Sega employed sophisticated security measures, particularly for the GD-ROM games. The games were encrypted to prevent piracy on bootleg hardware. For years, many Naomi 2 games were considered "unplayable" in emulation because the encryption keys were unknown. It took years of work by groups like SEGABOOT and developers within the MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) project to crack these protections.
Because arcade cabinets are often scrapped or left to rot in humid warehouses, preserving the physical media is a race against time. Some Naomi 2 titles were exclusive to specific regions (particularly Japan) or were "location tests" that never saw a wide release. Finding a working board for a game like Dynamic Golf or specific revisions of Virtua Striker requires dedicated hunting by arcade collectors. Sega Naomi 2 Roms Archive
Kenji chuckled, a dry, tired sound. "More? We had fifty-three titles in various states. Sega of Japan wanted to push Dreamcast compatibility. The Naomi 2 was too powerful, too expensive. It ate quarters and scared operators." He pulled a disc from a jewel case. "This one? Shinobi Resurrection . Canceled in 2001. Only two cabinets ever built." It took years of work by groups like