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The Reicast core in RetroArch has received a new feature: online multiplayer. This addition has been recently added to the emulator, allowing for players to still play Dreamcast games online, even if they've had their servers go down ages ago. It takes a small bit of effort to set up, but once you do, you'll be playing online like it was 1999. The video above by the LibRetro team showcases Phantasy Star Online being played with two participants, and it appears that it works with other games such as Toy Racer and Quake III Arena as well.

Reicast Libretro has now gained modem and PPP support. It leverages dreamcastlive.net which makes it possible to still play these games while their original servers are down. This is the first time as far as we are aware of that a Dreamcast emulator has zero-configuration multiplayer support! You don't have to setup an IP address for this or do any port forwarding, it should just work!

Source

 

[duwen]

I wonder if this means we're closer to being able to play the unreleased Propeller Arena online as was originally intended? Great game, but the lack of the intended online features means that the enjoyment to be had from playing the 'leaked' game on original hardware is severely limited.

 

[RayPanimals]

Can not wait for this feature to come to other emulators!

 

[NeoSlyde]

Can not wait for this feature to come to other emulators!

It’s not that easy.

 

[Deleted User]

It’s not that easy.

You mean you can't just take the reicast files and put them into another emulator?
/s

 

[smf]

It’s not that easy.

It's not that hard, it just needed doing. The source is available for others to look at or use.

 

[Deleted User]

That's pretty cool to hear. Makes me wonder if I can convince a few friends to start playing PSO together with the core; I've been meaning to play it myself for a while.

 

[Raylight]

still like redream better that its not tied to RAs ass

not that RA is bad incase anyone gets that vibe but its not for me. 500MB for what I would use for one thing is a bit much plus the UI is kind of a turn off for me and not everything is as easy to set up as a stand alone emu.
other then that I respect RA for what they are setting out to do.

 

[Taleweaver]

So...how does this work, exactly?

Is it that once you want to start a game, your PC prompts you to steps to mimic a (local) server that acts as replacement for dreamcastlive.net (even though that is down for years...at least for hosting dreamcast games)...and then allows people (at the very least the 'you' I was referring to) to join this server as if it actually was dreamcastlive.net ?

 

[Raylight]

So...how does this work, exactly?

Is it that once you want to start a game, your PC prompts you to steps to mimic a (local) server that acts as replacement for dreamcastlive.net (even though that is down for years...at least for hosting dreamcast games)...and then allows people (at the very least the 'you' I was referring to) to join this server as if it actually was dreamcastlive.net ?

https://www.dreamcastlive.net/blogs/ DClive is back its been back for awhile you will be playing with real DC gamers since both emu and real HW can play on it

 

[duwen]

So...how does this work, exactly?

Is it that once you want to start a game, your PC prompts you to steps to mimic a (local) server that acts as replacement for dreamcastlive.net (even though that is down for years...at least for hosting dreamcast games)...and then allows people (at the very least the 'you' I was referring to) to join this server as if it actually was dreamcastlive.net ?

I imagine it probably mimics some of what the DreamPi project implemented on legit hardware via redirects to 'new' servers.
It would be cool if this is 'cross platform' with legit Dreamcasts.

*ninja'd*

https://www.dreamcastlive.net/blogs/ DClive is back its been back for awhile you will be playing with real DC gamers since both emu and real HW can play on it

Awesome.

 

[Subtle Demise]

Nice! The memories come flooding back now. Bomberman Online! I remember playing that game on dial-up with people from China and Japan. It was really laggu of course, but for dial-up it wasn't that bad! And you could chat freely with the keyboard and even customize your Bomberman with unlockable costume pieces that could be picked up during matches.

I also played a lot of Unreal Tournament online back then. Now that is a game that shouldn't work at all on dial-up, but it did somehow, with minimal lag. Kind of pointless to play that one on an emulator since it has a far superior pc version that still has servers active.

 

[FAST6191]

"you'll be playing online like it was 1999"
I'm out. I got in rather big trouble for the phone bills that caused.

 

[Ericthegreat]

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The Reicast core in RetroArch has received a new feature: online multiplayer. This addition has been recently added to the emulator, allowing for players to still play Dreamcast games online, even if they've had their servers go down ages ago. It takes a small bit of effort to set up, but once you do, you'll be playing online like it was 1999. The video above by the LibRetro team showcases Phantasy Star Online being played with two participants, and it appears that it works with other games such as Toy Racer and Quake III Arena as well.



Source

Wow, you made a memory of toy racer pop into my head.

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"you'll be playing online like it was 1999"
I'm out. I got in rather big trouble for the phone bills that caused.

Yeah, I had that issue once .

 

[brunocar]

That's pretty cool to hear. Makes me wonder if I can convince a few friends to start playing PSO together with the core; I've been meaning to play it myself for a while.

just play the PC version my dude

 

[enderer]

just ordered a dreamcast...

 

[ganons]

Will this work on the Android Reicast?

 

[Raylight]

Will this work on the Android Reicast?

no it wont sadly RetroArch has all but abandoned the original source

 

[neotank19]

Ooga booga online! I'm in for that.

Dreamcast was so much fun, loved it. I still own 2 working systems with controllers and a bunch of games. Every now and then I set it up for some local multi player. (Shame this is lacking in so many modern games). Alas what can I say, I'm from the old school.

Now I gotta figure out how to get an orginal controller to work on my pc. I will be checking this emulator out.

 

[bootmonster]

Has this update been applied to the pi core as well?

Article mentions multiple OSs but not pi