History Platform / TurboGrafx16

The same story cannot be told for [=TurboGrafx=]-16, which failed internationally. While the PC Engine launched in Japan unopposed, the [=TurboGrafx=]'s North American debut was awkwardly timed. It arrived in the region in the same month as the Platform/SegaGenesis and was test marketed in the exact same areas. This led to comparisons between the two systems, especially due to the [=TurboGrafx=]'s misleading marketing campaign falsely touting it as a 16-bit system despite only having an 8-bit processor.[[note]]This wasn't as bad as it sounds, as [[MediaNotes/HowVideoGameSpecsWork there's more to consoles than bit width]] and the [=TurboGrafx=] had a number of technical advantages over the Genesis. However, it was easy ammunition for Sega's marketing department to throw at uninformed consumers.[[/note]] Additionally, Sega had heard of NEC's plans to launch the console stateside and had taken proactive measures against the [=TurboGrafx-16=] by airing ads criticizing the console in the areas it was going to be tested in, successfully sabotaging the test market and preventing the console from gaining much foothold. This was not helped by some of the minor inconveniences the [=TurboGrafx=] had compared to the Genesis: one controller port, slightly higher price, and the need to buy a $30 accessory for composite video/stereo output at a time when it was rapidly supplanting RF connectors. The [=TurboGrafx=] was also bundled with the fairly unremarkable ''Keith Courage in Alpha Zones''. The Genesis may have not caught on fire in North America at first, but it at least had an impressive conversion of the arcade game ''VideoGame/AlteredBeast1988'' as its console bundle and its titles did much more to appeal to American players.

* 8 KB of upgradable main UsefulNotes/RandomAccessMemory in the base model
* 64 KB of main UsefulNotes/RandomAccessMemory in the [=TurboGrafx-CD=] add-on

** ''Ys III: Wanderers from Ys''

* The actual graphics are generated by two interlocked 16-bit UsefulNotes/{{GPU}}s. These [=GPUs=] lacked special effects like multiple backgrounds and translucency that competing 16-bit console [=GPUs=] were able to do, but they could easily fill the screen with loads of sprites and one background. One of the [=GPUs=] is a video display controller, while the other is a video color encoder.

* 64 KB of UsefulNotes/VideoRAM

Having its fans, Creator/{{Konami}}, which wound up with the rights to the console following their takeover of Hudson Soft in 2012, jumped into the classic mini UsefulNotes/PlugnPlayGame consoles craze in Spring 2020 with the [=TurboGrafx=] Mini (called the PC Engine Mini in Japan and the PC Engine [=CoreGrafx=] Mini in Europe) which was released in Japan March 19, 2020. After the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic delayed worldwide shipments, it released in North America on May 22, 2020 and Europe on June 5, 2020. [[labelnote:List (exclusives in bold)]]''VideoGame/AirZonk'', ''VideoGame/{{Aldynes}}'', ''VideoGame/AlienCrush'', ''Appare! Gateball'', ''VideoGame/BlazingLazers'', ''VideoGame/{{Bomberman}} '93'', ''Bomberman '94'', ''Bomberman: Panic Bomber'', ''VideoGame/{{Bonk}}'s Adventure'', ''VideoGame/{{Bonk}}'s Revenge'', ''VideoGame/{{Cadash}}}'', ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood'', ''VideoGame/ChewManFu'', ''VideoGame/ChinaWarrior'', ''VideoGame/ChoAniki'', ''VideoGame/DragonSpirit'', ''VideoGame/DungeonExplorer1989'', ''VideoGame/FantasyZone'', ''VideoGame/{{Galaga}} '88'', ''VideoGame/TheGenjiAndTheHeikeClans'', ''VideoGame/GhoulsAndGhosts'', ''VideoGame/GingaFukeiDensetsuSapphire'', ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}'', ''Gradius II: Gofer no Yabō'', ''VideoGame/JJAndJeff'', ''VideoGame/JaseikenNecromancer'', ''VideoGame/LordsOfThunder'', ''VideoGame/MilitaryMadness'', ''VideoGame/MotoRoader'', ''VideoGame/{{Neutopia}}'', ''Neutopia II'', ''VideoGame/NewAdventureIsland'', ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'', ''VideoGame/NinjaSpirits'', ''VideoGame/ParasolStars'', ''VideoGame/PowerGolf'', ''VideoGame/{{Psychosis}}'', ''VideoGame/RType'', '''''VideoGame/{{Salamander}}''''', ''Seirei Senshi Spriggan'', ''VisualNovel/{{Snatcher}}'', ''VideoGame/SoldierBlade'', ''VideoGame/SpaceHarrier'', '''''VideoGame/{{Splatterhouse}}''''', ''Spriggan Mark 2: Re-Terraform Project'', ''VideoGame/StarParodier'', ''VideoGame/SuperDarius'', ''Super Momotarō Dentetsu II'', ''VideoGame/SuperStarSoldier'', ''Tengai Makyō II: Manji Maru'', ''Tokimeki Memorial'', ''Valkyrie no Densetsu'', ''VideoGame/VictoryRun'' and ''VideoGame/YsBookIAndII''[[/labelnote]]

