Konami – which is now the custodian of the PC Engine brand following its purchase of Hudson Soft in 2011 – is perhaps a little late to the party with its take on the ‘micro-console’ concept that kicked off with the Nintendo Classic Edition a few years back. Since then, we’ve seen SNK, Sony and Sega all jump on board the retro money train, often with wildly varying degrees of success.
However, while the Neo Geo Mini and Mega Drive Mini both offered up a selection of games that will be familiar even to the most casual of retro gaming fans thanks to the fact they’ve been released (and re-released) on a wide range of digital storefronts over the past decade, the PC Engine Mini (alongside its western counterpart, the TurboGrafx-16 Mini) offers up a library of games that's a little more off the beaten track. That's not to say it lacks quality – quite the opposite, in fact – and with emulation expert M2 doing the heavy-lifting (just as it did with Sega’s micro-console) authenticity is assured.
However, while the PC Engine Mini is questionably home to some fine games, there’s no denying that it lacks the fame and recognition that have arguably made Nintendo’s NES and SNES Classic Editions so popular. With Nintendo, you know you’re getting Mario, Zelda, Metroid and much more besides, but if you stopped the average person in the street and asked them to pick their favourite PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16 releases, most wouldn’t even know what console you were talking about. Can Konami’s console overcome this thorny issue and establish itself as one of the best micro-consoles money can buy? While the western release of the console has been delayed by the recent coronavirus outbreak, we've been able to get our hands on a Japanese unit, so let’s find out.
PC Engine Mini Review: The History
Unlike Nintendo and Sega's micro-consoles, the PC Engine range is perhaps a little less famous with the average gamer. A fruitful collaboration between Japanese software company Hudson Soft and Japanese electronics giant NEC, the PC Engine burst onto the scene in 1987, offering players a more powerful home system than the ageing (yet still dominant) Nintendo Famicom. With its faithful arcade ports and robust support from the likes of Konami, Namco and Taito, it quickly established itself as Japan's second favourite games console – a position it would maintain even after Sega launched its technically-superior Mega Drive in 1988.
A dizzying array of hardware upgrades followed; the PC Engine was blessed with a CD-ROM add-on in 1988, and was given a 'Pro' overhaul before Pro consoles were even a thing when Hudson and NEC released the ill-fated SuperGrafx in 1989 (only six games were ever released for it, and two of those are included on the PC Engine Mini – Daimakaimura and Aldynes). The PC Engine was released in North America as the TurboGrafx-16 in 1989, which struggled to keep pace with Nintendo and Sega in what would become a memorable console war. Despite the name, the system is powered by an 8-bit Hudson-made HuC6280 CPU – however, the graphics processor is 16-bit, which is why PC Engine games look so much better than NES titles.
While it failed to make any real impression in North America, in its native Japan the PC Engine was still popular enough to keep Sega at bay and would benefit from several additional hardware refreshes; the PC Engine Duo would combine the base console with a CD-ROM drive and would be iterated upon twice with the Duo-R and Duo-RX, while the system's power was augmented using 'System Cards', the most notable of which was the Arcade Card which enabled slick ports such as SNK's Fatal Fury Special and Art of Fighting. There was even a low-cost, kiddie-friendly variant in the form of the bizarre-looking PC Engine Shuttle, and portable editions such as the PC Engine GT and PC Engine LT, the latter of which came with an eye-watering price tag.
The PC Engine would eventually be replaced by the PC-FX in 1994 – another joint venture between Hudson and NEC – but the system was a dismal failure and never made it out of Japan.
PC Engine Mini Review: The Hardware
The PC Engine Mini’s naming is slightly disingenuous because it’s not actually that much smaller than the real deal. The original PC Engine was famous for its diminutive size – it was much, much smaller than systems like the NES, Mega Drive and SNES – so it stands to reason that Konami (via Hori, which is handling the hardware side of things with this project) was always going to struggle to shrink it down any further for this 2020 edition. As it stands, the PC Engine Mini is around 25-30 percent smaller than the 1987 model, but it has the same kind of dimensions as the NES Classic, SNES Classic and Mega Drive Mini. In fact, having all of them on a shelf together looks pretty cool.
