The Launch of the TurboGrafx-16 (1989) | Classic Gaming Quarterly
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ค. 2015
- Episode 30 - This week on the show, it's the third installment in the "Launch Spectacular" series, the launch of the TurboGrafx-16! We take a brief look at the history of NEC, Hudson Soft, and their joint venture that started in 1987. We also take a look at all of the "launch window" games for the North American release, including Keith Courage in Alpha Zones, The Legendary Axe, Victory Run, Alien Crush, China Warrior, Power Golf, Vigilante, Blazing Lazers, and Dungeon Explorer. Re-live the old days, or discover then for the first time!
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I had ONE friend who had one back in the day. His dad drove a Delorean. They were rich.
+Bob Marley Hah! That's funny, because the one kid that I knew who had one was the exact opposite. I'm guessing that they scooped the TG-16 out of the clearance bin somewhere. Which mens that he actually probably had a bunch of solid games for it. Thanks for the comment!
+Classic Gaming Quarterly I've been playing it lately and love it, I can't believe the system flopped like it did, it's actually got a LOT of good games!
+Mustang McKraken Thinking about it the main problem I see with the systems games is that there aren't a lot of beat 'em ups, which the 90s was bloated with and a lot of how the Genesis competed with the SNES.
I was 9 years old and REALLY into games when this system came out. I remember me and my friends were totally confused by it. We didn't even know where it came from, my friends dad just got it for his son one day. I remember playing Bonk but that is about it. I think part of the problem is they just weren't sold anywhere, and even kids who were into games didn't know anything about the system. Even though my friend had the system, we always played Nintendo instead.
It failed because it was overpriced and not really much better than cheaper consoles. Another was in the US you could not not have a minimum of 2 controller ports. Looking back I think the games at the time seemed to be to Japanese for Americans with anime graphics. As someone who had one new, there was no real retail support. Had to order a lot of games. That said, goddamn do I love Ninja Spirit.
My uncle worked for NEC in 1989-90, and my brother purchased a TG-16 through him which we got just before Christmas that year-- along with The Legendary Axe and Blazing Lazers. We had an absolute blast with the console, and before I graduated high school and left home in June of 1990, we had added Alien Crush, Dungeon Explorer, World Class Baseball, Splatterhouse, and Military Madness to his library.
TG--16/PCE games have a very distinct sound. I've always loved the music; it's a step up from the NES, but different than the 16-bit machines that followed. As you pointed out, the OST for The Legendary Axe really stands out... and both Blazing Lazers and Dungeon Explorer have fantastic soundtracks as well.
Sadly, my brother fell out of his love of video games a couple of years later and sold everything... but watching videos like this triggers great memories of us tackling these games together and having a great time doing so. The TG-16 deserved a better fate here in the USA, I believe, and it's always nice to see the system getting coverage & recognition like this.
Keep up the great work, sir.
+Peter Skerritt They definitely had a unique sound. Voices were incredibly clear on the TG16 (check out the Japenese Pc Engine release of Street Fighter 2) and the color palette was fantastic. Though the Genesis had a bit more horsepower in some areas, there were definitely some areas in which the PC Engine shined.
Peter Skerritt
Blazing lazers and splatter house was my shit bro
Peter Skerritt why are you verified
Dean Woods wow......
How are you verified
The TG16 was my first "16-Bit" console. It was so special to me since nobody I knew had one or even knew what it was. I was "that guy" with a TG16 and was proud of it. Everyone I knew had the Genesis or the NES so I wanted something different. I didn't regret my purchase one bit.
+Mar “Marmac” Mac Sometimes there's something cool about being into something that no one else cares about.
+Classic Gaming Quarterly Now you what being an anime fan was like back then.
Mar Mac or cheese is delivery at home for me to be a nice little
Mar Mac or
Me too man. Me too. I was that kid.
These videos sure do take me back. I got a TurboGrafx-16 when I was a kid, but only after NEC dropped the price to $99 due to poor sales. It was a cool system, although the way they nickel'd and dime'd you for little things that came standard with the Genesis, I can see why it wasn't very popular (with parents at least). There were so many games I wanted for it back then that I would never get to play until 20 years later due to rerelease and emulation.
i have an incredible amount of appreciation of this system I never played or owned.
