In the mid-1980's, Japanese computer company, NEC, was riding high on the success of their PC-88 and 98 series, which had been more or less dominating the PC market in their home country, during the first half of the decade. Around this same time, Japanese game company, Hudson Soft, would pioneer a super thin cartridge technology, they dubbed the "Bee Card" (like their company's bee mascot, Hachisuke). After first offering to license the technology to Nintendo, and being turned down, Hudson Soft would then approach NEC. That meeting would end up going so well that the two would decide to partner up and enter the home video game console market together, with their own brand new device, which they would ultimately call, the "PC Engine".
While the PC Engine would be largely created with internal components manufactured by NEC, the game cartridges utilized by the system would be upgraded versions of Hudson's Bee Card that they would dub, the "HuCard" - - or "TurboChip", in North America. The console would feature an 8-bit central processing unit, paired with two 16-bit graphics processors, and was capable of displaying 482 colors at a time - - a notable step up from Nintendo's NES-standard 8-bit graphics processor, and 25 simultaneous-displayed-colors maximum. The Nintendo Entertainment System had also only officially been available for a year in the US before the PC Engine would launch in Japan, in the fall of 1987.
Following its release, the PC Engine would prove to be a pretty massive success in Japan, at one point becoming the top-selling console there. In addition to its better-looking games, the system was especially popular due to its appealing design profile, easily manageable size - - as it was actually one of the smallest home consoles ever released - - and strong third-party support. Once again riding high on success, NEC would soon decided to launch the console in North America as well.
Rebranded as the "TurboGrafx-16" (technically, the "TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem", as if "TurboGrafx-16" wasn't long enough already), the North American launch would end up not going at all according to plan, eventually leading to a premature departure from the market by NEC - - though the console would still manage to hang on for a few years. Plenty long enough to grow a fairly respectable library of incredible games, despite the fact that they constituted barely a fraction of the PC Engine's entire list of Japanese titles. Regardless, those that were fortunate enough to have owned a TurboGrafx knew that a number of the games released during its brief North American run were just as good, if not better than many of those of its rival consoles. So, to pay tribute to the anniversary of NEC and Hudson Soft's failed foray into the North American console market, for your reading pleasure, we have rounded up a list of 12 of the greatest titles ever to grace the TurboGrafx-16 (Entertainment SuperSystem).
While the PC Engine would be largely created with internal components manufactured by NEC, the game cartridges utilized by the system would be upgraded versions of Hudson's Bee Card that they would dub, the "HuCard" - - or "TurboChip", in North America. The console would feature an 8-bit central processing unit, paired with two 16-bit graphics processors, and was capable of displaying 482 colors at a time - - a notable step up from Nintendo's NES-standard 8-bit graphics processor, and 25 simultaneous-displayed-colors maximum. The Nintendo Entertainment System had also only officially been available for a year in the US before the PC Engine would launch in Japan, in the fall of 1987.
Following its release, the PC Engine would prove to be a pretty massive success in Japan, at one point becoming the top-selling console there. In addition to its better-looking games, the system was especially popular due to its appealing design profile, easily manageable size - - as it was actually one of the smallest home consoles ever released - - and strong third-party support. Once again riding high on success, NEC would soon decided to launch the console in North America as well.
Rebranded as the "TurboGrafx-16" (technically, the "TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem", as if "TurboGrafx-16" wasn't long enough already), the North American launch would end up not going at all according to plan, eventually leading to a premature departure from the market by NEC - - though the console would still manage to hang on for a few years. Plenty long enough to grow a fairly respectable library of incredible games, despite the fact that they constituted barely a fraction of the PC Engine's entire list of Japanese titles. Regardless, those that were fortunate enough to have owned a TurboGrafx knew that a number of the games released during its brief North American run were just as good, if not better than many of those of its rival consoles. So, to pay tribute to the anniversary of NEC and Hudson Soft's failed foray into the North American console market, for your reading pleasure, we have rounded up a list of 12 of the greatest titles ever to grace the TurboGrafx-16 (Entertainment SuperSystem).
Vigilante (NEC, 1989)
In addition to its many unique exclusive (and often Hudson-developed) titles, the TurboGrafx-16 was actually home to a surprising number of multi-platform ports as well - - including several that also appeared on Sega's 8-bit Master System console. Two of these titles, Fantasy Zone and R-Type, had received only minor, barely noticeable upgrades as a result of their jumping from Sega's system to NEC's. Two other titles, however - - Vigilante and Space Harrier (which we will get to, shortly) - - were a slightly different story.
Vigilante was a 1988 arcade beat 'em up title from the incredibly talented Japanese developer, Irem (the same company that made R-Type, as a matter of fact). Though they would both come to consoles the very next year, the earlier, Master System, port would be a pretty disappointing downgrade from the arcade version. The gameplay was stiff, the sprites were shrunken, and some of the content was altered, if not missing altogether.
Released only a few months later, the TurboGrafx port would play much closer to the arcade version. It retained the same large sprites and fluid gameplay, in addition to nearly every single other detail found in the original. Additionally, the fact that it was one out of only a few of Irem's fantastic arcade ports, as well as one of the only beat 'em ups to grace the console, made Vigilante one of the most important of all the TurboGrafx-16 releases. The TurboGrafx was also the only home console to receive a near-arcade perfect version of the title - - for nearly two decades.
Vigilante was a 1988 arcade beat 'em up title from the incredibly talented Japanese developer, Irem (the same company that made R-Type, as a matter of fact). Though they would both come to consoles the very next year, the earlier, Master System, port would be a pretty disappointing downgrade from the arcade version. The gameplay was stiff, the sprites were shrunken, and some of the content was altered, if not missing altogether.
