Month of Dreamcast Rev0s - Blind Luck

[DaytonaUSA]

In one month, I've found four Rev0 Dreamcasts. It's probably one of my best sets of finds since I've been collecting eons ago. I've made a lot of people quite jealous on some Dreamcast forums, as so far I've only found two people that have one. I don't know why I keep finding them in my area, but I'm not complaining. I don't have plans on selling these any time soon, if ever, just because they are such unique systems. But I figured I'd share with you a bit of what I've discovered and learned so far:

 

 

 

The first I found was an American Rev0. I got it as a broken system for the shell.....for 5 dollars. The top half is a Sega branded (read: not third party) clear shell that was only made in Japan. A few colors were released, only 1000 a color were made. I was happy enough with the shell, it wasn't until later did I realize it was a Rev0 thanks to a forum I'm apart of who was able to first educate me of the marking of the 0 in the circle, and the different inner parts, such as the metal encased fan, radiator and heat pipes. I had several offers for it, but I decided to keep it. Oh and btw, it's completely functional. I have no clue why it was sold as broken.

 

The second I found not even a week earlier for 15 dollars. I didn't realize it was a Rev0 model until I was educated about Rev0 systems in general with the "broken" clear system I obtained. It's an import (Japanese) model. Of course, those did not have the number in a circle type classification that the US systems did. The way to tell is the fact that like other Rev0s, the fan and cooling system is different, and also that the modem is missing. It's just hollow shell. The system came with two Sega branded tremor packs, two Sega branded VMUs, one Sega branded 4 in 1 memory card (has 4 orange triangle lights on top), controller and hook ups.

 

The third I found a couple days ago. And it's probably the most interesting. It's an American Rev0 DC like the first, but the shell is original. However, unlike the first one, the modem is missing with an empty shell like the Japanese one. This is the first of it's kind that I've been able to tell so far. No one has ever found an American model Rev0 with the hollow shell fake modem. Furthermore, the screws that hold the shell in place are Torx screws, which is unlike any regular/Rev0 Dreamcast anyone I know has seen. Furthermore, the console was assembled with a different sticker orientation (it's flipped) with a slightly different sized/placed barcode with a different font used. The system came with an official Dreamcast steering wheel, VMU, tremor pack, controller and cords for $20.

 

Lastly, I just found a DC on eBay that's a "Demo/Kiosk" model. This helps prove that the Rev0s (I'll have to see if this has the inner parts of a Rev0... it should) that I have were never used at a demo or kiosk station. It was $25. Once I recieve it in the mail, I'll post more pictures of it.

 

Some pictures are below.

 

The first:

 

 

The second:

 

 

And the third (it's on the right, first is on the left for comparison):

 

 

And the forth, the D/K model:

 

Edited April 19, 2012 by DaytonaUSA

[the.golden.ax]

Okay, I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for them. I have about 20 DC systems in the house. What's the big deal? How do I check?

 

Most importantly, how am I going to get that clear shell top off your hands?

[DaytonaUSA]

Okay, I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for them. I have about 20 DC systems in the house. What's the big deal? How do I check?

 

Most importantly, how am I going to get that clear shell top off your hands?

 

Haha, you won't . I've never seen an official DC shell like that, and I'm sure I never will again. Once again, I've had offers, but I refuse to sell. Some things just are worth keeping.

 

There's a few simple ways to tell. First, if it's an American system, all US systems have a 1 or a 2 in a circle to the left side of the region code on the bottom label. If it has a 0 in a circle, you have a Rev0. Another easy way to tell is to look through the vent holes where the fan is. If you see bright silver steel that's the shell for the fan (see my pics, you can see it in a few shots) that's another clue. Attached to that fan is a metal radiator as well. There's also heat pipes and a heat sink. You might be able to see it in my clear DC shots. No Rev 1 or 2 DCs should have anything more than a completely black plastic fan for cooling.

 

Japanese ones are harder to identify, as there is no circle with a number rating on their labels. Simply do one of two things. Look through the fan vent holes.. if you see metal around the fan, bingo. Also, Japanese Rev0s DO NOT have a modem. So if there's a modem attached instead of a dummy shell, you have a stock DC. Sometimes Rev0s break the rules though, like my third one. It's an American system with a fake hollow modem shell. With it's other oddities, it leads me to believe there are even more odd ball versions out there for people to discover.

