5:34 If you notice, the PC Engine and Mega Drive both have a total of 512 colors to choose from, the PC Engine can put almost all of them, 482, on screen at one time. While the SFC has a massive 32,768 colors to select from, it can only put 256 on screen at one time. So, technically, the PC Engine could have the most colorful images on screen. You see this more with the CD games that make use of the extra RAM, but it often makes PC Engine games look brighter and more vivid than SFC games.
History of the Amazing #PCEngine! Find out how Hudson's mighty little console took Japan by storm and even rivaled Nintendo! Book I of the series. Support me on PATREON www.patreon.com/shmupjunkieslushfund ✅ Subscribe To My Channel ➡️ Correction: The Mega Drive was released in 1988, one year after the PC Engine in 1987. Not two years afterward. CHAPTERS: 00:00 - In the Beginning [Ys style] 02:34 - The Amazing PC Engine 03:56 - Console Wars? 05:49 - David becomes Goliath 06:43 - Enter the CD 07:39 - Technology level over 9000! 09:22 - A Suped Up Nintendo Famicom (NES) 11:34 - Japan loves PC Engine 12:39 - Japan loves Shooters 13:04 - The Greatest Shoot Em Up Library of all time 14:53 - Hudson Caravan Competitions 16:37 - Really? More Shooters? OMG the Shooters! 20:37 - Westward Ho! Bonk in the USA. 22:29 - The Truth: Why the TurboGrafx16 REALLY failed in the USA 22:54 - Finale: We Love You PC Engine
One of my favorite vids so far buddy! I have you to thank for my PCE love, always interested and wondered what this pretty little machine was all about and you pushed me to finally checkit out! Crazy how many dope games for this thing. 8bit glory!
Thanks! I'm already deep into part 2 and can't wait to get that finished as well. Only problem is now that I've established the level of quality I gotta keep it going. 💪 Only the best for the pc engine.
You are right about all 16-bit consoles having their strengths and weakness and each providing a unique gaming experience that's not to be missed if you're a true retro fan. PCE's strength were the large on-screen colors limit, large max sprite size and neato "souped up, stereo NES" audio chip. The main weaknesses were the lack of hardware support for multiple independently-scrolling background layers, pretty low sprite per scan line limit (leading to a lot sprite flickering), only two action buttons and the 8-bit processor which struggled with things like physics simulation, such as more-than- very-basic collision detection. Vertically-scrolling shmups have extremely basic collision detection, mostly involving only your sprite in relation to enemy sprites and bullets, all represented by basic square hit boxes, which is why it was possible to makes them fast and busy on this system without taxing the CPU too much. The lack of multiple background layer support was definitely the most obvious and painful limitation, as it prevented true parallax scrolling, which was one of the staples of 16-bit arcade games. It made most PCE action games look "flat" compared to most arcade and Genesis titles. Of course, as the the time went on, skilled developers discovered tricks to fairly convincingly simulate multiple background layers, but ultimately, it could never match what the Genesis and SNES did with the parallax and similar background effects. Awesome system overall though.
This is seriously one of my favorite console deep-dive episodes ever. Super high quality production, great commentary and analysis. I only “discovered” PC Engine / TGFX16 in adulthood and really happy folks like you are around to cover it. Thanks for another fantastic video.
Thanks! And I'm stoked you found it and liked it so much. Part 2 is out tomorrow/Sunday so the cliffhanger continues and the saga ends. It's light hearted and comedic and I had lots of fun making it.
Dude I’m so glad you caught it and got to enjoy it. I really tried to make it a love letter to us fans. I’ll be sure to make the Turbo segment in part 2 the real deal 🤘
Thanks for you effort on this. The TG16/PCE was my first "16 bit" console in my middle-school years. It had a lot of potential but fell by the wayside against the SEGA and Nintendo juggernauts.
This was a wicked history sir! The PC Engine was a system that escaped my hands, but always read amazing things about it. This video shared a rich history of its capabilities I had no idea. This is was easily one of the best videos out together! Thank you for the teases on your discord channel!!
As a western growing up playing SNES and Mega Drive in the 90s, I had never quite understood what PC Engine was about... until today. This video blew my mind! What a legendary console. Looking forward to the next book!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I made part 2 a few weeks afterward so it’s already long done and complete. It came out great too so I hope you enjoy that one as well. Some of my favorite videos I’ve done so far.
Hey dude, sorry I am responding so late. Just barely catching up on comments. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. I really thought this one was my best one yet. Gonna be hard to top, but part two is out tomorrow morning. Hoping people enjoy it as much too.
Haha, that’s a straight rip from the intro to Ys Book I and II. The whole section is an homage so I’m using the exact wording from the game. Definitely wasn’t meant to be taken literally. But now that you’ve seen it, if you look up ys book 1 intro on TH-cam you’ll see what I was going for, it’ll make more sense. As the intro begins with Ys the ideal utopia. It was a fan service but I can totally see how anyone not familiar would be thinking, what?
Tremendous production. It's funny, because I kind of have 2 separate eras of PC Engine in my life. As a teenager, it was the Turbografx 16. Keith Courage, Blazing Lazers, Dungeon Explorer, Super Star Soldier, Sinistron, Legendary Axe... and also the worse stuff, like Yo Bro, Gunboat, Drop Off, etc. It was HuCard only for me back then, and I loved it. However, in my 20s, I finally got a Duo-R, and a huge renaissance of imports. This video really reminds me of when I got my Duo-R, amd a whole world of imports opened to me. I found websites like thebrothersduomazov and videogameden that I'd scour for games I hadn't tried yet. I had the best local import game store to spend thousands of dollars at before I was married and had kids. It was an exciting time. Now, starting my '40s, it's all there, still being played, and getting discovered by my oldest son, who has fallen in love with Gradius II, the Bonk series, and Gate of Thunder. I wonder how it looks through his eyes.
My experience was not too dissimilar in that we all started with the Turbo and hucards, but as NEC didn’t do well and fewer games started trickling in I got itchy and there was a lack of content. Then the moment I discovered the import store where I could rent the games I immediately got a SuperCD card and it was like a new world of incredible games. Even friends were loving Rondo and all the arcade card SNK fighting games we’d play on weekends. There is a lot of nostalgia for the hucards but the CD library is that blew it open for me, to where I never regretted my choice going with the Turbo. Had it not been for that I would’ve certainly run out of content and wanted to move into something else.
Absolutely brilliant video, no surprise there! PC Engine is one of the only retro consoles I've never physically owned, but easily the one I've spent the most hours playing via emulation. Incredible machine.
Thanks man! I've been so stoked that lots more people who didn't even know or think about it's games are trying them out and enjoying them. It was the main reason I started my channel a year ago. So it was only fitting for a one year anniversary I did something like this to pay tribute.
Damn my brother!! I just started this video and I’m already getting that familiar rumbling in my nads! The PC Engine was the greatest gift to those of us who enjoyed shmups in the 80’s and 90’s. I bow to you my brother.
That intro was definitely made for fans. Nothing gives the goosebumps like the Ys I intro. I definitely tried to do the crazy library of shooters justice in this one.
@@ShmupJunkie - DUUUUUUUDE! You’ve gone above and WAY beyond. This is the balls my brother! If only I knew what was available in Japan for my TG-16 back in the day!!! I was the only person I knew that owned one and I’m embarrassed to admit I only had a few of the amazing shmups that were available to me. The reason I bought it in the first place was for Galaga 89/90 whichever it was here in the states. These day’s I can’t get enough of this system. I will always love the 16bit style shmups the best. Thanks so much for such amazing content my friend. If ever you want to come to Boston area you’ve not only got a house to stay in but we can go searching high and low for some amazing games!!
@@reagandow850 100+ comments on a small channel? You're DEFINITELY a creep stalker. First 2 comments I seen from you, you have talked about male organs in each, you're Def on this dudes nuts
Excellent video Junkie! That system had so much darn potential. It’s crazy to think sells in America were as bad as they were. Can’t wait to find out what really happened in book 2, great job! 👍🏽
NEC was riding so high in Japan with their success, they thought they had it in the bag in the US and it would be easy. Big mistake. I think you'll enjoy my perspective on it in part 2.
I never owned a Pc Engine but after watching your video content for the first time, i really want one now and i always thought it was a 16 bit system just finding out it was a 8 bit system - wow ✌.
My heartbreak and panic at not being able to find book II shows how much I enjoyed this. Absolutely amazing video, wonderful content and incredible production values. I have an RX with Rondo of Blood in the post (and an evercade!). It will be the first time I have tried the console, I can't wait!
Wow that is so cool! I'm really excited for you. Never having been able to play one or try Rondo, you're going to have a blast. It's simply just a killer game and the music is unbelievable. Sorry it took so long I am catching up on my comments tonight as I had so many all at once. I'd love to hear back how it went and how you're liking Rondo. Finding all the extra stages and branching paths is a lot of fun. Edit: BTW part 2 is out tomorrow morning, Sunday, so you'll get to see it all end really soon.
@@ShmupJunkie thank you so much! I will watch part 2 today! Still waiting on my console.. tomorrow was supposed to be the latest it arrived, but there hasn't been an update on the post tracker since it made it to Chicago on the 2nd! I am told that patience is a virtue :) I will let you know how I get on with Rondo for sure!
Wow my friend this was stunningly well done! This was honestly one of the best videos I've ever seen on youtube. For real! You totally encapsulated what was great about the pc-engine, and it is clear you are someone who has love and appreciation for the system as well as thorough familiarity. Framing the pc-engine's strength through it's forward thinking io was a stroke of genius. I can't wait for part two. I'm guessing the main reason it failed to catch on in america was Nintendo's illegal contract with 3rd parties saying they couldn't put games on other systems if they wanted to be on their platform. Also if they could have managed to get it out in Europe a year before the competition like they were supposed to, I think it would have been successful. It would have been great to see some of those european devs make games. Anyway keep up the great work. Hopefully you have a patreon because this was incredibly deserving work. Take care.
Thanks man and sorry for the late reply. I am just catching up on all the comments I got a lot of them for this video. There was a pretty long laundry list of mistakes made by NEC of America especially, they had no idea what they were doing and Sega's top tier marketing staff and CEO mopped the floor with them. Which is too bad as they certainly could've done far better with the right people in place as the hardware was on point. They failed long before Nintendo had anything to do with it, it was mostly Sega overtaking the market with their blitz along with NEC doing themselves no favors with their ill informed moves in NA. The new video is out tomorrow so you'll get the gist of it. Luckily it was still popular and well supported at home, so we had lots of good games to enjoy. Via import stores and they grey market of couse, which is how Europe had access to it too.
This is excellent! I just built a raspberry pi emulation machine with my youngest one and I have been really into the PC Engine games. I did not play this system all that much when I was younger. But I am making up for it now.
Thanks! This video is kicking butt and best performing so far, the 8k subs was inevitable. I loved making it and hard at work on part 2. I’m really hoping to reach 9k subs just for the memes alone! 😂
Amazing video, this is the best documentary on the pc engine so far and it shows the love poured on the editing, I wonder if there's a continuation as Book II coming soon jeje.
I remember going to a Toys R us and seeing a demo of Keith Courage, wow. Then it became, in my opinion, the best shmup system with Genesis a close second. What a time to live through, the 16 bit era.
I miss going into those old Toys R Us stores and having the rows for each system with the hanging cards for the games. All long gone now. It was really the Turbo/PCE that made me into a full fledged fan of the genre as before I played mostly platformers on the 8bit systems.
Thanks for all the hard work on bringing us some more PCE love. It’s amazing how expandable and versatile the console was. Just the library of great shooters alone on the pce is absolutely insane!
Absolutely. I wanted to make a point of its expansion bus as it’s not often discussed and how important it was to its longevity. They just kept upgrading it to keep up with everyone else.
I did a lot of really trick editing in this one, I think you'll find it worthwhile to see the video too vs hearing it. It adds a lot in this case. The reason it took me two weeks just to make a 25min video haha.
