Topics

[Console Repair/Mod Center / AC Adapter plug-size/polarity list]

I was researching this and thought it could use its own thread. I'll fill in the gaps later as best I can. Feel free to contribute info if you've got it!

White PC Engine, Core Grafx I & II, Shuttle
MODEL: PAD-105/PAD-106
Output voltage: 9V
Rated current：650mA
Polatrity: Center negative
Plug size：Outer radius 5.5mm, Inner radius 2.1mm
Smoothing capacitor: ??

Supergrafx
MODEL: PAD-113
Output voltage: 9V
Rated current：800mA
Polatrity: Center negative
Plug size：Outer radius 6.3mm, Inner radius 3.1mm
Smoothing capacitor: ?? (package is sealed; maybe a clamp can open it?)

Super CD-ROM2
MODEL: PAD-125
Output voltage: 12V
Rated current：1000mA
Polatrity: Center positive
Plug size：Outer radius 6.3mm, Inner radius 3.1mm
Smoothing capacitor: 16V 10000uf, 2cm diameter, 3.5cm height

Duo-R/RX
MODEL: PAD-129\PAD-130
Output voltage: 9V
Rated current：1000mA
Polatrity: Center positive
Plug size：Outer radius 5.5mm, Inner radius 2.1mm
Smoothing capacitor: 16V 4700uf, 1.5cm diameter, 3cm height

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Do any PCE systems use >5V anywhere?]

AC adapters are often poorly made, including official ones, and generally waste a lot of energy. Many older adapters are begging to have pricey new high-value smoothing capacitors put in them, too, because their original ones are at death's door.

I've been thinking of getting a single high-quality switch-mode power supply to use with all of my consoles. I know that 9V is safe to go with for virtually all systems, and it's what the popular Retro DC Powered supply uses. However, it seems to me that 7.5V is a smarter solution for any console that runs entirely on 5V from a 7805 regulator. You throw away less energy at the regulator and generate less heat, on top of 7.5V supplies themselves being cheaper at high amp ratings. 7805s only need 7V at their inputs to work.

The question is, is there anything out there (PCE or otherwise) that actually needs more than that? Or is everything everywhere running on 5V from a 7805?

[PC-FX Discussion / Market research paper about NEC losing Japanese PC market]

Something to peruse if you're curious about what was probably receiving most of NEC's attention in the last years of the PCE and at the dawn of the PC-FX:

wayback://cob.sjsu.edu/WEST_J/Papers/WestDedrick2000.pdf

tl;dr - With the PC-98, NEC had a stranglehold on the Japanese PC market through most of the 80s and early 90s. Its proprietary architecture, which existed in part to facilitate word-processing in Japanese, needed a custom OS, and that in turn caused the software library to be mostly exclusive. Then, in 1991, a Japanese version of MS-DOS came out that handled all word processing in software, effectively allowing ordinary consumers to buy international-standard IBM clones for the first time. Later, and more importantly, Windows 3.1 in 1993 was compatible with both IBM clones and PC-98 systems, thereby erasing all of NEC's exclusivity. Fujitsu started building clone systems in 1995 and selling them at extremely low prices, and NEC basically missed out on an enormous computer-buying boom in the late 90s and lost a ton of market share.

It's a story I mostly knew already, but it was interesting to see all of the details. I hadn't appreciated just how much of a watershed Windows 3.1 was in Japan, and how great the implications were for NEC. They must have been extremely frustrated not to have been able to stop Windows 3.1 from coming out for their platform.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / FS: XRGB Mini/Framemeister - Opened, boxless, but unused]

EDIT: Sold.

-----------------------------


I came to the realization that with six CRTs in my house, I just don't need this and probably never will.

After buying it new, I took it out and tried a grand total of two times, with each session lasting less than 20 minutes. Since then, it's just been in a plastic bin on a shelf. Right now, I'm at work, but I can get pictures later.

I stupidly threw the box away when moving all my gaming stuff from one room to another. Everything else, however, is there.

Shipping would be from Japan, although if you act quickly, I'm going back to America next week and could send it from there. I could maybe check the local used game shop and pick up something extra to toss in the box if you have a request, but I'm afraid I don't have the time to do extended hunting.

If I could get $300, that would be cool.

Thanks! 

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / The Legend of Xanadu Dub Project - Auditions Wanted]

At last, the time has come. As of today, we are officially taking auditions for the Legend of Xanadu dub, as a part of the larger Legend of Xanadu fan-translation project.

If you've been following the main project thread, you probably don't need much of an introduction and can head right to the character-list page. You'll find everything you need to know to audition there. For some background on the games, we put together a quick little blurb that you might enjoy reading here.

If you are interested in playing a part, fire away. As far as we're concerned, the more auditions, the merrier, so please don't hesitate to try out for anything you think you might be able to handle.

The initial casting period will end May 19th.

Even if you're absolutely certain that you can't play a part yourself, you can still do us an enormous favor by passing on the word to anyone in your community who seems like they could. There are literally dozens of roles to fill, and we're going to have to cast our net as widely as possible in order to get good actors in all of them.

We even made this dorky little intro aimed at non-gamers to help you rope in your friends and family who otherwise would just be confused about what the heck this project is.

The fate of the translation is now in YOUR hands. Let's make this something incredible!

In the meantime, here are some pretty screenshots. and youtube videos of all of the voiced bits in Xanadu 1 and Xanadu 2.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Top selling, most anticipated, and highest rated PCE games as of early 1994]

Here's some fun data to chew on. In Gekkan PCE magazine's March 1994 final issue, they showed the top-ten best selling PCE games up to that point. Note that because of their weird dating system, this would have actually come out more like toward the beginning of February.

PCE magazines all published sales figures every month, but frustratingly, they divided the actual number by a factor that they deliberately kept secret. Someday, we might compute what factor each magazine used. For now, bear in mind that the figures below don't represent actual sales numbers, but rather something more like sales "points" that give you an idea of proportion.

The little blurbs next to each game are low-substance descriptions, so I won't translate them. If anyone is dying to know, however, I can.



1. Tengai Makyo II
[Released March 1992; the date they printed is wrong]
7148 points

2. F1 Circus
[Released September 1990; this date and all others are correct]
5529 points

3. Pro Baseball World Stadium 91
[Released March 1991]
5513 points

4. F1 Circus 91
[Released July 1991]
4979 points

5. PC Genjin 2
[Released July 1991]
4924 points

6. Momotaro Densetsu Turbo
[Released July 1990]
4709 points

7. Bomberman 93
[Released December 1992]
4113 points

8. Momotaro Densetsu II
[Released December 1990]
3985 points

9. Momotaro Katsugeki
[Released September 1990]
3869 points

10. Ys III
[Released March 1991]
3831 points

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PCE magazines also came with postcards that you could send in to let them know which games you were most eagerly anticipating, as well as which games you "were glad you played." Every month, they would put the results in top-10 charts right next to the sales-figures. I'll have to investigate later what exactly Gekkan's postcard let you fill in, but for now, here are the results.



"Anticipation = Sales"

"The anticipation score is a measurement of how much readers were anticipating a game before it went on sale. Naturally, it's fair to say that higher scores meant higher sales. However, it's important to be aware that the postponing of release dates could stretch these scores. In particular, the #2 ranking game, Monster Maker, maybe gets a yellow-card for this. It looks like it's finally going on sale on March 30th; since everyone has been waiting for so long, we hope that they aren't betrayed this time. We also want to pay attention to new games on the list: Emerald Dragon, Garou Densetsu 2, and The Legend of Xanadu. Those ought to sell pretty well!"

Most Anticipated Games:

1. Tengai Makyo II - Hudson (7800 yen) - 5586 points
2. Monster Maker - NEC Avenue (7200 yen) - 3978 points
3. Ys IV - Hudson (7800 yen) - 3599 points
4. Tengai Makyo Fuun Kabukiden - Hudson (7800 yen) - 3394 points
5. Ys III - Hudson (7200 yen) - 2884 points
6. Momotaro Densetsu II - Hudson (7200 yen) - 2246 points
7. Street Fighter II' - NEC Home Electronics (9800 yen) - 1818 points
8. Emerald Dragon - NEC Home Electronics (7800 yen) - 1224 points
9. Super Momotaro Dentetsu II - Hudson (6800 yen) - 1174 points
10. Genpei Toumaden - Namco (6800 yen) - 1161 points
11. PC Genjin 2 - Hudson (5800 yen) - 1151 points
12. Garou Densetsu 2 - Hudson (6900 yen) - 1137 points
13. Momotaro Katsugeki - Hudson (6500 yen) - 111 points
14. Super Darius - NEC Avenue (6800 yen) - 1077 points
15. Ranma 1/2 Ganso Musabetsu Kakutoryu - Masaiya (7200 yen) - 1033 points
16. Record of Lodoss War - Hudson (6800 yen) - 1022 points
17. The Legend of Xanadu - Nihon Falcom (price not determined) - 987 points
18. F1 Circus 91 - Nichibutsu (6900 yen) - 965 points
19. Afterburner II - NEC Avenue (7200 yen) - 960 points
20. Legend of Valkyrie - Namco (6200 yen) - 914 points



"Reader Survey - Games We're Glad We Played - Cumulative Top 20"

"The immortal masterpiece Ys I&II takes the top spot. Ys IV, released at the end of last year, is on its heels and apparently selling well.

It's no surprise that the top positions are occupied by the RPGs that represent the PC Engine.

These days, it's all about the CD games, but more than half of the positions here are occupied by Hucards - a testament to how many good games there have been over the years. We pray that there will be more that can give these a run for their money."


1. Ys I&II - Hudson (7800 yen) - 17879 points
2. Tengai Makyo II - Hudson (7800 yen) - 17345 points
3. Momotaro Densetsu II - Hudson (7200 yen) - 5810 points
4. Tengai Makyo Ziria  - Hudson (7200 yen) - 5648 points
5. Super Momotaro Dentetsu - Hudson (5800 yen) - 4739 points
6. Snatcher - Konami (7800 yen) - 4208 points
7. Bomberman - Hudson (5300 yen) - 3662 points
8. Dragon Slayer Eiyuu Densetsu - Hudson (6800 yen) - 3419 points
9. Super Momotaro Dentetsu II - Hudson (6800 yen) - 2398 points
10. Tengai Makyo Fuun Kabukiden - Hudson (7800 yen) - 2062 points
11. Bomberman '93 - Hudson (6500 yen) - 2059 points
12. Street Fighter II' - NEC Home Electronics (9800 yen) - 1922 points
13. Super Star Soldier - Hudson (6500 yen) - 1806 points
14. Ys III - Hudson (7200 yen) - 1803 points
15. Momotaro Densetsu Turbo II - Hudson (5800 yen) - 1759 points
16. Momotaro Katsugeki - Hudson (6500 yen) - 1747 points
17. F1 Circus 91 - Nichibutsu (6900 yen) - 1689 points
18. F1 Circus - Nichibutsu (6900 yen) - 1526 points
19. Power League III  - Hudson (5800 yen) - 1386 points
20. Fire Pro Wrestling 2nd Bout - Human (6900 yen) - 1356 points

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / A few short "Making-Of" featurettes from PCE Fan magazine]

Only a small number of PCE Fan issues from 1990 had these. They were titled ゲームができるまで which is something like "Until the Game is Done" and were little quarter-page blurbs where they gave developers a chance to reflect on a game they had already made.

There is nothing profoundly revealing here, but I hope you'll find it interesting to look at nonetheless.

-----------------------------------------------------



Space Harrier (Jan. 1990)

The original is a 3D-feeling arcade game. In addition to NEC Avenue's PC Engine adaptation, it's also been ported to the Master System and the X68000 personal computer. What follows is an account from Mr. Tabeda of NEC Avenue, who directly approached Sega for the rights to port the game despite being unacquainted with the company.

"When porting Space Harrier to a 'hobby machine', there are some areas where you have to push yourself, and to use the hardware to the fullest extent possible. A game like Space Harrier lets players see exactly where hardware limits lie. We picked this up when the PC Engine had only just been released and hadn't yet achieved many sales; what we wanted to do with it was to distinguish the PC Engine from the Famicom and the Master System by realizing things on it that couldn't be done with the others.

(Pink text: Everyone was really happy when Space Harrier got ported)

For the port, we extracted data from the original arcade game itself. The process began with disassembling enemy movement patterns, which we later modified. We shrank the enemy graphics and simplified them to a degree, and thanks to this, we were able to make the scrolling speed very fast. Also, by choosing to ignore the fact that putting more than 256 sprite pixels on one line causes flickering, we could put lots of enemies on the screen and make them very aggressive.

We were always asking ourselves how close we could make the game to the X68000 port, but because our version doesn't stop in between stages and smoothly moves its backgrounds with sprites, I think it surpasses it in some ways.




R-Type (Feb. 1990)

"We thought that this would be impossible to port as-is, but that's exactly what eventually happened.

For the most part, we ported R-Type by playing the arcade version and reproducing the feel of the visuals. We would say to each other "Get to the fifth stage without picking up any powerups other than the Bits!" and some guys could actually do it. All eight people on the team could clear the first loop. After all, anytime we wanted to confirm something, we would do it by playing the game. We would run our version side-by-side with the arcade version, which is why the movement really is identical.

In stage seven of the arcade game, so many enemies appear that the game slows down, but this didn't happen in our port. We knew that the slowdown was deliberate, but we decided to let the PC Engine port be as it was. The original game's graphics have sixteen degrees of gradation, which we had to reduce to four. The [worm in stage 2] originally had five movement patterns, which we reduced to three, and by rounding-out the graphics, we were able to make it less jerky.

(Pink text: Even with this many characters appearing, the game doesn't slow down.)

