Design: TurboDuo Modern
The Analogue Duo features a design inspired by the TurboDuo, with refined details giving it a fresh look. It is a rectangular box available in two versions: the American (black, TurboDuo style) and the Japanese (white, PC Engine Duo style), measuring 1.5 × 10.5 × 7 inches (height × width × depth), with a slightly raised top section that bends back. The top does not open to reveal a CD drive like the TurboDuo, but it has a transparent strip that gives the impression of a window through which you can see the spinning disc. However, the top of the Duo does not contain any drives, slots, buttons, or switches. (Image: Will Greenwald)
Instead, the Duo’s optical drive is located on the front of the system, to the right of a rectangular slot that reads TG16 and PCE HuCards. These are simpler and more elegant implementations of media drives compared to the TurboDuo, as they forgo the sliding top components for ease of use. However, the slot-based optical drive faces some challenges, as I noted during testing.
There is a circular power button with an LED indicator to the left of the Hucard slot, along with other ports and buttons on the left side and back panel. The left side features a 3.5mm headphone jack, a volume control jack for the headphone jack, an 8-pin mini-DIN port for connecting original TG16 or PCE controllers, a sync button, and four LED indicators for sync status for connecting a TG16 controller from 8Bitdo or a compatible Bluetooth controller. The back side features a wave pattern reminiscent of the original TG16 sides and includes an SD card slot, an HDMI port, two USB ports, and a USB-C port for power (HDMI and USB cables, along with a wall adapter, are included).
The single classic game controller port may seem odd to those who grew up with Nintendo or Sega systems, but it actually aligns with the original system. Generally, TG16 and PCE consoles traditionally had only one controller port, requiring a MultiTap accessory for multiplayer gaming (the Analogue Duo supports MultiTap). Fortunately, it also works with USB and wireless controllers via the two USB ports on the back of the system. Just be aware that you cannot mix and match original controllers with USB or wireless controllers.
No controller is included with the Analogue Duo. The unit itself, the cables, and the mentioned power adapter are included in the box. Analogue recommends connecting the system to a 8Bitdo TG16 2.4G controller, which they sell alongside the Duo. In fact, the Duo has a built-in 2.4GHz receiver specifically designed to work with that controller, along with Bluetooth. The compatibility list for the Duo is extensive, encompassing nearly all 8Bitdo Bluetooth and 2.4GHz controllers, as well as PlayStation 3/4/5, Switch, and Xbox 360/One controllers. If you already own the TurboGrafx-16 Mini, you can even connect its wired controller.
Hardware: FPGA, Not OpenFPGA
The Duo utilizes Analogue’s FPGA technology to run TG16 and PCE games exactly like the original systems, outputting video at 1080p resolution. It does not use Analogue Pocket’s OpenFPGA system, so you cannot load your own cores and make the Duo run games from an SD card or non-TurboGrafx CDs. The SD card is used solely for firmware updates and operating system, as well as for game library, save states, and screenshot capturing (save states are not currently available but are planned as a future update). (Image: Will Greenwald)
The compatibility list covers all PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16 formats. The Duo works with official HuCards and TurboChips, including SuperGrafx HuCards and TurboGrafx-CD System Cards, which are required for playing audio CDs. It can also run unlicensed and homebrew HuCards, as well as official and unlicensed TurboGrafx and PC Engine CDs (including Super CD-ROM and Arcade CD-ROM games). According to Analogue, it has been confirmed that the Everdrive Turbo Pro works with the homebrew HuCard, while running burned CD-ROMs may be uncertain.
Interface:
All the Text, All the Time
As is typical with Analogue devices, the menu system on the Duo is simple and text-based. The main screen is just a list of options: Play HuCard, Play CD, Library, Memories, Controls, Settings, and About. If there is a HuCard or compatible CD in the appropriate slot, those options dictate the game you will play. Upon selecting a game, the Library screen appears with basic information such as the publisher and release date, along with a screenshot of the game. From there, you can launch the game. (Image: Analogue)
The Library and Memories highlight your game collection (a list of games you have played on the Duo and the time spent playing) and allow you to access screenshots you have captured or, after a future update, save states. The Controls menu is a standard game controller setup menu that lets you pair, reassign, and change the order of Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz wireless controllers.
The Settings menu is the most interesting for enthusiasts, due to its precisely defined options. For example, the HDMI menu allows you to select a sync mode between zero-lag at 60 Hz and full-frame or partial-frame buffering depending on whether you want perfect frame delay or to prevent screen tearing (which is a risk on 50 Hz displays). The Display Mode menu allows you to choose between enhanced and clean looks with no effects (called Analogue TG16), a simulated Sony Trinitron CRT filter with individual options for grid aperture size and scanline hardness, or simulated copies for LCD screens of the Turbo Express or PC Engine LT handhelds. The Headphone menu is particularly surprising because its only option highlights how well-designed the Duo is for electronics enthusiasts. It features a high-impedance mode, which is great if you want to connect high-quality headphones with hundreds of ohms resistance.
Performance: Almost Perfect
I tested the Analogue Duo with HuCard games in my collection. All three card-based games worked perfectly, although Wonder Momo required some adjustments to load correctly. This is not a problem with the Duo as much as it results from the actual media needing occasional cleaning or slight repositioning for a proper read. After a few repeated attempts, Wonder Momo booted up without issue. Columns and Dragon Spirit loaded on the first input.
Overall, CD games work as they should, except for a few cases. Additionally, the Duo reads CD-R discs with burned images on them. This is not just a benefit for emulation but also for playing modified and homebrew games. Most TG16/PCE disc releases are in Japanese, which includes many RPGs. Most require reading Japanese, but some have fan translation patches. I burned a copy of Ys IV with an English patch, and it worked on the Analogue Duo – although the device did not recognize it as Ys IV. Patches affect the disc’s checksum data, so patched games do not match the official game data. As a result, the device won’t recognize them in its library. Regardless, the game played fine.
On the other hand, I encountered two instances where the Duo tried to read a burned CD-R (Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams and Space Adventure Cobra) and the system shut down. It then seemed that the Duo entered a loop where it would turn off immediately after turning on, as it would automatically try to read the disc. The device uses a slot-loading optical drive, so you can’t easily eject a CD by inserting a paperclip in the manual eject hole or opening the lid. In any case, I removed both discs by carefully moving the drive. I gently inserted an index card into the slot above the disc and slowed its rotation just enough to allow the eject button to function. This isn’t the safest solution to the problem, and it would have been nice to have a pinhole eject option.
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In most cases, CD-R discs were burned in the same manner as official games. This is good for more than just users who might burn images, whether they are patched or unpatched. If you purchase a game on CD-ROM from an online source or even from many retro game stores, whether it be TG16/PCE or Sega CD or Sega Saturn, there is a good chance it will be a reproduction disc rather than an original copy.
Another Classic System from Analogue
The Analogue Duo is considered a specialized gaming system, especially in the United States where the TurboGrafx-16 never came close to the success of the NES, Super NES, or Sega Genesis. However, if you have a fondness for the TG16 (or PC Engine) or a general interest in gaming history, it is a great system that opens up a massive library that is almost unknown in the West. The Super Nt and Mega Sg from Analogue can cater to most American gamers’ nostalgic retrieval desires, but the three represent some of the best ways to play their respective games on modern screens. And if you are a fan of shoot ’em up games, you should try the Duo to explore many of the classics available on this platform. Even with some issues reading CD-ROMs during testing, the Analogue Duo joins the Super Nt and Mega Sg as a winner of the Editors’ Choice award for classic gaming systems.
Source: https://me.pcmag.com/en/gaming-systems/20985/analogue-duo
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