PCEngineFans.com - The PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16 Community Forum
NEC TG-16/TE/TurboDuo => TG-16/TE/TurboDuo Discussion => Topic started by: newgenturbofan on September 24, 2012, 11:12:52 AM
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Hi everyone!
I'm new to the forum, so I thought why not see how others got into the turbo grafx. I'm just curious and since I'm new to this system it will be interesting to hear what everyone else has to say. Personally, I heard about the system for awhile, but it wasn't until I downloaded a few of the classics onto my wii, that's how I discovered games like Splatterouse, Air Zonk, Neutopia, and Blazing Lazers. The first tg16 game I played and beat was Bonk's Adventure, which was a blast, but I hear Bonk's Revenge is better. I didn't download too many games, because I'm the type of guy who's got to own a physical copy of a game, btw i wouldn't mind if anyone would be willing to sell me any of your duplicates of any turbo game- i don't have any :( Anyways, I bet a lot of you guys grew up with the system, unfortunately I was born in 1991 so I was only a toddler through the rest of the tg16's lifespan. So that's it, how did you discover the turbo grafx and what was the first game that convinced you that this system was a good investment? It'll be great hearing others stories and maybe a few of you guys where like me and just discovered it recently!
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Welcome. GLAD TO SEE YOU HAVE FOUND THE WORLD'S GREATEST ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM! Good question, although I've read this thread many times, this always a good thread. Head over to the sales/trade forum many people have extras to sell, trade. I will say don't expect people to just throw you deals for no reason i.e.keep this to a minimum, sounds too much like "I'm only here to take advantage of the community" I've only been here a couple of month's and posts like that generally garner a lot of hate if they become persistant->
btw i wouldn't mind if anyone would be willing to sell me any of your duplicates of any turbo game- i don't have any Anyways
after a few weeks here, you'll understand why some people are protective of the community, it's pretty awesome here.
That being said FiftyQuid has a system and some cheaper games up for sale at the moment, You may want to try there, But be warned the Wii is the much much much cheaper way to go.
To answer the orginal question: BACK in 90 my dad got a used boxed turbo with games and all sort of extras for $75. I then experienced my first video game BONK's Adventure. The rest is history, played those same few games over and over and over. Until recently I got back into it, found my way here, and love every minute of talking about the system.
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Welcome to the 16 BIT REVOLUTION!!!
I discovered the joy of the Turbo only a few years ago myself. Around 2007-2008 I was a locale game store and they had a Turbo and some games for sale. It was pretty cheap ($60+Kieth+$5 off any game) so I picked it up. I remember playing the demo model in front of Radio Shack as a kid. The used to set up Bonk and Kieth but set the T.V to reset every 5 mins so it became a game of how far could you make it before it the game would reset. I thought what hell I'll try something different and bought it.
I quickly fell in love and it's been my favorite system since :)
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I bought a Genesis when it first came out. Loved the console. Was the only kid at the time who had it. I remember going with my father to Montgomery Wards and saw the TG-16 Display. I remember playing splatter house and Galaga 90 on it. I think the fact that it was obscure and new made me just want it! Anyways some friend from school hit me up because he heard I had a Genesis. He told me he had a Turbo Grafx with a bunch of games and wasnt too into it. Asked if I was down to trade systems. My Genny with a couple of games for his Turbo with like 10 games. I said yes and the rest was history!
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I'd say magazines such as electronic gaming monthly,even before nec even had commercials for it.Then other being playing it a friends house for the time first before i bought one.Hmm as for how i got one originally i can't remember if it was the jc penny's catalog or if it was toy's'r'us.
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While I cant exactly remember the very first time I spotted TG-16, I remember most of my early exposure cam from early morning TV ads and also what was shown on Video Power.
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Gamepro's feature write-up introducing the Turbo Duo. So awesome. I'm sure I was aware of the TG16, but like the Genesis it didn't register for me at all, and I didn't know anyone who had one at launch.
After that I ended up somehow getting a Turbo Grafx 16 for 69.99 at Babbages, and some used games from Game Dude. Then a TG-CD, then 3.0 Card, and so on.
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EGM and GamePro. I got to see it and maybe try it at a local trade show before it became available in my hometown. I got a Genesis near launch and wasn't planning on getting a TG-16, but decided that I had to get one asap after trying Dungeon Explorer and Neutopia at a friend's house.
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Radio Shack stand in the mall. Waited soooo long to have the money to buy one that when i finally could buy one they where letting them go for 49$ LOL.
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I think I first saw it in ads in magazines. As I recall, it may have been the Bonk's Adventure comic book style ad (http://), though I could be mistaken. Either way, when Christmas time came around, my Dad took me to the store to buy my gift. I chose the Genesis, but it was $20 more than the TurboGrafx-16, so I went for that instead, saving my Dad a bit of cash. (What a nice kid!) Anyway, I was rewarded with great memories and gaming experiences, and to this day it's my favorite console ever (including the Duo).
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Turbo everdrive is how I got into the system.
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At Serramonte Mall in Daly City CA circa 1990. It was a Turbo Zone "Island" setup in the middle of the mall.
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I was at a friends house in 1991 and his father was playing neutopia on a giant tv. I never looked back :)
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I think I first saw it in ads in magazines. As I recall, it may have been the Bonk's Adventure comic book style ad (http://), though I could be mistaken. Either way, when Christmas time came around, my Dad took me to the store to buy my gift. I chose the Genesis, but it was $20 more than the TurboGrafx-16, so I went for that instead, saving my Dad a bit of cash. (What a nice kid!) Anyway, I was rewarded with great memories and gaming experiences, and to this day it's my favorite console ever (including the Duo).
When I finally bought one it was late December of 92. I hit Toys R US with a tad over 100 bucks and nabbed a system with Keith Courage for $49.99, and hit up the game selection where they used to keep slips on the wall along with a insert thing of the front and back of the games box so you could see what it looked like. Ended up nabbing Bloody Wolf, Legendary Axe, and Alien Crush. Was a hard choice because almost everything looked awesome and I was pretty stoked to get such cool games. A couple months later I ditched my Master System and Nes and used the cash to get Raiden and Aero Blasters and another title I think (yes I literally got rid of both systems and like 40 games in total to buy a couple more TG games).
