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PC Engine/TG Appreciation and Collecting Thread, Because who needs a 2nd controller?

C

CartridgeBlower

Member
Just bought a Turboduo with Blazing Lazers and Final Zone II, as well as the six button controller.

Stoked to get started on building a collection! I've wanted a duo for a very long time. Mean-looking machine!

Anyone got any recommendations on where to start? I kinda broke the bank getting the system, so good cheap starter games would help!
 
P

PixyJunket

Member
Teknoman said:
Has anyone seen New Adventure Island PC engine for cheap?
Click to expand...
This is not cheap (?), but it has a couple of Bonks if you don't mind HuCard only.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400705379571

Teknoman said:
Hmm, i guess its just a recent trend then. They are pretty good with sales, trades, and sometimes free stuff though.
Click to expand...
You're not making the wait any easier.

ZealousD said:
Took me a few months. Definitely not instant.
Click to expand...
Welp.
 
A

antibolo

Banned
Personally I bought the 3 button controller so I can better play games that map a gameplay action to select or run.

I will probably never get any of the 6 button compatible games (they're almost all ports of arcade games that are better played on other systems) so I haven't looked for one yet.
 
Z

ZealousD

Makes world leading predictions like "The sun will rise tomorrow"
CartridgeBlower said:
For other games is it best to stick with a normal controller, or is the six-button the superior controller all around?
Click to expand...

The dpad isn't much better on the avenue 6. I don't think its any worse than a standard pad but it isn't much better. Its not like the genesis 6 button where the dpad was significantly better.
 
M

Mzo

Member
The Avenue 6 is also monstrously large. I was shocked the first time I used one. I wouldn't use it for other games.
 
Z

ZealousD

Makes world leading predictions like "The sun will rise tomorrow"
Mzo said:
The Avenue 6 is also monstrously large. I was shocked the first time I used one. I wouldn't use it for other games.
Click to expand...

Eh. I don't exactly have big hands and it didn't bother me.
 
S

Samuray

Member
Guys, I have a problem with my Turbo Duo and I'm running out of ideas. :(

So i am unable to play any CD-based game without the music dying on my after around five minutes. I sent the system to a person who is well-versed in all things PC Engine and he took a really good look at it, but he couldn't help me. At first he said he'd have to put on a new laser, then he decided against it and considered new .... I'm not sure here.....transistors? But then he sent me the console back, saying he didn't do anything. I would have music if I'd leave the disc running in the drive for a few minutes before starting a game.

Needless to say, that's not the case.

I'm sure he did what he thought was best, and if he didn't encounter the problem when checking my console there's nothing that can be done. But the sad truth is that I STILL can't play anything properly, and I was wondering if anyone might have some idea.

By the way, before I sent him the Duo, CD games sometimes wouldn't even load, with the laser making some horrible clicking sounds. Ever since he opened it up, though, that hasn't happened again; all games load just fine.

Hopefully my Duo can be saved... :( :( :(
 
Z

ZealousD

Makes world leading predictions like "The sun will rise tomorrow"
What kind of Duo is it? US system? Some Duos are better than others.
 
Z

ZealousD

Makes world leading predictions like "The sun will rise tomorrow"
Samuray said:
On the top it says Turbo Duo with Super CD-ROM2, on the bottom HES-DUO-01.

American system, yes....imported it back then (I'm in Germany)
Click to expand...

US systems are among those that are prone to bad capacitors. That's probably your issue. I'm guessing you've never had a cap replacement done?
 
S

Samuray

Member
ZealousD said:
US systems are among those that are prone to bad capacitors. That's probably your issue. I'm guessing you've never had a cap replacement done?
Click to expand...

Never had anything done, except for a region mod. The same guy did that so I can play Japanese HuCards. That adaptor I have was a pain in the ass. :)

The system was in a box for many years before I got vintage gaming two years ago. Ever since then it had this problem so it must have happened during the time I didn"t use it.
 
