I was 8 when I got my TG16 xmas of 89'. I was the only kid in my class that had the system and none of my friends knew what it was. I felt like I was the coolest kid because of that lol. I still remember the games I received with the system that xmas day, which were victory run, blazing lasers and vigilante. This system will always have a special place in heart.
Yeah, EXCELLENT system. WAAAY ahead of it's time. Collecting PCE is on my bucket list, just barely below owning a 1988 Lambo Countach 5000QV. My desire for that system/games is comparable to that of my desire for an antique Italian Supercar... says alot about how frickin' cool it is!!! Lucky man! I'm mad jellous!! Enjoy! Take good care of her. When she's not in use, vaccuum seal it, with silica packettes. Stops the discoloration, and dry rotting progress (keeps CD's from cracking, due to age, to)... Hope you find that info useful! Stay safe, healthy, and blessed. L8r...
I wasn't even born yet when the Turbografx 16 was available. But as I got into retro gaming I really appreciate the shooters and the bonk games the Turbografx offers. I really miss the diversity in the video game market we had back then. Nintendo, Sega, NEC, SNK and companies like Commodore were competing for the best gaming device and as a customer one had more choices. Today one can choose between Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft and PC where on the last 3 you can play nearly the same titles (apart from some exclusives). And we are at a point where graphical differences don't become clearly recognizable enough from gen to gen anymore. (to my opinion)
Yes, gaming in the 1990s was more exciting, and you could tell the difference from one system to another just by looking at a screenshot. Each system was unique.
Here we are again - enjoying a cold beer in the middle of the night while watching The Lord of Sega. Things still arent so bad - in fact - they're good. Cheers.
I got my Turbo Grafx 16 when the price dropped to $99.99 when it’s sales were lagging and then in ‘92 got the Turbo Duo, my favorite game system ever. Started importing a bit and that was all. Loved it. Have been involved in 2 completed homebrew titles (tile artist for Pyramid Plunder by Aetherbyte Studios and Mysterious Song Remake by Frozen Utopia) love these systems.
My brother & I got a TG16 at EB in ~95. Didn't see any SNES games we wanted and the thing was only 20$ brand new! The only game they had for it was Order of the Griffon for another 20. Actually, for a single random selection at EB I couldn't have hoped for a better one as far as old school RPG's for the TG go. We were there looking for a SNES RPG. So all we ever had was that and keith scourage. For us it was the "leave at grandma's" console. Never got the love cause we never found any more games for it. EVER. lol. Keep up the good work, buddy. Cheers!
@@demonsty It's D&D 2.0 rules I believe so its old school, sleep is OP etc. It was fun, just get ready to make a few maps. If you liked games like pool of radiance or any of the gold box games this is as close as you can get to that with a TG16. It's very hard, I never could beat it, but my older brother did. I've seen bad reviews and good ones, it really seems to come down to whether or not you like old American style RPG's or JRPG's. This AINT a JRPG, but it does a great job resembling an American CRPG
My friend had a SMS; I got an NES. He got a Genesis, so I got a Turbo. Got Alien Crush and Blazing Lazers first, followed by Bonk 2, Devil’s Crush & Splatterhouse. Good times. Even Takin it to the Hoop was fun with its varied roster of players.
You know I just gotta say I'm impressed by how much content you consistently put out. Great episodes and it's exactly what we as retro gamers want. Keep up the good work and know that we appreciate you.
I really appreciate that he focuses on playing and appreciating old games. There’s way too much RUclips focused on collecting and buying old stuff for purposes of accumulation.
@@dsgitlin Oh absolutely man. What I've disliked the most is how the RUclipsrs who once focused on retro games now only talk about the latest gaming news and show off their collections but don't actually play them and as the landscape of RUclips has changed tremendously.
I've always felt like the single controller port didn't help, either. I distinctly remember my parents using that against me when I asked for one once: "how will you play with your brother?"
*taps temple* You don't miss having a second controller port, if you were an only child who didn't have any friends living close by! ...I made myself sad.
@@felixdaniels37 CD wasn't a bad idea on paper, don't forget stand alone CD players cost a lot in those days too, Sega's idea was cheaper games for the consumer with a boost in audio and graphics, basically a all in one system years before Microsoft thought of the idea, the problem was something that is true to this day, the consumer is basically stupid. They just want something simple not add ons, they get confused easily, they don't want to splash out extra for something even if they save in the long run etc.
Sega was all about the add ins at least the sega cd was somewhat supported. The menacer had like 2 games didn't even work on lethal enforcers. The power base convertor came out way after master system was dead in usa. 32x need I say more. 32x cd
Nice memories SLX, for me the TurboGrafx was always the untouched prize behind the glass at Toy's R Us. Never really got to play one until the Mini came out. Awesome cool games on the system, good fun. 👍🎮
the PC-Engine actually outsold the Famicom (NES) for a while in Japan, while the CD add on remained competitive with the Super Famicom. Too bad it didn't catch on in the US.
Poor timing and marketing as well as a lack of the kinds of games Americans wanted to play. I like to compare the Genesis and N64 in North America to the PC Engine and Saturn in Japan, while also looking at consoles like the NES, SNES, and PlayStation that sold really well in both. The Japanese love their shmups, fighting games, and epic RPGs and Graphic Adventure games, often based on popular Anime. The PC Engine had some okay fighting games, but was THE place to play those graphic adventure games and RPGs, both of which really took advantage of the CD. Americans tend to like platformers, action adventure games, sports games, and, more recently, FPSs. The TurboGafx had some decent platformers and adventure games, but didn't hold a stick to the Genesis. The Genesis was also THE place to play sports games. Timing and advertising were also important. The PC Engine launched well before the Mega Drive in Japan, but the TurboGrafx launched around the same time as the Genesis in NA, meaning early Gen 4 gamers were probably picking between the two. Sega pumped a ton of money into early advertising for the Genesis, so it got ahead in that market. The NES/Famicom was still popular, so all Nintendo had to do was wait and put out a 16-bit console that did everything really well. The SNES/Super Famicom had everything everyone wanted when it came to variety of games. The fact remains, the full Japanese PC Engine library (including CD games) just wouldn't have been nearly as popular in the US as the US Genesis or SNES libraries. Too many graphic adventure games based on anime, too many shmups, not enough sports or really innovative platformers.
@@shootermcgavin1208 Even Legendary Axe or Blazing Lazers. Just not Keith Courage. Really, it came down to Sega and Nintendo having huge American offices and game developers. If it was going to sell in the US, it needed American focused games. It might have helped if they had sold the CD drive cheap and then pushed the Duo really hard. NEC needed to have CD game experiences Americans couldn't get anywhere else and not be more expensive than Neo Geo.
@@mscottjohnson3424 The lesson, ultimately, is never make assumptions about what your punters want. ASK THEM FIRST, or at least try to find out. That's why the Megadrive/Genesis was a hit, because it was precision-marketed to the tastes and needs of Western gamers in the late 80s and early 90s.
Other music composers: "Never use an annoying sound that's like a broken air conditioner in a backing track" Legendary Axe composer: "Hold my broken appliance... "
It was good to hear that Legendary Axe tune at the intro. Definitely one of my favorite early games too and really should have been the pack in. It had really good reviews at the time too. I was the only person that owned one in my neighborhood everyone else had the Genesis or later the Snes.
