• From: Tokyo, Japan
  • Registered: 2009-10-23
  • Posts: 5

This is my first steps on redump.org and also my first post.
I made extensive search on this forum and read almost all posts regarding PCE, but could not figure what was the best way to dump PC Engine CDs.
It happens that today I have a complete collection (around 400 original CD-rom), and would like to contribute.

What I read is that some titles are still difficult to dump and that subcode would be needed (but I am not sure to understand technicaly the whole story behind this).

I also read somewhere on the forum that some information regarding how the master was prepared would be helpful.
By pure luck, I was able to put my hand on technical docs of the development kit.
It is an English translation based on the first version of the doc.
I don't have enough knowledge myself to spot if this doc can help the project, so here is a link :

http://www.retrospecies.org/upload/rerepcengine.zip

By the way I use Plextor drives (Premium CD and PX-760A).
What is the recommandation today for PCE ?
Wait for a better way to dump ?
Or just go and follow the actual dumping guide available on redump.org's main page ?

  • Registered: 2009-06-11
  • Posts: 313

Hi, i recommend you to also visit the redump.org IRC channel and get in touch with experiences dumpers

greets, gbk

Game-Art-HQ My website for Official Game related artworks and fan art + cosplays + screenshots
  • Registered: 2006-12-24
  • Posts: 3,847

Complete collection? Do you have Lords of Thunder - Demo Disc [DUO DEMO 02] and Magical Fantasy Adventure - Popful Mail - Sample Disc [HE4005]?

As for the dumping method - it's somewhat complicated for PCE CDs currently, (nothing impossible, though).

  • From: Hyrule
  • Registered: 2008-01-16
  • Posts: 1,440

Welcome.

PCE CDs dumping is quite complicated at first sight as said by Fireball. You have to check subcodes (clonecd ones are the best) and probably dumping it with a audio trap cd. By the way someone has already to write down a guide, all infos are here and there.
If you really want to contribute it's better you take contact with Fireball on irc or via private msg

My patch requests thread
--------------------------------
  • From: Tokyo, Japan
  • Registered: 2009-10-23
  • Posts: 5

Thanks for your answer F1ReB4LL.
So I'll check this forum times to times.
Until there is a decent solution, in the mean time I'll redump HU cards games properly.

My collection is mainly Japanese commercial titles (I also collect different versions of the same game).
But another collector I am in touch with has also a large amount of "not for sale".
He has the Popful Mail Sample disk for sure and many other titles not even listed.
Not sure about Lords of Thunder Demo disk (I'll ask him).

But anyway my priority is commercial titles.
After then, why not dumping other "not for sale" or prototypes.

  • Registered: 2006-12-24
  • Posts: 3,847

Rocknroms wrote:

You have to check subcodes (clonecd ones are the best) and probably dumping it with a audio trap cd.

Nope, no trap cd is needed, just a game and a plextor, but subs are needed and not the clonecd ones, so each dump can take an hour or two.

  • From: Hyrule
  • Registered: 2008-01-16
  • Posts: 1,440

F1ReB4LL wrote:
Rocknroms wrote:

You have to check subcodes (clonecd ones are the best) and probably dumping it with a audio trap cd.

Nope, no trap cd is needed, just a game and a plextor, but subs are needed and not the clonecd ones, so each dump can take an hour or two.

This is new, so which subs?

My patch requests thread
--------------------------------
  • From: Switzerland
  • Registered: 2010-11-10
  • Posts: 61

Namida, did you start to dump anything yet? And if so, is it successful?
I'm very curious, because I loved the PC-Engine CD, and I would love to have a complete set one day smile

Drive: Plextor PX-708A (Correction offset: +30)
Drive: TSSTcorp - DVDWBD SH-B123L (Correction offset: +6)

Justin Bailey's Website

  • From: Tokyo, Japan
  • Registered: 2009-10-23
  • Posts: 5

Of course not  sad
I won't until everyone agrees on how to make a perfect dump.
I am okay to spend several months to dump everything properly, but won't do it twice.
And I am not in a hurry anyway (PC Engine games are far from natural death).

I hoped that my contribution with dev manuals could help, but I got zero feedback.

Until we all together find a solution, I concentrate on NEC PC-88 and PC-98 floppy games (using KryoFlux).
I have a large collection of 6000 (yes) games here.
All original with boxes and everything.
The history of the PC Engine is linked to older NEC Systems, so it's important to backup them as much as more recent CD games.

Now regarding PCE Hu cards, I have started redumping all properly.
No problem so far.

Justin Bailey wrote:

Namida, did you start to dump anything yet? And if so, is it successful?
I'm very curious, because I loved the PC-Engine CD, and I would love to have a complete set one day smile

  • Registered: 2006-12-24
  • Posts: 3,847

Namida wrote:

Of course not  sad
I won't until everyone agrees on how to make a perfect dump.
I am okay to spend several months to dump everything properly, but won't do it twice.
And I am not in a hurry anyway (PC Engine games are far from natural death).

Agree, the best solution for now.

