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NEC's Turbografx-16 History Recounted

Posted by simoniker on from the bonk-bonkity-bonk dept.

Thanks to GameSpy for its comprehensive article discussing NEC's classic Turbografx-16 console. The article explains: "The PC-Engine went on sale in Japan in December 1987, and was the first major console launch since Nintendo's release of the Famicom in July of 1983", and muses: "The PC-Engine appealed to gamers that wanted a more arcade-like gaming experience than could be offered by the aging Famicom", before the author concludes: "If you're a fan of 8- and 16-bit games and think you've seen everything the other platforms have to offer, you might just want to take a plunge into the Turbo, and discover a whole new library of classic games."

1 of 51 comments (clear)

  1. TG16 / PC-Engine by MegatronUK · · Score: 4, Informative

    The thing that many people forget is that the PC-Engine was *the* most popular games console in Japan for many years, while the Turbo had a luke-warm (at best) response in the US - the uninformed usually only remember the US release.

    IMO, the TG/PC-E is *the* best console from the 8 and 16-bit era; NES/Famicom, Master System, SNES/Super Famicom and MD/Genesis. I've owned (or still do) them all.

    I'll admit that some of the early games are simplistic and clunky, but which console didn't have a terrible round of release titles (Altered Beast on the MD is a classic example.. utter crud, Kung Fu Kid on the SMS or the early NES games that were really crude) compared to later releases?

    The later Hucards and then CD and Super CD games are in a completely different league to the first Hucards; take a look at the Macross games (both the 2036 shooter and Eternal Love Song the strategy); awesome, then there is the original (and some may say best ever computer version of the game) Devil Crush pinball game, Soldier Blade (best, imo, of the Gunhed series), a fab version of Raiden and the brilliant R-Type. Some excellent CD titles to look out for include:

    Y's I/II + III & IV
    Spriggan (the daddy of Aleste)
    Nectaris/Neo Nectaris - forerunners of a million strategy spin-offs
    Shadow of the Beast (if only for the stunning graphics and soundtrack)
    Solid Force - RPG/Strategy
    Side Arms
    Star Parodia

    There are so many great PC-Engine games that it would take forever to list them all.

    Don't forget all the hardware innovations: first console with CD ROM, built in memory saves, multi-player adaptors, mouse, a portable that played the same games as the console... the PC-Engine remains a true classic; and a successful one at that (in Japan, at least).