MagicEngine

sideshow · Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 7:51 pm Post subject:

Thank you, I was able to do this successfully. I tested this with 90% of the US roms. The games work when I flashed the modified roms to my flashcard and boot it up on the PCE DUORX. Thanks Dmichel! You were right about that string being at the very beginning of most roms. When I didnt see the string on the first line I just did a text search with "NEC". I noticed that the string was right near these words 90% of the time. I was unable to find the string with the following US roms:

Cadash
Final Lap Twin
Ghost Manor
Legend of Hero Tonma
Night Creatures

I'm not sure how to search with the string. I can put in 7854 but it takes me to a different string. Any advice to find the string within these roms? Rolling Eyes

Grendelrt · Visitor Joined: 09 Jun 2006 Posts: 6

Hey SideShow I got a question for you on the card. Have you tried playing any games that save to battery. Like Neutopia for instance, to see if it saves correctly.

Also, would this bit switch trick in the hex editor work for playing PC-Engine Roms on a US Turbo Duo.

sideshow · Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2006 7:10 pm Post subject:

I tried using the cabinet for Neutopia and Neutopia II (US roms converted to JAP region) and it saves and loads correctly. No problems as far as I know. If you want to play a JAP rom converted to US region on a US Turbo Duo then just do the opposite as mentioned earlier in this thread. I dont have a US Turbo Duo so I cant test it but it would seem logical that changing the hex string would work both ways. I'm still trying to figure out how to patch those US roms I mentioned in my above post to JAP region. Is there a utility that would do it?

Grendelrt · Visitor Joined: 09 Jun 2006 Posts: 6

I am not sure, I have been gathering as much info as I can before I buy it. There is a message board from the creators, but they were of little help when I posted before.

fragmare · Member Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 59

Tomaitheous · Elder Joined: 27 Sep 2005 Posts: 306 Location: Tucson

sideshow · Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2006 6:28 am Post subject:

I obtained the Magic Kit but cant seem to find the region changing option. Mad

JKM · Visitor Joined: 26 Jun 2006 Posts: 3

I got one of these last week, I've been running several games with no issues, only Cadash doesn't work, as someone mentioned earlier.

Sideshow: With the Neopower PCE Kit software open, after you have added the roms you want and click on "write," it should ask you if you want to save it on PCE or TG16 format, then it should automatically convert any rom you need to whichever region you want.

Since this was posted two weeks ago you have probably figured it out already, but thought I would mention it since I was browsing.

Rockman · Regular Joined: 23 Jun 2004 Posts: 155

There *is* a way for a game to tell wheather it's being run on a TG-16 or PCE other than bit order. A certian pin on one of the chips is tied either high or low. I'd have to look up the specifics. The only time this is used for regeion protection is to prevent American games from being played on Japanese systems. Yes, that's weird.

sideshow · Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2006 6:26 am Post subject:

The PCE or TG16 format is the write mode format used for which region system you have. You cant write in TG16 mode and expect your PCEngine to recognize the flash card. It doesnt convert the roms at all. By the way, something odd has happened and now my Duo-RX wont even boot up the main menu of the Flash Card. Shocked

I know my system isnt broken caue it plays real Hucads and CD perfect. Perhaps the flash card has been flashed over and over too much. I really tested this puppy using many combinations of write modes with different region roms and roms that I changed the region with a hex editor. I'm in the process of finding anweres from Mr. Neo Flash himself. Hopefully the flash card is ok cause it appears to be flashing normal. No errors or anything odd is appearing with the software.

JKM · Visitor Joined: 26 Jun 2006 Posts: 3

That's weird, I can play roms from any region on both my Duo and TurboExpress without any trouble, I can even set it to use PC Engine CD system cards. Maybe it has something to do with the differences between US and Japanese systems?

sideshow · Posted: Fri Jun 30, 2006 3:20 am Post subject:

I read somewhere on the Neo Flash boards that a US console is able to play Japanese roms. A PCEngine system can not play US roms unless you hack the US rom yourself which is mentioned in this thread.

Grendelrt · Visitor Joined: 09 Jun 2006 Posts: 6

Well there is a slight difference in PC Engine and US Turbo systems. Japanses systems have a region lockout. You have ground out pin 29 on one of the chips to turn off the lockout. The only reason you cant usually play pc engine hu cards on a US system is because the pin layout on the cards are different. Its the same for both regions because of the pin layout, but the pc engine has the extra region lockout on it that the US systems do not.

Tomaitheous · Elder Joined: 27 Sep 2005 Posts: 306 Location: Tucson

Actually I think you have it backwards. It's the US system has the region lockout - per say, because only the US software looks to see if the PIN is high( or low) - not the Japanese software.

The inverse pins on the data port to the cart are so you can't pop in a JP hucard into a US system, since the JP hucards do not check the specific pin to see if it's high or low.
_________________
www.pcedev.net

Grendelrt · Visitor Joined: 09 Jun 2006 Posts: 6

Well to put it more simple =)

US DUO/TURBO/Express -->you can use hu card converter
PC Engine/Duo/GT --->Must ground pin 29 to be able to play imports