A friend of mine owned one, and the first Bonk. Before I owned an SNES later in 1991, I'd play the SNES he owned at his house, and I freaked out when I see he also owned a TG-16, so of course I had to play that machine. That friend sadly passed from a heart attack a few years ago, he and I had some great times playing the SNES, and the TG-16.
@@Bloodreign1 He must have still been young like in his 40s, I’m really sorry to hear that. I wish I was still in touch with a couple of my friends that we spent gaming together like that during those days. And often wonder what they’re up to.
Oh hell yeah! I got my Turbo in the summer of 90 as well! It was my only system until the Sega CD came out & I had to have that as well! Upgraded to a Duo that year to as I worked at The Good Guys!
My favorite and most nostalgic system! ..and the title music for Dungeon Explorer still gives me chills to this day. Also I still regularly play World Class Baseball on my Turbo Express. lol
Oh, man. I feel the same way about Dungeon Explorer. I love the whole beginning musical sequence: title > sweeping panorama > player select > town exploration. Something special about the TGs sound chip.
I lucked into getting a Turbo off a relative, albeit at the end of its North American life. One of my favourite underdog consoles ever. In retrospect I gotta hand it to them, they had a great launch window. I still buy Alien Crush on just about any system I can, best digital pinball game ever imo. Blazing Lazers was essentially an Aleste game that had a bad movie license slapped onto it in Japan. Still one of the best in the genre. Legendary Axe, Dungeon Explorer, R-Type, all incredible. I think the problems they faced were numerous...amateurish box art, games that were too weirdly Japanese for the audience of the time, not enough high profile titles, no killer app on the level of Mario or Sonic, and an out of reach entry price for the CD Player. The Turbo Duo ended up being a killer deal, and was what the TG-16 probably needed to be. I also think NEC's Japanese success with the PC Engine was kind of a fluke that happened thanks to good timing at the height of Japan's bubble economy, being first to the 16-bit market and with Nintendo & Sega's 8-bit technology getting long in the tooth. NEC dominated the Japanese computer market in the 1980s, but aside from the PC-Engine everything else they did in the console space - SuperGrafx, PC-FX, LT, Turbo Express - never went anywhere.
YES, Dragon Spirit. One of my favorite arcade tittles and games of all time. The scene when the knight becomes a dragon from the lightning bolt immediately had me sold. The music is amazing as well.
I had Vigilante on the Master System, which in itself was a solid port - but the TurboGrafx 16 port was amazing. Very true to the arcade. It was one my favourite games as a kid. The console never really took off here in Europe. I didn't even know it existed until much later. Here it was all Mega Drive and SNES pretty much. But when you see almost arcade perfect ports of games like Vigilante and their amazing port of Street Fighter 2, it really was such a capable system for all its hardware limitations.
A friend of mine got a Turbografx when it came out and he loved it. We even went to a special event at a local mall where they were showing off games that were going to be imported to the US later, like Devil's Crush, using special converters. He even let me borrow it for a while once. He beat The Legendary Axe and many other games. We both had Amiga computers and one of the games I got a copy of, Torvak The Warrior, reminded me of TLA. I gave him a copy and after he went home, he called me up begging to know how to activate a cheat mode because he said it was too hard. I never got very far myself, but then again, I never got past the first level of TLA either. I never owned a system that used a gamepad and to me, they were incredibly awkward, especially with the movement controls on the left. When I heard that one of the Turbografx games was originally called Gun Head in Japan, for the longest time, I thought that was the Japanese name of Keith Courage in Alpha Zones because of the enemies with the giant guns on their heads. Now I know it's the name for Blazing Lasers.
Back then. That's like around $700 today. $400 was twice the price of the console itself. Imagine buying a new Xbox/Playstation for the price it is now and then buying an attachment double that price. That's basically what people did back then.
NEC was ill-prepared for the American market and at the same time caught off guard by Sega. This system had a killer library of games never released in the USA.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your channel - The nostalgia that some of your content conjures up is almost enough to being a year to my eye. I said it before and I'll say it again 1990 - 1998 or so was the golden era of video games, especially the early 90's. It legit hurts my soul to know that kids will never get to experience the stale smell of popcorn in your local blockbuster and the excitement of running in there to see if your favorite game was available to rent. #Real90'sBaby
I'm really impressed by the library of the Turbo Grafx 16; I always thought that videogames lacked software, especially, quality ones. Thanks for removing the prejudice that I had about it.
I was first introduced to the TG16 a few years ago when I worked at Stone Age Gamer. I had heard of it but never played it. Building and testing numerous Turbo Everdrives allowed me to truly appreciate the TG16.
Great times in September 1989 and over the following two years; first chose the Genesis but after a few months I traded three of my Genesis games to a friend who didn't want his Turbografx and had them both for a good while. Best Christmas ever was getting both Strider and Ninja Spirit; my dad let me play Strider (Which is what I was asking for) ahead of time and Ninja Spirit was a unexpected surprise. Legendary Axe, Blazing Lasers, and Dungeon Explorer were my favorite launch window releases for the TG-16. Like another person previously said; those glory days will never return, but we have our nostalgic memories.
I found my TG-16 at a flea market for $5.00 in `92 or `93. I lost my mind and tried to keep my cool when taking it to the front to buy it.... wondering if they were going to realize it should cost more. It just didn't have a plug, but I found a universal one at Wal-Mart. WHAT a great memory. I began hunting down and trading games for it the classified ads of the newspaper. Really loved that machine!
Believe me, that underdog spirit that Sega had to take on Nintendo wasn't in NECs corner. I loved TG16 for Blazing Lazers and Alien Crush, but JJ and Jeff was such an awesome game that lacked two player that you could be led to believe the system was not powerful enough. Add to the fact that NEC only gave you one controller packed in, the ancient rf cable attachment and charged nearly $50 for the Turbobooster, the Turbotap cost what a controller did or more, they were making it easy for Sega to outsell them. I consider my time with TG16 similar to my time with the Master System. We bonded, I saw the potential, but the company was much stronger in other regions and it was a losing battle here in the US. I still remember seeing a PC Engine in anime and Manga that I would entertain myself with and realized it was a phenomenon in Japan. Good video. Brought back memories of my wife and I playing some Chew Man Fu, which to play together we had to spend an extra $45, but it was worth it. I think later hardware developers learned you need to advertise your strengths because someone will advertise your weaknesses. Would have loved to see a Devils Crush ad back then. Something spooky AF.
it is a well known fact that kid SLX was that one kid in school that everyone wanted to be his friend , because he might be that ONE KID WITH EVERY CONSOLE KNOWN TO MAN, WOMAN, CHILD AND THE ELDERLY .
I was so jealous of my cousin who had a Turbographx 16. Eventually my family got one as prices went down as it never really had a chance in the North American market. We had Keith Courage, Devil's Crush, Golden Axe, Blazing Lazers, Vigilante, Victory Run and World Class Baseball.
Dungeon Explorer supports 4-players mode using multi-controller adapter. It was extremely fun to play in a group setting. That was way ahead of its time. The stages are well designed. Once you cleared a stage, some path will be unblocked so you can utilize save game codes next time to start from the next stage.
The TG16 is definitely a badass console. As a kid, I didn't hear much on it. Nobody I knew had one either. In 2015, I started collecting for the console after I bought a PCE Core Grafx on eBay. I then bought a PCE Duo-R console in early February 2017. I can admit some of the TGCD games I got are repros. I also ended up getting another PCE Core Grafx CIB and I am happy to say I own a TG16 mini.