Released only a few months later, the TurboGrafx port would play much closer to the arcade version. It retained the same large sprites and fluid gameplay, in addition to nearly every single other detail found in the original. Additionally, the fact that it was one out of only a few of Irem's fantastic arcade ports, as well as one of the only beat 'em ups to grace the console, made Vigilante one of the most important of all the TurboGrafx-16 releases. The TurboGrafx was also the only home console to receive a near-arcade perfect version of the title - - for nearly two decades.
World Court Tennis (NEC, 1989)
In 1988, acclaimed Japanese game company, Namco, released Pro Tennis: World Court to the arcade and PC Engine. While the arcade version would remain exclusive to Japan, the following year, NEC would port the PC Engine version over to the North American TurboGrafx as World Court Tennis. The console version featured all the same well-crafted challenging tennis action of the arcade and even included doubles options for up to 4 players (one of the first home console tennis titles to offer such a feature!
In another first, World Count Tennis also featured the addition of an RPG-like "Quest" mode, in which you can venture out into the world, leveling up your character by accepting tennis challenges from the people you encounter along the way. The game was very well-received by critics, and was among the highest rated sports titles of the entire 16-bit generation. While the TurboGrafx-16 did actually boast a pretty decent lineup of fantastic sports titles, like Power Golf, World Class Baseball, and both TV Sports Football, and Hockey, it is fair to say that World Court Tennis, with it's compelling arcade action and incredible wealth of options, managed to stand just a little bit higher up on the podium than all of the rest.
In another first, World Count Tennis also featured the addition of an RPG-like "Quest" mode, in which you can venture out into the world, leveling up your character by accepting tennis challenges from the people you encounter along the way. The game was very well-received by critics, and was among the highest rated sports titles of the entire 16-bit generation. While the TurboGrafx-16 did actually boast a pretty decent lineup of fantastic sports titles, like Power Golf, World Class Baseball, and both TV Sports Football, and Hockey, it is fair to say that World Court Tennis, with it's compelling arcade action and incredible wealth of options, managed to stand just a little bit higher up on the podium than all of the rest.
Final Lap Twin (NEC, 1990)
Final Lap Twin was a Namco-published console-exclusive spin-off of their 1988 Formula 1 arcade racer, Final Lap, which was, itself, a follow-up to their earlier and incredibly popular Pole Position series. Final Lap Twin did an outstanding job of bringing that same top-notch F1 style arcade racing home to the TurboGrafx. What was more, the game was just jam-packed full of fantastic content, including everything from the genre-standard exhibition races, to an excellent two-player mode, to a surprisingly lengthy RPG-style story mode (just like World Court Tennis)! Unsurprisingly, Final Lap Twin was pretty highly praised by the gaming press, and was not only the greatest racing title available for the TurboGrafx, but quite possibly the entire 16-bit generation.
Space Harrier (NEC, 1990)
As somewhat indicated above, a few multi-platform TurboGrafx ports were indistinguishable enough from other console versions, to be almost entirely unnecessary. In a few cases, however, such as Space Harrier (and Vigilante), the TG-16 version actually represented a pretty significant upgrade. While Sega's Master System did an incredibly impressive job of reproducing their colorful 3D rail shooter arcade hit, compromises that were made in order to get it to run properly on that vastly inferior home hardware were pretty glaringly apparent.
The TurboGrafx version, on the other hand, represented near-uncompromising arcade perfection; to the point that the Master System version almost felt like a completely different game, by comparison. Oddly enough for Sega, for a number of years, this made the TurboGrafx version the only console version to own for true Space Harrier fans - - until Sega's equally good Genesis 32X port came along, in 1995. Perhaps even crazier, though, was the fact that Sega had released the direct sequel, Space Harrier II, as a 1989 launch title for their own 16-bit Genesis console; and even that game couldn't hold a candle to the rival TG-16 port - - of the previous entry, which was also their own arcade game!
The TurboGrafx version, on the other hand, represented near-uncompromising arcade perfection; to the point that the Master System version almost felt like a completely different game, by comparison. Oddly enough for Sega, for a number of years, this made the TurboGrafx version the only console version to own for true Space Harrier fans - - until Sega's equally good Genesis 32X port came along, in 1995. Perhaps even crazier, though, was the fact that Sega had released the direct sequel, Space Harrier II, as a 1989 launch title for their own 16-bit Genesis console; and even that game couldn't hold a candle to the rival TG-16 port - - of the previous entry, which was also their own arcade game!
Military Madness (NEC, 1990)
In April of 1988, Japanese video game developer, Kemco, would release a World War II themed turn-based strategy title for the Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System, called Desert Fox: Tank Strategy - - Desert Commanders, in the US. While the game was fairly-well received by critics, it wasn't a very big hit with console owners. Regardless, the game was a very strong influence on Intelligent Systems/Nintendo's own August 1988 turn-based strategy title, Famicom Wars.
Unlike, Kemco's title, Famicom Wars would prove to be a fairly big success, eventually spawning a popular, long-running series for Nintendo and Intelligent Systems. In February of 1990, Hudson Soft would decide to get in on the action, by releasing their own TurboGrafx-16 turn-based strategy title, Military Madness (Nectaris, in Japan). Though Hudson Soft's game would feature a very similar style to both Kemco's and Nintendo's titles, they would opt to swap out their more contemporary, terrestrial battlefields for a futuristic lunar setting.
