Tokyo PC shop Tsukumo built this custom Dreamcast computer. Its innards gutted, the system was "upgraded" with a new motherboard, Blu-ray drive, HDMI, and 160GB hard drive. The controller ports were swapped out for USB inputs and mega-sized fan was added to the bottom. Added up, these changes represent $US1000 in hardware modifications. You can't see much of a difference here, but check out the flipside shots:

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Ah, the Dreamcast. Just whispering its name brings thousands of fanboys to half-mast, so I can't even imagine the number of popped tents this beautiful handheld Dreamcast is going to provoke.

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Developers are just getting their heads around the concepts introduced by the iPhone, but so far they like what they see. EA said it's more powerful than the DS, and now Sega--the guys who made Super Monkey Ball for the platform--is saying that it's just as powerful as the Dreamcast. The Dreamcast! Do you remember how good that was? Soul Calibur? House of the Dead? Typing of the Dead? Shenmue? Those were some quality games. Who else wants some of that action in the next few years? [Kotaku]

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The Dreamcast, borderline success that it was, always held a special place in our hearts. We just had a soft spot for punching the crap out of each other during a session of Virtua Fighter. That is why this Portable Dreamcast, put together by a zealous fanboy, has us experiencing a warm feeling in the pits of our stomachs.

What could endear us more to the plastic, white, game-playing god? An absence of a disc tray, meaning the disc spins freely, thus creating an awesome spectacle on LCD screen and off. Smashing. Only thing is; we can't get our hands on one. Oh, the bitter sweet irony; how it burns us so. [Dvice]

Sega's put a stop to the Dreamcast 2 rumours quickly, reiterating that they're going to stay a software company and not re-enter the console business. They told GameDaily this:

We're very happy being a platform agnostic company and have moved up the ranks the past three years from #11, to #9, and now stand at #6 in terms of our market share by units among third-party publishers. We like our current strategy and have no plans to change in the middle of this outstanding growth.

So no Dreamcast 2, just a renewal of the trademark—which means we'll have to stick to hoping there's an Ikaruga 2 for PS3/Xbox. [Gamedaily]

I know that there are a lot of Dreamcast fanboys out there, so let me get your hopes up (only to have them dashed later on down the line most likely). A recent trademark update by Sega has sparked rumours that they may be thinking about a return to the console biz with a second coming of the Dreamcast. From the filing:

home video game machines; player-operated electronic controllers for electronic video game machines; video game interactive controller, namely, hand held pads, and floor pads or mats; joysticks for video games; computer cursor control devices, namely, computer mouse; flash memory cards; video game software, computer game programs

Flash memory cards and floor pads/mats? Any Dreamcast fan would tell you that those devices were not involved with the original machine. Odds are that this means nothing in the long run—after all, this is probably not the time to pick a fight with the big three. As our friends at Kotaku noted, it probably means that Sega is trying to prevent somebody from developing these devices under a Dreamcast brand. Still, the idea of a new Dreamcast is a pleasant thought. What do you think? Could and should Sega consider this? [Videogamer via Kotaku]

As a proud owner of a Dreamcast, I am a man that can appreciate one with a prototype Zip Drive jammed into it. And now, thanks to the Internet, I can get one - for $US10,000 on eBay. Apparently, before the DC's fatal collapse, Imega Corp. made a 100MB Zip drive attachment that would help hold everything from saved games to emails. The drive was intended to help promote the DC as not only a console but as an entertainment system. The Dreamcast inevitably failed and now I'm left staring at it sadly while considering playing Virtua Tennis and mortgaging a house to get the Zip drive attachment. [DC News]

While it only has three strings and could use something stronger than a spit shine to clean it up, our unabated Dreamcast love completely blinds us to the Dreamcast guitar's flaws. If someone could magically transform it into a wireless controller for Guitar Hero 3, it would probably be the greatest peripheral ever. At least until someone makes an SNES guitar. [Destructoid via Neatorama]