Dreamageddon - The Aftermath

I think every Dreamcast fan can tell you exactly where they were and how they learned of Sega's decision to discontinue the Dreamcast and go third party. I remember my dad called me over to the TV where X-Play was making the announcement, and moments later I was on the floor in pain. Three weeks of recovery later, I began to formulate my post-Dreamcast plans. I had read that Sega planned to support all platforms (even the new Nintendo Dolphin?! Unthinkable!) and that the plan was to have the internal dev teams divided among the three consoles. If you liked Sonic Team, your best bet was the family friendly Nintendo. If you liked trippy Japanese games, Sony was the way to go. And if you wanted graphical beasts, that PC makin' Microsoft could offer some pretty Sega games.

So here we are, a little over nine years later (the official announcement of "third party" was January 31, 2001) and we have since made our post-Dreamcast decisions. Some of us are now flag waving Sony fans, while others signed allegiance with the Nintendo empire. Still, there are others who couldn't give a crap about which company makes which system and just enjoy good games.

Before I get into the meat of this posting, my question to you is this: After the Dreamcast, where did YOU go? Feel free to answer this in the comments section.

A non-Sonic game from Sonic Team on a Nintendo console??

I should probably start by sharing where I went. Post Dreamcast I had a very difficult decision to make: PS2, XBOX or Gamecube. I wasn't the type of kid with deep pockets, so it really came down to the Christmas of 2001. At that time, the Playstation 2 looked to offer a bevvy of Dreamcast ports that didn't make it stateside, including Headhunter, Space Channel 5 Part 2 and Rez as well as arcade releases such as Virtua Fighter 4. There was also the unique looking GunGrave, which at the time looked to have the promise of Jet Set Radio meets Streets of Rage.

Shame it didn't play as well as it looked

Another strong contender for my next console was the XBOX. A part of me really liked the system as it, in my opinion at the time, did not kill the Dreamcast. *coughsony!* I also appreciated Microsoft's kindness towards Sega in their time of transition. Yeah, yeah, I know it's all business but still. In terms of games, the XBOX actually didn't seem to offer as much as the PS2 for Sega fans, but the promise of new SmileBit games was a major plus. Edit: Oh, and Crazy Taxi 3.

Last, and unfortunately least (IMO, please don't flame me!!! :P), was the Nintendo Gamecube. My opinions towards the system were, at the time, low. The design seemed to badly mimic the Dreamcast and the promise of online was severely lacking. Sega-wise, I really didn't know what to expect on the system, but the announcement of Sonic Adventure 2 being rereleased didn't excite me.

I assumed (and was correct in doing so) that Sonic Team would simply port what they had already done on the Dreamcast and any original Sonic games would surly be multi-platform. The one thing that really had my attention was Billy Hatcher. Remember, at the time Sonic Team seemed to do no wrong in developing a non-Sonic game; PSO, Chu Chu Rocket, NiGHTS and Burning Rangers. Still, I decided to wait until the Gamecube offered more games that caught my interest.

STILL WANT

So Chritsmas 2001 rolled around and I made my decision: I was getting a PS2. The major reasons were the many Dreamcast games I had missed out on, as well as the idea that I was saving money on a standalone DVD player by getting the one included with the system. In 2002 I caved and bought an XBOX as life just didn't seem complete without JSRF. Since then, I have not bought a GameCube and don't regret it. Besides missing out on new versions of PSO, all worthwhile Sega games found on Nintendo's system became available for the PS2 and XBOX. I believe Super Monkey Ball Deluxe and Sonic Mega Collection Plus trump their GameCube counterparts.

Now my favorite part: IN RETROSPECT

Do I regret my post-Dreamcast decisions? A little. I wish I had bought a XBOX before the PS2, and imported Rez, Headhunter and SC5 Part 2 for the Dreamcast. I also feel that a majority of the original Sega games released for the PS2 were not as great as I had hoped.

I had bought the XBOX in hopes of getting Shenmue 3, but obviously that didn't happen. Thankfully, the XBOX brought two of the greatest third party Sega games of the sixth generation: Panzer Dragoon Orta and JSRF.

I still don't regret not owning a GameCube. ;)

The Games Eggman Plays

Before you comment "old news is old!", hear me out. Back when Sonic Unleashed released in 2008, eagle eyed fans spotted a Dreamcast system and controller in Eggman's Eggmobile. That was the old news. The new news is that a user at the Sonic Stadium message boards figured out what games Eggman played in his free time. Computer, enhance the above image:

ENHANCE!

