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A Quick Look At Real Sound: Winds of Regret

December 18, 2015, 2:57 pm
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The power of sight. I'd wager that pretty much everyone reading this is using it and is dependant on it; and I am no different. As a gamer, a writer and a movie fan, it is sometimes lost on me just how much I take my sight for granted. Without glasses or contact lenses I can't see further than about 6 feet before everything turns into San Francisco Rush on N64, but if the usage of my peepers was taken from me for whatever reason, I really don't know what I would do.
But what of those of us whom have had this life-changing thing happen to them? Or those who were born without the ability to see? Should they be excluded from a pastime like gaming? Accessibility and gaming for the blind and visually impaired is something I personally find absolutely fascinating, and very recently I learned of a game for the Dreamcast which aimed to allow partially sighted and blind gamers the opportunity to enjoy an adventure in the same manner that a sighted gamer might. That game is Warp's Real Sound: Winds of Regret.

Winds of Regret actually started life on the Sega Saturn and was the brainchild of celebrated game designer Kenji Eno. The story goes that because Eno's previous games on the 32-bit Sega platform (D, Enemy Zero) were so well received by the blind community, he was bombarded with messages asking him to create a game specifically for the visually impaired. He obliged, and managed to persuade Sega to allow Warp to develop Winds of Regret, a sort of 'audio novel' in which players could choose their own path through the adventure at certain points with the aid of audio cues. Naturally, this game also found its way onto the Dreamcast in 1999 and this week I was lucky enough to procure a (factory sealed) copy from Genki Games. My ability to play the game is extremely limited due to the fact that I can't speak Japanese, but I am able to appreciate the concept and also the incredibly high production values afforded to the audio.
Winds of Regret is like no other game I have ever experienced on the Dreamcast. There are very few visual aspects to the game and it takes the form of a sort of audio book crossed with a 'choose your own adventure,' and according to this website the story revolves around a young couple whose relationship stutters while they are school students. Years later, they are reunited - somewhat oddly - when something in the Tokyo subway system starts to murder/devour commuters seemingly at random. Typical Kenji Eno weirdness ensues and it's up to you to decide how the story unfolds and ultimately solve the mystery. This is a very loose interpretation of the story and it appears that there is a lot more to it than that...and to be totally honest I'm a little bummed out that I can't actually play the game/story, as it sounds freaking awesome to me. I'm a big fan of weirdness and urban horror, so this would be right up my street...if only I could speak Japanese. Those Linguaphone CDs suddenly seem quite appealing.

Anyway, in absence of me being able to play Winds of Regret, let us turn our attention to the game's packaging. It comes in a double GD set, and the box is contained inside a perspex sleeve (with spine card) with clouds printed on it. The clouds motif continues inside the case with the set of cards that replaces the usual manual, all of which have a different cloud formation on one side and (I presume) instructions for the game on the other.
Things take a turn for the strange though, as in the back section of the case you will find a small packet of plant seeds. Seeing as this game was released in 1999, I do doubt whether these seeds would actually germinate if I planted them now in 2015, but I'm going to try anyway (watch this space for an update on this!). Also inside the case is an instruction card written in braille, which makes sense when you consider the target audience. It really is a lovely set, and even though I cannot play the game as such, I can totally appreciate the excellent production values of the audio quality, the voice acting and the musical interludes. Perhaps the most interesting bonus item Winds of Regret offers for the western gamer though, is the D2 Shock demo disk.
D2 Shock is a Japan-only preview of Warp's other Dreamcast game, D2. However, rather than simply be a demo of the first section of Laura Parton's snowbound horror tale, D2 Shock is more like a collection of exclusive mini games and bonus features that only people who bought Winds of Regret would ever get to experience. One particularly nice bonus contained on the D2 Shock GD is the save file that can be downloaded to a VMU and then used in the NTSC-J retail release of D2 to access a secret video file documenting the game's earlier spell as a Panasonic M2 exclusive. Other highlights include a snowmobile game in which you must race around an pseudo open world variant of D2's opening location to find differently coloured traffic cones; and another demo section called Battle, where you battle a mutated flight attendant in the remains of a downed airliner. As well as these fully playable demos, you can also access music files and movies detailing the intro and opening scene of the final D2 release. It's a great extra and a truly fascinating addition to an already intriguing package.
Can I play Winds of Regret? No. No I cannot. But I paid £10 for this insight into the genius of a man, a creative mind and a game developer who is as legendary as his impressive body of work. The world lost a true visionary when Kenji Eno passed, and while his later productions hardly reached the same heady heights as the earlier Warp titles, it is ideas like those seen in Winds of Regret that will forever cement his place amongst the true legends of the video games industry.
I feel a special mention must also go the Genki Games, the online retailer from whom I acquired this mint condittion, factory sealed copy of Winds of Regret. Genki are primarily a seller of Japanese games, hardware and merchandise and I usually buy my Neo-Geo CD games from them as they are one of the the most reasonably priced stores anywhere online for that system. But with this purchase (which also included King of Fighters '95 for the aforementioned SNK system), it really dawned on me that Genki offers such outstanding value for money and exceptional service that they deserve a shout out. They haven't asked me to write this, but the speed with which games are delivered, and the way that they are individually wrapped in plastic wallets really should be applauded. Not only this, but the customer service is outstanding. If you're looking for NTSC-J games or hardware of any denomination, please consider checking Genki's online store and supporting this small independent retailer. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
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Sega Marine Fishing Vs Reality

December 19, 2015, 8:11 am
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Which is better? Sega Marine Fishing on the Dreamcast, or actual marine fishing? It's a valid question and thankfully my good pal Andy Pryer of Gamesyouloved.com was on hand to find out...

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Developer Interview: Duranik

December 20, 2015, 11:34 am
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Sturmwind is widely regarded as one of the most impressive independently titles on the Dreamcast, and having played it extensively I would be inclined to agree. Published in 2013 by RedSpotGames, Sturmwind was released to almost worldwide critical acclaim and popular website and YouTube/Dailymotion channel Classic Game Room even went as far as naming it as their Game of the Year.

I admit that I came to the party a little late, having only played Sturmwind for the first time earlier in 2015, but I thought it would be cool to catch up with Johannes Graf of developer Duranik to find out a little more about the team, the Atari Jaguar CD origins of Sturmwind and to ask more about the mysterious upcoming title Midsummer.
DCJY: Hi Johannes, thanks for taking the time to answer our questions. First off, could you tell us a little bit about Duranik? Who makes up the team and what are your roles?

Johannes Graf: We are two brothers. Each one is doing a different part, more or less split into coding and graphics/level and game design. For Sturmwind, there were also a couple of other people contributing in different areas. For example 505 did the soundtrack and we were also happy for the help of a very enthusiastic DC fan who did endless testing and a lot of other things.

What’s the history of Duranik? How and when did you form and why?

We always loved computer games, and as we got an Atari ST from our parents for Christmas many many years ago, we just started making little games for it. In those days there wasn't much software around. You were typewriting in the listings from the computer magazines to get new stuff, which is hard to imagine today with thousands of new apps every day flooding the App Store for free!
Sturmwind's backdrops are jaw dropping at times
So what’s your history with the Dreamcast? Were you fans of the system when it was contemporary? Did you get in at the beginning or was it later?

I got the Dreamcast as a birthday gift back then when it was released. I think Soul Calibur was included. Of course it was much better looking than any PlayStation game at that time.

We’re big fans of Sturmwind here at DCJY, so we’d like to talk a little about that. Firstly, it’s known that the game started out on the Atari Jaguar CD as Native - where did the idea for a Jaguar indie game come from?

As we were coming from an Atari 'background' having owned and used an Atari ST and Falcon for many years, there was always big interest for the next machine...which was the Jaguar. As we didn't have an official devkit or documentation we just had to use the little information and tools that were freely available at this time. As the Jaguar was very strong in the 2D department a shoot 'em up was an obvious choice for the project.
Native for Atari Jaguar CD is stylistically similar to Sturmwind
At what point did you decide to shift development of Sturmwind from the Jaguar to the Dreamcast? 

It wasn't really shifted, there are many years between the two projects and we did other stuff in between. The only thing Native on the Atari Jaguar and Sturmwind on Dreamcast really have in common is that both are horizontal scrolling shoot 'em ups. All the code, graphics etc. are completely different.

I see. So how much more freedom did you have with the Dreamcast hardware?

Well, compared to the Jaguar the Dreamcast is of course much newer technology and therefore much more advanced and powerful. On the Jaguar the game was heavily using the so-called Object Processor which is a 2D pixel paint engine. The Dreamcast game uses the PowerVR hardware and everything is polygon based, so the backgrounds and everything else could be easily scaled, rotated and coloured with different colours using vertex colours.

If Native/Sturmwind had been finished for Jaguar, how different do you think it would have been on Atari’s hardware? What limitations did you face that weren’t an issue on Dreamcast?

As mentioned above, Native and Sturmwind are not the same. but if you compare them, the Jaguar version would be more 'static,' the Dreamcast game is changing the scrolling direction and rotating the whole background around quite a few time. The rotating parts especially would not be so easy to do on the Jaguar.

That makes sense. Obviously there are several generations between the two systems so to compare them isn't really fair. Moving on, was there anything you wanted to include in Sturmwind, but couldn’t?