The biggest problem was space. We decided to somehow squeeze the first four stages into two megabits and split the game rather than hack off parts of it. We did things that pushed the hardware to its limits, and I'm actually surprised that there weren't more bugs. Finally, this game brings back a lot of memories of working with Yuji Izumi, with whom I'll no longer have the pleasure of working now that Nectaris is completed."

Mikio Ueyama (Hudson)




Dragon Spirit (Mar. 1990)

After their big arcade hit Xevious, Namco hadn't made any auto-scrolling vertical shooters for a long time. Finally, they began work on Dragon Spirit. The basis for the game was the developer's intense desire to create a dragon-world and a dragon-protagonist. Dragon Spirit was programmed so that it would have movement that gives a feeling of living creatures instead of inorganic machines.

(Pink text: The vertical scrolling shooting game. Its graphics and sound are both beautiful.)

For the PC Engine port, we struggled on how to partition the two megabit memory for graphics, music and program code. If we lost the gameplay, what would remain would be an entirely different game with only the husk of the original. What players want is the arcade game as-is, and coming as close as possible was of great importance to us. Despite this, the difference in memory between the arcade and the PC Engine versions was so dramatic that we were forced to make the regrettable choice to cut the "undersea" and "darkness" stages. We drove the melody and the rhythm [percussion?] separately, we flipped half of the dragon's graphics, and other things to bring down the memory requirements. However, if we had wanted to squeeze something from the original arcade game "as-is" into the two megabit space, I don't think there would be room for much more than a single boss character. We made adjustments to the speed of enemies since the game is being displayed on a horizontal screen rather than a vertical one, and completed the best PC Engine Dragon Spirit that we could.




Valis II (May 1990)

This time, we're taking a look at the CD-ROM game Valis II, and we sat down with Mr. Hanari of Shin Nihon Lasersoft, a company that is actively involving itself in CD-ROM game development.

"First, the basic difference between CD-ROMs and HuCARD games is space. The biggest HuCARDs are four mega[bits], while CD-ROMs are 540 mega[bytes], and we always ask ourselves how we can use this tremendous space. For Valis II, this meant putting animations in every scene and asking voice actors to come record for us.

When we started production, we had not only programmers doing programming, but animators doing animation, and voice actors recording in a studio we rented. We had to deal with things other than game development, and it was tough. I think you can say this about all CD-ROM games, not just Valis II, but the cost it takes to make one of these adds up to several times more than the cost of a HuCARD game. That's the most stressful thing.

With CD-ROM games, everything comes down to how you use that giant amount of space. Most CD-ROM games sell themselves on their animation, music and voice acting. It's only natural that the amount of capital it takes to fund one of them is quite a lot.

If we compare games to movies, CD-ROM games are like the big [hundred-million dollar] productions."




Battle Ace (Jun. 1990)

This time, "Until the game is done" is looking at Battle Ace, the first game for the high-spec version of the PC Engine, the PC Engine Supergrafx (hereafter abbreviated as "SG").

We spoke with the person at Hudson who developed it.

"One thing that was hard for us was that the SG hardware was in flux while we were making the game. When it seemed like we had finished the game to a degree, the hardware would change, and we would have to reprogram things to accommodate those changes. This happened again and again. It really was the most painful thing about the process. In the early versions, we had the player's craft on screen like in "Afterburner". This was when we were also pushing Tengai Makyo along, and we were pulling a lot of all-nighters.

When you see this game, I think you'll agree that it has 3D graphics that use the SG's capability for a high number of sprites to its fullest. We made lots of different enemies and bosses attack you one after another, and I feel like we got a good performance out of the system. Next, I want to make a game that gets 120% out of it!"

The first games to come out on a system get a lot of attention. Whether software meets people's expectations or doesn't affects their impression of the hardware itself. There aren't many SG games yet, but the ones that do exist are uniformly excellent. If you try them, we're sure that you'll be able to understand what the developers were aiming for.




Moto Roader (Jul. 1990)

Everyone knows that the PC Engine has a multi-tap that lets up to five people play simultaneously. One unforgettable multiplayer game is Moto Roader.

NCS's Moto Roader sells itself on diverse courses and 5-player simultaneous play. We asked NCS's main programmer to tell us what was difficult about making it.

"The thing that gave me the most trouble was, in short, data creation.

(Pink text: Moto Roader, the car racing game that five players can play at once.)

In general, game programming has a way of just dragging on and on. Sometimes, when we should be making data, we sneak back to coding.

With Moto Roader, we created the course data primitively, by hand. I thought it was going to kill me. We wrote codes into graph paper, and I had to keep inputting those for what felt like an eternity. I'd close my eyes at night and see graph paper."

Such were the difficulties of making one game, as told to us haltingly by the developer.

Despite the programmer being attacked by visions of graph paper, Moto Roader was completed without incident and released to the world.

Hearing stories like this makes us think that we must not make light of games as we play them.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / September 1991 - Developers' opinions of Super CD format]

Translation, from the top left:

There are presently 45 developers in total who make games for the PC Engine. We conducted a survey among all of them, asking how they feel about the Super CD-ROM format. NEC Consumer Electronics (who makes the hardware) and Sario declined to comment. We put the results of the remaining 43 developers into the graphs below.

----

Q1. Do you plan on developing Super CD-ROM games?
PINK: We are already. (25)
GREEN: We're thinking about it. (7)
YELLOW: No plans. (8 )
ORANGE: Yes, but we haven't started. (2)
LIGHT BLUE: Other (1)

27 developers, a majority, are either developing Super CD games or have committed to it. Most devs who have made a PCE CD game in the past are now making Super CD games. One newcomer also plans on making Super CD games.

----

Q2. To which do you give the most weight/resources: Super CD games, normal CD games, bi-compatible games, or Hucards?
PINK: Super CD (17)
ORANGE: Normal CD (1)
YELLOW: Bi-compatible (7)
GREEN: Hucard (3)
LIGHT BLUE: Can't say (14)
DARK BLUE: Other (2)

As we expected, the PCE world is centering more and more on the CD-ROM system, and the Super CD format is the main one. There is only one developer making software for the 2.0 system. For Hucards, it's only three. We expect to see fewer and fewer Hucard games from now on.

----

Q3. Do you think the Super System Card 3.0 is expensive?

PINK: Very expensive (8 )
ORANGE: A little expensive (24)
YELLOW: Just right (5)
GREEN: A bit cheap (1)
LIGHT BLUE: A great deal (1)
BLUE/PURPLE: Other/no comment (4)

For CD-ROM system owners, the Super System Card is a savior. For many developers, it seems expensive. Many fear that the price will inhibit the spread of the format. Some even feel you should be able to trade in your other card for one.

----

Q4. The Super CD is at a disadvantage against the Mega CD in terms of specs. Do you think it can compete?
PINK: It can compete (15)
ORANGE: It can't compete (2)
YELLOW: Can't say (23)
GREEN/LIGHT BLUE: Other/No comment (3)

How do they see the Mega CD, the rival everyone is worried about? Mostly, they think that the know-how they've cultivated and the success they've had in the marketplace so far will allow them to compete with it. Also, they said that game [systems] are made and broken not by hardware specs, but by software. Will everything depend on the coming lineup, we wonder?

----

Q5. Be honest: do you expect the Super CD system to spread in the market?
PINK: Absolutely (4)
ORANGE: To a degree (27)
YELLOW: No (1)
GREEN: I don't know (9)
LIGHT BLUE: No comment (2)

Of course, it all depends on the users, but most developers expect the new system to spread. There are, however, some who are worried about the price of the new system card and the confusion caused by all of the different hardware. At any rate, with the advent of the Super CD system, the PCE is at a turning point.

----

[Lower box]

Mr. Tabeda of NEC Avenue (pro-PCE) vs. Mr. Miyaji of Game Arts (pro-Mega CD)

Editor: The Mega Drive's CD system is on the horizon. Which do you think is going to be more successful, that or the PCE CD-ROM?

Miyaji: When it comes to CD-ROM units, the Mega CD is at an advantage. It's got faster seeking, six megabits of work RAM just like a computer, and another CPU.

Tabeda: In terms of specs, yes, it's true. The PCE CD-ROM's new version does strike me as something of a half-measure. If they're going to bother, I'd rather see a bigger change.

Miyaji: The Mega CD has scaling and rotation hardware, as well.

Tabeda: I think that the PCE can cover that difference. The Mega Drive can display only 64 colors simultaneously, while the PCE can do 512. No matter how much more memory either gets, the PCE is absolutely going to have superior display abilities. Everything around the PCE's CPU is very fast as well, and it's easy to make software for it. I think it can fight using these innate characteristics.

Miyaji: We haven't seen a change in market shares yet. The PCE's achievements are great, including that it brought CD-ROMs into people's homes. I think that from here on, we're going to shift into to a period when people scrutinize the software's quality itself.

Mr. Tabeda produced Super Darius, and has been involved in PCE software since the beginning. Mr Miyaji created Silpheed on PC and is eager to work on the Mega CD, along with the rest of his company.

----------------------

I recently picked up a few PCE magazines from 1990 and 1991. Those years, to me, are in many ways the most interesting period for the hardware itself, and for Hudson/NEC. The Super Famicom's release in Japan caused a drop in Hucard development and software/hardware sales, and the rise of the Genesis in North America made it hard to hope for growth in that market. Getting behind the new 3.0 system so strongly was a risky move, but it worked, and it gave us another few years of good CD games.

I'll try to see what else I can find that paints of picture of what it was like at this juncture in the PCE's history in Japan.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Hideo Kojima and Oji Hiroi interview]

Oji Hiroi wrote the Tengai Makyo games, along with Gulliver Boy, then later went on to create Sakura Taisen.

This is from 2003, give or take a year. I translated about half of it. The English is a bit raw, but if you think it's interesting, let me know, and I'll take a crack at the other half later.

kojimahiroi.html - Hideo Kojima x Oji Hiroi

----------------------------------------------


Hiroi: Ah, the PC Engine. Those times were tough.

Kojima: They were? They were fun for me. (laughs) Let's hear about Tengai Makyo.

Hiroi: Sure. We decided this is what we would do, didn't we? (laughs)

Kojima: For me, Tengai Makyo was this really big presence. There was that first one on the PC Engine...I had just made Snatcher on PC88 at that time. I remember thinking "They got Ryuichi Sakamoto!! What the hell!?" I was just a director at the time, and I couldn't deal with money-matters. I tried to show people how much you were doing [so I could do the same], and they just thought I was an idiot. Then along came Tengai 2. That had amazing music.

Hiroi: Joe Hisaishi.

Kojima: You must have had a heck of a time, what with all the actors you used. They even broadcast that TV docu-drama "The Men Who Made Tengai Makyo".

Hiroi: I remember. Home console games on CD-ROM was a big topic at the time.

Kojima: The PC Engine CD system sold, what, a million units? And Tengai Makyo [2?] sold about 500,000?

Hiroi: No no, it wasn't that much. It was about 200,000.

Kojima: Oh, really? Well, I know it sold like crazy. Snatcher CD-ROMantic sold 100,000, and it was the #2 selling game.

Hiroi: Well, there were only a million units of hardware. 100,000 is great. That's a ten-percent share.
[Note: other sources say that by the end, there were almost two million CD-capable systems sold in Japan]

Kojima: That was the first time I ever received an award. I had never gotten a bonus before, and even though all I got was [$1000], I was really happy about it.

Hiroi: Yeah, when Tengai sold really well, Hudson gave me the red-carpet treatment. "Oh, Mr. Hiroi! Welcome!" I couldn't believe these were the same guys. I had been working freelance, and all I got per month was [$2000]. Then along came my contract royalties, and Hudson suddenly started granting my every wish. It was like the world changed. I felt like Cinderella. (laughs)

Kojima: Tengai had such long play-time, too. Mr. Iwasaki was programming it.
[Note: He also ported Ys.]

Hiroi: Ah, Iwasaki the Genius.

Kojima: He and I got along great. I got him to come on during the interview portion of the Policenauts trial version.

Hiroi: He was the one who kept the whole enterprise afloat. You'd ask someone else, and they'd say they couldn't do it, and then you'd ask him, and he'd say "Sure!" and get it done for you somehow. In those days, even with the CD-ROM, we had data-limit problems. We were trying to trying to do live data streaming, you see. We'd whip up some animations, but then realize that it wouldn't fit. Everything had to be broken down into 16 colors. So many things were difficult. We really wondered how the heck we were supposed to get it in those colors...that's what it was like back then.

Kojima: Well, Tengai did wind up with proper animation, didn't it? We were all so surprised. We felt like losers in comparison, too. It was sad. (laughs)

Hiroi: In those days, you developed the foundation along with the game. What I mean is, you developed the tools. You'd say what you want to do in front of a gathering of programmers and higher-ups, then talk about how to do it, and they'd say "We better make some tools."

Kojima: Tengai was the first game with talking characters, right?

Hiroi: Yes. For the most part, nobody had ever used a voice actor in a game before.

Kojima: That's right. And you got Ryuichi Sakamoto...I felt like you were on the cutting-edge of production. For me, it's you, Shigeru Miyamoto and Kenji Eno who loom largest. That's my big-three (laughs). People say this and that about Eno, but I like him as a person. Even setting aside the things he made, he really changed the gaming world. That's why he's in there for me.

Hiroi: It was a lot of fun, wasn't it? Mr. Eno and the rest of us, we all had so much energy. (laughs)

Kojima: You were involved in manga and toys, like Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru, right? You were able to launch from games into other spheres. I've always wanted to do that.

