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DreamPod - Episode 23

January 10, 2016, 5:03 am
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The Dreamcast Beach Football Challenge

January 11, 2016, 3:13 pm
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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 and 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!
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Quantic Dream Pays Tribute To David Bowie

January 12, 2016, 1:02 pm
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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.
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Dreamcast Magazine Issue 5

January 14, 2016, 8:13 pm
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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.

Games previewed include Resident Evil Code Veronica, Soul Reaver, Shenmue and Rayman 2. Jambo! Safari is also showcased, but as previously noted Dreamcast Magazine had a tendency to jump the gun and preview arcade games and state that they were heading to the home...but without much in the way of proof. That is evident here. The only interesting news items as far as 'unreleased' stuff goes are a couple of stories about Konami developing a football game for the Dreamcast, and another regarding Universal Interactive's PlayStation properties Crash Bandicot and Spyro the Dragon potentially coming to Sega's system (see above).

Reviews are plentiful in issue 5, and include Crazy Taxi, Virtual On, Virtua Striker 2, Resident Evil 2, Armada, Evolution, Zombie Revenge, Tee Off Golf and Death Crimson 2. Elsewhere there is a guide to Toy Commander and a look at a digital camera boasting an incredible 1.5 megapixels. Enough from me though - here's the video:

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A Quick Look At Aqua GT

January 16, 2016, 11:32 am
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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.

Looking at the features bandied about back when Aqua GT was known as Hydro Sprint, it's hard not to be majorly disappointed with the game that actually came out. This is less a Hydro Thunder-killer, and more a wet fart. But I'm getting ahead of myself (as usual). Let's look at what Aqua GT is, before we delve deeper into what it is not. We've already established that this is a powerboat racing game, and it plays like a fairly bog-standard arcade racer of the period. There's a championship mode, which is split into four different tiers (bronze, silver, gold and champions) with each getting progressively tougher the further you go. There's also an arcade mode where you get to choose your track and boat, alter the number of laps and the difficulty (which also changes the amount of allotted time you have in which to complete the race) and then you hit the water and race. The tracks are all meant to represent real-life rivers or canals in some of the world's great cities, so you'll get to race on the Thames in London, the Seine in Paris and the historic canals in Vienna. The number of circuits is fairly paltry to be honest (7 in total) and there is no way to race in reverse or mirror mode, but you do get to choose whether you race during the day or night, and whether at high or low tide.
The 80s called. They want their loading screen back.
Regardless of the fact that it is ridiculous from a realism standpoint, this altering of the tide could have been an interesting feature and allowed for multiple routes and whatnot, but all it really does in practice is make the level of the water higher or lower and doesn't really do anything to change how the game plays. You still bounce off the same walls in the same places and there are no alternative routes - it's a nice idea but a total missed opportunity to inject some variety into the game. And that's really the sticking point with Aqua GT - everything about it feels half-arsed. The races are soulless and dull, the AI boats stick to the same racing line and don't ever seem to be aware of your (or each other's) presence.

The races move at a pedestrian rate of knots (pun intended), with you occasionally bouncing off the walls or off a mindless adversary who just ploughs on regardless, at maximum speed and into the distance without ever needing to slow down to take even the sharpest of hairpin corners. The water effects too, are lacklustre. Look at Wave Race 64, it is a game on a system that came out nearly five years prior to Aqua GT and is on a system that is less technically advanced than the Dreamcast..but the water effects are light years ahead of the non-reflective jelly-like substance you are racing on in Aqua GT. Sure, the boats look OK and the day/night option allows for some interesting light sourcing in places, but everything else about Aqua GT's visuals is bargain basement.
Hydro Sprint preview taken from Dreamcast Magazine issue 6
The Dreamcast doesn't have that many water-based racing games - Hydro Thunder, Surf Rocket Racers and Aqua GT make up the three main contenders to the aquatic throne, but neither of the latter, later releases come close to usurping the much earlier Thunder as the king of the waves. Don't get me wrong, Aqua GT is a far cry from being anywhere near as bad as stuff like Spirit of Speed 1937, Exhibition of Speed or Roadsters, but it never escapes the mire of completely average functionality. The music is tired, repetitive techno; the boats all sound like two-stoke 50cc motorbikes; the handling is slow and imprecise; the water physics are non-existent; the pop-up is very noticeable; the AI is both robotic and idiotic. Ultimately, Aqua GT is actually a chore to play, and that's the kicker.
For some reason, Aqua GT is now one of those games - like Evil Twin - that seems to be mind-bogglingly expensive on eBay, and this may be due to the fact that it's a PAL exclusive. It certainly isn't because it's a quality racer that everyone with a Dreamcast feels it is their duty to own. No, if you're hankering for some water-based racing on your Dreamcast that looks great, sounds good and plays well then I'd suggest seeking out a copy of Hydro Thunder; and unless you're a collector going for a full set I'd give Aqua GT a wide birth. This one should have been scuttled along with Picassio and Promethean Designs.
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Yes - There Was A Dreamcast Energy Drink

January 17, 2016, 2:02 am
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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 thing I have discovered it 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. 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), but I'm sure you'll agree it's amazing that hitherto forgotten Dreamcast marketing material is still coming to the fore in 2016.

The other, rather creepy images in the gallery 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.
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Guest Article: Future Proofing Your Dreamcast

January 18, 2016, 4:20 am
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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...