As a European the Turbografx was a mystery of a system. As it didn't get a wide release here other than the very limited Telegames version. It's a platform from the 16-bit generation I didn't know existed for a very long time. I wish they would've kept the compact design of the Japanese version.
I follow the spida1a channel, because he provides a lot of in-depth analyses about Turbografx-16 and PC Engine games (including the CD titles with enhanced music and voice acting). He also tries to take into consideration whether or not certain games are worth playing today. I remember that he didn't really like Keith Courage because of the levels without the armor.
I got the Turbo Grafx mini for Christmas last and have had a ton of fun with it. To me the TG16 has the same appeal as the Saturn, a console that was mostly ignored by the masses but has a ton of hidden gems on it.
Never owned nor knew of anyone who owned a tg-16. But I do have fond memories of playing it at the Toys R Us kiosk as a kid, and later as an adult through Wii's virtual console service. Galaga 90 and Alien Crush were my favorites of those mentioned. Also loved the Bonk and Zonk games as well.
fascinating that point about the tg16 being an under powered system. i don't really recall that coming up in conversation with the other kids at school or in my neighborhood. there were a couple of tg16 houses on our block, but those guys eventually got gennys too. we all liked the tg16 games, but the genesis seemed to roll out more games and more than one of us could play at the same time. my preferred genre were shooters back then and it seemed like there was a new shooter to play every couple of months. while we now know the pce had an enormous library of shooters, the tg16 didn't cultivate the impression that it was a shooter console back then.
I love the Turbografx. Had an Uncle and Cousin (different sides of the family) both get one Christmas of 89. I used every excuse in the book to visit as often as humanly possible to play it. I'm glad you mentioned the colors because that was the first thing that stood out to me. I was only familiar with Atari and Nintendo and the Turbografx not only had more colors in use but they popped so much more. Keith Courage to me at the time seemed like a cutsie world of Mario meets side scrolling Zelda 2 in the action parts. But I remember playing/watching my Uncle/Cousin play that, Pac-Land, Blazing Lasers, Alien Crush, China Warrior, The Legendary Axe, and Military Madness that Christmas and it was like the video game equivalent of a Religious experience. Like top 3 best Christmases I ever had. Looking back I don't know if they should have had Blazing Lasers or The Legendary Axe be the pack in game. I get the argument but at the time pack in games were more E rated/family friendly for lack of a better term. Pack in games prior had been games like Mario and Alex Kidd so in that respect Keith Courage fits in. I think people tend to forget that the Turbografx came out before the Genesis so Sega broke that tradition by having Altered Beast as the pack in and then later with more 90s Attitude with Sonic. To say Turbografx should have gone with the more edgier or "Gamer" games if you will is anachronistic. I think "for the time" they made the correct choice. As for why it bombed I agree with your assessment but would add 3 additional points: 1.) It wasn't sold or advertised in all areas. I saw the ads in my area but funny enough my Uncle, who lives in a different State, did not. He was (still is) an electronics enthusiast and saw it in computer and video game magazines and wanted it based off of that. 2.) It didn't have 2 controller ports leading Parents with more than one child to believe it wasn't a system two kids could play with together. 3.) The price. Let's be real that thing was expensive as Hell. To play it properly you needed to buy the system $199 in 1989. But it only came in RF so if you wanted good picture quality you needed the booster attachment which I can't find the original price for but I'm sure it was at least $50 then if you wanted two player support you needed a turbo tap (going to assume the same price wise) and THEN if you wanted to sit on the couch you needed attachments because the controller chord was laughably short. It was too pricey, too much of a pain in the ass to set up compared to other systems, confusing who could play it and a bitch and a half to find. I think most parents did what mine did and just bought a Genesis because it was cheaper, less confusing and easier to get.
Wait a minute... is _Super Aleste_ an SNES port or sequel of _Blazing Lazers_ ?! Because those weapons and shot patterns from the player's craft look _really_ familiar! ...and _Galaga '90_ is a port of the arcade _Galaga '88_ , with a bonus mode that has other Namco characters. NICE.
I loved the Turbo Grafx 16 growing up. I wanted it because it had the best version of R-type; which is one of my all time favorite arcade games. They also had the CD-ROM add-on that I couldn't afford at the time.
Great video again SLX. From being Sega only, your channel has bloomed into the full gaming spectrum. I got an RGB modded pc engine 3 years ago and have built up a decent collection for it which is great. Parasol Stars, Soldier Blade, Bloody Wolf, Legendary Axe and Magical Chase are all amazing games you can’t get on any other console.
As someone who worked for NEC Logistics America, and did the shipping on TG-16, I'd say the problem was marketing. NEC never seemed to really want to sell the system. It's a great system, and I still play my TurboDuo.
I can't speak for anyone else, but here in eastern Canada the TG16 was only sold at RadioShack for the longest time and when it finally showed up in the major retail stores here the Genesis and SNES were already very well established consoles in homes.
Motoroader was a great game once you were able to master its gameplay mechanics. What a blast it becomes when you had the tubotap and five controllers. Spent many hours with friends and family.
Wonderful video, and its really nice hearing the opinion of someone who actually LIKED China Warrior in contrast to other reviewers out there. It's really refreshing especially since the game has my interest on ebay lately. Can't wait to see more Turbografx coverage down the road from you too.
I think your memories of the time are going to be better than mine since I was but a small child then, but my memory is just that nobody talked about the Turbo. I was vaguely aware of its existence but never saw an ad on TV for it. I knew that it was the system with Bonk and that's about it. When the Turbo CD came out and then the Turbo Duo I got very confused because I thought they were separate systems. Nevermind all the 8/16 bit talk, that wasn't even part of the discussions I heard. I don't think I even knew about that until probably the 2000s.
The TG16 was a fine system. I really believe the lack of advertising is why it fizzled in the states. This was pre-internet, and you had to market your products well. Sega and Nintendo were very good at blowing their own horn. NEC on the other hand, had very little print ads and absolutely no TV national ad campaign. I wouldn't even have known about the Turbo were it not for the game magazines of the time hyping it up. Great video, by the way.
Love the TG16 content. I bought one with lawn money, cuz my friend had genesis already. Then my brother WON a genesis - just came in the mail one day. I said "Oh my god we have a GENESIS!!!". My brother said "No we don't i'm selling it". And he did. Son of a....
I’m so happy to have my tg16 and cd. I bought it in Jan for a fraction because the seller didn’t know how to put the tg16 and cd components on. I’m just waiting for my everdrive to come in and can’t wait to play these gems.
during the early days i remember a commercial where a dog that might have been a muppet grabs and eats a tuna sandwhich very violently while 2 guys play on the turbo. it stuck with me to this day cause of how creepy it was.
As a kid, it seemed retailers in my area only carried Sega and Nintendo. I only knew some of this stuff existed via magazines. Hence, its difficult to get an audience if your hardware isn't as easy to find.
It's a real shame this system didn't take off here in the states. There were so many great titles that were only released in in the japanese market. Some of those titles might of been system sellers. If only they would have been better at marketing and had the courage to release them in the U.S.
@@kekeke8988 well if you really delve into the library especially the pc engine cd library you can find some gems. Personally some of the shmups were excellent an alot of them didn't come to the U.S. market. Too many to list here but if you do your research you will find the system had so many awesome games. Some examples I can list at the top of my head are Rondo of blood and street fighter 2 but there are many more!
