Turbo Duo vs. TG16

[RCM]

I'm at a point where I pretty much own every console I'm interested in-- besides rare stuff like Hi-Navi Saturn and Divers Dreamcast. I own a Turbo Grafx 16 and a Turbo Express, but have not yet taken the plunge on a Turbo Duo.

Are Turbo CD games worth it? I was thinking of just modding my TG16 to play PC Engine stuff.

Thanks

[Ze_ro]

Depends what you're into I suppose. The North American CD lineup is pretty small, though it does have some nice RPG's. There are also a lot of Japanese games that are worth importing such as Castlevania and all kinds of shooters (Spriggan, Star Parodia, etc), all of which work perfectly fine aside from a bit of Japanese text.

Thing is, if you settle for a TG16 now, you'll have a very hard time getting a CD add-on later if you decide you want to expand, as they're basically the same price as the Duo itself. Unless you're 100% sure you won't want any CD games, I'd recommend looking for a modded Duo-R/RX.

It's also worth pointing out that Duo's are known to have lots of problems with bad capacitors that can cause severe audio problems.

--Zero

[Spazmonkey]

Also, there's a chance that the caps won't even be the source of the sound problems! There have been people who have switched out the caps, with no dice, although this number is very small. If your handy, snag one for cheap with sound problems and just replace the caps.

If not, you might want to splurge for a Japanese unit, like the duo r, or the rx even though people charge more it, ignoring the fact the two are the exact same unit.

[Orion Pimpdaddy]

I play the CD games more than the card games. The two shooters, Lords of Thunder and Gate of Thunder are spectacular. I also enjoy playing Splash Lake with my wife, even though she tends to drown me a lot.

My setup is a regular American CD add-on with an American Turbografx. I use a PC Engine converter card to use a Japanese System 3.0 card for the CD unit.

[mobiusclimber]

It's definitely easier and cheaper to get a Japanese CD of some sort. I own the briefcase model, but a Duo, Duo-R or Duo-RX work great (especially the last two as they don't seem to have as many problems).

I too play the CD side of things a lot more than the hucard side. But then I'm heavily into RPGs and dont mind playing them in Japanese. (Tho there were some great ones for the US, like Ys I & II and Cosmic Fantasy 2.)

[duo_r]

I second the Duo-R, don't worry about the RX, it is basically the same unit as the R but with a 6 button controller (which you could just buy the Avenue 6). It's reliable, and sexy as hell!

[Soviet Conscript]

i'll suggest the Duo-R as well. you can always have it switch modded for US HU card compatibility.

[Rai]

I think there are enough CD titles to warrant having a system for sure. Not 100 games or anything, but once you play games like YS I&II, Lords of Thunder, Castlevania, Kaze Kiri, etc it's hard to think about selling it off. So I'd say if you have the money get one.

I'd also highly recommend a Duo R or Duo RX. They are worlds more reliable than the standard model Duo and/or CD add on. The later mentioned consoles have tons of capacitor issues, as others have noted, and are a serious pain to get to work properly again.

The only issue the R/RX have is the laser eventually needing to be replaced. That's about a $22 part shipped.

Avoid the standard model Duo and TG-CD like the plague. You might get them to work with a total overhaul of all the parts...but it's just soooooo much easier to buy a nice R or RX :)

[A Black Falcon]

I think there are enough CD titles to warrant having a system for sure. Not 100 games or anything, but once you play games like YS I&II, Lords of Thunder, Castlevania, Kaze Kiri, etc it's hard to think about selling it off. So I'd say if you have the money get one.

I'd also highly recommend a Duo R or Duo RX. They are worlds more reliable than the standard model Duo and/or CD add on. The later mentioned consoles have tons of capacitor issues, as others have noted, and are a serious pain to get to work properly again.

The only issue the R/RX have is the laser eventually needing to be replaced. That's about a $22 part shipped.

Avoid the standard model Duo and TG-CD like the plague. You might get them to work with a total overhaul of all the parts...but it's just soooooo much easier to buy a nice R or RX :)

Hey, the original CD doesn't have the capacitor problems of the Duo. It has its own issues that do make the R or RX better, but it's not bad caps... it's the old, often questionable disc drives, really, and that some of the gears sometimes strip and are nearly impossible to replace. But as far as consoles go, bad caps are really only found (on a wide scale) in the Turbo/PC Engine Duo, TurboExpress, and Game Gear (original Sega model, not the Majesco re-release).

But yes, provided you import, some kind of Super CD system really is required to get the most out of the Turbografx.

[Tron 2.0]

I second the Duo-R, don't worry about the RX, it is basically the same unit as the R but with a 6 button controller (which you could just buy the Avenue 6). It's reliable, and sexy as hell!
Agreed.