* ''VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}''

* ''VideoGame/ValisTheFantasmSoldier''
** ''Mugen Senshi Valis II''
** ''Mugen Senshi Valis III''
** ''Mugen Senshi Valis IV''

* ''Mugen Senshi VideoGame/{{Valis}}: The Legend of a Fantasm Soldier''
** ''Mugen Senshi Valis II''
** ''Mugen Senshi Valis III''
** ''Mugen Senshi Valis IV''

* ''Linda Cube''

* ''VideoGame/SuperRealMahjong''

The '''[=TurboGrafx=]-16''', known as the '''PC Engine''' in Japan, was (sort of) a [[UsefulNotes/The16bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 16-bit]] console developed by Creator/HudsonSoft and sold by NEC that was released first in Japan in [[TheEighties 1987]] and in North America in 1989. The system is most noteworthy for being the first console to successfully challenge Nintendo's dominance of the video game market (at least in Japan) and being the first to play games off [=CD=]s (via an add-on). Its mascot character was VideoGame/{{Bonk}}, or PC Genjin in Japanese, a clearly PunnyName on the system's name.

* The console only had one controller port as standard, but could support up to five controllers via the Multi Tap/[=TurboTap=] (which launched alongside the console). While one controller port might seem like a step back from the likes of the NES and Master System (which both had two controller ports), it is worth noting that controller ports were still a novelty among early Japanese consoles, as the Famicom and [[UsefulNotes/OtherSegaSystems the SG1000 (Sega's first console)]], both launched in 1983, featured hardwired controllers instead and only had ports for additional peripherals (although Sega consoles did start having two controller ports as standard from the SG-1000 II and onward).

The same story cannot be told for [=TurboGrafx=]-16, which failed internationally. While the PC Engine launched in Japan unopposed, the [=TurboGrafx=]'s North American debut was awkwardly timed. It arrived in the region in the same month as the Platform/SegaGenesis and was test marketed in the exact same areas. This led to comparisons between the two systems, especially due to the [=TurboGrafx=]'s misleading marketing campaign falsely touting it as a 16-bit system despite only having an 8-bit processor.[[note]]This wasn't as bad as it sounds, as [[Platform/HowVideoGameSpecsWork there's more to consoles than bit width]] and the [=TurboGrafx=] had a number of technical advantages over the Genesis. However, it was easy ammunition for Sega's marketing department to throw at uninformed consumers.[[/note]] Additionally, Sega had heard of NEC's plans to launch the console stateside and had taken proactive measures against the [=TurboGrafx-16=] by airing ads criticizing the console in the areas it was going to be tested in, successfully sabotaging the test market and preventing the console from gaining much foothold. This was not helped by some of the minor inconveniences the [=TurboGrafx=] had compared to the Genesis: one controller port, slightly higher price, and the need to buy a $30 accessory for composite video/stereo output at a time when it was rapidly supplanting RF connectors. The [=TurboGrafx=] was also bundled with the fairly unremarkable ''Keith Courage in Alpha Zones''. The Genesis may have not caught on fire in North America at first, but it at least had an impressive conversion of the arcade game ''VideoGame/AlteredBeast1988'' as its console bundle and its titles did much more to appeal to American players.

The most unique characteristic of the system was that the non-CD games did not come on bulky cartridges, but rather on thin [=TurboChips=]/[=HuCards=][[note]]"[=HuCard=]" was used in all regions; "[=TurboChip=]" was just an alternative name utilized for marketing in the U.S. in a similar fashion to "Game Pak", or [[UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem "Mega Cartridge" and "[=MyCard=]/"Sega Card"]][[/note]]. These plastic game cards were about the size of credit cards, but slightly thicker, with connectors clearly visible on the end. Although the UsefulNotes/SegaMasterSystem also used cards in addition to cartridges, they were far less common due to the storage limitations of the format. Furthermore, [=HuCards=] are actually descended from "Bee Cards" (as in the bee that appears on the Hudson logo) which Hudson made for the UsefulNotes/{{MSX}} home computer, although a special cartridge was required to use them. The original model of the PC Engine is also known for its size, being one of the smallest video game consoles ever made at 5.5 in × 5.5 in × 1.5 in.

Not unlike the origins of the UsefulNotes/PlayStation, the PC Engine's owes its existence to Nintendo spurning a key partner. When Nintendo started looking for a new format for their Famicom games that would increase memory and storage sizes, Hudson, their original third-party publisher, tried to convince them to adopt the "Bee Card" format. Nintendo rejected the offer due to costs, opting instead for the diskette-based format of the Famicom Disk System. Their ego bruised, Hudson decided to go into the console business for themselves, making the fateful partnership with NEC.