I did not decide to get a Genesis until Oct 93, because Mortal Kombat had come out. I nabbed a Genesis core system for $99.99 and cashed in on the free copy of Sonic 2 mail in offer. From like Aug on till Oct I had acquired a few Genesis games in advance so I would have stuff to play (Pit Fighter, Fatal Fury, Altered Beast). Sonic 2 arrived to me in November. December 93 was great, because not only did I get to buy Splatterhouse 3 and MK on Genesis, but was able to secure a copy of Splatterhouse 1 on TG along with a few other titles. Always kind of had a great respect for both the TG and the Genesis. Always will due to such great gaming memories. Back then too after I got a TG many of my friends had seen how awesome it was and a couple of them were able to nab one too.
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saw the TV add at a friends house.
saw it at toysRus for $99 (friend got it)
saw it later for $30 and bought 1
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I originally saw a display at Radio Shack (and A&A Records) in Halifax, but I was a poor student. All I had at the time was a 2600 and a bunch of games.
A couple years later, ( I am thinking fall of 1993 - EDIT - I just found the receipt - June of 1994) I bought one at Radio Shack in the Dufferin Mall in Toronto. Bonk's Revenge and Galaga 90 came a short while later.
I still have it...
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh553/thelostmonkey/IMG_9318.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh553/thelostmonkey/IMG_9319.jpg)
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh553/thelostmonkey/IMG_9320.jpg)
Geez, the protective plastic is still on the nameplate...
The receipt:
(http://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh553/thelostmonkey/IMG.jpg)
The truth is, yes, that is my original TG16 that I purchased in 1994, but, a short time later, I bought another TG with a bunch of games for $100 and have been using that one as a player ever since.
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My dad got one for Christmas one year. I want to say it was 1987 or 1988.
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I just started getting really interested in Turbo from reading about it in Mags. It was usually about 5% of each mag dedicated to these titles that I've never seen at friends houses or rental shoppes. So I started to really wonder what it was all about. When it came time for me to actually purchase a Turbo, I owned a SNES, NES, Colico Vision, and a Tandy CoCo. I never actually played Turbo before I purchased one......
Sorry if I just post the same story every time a thread like this pops up ;)
I had gotten my two first ever paychecks in the summer of '94. (I worked the summer sheering pine/ xmas trees making around 110-150 a week) I had just over $200 on me and my goal was to walk into a local (next town over) game shoppe and pick up an Atari Lynx along with some games. (I saw an ad in the paper for a Lynx + one free game for $50) So I was totally stoked to get the Lynx.
When I got there, I quickly grabbed a new Lynx ticket and started to pick out which games I wanted. I had about $100 worth of goodies. When I went over to the register to pay I saw a Turbografx under the glass display with a TON of turbochips. The Turbo was $39.99 and games were around $3.99-$15. So I started gobbling that up too!! I got to the point where I had pretty much spent EVERY penny on Turbo and Lynx stufff. So then, finally I got back to the register and was prepared to make my purchase. The girl behind the counter said, "Wow we're getting alot today!" And I responded- yes, now I just need to get the CD unit to play the CD games. Then a guy behind the other register said "Hey we have a CD unit that just came in." I was like.... O_O!!
He goes to the back and pulls out a Turbo Duo in box with Ys I&II, Gates 4in1, and Ninja Spirit. He said, "Some guy just sold out his whole Turbo collection." He told me that for the $200 I had in hand, I could get the Turbo Duo and all the games I had picked out (12 total) but I wasn't able to get the Lynx...
Needless to say, that Lynx found it's way back to the shelf and I went home with a HEFTY Turbo LOT and never really stopped playing. :)
I can't remember EXACTLY the lot I had but I think it was [Duo w/ one controller all hookups. Ys I&I, Gates 4in1, Keith Courage, Ninja Spirit, Sonic Spike(Had no ideas what this was, thought maybe it was a Sonic game...lol), ShockMan, Legendary Axe, and possibly a few others...]
PS: I also went back later in the summer to snag that Lynx deal.
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Manager at Babbages told me he knew a guy that won a contest with a TG-16, booster, stick, extra pad, tap and 5 games that wanted to sell. At the time, the retail was $300(I seem to remember) for everything but the seller would take $150 for the lot. I think it was 1990 (because I got my CD in '91). Games where Blazing, World Class Baseball, Bonk, Alien and Legendary.
I was a Genny owner since it dropped to $190 w/ Altered. Seeing that wall of games at Toys R Us that I could not play made me want to get a TG.
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I first saw TURBOPOWER in Autumn 1989...a commercial during G.I. Joe re-runs in early afternoon after getting home from school (3:30-4:00?) on WPIX (Channel 11 in NYC). The next day, my brothers and I made sure to RECORD G.I. Joe (so we could re-watch commercial in slow motion). Soon thereafter we went to Toys'R'Us and played Blazing Lazers at kiosk.
While I cant exactly remember the very first time I spotted TG-16, I remember most of my early exposure cam from early morning TV ads and also what was shown on Video Power.
Heck yes. VIDEO POWER. I wrote about that show in the past (before the magic of YouTube) to describe it to people. WWOR (Channel 9 in NYC) aired that show early in the morning. The cartoon segment SUCKED, but I loved to see footage of actual gameplay during the other segments. Occasionally they featured a TG-16 game.
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One of my best buddies had one bitd and I use to play his and was like whoa!, this is way cooler than the NES and SMS that we had. When my parents said I could get a new system for Christmas was when the TurboDuo was first released in 92' and I got that. Best system ever, played it through about 96' and put it in a box not to rediscover the magic till 2009 when I stumbled across my old copy of Final Lap Twin. I busted out all my old stuff and now am hooked again buying, playing, collecting, and checking out sites like this one!
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I think my initial first hand exposure to the Turbob was from Montgomery Wards and Service Merchandise and Babbages a little later on.
