The Official Turbografx 16 Thread!

[Eltigro]

I got my TurboGrafx new back in the early 90s.  Don't remember the exact year, but I was still in High School so it was somewhere between 89 and 93.  I liked Keith Courage okay, but it wasn't terribly exciting.  It was a game I had for my new system so I played it.  The overworld was the boring bit... with little variety (as has been mentioned).  The underworld was more challenging and exciting.  I did manage to beat it back in the day, but it's not a game that makes you want to go back and replay.  

[CZroe]

Have a TuboGrafx-16 and want to play those sweet Duo CD/Super CD-ROM² titles on the cheap?

 

 

Build a poor-man's TurboDuo!

 

 

Last I checked, the cheapest Turbo-CD docks are usually $150-$180. Back in 2017 I managed to trade a $68 TurboEverdrive from Black Friday 2016 for one and ordered another on Black Friday that year, which is why I was concerned with finding a cheaper drive option that looked more like the Turbo-CD. For those not concerned with that, I suggest skipping the Turbo-CD dock all together and going with a Japanese IFU-30 + Japanese CD-ROM² drive. I got my IFU for less than $12 plus combined shipping.

 

As shown, you won't be able to connect a TG16 without also obtaining and modifying an RAU-30 but it's cheap and you don't even have to take it apart. The modification is just cutting some plastic back so it fits on the TG and doesn't block the power port. I just bought a second one boxed on eBay so I can pair this one with one of my extra TG16 consoles (getting ready to trade off or sell). Paid less than $10 and combined shipping with the IFU above (among other things). This is the thing that was meant to let the SuperGrafx connect to an IFU. The all-in-one Super CD-ROM² attachment replaced that whole setup and fits SGX, displacing the RAU-30+IFU-30 in Japan which is why these are still cheap despite the extreme price of anything else SGX-related.

 

A TG-compatible Super System Card is rare and expensive while a Japanese card plus import adapter/mod costs more than a TurboEverdrive, so just get a TED and use the patched Super System Card BIOS from Elmer. You'll be glad you did for its other functions. I don't know if you can get it for $68 on Black Friday now that they are sold through Amazon but someone's going to have it for close to $80 (Stone Age Gamer? Whoever the other Euro distributor was?).

 

Alternatively, you can build Osman Celimli/@tailchao's Super System Card 3.0-compatible "CD Stupid Card 4.0," if you're handy with that sort of thing. I plan to do a few since I have too many Turbo-CD docks (3)/IFUs (2) and I'm not about to pair them up with TurboEDs when I trade/sell them off. Osman actually has software that lets CD Stupid Card 4.0 work as a TurboEverdrive by loading games from CD-R instead of SD card but he hasn't put it up for download on his site. The BOM isn't much. I think the total is about $20-$25 per card but I understand this DIY electronics project isn't an option for most people who just want a poor-man's TurboDuo.

 

Though the price was hovering around $60-80 for most of the year, there are multiple junk CD-ROM² drives on eBay for around $50 and it costs WAY less to refurb one of those than a Turbo-CD drive. Even a "broken" Turbo-CD drive is usually $200+. Heck, I keep seeing one vendor bundle them with IFUs for $50 + shipping. Another eBay vendor offers drive refurbishing service for $45. DO IT!

 

I just want people to know that their TG16 can be upgraded almost as easily as a PC Engine so there is no reason to replace it with a whole Duo or PCE/CoreGrafx setup. If you're careful and wait for the good deals then you can actually upgrade it for pretty cheap.

 

Oh yeah, there is one major drawback compared to a real TurboDuo or Turbo-CD setup: it's RF-only without a mod, but it looks like that's really easy to correct inside the RAU-30. Looks like it would work with Voultar's IFURGB amp that fits directly onto the internal pins from the EXT port. From there, you just make a hole to panel-mount a connector. You don't even need to do audio since that still works fine from the IFU (system audio and CD audio). Voultar's amp only gives you RGB but there are also many composite amp designs that you can use.