[MrRoboto19XX]

I too would like to chime in and praise the Duo-R.

That is all.

[XYXZYZ]

i'll suggest the Duo-R as well. you can always have it switch modded for US HU card compatibility.

You mean... Turbo Chips!

[jperryss]

Another vote for the Duo-R here, especially since you already have a US TG16 to play American hueys. You can get a Duo-R cheaper than a US Duo, and you likely won't have to worry about sound/cap issues.

And it's sexy.

[Tron 2.0]

You mean... Turbo Chips!
Please don't say turbo chips :rolleyes: every time i hear it i think of a snack such as potato chips.NEC of jpn got it right calling it hucards ;)

[A Black Falcon]

You mean... Turbo Chips!

If they're "Turbo Chips", then why does it say "HuCard" on them on both the front and back of every US card? No "Turbo Chip" to be found on the cards themselves... :)

I know the manuals say "Turbo Chip", but then they still left "HuCard" on the actual cards... kind of funny.

[Kid Fenris]

I think there are enough CD titles to warrant having a system for sure. Not 100 games or anything, but once you play games like YS I&II, Lords of Thunder, Castlevania, Kaze Kiri, etc it's hard to think about selling it off. So I'd say if you have the money get one.

I agree. The TurboDuo's best games are all on CD, though I'm really not an Ys fan.

To be honest, I just replied because your avatar was my favorite card in Cardfighter's Clash.

[mobiusclimber]

Please don't say turbo chips :rolleyes: every time i hear it i think of a snack such as potato chips.NEC of jpn got it right calling it hucards ;)

You could always do like a certain Youtuber and call pronounce it cheeep!

[RCM]

Thanks to all who replied. I'm uninterested in RPGs, but dig nearly everything else like shooters and platform titles. So is Turbo Duo still the right way to go? Thanks

[Soviet Conscript]

Thanks to all who replied. I'm uninterested in RPGs, but dig nearly everything else like shooters and platform titles. So is Turbo Duo still the right way to go? Thanks

yes. again i would spend the bit extra for a japanese duo-r and have it modded to play us HU cards purely for its better reliablity

[XYXZYZ]

HuChips8-)

[jperryss]

yes. again i would spend the bit extra for a japanese duo-r and have it modded to play us HU cards purely for its better reliablity

Incidentally enough, you can usually get a JP Duo-R for less than a US Duo, AND you won't have to worry about sound/cap issues (the original black US Duo and black PCE Duo were known for audio issues). I paid $200 shipped (eBay) for a Duo-R with two pads and a tap, and another $20 for an Arcade Card Duo. Region mod was another $50 (probably about $75 once I factor in 2-way shipping) but for about $300 total I got myself full access to the entire TG/PCE library. :D

[Ze_ro]

I got myself full access to the entire TG/PCE library. :D
Not quite! That setup won't play SuperGrafx or LD-ROM2 games!

Sadly, the ultimate PC-Engine setup is an impossible dream.

--Zero

[jperryss]

Not quite! That setup won't play SuperGrafx or LD-ROM2 games!

Sadly, the ultimate PC-Engine setup is an impossible dream.

--Zero

Ha! Normally I'd mention the SGX games (all 6 of them, haha) but I was recently told in another thread that the SGX was a 'new system' that just had backwards compatibility with PCE titles.

Can you tell me about the LD-ROM2 games? Never heard of 'em, but I'm assuming those were LD games designed for the LaserActive?

[A Black Falcon]

Ha! Normally I'd mention the SGX games (all 6 of them, haha) but I was recently told in another thread that the SGX was a 'new system' that just had backwards compatibility with PCE titles.

Can you tell me about the LD-ROM2 games? Never heard of 'em, but I'm assuming those were LD games designed for the LaserActive?

The LaserActive actually has no games of its own. You need one of the two addon modules, Sega (Genesis+Sega/Mega CD+Sega/Mega LD) or NEC (TG16/PCE HuCard+CD/LD ROM2) to play games. The base system was $1000, each module was $300. Also, games for the two modules are incompatible. Games either work with one or the other, not both. LD-ROM2 games only work with the NEC Pac. Mega LD games only work with the Sega Pac. A couple of games were in both formats, I think, but most are only in one or the other.

Hmm, I wonder why the system failed...

Oh, and the SuperGrafx is basically a more powerful TG16, sort of like the Game Boy Color to the Game Boy or DSi to the original DS -- same basic thing, but with better tech specs. The SuperGrafx has a second video chip and more RAM and such. And yeah, it's fully backwards compatible with the original system.