Hiroi: I did a lot of things, but I strongly feel that it was the gaming industry that saved me in the end. I used to wonder what in the world I was going to do with my life. That was when the gaming industry came in and said "We need weirdos just like you." I had never made a game before, but it was how I ate for three years. They gave me those royalties, too, saying I would get however much for however many sales. I came into this big chunk of money, and I started thinking, I'm actually worth this. I'm grateful to the game industry. Everyone was so young then. (laughs) Hudson was being led by a 28 year old, and they were all foolish. They'd throw this technology at us and tell us to do something cool with it. When I first came to Hudson, I asked them what 8-bit even meant. (laughs) They told me not to worry about learning all that junk, to leave it to them, and to focus on giving them a good story. They told me that they didn't want to rely on old manga, but rather make something new. Time isn't always kind to things that use cutting-edge technology. This is true for movies, too. But in those days, we felt like we were the cutting-edge. We thought we were interesting, and it gave us a lot of energy.

Kojima: It was fun, wasn't it? Everyone had these broken dreams...I know I had unfulfilled dreams about being in movies, or being in a band. Manga, too. Everyone was like that. We wanted to make names for ourselves. We were ready to show everyone what we could do. We had nothing to lose.

Hiroi: Yep. I really felt like, if this doesn't work, that's it for me. I had tried my hand at anime, too, but it just wasn't for me. It was the gaming industry that felt like where I was supposed to be. I liked text-adventures. We used to translate D&D from English together. If you brought up the Lord of the Rings, people knew what you were talking about. I was so happy about that. We used to get all excited about simulations and things together.

Kojima: I had wanted to be in movies. I got into games in the 8-bit era, when the Famicom was big. Games had text, and the pictures didn't move. When things moved into the CD-ROM era, we could use human voices and [CD audio]. With the 3DO, we could play movies and show more motion. It was great.

Hiroi: It goes to show why they picked you for "10 people paving the way to the future"!

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Do people already know about the Tennokoe Bank code?]

I was doing some searches in Japanese about the Tennokoe Bank when I stumbled into this. Googling "Tennokoe Bank code" in English doesn't yield any results. Could it be that the English speaking world doesn't know about it?


EDIT: Be sure to read the rest of the thread before trying the code. The way it's described varies according to different sources. The first one here is probably wrong.

ＢＡＮＫ４が未使用の状態で、ＲＵＮ＋ＳＥＬＥＣＴ＋ I ＋ II を押しながら電源投入後、タイトル画面で、左を押しながら I を４回、下を押しながら I を６回、右を押しながら I を２回、上を押しながら I を２回、ＳＥＬＥＣＴを押しながら左を４回、ＳＥＬＥＣＴを押しながら下を６回、ＳＥＬＥＣＴを押しながら右を２回、ＳＥＬＥＣＴを押しながら上を２回押して、全て離してＲＵＮを押す。14タイトルのセーブデータが入っている。

With Bank 4 in an unused state,* press RUN + SELECT + I + II and turn the power on. At the title screen, hold LEFT and press I four times, then hold DOWN and press I two times, then hold RIGHT and press I two times, then hold UP and press I two times. Then, hold SELECT and press LEFT four times, then hold SELECT and press DOWN six times, then hold SELECT and press RIGHT two times, then hold SELECT and press UP two times.** Finally, release everything and press RUN. You will find save data for 14 games [in Bank 4].

*There is no way to delete the banks, is there? This might mean that if you've ever used Bank 4, the only way you could try this is if you sever and reconnect the battery!

**It isn't very clear about whether you're supposed to let go of SELECT after each set or keep it pressed the whole time.


In case that's not confusing enough, this other version of it has some differences. I wonder what the original publication of the code said? I might actually have that...

EDIT: I found it in a PCE magazine pack-in booklet. This is version appears to be correct.

天の声バンクの裏技を試してみることに。
・RUN、SELECT、Ｉ、ＩＩ、左上を押しながら電源を入れる。
・左とＩ同時押し4回
・下とＩ同時押し6回
・右とＩ同時押し2回
・上とＩ同時押し2回
・SELECTを押しながら左4回、下6回、右２回、上２回
・RUNボタン

- Press RUN, SELECT, I, II and UP-LEFT and turn the power on.
- Press LEFT and I simultaneously four times
- Press DOWN and I simultaneously six times
- Press RIGHT and I simultaneously two times
- Press UP and I simultaneously two times
- Press and hold SELECT, then press RIGHT four times, DOWN six times, RIGHT two times, and UP two times.
- Press RUN


Any brave volunteers willing to try and get this to work? Apparently, you'll have saves for 14 Hudson games, including some RPGs. One is Tengai Makyo Ziria with really good stats and equipment, apparently.

[Console Repair/Mod Center / Image warping on Ikegami pro monitor despite LM1881]

The subject line basically says everything.

I recently picked up a very nice Ikegami HTM-2050R2, which was manufactured after 2000 and has fairly modern electronics. I've tried, in RGB, a Mega Drive, a Saturn, a Dreamcast, a Playstation 2, a Super Famicom, an MSX, and a modded PCE, and only the PCE is having trouble. The top 1/4 or so of the picture is badly warped, like a fun-house mirror.

The mod uses composite video for sync, which works fine on my other TVs, but is known to cause problems in general. I tried putting in an LM1881 sync-stripper with this Ikegami, however, and it didn't help. I also noticed that the PS2 apparently uses composite video for sync when in 240p mode, and it doesn't have any trouble.

So, what could be the problem?

Is there something unusual about the PCE's vertical blanking signal? I don't suppose tapping and amping the c-sync from the console directly would help? One thing I'm thinking I can experiment with is the resistor on the LM1881. I'll need to buy a 1 mega-ohm potentiometer to do that right.

Any other ideas, though? 

EDIT:

A few other things.

-I've tried putting resistors in-series with the video signal, as well as a 220uf capacitor. No change.
-The lines all have 75 ohm terminators on them, so grounding them with resistors shouldn't matter.
-If I remove sync completely, the image rolls but is not garbled. At this time, I can see that the warping is gone.

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Where should I advertise auditions for the Xanadu dub?]

The Xanadu English dub-project is getting close to liftoff.

Getting enough skilled actors and actresses to make this work is going to be tough. I desperately want to avoid scraping the bottom of the barrel and begging you guys at the 11th hour to get takes from your in-laws or whatever. Achieving a decent overall result is going to require spreading the news of the dub auditions far and wide, and I'm hoping you can help me with this.

First of all, the project is going to have its own (modest) homepage, so getting the word out is mostly going to be a matter of spamming the link together with short, sweet, somewhat tailor-made introductions.

I am going to post on here, RHDN, Voice Acting Alliance, the Somethingawful Creative-Commons forum, 4chan (gulp), the HG101 forums, and maybe spam Assembler, Sega-16, shmups.com and Nintendoage to start with. Where else should I post?

I believe it would be in our best interest not to post in the forum of any official Falcom site, or that of any affiliated localization company. While I would guess that Falcom wouldn't mind our fan-translation, I don't want them to be in a position where they have to choose whether to actively condone or condemn it.

Are there any big Ys fan forums? What about places for people who like the kind of old-school PC games that Falcom used to make? Given the non-profit, pro-sharing nature of this project, I don't think folks would find anything too terribly offensive about a spammed link even if the forum was only marginally related.

What I'd really like to find are bulletin boards for actors, or student actors. I'm sure that in practically every town, there is at least one theater troupe full of talented people who would get a kick out of reading a few lines for a fan-project like this.

I might make a craigslist ad to post in the art/media/design section of a few big cities.

If you know anyone personally, I dearly hope you'll be willing to pass the word along when the time comes.  O:)

But yeah, any suggestions? 

[Off-Topic / CRT longevity question]

Here's something I've been wondering for a while.

Let's say that I've just played games on my CRT for one hour. I now plan on taking a 30 minute break, after which I will play for another hour. For the sake of argument, let's set power-consumption aside and give priority to the longevity of the TV.

Is it better to turn the TV off for that half-hour, or is it better to leave it on?

Leaving it on obviously gives it the stress of added on-time, which could hypothetically add up to hundreds of hours. However, in the situation above, turning it off and on again means that the set will go through an extra cool-down/warm-up cycle, which is harmful in its own way. Additionally, turning on itself seems like it's stressful for a CRT. Maybe I'm drawing the wrong conclusion, but every CRT I've seen die didn't do so while it was on; it just suddenly wouldn't turn on anymore.

Along the same lines, I wonder where the boundary is? If it's better to leave it on for 30 minutes, is it also better to leave it on for 60? If it's better to turn it off for 30 minutes, is it also better to turn it off for 15?

What do you think?

My current theory is that it's probably best to leave it on during a break, but with a pure-black screen, and not for more than an hour. I really have no idea whether this is right, though.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / FS: N64 Treasure Games, Mario & Kirby 64, MSX2+ box, AV Famicom box]

The triumvirate. All are complete and in good condition.

Mischief Makers (JP): $15
Bangai-O: $70
Sin and Punishment: $40

$110 gets all three.

Shipping is from Japan. Cost will depend on weight and speed of service.


Just in case someone is interested, here are two more:


Mario 64: $15
Kirby: $8





Does anyone want this stupid MSX2 box? There is no manual, but there is styrofoam. I'll wrap it up in paper and send it to you for the cost of whatever stamp you want to put on it.

Same goes for this:



PM me if you're interested. Thanks! 



PS: On the off chance that anyone wants these controller boxes, I'll put them up here. They, too, are in danger of being purged.

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Anyone want a SuperGrafx box?]

I'm just not a collector. What's more, I don't have space for all of my dumb boxes. However, it would pain me to throw them away, so I'll offer them up here.



The manual and various plastic sleeves are included. I don't know how authentic the plastic is because I bought everything used.

I'm in Japan, but I'll ship this anywhere via any service available at the post office (EMS, economy airmail, surface mail). It's so light that it shouldn't cost much. The exact price will depend on whether you want me to put it inside its own box, or if you're OK with just wrapping it in paper. I'm guessing EMS would be around $20.

Would it be crazy to ask for $5 on top of shipping? Let me know what you think. PM me and we'll talk. Thanks!

[Buy/Sell/Trade / PC-FX systems for sale]

It's time to get some crap out of my house.



I have five PC-FX systems that I bought "broken" and fixed by increasing the power of the lasers via a tiny turn of one potentiometer. Each one has performed without error during half-hour tests, and I'll test each one again before I send anything out.

Obviously, this isn't as good as having a system that works with the original setting. There is also the fact that each system comes alone and, aside from one of them, all have yellowed to varying degrees. That's why I'm going to price them low: $20.

The dingiest looking one on the left with the memory-card door broken off, I'll let you have for $15.

The pretty one, I will combine with the box/manuals for my own system and offer for $40. Note that this still comes without a controller.

If you would like a controller, I might be able to source you a brand-new one. The supply looks limited, and it will have to be shipped to me first, but you can have it for $20 total. Please understand that this is the only source I'm willing to go through to provide a controller.

The system weighs 2.9 kilograms according to the spec sheet, so shipping from Japan to the US via EMS will probably be 8000 yen. That lets us go up to 4.5 kilograms, which we'll want for packaging. If you want a controller or the pretty one with the box, let's go with 8700 yen just to be safe (that allows 5.0 kilograms). Economy air mail looks like it will be around 6500 yen. Surface mail (2-3 months) is about 4000 yen.

Shipping might be slightly stalled while I search for suitable packaging from free sources. If you would like me to hurry, consider adding $2 so I can just buy a box at the post office. Padding will be newspaper; if you want something more fancy, that's fine, but it might incur its own fee.

If it sounds like I'm being stingy, just remember that my profit margin on this is next to nothing, and I could go in the red very easily if I get hit for a couple of dollars on each system.

I'll ship to any country, as long as you pay the cost.

If you're interested, let me know via PM. Thank you!

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (3/6/2016 - 3/12/2016) Game of the Week: Silent Debuggers]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
March 6 - March 12: Silent Debuggers
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by MNKyDeth)

"Players explore a large cargo station in search of treasure which then accidentally triggered the self-destruct sequence. The player must progress from level to level, killing every monster in order to advance. On the lowest level is a computer that must be "debugged" in order to stop a self-destruct sequence. The player is assisted by a fellow debugger named Leon who provides information and weapon and is also your buddy. The game featured a minimal ability to look up and down. Selecting a harder difficulty generated a blob-like monster that moved on the ceiling."

I always thought this game reminded me of Aliens the movie when I was growing up with the console. It always scared the crap out of me just like the movie did. The sound "atmosphere" of the monster sensor and the rushing around trying to memorize where you were so you could get back to the inner areas to protect it always made this game exciting to me. I feel this game is very underrated for the potential it has and showed. I hope everyone gets the excitement from this game like I did when I was young and scared of things that go bump in the night.

The 3d view to me was very impressive for the time and mixed with the objectives of destroying and protecting made the game even more frantic. It has been a while since I played it so hopefully it still feels the same way it did all those years ago as I remember it.

(First paragraph from Wikipedia)

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. (1/3/2016 - 1/9/2016) Liquid Kids (lukester)
3. (1/17/2016 - 1/23/2016) Super Dimension Fortress Macross 2036 (Gentlegamer)
4. (1/24/2016 - 1/30/2016) Fushigi no Yume no Alice (EmperorIng)
5. (1/31/2016 - 2/6/2016) Valkyrie no Densetsu (Gredler)
6. (2/7/2016 - 2/13/2016) Bikkuriman World (jtucci31)
7. (2/14/2016 - 2/20/2016) Dragon's Curse (seieienbu)
8. (2/21/2016 - 2/27/2016) Yo, Bro! (grolt)
9. (2/28/2016 - 3/5/2016) Formation Armed F (nopepper)
10. (3/6/2016 - 3/12/2016) Silent Debuggers (MNKyDeth)
More submissions welcome!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (2/28/2016 - 3/5/2016) Game of the Week: Formation Armed F]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
February 28 - March 5: Formation Armed F
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by nopepper)

I know "underrated" gets thrown around liberally, but in the case of Formation Armed F, it is absolutely applicable. This game is not only underrated by members of this board (and elsewhere in the interweb), but it is absolutely a brilliant game, with great level designs, wonderful music and tough, but fair gameplay. The game is consistently intense, every level brings forth a new challenge, the music is fantastic and while the graphics are nothing special, they are stylish and memorable (and play a role in the game's challenge - see #9 below). In a lot of ways, this game reminds me of the classic Mega Man games. Challenging and satisfying games with great level designs, with not technically impressive graphics that are still pleasing, and with fantastic music.

