Just a very short infoburst of a post today: The Dreamcast Junkyard has yet another new URL - but this time it's www.thedreamcastjunkyard.co.uk! The old blogspot.com / .co.uk one will still redirect here but just thought I'd make you all aware of our shiny new address.
Cheers.
Pimp My 'Cast
By
Tom Charnock
Chances are, if you collect retro consoles you’re likely to own at least one beige-coloured piece of hardware. And the chances are that, if you’re reading this site, you own a beige Sega console. And that beige console is more than likely a Dreamcast. How do I know this? Magic, naturally, with a slight hint of mystical intuition. One of the more common problems I’ve noticed with the hallowed Dreamcast (yes, aside from the controller port fuse blowing) is that unless you keep it in the box and only ever get it out for special occasions (you know, like Christmas or a family funeral), it will eventually start to ‘yellow.’ Yellowing is what happens to lightly coloured plastic over time, where the chemicals that make up the dye in the plastic react with UV light and begin to break down, thus giving the material a tired and well...yellow appearance. And frankly, it looks shit. Add that to all the knocks and scuffs that build up over time (over a decade now, actually), and your Dreamcast can end up looking pretty sorry.
There are several remedies to this. First, you could attempt to ‘bleach’ your system’s shell as this Youtuber demonstrates...but that malarkey looks pretty dangerous to me - and besides, caustic chemicals do not mix well with hands that constantly drop cups of tea onto new carpets. Cough.
Secondly, you could spend a small fortune on one of those replacement cases that regularly pop up on eBay for fairly reasonable prices...but are located in Venezuela and so cost £30 to ship to the UK (granted, it may be cheaper to ship if you live closer to Venezuela but damn that’s expensive shipping). The Dreamcast shell is fairly easy to take apart and remove from the internal workings, so if you don’t mind spending the equivalent of a fortnight’s worth of food shopping on shipping costs, this is a fairly good way of pimping your Dreamcast.
But there is a third remedy. Enter DCJY reader Mike. He does shit like this to Dreamcasts:
Skies of Arcadia-cast |
That right there isn’t one of those console stickers you just peel off and apply to your console - it’s a full on professionally applied vinyl coating. And you can have pretty much any design you want:
Jet Set/Grind Radio-cast |
How is it done? I’ll let the man himself explain:
“Basically I work for a graphics and vehicle wrapping company, wrapping everything from race cars to motorbike helmets. I actually work in the finishing department. This involves cutting vinyl graphics, laminating prints, getting race car kits etc ready to fit, mounting custom graphics to Foamex and diabond panels etc.
For wrapping the Dreamcasts I first use an HD or similar quality image - this ensures that the picture doesn't look pixelated at all or blurry when upsized to fit the console. It's then down to the printing and artwork department to retouch the image (maybe change the colours slightly, resize it, upscale it etc). The picture can then be printed on cast vinyl in one of the HP Designjet L65500 printers (which are serious bits of kit), and it then comes to my department to be 'finished,' which in this case involves laminating it with some cast Arlon laminate, then trimming and applying to the Dreamcast.
Placement is key to making the console look cool (you don't want to have an image of say Shenmue where Ryo's face is half off the console), and once you've got placement sorted apply the graphics and heat around all the different levels of the console. Trim carefully around the lid etc to ensure the join looks good. Then it's just a case of popping any air bubbles and trimming the edges and recesses nicely.”
I think you’ll agree that these custom Dreamcasts look pretty damned sweet, and as any image can be applied using the technique detailed in Mike’s explanation, you could have the world’s only Spirit Of Speed 1937 Dreamcast. Or not.
If you’d like to have your Dreamcast transformed - hell, go crazy and get a top-down view of a Sega Saturn or Neo Geo printed on it! - drop me an email via the link in my profile and I’ll supply contact details for Mike and his factory of wonders.
Bag Influence
By
Tom Charnock
Here at the DCJY, we like to keep our collective fingers on the pulse. The pulse of DC gaming, naturally. But the pulse of fashion is no different - why, just yesterday I acquired a really nice pair of lime green bell-bottomed flairs and some red sequinned platform boots to go with them. I really turned heads when I popped out for some milk last night, oh yes.
