Dreamcast
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PS3 gets early SNES and Dreamcast emulation
Brings a tear to your eye, doesn't it? Sure, jailbreaks and homebrew titles are all well and good, but you know a console has really arrived when it starts emulating the classics. The ever-versatile Snes9x has been given a quick and dirty port to the newly jailbroken PS3, and while it's missing fancy features like "save states" and "UI," it's certainly looks to be doing the most basic task of playing games just fine. Meanwhile, the creator of famed Dreamcast emulator NullDC has a very rough version it up and running on the PS3 as well. We naturally have a long way to go, but this looks like a promising beginning.
Phantasy Star Online 2 announced at the Tokyo Game Show
Phantasy Star Online is dead -- long live Phantasy Star Online 2! Sega just announced the sequel to the hit MMO during a livestream event at the Tokyo Game Show. Slated for release in 2011, PSO2's unveiling was a surprise to just about everyone. Phantasy Star Online released for the Sega Dreamcast 10 years ago, and launched a series of updates, iterations and sequels (including Phantasy Star Universe). While Sega was reluctant to show any gameplay or release any other details, the mere existence of the above title screen should send fans into a happy frenzy. You can read the announcement at PSOWorld and watch the livestream video below.
Fast Striker is the new Last Dreamcast Game Ever
The Dreamcast continues to cling to the barest sliver of life, thanks to the work of NGDev Team. The developer and publisher announced that it's porting Fast Striker, a vertical shooter made for (fellow dead system) the Neo Geo, to the Dreamcast, with a scheduled winter 2010 release. If you want to buy a new Dreamcast game (and doesn't that sound great?) you can pre-order Fast Striker from NGDev directly, in either a regular edition or a limited edition that includes a soundtrack. If you're really enthused about Fast Striker, you can buy a pack containing both editions. The Neo Geo MVS version is also available. Check out a trailer after the break. A trailer for a Dreamcast game.
Sonic Adventure arrives on XBLA September 15 for $10
The first (but certainly not last) Dreamcast title to arrive on Xbox Live Arcade is, appropriately enough, the fastest. Major Nelson's latest schedule for the platform has revealed a September 15 release date for Sonic Adventure, which will be available for 800 Microsoft Points ($10). No word yet on the release plans for Sega's other previously announced Dreamcast revival, Crazy Taxi. We've contacted Sega to find out if the game will arrive on PSN on a similar timetable. We also sent them an email with the subject line "Give us Seaman," followed by a body of text which simply read, "SEEEEEAAAAAAAAMAAAAAAAN."
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?
Redspotgames looking to continue publishing for Dreamcast
Redspotgames, the small publisher behind relatively recent Dreamcast releases such as Last Hope, Rush Rush Rally Racing and Wind and Water: Puzzle Battles, says they are looking to continue publishing games for the long-dead system into next year. "We have seen some stuff on the PC, and we [are] talking to to the companies to see if they will agree to release on the Dreamcast," Redspotgames marketing and sales director Adrian Loudero told Joystiq at Gamescom this week. "We also have plans for 2011, maybe a new release, but this is really all I can say right now." Loudero told us that Redspotgame only sells a few thousands copies of each new Dreamcast game it releases. As such, the company has recently expanded to WiiWare and Xbox Live Arcade development to stay afloat. But he also said that he's heartened by the way the Dreamcast demo units at the company's small Gamescom booth draw double takes and appreciative play from passers-by. "I think the Dreamcast is still famous," he said. Asked if he thinks Sega should get back into the Dreamcast game-publishing business, Loudero responded enthusiastically. "Yes, of course, please."
Techknott's Dreamcast Portable inspires musings on art, life, and Bomberman Online
A portable game console mod is like a still life: sure, it's been done before, but it's very satisfying when it's done well. Or, to take the analogy further: where a still life lets the artist arrange the design elements with in a composition any way he wants, the modder works with elements necessary for game play, but is free to arrange them in the manner of his choosing. Our man Techknott, who once thrilled us with his Wireless Visual Interface for the PS3, is back on the scene with the third iteration of his very own Dreamcast Portable -- and it just might be a work of art in its own right. This bad boy features: a PSone LCD display, both a built in VMU and a removable VMU slot, CD drive, SD card slot, A/V out, and original Dreamcast controls -- all in a custom CNC acrylic case. You want one, right? Peep the video after the break to see it in action. And be sure to check back next week, when we'll trace the origin of the Bomblympics back to the worship of Zeus in Ancient Greece.
