Here are some of the consoles we would have loved to see get the high def mini, form factor, plug & play treatment:

N64 Mini

When Nintendo quickly followed up the NES Classic Edition with the SNES, many of us hoped we were witnessing the birth of a new trend.  Perhaps they’d go back into the archives and create retro mini consolized Game Boy units, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Virtual Boy.  The possibilities were endless.

The most exciting of these of course would be an N64 Mini.  When Sony went ahead and released a Playstation Classic in 2018, it seemed the 5th generation of home consoles were ready for a new war of living room supremacy.  Unfortunately neither Nintendo nor Sega took the bait, leaving Sony’s entry into the classic edition segment the most recent console to receive such treatment.

As for Nintendo, it makes sense why they didn’t go all in with an N64 Mini – and the reason is their own Nintendo Switch Online service, which hopes to attract gamers of all disciplines to their Switch platform through the availability of abundant retro titles (many from the N64).  It’s a shame too because an N64 Mini would have been spectacular.

CD-i

While CD-i refers to a media format more than a single piece of hardware, Phillips replied to Tweets from users begging for a CD-i Mini with a response that sounded like such an announcement might actually follow.  Sadly, at present, it never has.

The CD-i library is surprisingly robust – with 214 total games released from 170 different developers.  Perhaps most famous among these coming in the form of the officially licensed Nintendo titles:  Hotel Mario, Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, and Zelda’s Adventure.

3DO

From afar 3DO is remarkably similar to CD-i; it refers to a media format that could be licensed so that actual console hardware could be manufactured and distributed by a wide variety of brands.

While CD-i encompassed a wide variety of multimedia applications (encyclopedias on CD, edutainment titles, etc.), 3DO was more game-centric.  Over 200 titles were officially released by the end of its run, including some very faithful ports of arcade titles like Super Street Fighter II Turbo.

Amiga CD-32

Did you know that back in 1993 Commodore tried its hand at a 32-bit console to do battle with the likes of Sony, Nintendo and Sega?  The CD-32 was based upon their Amiga computer line but failed to make much of a dent in the market.

Now here’s where things get interesting from a Mini perspective.  Retro Games Ltd. has already done all the heavy lifting in creating an HDMI mini version in their Amiga A500 Mini.  All they would need to do to drive we console gamer types crazy with desire is develop a second shell shaped like the CD-32 and give the A500 controller a black paint job.  Here’s hoping they’ll consider it.

PC Classic

Back in 2019 a company called Unit-e announced a PC Classic console, one that would come chock full of games from the DOS era of home computing.  Despite a very strong public reaction, the PC Classic has yet to manifest and even updates from the company have gone cold.

Of all the possible mini classic editions, the PC would certainly be the easiest to achieve as there would be no licensing to procure from a hardware or branding standpoint.  The only licensing involved would be that of the games themselves and with tens of thousands to choose from even from a single era, finding a few dozen titles interested in participating is all but a given.

Here’s hoping Unit-e sees this one through to fruition.

Sega Saturn

We’ll end this list with what is perhaps the system most likely to see the light of day.  When Sega threw its hat in the classic edition ring with the Genesis Mini back in 2019, the talk of where they could go from there was immediate.  After all, why not go on with a Sega CD Mini, a Saturn Mini, a Dreamcast Mini?  To the surprise and delight of many, Sega listened and, in 2022, followed up with the Genesis Mini 2, a unit packed with different Genesis and some Sega CD titles (and a 6-button controller rather than the 3-button of the original Genesis Mini).

All of this to say, Sega clearly gets the demand here and, of all the brands mentioned on this list, has everything needed (including the massive back catalog of titles) to continue producing these things.  And, unlike Nintendo, doesn’t have any current hardware on the market to be concerned with competing against.

The post A Look At Those Mini Classic Editions We (Probably) Won’t Be Getting appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

The original Dreamcast was Sega’s final foray into the world of home consoles, and despite selling worse than the Mega Drive and Saturn, it remains a firm favourite with fans – fans who would love to see a Dreamcast 2.

In a cheeky tweet, Hyperkin – which makes emulation devices as well as controllers for vintage systems – posted a mock-up of the Dreamcast 2 pad:

It was quick to point out that it wasn’t real, but then stated that “if sega gave us the blessing to make a dreamcast 2, [it] would be a – no pun intended – dream.”