Military Madness would end up selling fairly well in Japan, but not North America, sadly, due to the poor reception of the TurboGrafx. Despite this, the game would be very well received by the gaming press, earning both heaps of praise, and even an award or two. Military Madness would eventually receive multiple ports as well; first, to the original PlayStation, in 1999, and then later, to the digital platforms of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, in 2010. Both the original Japanese and North American versions of the game would also be included as playable titles on the TurboGrafx-16 Mini console that would be released in 2020.
Unlike, Kemco's title, Famicom Wars would prove to be a fairly big success, eventually spawning a popular, long-running series for Nintendo and Intelligent Systems. In February of 1990, Hudson Soft would decide to get in on the action, by releasing their own TurboGrafx-16 turn-based strategy title, Military Madness (Nectaris, in Japan). Though Hudson Soft's game would feature a very similar style to both Kemco's and Nintendo's titles, they would opt to swap out their more contemporary, terrestrial battlefields for a futuristic lunar setting.
Military Madness would end up selling fairly well in Japan, but not North America, sadly, due to the poor reception of the TurboGrafx. Despite this, the game would be very well received by the gaming press, earning both heaps of praise, and even an award or two. Military Madness would eventually receive multiple ports as well; first, to the original PlayStation, in 1999, and then later, to the digital platforms of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, in 2010. Both the original Japanese and North American versions of the game would also be included as playable titles on the TurboGrafx-16 Mini console that would be released in 2020.
Bonk's Adventure (NEC, 1990)
Shortly after the release of the PC Engine, a caveman character named PC Genjin began appearing in Japanese comics, in order to promote the new console. Not long afterward, a PC Genjin game would be published and then ported to American consoles under the new title, Bonk's Adventure. As in Japan, the Character "Bonk" would quickly become the official mascot of the TurboGrafx-16.
Although the game didn't do much to popularize the system in North America, Bonk was a fitting mascot for the TurboGrafx. His game, a platformer with a prehistoric setting, was also quite good. Gameplay consisted of Bonk using his enormous head to headbutt, or "bonk" his enemies away and also to glide through the air via gravity-defying super-fast repeating somersault flips.
Bonk's Adventure also featured an outstanding soundtrack and a pretty incredible variety of bosses and enemies. The game would be very well-received and has since been named by many critics as not only one of the greatest games for the TurboGrafx, but of all time. While the game would receive two sequels on the TurboGrafx, only one of these, Bonk's Revenge would maintain a similar level of quality to the original. The 1992 shoot 'em up spin-off, Air Zonk, however (see below), was arguably every bit as good as, if not maybe even a little bit better than, Bonk's Adventure.
Although the game didn't do much to popularize the system in North America, Bonk was a fitting mascot for the TurboGrafx. His game, a platformer with a prehistoric setting, was also quite good. Gameplay consisted of Bonk using his enormous head to headbutt, or "bonk" his enemies away and also to glide through the air via gravity-defying super-fast repeating somersault flips.
Bonk's Adventure also featured an outstanding soundtrack and a pretty incredible variety of bosses and enemies. The game would be very well-received and has since been named by many critics as not only one of the greatest games for the TurboGrafx, but of all time. While the game would receive two sequels on the TurboGrafx, only one of these, Bonk's Revenge would maintain a similar level of quality to the original. The 1992 shoot 'em up spin-off, Air Zonk, however (see below), was arguably every bit as good as, if not maybe even a little bit better than, Bonk's Adventure.
Chew-Man-Fu (NEC, 1990)
Chew-Man-Fu was a 1990 action puzzle title from Japanese developer, Now Production (creators of the original Famicom game that Capcom would later repurpose into the Domino's Pizza-themed Nintendo Entertainment System title, Yo! Noid). Apart from the somewhat questionable choice of North American title (the original Japanese title was the much simpler "Bee Ball"), Chew-Man-Fu was actually a charming, well-designed, and surprisingly deep and entertaining TurboGrafx exclusive. The game featured a campaign, multiple multiplayer modes, and even an edit mode, in which you could design, and even save (assuming you had the TurboBooster-Plus memory back-up accessory), your very own levels. Chew-Man-Fu was well received by the vast majority of critics, with particular praise given to the game's excellent amount of content, delightfully colorful graphics; large, detailed sprites; and challenging and unique gameplay.
Splatterhouse (Namco, 1990)
Despite the genre being pretty woefully underrepresented on the TurboGrafx, there was one horror release that did it better than probably any other game of the entire 16-bit generation - - the 1990 port of the controversial, yet excellent, Namco title, Splatterhouse. Heavily inspired by popular '80s horror films, like Poltergeist and the Friday the 13th series, Splatterhouse starred the hockey-style-mask-wearing, supernaturally strong, silent protagonist Rick, as he brutally tore his way through a horrific house of horrors, in search of his missing girlfriend, Jennifer.
Though Rick's mask and a few other details had to be edited for the North American release, in order to avoid any undesired legal repercussions, the game was still an impressively faithful port of the late '80s arcade hit. Those few exceptions aside, nearly every other aspect of the gloriously disturbing arcade version were included in the TurboGrafx release - - and in shockingly accurate detail - - from the the meat cleaver weapon, to the maniacal chainsaw-wielding stage boss with a burlap sack over his head, to the realistic-looking human hearts used in place of the traditional cartoonish health hearts. Though it's difficult to consider any TurboGrafx title a "hit" per se, Splattechouse was definitely one of the more popular, sought after titles to grace the console; and while no sequels would ever follow on that system, Namco would release two additional, fairly highly-regarded series installments on Sega's Genesis console, just a few short years later. As with most horror franchises, however, the original is still the best.