From the green power switch to the fact that the console even ships with the red 'EXT BUS' protective plastic cover on the back (which has to be removed to reveal the USB and HDMI ports), the PC Engine Mini is a close match to the system that revolutionized the Japanese home console market in the late '80s. However, there are some notable differences; NEC's branding is completely removed from both the system itself and the packaging. Konami's purchase of the PC Engine brand has effectively erased NEC from the picture – which is a bit of a shame given the firm's contribution to the system's legacy, but understandable in the context of giant corporations gobbling up IP.
Also, some purists may be upset by the fact that there's no HuCard slot on the console – where these credit card-sized games would be inserted on the original console is simply a blanked-off gap on the PC Engine Mini. This is a relatively minor cosmetic grumble, however, and naturally has no impact on the system's functionality. If it does bother you, then you'll be even more annoyed by the fact that the AV and power sockets on the sides are also blank.
The controller feels like a one-for-one match with the original and comes with a generous 3-metre cable. The rolling D-Pad is brilliant, as are the two face buttons. Sadly, there's no autofire option, as was the case with the revised PC Engine controller released after launch (this was the pad that the TurboGrafx-16 launched with). There are two USB ports on the front of the console (the original PC Engine only had one) so two-player games don't need any additional hardware. For games that support more than two players (Bomberman, we're looking at you), you'll need to purchase a special adapter.
The version we're reviewing here is the Japanese model. The North American version is renamed TurboGrafx-16 and features a different case design, while the European variant is based on the CoreGrafx revision of the Japanese PC Engine.
PC Engine Mini Review: The Games
The PC Engine Mini range offers 58 games – that's 34 Japanese titles and 24 TurboGrafx-16 (American) games – but some of these are actually duplicates. In some cases where both a Japanese and North American version exist, both versions are included. So, Nectaris is available in its Japanese form as well as Military Madness, the North American release – and these are listed as two separate games on the console's menu. There are some exceptions – Soldier Blade is only included in its TG-16 form, despite a Japanese release existing – but in this case it matters little as the versions are identical between regions due to the lack of Japanese text.
While the lineup is very similar across the three available hardware variants, there are some differences; the Japanese console gets Tokimeki Memorial and Tengai Makyō II: Manji Maru, while Konami's shooter Salamander is exclusive to the North American and European editions. The version of Splatterhouse present is also different depending on which model you have; the western versions have the censored North American release where Rick wears a red mask to make him look less like Friday the 13th's Jason Voorhees, while the Japanese model has the original, uncensored version.
It's also worth noting that some of the games – such as Soldier Blade – come with bonus versions based on the popular 'Caravan' events which toured Japan at the time. These versions are usually score-focused and have a strict time limit, and are accessed by holding down the 'Select' button while pressing 'Run' to boot the game. You can also access the hidden shooter Force Gear in Tokimeki Memorial using this method (thanks, Tian Lang).
The complete line up is as follows:
|
Game |
Version |
TurboGrafx-16 / CoreGrafx Mini |
PC Engine Mini |
|
TG-16 |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Aldynes |
SGFX |
Yes |
Yes |
|
TG-16 |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Appare! Gateball |
PCE |
Yes |
Yes |
|
TG-16 |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
TG-16 |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
PCE |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Bomberman: Panic Bomber |
PCE-CD |
Yes |
Yes |
|
PCE |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
TG-16 |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
Cadash |
TG-16 |
Yes |
Yes |
|
PCE-CD |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
TG-16 |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
PCE |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
PCE-CD |
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
PCE |
Yes |
Yes |
|
| Dungeon Explorer | PCE + TG-16 | Yes | Yes |
| Fantasy Zone | PCE | Yes | Yes |
