JoshProd Asking Fans To Vote On Next Batch Of Dreamcast Releases

It would appear that video game publisher JoshProd has no intentions of slowing down their release schedule and porting of games to the Dreamcast. The company behind the Dreamcast releases of Flashback, The Escapee, 4x4 Jam, Breakers, Fade to Black, Ganryu and many others currently has a poll running on its Facebook page asking fans to rank order vote for the genre of game they’d like to play sooner.

Here at The Dreamcast Junkyard, we welcome pretty much everything Dreamcast related with open arms, particularly new games appearing on the system; however this development seems especially interesting as a few of the categories pictured are from genres we’ve not seen on the platform since the plug was pulled back in the day.

Fade to Black is now officially a Dreamcast title. Review coming soon.

Feel free to follow the link below to JoshProd’s Facebook page and cast your own vote, and let us know in the comments what you want to see. Here at the 'Yard, we actively encourage wild speculation about which games will come to the Dreamcast next. 3D racer? Another 2D shooter? Survival horror? It seems the choice is in our hands...

Check out the poll on the JoshProd Facebook page. Remember you can also order the latest releases from JoshProd at Videogames New York, Play-Asia, Rush on Game and The Bit Station.

GDC 1999: Accessing The Dreamcast's PowerVR Features

If you're anything like me, you'll find documentation on literally any and every aspect of the Dreamcast to be utterly fascinating. From internal emails announcing the demise of the system, to service manuals detailing schematics; it's all part and parcel of the history of Sega's final console.

Next up in this adventure into the robustly obscure annals of Dreamcast history, we bequeath you with the lesser spotted presentation delivered by one Jason Powell to assembled delegates at GDC 1999. The topic of the presentation? Accessing the PowerVR 2 features under Windows CE, of course! As you can probably tell from the title, it's a real thrill ride through the features offered by the PowerVR 2 chipset and was apparently designed to show off the benefits of the graphics accelerator to potential Dreamcast developers.

The guts of the Dreamcast, with the SH-4 and PowerVR taking centre stage.

For those not aware, the NEC PowerVR 2 is the graphics chipset that the Dreamcast shared with the NAOMI arcade system, and which is essentially why arcade ports were so effortless. Paired with the 200Mhz Hitachi SH-4 processor, the two made for a fearsome combination and are the force behind the Dreamcast's awesome graphical prowess.

The presentation was delivered - according to the first slide - on March 18 at GDC 1999. On first glance, it does look very dry and is a far cry from the garish PowerPoint presentations we're all able to ham-fistedly knock together these days. It's not even in colour, for a start. That said, the content is the star here, with a pretty comprehensive look at what the PowerVR 2 offers in terms of specifications and abilities.

Looking through the presentation today, it all looks fairly tame, but by 1999 standards these specs were at the cutting edge of gaming technology, and I dare say many a developer who attended this conference would have been champing at the bit to get their hands on dev kits.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look as though the GDC Vault website has the actual presentation archived, and so we can't share any photos or video of Mr Powell delivering his keynote. For now at least, the slides are all we have as evidence that this event even took place.

If you'd like to download the full 16 page presentation and have a good look yourself, you can grab the Accessing PowerVR 2DC Features Under Windows CE presentation here, or by hitting the big blue magic button below.

Thanks go to our Facebook group moderator Jon Lee for grabbing this file from a (now defunct) news group back in the early 2000s.

Tanglewood Dreamcast Port Still On Track

You've probably heard of Tanglewood, the cool-looking Mega Drive platform adventure that blasted through its Kickstarter goal back in December 2016. Big Evil Corp garnered an impressive £56,000 - £8,000 more than their target and it's easy to see why. The impressive visuals and interesting premise have certainly captured the attention and imaginations of gamers everywhere.

The premise is that you control a fox-like creature called Nymn, who must find its way back to the pack before night blankets the realm of Tanglewood in darkness. Very 'Animals of Farthing Wood,' I'm sure you'll agree. One of the more interesting aspects to the Tanglewood saga, is that a Dreamcast stretch goal was added - and also reached - and as we near the launch date for the Mega Drive cartridge version, we thought it was worth enquiring about the Dreamcast port.

