Hey everyone, Nicole Express here. I’ve written up a review of the Turbo Everdrive PRO on my blog, and people have suggested that you all might find it interesting: check it out here! Or stick around here at RetroRGB for the highlights.
Quick summary: I’m pretty happy with it. There are some definite tradeoffs going through the HuCard slot (worst being mono sound), the CD-ROM and Tennokoe features aren’t available on Duo consoles, and the slimmer profile still doesn’t fit in the Pioneer LaserActive; but those aside, it took everything I threw at it without issue, including things like the arcade card. Definitely an easy way to get the best experience in my homebrew title Space Ava 201, with or without a SuperGrafx.
One standout feature of the Turbo Everdrive PRO is the ability to associate a particular game with a particular version of the PC Engine BIOS. This is great for games that only work on one particular version of the BIOS, like the initial Japanese release of Altered Beast, but also allows you to play unlicensed Games Express titles that otherwise would only work on Duo systems. CD Bishoujo Pachinko may not be to everyone’s liking, but it really shows the dedication to detail here.
If your system doesn’t have an expansion slot or a CD-ROM drive, for example like the TurboExpress, this is a no-brainer. Similarly if your main desire is save states for HuCards; they work too. The CD-ROM support is great and took everything I threw at it, but mono audio may be too much of a sacrifice for some people. (Look out for that external DAC!) Hopefully a faster drive speed option can be made for games that support it with a firmware update. But it’s still a very solid option for anyone without a Duo. But as for Duo and LaserActive owners? Better buy discs.