Would you like to see a Dreamcast 2 from Hyperkin? How do you think it would work, being made by another firm? What games would be on it? Could this be a not-so-subtle way of Hyperkin building up to a Dreamcast Mini announcement? All bets are off!

*ARTICLE From https://www.timeextension.com/*

The post Hyperkin Wants To Make The Sega Dreamcast 2 appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

Sega has finally released the Genesis Mini 2 through Amazon exclusively and the initial feedback has been very positive.  Perhaps even more fascinating, the inner box flap of the Japanese edition includes a QR code that leads to a survey asking buyers if they’d like Sega to continue producing retro minis and if so, which console they would like to see done next.  The options include all of the usual suspects – Saturn, Dreamcast but the list also extends back to Sega’s earlier hardware entries: The SG-1000, 1000 II and the Mark III (Master System to we American types).

If given my vote, I’d be all for the continued Sega evolution: Saturn, Dreamcast and it would be great if they pulled a Nintendo and gave us the 8-bit Master System as well.  Another option was for a Genesis 3 Mini; as, after all, the original Genesis did end up being offered in three different hardware packages and a library of games (especially when sprinkling in offerings from the Sega CD and 32X) large enough to fill at least three minis.

All of this to talk not just about Sega but about an interesting little system we almost got just prior to the pandemic.

This device was going to be called the PC Classic from a company called Unit-e.  In 2018 they built the prototypes and attempted to go through the crowdfunding route of realization.

This particular retro system targeted PC games (as the name suggests) of the DOS era – think Commander Keen, Jill of the Jungle, Doom, and Quake II.  The software list, as is often the case with these systems, was far from finalized, though many suspected it would contain other classics of the era such as Oregon Trail, Civilization, Myst, etc.

Sadly, the system was set to debut just as the pandemic swept the world and the resulting economy/ global chip shortage has left Unit-e struggling to devise a strategy to get the machines to the public.  The project has not been canceled, however.

We’ve been following along with updates on the company’s Facebook page and those interested can watch the initial video presentation for the PC Mini here.

Here’s hoping as the world settles into a new rhythm and chips become increasingly more available, the PC Classic will come to join the ever-expanding fray of retro mini plug ‘n plays.

The post PC Classic – A DOS Era Plug n Play appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

The world at large is focused on the forthcoming PlayStation 5 and XBox Series X releases and amid all of the preorder frenzy, Sega quietly suggested that its next retro mini classic system is in the works.

Sega creative producer Yosuke Okunari spoke about the future of the company’s mini consoles in a Famitsu interview following the release of the Japan-only Game Gear Micro.  Putting to rest consumer fears that the next new old project to come out of the Sega camp would follow such restrictions, Okunari went on in the interview to say that the project scope for the next one (like the Genesis Mini before it) will once again be global.

While it seems hopeful fans the world over immediately suspected it to be a Dreamcast Mini being hinted at in the discussion, Okunari went on to throw a clever curve:  “I think for the next one, we may go with a concept close to the Mega Drive Mini.  If I have to say some names, it could be an SG-1000 Mini or a Dreamcast Mini.”

In the event that you aren’t up on your Sega company portfolio, the SG-1000 was the company’s first official home console and the Dreamcast was their last.  In short, Okunari was simply stating in so many words that it could be any of Sega’s consoles being considered for the next one.  The big takeaway though, is that there is indeed going to be a next one.

So which is it going to be?  The internet is guessing Dreamcast but would it be wise for Sega to jump from the Genesis Mini directly to the last console the company ever produced?  Let’s look at the possibilities.

Sega SG-1000

The SG-1000 is a home video game console manufactured by Sega and released in Japan, Australia,and other markets in 1983. It was Sega’s first entry into the home video game hardware business.

Likelihood: Very Unlikely

Okunari himself stated Sega would again be targeting the whole world with this next one just like they did with the Genesis Mini.  It wouldn’t make sense to develop a mini that wasn’t even officially released to North America.  Plus the original only moved 160,000 units total.

