Dreamcast gets a pass on /vr/, right?

[Anonymous No.3566252]

I just bought a dreamcast. Never owned one back in the day, I mostly got it because there's no piracy protection so I don't have to sink a bunch of money into games for a new system

So what are the best games for the system? Hidden gems?

Also, it isn't reading discs. I've heard you can up the intensity of the laser by turning a screw which should fix the problem. Anybody ever do this before? How easy is it to overdo it and ruin your laser?

[Anonymous No.3566257]

>>3566252
You bought a broken DC. If it's not reading commercial discs you're pretty much boned. You can increase the laser strength, but it's a band-aid and will completely die soon. You could replace the drive, get a GDEMU for hundreds of dollars after being on a waitlist for several years, or scrape buy with an SD Card reader and deal with its shortcomings.

[Anonymous No.3566258]

It's /vr/ alright, don't let any shitposter tell you otherwise. As for the laser, I remember taking some pliers and turning the screw, but it didn't make a difference because the disc I was trying to read turned out to be defective lol. So I just turned the screw back in the default position and haven't had any problems since.

[Anonymous No.3566315]

>>3566257
Good to know. The place I bought it from has a return policy so I'll probably just take it back instead of fucking with fixing it.

How often do they fail? Are they early ps2 model shitty, or do they generally hold up?

[Anonymous No.3566325]

>>3566252
ikaruga

[Anonymous No.3566335]

>>3566315
I'd say better than early PS2s overall, but this particular issue is essentially bound to happen to all DCs at some point. I've had my 2 DCs for many years, and only one of them is starting to get flaky when reading discs. Burned discs exacerbate the process, unfortunately. The good thing is that DCs are cheap, so if you're really into the machine, buy a spare and keep it clean and cool until the other one breaks, or the GDEMU gets mass produced in China for a fraction of the cost.

[Anonymous No.3567054]

>>3566252
-There are 2 traps people fall into:
Shitty writable media - if you can see through a disc it's probably not going to read on a slightly over the hill laser. Try to get good quality CDRs
-early on allot of iso releases on the internet were a mess mainly to do with saving space in the file they would chop and change stuff on the disc so your drive is working over time and quickly dies. Most releases today after like the original disc or better and have minimal wear on your laser. Make sure you dl quality releases.
Because Dreamcast discs are bigger than CDRs and because isos need to include the region free info you are never going to get perfect rips.

[Anonymous No.3567059]

Is replacing the ladder assembly not possible with the dream cast? I thought it was supposed to be built from off the shelf parts?

[Anonymous No.3567063]

>>3567059
*Laser

[Anonymous No.3567079]

>I've never personally had a DC laser give me trouble and I've put tons of hours on DCs

>DCs lasers make horrible sounds. This is not a malfunction it's part of their charm. Put one in a hard resonating entertainment center with loose fitting glass doors for maximum resonance

>Always test with a retail game. DCs are pretty sensitive to shitty media

>DCs actually do have copy protection it was just cracked in such a profound way that it seems to not be there

>DCs with an empty circle or a circle with a 1 in it can employ the exploit. If your DC has a circled 2 on the bottom you're sol because the exploit was patched on that final revision

[Anonymous No.3567091]

>>3566335
>or the GDEMU gets mass produced in China
I own both Rhea, and GDEMU, and surprised there is still no chinese copy.

[Anonymous No.3567112]

>>3567079
>If your DC has a circled 2 on the bottom you're sol because the exploit was patched on that final revision
Not true. There are a lot of images that I haven't been able to get to run on my rev. 2 (Nov. 2000), but I've had success with most of the DCRes/NBS CDIs. It almost always seems to work if it's in data/data format, though I've had a few like Gunbird 2 that just refuse to play.

[Anonymous No.3567129]

>>3567091
Me too, I want one but I'm not willing to drop that kind of money to go on an indefinite waiting list. I'm patiently awaiting the inevitable Chinese knock-off.
>>3567079
>DCs with an empty circle or a circle with a 1 in it can employ the exploit. If your DC has a circled 2 on the bottom you're sol because the exploit was patched on that final revision

Pretty sure this is a meme, I've never actually seen any verification of this being true.

[Anonymous No.3567131]

yes because It was made in 1999

[Anonymous No.3567212]

>>3566258
Will never understand why people now suddenly love Blue Stinger. The game was shit and everyone agreed it was shit when it released.

[Anonymous No.3567217]

>>3567212
I don't think you are old enough to remember. That game ruled, kid.

[Anonymous No.3567219]

>I didn't read the sticky!

[Anonymous No.3567223]

>>3567212
this. replace blue stinger with seven mansions by koei

[Anonymous No.3567239]

>>3567212
Shit taste detected.

