Dreamcast games worth running on your arcade cabinet?

[javeryh]

Thoughts?

[AwesomeAlbert]

Marvel vs Capcom 2

not emulated on mame

[headkaze]

Ikaruga & Soul Calibur (definately!)

[Wiibound]

SAMBA DE AMIGO!
CRAZY TAXI!

[SithMaster]

ello Chu Chu Rocket

[genesim]

Capcom Vs SNK 1 & 2(Japanese and much better the PS2 counterpart), NFL Blitz(playable for people with wimply computer problems), NBA Showtime, MK 4 Gold(guilty pleasure).    Easy to work with because of VGA Adpater.    I use Xarcade DIY board for interface.    Great system and great games!

[waveryder]

Just shoved a dreamcast into my cab so:
Confidential Mission
House of the Dead 2
Sonic adventure 2
Soulcalibur
Dead or Alive 2
and most importantly....................................

SPACE CHANNEL 5 PART 2 

[brandon]

so do all Dreamcast games work in VGA mode? or only certain ones?  how do you swap your control panel over from PC to DC?  you have them connected simultaneously with diodes? DB25 connectors?  just wondering what the proven method is...

[waveryder]

I use DB25's and a switchbox myself and two 4 pole changeover switches to switch from analogue to digital on the CP. All games can work in vga mode, you just have to edit the 1st_read.bin file if it isnt directly supported. I think there were only a few that didnt have native VGA support anyway. The dreamcast looks sh** hot in vga. With so many arcade conversions it shocks me that so few people put em in there cabs.

[brandon]

I'll have to hunt one down...  Should look KILLER on a 27" multisync?   how about house of the Dead?  do the guns work in VGA mode?  oh and BTW, this is OT but HoD 2 & 3 are coming to Wii

[waveryder]

The guns work fine in VGA mode! Try Confidential Mission..Fanatastic gun game!

[northerngames]

I to have the 4pdt toggle switchs for the analog/digital and also use DB-25 data A/B switch box's for both controls and video.

I just posted some pictures of it on page 6 toward the bottom in the control panel database of the main forum.

[javeryh]

So is the way to go using a real dreamcast or do people prefer nulldc or something like that?  I tried setting up nulldc last night and I couldn't even get it to start...

[Hoopz]

NullDC can be confusing but once its setup properly, it's very good.  From what I saw, the documentation is lacking.  It took a lot of googling to get some things working the right way.

[genesim]

For the question about games that aren't made for VGA, well there is a cool product called DC-X that forces resolution in high res mode.   NBA Showtime is one example that needs the swap disc.    But it is well worth seeking out.     I use it for Japanese and European games as well as the nonnative VGA games.    Having had one yet that doesn't work with it.

[nexus6]

i've copyd this list from calium at the arcadezentrum-forum. it shows a lot of dc-games which works with digital controls or external special-controls:

18 Wheelers
Armada
Armada 2
Atari Anniversary Edition
Bass fishing / Get Bass Jap
Bass Rush Fishing Jap
Bomberman
Border Down
Bust a Move 4
Cannonspike
Capcom vs SNK
Capcom vs SNK 2 Millionaire Fighting
Capcom vs SNK Millenium Fight 2000
Capcom vs SNK Millenium Fight 2000 Pro
Centipede
Chaos Field
Cleopatra Fortune
Confidental Mission
Cool Cool Toon
Cosmic Smash
Crazy Taxi
Crazy Taxi 2
Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution 2
Dancing Blade
Daytona
Dead or Alive 2
Dead or Alive 2 LE
Death Crimson
Death Crimson OX
Donald Duck Quack Attack
DreamAgain Arcade Vol.1
DreamAgain Arcade Vol.2
Dynamite Cop
Fatal Fury: Mark of the wolfes
Ferrari 355 Challenge
Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge
Gauntlet Legends
Gigawings
Gigawings 2
Guilty Gear X
Gunbird 2
House of the dead 2
Ikaruga
KOF 2000
KOF 2001
KOF 2002
KOF 99
Last Blade 2
Marine Fishing
Mars Matrix
Marvel vs Capcom
Marvel vs Capcom 2
MEtropolis Streetracer
Midway´s Greatest Arcade Hits Vol.1
Midway´s Greatest Arcade Hits Vol.2
Namco Museum
NBA Showtime
Neo Golden Logres
NFL BLitz
Outtrigger
PGA Bowling
Pod: Speedzone
Pop'n Music
Pop'n Music 2
Pop'n Music 3
Pop'n Music 4
Project Justice - Rival School
Psychic Force 2012
Psyvaria 2
Puzzle Bobble 4
Puzzle Fighter 2X
Q Bert
Quiz: Ah! My Goddess
Ready to rumble 2
Return of giana sisters (kein orginal)
REZ
Rival Schools - Project Justice
Samba de Amigo
Samba de Amigo 2001
San Francisco Rush 2049
Sega Bassrush Dream
SEGA Tetris
Shikigami no Shiro 2
Silent Scope
Soulcalibur
Space Channel 5
Space Channel 5 Part 2
Spawn
Sports Jam
Street Fighter 2X
Street Fighter 3 Double Impact
Street Fighter 3 Giant Attack
Street Fighter 3 New Generation
Street Fighter 3rd Strike
Street Fighter Zero 3 Dojo
Tokio Xtreme Racer
Tokio Xtreme Racer 2
Trizeal
Typing of the dead
Vampire Chronicle
Vampire Chronicle For Matching Service
Vanishing Point
Vigilante 8 2nd Offence
Virtua Atlethics
Virtua Cop
Virtua Fighter 3
Virtua Fighter 3 Team Battle
Virtua Striker 2
Virtua Striker 2 2000
Virtua Tennis
Virtua Tennis 2
Virtual On
Worms Pinball
Zero Gunner 2
Zombie Revenge

