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How much did you love your Sega Dreamcast?
It's been over 20 years since Sega released its final console. Loved by many for its stellar lineup of games like Shenmue and Sonic Adventure, the Dreamcast was the first system to include a built-in modem for online play. And then there were its distinct, spaceship-shaped controller and unique Visual Memory Unit for saving your games. Though Engadget wasn't around to review the Dreamcast when it was released, dozens of users have left scores and reviews for the console on its product page over the years. From calling it "highly innovative for its time" and being "awed by its graphics and performance," users largely seem to feel nostalgic and affectionate towards the obsolete game system, which currently has an average score of 80.
The story of the Duke, the Xbox pad that existed because it had to
Denise Chaudhari had never touched a gamepad before stepping onto Microsoft's campus as a contractor. The first woman to join the Xbox team, Chaudhari had studied ergonomics and industrial design at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design but didn't have any experience with joysticks. That's part of why Xbox's Jim Stewart was so excited to bring her on board: Her ideas wouldn't be based on preconceived notions of what a gamepad had to be. It was early 2000, and the company was preparing to enter the gaming world with the Xbox. In Nov. 2001, the console was released in North America alongside the Duke, a controller that seemed comically large compared to its contemporaries. Within a year, the oversize gamepad was abandoned by Microsoft and replaced with a smaller model, but the Duke has had an impact on every controller since.
A look at the evolution of modern video game controllers
If anything's kept pace with how video games have changed over the years, it's how we interact with them. Our biggest touchpoint with virtual worlds is the gamepad and -- akin to how games themselves have evolved from simple 2D affairs into 100-hour-long labyrinths in three dimensions -- controllers have changed to accommodate that. What you'll find in the gallery below is a comprehensive look at gamepads from the past 30-plus years of gaming, including high points and missteps alike. [Image: Adafruit Industries/Flickr]
Project Unity stuffs 20 classic consoles into one: if you can't play it, it's probably too new (video)
Most gamer who want to play with more than one or two vintage console platforms often turn to software-based emulators that may or may not be above-board. How about stuffing all of the authentic hardware into one controller and one base unit? Modders at Bacteria's forums have developed Project Unity, an attempt to natively address 20 consoles across 17 actual platforms folded into a single device. The gamepad, arguably the centerpiece, includes two each of analog sticks and directional pads, along with multiple shoulder buttons and a central button grid that can either be used to steer an Intellivision or fill in for otherwise missing controls. Stuffing the unique controller hardware into one gamepad obviously presents problems with board sizes and the laws of physics, so much of the relevant circuitry sits in modified NES cartridges. Our only dismays are the lack of original Xbox support and the slightly imposing challenge of aggregating and modifying that much classic gaming componentry in one place -- if you're more concerned about convenience in your retro gaming than preserving the original feel of that Sega Master System or SNK NeoGeo, though, you've just found Utopia.
Gaming's first-person history lesson: 1958 to 2008 edition (video)
There's just so much to love about this video, described by co-creator Florian Smolka as a university video-project from Munich. In a little over four minutes, we're given a first-person tour of console gaming from 1958's Tennis for Two (played on an oscilloscope) through late 2008's Rock Band for Xbox 360 (using a Guitar Hero drum set, but hey, nobody's perfect). Not every console gets a mention -- apologies to Atari Jaguar and 3DO apologists -- and it unfortunately stops before new hotness Move and Kinect get a nod, but that should in no way deter you from setting aside a handful of minutes to watch. Be sure to note the passage of TVs, too, and remember fondly the CRTs of your youth. Unless you grew up with LCD flatscreens, you lawn-lounging whippersnapper, you. Video after the break.
Redspotgames has plans for further Dreamcast development
Whether you're still lugging around that old Dreamcast, or you have a new-fangled mod or an emulator of some sort handy, have heart: you're not the only one keeping the dream alive! If the kids at Redspotgames have their way, they'll keep publishing games for the venerable (and defunct) console -- that is, according to marketing and sales director Adrian Loudero, who spent some time chatting with Joystiq at Gamescon last week. "We have seen some stuff on the PC, and we [are] talking to the companies to see if they will agree to release on the Dreamcast," he said. "We also have plans for 2011, maybe a new release, but this is really all I can say right now." Attention to the beloved platform is a labor of love, obviously -- the company sells "a few thousand copies" of titles it releases, and has recently started developing games for WiiWare and Xbox Live Arcade to stay afloat. Whatever it takes, right?
