My understanding is that the power supplies fail VERY frequently. The only game I really require from it is the version of Castlevania, and that's pretty good on the PS1 disc. You can even choose the sound hardware by holding down some buttons when you select it on the menu. Which is REALLY cool.
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PC Engine/TG Appreciation and Collecting Thread, Because who needs a 2nd controller?
- Thread starter gryz
- Start date
My understanding is that the power supplies fail VERY frequently. The only game I really require from it is the version of Castlevania, and that's pretty good on the PS1 disc. You can even choose the sound hardware by holding down some buttons when you select it on the menu. Which is REALLY cool.
PixyJunket
Member
Monday's batch, which was $26 including shipping.
I'm still a little sour about missing out on the $3 Dragon Knight III from the same seller, but still a great grab for the price.
I have two more shipments of two coming from Japan, hopefully they show up next week.
PixyJunket
Member
Those were from eBay, surprisingly.Nice grab, where are you buying from
A Black Falcon
Member
My guess would be that this probably is because the Japanese version was a licensed game. Probably a rights issue; a few licensed-in-Japan games made it to VC (Blazing Lazers!), but not most.
IrishNinja
Member
damn nice haul for that price, man!
sixteen-bit
Member
It's no XE-1 doe
PixyJunket
Member
Whoa.
Where can I get one of those XE-1 sticks?
Where can I get one of those XE-1 sticks?
retrogamer84
Member
Well, I have begun my search for a PC Engine Duo. I have a TG-16 already, but I have been wanting a Duo for a while. My meager library needs expansion.
Just get in touch with doujindance on eBay, and soon you too will hope your enough gaming life
There's one for sale on Shmups forum atm.
retrogamer84
Member
Crap, I keep forgetting to join over there. Thanks!
Bar81
Member
True dat. Which is why I picked one of them up too
It's not a common joystick unfortunately. I got my new one last year off of ebay (and got wallet raped in the process - although that tends to happen when you buy anything good new 20 years later) but they come up from time to time used on Yahoo JP. You can use http://www.shoppingmalljapan.com/ to shop there but the fees do add up (about 15% including paypal fees and not including shipping costs to them from the seller and then to you).
Bar81
Member
They are indeed fantastic. I got lucky last year and two new ones came up on ebay from the same seller at a not outrageous price (not cheap though).
Bar81
Member
Agreed. He does great work and will wire the RGB output on the DUO-R for Euro or JP spec upon request. Too bad he only typically does DUO-R units, I wanted him to mod my Super CD-ROM2 units output for RGB (or alternatively any Super CD-ROM2 units) but he said he wasn't interested.
Bar81
Member
It's the one system over and above the rest that's just so... Japanese. While I love my MD and it would be my desert island system, the PCE has a special place in my heart so much so that I probably know more about it and its games than even my beloved MD.
CidHighwind89
Member
A little while ago I was able to get a doujindance duo-r as well as Rondo of Blood. As much as I enjoy the game I am wanting some more game suggestions. Card or cd, japan or us. I just want to find some stuff a little cheaper than what I just got. Hidden Japanese gems maybe?
First PCE game in months but what a fantastic game it is!
I'm stunned by the details Falcom could cram in it.
Very fun and addicting, oh and the music, the music is glorious too (both psg and Cd tracks).
In one word terrific.
The Legend of Xanadu II is for me the real Ys V. Simply a complete masterpiece.
Awesome purchase man. Enjoy it!
PixyJunket
Member
I can offer suggestions, but I need to know how much you're willing to deal with a language barrier first.
Indeed seems really a great game ()'m only at the second chapter at the moment).
I'm surprised and impressed by how good the whole game feels.
Some of the best production values on PCE for sure.
On YS V... one of these days I need to play that too.
What genres do you like?
Here a few "cheap" suggestion:
RPG:
(if you don't mind japanese)
YS 1&2,YS 4, Tengay Makyou 2, Legend of Xanadu 2, Emerald Dragon, Anearth Stories, Gulliver Boy.
