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Turbografx! - Dark Jaguar - 14th June 2022
I've finally got a system I've meant to get for a long time. The Turbografx, or PC Engine, sold pretty poorly in the U.S. but came in second behind the SNES in Japan, and had a rather surprisingly strong "import following" in Europe. You know it as that one system with the caveman mascot.
Well, I did a lot of research and concluded the best one for me (that's actually affordable) was the Japanese version with an interface unit and the CD-ROM expansion. The DUO consoles lock out various add-on devices, and the SuperGrafx is just ridiculously expensive (and had like... 7 games). And, on an artistic level, I simply prefer the sleek and unique look of the Japanese original and that "briefcase" that links it with the CD-Addon. It's a cute system, and competes with the Ouya as smallest console ever made (depending on which dimensions matter to you).
There were some caveats. I found a very cheap one online (I've found... alternatives to eBay when it comes to buying imports from Japan), but the CD-ROM unit was heavily yellowed. No problem, I have a retrobrite setup and just the right hair product that perfectly substitutes for retrobrite. It worked, but I neglected to remove a metal plate in one half of it. Did you know that retrobrite drastically rusts metal with just a few hour's exposure? Well I do, now! Alright, I remove the RF plate and soak it in some white vinegar for another day, scrub it with a sheet of aluminum foil, and it's rust-free again (if not as shiny). One last detail. I've become better and better at soldering over the past few years so there was one last mod. I added a region free mod that involved slicing through 8 cartridge connector slot pins and wiring them to a little board someone made. The board made the process FAR sleeker and easier, and it looks like it's supposed to be that way. I removed the RF adapter from the board to make room for the region switch which is right where the former "channel switch" was located. I won't miss the RF output, not least because it only worked on Japanese TVs. Further, the interface unit pulls it's own video out the back so I have composite just fine. I'll add a composite mod to the PC Engine itself later on.
Well, now I've got it, and there's an amazing collection of games on the thing. Of course, I have Bonks one and two, and am currently looking for a cheap way to get the third. I have Rondo of Blood, Splatterhouse, and a much cheerier game about rainbows and islands called Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2.
The console itself has only one controller port, but fortunately right at launch they had an official 5 player multitap, so literally every game supports it without the need for a switch. Unfortunately, the connector plug is different between regions. I'm using Japanese controllers which isn't an issue but I could always get the US multitap and just mod it's connector to the Japanese style if I needed to.
It doesn't matter which region you get, the controller cables are SHORT! Three feet... both the Famicom and the Super Famicom committed the same sin, but this one's unique in that it's true for the US as well. This one as well I could probably resolve by finding an extension cable and plugging the multitap into that.
Anyway, next up is Bomberman. NEC and Hudsonsoft cooperated to make this system, and it shows. Heck the custom chips inside (the same "base" design as the NES and SNES processors) all have the Hudson bee on them. I'm going to get that and really put the multitap to it's intended use: bombing runs.
Hmm... next up would be.. more Atari consoles (I'm thinking Jaguar and 7600), and... shudder... the Neo Geo. Don't misunderstand, the Neo Geo was an AMAZING console with modern (for the time) arcade level hardware and utterly massive cartridges that closed in on the gap between CD and cartridge storage space. It was also $650 in 1991 money, and the cartridges were incredibly expensive as well (and bigger than the boxes SNES and Genesis games came in). You didn't think you were getting TRUE 1:1 arcade level performance cheap did you? And that's why I shudder. That expense made the system bomb. SNK made all their money off their Neo Geo arcade cabinets (the games were literally just the arcade versions with a few slight alterations to account for the lack of DIP switches and coin slots, and so the home and arcade machines can actually run each other's games, with a BIOS mod), but the home console tanked. So it was super expensive at launch, and super rare due to poor sales. That makes them even more expensive today, including the games! If I'm going to get into collecting these, I will likely either get the home console and BIOS mod it or find an arcade machine and "consolify" it's innards with a different mod (and also the BIOS mod). In either case, I'll be collecting the rather dull looking arcade cartridges since those are far more plentiful and, as a result, far cheaper.
