Difference between revisions of "PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) emulators"

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[[File:PCengine.jpg|thumb|The PC Engine (Japanese Model)]]The '''[[gametech:TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine|PC Engine]]''' (PCE) was a 16-bit system released by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nec NEC] in 1990, as a collaboration between Hudson Soft and NEC. It saw a limited US release as the '''[[gametech:TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine|TurboGrafx-16]]''' and support dwindled soon afterwards. Europe only got imported power-converted versions of either the US (in Spain, UK) or Japanese models (in Benelux regions). It could run HuCard cartridges.
+
[[File:PCengine.jpg|thumb|The PC Engine. <small>The TurboGrafx-16 had a different model.</small>]]
 +
[[File:SuperGrafx-Console-Set.jpg|thumb|The PC Engine SuperGrafx.]]
 +
The '''[[gametech:TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine|PC Engine]]''' ('''PCE''') was a 16-bit system released jointly by [[wikipedia:Nec|NEC]] and [[wikipedia:Hudson Soft|Hudson Soft]] in Japan in 1987. When it came time to seek other potential markets, the two companies eventually caved to a limited American release in 1989 under a completely different model and name: the '''TurboGrafx-16'''. The European versions varied throughout the countries, being the western version in Spain and United Kingdom and Japanese models in Benelux regions.
  
'''PC Engine CD''' (PC-CD), also known as the '''TurboGrafx-CD''' in the US, was an add-on to the PC Engine system that could run CD-based games, much like the Sega CD but better supported in Japan. The '''PC Engine Duo''', also known as the '''Turbo-Duo''' in the US, was another hardware revision that combined the original PCE and PC-CD hardware in one unit with more RAM, as yet another failed attempt to relaunch the failing console in the West.  
+
The joint venture, formed in North America as TTI, made an add-on called the '''PC Engine CD''' ('''PC-CD''') / '''TurboGrafx-CD''' that loaded games from discs instead, much like the Sega CD but better supported. The '''PC Engine Duo''' / '''Turbo-Duo''' combined the add-on into the unit with more RAM as yet another failed attempt to relaunch the failing console in the West.
  
The '''PC Engine GT''', or the '''Turbo-Express''' in the US, was a very rare handheld model of the original PCE hardware, in the same vein as the Sega Nomad (a portable Sega Genesis / Megadrive). It did include some exclusive features like the TurboLink multiplayer feature (used in a flight sim called ''Falcon'') but wasn't widely supported.
+
When it first launched in North America, the TurboGrafx-16 was largely seen as a failure blamed on poor marketing by the manufacturers. The PC Engine on the other hand was a whole different story, beating out the [[Nintendo Entertainment System emulators|Famicom]] when it first came out long enough to compete against [[Super Nintendo emulators|its rival's own successor]] and gave little focus for the [[Sega Genesis emulators|Mega Drive]] who was instead posing more of a threat to Nintendo in North America.
  
The system was to receive an enhanced model with true 16-bit hardware back in 1990, originally called the '''PC Engine 2'''. It was eventually rushed to the market only in Japan as the '''PC Engine SuperGrafx''' lacking much of the promised features, and was a commercial failure. It was backwards compatible, and only 7 exclusive games were released for it.
+
NEC planned to enhance the system further, announcing the "PC Engine 2" that would later become the '''PC Engine SuperGrafx'''. However, it was rushed to a 1989 market in Japan lacking much of its promised features with only seven titles exclusively made for it, ending up a commercial failure to be binned and discontinued not long after. The '''PC Engine GT''' / '''Turbo-Express''' was a very rare handheld model of the original hardware, in the same vein as the Sega Nomad (a portable Sega Genesis / Mega Drive). It did include some exclusive features like the TurboLink multiplayer feature (used in a flight sim called ''Falcon'') but wasn't widely supported.
  
