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.