I asked via Twitter what was happening on the Dreamcast front, and I was pleased to see the response that the game is apparently progressing well:

For the benefit of those who can't see the image for whatever reason, Tanglewood say the engine has been ported and all the basics are up and running; and that full-time development will continue once the Mega Drive version has shipped.

We haven't actually seen anything of the Dreamcast port running yet, but rest assured that we'll be keeping a close eye on any further developments, hopefully culminating in a review of this intriguing little title. Remember to keep an eye on Tanglewood on the official website.

Will you be playing Tanglewood when it hits the Mega Drive? Or are you holding out for the Dreamcast port? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter or in our Facebook group.

Source: Twitter

History of Independent Dreamcast Development

This article is taken from the work-in-progress second issue of the free fanzine, Dream On Magazine.

It's hard to believe that Sega released the Dreamcast twenty years ago! It feels like only yesterday. Luckily, the indie developers have been busy these past decades, so there's lots of dreamy goodness to cover. 

The second issue has taken a long time to come out due to huge mistakes on my part, and I sincerely apologize for that. However, the wait should be worth it, as I've had some awesome help. The DC Evolution crew, the same folks who put together the excellent compilation disc, "The Sandman #1", is helping to make sure that this issue will be the best it can be. 

So, feel free to dive in, and read up on the creation of the independent Dreamcast movement. I hope you find as much enjoyment out of it as we've had creating it. 

Dream On #2, and by extension, this article, would not have been possible without the help of BlueCrab, Christuserloeser, Idarcl, DCDayDreamer, and lyonhrt.

Bernie Stolar opens the floodgates to rumors of Saturn's successor.

On 23 June, 1997, Sega's Chief Operating Officer announced "the Saturn is not our future", publicly revealing for the first time that they were working on a successor. This console would use a
Hitachi SH-4 for its CPU and an ARM processor for sound. The code name for the console was Katana, but it was given the name Dreamcast by the time it hit retail. It was released in Japan on
27 November, 1998, in North America on 9 September, 1999, in Europe on 14 October, 1999, and in Oceania on 30 November, 1999. It was discontinued just a scant few years later when
Sega announced that it was discontinuing the console on 23 January, 2001. Production of new
games continued in North America until spring 2002, in Europe and Oceania until winter 2002,
and in Japan until 2007. However, it continues to have an active commercial life among
independent game developers.

A collection of official MIL-CD enhanced music discs.

The Dreamcast continues to be attractive to indies because the games can be sold on CD without having to obtain a license from Sega, which drastically reduces the overhead that is usually present in commercial game development for consoles. This ability actually stems from a vulnerability discovered early on in the lifespan of the Dreamcast. Sega of Japan developed a multimedia system called the MIL-CD, or Music Interactive Live-CD.

Event: Southampton Game Fest 2018 - Saturday 6th October

As well as running this place, a YouTube channel, an award-nominated podcast, the world's best Twitter account* and the largest Dreamcast-related group on Facebook, we fine folk at the Junkyard also occasionally crawl out of our respective holes to support live events. Indeed, any of you who have visited either the Play Expo or Revival events around the UK in previous years will attest to having witnessed the Junkyard team drinking heavily and beating away rabid fans/autograph hunters with extreme efficiency and accuracy.

October 6th will see some of us donning our protective hazmat suits once again as we attempt to engage the public at another event - Southampton Game Fest 2018. As the name suggests, this is a festival of all things gaming, and will be held in the city of Southampton on the south coast of England. Southampton Game Fest is held entirely in support of various charities, and this year will be held in several locations across the city. We'll have multiple Dreamcast consoles set up, along with a host of peripherals and games for people to play on.

If you're free on Saturday 6th October, why not come down to the event, buy us beer, play some Dreamcast games and get involved with the fun? As well as us, the folks from Bitmap Bureau will also be supporting Game Fest, so it's a perfect excuse to get some first hand experience with their awesome-looking retro inspired shooter Xeno Crisis.