Sega Master System

The Master System is Sega’s third-generation 8-bit home video game console. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, which itself was the third iteration of the SG-1000 series of consoles.  It was released in Japan in 1985 and featured enhanced graphical capabilities over its predecessors. The Master System launched in North America in 1986, Europe in 1987, and Brazil in 1989.

Likelihood: Moderate

If Sega were doing it to keep up with the dominance Nintendo has demonstrated with the Classic Mini scene, they would have had a Master System Mini packaged up and ready to go shortly after Nintendo burned through its NES Classic inventory in mere milliseconds back in 2016.  There would still be a strong market, feeding on the retro movement now but for Sega it would seem an odd move to go from their 16-bit offering (2019’s Genesis Mini) back to the far less popular 8-bit hardware as the followup.

Sega CD

The Genesis had a mountain of peripherals and add-ons to enhance the gaming experience but perhaps none more unique and certainly none as successful as the Sega CD attachment.  The Sega CD is, as the name suggests, a CD-ROM accessory for the Genesis designed and produced by Sega as part of the fourth generation of video game consoles. It was released in 1991 in Japan, 1992 in North America, and 1993 in Europe.

Likelihood: Fairly Unlikely

What holds this one back from being a major consideration is the simple fact that it would have likely been designed and marketed as a fairly quick followup to September of 2019’s Genesis Mini.  Since, technically, it was never a stand-alone console in the first place, it would have worked best as an alternative Genesis Mini package, possibly in limited edition.  Completionists and nostalgia junkies alike would have bought up inventories in a fever pitch.  Since Okunari said it could be anywhere from one to two years before the release of the next Mini, the Sega CD seems a more distant candidate than it would have been initially.

Sega Saturn

The Sega Saturn is Sega’s fifth generation video game console and successor to the highly successful Genesis. Developed and manufactured by Sega, the Saturn released in Japan in 1994,  North America and Europe in 1995.  Boasting dual-CPU architecture and eight processors working in conjunction, it was one of the most powerful but underutilized architectures of the generation.  Its game library contains several near identical ports of arcade games as well as a plethora of original titles.

Likelihood: Very Likely

Contrary to common misconception, while the Saturn may have gotten destroyed by contemporary rival Sony with the original PlayStation (then later that generation by Nintendo with the N64), the truth is 9.6-million units moved globally compared to the Dreamcast’s 9.13-million makes it Sega’s most successful piece of hardware in North America behind the Genesis.  A Dreamcast Mini makes sense but almost like the askew logic of releasing the 16-bit Genesis Mini then trying to go back and release an 8-bit Master System Mini, Sega might be wise to keep things in order by releasing a Saturn Mini before a Dreamcast Mini.

Dreamcast

Released in 1999 as first in the sixth generation of video game consoles (preceding Sony’s PlayStation 2, Nintendo’s GameCube, and Microsoft’s Xbox).  The Dreamcast would become Sega’s final home console, marking the end of the company’s eighteen year run in the home console market.  In contrast to the expensive and complex hardware of the Saturn, the Dreamcast was designed to reduce production costs and retail pricing by running “off-the-shelf” components, including a Hitachi SH-4 CPU and an NEC PowerVR2 GPU.  Sega ended up pulling the plug only two years after release (2001), making the Dreamcast one of the shortest-lived major console life cycles in the history of home video gaming.

Likelihood: Extremely Likely

If fans had their way, the Dreamcast Mini would be the candidate hands down.  And while it makes a lot of sense to release such a console while the demand is high, the only downside is that it doesn’t leave Sega a whole lot of places to go from here.  Nintendo paved a very clear and successful path with the retro mini segment by starting with their earliest offering (the NES) then following it up with the 16-bit SNES Classic.  If the company decides to continue, it makes sense that they would release the systems in their original order.

Sega has already painted themselves into a bit of a corner by starting with their 16-bit Genesis but that’s not to suggest they can’t buck the trends and bounce all over their hardware catalog as they see fit.  We’d like to see all of the above consoles get another chance to shine but if we had to pick just one, we’d say the Dreamcast has probably got the best shot at being Sega’s next retro mini system.  However, unlike the first time around, we hope it won’t end up being their last.

