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NEC PC-Engine/SuperGrafx => PC Engine/SuperGrafx Discussion => Topic started by: Digi.k on April 22, 2006, 12:39:21 AM
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I love populous and this is the 2nd time I've got the HUcard again...
I got one problem.. how do you save??? As this was something I couldn't figure out how to do the first time I had this since I've never played the original PC version or any other versions and I still can't figure out how to save today....
Populous is perhaps the only HUcard that has back up ram right ??
The comic strip styled manual is awesome but it don't tell you how to save your progress in there either >___<
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/populous.jpg)
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You can save on the HuCard itself, plus I'm pretty sure you can save files via Tennokoe Bank 2, Booster or, if you have a CD, the built-in RAM. I'd have to go hunting through many boxes to find my copy, but I just wanted to tell you that you can save. HOWEVER, if the battery has failed, then you can go through all of the proper steps (it might even register as "Saved"), but when you turn the console off, your file will be gone. This has happened to me with Gameboy carts whose batteries no longer work -- there is no way to test the battery until you actually turn off the system.
Anyway, I actually spent all my time playing the PC version of Populous, back in the day, and I didn't know about the PCE versions till a few years ago. I still want to get the CD version of the game! Hopefully, it will be cheap.
While we are on the subject, I thought I'd share a little excerpt from some of the stuff I've been writing. If there are any errors, or confusing parts, please tell me! For example, I know I have to update some of the info on the CD version of Populous (Black_Tiger, I think, recently mentioned that there is a Bomberman-themed bonus level in it, IIRC)
VOICES FROM HEAVEN & ROMRAM HuCARDS
Ten No Koe Bank was another "oddity" profiled by Mr. Ireland in this issue. In modern parlance, Ten No Koe Bank is an 8K RAM "memory card" for backing up save files from the console's internal memory. The PCE CD-ROM peripheral contained 2K RAM internally (as did the later DUO console). Believe it or not, prior to the Ten No Koe Bank, players had no means of backing-up their save files. Once the 2K of RAM was filled, folks were forced to permanently delete existing files in order to make room for newer games. While the thought of deleting your high scores for Wonderboy III: Monster Lair might not have been too upsetting, the prospect of erasing your save files for Ys Book I & II would have been downright heart-wrenching. Now you could avoid the heartache:
"Ten No Koe means "voice from heaven," and this card is truly heaven-sent for PC-Engine CD owners ... This battery-backed HuCard (the first) contains 8K of RAM, allowing the user to store the entire 2K of backup RAM in one of four "boxes" on the card. The card allows you to store, retrieve or swap data between the CD unit and the card. This is also an excellent way to transport saved game locations to a friend's CD unit without bringing over your whole system."
In the excerpt above, Mr. Ireland states that Ten No Koe Bank (released on 09.06.1991) was the first HuCard to feature battery back-up (Hudson referred to this as a "ROMRAM HuCARD"). He was mistaken: Populous -- which appeared five months earlier on 04.05.1991 -- was in fact the first ROMRAM HuCARD. Populous contained a lithium battery for storing files directly on the HuCard itself. (EDIT: ... but files could also be stored the traditional way -- via the console's 2K internal RAM -- if it was available... this is confusing since I haven't discussed boosters yet, hmmmm.... ).
As it turns out, Ten No Koe Bank was the second -- and ultimately the final -- ROMRAM HuCARD ever to be released. It is not known how long the lithium batteries used in the ROMRAM HuCARDs will remain viable, but here we are, 15 years later, and they seem to be functioning as well as ever. When these batteries do fail, it will be interesting to see if they can be replaced without damaging the HuCard itself.
TRIVIA: Since Ten No Koe Bank is a file management utility, Populous bears the unique distinction of being the only HuCard game to ever feature battery back-up. Also, on 10.25.1991 Hudson released Populous: The Promised Lands (CD) -- an expanded follow-up to the Populous HuCard which offered five new worlds to conquer.
ABOUT POPULOUS
Originally an Amiga game (though soon released on Atari ST and IBM PC platforms), Populous (1989) was a huge commercial success and prompted Bullfrog (developer) and Electronic Arts (distributor) to release two expansion disks (also known as "data disks") with additional worlds to conquer. The first expansion disk -- The Promised Lands -- offered five new worlds: Silly World (populated by slimy green blobs), Blockland (any resemblance to Lego Land is purely coincidental), Wild West (yes, the American west theme, replete with "cowboys and indians"), Revolution Francaise (think "Versailles"), and finally the Bit Plains (a computer nerd's wasteland of coffee cups, cigarette butts and computer hardware). I am assuming that the PCE CD version of Populous includes these five additional worlds. The second expansion disk -- The Final Frontier -- offered only one new world (Crystal Land).
