TurboGrafx 16 games.

[SavannahLion]

Going through my game collection, I found a TG16 (just the console, it was part of a lot) and remembered Nintendo is including a selection of TG16 on their Wii service. So with my interest ignited, I decided to check out the games. Grabbed a collection of.... sample HuCard games (interestingly, Bonk is missing but Bonk 2 and 3 is included )

I tried several games that seemed to grab my interest. Tried a few that were listed as TG16 "defining" games. Tried a few ports. (The ports seem to be the worst out of all of them, SFII with two buttons?!?! Were they serious?)

Holy crap.... These games SUCK!

The controls seem a little soft and not as tight as other consoles. Most of the games I tried, the game play just isn't "clicking" for me.

My memory must be tainted. I remember the TurboDuo and the TurboExpress being very desirable consoles, but very expensive. At the 8-bit popularity peak, only one kid in my school owned the Turbo (same kid that owned a NeoGeo) and he was a real ---tallywhacker---. I remember reading articles lauding titles like Bonk. I remember how clean the TurboExpress screen looked compared to my crappy Lynx screen or how you could watch TV on the Express.

I'm going to give the TG16 the benefit of the doubt, this is supposed to be the console that was number one in Japan. I'm thinking it's my configuration somehow. I'm using Hu-Go! as the emulator (I'm not really interested in paying money for MagicEngine if the games are so mediocre). It seems the emulator doesn't emulate the autofire feature correctly, which seems to be OK... I guess. The emulator does seem to choke once in a while and "activate" the autofire but it disables the regular buttons when this happens. Not sure what's going on there.

Or it's possible that growing up with Atari/SEGA/Nintendo, NEC games just don't ring any memories for me.

In any case, what games should I be looking at and what games should I be chucking into the round file cabinet? Are the CD games better?

[Dartful Dodger]

Splatterhouse --  the reason I bought a TG16

Dungeon Explorer was one of my favorites.
*  I think that was the game.  It was a dungeons and dragons type game were you can unlock characters as you go.  I did a google search, and this one looks like it, but I could also be thinking of Neutopia.

Double Dungeons

Gunboat

[Ginsu Victim]

TG-16 was 16-bit....hence....TG-16

[AmericanDemon]

Actually it was dual 8 bit processors.  So it was technically 16, but only by adding.  Not true 16 like Genesis and SNES

[SavannahLion]

It was a marketing gimmick that was only about half right . Much like SEGA's "Blast Processing" marketing for the Genesis or, probably a better analogy, the bit count fudging for the Atari Jaguar. Early TG-16 manuals did state the console was 16 bits. IIRC, I think it was a carefully worded to read, "16 bit graphics" or some such. After Genesis' release, the manual was altered to have that text removed. Probably why early Genesis models were stamped with "16-bits" in big white text on the cartridge ring. Why that was later removed is a bit of a mystery to me. I think the text removal coincided with the SNES release so it probably has something to do with that.

I digress, that's not really the point I'm making. Given the age of the system and the crap games, I'd be hard pressed to even argue bit count points at all.

I understand why the MagicEngine has a time limit of only five minutes for each loaded game. That's the maximum amount of time I've managed to put in into any one game before I get bored, frustrated, or simply annoyed with it. Anybody who willingly plays more than five minutes really loves their TG16 and is more likely to shell out cash for the emulator. Saves the MagicEngine people the hassle of issuing refunds.

Dartful, I'll look into those games, but I don't think I'll be getting much out of the system. I read an article about Y's and how good it was on the TG16. Y's is probably the first RPG I ever played that I didn't like. There was just something annoying about the whole game that I just couldn't get around.

I guess the TG16 will receive the rare honor of the only console I have zero interest in. Oh well.

[Dartful Dodger]

You can put my long gone Jaguar up on that shelf, too.

I have no interest in playing any of my TG16 games, but every once in a while I still get the urge to play Aliens vs Predator or that giant robot game where you can destroy whole cities on my Jaguar.

[ahofle]

Isn't that Tempest 2000 remake for the Jaguar good?  If it's anything like Typhoon 2001 it is anyway.

[ark_ader]

I liked the TG16 games.  Still play them on the PSP.

Legend Of Hero Toma
Galaga 88 & 90
Outrun
Power League 5
New Zealand Story

Much better than any 16 bit console. 

If you think they suck, switch to a better emulator! 

