Dreamcast System - Frequently Asked Questions (Page 01)
Below are the cheat codes, hints and help for Dreamcast System - Frequently Asked Questions (Page 01).
Unofficial Dreamcast FAQ
version 2.1
Last update 23 February 2000.
Maintained by Richard Harris (richardh@is.co.za or richardh@icon.co.za)
Sources: Please see Miscellaneous section 4.5 below.
Contributors: Please see Miscellaneous section 4.6 below. Please help by
sending any information you might have. (I'd really like more
info on other Dreamcast magazines - the paper kind - from
around the world. See section 4.1)
Summarised Table of Contents
----------------------------
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Dreamcast Hardware
3.0 Dreamcast Software
4.0 Miscellaneous Questions and Information
5.0 Index/Complete Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
----------------
Welcome to the Unofficial Dreamcast FAQ! This FAQ is mainly for questions
people have or might have about the North American and PAL Dreamcast
consoles. It is not intended to replace the various existing FAQ's
which primarily cover the Japanese and Asian Dreamcast machines. See the
Miscellaneous section for info on where to find other Dreamcast related
FAQ's.
DISCLAIMER
I can't take any responsibility for inaccurate information contained in this
FAQ. All questions are answered to the best of my knowledge, but mistakes
will probably creep in. Please mail me if you see anything that upsets you and
I'll attempt to correct it. I am in no way responsible for any damage
anything in this FAQ may cause you or your equipment.
This FAQ is in no way endorsed by Sega or any of its affiliates. All
copyrights and trademarks recognised.
COPYRIGHT
This FAQ and all text contained herein is Copyright (C)1999 Richard Harris.
Only distribute this FAQ in it's entire form, with nothing removed or added.
Please contact me (email address above) if you have a question or if you want
to include the FAQ on your website, on a CD-ROM or in a publication of any
kind.
1.1 What is Dreamcast?
- The Sega Dreamcast is a powerful console system designed primarily for
fast, arcade quality games. It was the first machine released in a new
generation of game consoles. The Dreamcast's next-generation console peers
are the Sony Playstation 2, the Nintendo 'Dolphin' (development name) and
the Microsoft X-Box (development name). It's current competition is the Sony
Playstation and the Nintendo 64.
One of the main features of the Dreamcast, other than the fantastic fluid
graphics and great games, is the built-in modem. This gives users access to
the internet for web browsing, chat, email and (perhaps most importantly)
online gaming.
The Dreamcast is also upgradable. It is not clear in what way it will be
upgraded in the future, but Sega have already announced a Zip drive with a
front-mounted USB port included, for possible release in early 2000.
1.2 Who is Sega?
- Sega is a true multi-national company. Originally founded in April 1951,
Sega's goal is to 'take the lead in entertainment in the 21st century'.
A large research and development department in Japan is backed up by a huge
presence in the arcade and amusement machine industry, the home
entertainment/multimedia sector, the toy business and other, new-age arenas.
Sega Enterprises Limited currently list over 40 companies as major
subsidiaries, including Sega of America and various companies in Europe.
Sega was founded by an American, David Rosen. He was in Japan in the early
1950's and started a company with the name of 'Service Game Incorporated'
to export mechanical games to the US (Sega is a contraction of 'Service
Game'). In the '60's he bought a factory to produce jukeboxes, pinball and
air hockey tables and other similar games.
Sega is perhaps most famous in the west for its Mega Drive (Genesis in North
America) console, which has sold over 35 million units since it was released
in 1989. Other successful console releases included the Master System
(Mk III in Japan) in 1986, the GameGear portable console system in 1988 and
the widely loved Saturn in 1995. Less successful were the Mega Drive/Genesis
add-ons the Mega/Sega CD in 1991, (which still managed to sell over 5
million units), and the 32X (an add-on for the Mega Drive/Genesis) in 1994.
1.3 Could I have some information on the history of the Dreamcast?
- In 1996, rumours of a next generation Sega game console started surfacing.
