The Dreamcast Junkyard

Caleb

Amazing find. Among other games he got a copy of D2, one of the hardest games to make copies of. And TWO lightguns!

There are some excellent comments.

http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/jxpqo/just_found_this_on_the_curb_next_to_my_house/

-Caleb

Animated AF

My first Rummage video in two years, blimey! I hope to get time to do some more of these though they'll probably be shorter than this one: I sure had a lot to talk about with this massive game and there's still some stuff I didn't talk about like the music, but I think 13 minutes is more than enough to sum up the game! Enjoy!

Barry the Nomad

It's about time I make a Rummage video! I've had a sealed copy of "Bomber hehhe!" on the shelf for a little over a month, and knew I had to record myself opening it. What started as an InsideOut snowballed into a Rummage thanks to a vacation day. Join me as I blow buildings up in this crazy obscure import!

Animated AF

Redspotgames have just revealed that Sturmwind, it's next scrolling shooter for the Dreamcast, has been delayed. The reasoning being that the developers Duranik are making some major improvements to the game including a revision of the weapon system and plenty of extra polish based on feedback they have had from beta tests and the like. The new release date is planned for 11/11/11. I like it, reminds me of 9/9/99! You can read the full statement here.

While we'll have to wait a bit longer for the game to release this can only be seen as good news as it means we will be getting a even better game that hasn't been rushed out the door! I have yet to pre-order, but that's only because i'm waiting to see if they will announce a special edition first!

Animated AF

(Sort of) in time for Sonic's 10th anniversary and Sonic Adventure 2's 10th anniversary, here's a quick look at the birthday pack that was sold with Sonic Adventure 2 between June 23-24 2001. I filmed and edited this all up yesterday and am currently in the process of recording footage for a Sonic Adventure 2 video review, so hopefully I can get that done within the next week or two.

Animated AF

Remember this upcoming homebrew/indie Dreamcast release? Well I've been sent over this new footage to show you lot of it, showing off a split screen mode, though it turns out both players are being played by one person here, using a mouse for one player and a keyboard for the other! The team are even aiming for net play with this, however tricky that may be!

Barry the Nomad

The Dreamcast Junkyard always likes to see a Dreamcast game featured on Classic Game Room HD. This time, Mark plays Crazy Taxi 2 and reminds us of how awesome a game it is. Mark makes a good point too, stating that despite the many ports of the original Crazy Taxi, there has yet to be another home console port of Crazy Taxi 2. This one is still a Dreamcast exclusive!

Speaking of Classic Game Room, I wanted to give a shout out to a DVD documentary which follows the early years of the internet gaming show. Titled "Classic Game Room: The Rise And Fall Of The Internet's Greatest Video Game Review Show" and released in 2007, the 100 minute documentary is narrated by Mark and features a number of early episodes intercut with new footage. Dreamcast fans should take note that the series began just two months after the American launch of the Dreamcast, so some of the included video reviews cover Dreamcast games. It's a fun documentary, with Mark never taking the subject matter too seriously, and it's a nice time capsule for Dreamcast fans who recall the early days of the console. Yes there are cheesy jokes, and the guys behind the original shows aren't seasoned professionals, but the early episodes have a public access charm and the grown up Mark is an apt filmmaker.

While the DVD shows up on most major retail sites, it isn't often in stock. The only place I've found it in stock was walmart.com and I can confirm that they do have it as I ordered it from them a few months back and received it within a few days. The DVD is also available to rent on Netflix, so add it to your queue. The Dreamcast episodes included are SEGA GT and Seaman and there is also a review of X-Men for the SEGA Genesis.

Animated AF

Who would do such a thing? Some vandals that go by the names of Yuji Naka, Takashi Iizuka and Jun Senoue.

Whoever they are two of them also scribbled on my copies of Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic Adventure 2 as well! I was just casually walking around with this stuff in London like I always do and I wasn't the only one they attacked: hundreds of people who also just so happened to have Sonic games, soundtracks and I believe someone else with a Dreamcast.

We were all wandering around this place. Who knows how we all just so happened to be in the same place at the same time like that.

Best bit is one of the men in question, the one with a guitar so probably from a rock band of some sort, rubbed it in by taking a photo with me in a confused and frightened state. I got away from the other two too quick for them to do the same. Let us know if you were also a victim of this bizarre crime.

Caleb

Who says there was no Dreamcast news at E3?

Lisa Foiles looks really excellent with her new hairstyle and Dreamcast Tshirt. (Now does she make the shirt look good or does the shirt make her look better?) Kudos to her! This and her interview with Spoony about the new Startrek game totally make up for her hanging out with that degenerate Tim Rogers. (It doesn't, however, excuse her for putting a video game console on a carpeted floor in that one video she did. Jebus Lisa! You should know better.)

This is probably a a bit of a stretch to create an article about but honestly I didn't hear any other Dreamcast related news at this years E3. Well besides Keith Apicary probably asking someone about the Dreamcast 2 again. (Keep on believing the Dream Keith!)

Watch Lisa's E3 video at Kotaku. (Warning does contain images of Tim Rogers. Just try to focus on the shirt and ignore him)

http://kotaku.com/5812278/what-you-really-missed-at-e3-2011

Barry the Nomad

People playing City Escape at E3, what is this? 2001?! No, it's the latest stage reveal for Sonic Generations. This time, SEGA has unveiled the classic and modern acts for the HD remake of the famous Dreamcast stage. Gamestop sat down with a SEGA rep and chatted as footage played. Check it out, I can't wait to hear what other Dreamcast era stages we'll get to play!

