Sega Week
The Sega Dreamcast was the swan song for the game company with attitude — and what a song it was. The Dreamcast may be the quirkiest, most offbeat system ever released by a major company, with titles like Shenmue, Rez, and Crazy Taxi which never would have seen the light of day at any other company. If you’re looking to explore all the console has to offer, here’s the best way to do it.
We love the original Dreamcast controller, even with its weird wire placement, but some people may prefer the upcoming Retro Fighters StrikerDC, which has a more traditional shape. Regardless, you'll need wire extensions if you want to play from your couch, as there are no wireless Dreamcast controllers as of yet.
One of the Dreamcast's best quirks was the Visual Memory Unit (VMU), which functioned as a memory card, a screen in your controller, and a portable gaming console of its own. We recommend replacing your VMU's batteries and performing a backlight mod.
While there are Dreamcast HDMI mods available, like the DC Digital, we prefer to use a SCART cable into an OSSC so as to preserve the ability to play on an old school CRT television should the need arise.
The Dreamcast now has the ability to hold its entire library of games within its tiny case thanks to TerraOnion's new MODE optical disc emulator. While you're in there, save your future self some trouble by also doing a replaceable battery mod for the console's internal clock.
We're yet again recommending the mClassic, an HDMI passthrough device which uses a proprietary algorithm to upscale games and remove aliasing.
The Dreamcast has been known to run hot and its fan isn't regarded as the most efficient. You'll likely want to replace the fan with a Noctua Fan and 3D printed vent. You'll also need to replace the Dreamcast's capacitors sooner rather than late, as they will eventually fail. While you're in there, it can't hurt to replace your console's power supply.
It would be a legal no no for us to tell you how to find back up files of Dreamcast games, so we won't be doing that. Hey just thinking out loud: You know something I like to do in my spare time? Peruse Archive.org. How about you?
Games we recommend include: Sonic Adventure and its sequel, Skies of Arcadia, Jet Grid Radio, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Resident Evil — Code: Veronica, Power Stone 2, Soulcalibur, Crazy Taxi, Rez, Shenmue I and II, Samba de Amigo, Space Channel 5, Seaman, Grandia II, Sega Rally 2, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2.