Some Dreamcast Questions

[ReddMcKnight]

1. Does playing Games burned onto CD-R Discs really wear out the laser faster than playing normal games?

2. Using a Burned Boot Disc, can I play PAL and JPN Games on a US Dreamcast?

3. What are some good Shmups (Any Region) for Dreamcast? Do any of them have Storylines?

[Dylan]

1. Yes, that is the case. CDRs are harder for the Dreamcast to read. However, by dummying sectors of the disc you can reduce the overall strain on the Dreamcast's laser.

2. Yes, when a Dreamcast boots a CDR it ignores the region of the game. I can't remember if PAL games have issues with this due to their difference in video signal, though.

[Hobie-wan]

3. Under Defeat, Zero Gunner 2, Ikaruga, Gunbird 2, Giga Wing 1 & 2, Mars Matrix.

[s1mplehumar]

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/2006/03/ ... oters.html

[Shogun]

Yea its best to find the rips of games that have the sectors in order. Much less strain on the laser. Some of them even run pretty much silent. You could also rip the games yourself so the sectors come out correct but I bet it would take a lot of work.

[brunoafh]

1) Yes. TuxTheWise at snesorama.us had a project awhile back that was an effort to reduce the ware on the laser with CD-Rs, check here: http://snesorama.us/board/showpost.php? ... tcount=101

2) Yes, as said by other posters.

3) Hobie-wan listed the absolute best ones pretty much. Also check the RB guide obviously. Fast Striker and Cannon Spike are a lot of fun too.

[Anthony817]

Yes, always get optomized releases that Tux makes. I have been using his games for almost 2 years now and they make the dreamcast reader quiet as well. In many cases, the folder order is better than the actual GRroms, so it is a win-win, when he enables VGA to the games that didn't come from the factory with it too.

He optomized Half-Life to load maps in 15 seconds, as opposed to the 30 seconds the original scene release was. This knowledge was passed down to the Half-Life Dreamcast mods paranoia and They Hunger, and has made the system quiet when loading the games now as well.

Since I mentioned them, I'll go ahead and link it here.

http://www.dcfan.net.ru/forum/f83/

[AmishSamurai]

I actually had never heard about CD-Rs causing laser strain before. Now I'm paranoid because I don't remember if the cdis I downloaded were all Tux ones or not.

[Zombie_X]

Didn't know they caused strain either, but my Dreamcast has been going strong for like 11 years (I had mine since day one) or whenever they first came out. I have not had problems with the laser yet and I have used lots of games that have been burned (lots of them from eBay as well

I'll ave to keep an eye on my system then!