For more information and to buy tickets (or become an exhibitor yourself), head over to the Southampton Game Fest 2018 website here. You can also find out more information on our upcoming events by checking the Events page here.

* This, like the cake, is a lie.

Online Dreamcast Playercount Hits 1000 With DreamPi

Unless you've been living under a particularly large rock for the past couple of years, you'll no doubt be aware that the Dreamcast is once again a viable online gaming platform. This is mostly due to the work of one Luke Benstead, the talented chap behind the DreamPi. The DreamPi software (recently updated to version 1.7) written by Luke uses a Raspberry Pi to enable the Dreamcast to connect to online gaming servers hosted by Dreamcast Live, and as such a burgeoning community of online Dreamcast gamers has sprung up in recent times.

Toy Racer is one of the many games enjoying a renaissance thanks to DreamPi 

It might be a far cry from the initial 6 billion players, however the fact that the number of accounts set up to use DreamPi has recently hit 1000 is an amazing feat, and shows that there's plenty of life in the old Dreamcast yet. Indeed, NFL 2K was recently restored to full online multiplayer functionality by programmer Shuouma, yet again expanding the online gaming library available to Dreamcast owners. In recognition of this milestone (it's probably the highest number of online Dreamcasts since the early 2000s), we spoke briefly to Luke regarding this not insignificant user count. Here's what he had to say:

 

"I'm still amazed that a little side project I started  few years back has had such a massive and unexpected impact on the Dreamcast community. That over a thousand people have gone to the effort of setting up a DreamPi to get their Dreamcast back online shows their love for the console. The community is definitely still growing, too. It's also worth mentioning the work of Pcwzrd at Dreamcast Live and Shuouma, as if it weren't for their efforts I doubt anyone would be bothered about DreamPi."

- Luke Benstead, creator of the DreamPi software

 

Most of us here at the Junkyard are regular participants in the online gaming sessions organised via the Dreamcast Talk forums, and setting up a DreamPi is literally as easy as pie (sorry). If you would like to join the ever-growing community of online Dreamcast gamers, head over to Luke's blog or visit Dreamcast Live for further details. Here's to the next 1000 Dreamcasters joining the party!

A naked Raspberry Pi rocking DreamPi

Do you play online with your Dreamcast? Have you screamed at the sky as I beat you mercilessly at Toy Racer or POD 2?  Let us know in the comments, on Twitter or in our Facebook group.

 

Related articles:

• Toy Racer: Online Gaming Restrospective
• Dreamcast Online Gaming Is Easy As Pi
• World Series Baseball Back Online With DreamPi
• POD Speedzone Online Multiplayer Highlights

The Latest JoshProd Games Are Shipping Now

Hello everyone, I'm Jennifer. I've written for just about every blog dedicated to the Dreamcast for as long as these kinds of blogs existed. You may recognize me by my nickname Mickey, or as the person who can't stick with an internet handle. At various times, I've used the internet handles ChickenO, CaptainDread, Lopantu, Bender, MetaFox, MapleSyrup, JenniBee, Jenni or just Jennifer. I'm sure I missed a few. Now I continue my quest to write for all of the best Dreamcast blogs by blogging for The Dreamcast Junkyard. I start my journey here with some good news.

The JoshProd Facebook page has posted news that their latest Dreamcast games to be published, known as session 3, have begun shipping from RushOnGame. These games are those that are produced in PAL Dreamcast style cases. The games that are produced in US Dreamcast style cases are sold by VideoGamesNewYork, and are slated to release on the 31st of July. In addition, the games that are produced in Japanese Dreamcast style cases are sold by Play-Asia, and are expected to be released in August.

If you aren't sure which games are in the third session of JoshProd releases, here's a refresher.

Another World HD is the high definition version of Another World, a cinematic action-adventure platformer by Eric Chahi that influenced many other games. It was originally released in 1991 for the Atari ST and Amiga, and then ported to many other systems around the world. One of these platforms was the Dreamcast. It received a version using the RAW interpreter by cyx, which was ported by myself and GPF, and was given the blessing of Eric Chahi to release for free in 2005. However, JoshProd's commercial version outdoes the free version, as it is optimized for high definition televisions.