Action:
Shubibinman 3 (a bit on the easy side but good, also cheap)
Momotaro Katsugeki (a not so well known platform game by Hudson, also cheap)
New Adventure Island (cheap?)
The Dynastic Hero (the US version is expensive but JPN should be cheaper)
Pomping World
Dungeon Explorer
Legendary Axe (so good)
Shumps:
Super Raiden (good conversion of Raiden but with remixed music)
Super Star Soldier (not as good as Soldier Blade but cheaper)
Psychic Storm (nice looking but a bit shallow)
Fighting:
Asuka 120% burning
KABUKI ITOURYOUDAN (but you need the Arcade Card)
I'm currently in the middle of Xanadu 1 and really enjoying it. How would you compare them?
I've heard some criticisms in Japan who prefer the first game because it gives a better balance between the overhead questing and the sidescrolling action. Apparently the sidescroll stages are only for Boss battles in 2.
I've never played LoX1 but from what I've read the second one is more approachable for those who don't understand japanese.
Indeed the sidescrolling action is limited to boss battles in LoX2 and there are less fetch quests.
LoX2 is overall a quicker game who last less than LoX1.
CidHighwind89
Member
Enough to memorize menus if I have to.
Thanks for the suggestions! I pretty much enjoy any type of game. Kinda just exploring the PCE library.
sixteen-bit
Member
I know this sounds like a weird question, but is there an adapter that lets you play turbo games on a PC engine? I know there is one the other way around (going for $70 on Ebay) but I ask because I just want to dive into a Supergrafx and don't want to mod it/get a turbo on top of it.
US games have a software lockout check that requires a solder mod on Japanese consoles. But apparently it's a pretty easy one.
Afterwards, the same adapter for doing the opposite should work.
Yeah but after the solder doesnt that make it unnecessary, unless US cards have slightly different shapes?
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
^ Haha I was going to make a joke about it being made by Daewoo or something. Sure enough, that's exactly what it is!
For those who are wondering why, it's because there is a history of Japanese consoles being brought over to Korea by famous Korean companies in the 90s. Samsung made Sega consoles. Hyundai made Nintendo.
I believe Daewoo also put out a consolized MSX there at some point.
retrogamer84
Member
Yes! I grabbed the newest Duo-R that Doujin listed, should be here this week. Just cannot wait. Now I need some Pce games and cd games.
Bar81
Member
After the mod, no adapter necessary.
CidHighwind89
Member
Well congrads. It will be your new best friend.
No, you still need to reverse the data lines. That's what the adapter does (or a mod to select whether your lines are reversed or not, like the switch on doujindance's modded units). For playing Japanese games on a US console, you only need to reverse the lines, but for doing the opposite you also need to defeat a software lockout in addition to that.
Bar81
Member
Which is why the Kisado adapter (or similar) is necessary to play PCE hucards on the Turbo-16 but not vice versa (I think you have the example backwards).
retrogamer84
Member
The one I just bought is, so I would assume all the Duo's are.
You guys should probably read this:
http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/multi-region-pc-engine-turbo-grafx-16/
This is more or less what doujindance does (his toggleswitch looks different but it's essentially the same mod).
tl;dr to make a Japanese unit region free you need two things: a way to reverse the data lines when needed for US games, and a single solder to disable the region checking. It's not one or the other, you need to have both. Modded units sold by doujindance come with both.
US units only need to reverse the data lines, as Japanese games don't have the region checking.
http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/multi-region-pc-engine-turbo-grafx-16/
This is more or less what doujindance does (his toggleswitch looks different but it's essentially the same mod).
tl;dr to make a Japanese unit region free you need two things: a way to reverse the data lines when needed for US games, and a single solder to disable the region checking. It's not one or the other, you need to have both. Modded units sold by doujindance come with both.
US units only need to reverse the data lines, as Japanese games don't have the region checking.