Super Grafx and CD-ROM2, playing Arcade CD's...

[atreyu187]

do I need just an Arcade DUO card or do I have to get the Arcade Pro? I only ask as I just traded Zektor for his Super Grafx and I am getting a cd drive as well for the SG. I was thinking of going the CD-ROM2 route instead of the briefcase as it can play System card 3.0 right out of the box correct? It is the briefcase setup with interface that would need an actual Arcade Pro as it has no system card straight out of the box (no the 2.1 card doesn't count).

I am asking as I have a Arcade DUO card for my DUO-RX if that is all I would need if I got the CD-ROM2. If not I need to know as I can get the CD-ROM2 and Arcade PRO for around $100 shipped if need be, but I am trying my best to save some cash around the holidays as this is the first one my daughter will be old enough to remember. This will probably wait till after the New year but never hurts to have the knowledge ahead of time so I can make an educated guess in the best situation. Anyhow I am done ranting.

[staxx]

If I remember correctly, if you have the Super CD Rom 2 you don't need the full Arcade Card and can use the Blue Duo card.

[atreyu187]

That is what I was thinking but wasn't sure.

[Mr. Smashy]

If you're going the briefcase CD-ROM / RAU-30 route, you'll need the Arcade Card Pro. If you're using the Super CD-ROM2 attachment (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3251/2906429978_016e94c233_o.jpg), either Arcade Card will work.

[atreyu187]

Yea I am getting the CDROM2 not the briefcase and have an Arcade DUO already so need for the PRO then thanks!!

[tomaitheous]

Yea I am getting the CDROM2 not the briefcase and have an Arcade DUO already so need for the PRO then thanks!!

The original briefcase model is also known as CDROM2. If you mean the one with the 3.0 card built in, that's the Super CDROM2. SCD=Super CDROM2. CD=CDROM2.

[atreyu187]

Ahhh sorry then I am getting the Super CD ROM 2. The one that simply plugs into the back of a SG.

[Ze_ro]

Here's a site that manages a pretty good attempt at explaining the complicated mess of compatibility between the various PC-Engine hardware and software available:

http://www.pcenginefx.com/main/nec_compatibility_guide.html

The basic gist of the whole Arcade Card Pro/Duo is that Arcade Card games ALSO need the Super System Card. The Arcade Card Pro has those parts built into it, while the Arcade Card Duo does not... instead, it was a lower-cost alternative for people with machines that already had the Super System Card built in (Duo, Super CD-ROM2, etc).

It's a pity they used such a bizarre design for the SuperGrafx case... especially the expansion port, as it pretty much ensures that no matter what you connect it to, it doesn't quite look like it's meant to work that way.

--Zero

[atreyu187]

Yea I just have had a dispute with a member there and simply don't go there anymore. I hate members that take it upon themselves to become micro-mods. I figured it would work as it supports the System card 3.0 and it would only make sense but I figured I would ask as it would save me the $29 bucks for the Arcade PRO. I still have to get some cash for this anyhow LOL I have a Arcade DUO card as I have a region modded DUO-RX but I think I will be selling that once I get RGB out of my SG. Now I just hope my flash cart supports SG ROM's. I know it says it works on the SG but it never says anything about SG ROM's. I tried and successfully flashed them to the cart but I have to wait till it arrives to test that out. Good thing it arrives in the morning. I have a week long road trip since I got a new job so I will have plenty of time to play it on my portable LCD screen LOL

[TurboGenesis]

The design of the Super Grafx was to resemble a motor vehicle engine. I like the artistic design of it. But for expansion, it is not functional in looks…

[staxx]

wooohoooo now you can get to play the plentiful library of the SuperGrafx

1. Battle Ace
2. Alydnes
3. Grandzort
4. Ghouls n Ghost
5. Darius Plus (just a little enhanced graphics and less flickering)
6. 1941

[atreyu187]

And don't forget Darius Alpha, but with all seriousness Ghouls and Ghost and the 194X series are some of my favorite games so I am happy. Besides I traded it for a dupe console so I lose nothing really.