Flashback 2: Fade to Black is the sequel to Flashback, the cinematic action-adventure which was the pseudo-sequel of Another World and was published by JoshProd on Dreamcast last year. Fade to Black is presented in first-person as opposed to the third-person presentation of the original. Originally released in 1995 on DOS, this game takes place 50 years after Flashback. In the game, an alien race named the Morphs have taken over Earth. The hero from the previous game, Conrad Hart, must once again save Earth from the alien menace.

A Quick Look At Data Discs' Shenmue Vinyl LP

Retro seems to be the in thing at the moment - be it games, movies, clothes or even music formats. While you could argue that vinyl never really went out of fashion, for a good while it was only the most dedicated of music aficionados who would go to the lengths of seeking out that elusive LP for their collection. That said, the recent mainstream resurgence of vinyl as a viable format on which to purchase your music comes with the caveat that a large proportion of people buying vinyl don't play them, and some don't even own a record player; instead opting to buy records to put up on the wall, or simply for the sake of collecting because they look cool.

Of course, I know that doesn't account for everyone but it's an interesting topic of discussion. And with that we move our focus to the Venn diagram which blooms when you correlate the allure of vinyl with the retro gaming scene. Data Discs have wasted no time in capitalising on the cross over of these two areas of collecting/nostalgic amour and created a whole range of officially licensed SNK, Capcom and Sega-inspired original soundtrack vinyl LPs; most of which feature the timeless bleeps and bloops of arcade and Mega Drive titles from years past.

One edition that bucks this trend is the Shenmue soundtrack, and seeing as I recently bought a record player (after inheriting my late mother's huge collection of soul and Motown vinyl); I decided that it was about time that I tried out one of these game-flavoured musical offerings...

The Dreamcast Junkyard Presents 'The A to Z of Dreamcast Games'

It was nearly three years ago that The Dreamcast Junkyard presented the Ultimate Collectors Guide - an attempt to gather the complete listings of every Dreamcast game ever released into one handy guide book. We even printed a run of the guide that a few souls managed to obtain before...well, I think we all know the story by now.

Now, whilst the guide served a purpose, it's probably fair to say it never quite attained the 'Ultimate' status we attached to it. For list nerds like myself, it's great to be able to grab a checklist and see what random Japanese oddities still need to be tracked down, but - and I say this as the one who compiled the guide - it lacked a little soul. Through all the positive reactions the guide gathered, I promised I'd be back in a few years with a bigger, better and improved version, one that wasn't quite as painfully dull to look at, and the completion of a somewhat ridiculous personal quest.

That guide, I'm happy to announce, is now here! Grab yourself a downloadable copy by hitting the 'download button below!

Now, with the literary world of the Dreamcast starting to get some attention (we're all looking forward to delving into Darren Wall's 'Sega Dreamcast Collected Works' when it releases), I want to make it perfectly clear to all of you now that this is not - I repeat, not - a professional product of the highest quality. If you're looking for a lovely looking book to sit on your coffee table, then chances are you'll be disappointed. If, however, you enjoyed our first guide, or found it useful on your own Dreamcast collecting journey, then I hope you'll be pleasantly surprised. I like to think of the guide as the 'Football Manager' of books - it's not a looker, but hopefully it's the content which counts.

That's not to say this is just a carbon copy of our first guide either, though. The time between the original guides release and now, has been utilised to give more content, more detail and, of course, a few more lists. This time around, the A to Z of Dreamcast Games features:

• Info on 670 Dreamcast games, presented in the A to Z with a mini review 
• Full release listings for all games, expanded from the original guide significantly, and now covering a grand total of 1846 individual releases.
• Upcoming games section
• PAL, US, Japanese & Indie collecting sections, each with a collecting guide, helpful lists, rare & expensive game spotlights and more
• Rarity and value guide for all 1800+ releases
• Now looks a little less dull, with covers throughout the guide to brighten it up a little!