RE: Turbografx! - A Black Falcon - 15th June 2022
I like the Turbografx a lot, it's a fantastic console! It's one of my favorite classic consoles. Of course, I'd still put it in fourth place for its generation (behind the SNES, Genesis, and Game Boy, in some order), but it's still in my top five all time. The N64 is my favorite console, but considering all consoles of a generation combined (and NOT counting the PC), I'd say that the fourth gen era edges out the fifth since I like the other fourth-gen consoles a whole lot more than the Saturn, PS1, et al. Including the PC the fight gen era wins, but either way it was an amazing era for games and the PCE/TG16 has a pretty large library of really interesting and good games.
The main thing the TG16 library has going for it is the overall best shmup library on any classic console, and perhaps arguably on any console ever. I like shmups so this is a pretty strong point in its favor. The main point going against the TG16's library are its platformers. Rondo of Blood is absolutely amazing, but after that the platformer library drops off, FAST. Hudson's platformers on the system peak out at 'pretty good'. The Bonk series are pretty good. They probably reach the lower end of the A grade of games, I like them for sure and highly recommend getting the first two Bonk games at least. But they aren't original or innovative and compared to Mario World or Sonic and feel decidedly last-gen in design with slow movement and simple presentation. Hudson never really learned from that and over the '90s fell farther and farther behind Nintendo and Sega in the platformer genre. They tried, and did some interesting stuff (Bomberman 64 and Hero on the N64 were two of their last major attempts, for instance, before Hudson mostly gave up on platformers apart from some smaller projects), but couldn't match the best.
And considering that as far as platformers go Hudson was by far the most prolific and highest quality platformer developer on the TG16, that is an issue. The TG16 has an okay platformer library, with one top tier higt and several other great games (the Bonk trilogy mostly). But beyond that, while there are a good number of other platformers particularly on cartridge, most are pretty third gen in design and not exactly amazing. The CD platformer library is VERY thin, and I do NOT like the Valis series' gameplay at all so the four of those games aren't much of a plus in my book. This is a big issue for me because when it comes to fourth gen console games, platformers are my overall favorite genre and the genre I consider most important. Being clearly behind in the most important genre is the main reason why I have the TG16 in fourth for its gen.
But even so, the TG16 is a fantastic console I love to play and collect for so congrats for buying one! I have a lot of TG16 games... or, well, mostly PCE / PCECD games, my US library's not huge because of how expensive American TG16 games are... but regardless it's a system that I don't only buy games for, but I play more often than most of my consoles I've owned for a long time.
Quote: It doesn't matter which region you get, the controller cables are SHORT! Three feet... both the Famicom and the Super Famicom committed the same sin, but this one's unique in that it's true for the US as well. This one as well I could probably resolve by finding an extension cable and plugging the multitap into that.The Japanese PC Engine / US TurboDuo controllers use a plug called Mini-DIN. It is the same as a late '80s/early '90s AppleTalk cable. If you look for mini-DIN extension cables or appletalk cables it is easy to find them on ebay. I have one in early '90s Apple beige.
The US TG16 uses a version of full sized DIN. You can get adapters between the two, but honestly there is little reason to use the American controller. I pretty much exclusively use a NEC Avenue 6 pad for this system (with a DIN to Mini-DIN adapter since remember, I have a region-modded US TG16 with US Turbo CD), it's a pretty good controller and easily my favorite of the controllers I have for the system. I have regular two button controllers, both US and Japanese, but almost never use them.
As for those other systems you mention, as much as I like Neo-Geo games and have for decades, it's a system I still don't own; the sheer expense of the thing \has always caused me to stay away from buying a real one and to stick to just buying lots of ports of Neo-Geo games for various old and new consoles. Someday I'll probably buy a real one though I don't know if it'd really be worth it...
As for Atari, of course my personal favorite is the quite unpopular Atari 5200. I really like that thing and its game library. The 7800's kind of bad but is maybe worth having since it is fully 2600 backwards compatible. The Jaguar's a mess of a system with lots of issues but I subjectively quite like it anyway.
RE: Turbografx! - Dark Jaguar - 16th June 2022
I have to disagree regarding Bonk's presentation. The sprite design of Bonk is absolutely amazing, comical, and frankly startling. The various animations they gave the guy from climbing walls with his teeth to bug eyed foaming at the mouth death animations show a lot of attention to detail. I also appreciate the rather generous health bar the game gives you, and how fun it is to really nail a boss "juggle". The whole letter grading system seems more about rating a game based on how much money was invested in it's development these days (AAAA.... thank you for that MS), but I'd still rank the Bonk games pretty highly. Does it beat Mario? No, but I'd say it beats at least some of the Sonic games (definitely not S3&K though).
