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Has anyone else noticed how superb the Dreamcast peripherals are compared with the competition? (Competition? What competition!)
Well, I certainly have, and for all of you people who were too ignorant to buy a Sega Saturn DO NOT MISS OUT ON DREAMCAST!!! It's got the best games, the best peripherals and the best price. Let me tell you about it!
The control pad is always an essential purchase right? Sure it is, so it'd be a shame if the pad was awkwardly designed, and uncomfortable to hold (N64 cough cough...)
Luckily, Sega got it right!
I don't really have much to say about the Dreamcast controller - after all, you can't really judge a console by the controller, but it's nice to know that you'll be getting the most innovative and comfortable controller on the market with the Dreamcast.
It has to be inspired by the Nights analogue pad that was released on the Sega Saturn in collaboration with the superb game Nights, and so it has a lot of similar properties to that pad. It has the same style of shoulder buttons and is roughly the same shape, and size, but the Dreamcast pad is much more comfortable to hold, and has much more style!
The standard Dreamcast pad has both an analogue and a digital pad. This is a superb idea, so you will be able to play games, which require more precision with the D-pad, and those, which don't with the Analogue pad. I feel that the D-pad is more uncomfortable, but it doesn't really matter. There are two shoulder triggers, which are mainly used as an accelerator, and a brake in racing games - the pad is better than a wheel in my view. There are four circular buttons ' X and Y and A and B' each has it's unique colour.
There is no select button, but there is a start (the triangular one in the centre) button. The pad incorporates two slots, not just one! This means you can slot in a VMU (or two), a VMU and a rumble pack, or a Microphone!
The pad is really easy to use, isn't at all fiddly, or cumbersome, and is far more stylish than anything else on the console market. It's big, strong and won't break easily, so it's an essential peripheral - but is packaged with the Dc itself.
You can actually buy them separately for £19.99 from many places online and off, so you'll be able to experience the two, three and four player games. If you're into 2D beat 'em ups then you simply must get the Arcade stick instead, because the pad won't be able to take all that you throw at it!
It's available in the standard grey form, but go to the official Dreamcast Europe and Dream Arena sites and you'll be able to purchase different coloured pads - which do look far better and liven up the DC itself. You can get a yellow, orange, green or blue clear pad for the same price as the grey - and there's no postage costs!
The box package is also very stylish, and very tidy indeed. Blue and white as ever, and the instructions are complete with the controller. It remains the same design style as the actual Dreamcast box, and is very eye catching, clear and easy to open. I think there are even instructions of how to open the box on the box!
I have 4 control pads now. The grey one that came with the Dreamcast, another grey pad and two coloured pads – a blue and an orange one, and for some reason I only tend to use the orange and blue ones though! My favourite coloured pad (as if it mattered) is the Orange, simply because it seems to be more lucky. The coloured see through are far more interesting because you can see all the wiring and electronic circuit boards etc. inside the pad.
The wire is long enough for you to sit from the screen at a safe distance (sitting too close could be bad for your eyes), and can be clipped to the top of the pad so that it doesn't get in your way when playing. You can even buy controller extension leads from most places, if you feel you need to get further away from the television. I think that it is the most essential peripheral for the Dreamcast, and it's a great idea for you to put the VMU (memory card with an LCD screen) inside one of the slots. This will enable you to look at secret information during games against other players - both online and offline.
If you're thinking of getting a 3rd party pad at half the price of the official one, then that is your decision, but I recommend that you spend double and get this one. You may have heard of the 'Astro-Pad', well don't get that because the buttons do stick, and it has an overall tacky feeling to it.
If you compare this Sega product with it’s ‘predecessor’ the Saturn pad (not the 3D pad) then you can see how far technology has advanced. The Saturn pad was good in it’s time but place them against each other and you’ll know just how much better the DC pad is. It’s more comfortable then the N64 and Playstation pad therefore it’s more comfortable than the PS2 pad. I have seen the XBox controller, and it seems to resemble the Dreamcast one – I think that Sega’s ‘VMU memory card slotting into the controller’ idea will be used by Microsoft for their XBox memory card, and it will slot into that controller I feel.
The official Dreamcast address: www.dreamcast-europe.com so head there and get your coloured pads!
Obviously, you do not get the VMU or Rumble pack with the Dreamcast controller, but they work in collaboration, and are all essential peripherals! I think that in the future there should be the equivalent Dreamcast controller to the Playstation Dual Shock pad - therefore you won't have to get a rumble pack separately.
Overall, one of the best control pads that has ever been designed, is available for you at an excellent price so why not get one today! It's the best pad out of all the DC ones (the 3rd party pads are nowhere near as good in my view).
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Now, after reading all that, I bring you to the VMU section - ah! What's this? A memory card that you can play games on? Whatever next? (They'll have Internet ready consoles next...)
The Dreamcast VMU is one of the most innovative peripherals ever created for a games console, and I feel that Sega have designed more than a mere memory card here, and everyone will incorporate this idea in some way or other! The VMU stands for Visual Memory Unit, and is currently the only Official Sega product offering the save game facility, but it is also the best memory card available for your Dreamcast.
It can save 200 blocks (1MB) worth of memory, which will enable you to save around 10 different games on average, depending on the type of file you're saving! Soul Calibur, for instance, only takes up 9 blocks, with only the VMU mini style games and racing games taking up a fair amount of memory. And that leads me to my other point - gaming on the move!
The VMU is much more than a memory card. It has to buttons, and a D-pad to allow you to play games on it. The games don't have amazing graphics, but they consist of clever animations, and there are a few classics available for you to download to the VMU via the Dreamcast Internet. There's Pac-Man, Tetris, Godzilla (very confusing as it is in Japanese), Various football games, Space Invaders, Etch-a-sketch, and all the mini games that are included with many Dreamcast games. There is the Chao adventure from Sonic adventure, a Sega GT racing and training mini game, some Soul Calibur games (online only - not from the game), some from Quake 3, and many more!
The games aren't that complex, and don't really require much thought, but they're certainly worth playing a couple of times. I think the bets mini game is from Sonic adventure.
