For the latest entry in this series I’ve decided to cover the most recently-released console that I play imported games on - Sega’s final foray into the console hardware market, the fabulous Dreamcast...
Why Bother Importing?
The number one reason for most gamers to make their Dreamcast import-friendly is so they can play all those fantastic shooters that were released in Japan towards the end of the console’s life. However they will all cost you a substantial amount of cash to get hold of, so since these articles are all about cost-effective importing, let’s just say that there are a number of Japan and US exclusive games that are well worth your time and won’t put too much of a strain on your wallet. This is one console that it probably isn’t worth trying to get cheaper imported versions of PAL releases for, as the majority of PAL Dreamcast games are ridiculously cheap these days. There are a few exceptions though which I’ll cover later.
Hardware Modification
Let’s make this quick shall we? You can get a US or Japanese console for around £50 (Video Game Imports and Japan Game Stock have them) or you could get hold of a Mod chip for £25+ fitted from Console Passion, or £12 from Rob Webb if you want to try fitting it yourself. 
However the cheapest and easiest way to make your Dreamcast import-friendly will cost you no more than the price of a blank CD. There are numerous ‘boot discs’ available that allow you to play imports by loading the CD, then taking it out and putting your import game disc in it’s place. The best of the bunch is the Gameshark CD-X, which not only plays virtually all imports and supports the Dreamcast’s VGA adapter (highly recommended by the way!) but also has a totally unnecessary gratuitous picture of a buxom woman with a gun on the menu screen!
Another alternative is the Utopia Boot CD but that isn’t compatible with some games.
You should be able to download an ISO of any of the boot discs and burn it to a CD yourself – just Google ‘Dreamcast Boot CD ISO’ or visit this site and you’re sure to find something suitable. If not, get in touch and I’ll happily do you a copy of the CD-X for the cost of a blank CD and postage! 
Where To Buy Cheap Games
A bit tricky this one. To be honest, your best bet for picking up the worthwhile imports at a reasonable price is to just keep an eye on Ebay. There are a couple of Japanese Ebay shops that have a substantial quantity of games priced £5 or less – Hit Japan and Japanese Retro Video Games – but the majority of titles are either mediocre sports or driving games (most of which got a PAL release anyway) or the kind of thing that only the Japanese would enjoy. Love adventures, text-heavy RPGs and giant robot sims are the order of the day at the budget end of the Dreamcast import spectrum I’m afraid.
You may also find a bargain or two at Japan Game Stock but again the majority of their cheapest games are readily available for a similar price in PAL format.
What Games To Buy
As I’ve already made clear, its rather slim pickings on the cheap and worthwhile imports front. If you’re browsing the Ebay stores mentioned above and come across a cheap title that interests you, I strongly recommend cross-referencing it with the opinions on Segagaga Domain before spending any money. One US-only release that can be found for under a tenner and is worth picking up is Ooga Booga, an entertaining ‘tribal sports battle’ game that supports four simultaneous players, making it ideal for parties.
Aside from that, fans of 2D fighting games will find the Japanese editions of Street Fighter III: Third Strike and Capcom vs SNK 2000 a little cheaper than their PAL counterparts, while Survival Horror lovers should be able to pick up Blue Stinger and Bio Hazard: Code Veronica (AKA Resident Evil) for under £5 in their Japanese incarnations. Be wary of the foreign text and voice acting that may affect playability however.
Last but by no means least, the American version of the fantastic Typing Of The Dead is far easier to come by than the PAL edition, and more affordable too. Expect to pay no more than £15 for this hilarious and challenging remake of House of the Dead 2, but remember you need a Dreamcast keyboard to play it with.
Picked up Typing Of The Dead last week, I was quite suprised at some of the words/phrases that popped up, Hand Shandy and I'm sure Douche Bag or Douche something popped up as well.