Dreamcast VGA workaround

[BaudAttitude]

Is this "retro" already? I thought it might annoy people in the General Gaming Forum.

Anyway, I have exactly two Dreamcast games that don't support the VGA box and thus the console gives me a snarky message when I try to boot them.

They are:

Bangai-O (NTSC U/C)
Idol Janshi wo Tsukucchaou (NTSC/J)

Is there any workaround to force them to load on a console hooked up via VGA, or am I out of luck here? I'm moderately handy with a soldering iron if that helps at all.

[steve_dynamic]

Use a boot disc.

[BaudAttitude]

Using an Interact "Game Shark CDX" boot disc produces the same snarky message from the console - anything special I need to know?

[Yakumo]

There is a disc that will force ANY game on ANY Dreamcast to run. I have a copy on CDR somewhere that I can upload to you. The disc will force S-Video, RGB, VGA, NTSC or PAL, 50 or 60htz. Also has a few nice screen tests for colour etc. However, just because it will force the game to run doesn't mean it will run perfectly. I tried to get my PAL Skies of Arcadia to run with it on VGA and S-Video on my Japanese Dreamcast. On the TV it was in colour but rolled like hell because the DC was still outputting a PAL signal which my TV (NTSC) couldn't take. On the VGA TFT screen it came out in black & white but was playable without of sync audio at times. I ended up just getting the US version in the end.

Yakumo

[On The Edge of Insanity]

If your VGA box also has an S-Video output you can boot the console through the S-Video and then switch over to VGA after the Dreamcast logo disappears.

[Pal88]

I used to have a boot disk called utopia and that sometimes helped to work, you can download it to cd from a site but i dont know where it is anymore

[Pavey]

Some non vga games do work from different regions. Skies for one (PAL no vga, US vga.) Last Blade/Gekka No Kenshi is another.

Maybe just rebuy the approriate region?

[Oh_Mutants]

There is a disc that will force ANY game on ANY Dreamcast to run. I have a copy on CDR somewhere that I can upload to you. The disc will force S-Video, RGB, VGA, NTSC or PAL, 50 or 60htz. Also has a few nice screen tests for colour etc. However, just because it will force the game to run doesn't mean it will run perfectly. I tried to get my PAL Skies of Arcadia to run with it on VGA and S-Video on my Japanese Dreamcast. On the TV it was in colour but rolled like hell because the DC was still outputting a PAL signal which my TV (NTSC) couldn't take. On the VGA TFT screen it came out in black & white but was playable without of sync audio at times. I ended up just getting the US version in the end.

Yakumo

I'd be interseted in this myself actually, if you're upping it somewhere

[yesteryeargames]

i cant get cannon spike uk pal to work via vga

is there a method around this game

[Yakumo]

I'd be interseted in this myself actually, if you're upping it somewhere

Will do when I find it. I bet if you looked hard enough on the net you could find an image. It's a European (Probably British) made software.

Yakumo

[LaParka]

Is there a list of games that won't work through VGA. I couldn't get Giga Wing to work using DC-X

[Neil]

Couldn't get Incoming (ntsc-J) to work either using DC-X.

[MikeRox]

Blaze DC-X? Think thats what it is.

Was a commercially released Multi Region Boot Disc that lets you fiddle about with everything. It's not 100% successful, games such as the PAL Deadly Skies and Skies of Arcadia (something to do with the word skies?) cannot be booted in 60hz OR VGA at all, they just screw up.

For about 80% of titles it will let you run them in non native modes though, such as PAL Toy Commander will run in 60hz even though the game doesn't officially support it. Tokyo Highway Challenge, Tee Off also work in VGA with it etc. Very very useful disc. I'm guessing what Yakumo is uploading is an image of this.

[Strider]

interested in picking up one of these bad boys. Just ran the dreamcast through my 50inch toshiba and the picture is incredibly sharp. Sadly though, my Pal Bangaioh and Gunbird 2 don't work
I'm hoping this disc will solve my problems.