No CD-Rs! 😉 |
Looks legit. |
No CD-Rs! 😉 |
Looks legit. |
Back on the 14th of March, VGNYsoft (aka Videogamesnewyork) launched their Kickstarter for replacement Dreamcast VMU (Visual Memory Unit) shells. These new VMU shells are formed of five parts, will be injection moulded, and available in a variety of colours. For more information, including a talk with Dan of VGNYsoft, check out our previous article about the campaign. The campaign has already reached its funding goal, and at time of writing has five days left to go.
Based out of New York video game boutique Videogamesnewyork, publisher VGNYsoft have been well known in the Dreamcast scene for a long time now for publishing a whole load of indie games stateside for our beloved Sega console. For a list of what they have released in the past, check out Mike's Complete Guide to Commercially Released Dreamcast Indie Games.
I was particularly excited last year to see them venture into releasing custom VMUs, starting with a limited edition of Hermes featuring a Hermes-branded VMU, which I showcased on the blog back when it came out. This was then followed by a Blockbuster-branded VMU (actually authorised by the Blockbuster's owner Dish) which was offered as a prize for the fourth World Video Game Championship at the Portland Retro Gaming Expo. I rightly presumed these two VMUs were a sign of more to come, and today at 12pm EST VGNYsoft will launch their campaign for replacement VMU shells in a variety of unique colours.
We got a chance to talk with Daniel Mastin of VGNYsoft and get the scoop on this brand new Kickstarter campaign, along with some teases about upcoming indie releases.
Credit: Adam Koralik |
DCJY: Hi Dan! Thanks for chatting to us about your Kickstarter. I think we can speak for a lot of Dreamcast fans when we say that we are excited for the prospect of replacement VMU shells. What can people expect from the Kickstarter? And what was your reasoning for going to Kickstarter as opposed to just selling them via your normal store?
Dan: The Kickstarter is a way to connect with the community before all of the production numbers become finalized. The initial production is set to include six colors, with stretch goals and a community vote to help add additional colors. Each VMU shell includes five injection-molded parts: the front, back, cap, battery door, and the D-Pad, and will have an MSRP of $16. In future productions, we will continue to introduce new colors as we produce more.
Where did the inspiration come from to produce replacement VMU shells?
The idea came to light as a culmination of circumstances. Our retail store handles a considerable number of repairs and shell swaps for customers. Additionally, our publishing company (VGNYsoft) continues to produce and release numerous indie games for the Dreamcast, and our warehouse happened to have an abundance of new, sealed clear green VMUs. With some creativity, we pieced together the concept of elevating Dreamcast indie releases to the next level!
So were the Hermes and Blockbuster VMUs early tests for this idea?
Hermes was our proof of concept, we used new [official] VMUs for that production. The Blockbuster VMUs were a very small batch built using some of our early production samples.
You are based in the USA, will fans overseas be able to get hold of these VMU shells?
The Kickstarter will ship to most international countries, and we will also collaborate with international retailers to offer additional overseas solutions once the production is complete.
You previously released a Hermes-branded VMU. Can we expect to see more custom VMUs to tie in with other Dreamcast indie releases?
Custom VMUs are the secret sauce behind the entire production and the foundation for funding the very expensive injection molding process. We have a lineup of future limited edition releases that will feature custom-printed VMU shells. The first one will be announced in just a few weeks before the VMU shell Kickstarter is finished!
That's exciting to hear! Finally, is there anything else that Dreamcast fans can expect from VGNYsoft in 2024?
VGNYsoft recently released North American versions of Ploid and Reknum from Nape Games (who also has a new game currently on Kickstarter). We have a few titles in the works for 2024 as well, which will be announced soon. In general, we are always looking to build deeper engagement with Dreamcast indie developers. Our goal is to help uplift their projects and bring them to a wider audience through high-quality physical productions.
***
Thanks to Dan for giving us the lowdown on the Kickstarter campaign. Click here to go check it out for yourself, and be sure to let us know in the comments below which colours you'd like to see VGYNSoft produce next.
In 2022, Dreamcast fans the world over were buzzing at the announcement of a “next-gen” Visual Memory Unit - the VM2. The news even reached the likes of Yahoo! Japan. Created by Chris Diaoglou, who brought us the very impressive DreamConn Bluetooth controller back in 2016, the VM2 blasted past its goal on IndieGoGo. Congratulations, Chris!