Caleb

I got an email about this.

Apparently some Japanese site is now offering to sell portable dreamcasts for just under $500.

I don't like the look of the site however.

http://pachimon.tv/goods.php?code=438310&menu=&kind=NEW&keyword=&shop_id=aqsASsrSx

So yeah. Like I said earlier companies can sell portable SNES and NES units legally because Nintendo let their patents expire.

But Sega never let the Dreamcast patents die out as far as I know.

So even if you happen to have a half grand sitting around I would probably pass on this deal.

It's very interesting to note that a company is trying to do this though.

Barry the Nomad

Okay, so this might seem like a stretch for Dreamcast news, but I think Sonic Adventure fans will get a kick out of it.

A recent preview video of Sonic Generations featured the game's new combo system in which you pull off a variety of mid-air tricks by moving about the analog stick. One of those tricks is none other than the Sonic Adventure pose famously seen on the cover of the Dreamcast version of the game. Check out the pose below!

Animated AF

Oh yes, another dreamcast retrospective this time from gamespot for their Video game History month. Talks to a few people responsible for the American launch as well as some random gamers. 15 minutes of telling us everything we at the Junkyard have heard dozens of times, but still worth a quick look.

Barry the Nomad

Digging through my old files, I came across this long video of me playing some PSO offline. The video was recorded for the Dreamcast 100, but was never used. But now it's available for all to view!

Reiko is my HUnewearl which I usually used to play with Japanese players. Not that they ignored my other character, but I did find that a Japanese sounding name and a cute girl character was far more accepted than my male hunter character Fokker. Fokker was a level 102, and carried quite a few rare mags and weapons, as you'll see in the video. When PSO2 arrives, I am certain that Fokker will return in all his glory!

Caleb

*Edit*

Just to be clear I don't think Sega is going to make a new console. I just thought it was funny that people are still posting these videos.

All the patents filed pretty much cover existing Dreamcast technology. I am assuming that Sega simply doesn't want a third party to be able to rush in and use their tech.

In the past Nintendo let some of their patents expire and that is why we have all those different "Retro Duo" consoles that can play NES and SNES games.

Barry the Nomad

by cube_b3 of SEGAbits

NG:DEV:TEAM have released the first screenshots of their upcoming Neo Geo and Dreamcast platformer GunLord on their Teaser Site. The images are stamped with the words “ALPHA VERSION” to give us an impression that things might still change.They show off a very interesting art direction, the likes of which we’ve never seen on the Neo Geo or the Dreamcast. Very dark and surreal tones are displayed along with very eerie creatures throughout to give a cryptic feel to the game. The tone is set even more forcefully by what seems to be the game’s theme song by Rafael Dyll of Soniq Factory.

Source: Dreamcast-Scene

Barry the Nomad

In honor of the now dead UK:Resistance, I thought I'd feature another Dreamcast swirl sighting. This time, the iconic red (sometimes blue) swirl appeared in the fifth episode of the first Phoenix Wright game. I have to admit, I would love to try a "Salmon Swirl" lunch. Looks delicious!

Barry the Nomad

Every SEGA and Sonic fan should know about Sonic Generations by now, so I'll spare you the description. If you don't know what it is, check out the press release and official trailer. The game is sounding insanely awesome, probably the most exciting 3D Sonic game since Sonic Adventure. While current gameplay videos and screens are all about Green Hill Zone, various preview articles and interviews are popping up that reveal a bit of info that might be of interest to Dreamcast fans. Gamespot's preview reports:

The game will be set across the three defining eras--the 2D Mega Drive/Genesis era, the Dreamcast era, and the modern-day HD graphics era

Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2 stages remixed in HD and featuring 2D Sonic sections?! Exciting! I would assume that both games would have one stage each represented in Generations. Personally, I could see Speed Highway and City Escape as the most likely candidates. Emerald Coast, while a defining stage of Sonic Adventure, has too much in common with Green Hill Zone. Meanwhile, Speed Highway was one of the most iconic stages of the game, appearing in countless commercials and ad campaigns. Who can forget this moment:

Yes, I know this is the XBLA version, relax.

As for Sonic Adventure 2, City Escape is very likely. Not only because it was a defining stage of the game, but also earlier this year musician Tony Harnell (vocalist from “We Can” and “It Doesn’t Matter”) let slip on Facebook that he was heading to the studio to record a new version of the Sonic Adventure 2 track “Escape From The City”. Since then, nothing has been seen or heard of this rerecording. It doesn't even look like it would be on the upcoming rerelease of the Sonic Adventure 2 soundtrack. So what does this mean? Either the new recording will be in an upcoming anniversary album OR it was for Sonic Generations. We shall see.

In the comments section, let us know what Adventure stages you'd like to see return in Generations.

Animated AF

A beautiful Samba De Amigo themed paint job on a Dreamcast. If I had the skills with paint I'd love to do a custom Dreamcast like this, but alas..

Animated AF

Racketboy has just posted a superb interview with the manager of the Segagaga translation project James Howell. it gives an in-depth look into the process, the reasoning, and the troubles that come with translating such a unique game that is so rooted in Japanese game culture and the many in jokes that even many Japanese natives may not get, let alone us. One thing that is noted is that the translation will be released as a patch as they do not intend to release a hacked version of the game itself as that would be breaking Sega's copyright of the game. They really do have a lot of passion and respect for the source matreial and i really can not wait to see more of this translation come to fruition.

