Shenmue II (PAL) for US Dreamcast - Can't Boot (Searched!!)

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Shenmue II (PAL) for US Dreamcast - Can't Boot (Searched!!)

Postby Prodigy79 » Sat Aug 01, 2015 12:22 pm

Hey all,

Sorry for having my first post be what probably seems like a redundant question, however I have searched (this site, along with many others) and I cannot seem to find an answer to my situation...

I recently purchased Shenmue II - PAL format to play on my NTSC-U (US) Dreamcast (Rev 0). I'm using a decent quality third party VGA cable run through an HDMI 1080P upscaler. I've never had issues with any other import games, however I can't get Shenmue II to work for me...

I have tried:

Dreamcast Import Enabler (DC-IE) - retail version
Action Replay CDX - burned
GameShark CDX - burned

All of the above take me back to the home screen when I insert the disc...

I have seen several people say Utopia works; I have attempted to use 3 or 4 different sources for Utopia and cannot find a version that doesn't just take me to a black screen (or give me a VGA error in one case). I have tried the 'blind' method of waiting for the disk to wind down at the black screen, then switching, but it just hangs at the black screen... For the one version that didn't support VGA, I pulled the cable before boot, then plugged it in after the first spin-up (the Evolution VGA method) and it just took me to the black screen, which produced the same results as the others above...

The odd thing is, I happened to try Disc 2 using Action Replay CDX and it spun right up and went into the game... No such luck with Disc 1. All discs are absolutely mint condition, so it's not a damage issue.

I've heard DC-X works, however I really don't want to throw another $40-$60 out if I'm going to have the same issues (I've also heard cdx and IE work, but those have proven wrong for me)...

Does anyone have any insight??

I just played through Shenmue again, and was looking forward to seamlessly transitioning into the second, but no such luck!!

Thank you very much for any help you all can offer!


-Prodigy
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Re: Shenmue II (PAL) for US Dreamcast - Can't Boot (Searched

Postby amiga1200 » Sat Aug 01, 2015 12:28 pm

all i can suggst, is THIS:
Code: Select all
http://www.theisozone.com/downloads/dreamcast/homebrew-apps/dc-import-enabler-belokk/
works on ALL casts, and i'm using it on my LTD-EDIT (POS) NTSC-U to play PAL-EUR shenmue 1 & 2 AND l other than the tool linked, my gdi's of both games are there.
simply write to disk, boot up COLD, and follow on-screen prompts.
have fun! :mrgreen:
[edit]
mines an r0 (alloy interior for better heat exchange and expulsion.)
the tool linked works for USA base units, my console is at stock defaults, transformer is aligned to USA power grids (110/120v) and had to use a mains regulator to make safe for UK mains.
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Re: Shenmue II (PAL) for US Dreamcast - Can't Boot (Searched

Postby Prodigy79 » Sat Aug 01, 2015 12:32 pm

I appreciate your response.

The link took me to DC-IE - I actually have the retail version and it didn't work for me.
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Re: Shenmue II (PAL) for US Dreamcast - Can't Boot (Searched

Postby amiga1200 » Sat Aug 01, 2015 12:41 pm

then it's probably a hardware issue?!
i had issues when i got my console, the bootdisks just didn't work at all. (common problem it seems?!)
...
maybe the gdi assembly is on it's way out, or more likely, a hardware revision/difference, or some sort of copy-protection?
...
can't say.
what i can say from experience, fuckall i did worked on the NTSC-U junk, other than the tool linked above.
if it doesn't work, go to a dreamcast dedicated forum.
(can't say here would be my first choice of query given it's too focused of a usebase.)
sorry dude! (just trying to help.) :sad:
[edit]
went through all bootdisks (and methods) and only belokk's tool worked on that base unit, nothing else did.(looks like a vice-varsa situation.)
you said retail version, try a backup version for the sake of eliminations. (and i DON'T have the retail version, didn't know there was one for belokk.)
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Re: Shenmue II (PAL) for US Dreamcast - Can't Boot (Searched

Postby Prodigy79 » Sat Aug 01, 2015 12:45 pm

I really appreciate your help man, I actually came here because it seems to be a Shenmue II specific issue for me! haha I'm not sure what's going on though..

As I stated in my original post - I have a Rev 0 Dreamcast (metal fan, heat piping, just like yours) which has no issues with different regions. My retail version of DC-IE boots, as do my burned versions of GameShark and Action Replay CDX, so it's not that.

I'll try your link for sake of elimination.

Shenmue II Disc 2 will boot for me, however Disc 1 will not (I haven't tried the other two).

Other imports (JP) work fine for me. This is my first PAL game.
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Re: Shenmue II (PAL) for US Dreamcast - Can't Boot (Searched

Postby amiga1200 » Sat Aug 01, 2015 12:52 pm

:???: it's a weird one alright, it's all i use is my main NTSC-U base, to play all my retails (over a hundred) and haven't run into any issues in that regard.
...
if there's one thing about the cast that gets to me, is one thing that works for some, doesn't for the rest.
...
*snip* [edit]
corrections.
thought i saw RF references, my bad! :oops:
[edit again]
no, this is what i'm looking at:
Prodigy79 wrote:Other imports (JP) work fine for me. This is my first PAL game.
^^ if i'm misunderstanding, please say.
...
my console WON'T touch any retail gdi other than USA, it's own region.
(tried all may PAL and a handful of JPN's and without that bootdisk, wasn't touching em at all.)
...
if your console is reading JPN games by default, chances are it's modded, and that could be screwing with the bootloader routines?
if what's quoted means:
'the bootloader works fine for JPN games, but not PAL, disregard entirely!
not sure what the problem could be?! :cry:
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Re: Shenmue II (PAL) for US Dreamcast - Can't Boot (Searched

Postby Prodigy79 » Sat Aug 01, 2015 2:59 pm

Hey sorry about that. Just to clarify - using the boot discs I have, I've never had any issues with any imports, although my experience has been limited to only Japanese imports as of yet. Shenmue II is my first PAL import.

