Wait, you prefer the taste of microwaved hot dogs to boiled? The oil in the sausage drains out when you boil them. When you nuke them, the skin can tear at the ends and down the middle, making really weird (unappetizing) shapes. The other result is a somewhat rubbery texture.
A boiled Nathan's or Miller's hot dog kicks ass all over any other brand, cooked any other way (except for grilled). Just a matter of taste, but nuked hot dogs are a no-no around here.
Reid, whoever you are (don't read much Ars), you are a geek's geek. With the exception that you eat salad, instead of Doritos you picked up off the floor.
18) Color/pattern generator based on player input. Could be located in discos and keyed to audio input from P.A.
Sounds kind of like Rez from United Game Artists (Sega). It's available for Japanese Sega Dreamcast and PS2. It incorporates some simple Space Harrier/Panzer Dragoon-style shooting elements too.
Links:
United Game Artists Rez Homepage (If you have a Windows machine lying around, make sure to watch Mizuguchi-san's live demo of the game...it explains how this game can be considered a shooter, a light generator, and a music generator at the same time.)
You're joking, right? If I were to come home and find a bug in one of my phones, I would assume that the security of my entire home had been compromised, not just that one phone. Leaving a red herring around to be discovered by the Chinese in this instance would have been a terribly unwise idea.
My sig's been a link to the Millennium DVD online petition for a couple of months now, just in the off-chance that anyone who matters ever reads those damn things.
As of right now, only 785 people have signed.
BTW, if anyone is wondering what my current sig quote ("It is still the dark of night," printed here for posterity's sake if I ever change my sig) means, it's the motto that shows up on the boot screen/screensaver of computers operated by members of the Owl sect of the Millennium group, referring to their secular belief that the end of the world is not yet at hand. The rival Rooster group's computers display the motto, "There are X days remaining," where X is the number of days until January 1, 2000, when the fundamentalist Rooster group believes a religious event will bring the end of the world. "Owls" and "Roosters" are two of the absolute best Millennium episodes ever made, certainly better in my book than anything ever on the X-Files. (Yes, I believe Millennium is the superior show of the two, by far.)
FF Anthology, FF Chronicles, and the individual Japanese PSX re-releases of these games are great, but there's nothing like playing the originals on SNES/SFC. The tracks for these games were _made_ for the SNES synth, and the PSX just can't deliver the same effect. Oddly enough, the SNES audio hardware was designed by Sony.
...as well as what many would consider a superior alternative, for which modchips are not required due to the fact that multi-region modification is trivial.
The Genesis was not "technically better hardware."
It had a faster CPU. That's it. The graphics and sound processors in the Super NES were far more advanced than those of the Genesis. The SNES's "Mode 7" graphics mode forced Sega to implement hardware 2-D scaling and rotation features in their Sega CD add-on to the Genesis, and it still had no 3-D capabilities that could compare to the SNES. You didn't see PilotWings-style or F-Zero-style games from Sega for the Genesis, and those games used the SNES built-in hardware, and not any add-on chips that came in the cartridge. And you can't seriously compare Genesis MIDI to SNES MIDI. Everything (particularly synthesized orchestral RPG music and vocal samples like those in Star Ocean) sounded best on SNES, while Genesis musicians stuck to composing techno-rock style music (like Thunder Force III and Streets of Rage) because of the poor sounding synthesizer.
This seems to sit well with something I remember reading.
I seem to recall an interview where some Nintendo rep (who knows, maybe it was even Miyamoto-sensei or Yamauchi-san) states that 6-12 million polys per second is the Gamecube's guaranteed performance, with high-res textures and all features in use, at a high framerate. When asked if those were the high-end limits of the hardware, I believe the interviewee resisted comment and only repeated that 6-12m were guaranteed with all features turned on.
If I'm not hallucinating, this would clearly be a case of Nintendo not adhering to the old line of "lies, damn lies, and specifications," however I can't find the article doing a google search for ``gamecube "12 million" guarantee,'' so can someone help locate this?
Last I heard Konami were scrapping their metal gear solid x (xbox) plans, but then I also heard that there would be no dc shenmue 2 non-Japanese and we got that so...
The English-language version of Shenmue 2 for Dreamcast is available, right now, for European PAL systems. American DCs can play it with the Utopia or DC-X bootloaders, or modchips.