Animated AF

Embedding has been disabled on the video so go watch it here. The video below is a trailer from before the game was canceled.

Does anyone remember hearing about a game called Geist Force back when the Dreamcast launched? No? Well there wasn't much coverage of it outside of a video showing it off a bit, and soon after it just vanished off the face of the earth. Well a Sega insider joined the forums of Assemblergames.com and sold a beta copy of the game from 1998, and now it is in the hands of those that can not only play it on dev hardware, but will be dumping and releasing it to the Internet as soon as they can! In the video you will see the opening cut scene and some gameplay which is very much like that of the Starfox/Lylat Wars series, but without the talking animals.Looks like quite the interesting game and looking forward to getting a shot at trying it out!

Now where's Dee Dee Planet? Now there's a game I'd love to see leaked seeing as it was near complete supposedly and a beta was spotted in a photo of Sega archive room. Someone get in there and nab it!

Barry the Nomad

... there's a Dreamcast!

I had an appointment this morning to have blood drawn, so in an effort to lift my spirits before a needle was stabbed into my arm I stopped and snapped a photo of this Dreamcast logo sighting. Located in the middle of a a long depressing hallway, this was probably placed by hospital staff who knew a Dreamcast swirl can lift even the most depressed of patients. Either that, or it was a coincidence.

But wait! Using the powers of photoshop, lets just see how close the two are:

Amazing! Looking at this overlay, we get a swirl factor of 90%! Very impressive. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to collapse from blood losssssssssdwsFEFsffsfffff..........

Barry the Nomad

A long while back, a group of english speaking SEGA fans made it their mission to translate the Dreamcast cult classic Segagaga. During the past year and a half, the project slowed to a near halt. Thankfully, things seem to be speeding up again as the Segagaga Translation Blog has returned with new posts and an update on the project! Check out their blog for all the details, and make sure to wish them luck!

I can't wait to see the finished product.

Check it out: Segagaga Translation Blog

Barry the Nomad

The Dreamcast Junkyard Dreamcast Collection Contest has officially ended!

I've received over 200 awesome entries, and having read through each one, I've decided on the winners! Before I list 'em off, let me just give a big thanks to the fans for writing in with all their Dreamcast memories. Lots of great stories, some I have experienced myself and others that were downright nuts. Even if you didn't win a prize in the contest, know that the true prize is being a Dreamcast fan. (aww!) Also, a big thanks to SEGA of America's community team for providing the awesome prizes!

The winner of The Dreamcast Collection for the XBOX 360 is...

Jill N.! For her unique memory of abusing Sonic Adventure chaos. Admit it, we've all done it at some point. Jill can now relive the chao torture with her own copy of the Dreamcast Collection. Congrats!

The winner of the vinyl record is...

Giles O.! For his story of turning on his housemates to the awesomeness that is Crazy Taxi. Way to go Giles, spreading the crazy word. Just hope that they didn't develop an all out addiction. Congratz!

The winner of the Dreamcast hoodie is...

Sam W.! For his story of fooling his friends into thinking they were playing Sonic Adventure DX on the Gamecube when in fact they were playing the Dreamcast original. Way to fool the haters! Here is Sam's story reprinted:

My favorite moment would have to be with Sonic Adventure. It was 2004 or so, and I was one of the kind of video game nerds that would get into debates about video games, consoles, etc. I was always, always a big Dreamcast fan. (At this time, at least around me, the general sentiment was that GC and PS2 were the kings, and DCs were a rightfully forgotten failure.) I, of course, argued that the Dreamcast was really, really ahead of its time, and, even at this time, not too far behind the GC and PS2. Anyway, it was me versus about every other gamer, so it wasn't much of an argument. They were all in agreement that the DC was pretty bad and that's why it failed. A few weeks later, I had my friends come over and I was playing Sonic Adventure on my faithful Dreamcast. They came in, saw what I was playing, and sat down. The important thing to note is that my DC, because of my setup, was kind of placed right behind my GC, which was currently on, but not plugged in (forgot to turn it off after I switched to my DC). They immediately sit down and say something like "see! I told you the GC version is better. Look at those graphics--you wouldn't see a better frame-rate on your little Dreamcast." They thought they caught me secretly playing the GC version when they wouldn't notice. After their little teasing, I was laughing and without a word I leaned over and turned that GC off in front of them; lo and behold, Sonic was still standing there, in all his 1998, Dreamcast glory! Got'cha! My friends aren't one to admit defeat, but it was pretty hard for them to say too many words against the DC after that.

I still bring that moment up to them today, haha.

Winners will be contacted via email. Again, a big congrats to all and thanks for playing! Stay tuned for more contests and original content here at The Dreamcast Junkyard. Still thinking...

Barry the Nomad

CONTEST ENDED! Thanks for playing!

Hey there space cats! Barry here with great news: we're having a contest and it starts NOW! Thanks to our friends at SEGA of America comes Dreamcast Collection goodies that you, the readers, can win. What are the goodies and how do you win? Read on!

The Prizes

We're giving three lucky readers the chance to win one of these three prizes:

• One reader will win a copy of the Dreamcast Collection for the XBOX 360
• One reader will win a Dreamcast Collection vinyl record
• One reader will win a Dreamcast hooded sweatshirt, a brand new exclusive item from SEGA!