I realise that not everyone out there in DC land can pull off this look, but have no fear - DCJY (well, eBay actually) is here to offer some solace:
Yep - that's a backpack in the shape of a Dreamcast controller. A backpack. In the shape of a Dreamcast controller.
If only I had a spare £200 so I could add one to my (already rather debonair) outfit. I feel a Kickstarter coming on...
Head here to the eBay auction if you fancy getting one, or probably just Google 'Segakawaii' and I'm sure you'll find a reputable source.
I realise that not everyone out there in DC land can pull off this look, but have no fear - DCJY (well, eBay actually) is here to offer some solace:
Wonder if there's a second VMU slot? |
In THREE wild colours! Woah! |
Erm... |
Yep - that's a backpack in the shape of a Dreamcast controller. A backpack. In the shape of a Dreamcast controller.
If only I had a spare £200 so I could add one to my (already rather debonair) outfit. I feel a Kickstarter coming on...
Head here to the eBay auction if you fancy getting one, or probably just Google 'Segakawaii' and I'm sure you'll find a reputable source.
Sturmwind has arrived at last! Hooray!
By
Animated AF
The wait has paid off, as my copy of the limited edition arrived this morning. Phew, I was getting worried there for a moment! Also while the box it was delivered in was a bit squashed the Sturmwind box itself was wrapped in a lot of bubble wrap and arrived safely, despite not paying out for extra special delivery and tracking. Redspotgames are still being oddly quiet on their sites, but at least I can bring you evidence that pre-orders going back to November 2011 have indeed been sent out.
Here is the full content of the box set. The game itself, a booklet listing all the bosses in the game the soundtrack and the little scale model of the spaceship. The spaceship, being a 3D printed object as far as I know feels quite odd: it's kinda fuzzy if that makes any sense. I have yet to open up and play the game yet as I am holding out until I get time to make a InsideOut unboxing and first play of the game, but I'm pretty busy this week so I can't guarantee it very soon unless I find the time to squeeze it in. Typical as I wasn't any where near as busy last week! :P
Sturmwind, Where are you?
By
Animated AF
Sturmy-sturmy-wind, where are you?
We want to play you really badly.
You're apparently out but you're still not here,
why have you gone so silent?
I have a had a lot of respect for redspotgames, there releases have also been beautifully presented and arrived without a hitch in the past, and releasing games for a dead console must be a daring and tricky process. Games like Wind & Water: Puzzle Battles and Rush Rush Rally Racing couldn't have been published better, they were professionally printed and sit next to all my official Dreamcast games proudly, helped by the fact that they were also fantastic games, and I'm sure Sturmwind is equally brilliant.
However, the handling of Sturmwind's release has been something of a complete misfire. Redspotgames Facebook page is flooded with comments from fans still waiting for the arrival of the game. People who paid out extra for special delivery recently have not even received their tracking numbers. The worst part of all this is redspotgames have been deadly silent ever since the launch day of April the 24th. Not a single tweet, Facebook update or comment has been uttered from the company in two weeks.
Many are probably starting to think that the game does not even exist in fully printed form at this rate, and I wouldn't blame them for thinking that as since the launch there has been no evidence from redspotgames to prove as such. Whenever Hucast or NG:Dev Team release a new game, we see photos of the print run all over their Facebook and website. In this case, nothing.
However, the handling of Sturmwind's release has been something of a complete misfire. Redspotgames Facebook page is flooded with comments from fans still waiting for the arrival of the game. People who paid out extra for special delivery recently have not even received their tracking numbers. The worst part of all this is redspotgames have been deadly silent ever since the launch day of April the 24th. Not a single tweet, Facebook update or comment has been uttered from the company in two weeks.
Many are probably starting to think that the game does not even exist in fully printed form at this rate, and I wouldn't blame them for thinking that as since the launch there has been no evidence from redspotgames to prove as such. Whenever Hucast or NG:Dev Team release a new game, we see photos of the print run all over their Facebook and website. In this case, nothing.
It does exist, however. Here is a photo of the special edition along with a huge pile of them behind it. This photo was found on eBay, where it currently has an asking price of just over £100.There are several other buy it nows on there too that also have the game, but again for beyond the retail price.
