Akura HDMI Cable + XRGB Framemeister - Plus Q&A Live Stream

The title says it all really. I recently purchased the Akura HDMI cable for Dreamcast and have been fiddling around with mixed results. By far the best quality I've been able to get out of it so far has been by pairing it with the XRGB Mini. 

Here's a quick capture uploaded to YouTube, be sure to set it to 1080p and judge for yourself.

Akura HDMI cable + Framemeister XRGB Mini

We'll be holding a live Q&A at 9am this Saturday (17th June) on our Facebook page. The format of the Q&A will be a live stream of the Japanese version of Shenmue running on original DC hardware. I fancy myself as a bit of a videophile when it comes to the DC, so be sure to tune in and ask any questions related to upscaling, capturing footage, cables, CRTs or anything else that takes your fancy. No holds barred!

For comparison's sake, here's the same footage captured using the Toro VGA cable with the XRGB Mini:

Toro VGA cable + Framemeister XRGB Mini

Remember folks: Saturday 17th June, 10am BST (that's 6pm in Japan where I live, just so you know). On The Dreamcast Junkyard's Facebook page. See you there!

A Quick Look At The SEGA Forever Audio Tape

SEGA Forever, if you're not familiar, is a mysterious new service that Sega has been teasing for the past couple of months, and which many people have speculated will be some kind of mobile gaming platform. While this isn't specifically Dreamcast related in the slightest, it's still pretty cool and will most likely introduce a whole new generation of gamers to the classic Sega IPs of yesteryear. Also, if you're wondering why I keep jumping between writing Sega as 'SEGA' and 'Sega,' it's because it is my prerogative to be as stylistically inconsistent as I like. We only live once, after all. Well, unless you're Chakan the Forever Man...although technically he still only has one life, albeit one that can never be extinguished. But you get the idea.

"Did you just spill my pint?"

This week, we received an intriguing package at the Junkyard and at first we were a little concerned. In this era of heightened security measures, receiving an unexpected package - especially one with a Sega postmark on it - sets alarm bells ringing all over the joint. We needn't have worried though, as after the envelope had been carefully steamed open above a frantically boiling kettle, the assault droids were stood down and I personally extracted the following items from said envelope while wearing a reinforced hazmat suit (aka some fetching negligee):

Yes, a rather spiffing SEGA Forever branded audio cassette tape and a biro. This is cool for several reasons, and not least because I'm old enough to appreciate the 'biro and tape' reference - back in the 'old days' we used to use a biro to wind the tape back up if it unwound inside the tape deck or got chewed up in the player heads. It happened more times that I care to remember with my copy of Now 23, and I'll never forget the great sense of loss I felt when Would I Lie To You by Charles & Eddie ended up sounding more like an experimental Beatles track. But I digress.

Dreamcast & PC RPG Silver Re-released On Steam

We recently cast our minds back to the early 2000s and took a misty-eyed look at the fairly decent Dreamcast and PC role player, Silver. The game was largely ignored back when it was ported to Sega's platform in 2000, and it was viewed more as a 'lite' RPG when compared to the more traditional examples of the genre, such as Final Fantasy et al. The Dreamcast version has become quite a sought-after game in recent times though, and as with a lot of lesser-known titles on our beloved console this has caused the price of Spiral House's adventure to spike. The good news is that thanks to THQ Nordic, Silver has recently been re-released on Valve's Steam platform for the bargain price of just £4.99.

Naturally, the minimum specifications required to run Silver on Mac OS, Windows or Linux operating systems are understandably modest - the game was originally released for computers in 1999 after all. If you haven't experienced this enjoyable little role player and you're having trouble tracking down an affordable copy for the Dreamcast, you could do much worse than investigate this recent Steam re-release.

You can find out more about Silver and purchase the game on Steam here.

DreamPod - Episode 50

[iTunes][Stitcher][Buzzsprout][UK Podcast Directory][YouTube]

Music in this episode is from Sega Swirl. You can find out further information on the Dreamcast emulator for Xbox One here, the Deer Avenger discovery here, Xenocider here and SLaVE here. Also, be sure to check out Orion's Escape 2042 here. Feel free to join our Facebook group, like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter; and if you’re feeling flush and/or generous our Patreon is here. Oh, and one last thing - give us an iTunes review if you can be bothered. Cheers!

Dreamcast Emulation Heading To Xbox One

In many ways, I'm surprised this hasn't happened sooner given the tangled history the Dreamcast and the original Xbox had: a Dreamcast emulator is potentially coming to the Microsoft Xbox One later this year. Well, that's the story if the recent news from XB1EMU is to be believed. As stated on their official website, XB1EMU is a collective of gamers dedicated to porting emulators to the Xbox and Windows platforms and they have already succeeded in putting several different console emulators on the market for Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 64 and PlayStation. Interestingly, the Nintendo 64 emulator Win64e10 did in fact sneak its way onto the Xbox marketplace in 2016 before being pulled. According to the site though, work has begun on a new Dreamcast emulator specifically for Xbox One, similarly titled WinDCe10:

"We are starting work on WinDCe10 – the most advanced Sega Dreamcast emulator for Xbox One. Play your favorite Sega Dreamcast games on your Xbox One! No region lock, support save/load state, video/input configuration, and a turbo mode."

