Is there an adapter to play PC-Engine games on TG16?

[drunkninja24]

I'm looking at getting into some PC-Engine stuff, but the systems are quite expensive compared to their US counterpart. I've read that the main difference in cartridges between regions is how they were wired to the pins, so an adapter would seem fairly simple. However, despite all my searching, I've been unable to find out for sure if one exists that is readily available. Does anyone know of one?

[PC Engine Fan X!]

There is the Kisado convertor and the boxy Murai Hu-Card convertor (that you can use on both the TurboGrafx-16 and Turbo Duo consoles). You'd just have to carefully remove the Hu-Card access cover hinge off of the Duo console & you're in business.

Or the other alternative, is to get your TG-16 or Turbo Duo region modded and you can instantly select JPN or USA to play them country region specific Hu-Cards properly.

It is possible to use a Kisado or Murai Hu-Card convertor on a JPN region PCE or PCE Duo console to play them USA region Hu-Cards but they would need more internal work done in order to get them to play properly in addition using said convertor. It would be easier just to pick up a TG-16 or Turbo Duo in the first place if you want to play them.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Jeneki]

I've still got a HuCard converter for the old-style Turbografx. I could see where it would have problems fitting into a TurboDuo slot though. CD games have no region protection at least.

Looking around online, it looks like HuCard converters are selling for around five times what I paid for mine (many years ago). Are they getting rare these days, or are internet shops charging more "because they can"?

[Ex-Cyber]

Probably a little bit of both, in the sense that most of the adapters made are not available to buy anymore. The bottleneck for new production seems to be the card socket.

[Ganelon]

Some new models were going for like $30 a couple years back at one online store. Not sure if they're still in stock though. You can find them for even cheaper if you're lucky, as well as all the way up to $100 for eBay folks who don't know better. Honestly, it's just better to get separate PCE and TG16 systems. Both are easy to find for very cheap.

[ZOM]

Probably a little bit of both, in the sense that most of the adapters made are not available to buy anymore. The bottleneck for new production seems to be the card socket.

Out of curiosity, Is the sega master system's card socket the same 38-pin one?

[Jeneki]

Out of curiosity, Is the sega master system's card socket the same 38-pin one?

On a HuCard all the connections are in one row. On a Sega Master Systerm card they are in two rows.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I've still got a HuCard converter for the old-style Turbografx. I could see where it would have problems fitting into a TurboDuo slot though.

You had to very carefully remove the Turbo Duo's Hu-Card cover door in order to use the boxy Hu-Card convertor, hence why it was much easier to use a Kisado one instead for the sake of convienence. The boxy Hu-Card convertor works like a charm on the NEC produced Turbo Express handheld as well.

The mail-order based Turbo Zone Direct used to include either a Kisado or boxy Hu-Card convertor with each Japanese Hu-Card import game purchase back in 1994-1996.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[drunkninja24]

Alright, another question, how easy/hard is it and how much do power supplys and A/V cables for a PC-Engine typically go for? Found a feel seemingly good deals, but they lack either of these.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Try looking elsewhere as there are bound to be bundled PC Engine console sets that come with the necessary A/C adapter and A/V hookups. You can even use an old Sega Genesis 1 stereo A/V cable (with an DIN 5-pin interface) with an PC Engine Duo console and it works like a charm.

Or if you can source a Hu-Card convertor or Kisado convertor & either a NEC produced Turbo Booster or Turbo Booster Plus variant, they both have composite video output along with L&R stereo phono output jacks and the latter mentioned TBP accessory even has built-in support for back-saving of Hu-Cards that utilize Backup RAM save functionality.

The classic Hudson Soft's Hu-Card shmup release of Soldier Blade in both it's orignal JPN or USA region counterparts, does have built-in support for saving your high scores + high score intials as well.

Protip: Just remember to power up the TBP once on a monthly basis so the stored Backup RAM game save files don't vanish. This same idea would equally apply to the Turbo Duo console with it's meager 2MB Backup RAM storage space. Or utilize an optional PC Engine Duo "Memory Base 128" device with a pair of fresh AA batteries & you're good to go.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[ED-057]

You can always run PCE games on a TG16 or vice-versa by loading the ROMs onto a flash card like neopce. On the TG16, I use a Sega wall-wart type power supply, and get composite video and audio by tapping certain pins on the expansion connector. I used some of those small female plugs like the ones used for connecting the speaker/LEDs to PC motherboards.

[papa_november]

The adaptors are so hilariously expensive that you're probably better off region-modding the machine yourself or finding someone else who can do it.

Modding it is a pain in the ass, by the way. This will mean that having someone else do it could get expensive, but even then it won't be as expensive as one of the converters. Last I checked, a good converter could easily run into the low triple digits.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Yeah, I do recall seeing some new Kisado convertors sell for upwards of $100.00 USD some time back. It sticks out too much if you use it on a Turbo Express handheld though.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~