Treamcast review
I'm pretty sure everyone here knows what a Treamcast is, but in case someone doesn't there's a great article over at Racketboy's that gives you the basics about that rather unique and interesting (and somewhat illegal) clone of our favourite console. It's a pretty interesting read, so even if you have heard of the Treamcast already, or even own one (*looks at Father*), I'd still recommend you take a look.
Donald Duck: Quack Attack
Yeah, I know what you're thinking, another shit-ass PSX-port licensed platformer, isn't it? Well, I'm glad to tell you that, surprisingly, this is not the case with Quack Attack! I shit you not, I'm really enjoying this one. It's not the kind of game you play for hours and hours straight, but when you need a quick fix or something more simple to take a break from more "serious" games, this game is perfect. It basically is a platformer with two kinds of levels, the usual Super Mario-like ones where you start on the left corner of the level and have to make it to the far right, and the Crash Bandicoot-like ones where the camera goes behind your character and you have to move forward. This obviously can cause some issues, like some sections where it's hard to measure distances and you end up missing a jump, but overall the gameplay is really well done and the game is forgiving for the most time, so you won't get too frustrated with it.
This is a rather short experience. You have four areas, each one with four levels and a boss, so basically you can finish it in an afternoon, but as I said before, that's not really how you should play it, and I seriously doubt anyone will, because it can became repetitive real quick if you play more than a handful of levels on a single session. Still, after finishing it there's a lot of replay value. If you manage to recover all of Donald's nephews' lost toys, they reward you by unlocking an extra level (one per area, which means a total of four, which is rather odd since as far as I know Donald only has 3 nephews). Once again these levels are not original, but borrowed from, guess what game, Crash Bandicoot. I'm talking about the chase levels, where you're being chased by some sort of giant, angry enemy and you have to desperately run towards the screen before being eaten, caught or ran-over. Still, we don't see those everyday, so they have their appeal.
Once you beat these levels you unlock an extra challenge, beating all the previous levels in a time-trial, which in time rewards you with an extra costume. As you can see there's more to this game than what meets the eye. Graphics-wise, I got to say I'm impressed with this one. Not that it's something uber-incredible, but for a PSX port it looks really nice! The resolution is way higher and the textures are so detailed that one would think it was programmed for the Dreamcast in the first place! If only all the ports were like this one... (couldn't find decent Dreamcast screens, the above are from the N64 version, and as you can guess, the DC port looks even better)
So, if you're looking for a nice, little game to entertain you for a couple of hours, try this one, I doubt you'll regret it.
(Samba De Amigo) + (German Beer) = Fun.
Oh how those Germans love the Dreamcast...
See! Samba De Amigo is the Best game to play while drinking beer in ANY county!
German Dreamcast site is now open for business! Eat some sausage, drink a Becks and play some Dreamcast!
Samba De Amigo Dancer
I make no apologies for this post. Not strictly Dreamcast? Check! Poor quality video? Check! Father Krishna posting drunkenly with a small amount of hours before he has to turn up for work? Check! It seems to tick all the boxes in my world right now, so I thought I'd subject you all to it.
Now we all know that the Dreamcast was host to a number of great arcade ports, but how often do you get to see the machine that spawned the home console game? Here we have a dance sequence comparable only to Napoleon Dynamite's stunning opus that won Pedro the election, but this time, it's on Samba De Amigo.
I'll throw up the Gagaman(n)'s wicked moves on the Dreamcast port so you can compare the beauty of playing in the arcade, to the excellence of playing it at home.
So there you go, one great game, two formats and the Wii incarnation isn't even in the shops yet.
BTW, the arcade video was first revealed to me by the most excellent Nick 944, over at the Planet Dreamcast Forum. Our youngest commenter and appreciator of all things Dreamcast, the dude deserves a mention. Nick, G-Man(n), Samba De Amigo and the unknown cat who gives it his all in the arcade, we at the Dreamcast Junkyard salute you.
Homebrew Project Dead Sky is Still Alive!
In any case it will be great to have another RPG on the Dreamcast considering how there were only about a half dozen released on the Dreamcast in the US.
http://thechaosrift.com/
Another Update! This one is a bit dry and only interesting if you like programming (or Mountain Dew). Feel free to check out some of the other videos the team has made.
Dreamcast News for the end of the week.
First Soul Calibur XBLA screens
The definitive Phantasy Star Online experience
Yesterday I was craving for some PSO. Don't know why, maybe it was a sudden attack of nostalgia. Anyway, I just felt like I needed to play the game, even if just for a little bit. The problem was, which version to choose? Would I just play the good ol' PSO, the 2nd Dreamcast I bought back in 2000 (the first was Jet Set Radio), for the 10th time? Or would it be better to hunt down the upgraded PSO Ver.2? After browsing the webz what I accidentally found was that there was a 3rd option, the best of them, the definitive PSO version, Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst, exclusively on the PC.