[Anonymous No.3567265]

>>3567223
Nanatsu no Hikan? Super cool game, and I don't even read moon.

[Anonymous No.3567424]

>>3566258
OP here. Seaman is definitely one of the main reasons I bought a dreamcast, it just seems like a really neat concept for a game

[Anonymous No.3567552]

>>3566252
I know I'm gonna get a lot of hate for this but the only reason to own a Dreamcast today is Shenmue I and II. Everything else is available on more recent consoles with higher resolutions. I have one and realized this after I bought a bunch of Dreamcast games.

[Anonymous No.3567556]

for any linux users reading with a model 1 just to save you a few hours here's the best working burner program: https://code.fsociety.info/burndc/log.html.. useful mainly just because it includes a cdrecord binary which is hard to find these days for some reason.

also OP Ikaruga is the pinnacle of its genre imo

[Anonymous No.3567570]

>>3567552
Soul Calibur isn't
Grandia II got shitty ports
Skies of Arcadia port suffers from lower quality sound
MvC2's digital release was taken down
Rival Schools Project Justice doesn't have a port
No better ports for Bangai-O or CvS
Power Stone games were only ported to PSP

[Anonymous No.3567571]

I've got an used Dreamcast recently and today I figured out how to burn discs to it. Everything was going just fine but sometimes out of nowhere the DC quits the game and goes back to the home screen.

After a few tests it seems this happens because the DC thinks I've opened the lid when I haven't. If I'm playing a game and just touch or move the lid a little bit, the game quits.

Is there a switch or something that tells if my lid is closed? Could I do something to it so it thinks my lid is always closed?

[Anonymous No.3567575]

>>3567570
I'm not into fighting games so that's a big part of why I feel that way. I agree with you on Grandia II and Skies of Arcadia.

[Anonymous No.3567592]

>>3567556
>Ikaruga is the pinnacle of its genre imo

Something tells me it's the only shmup you ever played.

[Anonymous No.3567601]

Found this vid on the Dreamcast subreddit, tried it and it actually works pretty damn well

[Anonymous No.3567602]

>>3567601
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtSA6yamcMI

[Anonymous No.3567604]

>>3567592
but... but I also played Radiant Silvergun

[Anonymous No.3567639]

Does anyone know why Rez never got a North American release? I know Shenmue 2 never came because Peter Moore signing a contract with Microsoft but Rez later came out on PS2 and not Xbox

[Anonymous No.3567831]

>>3567556
>also OP Ikaruga is the pinnacle of its genre imo
agree, one of the best puzzle game

[Anonymous No.3567925]

>>3567570
Yeah the PS2 port of Grandia 2 would drop to 5fps sometimes in towns when there was a lot on screen

[Anonymous No.3568013]

>>3567570
Fuck DC Bangai-O.
I refuse to buy it because the thing won't run over VGA like literally everything else in my collection.

[Anonymous No.3568039]

>>3568013
So emulate it.

[Anonymous No.3568046]

>>3568039
I'm playing it on the N64.

[Anonymous No.3568049]

>>3568046
But that still doesn't run over VGA.

[Anonymous No.3568050]

>>3566258
I called the game store I bought mine from, the owner said he thinks the game he packaged with it might have been broken (some shitty Atari collection). Gonna take it to the store and see if any other games work. I didn't fuck with the potentiometer yet just in case

[Anonymous No.3568083]

>>3568049
It doesn't require me to shuffle cables in order to play it.

[Anonymous No.3568094]

>>3567129
I'm honestly surprised no one has reverse engineered it yet on some Sega forum. It seems like the guy doesn't even want to make them, he might as well release the schematics.

[Anonymous No.3569090]

>>3566258
No Mark of the Wolves?

[Anonymous No.3570176]

Is there any way of knowing which games I burn will work and which will just create coasters?

Files from Isozone tend to work better, but I'm still only having about a 1 in 5 success rate in terms of working games vs games that burn correctly but are only recognized as music discs.

I'm using verbatim 80 minute cd-r's and my burner can only write at x16 and above, and I realize that's not optimal, but is there any way to tell before I burn the game whether or not it will work?

[Anonymous No.3570318]

>>3570176
What program are you using? Also, try to stick to DCRevive releases, they seem to be the most optimized. I see a lot of talk about write speed, but I've never had a problem just leaving it on 16x

[Anonymous No.3570349]

>>3567552
Soul Calibur 1 in its entirety is not available on any other console in its full form. The PS3/X360 release removed the single player for reasons I can't even begin to fathom.

D2 is also not available anywhere else.

I am sure there are more, but in general you are right.

