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Dreamcast News - The Latest in Emulation and Homebrew is a News and downloads site for Sega Dreamcast, Sega Saturn and Vintage Sega Consoles like the Megadrive, Master System and 32X, We have all the latest emulators, hack, homebrew, commercial games and all the downloads on this site, the latest homebrew and releases, Part of the
DCEmu Homebrew & Gaming Network.
THE LATEST NEWS BELOW
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February 16th, 2015, 00:41 Posted By: wraggster
I got lucky and hunted down a matching power connector for the 20-pin Saturn drive. From now on all Rheas will be solder-less (unless you want to have 50/60 auto-selector, but that requires some soldering skills anyway) which should make it easier to install for less tech-savvy people.
The PCB layout has changed a bit as well, the support peg holes have moved to allow 2 of them for both VA0 and later VA1+ machines. I might move them yet again in future as I feel current placing is actually less stable on VA0 but there are limits as to where I can put them without rerouting a lot of important stuff. In any case it’s nothing a glue gun couldn’t fix.
I have but a couple of these new PCBs right now, some more should be available soon.
EDIT: Oh, and I figure I should address the GDEMU situation. In short, everything is still massively delayed, sorry. It doesn’t help that people have stopped paying attention to their mail/PayPal and keep missing the payment deadlines, and I have to keep a bunch of GDEMUs in a box for a week before I can consider the request “timed out”. Yes, I know this is the result of the initial delay in the first place but stuff like this is what keeps the situation from improving.
https://gdemu.wordpress.com/2015/02/...ed-more-power/
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February 16th, 2015, 00:38 Posted By: wraggster
This week we are back with some Sega goodness thanks to the latest issue of Sega Pro, which was originally released in August of 1992.
We have an abundance of Game Gear content up as a preview for this issue, so lets jump right in and take a look at the reviews for Prince of Persia, Klax, Popils and last but not least Marble Madness. All of which are for the Game Gear.
Then we have a look at Batman for the Mega Drive, followed by the Firday the 13th inspired game Splatterhouse II, also for the Sega Mega Drive.
http://www.outofprintarchive.com/cat...SegaPro10.html
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January 31st, 2015, 23:11 Posted By: wraggster
Around 300 staff are to be offered early retirement following plans to completely restructure Sega’s business.
“Local organisations managing packaged game software in Western markets will be streamlined”, the company has said, with its San Francisco already confirmed for closure.
Sega intends to alter operations to focus on mobile and online PC games, which it deems to be its growth areas, as well as its Sonic and merchandising businesses.
The changes are a result of a business analysis conducted by the Group Structure Reform Division, which was formed last May and tasked with improving management efficiency, profitability and restructuring the business.
“Voluntary retirement will be solicited in the aforementioned businesses to be withdrawn or consolidated and downsized, while at the same time personnel will be repositioned in digital games and growth areas of Group mainly as development personnel, in order to establish a structure which can constantly generate profits,” Sega said.
The decision comes despite the success of Alien: Isolation – which admittedly was somewhat offset by the catastrophic failure of both Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric and Shattered Crystal.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/sega-...future/0144528
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January 19th, 2015, 23:46 Posted By: wraggster
Sorry everyone still waiting for their GDEMU, the delay I wrote about earlier got even worse now. I’m doing what I can to catch up but short of a small miracle most of the orders that were supposed to ship by now will be some 3 weeks late. I understand you aren’t happy with this, trust me, neither am I.
On the plus side so far every GDEMU got safely to its destination, though some took a rather scenic route. That’s out of my hands though – I did say that December is not a good time to be shipping stuff. Now you know why.
Some of you are waiting for Rhea sales to start and I feel I should explain few things first:
- The 20-pin model is already out there, I think enough people have tested it without having any serious issues to call it stable. I might start selling that soon. For now I have some 20 PCBs left (since I ordered more just in case), but not the parts to assemble them, but I can have those in few days if there is enough interest.
- The 21-pin model is not ready yet and there is already a problem. I couldn’t find a connector and a cable with 21 pins. Keep in mind I need a stable source of parts, preferably cheap, not an ebay listing with a couple of items. The popular and available ones are 20 and 22 pins and I think the best option would be to go with 22 pin, it’s possible to insert a 21-pin cable into it properly without too much trouble (so the original Saturn cable can be reused). I can also include a spare 22-pin cable which would require some cutting on one end but would allow people with damaged original to use Rhea at all.
- Right now it seems that full support for all 21-pin drive models might require some final configuration via jumpers. If so I’m probably going to opt for solder jumpers since it’s usually one-time deal for given console, and can be changed still (just not frequently). I will probably offer to pre-configure the Rhea if you can show me your drive photos, but I can also leave that to the buyer. And before you ask, auto-detection seems unlikely.