| Galaga '88 | PCE | Yes | Yes |
| Genpei Tōma Den / The Genji and the Heike Clans | PCE | Yes | Yes |
| Ghouls 'n Ghosts / Daimakaimura | SGFX | Yes | Yes |
| Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire | PCE-CDA | Yes | Yes |
| Gradius | PCE | Yes | Yes |
| Gradius II: Gofer no Yabō | PCE-CD | Yes | Yes |
| J.J. & Jeff | TG-16 | Yes | Yes |
| Jaseiken Necromancer | PCE | Yes | Yes |
| Lords of Thunder | TG-CD | Yes | Yes |
| Military Madness / Nectaris | TG-16 / PCE | Yes | Yes |
| Moto Roader | TG-16 | Yes | Yes |
| Neutopia | PCE / TG-16 | Yes | Yes |
| Neutopia II | PCE / TG-16 | Yes | Yes |
| New Adventure Island | TG-16 | Yes | Yes |
| Ninja Gaiden | PCE | Yes | Yes |
| Ninja Spirit | TG-16 | Yes | Yes |
| Parasol Stars | TG-16 | Yes | Yes |
| Power Golf | TG-16 | Yes | Yes |
| Psychosis | TG-16 | Yes | Yes |
| R-Type | TG-16 | Yes | Yes |
| Salamander | PCE | Yes | No |
| Seirei Senshi Spriggan | PCE-CD | Yes | Yes |
| Snatcher | PCE-CD | Yes | Yes |
| Soldier Blade | TG-16 | Yes | Yes |
| Space Harrier | TG-16 | Yes | Yes |
| Splatterhouse (Censored) | TG-16 | Yes | No |
| Splatterhouse (Uncensored) | PCE | No | Yes |
| Spriggan Mark 2: Re-Terraform Project | PCE-CD | Yes | Yes |
| Star Parodier | PCE-CD | Yes | Yes |
| Super Darius | PCE-CD | Yes | Yes |
| Super Momotarō Dentetsu II | PCE | Yes | Yes |
| Super Star Soldier | PCE | Yes | Yes |
| Tengai Makyō II: Manji Maru | PCE-CD | No | Yes |
| Tokimeki Memorial | PCE-CD | No | Yes |
| Valkyrie no Densetsu | PCE | Yes | Yes |
| Victory Run | TG-16 | Yes | Yes |
| Ys Book I & II | PCE-CD / TG-CD | Yes | Yes |
With (almost) 60 games available, the PC Engine Mini arguably trumps its micro-console rivals in terms of pure volume of software, but that number doesn't tell the whole story. While Nintendo and Sega's machines benefited from the amazing depth and breadth of their respective libraries, the PC Engine can't offer quite the same degree of quality. There's no 2D platformer here that is even close to rivalling Super Mario Bros. 3, nor is there an RPG present that can match The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Likewise, there's no side-scrolling fighter at all, which means the PC Engine Mini lacks an answer to the brilliant Streets of Rage 2 on the Mega Drive Mini. In terms of pure software quality, Nintendo and Sega won that war a long time ago.
However, it's worth pointing out that several of the titles on the PC Engine Mini rank as some of the best of the era. Dracula X: Rondo of Blood is widely regarded as one of the best entries in the entire Castlevania series, while Ys Book I & II is a classic JRPG with glorious 2D cinematic scenes and an epic soundtrack. Daimakaimura – better known to western players as Ghouls 'n Ghosts – is presented here in its SuperGrafx form, and is arguably one of the closest home ports available. Alien Crush is a brilliantly twisted take on pinball and a forerunner to the equally fantastic Devil's Crush, and the caveboy Bonk – arguably the PC Engine's most obvious rival to Mario and Sonic – appears in two excellent side-scrolling platformers.
However, where the PC Engine Mini truly shines is in its shooters. The original console was famous for its talent in this particular genre, and back in the day, import-savvy players debated endlessly over which console was best for this kind of intense experience – the PC Engine or the Sega Mega Drive. The system's proficiency in this field is evidenced by the sheer volume of shooters present on this miniature re-release: Galaga '88, Fantasy Zone, Dragon Spirit, Super Darius, Super Star Soldier, Aldynes, Seirei Senshi Spriggan, Spriggan Mark 2: Re-Terraform Project, Gradius, Gradius II: Gofer no Yabō, Star Parodier, Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire, Psychosis, R-Type, Space Harrier, Cho Aniki, Lords of Thunder, Blazing Lazers / Gunhed, Air Zonk and Soldier Blade are the 20 shooters available here, which means that over a third of the console's entire library is devoted to the genre (shamefully, the astounding Gate of Thunder didn't make the cut).
Given the quality of the assembled blasters, it's hard to complain; Seirei Senshi Spriggan, Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire, Soldier Blade and Star Parodier alone would cost you thousands of dollars to acquire in their original forms. Even the more common examples – such as the peerless port of Irem's R-Type which helped sell the PC Engine to the masses at launch – are well worth a play, making this system a shooter fan's dream come true. However, if you're not so keen on that genre, you may find that pickings are slimmer than you'd like.