[Anonymous No.3570412]

>>3566258
Jet Set RADIOOOOO

[Anonymous No.3570479]

>>3570318
imgburn

Is DCRevive a specific uploaded or a website?

[Anonymous No.3570507]

>>3566252
Some people will tell you that the laser will die soon. It could be true and it could be a mistake. It is worth noting replacing the laser, even with an aftermarket PC laser or OEM like laser, is possible.

More important here though, some DC models had their laser output at the bare minimum to read a disc, each calibrated to about 0.2 k ohms higher than needed to launch games.

Other DC models, with no real reasoning, had their pot set to 0.8-1.2 k ohm higher than needed to consistently launch a commercial game.

I think racketboy or afterdawn or some similar website had a guy/girl test more than few DC's and recorded everything. This was around the launch of the PS3. There wasn't anything particular except that some had their pots cranked way higher than a commercial disc would ever need.

If this was true, a DC that was only a small bit higher than needed could have the pot turned up without much hassle. It also means a DC that had the pot much higher than needed would be burned out faster and possibly have no extra ability to go higher.

[Anonymous No.3570509]

>>3570479
*uploader

[Anonymous No.3570513]

>>3570507
Are there compatible lasers that you could put in a dreamcast that would be better than the stock one?

[Anonymous No.3570520]

>>3570513
I actually have never done it myself. I would google it, but I somehow doubt it would be 'better' to have an aftermarket vs OEM.

What I did was buy two extra revised DC models that had the copy protection fixed, and two that were broken and stuffed them into a box somewhere. This cost me $40 in 2009 to do, and I now have some extra lasers and parts for my main DC.

[Anonymous No.3570521]

>>3570513
>>3570520
http://dreamcast-talk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1982

Guides like that exist. But I would beware of bias for being better or worse.

[Anonymous No.3571008]

>>3570479
An uploader. They took all of their stuff off of isozone a few months ago but it might be back. I'm sure you can find the uploads elsewhere though

[Anonymous No.3572085]

Any tips on finding a good VGA box? RetroGaming Cables doesn't stock them.

[Anonymous No.3574672]

>>3572085
Hanzo or anything from that guy in Eastern Europe.

[Anonymous No.3575228]

>>3566252
>Dreamcast gets a pass on /vr/, right?

It was released in 1999, so yes. Yes, it does.

Also, try modding it to take SD cards if it can't read discs. Some games won't transfer well, but most will.

[Anonymous No.3575239]

All my burned games run fine, I use only Revive DC, DC Res and NoBS rips and burn on Verbatim, but I've noticed whenever I play Capcom Vs SNK 2, my laser assembly gets super loud and seems to constantly track. Am I burning bad rips, or is it normal for that game?

[Anonymous No.3575453]

>>3570479
ReviveDC... check the spreadsheet.

[Anonymous No.3575459]

>>3575239
Probably normal for that game. The files haven't been or can't be re-ordered for less laser seeking, hence the noise.

>NoBS
This is ComradeSnarky's new release "group" name. His stuff is the best so far in the scene as far as release groups go, and these releases should be seen as superseding ReviveDC. Other big names are YZB for his hacking prowess and FamilyGuy for his immense contributions.

>>3570521
I was just thinking that it would be nice to have a site presenting all the parts in an exploded schematic view and then linking you to working replacements. Sort of like those for other mechanical devices (cars, outdoor power equipment, etc).

[Anonymous No.3575501]

>>3567639
It was just one of those games that just never made it. It came out in Japan in late 2001, and while we did get a few DC games in the US in 2002, it was few and far between. I believe this happened with Headhunter as well, getting a DC port in EU but only on PS2 in the US.

[Anonymous No.3576078]

>>3566258
Need Marvel vs Capcom 1 in here.

[Anonymous No.3576141]

What are some JP-only games I can enjoy without knowing moonrunes?

[Anonymous No.3576154]

>>3570318
Not sure if you've already found an answer but I used to have the same problem. Thought the DC was the problem but I ended up trying again this week following this tutorial : http://theisozone.com/tutorials/dreamcast/burning-and-backup/dreamcast-burning-cdi-2012-style/

Which is just:

1. download imgburn + plugin from here http://www.theisozone.com/downloads/pc/other/update-v13-imgburn-2570-w-dreamcast-drivers/
2. Install it
3. Extract the rar file
4. Grab all the extracted files and put in the same folder you installed imgburn (next to the imgburn exe)
5. Run imgburn, set it to 16x speed and burn your .CDI image.

Also since I've found out about the spreadsheet I only ever download from it. So far every single game has worked great, even with different CD brands. I just wish they had San Francisco Rush 2049.

