Remember the year 1999. Ricky Martin was Livin La Vida Loca and the Millennium was upon us. The year 1999 also gave birth to one of the most esteemed and short-lived video game consoles in history, the Sega Dreamcast, the launch of which is an extremely harrowing task for Sega as a hardware developer.
Twenty years later, the Sega Dreamcast is still hugely popular with fans and retro fans, thanks to its innovative features and iconic game library.
So for those of you who want to keep the dream alive, there's a lot to consider in regards to what Sega's final console has to offer in 2019, starting with the start of the little white box.
Find the console of your dreams
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You may even wonder where you would have found a Dreamcast console in 2019, as they have been abandoned since 2001. Well, we might be closer to you than you think, many people find your gear originally stuck in dusty boxes in attics or basements. However, if you haven't owned a Dreamcast in the day or if you ditch it, there are plenty of ways to get one for your hard-earned money.
When it comes to the casual market, eBay is the place of choice for most Internet users. Unfortunately, it's extremely difficult to find retro gaming gear on the electronics market at a great price, with an average Dreamcast price of around € 60 (€ 50 / AU € 90). With that said, eBay is worth keeping an eye on because smart auction tactics can go a long way toward hitting a good deal.
Physical stores like CEX in the UK and Gamestop in the US also set their share price at roughly this price, the difference being the bonus of a guarantee. If you're feeling particularly thrifty, then your best bet is to get used to good charity shopping, which means you can contribute to a good cause while feeding your nostalgic monster.
Plug in the dream machine
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For those of you who have checked out our previous guide to the best retro games, you should be aware of the caveats inherent in using retro consoles today. While some consoles can be extremely difficult to use with modern televisions and monitors, Dreamcast offers a variety of solutions that stand up to the technological challenge of time.
The Dreamcast ships out of the box with a standard composite cable (red, white and yellow phono jacks), which can be easily connected to displays from that era. This type of cable offers a quick and easy way to put things in their place, the main disadvantage being the cloudy image quality of a composite video signal.
If your television has a conventional Scart plug, there are different cables available to provide you with a high-quality video signal. These Scart cables range from cheap and gay generic cables priced around € 10, to high-quality products like those from retrogamingcables.co.uk, starting at around € 43 (€ 35). AU € 63).
"While some consoles can be extremely difficult to use with modern televisions and monitors, Dreamcast offers several solutions that will stand the technological test of time."
Depending on the condition of your TV, you may find that traditional plugs are completely absent, which is becoming the norm for smoothing out new screens. If that's the case, have no fear, because third-party companies like Pound Technology offer cables that add HDMI functionality to the Dreamcast.
Pound's HD Link Cable makes it easy to connect the console to modern displays through an HDMI port, without the need for additional hardware. Cable costs around € 29.99, which makes it a far cry from the cheapest option. Users may also experience incompatibility issues with some Dreamcast games because they do not support the high resolution cable used.
The last way to connect Sega's powerful little box to a display is to use a VGA box, which basically uses a standard PC VGA video connector. This is a great way to get a sharp Dreamcast picture using a traditional PC monitor, with many displays still featuring the interface. However, just like its HDMI counterpart, it will also be subject to the same incompatibility issues with certain games. Speaking of games, let's move on to the most important part of the Dreamcast experience.
A library with the test of time.
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The Dreamcast may only have been around for two years, but it has managed to build one of the most impressive game libraries ever. From groundbreaking fighting games like Powerstone to darling adventures like Shenmue, the Dreamcast repertoire is one that gamers still look forward to today.
While retro gaming is getting more and more expensive over time, it's quite understandable how much these legendary titles could cost. Fortunately, there are a few tips you can use to get the best out of the Dreamcast library, but at a much lower price.
Innovative as the Dreamcast is, Sega dropped the ball when it came to console design: protecting regions. This means that Dreamcast can be easily manipulated to read any region simply by using a disc with specific software. If you're lucky, you'll sometimes find these discs associated with occasional games on eBay, with the option to create your own by following an online tutorial.
"The Dreamcast may have only been around for two years, but it has managed to build one of the most impressive game libraries ever."
You may still wonder why you would like to play games outside of your area, especially regarding language barriers. Well, like most things in life, it all comes down to money, some games are considerably cheaper than their counterparts in another country. Of course, Japanese outputs are often even cheaper than their Western counterparts, mainly due to the language and related issues. However, it should be mentioned that language issues don't really affect much of the Dreamcast library and are offset by cost savings.
Take Street Fighter: Third Strike as an example, with a British copy of the game costing over € 70, while its Japanese variant costs just € 20. This is a great economy to consider as fighting games are unaffected by the language difference. Coincidentally, titles like the Resident Evil games on the Dreamcast don't even use the Japanese language, even though they are Japanese versions, which means it's possible to get the same game while saving money.
A big part of the fun of the Dreamcast 2019 experience is exploring titles that you may never have read when they were released. Due to the short life of the console, many gamers have completely missed the Dreamcast experience. Several titles like Sonic Adventure and Jet Set Radio have been known for their different reissues. To add insult to injury, many gamers have missed one of the most diverse material experiences in video game history, as entire genres are born from specific peripherals.
Fishing rods, pistols and maracas
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One of the most attractive aspects of the Dreamcast is its ridiculous number of peripherals, many of which offer a truly unique gaming experience. Look even at the VMU memory card, a small device designed by Gameboy that can display game-specific content on your microscreen, it even functions as a cyber pet when used with games like Sonic. adventure.
Having a high-tech memory card isn't the only mind-blowing Sega innovation in its arsenal at the time. Dreamcast was also one of the first consoles to offer a proper online game. Of course, we're not talking about Xbox Live's internet connectivity levels, but there was certainly a solid online experience for gamers, especially in the early 2000s. Titles like Phantasy Star Online are monumental examples of how Sega pioneered. in the art of online gaming, evolving it beyond the simplicity of previous multiplayer experiences.
"Everything seems to be far from the world when it comes to Dreamcast"
Everything seems to be far from common regarding the Dreamcast, even the Dreamcast keyboard offers an unexpected and better-quality experience with a weapon, with parody games like Typing of the Dead, allowing players to do Zombie Explode to the power of unrestricted spelling. Even the quiet experience of fishing turns into a thrilling arcade experience when you use a fishing rod controller and a copy of Sega Bass Fishing.
It would be a crime to talk about Dreamcast devices and not mention Amigo's legendary Samba and his wonderful maracas, which are objectively the best thing anyone can bring to a party. Amigo's Samba is a striking example of how Dreamcast has been able to bring almost any arcade experience into the home, which before and after consoles have failed.
In many ways, the Dreamcast is the dream console for anyone who wants to venture into unfamiliar games. There is surely something that will surprise and please even the most seasoned gamers, especially now that the game has passed from most of the values that Dreamcast has. However, if you have an interest in older video game formats, your path will surely cross the Dreamcast, which will always be one of the most exclusive video game materials to date.