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Same here, I got to play it for the first time at Montgomery Wards Electric Avenue. They had Vigilante on display. They also had a Genesis on display as well but it never held my attention. I have no clue why. Then a few months later my dad bought me a complete CD setup. The local pawn shop had a TG16 system with the CD add on, Ys1&2, Monster Lair, Fighting street, and of course Keith Courage.
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Same here, I got to play it for the first time at Montgomery Wards Electric Avenue. They had Vigilante on display. They also had a Genesis on display as well but it never held my attention. I have no clue why.
Because it didn't have Vigilante.
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I was at home watching cartoons, and saw the commercial of the TG-16 Supersystem. I just had to have it.
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From german game mags. They covered the pce right after its release. And... i fell in love, because it had
R-Type in ARCADE quality. Nobody could beat that for years.
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My first exposure was playing one at Toys R Us. I'm willing to bet there are other people here who probably had a similar experience. Anyway, I didn't get my Duo until late 94ish and got Ys books 1 and 2 for it after reading EGM's review that the best game ever just happened. Been playing my Duo ever since.
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RANDOM MEMORY: In 1989, when I got my first TURBO, Toys-R-Us was still selling some Atari 2600 cartridges! No joke.
You may continue...
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Greetings! First time poster here.
I can't remember if my first exposure to the TG-16 was the commercials or one of the gaming mags. All I remember is seeing the super colorful graphics in Bonk and I was sold.
Although I used to get into frequent fanboy debates back in the day on the Prodigy Network (pre-internet as we know it) as to why the TurboGrafx was superior in every way to the Genesis, I'm really fan of pretty much all video games. Growing up, I was fortunate enough (thanks, Mom & Dad!) to have been able to own multiple competing systems from each generation--NES, SMS, TG16, GameBoy, TurboExpress, Lynx, SNES, Genesis/Sega CD, Neo Geo, 3DO, N64, PlayStation, PS2, GameCube, GBA, Wii, PS3, XBox 360. However, to this day, the Turbo remains my favorite system, with the most fond memories.
I couldn't get enough multiplayer matches of Bomberman '93, Dungeon Explorer, Battle Royale and even MotoRoader. And the day I brought home a Turbo CD and powered up Ys Book I & II...being wowed by the CD-audio and animation of the game's intro may be my number one fondest video game memory.
I was such a turbo fan(atic) that even though I already had a TurboGrafx w/ CD, I traded my Neo Geo with its small collection of games for a TurboDuo.
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I had seen the TG-16 commercials and lots of pics in EGM, Gamepro, VG&CE and was kinda interested. Then one day I walked into a Red Giraffe Video that was selling all their TG-16 stock dirt cheap. All their consoles were $10 a pop and games were $2 or $3 each. This was back around 1993. I picked up 2 consoles and a boat load of games, Splatterhouse, Legendary Axe, Bonk, Vigilante, Alien Crush, Bloody Wolf, Blazing Lazers, Keith Courage, etc. It was the deal of a lifetime. :) Keep in mind that the consoles didn't come with the boxes nor did the games, only their jewel cases but still a great deal. Ended selling one console years ago but I still have the other hooked up right now. Would've been nice if they had some Turbo CDs for dirt cheap prices, that would've been heaven.
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Wow, its really interesting to hear everyone's stories, makes me wish I got into the tg-16 earlier! That's really cool how Lost Monkey even kept the receipt from back then. I noticed many of you guys saw commercials and ads, which reminds me of something I read earlier. I heard that NEC marketed the system heavily in the bigger cities across the US. I'm not sure if this is true or not. Can anyone confirm this?
Btw- sorry turboswimbz if that came across the wrong way!
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No prob. that was kinda directed at someone else, who had just PM'd me some crap(brand new member), I shouldn't have suggested you were like that, my bad... And yeah you should have started earlier, but good news is you can still learn to OBEY. lol. I'm pretty sure that it is true there was more marketing in the cities. Out where I lived, outside of the cities, TG16 stuff was very rare.
btw KUDOS for starting a cool thread.
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My story is way different than most. I was trying to find interesting, multi-player co-operative games that would make an interesting Tool Assisted Speedrun (TAS). I found Dungeon Explorer, a totally unique game, in the fact that it had an amazing 5 player co-op mode. After making that run, and really liking the platform, I chose 5 more games to make TASes for, 3 of which were published. At that point, I loved the turbografx as a unique platform, but I never thought I'd actually own one.
Fast forward 3 years, and I find the turbografx haul of a life time. I now am getting close to a complete turbografx/CD/SuperCD set. It turned my love into an obsession.
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My parents bought mine for Christmas in 89'... got Blazing Lazers as well. I was 11 at the time, so no job to afford my own games. Didnt really amass many unless it was my birthday or Christmas... but ended up getting World Class Baseball, Legendary Axe, Dungeon Explorer, SideArms, Neutopia, and Cadash. Also had a Turbo Tap, an extra Turbo Pad, and a Turbo Stick. When the Duo was coming out, I sent away for the promo video and begged my parents to get me the system for the next two Christamas's... to no avail. After that, I was old enough to drive and cars became my new passion.
Fast forward to about a year ago and I was helping my parents clean out their basement. Discovered the original system and all the hookups, Turbo Tap, Turbo Stick, SideArms, Dungeon Explorer, and Blazing Lazers. hooked it all up to my TV at home and to my surprise, everything worked! This rekindled my love for the system, and I've been having too much fun ever since!
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I got my first Turbografx-16 in 1990. Back then I was a Sega Master System owner and *loved* R-Type. One day a friend brought over his TG16 and R-Type and it blew me away. The intro music at the start of the first level... OMG. And the graphics! It was love at first sight.
I sold my SMS collection to purchase a TG16 as soon as possible. And the rest was history. :)
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RANDOM MEMORY: In 1989, when I got my first TURBO, Toys-R-Us was still selling some Atari 2600 cartridges! No joke.
You may continue...
In 1989 I was just starting to unload my 2600 games and needed a new game console for our family.