@@kekeke8988 true but even without it there are still alot of good games! Also the all in one solutions like the duo duo-r duo-rx were a little more palatable as far as price but they were too late to the game.
There's a slight generation gap between myself and SLX. I was a younger kid when the 16-bit wars was taking place and the TG-16 was nothing more than this mysterious game console that came and went between issues of reading game magazines in the grocery store or the seasonal appearance in the Sears catalog. The KB Toys at the shopping mall two towns over didn't even carry the TG-16 and I've never had the chance to set foot in a Toys R Us as I grew up in a rural town in the Bible Belt and the trip there would have been an hour to 1.5 hours away for something my parents couldn't get games for easily. It was "the friend of a friend who knows a guy" mystery console that I didn't get to experience until my early 30s when I finally got one. I always regret not getting to play one back in the day but there's something nostalgic about limited options and appreciating what you have. A lot of these console failures back in the day weren't due to lack of interest from me but from lack of resources/means. I was hyped for a 32X but never even got to see. I bought my SEGA CD well after its time had come and gone. I was super jealous over the one kid I was close friends that happened to have the 3DO. I wanted to Do the Math. The sad paradox of adulthood is I have the money to buy all these things I missed out on my childhood but naught the energy nor time to enjoy them.
I was one of the first people to own a turbo CD and the truth is the genesis just had more fun games. TG16 almost all the games were single player shooters, very few adventure games.
One more comment. Motoroader was a favorite among my stoner group of friends. By then i had a turbo tap and 5 controllers. We had epic races all the way through all the upgrades. Yes the catchup mechanic was aggravating, but great memories playing it!
Honestly the Turbografx 16 wasn't even on my radar as a kid. It was Nintendo and Sega. I didn't even think of giving any other system a chance. Sadly, I missed out on some great stuff. However, I'm glad I at least have the Mini console to play some of these great titles.
I love this little do dad, the Turbografix was my third system I bought back in the day, I like all the games that you've shown here. I love these games.
I am awake this morning, and I see a new Sega Lord X video? I instantly clicked! I like this one because it talks about an underrated console. It had potential. A lot of it. I had a Genesis at the time, and my best friend at the time brought it over. I wanted it the day I saw it for the first time. My cousin got one too. It was basically a better "Genesis" if that makes any sense. Genesis had vibrant colors, but TG16 had more on-screen and can handle more. My favorite is Blazing Lazers. I would've bought TG16 for this game. Gameplay? Top notch. Graphics? Top notch. Music? Masterful, especially Area 5 (Temples).
I've heard one of its biggest mistakes was not being easily available outside of the major markets. So good luck for me growing up in rural North Dakota to ever see one.
I honestly didn’t know there were places you could rent TurboGrafx games lol. I knew Toys R Us sold them to buy but my Ma and Pa rental store “Video Value” and later “Suburban Video”, nor did any of my local Blockbuster videos. Haha. That’s great though. Also I’ll play the “I was just a kid and never owned one card” but for longest time I always thought Bonk was a pack-in/launch title. Mind blown! Great video Sega LordX! I may not always comment but just thought I’d say I really enjoy the videos you make! 🤘
Before it's release, there were dozens of Turbo Grafx 16 kiosks set up all around the mall near me. Part of NEC trying to promote it no doubt. Me and my buddy played for hours, I remember being floored by Y's anime cut scenes, music and speech I became an instant fan. Although I didn't get a Turbografx on release I ended up getting a Turbo Duo years later.
The TG-16 is a pretty cool console. I would've loved to have one as a kid. Emulation is an excellent way to see what it has to offer. The moment Castlevania: Rondo of Blood loaded up on my PS Vita, I got filled with excitement lol
I never got to experience TG16 games until i purchased the Turbo Mini last year. I was particularly fond of The Kung Fu (BKA The China Warrior). I liked how it was a beatemup that turned into a 2D fighter by the end of the stage.
The TG-16, so many good games in Japan so few of them localized and released in the US. Way back then I owned a TurboDuo that I bought at a discounted price at EB. It was a way for me to more or less play the "greatest hits" of the platform since it was on the way to being completely discontinued. I even replayed Cosmic Fantasy 2 last year for the sake of nostalgia! Good times!
TurboGrafx was my one big blind spot of the 16-bit era, but after discovering many of the games through Wii and later Wii U Virtual Console, I've really come to appreciate the system. ...oh, and Keith Courage is actually based on an anime called Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru, but I feel like there will be at least 20 other comments saying that xD
Recently found your channel through either Rerez or Wrestling with Gaming and I’ve been hooked since! Seeing all the coverage of games from my youth is amazing man and the quality of your videos are phenomenal!
Love me some Vigilante. I really think the turbo didn't catch on because of the price combined with needing to get those extra items for basic functionality, like a 2nd player port(turbo tap) and Composite video(turbo booster). They were asking too much if those items needed to be purchased as well. That didn't stop me as a kid from finding a sweet deal on a complete Turbo CD setup at a pawn shop with two controllers and tap :)
I was 8 when I got my TG16 xmas of 89'. I was the only kid in my class that had the system and none of my friends knew what it was. I felt like I was the coolest kid because of that lol. I still remember the games I received with the system that xmas day, which were victory run, blazing lasers and vigilante. This system will always have a special place in heart.
Aw, what a simpleton
@@ra803g6 don't be jealous just because you don't own any console in your childhood lololol
The words Turbo Grafx summoned me here!!! So glad I collected back in the 90's when nobody wanted turbo stuff!!! Those glory days will never return :(
Yup my childhood wish I would have kept all my stuff .
I bet you have a cool collection!
I bought my PC Engine DUO-R on holiday in Japan in 1995 still own it never regretted buying it😁
Thats awesome! I hope youve recapped it by now haha
Yeah, EXCELLENT system. WAAAY ahead of it's time. Collecting PCE is on my bucket list, just barely below owning a 1988 Lambo Countach 5000QV. My desire for that system/games is comparable to that of my desire for an antique Italian Supercar... says alot about how frickin' cool it is!!! Lucky man! I'm mad jellous!! Enjoy! Take good care of her. When she's not in use, vaccuum seal it, with silica packettes. Stops the discoloration, and dry rotting progress (keeps CD's from cracking, due to age, to)... Hope you find that info useful! Stay safe, healthy, and blessed. L8r...
Dang it, I was born in 95, just a year earlier and I could have grabbed it before of u.. :( !
Dude, you are on fire. Love your content. Keep it up (but remember to take a break now and then, lol).
Lol take a break from playing games?
I wasn't even born yet when the Turbografx 16 was available. But as I got into retro gaming I really appreciate the shooters and the bonk games the Turbografx offers. I really miss the diversity in the video game market we had back then. Nintendo, Sega, NEC, SNK and companies like Commodore were competing for the best gaming device and as a customer one had more choices. Today one can choose between Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft and PC where on the last 3 you can play nearly the same titles (apart from some exclusives). And we are at a point where graphical differences don't become clearly recognizable enough from gen to gen anymore. (to my opinion)
Yes, gaming in the 1990s was more exciting, and you could tell the difference from one system to another just by looking at a screenshot. Each system was unique.
Still rocking my launch TG16. Military Madness, pizza and beer with friends is an awesome Friday night back in the day. Thanks for the memories NEC.
Military madness might be my 5th ranked favorite game of all time
Here we are again - enjoying a cold beer in the middle of the night while watching The Lord of Sega. Things still arent so bad - in fact - they're good. Cheers.