 

Another great thing about these units is that they have higher quality GD-Roms in them. So they won't burn out... and because of the high quality cooling parts, it won't ever overheat.

 

Before it was thought that these might be used in Demo stations, but with the demo unit I just found, that kinda debunks that. The first three... well, I have no clue where they could have come from. These models were produced a full year before they came out in their respective countries. Could they be from Sega? Who knows. Could they be from a dev? Again, who knows. Not much is known, and what is "known" seems to vary depending on who you talk to. I am only reporting what I've found to be true from my own experience, and not speculation.

Edited April 19, 2012 by DaytonaUSA

[the.golden.ax]

Other than the kiosk (that's why I want your clear system, to put in my kiosk) I've checked all 20 systems in the house. NOT one is Rev0. Mostly 1's and a few 2.

 

If you ever want me to put that thing in a shrine (kiosk...) the offer stands

 

I wonder if my kiosk model could be a 0 (I'd bet some could be, just depends on the age of the kiosk) however it's screwed or bolted in somehow and I didn't want to rip it up right now.

[DaytonaUSA]

If you can ever open it up, be sure to let me know what you find inside. I'm hoping all demo/kiosk stands will have DCs in them marked as such, as that will completely prove my Rev0s without the Demo-Kiosk marking are worth more as they aren't even THAT obtainable.

 

And yeah, I didn't expect you to find any, sadly. There are guys on one DC forum that have been looking for these since '99, no joke. The owner/mod found one in all that time. Another guy accidentally found one on ebay, similar to how I found my Demo-kiosk model. Other than that, that's it.

 

How I've found this many, none-the-less in such a short amount of time is nothing but blind luck. I'm actually thinking of getting a lotto ticket, haha. I don't understand why my area has these for me to find, but I'll take them.

 

The sad thing is I don't even want to buy more DCs, and it's becoming a bit of a chore to buy them, haha. I want to not find anymore, I swear, but when you find one like that and they're that rare, what are you supposed to do? Leave it?

 

What they're worth... hard to say. There are so little of them, it's more about what people are willing to pay. Offers for the clear one (without the clear casing no less) have topped at about 200 dollars. With the clear shell valued at 150, that's a great 5 dollar investment I made!

Edited April 19, 2012 by DaytonaUSA

[DaytonaUSA]

I'm thinking of doing a youtube once the 4th system comes in, explaining what I've found and showing them in detail, along with what it all means and what to look for. I'll have to find the time to sit down and do it, but if you guys want to see them in motion, let me know.

[the.golden.ax]

Sure, I'd watch a youtube. Right now I'm considering a purple shell from the Venezuelan seller but that's allot of dough. My arcade/game room theme is going to be dark with black lights, neon signs and lighted controllers and systems on the kiosks. Lighted sticks and buttons on the arcade machines. I'm very close to opening the CIB clear Saturn I have to use in the kiosk. It pains me to do it, but I haven't found a better or cheaper clear Saturn then that Derby CIB unit I scored two years ago for $200. I've got a clear red unit for PSX, a clear/blue for PS2, Halo clear green for xbox, white shell for the jaguar (not clear but weird and very light-able from the exterior). Genny and SNES are harder, not sure what I could do there. Maybe paint and black light.

[DaytonaUSA]

Sounds interesting. In my opinion, those DC shells on ebay are very over priced. Those are your typical 3rd party shells that you find on eBay from time to time. The ones before his went for 50-60. Though, I have seen some go to 80 when there's only one for sale and people go nuts for them in a bidding war.

 

Remember, the third party ones don't have the Sega/Windows logos on them. And, since they're modeled after the American system, don't have the clear/silver triangle jewel near the power light... just an ugly sold grey one like US systems.

 

But they do appear to be new in box though. If it's worth the cash, it might be worth it. I doubt you'll ever find a Sega branded one :-/

Edited April 19, 2012 by DaytonaUSA

[the.golden.ax]

I've been on the verge of a blue hello kitty for a while too. That would good with purple leds in it.

[DaytonaUSA]

I've been on the verge of a blue hello kitty for a while too. That would good with purple leds in it.

 

Aww man, don't ruin the hello kitty with LEDs . Those things are pretty valuable. I'd hate to see you depreciate their value.

 

Btw, there's a guy selling one for 50GBP. I think I saw it on Assembler. If you want one, it's not a bad price to pay.

[the.golden.ax]

I'm not going to do anything that can't be undone.