There is always stuff you want to include or improve, but at one point you have to draw a line to finish a game. The project started without any kind of 3D projection, but later more and more 3D stuff - especially in the backgrounds - was implemented. I would have loved to do even more here but this would have cost too much time. At the beginning we also had planned to include a two player mode, but this was difficult to test as we are not living close to each other...we were even living in different countries so it would have been very hard to test and fine tune a two player mode. A Boss Rush mode would have also been nice and not too hard to implement but as said above, it had to be finished at some point!
Meanwhile, NORAD was busy tracking Santa's sleigh
The Jaguar is a system very close to my heart and I collect for the system. Would you consider it a ‘missed opportunity’ for Atari?

The Jaguar is a very unique system, unfortunately it was released in a difficult period. The system is still a bit old school from the programming point of view, as it was meant to be used like the console generation before like the Sega Megadrive and Super Nintendo. It had some early 3D abilities but it lacked the vision of how games in the next generation would have to be coded, and unfortunately for Atari this was very different. Game development switched to larger teams, and lots of games were no longer coded in Assembler but easier languages such as C. The Jaguar was not very well suited for this. It’s still a great machine and you have to keep in mind it was basically developed by a team of three people and they even did their own RISC processors - crazy! It's a miracle the machine even exists to be honest. If the old Atari (not like it is now) would have been around longer, the machine would have been more successful I believe. It was a very small company, at the time the Jaguar was launched they had around 200-300 people. To make a comparison, their competitors could spend more money for their Christmas parties than Atari could on the development of the Jaguar.

Let's talk about another Atari system you create games for - the Lynx. How do you rate the Lynx compared to its contemporaries like the Game Gear?

The Lynx has some pros and cons compared to the Game Gear. It has more sprite shifting power and the more flexible blitter (compared to the Game Gear hardware sprites), with sprite scaling. It also has real time sprite data decompression. Sega's handheld has more colors on screen which is very nice and it has fewer limitations on the cartridge port. The Lynx has a lot of limitations accessing the ROM unfortunately, otherwise the games could look and sound much better.

Do you think the Lynx could have been capable of a version of Doom, or at the very least a decent first person shooter?

I think there is a version of Wolfenstein on the Lynx somewhere, but a Doom with ceilings and floors is probably a little too much to ask. It would certainly be very slow.
Boss battles are frequent - and impressive -  in Sturmwind
Going back to Sturmwind, the game does things that aren’t seen very often in ‘official’ releases in the shmup genre. The animated backgrounds are simply stunning. What was the process behind that?

The animation system is quite powerful and flexible. We didn't have the time to fully use all the possibilities it offers in Sturmwind. The basic idea is that we didn't create a level or game editor but do all this stuff in a 3D package. This scene file from the 3D  program is then used directly in the game. This way we can support a lot of the tools the 3D program offers, like the internal particle engine or mesh deformation tools. To recreate this in a self-made editor would have taken forever.

Sturmwind's multiple weapon/lives mechanic is quite unique. Can you explain how you came up with that?

One of the difficult or frustrating parts of a lot of these games is that your ship is often very underpowered if you lose your weapons. Therefore we thought for a long time about how we could possibly make the game more playable, especially for not so skilled players. You can easily decide which weapon you want to power up or if you want to play for score you can grab the points - it’s a bit of a variation of the system used in the 19xx series of games.

What other games in the shmup genre do you enjoy? Not just on the Dreamcast - but in general. Where did you draw inspiration for Sturmwind from?

The Gradius series and R-Type of course. I really don't like the 'bullet hell' genre at all, that's not my type of coffee. There was also some inspiration coming from old computer games like Blood Money or Wings of Death. Do you remembers them?

Not personally, but those other titles such as R-Type and Gradius most definitely and I can see the influence. As a respected indie developer for the Dreamcast, do you keep an eye on other projects currently ongoing? If so, which indie Dreamcast games interest you?

I just played around with Pier Solar a little bit as I 'bought' this from Kickstarter a while ago. Usually I look around on the Dreamcast websites now and then if there is something new.
The enigmatic image on the Midsummer website
Can you tell us anything about your next project Midsummer?

Midsummer started as a set of improvements to our engine to address a couple of shortcomings and generally improve the usability. It implements more 3D stuff like new texture formats and an enhanced scripting language. After a couple of test levels it grew to something we now call Midsummer. This is not necessarily the final name, if indeed the project will ever be released. Sturmwind was actually called Stahlgewitter until a couple of weeks before it was shown around for the first time. The first name seemed to be too hard to pronounce for every non German speaker.

Interesting stuff! Can you share if are there any other projects on the horizon for Dreamcast (or any other systems)?

As we learned from the Sturmwind announcement, it’s better to wait until a game is completely finished before talking about it. We learned a valuable lesson. It took us way longer to get it finished the way we wanted it than expected.

So patience is golden then! Away from shmups, what are your favourite games on the Dreamcast?

I didn’t play that much with the machine back then, but of course it has to be Shenmue, Rez and Ikaruga.

There has been a bit of a revival of 2D shooters on current gen of late - look at things like Soldner and Velocity. Do you think we’ll ever see Sturmwind on PS4, PS Vita or Xbox One?

Short answer: No. There is simply no time to do it.

That's a shame. One final question: I don't suppose you know the identity of The Dreamcast Barber?!

You seem to be quite a bit of an detective here! But I have no idea who he is, honestly ;)

Well, that's a bit disappointing. I was hoping you'd have his Dreamarena email address. 
Oh well - the search for The Barber continues! In any case, massive thanks to Johannes from Duranik for taking the time to answer our questions. We hope this has shed some light on the development of Sturmwind and the potential future releases from Duranik.

Further Information
Duranik Website
RedSpotGames Store
Sturmwind at Play-Asia.com

Previous Developer Interviews
Alice Dreams Tournament
Elysian Shadows
Hucast
Isotope Softworks
Retro Sumus


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Dreamcast Magazine Issue 1

December 20, 2015, 11:28 pm
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Dreamcast Magazine from Paragon Publishing was the UK's best-selling unofficial Dreamcast publication during the system's natural lifespan. I bought it on more regular occasions than I purchased the official Dreamcast magazine because it was a bit cheaper, and was a little bit more tongue in cheek when it came to reviews and commenting on the Dreamcast's performance in the console war of the era. Sure, the official mag had the Dream On demo discs, but Dreamcast Magazine had total freedom to be as honest as possible, and this usually lead to some interesting exchanges between the editorial staff and software publishers which were usually printed in the mag, much to the amusement of readers.
Recently, I was contacted by a fellow Dreamcast fan on Twitter and asked if I'd like his collection of Dreamcast Magazine to be donated to the Junkyard for preservation, and naturally I said yes. So for the price of postage alone I received over 20 issues of Dreamcast Magazine, many with their original cover 'free gift' of a Dreamcast Solutions mini guide. I would like to thank Steve for his generosity in donating these mags, and below you will find the first 'video walkthrough' of Dreamcast Magazine.


There are some interesting references to games we never saw, not least toward the end of the issue where Gremlin's Rallymasters and EPGA Golf are both previewed. Rallymasters went on to become Race of Champions on the PlayStation and PC but I wasn't aware that it was also intended for a DC release; while EPGA Golf is a title I was totally unaware of previously. It's quite a shame that the game never saw a release as the Dreamcast never really got a proper golf sim - the closest thing to real golf on the system is a small section of Sports Jam.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the video and with any luck there will be more coming in the future.
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Dreamcast Magazine Issue 2

December 22, 2015, 2:36 pm
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The second issue of Paragon Publishing's Dreamcast Magazine went on sale in the UK on 21st October 1999 for the princely sum of £2.95. While the first issue was more of a preview and had practically zero reader participation (for obvious reasons), issue 2 was more fleshed out and had a mail section for reader letters and a high score section to which readers could submit their best attempts at various Dreamcast games. Other new sections introduced for issue 2 included import reviews and the free gift was a Virtua Fighter 3tb solutions booklet.

The cover feature was for a report on upcoming zombie-themed titles, and other highlights were a look at the worldwide differences in Dreamcast advertising and reviews of Soul Calibur, Speed Devils and Red Dog. Elsewhere the Forecast section throws up some more 'lost' games in Arcatera, Title Defense [sic] Boxing and Felony Pursuit (see scans above) and the Newscast sheds some light on the Dreamcast's delayed PAL launch. Anyway, enough blathering from me - enjoy the video!
Previous issues:
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IO SATVRNALIA, er... I mean Dreamcastalia?

