Dumb questions about Spine Cards and more

[retrodelee]

Hello.  I'm new here.  Someone pointed me to this forum when I decided I wanted to get a PC Engine Duo-r.  They told me not to get a US Duo... just to go straight for the PC Engine version.

Either way... the first question is about Spine Cards.  What are they?  LOL
I see them, but really don't know what they are and what they are for. 

Second...  I plan on buying one of the wonderful modded PC Engine Duo-Rs here.  It is one with the S-Video/Region mod.  Silly question... what about SUPER CD games... or the Arcade type games?  I don't know a lot about the different types of games.... so I'm just asking general questions.

As for the TB card... the general concept is that I save the game to the DUO... and then I insert the TB card and save it to it (or back-up the save).  Correct?

Okay...  I'm going to dive into the forums now and read as much as I can.  I'll check this later... who knows... I may find my answers once I dig around some more. 

Nice to meet all of you. 

 

[Tatsujin]

spine cards, in japan so called "obi" (belt) in fact have to major reasons.

1. blow up the space on the back of a CD-jewel case to print bigger letters on and other information like bar-code, price etc.

2. collector item

[retrodelee]

I was sitting here thinking it was a card of sorts that you had to insert into the duo (card slot)... while playing the cd. 

Shows what I know.  LOL

[D-Lite]

CD - requires (generally) System Card 2.1 if using a CD interface unit
SuperCD - requires System Card 3.0 if using a CD interface unit
ArcadeCD - requires an Arcade Card Duo or Arcade Card Pro (with CD interface)

note that ANY Duo, DuoR, or DuoRX has the System 2/3 functionality built in and can play any CD or SCD.  But you will need an Arcade Card Duo to play the Arcade CDs.

Spine cards are really just another little item that causes collectors' heads to explode 

Oh, and to answer your other question about different "formats" for HuCards, really there are only two types:
1.  Standard flat credit card style
2.  Extra memory type cards that are fatter on the thumb end, like the Tennokoe Bank, System Card 3.0, and Street Fighter II CE.  Populous as well