I got my Turbo Grafx 16 when the price dropped to $99.99 when it’s sales were lagging and then in ‘92 got the Turbo Duo, my favorite game system ever. Started importing a bit and that was all. Loved it. Have been involved in 2 completed homebrew titles (tile artist for Pyramid Plunder by Aetherbyte Studios and Mysterious Song Remake by Frozen Utopia) love these systems.
My brother & I got a TG16 at EB in ~95. Didn't see any SNES games we wanted and the thing was only 20$ brand new! The only game they had for it was Order of the Griffon for another 20. Actually, for a single random selection at EB I couldn't have hoped for a better one as far as old school RPG's for the TG go. We were there looking for a SNES RPG. So all we ever had was that and keith scourage. For us it was the "leave at grandma's" console. Never got the love cause we never found any more games for it. EVER. lol. Keep up the good work, buddy. Cheers!
dude is order of the griffin worth playing. i have it but never played.
@@demonsty It's D&D 2.0 rules I believe so its old school, sleep is OP etc. It was fun, just get ready to make a few maps. If you liked games like pool of radiance or any of the gold box games this is as close as you can get to that with a TG16.
It's very hard, I never could beat it, but my older brother did. I've seen bad reviews and good ones, it really seems to come down to whether or not you like old American style RPG's or JRPG's. This AINT a JRPG, but it does a great job resembling an American CRPG
My friend had a SMS; I got an NES. He got a Genesis, so I got a Turbo. Got Alien Crush and Blazing Lazers first, followed by Bonk 2, Devil’s Crush & Splatterhouse. Good times. Even Takin it to the Hoop was fun with its varied roster of players.
You know I just gotta say I'm impressed by how much content you consistently put out. Great episodes and it's exactly what we as retro gamers want. Keep up the good work and know that we appreciate you.
I really appreciate that he focuses on playing and appreciating old games. There’s way too much RUclips focused on collecting and buying old stuff for purposes of accumulation.
@@dsgitlin Oh absolutely man. What I've disliked the most is how the RUclipsrs who once focused on retro games now only talk about the latest gaming news and show off their collections but don't actually play them and as the landscape of RUclips has changed tremendously.
@@the1ucidone It's easy money to become a Switch RUclipsr. RGT 85 used to be a Sega RUclipsr too.
I've always felt like the single controller port didn't help, either. I distinctly remember my parents using that against me when I asked for one once: "how will you play with your brother?"
I'm guessing the Turbo CD add on didn't really do it any favors, either. Hell, I'm surprised Sega didn't learn anything from that.
I agree. Absolutely. 100%
*taps temple* You don't miss having a second controller port, if you were an only child who didn't have any friends living close by! ...I made myself sad.
@@felixdaniels37 CD wasn't a bad idea on paper, don't forget stand alone CD players cost a lot in those days too, Sega's idea was cheaper games for the consumer with a boost in audio and graphics, basically a all in one system years before Microsoft thought of the idea, the problem was something that is true to this day, the consumer is basically stupid. They just want something simple not add ons, they get confused easily, they don't want to splash out extra for something even if they save in the long run etc.
Sega was all about the add ins at least the sega cd was somewhat supported.
The menacer had like 2 games didn't even work on lethal enforcers.
The power base convertor came out way after master system was dead in usa.
32x need I say more.
32x cd
Nice memories SLX, for me the TurboGrafx was always the untouched prize behind the glass at Toy's R Us. Never really got to play one until the Mini came out. Awesome cool games on the system, good fun. 👍🎮
Most TG16 games had no multi-scroll backgrounds which made them look cheap esp. when Sonic had 50 layers in each level hated that
the PC-Engine actually outsold the Famicom (NES) for a while in Japan, while the CD add on remained competitive with the Super Famicom. Too bad it didn't catch on in the US.
Poor timing and marketing as well as a lack of the kinds of games Americans wanted to play.
I like to compare the Genesis and N64 in North America to the PC Engine and Saturn in Japan, while also looking at consoles like the NES, SNES, and PlayStation that sold really well in both.
The Japanese love their shmups, fighting games, and epic RPGs and Graphic Adventure games, often based on popular Anime. The PC Engine had some okay fighting games, but was THE place to play those graphic adventure games and RPGs, both of which really took advantage of the CD.
Americans tend to like platformers, action adventure games, sports games, and, more recently, FPSs. The TurboGafx had some decent platformers and adventure games, but didn't hold a stick to the Genesis. The Genesis was also THE place to play sports games.
Timing and advertising were also important. The PC Engine launched well before the Mega Drive in Japan, but the TurboGrafx launched around the same time as the Genesis in NA, meaning early Gen 4 gamers were probably picking between the two. Sega pumped a ton of money into early advertising for the Genesis, so it got ahead in that market. The NES/Famicom was still popular, so all Nintendo had to do was wait and put out a 16-bit console that did everything really well. The SNES/Super Famicom had everything everyone wanted when it came to variety of games.
The fact remains, the full Japanese PC Engine library (including CD games) just wouldn't have been nearly as popular in the US as the US Genesis or SNES libraries. Too many graphic adventure games based on anime, too many shmups, not enough sports or really innovative platformers.
If it was released in 1988 with Bonk as the pack-in title it would have fared a lot better. Going up head-to-head with the Genesis was a huge mistake.
@@shootermcgavin1208 Even Legendary Axe or Blazing Lazers. Just not Keith Courage.
Really, it came down to Sega and Nintendo having huge American offices and game developers. If it was going to sell in the US, it needed American focused games.
It might have helped if they had sold the CD drive cheap and then pushed the Duo really hard. NEC needed to have CD game experiences Americans couldn't get anywhere else and not be more expensive than Neo Geo.
@@mscottjohnson3424 The lesson, ultimately, is never make assumptions about what your punters want. ASK THEM FIRST, or at least try to find out. That's why the Megadrive/Genesis was a hit, because it was precision-marketed to the tastes and needs of Western gamers in the late 80s and early 90s.
@@shootermcgavin1208 They'd have needed to rename him (again) for the UK market, though.
Other music composers: "Never use an annoying sound that's like a broken air conditioner in a backing track"
Legendary Axe composer: "Hold my broken appliance... "
It was good to hear that Legendary Axe tune at the intro. Definitely one of my favorite early games too and really should have been the pack in. It had really good reviews at the time too. I was the only person that owned one in my neighborhood everyone else had the Genesis or later the Snes.
I love your channel!
A friend of mine owned one, and the first Bonk. Before I owned an SNES later in 1991, I'd play the SNES he owned at his house, and I freaked out when I see he also owned a TG-16, so of course I had to play that machine. That friend sadly passed from a heart attack a few years ago, he and I had some great times playing the SNES, and the TG-16.
@@Bloodreign1 He must have still been young like in his 40s, I’m really sorry to hear that. I wish I was still in touch with a couple of my friends that we spent gaming together like that during those days. And often wonder what they’re up to.
The level 1 theme is one of the most underrated retro game tracks ever
Woo hoo! More TG16 videos, love em!
Oh hell yeah! I got my Turbo in the summer of 90 as well! It was my only system until the Sega CD came out & I had to have that as well! Upgraded to a Duo that year to as I worked at The Good Guys!
My favorite and most nostalgic system!
..and the title music for Dungeon Explorer still gives me chills to this day.
Also I still regularly play World Class Baseball on my Turbo Express. lol
Oh, man. I feel the same way about Dungeon Explorer. I love the whole beginning musical sequence: title > sweeping panorama > player select > town exploration. Something special about the TGs sound chip.