SAVE FILES & TURBOBOOSTERS
Now, PCE consoles, by themselves, did not have internal RAM for storing files, but this feature could be added by attaching optional hardware to PCE's rear expansion port. Essentially, this mimicked the 2K of internal RAM that owners of the CD-ROM unit enjoyed. You see, although save files were initially designed for CD format games, software developers soon began creating HuCard format games that supported save files. For folks who were unable (or unwilling) to splurge on a pricey PCE CD-ROM system, NEC's Booster and Hudson's Ten No Koe Bank 2 attached to the back of the of a PCE console to provide backup RAM for HuCard save files.
NEC's Booster came in two models: BB1 and BB2. BB1 included composite A/V output and was designed for owners of the original white PC-Engine (to upgrade the RF output). BB2 omitted this A/V output, since it was designed for owners of the later CoreGrafx I / II models (which already had A/V output). Like NEC's BB2 model, Hudson's Ten No Koe Bank 2 also lacked A/V jacks.
Although it wasn't mentioned in the article, Ten No Koe Bank could be used with all of the aforementioned devices. This meant that, theoretically, you could transfer save files from CD games onto a basic PCE console. There would be no reason for doing this, of course, but it illustrates the breadth and flexibility of the file management system. In short, Ten No Koe Bank was compatible with a wide range of products, and not simply the CD-ROM (and the later Super CD-ROM) hardware.
The only products to make it to North America were revised versions of NEC's BB1 hardware. The TurboBooster attached to TG-16's expansion port and provided composite A/V output. The more expensive TurboBooster Plus also included 2K of internal RAM for HuCard save files. At the time, there weren't many HuCard games that supported save files, so when NEC marketed these products, the emphasis was on upgrading TG-16's RF output to composite A/V jacks.
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While we are on the subject, I thought I'd share a little excerpt from some of the stuff I've been writing. If there are any errors, or confusing parts, please tell me!
Cool stuff Steve. Lots of good info in there. Just for completeness, I suppose you could mention the Memory Base 128 and Save-kun. Interesting devices, but they aren't as flexible as the Boosters/Ten no Koe imo.
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good stuff there.
I got a memory base 128 which I bought sometime last year but that too don't seem to work with populous HuCARD either. and I can't get a back up unit yet as I'm using an A/V booster at the back since my PCE is still RF and I'm on a island that broadcasts in PAL signals.
Yea there's an image in the manual to say its ok to save to the ten no koe..
I'm pretty sure theres a way to save to the ROMRAM HUcard too its just I 've never been able to figure it out how (even when I bought this brand new back in 1990)... O_O;
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/IMG_0017.jpg)
I'm sure the save and load option should appear in this menu in that space under the "game options" but sadly nothings there.....
and I'm also pretty sure the batteries are ok since most Ten no koe bank's are still in use right ?
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I'd guess the save option would be after you complete a level i.e. when you get a password if I remember.
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While we are on the subject, I thought I'd share a little excerpt from some of the stuff I've been writing. If there are any errors, or confusing parts, please tell me!
Cool stuff Steve. Lots of good info in there. Just for completeness, I suppose you could mention the Memory Base 128 and Save-kun. Interesting devices, but they aren't as flexible as the Boosters/Ten no Koe imo.
Yes, I always forget about MB 128 and I really don't know anything about Save-kun (except that Kaminari brought it to my attention and confirmed something about it.... what did he confirm? hmmmm.... I can't remember....)
Any info on them would be great :).
I've asked vestcoat for a description of MB 128 a while ago. He complied, but I hope it was here (pcefx) and not at magicengine, because ME's forums lost a year+ worth of posts recently. I was stupid and didn't save a lot of the threads I started on ME. I was slowly gathering info on various topics and I never saved copies locally. IDIOT!
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Be sure to make the distinction between the Ten no Koe units (Ten no Koe is actually the familiar name for the internal back-up unit, Ten no Koe 2 is the external unit from Hudson) and the Ten no Koe Bank, which is just a Ten no Koe manager :)
The Save-kun from Koei is a clone of the MB128. They're perfectly compatible. Like with the Ten no Koe Bank, you can not directly save your standard games onto the MB128. Those peripherals are mainly for archival purposes (think USB Flash Drive).