Anyway, I am going to borrow the description Sinistron wrote back in 2009 (with some edits), as I feel he eloquently explains the game's strong point very thoroughly:

1) It's tough- but not in a way that makes me not want to play it- more so in a way that makes me want to go home- pop it in and get a little further.  It's definitely fun.

2) the chip music is GREAT.  Love the music on stage 1 and it starts to take on an Iremish feel in following levels.

3) Speaking of Irem- stage three really feels like it would've been right at home in Image Fight.

4) The levels are long- but rewarding.  It seems like a new weapon is introduced each level- I'm only on level four at the moment and haven't seen a new weapon on this level yet- but level 1 has side sweeping beams and then a laser weapon is introduced, level two introduces homing missiles, and then powerful diagonal beams which continue into stage 3- each weapon gets powered up three times- unless your previous weapon was powered at full- then the new one is automatically strong.

5) I read on vgden that the ship is too slow and half your time is spent looking for speed-ups- I don't find this to be the case at all.  Speed-ups come fairly often- and I've found that getting more than ONE can prove hazardous- very easy to slam right into a wall if you're quicker than that.

6) No continues! I like it!    (Edit- I've found that using the continue trick [SELECT 10 times during game over screen] is an absolute must to learn the levels, but after memorizing sections, it's actually very doable to complete the game in a single credit)

7) The levels don't seem mindless at all- they're structured quite nice- and there's little surprises- take the level one boss for instance- I've always fought him from the bottom of the screen- and he can prove tricky- from this angle you have to smother his spread shots with a forward projected option pod and then move along with him to keep it up- but it doesn't always work so smoothly- if he gets that shot through it can throw you off and you just might smash into the rock trying to avoid a corner shot...  however- I found out just last night that if you fight this boss from above- that his entire attack is different.  Gone are the spread shots- instead he shoots these weak little slugs at you and you can destroy them easily by turning your pods down and blasting away- it's a surefire way to destroy this boss each time.

8- The option pods are really cool if you have the formation f power-ups- you can shoot them far ahead of you or behind you- it's perfect for destroying enemies at a distance in hard to reach spots- and it definitely helps out big time in stage 3.

9) Level 4.  They must have done this on purpose- it'd be an easy board- easier than stage 3- if it wasn't for the goddamn colors.  The background here is done in variations of bright pink- which makes the pink enemy shots hard as hell to discern.  You can see them- but you're mostly straining to- and while doing that you're likely to miss something else happening.

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. (1/3/2016 - 1/9/2016) Liquid Kids (lukester)
3. (1/17/2016 - 1/23/2016) Super Dimension Fortress Macross 2036 (Gentlegamer)
4. (1/24/2016 - 1/30/2016) Fushigi no Yume no Alice (EmperorIng)
5. (1/31/2016 - 2/6/2016) Valkyrie no Densetsu (Gredler)
6. (2/7/2016 - 2/13/2016) Bikkuriman World (jtucci31)
7. (2/14/2016 - 2/20/2016) Dragon's Curse (seieienbu)
8. (2/21/2016 - 2/27/2016) Yo, Bro! (grolt)
9. (2/28/2016 - 3/5/2016) Formation Armed F (nopepper)
10. (3/6/2016 - 3/12/2016) Silent Debuggers (MNKyDeth)
More submissions welcome!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (2/21/2016 - 2/27/2016) Game of the Week: Yo, Bro!]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
February 21 - February 27: Yo, Bro!
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by grolt)

For most, the Game of the Week is a chance to celebrate a fun game from the past.  Resurrecting a classic for the world to experience anew.  For me, it's a support group.  YO, BRO! is a game that has haunted me for a long time – not because it is terrible, although that's a sentiment many here believe, but because of that damned Amoeba stage.  Before that, it's kind of a charming game with some great Beach Boys chiptunes, a zany assortment of bad guys (including dinosaurs with sneakers, fire throwing gargoyles and bunnies, lots of bunnies) and unique isometric map-traversing gameplay.  Taking out the hub bosses, rescuing kids and skateboarding around levels makes for a fusion of gameplay experience that you don't really get in other games.  Unfortunately, you also don't get control this frustrating in other games either, as the usual pitfalls of an isometric vantage point make it tough to gauge direction, which is only exacerbated by the speed of the bear's wheel-based motion.

Still, once you get a hang of the perspective and the controls, the game's originality mostly carries it through, but then that Amoeba stage happens.  There are just so many of them, and they take so many hits to die, and the longer you take to blast them the more they multiply.  Even saving all your weapon power ups for that single level still proves futile.  And then those skateboarding dogs come to take you out every time you get settled in a good spot to attack.  That level is just impossible, and despite all my best efforts over multiple playthroughs, I just can't break on past it.  I'm hoping that by making this the game of the week that someone else can beat it for me, or at least offer a strategy that will allow me, and the other brave souls who have tried and failed, to finally beat that level.  Looking at videos online, the levels following seem more comparable with the levels before it, that is to say not all that difficult.  But that level is the level from hell and must be conquered, and it must come from you, PCFX.

But why play this game in the first place, you might ask?  It's allegedly one of the worst on the system.  Again, don't get me wrong, the control is tough and the Amoeba stage uncompromisingly difficult, but otherwise it is a fun time.  There's a lot of personality to the game, with colorful graphics and that California cool.  On the bottom on-screen console there's even some commentary from the main character every time you encounter an enemy.  "It's cool, mon!" our rasta bear says, or perhaps more fittingly to the Amoeba level he often asks "You like pain?" And when it comes to this game, I just sorta do.  ICOM Simulations, who made the game as well as many others in the TurboGrafx library, never seem to get much credit, but they always made games with a lot of character and strived for new kind of gaming experiences.  Games like the SHADOWGATE and SHERLOCK HOLMES: CONSULTING DETECTIVE series show their commitment to presentation, and YO, BRO!'s sequel, CAMP CALIFORNIA, which is a completely different platformer, show they were a company that never just rested on their laurels.  GHOST MANOR is another favorite of mine from ICOM that shows that they knew how to give their games creative charm.  Even looking within YO,BRO! there are essentially three gameplay engines throughout, including bonus shooter levels, one from an overhead vertical perspective and another from a side-facing horizontal position.

Yeah, yeah, YO, BRO! is not a game for everyone, but I always like it for a quick jaunt.  Even if you're having a rough time with the control, those great Beach Boys tunes are all fun.  But enough fun – this is work...PCFX, I implore you: The Amoeba stage...we must prevail.  I lose sleep thinking that that level has done to me.  So help me, Rhonda, help me get the Amoeba out of my heart!

Soundtrack link:

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. (1/3/2016 - 1/9/2016) Liquid Kids (lukester)
2. (1/10/2016 - 1/16/2016) Buster Bros. (Punch)
3. (1/17/2016 - 1/23/2016) Super Dimension Fortress Macross 2036 (Gentlegamer)
4. (1/24/2016 - 1/30/2016) Fushigi no Yume no Alice (EmperorIng)
5. (1/31/2016 - 2/6/2016) Valkyrie no Densetsu (Gredler)
6. (2/7/2016 - 2/13/2016) Bikkuriman World (jtucci31)
7. (2/14/2016 - 2/20/2016) Dragon's Curse (seieienbu)
8. (2/21/2016 - 2/27/2016) Yo, Bro! (grolt)
9. (2/28/2016 - 3/5/2016) Formation Armed F (nopepper)
10. (3/6/2016 - 3/12/2016) Silent Debuggers (MNKyDeth)
11. (3/13/2016 - 3/19/2016) Super Star Soldier (o.pwuaioc)
More submissions welcome!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (2/14/2016 - 2/20/2016) Game of the Week: Dragon's Curse]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
February 14 - February 20: Dragon's Curse
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by seieienbu)

Released in 1991 for our beloved Turbo Grafx, Hudson's Dragon's Curse is the fourth game in the Adventure Island/Wonderboy series; it is a free roaming platformer that starts you off as powerful as you would be in the end of an ordinary game.  After a brief level exploring a castle you face the boss of the castle; after the defeat of your adversary, Mecha Dragon, you are weakened and placed in a cursed form and the game truly begins.

A very forward thinking game, the scope of Dragon's Curse is in a class of its own among US HuCard titles.  As you progress through the world you gain new abilities allowing for further exploration and requiring a bit of backtracking rather than simply traversing from one level to the next.  The different forms you control all play very different and enable you to solve problems in new and interesting ways.  The gameplay mostly feels like another Adventure Island with exploration elements similar to Metroid games while there are hints of an action RPG with regards to becoming more powerful via collecting more hit points and finding and spending money.

The art is cartoony, bright, and colorful making good use of the turbo's color palette.  The music is jaunty, cheerful, and well suited for the game.  The play control is as expected from an Adventure Island title:  a tad slippery making the platforming aspects challenging but still allowing for good control over your character.  Overall, this is an excellent title that every Turbografx owner should have in his or her library.

Wonderboy Thread: pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=9249.0

Hardcore Gaming Series discussion: http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/wonderboy/wonderboy.htm

Wikipedia:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_Boy_III:_The_Dragon's_Trap

Soundtrack:

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. (1/3/2016 - 1/9/2016) Liquid Kids (lukester)
3. (1/17/2016 - 1/23/2016) Super Dimension Fortress Macross 2036 (Gentlegamer)
4. (1/24/2016 - 1/30/2016) Fushigi no Yume no Alice (EmperorIng)
5. (1/31/2016 - 2/6/2016) Valkyrie no Densetsu (Gredler)
6. (2/7/2016 - 2/13/2016) Bikkuriman World (jtucci31)
7. (2/14/2016 - 2/20/2016) Dragon's Curse (seieienbu)
8. (2/21/2016 - 2/27/2016) Yo, Bro! (grolt)
9. (2/28/2016 - 3/5/2016) Formation Armed F (nopepper)
10. (3/6/2016 - 3/12/2016) Silent Debuggers (MNKyDeth)
More submissions welcome!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (1/31/2016 - 2/6/2016) Game of the Week: Valkyrie no Densetsu]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
January 31 - February 6: Valkyrie no Densetsu
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by Gredler)



Join me and experience this colorful action adventure game starring a female protagonist in a cute action platformer with an emphasis on combat.

I nominated this game because I've wanted to play it every since I discovered the game early last year, and just haven't made the time to do so, but now with Cabbage and Shawnji's amazing efforts I can enjoy the game in English!

Valkyrie no Densetsu English translation patch released
https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=20153.0

The colorful cheerful graphics, bubbly melodic tunes, and action focused gameplay should provide us a lot of fun this week.

The view of the game is from top down, with 8 way movement, but somewhat linear level design. The game considered by some to be a shooter, perhaps similar to KiKi KaiKai (Pokey and Rockey in the US). There is platforming however, requiring some jumping timing and ability, giving the character some weight to feel grounded in the world.

Enemies drop money when they die, and that money can be spent at various shops throughout the game to power up your character.

This game comes with a gorgeous full color illustrated manual, I highly recommend checking it out if you can.



Basic Controls:
I  - Jump
II - Attack
Run - Open menu

For you cheaters out there - from gamefaqs -
Sound TestPause the game during game play by pressing Run. Press Up, I, and II at the same time. The number "00" will appear next to "Magic". Press Left/Right to change the sound number and press I to play the sound.

Start Fully Powered Up PasswordAt the password screen, enter the following characters. Format is Row #, Column #.- 3,1 - 4,3 - 1,10 - 3,1 - 4,3 - 1,10 - 3,1 - 4,3 - 1,10 - 3,1 - 4,3 - 5,9 -

Information:
Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valkyrie_no_Densetsu

PCE Bible - http://www.pcengine.co.uk/HTML_Games/Legend_of_Valkyrie.htm

Review and additional info - http://www.videogameden.com/hucard.htm?val

Hardcore Gaming 101 entry on the sereis - http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/valkyrie/valkyrie.htm

OST:

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. (1/3/2016 - 1/9/2016) Liquid Kids (lukester)
2. (1/10/2016 - 1/16/2016) Buster Bros. (Punch)
3. (1/17/2016 - 1/23/2016) Super Dimension Fortress Macross 2036 (Gentlegamer)
4. (1/24/2016 - 1/30/2016) Fushigi no Yume no Alice (EmperorIng)
5. (1/31/2016 - 2/6/2016) Valkyrie no Densetsu (Gredler)
6. (2/7/2016 - 2/13/2016) Bikkuriman World (jtucci31)
7. (2/14/2016 - 2/20/2016) Dragon's Curse (seieienbu)
8. (2/21/2016 - 2/27/2016) Yo, Bro! (grolt)
9. (2/28/2016 - 3/5/2016) Formation Armed F (nopepper)
10. (3/6/2016 - 3/12/2016) Silent Debuggers (MNKyDeth)
11. (3/13/2016 - 3/19/2016) Super Star Soldier (o.pwuaioc)
More submissions welcome!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (1/24/2016 - 1/30/2016) Game of the Week: Fushigi no Yume no Alice]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
January 24 - January 30: Fushigi no Yume no Alice
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by EmperorIng)

Alice has been tasked with saving Wonderland from itself. The Queen of Hearts and her endless army of mutant turkeys, jazzist dogs, and hopping crocodiles have kidnapped the rightful rulers of Wonderland. Is Alice a bad enough dude to rescue them?