The VMU is only £19.99, and there are various online shops that will sell them at a pound or two off this price. It's packaged well (as usual), and fits comfortable in the palm of your hand. Batteries are included, but they will run out within 3 months if you remove the white 'pull' tab from the back of the unit. So only remove this when playing games and keep it in a safe place!
The VMU is only available in white/grey for the UK and Europe, but we should soon get some of the more colourful and exciting colours like the Japanese gamers currently have. I own 3, although I don't really need this many. I'd recommend buying 1 VMU for gaming, and purchasing 3rd party memory cards for game saving.
It's the most inventive memory card on the market, and is well worth the money. Available at most high street stores!
I recommend the following for VMU game downloads (please note this will only work through the Dreamcast): www.booyaka.com and www.VMU-centre.co.uk
That wasn't too much to read now was it (sorry!)!!
I still have a lot more to tell you though!
PICTURE QUALITY.
'We all play games - let's play together. Dreamcast, up to 6billion..' don't bother - heard it before, didn't work. The reason why people buy games machines is to play games on (well, it used to be), so it'd be great if the games looked so clear and crisp that you really felt like you were in the game, right? Of course! 'We all play games - let's play together. Dreamcast - SCART lead not included' that's what they should have said - at least this way people would be aware that they can maximize their Dreamcast experience by purchsing one! Sega will never learn...
Here you are:
When the Saturn was released it was equipped with the SCART lead, which was a mistake (or was it?) by Sega because a lot of people had to purchase the RF Unit, as most Television's in the mid '90s didn't have SCART output on them. All modern televisions do have SCART connections, but Sega this time decided to put an RF unit in with the Dreamcast so that everyone could play there little white boxes without paying out any more money - all TV's support the RF unit as long as there's an Arial port.
I didn't initially notice that the picture quality was below par with the Dreamcast when I first got it - the graphics were so incredible that I didn't really notice! I asked a few people whether the SCART lead did make a difference, and so I thought I may as well get one. Curry's were lucky enough to get my custom, and I handed over my £7.98 in the hope of superior picture quality. I got home, and didn't really notice any difference at first, but when my mate somehow persuaded me to sell him my SCART lead for the £8 I paid, I had to put the RF unit back into action.
I couldn't believe how poor the picture quality now looked! It wasn't awful as such, but in comparison it looked diabolical! I'll now have to get myself a new SCART lead, and a new TV so that my DVD player can be shown via S-Video, leaving a SCART socket free. Of course, I could just get a double SCART socket, but then I’m never one to turn down the excuse for buying a new TV! There is the official Sega SCART leads and ‘unofficial’, so go for the cheapest one because they’re all good quality in most cases.
This may not stand for what I’ve put but it’s my rendition, and that's what counts!
SCART: "Simply crisper, amazing, real television." Or something like that...
I can't recommend the SCART lead highly enough! I think you'll be able to find it for around £5 in the January sales, so that's where you'll find me!
So, can I possibly tell you any more? Well of course I can, and so I will proceed to discuss the Dreamcast MOUSE. You may think that Mice are small rodents, but they're actually devices used for PC use! Until now that is!
Dreamcast, being the Internet ready console that it is, has been awarded the Dreamcast Mouse. So, in my attempt to help you make an appropriate buying decision (do you need a mouse or not?) I will tell you all I know!
The Dreamcast Mouse. Hmmm. is it an essential purchase? Should you all run down to your local retailer to get one? If you own a Dreamcast you may well have heard that Sega were bringing out the Dreamcast Mouse, you might even have heard about it without owning a Dreamcast. Well, here's what the Official Dreamcast website has to say:
"Hence the majestic arrival of possibly the most anticipated DC peripheral ever, the Dreamcast Mouse."
"With the star that is online gaming in an ever-escalating ascendancy and input-intensive stunners like Quake III: Arena out there it's only natural that you the electronic entertainment consumer should demand the most accurate and flexible control interfaces possible. Now you can zip about with rapid ease and waste scum-sucking frag-pigs with an elegant flick of the wrist. Fitting snugly in the palm of your hand, this will give you the killer edge you've always dreamt of.
Excellent for Quake III
Top for point and click adventures"
I wouldn't go so far as to say the arrival was majestic, but for those players who prefer to frag their mates without using the standard controller then the Dreamcast Mouse will work amicably with your Dreamcast keyboard in Quake 3 Arena. And I don't really think that the DC Mouse was the most anticipated Dreamcast peripheral ever - I was far more intrigued by the fishing rod! And I haven't ever dreamt of having the 'killer edge' but there you go.
The mouse was released on the 8th of December of last year, in coincidence with Quake 3, but I have to be honest and say that I've only used the mouse once! I much prefer the controller to play Q3A, and so the little white rodent has been collecting dust for about a month! I haven't played Quake that often and so I'll probably adopt the mouse and keyboard strategy in the coming months, as most experts will tell you the mouse is far better and more precise.
At present the mouse is only compatible with Quake 3 Arena and Hidden and dangerous, but it will be fully compatible with Dream Arena version 2.0 (Dreamcast Online portal), which is out in the spring. I'm not too disappointed that it is incompatible with existing Dream Arena versions 1.0 and 1.5, as I don't use the DC Online functions regularly enough at the moment.
At £19.99 the Mouse isn't overly expensive, weighing in at the same price as a Dreamcast controller, and I do believe that you can get the mouse from Gameplay.com for less than the RRP. The Mouse is packaged in the familiar Blue in white stylish Dreamcast box, and is well protected in the box - a good thing seeing that it'll be staying in there for a while!
Slightly larger than the Japanese equivalent, the Mouse is also a different colour - the plain grey/white with 3 buttons - the scroll button will be very useful in the future for Internet surfing. I recommend that you get yourself the Mouse as soon as possible, even though there is no real need at the moment because when Dream arena 2.0 does launch there will be a lot of Mouse sales, and I predict that there will be stock shortages - much like the Dreamcast Gun and fishing rod.
At the end of the day, night, week, month or year, it is nothing more than a mouse - its ergonomic: very comfortable, and will soon serve its purpose (no pun intended!). I'd only give the mouse 4 stars at the moment but when the new update arrives I will try it out and update the opinion telling you what I think! I hope the Web will be easier to surf with the mouse, and I'm sure it will!
At least Sega actually released it in Europe - there wasn't any sign of the promised Saturn mouse (or modem, or sales, or...)
