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NEC PC-Engine/SuperGrafx => PC Engine/SuperGrafx Discussion => Topic started by: wilsonw111 on September 05, 2007, 04:42:49 AM

Title: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: wilsonw111 on September 05, 2007, 04:42:49 AM
ok,, guys, I've never heard anyone talking about the PC Engine Shuttle... What is it... what's the dif with the other consoles ?? I gotta say it's the worse looking one


heehee
 #-o
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: SpaceRunaway on September 05, 2007, 04:48:43 AM
The Shuttle is the simplified, marketed to children version of the PC Engine.  It didn't have the expansion port, and was therefore incompatible with any of the CD attachments.

I don't know, I think it's kind of neat looking.  I don't think I'd ever pick one up, but its a look more pleasing to look at than the Supergrafx.

*ducks*
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: wilsonw111 on September 05, 2007, 04:58:59 AM
hahah talking about Super Grafx,, picked up one 1 day ago,, and I'm just in love with it..haha, 15 year old machine.. =)

The Shuttle is the simplified, marketed to children version of the PC Engine.  It didn't have the expansion port, and was therefore incompatible with any of the CD attachments.

I don't know, I think it's kind of neat looking.  I don't think I'd ever pick one up, but its a look more pleasing to look at than the Supergrafx.

*ducks*
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: Necromancer on September 05, 2007, 05:04:40 AM
SpaceRunaway pretty well explained it, but I'll add that its batwing controller looks cool.  I haven't used one though, so I can't say if it's comfortable to hold.
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: SuperDeadite on September 05, 2007, 05:48:40 AM
What I really hate about the shuttle is its length.  Its about twice the size of a normal PC-Engine/Core Grapfx.  Why NEC? WHY??
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: Necromancer on September 05, 2007, 06:13:27 AM
Because bigger is always better (just ask the ladies).

Good question though, and why the heck did they remove part of the expansion bus?  Pretty dumb idea to discourage people from buying accessories.
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: Turbo D on September 05, 2007, 08:49:02 AM
I'm pretty sure it has some sort of expansion, just an odd shaped one that didn't connect to any cd peripherals. I do know that there is some sort of av booster or tenokoe for it out there.
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: nat on September 05, 2007, 09:30:10 AM
The Shuttle is awesome looking. I would buy one in a second.
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: Nintega Turbine Trio-CBS on September 05, 2007, 09:40:36 AM
I would have bought one if it has a CD port. What a shame. I love the design.  ](*,)

I'd stick with either a Core Grafx, Super Grafx, or a Duo.
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: ccovell on September 05, 2007, 10:21:31 AM
I think NEC had no idea what they were doing with the PC-Engine line.  They obviously thought they should be like Toyota and release several different models of the PCE at different price ranges, but rather than give people "choices" like in a car, it confused them and diluted the PCE's strength and presence in the market.

They were similarly stupid in America, releasing the Turbo at almost exactly the same price as the PCE was released at in Japan, including the overpriced accessories like the Backup Booster / TurboBooster Plus or Multitap.  This might have been fine in bubble-economy reefer madness Japan, but did not translate well to price-conscious America.

Poor Hudson, having to contractually fawn over the hardware convolutions that NEC blundered up.  As always in this type of discussion, I'm happy to point out the PCE 'scene's reaction to the SGX, Shuttle, etc:

http://www.disgruntleddesigner.com/chrisc/sgxreactions.html      :-k
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: nat on September 05, 2007, 11:13:30 AM

http://www.disgruntleddesigner.com/chrisc/sgxreactions.html      :-k


Great page, Chris.

Somehow I'd missed that one in the past.
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: Keranu on September 05, 2007, 01:55:58 PM
Some people to have a SERIOUS hate for the Shuttle's design and I never understood why! I think it looks awesome as all hell.
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: Black Tiger on September 05, 2007, 02:02:22 PM
The Shuttle is awesome, especially the tinted hatch you open to insert a HuCard. 8)
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: Keranu on September 05, 2007, 02:03:47 PM
The Shuttle is awesome, especially the tinted hatch you open to insert a HuCard. 8)
Yes! The tinted hatch is my favorite part! 8) 8) 8)
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: shubibiman on September 05, 2007, 06:04:20 PM
Thanks for that link, Chris, it's really interesting!
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: ccovell on September 05, 2007, 07:12:03 PM
Thanks, it was a small addendum to the larger page about the early Super Famicom announcement:

http://www.disgruntleddesigner.com/chrisc/secrets11.html

Check out that page and compare the software publishers' reactions to the SFC versus the SuperGrafx.   [-(
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: SignOfZeta on September 06, 2007, 12:32:16 AM
Now its hard to see what the point was of the Shuttle, but if you look at the original retail prices of PC Engine systems, it all makes sense. Released two years before the down-priced Core Grafx II, the Shuttle cost 18800 yen, where as the Core Grafx was 24800 yen. The Shuttle was for gamers that would never eventually buy the extremely expensive CD add-on. Since they wouldn't be using that functionality, they weren't go to pay for it either so the price was lowered by about $50 USD, and the functions disabled. Then system was modified to look like stand-alone device, rather than a chunk of something (the original PC Engines).

This sort of thing is done all the time with, say, multi-core CPUs. Several of the cores will be disabled on the budget ones because making an entirely different chip for them would actually bring the price up, not down.

This happens with automobiles all the time with accessory and powertrain packages also.
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: Turbo D on September 06, 2007, 12:41:31 AM
I didn't know that they did that with cpus  :-k those bastards!  :x
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: SignOfZeta on September 06, 2007, 11:54:43 AM
Would you rather that they didn't, raising the cost of all the CPUs in the range?
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: Turbo D on September 06, 2007, 01:04:39 PM
I'd rather them sell all the cpus for cheap since they can obviously afford to. But I must be realistic and agree with you  :(
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: shubibiman on September 06, 2007, 08:07:26 PM
Thanks again Chris for your links. It's good to see pc engine fans doing so many things for the community. I salute you for all your work :clap:
Title: Re: PC Engine Shuttle
Post by: esteban on September 08, 2007, 02:29:15 AM
The Shuttle is awesome looking. I would buy one in a second.
Yeah, the novelty of the design is really the fun part. I mean, come on, who can't appreciate a totally wacky item like the PC Shuttle? It's much more fun than a CoreGrafx IV, which would have been practically indistinguishable from its predecessors (well, the "CoreGrafx IV" logo would be printed in green and purple, but otherwise...)

Aside: I have to go to a party right now, dammit, but I can't wait to read the page that Mr. C made! I don't remember seeing it before.

Trivia: Apparently, there was a Battery Backup peripheral made for the Shuttle. I was surprised to see it at ncsx.com a few weeks ago (there is a thread here about it). If I had the extra $$$, I would have picked one up.