Choosing a VGA box
As all Dreamcast owners know, to get the best picture out of the DC, you'll need a VGA cable or box. This of course allows you to play DC games in glorious 480p. Many people dismiss the cheap Chinese cables as poor quality rubbish, but in my experience, they do the job just fine and look great. The problem arises when trying to play games that aren't compatible with VGA, leaving you to switch out your VGA cable for RGB Scart/JP21 and play in 240p.
 
Some of these so called 'non-VGA compatible' games can however be forced into VGA mode. Any VGA box (not cable) will do the job (this is nothing new, I'm just repeating what others have said countless times). Simply set the VGA box to RGB mode, turn the console on and as it's booting up, switch to VGA mode. It can take a bit of practice to get the timing right and I recommend that you Google it for more information, but it's certainly doable. 
 
The best VGA box is generally considered to be the TORO. Why? Well, it has both a VGA and RGB connection, allowing you to seamlessly switch between the two. Plus, it also has a few extra features such as the ability to output a 480p signal via Scart, add scanlines and more. Having said that, it's not cheap. I recommend to anyone with a direct VGA connection on their monitor/TV to check the list of VGA compatible Dreamcast games for yourself and decide whether the TORO is worth the price tag.

Displaying the Dreamcast on a modern TV
If you have a VGA connection on your TV then displaying the Dreamcast on your set is easy...or so you'd think. The Dreamcast via RGB outputs in standard resolution (240p) that your television can interpret and display in the perfect aspect resolution via its standard 4:3 setting, which is great!
 
When booted in VGA mode however, the DC outputs in the unusual 720x480p resolution, but only uses the inner 640x480p. Most 480p signals from other consoles and devices output in 640x480p which your TV is designed to display perfectly in 4:3 mode, but many modern TVs have not been designed with 720x480p in mind, meaning the image will appear squashed when set to 4:3 or stretched in widescreen mode, making the perfect aspect ratio unattainable. If you're using a PC monitor or a TV that allows you to manually adjust the aspect resolution, such as old school analogue monitors, then this won't be a problem. Simply adjust the image manually by eye or use software such as 'The 240p Test Suit' to adjust your monitor/ TV's aspect ratio and settings perfectly to suit the DC (240p Test Suite can be easily downloaded to disk or SD card for use with GDEmu).
 
For the majority of you however, you've probably moved on to modern flat screen televisions, most of which won't allow you to hit the sweet spot between 4:3 and widescreen.
The solution is not cheap, but the results are fantastic:
The Framemesiter XRGB-Mini is a device designed to upscale retro game consoles to 720p/i or 1080p/i with optional scanlines, minimal lag and countless more features through HDMI to your modern television set. It's not cheap (around $300), but if you have a large collection of games consoles or deep pockets then it's definitely worth the price of entry.
 
Coming back to the issue of the Dreamcast's unusual output (720x480p), this device allows you to play the Dreamcast in the perfect aspect ratio. Take a look at the pictures below (photos were taken with my iPhone so I apologise for the poor quality, but I think you'll get the idea):
1. Dreamcast in VGA mode displayed in default 4:3 aspect ratio
2. Dreamcast in VGA mode displayed using the XRGB mini
As you can clearly see, the car in the top picture appears squashed and 'boxy.' The bottom picture is how the car was intended to look by the developers of Shenmue. It's also worth noting that you'll not only need the XRGB Mini but also a regular male to male Scart cable and a Scart to JP21 converter, both of which can be bought cheaply online from such outlets as www.retrogamingcables.co.uk.
 
Optimal Framemeister XRGB Mini settings:
  • Image_Mode: Picture
  • Screen_Set: Normal2 (this is where the correct aspect ratio is set)
  • Auto_Scaler: Off
  • H_Scaler: 6
  • V_Scaler: 3
Visual Set Menu:
  • V_Pos: 33
  • H_Width: 38
  • V_Width: 33
  • Brightness: 23
  • Gamma: 14
  • Sharpness: 1
  • Black: 1
  • A/D Level: 131
While I was already aware of how to set the XRGB Mini to the correct aspect ratio for the DC, I have to give credit for the other above settings to the YouTube channel, IMPLANTgames. Here's a link to his video on the Dreamcast + Toro + XRGB Mini.
 
One last point regarding use with the XRGB Mini is that you have the option of outputting audio through JP21/Scart or RCA cables. I can't tell the difference myself, but many swear by RCA cables over Scart when it comes to audio clarity. This is definitely something worth considering for optimal sound quality.
 
Playing downloaded games on the Dreamcast
We all know about the Dreamcast's ability to play burned CDs so I won't go into detail here, but as I'm sure many of you already know, there are two other options for playing downloaded games: GDEmu and USB-GDROM.

Much has already been written about such devices here at the Junkyard, so I suggest you scroll back through some of the past entries or do a simple Google search for more information. Needless to say, both devices provide you with an easy means of playing 99% of downloaded Dreamcast software flawlessly, just as if you were playing the original GD-ROM and actually improves the experience by minimising load times.

Getting online
Again, this is a topic that has been covered in great deal elsewhere, so I suggest you check out the plethora of information available via Google. I have high hopes for the soon to be released DreamPi but as of today your only options are to either buy a pricey broadband adapter or set up a PC-DC server. I went with the simpler BBA route.