[DaytonaUSA]

Good, good .

[16-bit]

It's awesome to hear something Dreamcast related that I never knew about. I've always been a huge Dreamcast fan.

 

What's even better though is this post made me go look at my Dreamcast and it's a Rev0. Thanks for the heads up

Edited April 21, 2012 by 16-bit

[Shannon]

I have a dreamcast that supposedly came out of a Kiosk system at a Toys -r- Us.

 

It actually outlasted my first dreamcast I got which last I checked can't read discs.

[RARusk]

Curious, what's the advantage of a Rev0 machine over other DreamCast revisions?

[DaytonaUSA]

Curious, what's the advantage of a Rev0 machine over other DreamCast revisions?

 

Haha, I said in my post .

 

The cooling is better, first of all. Rev0s have heat sinks, heat pipes, radiator and a better quality fan. A stock DC has a plastic fan.. that's it. Secondly, the Rev0s have a better GD Rom drive in them. Basically, the stock DCs had less/cheaper parts, and that's why they fail over time. Rev0s are like little tanks in comparison.

 

Given Sega's financial problems at the time, it isn't a big surprise that they ended up making these DCs though with the cheaper, less reliable design.

The Japanese DC was released a full year before the ones in the states. Japanese Rev0s were actually sold right at launch day. They are more easily found. From my research though, the design was changed WELL before they hit American shores, so where or why these came to the States is still a mystery. While obviously the demo/kiosk model was used in a kiosk, what about the regular US Rev0s? Did they have old stock they shipped to the US? Did they come from a developer? From Sega headquarters? From a promotional event? Who knows.

 

All of my Rev0s have major differences, so the problem is there doesn't seem to be enough of them to really be able to come to any clear conclusion, outside of where the Japanese models came from, on where they come from and how many were produced. And quite honestly, unless an old Sega employee comes forward with info on the system, I doubt we'll ever really know.

 

I got my demo/kiosk model in the mail today guys. I'll be posting pictures soon . I'm glad I've been able to help some people here. Learning more about this great system is always fun, and has rekindled my much warranted obsession for the console. I still am considering doing a youtube video on these, showing the differences between the four. Hopefully this helps everyone here.

Edited April 22, 2012 by DaytonaUSA

[98PaceCar]

It's awesome to hear something Dreamcast related that I never knew about. I've always been a huge Dreamcast fan.

 

What's even better though is this post made me go look at my Dreamcast and it's a Rev0. Thanks for the heads up

 

Same here. I still have my original system that I pre-ordered and picked up at launch. As luck would have it, it's a Rev 0 and I still have all of the box/packing/docs that came with it.

 

I don't use it anymore, due to having a custom one with the katana bios loaded in it, but good to know I have a sturdy backup if I ever need it.

Edited April 22, 2012 by 98PaceCar

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

I don't use it anymore, due to having a custom one with the katana bios loaded in it, but good to know I have a sturdy backup if I ever need it.

 

What is the purpose / advantages of this and how is it done?

[DaytonaUSA]

It's awesome to hear something Dreamcast related that I never knew about. I've always been a huge Dreamcast fan.

 

What's even better though is this post made me go look at my Dreamcast and it's a Rev0. Thanks for the heads up

 

Same here. I still have my original system that I pre-ordered and picked up at launch. As luck would have it, it's a Rev 0 and I still have all of the box/packing/docs that came with it.

 

I don't use it anymore, due to having a custom one with the katana bios loaded in it, but good to know I have a sturdy backup if I ever need it.

 

Great man! Maybe some of the launch systems were Rev 0s then, unlike we previously thought. Every other person I've talked to with a launch Dreamcast has it starting with Rev 1. So this is kinda interesting. Keep it! They're little tanks and will last you a long time! All launch day Japanese systems were Rev 0s, but the design was changed long before they ever were released in the US. So it's interesting your launch system had this architecture.

Edited April 22, 2012 by DaytonaUSA

[98PaceCar]

What is the purpose / advantages of this and how is it done?

 

It gives me a couple of big advantages and I'm sure a few smaller ones that I'm not aware of. The reasons I have it are to be able to natively boot any region games and to not need a boot disk to use burns (really the same thing, but I have a lot of imports so I treat them as separate advantages). I believe the bios will let you do a few other things with the SD card readers, but I've never tried it.

