Turbo Grafx Collecting

[FiftyQuid]

Slightly off the main topic however I created a thread a while ago which compares the cover art work of TG16 and PCE releases.

http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=9703.0

I must find some time to complete this along with fixing the dodgy links etc.

Awesome.  Thanks for this link.  I've never come across this thread before.

[T2KFreeker]

Hmm, collecting. Well, to hear some poeple on here, there are no good Turbografx games that can't be had on the PC Engine, so, go figure. Seriously though, my all time favorite system. Not collecting everything. However, there is a groovy handful of games I have and still some I wants too. Magical Chase ain't happening though, sadly. Too rich for my blood.

[Corredor X]

I only buy the ones I'll really be playing, but I must say the idea of completing the whole run of titles of a console is a very interesting one. The TG-16/PCE library is no exception...

[DragonmasterDan]

Hmm, collecting. Well, to hear some poeple on here, there are no good Turbografx games that can't be had on the PC Engine, so, go figure.

Beyond Shadowgate

[vestcoat]

Order of the Griffon

[King_Vidiot]

love me some OotG 

[Keith Courage]

truthfully I never really paid much attention to the cover art when I was younger. However, I did think it looked awfully generic that most of the games themselves where just one color with the name of the game in another color over them.

[esteban]

UPDATE: This isn't over!

IS IT OVER?: Hell no. Also, I will be insulting and attack your sense of style. I will question your taste. I will flip everything upside down and claim that YOU DESIRE GENERIC COMMERCIAL GARBAGE (you can have it) whilst I APPRECIATE UNDERSTATED PAINTINGS that didn't even try to compete with OVERLY SLICK COMMERCIAL CRAP you lust for. I am not claiming that this was NEC's bold plan (to take a principled stance against overly slick commercial art); I am simply claiming that NEC, somehow (probably via ineptitude) made a GENUINE, CONSISTENT and IMPORTANT contribution to the industry in regard to cover art.   

LITMUS TEST: I will gladly own all the original paintings used for the bulk of TG-16/TG-CD releases (especially earlier coverart, before NEC/TTi/XXX started experimenting with other things) and display them proudly in my home.

WHY?: Because the coverart you folks want is truly slick, commercial art and GENERIC (oh, the irony!). YOU WANT IT. YOU CAN HAVE IT. I realized many years ago that the "uninspired" paintings that NEC commissioned = The North American TG-16 aesthetic, and therefore should be seen as a UNIQUE, SPECIAL GIFT from our corporate forbears.

CONFESSION: Back in the day, I wanted exactly what you wanted: I wanted TG-16 to match the slick, commercial art of the industry. I, too, longed for the XTREME and the COMMERCIAL and the JAPONAISE. Thankfully, those dark days are long behind me. I feel bad for all of you as I place my plump, pompous ass on a cushion overstuffed with superiority and contrarianism.

UNINSPIRED, BUT NOT "HORRIFIC": Uninspired as they may be (I'm excluding TG-16 Dungeon Explorer and Victory Run, which are, admittedly, clip-art-cum-painting-cum-coffee-shop-wall-decoration), they now stand out as the "bland oeuvre" I associate with TG-16 aesthetics. I actually think it's a wonderfully consistent and charming element.

NOT GENERIC, NOT UNINSPIRED, BUT RATHER--UNDERSTATED: As the years pass me by like a train that has cancelled all local stops, I realize that many of the paintings are understated, but actually interesting compositions.

NOT BAD, BUT RATHER--GOOFY/CORNY: Sure, a lot of the covers are corny/goofy, but this is far more charming and honest to the content of the actual games than the "GENERIC KOOL" you guys apparently still clamor for.

PAINTINGS?: That's right. PAINTINGS. Goddamn museum-worthy, understated paintings, you naysayers.

[jelloslug]

People complan about TG-16 cover art when the NES had classics like this:

[vestcoat]

Esteban used to be such a nice guy.

[esteban]

Esteban used to be such a nice guy.

RESPONSE: Quite true.

[flywheels]

I jumped into the TG-16 scene when Toys 'R Us stores had all their Turbo stuff on deep clearance.  I can't remember what I paid for everything, but I know it would be considered a steal these days.  Years later I dumped all the Turbo stuff in favor of buying a PC Engine Duo RX (although I now use the gray/orange CoreGrafx + Super CD-ROM 2).  Now I really really want to buy a TG-16 console again and buy some of the U.S. Turbo Chip games...but man has this stuff gotten pricey!

[vestcoat]

Welcome to the forums, Flywheels. Interesting Turbo history. The pre-1992 Turbochips are still cheap, especially if you're not CIB collecting.

[Alt-Nintega1]

I was wondering..... Are most people in here out to own a copy of Every U.S. released Turbo Grafx game or do most of you just buy the good games that you enjoy and forget or sell off the lousy ones?

I play the games I like. But also would like to collect every US title just because Turbo stuff is a collectable hobby. The games I don't like will just sit on a shelf just like a baseball card would, or a record or book etc.

[SignOfZeta]

In the mid 90s a fellow Turbo fan and I were joking about how collecting the complete TG-16 library would be an interesting goal. Neither of us had ever considered or even heard of anyone collecting a "complete" anything. We were humored by the idea of collecting all TG-16 in the same way hipster douchebags are amused by the idea of collecting the complete Huey Lewis and the News world-wide discography or how white supremacists collect tar baby miniatures.

"This shit sucks, wouldn't it be HILARIOUS to collect it!? Ha!"

They idea that people actually do collect it, honestly, earnestly, not even realizing how shitty it is, (or worse/better they DO realize how shitty it is but for some reason they love stuff that sucks) is nothing short of amazing, and the prices people are paying...

...I think TG-16 "collector" scene has done what few have achieved. Like reality television and the Republican party, it has gone so next level into the areas of sucky and stupid and obliviousness to its own sucky stupidity that its BEYOND PARODY.

Like...I can't even come up with jokes to describe how crappy and insane TG-16 collecting is anymore.

"You'd probably pay $40 for this POS!"

"Nope! I paid $55!"

"You probably see something well made but, out of fear of competency, reject it and pay more for something shittier. Right Estaban?"
"Yep!"

Seriously, can anyone even explain WTF is going on in this illustration?



The road is...a hoceky mask? Or...WTF is this?

The answer is not "awesome", btw.