Oh man, what an outstanding system the PCE is! Unfortunately it never hit Europe, back in the day, so many of us overlooked this incredible japanese system...But I'm so glad to have picked up a PCE MINI, and I'm so glad I have your quality videos to watch! GREAT job Junkie, GREAT!
thank you my friend. And sorry for the very late reply, I am just catching up on many of the comments I missed. In europe you had the system through import stores and the grey market I am guessing. But not many knew about it. Hope you enjoy part two also coming tomorrow!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY @ShmupJunkie!!!! 🥳🥳🥳 For more years of quality and fun videos on youtube for us shmup lovers... and beyond!! Thank you for building a growing community of supportive and friendly people all around the globe! #ShmupsAreShooters !!!!!
Thank you my friend and sorry for the late reply. I am just catching up. It's good to see you here and enjoying the videos. I hope your project is still going well and you are making some progress.
This is really an amazing video. You’ve really got the numbers and facts down pat and you know so many of the games to make perfect references. It’s great.
Thanks. It is my favorite console so I would know a good bit about it. Lots to come in part 2 this coming weekend. Doing my best to live up to this original.
I set out to do this awesome console justice and am really happy with how it all turned out, so thank you. Now I have to keep up the quality for part 2 and do the US Turbo justice as well, without the overwhelming doom and gloom most tend to focus on because it sold poorly.
Yeah, the PC Engine was very popular there. It's not known since it was so poorly marketed there. If you haven't watched it yet, you'd enjoy the part 2 for this video as well, which specifically covers the Turbo in the US and what went wrong.
Thanks! I get taken back to childhood any time I see or hear that Ys intro music, as I bet any of us growing up at the time feel the same. I did my best to put together a love letter for fans and something I'd enjoy watching in the future too for a hit of nostalgia.
Wow. Great work, as always. You are one of my favorite creators on youtube. PC Engine was always that special kind of console, here in europe, back in the early ninties. Video Game magazines, did reviews on those games,(in the import section. ....I miss the good old times of those real passionate guys, who started a printed magazine covering video games, these wereo true gaming journalists), but the whole thing was always something very exotic for me. Sega and Nintendo were always the main sources of video games and Atari was something everbody had heard of but the PC Engine was as far away as the moon for me😄
I was lucky enough to grow up in a big city (LA) and it was one of the first two test markets for the turbografx, so I had the benefit of getting in there and enjoying the games many never got to see. Had I not owned one, I didn't know anyone else and would've missed out too so I'm glad I did. I got to play all the genesis and snes games with friends anyway. I guess youtube is kind of that playground now, where anyone can make passion videos and hope that people find and enjoy them. I feel lucky to have been noticed and am trying to make the best of it.
So glad you included the Super Star Soldier 1st Stage music. I replay that game just to hear it. The music quality of many of the PCE’s titles continues to amaze me.
This is actually a great video about the history of the PC engine gaming console did extremely well in Japan has amazing library of games including Shooters or "Shmups" then trying released in North America which I'm excited for book two video.
Incredibly well made to show some very much well deserved light on a late 80s console that is mainly overshadowed by the Megadrive. Ashame that NEC didn't know how to market the system well in America.
Yes, pretty much how the mega drive was a niche and mostly ignored in Japan is how it went with the Turbo in the US. It will be fun to get into the actual reasons it didn't do well versus a lot of the rubbish I see and read online. NEC really had little clue what they were doing in the US and if it wasn't for Hudson and the great games they unilaterally released, it would've been far more of a disaster.
Great video! Really encompasses how dominant and relevant the PC Engine really was in Japan. You also nailed how its appeal. I also liked how you compared its strengths against the Mega Drive and Super Famicom. A very balanced machine in terms of colour and power, but incredible expansion potential! Loved your video! Cannot wait for the next one!
Thanks and I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I wanted to capture the essence of the system versus trying to go through every little historical detail and console they released, which I'll address in fun ways in the next videos. This one was lean and mean and I'm stoked with how it came out. I hope it does well as making the next one will be fun.
I actually don’t think the PC Engine ever really was THAT dominant in Japan. It’s true that it held record “new console” sales after it came out, but that’s probably only because most people already had the famicom. Japan had a weird bubble economy in the 80s where people were spending money in Japan at record highs. I think the story of the success of the PC Engine was inflated for those two reasons.....it was unopposed at the time of its release, and it came at a time when Japanese people were more readily making superfluous purchases on credit. I think if it were really the case that the PC Engine was so treasured by Japanese gamers that the SuperGrafx, its successor wouldn’t have been such a monumental failure.....one of the worst in gaming history. Not even the failure of the 32X or Saturn compares to that thing. That’s my 2-cents
Well, the expansion potential is there and was reasonaby well exploited by CD addon, but.. There are many SNES cards with extra processors. Sega CD adds new CPU, graphics and audio, 32x adds two powerful CPUs, more colors and new audio, though its design is kinda stupid and haphazard. PCE didn’t do that. Its expansions only added RAM. The abundant parallax scrolling of later titles is just a programming trickery done by more experienced developers on the same old hardware. Just as on Megadrive where experienced devs learned to produce effects like those in Toy Story or Batman and Robin or Panorama Cotton. One of the problems is that hucards are just too small, physically. It is easy to shove more and bigger chips into Famicom or SFC cart. Not so easy with PCE, even game ROM sizes were limited. remember what happened to R-Type. This was always a limitation for the graphics fidelity of PCE games. Imagine if PCE was actually expanded with more powerful CPU and graphics hardware.. On can’t deny though that the devs supported SuperCD addon so much better than Sega CD addon despite more power added by Sega CD.
O YEAH BABY!!! once again thank you for the hard work and dedication you put into your videos man! I really think you deserve all the success in the world.
This video is absolutely awesome! We can feel the love you have for the PC Engine throughout the video. Once again an exceptional work 👏 Can't wait to see the second part my friend!
You have set a new high bar. Gonna love see you sky rocket. Great, great video man: the narrative is exemplary, well-documented, nuanced, engaging... keep it coming, you've earned the praise and respect of the community.
Thanks man I appreciate that. The video is doing as good as I hoped so I’m stoked. The channel doing well means shmups are doing well and growing a bit due to my work, making it worth the effort.
haha, it took some work to time that right and get the overlay with the transformation. Courage wasn't a bad game either I had some fun with it back in the day. At least the mech sections. And it had some cool music.
Just found your channel and your videos are amazing. This PC Engine video is superbly edited, well written and entertaining. It easily makes it into my top 10 TH-cam videos over the last 15 years. A quick look through your other videos and it could be seen they're of an equally high standard. Well done! Subscribed.
Thanks for the props I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I've only been doing this a year so the editing improved as I learned and got more practice. Go back and far enough and it's much more raw, and I spoke a bit too fast at times, but they were all made with a love for the content and thought through so hopefully you enjoy those too. I really tried to step it up for this one as it's kind of my one year anniversary in May of the channel, aside from being a huge fan of the pc engine of course. Glad you found me and I look forward to you enjoying part two once it's ready in the coming week or two.
CLIFFHANGER!!!! Awesome video mate, really awesome 🤩. No sooner had it started it was finished, totally mesmerized by what I saw 👀. I cannot wait for part 2 but learned a lot and am still struggling to take in 117 Shmups. Definitely years ahead of the competition and such a great console that was out of reach for me back in 1987. To do what hudsonSoft did with NEC and the PC Engine is an amazing feat of engineering. By the time the Turbo 16 released I was already invested in PC and Amiga500 and was ultimately put off by severely hefty import costs and power requirements. I seriously drooled over Splatterhouse back then and for many years many years on, 33 to be precise, as you know. And only in the last year have I truly appreciated this amazing console. Very excited for part 2. Great job!
Thanks my friend and I'm glad you enjoyed it. I had to squeeze in some Splatterhouse for you and our friend Rob, but I wil give it's US release some more screen time as it was a big to do here in the US when it released. I know the grey market was big in the UK for the pc engine but also meant heftier prices and fees. Now you finally have one if you could only figure out this problem with the damn sewers! 😂
Dude, you weren't kidding! You've really outdone yourself with this one!! Simply magnificent all around, and that cliffhanger!! I'm hooked, bro! Let's just say that very little laundry was done over the last 25 minutes!😉😅
Awesome top notch video as usual my friend!! Loved it so much since I grew up knowing about it but only owned it last year as you know so it’s such an overwhelming discovery for me, one of my preferred consoles to date! Also, didn’t know about Darius alpha....how cool is that!? Looking forward to the next part and I found the ending credits very useful as well, great info 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks dude! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I sincerely hope the segment doesn't have you going to look for Darius Alpha, just don't do it haha. With only 800 copies you can imagine it's going price now. I couldn't possibly mention every single PC Engine without bogging the video down, so I thought the credits was a fun way to show the major releases, though there were so many I couldn't do them all. I will still go back and talk about more important releases like the Express portable and other systems.
I remember seeing the Turbografx 16 at Child's world as a kid and would go there just to see the ads and display. I never did get one, the price was pretty dang high for a game system back then. Winning the turboduo was one of the best things of my childhood. :D:D
Oh yeah? How did you end up winning one? Was it a competition or a contest of some kind? I always like to hear how some people ended up winning one. That was my case with the expensive CD add on.
@@ShmupJunkie There was a big bomberman competition at mall of america *maaaany years back* taking home a free turboduo was one of the highlights of my life. :D:D
Thanks! I decided early on to make it lean and mean, not try to squeeze every tiny thing into it. There will be time for that. I wanted to do a good intro that captured the essence of it.
I loved the PCE! I managed to win the TurboDUO at a bomberman event as a kid, was so excited, I even asked for the organizer's autograph on the box. lol I did own a few games *mostly pc-cds and a few hucards* I bought a shuttle grafx *which i later blew out the circuit playing it in korea then forgetting it at my old apt and it was thrown away after i moved out* I later found the PCE/Super CD combo in soso condition, but used it mostly for playing music. It's hard to find a new console now, but can get lucky enough to find a used on at places like Super potato and other retro game shops across Japan.
That’s awesome. I wish the US had more events like that for the system. I was lucky enough to win the CD add on that way at a local event. It’s been over several years since I’ve been to Japan and I can’t wait to go back. I hit super potato when I was there last but was with a group and didn’t have enough time to really explore. I have a long list now of everything I want to see when I’m back someday. Hopefully sooner than later.
@@ShmupJunkie mmm..i love super potato. It's quite hard to find a pce there now. You can still find quite a few core grafx 1-2 and the occasional duo there still.
And that's excatly what I was going for. I felt a burden of this needing to live up to it and doing the console justice. We need an awesome set of pc engine videos and if it's going to be me, I better step it up. Pressure. 😅
Very interesting video. The TG16 / PC Engine seemed to pass us by in the UK and Europe, with sega being the dominant force here. Didn't realize how small it was either. When you were holding one up in one of your other videos, I thought it was a re-released mini version.
Yeah it’s so tiny! Even the original isn’t that much larger than the mini console. They really did do a poor job releasing it outside of Japan it was quite a mess which I delved more into in part two. Sega seemed to be dominant in many regions like yours and large swaths of South America as well.
Been waiting for this video since you announced it, I KNEW it was gonna start out with the Ys Book I & II intro. It HAD to. Can't wait to finish watching the whole thing, your content has always been top notch and it just keeps getting better.
I knew early on I wanted to do an homage to the Ys intro for fans, so it was the very first thing I put together for the video and went from there. I really like how this video came out it may be my favorite so far. Of course that's also likely since it's about the pc engine haha.
Ugh, man I miss Japan. I can't wait to go back one day soon after this covid mess. I didn't get to spend nearly enough time where I wanted on the last trip.
This video is a love letter to my favorete console and games, love this little machine from the day i bought my first one in 1990 with shinobi and tales of the monster path there was no going back. Yep the Pc Engine has loads of amazing shmups and other game well looking forward to part 2 now great video mate.
Thank you man. I like hearing first games from those who owneed it elsewhere, as in the US our first games were always the same thing. We never even got Shinobi which was a shame. Part two is out tomorrow morning!