The PC Engine was the first true competition the Famicom ever saw when it released in 1987, though this accomplishment is typically overshadowed by the more visible success of the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis internationally. Not only was the PC Engine a huge upgrade over the Famicom in terms of graphical power, but Hudson Soft was already a developer with a few years of experience in the market, meaning they could supply their console with games. Additionally, Hudson and NEC were respected companies in Japan, so prominent third-party developers like Creator/{{Konami}} and [[Creator/BandaiNamco Namco]] were very willing to pledge their support and further bolster the PC Engine's library. The system ended up out-selling the Famicom in its first year, and its continued success heavily encouraged Nintendo to develop the [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Famicom]] and its international version, the SNES. Even after the release of the more successful Super Famicom, the PC Engine continued to be a viable platform thanks to its popularity and a CD add on that will be discussed later.

The same story cannot be told for [=TurboGrafx=]-16, which failed internationally. While the PC Engine launched in Japan unopposed, the [=TurboGrafx=]'s North American debut was awkwardly timed. It arrived in the region in the same month as the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis and was test marketed in the exact same areas. This led to comparisons between the two systems, especially due to the [=TurboGrafx=]'s misleading marketing campaign falsely touting it as a 16-bit system despite only having an 8-bit processor.[[note]]This wasn't as bad as it sounds, as [[UsefulNotes/HowVideoGameSpecsWork there's more to consoles than bit width]] and the [=TurboGrafx=] had a number of technical advantages over the Genesis. However, it was easy ammunition for Sega's marketing department to throw at uninformed consumers.[[/note]] Additionally, Sega had heard of NEC's plans to launch the console stateside and had taken proactive measures against the [=TurboGrafx-16=] by airing ads criticizing the console in the areas it was going to be tested in, successfully sabotaging the test market and preventing the console from gaining much foothold. This was not helped by some of the minor inconveniences the [=TurboGrafx=] had compared to the Genesis: one controller port, slightly higher price, and the need to buy a $30 accessory for composite video/stereo output at a time when it was rapidly supplanting RF connectors. The [=TurboGrafx=] was also bundled with the fairly unremarkable ''Keith Courage in Alpha Zones''. The Genesis may have not caught on fire in North America at first, but it at least had an impressive conversion of the arcade game ''VideoGame/AlteredBeast1988'' as its console bundle and its titles did much more to appeal to American players.

As mentioned previously, the [=TurboGrafx=] was the first video game system capable of running games off [=CD=]s. Released in 1988 in Japan and 1989 in the U.S. (three months after the launch of the base system over there), the [=TurboGrafx-CD=] (PC Engine CD-ROM[[superscript:2]] System, pronounced "CD-Rom Rom" and not "CD-Rom Squared") expansion opened more possibilities for the game library thanks to the extra storage and improved sound provided by the format, especially when backed by the Super System Card. Like the console itself, the CD attachment was very successful in Japan, where it helped prolong the lifespan of the system and kept it fighting against the Super Famicom, which in turn led to Nintendo trying and failing to create [[UsefulNotes/SNESCDRom a CD drive for their own SNES]] (and knowing the mess that came out of ''that'', this means you can indirectly thank NEC for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation). Not so much elsewhere, to the point that [[NoExportForYou only a handful of TurboGrafx-CD games were ever exported]]. NEC later released the [=TurboDuo=], a [=TurboGrafx=] console with a built-in CD-ROM drive along with extra RAM and updated BIOS from the Super System Card. The American release is infamous for being advertised by a comic called ''ComicBook/JohnnyTurbo'', which is nowadays regarded as one of the worst advertising campaigns in gaming history. The CD games are not region locked like the [=HuCard=] games, and can be played on any system regardless of language. The fact that the [=TurboGrafx-CD=] supported CD audio playback would set a standard of multimedia functionality that most later optical disc-based consoles would follow; as an extra perk, the CD drive could also double as a Discman when unplugged, albeit one that needed a power cord in order to function.

One of the extensions of the PC Engine that was only released in Japan was the [=SuperGrafx=], which added an extra video chip and more RAM to the core hardware. The hardware revision was a complete failure, only having five games exclusively released for it. Slightly more successful was the Arcade Card, released in 1994 in a late attempt to upgrade the capacities of the system; it was mostly noted for its ports of UsefulNotes/NeoGeo games. That same year, NEC and Hudson Soft discontinued the [=TurboGrafx=] worldwide (though in France, it had already been discontinued for around a year). The [=TurboDuo=], meanwhile, would truck on for slightly longer until being taken off of store shelves in 1995.

