The Light Gray "TurboGrafx System."

[Game and Watch Kirby]

Legend has it that there was a TurboGrafx-16 released in European countries. I have not yet confirmed its existance, since some sources have stated that it was only released in the US, while a few others had said it was released all around the world. In ScrewAttack's Video Game Vault on Bonk's Adventure, however, the TurboGrafx-16 system that was featured in it appears differently from a regular US one. The logo on in only says "TurboGrafx" in just white letters, while there are red and blue dash lines underneath. Although its lighter color may mostly be due to a camera flash, it still appears to be a lighter gray judgeing from the darker areas of the picture. The TurboPad, which appears later in the video, has the same color scheme for the logo and the covering of the controller itself. However, in the top center, the marking in that portion has a squiggled symbol perceding the "TurboGrafx" letters. It may be possible that this is a modified system, but as I have never seen another TurboGrafx-16 system simliar to this, I cannot say exactly what it is.

http://www.screwattack.com/archive/VGV/Bonk.html

I am wondering what this system is. Could it be the European system, or possibly a modified console?

[nat]

Yeah, that's the TurboGrafx that was released in Europe, as you suspect.

Differences: plastic color, logo color, the absence of the "-16" after the system name, and PAL video output (instead of NTSC).

[Joe Redifer]

Actually I think it just contains some extra video encoder to turn the NTSC into PAL.  That'd have to look pretty bad.  I hope it at least took the RGB and turned that into PAL vs the actual composite NTSC feed.

[awack]

Its as if they shipped a plane load of them to Europe and stored them in a warehouse and forgot about them, so its believed they were never officially released which is why you can find them brand new pretty easily, just go to ebay.uk and I'm sure there will be at least one new one on there.

[Game and Watch Kirby]

Yeah, that's the TurboGrafx that was released in Europe, as you suspect.

Differences: plastic color, logo color, the absence of the "-16" after the system name, and PAL video output (instead of NTSC).

Thanks, Nat! So, they were available in Europe after all. Now, I wonder how those two pictures were obtained? Sure, they may have been from the best picture results they can find, but its strange to see ScrewAttack display a European console when they are from Dallas, Texas. Then again, they do have a ScrewAttack Europe foundation...

Which games were available in Europe for this system, also? I can expect most of the titles released in the US to come there, but I wonder if some PC Engine titles were released in that country, also? Speaking of these, I'm hoping that ScrewAttack will be able to launch more Video Game Vaults on TurboGrafx-16 titles. I've been waiting for them to do so for a while .

[nat]

The game library for the European version is the same as the library for the US TurboGrafx line. The same carts play on both European and American TurboGrafx consoles.

The pack-in game with the European TurboGrafx was Blazing Lazers instead of Keith Courage, though.

[SignOfZeta]

Thanks, Nat! So, they were available in Europe after all. Now, I wonder how those two pictures were obtained? Sure, they may have been from the best picture results they can find, but its strange to see ScrewAttack display a European console when they are from Dallas, Texas. Then again, they do have a ScrewAttack Europe foundation...

People are known to collect pointless things. If there are Japanese collectors with PAL Turbos (which is totally pointless), then I'm sure some American has one.

I have both US, and JP modems, keyboards, and mice for the Sega Saturn. Why? Not sure. I've literally never used the JP modem, and I'm not sure I ever will.

[Black Tiger]

One of my unfinished projects is a detailed breakdown of the PAL TurboGrafx. When I got it, I photographed everything as I took it apart. I also took pics of the North American TG-16, both of them together, etc.

Aside from the cosmetic differences, the PAL TG has a Coregrafx/Duo AV port and the power supply and such come in a separate box. Here are a few pics-

[Keranu]

I can't wait to see the rest of that, Black_Tiger. That looks awesome.

[MurderDate]

Black Tiger -  I didn't even have to ask !  You rrrule!

[ceti alpha]

Great pics B_T. It's great to finally see these guys side by side.

I have to say I think I prefer the US TG, though I do like how the "16" was dropped. The whole "TG16 isn't 16-Bit" thing back in the day probably wouldn't have been as bad as it was if NEC didn't tag the number "16" after the name.  It just drew attention to the fact that the TG16 only had an 8bit CPU when nobody would have been the wiser, or at least it wouldn't have been such a big issue. If ever questioned about it NEC/Hudson could just say, "Yeah, the TG16 only has an 8bit CPU. So what? It's tweaked so much we can do whatever else the competition can muster up if not better." But that's just one of the many marketing blunders the US marketing team had with the TG...16.

[Black Tiger]

Here's the separate accessories box-



It came with Alien Crush and a cheap photocopied manual as they're pictured-




These last two things really make it look like it was a test marketing lot and not intended for retail.

[Joe Redifer]

Very interesting.  Together it almost looks like the US version is the Halloween Edition of the TurboGrafx console and the grey one is the normal one.  How about the expansion ports... same shape?

[Black Tiger]

Very interesting.  Together it almost looks like the US version is the Halloween Edition of the TurboGrafx console and the grey one is the normal one.  How about the expansion ports... same shape?

I didn't count the pins or anything, but they look the same-

[Joe Redifer]

Is the controller port PC-Engine sized or TurboGrafx-16 sized?