mikey.shake

I recently bought one of those $25, 3-shelf, wire-frame sets of utility shelves, currently holding 3 Atari consoles, an Odyssey2, some bins of controllers, and a 20" Trinitron. It's not the prettiest thing in the world, but it's been a tidy solution that looks clean, can hold a lot of weight, and didn't break the bank! Ms. Pac-Man will thank you. Good luck!

For what it's worth, 2-3 of the retro-based gaming stores in Boston have recently seen a HUGE influx of NES games. At first, I took it as a sign of 1) college-types moving away at the end of the year, and 2) PAX happening recently. But it seems to keep on rolling, with a few stores I've been in having at least doubled their NES inventories. And the stuff I'm seeing isn't just Al Unser Jr.'s Turbo Racing, it's that $15-$30 strata with your Ninja Gaidens and Punch-Outs and the better TMNT games. Like, places are having to find new shelves to stuff them into. And despite this, the SNES supplies seem to have mostly remained static, with Genesis stuff going up in price everywhere. Not saying it necessarily means anything, but I thought it was curious. I've been busy hunting 5200 / 7800 carts, which seem to be thinner and thinner on the ground than ever in my neck of the woods. ---------- I also wonder if we're going to see an increased future interest (and attendant price jump) some of the "lesser" 2nd-Gen consoles in the near future. With only so many 5200s, ColecoVisions, etc, in the wild, and the current "that's crap" mentality (for instance, the influence the AVGN video had on the greater public perception of the 5200), I imagine more of these might get casually junked than a 2600, which probably offers more fuzzy memories for the public at large. For example: 32-year old Super-Casual Gamer (or perhaps Modern-Only Gamer) is cleaning out their parents' basement. They find a 5200 and a 2600. Mom and Dad don't care, and give Gamer carte blanche to decide what to do with them. Both consoles have been in a box since before SCG was born. They can't get either console to work. They might not know about the RF-to-coax adapter, and aren't QUITE interested enough to do the online research. Maybe they don't have the switchbox for the 5200. Maybe the CX-52 controllers don't work. And maybe they've also seen that AVGN video. So they decide to toss the 5200 and keep the 2600, 'cause, duh, woodgrain and big metal switches, soooo retro. Like on one of those "know your roots" shirts. Maybe they get $25 for the 5200 on craigslist, or maybe it sits there for a week before they decide to take it to the recycling center. The 2600 ends up in their apartment on top of the laserdisc player, and maybe eventually gets hooked up once in a while to play Pitfall (legitimately) and E.T. (ironically). (You could replace the 5200 in this example with the ColecoVision, the Intellivision, the Odyssey2, or any of the other consoles from that generation.) With 15 years of 2600 consoles and games and an iconic image, the 2600 would be the obvious choice for SCG to go with because of its cultural permanence. Now, surely, TONS of 2600s have been trashed over the decades as well (*tears fill my eyes*). But with fifteen years of production comes tons more consoles still floating around out there. With only 2-3 years of production and only one million sold (basic Wikipedia numbers cited, could be off) the 5200 makes a good example of the opposite end of the spectrum. With less reason for people who aren't aficionados to hang onto them, it seems to me a much higher percentage of the "second-tier" consoles of that era are going to be (or already have been) lost/trashed/destroyed. For every trashed 5200, you would need to throw away THIRTY VCS consoles to have the same effect on the world's supply. I feel like twenty years ('86-'05) of the 5200/ColecoVision being "old junk" tech, and then another decade of them being "worthless" in the eyes of an undiscriminating post-NES, post-YouTube culture at large may have led to a carelessness that might have seriously thinned the herd. But I feel like a lot of people, even within the retro gaming community, haven't realized that yet. Maybe because many of the people who are already interested in these systems have had their collections since it was less expensive, I don't know. When I talk to gamers outside of AtariAge and mention the 5200 recently, their perception is that there are piles of them covered in dust for anyone who wants one because they "suck so hard". But having searched online recently, getting a working 5200 setup (one controller, switchbox, power supply, console) isn't like getting a 2600. It's not cheap to get one that's confirmed to work. Well, not cheap like a 2600 is cheap. Of those one million 5200s sold, how many would we estimate are still in working condition? Two-thirds? Half? How about the ColecoVision's two million sold, or the Intellivision's three million? I realize that at the heart of it, good gameplay and controls are tops -- which are part of the reason the 2600 seems to be so pervasive as perhaps the iconic face of the Second Generation. But the 30 million sold doesn't hurt either. So what's going to happen to the desirability -- and attendant prices/availability -- of those "other" Pre-Crash systems? I realize the Vectrex probably sold half a million or less, but look what's happened there. Limited supply has led to those being very expensive collectors' pieces today. Neat ones, too. Granted, the CV or 5200 might not have the unique qualities that machine does, but it's not like the general public is clamoring to get a Vectrex, either. But if people keep junking Odyssey2s because "they suck", how long before there are only a half million of those left? Once a system is collectably "rare", how long before attention turns back to it, no matter how (perhaps unfairly) maligned it may have been over the years? I feel like it's similar to what I've been seeing lately with Genesis stuff. Everybody took it for granted for so long, now that collectors have realized it's a less-tapped vein, everything I see in stores seems to be skyrocketing in price then disappearing. And there were thirty million of those sold. Of course, maybe I'm being over-analytical and paranoid. I suppose that one could tie a dozen 5200s together and have their own private island if they wanted to once they get sick of all this video game business... and just float away. Yeah, emulation's a way to preserve the games, and I dig that, but what about the circuitry fetishists who love these machines themselves almost as much as the programs they run? (Also, none of this is in any way a comment on which consoles are better/worse/more deserving/etc. I love my Odyssey2, but it isn't nearly as cool as a Vectrex. Just musing on how behavior based on current "Popular Perception" of the Pre-Crash Era might be influencing the future for those consoles non-2600 Pre-Crash consoles in a major way.)

