PAL Dreamcast - which games are 50hz only/ have no VGA support?

[ZipZap]

It does?! The Gameshark allows forced 60Hz booting?

Thank you!

I will be trying this!

Actually, just thinking about this, I've used the CDX for years to boot imports, however, I've also generally used VGA where 50hz isn't a problem. Doing a quick Google suggests results may be a little mixed when it comes to 60hz, but could still be worth trying. I'm also pretty sure in many cases you can patch images to run at 60hz, I think this is essentially all the GD Emu/MODE are doing on boot.

[Sketcz]

Well, I went and tried the following
* Action Replay Demo
* Code Breaker
* DC Import Enabler
* GameShark 3.3

The AR is supposed to allow NTSC booting by holding Y, but I think this was removed from the demo. No good.

Code Breaker wouldn't work with the ODE (it wanted to verify the disc first).
Code Breaker does in fact work, and it boots in the correct speed. Problem solved!

Import Enabler allowed imports, but had no options for NTSC or 60hz, and no button combinations seemed to make it work.

GameShark 3.3 did allow forced booting in NTSC mode! I got the orange swirl and everything!

But all the problematic games would load with a huge black border at the top of the screen, taking up roughly 40%. Meaning the bottom half of the game screen was cut off. So this is absolutely useless.

Frankly I am confused. It's an American ****ing game. I am booting it in NTSC, which is what America uses. Over RGB SCART to a TV that can handle 60Hz and NTSC signals. How and why it's not working is just bizarre. I had no idea the Dreamcast was such a trainwrecked cluster**** when it came to this stuff. My Xbox boots literally everything in 60Hz, and my PAL PS2 boots every NTSC game in 60Hz.

So I am at a loss. I still cannot find DC-X, and no one on the Dreamcast Talk forums knows where it is.

Meaning I'm now left with the option of doing the Mmmonkey mod, and hoping that it actually works properly, and doesn't just cut off 40% of the upper screen.

Or I need to sell this crap and buy another Dreamcast, this time a proper NTSC model.

FML. I might actually hate this console.

Does anybody have any idea how to force 60Hz on Japanese and American games? Please, don't force me to buy another system.

[ZipZap]

I'm not sure what we're allowed to link to, but there's a tool called PAL Patcher which can be used to force some games to 60hz which you should be able to find with a quick search. There also appears to be separate patches out there for some games. Also (you may know this, but as it's one of the games you mentioned), the PAL version of Daytona has a 60hz mode.

I'm not sure if the problem you're having is somehow connected to your ODE. I've have something like 50+ NTSC DC games and I've been using CDX to boot them without any issues for years.

[Sketcz]

a tool called PAL Patcher

I'm not sure if the problem you're having is somehow connected to your ODE. I've have something like 50+ NTSC DC games and I've been using CDX to boot them without any issues for years.

Thanks! Had a look and found 3 patching programs. I'm going to fiddle around and see what happens. Not sure I want to patch everything, but maybe for a few games it will help.

As for the ODE, I've had confirmation the GDEMU forces everything to run in 60Hz. I'm using USB-GD though. I made a big mistake with this. Should have gone with GDEMU.

https://www.reddit.com/r/dreamcast/comments/9ruwq0/gdemu_pal_dreamcast_will_my_games_run_in_60hz/

Back in the day, when I booted my store bought copy of Ikaruga using an import disc, it definitely loaded with borders and 50Hz. So I knew it was a thing. But I never realised how extensive it was.

However, I also had an NTSC store bought copy of Grandia II. And I could have sworn it booted just fine, in 60Hz, on my PAL console, using the Action Replay demo. But I can't be sure. This was 20 years ago, so I could be mistaken.

So now you've got me wondering. Is this related to the ODE?

Do you have Grandia II, the NTSC version?

---
EDIT:
Tried both PAL_Patcher_0.92 and adr-dcfp, but neither helped. Currently running my XP rig offline to get dc_pal2ntsc_v1.2 working, since it's not functional under current WinOS. But I am doubtful.