- XB1EMU

There's also an announcement video but it doesn't really show anything other than a list of games that you'll be able to play on the proposed WinDCe10. We're pretty sure Microsoft won't be approving of this new endeavour, and will most likely do its best to lay the smackdown on WinDCe10 quicker than Nintendo slaps the taste out of the mouths of Metroid home brewers.

Orange swirl of death.

Also, as someone who isn't really aufait with the Xbox One ecosystem (I went from an Xbox 360 to a PlayStation 4 because I'm a massive sell out), I can't really speculate on how gamers are going to get the emulator onto their Xboxes. That said, this is certainly an interesting story and one to keep an eye on. Also: turbo mode is mentioned. Sega Rally 2 with a stable frame rate? We can only hope! Here's the video:

Unlike the Nintendo Switch DreamStream thing, I haven't made this up, so what do you think? Are you excited at the prospect of playing Dreamcast games on your Xbox One? Let us know in the comments or join the conversation in our awesome Facebook group.

Isotope Softworks Reveals SLaVE Running On Dreamcast Hardware

It seems like forever ago that we last had some news to share about Isotope Softworks' awesome-looking first person shooter/puzzler SLaVE. Numerous bug fixes, an appeal for a Dreamcast coder's cable and various other delays have beset the development process of this ambitious, neon-soaked extravaganza. Now though, lead developer Coraline Ash has shared a brand new video on YouTube, demonstrating SLaVE running on actual Dreamcast hardware.

"We told you it was coming, and now here it is! First off, we apologize for the lousy capture method used (PC Webcam), but we hope this accurately depicts what you've all been waiting for!

SLaVE is a masterpiece of both design and technology, and it works perfectly on the Dreamcast. If only I had a mouse and keyboard, I would have totally PWNED it, since I'm so lame I never really figured out how to play properly with a controller. Oh well, I didn't do too bad! ;)

Only a few more issues to be worked out as witnessed in this footage capture (skybox generation, minor speed issues with dynamic lights), but I sincerely hope this proves beyond a matter of a doubt -- SLaVE is so close now - those pre-orders will be worth it my friends!!"

- Coraline Ash, Isotope Softworks

And here's the video in all its glory:

The YouTube description also goes on to describe that SLaVE will make use of the mouse and keyboard and even the Twin Stick controller, along with Dreamcast rumble pack support. There's still no concrete release date for SLaVE, but this video proves that development has come along leaps and bounds. What with Xenocider from Retro Sumus and a bunch of other things we've been asked not to announce just yet, 2017 is set to be a very interesting year for Dreamcast gamers. If you'd like to pre-order SLaVE, head over to GOAT Store here.

A Quick Look At Crazy Taxi Gazillionaire (iOS)

No, this isn't a Dreamcast game as such - it's a mobile game set in the world of Crazy Taxi, wherein the sole aim is to make as much money as possible and run a taxi empire that spans the entire city. That doesn't sound too far removed from the premise presented in the original series of Crazy Taxi titles, but Gazillionaire is something of a diversion from the usual chaotic driving, instead assuming the form of a top-down clicker with some light strategy elements. Once again, this is a quick look at the recently released iOS version of Crazy Taxi Gazillionaire so if you're not interested in non-Dreamcast stuff, you can probably stop reading now. If on the other hand you've seen this advertised on your app store of choice and are intrigued...then read on!

Unusually for a Crazy Taxi game, there is a storyline in Gazillionare that is slightly more involving than 'pick up that dude and take him to KFC as fast as possible,' although that's not to say there's anything wrong with that type of fast and loose narrative. A game like Crazy Taxi is pretty much perfection in the grand scheme of arcade thrills, so anything more than 'get from here to there by any means' is always going to seem a bit superfluous. Imagine you had to do The Knowledge before starting the game and had to take your taxi for constant safety checks and services? No thanks. That said, Gazillionaire's new setting doesn't feel too shoehorned in and also gives you an antagonist to battle that isn't simply an ever-ticking clock.

In Crazy Taxi Gazillionaire you assume the role of a nameless taxi firm owner and must try to keep the lights on and the city's passengers happy, all while being pressured out of business by the evil Prestige Megacorporation. Prestige has the added bonus of being able to offer luxurious and super-comfortable taxi travel to those who can afford it and is stealing the business of the small time taxi firm you run so it's up to you to hire the best and fastest cabbies around to take the battle to Prestige. Is this a thinly veiled social commentary on the whole Uber thing? It wouldn't surprise me to be honest.

