ToToTEK.COM

[vcdfan]

Hi Guys,

What would any of you suggest I buy to play ROM's on the PC Engine?
I know that MGD2 I/O's are pretty expensive, but is it the best to get?
Any suggestions that anyone can make would be much appreciated.

vcdfan

[kyuusaku]

wait for tototek's :p

[vcdfan]

Yeah, your probably right. Any idea what game sizes it will support upto? Am I right in thinking that SF2 CE is the biggest game at 20Mbit?
I'm just getting impatient, as I've just got hold of the GoodPCE game collection.
A bit off topic this, has anyone else heard of 7 Zip? A new(ish) compression utility. I've just downloaded the Goodxxx sets of PC Engine and Neo Geo Pocket And Colour, and the compression used by this program is fantastic! Neo Geo Pocket was about 38MB to download, and unzipped is 300 plus MB!

vcdfan

[kyuusaku]

PCE games are 1-8m with the exception of Street Fighter II Dash. Knowing TTK it will support all sizes...

[dbjh]

Hey kyuusaku, do you happen to know what PCE copier bit-swaps the data of PCE ROMs when dumping them? Is it perhaps the Super Magic Griffin? I'm making the final modifications for uCON64-1.9.8-2 (which includes improved PCE support) and it would be nice if the conversion options automatically bit-swap the ROM data if necessary. I know the MGD2 wants the data to be in "unencrypted" form, but I don't know about the Super Magic Griffin. *Some* copier must have the feature of bit-swapping the data and the only PCE copier I know of besides the MGD2 is the Super Magic Griffin.

[vcdfan]

Hey kyuusaku, at Ntscco they've got a Super Twin with PC Engine and Supergrafx I/O's. I can't remember the comments I've heard about this unit. Do you know anything about it? I am going to get the unit from Tototek once it's released. But ever since I saw your collection list, I've felt just a tiny little bit of envy! So I think, as and when money permits, I'm going to start up my own little collection going. But I would like your views on this unit if you'd be so kind mate Or if anyone else knows anything?

vcdfan

[thekeen]

Hi vcdfan,

I have a super twin drive. Basically, it is very similar to the MGD2 with a few caveats. Here is what I know of the unit:

- It only supports 8Megabits and it isn't expandable (well, it is, but, I have no clue what type of RAM it takes)
- The RAM is similar to MGD2's SRAM. The game is kept in the cart after you remove it from the main body by using an internal battery. It looks like a old type of battery similar to the old batteries used to keep information on the CMOS of old 386, 486s
- It is rather rare, so, there is very little information on it
- There is a parallel port on it, but, I don't have the software and I haven't been able to locate it
- It does accept MGD2 formated files
- It uses floppy disks
- It has a better screen than the MGD2 (more information and more than just 1 letter and 1 number)
- It has one 'expansion' connector presumably for dumping ROMS (at least, I am pretty sure because there is a 'backup cart' menu option)

I only have an SNES and MD I/O to it. I will soon get a PCE I/O. If you have any questions, I can fire it up and answer as many questions as I can.

Thanks,
TheKeen.

[vcdfan]

Hi thekeen,

Thanks a lot for the info mate. For what I want it for, it sounds like it'll do the job. Like I said in my last post, I want/need something to use on the PCE until Tototek release their unit. And I also want to start adding more units to my collection.
Do you know if it supports any other consoles other than SFC/MD/PCE like the MGD2 does? Any idea which manufactured the unit? I know that you said you hadn't managed to get the parallel port working, but do you know if you can load games this way like the MGD2?
Ntscco have a set of I/O's for this unit, SFC/MD/PCE. Seen as your wanting the PCE, I might get the SFC/MD I/O, if you fancy working something out. Anyway, PM me if you want to talk about that any further.
I was thinking about getting the MGD2 PCE I/O and the PC link cable (or whatever it's called )so I could use my PC for loading games, without having to buy the main unit or any other I/O's. But, I understand that it's fairly expensive. Anyone know where I can get my grubbly little mitts on one
Any more help, from any and everyone, would, as always, be much appreciated.

vcdfan

P.S. - thekeen, any chance you could take me some nice pretty little pictures of your unit

[thekeen]

Hi vcdfan,

From information that I have read (Please see the following link: http://www.robwebb.clara.co.uk/backup/ ), the unit was produced by FM trading company. The I/Os that were produced for it where: SNES, MD, PCE, Gameboy and GameGear. I currently have SNES and MD and will get PCE shortly.

From the information that I have gotten on Cherry Roms, it does seem that the parallel port is for game transfers but, I never was able to locate a transfer program.

Here are some pictures of the main unit with the RAM cart in place in it (it's the dark gray rectangle on the left hand side):

http://www.geocities.com/slajeunesse/main01.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/slajeunesse/main02.jpg

Here are some pictures of the RAM cart with the MD io:

http://www.geocities.com/slajeunesse/ram_cart.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/slajeunesse/ram_md01.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/slajeunesse/ram_md02.jpg

Here is a picture (blurry) of the IO ports found on the back of the unit:

http://www.geocities.com/slajeunesse/io_ports.jpg

And finally, a picture of where the RAM cart connects to the main body:

http://www.geocities.com/slajeunesse/ram_connector.jpg

As for the MGD2, you will need at least the following:

- 8M SRAM cart (very expensive, probably close to 70$)
- PCE I/O (It varies in prices considerably, but, 50$ I guess)
- PC Link cable (not sure on the price as it is fairly rare)

You can see a lot of MGD2 related things at the following URLs:

http://www.gamechoiceclub.com/search.asp?page=1&category=MGD2&subcategory=Accessory
http://www.geocities.com/multigamedoctor/mgd2.html

As for the MGD2, I own the following:

- Main body
- 4M and 8M SRAM (with battery cell, required to keep memory)
- PCE I/O
- Game Gear I/O

Hope this answers some of the questions that you had. If you have any more questions, feel free to fire away!

TheKeen.

[thekeen]

Hum,

a few restrictions on 'URL links' exists with Geocities. Please click on this URL:

http://www.geocities.com/slajeunesse/super_twin.html

This will show you all the pictures.

Cheers,
TheKeen.

[vcdfan]

Nice one for those mate, really kind of you
Anyway, thekeen, check your inbox, I've sent you a PM mate.

vcdfan

[acem77]

http://home.adelphia.net/~acem77/

check out my site for some mgd2 stuff

[vcdfan]

Yeah that's a nice site for MGD2. I first had a look at it when you joined Cherryroms. Now all I need is something to play all these ROM's on. I don't know about everybody else, but I'd rather play them on the hardware they were meant for, rather than through emulation on a PC.

vcdfan

[acem77]

same here it just feels better and it should run 100%.
no emulation bugs.
now i have 99% of pce roms all supergrafx converted to mgd2 to
for both usa and jap systems. i even ran a super grafx game on my turbo express. you could only hear the music

[vcdfan]

Yeah I mean don't get me wrong, I think emulation is a fantastic thing. People can experience games from other systems that they wouldn't of had the chance to play otherwise. And the guys who create the emulators are incredibly talented, and yet they do it for little or no recognition without being payed and because they're passionate about it.
Is it easy to get PCE ROM's to run on a Supergrafx and vice-versa? It's just, to start with I'm wondering which to get. Those Duo's look rather tasty though, not sure whether the ol' credit card can quite stretch to one of those this month though

vcdfan