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Sega Dreamcast - Appreciation and Emulation Thread
- Thread starter Seik
- Start date
Probably line doubling.
dreamcastfan
Member
Who has Sturmwind ? Are all the backgrounds real time? Some of them look almost TOO GOOD to be. Not knocking the Dreamcast, but good grief!
Do any Trinitrons even support VGA?
sixteen-bit
Member
Yeah, plenty. Many CRT PC monitors carry the Trinitron designation, and I have owned one in the past.
Here is a popular one, the fw900
theSlacker
Member
I tried to get one of those for a reasonable price for years before giving up. Wounder how much they go for now.
sechsterangriff
Member
Cross-posting from the pick-up thread.
When I moved out of my parents house they put all my stuff in the very humid garage and only told me about it years later. I always feared going there thinking all the CDs would probably be already rotten. But last weekend I finally decided to check it out and aside some staple rust in the manuals pretty much everything survived. Now ten years later I'm starting to rediscover my old collection. I've been cleaning and putting everything into sleeves and there's still a lot to bring back.
I wonder if you can do anything about staple rust.
When I moved out of my parents house they put all my stuff in the very humid garage and only told me about it years later. I always feared going there thinking all the CDs would probably be already rotten. But last weekend I finally decided to check it out and aside some staple rust in the manuals pretty much everything survived. Now ten years later I'm starting to rediscover my old collection. I've been cleaning and putting everything into sleeves and there's still a lot to bring back.
I wonder if you can do anything about staple rust.
IrishNinja
Member
beautiful! and is SGGG segagaga?
sechsterangriff
Member
Yes, but it's the DORIKORE reprint edition. Thankfully the only reference to being a budget release is a sticker that can be easily removed. Aside from that it's identtical to the regular original release.
dancrane212
Member
Working through my list of projects while off for the holiday. I replaced the blown fuse in my VA1 console and put in a GDEMU; now I just need to get a quieter fan in there and we'll be golden.
alf717
Member
Working through my list of projects while off for the holiday. I replaced the blown fuse in my VA1 console and put in a GDEMU; now I just need to get a quieter fan in there and we'll be golden.
Those things are very cool but expensive. I heard they draw more power as well. Some people have been putting PICO power supplies in their DC units and they work great, generate less heat and are very tiny. Maybe when I have expendable money and they are more readily available I'll grab one myself and mod up one of the DC units I have.
Sorry if this has been asked here before, but does anyone have experience with these Retro-bit VGA cables? Do you get the same quality output as a VGA box? They are way cheaper than any VGA box you can find these days.
http://retro-bit.com/platforms/dreamcast/rb-dc-5433.html
http://retro-bit.com/platforms/dreamcast/rb-dc-5433.html
dancrane212
Member
Yeah I believe there are some modifications you can make to the stock power supply to run a bit cooler with the GDEMU installed (removing the 12v regulator) but I'll have to double check before I start doing any additional work. I'm definitely going to give the PICO PSUs a look once I get a couple more of these console fixes off my plate.
IrishNinja
Member
^BOTH giga wangs?! someone loves you, man! congrats~
and nah, i'm mostly done with DC for the moment...what i still want ranges from very cheap:
18 Wheeler Pro Trucker
Q-Bert 3
Alien Front Online (big box!)
to uhhhhh not happening anytime soon
Yu Suzuki Gameworks w/disc
Space Channel 5 part 2
Illbleed
Segagaga LE
even SNK vs Capcom 2 is prolly more in the latter group than the former. these can wait!
and nah, i'm mostly done with DC for the moment...what i still want ranges from very cheap:
18 Wheeler Pro Trucker
Q-Bert 3
Alien Front Online (big box!)
to uhhhhh not happening anytime soon
Yu Suzuki Gameworks w/disc
Space Channel 5 part 2
Illbleed
Segagaga LE
even SNK vs Capcom 2 is prolly more in the latter group than the former. these can wait!
sechsterangriff
Member
If you love the old SEGA, Segagaga LE is the holly grail of Dreamcast games imho. That limited edition is one of coolest gaming memorabilia I've ever seen.
But when I think that for the same ammount it goes these days I can buy other Dreamcast games, it's hard to justify...