This... is AWESOME. I could probably put something like this together. I can solder, but mostly "by-numbers", but your instructions make sense. It would be a snap to have just a "start button" ready to go for games on which I dig the default setting. Thank you very much for the info! I've been intrigued by this. But I can't seem to find much info on where the best place to source a Masterplay clone is at the moment. I also didn't realize you could use one at the open end port on the Competition Pro's Y-cable and leave the Masterplay's input un-stuffed. That might be the most versatile option long-term. Can anyone offer a good suggestion on where the best bet is to get a Masterplay clone these days? They seem like a sure-fire alternative, but I'm at a bit of a loss.

Hi everyone! I've recently jumped in to the 5200 not to collect it, but because I like to play that era's games, and it seemed to be in my sweet spot. I had a little trouble getting things hooked up (bad switchbox, etc), but once it was playing, it's been a delight. (More on that in this other thread.). I cleaned up the stock controllers, and with some double-sided tape and foil, have brought them back from the dead, working about as well as I could imagine they would for the time being (quickly responsive, not a lot of pressure needed, etc). I have plans to get some gold flex circuits from Best (or OEM replacements if I need a quick fix), but my bank account is telling me to tighten the reins, so since things work well for now, I'm going to stick with what I've got. But.. I was lucky enough this week to be browsing a good vintage clothing/games shop in town, and happened upon a Competition Pro digital stick. I knew what I was looking for, because everything I've read says that the CP or the Wico stick are the top choices for this system. I've played that Wico once before and liked it, but I have to say that the CP is really doing everything I would have needed a 3rd party stick to do, and I like that it's a digital alternative. It's completely saved Pengo for me, and made Mario Bros and Joust play like new games. My only minor complaint is that the "upper" fire button can be tricky to hit in some games, but frankly it's not a big enough deal to worry about. The two-button games I've played aren't too bad on the stock stick. However, that said, the Competition Pro is a godsend. Spoiled by CX-10s, it took a Wico Command Bat (for the 2600) for me to come around to the possibility of "truly great third party sticks", but I'm now hooked. The fact that the Comp Pro has the built-in Y-cable was a saver, too -- so I didn't have to worry about finding the detachable one with a Wico. Next up, I want to find/build a "button box" that can replace the CX-52 attached to the CP right now. A number pad and control buttons, no stick or pass-through port necessary. I've had a couple hiccups with the CX-52 stick not being centered, etc., and that seems like a way around that problem. I definitely think the CX-52 gets a bad rap, even though I'll be the first to line up and say it's got lots of problems, based on my limited experience. But there aren't any games I yet own that are unplayable on it (though Pengo gets pretty tricky), and I get why they did what they did with their design -- pretty much to "one up" the INTV controllers and maybe the Coleco. I understand why some games (Missile Command, Super Breakout) would be preferable with the analog (or likely the elusive trackball), but I'll get to those when I get to those. Overall, I'm finding that I like the 5200 a LOT more than I expected to. The complaint that "it's the same games as the 2600 with