Lxdream is a Linux-based emulator for the Sega Dreamcast system that is currently under active development. The version number indicates that it is still a little ways to go until a 1.0 version but quite a number of demos and even some games are running. The latest versions boasts OSX support!

Chris Kohler, author of Retrogaming Hacks and PowerUP, has a fantastic feature at 1-UP called Out of Control: The Craziest Game Controllers Ever. This article is definitely a must-visit for all retrogaming fans, particularly those with an interest in novel input devices. Where else are you going to read about Boong-Ga Boong-Ga, the Korean arcade fisting simulator? I thought I had seen some quirky controllers before, but Pom Poms? An accordion? There are also lots of comparisons here between Atari and Nintendo, as well as a look into modern arcades.

SegaThere's a brief article at a site called "The Older Gamers Paradise" about The Rise and Fall of Sega. It's not so much a detailed factual history as an opportunity to reminisce with a former diehard Sega fanboy (who now sounds a bit jaded, if you ask me). He's got some interesting speculations Sega's most fateful mistakes, the biggest seeming to be creating massive consumer confusion around 32x and Saturn. Here's an interesting thought--If Sega had used the CD unit as a springboard until perfecting the Saturn, things might have gone differently. If you're a Sega fan (or just want to see what the nostalgia is like from someone who is), you'll enjoy reading the article.

Nuclear power plantDX Gaming has posted a nice article the compares the power consumption of today's and some of yesterday's consoles.

Just leaving the console on standby consumes quite a bit of power, with the xbox360 costing about $2.63 a year. Just displaying the 'dashboard' shouldn't be as processor intensive as running games, but the difference in power consumption between those states turns out to be surprisingly small. Both the Microsoft consoles can easily compare to a very bright lightbulb - 61W & 145W - when running the dashboard. Respectively 70W and 165W playing games.

Nintendo DS: The next king of homebrew?There's a good article on a site called DCEMU UK today about The State of Homebrew on All Consoles. The author starts off with the PSP and moves on to discuss homebrew on many systems, including the GB2x and GB32. He claims that the PSP homebrew scene is the biggest at the moment, which would seem to be evidenced by the many posts we've had here recently about it.

DCAh, the Dreamcast...Although I'm usually about as PC-centric and anti-console as a guy can be and still be a gamer, I have a special place in my heart for Sega's Dreamcast. It's one of only two consoles I own, and I've been consistently impressed with its game library and its abilities as an emulator. Well, here's some exciting news for all us Dreamcast diehards: IGN is systematically reviewing every US-released Dreamcast title, and they intend to do it with screenshots as well as videos. If the entry for Rush 2049 is any indication, Dreamcast fans are in for quite a treat.