IrishNinja
Member
that's the thing, right? like, fuckashirt (prolly not my size anyway!), i want those pins! and unfortunately the mega drive VMU seems to be separate anyway, plus that's system i grew up with anyway.
really though, i'dve bought it years ago if the fan effort to translate it didn't fall off...it's the # 1 game on my wish list for a translation!
sixteen-bit
Member
Neat pickups. Safe you assume you already own Mars Matrix?
Yeah, love that game. Other than graphics, I think I still prefer it to either GW game so far.
Cloudius12
Member
These cables work, however, they won't be as durable as a VGA box.
Thank you!
I have a nice CRT in my basement that my DC is hooked up to via S-video. Games look beautiful on it, but I have always been curious to see how it would look on my HDTV as it has a VGA port; however, I didn't want to drop the $50 (now $80) for a VGA box. These cables seem to go for as little as $10.
On another note, I found a copy of Ecco for a reasonable price at a retro game store the other day. I remember trying it when it was new. I thought it looked beautiful but was boring. Playing it now, it still looks really nice. Also I don't know why, but I'm finding it way more fun than when it came out. Maybe it's because there aren't many games like it, or maybe it's just because I'm an old man now and it's relaxing exploring the ocean, talking to mammals.
Which s-video cable are you using? I tried to order the one by Interact (has good reviews) and instead the shitty Amazon vender sent me one by Retrobit (bad reviews). Curious as to what else is out there.
I actually bought my S-video cable on 9/9/99 at EB when I got the system. I can't see any markings on it indicating what brand it might be. Looking through pictures online, I think it might have actually been this one:
It was a long time ago obviously, but that box looks really familiar. Also, my video cable is yellow the same as this picture.
Leonidas
Member
Can anything be done to fix the GD-ROM drive so that it will work more reliably? Tried playing my DC the other day and it wouldn't read my games till I banged on it.
I bought a similar 3rd party cable and the image is off center on my display, something I don't think I experienced on the 3rd party VGA box I used to have, other than that the IQ seemed the same.
I bought a similar 3rd party cable and the image is off center on my display, something I don't think I experienced on the 3rd party VGA box I used to have, other than that the IQ seemed the same.
Laevateinn
Member
There might be a potentiometer that you can adjust the laser strength with. That's just buying time. The long term solution is to get a new one (of a dwindling supply) or get a GDEMU (good luck).
Cloudius12
Member
You could create your own dream explorer boot disc in which you can put the save files on the disc to be copied onto your VMU.
http://bswirl.kitsunet.org/vmutool/release/help/makecd.php?lg=en&menu=on
No clue if the stock cdi image of Dream Explorer has all the quest available.
I don't know if there is an easier way.
http://bswirl.kitsunet.org/vmutool/release/help/makecd.php?lg=en&menu=on
No clue if the stock cdi image of Dream Explorer has all the quest available.
I don't know if there is an easier way.
sechsterangriff
Member
You can use the web browser to download them directly if you have the ethernet adapter or your own dial-up server.
Otherwise you're better off just using DreamShell.
IrishNinja
Member
^never seen that before! need to look into that & Dream Explorer
Ceallach
Smells like fresh rosebuds
What's best inexpensive way to connect Dreamcast to an HDTV? Using composite gives me these vertical lines and a messy picture in general.
I don't have S Video or a vga port(or an aux for audio). I was thinking vga to hdmi, but then I have no way to get audio without using an external speaker.
I don't have S Video or a vga port(or an aux for audio). I was thinking vga to hdmi, but then I have no way to get audio without using an external speaker.
Thanks for taking the time to grab that pic. Looks like the Pelican cable.
A SCART cable and this. Not exactly inexpensive, but I think it's the cheapest, most effective option with your setup.
Not the greatest picture in the world but I have a nearly-complete NA set. Still need the MvC1 variant, that weird Super Runabout variant, Web Browser 3.0, and some obscure demo discs.
Also pictured are some PAL exclusives, canceled game repro's, Japanese DC games, and independent releases.
Ceallach
Smells like fresh rosebuds
Oh man, this is perfect actually, I can use it with my Saturn too! And only $50?
With some reviews of that device you may see some comments saying the picture quality changes slightly when an idle game is put into motion. It's like a weird blurring transitioning effect. I've noticed this too, but it's super fast and doesn't really bother me.
