Ys Book 1 & 2 - GamePro review (and other stuff from old magazines)

[Gentlegamer]

I was about to quip that perhaps GST is Canadian welfare (  :-" ), then I Googled and saw that it is a Goods and Services Tax, and a GST check is a refund on this tax (I think).

[ceti alpha]

I was about to quip that perhaps GST is Canadian welfare (  Whistle ), then I Googled and saw that it is a Goods and Services Tax, and a GST check is a refund on this tax (I think).

Correct.  The GST was created to basically help pay down our debt. We've been paying off our debt annually for the last 13 or 14 years and we've made a considerable dent. Thanks to the GST and excellent fiscal management from the Liberals. But there's still a lot more to pay off.  But there's no turning back now. Running a deficit and wild spending is a sure way to lose power in Canada. It's become part of Canadian policy whether you're a Conservative or a Liberal. I can't speak for the NDP, but they'll never be in power anyway. hehe. So, at the rate we're going now, Canada should be debt free in about 15 to 20 years.

The US has to really hunker down and start paying off their debt. And we're talking trillions and trillions.  Makes me nauseous just thinking about it.   

[Keranu]

The US has to really hunker down and start paying off their debt. And we're talking trillions and trillions.  Makes me nauseous just thinking about it.   

But don't you just love the fact that we spend millions of dollars each day for our troops in Iraq?  We gotta get dem terrorists, damn it!

[Joe Redifer]

GamePro hates the TurboDuo with a passion.  They gave it a HUGE thumbs down!



Are you gonna just sit there and take that?  WELL??!!?

[Necromancer]

Eh, some of the article is fact.  The Duo was $300 and a good value, had less buttons than the competition, had a smaller library with minimal third party support, yet had some of the best five player gaming action.  I won't argue with the words, but the giant thumbs down graphic can suck my sweaty sack.  This is for you, bud:

....................../´¯/)
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.................../..../
............./´¯/'...'/´¯¯`·¸
........../'/.../..../......./¨¯\
........('(...´...´.... ¯~/'...')
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..........''...\.......... _.·´
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[ceti alpha]

Are you gonna just sit there and take that?  WELL??!!?

haha Joe. 

Well, first of all, "2 Super CD"? What is that? Secondly, it's 8 bit CPU is faster and more of a work horse than the SNES' CPU. As for its 16-bit processor, there's actually two of them, which explains why the Turbo makes games hold up and in some cases are better than its Genesis and SNES counterparts.

The two button controller was kinda embarrassing back in the day when you had the 6 button SNES and the 3 button Genesis. However, there really weren't that many games that actually used anymore than two buttons at that time. So, the controller issue really was more of an image thing. "Look, we have more buttons!!!" Though it was annoying the times when you had to use the select button.

CD access time annoying? Yeah, those couple seconds are really annoying....   I hope that reviewer has gotten over his CD apprehension over the years given the fact that even NINTENDO uses CDs now. I'd hate to see his review of Halo: "It's an amazing game, but I just can't wait around for the maps to load so I don't bother playing it."

TTI's titles are more suited for the Japanese market. Well, that's what I loved about the Turbo. I believe EGM, in their 16 bit war review, said that the Turbo Grafx 16 would lead the pack if they could bring over more of their Japanese titles. The Turbo's Japanese flare was an asset, not a hindrance. If only TTI/NEC understood that, the system would have done a lot better in North America. But instead they seemed to take these lame reviewers to heart.

57 games, eh? I'm pretty sure the number of games (CD and Turbochip) was higher than that by '93....no, I'm actually positive. And apparently this reviewer really didn't bother to look beyond the 4-in-one disc.  Bonk and Bomberman are great games and the most familiar, but I think most here can agree that there are many more games that are equally if not more fun.

Anyway, I remember these dark days for the Turbo. It seemed that these magazines were out to destroy it with dumbass reviews like this. I think what I hated most was the whole "it's actually only an 8-bit CPU 'revelation'". Sure, it's true. The Turbo Grafx 16 only had an 8 bit CPU, but it still stood up to the competition. Instead, these reviewers completely dismissed the Turbo based on this without really taking a look at the machine and its games.

I give this review a thumbs down for being lame. 
 

[ccovell]

As for its 16-bit processor, there's actually two of them, which explains why the Turbo makes games hold up and in some cases are better than its Genesis and SNES counterparts.

I love the Turbo, but I don't think it's fair for the other systems to call the VCE a 16-bit "processor".  It primarily handles pixel width and colour generation from the VDC's output.  You know, kinda like the VDC is the Michelangelo drawing 124,000 boxes on a canvas in intricate formations, and the VCE is a child with a box of crayons filling in those boxes like a colour-by-number project.   

[ceti alpha]

love the Turbo, but I don't think it's fair for the other systems to call the VCE a 16-bit "processor".  It primarily handles pixel width and colour generation from the VDC's output.  You know, kinda like the VDC is the Michelangelo drawing 124,000 boxes on a canvas in intricate formations, and the VCE is a child with a box of crayons filling in those boxes like a colour-by-number project.   Smile

hehe. 

Fair enough, but it's the fact that the reviewer knew next to nothing about the Turbo Duo and it's specs, games, library, etc....