only minor upgrades" seems like it's more than a little bunk. These are really good arcade game ports. And if I were playing the 2600 back in the day as the "home version" of the games I love so much, I'd certainly be tempted by the 5200. (Though I'm one of those people for whom the home versions have their own unique charm.) Frankly, I got a 7800 in the same deal as the 5200, and while I thought I'd be more drawn to that, IT'S the one I'd lodge that complaint against: "Same games, nicer graphics, so what?" (No disrespect to 7800 fans. I haven't dug into the catalog much yet.) But I feel like the 5200's main competitors were other systems with contemporary arcade game ports, so I think it's fair to measure it by that standard. And I think it does a really nice job. In addition to my original pickups (Mario Bros, Q*Bert, Centipede, and Pengo), I've since grabbed Joust, Defender, and Berzerk. Joust wasn't quite the upgrade I was expecting from the 2600 port. It looks great, and I don't have much experience with the arcade version since about '87, but it was nice. However, Defender is amazing. It plays so smoothly with the analog stick and the button placement is just about right. It's just too hard for me, but I'm working on it. Berzerk is about as good as I could imagine a 1983 cart being. The voice and all the gameplay are there, and while I've been spoiled by the Berzerk VE hack for the 2600, this is now my preferred version. Mrs. Shake's, too. She's been lingering in my office a lot more lately to get her hands on the 5200. And she's quoting the robots more often than ever. It's a great system, I'm very glad I got it, and thanks to this forum for all the helpful info and suggestion. Oh, and Mrs. S and I put up a warning on my office door, lest anyone get too comfortable:

Just in case anyone was interested, I did finally get the controllers from the store, but they weren't in the best shape, play-wise. Cosmetically, though, they can be cleaned up! I took them apart, following guides and suggestions here, and got them both working quite well. One had some of the contacts lift from the plastic as I was cleaning them (even before the eraser, I was just using a cotton swab and alcohol), but I tried to straighten and re-place them under where the button should press and it seems to be fine, for now. Ehhhh, a little crumply, but should act fine as a "Player 2" until I get another one to repair. The pencil eraser trick was impressive -- the contacts went from carbon-black to shiny copper with a little gentle elbow grease! Not "like-new" or anything, but every button seems to be easily functional now, and aside from a little squeaking, the sticks work fine. (Despite my having to get used to them.) I've only got a few games so far (Mario Bros, Pengo, Q*Bert, and Centipede), but I'm definitely enjoying them. I get why people love this console so much, because beyond the questionable controller issues (not playability, but reliability) it seems to be nothing but good solid arcade ports from the early '80s, and who can complain about that? A Wico controller with a Y-cable is likely my next hardware stop for this one. I've read the threads, but as of the current moment, does anyone have one they suggest? Thanks for the tips, everyone. It took about 30 years, but I'm glad I got one. EDIT: Oh, one last question. What are your expert thoughts on replacing the mylar flex circuit? In the controller with the thrashed contacts, it seems like a good, cheap alternative fix. Is it worth it? It is just a matter of unsticking the top sides and unclipping from the wiring port? Let me know. I'm considering grabbing a few...