Racing Freak? Now, now that's unfair. We all like our car games, well most of us, and so if you're an aspiring young or old Dreamcast owner, then you'll be interested in how you can improve your driving performance! Got a control pad? Think it's the best for racing games? Well, there are steering wheels you know...
With the announcement of a 128bit console back in 1998, I thought 'YES!' the Dreamcast will surely have a decent steering wheel, and will be completely different to all the 32bit and N64 steering wheels that have 'rumble effects', and maybe the Dreamcast steering wheel will have similar technology to the Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback wheel - now that is an excellent peripheral!
Sadly, this was not to be, and although different to the regular 'Madcatz et al' steering wheels, I was disappointed. The first major upset was when I read that the wheel will have a realistic 'heavy feel', so no force feedback then. Secondly, I read that the wheel will have two paddles for accelerating and braking! Oh great! Paddles? Who wants paddles? I'm sure the promoters said this to mislead me, but I can read fairly well, and so spotted that this did indeed say paddles and not pedals.
As if this control would simulate an actual steering wheel? I thought 'that's it, I'm waiting for a better wheel', and yet I still bought the darn thing at Tempo in Milton Keynes after failing to resist a 25% off price tag! I got the wheel for £29.84 I think, but I haven't made full use of it, simply because the standard control pad is a much more precise and easier method of control. I've got some of the better Dreamcast racing games in MSR, F355 and Sega Rally 2, but I just don't feel that the wheel is good enough! It is built well, and there is room to hold a VMU, and the heavy feel is certainly different to the tacky rumble wheels, but it doesn't really help its case at all.
I have since purchased the Thrustmaster (Officially licensed by Ferrari) wheel, which only cost £44.99 along with the awesome Ferrari F355 Challenge Passione Rossa - incredible value from Toys 'R' us!
I wasn't at all keen by the plastic smell from the wheel as soon as I opened the box, and the box is very poorly designed, but at least the wheel is far better than the Sega one. There are pedals, there are a lot of extra buttons, and there is a table clamp to make the wheel steady for when you're doing some serious driving! I still prefer the Dreamcast control pad to both wheels, but the latter is the best available if you really want a wheel.
I guess I was foolish, or perhaps naive to think that any steering wheel would be as good as the Microsoft one - costing a mere £97.99! I may well have to purchase an XBox, despite how ugly it looks (has anyone seen the official pictures? Please tell me they were prototypes!) Just so that I can get a decent wheel for a change!
Hope I helped you in your steering wheel buying decisions!
Don't get the Sega one go for the Thrustmaster!
OK. I've written a lot. I doubt I'll win a game - that's not why I'm here. I'm here to discuss with you the aspects of gaming, and this fine morning I am discussing the Dreamcast. Tomorrow I could be discussing the PS2 - if I win one, or get given one...
As a bit of 'bonus' material I will now include my actual Dreamcast console summary - read it if you dare!
For all of you out there who are sceptical about the Dreamcast, and won't buy one simply because of how the Saturn turned out, then I urge you to actually consider further. Hopefully, by reading my opinion you will gain a greater knowledge about Dreamcast and how you should get one!
Firstly, yes the Saturn did 'poorly' but they are still very popular with the 2nd hand market. 2ndly, the Dreamcast is a totally different machine to the Saturn and has sold more in its first year than the Saturn did in 4 years. So there are now 5.56million Dreamcast consoles been sold throughout the world so far.
This is a great sign, and it seems that Sega will capitalize this Xmas when it picks up all the sales due to it's superb forthcoming games, it's amazing existing games, and the fact that there are going to be no Playstation2s in the shops for sale as they've all run out at pre order.
This means, with no competition for this very festive period, Sega could do very well to make their console THE 'must have' for all children and adults alike come December 25th. Personally, I think there will be a lot of unhappy Sony fans, because they cannot get a PS2, and so they will opt for Dreamcast. After all, it has a fantastic catalogue of games including many original and innovative titles such as the following (please note, the best of the genre are in capitals):
RACING:
CRAZY TAXI,
FERRARI F355
METROPOLIS STREET RACER,
Sega Rally 2,
V-Rally 2,
Pod II,
Le Mans 24
Wacky Races
San Fransisco Rush 2049,
Re-Volt,
F1 World GP (1 and 2)
Tokyo Highway Challenge (1 and 2)
Suzuki Alstare Extreme Racing
Fight 'em ups: (The Dreamcast has officially got the best range of Fighting games in the world of Video games out of ALL formats) (This is in part due to Capcom's excellent support of the console)
DEAD or ALIVE 2,
Power Stone
POWER STONE 2
SOUL CALIBUR
Street Fighter Alpha 3,
Street Fighter 3 Double Impact
Tech Romancer,
Marvel vs Capcom (1 & 2)
Mortal Kombat Gold,
Ultimate Fighting Championship,
WWF Royal Rumble
Ready2Rumble (1 & 2)
Virtua Fighter 3TB
ADVENTURE/RPG:
SONIC ADVENTURE
RESIDENT EVIL CODE VERONICA
Resident Evil 2,
Shadowman,
Soul Reaver,
Tomb Raider 4,
The Nomad soul,
Maken X,
HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2,
Blue stinger
Rayman 2
MDK 2
ECCO THE DOLPHIN: DOTF
Evolution
Fur Fighters
SPORTS TITLES/Alternative: (The DC has some fantastic sports games, namely form Sega themselves)
NBA 2K (and 2K1),
NFL 2K (and 2K1),
VIRTUA TENNIS,
Uefa Dream Soccer (due soon)
Uefa Striker,
Jimmy White's 2 Cueball,
NHL 2K,
NFL BLITZ 2000,
Ready 2 rumble boxing (1 & 2),
SWWS Euro (football),
Sega Bass fishing,
Trickstyle
TONY HAWKS(1 & 2)
Puzzle, Multiplayer:
ChuChu Rocket
Fur Fighters,
Toy Commander,
Slave Zero,
South Park Rally,
Sega Swirl! (free game)
Wetrix,
Bust a Move 4
And this is only a select few. There really are many triple A class titles on the Dreamcast, and many more are on there way before Christmas. I for one cannot wait for SHENMUE- possibly Yu Suzuki's greatest game ever. And Quake 3 Arena ONLINE should prove great fun.