According to the rumours, the machine's development title was 'Dural', named
after a character from the Sega arcade and Genesis game, Virtua Fighter 2.
In early 1997, insiders told of two new developments - Sega and Microsoft
were in discussions and NEC/Videologic had been approached with regard to
the graphics chipset.
Soon after, 3DFX, the graphics technology company, revealed a deal with Sega
to provide technology for a new machine codenamed 'BlackBelt'. At the time,
3DFX made a popular graphics accelerator chipset for the PC called Voodoo,
and it was this chipset that was allegedly going to be used in Sega's new
machine.
Now it became clear that Sega actually had two different machines in
development, one in Japan (development names Dural/Katana), and one in
America (development name BlackBelt). At one stage the BlackBelt, jointly
developed by SegaSoft, Microsoft and 3DFX, was shown to a limited number of
developers and was apparently very well received. The OS was designed to
make the machine easy to develop for and allowed for quick conversions of
games to and from PC. At the time Sega's policy seemed to be that raw
processing power wasn't as important as an easy to develop for operating
system. The Japanese 'Katana' generally outperformed the 'BlackBelt' in
hardware terms, but had a more intricate and difficult operating system.
In July, Sega cancelled the 3DFX deal and it became apparent that the
'Blackbelt' had been dropped too. It is unknown exactly why the BlackBelt
was dropped in favour of the Japanese design, but the most likely reason is
that the production cost would have been higher and ultimately would have
lead to a more expensive final street price. Another possibility is that the
'BlackBelt' just wasn't powerful enough to compete in a market with other
next generation machines from companies like Sony and Nintendo.
At this stage it was reported that the now Japanese-developed console was
being called the 'Katana' (a katana is a type of sword). It was officially
announced that Hitachi would be making the CPU for the machine. In early
1998, NEC/Videologic was finally confirmed to be providing the new graphics
chipset, the PowerVR Series II. The operating system was tweaked to make it
as easy to use and develop for as 'BlackBelt' was going to be, and Microsoft
wrote another development system, based on its Windows CE technologies. In
May 1998 the Dreamcast was officially announced by Bernie Stolar, then CEO
of Sega of America.
1.4 When was the Dreamcast released?
- The Dreamcast was first released on the 27th of November 1998 in Japan. The
US had to wait nearly a full year for theirs - Sega executed a massive
launch on the 9th of September 1999. (9/9/99). The European release date
was the 14th of October 1999, and the Australian/New Zealand release date
was the 30th of November.
The Dreamcast took in over US$97 Million on the first day of launch in North
America, and sold over 500,000 machines in the first two weeks. Sega were
quick to point out that $97,000,000 is more than even Star Wars:Phantom
Menace brought in on its first day of release, but I don't see how we can
compare a movie to a games console. Better comparisons can be made with the
Playstation and the N64, during their respective launches.
For The North American Region:
Console Time it took to sell over 500,000 units
Dreamcast 2 weeks
Nintendo N64 2 months
Sony Playstation 4 months
Over 1 Million machines were sold in North America in just over 2 and a half
months, making the Dreamcast the fastest selling video games machine in that
region, ever!
Initial European sales figures look healthy. Over 100,000 machines were sold
in Europe on launch day alone and over 185,000 in the first weekend.
Unfortunately, in the Australian region the launch was labelled a disaster
by Sega fans. The official Sega distributor there, Ozisoft, only managed 9
launch titles, non of which were first party products - apparently Sega
developed software had been held in customs. Also, VMS units and other
peripherals weren't available at all. After what seemed like infinite
delays, Australian fans deserved better. Sales information to follow
shortly.
1.5 What games were available at launch?
- A record number of games for a new system were available at launch in North
America and in Europe. This was mainly because the machine had been out in
Japan for quite a while, and developers had had quite a bit of time to get
games ready for the launch.
