The First CD Game System: PC Engine CD 

Fun fact: Only a couple of days before finishing this video, I added one of my most wanted games for this platform to the collection! Finally, I can experience Final Zone 2 and its truly incredible voice acting how it was originally intended! Another fun fact: Go the extra mile and get perks by supporting the channel on Patreon or becoming a channel member! Patreon: www.patreon.com/stuffweplay Channel Memberships: ru-vid.com/show-UCMWE7y3KTDJ8avhbFqyNIAgjoin

I love that they talked (really good) german in the Intro of Castlevania Rondo of Blood

That's the gray super CD-ROM drive that I fixed up glad you're enjoying it.

The PCE and TG16 were the little engines that could. This was really great, James. I still wish I could have gotten into the system as a kid but they weren’t available in my area. But it’s crazy how much nicer the PCE and CD-ROM(ROM) units look over the TG16.

I have a Duo-R and yeah, it's so sleek. I'm honestly just a sucker for combined systems like that (I also rock a JVC X'Eye).

I have both the IBM PC version of Street Fighter and original Fighting Street for TurboGrafx-CD, so the original Street Fighter arcade got multiple PC ports. The IBM PC version came on the same disc as the PC version of Mega Man 3 which is not the same as the NES game. The original Street Fighter was also released for multiple 8-bit home computers in Europe. The IFU-30 Interface Unit and CDR-30 CD-ROM² drive were initially sold separately but they were later sold together… at least in their updated IFU-30A and CDR-30A forms. They added a ground connection between the drive and the interface unit and changed the logo on the lid/cover from “IFU-30 CD-ROM² System” to “CD-ROM² System” in an oval. Battery-backed SRAM in HuCards did exist though they were thicker. There were only two of these so-called “ROMRAM” HuCards: Populous and Tennokoe Bank Card (Heavenly Voice Memory Bank). Tennokoe Bank could backup and transfer saves between consoles making it a very early memory card. Populous, on the other hand, cheaped out and ditched the battery in favor of saving to the console’s saveRAM. It still used the extra SRAM as workRAM so it came on a fat card with nothing under the bulging cover. There are two CD versions of Altered Beast (AKA “Jūōki-CD”) in Japan as well as the HuCard release. Few seem to know that the CD with the black dot on the label will work with any system card. I have have tested it. The one with no dot gets stuck in the first stage and the other does not. The PC Engine doesn’t need its own power supply with the Super CD-ROM² System. The Super CD-ROM² System is supposed to power the PC Engine with a detachable loop-back cable. It detaches so you can switch it for one that fits SuperGrafx. I can make you a replacement if you want. :) The Arcade Card Pro is compatible with absolutely every CD-ROM² setup so I don’t know where that comes from about it only working with original CD-ROM² System (Interface Unit) and Super CD-ROM² Systems. It works perfectly on the 2-in-1 consoles… though they only require the cheaper Arcade Card Duo. The Pro is only needed for playing Arcade CD-ROM² games on the original Interface Unit and the cheaper Arcade Card Duo literally works for everything else, but there is nothing stopping you from using the more-expensive Pro where it isn’t needed. Other than the original Interface Unit everything else has a Super System Card built-in. The Arcade Card Pro is just an Arcade Card Duo and Super System Card (System Card 3.0) in one. The Super CD-ROM² System, Duo, Duo-R, Duo-RX, and even the Pioneer LaserActive CLD-100 all have the Super System Card built in.

With all the extra hardware and card upgrade cards needed for this thing I question how it took off at all.

The difference between the Arcade Card Duo and Arcade Card Pro is the amount of RAM the cards have. The Arcade Duo card only had the extra RAM needed to play Arcade CDs. The Arcade Pro card added the built in RAM the Duo systems had plus the extra RAM needed to play Arcade CDs.

I really wish Capcom made a version of Street Fighter II for the PC Engine CD, with better music, voice samples and maybe graphics too

Great video! Your PC Engine docked in the Super CD Rom2 kinda reminds me of the SEGA Genesis CDX.

