Dreamcast: Drug Lord's Console of Choice

Howdy, fellow Dreamcasters! Seeing as it's been several months since I checked in with a post here at the DCJY, I thought now was as good a time as any to share some DC news with you. Well, it's not 'news,' per say, but it involves everyone's favourite white block of fun. Speaking of white blocks of fun (that's, erm, the DC in case you were wondering), I don't actually have mine at the moment because I let a friend borrow it...and now he's fucked off on holiday without telling me. On the plus side, he managed to do something I never could - get off the first disc on Code Veronica. Damned mutant thing making me look like a fool. Gah...!

Anyway, I digress. This past week has been a pretty dull one in the life of Tomleecee, so I've found myself sampling the delights of many a movie, book or DVD boxset. Watched the entire first series of Dexter in 2 sittings (what an awesome show, by the way) and as I couldn't really afford to spend £30-odd buying the second and third series, I instead chose to purchase another, cheaper boxset to follow it - namely Series 1 of The Shield. Had previously heard of it, but never actually bothered watching an episode. Mainly because it's on Channel 5 and as a rule I don't tend to watch anything on Channel 5. Apart from the Gadget Show. Erm. So yeah, bought The Shield series 1 for £6 from CEX. And it's ace. But what's this got to do with the Dreamcast?

Well, at the end of the pilot episode, double-hard mega cop Vic Mackey and his team of double-hard mega cops bust into a drug dealer's gaff (through the window, naturally), interrupting a nice family game of Crazy Taxi...on a Dreamcast!

Want evidence? Here you go, your honour:

It makes me feel warm and fuzzy knowing that even the most hardened drug dealers can enjoy a nice relaxing DC session with their favourite hoe or bitch.

DC-spottage doesn't stop there though my friends! Oh no! I also had the misfortune to watch a rather low-budget movie called The Truth About Average Guys. And when I say 'watch,' I mean 'view for 20 minutes and then turn off in disgust...but only after spotting another DREAMCAST REFERENCE!'

Here you go:

Yep, the 'hilarious' comedy scene involves two guys tricking their friend into thinking he's playing on an Xbox 360 with them by giving him a disconnected old DC controller. Honestly, I nearly died laughing.

So there you go. Not one but TWO Dreamcast spots in the space of week. In-fucking-credible! Now, I'm off to bust through my mate's window with guns drawn in order to get my Dreamcast back...

InsideOut: Rush Rush Rally Racing DX

Hey Dreamcast fans! As it was Gagaman's InsideOut video of the standard version of Rush Rush Rally Racing the made me want to own the game, I thought it was only fitting that I made an InsideOut video of the DX version. This one is the alternate nighttime cover, which I bought from Play-Asia. Check out the video and let me know what you think!

I also tried to infuse my Crazy Taxi narrator impression. Enjoy!

Gamers Republic Scans c/o BIGMercenary

Dreamcast superfan and DCJY reader BIGMercenary was kind enough to scan some awesome articles from the magazine Gamers Republic. Do yourself a favor and check out his flickr photo stream which includes articles on classics like Shenmue and Power Stone 2 to oddities like Pen Pen TriIcelon and cult favorites like Evolution. I can't speak for him, but I'm sure this gallery will grow in time, so keep the address saved to your favorites!

Thanks BIGMercenary!

The Dreamroom Returns - Streaming Live on 9/9!

I'm happy to announce that the Dreamroom will return for the Dreamcast's 11th birthday! The official date and times are as follows:

September 9th, 2010 

12am-11pm EST (US), 6pm-5am GMT (UK) 

Last year was a blast, and I'm sure this year will be just as fun. For those who missed last year's Dreamroom, essentially it will be eleven hours of Dreamcast gaming streamed live online with live chat. The first half will be me going solo playing Dreamcast games. During the second half the IRL party kicks off with whoever I invited showing up for multiplayer games and the occasional visit to Seaman.

Games will be played from my library, and requests are welcomed! Expect to see some of the best, worst and delightfully oddest Dreamcast games. Of course a Dreamcast birthday party isn't a birthday party without the guests, so I hope to see everyone (virtually) there!