Namida wrote:

I hoped that my contribution with dev manuals could help, but I got zero feedback.

Actually, we're focused on 1:1 dumping now, so the dev manuals won't be very helpful, I guess. I'll take a look, though.

Namida wrote:

Until we all together find a solution, I concentrate on NEC PC-88 and PC-98 floppy games (using KryoFlux).

What's about CDs for them? PC-88 has a 2 or 3 titles ("Mirrors" and something else), PC-98 has MANY.

Namida wrote:

The history of the PC Engine is linked to older NEC Systems, so it's important to backup them as much as more recent CD games.

And, I hope, PC-FX.

11 Reply by r09

  • r09
  • Dumper
  • Offline
  • From: Spain
  • Registered: 2008-04-19
  • Posts: 316

So, do I put all my stuff on hold, too? Because I'm not going to go through all the hassle of manually cutting and checking the gaps and everything if it's not recommended to add PCE dumps to the database...

  • From: Tokyo, Japan
  • Registered: 2009-10-23
  • Posts: 5

I'll treat PC-88MC CD-Roms same as PC Engine games.
And yes you are right, there are only 2.5 titles :
The one given with PC-88MC2 system.
Mirrors.
And a reedition of Mirrors (same contents).

Other known titles (a dozen) are floppy based + music only CD.

PC-98 is another story, they should be treated same as AT/PC CD-Roms.
But many of them require a floppy to boot, so my priority is to backup the floppy.

Namida wrote:

Until we all together find a solution, I concentrate on NEC PC-88 and PC-98 floppy games (using KryoFlux).

What's about CDs for them? PC-88 has a 2 or 3 titles ("Mirrors" and something else), PC-98 has MANY.

  • Registered: 2006-12-24
  • Posts: 3,847

r09 wrote:

So, do I put all my stuff on hold, too?

Yes. I also have dozens of them, but only one is dumped (for test) - and _there is_ a reason for that, lol.

14 Reply by r09

  • r09
  • Dumper
  • Offline
  • From: Spain
  • Registered: 2008-04-19
  • Posts: 316

If so, we should put a big warning in the forums or just hide the PC Engine section entirely. Otherwise, some people might start buying or dumping stuff, only to be told that they shouldn't.

  • From: Illusion City
  • Registered: 2009-12-27
  • Posts: 12

Namida wrote:

I'll treat PC-88MC CD-Roms same as PC Engine games.
And yes you are right, there are only 2.5 titles :
The one given with PC-88MC2 system.
Mirrors.
And a reedition of Mirrors (same contents).

Well, that's not entirely true. There should be a total of 5 CD games for the PC88, if I remember correctly.
Mirrors, a sample disk named Takarabako, Duel CD, DIOS CD and another title which I don't remember.
As soon as I get home I'll check and post the full list.
The Mirrors reedition is the one done in the late '90s / early '00s ?
However, do you have a list of your 88 stuff? I'd like to give it a look. Thanks smile

Call me Snake...
  • Registered: 2006-12-24
  • Posts: 3,847

Snake Plissken wrote:

There should be a total of 5 CD games for the PC88, if I remember correctly.

Relics: The Recur of Origin (1986 BothTec) also, at least (was on fmv forum a few months ago).

17 Reply by Namida (edited by Namida 2011-06-21 06:49:54)

  • From: Tokyo, Japan
  • Registered: 2009-10-23
  • Posts: 5

Snake Plissken wrote:
Namida wrote:

I'll treat PC-88MC CD-Roms same as PC Engine games.
And yes you are right, there are only 2.5 titles :
The one given with PC-88MC2 system.
Mirrors.
And a reedition of Mirrors (same contents).

Well, that's not entirely true. There should be a total of 5 CD games for the PC88, if I remember correctly.
Mirrors, a sample disk named Takarabako, Duel CD, DIOS CD and another title which I don't remember.
As soon as I get home I'll check and post the full list.
The Mirrors reedition is the one done in the late '90s / early '00s ?
However, do you have a list of your 88 stuff? I'd like to give it a look. Thanks smile

Snake,
I think Mirrors is the only CD based game for the PC-88 (and you need to prepare a boot floppy to launch the game).
CD Takara-bako is also the one I was talking about (the CDrom given with the PC-88MC2), but it's not really a game (just a compilation of system demonstrations and a few playable game samples).
As far as I know the other ones (including Duel, I have proof of that) are normal 5.25 floppies + pure audio CD.
I may be wrong regarding Dios as the CD edition is so rare that I've never seen it, but I do think it's just the normal edtion + audio CD (do you have any clue or proof ? not just "it's mentioned here").
If you want to include games with separate audio CD, you'll have more than 5 games at the end.

I can send you a complete list of my PC-88 games, but it's not romanized at all.
Can you read Japanese ?

Fireball,
I think you're talking about the Windows version of Relics.
There is no CD version for the PC-88 (or I missed the train).

  • Registered: 2006-12-24
  • Posts: 3,847

Yeah, my bad, it was in PC-88 section there, but it's a PC port.