Funny enough, Fighting Street is the only TurboCD game I own, I don’t have a cd system. Thank god the turbo mini came with a ton of the heavy hitters. Also, a ton of the expensive cd games are counterfeit with very convincing fakes...too much of a risk to collect for for the money

Very cool video. Well researched too!!

For a supposedly 8 bit system, it honestly holds up well against the SNES and Genesis. There's a lot less slow down in PC Engine games than SNES games and it can put so many more colors on screen than the Genesis. Not too shabby for a system from 1987.

It’s worth mentioning that while the cpu was 8 bit, there are 2 16 bit graphics processors. So while bits don’t exactly tell you everything, the pc engine definitely had some power under the hood, especially when paired with the different system cards and cd unit (which didn’t add power, but made the games fucking huge)

I recently got a Super SD System 3, and I tried to get all of the most recommended games for the platform, but thanks to you, I made sure I got Final Zone II and Lords of the Rising Sun. Cheers!

pc engine mini is already more expensive and rare than the real pc engine with cd attachment hahaha

Loved it, I can't wait for more content!

I was thinking about getting one and it just looks so fucking complicated...

Where are all the fan programmers for the PC Engine/Turbografx 16.I like to see more platform games for the systems like Zool and Bubsy are any Sonic clone games.

The super CD rom squared is great

I’ve had the DUO, DUO-R and now the original interface system with the Arcade Card Pro. The Arcade Card was released specially for a port of Street Fighter 2. At the same time the 6 button pads were released specifically cause of Street Fighter 2. Then the other one on one fighting games from the NEO GEO followed. It was NEC’s answer to NEO GEO’s 100M/ shock. Anyway, anybody who owns one of these had to be a role playing buff. Ultima may have been the first, but the Ys and XZR series port from MSX, Xak and Tenshi no Shi and Record of Lodoss games from anime series were notable game series. But the big games for the original Japanese CD-Rom series was Tenghaimakyo 1 and 2. PC-Engine will always be my most fond video game memories. Btw, I still own a Super Famicom had a MegaDrive, NES and the Atari 2600.

I really need a diagram. I'm still very confused.

In 1993 I purchased the Turbo Duo and ordered a Japanese import of Dracula x Rondo of blood just for that one game. In 2000 I was stuck in Florida broke. I sold the Turbo Duo and Dracula x at a Pawn shop. It broke my heart to do it. Dracula x is my all time favorite game and I'm into VR sim racing with my rig noadays. But this past year I got a pristine copy of Dracula x from Japan for $300. Don't play it just had to have my baby back! I do play it with an Emulator. Never sell what is precious to you.

Picked up a breifcase unit and extras w a busted motor stupid cheap, really looking foreward i to finally playing on og hardware

Great video dude. If I recall, I think the only games that had battery save support built in was Populous. www.videogameden.com/hucard.htm?pop Also one of the few pce games that is in English too. :)

I love my super cdrom2 check it out connected to a supergrafx insane the real tower of power w an arcade card duo but I dont use the thing because of possible cap problems. After the tg16 pce mini I hope the analgue duo come out I will pay anything for a all in one 1080p wsy to play my collection I've had since 2005

Recalbox, Batocera, Retropie.

Here in Australia I was lucky to have a pc engine duo jp release in 93 from my best friend sold it to me with cds gate of thunder ys 1,2 and 3 us in english along with sf2 and 2 6 button Avenue pads 6 and Mr heli loved the system but b4 the internet I ended up selling it for $400 I still regret it at the time the super cd or duo had amazing anime intros and along with gate of thunder and yeah ys games blew me away wish I could of bought more games it took lunar on sega cd to get me to buy a mega cd in 95 great video until utube no one knew what I was talking about and sf2' was so much better than the megadrive version on a 20meg hucard

interesting video. never heard of this system before

13:46 Talk to those who keep putting on their system card warning/error screens girls on bikini or even naked.

It can't be Rom-Rom that's just stupid.

Play no no kuni 1!