How is your Dreamcast gaming going on?

[Reprise]

Emulation was and still is complicated, but it has been nearly perfect for a while now. I was using SSF (I think that's what it's called) since 2008 with few issues.

[RCBH928]

What would be recommended specs to run the SSF emulator?

I have macbook 2.0 core2dou , 4GB ram, GeForce 9400M 256mb

[Reprise]

That's more than enough to run it. My 2007, crappy laptop ran SSF.

[Original_Name]

There's still not really a comparable experience to playing these games on an actual Dreamcast simply because there's still nothing that provides a clear analogue to the VMU part of the experience in any of the present ports. Conceivably the WiiU could have ports which emulate and even greatly (...enormously) expand upon the original console's dual-screen framework, but I'm not sure if that would happen unless the original team were directly involved in the port and felt particularly inspired, which understandably doesn't seem likely in Sega's current model for digital re-releases.

Of course the VMU isn't the most graceful of console accessories, and the entire aesthetic of it has only grown more obscure in the years following its discontinuation, but it's one of those things which still sets the Dreamcast experience apart from the modern console experience for me. I still prefer to play games on their original consoles if possible for largely nostalgic purposes, but I would find it easier to make the transition with a PlayStation or PC Engine title since their hardware was largely utilitarian. The Dreamcast had this entire peripheral experience going on which just makes one aware of the original console's absence, which affects immersion for me -- it makes me aware of the transition, aware of aspects lost, and by extension aware of my general bitterness toward the whole modern model (yes, I'm really like this, unfortunately).

Even so, the Dreamcast has a ton of oddball Japanese titles that heavily appeal to me. The Dreamcast version of Seaman is still the only English-language edition of the game, for instance. Lack of Love is one of the most endearing titles on any system, and it hasn't garnered enough attention for gamers to even notice it, let alone demand a port. Titles like D2 and Illbleed are far more charming for their period-specific strangeness, and haven't even sort of been recreated elsewhere. Titles like Segagaga, Rent a Hero No. 1, Roommania #203, and Napple Tale have been great motivators for me to continue studying Japanese. On top of that you have relevant titles that could have been ported elsewhere, but simply haven't yet, like Shenmue, Cosmic Smash, Cannon Spike, Project Justice, Toy Commander, and Border Down as well as titles which are just kind of parallel ports to other consoles and either gained nothing or lost something in the transition such as Skies of Arcadia, Power Stone, Resident Evil: Code Veronica, The House of the Dead 2, The Typing of the Dead, Ecco the Dolphin, Dead or Alive 2, Samba de Amigo, Twinkle Star Sprites, Bangai-O, Chu-Chu Rocket!, and Sega Fishing.

And really the main thing is that I have enough titles for the Dreamcast that I'm not really gaining a thing in terms of convenience when a port comes out for one of the myriad more modern consoles. Y'know, "this one has a Gamecube port, and that one has an Xbox Live Arcade port, and that one's out on iOS, and that one over there is on the Virtual Console, and this other one had a physical re-release in Japan only, and don't forget about the Wii-make this one got," it's like, how about I just keep my Dreamcast hooked up, huh?

[the shrill monotone shriek of the VMU lulls Original_Name deeper into his hypnotic trance]

[aaron]

I cannot play the DC with VGA out on my nice, new TV.

http://www.amazon.com/Video-Cable-Black ... B002TUC64W

[AppleQueso]

I cannot play the DC with VGA out on my nice, new TV.

http://www.amazon.com/Video-Cable-Black ... B002TUC64W

I doubt that cable would work, honestly.

[aaron]

I cannot play the DC with VGA out on my nice, new TV.

http://www.amazon.com/Video-Cable-Black ... B002TUC64W

I doubt that cable would work, honestly.

ah, good call. didn't take time to read the description.

NOTE: Your Video card must support digital signal output through VGA port function. Please consult with your VGA card's user manual for more information.

[RCBH928]

@Original_Name

I see where you are coming from , and i do agree with you.But for me , where I do not own a VGA capable TV (or VGA converter) and I do not own any Dreamcast games which I have to buy each one of them and ship them over to the middle east, going online in Xbox or Steam and clicking "download" is so much more convenient and probably a lot cheaper.

I tend to keep the "original retro effect" for specific games that usually defined the system , in the Dreamcast's case its Shenmue and Sonic . But I really do not see why I should be so hard about playing RE3 or D2 on it especially if downloadable version can be found in "enhanced" graphics else where.

[aaron]

i never have a problem with playing games on unoriginal hardware, except in the case of the dreamcast. i don't know what it is, but every "port" of a DC game i've played just hasn't felt right for some reason.

[CD AGES]

D2 on it especially if downloadable version can be found in "enhanced" graphics else where.

You knew about this and you didn't tell anyone unitl now!? WHY'D YOU KEEP IT TO YOURSELF!!!!!!