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I have only had a TurboExpress, and I have always wanted a console to play the games on my TV, and I was wondering which Turbo/PCE console would be the best to get.  I remember that if I wanted to hook a turbo up via composite you need a turbo booster.  Other than that I am completely clueless.  Help?

I personally say to acquire a PC Engine Duo-R by any means necessary...you won't be disappointed!  It has the least amount of issues, hooks up via composite, and you can play all region CD's and Super CD's (you'll need an Arcade Card for Arcade CD's though) and JP region hucards.  Yeah, you won't be able to play with your US hucards (without a mod), but the JP library is far more diverse.  I can't stress this enough!

I picked one up a couple of months ago and have been absolutely loving every minute of it!  I'm sure the experts on these boards will be able to tell you far more than I can though.  Happy hunting!

The Duo R is def the way to go.

duo r is prolly the most reasonable

Does anyone still sell the US adapter?  I have a bunch of US games I want to play.

Quote from: Tighe on 08/29/2010, 02:14 AMDoes anyone still sell the US adapter?  I have a bunch of US games I want to play.

The US adapter only works on a US Turbografx, Turbo Duo, and Express. It doesn't work the other way around unfortunately.

I second the Duo-R vote. When my US Turbo-CD finally dies that's going to be my route.

Does Duo-R also imply Duo-RX?

I went the PC Engine + Interface Unit +CD-ROM2 unit path and I regret it. Ends up costing you more money and the hardware tends to be unreliable. Good from a collectors point of view, not so good from a gaming point of view. When I achieve a working setup (still waiting on a replacement interface unit), I'll probably be too scared to use it in case it breaks!

I think for my everyday PC Engine gaming needs, a Duo-RX modified for RGB is going to be my next purchase.

P.s. Hi Tighe, SentinelGames from YouTube here, thanks for all your help.

Quote from: Frank_fjs on 08/29/2010, 02:49 AMDoes Duo-R also imply Duo-RX?

I went the PC Engine + Interface Unit +CD-ROM2 unit path and I regret it. Ends up costing you more money and the hardware tends to be unreliable. Good from a collectors point of view, not so good from a gaming point of view. When I achieve a working setup (still waiting on a replacement interface unit), I'll probably be too scared to use it in case it breaks!

I think for my everyday PC Engine gaming needs, a Duo-RX modified for RGB is going to be my next purchase.

P.s. Hi Tighe, SentinelGames from YouTube here, thanks for all your help.

Duo-RX and Duo-R are the same thing.    The differences are


1) Colors are sort of different.  Duo-R is whiteish and Duo-RX is grayish
2) Duo-RX has a 6 button pad thing
3) RX's are too expensive, screw that.

I always see R's way cheaper than RX's, then you get an Avenue 6 pad, and you're good to go.   

What you want, is a Duo R.

Quote from: SignOfZeta on 08/29/2010, 04:07 AMWhat you want, is a Duo R.

i coundn't more agree with that!

But a regular Duo is so much fun to keep running! :P  And knowing that each time you use it might be the last....  absolutely thrilling!

Oh ya get a Duo R/RX

Or maybe as a temp solution... Rockabilly was selling an A/V modified TG 16 here..

https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=8567.0

Another vote for a Duo-R here.  If the price was right, I wouldn't shy away from an original Duo either, as the fault prone caps and lazers are cheap and easy to replace.

Quote from: Mathius on 08/29/2010, 02:19 AMThe US adapter only works on a US Turbografx, Turbo Duo, and Express. It doesn't work the other way around unfortunately.

You're half right - as long as pin 29 is grounded, region adapters work just fine on Japanese consoles.  Even so, switched region mods are more reliable and often cheaper.

Duo-r the most hassle free of the pce models nuff said.

Not to mention there are video mods for the console and it can be tapped for rbg.

Also a region switch can be put in if you want to play any u.s hucard title.

Quote from: TR0N on 08/31/2010, 03:31 AMDuo-r the most hassle free of the pce models nuff said.

Not to mention there are video mods for the console and it can be tapped for rbg.

Also a region switch can be put in if you want to play any u.s hucard title.

word up tron I agree

Quote from: TR0N on 08/31/2010, 03:31 AMAlso a region switch can be put in if you want to play any u.s hucard title.

Do you have a link on how to add a region switch?

Quote from: Tighe on 09/01/2010, 11:33 AM

Quote from: TR0N on 08/31/2010, 03:31 AMAlso a region switch can be put in if you want to play any u.s hucard title.

