why PC Engine is so awesome..

[MottZilla]

I used to have an RGB modded PC Engine Duo R.

That's what I want too, a RGB modded PC Engine. Although Composite is ok if I play it on my nice CRT. Part of why I sold my DUO if I recall was because I had switched from having a CRT to having an LCD which it didn't look so hot. However the modded Xbox + 480P output from Medafen or whatever it was looked great.

[Baseley09]

Pls dont spoil ze engines with uer RGBEEEES. Composite on it looks fine imo.

Download is the pinacle of japanese cyber punk anime themed gaming on futuristic hardware for me.

A style that is totally outmoded now, but for the time it's a standout.

[GaijinPunch]

Composite on it looks fine imo.

Sounds like you've never played on a properly RGB modded one.

[Tatsujin]

I've never played one either. Give me 5 good reasons to get one and I might consider it. :)

I've could give you thousands of reasons, but here my digest one:

you never took hands on one? so you missed a lot of unique games you would have never found on any other platforms. e.g. the best classic akumajou dracula game (castlevania) on top, or some of the damn best 2D shoot 'em ups ever created in life cycle of mankind (e.g. gate of thunder winds of thunder, seirei senshi spriggan, star parodia, nexzr and many many more). let alone all the other unique and wonderful releases the system got, which weren't available on other platforms (PC Genjin, sonson II, best bombermen, new adventure island, shubibinman 3 etc. to name but a few).

or how about the fact, that you missed out one of the most compact, cute, stylish, technically its time ahead and full of character video game system in existence?

now it's up to you to decide, if you like to more explore the universe of that unique system and find out a lot of games you probably never heard of nor seen before, but which will still be able to blow your mind out your brainpan because of their sheer awesomness OR you let it be as it is and you won't find out anything about the unique system with a lot of games you probably never heard of nor seen before, which then won't be able to blow your mind out your brainpan.

YOU DECIDE!

[graciano1337]

Checking out eBay... why are they so expensive?? It was well received in Japan I thought. Maybe I'm looking at the wrong model or something.

[Tatsujin]

why are they so expensive??

awesomeness has its price ;-)

if you want to come in highest pleasure, i recommend you one of the DUO systems, which combines the initial HuCard media (creditcard like carts) and the shortly later released cd-rom media.

so then you would be able to play about 98.23% off all released japanese games & in additional all US CD game releases.

so look out for terms like: PC Engine DUO, DUO-R, DUO-RX

if you only like to buy one for the playing, look for lose systems, then the price will rapidely shrink again. but you still have to expect something within the US$100~200 range. with some good luck and a potion of patience, you may be able to find one below the 100 mark as well.

check also for mods like RGB or hucard region, if you like to play with a proper picture and US turbochip games as well.

try avoid any US systems, unless it's a Turbo DUO with a JPN region adaptor or mod. but usually they're even more expensive.

but don't expect, that with the buy of the system alone it's already done. few of the major games easily can fetch prices above the 100 dollar mark. but then again, there're also a lot lot of very fine games between 10~50 dollars, which sometimes are even better than the more expensive ones.

here a small extraction of some of my favs:

Gate of Thunder
winds of thunder
seirei senshi spriggan
star parodier
alli bombermans (d pce isch eh d bomberman platform nr.1)
shubibinman 3
son son 2
nexzr
kaze kiri
PC Genjin aka bonk 1 ~ 3
Mr. Heli No Daibouken
Ninja Spirit aka Saigo No Nindou
adventure island
kyuukyoku tiger aka ulimate tiger
takahashi meijin no shinbokenjima aka new adventure island
coryoon
R-Type
raiden
devil crash
dynastic heros
galaga '88
gradius
gradius II
parodius da!
gunhed
super star soldier
soldier blade
Vigilante
jackie chan
kato-chan & ken-chan
Mizubaku Daibouken
Parasol Stars - The Story Of Bubble Bobble III
Pomping World aka Pang
Rainbow island
salamander
Wonder Boy III - Monster Lair
etc. etc.