I'm in Boston, and there are a few good retro gaming stores within about a 40 minute drive. Some are comic/toy/game shops with some retro video games, but others are strictly "retro gaming". My favorite is almost certainly Replay'd in Allston. Nice folks, generally pretty good prices, and their stock tends to flow pretty well, so there's almost always a good chance I find something that wasn't in there (or I didn't see) last time. They all have their quirks, but Patriot Games and Sudden Impact are worth mentioning, depending on what you're looking for (or willing to pay). But boy, oh, boy... do I remember the halcyon days of the early '00s, when I would hit up GameStop with $30 and leave with a big bag of NES/SNES games. Now? Haven't been in one in years.

Okay, I'm on my way to victory with a few supplies in hand, but I still need to order some. I'm going to make my own version of that female pin header assembly, and all I need are the headers, but wasn't sure which size. I've read that the TG16 uses the same expansion port as the PCE, and have seen reference to the PCE pins being 2.54mm, but not from a verifiable enough source that I'd bet the $10 on ordering the wrong part. Would 2.54mm female pin headers be the right size for the TG16 expansion port, or is it a 2.0mm spacing (or something else)? Thanks, I really appreciate it, everyone. You're making dreams come true here.

Thanks for the tip on the power hookup, it really is good advice. My wife's a video editor and tech coordinator and has trained me well. A bad choice on not being careful about power inputs once fried a beautiful vintage guitar effect I had (not my fault, either! but a valuable lesson either way...). Took me ages and cost a bundle to get it fixed back up. And thank you also for the tip on the auxiliary input/antenna... you know, I saw it there, but didn't think to use the switchbox as a pass-through for another system! It saved me needing to rig up another two A/B switchers into a convoluted "bank A / bank B", or buy a 4-input one or whatever... but more on that in a sec. Not a silly question, haha. Frankly, thanks for asking. Sometimes it's easy to overlook the simplest explanation. I tried it with 4 different carts, and cleaned them first, just to make sure. But glad to hear you solved your own issues! AND THE GOOD NEWS... IT WORKS! I got sick of the catch-22. I couldn't gauge whether or not the switchbox was in working order, because I didn't know whether the console was working. And I couldn't know whether the console was working without knowing whether the switchbox was doing its job. I didn't want to return either because I didn't know which one was the problem. "Why send back a perfectly good 5200 for $20 if the switch is the problem?" "Do I really want to pay another $6-$8 to ship the power supply BACK to the online seller and sink even more money into this?" It was getting really frustrating. I didn't want to just dive into modding the console if it didn't need to be, and I wasn't in a hurry to tear open the switchbox and swap the chip if I was going to send it back anyway. That seems like a shitty thing to do, even if I was being honest about everything. How would a hypothetical seller know I didn't fuck it up? Just wouldn't seem like good karma. I'd paid $20 for the console, another $10 for a working power supply (the one included, i found, was a dud), $30 for the switchbox from online. So I'm $60 in on a setup at this point. Already above what I figured I was signing on for when I impulse bought. And this wasn't even controller problems. I had a pretty good hunch it was the switch, because there was zero audible "click". Reading on the internet didn't exactly tell me how loud it would be, so I didn't know if it was just real quiet. But I wasn't hearing anything. So that was a good sign. Incidentally, I got locked out my apartment for three hours this morning. Went down to the corner to get coffee, came back, and froze my butt off. It was 90 in Boston yesterday, it was about 55 this morning. Good timing, Mikey. But I had lots of time to scour any thread I could find with references to 5200 switches, clicks, and power input issues. Lots of time. LOTS. So, in a fit of pique, I went down to the local electronics store (decent selection, terrible experiences with the staff), and was able to get the LM393 (well, the NTE equivalent, the NTE943M), and thanks to experience with modding fuzzboxes (mmmm the LM308 Rat), I replaced the chip (socketed, of course!). I'm mostly clueless beyond knowing what parts look like what. Other than that it's solder/unsolder by numbers with the guidance of folks like you. My wife helped me hook everything back up carefully, and lo and behold, there was Q*bert! So thanks everyone for helping out. I appreciate it. I've wanted one of these since I was a little kid. The first comic book I ever bought. Marvel Team-Up #147. The inside front cover had the "comic panel" ad for Mario Bros (which I'd loved in the arcade, and I think I had just barely played Super Mario Bros by this point). And the back cover was an ad for Star Wars: The Arcade Game. They advertised the 2600 and 5200 versions. Clearly, this machine was superior . [i had fond memories of that SW ad until someone pointed out on here about a year ago that you can see a big ol' booger up that guy's nose. I can't un-see it.] Now I'm just waiting for the store to call me about those controllers. They say if they can't find them (having been shuffled around during a recarpeting), they'll order some, so I guess now it's just a waiting game. (Unless anyone in the Northeast wants to help a new guy out with a deal. ) And last night I picked up a set of shelves at Target to re-arrange my home office. It's nice to see the whole family together like this. Excited to be joining Team 5200! Thanks for all the help!