I lucked into getting a Turbo off a relative, albeit at the end of its North American life. One of my favourite underdog consoles ever. In retrospect I gotta hand it to them, they had a great launch window. I still buy Alien Crush on just about any system I can, best digital pinball game ever imo. Blazing Lazers was essentially an Aleste game that had a bad movie license slapped onto it in Japan. Still one of the best in the genre. Legendary Axe, Dungeon Explorer, R-Type, all incredible.
I think the problems they faced were numerous...amateurish box art, games that were too weirdly Japanese for the audience of the time, not enough high profile titles, no killer app on the level of Mario or Sonic, and an out of reach entry price for the CD Player. The Turbo Duo ended up being a killer deal, and was what the TG-16 probably needed to be.
I also think NEC's Japanese success with the PC Engine was kind of a fluke that happened thanks to good timing at the height of Japan's bubble economy, being first to the 16-bit market and with Nintendo & Sega's 8-bit technology getting long in the tooth. NEC dominated the Japanese computer market in the 1980s, but aside from the PC-Engine everything else they did in the console space - SuperGrafx, PC-FX, LT, Turbo Express - never went anywhere.
I'm happy that I got to experience the Tg-16 back in the day. Such a criminally underrated system. I still play it today.
YES, Dragon Spirit. One of my favorite arcade tittles and games of all time. The scene when the knight becomes a dragon from the lightning bolt immediately had me sold. The music is amazing as well.
I had Vigilante on the Master System, which in itself was a solid port - but the TurboGrafx 16 port was amazing. Very true to the arcade. It was one my favourite games as a kid. The console never really took off here in Europe. I didn't even know it existed until much later. Here it was all Mega Drive and SNES pretty much. But when you see almost arcade perfect ports of games like Vigilante and their amazing port of Street Fighter 2, it really was such a capable system for all its hardware limitations.
The turbogarfx-16 still kick ass. 😀👍🎮
I honestly don't understand how this channel doesn't have 1million subscribers
Mr. Content. That's you now.
A friend of mine got a Turbografx when it came out and he loved it. We even went to a special event at a local mall where they were showing off games that were going to be imported to the US later, like Devil's Crush, using special converters. He even let me borrow it for a while once.
He beat The Legendary Axe and many other games. We both had Amiga computers and one of the games I got a copy of, Torvak The Warrior, reminded me of TLA. I gave him a copy and after he went home, he called me up begging to know how to activate a cheat mode because he said it was too hard. I never got very far myself, but then again, I never got past the first level of TLA either. I never owned a system that used a gamepad and to me, they were incredibly awkward, especially with the movement controls on the left.
When I heard that one of the Turbografx games was originally called Gun Head in Japan, for the longest time, I thought that was the Japanese name of Keith Courage in Alpha Zones because of the enemies with the giant guns on their heads. Now I know it's the name for Blazing Lasers.
Imagine spending $400 for the CD add on and then another $50 to purchase the "definitive" home version of Golden Axe...
Back then. That's like around $700 today. $400 was twice the price of the console itself. Imagine buying a new Xbox/Playstation for the price it is now and then buying an attachment double that price. That's basically what people did back then.
And a terrible version of Golden Axe
NEC was ill-prepared for the American market and at the same time caught off guard by Sega. This system had a killer library of games never released in the USA.
Legendary Axe! Thanks for putting him on the thumbnail as it got me to watch this
I can't tell you how much I appreciate your channel - The nostalgia that some of your content conjures up is almost enough to being a year to my eye. I said it before and I'll say it again 1990 - 1998 or so was the golden era of video games, especially the early 90's. It legit hurts my soul to know that kids will never get to experience the stale smell of popcorn in your local blockbuster and the excitement of running in there to see if your favorite game was available to rent. #Real90'sBaby
I'm really impressed by the library of the Turbo Grafx 16; I always thought that videogames lacked software, especially, quality ones. Thanks for removing the prejudice that I had about it.
I was first introduced to the TG16 a few years ago when I worked at Stone Age Gamer. I had heard of it but never played it. Building and testing numerous Turbo Everdrives allowed me to truly appreciate the TG16.
Great times in September 1989 and over the following two years; first chose the Genesis but after a few months I traded three of my Genesis games to a friend who didn't want his Turbografx and had them both for a good while. Best Christmas ever was getting both Strider and Ninja Spirit; my dad let me play Strider (Which is what I was asking for) ahead of time and Ninja Spirit was a unexpected surprise. Legendary Axe, Blazing Lasers, and Dungeon Explorer were my favorite launch window releases for the TG-16. Like another person previously said; those glory days will never return, but we have our nostalgic memories.
I found my TG-16 at a flea market for $5.00 in `92 or `93. I lost my mind and tried to keep my cool when taking it to the front to buy it.... wondering if they were going to realize it should cost more. It just didn't have a plug, but I found a universal one at Wal-Mart. WHAT a great memory. I began hunting down and trading games for it the classified ads of the newspaper. Really loved that machine!
Liked your childhood photo the most in this episode. Looks like you have been pretty successful in keeping the inner child alive.
Believe me, that underdog spirit that Sega had to take on Nintendo wasn't in NECs corner. I loved TG16 for Blazing Lazers and Alien Crush, but JJ and Jeff was such an awesome game that lacked two player that you could be led to believe the system was not powerful enough. Add to the fact that NEC only gave you one controller packed in, the ancient rf cable attachment and charged nearly $50 for the Turbobooster, the Turbotap cost what a controller did or more, they were making it easy for Sega to outsell them. I consider my time with TG16 similar to my time with the Master System. We bonded, I saw the potential, but the company was much stronger in other regions and it was a losing battle here in the US. I still remember seeing a PC Engine in anime and Manga that I would entertain myself with and realized it was a phenomenon in Japan. Good video. Brought back memories of my wife and I playing some Chew Man Fu, which to play together we had to spend an extra $45, but it was worth it. I think later hardware developers learned you need to advertise your strengths because someone will advertise your weaknesses. Would have loved to see a Devils Crush ad back then. Something spooky AF.
it is a well known fact that kid SLX was that one kid in school that everyone wanted to be his friend , because he might be that ONE KID WITH EVERY CONSOLE KNOWN TO MAN, WOMAN, CHILD AND THE ELDERLY .
SLX!!
Thank you for everything!
Always wanted this one. I remember the commercial blew me away.
Turbo graphics was a severely underated game system.
Love it.
If I ever get diagnosed with arthritis in my thumbs and the doctor asks what the hell happened, I will respond Galaga '90.
I was so jealous of my cousin who had a Turbographx 16. Eventually my family got one as prices went down as it never really had a chance in the North American market. We had Keith Courage, Devil's Crush, Golden Axe, Blazing Lazers, Vigilante, Victory Run and World Class Baseball.
Dungeon Explorer supports 4-players mode using multi-controller adapter. It was extremely fun to play in a group setting. That was way ahead of its time. The stages are well designed. Once you cleared a stage, some path will be unblocked so you can utilize save game codes next time to start from the next stage.
The TG16 is definitely a badass console. As a kid, I didn't hear much on it. Nobody I knew had one either. In 2015, I started collecting for the console after I bought a PCE Core Grafx on eBay. I then bought a PCE Duo-R console in early February 2017. I can admit some of the TGCD games I got are repros. I also ended up getting another PCE Core Grafx CIB and I am happy to say I own a TG16 mini.
