One of the Dreamcast’s most unique features was its Visual Memory Unit (VMU). The VMU plugged into the Dreamcast controller to serve as a memory card, but it also had a tiny monochrome display that was used as a second screen in some games. Though he didn’t use a VMU, modder Fibbef was able to modify a Dreamcast controller to give it a primary screen right where the memory card should be.
Fibbef placed a 3.5″ LCD display and two small speakers in one of the controller’s VMU slots. He made a breakout box to send video and audio from the Dreamcast to the display and speakers via USB. The breakout box also connects the console to a TV, and Fibbef can disconnect the controller from the box and use it as a normal gamepad.
This strange looking box is capable of something no other device ever built is – it can play the original cartridges, ROMs and discs from 18 different retro gaming systems.
The beastly Project Unity system was built by modder Bacteria, and it took him over 3500 hours and three years to assemble. Inside, it contains original circuitry from 15 classic systems, but works with a single master controller, a single power supply, and a single (SCART) video output connector. All tolled, it cost Bacteria about £700 (~$1076 USD) in parts to build, but its really his time and labor that represents the majority of the cost.
Inside the system is approximately 100 feet of cabling, and the whole thing weighs in around 44 lbs. The system has physical hardware from an Atari 7800, Sega Master System, Sega MegaDrive (Genesis), Super Nintendo, Nintendo NES, Nintendo 64, NeoGeo MVS, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo Gamecube, NEC TurboGrafx X, Colecovision, Intellivision, Sony Playstation 2, and Amstrad GX1000 consoles. He says it can actually play games from 18 total systems, including PS1 games on the PS2, Atari 2600 games on the 7800 and GBA games on the GameCube.
In order for all of the games to work with a single controller, he built a series of special NES cartridges which plug into the controller, providing system specific interfaces for the single mega-controller.
Bacteria explains the build and how Project Unity came together and how it works in the extensive video below. The system and controller demo starts around 9:30.
You could play all of these consoles using MESS or other emulators, there’s something to be said about using the original hardware to play games without the quirks that most emulators exhibit.
If you’re wondering about the big nondescript square box it’s all set inside of, Bacteria says he built it that way so it would all fit neatly into the cabinet under his TV. While it may not be the prettiest looking console I’ve ever seen, you’ve got to hand it to Bacteria for his persistence and technical abilities.
I’m more of a vintage Nintendo fan myself, but I understand that many gamers have a special place in their hearts for the SEGA Dreamcast. And for those who still play it, you can now get a SEGA Dreamcast controller backpack to help you carry it around.
This cool backpack is being launched as a part of SEGA’s new brand, “SegaKawaii,” line. In English that means “SEGA Cute” and this is a pretty darn cute way to kick things off, especially if you are a fan of the console.
The Dreamcast controller backpack will set you back ¥13,860 (~$146 USD) and goes on sale April 25 in Japan. The backpack will join other SEGAKawaii items that you can buy, like a Dreamcast t-shirt and a Genesis tank top. If you love the console, don’t miss out on this one.
It’s not “thinking” like the commercials say, but this Dreamcast wristwatch is totally boss looking.
Popularity for the Dreamcast never seems to wane even 11 years after the console met its untimely demise, and with a wealth of memorable games both unique and innovative – Shenmue, Jet Set Radio, and Chu ... Continue Reading on Walyou
"I don't care about the specs, I want one." That Neogaf user's comment likely sums up how other retro-gaming aficionados will feel about a new notebook PC from Japanese PC retailer Enterbrain, built in conjunction with Sega. The model sports covers themed in three of the classic consoles, namely Mega Drive, Saturn and Dreamcast, along with a generic Sega-branded model. We do care a little about the specs ourselves, so you'll get a 64-bit version of Windows 8, 15.6-inch 1,920 x 1,080 screen, Intel Pentium 2020M processor, 4GB of RAM and 500GB of HDD storage, as a minimum configuration. That'll start at a whopping ¥99,750 ($1,100) when it arrives in June, provided you live in Japan -- but if so, all you'd need to go with it for a full '90s game blast would be a cartridge adapter like this one.
Shenmue is one of the cult classics from the Sega Dreamcast. Before Claude and the 3D streets of Liberty City, there was Ryo Hazaki and Yokosuka. Pay homage to the perpetually sidetracked protagonist with this officially licensed hoodie, made to look like Hazuki’s bomber jacket.
Wear it while playing pachinko, racing ducks and catching leaves. And avenging your dad’s death, if you ever get around to it.
Insert Coin is selling the Hazuki Tiger hoodie for £35 (~$55 USD).
Most gamer who want to play with more than one or two vintage console platforms often turn to software-based emulators that may or may not be above-board. How about stuffing all of the authentic hardware into one controller and one base unit? Modders at Bacteria's forums have developed Project Unity, an attempt to natively address 20 consoles across 17 actual platforms folded into a single device. The gamepad, arguably the centerpiece, includes two each of analog sticks and directional pads, along with multiple shoulder buttons and a central button grid that can either be used to steer an Intellivision or fill in for otherwise missing controls. Stuffing the unique controller hardware into one gamepad obviously presents problems with board sizes and the laws of physics, so much of the relevant circuitry sits in modified NES cartridges. Our only dismays are the lack of original Xbox support and the slightly imposing challenge of aggregating and modifying that much classic gaming componentry in one place -- if you're more concerned about convenience in your retro gaming than preserving the original feel of that Sega Master System or SNK NeoGeo, though, you've just found Utopia.