Do you have a link on how to add a region switch?

Original IC Switch mod http://playoffline.wordpress.com/mod/pceswitch/
MMMonkey's help with the IC Switch mod http://www.mmmonkey.co.uk/console/pce/region.htm
grendelrt's 8pdt switch mod https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=1861.0
PCB Mod http://www.multimods.com/SlotMod1.html

Good location to buy the 8pdt switch http://www.surplussales.com/Switches/SWPushB-3.html

There was one other website but I can't remember what it was.

You can also do a switchless mod to use your Japanese console to play American games, and buy a converter to play the Japanese games with. A switchless mod is where you just cut the pins and solder wires directly from the board to the pins resulting in a different pinout order.

Personally I'd recommend the 8pdt switch for American consoles because I didn't have any trouble with getting it to work and it is much cheaper.

Usually a "switchless mod" refers to a mod that works normally but has no extra switch. There is (I think) a way to do this with the Saturn where you change regions by holding down the Reset button when you turn the machine on. Another example would be the PS1, where only the earliest mods had switches.

What you are decribing is what I call a "perma-mod". I seriously hope nobody would do this to a poor PC Engine. 

"Now it only plays overpriced, censored rare US games with shitty cover art. Awesome!"

Blasphemy.

HEY!!

Quote from: SignOfZeta on 09/01/2010, 04:34 PM"Now it only plays overpriced, censored rare US games with AMAZING cover art. Awesome!"
Blasphemy.

ok, fixed.

To me if it's straight collectors item get the US Turboduo. If you plan on playing it alot get the PC Engine Duo-R. I have my original Turbo Duo I had as a kid on display and use a region modded Duo R to play all my games.

Quote from: Obfuscate on 09/02/2010, 12:46 PMTo me if it's straight collectors item get the US Turboduo. If you plan on playing it alot get the PC Engine Duo-R. I have my original Turbo Duo I had as a kid on display and use a region modded Duo R to play all my games.

So, the TurboDuo was built for show, and the PC Engine Duo R was built to go!!

Quote from: JoshTurboTrollX-16 on 09/02/2010, 01:15 PMSo, the TurboDuo was built for show, and the PC Engine Duo R was built to go!!

Hell no!  My TurboDuo was built for both.

Quote from: JoshTurboTrollX-16 on 09/02/2010, 01:15 PM

Quote from: Obfuscate on 09/02/2010, 12:46 PMTo me if it's straight collectors item get the US Turboduo. If you plan on playing it alot get the PC Engine Duo-R. I have my original Turbo Duo I had as a kid on display and use a region modded Duo R to play all my games.

So, the TurboDuo was built for show, and the PC Engine Duo R was built to go!!

LOL, my Turboduo needed a cap replacement and the laser changed and I figured a region modded Duo-R was near as cheap and heard nothing but good things about them so that's how I got there. But honestly, alot of people collect consoles without much interest in playing the actual games. Just the way it is and I think the US Duo will hold it's value better and is obviously more rare.

Yeah, if nobody actually powers it up, they'll never know it can only play HuCards and has no sound.

Last weekend my Duo refused to read CDs. I thought I was going to have to eat my words in praise of the Duo R's reliability, but all I did was clean the lens with a Q-Tip and now it works perfectly.

The Duo-R and -RX are more reliable than the black Duo consoles... but as has been said you can't play US Turbochip games without a mod... so here are two recommendations:

For pure cost-effectiveness: a Duo-R for Japanese HuCard games and CD ROM games, and a US TurboGrafx-16 for US Turbochip games. Should be able to get both for a total of 150-200 A big drawback to this setup is that TurboGrafx controllers and Duo controllers are not interchangeable.

For the whole library: a US Duo for US Turbochip games and CD-ROM games, a SuperGrafx for Japanese SuperGrafx games and Japanese HuCards, and a Super CD-ROM2 add-on for a backup to your Duo for CD-ROM games. You should be able to get a US Duo and SuperGrafx for a total of 250-350, and a Super CD-ROM might add another $100.

Logical middle ground: A modded Duo R. None of the SuperGrafx games are even in the top 20 of the PCE library (IMHO, not even in the top 50) and most people won't miss them.

I have a US Duo and a CGFX PC Engine.  So far I've been able to keep the Duo running smoothely!  Long term.... we'll see :P

i dunno id say buck up and get a duo r for pce no mod and get a tg16 for tg games.  use the duo cd for both systems call it a day.