 

Hope this helps someone with a disused TG16 who was interested in playing Super CD-rom²/Duo CD titles.

 

 

 

[DragonGrafx-16]

I just need to find a good deal on an interface unit, cdrom, and bios card as I already have a PC Engine.

[CZroe]

I just need to find a good deal on an interface unit, cdrom, and bios card as I already have a PC Engine.

Yamatoku has been selling a ton of them for decent prices recently. Here's one that sold for $85 shipped:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F401803873724


There's a boxed one up for sale right now but watch out for that $70 shipping:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F401892493837

Most recent boxed one sold for $60+ shipping:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F312758801052

They do combine shipping but the discount is less than you might think. It seems to be an effort to minimize the stated value of the item so people don't have to pay import taxes. They will break large purchase up into multiple shipments to keep each under a certain value threshold though they can't publicly admit that this is what they are doing. Contrary to popular belief, the USPS can hold a commercial/merchandise package and demand import taxes if it is valuable enough though I don't know where they draw that line (probably a few hundred at least).

Some of the Yamatoku bundles have a Super System Card, some have a lesser system card, some have no system card. Same with the drive, but they sell loose drives and you can get a shipping discount.

Most drives and IFUs are sold as "defective" or "junk" because they are yellowed or missing a power cable or something but only the drives ever seem to have issues in my experience. Both of my IFUs and the RAU-30 were sold as junk. Two of my four CD-ROM² drives came from them and one of them actually works when I let it warm up and use a higher voltage PSU (12V) with the IFU (likely just capacitors). If you are lucky it will just need lubrication or a replacement gear (cheap). If you are unlucky, well, full refurbishment including adjustment and capacitors is $45 from that guy on eBay and I'm sure he's charging less if you can find him elsewhere.

The TurboEverdrive can work as a Super System Card if you'd rather put the money toward that but here's a real one for $23:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F273992536082

By combining four items I ended up paying about $12.75ea for shipping but that was a MUCH more reasonable shipping discount than I usually get from those guys.


Still, only recent example I have.

[CZroe]

Well, it's been a month and the PCE/TG16 deals keep coming!




The cheapest PC Engine SuperGrafx (SGX) on eBay for months was $350 lose with no controller, but this one was $320 *BOXED* with controller. Only thing missing is the AV cable, and that's no big deal for certain setups. It doesn't show in the pics but there was a shipping charge which was more than wiped out when I spent nearly $15 of eBay Bucks and earned another 8% eBay Bucks. A lot of that other stuff earned me 8% eBay Bucks too.

Regarding the missing AV cable, an SGX, Super CD-ROM², Duo, etc is *almost* perfectly compatible with 5-pin DIN Genesis Model 1 composite AV cables and I happen to have a lot of cheapies around from my last Console5 order. Normally you'll only get left-channel audio but that's a non-issue with the RAU-30 ROM² Adapter, since you are expected to use the audio outputs from the attached IFU-30 CD-ROM² Interface Unit instead. You also wouldn't use the original AV cable with an UperGrafx UGX-02, Super SD System³, dbGrafxBooster/Engine Block, DIN-8 RGB mod, etc.

Yes, I already had that $8.50 RAU-30 before buying this boxed one but I also have a spare IFU-30 to pair with this one and I hacked up the older one to use with a TG16. This boxed RAU-30 from a US seller was also cheaper than most loose ones. It'll go perfectly with the SGX and 2nd IFU-30.

That $100 Akumajo Dracula X Chi no Rondo (Castlevania Dracula X Rondo of Blood) totally surprised me. I actually won two "original" copies for $100 each. Of course, the other turned out the be a fake but this one was real. I'm returning the fake one, of course. Not paying $100 for a CD-R when I've been playing from one of those this whole time! Seller's all like "I didn't know... honest!" even though it says "CD-R 80" (80-minute recordable CD) under the disc hub and doesn't match his pics at all.