DIY Super Dreamcast
As of late, there has been much talk regarding the 'Dreamcast 2,''Dreamcast Deluxe' or 'HD Dreamcast.' Whether or not any of these ideas will ever see the light of day is not for me to speculate, but what I want to show you is that many of the promised features of such systems are already available to you, today. 

Here's a rundown of my setup (not including random peripherals - switch in an Arcade Stick/ Lightgun/Train Controller as needed):
Dreamcast x 2
 >Regular DC for GD-Rom games
 >GDEmu fitted Dreamcast for loading games/ other digital content from  SD card
Broadband Adapter for online play/ DLC
Toro VGA box
 >output 480p VGA signal through a scart cable into the XRGB Mini
 >force select games that aren't VGA compatible into 480p
 >play non-VGA games via RGB Scart
Framemeister XRGB Mini + Scart + Scart to JP21 converter + RCA cable
 >Upscale games to 1080p via HDMI cable
 >Allow Dreamcast games to be played in the intended aspect ratio
 >RCA cable for superior sound when compared to Scart/JP21
 >Minimal input lag
Controller x4
 >1P VMU + Rumble Pack
 >2P VMU + Action Replay CDX for cheats and playing games from other regions
 >3P VMU x 2 for maximum memory 
 >4P VMU x 2 for maximum memory
Dream Eye web camera
 >for taking selfies of yourself enjoying the ultimate bad boy DC set  up

Possible ways to improve the above setup
  • Use Dream Conn wireless controllers.
  • Insert official x4 Memory cards in place of regular VMUs for added storage.
  • Add a keyboard and mouse.
  • In place of the RGB Mini/ Toro combo use the soon to be released Dreamcast HD mod by Ash Evans.
  • Mod the disk based system to be region free.
  • Connect a DC Karaoke unit for shits and giggles.
Thanks for reading. Let me know if you have any additional ideas on how to create the perfect Dreamcast setup.

Ross O'Reilly
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Leona's Tricky Adventures Available Now!

January 19, 2016, 2:48 am
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We reported on Leona's Tricky Adventures way back in 2013 and sadly had to update the article when the Kickstarter project failed to make its goal. KTX Software battled on though, and we are happy to report that Leona's Tricky Adventures, complete with printed CD, manual and jewel case is now available to order from the game's official website. I haven't had the chance to play the game yet, but here's a short description from the KTX site:

Leona's Tricky Adventures is a clever puzzle adventure in a charming retro look. Explore a world of mystery and cutesy residents and recover a lost paradise by solving logic puzzles. With a storyline created by the comic authors Musal M. & B. Samuel and the music of the brilliant
composer Chris Huelsbeck, Tricky Adventures is a perfect treat for connoisseurs.
 - KTX Software
A box of Leona. Um.
You can find more information here and order the game here for €29.99 plus postage. It's also available on Steam if a new Dreamcast release isn't within your budget. Look out for a developer interview with KTX very soon here at the Junkyard; and a review of this cool-looking puzzle/adventure game just as soon as we can get our clammy, mud-covered hands on a copy.
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An Interesting Toy Racer Easter Egg

January 18, 2016, 2:24 pm
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Our good friend Pcwzrd13 has been up to his usual tricks - creating extremely decent Dreamcast-related video content. Unfortunately, it's not the latest in the Games That Never Were series (although rest assured, it's coming soon!); but rejoice in the fact that it's the revelation of a hitherto never before seen easter egg involving Toy Racer and that other No Cliché vapourware title, Agartha. Sadly, Agartha never really amounted to much more than a video of a bloke with a beard wandering around in the snow...and anyone can see that by hanging around the local bus station on a particularly cold Thursday morning. However, that won't that deter us. Behold:

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DreamPi 1.1 with Dreamcast Now! Released

January 20, 2016, 7:36 am
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Just a short one this. You may recall a few weeks ago that we revealed a new online service for Dreamcast called Dreamcast Now! that allows you to see when other users are online and what games they are playing etc. It's about as close to something like Xbox Live or PlayStation Network that we're ever likely to see on the Dreamcast, but it's real...and it works with the DreamPi Raspberry Pi device created by Luke Benstead. The good news is that Luke has released the latest version of the DreamPi image and it includes everything you need to get Dreamcast Now! up and running.

Episode 24 of DreamPod features Luke as a special guest and he explains exactly what the DreamPi and Dreamcast Now! service will mean for the future of online gaming on the DC. That episode will be out by the end of the week, but in the meantime feel free to head over to Luke's blog and download the image for yourself.
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Make Your Own Dreamcast Games With Elysian Shadows Toolkit

January 21, 2016, 2:02 pm
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By now, you'll no doubt be aware of Elysian Shadows - the successfully-funded Kickstarter RPG that is coming to Dreamcast, Steam and a whole host of other platforms. Now, this isn't widely known, but Elysian Shadows Team will be bundling the ESTk development tools with every copy of the game. ESTk stands for Elysian Shadows Toolkit and as anyone with even a passing interest in game development will know, this is massive news for the Dreamcast indie scene. ESTk will allow gamers to create their own content for use within the Elysian Shadows engine and it will also allow more talented coders to create whole new games from scratch. Yes - you read that right.

