Finally found a Turbo Duo!

[Motoracer]

Kinda treating this like an intro thread. Found this Turbo Duo at a local store. They had an import Duo in the same spot the week before, and I had to do a double take to realize it was the American model.

Got it for pretty cheap (I think they thought it was worth the same as a Japanese Duo...), with original controller and a copy of my favorite game, Devil's Crush!

Been having a blast with it. The only bad thing is the capacitors needed some replacing. I found someone locally to take care of that, but if need be might need some help from people on the forums.

Otherwise, it was great to play on American hardware. I've owned an R and an RW in the past, along with a Shuttle. And while they were nice, it didn't feel the same as I didn't even know the PC Engine existed when I was a kid.

I would have gotten a regular Turbografx, but the thing is just awkward looking with the Super CD behind it. I've always wanted a Turbo Duo, but I'm not made of money, and prices for these things have been insane.

I've owned some of the rarest systems, and seen even more than I've owned, but I've never come across a single Turbo Duo in the wild in my entire life. To say I'm happy is a huge understatement! Now to get some more games...

Pictures below:

[Dicer]

Nice find indeed. Enjoy the hell out of it, and welcome!!!

[mitsuman]

Damn, nice find! Welcome!

And even though I'm completely happy with my PCE Duo, if I ever find a reasonable priced TG16/TG16cd/TurboDuo, I'm definitely going to have to buy it. Just the excitement of finding one would push me over the edge.

[o.pwuaioc]

Keith Courage replaced my caps. I heartily recommend him. There are some others here who can, too, hopefully they will chime in with recommendations as well.

Also make sure to grab the Arcade Card Duo. Prices aren't so bad if you take your time in grabbing things. Some are forever insane, but that's to be expected.

Good luck!

[seieienbu]

Nice find, how much did that set you back out of curiosity?

[Psycho Punch]

Excellent, hard to find one for a fair price nowadays, if it weren't for someone here to sell me his I'd probably not have one. Enjoy and take care of it!

[esteban]

Devil's Crush is a great game to play whilst waiting for a minty fresh Ballistix to arrive in the mail.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

Nice find and welcome aboard!  Devil's Crush definitely ain't a bad one to start out with.

[Motoracer]

I found it for 250!

I've had someone on Atari Age recommend Keith Courage as well, so I'll have to hit him up if the repair isn't done to my high expectations (aka: working, haha).

I can't describe to you that feeling of finding it... man. Like I've said before, I've had odd ball systems: X'Eye, Sharp Twin, Hitachi GPS Sega Saturn, N64 DD, heck even a consolized CPS2. NEVER have I ever seen a Turbo Duo in the wild. Period.

It was like the longest 3 seconds, haha. You think it's a Duo, you realize the power button is the wrong color, you see the logo, you see the controller, you freak out, you realize you can't afford this so don't get excited, you see the price... you get excited. Seriously, I was practically blocking the entire display case with my body until the clerk came over to let me see the system, haha. I didn't want anyone to scoop it up.

And yeah, Devil's Crush is one of my favorite games for the system, up there with Bomberman and Galaga 88/90. Speaking of which, two games I need to buy...

Can't say how many times I've played the game, yet only when I played this Turbo Duo did I figure out the unlimited coin glitch (hence the high score and giant vat of coins displayed). Not sure if that's been found or not (I'm sure it has been...), but it's a nice memory now to associate with the system. It'll be the one TG-16/PCEngine I had that memory with.

Thanks for the warm welcome. Glad I didn't post this in the wrong section. Looked around for ages for an intro section, and didn't find one.

[Arkhan Asylum]

most people introduce themselves in the top category above all the system sections, but it's not obvious that it's what happens there since it looks more like a "news area".


Play china warrior or we can never be friends.

[NoSexGex]

Hell yeah, $250 is an awesome deal

[Motoracer]

Hmm, China Warrior. Friendship may be jeapardized from the start, haha. What is it though, Vigilante? I'll play that!