So, what can Dreamcast offer you? Well, for a very reasonable price of £150 with 2 free games, you get the world's FIRST online console, through which you can send and receive emails, surf the net (just like on the PC) and play online games, such as Quake 3, Pod2 and Chu Chu Rocket.
As you may be aware also, the Dreamcast has a large catalogue of great games, which will hopefully include all the current Playstation games as well in the near future. This is because a company called Bleem! Who emulate games, are currently converting and programming software to allow you to play all your Playstation games on to Dreamcast via the Bleem! box. This box also improves the graphics and speed of the game, and will be out before March next year (I hope!)
I have been very pleased with mine; I got it on the day of release and I haven't had a moment of doubt since, I'm sure a lot of others have been as well. At the end of the day, it's your decision, but I strongly recommend the Dreamcast to you!
Here are THE most essential games that you should consider getting soon!
You can get a Dreamcast mouse, microphone, arcade stick, wheel, the forthcoming web-cam, online play without time lag, email and internet facility - this will improve as a broadband modem is on it's way, and there are at least 20 must have titles for the Dreamcast either available now or due out soon!
· Sonic Adventure (superb visuals and game play what more do you want? Lots of sub games including a special Chao garden - virtual pet 'em up),
· Soul Calibur (the greatest weapon fighting game ever, with a huge mission mode, great storyline and music with many superb characters. brought to you from the masters of fighting Namco)
· Grand Prix 3 (out New year, and you know this'll be good),
· Metropolis Street Racer (2 years in the making, 250 + tracks, 40 + real life sports cars, superb graphics and car handling and a unique style of game play - MSR is a must),
· Shenmue (An Epic adventure that should be experienced by everyone. The 'game' features life like graphics, incredible detail and animation - stunning),
· Jet Set Radio (A mixture of Ton Hawk's and Crazy Taxi except a whole lot faster and much more exciting! Breathtaking visual effects and very funky music - the definition of cool)
· Quake 3 Arena (one of my personal favourites this year is this superb Online and offline multi player Frag 'em up. Better than the PC version offering no lag time online, a single player quest and great multiplayer fun. Essential!)
· Half Life (The best game ever? It may well be just that and its been improved for Dreamcast arriving in the New Year),
· Ferrari F355 Challenge Passione Rossa (Incredible difficult: an accurate representation offering real physics, highly detailed tracks, online races and much, much more!)
· Black & white (Control a virtual animal and pit it up against the rest of nature online! Out very soon),
· Toy Racer (All you need in an online racing game! Great fun and yet fiendishly simple and at only £5!),
· Crazy Taxi (arcade fun brought to Dreamcast in one of the most addictive and sensational games of all time. Great soundtrack, graphics and plenty of sub games to keep you happy for years (and I'm number 2 in the country at Crazy Flag :) this is so much fun!)
· Le Mans 24 (ok, so it may take 24 hours if you select this time period, but it's worth it - take shifts of 2 hours though or you'll be absolutely exhausted!)
· Ultimate Fighting Championship (has any game got more lif like graphics than this?),
· Phantasy Star Online (this will be so amazing I tell you: play online and progress through the game meeting new real people from around the world),
· Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (One of the best ever games has an even better sequel, which includes the option to make your own skate park! Better graphics, and even more new moves!),
· Samba De Amigo (the most ludicrous, but highly original games ever produced by the talented people at Sonic Team. It's got loads of superb Latin songs for you to dance to and will prove a fantastic way to get exercising and to help lose a few ponds after Christmas! It's costly, but it is definitely worth it.)
· Seaman (talk to virtual fish with human heads! What more could you want? Help them to grow into adult fish and feed them, shout at them and just have a laugh by hearing their responses!)
· Skies of arcadia (out in the spring I believe, and this will be one of the best RPG you've ever witnessed. Again, great graphics, superb promised game play, and undoubtedly loads of innovative ideas)
· Virtua Tennis (THE best sports game ever made without a doubt. Easy to pick up and play, at the same time as being incredibly challenging in the world circuit mode. Smooth graphics that are so far unrivalled in the sports genre
· NBA 2K1 (this basketball game has caused quite a stir in the USA due to it's online capabilities and wonderful graphics and game play. It seems as though all the faults of NBA 2K, although there weren't many, have been corrected!)
Thanks for reading - a game should be awarded for the first person - if any - to read the entire post.
Your greatest fan,
This is,
Dan
Well, I certainly have, and for all of you people who were too ignorant to buy a Sega Saturn DO NOT MISS OUT ON DREAMCAST!!! It's got the best games, the best peripherals and the best price. Let me tell you about it!
The control pad is always an essential purchase right? Sure it is, so it'd be a shame if the pad was awkwardly designed, and uncomfortable to hold (N64 cough cough...)
Luckily, Sega got it right!
I don't really have much to say about the Dreamcast controller - after all, you can't really judge a console by the controller, but it's nice to know that you'll be getting the most innovative and comfortable controller on the market with the Dreamcast.
It has to be inspired by the Nights analogue pad that was released on the Sega Saturn in collaboration with the superb game Nights, and so it has a lot of similar properties to that pad. It has the same style of shoulder buttons and is roughly the same shape, and size, but the Dreamcast pad is much more comfortable to hold, and has much more style!
The standard Dreamcast pad has both an analogue and a digital pad. This is a superb idea, so you will be able to play games, which require more precision with the D-pad, and those, which don't with the Analogue pad. I feel that the D-pad is more uncomfortable, but it doesn't really matter. There are two shoulder triggers, which are mainly used as an accelerator, and a brake in racing games - the pad is better than a wheel in my view. There are four circular buttons ' X and Y and A and B' each has it's unique colour.
There is no select button, but there is a start (the triangular one in the centre) button. The pad incorporates two slots, not just one! This means you can slot in a VMU (or two), a VMU and a rumble pack, or a Microphone!
The pad is really easy to use, isn't at all fiddly, or cumbersome, and is far more stylish than anything else on the console market. It's big, strong and won't break easily, so it's an essential peripheral - but is packaged with the Dc itself.