Though Rick's mask and a few other details had to be edited for the North American release, in order to avoid any undesired legal repercussions, the game was still an impressively faithful port of the late '80s arcade hit. Those few exceptions aside, nearly every other aspect of the gloriously disturbing arcade version were included in the TurboGrafx release - - and in shockingly accurate detail - - from the the meat cleaver weapon, to the maniacal chainsaw-wielding stage boss with a burlap sack over his head, to the realistic-looking human hearts used in place of the traditional cartoonish health hearts. Though it's difficult to consider any TurboGrafx title a "hit" per se, Splattechouse was definitely one of the more popular, sought after titles to grace the console; and while no sequels would ever follow on that system, Namco would release two additional, fairly highly-regarded series installments on Sega's Genesis console, just a few short years later. As with most horror franchises, however, the original is still the best.
Ninja Spirit (Irem, 1990)
As mentioned above, two of Irem's incredible arcade ports, R-Type and Vigilante, both came to the TurboGrafx as multi-platform releases. Yet, there was also a third fantastic Irem arcade port that was also a TurboGrafx console exclusive - - the expertly-crafted action-platformer, Ninja Spirit.
Something like a cross between Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden and Sega's Shinobi, Ninja Spirit featured a nice assortment of Feudal Japan-era enemies, and several different unique selectable weapons with which to dispatch those enemies. The game was well-received and would end up being one of the first titles ever to receive a perfect score from the (then) popular gaming magazine, EGM. Sadly, and unlike Ninja Gaiden and Shinobi, Ninja Spirit would never receive any sequels, but the title has still gone down in gaming history, right alongside those other two fantastic series, as one of the finest ninja platformers ever made.
Something like a cross between Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden and Sega's Shinobi, Ninja Spirit featured a nice assortment of Feudal Japan-era enemies, and several different unique selectable weapons with which to dispatch those enemies. The game was well-received and would end up being one of the first titles ever to receive a perfect score from the (then) popular gaming magazine, EGM. Sadly, and unlike Ninja Gaiden and Shinobi, Ninja Spirit would never receive any sequels, but the title has still gone down in gaming history, right alongside those other two fantastic series, as one of the finest ninja platformers ever made.
Neutopia II (Hudson Soft, 1992)
In April of 1990, Hudson Soft released an action-adventure title called Neutopia. Though widely-regarded as a shameless clone of the incredibly popular 1987 Nintendo Entertainment System smash hit, The Legend of Zelda, Neutopia was still praised for its superior graphics - - thanks to the pseudo-16-bit power of the TurboGrafx - - as well as for various gameplay enhancements it contributed to the formula. Owing to the overall positive reception of the title, Hudson Soft would follow it up with a sequel in August of 1992.
Though largely similar to the first title, Neutopia II would feature a number of improvements to everything from sound, to graphics, to the story length, and most especially, to the gameplay. The game even looked nearly as good as the incredible 1992 Super Nintendo Legend of Zelda installment, A Link to the Past; and Neutopia II actually came out first (in Japan, anyway). Though the title was also criticized for bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Zelda series, it's reception by the gaming press was even more positive than the original Neutopia, and it was - - and still is - - considered to be one of the best games to ever grace the TurboGrafx-16.
Though largely similar to the first title, Neutopia II would feature a number of improvements to everything from sound, to graphics, to the story length, and most especially, to the gameplay. The game even looked nearly as good as the incredible 1992 Super Nintendo Legend of Zelda installment, A Link to the Past; and Neutopia II actually came out first (in Japan, anyway). Though the title was also criticized for bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Zelda series, it's reception by the gaming press was even more positive than the original Neutopia, and it was - - and still is - - considered to be one of the best games to ever grace the TurboGrafx-16.
Air Zonk (Hudson Soft, 1992)
A 1992 action title, Air Zonk was primarily developed by Red Company - - the same studio that created Bonk's Adventure, as well as the fantastic TurboGrafx Super CD-ROM shoot 'em up, Gate of Thunder (which also came out in '92). Like a so-crazy-it-just-might-work mash-up of both of those titles, Air Zonk was a futuristic horizontally-scrolling shooter, starring the titular character, Zonk, a stylish, weaponized flying robotic clone of Bonk. Air Zonk featured additional references to the Bonk franchise as well, such as the smiley face bonuses, and slightly modified versions of several Bonk characters, including the main antagonist, King Drool, himself.
Air Zonk was well-received by critics and TurboGrafx owners, alike, with praise and appreciation for everything from its colorful graphics, to its unique style, memorable soundtrack, enjoyable gameplay, and great variety of assist and offensive options. The game would even manage to bring home a game-of-the-year award from one notable publication. The character of Air Zonk would also go on to become a frequent, slightly edgier stand-in for Bonk as the Turbo hardware mascot, during the final years of the console's run.
Air Zonk was well-received by critics and TurboGrafx owners, alike, with praise and appreciation for everything from its colorful graphics, to its unique style, memorable soundtrack, enjoyable gameplay, and great variety of assist and offensive options. The game would even manage to bring home a game-of-the-year award from one notable publication. The character of Air Zonk would also go on to become a frequent, slightly edgier stand-in for Bonk as the Turbo hardware mascot, during the final years of the console's run.
Soldier Blade (Hudson Soft, 1992)
One of the better launch titles, and shooters, period, ever released for the TurboGrafx, was Blazing Lazers - - a joint effort from Hudson Soft, and talented Japanese developer, Compile. Following this highly-acclaimed title, Hudson would release two more, stylistically similar, vertical-scrolling shooters for the TurboGrafx. The first was Super Star Soldier, a pretty fantastic-looking Kaneko-developed sequel to their earlier NES shoot 'em up, Star Soldier. The second, was Soldier Blade, another entry to the Star Soldier series that Hudson, themselves, would develop.