Weighing in at a total of 506 pages, it's fair to say that a printed version of this guide is not on the horizon - but who uses 'books' now anyway though, eh? Designed to stick on your smartphone or tablet as a (hopefully) useful tool, we embrace the new digital era here at The Dreamcast Junkyard - especially as it's a touch cheaper than having to pay for these all to be printed!

Let us know what you think in the comments, on Twitter or in our Facebook group!

This Month In Dreamcast History - July 2000

In a new monthly feature, join me as we re-live the months of yesteryear - Dreamcast-style.

It’s July 2000. We’re over halfway through the first year of the new millenium and summer has kicked off (for us Europeans, at least) with the Euro 2000 football tournament in Holland and Belgium. July 2000 was the month Eminem scored another worldwide hit with his single The Real Slim Shady; and elsewhere, the newly disbanded Spice Girls were still tearing it up with their own brand of horror pop. July 2000 also saw the very first Big Brother reality TV show launch in the UK. But for those of us who were too busy playing Dreamcast to bother watching a dozen strangers locked in a house and forced to interact with total strangers, this is what we had to look forward to...

Spoiler: it never 'came home'

July’s PAL Dreamcast chart featured a few new titles:

1. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater*
2. Resident Evil: Code Veronica
3. Wacky Races*
4. Ecco The Dolphin*
5. Crazy Taxi

A whopping three new entries made it into the top of the Dreamcast chart in July; Tony Hawk's Pro Skater knocked the absolutely sublime Resident Evil: Code Veronica off the top spot, the hugely underrated (in my opinion) Mario Kart clone Wacky Races debuted solidly in the top 3, whilst Sega’s own Ecco The Dolphin also started strongly.

Wacky Races is a standout kart racer for Dreamcast

Looking at July 2000’s gaming magazines, Dreamcast owners were spoiled for choice. Hidden & Dangerous received a massive 92% from Dreamcast Magazine, with the reviewer claiming that it could “take over your life”. In the same magazine, “the definitive F1 racer for Dreamcast”, F1 World Grand Prix 2, scored 90% and was a personal favourite of mine. Elsewhere in the most random magazine from July 2000 that I could find, Brazilian publication Super Game Power gave Sega’s answer to the popular Gran Turismo, Sega GT, a solid 8.3/10.

Super Game Power in Brazil seemed keen on Sega GT

The US Official Dreamcast Magazine were not impressed with Lara’s Dreamcast debut, scoring Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation a 5/10 and, probably fairly, suggesting that the game “did little to take advantage of the Dreamcast’s hardware”. Just a few pages later though, they gave 6/10 to the diabolical Nightmare Creatures II, whilst Dreamcast Magazine could only give it a woeful 39% and cited that “the only good thing is that you can kick doors down”. Many years later, our very own Tom Charnock would find himself agreeing with the latter review.

If you hadn't yet picked up your Dreamcast, now was as good a time as ever, with some great deals around. Popular UK-based mail order company, Gameplay, were offering a Dreamcast console and a copy of Chu Chu Rocket! for just £149.99. An absolute bargain and some £50 cheaper than the console's launch price less than a year ago.

Not picked up a Dreamcast yet? Plenty of bargains around in July 2000!

For those lucky gamers who did already own a Dreamcast, July's PAL-region releases saw a real variety of options to spend their hard earned cash on:

• NHL 2K
• Roadsters
• South Park Rally
• Tech Romancer
• Dead or Alive 2
• Marvel vs. Capcom 2
• Gauntlet Legends
• Midway's Greatest Hits Volume 1

Personally, I remember picking up the outstanding Dead or Alive 2 and taunting my PlayStation-owning friends with just how beautiful it looked. The rather attractive female cast had absolutely nothing to do with my teenage opinion, honestly. 

There you have it. In short, July 2000 was a bloody good time to be a Dreamcast owner. It was in the height of summer, there were a load of great games coming out and online gaming was right around the corner.

Big Brother is always watching. Always. Yes, even when
you do that thing in your bedroom on your own.

How about you? Were you a Dreamcast owner in July 2000? Did you pick up any of the games released this month? Were you salivating at the reviews in gaming magazines of the games coming out soon? Tell us all about it in the comments below. Join us next month as we take a look at what was happening in the Dreamcast bubble during the month of August in 2000.

