Hello space kitties.
It's not everyday new VM software is re-discovered... but first, let's take a moment to talk about JRA horse racing, uma musume, Dreamcast, and where they meet.
Ulala x Haru Urara artwork by アオノジ (Pixiv | X.com)
About Uma Musume:
"Horse girls.
They were born to run.
They inherit the names of racehorses from another world,
whose histories were sometimes tragic and sometimes wonderful,
and with that they run.
That is their fate."
Uma Musume multimedia franchise is inspired by real-life racehorses and their careers. Dominant champions, career-ending injuries that change the field, fierce rivalries, slumps and comebacks, and much more. The real-life drama of the sport translates well into the anime without need for embellishment. The creators have gone through the diligence to secure approval of these race teams and breeders for use of their namesakes and stories. The franchise includes a multi-season anime, feature-length anime film, character song CDs, mobile gotcha game, and live stage shows. Sports, idols, and animals seems like an odd combination, but it seems to be a winning formula with endless possibility.
About JRA-PAT for Dreamcast:
"PAT" stands for Personal Access Terminal, and enables legally sanctioned JRA event betting from home. PAT software works via telephone or internet and has been available for PC and home console as early as the Famicom. The JRA-PAT discs for Dreamcast were published from 2000-2002 making use of Dreamcast's modem. Consider these seasons as we continue. back to
uma musume.
1999 JRA season marked the beginning of a golden era for the sport. Every race was a battle, and each champion fought hard for the tile. During this season Special Week made a name for himself, and is dramatized in Season 1 of Uma Musume: Pretty Derby.
Rolling into the 2000 season, four strong challengers arose. With this degree of competition, no bets are safe. Featured in the
ROAD TO THE TOP OVA
T.M. Opera O | Meishou Dotou | Admire Vega | Narita Top Road
テイエムオペラオー | メイショウドトウ | アドマイヤベガ | ナリタトップロード
新時代の扉 artwork by
雪星こころ (
Pixiv |
X.com)
Events of the 2001 season are featured in a movie which premiered last month.
Uma Musume Pretty Derby: Beginning of a New Era. The new competitors trying to make a name for themselves. Who's name is on your ticket?
Agnes Tachyon | Manhattan Cafe | Jungle Pocket
アグネスタキオン | マンハッタンカフェ | ジャングルポケット
artwork by
TKS (
Pixiv |
X.com)
As the JRA-PAT software's main feature is betting, it's worth mentioning that there are far more systems than simply "choose the winner". For example a trifecta bet would choose 3 horses, and they would have to place 1,2,3 in any order. With many options, it may seem complicated at first, but in the end it allows spectators to customize a bet with comfort. More info on betting arrangements is available at this
website.
Besides the main PAT menu, the GD-ROMs also feature how-to videos and a "memorial" section. The menu music itself is a jazzy lo-fi loop that's a little too good for this feature. The memorial section is where these discs shine. It features stats and race footage from the legendary racehorses of the previous 2 decades. While this may not be as in-depth as the statistics from
Yume Bakken '99 or contemporary websites like
Keibado OnLine, the offerings of the "Memorial" section is great value for a beginning JRA fan.
The final aspect of this software is the VM function. It's mentioned in the oversized manual included with the disc (not the cover insert), as well as the dricas website (
archive.org |
my site). WIth the PAT1_VM.VMS software, a user can arrange their bet on-the-go. Then, when returning home, this pre-arranged bet can be placed online via Dreamcast.
Hi there!
