6 replies to this topic

[Shibathedog]

How To Make Non-VGA Dreamcast Games Play on VGA



Ever buy/download a game for Dreamcast and you said, "hey, this game would look sweet on VGA!" but it didn't? Bought a game that SAID it worked on VGA, and didn't? (Evil Dead: Hail To The King is one example) Ever just wanted to play everything on VGA, just because VGA rules so damn much?

NOW YOU CAN!!!! can can can can....*lame echo*

Its very easy to do. First off, its a lot easier if you have a VMU with dead batteries (you can just take them out if you want, you wont lose any data) and then practice with the VMU, and then once you know the timing right, put the batteries back in.

What you do is this, If you have a VGA BOX switch it to TV mode (no TV needs to be hooked up, but make sure its plugged into your Dreamcast and VGA monitor correctly), if you have a VGA CORD plug one end into the VGA monitor, and UNPLUG the other end from the DC.

Put in your Non-VGA game and turn on your DC. If you have a VMU in, Wait until it beeps, after it beeps, if you have a VGA BOX switch it to VGA mode, if you have a VGA CORD, plug it back into the back of your DC.

Your Monitor might say something like "Out Of Scan Range" after awhile but just wait and it should work.

This has worked on every game I've tested it on, so happy VGA gaming!

HOW IT WORKS: When the DC first turns on, it checks everything that's plugged into it, Keyboards, controllers, rumble packs, VGA boxes, etc. When the DC detects everything, it will detect a VMU with dead batteries and make it beep, which is the last detection process in the sequence, so after this its done detecting and starts booting. So pretty much, you have the DC detecting a regular TV input and not a VGA box, so it memorizes that there is a VGA box plugged in, and then the game tells it to boot or not depending on compatibility. So what we do, is after it says, ok theres a regular TV output plugged in, we switch it back to VGA, your monitor gets a bad signal. Then when it says, "This game is produced by or under license from sega..." it resets the video mode, why? because its adjusting the color levels/resolution. Then your monitor tunes to it and plays whatever the DC gives it, or something like that, not thinking too clearly right now hehe, but guess what? The DC never bothered to recognize the VGA box again so your game boots on VGA.

Have fun!

[Cominus]

I Need to try that one day, when ever i get enough "momentum" or whatever to hook up my vga to my monitor, too many wires and stuff. It'd be easier if i just took my monitor to another room but im too lazy to do that too(lol) How do you get the sound to work? I didnt understand the hook up to get the sound working, do i need head phone or what?

[Shibathedog]

well i just use PC speakers, but yeah, its a standard headphone jack, but radioshack sells adaptors to the other types of input which i also use

Make sure your switching the switch AFTER ITS DONE beeping (forgot to add that)

and HOOK IT UP TO VGA

Its almost HDTV, and its hella cheaper

[samoht]

I've tried this. It does not work for kof dreammatch99, or evolution. Bangio gets stuck at the freq setup screen.

I gave up after the 52nd try.

[Shibathedog]

hmm, make sure to wait untill AFTER the VMU is done beeping

also, ive found that some games are weird with this trick

Some just do NOT have the right color pallete for the monitor, and its either the monitors fault, or the games

For instance, If you get Quake for DC (im talking Quake 1 port) and patch it so it IS VGA enabled, it wont work on VGA, if you use the trick, it still doesnt work, you just dont get the error message

its worked on all the non burned/non import games i have though

[samoht]

I've waited for the beep, then switched over to vga. Still nothing. But I think it may be my timing though. Perhaps I'm either doin it too fast or too slow.

P.S. I'm with you on the Dreamcast's demise. It was way too premature. Some of those old games are better than a few ps2, xbox, & gamecube games!

[Shibathedog]

yeah, i play more DC than any other system, i just wish that certain people would realize that just because its old doesnt mean it sucks...stupid n00b gamers...I cant stand when stupid 11 year olds walk into the Gamestop and proclare to the entire store how much everything sucks compared to Xbox/PS2/gamecube because its old and crappy and other stupid reasoning that doesnt justify anything...In fact my second favorite system is probably the NES, NES ruled, i play that alot too