I'm well aware of the connector style and workarounds. Like I said, I have a plan for dealing with it. I'm probably going to get a Turbotap and mod it with a mini-din to allow all the US style controllers I might want. Did you mod your console yourself? It's a tricky bugger! I had a lot of help thanks to this: https://www.game-tech.us/product/turbo-duo-pc-engine-region-mod-kit/
With RF gone, I'm going to finish with a mini-din for a/v out on there and I'm going to "map" the ports for a Genesis 2 style cable, for consistency with what I have.
RE: Turbografx! - A Black Falcon - 16th June 2022
The moment Sonic the Hedgehog released, Bonk looked like a fun but dated and slow game. Hudson responded by ... doing absolutely nothing and continuing to make platformers pretty much the same exact way they always did. When you're faced with one of the most important, genre-changing titles of its decade, that's not good. They never responded to Sonic or Mario World's speed at all. Bonks 2 and 3 on TG16 and the two Super Bonk games are fun but are just more Bonk. They continue doing what the TG16 was designed to do, taking NES-style gameplay design but with better graphics and hardware. The system branched out in terms of NEC getting huge into anime games on the PCECD, but as far as Hudson goes, not so much. And I do think that's part of why Hudson didn't keep up with the Nintendos, Capcoms, and Segas of the world in the '90s...
Again, Bonk is good. I'd give the best ones A- scores. But they're not anything truly special, not absolute must-play classics which redefined their genre. That's a high bar, but Super Mario World and the Genesis Sonic series both ARE that so the TG16 struggles a bit in comparison. I would put Sonics 1, 2, and 3&K above any of the Bonk games no question.
I like Hudson, don't get me wrong, but while they had some good later stuff later, the first two N64 Bomberman games, particularly, but overall I think Hudson peaked in the late '80s to early '90s. And the genre they were best at is shmups. It's too bad they didn't keep making many after the early '90s...
Quote:I'm well aware of the connector style and workarounds. Like I said, I have a plan for dealing with it. I'm probably going to get a Turbotap and mod it with a mini-din to allow all the US style controllers I might want. Did you mod your console yourself? It's a tricky bugger! I had a lot of help thanks to this: https://www.game-tech.us/product/turbo-d...n-mod-kit/I mean, you could do this, but again, why? There's no reason to actually use American controllers, the 3 and 6 button NEC Avenue pads are the best ones and are mini-DIN only. But sure if you do want to use US TG16 controllers an adapter's not hard.
RE: Turbografx! - Dark Jaguar - 16th June 2022
"Because it's there".
More accurately, because I know people with their own Turbo-tastic controllers. Being able to bring those things over and use them on my system would be nice.
Anyway, I'm looking into getting a 2 slot MVS board. After doing a little research, those seem to be the most reliable and versatile units, especially the very last revision of it. I'm considering giving it the "supergun" treatment.
RE: Turbografx! - Dark Jaguar - 19th June 2022
So then, I went and ripped my Rondo of Blood and applied a fan patch to more or less fully translate it roughly based on the PSP version. It even pulls audio tracks from it so I get hilarious bad english dubs of the anime character cutscenes just like I wanted. Now, there's a few incomplete things. Dracula's lines during the final boss fight are still in Japanese (but Death's use the translated clips). Also, the ending credits are a mix of Japanese and English characters just like the original release. It's still a pretty good wa y to play it and my save file's entirely compatible.
Speaking of, I hate Turbografx saving. The internal capacitor lasts a couple of weeks tops. There's eternal devices I can plug in to add more storage, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, but they all have similar issues with how long they last.
Ultimately, I may apply a mod to replace the SRAM chip with another chip that permanently saves the data, as well as using an additional modern fan-made device to swap files in and out of that very small storage space. I think that will be the best solution. There's a few interesting devices, one of which is a drive emulator for the CD portion. I've been more and more interested in drive emulators lately since these old things are dying left and right and, well, instant load times is always nice compared to CD. The key though is just what is being emulated. If it's JUST the disc drive, that's fine. So long as it includes a "original load times" option to get around those games that glitch if data's loaded too fast, I'm good. If, as in the case of the few Sega CD drive emulators out there, it's ALSO emulating all the additional hardware of that device (The Sega CD also adds some extra RAM and processors to add things like "mode 7" style effects), then I will wait for something that avoids that.
