Why the PCE? Why Not the Genesis or Snes???

[nat]

On the other hand, there aren't many special effects in the card games, and many pf em tend to look flat.
So, i guess this is another unique thing about this system. What started as a 8-bit machine was upgraded to a 16-bit hardware with the "Super system card".

There's not much that could be further from the truth....

The CD-ROM drive was just a different storage medium, that's all. It didn't add any CPUs, GPUs, background layers, or "bits" to the console. While it's true there are more primitive looking non-CD games, that's mainly because ALL the games produced until, what, 1989? were cartridge games and all games produced after 1994 were CD games. 1987-89 were the early years of 16-bit graphics; a precedent had yet to be set. Many of the games from this period have "inferior" graphics to those produced from 1991-96, but that has everything to do with the era and nothing to do with the storage medium.

All the Super System Card is, is a RAM expansion for the CD-ROM that allows the system to load more data into memory so it doesn't have to stop and load from the disc as often. In the same vein, the Arcade Card is even MORE RAM that serves the same purpose.

Anything you get on CD-ROM would be possible from a cartridge, provided you could make one with a large enough ROM size. Well, except redbook audio, of course...

[1980-20..]

Maybe this will help explain things.  :-"

[soop]

IIRC, Super R-Type was a mix of R-type I and II.

I'm pretty sure the first level is the first level from I.

[Tatsujin]

I'm pretty sure the first level is the first level from I.

not so much mate

[ccovell]

IIRC, Super R-Type was a mix of R-type I and II.
I'm pretty sure the first level is the first level from I.

Not at all.  R-Type's first level is... a space station, with walking robots, Dobkeradops at the end, etc etc.  Super R-Type's first level is... in outer space, with an asteroid field, rings of Saturn (Japanese version...) and a bomb-laying, spinning boss thing at the end.

Anyway, for those who don't know where Super R-Type's levels come from: http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/rtype/rtype2.htm

"There are seven levels in total, three of which are brand new, four of which are from R-Type II. There are new bosses for each of these stages, although they don't quite measure up to the quality of the original arcade version." etc.

[SuperDeadite]

Maybe this will help explain things.  :-"

Lol what?  I love how they say the PCE isn't a real 16bit system.  Even though by that very same logic the Genesis also isn't truly 16bit.  As both systems are technically half 8bit and half 16bit.  And both systems run circles around the SNES speed wise.

But what I've never understood is why anyone cares about the bits.  So many people are quick to point out the PCE's 8bit cpu.  But who cares?  How is having an 8bit cpu a negative?  PCE has tons of great games so we play them.  I've never understood the world's insistence on trashing the Turbo.  There are tons of great games, and for what it's worth the PCE destroyed the MegaDrive in Japan.

[soop]

not so much mate

Ah well.  It's been a while.  Over 10 years actually, but now I have a SNES again!

[grahf]

Maybe this isn't the thread for it, but I have to tell "My Turbo story" before explaining why I like the PCE:

I had a Turbo back in the early 90s, and I thought it was a piece of shit. At that point the Genesis was already popular, and the SNES had just been released with Super Mario World, Zelda - A Link to the Past, etc. I was also really into RPGs at the time, since as a po' boy, they offered the best bang for the buck.  Anyways, me and my brother picked up a used Turbo with Keith Courage. I also got Dragon Spirit a few days later. I was 100% underwhelmed. It seemed like nothing more than an NES with slightly more colors, and the games I saw all looked really simplistic and lacked depth. Those are not the worst games on the system, but they didn't help my first impression of the machine. My mother actually bought me Ys Book 1&2 for it, except that I couldn't play it because it required the CD add-on (which I didn't know existed until then). I found out the cost of the CD add-on, and promptly gave up on it and traded it in. It was just too expensive an upgrade.

About 6 years ago, I discovered Dracula X while looking up Castlevania 3 info on the internet. I was extremely surprised to find out that the PC Engine, the brother of the ill-fated Turbo, was actually a popular machine in Japan. After trying Dracula X out on Magic Engine, I was completely blown away that such a thing was possible on the lowly machine I had traded in all those years ago. I sampled a bunch of other CD games, and knew I had to own one.

I like the fact that the games are uncensored (Snatcher, Shin Megami Tensei, etc) and there is a lot of weird and unique stuff on the PCE that you can't find on other systems. The Megadrive and SNES were mainly targeted at kids, as was the PC Engine, but you can definitely tell that NEC wanted to appeal to a wider audience. Which includes crappy karaoke disks, unfortunately

[Bonknuts]

I got my TG16 shortly before I got a Genesis (but I was playing a Genesis at a friends house). Those two systems were my favorites. Though, I always had more of a soft spot for the TG16 since I got that first. Coming from a NES, the graphic and games were incredible. Even the 'lowly' Keith Courage was impressive looking at the time. And Blazing Lazers and Rtype, the TG16 was incredible.

 I was hyped at first when the SNES came out, but that wore off quickly. I never really got excited about games for it. Sure, I had fun playing some of the great titles on the system - but other than a few, I never had the same level of anticipation that I had waiting for TG16 (and Genesis) games. Zelda was great. SCVI was great. SGnG was great. FF2US was awesome. FF3US was great. SMW was fun. But... other than those, I wasn't particularly interested in the system. I played and beat other games, of course. Secret of Mana was a nice surprise. My brother bought the game and I got a change to beat it. It was fun, but I never raved over it like other Square fanboi's did. And I'm probably the only person on the planet that doesn't think Chrono Trigger is all that great. Waaaaay over hyped. It was fun, but it wasn't fantastic. I really disliked how the story jumped around. And yes, I played it back in the day. I also didn't care for Super Mario RPG.
 