*UPDATE
- REZ
- ZOMBIE REVENGE

[brandon]

so do lightgun work with VGA?  I'm guessing not...

[ChadTower]

Rez, Rez, Rez, Rez, and Rez.

Rez.

Radiant Silvergun is another that definitely kicks ass in a cab.

[whatzcrackn]

so do lightgun work with VGA?  I'm guessing not...

The guns work fine in VGA mode! Try Confidential Mission..Fanatastic gun game!

[brandon]

so do lightgun work with VGA?  I'm guessing not...

The guns work fine in VGA mode! Try Confidential Mission..Fanatastic gun game!

OOPS.. sorry I missed it!   anyways.. that's EXCELLENT news!  HoD is all I need.. too bad they didnt port CarnEvil to DC 

[RetroGreg]

I to have the 4pdt toggle switchs for the analog/digital and also use DB-25 data A/B switch box's for both controls and video.

I just posted some pictures of it on page 6 toward the bottom in the control panel database of the main forum.

Do you have any links to information that might help me create a similar setup? Yours is really cool!

[brandon]

I see that a DC can be had for about $25 now! that's sweet!  anything I should be cautious about?  I know with the PS2 there were about 10 different versions and some prone to failure..  Especially the laser pickup..  I dont want to buy a DC that is on its last leg!

[SithMaster]

OMG theres a space channel five part 2 for the dc.

Also i think chad is trying to tell us something.

Ill add beats of rage to this list (note it is a homebrew game).

edit- the only thing ive heard of is the gdrom failing if you use burned games though this is rumor as far as i know.

[ChadTower]

Any game that supports a synced vibrator for the wife is worth having.

Rez.

[brandon]

haha...  I read about that once.. and saw some VERY *interesting* controller hacks

[Dmod]

So is the way to go using a real dreamcast or do people prefer nulldc or something like that?  I tried setting up nulldc last night and I couldn't even get it to start...

Javery,

I ran into problems as well and finally got it working.  Maybe it will help...

1.  First you need to find the dc_boot and dc_flash files.  Google is your friend.

2.  The default video configuration option is set to nullPVR.  This requires vertex and pixel shading so your video card needs to support at least DirectX8 and you need to have the DirectX drivers installed.  NullPVR would not work with the onboard video on either my older P4 laptop or my new HP Vista desktop.  An alternate option is to use the Chankast video configuration option in nullDC.  

I also found the README file that's included with the download to be helpful in finding the right driver files.

[whatzcrackn]

I see that a DC can be had for about $25 now! that's sweet!  anything I should be cautious about?  I know with the PS2 there were about 10 different versions and some prone to failure..  Especially the laser pickup..  I dont want to buy a DC that is on its last leg!

Make sure the console has a manufacture date prior to 2000.  I forget what month but I think it was Sept.  Games tend to play better on versions prior to that date 

And ebay has some good deals, I have bought the total of 3 in the past year and love them.  They were all dirt cheap and came with a lot of accessories.  Some people who are not into gaming just think they have an outdated system when I think they are gold mines for the price they are going for.  Just my .02.

