The TurboGrafx-16, called the PC Engine in Japan and other countries outside North America, was a home video game console created by Hudson Soft and made by NEC. It was released in Japan in 1987 and in North America in 1989. As the first console of the fourth generation, it was introduced in Japan to compete with Nintendo's Family Computer. However, its delayed release in the United States made it face stronger systems like the Sega Genesis and later the Super NES.
The TurboGrafx-16 used an 8-bit processor and two 16-bit graphics processors. It could display up to 482 colors from a total of 512. The "16" in its North American name was criticized because the console did not fully match the power of 16-bit systems. Measuring 14 cm by 14 cm by 3.5 cm (5.5 inches by 5.5 inches by 1.4 inches), the PC Engine was the smallest major home console ever made.
Games were first released on HuCard cartridges. Later, the system supported other formats that required different hardware, such as TurboGrafx-CD (called CD-ROM² in Japan) games on compact discs, SuperGrafx games on a new console model, and LD-ROM² games on LaserDisc through the LaserActive, a system developed by Pioneer. No single system could use all these formats at once. While TurboGrafx-CD had some success, the other formats did not become popular. This variety of hardware options confused buyers.
The PC Engine was a commercial success in Japan, with strong support from game developers and competition with the Super Famicom. In contrast, the TurboGrafx-16 struggled in North America because of limited marketing, fewer games, and its late release. In Europe, Japanese models were imported without official approval and modified for local use, but plans for an official release were canceled after the console's poor performance in the U.S. More than 17 different versions of the console were made, including portable models and versions that included a CD-ROM add-on. Production of the final model ended in 1994. It was later replaced by the PC-FX, a console released only in Japan that did not succeed commercially.
History
The PC Engine was developed through a partnership between Hudson Soft, a company that made video game software, and NEC, a leading Japanese company known for its personal computers, such as the PC-88 and PC-98. NEC did not have much experience in the video game industry and asked many game studios for help. At the same time, Hudson Soft was trying to sell advanced graphics chip designs to Nintendo but failed. In July 1985, Hudson Soft proposed a new Famicom add-on that used their patented Bee Cards, which could store and replace games. Nintendo liked the idea but decided not to move forward because of the high cost and royalty fees. This led Hudson Soft and NEC to join forces, and together they created the PC Engine.
The PC Engine was first sold in Japan on October 30, 1987, and it was very successful. It had a beautiful and attractive design and was much smaller than its competitors. It sold 500,000 units in its first week.
The CD-ROM expansion for the PC Engine was also a major success in Japan, selling 60,000 units in its first five months. By 1989, NEC had sold over 1.2 million consoles and more than 80,000 CD-ROM units in Japan.
In 1988, NEC decided to bring the PC Engine to the United States. NEC’s U.S. team tested the system and found that the name "PC Engine" and its small size did not appeal to American consumers, who preferred larger, more futuristic designs. They renamed the system "TurboGrafx-16," which highlighted its fast graphics and 16-bit GPU. They also redesigned the hardware to be larger and black. This process delayed the system’s release in the U.S.
The TurboGrafx-16 (also called the TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem) was finally released in New York City and Los Angeles in late August 1989. However, this was two weeks after Sega of America launched the Sega Genesis, which had a 16-bit CPU. Unlike NEC, Sega did not change the design of its Japanese Mega Drive system much.
The Genesis quickly became more popular than the TurboGrafx-16. NEC’s decision to include an unknown Hudson Soft game, Keith Courage in Alpha Zones, with the system was a mistake, as Sega included a popular arcade game, Altered Beast, with the Genesis. NEC also overproduced 750,000 units in the U.S., far more than needed. This was profitable for Hudson Soft because NEC paid royalties for every console made, even if it was not sold. By 1990, the TurboGrafx-16 was performing poorly, and NEC could not compete with Nintendo and Sega’s marketing efforts.
In late 1989, NEC planned to create an arcade version of the TurboGrafx-16 but canceled the idea in early 1990.