I took the kids to Toys R Us in then to pick out anything they wanted with their Xmas money. They unanimously chose to get an NES. I chose to get both the NES and a shiny new Turbografx and not tell anyone! (I had only seen a few commercials about it, and read up about the "next generation" of gaming machines in papers) I brought it home and powered it up on a little 13" TV switch I had in the Garage. Best night of gaming ever! Played Vigilante and Keith Courage till the early morning. On Xmas eve I decided to give the kids their NES a day early and they played it for a while that night but got a bit bored with it after a while. In the morning they weren't expecting to open any more big gifts, but when they came out to the living room there was another big box waiting for them.. :)
My Ex wife was still pissed that I did that. I overspent by about double and gave myself an early xmas gift that year to boot!! L O L
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RANDOM MEMORY: In 1989, when I got my first TURBO, Toys-R-Us was still selling some Atari 2600 cartridges! No joke.
You may continue...
In 1989 I was just starting to unload my 2600 games and needed a new game console for our family.
I took the kids to Toys R Us in then to pick out anything they wanted with their Xmas money. They unanimously chose to get an NES. I chose to get both the NES and a shiny new Turbografx and not tell anyone! (I had only seen a few commercials about it, and read up about the "next generation" of gaming machines in papers) I brought it home and powered it up on a little 13" TV switch I had in the Garage. Best night of gaming ever! Played Vigilante and Keith Courage till the early morning. On Xmas eve I decided to give the kids their NES a day early and they played it for a while that night but got a bit bored with it after a while. In the morning they weren't expecting to open any more big gifts, but when they came out to the living room there was another big box waiting for them.. :)
My Ex wife was still pissed that I did that. I overspent by about double and gave myself an early xmas gift that year to boot!! L O L
I almost cried reading this (http://junk.tg-16.com/images/pcgs.png).
Such an awesome Xmas for the kids.
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Coming from a country that never had the PCE/TG released, I never had much interest in them - that was until a few years ago.... For long time here in Japan (been here for about 10 years now) I have hoarded every console I ever dreamed of owning when they were released. Honestly though, I never thought about the PCE as it wasn't something that I had any nostalgia for. Blasphemy right?! Then a friend recommended I try a few games out, and in a few short years the PCE/PC-FX is what I am collecting for more than anything else! I can't stop buying!!!
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I fell in love with the design of the TurboDuo, and the ads on EGM for Lords of Thunder made me feel funny inside..
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I know I saw it in VG&CE and Gamepro but the EGM issue is the one that sticks in my mind:
(http://jelloslug.com/stuff/EGM TG-16 1 - small.JPG)
(http://jelloslug.com/stuff/EGM TG-16 2 - small.JPG)
(http://jelloslug.com/stuff/EGM TG-16 3 - small.JPG)
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Here is the VG&CE issue:
(http://jelloslug.com/stuff/VG&CE TG-16 1 - small.JPG)
(http://jelloslug.com/stuff/VG&CE TG-16 2 - small.JPG)
(http://jelloslug.com/stuff/VG&CE TG-16 3 - small.JPG)
(http://jelloslug.com/stuff/VG&CE TG-16 4 - small.JPG)
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And here is the first ad I remember seeing (from an '89 Gamepro issue)
(http://jelloslug.com/stuff/First TG-16 ad 1 - small.JPG)
(http://jelloslug.com/stuff/First TG-16 ad 2 - small.JPG)
(http://jelloslug.com/stuff/First TG-16 ad 3 - small.JPG)
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...awesome pics...
That's incredibly cool, thanks for sharing! :)
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And a little bonus:
(http://jelloslug.com/stuff/VG&CE TE - small.JPG)
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I can scan any of the article, covers, or ads if anyone wants a better copy.
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I can scan any of the article, covers, or ads if anyone wants a better copy.
HELL YES SCAN THOSE :)
http://archives.tg-16.com/help_us.htm#scanning
PM with any and all questions.
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Nice mags! Please do scan 'em in so The Cook can archive 'em.
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Not sure how I've missed this thread? ](*,)
Anyway, unlike most here I was 18-19 years old when the TG-16 was released (born in 1973). I was just finishing up high school and had a job that I'll call full/part time. I was still living at my parents house rent free so I had money. I saw the ads on television and I was instantly hooked. Yeah, I had heard it wasn't a true 16 bit system, but I never got caught up in the 'bit wars'. For me, it was all about graphics and the TG-16 had them even if it didn't technically have the other 8 bits. To me the TG-16 just made more sense than the other consoles, but what really sold me was the hu cards. We were all use to bulky cartridges then the hu card is released and it blew my damn mind. No only did this little card contain a game, but it contained a game that was just as good if not graphically better looking than the competitors! Oh, and as an added bonus you could take the SAME game and pop it into a TE. This was mind blowing for me. It made so much sense and I thought everyone else around me was a fool for buying anything else. Then the CD-ROM attachment came out that could double as a portable CD player and I remember thinking "Wow! Nothing is going to stop this thing!"
In summary, I thought the console was awesome looking. I thought Bonk's Adventure was awesome looking. I thought Splatterhouse was AWESOME looking. I thought the tech behind the hu cards, and CD-ROM was mind blowing. The TG-16 had everything going for it. I didn't even care that it only had 1 controller port. I had friends, but they were too busy playing their Sega's and Nintendo's to come over to my house and play. Besides, most of the games I was into were only single player. Now that I think of it, it's probably why I tend to stay away from PS3 games like COD, MW3, BF3. Multiplayer, even back then, didn't appeal to me.
I walked into Radio Shack and paid full price for my TG-16. My first games were Keith's (of course), Bonk's Adventure, and Splatterhouse. After that, I don't remember buying any additional games. The ads on television stopped and I met my first girlfriend and got, uh... well I got busy. :dance:
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Here are links for scans of the articles that I posted earlier:
www.jelloslug.com/TG-16/ (http://www.jelloslug.com/TG-16/)
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Awesome, thanks jelloslug!
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I have just about every back issue of EGM, VG&CE, and Gamepro from issue 1 of each up through the mid '90s so if there is something specific that someone wants scanned I can probably find it.