Granted, RPG fans are well served with the aforementioned Ys: Book I & II, Dungeon Explorer, Cadash and Neutopia II (the latter being as close as PC Engine fans got to a Zelda on the system), and titles such as Moto Roader, Power Golf, Parasol Stars, Splatterhouse, Panic Bomber and the superb Bomberman '94 offer some much-needed variety, but there are one too many duds on offer here for our liking. The Kung Fu – known in North America as China Warrior – impressed in the '80s thanks to its massive, screen-filling sprites but in terms of gameplay, it's a proper snore-fest and should have been omitted in favour of something more worthy. J.J. & Jeff is also a waste of space; while the Japanese original, Kato-chan & Ken-chan, is infamous for its toilet humour, it's a dog of a game to play and the North American port is even less interesting as much of the amusing content is stripped out. Victory Run – viewed by some as the console's answer to Out Run (which is ironic as the PC Engine actually got a port of Sega's famous racer) – is similarly superfluous, and unless you have a real fondness for it, you're unlikely to boot it up more than once. Why include these when titles like Gekibo: Gekisha Boy and Magical Chase are potential picks?
Then there's the issue of Japanese text. The fact that the PC Engine Mini in all of its various guises includes Hideo Kojima's seminal Snatcher is fantastic, but unless you can read Japanese, it's going to be a closed book to you. The same can be said for Tokimeki Memorial, Tengai Makyō II: Manji Maru and Jaseiken Necromancer, all of which are dense RPGs which don't feature an English language option because there never was one; they were exclusive to their native Japan back in the day.
In terms of emulation quality, everything is absolutely spot-on as far as we can tell – and that's to be expected with M2 at the helm. The menus are animated neatly and look very similar to the ones seen on Nintendo's Classic Editions and the Sega Mega Drive Mini (the latter of which was also handled by M2). The games are presented in two categories for each region, and switching between the two of them triggers a cool effect where the screen blinks off before switching over to the other menu, just like when you'd turn the original hardware off on your old-school CRT TV back in the day. Booting a game also triggers a cool animation which shows the HuCard or System Card being placed in a console, complete with authentic sound effects.
You have slots for save states and it's possible to change the way the screen looks, too. Sadly, the CRT filter makes the image look very fuzzy, and when running with the default setup there's an odd shimmering effect due to the fact that the pixels are being distorted slightly. Switch to pixel-perfect mode and this issue vanishes completely. There's also a filter mode which plays the game via a PC Engine GT / TurobGrafx Express, which is really awkward but amusing all the same.
PC Engine Mini Review: Conclusion
The PC Engine holds a special place in the hearts of many retro gamers, so it's fantastic to see a micro-console hit the market which caters for this very specific niche. While the PC Engine Mini isn't going to have the same widespread appeal as the SNES Classic or Mega Drive Mini, it's nonetheless a welcome addition to this burgeoning sector of the games industry.
Sure, there are a few odd selections when it comes to the bundled software, but being able to play titles like Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, Seirei Senshi Spriggan, Soldier Blade, Splatterhouse, Parasol Stars, Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire without having to remortgage your house is pretty special. M2's emulation is as faultless as ever (shame about that CRT filter, mind) and if you're a fan of the system already then this is perhaps going to rank as your favourite micro-console so far.
However, without a recognisable slate of characters like Mario, Sonic or Link to pull them in, total newcomers might be left wondering what all the fuss is about – which perhaps says more about the failure of the TurboGrafx-16 in the west than it does about the overall quality of the games. Outside of Japan, the PC Engine was always an acquired taste, so it's actually rather fitting that the situation should remain largely unchanged in 2020.
This article was originally published by nintendolife.com on Wed 25th March, 2020.
Comments 66
I am getting the mini Turbo!
Little too pricey for me. Plus they aren't Nintendo, so I can't trust the quality.
With all this corona going on, I wont be getting it for a while.
Oh well, not as if i don't have a huge backlog anyway.
I really do want one but not sure how much I would play it. I loved my Turbografx 16 back in the day and know I would get use out of no less then 10 of these games. Is it worth that to me though.
I find calling it an acquired taste a bit of a backhanded insult of a comment.
Bonk is close in quality to Mario and Neutopia 1 and 2 are great zelda clones.
@mesome713 rondo of blood is a castlevania game. Dont know if your into that but personally that's the only game I've really enjoyed
Snatcher not being in English which must have been possible as there is an English version, has really spoiled this for me.
@PickledKong64 Sorry, I meant quality of the machine, not the games.
