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Emulation Guide #7 - Sega Dreamcast using the ReDream emulator

Launched in Japan in November 1998 the Sega Dreamcast is now held to be a console ahead of it's time, with GUI on the controller and a built in modem - as well as access to some of the best arcade ports of the time.

Ultimately a combination of supply chain weaknesses at launch and the looming shadow of the Playstation 2, that was released shortly after the Dreamcast, lead to a similar path to that of the Sega Saturn which ultimately led to the withdrawal of Sega from the home console market.

Although there are a number of emulation options for Dreamcast in my humble opinion the easiest to use, and the one most compatible with lower powered systems, is ReDream.  The setup process is a breeze and you don't even need a BIOS (although having one does add that additional little nostalgia hit we all crave).  The emulator has a stable release and, as used in my video guide, an experimental build that has a few "new" features that are being trialled.  Link to the website is below.

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ReDream website:  https://redream.io/

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Unlike some of our recent Sega Arcade board emulators ReDream is really simple, it is compatible with around 85% of the Dreamcast back catalogue (alas not Sega Rally 2 - it can't yet emulate the Windows CE based AM2 games).

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You will obviously need some games, and there is a link below to Internet Archive which has the majority of the Roms for the Dreamcast stored in their extensive vaults.  I can't vouch for all of the ROMS as I have not tested them all - but the Internet Archive generally provides a good source for ROMS. If you do have issues then consider having a look at my wider games hunting advice - https://www.beanzontech.com/emulation-games-hunting.  There is also a link for a BIOS file should you want it, but as I say it's not necessary.

 

Points to note:

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  • Redream will look for files automatically when first booted, if not you can add a directory for the emulator to search.

  • The emulator comes pre-configured for an X Box controller - so just select it under the inputs tab.  Otherwise it is easily configured for other controllers and keyboard if you are using an encoder in an Arcade cabinet.

  • Simply double click the box art in the Library section to start a game.

  • Games are exited by pressing the Esc key, this is also where you will find the Cheats and Hacks menu including the Widescreen hack.

  • The emulator is free to use - but does have a premium licence which allows for resolution up scaling and more save states.  It only cost $5 and you really should consider doing this, because it helps the developer and provides much improved visuals.

  • Any BIOS or licence is simply pasted into the main emulation folder (the same one that contains the redream.exe file) and the emulator will automatically detect them on start up.  Your BIOS must be named "boot.bin".

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As ever emulation is just that, emulation - there will be the occasional glitch, crash and non compatible game, that's just par for the course in this area of gaming.  But this is well worth having a look at.

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Hope you enjoy the video and show the Dreamcast some love!  Until the next one - Go Well!

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Archive.org links:

BIOS:

Roms: 

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