My Saturn with that setup looks great. Dreamcast looks fine too but it seems slightly darker than it should. Not as good as VGA (or a framemeister) but yeah, it's a great option.
Wow! Jealous of your Japan games specifically (is that Napple Tale and LOL I see?)
Edit: Just saw sonic adventure special edition. Superb
Laevateinn
Member
Now I want to play. Jesus.
Yup, both Napple Tale and Lack of Love are fun, although either by the language barrier or some arcane design choices it's hard to make progress in LOL. There's not much info out there about it either.
Sonic Adventure LE I got by pure luck. Half Price Books (midwest chain) had it for $5 with a bunch of other Dreamcast games. I assume they listed it for the normal Sonic Adventure price. Glad I found one without Hollywood Video stamps all over it.
Laevateinn
Member
There's a Half Price Books in Seattle too.
Ah, I read your post and googled it and they're all over the country in different pockets. I just assumed they were a regional chain because on some forums I'll reference the store and people won't know what I'm talking about.
I made the mistake of selling off most of my Dreamcast games about 5 years ago when I thought I had way too many old video games that I was never going to play again. I have been in a big Dreamcast mood lately and have started buying back stuff I used to own. I can't believe how some of the prices have jumped on Dreamcast games. I sold my stuff at exactly the wrong time. I had 2 CIB copies of Dynamite Cop that I sold for $5 a piece. When the heck did that game get so expensive!! I love that game and all, but it goes for like $50 now. I thought it was ultra common. I also had a mint copy of Illbleed that I sold for maybe $20. That game is pure garbage, but now it goes for like $100. I remember I bought that new from Toys R Us for $5 when they were clearing out their DC games.
So far the stuff I have bought (or rebought) in recent days has been:
Flag to Flag (I know that game isn't very good and the controls are a little weird, but for some reason I love it)
Sega Bass Fishing with fishing controller (I've always loved that game but have never actually played it with the fishing controller, so I'm excited to try that)
Ecco the Dolphin
Ready 2 Rumble
Airforce Delta (I'm curious how this game has held up; I thought it was a really underrated aerial combat game back when it came out)
Jedi Power Battles (again, I know this game isn't very good, but I totally love it)
I have also been replaying Sonic Adventure (which was one of the few games I kept from my purge 5 years ago) and that game is still pretty darn good. I expected that it would have aged terribly, but the action stages are still pretty awesome. The camera is even worse than I remember, but on the whole I think they did a great job converting Sonic to 3D as best they could.
So far the stuff I have bought (or rebought) in recent days has been:
Flag to Flag (I know that game isn't very good and the controls are a little weird, but for some reason I love it)
Sega Bass Fishing with fishing controller (I've always loved that game but have never actually played it with the fishing controller, so I'm excited to try that)
Ecco the Dolphin
Ready 2 Rumble
Airforce Delta (I'm curious how this game has held up; I thought it was a really underrated aerial combat game back when it came out)
Jedi Power Battles (again, I know this game isn't very good, but I totally love it)
I have also been replaying Sonic Adventure (which was one of the few games I kept from my purge 5 years ago) and that game is still pretty darn good. I expected that it would have aged terribly, but the action stages are still pretty awesome. The camera is even worse than I remember, but on the whole I think they did a great job converting Sonic to 3D as best they could.
So I ended up ordering this VGA cable:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01850DCRY/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I just tried it out on my HDTV and it works great. I can't believe how good DC games look through VGA. It's amazing.
I'm no expert on this stuff, but the build quality on this cable seems pretty good. It doesn't feel cheap at all. I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a cheap alternative to a VGA box (which is obviously the ideal solution).
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01850DCRY/?tag=neogaf0e-20
I just tried it out on my HDTV and it works great. I can't believe how good DC games look through VGA. It's amazing.
I'm no expert on this stuff, but the build quality on this cable seems pretty good. It doesn't feel cheap at all. I definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a cheap alternative to a VGA box (which is obviously the ideal solution).
Cloudius12
Member
I'm still waiting for my Hanzo to come in. Be aware it takes a long time (Already waiting a month).
That's normal for them.
Laevateinn
Member
I want a cable that I can use with a VGA monitor or my PVM. Am I looking for Toro?
Yes.