Turbo in the news (sort of)

[motdelbourt]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2012/feb/01/charlie-brooker-tokyo-japan-games?INTCMP=SRCH

I'm not in a position to evaluate this author's assessment of Japan/Akihabara, but I agree with him about the games. I always had this sense that somehow the Turbo could somehow get away with more than say, Nintendo. It was like the Turbo built on what the NES achieved but went down a more focused and different path than the more cosmopolitan Sega or Nintendo.

[esteban]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2012/feb/01/charlie-brooker-tokyo-japan-games?INTCMP=SRCH

I'm not in a position to evaluate this author's assessment of Japan/Akihabara, but I agree with him about the games. I always had this sense that somehow the Turbo could somehow get away with more than say, Nintendo. It was like the Turbo built on what the NES achieved but went down a more focused and different path than the more cosmopolitan Sega or Nintendo.

I hear what you are saying, but I don't know if Turbo was significantly different than its competitors. I think that each company has had an interesting history of censoring themselves/pushing boundaries in the North American market.

In general, the Japanese market always seemed more permissive than the U.S. market ever was.

[stream of consciousness, where I attempt to show Nintendo NES was not 100% "kiddie", Sega was not necessarily at the forefront of "mature gaming", blah, blah ]

I don't think Photograph Boy would have been released in the U.S. without some revisions...but Splatterhouse did make it here (NEC was more concerned about Rick not being a 100% rip-off of Jason...hence swapping out the hockey mask).

The early CD games featured cinemas (Final Zone II, Last Alert, Valis II) with some graphic violence that wasn't typical of Nintendo/Sega, but I can't help but feel that Ninja Gaiden (1989) on NES featured a "mature" storyline with death/violence/intrigue that was on-par (if not better) than titles to appear later on Genesis/SNES/Neo-Geo/TG-16. Cosmic Fantasy's storyline gets points for being so appealing (with hints at "mature" themes).

Ninja Gaiden predates the 16-bit generation, was a hugely popular title, and was on Nintendo "family safe" NES console.

To me, the best part of Splatterhouse was when Rick's girlfriend transforms into a hideous beast and must be beaten to a pulp by Rick. Here, it's the concept that is most disturbing. All the graphic violence in Splatterhouse can't match this emotionally disturbing scene (although the fetuses at the end of the game are a nice. Rick slays fetuses.)

But, Bionic Commando features thinly veiled references to a reincarnated Hitler determined to "finish where he left off." If you take this concept to its logical conclusion, it is far more disturbing than the banality of 99.99% of games. Warlords seeking world domination is hackneyed in video games...but Hitler's brand of ideology (replete with concentration camps) is far more disturbing. The concept, again, is where true horror lies.

BOTTOM LINE: There is a fundamental difference between "graphic sex/violence" and "truly subversive/disturbing". I propose that very popular NES titles were actually far more subversive than the silly (downright goofy) garbage proffered by "Night Trap" on Sega-CD, the SUPERFICIAL debate over blood (or lack thereof) in Street Fighter II for SNES/Genesis/PCE, etc.

BONUS: I know that Mortal Kombat is a polarizing topic. Does it transcend the schlocky graphic violence (gore, blood, guts)? I'm not sure. I already argued that Splatterhouse transcends (however briefly) being merely gore and blood.

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