"Swap Trick" for the American/US Systems (to allow the playing of non-US games)
by The Gypsy (john@TheGypsy.com)

Note: If you have a Japanese Dreamcast, see the "Notes" section below for more information on some other swap tricks for Japanese Dreamcasts only.

The Gypsy's Working Swap Method!

This swap trick will work on the US Dreamcast and allow you to play Japanese imports. I can perform this swap repeatedly and reliably and have used it to play the Japanese versions of several games (see the list below for what has been tested so far). As a side note, the Japanese Sega light gun works just fine on a US DC when playing the Japanese version of HotD2!

Step 0: If you have not already done this, go into your Dreamcast's settings and turn off the autoload feature. Just leave it off all the time.

Step 1: Remove the cover of your Dreamcast. To do this, just unscrew the four screws on the bottom of the unit. Note that one of the screws is hidden underneath the modem. Slide the modem off to get to it. Removing the cover may void your warranty, I really do not know for certain. If you don't have the guts to pull the cover off, then you don't deserve to be playing imports anyway. :-)

Step 2: You need to find a way to switch and then hold down the little black switch in the upper right-hand corner of the Dreamcast. I use a small piece of wire that I wrap around the switch to hold it in place. Others have suggested just using a rubber band. In any case, you need to be able to lock it in place so that the DC will use the GD-ROM drive even though the lid is "open." Get this device ready but, for now, do not lock the switch on.

Step 3: Turn on your Dreamcast and let it go to the main menu. Insert a US/American disc (even the demo GD-ROM will work!). Now use your "device" to activate thelid switch and hold it in place. The drive will begin spinning the disc. Use the controller to make "Play" the action that will occur when you press the A button on the controller. Do not press it yet -- we're just getting it ready to make it easier to start in the next step.

Step 4: We are about to do the swap, so get your Japanese disc ready. I recommend holding the import disc in your left hand with your index finger stuck through the hole in the center (which will help you line it up when you insert it in a moment). At this time, your Dreamcast should still be at the main menu and be ready to Play when you push the controller button. With the index finger of your right hand, push on the center of the GD-ROM drive to stop the current disc from spinning! Do not remove the disc! Just stop it from spinning. Keeping it stopped with your finger, push the button on your controller. The screen will go white as the Dreamcast tries to load the game.

Step 5: Release the US/American disc. It will spin up. You will hear the drive head move and then about a 1/2 second pause and then a second head move. Immediately after this second head move, you must quickly stop the disc from spinning (use your right index finger again), pop out the US/American disc, and swap in your import disc! The import disc will then read for a moment and the blue Sega logo should appear. It will then load the game! If it does, you're all set! Note that during the entire swap process, the screen should remain white. If the Sega logo appears before you get the import disc in, then you waited too long before stopping and removing the US/American disc. If it goes back to the main menu, then you did not wait long enough before removing the American disc. Basically, you want to swap the discs just before the blue Sega logo would appear. Of course, practice makes perfect -- it DOES work!

And that's it! Enjoy your import games on your American Dreamcast!

What has been tested?

• Berkley Project Demo
• Blue Stinger
• Dynamite Deka Cop 2
• Expendable
• Frame Gride
• Giant Glam Wrestling
• House of the Dead 2 (Japanese Sega light gun works also!)
• King Of Fighters 99 (Possible background music problem)
• Touken Ritsuden 4 ("New Japan 4")
• Powerstone
• Sega Get Bass (Japanese Sega Fishing Rod works also!)
• Sonic Adventure
• Soul Calibur
• Virtua Fighter 3tb
• "What's Shenmue?" Demo ("Dural" says that it works if you use the Passport disc as the first disc -- did not work with Sonic as the first disc)

• Godzilla (swap works to get to main menu, but then resets)
• Marvel Vs. Capcom (may just be a timing issue -- keep trying until I hear more reports of failure)
• Pen Pen Trilcelon (boots, but then has problems? Keep testing...)
• Sega Rally 2 (may be because of the WinCE OS -- need more tests)

Some Notes About Swap Tricks

• Since writing the original instructions, I have soldered a switch into my Dreamcast to allow me to trick the DC into thinking the cover is closed when I need to. This allows me to do the swap method without removing the cover any longer. I will try to have pictures/details of this soon. Note that the switch just lets you do the trick with the lid open and cover still on -- but you STILL NEED TO DO THE SWAP! It does not just let you play Japanese games by flipping a switch!
• The "battery disconnect" swap trick can be seen here. However, please remember what I said above regarding wear on your battery connector ribbon and/or the soldering involved depending on how you do the trick! If you are worried about ribbon wear and/or don't know how to solderer, you may want to stick to my method instead.
• If you have a Japanese Dreamcast and the US Demo GD-ROM from the November issue of Dreamcast magazine, there is a swap trick that will allow you to play the US version NFL2k. However, this trick is so specific that it isn't really worth it any more -- as my swap trick works in a similar fashion for many more games.
• One other trick to try for Japanese Dreamcast owners is here at Interesting-Devices.com. However, I have not spoken with anyone that has gotten it to work. The article is obviously incorrect and not fully tested -- as it implies that it works with the American Dreamcast also, which it certainly does not (see note below about the CD Player not making the disc stop on US Dreamcasts). I'm only listing it here because people were asking about it. Feel free to let me know if it works!
• Forget anything you have read about using the Music/CD Player as part of the swap. It simply doesn't do anything on the US Dreamcast because the disc will not stop spinning. I am curious if the disc does stop spinning for anyone with a US Dreamcast, as it certainly does not stop on mine. If you have a US Dreamcast and clicking on Play and then Stop in the Music Player when you have a GD-ROM in the drive causes the disc to stop spinning, please contact me about it.
• Forget anything you have read about having to boot the game first and then reset back to the main menu. This is not required with this swap method.
• The Japanese Sega Light Gun works fine on the US Dreamcast with the Japanese version of House of the Dead 2 and this swap method!
• You can use the demo disc that comes with your US Dreamcast as the initial disc. People have said previously that it cannot be used for swap tricks, but it does work fine. I recommend using it so that if you happen to scratch it up, you aren't ruining one of your real games.

Document Revision History