In Europe, the system was known by its original name, PC Engine, not TurboGrafx-16. Unauthorized imports of the PC Engine from Japan were available in the UK during the late 1980s, along with adapters to make it work with PAL televisions. In 1989, a British company called Mention released a PAL version called the PC Engine Plus. However, NEC did not officially support this. From 1989 to 1993, French importer Sodipeng brought PC Engine consoles and add-ons from Japan to France and the Benelux region after positive press coverage. These systems came with French instructions and an AV cable for compatibility with SECAM televisions.
After the TurboGrafx-16 struggled in the U.S., NEC canceled its European plans. Units already made for Europe were modified to work with PAL televisions and sold to distributors. In the UK, Telegames released the console in 1990 in very limited numbers.
By March 1991, NEC reported selling 750,000 TurboGrafx-16 consoles in the U.S. and 500,000 CD-ROM units worldwide.
In 1992, NEC and Hudson Soft created a new joint venture, Turbo Technologies, to relaunch the system in North America. They released the TurboDuo, a combined console with a built-in CD-ROM drive. However, the North American market was still dominated by the Sega Genesis and the Super NES, which was released in August 1991. In May 1994, Turbo Technologies stopped supporting the TurboDuo but continued offering repairs and software through independent companies in the U.S. and Canada.
In Japan, NEC sold 5.84 million PC Engine units by 1995, with CD-ROM² units and the TurboDuo contributing 1.92 million by March 1996. This totals over 6.59 million PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16 units sold in Japan and the U.S. by 1995. The last licensed game for the PC Engine was Dead of the Brain Part 1 & 2, released on June 3, 1999, on the Super CD-ROM² format.
Add-ons
The CD-ROM² (シーディーロムロム, officially pronounced "CD-ROM-ROM") is an add-on device for the PC Engine that was released in Japan on December 4, 1988. This add-on allows the PC Engine to play games stored on CD-ROM in addition to games stored on HuCards. This made the PC Engine the first video game console to use CD-ROM as a storage method. The add-on includes two parts: the CD player itself and an interface unit. The interface unit connects the CD player to the console and provides power and output for both devices. Later, the add-on was released in the United States as the TurboGrafx-CD in November 1989. The interface unit was redesigned to fit the TurboGrafx-16 console. The TurboGrafx-CD had a launch price of $399.99 and did not include any games. Fighting Street and Monster Lair were the first games released with the TurboGrafx-CD. Ys Book I & II were released shortly after.
In 1991, NEC released an improved version of the CD-ROM² System called the Super CD-ROM². This upgrade updated the system’s BIOS to Version 3.0 and increased the buffer RAM from 64 KB to 256 KB. The upgrade was released in three forms: the PC Engine Duo, released on September 21, which was a new console model with a built-in CD-ROM drive and upgraded BIOS/RAM. Next, the Super System Card was released on October 26. This was an upgrade for existing CD-ROM² add-ons, replacing the original System Card. Finally, the Super-CD-ROM² unit was released on December 13. This version combined the CD-ROM drive, interface unit, and Super System Card into one device.
On March 12, 1994, NEC introduced a third upgrade called the Arcade Card ( アーケードカード , Ākēdo Kādo ). This upgrade increased the onboard RAM of the Super CD-ROM² System to 2 MB. The Arcade Card was released in two models: the Arcade Card Duo, designed for consoles already using the Super CD-ROM² System, and the Arcade Card Pro, which was made for the original CD-ROM² System. The Arcade Card Pro combined the functions of the Super System Card and Arcade Card Duo into one device. The first games for this add-on were ports of Neo-Geo fighting games Fatal Fury 2 and Art of Fighting. Later, ports of World Heroes 2 and Fatal Fury Special were released, along with original games under the Arcade CD-ROM² standard. At this time, support for the TurboGrafx-16 and Turbo Duo consoles was declining in North America. No North American versions of the Arcade Card were made, but a Japanese Arcade Card can still be used on a North American console with a HuCard converter.