As a European the Turbografx was a mystery of a system. As it didn't get a wide release here other than the very limited Telegames version. It's a platform from the 16-bit generation I didn't know existed for a very long time. I wish they would've kept the compact design of the Japanese version.
I follow the spida1a channel, because he provides a lot of in-depth analyses about Turbografx-16 and PC Engine games (including the CD titles with enhanced music and voice acting). He also tries to take into consideration whether or not certain games are worth playing today. I remember that he didn't really like Keith Courage because of the levels without the armor.
I got the Turbo Grafx mini for Christmas last and have had a ton of fun with it. To me the TG16 has the same appeal as the Saturn, a console that was mostly ignored by the masses but has a ton of hidden gems on it.
Never owned nor knew of anyone who owned a tg-16. But I do have fond memories of playing it at the Toys R Us kiosk as a kid, and later as an adult through Wii's virtual console service. Galaga 90 and Alien Crush were my favorites of those mentioned. Also loved the Bonk and Zonk games as well.
How does this channel not have many more subscribers?! Great work.
fascinating that point about the tg16 being an under powered system. i don't really recall that coming up in conversation with the other kids at school or in my neighborhood. there were a couple of tg16 houses on our block, but those guys eventually got gennys too. we all liked the tg16 games, but the genesis seemed to roll out more games and more than one of us could play at the same time. my preferred genre were shooters back then and it seemed like there was a new shooter to play every couple of months. while we now know the pce had an enormous library of shooters, the tg16 didn't cultivate the impression that it was a shooter console back then.
@The Thing On The Doorstep we know that now but not all of us kids knew that back then. For me it was about the lack of consistent releases.
I love the Turbografx. Had an Uncle and Cousin (different sides of the family) both get one Christmas of 89. I used every excuse in the book to visit as often as humanly possible to play it. I'm glad you mentioned the colors because that was the first thing that stood out to me. I was only familiar with Atari and Nintendo and the Turbografx not only had more colors in use but they popped so much more. Keith Courage to me at the time seemed like a cutsie world of Mario meets side scrolling Zelda 2 in the action parts. But I remember playing/watching my Uncle/Cousin play that, Pac-Land, Blazing Lasers, Alien Crush, China Warrior, The Legendary Axe, and Military Madness that Christmas and it was like the video game equivalent of a Religious experience. Like top 3 best Christmases I ever had.
Looking back I don't know if they should have had Blazing Lasers or The Legendary Axe be the pack in game. I get the argument but at the time pack in games were more E rated/family friendly for lack of a better term. Pack in games prior had been games like Mario and Alex Kidd so in that respect Keith Courage fits in. I think people tend to forget that the Turbografx came out before the Genesis so Sega broke that tradition by having Altered Beast as the pack in and then later with more 90s Attitude with Sonic. To say Turbografx should have gone with the more edgier or "Gamer" games if you will is anachronistic. I think "for the time" they made the correct choice.
As for why it bombed I agree with your assessment but would add 3 additional points: 1.) It wasn't sold or advertised in all areas. I saw the ads in my area but funny enough my Uncle, who lives in a different State, did not. He was (still is) an electronics enthusiast and saw it in computer and video game magazines and wanted it based off of that.
2.) It didn't have 2 controller ports leading Parents with more than one child to believe it wasn't a system two kids could play with together.
3.) The price. Let's be real that thing was expensive as Hell. To play it properly you needed to buy the system $199 in 1989. But it only came in RF so if you wanted good picture quality you needed the booster attachment which I can't find the original price for but I'm sure it was at least $50 then if you wanted two player support you needed a turbo tap (going to assume the same price wise) and THEN if you wanted to sit on the couch you needed attachments because the controller chord was laughably short.
It was too pricey, too much of a pain in the ass to set up compared to other systems, confusing who could play it and a bitch and a half to find. I think most parents did what mine did and just bought a Genesis because it was cheaper, less confusing and easier to get.
Wait a minute... is _Super Aleste_ an SNES port or sequel of _Blazing Lazers_ ?!
Because those weapons and shot patterns from the player's craft look _really_ familiar!
...and _Galaga '90_ is a port of the arcade _Galaga '88_ , with a bonus mode that has other Namco characters. NICE.
No, but kinda.... Compile developed both games and many Sega shooters like Musha. Blazing Lazers (aka Gunhed) is said to have inspired Super Aleste.
@@dtester Sweet! Thanks for the insight!
I loved the Turbo Grafx 16 growing up. I wanted it because it had the best version of R-type; which is one of my all time favorite arcade games. They also had the CD-ROM add-on that I couldn't afford at the time.
The sound effects for Galaga 90 gives you earworms after a little while.
Great video again SLX. From being Sega only, your channel has bloomed into the full gaming spectrum. I got an RGB modded pc engine 3 years ago and have built up a decent collection for it which is great. Parasol Stars, Soldier Blade, Bloody Wolf, Legendary Axe and Magical Chase are all amazing games you can’t get on any other console.
Some of the titles like Vigilante and Ninja Spirit are near arcade perfect, I would want that back in the day.
My cousin had a TG-16 and I loved staying at his house playing Bonk, Dragon Spirit and even Kung Fu Master.
He was one lucky kid.
Had a Turbografx 16, and a Supergrafx
Not too many people around that age during that time could make that claim...
I never understood some of these classic consoles before like I did after having you explain their context to regular people at the time
As someone who worked for NEC Logistics America, and did the shipping on TG-16, I'd say the problem was marketing. NEC never seemed to really want to sell the system. It's a great system, and I still play my TurboDuo.
You're the best sega lord. Your content is always interesting and your humility is worth of mention.
I can't speak for anyone else, but here in eastern Canada the TG16 was only sold at RadioShack for the longest time and when it finally showed up in the major retail stores here the Genesis and SNES were already very well established consoles in homes.
Galaga 88/90 is a stone cold friggin classic. That game is so good. I’m gunna play that today!!
Motoroader was a great game once you were able to master its gameplay mechanics. What a blast it becomes when you had the tubotap and five controllers. Spent many hours with friends and family.
Wonderful video, and its really nice hearing the opinion of someone who actually LIKED China Warrior in contrast to other reviewers out there. It's really refreshing especially since the game has my interest on ebay lately. Can't wait to see more Turbografx coverage down the road from you too.
You're Sega Lord X. You're welcome for my view. And I will catch you next time.
I think your memories of the time are going to be better than mine since I was but a small child then, but my memory is just that nobody talked about the Turbo. I was vaguely aware of its existence but never saw an ad on TV for it. I knew that it was the system with Bonk and that's about it. When the Turbo CD came out and then the Turbo Duo I got very confused because I thought they were separate systems. Nevermind all the 8/16 bit talk, that wasn't even part of the discussions I heard. I don't think I even knew about that until probably the 2000s.
The TG16 was a fine system. I really believe the lack of advertising is why it fizzled in the states. This was pre-internet, and you had to market your products well. Sega and Nintendo were very good at blowing their own horn. NEC on the other hand, had very little print ads and absolutely no TV national ad campaign. I wouldn't even have known about the Turbo were it not for the game magazines of the time hyping it up. Great video, by the way.
Love the TG16 content. I bought one with lawn money, cuz my friend had genesis already. Then my brother WON a genesis - just came in the mail one day. I said "Oh my god we have a GENESIS!!!". My brother said "No we don't i'm selling it". And he did. Son of a....