M

Mercutio

Member
Samuray said:
Guys, I have a problem with my Turbo Duo and I'm running out of ideas. :(

So i am unable to play any CD-based game without the music dying on my after around five minutes. I sent the system to a person who is well-versed in all things PC Engine and he took a really good look at it, but he couldn't help me. At first he said he'd have to put on a new laser, then he decided against it and considered new .... I'm not sure here.....transistors? But then he sent me the console back, saying he didn't do anything. I would have music if I'd leave the disc running in the drive for a few minutes before starting a game.

Needless to say, that's not the case.

I'm sure he did what he thought was best, and if he didn't encounter the problem when checking my console there's nothing that can be done. But the sad truth is that I STILL can't play anything properly, and I was wondering if anyone might have some idea.

By the way, before I sent him the Duo, CD games sometimes wouldn't even load, with the laser making some horrible clicking sounds. Ever since he opened it up, though, that hasn't happened again; all games load just fine.

Hopefully my Duo can be saved... :( :( :(
Click to expand...

Be glad that guy sent it back. That's clearly a capacitor issue and a new lens wouldn't have done jack. The CD sound section and the PCE sound section actually seem to use different capacitor sections. If you're handy with a soldering iron you can do it yourself, provided there isn't too much damage done to the board by the caps leaking. There are also a number of good PCE folks online that will help you out... should cost $60 or $70 last I checked to do the operation.

I tried to resurrect a PCE Duo myself, but the caps had leaked and messed up the traces I needed for new caps.

The big reason that the Duo's sound caps fail faster is their proximity to the power supply internally. There's a lot of heat coming off that thing, and they go way faster than the others. In the end, every Turbo Duo and PC Engine Duo will have this issue; it was rectified in the Duo R and the Duo RX by a new board layout and high quality caps. A lot of other systems manufactured in Japan at the same time have very similar issues; the Game Gear, the Turbo Express etc.
 
C

Celine

Member
CartridgeBlower said:
For other games is it best to stick with a normal controller, or is the six-button the superior controller all around?
Click to expand...
I have an Avenue Pad 6 and the d-pad is very similar.
It feels slightly better but I won't recommend over the starndard pad if you don't plan to play fighting games.

I've heard good things about Hori Fighter Commander for PCE but I never tried it.
 
M

Mzo

Member
I'm surprised the guy didn't think to switch out the notoriously bad capacitors. That's a super common issue with Turbo Duos.

My system used to take some "warming up" for CD sound to play. Replaced the caps and it's been absolutely perfect ever since.

ZealousD said:
Eh. I don't exactly have big hands and it didn't bother me.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's not a huge difference really, but I still prefer the regular gamepad. I wasn't expecting a size difference at all and it kind of surprised me.
 
A Black Falcon

A Black Falcon

Member
Mzo said:
The Avenue 6 is also monstrously large. I was shocked the first time I used one. I wouldn't use it for other games.
Click to expand...

Oh come on, it's not that big. I mean, yeah, the Avenue 6 and Avenue 3 pads (they're very different in style, but are about the same length) are bigger than the original TG16 controller, but the original controller is very small! The Avenue 3 and 6 pads are both pretty good, I like them. Sure, the Avenue 3 and 6 pads aren't small, but they're no longer than plenty of other controllers for other systems.

I mostly use the Avenue 6 pad now, though the 3 is more like original TG16 controllers in style -- the Avenue 6 has flat sides, like, say, a SNES controller, while the Avenue 3 pad has the rounded sides of the regular TG16 controller. Again though, they're both about the same size, and they are comfortable.
 
M

Mercutio

Member
Here's my meager collection as it stands.

IMAG0187_1_zpsc8161cc8.jpg


I need more. A lot more.
 
M

Mercutio

Member
PixyJunket said:
Big ups to Bomber Man '93/'94, Dragon Spirit and Neutopia.