How to Enter

To enter all you need to do is answer the following:

Tell us your favorite moment from one of the games in the Dreamcast Collection. Could be a favorite cutscene quote, or a gameplay moment. Be nostalgic and be creative!

Email your name, mailing address and answer to: CONTEST ENDED! Thanks for playing!

Want to double your chances of winning?

Enter over at SEGA Network affiliate SEGAbits for a chance to win!

The contest will end next Tuesday on March 8th. Good luck!

Barry the Nomad

A package from SEGA arrived in the mail today! In it were two copies of the 360's Dreamcast Collection. One for me to review, one for a certain contest I keep hinting at. While a proper review will turn up Monday, I thought I'd have the Dreamcast Collection face off against my Dreamcast collection. Is the compilation disc worth it for a Dreamcast collector? Which version of the games will I come back to when I need my fix? Let's find out!

CONTENT

The Dreamcast Collection contains four games: Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi, SEGA Bass Fishing and Space Channel 5 Part 2. The Dreamcast Collection version of Sonic Adventure is actually a port of the PC version of the game but with the original Dreamcast menus and the Gamecube content stripped away (available via DLC). 360's Sonic Adventure has an aspect ratio of 4:3, just like the original game, so unfortunately no widescreen. However the game runs at a very solid frame rate and loading times are much faster. Despite not being as great as it could have been, you'll never see a smoother or crisper version of Sonic Adventure than here. The 360 version does not feature the Chao Adventure VMU game, however the chao garden has been beefed up as it was in Sonic Adventure DX. That means high polygon counts on the chao, more ways to raise them and a black market where rings can be traded for items.

Crazy Taxi is a mixed bag. While the gameplay is there, as is all the modes from the Dreamcast original, the iconic Bad Religion and Offspring songs were swapped out for different music. It's a drag, but it's understandable that music rights would change over time. Despite this, the game runs in widescreen AND has a very solid frame rate. Plus, if you have the original soundtracks on your 360 hard drive (or stream from your computer) you can play all the original music and more via the 360's custom soundtrack option. Personally, I play the soundtrack from all three Crazy Taxi games while playing this one. It really does make the game feel complete.

SEGA Bass Fishing and Space Channel 5 Part 2 are the winners when it comes to comparing content. Everything from the original games are here, plus the games run in widescreen, have a solid frame rate AND are crisp. The only drag (fishing pun) is that SEGA Bass Fishing isn't as good without the fishing controller. Still fun, but not as fun as it could be.

On the 360, all four games feature their own achievements and avatar awards, providing an incentive to replay the games. I cannot wait to earn my Moralian costume.

CONTENT VERDICT: 360 and Dreamcast Sonic Adventure are a tie, Crazy Taxi Dreamcast is preferred for the original music but widescreen on the 360 is worth it for Crazy Taxi fans, 360 SEGA Bass Fishing wins (unless you own a fishing controller) and 360 Space Channel 5 Part 2 wins.

PRICE

The Dreamcast Collection retails for $29.99. According to videogamepricecharts.com and ebay: Sonic Adventure can currently be found for around $9, Crazy Taxi for around $5, SEGA Bass Fishing for $3 (around $20 with fishing controller) and Space Channel 5 Part 2 for $80 (game only) and $200 (box set). Assuming you have both systems, you can either spend $30 for the 360 compilation or between $97 and $234 for the Dreamcast originals. There is also a version of SC5 Part 2 on the PS2, and that will run much cheaper, for around $15. Replace the Dreamcast version with the PS2 version and we're looking at $32. About even with The Dreamcast Collection.

PRICE VERDICT: In an all Dreamcast vs. 360 battle, 360 wins. In a Dreamcast and PS2 tag team versus 360, it's a tie. Space Channel 5 Part 2 saves the Collection.

CONCLUSION

And the winner is: Everyone's a winner! HA! Didn't see that coming, did you? But seriously, it's great to have these games on next gen consoles. While Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi don't beat the originals, the achievements and avatar awards give an added bonus for playing through those games once again. The fact that the two recent releases, Bass Fishing and SC5 Part 2, are far better ports is hopefully a sign that upcoming Dreamcast Collection releases will follow suit in providing widescreen support and minimal cut content. I'd love to see a widescreen version of Jet Set Radio or Sonic Adventure 2.

Coming this Wednesday, a contest!

Barry the Nomad

If you haven't figured it out yet, the DCJY loves Classic Game Room. Heck, we even gave it a tag! In the above video, Mark compares the boxart of the Dreamcast Collection to the boxart of Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection. As always, it's humorous and all in good fun. No ranting, no cussing, just good ol' CGR. Enjoy!

Personally, I like the Dreamcast Collection cover more. I could see a few more volumes coming out in the same style. I never was a fan of the Ultimate Genesis Collection having that wonky looking Sonic on the front. Plus, you got a big Dreamcast console and controller right there on the cover!

Barry the Nomad

The Dreamcast Collection is now available to purchase in the USA for the 360 and the PC! The collection will be available in Europe on the 25th. Are you planning on picking it up? Did you pick it up? Sound off in the comments section!

Keep visiting the Dreamcast Junkyard in the coming weeks, as there is a contest with Dreamcast Collection prizes (courtesy of SEGA of America) in the works. What is the contest and what are the prizes? Stay tuned.