The first time I recall learning of the PC Engine was when I found out about Splatterhouse a few years ago and saw PC Engine as one of the systems for which it was released. I like the name "PC Engine" -- it sounds like a computer (I grew up on computer games as well as console games). I never knew about the system at the time it was released -- the Super Nintendo was the latest thing by the time I began my life of video gaming. Those anime cutscenes look amazing for a system that dates back to the 1980's, closer to SNES than NES graphics (despite being technically 8-bit?).
Yeah it was actually named after NEC’s computer system like the PC88. A lot of people have been discovering it because of the recent mini release too. It was its large color palette and ability to put over 400 on screen at once similar to the SNES that gave it the potential to look so nice. It was pretty ahead of its time and a good video on it that gets more people interested in playing it is something I’ve wanted to do for a while.
Amazing vid as always! Couldn’t believe it was already 30 mins when the ‘tbc’ hit. You really make time fly! So next week part two or r type final 2 first? Oh and grats on the one year anni!
Well I don’t have Final 2 yet I’m not getting it early so I guess I keep plugging away at this series unless something changes. I’d like to finish it anyway if I can. I just hope a week is enough time to pull it off. Or I’ll get behind with Final 2 afterward.
@@ShmupJunkie ic! hrmm little bit torn here, while i think this vid was amazing, i think i like your deep dives into shmups even more, i guess because i know less about most shmups where i was relatively well versed in the stuff you told here. Anyways book 2 or rtf 2, i think that is a win win in my err book.
Hahah! Awesome, including the cliffhanger ending! In fact, this is such a great video (well researched, edited, and presented) that my only complaints are pedantic. This is really probably the most entertaining introduction to the history of the PC Engine I've seen on TH-cam, so super props to you. Have you perhaps read Christian Nutt's "Stalled Engine" article on Gamasutra? I suspect I'll find out when part 2 drops! Would you mind sharing some of your primary sources with us in case folks want to dig a little deeper? Pedantic complaint #1: The PCE might have been the most successfully expanded, but I don't know if I'd call it technically the most expandable. The NES and SNES both could connect to additional CPUs and other chips through the cartridge port in ways I'm not sure even the PCE could do via the expansion port. I mean, look at all the crazy NES mappers and the FX Chip on the SNES. Pedantic complaint #2: A lot of folks call the PCE's audio PSG, but I think that might be technically incorrect. PSG systems use pre-defined waveforms (square, usually, but also occasionally triangle or pulse) and then program some of the parameters, whereas the PCE allowed devs to define the waveform directly. From my reading on the topic I think that would be most accurately called wavetable synthesis, a term also used inaccurately for the Sound Blaster's sample-based playback.
Thanks I'm really glad you enjoyed it that much. I did my best to make it lean and mean without getting bogged down in every little hardware release and detail which I can save for later. There is honestly always a lot of things in every video I wish I could go back and fix, update or change, things I miss or mistake etc. With only a week or two to produce something like this it's inevitable things get missed. Like I accidentally noted the mega drive release in 89 when it was actually 88, stuff like that. I had so many little tech details originally scripted, some of which you mention, but it all gets edited out as it drags the pacing down and is better suited for written articles. I think I will always feel the PCE had the best expansion design, as limiting your upgrades to a cart slot really limits the options. Inserting all kinds of chips into cartridges added expense and meant you needed to do it on a per game basis. They could have technically done something like a 32X on top, but don't think they cared too. The bus on the PCE actually did have the ability to add additional processing power if they were so inclined. The Supergrafx could have (and should have) been done as an accessory like the booster, and could've interfaced with the base unit. They wanted to sell new hardware and do those fancy flight stick add ons that never released, but they could have done it via the ext bus. I was just thinking the other day, that aside from the expense which is likely why they didn't, if they had made their CD attachment like the MegaCD, where it had it's own processor and added functionality, it could have been even more of a beast. Like a Supergrafx add on and CD player in one. I just think cost more than anything was a limiting factor at some point. I have read that Gamasutra article way back and it had some really good interviews and perspective, one of the few good sources out there on what went down with NEC. I will definitely hit the major points in part 2. But it also only sees it from one perspective which is, we failed because NEC x, y,z etc. Being there from day one as an owner until 94 when it ended, I have some unique things to add to what went down. It was more than just NEC. Had they done things right, they could have sold much better and captured more market share, but they never would have rivaled Sega in the US. What went wrong is as much about what Sega did, as opposed to what NEC didn't, and why they even outsold Nintendo in the end in NA. NEC was always destined for third place, but to your point had they not been so inept in their strategy, they certainly would have been far more significant than they ended up being. I'm going to enjoy making part 2. ; )
@@ShmupJunkie Oh, definitely. One account is never enough. You need several perspectives to get the whole picture. I was there, too. The TG-16 was the first system I bought with my own money. I was a regular on the Turbo List and have my own history with the Little Engine that Could. I think it's telling that even in its prime market, Japan, the SNES still unseated it handily. I really think NEC and Hudson were coming from different places. Hudson continued to develop and publish for the NES, and later the SNES, even as their own little creation persisted in the market. I'm not sure Hudson ever really cared whether the Engine was number one as long as it was a big enough market to justify their time. As to the expansion port., I was under the understanding it didn't have the same kind of CPU and bus access the NES and SNES cart slots did, but I've been known to be wrong. Besides, I don't think either of the pedantry I raised really hurts your overall video in the least. It's an excellent production either way.
@@ShmupJunkie I wasnt expecting it to be done so quick, thats awesome! I know editing takes forever.... Especially for the quality your putting out! Best NEC video ive seen to date, right up there with mylifeingaming stuff! You really capture the whole story and perspective of these consoles from a Japanese perspective, many of us dont fully comprehend the whys and hows this was so popular in Japan relating to their art styles and genres that were hot then. Very well done!
Phenomenal history video. Looking forward to Book 2 - Turbografx. Also, surprised no one mentioned this, but the chapter time codes are wrong, they are at least +2 minutes delayed.
Thank you for this as I didn't notice. I just fixed it in my top pinned comment which is what people see most, and I will change it in the actual description for the time code in another day or two. It could screw up the youtube algo if I mess with the copy while it's still pushing it out most to recommendations, but once a day or two pass it's usually safe. I don't know how that happened.
You have outdone yourself bro! You keep raising the bar each and every subject you cover and every video conveying that subject. I will be watching this again in a normal TV as I just watched it on ny iPhone. That didn’t do this video justice though. I need to see those pixels in larger than life color. I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed this.
That's awesome dude I'm so glad you had fun watching this. I honestly felt it was my best one so far too just from an editing and flow perspective. I no longer include scanlines in my game footage as it seems to be hit or miss if youtube ruins them with compression and it looks ugly versus it looking beautiful. But crank it up on the big TV to enjoy that killer music that the PCE did so well. I swear I could do an episode on how great the chip tunes were.
THIS kind of content right here is what youtube is all about for me! Every time I see amazing gaming related content like this I weep for the reaction/influencer obsessed kids nowaays who wouldn't know quality gaming videos if they hit them in the face. Thanks for keeping the tradition of high end high quality gaming related videos, bud, your content is always top notch.
That's very cool of you to say and I'm honored to get this kind of feedback for a lot of people. I'm just an amateur without any experience in actual editing, but just keep practicing and learning new things and slowly improving the content. It would honestly be so much easier to just sit in front of the camera and talk about stuff, and some of those channels that do with minimal editing are massive. Apparently they're doing it right lol. But I want to inspire people with my vids and this is the best way I know how to do it, even if it's so much more work. It was channels like MLiG that initially inspired me to try and make high quality content with more time put into editing.
@@ShmupJunkie The best times on youtube and the best gaming content was produced when people had little experience in editing and the like. Overproduced/TV quality stuff is what ruined youtube IMO You're doing exactly what we need, videos about gaming in their purest form. They're fun, informative, not over the top, just the way it should be.
What an amazing well put together video for the world's best console. The best part is this is only Part 1, can't wait for Part 2. Great work my friend 👍
Thanks! I wanted to make the best PC Engine series out there and I think this was a good, fast start that doesn't get too long or complicated. The next one will be fun too getting to the Turbo and the US.
Great presentation. It explained a lot of the things I saw back in my childhood when I thought they were well made bootleg. I thought I had a good grasp of the video game industry history but every now and then a video like this show me how little I know about what happened in this era of video game, and I am sure my experience is shared with many. Looking forward to see the next upload.
Thanks I'm glad you did find it both fun and useful. I think few outside of Japan know too much about it since it wasn't popular in the rest of the world. Only if you imported them like some of us. What you know about the western release is of course likely much more accurate, everyone knows it did very poorly. I won't focus my entire next video on it, but I do have a more unique perspective that doesn't get mentioned much I wanted to show. It's the least I can do after that dishonorable cliff hanger at the end haha.
@@ShmupJunkie I can't wait. Thank you again and it is nice to see people with my age group talking about games that focused on people who grow up with the 90s and 80s video game. Back then it was so difficult for me and probably most people in a younger age to get those games, and even when we did we were so young it was so difficult to be good at them. Now where money is not huge factor as before to decide which game to get, I am trying to enjoy for all lost times. The down side of course is we don't have as much free time as when we were younger.
@@Solidahmed The one good thing about getting even older and retiring is we may have lots of free time again. I plan to learn Japanese and play many of the games I couldn’t understand completely.
Amazing video! The amount of information and attention to detail in this video is just absolutely EPIC! Thank you for the time/energy and dedication you put into these videos, it's clearly evident that a lot of effort and love went into making this. Great channel, can't wait for Book 2! I owned a Genesis back in the day, and despite owning a Turbo Express and a Mini, I knew the PC Engine was awesome, but not THIS awesome! Some serious learning on my part took place today! I'd love to track down and own some of this hardware/software (PC Engine, CD Attachment, Arcade card and associated games), but with the state of game collecting these days, probably would be very cost prohibitive unfortunately.
Thank you for the awesome comment and really glad to hear you enjoyed it so much. I completely agree collecting PC Engine stuff these days can get pretty cost prohibitive. On the plus side Turbografx was far more rare, thus even more expensive by quite a bit. So going the PC Engine route is far more cost effective and you get the full library of games, though still not cheap. It really makes sense to just use a Mister if you are looking to play on a CRT and get the full experience of all the games, as it's core is phenomenal. Either that or buy an inexpensive Coregrafx along with an SSDS3, and get the original hardware experience and all the games via rom. Not as cool as owning an arcade card with a full CD setup, but given the cost of the rare shooters on the system, it makes sense. Burning the CD games properly can be hit and miss and wears the lens on your hardware more, so an add on flash cart like an SSDS3 that does CD games too makes sense.
This was so well thought out and executed. Amazing! Your videos are showing so many cool games I never knew about when I had the TG16 as a kid. Now I've got a PCE Duo and I'm like a kid in a candy store. I even just ordered the Arcade Duo Card so I can play Sapphire. Thank you!
I love both this video and the part two I made after so much. I really wanted to make a great tribute to the system and worked hard to achieve it. You really went all out to play Sapphire! That’s not a cheap endeavor when it’s available on the mini. But I know it’s nice to have the original when you can. Not sure if you plan to pay the exorbitant prices for the physical game or just grab a repro but if you do, wanted to warn you. It’s notorious for fakes all over eBay that look very real. Only buy sapphire from a trusted source if you’re going to drop that kind of money for your collection. Of course a good repro will do the trick 👍🏻
@@ShmupJunkie Yeah, for now I'll stick with a repro. But thanks for the warning! I'm thinking of sticking my toe into the original game waters for some other games, but it's a little intimidating with the cost, fakes, and the recent WATA games stuff. Still, when I see shots of your collection in your videos, it looks so cool it's definitely tempting to start collecting. I'm just worried I won't be able to stop once I start lol!
@@bcsbrown1 I only collect for nostalgia. And I have some very expensive games that I’m seriously considering selling due to a potential crash because of that scandal. There’s really a handful that I won’t sell no matter what and many are my originals. So who knows how much of this large collection I’ll have a couple years from now. As long as I have a good way to play the games I’m a happy camper. Fun fact Sapphire (along with Gate/Lords of Thunder) was made by the main art designer and programmer for Thunder Force 2 and 3 before they left Technosoft. Thus the similarities!