* ''Detana!! VideoGame/{{Twinbee}}'' (a Japan exclusive game until it was re-released on the UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole)

* ''[[VideoGame/NinjaGaidenNES Ninja Ryukenden]]'' (a Japan exclusive port of the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] game)

* ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII Dash: Champion Edition'' (a Japan exclusive game until it was re-released on the UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole)

* ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood'' ([[NoExportForYou a Japan exclusive game]] until it was re-released in 2010 on the UsefulNotes/VirtualConsole and later ported to the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable as ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaTheDraculaXChronicles The Dracula X Chronicles]]'')

* ''VideoGame/DoubleDragonII: The Revenge'' (a Japan exclusive remake of the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]] version)

* ''VisualNovel/{{Snatcher}} [=CD-ROMantic=]'' (a Japan exclusive game, with another version being released only for the UsefulNotes/SegaCD in North America and Europe)

* ''VisualNovel/TokimekiMemorial'' (a Japan exclusive game, with the first title in the series being released on the console, and the franchise would later move on and thrive on UsefulNotes/{{PlayStation}} platforms)

* AwesomeButImpractical: The [=TurboExpress=]. It was a handheld version of the [=TurboGrafx-16=] in full color, capable of playing virtually all the [=HuCards=], and it even supported multiplayer. Unfortunately, its ambitious novelty was quickly negated by very obvious hardware problems; the early LCD screens were highly prone to pixel failure, and sound failure was very common due to cheap capacitors. The tiny screen made it very hard to read game text (a deal breaker for RPG fans), and it needed a whopping six AA batteries for three hours of play time. And the aforementioned multiplayer was usually restricted to one screen, with very few games designed to take advantage of the co-op possibilities allowed by the Turbo Link cable. Hudson abandoned the idea of making their own portable device in short order and opted to publish installments in the ''VideoGame/{{Bonk}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}'' and ''VideoGame/AdventureIsland'' series for the UsefulNotes/GameBoy instead.

** To a large extent, the entire console can be said for this in Europe. When the North American launch of the [=TurboGrafx=]-16 underwhelmed, NEC cancelled plans for a full-scale European launch under the [=TurboGrafx=] name (no "-16"). The already-manufactured units (which look like the American version except with a grey case and a red-and-blue logo instead of the US's orange and yellow) were off-loaded to mail-order retailers in the UK and Spain, and no more were ever produced. Indeed, outside of the pack-in copy of ''Blazing Lazers'', no games were ever officially released in Europe. The [=HuCard=] pin configuration is the same as the American unit, so it can play imports of US-released games, but the differences between the NTSC and PAL video standards means the US games don't take up the full the screen and the timing can be off. This limited release was somewhat acknowledged by Hudson years later when games for the system were made available on the European version of the {{UsefulNotes/Wii}} Virtual Console, where they were put under the [=TurboGrafx=] name with the red-and-blue logo.

* ''VideoGame/ChoAniki'' ([[http://www.pspworld.com/sony-psp/games/challenge-write-cho-aniki-press-release-without-using-the-word-gay-011910.php the gayest]] [[http://www.i-mockery.com/minimocks/sexual-games/10.php game to]] [[WidgetSeries ever exist]])

The same story cannot be told for [=TurboGrafx=]-16, which failed internationally. While the PC Engine launched in Japan unopposed, the [=TurboGrafx=]'s North American debut was awkwardly timed. It arrived in the region in the same month as the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis and was test marketed in the exact same areas. This led to comparisons between the two systems, especially due to the [=TurboGrafx=]'s misleading marketing campaign falsely touting it as a 16-bit system despite only having an 8-bit processor.[[note]]This wasn't as bad as it sounds, as [[UsefulNotes/HowVideoGameSpecsWork there's more to consoles than bit width]] and the [=TurboGrafx=] had a number of technical advantages over the Genesis. However, it was easy ammunition for Sega's marketing department to throw at uninformed consumers.[[/note]] Additionally, Sega had heard of NEC's plans to launch the console stateside and had taken proactive measures against the [=TurboGrafx-16=] by airing ads criticizing the console in the areas it was going to be tested in, successfully sabotaging the test market and preventing the console from gaining much foothold. This was not helped by some of the minor inconveniences the [=TurboGrafx=] had compared to the Genesis: one controller port, slightly higher price, and the need to buy a $30 accessory for composite video/stereo output at a time when it was rapidly supplanting RF connectors. The [=TurboGrafx=] was also bundled with the fairly unremarkable ''Keith Courage in Alpha Zones''. The Genesis may have not caught on fire in North America at first, but it at least had an impressive conversion of the arcade game ''VideoGame/AlteredBeast'' as its console bundle and its titles did much more to appeal to American players.

* ''VideoGame/AlteredBeast'' (also released on CD-ROM)

* ''VideoGame/DarkwingDuckInteractiveDesigns''

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Shadowgate}} Beyond Shadowgate]]''