 

I had a guy on AssemblerGames mod mine for me, but from what I understand, he just added a second bios (stacked on top of the original) and set the mobo to use the new chip instead of the old. The bios is link83, so you can google for more info. I'll say it's well worth the cost (minimal) or effort if you enjoy imports.

 

Great man! Maybe some of the launch systems were Rev 0s then, unlike we previously thought. Every other person I've talked to with a launch Dreamcast has it starting with Rev 1. So this is kinda interesting. Keep it! They're little tanks and will last you a long time! All launch day Japanese systems were Rev 0s, but the design was changed long before they ever were released in the US. So it's interesting your launch system had this architecture.

 

If there is any info I can offer off of mine, let me know. I'm 100% sure it's the one I bought at retail and has never been messed with.

Edited April 22, 2012 by 98PaceCar

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

@ DaytonaUSA, I made a video mentioning you and your threads on this subject.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5p0lmlsrLY&hd=1

[16-bit]

What is the purpose / advantages of this and how is it done?

 

It gives me a couple of big advantages and I'm sure a few smaller ones that I'm not aware of. The reasons I have it are to be able to natively boot any region games and to not need a boot disk to use burns (really the same thing, but I have a lot of imports so I treat them as separate advantages). I believe the bios will let you do a few other things with the SD card readers, but I've never tried it.

 

I had a guy on AssemblerGames mod mine for me, but from what I understand, he just added a second bios (stacked on top of the original) and set the mobo to use the new chip instead of the old. The bios is link83, so you can google for more info. I'll say it's well worth the cost (minimal) or effort if you enjoy imports.

 

Great man! Maybe some of the launch systems were Rev 0s then, unlike we previously thought. Every other person I've talked to with a launch Dreamcast has it starting with Rev 1. So this is kinda interesting. Keep it! They're little tanks and will last you a long time! All launch day Japanese systems were Rev 0s, but the design was changed long before they ever were released in the US. So it's interesting your launch system had this architecture.

 

If there is any info I can offer off of mine, let me know. I'm 100% sure it's the one I bought at retail and has never been messed with.

 

 

 

I would guess mine is a launch system. I bought it as a refurb from Funcoland in 2000.

 

I'll definitely have to look into that mod. It would be great to be able to play imports without the boot disk. I'll be sure to do it on my other DC and not the Rev0!

Edited April 23, 2012 by 16-bit

[DaytonaUSA]

What is the purpose / advantages of this and how is it done?

 

It gives me a couple of big advantages and I'm sure a few smaller ones that I'm not aware of. The reasons I have it are to be able to natively boot any region games and to not need a boot disk to use burns (really the same thing, but I have a lot of imports so I treat them as separate advantages). I believe the bios will let you do a few other things with the SD card readers, but I've never tried it.

 

I had a guy on AssemblerGames mod mine for me, but from what I understand, he just added a second bios (stacked on top of the original) and set the mobo to use the new chip instead of the old. The bios is link83, so you can google for more info. I'll say it's well worth the cost (minimal) or effort if you enjoy imports.

 

Great man! Maybe some of the launch systems were Rev 0s then, unlike we previously thought. Every other person I've talked to with a launch Dreamcast has it starting with Rev 1. So this is kinda interesting. Keep it! They're little tanks and will last you a long time! All launch day Japanese systems were Rev 0s, but the design was changed long before they ever were released in the US. So it's interesting your launch system had this architecture.

 

If there is any info I can offer off of mine, let me know. I'm 100% sure it's the one I bought at retail and has never been messed with.

 

 

 

I would guess mine is a launch system. I bought it as a refurb from Funcoland in 2000.

 

I'll definitely have to look into that mod. It would be great to be able to play imports without the boot disk. I'll be sure to do it on my other DC and not the Rev0!

 

Just go to theisozone.com. Download the games you own physical copies for, burn the image to a CD-R and use that. 95% of their imports run on American Dreamcasts, without the need of a modchip. So it'll allow you to play your imports without the need for an import Dreamcast. It's what I do. That, and it allows you to keep your games sealed if you like.

[16-bit]

 

Just go to theisozone.com. Download the games you own physical copies for, burn the image to a CD-R and use that. 95% of their imports run on American Dreamcasts, without the need of a modchip. So it'll allow you to play your imports without the need for an import Dreamcast. It's what I do. That, and it allows you to keep your games sealed if you like.

 

Sweet! I will definitely check that out.

[DaytonaUSA]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X6XAQkm328&feature=youtu.be