Messages

[Feedback / phpBB Theme]

Hi Aaron,

I've been thinking that someone as stylish and capable as yourself should not still be using the built-in subSilver theme for your phpBB.  Installing new themes isn't hard, as I discovered today, and there are billions that would better suite your site than the old standard.  You could even edit some parts of a new theme and make your own.  I think that'd be great, and I bet you'd have a lot of fun too.

Here's a link to the themes.

http://www.phpbb.com/phpBB/catdb.php?db=2

Also, if you're using anything earlier than version 2.0.11, my host tells me that there are some really dangerous vulnerabilities that would allow someone to hijack and/or modify/destror your phpBB, so at the very minimum, you should upgrade to the new version.

Okay... that's all.  Just checking in on my favorite webmaster and my favorite site on the whole damn internet.

(Liked the previous appearance of the site better; seemed slicker - IMHO.)

Big BIG fan of your work.

[Feedback / PCEngineFX TV Hosting]

Yeah, it's definitely the coolest thing you do for the site.  I wanna do something like that too, but I'm afraid of hitting my bandwidth limit.    I'm at 1/20th of my limit right now, but I get like NO traffic, so I figure if I ever actually had guests, and i hosted video, I'd be screwed.

I don't know.  What's your strategy?  Those files aren't small.

[PC-FX Discussion / Candice.]

Zenki skips sometimes for me.  I just restart the console and somehow that magically solves the problem.  Funny.  I think it's a finicky little system.  Oh how I do love it though.  All my friends are so amazed that it ever existed.  The little quirks just make it addorable.

I named mine "Candice" and we've been together for three years now...  Um.  I'm lying.

[Media (PCEFX Radio/TV) / Thumbs Up!]

Keeps me company late night at work.  Always loved it but it's even better now that it's live shoutcast.  Thanks a billion Aaron.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Got it!]

Got one!  Thanks everyone.  Funny little thing.  I think it's great that you can replace the battery!

[Feedback / Hu VS. Hyu]

The Japanese romanize the sound "hugh" as "hyu" so I think it's safe to assume that they romanized "HuCard" to be prounounced "Hoo-Card" since the "hoo" sound is romanized as "hu" in japanese.  Is this formum unicode??? Let's find out...

フカード : Hu-Card
ヒュカード : Hyu-Card

In PCEngine magazines from the era in question, the top kana is always used.  I believe this settles the issue.

(You'll have to have Japanese fonts enabled to view the examples above.)

Of course there's absolutely nothing wrong with pronouncing it the other way, as long as you understand that your Americanizing the pronunciation.

Just like Japanese say "AI-SU-KURI-MU" instead of Ice Cream, you're free to say "Hugh-Card".    Let's all mispronounce each other's languages with love and respect!

[PC-FX Discussion / $400]

I've seen it go for $400 USD.  Honestly I would have paid that for it if I'd had to.  Playing ZenkiFX is really the only way you can impress any of your friends with the PC-FX.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / $]

If it was the Saturn version of the Arcade game, I'd pay you $6000 and my first born child.

Actually, I have seen the US Duo fersion going for about $50, like Aaron said, and that is also the same price I paid for the Saturn game.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / :(]

I didn't know that.  It's the Curse of YS.  I imported my copy of Ark of Napishtim straight from Falcom, and with a free and easy-to-find patch, it runs perfectly on my English Windows XP machine.  

I had already given up on Konami when I found out that they were replacing all the sprites. Their English voice-overs are so completely and notoriously awful every time they've every tried it... I figured importing was the only way to go.

Too bad about Taito's remake.  I thought it was looking good.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Maybe this.]

Maybe it's trying to say, "Isselhaas" or something like that.

Islehasa, Isselhaas, Iselhaas... something like that would be a good inferrence from the Katakana.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Lemme Look.]

Okay, if you have Japanese fonts enabled in Windows, or are using Linux or Mac OSX+ then the name is, "イセルハーサ".  The phonetic translation of that is "ee-se-ru-ha--sa".  The name is in Katakana, which denotes that it is a reference to a non-Japanese name or word, but phonetically speaking, I don't know what "ee-se-ru-ha--sa" could be.  

Incidentally, the proper Romaji spelling is Iseruhasa, with emphasis on the "ha".

Hope this helps, but I doubt it does.

[PC-FX Discussion / 10?!?!?!]

I'm not sure 10 "top" games were ever made for the system.

But my guess as to the top games are:

1) Zenki FX
2) Battle Heat
3) Langrisser FX
4) Zeroigar (pretty good, if not that advanced really)
5) Last Imperial Price (kind of lame but good animation)
6) Team Innocent (high production values, but borring as hell IMO).