Personally, I'm very interested in seeing how Space Channel 5 Part 2 plays. If it is a solid port, it could be the selling point of the collection. SEGA Bass Fishing, while lacking the fishing controller, also has the potential to be good as it will be in widescreen and is presumably uncut. Crazy Taxi and Sonic Adventure have already released on PSN and XBLA.

Animated AF

...Part one of two! This is the kind of attention this game really deserves: the game has been selling out since it was reduced on Play-Asia temporally and in my opinion it's the best indie shooter on the Dreamcast to date. There will be a 2nd video to this review soon.

Barry the Nomad

From Kotaku comes an odd story about a gas leak explosion in Japan, and the limited edition Dreamcast game that survived. Check out the original story:

Over the weekend, an explosion completely blew off the wall of a one-room Kyoto apartment. The occupant was not seriously injured, and fingers crossed, neither was the limited edition Dreamcast game he owned.

A nearby resident said the walls shook, thought it was an earthquake and opened his window to see a fire. TV Asahi reports that it is possible that the explosion was caused by a leak in one of the 5 gas cans that power a portable stove that ignited. The 35-year-old tenant made it out of the apartment with light burns to his hands and feet. “I fell asleep with the stove on,” the man told investigators.
As evident in the destroyed structure, the build quality doesn’t seem to be of the highest order. For many years, especially after World War II and right on through the 1980s, buildings in Japan were thrown up quickly. The buildings from right after the war were of especially low build quality, due to scarce materials and an overwhelming demand for construction. They did improve, but it’s still common to find even later buildings like this that seem to be held together with glue and gumtack. Another reason for the less than solid quality is that it was believed that a powerful earthquake would hit Tokyo and not Kansai (Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto), which is why stronger structures were built in the Tokyo area.

Kobe, however, was hit by the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995 and many old, shoddy buildings fell in on occupants, often killing them. It was after this tragedy that the vast majority of the construction industry really began to take building very, very seriously, resulting in the sound, strong structures that are built today.

As serious as this explosion is and as dangerous as it could have been, Japanese netizens were quick to point out that in the tenant’s room, there is a copy of Dreamcast love simulator Love Hina: Totsuzen no Engeji Happening. But not just a copy of the game, a limited version of the game, which came with a limited edition Love Hina wall clock, a Love Hina towel, a stuffed animal, a shrine tailsman for good luck. The box appears to be in tact, but no word on whether the game made it out okay or if the wall clock was affixed to the wall that was blown clear off.

Love Hina was originally a manga, and it was quite popular, selling over six million copies and spun off into an anime. Besides the Dreamcast game, Love Hina was also turned into Game Boy colour and Game Boy Advance games as well as PlayStation and PlayStation 2 titles.

Check out the original story here.

Caleb

It looks like there is a sale going on...

Fast Striker has sold out!

LE version *SOLD OUT*

http://www.play-asia.com/Fast_Striker_Limited_Edition/paOS-13-71-x-49-en-70-4010.html

Cool Herders on sale for $6.90
http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-54-49-en-70-3p1z.html

Inhabitants - $7.90
http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-54-49-en-70-3p74.html

Maqiupai - $7.90
http://www.playasia.com/SOap-23-83-9c8x-71-58-49-en-84-j-70-3p1y.html

Feet of Fury - $4.90
http://www.playasia.com/SOap-23-83-9c8x-71-cn-49-en-84-j-70-3p1x.html

Irides: Master of Blocks - $9.90
http://www.playasia.com/SOap-23-83-9c8x-71-54-49-en-84-j-70-3n8r.html

Irides: Master of Blocks [Limited Edition] - $12.90
http://www.playasia.com/SOap-23-83-9c8x-71-54-49-en-84-j-70-43ay.html

Links found on CheapassGamer.

Animated AF

Does anyone remember that Vinyl LP that some people were lucky enough to get as a pre-order bonus with Mega Drive Ultimate Collection on PS3 and 360? Well looks like they are doing a similar deal again for the 360 release of Dreamcast Collection! So far though this only appears to be in Australia, but if it turns out anything like the Mega Drive one it *might* show up in areas of Europe too, I manged to pick up the mega Drive LP on Ebay in the end and only paid a tenner for it. Either way see where this offer has been first spotted here. Turns out the LP contains 3 Crazy Taxi tunes (not Offspring I'm presuming so er...kind of pointless IMO) 1 Sonic Adventure track (Open your Heart surely?) 1 Space Channel 5 part 2 track and one Bass Fishing track. Will make a cool collectible none the less if just for the design of it.

Via SegaBits and TSSZ

Barry the Nomad

Any Dreamcast fan should know what a spine card is. But for those who don't, it's that little strip of paper that wraps around the left spine of Japanese Dreamcast CD cases. You'll also find these on Japanese Saturn games and nearly any other Japanese thing in a CD case. Why do they do it? Well, I'd assume so they can cram even more information on the front cover without littering the actual cover with all that information. Also, the Japanese LOVE little bits of paper. I remember when I first opened my sealed copy of Jet Set Radio, it was like a confetti parade with all the inserts that fell out.

Anyway, I decided to give the indie game DUX its own spine card. Why? Well for one thing, DUX is the only retail indie game in a DVD case that does not feature the Japanese Dreamcast style spine. Instead it's a very stark (but stylish) white. While the special edition of DUX did feature a orange and white spine, it was limited to 500 copies, so you're sure to never see one of those unless you pre-ordered one at the time of release. Another reason I made one was so that anal retentive fans, like myself, can have a more orderly game shelf. I also added "Dreamcast" on the front bit of the card so that you know what system the game is for. Also, I designed two versions: Japanese and English. So you have a choice of language (DUX is such a simple word, that I'm surprised the Japanese translation is twice as long).