December 23, 2015, 1:23 pm
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It's the most wonderful time of the year, when we honour the ancient Roman goddess Saturn for her bountiful harvests and superlative 2D software library. Where masters and slaves come together to eat, get drunk, puke, eat some more, puke again and then eat some more. Don't worry about the mess, the slaves only get one day off a year.
She's the reason for the season. No joke.
But I digress. An equally important aspect of this time of year is gift giving, and more importantly, gift receiving. And lucky for you, I've been beavering away on a little surprise for you all, our fantastic community, with a little Dreamcast related gift this year. Note: if you're a Sega lawyer, you can skip to the last couple of paragraphs now.
You're welcome
After revisiting the enigmatic Dreamcast Video Disc in a prior article, followed by an impassioned plea to Discotek Media to revive the format here, I decided to take matters into my own hands and have a crack at it myself. All of the software and code has been lying dormant on the interwebs from an ancient age when Video CDs were an attractive prospect, handily archived in one place at Russian Dreamcast website www.dc-swat.ru (and muchly appreciated). Most of the technology also specifically requires a similarly ancient single core PC system to run, but luckily I built a Windows 98/XP machine earlier in the year. Once I got past some teething problems and my own inexperience, it was relatively easy to transfer a movie to a self-booting DcVD. 
Any excuse to make Tom festively green with envy over mine own
Sega Sports DC
With the festive season looming, it seemed only appropriate to cut my teeth on the infamous public domain Christmas themed C-grade movie: Santa Claus Conquers The Martians (1964), once featured on cult TV classic Mystery Science Theater 3000. 
Watch out Santy Claus!
It's far from perfect (besides the actual content of the movie). The source video isn't exactly "digitally remastered" and the resolution and bitrate are pretty poor in order to fit the whole movie on a single CD-R (512x384p @ 656kbit/s average VBR). Also, forget about modern conveniences like "pause" or "rewind," this just auto-plays on boot and you have to just sit there and watch it (or else!). In the future, I think multiple discs with higher quality "chapters" will be the way to go, especially until some brighter chap than me can set up a DcVD template that features playback control.   
I got lazy with the back cover, and the spine should be thicker.
Feel free to improve on this and show us the results.
You can find the .cdi image, the disc label, and the blu-ray style case cover I hastily slapped together here. So with a little CD burning and a little printing, you too can own the hottest Dreamcast Video Disc released this year!
Some assembly required
P.S. A few tips for those who have trouble creating self-booting Dreamcast discs. In my testing, I had a 3 out of 3 success rate with different CD-Rs and different CD drives using the Alcohol 120% Free Trial. Make sure to set the write method to "RAW/DAO" and chose a write speed of about half your drives rated maximum.      
Used up one of my precious lightscribe discs -
I need to invest in a proper CD label printer
Note to Lawyers #1: "Sega", "Dreamcast", and the Swirl device are all copyright, registered trademarks, and intellectual property of Sega Corporation Ltd., also known as Sega Sammy Holdings, Sega Enterprises, Sega Games Co. Ltd., and also inclusive of subsidiaries Sega of Japan, Sega of America and Sega of Europe. All rights are reserved for them only, and usage of said terms and iconic logos are done so without permission, are not licensed and are not endorsed by said legally entitled corporations.

Note to Lawyers #2: "Sofdec,""MPEG Sofdec,""ADX," and the associated logos, proprietary software and codecs are all copyright, registered trademarks, and intellectual property of CRI Middleware Co. Ltd., also known as CRIware, and CSK Research Institute. All rights are reserved for them only, and usage of said terms, logos, software and codecs are done so without permission, are not licensed and are not endorsed by said legally entitled corporation.

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Musings on Christmas Eve

December 24, 2015, 1:00 am
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Ghosts of winters past, fresh regrets and a look into the future

I sat recently in front of my fireplace, something or other on the television, and my mind wandered into the past. I think everyone gets this once in awhile. Something triggers a memory in the mind and then, bam, the floodgates open and you are awash with people, places and events that you thought you had forgotten but actually were buried back there, nestled deep down in the little grey cells.

I think, more often than not - well it certainly is the case for me, anyway - these retrospective mental walkabouts end badly. It either leads to regret or, if not, a rose-tinted view of the past that makes the present appear dull, pale and inferior to those bright and sunny days. You can’t really win, to be honest - both lead you down a path that ends with a desire to recapture the past so that you can experience it or alter it. In reality you can do neither.

I think this time of year, as the dregs of the annual clock are drained, is the time most people get reflective. I think it’s only natural - to look back over your actions and experiences and evaluate them. It makes sense. Emotionally though it's hard and I think that, if left to run rampant, this way of thinking can warp perspective.

A good example, I think, can be seen in the recent Dreamcast 2 petition that is doing the rounds. We spoke about this briefly on the special Christmas Edition of the DreamPod (definitely worth a listen, if you haven’t already) and, I think quite fairly concluded that it is nothing more than a pipe dream. The thing is though, there are some incredibly serious advocates of this petition and I have seen them fight incredibly aggressively online in defence of their vision. I get their passion, I really do, however I think they are bang wrong. They’re wrong, and on this I’m sure, because their decision is based on emotion, based on that aforementioned yearning to relive those original Dreamcast experiences and feel again what they once felt.

Guys, I really do get it though. One of the key themes that runs through my book about games and gaming culture, Super Red Green Blue (sorry for the shameless plug), is that it can be incredibly bad for you to cling too hard onto a dead past. In the culture of retro video games, this pitfall is especially prevalent as the past is fundamentally built into the culture’s structure. The software and hardware are quite literally from the past and, as no doubt you have all experienced, the ghosts of those consoles, those tatty controllers, those yellowing carts and cracked jewel cases, can bring with them serious baggage. Those consoles, games and experiences are tied fundamentally to your past, be that in terms of relationships, events or moments that have made you who you are. As such, they are incredibly personal to you and, emotionally, resonate with you fiercely.

This emotional connection with the past can be healthy for sure, don’t get me wrong, however it can - if indulged too much - lead to serious errors in judgement and a lack of perspective. That, I feel, is what has happened in the case of the Dreamcast 2 petition. The signees had such a formative, close experience with the Dreamcast that, now they’re older and tied to adult life, want to relive those golden days. The thing is though, you can never bring them back, bring that feeling back. You can get close for sure, hunting out and playing those games you loved once more, however that magical first time experience is gone forever and not coming back. They want it so much that it has warped their perspective to the extent that they believe that a petition with just over 20,000 signatures is going to somehow lead to Sega, the videogame ghost of Christmas past, to emerge from its ethereal state into a full-blown hardware producer.

Then again, the Winter Solstice is a time for ghosts, so who knows…

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As I sit here now, the clock ticking down to Christmas, surrounded by a host of consoles, what I regret most is that I don’t have many close friendships anymore. Maybe it's because I’ve recently entered my early 30s, or maybe it's because after years and years the illusion of companionship that video games generated has finally been dispelled, however whatever it is, I wish that I hadn’t burnt quite so many bridges with people throughout my 20s. Were the reasons for separation big or small, my fault or theirs? A bit of both really, however now all seem largely unimportant and stripped of relevancy. 

The consoles do haunt me though. They remind me of who I was in a different time.

I think, if you were to ask me what I regret most from this year, then it's my gradual winding down in collecting for Dreamcast. I spoke recently on the DreamPod that increasingly I’m finding it harder and harder to find Dreamcast titles that I not only want but can afford, and it now seems almost inevitable that I will stop sooner rather later. I have, in no way, got a massive collection, however for me that was never what the Dreamcast was ever about, it was about core genres and Japanese exclusives. Plus, I’m not one of those types of collectors. The point is though that I can kind of see the end of my road with the Dreamcast and that scares me a little. That journey that I started all those years ago when I first watched a video demo of Sonic running away from that whale in Sonic Adventure, ends now, rather unspectacularly in a small, dark room filled with games of a 31-year-old writer and journalist. I think I’d trade a few of those games for another chance with some of those lost old friends.

Was it worth it?

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It’s not all gloom though, looking forward, there’s some really exciting developments coming down the 2016 pipe for The Dreamcast Junkyard. The site’s going to be bigger, better and more varied than ever, with new staff members, content and events, so keep your eyes peeled to the webpage and Facebook group, and your ears open for the DreamPods in the new year for all the hottest developments. I’m going nowhere either, so if you’re sick of my voice already then you better hope someone has bought you earplugs for Christmas. 

Remember, we’re currently living in the Dreamcast Renaissance too and that’s super exciting. New games, hardware and more are lined up for the following year and you can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll get the best coverage of all of it right here at the ‘Yard. We’re incredibly grateful to you, the Dreamcast enthusiasts who read and contribute to the Junkyard, as without you the site would be nowhere near as amazing a place to be.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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Merry Christmas!

December 24, 2015, 4:10 pm
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Thanks to everyone who continues to read our posts - without you we wouldn't be bothering to update this thing as often as we do. If you've been with us from the start in 2005 then thanks, but likewise if you've been coming here since last Tuesday - equally so. Merry Christmas to you all!
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He is the Big Man in Red! It's Vader in Giant Gram 2000 in HD!

December 25, 2015, 10:32 am
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Merry Christmas!  My first attempt at playing Giant Gram 2000 doesn't go as planned.  (Warning, there is some shouting involved.)

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DreamPod - Episode 22

December 26, 2015, 5:30 am
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BREAKING NEWS: Cancelled Dreamcast Game Coming Soon to Steam

December 27, 2015, 7:29 am
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Yesterday (Boxing Day 2015), an event was held in Akihabara, Japan known as Transition 2015, which showcased some shoot 'em up games for the PC market. While the Android and iOS mobile markets get the most attention, the event was designed to get Japanese developers more interested in spreading the shmup love to the PC master race. In attendance was Triangle Service, who had an exciting announcement: Shmups skill test was coming soon to Steam.
Wish I was there
If those names don't mean anything to you, allow me to illuminate. Triangle Service is a very small boutique developer specialising in old-school arcade gaming, notably for their retro style shoot 'em ups that eschew the modern curtain-style bullet-hell gameplay for a more traditional style of shooter. They were notably the last developer to score a third party development license from Sega (catalog code T-479), and the 'company,' if you can call it that, consists of only one man - Toshiaki Fujino. 