I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I was super happy with how it all came out. Part 2 is mostly focused on the US market and saga, thought it doesn't end that way. Part two is out tomorrow and I think you'll like how I end things.
You earned my trust with your In the Hunt recommendation, a shooter quickly climbing to be my favorite of all time since it taps into my childhood love of Metal Slug. With this? I'm diving into PC Engine. I got a taste of Caravans back when Recca 92 hit the eShop, so I am pretty excited to dive in and see what it looks like. Great video by the way! Your videos have this way of tapping into nostalgia for eras/consoles I didn't even have. I may be a 90s kid, but I grew up playing Doom on my PC and Earthbound on my SNES. I dabbled in shooters with Darius Gaiden PC and Darius Twin SNES, but I never got hooked the way I did as an adult, and I feel I missed out. Had the bug bit me when I first booted up Darius Twin? No doubt I'd have done whatever it took to save up for a PC Engine.
Oh man, you're going to wonder what the heck is going on with Recca. I always joke they called it that because you'll be getting wrecked playing it. It's super cool but super crazy. I actually played a lot of PC games back then too, but shooters mostly on console. NES at first and later PC Engine. I was mostly into platformers until the PCE got me playing more shooters instead since there was just so many. I'm just glad you're digging it now and enjoying some good ones you missed. Play some of the Soldier games on the pc engine, they are a more measured and realistic game but in the same style. Not that Recca isn't cool but it's a handful and almost overwhelming, like how many hours can you stay at a club with the music pounding into your head.
@@ShmupJunkie For sure, Recca is a bit much for just sitting down and playing for more than a quick burst. I'll take a look at Soldier, along with the other great games you've highlighted for this system. I got Retroarch all queued up with PCEEngine cores and dusted off my arcade stick.
Haha thanks man. And for being a good sport about that ending. I think you may really enjoy how I play that whole ending. Part two is out tomorrow and I hit the right note at the very end... at least I like how it came out.
You and me both haha, lots of early mornings and late nights. And now catching up on comments which I do appreciate very much. Part two is now done and out tomorrow morning! This Sunday and I hope you enjoy it.
The biggest miss during my time in the 90s. What I mean is that during that time, I was always playing Arcade, SNES, Genesis and Neo-Geo games and I never noticed that there was a system like that that you shown on the video. For a normal anime fan like myself, it seems really enjoyable and I would had loved to play some of those games. I really appreciate the 90s even more. Now with that said, can anyone tell me the music at 18:26 and 19:38 cause it sounded really awesome and I jammed the music of it :D
That music is from a Supergrafx game, Aldynes. Don't blame you for missing the system, it was only well known in the US in major cities and larger markets. They didn't put enough into or do a great job marketing it. However, it was always in the big game magazines like EGM etc. So I'm surprised you missed it completely and didn't at least hear of it. Though most of those Japan centric games didn't release in the US, you would have to get them at import stores.
I LOVE THIS! PCE 4ever.. since 1987.... saw R-Type for the first time and cashed out to get that little machine of wonders for $500 incl. R-Type from that friend...
I think those initial launch titles of RType and Legendary Axe are what got me to go with the turbo when it came out. I’d been playing RType arcade since it came out and when I saw it as a launch game.. DONE!
Man every time I watch one of these I get like 6 more games on my list to clear, I can't keep up!! Tremendous job on the video, it's like looking into a parallel dimension for me as the PC Engine just wasn't around in my podunk part of the country. It's probably a good thing too cause I would have lost my mind as a kid had I see some of these games.
Yes, I am just now still catching up on old comments and sorry I missed yours. And now you are already about to start playing some PCE games and I'm looking forward to your thoughts. I did lose my mind on some of these games haha. Couldn't believe what people were missing.
The biggest mistake they made with the TG-16 (although there were MANY) was dragging their feet for so damn long. The PCE trounced the Mega Drive in Japan because of its two-year head start. For the people who wanted to upgrade to 16-bit graphics and didn't want to wait on the Super Famicom, it was their ticket. By the time the MD actually came out over there, most of its potential audience was already claimed. We Americans didn't get a crack at it until two weeks *after* the Genesis (a "true" 16-bit machine from an established console maker with a bigger and better advertising push behind it) hit store shelves. Whoops.
I actually made a mistake on my script and didn't notice before it was too late, the PCE had just a one year jump on the MD not two. Still a significant head start though so it doesn't take away from your point at all. Losing that lead was huge, as it would have really helped, though it wouldn't have been insurmountable had they done other things right. The SNES released well after the MD but they jumped right in and took their cut of the market. But given NEC wasn't a household name in the US like Nintendo, that year would have made a much bigger difference, no doubt about it. Although had they continued to make all the other mistakes they did, most notably not securing a single third party US publisher from the start and going it alone, they were doomed sooner or later. Not having companies like EA Sports in your corner in the US market is a loss before it even got started.
I forgot this was only the first part, so I felt offended when "to be continued" showed up. How DARE you cut me off like that!? I suppose that's irrefutable proof you did a good job here. I envy the Japanese kids who got to live through that era firsthand.
Hahaha, it wasn't actually intended to be Part 1. Until I ran up against the time and realized there was no way I could do the full video in time so had to cut it. I am regularly jealous of what it was like growing up then in Japan. Imagine those caravan contests and going there at a young age. Would've been in heaven.
I have three ways to watch TH-cam. I can watch it on my phone, on my laptop, or on my TV. On my phone, I just put it on when it's audio friendly. No need for me to watch it all if I can listen to it just fine. Mostly when I wake up in the morning and need something to get me out of bed. On my laptop, whenever I'm on my break, when I just need to unwind while still checking my Discord or anything else I might have forgotten, or if I need to shrink it into the corner and watch it that way while I work. On my TV, however, it's when I NEED to watch it, when a tiny screen just isn't enough. When I need to experience the whole thing in the best way possible. Shmup Junkie must be watched on the TV!
Hell yeah 🤘 You pretty much described how I feel about playing Lords of Thunder. Some games I'm good with the CRT speakers, but when that game goes in the surround system gets fired up to be played to 11. I'm glad you feel that way about the vids. I go out of my way to make the editing and music prominent and something like an experience to enjoy. Gonna have to start rendering these in 4K in multichannel audio, even though the games are 240p and in stereo haha. They still had some rumble.
A month ago I was thinking what if the PC Engine was released in USA given how popular it was here..tonight I found out it was and now I have to wait for the story :(. Amazing video.
Lol sorry for that cliffhanger! But part 2 is almost done and will be out this coming Sunday morning as usual. It focuses on the US release and those times so you’ll get exactly what you’re waiting for. And no more cliffhanger at the end of this one... not yet anyway the night is young 😅
The PC Engine/Turbografx-16 was a rare unicorn in Europe when I grew up, I don't remember ever seeing one in any stores in my country, and I have only recently gotten to know its amazing library of games. I used to see screenshots in the obligatory Japan Corner of every games mag at the time, and they all looked so outlandish and amazing. Imagine my surprise when I finally got to play the games. They truly are just as incredible as I imagined back then. So many absolute classics with some of the catchiest music ever made.
I was the same here in Canada. It existed but most people didn't know any one who owned one. It was kinda like the schoolyard myth " oh so and so's friend has one or knows someone who does". I really slept on this machine and I am trying to fix that. So many good shumps...
@@michaelhoule2134 Yes, very much the case in the UK as well. No-one at school owned one, or had even played one, but it was everyone's dream console for a time. A tiny box that was like owning an actual arcade machine!
Love your Videos S-Junkie! Keep them coming! Most Tubers are afraid to make long videos for the view time results. I find yours to be very interesting. Huge SHMUP fan myself since the late 80s. If I had to give one critique thou.....recommend a lapel mic or Boom Mic for when your commentary in the room. Your voice has a lot of room reverb. BUT sounds great when overlaying your commentary on footage. Sounds good in phone mode but find myself messing with volume alot when streaming to the big screen. Keep up the great work!
Thank you. I'm not sure why tubers don't want long videos, as generally my longer ones perform best. The more overall time people watch the more the algo likes it and puts it out. Google's only goal is max watch time, so the more a video can get the better. I actually didn't plan for this one to be so short, but just had to cut it or would take a month to do the whole thing with all the fancy editing work. I definitely am going to use a lapel mic at some point, I just haven't found one that seems to sound good with my phone I'm recording with. It always picks up a lot of background noise. But I'll figure it out, as now it's just the mic on the phone so it's not going to sound the best. Ideally I'll stop using my phone to record myself but it's just so dang convenient for moving around the room and getting it off easily. I do appreciate the feedback though and you're not the first to mention it either.
![History of the Amazing PC Engine! [Book II]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Fh-pXInZeNc/mqdefault.jpg)
![History of the Amazing PC Engine! [Book II]](/img/tr.png)
5:34 If you notice, the PC Engine and Mega Drive both have a total of 512 colors to choose from, the PC Engine can put almost all of them, 482, on screen at one time. While the SFC has a massive 32,768 colors to select from, it can only put 256 on screen at one time. So, technically, the PC Engine could have the most colorful images on screen. You see this more with the CD games that make use of the extra RAM, but it often makes PC Engine games look brighter and more vivid than SFC games.
It's a shame more developers didn't take advantage, as those that did created some gorgeous games like Spriggan. I always loved the PCE color palette.
History of the Amazing #PCEngine! Find out how Hudson's mighty little console took Japan by storm and
even rivaled Nintendo! Book I of the series.
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Correction: The Mega Drive was released in 1988, one year after the PC Engine in 1987. Not two years afterward.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - In the Beginning [Ys style]
02:34 - The Amazing PC Engine
03:56 - Console Wars?
05:49 - David becomes Goliath
06:43 - Enter the CD
07:39 - Technology level over 9000!
09:22 - A Suped Up Nintendo Famicom (NES)
11:34 - Japan loves PC Engine
12:39 - Japan loves Shooters
13:04 - The Greatest Shoot Em Up Library of all time
14:53 - Hudson Caravan Competitions
16:37 - Really? More Shooters? OMG the Shooters!
20:37 - Westward Ho! Bonk in the USA.
22:29 - The Truth: Why the TurboGrafx16 REALLY failed in the USA
22:54 - Finale: We Love You PC Engine
One of my favorite vids so far buddy! I have you to thank for my PCE love, always interested and wondered what this pretty little machine was all about and you pushed me to finally checkit out! Crazy how many dope games for this thing. 8bit glory!
Pin this comment dude
This is some next level quality. You worked really hard on this and it clearly shows. Excellent work and I can’t wait for Book 2!
Thanks! I'm already deep into part 2 and can't wait to get that finished as well. Only problem is now that I've established the level of quality I gotta keep it going. 💪 Only the best for the pc engine.
I watch it time and time again.
You are right about all 16-bit consoles having their strengths and weakness and each providing a unique gaming experience that's not to be missed if you're a true retro fan. PCE's strength were the large on-screen colors limit, large max sprite size and neato "souped up, stereo NES" audio chip. The main weaknesses were the lack of hardware support for multiple independently-scrolling background layers, pretty low sprite per scan line limit (leading to a lot sprite flickering), only two action buttons and the 8-bit processor which struggled with things like physics simulation, such as more-than- very-basic collision detection. Vertically-scrolling shmups have extremely basic collision detection, mostly involving only your sprite in relation to enemy sprites and bullets, all represented by basic square hit boxes, which is why it was possible to makes them fast and busy on this system without taxing the CPU too much. The lack of multiple background layer support was definitely the most obvious and painful limitation, as it prevented true parallax scrolling, which was one of the staples of 16-bit arcade games. It made most PCE action games look "flat" compared to most arcade and Genesis titles. Of course, as the the time went on, skilled developers discovered tricks to fairly convincingly simulate multiple background layers, but ultimately, it could never match what the Genesis and SNES did with the parallax and similar background effects. Awesome system overall though.
This is seriously one of my favorite console deep-dive episodes ever. Super high quality production, great commentary and analysis. I only “discovered” PC Engine / TGFX16 in adulthood and really happy folks like you are around to cover it. Thanks for another fantastic video.
Thanks! And I'm stoked you found it and liked it so much. Part 2 is out tomorrow/Sunday so the cliffhanger continues and the saga ends. It's light hearted and comedic and I had lots of fun making it.