Since I don't know whether the switchbox is faulty or if the console has a problem, is there a way to test the switchbox before I attempt to replace the IC? I have a multimeter, but don't wanna fry anything!

This is great info, thanks. I have a Dremel and some super glue, and this seems like a feasible option for sure. Using Classic Gaming Quarterly's instructions on what I'm doing and combining it with a cobbled-together pin header ("pin header", THAT'S the term I guess I was looking for!), I think I might be able to make something like that work! Awesome! It's mikey.shake, same as here. Thank you, I really appreciate it!

Good to know, thanks. That's what I've gone with, glad I wasn't making a gaffe. I've registered, but haven't been approved by a mod. I'll definitely poke around through their databases once I have some access to it. [EDIT: just got my approval email] [DOUBLE EDIT: Nope, that was just confirmation of my registration. ] Well, it's worth it to me to get a TG16 up and running, as I don't plan on buying a PC-Engine (or Duo) anytime soon. Hence my interest in building that AV cable. I'm just eager to make the most of the rig I've already got without buying another console. I'd still very much love to find out the name of the part that was used for the console end of that homemade cable, so that once I'm into the pcenginefx forums, I'll know what search terms I'm looking for.

Thanks for the link! Yeah, I definitely plan to mod it in the near future. For the moment, I guess I'm trying to figure out whether I have a faulty switchbox or a faulty console. If the 5200 is a dud, I'd rather return it and get my money back (or put it toward another one), rather than work at modding a console I don't know works. Would cracking open the switchbox and testing that chip be the way to go?

Hi, gang! New to the 5200. Experienced 2600 user. I picked up a 4-port console for a deal (untested, but with warranty, at $20 plus two games). Missing the switch box and the good-shape controllers are still at the store waiting to be picked up (they were renovating the place, so they got shuffled around). I buy the switchbox, plug everything in, and I get nothing. Just to save time, here's how things look: Well, not "nothing". I get the red LED powering on the console (!), and snow, but no real change in the A/V, though I feel like it might shift a little bit when I cycle the power on and off. The LED tells me means there's power coming into and out of the switchbox and up into the console. Other than that, it's just static on the TV (an early-2000s Trinitron, works great with everything else, including the console plugged into "Input B"). I've checked to make sure the console is set to channel 3 and the switchbox to "normal". No amount of gentle jostling of the cables is fixing anything. The following threads seem similar, but it's hard to say if it's the same thing: http://atariage.com/forums/topic/202486-my-5200-stopped-working/ http://atariage.com/forums/topic/199871-4-port-switch-box-broken/?do=findComment&comment=2552665 I (finally) bought a multimeter in the hopes that I can get this up and running. I'm not experienced, but I can follow directions. Can anyone give me some dumbed-down help on places to poke around? It sounds like that IC in the switch box might be the culprit, but since I don't have other decks to swap it, I'm having trouble isolating the problem. Help?

