Dreamcast question - import titles
12-10-01, 03:14 PM
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Dreamcast question - import titles
I just received my UK copy of Shenmue II in the mail today. Unfortunately, I don't have a boot disc. I tried burning a copy of the Utopia Boot Disc, but it didn't work. I researched this topic, tried a bunch of different things, burned about 8 different copies of the disc, and still no luck. I ordered a DC-X from an online retailer, but it'll take a few days to get here. In the meantime, is there some sort of temporary "quick fix" that'll let me check out the game a bit? I think I read somewhere that you can boot up the Dreamcast web browser disc and then swap in an import game. Can anyone confirm this (or deny it), or offer another temporary solution? This is my first experience with importing games, so I'm a bit clueless. 
Thanks!
Thanks!
12-10-01, 04:02 PM
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IC_Freeze: don't have one, but thanks for the tip
cartman : I'd have to check the label (I'm not at home right now), but I bought a used one in early 2000, and I believe it was manufactured in late 1999.
BTW, I did a newsgroup search at Google and found a description of how to do the Browser swap thing...
I'm going to post it here because I'm fairly sure that playing import games is legal, but if I'm wrong, mods, just delete this part of my post:
"First off, you have to tape down the lid sensor for the Dreamcast.
Unscrew the top of the Dreamcast (one of the screws is behind the
modem), and if you look straight down on the unit, on the upper right
hand side there's a little black lever, plastic. You can push it back
when it's in its neutral position. Tape, or otherwise secure that lever
in the back position, the position it's in when the lid is closed on the
Dreamcast (the gear like thing on the right side of the lid pushes it
back when you close it).
Anyway, now that that's done, you can do the swap.
1) Put in the Original Browser disc you got with your Dreamcast, and
have a controller plugged into controller port B. When you turn on the
DC, hold down the X and B buttons (this clears the cmos see warning
below)on the controller in port B. Eventually, the Planetweb software
will load up, get past the Dreamcast Network splash screen, and get to
the screen that looks sorta like a web page without the images loaded.
Let off X+B and the screen will load, asking you if you want to use your
existing ISP or setup an AT&T Worldnet account.
At this point, turn off the DC.
2) Take out the Browser disc, and put in the new demo disc from the
Official Dreamcast Magazine (the one with MDK2, Sega Swirl, Chu Chu
Rocket, the new web browser, and others). Turn on the DC with the lid
open, and keeping the controller in Port B. When it starts up, you'll
get the date entry screen, and it'll let you put in the date and time,
and have the button that says "Select" on the screen. At this point, you
can either try to swap out the discs while the drive is going, or wait 3
minutes or so for the drive idle-out so you can switch discs without
worrying about the drive motor. I usually wait, I don't want to hurt the
motor.
3) When the drive finally stops, take out the Demo disc and put in TXR.
After you've got the disc in, hit Select on the screen. You should get
the Sega official license screen, and if you got that, it worked. Put
the controller in Port A and you're off.
Be forewarned though, the X+B trick in the beginning is the trick to
clear your CMOS in the Dreamcast, so you have to re-enter the date and
your ISP info, assuming you use your DC to surf the web."
I'll try this when I get home and post the results, in case anyone else might find the info useful.
cartman : I'd have to check the label (I'm not at home right now), but I bought a used one in early 2000, and I believe it was manufactured in late 1999.
BTW, I did a newsgroup search at Google and found a description of how to do the Browser swap thing...
I'm going to post it here because I'm fairly sure that playing import games is legal, but if I'm wrong, mods, just delete this part of my post:
"First off, you have to tape down the lid sensor for the Dreamcast.
Unscrew the top of the Dreamcast (one of the screws is behind the
modem), and if you look straight down on the unit, on the upper right
hand side there's a little black lever, plastic. You can push it back
when it's in its neutral position. Tape, or otherwise secure that lever
in the back position, the position it's in when the lid is closed on the
Dreamcast (the gear like thing on the right side of the lid pushes it
back when you close it).
Anyway, now that that's done, you can do the swap.
1) Put in the Original Browser disc you got with your Dreamcast, and
have a controller plugged into controller port B. When you turn on the
DC, hold down the X and B buttons (this clears the cmos see warning
below)on the controller in port B. Eventually, the Planetweb software
will load up, get past the Dreamcast Network splash screen, and get to
the screen that looks sorta like a web page without the images loaded.
Let off X+B and the screen will load, asking you if you want to use your
existing ISP or setup an AT&T Worldnet account.
At this point, turn off the DC.
2) Take out the Browser disc, and put in the new demo disc from the
Official Dreamcast Magazine (the one with MDK2, Sega Swirl, Chu Chu
Rocket, the new web browser, and others). Turn on the DC with the lid
open, and keeping the controller in Port B. When it starts up, you'll
get the date entry screen, and it'll let you put in the date and time,
and have the button that says "Select" on the screen. At this point, you
can either try to swap out the discs while the drive is going, or wait 3
minutes or so for the drive idle-out so you can switch discs without
worrying about the drive motor. I usually wait, I don't want to hurt the
motor.
3) When the drive finally stops, take out the Demo disc and put in TXR.
After you've got the disc in, hit Select on the screen. You should get
the Sega official license screen, and if you got that, it worked. Put
the controller in Port A and you're off.
Be forewarned though, the X+B trick in the beginning is the trick to
clear your CMOS in the Dreamcast, so you have to re-enter the date and
your ISP info, assuming you use your DC to surf the web."
I'll try this when I get home and post the results, in case anyone else might find the info useful.
12-12-01, 10:55 AM
#5
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Quick update:
If anyone wants to try this method, make sure you have the old version of the web browser disc. I bought my Dreamcast used, so I didn't get a browser disc with the system. I bought a used copy of the browser disc from GameStop ($0.79, heh), but it was version 2.0 and it didn't seem to have the "reset internal system data" feature that the original version supposedly has. Thus I couldn't really get this method to work.
Thankfully, my DC-X arrived yesterday and it works like a charm. If you don't want to bother with taking your Dreamcast apart (which is necessary for the disc swap trick) or burning boot discs, I'd recommend the DC-X. I got mine for $20, which seems to be somewhat cheaper than the GameShark.
Oh, and Shenmue II is pretty cool, but there's a separate thread for that.
If anyone wants to try this method, make sure you have the old version of the web browser disc. I bought my Dreamcast used, so I didn't get a browser disc with the system. I bought a used copy of the browser disc from GameStop ($0.79, heh), but it was version 2.0 and it didn't seem to have the "reset internal system data" feature that the original version supposedly has. Thus I couldn't really get this method to work.
Thankfully, my DC-X arrived yesterday and it works like a charm. If you don't want to bother with taking your Dreamcast apart (which is necessary for the disc swap trick) or burning boot discs, I'd recommend the DC-X. I got mine for $20, which seems to be somewhat cheaper than the GameShark.
Oh, and Shenmue II is pretty cool, but there's a separate thread for that.
