Happy 30th anniversary PC-Engine/Turbografx-16

[Hayama Akito]

Released on october 30 1987 in Japan.

Hats off to an incredible console that had a terrible fate outside Japan. It is a shame that everything about Turbo/PCE is "hardcore/underground" these days. Almost everyone pre-25 years old knows this machine just because of Castlevania Rondo of Blood... well, it's something because is still an excellent game.

So many classic and quality games, also the CD add-on still has some of the best fourth console generation titles.

My favorite games:

Castlevania Rondo of Blood (of course)

Bonk's Revenge

Gradius II (the exclusive stage is awesome, still worth every penny as a port)

Kaizou Choujin Shubibinman 3 (very short but awesome)

Rayxanber 3

L-Dis (Don't know why is so obscure, is one of my favorite shooters on PCE. Also is very cheap!)

Soldier Blade (god bless this soundtrack)

 

[Agent X]

Amazing to think this hardware is 30 years old now.

I still remember when the TurboGrafx-16 was released in the US in '89. It was a great system that was hampered by some unfortunate business decisions.

While the TG-16 console itself isn't bad looking, the compact design of the Japanese PC Engine is just so much cooler. That's one of those cases where you really wish they'd just left well enough alone.

 

[ColonelForbin]

I had this system as a kid and I was in love with it!!! Gradius 2 FTW!

 

[Encephalon]

I need to go through Ys I-IV.

 

[KingDrool]

Still my favorite console. Gate of Thunder and Lords of Thunder are still absolutely amazing to this day.

 

[Pasokon Deacon]

Ah, this date slipped me by. I tip the brim of my hat to this system and its progeny. So many Japanese developers got to make interesting games for it, especially those hailing from the Japanese PC market which started to contact around 1988 when eroge began to dominate. Hudson Soft, RED Entertainment, Telenet + Wolfteam, Right Stuff, Masaya, Human, Alfa System, Naxat Soft, Falcom, and many developers publishing through NEC and Hudson all made the best of the overall second-largest Japanese install base from 1988 through 1996. CD gaming on console truly started on this platform, and it's a shame the Turbo-Grafx 16 didn't show off more of the system's strong library due to a number of reasons.

I wish I could find a legit copy of Sapphire, as the little bit I played of that at a local convention was really impressive and fun. Two large Falcom action-RPGs, Legend of Xanadu I & II, are both getting English fan patches (with dubs because inserting subs is almost impossible) by next year at least. There's plenty of Japanese exclusives which may never become readily available, however, though Project EGG and Virtual Console have done a pretty good job.

 

[Deleted member 7633]

Speaking about good soundtrack, here's another good one from Last Armageddon.

 

[SatelliteOfLove]

Someone mention Rayxanber III?



MMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm good.

 

[Darknight]

One of my favorite all time systems in the entire history of gaming. So many classics and so many games that went under the radar because it wasn't as popular as the competition.

 

[Superking]

I've never played this system myself, but it's quite interesting to realize that Hudson (the same company whose biggest claim to fame in their final years was the goddamned Mario Party series) had at one point enough money to finance their own console.

 

[TheMadMan007]

Never owned one as a kid but I always was really interested with them. I did finally end up collecting one years later, but it wasn't the same, Bonk always looked rad. Any stand out titles you guys recommend I check out?

 

[Syril]

Why was the TurboGraphx-16 twice the size of the PC Engine?

 

[TKM]

Happy anniversary little engine. And HuCards remain the coolest game media format I've ever used.

 

[Truckondo]

Why was the TurboGraphx-16 twice the size of the PC Engine?

Click to shrink...

I'm pretty sure it had to do with focus groups saying that the PC-Engine is too small for the price they wanted to sell it at. If you make it bigger, it will look more expensive. I really loved the Turbo Duo design.

 

[Adathir]

I have only had my turbo for about a year now but I'm really glad to have it. It's fun console with some interesting games on it. I would really like to get the adapter so that I can play japanese games on it, just to give me a more affordable way to get more use out of it.