Variations
Many variations and related products of the PC Engine were released.
The PC Engine CoreGrafx is an updated version of the PC Engine, released in Japan on December 8, 1989. It has the same shape and size as the original PC Engine but uses a different color scheme—black and blue instead of white and red. It also replaces the original’s radio frequency output connector with a composite video AV port. The CoreGrafx uses a revised CPU called the HuC6280A, which was said to fix some minor audio problems. A recolored version, called the PC Engine CoreGrafx II, was released on June 21, 1991. It has a different color—light grey and orange—but is otherwise nearly identical to the original CoreGrafx, except it uses the original HuC6280 CPU.
The PC Engine SuperGrafx was released on the same day as the CoreGrafx in Japan. It is an improved version of the PC Engine hardware with updated specifications. This model includes a second HuC6270A (VDC), a HuC6202 (VDP) that combines the output of the two VDCs, four times as much RAM, twice as much video RAM, and a second layer of scrolling. It also uses the revised HuC6280A CPU. However, the sound and color palette were not improved, which made the system expensive and limited its success. Only five exclusive SuperGrafx games and two hybrid games (Darius Plus and Darius Alpha, which were released as standard HuCards and could use the extra video hardware if played on a SuperGrafx) were made. The system was quickly discontinued. The SuperGrafx has the same expansion port as earlier PC Engine consoles but requires an adapter to use the original CD-ROM² System add-on because of its larger size.
The PC Engine Shuttle was released in Japan on November 22, 1989, as a less expensive version of the console, priced at ¥18,800. It was designed for younger players and had a spaceship-like appearance. It came with a TurboPad II controller, which has a different shape than standard TurboPad controllers. The lower price was possible because it removed the expansion port, making it incompatible with the CD-ROM² add-on. However, it has a slot for a memory backup unit, which is needed for some games. The original PC Engine’s RF output was also replaced with an A/V port on the Shuttle.
The PC Engine Shuttle was also sold in South Korea, where it was released in 1990 by Daewoo Electronics.
The TurboExpress, known as the PC Engine GT in Japan, is a portable version of the console released in December 1990. It can play HuCard games on a 2.6-inch (66 mm) backlit, active-matrix color LCD screen, which was the most advanced screen available for a portable video game unit at the time. However, the screen made the system expensive and caused it to have a short battery life, which hurt its popularity. It also includes a TV tuner adapter and a two-player link cable.
The PC Engine LT is a laptop-style model of the console, released in Japan on December 13, 1991, for ¥99,800. It has a built-in flip-up screen and speakers, like a laptop, and does not require a television. Unlike the TurboExpress, the LT runs on a power supply. Its high price meant few units were produced. The LT has full expansion port capability, so the CD-ROM² unit is compatible with it, just like with the original PC Engine and CoreGrafx. However, it requires an adapter to use the enhanced Super CD-ROM² unit.
NEC Home Electronics released the PC Engine Duo in Japan on September 21, 1991. It combines the PC Engine and Super CD-ROM² unit into one console. The system can play HuCards, audio CDs, CD+Gs, standard CD-ROM² games, and Super CD-ROM² games. The North American version, called the TurboDuo, was released in October 1992.
Two updated versions of the Duo were released in Japan: the PC Engine Duo-R on March 25, 1993, and the PC Engine Duo-RX on June 25, 1994. These models had mostly cosmetic changes, but the RX included a new 6-button controller.
The PC-KD863G is a CRT monitor with a built-in PC Engine console, released in Japan on September 27, 1988, for ¥138,000. It was designed to eliminate the need for a separate television and console. It used RGB signals, which were clearer than the original PC Engine’s RF and composite outputs. However, it lacks a BUS expansion port, making it incompatible with the CD-ROM² System and memory backup add-ons.
The X1-Twin was the first PC Engine-compatible hardware made by a third-party company. It was released by Sharp in April 1989 for ¥99,800. It is a hybrid system that can run PC Engine games and X1 computer software.