The post Is The Sega Dreamcast Mini Really Going Be A Thing? appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

In case you haven’t heard, amid a global pandemic, domestic rioting and unrest, and seemingly endless troubling news, a rumor has escaped Japan that Sega is in the process of readying an announcement next week that will rile the video gaming industry.

Since, in general, it takes quite a bit to make ripples across an entire industry dominated by corporations with near limitless budgets coupled to the reality that we are getting close to the launch of the 9th Generation of home consoles, one wonders what in the world Sega’s cooking up.

The rumor leak came into being when Japanese technology journalist Zenji Nishikawa said that news slated to “rile up the games industry” about a “game company that everyone loves” will be appearing in the June 4 issue of Famitsu.

Essentially the hype can boil down to only one of three things but, technically speaking, every one of these things could be successfully argued away as well. Let’s take a look at the trifecta of most obvious possibilities and discuss why or why not they are likely the subject of the early June media hype.

Dreamcast 2

Sega bowed out of the hardware game 20-years ago right around the time Sony released the Playstation 2. Its 1999 Dreamcast, despite being technically superior to all other hardware on the market at its time of release, was both a sales and critical disappointment.

Sales of the machine failed to meet Sega’s expectations despite several price cuts, and the company continued to incur significant financial losses attempting to generate interest in the console. Then, after a change in corporate leadership, Sega opted to discontinue the Dreamcast project on March 31, 2001, not only pulling the plug on its 6th generation hardware but also withdrawing from the console manufacturing business altogether, instead restructuring itself to become as a third-party software publisher. All told, 9.13 million Dreamcast units were moved worldwide.

Rumors of Sega’s return to hardware manufacturing have been floating around the industry for the greater part of a decade now. Typically dismissed as mere wishful thinking by longtime fans of the brand, this could be the first legitimate case of Sega gathering up some media presence to announce something so substantial.

Likelihood +

If a Japanese hardware manufacturer were to consider returning to the console wars, the timing would be right. Word of Sony’s forthcoming PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s XBox X-Series have already flooded the industry. Sega would be right in the hunt to announce its intentions and show off prototypes/ specs at this phase of the console cycle.

Unlikelihood –

That same journalist went on to dispel rumors of the Dreamcast 2 right away. If he’s being truthful that it’s not a DC2 announcement, that pretty much rules out the possibility of it being a console under any name, this includes a new handheld, hybrid (ala Nintendo Switch) or even a streaming service/ device. Was the source lying so as not to turn a rumor into a genuine leak? We won’t know until next week.

Sega Branded Microsoft Products

While Microsoft is a household hardware name here in its native US of A, it’s no big secret that the brand has struggled to capture the hearts (and wallets) of gamers abroad – especially in Japan; where gamers tend to prefer domestic offerings from companies like Nintendo and Sony.

Going all the way back to the Dreamcast days, Sega had formed a partnership with Microsoft, going as far as to have the DC run on a Windows (CE) operating system. It’s possible that in effort to secure more of the Japanese market for their systems and games, they have worked out a partnership with Sega of Japan to rebrand the products as Sega there.

Likelihood +

This is a very realistic collaboration. The Sega Dreamcast actually said “Compatible with Windows” right on the front of its shell. Microsoft would certainly be wise to try and change its identity in the Asain market to appeal to users who are simply more comfortable supporting Japanese companies.

Another possibility is that Microsoft may actually be in a position to buy Sega. Now whether that would mean a resurgence of the Sega brand or its simple absorption into the Microsoft brand umbrella would yet to be determined as well.

Before E3 was cancelled due to COVID, a leaked 2020 ad made its way around the web featuring the Xbox Game Studios and Sega logos side by side along with the caption “Power Your Dreams”. The ad had a set date that coincided with E3: June 14th, 9:00AM PDT 12:00PM EST.

Unlikelihood –

The biggest detractor to this possibility is the simple fact that news like regional rebranding happens daily and rarely could it be considered “industry riling”. In a situation like this, nothing aside from some box logos and branding are actually being changed. Maybe such a deal could grant Microsoft a better foothold in a foreign market while making the Sega logo relevant once more but again, it’s unlikely such an announcement would be significant enough for a publication to be touting the exclusive scoop on a global scale.

If Microsoft were to actually buy out Sega, however, that may be a more justifiable boast and the leaked E3 ad makes this a very strong possibility.