I read through the thread and couldn't find a specific answer, and YouTube videos aren't consistent. So... "HUGH card" or "HOO card"? I always assumed the "Hu" was for "Hudson", and "HUH-card" just doesn't seem right. (*ducks head and runs for cover, remembering the GIF/GIF Wars of 2013*) [EDIT: OK, I just thought of another, ACTUAL question for you experts, so instead of two posts in a row, I'll double down while I still have the chance!] I was cruising the online auction site for prices on TurboBoosters, just curious. But I came across this (auction I am unaffiliated with): http://ebay.to/1sDW9uN For future generations, once that link disappears, here's a photo of the homemade TurboBooster replacement this seller is offering: Which I think is a snazzy solution, especially since it seems to allow the back cover to sit somewhat like it's supposed to. (It's hard to tell if it's all the way on in the other listing photos, but it looks to be.) If, say, some random person who was not too knowledgable about electronics components wanted to go to a local store or perhaps an online retailer and order THAT EXACT SAME FEMALE PIN PORT, what, pray tell, would you call that part so he could find it? Thanks in advance, I love you all.

Next week on AtariAge: "What's your favorite argument thread about Double Dragon ports?"

Thanks for responding! This totally worked! Something I did this time that I hadn't before (and I'd looked at the Options menu), was loaded the rom (without running) before tweaking the Options settings. I was then able to run and play the game without issue. Then I did the same thing to BK1, and lo and behold, that music started up and a kanji pre-game crawl started rolling. No problems at all. Thanks for the help, I really appreciate it! AtariAge, you're the best.

I've been tidying up my Mega Everdrive, and remembered that I'd had some hiccups with my Bare Knuckle files. Anyone have any advice? 1) I've found ROMs from two different sources that purport to be the first Bare Knuckle ("Ikari no Tetsuken"). This file loads just fine, but the title screen and all the pre-title text is in English. Have I just been finding mislabelled program files, or is this one that somehow detects which system it's on and adjusts accordingly? While I assumed that could happen as region protection in a physical cart, I guess I'm surprised that it could be software based. (I have an Altered Beast cart that appears to be US all over on the outside, but has the Japanese-only title screen, so I have no idea what's going on in there.) 2) So then I get to Bare Knuckle II. I LOVE SoR II. It's my favorite Genesis game, hands-down. I've wanted to try BKII, but I get a message saying that this game is not for play in this region. Once again, I'm surprised, but mostly because I've never seemed to have ANY problem playing any other Japan/Europe ROMs on the Everdrive. I've tried adjusting the region setting on the ME, but no luck. The ROM plays fine on an emulator. Is there a patch that could be applied, or perhaps an Everdrive setting that I'm overlooking? Oh, and for what it's worth, I'm playing this on a Model 1 US Genesis, completely stock as far as I can tell. Thanks in advance, Genesis experts!

I suppose it would be disingenuous to say "Tiger handheld"? Kidding aside, I'd vote the NES version. Yes, it was single player. Yes, it was significantly different than the arcade version. But the "fun factor" was pretty high for me. Recently got a SMS, and while I like that port, I'd still vote NES. (And if anyone has a copy of the 7800 version they want to unload, PM me. We'll pretend it's for "research". I'm recently in the market. )

Thanks for the info, everyone! Not only will it help me out, but hopefully other people who find themselves in my situation can use this thread as a resource. I realized when I started looking that a TG16 would be less versatile than a PC Engine or a PC Duo. I have some nostalgia for the US console itself, which was part of my decision. In addition to that, though, Mrs. S actually had a TG16 in her house growing up, so she has some attachment to that model of the console -- which influenced our choice. She didn't even realize Bonk was available on other systems 'til years later. So, going in, I was prepared for a more limited library due to my adamance on the US model. However, since a Turbo Everdrive was pretty much already in the cards, I wasn't too worried about HuCard compatibility. Speaking of the T.E., I'm glad to hear that there are cases available (thanks for the links). I seemed to remember a few months ago reading that people weren't able to fit the V2 in the V1 shell, so it's good to know I can keep mine safe once I pick one up. As far as CD games are concerned, while I love them, I don't think it's worth it to me right now to go down that road. I tend to shy away from disc-based retro systems for ease of maintenance in general. Carts I can handle. When deciding to go the TG16 path over the PCE/Duo, I essentially resigned myself to the concept that "HuCard" and all the PCE/TG16 CD games are essentially two separate platforms. Though, if I finally get a PC-Duo ®, it'll be nice that it can do both (with the right setup). I'm definitely going to grab the few cards I want on my shelf before too long. Since I never had one of these back in the day, I don't have the fetishistic attachment to the physicality of that particular "cart" like I do with the 2600 and NES. Now that I've got Victory Run and Keith Courage In Alpha Zones, I'm thinking I'm only going to pick up 2-3 more (including Mrs. S' favorite, Bonk, and maybe Blazing Lazers if I can round up the dough for it before it jumps in price), have a nice little stack on the shelf, and let the Everdrive do the heavy lifting. I definitely like the look of that Etsy adapter, and wish they were still in business! The RF jack on this unit is a little wobbly, feels like a bad solder joint. The RF output isn't bad but I'll probably rig up that composite DIY cable until I can find something better. Thanks for the tip on the potential for yanking... I might tape some things down to try and keep it safe. Anyway, thanks again for all the great info, and I'm looking forward to following this thread closely!