Yeah, I know, it would be a lot better to be playing it on my Dreamcast, but the game makes up for it. But what exactly makes it the best PSO version of them all? Simple, not only it has all the content from the Dreamcast games (known as Episode 1), but it also has the exclusive content from the Gamecube and Xbox versions (Episode 2), and a whole new Episode IV (Episode III was the spin-off Battle Card Revolution for the GC), which means more levels, monsters, NPC's, items and quests than ever before!
Now, I'm yet to explore most of the new stuff, but I took a peek at one of the new levels (and that level's new enemies), and let me tell you, it rocks! It's the PSO we know and love, but at the same time it's like a new experience. To sum it up, this is a game that every PSO fan should try out, specially since the official Dreamcast online servers were shut-down a long, long time ago.
Behind the scenes with DUX - an interview
Remember my post about an up-coming shmup for the Dreamcast? Racketboy just published an interview with one of the guys behind the game, so if you want to know more about the oddly named DUX, just follow this link.
There's not much we didn't know already, like the fact that it's an horizontal shooter like Last Hope (but supposedly easier) and it's almost finished, with a planned July release and an estimate cost of about 20 euros (you can't buy much with that amount of money nowadays...). Still, this is an interesting read, so if you're even slightly interested in the game, I encourage you to read the whole interview (it's not that long).
Silver Lining
But that’s irrelevant. You’re here for DC shit, so without further ado, let’s delve into my most recent purchases…
I absolutely detest RPGs. I find them hideously boring and most of them are a patchwork of clichés involving ogres, orcs, wizards and ‘mana’ – all of which are things I have no interest in. There are a few exceptions for me – Ocarina of Time on the N64 and Shenmue held my attention to the end, but they’re more action/adventure games than traditional RPGs. Imagine my surprise then, when playing through Silver, I didn’t actually vomit and fall into a boredom induced coma. Viewed from a 3rd person, static camera perspective, Silver seemed at first to be everything I despise about the genre. It’s Final Fantasy-esque looks and antiquated mechanics looked like surefire ways to induce a sense of hatred from this gamer. But no – I actually quite enjoyed playing Silver. There is no shitty turn-based random combat and the voice acting is really quite good. The graphics are very basic but the backgrounds are nicely drawn, and the storyline – whilst simple (the evil emperor Silver has kidnapped all of the women in the land so he can choose which one he wants for a wife, and you have to gather up a motley crew of bad-asses to go and get you’re missus back. Fail, and its wanking-room only for the rest of your days, me old mucker), is quite original for the genre.
It’s far from perfect – the real time combat consists mainly of mashing the attack button until everyone’s dead; and the distance of the camera from the action in some areas is unbelievable – you might as well be looking through the Hubble Telescope in some instances. Those minor niggles aside, Silver is a perfect RPG for those who aren’t really fans of the genre due to the relative simplicity of the gameplay. Go here, speak to a person, go there, collect key, fight some monsters, get a new weapon etc etc etc. Might sound a bit basic to the average 45-year-old Warhammer geek who still lives at home with his mum, but for me, it’s sweet.
8/10
Hmmm. It’s another Dreamcast F1 game. Based on the Monaco GP engine, F1 Racing Championship betters its spiritual prequel by bringing in official drivers and track names, but in reality it’s got the same problems as EVERY other F1 game in existence: F1 is BORING. So, it’s got the SAME tracks as every other F1 game, has the SAME engine noises, the SAME championship…I could go on.
This is from the PC port, but you get the idea
And because it's based on the 2000 season, there's no Lewis Hamilton. What a shame. To be fair, the visuals are quite good (but not as good as F1WGP2’s), and the choice of either
6/10
A Lego gun! That'll keep the baddies at bay
Of course, beauty I only skin deep, but Omega Squad doesn’t even play well. The controls are far too complex for a joypad, but even with a keyboard they stink. The view can be switched to a 3rd person one, but all that does is show you how horrendous your Spec Op-ist looks, especially when you kneel down or go prone and sink into the floor. Want more? How about being able to shoot through walls because collision detection is out to lunch? Or shooting a ‘baddie’ in the head at point blank range and the hit not being registered? Absolutely pathetic.
Graphically quite impressive and aurally quite sickening (in a sweet way, you understand), Pen Pen is very original and features some nice ideas – such as winning races to buy new clothes and hats for the various characters. There are some bizarre aspects, such as putting your Pen Pen to bed - but it comes with the territory I suppose. It kind of reminds me of that old N64 game Snowboard Kids, albeit with massively improved graphics and more abstract weirdness. There are only 4 courses to race but they’re all suitably long and the idea of collecting all of the clothes adds longevity. If you like that sort of thing. Still, Pen Pen is a unique title and worth picking up if you see it going cheap.