[greedostick]

Yes, if you are not interested in rpg's the turbo duo is still worth it. Games like valis 2, 3, and 4, Shubinbin man, Gates of Thunder, Lords of Thunder, Bonk 3 CD, Dracula X, Download 2, Double Dragon 2, Dynastic Hero, Shadow of the Beast, Exile, Exile Wicked Phenomenon, Sylphia, Sapphire, list goes on and on. Basically when it comes to Turbo Grafx, you don't really get into the good games until you start exploring the CD titles. And there is a learning curve. You really have to ask around. Cause just because a game is rare or expensive, does not mean it is good by any means. I would strongly urge you to find a way to check out these games before you spend loads of money on them. Like watch them on youtube. I have been disappointed many times. Like when I bought Kaze Kiri, Renny Blaster, and Popful Mail.

I am going to have to disagree with everyone else on buying a RX/R unit though. I have owned at least 7 Duo/R/RX/Briefcase Units and have had all of them crap out. Turbo Duo units in any form are crap. They always break. You can go months without playing it and the sound goes out, or you can play it everyday and the sound goes out. Even if you clean them and always press Run then Select to stop the CD from turning off before you power down the system they still break.


If you want a good reliable way to play Super CD's you basically have 2 options...

1. is to get a Super Grafx Unit and buy the Super CD Rom2 Attachment. You need a adaptor called a RAU 30 adaptor to hook the cd unit to the Super Grafx Unit. These systems are made well and I have never had a issue with one. It is expensive, but you can also play Super Grafx games on these. There were only a handfull of games released for Super Grafx, but most are pretty good.

2. The easiest option is what I do now. Just spend $15.00 and go buy the Magic Engine Emulator. This emulator is awesome! You can load up real Turbo CD's in this thing. There are no sound issues..ever. The games look awesome if you have a nice computer monitor. And you never have to worry about running out of memory, or memory being deleted. Cause after a little while the real turbo units delete your saves. I really can't say enough good things about the Magic Engine. And it would be a good way to see if it really is worth it to shell out hundreds of dollars on a real system.

[Soviet Conscript]

Ha! Normally I'd mention the SGX games (all 6 of them, haha) but I was recently told in another thread that the SGX was a 'new system' that just had backwards compatibility with PCE titles.

Can you tell me about the LD-ROM2 games? Never heard of 'em, but I'm assuming those were LD games designed for the LaserActive?

there are 5 SGX games. darius plus is not a SGX game its a PCE game thats runs better on a SGX.

Darius alpha is the same way. though its more of a promotional item then a game

[Soviet Conscript]

Ha! Normally I'd mention the SGX games (all 6 of them, haha) but I was recently told in another thread that the SGX was a 'new system' that just had backwards compatibility with PCE titles.

Can you tell me about the LD-ROM2 games? Never heard of 'em, but I'm assuming those were LD games designed for the LaserActive?

there are 5 SGX games. darius plus is not a SGX game its a PCE game thats runs better on a SGX.

Darius alpha is the same way. though its more of a promotional item then a game

i also beleive that if you region mod a SGX it creates a problem with playing Aldynes (one of the better of the 5 SGX games) though i can't confirm this

[greedostick]

there are 5 SGX games. darius plus is not a SGX game its a PCE game thats runs better on a SGX.

Darius alpha is the same way. though its more of a promotional item then a game

i also beleive that if you region mod a SGX it creates a problem with playing Aldynes (one of the better of the 5 SGX games) though i can't confirm this

My buddy has a region modded super grafx with all the Super Grafx games. I have played Aldynes many time on his console and never had any problems.

[Soviet Conscript]

My buddy has a region modded super grafx with all the Super Grafx games. I have played Aldynes many time on his console and never had any problems.

ok, checked it with some people. apperently the game plays fine but the demo for it crashes.

so its pretty irrelevent. i thill think the SGX is super ugly and thats only amplified buy a cdrom unit humping it.

[tomaitheous]

i thill think the SGX is super ugly and thats only amplified buy a cdrom unit humping it.

I should cut out your tongue and feed it to a thousand fishes!

[greedostick]

ok, checked it with some people. apperently the game plays fine but the demo for it crashes.

so its pretty irrelevent. i thill think the SGX is super ugly and thats only amplified buy a cdrom unit humping it.

I think the Super Grafx is a nice looking system. I have to admit though, it is pretty big with the SuperCD2 attachment hooked up to it. Way to big. Like a Sega CD hooked up to a model 1 genesis, but vertical. It's not a very visually appealing system with the cd attachment hooked up.