As arguably the most refined, and enjoyable of the three, Soldier Blade represented the pinnacle of vertically-scrolling shooter quality on the TurboGrafx. The game has been particularly praised for its blazing speed, fantastic soundtrack and graphics, and for its superior accessibility. At the time of its release, reviewers were a bit more critical and divided on the game, owing to its somewhat rushed development, and similar style to Hudson's previous TG-16 vertical shmups. In the years since, however, Soldier Blade has become much more respected and appreciated as the nearly-perfect masterpiece of the 16-bit shoot 'em up era that it is.
As arguably the most refined, and enjoyable of the three, Soldier Blade represented the pinnacle of vertically-scrolling shooter quality on the TurboGrafx. The game has been particularly praised for its blazing speed, fantastic soundtrack and graphics, and for its superior accessibility. At the time of its release, reviewers were a bit more critical and divided on the game, owing to its somewhat rushed development, and similar style to Hudson's previous TG-16 vertical shmups. In the years since, however, Soldier Blade has become much more respected and appreciated as the nearly-perfect masterpiece of the 16-bit shoot 'em up era that it is.
Though NEC initially targeted an earlier 1989 US launch - - when no other "16-bit" consoles yet existed in the market - - their US team recommended changes to the look and branding of the console, to ensure better conformity to Western tastes. This would include more than doubling its size, changing the color scheme from white and red to black and orange, and renaming it the "TurboGrafx-16", to make it seem edgier and more powerful than it technically was. The console would also launch with a matching, turbo-switchable version of the otherwise standard, NES-style "two button" control pad that came standard with the PC Engine.
Sadly for NEC, these changes would delay the console's launch long enough to let Sega get the jump on the 16-bit US market with the debut of their own "Genesis" console. Both consoles would be released to US test markets in the month of August, with an official TurboGrafx launch initially planned for the following month. Though Sega would only beat NEC to market by a couple of weeks, their much smarter choice of included launch title - - their incredibly popular arcade hit, Altered Beast, as opposed to NEC's extremely mediocre, and completely unknown, Keith Courage in Alpha Zones - - in addition to their brilliantly relentless and adversarial marketing campaign, allowed them to very quickly leave NEC in the dust.
In 1988, in order to continue to capitalize on their success in the Japanese market, as well as to take advantage of the growing popularity of the format, NEC had released a CD-ROM add-on for the PC Engine - - the first of its kind, for the home console market - - called the PC Engine CD-ROM² System. The peripheral would actually become a fairly big hit for NEC, and a number of CD titles would be produced, in addition to HuCards, for the remainder of the console's very respectable Japanese run. The add-on was so successful, in fact, that in 1991, NEC would also introduce an enhanced version of the CD format, known as the "Super CD-ROM²".
In anticipation of success in North America, NEC had already begun production of TurboGrafx-branded models of their CD peripheral, leading up to the console's failed test launch. Following the console's lackluster reception, the official launch for the TurboGrafx never seems to have actually occured; however, the date that would most closely correspond to such an event, would have to have been November 15th, 1989, as that apparently was the date that NEC would, not only decide to begin releasing titles for the console in earnest, but also debut their "TurboGrafx-CD" peripheral. As in Japan, NEC would eventually release North American Super CD titles as well. So to acknowledge the complete history of the TurboGrafx, as well as the unofficial anniversary of the release of both systems, here is a supplemental 6 of the best TurboGrafx-CD/Super CD titles, to round things out.
Sadly for NEC, these changes would delay the console's launch long enough to let Sega get the jump on the 16-bit US market with the debut of their own "Genesis" console. Both consoles would be released to US test markets in the month of August, with an official TurboGrafx launch initially planned for the following month. Though Sega would only beat NEC to market by a couple of weeks, their much smarter choice of included launch title - - their incredibly popular arcade hit, Altered Beast, as opposed to NEC's extremely mediocre, and completely unknown, Keith Courage in Alpha Zones - - in addition to their brilliantly relentless and adversarial marketing campaign, allowed them to very quickly leave NEC in the dust.
In 1988, in order to continue to capitalize on their success in the Japanese market, as well as to take advantage of the growing popularity of the format, NEC had released a CD-ROM add-on for the PC Engine - - the first of its kind, for the home console market - - called the PC Engine CD-ROM² System. The peripheral would actually become a fairly big hit for NEC, and a number of CD titles would be produced, in addition to HuCards, for the remainder of the console's very respectable Japanese run. The add-on was so successful, in fact, that in 1991, NEC would also introduce an enhanced version of the CD format, known as the "Super CD-ROM²".
In anticipation of success in North America, NEC had already begun production of TurboGrafx-branded models of their CD peripheral, leading up to the console's failed test launch. Following the console's lackluster reception, the official launch for the TurboGrafx never seems to have actually occured; however, the date that would most closely correspond to such an event, would have to have been November 15th, 1989, as that apparently was the date that NEC would, not only decide to begin releasing titles for the console in earnest, but also debut their "TurboGrafx-CD" peripheral. As in Japan, NEC would eventually release North American Super CD titles as well. So to acknowledge the complete history of the TurboGrafx, as well as the unofficial anniversary of the release of both systems, here is a supplemental 6 of the best TurboGrafx-CD/Super CD titles, to round things out.
Monster Lair (NEC, 1989)
When the TurboGrafx-CD launched in North America, it did so with no games included, and only one launch game to choose from - - Fighting Street. A retitled port of Capcom's first - - and arguably most disappointing - - Street Fighter game, Fighting Street didn't represent a very compelling reason for potential customers to drop the $400 required to take a TurboGrafx-CD unit home with them. Monster Lair, however, was an arguably much better reason.