[SignOfZeta]

The games feel better on "US" hardware?

[Green Beret]

Nice scoop, I hope you enjoy it!
I suppose you play via composite. Keith Courage can make you RGB mod or whatever mod.
RGB is very important, at least for me

[crazydean]

The games feel better on "US" hardware?

Yes, I wish I had a US Duo so I didn't have to look at that stupid green switch and purple lid button. I don't know why I even play this worthless PCE Duo.

[ClodBusted]

Fun fact: I replaced the black switches and buttons on my US Duo with their colored Japanese counterparts.

[o.pwuaioc]

The games feel better on "US" hardware?

Yes, I wish I had a US Duo so I didn't have to look at that stupid green switch and purple lid button. I don't know why I even play this worthless PCE Duo.

I will say there is something to be said for having a proper localization. That's far too expensive a luxury for me, though.

[kosko99]

Really nice find! I like the US model's aesthetics <3

Welcome to the forums 

[TelcoSurveyor]

Devil's Crush is a fantastic pinball game. That face in the middle of the playfield is creepy as hell.

[pressed]

$250 is an awesome deal.  I got mine in 98' for like 400 but it had the box, Ys Book 1 and 2, Keith Courage, and the Gate of Thunder Multi-Disc.  I love the duo, it's definitely the best version in my opinion once you have the caps all sorted out.  I was lucky I started buying some of my games in the late 90s before they got stupid expensive. My only regret is that I didn't start sooner.

[Psycho Punch]

Now you only need a copy of Gunboat and you're set! 

[SignOfZeta]

The games feel better on "US" hardware?

Yes, I wish I had a US Duo so I didn't have to look at that stupid green switch and purple lid button. I don't know why I even play this worthless PCE Duo.

I will say there is something to be said for having a proper localization. That's far too expensive a luxury for me, though.

What "localization"? They changed the name from something in English to something else in English and made the switches blend in. It's not exactly Earthbound, and I don't see anything luxurious about or nicer, or better, in any way.

[NoSexGex]

Fun fact: I replaced the black switches and buttons on my US Duo with their colored Japanese counterparts.

Shhhhhhh

[ClodBusted]

No shhh. I originally bought the colored buttons from Keith Courage. I even tried selling the black Turbo Duo buttons to somebody on the forum (same costs as the colored PCE Duo buttons), but there was only one person interested, and the sale wasn't completed.

So I can happily disguise my Turbo Duo as a Japanese or American console whenever I want, the only distinguishing feature being the lettering on the case.

[SignOfZeta]

Which feels more luxurious to you?

[ClodBusted]

Feelings? If I take the console in my hands, I've got the feeling that the plastic touch is almost as cheaply as a model 1 Genesis. No matter what color the buttons are. In comparison, the Super Famicom has a more sturdy feeling build quality.

So from my point of view, the original Duo feels flimsy and looks better on photos than when you actually put your hands on it.

[xcrement5x]

Feelings? If I take the console in my hands, I've got the feeling that the plastic touch is almost as cheaply as a model 1 Genesis. No matter what color the buttons are. In comparison, the Super Famicom has a more sturdy feeling build quality.

So from my point of view, the original Duo feels flimsy and looks better on photos than when you actually put your hands on it.

Interesting, I never felt like the Model 1 Genesis felt flimsy, there was a fair bit of heft to the device and the design was neat to me.  The Model 2 Gensis definitely feels cheap to me though, but it really was cheap.

[o.pwuaioc]

Feelings? If I take the console in my hands, I've got the feeling that the plastic touch is almost as cheaply as a model 1 Genesis. No matter what color the buttons are. In comparison, the Super Famicom has a more sturdy feeling build quality.

So from my point of view, the original Duo feels flimsy and looks better on photos than when you actually put your hands on it.

Interesting, I never felt like the Model 1 Genesis felt flimsy, there was a fair bit of heft to the device and the design was neat to me.  The Model 2 Gensis definitely feels cheap to me though, but it really was cheap.

