DreamPi

Dreamcast classic F355 Challenge’s online time trial rankings and ghost data sharing features restored

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Another Dreamcast classic returns online. F355 Challenge (2000), the Ferarri focused arcade racer by the great Yu Suzuki that is otherwise unrelated to OutRun, has it’s own website restored, re-enabling all the online features of the Dreamcast game. The website can be accessed straight from the game’s disc when running on a Dreamcast connected to the internet, as well as through a network-enabled Dreamcast emulator. This comes thanks to developer Flyinghead.

F355 Challenge did not actually have an online multiplayer mode, however. Its online features were limited to allowing for the upload and download of time trial rankings and car ghost data, as well as an exclusive Ferrari movie that could be viewed on the website. DreamPi and Broadband adaptor users will be automatically directed to the site when trying to access it from within the game now.

Zoom in past the break for a bit more technical info to get you started.

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Daytona USA 2001 online multiplayer restored thanks to Dreamcast Live

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Another Dreamcast game has had it’s online multiplayer mode reinstated thanks to Dreamcast Live. Daytona USA 2001 (Known in North America as simply Daytona USA) is now back online through the Dreamcast Live service, thanks to the efforts of a new member of their team called Ioncannon. This makes Daytona USA the 25th Dreamcast game supported on Dreamcast Live. (26th if you count the all new game Driving Strikers, from my last article.) This is fantastic news for fans of the game, especially considering the game had a few unlockable cars only attainable by playing online.

Take a rolling start past the break for more info.

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First brand new online Dreamcast game in 2 decades, Driving Strikers, now available for purchase

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How’s this for an impressive new leap in Dreamcast indie game development? All new Dreamcast car soccer game (Think Rocket League, but played from an overhead camera perspective), Driving Strikers, is now finally available to purchase as both a physical game package and as a digital download from WAVE Game Studios. Built around the modern Dreamcast online infrastructure Dreamcast Live, which I have detailed in an earlier article, Driving Strikers can be played online through that service either with an original modem adaptor and DreamPi or an official Dreamcast broadband adapter. To celebrate the occasion, WAVE Game Studios is currently selling the game at a discounted price of £19.99 ($25.66 USD as of this writing). 

Some of you may even remember Driving Strikers as the one Dreamcast game from the recent Homebrew Games Summer Showcase. Looks like it made it in after all.

For more info, break in after the check.

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Unreleased Dreamcast game Dee Dee Planet online features finally running unofficially

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Dee Dee Planet cover art

The unreleased Sega Dreamcast game Dee Dee Planet has now had it’s online servers finally brought to life thanks to the efforts of the fan-run Dreamcast Live online service. Due to the game having been cancelled, it’s online multiplayer has never once been playable by the public until now. If you want to try it for yourself, you can download a version of Dee Dee Planet that’s been patched for Dreamcast Live functionality from Dreamcast Live’s downloads page. One of Dreamcast Live’s founders, and prominent Dreamcast superfan and preservationist, pcwzrd13, had previously gotten a hold of a nearly complete build of Dee Dee Planet last year, and now Dreamcast Live user Shuouma had been able to create server code for Dee Dee Planet using the server code from Chu Chu Rocket, one of the games previously brought back online through Dreamcast Live, as Dee Dee Planet was designed to use a very similar online server setup already.

Chances are many of you have no idea what Dee Dee Planet is, so check past the break for a brief history of both Dee Dee Planet and Dreamcast Live.

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