She has her work cut out for her, as the crisco she smeared on her sneakers means she will be sliding all over the place. She will not be able to rely on her vaunted super-jump, because the timing eludes even the most punctual of rabbits. Finding secret health and power-ups will force her to listen to a maddening jingle, over and over again. All she can do is shout out her frustration, yelling "No!" at her enemies, killing them in the process. Will it be enough to survive a dozen stages of platform hell?

"But I don't want to go among mad people," Alice remarked.
"Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad."
"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. (1/3/2016 - 1/9/2016) Liquid Kids (lukester)
2. (1/10/2016 - 1/16/2016) Buster Bros. (Punch)
3. (1/17/2016 - 1/23/2016) Super Dimension Fortress Macross 2036 (Gentlegamer)
4. (1/24/2016 - 1/30/2016) Fushigi no Yume no Alice (EmperorIng)
5. (1/31/2016 - 2/6/2016) Valkyrie no Densetsu (Gredler)
6. (2/7/2016 - 2/13/2016) Bikkuriman World (jtucci31)
7. (2/14/2016 - 2/20/2016) Dragon's Curse (seieienbu)
8. (2/21/2016 - 2/27/2016) Yo, Bro! (grolt)
9. (2/28/2016 - 3/5/2016) Formation Armed F (nopepper)
10. (3/6/2016 - 3/12/2016) Silent Debuggers (MNKyDeth)
11. (3/13/2016 - 3/19/2016) Super Star Soldier (o.pwuaioc)
More submissions welcome!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PC-FX Discussion / PC-FX in March 1995 review book]

Taking a break from Xanadu, I'm looking at a book from a seasonally published series in Japan called simply "Game Reviews" (ゲーム批評). Mine is from Spring 1995. Here are a couple of notes:

- They give props to the PCE-CD for being the first CD system and introducing voice, animated scenes, and other things. However, they criticize the core system as having mostly "lightweight" material.

-NEC talks about giving the PC-FX expansions that will enhance it to the same extent that the CD system enhanced the PCE. "Expansion" is a word that comes up again and again. Yet, when pressed, the rep admits that there are no concrete plans yet for anything. The writer even assesses that the expandability built into the system might explain why it costs more than the PS1 and Saturn even though it's not as powerful.

- NEC and the writer spend a lot of time emphasizing the relationship to the PC-98 series of computers. Note that this was the sunset period for that system, as the "Windows running on a box of thrown-together parts" approach was set to take over. NEC says vague things about the PC-FX being a bridge to or a distilled version of some of the multimedia experiences on the PC-98.

- The NEC rep says that he hears gamers suggest using popular (licensed?) characters/franchises to sell the system, however, there were apparently anime-games on the Duo which fans clamored for but then did not buy in large numbers. Therefore, they are going to focus on originality more, and he gives Battle Heat as an example.

- They're still talking up the PC-FX's FMV capabilities like it's something that really sets it apart. Talking about the potential for making actual games, the rep mentions mixing FMV with board games.

- Current sales are 70,000 systems sold, although that's in a different section and unsourced. The NEC guy says they haven't manufactured very many systems yet, so please don't compare sales numbers. That might be a lie, because in 1994, NEC said they expected to sell 800,000 systems in the first year.

- The NEC guy kind of admits that they put out a system because they sort of had to, since everyone else was, too. The writer later compares this to what happened with the Supergrafx.

- In a later discussion section that's only among writers, they open the PC-FX discussion with "Is anyone buying this thing?". They point out that with all the talk of PC-98 connectivity/development kits and things, they feel like they don't really know what this system "is" yet. They also say frankly that it seems like NEC is half-assing everything. (Indeed, compared to what I see in the sections about the Saturn and PS1, the PC-FX seems to have no direction. Rather, it's a promise of a unique direction in the future.)

-Team Innocent is "hard to control, and the characters and backgrounds don't blend well." "It obviously takes influence from Alone in the Dark, which was on the 3DO among others, and is an improvement of the idea."

- Battle Heat has "unappealing characters" and is missing many important components of a fighting game.

That's about all!

It's a really good book, though. They talk about the 32X, 3DO and Jaguar, as well as all kinds of things related to the direction of video games. 1995 was quite a year in gaming history, and you can definitely sense that reading this.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (1/17/2016 - 1/23/2016) Game of the Week: Super Dimension Fortress Macross 2036]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
January 17 - January 23: Super Dimension Fortress Macross 2036
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by Gentlegamer)

Robotech - My Time to be a Star, Lynn Minmay

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. (1/3/2016 - 1/9/2016) Liquid Kids (lukester)
3. (1/17/2016 - 1/23/2016) Super Dimension Fortress Macross 2036 (Gentlegamer)
4. (1/24/2016 - 1/30/2016) Fushigi no Yume no Alice (EmperorIng)
5. (1/31/2016 - 2/6/2016) Valkyrie no Densetsu (Gredler)
6. (2/7/2016 - 2/13/2016) Bikkuriman World (jtucci31)
7. (2/14/2016 - 2/20/2016) Dragon's Curse (seieienbu)
8. (2/21/2016 - 2/27/2016) Yo, Bro! (grolt)
9. (2/28/2016 - 3/5/2016) Formation Armed F (nopepper)
10. (3/6/2016 - 3/12/2016) Silent Debuggers (MNKyDeth)
More submissions welcome!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (1/10/2016 - 1/16/2016) Game of the Week: Buster Bros.]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
January 10 - January 16: Buster Bros.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by Punch)

Ahh Buster Brothers. Created by Mitchell/Capcom or god knows who else, this game tricks you into thinking it's easy and relaxing with its simplicity and with its relaxing tunes. Of course, when you play it for the first time you start to see how wrong you were about the game.

Mechanically it is indeed simple, but this is one of those "easy to learn hard to master" things in life. Spheres will start to bounce erratically during some stages because of obstacles (and sometimes because of the simplified "physics" the game employs) and will throw you off, two tiny spheres will sync their movement and positions perfectly and fool you into thinking it is only one, slippery ground in some stages will make you unable to do precise movements and those pesky creatures flying all over the screen will hit you as much as possible. Soon enough the game that was supposed to be relaxing is making you curse all famous cities of the world.

The only way to relax with your copy of Buster Bros. is to put your disc into a CD player to listen to the bgm without the added overhead of having to dodge 20+ small spheres bouncing around at different speeds on the screen. You can also relax by watching a crazy man with a hole in his shorts drawing the main characters of Buster Bros. here:

You can try to play with a friend to make your game session less stressful, but I can guarantee that for single or multiplayer modes, it is an addicting and fun game, enough to make you revisit it every now and then.

Buster Bros. (US), Pomping World (Japan), Balls in My Face 2! (Scandinavia)

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. (1/3/2016 - 1/9/2016) Liquid Kids (lukester)
2. (1/10/2016 - 1/16/2016) Buster Bros. (Punch)
3. (1/17/2016 - 1/23/2016) Super Dimension Fortress Macross 2036 (Gentlegamer)
4. (1/24/2016 - 1/30/2016) Fushigi no Yume no Alice (EmperorIng)
5. (1/31/2016 - 2/6/2016) Valkyrie no Densetsu (Gredler)
6. (2/7/2016 - 2/13/2016) Bikkuriman World (jtucci31)
7. (2/14/2016 - 2/20/2016) Dragon's Curse (seieienbu)
8. (2/21/2016 - 2/27/2016) Yo, Bro! (grolt)
9. (2/28/2016 - 3/5/2016) Formation Armed F (nopepper)
10. (3/6/2016 - 3/12/2016) Silent Debuggers (MNKyDeth)
11. (3/13/2016 - 3/19/2016) Super Star Soldier (o.pwuaioc)
More submissions welcome!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (1/3/2016 - 1/9/2016) Game of the Week: Liquid Kids]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
January 3 - January 9: Liquid Kids
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by lukester)

Bored with Bonk, Gogan or Richter Belmont? Looking for a kickass PCE platformer that is obscure, but by a well-known developer? I can name a handful, but here's the GOTW.

Liquid Kids is a 7 level long, Taito platformer featuring a "Hipopo" that throws water balls at enemies, and runs them over to kill them. Kinda like a Bubble Bobble platformer. Some levels also feature branching paths, where the first level of that world is different depending which of two doors you pick. The bosses are very large as well, and some have multiple phases.

Liquid Kids is also the spiritual sequel to New Zealand Story, which got a very disappointing PCE port. However, Liquid Kids looks, sounds and plays very similar to the arcade version. The arcade version has branching paths on every level though. It's also not overwhelmingly challenging, but isn't easy peezy either.

It's a very pricey game but that's ok. Try it on emulation if you need to.

Tip: Don't pick the left door on Stage 7

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. (1/3/2016 - 1/9/2016) Liquid Kids (lukester)
2. (1/10/2016 - 1/16/2016) Buster Bros. (Punch)
3. (1/17/2016 - 1/23/2016) Super Dimension Fortress Macross 2036 (Gentlegamer)
4. (1/24/2016 - 1/30/2016) Fushigi no Yume no Alice (EmperorIng)
5. (1/31/2016 - 2/6/2016) Valkyrie no Densetsu (Gredler)
6. (2/7/2016 - 2/13/2016) Bikkuriman World (jtucci31)
7. (2/14/2016 - 2/20/2016) Dragon's Curse (seieienbu)
8. (2/21/2016 - 2/27/2016) Yo, Bro! (grolt)
9. (2/28/2016 - 3/5/2016) Formation Armed F (nopepper)
10. (3/6/2016 - 3/12/2016) Silent Debuggers (MNKyDeth)
11. (3/13/2016 - 3/19/2016) Super Star Soldier (o.pwuaioc)
More submissions welcome!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (12/26/2015 - 12/31/2015) Game of the Week: Asuka 120% Burning Fest Maxima]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
December 26 - December 31 : Asuka 120% Burning Fest Maxima
---------------------------------------------------------------------
[screenshot pending]
(chosen by Sarumaru)

[blurb pending]

Sorry to be late and half-assed on this one, but this is perhaps my busiest time of year at work. I'll update more later.

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci31)
17. 12/12/2015 - 12/18/2015: SideArms (Punch)
18. 12/19/2015 - 12/25/2015: Galaxy Dekka Gayvan (tknjin)
19. 12/26/2015 - 12/31/2015: Asuka 120% Burning Fest Maxima (Sarumaru)


Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (12/19/2015 - 12/25/2015) Game of the Week: Galaxy Dekka Gayvan]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
December 19 - December 25 : Galaxy Dekka Gayvan
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by tknjin)

Riot Zone and Double Dragon eat your heart out, for it is Galaxy Dekka Gayvan!  Want some more beat em ups for your pc engine, but just don't know where to go?  Play this awesome gem of a game. This game is features what may seem like a similar formula, however, slightly different.  When playing you accumulate energy and with this energy you can unlock things such as speed dash or a lightning punch.  It is not only that, but it is another 2 player simultaneous beat em up game.  You and a friend can play this game together and see how far you get.  It looks silly, but this game is just too much fun to pass up.

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci31)
17. 12/12/2015 - 12/18/2015: SideArms (Punch)
18. 12/19/2015 - 12/25/2015: Galaxy Dekka Gayvan (tknjin)
19. 12/26/2015 - 12/31/2015: Asuka 120% Burning Fest Maxima (Sarumaru)


Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (12/12/2015 - 12/18/2015) Game of the Week: Sidearms]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
December 12 - December 18 : Sidearms
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by Punch)

This might be one of the most underrated shooters from the early NEC era (at least I don't see too much discussion about it...). Understandable, since not only the backgrounds could be considered a little bit bland but also there's some fair recycling of uninspired bosses. But if you're able to look past the average visuals you will find Sidearms a great shooter, which is even better than the original arcade version! (besides the removal of the two player option of course)

This game is not so hard once you get used to the controls and memorize the enemy patterns, in fact the game should be called "Don't lose the Shotgun!", since that weapon makes the game so much easier (obliterates enemies and projectiles except laser beams) and you'll probably hold on to it for most of the game. Not only that, but the proto-Forgotten Worlds mechanics makes the game much more interesting (as the designers were free to make any enemy patterns coming up from anywhere). The two button "fire left/fire right" scheme is intuitive to use and well suited for a console game (unlike Forgotten Worlds which is a bit awkward even with an ave 3 or the Mega Drive pad).

And lastly, Sidearms is on the cheaper side of turbografx games for some reason, so buying it should be easy. In fact, even if you don't want the US release you could also search for the japanese Hu-Card or the CD with redbook music and a special mode, which I didn't try so I can't really say much about it. But anyway, hope you enjoy this week's GOTW!

If you haven't done so already, head over to this thread and add to next year's submissions!

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci31)
17. 12/12/2015 - 12/18/2015: SideArms (Punch)
18. 12/19/2015 - 12/25/2015: Galaxy Dekka Gayvan (tknjin)
19. 12/26/2015 - 12/31/2015: Asuka 120% Burning Fest Maxima (Sarumaru)


Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (12/05/2015 - 12/11/2015) Game of the Week: Atlantean]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
December 5 - December 11 : Atlantean
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by jtucci31)

The homebrew HuCard game for our beloved 16-bit machines. Whether you know that it's a homebrew game, understand the concept of Defender-style games, or have only ever played Resogun for your YouTube channel, you're sure to find some joy in playing this 4-stage underwater adventure.

Take control of the brave warrior as you try to defeat the Aquanoids and save the Atlanteans! The non-stop action will task you with protecting the Atlanteans. Saving Atlantis, though, is your primary mission. Towards the end of each stage you will be challenged with navigating through fields of mines. Once you make it through you'll come face-to-face with a boss that's sure to make you shit the tub you're hopefully playing Atlantean in (it's the best way to play).