- Japan (4 titles):
Godzilla Generations (General Entertainment) (action)
July (Sega) (rpg)
Pen Pen TriIcelon (Infogrames) (racer)
Virtua Fighter 3tb (Sega) (fighter)
- North America (18 titles):
Aerowings (Crave Entertainment) (simulation)
Air Force Delta (Konami) (shooter)
Blue Stinger (Activision) (action)
Cart - Flag to Flag (Sega) (racer)
House of the Dead 2 (Sega) (gun shooter)
Hydro Thunder (Midway) (racer)
Monaco Grand Prix 2 (UbiSoft) (racer)
Mortal Kombat Gold (Midway) (fighter)
NFL 2K (Sega) (sports)
NFL Blitz 2000 (Midway) (sports)
Pen Pen TriIcelon (Infogrames) (racer)
Powerstone (Capcom) (fighter)
Ready to Rumble (Midway) (sports)
Sonic Adventure (Sega) (platformer)
Soul Calibur (Namco) (fighter)
TNN Motorsports Hardcore Heat (ASC Games) (racer)
Tokyo Xtreme Racer (Crave Entertainment) (racer)
Trickstyle (Criterion) (racer)
- PAL Region - Europe (12 titles):
Blue Stinger (Activision) (action)
Dynamite Cop (Sega) (action)
Expendable (Infogrames) (shooter)
Incoming (Interplay) (action)
Monaco Grand Prix 2 (UbiSoft) (racer)
Powerstone (Capcom) (fighter)
Ready to Rumble (Midway) (sports)
Sega Rally 2 (Sega) (racer)
Sonic Adventure (Sega) (platformer)
Tokyo Highway Challenge (Crave) (racer)
Trickstyle (Criterion) (racer)
Virtua Fighter 3tb (Sega) (fighter)
The Australian/NZ launch list was different as Sega developed games weren't
released at launch; otherwise they were the same as the European region
above.
2.0 Dreamcast Hardware
----------------------
2.0.1 What's in the box?
- You will normally find the following in your box, along with a bunch of
advertising-based and warning pamphlets together with recycled and
recyclable packaging materials. (Good Sega! They even provide
instructions on how to properly dispose of the Dreamcast itself).
The Dreamcast console
Modem (attached to the console, but detachable - try it!)*
One joypad controller
Demo GD-ROM Disc
Web browser Disc
A long (30 foot) phone cable for the modem*
Power cable with the appropriate plug for your region
Composite video lead (also known as an AV cable)**
Manual (a simple black and white affair)
* If your machine is imported from Asia, or if you live there, you won't
get a modem, just a lump of plastic so that you don't have a gaping hole
in the side of your machine.
** In the UK, a RF Unit was included instead of the AV cable to ensure that
the Dreamcast was compatible with all TV's. I don't have any info yet on
which TV leads were included in other European regions, but it is
possible that an RGB/SCART cable was included.
There is no VMS in the standard Dreamcast packages in any of the 4 regions.
(see below)
There is no RF unit in the standard North American Dreamcast package. For
older TV's, you'll have to purchase this separately. Also, if you have a
S-Video or SCART capable TV, you should buy the relevant cable for that too.
See the accessories section for more info on all of these.
2.0.2 What versions of the Dreamcast have been released?
- There have been many Dreamcast variations, the colour of the box being the
only difference between them. All the colourful versions are from Japan so
far.
In Japan, the original white and light grey Dreamcast was released first,
with an orange swirl logo on the case and the accessories. Quite a few
special editions have also been released. Here is a list in chronological
order:
Mazyora: The first special edition was the 'Mazyora' which was dark purple
and came complete with a purple controller.
Seaman 1: The second special edition was a white skeleton version (ie
transparent plastic) released with the game 'Seaman', the microphone
peripheral, a transparent VMS and a music CD.
Hello Kitty 1 and 2: One transparent pink, the other transparent blue, these
editions include a pink or purple controller, VMS, keyboard and the Hello
Kitty Dream Passport software.
