You know those systems that are like, double systems?

[Zoyous]

I thought the original 60GB PS3 actually had PS2 hardware in it for backwards compatibility, contributing to its hefty price tag.

[Steven Pendleton]

38 minutes ago, Zap1982 said:

Never heard of it until now - I looked it up and see we didn't get it in Europe but thats an impressive machine. 

It's a relatively obscure system, but I do see them for sale in stores on occasion, which is why I am rather disappointed in myself for forgetting about it until now.

 

The system itself is uncommon, but the modules you need for PC Engine and Mega Drive/Genesis games are quite difficult to find, and all of the ones I have seen have nothing in the spot where the module goes. A few years ago I saw a completely insane Mega Driver who had a LaserActive with the Mega Drive module with his Super 32X plugged into it. He might have even had 2 of them like that, but I'd have to go find the picture again.

 

Still, with the PC Engine and Mega Drive/Genesis modules, it gives you 3 to 5 systems' games, depending on how you want to count them: LaserDisc games, Mega Drive/Genesis games, Mega-CD/Sega CD games, PC Engine games, and PC Engine CD games. Crazy system.

Edited November 5, 2022 by Steven Pendleton

[Steven Pendleton]

Oh yeah, I forgot the FM Towns Marty. I guess there are some FM Towns Marty-exclusive games, but it also can't play all of the FM Towns games. Count it if you want, I guess, but it's supposed to basically be a consolized FM Towns instead of its own thing. Probably. Maybe. Maybe not. I don't know.

 

I know very little about the Marty other than that it's really damn expensive and not really worth it, but I do want to try those FM Towns versions of Hishouzame and Kyuukyoku Tiger and I don't know if those work on the Marty. There's one that's been sitting in a bin in a local game store for like 3 years now. I feel kind of bad for it and I have thought about buying it multiple times, but then I remember that there's basically no point in buying it at all.

Edited November 5, 2022 by Steven Pendleton

[Keir]

Interesting thread! For a while I was obsessed with being able to play games for as many different systems as possible on as few systems as possible, so of course I have a Laseractive as well as a Super 8.

 

The Amiga CD32 also plays CDTV games.

[Video]

Gameboy, god its a clusterf### but I love it. There's the original grey dig carts that work on almost all GB hardware, the SGB enhanced games that work fine on dmg, but have enhancements for the SGB, most notably Donkey Kong with beautiful higher color scenes you only get on SGB , space invaders, with the full SNES game included, and I forget which one, but a fighter that let two people play competitively. Then game boy color comes out and the standard black carts play on everything, just in color on newer gameboys, and translucent carts that required color or better, and of course GBA, the original and sp models play all the games. These all use a GB on a chip built in for nearly 100% compatibility.

 

Always wanted a mk 1 DS, I hear it has a GBC chip, but that Nintendo didn't include the physical switch to turn it on. Anybody know if this is true, or successfully moded one to work? That would have been the ultimate portable there.

[Steven Pendleton]

Game Boy is easy. PC Engine is the problematic one. HuCARD, SuperGrafx HuCARD, CD, Super CD, System Card 1.0, System Card 2.0, System Card 2.1, Super System Card 3.0, Arcade Card Pro, Arcade Card Duo, CoreGrafx, SuperGrafx, TurboGrafx, CoreGrafx II, Shuttle, DUO, DUO-R, DUO-RX, GT, LT, CD-ROM², Super CD-ROM², Interface Unit, RAU-30, ROM² AMP, PC-KD863G... yeah, that's the real mess.

[+GoldenWheels]

On 11/4/2022 at 10:11 PM, Steven Pendleton said:

How the hell has nobody mentioned the Pioneer LaserActive yet?

GODDAMN! I have an eBay search saved for them for crissakes. Right over my own head.

[+GoldenWheels]

On 11/4/2022 at 4:21 PM, Zap1982 said:

Sega Multimega (CDX) plays both Megadrive/Genesis and Mega/Sega CD games as standard. It can take a 32x (even though the manual says it can't) I am unsure if it plays Master System via the convertor or not but I can confirm it won't play them via Everdrive - mine doesn't anyway.

 

So because the CDX is just an all in one re-design of the system and the add on, I am not going to consider the CDX two discrete systems IN one console for the purpose of the thread. Sega CD (and 32X) couldn't exist WITHOUT a Genesis originally, so to me those are the same "system", even when you recombine them without all the extra hardware.

 

Same opinion on the X-eye Tanooki! Appreciate the input though fellas, I know I am splitting hairs here.

[Keir]

I thought someone had already mentioned the Super 8, but I guess not. It's a peripheral for the SNES that allows it to play NES and Famicom carts.

 

Also, the Laseractive is kind of an inbetween thing because even though the PACs are technically peripherals, they are also required to play Laseractive games. For example, you can't play Mega-LD games like Triad Stone without a Sega PAC.

[+GoldenWheels]

3 minutes ago, Keir said:

I thought someone had already mentioned the Super 8, but I guess not. It's a peripheral for the SNES that allows it to play NES and Famicom carts.

