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Retro Reinventing the Dreamcast - in a Dreamcast (need help)

Discussion in 'Gaming' started by Guest-16, 30 Dec 2008.

  1. Guest-16

    Guest-16 Guest

    I've voiced my thoughts that Sega should re-release the DC as a download only console in other threads, but it got me thinking - I could actually do this to prove the concept. The emulators are out there and if the DC controllers can mapped to USB, they can easily be used on a modern PC.

    An Atom board should have more than enough power to emulate DC games, and mini-ITX should fit in a DC unit.

    My friend has a dead DC I'm going to offer to buy off him with one controller, and I've got an Atom board "spare" in the office for this so I'm gonna have a punt to see if I can remake the DC.

    To do:

    Get a DC (dead is fine) and controller (nearly there).
    Atom board (check)
    Power? (Need - pico psu? suggestions?)
    Knowledge of how to convert a DC controller to USB (need help with this - I can't find anything from google)
    Decision on OS and local storage for games. The popular emulators are for Windows, but the Windows interface looks not very console-esq, how could this be improved and customised?

    This is avoiding the potentially illegal "obtaining DC games" discussion, even though Sega aren't expressly selling DC games any more.

    Thoughts? Worth doing? Or just go buy an Xbox Arcade? :/

    EDIT: On further thought - to some degree this has probably been done before, but google again hasn't rendered anything that interesting.
     
  2. Matticus

    Matticus ...

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    Sounds like an ace idea to me.

    http://www.tmove.net/index.php/comp...309/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,30/vmcchk,1/

    That sort of thing could be used for the controller, you could mount it internally, so only the dreamcast port was on show?


    As for the OS, I am sure you could snaz up XP to the max. Failing that I wonder if any of the emulators would work under wine? I am sure they could.

    Oh and I am sure the dreamcast is considered obsolete/abandonware so the iso's shouldn't be hard to get hold of or "illegal" as such.
     
    Last edited: 30 Dec 2008
  3. BioSniper

    BioSniper Minimodder

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    Bindi would something like GameEX (http://www.gameex.net/) be any good?
    Seems to possibly be a suitable front end with skinning options.

    I'm not sure on its compatibility with DC emu's however.
     
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  4. DougEdey

    DougEdey I pwn all your storage

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    You're right Bindi it has been done, but on a more "full on" way:
    http://kotaku.com/5098975/oh-yes-a-dreamcast-pc-with-blu+ray
    http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/akiba/hotline/20081122/etc_tsukumo.html

    Obviously a Pico PSU would be enough but you'd need to find the exact power requirements, use an SSD to make everything quieter, a top loading DVD drive would be expensive to stick in but would be worth it.

    You could use Windows XP and skin it up, but you are talking about resources. There is a DC emu for Linux which would make skinning easier and you can probably make it look like the DC OS quite quickly.

    Also, get a DC pad shell and modify a 360 pad to fit in it, you'll need to loose one stick but the rest should be OK to fit in snuglly. OR http://store.videogamecentral.com/3in1pcjoybox.html
     
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  5. Guest-16

    Guest-16 Guest

    That looks ****ing pimp. I'll test it out.

    Matticus - I've seen them, but I want to know what's in one to convert it.

    Doug - yea, but that's well overpowered for what I want to do with it. I want to leave the DC shell as intact as possible and use as much of the original equipment as I can. Good to see a Mini-ITX fits in OK though. Maybe I can get an Nvidia Ion pico-ITX board instead?? /phones Nvidia PR to beg.
     
  6. Krikkit

    Krikkit All glory to the hypnotoad! Super Moderator

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    This is a seriously good idea.

    For game storage, what about a series of old USB keys, 128MB or similar would be plenty - write the name of the game on it, then load it into a special USB slot?
     
  7. Guest-16

    Guest-16 Guest

    Games range up to 1.2GB (usually 700MB CD-rips though).

    Plus, a large hard drive is cheaper and completely internal storage helps support my "Sega should make a XBL-marketplace download-only-esq console" theory. If you've ever used an original modded Xbox with the games installed onto the hard drive in a nice list you'll understand how fantastically simple that was to use.
     
  8. Jordan Wise

    Jordan Wise Baby called to see the boss...

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    Brilliant idea, how far are you going to go though? Just doing it to see if it can be done or making a business out of it? Because this would be ace on dragons den :D
     
  9. teamtd11

    teamtd11 *Custom User Title*

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    Bindibadgi-Cast or Bindibadgi station 4 ? :hehe:
     
  10. Ending Credits

    Ending Credits Bunned

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    Was just talking to someone about doing something very similar except emulation for multiple consoles and doubling up as a CD/DVD storage machine.

    EDIT: And not in a dreamcast obviously.

    I use Xpadder with my controllers, it's a great little program although I'm sure anyone with some C++ and driect-imput knowledge could whip something more suited up.
     
  11. itazura

    itazura PAWAA GURABU DAISUKI, YABAI DESU YO

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    excellent idea -- i'd love to see this come to fruition.

    always feel warm inside when i see the dreamcast mentioned. such a good machine.
     
  12. boiled_elephant

    boiled_elephant Merom Celeron 4 lyfe

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    That sounds like win, I'm suddenly glad I hung onto my original Xbox and all the games...
     
  13. Krikkit

    Krikkit All glory to the hypnotoad! Super Moderator

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    Fair enough - I was trying to edge more towards a classic console, rather than a 21st century re-imagining! :D
     
  14. Guest-16

    Guest-16 Guest


    I can't make a business, Sega own the rights to most of it obviously. I can do it and show people at Sega, but it is soley a software company now and uses the Nintendo VC and XBL Arcade to push its retro games.
     
  15. malteser

    malteser Blonde on the inside

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    I've actually asked people about at SEGA about this before and they have absolutely no intention of ever doing hardware again unfortunately. :(

    - Hm, I'm logged in under Hannah's account. Nevermind - Joe
     
  16. Guest-16

    Guest-16 Guest

    Yup - software company now. Costs less to use other people's platforms as they don't have the infrastructure to cope with another hardware release. I think most of these people left Sega anyway - reading the Wiki from 1996-Dreamcast reads like a catalogue of errors.

    Anyway, I'm now:

    +1 dead console
    +3 controllers
    +2 memory carts
    + ~10 games including Shenume :D
    + 1 light gun.
     
  17. Ending Credits

    Ending Credits Bunned

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    A light gun?
     
  18. Guest-16

    Guest-16 Guest

    Yup, DC made a light gun for House of the Dead.
     
  19. Diosjenin

    Diosjenin Thinker, Tweaker, Et Cetera

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    A while ago I found a guy putting a USB key and some other things into an NES controller on Digg - ended up with an NES controller with a USB cable coming out of the front that you could just plug into a computer, emulator would start automatically, and you could just play your NES games on a PC.

    Here's the link, but this is the basic idea:

    PCB of controller
    || {wires}
    USB Keyboard controller
    || {wires}
    USB cable to computer

    When you plug it in, the PC reads it as a keyboard, and all you have to do is map the emulator controls to whatever key presses come out of the keyboard controller when you mash the buttons. Obviously for your purposes you'll want the keyboard controller located inside the Dreamcast case somewhere. You might even be able to connect every DC controller input to the same keyboard controller, buy a couple more DC controllers, and have multiplayer! :D


    - Diosjenin -
     
    Last edited: 31 Dec 2008
  20. Thacrudd

    Thacrudd Where's the any key?!?

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