Otherwise, the general point of what you're saying is true. Right now, "cross-platform" means, "will be available for Playstation 2 and at least one other system." I don't know of anything cross-platform that's worth mentioning that will be released for both 'Cube and xbox, but not PS2.
OTOH, there are few non-Squaresoft PS2 exclusives that make me really want a PS2. For the kind of games I enjoy playing, in its current state, the PS2 is a glorified PSOne that can also play PS2 games and DVDs and run Linux. When more quality RPGs and 2-D fighters surface on the system, and improved hardware becomes bundled as standard, this platform will be much more attractive. Otherwise, the PSOne is the RPG king, while the combo of Japanese Sega Saturn, SNK NeoGeo, and Sega Dreamcast rule supreme for 2-D fighters (now I just gotta get a JAMMA board system, and I'm all set).
Don't worry. Terry Bogard will live on, as his non-MOTW younger self. Capcom will make sure of that, God bless their souls.
Go 'Cube. And Capcom, thanks for helping to keep some of SNK's most treasured legacies alive.
< tofuhead >
Re:King Of The Fighters?
on
Farewell to SNK
·
· Score: 3, Interesting
Definitely. I've heard that many people didn't like SNK 2-D fighters like KOF because they felt too "Japanese," and because the control of SNK's fighters was not as lenient as Capcom's responsive controls, but I like them a lot. I prefer many games in Capcom's Street Fighter series, but SNK's 2-D fighters were great IMO.
You got it, although in a somewhat demeaning way towards Capcom players.
You can't really categorize all Capcom fighters together. At the very least, there are the scrub dial-a-games (all flash -- Marvel), the intermediate games (lotsa flash, but mostly meat -- Vampire, Warzard), the upper-intermediate games (lotsa meat, but with some throwbacks like custom combos -- SFZ), the basic games (few gimmicks, awesome gameplay -- SF2, CvS), and the hardcore games (where you are expected to possess moderate to advanced skills in order to enjoy the game, like SF3). I personally have no taste for 3-D fighters of any kind, and I really dislike scrubby 2-D games. According to the categories I used, I pretty much enjoy their upper-intermediate and basic games, and can enjoy the occasional intermediate and hardcore game -- but only in moderation.
SNK's thing was always upper-intermediate and basic stuff too, always leaning much more towards hardcore than scrubby. Almost all of their 2-D fighters since FF2 rock IMO, because of this.
...but Fatal Fury being "equal to Street Fighter 2 in playability and character development?" Who knew? First off, "character development?" This was Fatal Fury here, not Warzard/Red Earth. Secondly, it wasn't until Fatal Fury 2 that you could actually perform functional link and cancel combos, two features which were implemented in Street Fighter II from the beginning (although unintended).
SNK eventually got fighters down pat, but the first Fatal Fury is just not as good as they make it out to be. It was interesting and different at the time, but not good.
Personally, I will miss them most for Crystalis, Metal Slug, Samurai Spirits/Shodown, and King of Fighters. (Never played Magician Lord, so I can't comment.) I also have to tip my hat to them for getting me hooked on the NeoGeo version of Puzzle Bobble/Bust a Move.
I propose that everyone go out and buy a copy of Fatal Fury Mark of the Wolves for Dreamcast ($30!) in SNK's honor, and use only SNK characters/grooves in Capcom vs SNK 1, Pro, and 2. ^_^
If you didn't know, the WSC is a Japanese handheld system that was never released in the U.S. It's a largely unremarkable system, but Square has been supporting it with re-releases of their old games. I've never considered getting one, since I own all of the Famicom and Super Famicom originals anyway.
Saw several opened xboxes available at two Target stores in the past few days. No 'Cubes in any store around here.
I haven't heard of any QA problems with either system, so I guess these returns are more the exception than the rule...unless a few people just didn't want them. I won't comment further on that, considering the overwhelming xbox fanboy populace here on/.
There are jet black GBAs, as well as spice orange ones, both made to match the black and orange Japanese GCNs like the purple GBA matches purple cubes. They'll be available soon.
You say you've got money to burn, eh? Go import some limited edition Suicune, Celebi, Hello Kitty, and Yomiuri Giants GBAs. I'm quite happy with my own LE models, particularly the Suicune model. (oooooh...shiny bluuuuue...)
I deal with various sorts of NICs all the time, and basically the Intel NICs seem to perform very well with less hassle. 3Com's windows drivers have some basic built-in diagnostics, but I've noticed that Intel's windows drivers are much more stable and straightforward.