- The power connector, and the fact that there were several kinds of it, is another problem, so v3 models will require soldering 1 or 2 wires until I can think of something else. This makes Rhea install more difficult but it’s not that hard really. Much easier than doing the region switch mod for example. I am thinking of some sort of pin header though, if I can find one that fits the plug on Saturn side.
- Fitting two FFC connectors on Rhea is not easy, layout is different and some signals are present only on one of those. It would be difficult to place them in such a way that the cable would not have to be bent quite a lot. That and some minor other problems made me rethink the whole “universal” Rhea idea and the end result is: it’s not coming anytime soon, if at all. So if you’re waiting for one you’d better be very patient.
- Seems like various versions of Saturn have a bit different height at which the metal PCB cover is. That makes it difficult to ship Rhea with correct support pegs. I could maybe ask for photos in advance, or ship both sizes (it affects the price but not much). Well, assuming there are only two that can fit all units.
UPDATE: If only VA0 Saturns have the metal cover at different height then it’s not much of an issue. You can tell VA0 apart from other models quite easily, it has the PSU attached to the upper cover. I should be able to find a support that fits later models, in fact I already have my eyes on a good candidate. Please check your exact Saturn model before you order Rhea.
https://gdemu.wordpress.com/2015/01/12/the-snow-queen/
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January 6th, 2015, 01:22 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.emucr.com/
Reicast Git (2014/12/31) is compiled. reicast is a multi-platform Dreamcast emulator. The project is currently in Alpha, usability, performance and stability issues are to be expected. Cortex-A9 dualcore, 1ghz+ is the minimum hardware for decent speeds.
Reicast Git Changelog:
* Linux GLX/3.1 support
My setup is only 2.1 right now, so this is totally untested
* Use netinet/tcp.h, not linux/tcp.h
* Fix building for linux (-DGLES && eglCreateWindowSurface)
https://www.sendspace.com/file/4xbemh
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January 4th, 2015, 20:38 Posted By: wraggster
How could a gaming system with this powerful a retail presence possibly fail?
Jason Brassard of Fenton, Missouri has a pretty amazing collection of old-school video games, but as the folks at the Sega Channel pan over his cavern of wonders, the eyes are inexorably drawn to his crown jewel — a lovingly restored retail display for Sega's final console, complete with games, consoles and a working demo station. It's enough to make me want to buy a Dreamcast all over again.
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December 21st, 2014, 22:43 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.emucr.com/
Gens-ReRecording SVN r351 is released. Gens Rerecording, formerly known as Gens Movie Test, is a modification of the highly popular Gens emulator. This modification includes slowdown, recording and playback of controller input logs, dumping of AVI files, and Lua scripting. This emulator is primarily used by the Nesvideos community.
Gens-ReRecording SVN changelog:
r351
A few fixes in Sonic hacks: multisprites and screen-space objects in S3&K, camera hack hanging because of camera bounds preventing it from moving, support for S3&Amy hack.
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r350
Getting Gens to compile on VC++2008.
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r349
Adding resizable file dialogs. Some alignment on starscream.
https://www.sendspace.com/file/g5bkbr
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December 21st, 2014, 22:38 Posted By: wraggster
via http://www.emucr.com/
Reicast Git (2014/12/15) is compiled. reicast is a multi-platform Dreamcast emulator. The project is currently in Alpha, usability, performance and stability issues are to be expected. Cortex-A9 dualcore, 1ghz+ is the minimum hardware for decent speeds.
Reicast Git Changelog:
* Remove READ_LOGS, see issue 571
* Merge
* No debug plugin means no need for a sharedId
May also resolve some issues with installing over an existing build
without uninstalling the build first.
* Push version to r7
https://www.sendspace.com/file/8d09ds
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December 21st, 2014, 21:38 Posted By: wraggster
There’s a new firmware available for GDEMU that fixes the slightly muted sound issue that some Dreamcasts had. I took this opportunity to introduce some more code changes so please report any regressions and/or new bugs.
Several Rheas have already been delivered and these are very common questions:
There is a solder point on the PCB marked “Hz“, and a solder jumper marked “Select“. You need to route a wire between the Saturn’s chip lifted pin and the Hz point, plus solder the jumper to select the default setting. This however is not yet working (the current FW doesn’t even support it) so leave it be for now. It’s coming soon, I need to test this first to make sure it works as expected.