I wrote a small Back-Up Booster FAQ for the Necstasy forum a while ago, it's in French but it might be useful.
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I'd guess the save option would be after you complete a level i.e. when you get a password if I remember.
Yea thats what I thought... or at least hope there was an option to save your progress when you are in a middle of a game... but alas even when you complete it...
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/IMG_0019.jpg)
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/IMG_0020.jpg)
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/IMG_0021.jpg)
There's no option to save...
EDIT:
Also wanna add that after trying SNES, GEnesis/Megadrive and Master system versions this is one of the best console versions out there.. I think the PC Engine has some of the best populous BGM's and theres some suitable punch in the drum samples.. but control I would say the PCE is 2nd to Genesis version (as i didnt like the SNES or Mastersystem's that much). Graphically its a lot brighter and colourful than the Genesis and Master systems too.
Finally I think the PCE version has an option for you to re-paint certain sprites like add trees, change your people's clothes colour to red and still be good and change a few extra stuff too.. oh yea.. I think Hudson Soft has given the PCE version its own intro not found anywhere else.
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Also wanna add that after trying SNES, GEnesis/Megadrive and Master system versions this is one of the best console versions out there.. I think the PC Engine has some of the best populous BGM's and theres some suitable punch in the drum samples.. but control I would say the PCE is 2nd to Genesis version (as i didnt like the SNES or Mastersystem's that much). Graphically its a lot brighter and colourful than the Genesis and Master systems too.
Finally I think the PCE version has an option for you to re-paint certain sprites like add trees, change your people's clothes colour to red and still be good and change a few extra stuff too.. oh yea.. I think Hudson Soft has given the PCE version its own intro not found anywhere else.
Aha! Great stuff, these are the things I'm interested in following-up on! Feel free to share any other observations you make :).
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Could the game be auto-saving, like maybe when you complete a level? Is there a continue option when you start the game?
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Could the game be auto-saving, like maybe when you complete a level? Is there a continue option when you start the game?
I wish it was.. sadly nope.. and I tried nearly everything in the game set up too.. as well as things like holding all the buttons down while turning on the power .. nothing! :cry:
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Perhaps the battery is just knackered.
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Hmmmm, unfortunately, my suspicions concerning the battery might have been accurate, after all.
If we take this:
Perhaps the battery is just knackered.
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Could the game be auto-saving, like maybe when you complete a level? Is there a continue option when you start the game?
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A dead battery :(
I don't want to give up, but I fear we might have identified the problem. Autosaving + dead battery = suckage. The only way to test this is if you got NEC's BB1 booster, which was designed for your white PCE console. BB1 would give you built-in RAM plus the A/V out that you need. Unfortunately, I don't know how easy/difficult it would be to acquire one of these... since even in Japan they probably weren't super common...
Are we sure there is no way of viewing your save file (or your status) from one of the menus in Populous? Do you folks think a soft restart (RUN + RESET) would cut all the power to the HuCard?
I'll tell you this: I'll dig out my HuCard and try to figure this out if we don't make any headway. We'll eventually get an answer :)
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well.. I had this same problem back in 1990 when I bought a brand new copy of populous for the PCE still in its shrink wrap and I still couldn't find a way to save it so I exchanged it for a another game after a few weeks...
I'm gonna order a spare populous HuCARD and disect one of them when it arrives..
EDIT:
Well I've already ordered a replacement but I couldn't wait for it.. I've opened up the one here already but replacing the batter isn't as easy as I'd thought it would be.. O_o
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/IMG_0032.jpg)
I'd thought there be something here but its just an empty space.
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/IMG_0033.jpg)
The chips are all coated up..
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/IMG_0040.jpg)
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You can't save during a game, IIRC. Saving is done automatically when you reach a new level. Under the Game Options in your first screenshot, there should be a Load Game option which allows you to load any level you previously cleared (along with the last level you reached). If the option doesn't show up after you win the first level in Conquest mode, most probably your battery is dead.
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well.. I had this same problem back in 1990 when I bought a brand new copy of populous for the PCE still in its shrink wrap and I still couldn't find a way to save it so I exchanged it for a another game after a few weeks...