RE: Turbografx! - A Black Falcon - 19th June 2022
Quote:Speaking of, I hate Turbografx saving. The internal capacitor lasts a couple of weeks tops. There's eternal devices I can plug in to add more storage, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, but they all have similar issues with how long they last.I've had a Turbografx CD base unit since 2009, which is where the save chip is, and I've never lost a save file. I have lost save files for other systems in that time (N64 Controller Paks, I'm looking at you... stupid awful things!), but not the TG16. And I doubt that I've made sure to turn the system on every two weeks for that entire time. I mean, it's possible I have, but ... I'm not sure about that. This has led me to wonder if it's somehow actually powering the capacitor and its SRAM chip while it's off so long as you keep the system plugged in. I definitely keep it plugged in all the time. (If it's not drawing power while off, I've been amazingly lucky...)
I also have never lost a file in my Memory Base 128. This is the save backup unit which plugs in through the controller port. A few dozen games support it directly, but for others you have to make backups of the internal memory with specific games, and switch the blocks back and forth through those games. It's not the most convenient system but it works and has a lot of storage. It uses 4 AA batteries to hold the saves, but it clearly also uses power from the system because I've never seen the low battery light come on while the thing is plugged in to the system. If I remove the batteries, the low battery light stays off... until I unplug it, when it turns on immediately. (It has a capacitor to hold the saves for like a half hour or something while you switch the batteries.) So yeah, it's clearly getting power from the system.
I have quite intentionally never stress-tested how long exactly these can last while not plugged in, I don't want to lose my saves. :)
Quote:Ultimately, I may apply a mod to replace the SRAM chip with another chip that permanently saves the data, as well as using an additional modern fan-made device to swap files in and out of that very small storage space.
Despite my good experiences with TG16 saving, both of these things you mention are very interesting indeed... is that a FeRAM swap or something, for the first one? And what's that second option? I definitely haven't heard of it.
RE: Turbografx! - Dark Jaguar - 20th June 2022
If it's getting recharged so long as it gets power, then that works just fine, but based on how it's wired internally I don't think that it's capable of that. The main power switch is a straight cut off going right back out to the AC adapter. So, that IS a good sign though. That means these things last decently long after all. I'm going to pick up one of those 128 things too. There's three different solutions but that's the one would actually work with both hucard games and cd-rom... rom... games. I'm guessing that's why you picked one up too. So, I need at least one game directly compatible with it in order to actually swap data in and out of my interface unit?
Anyway, yes that's the kind of mod I'm talking about. There's two versions. One literally just swaps out one chip for another, limiting me to the same 2KB of storage space. Another is a far more complicated mod that uses a sort of "page flipping" mode and special buttons to swap from page to page and give far more storage space. It's not the smoothest, but each and every game that uses save data is specially coded to expect that 2KB, so any universal solution is going to involve some level of awkwardness. That only leaves a couple games that had a save battery jammed inside a bumpy hucard. Getting the "bump" off to access and replace that battery is going to be tricky.
Oh in other news, I've restored both my white controller and my multitap to their original colors. They look nice! I also have a nice arcade card I found cheaper than average online, but the label has faded to yellow instead of orange.
All I'm missing for total compatibility is a "Super Grafx". No wait, I'd need a PC-FX because it's got exclusive hardware and upgrades too, and also I don't think that can read hucards. Oh! There's an ISA board to add genuine PC-FX hardware inside an old PC. That... ALSO upgraded hardware and thus has exclusive games...
You know what? Never mind. I'm fine with just the standard PC Engine, CD-Rom addon and an arcade card. That gets me most of the way there.
RE: Turbografx! - A Black Falcon - 20th June 2022
Quote:So, I need at least one game directly compatible with it in order to actually swap data in and out of my interface unit?First, the system's internal save file manager for the 2KB in your CD base unit (or Duo system) only allows you to delete files, it does not show file sizes. Some games have a file viewer which shows file sizes. Here's the list:
This page on my site has lots of TG16/PCE saving details: https://blackfalcongames.net/?p=190
From my page, these are the games which show you the internal memory file sizes:
U HuCard
—
D&D: Order of the Griffon (only if there is not enough space to save)
Falcon (only if there is not enough space to save)
—
J CD
—
Valis IV (press Select at “Press Start” screen after selecting New Game from the first menu; as long as you do not hit Start at the “Press Start” screen this will not overwrite your saved game, fortunately. Make sure to hit Select to get into the manager.)
