An Interview with Midnight Scribe — Retro Game Collecting in Portrait

I learned recently that social media platform TikTok has nearly 2 billion users. That's more people than ever bought the Sega Dreamcast, not that that's exactly a high bar. It also turns out that it's not just all dancing videos on TikTok either. In fact, from a purely algorithmic standpoint, the TikTok gremlins' ability to present me with snappy videos in portrait that match my interests to a tee definitely outshines similar services provided by Instagram and YouTube. My "For You" feed is frequently filled with a generous helping of great short-form retro game collecting coverage, and one creator who caught my attention in particular was Midnight Scribe.

Midnight Scribe creates chilled, uplifting videos covering their many game-collecting adventures. I first discovered their account through a video documenting their mission to collect the entire PAL PlayStation 3 library, and from there it wasn't long until I'd watched everything else too, from videos on the Wii U and Nintendo 64 to the original Xbox and PlayStation, and, of course, the Dreamcast — a system Scribe is particularly fond of.

DCJY: Hello! Thanks for joining us here at the Junkyard, Midnight Scribe. For starters, how would you describe the videos you make for those who haven't seen them?

Midnight Scribe: I’m a Scottish retro gamer and collector, yakking away about all the fun and wonderful things gaming has to offer. I talk about a bunch of different consoles including the N64, original Xbox and Dreamcast. I'm probably mostly being watched for my videos tracking my efforts to complete the UK PS3 game library and a PS1 challenge I'm doing, where I try to build a PS1 collection without going to CEX or eBay, to show there are still deals to be found.

When did you start making videos, and what made you gravitate to TikTok specifically?

I only started making videos in January 2026, I’m very much a baby creator right now! Between the dark nights and some very stressful days at work, I needed something to perk me up after the work day was done, and I thought it would be fun to film a video about a Sega Saturn game I’d bought recently, Pebble Beach Golf Links. I have a lot of fondness for the game, even if I’m very bad at playing it! I don’t think I’ve ever gotten a birdie in that game yet.

I've had TikTok for a few years but I was very much a lurker, and never really did any videos or commented much. I had the itch to do something creative to raise my mood and give me something to focus on and I loved the immediacy of being able to record and publish a video and the community aspect that exists on TikTok. I didn’t have any expectations of how it would go or the reception I'd get, but a couple videos blew up about my attempts to collect the full UK PS3 library very quickly and everything snowballed from there!

It was actually your PS3 videos that brought me to your TikTok. It always felt like a bit of an underdog system to me, despite finishing second place that generation!

I feel the same about the PS3 too. When it was first announced and the first few years it was around, I really wasn't a fan of it and definitely felt Sony were taking their fans for granted, while the 360 was offering great online play and the Wii was bringing gaming to everyone and their gran! I did eventually pick one up in late 2009 and I come around on it. Despite it selling more than the 360, it does feel like it was really stuck in third place, but it’s an amazing machine to play and collect for. It’s been the most fun console to explore for me since the original Xbox.

So how did you feel when your videos starting to gain traction?

Shock, and a fair bit of confusion! It was the third video I did that blew up, getting around 8000 views. I went to bed with a couple hundred views and had answered a few questions, but overnight I woke up to dozens of comments asking about if I had certain PS3 games, how cool it was to see a collection like this, if I could curate a PS3 collection list for them, just lots and lots of positive feedback. Amazing way to wake up while having a morning coffee!

About a week later, another PS3 collection video shot past 20000 views and everything went into overdrive from there. I was having fun making videos and it really quickly became apparent that people were actually enjoying hearing me ramble on about games and my collection! I didn’t expect anything close to this to happen; I had no expectations at all, so it’s really been a joyride for the last three months. It definitely encouraged me to keep going and it’s made my evenings so much more fun. I get to chat with all sorts of gamers around the world about the games we like, show love for systems like the Wii U and PS3 and just have a really chill and positive chat together!

