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The Dreamcast development dit (Katana) from Mad Catz

This page invites you to discover Mad Catz development files containing data related to calibration tools for various Dreamcast peripherals and their prototypes. It is an appendix to [Dreamcast Development Kits (Katana) to Download], which lists the available Dreamcast (Katana) development kits on the site.

Founded in 1989, Mad Catz was an American company specializing in the design of video game peripherals such as controllers, steering wheels, and keyboards, often developed under official license for PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo consoles. However, during the 2010s, the company faced significant financial difficulties, notably due to poorly managed investments and increasingly intense competition. In 2017, Mad Catz filed for bankruptcy, bringing its activities to an end after nearly thirty years of operation.

Madcatz logo.webp

Regarding the Dreamcast Controller Software Tool: Mad Catz used a software utility intended to calibrate or repair the Dreamcast controllers it manufactured. This program, located in the “CE_VIB” folder, resembles one of the demonstrations included in the official SDK that SEGA distributed to development studios. Mad Catz most likely adapted this tool to suit its own needs. The Dreamcast Controller Software Tool is functional and is available in GD-I format only.

You can test and download the Dreamcast Controller Software Tool on the following page: [Dreamcast SDKs, tools, tech demos, and development documents available for download]

Mad Catz Dreamcast Pad Tool

Regarding the Dreamcast Vibration Pack Software Tool: The “PantherDC” and “PantherDC_dwp” folders contain data corresponding to a calibration tool for Vibration Packs. Although all the files necessary for its operation appear to be present and intact, the program does not work. It is possible that the Dreamcast Vibration Pack Tool is actually integrated into the Dreamcast Controller Software Tool.

Dreamcast_Dev_Kit_Katana_Mad_Catz.jpg

Regarding the Dreamcast Mouse Software Tool: The “MouseDC” folder, which is empty, suggests that the American accessory manufacturer was considering releasing its own mice for the Dreamcast. However, no Mad Catz-branded mouse model was ever produced.

Regarding the “MCTEST” folder: Some files are missing, which prevents the unknown program in the folder from running. However, it does contain audio and video samples, including the introduction cutscene of Sonic Blast 3D on the SEGA Saturn in SFD format.

Regarding the extraction of the development kit content: No image of the Mad Catz Dev Kit hard drive exists. The archive available for download below only contains a copy of the project folder.

You can download the Mad Catz Dreamcast Dev Kit SET 5 below.

Mad Catz Dev Kit Katana SET 5

Special thanks to:

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  • Pix Ben for sharing the contents of the Dev Kit

  • Ian Micheal for the analysis of the Development Kit’s contents

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