Why is there no TG-16 on a chip?

[Kitsunexus]

I mean seriously, NOAC (NES-On-A-Chip) based consoles are a dime a dozen (actually cheaper), but where are all the PCEOAC based consoles?    It's certainly a popular enough system, why has nobody decided to make illegal clones of it?

Not to prefer it over the real thing, but with every other console under the sun being illegitimately reproduced in a sloppy manner, why can't the TG-16?

[nat]

The TurboGrafx-16 is the Higher Energy Video Game System. To reproduce such a machine on a chip would mean the annihilation of the universe.

[2X4]

I have wondered this also.  Nat is probably right, tho.  It would be so sweet if they did, it would open the door for a throwback system like atari did.  What would rule is if they made the chip and released a throwback system with cd drive, wireless controllers and, well it aint gonna happen but, maybe through clever use of allspark energy it could be possible.

[spenoza]

The TG-16 chipset relies on fewer chips than some other setups, so I would imagine it would be relatively straight-forward to single chip it... except... if the chips are highly customized and too dissimilar from stuff that's already out there it could make it pretty daunting.

Would one of the programmers like to weigh in? How different are the Hu chips from their closest contemporaries or the more standard architecture chips from which they were derived?

[SignOfZeta]

The answer, really, is that nobody is/was interested in it.

During the FamiClone heyday, making a bootleg PCE would have been far too difficult. Especially if one were to go for CDROM capability, which IMO is essential. Nowadays when something like this would be much easier (using a Altera Cyclone chip, for example) its pretty much totally pointless because an actual PCE can be had for the same price or less than the clone would have to be, and actual hardware gives you %100 compatibility.

There was a point it making stuff like the Generation NEX because the original NES has a super shit-tastic cart slot, top loaders are expensive, and most Famicoms lack anything but RF output. The One Chip MSX is also really cool because an actual MSX computer is huge-ass and really unreliable.

Of course is someone were to go the Treamcast route with a PCE instead...I'd totally go for that.

[ceti alpha]

I thought they did make clones of the PC Engine, or at least one. I think someone posted a thread about it recently. Wasn't it made in Taiwan or something? But you guys are probably talking about something completely different. 

[spenoza]

Well, they made a Genesis on a chip for a couple or 4 TV games units. I could see a Hudson-sponsored TV game using a TG on a chip. Just thing.

Hudson Shooter Classics (Blazing Lazers, Super Star Soldier, Soldier Blade, and a couple others)
Super Video Pinball (Devil's, Alien, Time Cruise)

Include 4 - 6 quality titles and asking $20 - $30 wouldn't be so unreasonable, IMO. I guess the real drawback is that the Genesis models didn't do all that well and the WII VC is nipping that entire trend in the bud.

Hell, except for SF2, none of the hucards used any crazy memory managers. I could see a TGoaC being used to create a cheap retro-portable. The most expensive part would probably be the screen. Of course, it would cost money to engineer the TGoaC and reduce power consumption. But without worrying about memory mappers it would be helluva easy to take existing TG-16 games and rerelease them on a cheaply manufactured storage medium.

I know, I know, pipe dreams that aren't worth it. Still, it gives me pause.

[Kitsunexus]

Well, they made a Genesis on a chip for a couple or 4 TV games units. I could see a Hudson-sponsored TV game using a TG on a chip. Just thing.

I own one (the one with Sonic 2 and Flicky). The audio is OK, but it seems like they tried to fake stereo or something, some games have lower volumes on certain instrument channels as opposed to the real Genesis.

[malducci]

There is someone making a PC Engine on a chip. It's the author of PC2E.

[ceti alpha]

OK. What exactly are you guys talking about?  I'm not familiar with this "chip" business.

[Kitsunexus]

There is someone making a PC Engine on a chip. It's the author of PC2E.

SWEET!

OK. What exactly are you guys talking about?  I'm not familiar with this "chip" business.

Taking a game console, and redesigning it so all the circuitry fits on on IC chip, so you can make TV games or pirate clones out of it.

[ceti alpha]

Taking a game console, and redesigning it so all the circuitry fits on on IC chip, so you can make TV games or pirate clones out of it.

ahhh. cool. Thanks 

[spenoza]

I don't see any updates on the PC2E site for the past year. It might be this project has lapsed.

[Black Tiger]

There is a PC Engine Shuttle clone called PC Boy or something. I wonder what the guts look like.

[Kitsunexus]

There is a PC Engine Shuttle clone called PC Boy or something. I wonder what the guts look like.

Maybe I should read Wiki more often.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TurboGrafx-16#Unofficial_variations