"ESTk is the custom multiplatform Toolkit/Level Editor developed with C++ and the Qt framework written specifically to create the immersive worlds of Elysian Shadows. It shares a significant amount of code with ESGamma and boasts advanced tiling and sheet management tools, including the ability to create 2D worlds with 3D depth."
- Elysian Shadows Website

While this isn't new news, a lot of people may have missed the initial announcement, and I certainly wasn't aware of this - even though it was made public back in 2014! Regardless, this is simply incredible and literally blows the the door wide open for a whole new generation of indie Dreamcast games with all manner of cool audio and visual features, accurate environment physics, light sourcing, particle engines and more. On top of this, there's also Dreamcast SD reader and coder cable support. Jaw-dropping stuff. Here's the original video from Elysian Shadows lead developer Falco Girgis:


Remember, you can still support Elysian Shadows - go here and pledge what you can!
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DreamPod - Episode 24: DreamPi

January 22, 2016, 1:41 pm
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Scraping the Bottom of the Barrel

January 24, 2016, 6:11 am
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I thought I was more or less done with Dreamcast game collecting. With over 400-500 games in my possession (depending on how you count regional duplicates, demo discs, etc.), I felt that I had pretty much royally overdone it and owned far more than was ever going to be necessary. It would be almost impossible to find the time to play them all in the remaining weekends and evenings I have left before the sun sets on my miserable pile of secrets, but that sobering thought never slowed me down. I even went the extra mile, acquiring many of the games originally destined for Dreamcast but ended up on competitor's consoles when Sega lost their marbles and went third party. I invested in arcade hardware like NAOMI and Atomiswave in order to get all the Dreamcast games that were never ported into the home. I had traveled not just one extra mile but all of the extra miles and reached every dead end. I was done.

And then this happened:
Damn you Mike Phelan!
It turns out I was not done, I was in fact far from done. There were all these tiny little dark and twisted narrow detours and blind alleys that my Dreamcast searchlight had originally failed to reveal. Games I never knew existed. Little known games by developers I loved. Games whose impenetrable Japanese seemed less frightening with the helping hand of Mike's accessibility guide. My collection now seems woefully incomplete and my interest was reborn. I think I might just get a few more games, maybe a couple of dozen, no more than two score tops. I don't need all of them, I can totally stop anytime I want. Seriously.

Come on man, just one more fix and then I'll definitely stop for good.
I started out just wanting to get some parts for my Lindbergh project from Yahoo Auctions Japan (via the Buyee proxy service). Just a couple of beat up old Dreamcast Arcade Sticks in need of some tender loving refurbishment.
These will do nicely. I'm going to gut them out, so if anyone wants the contents, let me know.
And an early generation Sega I/O board, which converts digital inputs into a JVS signal that Sega arcade hardware like the Lindbergh understands. 
Those are standard JAMMA pinouts across the bottom there
That's all I wanted. But after perusing the collector's guide, I thought I'd pick up a few cheap Dreamcast games as well, just to round out my collection a little bit more. Just a few more... 

Several weeks later, I woke up from my buyer's remorse hangover to this beast of a delivery:     
Oh Goddess! what have I done?
It gets worse...
The horror...
So without further ado, here's all the unnecessary Dreamcast tat I bought myself. You could look at this as a cautionary tale, or, on the flipside, a guide to some of the bottom tier titles you can buy for the Dreamcast fanatic who has it all, and the lame justifications you can use for bestowing them.