...and how about that $76 Arcade Card Pro, eh? Shipping was free too, since I bought it from the seller with a console. Shipping on the console was listed as a punishing $70 but I requested an economy invoice and it dropped to $41. Again, that $41 was more than covered by promotional eBay Bucks spent and earned on the rest of the transaction. It really was a boxed SuperGrafx + Arcade Card Pro for around $390 shipped! It can't touch GadgetUK's £120 SGX he just cleaned/repaired but I've been waiting on a deal like his for years:

[CatPix]

Congrats. The Arcade card for 76$ and the Dracula for 100$ are great deals!

I paid 1000$ for my Arcade card... and my Castlevania game is one of the PCE-Works copies that got given for free on the PC-Engine forums

 

I don't think I'll ever get a Supergrafx myself. With my current setup I can play 99,99% of PC-Engine games. I personnally prefer to go emulation to play the 3 or so exclusive Supergrafx games, but kudos on you for that great deal.

[CZroe]

Congrats. The Arcade card for 76$ and the Dracula for 100$ are great deals!
I paid 1000$ for my Arcade card... and my Castlevania game is one of the PCE-Works copies that got given for free on the PC-Engine forums
 
I don't think I'll ever get a Supergrafx myself. With my current setup I can play 99,99% of PC-Engine games. I personnally prefer to go emulation to play the 3 or so exclusive Supergrafx games, but kudos on you for that great deal.

Thanks.

Yeah, I missed out on those free PCE-Works copies and now everyone wants nearly $100... especially for cased copies. I felt that I might as well spend $100 on an original copy if possible. Turns out it was.

SuperGrafx is said to have better analog characteristics with the Super SD System 3, which I admittedly don't have yet, but I was also hoping to see if I can mod it for full UperGrafx UGX-02 support. Without the mod it will not show extra sprites for SGX games. Even the creator of UperGrafx hasn't tried the mod yet, which was incentive enough for me. If it works, I'd love to be the first!

The box also helped pushed me over the edge. I think the SGX and RAU boxes will look good next to my TG16 box and Turbo-CD case.

[CatPix]

The boxes are nice additions. I got a box for PC-Engine IFU-30 sysmte and it looks pretty neat

 

Oh, also, I can't edit it, but I paid 100 for my Arcade card, not 1 000, that would be ridiculous.

 

PCE-Works games sells or sold for 150$ new I think?

 

Make me think that in that ballpark price, I need to get a Turbografx (PAL) before it get more expensive...

[CZroe]

The boxes are nice additions. I got a box for PC-Engine IFU-30 sysmte and it looks pretty neat [emoji4]

 

Oh, also, I can't edit it, but I paid 100 for my Arcade card, not 1 000, that would be ridiculous.

 

PCE-Works games sells or sold for 150$ new I think?

 

Make me think that in that ballpark price, I need to get a Turbografx (PAL) before it get more expensive...

LOL! With no separator after three zeros I assumed it had to be a typo.

 

Yeah, even loose Arcade Card Pro cards often break $100 so I was definitely happy to land this cased one... especially after I broke my Super System Card last month trying to mod it (thought I found an easy way to reverse the data bus... I was wrong.).

 

[CatPix]

Ouch! Even if System cards aren't that expensive, it's always annoying. I think I have all the different system cards for the PC-Engine, save for the Duo which I couldn't use.

It's mostly because I got a few loose PC-E Hu-card lots and the seller always added Systems cards in. I think it's a neat thing to have a System Card 1 so you can experiment the hidden mini-games in a few games (including Castlevania).

[ParallaxUltra]

Hey all. Had to start over with my login, same Parallax Scroll, new screen name.

 

So, which U.S. magazine had the earliest coverage of the PC-Engine, Electronic Gaming Monthly or Video Games & Computer Entertainment?

 

I first learned about the PC Engine in the April 1989 issue of VG&CE.

 

 

However. it really was the folks at EGM who published the first info in America (not counting the UK because their magazines had coverage even before EGM).

 

The forerunner of EGM was Electronic Game Player, of which, 4 issues were published in 1988 before it was renamed EGM.

 

The July/August issue of EGP, issue #3 had black and white photos of the PC Engine and R-Type.