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 Returns on PSN and XBLA this year
"I want to go to the baseball stadium, and then the image gallery"As hinted by the ESRB -- and predicted on our Xbox E3 Bingo card, Sonic Adventure and Crazy Taxi, two of Sega's standout games for its dearly departed Dreamcast, will be released on PS3 and Xbox 360. But they're just the first Dreamcast titles. Sega announced that those two games will be available this fall in North America and Europe, calling them the "first two classics" to be released as part of Sega's plan to republish Dreamcast games on PSN and XBLA. The games will include improved resolution, surround sound, and modern amenities like online leaderboards, Achievements, and Trophies. We're going to spend the rest of the day fantasizing about the release of our favorite Dreamcast games. For example, all of them. %Gallery-94873%%Gallery-94872%
Dreamcast boombox: why not?
Just admit it: you want this portable boombox modded Sega Dreamcast, don't you? If the answer is "no," you blew it. Hit up the source link for way more images and a video.
You're not dreaming: Custom portable Dreamcast is the real deal
An intrepid Sega fan going by the name Bacteria would like you to see what he's spent the last four months building: a portable Sega Dreamcast -- complete with a built-in VMU (Visual Memory Unit, should you have forgotten). Called the IntoDream, the handheld is actually comprised of some non-Sega components, specifically a 5" LCD screen for the PSone and ... a third-party N64 analog stick? The full specs are listed on his blog. Bacteria says the rest of the buttons and innards came from a PAL Dreamcast console, and that it "was primarily made to play Quake 3 and also Unreal Tournament on the Dreamcast, and it does it very well indeed." Just not for long -- the IntoDream's six amps of battery juice powers the device for just over two hours on a single charge. Still, for such a commendable custom carry-along, you take what you can get, right? Check out two videos -- one a making-of, the other of the IntoDream in action -- after the break. Oh, and in case you're wondering, it's not for sale.
Chinese Dreamcast portable mod may inspire KIRFs, or already is one
You thought the DreamTrooper would be the last portablized Sega Dreamcast mod you'd ever see? Nah. Turns out some folk in China quietly showed off an Oriental take on the mod -- not too dissimilar from the form factor of the GameBoy Advance -- just before the DreamTrooper's debut. Details are thin here, but we're hoping for a built-in optical drive and a decent battery life. If we're lucky, some KIRF makers might pick up this idea and revive the legendary Dreamcast brand, so don't go selling your dusty game collection on eBay just yet. Go ahead and watch some The King of Fighters action after the break. We know the Swirl still captivates your heart.
Dreamcast controller turned into decoration for iPhone dock
Deciding that the Dreamcast controller had too many input methods and not enough screens, Flickr user jayhauf removed the D-pad from the device and made the whole thing into an ornamental iPhone dock. We're pretty sure you can try this one at home, if you've got a (preferably broken) Dreamcast controller: just pull out the D-pad and the cord, and thread your iPhone connector through. Just like that, you've got a telephone sticking out of the left side of your controller! It's certain to be a conversation piece, inspiring questions from your friends like "Why did you do that?" and "How are we going to play Power Stone now?"[Via Engadget]
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]
Pandora rolls into production this month, emulates Dreamcast now
The OpenPandora kids have dropped us a line to say that yes, finally, "after a lot of serious tweaking," it looks like Pandora is ready to roll. And as an added bonus, they've given us a little demonstration of the open source game platform rocking a Dreamcast emulator. Not that you'll be able to play The House of The Dead 2 flawlessly on the thing -- apparently the CPU suffers from some sort of floating point unit problem and a great many texture / blending modes are not supported. So don't abandon that Dreamcast Tablet just yet. As far as getting your hands on the handheld yourself, here's the skinny: of the four thousand devices in the initial lot, there are about a hundred units unspoken for and still available for pre-order. Priced at $330 each, if you're interested you'd better jump now -- there won't be another batch until 2010. In the meantime, you can see that Dreamcast emulator we told you about in action after the break.[Thanks, Devon]