Gunbird 2 - Dreamcast & Switch Comparison

Another day, another Dreamcast shooter comes to the Switch. Following in the wake of both Zero Gunner 2 and Ikaruga comes Gunbird 2, the wacky sequel to one of the Sega Saturn's most beloved vertical shmups. In the very recent past we took a good look at the Dreamcast version of Gunbird 2 (check out our review here) so there's little point going over the whole game again. However, now that it's hit Nintendo's sleek hybrid, we thought it was only right that we did a little comparison of the two different versions at our disposal. So here, for your viewing pleasure is a video showing gameplay of Gunbird 2 on both the Dreamcast and Switch.

The Dreamcast game is not particularly expensive or rare, and likewise the Switch game retails digitally for a pretty low price so we wholeheartedly recommend either version if you like the genre. Interestingly, at the time of writing the Switch version of Gunbird 2 has mysteriously vanished from the eShop (update: it's now back on the eShop), but it's every bit as good as the Dreamcast original.

The Switch version does have some nice added extras, such as the ability to add screen filters and also the option to rotate the screen on the fly from the pause menu. That said, there are some notable absences, such as the different display types (arcade, original etc.) from the Dreamcast version.

Switch Gunbird 2 offers some nice filter options

The Dreamcast footage here was recorded using the Beharbros Gekko HDMI adapter (employing the RGB/VGA trick to force the VGA mode), and the Switch footage was recorded in TATE mode and then rotated in the edit for a better view of the play area. For some reason, the Dreamcast footage kept slowing down while recording, and I think it could be down to the way I was recoding it (forced VGA mode, through a HMDI cable) but then again, I'm only guessing - it certainly doesn't slow down like that when playing through a SCART cable. Check out a better video of the Dreamcast version, recorded by my colleague James here.

What do you think? Will you be picking up the Switch game or are you happy with the Dreamcast original? Let us know in the comments, on Twitter or in our Facebook group. Alternatively, call us all idiots in the comments on our YouTube channel.

Related articles:

• A Quick Look At Zero Gunner 2 - Dreamcast & Switch Comparison
• A Quick Look At Ikaruga - Dreamcast & Switch Comparison
• A Quick Look At Gunbird 2
• Splatoon 2 Is The Dreamcast Game I Never Knew I wanted
• Dreamcast Games We'd Love To See On Switch

Hardware Review: Beharbros Gekko HDMI Box For Dreamcast

Gekko is the latest device from self-styled artisanal retro-modders Beharbros. It takes the baton from the earlier Akura and delivers a simple method for connecting a Dreamcast to a modern HD television. Featuring the hallmark high build quality and hand-made aesthetic of the rest of the Beharbros product lineup, the Gekko represents a more pocket-friendly solution that offers similar functionality at a budget price point.

The BBS Akura (left) and Gekko (right)

In terms of form factor, the Gekko is very similar to the earlier Akura HDMI adapter, but has several features stripped out, meaning that this is a pretty painless device to set up. As with all of the boxes and cables  in this category (see our reviews of both the BBS Akura and Pound HD Link), the Gekko simply takes the VGA output signal from the Dreamcast and converts it so that it can be fed through a standard HDMI connection and into your television or monitor.

As with the aforementioned devices, there is no upscaling; the VGA 480p picture is simply passed through the internal gubbins and projected onto your screen, and if you're using a huge 4K television, the image quality will be much worse than on a 22" HD television. If you really want to get the full benefits of a device like the Gekko (or any of the others on the market), then a dedicated upscaler is what you'll need. But then, this type of device probably isn't aimed at the gamers who inhabit that end of the spectrum. If you own a Framemeister, OSSC or other similar device, then you'll likely not need something like the Gekko as your current awesome set up probably won't really benefit from the inclusion of a VGA to HDMI pass through device.

That point aside, if you are in the market for something that will allow you to connect your Dreamcast to a modern flat screen display, then the Gekko could be right up your street; and not least because it offers an interesting extra function not seen in the recently released Pound HD Link. First though, let's take a look at the physical design of the Gekko...

