HuCards/Turbo Chips that save?

[vtnwesley]

Do any of the TG16 games have save functionality? I noticed ever games like Neutopia give you a giant huge password. Seems kind of silly to me.

Neutopia II saves on Magic Engine, but it seems to be some kind of extra feature.

[esteban]

There are a bunch of TG-16 and PC-Engine HuCards that can save... but you must either have a DUO or TG-CD (both of which have battery memory backup), or you need to purchase a TurboBooster Plus and plug it into the TG-16 expansion port (adding battery memory back up, as well as A/V jacks).  

The Tennonoke Bank HuCard has a built-in battery (but it isn't a game, it's a "memory card").  Base 128 was another peripheral for saving games/backing up saves (but it plugged into the controller port, IIRC).

I don't recall if any regular HuCard game has a built-in battery.

There are advtantages and disadvantages to this system, by the way.  By purchasing the Tennoke Bank card, you could go over to a friend's house and share your game saves (like memory cards we're familiar with today).  BUT, if you didn't have a way of backing-up your game saves.... well, you'd be forced to delete some game saves to make room for new games.  

The Tennonoke Card was never released in the US, so I had to buy an expensive converter in order to use it.

EDIT: I don't think I spelled Tennenoke correctly in this entire post. Not once!

[vtnwesley]

So in other words, you can't save on a TG16 out of the box? No matter what you do, you still have to have some outside add-on (Turbo Booster Plus, or TG-CD Expansion). I assume this also means saving for hucards and CDs were identical in every way because they used the same technology?

[DragonmasterDan]

So in other words, you can't save on a TG16 out of the box? No matter what you do, you still have to have some outside add-on (Turbo Booster Plus, or TG-CD Expansion). I assume this also means saving for hucards and CDs were identical in every way because they used the same technology?

Yep, you need the turbobooster plus or a CD system (the add on CD or the Duo since they have turbo booster plus functionality built in) to save. The stock TurboGrafx 16 has no internal memory to save games, and the hucards don't save either, to get around this though a lot of HuCard games use passwords. It DOES suck for TurboExpress since when playing games on my TE I have no way to save (and a lot of times the fonts aren't very legible on the TE screen so passwords are pointless).

[vtnwesley]

Awesome. Thanks for the info.

[xolik]

D'oh! Posted in the wrong thread.

[Michael Helgeson]

Im not totally positive on this,but I think Populous hu-card will let you save on its own without any interface save module.I have it,but I never play it,because I hate that game,but the hucard size of it plastic wise is the same as SF 2 Champ.....makes me wonder....

[lord_cack]

Speaking of Battery Backup. I know that some of the older NES games and SNES games have issues. Like my  Copy of Super Mario AllStars won't hold a save . I don't have a problem with my Duo saving, but, has there ever been mention of these battery backups going bad? I am no computer genius mind you so if this is a stupid question just tell me so and we can Ignore the fact that I ever asked it  

[GUTS]

Yeah they go bad periodically.  It's actually pretty simple to put a new battery in though, you just go to radio shack and buy a new battery & harness and then wire it to the circuit board.  Take the old battery in and match it up, they're like $2 I think, just make sure you get the litte metal harness to hold it in since you can't actually solder on the battery.

[zborgerd]

I think that many of them use CR2032 cells.  You can buy them at Radio Shack, along with those little plastic battery clips (with two leads) that you can solder onto the cart.  It's much safer than attempting to solder directly to the battery itself, which is kinda hard to do sometimes (not to mention that it can explode).

[torgo]

No US Hu-Cards had a battery for data backup. You had to have either a TurboBooster Plus or a Duo. Also, the unit has to be powered-on every couple of years, or all of your saves will be lost.

That was one of the only deficiencies of the Express, no way to save games.

[sinfreealex]

Can the PC Engine memory base 128 be plugged into a US TurboDuo with no problems?

[nat]

I don't think so. Doesn't the Memory Base plug into the expansion port? The Duo doesn't have an expansion port.

[Necromancer]

Can the PC Engine memory base 128 be plugged into a US TurboDuo with no problems?

It can, but it can't be used instead of the Duo's internal memory.  It only works with the games (listed below) that were specifically designed for it, none of which were released in the U.S.

Memory Base 128 Games:
A lll
Aoki Ookami To Shiroki Mejika
Atlas
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Collection
Brandish
Eikan Wa Kimini
Emerald Dragon
Fire Pro Female Wrestling
Linda Cube
Magicoal
Popful Mail
Princess Maker 2
Private Eye Doll
Sankokushi lll
Shin Megami Tensei
Super Real Mahjong P ll + lll Custom
Super Real Mahjong PV Custom
Tadaima Yusha Boshuuchuu
Vasteel 2

I don't think so. Doesn't the Memory Base plug into the expansion port? The Duo doesn't have an expansion port.

You're incorrect - first time for everything.  The MB-128 plugs into the controller port and acts as a pass through device.

[nodtveidt]

Actually, he wasn't incorrect...he was just asking a question.