A bunch of games not being in English and NEEDING to be for anyone to understand them outside of Japan killed any real interest I had in this when it was announced. I'd consider picking it up at a PS Classic price (when it dropped to £15 lol).
It's in no way shape or form an 'acquired taste'. HARD to acquire, and not cheap back in the day, but when you are talking about arcade-perfect ports of R-Type and Parodius (to name just two) everybody wanted one. Bizarre title.
Might be worth it just for Cadash. Played the heck out of that game on my TurboGrfx-16 as a kid.
I first played some of the games back on the Wii VC. I had this pre ordered but sadly got pushed backed due to the virus. But that’s alright, it will fit nicely with the other mini consoles that I have once it’s released.
This is well worth the money, even for the included CD titles alone. Rondo of Blood is arguably the best Castlevania ever released, and as mentioned in the article, if you had to buy/collect some of these titles in their actual, physical form, you'd have to expect to pay thousands of dollars/euros/pounds, so 99 bucks for a system with FAR more games than any of the previous minis is definitely a worthwhile purchase.
Needless to say, I'm definitely getting one. And obviously, I'll be adding my own favorites to it by soft-modding it.
@mesome713 The "machine" is just a plastic shell. It's obviously not a real console. All minis have a system on a chip, and more than likely use the exact same hardware, so that doubt or criticism is completely unwarranted. And seeing as the rest is taken care of by M2, this is going to be a VERY high quality product.
@ROBLOGNICK In theory, you could use a smart phone to detect the text and translate text for you via an app.
Super slow and not ideal, but its either that or the hugely priced Mega CD version..... @_@
My first experience of Turbo Grafx games was on Wii VC,I think I bought most, if not all of them. Absolutely loved Lords of Thunder and Gate of Thunder. It's a shame the latter didn't make it, seems like a glaring omission. I'm sure it'll be hacked in time though, so that's not a problem. Rondo of Blood is my favourite though, superb game. Really tempted to get one.
Today I bought mine, looking forward to receive it.
I didn't own one back in the day, but I've always been fascinated by it, with its shortcomings.
The sheer existence of this mini is a dream come true, I was hoping it would be the result of Konami registering Turbografx trademark a couple years ago and here we have it. I considered getting the actual hardware before its announcement, but it's pricey, and if you need the peripherals the thing skyrockets. Let alone buying the games.
A little expensive, this one, being a mini, but it comes with more games than Mega Drive Mini, so it's acceptable.
@ThanosReXXX Yeah, but the Sega ones have always been junk.
@VmprHntrD As someone who has owned several PC Engines and has been collecting for the format for decades (including the Duo-RX, GT and Core Grafx 2) I can assure you it's not meant as an insult. This console is great but let's not pretend it's a mainstream product in the same way the SNES Classic and Mega Drive Mini are. Just like back in the day, the PC Engine is aimed at a very specific section of the market - and that's perfectly fine.
@Lordplops See my comment above.
@mesome713 Hori is handling the hardware side of things here, and it has a great reputation.
@mesome713 ah I see. Yeah I'm passing. I had the sega and psx classic and idk the nintendo classic systems had better ui and everything
Bomberman 93 is still the best game in the series, in my opinion.
A little surprising the English version doesn't include the original Legend of Heroes (one of the few JRPGs to get a localization, maybe only that and Cosmic Fantasy II).
Yet for some reason, that localized version was not even released on Wii VC (whereas it was on Japanese Wii VC). Maybe some international publishing rights issue?
As to the list, @Damo I do recall Konami's site saying that Alien Crush (at least on TG16 Mini, the version I have preordered) would be the PC-Engine version (though they also said the only significant difference is the title screen, so I guess it is only trivial information).
Gate of Thunder being missing is a shame (as the lack of Detana!! TwinBee, but they have to sell that ACA release, I guess). Would've taken those over maybe a couple of the shooters on that list, but oh well. Though the western versions are getting Salamander as basically a replacement of Tokimeki and Tengai Makyo II.
Likely this one won't be out for a while in North America (I pre ordered it for the initial March release, now Amazon says December, but they clarified that was just a placeholder). The mini consoles are fun collector items, but after playing them for a little bit, I find myself going back to my Switch. Except for the SNES mini and Earthbound. That one did get a lot of attention from me.