Dude as a 80's kid this brings me nice memories from my childhood, greetings from chile! Btw great channel!
Thanks!
Amazing Video, seriously this was History channel-worthy! I was an early adopter, bought it here in Chicago in 1990 at Toys R Us. I remember staring at the 'wall of game tickets' and being sold on it, LOL. I recently found one that an ex NEC employee had sitting in a box with 4 controllers, a turbotap and 10 games complete in case, all in mint condition. I got my childhood back for $175. Thank you for this video, it brought back some very sentimental memories.
My parents rented this system for me over a weekend when I was 9 years old. I loved it. By far my favourite system ever. The graphics were INSANELY good for the time.
These videos never cease to amaze me. The best on TH-cam for sure.
Best retro game show CGQ. I think I've seen each of these launch videos a dozen times. Still fun to watch when I'm bored
how have I never heard of this console?! it was even in my era of consoles. travesty..
what a machine though! I would have loved to have owned one, to be that guy that had the one console no one else did.. Or even wanted. everyone loves the underdog!! love the vid
I enjoy watching this episode over and over. Absolutely love the TurboGrafx 16. As yourself, we made fun of it when we were younger after it's launch as well, and now it's become one of my top 3 consoles of all time. :)
I really like these more "serious" reviews on retro gaming. It's still really fun for me to watch and I get to actually learn something I might not know about these old systems. I subscribed as soon as I heard the tone of this review. Now I can't wait to check out your other console reviews. I hope you keep making these. I'm sure I'm not alone either. Thanks.
Thanks!
[Coury] Fantastically done episode. As someone who spent a bit of time with the console around its release, but never owned one til fairly recently, I can honestly say that I missed out... and am paying the price for it.
***** Thanks a lot, man! Your continued support is much appreciated. I too would loved to have had a Turbo back in the day, knowing what I know now, but as I said, we all thought it was a joke back then. We were way to impressionable. Damn you, Al Nilsen with your genius Sega marketing skills!
TG-16 was second rate compared to the Genesis
Thumbs up due to the fact no one ever covers Blazing Lazers. That game was the system seller back in the day. Would like to see more coverage including Bonk, Neutopia and others!
+themrnails Those should be covered in future episodes. Thanks for watching!
+themrnails You can check out "Chronturbo", it's so far on it's 5th episode.
Its like they actively wanted it to fail, blazing lazers shoulda been the pack in. At least Keith Courage made way for Frank's Theme in flea market madness
When i was 4 years old, China Warrior and R-Type blew my mind! This brought back so many memories.
Glad you enjoyed it!
"But the plot was completely changed during localization and is now amazingly stupid.." Haha my goodness that is great
Keith Courage was a good game back in the day.
I still remember a trick in Keith Courage.At the last boss,pausing the game as you drop down into the chamber hugging the left wall causes the boss to freeze in his spot,allowing you to finish him off without taking any damage.
My father and I played Power Golf for hours on end for a LOOOOOOONG time. lol We loved that game.
I deliberated endlessly over which console to get, but the TG16's colors and sounds got me from the start, and some games are timeless classics. I'll tell you why the system failed though, in a way that no one talks about: lack of rentals. Genesis games were out for rental almost instantly when the system came out and I'd already been renting NES games for years, but in all the years following I only ever saw one store renting TG16 titles, and the supply was very limited. This meant I had to buy any title I wanted to try (no refunds of course), and also meant many kids weren't even aware of the system. I think they really missed the boat on that one.
+Jesse Krizik is the absence of rentals the fault of the company behind the TG16 though? i'm not sure how that one works...
Yup.
You say "missed the boat", but blame the rental stores. They were the ones who made that call.
Jesse Krizik - Toys R Us used to take video game returns during the TG16 era. I returned alot of games for Jeffrey Bucks! Electronic Boutique and Babbages also took returns on opened software. I took full advantage of it back then too. I was not liked due to my frequent returns.