Better yet here is an actual unboxing of the limited edition and direct gameplay footage from pinkbullets.com. This video was only uploaded yesterday however, so there is still hope yet. Play-asia also have both versions of the game up for order, though they currently have no stock of the limited edition.
So what is going on? Much like many other I pre-ordered this game back in late 2011 and they have had my money, but it sure is taking a long time to show up for anyone, compared to previous releases from redspotgames. I want a raise of hands...who actually owns it?
This is a real shame because this game looks like it could by by far and beyond the greatest indie Dreamcast game yet, and really I just wanna play it.
This is a real shame because this game looks like it could by by far and beyond the greatest indie Dreamcast game yet, and really I just wanna play it.
The Ghost Blade teaser trailer!
By
Animated AF
Wow, the Dreamcast indie game scene is on fire lately! We now have gameplay footage from an early alpha build of Hucast's The Ghost Blade. The video features stage 4 including it's boss, and apparently more videos are on the way soon. Graphics are very nice indeed, though that sea animation looks a bit funky, but that's being worked on apparently. Also there is now both regular and special editions of the game to preorder at hucast.com, with the regular edition at 32 Euros and the special edition, limited to 1000 copies, which adds a soundtrack CD and different cover art is 50 Euros. They also still have the collector's edition with the soundtrack and super play DVD for the hardcore collectors.
Sturmwind releases tomorrow, launch trailer!
By
Animated AF
The long awaited Sturmwind from Redspotgames is the second new Dreamcast game of 2013 to release, or the first if you decide not to count Dux 1.5 as a brand new game, launching tomorrow! To hype us up there is a brand new trailer above, showing levels and bosses yet seen anywhere, and it's looking incredible. Looking forward to receiving this soon and will be bringing you a video of said arrival with an unboxing of the special edition and a first impressions look, direct feed this time, none of that pointing a camera at the screen stuff!
Dux 1.5 is shipping! Unless you pledged to the ReDux kickstarter..
By
Animated AF
Hucast Games revealed today that Dux 1.5 begins shipping out tomorrow, earlier than planned, so if you pre-ordered this expect your copy in the mail soon! If you pledged enough for Redux: Dark Matters on kickstarter to get that game with this one, apparently Hucast will not be shipping Dux 1.5 until Redux is out, as they are in a bundle box set I assume. A bit of a weird snag there; anyone that pledged any amount on the kickstarter gets discounts on the hucast store on everything so in theory I could buy it now at a discount, but I already technically bought it with Redux, but I guess I can wait for them both to arrive together, although a release date for ReDux is yet to be confirmed.
Well this is unexpected.
By
Animated AF
I have just been brought to attention something quite surreal by GavvieUK on Twitter. From the British Library website:
...I'm quite speechless. We are even mentioned in a BBC News article about it! Um....wow.
From 6 April 2013, the British Library, the National Library of Scotland, the National Library of Wales, Bodleian Libraries, Cambridge University Library and Trinity College Dublin, gained powers to archive the entire UK web, along with e-journals, e-books and other formats.
To mark the passing of the new regulations, curators and other experts from all the participating libraries chose the 100 Websites which they judge will be essential reading for future generations researching our life and times in 2013.What has any of the above got to do with the Dreamcast Junkyard? Scroll down to near the bottom of their top 100 list of website and er...we're on it.
The Dreamcast Junkyard - Blog dedicated to the community of gamers who continue to play Dreamcast games online, despite the fact they were officially discontinued in 2002There is only two gaming related website listed in this top 100, the other being Nintendo Life. The list is mostly made up of websites like Ebay, Twitter, Facebook and UK sites like Daily Mash, Moonpig, the official website of Stephen Hawking, the BBC and lots of political and official government websites.
...I'm quite speechless. We are even mentioned in a BBC News article about it! Um....wow.
Dux 1.5 Trailer: Release date April 22nd
By
Animated AF
Looks like our first Dreamcast game of 2013 to ready to escape into the wild, though in this case it's not an entirely new game. Much like Last Hope: Pink Bullets, Dux 1.5 is a revision of, well...Dux, which came out back in 2009, and has made changes to make the game more balanced with adjustments to various gameplay elements, bug fixes and enemy patterns, instant re-spawn instead or re-loading from a check point, a new soundtrack and 'custom controls' which I assume means you can customize anything to any button.