 
==Emulators==
 
==Emulators==
[[File:SuperGrafx-Console-Set.jpg|thumb|The PC Engine SuperGrafx]]
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
{| class="wikitable"
+
|-
|+PC
 
 
! scope="col"|Name
 
! scope="col"|Name
 
! scope="col"|Operating System(s)
 
! scope="col"|Operating System(s)
Line 20: Line 21:
 
! scope="col"|[[Recommended emulators|Recommended]]
 
! scope="col"|[[Recommended emulators|Recommended]]
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Mednafen]] PCE
+
!colspan="8"|PC
|style="text-align:center;"|Multi-platform
+
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[{{MednafenURL|releases/}} {{MednafenVer}}]
+
|[[Mednafen]] <small>(PCE-Accurate)</small>
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
+
|Multi-platform
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
+
|[{{MednafenURL|releases/}} {{MednafenVer}}]
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
+
|✓ ||✓ ||✗ ||High ||✓
|style="text-align:center;"|High
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Mednafen]] PCE-Fast
+
|[[Mednafen]] <small>(PCE-Fast)</small>
|style="text-align:center;"|Multi-platform
+
|Multi-platform
|style="text-align:center;"|[{{MednafenURL|releases/}} {{MednafenVer}}]
+
|[{{MednafenURL|releases/}} {{MednafenVer}}]
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
+
|✓ ||✓ ||✓ ||Mid ||✓
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Mid
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[MAME]]
+
|[[MAME]]
|style="text-align:center;"|Multi-platform
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|Multi-platform
|style="text-align:center;"|[http://www.mamedev.org/release.html {{MAMEVer}}]
+
|[http://www.mamedev.org/release.html {{MAMEVer}}]
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
+
|✓ ||✓ ||? ||High ||✓
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
|style="text-align:center;"|?
 
|style="text-align:center;"|High
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[BizHawk]]
+
|[[BizHawk]]
|style="text-align:center;"|Windows
+
|Windows
|style="text-align:center;"|[http://tasvideos.org/BizHawk/ReleaseHistory.html {{BizHawkVer}}]
+
|[http://tasvideos.org/BizHawk/ReleaseHistory.html {{BizHawkVer}}]
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
+
|✓ ||✓ ||✗ ||High ||✗
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
|style="text-align:center;"|High
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[http://takeda-toshiya.my.coocan.jp/ ePCEngine]
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|[http://takeda-toshiya.my.coocan.jp/ ePCEngine]
|style="text-align:center;"|Windows
+
|Windows
|style="text-align:center;"|[http://takeda-toshiya.my.coocan.jp/common/index.html 8/12/2017]
+
|[http://takeda-toshiya.my.coocan.jp/common/index.html 8/12/2017]
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
+
|✓ ||✓ ||✗ ||? ||✗
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Final Burn Alpha]]
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|[[Final Burn Alpha]]
|style="text-align:center;"|Windows
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|Windows
|style="text-align:center;"|[http://www.fbalpha.com/downloads/ 0.2.97.39]
+
|[http://www.fbalpha.com/downloads/ 0.2.97.39]
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
+
|✓ ||✓ ||✗ ||? ||✗
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[higan]]
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|[[higan]]
|style="text-align:center;"|Windows, Linux, OS X  
+
|Windows, Linux, OS X  
|style="text-align:center;"|{{higanVer}}
+
|{{higanVer}}
|style="text-align:center;"|
+
|? ||? ||✗ ||? ||✗
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[http://zeograd.com/ Hu-Go!]
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|[http://zeograd.com/ Hu-Go!]
|style="text-align:center;"|Windows, Linux
+
|Windows, Linux
|style="text-align:center;"|[http://zeograd.com/hugo_download.php 2.12]
+
|[http://zeograd.com/hugo_download.php 2.12]
|style="text-align:center;"|
+
|? ||? ||✗ ||? ||✗
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
|style="text-align:center;"|
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[MagicEngine]]
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|[[MagicEngine]]
|style="text-align:center;"|Windows, OS X
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|Windows, OS X
|style="text-align:center;"|[http://www.emuparadise.me/emulators/files/user/Magic-Engine_1.1.3-952.rar 1.1.3]
+
|[http://www.emuparadise.me/emulators/files/user/Magic-Engine_1.1.3-952.rar 1.1.3]
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
+
|✓ ||✓ ||✗ ||Mid ||✗
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Mid
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Ootake]]
+
|[[Ootake]]
|style="text-align:center;"|Windows
+
|Windows
|style="text-align:center;"|[http://www.ouma.jp/ootake/ 2.85]
+
|[http://www.ouma.jp/ootake/ 2.85]
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
+
|✓ ||? ||✗ ||Mid ||✗
|style="text-align:center;"|?
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Mid
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[https://github.com/TASVideos/pcejin pcejin] (Mednafen 0.8.x)
+
|pcejin <small>(Mednafen 0.8.x)</small>
|style="text-align:center;"|Windows
+
|Windows
|style="text-align:center;"|[https://github.com/TASVideos/pcejin GitHub]
+
|[https://github.com/TASVideos/pcejin GitHub]
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
+
|✓ ||✓ ||✗ ||Mid ||✗
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Mid
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Turbo Engine]]
+
|[[Turbo Engine]]
|style="text-align:center;"|Windows
+
|Windows
|style="text-align:center;"|[http://aamirm.hacking-cult.org/www/turbo.html 0.32]
+
|[http://aamirm.hacking-cult.org/www/turbo.html 0.32]
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
+
|✓ ||✓ ||✗ ||High ||✗
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
|style="text-align:center;"|High
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
! colspan="8"|Mobile
 
