The Official Turbografx 16 Thread!

[Tanooki]

I'd have to second his comment above. The PC Everdrive/Turbo Everdrive with the plate on it so it's not exposed costs just $90 -- https://stoneagegamer.com/flash/turbografx-16/carts/turbo-everdrive/ I grabbed it during black friday with a 4GB card (they accidentally mailed it with an 8!) and no regrets there.

 

You need no region modding, and larger bonus, Japanese translated to English games we got hosed out of. There are really some solid listed titles in that folder in the smokemonster package. Why spend more when it is pointless?

 

Personally if you don't mind dropping the $300 on a torn down, cleaned, parts replaced, caps replaced, etc CG2+SCD2 combo unit from that guy, all you'll need after that is the $90 everdrive, and a stack of CDRs and you're set if you don't want to line the pockets of aftermarket gouging swindlers yet want to use all original hardware. After that I'd drop the CD drive, get the Upergrafx2 from that Japanese dude, and go that route as the latest firmware updates now run HuCards and optical making it a digital equal to the terraonion rca cable device.

[HoshiChiri]

'Course a flashcart of whatever type would make a region mod pretty unnecessary.. unless you're truly hell bent on using original hucards.

 

Yep, pretty much

 

Me & my friends joke about this- some girls buy expensive shoes & handbags to show off. We buy retro gaming crap. (HuCards are a girl's best friend?)

[Punisher5.0]

'Course a flashcart of whatever type would make a region mod pretty unnecessary.. unless you're truly hell bent on using original hucards. My Turbo Duo is region modded. I originally thought I would want to continue using my original US hucards. Turns out I never touch them anymore and just leave an Everdrive in there.

 

This. During black Friday it was like $70. You cant beat that.

[NE146]

We buy retro gaming crap. (HuCards are a girl's best friend?)

 

Yep.. I know what you're saying. I have an ok selection of US hucards, even though I haven't bought one since 1993 or something.

 

And actually that's another issue.. sometimes they're old and just don't work! It kind of made me sad to pop in my original Alien Crush card and simply could not get it to start.. cleaned it and all. But then that feeling kind of got forgotten about once I launched it from the flashcart.

[Tanooki]

This. During black Friday it was like $70. You cant beat that.

 

That's what I did, but it came back up as I put in for the plate over the board and the deluxe version which was +10 and also a 4GB (they mailed an 8 on accident) card too. I still came in under $100 with shipping and all that. And I got my replacement hardware guts for my toasted Core Grafx II today. I'll be putting them into the shell shortly, finally able to play the games that came the day it stopped working (Devils Crash and Time Cruise II) which is a good thing.

 

Even with the kit I'm not opposed to buying the most favored of games. I have already 27 of them, of which 9 are HuCard only, the rest are complete. I was planning on card only, eats up so little space, but deals worked out where the full game wasn't more, sometimes less, rarely barely higher which is fine by me getting old days pricing on things.

[kensu]

 

Four things I've been pondering...

1. Is it possible to replace the CD Rom in a Duo with a faster version? (Nothing modern of course, but maybe a 2x or 4x one. How fast was the original?) I've never seen anyone do this, so I assume it's impossible.

2. How come no one has created a flash version of the Tennokoe Bank card? I've noticed that even the Everdrive doesn't have this functionality. (is there a Tennokoe Bank rom somewhere, would that work?)

3. It's also interesting that there are no mods for replacing the file cabinet with flash memory.

4. I've noticed that the Arcade Card has the 3.0 bios but more RAM. Does this have any noticeable effect on regular games (for instance, do they load faster, or does it make lag disappear in some cases?)

 

Sorry if these questions seem a little naive, I'm a programmer who got his degree in 2008, and I am very aware that things were different back in the very early 90s when this system came out.

[CatPix]

1) Technically it's possible, now, you'd need to find a model that can be physically fitted in place of the older one. I'm not sure it's possible, and if you pick up an "old" replacement mean that it might not be so much more reliable than the older one.

2) The Tennokoe "RAM-ROM" card is merely just a stick of RAM. There might be a bit of ROM to let the system know how to work with the RAM but I'm not even sure there is. Tho some saving modules plug on the back of the system, and one also plug on the game pad port, so the console is versatile with save management.

3) the file cabinet?

4) A few games, especially late ones, are optimized to use the Arcade card extra ram but doesnt' require it; likewise, late CD-ROM² games can use the extra RAM of Super CD-ROM² to load faster but can work on barebone systems.

A few games outside of those might benefir from the extra RAM but I wouldn't make it a rule.

Edited December 21, 2018 by CatPix

[+Black_Tiger]

PC Engine CD games that make also use of the next sized format don't load faster. The only diffetence in load times, if any, is that they take longer to load, as they're loading more content. Some games are supposed to eliminate some loads altogether, but I don't think I've ever confirmed any. Many(all?) CD2 games that are advertised as bicompatible or kabeled as Super CD don't seem to actually make use of the Super CD space at all.