The good news is if you already own the original Dux you can get your hands on this new edition. I;m not entirely sure how you go about claiming one but this is mentioned on hucast.com so if you log in from there and contact them they will let you know I would imagine. Also if you pledged to the Redux kickstarter you can get a discount on anything from their store, and if you pledged enough for Redux you will get Dux 1.5 as well.
The game has been revealed to be on it's way at the end of this month, the 22nd of April, although there is still no release date for Redux as of yet. As for wherever kickstarter pledgers will get this on street date or will have to wait till Redux is out, I'm just asked Hucast about that on Twitter..
Either way when this pops through the mail I will bring you a video including side by side comparisons with the 2009 release. I was pretty darn awful at Dux, so hopefully the changes will help go towards me getting further in it! :P
1500+ subscribers on Youtube? About time I posted something!
By
Animated AF
The Dreamcast Junkyard Youtube channel has been dormant for about 9 months now, since my Gunlord inside out video, and with over 1500 subscribers still about, it's about time I updated it! So here's a quick video about all the games announced to be releasing for the Dreamcast this year, which I will be featuring on the channel as soon as they arrive in the post, starting with Sturmwind at the end of April.
For this year of new content I thought it was about time I gave the channel a new lick of paint. I updated the channel design and in the video there is a new intro featuring that Dee Cee mascot I designed a while back. I'm also thinking about something for the 15th anniversary of the Dreamcast consoles Japanese release, but it's too early to say just yet. I did leave a clue though.
For this year of new content I thought it was about time I gave the channel a new lick of paint. I updated the channel design and in the video there is a new intro featuring that Dee Cee mascot I designed a while back. I'm also thinking about something for the 15th anniversary of the Dreamcast consoles Japanese release, but it's too early to say just yet. I did leave a clue though.
Remembering Kenji Eno
By
Animated AF
Last month a gaming legend passed away. Kenji Eno is not a household name but his influence on games is massive, creating unique works that have such a unique and mysterious feel to them.
Sega fans will know him best for games like D and Enemy Zero on the Saturn and D2 on the Dreamcast. He also created Real Sound: Kaze no Regret, a game on both the Saturn and Dreamcast that was a audio only adventure, so even blind people could play it. The man was also a musician and composed tracks for Sega Rally 2.
Here is a fantastic article over at Gamasutra about his career and influence. Also, a Dreamcast fan e-mailed me an interview with Kenji Eno discussing D2, scanned from an issue of Gamersrepublic. Check it out below.
Finally here's a video review Caleb did way back in 2007 of D2.
Sturmwind finally has a release date: April 24th!
By
Animated AF
Redspotgames announced on their Facebook page that Sturmwind now has a release date of April 24th. I pre-ordered this such a long time ago now, so I hope the wait has been worth it! Here's the press release in all it's cheesy glory!
We are under attack: Sturmwind pilots, fall in for saving the world in April 2013!
Antritt zur Weltenrettung!
The fierce enemy‘s troops have already reached our world‘s doorsteps and we are running out of time! Our reconnaissance drones have detected 16 promising locations for our search of „Mother“, the planet of our living ancestors.
After several development steps by Duranik and redspotgames the launch date for your mission is clear. Sturmwind pilots, your all-dominant mission will begin on April 24th 2013. All documents will be sent to you until this very date.
Fight over 20 boss enemies in 16 levels. In addition to the so-called “Award Trophy System”, there will also be an internet highscore list in which your performance can compete against each other worldwide.
Your wings of steel are now our last resort. Stay ready for further instructions. Over and out.This release date is for both the regular and limited editions. When the limited edition arrives I will be bringing you a unboxing and first impressions video! For the mean while, there is a preview article at That Darn Pixel that recently popped up, check them out! Also make sure to visit the Redspotgames Facebook for more details of the games development.
Leona's Tricky Adventures: a new Dreamcast Kickstarter!