The man, the myth, the legend.
After disappointing sales in the arcade market for his second game, Trizeal, which was also his first attempt at a polygonal shooter, Fujino was preparing to call it quits. It seemed as if his former bosses at Konami were right; no one was interested in the kinds of games he wanted to make. However, he still had a burning desire to see (what he thought would be) his last game on store shelves as a physical release - a last hurrah for the end of Triangle Services. He went about self-publishing Trizeal on Dreamcast, with some assistance from Sega. He also wrote a heartfelt SOS letter to Dreamcast fans around the world to help make Trizeal a great success, with the aim of paying off his remaining debts. 
Trizeal may not be the prettiest shooter, but it has an undeniable charm
that draws you in if you let it.
The Dreamcast community answered the call, and despite being released very late in the Dreamcast's lifespan (2005), the small production run of Trizeal sold out and Triangle Service made enough profit to live and fight another day. Not only did we get what I think is a fantastic little game, for those who pre-ordered the limited edition, we also got a nattty bandanna as part of the deal too. 
Bandanna's are cool (just like bow ties)
Triangle Service followed up their success with a new NAOMI arcade title ~ Shooting Love 2007 ~ that would be a compilation of two games: Exzeal, the sequel to Trizeal, and the aforementioned Shmups skills test. The latter, as the name suggests, is a collection of mini games designed to test different shooting game skills, such as accuracy, dexterity, dodging, and hit-box targeting. The game then calculates your "gamer age" based on your performance, much like those brain training games that were popular a few years back. It has a kind of Warioware-style vibe to it and a similar sense of humour, with lots of references to great shoot-em-ups from the 80's and 90's. One of the boss battle is against an old 80's style arcade cabinet, and there is a challenge where you need to shoot empty cans into a floating recycling bin by ricocheting them off your bullets. I have a fondness for the game, even though the version I have is heavy with Japanese text that I don't understand.  
Your skills are assessed using six different metrics,
but don't ask me what they are, I have no idea.
Rumours at the time suggested that Fujino was gearing up to publish Shooting Love 2007 on Dreamcast for the system's 10th Anniversary on 27th November 2008. It was to be released as a big thank you to the community that kept his struggling business afloat. However, Sega was scaling back their GD-ROM publishing at the time and the game never materialised. Those of you who own an Xbox 360 would get to experience the game as Shooting Love 200X, which also featured a remix of Trizeal, plus an additional endless shooter Minus Zero.
My copy of Shooting Love 2007. I'm currently ranked 24th on the internet rankings
If you're a die hard Sega loyalist like me, who never bought into the PSWii60 generation because you were still sulking about Sega leaving the party, then you're in luck. At least one half of the Shooting Love we never got on Dreamcast will soon be heading to Steam on PC. I for one can't wait to finally get to play the game, especially since it will probably include the English translation from the 360 port and I'll finally get to understand what's going on.
As far as I can tell, no other western media has picked this up yet, so we could have an exclusive today on The Dreamcast Junkyard (Look ma! I'm a real journalist!)
Also, if you missed them like I did, two other games in the Zeal series were released on Steam earlier in the year and are currently available right now as we speak - XIIZeal and ΔZeal ("Twelve Zeal" and "Delta Zeal" respectively). You can even purchase both in a bundle. Maybe one day in the near future we'll get to see a port of Exzeal too. 
Can't wait to play this either. I'm off to reboot in my Windows partition.
Might be there a while, don't wait up.
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Dreamcast Magazine Issue 3

December 29, 2015, 11:15 am
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Issue 3 of Paragon Publishing's Dreamcast Magazine went on sale in the UK on 23rd November 1999. The main cover story was the magazine's first in-depth look at Shenmue, a game that with hindsight needs no real introduction. Other previews include Vigilant 8: 2nd Offence, Ferarri F355 and Resident Evil 2; while the news section details European sales figures for the fledgling system and takes a look at new peripherals available to buy.

Here are the sales figures from the first month after the Dreamcast's European launch, as detailed on page 6 of issue 3:
  • Over 185,000 Dreamcast consoles
  • Retail sales of £52,000,000
  • Over 350,000 software units sold
  • 280,000 peripherals sold
  • 145,000 VMUs sold
  • 90,000 extra controllers sold
There are 15 new games reviewed too, and these new releases include F1 World Grand Prix, Sega Bass Fishing, Dynamite Cop, Shadowman, Aerowings, Re-Volt and Mortal Kombat Gold. Perhaps the most interesting features though, are the detailed previews of two unreleased games - Midnight GT from Rage and Felony Pursuit from THQ. While the latter was covered very briefly in issue 2 of Dreamcast Magazine, the preview here is much longer and shows off more of the game that was reportedly 90% complete at the time the magazine went to press. Here's the video:


Previous issues:
Dreamcast Magazine Issue 1
Dreamcast Magazine Issue 2
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Deconstructing The Ring: Terror's Realm

December 31, 2015, 8:58 am
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In 2001 I saw a horror movie that totally changed the genre for me. I was at university and a friend who was (and still is) a complete movie nerd persuaded me to sit down and watch The Ring. Directed by Hideo Nakata and based on the 1991 novel of the same name by Koji Suzuki, The Ring tells the story of a mysterious VHS tape that if watched, will forsake the viewer to certain death in seven days. It certainly peaked my interest in Japanese horror movies and over the following years I went on to buy the home releases of stuff like Dark Water, Uzumaki and The Grudge.
I'm not entirely sure what it is about horror from that particular part of the world, but there's always an intrinsic and overwhelming sense of dread that permeates every scene. There seems to be a strangeness that modern-day Japanese horror films effortlessly produce in spades: a gut-wrenching sense that while everything may seem normal, it is far from it. The colour may be off, the air just a little bit too still, the room just a little bit too quiet.

A built up, technologically advanced setting in which traditions and spirits are integral, and the odd juxtaposition of a totally empty street or apartment block are far more skin crawling than a typical haunted house or graveyard scene packed full of screaming zombies or monsters; normality steeped in an unknown and untraceable uneasiness is far more terrifying than a skeleton popping out of a cupboard, or a maniac running around with a knife. To me at least, that is the essence of modern Japanese horror; and while I am a huge fan of Hollywood productions like The Thing or The Shining (and more recently It Follows), what excites me is the notion that older, more powerful things exist in our world that have the ability to circumvent our technology and scare the living shit out of us.

With this in mind, let us turn our attention to Asmik Ace Entertainment/Infogrammes' 2000 Dreamcast game The Ring: Terror's Realm. Based loosely on the tale spun in the 1998 movie, Terror's Realm introduces us to a whole new set of characters and a whole new location but keeps the familiar plot mechanism by which some form of ancient evil is killing people through their use of modern-day technology. Here though, the focus switches away from JVC's Betamax-murdering home video format and instead focuses on a cursed computer program.
As a side note, back in those heady days of VHS tapes and floppy disks, it seemed perfectly reasonable that a physical media format could indeed harbour some form of swirling malevolence - just look at the 'haunted Legend of Zelda cartridge' creepypasta for instance. I don't know why, but the same air of mystic just cannot be afforded to a DVD, Blu-Ray or GD Rom. But a VHS tape? That shit is scary...and not just because someone might tape over your collection of adult material with episodes of Eastenders or E.R. without you even knowing. Man, I hate VHS tapes. I mean...um...VHS tapes are scary, dammit.

Anyway, let's get back on track. Imagine that the scary VHS tape macguffin has been substituted for a creepy computer program (and I'm not talking about Windows 8), and that several scientists from the local Centre for Disease Control have all died mysteriously - at the same time - while using it. Not just keeled over in a nice peaceful way like a good corpse does either. No, they've all perished under very strange circumstances, their badly rendered early 2000s CGI bodies contorted into grotesque and equally pathetic CGI renders with protruding foreheads and bulging, unblinking eyes. Not that they blinked when they were alive either...but you get the idea. This scene setting is all played out in one of the worst, most embarrassingly bad pre-rendered intro sequences ever pressed onto removable media too, so my earlier comments about disc-based media not being as scary as VHS tapes? Null and void, I'm afraid.

You start the game as Meg Rainman, a new researcher at the CDC and coincidentally the girlfriend of one of the deceased scientists, Robert. Meg starts the new job so soon after her boyfriend has died, that when she gets to work in her lab, Robert's old laptop is still on the desk and the battery hasn't even run flat yet. Compassion? Bereavement counselling? Nope - just get back to work and start rummaging around your dead boyfriend's private laptop all the while grinning like the Cheshire Cat. Seriously - look at Meg's face. She could have auditioned for Heath Ledger's role in The Dark Knight:
"The question must be asked: What's with that smile? Regardless of the situation, Meg wears a disturbing, Jokeresque leer throughout every scene of the game. Her boyfriend died the day before? She's all smiles. She's faced with a slobbering apelike creature? Big dopey grin. It's disturbing."
 - Brad Shoemaker, GameSpot Review (July 2000)

Smile aside, once you get past the hilariously bad intro and painfully slow explanatory text (there's no voice over work in the main game, it's all text based), things get even weirder...and not really in the way you'd want a game based on The Ring to get. Upon booting the computer, Meg is met with the aformentioned program, oddly stylised as [RING], and is instantly transported to some alternate reality where she is a soldier/cop/security guard armed with a laser-sighted gun and a flashlight and must run around shooting badly animated, shambling zombies. Once the zombie things are dead, you return to reality and must then wander around the CDC facility speaking to NPCs and going back and forth between the alternative reality (which - you've guessed it - is inside the computer program) finding keys, interrogating scientists, unlocking rooms and opening draws that have nothing in them.

