Topic: Dreamcast Games on the Virtual Console

Do you think it would be possible now that Nintendo has fixed the storage problem? I mean we can now use SD cards up to 32GB. So I think it's possible, right? I'd love to play Sonic Adventure 1&2 and maybe even Soul Calibur or Space Channel 5! Also, what about Sega CD or Saturn?

1. Everyone seems to think that fixing the SD Card issue changes the amount of space available. Allow me to disabuse you of that notion. Games are limited by the internal memory of the Wii. That's a maximum of 512MB. Realistically, you have 300MB or so usable. A GD-ROM disc can be over a gigabyte in size. There's no way it can fit on the Wii.

2. The Dreamcast was a very powerful system. I realize that it seems like it's from so long ago, but it actually competed against the PS2, GCN, and XBox. I doubt there's a game console in existence that could emulate the Dreamcast well enough to be playable. Even emulating the Dreamcast (and PS2) on modern computers is iffy business. The GCN can be filed under "fugget-bout-it"

3. The problem with the Sega Saturn is that its hardware was extremely complex. It had so many chips on board that emulating it in real time is a feat I have not yet seen accomplished. It shared several design similarities with the Atari Jaguar, which you may notice has also not been very well emulated.

I don't know how well the emulation is, but on Gametap they do have a few Sega Saturn games emulated to download. I think they are Bug, Bug 2, and Panzer Dragoon.

Yes and maybe we'll try CRYSIS next.

No offense, but couldn't you just buy an original Dreamcast & games rather than waiting at least 10 years for them to come on the VC?

@mark
Buying a system, controllers, memory packs, and games isn't exactly cheap.

It would be great, but DC on wii does not look likely to me, maybe a few basic Saturn games, but I doubt we will see the more complex games from it, the only CD console I see being a possibility is the Mega CD add on, which was a much earlier system with simpler smaller games, as much as I would like to see it I doubt DC or even Saturn for that matter will happen, same with certain arcade boards, I would be very surprised if Sega Model 2 & 3 board games where released, in fact I doubt it will happen, I think VC wont see much beyond Model 1 and equivalent, would be great if some 3D orientated arcades where added, but I'm really sceptical about that to be honest.

If not on the VC, hopefully Sega will continue to issue ports/updates of the best Dreamcast games. I for one would be very interested in a new Space Channel 5 game, but I'm certainly not going to buy a Dreamcast to play it; there are probably many others I have no clue even exist (I was a committed Playstation owner in a previous life).

I just want to play Radiant Silvergun (DC) and Symphony of the Night (Saturn) on my Wii. If those came out in some form, whether emulated or ported, the Wii would be almost perfect... except for the jarring absence of any Earthbound/Mother games, of course. Grumble, grumble.

Adam - Radiant Silvergun was on the Saturn, not the DC. Its sort-of-sequel, Ikaruga, was released on the Dreamcast, though - but then it was also released on the GameCube so if you mean that then it's quite playable on the Wii.

I can't see Dreamcast happening on the VC but I'd love Sega to release a pack with Shenmue 1 & 2 on it for the Wii. It'd convert to the Wii nicely and I reckon it'd play great with a Wii-mote and nunchuck. That and Jet Set Radio too.

Ah, you're right. Then scratch that, I don't care about the Dreamcast at all.
I have Ikaruga already; I meant Radiant Silvergun, just forgot what system it was on.

That fact that DC games are 1GB in size, no you won't be seeing DC games to Download on the Wii. Though Sega sometime in the future could do a SEGA-AGES DreamCast series for the Wii on discs, you never know...

I'm assuming the comment on Sega Saturn not being emulatable in realtime is based on the specs of the Wii, and not PC....PCs have been able to 60fps emulate (almost perfectly) Saturn for years now, even garden-variety no-3D card PCs.

I don't think that could ever happen. Hell, the Wii is only really slightly more powerful than the DC if you think about it. The Dreamcast might have been more powerful than the Gamecube, and Wii isn't much more powerful than the Gamecube, so it probably won't ever happen.

Hmm... no... the GCN was Superoir in Spec than the Dreamcast...

DreamCast:

• Processor: 200 MHz SH-4
• RAM: 26 MB Total (16 main, 8 video, 4 Audio)

GameCube:

• Processor: 485 MHz IBM "Gekko"
• RAM: 43 MB Total (24 Main, 3 video, 16 Drive buffer)

As for the Wii, it's almost double the GCN...
Wii

• Processor: 729 MHz Broadway Chip
• Ram: 88 MB Total (64 Main, 24 Video)

The Wii is fully capable of playing DreamCast games under the right emulation, however it won't be through VC though, each game was roughly a Gigabyte in size, even if you could install it onto SD card, it still wouldn't fit on the 512MB internal flash since games have to be sent to it temporarly.

Quoted for emphasis.

From pure hardware point, Dreamcast emulation would be possible. First Dreamcast emulators on PC ran fine on 800 MHZ Pentium, and were hardly optimized in a way that SEGA could optimize their own effort. But storing games would be nigh-impossible to Wiis 512 MB storage, even with compression.

Ideally it'd be great if Sega just released a retro CD channel so you could play old Sega disc based games on the Wii by just inserting the disc. Not sure if there'd by much money to be made with that but would be a nice reward for their old loyal fans.

We all know it won't come out this generation, but with Nintendo next video game console (Which should match it's competitors), they'll easily emulate the Dreamcast, so it would be crazy not to add Sega Saturn support. The N64 had horrible third-party support, luckily Sega was much better off.

I agree, I mean it seems a lot of you guys seem to forget that Sega has already released DC games for wii. In the form of ports and new franchise games we have Samba De Amigo, House of the Dead 1+2, and a Bass Fishing game ( can't recall title). So this isn't too big of a deal as longas you care about playing favorite DC games and not downloading them.