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Here are links for scans of the articles that I posted earlier:
www.jelloslug.com/TG-16/ (http://www.jelloslug.com/TG-16/)
Thank you! I put them here:
http://www.tg-16.com/new_turbografx_magazine_scans.htm
...and they will eventually be listed on this page: http://archives.tg-16.com/magazine_database.htm
I have just about every back issue of EGM, VG&CE, and Gamepro from issue 1 of each up through the mid '90s so if there is something specific that someone wants scanned I can probably find it.
I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN! Thanks to the previous scans, I got off my lazy ass and threw together some comparisons this morning and made this thread: http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=13284.msg263093#msg263093
Notice that the resolution/detail from the .pdf is lacking...probably due to the setting chosen when creating the .pdf ... if you still have the original files (.tif) I can use them. Also, call me crazy, but I say we create .pdf's with highest quality (least lossy setting), even if the file size suffers (sucks for mobile users).
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My first discover of the TG-16 was way back in 1989, I already had my NES, but my friend told me his dad got him a new system, so he asked me if he can bring it over to play. He brought over a TG-16 with Bonks Adventure and Keith Courage. I tripped at this "Cards" that came in CD cases & not needing to blow on the to get them to start like the NES. So I was taking back with the bright colors and big sprites from the system. That was the first & last time I played the Turbo Grafix 16. Every since then I've never run into a system or game in the wild when out hunting for games, also Syphic re-introduced me to the system and with the help of another friend getting hooked up with a TG-16, was able to re-live that day I got to play Bonk's and Keith Courage.
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I first saw the commerical with legendary axe around 1989 or so. We first had the nes and was looking to buy the next generation gaming system around 1990 or 91, can't really remember. The turbografx-16 was sleek compared to the genesis and I was captivated about the game cards and like the graphics I saw on tv. My brothers and I bagged our father for one during that christmas season. Finally we ended up picking up one at Montgomery Wards for 99.99. The best Christmas grift we ever got and we don't get much gifts and presents growing up.
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I feel like the odd one out here. I didn't have the TG-16 back when it was still an active system, and it seems like many of you come from richer families than me, haha. I never had more than one system in each gaming generation until I bought my PlayStation in '99 (I already had the N64 since it launched), and my parents never really bought me home consoles since the average cost for them was beyond what my parents wanted to spend on a Christmas/birthday gift. The only exceptions were that they got my brother his NES in '87, and I talked my mom into getting my N64 on the agreement that I would buy my first game for it myself (but even then it was an extravagant gift at the $250 launch price). Anyway, I had to slowly save up the $100-some myself to get my SNES when I was 11. That was for the bare-bones model, since one with a game would've been more expensive yet, but it worked out because Nintendo had an offer for a free copy of Super Mario All-Stars with the purchase of a SNES (although it required me to demonstrate the patience of a saint as I had this shiny new system I was so excited about, which was also my first and only video game system in years as my brother had sold off the NES a while prior, and I had to wait several weeks for the game to arrive by mail). Back then I wasn't even aware of the existence of the TG-16. I don't recall ever seeing an ad for it on TV or elsewhere (didn't subscribe or buy any game magazines until 1995, and that was just Nintendo Power), and I don't remember ever seeing it in stores either. I also didn't know anyone who had it or ever talked about it. Although, admittedly, I didn't even know much about the Genesis, so I don't know how much was me being in a personal gaming bubble or my environment.
Anyway, 1999 was the year that I got a lot more serious (and open-minded, expanding beyond Nintendo) about gaming, and it was also when I started collecting old games, first with the goal to reacquire the NES games I loved as a little kid. Not so coincidentally, it was the year I started using the internet a ton, so I was learning a lot. I'm guessing I first learned of the TG-16 around then. At some point I became interested in owning one, but Dracula X: Rondo of Blood was the real catalyst. I had long been a Castlevania fan and really wanted to play this critically acclaimed but hard to obtain gem, and I wasn't about to resort to glitchy emulation. By sheer luck, I came across a guy on a forum selling the game for $70, which was an excellent deal back then before any US releases existed and you were lucky to get it for under $150. I sat on that copy for quite a while with no system to play it on, and oddly enough, I got another opportunity to pick up a copy which was also for about $70. I flipped that spare copy for around $150 and essentially had Rondo for free. Then in '04 or '05 my fiance surprised me with the Christmas gift of a PC Engine Duo-RX lot he got from Japan Yahoo via a friend acting as a middleman. It came with a bunch of great games and accessories, and he got a great deal himself, only paying something like $120. The rest is history from there, although I can add that it was only a couple years ago that I finally entered the US side of the system. I was participating in a Secret Santa gift exchange and the guy wanted TG-16 games, so I bought a couple small lots, gave the guy several of the games and kept for myself the system and games that he already owned. I got a few good games that way, but I'll always favor the Japanese library over what I consider a somewhat limited US library.
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trust me i had no money back then
and like you, game systems were far too pricey for Christmas.
got most systems used, NES new @ $100 (saved a long time for that)
TG16 new @ $30 (in its last days)
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I feel like the odd one out here. I didn't have the TG-16 back when it was still an active system, and it seems like many of you come from richer families than me, haha.
Not me i got it the console the hard way.When it came out i had a nes by that point so i sold it all and went half with my parents to buy a TG16.To buy the Turbo-CD,i ended up getting a part time job during the summer and i earned enough to buy one.Not to mention when i had enough $ to buy a turdo-cd i remember it having a price cut by that point.
Still the irony in it after the TG16 died out in the u.s i traded it in for store credit.I didn't get the console again until 03.