I really wanted to like The Ring: Terror's Realm and so I purposely didn't read any reviews or research the game at all before playing it for myself. All I knew was that is had something to do with the 1998 movie...but as soon as I saw the laughable intro I knew something was amiss. Confirmation of my fears was received once I actually took control of Meg, and it was drilled home that Terror's Realm was going to be a slog. The controls are pretty laborious, as you have to use the d-pad to move around...and Meg moves like she's trudging through waist-high treacle. You can run if you hold the X button down at the same time, but this just means you'll be running along corridors bouncing off the walls as the camera switches its viewpoint. I suppose this is a flaw that can be levelled at all 'fixed camera' survival horror games of the era (Resident Evil, Alone in the Dark etc), but you know what those games have that Terror's Realm doesn't? Polish.
The dialogue is poor, the controls are bad. The story itself is as tenuously linked to the awesome movie as you could possibly imagine. The movie was about a cursed VHS tape and ended *spoiler alert* with one of the most memorable and iconic scenes ever, where a ghastly apparition of a dead girl literally climbs out of a TV set. That shit was terrifying, but in contrast there's nothing even remotely scary in The Ring: Terror's Realm...unless you count the utterly horrific muzak that loops incessantly as you play.

Quite why the developer felt that they had to use a franchise as highly regarded as The Ring and bolt it on to a desperately poor Resident Evil clone is beyond me - if it had been released as a standalone game, maybe it would have relieved some of the expectation heaped upon it and the adventure could be enjoyed (I use that term loosely, by the way) for what it is. I went into this expecting a game drenched in atmosphere, with at least some link to the events of the movie...but what I got is something else entirely: a slow, lumbering Resident Evil rip-off but with not one iota of the finesse of Capcom's title. In case you wondered, the mimicry doesn't end with the fixed cameras either. You have almost identical map and inventory screens, limited slots for equipment, a familiar combat scheme (aim with trigger, fire with another button) and the usual 'safe rooms' complete with radios (in lieu of typewriters) for saving progress and boxes (instead of chests) for storing items that you don't have inventory room for. Hell, even your health is monitored in a similar way. The Ring: Terror's Realm lifts almost every idea it has from Resident Evil, but somehow makes it seem cheap...if that makes sense. The door opening animations, the 'there's nothing of interest' dialogue that pops up when you try to investigate a desk clearly strewn with items. The combat where you can't move and shoot at the same time, the atrocious awkward conversations and downright weird interactions with NPCs.
The Ring: Terror's Realm is a total stinker of a survival horror game and I don't say that lightly. I've played stuff like Evil Dead and Carrier, but this is a whole new level of horror - and not in a good way. As I said earlier, the game did hold a certain intrigue for me as it was never released in PAL territories, and while I was aware of its existence I was totally unaware of how it was received by critics or even what type of game it was. When it appeared on eBay for £15 it was an instant purchase because there aren't really any Dreamcast games out there that I don't have a least a little bit of knowledge on. The Ring: Terror's Realm was one of them, and now I have experienced it first hand I would strongly advise that you steer clear of this abomination.
I'd rather watch the cursed VHS than play the game...
I suppose it would almost be poetic if every person who had played The Ring: Terror's Realm died in mysterious circumstances seven days later,  only to be found face down in a pile of their own vomit, a painful grimace locked on their face. Meanwhile, a Dreamcast whirrs in the background while the unearthly background music from Terror's Realm plays an eternal dirge, mocking the dead in the knowledge that they can never turn it off from beyond the grave.
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Happy New Year!

January 1, 2016, 11:40 am
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Dreamcast Magazine Issue 4

January 2, 2016, 5:07 am
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Dreamcast Magazine issue 4 was released on the 23rd December 1999 and was, in effect the Christmas issue of Paragon Publishing's Sega-related periodical. It was the first issue to sport a printed spine in place of a stapled design and featured a slightly re-jigged internal layout. The cover is split between Chu Chu Rocket and Crazy Taxi, two mainstays of the Dreamcast's library, but also mentions Soul Reaver and Fighting Force 2.

Issue 4 is slightly longer than any of the previous issues and the 'forecast' section is completely done away with, becoming amalgamated with the 'newscast' section at the front of the magazine. As is the case with previous issues, there are several unreleased games previewed including Planet of the Apes, Jump Runner, Renegade Racers, Hostile Waters, Take The Bullet and Star Trek.

Other highlights include a feature on upcoming Codemasters games and an interview with Teruaki Konishi, chief director of Soul Calibur. There is a mention of Megadrive and PC Engine emulation coming to the Dreamcast, and also lots of speculation about Ridge Racer and Tekken Tag Tournament coming to Sega's platform. Reviews include Worms Armageddon, NFL 2K, Marvel Vs Capcom, Sega Worldwide Soccer 2000 and Street Fighter Alpha 3. Here's the video:


Previous issues:
Dreamcast Magazine Issue 1
Dreamcast Magazine Issue 2
Dreamcast Magazine Issue 3
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DreamConn V3 Adds PC VMU Browser Support

January 3, 2016, 11:31 am
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Welcome to 2016! The future has arrived and it looks just like it did in The Jetsons. Flying cars, robotic butlers, houses on stilts and 75" hovering CRT televisions for every room in the home. But by far the best thing about living here in 2016 is the DreamConn wireless Dreamcast controller. We have featured Chris Diaoglou's impressive Bluetooth-enabled peripheral here at The Dreamcast Junkyard several times in the past, and even did a full-on video review of the second revision here, but now DreamConn V3 has arrived with several hardware updates and one major software update: the ability to connect it to a PC to browse VMU files. The hardware updates include a new white on/off button and a bi-coloured LED, along with minor internal hardware and firmware upgrades. The real appeal here though, is the new VMU Explorer connectivity.
The DreamConn I reviewed comes with a USB cable and I did try to connect it to my Macbook to see if file browsing would be possible, and I also tried to connect via Bluetooth but it was futile as the DreamConn V2.0 will not allow such rummaging around - the supplied USB is for charging the unit only and it seems only the Bluetooth transceiver is capable of recognising the DreamConn itself. Now though, using the newly created DreamConn Backup Utility in conjunction with Speud's VMU Explorer, it is possible to connect DreamConn V3 to your PC via Bluetooth and edit the contents of the memory units (both the built in memory and external VMUs), and also add downloaded save files. Chris explains the power of this PC connectivity in his own words:

"As you see, this feature gives now numerous possibilities for VMU managing (like copying from a real VMU to DreamConn and then to PC); and it may even render the usage of real, physical VMUs as obsolete."
- Chris Diaoglou, creator of DreamConn

This is a great addition to an already fantastic device and we'll be keeping an eye on any further developments. While the price point may still be prohibitive for many Dreamcast owners, I can personally vouch for the quality of the product and would recommend it in an instant if you are in a position to buy one. DreamConn V3 is available to buy here.
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Vote For Us In The UK Blog Awards 2016!

January 4, 2016, 10:28 am
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Vote for me now in the UK Blog Awards #UKBA16 
The UK Blog Awards exist to celebrate and showcase the best content that UK-based bloggers produce. As a blog hosted by Google's Blogger platform, The Dreamcast Junkyard thought it might be worth entering the 'Digital and Technology' category...so we did! There are lots of different categories ranging from fashion and sport blogs to movie and business focused sites, and we're sure they're all superb. However, in order for The Dreamcast Junkyard to be in with a chance of being shortlisted to attend the glitzy awards ceremony in London, we need your help! If you can find it in you Hitachi SH-4 powered heart, please consider clicking the link below (or the image above) and casting your vote for the finest Dreamcast-related blog on the internet.

We need you...so vote for The Dreamcast Junkyard here! Also - see those little Twitter and Facebook buttons beneath this post? Feel free to use those and spread the word...
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DreamPi To Launch 'Dreamcast Now!' Online Service

January 5, 2016, 12:37 pm
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A few weeks ago we featured the stellar work of Luke Benstead and his Raspberry Pi-based DreamPi device; a device with which Dreamcast owners can get their consoles back online without the need for an expensive broadband adapter. The DreamPi is still very much a work in progress, but this work is progressing at a rate of knots and this week Luke announced the next step in DreamPi's path to world domination: Dreamcast Now!
A Raspberry Pi. Not to be confused with a Raspberry Pie.
Dreamcast Now! is a new service that will allow DreamPi users to see who is online at any given moment, and also to see which games other people (or rampant AIs) are playing. The test site is actually live now and can be viewed here. Luke also has also revealed details of an exciting partnership with Dreamcast browser portal Dreampipe.net, which in his own words will "provide a level of integration with the site which will allow you to see who's online without ever leaving the confines of the Dreamcast."

Testing of the Dreamcast Now! service is planned for the next couple of weeks and you'll be able to see when users are online and what they are playing just by visiting the service. Luke goes on to explain in more depth how the Dreamcast Now service works over at his blog Kazade's Internet Address, but here's a brief overview I copied and pasted for you. Don't say I never give you anything.