[tripletopper]

A couple of questions about the TG16. I have a Beeshu TG16 controller, and it works great right handed, except for one game I own, Side Arms. That’s because the right hand mapping is mapped index-to-index, which means the left fire and right fire are swapped.

 

1) Can someone build a button swapper for the TG16? Is it as easy a s a pin swap, or is there computer logic involved? If you can build and ship it to me for cheaper than a Tototek adapter shipped to me, in Ohio, let me know, and I’ll wait for you to research it and I’ll use your button swapper

 

2) About the RJ45 TG16 controller adapters, I heard they don’t work well.

 

3) I can rearrange discrete inputs into a RJ45 board, so if the button swapper is too expensive, maybe a RJ45 PS2 plug and a Tototek PS2->RTG16 adapter would work, just for Side Arms and Pac-Land.

 

4) Can anyone tell me a) what TG16/PCE games use a "more than 2 button" controller. I heard there was a 3-button (in a row), a 4 button (2x2), and a 6 button (3x2) , which is compatible with all of them. and b) what mapping the Tototek and RJ45 adapters have. For the purposes of this, I’m assuming a left handed stick and the street fighter mapping of:

 

QP MP HP

QK MK HK

 

For the RJ45, I assume it’s for the appropriate Street Fighter functiots, since that’s made mainly for the Fighting Game Community.

 

As for for the PS2->TG16 adapter, The Tototek has a very unusual instrucitons, with 5 buttons dedicated to different turbo/slow modes. QK aka X= II and MK aka O=I So it’s good for 2-button games. Of course the Tototek is infamous for fight arrangements not working right on standard fight sticks. To put a positive spin, it’s more "pad friendly", so probably it’s 3, 4, and 6, button arrangements are crazy.

 

I assume the RJ45 is more fight stick friendly, but has yet to be perfected.

 

P.S. Shouldn’t TurboGrafx not be all squished into one topic chain, but have a subcategory under Other Classic Gaming? Or maybe Turbo Grafx Forum High Score forum should be generalize to just TG16.

[jaybird3rd]

Can someone build a button swapper for the TG16?

Since you know exactly what you want, why don't you just make one? Get a breadboard and some jumper wires, connectors, etc., and just figure it out. When that doesn't work, ask for help.

[tripletopper]

 

Can someone build a button swapper for the TG16?

Since you know exactly what you want, why don't you just make one? Get a breadboard and some jumper wires, connectors, etc., and just figure it out. When that doesn't work, ask for help.

 

 

 

a), I prefer a removable augment as opposed to "cosmetic surgery"

 

b)) I don’t know how to operate on either "cosmetic surgery" or "a bionic part."

 

b) just wondering if it’s as simple as a pin swap adapter, or if you need something with CPU brains. If it’s something with PCU brains, it’s probably cheaper to buy a Tototek PS2->TG16 adpater and figure out the external discrete jumper cables.

 

For 2 button games, It’s right where I want them, and as simple as swapping the 2 buttons.

 

But I heard there are 3 button games, 4 button games and 6 buttons games. Since I don’t have those yet, I may get by, especially if I don’t buy a foreign adapter.

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

Yet one thing I can say never enough, don't buy a US unit, there's no value in it at all. The HuCard library in the US is 1/3 the size and largely crap compared to Japan. While optical isn't locked, cards are, so be smart about that.

I dunno, Clunky Turbografx works fine for me; and yes, it does play imports...

 

Cthulhu based 6-button controller with DIN8 plug. Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too?

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

Personally if you don't mind dropping the $300 on a torn down, cleaned, parts replaced, caps replaced, etc CG2+SCD2 combo unit from that guy, all you'll need after that is the $90 everdrive, and a stack of CDRs and you're set if you don't want to line the pockets of aftermarket gouging swindlers yet want to use all original hardware. After that I'd drop the CD drive, get the Upergrafx2 from that Japanese dude, and go that route as the latest firmware updates now run HuCards and optical making it a digital equal to the terraonion rca cable device.

Quoted for truth. I am tempted to pull the trigger on the terraonion device, available now on Stoneagegamer:

https://stoneagegamer.com/super-sd-system-3.html

 

$300 is a hard pill to swallow atm; still recovering from Christmas...

[Andromeda Stardust]

Hello fellow Turbografx 16 / PC Engine fans!

 

Just to let you know we're still working on our very first game for Turbografx 16 / PC Engine

The game is Sydney Hunter & The Caverns of Death

The plan is to release the game complete in box just like back in time!

It's going to be release for both Turbografx 16 and PC Engine

 

PCBs and card shells are done, we're only looking for a good source for Jewel Cases

Anyone knows where to find new ones?

