Help to get Dreamcast Online

General Dreamcast discussion applies here. Before posting here please check the other forums in the Dreamcast section to see if your topic would fit better in those categories.

Moderators: pcwzrd13, mazonemayu

Forum rules
Please check the other forums in the Dreamcast section before posting here to see if your topic would fit better in those categories. Example: A new game/homebrew release would go in the New Releases/Homebrew/Emulation section: http://dreamcast-talk.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=5 or if you're having an issue with getting your Dreamcast to work or a game to boot it would go in the Support section: http://dreamcast-talk.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=42
boyzmom8
Fancy Pants Admin
Posts: 1
Dreamcast Games you play Online: Tetris

Help to get Dreamcast Online

Post by boyzmom8 »

Hello all! New to this forum. My favorite game in Dreamcast is The Next Tetris Online version. How do I get my Dreamcast online to play this game?

It has been over a decade since I have played and I put the disc in and it will not load to play. Other games play and this disc is in impeccable condition.

After reading some of the posts it seems there may be extra steps I need to take. Unfortunately, the steps also seem to be outdated. Also, I am not a serious gamer and do not understand some of the coding/gaming language. I could use some fast feedback to get me up and running.

Thank you in advance!

Boyzmom8

User avatar
Xiden
Developer
Posts: 2225
Dreamcast Games you play Online: All the DC games!!

Re: Help to get Dreamcast Online

Post by Xiden »

boyzmom8 wrote:Hello all! New to this forum. My favorite game in Dreamcast is The Next Tetris Online version. How do I get my Dreamcast online to play this game?

It has been over a decade since I have played and I put the disc in and it will not load to play. Other games play and this disc is in impeccable condition.

After reading some of the posts it seems there may be extra steps I need to take. Unfortunately, the steps also seem to be outdated. Also, I am not a serious gamer and do not understand some of the coding/gaming language. I could use some fast feedback to get me up and running.

Thank you in advance!

Boyzmom8
Are you using a burned disc or an original disc? You might try cleaning the laser with some rubbing alcohol and a Q-Tip

User avatar
Spleet
minority
Posts: 65
Dreamcast Games you play Online: Worms World Party, Quake 3, 4x4 Evo, Chu Chu Rocket, StarLancer, POD SpeedZone, Bomberman Online*
Contact:

Re: Help to get Dreamcast Online

Post by Spleet »

Dreamcast disc drives are notorious for their failure rate. Granted, they're approaching 25 years in age, their longevity isn't great. Cleaning the laser lens can potentially help, but in my experience manually positioning the laser assembly to the outer edge(rear of the dreamcast console). It can sound gruesome as it is forcing the drive gears against their will but it repositions the laser assembly for disc reading when the system doesn't detect a disc. No guarantee, and this is a last resort manoeuvre as it can lead to premature failure of other parts.

Regarding online connectivity, you'll need a dial up connection or a simulated connection. You can set this up using a windows/Linux machine or the more common method with a raspberry pi with DreamPi image. There is a pretty thorough guide here:

https://dreamcastlive.net/connection-guide/