"How does Dreamcast Now! work? It's all just a little bit clever. On boot a unique identifier is generated from your Raspberry Pi, this is your secret key which allows the service to know which DreamPi is online. When you connect to an online game, the DreamPi sends a message to the Dreamcast Now! service indicating that the user with that unique identifier came online. This is all pretty much anonymous, the whole communication happens securely over SSL and the only thing that is sent is the Pi's unique ID.

Once the game is connected, the first thing it will do is perform a DNS lookup for the game's server. The DreamPi software watches for the domain query, creates a non-reversable hash of the domain (using SHA256) and sends this to the server. Again, this is all over SSL and the server has no way of knowing what the domain was unless it happens to match one of the game domain hashes we have on the server. These domain hashes are never stored.

This is how the server detects when a DreamPi comes online and what game is being played."
- Luke Benstead, creator of DreamPi

Pretty sure all that makes sense to somebody out there. Anyway, as I keep saying (ad nauseum), these are exciting times to a Dreamcast owner and the community is going from strength to strength with all the new software and hardware developments. This re-engineering of the online capabilities of our favourite white box is just another string to the Dreamcast's bow. Luke will be appearing on an upcoming episode of DreamPod, so if you have any questions regarding Dreamcast Now! or the DreamPi in general, please leave them in the comments section.
A quick footnote I hasten to add to this story is that there is also a community currently running online called Dreamcast Live. The guy behind this service is none other than friend of the Junkyard Pcwzrd13, and he actually uses a DreamPi to run games and tournaments for other online Dreamcast gamers. Check it out!

Lastly, if you can spare 30 seconds please vote for The Dreamcast Junkyard in the UK Blog Awards 2016. You can even vote again on separate days, so if you've already done so...you can again (on a different day!). Thanks all.
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Update on Open Letter to Discotek Media

January 6, 2016, 6:21 pm
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I have been contacted through unofficial channels from someone who works at Discotek Media in regards to our open letter. They got a kick out of reading about our suggestion for a Dreamcast Video Disc release, but unfortunately the licensing agreement for Hi☆sCoool! SeHa Girls is explicitly for DVD and Blu-ray only. Phooey!
Stupid legal contracts ruining our fun
However, they did reveal that a tentative suggestion has been put forward to perhaps release the discs in a special edition that mimics the Dreamcast game case style in a CD Jewel case. which is pretty exciting and a neat compromise.
So this still could happen, in a fashion
The covers and inserts would also be reversible and contain an alternative version that mimics the Saturn case style as well. At this stage, it is uncertain whether the suggestion will get approved though, but lets hope so. 
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Guest Article: Expanding the Dreamcast Collection Part 1 - The Naomi Connection

January 8, 2016, 11:15 am
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Ross O'Reilly is no stranger to the world of NTSC-J Dreamcast collecting or arcade gaming. Not least because he lives in Japan and his apartment is stuffed full of arcade machines and Dreamcasts. Here in this first of a series of guest articles at The Dreamcast Junkyard, Ross explains why the Dreamcast collection you have may seem complete, but is in actual fact far from it. The Dreamcast's history is intertwined with that of the Naomi arcade machine, and here Ross explains how you can expand your library of Dreamcast-style games by getting involved in the Naomi scene. At this point, I'd also like to point out that all of the quality artwork is the work of the author. Cough.

Ross, over to you...
I’d assume that many of you reading this already own a substantial Dreamcast collection or have at least played a wide variety of games on the system. It’s been almost 18 years since the console was first launched in its home territory of Japan, and while it’s still getting support (unofficial at least) to this day, the number of new titles has of course dwindled since its heyday.

Most gamers, even fans of the Dreamcast, moved onto greener pastures long ago. But what’s the hardcore Dreamcast fan to do?

Support the indie scene: A worthy cause no doubt, but let’s be honest, the quality of these titles are rarely anything special and never up to the standard of the Dreamcast’s best Sega developed games.

Import: Finding games that were unreleased in your home territory can be great fun. Whichever region you’re from, I can guarantee that there are a tonne of great games that never came to your shores. Many of us have already done this for years though; the list of import games we’ve yet to play is diminishing fast. What next?

Complete sets: The hardest of hardcore collectors can go for a complete set, but if we’re honest, the Dreamcast wasn’t that good; there were still a tonne of crappy games that came out for it. Do you really want a shelf half full of absolute rubbish you’ll probably never play and certainly not enjoy? Oh, you do? Well, even if that’s the case, I presume you wouldn’t turn down the chance to find some new 'good' games to play.

But don’t worry, there is still hope! In this series of articles, I’ll detail how you can expand your collection and find more than enough fresh content to keep you happy and out of the whisky bottle for at least another year or so. All you have to do is ever so slightly redefine the meaning of 'Dreamcast game.'

The Dreamcast Family
As we all know, the Dreamcast wasn’t an only child. It was one in a fairly large family of systems that shared many of the same components, specs and sharing the Katana SDK with our beloved DC.

There are seven systems in this family:

  • Naomi (1998)
  • Dreamcast (1998)
  • Hikaru (1999)
  • Naomi 2 (2001)
  • Sega System SP (2003)
  • Atomiswave (2003)
  • Aurora(2005)

Many games from the original Naomi were of course ported to the Dreamcast; Crazy Taxi, Power Stone, House of the Dead 2 and more. They became some of the system’s most defining games, but others were not so fortunate…
From Left to right, top to bottom: Naomi 2 with Net Dimm, Naomi, Atomiswave with Dolphin Blue,
Japanese model Dreamcast.
And that is where the focus of this; the first of three parts in a series entitled 'Expanding the Dreamcast Collection' will begin. Later parts will detail games and ports from other systems in the Dreamcast family and finally cover some of the games originally penned as Dreamcast games that eventually went on to be released on other formats.

You may say that these are not technically Dreamcast games, but my argument is that they were built to run on similar spec hardware with the Dreamcast’s capabilities in mind, often by the same development teams and were released at a similar point in video game history. These factors combine to make them feel very Dreamcasty. In fact a number of them feel more Dreamcasty than many actual Dreamcast games do. Who could argue that Soldier of Fortune and Spirit of Speed feel more Dreamcasty than the likes of Code Veronica: Gun Survivor, Slashout or Dynamite Keiji (Deka) EX Dynamite?

Anyway, I think I’ve argued my point long enough. Let’s get started.

Part 1: The Naomi Dreamcast Connection
The Naomi was first announced in 1998 shortly before its first release The House of the Dead 2, but the story begins long before that.

It's well known that the Dreamcast was originally codenamed 'Dural,' but this was at some point changed to 'Katana' before finally the name 'Dreamcast' was settled on. Some claim the Naomi was based on the Dreamcast’s architecture, but I have a slightly different theory on the matter: the Naomi almost certainly existed earlier or, at the very least, had been in development alongside it from the start.

Firstly, let’s first look at the original name - Dural. Dural is the famous final boss character from the Virtua Fighter series; a series synonymous with the arcades, especially in its homeland of Japan. Every iteration of Sega’s famous 'Model' arcade hardware featured a Virtua Fighter game at launch to showcase its capabilities and push arcade operators to adopt the new technology. As such, Virtua Fighter 1, 2 and 3 were respectively released on Sega Model 1, 2 and 3 arcade systems at launch. The console versions of Virtua Fighter have always played second fiddle to the arcade which makes Dural a very odd choice of name for a new Sega home console.
Bow down to the power of my Photosh…I mean Paint skills.
The second clue is in the origin of the name 'Naomi.' It is sometimes stated that the meaning of the word Naomi is 'beauty above all else' in Japanese. This is a literal translation of the Kanji from the name rather than a word that has any such meaning, and is a misunderstanding on the part of westerners who took the meaning of name Kanji (Japanese characters) a little too literally. When searching on Japanese pages for the information, no such mention of 'beauty above all else' can be found anywhere. Here’s what instead you find:

「なお、NAOMIという名称の由来は、同社製アーケードゲーム基板「MODEL3」に続くファイナルモデル、スーパーモデルという意味あいがある。 そのため、当時ファッション界のスーパーモデルであった「ナオミ・キャンベル」にあやかった名称がつけられたといわれている。公式にはあくまでもNew AcardeOperater's Machine Ideaの略とされているが、発表会の前日に決まった後付けの名前であることが公式サイトの裏話として書かれていたことがある。」

"The origin of the name 'Naomi' came from the idea that the system was intended to be a continuation of the Model 3 arcade board and so has the meaning of 'Final Model' or 'Super Model.' It is said for that reason, they named the system after the famous fashion model of that time, Naomi Cambell. Finally, the day before the official announcement of the system, it was officially named 'New Arcade Operator's Machine Idea' according to the official webpage."

This explanation also parallels the name Dural in that it's the final boss of the Virtua Fighter series; an overpowered 'final boss' or 'super character,' if you will.