—
J SCD
—
3×3 Eyes
Cosmic Fantasy 3
Cosmic Fantasy 4 Part II
Popful Mail (also has Tennokoe Bank and Memory Bank 128 management features as well as for the on-system save)
Second, for the Memory Base 128, a few specific games have managers which allow you to make backup copies of the contents of the internal 2KB memory into files it puts in the 63 2KB blocks that make up the MB128. The backups these games make can only be copied to and from the system through that game, and are not compatible with other games with MB128 backup functions, each is separate.
And from my page, the games which allow you to make MB128 block backups for the internal memory:
MB128 games which allow you to backup your system save data (or other primary 2KB backup device) by copying the complete 2KB block to a block on the MB128. There are 63 available blocks, understandably (128KB for the MB128, 2KB for the internal memory). See the source link below for more info. Note that each title’s backup blocks on the MB 128 can only be accessed (and copied back to the system memory) by that game — they are not inter-compatible with the other titles on the list.
—
J SCD
—
Popful Mail
Private Eye Doll (third option from main menu)
Emerald Dragon (hold UP when you press RUN on the CD BIOS screen to access. In that menu, top to bottom, Load, Save, Swap, Delete Bank, Delete All MB128 Banks. This is the games’ only actual support for the MB128. This manager ONLY allows you to copy memory blocks to and from the MB128, you cannot see the files for games which save directly to the MB128 — for that see below. Oh — if you hold II at boot instead of Up, you’ll go straight to a load-game screen, skipping the intro and such.)
Vasteel 2
I don't have Vasteel 2 or Popful Mail, but between Emerald Dragon and Private Eye Doll, Private Eye Doll's is easier to access and has a nicer graphical interface. Emerald Dragon is much more likely to be a game actually worth playing, but Private Eye Doll's got the much better internal save file backup manager.
Oh, this is the list of titles that will directly save to the MB128 into their own blocks:
Games with Memory Base 128/Save-kun Support (complete list)
—
J CD
—
A-Train III (A. III, A-Rensha de Ikou III)
Aoki Ookami To Shiroki Mejika
The Atlas
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Collection
Brandish
Eikan Wa Kimini
Fire Pro Female Wrestling
Linda Cube
Magicoal
Popful Mail
Princess Maker 2
Private Eye Doll
Sankokushi III
Shin Megami Tensei
Super Real Mahjong P II + III Custom
Super Real Mahjong PV Custom
Tadaima Yusha Boshuuchuu
Vasteel 2
Quote: There's three different solutions but that's the one would actually work with both hucard games and cd-rom... rom... games. I'm guessing that's why you picked one up too. So, I need at least one game directly compatible with it in order to actually swap data in and out of my interface unit?Other than the few dozen games on the list above that directly support the MB128, all other TG16/PCE/CD titles that save can ONLY save to the internal 2KB. Even if you get a Tennokoe Bank HuCard, which is an 8KB HuCard memory backup unit with a battery inside the card that is very hard to replace, as you mention, and four 2KB blocks on it, CD games can't save directly to the card, all you can do is swap blocks to and from the Tennokoe Bank and then save to the block inside the console.
So no, that's not really why I picked up the MB128; I mean, it does get you saving for that few dozen games, but only some of those are ones I really want to play. I more got it because it seemed like the best way to get a larger amount of save blocks. Sure, I need to copy a save block using one of those two games I mentioned above (depending on which game I made that backup with) in order to get to my save files, which is annoying, but that's better than not having save files. :P
Without homebrew mods like the ones you describe (which sound really cool!), there is no way to get a permanent save file on this system, everything is backed by SOME kind of battery or capacitor. So the question is, what's the one that is easiest to replace and gets you the largest number of 2KB save blocks to copy to the system?
The answer to that question is, the MB128. It uses AA batteries which you only need to replace once or twice a year, it seems to draw power from the console to keep the capacitor charged so it's not draining the batteries all of the time while it's plugged in, and it holds a full 63 blocks either for 2KB system backups using the four games mentioned earlier, or for the files for the few dozen games that support it directly. I also have a Tennokoe Bank, but given that it only has four backup blocks instead of 63 and that it's got a decades-old battery inside the thing, I don't exactly use it much (if its battery even still holds a save... I haven't checked in quite some time.).
