Guest Article: Future Proofing Your Dreamcast

In the second of a series of guest articles from our man in Japan Ross O'Reilly, we'll be looking at how you can pimp your Dreamcast to within an inch of it's life and enjoy most (well, some) of the lovely features a modern games system benefits from. HD output, bountiful storage and online capabilities are all things we take for granted these days and with a bit of knowledge and a fat wallet you can enjoy the same with a Dreamcast right now. Let it be known that I have neither of the aforementioned. Ross, over to you.

So, you want the so called 'Dreamcast 2' (don't get me started on that!), you want a HD Dreamcast, right? You want the ability to play Dreamcast games online? Download DC software and run it on original hardware? Play with a wireless DC controller?

Well, what if I were to tell you that all of those features are available to you right now, today.
Yes, I apologise if I sound patronising to those of you who are regular readers and keep up with Dreamcast developments, but I'm here to tell you anyway, that all of those features and more are available to you already...just so long as you have deep enough pockets to shell out on the numerous devices required.

Let's start from the top...

Yes - There was a Dreamcast energy drink

I've said this more times than I care to remember, but the diversity of the promotional items Sega commissioned in order to spread awareness of the Dreamcast brand is staggering. The latest oddity I have discovered is this - the Dreamcast energy drink. 

There's precious little documentation about this canned beverage to be found online, and I only know of its existence due to one coming up for sale on eBay Germany. 

The auction description says: "Selling a rare Sega Dreamcast energy drink can. Condition is very good for its age. Very difficult to find. A must for every collector." Which tells me this may actually just be for an empty can, the sticky contents having been guzzled ferociously at some point in the distant past.

For the not insignificant price tag of €30, I'm happy to leave this interesting item for somebody with more disposable income to acquire (and drink, if the can is still full), but I'm sure you'll agree it's amazing that hitherto forgotten Dreamcast marketing material is still coming to the fore here in 2016.

'Flavoured with real Hitatchi SH-4 extract'

The other, rather creepy images below are of a rare outfit worn by promotional staff at a press event in Paris. It recently came up on eBay France and sold for over €100. With any luck, the buyer is now wearing it as they run around the local park scaring children.

To be fair though, I'd probably wear that myself. Not in the park though. Um.

A Quick Look At Aqua GT

You know you're in for a rough ride when the development history of a game is more interesting than the final product, and that's exactly the case with Aqua GT. This powerboat racer started life as Hydro Sprint by Promethean Designs, and was showcased in several magazines of the era as boasting Wave Race 64-quality water effects and some nicely detailed boats in which to skim across the briny.

The game underwent several changes in stylistic direction and was known as Hydrosport Racing at one stage during development, and according to the Promethean Designs website was to feature an open world which could be explored in your powerboat, allowing you to take in different environments with 'rapids, ravines and choppy ocean courses.' It all sounded very promising - if a little ambitious - and was a game I was looking forward to getting my hands on. At some point in 2000 though, Promethean Designs changed their name to East Point Games, cancelled a load of interesting titles (see Picassio and Renegade Racers for further info) and spewed Aqua GT out onto an unsuspecting public, before quietly going bust and vanishing into the ether with little more than a disappointing sigh.

Dreamcast Magazine Issue 5

Released on 27th January 2000, Dreamcast Magazine issue 5 really marked the point that the magazine got into its stride. The releases were coming thick and fast by that point in the Dreamcast's life and the various sections of the magazine had taken the shape that would remain for the remainder of the publication's run. While the 'unreleased' games are thin on the ground in this issue, there are plenty of previews for games that did see the light of day. The cover, as discussed in the video below is very much of the era, and features the scantily-clad female protagonists of Tecmo's Dead or Alive 2. On this subject, the magazine also has a slightly cringeworthy 'Top 10 Girls on Dreamcast' later on, but the less the said about that the better.

Quantic Dream Pays Tribute To David Bowie

By now the whole world has learnt of the tragic death of legendary musician and actor David Bowie, who passed away on 11th January after a secret battle with cancer. As many Dreamcast and PC owners will no doubt be aware, the great man starred in action adventure The Nomad Soul (also known as Omikron in NTSC territories) and played multiple roles including that of a central character called Boz and also the part of the lead singer of a fictitious in-game band called The Dreamers. Furthermore, and quite appropriately, Bowie was instrumental in the creation of the game's soundtrack and lent his voice to various tracks played throughout the adventure. The point of this post though, is to pay homage to David Bowie and also to mention that Quantic Dream, the developer of The Nomad Soul has tweeted some interesting concept artwork from the game:

I did take a look at The Nomad Soul way back in 2008 and you can read my thoughts on the game here. You can also check out the official Nomad Soul section of Quantic Dream's site here.

The Dreamcast Beach Football Challenge

On the 15th July 2000, Sega held the inaugural Dreamcast Beach Football Challenge at Richmond Athletics Ground in Essex, UK. I say 'inaugural,' but I'm pretty sure there wasn't a repeat event the following year, as by April 2001 Sega had already taken their ball and gone home. Regardless, this event is quite interesting as it was primarily hosted by Sega Europe as a marketing campaign designed to spread awareness of the Dreamcast in Europe and the UK. Plus, the event was helped no end by the international footballing glitterati that was invited to take part.

What I wouldn't give to own that tent in the background.

Most notable amongst the sporting royalty was none other than Manchester United legend Eric Cantona, who represented with a team of French ex-international players. Other teams taking part in the tournament included Manchester United Greats, Liverpool Legends and Arsenal Allstars. Naturally, the other teams comprised ex-players from the respective clubs, and by all accounts the event was a huge crowd pleaser. According to this article from 2000, Sega imported over 750 tonnes of sand for the games to be played on, and over 4,000 spectators crammed into the venue to watch the footballing magic unfold. Elsewhere, according to a small report in Dreamcast Magazine issue 12, there were multiple console pods dotted around and lots of freebies for the attendees. France walked away the victors (thumping Manchester United 5-3 in the final), but check out these photos of this lesser-known Dreamcast event:

We're pretty confident that this whole thing was a lot more credible than the Sega Spud Dive, but ultimately it did little to alter the Dreamcast's fortunes. Were you at the Dreamcast Beach Football Challenge on that July day in 2000? Did you grab any merchandise? If so, please share your memories of the event in the comments section!

DreamPod - Episode 23

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You can vote for The Dreamcast Junkyard in the 2016 UK Blog Awards here. The review of roguelike RPG Powder referenced in the episode is here, and the Adam Koralik video about indie releases can be found on YouTube here.