Let's get to the arts & crafts! First off, download the DUX spine cards here.

Next, print the file out on a piece of paper, preferably a slightly glossy, thicker (but not too think) paper stock so that you cannot see through the paper. I used 32lb premium choice laserjet paper, and printed it on a laserjet printer to create solid bits of color.

Now, with an x-acto knife and ruler, use the guides and cut out the spine card you wish to use, or just cut them both out. If you're using scissors, be careful and create a straight cut.

Finally, lay the DUX case out flat (like the picture at the top) and slide the spine card in over the cover art. Carefully line up the card so that the spine is in the correct spot. Finally, close the case, adjusting the card if needed. The result should be a clean, convincing spine card.

Enjoy! If you have any problems with the uploaded files, let me know and I'll see how I can help.

Animated AF

Classic game Room, by far my favorite video reviewer on the web, has finally got his teeth stuck into some Dreamcast indie goodness, starting off with DUX and hopefully more will follow. He does a much better job at reviewing this than i ever could simply because I couldn't even beat the first level in it! Lord Karnage has been reviewing a lot of Dreamcast games recently that you should also check out, such as Capcom vs SNK 2, Mortal Kombat Gold, Street Fighter Alpha 3, the Rumble (or Puru Puru) pack, and the Blue VMU. oh, to do this for a living..

Barry the Nomad

Thanks to Wind and Water Puzzle Battles developer Hao via a reply to my article "5 Indie Dreamcast Games Worth Your Time" over at SEGAbits, it was revealed that the great indie Dreamcast game Wind and Water Puzzle Battles has been released for free on the PC! What more, the Wiz and GP2X handheld versions are also now free. Even more what more, if you scroll down on their main page you'll find that they have knocked down the cost of a custom sprite for a limited time. $10 for a custom avatar sprite, and $15 for a full animated set of four avatar sprites! The sprite can be used in the PC version, as well as on the handheld versions. I'll be picking one up, if only to fund potential future Dreamcast projects (Little Ninja, please?). Hao also mentioned that depending on the feedback for the PC version, they will develop W&W Online with netplay.

You might be asking "where does the Dreamcast play into this?", well I downloaded the PC version and spotted Mr. VMU himself! Finally, an anthropomorphic piece of SEGA hardware on my computer screen. So give it a download, buy a custom sprite and give the Yuan brothers your thoughts!

Note: While I only operate on Macs, I was able to get the game running flawlessly via the Mac application CrossOver. I'm certain other PC emulating applications will also do the trick.

Barry the Nomad

While there are a lot of great independent Dreamcast games out there, many worthy of a Dreamcast collector’s collection, not every game is worth it for the casual fan. Some games are too short, too difficult or too simplistic. Gamers shouldn’t be expected to pay $20 to $60 for a so-so indie game simply because that money goes towards development of new games. We’re not dealing with charities. People buy games with the promise that the game will be worth their money.

As such, I thought I’d share five independent Dreamcast games that are worth the time and money of not only collectors, but also those who have a Dreamcast console but aren’t into the indie scene. The following five games are just as good, and in some cases better than official Dreamcast games.

click here to read more

In the comments, let me know what indie Dreamcast games you've enjoyed!

Barry the Nomad

Over the weekend I realized that I've hit the 100 games mark with my Dreamcast collection! The epic event started when I paid a visit to the local used games store and found a few treasures: the Limited Edition version of Shenmue, complete with Jukebox CD for $17, Alien Front Online in box with microphone for $14, Versus Books Official Shenmue Perfect Guide with poster for $9 and the SEGA Saturn's Puyo Puyo Sun for $8 (check out the Saturn Junkyard for a look at that game).

Arriving home, I found that the indie shmup Fast Striker standard edition had arrived in the mail from Play-Asia (InsideOut video to come). So I got on the computer, went over to my playfire.com profile and added the games to my collection list and the counter hit 100! No flashing lights went off, and there wasn't any confetti, but it was a fun moment. I should note, the 100 count doesn't include games I own in multiple regions, demo discs and browser discs. If that were the case, I'd be at around 125. I plan on doing a collection photo roundup, just as Gagaman did back in November when he hit 200, but will hold off until a few other items arrive in the mail. Specifically Unreal Tournament, Quake III, Fur Fighters, Wetrix+, Seventh Cross Evolution, Slave Zero, Soul Fighter, Time Stalkers, Trick Style and Tokyo Xtreme Racer which were all in a lot sale. The seller just has to get back to me once he "finds all the games", lolz.

There's something about the winter months that make me buy more Dreamcast games than usual. I think it's due to the lack of new games being released in January and being stuck indoors.

Barry the Nomad

Frequently seen in my collection photos, but never featured in a video, it's my clear Dreamcast!

Barry the Nomad

Less than a month into 2011 and already we have two games to look forward to on the Dreamcast! RedSpotGames announced the shmup Strumwind, and now NG.DEV.TEAM announced a game called GunLord! Very little is known of the game, aside from a teaser site and logo. However, above the logo are the words "Jump. Shoot. Explore." as well as "A Jump N Shoot Action Game", leading me to believe that the game will play very much like Metal Slug and Contra. An indie Dreamcast game that ISN'T a space ship shmup!? Exciting! Check out the teaser site for a bit of music, presumebly created by SoniQfactory.