What's that? He has two games? Let's rotate and zoom in:


HA! It looks as though Eggman raided Sega's secret closet of unreleased games as he owns a copy of Dr. Eggman Adventure (you can see "Dr. E" and beneath that "Adv") as well as, what's this? A port of the Wii's NiGHTS Journey into Dreams!? Well, that or it could be the soundtrack, as the Dreamcast is also a CD player.

In other news, I just (mostly) completed my Official Dreamcast Magazine collection! All twelve numbered issues as well as the eleven magazine exclusive demo discs sitting pretty on my shelf. I said "mostly" as I have yet to get the preview issue number zero which hit newsstands in the summer of 1999. Someday it will be mine.

In any case, they make for excellent retro reading. The layout is beautiful and the articles are well worth reading even ten years later. Perhaps I'll make an ODCM tribute video for the Dreamcast Junkyard YouTube channel? :^o

Dreamcast Era Attire Goes 360

Sega is showing more love for Dreamcast era classics, this time at the Xbox 360 Avatar Marketplace! Hitting the virtual shops today are a bevy of Sega and Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing themed attire including logo shirts, helmets, racing suits and Sega character themed items. The full listing can be found here, but let's take a closer look at the items that matter to Dreamcast fans.

My avatar doing some Shenmue cosplay

First up is the best item out of all of them: Ryo's Jacket! Made for both men and women, Ryo's jacket is a near perfect replica of the one seen in Shenmue. Yeah, the diamond patch on the front is missing, but I can assure you that the tiger is on the back. Considering that blue jeans and white sneakers are default items, one could easily make a Ryo costume.

Up next is the stylish Amigo sombrero. I don't think Gagaman has a 360, but if he did I'm certain his avatar would have one of these.
AAUK of Sonic Wrecks went into detail on why Amigo's hat isn't larger:

A couple of other items bit the dust like Beat’s skates, I even had it down in my plan that your avatar action would become the little victory jig he does, but alas again the skates fell foul of the bounding box of the avatars, you can’t elevate the Avatar itself and neither can you have things going through the floor. You may notice the Amigo sombrero isn’t as wide as Amigo’s normally is, this is for the same reason.

Despite the restrictions, the hat looks great! I know what I'll be wearing on May 5th.

Finally we come to Beat's glasses. While not based on the original Dreamcast game (these come from JSRF) they still look quite cool and would go great with a yellow t-shirt and some headphones:

Overall the items are very cool. Prices for clothing and accessories range from $1 to $2, with props selling for $3. If you have extra points or are willing to spend a few bucks to dress a digital version of yourself, give it a go!

Lookin' Like a Fool With Your Swirls On the Ground

As I entered a hotel yesterday, I was greeted by this carpet pattern:

Super-fans who would like to see this for themselves can check it out at Radisson Northeast Hotel in Philadelphia. This will be my second swirl sighting in a month, perhaps the Dreamcast is sending me the message that I need to give it more attention. Today I was kind enough to replace the batteries of my Dreameye, so it seems the subliminal swirl messages are working.

ps - Last year I had a video feature planned, but lack of time and the belief that I needed AVGN levels of production quality led that idea to dwindle. Now I've conceded that I need to make a video and quality be damned, hand held camera and unscripted chatter is good enough! Expect the first video by April. Whee!

DC-Falcon

Amazing.

It's odd that nobody thought of this before. I mean they are about the same shape.

http://showcase.benheck.com/pezzapoo_dc-falcon_125.html

Video Game Vault Chats With Seaman

The latest episode of Screw Attack's Video Game Vault revisits an old fishy friend of the DCJY. Thankfully, the video shows off the moments that make Seaman worth playing though there is quite a bit of dickery when it comes to slapping and boiling the tank. I hope for the day to come when mankind respects the Seaman and nurtures him to full froghood.

Video Games | ScrewAttack | Video Game Vault: Seaman

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

In other news, I'd like to toot my own horn and mention that my Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Ryo video has hit 16,700 views on youtube and became a featured video on GameTrailers. Toot toot!

Chu Chu Rocket animated tribute

Made by Ashley Davis for Destrutoid.com, here's a cute little film in tribute to the Dreamcast puzzle classic Chu Chu rocket. The kapu kapu has a moustache, what's not to like?

Something That Holds a Candle to the Dreamcast...

...would have to be a candle holder sporting the Dreamcast swirl!

File this one under "things that look like the Dreamcast logo". This time our swirly friend was spotted at a Whole Foods Market while the girlfriend and I were going about our weekly grocery shop. Whole Foods, for those not in the know, is a grocery store which sells both organic and "conventionally grown" produce, and national brands (aka their apples aren't infested with fruit flies and their bread actually is bread).

