PC Engine Duo questions

[Dirt Ball Gamer]

That is an excellent cause, and thanks guys!

[Kollision]

I received the console today and, as a complete newbie in the PC Engine world , I have some more (maybe dumb or weird) questions about it:

1. Will the A/V cable from MD1 work with the PC Engine and vice-versa?
2. I noticed from the initial games I got that there are no option screens. Super Raiden (CD), for instance, seems to be a lot easier than the MD Raiden Trad... Is the lack of options common place with PCE games?
3. Are there any essential US-exclusive Turbografx games I should care about?

[tomaitheous]

Yes, the MD1 and the PCE Duo audio/video cable is interchangeable, but.... if you plug in the Duo AV cable into the MD1, you won't be able to use one of the audio outs since the MD AV cable is mono.

The few RPGs are worth getting the US releases for. Also learn how to burn CDR's of games. There are some CD translations already out and some that are coming out (some that I'm working on and some that I've helped with - a shameless plug I know ).

US titles that I would get:

Dungeon Explorer 2
Exile 1 and 2
Ys 1 & 2
Ys 3 (awesome, awesome music... don't listen to Joe!)
Cosmic Fantasy 2
Valis 2 (classic but extremely dated) and Valis 3 (a bit harder than the Genesis version)

Unfortunately without a flash card and a hacked rom, you can't play US hucards on a JP Duo. Well.. unless you install a region switch. CD games don't check for the region bit, only hucards.

[Kollision]

Thanks, tomaitheous.
I heard that burned CDs might damage the lasers in the Duo console, but anyway I don't intend to use burned CDs....

[Joe Redifer]

The PC Engine A/V port does not have enough pins (holes) to allow the insertion of a MD/Genesis AV cable, so no it will not work.

[Black_Tiger]

Thanks, tomaitheous.
I heard that burned CDs might damage the lasers in the Duo console, but anyway I don't intend to use burned CDs....

It can wear them out faster from having to do more work trying to read a crappier cdr copy.


Essential US-exclusive Turbografx games you should care about-

Games to buy-

Order of the Griffon -Turbochip


Games to "try"-

Beyond Shadowgate
Camp California -people say its good


Games that aren't technically "US-exclusive", but are worth playing in english-

Ys I & II -buy
Ys III -buy
Dragon Slayer -buy
Dynastic Hero -try
Dungeon Explorer II -try
Shape Shifter -buy
Cosmic Fantasy -buy
Exile -buy
Vasteel -try it and if you like it decide if you need the english version
Lords of the Rising Sun -not for everyone, but a very cool cheap game
Red Alert -hilarious cheezy acting
Final Zone II -hilarious cheezy acting
Valis III -hilarious bad acting


Turbochips-

Neutopia & Neutopia II
Military Madness -many people would want to play this in english. Try Neo Nectaris on PCE CD (has this game built-in).

[tomaitheous]

The PC Engine A/V port does not have enough pins (holes) to allow the insertion of a MD/Genesis AV cable, so no it will not work.

Oh, is that so? But it works the other way 'round (PCE cable on a MD1).

[Joe Redifer]

Yes it will plug in but it will be a VERY tight fit. Audio won't work or it will be very distorted... I forget.

[tomaitheous]

I never had any problems with the audio (Duo cable on MD1) other than removing one of the stereo inputs since the MD1 lacked it. My friend uses the Duo cable for his MD1, Duo, and Neo Geo iirc.

[Joe Redifer]

Yeah, I probably plugged in the wrong side and got buzz or something.

[GohanX]

I used the Duo cable for the Master System the other day, and that is correct. The left channel is the mono channel, but the right channel makes an awful buzzing sound.

By the way... a note on CDRs on the Duo. This is purely my opinion, by the way, many will disagree with me.

Many have theorized that CDRs harm the Duo, I don't necessarily think that it's true. I think the problem is the copies themselves are imperfect. Many of the ISOs on the net are from the early days of the internet where the audio tracks were ripped separately from the data tracks, and when reassembled the disc is a flawed copy. The data on the disc is slightly off from the true table of contents from a real disc. To compount the problem, they work fine in Magic Engine, so they often weren't fixed. Often they will work in a real system, but it is hell on the laser, as it's trying to find data and it's not in the place it expects.

There is a program that someone wrote that is a PC Engine/TGCD TOC fixer. It can fix many ISOs you download, ceasing the excessively long load times. It won't help the awful MP3 quality but the games will work fine assuming you are using good CDRs (Taiyo Yuden.)

Of course, if you just buy the discs, you don't have to worry about it. However, it is a good way to try out some games that you are unsure of or are too expensive to actually buy. Sapphire rocks hard, but there's no way I would pay the kind of cheese it costs for the real deal.

*edit* Didn't I post this on this forum before in another thread? Sorry for repeating myself.

[tomaitheous]

Many Duo's and PCE CD systems already have old lasers, using CDR's is just that much tougher on a worn out laser. Similar to the PS1 and CDRs. You *can* buy replacement lasers for the Duo units. Of my Duo, original white CD unit, and SGX Super CDROM2 unit - the Super CDROM2 unit reads CDRs the best. That thing's a beast (and it has a sys 3.0 card built in like the Duo).

[Kollision]

Question:
How do you get the 6-button Avenue Pad to work in Forgotten Worlds?

I have changed the options in every way I can and all I get is a swap between the RUN/SELECT buttons or a crazy useless joystick while in the "B" mode...

[Dirt Ball Gamer]

I was having that same problem

[Joe Redifer]

It doesn't. The 3 button NEC Avenue pad simply swaps button III for SELECT or RUN, your choice. Forgotten Worlds will always use the RUN as one of the rotate buttons. The NEC Avenue 6 button pad is completely different. You'll still have to use the RUN button. In this case, it is easier to use a regular controller since you won't have to move your thumb over the III button.

It seems Forgotten Worlds loves to have controller issues no matter what system it's on.