Jesse Krizik lack of third party developers and licensing
Man this episode brought back some great memories. I got a TG16 a year after launch, already had a Genesis, and I just loved it. Something about the music and sound effects from the TG...it's got a unique sound to it, with some fantastic soundtracks, especially Dungeon Explorer, Legendary Axe and Alien Crush mentioned in this episode. Later I got the CD add on and was blown away by many titles like Y's 1&2, Lords/Gates of Thunder, Rondo of Blood and more. I regret selling my old system, but recently got a hold of one with a Booster. Need to find me a CD-Rom now!
Oh my God, Blazing Lasers was such an amazing game! It's still a complete blast to play today.
I'd also recommend Bonk's Revenge, Ninja Spirit and Raiden
one of my elementary friends was also 'that one friend' who suddenly had this unheard of system at the time. He had revved it up so much before letting me come over to finally check it out at his house one day and play it. My first introduction to it was the one and only legendary Bonk's Adventure. I remember being blown away by how different and unique the game was. The music, the graphics, the concept. I was very lucky to end up getting this system as well. I played that Bonk's Adventure endlessly. And being the second last in a large family of kids, feel so lucky to have experienced so many of these systems in their day (and after) i.e. ColecoVision, Atari, NES, SEGA, SNES...) along with their epic games. It truly was a glorious time to be alive. And, to be a kid.
5 STAR FEEDBACK!!!
I bought the TurboGrafx-16 in the fall of 1990, just over a year after it came out in the U.S. and about 6 months after I got the Genesis. The amazing thing was, with the purchase of the TurboGrafx-16 I had the mail-in offer for my choice of a free game. I chose R-TYPE because it was one of the most talked about games on the PC-Engine (released in two parts in Japan). I also really enjoyed the Sega Master System version of R-Type.
So anyway, fall 1990 goes by and in the afternoon of Christmas Eve, a UPS truck shows up and the delivery guy has my free copy of TG-16 R-TYPE... I'll never forget that! I played that game and Military Madness the most of any games on TG-16.
+Thunder Force Dude, that's an awesome Christmas present! If you remember, did you also get some games for Christmas that year?
Thanks for watching!
+Classic Gaming Quarterly Let me think... When I got the TurboGrafx-16 that fall, besides the Keith Courage pack-in, I bought The Legendary Axe and Blazing Lazers. With R-Type arriving at my house on Christmas Eve, I don't think I got any other games for Christmas that year. But after Christmas and right after the New Year (January 1991) I remember having Military Madness.
The next Christmas I gave my brother the newly redesigned Atari Lynx II (smaller version of the original) and a copy of Blue Lightning.
Sounds like you already had some great games by Christmas! How did you guys like the Atari Lynx? I didn't get mine until 1995, but it still felt more advanced than any other handheld on the market.
Thanks for this video! I got a TurboGrafx 16 for Christmas in 1989 and I absolutely loved Legendary Axe, China Warrior, Dragon Spirit and Dungeon Explorer. I still have the system and the turbo booster and the controllers work well. The music was and is great in these games. Watching this reminded me of being a teenager again.
+Charles Oliver It's very rewarding to read comments like this. Thanks for posting it, and thanks for watching!
+Classic Gaming Quarterly You're welcome, you just got a new sub.
I love your videos and the way you present them. down to the detail of using magazine clips and advertisement. it puts you in that timeframe. props!
+George H Thanks! Glad you're enjoying them, and thanks for watching!
I wanted a TurboGrafx back in 1990 for Pac-Land, Splatterhouse, and Bonk alone. I got a Sega Genesis (along with Ghouls and Ghost, Castle of Illusion, and Ghostbusters) that year and my cousin (who lived the next block over) got the TG-16 (along with Alien Crush, Blazing Lazers, and Ninja Spirit). I got the games I wanted and played them over his house until I got my TurboDuo in 1993 for Xmas. :P
+Turbotef That seems like you had a good situation going then, since you could play Genesis games at your house, then play TurboGrafx a block away.