Including a backlit LCD screen with higher resolution, along with Micro-SD storage internal storage of 128KB (200 blocks), and a rechargeable high-capacity internal battery with USB-C charging; the VM2 looks to be the VMU to end all VMUs. No more having to swap VMUs around when you run out of space, or running through CR2032 batteries every two seconds. Woo!
Anyhow, our friend Derek Pascarella shared some photos on our Discord (as well as his Twitter), courtesy of Chris, of the first test production run of the VM2, and it's looking damn good. Note the larger screen that includes icons for the battery and the SD card, along with a power button (instead of a sleep button).
If you have dabbled in anything Sega Dreamcast in the last so many years, you'll most likely be aware that the modern indie game scene for the console is bustling, with no signs of slowing down any time soon. Despite the abundance of new indie software releases for the Dreamcast, there was one physical indie release in particular that seemed to peak my interest recently for an entirely different reason unrelated to the game itself, that being Hermes: Limited Edition, and its included Hermes-branded Visual Memory Unit (VMU).
Hermes is a fun indie platformer developed by Retroguru with a glorious chiptune soundtrack where you play as a chef chasing after a chicken. Mike has already reviewed it on the blog a long while back, and you can check out his review here. In this post, though, I wanted to focus on that special VMU, because it is pretty much the first of its kind: the first indie-branded Dreamcast VMU. The only thing that would have come remotely close to something like this was the VMU lamp for Alice Dreams Tournament, which seems to have have been a Kickstarter-exclusive backer reward, as Adam Koralik and James from Shenmue Dojo both told us they own one.
Released by Video Games New York (aka VGNYSoft), Dreamcast diehards across the globe were understandably eager to get their hands on one of these cool VMUs. Unfortunately, dwellers of the United Kingdom like myself couldn't order from Video Games New York's website as they don't ship here. Luckily, Wave Game studios put a very small batch (ten, I think) of the limited edition up for sale on their website, so I snatched up one of those. Thanks, dudes!
The transparent green VMU is printed with the Hermes logo, as well as the chicken you play as, and the chef's meat cleaver. It actually comes packaged in an official American VMU box, which is stored inside the larger Hermes: Limited Edition box. It is pretty obvious that the VMUs used for this release are leftover brand new official VMU stock, but the printing on the VMU is such high-quality, you'd be mistaken for thinking it could have actually been an official release from Sega back in the day. Also, VGNY made a great choice in using the transparent green VMU!
Because I was so excited to receive my Hermes VMU, I actually mustered up some courage and decided to record a short clip showcasing the VMU, so check that out below! Apologies if I say “erm” a lot, I was ad-libbing!
If you want to get yourself one of these VMUs, there is currently stock available on VGNYSoft's website and Canadian site Video Games Plus. As for whether or not either will ship to your country, I'm not quite sure. Either way, let's hope this is the first of many indie-themed Dreamcast peripheral releases to come!
It’s August 2022 and the Dreamcast renaissance shows no signs of petering out. All kinds of talented and creative folks from across the world clearly haven’t had their fill of the little white dream machine just yet, and a plethora of projects continue to be announced left, right and centre. But how are you supposed to keep tabs on this whirlwind of activity? Don’t you worry, the Junkyard is here to report on all the latest from the Dreamcast cosmos. Buckle up for a bumper news round-up freshly sourced from our network of highly informed sleuths.
Move aside 'Dream Information' the DCJY News Round-up is the only game in town now. |
In the recent past DCJY writers have salivated over the possibility that the indie release schedule of 2022 and 2023 would turn out to be ram packed. Of course, those who are a little longer in the tooth may know that announced indie games sadly don’t always make it through to completion or can fall into cycles of delays, but fortunately this has not been an issue in recent months, with four new titles landing so far this summer.
Shadow Gangs, the hotly anticipated Shinobi-esque side-scrolling beat em’ up, dropped in June. The Dreamcast release was finally made possible by a Kickstarter campaign that met its funding goal in March, after which the developers JKM Corp conspired with Wave Game Studios to rapidly turn out the physical release. Those who want to know more should check-out the publisher’s website, the handful of reviews that have quickly surfaced (The Dreamcast Junkyard, RetroFaith, Games Freezer), or have a gander at the various gameplay videos available on the likes of Youtube and Twitch.