The thing is, the PC-FX is a romantic system because of it's goals and potential.  That's how I view it.  It is not a "great" system because there are a ton of good games for it.  Honestly, I don't think it's full ability has ever or will ever be seen.  

If there could have been just ONE game for it as cool as Treasure's Guardian Heroes for the Saturn, or like, Capcom's Dungeons and Dragons arcade games... that would have made me so happy.  I'm sure it could pulled off games like those.  Or a really good fighting game.  Not Battle Heat.  Though it's good, I'm talking about something like Darkstalkers.

Hell, even some PC Engine Duo games look more advanced than any of the PC-FX games, and that's kind of sad.  I think there's nothing for the PC-FX that looks one little bit better that Lords of Thunder or Valis 3, save for the liberal sprinkling of TV-Quality, low budget animation, which technically the Duo wasn't capapble of, but one asks oneself, "So what?"  I'd rather see well drawn static graphics than bad animation.

I say all that but then I turn around and tell you I love the PC-FX?  Well I love the potential, and the rarity, and the fact that it looks badass.  That's about it.

[PC-FX Discussion / Really?]

I have never been able to get a burned game to run.  I have copied my three games, so that I won't have to use the original discs, but they are not recognized.  What program are you using to create the copies? I'd really like to try it.  

As far as the difference.  Burned copies of games are fine to play, but they are not at all collectable.  The difference is purely sentimental.  Some people like to own the packaging and the printed CD etc.  I love the feeling of holding the real thing.  

Of course, that's sometimes not possible.  Zenki FX is so expensive that even if I could find a copy, I hear I'd have to pay over $400 for it, and that's not at all in my budget.  So I'll continue to try to find an ISO.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Maybe I missed something.]

Hmmm... I own the Japanese version, and the dialog you mention seems to be pretty much adlib; I don't believe that's in the original, unless I just missed something.

[PC-FX Discussion / But the buttons...]

Yeah, but the number of buttons are different.  You'd have to use a DUO-R controller at least, and that will cost you more than a PC-FX controller, if you're even lucky enough to find one.

[PC-FX Discussion / Or..]

Like in the Saturn game, Guardian Heroes, which is technically a 2D game but the backgrounds take advantage of polygons and are BEAUTIFUL!  

Strider for the PS1 did that really well too.

I like the combination of 2D sprites and polygon backgrounds the very most.  Grandia 1, that was amazing.  Especially the Saturn version.

[PC-FX Discussion / $19 or so.]

I have never paid more than $19 for a PC-FX pad.  I see them regularly for $30, which I think is too much, but , y'know, if it's mint and in box, maybe it's worth it.  

The PC-FX looks so sweet, I'd hate to see it with anything other than the original pad, although your skill must be respect-worthy for even wanting to try it.  Good luck.

You could try SuperFamiShop...  they have pads sometimes.  I've ordered from them now, and recieved my goods, so I trust them.

Here's the URL: http://www.superfamishop.com

As of today, they have no pads, but keep an eye out, or start your Frankenstein-ing.

[Media (PCEFX Radio/TV) / You could open a house.]

You could really be a one man production house.  Not that you already aren't but I mean I think this could be your entire life!  Have you seen what local commercials look like these days?!?!?!  People out there NEEEEEEED you.

[PC-FX Discussion / Its Relative]

Well, its interesting that polygons were possible to some degree, but I don't think that's a valid criteria for how good the system was/is. The point, in my opinion, is that the goals that the PC-FX and NEC set out to achieve were achieved, and so I think the PC-FX was successful.

Judging the PC-FX on how many polys it can push is like trying to judge Clint Eastwood on how well he can sing "Like a Virgin".

[PC-FX Discussion / Yep.]

Yep.  That's about right.  The system was really not meant for high-poly real time characters.  Remeber, it was designed to be the anime gaming platform.  3D was not a goal.

[PC-FX Discussion / Probably not.]

I don't think that many at all.  Why don't you write a small demo for the unit and see for yourself?  I would guess around 2,000. Harrar Kelvin has done some interesting work on this.

[News / Amazing]

Yeah you've really outdone yourself.  Thanks a lot Aaron.

[PC-FX Discussion / 70.]

I got a 70.  I can't wait to see the correct answers.  I think I got that 3rd party question wrong.  But I won't say anything more.  And that Activision question.

[Media (PCEFX Radio/TV) / Nevermind]

Nevermind about Last Imperial Prince - it got really lame really fast.  Sorry.  I was a little too excited about it.  The screenshots seemed really promising, and I was hoping for a more ACTION oriented Action RPG. It's insane that there are times where you just walk across screen after screen of completely flat environment with no events in site.  Weird.