+Classic Gaming Quarterly Yeah (Yeah, I let him keep the games at his house, I also got Bonk's Revenge, that gravity defying slinky shmup, and Dragon's Curse during that time) , he got his own Genesis and an SNES the following Xmas. 16-bit and 32-bit gaming were my favorite times as a gamer. :)
Man happy to have stumbled across this channel, great stuff man, subbed!
Thanks for your job man, i really
appreciate it,
greetings from Mexico :D
Every time I hear you say "weekend rental" I get nostalgic for the old days as a kid when your parents would take you out to rent a game/movie for the weekend after school on Fridays... Ah, the good old days where the most you had to worry about was picking something that would last you the weekend and not be shitty, lol. Also, because of this I'm realizing you mention weekend rentals at least once in nearly every single video, which isn't a bad thing, just an observation ;)
+Deathbrewer Exactly what I am thinking of when I say it! I'm trying to talk about the games in their own time rather than in a modern context, so I use a ratings system like "worth buying", "worth a weekend rental", or just "bad". Thanks for the comment!!
mamakevin
Actually, the Legendary Axe was a joint collaboration effort between Hudson and Atlus. Then they hired Victor to publish it. Jun Chikuma did the music to the game.
In blazing lazers there are power ups you can shoot that make a 'ping' noise. If you keep shooting them they turn into a glowing ball that you can collect to blow up everything on the screen. This also has the effect of allowing you to restart immediately from where you were blown up. As a kid I didn't know this, but I always got to max power quickly and didn't need extra power ups, so I shot the power ups into glow balls :). I could beat the game on 1 credit everytime since I could continue on the final boss.
This channel is really enjoyable.. It has tons of content! Thanks CGQ!
No, thank you Sami!
I had this Console in 1991
my mother won it on draw at our local 7ellevin. I love it and as a collector I still play it till this day!
I started gaming life at the release of the Sega Genesis. Then I got a SNES as a second system when it released. I ran across the Turbo Grafx 16 one day at a local toys-r-us. I knew what it was from game magazines. I purchased one and never looked back. This became my favorite console of all time and has remained my top choice in retro gaming today. I even own a PC Engine now, plus a Turbo duo, and a Turbo Express. I still have my Genesis and the SNES, but this system gets all the love. I have became a retro gamer over the years having more affection for those order games than anything the modern systems can offer. Great posting man. This console failed on the US soil due to the crappy marketing that NEC gave it. They just did not understand our culture. If this system had been marketed, at the start, with some top notch titles it would have been more successful. Not saying that it would have been bigger than the other two guys, but it would have had more of an impact, longer life span, regardless of the power under the hood. The games have always been the make or break of a console.
+Bobby Lyle I agree about NEC's lack of understanding of the American market killing the system. At the very least, the Turbografx should have been able to give the Genesis a run for its money until the Super Nintendo came out. I really do think that the system would have sold better with The Legendary Axe as the pack-in.
Classic Gaming Quarterly - This was always discussed back in my day of the TG16. The system should have included Legendary Axe (a launch title) instead of Queef Squirmage and the Alfalfa Clones!! The pack-in game used to make or break a console; NES has SMB, GameBoy had Tetris, ect.
Rusty Shackleford NES has SMB. Gameboy has Tetris. Genesis has Sonic. TG16 has Bonk. Launch title shouldve been Bonk's Adventure
Great video. I was one of those people you mentioned at the beginning of the video who owned and was a die hard fan of the TurboGrafx-16 back in the days, but was mocked for it, becasue it was not as popular as the Genesis or Super NES.
+NeoTurboManiac 78 You and me both, dude. TurBRO's 4 LIFE!
I bought the ORIGINAL, the PC Engine, in Akihabara, before it was even out in most stores in Japan. I was in the Navy, on a famous carrier, homeported in Yokosuka. I was not fluent in Japanese, but knew enough that some of the locals referred to me as a Henna Gaijin, and understood technology well. The console blew everything else in the world away. Initially, I bought 4 games. A little later I got the RCA video adapter. I have index card boxes full of HuCards. NEC would have EASILY dominated the US market, if not for all the sabotage by their US marketing people causing over a year in delays to the release and numerous DELIBERATE incompatibilities. I never could understand the idiocy involved.