GOOD LUCK :)

[GaijinPunch]

Unfortunately, a LOT of Tatsujin's list is a bit of a moot point as they are arcade ports, and not 100% faithful ones. Many have been ported better, and for those that aren't, they pretty much all run flawlessly in Mame.

Here's a handful of reasons... I like the system, but it doesn't make me spontaneously blow myself, so mine might be a bit less biased. :)

-Akumajo Dracula X (yes, it's the best one. You should cut your balls off if you're playing it on the PSP -- this deserves a big screen).
-Pop'n Magic, Parasol Stars (both unique to the system)
-Caravan Shooting (Nexzr, Sylphia, Spriggan, Gunhed, etc.)
-Other shooting (Magical Chase, Star Parodia, Coryoon which is kinda overrated)
-Kaze Kiri, Valis 1-4 (Okay, I is the only really great one)
-Falcom Ports

[Tatsujin]

GP is kinda right, but sometimes I even like the not 100% faithful port over the original. this may have different reasons like a better gameplay (controls -> raiden) or better sounds (-> lot of good red book remix) or even the atmosphere which comes over in a better way alone due to the fact, what this lil' stinker was able to do back then (-> e.g. r-type).

also MAME is not really an option in my point of view, since then you don't have to buy any eralier or later systems, since mame can do almost anything, and depending on the HW specs even better than PSX, SS, PS2, DC etc. could do it.

as for me, i like to play on deticated HW with original and physically soft, since this alone gives already way more than 50% of the the resulting playfun.

[Midwinter]

as for me, i like to play on deticated HW with original and physically soft, since this alone gives already way more than 50% of the the resulting playfun.

I have to agree with Tatusjin. If you are going to play PCE games then you have to own the system and play it like they were meant to be played. MAME just isn't valid in my opinion as a viable playing option.

[Barc0de]

I can understand why emulation isn't ideal for some users, but for most people there's actually no difference. I m one of them. Sticking to older systems because of nostalgia is one thing, downplaying the value of emulation is another. What MAME and other emulators have done with regard to fully playable games is amazing. It gives many people the chance to experience fun without resorting to costly, obsolete, specialized or rare hardware, software and monitor configurations, plus, gives access to higher resolutions, save states and cheats.

for example:

I LOVE my nintendo 64 collection and the controller BUT I don't mind playing those games that are fully playable (with a properly configured joypad adapter) on an emulator. When funds and space are low emulation is a very attractive option.

[Midwinter]

I understand. That is why I noted it was just my opinion. I have no problem with people emulating games even though personally I just don't get the same fun and feel without playing it on the original console.

I tried emulating games about 7 years ago when I had just graduated college and I was strapped for cash (just got married and bills were piling up). I just couldn't get in to it.

I can understand why emulation isn't ideal for some users, but for most people there's actually no difference. I m one of them. Sticking to older systems because of nostalgia is one thing, downplaying the value of emulation is another. What MAME and other emulators have done with regard to fully playable games is amazing. It gives many people the chance to experience fun without resorting to costly, obsolete, specialized or rare hardware, software and monitor configurations, plus, gives access to higher resolutions, save states and cheats.

for example:

I LOVE my nintendo 64 collection and the controller BUT I don't mind playing those games that are fully playable (with a properly configured joypad adapter) on an emulator. When funds and space are low emulation is a very attractive option.

[phate]

... some of the damn best 2D shoot 'em ups ever created in life cycle of mankind (e.g. gate of thunder winds of thunder, seirei senshi spriggan, star parodia, nexzr and many many more).

*Starts searching eBay*

God I love Shmups...

[Baseley09]

Sounds like you've never played on a properly RGB modded one.

0_o

[undamned]

Wow, it's been eons since I've seen that movie! For those of you not cool enough, it's from "They Live."

But what does OBEY have to do with the PCE?

In time you will know.

May be true but turboexpress's design rocks for a handheld...

Yeah, cause it's the JP design with with a different logo, unlike the console :banghead:

[Emulation] gives many people the chance to experience fun without resorting to costly, obsolete, specialized or rare hardware, software and monitor configurations...