By
Animated AF
What's this? Another Dreamcast game project up on Kickstarter? Why yes it is! I just got e-mailed about this one a couple hours ago. Here is what Silvana had to say on the project:
"The comic-artists M.Musal/B.Samuel, game music
legend Chris Huelsbeck and also Fabian Del Priore
helped us to create a truly beautiful, explorative
puzzle game. Dreamcast (and Amiga) is our first
target platform as a tribute to where the inspiration
came from.
Help us to fund our Kickstarter campaign - this will
also give us the chance to integrate Dreamcast support
in our Kha SDK, which will make Dreamcast development
much more accessible for everybody since we know there
are thousands of Dreamcast- and Amiga-Fans out there
who are very disappointed that their consoles are not
continued by mismanagement."
UPDATE: The Kickstarter has been cancelled, and funding for this game is now going to take place via Paypal/credit card pledges at their website at this link, although on that page the pledges are for a PC version, go to this page to pre order the Dreamcast version with a standard version for 25 Euros as well as options for all the bonus stuff including the soundtrack, t-shirts and more from the kickstarter also still available. This way they can get funding without a target amount as such and can still get the game produced.
Take Notes
By
Tom Charnock
Looks like Sega just can't resist teasing us with trinkets and other Dreamcast-related paraphernalia that we'll never see in the West (well, certainly not in Europe anyway). The latest offering? Only a Dreamcast-inspired laptop:
This range of console-flavoured laptops is currently only planned for release in Japan, and the full list includes Mega Drive, Saturn and Dreamcast-themed lids as well as a standard blue 'Sega' one. According to CVG, the machines (known as the 'Sega Note PC') will come in several different configurations (the high-end model will feature a 2.40Ghz i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM and 1GB of graphics memory, as well as a Blu-ray burner), and those sexual lids are interchangeable meaning you won't have to fork out four times for the whole set.
I probably won't be swapping my Macbook for one, but it'd definitely earn you a few Kudos points if you whipped one out in a lecture or a coffee shop.
Reports of a 32X-inspired external Zip drive are unconfirmed.
This range of console-flavoured laptops is currently only planned for release in Japan, and the full list includes Mega Drive, Saturn and Dreamcast-themed lids as well as a standard blue 'Sega' one. According to CVG, the machines (known as the 'Sega Note PC') will come in several different configurations (the high-end model will feature a 2.40Ghz i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM and 1GB of graphics memory, as well as a Blu-ray burner), and those sexual lids are interchangeable meaning you won't have to fork out four times for the whole set.
I probably won't be swapping my Macbook for one, but it'd definitely earn you a few Kudos points if you whipped one out in a lecture or a coffee shop.
Reports of a 32X-inspired external Zip drive are unconfirmed.
The Ghost Blade Announced! Neo XYX Trailer!
By
Animated AF
Hucast, while busy on the kickstarted Redux: Dark Matters, has ended up announcing another Dreamcast shooter! The Ghost Blade is a TATE style vertical shooter, so if they time it' release right we might get two at the same time, the other being Neo XYX from NG: Dev Team!
They have a deluxe special edition up for pre-order right now, which contains the game, an artbook, a soundtrack CD and a superplay DVD! It's quite pricey at 80 Euro, but a cheaper regular edition to due to be put up for pre-order soon. If you do want this one though they only have just over 100 copies left so be quick!
Going back to Neo XYX, NG:Dev Team has released a trailer of the game. I get a proper Toaplan feel from it, in particular games like Truxton, which is a-ok by me! This game is due out in June, and is up for pre-order on both limited and regular editions.
At this rate we are going to get hopefully SIX Dreamcast games this year: Sturmwind (eventually), NEO XYX, Redux: Dark Matters, DUX 1.5 and Pier Solar! Phew!
They have a deluxe special edition up for pre-order right now, which contains the game, an artbook, a soundtrack CD and a superplay DVD! It's quite pricey at 80 Euro, but a cheaper regular edition to due to be put up for pre-order soon. If you do want this one though they only have just over 100 copies left so be quick!
At this rate we are going to get hopefully SIX Dreamcast games this year: Sturmwind (eventually), NEO XYX, Redux: Dark Matters, DUX 1.5 and Pier Solar! Phew!
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