Seaman 2: The Christmas Seaman Dreamcast is entirely red, and comes with a
VMS and controller, both the same colour as the console. Included is a
special communication package which allows you to send voice messages (using
the Dreamcast microphone) over the net. There's a silhouette picture of
Seaman on the drive lid too.
Code Veronica 1 and 2: To celebrate the Japanese release of Capcom's
successful series 'Resident Evil' on the Dreamcast, two specials machines
were released. One is transparent dark purple, with a S.T.A.R.S logo on the
lid, the other is transparent dark red (The 'Claire-edition'). Both have
matching controllers and a light purplish grey VMS. Of course both are
bundled with the game. (Only the top plastic cover is coloured, the bottom
piece is standard grey).
Fuji Television 'Devers 2000 Series CX-1': A combination TV/Dreamcast with
a cool design - lots of curves and colours (it's designed to look like a
Morolien from the game 'Space Channel Five'). Its light blue with little
antennae on the top and the 4 Dreamcast controller ports under the screen.
With new special editions released all the time in Japan, this is becoming
the most updated area of this FAQ! Hopefully there will be a few special
editions released elsewhere.
The Asian Dreamcast itself is exactly the same as the original Japanese
version; it also only plays Japanese software. No modem is included in this
edition, and the manual is in English instead of Japanese.
The North American version is the same white colour as the original
Japanese/Asian edition, with one minor difference, the little triangle on
the GD-ROM lid is in solid light-grey plastic (The Japanese version had a
transparent plastic triangle there) with the end of the triangle on the body
of the machine transparent for the power light to shine through. There are
at least two internally different machines in the US. The changes have to do
with the cooling systems and don't affect operation of the machine in any
way. The Dreamcast logo on the case and the accessories is also orange like
the Japanese version in the US.
The PAL version (Europe, Australia, New Zealand, including the United
Kingdom) is identical in casing colour to the original Japanese and US
versions, but in all PAL regions the Dreamcast swirl logo has been changed
to a blue colour. Even the peripherals and accessories have the blue logo in
PAL areas.
2.0.3 How do I tell the difference between Dreamcasts from different regions?
- Look at the little triangle of plastic above the power light on the GD-ROM
lid. If its clear, that's a Japanese Dreamcast, if its solid grey its either
a US or a PAL Dreamcast (If its PAL the Dreamcast swirl logo will be in
blue, the US swirl is orange like the Japanese logo.) If its red, then your
machine is Canadian (Canadian consoles are otherwise identical to the US
ones).
If the console isn't a white and light grey colour, then its a special
edition Japanese machine. (or someone has painted it ;)
2.0.4 Can I use accessories made for one area on my Dreamcast from another
region?
- No, and Yes. Unfortunately, Sega want each region to be isolated in terms of
software and hardware. Sega basically don't want you to use accessories from
other regions, and include a warning on each box and in the manual for each
device that states that the accessory will NOT work on machines from other
areas. However, in practice, foreign accessories DO work on other machines,
with a few exceptions.
In North America, Sega did not release it's own lightgun as it did in Japan.
This was done to show sympathy for child-related gun accidents and incidents
in the US, and also (some might say) so that Sega can't be blamed for
putting guns in the hands of US children. So Sega left the US gun market
open for 3rd party manufacturers. To make things worse, they disabled
support for their own gun in the first Gun game, 'House of the Dead 2'.
This does not mean the Japanese gun (which is of a higher quality and looks
better then the 3rd party ones) will not work with other US games in the
future, but don't count on it. Europe and other PAL regions will get the
Sega gun too.
As for other peripherals, they all seem to work on any machine. Japanese VMS
cards work on the US Dreamcast, as do the Official controllers and arcade
sticks.
Bottom line: To be safe and to keep Sega happy, try to use only those
accessories designed for your specific region. BUT, if you really need that
silver arcade stick or an emergency late night controller go ahead and get
'em.
2.0.5 What are it's technical specifications?
- There's not much to add to this data, its just figures after all.