Plus, they are cheap. I can get OEM Intel pro/100 s NICs (with ipsec co-processor that automatically offloads security tasks from the CPU in w2k) for $2 less than an OEM 3Com 3c905c, which is a pretty good card, but doesn't include a security co-processor. Oh, and the pro/100 s card is half-height, which is always nice for ventilation purposes. =P
I find this feature particularly strange... Perhaps this was a "forgotten feature" in the DVD pack. After all, based upon reputation, Microsoft should be close allies with the MPAA and RIAA. [snip]
<conspiracytheory>For such a feature to have gone "unnoticed" proves either the incompetence of MS' designers, or their savvy marketing practices. Just ask Sony how gravely this same leaked "feature" on first-generation Japanese PS2s affected their sales...I'm sure it did nothing but boost initial sales. Just watch, sometime in the next year, all of Microsoft's own released games will install a service pack on the HD which will also permanently and completely fix this "recently-discovered bug." Won't happen till after the holiday season though. ^_-</conspiracytheory>
Of course, i havent owned a console since the Sega Genesis... That system was technically impressive, but alas, not many good games were made for it, and i've never brought a console since.
May I recommend Sonic 1, Sonic CD Japanese version, Gunstar Heroes, Phantasy Star 2-4, Herzog Zwei, Shining Force (1, 2, and Sega CD version), Landstalker, and Thunder Force 2 & 3, just off the top of my head? They were all at least pretty good games. Installments of Street Fighter, Castlevania, Dragon Ball Z, and other X-plat game series also graced this system.
I'm highly considering buying the dreamcast... what a steal for $50!!!!! Of course, that's 50 bucks i could be spending on a geforce3, an xbox, a gamecube, a dual processor motherboard, a car, the ability to press the 'submit comment' button... Wait i can press the............
Well, now's a pretty good time to be in the market for consoles, especially if you're mainly a gaming enthusiast, and not just some convergence maniac who also plays games. As of today in the U.S., approximately $300 plus tax will nab you a Nintendo Gamecube, a Sega Dreamcast, AND either 1-3 good games for the DC, or one game for the 'Cube (plus the bundled DC game demo disc). Or, for that price, you can get one PS2 (with no bundled games, HD, or modem/ethernet), or one xbox that won't play DVDs right out of the box and no games. $330 plus tax should get you a PS2 with Gran Turismo 3, or an xbox w/DVD pack (but still no games).
I don't mean to advocate my admiration of both Nintendo and Sega, but GC+DC+games is a killer combo for this holiday season IMO, especially if you already have a DVD player (even a reliable old cheapie). A $300 xbox that requires an additional DVD pack to play movies isn't in my short- or long-term budget, and a PS2 will only start to make sense to me at $250 in its current state, or $300 with a bundled hard drive, modem, and/or DVD remote control...and even then only after a reliable import mod has been implemented on such systems (for Guilty Gear X Plus and Metal Gear Solid 2 Japanese version). PSOnes will look fairly-priced at $200, when bundled with Sony-branded 5" LCD screens early next year, but are overpriced right now considering its limited capabilties vs. Dreamcast, and the current $129 price tag on the official Sony LCD (which is expected to drop).
One of my American DCs, Chinese-made w/Samsung drive, was manufactured in October 2000. It can boot from CDRs, the DC-X loader, etc. Also, it doesn't exhibit the overheating problem of the first-generation models, can play slightly scratched discs just fine compared to other Samsungs, and is also fairly quiet compared to other Samsungs I've heard. To top it off, it came with one _perfect_ controller. Unfortunately, all the other Dreamcasts at that one particular store were less than perfect (yeah, I returned the day after buying this one and bought up the remaining stock, just to return them shortly thereafter).
There are just so many things to look for when searching for a "perfect" DC. (For example, the system I described doesn't like "thick CDRs," so audio tracks on CDRs can sometimes skip unless you use a good brand of CDR.) Just looking at date and country of manufacture doesn't guarantee that you'll pick a winner, although none of my DCs have had major problems (this one being the one most recently manufactured).
Slashdot Mirror
Wait, you prefer the taste of microwaved hot dogs to boiled? The oil in the sausage drains out when you boil them. When you nuke them, the skin can tear at the ends and down the middle, making really weird (unappetizing) shapes. The other result is a somewhat rubbery texture.