Hi all! Mrs. Shake surprised me today by acquiring for us not one, not two, but three new consoles for the home thanks to a nice shop owner and a complete lack of self-control. And chief among them is a TurboGrafx-16. I’ve always wanted one based only on few memories of playing it, but Mrs. S had one in her house for a while as a kid, and was fond of a few of the titles -- Bonk's Adventure most of all. I’m a shooter fan and have really enjoyed the TG-16 examples that I’ve tried via emulation. The store threw in Victory Run because they’re nice folks, just so we’d have something to play on it right away. S’alright. Other than that, they were out of HuCards or TurboChips or whichever you’d prefer, and stops at two other local retro gaming shops turned up nothing at the moment. I’m semi-familiar with the basics of console variants (PC Engine, TurboDuo, CoreGrafx, CD attachments, etc.), and hardware region incompatibility (Japanese cards don’t work in US console and vice versa). So I’m not going in blind, and as a player of mostly 2nd-4th gen games, it’s right in my retro sweet spot. But I have a few questions for you experts: 1) I’m planning on making my own composite cable via the instruction on this page (thanks, CGQ!). Does anyone have any advice they might add or concerns I should consider? 2) My longtime plan for the TG16 has been “get a console, get a flash cart, don’t spend a ton of money on games”. The Turbo Everdrive being what it is, I’ve heard some rumors that the V2 might have some bugs that the V1 doesn’t. Sometimes I have trouble finding the current public opinion on this kind of thing, so what’s the latest on this issue? Has the V2.4 fixed whatever these issues might have been? 3) Assuming I get a Turbo Everdrive, does anyone have a recommendation for getting a case? 4) The CD system and the attendant peripherals are something I’m keeping on the back burner. I wanted to get the system for the hardware and the wide variety of HuCard games I could play via a flash cart. But I can’t deny that I’ve considered it. I realize that the best option to play CD games is usually a TurboDuo, but considering I wanted a US TG16 for nostalgia purposes and now I’m invested that deep, what is the best avenue for someone in my position? (It’s prohibitively expensive for us -- I’m just curious as to what to keep an eye out for.) 5) Despite going the flash cart route, I’d like to have a few (3-5) HuCard games in cases on my shelf, just as a physical example to go with the system. Obviously, prices on the games can be quite high to a 2600 collector. Bonk is on my short list, we’ll pick up Keith Courage for Mrs. S’ nostalgia fix, and I’d like a shooter or two. Blazing Lazers, maybe, but that's hitting $50 at the moment. What are some “semi-classic” TG16/PCE games down at the bottom of the price chart in today's market that are still fun to play, and might be nice to put on my shelf? Thanks in advance, and thanks for all the info in this thread. Good stuff.

I have a Mega Everdrive permanently plugged into my Genesis (so I can play all the SMS games), but I'm still going to pick up a Master Everdrive to park in my SMS because I have such a fondness for the system, and to unlock the SG-1000 capability. You probably know the greatest hits, but Fantasy Zone (as well as the sequel), Space Harrier, Shinobi, and Double Dragon all hit the spot for me. Have fun!