You're missing Bikkuriman World. >:-(

How's the quality of the Space Fantasy Zone repro?
Click to expand...

I'm missing a lot of things!

Bomberman 94 is one of my top 5 favorite games though. When Magic Engine first came out, I spent an entire summer as a teenager playing what few ROMS I could get my hands on. Bomberman 94 and Magical Chase took a LOT of my time. It's such a bummer that MC is so expensive... I legitimately like it and wish I could get a copy.

The Fantasy Zone and Mega Man bootlegs are fairly nice. The packaging and posters that each came with are indistinguishable from a legitimate PCE CD. The CDs themselves are decent, but when you flip them over it's fairly clear that they are just well burned CDRs. The art on them is nicely designed and placed, but is slightly... rough to the touch? It's definitely not like other PCE discs.

Sapphire's "bootleg," on the other hand, is not distinguishable from normal software. I've never seen a fake game like this. I've read a lot of discussion on these, and while it's clear that the disc is from a different source than the first run, I'm very inclined to say that it is a legitimate Hudson authorized product.
 
P

PixyJunket

Member
Mercutio said:
I'm missing a lot of things!
Click to expand...
Bikkuriman World is a port of my favorite arcade game of all time ever. Ignoring the changed (and mostly awful) graphics, it is about 99% accurate, and until a couple of years ago with the shocking English release on Wii/360, it was the only good port of Wonder Boy in Monster Land. It was the game that made me buy a PC-Engine (aka the import system, I grew up with a Turbo, so I've always been in this world to some degree).

It's dirt common and inexpensive. I would suggest you pick it up.

Then, follow it up with Adventure Island (Monster World II) and Dynastic Hero (Monster World III).

And that goes to everyone else in this thread. >:-(

Mercutio said:
The Fantasy Zone and Mega Man bootlegs are fairly nice. The packaging and posters that each came with are indistinguishable from a legitimate PCE CD. The CDs themselves are decent, but when you flip them over it's fairly clear that they are just well burned CDRs. The art on them is nicely designed and placed, but is slightly... rough to the touch? It's definitely not like other PCE discs.
Click to expand...
Without veering too far into a danger zone, do they read well on your system in comparison to what you could do at home?

I've tried to cook my own Ys IV and Dracula X translation discs and they choke my otherwise very healthy Duo-R out.
 
M

Mercutio

Member
PixyJunket said:
It's dirt common and inexpensive. I would suggest you pick it up.

Then, follow it up with Adventure Island (Monster World II) and Dynastic Hero (Monster World III).

And that goes to everyone else in this thread. >:-(

Without veering too far into a danger zone, do they read well on your system in comparison to what you could do at home?

I've tried to cook my own Ys IV and Dracula X translation discs and they choke my otherwise very healthy Duo-R out.
Click to expand...

I will happily grab a copy of that game!

No problems at all for my Duo R and Mega Man or Fantasy Zone. Both load fast and play great.

Actually, my Duo R has no issues with any burn I've tried. Nothing seems to phase it... Everything plays on it as one would expect.

I'd be happy to try out your translations and see I'd they work for me? Could be my media or burner too...
 
R

reson8or

Member
Mercutio said:
I will happily grab a copy of that game!

No problems at all for my Duo R and Mega Man or Fantasy Zone. Both load fast and play great.

Actually, my Duo R has no issues with any burn I've tried. Nothing seems to phase it... Everything plays on it as one would expect.

I'd be happy to try out your translations and see I'd they work for me? Could be my media or burner too...
Click to expand...

Just want to chime in as well. I have a Duo-R and Sapphire/Mega Man/Fantasy Zone, all work well and are quality efforts, well worth the purchase IMO.
 
M

Mercutio

Member
reson8or said:
Just want to chime in as well. I have a Duo-R and Sapphire/Mega Man/Fantasy Zone, all work well and are quality efforts, well worth the purchase IMO.
Click to expand...