This is the best video I’ve ever seen on the PC Engine. Beautifully done. Your work is appreciated.
Dude I’m so glad you caught it and got to enjoy it. I really tried to make it a love letter to us fans. I’ll be sure to make the Turbo segment in part 2 the real deal 🤘
Awww shit Jessie is here! You guys should do a collab 😉 Just sayin.
@@jszekerj Smoking, Swearing, and Shmups!
this video was released just in time for bithead's glass pc engine masterpiece, what a weekend.
Hey, shout-out from Bithead1000 stopping by, awesome! :)
Thanks for you effort on this. The TG16/PCE was my first "16 bit" console in my middle-school years. It had a lot of potential but fell by the wayside against the SEGA and Nintendo juggernauts.
When it comes to gaming, Japan rules ! This is the best video ever on the PC Engine !!!!
This was a wicked history sir! The PC Engine was a system that escaped my hands, but always read amazing things about it. This video shared a rich history of its capabilities I had no idea. This is was easily one of the best videos out together! Thank you for the teases on your discord channel!!
As a western growing up playing SNES and Mega Drive in the 90s, I had never quite understood what PC Engine was about... until today. This video blew my mind! What a legendary console. Looking forward to the next book!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I made part 2 a few weeks afterward so it’s already long done and complete. It came out great too so I hope you enjoy that one as well. Some of my favorite videos I’ve done so far.
@@ShmupJunkie
I just watched that and it was amazingly fun, true fan to fan content there. You rock man.
I love the atmosphere that you produce into your videos. After watching, I am always left inspired and in awe.
Hey dude, sorry I am responding so late. Just barely catching up on comments. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. I really thought this one was my best one yet. Gonna be hard to top, but part two is out tomorrow morning. Hoping people enjoy it as much too.
You almost lost me with the opening statement: "Japan, the ideal utopia"... But I'm glad I stuck around and learned more about the PC Engine!
Haha, that’s a straight rip from the intro to Ys Book I and II. The whole section is an homage so I’m using the exact wording from the game. Definitely wasn’t meant to be taken literally. But now that you’ve seen it, if you look up ys book 1 intro on TH-cam you’ll see what I was going for, it’ll make more sense. As the intro begins with Ys the ideal utopia. It was a fan service but I can totally see how anyone not familiar would be thinking, what?
Tremendous production. It's funny, because I kind of have 2 separate eras of PC Engine in my life. As a teenager, it was the Turbografx 16. Keith Courage, Blazing Lazers, Dungeon Explorer, Super Star Soldier, Sinistron, Legendary Axe... and also the worse stuff, like Yo Bro, Gunboat, Drop Off, etc. It was HuCard only for me back then, and I loved it. However, in my 20s, I finally got a Duo-R, and a huge renaissance of imports.
This video really reminds me of when I got my Duo-R, amd a whole world of imports opened to me. I found websites like thebrothersduomazov and videogameden that I'd scour for games I hadn't tried yet. I had the best local import game store to spend thousands of dollars at before I was married and had kids. It was an exciting time.
Now, starting my '40s, it's all there, still being played, and getting discovered by my oldest son, who has fallen in love with Gradius II, the Bonk series, and Gate of Thunder. I wonder how it looks through his eyes.
My experience was not too dissimilar in that we all started with the Turbo and hucards, but as NEC didn’t do well and fewer games started trickling in I got itchy and there was a lack of content. Then the moment I discovered the import store where I could rent the games I immediately got a SuperCD card and it was like a new world of incredible games. Even friends were loving Rondo and all the arcade card SNK fighting games we’d play on weekends. There is a lot of nostalgia for the hucards but the CD library is that blew it open for me, to where I never regretted my choice going with the Turbo. Had it not been for that I would’ve certainly run out of content and wanted to move into something else.
Absolutely brilliant video, no surprise there! PC Engine is one of the only retro consoles I've never physically owned, but easily the one I've spent the most hours playing via emulation. Incredible machine.
Thanks man! I've been so stoked that lots more people who didn't even know or think about it's games are trying them out and enjoying them. It was the main reason I started my channel a year ago. So it was only fitting for a one year anniversary I did something like this to pay tribute.
Damn my brother!! I just started this video and I’m already getting that familiar rumbling in my nads! The PC Engine was the greatest gift to those of us who enjoyed shmups in the 80’s and 90’s. I bow to you my brother.
That intro was definitely made for fans. Nothing gives the goosebumps like the Ys I intro. I definitely tried to do the crazy library of shooters justice in this one.
@@ShmupJunkie - DUUUUUUUDE! You’ve gone above and WAY beyond. This is the balls my brother! If only I knew what was available in Japan for my TG-16 back in the day!!! I was the only person I knew that owned one and I’m embarrassed to admit I only had a few of the amazing shmups that were available to me. The reason I bought it in the first place was for Galaga 89/90 whichever it was here in the states. These day’s I can’t get enough of this system. I will always love the 16bit style shmups the best. Thanks so much for such amazing content my friend. If ever you want to come to Boston area you’ve not only got a house to stay in but we can go searching high and low for some amazing games!!
@reagandow850 you are super g.y talk8ng about nads and balls, weirdo chomo
@@reagandow850 clown
@@reagandow850 100+ comments on a small channel? You're DEFINITELY a creep stalker. First 2 comments I seen from you, you have talked about male organs in each, you're Def on this dudes nuts
Ouuuuuu yeah! That's a good video mate. And that music in bg..... Book II is next. Best regards!
I got to your second comment before the first. Working my way backwards.
Excellent video Junkie! That system had so much darn potential. It’s crazy to think sells in America were as bad as they were. Can’t wait to find out what really happened in book 2, great job! 👍🏽
NEC was riding so high in Japan with their success, they thought they had it in the bag in the US and it would be easy. Big mistake. I think you'll enjoy my perspective on it in part 2.
I never owned a Pc Engine but after watching your video content for the first time, i really want one now and i always thought it was a 16 bit system just finding out it was a 8 bit system - wow ✌.
Yet another amazing vid, this time about my beloved Pc Engine. The data, the edition, everything was flawless on this vid! Congratulations Junkie!
Thank you. I really did think this one came out the best of what I’ve done so far.
My heartbreak and panic at not being able to find book II shows how much I enjoyed this. Absolutely amazing video, wonderful content and incredible production values. I have an RX with Rondo of Blood in the post (and an evercade!). It will be the first time I have tried the console, I can't wait!
Wow that is so cool! I'm really excited for you. Never having been able to play one or try Rondo, you're going to have a blast. It's simply just a killer game and the music is unbelievable. Sorry it took so long I am catching up on my comments tonight as I had so many all at once. I'd love to hear back how it went and how you're liking Rondo. Finding all the extra stages and branching paths is a lot of fun. Edit: BTW part 2 is out tomorrow morning, Sunday, so you'll get to see it all end really soon.
@@ShmupJunkie thank you so much! I will watch part 2 today! Still waiting on my console.. tomorrow was supposed to be the latest it arrived, but there hasn't been an update on the post tracker since it made it to Chicago on the 2nd! I am told that patience is a virtue :) I will let you know how I get on with Rondo for sure!
Wow my friend this was stunningly well done! This was honestly one of the best videos I've ever seen on youtube. For real! You totally encapsulated what was great about the pc-engine, and it is clear you are someone who has love and appreciation for the system as well as thorough familiarity. Framing the pc-engine's strength through it's forward thinking io was a stroke of genius. I can't wait for part two. I'm guessing the main reason it failed to catch on in america was Nintendo's illegal contract with 3rd parties saying they couldn't put games on other systems if they wanted to be on their platform. Also if they could have managed to get it out in Europe a year before the competition like they were supposed to, I think it would have been successful. It would have been great to see some of those european devs make games. Anyway keep up the great work. Hopefully you have a patreon because this was incredibly deserving work. Take care.
Thanks man and sorry for the late reply. I am just catching up on all the comments I got a lot of them for this video. There was a pretty long laundry list of mistakes made by NEC of America especially, they had no idea what they were doing and Sega's top tier marketing staff and CEO mopped the floor with them. Which is too bad as they certainly could've done far better with the right people in place as the hardware was on point. They failed long before Nintendo had anything to do with it, it was mostly Sega overtaking the market with their blitz along with NEC doing themselves no favors with their ill informed moves in NA. The new video is out tomorrow so you'll get the gist of it. Luckily it was still popular and well supported at home, so we had lots of good games to enjoy. Via import stores and they grey market of couse, which is how Europe had access to it too.
Absolutely incredible work of art/gaming history, never change brotha! This was pure awesomeness. Great work!!!
Thanks. The subject is obviously near and dear to my heart. Someday I’d love to take this and part two and remaster it into one feature length video.
Can’t wait for the next part. Nobody does ‘em like Junkie. Just wow!!!
Just watched this. Guess it's a gem of a console story. Awesome job.
Glad you enjoyed it and thank you. It was a pet project for me.
Rondo of blood is one of my favourite games of all time
I kept my original copy from back then just to spin it in the CD after for that amazing soundtrack.
This is excellent! I just built a raspberry pi emulation machine with my youngest one and I have been really into the PC Engine games. I did not play this system all that much when I was younger. But I am making up for it now.
That’s awesome and I hope your kid is enjoying them with you too. I always say play it any way you can, long as you play it.
Congrats on 8K+ Subs!
OMG, this intro is pure genius! Really touched my heart & gave a good chuckle!
Thanks! This video is kicking butt and best performing so far, the 8k subs was inevitable. I loved making it and hard at work on part 2. I’m really hoping to reach 9k subs just for the memes alone! 😂
I just saw a video of you by chance and discovered a great channel. lots of high-quality content
Thank you. And I hope you enjoy what I've made so far. I really enjoyed making this video and the part 2.
Amazing video, this is the best documentary on the pc engine so far and it shows the love poured on the editing, I wonder if there's a continuation as Book II coming soon jeje.
I remember going to a Toys R us and seeing a demo of Keith Courage, wow. Then it became, in my opinion, the best shmup system with Genesis a close second. What a time to live through, the 16 bit era.
I miss going into those old Toys R Us stores and having the rows for each system with the hanging cards for the games. All long gone now. It was really the Turbo/PCE that made me into a full fledged fan of the genre as before I played mostly platformers on the 8bit systems.
I miss Toys R us. Glad to be a 90s kid
Thanks for all the hard work on bringing us some more PCE love. It’s amazing how expandable and versatile the console was. Just the library of great shooters alone on the pce is absolutely insane!
Absolutely. I wanted to make a point of its expansion bus as it’s not often discussed and how important it was to its longevity. They just kept upgrading it to keep up with everyone else.
Amazing video! I need to watch it again because I had it on in the background while making breakfast.
I did a lot of really trick editing in this one, I think you'll find it worthwhile to see the video too vs hearing it. It adds a lot in this case. The reason it took me two weeks just to make a 25min video haha.
@@ShmupJunkie I noticed some of the editing. Looking great
Oh man, what an outstanding system the PCE is! Unfortunately it never hit Europe, back in the day, so many of us overlooked this incredible japanese system...But I'm so glad to have picked up a PCE MINI, and I'm so glad I have your quality videos to watch! GREAT job Junkie, GREAT!
thank you my friend. And sorry for the very late reply, I am just catching up on many of the comments I missed. In europe you had the system through import stores and the grey market I am guessing. But not many knew about it. Hope you enjoy part two also coming tomorrow!
If it was not for Nintendo and Sega , PC Engine would be Number One !!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY @ShmupJunkie!!!! 🥳🥳🥳
For more years of quality and fun videos on youtube for us shmup lovers... and beyond!!
Thank you for building a growing community of supportive and friendly people all around the globe!
#ShmupsAreShooters !!!!!
Thank you my friend and sorry for the late reply. I am just catching up. It's good to see you here and enjoying the videos. I hope your project is still going well and you are making some progress.
all the BGMs you picked for this video absolutely slap, my dude.
Easy to do with the pc engine. I never run out of killer tunes with this baby it’s endless.
