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Is it possible to port GTA 3 to the Dreamcast?
Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 1:52 pm
by DialecticChaos13
Hello everybody
For everyone who doesn´t know the Nintendo Switch received a homebrew port of GTA3 using reverse engineering and the code of the the game as been leaked online which makes it possible to port the game to every console that can handle the game.
Everybody knows that GTA3 was in development for the Dreamcast but was cancelled do to Sega leaving the console manufacturing business, but now we finally have the oportunity to finally play GTA3 on our beloved Dreamcast.
It would be really awesome if somebody in our community made a Homebrew port of the game

Re: Is it possible now to port GTA 3 to the Dreamcast?
Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 1:57 pm
by pcwzrd13
The Dreamcast unfortunately wouldn't be able to handle it, which is the reason for its cancellation. I spoke with one of the founders of Rockstar, Jamie King, a while back who said:
It was in development but the hardware wasn’t powerful enough to run the game in proper 3rd person perspective. We had to wait for the PS2
Re: Is it now possible to port GTA 3 to the Dreamcast?
Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:01 pm
by DialecticChaos13
Damn...
Even with many visual downgrades wouldnt be possible?
btw,i really dig your videos man,the "Games That Never Were" series of videos are really good
Re: Is it possible now to port GTA 3 to the Dreamcast?
Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:12 pm
by cloofoofoo
pcwzrd13 wrote:The Dreamcast unfortunately wouldn't be able to handle it, which is the reason for its cancellation. I spoke with one of the founders of Rockstar, Jamie King, a while back who said:
It was in development but the hardware wasn’t powerful enough to run the game in proper 3rd person perspective. We had to wait for the PS2
That seems so strange considering the nomad soul is on the dc.
Only other thing that makes sense is they still tried to do it on renderware on the dc. Renderware was known be horrible performance wise on the dc.
Re: Is it now possible to port GTA 3 to the Dreamcast?
Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:17 pm
by DialecticChaos13
There has to be a way to run GTA3 on the Dreamcast even with some downgrades.
If we have a game like Shenmue running on the Dreamcast(even if it has various multiple Discs) or Headhunter we can have GTA3.
I know it are different games and all but it i think it is possible ahahah
The fact that the Dreamcast is powered by Windows CE doesnt make easier to port the game now because of the source code that has been leaked or something?
Re: Is it now possible to port GTA 3 to the Dreamcast?
Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 3:00 pm
by Anthony817
Shenmue 1 and 2 are MUCH smaller games than GTA 3 in terms of the game world size. Memory plays such a role on how large game worlds can be, not just video memory, but normal memory as well. If somebody were serious about a port, they would have to adjust render distance and LOD's significantly and turn down the traffic and pedestrian density, as well as the complexity of the scene being rendered.
Everybody with even a passing knowledge of the complexities of games know you have to sacrifice image quality to get larger games. Graphically, GTA 3 was nothing to write home about, even on PS2, but where the game achieved critical success was in the scope of the game, and what all you could do in it.
Even on PC you needed something like 96mb memory MINIMUM, but since the PS2 port ran close to the metal it could do it with less since no OS overhead.
Re: Is it now possible to port GTA 3 to the Dreamcast?
Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 3:14 pm
by DarkSynbios
I agree with Anthony what said but if ever happen to make a port on Dreamcast we need all programmers, coders and etc. of DC community to work together with a proper engine and course the full support of DC Fans(not only on words

).
Re: Is it now possible to port GTA 3 to the Dreamcast?
Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 3:18 pm
by Ian Micheal
Half life had huge min ram on pc as well yet is fully working on dreamcast never say never
Re: Is it now possible to port GTA 3 to the Dreamcast?
Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 3:45 pm
by kremiso
yes, nomad soul it's probably the closest approach, 3d world speaking
who knows ?
i would be satisfied from a gta 2.5 too
Re: Is it now possible to port GTA 3 to the Dreamcast?
Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 4:43 pm
by DialecticChaos13
I dont understand anything about gamedev ahahah and only wanted to know if it could be possible GTA3 could ever be ported to the Dreamcast now that it was ported to the Switch using reverse engineering. I now understand its not easy to make a port of the game but maybe one day it happens who knows