Watching all your vids! Brings back good memories.
Thanks man! Glad you're enjoying them.
Agreed. I just found this channel and I subscribed by a few minutes into the first ep.
Actually quite nice that they added trucks to that Dakar game, since it is also raced with trucks that race alongside the normal cars. :) And also support trucks run the race at the same pace as the racecars, quads, bikes and trucks
About Victory Road and Dakar Rally. Those big rig trucks also compete in the Dakar Rally stages, that's why they're there. Dakar Rally specialness revolves around not only it's lenght and harshness but also that a big array of vehicle types compete in it, from bikes to trucks going through cars, 4x4s, quad bikes, etc.
Keith Courage and Legendary Axe really pissed me off as a six year old. I hated those spikes you couldn't see until you fell into them.
Or random pitfalls when taking leap of faiths
Blazing Lazers was a launch title? That's a strong start for the console.
***** Very true.
I played a lot of Vigilante on the master system back in 89, its a good game for its time
I discovered the TG16 library via the Wii Virtual Console in the mid-2000s. A tragically under-appreciated console in the US. So many high-quality titles with terrific, unmatched 2D visuals for its time. A true underdog. If I ever began collecting for a retro system, this would definitely be the one.
I love this channel and this series! Thank you for the hard work!
Thanks man!
An incredibly detailed synopsis. Nice job!! My only disagreement is the number of quality titles available. I got the TG16 at launch for Christmas. The number of games actually AVAILABLE in stores was extremely limited. I remember searching every local gaming store and most of the classics we now know and love were very hard to find back in the day. It seemed that most stores gave up on the system early on. And there was no internet so no way to buy online. So most of us were stuck with a few good games and a bunch of duds. The TG16 should have won the console war over the Genesis, but poor marketing and support killed the system. When NEC finally rebooted their marketing strategy it was too little too late. It's a shame. But you are right, the colorful graphics on this system really gave it a look and style of its own.
I had one of these. Loved it. The little credit card game cartridges were a trip.
Nice shout-out to Jaki Crush. I had that game growing up and freaking loved it. The fact that it had 'boss level' areas blew my mind at the time.
The TG16/PC Engine was a great system. Only about 90 of it's 200+ games got released in NA, and in general they failed to properly market it, etc. It was popular in Japan, moreso than the Megadrive in fact.
The weird thing about the TG16, is that Hudson was the main exclusive developer for the system, yet they still also made games for NES, GB and SNES.
From what I heard they only distributed systems and games to larger cities. So for a kid like me growing up in rural North Dakota I had only vaguely heard of the system since I'm pretty sure it never was sold directly in North Dakota not even in Fargo.
I don't know. I grew up in a smaller town in Northern California, and a friend of mine's older brother had one. I had never heard of, let alone seen, a Sega Master System till I read about it in a magazine, as a kid. But I knew the TG16.
Smaller town in Northern California still probably puts you in a more populous place and closer to a larger city than I. I'm pretty sure the closest large city that the TG-16 was being sold in was Minneapolis, a good 6 hour drive from where I lived.
And it isn't like I only ever saw SNES and Genesis. I remember 3DOs and even Jaguars being sold in Fargo. I don't think I ever saw a TG-16 and I always made a beeline to the video games when I was kid in a department store/mall.
+chrisbg99 they had them in fayetteville nc but only in toys r us and game stores. (That i can remember)
Really glad I discovered this channel. GameSack, HappyConsoleGamer, MetalJesusRocks....TH-cam could always use more dudes showing their love for retro games :)
+Micah Buzan Thank you! It means a lot to be mentioned in the same sentence as those guys!
Classic Gaming Quarterly metal Jesus ROCKS!
i got blazing lazers for christmas back in the day. MAN I loved it. The music was amazing.
I was definitely one of those oddball kids that had a Turbo. Great video!
i was that 1 kid that had a Turbo Grafx-16
Same here, for christmas when every other kid I went to school with wanted a Genesis, I wanted a TG16 and got it.... and I was the only one lol. I also had the CD System before sega cd was a thing and I wish I still had it.