Happy hunting!

[whatzcrackn]

I to have the 4pdt toggle switchs for the analog/digital and also use DB-25 data A/B switch box's for both controls and video.

I just posted some pictures of it on page 6 toward the bottom in the control panel database of the main forum.

Do you have any links to information that might help me create a similar setup? Yours is really cool!

Some other options for vga are:

http://www.racketboy.com/store/dreamcast-vga-box-svideo-av.htm

http://www.racketboy.com/store/dreamcast-vga-cable-box.htm

Hack:

http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/dreamcast/dreamcast_en.php

http://www.instructables.com/id/Sega-Dreamcast-VGA-Mod/

note: never tried, just did a quick google search.

[waveryder]

Why take dodgy emulation (sorry but NullDC is poo!) When the real thing can be had for next to nothing!! Believe me if I could afford all the PCB's for the games I loved, I wouldnt emulate anything!
Dont believe all that cd's break the gdrom drive nonsense, Just make sure the discs are dummied to there capacity and you get no probs. The GDRom
 drive is like a tank compared to a CDRom drive. Hacking the dreamcast pads are easy:


Set mine up for use in betty no probs. Presently have every US game for it and some Japanese only titles on the way not bad for £15

Betty's Cabcast



ChadTower, Hmm I wondered why the wife wanted that extension cable for the rumble pack 

[RetroGreg]

I to have the 4pdt toggle switchs for the analog/digital and also use DB-25 data A/B switch box's for both controls and video.

I just posted some pictures of it on page 6 toward the bottom in the control panel database of the main forum.

Do you have any links to information that might help me create a similar setup? Yours is really cool!

Some other options for vga are:

http://www.racketboy.com/store/dreamcast-vga-box-svideo-av.htm

http://www.racketboy.com/store/dreamcast-vga-cable-box.htm

Hack:

http://www.raphnet.net/electronique/dreamcast/dreamcast_en.php

http://www.instructables.com/id/Sega-Dreamcast-VGA-Mod/

note: never tried, just did a quick google search.

Thanks for the links. I wasn't very clear in my first post, but I am interested in the control switch from DC to PC on the DB 25 or something similar.

[waveryder]

I posted a big picture of it above. LOOK UP!

This thread was a wealth of info:
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=43646.0

[SithMaster]

Why take dodgy emulation (sorry but NullDC is poo!) When the real thing can be had for next to nothing!! Believe me if I could afford all the PCB's for the games I loved, I wouldnt emulate anything!
Dont believe all that cd's break the gdrom drive nonsense, Just make sure the discs are dummied to there capacity and you get no probs. The GDRom

Its not nonsense if there is a chance it could break the drive.  Otherwise it wouldnt be important to full the disc.

[brandon]

hmm..  so how reliable are those A/B boxes? have you every had any problems with dodgy connection?   Turns out PS2 will do VGA and RGB.. looks like I'm going to need an A/B/C box  oh and btw...   Will the DC do VGA 31hkz AND RGB (arcade 15khz)?  I have have a multi sync but just wanted to ask...

[brandon]

Its not nonsense if there is a chance it could break the drive.  Otherwise it wouldnt be important to full the disc.

all game discs are done this way because a CD drive can get a better data rate from the edge of the disc than from the center..  This is because the edge is physically moving faster than the hub...  If than makes any sense   That was files are sorted in a certain order on the disc..  like FMV or anything that has to stream.  You CD burner in your PC doesnt take this into account.

[SithMaster]

Yes the speed things makes sense.  I know that the gdroms need dummy data to fill the disk otherwise they read faster but if someone doesnt know that and they get a homebrew game that doesnt have dummy data or something then they could run into problems.  Do the major release groups for dc games include dummy data or is it something the end user must do?

[brandon]

here's a nice simplified diagram of the VGA connection.