Definitely getting the TG16 mini (or rather the Core Grafx if that Play-Asia shipping wasn't so high) just for Spriggan and Sapphire (especially Sapphire). I hate to think that the most affordable they've been to me was back when they were new-ish. Even in the mid-late 90's, they'd go for about $100-$150 each, easy. Now there are too many repros floating around out there, so forget all that and let me have that wonderful HDMI output instead.
@mesome713 All of the previous ones, before the current one, are trash made by AtGames with SEGA licensing. The current one is actually made by SEGA with M2 programming and it's on par with the SNES/NES minis. (shame about the Mega Man Wily Wars audio delay, though)
I will buy one of these because I love this era of gaming, but I am really disappointed that they couldn't roll out English translations of Snatcher and Ys IV for this.
@mesome713 "Sega ones"? There's only been one (official) Sega Mini console (I'm not counting all the licensed AtGames trash) and that's actually of a better and more detailed build quality than the NES and SNES Minis. And I would know, because I own all three of them.
And seeing as PC Engine has nothing to do with Sega, naming them as making bad quality mini consoles makes even less sense than your original comment already did.
Again, all mini consoles are based on the same hardware, the only difference is another shape of their respective plastic shells, but there's no distinct quality difference between them. The only and most important difference comes down to the emulation, and seeing as M2 is taking care of that on this mini console, it's going to be of the highest quality.
@PickledKong64 I wouldn't take any of his comments seriously, to be honest. The emulation will be done by M2 and on the hardware side they've contracted HORI, so this mini console is going to be top notch. He's clearly confusing AtGames consoles with all of the more recent, and far higher quality, mini consoles.
Getting this Friday, can't wait. Great, underrated console.
Good to hear this turned out well. Funny that the miniaturization of this is minimal, since it was a mini console in its day. But that small size is why I had to get my hands on the hardware when I became aware of it. It's a great system, though the library is shooter heavy, which is bad for those who don't like shooters or prefer more variety. As with any compilation, there are some odd omissions. I would have wanted to see Gate of Thunder on there, along with Legendary Axe, which was an early game that was closely associated with the machine, and Dragon Saber(the sequel to Dragon Spirit) which is a favorite of mine. Personally, I would have loved seeing Dynasty Wars and Mad Stalker on there too, but they're not as popular or have other things preventing them from being included. I really enjoy those and they would have been nice for the sake of variety.
@KingMike Legend of Heroes has the 'best' English dub of all time.
Really wish it was included too, it's dated for sure, but I'm sure there would be some mild interest in it given the popularity of the franchise since Trails in the Sky.
@ThanosReXXX All the ATGame Sega consoles are considered official and have been infamous for their quality for over a decade.
@Seacliff That was not my point. And far as I'm concerned, and probably many others, licensed products are only official in name, but do not necessarily reflect the actual companies values and quality, as the inferior products from AtGames have clearly shown, multiple times over.
And furthermore, the whole mentioning Sega was irrelevant in the first place, seeing as the PC Engine has nothing to do with that, but he brought it up, for whatever reason.
Doesn't look like there's rewind feature in this one like the Genesis Mini. I do want one but the price is very high and I usually play a few titles, go back to my Switch and forget about these mini consoles so it would be a waste of money.
@ThanosReXXX
Fanboyism.
Since when does fanboyism make sense ?
Beyond: "what i support is good, anything else is ugly and double plus ungood".
@KitsuneNight True. I've always been more of a multi-platform gamer myself. There's good games on every platform, so why people are so adamant of "defending" only one platform, is beyond me.
And it's not like any of these companies really need defending in the first place...
I was the only person I know that had a TG16 growing up. I loved it; but if it doesn't have Tricky Kick then it's a "no buy" for me.
@ThanosReXXX
Same.
Couldn't agree more.
Admittedly I have a soft spot for Sega.
But i go where the good games are
If there is a game I like and want, I wil get it irregardless what platform it is for.
( Assuming I have said platform )
But I have always had a passing interest in the PC Engine.
And it was always way too expensive
So this will do just fine for me down the line.
Yeah, I'm not sure why their CRT filter is sooo bad, but other than than M2 is doing stellar work.
No city hunter??? Too bad !
@mesome713 This is as good as the NES/SNES in all areas of quality, and it even does a few things better, like having a really easy button shortcut to get back to the main menu and decent length controller cords. Other than the lineup, which is a matter of personal preference, it might even be the best realised all round of the three main mini systems of its era (Mega Drive, SNES, PC-Engine).