Considering I started doing these videos to basically help get me out of a rut, it honestly makes me so happy knowing that my little videos and chats with fellow gamers is being received so well and bringing them a little bit of joy too. I can’t honestly ask for any more than that, I’m extremely grateful for how kind and nice everyone has been, it means a heck of a lot.

Watching your videos, I can see that you have a very impressive collection. How long have you been collecting games for?

I used to collect a lot in the late 2000s and early 2010s, especially during my university days! That’s when I got the Dreamcast games and a good chunk of my N64 library. However, I sold off most of my collection to fund moving in with my partner and to get funds for a house. The majority of my current collection though has been built up in the last 3 and a half years, so I’ve been very busy… or obsessive, there’s a very thin line there! The Wii U ignited my passion for retro games again in a big way, I feel it’s a very under-appreciated console. I do have a thing for underdog systems, something the Wii U and Dreamcast have in common for sure. 

So let's talk Dreamcast! In a recent video, you spoke very fondly about the all-important moment you first got yours.

I never knew of the Dreamcast growing up. None of my friends had one, so it completely passed me by. In the summer of 2004, I went on holiday to Scarborough with my family and we visited the local Gamestation branch while we were there. I remember seeing a boxed Dreamcast and a shelf of games and I knew I was leaving there with it. I’d got an N64 the Halloween previous so I was just beginning to explore consoles I’d missed out on.

I left with the Dreamcast and two games, Sonic Adventure and Tomb Raider: the Last Revelation. However, I remember not liking Tomb Raider when I first played it so we went back and swapped it for Sega GT, which I definitely preferred. I remember commandeering the hotel room TV, hooking up the Dreamcast and playing the first couple stages in Sonic Adventure, the summer vibes of Station Square and the beach level mirroring the lovely weather and sandy beaches outside the window in Scarborough. That was basically all my money I saved for the holiday gone, but worth every penny. I think I carried the console in my arms in-between train stops on the way back home, it was my baby!

Putting you on the spot now! What would your Dreamcast top 5 be?

Actually, I’ve got a top 5 planned out as someone asked me this just the other day! In no particular order, I’d put Jet Set Radio, Star Wars Episode 1: Racer, Shenmue II, Virtua Tennis and Rez as my favourites, but that could change day by day. Other contenders would be Tee Off, Carrier, Sega GT, Sonic Adventure and Dead or Alive 2.

If we were talking about the one game, I would recommend everyone stay away from, the only choice is Spirit of Speed 1937, a racing game that lacks both spirit and speed. I’m not surprised they resurrected the LJN brand for this one, it’s a perfect pairing.

Believe it or not, the Junkyard team actually has some Spirit of Speed defenders! 

That’s amazing! I'd love to hear why others do enjoy Spirit of Speed and what its positives are. One thing with me is that I’d happily chat with someone who thinks Ride to Hell: Retribution is an underrated game and play it with them. The thing with games and all media really is that every game out there —no matter how objectively, or subjectively— is going to either be someone's favourite or one that they have fond memories of, and I'd rather be open to the possibility of being convinced to see a game from another perspective and potentially coming around on it.

You own a complete set of PAL Dreamcast games. When did you realise you could shoot for the full collection?

I had a few games already by 2010, but I really started gunning for the set from then as I was turning 19 and working part time while in university. I had the money and I'd joined an amazing website at the time called RetroCollect which had an awesome community of gamers and collectors. Seeing so many people sharing their passion for everything from the Dreamcast to the Neo Geo and even systems like the Philips CD-i was a major moment for me, I got hooked then, I'd found my crowd!

There's a few quite desirable PAL Dreamcast games. Which was the hardest to acquire?

I think the hardest one to acquire was Evolution 2: Far off Promise. Even in 2011-12, that was very, very rare, especially for a half-decent price. I managed to find it on Amazon Germany of all places for around £50 after a year of on-and-off searching. Back then, there were a lot of retro game deals to be found on the regional Amazon sites, but it seems that's now moved to places like Vinted these days.

Strangely the last game I got for the set was JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, I’m not sure how that passed me by for so long!

