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[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / What color does your TG16/PCe/Super/Duo/etc display with no card inserted?]

What screen color does your Turbografx/PCe/Super/Duo/etc display with no card inserted?

There was a similar thread some time back on NintendoAge regarding NES systems. Hardware registers tend to initialize to a random state unless instructions are given to clear this info. Due to slight variances in fabrication, different chips even out of the same batch tend to initialize differently. The GPU often displays a random color across the entire screen, typically unique to the individual console.

My US Turbografx displays a pale cream yellow color somewhat in between apricot and goldenrod, more towards apricot. What colors do other's consoles display and are they consistent between models or random?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Fat HuCards]

What are all of the official (or unofficial) Hucards that had a thick bubble underneath the label?

I know of a few.

Commercial:

• Street Fighter II: Champion Edition
• Populus
• Tennokoe Bank Manager
• Various CD system cards (Super CD 3 & Arcade Pro)

Homebrew:

• Atlantean ABcard by Aetherbutt
• Turbo Everdrive (with Shapeways shell)

Any others? I think there were also a few various bitd multicart pirates.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Hucard / SuperCD are NOT the same system...]

Not trying to sound discriminatory against CDs or against people who only have systems capable of playing Hucards, as I myself collect Hucard only.

I'm going use the Genesis / Megadrive, SegaCD, and 32X as an example. Nobody refers to SegaCD or 32X carts as Genesis or Megadrive games, but each peripheral is treated as it's own system when it comes to collecting. This makes sense to me. Sega fans can collect specifically for whichever sub-system they collect for and when doing trades or sales there is no question as to which game plays on what.

Turbografx / PC Engine doesn't seem to make that distinction as much. It just gets kind of frustrating to read about games or suggestions from various folks and the need to do a Google search to determine it's a SuperCD title after I can't find the title in the No_Intro set on my Everdrive. Further compounding the issue is the packaging at first glance is largely the same, ie jewel cases, and closer inspection is needed to make a determination as to the logo for Hucard or SuperCD.

Maybe I'm just being a gripe by the medium as well as the hardware setups needed to play are very different. I'm kind of old school at heart and long ago determined that cart systems were far more reliable over disc systems. Full disclosure; I don't currently own any 90s CD consoles, although I do have a handful of PS1 games I sometimes play on PS3.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / My "overengineered" logo backlight mod.]

So I posted in another thread regarding my backlight mod:

I also keep thinking I want to do the LED mod to the logo.  Did you use an LED strip or just single LEDs?

As for the LED mod itself, I bought out my local Radio Shack of white four-pin 3mm LED packages. Wanted 8 but they only had seven so I had to make do with what I got. I later realised I got robbed pretty bad buying all seven square mount LEDs they had, paying $5 each for parts I could have ordered online for 25 cents. I installed the LEDs on a perfboard PCB and supplied each one with a 100 ohm resistor because I don't trust them to stay in tolerance when parallel connected. The perfboard was cut to size, roughly 1x3.5 inches, and the whole assembly was covered in several layers of black electric tape. The PCB is held onto the case with velcro so it can be repositioned if need be. I used leftover pieces from the perfboard I originally cut to build up a platform for it to rest on so the LEDs didn't poke the backside of the decal. Because the LED board is too thick, I had to cut a rectangular hole in the top side shielding to allow the assembly to fit. I ran the black and red wires and soldered directly to the 7805 regulator. After I installed everything, I looked up a video tutorial on Youtube from Game-Tech

and realized I had way over-engineered my backlight mod. I took photos of it but haven't uploaded them online yet. I'll eventually upload them to a Flickr album and make a thread about it later.

And here it is:





Full gallery, also showing off my AV Famicom power LED and custom backlit DMG Gameboy...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/30203515@N04/sets/72157669550796415/

Compared to Game Tech's tutorial video, my backlight seems really over-engineered.

Also Radio Shack was highway robbery. I bought all seven 4-pin package white LEDs my local store had in stock at $5 a piece, for what really should have been a 50 cent part, a fairly high markup for buying them local and not shop around elsewhere online...

Radio Shack @ $4.99
https://www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-4-pin-dip-3mm-round-white-led

Digikey @ $0.47
http://www.digikey.com/product-search/en?mpart=OVFSW6C8&vendor=365

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Recommend me some good games for two player simultaneous action...]

My friend is coming over this weekend, and it will be my first time seeing him since recently buying a Turbo Tab and spare controller.

I have a fully loaded Everdrive with No_Intro set of all known US and Japanese ROMs. Obviously the four excellent Bomberman games (including the '93 special battle edition) are a given. I am specifically looking for simultaneous multiplayer titles, not turn based, and preferably not sports games unless the gameplay is really really freaking good (like NBA Jam Genesis good). Hucard only as I don't have a CD system.

Last time we took turns with Blazing Lazers. He kept getting his ass kicked (wasting a few of my lives and at least one continue in the process) as I progressed through the stages. I finally made it to the stage six boss before it was time for him to leave. I later made it to stage seven after he left. But at the time, I only had one controller and no Turbo Tap so we didn't have a lot of options.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Anybody else using cheap aftermarket extension cables with your Turbografx?]

I just bought a pair of 12-footers here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/371641394161

That should do for full across the room multiplayer with a Turbo Tap, since they don't seem to like extensions between the tap and the console, for whatever reason.

I've previously been using a 25 foot 8-pin DIN cable I bought from Crutchfield back in 2014 when I got my Turbografx. It was borderline absurdly long so I actually coiled up about half of it and electric taped the coil. It works great but it's too long so I'm gonna cut off half of it to use with my Cthulhu arcade/MAME controller.

Anyway what are you guys thoughts? The Collectards can daisy chain their expensive NEC branded short extensions if they want. No offense to anyone still rocking official NEC branded cables...

While I'm on the topic, anybody got a source for cheap controllers? eBay prices are stupid, $20 "for parts / not working"

[Buy/Sell/Trade / WTB Klax end sticker]

I recently bought a Klax CIC in a Victory Run case. I need a replacement sticker if anyone has a spare. PM me if you've got one for cheap. Standard stamped envelop is fine. US address, and I use Paypal, Thanks...