[rbudrick]

The design of the Super Grafx was to resemble a motor vehicle engine. I like the artistic design of it. But for expansion, it is not functional in looks…


A motor, yes! I couldn't quite place it, but I think it was subconscious because I always thought it looked beefy and powerful, like a muscle car engine or something...since it is an enhanced PC Engine, this makes perfect sense. Too bad there weren't more games for it...I used to drool over it when it showed up in EGM, knowing we'd probably never see it in the US.

And for the record, I could NEVER make sense of all that Arcade Card, Duo card, etc, etc. crap. I just wish they made a final revision to the system that played EVERYTHING out of the box.

-Rob

[atreyu187]

A super Grafx with Super CD-ROM2 and a Arcade Card will play the entire library.

[rbudrick]

A super Grafx with Super CD-ROM2 and a Arcade Card will play the entire library.

Right, I just wish there was a SuperDuo Arcade. One console, no addons.

-Rob

[Ze_ro]

A super Grafx with Super CD-ROM2 and a Arcade Card will play the entire library.
Not quite. Don't forget the LD-ROM2 titles that were released for the Laseractive.

Unfortunately, there's no single PC-Engine setup that can play the entire library of PC-Engine/TG16 games.

--Zero

[Iron Draggon]

SHEESH... no wonder NEC's stuff failed so miserably in the US... the various forms of hardware and their compatibility issues sound way worse to figure out than any of Sega's stuff... at least it was easy to tell what Sega games played on what Sega hardware, regardless of what combination you had... the only exceptions were just a few of the early 3rd party games, and those were all either a result of unlicensed software, or hardware revisions due to unlicensed software... not because the company couldn't stop fucking with all the hardware long enough to make sure that all the games worked with it!


Here's a site that manages a pretty good attempt at explaining the complicated mess of compatibility between the various PC-Engine hardware and software available:

http://www.pcenginefx.com/main/nec_compatibility_guide.html

The basic gist of the whole Arcade Card Pro/Duo is that Arcade Card games ALSO need the Super System Card. The Arcade Card Pro has those parts built into it, while the Arcade Card Duo does not... instead, it was a lower-cost alternative for people with machines that already had the Super System Card built in (Duo, Super CD-ROM2, etc).

It's a pity they used such a bizarre design for the SuperGrafx case... especially the expansion port, as it pretty much ensures that no matter what you connect it to, it doesn't quite look like it's meant to work that way.

--Zero

GEEZE... what a fucked up mess! what the hell are all those converters for? it looks like NEC's strategy for world domination was to confuse the hell out of everyone, sell them a shitload of upgrades and adapters to make all their upgrades work with all their adapters, and divide the east & west so much that anyone who attempted to get into imports on an NEC system would spend the rest of their lives and the rest of their money trying to figure out what the fuck works with what and what the fuck everything is for... all that stuff looks like a bunch of overpriced legos that might or might not be able to be assembled to build the ultimate game machine, if you could ever find the instructions with the secret to unlocking the secret to building the system!

[atreyu187]

Right, I just wish there was a SuperDuo Arcade. One console, no addons.

-Rob

/me drools LOL

[Ze_ro]

SHEESH... no wonder NEC's stuff failed so miserably in the US... the various forms of hardware and their compatibility issues sound way worse to figure out than any of Sega's stuff.
Well, when you really come down to it, there are only 5 games that require the SuperGrafx (The Darius games are dual-compatible, and will play on a regular PC-Engine, so we'll forget about those for now). There are only 4 North American LD-ROM2 releases, and another 9 Japanese ones (though some of these were also available in Mega-LD versions, and some of them are terrible soft-porn games anyways). Near as I can tell, there are around 12 games that require the Arcade Card.

Meanwhile, DP lists over 700 PC-Engine games, and almost 100 TG-16 releases... so even if you skip out on the exotic hardware and stick with just HuCards, CD, and SCD games, you're getting something like 97% compatibility with a regular Duo. Most "normal" people would be happy with that... it's just collectors like us that demand 100%. Plus, if you stick to North American stuff, it's only the 4 LD-ROM2 titles that will cause trouble... a TurboDuo handles everything else.

... speaking of which, I just bought a SuperGrafx off eBay. Still looking for an PAC-N10 for my LaserActive though, so I'm not living the dream quite yet.