Even as a kid I was so disappointed with the model 2 (my model 1 had gotten stolen). A model 1 genny is just as sturdy imo as an SNES.

[Motoracer]

Yikes, already attacked, and it's only my first thread.

What I meant is that it doesn't feel right playing on a system that I didn't even know existed, and am not nearly as familiar with. Much like a Famicom or Super Famicom, or heck a Sharp Twin. Good systems for sure, and they play pretty much the same games as a US NES, but it's not the same.

Things like aesthetics are definitely important, as is the name, branding, and game packaging. As mentioned before, like with the Famicom line, I never knew there was a thing called PC engine, and much like the beloved yet flawed Toaster NES, you're drawn to what you're more familiar with. Another example are the clear funtastic N64s. I just can't for the life of me get into them. N64 for me will be forever black and grey. 

Plus, come on. The Turbo Duo has the whole Kitt car blacked out look about it . Purple buttons are too Nintendo to be on my Turbografx, and white systems aren't nearly as easy to keep sun damage free here in AZ.

[SignOfZeta]

Do you ever buy new games or do you only play the ones you had access to at a specific point in your life? What I mean is that the N64 went on sale in 1996, a 21 year old machine, and it's fine, but the clear plastic ones, which went on sale in 2000, 17 year old machine, cause you anxiety. One would think that any title you didn't have in your N64 collection in the first four years of its existence would be just as disquieting.


Being uncomfortable with new experiences, do you find it difficult to enjoy bands that aren't dead yet? Who's the wisest Ninja Turtle? How bad do vegetables taste?

[o.pwuaioc]

Just ignore SignofZeta. He's the resident grump.

[Motoracer]

Do you ever buy new games or do you only play the ones you had access to at a specific point in your life? What I mean is that the N64 went on sale in 1996, a 21 year old machine, and it's fine, but the clear plastic ones, which went on sale in 2000, 17 year old machine, cause you anxiety. One would think that any title you didn't have in your N64 collection in the first four years of its existence would be just as disquieting.


Being uncomfortable with new experiences, do you find it difficult to enjoy bands that aren't dead yet? Who's the wisest Ninja Turtle? How bad do vegetables taste?

I'm not uncomfortable with new experiences. That is, after all, what life is all about. But much like Tom Petty versus Katy Perry, sometimes the one that was first was the one that was best. Not always, but often. I don't like the black and grey N64 just because it was first, but because it was best. I don't need a clear purple piece of electronics in my house, and I don't need to see inside my controller to notice there's a motherboard in there. Aesthetically, the first attempt was best. The clear models coming out more recently doesn't make it automatically better.

In fact, even within this thread I've made mention to that, by saying I don't like the original Turbografx at all, and that I found the Turbo Duo to be a far more aesthetically pleasing design. Still to this day, I won't get the original system. But the software I appreciate. The Turbo Duo allows me to enjoy those titles on a better box.

I find that the people in life who critique others the hardest have the most emptiness inside of themselves. I wish you luck in finding fulfillment in your life, so that you're overflowing with contentment and love that you don't need to, nor have time to, waste your life analyzing others'.

Raise your vibration, and the company that surrounds you will improve. Best of luck.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

Raise your vibrators!

The key to true happiness, my friends.  :lol

[o.pwuaioc]

Raise your vibrators!

Are we getting out our JO crystals again?

[esteban]

Sidewalk surfin'...
Good vibrations...

This thread has everything!

[SignOfZeta]

Do you ever buy new games or do you only play the ones you had access to at a specific point in your life? What I mean is that the N64 went on sale in 1996, a 21 year old machine, and it's fine, but the clear plastic ones, which went on sale in 2000, 17 year old machine, cause you anxiety. One would think that any title you didn't have in your N64 collection in the first four years of its existence would be just as disquieting.


Being uncomfortable with new experiences, do you find it difficult to enjoy bands that aren't dead yet? Who's the wisest Ninja Turtle? How bad do vegetables taste?