Don't bother with it.

[PC-FX Discussion / Last Imperial Prince]

I just got Last Imperial Prince and I like it a lot.  It's a side-scrolling action RPG with lots of fighting.  The graphics and animation are pretty good too.  

Plus it was really cheap (I paid $7) and an English walkthrough was easy to find.

[PC-FX Discussion / Shouldn't be a Problem]

Team Innocent is fairly linear and Battle Heat shouldn't require much Japanese.  I bet you'll do fine.  Team Innocent kind of drives me nuts with its awkward controls and stiff combat, but Battle Heat is a blast.

[PC-FX Discussion / Need more toons?]

Hey Aaron, dpaint4 = Curtis. Let me know if you want more cartoons of the PC-FX!  My work schedule has eased up some and I can make more drawings for you with a fast turnaround!  I would love to!

[Media (PCEFX Radio/TV) / What would I like to see next?]

Ummm... I know it will be a few monthes until the next episode because I know how much work putting that stuff together is, but I want to answer anyway.  My two cents:

Wishlist of games to cover in no particular order:

-VALIS 1, 2, or 3, or 4 (CD/SCD, CD, CD, SCD) (MY ALLTIME FAVORITE ACTION SERIES!!)
-Devil Hunter Yohko (SCD)
-3x3 Eyes (SCD)
-Cotton (SCD)

-Last Imperial Price (PC-FX)

-Any good non-dating, non-softcore RPG for the PC-FX.

-GT, or Shuttle, or that thing were you can attach your DUO to your headband for play on a bicycle.  Just kidding.  

[PC-FX Discussion / Oh...]

Well...  still...  to me, it is like a rare bottle of wine, and the proudest shining jewel of my collection, even above my Marty's and my GP32.  I had wanted a PC-FX for TEN YEARS ever since I saw a blurb about it's arrival in GameFan magazine.  I am such a proud owner!  Even though the perfect game was perhaps never made for it, the kind of game that was possible for this system makes it a very romantic icon of gaming to me, and a symbol of a time in gaming that was so wonderful. (The last years of 16-bit and bit birth of 32, when 2D graphics were their finest.)

 

[PC-FX Discussion / RAGE!!!! LOOK AT WHAT I FOUND:]

I was nosing around the web looking for stuff about my new game Blue Breaker when I found this little line of text at the following URL:

"This is a role-playing game for the flop known as the NEC PC-FX which later made it to the PlayStation."
wayback.reptiles.org/anime/blue-breaker/

THE "FLOP" KNOWN AS THE PC-FX?!?!  WHAT FLOP?!  This console has lived on in a HUGE WAY, and as far as I can tell, it was no flop in it's intended market.

It makes me so mad when I see crap like that.  Like when people talk about how later "they turned the PC-FX into a Super Famicom and that's how Sony was born" or whatever the hell crap people pull out of their asses just to sound like they know something.

I love my PC-FX, and currently all my next-gen consoles are collecting dust, so that's what I have to say about that.

[PC-FX Discussion / Envious Example]

I got mine on ebay NEW (it wasn't even described as new, but everything was in perfect condition and all the manuals were still sealed in their plastic etc.) for about $100!!!  I couldn't believe it.  It was a buy-it-now from a seller with 100% good feedback, and it arrived all the way from Japan in four days.  I couldn't f**king believe it.  It was the best ebay moment of my whole damn life.  I still think Jesus must have deciced that I needed a PC-FX or something.  Whatever the case... you should definitely find one under $150.

[PC-FX Discussion / I think you're right.]

Seems like a nicer front end to the exact same site; that seems kind of shady to me.  But if you've recieved items before then I guess I'll give it a shot with a small order; thanks for the input.

Game Choice Club URL is : http://www.gamechoice.com.hk

[PC-FX Discussion / Another Angle]

MagicBastard,

If it had not been for emulation, I would not have ever bought a Turbo Duo, or Turbo Express or any of the games I have.  I don't just hand over the cash unless I like what I'll be getting.

As for the PC-FX, bought mine about a week ago, new and sealed.  After shipping it was about $200 which I'd say is pretty cheap for something like this and cosidering it's rarity.  I love it.

Don't be so hard on emulation.  It plays a good roll in selling games.  Mind Rec used  it to market their Meteor Blaster game before it's CD release, and that helped their sales.  

What else...  I think you sound like a mean person.  Calm down.

[PC-FX Discussion / Is Game Choice Club trustworthy?]

I am interested in buying some PC-FX games from Game Choice Club, however their site looks a little sleazy and I'm wondering if they can be trusted or not.  Has anyone here ever bought anything from them?