I'm gonna order a spare populous HuCARD and disect one of them when it arrives..
EDIT:
Well I've already ordered a replacement but I couldn't wait for it.. I've opened up the one here already but replacing the batter isn't as easy as I'd thought it would be.. O_o
DUDE! Save those photos -- lots of folks have been curious about the innards of that HuCard! If possible, can you take some more photos -- as sharply focused as you can get :).
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Thanks for the info Kaminari.
when the spare populous arrives I'll pull off that sealant thats covering the chips.. not gonna do it right now cause I can still load that up and play it XD
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Sorry to bring this back from the dead.
Just wanted to add that i have two populous hucards, and neither of mine have the batteries. I suspect they stopped adding them to save money, since most people had systems with backup capability at that point.
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I don't think theres ever been a battery
I think how its accessed. is that you nee to have either a Ten no koe bank or the CD-ROM back up and from those you can copy/store it into the RAM of the populous card but I don't think it directly saves into the HuCARD. But this is just a theory as I don't have any cd rom units at the moment.
There's never been anything in that round hole thingy.
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/IMG_0054.jpg)
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/IMG_0057.jpg)
And that sealant its really hard and can't be peeled. I wonder why that 3rd bank at the bottom is empty.
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/IMG_0058.jpg)
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Well im not saying any of ours ever had batteries. Im saying the early releases of Populous probably did. On the back of the card it says "ROMRAM HuCARD", just like the tennokoe bank. Thats how the battery backup works. It has RAM which holds the saves, and the battery keeps the RAM powered so it doesnt lose them. The empty space on the board is for the missing RAM chip.
Now they obviously designed the card to use a battery, due to the casing (battery hole, ROMRAM printed on back). And the missing RAM chip on the board. What i dont know, is whether they ever made any copies of Populous with the RAM and battery, or did they take it out at the last minute? It would have to have been at the VERY VERY last minute, after they already made up a bunch of housings.
Does anyone have a copy that definitely has a battery? You can tell easily by gently squeezing the card at the bulge. The ones without a battery will press in very easy, but with the Tennokoe bank you can feel the battery right away.
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OK, this is quite a mystery to me. I've always thought that all the Populous HuCards had a battery.
Time to go "squeeze the HuCard" (that didn't sound right)!
We must solve this conundrum!
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well this is the only part in the manual that has something to do with saving.. I wish someone can translate it ..
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/populousmanual.jpg)
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It looks like they show a white PCE plugged into a Tennokoe Bank 2 in the picture...
Crap. I just squeezed my Populous HuCard... it is soft, unlike the Tennokoe Bank HuCard that doesn't bend at all. Now, unless my Populous uses a smaller battery, I don't think there's anything in it.
I noticed that Populous packaging only has one symbol on it (the battery), but this might actually represent back-up Ram compatibility.
The Tennokoe Bank package, in contrast, has the same symbol as above, PLUS a second symbol depicting the side-view of a HuCard with a "battery" in it.
Does this mean that TB is really the only HuCard to ever have a battery?
Very, very odd. And Populous is a 4Mbit game, so it's not like it ever needed a beefier HuCard like SF II' ...
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So perhaps Ireland was right when he stated that the TB was the first hucard to actually use a battery...come to think of it, I've heard nothing but "my Populous battery is broken!" and never "my Populous battery works just fine" so who knows, maybe they never did actually add a battery...
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The manual just confirms that you can't save in the middle of a game. Your progress is saved after you cleared a map. You can later load your game (or more precisely choose your level, if memory serves me right) via the Load option I talked about earlier in this thread. Further details are provided at page 30 of the manual, if anyone cares to scan it :)
As for the built-in battery, I'm almost certain I was thoroughly playing this game on my white PC Engine (without any Back-Up Booster), two years before I got a Duo. But my pal Alzheimer tells me it's been an awful while...
This question is interesting because, if Populous is able to fall back on the Back-Up RAM (internal or external) in case the built-in battery is lacking, then I don't explain why Magic Engine doesn't save your progress. I always assumed it didn't do so precisely because it doesn't emulated the battery (if you try using the Ten no Koe Bank with ME, the emulator complains that the battery is dead).
Someone could try it on another emulator, out of curiosity.
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heres the scan of page 30.
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a348/kwoksta/populousmanual2.jpg)
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Im dieing to get to the bottom of this. Could they really have changed their minds at the last minute and decided not to include the batteries? Unless someone finds a card with one, its beginning to look like thats the case.