You can actually buy them separately for £19.99 from many places online and off, so you'll be able to experience the two, three and four player games. If you're into 2D beat 'em ups then you simply must get the Arcade stick instead, because the pad won't be able to take all that you throw at it!
It's available in the standard grey form, but go to the official Dreamcast Europe and Dream Arena sites and you'll be able to purchase different coloured pads - which do look far better and liven up the DC itself. You can get a yellow, orange, green or blue clear pad for the same price as the grey - and there's no postage costs!
The box package is also very stylish, and very tidy indeed. Blue and white as ever, and the instructions are complete with the controller. It remains the same design style as the actual Dreamcast box, and is very eye catching, clear and easy to open. I think there are even instructions of how to open the box on the box!
I have 4 control pads now. The grey one that came with the Dreamcast, another grey pad and two coloured pads – a blue and an orange one, and for some reason I only tend to use the orange and blue ones though! My favourite coloured pad (as if it mattered) is the Orange, simply because it seems to be more lucky. The coloured see through are far more interesting because you can see all the wiring and electronic circuit boards etc. inside the pad.
The wire is long enough for you to sit from the screen at a safe distance (sitting too close could be bad for your eyes), and can be clipped to the top of the pad so that it doesn't get in your way when playing. You can even buy controller extension leads from most places, if you feel you need to get further away from the television. I think that it is the most essential peripheral for the Dreamcast, and it's a great idea for you to put the VMU (memory card with an LCD screen) inside one of the slots. This will enable you to look at secret information during games against other players - both online and offline.
If you're thinking of getting a 3rd party pad at half the price of the official one, then that is your decision, but I recommend that you spend double and get this one. You may have heard of the 'Astro-Pad', well don't get that because the buttons do stick, and it has an overall tacky feeling to it.
If you compare this Sega product with it’s ‘predecessor’ the Saturn pad (not the 3D pad) then you can see how far technology has advanced. The Saturn pad was good in it’s time but place them against each other and you’ll know just how much better the DC pad is. It’s more comfortable then the N64 and Playstation pad therefore it’s more comfortable than the PS2 pad. I have seen the XBox controller, and it seems to resemble the Dreamcast one – I think that Sega’s ‘VMU memory card slotting into the controller’ idea will be used by Microsoft for their XBox memory card, and it will slot into that controller I feel.
The official Dreamcast address: www.dreamcast-europe.com so head there and get your coloured pads!
Obviously, you do not get the VMU or Rumble pack with the Dreamcast controller, but they work in collaboration, and are all essential peripherals! I think that in the future there should be the equivalent Dreamcast controller to the Playstation Dual Shock pad - therefore you won't have to get a rumble pack separately.
Overall, one of the best control pads that has ever been designed, is available for you at an excellent price so why not get one today! It's the best pad out of all the DC ones (the 3rd party pads are nowhere near as good in my view).
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Now, after reading all that, I bring you to the VMU section - ah! What's this? A memory card that you can play games on? Whatever next? (They'll have Internet ready consoles next...)
The Dreamcast VMU is one of the most innovative peripherals ever created for a games console, and I feel that Sega have designed more than a mere memory card here, and everyone will incorporate this idea in some way or other! The VMU stands for Visual Memory Unit, and is currently the only Official Sega product offering the save game facility, but it is also the best memory card available for your Dreamcast.
It can save 200 blocks (1MB) worth of memory, which will enable you to save around 10 different games on average, depending on the type of file you're saving! Soul Calibur, for instance, only takes up 9 blocks, with only the VMU mini style games and racing games taking up a fair amount of memory. And that leads me to my other point - gaming on the move!
The VMU is much more than a memory card. It has to buttons, and a D-pad to allow you to play games on it. The games don't have amazing graphics, but they consist of clever animations, and there are a few classics available for you to download to the VMU via the Dreamcast Internet. There's Pac-Man, Tetris, Godzilla (very confusing as it is in Japanese), Various football games, Space Invaders, Etch-a-sketch, and all the mini games that are included with many Dreamcast games. There is the Chao adventure from Sonic adventure, a Sega GT racing and training mini game, some Soul Calibur games (online only - not from the game), some from Quake 3, and many more!
The games aren't that complex, and don't really require much thought, but they're certainly worth playing a couple of times. I think the bets mini game is from Sonic adventure.
The VMU is only £19.99, and there are various online shops that will sell them at a pound or two off this price. It's packaged well (as usual), and fits comfortable in the palm of your hand. Batteries are included, but they will run out within 3 months if you remove the white 'pull' tab from the back of the unit. So only remove this when playing games and keep it in a safe place!
The VMU is only available in white/grey for the UK and Europe, but we should soon get some of the more colourful and exciting colours like the Japanese gamers currently have. I own 3, although I don't really need this many. I'd recommend buying 1 VMU for gaming, and purchasing 3rd party memory cards for game saving.
It's the most inventive memory card on the market, and is well worth the money. Available at most high street stores!
I recommend the following for VMU game downloads (please note this will only work through the Dreamcast): www.booyaka.com and www.VMU-centre.co.uk
That wasn't too much to read now was it (sorry!)!!
I still have a lot more to tell you though!
PICTURE QUALITY.
'We all play games - let's play together. Dreamcast, up to 6billion..' don't bother - heard it before, didn't work. The reason why people buy games machines is to play games on (well, it used to be), so it'd be great if the games looked so clear and crisp that you really felt like you were in the game, right? Of course! 'We all play games - let's play together. Dreamcast - SCART lead not included' that's what they should have said - at least this way people would be aware that they can maximize their Dreamcast experience by purchsing one! Sega will never learn...
Here you are:
When the Saturn was released it was equipped with the SCART lead, which was a mistake (or was it?) by Sega because a lot of people had to purchase the RF Unit, as most Television's in the mid '90s didn't have SCART output on them. All modern televisions do have SCART connections, but Sega this time decided to put an RF unit in with the Dreamcast so that everyone could play there little white boxes without paying out any more money - all TV's support the RF unit as long as there's an Arial port.
I didn't initially notice that the picture quality was below par with the Dreamcast when I first got it - the graphics were so incredible that I didn't really notice! I asked a few people whether the SCART lead did make a difference, and so I thought I may as well get one. Curry's were lucky enough to get my custom, and I handed over my £7.98 in the hope of superior picture quality. I got home, and didn't really notice any difference at first, but when my mate somehow persuaded me to sell him my SCART lead for the £8 I paid, I had to put the RF unit back into action.
