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NEC PC-Engine/SuperGrafx => PC Engine/SuperGrafx Discussion => Topic started by: guyjin on April 18, 2005, 09:39:24 AM

Title: the supergrafx's weird port
Post by: guyjin on April 18, 2005, 09:39:24 AM: IIRC, there was some kind of expansion/controller port of some kind on the front of the SGX; was it ever used? what kind of peripherals were there?
Title: the supergrafx's weird port
Post by: handygrafx on April 18, 2005, 10:38:13 AM: I am no expert on the SuperGrafx, but, from the SuperGrafx Extreme website (http://www.geocities.com/sgextreme/specs.html)

Front
* controller/pad port
* "S Expansion" aka "Special Expansion" aka "S EXP"

(http://www.geocities.com/sgextreme/grafx/sgfront.jpg)
"If you look at the SuperGrafx from the front, there are two
obvious items on the right hand side. The one to the left is
the S Exp port. As it turns out, this port never had a use.
The planned uses for it remain unknown. To the right of
the S Exp is the controller port. This is where the
SuperGrafx controller plugs into the system. For
multiplayer games, the multiplayer adaptors would plug in
here as well."

Back
* EXT Bus aka External Bus

(http://www.geocities.com/sgextreme/grafx/sgback.jpg)
"Taking a look at the back of the SuperGrafx, two things are
visible. To the left, in shadow in this picture, is the mode
switch. This switch determines whether the SuperGrafx is
in SuperGrafx or PC Engine mode. This makes a difference
when playing games like Darius Alpha and Darius Plus.
The second feature is the external bus. This port was
designed to allow the SuperGrafx to accept add-ons, such
as the Super CD-ROM2.

above pictures originally from EGM Number 8, March 1990, page 53

the only major pheripheral for the SuperGrafx other than the CD-ROM interface, was the "Power Console" controller.
(http://img208.echo.cx/img208/6954/sgxpowerconsole12km.jpg)
(http://www.geocities.com/sgextreme/grafx/powcon1.jpg)
(http://www.geocities.com/sgextreme/grafx/powcon2.jpg)
(http://www.geocities.com/sgextreme/grafx/powcon3.jpg)
not sure what port this used. either the controller port or the S exp port on the front, because this Power Console controller slid over the SuperGrafx console

pics credited to Assembler / http://www.assemblergames.com (http://www.assemblergames.com/),
SuperGrafx Extreme / sgxextreme / http://www.geocities.com/sgextreme and The Strange (and Rare) Videogame Pics Page http://members.tripod.com/faberp/PC.htm
Title: the supergrafx's weird port
Post by: RCduck7 on April 21, 2005, 04:01:45 AM: What game(s) does this power controller benefit from?
If it's only Battle ace and no pc engine games it may only be worth as a collectors item.

About the switch on the back with supergrafx/PC engine mode...

When i play PC engine games the colors seem to be a bit monochroom.
Is it because the switch is in supergrafx mode?
I can find it out on my next playing session but for now my supergrafx is tucked away.
Title: the supergrafx's weird port
Post by: esteban on April 21, 2005, 05:38:00 AM: I thought the awesomely huge controller (Power Console) was a prototype-only and never released commerically?

And, handygrafx, thanks for sourcing the EGM 1990 issue... I don't know if I have that issue and I'll add that to my list! It helps tremendously!
Title: the supergrafx's weird port
Post by: Keranu on April 21, 2005, 07:30:07 PM: I'd sure love to try out that huge controller.
Title: the supergrafx's weird port
Post by: Nutribrain on April 21, 2005, 10:20:28 PM: If my memories serve me right, there has been one up for auction at YahooJapan. I can't remember what price it was going for...