How's your TurboGrafx 16/PC Engine Going on

[Betagam7]

I'm very much enjoying Populous since finally figuring out how to play it at the third attempt (I also own the SMS and Game Boy versions).

What's really helped is that my partner has taken an interest in it even though she normally has little interest in games. To the extent that she has been looking up tips and online manuals to help me as I figure it out.

Although it's quite simplistic at heart, it's a very relaxing game to play,slowly raising and flattening the land and you know a game has gotten into your head when you start seeing things in real life and trying to interact with them by subliminally "clicking" on them...as I've found myself doing with uneven patches of the road into work today!

[Tanooki]

Good on you I've never quite figured that one out but only really meddled with the SNES version. The menus and reactions going on didn't make much sense so I got annoyed and stopped as it looked like no progress was being made.

[Betagam7]

Good on you I've never quite figured that one out but only really meddled with the SNES version. The menus and reactions going on didn't make much sense so I got annoyed and stopped as it looked like no progress was being made.

It didn't help that 'tutorial mode' requires you to follow detailed instructions from the instruction manual...a manual I've never owned on any format except this one...where it's rendered as a Japanese cartoon strip!!

Thankfully the old DOS manual and some figuring out has led me to eventually crack it.

It's really quite straightforward once you get past the off-putting number of icons on screen. It's really just a relaxing game of raising and lowering land to create even surfaces and occasionally planting totems to guide your people as to where to go next or making a badass knight to go burning and pillaging.

Of course I expect it to get harder as I'm only on stage 15 of 500!

[Tanooki]

Probably so but even I've heard the modern-ish re-release on the DS can get confusing too so perhaps it's just a design that lasts in time, but for those who can get wrapped around it ultimately. I think it would be fun but I fear it's a game I'd have to sit and watch someone play to get into it.

[Betagam7]

I've made it up to stage 48 of Populous.

Things got a little hairy on the last stage as the enemy was given six villages to start with to my one and for the first time the ability to create Knights to burn and pillage my guys. Thankfully the AI compensated by making him dumb as a rock.

He took a huge, seemingly unassailable lead to the point that I considered flooding the whole land to send us both back to the stone ages but then I settled for earth-quaking the hell out of him as the 'water' in this stage was deadly lava.

This, combined with his stupid AI setting seemed to do the trick. Still it took nearly an hour to beat this map! God knows what the stages are like by the time you get to stage 400+

I've been trying to pick up some more PC Engine games of late but not having a lot of luck with auctions (especially as I've been going for boxed games). Might be better off looking to pick up some Hu Card only bundles, just to get my system collection of the ground.

[SpikeSlania]

I own a pc engine duo that is currently broken. Think the fuse in it is dead. So I plan on asking a guy on ebay if he can fix it while having him mod it to use component cables. It died right before Bomberman 94 arrived in the mail which was sad. The main reason I bought a PC Engine Duo is the Ys series. Gamesack on youtube really sold me on the series and I enjoyed the 4th game on the Vita. So currently own Ys Book 1 & 2, Ys III, Bomberman Panic, Puyo Puyo, and Bomberman 94. I also got 4 imported games with the system when I bought it. No idea what their names are But one is a Ranma 1/2 game and another is a sports game. I don't plan on getting my duo modded to play US Hu Cards since Japanese cards are generally cheaper and most card games don't require heavy reading, other then Military Madness. Which I'm not sure if getting it modded to play 1 game will be worth it. Well, maybe english Neutopia 1 and 2 might also be worth it.

[marurun]

I'm not aware of any fuse issues in Duos, but I do know that the capacitors can start to go bad. You may have to have the unit re-capped. Also, since you're going to have someone open it up, anyway, consider a laser unit replacement.

[SpikeSlania]

I bought it recapped. One week I was playing it fine, didn't sound like the sound was degrading or video going bad, let it sit for like a week or 2 then went to start it up and was dead. When I looked it up online I found out it is more then likely 1 of 2 things, ether the fuse died or there's a problem with the power input, hoping it's the fuse since it's cheap. I just lack any tools or experience to check myself I wouldn't mind trying to learn one day, like I have a Saturn with a dead cd motor that I might try replacing myself

[Betagam7]

I'm up to stage 58 in Populous.

Been playing a bit of Dragon Spirit too. Up to Stage 3 but it sure is tough with no continues.

[marurun]

Dragon Spirit's biggest problem is the size of your dragon's hitbox. The music is great, but it's so easy to get plastered by a stray bullet or enemy.