Uh, did you get lost? Your list pretty much defines Assembler :rolleyes:

Unfortunately, a LOT of Tatsujin's list is a bit of a moot point as they are arcade ports, and not 100% faithful ones. Many have been ported better, and for those that aren't, they pretty much all run flawlessly in Mame.

That's pretty much the criteria I use for whether something stays in my PCE collection.

I've never played one either. Give me 5 good reasons to get one and I might consider it. :)

I'll give you more than 5 good reasons :icon_bigg :

From Tatsujin's list:
Winds of Thunder - stg
Star Parodier - stg
Devil Crash - pinball
Galaga '88 - stg
Soldier blade - stg

From my list:
PC Denjin - stg
Gamola Speed - action
Mesopotamia - platform/action

I have many more games for the system that I enjoy, but the handful of games above are overkill for justifying owning it. I'd own a Coregrafx, just for PC Denjin!
-ud

[DCharlie]

I've still yet to play a PC Engine emu that doesn't vomit all over Magical Chase.

[GaijinPunch]

also MAME is not really an option in my point of view, since then you don't have to buy any eralier or later systems, since mame can do almost anything, and depending on the HW specs even better than PSX, SS, PS2, DC etc. could do it.

Actually this isn't the case. There are plenty of deficiencies in MAME, even with an arcade monitor and arcade VGA card (both of which I have). Since MAME is all about perfect hardware emulation, and the gameplay as a side effect, you will rarely see any games that are better in MAME than they are on the PCB or a port... something like ESPGaluda on the PS2, which is indeed not only a faithful representation of the PCB, it doesn't "feature" the hardware deficiencies of the PGM hardware.

Also, there's a HUGE difference between arcade emulation & console emulation. Most console emulation is HLE. While it is meant to preserve the games, it's not the same notion with expensive, bulky, and far more fragile arcade hardware. Personally, yes, I will say that Magic Engine with an Arcade VGA card is a better option than a PC-Engine due to the huge up tick in picture clarity, but it's not perfect. Answer: own both. I know this isn't an option for most people though, and that I'm a bit of an extremist in this case.

even though personally I just don't get the same fun and feel without playing it on the original console.

I agree. There's something fun about popping a cartridge in and playing it. For the most part, Mame is really the only emulator I play a lot. The others are just to try the games out (most of the time). But, some systems were simply not built right: All the PC-Engine family, FM-Towns, and as I understand it, the Neo Geo has a shitty RGB signal. I will always take the option which gives me a better picture (less signal loss) assuming the deficiencies aren't noticeable. For Neo Geo, emulation wins hands down. For PC-Engine stuff, it depends on the game.

And before all of you "emulation is evil" types come up w/ some nasty retort, note that most collections and reprints of old games are indeed using just that: emulation... quite often done really poorly! The only difference is rather than loading the rom yourself, the console does it for you.

[Barc0de]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Barc0de
[Emulation] gives many people the chance to experience fun without resorting to costly, obsolete, specialized or rare hardware, software and monitor configurations...

Uh, did you get lost? Your list pretty much defines Assembler :rolleyes:

you forgot to highlight many people. We here are not the sample of many people, quite the opposite, we are outright weirdos to the eyes of "many people". Laymen if you prefer =)

[Adol]

Sounds like you've never played on a properly RGB modded one.

I completely agree.I play on RGB since my childhood, since that is the standard here in France.
When i discovered the composite pictures, i was shocked ^^

[MoBoRoS]

I want an RGB modded DUO - RX... :( (T_T)

[ccovell]

But, some systems were simply not built right: All the PC-Engine family, FM-Towns, and as I understand it, the Neo Geo has a shitty RGB signal... For Neo Geo, emulation wins hands down. For PC-Engine stuff, it depends on the game.

Can you elaborate? I know that the Neo's RGB is spotty, but it depends on the model. My Neo Geo CD system has crystal-clear RGB.

And as for the PC-Engine, the RGB sometimes has minor noise, but is otherwise pristine and vibrant (with an amp, of course).

Check these out:
Composite


RGB