Wild Metal
There’s little else to it than that to be quite frank. Once you’ve killed everything in a level, you move on to the next where it’s more of the same. Hardly the most complex or involving title on the Dreamcast, but the inoffensive nature of the proceedings makes for quite a relaxing experience. Graphics are very basic and sound almost non-existent, but the gameplay can be quite satisfying – the tanks handle very well and lining up shots with the turret is quite good fun. It’s not Alien Front, but it’s still a decent little shooter.
Dreamcast Love Continues...
Segagaga Review by the HappyConsoleGamer
If you've never seen the late Japanese Dreamcast release Segagaga then prepare to cream your pants with Sega fandom glee. If you thought Sega Superstars Tennis was a love letter to Sega fans you have seen nothing until you have seen this. I've personally known about it for years (why do you think my old web comic was called Mangagaga?) but I still sadly don't own it. This guy in the video above however, does own it and he owns the special edition box set they made that contains all sorts of neat stuff like a set of pin badges for every Sega console. Way too awesome.
If your thinking the heaps of Japanese text in the game will put you off, luckily there is a guy who is dedicating himself to translating it. You can check out his progress at his 1up blog. He is also looking for help on the programming side of things, so if you have the technical know how and own the game you could help out! Once again talented fans are keeping the Dreamcast and it's games that many may of missed alive.
Dreamcast Remake?
They has something interesting on their website.
http://www.tectoy.com.br/
Basically it's a sort of poll that asks which console people would want them to remake. Oh course they are not saying that they *are* going to remake the console that is chosen but...
Here are the stats:
Game Gear (5.3%)
Dreamcast (91.0%)
Pense Bem (3.7%)
I think this is VERY interesting. Normally Tectoy seems to like to shrink consoles down and put a ton of games on them via flash memory. Could they do something like this for the Dreamcast??? Is it technically possible? Of course I suppose it could be. Is it financially viable to do this? That I am not sure of...
Still we can all dream. It would be nice if they could somehow remake the Dreamcast. However, is there really any point? How can you really improve on the Dreamcast? I suppose if they do something radical like wireless controllers or a built in screen or pre-load it with rare games...
In any case keep an eye out.
Pulled from DC Emu UK:
http://dreamcast.dcemu.co.uk/tectoy-dreamcast-possible-111395.html
Original article Insert Credit:
http://www.insertcredit.com/archives/002325.html
New Dreamcast Portable.
It looks pretty good. With a little work to protect the insides and maybe add some more ventilation this could be a sweet little unit.
I actually have a PS one screen that I was considering modifying to use on my Dreamcast. But I am lazy. A Dreamcast custom arcade cabinet is gonna be my next project.
Found at Sega Nerds.
The DCJY gets a nod in Retro Gamer Magazine!
The Dreamcast article itself, while I haven't read it in full yet appears to be very in-depth on the consoles history and strengths, and for their "10 Perfect games" bit they struggled to find just 10 games to pick, so cheated a little by putting Shenmue 1 and 2 in one entry. The best thing about the whole article however? The Dreamcast Junkyard gets a little write up in the "essential websites" part! We're described as "amusing", "passionate" and "one of the only Dreamcast websites that still updates regularly with anything other than emulation". Is this the first time this blog has been mencioned in print, or did I miss one along the way? Whatever the case, this is rather ace.don't you think?
Cosmic Smash making a comeback?
Siliconera are reporting of a new trademark registered by Sega of America for Cosmic Smash, a game released on the Dreamcast in Japan only. For those who have yet to play it, it's like a mix between Virtua Tennis and Super Breakout, with the visual flair of Rez. The game was released in limited numbers in a fancy DVD case for a budget price (about £20), and was a direct port of a even harder to find arcade cabinet of the game, with no console extras. Short, but very, very sweet. I still need to make a article about it at some point.
Yes, we know what happened last time: Sega got out a new trademark for "Dreamcast" just so they could sit on the name for longer without anyone using it for a dishwasher or something, and we have had rumors of Sega franchise revivals up the wazoo in recent years, many of which have gone unfulfilled (New Space Channel 5 and Skies of Arcadia games being the most painful to not get) so don't get your hopes up for this just yet until we hear more. Stranger things have happened though, and Sega do seem to be on a remake sugar rush at the moment.
If this does end up being on Sega's upcoming production schedule, the real question lays in what system will it land on? Cosmic Smash was quite a short game to begin with on the Dreamcast, so my bets is going to go on one of the many download services out there like X-Box Live Arcade, the Playstation network or Wiiware. There's no doubt the gameplay style would just suit some motion controls, but a HD version of the game ala Rez HD wouldn't go a miss either. I'm personally rooting for Wiiware myself, seeing as I probably won't be buying a HD console any time soon. We shall see!
Dramatic Gamestation U-Turn!
This 'section' comprised dog-eared copies of Ready 2 Rumble and MSR (sans box cover) but also contained Jet Set Radio and Shenmue. I also found it quite apt that several of the Gamecube games above were ports of Dreamcast games.
And you thought mobile phone cameras were useless!