! colspan="8"|Mobile
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Mednafen]] PCE-Fast
+
|[[Mednafen]] <small>(PCE-Fast)</small>
|style="text-align:center;"|Multi-platform
+
|Multi-platform
|style="text-align:center;"|[{{MednafenURL|releases/}} {{MednafenVer}}]
+
|[{{MednafenURL|releases/}} {{MednafenVer}}]
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
+
|✓ ||✓ ||✓ ||Mid ||✓
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Mid
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|PCE.emu
+
|PCE.emu
|style="text-align:center;"|Android
+
|Android
|style="text-align:center;"|[http://www.jeodrive.com/download/pce-emu-v1-5-34/ 1.5.34]
+
|[http://www.jeodrive.com/download/pce-emu-v1-5-34/ 1.5.34]
|style="text-align:center;"|?
+
|? ||? ||✗ ||? ||✗
|style="text-align:center;"|?
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
|style="text-align:center;"|?
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
!colspan="8"|Console
 
!colspan="8"|Console
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Virtual Console]]
+
|[[Virtual Console]]
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Wii]]
+
|[[Wii]]
|style="text-align:center;"|n/a
+
|? ||✓ ||✗ ||✗ ||High ||✓
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
|style="text-align:center;"|High
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|HuE
+
|HuE
|style="text-align:center;"|[[PlayStation Portable]]
+
|[[PlayStation Portable]]
|style="text-align:center;"|[http://filetrip.net/psp-downloads/homebrew/download-hue-for-psp-070-f28312.html 0.70]
+
|[http://filetrip.net/psp-downloads/homebrew/download-hue-for-psp-070-f28312.html 0.70]
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
+
|✓ ||? ||✗ ||? ||✓
|style="text-align:center;"|?
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✗
 
|style="text-align:center;"|?
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
 
|-
 
|-
|style="text-align:center;"|[[Mednafen]] PCE-Fast*
+
|[[Mednafen]] <small>(PCE-Fast)</small><ref group=N>Only available on consoles as a libretro core (e.g. [[RetroArch]]).</ref>
|style="text-align:center;"|Multi-platform
+
|Multi-platform
|style="text-align:center;"|{{MednafenVer}}
+
|{{MednafenVer}}
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
+
|✓ ||✓ ||✓ ||Mid ||✓
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
|style="text-align:center;"|Mid
 
|style="text-align:center;"|✓
 
 
|}
 
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Only available on consoles as a libretro core (e.g. [[RetroArch]]).
+
<references group=N />
  
 
===Comparisons===
 
===Comparisons===
* [[Mednafen]] is great, it has two PCE cores: PCE-Accurate and PCE-Fast, its operated by command line. pcejin is based on an older version of Mednafen's PC Engine core but with a GUI. Linux users should use Mednafen with a GTK GUI[http://sourceforge.net/projects/mednafenfe/].
+
;[[Mednafen]]:Much like its other original cores, it does very well, even having two profiles: PCE-Accurate and PCE-Fast. Despite being CLI-based, a fork of an older version that has a GUI has emerged called pcejin. [[RetroArch]] uses the PCE-Fast core for its beetle fork.
* [[RetroArch]] uses Mednafen's PCE-Fast core.
+
;[[Ootake]]:It's okay for general purposes.
* [[MagicEngine]] only has a free demo available. The full version costs €15 EUR. There is no reason to buy it when there are better free options available.
+
;[[MAME]]:Has a <code>pce</code> driver <small>(and a child driver called <code>tg16</code>)</small>. In all revisions it emulates, MAME reports it as working and the graphics as okay, but the sound is imperfect.
* [[Ootake]] is okay for general purposes.
+
;[[MagicEngine]]:Unfortunately trialware that costs €15 euro. There are better options available for free.
  
