles in the creation of the Sakura Taisen game series. They speak about the creative process; the generosity of other Sega colleagues; brainstorming over late night beers; their desire to ensure Sakura Wars 3 utilised everything the Dreamcast hardware had to offer; and much much more. Perhaps the most poignant moment discussed is when the news arrived that Sakura Wars 4 would be developed as a proper-finale for the Dreamcast, despite the fact that Sega had already ceased production of the console.

Akira Nishino and Takaharu Terada proudly pose with an extensive range of Sakura Taisen/Sakura Wars games released for the Dreamcast, along with the special edition version of the console. 
Magazine content © Continue Motion Graphic, 2026. 

Yosuke Okunari, a Sega employee since 1994 who is renowned for his knowledge of the company, gives a wide ranging interview about the Dreamcast as "one last dream". He speaks about the period between the end of the Saturn and the start of the Dreamcast when hard decisions had to be made about whether games in development should shift to the new consoles; about Sega's self-reflective (self-deprecating?) advertising campaigns of the era; the split between Sega's different development arms (Overworks, Smilebit, Sonic Team); and Phantasy Star Online representing "the dream come true", among many other topics. 

Yosuke Okunari giving it the big 'un in a suave Sega jacket. 
Magazine content © Continue Motion Graphic, 2026.

Tadashi Takezaki, a marketer for Sega between 1993 and 2015, provides insights into a whole host of topics that are regularly mulled over by Sega enthusiasts including: the decision to cease the Saturn (despite it performing well within Japan) in a bid to return Sega to global success; the strategic choices made regarding the Dreamcast's hardware, aesthetics and its launch date; the lack of a "killer app" among Japan's four launch titles; and the prominence of innovative and cutting-edge games in the Dreamcast's library. Perhaps the key detail though, is where Takezaki explains how, once Sega had decided to discontinue the Dreamcast, he arranged for Sega to directly and warmly address its fans in what is referred to as the "To everyone who supports Sega" message, instead of only publishing a matter-of-fact press release.

Snaps of Tadashi Takezaki in mid-flow during his interview.
Magazine content © Continue Motion Graphic, 2026. 

Those seeking to get their hands on Continue Magazine Vol. 88 should visit its dedicated page on the publisher’s platform, which gives numerous options for it to be bought physically or digitally at a price of 1,980 yen (roughly a tenner). 

How to Enter Our Competition

Of course, one lucky reader could also get their hands on a physical copy of the mag by winning our competition. Entrants simply need to email us at dreamcastjunkyard (at) gmail dot com and tell us which of the three interviews featured in Continue Vol. 88 they would most like to see published in English and why (in less than 50 words). They must do so by no later than Sat 28 March, and be located in the UK or Europe only (apologies, delivery costs elsewhere are too high for this rag-tag non-profit outfit). 

Our hope is that Ohta Publishing will give us permission to translate and publish one of the interviews featured in Continue Vol. 88 here on the Junkyard blog. Once we know what readers preferences are we will crack on with pleading for permission.

An Interview with Kenji Tosaki: How the Sega Dreamcast and its Beloved Peripherals Came to Be

One day we realised that The Dreamcast Junkyard account on Twitter (or X, as it is now known...) was followed by none other than Kenji Tosaki, the peripheral development manager at Sega of Japan from the 1990s until 2001, when he retired. He led the design process for classic Sega Saturn peripherals like the 3D Control Pad and the Virtua Gun, but perhaps most importantly to us here at the Junkyard, he was heavily involved with the design of the Dreamcast console hardware, its controller, the Visual Memory Unit (VMU), and even the Samba de Amigo Maracas Controller, to name a few. To have such an important figure from Sega's heyday follow us—of all people—was truly an honour. We knew we had to reach out and try and arrange some sort of opportunity to speak with him.

What followed was a whole lot of machine-translated correspondence, and we must thank Tosaki-san for answering all our questions, as well as his time and patience throughout this process. Another thank you also goes out to Brian Vines and Laurence Goodchild for assisting me with the decision on which questions to ask, as well as Derek Pascarella for some technical explanations.

Of course, we couldn't just let the resulting interview you see below remain machine-translated, so this is where I must extend a huge thanks to translation extraordinaire (and my former Nakoruru fan translation comrade-in-arms) Duralumin, who graciously translated Tosaki-san's original Japanese answers into English.

What was revealed from our conversation with Tosaki-san is a whole lot of great insight into how the Dreamcast hardware and many beloved peripherals came to be. We also thought it was important to use this opportunity to try and dig deeper into some of the more esoteric Dreamcast-related lore, to try and get some light shone on topics that have fuelled debates within Sega fan communities for decades. Why was a second analog stick a no show on the Dreamcast controller? What was Sega's view on adopting the almighty DVD format that would've supposedly helped the Dreamcast go toe-to-toe with Sony's PlayStation 2? We also made sure to pick Tosaki-san's brain about some cancelled Dreamcast peripherals, such as the VMU MP3 player, with the hopes of unearthing new information about them.

While our interview does touch on the Sega Saturn somewhat, it is mainly referenced to assist the explanation of points relating to the Dreamcast's own design. If you'd like to hear Tosaki-san get more in-depth about the Saturn, I highly recommend you go check out his interview with our friends over at SEGA SATURN, SHIRO!

Credit: Sega Retro

DCJY: Thank you for agreeing to talk with us about your career at Sega, Tosaki-san. We have read that you were involved with the design of the Dreamcast console. The design was definitely more compact than its predecessor, the Saturn, and very futuristic-looking for the time. When you and your team set out to design the console, what inspired the design?