 

You can still follow us on our Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/collectorvision

 

 

 

Cheers

 

forgive my necrobump, but did this ever get released? all mentions i could find on google pointed to 2016. thanks, and btw i did buy it on snes. =D

[cybercylon]

Quoted for truth. I am tempted to pull the trigger on the terraonion device, available now on Stoneagegamer:

https://stoneagegamer.com/super-sd-system-3.html

 

$300 is a hard pill to swallow atm; still recovering from Christmas...

 

When I get the time, I may post my impressions on this device.... maybe this weekend.

[Austin]

It's nice to see that SAG is selling the SSD3. If I can ever get the funds together for one, I'd definitely prefer to order from them if possible.

[Tanooki]

I would hope one day there's a more reasonable price, or at the least a US outfitter like SAG that sells the digital HDMI/DVI upergrafx2 for the PCE instead. I'm over using RCA junk on new TVs and I won't have a CRT again. It does with the SSS3 does anyway between hucard, optical, and saving but with prettier output.

[newtmonkey]

The only problem with the UperGrafx is that it adds some lag, plus it only does HDMI/DVI if you care about that (i.e. it's not a replacement for your Duo plugged into your CRT).

 

I have a Super SD System 3. For the price, it's disappointing. The RGB quality is poor when upscaled on a modern TV, though not nearly as noticeable on a CRT. I have a custom-made composite cable that pulls the CD audio from the port on the back of the SSS3; in comparison to the RGB video of the SSS3, it's obviously much less sharp, but also doesn't have the noise issues that the RGB output of the SSS3 suffer from. The PC Engine never "natively" supported RGB and also has very high quality composite output (with the exception of a few games), so I'm happy to just use composite cables on my OLED via Framemeister, or RGB on CRT.

 

The biggest problem BY FAR—and this is a HUGE problem for me or any other audiophile—is that the CD audio is awful. They recently modified the firmware so that you can adjust the CD audio volume to improve the issue, but it still sounds like garbage. There's no excuse for the quality of the audio; it sounds like you are listening to poor quality MP3s, even if your CD images are uncompressed. The firmware update changes it from completely unlistenable to bearable, but it's nowhere near the quality of a PC engine DUO plugged into the same audio system. It might be less noticeable on TV speakers, etc., but I play my games on high end speakers, and I almost cannot stand to play CD games on the SSS3 due to the audio problems, which defeats the entire purpose of the device.

 

Basically, my PC Engine Duo in my office connected to ~$100 monitor speakers sounds MUCH better than my CoreGrafx w/ SSS3 plugged into speakers that cost several times that in my living room (of course, if I take my Duo into my living room, it sounds perfect).

Edited January 11, 2019 by newtmonkey

[Gentlegamer]

Didn't know that about the sound issue on Super SD System 3. I'll have to look into it further and definitely wait to get one if it is an ongoing issue.

[cybercylon]

If you do a search on this forum, you will get other people's opinions on the Super SD System 3.

 

​There are issues with the RGB output, and one common thread seems to be that the issues are more noticeable when being hooked up via a Frameister or OSSC. In my set up. I see some diagonal lines of noise in the RGB signal. Someone tried to explain why this was the case. A)The components used for the video out, especially for RGB, are not appropriate B) ground is shared between the digital and analog signal. Other technical things were explained to me... I am not a hardware person, but item B... common sense tells me that is not so good....

 

In talking with people, the level of noise seems to be different... some have it worse, some have it not as much. If you go to the forums on Terra Onions web site, someone was working on a bypass board to clean out some of the noise from the signal. It doesn't read like it has been an easy task since there is variability in people's experiences.

 

Yes... the picture is still much better than just hooking up it to the composite inputs on the flat screen. At that price though, it should be better.

 

One other thing of note... if I plug in a Hucard game or just play the image from an everdrive, the picture is definitely much better than playing said game from the SD slot on the Super SD System 3. Again, this is not consistent for everyone. I speculate that if the SSDS 3 is just being used for video out and the rest of the hardware isn't being used, perhaps less noise gets into the video signal. Maybe I should make a small Faraday cage for the video components (just kidding...).

 

As for sound, well, I don't have an original set up to compare it to, but on my TV with the sound bar, something is not right and the volume levels are a mess. On my TV with basic speakers, it is better.

 

Btw... with the noise and sound, the folks at Stone Age Gamer have told me that the quality of the SCART cable is everything. Also, as far as video goes, the cable has to have the circuit for csync.

 

On a PVM monitor, I hear things fair better overall.

 

You will also read about complaints of audio popping, break up, hissing, etc. Part of the was due to a capacitor not being installed correctly on the revision one boards. There was a recall for those. Those problems seem to be fixed. I certainly don't have them (at the time of purchase from SAG, they were listed as having a version 3 board).