Next step: modding the DC itself.

I swear, I will play Armada in 60Hz even if I have to emigrate to the USA. There has to be a way. There has to!

[KIT786]

This doesn't really help, but this nfo file (didn't know angelfire hosting was still running!) suggests that the DC-X was ripped and so should be out there somewhere to download

[Sketcz]

I finally found a solution. Code Breaker for Dreamcast. It's a small file, easy to find through Googling, and as long as you queue the game images correctly in USB-GD, it will boot difficult games in 60Hz.

I tested Grandia II and Armada last night, both booted into 60Hz flawlessly. I'm going to test the rest today (Sega Rally 2 is infamous for not booting right, so curious to see). If you have requests let me know.

The weird thing is, while other bootloaders like Action Replay and Gameshark boot into the swirly DC logo, Code Breaker goes straight into the game. I wonder if that's why it works?

https://segaretro.org/Code_Breaker_(Dreamcast)

I previously thought it didn't work, because I always open the lid to disc swap right away, and this wants you to do it only when instructed, so when I tested it previously, it messed up. Lifting the lid when directed though results in a smooth boot at the correct speed.

[nakamura]

My god Dreamcast is the worst console ever for video modes!

[Sketcz]

My god Dreamcast is the worst console ever for video modes!

Indeed. It's a funny console from a funny transitional period in the industry. I do prefer the simplicity of the PS2 and Xbox. (GameCube is another weird one - the US Cube is incapable outputting RGB at all.)

When you think about it, the PS2 has more good games for it, than the Dreamcast had actual games.

[tokyochojin]

Possibly Jimmy White's snooker? It's a game I've never been able to force boot with the VGA.

[paulus]

Is there any way of cheating Bangi O into VGA mode via a GDemu?

[ZipZap]

Is there any way of cheating Bangi O into VGA mode via a GDemu?

I don't think so. It's one of the few games that outputs at 240p and those can't usually be forced into VGA.

[Sketcz]

Is there any way of cheating Bangi O into VGA mode via a GDemu?

I have a vague recollection reading someone say they had a VGA adapter thing with a switch to change outputs, or something, and they'd boot Bangai-O normally and then flick the switch to VGA and it would display.

Is this a thing? Because I can't recall.

Have you tried Code Breaker? I even managed to get Rent-a-Hero #1 to boot correctly with that, and it's notorious for refusing to output on a PAL system. Though this was over RGB SCART to a CRT. I don't actually know if Code Breaker forces games to boot in VGA. But the CDI is easily found if you want to test it.

[ZipZap]

I have a vague recollection reading someone say they had a VGA adapter thing with a switch to change outputs, or something, and they'd boot Bangai-O normally and then flick the switch to VGA and it would display.

Is this a thing? Because I can't recall.

That's the standard way to boot a disc game in VGA which doesn't natively support it and has a pretty good success rate, but it usually only works with 480i content.

If you're using GDI/CDI images, you can add VGA support just by changing a few values in a hex editor (I presume this is what GDEmu does on the fly), but that will only force the DC to boot the game without a warning, if there is a technical reason the game won't run, it's will still have issues.

I think Bangai-O is pretty much the holy grail of unpatched games, virtually everything else that anyone is likely to want to play either supports it out of the box, or can now be patched (Gunbird II and possibly Hydrothunder also have some issues).

[Sketcz]

Interesting.

I was looking through some patching programs and found that someone had made one specifically for Coasterworks to run over RGB (it can't, natively).

A little surprised Bangai-O hasn't been done yet.

[ZipZap]

Interesting.

I was looking through some patching programs and found that someone had made one specifically for Coasterworks to run over RGB (it can't, natively).

A little surprised Bangai-O hasn't been done yet.

Like I mentioned previously, it outputs 240p which I think may be the issue. The game will start up when patched, but the display is messed up. I presume it's to do with the way it was coded and so isn't something you can patch just by changing a few values.