There are so many different models of this console PCE/Grafix what are the differences wit them and are they all the same or is one better than the other? im real confused
You're in the UK, so you have to decide whether you want a PAL or NTSC output. If it's PAL then you need a PAL TurboGrafx which I believe will run US games too. There are some on ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=turbografx You can get a convertor to allow it to use Japanese games, but they are rare and usually more expensive than the console itself. If you want to run Japanese games then you probably just get a PC engine, but by default it will be outputting NTSC and need 100v. Some UK TV's can cope with decoding NTSC composite, but others will give you a black and white picture. If you plug a console expecting 100v into a UK power socket it will break it. I'm not sure there is any reason to import a US TurboGrafx, unless you want 60hz games in English. But you'll have the same video and power problems. You could buy a pre-converted system like this: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEC-PC-En...gine-with-Super-CD-ROM-UK-READY-/171219224736 I'm not saying that is super cheap or that the console is amazingly rare, but it's not bad. When you get into CD games it gets even more complex, you won't be able to play all CD games unless you also buy the Arcade Card Duo http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw="arcade+card+duo" which adds more ram to the console. On here the games that say SuperCD will work on a DUO without any card (it has the Super card built in), but the games that say ArcadeCD need the arcade duo card. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_PC_Engine_CD_games If you want to play ALL games then you need http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SuperGrafx, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RAU-30-ROM-Adaptor-RAU-30-RAV-30-RAV-30-PC-Engine-Supergrafx-Interface-Unit-NEW-/271362948807 and a Super CDROM 2 and an arcade card. But the SuperGrafx just gives you an extra 5 games and adds extras to 2 games. The consoles are pretty rare though. More info here http://www.racketboy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=39471
Awsomw info there if I was to buy a jap console as im fine with NTSC 60htz would I be able to play USA Hu Cards I know that USA consoles need the convertor but do the japs also I ask this as im getting a good deal on a COREGRAFX which I want to buy also does the Menu have an option to change it to English (im a noob I dunno about this even if it has a menu or not)
For a JP PCE, you'll need to do a mod and get a converter. I don't know the exact details of the mod, but for a japanese PCE (any model), there's a simple internal mod (you disconnect one pin on one chip and connect it to ground), and you need a converter. I don't know how common or expensive the converters are, but it just involves reversing the order of some pins. I've seen some pretty rough homemade converters too... To be honest though, the best HU Card games are either: 1) JP only 2) some type of arcade port 3) a simple action/shmup type of game In the case of #2 & #3, there's little text and in the case of #1, you're out of luck anyway. So modding your JP PCE to play US games might be a waste of time. Do you have one of the VERY FEW US only "turbo chips" in your collection that you are really itching to play? It will be easier to just buy a turbo everdrive in that case. There are even english patches floating around for a few games (most notably gekisha boy).
There's also full-blown region mods which are far better than those crappy converters: http://www.tg16pcemods.com/uploads/5/7/0/9/5709716/regionmodinstall_1.2.pdf
Never, NEVER EVER get a PAL 50Hz TG16 for the playing :!: And yeah, the obey chip is the best region mod you can just get. Best deal would be a jpn DUO-R (or recapped DUO) with RGB or SVid and region mode, armed with an Arcade Card DUO (or PRO for that matter, what ever you can get cheaper). This beast would allow you to play every official PCE/TG16 game in existence, except for the 5 Super Grafx titles (which no way passes around to get a SGFX) and altered beast beyond level 1.