Two further releases quickly followed Shadow Gangs in June. Hailing from sunny Spain, Nape Games made their maiden voyage into Dreamcast territory with the release of Ploid and Renkum Souls Adventure. Both are pitched as action-adventure 2D platformers, each with their own distinctive stories that appear to link-up with worlds that have already been built-up over the course of Nape Games prior releases. Relatively little has been reported on the Dreamcast releases of these two titles so far – perhaps because the initial print-runs were quite limited. The publishers have hinted that a re-print could be on the cards in the future though, so be sure to keep those eyes peeled.The final new indie release of the summer season, Mawthorne, shares a common thread with the Nape Games duo in that it was also primarily developed for the NES. Where it differs though, aside from being an entirely new IP, is in its simultaneous release on the Dreamcast and the NES. No waiting around here - the Dreamcast bound MIL-CDs shipped out alongside the cartridges in July. Details on this ‘metroidvania platform-adventure’ game can be found over on its Kickstarter page. Fingers crossed a re-print of the Dreamcast version will be coming down the line for those who missed out on the Kickstarter. As with the Nape Games duo, I can’t comment on the quality of this release, as I haven’t got my grubby mits on it, but with a bit of luck reviews will start to surface soon.More indie releases on the horizon
Of course, there are shedloads of indie releases and re-releases on the horizon too. Read on for a rapid-fire rundown of the forthcoming games:
Basically then, there are more forthcoming Dreamcast releases than you will know what to do with. Let me tell you something, the Dreamcast hasn’t even begun to peak. And when it does peak, you'll know. Because it’s gonna peak so hard that everybody in Philadelphia's gonna feel it.
Mods, hardware and other tinkerings
A slew of announcements about newly invented modifications, improved hardware, and all kinds of other productive tinkerings have been coming in thick and fast this summer. While you’ve been touring Skeggie’s penny arcades and ice-cream vans on your summer hols’, others have clearly been hard at work…
Scrivani has been busy ensuring owners of the elusive Broadband Adapter can get a little more value out of their peripheral. If you have one, get it out of that dusty box and get online! |
Following on from his 2021 invention of a method that allowed Broadband Adapter users to notify others of the games they are playing via DreamcastNow, Scrivani has recently produced a guide on how to use a DreamPi (I.E. a Raspberry Pi configured to enable online play via a simulated dial-up connection) as a WiFi to ethernet repeater. In lay terms, this configuration facilitates the use of the Broadband Adapter over WiFi. So, no more trip hazards from an ethernet cable snaking down the stairs to your router. Admittedly the use of this functionality is likely to be limited, but if you are one of the privileged few who make active use of a Broadband Adapter, then you should definitely check it out.
Capcom vs. SNK 2 was notable for allowing cross-platform play by Dreamcast and PS2 players on the KDDI service. |
No 'beeeeeep' sound from a dead battery? How can the VM2 miss this essential feature!? |
Those who don’t play their Dreamcast online (sacrilege!), don’t fear, as there is some news that may interest you too. Chris Daioglou has released an update on the progression of the creation of the ‘VM2’, a modernised Visual Memory Unit with a whole host of upgrades, including a rechargeable battery, an improved screen and a MicroSD card slot. A funding campaign for the VM2 is due to launch via Indiegogo on the 1st of September, so you won't need to wait too much longer to part with your hard earned cash. Earlier this month, 8BitMods also publicly stated their intention to produce their own VMU but have kept quiet about precisely what this will entail, given that they are only in their initial stages of development.
Last but not least
During its tragically short official lifespan, countless games were reported to be in development for the Dreamcast which never actually saw the light of day. Some of the titles that were all but complete, such as Half Life and Propellor Arena are well known, and leaked playable versions have been available for years. However, there are others that remain shrouded in mystery. Thankfully, lately pcwzrd13 has put his detective skills into action, tracking down and speaking with the developers who would have worked on these unreleased Dreamcast games, thereby setting the record straight on what was genuinely in the works and what was simply salacious gossip. He posted an extensive list of initial findings on the Dreamcast-Talk forums in May, including some quotes directly from the developers, and has been updating this on occasion since then.