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I think we should all do the "squeeze" test, if only to collect anecdotal evidence. SQUEEZE YOUR HuCARD. There is a very distinct and obvious difference between the Tennokoe Bank and the Populous HuCards. Even if you don't have TB, you'll be able to determine if Populous is soft and squishy.
So perhaps Ireland was right when he stated that the TB was the first hucard to actually use a battery...come to think of it, I've heard nothing but "my Populous battery is broken!" and never "my Populous battery works just fine" so who knows, maybe they never did actually add a battery...
Exactly what I was thinking yesterday! I'll have to revise my article and offer my apologies to Mr. Ireland :)
This question is interesting because, if Populous is able to fall back on the Back-Up RAM (internal or external) in case the built-in battery is lacking, then I don't explain why Magic Engine doesn't save your progress. I always assumed it didn't do so precisely because it doesn't emulated the battery (if you try using the Ten no Koe Bank with ME, the emulator complains that the battery is dead).
Someone could try it on another emulator, out of curiosity.
I have a question: does ME emulate the 2K internal RAM of the CD systems? I know that Wonderboy III: Monster Lair, for example, will use a memory slot to save high scores on the real hardware. Does ME do this as well?
I have never tried, but what happens if I hit "SELECT" on the CD boot up screen?
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Yes, it does emulate the BRAM. Maybe most people are using save states nowadays, but you can still save your progress the good old way (if the game allows you to do so, of course). Two modes are available -- you can change the behaviour of the back-up emulation in the config file.
The old mode emulates a BRAM the traditional way: one BRAM for all your games, with a 2 kB limitation (backup.ram file). The new mode creates a BRAM for each and every single game that is BRAM compatible (compiled into the backup.dat file).
The new mode is very useful for some games that need a full BRAM, but the minor downside is that you can't display the content of the BRAM anymore (the System Card's back-up manager appears always empty, because from the point of view of ME, you're looking at the BRAM of the System Card itself, not the BRAM of the last game you loaded -- if you see what I mean).
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Im dieing to get to the bottom of this. Could they really have changed their minds at the last minute and decided not to include the batteries? Unless someone finds a card with one, its beginning to look like thats the case.
Well, they wound up shipping SFIICE in the double HuCard case because they reportedly were planning on making the CD/HuCard combo work up until the last minute.
So, whether it was deciding to save production costs, unfixable development problems/glitches, or whatever the reason... Populus shipping without the save feature in a romram case is still more plausible than what happened with SFIICE, so I wouldn't be surprised.
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We need to start a "Have you squeezed your Populous today?" campaign :D That should get some feedback.
Its a shame it wasnt released as a regular thin hucard, since i really dislike the "bumpy" cards. At least they're all good cards (sf2/arcade card/tennokoe). Well some people can argue that Populous isnt, but i'd disagree.
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Well, they wound up shipping SFIICE in the double HuCard case because they reportedly were planning on making the CD/HuCard combo work up until the last minute.
I looked at the rom and didn't find any code that writes to the CD port($1800/1801), so if they were planning on doing a combo hucard/cd, they took the code out of the game.
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Im dieing to get to the bottom of this. Could they really have changed their minds at the last minute and decided not to include the batteries? Unless someone finds a card with one, its beginning to look like thats the case.
Well, they wound up shipping SFIICE in the double HuCard case because they reportedly were planning on making the CD/HuCard combo work up until the last minute.
So, whether it was deciding to save production costs, unfixable development problems/glitches, or whatever the reason... Populus shipping without the save feature in a romram case is still more plausible than what happened with SFIICE, so I wouldn't be surprised.
Ahh, that's interesting. I have a different take on it though, tell me what you think (I go off on a tangent):
In general, double-CD and double-HuCard cases were used when the instruction manuals + bonus items (i.e. maps) were too big to fit in a standard jewel case. Off the top of my head, Populous is the only HuCard in my collection with a double-HuCard case, and it is was clearly chosen because the manual is so thick. Also, I'm not denying that a double-sized case also makes a title feel more "special" (and thus be a deliberate marketing decision).
If SF II' has a thick manual (or bonus printed stuff)... then it supports my theory. However, even if this isn't the case, I still say the double-HuCard case was chosen for marketing reasons (the largest Mbit game ever gets a jumbo case!).
