Start your Sega Dreamcast collection for under $100!

Being the nerd that I am, I was skimming through the internet checking out Sega Dreamcast games, videos, and pictures when I came to a stark realization! There are too many people out there who don’t know, have never known, or have never tried to know the wonders of the Sega Dreamcast. As a launch-day owner of the Dreamcast (yes, I still own the one that I bought on that marvelous day of September in 1999), I feel a sense of responsibility to share with you the marvels of owning a Dreamcast!

 

While the Dreamcast may have only been around for about 2 years, its legacy lives on today. It broke all sorts of sales records on September 9th, 1999 (that’s an easy-to-remember 9/9/99, in case you didn’t notice), so finding a Dreamcast today isn’t terribly difficult. Finding the right games, however, might pose more of a challenge. So here at The Bacon, I will help you build a Sega Dreamcast Starter Kit!

Owning a Sega Dreamcast really is not out of your reach, and in fact, you can get one for a lot less than you might think! We’ll set a budget of $100!

Single Player Starter Kit

Multiplayer Starter Kit

Got Extra Cash? Add these items to any starter kit?

Penny Pincher’s Starter Kit

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Single Player Starter Kit

What to buy?

• 1 Sega Dreamcast – $30 – $50 – Amazon, eBay, LukieGames, JJ Games
• 1 VMU – $3-$8 – Amazon, eBay, LukieGames, JJ Games
• 4 games – $40 max

 

What we’re attempting to do here is start at the bottom-end for your Dreamcast collection. You definitely want to start with a Dreamcast system, which can range from $30 to over $70, but I personally believe there is no reason to pay more than $45 for a working Dreamcast system with 1 controller, A/V cable, and power plug. You can find plenty of systems around town, finding the games is the hard part.

In addition to your gaming system itself, you will want a VMU. These VMUs plug into the Dreamcast controllers themselves and are a necessary function for saving games. Now, your VMU doesn’t power itself through the controller, so you’ll need to make sure the one you are buying has a working battery. IF NOT, that’s okay. You just won’t be able to test it before you buy it, but replacing a VMU battery is simple, cheap, and easy. All you will need are two small watch-batteries, specifically the CR-2032 lithium batteries. Good thing they typically come in packs of two!

What good is a gaming system without games?? Below I have compiled a list of the best single-player Dreamcast games for $10 or under. Some games might also feature multiplayer, but these particular games feature astounding single-player modes. Depending on where you shop, you might pay a few dollars less or more than what I have listed. But these prices tend to stay around the same based on my professional experience.

Pick 4 of these games.

Keep in mind, for these low costs you will likely be buying the disc only and probably not the case or manual.

• Phantasy Star Online (RPG) — $10  — eBay

• Jet Grind Radio (Action) — $10 — eBay
• Ecco the Dolphin (Action/Adventure) — $7 — eBay, Amazon
• Crazy Taxi (Racing, Arcade) — $5 — Amazon, eStarland
• Resident Evil Code: Veronica (Survival / Horror) — $8 — eBay, Amazon

• Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (Action/Adventure) — $9 — eBay
• Toy Commander (Action) — $10 — Amazon, eBay
• Sega Rally Championship 2 (racing) — $4 — Amazon
• Alien Front Online (Action) — $8 — eBay
• Virtua Tennis (Sports) —  $5 — Amazon
• Sonic Adventure (Platformer / Action) — $10 — Thrift stores & used game stores for cheapest price. Or Amazon

Finding Dreamcast games in stores and thrift shops is becoming more and more challenging. People are learning of the fun and rarity of these games! So don’t be afraid to shop around online. I, personally, have had excellent results with Amazon, but they sometimes don’t have the rarer (or lesser known) games I want, and in that case I go to eBay. The $3.99 shipping and handling charge on Amazon will always skew the price a bit, but if you factor that into the $40 game max price for 4 games, we will actually be spending a max of $56. But it is unlikely that all 4 of your games will cost an even $10, so we’ll do a little give and take on the final value and round it to $44.

So, let’s round up the single player Dreamcast Starter Kit. You got a Dreamcast with controller for $45 at the flea market ($50 online), you found a VMU without a working battery for $7 on Amazon, you bought 2 batteries for your VMU at Wal-Mart for $4, and you got 4 games on Amazon with s/h for $39! Your Dreamcast collection is on its way to awesomeness!

 Single Player Starter Kit Estimated Cost: $100! For exactly $100 you are the proud owner of one Nerd Bacon approved badass Dreamcast Starter Kit!

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Multiplayer Starter Kit

What to buy?