I couldn't believe how poor the picture quality now looked! It wasn't awful as such, but in comparison it looked diabolical! I'll now have to get myself a new SCART lead, and a new TV so that my DVD player can be shown via S-Video, leaving a SCART socket free. Of course, I could just get a double SCART socket, but then I’m never one to turn down the excuse for buying a new TV! There is the official Sega SCART leads and ‘unofficial’, so go for the cheapest one because they’re all good quality in most cases.
This may not stand for what I’ve put but it’s my rendition, and that's what counts!
SCART: "Simply crisper, amazing, real television." Or something like that...
I can't recommend the SCART lead highly enough! I think you'll be able to find it for around £5 in the January sales, so that's where you'll find me!
So, can I possibly tell you any more? Well of course I can, and so I will proceed to discuss the Dreamcast MOUSE. You may think that Mice are small rodents, but they're actually devices used for PC use! Until now that is!
Dreamcast, being the Internet ready console that it is, has been awarded the Dreamcast Mouse. So, in my attempt to help you make an appropriate buying decision (do you need a mouse or not?) I will tell you all I know!
The Dreamcast Mouse. Hmmm. is it an essential purchase? Should you all run down to your local retailer to get one? If you own a Dreamcast you may well have heard that Sega were bringing out the Dreamcast Mouse, you might even have heard about it without owning a Dreamcast. Well, here's what the Official Dreamcast website has to say:
"Hence the majestic arrival of possibly the most anticipated DC peripheral ever, the Dreamcast Mouse."
"With the star that is online gaming in an ever-escalating ascendancy and input-intensive stunners like Quake III: Arena out there it's only natural that you the electronic entertainment consumer should demand the most accurate and flexible control interfaces possible. Now you can zip about with rapid ease and waste scum-sucking frag-pigs with an elegant flick of the wrist. Fitting snugly in the palm of your hand, this will give you the killer edge you've always dreamt of.
Excellent for Quake III
Top for point and click adventures"
I wouldn't go so far as to say the arrival was majestic, but for those players who prefer to frag their mates without using the standard controller then the Dreamcast Mouse will work amicably with your Dreamcast keyboard in Quake 3 Arena. And I don't really think that the DC Mouse was the most anticipated Dreamcast peripheral ever - I was far more intrigued by the fishing rod! And I haven't ever dreamt of having the 'killer edge' but there you go.
The mouse was released on the 8th of December of last year, in coincidence with Quake 3, but I have to be honest and say that I've only used the mouse once! I much prefer the controller to play Q3A, and so the little white rodent has been collecting dust for about a month! I haven't played Quake that often and so I'll probably adopt the mouse and keyboard strategy in the coming months, as most experts will tell you the mouse is far better and more precise.
At present the mouse is only compatible with Quake 3 Arena and Hidden and dangerous, but it will be fully compatible with Dream Arena version 2.0 (Dreamcast Online portal), which is out in the spring. I'm not too disappointed that it is incompatible with existing Dream Arena versions 1.0 and 1.5, as I don't use the DC Online functions regularly enough at the moment.
At £19.99 the Mouse isn't overly expensive, weighing in at the same price as a Dreamcast controller, and I do believe that you can get the mouse from Gameplay.com for less than the RRP. The Mouse is packaged in the familiar Blue in white stylish Dreamcast box, and is well protected in the box - a good thing seeing that it'll be staying in there for a while!
Slightly larger than the Japanese equivalent, the Mouse is also a different colour - the plain grey/white with 3 buttons - the scroll button will be very useful in the future for Internet surfing. I recommend that you get yourself the Mouse as soon as possible, even though there is no real need at the moment because when Dream arena 2.0 does launch there will be a lot of Mouse sales, and I predict that there will be stock shortages - much like the Dreamcast Gun and fishing rod.
At the end of the day, night, week, month or year, it is nothing more than a mouse - its ergonomic: very comfortable, and will soon serve its purpose (no pun intended!). I'd only give the mouse 4 stars at the moment but when the new update arrives I will try it out and update the opinion telling you what I think! I hope the Web will be easier to surf with the mouse, and I'm sure it will!
At least Sega actually released it in Europe - there wasn't any sign of the promised Saturn mouse (or modem, or sales, or...)
Racing Freak? Now, now that's unfair. We all like our car games, well most of us, and so if you're an aspiring young or old Dreamcast owner, then you'll be interested in how you can improve your driving performance! Got a control pad? Think it's the best for racing games? Well, there are steering wheels you know...
With the announcement of a 128bit console back in 1998, I thought 'YES!' the Dreamcast will surely have a decent steering wheel, and will be completely different to all the 32bit and N64 steering wheels that have 'rumble effects', and maybe the Dreamcast steering wheel will have similar technology to the Microsoft Sidewinder Force Feedback wheel - now that is an excellent peripheral!
Sadly, this was not to be, and although different to the regular 'Madcatz et al' steering wheels, I was disappointed. The first major upset was when I read that the wheel will have a realistic 'heavy feel', so no force feedback then. Secondly, I read that the wheel will have two paddles for accelerating and braking! Oh great! Paddles? Who wants paddles? I'm sure the promoters said this to mislead me, but I can read fairly well, and so spotted that this did indeed say paddles and not pedals.
As if this control would simulate an actual steering wheel? I thought 'that's it, I'm waiting for a better wheel', and yet I still bought the darn thing at Tempo in Milton Keynes after failing to resist a 25% off price tag! I got the wheel for £29.84 I think, but I haven't made full use of it, simply because the standard control pad is a much more precise and easier method of control. I've got some of the better Dreamcast racing games in MSR, F355 and Sega Rally 2, but I just don't feel that the wheel is good enough! It is built well, and there is room to hold a VMU, and the heavy feel is certainly different to the tacky rumble wheels, but it doesn't really help its case at all.
I have since purchased the Thrustmaster (Officially licensed by Ferrari) wheel, which only cost £44.99 along with the awesome Ferrari F355 Challenge Passione Rossa - incredible value from Toys 'R' us!
