怒首領蜂大往生 original PCB vs. PGM bootleg differences

[Ohrami]

I know the original PCB utilizes the PGM hardware, but I noticed a pretty major difference when watching a video of a PGM bootleg board:
https://youtu.be/nqXQAb2F130?si=0EYL_g7dyvtBXfHR
Anyone reasonably familiar enough to have at least gotten a 1CC on the game recognizes that the music seems to be using a higher-quality instrument set, particularly on the "stage 1 throwback" section of the stage 5 music.
Is this an unresolvable issue with all PGM bootlegs, or is it possible to get a PGM bootleg that has music just like the original arcade PCB? To me, that plus the hacked BIOS to remove the PGM boot screen is really the difference-maker between getting a bootleg and going for the real deal.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

The Cave jamma pcbs of Dodonpachi Dai-Ou-Jou White Label (and Black Label variant), Ketsui and ESPgaluda all run on IGS' PGM (Poly Game Master) arcade platform as a single layer PGM pcb with said game eproms on-board.

----------
There's an eprom hack that allows you to play DDP-DOJ BL version with high score & high score initial saving functionality with the on-board Varta battery that was released back in 2011 with a DDP-DOJ WL pcb setup (just requires a single eprom swap/upgrade and it's all good -- easy as pie).
----------

Fellow shmupper Trap15 released a Ketsui pcb hack that allows you to play the "Ketsui Blue Label" variant version back in the day.

Of course, the above mentioned Cave/IGS eprom hacks aren't possible with the bootlegged IGS/PGM carts of DDP-DOJ and Ketsui as usual.

At one time, it was possible to buy a barebones Cave/IGS Ketsui pcb for $350.00 usd (back in the md-2000s era) before it increased in value (in the $900-$1000+ range) due to word getting around that it was a solid Cave arcade stg title in it's own right.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Ohrami]

The Cave jamma pcbs of Dodonpachi Dai-Ou-Jou White Label (and Black Label variant), Ketsui and ESPgaluda all run on IGS' PGM (Poly Game Master) arcade platform as a single layer PGM pcb with said game eproms on-board.

----------
There's an eprom hack that allows you to play DDP-DOJ BL version with high score & high score initial saving functionality with the on-board Varta battery that was released back in 2011 with a DDP-DOJ WL pcb setup (just requires a single eprom swap/upgrade and it's all good -- easy as pie).
----------

Fellow shmupper Trap15 released a Ketsui pcb hack that allows you to play the "Ketsui Blue Label" variant version back in the day.

Of course, the above mentioned Cave/IGS eprom hacks aren't possible with the bootlegged IGS/PGM carts of DDP-DOJ and Ketsui as usual.

At one time, it was possible to buy a barebones Cave/IGS Ketsui pcb for $350.00 usd (back in the md-2000s era) before it increased in value due to word getting around that it was a solid Cave arcade stg title in it's own right.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

I more-or-less understand all this, but I'm specifically inquiring about the inaccurate music shown in the video (which was captured off a PGM bootleg). Is that inaccurate music universal to all PGM bootlegs, and if not, how can I ensure I won't have that issue if I buy it?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Yes, the PGM bootlegged carts of DDP-DOJ WL & BL, Ketsui & ESPgaluda all sound crappy. It's recommended to buy the genuine Cave/IGS arcade pcbs of the same name even if it means spending more $$$ to acquire them.

As it is with the bootlegged IGS PGM carts of the above mentioned Cave arcade stg titles, they're considered the cheapest way to play them "without breaking the bank" on the ol' wallet or purse nowadays.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Jonpachi]

There's also the excellent M2 port to PS4. Widely available still and one of the best packages M2 have put out on the STG line, clocking in at just 2 frames of input lag.

[Ms. Tea]

Unless I'm reading it wrong, I think Ohrami's saying it's the other way around? That the game being played in this stream has music with a higher-quality instrument set than the original PCB.

[Some-Mist]

when too much is going on, on the screen, the sprites turn into garbage with the PGM releases. noticed it more in espgaluda more than ketsui, but it definitely happened in both

for some reason the autofire on the espgaluda pgm didn't work for me, so I ended up tapping to get my clear. might be an isolated issue but I figured it was worth pointing out

[PC Engine Fan X!]

The later official Cave/IGS release of "DoDonpachi Dai-Ou-Jou Tamashii" on IGS' dedicated "Poly Game Master 2" arcade platform exists as well -- the PGM2 cart of DDP-DOJ-T + PGM2 motherboard usually goes for about $550.00 and up on the secondary arcade pcb collector's market nowadays. It's easier to play than with the dedicated Cave/IGS arcade pcb of DDP-DOJ WL pcb (in terms of overall difficulty).

----------
It's something forward to look into/consider as an alternative method of playing DDP-DOJ-T instead of scoring a Cave/IGS DDP-DOJ pcb or a bootlegged IGS PGM game cart. The PGM2 cart of DDP-DOJ-T was released in both dark blue (for the China arcade market) and red (for the South Korean arcade market) colored variant versions indeed. There was never an official JPN or USA region arcade pcb kit release of DDP-DOJ-T whatsoever (thus making it a highly coveted version worth seeking out just for it's novelty factor alone).
----------

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Ms. Tea]

Ohrami: I checked in with the PGM discord for you, and some very knowledgeable members said that the bootleg carts use exactly the same sample ROMs as the real board. There shouldn't be any sound difference; if there is, it'll just be from a better capture device than you're used to hearing, or because the PGM has been recapped.

[parodius]

I remember reading the same in the past: somehow the bootlegs produce better audio.
Potentially due to a better design of the audio circuit on the cartridge-based PGM mobos vs the all-in-one Cave PGM PCBs?

Not sure if that's also the case for games that did get official releases on both formats, like Demon Front, because the PCB seems to be of a different design compared to the Cave PGM ones.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I remember reading the same in the past: somehow the bootlegs produce better audio.
Potentially due to a better design of the audio circuit on the cartridge-based PGM mobos vs the all-in-one Cave PGM PCBs?

Not sure if that's also the case for games that did get official releases on both formats, like Demon Front, because the PCB seems to be of a different design compared to the Cave PGM ones.

The IGS PGM game of Demon Front was released as a dedicated jamma pcb in addition as a standalone PGM cart as well. Is it the standalone IGS PGM cart of Demon Front has better "audio fidelity output" compared to it's pcb counterpart or is it the other way around?

It'd be interesting to do a "deep dive" with a cart-based IGS PGM motherboard and see exactly what audio setup is used compared to the Cave/IGS stg jamma pcbs themselves (if that's the case with "better audio fidelity" being associated with the bootlegged PGM Cave stg carts).

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~