 

​All that said, if one is interested in playing any of the CD games, this solution does cost less then trying to track down the original hardware that will probably need to be recapped, belts replaced, and constant maintenance. Only you can tell for yourself if putting up with some video noise is worth not dealing with those hassles. I think SAG has a good return policy, no?

 

I still get enjoyment from it. When I got mine, store credit I had from SAG paid for a good chunk of this. Had I plopped down $300 on the spot, I guess I would be more annoyed.

 

There... my thoughts. Hope they are coherent after this work week.....

Edited January 12, 2019 by cybercylon

[derFunkenstein]

It turned out that the PC Engine wasn't really the system for me, but if it IS the system for you, then I think you could do a lot worse than an SSDS3, especially if you already have a TG 16 or a Japanese Core Grafx setup. Is there noise in the RGB output? Some. Is there a little distortion in the CD audio? Maybe a little, but I didn't really hear it. Can both of those issues be fixed cheaply? Absolutely; Voultar, FirebrandX, and Mobius Strip Technologies have banded together to make sure of it.

 

But I'd urge you to play it before you ship it out to get FURGB and the audio fix installed, because it might not bother you. And if you wait a couple months, TerraOnion might figure out how to implement those fixes into the stock hardware. No matter what, a PC Engine + SSDS3 is cheaper than a Duo + Everdrive or a PC Engine + Super CD + Aracde Card + Everdrive. It's hella expensive, but everything about the PC Engine is hella expensive.

 

The best games are on CD. I really couldn't find anything in the HuCard library that totally rocked my boat and that wasn't available on another system. But there's plenty on the CD side, especially if you don't have a Sega CD. Dracula X by itself might be enough to sell somebody.

 

But in the end, I'm talking as someone who didn't totally dig the PC Engine, so my opinions might vary from your own. If it was, I think the SSDS3 would be a must-own.

Edited January 12, 2019 by derFunkenstein

[DragonGrafx-16]

PC-Engine is my favorite console and all I have are HuCards... for a shoot em up fan it's one of the best consoles out there... so many great games. I play on a CRT so the composite is just fine for me. Now I could have just outright bought a SSDS3 for what I paid for my games but as someone who grew up with old consoles (they weren't old at the time!) it's just doesn't feel right loading roms or ISOs...

[+GoldenWheels]

 

​All that said, if one is interested in playing any of the CD games, this solution does cost less then trying to track down the original hardware that will probably need to be recapped, belts replaced, and constant maintenance. Only you can tell for yourself if putting up with some video noise is worth not dealing with those hassles. I think SAG has a good return policy, no?

 

My recapped, laser adjusted, gear replaced, region-modded, S-video modded (same cost for component mod) PC Engine duo, which came with a controller, cost me $330.00 shipped. Keith Courage over at PCenginefx is the man.

 

An SSD 3 with the smallest SD card on the SAG site, plus shipping, costs $341.04.

[+GoldenWheels]

I'm also surprised so many are down on the hu cards and are saying the Cds are where it's at for TG/PCE....even the US library, limited as it is, has gems you can't get anywhere else. Blazing Lasers, Legendary Axe, Neutopia 1+2, Bonk, Ninja Spirit, all hueys, all TG only.

 

And when you get into the PC-E library....there's TONS of cool hu-card games.

 

Don't hate on the huey!

[cybercylon]

It turned out that the PC Engine wasn't really the system for me, but if it IS the system for you, then I think you could do a lot worse than an SSDS3, especially if you already have a TG 16 or a Japanese Core Grafx setup. Is there noise in the RGB output? Some. Is there a little distortion in the CD audio? Maybe a little, but I didn't really hear it. Can both of those issues be fixed cheaply? Absolutely; Voultar, FirebrandX, and Mobius Strip Technologies have banded together to make sure of it.

 

But I'd urge you to play it before you ship it out to get FURGB and the audio fix installed, because it might not bother you. And if you wait a couple months, TerraOnion might figure out how to implement those fixes into the stock hardware. No matter what, a PC Engine + SSDS3 is cheaper than a Duo + Everdrive or a PC Engine + Super CD + Aracde Card + Everdrive. It's hella expensive, but everything about the PC Engine is hella expensive.

 

The best games are on CD. I really couldn't find anything in the HuCard library that totally rocked my boat and that wasn't available on another system. But there's plenty on the CD side, especially if you don't have a Sega CD. Dracula X by itself might be enough to sell somebody.

 

But in the end, I'm talking as someone who didn't totally dig the PC Engine, so my opinions might vary from your own. If it was, I think the SSDS3 would be a must-own.

 

Ahh... so they have released the final product, and there is an audio fix as well.

 

I don't remember who I talked to from that group, but solid soldering skills are needed for that install from what I was told. For me, that would be try the fix, break the unit, void the warranty vs put up with the nuisance.

 

Of course, there should be no need for these two fixes to exist.