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NEC PC-Engine/SuperGrafx => PC Engine/SuperGrafx Discussion => Topic started by: Arjak on January 16, 2008, 11:11:22 AM
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So yeah, I've been wanting one of D-Lite's awesome Duo-Rs with S-Video, region switching, and all that good stuff for a really long time. But my parents are unwilling to spend $275 on a console that's over ten years old. I have Magic Engine, but upon hearing of its problems, and the realization that my computer sucks, my need for a real PC Engine/Turbo has grown larger than ever. What's a slacker teenage gamer to do? The sad simple answer is easy to figure out.
I need a job.
This past December, I applied for a job at a local book/movie/video game store in my area. It is now a month after I was supposed to start. Due to the manager of the store leaving, I have only just now been hired, I will most likely start next week.
I'm finally on my way to owning a real, honest-to-goodness NEC console! But for some reason, I still feel a strange sense of foreboding. Hence, this journal giving a play by play as the adventure unfolds...
1/16/2008, $ -60 saved
This week has been really trying. First, I bought a DVD set of a show I like. Not too long later, me and my bratty sister get into a fight over the mail that ends with the mailbox being broken. Our parents said that they were going to split the cost of fixing it and take it out of our allowance. Luckily the damage was so minor that they decided that it wasn't worth it.
It was that little she-bitch's fault anyway.
Two days ago, I find a pristine copy of Ys IV for PCE on ebay for a good price. I beg my mom for it, even though I have no money, but she refuses. The next day, the Gods of Gaming smiled upon me. I finally heard back about my job and get everything sorted out. Upon my mom's learning of this, I beg for the game again and I am granted my wish. Sure, I'm sixty dollars in debt, but hey, Ys and Captain S rule!
Today, I write this. I hope my job goes well. I need this system! I bet that when I finally get the money and buy the system, it will arrive smashed by those evil postal workers I hear so much about. Will it be able to play DVD-Rs? Should I also invest in a memory card and multitap? What about an arcade card?
I need to control myself. When I get the system, and if it works, there will be plenty of time to worry about that stuff later.
Here's hoping that this all works out...
-Arjak
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Good luck with that job dude :) As far as dvd-rs go, that answer is no. It does however play cd-rs! I would suggest getting a multi-tap to play dungeon explorer and bomberman. An arcade card can wait a bit unless you are able to grab some arcade cds that interest you.
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As far as dvd-rs go, that answer is no. It does however play cd-rs!
Jeez, how does one make a mistake like that!? Of course that's what I meant, but...
Anyways, thanks for the support.
The main reasons I want that memory card (you know, the "Something Bank?") is because not only do I like RPGs, but I also own a copy of Shape Shifter that I want to play. I don't want to lose all my saves!
"It will be mine! Oh, yes. It will be mine!" -Wayne's World
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Good luck with the new job, and go easy on your sister - she won't always be a pain.
Most Duos will play CDRs, but many do not (mine won't :cry: ); you might get lucky (especially with a R or RX), but even if you aren't, a laser assembly transplant should cure any CDR recalcitrance. A Tennokoe Bank is a must have, as a few saves can quickly fill the memory - a couple games can completely fill it all by themselves. I'm sure that D-Lite will have some during his giant sales, so don't pass 'em up.
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You should tell your parents that a Duo R is an investment, in 10 years it will still be worth the $275 (or more) that you spent on it, while any current system you buy will either be dead or worth jack shit in 10 years. One of the coolest things about Duo systems is that you can always sell them for exactly what you paid for them, the price has been pretty consistent over the last decade (not counting new boxed ones which get ridiculously expensive).
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BTW arjack , the Duo comes with a built in Hard drive for saving games. you only need the Tennoke Bank if you want more than the hard drive can store.
You could easily fit shapeshifter and many other games on the HD.
=)
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The problem is Shape Shifter randomly deletes your save memory. It's best to isolate it away from your other saves by itself.
I just found out Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? does this too. I am not happy.
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BTW arjack , the Duo comes with a built in Hard drive for saving games. you only need the Tennoke Bank if you want more than the hard drive can store.
You could easily fit shapeshifter and many other games on the HD.
=)
By "hard drive" you mean "tiny bit o' ram", right? :)
It's true that many save games will fit, but a few titles can take huge chunks of save space:
- Might & Magic III and Sim Earth will completely fill the memory with one save.
