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If you love arcade games, the Sega Naomi and the Atomiswave are two boards you need to know. The Naomi was built on Dreamcast hardware and hosted incredible fighters and shooters. The Atomiswave, made by Sammy, ran on similar tech and gave us some all-time great 2D fighters. Both emulate through Flycast, the same emulator that runs the Dreamcast, so if you already play Dreamcast games you are most of the way there.
We frame all of this around games you own and want to preserve.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and Anbernic affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
What Are the Naomi and Atomiswave?
Both are arcade boards, not home consoles.
- Sega Naomi. Launched in 1998 on Dreamcast-based hardware. It powered a huge run of Sega arcade hits, from fighters to shooters, with visuals that matched or beat the consoles of the day.
- Atomiswave. Sammy's 2003 arcade board, also built on similar technology. It is famous for a run of excellent 2D fighting games.
Because they share DNA with the Dreamcast, they run through the same emulator, Flycast.
What You Need
- A capable handheld. These boards are roughly Dreamcast-level to emulate, so a mid-range or stronger device is ideal.
- The Flycast core in RetroArch, or standalone Flycast on Android.
- The required BIOS files for each board, which you must provide from hardware you own. We do not link to BIOS downloads.
- Your own games in the correct format.
Our Flycast Dreamcast setup guide covers the emulator basics that apply here too.
How to Set It Up
- In RetroArch, download the Flycast core if you do not have it.
- Place the Naomi and Atomiswave BIOS files in the system folder.
- Add your games in the format Flycast expects for arcade content, typically a specific romset format.
- Load a game with Flycast.
- Set up your controls. Many of these are fighters, so a clean D-pad or a paired arcade stick helps a lot.
Best Naomi Games
The Naomi library is loaded with arcade greatness.
- Marvel vs. Capcom 2. The legendary crossover fighter. One of the most beloved fighting games ever made.
- Capcom vs. SNK 2. A deep dream-match fighter with multiple grooves.
- Guilty Gear XX series. Gorgeous, fast anime fighters at their best.
- Ikaruga. The polarity-switching shooter masterpiece. A true classic.
- Giga Wing. A bullet-hell shooter with a reflect mechanic and absurd scores.
- Power Stone 1 and 2. Chaotic 3D arena brawlers that are a blast solo or with friends.
Best Atomiswave Games
The Atomiswave is a fighting game lover's dream.
- The King of Fighters Neowave. A polished entry in the long-running series.
- Guilty Gear Isuka. A four-player twist on the Guilty Gear formula.
- Metal Slug 6. A standout entry in the run-and-gun series.
- Samurai Shodown VI. A celebration entry packed with the series' fighters.
- Fist of the North Star. A flashy, beloved fighter based on the anime. A cult favorite.
A Note on Controls
Most of these are fighting games and shooters, where input quality matters. A handheld with a great D-pad handles them well, but a paired Bluetooth arcade stick takes it to another level. See our pair a Bluetooth controller guide.
Recommended Handhelds
These boards want Dreamcast-level power or better.
The
runs Naomi and Atomiswave games well on a great screen. For more headroom and the smoothest experience, the handles everything with ease. Add an for the fighters.Related Guides
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