Super Speed Racing (スーパースピード･レーシング) [HDR-0013]
OK, this one probably isn't too bad. It had a less than stellar reputation from magazines back in the day who were unimpressed with its simple charms. A recent positive retrospective from Tom put it back on my radar, and it holds a unique position as the only “non-cartoony, proper cart racing” game on Dreamcast. I probably should get a copy of the US release Flag to Flag as well, since it was supposed to contain updates and improvements over this original Japanese release.
♫ Everybody's Super Speed Racing, driving to the point of no return... 
Segagaga (セガガガ) (or SGGG) [HDR-0171]
I actually thought I had this already. I mean, I do already, as I have the limited edition and the limited edition box set, but when I went to do my article on Dreamcast games released in DVD cases, I thought I had this regular release as well to provide a comparison shot between the different case styles. Oh well, it's been rectified now.
♫ All we hear is Segagaga, Sega goo goo..
Netto de Tennis (ねっとdeテニス) [T-1234M]
Neat little tennis game that Rob's mentioned a couple of times on the DreamPod. I ended up getting this from a seller on Amazon.co.jp as the cheap copies on Yahoo were badly sun-faded - Buyee took care of the logistics for me. This also gets me closer to a full set of Capcom games on Dreamcast (I think I have all the titles they developed themselves, but they published a lot of games in Japan that were developed by Western studios as well).
Is it just me, or is that dog totally up-skirting? 
Nettou Golf (熱闘ゴルフ) [HDR-0006]
I picked this up on a whim thinking it was related to Netto de Tennis but this was developed by Sega instead of Capcom, despite that fact I'm getting a distinct Power Stone vibe from those characters on the cover. It helps to fill a golfing game niche in my collection, since the Dreamcast wasn't home to many of them, and this one has a unique swing mechanic that uses the analogue stick. Friend of the Junkyard PC Wizard has a nice video of it in action here
Ready to face off against the X-Men
Jinsei Game for Dreamcast (人生ゲーム for Dreamcast) [T-10301M]
An adaption of the board game 'Game of Life' for Dreamcast, which is apparently pretty popular in Japan. An interesting oddity, and it can't be any worse than Sonic Shuffle (can it?).
The Japanese adaption extends the pre-adult section of the game to include stages as a toddler
and through the various levels of the Japanese education system
Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu Dreamcast Edition (実況パワフルプロ野球 Dreamcast Edition) [T-9507M]
Again, Tom was responsible for putting this on my wants list via a recent article. I'm not normally interested in sports games, but this looks as if it could be some fun and also gets me closer to a full set of Konami games on Dreamcast as well.
But it's just not cricket
Nanatsu no Hikan: Senritsu no Bishou (七つの秘館 戦慄の微笑) [T-7604M]
This is that little known survival horror game that Caleb's mentioned on the DreamPod a couple of times. It was originally planned to get a North American release as “Seven Mansions” but it never came to pass. By all reports, the game is pretty bog standard average, and the language barrier will be a problem, but the behind the shoulder and first person camera views add a little innovation that prelude the direction Capcom would later take with Resi 4. Again PC Wizard has a good stab at playing it on his youtube channel
Aww, I hate snow! And snow hates you!
Prismaticallization (プリズマティカリゼーション) [T-22002M]
Ah yep, not much needs to be said here when the game's cover pretty much screams all you need to know. It's one redeeming feature is that it was developed by Arc System Works, best known for their stellar Guilty Gear fighting game series, so maybe it has more to offer than meets the eye? The story sounds a little bit like Groundhog Day, where the protagonist has the power to relive the same day over and over again.
What happens privately between me and my Dreamcast waifu is nobodies business but mine
Tanaka Torahiko no Uru Toraryuu Shogi: Ibisha Anaguma-hen (田中寅彦のウル寅流将棋 居飛車穴熊編) [T-22001M]
This is the only other Arc System Works game on Dreamcast, so now I have the full set. Also, it's now the only shogi game I have on Dreamcast, one of only 3 released for the system in total. This one is endorsed by 9-Dan ranked Shogi master Tanaka Torahiko (I have no idea what I'm talking about).
A 9-Dan master? Surely he's a secret character in Guilty Gear X
Princess Maker Collection (プリンセスメーカーコレクション) [T-44801M]
A compilation of both Princess Maker 1 and 2. Both games are basically what they sound like: tamagotchi with boobs. It supposedly has some kind of connection to Gainax, one of my favourite animation studios, but there's nothing obvious on the case and I'm starting to wonder if it's a misunderstanding based on the similarly pronounced game's developer GeneX?
♫ Diagrams and charts, Mending broken hearts 
and makin' Weird Science!
Canary: Kono Omoi o Uta ni Nosete (カナリア 〜この想いを歌にのせて〜 ) [T-20111M]
According to Mike's guide, this ranked as a 'C' for accessibility due to the existence of an English translation guide. A battle of the bands type story combined with Japanese eroge gags, the game has mixture or favourable and not so favourable reviews.
I think this canary shows just how far down the coal mine I've sunk.
D+Vine [Luv] or Divine Love (ディヴァイン ラヴ) [T-46501M]
An average JRPG with an accessibility ranking of 'C'– requiring large amounts of trial and error to battle through it. The graphics don't exactly stress the Dreamcast's PowerVR muscle either, and would look just as at home on the Saturn. Comes with a bonus soundtrack disc featuring the game's main theme song.
Even more confusing to pronounce than Fruit'Y
Sentimental Graffiti 2 (センチメンタルグラフティ2) [T-20104M]
A reasonably well regarded visual novel type game that has an English translation guide for us gaijin plebs. Tells the story of a predatory photographer, preying on a group of girls who just lost their friend in a car accident, callously luring one of them to be his "model" in their time of grief. Lol Japan.
Unfortunately, not associated with Jet Set Radio in any way.
Dengen Tenshi Taisen Mahjong Shangri-La (電幻天使対戦麻雀 シャングリラ) [T-40801M]
Sub-titled “Cyber Angel Mahjong Battle” it's about a futuristic war between man and machine, where the future leader of the human resistance sends back in time a cybernetic angel to help his younger self win a game of mahjong in order to save humanity, or something like that. Everyone needs a mahjong game in their collection, right?
Come with me if you want to live out your days playing mahjong
Jahmong (ジャーマン 音声認識麻雀ゲーム) [T-43401M]
What is Jahmong? The evil mirror universe version of Mahjong? Notable for being one of the few games to support the Dreamcast microphone back in the day, where you could scream blue murder and hurl abuse at your opponents across the 36.6Kbps interwebs. Maybe me and the one other guy who still owns this will be able to play it again one day when the DreamPi takes off. Maybe…
See, even the cover knows it's all about the verbal abuse
Bikkuriman 2000 Viva! Festival! (ビックリマン2000 ビバ！フェスチバァ！) [T-41801M]
An interesting oddity this one, it's based on popular Japanese trading cards, but what makes it interesting is that it was developed by Sega Toys, who are treated as a third party company (T- code 418) rather than a first party Sega division. It is also possible to link it up to its portable counterpart Bikkuriman 2000 Viva! Pocket Festival via the Dreamcast to Neo Geo Pocket link cable, though for what purpose I am not certain, trading cards most likely.
♫ Viva la Vida Bikkuriman
Bass Rush Dream: EcoGear PowerWorm Championship (バスラッシュドリーム　〜エコギア パワーワームチャンピオンシップ〜) [T-5801M]
Once you've exhausted all the thrills of Sega Bass Fishing and Sega Marine Fishing, there are few places left to turn for your itchy fishing controller finger. Luckily, Visco provides alternative fishy delights to keep your PowerWorm thrumming long into the night.
*snigger* PowerWorm
Kita e. White Illumination (北へ。White Illumination) [T-14301M]
Rob's favourite Japanese "adventure" game, in which he lovingly extols the virtues of this dating sim in a previous Junkyard article.
It's a Hudson Soft game, and it turns out I'm now only 2 off a full set of their Dreamcast releases.
CR Hissatsu Shigotonin Pachitte Chonmage @VPACHI (CR必殺仕事人　パチってちょんまげ@VPACHI) [T-45801M]
This is one of the numerous Pachinko sims released on Dreamcast. The reason this one is special is because it is themed around a popular Japanese TV drama Hissatsu Shigotonin, and by all reports features some extremely high quality video clips from the show. This should prove inspirational for my Dreamcast Video Disc experiments.
btw, Hackberry is an awesome name for a games developer.
Memories Off Complete (メモリーズオフ コンプリート) [T-19702M]
Another Japanese love sim, and with an English walkthrough available it is somewhat accessible to play. This is a remake of the original Memories Off (it has spawned multiple sequels and spin-offs, so it's kind of a big deal in the love sim genre). It also includes the prequel story with updated graphics from the Neo Geo Pocket game Memories Off: Pure, which I also own. I was mainly interested to see if there was any interaction between these two games via the NGP link cable. Also, there are currently no decent scans of this on Sega Retro.
Please return your memories to the "off" position
Morita no Saikyou Reversi (森田の最強Ｒｅｖｅｒｓｉ)
And lastly, we have perhaps the most uninteresting game of all - a computerised version of the simple board game Othello. I quite like this in my collection for Sega's last console though, as there is also a game of Othello on Sega's first console, the SG-1000, which I also own. I quite like the symmetry of that.
The game visibly displays the Dreamcast running through the game's code in order to determine its next move.
You can actually see that "it's thinking".
Apart from all this Dreamcast love, I also bought a handful of non-Dreamcast games as well. The PS2 port of Trizeal looks interesting, as it seems to have some additional features over the Dreamcast version, with some that look similar to those found in the NAOMI spiritual sequel Shooting Love 2007.  
Sega Ages 2500 Vol. 11 - Hakotu no Ken (remake of Master System game "Black Belt"),
Shooting Love ~ Trizeal, Dead or Alive, and Darius Gaiden.
And one final footnote: I bought a few cheap Dreamcast accessories too. I might even have some nefarious plans in store for them in the near future, but I'm keeping my cards close to my chest for the moment. You'll find out soon enough, assuming my plan works. Stay tuned... 
Muahahahaha!
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Dreamcast Magazine Issue 6