My system is completely stock.
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Re: Shenmue II (PAL) for US Dreamcast - Can't Boot (Searched

Postby Chaos » Sat Aug 01, 2015 5:04 pm


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Re: Shenmue II (PAL) for US Dreamcast - Can't Boot (Searched

Postby amiga1200 » Sat Aug 01, 2015 5:11 pm

Chaos wrote:http://www.shenmuedojo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=48274

the guy in this topic said http://segahub.org/index.php?topic=2508.0 worked for him
^^ can't say i was aware, nice! :mrgreen:
...
n stuff... :P :-"
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http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l547/amiga1200/DSC00040.jpg

http://i1123.photobucket.com/albums/l547/amiga1200/DSC00042.jpg
...i need a better camera, than $ony... #-o :oops:
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Re: Shenmue II (PAL) for US Dreamcast - Can't Boot (Searched

Postby strider16 » Sat Aug 01, 2015 5:22 pm

Are you saying that the Disc 2 boots ok, but not the Disc 1? Does it not load under vga only or it doesn't load at all?

If the first, try the link above, the codebreaker. There are 2 isos in that link: one is a bootloader, and the other is the codebreaker itself. I don't know why they didn't made it a single disc...

If the second, well, maybe your dc have a problem with that specific disc, the disc itself may have some damage. I have a skies of arcadia that the first disc loops at the "produced by sega" screen, so I have to begin a new game and load saves through disc 2, which asks me then to swap to disc 1, and then I can play.

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Re: Shenmue II (PAL) for US Dreamcast - Can't Boot (Searched

Postby Prodigy79 » Sat Aug 01, 2015 8:16 pm

Awesome, I'll try that out later and post results.

To clarify further - I've already researched and determined that Shenmue II supports VGA, so I didn't bother swapping that out.

I've had no luck with Disc 1, so for the heck of it I tried Disc 2, and it booted using Action Replay CDX (meaning it would probably work with GameShark as well at least).

I'm wondering if Disc 1 has some sort of extra protections (since it's necessary to start from that disc, they may not have bothered implementing the same protections on the later discs).

All discs are like new - I've examined Disc 1 thoroughly and there isn't so much as a smudge, let alone scuffs or scratches.

I'll try codebreakers later tonight or tomorrow and get back to you all!

Thanks again for everyone's help!

-James
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Re: Shenmue II (PAL) for US Dreamcast - Can't Boot (Searched

Postby Prodigy79 » Sat Aug 01, 2015 8:22 pm

Hey Strider - reading through that thread I'm unclear on something; do I need to use the boot loader if my disc is authentic? A couple of the comments threw me off, stating that if the disc is a backup you have to, but what about originals?

Thanks again!
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Re: Shenmue II (PAL) for US Dreamcast - Can't Boot (Searched

Postby amiga1200 » Sat Aug 01, 2015 9:21 pm

(my browser is fuckin DONE! ](*,) missed the above link by strider. wasn't displaying at the time. now reading. :oops: )
the segahub link seems to refer to backup disks, but it's NOT something i've looked into personally. (gdi assembly wear n' tear.)
still can't really offer any advice, other than to go for pre-built BOOTABLE images. (that will work, but downsampled audio for the medium capacity.)
...
i may have missed it posted if tried, but boot up on a working disk (any number the save doesn't go with the disk) and start new game/load save, and in theory, it should ask for the disk the save is for?!
in that case, replace the disk with what's requested and fingers crossed. (the console technically isn't reset, so the bootloader should still be resident and active.)
it's about all the input i have left, my results are tainted, because it worked first time, this is something else.. :?:
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Re: Shenmue II (PAL) for US Dreamcast - Can't Boot (Searched

Postby strider16 » Sat Aug 01, 2015 11:39 pm

Prodigy79 wrote: Hey Strider - reading through that thread I'm unclear on something; do I need to use the boot loader if my disc is authentic? A couple of the comments threw me off, stating that if the disc is a backup you have to, but what about originals?

Thanks again!


The boot loader is for the codebreaker, I don't know why they didn't made this a self-boot disc. I tried it from other sources, found only in this format, 2 discs, and strangely, it seems that the bootloader is specific for this codebreaker. I would test, but dont want to swap and run burned discs unnecessarily on my only dc - the other have a dead driver, a future candidate for the hd mod... [-o<
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Re: Shenmue II (PAL) for US Dreamcast - Can't Boot (Searched

Postby amiga1200 » Sun Aug 02, 2015 12:00 am

^^ same here!
have a pair of bases with the gdi assemblies fucked, beyond being able to pot calibrate them, lens itself is burnt out. (it's possible to transplant the whole array for the sled, but there's NO fuckin way i'm putting myself through that.)
would require replacing altogether with new gdi assemblies, or the sd/usb ode you refer to...the SANE choice. :mrgreen:
...
one of the dreamcasts i shagged, was because of dumping shenmue, and although the hashes aligned 101% (according to dce/TOSEC retail catalogues) it did a number on the lens array, and ground the fuckin sled rails smoother than a kashmir cog piece. :roll:
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