The TurboGrafx 16 Coin-Op System

[Mr^Burns]

NEC partnered with a small manufacturer called United Artists Theater Amusements to create the TurboGrafx-16 System in 1989. Little more than the most basic of boards with modified game cards to prevent from retail software purchase, the distributor was selling the system for $995 for a single hardware and game. While they banked on an expanding software library from American developers like Cinemaware, none of the benefits of the particular games in their library were well exemplified by the arcade setting. The operators were annoyed by NEC’s tepid half-measures and the system was discontinued in 1990.

https://thehistoryofhowweplay.wordpress.com/2021/10/13/home-to-the-arcade-a-perfect-translation/

[roflmao]

Wow, what a cool read. NEC made terrible decisions across the board when it came to the TurboGrafx-16.

[majors]

I've always wondered if NEC officially did this (make a arcade version of the console) in Japan. I've seen a few listed on YAJ but they always seem homemade or prototype looking.

From what I can tell, the Irem M72 board had a lot of ports to obey...it's kinda like the ST-V and Saturn (or Namco System 11 and PS1). Having the Irem hardware already out there, might have made making a PCE arcade board kinda silly. Of course we have that Bloody Wolf one off board from Data East that (I'm told) is a beefed up PCE.

[gex]

Oh holy cow, thanks for sharing. Pictures of the JAMMA back in the day are extremely rare

[Golden Wheels]

I have a few PCE arcade conversion units from Korea, they certainly seem "home made" to some degree. I'm not sure I ever got either working 100% but one has the digital play timer and the whole deal.

The Tourvision from France (I think?) was a little more of a "finished unit" a la a Play Choice 10.