A boiled Nathan's or Miller's hot dog kicks ass all over any other brand, cooked any other way (except for grilled). Just a matter of taste, but nuked hot dogs are a no-no around here.
< tofuhead >
the lazy man's salad
those salad in a bag things
by Reid
Reid, whoever you are (don't read much Ars), you are a geek's geek. With the exception that you eat salad, instead of Doritos you picked up off the floor.
< tofuhead >
Sounds kind of like Rez from United Game Artists (Sega). It's available for Japanese Sega Dreamcast and PS2. It incorporates some simple Space Harrier/Panzer Dragoon-style shooting elements too.
Links:
United Game Artists
Rez Homepage (If you have a Windows machine lying around, make sure to watch Mizuguchi-san's live demo of the game...it explains how this game can be considered a shooter, a light generator, and a music generator at the same time.)
< tofuhead >
Interface. Aqua...Luna...shades of blue...rounded corners...large icons...duck...
http://www.lowendmac.com/itc/010216.html, 00.html
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,41822
< tofuhead >
AC, do you know what the word "effectively" means?
< tofuhead >
You're joking, right? If I were to come home and find a bug in one of my phones, I would assume that the security of my entire home had been compromised, not just that one phone. Leaving a red herring around to be discovered by the Chinese in this instance would have been a terribly unwise idea.
< tofuhead >
You DO know that Wen-Ho Lee was effectively exonerated of any charges of espionage, right...? -_- ?
< tofuhead >
My sig's been a link to the Millennium DVD online petition for a couple of months now, just in the off-chance that anyone who matters ever reads those damn things.
As of right now, only 785 people have signed.
BTW, if anyone is wondering what my current sig quote ("It is still the dark of night," printed here for posterity's sake if I ever change my sig) means, it's the motto that shows up on the boot screen/screensaver of computers operated by members of the Owl sect of the Millennium group, referring to their secular belief that the end of the world is not yet at hand. The rival Rooster group's computers display the motto, "There are X days remaining," where X is the number of days until January 1, 2000, when the fundamentalist Rooster group believes a religious event will bring the end of the world. "Owls" and "Roosters" are two of the absolute best Millennium episodes ever made, certainly better in my book than anything ever on the X-Files. (Yes, I believe Millennium is the superior show of the two, by far.)
< tofuhead >
FF Anthology, FF Chronicles, and the individual Japanese PSX re-releases of these games are great, but there's nothing like playing the originals on SNES/SFC. The tracks for these games were _made_ for the SNES synth, and the PSX just can't deliver the same effect. Oddly enough, the SNES audio hardware was designed by Sony.
< tofuhead >
...as well as what many would consider a superior alternative, for which modchips are not required due to the fact that multi-region modification is trivial.
< tofuhead >
The Genesis was not "technically better hardware."
It had a faster CPU. That's it. The graphics and sound processors in the Super NES were far more advanced than those of the Genesis. The SNES's "Mode 7" graphics mode forced Sega to implement hardware 2-D scaling and rotation features in their Sega CD add-on to the Genesis, and it still had no 3-D capabilities that could compare to the SNES. You didn't see PilotWings-style or F-Zero-style games from Sega for the Genesis, and those games used the SNES built-in hardware, and not any add-on chips that came in the cartridge. And you can't seriously compare Genesis MIDI to SNES MIDI. Everything (particularly synthesized orchestral RPG music and vocal samples like those in Star Ocean) sounded best on SNES, while Genesis musicians stuck to composing techno-rock style music (like Thunder Force III and Streets of Rage) because of the poor sounding synthesizer.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Sorry about the rant. ^_^
< tofuhead >
Right about the SGB and customized color.
IIRC, Nintendo Power magazine even used to feature recommended color palettes for playing monochrome GB games on SGB in every GB game review.
The GBA allows you to choose between a handful of pre-determined color palettes for monochrome games.
< tofuhead >
This seems to sit well with something I remember reading.
I seem to recall an interview where some Nintendo rep (who knows, maybe it was even Miyamoto-sensei or Yamauchi-san) states that 6-12 million polys per second is the Gamecube's guaranteed performance, with high-res textures and all features in use, at a high framerate. When asked if those were the high-end limits of the hardware, I believe the interviewee resisted comment and only repeated that 6-12m were guaranteed with all features turned on.