- Lords of the Rising Sun, Exile: Wicked Phenomenon, Brandish, and Dragon Knight 2 will each fill half the memory with a single save.
- Beyond Shadowgate, Dragon Slayer, Dungeon Explorer 2, Vasteel, Ruin, and Xak I & II will each fill nearly a third the memory with a single save.
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1/18/2008 - $ -60 saved
Today, I must accept a very, very sad loss to my gaming collection. Today, at around 5:30 PM, my first NES, a console beloved and cherished by me, was declared dead at the scene. It was discovered that it may have been very possible that the wrong power supply may have been plugged in, and therefore caused this beloved member of my gaming family to meet its sudden and abrupt end. I shall always savor my memories with you of playing Mario, Ninja Gaiden, Final Fantasy, many other classics, and during your final days, Zelda.
I'll miss you. :cry:
NES #1
1986?-2008
R.I.P.
Okay, all melodrama aside, I can always get another one. I was shocked at first, but I'm mostly over it. But still, with my quest for a Duo-R beginning, could someone be trying to tell me something? 8-[
Oh, well. Off to ebay...
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1/18/2008 - $ -60 saved
Today, I must accept a very, very sad loss to my gaming collection. Today, at around 5:30 PM, my first NES, a console beloved and cherished by me, was declared dead at the scene. It was discovered that it may have been very possible that the wrong power supply may have been plugged in, and therefore caused this beloved member of my gaming family to meet its sudden and abrupt end. I shall always savor my memories with you of playing Mario, Ninja Gaiden, Final Fantasy, many other classics, and during your final days, Zelda.
I'll miss you. :cry:
NES #1
1986?-2008
R.I.P.
Okay, all melodrama aside, I can always get another one. I was shocked at first, but I'm mostly over it. But still, with my quest for a Duo-R beginning, could someone be trying to tell me something? 8-[
Oh, well. Off to ebay...
Waaaay back in the day Nintendo repaired my NES which had the wrong power supply used on it. It was a cheap repair too so I imagine they just had to replace 1-2 basic components to fix it from this state. The NES even made really bad smells when it went down and smoke, so I think you are still in luck if you just poke inside it with a volt meter.
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An update on my dead NES. It turns out that the power supply is dead, so there may still be hope! :pray:
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BTW arjack , the Duo comes with a built in Hard drive for saving games. you only need the Tennoke Bank if you want more than the hard drive can store.
Curious: Aren't there only a handful of HuCARD games that allow for the save feature?
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Yes, but many CD games do.
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Was Populous the only game that saved onto the HuCard?
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no; you can't save on the hucard.
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Unless your name is rasterfarian.
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no; you can't save on the hucard.
http://www.vgden.com/hucard/reviews/pop.htm
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Very cool. It would be worth getting the HuCARD version of Populous just for the novelty of the built in memory....well, I guess I'd have to see the price first. lol
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Very cool. It would be worth getting the HuCARD version of Populous just for the novelty of the built in memory....well, I guess I'd have to see the price first. lol
Haha, you know I want to get this game for the same reason, even though I'll probably never play it! :mrgreen:
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Haha, you know I want to get this game for the same reason, even though I'll probably never play it! Mr. Green
heh 8)
I wonder if it could be possible to take the memory chip from that game and put it in another HuCARD. That would be great for Dungeon Explorer. I'm always losing my passwords. #-o
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no; you can't save on the hucard.
http://www.vgden.com/hucard/reviews/pop.htm
This extra thickness is in reality supposed to hide a mini backup unit where players could save they game's progress.
The bump is empty and its just like any other HuCard game. :|
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The bump is empty and its just like any other HuCard game. :|
:cry: Does it save still though?
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The bump is empty and its just like any other HuCard game. :|
:cry: Does it save still though?
Not directly to the card. You can probably save to a Booster Plus/Tenokoe II or CD-ROM though.
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So they printed the cards, cases, and spines to advertise the ROMRAM ,
then decided not to add it?.....JIP!!!
I bet there where a lot of pissed off Japanese kids when they found out the got hosed.
I remembered it from about six months ago when I skimmed through the site,
saw the ROMRAM and assumed it had a memory save feature.
:clap: Haha, good for them.... 17 years later and they fooled another sucka.
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So they printed the cards, cases, and spines to advertise the ROMRAM ,
then decided not to add it?.....JIP!!!
I bet there where a lot of pissed off Japanese kids when they found out the got hosed.