Paper Dreamcast Goodies

During a recent trip to visit the parents, I uncovered a few Dreamcast goodies in the remnants of my old bedroom (now the combination workout/storage room). The first of these goodies is a very cool flyer advertising the Dreamcast's US launch. As you see above, the cover is very minimalistic and follows that dark edgy aesthetic that was so popular in the late 90's.

The flyer opens to a cool render of the console, with the design and features detailed on the second page.

It opens once again to show screens from the two biggest launch titles: Sonic Adventure and NFL 2K. I loved this campaign.

The other side detailed the other launch titles as well as titles that released later in the fall, complete with screens. Overall, it's a very stylish and well designed promo item. Hey, it made me want to buy a Dreamcast!

 Next up is a postcard advertising Phantasy Star Online. I found this at a sandwhich shop located next to my dorms in Chicago. They were given out via a little rack filled with cards advertising anything from vodkas to video games.

I had also found a Seaman postcard but forgot where I put it. However, it looked like this:

Finally we have a full-scale replica of Granda II! Okay, it's not that exciting, but it's sorta cool. These were put on display pre-release at stores like GameStop to advertise upcoming games. I received this along with a massive Sonic Shuffle box when I politely asked the store employee if I could have them.

Left: The imposter, Right: The real thing

So there you have it! Paper Dreamcast goodies. Until next time, keep dreaming!

Join The SEGA Network Scrap Heap

Inspired by a discussion at The Saturn Junkyard, I've created a shared Flickr photo group called "The SEGA Network Scrap Heap"! The SGNW Scrap Heap is a shared album open to all readers and writers from the Sega Network blogs. The purpose of the Scrap Heap is to collect photos of our SEGA collections to create, well, a scrap heap of SEGA consoles, games, books and collectibles.

The only rules are that you may only upload photos of items you own, no fuzzy Google image searches, and that the items must pertain to SEGA. Feel free to show off your shelf of PS2 games, as long as there are SEGA games to be seen. No worries if a pesky Squaresoft or Nintendo game sneaks into the frame.

Check out the album here and start uploading!

GOAT Store Relaunch Announced!

For those who have no clue why a goat is smiling at them, that's the logo for The GOAT Store. The GOAT Store is an American online retailer of retro systems, games and accessories as well as a publisher and retailer of independent Dreamcast games (no worries international fans, they also ship to other countries). You may have heard of some of their releases, including their most notable: Cool Herders. GOAT Store also published the cool Feet of Fury, which plays like DDR with a battle mode, and includes a second game entitled Typing of Fury. As an indy game, it really is quite impressive!

Sounds pretty cool, eh? Well, luckily for Dreamcast fans, the GOAT Store has announced that they will be relauncing their website on 9-9-10! A recent press release has stated that the store will focus on the history of the Dreamcast releases that have come so far, as well as the people behind them. Anything that keeps the Dreamcast indy scene alive gets a thumbs up from me! Make sure to check them out on the Dreamcast's eleventh birthday and check out their press release for more information.

Hurricane Warning!

Hydro Thunder Hurricane hits the XBOX Arcade today!

While I admit this piece of news isn't exactly Dreamcast nor SEGA related, what Dreamcast fan DIDN'T play the original Hydro Thunder back in the day? Heck, it was a launch title! While the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 had their own versions of the game, it was the Dreamcast that offered the best experience. Hurricane, the first official sequel, carries over many elements of the original. A majority of the boats are back, tracks match or include nods to past tracks and graphics are as awesome as the original (though Hurricane obviously looks way better).

I've downloaded the trial version and plan on buying the full version this weekend. The full game is $15 and is only on the 360. Finally, I can race as Damn the Torpedoes in HD!

Reader Request: ODCM's Half-Life Article

As requested by Anthony817, here is the Half-Life article that was touted on the cover of ODCM's November 2000 issue. Click the images to enlarge. I tried to get them as crisp and as legible as I could without crushing the magazine in a scanner.

If any other readers have a game review or article that they wish to see from the American run of the Official Dreamcast Magazine, let me know! You could be the next "Reader Request"!

