So whats the deal with the arcade card?

[SignOfZeta]

The easy way to explain it is to say that the Pro version is for machines that don't have the Super System Card built in and the Duo version is for the systems that do (the Duos, Laseractive, and the Super CDROM2).

If you put the Pro in a Duo system it behaves the same as a Duo card since it just replaces the existing System 3.0. If you put a Duo AC in a "core" system it won't boot since there isn't any System on it.

[GohanX]

There is one major difference between the pce ACD port of fatal fury 2 and the neo geo version that i would like to point out to my Irem-loving friend, which is the redbook audio of the ACD version. To my fanboy ears, the music of teh ACD fatal fury 2 is heaven! Even ACD fatal fury special is a step down! The only tune i like better in the original neo geo version is joe higashi's stage.

Does anyone know if this is the same as the CD tunes on the Fatal Fury 2 Neo CD? That music really is fantastic, and I actually prefer the CD version because of it despite the loading.

[Black Tiger]

The Sega-CD, 32X carts and 32X CDs were all technically superior to Genesis cart games, but Genesis carts were more popular, so publishers stuck with them for most projects. It's the same reason why HuCards got mostly smaller scale games and that the SuperGrafx and ACD didn't take over: the SCD format was far more popular and more than good enough.

If I may revive this topic real quick, I always wondered something:

Why are there two versions of the Arcade Card?  Is there even really a difference?  Would anything bad happen if I tried to plug the Duo model into a briefcase?

The Arcade Card Pro contains both the hardware and BIOS upgrade that makes the PC Engine more powerfully 8-bit. The Arcade Card Duo only contains the major hafdware upgrades and the BIOS upgrades are magically transferred by some as of yet undiscovered method.

[BigusSchmuck]

Well, finally got my arcade card a few days ago, got to hand it to them, its pretty sweet. Now to find a decent 6 button controller without losing an arm or a leg.

[rag-time4]

There is one major difference between the pce ACD port of fatal fury 2 and the neo geo version that i would like to point out to my Irem-loving friend, which is the redbook audio of the ACD version. To my fanboy ears, the music of teh ACD fatal fury 2 is heaven! Even ACD fatal fury special is a step down! The only tune i like better in the original neo geo version is joe higashi's stage.

Does anyone know if this is the same as the CD tunes on the Fatal Fury 2 Neo CD? That music really is fantastic, and I actually prefer the CD version because of it despite the loading.

The music of teh ACD fatal fury is a unique rendition probably not heard anywhere else, and definitely different from the Neo CD version.

You will notice that on ACD fatal fury 2, the travel music and certain others are chip tunes, whereas theyre redbook on Neo CD.

[shubibiman]

NEC Avenue existed even before the PCE existed as it was not only a game editor but also Video and music editor, as Asmik, Pack In Video and some others were.

Back to the point : the reason why the Arcade card didn't have more specific games is the same reason as to why the Supergrafx didn't get many games either :
it was better for editors to develop games for a machine like a Duo than to limit it's selling possibilities to the few owners of the expensive Arcade card.

[Necromancer]

Exactly, shubi.  Plus not that many game types desperately need the extra memory anyway; other than fighters and extra fancy cinemas, the SuperCD format was more than enough to compete (i.e. - Dracula X).

[nat]

Wait, I thought the Arcade Card didn't have any games because they stopped making them in 1994, at the same time NEC Avenue stopped making the Duo?

[SignOfZeta]

Heh, I guess we have to be realistic about what we are asking of developers. If they make their game Arcade Card requisite we are basically saying they need to fill 8x as much RAM with 8x as much shit, sell it to 1/8 as many people and somehow stay in business selling the games for the same price as a non-AC game.

This is the reason most system add-ons flop. Its amazing the PCE actually had two very successful ones (the CDROM2 and the Super System Card) before finally hitting a wall.

[Supremo_Lagarto]

My whole point was that development stopped on the Arcade Card games because the Duo was no longer in production as of 1994. Whether or not NEC Avenue is exactly the same as NEC Interchannel and the existence of the PCFX system is immaterial. Developers were not going to create a significant number of titles for a platform that was no longer being manufactured. It is a very simple point.

