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I've been thinking about getting a DC for a while...and what could be the make or break point of my decision comes down to this question:

How do I play homebrew games like the ones on this site? Will I need a mod chip (I hope not...)? A boot disc? Some kind of wacky voodoo ritual?

I really want to try some of these games...but if my prospective DC won't play them, I probably won't buy one.

Come on...help a CAG out!

No mod chip is needed.

Some homebrews are distributed as self-booting images, some require a boot disc. You can either find a boot disc image (probably nero or discjuggler images) - the Utopia boot disc is free so there's no problem, or you could buy a gameshark / DC-x / whatever.

Well, I just got a DC I tried some homebrew games but they really sucked. There are instructions at that site for how to use them.

Okay...I shudder to ask this, knowing the site's very firm anti-piracy stance, but...

Say I wanted to download and burn a game that was never released in the States, like Shenmune II (I don't own an XBox, so that's not an option, by the way). Would I need a mod chip for real DC games, or would the same procedure work?

I actually plan on buying DC games if I get a console, especially since the titles are all dirt cheap. Still, there are some games I'd be willing to make an exception for...

Ha, I actually own the Euro version of Shenmue 2 for the Dreamcast, so there.

Of course commercial (original) games do not selfboot on different-region machines, so you'll need to use either the free boot disc or a gameshark-type one. As far as I remember most games, including S2, work with the Utopia boot disc.

You can download and play games from any country with no problem. I bought a Dreamcast about a year and a half ago because I found this interesting little fact out. You just have to know where to go to find the games. I have about 90 DC games, it was well worth the $25 i paid for it.

try this site too for ported dreamcast emulators like MAME, NESticle, etc.:

http://www.dcemulation.com

from what I understand, some of the latest model DC's cannot boot from CD-r. At least that's what I have read. The site above has a page explaining which model #'s do and do not work.

As far as homebrewed games go, I know some brands of CD-R's just dont work. Memorex can be problematic. TDK and RIdata seem to work well though.

Originally Posted by Gothic_Walrus Okay...I shudder to ask this, knowing the site's very firm anti-piracy stance, but... Say I wanted to download and burn a game that was never released in the States, like Shenmune II (I don't own an XBox, so that's not an option, by the way). Would I need a mod chip for real DC games, or would the same procedure work? I actually plan on buying DC games if I get a console, especially since the titles are all dirt cheap. Still, there are some games I'd be willing to make an exception for...

Heh...man, I saw that coming from a mile away when I saw the topic title asking about "homebrew" games. Nice way to ease into it, slick!

Originally Posted by starman9000 As far as homebrewed games go, I know some brands of CD-R's just dont work. Memorex can be problematic. TDK and RIdata seem to work well though.

Not specifically related to games, but out of hundreds of cd-r's I've burned [audio files, picture disks, etc], other than a few coasters on every brand I've tried, a Memorex cd-r was the only one I've had 'go bad' after a successful burn [it was an audio cd, and not a month after burning it started skipping.]

Can anypne tell me how to burn Sega Genisis games for a DC, i mainly just want the shining force 1 and 2 so can someone plz help me or if someone can do it for me ill pay money for a Sega Genisis Emulator thx

You should probably look for information on how to be a pirate on another site, eh Captain ??!!

I wont tell you how to get ROMs for use on the DC, but I will answer based upon the homebrew games, since they are legal. The best place to get all of your information is dchomebrew.com. Read through everything you need and download to get the disc to work on the system. You won't need a mod chip to run some of the games, but you will need a specific type of Dreamcast made before a specific date (it will tell you on the site which DC's will work).

For some homebrew games, you will need certian CD-burning software (usually Nero or Disc Juggler), or else the game won't work. Like I said, be sure to read the directions carefully before you get involved, and when you do, be sure to have plenty of CD-R's handy. I went through a few of them before I got a game to work.

On top of homebrew games, there are emulators. Most emulators do not run the games at full speed, with the exception of NesterDC. It's something neat to see, though, running classic NES games on the DC.

It's great that a site like DC Emulation still keeps the Dreamcast alive, even though if a good handful of the homebrew games are Tetris clones.