I wasn't at all keen by the plastic smell from the wheel as soon as I opened the box, and the box is very poorly designed, but at least the wheel is far better than the Sega one. There are pedals, there are a lot of extra buttons, and there is a table clamp to make the wheel steady for when you're doing some serious driving! I still prefer the Dreamcast control pad to both wheels, but the latter is the best available if you really want a wheel.
I guess I was foolish, or perhaps naive to think that any steering wheel would be as good as the Microsoft one - costing a mere £97.99! I may well have to purchase an XBox, despite how ugly it looks (has anyone seen the official pictures? Please tell me they were prototypes!) Just so that I can get a decent wheel for a change!
Hope I helped you in your steering wheel buying decisions!
Don't get the Sega one go for the Thrustmaster!
OK. I've written a lot. I doubt I'll win a game - that's not why I'm here. I'm here to discuss with you the aspects of gaming, and this fine morning I am discussing the Dreamcast. Tomorrow I could be discussing the PS2 - if I win one, or get given one...
As a bit of 'bonus' material I will now include my actual Dreamcast console summary - read it if you dare!
For all of you out there who are sceptical about the Dreamcast, and won't buy one simply because of how the Saturn turned out, then I urge you to actually consider further. Hopefully, by reading my opinion you will gain a greater knowledge about Dreamcast and how you should get one!
Firstly, yes the Saturn did 'poorly' but they are still very popular with the 2nd hand market. 2ndly, the Dreamcast is a totally different machine to the Saturn and has sold more in its first year than the Saturn did in 4 years. So there are now 5.56million Dreamcast consoles been sold throughout the world so far.
This is a great sign, and it seems that Sega will capitalize this Xmas when it picks up all the sales due to it's superb forthcoming games, it's amazing existing games, and the fact that there are going to be no Playstation2s in the shops for sale as they've all run out at pre order.
This means, with no competition for this very festive period, Sega could do very well to make their console THE 'must have' for all children and adults alike come December 25th. Personally, I think there will be a lot of unhappy Sony fans, because they cannot get a PS2, and so they will opt for Dreamcast. After all, it has a fantastic catalogue of games including many original and innovative titles such as the following (please note, the best of the genre are in capitals):
RACING:
CRAZY TAXI,
FERRARI F355
METROPOLIS STREET RACER,
Sega Rally 2,
V-Rally 2,
Pod II,
Le Mans 24
Wacky Races
San Fransisco Rush 2049,
Re-Volt,
F1 World GP (1 and 2)
Tokyo Highway Challenge (1 and 2)
Suzuki Alstare Extreme Racing
Fight 'em ups: (The Dreamcast has officially got the best range of Fighting games in the world of Video games out of ALL formats) (This is in part due to Capcom's excellent support of the console)
DEAD or ALIVE 2,
Power Stone
POWER STONE 2
SOUL CALIBUR
Street Fighter Alpha 3,
Street Fighter 3 Double Impact
Tech Romancer,
Marvel vs Capcom (1 & 2)
Mortal Kombat Gold,
Ultimate Fighting Championship,
WWF Royal Rumble
Ready2Rumble (1 & 2)
Virtua Fighter 3TB
ADVENTURE/RPG:
SONIC ADVENTURE
RESIDENT EVIL CODE VERONICA
Resident Evil 2,
Shadowman,
Soul Reaver,
Tomb Raider 4,
The Nomad soul,
Maken X,
HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2,
Blue stinger
Rayman 2
MDK 2
ECCO THE DOLPHIN: DOTF
Evolution
Fur Fighters
SPORTS TITLES/Alternative: (The DC has some fantastic sports games, namely form Sega themselves)
NBA 2K (and 2K1),
NFL 2K (and 2K1),
VIRTUA TENNIS,
Uefa Dream Soccer (due soon)
Uefa Striker,
Jimmy White's 2 Cueball,
NHL 2K,
NFL BLITZ 2000,
Ready 2 rumble boxing (1 & 2),
SWWS Euro (football),
Sega Bass fishing,
Trickstyle
TONY HAWKS(1 & 2)
Puzzle, Multiplayer:
ChuChu Rocket
Fur Fighters,
Toy Commander,
Slave Zero,
South Park Rally,
Sega Swirl! (free game)
Wetrix,
Bust a Move 4
And this is only a select few. There really are many triple A class titles on the Dreamcast, and many more are on there way before Christmas. I for one cannot wait for SHENMUE- possibly Yu Suzuki's greatest game ever. And Quake 3 Arena ONLINE should prove great fun.
So, what can Dreamcast offer you? Well, for a very reasonable price of £150 with 2 free games, you get the world's FIRST online console, through which you can send and receive emails, surf the net (just like on the PC) and play online games, such as Quake 3, Pod2 and Chu Chu Rocket.
As you may be aware also, the Dreamcast has a large catalogue of great games, which will hopefully include all the current Playstation games as well in the near future. This is because a company called Bleem! Who emulate games, are currently converting and programming software to allow you to play all your Playstation games on to Dreamcast via the Bleem! box. This box also improves the graphics and speed of the game, and will be out before March next year (I hope!)
I have been very pleased with mine; I got it on the day of release and I haven't had a moment of doubt since, I'm sure a lot of others have been as well. At the end of the day, it's your decision, but I strongly recommend the Dreamcast to you!
Here are THE most essential games that you should consider getting soon!
You can get a Dreamcast mouse, microphone, arcade stick, wheel, the forthcoming web-cam, online play without time lag, email and internet facility - this will improve as a broadband modem is on it's way, and there are at least 20 must have titles for the Dreamcast either available now or due out soon!
· Sonic Adventure (superb visuals and game play what more do you want? Lots of sub games including a special Chao garden - virtual pet 'em up),
· Soul Calibur (the greatest weapon fighting game ever, with a huge mission mode, great storyline and music with many superb characters. brought to you from the masters of fighting Namco)
· Grand Prix 3 (out New year, and you know this'll be good),
· Metropolis Street Racer (2 years in the making, 250 + tracks, 40 + real life sports cars, superb graphics and car handling and a unique style of game play - MSR is a must),
· Shenmue (An Epic adventure that should be experienced by everyone. The 'game' features life like graphics, incredible detail and animation - stunning),
· Jet Set Radio (A mixture of Ton Hawk's and Crazy Taxi except a whole lot faster and much more exciting! Breathtaking visual effects and very funky music - the definition of cool)
· Quake 3 Arena (one of my personal favourites this year is this superb Online and offline multi player Frag 'em up. Better than the PC version offering no lag time online, a single player quest and great multiplayer fun. Essential!)