This is really an amazing video. You’ve really got the numbers and facts down pat and you know so many of the games to make perfect references. It’s great.
Thanks. It is my favorite console so I would know a good bit about it. Lots to come in part 2 this coming weekend. Doing my best to live up to this original.
Absolutely loved this. You really showed us why this was the coolest console ever! It’s the best PC Engine video on TH-cam!
I set out to do this awesome console justice and am really happy with how it all turned out, so thank you. Now I have to keep up the quality for part 2 and do the US Turbo justice as well, without the overwhelming doom and gloom most tend to focus on because it sold poorly.
You are quickly becoming one my favorite youtubers, keep up the awesome work!
Thanks! I'm enjoying the process and improving each week. Part two is out tomorrow morning.
I had no idea the Turbo Graphics 16 was so successful in japan. Amazing video
Yeah, the PC Engine was very popular there. It's not known since it was so poorly marketed there. If you haven't watched it yet, you'd enjoy the part 2 for this video as well, which specifically covers the Turbo in the US and what went wrong.
Wow, what passion! I was exhilarated as you took me on a trip back to my childhood. I absolutely love this video on my favorite game system ever.
Thanks! I get taken back to childhood any time I see or hear that Ys intro music, as I bet any of us growing up at the time feel the same. I did my best to put together a love letter for fans and something I'd enjoy watching in the future too for a hit of nostalgia.
Wow. Great work, as always. You are one of my favorite creators on youtube. PC Engine was always that special kind of console, here in europe, back in the early ninties. Video Game magazines, did reviews on those games,(in the import section. ....I miss the good old times of those real passionate guys, who started a printed magazine covering video games, these wereo true gaming journalists), but the whole thing was always something very exotic for me. Sega and Nintendo were always the main sources of video games and Atari was something everbody had heard of but the PC Engine was as far away as the moon for me😄
I was lucky enough to grow up in a big city (LA) and it was one of the first two test markets for the turbografx, so I had the benefit of getting in there and enjoying the games many never got to see. Had I not owned one, I didn't know anyone else and would've missed out too so I'm glad I did. I got to play all the genesis and snes games with friends anyway. I guess youtube is kind of that playground now, where anyone can make passion videos and hope that people find and enjoy them. I feel lucky to have been noticed and am trying to make the best of it.
So glad you included the Super Star Soldier 1st Stage music. I replay that game just to hear it. The music quality of many of the PCE’s titles continues to amaze me.
The whole SSS OST is just bad ass, one of my favs along with soldier blade. I never get tired of those classic tunes.
This is actually a great video about the history of the PC engine gaming console did extremely well in Japan has amazing library of games including Shooters or "Shmups" then trying released in North America which I'm excited for book two video.
I'm glad you enjoyed it and part 2 is coming very soon this Sunday!
Incredibly well made to show some very much well deserved light on a late 80s console that is mainly overshadowed by the Megadrive. Ashame that NEC didn't know how to market the system well in America.
Yes, pretty much how the mega drive was a niche and mostly ignored in Japan is how it went with the Turbo in the US. It will be fun to get into the actual reasons it didn't do well versus a lot of the rubbish I see and read online. NEC really had little clue what they were doing in the US and if it wasn't for Hudson and the great games they unilaterally released, it would've been far more of a disaster.
Great video! Really encompasses how dominant and relevant the PC Engine really was in Japan. You also nailed how its appeal. I also liked how you compared its strengths against the Mega Drive and Super Famicom. A very balanced machine in terms of colour and power, but incredible expansion potential! Loved your video! Cannot wait for the next one!
Thanks and I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I wanted to capture the essence of the system versus trying to go through every little historical detail and console they released, which I'll address in fun ways in the next videos. This one was lean and mean and I'm stoked with how it came out. I hope it does well as making the next one will be fun.
I actually don’t think the PC Engine ever really was THAT dominant in Japan. It’s true that it held record “new console” sales after it came out, but that’s probably only because most people already had the famicom. Japan had a weird bubble economy in the 80s where people were spending money in Japan at record highs. I think the story of the success of the PC Engine was inflated for those two reasons.....it was unopposed at the time of its release, and it came at a time when Japanese people were more readily making superfluous purchases on credit. I think if it were really the case that the PC Engine was so treasured by Japanese gamers that the SuperGrafx, its successor wouldn’t have been such a monumental failure.....one of the worst in gaming history. Not even the failure of the 32X or Saturn compares to that thing. That’s my 2-cents
Well, the expansion potential is there and was reasonaby well exploited by CD addon, but..
There are many SNES cards with extra processors. Sega CD adds new CPU, graphics and audio, 32x adds two powerful CPUs, more colors and new audio, though its design is kinda stupid and haphazard.
PCE didn’t do that. Its expansions only added RAM.
The abundant parallax scrolling of later titles is just a programming trickery done by more experienced developers on the same old hardware. Just as on Megadrive where experienced devs learned to produce effects like those in Toy Story or Batman and Robin or Panorama Cotton.
One of the problems is that hucards are just too small, physically. It is easy to shove more and bigger chips into Famicom or SFC cart. Not so easy with PCE, even game ROM sizes were limited. remember what happened to R-Type. This was always a limitation for the graphics fidelity of PCE games.
Imagine if PCE was actually expanded with more powerful CPU and graphics hardware..
On can’t deny though that the devs supported SuperCD addon so much better than Sega CD addon despite more power added by Sega CD.
O YEAH BABY!!! once again thank you for the hard work and dedication you put into your videos man! I really think you deserve all the success in the world.
This video is absolutely awesome! We can feel the love you have for the PC Engine throughout the video. Once again an exceptional work 👏 Can't wait to see the second part my friend!
Thanks buddy! I'm so glad you liked it as much as I did making it. I have to keep the quality up and do something special for part 2.
You have set a new high bar. Gonna love see you sky rocket. Great, great video man: the narrative is exemplary, well-documented, nuanced, engaging... keep it coming, you've earned the praise and respect of the community.
Thanks man I appreciate that. The video is doing as good as I hoped so I’m stoked. The channel doing well means shmups are doing well and growing a bit due to my work, making it worth the effort.
When the beat drops on the Keith courage music... you know it's about to get real!
haha, it took some work to time that right and get the overlay with the transformation. Courage wasn't a bad game either I had some fun with it back in the day. At least the mech sections. And it had some cool music.
Just found your channel and your videos are amazing. This PC Engine video is superbly edited, well written and entertaining. It easily makes it into my top 10 TH-cam videos over the last 15 years. A quick look through your other videos and it could be seen they're of an equally high standard. Well done! Subscribed.
Thanks for the props I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I've only been doing this a year so the editing improved as I learned and got more practice. Go back and far enough and it's much more raw, and I spoke a bit too fast at times, but they were all made with a love for the content and thought through so hopefully you enjoy those too. I really tried to step it up for this one as it's kind of my one year anniversary in May of the channel, aside from being a huge fan of the pc engine of course. Glad you found me and I look forward to you enjoying part two once it's ready in the coming week or two.
CLIFFHANGER!!!! Awesome video mate, really awesome 🤩. No sooner had it started it was finished, totally mesmerized by what I saw 👀. I cannot wait for part 2 but learned a lot and am still struggling to take in 117 Shmups. Definitely years ahead of the competition and such a great console that was out of reach for me back in 1987. To do what hudsonSoft did with NEC and the PC Engine is an amazing feat of engineering. By the time the Turbo 16 released I was already invested in PC and Amiga500 and was ultimately put off by severely hefty import costs and power requirements. I seriously drooled over Splatterhouse back then and for many years many years on, 33 to be precise, as you know. And only in the last year have I truly appreciated this amazing console. Very excited for part 2. Great job!
Thanks my friend and I'm glad you enjoyed it. I had to squeeze in some Splatterhouse for you and our friend Rob, but I wil give it's US release some more screen time as it was a big to do here in the US when it released. I know the grey market was big in the UK for the pc engine but also meant heftier prices and fees. Now you finally have one if you could only figure out this problem with the damn sewers! 😂
@@ShmupJunkie Appreciated mate, gotta have some Splatterhouse! Ill get through that sewer if it kills me!
Dude, you weren't kidding! You've really outdone yourself with this one!! Simply magnificent all around, and that cliffhanger!! I'm hooked, bro! Let's just say that very little laundry was done over the last 25 minutes!😉😅
Editing here is cream of the crop. Hope you get more views
Thanks! This video is doing very well so I am pretty stoked. Part two comes out this Sunday.
Awesome top notch video as usual my friend!! Loved it so much since I grew up knowing about it but only owned it last year as you know so it’s such an overwhelming discovery for me, one of my preferred consoles to date! Also, didn’t know about Darius alpha....how cool is that!? Looking forward to the next part and I found the ending credits very useful as well, great info 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks dude! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I sincerely hope the segment doesn't have you going to look for Darius Alpha, just don't do it haha. With only 800 copies you can imagine it's going price now. I couldn't possibly mention every single PC Engine without bogging the video down, so I thought the credits was a fun way to show the major releases, though there were so many I couldn't do them all. I will still go back and talk about more important releases like the Express portable and other systems.
I remember seeing the Turbografx 16 at Child's world as a kid and would go there just to see the ads and display. I never did get one, the price was pretty dang high for a game system back then. Winning the turboduo was one of the best things of my childhood. :D:D
Oh yeah? How did you end up winning one? Was it a competition or a contest of some kind? I always like to hear how some people ended up winning one. That was my case with the expensive CD add on.
@@ShmupJunkie There was a big bomberman competition at mall of america *maaaany years back* taking home a free turboduo was one of the highlights of my life. :D:D
You managed to portrait the "zeitgeist" of this GEM of a console and its library! Brilliant work! Looking forward to the sequel..
Thanks! I decided early on to make it lean and mean, not try to squeeze every tiny thing into it. There will be time for that. I wanted to do a good intro that captured the essence of it.
Beautiful documentary. I love the PCE! Thanks for doing this.
You're welcome, I really enjoyed making this video. Maybe someday I'll update it and combine this and part 2.
Fantastic PCE history breakdown my dude! 👏💯 I loved the editing and flow of everything. Top notch
I loved the PCE! I managed to win the TurboDUO at a bomberman event as a kid, was so excited, I even asked for the organizer's autograph on the box. lol I did own a few games *mostly pc-cds and a few hucards* I bought a shuttle grafx *which i later blew out the circuit playing it in korea then forgetting it at my old apt and it was thrown away after i moved out* I later found the PCE/Super CD combo in soso condition, but used it mostly for playing music. It's hard to find a new console now, but can get lucky enough to find a used on at places like Super potato and other retro game shops across Japan.
That’s awesome. I wish the US had more events like that for the system. I was lucky enough to win the CD add on that way at a local event. It’s been over several years since I’ve been to Japan and I can’t wait to go back. I hit super potato when I was there last but was with a group and didn’t have enough time to really explore. I have a long list now of everything I want to see when I’m back someday. Hopefully sooner than later.
@@ShmupJunkie mmm..i love super potato. It's quite hard to find a pce there now. You can still find quite a few core grafx 1-2 and the occasional duo there still.
Amazing! A love letter worthy of the console to which it's written
And that's excatly what I was going for. I felt a burden of this needing to live up to it and doing the console justice. We need an awesome set of pc engine videos and if it's going to be me, I better step it up. Pressure. 😅
Very interesting video. The TG16 / PC Engine seemed to pass us by in the UK and Europe, with sega being the dominant force here. Didn't realize how small it was either. When you were holding one up in one of your other videos, I thought it was a re-released mini version.
Yeah it’s so tiny! Even the original isn’t that much larger than the mini console. They really did do a poor job releasing it outside of Japan it was quite a mess which I delved more into in part two. Sega seemed to be dominant in many regions like yours and large swaths of South America as well.
Been waiting for this video since you announced it, I KNEW it was gonna start out with the Ys Book I & II intro. It HAD to. Can't wait to finish watching the whole thing, your content has always been top notch and it just keeps getting better.
I knew early on I wanted to do an homage to the Ys intro for fans, so it was the very first thing I put together for the video and went from there. I really like how this video came out it may be my favorite so far. Of course that's also likely since it's about the pc engine haha.