Since we're talking about packaging, Black_Tiger, I bet you could help me out with this:
I also have some odd sized jewel cases that were specifically designed to hold a thick manual. I'll call them "fat jewel cases." They are probably the most economical way to ship a game that has lots of printed items, but they weren't used as often as the double-CD's. Off the top of my head, Wizardry I & II uses a "fat jewel case." I think have 1-3 more, but I know I don't have too many.
Now, I don't really know if any of this applies to SF II', and you could very well be correct about the reasons why a double-HuCard case was used for SF II'. I just think its fun trying to figure this stuff out :).
Yes, it does emulate the BRAM. Maybe most people are using save states nowadays, but you can still save your progress the good old way (if the game allows you to do so, of course). Two modes are available -- you can change the behaviour of the back-up emulation in the config file.
The old mode emulates a BRAM the traditional way: one BRAM for all your games, with a 2 kB limitation (backup.ram file). The new mode creates a BRAM for each and every single game that is BRAM compatible (compiled into the backup.dat file).
The new mode is very useful for some games that need a full BRAM, but the minor downside is that you can't display the content of the BRAM anymore (the System Card's back-up manager appears always empty, because from the point of view of ME, you're looking at the BRAM of the System Card itself, not the BRAM of the last game you loaded -- if you see what I mean).
Well that is TOO KOOL! You're gonna laugh, but I have an ancient version of ME since I don't use it too often.
To clarify: Does "BRAM" stand for "Backup RAM" ? Is this its official designation? I'll be revising my article on Tennokoe Bank, Backup Boosters, etc. and "BRAM" is so much easier to use than "2K of internal RAM" :). Thanks for pointing out (in another thread) the functional distinctions between MB128/Save Kun and BackupBoosters/TB2, by the way ;).
Back on topic: I just squeezed the center of my Populous CD and I think I broke it!
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SF2's manual fits in a standard case, but there's no doubt the game was packaged in a double case for various marketing reasons:
1) it's a ROM-RAM HuCard like Populous, which makes it a special card. You don't sell a special card in a puny jewel case.
2) you don't sell the best port of Street Fighter 2 Dash in a puny jewel case.
Does "BRAM" stand for "Backup RAM" ?
Yes, but it's just a common abbreviation :) The official but rarely used designation of the internal BRAM was the Ten no Koe (the "Voice From Heaven"), which is how the BRAM is called in the Momotaro Densetsu series.
As for the external back-up units, here's a quick translation of my French FAQ on Necstasy. It's not authoritative though, I don't own all those units and I might be wrong on their details. I'm probably a wee bit off-topic now, but here it is anyway:
o Ten no Koe 2 (Hudson) : requires one R6 (AA) battery.
o Back-Up Booster 1 (NEC) : similar to the TK2, but includes the AV Booster (very useful for the white PC Engine).
o Back-Up Booster 2 (NEC) : similar to the BB1, but includes a built-in NiCad battery.
o Back-Up Unit (NEC) : similar to the BB2, but specifically designed for the ShuttleGrafx.
I just squeezed the center of my Populous CD and I think I broke it!
The "Squeeze Your Populous CD" campaign just took its first toll :/
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SF2's manual fits in a standard case, but there's no doubt the game was packaged in a double case for various marketing reasons:
1) it's a ROM-RAM HuCard like Populous, which makes it a special card. You don't sell a special card in a puny jewel case.
2) you don't sell the best port of Street Fighter 2 Dash in a puny jewel case.
Exactly :).
Yes, but it's just a common abbreviation :) The official but rarely used designation of the internal BRAM was the Ten no Koe (the "Voice From Heaven"), which is how the BRAM is called in the Momotaro Densetsu series.
Well, that would explain a lot! Now I know how TB and TB2 got their names!
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The double case trick does work. I remember trying to decide between two PSX games, when that first came out. It was between Suikoden (i think the first one), and some other game which i cant remember. Unable to decide which to buy, i went with Suikoden because it was a dual-disk. OR SO I THOUGHT! I remember opening it up at home, and thinking "damn they got me!" :D I learned a lesson on marketing that day.
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I decided to buy pupulous, its expansion on CD and a ten no koe 2 to save games. You all are guilty for this :P hehehe
I hope the game is on english... or at least in noob japanese :P
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Dont worry its in english.
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trust me i was afraid it would be in japanese and i would have to eat it with potatos hehehe
i hope i like it. I enjoyed a lot populous 3 :)
Does it run smoothly?