What I do is I have a controller converter plugged into the TG16 which goes from DIN to Mini-DIN. Then I have an extension cord (the Apple beige one) plugged into that going from where the system is to near the chair. Then I have the MB128 plugged in to that, and then the controller into the MB128. IF using the multitap, that would go into the MB128, then controllers into that. It all works.
Quote:All I'm missing for total compatibility is a "Super Grafx". No wait, I'd need a PC-FX because it's got exclusive hardware and upgrades too, and also I don't think that can read hucards. Oh! There's an ISA board to add genuine PC-FX hardware inside an old PC. That... ALSO upgraded hardware and thus has exclusive games...The Supergrafx has five games. Several of them are really cool games and I'd love to have one, but it IS a pretty expensive system with a very very small software library, which is why I don't have one.
You know what? Never mind. I'm fine with just the standard PC Engine, CD-Rom addon and an arcade card. That gets me most of the way there.
The PC-FX I do have, but unless you 1) can read Japanese and 2) like anime-style visual novels (I am sure you'd have zero interest in these), RPGs, strategy games, and various other mostly not-action games which are in Japanese it's really not something which makes much sense. There are a small number of games interesting to anyone, but it's a small number of titles compared to the number of anime games. I don't use mine much at all. It does look kind of neat though, like a mini little beige tower PC...
RE: Turbografx! - Dark Jaguar - 21st June 2022
Yeah I'm aware of the compatibility issues. I meant using the 128 as a backup unit not for direct saves.
I never really "got" visual novels. They're literally "choose your own adventure books" in game form, and the only one I ever tried had a total of TWO actual decisions in the entire "game". I've seen Netflix movies with more decisions than that!
RE: Turbografx! - Dark Jaguar - 23rd June 2022
I've recapped the PC Engine, but I think what really is going to need it is the CD-Rom. When I opened it before to restore the plastic, I noticed leaking already. Well, these things are three decades old after all. That'll be next, but now to finish what I started with the PC Engine itself. I need to find a quick way to A/V mod the thing with simple composite. There is sadly sparse info on that level of mod as everyone, and the online guides, have moved onto full RGB modding. I seriously need to finally get an OSSC.
RE: Turbografx! - A Black Falcon - 24th June 2022
Why AV mod the PCE? That doesn't make much sense, that's what the IFU is for...
RE: Turbografx! - Dark Jaguar - 24th June 2022
(24th June 2022, 8:08 PM)A Black Falcon Wrote: Why AV mod the PCE? That doesn't make much sense, that's what the IFU is for...
I mean I want the thing to work as a standalone unit. That's the only reason I needed. Yes the IFU does the job just fine, but it's nice to be able to use it by itself now that the RF unit is removed. Sometimes the only answer is "because I thought it would be interesting".
Anyway, the mod's in place. I was going to use the leads heading to the RF unit, but it appears audio and video are mixed before it even reaches those three holes. Instead I pulled it from the ext bus. I mixed mono sound off stereo and am going to go ahead and get stereo heading to two pins in that 9 pin mini-din I swiped off an old dead Genesis 2. It'll effectively become a "Core Grafx" after this mod. I tested it and it all works, and then I went and removed the mod. I have to redo it because the resistors I put in place for that mono sound (to keep it from mixing the signals when in stereo mode), were too fat to let me close up the system.
Any excuse to practice my soldering skills a little more I'll take.
Besides, when it gets right down to it, all I really needed to do was assemble a MISTer unit and just emulate all this stuff anyway. Doing the unnecessary is a big part of retro gaming.
Edit: And it's done! I've got everything run properly internally with minimal mess (ribbon cables do WONDERS for keeping runs straight inside these things). Again, it's no full RGB mod, just a composite one but I've got it set up perfectly for my existing Genesis 2 cables, in both Stereo and Mono enabled modes (in the Genesis 2, there's a pin dedicated to left, a pin for right, and a pin for combined mono sound rather than letting the cable combine them). I could go further and fully provide R, G, B, S, and 5V signals on the remaining pins, but from what I understand "splitting" the potential RGB signal like that can cause video interference issues, so I'm going to save the full RGB mod for the IFU. I'll 3D print up a new connector plate and plug it all in there.