Releasing about a month after the TurboGrafx-CD's launch, Monster Lair was the only other title to be made available for the TG-16 add-on, in 1989. A port of the 1988 Westone/Sega arcade title, Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair (not to be confused with the related, yet separate, 1989 Master System title, Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap), the game was a combination scrolling platformer and horizontal shoot 'em up, as well as the third and final arcade release in the popular Wonder Boy Franchise. In addition to dropping the Wonder Boy III portion of the title, the Turbo-CD port also featured all the same great two-player co-op optional gameplay of the arcade version; plus a richer, slightly edgier soundtrack remix of the original tunes, courtesy of talented Japanese composer, Jun Chikuma (who also did the music for Military Madness); as well as the ability to listen to said soundtrack via any standard CD player! As only the second console CD game to ever be released in the West, Monster Lair represented a pretty decent argument for - - and showcase of - - the brand new gaming format.
Releasing about a month after the TurboGrafx-CD's launch, Monster Lair was the only other title to be made available for the TG-16 add-on, in 1989. A port of the 1988 Westone/Sega arcade title, Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair (not to be confused with the related, yet separate, 1989 Master System title, Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap), the game was a combination scrolling platformer and horizontal shoot 'em up, as well as the third and final arcade release in the popular Wonder Boy Franchise. In addition to dropping the Wonder Boy III portion of the title, the Turbo-CD port also featured all the same great two-player co-op optional gameplay of the arcade version; plus a richer, slightly edgier soundtrack remix of the original tunes, courtesy of talented Japanese composer, Jun Chikuma (who also did the music for Military Madness); as well as the ability to listen to said soundtrack via any standard CD player! As only the second console CD game to ever be released in the West, Monster Lair represented a pretty decent argument for - - and showcase of - - the brand new gaming format.
Ys (Book) I & II (Hudson Soft, 1990)
Though both of Japanese developer Falcom's first two Ys titles were originally released individually in Japan, only the first game - - first appearing on the Sega Master System as 1989's Ys: The Vanished Omens - - would make it to the West that way. The second would arrive in North America as a TurboGrafx-CD exclusive bundle, titled Ys (Book) I & II - - which combined both the first and second games together. The Turbo release was actually an enhanced remake of both titles, which utilized the CD medium to feature better graphics, voice acting, and an animated intro and cutscenes - - one of the first titles ever to do so. Like Monster Lair, Ys I & Il also featured music from the now-legendary video game composer, Yuzo Koshiro, as well as a Red Book audio CD soundtrack, which again, meant that it could be played in any standard CD player.
Ys I & II garnered heaps of critical praise, both at the time of its release, and in the years since. The game has even won several awards - - including for its outstanding soundtrack - - and has earned spots on multiple publications lists of the greatest RPGs of all time. Following this release, the Ys series has continued on, right up to the present day, with numerous installments appearing on a multitude of consoles, including the near-equally excellent Ys III: Wanderers From Ys, which was also ported to the TurboGrafx-CD system (among others).
Ys I & II garnered heaps of critical praise, both at the time of its release, and in the years since. The game has even won several awards - - including for its outstanding soundtrack - - and has earned spots on multiple publications lists of the greatest RPGs of all time. Following this release, the Ys series has continued on, right up to the present day, with numerous installments appearing on a multitude of consoles, including the near-equally excellent Ys III: Wanderers From Ys, which was also ported to the TurboGrafx-CD system (among others).
Cosmic Fantasy 2 (Working Designs, 1992)
Although it was the second entry in the excellent JRPG series, Cosmic Fantasy 2 was the first installment - - of the eventual four chapters released - - to be made available in the West; and the only one for 30 years. This didn't much matter, however, as Cosmic Fantasy 2 actually had little to do with the original. Though the plot did seem to borrow a bit from the 1989 Dragon Quest/Warrior anime series, which, itself, was loosely based on the third Dragon Quest/Warrior game, Cosmic Fantasy 2 still managed to stand apart as one of the first titles to feature fully-voiced, anime-style cutscenes.
Cosmic Fantasy 2 was highly praised, upon release, particularly for its multitude of high-quality cinematic sequences, and would even go on to win an award or two. The game was also extremely popular among Turbo-CD owners, ultimately boasting one of the highest console attach rates (copies sold, per console or device) of any game, for any system, ever. The game would also remain exclusive to the TurboGrafx for an extraordinarily long time, as the Nintendo Switch ports of all four Cosmic Fantasy titles wouldn't first start appearing until 2024, and to date, have been the only other releases of any of the games to ever reach North American shores.
Cosmic Fantasy 2 was highly praised, upon release, particularly for its multitude of high-quality cinematic sequences, and would even go on to win an award or two. The game was also extremely popular among Turbo-CD owners, ultimately boasting one of the highest console attach rates (copies sold, per console or device) of any game, for any system, ever. The game would also remain exclusive to the TurboGrafx for an extraordinarily long time, as the Nintendo Switch ports of all four Cosmic Fantasy titles wouldn't first start appearing until 2024, and to date, have been the only other releases of any of the games to ever reach North American shores.
Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes (Falcom, 1992)
Along with the illustrious Ys games, famed developer Falcom's other decades-long-running RPG series has been the one and only Legend of Heroes franchise. Though, before it was (mostly) spun off as such, it first started out, several years earlier, under the moniker of "Dragon Slayer". The 1992 TurboGrafx Super CD title, Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes, was the installment that actually marked that transition.
