It’s been a long time coming...perhaps too long (life tends to get in the way sometimes!) but after a ton of research and some computer time I am excited to finally be able to show off a little of the D2 M2 “Restoration Project” thing I’ve been poking away at for the last like 18 months. Backstory : Having played and thoroughly enjoyed the original D on the 3DO growing up, as a kid I was extremely excited for the release of the Panasonic M2 and D2. Checking out screenshots and previews in gaming magazines only furthered this excitement...until the M2 was outright cancelled. D2 obviously came out as a Dreamcast game, but save for a few minor similarities, the D2 we received as gamers was a completely different game from what was slated to come out on the M2. Some pieces of the game still exist though, and through some research, purchasing, translation help, and some kind submissions, I have been able to obtain the following. Camera original footage of the beta gameplay. It’s what is already on Youtube, but I will be able to upres this and clean it up / assemble it into one full file. (Thanks to Rewak for submitting this...worked for 3DO back in the day) The CGI footage from Live! 3DO Magazine # 7 and #10, as well as the bonus film from the D2 Shock / Japanese Dreamcast D2 Disc (obtained myself via easily accessible means) Some additional short gameplay scraps videos (trade shows from when the M2 was still slated to come out) Screenshots / magazine scans / book scans (various sources, including the “Official Guide Book to D” published in Japan The original audio recording at WAV quality from the audio disk included in “D - Director’s Cut” for 3DO Today I have uploaded the cleaned up and upres’d CGI films, translated and assembled into one full “film”. The literal translation was done by ArcaneAria (translated Dr. Hauzer) and I wrote the converted story text, trying not to impart any intent that was not “there”, but adding “flavor” to the literal translation. Hope you all enjoy. I will be doing more along the way (gameplay test footage, zip of all images / print media I have found / etc) but if anyone has anything they’d like to add, I’d greatly appreciate it. My end goal is to assemble everything possible to get as comprehensive a picture of D2 for the M2 as possible. And if you have a playable alpha / beta, let me know lol. I’ve searched and searched, heard rumors it may exist, but of course have come up empty handed. Also looking for M2 hardware. Can be kiosk, but I want to do the same for everything M2 software related (preserve, remaster, etc) Methodology : all footage captured via original hardware (3DO, Dreamcast) via an XRGB Mini. Finished / subtitled in DaVinci Resolve. Color measurements taken at all steps to maintain the most accurate color representation from source material to finished Youtube file as possible!
Yeah it hasn't been easy haha. I've spent some solid time trying to compile as much as I can, and whenever I think I've found it all something else pops up.
Thanks man. And thanks for helping out as well. Took forever to finally finish...every time I sat down to finalize things, something got in the way Was biking to work this morning and decided today was the day I gave it a last look and exported / uploaded