Dreamcast resurrection: classic Sega titles coming to XBLA and PSN later this year
The Dreamcast lives on! Crazy Taxi and Sonic Adventure are reviving Sega's final console, only this time on Microsoft and Sony's hardware. They are the two inaugural titles that will hit the Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network later this year, to be followed by other classics from Sega's better days. As the now software-only company tells it, you'll basically be getting the original games, replete with (slightly) higher-res visuals, surround sound, online leaderboards, and Trophy and Achievement integration. We don't know what pricing will be like just yet, but Sonic Adventure will be coming at us in time for the 11th anniversary of the Dreamcast's original launch in the US (September 9, 1999).
Dreamcast-mounted iPhone dock sends VMU into jealous rage
It was just over 10 years ago that Sega made the ill-fated move to release the Dreamcast, taking it down a road that would result in the company ditching the hardware scene entirely -- well, almost entirely. Out of the deal we got this wonderful white console, which Jay Hauf has remembered with this bit of simple hackery. He's popped the D-pad out, removed the controller's bottom-mounted cable, threaded an iPhone dock through, then, apparently, went back to creating cute little box-headed figurines. It's perhaps not the most amazingly complex controller mod of all time, but a worthy one nevertheless.[Via iPhone Savior]
Apple iMac murdered, reborn as all-in-one DreamCast mod
This may look like a beloved iMac, but make no mistake, it's just a shell of its former self. CGCC forum member Logicdustbin decided to gut the all-in-one and replace its innards with a Sega Dreamcast and 15-inch LCD monitor. The result? The iCast, a beautiful homage to simpler times. Hit up the video after the break to see this Fronk-en-shteen in action, playing a game that'll assuredly prepare our children for a post-apocalyptic world. [Via hack a day]
Karous blasts onto the Wii
Old school gamers rejoice; vertical shoot-em-up Karous is headed for the Wii. Karous was released a couple of months ago on the Dreamcast and currently stands as the last game released on the system.We've already talked about how many classic shooters are available on the Virtual Console, so it's nice to see a new release joining the party.The cel-shaded shooter is hardly a genre classic, but does add something a little different to the Wii's library. Who knows, if sales figures are good, a few other shmups might find their way over. Radiant Silvergun on Wii, anybody? Now we're dreaming ...There's no release date yet, nor any confirmation of a U.S. release. Keep your itchy trigger fingers crossed.
Sega planning to cut remaining Dreamcast and Saturn support
Where were you on 9/9/99? It's been almost 8 years since the Sega Dreamcast was launched in the United States, ushering in the "next" (and now previous) generation of gaming with the likes of Sonic Adventure, Power Stone and Soul "Is that intro in real-time?" Calibur. Despite a strong lineup, online gameplay (thanks, 56K modem!) and quirky memory unit minigames, the Dreamcast's momentum wasn't strong enough to halt the PS2's avalanche of hype. A few years into the system's lifetime saw Sega running out of steam and, more importantly, out of money. Those still clinging to their Dreamcasts are advised to take good care of them now, with Sega's Japanese website announcing that malfunctioning systems will no longer be accepted for repair after 28 September 2007. The hilarious machine translation of the page also points out that the Sega Saturn will suffer a similar fate, shortly before spewing forth an incomprehensible "understanding it receives, the fish you say to ask." Fish? Is that like a "fix a man's system and he plays for a day, but teach him how to fix it and he'll play for years" sort of thing? Though it's tempting to lapse into eulogy at this point, the Dreamcast will be around (and thinking) for as long as people still enjoy it. Sega might be hammering the final nail into the coffin, but the system inside is still alive and kicking... and screaming. [Via CVG]
IGN Dreamcast: Week 1
Do not be alarmed; the above image came directly from IGN Dreamcast, showing how they might use sex to sell the website*. The website is now up and running at full speed, having made 3 Top Ten lists (that's over 30 selections!), Dreamcast pr0n, retro Dreamcast 2 rumors (gotta love those), and a new game reviewed: Radilgy. They have even updated the master list of game rankings with 4 new entries. 089. Bang! Gunship Elite 170. Razor Freestyle Scooter 199. Sonic Shuffe 230. Chef's Luv Shack At this rate, the Dreamcast site will be updated for at least another 50-60 weeks, allowing editors to easily keep their jobs keep providing new content until well past E3 2007. We love seeing our beloved console revisited, and we love how tongue-in-cheek the site can be. We'll check back next week to give you an update on IGN's latest retro-loving project. * If you find Cartman's plumber's crack sexy, please seek medical attention. Immediately.