January 25, 2016, 12:46 am
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Issue 6 of Paragon Publishing's unofficial Dreamcast Magazine was available from the 24th February 2000 and marked the first time Lara Croft appeared on the mag's cover. Following in the tradition set by preceding issues, several features on arcade games that either weren't announced or had nothing to do with the Dreamcast are included, although to off-set that there is a fairly lengthy 'history of racing games' article, complete with previews of upcoming Dreamcast driving titles. Issue 6 is particularly interesting in that several high profile abandoned games are showcased, with Picassio, DroneZ and Felony Pursuit all being covered, and Midnight GT also gets a small mention.

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, MDK 2, Shenmue and Half-Life take the headlines in the forecast section; while the PAL reviews section consists of ratings for Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver, Slave Zero, NBA 2K and Deadly Skies. Import reviews are for Code Veronica, Space Channel 5, Godzilla Maximum Impact, Tech Romancer, Elemental Gimmick Gear and Centipede. Here's the video:

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CSK Holdings: A Brief History & Connection to the Dreamcast

January 25, 2016, 4:24 pm
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Hey guys, I'm Ross and welcome to my first article as an official DCJY member. Seeing as my guest articles went down so well, Tom decided to ask me to join the team...and so I naturally obliged!

To give a little background to this article, Tom asked me if I had any knowledge about a varient of the Dreamcast that isn't well documented online. I looked into it and thought that what I discovered might make an interesting company profile. So, read on to find out more about the Japanese conglomerate that played a major role in the shaping of not only Sega, but also our beloved Dreamcast - CSK Holdings Corporation.
CSK Holdings Corporation?
CSK Holdings Corporation (株式会社CSKホールディングス Kabushiki-gaisha Shī Esu Kei Hōrudingusu) is a multi-billion dollar Japanese conglomerate with heavy involvement in I.T. industries.

Formed in 1968, they've played a big part in the history of Sega since 1984 when they bought the company and renamed it to 'Sega Enterprises Ltd.' Isao Okawa, a personal friend of David Rosen, became the company's chairman and two years later shares of the company were put on the Tokyo Stock Exchange to be traded.

CSK remained the parent company of Sega until 2004 when they sold their remaining shares to Sammy Corporation which led to the two companies merging to form the one we know today, Sega Sammy Holdings Inc.

CSK Research institute/ CRI Middleware/ Criware
A subsidiary of CSK Holdings, CSK Research Institute (abbreviated to CRI) was founded in 1983 for the purpose of research in the field of artificial intelligence.