An overview of the Dreamcast Chipset:
Primary CPU: Hitachi SuperH4 RISC CPU (200MHz - 360 Mips - 800MB's/second
data throughput)
Graphics: NEC PowerVR Series II (100MHz - renders up to 3.5 million polygons
per second)
Sound: Yamaha AICA Sound Processor (45Mhz - 40 Mips - 64 voices - 16 bit,
48Khz - 3D audio support)
Memory: 16MB RAM main, 8MB RAM video, 2MB RAM sound. Total, 26MB.
CD-ROM Drive: 12 speed Proprietary Yamaha GD-ROM (Gigabyte Disc). Stores up
to 1.2 Gigabytes. (see section 2.1, 'GD-ROM's and CD's' below)
Dimensions: 7 7/16" x 7 11/16" x 3" (189mm x 195mm x 76mm)
Weight: 4.4lbs (1.9 kg's)
For links to more technical data, see section 4.4.4, 'Dreamcast Technical
Information'.
2.1 GD-ROM's and CD's
---------------------
2.1.1 What is a GD-ROM?
- GD-ROM stands for Gigabyte Disc Read Only Memory. Sega decided to use a
proprietary compact disc system, for two main reasons.
One was to fit more on the disc; standard CD-ROMs have a maximum capacity
of between 650 to 690 Megabytes, while Sega's GD-ROM's have a maximum
capacity of up to 1.2 Gigabyte of data. The second reason was to discourage
the casual pirate, as the GD-ROMs are not copyable in a standard CD or DVD
writer. (nor are they entirely readable in a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.) One
part of a GD-ROM can be made readable on a standard CD-ROM, and Sega and 3rd
party developers often use this section of the GD-ROM to include some
pictures for computer backdrops or other items related to the game, as an
extra. It is also possible to include audio CD tracks that play in a
standard CD player, and most GD's have at least one audio track warning the
user not to play the GD-ROM in a standard CD Audio player. Try it! The
voice is usually corny and fairly amusing :)
To fit more data on the GD-ROM disc, the data is written in a slightly
different format to regular CDs. This may mean that the GD disc is actually
more sensitive to scratches and defects than regular CDs too.
2.1.2 How is Dreamcast software packaged?
- Haters of large boxes rejoice! Sega decided to use standard CD jewel cases
in Japan and North America. This is great because the large plastic boxes
that Sega used for the Sega CD and the Saturn in the US are generally
considered ugly and difficult to store. The old boxes are also fairly
fragile. Now you can replace any broken cases with standard CD jewel cases.
Unfortunately, in PAL regions, Sega chose cases that are almost the same
size as double-cd's, similar to the boxes of Playstation software. There
seems to be no reason why, except that perhaps European consumers expect a
larger box and wouldn't attach the same value to a CD sized case.
2.1.3 How should I change games on the Dreamcast?
- Sega recommends that after you have finished playing a game you open the lid
with the Dreamcast still on. This forces the disc to a stop, as the hardware
brake is applied automatically. At the same time, the Dreamcast resets back
to the startup utility screen so you can edit the VMS or other settings, or
simply replace the game disc and load another game.
It may be a bad idea to turn the machine off and then open the lid, as no
brake will be applied and the GD disc could spin out of the machine and get
scratched or take your ear off or something. In practice the little clips
tend to hold the disc in place anyway, but we're talking worst-case
scenarios here.
2.1.4 Are there long loading times?
- Nope. Generally the 12 speed GD-ROM drive gets the data into the Dreamcast
really quickly, although this is software dependent. All the games I've seen
load quickly, with minimal waits between titles and levels too. Its really
up to the developer to get the loading times down through clever
programming though.
2.1.5 Are GD-ROM's more fragile than CD-ROM's or DVD's?
- Apparently so, yes. Unfortunately with new technology (newish technology I
should say) comes a few teething problems. Many people have reported a small
scratch or fingerprint stops the game from working or causes intermittent
glitches in the games graphics, functioning or sound.