Hmmm... thanks for the info. Aladdin's looked great, I almost wish it'd been there. racerx might be onto something. a little digging turned up this article from 3/89, about Hoffman Estates banning coin-operated games (boo!). Apparently, neighboring Schaumburg already had that ban, so it probably would never have been there. Anyway, this article says that there was only one place in Hoffman Estates with "more than 10 games", which was a Little Caesars that had 62 (seems about right to what I remember). However, the article doesn't appear to give an address for that location: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1989-03-08/news/8903250013_1_arcades-game-machines-video-games BUT, on a forum, I found a member who says that they used to work at the Little Caesars arcade (briefly), and says that it was a LC location that had previously been a Showbiz Pizza, but had converted the theme. Which would make sense as to why everywhere else I ever lived, people looked at me crazy for suggesting that a Little Caesars had a whole "funland" inside. (They were usually just takeout places.) I definitely remember playing Operation Wolf there for the first time, and it cemented a lifelong love of Shinobi. http://forums.arcade-museum.com/archive/index.php/t-297127.html So then matching up with what racerx suggested, it looks like that Little Caesars was on Roselle, used to be a Showbiz Pizza, and prior to that was part of (or next to) a local favorite called Fireside Roll-Arena -- a skating rink. Which actually matches the interior architecture: a big "main room" playroom (the former rink), framed by arcade/gaming areas. (Though, memories are fuzzy.) http://forums.arcade-museum.com/archive/index.php/t-277874.html So, it looks like it WAS a Little Caesars, on Roselle in Hoffman Estates, which used to be (or be next to) the Fireside Roll-Arena. Which is now apparently a grocery store. Thanks for helping me narrow it down! Now, anybody got any pictures of that particular arcade from that era?

Hi all... I've been searching for years for any info on the arcade that in my head is cemented as "the Arcade" from my peak years of '87-'90 or so. The thing is, I was a kid, and the mists of time have moved in and whatnot. I was hoping maybe somebody could give me a lead on finding more info about this place. My family was living in Hoffman Estates then, just north of Schaumburg. I can't imagine all the kids in the neighborhood would have gone too far for their parties, so I'm imagining it was there. All my friends and I would have our birthday parties at (what I could have sworn was) a nearby Little Caesar's (though that could be incorrect). It was the first place I played Donkey Kong Jr, Joust, and I still remember how enormous the Gauntlet machine seemed when they installed it. The place had three big rooms -- one for little kids, one with a big two-story playhouse set into the far wall and picnic tables for pizza time, and then another with a few dozen arcade cabinets. I feel like there were windows between the arcade room and the "main" playhouse room. I think that the playhouse was covered with anthropomorphic pizza toppings (mushrooms, tomatoes, etc). It was a two-story thing with windows and seemed "indoors", and had poles and slides down from the upper level. I'm almost certain it wasn't a Chuck E. Cheese (at the time) or Showbiz, but who knows. I've tried a bunch of web and forum searches, but I think without enough constant factors, I just keep coming up empty handed. Anyone have any suggestions? Even knowing the name of the joint and the approximate location might help me put out other feelers for photos, but if anybody has any info, I sure would appreciate the help. I'd just love to see it again and be able to show my wife and nephews. Thanks in advance!

Nice video! I've got a modest little Famicom collection, and try to stick to "only Japan-only games" for the most part. I ALWAYS like to suggest TwinBee, which may be cute, but is a great Konami shooter, along with Parodius, for the same reason. (It's CRAZY.) And I'd be remiss if I didn't say that Yume Penguin Monogatari was worth a try... a platform/shooter hybrid about a penguin who is "too fat to love". (What?!?) It's Mrs. Shake's favorite Famicom import. (And even though it's not as good as the SMS version, the Famicom port of Fantasy Zone is maybe worth mentioning, because it's still fun, and a completely different game than the version Tengen released here in the States.)

Glad your problem got fixed. I was actually going to ask you what type of TV you had. I had a problem with a Starmaster cart, rolling slowly but playing otherwise. Turned out to be a problem of incompatibility with my plasma TV. Getting a CRT fixed the problem right away. Happy gaming!