 

 

 

Retromags just uploaded this issue last night!

 

https://www.retromags.com/

https://www.retromags.com/files/file/4446-electronic-game-player-issue-3-july-august-1988/

 

I remember a letter and a reply published in Electronic Gaming Monthly #18 - January 1991 - someone wrote in, complaining about EGM's claim they had the first info on the PC-Engine, that another magazine published first, in their April 1989 issue. That other magazine was VG&CE of course.   The Editor at EGM accurately stated that Quartermann reported on the PC-Engine and had a photo of R-Type.   It was true, it's just that they did not mention EGM's earlier incarnation as Electronic Game Player.

 

 

 

 

[NE146]

33 minutes ago, ParallaxUltra said:

The Editor at EGM accurately stated that Quartermann reported on the PC-Engine and had a photo of R-Type.   It was true, it's just that they did not mention EGM's earlier incarnation as Electronic Game Player.

That was a funny thing for a while to me.. how EGM during their lifetime seemed to totally ignore/deny their previous incarnation as Electronic Game Player. Although I think they eventually did do a nod to it with a picture of one of the EGP covers in some anniversary issue. I think it had something to do with the business organization of one vs. the other.  But anyway, now that the decades have past it's pretty commonly known by those who care. 

 

Incidentally I was the one who did the original scan of EGP Sept/Oct 1988 issue for Retromags back in 2008. And THAT issue is where I first heard of the PC Engine when I went out to college. I remember getting slightly confused with the name "PC Engine" because I thought it was the usual "PC" for Personal Computer.

 

[ParallaxUltra]

Great work man. Really awesome that you scanned EGP Sept/Oct 1988 for Retromags.

 

I never even knew of EGP back then.  The first issue of EGM I saw was #2  June/July (or just July) 1989.  

It was after reading that issue that I started thinking about trying to get a TurboGrafx-16 or a Genesis.

 

Also, I saw that the pcenginefx.com forums are closed for new posts, pending the fate of that website.  I was going to post this over there as well.  Ah well.

[Gentlegamer]

11 hours ago, ParallaxUltra said:

Great work man. Really awesome that you scanned EGP Sept/Oct 1988 for Retromags.

 

I never even knew of EGP back then.  The first issue of EGM I saw was #2  June/July (or just July) 1989.  

It was after reading that issue that I started thinking about trying to get a TurboGrafx-16 or a Genesis.

 

Also, I saw that the pcenginefx.com forums are closed for new posts, pending the fate of that website.  I was going to post this over there as well.  Ah well.

We're at Sunteam's forum now http://pcengine.proboards.com/

Edited November 14, 2019 by Gentlegamer

[ParallaxUltra]

14 hours ago, Gentlegamer said:

We're at Sunteam's forum now http://pcengine.proboards.com/

 

Thanks!

[CZroe]

Won a new/unused Avenue 3 controller last week which Yamatoku listed as used. It's not! Still has the original twist ties. Yamatoku gives you a week to assemble an order and combine shipping before you pay, so I finally placed my order and sent payment for all this last night. Added a lot of other stuff:

https://i.imgur.com/o6Tzxj4.jpg

 

There are a few PCE things there. I'm happy to replace that Super System Card I ruined when trying to mod it a couple months ago. It'll go well with the ROM² Adapter and SuperGrafx setup (SuperGrafx is still en route from my last order).

 

Shipping for each item individually totalled an absolutely insane $270 (!) but I don't think they charge shipping on games when you get a console and they do offer a small discount for combining them. That brought it down to $161, then I requested Economy shipping (2-3 months) and it went down to $87. For 13 items it averages $6.70 shipping for each. Sucks that you have to take a leap of faith with no idea how shipping will turn out, but I'm happy.

