The PC Engine GT

[soop]

You know what?  When some of us were younger (around the time the GT came out), the GT was widely regarded as the king of the handhelds.  Certainly, I'd say it wasn't until the Gameboy Advance came out that anything came close to it technically.

Well a few months back (about 6 months maybe) I found a bunch of my old gameboy games and my trusty gameboy pocket.  Since then, I don't think I've gone anywhere without a gameboy.  I even started buying up all the cheap gameboys I could find, and now I have quite a few (and some of my friends have benefitted from my benevolence )

The main thing for me, before battery life and size (and I suppose comarative value) is that gameboy games are purposely designed for the hardware.  When I used to have only a GT, I used to dream of playing on an actual TV (and I still remember how excited I was when I learned I could use a MD adaptor and powered on my Core Grafx for the first time).  I started a thread a while back about the games suitable for play on the GT, but the Gameboy just has so many good games that work so well.  Especially puzzle games, which I so love.

It's not just down to the screen's now-poor resolution, it's the basic gameplay too.  In fact, the same criticism can be levelled at the Nomad, even with a lovely modded screen; Megadrive games, like PC Engine games were meant to be played hours at a time in front of a TV.

Another downfall is the miniscule number of link-up games for the GT- which are 2 player maximum.  I guess it is again, economic reasons - everyone had a gameboy, so multiplayer games made more sense.  The Nomad is weird on this one since it supports 4 players, but you share a screen.

So while I'm happy to now own a large number of great gameboy games for very little money (a few bucks each - I think Castlevania 2 was by far the most expensive at £7) it's kind of sad to me that my GTs have lost a lot of their lustre.  They're not going to get modded, they're not going to be used at home, and they're only really going to be used when I have a distinct desire to play a certain game when I'm out and on my own. 

Everywhere I turn, it seems like whatever I want to do, something else can do it better than the poor old GT .

And this is coming from someone who's a lifelong fan, and (pretty sure here) I've been the owner of a PC Engine GT longer than any other console.  Sad times at the circle K.

[SignOfZeta]

Yeah, a great handheld game and a great console game are different things.

[RegalSin]

The GT is still a greater system then these monsters. If people had stop developing for the NES and just deved for the Turbo, then your prayers would have been answered.

[HercTNT]

Regal thats the most coherent thing you have ever said and its very true! If only a few more devs had jumped on board with the turbo............oh what it could have been.

[lukester]

The PC Engine GT may have a lower resolution than the actual system, but it is still a great handheld. Comparing it to the Sega Nomad is not very fair. I sold my Nomad for 2 reasons,1. it was too big.2. my hands were very cramped.
My GT came in the mail today, and so far I am very happy with it . now, I can play great games like SonSon II, Parodius, Mr. Heli, and so many more on the go!

P.S. the GT may be like abrick, but so is the gameboy

[MotherGunner]

Regal, more comments like this please.  Good job.  =)

[thesteve]

my TE has upgrades that make it do all i ever wanted it to.
guess thats what ya get with a high res larger screen and switchless region mod.

[SignOfZeta]

His point is that as a portable system it kind of sucks. The fact that its huge and the screen sucks and it eats batteries like a monster isn't even that important.

Look at how much different Neo Geo games are than Neo Geo Pocket games. I like the fact that Metal Slug is hard as hell. I like trying to go all through the level without dying so I can get points for all the hostages, but if you play regular Metal Slug on a train and some guy bumps your elbow and you get hit by a missile you die, totally not your fault, and there is nothing you can do about it. With Metal Slug on NGP you have a life bar, there is a greater emphasis on exploration and multiple play-thoughs, way more missions, saving, etc. Both are Metal Slug, both are good, but they are way different.

Nintendo understood this concept which is why they bent over backwards to make sure they had Tetris. Its why Super Mario Land had had such high contrast backgrounds and redesigned sprites; even on that piece of shit green screen it was easier to see WTF you were going that %90 of all Game Gear and Express/GT  games. You can even read text on a Gameboy!

NES developers weren't going to make the difference. Nobody was going to design a HuCard primarily for handheld usage. If a bunch of shitty NES developers made Turbo games you'd just have more crap like Darkwing Duck. You still wouldn't be able to do things like...you know, save.

The Express/GT really was an ass kicking piece of hardware for its time, but then so was the Model T. In this day and age its mostly just a curiosity with very little practical use as there are dozens of ways to play TG games on the go that allow you to save, play CD titles, not have to change batteries every 90 minutes, see what the f*ck you are looking at, etc.

[soop]

^ This.  I'll still love the GT till the day I die, but I just won't use it as much as dedicated portable systems.

[esteban]

...Especially puzzle games, which I so love.

BLODIA.

It's not just down to the screen's now-poor resolution, it's the basic gameplay too.  In fact, the same criticism can be levelled at the Nomad, even with a lovely modded screen; Megadrive games, like PC Engine games were meant to be played hours at a time in front of a TV.

Ha! I felt the opposite—I wanted to play all my games on the GT (well, the TurboExpress here in the States). So I hooked up my NES and TG-CD to the TE's little screen. When visiting friends, I would hook up SMS and Genesis to the TurboExpress and we would crowd around the lilliputian screen for some 2+ co-op gaming bliss. I still remember the delight playing 2-player co-op with Wonderboy III: Monster Lair on the TG-CD!



OK, I'm teasing you, but I really did hook up all those consoles to the TurboExpress and play some games viewing the tiny screen. It was for the novelty + lack of proper televisions (when I was a kid, folks had to fight for TV time and time-sharing policies seriously infringed on our ability to play. Time-sharing was applied to the computer, as well.

Everywhere I turn, it seems like whatever I want to do, something else can do it better than the poor old GT .  ...And this is coming from someone who's a lifelong fan, and (pretty sure here) I've been the owner of a PC Engine GT longer than any other console.  Sad times at the circle K.

True, but you haven't truly lived until you play 5-player MotoRoader on the GT screen. In serious!

All joking aside (again, I know most folks would consider my comments entirely farcical), I still love the TurboExpress/GT. It held its own, IMHO.

[thesteve]

its the only portable i use.
as for pocket games for pocket systems i was never a fan of such things

[SignOfZeta]

Do you actually use it though? I'm almost done with my third play through of Super Robot Wars Z2 (PSP) since it came out early last year, probably 100 hours or so. Have you used your Express that much? ie: Have you changed the batteries 35 times?

[roflmao]

I go out RVing as much as possible and take my Express with me because it's a lot easier than getting behind the TV and unplugging everything.  But when I use the Express in the RV it's often powered by an AC adapter.  It had a cap swap almost a year ago.  Since then I've probably put 20-30 hours on it.  I have found that if I can get decent playing a shmup on the Express, when I get home, playing it on a normal TV it often noticeably easier.

[soop]

Since Xmas, I have over 24 hours on Professor Layton alone (DS), about 6 hours on the GBA (mainly multiplayer bomberman) about the same on the Gameboy (Mainly Trax).

I haven't played the GT.

[thesteve]

ive got 2 sets of rechargeables for mine and i swap them out.
its the system i take with me so im on it more than my others