TurboGrafx-16
In July 1985, Hudson Soft approached Nintendo with a proposal for a new add-on to the Famicom. This device would use patented Bee Cards to store full games and overwrite existing ones. Nintendo liked the concept but ultimately passed on the deal due to cost concerns and royalty requirements. NEC, a dominant force in Japanese personal computers, lacked video game experience and sought partners. The two companies formed a partnership after Nintendo's rejection of Hudson's pitch. They successfully developed the PC Engine together.
The system made its debut in Japan on the 30th of October 1987. It sold 500,000 units within its first week of release. The console featured an elegant design that stood out against rivals. Its small form factor became a key selling point compared to larger competitors. Strong third-party support helped it become the Super Famicom's main early competitor. By 1989, NEC had sold over one million consoles and more than 80,000 CD-ROM units in Japan. The CD-ROM expansion itself sold 60,000 units in just five months.
NEC Technologies boss Keith Schaefer led a team to test the system for the American market. They found the name PC Engine lacked enthusiasm among U.S. consumers. The small size was also deemed unsuitable for buyers who preferred larger futuristic designs. The hardware was completely redesigned into a large black casing called TurboGrafx-16. This lengthy process delayed the system's debut until late August 1989. Sega released the Genesis two weeks earlier with only slight aesthetic changes. NEC packed in Keith Courage in Alpha Zones while Sega included Altered Beast. Overhyped expectations led NEC to produce 750,000 units far above actual demand. By 1990, the system performed poorly against Nintendo and Sega marketing efforts.
The CD-ROM² add-on arrived in Japan on the 4th of December 1988. It allowed core versions of the console to play games in CD format alongside standard HuCards. This made the platform the first video game console to use CD-ROM as storage media. The add-on consisted of a CD player and an interface unit providing power and output. In November 1989, the TurboGrafx-CD launched in the United States at $399.99 without bundled games. Launch titles included Fighting Street and Monster Lair followed by Ys Book I & II. Later upgrades like Super CD-ROM² increased buffer RAM from 64 KB to 256 KB. No single configuration supported all formats simultaneously creating consumer confusion.
Over 17 hardware variants were produced including portable models and integrated units. The CoreGrafx released in Japan on the 8th of December 1989 changed the color scheme to black and blue. It replaced the RF connector with composite video AV ports. The Shuttle model launched on the 22nd of November 1989 targeted younger players with a spaceship design. It removed the expansion port making it incompatible with CD-ROM² add-ons. The TurboExpress portable version debuted in December 1990 featuring a backlit active-matrix color LCD screen. Its high price and short battery life hurt market performance. The PC Engine LT laptop form factor arrived on the 13th of December 1991 retailing at ¥99,800. Production of the final model ended in 1994.
A total of 678 commercial games were released for the system. North America featured Keith Courage in Alpha Zones as a pack-in game. Hudson brought popular franchises like Bomberman and Bonk to the platform. Compile published Alien Crush and Devil's Crush virtual pinball games. Namco contributed arcade conversions such as Galaga '88 and Splatterhouse. A large portion of the library consisted of horizontal and vertical-scrolling shooters including Gradius and R-Type. Victor Entertainment's The Legendary Axe won numerous awards. Ys I & II was particularly successful in Japan while Cosmic Fantasy 2 earned an Electronic Gaming Magazine RPG of the Year award in 1993. In 1990 ACE magazine praised the racing game library as way out in front compared to other consoles.
In 1994 NEC released the Japanese-exclusive PC-FX which became a commercial failure. This led NEC to abandon the video game industry entirely. Emulation programs like Mednafen and BizHawk exist for modern operating systems. Nintendo released TurboGrafx-16 games on its Virtual Console service starting in 2006. Ten titles appeared on PlayStation Network in 2011 for North American regions. Hudson launched an iPhone application called TurboGrafx-16 GameBox in 2010. Konami announced the TurboGrafx-16 Mini at E3 2019 and Tokyo Game Show 2019. It faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic before releasing in May 2020 in North America. By the 5th of June 2020 it reached European markets.
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Common questions
When did the TurboGrafx-16 debut in Japan?
The system made its debut in Japan on the 30th of October 1987. It sold 500,000 units within its first week of release.
Why was the TurboGrafx-16 name chosen for the American market?
NEC Technologies boss Keith Schaefer led a team to test the system and found that the name PC Engine lacked enthusiasm among U.S. consumers. The hardware was completely redesigned into a large black casing called TurboGrafx-16 to address this issue.
What date did the CD-ROM² add-on arrive in Japan?
The CD-ROM² add-on arrived in Japan on the 4th of December 1988. This device allowed core versions of the console to play games in CD format alongside standard HuCards.
How many commercial games were released for the TurboGrafx-16?
A total of 678 commercial games were released for the system. Hudson brought popular franchises like Bomberman and Bonk to the platform while Compile published Alien Crush and Devil's Crush virtual pinball games.
When did NEC abandon the video game industry after releasing the PC-FX?
In 1994 NEC released the Japanese-exclusive PC-FX which became a commercial failure. This led NEC to abandon the video game industry entirely.