[waveryder]

Most scene releases didnt include the dummy data. Personally I use autodummy (because im lazy) Its not too big an issue to do as most of the kalisto stuff wasnt ripped particularily well and needs to .be made to autoboot anyway. Dumming discs has nothing to do with breaking the GDRom drive it has to do with reducimg the stress on the drive. The original version of soulcalibur is a great example! Run that and listen to the drive go ApeSH**! Its about reducing stress. Lets face it if the drive goes you got to buy a whole new console to replace it.  The db25 boxes are simple changeover switches you should have no probs as long as you do a decent solder connection to the plug. Never had a problem with mine. I have seen some info on this board about hacking a VGA box to out a 15khz signal. Not sure where as I have a VGA arcade monitor in my cab

[SithMaster]

Dumming discs has nothing to do with breaking the GDRom drive it has to do with reducimg the stress on the drive. The original version of soulcalibur is a great example! Run that and listen to the drive go ApeSH**! Its about reducing stress.

Okay i guess thats what i was referring to then when i said using homebrew in a dc could be bad for the drive.

I think you should check out the consoles section for the vga to arcade monitor info.  Forget the guy's name but he connected a dc to a monitor.

[brandon]

check it out!  it seems our very own RandyT sell Scart cables for Dreamcast!  I've never done anything with Scart but there are TONS of info on them and since its basically RGB I think it would be a straight forward hack to an arcade monitor.

http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66&products_id=180&zenid=4d272241d1e66e34a40ca86e1e756430

EDIT:   RGB actually might be the better route because not all DC games support VGA right?  If you have a multisync then RGB would work fine as well..  I suppose you could connect both..  RGB for 15khz games, VGA for 31khz..  hmm..

[Red]

brandon,

Check your PM.

Red

[javeryh]

So is the way to go using a real dreamcast or do people prefer nulldc or something like that?  I tried setting up nulldc last night and I couldn't even get it to start...

Javery,

I ran into problems as well and finally got it working.  Maybe it will help...

1.  First you need to find the dc_boot and dc_flash files.  Google is your friend.

2.  The default video configuration option is set to nullPVR.  This requires vertex and pixel shading so your video card needs to support at least DirectX8 and you need to have the DirectX drivers installed.  NullPVR would not work with the onboard video on either my older P4 laptop or my new HP Vista desktop.  An alternate option is to use the Chankast video configuration option in nullDC. 

I also found the README file that's included with the download to be helpful in finding the right driver files.

Thanks for the tips.  I'm OK with #1 but I'm pretty sure my computer isn't powerful enough for #2.  I have a 3 year old P4 laptop...

[camsauce]

Made easier (but not cheaper) you can get Dreamcast to PC adaptors here:

http://www.jandaman.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Session_ID=9abc3c8f8a60226b725affc77badfb40&Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=DC

[Agent Davis]

First off, the dreamcast is a fantastic system for an arcade machine.  Being that it's Sega, a lot of games are more or less direct port from the arcades, and some are inproved.  Soul Caliber is still one of the highest ranked games on any system of all time.  The dreamcast also has some good lightgun games.

hmm..  so how reliable are those A/B boxes? have you every had any problems with dodgy connection?   Turns out PS2 will do VGA and RGB.. looks like I'm going to need an A/B/C box  oh and btw...   Will the DC do VGA 31hkz AND RGB (arcade 15khz)?  I have have a multi sync but just wanted to ask...

I actually had a DB25 ABC box with PC (mame), DC, and PSX at one point.  The problem I had was with the DB25 cables.  The wires are very thin and often came loose on me.  Recently I scratched the switchbox and went to hardwired controls to an IPAC.  I plan to build a pedestal control panel containing a dreamcast and an old projector that will project onto a screen next to my current cabinet.

Edit:  Looks like you are referring to ABC for video, in which case I do not know.

[brandon]

actually.. I WAS referring to controls   with 25 pins maybe you could squeeze all the controls AND video on the same plug    I'll have to do some experimenting.. I want something 100% reliable for sure

[solderguy1]

I was thinking of having a DC in parallel.  For the monitor, use the VGA jack (PC will use DVI jack).  The monitor will select whatever one is active.  For the speakers, connect to the auxilary input. 
 
Control panel may be difficult though, especially if I go the u360 route.  Might say the hell with it and just play with standard DC pads. 

It sure is attractive to have a cheapo console that starts where Mame leaves off...

[brandon]

that is true!   well, I've heard of people connecting multiple JAMMA boards in parallel using diodes..   OR you could go completely overboard and get one of these...

http://www.multigame.com/jamma.html

of course.. then you could have up to 8 devices at once..  but you'd have to make JAMMA adapter for PC and all your consoles...  hmm...

EDIT: cool.. found two more options...


http://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=DBLJAMMA

http://www.arcademvs.com/ARCADE_ACESSERIOR.htm