Rhea is region free as is GDEMU – in the sense that it doesn’t care about regions at all. The lockout is enforced by BIOS, not the drive. You can however either patch the images yourself (there are tools for that) or have Rhea do it for you during game detection/loading. To enable that you need to tell it what region your console is – create ASCII text file named “Rhea.ini” in the root folder of the card, then place the following entry in it:
auto_region = N
where N is the code for your console region, or -1 to disable the patcher (the default setting). The codes are:
0: JAPAN, 1: TAIWAN and PHILIPINES, 2: USA and CANADA, 3: BRAZIL, 4: KOREA, 5: ASIA PAL area, 6: EUROPE, 7: LATIN AMERICA
Email me if you find a game that’s not working when patched.
https://gdemu.wordpress.com/2014/12/18/go-go-gadget/
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December 15th, 2014, 20:47 Posted By: wraggster
This is a short explanation on how to install Rhea V3 properly – I’ll try to make it into a permanent page later on but for now this will have to do. Note: This is meant for people getting their Rheas soon, comments will most likely be ignored.
Installation is easy but not as trivial as with GDEMU. You’ll need some wit and technical skills (nothing fancy though) and a soldering iron. Disconnect your Saturn, unscrew and remove the upper cover. Disconnect and remove the drive. It can be lifted a bit, I found it makes it easier to remove the flat cable that way, but be aware there might a thick wire or piece of copper foil screwed on top to provide better ground connection. Carefully disconnect that first (you’ll need a fine Philips head screwdriver).
You will need to locate +5V power supply spot on the motherboard and solder a wire there to provide power for Rhea. Unfortunately the connector is difficult to source and the original power cable is tad bit short anyway. Better yet route 2 wires, 5V and ground, but GND is somewhat optional as there are a few connections through the flat cable and that should be enough. I’m not providing any pictures as to where to tap into 5V on the motherboard – this is on purpose. I don’t have good photos of all possible motherboard variants, and I want you to check that yourself using a volt meter. Best solder the wire on the opposite side of the PSU connector (or even PSU itself) but be aware it’s harder to do as there is plenty of copper to take the heat away and that makes soldering a bit more difficult. Rhea doesn’t draw much, maybe 250mA with the card, so it’s not all that critical.
Rhea V3 PCB is clearly marked with what goes where when it comes to power supply, you have 4 holes: 2 upper ones are 5V, 2 lower ones are ground. You just need to solder to one of each. You can also install pins and make a connector if you wish for easier removal. See the bottom left corner of this photo:
I need to point out that Rhea can also be powered from external PSU (like wall cube or something), just make sure it’s got clean 5V output. Obviously that will need 2 wires. The nice thing about this setup is you can swap Rhea much easier and there’s no need to solder to the Saturn motherboard. It’s up to you though. In case of external PSU it needs to be plugged in first before you power on Saturn, and you can safely switch Saturn on/off for short durations while keeping Rhea powered. You can for example add/remove the 4MB cart during that time. Rhea, as long as it’s powered, will keep the selected image.
If you have a copper GND foil (or a wire), as seen on the photo, remove it. It’s held down by a single screw. There is a risk it will come into contact with the voltage regulator on the back of Rhea’s PCB and cause a short. I keep it in my unit but then again I understand the risks of being careless 
The photo above also shows how to connect the attached flat cable. Note it goes into Rhea conductor-side down. This is the reverse of most drives and it’s also on purpuse. The connector is much closer to front now and you can user either the cable provided, or the original one:
Just bend it in the middle (but don’t flatten it, no need for that, there’s plenty of room inside Saturn). Note that the original cable has clear ends, unlike the one I’ve attached. The connector on Rhea is a ZIF, it needs to be opened by pulling the latch, the cable inserted, and then secured by pushing the latch back (which actually does require some force but not much). Make sure the cable is all the way in. Same for the motherboard side.
In case your Saturn model has the motherboard connection near the right side (rather than near the front) the procedure is the same, just twist the cable to make it fit. The plastic supports are optional but highly recommended, I’ve included 2 and you can mount one (especially near the button) or both.
The FW is being worked on, the one in the units is already outdated and has known issues with some games (missing or cut short CDDA). You’ll get upgrades once I’m satisfied with the results.
Lastly, if there is anything unclear, ask me first. By email.
https://gdemu.wordpress.com/2014/12/...-three-and-up/
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December 15th, 2014, 20:46 Posted By: wraggster
The parts I needed for GDEMU have now arrived but I’m already a week behind schedule, and I still have to actually make and test the devices so that’s going to be another week at best. Shipping anything during that time is pretty much guaranteed to take much longer than usual to arrive due to general Xmas shopping spree, in fact you’ll be lucky to get your GDEMU in 2014 still. What’s more, it turns out I will be away from home, visiting family. That means <del>no games will be played</del>, er, I mean no GDEMUs will be made anyway during holiday.