Hardware Review: Pound Technology HD Link - Dreamcast

In the recent past we've seen a number of solutions come to market that allow Dreamcast gamers to use a contemporary HDMI-enabled display. The most high profile of these is arguably the superb Akura from Bebarbros; but for many the high price of said artisanal display adapter is prohibitive (the upcoming Gekko may put paid to that, though). Enter Pound Technology, a California based firm specialising in new display cables for retro systems.

The latest release from Pound is the HD Link - Dreamcast, and while the name is a little misleading (it isn't a system link cable, and it doesn't magically make Dreamcast games 'HD'), there's little to fault with the unit's design, operation...or price. As stated, one of the major complaints with Beharbros' Akura was that it cost upwards of $80 (or $200 if you look at scalper prices on eBay). Granted, the Akura is way more than a signal pass-through cable, as it offers features such as a scanline generator amongst others. The HD Link - Dreamcast is very bare bones in comparison to the Akura, but this isn't a bad thing. Far from it, as the simplicity of the cable's design and singular feature set make it affordable and less likely to fail after prolonged use.

The HD Link - Dreamcast is a professionally manufactured cable that slots into the A/V aperture on the rear of the Dreamcast and which acts like a VGA cable. The VGA signal travels along the cable, to the box in the middle, which then converts it to output via a HMDI connection. It's as simple as that. There is no upscaling here - the signal is the native 480p VGA image from the Dreamcast which is in turn spat out onto your display. If you're using a HD TV that's bigger than say 22" then the image - while decent - will be blown up and may look a little pixelated. However, with many modern TVs unable to even accept a composite or SCART connection, something like the HD Link - Dreamcast is a perfect solution.

Sega Dreamcast: Collected Works Kickstarter Gets Impressive Update

We like cool stuff here at the Junkyard, and there's nothing cooler than a good book. Especially one that's all about the history of the Dreamcast. Darren Wall and Simon Parkin's Sega Dreamcast: Collected Works has been in production behind the scenes since it smashed its goal (by some margin) back in 2017, and the latest Kickstarter update reveals some fascinating new details about what will be contained betwixt those glossy, fresh-smelling pages.

The latest update for backers (of which I am one, obviously) goes into more detail about early concept images have been gleaned from Sega's archive, cleaned up and reproduced for print:

"Some of the most stunning material we received from SEGA during our research phase covered the design evolution of the Dreamcast console and controller. SEGA collaborated with Tokyo-based industrial design firm GK Dynamics (who primarily design motorbikes) to develop innovative form factors for the console. The resultant renderings from these early design stages range from the breathtaking to the outlandish to the surreal, and offer a fascinating glimpse into the ambitious thinking that was clearly in abundance at SEGA at the time.

"I was concerned however, that we might not be able to include them – the only images of this work that SEGA have in their archive are low res, compressed digital camera photos of the original artworks, not nearly fit for print. We attempted to track down the originals, but failed to locate them – my assumption is that, sadly, they has been destroyed or lost."

- Darren Wall, Editor

As well as this fascinating, unseen concept artwork the book promises oral history interviews with the likes of Yu Suzuki, Bernie Stolar and Hideki Naganuma among others; concept renders from various Sega games, and also lots of cool hardware photography of the usual standard that owners of Read Only Memory's previous books will appreciate.

I for one am really looking forward to getting my hands on Sega Dreamcast: Collected Works and it seems that the project is going from strength to strength. You can pre-order the book from ROM's website if you missed out on the original Kickstarter campaign.

Source: Sega Dreamcast: Collected Works on Kickstarter

It's Thinking: An Interview With Brian Bacino - The Man Behind The Iconic Dreamcast Slogan

The Dreamcast's North American launch was one of the most successful console launches of all time. It boasted a line up of games that was unmatched in terms of variety and quality, and an air of untouchable swagger and confidence swirled around Sega that hadn't been seen since the days of the Genesis. Key to the success of the Dreamcast's introduction to the lucrative American market was undoubtedly the bombastic and memorable advertising campaign that supported the console.