THAT is the text book definition of an EPIC intro!
Well I did have an Epic intro to work with in the first place 😎
Outstanding job on this, man!
I got to learn a lot more about the console. Stoked to pick it up when I get back to Japan!
Ugh, man I miss Japan. I can't wait to go back one day soon after this covid mess. I didn't get to spend nearly enough time where I wanted on the last trip.
Love the intro, it pulled me in completly, summer of 91 all over again.
I remember recording the intro onto VHS and then going and showing my friends at their homes. The world had to know how awesome it was
This video is a love letter to my favorete console and games, love this little machine from the day i bought my first one in 1990 with shinobi and tales of the monster path there was no going back. Yep the Pc Engine has loads of amazing shmups and other game well looking forward to part 2 now great video mate.
Thank you man. I like hearing first games from those who owneed it elsewhere, as in the US our first games were always the same thing. We never even got Shinobi which was a shame. Part two is out tomorrow morning!
The first time I recall learning of the PC Engine was when I found out about Splatterhouse a few years ago and saw PC Engine as one of the systems for which it was released. I like the name "PC Engine" -- it sounds like a computer (I grew up on computer games as well as console games). I never knew about the system at the time it was released -- the Super Nintendo was the latest thing by the time I began my life of video gaming. Those anime cutscenes look amazing for a system that dates back to the 1980's, closer to SNES than NES graphics (despite being technically 8-bit?).
Yeah it was actually named after NEC’s computer system like the PC88. A lot of people have been discovering it because of the recent mini release too. It was its large color palette and ability to put over 400 on screen at once similar to the SNES that gave it the potential to look so nice. It was pretty ahead of its time and a good video on it that gets more people interested in playing it is something I’ve wanted to do for a while.
Amazing vid as always! Couldn’t believe it was already 30 mins when the ‘tbc’ hit. You really make time fly! So next week part two or r type final 2 first? Oh and grats on the one year anni!
Well I don’t have Final 2 yet I’m not getting it early so I guess I keep plugging away at this series unless something changes. I’d like to finish it anyway if I can. I just hope a week is enough time to pull it off. Or I’ll get behind with Final 2 afterward.
@@ShmupJunkie ic! hrmm little bit torn here, while i think this vid was amazing, i think i like your deep dives into shmups even more, i guess because i know less about most shmups where i was relatively well versed in the stuff you told here. Anyways book 2 or rtf 2, i think that is a win win in my err book.
Mind blowing console :O It was not 16-bit system!? Mind blowing video! WOW.
It was 16bit. It was 8bit. Only thing that matters is it was awesome. 🤘
Hahah! Awesome, including the cliffhanger ending! In fact, this is such a great video (well researched, edited, and presented) that my only complaints are pedantic. This is really probably the most entertaining introduction to the history of the PC Engine I've seen on TH-cam, so super props to you. Have you perhaps read Christian Nutt's "Stalled Engine" article on Gamasutra? I suspect I'll find out when part 2 drops! Would you mind sharing some of your primary sources with us in case folks want to dig a little deeper?
Pedantic complaint #1: The PCE might have been the most successfully expanded, but I don't know if I'd call it technically the most expandable. The NES and SNES both could connect to additional CPUs and other chips through the cartridge port in ways I'm not sure even the PCE could do via the expansion port. I mean, look at all the crazy NES mappers and the FX Chip on the SNES.
Pedantic complaint #2: A lot of folks call the PCE's audio PSG, but I think that might be technically incorrect. PSG systems use pre-defined waveforms (square, usually, but also occasionally triangle or pulse) and then program some of the parameters, whereas the PCE allowed devs to define the waveform directly. From my reading on the topic I think that would be most accurately called wavetable synthesis, a term also used inaccurately for the Sound Blaster's sample-based playback.
Thanks I'm really glad you enjoyed it that much. I did my best to make it lean and mean without getting bogged down in every little hardware release and detail which I can save for later. There is honestly always a lot of things in every video I wish I could go back and fix, update or change, things I miss or mistake etc. With only a week or two to produce something like this it's inevitable things get missed. Like I accidentally noted the mega drive release in 89 when it was actually 88, stuff like that. I had so many little tech details originally scripted, some of which you mention, but it all gets edited out as it drags the pacing down and is better suited for written articles. I think I will always feel the PCE had the best expansion design, as limiting your upgrades to a cart slot really limits the options. Inserting all kinds of chips into cartridges added expense and meant you needed to do it on a per game basis. They could have technically done something like a 32X on top, but don't think they cared too. The bus on the PCE actually did have the ability to add additional processing power if they were so inclined. The Supergrafx could have (and should have) been done as an accessory like the booster, and could've interfaced with the base unit. They wanted to sell new hardware and do those fancy flight stick add ons that never released, but they could have done it via the ext bus. I was just thinking the other day, that aside from the expense which is likely why they didn't, if they had made their CD attachment like the MegaCD, where it had it's own processor and added functionality, it could have been even more of a beast. Like a Supergrafx add on and CD player in one. I just think cost more than anything was a limiting factor at some point. I have read that Gamasutra article way back and it had some really good interviews and perspective, one of the few good sources out there on what went down with NEC. I will definitely hit the major points in part 2. But it also only sees it from one perspective which is, we failed because NEC x, y,z etc. Being there from day one as an owner until 94 when it ended, I have some unique things to add to what went down. It was more than just NEC. Had they done things right, they could have sold much better and captured more market share, but they never would have rivaled Sega in the US. What went wrong is as much about what Sega did, as opposed to what NEC didn't, and why they even outsold Nintendo in the end in NA. NEC was always destined for third place, but to your point had they not been so inept in their strategy, they certainly would have been far more significant than they ended up being. I'm going to enjoy making part 2. ; )
@@ShmupJunkie Oh, definitely. One account is never enough. You need several perspectives to get the whole picture. I was there, too. The TG-16 was the first system I bought with my own money. I was a regular on the Turbo List and have my own history with the Little Engine that Could. I think it's telling that even in its prime market, Japan, the SNES still unseated it handily. I really think NEC and Hudson were coming from different places. Hudson continued to develop and publish for the NES, and later the SNES, even as their own little creation persisted in the market. I'm not sure Hudson ever really cared whether the Engine was number one as long as it was a big enough market to justify their time. As to the expansion port., I was under the understanding it didn't have the same kind of CPU and bus access the NES and SNES cart slots did, but I've been known to be wrong. Besides, I don't think either of the pedantry I raised really hurts your overall video in the least. It's an excellent production either way.
Excellent work!....
The cliffhanger .... Lol..... Ready for part 2!
I knooow! Part 2 coming this Sunday! Almost done 🤘
@@ShmupJunkie I wasnt expecting it to be done so quick, thats awesome!
I know editing takes forever.... Especially for the quality your putting out!
Best NEC video ive seen to date, right up there with mylifeingaming stuff!
You really capture the whole story and perspective of these consoles from a Japanese perspective, many of us dont fully comprehend the whys and hows this was so popular in Japan relating to their art styles and genres that were hot then.
Very well done!
Phenomenal history video. Looking forward to Book 2 - Turbografx. Also, surprised no one mentioned this, but the chapter time codes are wrong, they are at least +2 minutes delayed.
Thank you for this as I didn't notice. I just fixed it in my top pinned comment which is what people see most, and I will change it in the actual description for the time code in another day or two. It could screw up the youtube algo if I mess with the copy while it's still pushing it out most to recommendations, but once a day or two pass it's usually safe. I don't know how that happened.
You have outdone yourself bro! You keep raising the bar each and every subject you cover and every video conveying that subject. I will be watching this again in a normal TV as I just watched it on ny iPhone. That didn’t do this video justice though. I need to see those pixels in larger than life color. I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed this.
That's awesome dude I'm so glad you had fun watching this. I honestly felt it was my best one so far too just from an editing and flow perspective. I no longer include scanlines in my game footage as it seems to be hit or miss if youtube ruins them with compression and it looks ugly versus it looking beautiful. But crank it up on the big TV to enjoy that killer music that the PCE did so well. I swear I could do an episode on how great the chip tunes were.
@@ShmupJunkie hey maybe you have a subject for a future video there 👏😂.
THIS kind of content right here is what youtube is all about for me! Every time I see amazing gaming related content like this I weep for the reaction/influencer obsessed kids nowaays who wouldn't know quality gaming videos if they hit them in the face.
Thanks for keeping the tradition of high end high quality gaming related videos, bud, your content is always top notch.
That's very cool of you to say and I'm honored to get this kind of feedback for a lot of people. I'm just an amateur without any experience in actual editing, but just keep practicing and learning new things and slowly improving the content. It would honestly be so much easier to just sit in front of the camera and talk about stuff, and some of those channels that do with minimal editing are massive. Apparently they're doing it right lol. But I want to inspire people with my vids and this is the best way I know how to do it, even if it's so much more work. It was channels like MLiG that initially inspired me to try and make high quality content with more time put into editing.
@@ShmupJunkie The best times on youtube and the best gaming content was produced when people had little experience in editing and the like.
Overproduced/TV quality stuff is what ruined youtube IMO
You're doing exactly what we need, videos about gaming in their purest form. They're fun, informative, not over the top, just the way it should be.
What an amazing well put together video for the world's best console. The best part is this is only Part 1, can't wait for Part 2. Great work my friend 👍
Epic video! Oh man, more stuff like this! Turbo needs endless love
Thanks! I wanted to make the best PC Engine series out there and I think this was a good, fast start that doesn't get too long or complicated. The next one will be fun too getting to the Turbo and the US.
Great presentation. It explained a lot of the things I saw back in my childhood when I thought they were well made bootleg. I thought I had a good grasp of the video game industry history but every now and then a video like this show me how little I know about what happened in this era of video game, and I am sure my experience is shared with many. Looking forward to see the next upload.
Thanks I'm glad you did find it both fun and useful. I think few outside of Japan know too much about it since it wasn't popular in the rest of the world. Only if you imported them like some of us. What you know about the western release is of course likely much more accurate, everyone knows it did very poorly. I won't focus my entire next video on it, but I do have a more unique perspective that doesn't get mentioned much I wanted to show. It's the least I can do after that dishonorable cliff hanger at the end haha.
@@ShmupJunkie I can't wait. Thank you again and it is nice to see people with my age group talking about games that focused on people who grow up with the 90s and 80s video game. Back then it was so difficult for me and probably most people in a younger age to get those games, and even when we did we were so young it was so difficult to be good at them. Now where money is not huge factor as before to decide which game to get, I am trying to enjoy for all lost times. The down side of course is we don't have as much free time as when we were younger.
@@Solidahmed The one good thing about getting even older and retiring is we may have lots of free time again. I plan to learn Japanese and play many of the games I couldn’t understand completely.
@@ShmupJunkie This is a positive point of view indeed! :-) I bet you would learn the language well!
Amazing video! The amount of information and attention to detail in this video is just absolutely EPIC! Thank you for the time/energy and dedication you put into these videos, it's clearly evident that a lot of effort and love went into making this. Great channel, can't wait for Book 2! I owned a Genesis back in the day, and despite owning a Turbo Express and a Mini, I knew the PC Engine was awesome, but not THIS awesome! Some serious learning on my part took place today! I'd love to track down and own some of this hardware/software (PC Engine, CD Attachment, Arcade card and associated games), but with the state of game collecting these days, probably would be very cost prohibitive unfortunately.
Thank you for the awesome comment and really glad to hear you enjoyed it so much. I completely agree collecting PC Engine stuff these days can get pretty cost prohibitive. On the plus side Turbografx was far more rare, thus even more expensive by quite a bit. So going the PC Engine route is far more cost effective and you get the full library of games, though still not cheap. It really makes sense to just use a Mister if you are looking to play on a CRT and get the full experience of all the games, as it's core is phenomenal. Either that or buy an inexpensive Coregrafx along with an SSDS3, and get the original hardware experience and all the games via rom. Not as cool as owning an arcade card with a full CD setup, but given the cost of the rare shooters on the system, it makes sense. Burning the CD games properly can be hit and miss and wears the lens on your hardware more, so an add on flash cart like an SSDS3 that does CD games too makes sense.
