I had previously mentioned that I was able to pick up a newly sealed Dreamcast from Thinkgeek last week. I wanted to share with you, fine readers, what you may have missed almost ten years ago.
I’ve finally unboxed the console and we get to see if it really was sealed new.
Clicky clicky on the images for larger versions.
First, Thinkgeek got the thing to me in two days. I believe they sold their entire inventory out in two hours. However, it looks like they might get some more in stock in May.
They’re a really great site to order from. I’ve used them quite a bit. I even won a photo contest once and won a $100 gift certificate there.
Smart Mass Thinking Putty is a hoot. I suggest the Atmosphere or Oil Slick colors.
For being ten years old, the box was in pretty good shape. There were no tears or dings in the cardboard. Both ends of the flaps had seal stickers on them. It looked like it had never been opened or tampered with. You can even see the serial number through the open window on the back of the box.
I commend the owners of the warehouse it sat in all this time. Speaking of time, this system by console standards is old. Certainly built before 9/11 and possibly before the year 2000. All the paperwork and stickers on the console were yellow with age. It also looked like it was probably not in an air-conditioned unit.
Everything inside was still sealed and twist tied. The controller, instructions, warranty card (heh), A/V cable, power cord, and super long phone line (Yes! I needed one for my satellite!) were all there.
It even included a demo disc for some launch titles: Sonic Adventure, Rayman 2, Tomb Raider, and I think a sports game.
This was a good sign because I wanted an earlier release of the system—one before SEGA started making it a little more difficult for players to have, uh, options of what to play.
Behold, here’s everything in all it’s glory.
Just like in 2000, I was bummed there’s no VMU. For those of you less than the age of ten, that is the Virtual Memory Unit. It actually was an ingenious little device that plugged into the controller to save your games. It had it’s own mini-screen and you can even play some rudimentary games on it. I don’t think it was ever used to it’s fullest potential. (Of course, was the console itself?) It’s good to know that you can still get VMU’s new online for $6-9.
Does it work? Heck yes, it does. The system has a battery that stores the date and time. It still works.
The console was made in November 1999. This puts it very early in the Dreamcast lifecycle. Excellent.
I no longer had any of my original games but the demo disc worked just fine.
I do still have my import copy of Ikaruga. It’s my favorite game for the system and the import is pretty rare. I’m glad I held on to it. I do regret getting rid of my VGA adapter though. (It was not to long ago either when we moved from the Chicago area to where we are now. Snap.) Anyway, after making a couple of coasters I was able to make a swappable boot disc that worked in order to play the game. It was wonderful.
I was actually surprised at how well the system scaled into widescreen and the picture quality in general. I would even say that the composite cable connection gave a better and crisper picture on my big screen than the Wii. (They use the same type of connection. It shows you how backwards the Wii is being almost ten years younger.)
The next thing for the console is to make an arcade cabinet for it and get some arcade joysticks and buttons. I’ll probably even see if I can get MAME working. Instant arcade.
The next step is to get a VMU and possibly another controller. I feel like a kid again.
Ehergeiz says
Congrats Nat! I’m happy for you, enjoy it!
Brock says
Awesome stuff. I don’t know if I ever owned a brand new DC (actually, I think my first DC was a new one). I’ve amassed a small army of them over the years though, as I refuse to let a unit sit unbought if I go to a garage sale.
It’s a wonderful device with a wonderful library of games. Great job in snagging this.
Jason O says
So I’m pretty content that all the Dreamcast games I liked so much are available on current consoles, with one exception.
At the same time, the Dreamcast is the console that brought me back to console gaming. I completely missed everything after the SNES since I went complete PC gaming snob. In my opinion, even though I know it is outdated, the Dreamcast kind of exemplifies everything a modern console should be.
So I know I don’t need one but the thought of a NEW Dreamcast is tempting. Even the one I owned was purchased secondhand.
*sigh*
Brinstar says
It’s pretty sweet that you got that brand new!
I never had a Dreamcast, but I played it with friends. I could never get used to the controller, but they assured me that it’s comfortable once you use it for a while.
Enjoy the DC. 🙂
Tony says
I remember the year my cousin got his DC for Christmas. I was a PC-only gamer at the time, having hung up my N64 controller up for Age of Empires, but I recognize its place in console history.
I noticed the phone cable. Good luck playing multiplayer games with that!
Have fun.