 

Also, the Laseractive is kind of an inbetween thing because even though the PACs are technically peripherals, they are also required to play Laseractive games. For example, you can't play Mega-LD games like Triad Stone without a Sega PAC.

Jeez, in looking that up, they also made a "Tristar" too which let you NES/FC and SNES/SFC on the 64! I gotta think on where these things lie...they're kind of systems themselves that sit on top of the host system and piggyback it....but some I already have on the list are maybe like that too. Hmmmm (I may be a chicken and just ignore weirdo third party stuff...it could get too complicated to stay consistent).

[Keir]

I forgot about the Tristar! To be clear, it does not work with NES carts (unless you have another adapter to play NES carts on a Famicom). The Super 8 actually has 3 separate slots (1 for NES, 1 for FC, and 1 for SNES).

[CatPix]

7 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

Game Boy is easy. PC Engine is the problematic one. HuCARD, SuperGrafx HuCARD, CD, Super CD, System Card 1.0, System Card 2.0, System Card 2.1, Super System Card 3.0, Arcade Card Pro, Arcade Card Duo, CoreGrafx, SuperGrafx, TurboGrafx, CoreGrafx II, Shuttle, DUO, DUO-R, DUO-RX, GT, LT, CD-ROM², Super CD-ROM², Interface Unit, RAU-30, ROM² AMP, PC-KD863G... yeah, that's the real mess.

You make it harder to understand than it really is

Basic console :

CoreGrafx, , CoreGrafx II, Shuttle, TurboGrafx (you can add Turbografx-16 - Yes, the Turbografx name was used for the PAL version, withouth the 16 - and the first version, the PC-Engine)

They take HuCARD or Turbocards. (name varies on the region. Much like Famicom is the NES)

 

Portable version :

GT, LT

The only difference is in the screen. They are literally a full PC-Engine console with an attached battery and screen.

 

CD consoles :

DUO, DUO-R, DUO-RX

 

Just redesigns of the same console. Much like how the Genesis spawned the Genesis II and 3.

 

CD add-ons :

Interface Unit (AKA IFU-30), Super CD-ROM²

All those plug on the classic consoles. They require cards to work :

 

CD-ROM² cards :

System Card 1.0, System Card 2.0, System Card 2.1

Are all the same, just updates of the CD-Rom BIOS. One exception : Altered Beast has a bug making it incompatible with all but System Card 1 BIOS.

 

Super CD-ROM² :

Super System Card 3.0

Easiest one Only one card for Super CD-ROM². The card is backward-compatible with CD-ROM² games. This card is included in the Duo consoles so it is not required at all for owners of a Duo System.

 

Arcade CD games :

Arcade Card Pro, Arcade Card Duo

Required to play Arcade games. As the name implies, the Duo is for the Duo consoles, the Pro is for the combo systems.

 

SuperGrafx :

SuperGrafx, SuperGrafx HuCARD , RAU-30

It's a different system, like how the Game Boy Color is a different system compatible with Game Boy. The RAU-30 allow to plug a CD add-on to the system. There were no Supergrafx CD games but it will read all CD games with the correct card.

 

TLDR :

 

There is the basic console, the PC-Engine.

There are CD-add-ons which can read different CD games with the corresponding System Card (I didn't mentionned it but a few pirate CD games come with their own Hu-Card )

There are combo consoles which read Hu-cards and CD.

There are two portable systems that only read Hu-cards.

There is a different console, the Supergrafx, entierely backward compatible with the PC-Engine.

And minus the Supergrafx, all of those exists in Japanese and US versions.

Edited November 6, 2022 by CatPix

[Tanooki]

On 11/5/2022 at 9:26 PM, Video said:

Gameboy, god its a clusterf### but I love it. There's the original grey dig carts that work on almost all GB hardware, the SGB enhanced games that work fine on dmg, but have enhancements for the SGB, most notably Donkey Kong with beautiful higher color scenes you only get on SGB , space invaders, with the full SNES game included, and I forget which one, but a fighter that let two people play competitively. Then game boy color comes out and the standard black carts play on everything, just in color on newer gameboys, and translucent carts that required color or better, and of course GBA, the original and sp models play all the games. These all use a GB on a chip built in for nearly 100% compatibility.

 

Always wanted a mk 1 DS, I hear it has a GBC chip, but that Nintendo didn't include the physical switch to turn it on. Anybody know if this is true, or successfully moded one to work? That would have been the ultimate portable there.

I'm confused what strange rumor are you talking about with MK 1 DS?

 

You're right otherwise, the Gameboy is king of that mess of being a double system, then a triple, quad...  GB, GBC, GBA all on there and SGB too and don't forget GB Plaeyer too, then GBA that lived further into DS and DSlite too.

[Video]

Well just rumor mill stuff. But supposedly the original version of the DS has the GBC chip still, but lacks the cart slot switches of the GBA consoles to trip on the GBC functionality. May just be rumor, but sounded like you could hardwire your own switch into it to force GBC support.