Retro Unit

What is especially interesting is the fact that all of this lines up perfectly with Sega’s 60th Anniversary. In fact, the company is celebrating its 60th on June 3rd, 2020! An official site has been established to commemorate the occasion.

For many gamers, this milestone encapsulates a very rich history of gaming memories and experiences. While an official Sega Genesis Mini was released in September of 2019 to celebrate the system’s 30th birthday, is it possible Sega is going to take a page out of Atari’s book and release a system capable of playing the brand’s unimaginably vast retro software catalog?

Likelihood +

Sega has a back-catalog that rivals some of the industry’s absolute biggest names. A machine that could potentially come packing titles from as far back as the SG-1000 all the way up to the Dreamcast would have undeniable appeal in a time where retro mini consoles have been actually able to outsell contemporary hardware.

Unlikelihood –

Unless this thing worked off some sort of subscription streaming service or came packing a hard-drive the size of a small server, the catalog of included games would only be a handful at best of the many systems Sega has offered throughout the years (SG-1000, Master System, Genesis, Sega CD, 32X, Saturn, Dreamcast).

Based on the success of the Genesis Mini, the smarter choice would be to simply continue introducing miniature consoles the same way Nintendo has – create a dedicated Sega CD Mini, Saturn Mini, Dreamcast Mini etc.

Other Possibilities

While it would be an extreme disappointment – we have to stop and consider the legitimate possibility that this announcement could be something as insignificant as the release of a new game, a collection of Sega greatest hits available for contemporary systems/ PC for example.

And though it pains me to admit it, it could be something as minor as a proposed sequel to the 2020 Sonic the Hedgehog film.

Of course, were the announcement to fall into these dismal arenas, both Zenji Nishikawa and Famitsu itself’s reputation would be undoubtedly tarnished.

I suppose the good news is we need not speculate for long. The news will be official worldwide by June 4th.

The post Digging Deeper Into Big Announcement From Sega appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

I loved my SEGA Dreamcast.  I remember very vividly the commercials I would see for the system when it was coming out in 1999.  Not only was it a new system, but the new Sonic game looked AMAZING!  My 9 year old brain couldn’t believe it.  Sonic was coming in full 3D, and not just the horrible 3D like on my PC version of Sonic R (yes I played it and loved it at the time but that conversation is for a different day) but crisp and clear graphics.  It was a literal and (no pun intended) dream come true.  I begged my parents to get me one but they weren’t very keen on getting new consoles for my brother and I when they first came out.  It’s not that they were super stingy or anything, they just wanted to make sure we still played outside and weren’t stuck in front of a TV all hours of the day.  Unfortunately I wouldn’t get to own my own Dreamcast until well after they were discontinued.  It was Christmas of 2002 when my parent’s finally caved and my Dreamcast graced my home.  Me being only 12 years old at the time I had no idea the system was essentially dead, but dang it I didn’t care.  I finally had my Dreamcast.  Of course I had the classics like Sonic Adventure 1 & 2, and Crazy Taxi, but also I had a trio of sports games, a Genesis greatest hits game, and a little gem called Toy Commander.  If you’ve never played it think Toy Story but much more violent and you’re fighting other toys with the final boss battle being in the attic.  It was a fun game from what I remember.  Of course me being a die hard Sonic fan I would be re-playing the Sonic Adventure games as well as yelling at Sonic Shuffle (again, another story for another day).

We all know why the system didn’t do as well as it should.  The Playstation 2 was coming out one year later and even though the Dreamcast could play games online right out of the box, nothing could compete with a built in DVD player that the PS2 had.  This was practically always SEGA’s Achilles’s heel, being ahead of their time way too early.  It happened with the Saturn, and in some cases the Genesis with all the extra hardware.  Online console gaming didn’t really take off until the Xbox came out and even though it was a great idea, it wouldn’t pan out until much later.  Sadly even my Dreamcast didn’t make it, it died when I tried to play it with a friend of mine whom never played a Dreamcast before.  The system wouldn’t load up on the screen and we triple checked to make sure it was plugged in right.  It was heartbreaking, a system that I loved, my only SEGA console, was dead for good.