[SavannahLion]

Legend Of Hero Toma
Galaga 88 & 90
Outrun
Power League 5
New Zealand Story

Checked out Legend of Hero Toma. It's an OK mindless platformer. Reminds me a little bit of Viking Child for the Lynx.
Have Galaga 90, but not 88. Tried it out, it seems the controller I'm using isn't well suited to this style of play.
PL5 is baseball. I've universally never liked sports games like baseball or football. So I'm not faulting the console for this.
Haven't tried the rest. Got distracted by a few other games like Lode Runner (which takes forever and a day to load )

[SirDaShadow]

If you think they suck, switch to a better emulator! 

I second this motion. Ootake is perhaps the best PCE emulator out there for the PC. Other than lack of nice video filters like 2xSai, it's balls-on accurate and it's free.

[NickG]

Some games I liked on my TG-16:

Bomberman: back then it was the only version to support five players, which was awesome.
Blazing Lazers: a good schmup.
Bonk: The whole series was fun- first platformer I played that had bonus rounds. 
Keith Courage in alpha zones:  this was the pack-in title.  it is a run/jump/slash type game and your sword grows ala Strider.
Neutopia and Neutopia II:  I played both of these, and they are ok Zelda clones but nowadays there are so many better Zelda-type games.
Alien Crush/Devils Crush: fun pinball games with "living" play-fields.  A modern version of Alien crush is to be released this year, I think.
Dungeon Explorer: TBH, this is only cool if you have a few players to play with(up to five).    It plays a lot like the first Gauntlet games, except there are more RPG elements.
Shockman: A less known Megaman spinoff.
Chew Man Fu: it's alright...Cratermaze is a bit more interesting.
Legendary Axe II:  run, jump, and hack your way to save a babe or something.  I think I might try this one again, soon.
Silent Debuggers:  First person shooter.  It was so fun back then, I played it through a few times, but like the Neutopia's there are much better games in it's genre, now.
The rest of the games I had were arcade ports... 

[daywane]

are you kidding me? I LOVE the TG-16.
try Magic as your emu... you can play close to your 5 min. pause the system,

save the game.... restart and Magic and reload game ... play for 5 more min... I did this for a long time till I paid for the emu.

[ark_ader]

Magic is great, but just pay the money for it.

[massive88]

Is magic that much better than mednafen?  Or is the setup of the latter just that much of a hurdle for people to overcome?

[Ginsu Victim]

As old as MagicEngine is, the fact it doesn't have auto frame skipping and won't run full speed on a 733mhz without a frame skip of 2, means I'll never pay for it. There's other PC Engine / TG-16 emus out there.

[mcfreak]

Ninja Spirit is one of my all time favorites.  I played that and Blazing Lasers for so many hours and it was my main console as a kid.  Once the TG16 games started coming out on the Virtual Console I had to go back and buy an original to play on.  There is nothing like having that original console controller and the small cartridges. 

I ended up with a TG16. Turbo Express, TG CD, and a Flash cart before I knew it.  I still think the Schmup's hold up, Neutopia is a great if you like Zelda but want something a bit different.  I also loved the Adventure modes of World Court Tennis and Final Lap Twin.
 

[mcfreak]

I have this one and love it. http://www.ic2005.com/shop/product.php?productid=26&cat=2&page=1

[Ginsu Victim]

Thanks for the link. I have an EZ Flash III 2 Gb for my GBA.
I love flash carts!

[mcfreak]

I like those as you can play the Japanese games on a US system and the Turbo Express. 

[daywane]

Is magic that much better than mednafen?  Or is the setup of the latter just that much of a hurdle for people to overcome?

back when I started playing with magic... nothing would set up and play with EZ.

I did buy mine... so I still use it....
Have not tried any other EMU since

[mcfreak]

Was there any actual region protection or was it just the shape of the cartridges?  Seems like I remember people just having to cut something to make the JAP games work.

There were actual pin differences on the games, you basically swap 2 or 4 pins and they would boot.  The app that runs the flash device will switch the rom for you.  I modded one TG16 with a switch that just swaps the needed pins on the console so you could go back and forth. 

they also made little device that would sit inbetween the card and the console that would switch the pins for you...  these devices go for a premium now so its easier to crack the case and add a switch.  Looks like this:

[ark_ader]

Oh and if your have a PSP - get PCE it plays them perfectly.

[Silver]

Dracula X Rondo of Blood (CD game) - absolutely spectacular castlevania game for the pce cd versions.

EDIT: Heres a Youtube vid, including into with random german speech and jap subtitles.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPZ-9lVlGOo[/youtube]