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Looking for PC-FX Memory Card]

I'm interested in puchasing a PC-FX memory card but I've had no luck on ebay or at any of my trusted online shops.  If you'd like to sell a PC-FX Memory card please contact me by replying to this thread.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Smart.]

That's pretty smart.  Would Magic Engine really read the music from a mounted image?  I can never get Magic Engine to play the music from any game, even though it's my favorite emulator.  I'll try your technique.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / No.]

The answer is no.  Not without an adapter, and the adapter you'll need is going to be hell to find since you'll need an adaptor from Japan that will allow the play of USA titles.  Now why do you think Japanese people would want to play USA titles which are mostly nothing more than bad translations of Japanese games???  Evidently a few of those adapters do exist, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Buy some import games.  They're really common and cheap.  That's my advice.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / TE Power Supply Really Matter?]

Why can't I use any  adapter of equal voltage with the right conector?  Does it really matter like the manual says?  I'd like some input on this before I put my unit at risk.   I'm just thinking, how could the unit tell if the power it's getting is the same?  Thoughts anyone?

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Bad Times]

I've never had a good experience with them.  I hate that they list games as available that aren't and then they'll even let you order and pay for them without saying a thing.  About a month later, we called them and they said that the games were on "back order" and would be shipped when they arrived.  Monthes later it took about four phone calls and a lot of screaming to cancel the order and get our money back.  I just HATE them.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Ph33R]

I then hid the taskbar and removed all of the removable desktop icons, leaving only the ones you cannot delete.

It looks pretty swish

Maybe you know this, maybe you don't.  If you were using an NT platform like 2000 or XP, you could download the free Microsoft "Powertool" called TweakUI, and then even the trash can can be invisible from the desktop.  It would give you loads more control over the destop before and after your autolaunched YOGS.

I'm really hyped to try it out tonight.  Thanks for all your advice.

[PC-FX Discussion / ...]

I would expect the DS to be more "powerful".  But I don't think any system could ever been cooler than the PC-FX, or for that matter, the DUO.  To me, they will always be the utmost, no matter how you measure the Mhz or RAM or anything else.  There's a certain unexplainable something that just make the NEC consoles glow with spiritual power and soul.  Add to that their relative rarity and obscurity, and you've got an unbeatable package in my eyes.

[News / Any better?]

How's it going?  Have you heard back from your host yet?  Sorry your transition has been so bumpy.  Sounds like a lot of stress.  Good luck working things out.  Lots of people loved your site and really miss it.  Glad the message board is up though so we can still gather someplace and talk since 80% of the world has no idea this stuff ever existed.

Looking forward to your new layout and smoother sailing for your web endeavors.  Good luck!!!

[PC-FX Discussion / Maybe.]

That's an interesting point; the stats above are the numbers as I have read them from several sources, but that dosen't mean they're not wrong here or there.  Aaron would know.

[PC-FX Discussion / Really!!?!?!?]

I can't believe how exciting this all is!  Had no idea it was so far along!

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Thanks!]

Hi there

Glad you like the yogs

The software that I used for the menus is called 'quick menu builder' and is freeware (you need to register for certain options but it does do the job for the most part...)

Seeing as its freeware I've uploaded it for you to save you the hassle of looking for it

Can get it here...

http://jtutton.home.comcast.net/qmb.zip

I seem to remember someone saying somewhere at sometime that there might be a keygen floating in cyberspace somewhere.......

I didnt say that ;)

All the best

Andy

Thanks a lot!  I can't wait to try it out for my own purposes.  For instance, it would be nice to have my computer running in "kiosk" mode when there's a party at the house so that friends can play all the emulators and games they like but won't be surfing the net to god knows where downloading whatever and emailing whoever from my address.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Yeah.]

I've always been sort of embarrassed of our model.  I've heard a lot of French and Japanese people joking about it.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Astounding]

Great work man.  I always dreamed of doing something like that.  What was the software you said you used to create the auto-launching menu system?  You never named it, and I'd love to give it a try.

[PC-FX Discussion / No.]

That's a really weird question.  The answer is no.

PC-FX :
32-Bit NEC V810 RISC processor @ 21.5 Mhz
2x speed CD-ROM
16,770,000 colors
16,770,000 colors on screen
640x448 resolution
JPEG compression at 30fps
26 MBits of RAM memory
Priority Effects

GBA :
32 bit RISC-CPU + 8 bit CISC-CPU @ 16.8 Mhz
Cartridge based media
240x160 resolution
32,000 colors
512 colors on screen
32 K WRAM + 96 K VRAM

So you see, it's kind of like asking if your toaster is as powerful as a Porche, hardware wise.