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Well honestly no, its kinda slow and jerky while scrolling from the main window. I remember populous on SNES to be the same way though. All you have to do is get used to tapping select (or is it run?) to jump to the overview window to scroll. Much faster that way.
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ouch! :shock:
lol :lol:
well at least tell me it is a little jewel :P hehee
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Hi, yesterday i received mine and is the same. You only can save game if you have a ten no koe 2 or any other kind of memory device.
I also received the promised lands.. and it is kinda mad, lol. Lego world is insane :lol:
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In the list of features supported by Mednafen, I just noticed this:
o Support for Populous's backup RAM.
And I clearly remember being able to save my progression in this game, at a time when I only had a CoreGrafx without any TK2 or BB.
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In the list of features supported by Mednafen, I just noticed this:
o Support for Populous's backup RAM.
And I clearly remember being able to save my progression in this game, at a time when I only had a CoreGrafx without any TK2 or BB.
So, what is the final verdict on Populous? I thought it was the only HuCard to ever have a battery back-up (outside of T Bank)... but I guess I was very wrong :(.
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So, what is the final verdict on Populous? I thought it was the only HuCard to ever have a battery back-up (outside of T Bank)... but I guess I was very wrong :(.
Yeah, I'm more confused than I was before this thread started.
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Well, the verdict could be that some early batches of Populous might have had a built-in BRAM, which might have been dropped in later batches with the advent of the Interface Unit and external back-up devices. If Mednafen claims to emulate the BRAM of Populous, at least there must be some code in the game to support this saving feature.
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Well, the verdict could be that some early batches of Populous might have had a built-in BRAM, which might have been dropped in later batches with the advent of the Interface Unit and external back-up devices. If Mednafen claims to emulate the BRAM of Populous, at least there must be some code in the game to support this saving feature.
Ahhhhh, I like this line of reasoning. It sounds plausible. We need more folks to do the "squeeze test", if you recall that (a prior topic in this thread, IIRC).
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I wish I still had my copy to squeeze it hard 8-[
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My girlfriend's playing Viva Pinata all the time now. If you like Populus, you'll probably enjoy Viva Pinata. They're actually pretty similar, except you don't get to play different maps in VP.
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I squeezed my copy of Populous and I don't think anythings in there. Too bad they didn't allow for backup within the card (and with other RPGs as well) as it likely would have helped sell GTs. It doesn't seem like Hudson took the portable market seriously.
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I squeezed my copy of Populous and I don't think anythings in there. Too bad they didn't allow for backup within the card (and with other RPGs as well) as it likely would have helped sell GTs. It doesn't seem like Hudson took the portable market seriously.
Yep, no battery back-up and the lack of multi-player games kinda sucks.
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Sorry for re-opening this thread, but I am somewhat confused by the info here.
So far I heard that Populous doesn´t save a game - is that true?
Why do I then see a savegame slot named "Populous" in my IFU?
And when I try to load a game from within Populous, I always get the 1. Level "Genesis", although I played a higher Map just a minute ago?
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Sorry for re-opening this thread, but I am somewhat confused by the info here.
So far I heard that Populous doesn´t save a game - is that true?
Why do I then see a savegame slot named "Populous" in my IFU?
And when I try to load a game from within Populous, I always get the 1. Level "Genesis", although I played a higher Map just a minute ago?
The "RomRam" logo on the HuCard version of Populous led many people to believe that you could save directly onto the HuCard, like many cart games do on other consoles. But Populous only saves the way that all other PC Engine games do.
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Sorry for re-opening this thread, but I am somewhat confused by the info here.
So far I heard that Populous doesn´t save a game - is that true?
Why do I then see a savegame slot named "Populous" in my IFU?
And when I try to load a game from within Populous, I always get the 1. Level "Genesis", although I played a higher Map just a minute ago?
The "RomRam" logo on the HuCard version of Populous led many people to believe that you could save directly onto the HuCard, like many cart games do on other consoles. But Populous only saves the way that all other PC Engine games do.
I think I wasnt clear enough. I saw a Populous savegame on my IFU, but when I tried to load the savegame from within Populous I only started from the beginning, ie it didn´t save over the old savegame when I reached a new level. Strange thing is I couldnt delete it from the IFU with the Populous card in it.
I removed the card and booted with a system card, then deleting the savegame worked. Now it saves the current status.