In the late 80's the company began turning its focus away from AI and towards research and development of multimedia. Shortly after making this change in direction, they provided technical support for the development of the FM-Towns (the world's first PC built with a CD-ROM drive) and later developed the first CD-ROM game ever released in Japan, After Burner 2 which was released on the system.

In 1996, the company went on to develop two custom data formats for use in video games. ADX was an audio storage and compression format that was used sparingly towards the end of the Sega Saturn's life in such games as Burning Rangers, but later went on to feature in almost every release on the Dreamcast (You can find their logo on the back of most game cases).

The second format they created was a 24bit colour video format similar to M-PEG named Sofdec, capable of 60fps playback. Both formats continued to be used on the next generation of consoles; namely PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii. I'm sure many of you have seen the logo countless times during the start up of Dreamcast games alongside the Sofdec logo, but like me, probably never gave it a second thought.
The company also developed a number of titles and arcade ports for the Dreamcast such as the Aero Wings series. Their logo can be seen clearly in the bottom right hand corner of the Japanese release box art.
Some of the CSK Research Institute/ CRI Middleware Dreamcast releases.
The CSK Research Institute/ CRI Middleware can be clearly seen on the Japanese release of
Aero Dancing Featuring Blue Impulse
In 2000, when Sega converted all their in-house studios into 2nd Party developers, AM2 was merged with CRI and as such, AM2's later releases on the Dreamcast also feature the CRI copyright on the back of the case and/ or manual.
CRI copyright on the reverse cover art of the Japanese release of Fighting Vipers 2
Finally in 2006, the new brand CRIWARE was established as a term to encompass the entire CRI product lineup. To players of modern consoles, you are probably more familiar with this brand.
The distinctive CRIWARE logo.
CSK Kenpo Dreamcast
CSK Health Insurance Group, as the name suggests, is another subsidiary of the CSK conglomerate that offer private health insurance to employees within the corporation, but what is this strange limited edition Dreamcast, I hear you say.
The shipping box used to send out the set. What wonders lie inside?
Well, there's not much information out there in English, so I had to translate the following from Japanese news sites and blogs. Needless to say, the origins of this release are rather interesting and perhaps a little spooky...

Why? Read on to find out.

The CSK Kenpo Dreamcast (CSK健康保険組合 貸与版 Dreamcast SET: For loan CSK Health Insurance Group Dreamcast set) was first trialled in the Kansai region of Japan near the start of the year 2000. Created with support from the Tokyo Medical University for the purpose of improving the promotion of health guidance and disease prevention, reportedly the set was loaned to 12,000 insured employees with the goal of loaning to a further 8,000. 

The special feature of  the set was to allow insured members to use the Dreamcast (via video call) from their house to consult their doctors face to face regarding their medication, diet and physical condition.

The set was sent to member's households on a loan basis and contained a Dreamcast console, Dream Eye, keyboard and custom web browser (Dream Passport 3 for Health Insurance use). The body itself is the same model as a regular Dreamcast. The only way in which the set differs is in the inclusion of stickers on the Dreamcast box, DreamEye box and Dreamcast console itself. It was also supplied with the aforementioned Dream Passport 3 for Health Insurance disk.
Photo from Yahoo Japan Blog of  a user's CSK Kenpo Dreamcast set 
The services on the Dream Passport 3 for Health Insurance
were exclusive to Health Insurance members.
In addition to making video calls, this disk could be used to get online and view various kinds of information such as eating habits. availability of recreational facilities etc. In addition it held exclusive events on the service such as baby photo competitions.

So there we have it, if you want to maximise your chances of owning a Dreamcast used primarily by sick people to talk with their doctors and take pictures of babies, then the CSK Kenpo set for you.

Divers 2000 series CX-1 Dreamcast
There's another limited edition Dreamcast out there that I'm sure many of you have seen before (in pictures online at least) but perhaps were unaware of its connection to CSK.

The Divers 2000 Dreamcast was a Japan exclusive Dreamcast-television hybrid released in May of  2000 at a price of ¥ 88,888 (£525/$750 at today's exchange rate). Pre-orders were limited to 1000 and were taken exclusively by the Japanese shopping site Maxell D-MAX.
Image used as promotional material used to
fill the limited 1000 preorders.

The system, a joint venture by Sega, CSK and Fuji Television, featured a 14 inch CRT screen with a built in Dreamcast and came bundled with a controller, keyboard, DreamEye camera and remote control. On the hardware side, the main difference when compared to a regular Dreamcast was it's ability to connect to music devices for support with MIDI files, output composite and s-video devices and of course support analogue television via it's RF connection like any regular CRT made at the time.
Japanese press reported that the system had a curved design with four horns protruding from each
corner of the screen and looked like something out of a science fiction movie. It's easy to see why.
The damn thing looks like nothing I've ever seen before and is reminiscent of Sonic's head in form.
Well, it's a step up from the Sonic Boom design I suppose.
The disk tray was located in the top of the unit.
For anyone hoping to acquire one in the year 2016, I wouldn't hold our breath. They sell for upwards of $5000 when they rarely appear on eBay.
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The PlayTape Conspiracy

January 27, 2016, 12:37 am
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We're big fans of fanciful and completely false conspiracy theories here at the 'Yard...especially ones we fabricated ourselves. Who can forget the time Sony implanted PlayStation logos in a Dreamcast game? Or when Southend Museums stole the Dreamcast's logo and used it to their own nefarious ends? Of course, this is all just a bit of fun, but there's a chance we've unearthed another (completely tenuous) Dreamcast conspiracy. Have a look at this video from YouTube channel Techmoan:


If you can't be bothered to watch it, allow me to explain. PlayTape is a fabulously obsolete music format that was apparently quite popular for a brief period in the late 1960s. That is, until the magnificence of the 8-Track swept it aside with the swagger of a pre-digital iPod in platform shoes and a flowery shirt. I know that doesn't actually make a lot of sense, but I'm sure you get the (extremely weak) analogy. Anyway, as I was watching the video above I noticed that the PlayTape logo shares a particular aesthetic with the Dreamcast logo: swirls.

