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One of my first Pc Engine games I got in like 2011 :icon_cat_derpy:
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Quick update.  I removed the Q502 and replaced it with a crappy variable voltage buck converter set to 5v and hooked up like mentioned on the Retrosix wiki.  That almost halved the values above!  And the hot spot was gone.  I mean I guess that is obvious with Q502 removed.  The only issue is the video signal become very noise when you turned up the brightness.  I will try to swap out the buck converter with a 5v LDO regulator and see if that results in the same power reduction and fixes the video noise.
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TG-16/TE/TurboDuo Discussion / Re: Naniyue's Return to Turboland
« Last post by Naniyue on October 14, 2025, 09:14:21 PM »
Yes, that's the word!  Punchier!  Fits Cobra better.

I've played Snatcher for both systems.  Always scary and exciting! The Sega CD one feels more complete, but you don't get to see Metal Gear Mark II with a DUO chassis.  Fortunately, thanks to the Internet:



Snatcher is the only game apart from System Shock 2 in which I truly felt fear.  Sure, many games have scared me, but these two really hit their mark!

Back on track . . .

Sid Temple area:

I recognize the fish with the human face from one of the newer anime.

I was comparing the voices for the parrot plant, and wondered if there's ever been an English dub of a Japanese game or video in which they've tried to use voice actors that sound similar to the original Japanese ones.

Back off track . . .

  Wouldn't it be neat to see an anime that uses the native language of the country it takes place in?  What if Monster had been done in German, with Japanese and English subtitles?  Or Jojo - Golden Wind being originally recorded in Italian?
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TG-16/TE/TurboDuo Discussion / Re: Naniyue's Return to Turboland
« Last post by Mathius on October 14, 2025, 06:33:56 PM »
Snatcher is another game that's on both PCE and Sega CD where I prefer the Sega CD's treatment of the music. The Redbook is, of course, identical iirc but the chip music sounds far punchier/fuller on Sega.
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Hey all,

Did my first LCDDRV 3.5" LCD mod on a TE and it seems to be getting quite warm when operating.  Everything is working great, just running warm so I figured that would probably impact battery life.  My bench power supply says it is pulling ~.48A and ~4.25W which seem kinda high.  I have a crappy "attach to you phone" thermal camera and Q502 is getting quite warm.  Like north of 100C when running for a few mins.  A few other components get to 40-45C but Q502 is the outlier.  My gut says this is probably due to the junky AliExpress LCDDRV that is advertised as a Sega Nomad screen but I heard others have used it on a TE.  Any ideas?  I disconnected the screen and Q502 hovers closer to 50-55C and the system only pulls ~.35A and ~3.3W.  I think that increase in draw is inline with the specs on the AliExpress page.  To be honest I don't remember if this system has video issues previous so this could just be a cursed system. 

Thanks for any advice.
-John
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TG-16/TE/TurboDuo Discussion / Re: Naniyue's Return to Turboland
« Last post by Naniyue on October 13, 2025, 12:06:27 AM »
Finally cheated my way fully through Panic Bomber.  Never again!  Sooo annoying!  Sure, I'll legitimately play a couple stages now and again, but not the whole game.

I've just finished watching almost all of the Cobra animated features, so why not play the games?

NAG - Cobra 2, Part I

I know there's a previous one.  I'll get to that later.

I played the Sega CD version back in the day, and rather enjoyed it!  I knew who Cobra was, but at the time I had never seen any episode of the TV show or the movie.  I thought the game was rather imaginative, more science fantasy than science fiction, but fun nevertheless.  Naturally, I'll play the PCE CD version this time, but wish to compare the two.  I'll be referencing a longplay of the Sega CD game while playing the PCE CD one. It's a good game, and I haven't played the Sega CD one in forever, but I don't feel like playing essentially the same game twice in a row.

The graphics are of course, very similar.  I like the titlescreen music of the Sega CD one better.  And the II of the intro was removed, understandably.

The English intro text is different.  The Sega CD lines sound more natural, but the PCE CD ones still get the point across.  Funny how the Sega CD text portrays Cobra as simply badass, whereas the PCE CD text describes him as more of an ultra Robin Hood.

The written and spoken lines between the two are not always exact translations, but the meaning is there.

I'm actually finding the Sega CD music better so far.

The voice acting of the PCE is naturally good, but even the English of the Sega one is better than usual for the time.

Because of the Sega CD game, I always thought the bad guy was named Crystal Boy.  I came to find out, however, that it's actually Crystal Bowie!  Yes, it sounds like boy, but the katakana shows the difference:

ボイ - Boi, Boy.  Short o sound

ボウイ or ボーイ - Boui, Bowie.  Long o sound.

The blue and gold colors of his 16 bit rendition actually look cooler to me than in any of the anime, probably because of their simple vibrancy.


Okay, confession:

 Unfortunately, I never became fluent in Japanese.  I can get by playing a video game as long as I have my kanji dictionary handy, but my listening comprehension, or more accurately, my level of vocabulary, is terrible.  Sometimes I understand just fine, other times I'm completely lost, so subtitles still help.  Unfortunately, most jokes are beyond my comprehension.  If I'm wrong about something in Japanese, kindly correct me, as I still want to learn.

Okay, I changed my mind.  I'm actually playing through both.  Watching the video is just boring.  Something about actually taking part in the decisions is just more satisfying.

Piano computer music:
 PCE sound chip vs Genesis sound chip.

  I wonder if such a computer interface would actually work.  The basic story of the game is from the manga/TV show/movie, making it a late 70's/early 80's fantastic concept of a computer.  Maybe there's some psionics involved?
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TG/PCE Repair/Mod Discussion / Re: PC Engine LT lcd repair or upgrade?
« Last post by Keith Courage on October 12, 2025, 02:56:09 AM »
The capacitors in the rear left corner can leak reallt bad and leak underneathe components on the board causing shorts. I've worked on a few of these systemd where components under that corner have needed to be removed, have both the board and components cleaned, and then reinstalled to repair.  So the components on this corner. Also, there could be shorted via connection holes in the same area that can require repair.

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Whoo hoo, on I actually own. This should be good for some easy pick-up'n play sessions.

I'll have it at the ready for LincCon- Turbo Fest '25 next week ;)
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Whoo hoo, on I actually own. This should be good for some easy pick-up'n play sessions.
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That's a great option!  Super fun and easy to pick up!!
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