The game played like something of a cross between Ys I & II and Cosmic Fantasy 2, featuring a satisfyingly epic and lengthy quest, mixed together with some pretty incredible-looking anime-style cutscenes - - all set to an enjoyable, finely-crafted Red Book audio soundtrack. The only real mistake that the developer/publisher made with the game was not keeping the original Japanese audio dialogue (or not hiring more talented English-speaking actors), as the spoken lines in the TurboGrafx release are almost hilariously poorly-delivered. As a Super CD title, The Legend of Heroes did boast a greater amount of detail than standard Turbo-CD titles could typically handle - - which made it a fantastic early example of the capabilities of the format. Though the beloved Legend of Heroes series has seen a multitude of excellent installments grace a variety of North American platforms in recent years, for over a decade following its release on the TurboGrafx (Super) CD, Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes was the only option available in the Western hemisphere to enjoy this fantastic franchise.
The game played like something of a cross between Ys I & II and Cosmic Fantasy 2, featuring a satisfyingly epic and lengthy quest, mixed together with some pretty incredible-looking anime-style cutscenes - - all set to an enjoyable, finely-crafted Red Book audio soundtrack. The only real mistake that the developer/publisher made with the game was not keeping the original Japanese audio dialogue (or not hiring more talented English-speaking actors), as the spoken lines in the TurboGrafx release are almost hilariously poorly-delivered. As a Super CD title, The Legend of Heroes did boast a greater amount of detail than standard Turbo-CD titles could typically handle - - which made it a fantastic early example of the capabilities of the format. Though the beloved Legend of Heroes series has seen a multitude of excellent installments grace a variety of North American platforms in recent years, for over a decade following its release on the TurboGrafx (Super) CD, Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes was the only option available in the Western hemisphere to enjoy this fantastic franchise.
Lords of Thunder (Hudson Soft, 1993)
Although a number of fantastic shooters would grace the Japanese PC-Engine CD-ROM system over its lengthier (by comparison) lifespan, only a handful of these would end up making it to the North American TurboGrafx-CD and TurboDuo. Of the ones that did though, easily two of the best were the 1992 horizontal-scroller, Gate of Thunder, and especially, it's 1993 Super CD spiritual sequel, Lords of Thunder. Both games were developed by a group of former Technosoft employees who had been responsible for the outstanding 1990 Sega Genesis hit, Thunder Force III.
Whereas Gate of Thunder was your typical (though outstanding) space shooter, the developers decided to shake things up with Lords of Thunder, instead making it a fantasy-themed shooter in which you played as a flying knight, collecting crystals and taking down all manner of wizards, magical creatures, dark generals, and ultimately, an evil emperor in the service of a resurrected ancient god. Though the gameplay was nothing short of typical Technosoft brilliance, the unbelievably incredible Red Book audio heavy metal soundtrack, courtesy of T's Music member Satoshi Miyashita, was every bit as much of a highlight - - if not moreso. Lords of Thunder was highly praised, upon release, and has only seemed to become more popular in the years since. While a port would be released for the Genesis Sega CD add-on, in 1995, this version would receive a bit of criticism for its minor graphical downgrades, less challenging gameplay, and slightly too commercial-esque soundtrack arrangement.
Whereas Gate of Thunder was your typical (though outstanding) space shooter, the developers decided to shake things up with Lords of Thunder, instead making it a fantasy-themed shooter in which you played as a flying knight, collecting crystals and taking down all manner of wizards, magical creatures, dark generals, and ultimately, an evil emperor in the service of a resurrected ancient god. Though the gameplay was nothing short of typical Technosoft brilliance, the unbelievably incredible Red Book audio heavy metal soundtrack, courtesy of T's Music member Satoshi Miyashita, was every bit as much of a highlight - - if not moreso. Lords of Thunder was highly praised, upon release, and has only seemed to become more popular in the years since. While a port would be released for the Genesis Sega CD add-on, in 1995, this version would receive a bit of criticism for its minor graphical downgrades, less challenging gameplay, and slightly too commercial-esque soundtrack arrangement.
Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams (Hudson Soft, 1993)
In 1991, Japanese developer, Success, released an arcade title called Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams. The game was a challenging Halloween-themed horizontal shoot 'em up starring a comical candy (or "willow", as they refer to it in the game) obsessed, red-haired broomstick-riding witch - - the titular character, Cotton. It would quickly prove to be a fairly popular title, and a Hudson Soft-published Super CD port of the game would be released in 1993.
While Hudson's version was a fairly faithful port of the arcade original, the real highlight of the Super CD release was its incredible Red Book audio remixed soundtrack, once again courtesy of the downright legendary T's Music. Since its debut in the arcade, and on the TurboGrafx (Super) CD, Cotton has both gained a dedicated following, and become regarded as one of the defining examples of the so-called "cute 'em up" genre, alongside similarly "cutesy" shoot 'em up titles, like TwinBee, Fantasy Zone, and the PC Engine Super CD exclusive, Star Parodier. In addition to spawning a long-running franchise of titles that are still going strong today, Cotton would also inspire the creation of several similarly-fantastic future witch-themed shoot/cute 'em up titles, like Gunbird, Twinkle Star Sprites, and the incredibly rare final TurboGrafx-16 release, Magical Chase.
While Hudson's version was a fairly faithful port of the arcade original, the real highlight of the Super CD release was its incredible Red Book audio remixed soundtrack, once again courtesy of the downright legendary T's Music. Since its debut in the arcade, and on the TurboGrafx (Super) CD, Cotton has both gained a dedicated following, and become regarded as one of the defining examples of the so-called "cute 'em up" genre, alongside similarly "cutesy" shoot 'em up titles, like TwinBee, Fantasy Zone, and the PC Engine Super CD exclusive, Star Parodier. In addition to spawning a long-running franchise of titles that are still going strong today, Cotton would also inspire the creation of several similarly-fantastic future witch-themed shoot/cute 'em up titles, like Gunbird, Twinkle Star Sprites, and the incredibly rare final TurboGrafx-16 release, Magical Chase.
