It's been announced that the TurboGrafx-16/PC-Engine module (or the EM04 “Turbo” Element Module Set to give its full title) for the upcoming modular retro console Polymega will include five licensed pack-in games playable from the module itself.
The five bonus titles are Moto Roader (NA and JP versions), Moto Roader II (JP version), Double Dungeons (NA and JP versions), Shockman (NA and JP versions) and Dragon Egg (JP version).
The console is looking to be a very convenient and faithful solution for all your retro gaming needs - it's even going to feature a Retro Gun Controller accessory that will let you play light gun games on a modern HD TV set. Check out our hands-on feature courtesy of Jeremy Parish (who's apparently partial to the odd retro game).
The only obvious fly in the ointment at the moment appears to be the price - $299.99 for the base unit plus $59.99 per module. These pack-in games do sweeten the deal, but the cost is up there with current gen consoles.
It seems that Turbografx and PC Engine fans have plenty to look forward to at the moment - the announcement of the Turbografx-16 and PC Engine Mini consoles means there's suddenly multiple ways to play that system's catalogue on a modern telly. Check out our Turbografx-16 and PC Engine Mini pre-order guide for more info on the mini console.
Do these pack-in games make the Polymega a more attractive offering to you? Do you like the look of Playmaji's modular retro solution? Let us know with a comment below.
This article was originally published by nintendolife.com on Wed 17th July, 2019.
Comments 23
Thing is, the actual console itself isn't available yet, the pictures above are computer renders (therefore not real) and at that price? No thank you
Super interested, but show me some reviews and a release date! I need some proof!
The base unit does play Mega CD, PC Engine CD, Neo Geo CD, PS1 and Saturn games. It is still quite pricey but you get a lot of compatibility for your money. Like everyone else though, I want to see a finished unit working and read actual feedback on the retail units.
Still no release date for this thing. Think a lot of people are impressed with the concept and some of the demo footage looks good but is still just a prototype.
@Alexface I was very interested and was going to preorder back in May but the price is unreal. To get the whole lot cost nearly the same as a Switch, Xbox and PS4 combined. No thanks.
@BionicDodo
The base unit is a PC with emulators. If you have a PC, pretty sure you can play all of those and a bunch more. At this point they'd be better off selling a controller adapter with some emulators. But then again they keep missing release dates because their emulators aren't working correctly. So you may be better off just searching the internet and seeing what you can find.
Lovely bit of tech but to pricey, i will stick with the original kit, also have a Retron 5.
Turbo Grafx 16 mini just made this obselete
I would love the base model with an NES, and SNES module. But I would also like to pay my bills and have food so...
Would be better if you could put all the modules on at once like the ultimate tower of power
These guys sure do talk a lot of smack on the internet. Hopefully the money they saved on a Publicist is going into actually making this thing. Their recent Twitter squabbles against Analogue and FPGA fans are major cringe.
Would be interested to see credible technical analysis on a finished product, not just some flimsy first-impressions. Specifically, A/B testing for things like input lag against other emulation-based retro consoles, and also tested against stand-alone releases from emulation wizards like M2 and Hamster. Can they back up their tough talk? Probably not would be my guess, but I’m always open to being proved wrong.
This is very pricey. That's why pepople perfer emulation. Give us a good deal so we will be temped to buy it. Well they will have to learn the hard way
I'm actually going to play Devil's advocate here and say I don't think the price is that bad. The base unit will play five consoles' games alone. The add-on units can be added gradually at a reasonable price and each one does include a controller plus free games. All in, you get nine console compatibility for less than buying those nine machines plus modding them/getting an OSSC to actually play them on modern TVs. It will also play original carts and discs so no fiddling about with ROMs.
I am a purest who likes to play on original hardware but these consoles are ageing and I have had several die on me. Also getting hold of a machine that isn't scratched or yellowed usually comes with a premium. Products like this and the ones from Analogue are starting to look like really viable alternatives to real hardware.
If you just want to emulate your pirated ROMs then this is probably not for you. When I have tried emulation, I find I spend more time setting things up and dealing with compatibility issues than actually playing the games. It would be nice to have a true plug and play solution with a nice front end that requires no effort on the user's part.
I am going to wait for retail unit reviews but the E3 feedback does seem really positive. If it turns out as good as it looks, I will definitely buy.
This system sounds pretty awesome based on all the hands on reports. I'm curious to see how it turns out, and if it feels worth it to me when it's actually released.
I have a lot of problems with this, and it's mostly that I never had a Turbographics-16 console so therefore I have nothing for it as far as the classic hardware goes. I mean I have plenty of Virtual Console TG-16 games but none of the original physical games.
This means that not only would I have to pay $300 for the system and $60 for the module, but I would need to shell out for ebay prices and try to source original copies of whatever games I am interested in. As somebody who has collected a lot of older games for other consoles I am well aware of how expensive and time consuming that can be.
Basically, this entire concept only works for people who have been collectors and are looking for a new way to play their old collections. Since I have collected for consoles like the SNES I would probably be very interested in that, but then again my original SNES is in great shape, I don't really have any issues playing the games, and there are other more proven, far cheaper options out there.
@Bunkerneath Pretty sure the actual hardware has been shown many times and trade shows and stuff by this point.
Edit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNGEtIOBW50 & https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZNauXoOw1Q
@Bunkerneath agree ill believe it when i actually see one for sale. Like the contari i doubt it
@JayJ
Buy a Super NT man! If you love the SNES, it's the best way to play on an HD tv
@Yorumi Yeah when it comes to old authentic hardware I think you are better off sticking with the real thing unless they come out with some CD player console emulation. Cartridge based consoles seem to rarely have issues.
@KennyBania Yeah that is what I mean, the Super NT is substantially cheaper and it's perfect for HD gaming.
Switch is gonna be retro by the time this thing actually releases.
Inb4 all the comments about how this is vaporware and how it surely must suck, even if it was real. Oh, wait...
@TreacleWench Thank you for that smart comment that will probably get WAY too many dislikes, and WAY too few likes. A wait and see approach is always the best way to go about it, instead of instantly condemning it because "reasons"... Oh, well...
@impurekind I have a sneaking suspicion that your comment will probably also be ignored...
@Bunkerneath You don't have to look far for the actual units they showed off at e3 and in their tour in japan over the past couple months. That requires effort though and a lack of snark, so I can see how this was a struggle for you.
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