The mock-up cover design for Mike Phelan's exhaustively comprehensive forthcoming guide. |
Early on in August, the Junkyard’s own Mike Phelan announced he had finally reached a cut-off point for his forthcoming tome ‘The A-Z of Dreamcast Games’, confirming that the tally of games which it will cover is a whopping 703. Hopefully this means we can stop lusting over the photos of the mock-up edition and have the real deal in our hands before the year is out. Furthermore, thanks to the selfless efforts of those who continue to reliably pump out translations – such as Cool Cool Toon which a team including Derek Pascarella has recently begun work on – a growing chunk of the Japan exclusive titles covered by the book are playable by English-language audiences.
So, that’s all for now folks. New indie releases, revived online games on the horizon, beefed-up VMUs, translations, and hefty books with as many pages as an old school Argos catalogue. What more could you want?
OK, OK, one last snippet of news, if you must insist. If you’d like to meet the Junkyard’s very-own Lewis and Tom, in person, then make sure you head to the Nottingham Video Games Expo on the 17th and 18th of December. Autographed headshots will be available but please be sure to form an orderly queue.
We've seen various mods for the humble Dreamcast VMU over the years, with modders the world over going to great lengths to add extra functionality, or repurpose the thing altogether. From the implementation of illuminated screens, to full-on Raspberry Pi-powered gaming systems crammed inside the unit's diminutive shell; it seems people from across the Dreamcast community have found myriad inventive ways to milk even more out of the little memory card that could.
It looks like the VMU is about to embark on its greatest transformative journey yet though, as the VM2 nears completion. Coming from Chris Diaoglou, the same genius who brought us the DreamConn Bluetooth controller back in 2016 (and, incidentally the rechargeable backlit VMU linked above), VM2 is a complete technological overhaul for the VMU, and adds such awesome new features as:
VM2 will benefit from a new injection molded shell |
We reached out to Chris for comment on this highly intriguing project and asked just what the hell was going on in his Dreamcast-powered laboratory:
"The VM2 aims at being a total reproduction of the original - the connector, outer shell, electronics, everything will be manufactured from scratch. For this reason, and depending on the community interest, I plan to start a campaign so I can raise the funds to put it into production.
"This means no cheap 3D printing or anything - everything will be made with quality injection molds, etc. and this is the main reason that a campaign is needed.
"Also, instead of the initial plan of 4x VMUs (main) plus 50+ minigame (additional) memory, I implemented the integration of a microSD card slot. This will allow for literally infinite space and virtual VMUs / minigames.
"The user will be able to create/copy/restore VMU files, either at the root of the SD, or organized in folders (i.e. per game). In addition, in case that a user doesn't want to use a microSD card, the VM2 will also support a default 1x(or 3x)VMU internal memory; and the selection of the current VMU file/memory to use, will be selected from the VM2 user menu."
- Chris Diaoglou, DreamMods
The VM2 has been in development for some time now, and you can find details on the various stages of its creation over at the DreamMods website (where you can also register your interest).
There's no concrete information on when the VM2 will be available for purchase as yet, but as Chris says, a crowdfunding campaign may well be on the horizon in the near future. The projected price will be around the $100 mark - which may sound steep - but when adjusted for inflation the original VMU would have cost you $75 in 2022 money. Do the math. On that note an Atari Jaguar would have cost you less than £40 in 1999. Swings and roundabouts, innit.
Protoype showing the new hi-res, backlit screen |
Judging from the exceptional quality of Chris's previous Dreamcast-related creations in the DreamConn and the DreamPort PSU (which adds full Bluetooth support to the Dreamcast without the need for an adapter), the the VM2 is a very exciting prospect indeed. That, and the small matter that VM2 looks set to offer a riposte to many of the main gripes aimed at the original VMU - namely the piss-poor battery life and the limited space on the card. The added bonus of a backlit, higher resolution screen make the VM2 an even more enticing project and one we'll be keeping a very close eye on.
Watch this space...and while you're doing that go to DreamMods and register your interest!
Oh, and thanks to Derek Pascarella for alerting my colleague Lewis to this. Who then alerted me and made me get my arse in gear and reach out to Chris.
Since we posted this article, Chris has released some images of the redesigned prototype. Sexy, eh?!
We'll be sure to fill you in on whether this is a worthy purchase as soon as we can!