 

Got the invoice just in time to cash in on a few other promos. It was the last night for 10% eBay Bucks and a off coupon I got for listing a gaming item for sale a few weeks ago (eBay/PayPal promo). I sold another UltraHDMI kit with free installation then paid Yamatoku through PayPal to save another $20... and the UltraHDMI sold for a pretty handsome profit too. Another UltraHDMI is going in that "Midnight Blue" N64 so it'll pay this down even further! Still had $100.76 in my PayPal account which was a refund for a bootleg Akumajo Dracula X Chi no Rondo last month so it felt even less of a burden on the wallet.

 

https://imgur.com/a/fKe19Hv

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F174045490346

 

On that note, I don't think I ever updated the thread, but the $100.51 copy I ordered from Japan arrived and ended up being legit. I also figured out where the fake came from:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F303303347681

I messaged him to confirm and he was upset to hear that his "free" discs (bundled with replacement cases and inserts) were being sold as originals. I told him it was obvious enough and it was really the seller's fault for saying it was real and using pictures of another disc. Even so, he has changed it to say "Reproduction" and made the center hub white. Looks like he even lowered the price a bit (was $25).

 

It looks like the guy who sold it to me is putting in an insurance claim with the USPS. I feel like I should tell them it's fraudulent:

A) It isn't worth the insured amount since it is counterfeit and even the one making them sells them for under $25 with even more stuff (soundtrack CD).

B) It didn't qualify for USPS Media Mail in the first place (games and movies haven't qualified for ~15 years)

C) I have video proof that it arrived to me safe and sound. No, he isn't making the claim in regards to the return shipment.

 

Only reason I hesitate is that there is a small chance he mixed it up with an original and accidentally shipped a real copy to a buyer who wanted a reproduction. He has openly and honestly sold several reproductions and says one buyer even claimed he sent an original. He denies ever mixing them up and says that buyer was just fooled because reproductions can look so convincing (no way was this one convincing tho'). It sure would explain a lot if he did simply mix them up, but maybe that's what he wants me to think. Still, he openly sold reproductions and was forthcoming about them so it does seem weird that he would suddenly try to scam me. I also find it hard to believe that this copy went from the USA to Japan and back again without the Japanese seller or the USA seller realizing it was not real (this one was WAY too obvious).

 

 

 

 

[ParallaxUltra]

Hey guys, I have another TurboGrafx-16 article.  If you have ever seen this one before, I'll bet it's been a long time.  This magazine hasn't been scanned and uploaded, I had to buy it.

 

 

 

[Andromeda Stardust]

New HDMI solution for Turbografx. Has anyone bought this???

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07S9QNZX5

 

Now ALL of my retro consoles have hdmi capabiliy except my Atari... ?

 

FPGA consoles: AVS, Super NT, Mega SG

Mod: Ultra HDMI 64

Dongle: GameCube, TG-16

 

Game Boy / Game Boy Advance via GB Player and Super Game Boy.

 

Technically the TG-16 is the only one using an ADC circuit, but it's converting from 240p RGB so should be far superior to composite / 480i built in scalars.

[CZroe]

New HDMI solution for Turbografx. Has anyone bought this???

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07S9QNZX5

 

Now ALL of my retro consoles have hdmi capabiliy except my Atari... [emoji973]

 

FPGA consoles: AVS, Super NT, Mega SG

Mod: Ultra HDMI 64

Dongle: GameCube, TG-16

 

Game Boy / Game Boy Advance via GB Player and Super Game Boy.

 

Technically the TG-16 is the only one using an ADC circuit, but it's converting from 240p RGB so should be far superior to composite / 480i built in scalars.

Unfortunately, it's the exact same as the $30 Hyperkin, LevelHike, X-Treme, #Pound, et al "HDMI cables" which are really just a $20 generic HDMI converter with a SCART cable built-in. Of course, they deinterlace non-interlaced 240p, which makes them totally inappropriate for a 240p console.

 

There is another one out of Japan that fits on a rigidly-protruding PCB. I recall looking at the traces and seeing that it does something surprisingly bad, like source from composite!

 

[CZroe]

Here's the Hyperkin one my brother saw in the Atlanta area yesterday:

 

 

[cybercylon]

I would just stay away from these cheap solutions that provide AV or HDMI outputs for the TG16. I know that one to the left in the picture above basically has nothing in it, and could damage the console. That HDMI one probably won't hurt a system, but the picture will probably be crap.