Whole Foods is also known for having a section of wacky spiritual products and new age meditation knickknacks. While waiting to pay I spotted this candle stand on the shelf and snapped a photo of it. The stand had a nice weight to it (just as a Dreamcast does), sported a familiar spiral (again, just as a Dreamcast does) and cost a reasonable $10.99 (the cost of a garage sale Dreamcast). I don't have too much more to write about it, so have another look at it:

Special thanks to my girlfriend for holding it in the above photo.

Ryo Hazuki is a Big Fat Liar!

It seems this little video I made yesterday became quite popular! It hit 1,000 views yesterday, and was posted on the official Sega of America blog today! Sega even linked to it on their Facebook and Twitter accounts!

A Dreamcast Fan's Guide to SASAR

A discreet Dreamcast logo reference?

Sega and Sumo Digital's Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (SASAR) is less than a week away! While some Sega fans bemoan the game for a number of reasons, one cannot deny that the game has become so much more than what it began as when revealed at E3 2009. What could have been a lame third party attempt at a spiritual successor to Sonic Riders (which in itself was lame) has become what looks to be a worthy contender for Mario Kart's throne.

But you, the Dreamcast fan, don't care about all of the above, right? You just want to know what Dreamcast All-Stars will be making an appearance. Let's get down to business.

Sonic the Hedgehog - Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Shadow, Eggman and Big

Sonic can't be tied to one console, such as the Dreamcast, but it's worth noting that all the playable (and so far all in-game characters, NPC included) will be limited to the Sonic Adventure series. So no fear of Cream, Blaze, Silver or those odd Sonic '06 Eggman robots spoiling the fun. I'll take Big over any post Sonic Adventure character any day.

While the three Sonic racing environments are based on Sonic Heroes levels, Sumo Digital has wisely placed nods to other Sonic levels within the tracks. The track Whale Lagoon, for example, features the orca who made Sonic's first 3D stage Emerald Coast an early example of the Dreamcast's graphical power.

Ollie the Orca makes his return!

Samba de Amigo - Amigo

The maraca shaking monkey trades his tennis racquet for a racer, and what an odd racer it is. Half dune buggy, half giant maraca. Early reviews seem very enthusiastic over Amigo's tracks. Remember the trippy world you were sent to when shaking to a perfect beat? Well the acid trip ain't over yet!

I'm freakin' out, man!

Crazy Taxi - B.D.Joe

While the inclusion of Crazy Taxi was a no-brainer, some fans feared that Sega would disappoint in not including the most obvious choice for a racer. Thankfully, a trailer released in early January assured us that Sega still makes good decisions.

CT in SASAR?! High five!!!

Space Channel 5 - Ulala

Sega just can't seem to make a Superstar game without Ulala, though I don't blame them. This time out, Ulala has changed into her silver attire as seen in her sequel Space Channel 5 Part 2. Ulala's All-Star move calls upon a morolian to take the wheel as Ulala breaks out some dance moves.

Up, down, left, right turning signal.

Chu Chu Rocket - Chu Chu Pilots

While Chu Chu Rocket itself isn't that odd choice for a racing game, the characters chosen to pilot the rocket have a rather odd history. Remember Chuih, ChuPea, ChuBei, and ChuBach? You know, the pilots of the red, blue, green and yellow rockets seen in Chu Chu Rocket! See if you can see them below:


Oh wait, you can't see them because they only appeared in the manual:

And you thought the Bonanza Brothers were obscure!

Despite the odd choice in racer, it's nice to see the unseen stars of Chu Chu Rocket finally get their chance to shine. Take a look at them below:


Shenmue - Ryo Hazuki

Ryo is in the game, you all know this. Now why haven't you pre-ordered it?

Sega PR FTP - Dreamcast Pics Aplety

The Dreamcast has got your back.

While the Dreamcast may have disappeared from store shelves nearly a decade ago, the internet continues to hold amazing official web pages that sit frozen in time. Located on the Sega of America public relations site is a treasure trove of Dreamcast images. Do you have a favorite Dreamcast game? Chances are it's here!

The most exciting image you'll find on this blog

Among the 50+ games represented, one will find a load of sweet Jet Grind Radio artwork, large enough for desktop use. Space Channel 5 treats Ulala fans to many fap-worthy images (can I say "fap" on this blog?) and Seaman is larger than life!

If this is Seaman's eye, imagine how big HE must be!

Did the dog/cat/baby/wife pee on your favorite Dreamcast game, destroying the lovely package art? No worries! The FTP features many covers, all of them from the original file. No scans here!

Click to imbiggen

A large portion of the images found within the folders are screencaps, but the occasional rarely seen image can be found. Sega Bass Fishing features some impressivly large images of bass, while Crazy Taxi 2 offers this unique image:


I'll end this entry with an enormous image of Nozomi. Visit the goodies page and share YOUR favorite image findings in the comments section.