Me too very underrated system
Wow...One of the best vids on TH-cam about games...You did your homework! Subbed and looking forward to all in this series!
+Ron Fiasco Thanks dude! SNES launch is next, then thinking about the original Game Boy and the Dreamcast...
+Classic Gaming Quarterly ...Yea, I just watched the Saturn one...At one time, I had every console except the Neo-Geo...I don't have anything but awesome memories now, but do to cool shows like yours, as well as World of Longplay's and emulators on my Android, my loving hobby has not been stronger. Yea, keep 'em coming...I see the amount of work your putting into these and it's absolutely appreciated. Maybe one day I will rebuild my collection...I keep saying I am going to retire...but as long as there is a new Final Fantasy, I will hold the flame! :)
Ron Fiasco Sincerely, thank you for that comment. Guys like you are who I am making these videos for. And never stop gaming!!
Naw...It's in the blood, bro. :)
I knew one kid who had this who lived in our neighborhood for 3 months, got to play it a couple of times. Hard to believe it ever existed.
You do a really great job with these my friend. Very happy you're doing what you do. Subscribed.
Over here in the uk we got a limited release of the machine thru telegames.
I have a pc engine and turbo grafx now and i love it.
You laughed at someone for having a turbo grafx16 at school?
here in the uk we laughed at someone if they had a NES when i was in secondary school everyone has a sega master system
Also Raven Games in London had tons of PC Engine stuff. They even sold the PC Engine GT handheld
The TGX16 was expensive if I recall as were the games. I had Sega consoles like most of us in the U.K. However, if you were a rich b@stard you had a Neo-Geo
Great video man! I really like these launch spectacular videos, and I'll give a +1 for the Sega Saturn launch .
And it was really fun to get some information about a system that was never released here in Europe :)
My uncle gave me this console when I was very young. It planted a seed. I finally got hooked on games forever when the N64 came out when I was like 4 or 5 or so.
I loved TG-16 as a kid. I remeber me & my cousins playing this Christmas of '89. I believe they had Keith Courage(obviously), China Warrior & Victory Run. Then they picked up games like Splatterhouse, Legendary Axe & Takin' It To The Hoop.
+Travis Smith Splatterhouse is awesome. Thanks for watching!
Glad I found this channel pretty cool stuff you got here subscribed!
Even though I talk to you on Twitter, I never put it together somehow. Saw this video a while back. Worth multiple views! Oh ya, that kid you speak of, was me!
Hahah, thanks!
Your channel is a true TH-cam hidden gem. Awesome video all the way around.
gtaylor196 Thanks! Hopefully it doesn't stay hidden forever...
I've been watching gaming videos on TH-cam for years now, but I have to say, I love how in depth you go and how well you research the history behind a console/gamd. Keep up the good work buddy!
Thanks!
Well, there are trucks competing in the Dakar Rally, so I guess they were just trying to make Victory Run a little more realistic...
Yup. Definitely did not know that when I made this episode...
looks like the mitsubishi pajero or something, which was a huge success in the rally. A ton of trucks competed in the Dakar. not sure what you mean since your statement is ambiguous
About the racing game...you know there were trucks racing offroad in Paris-Dakar-Paris rally, right?
The best part!!
And support vehicles.
Your content is legit amongst the best gaming related channels on TH-cam. Thanks for all the good work!
Thanks, man!
There's something very early-90s about your narration and gravitas. It's great! Thanks for the good reviews.
Thanks!
Ah forgot about vigilante, I played this in the arcade. I looks like the port the turbo gfx was pretty identical
The TG-16 was a very good system for its time. However, when stacked against SEGA's superior hardware combined Tom Kalisnke's mastery of marketing, it really had no real fighting chance in the US market.
+Pedro Calmon Word.
Around 1994-1995 my grandma found a bunch of these brand new at a thrift store for like $20. She got me & my brother 1 each & I never heard of it but I loved it
I've never seen your videos. So in-depth and entertaining. Thanks for taking the time to do these!
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
+Classic Gaming Quarterly no problem!
Also subscribed.
