pe engine and cd units

[musicman130]

I collect systems and have been using an emulator for some games on the system and love them and would like to purchase a system so that I can have a real one and some games.  I have put up a topin on the atari age forums and was told about this site.  So for my first post here, what is the best setup for games on this system. I do know that I want Cd and Hue card capability as I love shooters and have watched videos of some of them on the CD unit and they look great.  I know you can get a coregrafx and cd add on, or you can get a duo or a duo-r, duo-rx and am very confused.  I plan on getting the system, getting some games and then purchasing an everdrive as I have looked on ebay at the price of games and I don't have that type of money.  I have read different articles about the systems and while it helped... still confusing with this system so anything will help me out.  Plus it would be nice to know how much I am looking at spending on a system, multi tap, 2nd controller, and a few games.

Thank you!

[BlueBMW]

I think its generally recommended to get either a PC Engine DUO unit that has been recapped / refurbished or a PC Engine Duo R/RX system.  Generally people recommend you stay away from the original CDROM2 add on units because of hardware failures etc.  Plus the DUO units are just sexy.

One thing you should be aware of though... the CD drives in all these systems have trouble reading CDRs.  The answer is generally to try and use originals whenever possible.  If you have to burn CDRs, then use very high quality CDRs.  Even then, they dont always work right.

Good luck!

[Necromancer]

BMW nailed it.  The original systems with add-on cd are nice and all, but they'll generally cost more in the long run.

[Black Tiger]

PC Engine (not Turbo) Duo (R/RX) system + Arcade Card Duo + Turbo Everdrive = play every game (n)ever made.

[elmer]

PC Engine (not Turbo) Duo (R/RX) system + Arcade Card Duo + Turbo Everdrive = play every game (n)ever made.

Haha ... I can't let you get away with that ... you're missing 5 games ... including 2 of the very best! 

SuperGrafx + SuperCDROM + Arcade Card Duo + Turbo Everdrive = play every game (n)ever made. 

But more seriously ... Duo-R + Arcade Card Duo + Turbo Everdrive seems like the best deal these days to get started ... with the briefcase, the Duo and the SuperGrafx being great add-ons when you're already hooked.

[musicman130]

so you have to buy the arcade card separately, correct?  I have seen a list of the arcade and there are not a ton of games for it and, if I remember correctly, isn't the arcade card rather expensive?   I am just going to get a start and probably a duo-r would be best from my research, just a matter of where to get one.  Then I can buy an everdrive and eventually the arcade. 

[elmer]

so you have to buy the arcade card separately, correct?  I have seen a list of the arcade and there are not a ton of games for it and, if I remember correctly, isn't the arcade card rather expensive?

Yes, it's an extra ... and only needed for those Arcade Card games. Getting a Duo/Duo-R/Duo-RX/SuperCDROM means that you can get the cheaper Arcade Card Duo ($40-$60), if you went for a briefcase, you'd need the much more expensive Arcade Card Pro.

Getting a Duo-R for playing CD/SuperCD games ... then adding a Turbo Everdrive for all the HuCard games ... then finally adding an Arcade Card Duo for the few Arcade Card games ... seems like a really good plan! You've obviously done your research.

[EDIT]
If you wait a couple of months for the Turbo EverDrive, then there will probably be a few of them going cheap as some people upgrade to the new Turbo EverDrive 2.

The TED2 isn't needed for any existing games ... but it may get used for translations/homebrew. Some people are always going to want to have the latest thing. 

[musicman130]

I have done a lot of research on this.  I was going to get a US TG-16 unit only, but then I saw if I wanted anything but RF out I would need an upgrade and those can be expensive.  I then thought ok, coregrafx system but then saw some CD games that look great.  Did research and from all I hear the US duo's are not good.  Japanese Duo's are OK, the -r are great and the -rx are basically -r's with an x after it.  Reliability is obviously #1 on this large of an investment.  that combined with how few US games compared to Japanese games makes me want  the Japanese version.  Not sure how many games do not have English in them at all and are thus unplayable.  Also from what I understand the CD unit/duo units have a save for your games that have save capability and if I would go TG16, I would need an extra thing for that too.  Now, to find a Duo-R system for a decent price.  something tells me I should have looked for these years ago and they would have been cheaper. 

[Opethian]

everything was cheaper in the past

live for the now

carpe turbob

[geise]

If anyone here ever pays more than $30 for an Arcade Card Duo I will slap them.  No f*cking reason people should be paying more.  I hear nonsense lately with how expensive it is.  Word to the wise.  Don't shop ebay.  Just get a recapped PC Engine Duo.  To me it's the best looking of the Duo's and  the cheaper of the three.  If you don't worry about a box they can be had for a decent price.

[musicman130]

I could care less about a box.  I just want a system that i can play.  Where would be the best place to get a "recapped" duo?   

[EvilEvoIX]

DUO R with region mod.  It's the only way to go unless you are a serious collector. 

[Black Tiger]

PC Engine (not Turbo) Duo (R/RX) system + Arcade Card Duo + Turbo Everdrive = play every game (n)ever made.

Haha ... I can't let you get away with that ... you're missing 5 games ... including 2 of the very best! 

SuperGrafx + SuperCDROM + Arcade Card Duo + Turbo Everdrive = play every game (n)ever made. 

But more seriously ... Duo-R + Arcade Card Duo + Turbo Everdrive seems like the best deal these days to get started ... with the briefcase, the Duo and the SuperGrafx being great add-ons when you're already hooked.

Haha ... I can't let you get away with that ... you're missing 14 games ... including 2 of the very best! 

But I would never recommend someone new to PC Engine to start with a LaserActive, NEC PAC and the over-sized SuperGrafx.

No one should buy a SuperGrafx until they've tried the games out through emulation first.

[musicman130]

I know that the US controllers and the Japanese controllers do not fit each other.  From what I understand, you can find a converter so that you can use them on the other system.  Is this true? Also if this is true, can you use the converter on the turbo tap and use all US controllers on a Japanese system?  Reason I am asking is this.   Local Craigslist offer for a TG6, turbo tap, 2 controllers, 9 games (Keith Courage, final lap twin, world class baseball, dungeon explorer, victory run, takin it to the hoop, tv sports football, alien crush, and power golf) and all cords to hook it up.  Started the price about a month ago at 175, now down to 150.  if they go lower, around 125 or so, it will be hard to not get and if I can use the controllers and tap on a japanese duo unit then I will be saving some money in the long run trying to find a tap and 2nd controller.   

[BlueBMW]

There are adapters to covert the TG16 pads to work on the JP systems.  Shouldn't be too pricey either.