Click to make her grow!

Hard Corner Reviews Rush Rush Rally Racing

Re: Dreamcast newz, please!

SEGA Hoped XBOX Would Be Dreamcast Compatible

As reported by Kotaku, it seems that Sega Chairman Isao Okawa had met with Bill Gates (no need to mention what he does) a number of times in an attempt to forge a deal that would allow the XBOX to play Dreamcast games. Former Microsoft exec Sam Furukawa said via Twitter:

"Before Mr. Okawa passed away, he visited Gates several times, to see if it would be possible to add Dreamcast compatibility into the Xbox."

The article goes on to reveal that Sega had hoped that through this compatibility, Dreamcast fans could migrate to the much more powerful XBOX. Negotiations fell apart when Microsoft decided that they didn't want an internet connection for the Dreamcast titles. Check out the full article for more informative tidbits.

My take: I wish Sega had made the move. Sure a handful of games would lack online features, but a bulk of the library would have been unaffected. Besides, maybe Sega and Microsoft could have worked out a deal to create ports of online capable Sega games that would bring in some profit for Microsoft. Another possibility could have been that Microsoft received a cut from the monthy subscription fee that games like Phantasy Star Online charged.

Of course, one would also have to question if the Dreamcast on the XBOX could have lead to Microsoft having exclusivity on Sega titles and possibly buying out Sega at one point in the future. Who knows!

What's your take?

Dreamcast Happenings in the Seventh Gen World

Being a Dreamcast fan, it's easy to stick to the impressive library of 680+ games. However, many Dreamcasters have probably felt the pressure to buy into current gen consoles. I'll admit, a year after the Dreamcast was declared "dead" I gave into the promise of new Sega games for the Playstation and Xbox consoles. Now nine years into relying on other consoles for Sega goodness, Dreamcast fans can pretty much agree that the glory days of the red/blue/orange swirl have not completely returned. Despite this, there has always been the occasional Dreamcast related treat given to us by Sega.

Over the past few days a couple of Dreamcast tidbits have popped up in the current gen world. The first of which is the rather exciting rumor of Sonic Adventure releasing on the 360's game download service. The rumor began at SegaOnline.nl in a news story about an anonymous source revealing that Sonic's first 3D adventure is set for XBLA (and maybe PSN?). While rumors should be taken with a grain of salt, since the story launched SegaOnline.nl has had to take the news posting offline. Intriguing! Perhaps they said something that Sega did not want to be heard... yet.

A possible photo of a test screen.

Another Dreamcast related happening hit the 'net today, and it is as far from a rumor as you can get. It's a confirmation of Space Channel 5's Ulala and Crazy Taxi's B.D. Joe appearing in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing! While Ulala was a given, B.D. Joe certainly was a surprise! Take a look at the trailer below:



With four more characters yet to be confirmed and thirteen unseen courses, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is definitely a game to watch for Dreamcast stars of old. In celebration of B.D. Joe and Sonic Adventure, enjoy this classic advert (B.D. Joe is at the 20 second mark):

Primitive Nightmare has Landed

Christ, I wish this snow would fuck off. Anyhow, you may remember a few weeks back I posted about a brand new indie DC release called Primitive Nightmare. Good news - it's arrived in free, fully downloadable form! Go here to find out more info about this retro-styled shooter and download the disk image. As Fuseki, the game's creator says on the site, all you need is Windows, a blank CD and either Discjuggler 4.X or higher, Alcohol 120% or BootDreams. There are also links on the site if you don't have any of those utilities. How helpful. I wish I could say the same for the local Council who still don't think it's necessary to grit the roads round here. I've already skidded off the ice and snow-covered road and into a field once in the past week. If it happens again, I'll be making their lives an Advanced Nightmare.

I personally havn't got round to giving Primitive Nightmare a playtest yet, but if you've already given it a whirl, feel free to post your experiences in the comments section. Right, I'm off to de-ice my windscreen...

DC-UK in the house!

My house, that is. I just bought a bunch of old game mags for the collection and among them came these two beauties. Now, it's already hard to get some Portuguese mags around here, there's not much of a market for old game magazines (took me about 10 years to finally find the issues I bought, and I'm still missing a lot from another mag), so to also get some foreign magazines with it only happens once in a lifetime. Or twice, I hope. Anyway, I know it's nothing to be that proud of, after all it's just a couple of magazines, but still, I think it's a worthy addition to my Dreamcast collection :)

Happy New Year!

All of us here at the DCJY would like to wish all our readers and followers a Happy New Year. Here's to many more years of Junkyarding and Dreamcasting! Now, excuse me I go and down an ice cold Bulmers pear cider, y'all :)