Hi and a question about hu card adapters

[critanime]

Hi

I am thinking of buying a Turbografx 16 but I have a couple of questions and would rather ask a proper PC Engine community than some random retro board.

The first question I want to ask is about the HuCard converters. Are they actually worth the silly price or would I be better of buying a modded system?

The reason I ask is because I have the chance to buy either a brand new, still boxed and everything, Turbografx 16. Or a still new but modded one to work with PC Engine HuCards. As you can imagine the choice is a little tough.

The second question is assuming more people tell me to buy a brand new un-modded one. Which is the best converter to buy and where can I get it from?

Please help me with this one as I really want the system. Yet I don't know which to go for.

[TheClash603]

I assume most people will tell you to get a Duo RX round these parts...

I am very happy with my US Duo, and I have a TG16 w/ a converter for pce hu cards.  My purple barney converter doesn't fit my duo because of the hu cover.

You will regret not having a CD down the line, so it is cheaper to Duo up front.  A modded duo is probably system of choice.

[termis]

Modded system is the way to go.  Most converters are long and goofy looking, plus some ones don't work too well at times (i.e. when using Arcade Card RAM upgrade cards from what I recall reading).

Plus, modding the system tends to be cheaper than converters as well.  Converters are way overpriced these days as good ones can easily fetch triple digit sums.

[nat]

Modded system is the way to go unless you get a converter for > $20. I bought my converter back in the day for a price like this, and I couldn't be happier with it. It's a Kisado and it works on everything, including Arcade Cards. These days, though....

[Roy The Sunderer]

I'm no expert on this, but I agree with Clash- I love my American Duo. Just in case the Duo eventually dies, I have a backup Turbografx-16 with a Turbo Booster Plus.

[critanime]

I suppose I should mention that I am from the UK and it's a PAL system I am thinking of buying

[Arkhan]

I suppose I should mention that I am from the UK and it's a PAL system I am thinking of buying

no.

PAL is not your pal.  Avoid it and get NTSC.

[turbogrfxfan]

my arcade card and any other huey worked but sometimes id have to jiggle it a but.  i think it kinda stretched it out.

[chany60126]

I have the spring board converter. It is pretty ridiculous how long it is, but it works every time. 
These are probably the cheapest converters you can get. You can see the one that I use at 1:32 of the Turbo Fest video Turbo Star filmed for us.

I have been thinking of getting an pc engine arcade card, has anyone had trouble using one with a springboard conveter?

[termis]

Yeah, unless its for collecting purposes, I read PAL versions of Turbo is not the way to go.  Like many PAL consoles of its days, it'll cripple *all* your games (whether you're using native software Japanese software through mod/converter) with borders and slower gameplay.  And unlike many PAL consoles of its era, I think I recall reading fitting in a 50/60Hz switch to resolve the border/slower gameply issue was not a simple task.

[SignOfZeta]

For starters, yeah, avoid PAL like the plague. Secondly, these days you can buy an entire Japanese system for the price of a converter, so, IMO, they are a huge waste of money.

If you plan on eventually getting into CDROM2 (you will want to , whether you will want to pay for it is another matter) you are going to really wish you didn't buy a TG-16 in the first place at all since the CDROM unit for it is comparatively rare unreliable.

Best choices, in the long run:

A Duo R, switched

or

A Duo R and a TG-16 to play US HuCards.

These choices have a higher initial investment cost, but in the end will be more reliable and fun. A modded Duo R with an Arcade Card Duo will play every TG-16/PCE game released, world-wide, except for the SGX games (which are OK, but not that awesome) and Altered Beast (which is utter shit). When you have a setup like this you can stop "collecting" and focus on playing.

[Necromancer]

Another vote for avoiding region converters and the PAL Turbo system.  I don't know what price you've been given for that PAL Turbo, but they go for ~$100 on ebay; add ~$50 for a converter, and you're awful close to what a Duo-R would cost.  If you really want access to TG-16 titles (there aren't many where the US version is needed for non-Japanese speakers), toss in a region switch and you'll have a much more versatile setup at a minor cost premium.

[turbogrfxfan]

I have the spring board converter. It is pretty ridiculous how long it is, but it works every time. 
These are probably the cheapest converters you can get. You can see the one that I use at 1:32 of the Turbo Fest video Turbo Star filmed for us.

I have been thinking of getting an pc engine arcade card, has anyone had trouble using one with a springboard conveter?


[/quot

not me



ideal is getting a duo r and turbo grafx 16  with an arcade pro. in my opinion.