Here's a unit that will provide very clean RGB signal that I think I'll pick up.
https://voultar.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=59&product_id=79
RE: Turbografx! - Dark Jaguar - 27th June 2022
I finished swapping out 30 capacitors in that rat's nest of a CD-ROM unit. I ended up accidentally tugging no less than three wires to their breaking point, but I was quick to strip a little space and resolder each one as it happened so I never lost track of what went where. I had to scrub the board pretty thoroughly along the way, multiple times, to get at all the dirtied eroded away spots the leaking capacitors were threatening to damage. It looks a lot nicer now and with fresh capacitors I shouldn't have to worry about leaks again for a long time. I sealed it all up (always the trickiest part) and after having to reopen it again due to a not entirely secured flat ribbon cable, it was all working fine. I used my favorite old laser lens cleaning disc and well, the thing's working perfectly as it was when I got it.
Sadly, Voultar's out of stock so I won't be doing that RGB mod on the IFU for a while. Incidentally, the Composite signal I modded into the PC Engine is clearer than the composite out of the interface unit. I never expected to pull that off, but hey all that means is I'll probably end up using the thing solo when playing Hucard games until I go for the full RGB mod. The IFU's caps all look to be intact without leaks, so I'll put off a full cap replacement for another time on that unit.
(Actually I went and replaced the BIOS chip in my Sega CD unit so it's region free. I have a little easy to install region free mod board coming in the mail that I'm going to put in the 32X. It'll basically set the 32X's region to whatever the Genesis is.)
All in all, I'm getting a lot out of this PC Engine, and I don't have a single scrolling shooty game yet. I have a hefty collection for the Sega Genesis, but now's the time to pick up what this console's known for. That said, it's got a number of fun games outside of that. Rondo of Blood is of course one of the best traditional style Castlevania games. I think I still rank Castlevania IV above it, but I'd certainly tie it with Bloodlines on Genesis.
Splatterhouse is more of a traditional pure 2D punch kick game similar to Kung-Fu on NES, as opposed to it's Genesis sequels that go for that 3D-ish beat-em-up style. I do enjoy slower paced games that involve a lot of careful planning, and the original Splatterhouse has a lot of that. The word I guess would be "methodical". By the same token, I personally LOVE the first two Bonk games! Are they better than Mario World or Sonic 3 & Knuckles? Mmm... no not really, but the level design is expertly done taking into account all of Bonk's abilities and with very careful enemy placement that allows for creative usage of those abilities. It's rather fun finding just the right rhythm to juggle yourself in the air on that very first boss without ever touching the ground until he's beaten. I... "tried" Bonk 3 and I gotta say it's pretty disappointing compared to the first two. Anyway, if you aren't into slow paced methodical platformers, I can understand disliking Bonk, but for me I certainly have enjoyed them, the first two at least. Oh, and that sprite design! Bonk has some of the most creative hilarious sprite design in a game that manages to fit midway in tone between the playful cartoony animations in Super Mario World and the off-the-wall ridiculous extremes of Earthworm Jim.
RE: Turbografx! - Dark Jaguar - 30th June 2022
I've been using buyee.jp to snag a lot of Japanese auctions. It's been the cheapest way by FAR to get PC Engine games, even with the rather hefty shipping fee the company tacks on, namely the ones that either never were localized in English or where localization frankly doesn't even matter. It's how I got Splatterhouse cheaply, for example. (That game doesn't have a word of Japanese in it's Japanese incarnation, and it's entirely uncensored to boot. The terror mask even keeps that white "hockey mask" appearance they'd keep in later games. Speaking of, Splatterhouse 2 and 3's Japanese versions both feature fully english text for the storyline so importing those will likely end up the far cheaper option as well. Thing is, I'm going to need to cut away some of the cartridge slot on my Genesis to fit those Megadrive carts in... Unlike the SNES and N64 mods, this will actually be visible on the outside of the system. I'm not looking forward to it, but what must be must be. The only alternative would be importing a Megadrive and well... no thank you.)
So, it won't be how I get Neutopia (which is a must since I understand it's a pretty good Zeldalike), but I've just snagged the full Bomberman trilogy for PC Engine for about $60. I checked out some details on a Bomberman fan site and it seems that out of the whole trilogy, the only bits in Japanese are 94's world stage names and '93's descriptions of stages and boss tactics. I consider this an acceptable snackfrifice.