[Black Tiger]

Since the Duo Pad is identical to the NES pad, does that mean that the 6-button Genesis pad is identical to the japanese Saturn pad?

[awack]

Ha, i love reading those old mags.
To get a sense of where these people are coming from you have to read a few of there mags, hell, actually one is enough.

In one of magazines reader mail sections some one had sent them mail saying how their neo-geo ports comparison was all screwed up, he went on to say how the duo's versions were far better than what was on the genesis or the super nintendo, the authors response did not really say anything until the end....quote (i do agree that the duo's neo-geo ports are the best 8 bit versions out there)

[ceti alpha]

i do agree that the duo's neo-geo ports are the best 8 bit versions out there) Very Happy

Dear god. How do you take a statement like that?! That is ridiculous. haha.  I remember the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end reading crap like that.

[awack]

This kinda crap still takes place today, this is from the internet site videogames101.

The Turbo Duo was NEC and Hudson Soft's (or TTI) last attempt to save their share in the very competitive North American video game market. This sleek and smooth game system will play all those Turbografx-16 cards (like Keith Courage), the Turbo Grafx-16 CDs (like Fighting Street), and the upgraded Super CD-ROMs (like Gates of Thunder). Fairly good value, eh? Unfortunately, the Turbo Duo is still only a out dated 8-bit gaming system

and he goes on to say

56 FATAL FURY SPECIAL (Hudson Soft/SNK, 1994)
*Arcade Super CD-ROM2 Japanese
I was looking forward to this one one one fighting game but the music and sound effects here were very disappointing considering all the additional hardware support (you need a Duo system and a special Arcade card as well or the game won't play) needed to play this SNK fighter in the first place. Although this is a decent translation of the Fatal Fury 2 upgrade and it even has the scaling effects, but you're better off with the Super Nintendo and Sega CD versions instead anyway because they are not only cheaper but they also higher in quality.
*Compatible with the 6 button Avenue pad
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 5
gameplay: 6

[ceti alpha]

Dear lord....

Anyone who sees the Neo Geo ports acknowledges that they're better than the SNES/Genesis ports. They're not as good as the Neo Geo, but they put up a good fight.

I've just come to assume that these people are in fact dumbfounded how an "8 bit" system can put other 16 bit systems to shame. So instead of giving the system props they choose to stomp on it, not realizing that repeating lies over and over doesn't actually make them true.

I love the scoring though. haha. Utter nonsense. 

Here's a link I'm sure most of you have seen. Just a montage of the arcade card fighting games.

[TR0N]

This kinda crap still takes place today, this is from the internet site videogames101.

The Turbo Duo was NEC and Hudson Soft's (or TTI) last attempt to save their share in the very competitive North American video game market. This sleek and smooth game system will play all those Turbografx-16 cards (like Keith Courage), the Turbo Grafx-16 CDs (like Fighting Street), and the upgraded Super CD-ROMs (like Gates of Thunder). Fairly good value, eh? Unfortunately, the Turbo Duo is still only a out dated 8-bit gaming system

and he goes on to say

56 FATAL FURY SPECIAL (Hudson Soft/SNK, 1994)
*Arcade Super CD-ROM2 Japanese
I was looking forward to this one one one fighting game but the music and sound effects here were very disappointing considering all the additional hardware support (you need a Duo system and a special Arcade card as well or the game won't play) needed to play this SNK fighter in the first place. Although this is a decent translation of the Fatal Fury 2 upgrade and it even has the scaling effects, but you're better off with the Super Nintendo and Sega CD versions instead anyway because they are not only cheaper but they also higher in quality.
*Compatible with the 6 button Avenue pad
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 5
gameplay: 6

LOL well that's alot of bs all those neo ports that,Takara did for the snes&genesis realy falled short.

Either the sprites were too small...or they were missing a few characters or,there were frames of animation missing.

Yet the pce came much more close then what the snes&genesis did 

[malducci]

This kinda crap still takes place today, this is from the internet site videogames101.

The Turbo Duo was NEC and Hudson Soft's (or TTI) last attempt to save their share in the very competitive North American video game market. This sleek and smooth game system will play all those Turbografx-16 cards (like Keith Courage), the Turbo Grafx-16 CDs (like Fighting Street), and the upgraded Super CD-ROMs (like Gates of Thunder). Fairly good value, eh? Unfortunately, the Turbo Duo is still only a out dated 8-bit gaming system

and he goes on to say

56 FATAL FURY SPECIAL (Hudson Soft/SNK, 1994)
*Arcade Super CD-ROM2 Japanese
I was looking forward to this one one one fighting game but the music and sound effects here were very disappointing considering all the additional hardware support (you need a Duo system and a special Arcade card as well or the game won't play) needed to play this SNK fighter in the first place. Although this is a decent translation of the Fatal Fury 2 upgrade and it even has the scaling effects, but you're better off with the Super Nintendo and Sega CD versions instead anyway because they are not only cheaper but they also higher in quality.
*Compatible with the 6 button Avenue pad
For 1 or 2 players
graphics: 6
sound: 5
gameplay: 6

 Wait.. where was that review from?