Very sorry about this but at this point there’s simply nothing I can do.
I should be able to deliver the early Rheas though, I have one fully assembled (but not yet even programmed) and the rest should be ready in few days if there are no problem with the first unit.
The gold on black looks nice, doesn’t it? I might go that route for some of the last GDEMUs as well.
https://gdemu.wordpress.com/2014/12/...h-ho-heigh-ho/
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November 26th, 2014, 23:44 Posted By: wraggster
Sega peeks into its storied past this week with the Humble Sega Bundle, a pay-what-you-want collection featuring a handful of classics adapted from the Saturn and Dreamcast eras.
Pay any amount for the bundle and you'll get the surreal score-attack action gameNights Into Dreams, kart racer Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed, and the Dreamcast Collection, which includes PC versions of Sonic Adventure, Sega Bass Fishing, Crazy Taxi, and Space Channel 5 Part 2.
The package also offers Total War: Rome II's "Caesar in Gaul" expansion and the Miles' Tactic DLC for Football Manager 2015. Beat the bundle's average purchase price (currently $3.68) and you'll unlock Empire: Total War, Company of Heroes 2 - The Western Front Armies: Oberkommando West, and additional games that will be revealed as the bundle enters its final week.
Total War: Shogun 2 - Fall of the Samurai is up for grabs as a $12 incentive, and you can also get an exclusive Dreamcast-themed t-shirt with a purchase of $50 or more. The Humble Sega Bundle will be available through December 9.
http://www.humblebundle.com/
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November 17th, 2014, 00:34 Posted By: wraggster
It's been a while, but we are back to present to you the next issue in the Official Sega Saturn Magazine set.
We start of with a fantastic sequel to an arcade classic that sadly didn't make it out of Japan on the Saturn: Elevator Action Returns. Now, let's continue to the second consecutive OSSM feature for Manx TT, as well as a great feature on Mass Destruction. Our final feature is for the somewhat obscure arcade fighting game by Capcom: Red Earth. But that is not all! We also have a look at not one, but two interviews in this issue. The first one is with Lobotomy Software about Duke Nukem 3D and the second one talks with Tetsuya Mizuguchi
http://www.outofprintarchive.com/cat...ne/OSSM18.html
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November 16th, 2014, 23:44 Posted By: wraggster
As some of you already noticed preorders for GDEMU are open again. I did it quietly this time to not have my mailbox overloaded. I still have more units coming but be aware that the waiting time is already about 4-5 weeks by now so you’re unlikely to get it before Xmas. That being said, the early bird gets the worm so get ‘em while supply lasts
Rhea on the other hand is running a bit late, the MCU change means I need to rewrite some code and do a lot of testing. Still not sure if v2 will be good enough for sale but keep your fingers crossed. Oh, and I recently purchased a VCD/MPEG addon card to test compatibility – I know it’s not exactly frequently used and I don’t expect problems, but I’d like to be sure.
PCE is also deep in the woods, I had to restart proto PCB design on this project as well due to lessons learned from Saturn. In fact I’m going to do a simplified version first that will plug into a dev board (which in turn is getting upgraded from ARM7TDMI to CortexM4 next week) – it’ll be easier to work with, I don’t need it to be very portable yet.
Lastly I’m also getting a Mega Drive / Genesis + CD addon to look at the internals. This is completly on-the-side project with next to zero time assigned to it so please don’t expect any results soon. I won’t lie though, I like playing with new toys more than soldering all those GDEMUs :P This is something to keep me busy during December holidays, assuming I won’t be swamped with other work.
To sum up, you better hope I can keep my resolve not to play Civ:BE
http://gdemu.wordpress.com/2014/11/1...-gift-factory/
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November 10th, 2014, 02:19 Posted By: wraggster
I’m busy with stuff so not much to report. I had to restart Rhea PCB design as I’ve decided to try a different MCU – it’s a bit more expensive but has more RAM and smaller package, both of which are useful for this project.
This is Rhea V1.5, it’s not pretty but works great so far:
Obviously it was never intended to be permanently installed inside Saturn (though I guess it could be with some glue gun help).
There have been some questions about that so let me make this clear: Rhea is not going to be faster than original Saturn drive. Maybe a bit due to almost instantaneous media seeking but that’s it. Unlike Dreamcast where data bus is faster than drive, Saturn is limited by its serial protocol – which is set to exactly 2x speed and that can’t be changed.
http://gdemu.wordpress.com/2014/10/31/circuit-breaker/
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