Turbo Grafx 16 / PC Engine-My Number One Console!!

[retro junkie]

As I took the Turbo Grafx 16 off the shelf at a Toys-R-Us many many years ago, I never imagined that I held in my hands what would become my favorite gaming system of all time. As a game console, it quickly made its way to the top of the heap in my game time.


The console is about the size of an NES cart, so tiny and powerful for its time.

It continues to hold that place even today in the presence of excessively more powerful systems. I find that there is some type of magic in its gaming library encased in those little flat credit card size carts called HuCARDs, or dubbed in the US as Turbochips. Anyone presently getting into the console, it is essential that they first acquire a PC Engine, preferably the Core version of the console. This is the Japanese version and you will find the games much cheaper than the Turbo Grafx 16 counterpart.


The Japanese PC Engine huCARDs are more colorful with pictures, where as,  the Turbo Grafx 16 mostly has nothing more than lettering, or the title of the game.

Collectors have driven the prices into the excessive insane range. If you later desire to expand that gaming into the CD games then a Duo-R would be the best choice. I am so happy to have started playing in its infancy because there would be so many games I would not been able to afford. The gaming library is overflowing with arcade shooters but not entirely dominated by them. It has a great selection of action adventure platforming, and as in the shooters, many unique to the system.



The console has its own feel, sort of, a Japanese flavor to its games. To some it may be an acquired taste. I like it and find that aspect is in no way different than other systems having their own uniqueness. It is basically an 8bit gaming machine on steroids.  Or an 8bit 16bit hybrid. Some games shows the power of the architecture  while there are those that feel very 8bit. It is an 8bit machine with a 16bit graphics chip that creates an environment  for arcade shooters apparently. That is where it excelled during its heyday of popularity which quickly fizzled when the 16bit era emerged. It just could not compete against the SNES and the Genesis once that generation got to rolling. Even though it was the first console to launch CD gaming, and did it right, that was still not enough. It had a longer, more successful, run in Japan where in the US it was late to the party. 8bit was at an end, 16bit was the excitement. It was at that moment that the Turbo Grafx 16 hit the US market. And so it was just pushed from the limited shelf space as the 16bit machines took over.

People often talk of nostalgia concerning retro gaming systems. I personally really don't know what they are talking about. I focus on what is fun and satisfying when it comes to gaming. With the PC Engine it is wonderful fun and escapism at the end of a hard day, or week, just to blow up a few of those pesky aliens from another galaxy who think they can blow up ours. Honestly, why do they always seek out our solar system to blow up when they have the whole galaxy before them? Who do they think they are?

[BLUEVOODU]

I bought one at the toys r us close out as well!  When they were discontinuing them.  $30.

So this is your favorite console?  I liked certain games tons.  Other's I found lacking in the area of sound.  I'll do a post at some point on it lol. It's been packed away for the last 5 years.

Here's my baby lol... I added the docking station and CD on later:

• US version of the System Card 3.0

I noticed that too... the Japanese Hu-cards were much nicer looking.  Not sure why they did that.

How is After Burner?  I never did manage to score that game.

Good post Retro!

[retro junkie]

Wow! I never could score a CD add on. I did end up with the Turbo Duo.

The After Burner game is very good. It is not the like the Sega 32X version, but the game is intact.

[BLUEVOODU]

Yeah - when I had the shop, I ran into a stash of them.... the dock was cheap - $20-25.  The System card... I got with another trade.  and the CD add on I found at the time for $85-99.  I thought I was going to be ripped off... It was an Ebay thing.  Several brand new ones.  I always wanted the Duo... ALWAYS... but couldn't ever find one for a good price.   So that's why I did the TG16CD add-on.  The System card 3.0 take care of the rest - US makes it so no converter card needed.

Looks like you have quite the stash of TG16 games!  I like seeing TG16 games.  They were very Unique.

[retro junkie]

I ordered a CD add on from a place in the back of a game magazine for $150.00. Total cost. There was no internet at that point in time. The place was either confused or offered it as a substitute. For the first few minutes after I opened it up, I couldn't breathe. It was a brand new Turbo Duo. They were just released that year. The rest is history.