· Half Life (The best game ever? It may well be just that and its been improved for Dreamcast arriving in the New Year),
· Ferrari F355 Challenge Passione Rossa (Incredible difficult: an accurate representation offering real physics, highly detailed tracks, online races and much, much more!)
· Black & white (Control a virtual animal and pit it up against the rest of nature online! Out very soon),
· Toy Racer (All you need in an online racing game! Great fun and yet fiendishly simple and at only £5!),
· Crazy Taxi (arcade fun brought to Dreamcast in one of the most addictive and sensational games of all time. Great soundtrack, graphics and plenty of sub games to keep you happy for years (and I'm number 2 in the country at Crazy Flag :) this is so much fun!)
· Le Mans 24 (ok, so it may take 24 hours if you select this time period, but it's worth it - take shifts of 2 hours though or you'll be absolutely exhausted!)
· Ultimate Fighting Championship (has any game got more lif like graphics than this?),
· Phantasy Star Online (this will be so amazing I tell you: play online and progress through the game meeting new real people from around the world),
· Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (One of the best ever games has an even better sequel, which includes the option to make your own skate park! Better graphics, and even more new moves!),
· Samba De Amigo (the most ludicrous, but highly original games ever produced by the talented people at Sonic Team. It's got loads of superb Latin songs for you to dance to and will prove a fantastic way to get exercising and to help lose a few ponds after Christmas! It's costly, but it is definitely worth it.)
· Seaman (talk to virtual fish with human heads! What more could you want? Help them to grow into adult fish and feed them, shout at them and just have a laugh by hearing their responses!)
· Skies of arcadia (out in the spring I believe, and this will be one of the best RPG you've ever witnessed. Again, great graphics, superb promised game play, and undoubtedly loads of innovative ideas)
· Virtua Tennis (THE best sports game ever made without a doubt. Easy to pick up and play, at the same time as being incredibly challenging in the world circuit mode. Smooth graphics that are so far unrivalled in the sports genre
· NBA 2K1 (this basketball game has caused quite a stir in the USA due to it's online capabilities and wonderful graphics and game play. It seems as though all the faults of NBA 2K, although there weren't many, have been corrected!)
Thanks for reading - a game should be awarded for the first person - if any - to read the entire post.
Your greatest fan,
This is,
Dan
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Hey, no fair... though this topic was about sex... and instead I get this enourmous ad for Dreamcast... which wouldnt be so bad, but I only know the first 16 letters of the alphabet, so I had to make most of it up! (that was when it started being about sex again!) :)
That has to be the longest message I've ever seen!!!!!!!
Too long for me to read......
Too long for me to read......
Dan2k1 wrote:
'Can't he stop talking about the Dreamcast?'
I actually wrote: "Does he ever stop talking about the Dreamcast??
It was a joke, mate.
I am listening.
This post deserves to win, but you won today. But of course, if it is the best contribution of the day, then...
'Can't he stop talking about the Dreamcast?'
I actually wrote: "Does he ever stop talking about the Dreamcast??
It was a joke, mate.
I am listening.
This post deserves to win, but you won today. But of course, if it is the best contribution of the day, then...
'Can't he stop talking about the Dreamcast?'
Ant. I'll stop talking when you start listening.
Other people - thanks for reading - I can't believe anyone would be able to read all of this in one go, but hey - record post length ever - excluded Rhino's repetitious nonsense once.
Grix - I have won today!!! This for my Samba De Amigo review - after asking Ali to increase the size of review length (from 6000 characters to 10000) I was able to put it in the right place. It's a good review I think :)
If you're right Grix - and this post deserves to win for tomorrow then it'll be a first - a consecutive win! I doubt it though - better posts will have happened I am sure...
I have won 5 times now! Yeah! (Crowd Hiss...)
I guess it'll be my Fantasy to choose a game that I can play for once - I'll have a TV by the time PSO arrives...!!!
Ant. I'll stop talking when you start listening.
Other people - thanks for reading - I can't believe anyone would be able to read all of this in one go, but hey - record post length ever - excluded Rhino's repetitious nonsense once.
Grix - I have won today!!! This for my Samba De Amigo review - after asking Ali to increase the size of review length (from 6000 characters to 10000) I was able to put it in the right place. It's a good review I think :)
If you're right Grix - and this post deserves to win for tomorrow then it'll be a first - a consecutive win! I doubt it though - better posts will have happened I am sure...
I have won 5 times now! Yeah! (Crowd Hiss...)
I guess it'll be my Fantasy to choose a game that I can play for once - I'll have a TV by the time PSO arrives...!!!
Does he ever stop talking about the Dreamcast??
Dan2k1 wrote:
>It's got the best games, the best peripherals and the best price. Let me tell you about it!
*COUGH* MGS,TTT,GT2,TIMSPLITTERS, MGS2,GT3,PDARK, GOLDENEYE *COUGH*
When posting comments like that, please remember about all the other brilliant games on other consoles as well.
{:) "ONCE YOU POP, YOU CAN'T STOP!!" CLASSIQUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have to write something in non capitals for it to send so ignore this.
Dan2k1 wrote:
>It's got the best games, the best peripherals and the best price. Let me tell you about it!
*COUGH* MGS,TTT,GT2,TIMSPLITTERS, MGS2,GT3,PDARK, GOLDENEYE *COUGH*
When posting comments like that, please remember about all the other brilliant games on other consoles as well.
{:) "ONCE YOU POP, YOU CAN'T STOP!!" CLASSIQUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have to write something in non capitals for it to send so ignore this.
Yeah?
Quality, and length. You better win today Dan, or I'm going after Ali with a big stick.
Yeah, you just try it Ali.
:D
Yeah, you just try it Ali.
:D
I reckon the instruction manual for the Sony PSX was designed better than that of the Dreamcast. It's touch an go between the Saturn and the PSX manual though...
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