If I'm not hallucinating, this would clearly be a case of Nintendo not adhering to the old line of "lies, damn lies, and specifications," however I can't find the article doing a google search for ``gamecube "12 million" guarantee,'' so can someone help locate this?
< tofuhead >
The English-language version of Shenmue 2 for Dreamcast is available, right now, for European PAL systems. American DCs can play it with the Utopia or DC-X bootloaders, or modchips.
Otherwise, the general point of what you're saying is true. Right now, "cross-platform" means, "will be available for Playstation 2 and at least one other system." I don't know of anything cross-platform that's worth mentioning that will be released for both 'Cube and xbox, but not PS2.
OTOH, there are few non-Squaresoft PS2 exclusives that make me really want a PS2. For the kind of games I enjoy playing, in its current state, the PS2 is a glorified PSOne that can also play PS2 games and DVDs and run Linux. When more quality RPGs and 2-D fighters surface on the system, and improved hardware becomes bundled as standard, this platform will be much more attractive. Otherwise, the PSOne is the RPG king, while the combo of Japanese Sega Saturn, SNK NeoGeo, and Sega Dreamcast rule supreme for 2-D fighters (now I just gotta get a JAMMA board system, and I'm all set).
< tofuhead >
Probably not directly related to what you're talking about, but...
Has anybody tried visiting http://home.attbroadband.com yet? Since yesterday morning (and still, to this minute), it's been pointing to www.yahoo.com.
Hmm, I wonder. "The enemy of my enemy...?"
< tofuhead >
Don't worry. Terry Bogard will live on, as his non-MOTW younger self. Capcom will make sure of that, God bless their souls.
Go 'Cube. And Capcom, thanks for helping to keep some of SNK's most treasured legacies alive.
< tofuhead >
Definitely. I've heard that many people didn't like SNK 2-D fighters like KOF because they felt too "Japanese," and because the control of SNK's fighters was not as lenient as Capcom's responsive controls, but I like them a lot. I prefer many games in Capcom's Street Fighter series, but SNK's 2-D fighters were great IMO.
< tofuhead >
You got it, although in a somewhat demeaning way towards Capcom players.
You can't really categorize all Capcom fighters together. At the very least, there are the scrub dial-a-games (all flash -- Marvel), the intermediate games (lotsa flash, but mostly meat -- Vampire, Warzard), the upper-intermediate games (lotsa meat, but with some throwbacks like custom combos -- SFZ), the basic games (few gimmicks, awesome gameplay -- SF2, CvS), and the hardcore games (where you are expected to possess moderate to advanced skills in order to enjoy the game, like SF3). I personally have no taste for 3-D fighters of any kind, and I really dislike scrubby 2-D games. According to the categories I used, I pretty much enjoy their upper-intermediate and basic games, and can enjoy the occasional intermediate and hardcore game -- but only in moderation.
SNK's thing was always upper-intermediate and basic stuff too, always leaning much more towards hardcore than scrubby. Almost all of their 2-D fighters since FF2 rock IMO, because of this.
< tofuhead >
...but Fatal Fury being "equal to Street Fighter 2 in playability and character development?" Who knew? First off, "character development?" This was Fatal Fury here, not Warzard/Red Earth. Secondly, it wasn't until Fatal Fury 2 that you could actually perform functional link and cancel combos, two features which were implemented in Street Fighter II from the beginning (although unintended).
SNK eventually got fighters down pat, but the first Fatal Fury is just not as good as they make it out to be. It was interesting and different at the time, but not good.
Personally, I will miss them most for Crystalis, Metal Slug, Samurai Spirits/Shodown, and King of Fighters. (Never played Magician Lord, so I can't comment.) I also have to tip my hat to them for getting me hooked on the NeoGeo version of Puzzle Bobble/Bust a Move.
I propose that everyone go out and buy a copy of Fatal Fury Mark of the Wolves for Dreamcast ($30!) in SNK's honor, and use only SNK characters/grooves in Capcom vs SNK 1, Pro, and 2. ^_^
< tofuhead >
If you didn't know, the WSC is a Japanese handheld system that was never released in the U.S. It's a largely unremarkable system, but Square has been supporting it with re-releases of their old games. I've never considered getting one, since I own all of the Famicom and Super Famicom originals anyway.
< tofuhead >
Saw several opened xboxes available at two Target stores in the past few days. No 'Cubes in any store around here.