Dirty pool reviewing this when most of us probably aren't ever going to get it.
Preordered this way back in July, primarily as I forecasted int would be heavy in the shm’ups. Though I agree, the lack of Gates of Thunder and Final Soldier are disappointments.
Not for me. I didn't even know the console existed until years later. The first time I saw one, I thought it was an add on for another console that I had never seen.
I'm sure it had/has great games but there is no nostalgic connection for me at all. There is the novelty factor, but that's not worth 100 dollars to me right now.
No Gate of Thunder? What the heck. I love the TG-16 but that alone is a no-buy
@BionicDodo I think going the extra mile might have won over some fans who are on the shelf about this system.
Snatcher does have an English Translation on the Sega CD, so why can't they just use that version's English text as a basis for translating the PC Engine version?
Or just do a brand new translation for the game. I can't see it costing Konami that much to do.
Right now, the Turbografix 16 mini looks nice, but the price tag kills it. I don't understand Konami's logic on pricing this system higher than the NES, SNES, Genesis, and PS1 minis.
Those systems were major hits in the west, and they had a good price tag.
The Turbografix 16 was a massive flop outside of Japan, and I would argue its got even less nostalgia backing it up than the Neo Geo.
So, I don't understand Konami's approach with this system at all. Its better then Sony's approach with the PS1 Classic, but I can't shake the feeling of how half-assed it kinda feels with Konami's efforts.
@ROBLOGNICK I think the english version of Snatcher was only released for the Sega CD. It would have been nice if they could have translated it but that would have required them to modify the game and I think they just wanted to give us the original version.
I bought the TurboGrafx at Toys “R” Us for $40 Back in the day. I got Netopia for $7.99. It made me so happy because I was the only kid on my Block who had the Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and the TurboGrafx.
@Caryslan I have to wonder how much PCE CD game localizations could be technically limited.
Such as I heard it wasn't too uncommon for CD games to utilize the BIOS font (particularly Japanese games) to save the system RAM from needing a custom game font and printing function. That probably looks fine for Japanese with nice large kanji but bad for English games (and I'm sure there were some English games which reused it as well) with needlessly large letters which take up limited screen resolution.
Possibly also audio replacement could be an issue if there is voice acting (seen some playthroughs but I'm not too familiar with the game) and they were needing to go essentially the ROM-hacking way of localizing games. I've heard PCE accesses CD by sector, which could mean difficulty resizing audio data.
Where is Dead Moon? or Darius?
Patiently waiting for my delayed pre-order of the TG-16 version. If you're on the fence, consider picking this up if only for the inclusion of Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. The original PC Engine version and the SNES port are both very expensive and hard to find these days, and sadly it's too late to download it on the shuttered Wii Virtual Console.
I am remembering that it is quite a surprise that Ninja Gaiden hasn't been released before on Wii VC considering that it actually has an English translation built-in (with a cheat code).
@Priceless_Spork Actually, I think Darius is there (not certain but I think Darius was ported to both HuCard and CD, and Super Darius was simply the CD version of the same game. As to the HuCard, I forget which was which between Plus and Alpha. I know one was the normal retail game and the other was the insanely rare boss-rush promotional giveaway version.)
I know Raiden and R-Type were two other shooters also released in both formats. A bit of a shame we're not getting the CD version of R-Type, which added an intro. And I recall the first level music being replaced with a ridiculous acapella version.
I also recognize Dead Moon as the game which the Japanese version had a title screen blatantly ripping off The Terminator which was removed in the US version very likely because of copyright.
@JJtheTexan There is the PSP version of Rondo. Though if I recall, Wii got the PCE version while Wii U (and/or New 3DS?) got the SNES version.
It’s certainly great value when you take into Account the number of games and what they cost on real hardware. Good to hear it’s a polished product as well (though hopefully it’s hackable). Just got the long wait for my UK pre-order now....
I got mine on Monday and have been loving revisiting some of the games I loved. I skipped all the other minis, didn’t see the appeal since those games have been widely available forever, but this one was my dream mini. I understand the disappointment of so many games being in Japanese only, but even that is true to the original TG16 experience LOL, at least for me and my friends.
Really excited for this one! I was one of the only people I knew back in the day that had a Turbografx-16 and man did I love that system. I highly recommend that, if you've never had your hands on one of these, you take a chance with it. The nostalgia may not be there for you but there are some very good retro games on that list.