I remembered it from about six months ago when I skimmed through the site,
saw the ROMRAM and assumed it had a memory save feature.
:clap: Haha, good for them.... 17 years later and they fooled another sucka.
I was pissed off at first when I thought that it was just my HuCard that was faulty.
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I wonder how hard it would be to implement a save system on HuCard...
And on another note, I wonder how hard it would be to cannibalize existing crap HuCards and stick EPROMs to them in the name of making flash cards.
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Many moons ago, all the folks who had the HuCard did the "Squeeze Test" and we all determined that our HuCards lacked a battery. At the same time, some fabulous person vivisected his copy of Populous and photographed the HuCard's innards. No battery.
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Many moons ago, all the folks who had the HuCard did the "Squeeze Test" and we all determined that our HuCards lacked a battery. At the same time, some fabulous person vivisected his copy of Populous and photographed the HuCard's innards. No battery.
What would happen if everyone squeezed at exactly the same time?
:-k
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What would happen if everyone squeezed at exactly the same time?
Quantum Blast Processing? :?
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What would happen if everyone squeezed at exactly the same time?
The universe would implode.
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What would happen if everyone squeezed at exactly the same time?
The universe would implode.
Implode!
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1-23-2007
My copy of Ys IV arrived today! As soon as possible, I'm going to try it out. It was a really nice copy. It came with everything. The spine card, the registration card, even a little ad for Hudson Soft stereo speakers! :-s
Of course, with the good comes the bad. My job start has been pushed back to February, and I found something else that I want! Of course, I don't have the money, so all I can do is sit and wait. #-o
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My copy of Ys IV arrived today! As soon as possible, I'm going to try it out. It was a really nice copy. It came with everything. The spine card, the registration card, even a little ad for Hudson Soft stereo speakers! Eh?
Of course, with the good comes the bad. My job start has been pushed back to February, and I found something else that I want! Of course, I don't have the money, so all I can do is sit and wait. d'oh!
My advice would be to play Ys IV while you wait. lol :P
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2-26-2008 - Negative balance.
Sorry about my lack of blog updates.
I finally got my job! I've been working for two weeks now on Thursdays and Fridays. This week, I should get my first paycheck!
Oh, yeah. I also broke down and bought a Karate Kid DVD set. What can I say? I'm a sucker, and I love those movies!
But as soon as I get that first paycheck, I will be on my way to a Duo-R!
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Oh, yeah. I also broke down and bought a Karate Kid DVD set. What can I say? I'm a sucker, and I love those movies!
But as soon as I get that first paycheck, I will be on my way to a Duo-R!
haha. Well, Karate Kid was responsible for me joining Tae Kwon Do for 10 years. They're fun movies.
The Duo R is sweet, but you should really just go for the RX if possible. The price difference is negligible and you get a 6 button controller for the fighting games you will eventually get. :mrgreen:
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Time for a good old-fashioned necropost!
April 14, 2008 - $150?
Jeez, I completely forgot about this thread! Well, with money pouring in from my job, I have about maybe $150 saved up. I have also bought a whole bunch of stuff on the side, including:
-Starflight (Sega Genesis)
-Beggar Prince Version 2 (Sega Genesis)
-Rocky (DVD)
-Evil Dead - Ultimate Edition (DVD)
So I am now a little more than halfway to my goal of owning a Duo-R from D-Lite, (I wonder where he disappeared to? When is he going to post that new sale?) so things are looking up! Hopefully, I'll also be able to save a little faster now. If all goes well (and I don't get distracted by other possible purchases), I will have the money in 2-3 paychecks! :dance:
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April 16, 2008
Something incredible may be about to happen! I can't say anything yet due to secrecy and competition issues, but when the current events of my quest end, I'll tell you all about it.
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April 16, 2008 - Update
It happened. It actually happened.
Yesterday, while surfing ebay, I looked under systems to see if any Duos tickled my fancy.
And there it was, a Duo-RX, complete in box. Although expensive ($240 plus $70 for shipping from Japan; that's $310 total!), I knew that this was the moment.
That night, after some arguing, pleading, and even a little crying (Don't tell anyone! :-$ ), I finally got my mom to "think about it."
Today, after school, I got my mom to promise to buy it if I babysat my little sister and didn't fight with her.
A few minutes ago, I pulled up the ebay page. As my mom put in her passwords and asked if I was sure that I wanted it, I hesitated. Was I sure? Finally, I made my decision.