Rumor: Leaked minutes from Sega/Sony meeting reveal PS2 and Dreamcast on PSN, much more
Okay, buckle up -- there's a whole lot to take in here. As discovered by French site Objectif-SEGA, Sega's public relations FTP site recently got a titillating addition: The alleged minutes from an August 5 meeting between the Hedgehog-centric publisher and Sony Computer Entertainment America. (The document is reproduced in its entirety after the break.) The biggest, potential news from this document concerns SCEA's general plans for the future. One excerpt from the minutes lists a Spring 2010 launch window for the PlayStation Motion Controller -- specifically March for Japan. Another noteworthy section mentions a "PS2 emulator for PS3," claiming that "SCEA wants to sell all PS2 titles on PSN." Later in the document, the possibility of Dreamcast titles on PSN is also suggested, in addition to a "Japanese Import" section. This leak has an air of credibility due to its appearance on Sega's public FTP media resource center -- however, it's entirely possible that it could have been uploaded to said FTP site by a hack-savvy Dreamcast enthusiast. Maintain your skepticism as you browse the full document. Update: The document has been removed from Sega's FTP site, but we've got further analysis right here! [Via NeoGAF]
Peter Moore looks back at the Dreamcast
With this being Sept. 9, 2009 and all, you're probably going to be seeing a lot of looks back at the Dreamcast, which burst forth from the belly of the Saturn's rotting corpse 10 years ago today. Well, that is until the embargo ends on the Dreamcast 2 announcement at 9 p.m. ... Oh, crap. Forget you heard anything. To distract you, here are Peter Moore remembrances of the system (with a liberal dose of rationalizing EA's lack of support for it, of course). He also clears up the important point of who finally pulled the plug on the console. (No, not the PS2, wiseguy. And shame on you for speaking ill of the dead!) [Thanks, Chris]
Joystiq remembers the Sega Dreamcast
9/9/99. It was the coolest date imaginable to launch a new anything, and Sega's Dreamcast had one of the best launches in North America of any console to date. Except for the part where a bunch of the game discs didn't work. Ten years later, the console is no longer being made, and Sega is just another software publisher, but fans continue to love the little white box. The Dreamcast's lineup of arcade ports and wildly experimental games inspired lifelong allegiance among the people who actually bought that stuff. Join us after the break as a bunch of Joystiq writers share our Virtual Memories about that day (the day the snow turned to rain, and we saw a black car), and about the years of Dreamcast love that followed. In the process, we've learned that an unexpected number of us raised fish-monsters in Vivarium's Leonard Nimoy-narrated pet sim Seaman, and as a result we feel closer to one another. The Dreamcast is magical. [Image credit]
Sega's Dreamcast turns 10, inspires us to find that VMU and finish Shenmue
In at least a few time zones, today is 09/09/09. Aside from being the same day that Apple holds a keynote on the left coast, Leica launches something and The Beatles: Rock Band encourages gamers everywhere to call in sick, today also marks the ten year anniversary of Sega's iconic Dreamcast. Looking back, it's hard to believe that the always-Thinking console was only in production for two years, but even today it holds an oh-so-special place in our hearts. We still maintain that the defunct VMU could eventually be the next coming of the Tamagotchi, and there's still zero doubt that the designer of Seaman was on copious quantities of LSD during the conception process. Any particularly touching stories as we celebrate a solid decade of The Swirl? Share 'em below -- tissues are on us.
Happy (belated) 10th birthday, Seaman
We try not to inundate you with birthday posts at Joystiq. They're typically not very exciting and they frankly make us feel really, really old. But this is one occasion we just can't let pass. It's been just a few days over 10 years since Seaman first emerged from the nautilus in Japan.To mark the blessed day, 1UP's got a great interview from Famitsu Weekly with creator Yoot Saito, who manages to take humility to a whole new, utterly perplexing level. "Seaman received a lot of praise for its concept, but I don't think it's that original," he says. "I think it's something everyone's thought of before. I mean, I'm sure a lot of people have thought at least once in their lives that it'd be funny if a fish had a human face and could talk."Sure, Yoot. We've all been there.