 

It would not surprise me at all if most of the products that have a connection to the console at one end and HDMI on the other come from the same source but with different packaging, and I bet 0% of them process 240p correctly. An exception seems to be those Rad2X cables from Retro Gaming Cables (https://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/RAD2X-HDMI-CABLES). Bob at retroRGB seems to like them.

[CZroe]

I would just stay away from these cheap solutions that provide AV or HDMI outputs for the TG16. I know that one to the left in the picture above basically has nothing in it, and could damage the console. That HDMI one probably won't hurt a system, but the picture will probably be crap.
 
It would not surprise me at all if most of the products that have a connection to the console at one end and HDMI on the other come from the same source but with different packaging, and I bet 0% of them process 240p correctly. An exception seems to be those Rad2X cables from Retro Gaming Cables (https://www.retrogamingcables.co.uk/RAD2X-HDMI-CABLES). Bob at retroRGB seems to like them.

Exactly. If you're just going analog to digital there's very little value in having the HDMI adapter built in to the cable anyway. Might as well get a RetroTink 2X/OSSC and appropriate cables for most systems. The PCE, TG16, CG, and CGII, kinda have that extra step of a dbGrafx Booster or AV mod before you can use those (with Genesis SCART/HD Retrovision cables).

You can use RAD2X Genesis cables with a dbGrafx Booster if you need the simplest and cheapest plug and play solution for proper 240p to HDMI on these systems. If you want to do similar with a few other consoles it quickly becomes cheaper to get a RetroTink 2X and HD Retrovision cables with adapters. If you want to use cheaper SCART cables you'd need to add an RGB to YPbPr transcoder for the RetroTink 2X you might as well just buy OSSC at that point.

[Tanooki]

I had a wonder about that latch on device for the old PCE if it was quality HDMI, but if it's more like those ghetto poor upscalers found in cheezeball lame clone consoles I'd avoid that like the plague.  I've seen what the POUND cable on PS1 can do and that was kind of remarkable so I guess things can go either way (even with that as it darkens up PS2 pretty badly.)

 

I'll be stepping up my game here shortly with PCE stuff as I had laid off it for quite a stretch.  I'm re-broadening my horizons on it.

[CZroe]

I had a wonder about that latch on device for the old PCE if it was quality HDMI, but if it's more like those ghetto poor upscalers found in cheezeball lame clone consoles I'd avoid that like the plague.  I've seen what the POUND cable on PS1 can do and that was kind of remarkable so I guess things can go either way (even with that as it darkens up PS2 pretty badly.)
 
I'll be stepping up my game here shortly with PCE stuff as I had laid off it for quite a stretch.  I'm re-broadening my horizons on it.

Yeah. The only digital to digital HDMI output option for original hardware is UperGrafx, which uses an FPGA to replicate graphics hardware inside the console just like Hi-Def NES.

If original hardware isn't a concern then there is the MiSTer but CD-ROM² support is only in the early stages (don't think it's even public yet). UperGrafx UGX-02 also uses the same FPGA to replicate CD-ROM² hardware and system cards so it doesn't prevent you from playing them despite occupying the connector. Since the games themselves are still running on original hardware and the CD-ROM attachments are largely just RAM as far as they are concerned, it's at least as "original" as original hardware with a flashcart.

[Tanooki]

That's what I was thinking here too.  I don't find the Upergrafx very acceptable considering it's still a ways from being complete and that price tag attached is just over the top too so it's basically dead to me until someone comes along with a reasonable price alternative that's truly compatible.  Mister, not into those and never will touch it, same with like the Pi stuff and the rest as it just seems like a halfass work around that opens the door to an gamer level ADHD/OCD nightmare of too much going on, too many options, too hard to focus on enjoying.  I get what you're saying though, I guess in a way like those optical replacement modules for stuff like the DC, Saturn etc so you can use original hardware but not what drives the file(game.)