I’m so happy to have my tg16 and cd. I bought it in Jan for a fraction because the seller didn’t know how to put the tg16 and cd components on.
I’m just waiting for my everdrive to come in and can’t wait to play these gems.
Alien crush and Devil's Crush were freaking amazing, two of my favorite turbografx games. Demon's tilt is basically a new devil's crush on ps4
Man I still remember when me and a few of my buddies would play moto roader with the turbo tap. Fun times man.
I only knew one person who had the TurboGrafx and it was pretty cool. The “cards” as carts was pretty neat!
This was my first game system. Picked it up at Toys R Us for $50.
during the early days i remember a commercial where a dog that might have been a muppet grabs and eats a tuna sandwhich very violently while 2 guys play on the turbo. it stuck with me to this day cause of how creepy it was.
As a kid, it seemed retailers in my area only carried Sega and Nintendo. I only knew some of this stuff existed via magazines. Hence, its difficult to get an audience if your hardware isn't as easy to find.
I remember Turbo grafix 16 was our first 16 bit system. Blazing lazers , splatterhouse , legendary axe all amazing titles. Great video as always.
It's a real shame this system didn't take off here in the states. There were so many great titles that were only released in in the japanese market. Some of those titles might of been system sellers. If only they would have been better at marketing and had the courage to release them in the U.S.
Which of those Japan exclusives do you think would've really made the TG 16 fly off the shelves?
@@kekeke8988 well if you really delve into the library especially the pc engine cd library you can find some gems. Personally some of the shmups were excellent an alot of them didn't come to the U.S. market. Too many to list here but if you do your research you will find the system had so many awesome games. Some examples I can list at the top of my head are Rondo of blood and street fighter 2 but there are many more!
@@ericochoa4034
Unfortunately, being locked behind the prohibitively expensive CD add on would've reduced the impact.
@@kekeke8988 true but even without it there are still alot of good games! Also the all in one solutions like the duo duo-r duo-rx were a little more palatable as far as price but they were too late to the game.
All of my friends were into video games as a kid, but literally only one had a Turbografx 16. It was a like a unicorn 🦄👀
There's a slight generation gap between myself and SLX. I was a younger kid when the 16-bit wars was taking place and the TG-16 was nothing more than this mysterious game console that came and went between issues of reading game magazines in the grocery store or the seasonal appearance in the Sears catalog. The KB Toys at the shopping mall two towns over didn't even carry the TG-16 and I've never had the chance to set foot in a Toys R Us as I grew up in a rural town in the Bible Belt and the trip there would have been an hour to 1.5 hours away for something my parents couldn't get games for easily.
It was "the friend of a friend who knows a guy" mystery console that I didn't get to experience until my early 30s when I finally got one. I always regret not getting to play one back in the day but there's something nostalgic about limited options and appreciating what you have. A lot of these console failures back in the day weren't due to lack of interest from me but from lack of resources/means. I was hyped for a 32X but never even got to see. I bought my SEGA CD well after its time had come and gone. I was super jealous over the one kid I was close friends that happened to have the 3DO. I wanted to Do the Math. The sad paradox of adulthood is I have the money to buy all these things I missed out on my childhood but naught the energy nor time to enjoy them.
I was one of the first people to own a turbo CD and the truth is the genesis just had more fun games.
TG16 almost all the games were single player shooters, very few adventure games.
One more comment. Motoroader was a favorite among my stoner group of friends. By then i had a turbo tap and 5 controllers. We had epic races all the way through all the upgrades. Yes the catchup mechanic was aggravating, but great memories playing it!
Honestly the Turbografx 16 wasn't even on my radar as a kid. It was Nintendo and Sega. I didn't even think of giving any other system a chance. Sadly, I missed out on some great stuff. However, I'm glad I at least have the Mini console to play some of these great titles.
I love this little do dad, the Turbografix was my third system I bought back in the day, I like all the games that you've shown here. I love these games.
I am awake this morning, and I see a new Sega Lord X video? I instantly clicked!
I like this one because it talks about an underrated console. It had potential. A lot of it.
I had a Genesis at the time, and my best friend at the time brought it over. I wanted it the day I saw it for the first time. My cousin got one too.
It was basically a better "Genesis" if that makes any sense. Genesis had vibrant colors, but TG16 had more on-screen and can handle more.
My favorite is Blazing Lazers. I would've bought TG16 for this game. Gameplay? Top notch. Graphics? Top notch. Music? Masterful, especially Area 5 (Temples).
I had a turbografx 16 AND a turbo express! Amazing system.
I've heard one of its biggest mistakes was not being easily available outside of the major markets. So good luck for me growing up in rural North Dakota to ever see one.
I honestly didn’t know there were places you could rent TurboGrafx games lol. I knew Toys R Us sold them to buy but my Ma and Pa rental store “Video Value” and later “Suburban Video”, nor did any of my local Blockbuster videos. Haha. That’s great though.
Also I’ll play the “I was just a kid and never owned one card” but for longest time I always thought Bonk was a pack-in/launch title. Mind blown!
Great video Sega LordX! I may not always comment but just thought I’d say I really enjoy the videos you make! 🤘
Before it's release, there were dozens of Turbo Grafx 16 kiosks set up all around the mall near me. Part of NEC trying to promote it no doubt. Me and my buddy played for hours, I remember being floored by Y's anime cut scenes, music and speech I became an instant fan. Although I didn't get a Turbografx on release I ended up getting a Turbo Duo years later.
The TG-16 is a pretty cool console. I would've loved to have one as a kid. Emulation is an excellent way to see what it has to offer. The moment Castlevania: Rondo of Blood loaded up on my PS Vita, I got filled with excitement lol
Bonk’s revenge, Galaga, and 1943 were my favorite games on the console! I wish the Turbo Express had a larger screen though!
I never got to experience TG16 games until i purchased the Turbo Mini last year. I was particularly fond of The Kung Fu (BKA The China Warrior). I liked how it was a beatemup that turned into a 2D fighter by the end of the stage.
The music in Dungeon Explorer is second to none. Almost all of it is sooooo good!
The TG-16, so many good games in Japan so few of them localized and released in the US. Way back then I owned a TurboDuo that I bought at a discounted price at EB. It was a way for me to more or less play the "greatest hits" of the platform since it was on the way to being completely discontinued.
I even replayed Cosmic Fantasy 2 last year for the sake of nostalgia! Good times!
TurboGrafx was my one big blind spot of the 16-bit era, but after discovering many of the games through Wii and later Wii U Virtual Console, I've really come to appreciate the system.
...oh, and Keith Courage is actually based on an anime called Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru, but I feel like there will be at least 20 other comments saying that xD
Sir Sega Lord X back at it again with the new uploads!
The funny thing is that this wasnt a real 16-bit console. It used an 8-bit processor with 16-bit floating point like the nes
Recently found your channel through either Rerez or Wrestling with Gaming and I’ve been hooked since! Seeing all the coverage of games from my youth is amazing man and the quality of your videos are phenomenal!
Love me some Vigilante. I really think the turbo didn't catch on because of the price combined with needing to get those extra items for basic functionality, like a 2nd player port(turbo tap) and Composite video(turbo booster). They were asking too much if those items needed to be purchased as well. That didn't stop me as a kid from finding a sweet deal on a complete Turbo CD setup at a pawn shop with two controllers and tap :)
TG-16 and the Duo will always be my favorite consoles. Back then, the games felt different, looked different, and the sound quality was excellent.