Using the turbo switches may aid you, but here you will rely on your ability to maneuver through oncoming attacks while simultaneously attacking and defending. I know when I first started playing I was terrible. My poor little guy would drown within seconds of me starting the game. It takes a while to get used to the feel of the game. The thing that helped me was playing Santalantean as it was all just strictly shooty-shoots. I would suggest trying that if you're having trouble (or the endurance mode if you have Atlantean and there is an endurance mode, which I think there is). From there you can get a feel for weaving in and out of a swarm of bullets and making sure that no Atlantean gets left behind.

Once you get going and start taking down the oncoming enemies with ease, it allows you to enjoy that rocking soundtrack even more. The title screen always gets me a little pumped when I start it up and get ready for some underwater action.

So for those of you with that blue homemade HuCard sitting on your shelf, pull your TV and Turbo up to your bathtub, hop in, pop the game in, and starting blasting away! Or for those of you with a Turbo Express, bring it to your public pool and impress all the local kids. Don't worry, the Atlantean HuCard is entirely waterproof*. Put up some more high scores in the dedicated thread while you're at it too.


*HuCard is not actually waterproof

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci31)
17. 12/12/2015 - 12/18/2015: SideArms (Punch)
18. 12/19/2015 - 12/25/2015: Galaxy Dekka Gayvan (tknjin)
19. 12/26/2015 - 12/31/2015: Asuka 120% Burning Fest Maxima (Sarumaru)


Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / 2016 Game of the Week submissions, please!]

Hi everyone.

I'm pleased with how GOTW has been going this time around, and I'd like to continue it.

The rule has been that everyone gets to submit one game until we exhaust all submissions, and then there will be a "reset" and everyone can submit another.

Well, we're coming up on our last submission at the end of this month, and I think everyone who wanted to submit a game in the "first round" has done so. Not to mention, the start of a new year is the perfect occasion for a "reset". Therefore, I would like to open submissions now.

Anyone who wishes to submit a game may do so now. The only rule is that it can't be a game that we've done already in 2015. Check this list. I also suggest avoiding long RPGs.

When making your submission, please let me know in clear language. If you say something like "Maybe (x) would be a good game?" or something else that ends with a question mark, I'm  not going to be able to distinguish whether it's your submission or whether you're trying to discuss something with other members.

By the way, if you've ever submitted a game and I didn't add it, please do not take any offense. Sometimes I just miss things. When it looks like that's happened, just kindly let me know, and I'll fix it.

Thank you!

The new list:

1. Liquid Kids (lukester)
2. Buster Bros. (Punch)
3. Super Dimension Fortress Macross 2036 (Gentlegamer)
4. Fushigi no Yume no Alice (EmperorIng)
5. Valkyrie no Densetsu (Gredler)
6. Bikkuriman World (jtucci31)
7. Dragon's Curse (seieienbu)
8. Yo, Bro! (grolt)
9. Formation Armed F (nopepper)
10. Silent Debuggers (MNKyDeth)
11. Super Star Soldier (o.pwuaioc)

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (11/28/2015 - 12/04/2015) Game of the Week: World Court Tennis]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
November 28 - December 4 : World Court Tennis
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by grolt)

I sure didn't expect much when I popped in WORLD COURT TENNIS – it's an arcade port of a pretty basic tennis game that itself was based on the simple Famicon game FAMILY TENNIS.  Sports games rarely hold up all that well.  The first impression here, though, is favorable – the control is simple to learn and it's easy to start up a game by yourself or with three others (an improvement over the arcade, which only allowed two players).  The game has a good balance between simplicity and customization – on the surface there's only two types of shots, a regular hit (Button I) and a lob (Button II), and just knowing that you can get pretty far in the game.  Dig deeper, and you can improve your game by using the direction buttons to put different kinds of spin on the ball or different timings to dictate whether it's a hard smash or a sharp return to the corner.  There's also three different court surfaces that all feel different with different bounces, control and speed that's relatively accurate to real tennis.  With options for singles or doubles with different permutations of players, it's a great game to just fire up for some quick competitive fun.

Those who know the game know I'm failing to address the obvious, the elephant in the room...the "Quest" mode.  Simply bringing an arcade comparable port home was really all that was ever expected of video games from this era, and the console generations directly before and after.  WORLD COURT TENNIS, though, is one of those games that goes the extra mile (which is all the more surprising considering it was one of the very first games released on the PC Engine), taking what was a simple arcade sports experience and turning it into a full-fledged RPG.

You get the story – all the land's tennis courts have been overtaken by an evil tennis player and to quote the King, "people can't play tennis and are complaining".  The humanity!  There's an overworld just like DRAGON WARRIOR, where you can traverse a large world map and visit villages to buy goods and talk to locals.  Some of the locals are a little off (one man offers you only this bit of advice when you enter his home: "I am a notorious strange man.") and some of them look downright scary wearing a hockey mask right out of Friday the 13th (and this time it's white, not red...y'here that SPLATTERHOUSE!?).  Then, of course, there's the central component of any RPG – battles, except the twist here being that the fights are done on the tennis court.  You'll find random encounters on the world map as well as specific tennis courts where you can play tournaments in order to win items that will help you progress in the game.  As someone who grew up playing countless RPGs where you're always just killing people, animals and blobs it's kind of refreshing to be able to beat them in sport, since it relies a lot more on precision and skill than simply hacking and slashing or choosing menu items.  Sports and RPG gameplay certainly don't sound like a perfect match (anyone who's played Blitzball in FINAL FANTASY X can probably attest to that) but in WORLD COURT TENNIS it works surprisingly well.  The Quest mode is a real delight to play.

By no means is the Quest mode in WORLD COURT TENNIS deep or groundbreaking when it comes to role playing games, but the twist on the formula is effective and the mode has just the right amount of customization, quirks and charm to keep you coming back until the final match against the evil green king of tennis, and boy, is that one a doozy!  You can upgrade stats that will alter your speed on the court, the reach and power of your shot, and thankfully your ability to evade random battles.  There are also several items that will make your quest easier, like a tube that will allow you to shortcut through water in the world map or a magic 8-ball that slows the shot of the final boss.  With the bevy of quirky people (with some funny Engrish localization) you meet along the way, it really makes the hours of gameplay that Quest mode offers a delight to play.  I wish more games went this route, and to Namco's credit they added a similar Quest mode to FINAL LAP TWIN that plays just as well.

I was supposed to keep this short, and I thank you for making it this far, but I implore you to give this hidden little gem a chance.  It's one of the cheapest games on the system but certainly one of the most unique – hell, look across other consoles and you'll see that WORLD COURT TENNIS really is one of a kind with that Quest mode.  I love this game and have played through it multiple times, although I confess to you that I've never been able to defeat the final boss – I can hold my own when my character's on the bottom, but after a match when you switch to the top of the screen I find it really hard to adjust my timing and just get annihilated.  It was my goal in picking this game that it would finally motivate me to save the tennis kingdom once and for all...I only hope that many of you fine folks will join me on my quest.  Don't let the generic cover or title fool you – WORLD COURT TENNIS is in a world of its own.  See you on the court!
---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci31)
17. 12/12/2015 - 12/18/2015: SideArms (Punch)
18. 12/19/2015 - 12/25/2015: Galaxy Dekka Gayvan (tknjin)
19. 12/26/2015 - 12/31/2015: Asuka 120% Burning Fest Maxima (Sarumaru)
20. OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS!!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015) Game of the Week: Drop Off]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
November 21 - November 27 : Drop Off
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by turboswimbz)

Drop rock / Drop off is a game mired in the realm of less than average break out clones.  ALthough not a great clone there is something to playing the less popular games on the system, and actually giving it a shot.  I have found there to be some fun in the game, it does add some intresting features, such as a story to the game, and the ability to change bounce angle.  The game by no means is going to win over your heart, but it will get you talking about how the game could have been better.  The first few stages will be fun once you play and try it.  There is IMO a base there that could have been good, but just fails short and looses re (playability).  Still It's an intresting game on the system, one that doesn't get talked about much and one that isn't as bad as it's reputation.  It's a game I still like the idea of and play from time to time, if for nothing else to get a diffrent experience. 

--------------------

This descendent of Breakout is a high-score game as much as anything else, and you know what that means. We're having us a good old fashioned competition!

Please submit scores like this:
username - round-stage - score

I will post the results here!

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci331)
17. 12/12/2015 - 12/18/2015: SideArms (Punch)
18. 12/19/2015 - 12/25/2015: Galaxy Dekka Gayvan (tknjin)
19. 12/26/2015 - 12/31/2015: Asuka 120% Burning Fest Maxima (Sarumaru)
20. OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS!!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015) Game of the Week: Hyper Wars]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
November 14 - November 20 : Hyper Wars
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by JoshTurboTrollX-16)

I finally got myself an ISO and checked this game out. It's pretty intriguing. Right off the bat, I have to give props to them for getting a real translator to do the intro. Granted, there are a couple of typos in there, but this was obviously not written by whichever Japanese staff member got good grades in English class in high school.

JoshTurboTrollX-16 sent me this as his official "blurb" so check it out!

http://hupack.blogspot.com/2015/10/hyper-wars-1994-pc-engine-super-cd-is.html

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci331)
17. 12/12/2015 - 12/18/2015: SideArms (Punch)
18. 12/19/2015 - 12/25/2015: Galaxy Dekka Gayvan (tknjin)
19. 12/26/2015 - 12/31/2015: Asuka 120% Burning Fest Maxima (Sarumaru)
20. OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS!!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015) Game of the Week: Genpei Toumaden]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
November 7 - November 13 : Genpei Toumaden
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by VenomMacbeth)

Just in time to still make Saturday on this one. Phew! And now, to turn things over to VenomMacbeth, who wrote up a very nice blurb for us.

Ahem.

Ah, this game.  I'm not exactly sure when or how I actually discovered it, but it ended up on my PSP one day in the PS1 Namco Museum port.  I remember playing it at my friend's house, as my antisocial ass often did, but this game caught his attention.  "This game looks crazy..." I can remember him saying.  It is crazy.

In Genpei Toumaden, you play as the fabulously red-haired undead samurai Taira no Kagekiyo, returned from the afterlife by a cackling witch in order to exact revenge on his clan's mortal nemeses, the Minamoto, who sold their souls to demons in exchange for the power to conquer Japan.  All this is deeply rooted in The Tale of the Heike, a sort of pseudo-fictional Japanese novel which chronicled the historical Genpei war, albeit with fantastical embellishments.

Now that the history lesson is out of the way, where does that leave the game itself?  At first glance, it doesn't look like much.  You begin the game in small mode, which plays similarly to platforming games like Ninja Gaiden, which it predates (I think...Genpei Toumaden was released in 86, not sure about NG) wherein you run forward, navigate some platforms (some of which can move right out from under you), collecting money and power-ups, and performing spectacular jumps which can be prolonged by rapidly tapping the jump button, or by using a turbo switch.  An odd mechanic, but it does add a feel of frantic intensity to the game.  If you're unlucky enough to slip into a pitfall, you'll be sent to hell where you can either buy your way out in the pool of blood ("even hell depends on money") or you can take a gamble & see if the gods will allow you to continue your game.  The next game type, big mode, is the most impressive of the three.  The sprites are huge, and Kagekiyo even features some rotation in his attack animation.  You'd be forgiven for dismissing these portions as goofy-looking, but in 1986, graphics like this just weren't commonplace.  The whole thing gives off a sort of Yamato-e-meets-Monty-Python-cut-out-animation vibe that I absolutely love.  Controls here are, again, somewhat awkward, but if you think of the D-pad as controlling not only yourself, but also your sword, that'll help you to wrap your head around it.  These segments are usually culminated in a boss fight, or a character encounter of some sort, like the chanting biwa player who's melodies become frolicking creatures intent on your demise.

The third mode of gameplay, plane mode, is similar to Gauntlet or Dungeon Explorer in that the viewpoint is overhead & enemies usually spawn from "generators", although many enemies do this in the small mode as well.  The main object of the game is collecting three sacred artifacts: a jewel (which renders you invulnerable to poison), the sword of kusanagi (stops your sword from taking damage) and a mirror (invulnerability to electricity).  All of these are necessary to defeat the final boss, leader of the Minimoto clan, Yoritomo.

The PC Engine version of this game makes a couple of sacrifices to fit on the Hucard format, but everything that matters is still there.  Some areas lack the parallax layers of the arcade version, but that's to be expected.  Music sounds different, but it's pretty faithful considering the non-FM sound hardware.  This game has possibly more voice samples than I've ever heard on one hucard, carrying over most if not all samples from the arcade version (in lower-quality, of course).  There's also a hidden options menu which allows you to adjust the difficulty (highly recommended; the game is quite punishing in the default setting.)  This is one where you'll benefit from watching a longplay before going into it, so you know where to find the treasures.  Alternatively, when you reach the last plane-mode level, there is a set of gates that'll allow you to backtrack to earlier levels.  However, the game is pretty challenging & the latter portion of the game has some platforming sections that'll utterly destroy your patience.  All these knocks aside, though, there's something about the game that really draws me in.  Maybe it's all the historical Japanese themes?  Maybe it's the colorful, vibrant artwork?  The unrelenting pace & difficulty?  Shit, the game sends death birds after you if you dawdle too long in a level.  Then there are those rare epic moments of overcoming overwhelming odds, like running up the back of a dragon & slashing it in the head, or navigating a particularly precarious set of moving platforms.  The whole thing almost feels like a dream, or like a visual version of some fantastic, epic tale...which it basically is.  If you can get past the soul-crushing difficulty, awkward controls, and unorthodox sprite work, then hopefully you'll find an experience that you'll enjoy as much as I did. 

