Just fired up my Sega Downcast and the VMU battery was still good. Small miracles.

[UPDATE] Nah the battery was/is dead it just had my saves and worked while plugged in... or I forgot how the hell a VMU works when it out of the system? ;-)

Still I was impressed with the VMU even years later show off fight moves and such in Shenmue. Also just having teh game on teh controller seems neat for a reason I can't really express.

I assume that the loud beeping every time I turn it on means mine is out of battery?

Are you sure it has battery? If it is plugged in to the controller it will take electricity through the controller. Does it still work even if you take it out of the controller? I remember having to change that battery every couple of weeks when I used to take it with me to play Pinta Quest (Skies of Arcadia).

Yeah, it was drained. Sort of glad Sega used a battery type that doesn't leak since I just put everything in the box 'as is' 13 years ago. I will have to buy some new batteries.

long live the chao garden

You can download new games for VMU...

http://dreamcast-news.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/pokemon-go-vmu-en-prevision.html?m=1

Pokemon Go VMU

The weirdness of the VMU makes me wish Sony has put out teh PocketStation in the US. Both in retrospect were likely bad ideas, or at least untenable as useful memory cards and useful game devices...but it would have been fun. I know I argue up above that teh littles screen on the Dreamcast controller were neat, but I can be honest too - they really never were needed. A memory card, that is a Tamagotchi, seems more fun and useful that it actually is in reality.

I do think "screens on controllers" will make a come back. But it will be in 10 years when you can put a plastic sheet thin color eINk display on a controller's touch pad/button that costs '30 cents', and draws so little power that they display has no effect on the battery life of the controller. And, such a display will be just useful enough to make the fractional cost worth it.