Crazy Taxi Gazillionaire is probably about as far removed from the Crazy Taxi we know and love as you could possibly get, both in terms of it having a story and also the gameplay style. But is that a bad thing? Actually, no it isn't because as far as mobile games of this type go, it's pretty good fun and fairly faithful to the series' roots in terms of aesthetics. Making crazy money is the aim of the game, and that has never been a bad thing.

Dreamcast VMU Keychains & Phone Straps Now Available

Ever wanted to decorate your keys, mobile phone, camera, laptop or just your body with tiny Dreamcast VMU-shaped charms? Or what about going through the looking glass and actually decorating your VMUs with VMU-shaped charms? Well get ready because your prayers have been answered! Talented artist and graphic designer Sami Briggs - who also goes by the name SmaiART - has launched a range of cool charms and keyrings in the shape of everyone's favourite Dreamcast-branded visual memory device, and they can be yours for the sum of £8 each.

Measuring 5 cm in length, the charms come in a variety of colours and feature an assortment of Dreamcast-related pixel art on their Potato-powered screens, with Space Channel 5, Jet Set Radio and Phantasy Star Online all represented. Crafted from acrylic, these cool little trinkets would brighten up even the most corporate-looking company-issued Nokia or Blackberry, so inject some VMU-themed fun into your life and head over to Sami's store here and see if there's a particular design that takes your fancy!

We spoke to Sami about these new VMU charms and asked what the inspiration behind them was. Here's what she said:

"This is my first time making merchandise, so I wanted to give back to the Sega community by creating goods you don't usually see officially or by fan artists. Plus I just want to see more retro Sega merchandise out there since that kind of market is dominated by Nintendo. With these different variations of VMUs I thought it'd cater to a lot of people since the Dreamcast is well loved!"

- Sami Briggs

What are you waiting for? Head over here to check out Sami's store. You can also follow her on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr.

New Xenocider Gameplay Running On Dreamcast Hardware

Work on Retro Sumus' debut Dreamcast release Xenocider continues apace behind the scenes, and the Spanish developer has given The Dreamcast Junkyard an exclusive first look at a brand new stage...which we're honoured to share with you lucky lot! This new environment is called Sakura's Realm, and as communications lead Carlos Oliveros explains, is heavily influenced by Sega classic Shinobi:

"Colourful, beautiful, and deadly. Sakura's Realm is the next planet in Xara's way and features lots of enemies and lots of transparencies. And we're not even trying to hide what an obvious influence the Shinobi series had on us growing up..."

- Carlos Oliveros

As you can see from the video below, Sakura's Realm - and Xenocider in general - is coming on leaps and bounds and features aesthetics which borrow heavily from Japanese culture. The most notable thing about this news is that the video is recorded directly from actual Dreamcast hardware, not an emulator, and shows some impressive fogging and scrolling effects:

This new glimpse at the progress being made by Retro Sumus comes quick on the heels of a redesigned box art reveal, with illustrations by renowned DC Comics artist Agustín Padilla.

Xenocider is shaping up to be one of the most eagerly awaited indie games for the Dreamcast and we can't wait to give this promising Space Harrier style shooter a damn good play test. Be sure to check out the Retro Sumus website, where Xenocider can be pre-ordered as either a standard, collector's or steel box edition. You can also follow Retro Sumus on both Facebook and Twitter for updates.

Deer Avenger 3: An Update

A few weeks ago we reported on the news that a Reddit user had stumbled across a previously unknown Dreamcast game - Deer Avenger 3 - while helping to clear out a basement for a fundraising sale. The story is brilliant and just shows that there are still surprises waiting to be discovered when it comes to the Dreamcast's library.

For the uninitiated, Deer Avenger 3 (also known as Deer Avenger 3D) was a PC game that parodied the popular Deer Hunter series and gave players the opportunity to take the fight to the hunters. Assuming the role of an anthropomorphic deer, players roam the wilderness looking for hunters to capture or kill. The game was released on PC in the early 2000s and was quite well received, but what nobody knew is that Westlake Interactive was apparently working on a Dreamcast port...and it's a pre-production GD of this very port that was found in a basement in New Jersey.

You couldn't make stuff like this up but as the recent discovery (and subsequent release) of Millennium Racer: Y2K Fighters shows, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Anyway, I thought it was about time that we gave you an update on the discovery and just when we'll all be able to experience Deer Avenger 3 on our Dreamcasts. And well...it doesn't look promising at this point.

In the previous article I mentioned that several members of the Dreamcast community who are well versed in extracting game files from GDs were working with the disc's owner, but it now appears that this is not the case. Instead, wunderbreadv2 has set up a Go Fund Me in order to raise the sum of $1000 in order to release the game. At the time of writing, the campaign has received plenty of Facebook shares...but a total of $0 in donations. Now, allow me to be brutally honest on this whole thing: This Go Fund Me will probably not be funded, and the reasons are multiple.