That doesn't mean there were absolutely NO GAMES made for the arcade card (or the Duo) after that point, it means there were not a significant amount.
    
    Battlefield '94 In Super Battle Dream
    Fire Pro Female Wrestling
    Garou Densetsu 2 (Fatal Fury 2)
    Garou Densetsu Special (Fatal Fury Special)
    Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire
    Jong Shin Densetsu
    Kabuki Itouryodan
    Mad Stalker Full Metal Force
    Madou Monogatari I Honou no Sotsuenji
    Ryuuko No Ken (Art of Fighting)
    Strider Hiryuu
    World Heroes 2

Most of these were released right around 1993 or 1994.  The Duo stopped being manufactures in Japan around 1994.

NEC Avenue and NEC Interchannel were unrelated and the PC-FX wasn't a console?!?  Man, where do these people come from?  

That is not remotely similar to what I was saying and is taken completely out of context.

Before we chime in and rag on what person A supposedly said about something, look at what person A actually wrote and not what person B says that person A wrote.

And yes, I do revise my posts for punctuation, grammar, or other writing mistakes. That doesn't mean I'm being deceptive or changing the substance of what I've said after I have said it. It means that I am trying to be understood in polite conversation.

Peace everybody.

[KingDrool]

I'm glad this came up as I'm hoping to buy a briefcase unit soon. If I buy the Arcade Card Pro, do I still need a system card for SCDs, or does the Pro cover that?

[SignOfZeta]

The Pro does everything.

[KingDrool]

The Pro does everything.

Cool, thanks.

[Necromancer]

My whole point was that development stopped on the Arcade Card games because the Duo was no longer in production as of 1994. Whether or not NEC Avenue is exactly the same as NEC Interchannel and the existence of the PCFX system is immaterial. Developers were not going to create a significant number of titles for a platform that was no longer being manufactured. It is a very simple point.

I don't think it's that simple.  If it is, then please explain why they continued to make so many SuperCD games after ceasing Duo production (50 to 100+ titles depending on the exact cut off date).

That is not remotely similar to what I was saying and is taken completely out of context.

Before we chime in and rag on what person A supposedly said about something, look at what person A actually wrote and not what person B says that person A wrote.

Oh, but that's exactly what you intimated.  Here's what you said about NEC Avenue:

The division of NEC that sold the Duo basically went bankrupt shortly after the Arcade card was released. That is why there were no more games for it. End of story.

... and later:

I didn't say NEC went bankrupt, I said a small DIVISION of NEC (NEC Avenue).

So if NEC Avenue was bankrupt/dissolved in '94, simple logic dictates that it couldn't possibly be the same company as (or a part of) the later formed NEC Interchannel.  Not that it really matters - the fact remains that NEC Avenue was never responsible for the Duo and the brand soldiered on through the end of '96 (Madou Monogatari on the PCE) and into '97 with a couple PC-FX titles anyway.

Speaking of the PC-FX, here's your exact words regarding it as a console:

The PCFX 32-bit platform was not a console in the traditional sense; it was more of an attempt to create a multimedia center or computer. It didn't really fit into either category.

... which is absolutely ridiculous.  The only multimedia capabilities it has are the ability to play music CDs and photo CDs, traits shared with the Saturn, PlayStation, and 3DO (all decidedly consoles).

And yes, I do revise my posts for punctuation, grammar, or other writing mistakes. That doesn't mean I'm being deceptive or changing the substance of what I've said after I have said it. It means that I am trying to be understood in polite conversation.

That's why you've removed the comment about how 'They claim these flash cards to work just like real hucards. They lied.', and added that it's just a case of 'defective memory'.  Nope, no substantive changes there, just 30+ updates and spelling goof fixes. 

The Pro does everything.

Except for the Games Express games, but those kinda suck and should come with the system card included anyway.

[SignOfZeta]

Games Express shit doesn't count. The AC plays everything that is official (minus Altered Beast CD, which no sane person would actually want to play anyway).