 I loved seeing the TG16's potential being shown in titles like GOT, LOT, or Spriggan, Rayxanber 3, Emerald Dragon. I loved the style of games that came out on the Genesis. Both were so different than the SNES. SNES had the pretty graphics, but the games just weren't overly exciting to me. I dunno. Something was just missing.

[nodtveidt]

I never got into Chrono Trigger either... it was just dull and uninspired. My SNES "collection of faves" is pretty small... SMW, Phalanx, Super Turrican, LttP, Illusion Of Gaia, FF3US, Hyperzone, Actraiser 1 & 2, F-Zero. I like Plok but only for the music... the gameplay stinks... same with SNES DOOM. My collection of Genesis faves is a little smaller... Sonic 1, 2 & CD, Streets Of Rage, Jewel Master, Batman, Phantasy Star IV, Lunar, Castle Of Illusion, and Vay. And despite its hideous technical flaws, I somehow still like Chakan. My list of PCE/TG16 faves is extremely long and dwarfs both others of the era... Neutopia 1 & 2, Bonk 1 thru 3, Air Zonk, Blazing Lazers, GoT, LoT, Legendary Axe II, Dead Moon, Parasol Stars, Cadash, Turrican, Cosmic Fantasy 2, Silent Debuggers, Exile 1 & 2, Splatterhouse, Sinistron, Sidearms, Fantasy Zone, etc etc etc etc... the list goes on and on. Even though many of them are not exclusives, I feel that the PCE has the best particular versions of said non-exclusives.

[esteban]

I suppose some of you have limited your discussion to 16-bit only, but here is the hierarchy of love in my heart:

1) NES / Famicom
2) TG-16 / PCE
3) SNES / Genesis (tie. they both have great stuff, I could never put one above the other)

I played all the pre-bit (Atari VCS, etc.),  8-bit and 16-bit consoles back in the day (eventually, my brothers and I owned them all, too).

Then I became less interested in video games and more interested in COLLEGE. I still played, but not nearly as much. And I only purchased a few games a year.

Then, my younger brother got me back into video games at the tail-end of the 90's, and I am glad he did.

First NES
I used to spend a lot of time discussing NES/Famicom. It was easy to discuss NES/Famicom, because a lot of people were familiar with the libraries, and it seemed that there was a healthy group of "gurus" that I could learn from (they were familiar with obscure trivia, for example). Unfortunately, the folks I enjoyed conversing with eventually scattered into the ether.

PCE
The few TG-16 games I never played in the early 90's re-kindled my interest in TG-16. Then, at some point, I realized that I was pretty clueless about the breadth of the PCE library. I was well-versed in the POPULAR Japanese titles (Dracula X) and all the shoot-em-ups, but I didn't fully understand how much PURE AWESOME was waiting for me in PCE-Land. This was wonderful, because it breathed new life into the TG-16 universe.


Underdog
The reason why the TG-16 has a special place in my heart is because it was the underdog, and I am glad I took a chance on it (Sega Genesis, and later SNES would have been much more frugal choices). I was intrigued with the bizarre CD-ROM peripheral and the early CD-ROM games.

I could always play Nintendo and Sega consoles with friends/family (everyone had either one or the other). Nobody had TG-16, and I was just too damn curious about it.

[ddd1234]

I never got into Chrono Trigger either... it was just dull and uninspired.

Man...That's a scary thought. Maybe you didn't spend too much time with it?
The story picks up in the future part of the game.
Moreover, do try Dynamite headdy,fire shark,elemental master,vectorman for the genesis. They are some of my favorites for the system.
As for Snes, give Skyblazer, Demon's crest a look.

Also, I am wondering, which system gives you the best picture quality?
Duo? Duo R? Are they S-video compatible?

[ddd1234]

The reason why the TG-16 has a special place in my heart is because it was the underdog, and I am glad I took a chance on it (Sega Genesis, and later SNES would have been much more frugal choices). I was intrigued with the bizarre CD-ROM peripheral and the early CD-ROM games.

Yeah...one of the reasons why i find this system appealing.

[spenoza]

All this discussion makes me wonder if things would have been much different at all if the PCE had featured even double the anemic amount of main RAM it's equipped with.

[Arkhan]

I liked all the systems....

Some of the RPGs on SNES had a strange vibe that I really liked.  7th Saga, Brainlord, Lufia, and Secret of Mana were very atmospheric games.  also, Illusion of Gaia was amazing.

It was a great RPG system, especially considering the PCE didn't get a ton of english RPGs compared to the Japanese library..., which sucks.  If we'd have gotten the ENTIRE Cosmic Fantasy series, that would have been good....

Emerald Dragon wasn't translated, La Valeur, Anearth... we got kinda frikkin jipped really.

So at the time, if I wanted to play RPGs, I turned to the Genesis and SNES........... which is ironic, since the PCE's library does really destroy the two of them as far as RPGs go.

growing up, I only played US Turbo Grafx HuCards..........so RPGs weren't really happening.  Order of the Griffon was ok.  But when you have the entire Goldbox collection, all the Ultimas, and Wizardries and M&Ms for PC, it aint so hot.