[Anonymous No.3576162]

Can some Dreamcast pro tell me what model pic related is? I find nothing on non-signed transparent blue Dreamcasts.

>>3576141
Ikaruga.

[Anonymous No.3576176]

>>3576141
The Pop n' Music games, Cool Cool Toon and Puyo Puyo Fever (you can change the language of this one to English in the options menu)

[Anonymous No.3576284]

Don't forget to play Cosmic Smash.

[Anonymous No.3576304]

>>3576141
Darkstalker Chronicles is in full English. I haven't played any of the other For Matching Service games but I imagine SFII and Puzzle Fighter won't have a large barrier either.

[Anonymous No.3576329]

>>3576162
>Ikaruga
>enjoy

[Anonymous No.3576348]

>>3576329
>implying

[Anonymous No.3576512]

>>3570318
FUCK YES, THANK YOU

Finally found their spreadsheet, no more wasted discs. Every one I've downloaded works no problem.

[Anonymous No.3577330]

I never realized how much of an arcade console this system is until I bought one recently.

Jesus there's shmups, fighting games, beat em ups, crazy taxi, jet grind radio, it's like this system is made for adhd people. It's cool though

[Anonymous No.3577568]

>>3576162
I know there was a light-blue transparent Hello Kitty Dreamcast, but this is too dark for that. It's probably a custom job, I've seen some like that on ebay in other colors like yellow and lime green.

>>3576141
That's tough since most of the games that didn't require heavy translation came out in the West. But just to list a few:
Ikaruga
Napple Tale
Psyvariar 2 (had a PS2 port, but nonetheless the Dreamcast version is Japan-only)
Rainbow Cotton...

[Anonymous No.3577576]

>>3577330
The Dreamcast and Sega NAOMI boards were practically the same hardware so porting the games was extremely simple, hence lots of arcade games on that system. The Dreamcast is a must have for people that love arcade games.

[Anonymous No.3577684]

>>3577576
Yeah it wasn't a knock, its actually pretty cool.

Dreamcast was a system I knew next to nothing about prior to buying one aside from being aware of stuff like Shenmue and Sonic Adventure's existence

[Anonymous No.3577723]

>>3577684
Glad you're enjoying it then, hope you continue to discover new stuff on this system that died much too soon.

[Anonymous No.3578091]

>>3577568
>probably a custom job
God damn it. Now I'm conflicted should I get a DC with an authentic case or a pretty cool custom one that probably won't turn yellow in a few years.

[Anonymous No.3578758]

>>3578091
There's one of the blue shells on amazon right now on sale for $80.

[Anonymous No.3578913]

>>3576154
>I just wish they had San Francisco Rush 2049.
Any good release group put it out? If you just have a general copy, throw it on Mega and pass a link in.

We're also missing Godzilla. The link that was up for it was for another game (accidental duplicate)

>>3577568
Psyvariar 2 Extend is also on xbox. It's good but without that nice and crisp VGA output it's just not the same.

>Rainbow Cotton
Rainbow Cotton is worth playing just to understand how bad it is in comparison to the rest of the series.

[Anonymous No.3579049]

>>3578758
That looks moreso azure than dark blue. I'm considering the dark blue DC because not only will it yellow as much, but it will look like sex with the blue controller.

[Anonymous No.3579123]

>>3578913
>Any good release group put it out?
The cdi on isozone works for me.

[Anonymous No.3579253]

>>3578913
Rainbow Cotton is undeniably the worst Cotton game, but honestly it's not all THAT bad.

[Anonymous No.3580438]

>>3567571
get a can of computer duster air, open up your dreamcast, and spray the switch to get rid of dust, since the dust interferes with the operation of the switch. If that doesn't work, you can always tape the switch closed.

[Anonymous No.3580887]

>>3580438
I figured out a better way I think. I cleaned it but it still happened so I applied some tape to the lid "gear" thing - that dented thing that pulls the switch down when you close the lid.

Pretty easy fix thankfully.

[Anonymous No.3580901]

>>3576162
that's an actual exclusive model that was sold by EB Games in Australia and maybe Canada

[Anonymous No.3580928]

Did Sega ever release their own S-Video cable for this thing? I want to move up from composite and don't want to buy a cheap cable if I can help it. VGA isn't an option.

[Anonymous No.3580947]

>>3580928
VGA boxes usually have composite and svideo out in addition to VGA

[Anonymous No.3583076]

>>3580901
It was in Canada. Here's one of the Canadian ones.

[Anonymous No.3585460]

>>3583076
tfw saw this in eb games for 30 bucks and passed on it cause FUCK YEAH PS2
Feels kinda bad man.