PC Engine questions

I'm really new to PC Engine collecting, and many have said it's a great system.

Recently I've been looking at some PC Engine systems, but I'm unsure how much they're worth. I'm aware that there are a few different types like the Duo and Interface unit versions, so which ones should I look at getting?

I have found a Duo unboxed with region switch for US$219 and I believe it's a NTSC-J system. What's a reasonable price for a PC Engine Duo -- Boxed and Unboxed?

Are there any common or known faults with the systems as well?

I would also want to start off with some good games to kick off the collection, any recommendations?

 

NTSC-J Duo or Duo-R modified for both region switch and RGB is worth around $200 + shipping with patience. Though postage can be steep as they're typically Japanese. That's the best hassle free approach. It'll run near all of the system's essentials with no need to worry about add-ons or having to buy mod service later.

I would NOT recommend hunting down the US Super System Card 3.0, or an NTSC-J Super CD-ROM drive. Those items are so expensive a Duo is more sensible.

SuperGrafx I don't suggest either for most users. Adds less than a dozen games to the library and doesn't even include CD support on its own.

As for games look into some of these:
Son Son II
Super Star Soldier
Bomberman 94
Dracula X
Panic Bomber
Puyo Puyo CD
Ys I&II (preferably English being RPG-ish)

 

PC Genjin is pretty fun, though a bit tough. It's the only PC Engine game I own, actually; I have a CoreGrafx. I also have a Super CD-ROM², but it doesn't work.

 

This is system is $209 no box, NTSC-J, controller and 1 CD game and 1 HU card game.


Also has the region switch as well. Lum, that $200 price you mentioned is that with a box or no box?

 

No box. I don't know of any game compatibility issues between the Duo versions. Duo RX is costlier for near zero gain. Aside from originally including a new design 6 button controller that's hard to find by itself.

 

Thanks for reply Lum from what I've gathered the $209 Duo seems like a good buy then. I can't seem to find one that's not scratched or marked. Is that an alright price for it though?

 

As long as you're sure CDs read correct. Also remember to get a controller extension cable. Typical for Japanese systems to need them elsewhere.

 

From what I remember, a common problem with those original Duo systems is the audio dying. Get a Duo-R as it's a better looking machine and mix up some of that Retrobright stuff to get rid of any yellowing.

 

It's mentioned the CD Lens is in good condition.

SD: I would get a DUO-R but they're pretty expensive.

 

PC-Engine is expensive. I got my DUO-R with RGB mod (no region mod) for something like $230. It was nicely refurbished so it was clean with new laser assembly. It was worth it.

 

Seriously, don't get an original DUO. I made that mistake ("Hey, it's cheap!") and indeed it had the dead audio due to bad capacitors. Unless you're a bodhisattva of the soldering iron, just fork over the cash for a R or RX and save yourself the sorrow. That's what I ended up doing.

By the way, as long as we're on the topic - does anyone know of a good place to get an RX RGB-modded?

 

I bought a busted Duo-R for a song (like $40, I think) but it was missing the power supply and also suffered from the bad capacitor problem. Lucky for me, I am a minor manifestation of a single Buddhist aspect when it comes to electronics repair so I was able to fix it up. I do also have an American Duo unit, but I hardly ever use it.

That's by way of saying, the Duo-R is built using the same vintage of capacitors and isn't immune to the audio problem. Luckily, all the CD games are region free and there's no reason you shouldn't enjoy those games on whatever hardware is handy, in my book.

 

Hmm, maybe I should get a DUO-RX then. Alright, I'll save a bit more money for it. Thanks for the advice guys.

 

I've never had any audio problems with any PCE consoles, and I've had at least 9 of them since 1995. Probably more.

I remember reading somewhere that the RX had the best internal parts and would last the longest.

My favorite is a Core Graphics II + Super CD ROM. That is a thing of beauty, right there.

But why the region switch? Are there that many US Hu Card games that you'd want to play specifically in English to warrant the price? You can pick up an unboxed RX for around Y9500. 95% of the stuff you're going to play is in Japanese, anyway. Maybe even more...

 

So have Super CD games started oxidising yet? Considering the recent topics about PSone and GameCube disks oxidising and cracking, I'm wondering what the deal is with the PC Engine.

I've been seriously considering getting a PC Enigine again myself recently. Now, I don't mind spending the money on the CDs as long as they're actually going to last for the foreseeable future. However, firing up Dracula X or Gate of Thunder only to find that the disc has started to rot within the next couple of years would be rather... disappointing to say the least. I might even use some naughty words :dammit:

 

I've had some issues with a perfect (and I mean *PERFECT*) looking Nexzr CD that kept rebooting stages (while maintaining the score, so I could have gotten the world record if I wanted to...), but maybe this wasn't due to disc rot. All my other PCE-CD games are working fine, despite the 20+ years of age. I wouldn't worry too much about it... just buy that damn engine and have fun. Get a Duo-R, Duos are often dying for the most ridiculous reasons (sound issues), so treat yourself with something good like a Duo-R or RX. Don't get an RGB-modded regular Duo because the picture ain't as sharp of a RGB picture as a Duo-R's. Don't ask me why, but it's a fact.

 

But the alternative is buying a US TG16 at extortionate Ebay rates, which is RF-only unless you track down one of those expansion things for another fortune *bleah*

 

Doesn't a *correct* modded Duo-R actually have cleaner RGB than the factory config US SNES or Genesis? Though I haven't yet seen too many graphics intensive titles that look better.

 

Don't know about the Duo-R, but my Genesis has a really clean RGB output. The Genesis 2 has an issue with vertical stripes appearing over certain colors. The Genesis 1 (which I'm using) has this issue too, but it's almost unnoticeable. Other than that, the picture looks cleaner than that of either my Super Famicom or my Saturn.

 

Well people on this site usually own and prefer model 1 making it a higher priority for them, not much particular interest in the RGB quality of Genesis 2 or others. I kind of suspect it may be a bigger or more prevalent issue than community consensus thinks. Vertical bars are not easily mistaken for something else.