Turbo Graphics 16

[STGuy1040]

Recently got a Turbo Graphics 16 with 8 games. Just had to get a power supply for it, and I did.

 

All I have to say is, man I am sooooo glad I was busy with college during early nineties.

 

Just speaking honestly, while the 8 bit era had nothing to write home about in the graphics department, it at least had snappy gameplay.

 

The 16 bit era seems to be a lot of time with "pretty" graphics and the maintaining of that verses gameplay.

 

Get beyond that and into the later half of the 90's and the gameplay and graphics seemed to merry up better.

 

But wow, the Turbo Graphics 16 reminded me on why I got rid of my Atari ST.

 

You really need to purchase the CD-ROM adapter and the Japanese HuCard adapter. Some of the best games for the system were never released in the U.S.

 

Edited November 16, 2009 by STGuy1040

[STICH666]

I've only got 5 games for mine but for good reason. This system is ridiculously hard and expensive to collect for.

 

Alien Crush

Keith Courage

Drop Off

Time Ball

Galaga 90'

[BrianC]

You really need to purchase the CD-ROM adapter and the Japanese HuCard adapter. Some of the best games for the system were never released in the U.S.

 

From what I have seen on ebay, it seems a Japanese PC Engine Duo R or RX may be cheaper than getting the seperate CD stuff for the TG-16 and the HuCard adapter. One of those will get what's needed to play both the JP HuCards and the US/JP Super CD (but not the arcade CD games, a seperate card is needed for those) games since the CDs have no region protection.

Edited November 17, 2009 by BrianC

[NinjaWarrior]

Nice Find

[Arkhan]

As far as the 16-bit era goes, I have always been partial to the TG-16. I grew up playing Vigilane, Bonk, Silent Debuggers and Neutopia, alot.

 

 

Some of the best home-arcade ports ended up on the TG/PCE.

 

Parasol Stars and Cadash should be high on your get-and-play list for sure.

[carmel_andrews]

At least you can be grateful that the US got an officially produced (by NEC) pc engine/TG-16 thingy, over here the nearest we got was NEC allowing a British/Euro company (Micro Media i think it was called) to selling PAL modded PC engines (which Micro media did themselves)

 

I don't think i saw a micro media pc engine but i remember seeing loads of imported US and Jap versions of the TG/Core and supergrafx systems (and the original PC engine as well)

 

If i am right in remembering, the only difference between the original and the TG 16 hardware (electronically) was more graphics memory

[+save2600]

I agree DoctorClu... the TG-16 system has a 'different' feel to it and the CD expansion, while it does have a few really nice games, never quite fully escapes the fact that you're still playing a TG-16. It's tough to describe, but the graphics and/or the gameplay just has this really shallow, flat 2D "feel" to it. I'm not sure investing a ton of money into the expansions and Japanese games and the converter to play them are worth it if you already feel the way you do about the system. Having said that, there are some gems from the original lineup:

 

Military Madness

Alien Crush/Devils Crush

Pretty much any of the shooters, although I never cared for Magical Chase or Air Zonk

Galaga 90

Ninja Spirit

Bomberman

Legendary Axe series

Power Golf

The Baseball Game

Takin' It To The Hoop

Bonk games

 

...not too much to get excited about though IMHO and I used to have a complete collection back in the day before I got tired of the system.

 

I also partly agree about gaming as it went into the 90's. The 8-bits did and do seem to have a tighter feel to them, especially for platformers and such. But after the learning curve of the programming settled down, they did get much better. On the Amiga anyway - never really delved deep in the ST. I could draw the same parallel with other technologies, such as music. We have access to some of the best audio gear to ever get into consumer hands and with very few exceptions, what do we have to listen to? Noisy, repetitive, talentless, commercial, horribly produced and overly compressed garbage.

[Arkhan]

 

I don't think i saw a micro media pc engine but i remember seeing loads of imported US and Jap versions of the TG/Core and supergrafx systems (and the original PC engine as well)

 

If i am right in remembering, the only difference between the original and the TG 16 hardware (electronically) was more graphics memory

 

 

Theres no difference between a PC Engine and a TG-16, if thats what you mean.

 

 

What you might mean is the PC Engine vs. Super Grafx. The Super Grafx came out after the PC-Engine, and is the one with double the video-stuff.

[Eltigro]

As some others have said, I've had my TG-16 since it was new. Still have the box and styrofoam inserts in the attic. When I got mine, I got the system and Legendary Axe (along with the pack in Keith Courage in Alpha Zones). Mine also had a coupon that if you sent in the UPC code from the box and a copy of the store receipt, you could pick a free game from a list. I got Blazing Lazers. Fun times... So, looking at my systems, it is the oldest one that I have had since it was new. The next oldest is my PS2 fat, then my original XBox, then it goes up to current systems, the Wii and XBox 360. Everything else was either a refurbished unit (the Game Cube), used from Ebay (too many to name), or used from a pawn shop (Sega Saturn).