I'm not uncomfortable with new experiences. That is, after all, what life is all about. But much like Tom Petty versus Katy Perry, sometimes the one that was first was the one that was best. Not always, but often. I don't like the black and grey N64 just because it was first, but because it was best. I don't need a clear purple piece of electronics in my house, and I don't need to see inside my controller to notice there's a motherboard in there. Aesthetically, the first attempt was best. The clear models coming out more recently doesn't make it automatically better.

In fact, even within this thread I've made mention to that, by saying I don't like the original Turbografx at all, and that I found the Turbo Duo to be a far more aesthetically pleasing design. Still to this day, I won't get the original system. But the software I appreciate. The Turbo Duo allows me to enjoy those titles on a better box.

I find that the people in life who critique others the hardest have the most emptiness inside of themselves. I wish you luck in finding fulfillment in your life, so that you're overflowing with contentment and love that you don't need to, nor have time to, waste your life analyzing others'.

Raise your vibration, and the company that surrounds you will improve. Best of luck.

I understand your need for the "pure" version of something. The TurboGrafx isn't the "original", though, neither is the Duo. All NEC game machines were made in the same factories by the same people as all the others. None are more pure than the others except maybe the original PCE. US systems are all weird byproducts of a fruitless and fucked up attempt to market the PC Engine in the west and they came years after their JP versions.

I'm not saying my collectarded logic makes more overall sense that yours, but you seem to be one of those guys that thinks US systems have some kind of magical awesomeness for literally no reason except "that's what I saw when I was a dumb broke 8 year old who didn't even really know WTF is was"
and frankly that's pretty mockable. I did give you a chance to explain yourself which you...kinda did.

I find that people who never criticize anyone to be airheads, or much more likely liars who say they don't criticize other people. Of course, neither is bad as the humorless or people make weird musical references. Even the Dali Lama occasionally takes a crack at people and he's...what's your opinion of his vibrations? I think he's too enlightened to play video games and he's still talking shit so both you and are are kinda garbage, right? He's so much better than either of us!

I mean...WTF do Tom Petty and Katie Perry have to do with each other whatsoever and how is one "better" than the other? Are you into sports by any chance? Most music fans don't have a mindset that calls one act "better", overall, at everything, apparently, than another. It's not that they are afraid to CRITICIZE Perry like you did (far from it) it's just that those two acts are 40 years apart and have almost no overlapping audience whatsoever so why would they even be in the same sentence? Now I have noticed that people who are sports fans and only think they like music are obsessed with ranking things so perhaps that's leaking in?

I think I'd rather listen to Perry. It's that I'm a fan. In fact I can't name a single song she's done and that's why I'd rather spend time with her stuff that Petty, who's material I've been so overexposed to by terrible music programmers that I don't even know if I like it or not.

[Motoracer]

Do you ever buy new games or do you only play the ones you had access to at a specific point in your life? What I mean is that the N64 went on sale in 1996, a 21 year old machine, and it's fine, but the clear plastic ones, which went on sale in 2000, 17 year old machine, cause you anxiety. One would think that any title you didn't have in your N64 collection in the first four years of its existence would be just as disquieting.


Being uncomfortable with new experiences, do you find it difficult to enjoy bands that aren't dead yet? Who's the wisest Ninja Turtle? How bad do vegetables taste?

I'm not uncomfortable with new experiences. That is, after all, what life is all about. But much like Tom Petty versus Katy Perry, sometimes the one that was first was the one that was best. Not always, but often. I don't like the black and grey N64 just because it was first, but because it was best. I don't need a clear purple piece of electronics in my house, and I don't need to see inside my controller to notice there's a motherboard in there. Aesthetically, the first attempt was best. The clear models coming out more recently doesn't make it automatically better.

In fact, even within this thread I've made mention to that, by saying I don't like the original Turbografx at all, and that I found the Turbo Duo to be a far more aesthetically pleasing design. Still to this day, I won't get the original system. But the software I appreciate. The Turbo Duo allows me to enjoy those titles on a better box.