--Zero

[atreyu187]

What is the names of the LD games? As right now I can play the entire library except those so I am sitting at around 99% LOL

[Ze_ro]

North America:
J.B. Harold - Manhattan Requiem - Detective game in the J.B. Harold series. Worth playing.
Quiz Econosaurus - Quiz game about ecology. Don't Bother.
Vajra - Supposedly quite good. Something to do with giant mechs, but I'm not clear on what the gameplay is like.
Japan Exclusives:
3D Museum - Not a game. It's a multimedia thing. (A Mega-LD version was released in North America)
Angel Mate - Strip poker game.
The Demon's Judgement - Quiz game based on a Japanese rock star
Dora Dora Paradise - Strip mahjongg game.
J.B. Harold - Blue Chicago Blues - Another detective game. (A Mega-LD version was released in North America, and it was also released on Saturn, PC-FX, and 3DO in Japan)
Melon Brains - Not a game. It's a multimedia thing about dolphins. (A Mega-LD version was released in North America)
Pretty Illusion - You're a camera man and you take pictures of Japanese girls. Adult content. (Mega-LD version also available)
Pretty Illusion II - More of the above. (Mega-LD version also available)
Vajra 2 - Sequel to the original game. Again, not sure what the gameplay is like, but it's supposedly quite good.
Zapping TV Satsui - Some kind of detective game where you can switch between two different people's experiences on the fly... supposedly based on a European television concept where you'd switch between two channels that showed different viewpoints within the same storyline. (Mega-LD version also available)
For what it's worth, Blue Chicago Blues is about the rarest and most expensive North American LaserActive release, so good luck with that. Honestly, I'd say it's not worth bothering with any of this stuff. Most of it's only valuable for it's rareness and uniqueness... though in some of these cases, the gameplay is unique enough to prove interesting, at least for a little while.

--Zero

[Edit: Some corrections]

[atreyu187]

So they are they Laseractive games or are they NEC/TTi ? And do the make like Sega Laserdisc games as well?

[Ze_ro]

Well, the LaserActive had two separate removable modules available (there was also a karaoke module, but forget about that for now)... one for playing Genesis and SegaCD games, and another for playing TurboGrafx-16, CD, and SCD games... There were laserdisc games made exclusively for the LaserActive that required one module or the other to work. LD-ROM2 games required the TurboGrafx module, while Mega-LD games required the Genesis module

An LD-ROM2 game will not work with the Genesis module, and a Mega-LD game will not work with the TurboGrafx module. In Japan, some titles were released in BOTH formats, but you still had to get the version that matched the module that you had. Here in North America, the Genesis module was FAR more common (relatively speaking, of course), so in these cases, they just released the Mega-LD versions.

The Mega-LD games are not region encoded, and I don't think the LD-ROM2 titles are either, so no real worries about mixing Japanese and American software and hardware... (Though HuCards, Genesis/MD carts and SegaCD games are still region coded).

As far as I know, none of the LD-ROM2 games were developed or published by NEC or TTI.

--Zero

[atreyu187]

Perfect description thanks a ton!! And I don't think I will bother with them as I am happy with a Super Grafx and a region/rgb modded DUO-RX with Arcade card so I am pretty set then LOL

[tomaitheous]

SHEESH... no wonder NEC's stuff failed so miserably in the US... the various forms of hardware and their compatibility issues sound way worse to figure out than any of Sega's stuff... at least it was easy to tell what Sega games played on what Sega hardware, regardless of what combination you had... the only exceptions were just a few of the early 3rd party games, and those were all either a result of unlicensed software, or hardware revisions due to unlicensed software... not because the company couldn't stop fucking with all the hardware long enough to make sure that all the games worked with it!

You obviously have no idea what you're talking about. All that hardware wasn't available to the US from NEC. Sega had more addons in the US than NEC ever did. In the US you had; the original TG16, Turbo Express (portable TG16), CD addon for the TG16, and last to come out was the Turbo Duo (TG16+CD+built in SCD card). Sega had Genesis 1, Genesis 2, SegaCD 1, SegaCD 2, 32x, X'eye, CDX, and the modem etc.