Hey really great work. You really had a lot of great info for this video. The Turbo Grafx 16 was a system that I had a lot of fun with. Some of the CD games were incredible. So many great rpgs, shooters and action games in that TG16 hu card and CD library.
***** Thanks! I agree, and look forward to covering some of the CD games in a future episode. Incidentally, the current (for North America, anyway) issue of Retro Gamer magazine has a feature on the PC Engine CD.
lotsofgames - I was that one kid too! I had over 20 games for my TG-16, the CD add-on, and the TurboExpress. I always wanted to step up to a SuperGrafx or a TurboDuo, but once the SNES arrived, it killed NEC in America so fast, there was little point. I'm 42 now & TG-16 music has really stuck with me; Card and CD. The Y's games on TG-CD have some of the best gaming music I've ever heard to this day. Even Fighting Street's (Street Fighter 1) Red Book audio blew the arcade's inferior soundtrack out of the water; Geki's was my favorite. NEC was ahead of the curve & Hudson was the reason.
Classic Gaming Quarterly - Thank you for this well-researched & professionally presented video. Subbed 🖒
I still have all of my TG16 CD games, but the CD system died a few years ago. :( I really enjoyed that system.
Nice rundown, well done. As one of those mythical kids that actually owned a tg16 (and had 2 friends with one!) I would love to see you do a video on ys book 1&2, preferably from the perspective of a 14 year old kid in '91....blew our minds when the intermrssion kicked in between book 1 and 2!
Since I am a huge retro gamer, my siblings never played these consoles before, we only played the 5th generation and above consoles, not so much with the 4th generation and below. My parents were already working at those times the consoles came out but they actually played the 2nd generation consoles at home and they still have them to this day.
I still own my tg16 complete with the cdrom drive (V1) and nifty carrying case, the turbo tap, extra controllers, the turbo stick (arcade style joystick), and between 15 to 20 games. It was my first and only "console" gaming system I purchased until after I married and had children. Although I enjoyed it quite a bit, it set me back a decade as far as console buying went, and I quickly retreated back into the world of computer gaming (originally started on the commodore 64 and continued from there). When I made the purchase I felt the machine was worlds ahead of the competition and it was the best way to go. I still hadn't realized that superior hardware alone didn't make a great gaming system and in the end felt this line of gaming was just too risky. It isn't nearly as fun being the only kid/teen on the block with a console when all of your friends have exactly the same console that you don't. To this day I have not personally met anyone else who has ever owned a tg16, and in most cases hasn't even seen one. I still play one and only one game on it... Devil's Crash/Crush. In my opinion it's "the" best video pinball game ever designed... with an incredible soundtrack.
Ugh, the TG16. I was that kid who had a TG16 at launch, due to the arcade ports of Bloody Wolf & Vigilante. I had Blazing Lazer's, Alien Crush, Bonk, Dragon Spirit and a few others. I agree with your opinion on Keith Courage. China Warrior did look awesome, but back then, various magazine's dissuaded me from even checking it out. I got tired of the lack of great titles as the system aged, and I eventually left it over a friends house and never came back for it. I have no regrets about that. If NEC wouldn't treated the TG16 like the PCE, then it would've had more impact here in the states. Oh, well. Outstanding job covering the TG16 launch.
Just subbed to the channel. Great video man! 10/10 quality.
+Rob Snow Thanks, man. Welcome!
Fantastic video. I love the amount of detail you put into this. Thanks!
Thanks man!
Amazing video
I remember my younger brother had that for Christmas of 1989. I think I played that video console more than he did as I managed to complete the games and he would just love watching me doing so. Good memories.
Dang, 482 onscreen colors! Always thought it was worse than the MD but that's way better. I like how you showed the artwork for each game. Great video overall.
+Daniel Alm Thanks a lot, man!
That's literally the only place it was superior to the Genesis/Mega Drive. By basically every other metric Sega's machine was in a totally different universe performance-wise. The CPU was literally like >4x faster.
Awesome channel i am glad i stumbled across it , high fives for the attention to detail regarding the manufacturers history ,and key people. Keep up the good work .