In other news, a new retro gaming shop opened up in my neighborhood. I checked it out and was surprised to find a good amount of SEGA games and consoles. Nothing to the extent of Video Games New York, but still enough for me to take some time to browse and find a few gems. Unfortunatly, the store had just opened, so nothing was priced. The owner was preoccupied with a number of customers, so requesting prices would take some time. Instead, I just grabbed a "like new" copy of Toy Commander and got his attention for a moment to learn that the price was $8.99. Not too bad! It seems his pricing system is based on whatever GameStop and ebay charge and then me knocks a dollar off. A little odd and loose, but it works for me. At least the dude seems to be open to haggling. Other games that I did not pick up were Bomberman Online ($17), Giga Wing 2 ($35) and Gauntlet Legends ($16). As the store owner settles in, I'll make a return and write a bit more about the shop. Looks promising! You can find his under construction website here: classicgamejunkie.com

Win a Dreamcast, Courtesy of SEGA

SEGA of America's free stuff Friday is tomorrow, and the Dreamcast is the grand prize! Details are on SEGA's blog, something involving that Twitter thing wins you the goodies. Here's what SEGA is offering up:

Dreamcast Pack
After many requests for a console giveaway, we’re very happy to giveaway a Dreamcast (!) in its original box, nearly unopened, with controller, demos, and VMU (not in video). We also have a copy of Samba De Amigo, including the original Samba novelty maraca! And last, but certainly not least, is a copy of the original Shenmue Limited Edition in it’s original shrinkwrap – perfect for any collector or someone looking to play this classic Sega game.

Note: the maraca is a keychain and is not for gameplay use! That Shenmue LE is pretty cool too, it has the jukebox music CD included. Check out the Dreamcast centric fun in the video below:



If you can figure out that Twitter, enter to win! (Details on the SEGA Blog)

SEGA: May I have an E3 Dreamcast shirt, please?

 Hi SEGA, it's Barry.

I've been keeping up on all the E3 happenings over the past week and have very much enjoyed what you had to show. One of the strongest third party years yet! I was particularly happy to see Dreamcast classics on display, something that we haven't seen since E3 2001. Anyway, point I'm getting at is that I saw the t-shirts you were handing out and I genuinely want one. They look awesome. The "September 2010" line already gets me hyped for the upcoming Dreamcast anniversary as well as the rerelease of Crazy Taxi and Sonic Adventure. You asked us to share a Dreamcast memory to get a shirt, and while I can't be at E3 and the shirts are seemingly gone, I'm still taking a chance at getting one.

My favorite Dreamcast memory: The winter Phantasy Star Online released. I had just moved 2 hours south of where I had lived for 16 years, leaving all of my friends. We were stuck with the occasional weekend visit and phone calls, but it wasn't the same. Thankfully PSO changed all that. While we were hours apart, an online game of PSO made it feel like the good old days. I'll never forget weekend games that went into the early hours of the morning.

I gave my memory, now *cough* the shirt? :)

Signed,
-Barry

ps - I made that Ryo Hazuki is a Big Fat Liar! video, if that helps my chances. ;)

UPDATE: Front of the shirt!

Rez sequel announced: Child of Eden

Until I finish my Ph.D, my posts will remain few and far between. Sorry for the hiatus, but I fully intend on posting some high quality stuff once I am finished.

Anyway, in addition to the other news from E3, it's worth broadcasting this little snippet of information: Mizuguchi Tetsuya, the mind behind the amazing synesthesia-based Rez (and betaK-Project), showcased his new game at E3; Child of Eden.

Those of you that have played Rez will remember that the AI in Rez is actually called "Eden" and is actually personified as the image of a woman that you must rescue from numerous computer firewalls and other defence systems (man this game is a geek's vision!).

The new game makes use of Microsoft's Kinect system for the XBOX 360, but can also be played with the use of standard controllers. If there was ever a game to sell me on the idea of waving my arms around whilst stood in the lounge listening to trance music during a never ending computer visualisation, this is it.

The idea seems familiar to those of use that know Rez; take control within the computer and 'clense' (some say shoot) the area, which in turn progresses the musical score of the game. Quite novel stuff really. Personally, I think that much as NiGHTS was destined to be played on the Wii, Rez is destined to be played using the Kinect. At least, it has me partially sold on the idea!

Here's a couple of videos for your viewing pleasure. Please turn up your speakers and relax!