[[Category: Consoles]]
+
[[Category:Consoles]]
 
[[Category:PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) emulators|*]]
 
[[Category:PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) emulators|*]]

Revision as of 10:04, 5 November 2017

The PC Engine. The TurboGrafx-16 had a different model.
The PC Engine SuperGrafx.

The PC Engine (PCE) was a 16-bit system released jointly by NEC and Hudson Soft in Japan in 1987. When it came time to seek other potential markets, the two companies eventually caved to a limited American release in 1989 under a completely different model and name: the TurboGrafx-16. The European versions varied throughout the countries, being the western version in Spain and United Kingdom and Japanese models in Benelux regions.

The joint venture, formed in North America as TTI, made an add-on called the PC Engine CD (PC-CD) / TurboGrafx-CD that loaded games from discs instead, much like the Sega CD but better supported. The PC Engine Duo / Turbo-Duo combined the add-on into the unit with more RAM as yet another failed attempt to relaunch the failing console in the West.

When it first launched in North America, the TurboGrafx-16 was largely seen as a failure blamed on poor marketing by the manufacturers. The PC Engine on the other hand was a whole different story, beating out the Famicom when it first came out long enough to compete against its rival's own successor and gave little focus for the Mega Drive who was instead posing more of a threat to Nintendo in North America.

NEC planned to enhance the system further, announcing the "PC Engine 2" that would later become the PC Engine SuperGrafx. However, it was rushed to a 1989 market in Japan lacking much of its promised features with only seven titles exclusively made for it, ending up a commercial failure to be binned and discontinued not long after. The PC Engine GT / Turbo-Express was a very rare handheld model of the original hardware, in the same vein as the Sega Nomad (a portable Sega Genesis / Mega Drive). It did include some exclusive features like the TurboLink multiplayer feature (used in a flight sim called Falcon) but wasn't widely supported.

Emulators

Name Operating System(s) Latest Version PCE-CD (TG-CD) PCE2 (SG) Libretro Core Accuracy Recommended
PC
Mednafen (PCE-Accurate) Multi-platform 1.32.1 High
Mednafen (PCE-Fast) Multi-platform 1.32.1 Mid
MAME Multi-platform 0.265 ? High
BizHawk Windows 2.9.1 High
ePCEngine Windows 8/12/2017 ?
Final Burn Alpha Windows 0.2.97.39 ?
higan Windows, Linux, OS X v110 ? ? ?
Hu-Go! Windows, Linux 2.12 ? ? ?
MagicEngine Windows, OS X 1.1.3 Mid
Ootake Windows 2.85 ? Mid
pcejin (Mednafen 0.8.x) Windows GitHub Mid
Turbo Engine Windows 0.32 High
Mobile
Mednafen (PCE-Fast) Multi-platform 1.32.1 Mid
PCE.emu Android 1.5.34 ? ? ?
Console
Virtual Console Wii ? High
HuE PlayStation Portable 0.70 ? ?
Mednafen (PCE-Fast)[N 1] Multi-platform 1.32.1 Mid
  1. Only available on consoles as a libretro core (e.g. RetroArch).

Comparisons

Mednafen
Much like its other original cores, it does very well, even having two profiles: PCE-Accurate and PCE-Fast. Despite being CLI-based, a fork of an older version that has a GUI has emerged called pcejin. RetroArch uses the PCE-Fast core for its beetle fork.
Ootake
It's okay for general purposes.
MAME
Has a pce driver (and a child driver called tg16). In all revisions it emulates, MAME reports it as working and the graphics as okay, but the sound is imperfect.
MagicEngine
Unfortunately trialware that costs €15 euro. There are better options available for free.