diff --git a/src/mame/drivers/taitojc.c b/src/mame/drivers/taitojc.c
index dc6c1f99c37..21e1e6da6e2 100644
--- a/src/mame/drivers/taitojc.c
+++ b/src/mame/drivers/taitojc.c
@@ -344,8 +344,8 @@ Notes:
         - dendeg doesn't show credit display
         - landgear has some weird crashes (after playing one round, after a couple of loops in attract mode) (needs testing -AS)
         - landgear has huge 3d problems on gameplay (CPU comms?)
-        - dendeg2/dendeg2x usually crashes when starting the game (lots of read and writes to invalid addresses).
         - All dendeg games have random wrong textures/palettes. (can't see any ... -AS)
+		- dendeg2 shows a debug string during gameplay?
         - Train board (external sound board with OKI6295) is not emulated.
         - dangcurv DSP program crashes very soon, so no 3d is currently shown.
         - add idle skips if possible
@@ -1902,8 +1902,8 @@ ROM_END
 
 GAME( 1996, dendeg,   0,       taitojc, dendeg,   taitojc,  ROT0, "Taito", "Densya De Go (Japan)", GAME_IMPERFECT_GRAPHICS )
 GAME( 1996, dendegx,  dendeg,  taitojc, dendeg,   taitojc,  ROT0, "Taito", "Densya De Go Ex (Japan)", GAME_IMPERFECT_GRAPHICS )
-GAME( 1998, dendeg2,  0,       taitojc, dendeg,   taitojc,  ROT0, "Taito", "Densya De Go 2 (Japan)", GAME_NOT_WORKING )
-GAME( 1998, dendeg2x, dendeg2, taitojc, dendeg,   taitojc,  ROT0, "Taito", "Densya De Go 2 Ex (Japan)", GAME_NOT_WORKING )
+GAME( 1998, dendeg2,  0,       taitojc, dendeg,   taitojc,  ROT0, "Taito", "Densya De Go 2 (Japan)", GAME_IMPERFECT_GRAPHICS )
+GAME( 1998, dendeg2x, dendeg2, taitojc, dendeg,   taitojc,  ROT0, "Taito", "Densya De Go 2 Ex (Japan)", GAME_IMPERFECT_GRAPHICS )
 GAME( 1996, sidebs,   0,       taitojc, sidebs,   taitojc,  ROT0, "Taito", "Side By Side (Japan)", GAME_IMPERFECT_GRAPHICS )
 GAME( 1997, sidebs2,  0,       taitojc, sidebs,   taitojc,  ROT0, "Taito", "Side By Side 2 (North/South America)", GAME_IMPERFECT_GRAPHICS )
 GAME( 1997, sidebs2j, sidebs2, taitojc, sidebs,   taitojc,  ROT0, "Taito", "Side By Side 2 (Japan)", GAME_IMPERFECT_GRAPHICS )
diff --git a/src/mame/video/taitojc.c b/src/mame/video/taitojc.c
index 741da0f20f9..e297780cc77 100644
--- a/src/mame/video/taitojc.c
+++ b/src/mame/video/taitojc.c
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ static void draw_object(running_machine &machine, bitmap_t *bitmap, const rectan
 		y2 = cliprect->max_y;
 	}
 
-	if(!color_depth) // Densya de Go 2X "credit text", 4bpp
+	if(!color_depth) // Densya de Go 2/2X "credit text", 4bpp
 	{
 		for (j=y1; j < y2; j++)
 		{
@@ -355,9 +355,17 @@ static void render_solid_scan(void *dest, INT32 scanline, const poly_extent *ext
 	int color = extent->param[1].start;
 	float dz = extent->param[0].dpdx;
 	UINT16 *fb = BITMAP_ADDR16(destmap, scanline, 0);
-	UINT16 *zb = BITMAP_ADDR16(extra->zbuffer, scanline, 0);
+	UINT16 *zb;// = BITMAP_ADDR16(extra->zbuffer, scanline, 0);
 	int x;
 
+	// avoid crash in dendeg2
+	if (!extra->zbuffer)
+	{
+		return;
+	}
+
+	zb = BITMAP_ADDR16(extra->zbuffer, scanline, 0);
+
 	for (x = extent->startx; x < extent->stopx; x++)
 	{
 		int iz = (int)z & 0xffff;