NTSC-J - Blue
PAL - Orange
Not only that, the swirls on the packaging of the audio player are white and orange. Coincidence? I searched Google for a better image and lo - I found a single image of the Japanese version of the PlayTape...with blue swirls! See?! Orange swirls for the English version; blue swirls for the Japanese one? It's the tragic Dreamcast story played out, only in reverse...in the 1960s! The never ending snake eating its own tail...or something.

OK, so this is the most tenuous Dreamcast link you've probably ever read, but I found it interesting and I doubt you'd find anything as hard-hitting as this on Kotaku or Polygon. Cough. If you'd like to know more about PlayTape, The Museum Of Obsolete Media has an entry for the defunct format here. They also have an entry for GD-Rom, which is nice.
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Fontcast

January 27, 2016, 6:14 am
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Inspired by the recent tenuously-related-to-Dreamcast article (I kid, Tom. :P ) and inspired by a book on different typefaces, I thought about our own lovely Dreamcast:
No nonsense, elegant
The logo featured is a simple, elegant one. It doesn't wear on the eyes, unlike certain fonts which will go unmentioned (coughinserthatedfontnameherecough) although extended use might tire one a bit. Still, it would be a nice font to have on hand, just in case.

I assumed that the search would be difficult, as some fonts look almost exactly like each other, and many companies have custom lettering made up for a specific purpose. It would take hours - or at the very least, several minutes.
Detective time!
Turns out, nope. There were the false leads of Tahoma, Myriad and Verdana - but even a cursory examination showed this to be false. Fortunately, the site My Fonts came to the rescue, positing the font Basilea (not to be confused with Basilia, a completely different font). Upon downloading the font and trying it myself, I found it to be a 98% match.
Lovely, eh Tom?
By way of a little background, all I could discover was a My Fonts' user noting that it was "designed by Markus Low in 1965." Further search reveals that it won the "1965 VGC National Type Face Design Competition."

And there you have it. Another lovely piece of trivia about our beloved console.
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Unknown Dreamcast Game Unearthed - Traveller

January 28, 2016, 11:19 am
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In recent months we've had a steady torrent of previously unseen games to marvel at. Titles thought lost to the mists of time have come to the fore in partially complete and fully playable states - just look at Take The Bullet and Colin McRae Rally 2.0 for instance. For me though, the real jackpot comes when we find something that was previously unknown (like the unnamed Tantalus tech demo). Well, it looks like we've got another one to marvel at: Traveller from defunct developer Fenris Wolf.
Showcased by veteran game developer and graphic artist Mark Jones on his website The Dragon's Eyrie, Traveller was to be a space-based RPG in the vein of Elite, where players could pilot their own ship in 3D space but also walk around the interior of the vessel in first person. Interestingly, Mark's descriptions of this cancelled adventure hint at first person shooting sections featuring firefights with enemy boarding parties and trading of cargo.

"Traveller, the space based RPG, was licensed to Fenris Wolf, and we had intended it to be a first person, 'PC-Like' role playing game for the Dreamcast. Unfortunately, it was cancelled by Sega as they wanted to concentrate on more action/sport type games for its launch."
 - Mark Jones

Sadly, Fenris Wolf was dissolved in 1999 and Sega cancelled Traveller while it was still in the early stages of development, but Mark kept much of the early artwork and has kindly allowed us to share them here.
That the game never amounted to more than these stills is a massive shame as the Dreamcast has a host of amazing space shooters and RPGs. Traveller could have been the one to rule the roost, but now we'll never know.

Thanks to Mark Jones for the images and to Adrian Brown for alerting me to the existence of Traveller via the Dreamcast-Talk forums.
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The Games That Never Were: Episode 6

January 30, 2016, 6:15 am
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Episode 6 of Pcwzrd's The Games That Never Were has dropped, and naturally we thought it was only right to share it here at the Junkyard. Episodes 1-5 have been featured here, so why break the habit of a lifetime? This time around, Pcwzrd takes a look at cancelled Dreamcast games from a number of genres and these include speedboat racer Thunderboats, an adventure game based on the cartoon series Roswell Conspiracies, arcade racer Midnight GT, real time strategy game Star Trek: New Worlds, and also offers further information on the Dreamcast version of Renegade Racers from our old pals at Promethean Designs. Enough from me though - here's the excellent video:


Remember to subscribe to Dreamcastic Channel and if you can, support Pcwzrd's Patreon here.

Previous Episodes:
The Games That Never Were: Episode 1
The Games That Never Were: Episode 2
The Games That Never Were: Episode 3
The Games That Never Were: Episode 4
The Games That Never Were: Episode 5
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DreamPod - Episode 25

January 31, 2016, 1:15 am
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