Yes.
Soon, I will have my very own Duo-RX. I pray that all goes well. :pray:
Of course, now I owe my mom $310, but that's a sacrifice worth making.
Thank you, mom.
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Great score Arjak. Welcome to the family!
The RX is probably the pinnacle of Duo gaming, although the price tag was a little high I think.
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lol Arjak. It's good to know that the art of waterworks (crying) isn't lost. :mrgreen: You're going to have a blast. :clap:
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April 26, 2008
IT CAME! IT CAME! :dance:
Warning! Large pics follow!
Yesterday, when I got home from work, a package was waiting for me.
(http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/5408/p4250522wz3.th.jpg) (http://img84.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p4250522wz3.jpg)
Inside, lay my prize.
(http://img229.imageshack.us/img229/5654/p4250523em8.th.jpg) (http://img229.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p4250523em8.jpg)
Here I am, opening the bubble wrap and, because someone said something about smelling how fresh it was, I did. Mom took a picture.
(http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/8339/p4250524we2.th.jpg) (http://img84.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p4250524we2.jpg)
Here I am, holding my new system triumphantly! I'll post this picture in the 'What Do You Look Like?' thread later.
(http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/7751/p4250525yd2.th.jpg) (http://img84.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p4250525yd2.jpg)
Anyways, I opened it up, plugged everything in (It came with a composite video adapter, interestingly) put in Lords of Thunder, flipped the power switch, and finally, FINALLY...
Nothing happened. WTF?
OMG, was my system broken? The power light wasn't coming on...
Turns out, that there is no power light, only a 'CD Busy' light, and that we had it plugged in the wrong slot. Success!
Everything worked great, even the sound! Even my little sister was excited and wanted to play. I let her play a little Lords of Thunder, which was a little too hard for her, but jeez! You guys should see her play Ys! In one night, she made it all the way to the Mine. My dad, who normally hates game music, actually admitted that he was impressed by Ys' tunes, and watched for a few minutes.
All in all, the system surpassed my expectations; I love it! I can already tell that I'm in for a busy weekend...
Now I just have to get this guy region modded...
...but that's another story.
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(http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/8339/p4250524we2.jpg)
No offense to be taken here, but you look like you are trying to get high off of it :lol:
Trying to take in as much as possible of Japan there? Including it's smell? :P
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Congrats.
BTW, are you using the original power supply with a voltage adapter or are you using a U.S. power supply from Radio Shack? If you're plugging the original Japanese AC adapter straight into the wall it may lead to problems down the road (like your NES).
http://www.voltageconverters.com/itemdesc.asp?CartId=EVEREST{C0F7776E-AC2E-4038-A3F4-9A3C5BE333EE}&ic=VC100J
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Congrats.
BTW, are you using the original power supply with a voltage adapter or are you using a U.S. power supply from Radio Shack? If you're plugging the original Japanese AC adapter straight into the wall it may lead to problems down the road (like your NES).
http://www.voltageconverters.com/itemdesc.asp?CartId=EVEREST{C0F7776E-AC2E-4038-A3F4-9A3C5BE333EE}&ic=VC100J
I don't think that is the same site I got mine from, but it is the exact same model. Works great for all of my JP systems (Duo-RX, Supergrafx, Coregrafx). I paid about the same for mine as well.
Those things are a pain to try and find too, you do a search for them and you keep on popping up devices for Euro to US or vice versa.
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Haha, you know I want to get this game for the same reason, even though I'll probably never play it! :mrgreen:
I don't know about the Hucard, but I own the SCD of Populous and it's actually a pretty good game. (Although I did have to pick up a manual for the SNES version to figure out what I was doing).
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Congrats.
BTW, are you using the original power supply with a voltage adapter or are you using a U.S. power supply from Radio Shack? If you're plugging the original Japanese AC adapter straight into the wall it may lead to problems down the road (like your NES).
http://www.voltageconverters.com/itemdesc.asp?CartId=EVEREST{C0F7776E-AC2E-4038-A3F4-9A3C5BE333EE}&ic=VC100J
I dunno, I've used Japanese AC adapters straight off my wall current for years on multiple different consoles with no issues.
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Apparently the voltage coming from the average U.S. wall socket can be quite a bit higher or lower than what the standard is supposed to be. I might be able to get by without my converter, but I figured an extra twenty-five bucks wasn't a bad idea after I spent $200 on a SGX+SCD set-up.