Thanks to Anthony817 for the tip! Remember readers, the little comment box on the right column is a great place for comments and news tips.

EDIT: I took a closer look at the teaser image and spotted what I assume to be the star of the game:

Barry the Nomad

From SEGA comes the full press release revealing just what that Dreamcast Collection compilation disc contains. For those not in the know, back in December we made note of an XBOX 360 Dreamcast Collection compilation disc momentarily made available for pre-order at GameStop's website. This collection was confirmed in a Game Informer interview with Alan Pritchard. Well speculate no more, it contains exactly what I thought: Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi, Space Channel 5 Part 2 and SEGA Bass Fishing. As Bass Fishing and Space Channel 5 have yet to hit downloadable marketplaces, I assume they will first release on the disc, thus providing a little incentive to pick it up. Also, I should note that no PS3 version has been announced. Then again PS3 owners get Virtua Tennis 4 this year, so it all evens out. ;)

SEGA® Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced that a packaged compilation of classic titles from SEGA’s popular Dreamcast™ console will hit retail shelves on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PC. The Dreamcast Collection will be available on February 25th 2011 in Europe and February 22nd in North America, February 24th in Australia and February 25th in New Zealand.

The Dreamcast Collection includes the fan favourites Sonic Adventure™, Crazy Taxi™, SEGA Bass Fishing™ and Space Channel 5™: Part 2. Players will get to enjoy four very different Dreamcast experiences, from hopping behind the steering wheel of Crazy Taxi, to taking things a little slower by luring in their fish before catching them hook, line and sinker with SEGA Bass Fishing. Alternatively, take over as intergalactic news reporter Ulala in Space Channel 5: Part 2 and dance your way past the evil Rhythm Rogues, or make it all about speed in Sonic’s first Dreamcast outing, Sonic Adventure!

SEGA’s Dreamcast Collection features enhanced graphics for both platforms versions, providing an even more engaging experience. In addition to this, achievements and online leader boards will be available for each game providing a competitive edge and allowing players to prove their skills!

“The Dreamcast console is still remembered as a pioneering console for online gaming,” commented Gary Knight, VP of Marketing at SEGA of America and SEGA Europe “We are delighted to be able to offer to our large community of dedicated fans a collection such as Dreamcast Collection for them to enjoy old favourites on this generation of consoles”.

Dreamcast Collection will be available in Europe in February 2011 for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PC and PC digital download.

While I know this might be a letdown for some who were hoping for many more games on the disc (such as Skies of Arcadia, Shenmue, Sonic Adventure 2 and Jet Set Radio), did we really expect SEGA to cram all those great games on one disc? What is more likely the case, we'll see all those other games down the line and hopefully they'll receive the same treatment as successive volumes. If the retail price of $30 remains, at the very least those who didn't pick up the games on XBLA will save $10 by getting the disc.

Dreamcast rarity Space Channel 5 Part 2 could be a great port and the cover art is pretty cool. There's also a chance that there will be a disc menu in which you can select the games, unless the disc simply causes the titles to appear in your game library. I'll probably pick it up simply because it isn't every day that you see something Dreamcast related on game store shelves.

Animated AF

Probably the weirdest thing you'll ever see me feature for DCJY InsideOut, and actually a bit NSFW although unlike most Doujinshi (fan comics) it's not a hentai porn comic, but it is in places a tad perverted with quite a few er..well you'll see but you have been warned.

The comic features short stories based on Shenmue, Space Channel 5, Code Veronica, Soul Calibur and many others, but they pretty much all resort to rubbish and just plain weird jokes. The art is mixed, sometimes pretty decent and other times wonky.

Because Maken X features in the Doujinshi I also decided to show off a Official Maken X manga I bought years ago, which is just a tad more gory than I recall the game being. So yeah, this one is defiantly not for the younger lot or easily offended this vid. :P

Animated AF

This is a video from sometime in 2009 I found on my hard drive that I never got around to editing and uploading for some reason. Better late than never I suppose! This is of course that rather wonderful Segagaga box set that I bought back then, with the t-shirt, pin set, organizer and game in a DVD case. I posted some photos and info about it here back when I got it, but somehow this video got put aside until I found it today.

I have another InsideOut video that I made a few months back that I've also finally sorted out that will be up (probably) tomorrow and then after that I will work on some new videos with any luck!

Barry the Nomad

It had to happen sooner or later. Keith of Talking Classics takes a bizarre look at the Dreamcast. Enjoy!

Click the image below to view the video:

Thanks to George of SEGAbits

Barry the Nomad

While the Junkyard missed the boat on the first SQRXZ (pronounced... hell, I don't know!), developers of the freeware run and jump platformer recently announced that the sequel to the game is now available for the Dreamcast! According to the first SQRXZ (Squirxzey?) website, SQRXZ was originally a computer game developed in 1996. In early 2010, different folks got permission from the SQRXZ creator to remake the original game with improved graphics and new play modes. In addition to being available for computers, the game was also released on GP2X handhelds and our beloved Dreamcast! Better yet, its free! If you know how to burn Dreamcast game discs, check out the download page.