Oh, and somehow or another a copy of that 3 in 1 game ended up on a ridiculously cheap sale here in the US, cheaper than Gate of Thunder by itself, so now I own Gate of Thunder (as well as CD versions of the first two Bonks and Bomberman via some cheat code, but I'll stick with the Hucard versions of those three). What's nice is it seems this pack-in comes with full manuals for all three (alright, not Bomberman so I don't get that hilariously ugly box art), so it's currently sitting on my shelf with Gate of Thunder's manual slipped in the case. Yes ABF, I finally have a "shmup", and wow is this a good one! I'd never played a game where I'm a valkyrie fighting robots to a metal soundtrack, but this is certainly that thing I said.
RE: Turbografx! - A Black Falcon - 30th June 2022
For the Genesis, you need two things, an internal mod for games that are region locked and a way to get other region carts in. For the latter, well, some 32Xes allow you to put Japanese carts in them without any modification. Apparently it's only some 32Xes and not all of them, but I am fortunate enough to have one of those, so this isn't an issue for me; I just use my 32X. For the former there are multiple solutions, but I ended up buying a region modded non-TMSS Genesis 1 with a switch on it for US NTSC, JP NTSC, or PAL.
Quote:Oh, and somehow or another a copy of that 3 in 1 game ended up on a ridiculously cheap sale here in the US, cheaper than Gate of Thunder by itself, so now I own Gate of Thunder (as well as CD versions of the first two Bonks and Bomberman via some cheat code, but I'll stick with the Hucard versions of those three). What's nice is it seems this pack-in comes with full manuals for all three (alright, not Bomberman so I don't get that hilariously ugly box art), so it's currently sitting on my shelf with Gate of Thunder's manual slipped in the case. Yes ABF, I finally have a "shmup", and wow is this a good one! I'd never played a game where I'm a valkyrie fighting robots to a metal soundtrack, but this is certainly that thing I said.The TG16/PCE has over a hundred shmups. It is the best classic console for shmups in both quality and volume... and yeah, Gate of Thunder is one of the better ones. I do find the very narrow areas that make up most of the game somewhat claustrophobic in a way, but otherwise it's amazing.
RE: Turbografx! - Dark Jaguar - 1st July 2022
Oh I'm well aware of the region locking on Genesis. That's why I've already modded both addons for the thing. My 32x is modded to just read whatever region the Genesis is set to and mirrors that. The CD addon is "modded" with an altered Japanese BIOS which provides full compatibility with every game, supposedly, but if there are any US or European games I run into issues with, I may end up going for a three in one mod that switches the BIOS to whatever region the Genesis is set to.
Yea, my 32x also has that wider port, but it only just BARELY fits Megadrive games. Some of them are unusually shaped though and there's no guarantee they'll fit that one. I intend to go ahead and eliminate those two corner tabs entirely, top and bottom, to get around that. My dremel skills aren't accurate enough for it to look amazing when I'm done, but should suffice to prevent any major mistakes.
RE: Turbografx! - Dark Jaguar - 8th July 2022
Thanks to archive.org containing numerous full copies of pretty much any ROM you care to ask for (seriously, it's amazing Nintendo haven't gone after them.... yet....) I've tried out each and every one of those Memory 128 backup managing games you listed. I also tried the ones you hadn't experimented with yet. Popful Mail, sadly, will SHOW you all your save files but it will only allow you to copy Popful Mail's own saves to various "banks". Thus, it doesn't work as a manager. Vasteel 2 has a much more robust system which, surprise surprise, is actually fully compatible with the same "banking" format that Private Eyedol uses. (A note, it's "Eye Dol" as in "idol" apparently. It's an adventure game about solving mysteries with a hologram sidekick which would honestly be right up my alley if it wasn't fully in Japanese and untranslated. A shame... I have no clue what the story's about beyond that.)
Between the two of them, Private Eye Dol (and now I'm thinking of Killer Instinct with that name...) has the best interface. Having tested them all, yep, that's the one for me. I managed to snag a copy for about $15 (including shipping) mere minutes ago online. That's so cheap I didn't even bother sniffing around other auction sites. I'd just use the ripped version I burned to a disc but I'd rather go easy on my CD-Rom times CD-Rom's laser if I can manage it.