 

[Cajun]

My 1st console growing up. Almost every title was memorable in one way or another. One downfall was a sizeable portion of the small library was way too damn hard for a tiny kid. (I was probably 4 or 5 when I first played these) Never got far at all in several games. Regardless, from Bloody Wolf, to Bonk, R-Type, Bloody Wolf, Silent Debuggers, Neo Nectaris, Dungeon Explorers and countless others, the library was so damn solid across the board. Speaking of Dungeon Explorer, that soundtrack out of Tsukasa Masuko easily stands up in comparison to Uematsu's earlier work on final fantasy. No idea how they got that quality of a soundtrack in 1989.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I only have 15 or so games for mine, but it's still one of my favorite systems to play. In honor of the system's 30th anniversary, I played Soldier Blade.

 

[Pokémon]

One of the most underrated gaming consoles in history. A lot of great games, especially shmups. HuCards are so tiny and adorable. Soldier Blade is a fantastic shmup with a great OST.

 

[Sgt. Demblant]

Never owned one but it's home to my favorite Castlevania game. I played it on PSP and Wiiware.
Happy anniversary!

 

[Abe Lincoln’s Ghost]

Aeroblasters is a game I still play to this day. There were a lot of great games for this system, plus it spawned what I consider one of the best handhelds in the Turbo Express.

 

[Tizoc]

I've never headrd of this system till I think the PS3 era?
It has a sort of charm to it that interests me.
I do enjoy the shmups of it that I played.

 

[mao2]

Wow Rayxanber III's graphics are amazing, I didn't know games on TurboGrafx-16 could look this good. :O

 

[Deleted member 4359]

I owned one briefly, sold it on Craigslist after I got it for free from a friend I was mad at for awhile for $65

I got ROBBED.

Love the system but claim to never have used to actual hardware - my TV didn't have RF at the time so I couldn't even play Bonk's Adventure which I bought on WiiWare 5 years earlier on it, or Keith lol. The CD games are fucking crazy on this thing.

 

[Fularu]

Owner of both a Duo-RX and an Interface Unit combo system (White PCE and White CD-Rom 2 add-on) I approve of this thread ;-)

It's missing some big Amys scans though :(

 

[Encephalon]

It's too bad the controller was so limited.

 

[Fularu]

It's too bad the controller was so limited.

Click to shrink...

It wasn't. You had 2 3 and 6 buttons versions of the pad.

 

[Encephalon]

It wasn't. You had 2 3 and 6 buttons versions of the pad.

Click to shrink...

Really? I guess I'm just misinformed.

 

[Longnosedgoblin]

Bought a white one for rtype, totally worth it. Later got a turbo duo for Dracula x, also totally worth it. Probably even beats the SNES for best console design.

 

[Morgan J]

Loved pc engine, still do!

 

[Red Liquorice]

Always wanted one, the PC Engine was just the sexiest little thing ever. Still is even!

 

[RagManX]

Need to find mine, replace the caps, and add an RGB mod. Still one of the best consoles ever put out. Shame it never caught on and made it big. Playing Ys I and II right now on my GPD XD via TG-16 emulation. Love that game set, love this system.

 

[Beartruck]

Rocking a turbo and a white PC engine, the CD unit is too expensive for my blood. So many great little niche games on there like Parasol Stars, Cadash, Valkyrie no densetsu.

I showed my friend my collection the other week, and his favorite game for it was, of all things, China warrior. To each their own.

 

[Jimi D]

A great system with some great games... The TurboCD had some pretty decent RPGs, and there were some killer shooters on card and CD... too bad it never really caught on in the Americas but I still own and play my beloved TurboExpress... Devil's Crush, Splatterhouse and Ninja Spirit are perennial faves in my house, and my kids still love playing multiplayer Chew Man Fu and Bomberman on the console when we can be bothered hooking it up...