The sequel features ten more levels and can be downloaded here. While I've yet to master Dreamcast CD burning techniques, I have played both games for a bit on my GP2X Caanoo and they're quite fun! Sort of like a faster Mario with improved graphics. The music is definitly a highlight, and it's great to see indie platformers released for the Dreamcast. So if you need a break from puzzle games and shmups, give SQRXZ and SQRXZ 2 a try! All they'll cost you is a blank CD.

Links:
http://www.sqrxz.de/
http://www.sqrxz2.de/

Barry the Nomad

Dreamroom 2010 was an eleven hour marathon that took place on September 9th, 2010 in celebration of the Dreamcast's 11th birthday. I streamed the event live from my living room, and throughout the day a number of viewers popped into the live chat to talk about Dreamcast memories. If you missed the event, you can watch the event in full (almost) thanks to YouTube's latest policy of allowing super long video uploads. The videos were originally recorded from the Justin.tv web stream that I held, so I apologize that they aren't in the HD we're so accustomed to.

The first part is above, the second and third are below. I have a good three or four more videos to share, so stay tuned to the DCJY and YouTube for more videos! For whatever reason, one video was being problematic. So I might not be able to share the final stages of Space Channel 5, Zombie Revenge, 18 Wheeler and Sonic Adventure 2. Still, there are a good 9 hours of gameplay footage to look forward to, enjoy the videos!

UPDATE: Added two more videos! Part 4 features Star Wars Demolition, part 5 features Rush Rush Rally Racing and Samba de Amigo. Again, enjoy!

Animated AF

Hurray, the latest new Dreamcast indie release has arrived! Here's a quick video of the packaging of the limited edition which includes a bonus soundtrack disc, as well as rather a lot of footage of my first playthrough of it. first impressions are it's a much more accessible shooter than Last Hope and Dux what with it's four different game modes, I manged to play through to the 4th level on Novice in this first ever go without even grasping all the games techniques yet so that's cool.

Animated AF

Finally we have direct feed footage of Redspotgames new release due next year, and it looks stunning! In other news, Fast Striker is now shipping to all those who ordered! It's a great time to be a Dreamcast gamer! :)

Animated AF

Redspotgames have just put out some permanent price drops on some of their excellent indie games including Rush Rush Rally Racing DX (which comes with the soundtrack CD) for just 22 Euros (£18.60 / $29.25) and get this: Wind and Water Puzzle battles for an amazing 10 Euros (£8.45 / $13.30)! If you haven't already picked up these outstanding games now is defiantly the time to get going to their shop!

Animated AF

"The Dreamcast fans are very devoted," he said. "You see on eBay people are still buying the games and system. We actually have a Dreamcast collection coming out soon. We are looking to bring some of the old Dreamcast games to market digitally and packaged. The titles are still to be announced. The Ultimate Genesis Collection did huge numbers on PS3 and 360, so it's an important part of our business. We've already been releasing some Dreamcast games digitally; Crazy Taxi [for one]."

Quoted from Alan Pritchard, vice president of sales and marketing at Sega during an interview in the latest issue of Game Informer. This means that pre-order on GameStop is real, though wherever the price and release date were real is yet to be known.

Most likely it will at least contain Sonic Adventure, Crazy Taxi, Sega Bass Fishing and Space Channel 5 Part 2, but will that be all or will there be more? Well Sega did say they plan to release more than those 4 in the future so we might start seeing announcement of further downloadable titles in the near future that could also be on the collection.

Some games might have issues getting ported, mainly due to licensing issues which led to the changes in the re-release of Crazy Taxi. Jet Set Radio for example might run into some issues that would led to cut music. Also Daytona USA 2001 would be stuck due to Sega not owning the Daytona license anymore (which is why the arcade re-release of the original Daytona is called Sega Racing Classic).

Also I doubt there will be any online play with any of these releases so that rules Phantasy Star Online out unless they really want to surprise and impress us. Space Channel 5 Part 1 was probably skipped due to the game using pre-rendered video backgrounds that would require a lot of work to look good on a HD resolution. Of course third party games will be out of the question too.

There are still plenty of easily portable games however: Skies of Arcadia, Dynamite Cop, Virtua Fighter 3tb, Zombie Revenge, House of the Dead 2, Outtrigger, Puyo Puyo Fever, Virtual On 2 (already on XBLA), Sonic Adventure 2, 18 Wheeler and many more.

Who knows!

Animated AF

Well this came out of no where! Redspotgames have announced a new game for the Dreamcast during an interview on a German TV show (about five minutes in)! Their website is down at the moment but I found the news via Dreamcast Scene. When the site is back up it should be up for pre-order. Can you guess what genre it is?

Why of course it's another scrolling shooter! There is very little footage of the game at the moment but this video does show a bit of it.

There has also been two screenshots via the DCemu forums. I must say it sure looks pretty!

Some details revealed about the game:

- 16 Levels
- 3 selectable difficulty levels
- Configurable Controls
- Adjustable screen position
- Different weapons selectable
- More than 20 giant enemies
- Hundreds of different enemies
- Introduction FMV sequence
- 2D/3D hybrid game engine
- Resolution: 640x480
- PAL50, PAL60, NTSC and VGA (with adapter)
- Region-free (universal)
- Works with any Dreamcast compatible with MIL-CD
- Sound CDDA
- Supports: Joypad, Arcade Stick (Analog / Digital), VMU, Rumble Pack (configurable)
- Hiscore tables with WebCoder to internet
- System of unlockable content awards

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