Thinking of Getting a Dreamcast

[Reverend Finch]

I've played it before, but I think I'd like to own one. I've read up on some things, but am still confused on others. I'm hoping to have you enlightened folks help me sort this out.

I want to play NTSC-J 2D fighters (and others) that never made it stateside. Should I just buy an NTSC-J Dreamcast? How easy is it to get one system to play -J and -U? I've never soldered anything since 8th grade shop class, so adding a mod chip might not go so well. I'd prefer to have just one NTSC-U system that can play -J games with little to no hassle.

Am I to understand that for optimal video quality, I have to run this through my computer monitor? That's fine. My monitor is widescreen. Any problems there?

I had more concerns, but I seem to have forgotten what they were.

[Hobie-wan]

Just need to search the articles on the main site.

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/dre ... 01-v2.html

[swiftzx]

I'd recommend getting a Dreamcast! I was skeptical at first due to its short life span but I enjoy playing the fighters offered for the system; street fighter, soulcalibur, powerstone, and dead or alive 2(those are the ones I own). About your concern on imports, you should read this- http://www.racketboy.com/retro/2006/01/ ... mcast.html

Hope this helps

[Reverend Finch]

Just need to search the articles on the main site.

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/sega/dre ... 01-v2.html

I read the articles on the main site, but I was curious if there was anything I had missed. I'll have to explore this further.

[wip3outguy7]

A quick summary to help you out:

Playing Japanese games on an American Dreamcast is pretty simple. I would recommend picking up a Dreamcast that was manufactured before October 2000. It will allow you to use boot discs easier and, if you wish, to play backup or "burned" games. Using a boot or swap disc is fairly simple - boot the system with the boot disc in the drive and swap it for your JP game when the appropriate message appears on screen.

For best viewing quality it is recommended that you hook up the Dreamcast to a "computer monitor" or display. Keep in mind that you will need a VGA adapter (widely available and Racket sells one on this site) to make this work. There is a thread here that discusses compatibility between displays and the Dreamcast. My understanding is that most will work. Another thing to keep in mind is that the Dreamcast was released before the wide screen 16:9 format really took off so the system is 4:3 native. Compatible 16:9 displays will display a VGA adapted picture from the Dreamcast but it will stretch the picture to fit by default. If this doesn't bother you, no biggie. But I would recommend using a 16:9 display that has a 4:3 option or just buying a 4:3 display to dedicate to the system. There are a few Dreamcast games that do no support the VGA adapter at all and these games will need to be played through a traditional video connection.

Even if you decide to connect the Dreamcast to a traditional television (I would recommend a non-HD CRT), rest assured that the Dreamcast still outputs some of the sharpest video seen on a home console through S-Video.

[corn619]

Man, don't think about getting one just buy one. DC-X plays all imports and can be bought cheaply. The Dreamcast is a must have system.

[RCBH928]

how much is the VGA worth it to the dreamcast?
My tv does not have a VGA input but I've a computer monitor

[skyknight]

The VGA box is a MUST if you have 3D games for DC, especially for SoulCalibur, Virtual On... but it won't work with several 2D fighting games. Tried that myself, unless I did something wrong with my setup.

Being a guy in the same situation as you about a month ago, I don't regret getting a DC after 10 years.

[emwearz]

The Dreamcast is awesome, if your a fighting fan its the best console around. Street Fighter III - Third Strike is enough of a reason to buy it. And you can just play backups until you find real versions of game in the wild / eBay (It can be quite hard to find games for the old swirler these days).

[elvis]

I have two Dreamcasts: one to go in an arcade cabinet for arcade titles, and another one for pad play.

The VGA box makes a huge difference. Highly recommended for 3D titles. Even for 2D titles that support it, it means you get progressive scan, and not horrible interlaced flickering.