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci331)
17. 12/12/2015 - 12/18/2015: SideArms (Punch)
18. 12/19/2015 - 12/25/2015: Galaxy Dekka Gayvan (tknjin)
19. 12/26/2015 - 12/31/2015: Asuka 120% Burning Fest Maxima (Sarumaru)
20. OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS!!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015) Game of the Week: Blazing Lazers]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
October 31 - November 6 : Blazing Lazers
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by escarioth)

No proper blurb just yet, but this game hardly needs an introduction anyway. It's one of the most important shooters on the system, and a significant milestone in shooter history.

It's mentioned briefly in this shooter documentary:

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci331)
17. 12/12/2015 - 12/18/2015: SideArms (Punch)
18. 12/19/2015 - 12/25/2015: Galaxy Dekka Gayvan (tknjin)
19. 12/26/2015 - 12/31/2015: Asuka 120% Burning Fest Maxima (Sarumaru)
20. OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS!!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015) Game of the Week: TV Sports Hockey]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
October 24 - October 30: TV Sports Hockey
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by Gredler)

TV Sports Hockey - The blind rage of hockey fanboysm


First off before I say anything about the game, let me thank all of you who try it for your patience and I apologize that this game fell after all of the glorious classics in the recent weeks.  I hope you all find some fun in this one, it's about as good as hockey gets on the turbob for me


General Tips:
   Each team has strengths and weaknesses, but I prefer the Norway team for their speed. I would recommend starting with them
   Shoot a lot
   Passing is faster than skating, and can free up a lot of room for players to skate
   When chasing opponents try to take a path that puts you to a good defensive position
   Slap shots often take longer and are less effective than a quick wrist shot
   Shooting from close is often worse than shooting from farther away
   Don't move your goalie away from the net


I highly recommend reading a faq (http://www.gamefaqs.com/tg16/589152-tv-sports-hockey/faqs/53116) to learn the controls of the game, but here's a brief overview:



Skating/normal game time -
   D pad stears player, (move opposite direction of player momentum to slow/stop)
   II - Changes currently controlled player, and passes the puck in the direction the d pad is pressed
   I - Shoots the puck or attempts to knock a puck away from opponent (stick check)
   Hold to perform a slap shot
   Press II while holding I to perform a fake shot (cancel slap shot)



Faceoff
   Position the player with the d pad so that the stick blade will hit the puck Press and hold a button, release it to attempt to hit the puck. First person to hit the puck will usually get puck.
   II - backhand attempt
   I - forehand atteMpt





Fighting
   Up and II - Defend high
   Down and II - Defend low
   Up and I - High punch
   Down and I - Low punch





Shooting cut-scene mini event
   Occasionally when shooting on a breakaway the game will cut away to a large animated image of the player facing the goalie. At this moment the player must push a direction and the shoot button again to pick where the shot will go, and the player will score or the goalie will stop the puck depending the players choice of shot placement.


---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
18. 12/19/2015 - 12/25/2015: Galaxy Dekka Gayvan (tknjin)
19. OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[Localizations, Games, Apps, Docs / Xanadu I and II - General Translation Project(s) Thread]

A Brief History

The original Xanadu II translation project started in the spring of 2011, when I had just beaten the game for the first time and decided it was probably the best action RPG I'd ever played. Work progressed swiftly at first. Within three months, I had translated all the text that Esperknight could extract and made a complete fan-dub for the cut-scenes. However, the project stalled in the late summer and autumn as problems related to extracting all of the script and extracting it cleanly (ie decompressing it properly) got in the way.

It wasn't until the spring of 2012 that Esperknight got the entire script out of the game in a clean fashion. In truth, we had only gotten about 40% of it the year before. Also, I had to cut-and-paste my old translations into the new script manually, so there was a lot more work to do. By then, I was spending all my time on translating Princess Crown, so the new-and-complete Xanadu II script wasn't 100% in English until November 2012.

And that's when things kind of stopped.

The problem was getting the script back into the game and getting it to display. Esperknight is a swell guy and a competent programmer, but I think some of the difficulties involved in accomplishing those tasks overwhelmed him a little. Also, he has a busy home life, a busier job and multiple other projects in the works at all times, so this one just wound up on the back burner, and that's how it stayed for a couple of years.

Finally, in 2015, I met elmer, who in my estimation is nothing less than a hacking superhero. In a matter of months, we cranked out a translation for Zeroigar on PC-FX, and its presentation quality is better than I had ever hoped for, mostly thanks to good hacking work. Naturally, I had to ask elmer if he would like to finish of Xanadu II with me. Delightfully, he agreed.


The Two Games

Elmer started hacking Xanadu II from square one. It has only been a few weeks since he began, but already he has not only cracked Xanadu II, but also made enormous headway into opening up Xanadu I for translation as well.

Xanadu II is first in line to get done. At this time, the script is extracting completely, including odd things like the menu text and weapon shop text. Once any remaining kinks are ironed out and the layout of the dump is finalized, we'll be able to transfer my old translation into the new dump (hopefully using automation) and begin reinsertion. No promises, but since the Japanese-to-English side is already so far along, this should come together relatively quickly.

Xanadu I is a beast of a game. It is literally 2.5 times the size of Xanadu II in almost every regard: it takes about that much longer to beat, there is about that much more text, and the cut-scenes are about that many more minutes. Though there are some things about the way it operates behind the scenes that are structurally simpler than Xanadu II, we're also more starved for free RAM with it. A good English translation is going to take up a lot more space than the original Japanese text, so some miracles are going to have to be performed to make everything fit. However, I am very optimistic about it coming together.

I really hope it does, too, because Xanadu I is a hell of a game.

However, at this time, none of the enormous in-game script is translated. It's going to take a while. Happily, while waiting for new script dumps, I have as of today completed my first draft of an English script for Xanadu I's cut-scenes. They literally total over one hour in running time, and the draft is over 5000 words. And this leads me to...


Dub Projects

I do intend to make a fan-dub of Xanadu I. If some of the better performers from my original 2011 project are up for working on Xanadu I, then great; if not, I'll probably re-cast their parts in both games. There were a couple of performances in the old project that didn't turn out all that well, often due to poor recording quality, so I'll possibly re-cast them as well.

If people here would like to participate, I'll be very glad to receive your auditions.

However, it is still very premature for that. There is no reason to get started on all of this until the scripts for both games are basically done. That's the only way I can guarantee the same actors in both games, and it's also the only way I can make sure that I'm not missing any sort of contextual information.

Just sit tight for now.


Final Thoughts

If elmer and I are going to do both games, then frankly, I think it makes the most sense if we aim to release both at the same time.

If we pull this off, I think it will be a great thing both for the PCE community and for English-speaking gamers at large. These two Xanadu games are wonderful. They're peak Falcom, for heaven's sake, and they're exclusive, too.

Though I hate to clutter up the forums with yet another Xanadu thread, I would hate even more to hijack elmer's excellent development thread, and the old Xanadu II thread is just that - old. It's also limited to the second game only. Therefore, I'm going to talk about the work currently happening on my end right here, where we can keep things focused. In addition to Japanese-to-English related issues, I'll update on other general things, like play-testing, when the time comes.

Stay tuned!

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015) Game of the Week: Lords of Thunder]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
October 17 - October 23: Lords of Thunder
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by SamIAm)

Lords of Thunder is my favorite Turbo game. It's what got me hooked on the system in the first place. It's what goes in when a guest wants to see what a Turbo game looks like. If I could make a close sequel to anything on the system magically appear, it would be to this one. It's among my favorite games of all time. The term "video game" inspires images of it in my head.

What gets me is the stage design. Try and describe with words the environments you progress through during any stage in the game. They're all so fantastic, so dynamic, and so detailed even at the conceptual level. Then, when you get down and look at the actual in-game art, you can instantly appreciate how beautifully realized these concepts are. The stages are colorful, intense, and damned exciting to watch.

Then there's the music. I'll go ahead and out myself as a guy who listens to video game music more than anything else. While it's not quite the most important thing, a game's soundtrack alone can make me love or hate it, and there's nothing better than finding a game with an excellent music. It's the seasoning on the steak. Well, to cut to the chase, Lords of Thunder is a high point in game music history. If I'm playing it next to someone, I'll periodically turn my head, smile and say "Can you believe this music? It's INSANE!"

The game itself is a totally solid shooter. Collecting gems is endlessly entertaining, and aggressively blasting waves of enemies with a powered up armor is more than satisfying, too. Sometimes I curse its difficulty when I get hit a few too many times and lose hope of clearing the game smoothly. However, I know that this is simply the result of me becoming shamefully rusty. Good games should be a little hard.

Whether you've played this game to death already or you've never properly cleared it because of the above-mentioned strictness, I implore you to take this occasion to play through Lords of Thunder again and savor how freaking cool it is. You won't regret it. I promise.

Also, listen to the soundtrack.

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci331)
17. 12/12/2015 - 12/18/2015: SideArms (Punch)
18. OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015) Game of the Week: Wizardry III & IV]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
October 10 - October 16: Wizardry III & IV
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by BigusSchmuck)

Wizardry 3 and 4 was one of those games I didn't expect to be in mostly English for the PCE. Mostly, as in the monsters names, menus, spell names, warnings are in English. Only thing left out is the story line (not really an issue with 3), spell descriptions and attacks. As far a gameplay is concerned for 3, just your standard Wizardry flair with the nice addition of the ability to transfer your characters from 1,2 and 5 (and visa versa) and upgraded graphics and music. Wizardry 4 on the other hand, wow lots and lots of upgrades. The monsters in this version gain levels, you can resurrect them and most of all you can store the damn things in the summoning circle! This makes a big difference on the later levels especially when you are running to get into the next summoning circle. Next big upgrade, the music. Holy cow, it either really rocks or really sucks. The boss music can be bumping hard, but the damn summoning circle ugh sounds like ass. If I had a definitive version of Wizardry 4 to play, it would be the PCE version, just be prepared for an extremely hard game even with the enhancements. I have yet to finish this game on all the different endings, but I would recommend a guide especially lvl 8.

(Thanks for the blurb, BigusShmuck!)

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci331)
17. OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015) Game of the Week: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
October 3 - October 9: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(submission and blurb by Nulltard)

I must admit: Prior to this week, I had never played Fray CD: Xak Gaiden.  It is one that I have been wanting to play for quite some time, though, and GOTW provides the perfect motivation to experience new games.

I was drawn to this title because it seems to represent a somewhat neglected genre in the PCE library. There aren't a lot of run 'n guns... especially with RPG elements. The production quality is outstanding, as is the attention to little unexpected details. For instance, if you watch the title screen long enough, poor Fray trips and falls right on her DoxPhiles. At the end of the 2nd boss fight, the boss's bikini top falls off and exposes her supple DoxPhiles. PSG pervades the title's soundtrack, allowing for seamless inclusion of voice for most NPCs/encounters- this game would shine with a translation as the presentation is truly top notch despite not knowing WTF anyone is saying. The story unfolds at a steady pace with nice unique sprite animations to accompany each plot point.

All of the aforementioned niceties offset the sometimes horrid controls. I've found that, so far, it is incredibly rewarding to persevere through each overly taxing platforming sequence just to see what charming spectacle lies ahead.

Please join me in exploring this title for the coming week. And if you make it further than i do, which you probably will (I suck), please let me know if there are any other bare DoxPhiles to look forward to during the course of this adventure.

brought to you by tig old DoxPhiles.com

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci331)
17. OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015) Game of the Week: R-Type]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
September 26 - October 2: R-Type
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by crazydean)

R-Type, made in 1987 for the arcade, was one of many shooters to come out of the mid 80's. Setting the bar high for all shooters that came after it, this game is a must-play for all.

After the arcade, R-Type was ported to almost every console and computer of the era, including the PC Engine. First being released in Japan on two separate HuCards because there is so much action, it can't be contained in a single card! Part I and Part II comprise the first four and last four levels, respectively, of the game. Interestingly, since they are so short, a boss was added onto stage 6 (previously, there was no boss on this stage).  In the U.S., they somehow managed to fit the entire game on one Turbo Chip with no noticeable change to the nearly perfect arcade port. Later, Japan saw a release on CD called R-Type Complete which comprises of all eight levels with modified music and several cut-scenes.

As a new player to R-Type (and as someone who sucks at shooters), I prefer the CD version because you can choose the difficulty in the start menu by pressing select. "Easy" sure doesn't feel like it, but there does seem to be fewer projectiles and the bosses are easier. Also, the CD version has unlimited continues as opposed to just two on the HuCard version.

Which version you choose to play is up to you, but keep in mind, this is a game known for its difficulty. It's frustrating until you learn the pattern and rewarding when you finally beat that next level. I doubt I will beat this game anytime soon, certainly not within a week, but it's a lot of fun and a must-play on the PC Engine.

(Great blurb, crazydean!)
---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci331)
17. OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015) Game of the Week: Kabuki Itoryodan]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
September 19 - September 25: Kabuki Itoryodan
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by Sadler)

Did you love the Street Fighter 2 GOTW and still crave more? Or maybe you want to put your Arcade Card to use for something other than Sapphire? Good news: Kabuki Itoryodan is the GOTW for you!

Kabuki Itoryodan combines the stellar gameplay of Street Fighter 2 with the charm of Tengai Makyo together in one of the best fighting games available on the PC Engine. The presentation in this game is just great, featuring huge sprites, fluid animation, beautifully colored and detailed backgrounds, and a solid soundtrack. This isn't just a pretty package though, this game controls great and is just a blast to play. Two players means your friends can get in on the action too! To get a leg up on the competition, see this FAQ to learn each character's special moves. A word of warning: you'll definitely want a 6 button pad for this game.

So dust off that Arcade Card, shove the Neo Geo fighters to the side and give Kabuki Itoryodan a shot this week!

On a more personal note, this game holds a special place in my heart. I picked it up in Japan in 2009 along with a slew of other games. That trip reignited my love for all things turbob after a long hiatus. I didn't even own a Duo at the time, let alone an arcade card! That quickly changed when I got back to the states.