[jperryss]

I am going to have to disagree with everyone else on buying a RX/R unit though. I have owned at least 7 Duo/R/RX/Briefcase Units and have had all of them crap out. Turbo Duo units in any form are crap. They always break. You can go months without playing it and the sound goes out, or you can play it everyday and the sound goes out. Even if you clean them and always press Run then Select to stop the CD from turning off before you power down the system they still break.

What are you doing with them? I've heard of very few issues with Duo systems, other than the sound cap issues on the original black Duo. Obviously a laser can act up over time, but really that goes for ANY CD-based system.

I think you're the exception. ;)

http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=6263.0

Also wanted to say that the Duo does not just delete your saves. Yes, there is limited space for saves but it doesn't just delete 'em. And you can get 5X the space with a $10 tennokoe bank card.

[Soviet Conscript]

What are you doing with them? I've heard of very few issues with Duo systems, other than the sound cap issues on the original black Duo. Obviously a laser can act up over time, but really that goes for ANY CD-based system.

I think you're the exception. ;)

http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=6263.0

Also wanted to say that the Duo does not just delete your saves. Yes, there is limited space for saves but it doesn't just delete 'em. And you can get 5X the space with a $10 tennokoe bank card.

even if you do have laser problems a duo laser can be replaced for about $20 and 5 minutes of your time.

[A Black Falcon]

What are you doing with them? I've heard of very few issues with Duo systems, other than the sound cap issues on the original black Duo. Obviously a laser can act up over time, but really that goes for ANY CD-based system.

I think you're the exception. ;)

http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=6263.0

Also wanted to say that the Duo does not just delete your saves. Yes, there is limited space for saves but it doesn't just delete 'em. And you can get 5X the space with a $10 tennokoe bank card.

Yeah, and the R and RX don't even have the caps problem, and are built better than the original Duo. Going through SEVEN systems sounds hard to believe... and definitely not normal, for the R and RX in particular.


I think the Super Grafx is a nice looking system. I have to admit though, it is pretty big with the SuperCD2 attachment hooked up to it. Way to big. Like a Sega CD hooked up to a model 1 genesis, but vertical. It's not a very visually appealing system with the cd attachment hooked up.

Yeah, I think it looks awesome, very cool design. As for the Super CD, there were no SuperGrafx games on CD, so you don't really need to attach it to a CD drive if you have another system...


2. The easiest option is what I do now. Just spend $15.00 and go buy the Magic Engine Emulator. This emulator is awesome! You can load up real Turbo CD's in this thing. There are no sound issues..ever. The games look awesome if you have a nice computer monitor. And you never have to worry about running out of memory, or memory being deleted. Cause after a little while the real turbo units delete your saves. I really can't say enough good things about the Magic Engine. And it would be a good way to see if it really is worth it to shell out hundreds of dollars on a real system.

Why spend $15 for Magic Engine when Ootake is better, free, and often updates often? :)

[tomaitheous]

2. The easiest option is what I do now. Just spend $15.00 and go buy the Magic Engine Emulator. This emulator is awesome! You can load up real Turbo CD's in this thing. There are no sound issues..ever. The games look awesome if you have a nice computer monitor. And you never have to worry about running out of memory, or memory being deleted. Cause after a little while the real turbo units delete your saves. I really can't say enough good things about the Magic Engine. And it would be a good way to see if it really is worth it to shell out hundreds of dollars on a real system.



Paying $15 for an emulator that doesn't even have accurate sound emulation, video glitches still, and has varying gamepad input problems (even on some controller input cheats) - when others can be had for free. Ootake is free but full of game/emulation specific hacks like ME. Mednafen is the most accurate of them all (and still free). TurboEngine (which is out) is catching up to mednafen though.

[greedostick]

Paying $15 for an emulator that doesn't even have accurate sound emulation, video glitches still, and has varying gamepad input problems (even on some controller input cheats) - when others can be had for free. Ootake is free but full of game/emulation specific hacks like ME. Mednafen is the most accurate of them all (and still free). TurboEngine (which is out) is catching up to mednafen though.

I never heard of Ootake until today. Tried it out, and I have to say, it is a really nice emulator. I noticed when playing Magical Chase on the MagicEngine, that it just didn't feel like when I played it on my Turbo Grafx system. Playing it on Ootake it felt really good. I think I am going to have to change emulators. Ootake is awesome. I need to try out some Games Express stuff out on it.

Also, to the guy who asked before what I did to my Turbo systems to make them break. I think I just have really bad luck. I though for sure that game saves deleted on the Duo's after a certain amount of time. I thought I remembered reading that in the Duo manual. I was just playing Dracula X at a friends last weekend who hadn't played his Duo in a few months, and all his data erased. Maybe I am thinking of a different system that deletes data. I thought for sure the Duo deleted data after like 30 days if you didn't plug it in or turn it on.