This was so well thought out and executed. Amazing! Your videos are showing so many cool games I never knew about when I had the TG16 as a kid. Now I've got a PCE Duo and I'm like a kid in a candy store. I even just ordered the Arcade Duo Card so I can play Sapphire. Thank you!
I love both this video and the part two I made after so much. I really wanted to make a great tribute to the system and worked hard to achieve it. You really went all out to play Sapphire! That’s not a cheap endeavor when it’s available on the mini. But I know it’s nice to have the original when you can. Not sure if you plan to pay the exorbitant prices for the physical game or just grab a repro but if you do, wanted to warn you. It’s notorious for fakes all over eBay that look very real. Only buy sapphire from a trusted source if you’re going to drop that kind of money for your collection. Of course a good repro will do the trick 👍🏻
@@ShmupJunkie Yeah, for now I'll stick with a repro. But thanks for the warning! I'm thinking of sticking my toe into the original game waters for some other games, but it's a little intimidating with the cost, fakes, and the recent WATA games stuff. Still, when I see shots of your collection in your videos, it looks so cool it's definitely tempting to start collecting. I'm just worried I won't be able to stop once I start lol!
@@bcsbrown1 I only collect for nostalgia. And I have some very expensive games that I’m seriously considering selling due to a potential crash because of that scandal. There’s really a handful that I won’t sell no matter what and many are my originals. So who knows how much of this large collection I’ll have a couple years from now. As long as I have a good way to play the games I’m a happy camper. Fun fact Sapphire (along with Gate/Lords of Thunder) was made by the main art designer and programmer for Thunder Force 2 and 3 before they left Technosoft. Thus the similarities!
Okay dude, that intro alone gave me serious chills. What's in store for the rest of this episode?
I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I was super happy with how it all came out. Part 2 is mostly focused on the US market and saga, thought it doesn't end that way. Part two is out tomorrow and I think you'll like how I end things.
You earned my trust with your In the Hunt recommendation, a shooter quickly climbing to be my favorite of all time since it taps into my childhood love of Metal Slug. With this? I'm diving into PC Engine. I got a taste of Caravans back when Recca 92 hit the eShop, so I am pretty excited to dive in and see what it looks like.
Great video by the way! Your videos have this way of tapping into nostalgia for eras/consoles I didn't even have. I may be a 90s kid, but I grew up playing Doom on my PC and Earthbound on my SNES. I dabbled in shooters with Darius Gaiden PC and Darius Twin SNES, but I never got hooked the way I did as an adult, and I feel I missed out. Had the bug bit me when I first booted up Darius Twin? No doubt I'd have done whatever it took to save up for a PC Engine.
Oh man, you're going to wonder what the heck is going on with Recca. I always joke they called it that because you'll be getting wrecked playing it. It's super cool but super crazy. I actually played a lot of PC games back then too, but shooters mostly on console. NES at first and later PC Engine. I was mostly into platformers until the PCE got me playing more shooters instead since there was just so many. I'm just glad you're digging it now and enjoying some good ones you missed. Play some of the Soldier games on the pc engine, they are a more measured and realistic game but in the same style. Not that Recca isn't cool but it's a handful and almost overwhelming, like how many hours can you stay at a club with the music pounding into your head.
@@ShmupJunkie For sure, Recca is a bit much for just sitting down and playing for more than a quick burst. I'll take a look at Soldier, along with the other great games you've highlighted for this system. I got Retroarch all queued up with PCEEngine cores and dusted off my arcade stick.
What a cliffhanger! I already know the sad end, but I'm expectant anyway. Great work.
Haha thanks man. And for being a good sport about that ending. I think you may really enjoy how I play that whole ending. Part two is out tomorrow and I hit the right note at the very end... at least I like how it came out.
Great video! I still don't get how you get time to put all these things together. Waiting for the next part, take your time!
You and me both haha, lots of early mornings and late nights. And now catching up on comments which I do appreciate very much. Part two is now done and out tomorrow morning! This Sunday and I hope you enjoy it.
The biggest miss during my time in the 90s. What I mean is that during that time, I was always playing Arcade, SNES, Genesis and Neo-Geo games and I never noticed that there was a system like that that you shown on the video. For a normal anime fan like myself, it seems really enjoyable and I would had loved to play some of those games. I really appreciate the 90s even more.
Now with that said, can anyone tell me the music at 18:26 and 19:38 cause it sounded really awesome and I jammed the music of it :D
That music is from a Supergrafx game, Aldynes. Don't blame you for missing the system, it was only well known in the US in major cities and larger markets. They didn't put enough into or do a great job marketing it. However, it was always in the big game magazines like EGM etc. So I'm surprised you missed it completely and didn't at least hear of it. Though most of those Japan centric games didn't release in the US, you would have to get them at import stores.
@@ShmupJunkie Yeah maybe I must had slipped it from my mind since I was so focused on those four consoles that I had mentioned.
@@ShmupJunkie Awesome and the game OST is from Stage 3. i can't stop jamming to it.
I LOVE THIS! PCE 4ever.. since 1987.... saw R-Type for the first time and cashed out to get that little machine of wonders for $500 incl. R-Type from that friend...
I think those initial launch titles of RType and Legendary Axe are what got me to go with the turbo when it came out. I’d been playing RType arcade since it came out and when I saw it as a launch game.. DONE!
Man, you make the most kickass retrogaming documentaries.
Thanks. I guess better to be underrated than overrated haha
Appreciate that. I am having a really fun time making them.
Bravo!! Absolutely fascinating documentary! The PC Engine is my favorite system ever, so I’m thrilled to see such a high quality profile of it here.
Thank you! I’m glad you really enjoyed it and I have the final part 2 coming this Sunday. I just finished it.
Man every time I watch one of these I get like 6 more games on my list to clear, I can't keep up!! Tremendous job on the video, it's like looking into a parallel dimension for me as the PC Engine just wasn't around in my podunk part of the country. It's probably a good thing too cause I would have lost my mind as a kid had I see some of these games.
Yes, I am just now still catching up on old comments and sorry I missed yours. And now you are already about to start playing some PCE games and I'm looking forward to your thoughts. I did lose my mind on some of these games haha. Couldn't believe what people were missing.
Outstanding work as always, I don't know how you do it, but I'm glad you do
I don't know how I do it either haha, somehow between early mornings and late nights I find enough time. I'm just happy to be doing it while I can
The biggest mistake they made with the TG-16 (although there were MANY) was dragging their feet for so damn long. The PCE trounced the Mega Drive in Japan because of its two-year head start. For the people who wanted to upgrade to 16-bit graphics and didn't want to wait on the Super Famicom, it was their ticket. By the time the MD actually came out over there, most of its potential audience was already claimed.
We Americans didn't get a crack at it until two weeks *after* the Genesis (a "true" 16-bit machine from an established console maker with a bigger and better advertising push behind it) hit store shelves. Whoops.
I actually made a mistake on my script and didn't notice before it was too late, the PCE had just a one year jump on the MD not two. Still a significant head start though so it doesn't take away from your point at all. Losing that lead was huge, as it would have really helped, though it wouldn't have been insurmountable had they done other things right. The SNES released well after the MD but they jumped right in and took their cut of the market. But given NEC wasn't a household name in the US like Nintendo, that year would have made a much bigger difference, no doubt about it. Although had they continued to make all the other mistakes they did, most notably not securing a single third party US publisher from the start and going it alone, they were doomed sooner or later. Not having companies like EA Sports in your corner in the US market is a loss before it even got started.
Great stuff! Only thing is..I wasn't ready for the cliffhanger😂 Bring on book 2!
Neither was I hahaha. I ran out of time and didn't want to keep everyone waiting longer for it. I feel bad that was a painful place to stop it. 😅
I love this video. It's definitely a good reason I've become a PC Engine fan for a while.
I'm doing my best to help spread the love for this console, as I really feel those that never gave it a chance really missed out.
You play with my feelings when this Valestein Castle theme starts to sound... amazing video!
Such a killer tune, Ys3 in general had some of my all time favs. I had to squeeze it in there somewhere. More to follow in part 2!
I forgot this was only the first part, so I felt offended when "to be continued" showed up. How DARE you cut me off like that!?
I suppose that's irrefutable proof you did a good job here. I envy the Japanese kids who got to live through that era firsthand.
Hahaha, it wasn't actually intended to be Part 1. Until I ran up against the time and realized there was no way I could do the full video in time so had to cut it. I am regularly jealous of what it was like growing up then in Japan. Imagine those caravan contests and going there at a young age. Would've been in heaven.
I have three ways to watch TH-cam. I can watch it on my phone, on my laptop, or on my TV.
On my phone, I just put it on when it's audio friendly. No need for me to watch it all if I can listen to it just fine. Mostly when I wake up in the morning and need something to get me out of bed. On my laptop, whenever I'm on my break, when I just need to unwind while still checking my Discord or anything else I might have forgotten, or if I need to shrink it into the corner and watch it that way while I work. On my TV, however, it's when I NEED to watch it, when a tiny screen just isn't enough. When I need to experience the whole thing in the best way possible.
Shmup Junkie must be watched on the TV!
Hell yeah 🤘 You pretty much described how I feel about playing Lords of Thunder. Some games I'm good with the CRT speakers, but when that game goes in the surround system gets fired up to be played to 11. I'm glad you feel that way about the vids. I go out of my way to make the editing and music prominent and something like an experience to enjoy. Gonna have to start rendering these in 4K in multichannel audio, even though the games are 240p and in stereo haha. They still had some rumble.
A month ago I was thinking what if the PC Engine was released in USA given how popular it was here..tonight I found out it was and now I have to wait for the story :(. Amazing video.
Lol sorry for that cliffhanger! But part 2 is almost done and will be out this coming Sunday morning as usual. It focuses on the US release and those times so you’ll get exactly what you’re waiting for. And no more cliffhanger at the end of this one... not yet anyway the night is young 😅
The PC Engine/Turbografx-16 was a rare unicorn in Europe when I grew up, I don't remember ever seeing one in any stores in my country, and I have only recently gotten to know its amazing library of games. I used to see screenshots in the obligatory Japan Corner of every games mag at the time, and they all looked so outlandish and amazing. Imagine my surprise when I finally got to play the games. They truly are just as incredible as I imagined back then. So many absolute classics with some of the catchiest music ever made.
I was the same here in Canada. It existed but most people didn't know any one who owned one. It was kinda like the schoolyard myth " oh so and so's friend has one or knows someone who does".
I really slept on this machine and I am trying to fix that. So many good shumps...
@@michaelhoule2134 Yes, very much the case in the UK as well. No-one at school owned one, or had even played one, but it was everyone's dream console for a time. A tiny box that was like owning an actual arcade machine!
Excelente video!! Tengo pocos años en el genero de los shmups,pero se a vuelto mi genero favorito!! Lo unico malo es que es muy caro!! haha!!!
Love your Videos S-Junkie! Keep them coming! Most Tubers are afraid to make long videos for the view time results. I find yours to be very interesting. Huge SHMUP fan myself since the late 80s. If I had to give one critique thou.....recommend a lapel mic or Boom Mic for when your commentary in the room. Your voice has a lot of room reverb. BUT sounds great when overlaying your commentary on footage. Sounds good in phone mode but find myself messing with volume alot when streaming to the big screen. Keep up the great work!
Thank you. I'm not sure why tubers don't want long videos, as generally my longer ones perform best. The more overall time people watch the more the algo likes it and puts it out. Google's only goal is max watch time, so the more a video can get the better. I actually didn't plan for this one to be so short, but just had to cut it or would take a month to do the whole thing with all the fancy editing work. I definitely am going to use a lapel mic at some point, I just haven't found one that seems to sound good with my phone I'm recording with. It always picks up a lot of background noise. But I'll figure it out, as now it's just the mic on the phone so it's not going to sound the best. Ideally I'll stop using my phone to record myself but it's just so dang convenient for moving around the room and getting it off easily. I do appreciate the feedback though and you're not the first to mention it either.
@@ShmupJunkie no worries. And thanks for replying! Like I said. LOVE the shmup vids and keep.....them......coming!!!!!