The iconic 'It's Thinking' TV commercials and the memorable launch date of 9.9.99 were powerful weapons in Sega's arsenal when waging a marketing war against Sony and Nintendo for consumer dollars. However, these two components of marketing collateral did not come about by pure coincidence. They were thoughtfully constructed prongs of the same pincer movement strategy, and arguably helped to propel the Dreamcast into millions of American homes in those first few months post launch.

Here, in an exclusive interview we talk to Brian Bacino, the man behind the North American advertising campaign. As former Creative Director at respected advertising house Foote, Cone & Belding (FCB) of San Francisco, Brian was instrumental in the creation of the Dreamcast brand and the system's early success...

DCJY: Brian, first allow me to thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. The Dreamcast console really was a game-changer when it was released (pun intended!) and still holds a dear place in the hearts of a lot of gamers. To kick things off, could you give us a brief description of what your role was at FCB and specifically with the Sega Dreamcast commercials?

Brian Bacino: Hi Tom – thanks, I’m totally psyched to talk about the Dreamcast launch. It was an epic adventure in advertising, full of drama, plot twists and explosions! I was FCB San Francisco’s SVP Group Creative Director/Writer in charge of the launch and roll out of The Sega Dreamcast. My partner, Steve Fong, and I conceived and created the ‘It’s Thinking’ campaign and the ‘Apocalypse’ launch film – heralded in 1999 by several video game magazines as “the most epic video game commercial ever created!” Steve and I would not argue.

Dreamcast Themed Scented Candles On The Way?

I've checked the date and no, it's not April 1st. That said, I'm still not sure if this is a cruel joke or not...so take this with a bucket of salt. Recently, the Sega Forever Facebook account shared these images of an 'in development' Dreamcast-themed scented candle (along with a Mega Drive one, too) and asked for suggestions on what they should smell of. My formative years with the Dreamcast mainly smelled of teen spirit, cheap lager and Pot Noodles; but I'm not sure anybody wants a candle that smells of a student's bedroom.

The design looks really cool and if these are real, surely it means that Sega still has the ability to create new aftermarket Dreamcast shells to replace our yellowing/cracked originals? That said, there's no indication of scale in the images so lets not get our hopes up.

So what do you think? Would you be down for a Dreamcast/Mega Drive candle to illuminate your summer evenings or dark winter nights while you huddle around a flickering CRT playing Spirit of Speed 1937? Let us know in the comments. Oh, oh - I've just thought of another: Smells Like Teen Spirit of Speed 1937. Guffaw. I'm wasted here, I tell you.

Source: Sega Forever Facebook

Pound Technology Releases New Dreamcast HDMI Cable (Updated)

The Dreamcast famously supports many different types of display cable (check out our guide here), and the ability to spit out a VGA signal has afforded contemporary hardware developers the opportunity to adapt the Dreamcast's aging internal guts to work with the latest display technology.


While the Dreamcast will always be best matched with a decent CRT television through RGB SCART or a VGA computer monitor via a suitable cable or box, the fact of the matter is that not everyone has the space for a hulking great cathode ray powered television or monitor, and so flat panel monitors are the only option. With this in mind, Pound Technology is the latest hardware manufacturer to take advantage of the Dreamcast's VGA option and have recently released the 'HD Link - Dreamcast.'

Following in the footsteps of outfits like Beharbros (check out our review of the AKURA HDMI box here), Pound Technology have created a fairly robust looking pass-through cable that takes the VGA signal from the Dreamcast and projects it through a HDMI cable onto the screen of any compatible monitor or TV set. Unlike the AKURA, the HD Link - Dreamcast doesn't offer any additional display modes or a scanline generator, but it does trump the AKURA in terms of cost, weighing in at just $29.99 at the time of writing.

The only negative we can see so far is that the HD Link - Dreamcast is currently only available in the United States due to Amazon's rules on new products passing internal review for international shipping. Rest assured that as soon as Amazon have approved the cable, we'll be putting it up against the AKURA to see how it fares. Update: Amazon is now shipping worldwide.


For more information visit the Pound Technology website here.