GEEZE... what a fucked up mess! what the hell are all those converters for? it looks like NEC's strategy for world domination was to confuse the hell out of everyone, sell them a shitload of upgrades and adapters to make all their upgrades work with all their adapters, and divide the east & west so much that anyone who attempted to get into imports on an NEC system would spend the rest of their lives and the rest of their money trying to figure out what the fuck works with what and what the fuck everything is for... all that stuff looks like a bunch of overpriced legos that might or might not be able to be assembled to build the ultimate game machine, if you could ever find the instructions with the secret to unlocking the secret to building the system!

If you knew what a Turbo Duo was back in the day, then you knew you wanted to import SCD games. No adapter, no additional hardware. Nothing complicated about that at all, unless you happened to be retarded.

There wasn't really a reason to import hucards since the focus was on CD games back in japan, but if you did want to import them - you just needed a cart converter. How is that complicated? O_O

[Vlcice]

You obviously have no idea what you're talking about. All that hardware wasn't available to the US from NEC. Sega had more addons in the US than NEC ever did. In the US you had; the original TG16, Turbo Express (portable TG16), CD addon for the TG16, and last to come out was the Turbo Duo (TG16+CD+built in SCD card). Sega had Genesis 1, Genesis 2, SegaCD 1, SegaCD 2, 32x, X'eye, CDX, and the modem etc.

Since this is following up on a few Laseractive posts, it's worth mentioning that the NEC module for the Laseractive did get a North American release under Pioneer. (I'm not sure if the NEC-branded module did or not.)



The Mega-LD games are not region encoded, and I don't think the LD-ROM2 titles are either, so no real worries about mixing Japanese and American software and hardware... (Though HuCards, Genesis/MD carts and SegaCD games are still region coded).

Are you sure the Mega LD games are region free? I recall hearing otherwise, that they're region-encoded like CDs are; have you tested that yourself? If they're not, that'd be really useful - there have been some Japanese versions I've been avoiding for the moment.

I don't have a NEC module to test right now, but I'm pretty sure the NEC games are region free like the CD ones; it's what I've heard consistently, at least, though I guess as the old "Genesis digital audio" rumour goes that's not necessarily reliable.


North America:
Road Prosecutor - Standard "Dragon's Lair" type laserdisc game where you hit directions fast to avoid dying, except you're in a car. (also released on SegaCD as "Road Avenger")

Are you sure this was a NEC game? I thought this was only released on the Sega module.


Vajra - Supposedly quite good. Something to do with giant mechs, but I'm not clear on what the gameplay is like. (also released on 3DO as "Strahl")[/list]

Strahl is actually a port of Triad Stone, a Sega module game.

[Ze_ro]

Are you sure the Mega LD games are region free? I recall hearing otherwise, that they're region-encoded like CDs are; have you tested that yourself?
I have a Japanese copy of Hyperion, and it works perfectly fine on my North American system (with North American Genesis module). In fact, the game is entirely in english too, so it works quite well. I haven't tested any other games, but I'm pretty sure they're all region-free (Though not necessarily in english).


Are you sure Road Prosecutor was a NEC game? I thought this was only released on the Sega module.
Well, that's what the DP entry (http://www.digitpress.com/DP/cmf/game.cmf?gameid=8277) said... but on further research, this page (http://www.cyberroach.com/new_laseractive_pics/usa/rp/rp.htm) shows it as a Mega-LD game (with pictures too). In fact the product code (PEASU1033) even identifies it as a Mega-LD game (LD-ROM2 games start with PEAN), so I guess DP has it wrong.

That leaves only 3 North American LD-ROM2 games... ouch.


Strahl is actually a port of Triad Stone, a Sega module game.
Whoops, my mistake, I was looking at the wrong entry.

--Zero

[Vlcice]

I have a Japanese copy of Hyperion, and it works perfectly fine on my North American system (with North American Genesis module). In fact, the game is entirely in english too, so it works quite well. I haven't tested any other games, but I'm pretty sure they're all region-free (Though not necessarily in english).

That's great to hear, then! Thanks a lot. It's going to make collecting the games a lot easier now. I have a North American Hyperion, but there are plenty of other bilingual ones that seem to be easier to get in Japanese versions.