1991 Free Game Offer from NEC

[16-bit]

In late August/early September 1991 I saw an offer/ad from NEC in the Sunday paper for a free game with the purchase of a Turbo Grafx 16.  You could pick any of the releases for the system up to that point and had to rank your top five choices.  I picked R-Type first followed by Ordyne, but I don't remeber the last three I picked.  I ended up getting R-Type.   
I was 14 years old at the time and funds were very limited, so this offer is what pushed me to get a TG 16 over a Genesis.

I'm curious if any other members on the board took advantage of the offer and if so, what game they selected. 

[Keranu]

I seem to recall Nightwolve having a similar story, but I think he just got his from some dude selling it in a newspaper ad.

[nat]

I think AirRaidX did that too and got R-Type.

I got my TG-16 as a gift in 1990, and I also got Space Harrier along with it. I guess it's possible my parents took advantage of the deal and got Space Harrier as the free game.

[Black Tiger]

I've seen various free game offer ads in magazines, but was never able to take advantage of any myself. Usually those kinds of deals only applied to the U.S. I did mail away for a free Sonic 2 when I bought my second Genesis though.

I also received a free game and t-shirt from TTI in response to one of the letters I wrote them.

[Necromancer]

I didn't get a chance to take advantage of such a sweet deal, but I did cash in a few of the coupons included with Duos.  If memory serves, I used 'em on Soldier Blade, Final Zone II, and Riot Zone.

[Kitsunexus]

Send them in today for a laugh.   

[ceti alpha]

Send them in today for a laugh.  Twisted Evil  Laughing

I actually didn't fully realize that Radio Shack is still up and running.  Here in Canada Radio Shack was bought up a few years ago by a store called The Source. The Source is pretty much the same as Radio Shack, but they have seemed to clean the store up A LOT, and offer a wider range of products and product names. Not sure if they'd accept any TG-16 coupons. 

I unfortunately didn't get to take advantage of that free game offer, though from what I can remember Radio Shack always treated their TG customers well. Not only did they accept pennies, but they would let you exchange the game for something else if it was teh suck. I think I did that a couple times - pretty sure I returned Silent Debuggers for something else, though I'm not sure what I exchanged it for.

Oh, and The Source doesn't carry 8 pin mini din cords. I wonder if the store was still Radio Shack if they would have carried those cords, or if they would be more inclined to order them in for you. 

[td741]

I actually didn't fully realize that Radio Shack is still up and running.  Here in Canada Radio Shack was bought up a few years ago by a store called The Source.

Actually, interTAN Canada Ltd (the people who licensed Radio Shack here in Canada) lost their license to the Radio Shack brand after they were bought out by Circuit City.  Circuit City rebranded the stores as "The Source: from Circuit City"

http://blogs.rnw.nl/medianetwork/radio-shack-brand-to-disappear-from-canada

The fondest memories of buying TG stuff from Radio Shack was when they opened up a clearance center nearby.  Every TG/Duo components where half-price.  I bought a whack load of games, controllers.  Many of there were traded long ago at the TG Mailing list. I still have something like 10 controllers (of mixed types), a few Duo and Turbo Taps, a couple of Duo cables (TG Controller to Duo Controller cables)... 

[ceti alpha]

Actually, interTAN Canada Ltd (the people who licensed Radio Shack here in Canada) lost their license to the Radio Shack brand after they were bought out by Circuit City.  Circuit City rebranded the stores as "The Source: from Circuit City"

ahhh. See, it's nice to have other Canadians up here to verify and enhance TG-16 Canadian trivia. lol 

The fondest memories of buying TG stuff from Radio Shack was when they opened up a clearance center nearby.  Every TG/Duo components where half-price.  I bought a whack load of games, controllers.  Many of there were traded long ago at the TG Mailing list. I still have something like 10 controllers (of mixed types), a few Duo and Turbo Taps, a couple of Duo cables (TG Controller to Duo Controller cables)...

Wow! I would have killed for a clearance centre over here. Sounds like you cleared out the clearance. 

[td741]

Wow! I would have killed for a clearance centre over here. Sounds like you cleared out the clearance. 

I spent many a pay cheques in that store.  At the time, I didn't have the funds that would have allowed me to wipe out their whole inventory.

I think it was 50% off accessories (mostly cables and controllers) and buy 2 get one free for the games.  Then eventually they went for 50% off everything.  I don't remember seeing any systems for sale though.  The sad part of the clearance center, was that I lost the only place to get new releases locally.  I had bought my first Duo at Compucenter, but they tended to have older releases (Hu's and a few CD 2.0 games).

[ceti alpha]

I had bought my first Duo at Compucenter, but they tended to have older releases (Hu's and a few CD 2.0 games).

Here in Scotia Radio Shack was the only place to buy Turbo games. I don't believe Toys R Us was around at that time here...did Toys R Us actually sell the Duo? For some reason I'm remembering that they did.

[nat]

Speaking of Radio Shack, I read somewhere online recently (probably a VC TG-16 review or something) that the TG-16 was released "exclusively through Radio Shack" or something along those lines. What's up with that? When I had a Turbo back in the day, I never once visited a Radio Shack for games. It was always Toys 'R Us or a store called Software, Etc in a local mall.

[Necromancer]

Speaking of Radio Shack, I read somewhere online recently (probably a VC TG-16 review or something) that the TG-16 was released "exclusively through Radio Shack" or something along those lines. What's up with that? When I had a Turbo back in the day, I never once visited a Radio Shack for games. It was always Toys 'R Us or a store called Software, Etc in a local mall.

I've never heard that, nat.  I too never bought anything Turbo from Radio Shack; it was always Toys 'R Us, Babbages, a clown college known as Service Merchandise, or TZD (of course).

[nat]

I need to find the article online again and post it up here so we can rip it apart. I think the author used the Radio Shack angle to explain why the system failed.

"Well, it was a Radio Shack exclusive, so what do you expect?"

[td741]

From a Canadian Perspective:
The original TurboGrafx-16 was being sold pretty much everywhere: Radio Shack, Toys R Us, Compucentre, Consumer's Distributing (I worked there, it was a catalogue shopping where most of the store was a warehouse, with a small display/store front.)  I think Sears, Eatons and Zellers probably too...  (I don't remember of K-Mart was still around back then?)

By the time the Duo came around, I think it was narrowed down to Compucentre (but I couldn't find the newes releases) and Radio Shack.  I think Toys R Us might have had actual Duos now that I think of it; I'm having a faint memory of seeing pouches with the DUO sheets of paper in them...  But I don't seem to remember TRU having any software titles (from the SuperCD era).  I don't think "Electronic Boutique" had anything for TG-16's when they showed up here. 

I can't forget about Microplay.  But I think they only really carried a handful of used systems and games.