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We weren't rich, we grew up in the hood where the cars were more expensive than the houses. The only games we bought new were Aero Blasters and Andre Panza Kickboxing but somehow we ended with over ten games. We had a neigbor who's a few years order then us that also had turbografx. We bought both bonks games, china warrior, splatterhouse and legendary axe from him for $10 each. We bought super star soldier from a pawn shop for $15. We bought sinitron, r-type and space harrier from the flea market, can't remember how much we paid for them. Somehow we also ended up with ninja spirit, dungeon explorers and the turbotap with a few controllers. I think I borrowed thoses from a kid at school and never returned them. We had it for a couple of years when it started to act up. Finally we got no picture. My brothers and I got mad and decided to take it outside in the back yard and stomped the hell out of the turbografx. Can't believe we did that. We moved on to other systems from there and forgotten all about the turbografx. Don't ever know what happens to the games. I didn't rediscover the turbografx again until 1999 when I had my first good paying job at $10 per hour when I picked up my first turbo duo system from a retrogaming website.
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My family was actually pretty lower-lower middle class when I was growing up. My parents never bought me anything that cost any significant amount of money. Our 2600 was second-hand, well after the "crash of 83", and they refused to buy me an NES because it was too expensive. But for some reason, they broke their own rules for the Turbo line of consoles. They were divorced, so I maybe when my Dad bought me the TurboGrafx-16, the gloves came off and my Mom was all like, "Oh no you didn't!" and tried to one-up him by getting me the TurboExpress and later the Turbo Duo.
The benefits of a broken home, eh? ;)
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ahhhh it's always (well sometimes anyway) the ones that always wanted them and never got them BITD, that are players now-a-days. LOL! Like wise I never owned a new turbo game or system, my dad bought some used games a long time ago, we only had 9 games Bonk A/ Bonk R, splatterhouse, parasol stars, deep blue, tricky kick, Kieth courage, Boxy boy and Pac land. I always wanted more, started my collection from that when I got back into it. :)
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ahhhh it's always (well sometimes anyway) the ones that always wanted them and never got them BITD, that are players now-a-days. LOL! Like wise I never owned a new turbo game or system, my dad bought some used games a long time ago, we only had 9 games Bonk A/ Bonk R, splatterhouse, parasol stars, deep blue, tricky kick, Kieth courage, Boxy boy and Pac land. I always wanted more, started my collection from that when I got back into it. :)
Even though I owned some games back in the day, I lusted for all of them...so I'm slowly satiating my desire to play all the 8-bit and 16-bit games I missed in my youth. Now that I think about it, it's kind of sad and pathetic.
BUT, I do the same thing with music and films: there are tons of great things out there and I want to taste a lot of them.
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i was working in a used game shop a couple years ago, and one of our pickers brought in a TG16+CD unit, fully working. Had never played TG games on original hardware before, popped in bloody wolf, LOVED IT, especially the music!
My boss decided to keep that system for himself, so i traded a sealed knuckles chaotix for a turbo grafx console on racketboy, and a CD unit also from racketboy. Having that, i then set my sights on a japanese duo system with a region mod. thanks to member keithcourage, i'm now rockin like it's the early nineties.
Growing up, i would read about the turbo in gamepro and the like, but it's a system which is basically unknown in my area. Damn shame, i would love to have nostalgia for these games, then again, it's nice to be able to play them for the first time!
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Don't worry, nostalgia will come fast enough..lol.
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First time I played a TG-16 was when they had a display set up at Children's Palace (it was like Toys R Us) with Keith Courage running. They had that display, side-by-side with a Genesis display running Altered Beast. Honestly, I found the Genesis display more impressive at the time. *ducks*
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Children's Palace! THANK YOU! You just helped me remember where I got my TG16. I've been trying to remember that store's name for years. It was the Children's Palace in Roseville, MN.
And yes, at first I picked out the Genesis, but the TG16 was $20 cheaper, so I got that instead. Best gaming decision ever.
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That's hilarious. Great story!
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For lack of an introduction thread I guess I'll start here.
I spent seven years working in a used games store and I had always been a bit of a collector. The first year and a half that I worked there we had a TG-16 for sale and I always told myself that I would buy it one day. On two occasions people bought the system before I could and returned it for one BS reason or another (most likely just didn't know what it was). The third time someone bought it it was gone. So I was pretty angry at myself for letting it pass me by. However a few months later a middle aged man looking to get some cash came in with a TurboExpress, TV tuner, Bonk's Revenge, and a bunch of junk SNES games. We made a deal for the SNES stuff through the store but I personally bought all the Turbo stuff off of him for a very nice price. The Express worked great, no sound though, I got a few solid months of playing out of it before the screen started to go. Apparently this happens (IDK). Now I'm just looking for a way to repair the system and hopefully get a chance to play the other two Hu Cards I have picked up since.
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That 'Express likely just needs a cap job, so hit the repair area for specifics or contact one of the local repair gurus (chops, thesteve, bmw, keith, etc.) if you don't want to do it yourself. Mine was the same way (no video or sound), but good ol' chops fixed her right up and I couldn't be happier. 8)
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I was already quite the gamer by the time that the Turbo came around. Started playing Atari 2600 at around 3 years old (system released the same year and month I was born), my Dad got a NES for Christmas the year it came out, and I loved most of the games that I played on that system.
I remember seeing the Turbo Grafx and PC Engine in game magazines back in 1988/89 if I remember correctly. I was instantly hooked. When you looked at the tech specs as well, it just seemed like the better system, more on screen colors, for one was a big selling point during the 16 bit era as I recall. The TurboChip tech was mind blowing and cool, and overall I just liked the "vibe" that I got from the system.
I remember seeing the systems and the games at the Fred Meyer is Marysville, WA and also at the Toys R Us in Everett, WA and just drooling over it. The Genesis, while a good system, was instantly on my shit-list. There was NO WAY it could compare to the Turbo!! I also love the fact that it was the underdog, but I was sure there was no way it could lose once they started importing all those awesome games from Japan! *sigh* I defended the Turbo rabidly to all nay sayers. I was ecstatic the year I got one for Christmas in 1989. Couldn't put it down and saved up all my money to buy games. I'd put things on layaway and pay over time if needed.