Pioneer Corporation’s LaserActive supports an add-on module that allows it to play PC Engine games (HuCard, CD-ROM², and Super CD-ROM²) and new "LD-ROM²" titles that only work on this device. NEC also released its own LaserActive unit (NEC PCE-LD1) and PC Engine add-on module under an OEM license. A total of eleven LD-ROM titles were made, with only three released in North America.
Outside of North America and Japan, the TurboGrafx-16 console was released in South Korea by a third-party company, Haitai, under the name Vistar 16. It was based on the American version but had a new curved design. Daewoo Electronics also distributed the PC Engine Shuttle in South Korea.
Technical specifications
The TurboGrafx-16 uses a Hudson Soft HuC6280 CPU, an 8-bit processor that runs at 7.16 MHz. It also includes two 16-bit graphics processors: the HuC6270 video display controller and the HuC6260 video color encoder. The console has 8 KB of RAM, 64 KB of video RAM, and can display 482 colors at once from a 512-color palette. The sound system, built into the CPU, includes a programmable sound generator that runs at 3.58 MHz and a 5-10 bit stereo PCM.
TurboGrafx-16 games use HuCard ROM cartridges, which are thin, credit card-sized cards that insert into the front slot of the console. These cards have 38 connector pins. In the TurboGrafx-16 version, eight of these pins are reversed to prevent use in other regions. The console’s power switch also locks the HuCard in place to stop it from being removed while the system is on. The European version of the TurboGrafx-16 did not include PAL-formatted HuCards due to its limited release. Instead, it used standard HuCards and output a PAL 50 Hz video signal.
In Japan, the PC Engine originally came with a standard controller called the Pad. It has a rectangular shape, a directional pad, two action buttons labeled "I" and "II," and two rubber buttons labeled "Select" and "Run." This design matched the number of buttons on the Famicom and NES controllers. A separate controller called the TurboPad was also released, adding two "Turbo" switches for the I and II buttons with three speed settings. These switches allowed a single button press to register multiple inputs, such as rapid fire in scrolling shooter games. The TurboPad became the standard controller for the TurboGrafx-16 in North America and later models of the PC Engine in Japan.
All PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16 consoles have only one controller port. To use multiple controllers for multiplayer games, a separate peripheral called the MultiTap (in Japan) or TurboTap (in North America) was needed. This device allowed up to five controllers to connect to the system. A Cordless Multitap was also available in Japan, sold with a single Cordless Pad and additional wireless controllers.
PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16 controllers are not compatible with each other due to differences in controller port sizes. The TurboDuo returned to using the same controller port as the PC Engine, leading to new versions of the TurboPad and TurboTap called the DuoPad and DuoTap. An official TurboGrafx-16/Duo Adapter was also made, acting as an extension cable to connect TurboGrafx-16 controllers to the TurboDuo or PC Engine.
The Virtual Cushion, released in 1992, allowed players to feel vibrations from enemy attacks through sound.
Many peripherals were made for the TurboGrafx-16 and PC Engine. The TurboStick was a tabletop joystick designed to mimic arcade controls. Other similar joysticks, like the Python 4 and Stick Engine, were made by third-party companies. The TurboBooster attached to the back of the system and allowed it to output composite video and stereo audio. Hudson released the Ten no Koe 2 in Japan, which let players save progress in compatible HuCard games. In 1991, NEC Avenue released the Avenue Pad 3, adding a third action button labeled "III" that could be used as either the Select or Run button. The Avenue Pad 6, released in 1993 with the PC Engine version of Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, added four action buttons labeled "III" through "VI." These buttons provided new functions in compatible games. In 1994, NEC Home Electronics released the Arcade Pad 6, a six-button controller that replaced the TurboPad as the bundled controller for the PC Engine Duo-RX, the last model of the console.
