10 Amazing Hidden Console Details You Didn't Know

10. The Dreamcast's Secret BIOS

The Dreamcast has a fond place in many SEGA fan's heart not just for its preternatural hardware and wonderfully diverse (if somewhat limited) library, but for just how delightfully quirky it was. From its quixotic name and twee controller wire clip, to rocket-powered fans and a visual memory card that was also a Tamagotchi, there was just an ineffable charm to the console that we rarely see these days.

The BIOS was no exception, all bouncy icons and satisfyingly 'gamey' confirmation bleeps, a far cry from the stern and sleek style of today's electronic 'entertainment centres'. It also harboured a little secret, hidden by SEGA right up until the Dreamcast bowed out.

Their Japanese valediction, 2004's Puyo Puyo Fever, contained a little snippet of VMU code which when installed would transform the Dreamcast's usual flat menu at the press of the START button. Taking on a deep blue shade with spiffy reflections, the BIOS could now be twisted and rotated to your heart's content. It served precisely zero function besides as a reminder of SEGA's winsomeness.