I find that the people in life who critique others the hardest have the most emptiness inside of themselves. I wish you luck in finding fulfillment in your life, so that you're overflowing with contentment and love that you don't need to, nor have time to, waste your life analyzing others'.

Raise your vibration, and the company that surrounds you will improve. Best of luck.

I understand your need for the "pure" version of something. The TurboGrafx isn't the "original", though, neither is the Duo. All NEC game machines were made in the same factories by the same people as all the others. None are more pure than the others except maybe the original PCE. US systems are all weird byproducts of a fruitless and fucked up attempt to market the PC Engine in the west and they came years after their JP versions.

I'm not saying my collectarded logic makes more overall sense that yours, but you seem to be one of those guys that thinks US systems have some kind of magical awesomeness for literally no reason except "that's what I saw when I was a dumb broke 8 year old who didn't even really know WTF is was"
and frankly that's pretty mockable. I did give you a chance to explain yourself which you...kinda did.

I find that people who never criticize anyone to be airheads, or much more likely liars who say they don't criticize other people. Of course, neither is bad as the humorless or people make weird musical references. Even the Dali Lama occasionally takes a crack at people and he's...what's your opinion of his vibrations? I think he's too enlightened to play video games and he's still talking shit so both you and are are kinda garbage, right? He's so much better than either of us!

I mean...WTF do Tom Petty and Katie Perry have to do with each other whatsoever and how is one "better" than the other? Are you into sports by any chance? Most music fans don't have a mindset that calls one act "better", overall, at everything, apparently, than another. It's not that they are afraid to CRITICIZE Perry like you did (far from it) it's just that those two acts are 40 years apart and have almost no overlapping audience whatsoever so why would they even be in the same sentence? Now I have noticed that people who are sports fans and only think they like music are obsessed with ranking things so perhaps that's leaking in?

I think I'd rather listen to Perry. It's that I'm a fan. In fact I can't name a single song she's done and that's why I'd rather spend time with her stuff that Petty, who's material I've been so overexposed to by terrible music programmers that I don't even know if I like it or not.

1. You didn't read what I wrote. My taste in Turbografx consoles and N64 consoles has nothing to do with "pure" version, as my favorite Turbografx is NOT the original one, while the N64 is. That comes down to personal preference. You were bringing up the funtastic colored N64s being newer as why I didn't like them. The music reference was put there to show that sometimes newer isn't better. The turbografx reference was there to show sometimes it is. My point being, your previous accusation that I only liked older iterations because of nostalgia, or some other reason, was pure bologna.

2. Once again your accusation is wrong. If this was true, my Neo Geo PC would be the light silver US model, which it is not (it's a v2 that was only released in Japan), or I would prefer the US SNES aesthetically over the Japanese Super Fami, which I do not. Once again, I prefer the one that clicks with me the most. Sometimes it's because of nostalgia, sure. But sometimes it's aesthetics. Whichever wins, whever screams out at me the most inside, wins. My point is, you make a lot of assumptions, and you're wrong on that.

I never said I didn't criticize anyone, as I critiqued you in my last post, no? There's a major difference though in kindly critiquing someone, and being an elitist dick about it. Because my opinions were different, you attacked me on a thread that was simply about me introducing myself, and showing off one of many systems that I now own. If you don't like people getting preachy towards you, stop your initial behavior. Again, like I said, if you raise your vibration (ie: be a better person), the way people talk/reply to what your saying will also be of a higher vibration, even if you don't see eye to eye. See how the Dalai Lama criticizes people, and take that to heart. He points out their fallacies, but never in a belittling manor, but in a way they can positively learn and become better people.

4. See point 1.

5. I never said you couldn't like her. That's simply your opinion. Once again, the music reference was simply to show newer isn't always better, like you previously implied. And for most people of our age group, Katy Perry would not be the preferred choice between the two artists.

[Psycho Punch]

Q: Why a US duo?
A: I like the black buttons.