Library
A total of 678 commercial games were released for the TurboGrafx-16. In North America, the system included Keith Courage in Alpha Zones as a free game with the console, which was based on the PC Engine game Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru. The PC Engine console had strong support from other companies in Japan, but the TurboGrafx-16 had difficulty attracting other developers. Hudson brought several popular game series, such as Bomberman, Bonk, and Adventure Island, to the system with improved versions that looked great. Hudson also created and published original games, including Air Zonk and Dungeon Explorer. Compile released Alien Crush and Devil's Crush, which were virtual pinball games that received positive reviews. Namco adapted several of its arcade games for the system, such as Valkyrie no Densetsu, Pac-Land, Galaga '88, Final Lap Twin, and Splatterhouse. Capcom also brought Street Fighter II: Champion Edition to the TurboGrafx-16.
Many games on the TurboGrafx-16 are horizontal and vertical-scrolling shooters, where the screen moves left, right, up, or down. Examples include Konami's Gradius and Salamander, Hudson's Super Star Soldier and Soldier Blade, Namco's Galaga '88, Irem's R-Type, and Taito's Darius Alpha, Darius Plus, and Super Darius. The console is also known for platformer and role-playing games. Victor Entertainment's The Legendary Axe won many awards and is considered one of the TurboGrafx-16's best games. Ys I & II, a collection of two games from Nihon Falcom's Ys series, was very popular in Japan. Cosmic Fantasy 2 was an RPG game that was released in the United States after being made in Japan. It won the Electronic Gaming Magazine RPG of the Year award in 1993.
Reception
In Japan, the PC Engine was very popular and was the best-selling console in the country. However, in North America and Europe, the situation was different, as Sega and Nintendo were more successful than NEC. At first, the TurboGrafx-16 sold well in the United States, but later it struggled because few outside companies created games for it.
In 1990, ACE magazine said the PC Engine had the best racing games compared to other consoles. In 1993, GamePro gave the Turbo Duo model a negative review. They liked the system’s CD sound, graphics, and ability for five players, but they criticized the old-fashioned controller and the limited number of games. They also noted that few companies outside NEC supported the console, and most of the games were versions of Japanese titles that did not fit well in other regions. In 2009, IGN ranked the TurboGrafx-16 as the 13th greatest video game console of all time. They praised its collection of games but also mentioned the lack of support from other companies and the absence of a second controller port.
A debate about how companies advertised the power of their consoles based on bit width returned with the Atari Jaguar. Earlier, Mattel did not use bit width to promote its 1979 Intellivision system, even though it used a 16-bit CPU.
Legacy
In 1994, NEC introduced a new console called the PC-FX, which was only available in Japan. It was a 32-bit system with a tower-like shape. The console did not sell well, and NEC decided to stop making video game consoles.
Emulation programs that allow people to play TurboGrafx-16 games are available on many modern and older computer systems. Examples include Mednafen and BizHawk, which are widely used and often updated.
In 2006, several TurboGrafx-16 (TurboChip/HuCARD), TurboGrafx-CD (CD-ROM²), and Turbo Duo (Super CD-ROM²) games were made available through Nintendo's Virtual Console service on the Wii, later on the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Some of these games had never been released outside Japan before. In 2011, ten TurboGrafx-16 games were added to the PlayStation Network for use on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable in North America.
In 2010, Hudson released an iPhone app called "TurboGrafx-16 GameBox," which let users buy and play selected TurboGrafx games through in-app purchases.
The 2012 JRPG game Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory includes a character named Peashy, who honors the TurboGrafx-16 console.
In 2016, rapper Kanye West first announced his eighth solo album would be named Turbo Grafx 16. However, the album was later canceled.
In 2019, Konami announced the TurboGrafx-16 Mini, a dedicated console with many built-in games, at E3 2019 and Tokyo Game Show 2019. On March 6, 2020, Konami said the console and its accessories would be delayed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting factories in China. The TurboGrafx-16 Mini was released in North America on May 22, 2020, and in Europe on June 5, 2020.