An acquired taste, the PC Engine is one of the greatest consoles ever. God, Lords of Thunder alone is reason to own one. Some of the best shooters ever are on this system.
@electrolite77
Good news the guys of this thing are almost identical to the genesis mini, so it should be easily modded, it also has about 4gb of memory so plenty of space. There’s just not a whole lot I’d add. Legendary axe 1 and 2, bloody wolf, gate of thunder, salamander (if you got a pc mini), street fighter 2, magical chase and I’ll be set. Any other suggestions? I’d love to get snatcher translated if it’s out there somewhere but only if it’s the pc engine version not sure if sega cd roms would run well on this.
@Damo Did not expect a staff response to that. Seriously though, while I don't think specific intent was behind it, it's just how it was read is all. I get it more so from the perspective of your local market as there was little to no presence there, mostly importation of TG and PCE since they barely even scratched it. Where you are it definitely was not mainstream at all.
US account here, and in the 90s to mid 00s I had a Duo with US+JP games, in the last 3 years gone from a CG2 into a Duo again. Here it was mainstream enough, had more of a shelf space in the day than the NeoGeo, 3DO, etc. And well Japan being Japan, it was a success enough even to put Nintendo in #2 for a time and Sega at #3. I was thinking more globally not regionally with the comment.
@VmprHntrD Even in the US, the TG-16 wasn't anywhere close to the SNES / Genesis in terms of sales or software library. Only around 120 games were ever officially released in the region, if I remember rightly. My point was that this system isn't in the same league as Sega or Nintendo's offerings when it comes to recognition and fame – as was the case back in the day in practically every territory with the exception of Japan – and that makes it a hard sell as the built-in nostalgia isn't there. But it's still a wonderful console.
Fantastic review and great analyses. The NEC branding-removal is particularly interesting since the "PC" branding is clearly theirs rather than Hudson's. Does Konami own the rights to the hardware, too?
This would be a must-buy if Snatcher had been translated, or perhaps if Tokimeki Memorial, Far East of Eden II, or possibly even if Bomberman '94 had been, but M2's addition of a new Caravan mode in Soldier Blade is still really cool, at least.
Also, Kato-chan & Ken-chan (and even J.J. & Jeff) is a surprisingly deep platforming game if its difficulty isn't too offputting.
I am a big fan of these mini consoles as a very accessible entry point to exploring new systems, in addition to scratching that nostalgia itch. This system is a great example of the former. Can’t wait to try my hand at some of the highly regarded classics present. Consider me in🥳
Mini Turbo is heading my way! Can't wait to try it out.
@mesome713 If you have a Switch and you are playing SEGA AGES games on it, then it's the same people handling emulation : M2. Can't wait for the TG16 Mini to be released in NA.
Got mine yesterday. I'm looking forward to sink my teeth in its nice library!
I'm sorry I take umbrage with several things you are saying about the tg-16/pc-engine. First of all calling it simply an 8 bit system and putting in the same sentence with the NES is disingenuous. You know it was considered part of the 16 bit generation. This is because of it's dual 16 bit graphics processors. Also even though it had an 8 bit Cpu it was blazing fast. In fact twice as fast as the SNES Cpu at 7.16 Mhz. Also it could display more on screen colors than the SNES and Genesis combined. If you don't think it belongs to the 16 bit generation look at street fighter 2 Ce and lords of thunder on it and get back to me. Furthermore it had 21 bit data bus wheras the SNES and Genesis had only 16 bit.. And it was revolutionary as the first console to use cd rom technology in 1988! This gave us larger worlds, red book audio, cinema cut scenes, and voice acting. It was not niche per se. It could have made it in the USA. You know what one of the main reasons it didn't? Nintendo illegally told third party game companies that if they made games for it they couldn't put their games on the SNES. Unfortunately by the time this got resolved by the courts it was too late. Nintendo'd dirty trick worked. So please stop with misinformation please. The tg 16/pc engine is far cooler than the Snes will ever be!!
@Damo, not sure if someone already called this out, but one of the interesting Easter Eggs on PCE CD games is that if you didn't have the right system card, you would get a custom warning screen often related to the game you were trying to load. Rondo of Blood even has a silly mini-game. You can access these on any game that required special cards like the Super System Card by holding select while pressing run (just like the other hidden games).
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...