You also have complete PAL sets for the original Xbox and Wii U, and are currently aiming for a full PS3 PAL collection too. You clearly have a thing for completing game libraries! Would you say it's the thrill of the hunt, or maybe something else?

If I’m honest with myself, there’s a certain gamification of the process that I do enjoy, the idea of there being a set number of games to get and seeing if and how I can hunt them down. I find it satisfying to build up a library of games for a console in the same way someone might be a collector of cult movies or genre novels. I missed out on so much when I was younger either due to lack of knowledge, funds or time that it's great to take a step back and see what passed me by the first time around and if I’ll be surprised and find a few hidden gems.

What were some gems that you ended up discovering and loving on the Dreamcast, thanks to aiming for the full PAL set?

I love discovering games and experiences that completely passed me by at the time, and the Dreamcast was a gold mine of unique experiences. AeroWings is a game that I wouldn’t have typically looked at if I wasn’t collecting for the Dreamcast, flight sims aren’t really my thing, outside of my eternal love for the X-Wing series on PC! But something about flying a jet while listening to 90s jungle/drum and bass really hit the mark for me. Maybe I've not grown up past the late 90s, but I could happily spend an hour just flying about in AeroWings and vibe.

Carrier, Headhunter and The Nomad Soul were all new discoveries for me that I've raved about when I get the chance. I'm also a sucker for cyberpunk and dystopian settings, so the latter two really tick those boxes for me.

So what does the future hold for your TikTok?

I think the main goal right now is to just keep doing what I'm doing and see which way the wind blows as the year goes on. I know this year I'm hoping to complete the PS3 collection so there'll be plenty more updates coming there. I've also started doing Lives now, just playing games on the Xbox, Dreamcast and N64 on my little CRT TV, and that’s been the most fun I’ve ever had streaming. I'd love to do more of those! I've just passed 1000 subscribers so I feel it'd be great to schedule a livestream, go through the collection a bit more and maybe play a few of the more unknown games and watch me struggle to talk and not die… already a reoccurring problem for me I've found!

I've also got an idea to explore a couple more obscure consoles and their games, maybe for some systems that wouldn't normally get discussed much in general. The idea is still forming, and the funds to get them again, but we'll see what happens!

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You can check out Midnight Scribe's TikTok by clicking here. If you don't have an account, you can watch TikToks in your browser of choice without having to sign up. If you have any other short-form retro video creators you recommend, share them in the comments below!

Dreamcast Collection Oddities - A Gallery as Submitted by Readers

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

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

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

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

Not Your Average Console

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

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

CSK Dreamcast submitted by JoeEardley77.

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

Regulation 7 Dreamcast submitted by Rosewood.

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

Illbleed console submitted by waynejamesp.

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

Treamcast submitted by le_Pot_de_Mayo.

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

Launch edition Dreamcast submitted by The SegaHolic.

Dreamcast Curios and Oddities - Show Us What You Got!

A selection of reader submitted photos from last time around.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What we're not looking for:

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

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

Does it Matter if You're Black or White?

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that this post will relate to the design shift from white to black in the old US of A-NTSC land. Well, you'd be wrong, I'm not going to talk about that. It's already common knowledge and well understood, though I will just quickly mention that it's supremely handy that both designs use a standard 10.2mm CD jewel case with a clear plastic tray. These are dime-a-dozen and can easily be replaced if you want to return your collection to showroom condition.

Nope, not going to talk about these.

RPGs Across the Board; or, Grandia II - The Beginning

One of my favorite genres of video games is the RPG. I'm not overly attached to the turn-based combat (although I have come to like it over the years): I like the stories, and the bigger RPGs have great composers, like Final Fantasy, or the Mario RPGs. I had at least one RPG on most of my major systems, like the PlayStation, Gamecube, Gameboy etc...but something was amiss.

I had no RPGs for the Dreamcast! And because my current system had no affordable games available at the time, I made it a goal to get at least one good game. Fortunately, my brother had received a gift card to a local retrogaming shop. I had gotten Final Fantasy 7-9 there, so I hoped that they would have at least one good Dreamcast RPG. They had two.