Finally! NEO PCE Flash Cart ordered!

[jimid2]

I got an email from Gamersection.ca on Thursday that they finally received a shipment of NEO Flash Carts for the PCE/TG-16... (NEO Flash Cart page @ gamersection.ca) I've been waiting for the new shipment of these things since April, so I'm pretty excited that it's finally here! I know it's not collecting, but at least I can now play the ROMs on original hardware - and I'll finally be able to play Cotton on my TurboExpress!! ;)  And apparently (though I can't confirm because I haven't got mine yet) it will let me play Japanese games on my American hardware by doing the pin-switch-thing in software on the cart itself, so that will be a nice plus! Man I can't wait!

[Turbo D]

Congratulations Jimid2! I have that same flash cart, it kicks ass. It does allow you to play japanese games on a us system too. You can play any hucard game.

[SignOfZeta]

I just want to play Tongue Man's Logic, but I think that both of the PCE cards on the market are really hard/impossible to use with OSX.

[watchman]

hi guys, i also have an turbografx, tell me something about that flash card please
thanx

[nat]

I just want to play Tongue Man's Logic, but I think that both of the PCE cards on the market are really hard/impossible to use with OSX.

I have the same problem, Zeta.

I've been trying to install Parallels just for that purpose. If I can do a successful install, I might just order a flash cart. I still have an old Windows XP install CD from back in the day, so....

[CrackTiger]

My flash card doesn't work with my main computer, so I just use a cheap PC I picked up for $60.

[schnuth]

I hope it works for you.  I got mine last week and I have only got one ROM to play on it.  I'm attempting to exchange it for another.     Very frustrating to say the least.

https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=3935.0

[Joe Redifer]

Don't use Parallels, try Boot Camp.  Does the Slim Loader thingy need its own interface, or can you just drag and drop TEH ROMZ onto it like a connected flash drive?

[nat]

Don't use Parallels, try Boot Camp.  Does the Slim Loader thingy need its own interface, or can you just drag and drop TEH ROMZ onto it like a connected flash drive?

Why not Parallels?

[Joe Redifer]

Because that costs $$$ and the performance is lower.

[jimid2]

Congratulations Jimid2! I have that same flash cart, it kicks ass. It does allow you to play japanese games on a us system too. You can play any hucard game.

I can't wait to try it out - there are many games I've never had the chance to play that I want to try, and this seems the simplest way to do that.

I hope it works for you.  I got mine last week and I have only got one ROM to play on it.  I'm attempting to exchange it for another.     Very frustrating to say the least.

I'm sorry to hear about your problems schnuth... I generally have good luck with handling this kind of technology - I've never had a problem I couldn't eventually solve with Flash Carts, though I know they can be particular about the ROMs you copy to them. This cart has generally favourable reviews and I don't anticipate any significant difficulties getting it up and running, but keep your fingers crossed for me, just in case!

[nat]

Because that costs $$$ and the performance is lower.

Cost shouldn't be an issue, and I'd only use the Windows OS for loading the flash cart anyway. For my purposes, I think Parallels is the better bet. I don't want to have to re-boot to manage the cart.

I try to avoid Windows at all costs otherwise. Besides, Boot Camp means I would have to re-partition my hard drive.

[WoodyXP]

Does anybody know if this card requires extra power to run?  I'd like to get one for my GT, but as you
guys know the battery life sucks as it is. 

[grahf]

Woody,
I have no idea about this PCE card, but I can tell you that the tototek SNES flash cart certainly takes more power than a regular cart. Not much though. This is all from memory (and probably wrong), but I *think* it was an extra 30-50mAh. Hardly worth noting. I believe when I tested a SuperFX cart it was the same or a little higher draw than the flash cart. Perhaps one was 30, one was 50... cant remember 

Of course this was not PCE stuff, but I think you can expect the same from it. It will draw more due to the extra logic chips/etc that are not in a normal rom-only cart. But just like the SNES stuff the difference is probably not noticable.

[Keranu]

Congrats on the card, I really need to get one too!

...and I'll finally be able to play Cotton on my TurboExpress!! ;)

Cotton (a CD game) on a Turbo Express? Is there something I don't know about? 

But that does remind me of how awesome it would be to get a flashcard so I can use it on my Turbo Express!

[Turbo D]

lol, I think he meant Magical Chase.

[spenoza]

One problem Parallels might have is since it's an application it will have to go through OS X's libraries to interface with the hardware. That might actually present problems. Boot Camp allows Windows to interface directly with the hardware rather than using OS X as a hardware pass-through. (I don't have a Mac, but I love them.)

[jimid2]

Congrats on the card, I really need to get one too!

...and I'll finally be able to play Cotton on my TurboExpress!! ;)

Cotton (a CD game) on a Turbo Express? Is there something I don't know about? 

But that does remind me of how awesome it would be to get a flashcard so I can use it on my Turbo Express!

oops! I did mean Magical Chase...  ...and Salamander ...and the uncensored versions of Splatterhouse and Devil's Crash ...and Bonk 3 ...and Rabio Lupus ...and Parodius Da!... hehehe... the list really goes on and one...

I received the card today, and I'm very impressed... A couple of the ROMs I've thrown on it haven't run, but in every case an alternative has worked, so I'm sure it's my ROMs and not the flash card. I'm running it in my TurboExpress and I'll watch to see if battery life seems significantly lower, but so far so good. FWIW, the software was easy to set up and run in WinXP.sp2, and the hardware itself seems very well made - very professional. I'm quite pleased.

[jimid2]

Well, I think that the NEO Flash Cart does reduce the battery life of the TurboExpress a little, but not by more than about 10% - that's acceptable to me because I use 2500mAh NiMH rechargeables in my TE, but if you're on Alkalines, it's not going to make life any easier... When the card fails and you can no longer play on it, you can pop in a regular HuCard and get about 20-25 minutes of play time out of them, but you have to have your brightness cranked and tilt the system for best view angle, so you know the batteries are on their last legs by that point... 


_{*Edited Nov. 12 with more accurate numbers based on further experience with the card.}