Regulation 7 Dreamcast Console Unboxing
When I was 20 years old (in 2004) I went to Japan. As a real nerd, I spent quite a lot of time (and money) in Akihabara, a district in Tokyo so known for its electronic and entertainment shops that it’s long been called “Electric Town.” While the majority of the buildings in this district are modern, glowing towers dominated by multi-storey shops selling the latest and greatest in tech products, there are also a smattering of smaller shops tucked away in back alleys and on lower levels which sell, shall we say, rarer treasures.
It was within one such shop that I found, among other SEGA artifacts, a Regulation 7 Dreamcast complete in its box. I bought it on the spot, even if it meant I later had to buy another suitcase for my return to the USA.
The Regulation 7 Dreamcast was a Japan-only model, sold to pachinko parlors for use with electronic gambling machines. It’s not an incredibly rare console compared with some other limited edition Dreamcast systems, but it’s certainly uncommon enough (especially for us Americans).
A later Regulation 7 model was also released via mail-order to regular customers. This version comes with a number of accessories, and it is incredibly rare.
Eighteen years later, I still have my Regulation 7, and today I’ve uploaded an unboxing video to YouTube. Check it out below.