+Mark Joseph Thanks for taking the time to leave such a positive comment, and glad you're enjoying the channel!
I didn't play the Turbo back when it was blazing new trails, but I have a keen interest in it today. I am intrigued by the technical details, such as its' using a 6502 8 bit CPU, and offering the first CD-ROM technology for a home console. But I also love some of the games that found their best iteration on NECs machine such as Exile, The Dynastic Hero, and Castlevania X Rondo of Blood. The games that got it right on this machine take me back by allowing me to once again be mesmerized by nuanced beautiful and enticing 16 bit visuals. Pixelated perfection. Splendid video cgq.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
I miss this game system so much. It finally bonked out on me in 2009,after having it for 19 years. I had many games for this system. Andre Panza Kickboxing was really Awesome, so was Superstar Soldier,and so were the two Bonk Games.
Your "Launch of" series is great! Just subscribed.
Thanks, Rob!
robyoink i agree!
17:15 looks like a mix between the Iron Sheik and Bald Bull.
You should have way more subscribers man, love your channel. Captures my childhood perfectly every time!
Loved this system - R-Type and Dungeon Explorer - the graphics were so good. So much color at the time. Thanks for this.
Great video.. I really dig the set up and how you lay it all out. The audio is super clean and the video looks pretty. The facts are on point and your opinion isnt forced...(all things I aspire for my channel to be lol) for all of these reasons.. you get a sub. Cant wait to see more
RewindMike Thanks for watching! Subbed you back...
I remember being a kid when TG16 was out and you were like a svengali if you had one.
It definitely won me some friends. It helped that all my videogame stuff was usually bought by me with birthday money or doing odd yard work when I could so I guess I didn't give off the spoiled vibes. But yeah, I miss my TG16, that thing was badass.
I remember playing the console about 4 times as a kid at my buddy's house who was the only kid I knew with it. I loved it and it was pretty ahead of its time. Now that I am old, I can afford to collect for the TG16/Duo.
Man, this is really high quality stuff. Very good editing, well paced and informative. You are becoming one of my favorite video game related channels. Keep it up!
Juan Castro Hey, thanks a lot man!
I have to completely agree, his videos are become one of the best if not the best on TH-cam.
Just discovered your channel, excellent job!
***** Thanks, man. Welcome aboard!
No problem man, I'd love to plug your channel in one of my videos too! I was thinking of reviewing Keith Courage XD
awesome reviews man keep the good work up
+Chris Stokes Thanks, man!
Huge fan of your channel and I love these videos. I played the TurboGraphx in high school a couple times, but I played the hand held version, the TurboExpress and I loooooved it. Thanks again!
Thanks, Carp!
There was one kid in my neighborhood who had Turbografx 16 and I remember being at awe with games like Ninja Spirit, Keith's Courage, Splatterhouse and Devil's Crush. I will be completely honest, Splatterhouse and Devil's Crush are still to this day the most frightening, evil and disturbing video games ever made!
Never heard of it!
HappyConsoleGamer Whaaaaaat? Thanks for checking out my vid, man! Love your channel!
Ohhh thank you! :D
Classic Gaming Quarterly Daaaayum Chris! You got Game Sack AND HCG following your channel! Good for you!
Haha. Man im a big video game enthusiast than actual gamer aside from a few games.
But seriously these are 16 bit graphics. The snes and genesesis blow this out of the water. This failed for a reason.
The sega master system graphics are on par with this. That last game looks playable though
Jack Beanstalk LOL Stop being so dumb man. Nothing on the Master System could even touch Blazing Lazers or Alien Crush. Stop being a Master System fanboy which by your comment is what you are.
An absolutely fantastic and thorough review! I really learned a lot from everything you presented here and I'm glad you called out our younger, less informed reviewers who inaccurately criticize China Warrior and oversimplify Dungeon Explorer as a "Gauntlet" clone. Just subbed and am going to go through all of your other videos. Keep up the good work! :)
TheDrunkMonkShow Thanks, man! Glad you enjoyed it.
Well done!! Thank you for providing this info and insight into TurboGrafx 16, a special childhood memory.