TG16 R-Type U.S. Retail Price

[handygrafx]

guys,  what do you remember TurboGrafx R-Type retailing for in the U.S.?

I remember it being rather expensive, and expensive even years after original 1989 release.    $69 at Toys R US and probably other places.

can you recall specific prices from specific years for a new copy - 1989 through say 1994.

I got my R-Type free on xmas eve 1990, for purchasing the TG16 earlier that fall, probably for $149, i think.  

but i was amazed at how expensive R-Type was, years later

[Liquid Snake]

I thought it's $49.99 at retail....

[esteban]

hmmm, i don't remember R-type being that expensive... but who knows?  I bought my TG-16 games in Northern NJ from Toys - r - us, Electronic Boutique, local mom-n-pop store (Video Dynasty! ... what a great name) ... and later via mail-order.

From what I can recall, the first wave (or two) of launch titles were discounted to $20-30 range within a year (mid-late 1990). Power golf, ordyne, tennis, alien crush, etc. soon became the "budget" titles.

TG-16 games were expensive, upon release, here's what I remember:
most HuCard games, upon release, were $40-50.  the CD games, upon release, were $50-60.

JJ & Jeff (early 1990?) $40 + tax... I only remember because the EB cashier was distracted, talking to a co-worker, and handed me back my original $50 dollars instead of my change!
1990: Splatterhouse, Bloody Wolf, Motoroader = ~ $40

late 1990:Ys = $55-60 (for a LONG time, because it was popular, I guess, but Monster Lair was discounted to $40 range by this time...)

1989: I can't remember how much blazing lazers , china warrior, and vigilante were, even though those were the first games my brothers and I bought when the system launched.

probably 1990: $35... sinstron, cyber core

Overall, though, I really can't remember specifics.  Even the stuff above is hazy.  I have all my original boxes still, but not the shrinkwrapping (which would have had a price sticker, especially the big fat EB ones).  EB always had odd prices like $41.99, $56.99, $37.99... whereas ToysRus would have $5 increments (29.99, 34.99, 39.99)... or so I recall...

[handygrafx]

My videogame shopping was done at Toys R US in Niles, IL and at Babbage's in the Golf Mill mall, in Niles, IL   (a few miles from Chicago).    

from what little I remember TurboGrafx-16 games were fairly expensive, at least certain ones.   and while some of them may have been discounted in 1990-1991, others were not, like R-Type, which sticks out in my mind.

my memory also, is pretty hazy on this.   I wish I had some recipts and hard facts on MSRPs

[esteban]

My videogame shopping was done at Toys R US in Niles, IL and at Babbage's in the Golf Mill mall, in Niles, IL   (a few miles from Chicago).    

from what little I remember TurboGrafx-16 games were fairly expensive, at least certain ones.   and while some of them may have been discounted in 1990-1991, others were not, like R-Type, which sticks out in my mind.

my memory also, is pretty hazy on this.   I wish I had some recipts and hard facts on MSRPs

yeah, maybe they kept R-type price high.  as I noted, they definitley kept the price of Ys I & II at the "premium" level for a long time.  Perhaps they did the same with R-Type because it was another title that was very desirable / big seller.

Another factor: pricing at different stores was not consistent.  the mom n pop always had the best prices on hucards, even brand new ones just released, although it was only $5 cheaper. on cd games, though, mom n pop charged $10 more ($55-65) than the retail stores.

Also: EB would have coupons, i'm pretty sure, on some games (those circulars they'd send out in the mail).  i think i used a coupoun for Sinistron and / or Cybercore.   I can't remember too many coupouns, though, so maybe it was just for a few games.

[Keranu]

It's possible R-Type could've been more expensive since it was a popular game in general and would attract any new person who just bought a TG-16 and were looking for some arcade hits.

[GUTS]

Did you give that $50 back?  Man I know I would have probably teleported out of there and went to Babbage's and bought another game, I was a little shady bastard as a kid.

[Keranu]

Hell yeah I would've speed walk outta there and if they noticed me I woulda ran my ass off! I'd still do that today.

[esteban]

Did you give that $50 back?  Man I know I would have probably teleported out of there and went to Babbage's and bought another game, I was a little shady bastard as a kid.

That's exactly what I did.  I said, "Uhhhhhhhh, thank you?" and quickly shoved the money back in my pocket.  I thought that, at any millisecond, the cashier would realize her mistake and say "HEY, wait a minute!" ... so i grabbed my friend, who was looking at games, STARED INTO HIS FACE LIKE A FREAK, and told him that we HAD to go.  I walked as "normally" as I could, then said to my friend, "HURRY UP!" and we ran to the food court (I was still paranoid, so I kept my head down, just in case). That's when I told him what happened, so we went to a far, far, far away part of the mall. I was totally paranoid that the cashier would try to look for me

A similar thing happened when I was buying a cartridge/needle for my record player from "The Wiz" in the same mall.  They brought out a TAPE DECK (this is when tapes were still very kool).  I knew that the tape deck was at least $150-200, whereas my cartridge was only $50-60.  At the pick-up counter, the guy "verified" my reciept and "confirmed" the merchandise matched it (he didn't do a very good job). My brother and I walked NONCHALANTLY out of the store.  Then we raced to our car and took off. I still have the tape deck, and it works wonderfully.

Anyway, it's because of bad deeds like these that I now want to pay for emulators and help support the little folks

[Keranu]

HAHAHA! Awesome stories!

[PC Gaijin]

Initially, TurboChip game prices were generally based on the size of the ROM. Two megabit games were $49 (and change), three megabit games were $59, and four megabit games were $69. There were a few exceptions, but this rule generally held for 1989 and early 1990. In 1990, the prices started dropping. CD games were initially $59 (Fighting Street and Monster Lair). I don't remember when CD games generally started being $49.

R-Type was initially $69 and change. Very expensive. In fact, I didn't buy any four megabit games until they started dropping in price in 1990 .

[twor2005]

Slightly off topic, but one of the best things about the early 90s had to be the ability to walk into a retail store like Toys R Us or Babbages and buy a new Turbo Grafx 16/CD/Duo game. R-Type was 19.99 at Toys R Us, I have the price flap burned into my brain; strange since I never bought it. But that was probably late in the system's life.

[esteban]

Slightly off topic, but one of the best things about the early 90s had to be the ability to walk into a retail store like Toys R Us or Babbages and buy a new Turbo Grafx 16/CD/Duo game. R-Type was 19.99 at Toys R Us, I have the price flap burned into my brain; strange since I never bought it. But that was probably late in the system's life.

Yes, when toys-r-us threw all the TG-16 stuff in the bargain bin, I was able to get a bunch of games for a good price (i.e. Vasteel for $10)...

thanks to PC Gaijin for explaining the megabit pricing structure for HuCards... good to know!

[Keranu]

I did not know ab00t that pricing either, very cool.