Basically, you'll have to handle your discs with extreme care, never touch
the discs (top or bottom) with anything, and hold them by the edges and
middle hole.
I suspect that as the medium matures, developers will find ways of making
backup areas on the discs in case of an error, and also that Sega will use
various new technologies that will provide stronger scratch resistant
materials in the manufacture of the GD-ROMs.
2.1.6 Can I backup my GD-ROMS?
- No. Please see section 3.6, 'Can I make backups of my Dreamcast games?'.
2.1.7 What's the best way to clean a GD-ROM?
- Use a CD cleaning kit. Don't use a T-shirt or a tissue or anything else to
clean a CD or GD. Clean the top and bottom of the disc if you're seeing
glitches; as with CDs the label side actually has thinner plastic than the
bottom side, and is more susceptible to dirt, fingerprints or scratches.
It is possible to buy a scratch remover kit, these have been used on GD
discs to varying degrees of success. If the game really won't load and
you've cleaned it, you have nothing to lose really, so go ahead and try the
scratch remover. Other than that, it's probably dead, Jim. Sorry! The
original supplier or Sega themselves may be able to replace it. If its
fairly new, the place you bought it may replace it too, unless you've really
abused the poor disc.
2.1.8 Will the Dreamcast play normal audio CD's?
- Yes! No impressive little graphic shows like the Saturn or some
Playstations, though. Just a simple player similar to early NTSC
Playstations. Also try selecting the audio CD player from the title utility
screen and then putting a game disc in! A pleasant little surprise awaits
you! (not all games support this)
There is a 'screen saver' that will kick in after 20 minutes of just
listening to the Audio disc, or leaving the Dreamcast doing nothing. A
simple but colourful set of spotlights move over the screen, combining to
make new colours and then dissolving away again.
2.1.9 Will the Dreamcast play DVD's?
- Not yet. Sega claim they will make an announcement concerning DVD and the
Dreamcast in March 2000. The Sony Playstation 2's ability to play DVD movies
is one of Sega's main competitive problems. Its not clear yet if the DVD
upgrade will be another box to sit underneath the Dreamcast (adding to the
tower of the console and the zip drive), or if DVD compatibility will be
implemented in some other way. Perhaps a new Dreamcast will be made
available that will be able to read DVD discs. Another (vague) chance is
that the current machines can be sent in for modification. All will be
revealed soon, hopefully!
2.2 Resetting and Memory Issues
-------------------------------
2.2.1 There's no reset switch! How do I reset the Dreamcast?
- If a game is running and you open the lid, the machine will reset. Also,
most software will let you do a soft reset by holding all the buttons
together (excluding the trigger buttons underneath). Obviously, games that
come on more than one disc will be programmed so that they don't reset on
opening between discs!
2.2.2 Sometimes I turn the machine on and it doesn't do the swirly bouncy logo
thing! Did I break it?
- The Swirly Bouncy logo thing only happens if you have a game disc in the
machine when you turn it on. If there is nothing in the drive, or if the
drive lid is open, you get a simple Sega Dreamcast logo and then the startup
utility screen.
2.2.3 The Swirly Bouncy logo thing irritates me! Can I kill it?
- Why? Its nice! But you can skip it by pressing start on the controller.
2.2.4 What's the internal memory for?
- The internal memory is only to keep system settings such as language
preference, stereo or mono selection, and more importantly, your internet
settings. The first time you use your browser GD, you will be asked for
internet information. Once you have entered this, it is saved in the
internal memory, so any game can access the info if required. This also
means you don't need a VMS to save internet settings on.
2.2.5 What's a VMS/VMU?
- There is a good FAQ that goes into great detail about the VMS, mainly for
the Japanese version - how to use it and run games on it. Check my links
section in 4.0 for that.