This year the Dreamcast would turn 20 years old this September, and luckily it is still loved to this day.  It had the big games sure, but it also had gems like Jet Set Radio, Shenmue, and Power Stone to name a few.  Event though my system died, I have not completely abandoned the possibility of finding another one and rebuilding my Dreamcast collection.  It may have been SEGA’s last major home console, but it will always be loved, even 20 years later.

The post SEGA’s Last Stand appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

The latest title will be called Reaperi Cycle and is being developed by the Ancient Hermetic Developers Guild. What does either of those things mean? This simple writer does not know – and for the time being, the premise of the game is just as mystifying.

So far, we have a few videos on YouTube, an Instagram page and an extremely basic website to go by. The website states that it will be an “isometric alchemical tale about fire, magic, merchants, statues and a temple”, while the few videos divulge little else.

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The announcement trailer (embedded above) shows a bunch of items in a surreal environment backed by some fantastic music and dialogue which I believe is in French. I think it’s in French because that’s what the sequences of text also interwoven throughout the short trailer is – at least, if Google Translate is to be trusted, anyway. In English, it states as follows:

“What is at the top, is like, what is below, in a flask.”

Okay.

The other video is of pre-alpha gameplay and is from all the way back in June. That mostly shows text, but this time in English. That doesn’t make the premise any clearer, though. See if you can decipher it yourself.

It does give a glimpse of a few seconds of gameplay after what is probably the storyline, however, and shows (in an isometric viewpoint as promised) what looks like a podium surrounded by four bells. The player mouses over one of the bells (at least, I think it’s a bell) and what looks like pieces of parchment start rotating around it. The text “les fioles” also appears, and it looks like that translates into “the vials” – so I guess they’re vials, not bells. Never trust me to guess anything.

If you were to at least consider my guesses, though, I’d wager that it’s some sort of puzzle game – and a heavily story oriented one at that. It’s a shame that the launch trailer is so equivocal, it’s hard to tell which environments have been captured in-game or generated otherwise to give us more clues.

Otherwise, there is currently not much else to say. There is no release date, mention of cost let alone solid information about the gameplay, so for now, we’ll just have to play it by ear. Watch this space or their Instagram for more clear info. Hopefully.

The post New Dreamcast Game in Development – Reaperi Cycle appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

On the 7th he tweeted photos of the online rooms for both NFL 2K1 and Ooga Booga with nothing but the alluring caption, “Shuouma is still thinking…”. Today, a report was posted over on Sega Nerds including new details. They’ve been in contact with the man himself, and he’s confirmed that beta testing is in full swing and that they should be ready publicly in a few weeks.

NFL 2K1 is a quite a big deal; not only was it one of the first sports games to really push online play, but Shuouma discovered that all 2K games share the same protocols – so expect more 2K games online as the year progresses. Ooga Booga, on the other hand, is a very different game (but also developed by Visual Concepts – which was more or less Sega’s in-house sports game developer) that involves combat, spells, shrunken heads and Abraham Lincoln. It was a very late online release for the Dreamcast and reviewed quite well at the time.

You might be wondering how to connect your trusty Dreamcast to the internet since it’s been discontinued for 17 years and all that, but luckily it appears to be quite easy. You can use the expensive official broadband adapter (if you can find one) or an actual dial-up connection if you’re still subscribed to a service – however, the BBA only supports a small number of games since it was released quite late in the Dreamcast’s life and the experience with real dial-up can be hit and miss depending on your ISP. The answer for most, comes in the form of a kit called the DreamPi.

The DreamPi supports all online Dreamcast games, is more reliable than true dial-up and can use a modern broadband internet connection. It consists of a Raspberry Pi (I’m sure you gathered that from the name), the DreamPi software on an SD card (which is written by a very smart coder called Kazade), a USB dial-up modem and the Dreamkey 3.0 software (the original web browser for the Dreamcast). Depending on where you are you’ll likely need a line volt inducer too, which consists of a simple circuit that sends electric current down a telephone line.

All of this will convert your modern speedy internet into the dial-up of old, and even connect you to the Dreamcast Now service (which currently has over 220 members) that will let you know if anyone else is online.