So in short:

Model 1, Model 2, Model 3, Final Model Super Model = Naomi Campbell = NAOMI.
I never did move on from Paint to Photoshop, I’m so ashamed.
Further evidence of the Dreamcast Naomi link can be seen in the Naomi logo. The final design of the Naomi logo as we know it today is simply the text “NAOMI”, “N”,“A”,“M” and “I” in black with the “O” displayed in the colour of the famous Dreamcast swirl. When the system was first unveiled at arcade trade shows the logo in fact used the Dreamcast swirl in the place of the O. This caused confusion among attendees and was read by many as “NAMI”, for this reason the logo was redesigned in its current form, but the colour of the O was left unchanged in an effort to show the system’s connection with the Dreamcast, or possibly the Dreamcast’s connection to the Naomi.
Top: My mockup of what the original logo could have looked like. Bottom: The official Naomi logo.
Did you ever wonder why the Dreamcast was the only console to ever feature VGA output? This is another throwback to its arcade roots. The Naomi was built to use the JVS arcade standard, an arcade connection standard to replace the former JAMMA standard.

JVS, instead of outputting video via the RGB connection on the JAMMA harness (arcade standard connection of the time), uses a 480p 31kHz signal via the VGA cable.

The newer arcade cabinets at the time (Naomi Universal Cabinet, Net City, New Net City etc., support 15kHz (for use with standard JAMMA motherboards), 24kHz and 31kHz (for motherboards that support JVS) where as older cabinets could usually only accept 15kHz. In order to be compatible with both the older JAMMA and newer JVS cabinets, the Naomi (just like the Dreamcast) is also capable of booting in either 15kHz or 31kHz mode.

To this day, the Dreamcast remains the only home console other than the Xbox 360 (that I’m aware of at least) to have ever supported VGA. It’s just not practical for a home console as very few televisions ever supported it and sharing a connection on a single monitor with a PC is simply inconvenient. The only reason the Dreamcast features VGA compatibility is clearly because of its arcade lineage.

Furthermore, I've never bought the story of Sega developing two new home consoles simultaneously in America (Blackbelt) and Japan (Dural/Katana). Why on Earth would a company in such dire financial straits as Sega waste their resources and millions of dollars on two projects knowing that one would never see the light of day? It makes much more sense that Sega of Japan were developing the next in the series of their successful Model arcade boards, while development of a new home console was delegated to America. For various reasons (you can read all about them elsewhere online) the Blackbelt's development was ceased and Sega of Japan instead decided to work towards creating a unified format that aimed to bridge the gap between their arcade and home console output. Evidence that Sega was moving in this direction can be seen in the way Sega restructured their AM (Sega Amusement Machine Research and Development Department) Divisions. With the exception of AM2, all divisions were renamed and studios which had previously focused all their efforts on arcade releases, began spreading their development across arcade and home consoles. What's more, both the Dreamcast and Naomi utilise the Katana development kit and SDK libraries to make it easier for developers to switch between development from one format to the other.

So the Naomi was already well on the road to completion when the decision was made to use the system as a basis for Sega’s next home console. Perhaps the original plans for the NAOMI entailed a more powerful system with far higher specs which were eventually lowered in order to make the system more affordable for the home market. Perhaps that’s the reason we didn’t see a Virtua Fighter game until Naomi 2. Unfortunately, the development process of these systems is not well documented publicly, so unless someone who worked for Sega at the time ever confirms my suspicions, we'll never know for sure.

What is clear however, is that the link in development of these two systems was very strong, each was developed with the other in mind; the Naomi platform wouldn’t have had the amount of success and support it received, had developers not been able to easily port to the home market, and the Dreamcast would certainly not have had such a huge library of arcade-perfect ports had it not been for its close relationship to the Naomi. The success and failures of each system had a knock on affect on the other. Any Dreamcast fan owes it to him or herself to discover the less publicised side of the Dreamcast: the Naomi.

Some examples of Naomi exclusives

Slashout
A spin-off from the 'Spikeout' series (a series of 3D beat 'em ups originally released in the arcades on Sega Model 3 hardware but never ported to home consoles), Slashout retains the four cabinet link up feature pioneered by the original Spikeout. The controls can take a while to get used to and the enemy designs admittedly feel a bit uninspired and repetitive at times, but the core gameplay is solid and offers anyone who plays it a fun experience and more than enough challenge. I highly recommend this one.
Despite being a common enemy on the first stage, these pig men can be real
annoying bastards if you let them surround you.
Jambo! Safari
Firstly, do not confuse this with the later Wii and DS releases, Jambo! Safari: Animal Rescue. From what I can tell, after playing those versions for 20 minutes or so, they are completely different games that don’t retain any of the charm from the original. In Jambo! Safari you control a Park Ranger whose goal it is to chase down wild animals in a Jeep. Once within range, the player must time the release of a lasso. If successful, the animal is caught and extra time is awarded to the player. Imagine Crazy Taxi but swap San Fransisco for the African Serengeti, the passengers for wild beasts and the goal for lassoing terrified animals...and you’re halfway there.

To be honest, most of the fun with this one is in the design of the unique Jeep cabinet, so it’s probably better to try and track down the original in an arcade rather than settle for emulation.
I’m sure the park ranger has very noble reasons for his mission, but I prefer to pretend
I’m a despicable poacher in search of ivory and fur.
Dynamite Keiji (Deka) EX Asian Dynamite
Now this is an odd one. As we all know, the original Dynamite Cop (Dynamite Keiji (Deka) 2 was ported by Sega from Model 2 arcade hardware to the Sega Dreamcast fairly shortly after launch. This version on the other hand was created by a Chinese development studio under supervision from Sega of Japan and is essentially a re-skin of the game that we all know and love.

While the goal of rescuing the president’s daughter remains the same, the player must now infiltrate a Hong Kong sky scraper rather than a ship. The layout and structure of the levels haven’t changed at all, but the 3D models used here are completely different. If you haven’t played the original in some time, you might even be fooled into thinking it’s a completely new game, but the more keen eyed players among you will certainly have a feeling of deja vu.

Gameplay wise, the game hasn’t changed much. The biggest difference is that now each of the three characters has not only their default fighting style but also three other unique fighting styles acquired by picking up costumes throughout the levels. These range from the strange to the downright ridiculous and are what make this game worth checking out.

I’d love to see an indie dev team somehow replace the textures and features from this game into Dynamite Cop 2 and release it on Dreamcast, but until that day comes, the only way to play is on Naomi.
This costume bears a striking resemblance to NiGHTS, don’t you think?
Some examples of Naomi titles that were ported, but not to the Dreamcast

Ninja Assault (PS2)
A better than average Namco lightgun shooter that feels very much like a Sega lightgun game. Although it can’t top the best of the Virtua Cop or The House of the Dead series, it still holds its own fairly well and is definitely worth the asking price of 5-10 pounds.

Senko no Ronde (Xbox 360)
Another very unique game right here; made by shmup kings G.Rev, this one combines 2D shooting gameplay with one on one fighting to brilliant effect. I thoroughly enjoyed this one on release, especially the multiplayer, both online and off. The 360 game is actually an 'enhanced' version with slightly better graphics. A sequel was also made but remains exclusive to Japan.

RhythmTengoku (GBA)
This game actually started life on the Gameboy Advance before being ported to the Naomi. Yes, that’s right. A Nintendo Gameboy game was ported to the Sega Naomi making it significant for two reasons: one, it is probably the only GBA game to have ever been ported to arcade hardware and two, it is the only Nintendo game to have been released on any of the hardware in the Dreamcast family.

Super Monkey Ball (GC, PS2, Xbox)
OK, what can I say here that hasn’t been said already a hundred times over? It’s Monkey Ball, we all know the score, but what many people don’t realise is that Monkey Ball started life in the arcade on Naomi hardware. For the console release extra features were added and the visuals were given a graphical upgrade that presumably justifies the word 'Super' added to the title. Rather than a regular analogue stick, the cabinet utilised a giant banana shaped analogue joystick.

Definitely worth checking out if you’re ever lucky enough to find the arcade original arcade cabinet out in the wild (I never have :( ). If not then the Gamecube port plays just as well.

How to play Naomi
There are a few options when it comes to playing arguably Sega’s most successful arcade system of all time. I’ll give you a brief rundown of them below, but I suggest you research further before clicking 'Buy It Now' on that overpriced eBay auction at 3am while sipping a can of Special Brew (we've all been there - Tom). There is of course the option of finding an arcade that still houses these machines, but I’m going to presume you’re perfectly capable of walking into an arcade and dropping a pound/dollar into a slot without my guidance.

1: JVS arcade cabinet
The easiest option when it comes to playing on the original hardware. Sure, they may be difficult to find and move, but once you’ve got one in your house, you’re ready to go. Just connect the Naomi up to the appropriate cables and connectors within the cab and you’re laughing.

I recommend a cab manufactured by Sega such as the Naomi Universal Cabinet, Net City or New Net City as they also come with the correct voltage power supply and wiring to support the Naomi and its add-ons such as the GD-Rom drive and Net Dimm.

2: JAMMA arcade cabinet.
Older arcade machines won’t accept the JVS standard that the Naomi uses, but there is a way around this. Arcade manufacturers such as Sega and Capcom made converters called I/O boards that convert the VGA signal and USB controls from JVS systems to one that an old timer JAMMA arcade machine can understand through its standard JAMMA pinout.