• 1 Sega Dreamcast – $30 – $50 – Amazon, eBay, LukieGames, JJ Games
• 1 VMU – $3-$8 – Amazon, eBay, LukieGames, JJ Games
• 1 Official Sega Controller – $10
• 3 games – $30 max

 

Maybe you really don’t play games by yourself and you prefer to be playing with a friend. What you’ll want to do is get the gaming system, the VMU, an additional controller, and some different games that are centered more around two to four players instead of just one. So, I only want you to pick 3 of the games below (instead of 4) because we spent about $10 on a controller and we want to stick to our $100 budget.

 Pick 3 of these games.

• Soul Calibur (Fighting) — $9 — eStarland, JJ Games, eBay
• Armada (RPG Shooter) — $10 — Amazon, eBay
• ChuChu Rocket (Puzzle) — $7 — Amazon, eStarland
• Toy Commander (Action) — $10 — Amazon, eBay

• Virtua Fighter 3tb (Fighting) — $6 — Amazon, eBay
• Sega Rally Championship 2 (racing) — $4 — Amazon
• Alien Front Online (Action) — $8 — eBay

• Wetrix+ (Puzzle) — $7 — eBay
• Plasma Sword (Fighter) — $10 — eBay

There are plenty of other great games out there, but the 16 games I have listed above are universally praised across the internet as being some of the best games on the Dreamcast. While not all of these games are THE best, these are definitely the best games you can get for $10 or less. Don’t be afraid to mix and match some multiplayer and single player games!

So, let’s round up the multiplayer Dreamcast Starter Kit. You got a Dreamcast with controller for $45 at the flea market ($50 online), you found a VMU without a working battery for $7 on Amazon, you bought 2 batteries for your VMU at Wal-Mart for $4, you got 1 controller from Amazon for $10, and you got 3 games on eBay with s/h for $34! Your Dreamcast collection is on its way!

Multiplayer Starter Kit Estimated Cost: $100! For right at $100 you are the proud owner of one Nerd Bacon approved badass Dreamcast Starter Kit!

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Got $20 Extra Bucks Burning a Hole in Your Pocket?

Hey, so maybe you got a couple extra bucks and you’re looking for some cool Dreamcast accessories. Mix and Match the items below until you’ve hit your $20 mark.

What to buy?

• Sega Dreamcast Jump Pack – Take action and realism to the next level with this vibration jump pack. It slides right into your controller! Only $5!
• Sega Dreamcast Extension Cord – Add 6 more feet between your Dreamcast and your favorite seat in the house for only $5!
• House of the Dead 2 (Shooter) — $5 — Amazon*
• Marvel vs. Capcom (Fighter) — $20 — Amazon
• Sega Light Gun accessory — $15 — eBay*

• Sega Dreamcast Controller — $10 — eBay
• Sega Bass Fishing (Sports) — $4 — Amazon
• Sega Fishing Controller — $10 — eBay

 

There you have it folks. The sky is the limit. There are dozens of other games out there for bargain prices. Finding these games is the toughest part, as people don’t seem to be parting with too many of the good ones. If you find one at a yard sale, I’d buy it if I were you.

*House of the Dead 2 requires the use of the Sega Light Gun for optimal gameplay. For $20, you can buy both.

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Strapped for cash and looking to spend as little as possible?

If you’re strapped for cash and you want to save a couple bucks, then patience is your best bet. Find your local used game spot (likely a flea market) and scour Craigslist. You might find yourself doing a lot of driving, but you’ll be able to haggle prices this way. Odds are, you can find someone selling a Dreamcast lot for roughly $70 with the system, at least 1 controller, at least 1 VMU, and probably 3 games. Hell, I’ve seen them go for less than that because some people don’t know the value very well. But below are some options for stretching your dollar.

What to buy?

• 1 Dreamcast system — $30 — Haggle your Dreamcast price down, or barter for more trade-in value. If you shop it right, you can likely get someone to come down to as little as $30 on a cosmetically-screwed Dreamcast.
• 1 Dreamcast memory card — $3 — Get you a Dreamcast memory card that doesn’t have the VMU or any buttons on it. These tend to fetch a much cheaper price. They’ll give you all the save features you need, but will not give you any of the added benefits of owning a VMU, such as mini-games, in-game help, etc.
• A stack of blank CDRs from Wal-Mart — $10 — Buy these and you can burn hella Dreamcast games. My esteemed colleague The Cubist has put together a great Nerd Bacon Approved segment on burning Dreamcast games. Click here to check out the article.

$43?! Wow, talk about pinching pennies. But if you are patient, know how to haggle, and know where to look, you can easily start your Dreamcast experience for under $45. That’s a $55+ savings! Enjoy your Dreamcast and remember to stay Nerdy.

Penny Pincher Starter Kit Estimated Cost: $43! For under $45 you are the proud owner of one Nerd Bacon approved badass Dreamcast Starter Kit!

 

BE LIKE TEAM NERD BACON AND GET ON OUR LEVEL. GET THE REAL STUFF!