[NightWolve]

Do you ever buy new games or do you only play the ones you had access to at a specific point in your life? What I mean is that the N64 went on sale in 1996, a 21 year old machine, and it's fine, but the clear plastic ones, which went on sale in 2000, 17 year old machine, cause you anxiety. One would think that any title you didn't have in your N64 collection in the first four years of its existence would be just as disquieting.


Being uncomfortable with new experiences, do you find it difficult to enjoy bands that aren't dead yet? Who's the wisest Ninja Turtle? How bad do vegetables taste?

Zeta's post above was reported, email was sent all around, I got one so I took a look... I was hoping for something far more entertaining, but I feel gyped...

That said, if Zeta should be disciplined, under what grounds ?? Causing discomfort with excess, biting sarcasm ?? Violating the "spirit of the community/forum" ?? That's what Tom-chan "Keep the KKK, man!" Lipschultz gave me a strike for on the XXXSEED Games forums a few months ago, 2nd strike was for "flamebait." He censored the post naturally, heh. Can't wait till he's finally fired, he's sooo close!

Anyway, I dunno what to do here... Shall we help Motoracer with his Zeta problem or let the thread ride cause "riders gonna rrrrriiiiiide" ?? 

[SignOfZeta]

I'm only interested in raising my vibrations, personally, I just want to figure out WTF that is. Maybe I still haven't listened to enough Yes?

The vibrations, do they increase in frequency or in amplitude?

[crazydean]

Anyway, I dunno what to do here... Shall we help Motoracer with his Zeta problem or let the thread ride cause "riders gonna rrrrriiiiiide" ?? 

Lol. If only it were that easy to get rid of Zeta! This forum isn't heavily moderated, and that's the way we like it.

[SignOfZeta]

Q: Why a US duo?
A: I like the black buttons.

Are they worth $100 a piece?

[Gypsy]

[Gypsy]

Anyway, I dunno what to do here... Shall we help Motoracer with his Zeta problem or let the thread ride cause "riders gonna rrrrriiiiiide" ?? 

Lol. If only it were that easy to get rid of Zeta! This forum isn't heavily moderated, and that's the way we like it.

Why would you want to get rid of Zeta?

[crazydean]

Anyway, I dunno what to do here... Shall we help Motoracer with his Zeta problem or let the thread ride cause "riders gonna rrrrriiiiiide" ?? 

Lol. If only it were that easy to get rid of Zeta! This forum isn't heavily moderated, and that's the way we like it.

Why would you want to get rid of Zeta?

Because he hates everything, and I want to use this forum as a soundboard for my own ideas.

[Psycho Punch]

Q: Why a US duo?
A: I like the black buttons.

Are they worth $100 a piece?

No.

[mitsuman]

Q: Why a US duo?
A: I like the black buttons.

I heard the black buttons were bigger...
I'm happy with my teal and purple buttons though. They are adequate.

[o.pwuaioc]

Q: Why a US duo?
A: I like the black buttons.

I heard the black buttons were bigger...
I'm happy with my teal and purple buttons though. They are adequate.

It's not the size of the button that count, it's how many times you press it.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

Zeta's post above was reported, email was sent all around, I got one so I took a look... I was hoping for something far more entertaining, but I feel gyped...

That said, if Zeta should be disciplined, under what grounds ?? Causing discomfort with excess, biting sarcasm ?? Violating the "spirit of the community/forum" ?? That's what Tom-chan "Keep the KKK, man!" Lipschultz gave me a strike for on the XXXSEED Games forums a few months ago, 2nd strike was for "flamebait." He censored the post naturally, heh. Can't wait till he's finally fired, he's sooo close!

Anyway, I dunno what to do here... Shall we help Motoracer with his Zeta problem or let the thread ride cause "riders gonna rrrrriiiiiide" ?? 

I chuckled, wondered what he does when someone really brings insults, closed the complaint, and came here to make fun of vibrators.

Seriously, nothing Zeta posted is even remotely abusive.  If someone questioning your thought process is that hurtful to your feelings, the internet (and life in general) is gonna be a rough ride.