The VMS is basically a memory card, similar to the memory card for the
Sony Playstation or Nintendo 64, in fact. The main difference between this
card and your normal memory card for another system, is that the VMS has a
little LCD (liquid crystal, like a digital watch) screen and a control input
pad with buttons. The screen's resolution is 48 x 32 pixels, and it has a
small speaker for one channel music and sound effects. These features, along
with the battery mean you can use the card away from your Dreamcast to run
mini-games and other software on it.
The standard VMS has only 128k of memory. (This is not very much).
One of the features of the VMS is that small games can be run on it. Certain
Dreamcast games have minigames that can be downloaded into the VMS and used
on the move or away from the Dreamcast. I'm sure you'll think of a dozen
different things that could be done on the VMS, and most of them are
probably in development somewhere! Most games however take up quite a bit of
space which in turn means games have less room for saved positions, etc.
The VMS has two batteries, which allow you to play games and manage data
away from the Dreamcast. If the batteries run flat, you don't lose any saved
data, and you can still use the VMS as a memory card in the Dreamcast itself
- you just can't play any games you may have saved on it.
The VMS is available in standard Dreamcast grey in stores, but you can order
transparent colours (blue, red, green and yellow) at the online Sega store.
Third party hardware developers have released higher capacity memory card
units that have more RAM than the standard VMS. None of these third party
devices have the screen or controller though, they're just memory cards.
2.2.6 How do I replace the battery in the VMS?
- There's a little screw on the back of the VMS, so you'll need a screwdriver.
Its then a simple matter of getting two replacement CR2032 or equivalent
batteries and popping them in. These are common batteries - you can usually
buy them from drug stores, electronic supermarkets, electronic stores and
similar.
2.2.7 Will I lose my saved games when I change the batteries?
- No. See the VMS description above in 2.2.5
2.2.8 Can I download VMS minigames from the internet?
- Yes. Sega have offered only one game so far, VMS Football. You can get it by
logging into the Dreamcast network using your Dreamcast. You can't download
it with a PC, you have to use the Dreamcast browser. It hasn't exactly
received rave reviews, but its a good start!
It is possible other sites may have VMS saves and downloadable games in the
near future.
2.2.9 My game changed my VMS's icon! How do I get my original icon back?
- When formatting your VMS, you can choose from a variety of icons so that you
can identify one VMS from another. Some games (notably Capcom games) change
this icon to a logo or a character from the game. To go back to your
original icon, just delete the file 'VM_sav' from your VMS using the VMS
manager from the Dreamcast utility title screen, or using the VMS's own file
manager.
2.2.10 Do I need a VMS if there is internal memory?
- The internal memory is merely for system settings such as Audio settings and
also for saving your internet service provider settings. You can't use it to
save games. The VMS is entirely for the saving of game data, saved games and
perhaps small applications which are software dependent (that means its up
to the game or program you run on the Dreamcast to use the VMS). If you
don't have a VMS you're not going to be able to save your position in most
games, and you'll have to restart every time you play.
2.2.11 How do I reset the internal memory?
- Plug a controller into port b, then put the Sega web browser into the
machine. Turn on the system while holding down buttons B and X. Continue to
hold them until the Web Browser's login screen appears.
This erases all internet settings.
If you leave your Dreamcast off for a few weeks the memory loses it's
charge and you will have to enter the date and internet settings again.
2.3 Online Issues
-----------------
2.3.1 What speed is my modem?
- If you bought a local Dreamcast system in North America it is a 56k modem.
Everywhere else it is a 33.6k modem, and if you bought an Asian Dreamcast or
imported one from there, you don't have a modem at all.
2.3.2 Is there a Dreamcast cable modem, Ethernet, ISDN adapter or other high
speed adapter?
- Not available yet. Sega have promised high bandwidth connections in the
future though and have shown the Ethernet adaptor behind glass at a
conference. Cable modem will probably happen in North America, perhaps
Ethernet or others in other regions.