E3 News Roundup

Who knew that ten years after the launch of the Dreamcast, we'd have an E3 filled with Dreamcast releated goodies? The first of these bits comes from nuckles87, the SEGAbits E3 representative:

E3 2010: Crazy Taxi Hands-On

Aside from Shenmue and, perhaps, Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi is the most iconic franchise the Dreamcast every produced. So it comes as no surprise that the original game has joined Sonic Adventure as one of the first games in the Dreamcast revival SEGA is now pushing. Everyone here knows how the game plays: you play a taxi driver who drives people to far away locations in ridiculously short amounts of times, throwing every traffic law to the wind in the hopes of getting the largest fair possible from the customer.

Click here to read the rest

The second bit of news involves sequels to two great Dreamcast games: REZ and Hydro Thunder. The upcoming sequel to REZ isn't so much a sequel as it is a spiritual successor. Different name, different publisher, sure. But Tetsuya Mizuguchi (REZ, Space Channel 5) is behind it and many of REZ's elements are in place. Check out the awesome demo below featuring Mizuguchi playing the game via the 360's Kinect controller:



As you can see in the video, one hand is your gun. A grabbing motion pulls in ammo, and the player can throw it out at enemies for a blast attack. Clapping hands switches guns and your other hand fires the Vulcan cannon and auto-fires shots. The controls are definitly a step above the trance vibrator and looks to be a lot of fun! Child of Eden's release is TBA and will be hitting the 360 and PS3.

Next up is Hydro Thunder Hurricane, the sequel to the Dreamcast launch title. Check out the trailer below for old memories with stunning new graphics:



This sequel/remake will be hitting the 360's downloadable marketplace this summer!

Finally, I saved the best for last! I'll leave you with a quote from President of SEGA West Mike Hayes. When asked how many Dreamcast titles we can expect to have on XBLA and PSN by next summer, Mike replied:

We hope to have somewhere between 18 to 24. Around that.

 Nice.

Dreamcast Returns - High Res Screenshots

Following up on the previous post announcing SEGA rereleasing Dreamcast classics 'Crazy Taxi' and 'Sonic Adventure', we now have high res screens of said games! Other sites may have these, but probably not as huge as the Junkyard does. Click the images to imbiggen:

While it's unfortunate that 'Sonic Adventure' looks to be standard 4:3, it does look rather pretty and runs very smoothly according to an old leaked video. Word is that both will be available for demo at E3, and thanks to our association with SEGAbits we might be getting some video to show here at the 'Yard. Stay tuned, Dreamers!

Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi officially announced for digital download

by nuckles87 at SEGAbits


UPDATE: Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi themed pages have taken over the SEGA.com front page. I feel like it's 1999 all over again!

SEGA has just, finally, officially announced that Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi will be coming to the Xbox Live and Playstation Network services later this year. But more then that, apparently these games will be the first in a slew of Dreamcast games that are going to be made available on the service!

The games will be incorporating all new features including HD visuals, leader boards, achievements/trophies, and surround sound. The games will be at E3, so expect coverage from SegaBits and Sonic Stadium!

These games are expected to launch this autumn.

Source: SEGA Blog & SEGAbits

Dreamcast Game Titles Leaked From Ratings Board

http://www.siliconera.com/2010/06/01/crazy-taxi-and-sonic-adventure-rolling-on-to-xbox-360-in-korea/

http://resumeplay.net/home/2010/6/2/dreamcast-games-leaked-from-korean-ratings-board.html

Proof that Dreamcast games are going to be available for the Xbox Live Arcade?

Or just a simple mistake?

It doesn't seem like there would be any other reason for Dreamcast games to be on that list...

We will just have to wait until E3.

Introducing: The Dreamcast Boombox!

Thanks to DCJY regular 'tdinc' for this little gem:

Yep, just as other frantic Dreamcasters around the globe have turned their favourite console into a Millenium Falcon, an iMac and an electric guitar, the curiously monikered XCKDIY has converted a knackered old CD player into a fully functioning portable DC - even going as far as to rip out the cassette player and install a little LCD screen. Not sure if it'd run off 6 batteries from the pound shop, but it's still an awesome bit of reverse engineering. The original story can be found here.