Looks like the Dreamcast has caught a break. Late last month, we reported that Japan's Denan Law (loosely translated as "Safe Electronics") would be going into effect April 1st. The law was passed back in 2001 and contains a five-year grace period.

Denan was drawn up to ensure safety and conformity to technical records by initiating an inspection system. Sellers must get a government seal that says the goods are up to modern standards. If not, these products cannot be sold in used stores.

For gaming, consoles that don t use removable AC adapters, such as the PS1, the PS1 SCPH-1000000-39000, Sega MegaDrive, MegaCD, Super 32X, Sega Saturn and Dreamcast units will need to be inspected or subsequently banned.

As act of perservation, Sega's online shop SegaDirect is selling refurbished Dreamcasts that confirm to Denan safety standards. The console, which was Sega's last, is being bundled with a special edition music CD and a game. One bundle type went on sale in February and features the 2D shooter Radilgy. It has subsequently sold out. The other bundle includes the war title Under Defeat and goes on sale March 23.

The company continues to coming back to the Dreamcast. We contacted Sega Japan about this, asking if this was a sign the company was considering returning to the consoles. The reply was:

The Dreamcast hardware that is sold on SegaDirect is all used, not newly manufactured. SEGA's business direction is that to be one of the top publishers in the global market, so SEGA is not returning to the hardware business.

When asked where these "used" Dreamcasts had come from or how many the company had, Sega declined to comment.

Order a Dreamcast Here [Sega Direct]

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