Kenji Tosaki: The lead director and producer on the design of the Dreamcast was actually Mr. Oikawa [Akitoshi Oikawa], who also handled the design of the Sega Saturn. For the Dreamcast, the design of the console itself was contracted out, but Mr. Oikawa personally handled the controllers and other peripherals.

Now, when the Saturn was still in development, we ended up drawing up the design ahead of finalizing how much space all the internals would need. Stuff like the main board, the CD drive, power supply unit, all of that. The original design was quite a bit smaller than what the Saturn finally became. As development progressed, we added more components, and the footprint grew larger.

The preliminary designs for the console couldn't accommodate all the changes, so we had to go back to the drawing board, and it ended up quite a bit different from what we had originally envisioned. It had to be made larger, so we also had to redesign some of the finer details of its appearance to match.

With the Saturn, the technical development —the main board, the drive unit, etc.— and the product design had been sort of progressing on different fronts, and that disconnect caused us a lot of issues. Plus, the technical design turned out to be more complex than expected, so the production and assembly was more complicated. We learned from all of that when we were working on the Dreamcast. 

Our top priorities in designing the Dreamcast were to optimize the internal layout and heat dissipation. I think the internal design turned out really nice and clean. Of course, keeping it simple also helped with assembly. We also waited to plan out the console design until the technical design had been locked in to a certain extent, so we didn’t have to go back and rework a lot of things.

Regarding the design itself, we shopped the job around to a wide variety of outside agencies for proposals;  not just Japanese companies, but even American design houses. Mr. Oikawa reviewed a ton of ideas. 

Ultimately, Mr. Oikawa went with a relatively minor Japanese company’s proposal. They did a very good job of taking Mr. Oikawa’s asks into account when building their approach.

On the conceptual approach, I’ll quote Mr. Oikawa himself:

"The Dreamcast design is made up of simple shapes; squares, triangles, and circles. The point of the triangle points toward the player, representing how the games and online content were to be player-focused. From the console, straight to the player. But then the start button on the controller points towards the Dreamcast. That represents how, in response, the players reach out and connect with the console."

Credit: Sega Retro

When you and your team were designing the Dreamcast's controller, what were the most important features or aspects that you knew it had to include? It is well known that the Dreamcast controller shares some design similarities to the Saturn's 3D Control Pad, which you also worked on. How much did that controller inspire the Dreamcast's controller?

When we were developing the Saturn 3D Controller, that was the first time we had ever tried to design an analog-input controller. We looked at how we could best make an analog controller, and spent a lot of time working on the basic design, control methods, layouts, and all the associated design questions.

We also looked into all kinds of additional features; stuff like integrated displays, paddle wheel controls, mouse input, motion sensing, infrared, rumble, haptics, voice recognition... many different things. Most of these features proved too costly to have natively on the Saturn 3D pad, but we made sure to design the controller to include an expansion port so those features could be added later.

We had actually planned out a motion sensor and vibration pack, and even made a prototype. We made sure that the controller's cord ran out of the back, since anything to do with motion sensors that you would have to tilt or shake around would be harder to use with the cord coming out of the front of the controller. 

For the analog inputs, we felt it was essential to use a sensor that wouldn't experience any change in the analog signal from drift or wear. To accomplish that, we used "Hall" elements. We knew we definitely didn’t want resistive sensors. We didn’t add them for the sake of having a selling point, we just saw it as the obvious choice. It wasn’t until 2020 that we saw other companies start making controllers with those same Hall elements. I guess the market finally caught up to the Sega 3D Control Pad, and it only took 25 years.

When it came to the Dreamcast controller, we applied a lot of what we had learned from the Saturn 3D pad.

As I mentioned, the idea behind the Dreamcast ecosystem was “play and communication.” The console could go online, but the concept extended beyond just that. There were also four controller ports, so you could have four people at once all playing together. Then, we decided we would try putting an individual display on each controller. We had originally conceived it as something like a personal monitor for each player for sports games, with individual displays. The VMU was our solution.

Connecting the VMUs directly to the console would have meant we would have to add four pretty big ports for four players’ VMUs, which wasn’t a great solution from either a cost or design standpoint. So, we decided to explore plugging the VMUs into the controllers instead. Every VMU would be like a memory pack, but with an LCD screen and control buttons; it could have its own independent apps, and when it was plugged into the controller, the screen would serve as an additional display.

Away from the controller, you could connect VMUs together to swap data with your friends, or play games against each other. That was another facet of the “communication” concept. For us on the peripherals team, we figured it wasn’t likely that every kid would have an internet connection they could use to play online, so we focused on ways we could build “play and communication” through controllers and accessories.

We also planned out a built-in gyro sensor, so you could control games by moving the controller, as well as built-in vibration, and a built-in light gun pointing device. It turned out to be too expensive to implement those features natively, so we decided to build two expansion slots into the controller. That would leave room for us to release expansion units after the fact. We expected one slot would usually be occupied by the VMU, so we needed to have one more for other expansions.

The most important decision made regarding the controller was to have memory units connect to it instead of the console. We designed the VMUs for that purpose.

The controllers themselves were developed to work with an interface device [MapleBus] that could also support VMUs and any expansion packs. MapleBus proved essential, as it had the kind of scalability we needed.

For the expansion slots, we had to think about what sort of functionality we would need in the future. For instance, if we put out a rumble pack, the vibrations from that accessory would travel down to the slot and the connector. That’s not necessarily healthy for the components, and we expected these to be used long-term. So, we had to come up with a design for the connectors that would be durable and reliable.

The analog input was also much more advanced than the 3D Control Pad. We improved the precision, and allowed wider strokes. At the same time, the units could be made smaller, and needed less space to install internally.

I really would have liked to have seen the gyros, vibration, and wireless pointing built-in on the controller, but it just would’ve been too expensive.

The original US patent for the VMU. Credit: Sega Retro