2.3.3 Can I play my games online?
- Not yet. (North American and PAL regions answer). Sega will have their Sega
Network set up by the middle of 2000 in the US, and hopefully sooner in
Europe. In Japan, the network is up and running already - you can play
various games on-line already. No North American games have been released
that support the network, Sega is waiting for the network to be able to
support a large amount of gamers at once before releasing these games.
Also, developers haven't been completely filled in on how to implement the
network for these regions.
2.3.4 Can I use a Free ISP with my Dreamcast?
- Probably not. That's the easy answer, but it might just be possible to do it
if you know what you're doing network-wise, you have a PC to do the initial
network setting up and you know how to fiddle with setting under Windows or
whatever operating system you use. There are no hard and fast rules in
setting up the free ISP as each service will differ in some way.
On the other hand, if your free ISP forces you to use specific software that
really can't be worked around, or if they force you to leave an advertising
window open at all times, chances are you'll never get it to work in the
current edition of the Dreamcast web browser software.
2.3.5 Can I upload and download save games?
- You can if you live in Japan or bought a Japanese import. In North America,
you can download save games, but you can't upload them or send them via
email in any way. Sega have stated that one of the forthcoming browser
updates will fix this. No info available about the PAL browser yet.
2.3.6 Can I use the modem and the internet in another country?
- Yes, to a limited degree perhaps. If you have a North American Dreamcast and
if your country supports American style DTMF modems then you can use your
Dreamcast to get online with no hassles. You may need to be an adaptor so
your phone system understands the American style tones your Dreamcast
outputs to dial a number.
It remains unclear if you'll be able to use it for online gaming in a
different territory. I'll add more details as I learn more and as Sega rolls
out the network in each region.
If you have a Japanese Dreamcast and you live outside of Japan, you can get
online, but you need to call a Japanese number once to register the
software. Details on how to do this are provided in the import Dreamcast
FAQ, links to it are provided in the Miscellaneous section below.
Europe is another question altogether, with non standard phone systems all
over and really really old exchanges in certain parts of some countries.
Chances are, a modem in a Dreamcast bought elsewhere won't work in Europe
without some fiddling. There have been some people that have successfully
managed to get their US Dreamcast working in Europe - mail me for details
until I sort it out enough to put it in this FAQ.
2.4 Accessories
---------------
2.4.1 What accessories are available for the Dreamcast?
- Some of the following accessories may not be available in your region. See
the section 2.0.4 above, 'Can I use accessories made for one area on my
Dreamcast from another region?'. Some may also not be released yet.
- 1st Party (Sega) Accessories
A/V Cable - Same as the one included in the Dreamcast package.
Digital Camera (Dreameye) - Sega have a digital camera in development that
will be released later in 2000. The camera, which connects through a
controller expansion port, will allow users to interact with each other over
the Internet or with a direct phone connection, as well as allowing the
usual tasks like taking pictures and making photo-albums. These photos can
then be edited and stored or sent via email to other people. Its also
possible that some games could use the camera - as a controller input device
(by moving around, users could perhaps interact with objects on-screen) or
as a video capturing device (to put your own face on a character for
example). The camera includes a microphone and the ability to make short
movie clips that you can send to your friends or opponents in a game. A new
section of this FAQ with information specially for the Dreameye will appear
once its released.
Dreamcast Controller - The standard joypad that comes with the Dreamcast.
Has an analog direction pad, a ordinary Nintendo-type D-Pad, 4 front face
buttons and 2 rear analog trigger buttons. There is a large gap in the back
of the controller with two slots for any expansions or peripherals like the
VMS or the Jump Pack. A hole in the front face allows the screen of an
ordinary VMS to show through. Available everywhere in standard White/Grey,
new transparent colours are available in Japan and America. Transparent
colours released so far are turquoise, pink, lime green, brown and blue. A
transparent orange controller was released with the Japanese version of
'Chu Chu Rocket'. Outside of Japan the D-Pad has been modified to stick out
further from the controller's face to make it easier to get the diagonals.
Sega also said that the analog trigger buttons were made stronger for
overseas markets, but it seems unlikely that this was done.
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