(Great blurb, Sadler!)
---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci331)
17. OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015) Game of the Week: Bloody Wolf]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
September 12 - September 18: Bloody Wolf
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by Gentlegamer)

It's pretty much impossible to come up with a better intro for Bloody Wolf than what grolt wrote the other week after sitting down and playing it. Just go read that.

As we did last year, I invite you all to submit the most badass names you can think of for the main characters!

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci331)
17. OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Xanadu I disc owners: Please help!]

If you own a real copy of Xanadu I, I hope you won't mind taking a minute to check something for me.

According to this page, Xanadu I initially shipped with a bug that prevents it from saving on certain hardware. I am experiencing that myself with a Supergrafx/SuperCD setup using a real disc that otherwise saves on a Duo-RX. However, that page also says that the bug is fixed in later pressings of the game.

The inner ring of my disc says "FFLTF HE60916-1 TCW2".

That page above says that it also exists in pressings marked "FFLTF HE60916-1 T9W6", but that any later version should be fixed.

If you would be so kind, please check your Xanadu I disc and see if you have a different number. If you do, I hope you won't mind ripping it for us to check. In fact, even if you have a T9W6 disc, I'd like to see it.

A version I downloaded off the internet has the same bug. I really hope we can find a version that doesn't.

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (9/04/2015 - 9/10/2015) Game of the Week: Street Fighter II']

---------------------------------------------------------------------
September 4 - September 10: Street Fighter II'
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by Nec.game.head, who also took pics and wrote a nice blurb. Thanks!)

My first impression when playing this game was wow, a very close to an Arcade acurrate port !! Timing speed and hit detection are all spot on compared to the original Arcade version. I especially really enjoyed the sound effects, character designs and beautiful colored backgrounds of the game. The only drawback to me was the background music in each level wasn't as good sounding as the actual sound effects each character makes. This version definitely outperforms it's 16 bit competition rival version's the Sega Mega Drive and the Super Famicom. One other thing that should be known is if you are going to want to try this game out sometime you will definitely need to get your hands on a Avenue Pad 6 as this is a six button game and if your really looking to get the most out of this game I strongly recommend getting a controller multitap and a secondary Avenue Pad 6 to enjoy this fantastic game with a friend. This is my go to game I pull out and show off to my friends after we've played the actual Arcade version of Street Fighter 2 Champion Edition at my place to show off the amazing power of the mighty PC Engine !! If you have not tried out out this game I definitely recommend this game if you are a fan of great 2D fighter games !!






---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci331)
17. OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS!

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / Amping Audio for CD-Rs: A Guide]

Since I'm re-burning a bunch of stuff using Taiyo Yuden discs that my Super CD seems to like, I thought I would post a guide about doing something that I frankly can no longer enjoy many PCE games without: Pre-amplifying audio redbook tracks to change the music/sound-effect volume balance.

Many shooters in particular suffer from sound-effects that are too loud, including some of the very best on the system. Gate of Thunder has a soundtrack that's been famous since day one, but be honest: can you hear it behind the sound-effects in the game ? Then there's specific sound-effects like certain weapons in Sapphire, the homing weapon in Terraforming, or the king of them all, the yellow beam weapon in Rayxanber III. At unaltered volume, these are borderline unbearable, IMHO.

Well, good news! If you are willing to play CD-Rs, you can nip this problem in the bud by following this simple guide:

(If you're using an ISO/WAV rip, skip to #5)

1. Download and run the free version of IsoBuster.

2. Click File -> Open Image File, and browse to your cue sheet.

3. Right click "Session 1" (or "CD"), then click "Extract User Data" as in the pic below.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/Clipboard02_zpsjlampx8h.jpg

4. Choose a place to put the files, click OK, and let it export everything. Now close IsoBuster.

========================

5. Open Audacity. Click File -> Import -> Audio... as in the pic below.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/Clipboard03_zpsotwocfmf.jpg

6. Browse to your image and select all of the audio files only. Go ahead and skip Track 01, too. When you click OK, it will take a minute to load everything up.

7. For this example, I am using Cotton (US). Now, just look at how tiny the original waveform is. Without introducing any quality loss, we can amplify it significantly. The key is not doing it too much in order to avoid hitting the floor/ceiling, which will clip the waveform.

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/Clipboard05_zpsa6yd7vqq.jpg

8. Hit Ctrl+A to select everything. Then, click Effects -> Amplify. Select "Allow Clipping" (trust me). Enter any old number you feel like, click OK, then let it process things. I'll go ahead and "turn it up to 11" here. (Audacity might seem like it's frozen after you click OK, but don't worry, it's just working.)

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/Clipboard06_zpsdeypu6s1.jpg


https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/Clipboard07_zpsuhsesfky.jpg

The result:

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/Clipboard08_zpsdis3hxhd.jpg

9. Now that's what I'm talking about! But wait, you might be saying...it looks like the waveform is clipping in a couple of spots there. Well, yes it is. However, if you listen to the track, you will understand that those are basically just drum hits, and the clipping lasts only a super-small fraction of a second. It's not even easy to distinguish in a side-by-side comparison. For me personally, that tiny bit of quality loss is a small price to pay to be able to turn up the volume a lot and hear the music during gameplay.

However, it is always a good idea to browse through all the tracks and make sure none of them have any bad clipping. Look at Track 26 here, which in this game stands out to me as the most vulnerable:

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/Clipboard09_zpstbnmm2nz.jpg

That's kind of pushing it. Most of the clipped parts are still just drum hits, but if you look closely, there is some prolonged clipping in there. All right, then, let's hit Ctrl+Z to undo the amplification, then click Effects -> Amplify again and enter a smaller number like 9. Here's what the same track looks like with that level of amplification:

https://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u305/sirsinnes/Clipboard10_zpss8pc2aef.jpg

Okey dokey, that's back in the acceptable range. I suppose I'll add here that you're probably not going to notice much of a difference unless you amplify things by at least a value of 4. 

10. Basically, you're going to want to repeat this process of trying different amplification levels, browsing to look for bad clipping, and honing in on an optimal audio level. For Cotton here, I actually decided 10 was good for me. I love the music in this game, and I don't give a rat's about tiny sound effects or a teeny bit of drum clipping.

11. Finally, when you're ready, click File -> Export Multiple... and set your filetype (WAV) and your destination (original folder works well). Audacity might save your original files with "-old" added as a suffix if you try to overwrite them; go ahead and delete all of those. Finally, open up TOCFixer, have it check your new ISO/WAV set and fix it. The WAVs post Audacity-processing might be just a few bytes larger, but don't worry; let TOCFixer do its job and everything will be fine. It'll give you a cue sheet, which you can burn and enjoy.

I burned this version of Cotton, and while the change in the waveform may look drastic, the sound effects are still very easy to hear. I'm pleased with the results.

And that's all! Hope someone gets something out of this!

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / CD-R brands and my SCD system]

I'm not going to lie: I play CD-Rs. Often it's of games that I actually have real copies of. Often enough, it's not. Let's just say I'm doing my part to keep market prices low. No, don't thank me.

Anyway, in the past, I always used TDK CD-Rs with green bottoms burned at 8x. I wish I could tell you exactly what type of dye they use, but at the moment, I can't. Anyway, in my two Duo-RXs, these have always done fine. The systems never seemed to have more trouble reading them than they did real CDs, and the drives never sounded like they were struggling or anything. After hundreds of hours of CD-R gaming, I can't detect any signs of deterioration in either of them.

However, I recently got a Super CD system, and a different phenomenon with it was instantly obvious. When playing my TDK CD-Rs, the drive will occasionally emit a weird "thunk" like sound when it seeks something. Interestingly, this is not accompanied by a noticeable delay in reading the track, as sound tests from certain games seem to prove. However, it happens quite often. In my TDK CD-R burn of Dracula X, the "Op. 13" track in the sound test almost always causes this thunk to happen, especially if I play it after playing a different track later on in the CD.

So, maybe the Super CD system just doesn't like CD-Rs? That's what I was thinking. I was even resigning myself to never playing CD-Rs with this particular console. But then just for the heck of it, I burned a couple of other CD-Rs using my recently purchased, blue-bottom Taiyo Yuden CD-Rs at 16x...

The "thunk" sound doesn't happen with the Taiyo Yudens.

Now, maybe the cause is the 16x burning, or maybe it's that I'm using a different burner from when I burned the TDKs. Unless I buy some TDK CD-Rs again, I won't be able to properly isolate the problem. Anyway, this is a relief, as I can now go back to playing my favorite shooters with the audio tracks pre-amplified (if you haven't tried this, you should).

I do know that the effect of CD-Rs on these old systems is something that people around here worry about a lot. A popular theory is that CD-Rs cause the laser to work harder in order to focus and read the data. It sure seems reasonable to me that subjecting my SCD to 10,000 "thunks" might cause some real mechanical trouble. However, given the ease with which it's reading these Taiyo Yudens, I'm going to keep on playing CD-Rs. It just means I have to reburn some things.

If you have experienced trouble with CD-Rs on your system, and you aren't scared of ever trying them again, I really do recommend spending a few dollars and trying some different brands, and possibly even experimenting with different burners and burning speeds if you can. FWIW, it has always seemed to me, whether making CD-Rs for this system or for others, that the brand is the most important factor.

I guess that's all. I'm off to do some burning!

[PCE/TG-16|CD/SGX Discussion / (8/29/2015 - 9/04/2015) Game of the Week: Akumajo Dracula X - Chi no Rondo]

---------------------------------------------------------------------
August 29 - September 4: Akumajo Dracula X - Chi no Rondo
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(chosen by o.pwuaioc)

It almost makes no sense to introduce a game that needs no introduction, yet here it is anyway. Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo was released in 1993 and is the predecessor to Symphony of the Night.

This game is mostly standard Castlevania fare. You play as a whip-wielding Richter or magic-wielding Maria and traverse fairly linear stages to reach Dracula's castle. However, a few things make it unique. For one, there are multiple paths to take depending on which route in a level you go. It also pioneered the "item crash," which allows for charging up a sub-weapon for extra damage.

The game is gorgeous with large sprites (check out the Behemoth!) and a great soundtrack. It's fairly difficult, but not overwhelmingly so. Veterans of Castlevania series will find themselves comfortably at home with the mechanics.

There was a Super Nintendo version of the game that was noticeably inferior, and a PSP remake was released, but I have not played it, since it is in 2.5D, and we all know that is far uglier than 2D.

While the game is in Japanese, it does not really affect gameplay. Still, however, there is a Romhacking patch which apparently uses the PSP version to dub over the original.

---------------------------------------------------

GOTW Schedule:
1. 8/22/2015 - 8/28/2015: Override (lukester)
2. 8/29/2015 - 9/4/2015: Rondo of Blood (o.pwuaioc)
3. 9/5/2015 - 9/11/2015: Street Fighter 2 (Nec.Game.head)
4. 9/12/2015 - 9/18/2015: Bloody Wolf (Gentlegamer)
5. 9/19/2015 - 9/25/2015: Kabuki Itoryodan (Sadler)
6. 9/26/2015 - 10/2/2015: R-Type (crazydean)
7. 10/3/2015 - 10/9/2015: Fray CD: Xak Gaiden (Nulltard)
8. 10/10/2015 - 10/16/2015: Wizardry 3&4 (BigusSchmuck)
9. 10/17/2015 - 10/23/2015: Lords of Thunder (SamIAm)
10. 10/24/2015 - 10/30/2015: TV Sports Hockey (gredler)
11. 10/31/2015 - 11/6/2015: Blazing Lazers (escarioth)
12. 11/7/2015 - 11/13/2015: Genpei Toumaden (VenomMacbeth)
13. 11/14/2015 - 11/20/2015: Hyper Wars (JoshTurboTrollX-16)
14. 11/21/2015 - 11/27/2015: Drop Off (turboswimbz)
15. 11/28/2015 - 12/4/2015: World Court Tennis (grolt)
16. 12/5/2015 - 12/11/2015: Atlantean (jtucci331)

Rules:
-All members are allowed one submission. When there are no further submissions, we will have a reset and everyone will be able to submit another game.
-Each game may only be submitted once.
-If you wish to retract your submission, please do so at least two weeks before your game is due. Your next submission will go to the back of the cue.
-Please don't submit games that have a high language barrier or will take too long to complete (particularly RPGs).

[Buy/Sell/Trade / Core Grafx II Raffle - U Pay Shipping (console only)]

The used gaming gods have smiled on me recently, and I think I should pass along the good fortune.

I don't need the Core Grafx II that came with that set. I just don't. Therefore, I'll raffle the thing, but there are three catches if you want to enter:

1. You pay shipping. Call me stingy, but I'm in Japan, and most of you are in the US. I estimate that this will fall in the $25 range to send.
2. You must have a post count over 100 and have a member registration date no more recent than March 1st of this year.
3. I reserve the right to decline entries anyway if, for example, it seems that you have been active only in the trading forums, or if you posted like a maniac for a month in 2007 and have been gone ever since.

Basically, I want this to go to a community member who will actually use it, possibly an owner of a US system who would like to play Japanese games in stereo and not need a Hucard converter or a Turbo Booster. I'm not going to ask you to prove anything there, but seriously, please don't enter just to decorate your shelf.

If you only have one system at the moment, then having a backup is not unreasonable, so I won't frown upon entering for that purpose.

It's officially by itself - no AV cable, no AC adapter, no controller.

I hope we can find it a good home.

Thank you!

Drawing will happen on September 7th, when I wake up. That'll be around 8:00 AM Japan time.

Entries:

1. Dicer
2. wildfruit
3. johnnykonami
4. pulstar
5. BigusSchmuck
6. MotherGunner
7. wilykat
8. Sarumaru
9. majors
10. reno5
11. bozo55
12. Bardoly
13. cabbage
14. Lost Monkey