Then in 1990 I got the TG-CD. This was a shock because of the price and the fact being a military famliy, we didn't exactly have a ton of cash, but since my Dad was always into new tech, and had a shitty childhood, he always went all out at Christmas for us. I remember getting Sherlock Holmes and Ys Book I&II with the unit...best Christmas ever! Best part was also that I could go to all my Genesis playing friends and was like "What now bitches!! Look at this CD amazeballs shit!!! Ys, motherf*ckers!!!!" (Or something similar to that LOL).
With that I was confident that I had just won the console war.
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I got mine in 91 from my rich cousin who didn't want it cause it didn't play Mario or Sonic games. With that being said before he gave it to me I feel inlove with this machine cause of 2 games R-Type and Raiden whick to this day I still have the games, unfortunately the console was lost when I moved to Vegas. I almost sold all the games I had for it but for some reason I couldn't, about 6 years ago I was doing a construction job and the owner of the house I was working on ask me if I could help him move some stuff from his garage to the curb. I did and in a box in the corner I saw a Turbo with a few games, complete system, he said it was his when e was young, long story short I told him my story 3 days after we finish the job he called me to the garage and told me to take it, he knew it was going to a good home.
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Back in 1989, I saved up and bought a turbografx-16 with my own money from a sketchy local store. My first game was JJ and Jeff. :oops: It was almost my last, but luckily my friend got Bloody Wolf.
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Back in 1989, I saved up and bought a turbografx-16 with my own money from a sketchy local store. My first game was JJ and Jeff. :oops: It was almost my last, but luckily my friend got Bloody Wolf.
lol
I remember the first game I played on the TG16 was bloody wolf.
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I first got to play The Tg16 in 91 when I was 11 years old .. An older cousin of mine named Frank had come from Mexico to live with my family for a while to work for my father's construction business .. On the weekends we would both take the bus together to a Toy's R Us in Bell Gardens ca and would go check out all the newest toys and video games .. I remember the day we went back to Toy's R Us and saw the turbografx16 .. I told him in spanish look Frank theirs the Turbografx16 .. I was like wow that's the super cool system and it's down to $99.99 !! I had remembered seeing all the Tg16 commercials .. And told him you have got to buy it Frank !! He did that day and also bought Victory Run, China Warrior and Ninja spirit I think .. It was soo amazing to see those little Turbo Chip Hu Cards .. We were both like woah, how is it that these little cards have games in them ?? A year later or so he went back home to Mexico and I never got to play a Tg16 again, until 2001 when I scored on my very own Tg16 from a friend of mine that gave it to me with a few games and it had no ac adapter or a rf cord .. I went out and bought both ac adapter and rf cable from a electronics store called Net Electronics .. It felt so good to play a Tg16 again !! It reminded me of all the awesome times I spent with my cousin playing Tg16, eating Now & later candies and reading Gamepro magazine for all the latest tips and secrets .. Shortly after that I discovered the Turbo Zone Direct mailing order catalog and ordered a few games for it .. I now wish I could kick myself in the ass for not ordering a Turboduo from them and more new items .. They had em new in the box for $199.99 !! I just the other day found some catalogs I printed back in 01 and this awesome one that Tzd Direct sent me in the mail ..
Thank you cousin Frank for being my hero and inspiration when it comes to gaming !!!
http://imageshack.us/a/img268/8724/img0002pvk.jpg
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NGH - That's pretty cool. I wish I had know about TZD at all... I would have bought so much stuff.
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ADVISORY: Although I haven't commented on each story individually, I just wanted to say that I have enjoyed reading all of the anecdotes!
Keep 'em coming (http://junk.tg-16.com/images/pcgs.png).
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ADVISORY: Although I haven't commented on each story individually, I just wanted to say that I have enjoyed reading all of the anecdotes!
Keep 'em coming [
+1
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lol Hah !! What can I say ?? I guess the Tg16 has a lot of fun stories and memories when it comes to how Ive acquired my collection over the years .. I'm Just glad I came across this site and have found so many cool and helpful people on here .. Thanks you guys ..
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For me it was the NickArcade TV Show, it used to show Bonk all the time as one of the Arcade games, I had to research and found it was a TurboGrafx Game. Thats how I first heard of the system. Late (and more recently) I saw a post on a thread with someone selling the system, being curious about it for years I picked it up, played it, then replaced it with a TurboDuo and I'm still loving it ^_^ Splatterhouse was my must have game and someday I'll give Bonk (the start of my TurboGrafx Story) a try
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ADVISORY: Although I haven't commented on each story individually, I just wanted to say that I have enjoyed reading all of the anecdotes!
Keep 'em coming (http://junk.tg-16.com/images/pcgs.png).
You read my mind, esteban! Thanks everyone for sharing your stories!
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I was ten years old in 1989 when the Sega Genesis and Turbo Grafx 16 were released. I begged my parents for a Sega Genesis but they told me it was too expensive and I would have to make do with my NES. I will never forget Christmas morning 1989 when I became the proud owner of a Sega Genesis.
I loved my Genesis. To say I became a Genesis fan boy would be an understatement. I was fiercely loyal to Sega and any time a Turbo Grafx vs Genesis debate would flare up at school I was the first to jump in and proudly extol the virtues of the Genesis over the Turbo. I knew my parents would never get me both systems, and if I couldn't have the Turbo Grafx then I decided I was going to hate it. I have a vivid memory of drawing an anthropomorphic Sega Genesis that was plunging a sword through a Turbo Grafx as blood dripped from its corpse. Yea, I took fanboy to a new level when I was a kid. It wasn't enough to simply enjoy my Genesis, there was a war going on and the Turbo Grafx was my sworn enemy.
But, as much as I loved my Genesis, there was always a nagging question that would keep me up at night. I don't mean that figuratively, I would literally lay awake at night wondering, even panicking... Should I have chosen the Turbo Grafx instead? I saw commercials featuring Legendary Axe, Blazing Lazers and Bonks Adventure. Oh my god, I thought, those games look... amazing.