I'd honestly point to the CDR media or the burner he's got.

I will also suggest that his lens might need some adjustment; the regular Duo I got running with a re-cap couldn't read certain sectors of a disc well. Like, in the 3-in-1 I burned for it, Bonk and GoT worked great, but Bonk's Revenge wouldn't run.

On my new Duo R, they all run and have been played to completion with no issues.
 
T

Teknoman

Member
Still paranoid about burning Ys IV translation and running it on my duo...but I dont want to use an emulator.

You would think by now, people would have legit info on whether or not CDR damage duo lasers/run them harder than usual.
 
IrishNinja

IrishNinja

Member
yeah, i thought some of the knowledgeable guys @ PCE said good quality burns at slow speed shouldn't beat the laser up too much? ive got an english patched Rondo of Blood as well.
 
R

reson8or

Member
Mercutio said:
Here's my meager collection as it stands.


I need more. A lot more.
Click to expand...

I'd say you're off to a great start, some great games there. TG/PCE buying is a rabbit hole of wallet busting awesomeness. Take it slow, and you should be able to build a nice collection without mortgaging your house.
 
M

Mercutio

Member
IrishNinja said:
yeah, i thought some of the knowledgeable guys @ PCE said good quality burns at slow speed shouldn't beat the laser up too much? ive got an english patched Rondo of Blood as well.
Click to expand...

That's my understanding as well. But it seems like nobody really KNOWS how much strain burned discs put on a system. My Saturn has been happilly chugging burned discs nearly nightly for a year with no ill effects.
 
T

Teknoman

Member
Was there ever an explanation why Bonk stopped getting a crazy head when powering up after the first game? I know he has similar power up forms in the English releases, but in the Japanese Bonk 2 and 3, he turns into some sort of cutesy / lady bonk?
 
T

Teknoman

Member
Just beat Earthbound for the first time, so now i'm jumping systems and rolling with The Legend of Heroes: Dragon Slayer.

Probably should've started this one a long time ago (back when I got the disc buffed after testing it out), but this will definitely be interesting since I have no idea what to expect enemy design or story wise.
 
baphomet

baphomet

Member
Just scored a Supergrafx console from yamatoku-classic for $170 shipped. It went from $91 to my reserve in the final seconds, but thankfully it was only bid to my reserve so I won it. Already ordered some 8 pin din panel mounts so I can rgb mod it when it arrives. I think it comes with a game as well, or at least the only picture had a game in the cart slot. Can't tell what it is though. Either way I'm looking forward to checking it out.

FoPr62r.jpg

Anyone able to tell what that game is?

Edit - It's Mad King Granzort for the Supergrafx apparently. Not sure if it comes with the console though. Either way I'm happy with what i paid.
 
T

Teknoman

Member
Its too bad the duos werent made with Super Graphx compatibility in mind. Isnt Ghouls and Goblins Super graphx version supposed to be the best home console release?

Dragon Slayer has great music all around (real 90s CD audio feel) but the voices are amateur in a charming kinda way. You can even hear them take deep breaths before they start their lines. And there is just something about early CD game animated intros that still grabs my attention.
 
Laws00

Laws00

Member
I know this is a PC Engine/TG thread but i'm surprised Keith Courage in Alpha Zones didnt make it to the Wii virtual console.

After playing my friends TG and all his games I want to play this game so bad now
 
A

antibolo

Banned
Laws00 said:
I know this is a PC Engine/TG thread but i'm surprised Keith Courage in Alpha Zones didnt make it to the Wii virtual console.

After playing my friends TG and all his games I want to play this game so bad now
Click to expand...

It's probably the only PCE game that is cheaper to buy the real cart than whatever VC would price it at.
 
baphomet

baphomet

Member
I think that's just one of those gaming urban legends. It could be true, but I don't think anyone from capcom has ever specifically said they used x68000s.

I'd really like to find one myself though. They look like a lot of fun.
 
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