It’s widely agreed that the best I/O board to use is the Capcom I/O as it is accepts a Capcom kick harness and supports controls for four player games such as Power Stone 2. Not only that but it also contains an audio amplifier and lets you power the Naomi straight from the JAMMA harness.
A Naomi 2 connected to a JAMMA arcade cabinet via the Capcom I/O board
(that smaller box to the left of the purple Naomi 2)
Be warned, when using this method, the Naomi will not be able to draw enough power to use add-ons such as the Net and GD-Rom dimm boards. You’ll need to buy a modified Dimm and Capcom I/O or mod the connector on your own power supply if you plan on using anything other than cartridges.

3: Supergun
For those of you who don’t have the space for a full sized cabinet, this is a great solution. Superguns were designed to allow people to play or test arcade boards on a regular TV. While JVS Superguns do exist, most are JAMMA only and so you’ll have to also order an I/O board of some sort and will experience the same problems found when using a JAMMA cabinet if you intend to use add-ons.

4: Splice and dice
This option is perhaps the cheapest way to play on original hardware but be warned, it’s only open to the more technically minded of you. As mentioned earlier, the Naomi outputs video through a VGA cable and so displaying it on a regular 30Hz compatible PC monitor or television is easy. The difficulty comes with powering and controlling the thing. You’ll need to splice the cable on a PSU to connect to the Naomi properly, as well as find a way of connecting controls to a JAMMA harness, and then finally use an I/O board like the ones I mentioned above to convert them to the JVS standard.
Doc Eggfan/Scott Marley’s Naomi set up.
5: Emulate
The cheapest and easiest way is to simply use an emulator. Most of the popular Dreamcast emulators are also capable of emulating the Naomi, so if you’re already familiar with Null DC, Demul or Makaron then you should have no problem with loading up some classic Naomi games. You’ll need a fairly modern PC to get the best results and as with all emulation, some games work better than others or simple won’t run at all.

Not perfect, but the only way for most of us to play the Naomi exclusives that never made it to home consoles.

6: Ports
There is of course one last way to play Naomi games: console ports. We already know all about the Dreamcast ports but other systems that were lucky enough to get Naomi games include PlayStation 2, Gamecube, Xbox, PS3, Wii and more. Take a look the full list of Naomi games at the bottom of this article to find out which games received ports.
Some of the non-Dreamcast Naomi related games in my collection
This should have given you a good introduction to the Naomi, but I just can’t stress enough how much this should only be viewed as a brief guide to the system. The Naomi enjoyed official support for almost ten years and like the Dreamcast, you could fill multiple books on the system architecture, games and history. Look out for part two where I’ll be talking about the remaining systems in the Dreamcast family, their games and respective ports.

I know how much you readers like a good list so check out the one below detailing every game made for the original Naomi.

Naomi full games list
If the game was ported to any other system I’ve made a note of it in brackets.

Red = Never ported to a home console
Blue = Ported but not to the Dreamcast

Cartridge Games

1998
The House of The Dead 2 (DC, Wii)
Dynamite Baseball 98 (No home ports but shared many similarities with WSB 2K/ 2K1)

1999
Crazy Taxi ( DC, PS2, GC, PC, PS3, 360, iOS, Android)
Airline Pilots
Zombie Revenge (DC)
Giant Gram All Japan Pro Wrestle 2 (DC)
Ring Out 4x4
F355 Challenge (DC, PS2)
Virtua Striker 2 Version 2000 (DC)
Touch de Uno
Super Major League '99 (The arcade versions of the WSB series)
Toy Fighter
Outrigger (DC)
Sega Tetris (DC)
Dynamite Baseball '99
18 Wheeler (DC, PS2, GC)
Kasei Channel (Mars TV)
Samba De Amigo (DC, Wii)
Puyo Puyo HYPERLINK 
DA! -featuring ELLENA System- (DC)
Jambo! Safari (received a re-imagining on the Wii, but it differs greatly from the arcade original) Power Smash (Virtua Tennis) (DC, Windows, N-Gage)
Shangri La (DC)
Power Stone (DC, PSP)
Idol Junchi Sweetie Pie III (PC, a remixed version was also released on PSP and DS)
New Japan Pro Wrestling Toukonretsuden 4 (DC)
Dead or Alive 2 (DC, PS2)
Derby owners club (Future releases have also been released on PC, iOS and Android)

2000
Typing of the Dead (DC, PC)
Dead or Alive 2 Millennium (PS2, I believe a fan made project recently added the extra content to the DC version)
Virtua NBA (modified version of NBA 2K that appeared on DC)
Cyber Troopers Virtual On Oratorio Tanguramu (DC)
Slashout 
Quiz Ah Megamisama - My Goddess (DC)
Giant Gram 2000 (DC)
Sega Strike Fighter
Marvel vs Capcom 2 New Age of Heroes (DC, PS2, XBOX, 360, PS3, iOS)
Moero Justice Gakuin (Project Justice) (DC)
Spwan in the Demon’s Hand (DC)
Capcom vs SNK Millennium Fighter 2000 (DC, PS1)
GunspikeAKA Canon Spike (DC)
Power Stone 2 (DC, PSP)
World Kicks
Ninja Assault (PS2)
Death Crimson OX (DC, PS2)
GUILTY GEAR X (DC)
Giga Wing 2 (DC)

2001
F355 Challenge 2
Cosmic Smash (DC)
KidousenshiGundamRenpou Verses Zion Deluxe (DC, PS2)
Gun Surviver Bio Hazard Code Veronica (PS2)
Zero Gunner 2 (DC)

2002
Mazan
Anpanman no Popcorn Koujou 2
WORLD CLUB Champion Football
Sega 4 Player Uchi Majhong MJ~MJ Network Taisen
Kouchuu Ouja Mushi King (Games in the series were released for GBA and DS, but how related to the original Naomi version they are is anyone’s guess)
Zunou Nouryoku Koujou Mashiin Touch de Zunou
Dynamite Keiji (Deka) EX Asian Dynamite (This is a re-skin of the Model 3/ Dreamcast game Dynamite Cop 2)
Shooting Club 2007 (Released as a double pack named 'Ge-Sen Love Plus Pengo!' containing this and an eight player version of 'Pengo!' on Xbox 360)
PokaSuka Ghost!
Rythm Tengoku (GBA, Wii)
Akakki Denkou Senki Ausf Achse (Windows)
Illmatic Envelope (Wii)
Mamorukun ha Norowaretishimatta (360, PS3)
Melty Blood 
Actress Again (PS2)
Radilgy (DC, GC, PS2, 3DS)

Naomi GD-Rom Games

2000
Confidential Mission (DC)
Sports Jam (DC)
Shakka to Tambourine

2001
Street Fighter Zero 3 Upper (DC, PSP There are so many version of this game it’s difficult to keep track. Google it.)
CAPCOM VS. SNK MILLENNIUM FIGHT 2000 PRO (DC, PS1)
CAPCOM VS. SNK 2 MILLIONAIRE FIGHTING 2001 (DC, PS2, GC, XBOX)
Doki Doki Idol Star Seeker
Monkey Ball (GC, PS2, XBOX)
Power Smash 2 (DC, PS2, Virtua Tennis 2)
Spikers Battle
Dynamite Golf
Super Major League (Arcade version of the WSB Series)
Lupin the 3rd the Shooting
Ikaruga (DC, GC, XBLA, Android, Steam)
Kidousenshi Gundam Renpou Verses Zion Deluxe (DC PS2)
Shakka to Tambourine! 2001 (PS1 adaptation featuring Licensing deal with a Japanese pop group named Mini Moni)

2002
Lupin the 3rd the Typing (very small release, possible that got it got a Windows release in Japan but I can’t find any information on it, even when searching in Japanese)
Virtua Athlete (DC, PS2)
Quiz Keetai Q Mode Mail mo Chat moKoishi Tel
Clepatra Fortune Plus (DC, PS2)
Musapey's Choco Marker (DC)
Usagi Yasei no Tatakai Paiwo Sakuseichuu Idou Sakiannai Kensaku
Guilty Gear XX (PS2)
Azumanga Daiou Puzzle Bobble
The Maze of Kings

2003
PuyoPuyo Fever (DC, PS2, GC, XBOX, iOS, Mac, GBA, Windows, PSP, Android, Windows Phone and more)
Guilty Gear XX Reload (PS2, XBOX, PSP, Windows)
Dragon Treasure
Boarder Down (DC)
Shikigami no Shiro 2 (DC, GC, XBOX, PS2, Windows)
Psyvariar 2: The Will To Fabricate (DC, PS2)

2004
Tetris Gokudou
Chaos Field (DC, GC, PS2)
Trizeal (DC, PS2)

2005
Senko no Ronde (Upgraded version available on 360)
Super Shanghai 2005 (PS2, DS)
Melty Blood Act Cadenza (PS2)
Guilty Gear XX Slash (PS2)
Radilgy (DC, PS2, GC, Wii)
Under Defeat (DC, PS3, 360)

2006
KuruKuru Chameleon (PSP)
Trigger Heart Exelica (DC, PS2, XBLA, iOS)
Senko no RondeSP (Upgraded version available on 360)
Jingi Storm the Arcade
Karous (DC, Wii)
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core (PS2, Upgraded version (Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus Plus) also released on PS2, PSP, Wii, 360, PS3)

2007
Noukone Puzzle Takoron (Wii)


If I’ve missed any games or ports in this list, please let me know. I hope we can work towards creating a complete list of all the games in the Dreamcast arcade family and their respective ports.

Ross O'Reilly
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