I spent a huge amount of time and energy hating the Turbo Grafx but deep down I wanted nothing more than to experience the Turbo Grafx games for myself. It was the old grass is greener effect. Those games had to be great because they were the ones I couldn't have. A few years would pass and the 16 bit war turned into Sega vs Nintendo as the poor Turbo seemed to fade away. Then one day in Toys R Us I saw that they were getting rid of their Turbo Grafx inventory and were selling them for $59. I wasn't the immature fanboy anymore and I couldn't pass it up. I was finally the proud owner of a Turbo Grafx 16. It felt good to shed my immature vitriol for the system I once pretended to hate and I finally got to enjoy the games that had such a psychological hold over me as a child.
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I was ten years old in 1989 when the Sega Genesis and Turbo Grafx 16 were released. I begged my parents for a Sega Genesis but they told me it was too expensive and I would have to make do with my NES. I will never forget Christmas morning 1989 when I became the proud owner of a Sega Genesis.
I loved my Genesis. To say I became a Genesis fan boy would be an understatement. I was fiercely loyal to Sega and any time a Turbo Grafx vs Genesis debate would flare up at school I was the first to jump in and proudly extol the virtues of the Genesis over the Turbo. I knew my parents would never get me both systems, and if I couldn't have the Turbo Grafx then I decided I was going to hate it. I have a vivid memory of drawing an anthropomorphic Sega Genesis that was plunging a sword through a Turbo Grafx as blood dripped from its corpse. Yea, I took fanboy to a new level when I was a kid. It wasn't enough to simply enjoy my Genesis, there was a war going on and the Turbo Grafx was my sworn enemy.
But, as much as I loved my Genesis, there was always a nagging question that would keep me up at night. I don't mean that figuratively, I would literally lay awake at night wondering, even panicking... Should I have chosen the Turbo Grafx instead? I saw commercials featuring Legendary Axe, Blazing Lazers and Bonks Adventure. Oh my god, I thought, those games look... amazing.
I spent a huge amount of time and energy hating the Turbo Grafx but deep down I wanted nothing more than to experience the Turbo Grafx games for myself. It was the old grass is greener effect. Those games had to be great because they were the ones I couldn't have. A few years would pass and the 16 bit war turned into Sega vs Nintendo as the poor Turbo seemed to fade away. Then one day in Toys R Us I saw that they were getting rid of their Turbo Grafx inventory and were selling them for $59. I wasn't the immature fanboy anymore and I couldn't pass it up. I was finally the proud owner of a Turbo Grafx 16. It felt good to shed my immature vitriol for the system I once pretended to hate and I finally got to enjoy the games that had such a psychological hold over me as a child.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Love conquers all.
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I just remember the commercials and wanting a TG over the other systems. When I was 18, the TG-16 was one of the first things I bought with my new job money...I bought a brand new one at KB Toys for 99.99 with a half dozen games (the system was about $50 and the games were deeply discounted). I remember wanting a Turboexpress but thinking how insane NEC was for the price point they expected. I sold my Turbo and all the games in the late 90's when I decided to stop having sex and get married. Good times.
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I sold my Turbo and all the games in the late 90's when I decided to stop having sex and get married. Good times.
Hahhahhahahahhahhaha. Good times. (http://junk.tg-16.com/images/pcg0.png)
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I remember that issue of VGCE (video game and computer entertainment) with the Turbo on it and I kept reading that article to find out as much as I can about the system, once I say Blazing lazers, that was it for me (SHMUPs are my fav. kind of games). One day in 1989 during my lunch hour at school I walked the nearest store (Towers, one of the few stores that has the turbo at that time). I bought the system and Walked back to school and man, was everyone drooling over the system, since I was carrying it by the handle. I put it into my locker ad was scared that someone might steal it, so I kept going to my locker to check on it. Went home right after school an played KC in AZ, I think I played it until midnight or something like that.
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I remember that issue of VGCA (video game and computer entertainment) with the Turbo on it
This?
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3633/4559481384_176ec76c27_z.jpg)
Hells yeah! I remember picking this up when I was at a school summer program at ASU when I was a rising sophomore. I remember reading this mag cover to cover and also going the the student commons arcade where R-Type and Street Fighter (the first one) were the rage.
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Ah, brings back memories. A good friend of mine had the Turbo when I was growing up. We use to skip school and play countless hours of Double Dungeons. We would often throw in other games to the mix, like Bonk and Splatterhouse, but DD was what I remember most. I personally never had one, since I already had a SNES and when the Genesis 2 went to $99, picked one of those up. I remember seeing them on clearance at Toys'R'Us, when they still had the ticket you brought up to the front, for $50. My friend already had the Turbo, so I figured I'd grab a Genny. I still regret it, since they had a ton of clearance turbo games as well and am pretty sure that the all mighty Magical Chase was one of them. What can you do, I got blinded by Sonic's speed I guess. Plus I was maybe 13 or 14, so I didn't have much disposable income and my parents weren't going to buy it for me just because I wanted it.
Back in 2006 or 2007, My wife and I finally made space in the basement, which is partially finished. I quickly took claim and setup my old consoles to a cheap TV I bought from work. This was just before what I like to call the "retro age" where retro consoles became the cool thing to have. Now that I was in my 20's, I had money to blow on items from my past I didn't get to have, so I went out and found a Turbo on Ebay and let the good times roll. Then I went a little nuts and picked up a few others, like the CD unit, a Core I and Core II (with Briefcase for the Core and CDROM2 for the Core II), Turbo Duo, Duo-R, and an Express. Needless to say, it is my favorite console (slightly beating out the Dreamcast).
Unfortunately, I changed jobs and then positions within my new job since setting up the basement and time is no longer as bountiful as it once was. Hopefully I will have more time to visit the forum and play some more Turbo in the future. Once you get to know the regulars here (and keep on their good side!), its a great place to learn.
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I remember that issue of VGCA (video game and computer entertainment) with the Turbo on it
This?
(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3633/4559481384_176ec76c27_z.jpg)
Hells yeah! I remember picking this up when I was at a school summer program at ASU when I was a rising sophomore. I remember reading this mag cover to cover and also going the the student commons arcade where R-Type and Street Fighter (the first one) were the rage.
I have scans of that article here: http://jelloslug.com/TG-16/