I haven't heard of any QA problems with either system, so I guess these returns are more the exception than the rule...unless a few people just didn't want them. I won't comment further on that, considering the overwhelming xbox fanboy populace here on /.
< tofuhead >
There are jet black GBAs, as well as spice orange ones, both made to match the black and orange Japanese GCNs like the purple GBA matches purple cubes. They'll be available soon.
You say you've got money to burn, eh? Go import some limited edition Suicune, Celebi, Hello Kitty, and Yomiuri Giants GBAs. I'm quite happy with my own LE models, particularly the Suicune model. (oooooh...shiny bluuuuue...)
< tofuhead >
Amen.
I deal with various sorts of NICs all the time, and basically the Intel NICs seem to perform very well with less hassle. 3Com's windows drivers have some basic built-in diagnostics, but I've noticed that Intel's windows drivers are much more stable and straightforward.
Plus, they are cheap. I can get OEM Intel pro/100 s NICs (with ipsec co-processor that automatically offloads security tasks from the CPU in w2k) for $2 less than an OEM 3Com 3c905c, which is a pretty good card, but doesn't include a security co-processor. Oh, and the pro/100 s card is half-height, which is always nice for ventilation purposes. =P
< tofuhead >
<conspiracytheory>For such a feature to have gone "unnoticed" proves either the incompetence of MS' designers, or their savvy marketing practices. Just ask Sony how gravely this same leaked "feature" on first-generation Japanese PS2s affected their sales...I'm sure it did nothing but boost initial sales. Just watch, sometime in the next year, all of Microsoft's own released games will install a service pack on the HD which will also permanently and completely fix this "recently-discovered bug." Won't happen till after the holiday season though. ^_-</conspiracytheory>
May I recommend Sonic 1, Sonic CD Japanese version, Gunstar Heroes, Phantasy Star 2-4, Herzog Zwei, Shining Force (1, 2, and Sega CD version), Landstalker, and Thunder Force 2 & 3, just off the top of my head? They were all at least pretty good games. Installments of Street Fighter, Castlevania, Dragon Ball Z, and other X-plat game series also graced this system.
Well, now's a pretty good time to be in the market for consoles, especially if you're mainly a gaming enthusiast, and not just some convergence maniac who also plays games. As of today in the U.S., approximately $300 plus tax will nab you a Nintendo Gamecube, a Sega Dreamcast, AND either 1-3 good games for the DC, or one game for the 'Cube (plus the bundled DC game demo disc). Or, for that price, you can get one PS2 (with no bundled games, HD, or modem/ethernet), or one xbox that won't play DVDs right out of the box and no games. $330 plus tax should get you a PS2 with Gran Turismo 3, or an xbox w/DVD pack (but still no games).
I don't mean to advocate my admiration of both Nintendo and Sega, but GC+DC+games is a killer combo for this holiday season IMO, especially if you already have a DVD player (even a reliable old cheapie). A $300 xbox that requires an additional DVD pack to play movies isn't in my short- or long-term budget, and a PS2 will only start to make sense to me at $250 in its current state, or $300 with a bundled hard drive, modem, and/or DVD remote control...and even then only after a reliable import mod has been implemented on such systems (for Guilty Gear X Plus and Metal Gear Solid 2 Japanese version). PSOnes will look fairly-priced at $200, when bundled with Sony-branded 5" LCD screens early next year, but are overpriced right now considering its limited capabilties vs. Dreamcast, and the current $129 price tag on the official Sony LCD (which is expected to drop).
< tofuhead >
Hi there.
One of my American DCs, Chinese-made w/Samsung drive, was manufactured in October 2000. It can boot from CDRs, the DC-X loader, etc. Also, it doesn't exhibit the overheating problem of the first-generation models, can play slightly scratched discs just fine compared to other Samsungs, and is also fairly quiet compared to other Samsungs I've heard. To top it off, it came with one _perfect_ controller. Unfortunately, all the other Dreamcasts at that one particular store were less than perfect (yeah, I returned the day after buying this one and bought up the remaining stock, just to return them shortly thereafter).
There are just so many things to look for when searching for a "perfect" DC. (For example, the system I described doesn't like "thick CDRs," so audio tracks on CDRs can sometimes skip unless you use a good brand of CDR.) Just looking at date and country of manufacture doesn't guarantee that you'll pick a winner, although none of my DCs have had major problems (this one being the one most recently manufactured).
< tofuhead >