The opportunity for success with the TurboGrafx was more or less squandered by NEC, at every turn. First, they wasted too much time with the redesign and, in doing so, gave up their "first strike" advantage. Then they cheaped out with the pack-in title and failed to give the public any real reason to care about the system. Then, they cheaped out again, rolled over, and let Sega have control over the marketing message and public perception.
Then, to top it all off, they made the desperate and nonsensical decision to release the $400 TurboGrafx-CD system without a pack-in title, and without first ensuring that the TurboGrafx had a proper foothold in the market - - which would only end up serving to further confuse and alienate most potential customers. Worse yet, as a result of never establishing that foothold, most third-party developers avoided the system like the plague. Ultimately, few people would end up buying a TurboGrafx, and even fewer would buy the Turbo-CD add-on. In 1990, NEC did release a cool full-color, backlit, LCD-screen-equipped, TurboChip compatible handheld TurboGrafx device, called the TurboExpress, but again, without proper marketing, or a decent pack-in title (it actually didn't come with any games at all), few people bought that as well.
Finally in 1992, as a last-ditch effort, NEC and Hudson Soft would release the TurboDuo console to coincide with the North American debut of their Super CD titles. This new console would consist of a redesigned TurboGrafx system that incorporated a TurboChip slot and a Super-CD player into one single unit. Though they were smart enough, this time, to include, not one, but several incredible pack-in titles with the console (like Ys I & II, Bonk's Adventure, Bonk's Revenge, and Gate of Thunder), by this point, Nintendo had entered the fray with their hotly-anticipated 16-bit Super NES; and retailers were already beginning to pull TurboGrafx products from their store shelves. As a result, anyone who was still interested in obtaining either the TurboDuo, or any future games or Turbo accessories, were largely forced to resort to ordering them, by mail, from a catalog.
Though NEC's TurboGrafx would prove to be a spectacular failure for the company, in North America, they would still come to command a very strong influence over the Japanese home console market with their PC Engine. Not only would their overwhelming success in that country convince Sega to launch a rival CD-ROM attachment for their North American Genesis and Japanese Mega Drive consoles, but it would also be sufficient to inspire NEC, in 1994, to release a 32-bit Japan-exclusive follow-up to their PC Engine, called the PC-FX. Unfortunately for NEC, however, the PC-FX would end up selling even worse than the TurboGrafx, and they would subsequently opt to bow out of the home console market, altogether. Despite the brevity of their success, however, and incredible number of missteps they made during their relatively short time in the American market, both the cutting-edge technology that they pioneered, as well as the uniquely fantastic games they produced (or provided a platform for), even on the ill-fated TurboGrafx, still managed to have a profound, unforgettable impact on those who were lucky enough to experience them, and on the course of gaming history.
Then, to top it all off, they made the desperate and nonsensical decision to release the $400 TurboGrafx-CD system without a pack-in title, and without first ensuring that the TurboGrafx had a proper foothold in the market - - which would only end up serving to further confuse and alienate most potential customers. Worse yet, as a result of never establishing that foothold, most third-party developers avoided the system like the plague. Ultimately, few people would end up buying a TurboGrafx, and even fewer would buy the Turbo-CD add-on. In 1990, NEC did release a cool full-color, backlit, LCD-screen-equipped, TurboChip compatible handheld TurboGrafx device, called the TurboExpress, but again, without proper marketing, or a decent pack-in title (it actually didn't come with any games at all), few people bought that as well.
Finally in 1992, as a last-ditch effort, NEC and Hudson Soft would release the TurboDuo console to coincide with the North American debut of their Super CD titles. This new console would consist of a redesigned TurboGrafx system that incorporated a TurboChip slot and a Super-CD player into one single unit. Though they were smart enough, this time, to include, not one, but several incredible pack-in titles with the console (like Ys I & II, Bonk's Adventure, Bonk's Revenge, and Gate of Thunder), by this point, Nintendo had entered the fray with their hotly-anticipated 16-bit Super NES; and retailers were already beginning to pull TurboGrafx products from their store shelves. As a result, anyone who was still interested in obtaining either the TurboDuo, or any future games or Turbo accessories, were largely forced to resort to ordering them, by mail, from a catalog.
Though NEC's TurboGrafx would prove to be a spectacular failure for the company, in North America, they would still come to command a very strong influence over the Japanese home console market with their PC Engine. Not only would their overwhelming success in that country convince Sega to launch a rival CD-ROM attachment for their North American Genesis and Japanese Mega Drive consoles, but it would also be sufficient to inspire NEC, in 1994, to release a 32-bit Japan-exclusive follow-up to their PC Engine, called the PC-FX. Unfortunately for NEC, however, the PC-FX would end up selling even worse than the TurboGrafx, and they would subsequently opt to bow out of the home console market, altogether. Despite the brevity of their success, however, and incredible number of missteps they made during their relatively short time in the American market, both the cutting-edge technology that they pioneered, as well as the uniquely fantastic games they produced (or provided a platform for), even on the ill-fated TurboGrafx, still managed to have a profound, unforgettable impact on those who were lucky enough to experience them, and on the course of gaming history.
[Images: NEC, Namco, Irem, Hudson Soft, Working Designs]
 | [AJ Amideo] |