Currently, Dreamcast Live has plenty of events scheduled for Dreamcast online-enabled games so is well worth checking out if you’re so inclined. Apart from the 2K games and Ooga Booga, Speed Devils Online Racing is another game earmarked for accessibility soon. No word yet on when, but it appears Shuouma would eventually like to have all online Dreamcast games compatible with Dreamcast Live. You can obtain updates by following his Twitter or the News page on the Dreamcast Live website.

The post Dreamcast Games Ooga Booga, NFL 2K1 to have Online Functionality Restored appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

Agartha was set in a Romanian village after a destructive landslide in the winter of 1929. The landslide revealed the legendary city of Agartha, of which a bunch of evil foes wished to escape from. Playing as a dude named Kirk, it’s the players choice to either save as many innocent people as possible or trigger “the arrival of chaos on Earth” – pandering to the good/evil player choice game mechanic that is so popular in the present day.

Funnily enough, media coverage of Agartha from back in the day (which were screenshots only) were criticised by internet commentators who assumed the stills weren’t produced using the Dreamcast’s actual hardware – but thankfully, it was proved they were genuine in the August of last year. An internet user named Laurent C revealed on the Assembler Forums that he’d purchased a bundle of GD-ROM’s off eBay, one of which contained a playable prototype version of Agartha. You can watch the gameplay video he also posted below:

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Naturally, many other forum users were hoping that he’d release the source code so that we could all enjoy it, but his response was this:

“I have a lot of respect about this games, about the No cliché team and Frédéric Raynal. I can’t release this games but I hope maybe in the future. I think I don t have the ability to release this jewel.”

It appears he wished to get the original developers blessing first, which I’d say is fair. Luckily for those who were hoping to have a play (and according to the website, SEGA Nerds), Laurent C will, in fact, be releasing Agartha on the 15th of January. And as per his original intentions, Frederick Raynal (who was the director of No Cliché) is also involved with the release in some capacity.

There is no word yet on how much is playable and what sort of state the game is in. One would assume it’s unfinished so don’t expect a full experience (like the complete but unreleased Armed on the Saturn) but it will be great none the less to have access to a previously thought lost title.

The post Unreleased Dreamcast Game Agartha to be Launched appeared first on Old School Gamer Magazine.

While most prefer to 3D print their own cases, others like to utilise whatever is pre-existing. It’s not totally unheard off to use something like the original Game Boy – just check out this Google Image search for many examples – but the heat has always been on to create something original.

Giles Burgess (online handle, ‘Kite’) recently posted on the sudumod forums showing off his new RetroPie project, which was lovingly stuffed into a Dreamcast VMU. The VMU, for those not in the know, was the memory card for the Sega Dreamcast. It was a tad special, though, as it included nine buttons (including a directional pad) and a basic 48×32 dot LCD screen that was utilised for data management, a clock/calendar program as well as rudimentary games that were associated with whatever you happened to be playing on your DC at the time. For example, Sonic Adventure includes a mini game where you care for Chao’s found in-game.

Luckily, Kite’s mod does not use the basic screen or any of the other original hardware of the VMU, instead opting for a Raspberry Pi Zero (the much smaller, less powerful sibling to the popular Pi3), a 128×128 SPI LCD and a 850mAh rechargeable battery (which offers about 4 hours of gameplay). The full spec list can be found in his original forum post, but in order to fit the Zero the IO ports had to be desoldered and the capacitors replaced for smaller variants. The inside of the VMU’s case had to be trimmed down with a knife, also. In fitting with the original design of the VMU, the charging port as well as the on/off switch is found under the cap of the VMU.

While you won’t be able to play F-Zero GX on the Pi Zero, the small form factor is perfect for GBC games and anything as technically basic (here’s a video of Kite playing Sonic 3D Blast, for example). There’s quite a small screen and only a few buttons to work with, after all.

Better yet, Kite actually plans on selling the VMU-Boy. So far, there is a predicted release date of early 2018, and you can register your interest through this Google Form. There is no pricing as of yet, but it’s promised to be cheap and there will also be the option of a console with a smaller battery (450mAh to be exact, which will mean that the Pi will not have to be slimmed down).

Mods come and go, but the fact that this will be available to purchase (and uses true to form retro hardware) make it stand out indeed. Watch this space for further pricing and release date information.

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