Tonight we take a look at the TurboGrafx 16 and all the shooters games that made it great. From shoot-em-ups to cute-em-ups, Bonk to Zonk, to its weird controller and everything in between, we think it deserves its own episode.
Personally, I never had a TurboGrafx 16 growing up, so my experience is limited to what I played at friends' houses. Good thing we've got a special guest coming on to fill in the blanks. Hudson's John Lee will be joining us tonight to help celebrate this underrated console, so hit the comments with your questions for us and for him. Remember, our favorite wins $25, and probably a visit from Chad as well. Who knows?
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Contest:
12:05 PM on 01.27.2008
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Why do you think the adoption rate was so low for the console, was it a lack of marketing, bad mascot, or pricing? Something about a caveman with infant proportions doesn't resonate with youngins.
How do you like your blazers, do you prefer them navy, black, or lazing?
DEVILS CRUSH!!!
I would kill for a PSP version that required you to hold the PSP vertically
I heard the PC Engine had some kickass games, but I was too young to get into the import scene at the time.
Make sure Vigo approves.
I had no f'n clue. is it any diffrent from the SNES....nevermind I was thinking Shadowrun lmao
By the way, not to make you guys feel too good or anything but I wanted to just post here quick to say that Retroforce is pretty much the only games podcast I can bear to listen to on a regular basis since you guys have a wide range of pov's in your commentary and a wide range of games (from pretty much all eras) in your material. I would never have started reading destructoid if not for discovering your podcast (although, I only finally made an account so I could participate in a FNF.)
squeee!
My personal favorite is Bonk.
Splatter House, Dragon Spirit, Vigilante, Jackie Chan's Adventure, Bonk's Adventure.
God I miss that system.
Johnny Turbo FTW
[img]http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/e/e3/JohnnyTurbo.jpg[/img
Fail post is fail.
Sega Genesis came out at around the same time and people bought it instead (better marketing for the Genesis probably caused that) while in Japan it came out at least a year earlier then the Genesis. Then two years later came the SNES from a company with an amazing reputation. It's hard to have a three-way console war as the Gamecube/PS2/X-Box showed and so the Turbo Grafx faded away.
Why do you think the turbografx never really took off in the US? Despite being a wee gamer around that time, and playing a lot of NES, I had never even heard of the turbografx until much later in my life.
I spent about an hour playing the Genesis before my mates pulled me away. I was thinking of you guys :)
Question: Favorite accessory?
I might have the system confused with the Neo-geo. One of those systems went for as much as a PS3. even the games were expesive at 100$ a pop
My question for the RetroForce crew: What was the best add-on for the Turbo? The CD drive, Super CD upgrade chip, the Turbo tap or Turbo booster?
Also, which was the best shmup on the system?
Really? In the US? Hmm, I guess I was just at the age where I didn't realize how much things actually cost.
I never even saw a TurboGrafx 16 back in the day, but I do remember seeing commercials for it. Bonk's Adventure looked AMAZING compared to the Atari and NES games I had played up to then. I think I saw a discounted volleyball game for it once at Pic-N-Save as well. Since then, I've enjoyed Soldier Blade quite a bit on the Wii.
How likely is it that Capcom will rape our wallets some more and give the green light for the PC Engine version of Street Fighter II to appear on the VC?
Parasol Stars: Isn't it about time this came to home consoles again? Hell, there are TWO Bubble Bobble remakes on the DS! I've never played Parasol Stars.
What the hell is up with Wonder Boy? I know the answer, more or less, but it has to be asked for the benefit of everyone listening.
I think the high retro interest in the TG-16 is precisely because it was relatively unpopular in the US, even though people knew about the games on the system (or have since discovered interesting titles in its library.) Now that we're older it's natural to want to play this collection of games many of us never had the opportunity to see back in the day.
As much as I love to hear you reminisce about the NES I'd love to hear a show about the Commodore 64, The Spectrum, The Amiga etc.
Surely some people in the U.S played consoles other than Nintendo?
Love the show - keep up the great work.
Maybe they'll invite Sterling & Co. to one of these recording sessions some time.
Three days ago a friend of mine showed me the Konami episode, and it was like a luminous dolphin-cherub had descended from retro heaven to say unto me:
"A winner is you"
Since then, I went back and listened to every episode and subsequently joined Destructoid just to comment on RFGO! Keep up the great work guys and gal!
My questions are more handheld related, and revolve around the TurboExpress. The system was much prettier than the Gameboy and even played TG-16 games (ZOMG!!!11!one!), and yet it was so full of fail that only four people ever bought one, and three of those people were NEC executives. So, to end this massive wall of self indulgent text, do you guys think that the TurboExpress running TG-16 games helped or hindered it? Maybe some original content would have helped it stave off a brutal manhandling from Nintendo? Do y'all think that TG-16 games even make for good mobile experiences? (I would say yes, the much maligned glut of shooters FTW)
RFGO pullin in the newbers. Good yob, crew.
Do you believe the economic conditions in the US as compared to Japan (at the time) prevented US consumers from purchasing a gaming system in addition to their NES or Genesis?
With your 20/20 hindsight goggles on, what do you think the TurboGrafx-16 could have done differently in order to do well?
Would you like a new Turbografx system? Like the Turbografx 800? It would only have shoot em ups and the controller would look like a dildo with a tumor but wouldn't it be awesome?
Ahem. Pardon me.
One thing I never really remember is commercials for the TG-16. Do you think it was this that caused the eventual demise of the system, or was it more a matter of not having enough of a variety when it comes to games?
Also, anyone of you ever on any "public" voicecomms, like Destructoids ventrilo channel? Been thinking about getting my ass on there sometime. No idea what people are talking about in there though :)
Also, what are your thoughts on China Warrior?
Blazing Lazers, Lazing Blazers, or Gunhed?
AND
Nick Arcade. Discuss.
I love hearing about systems that I missed out on.
Should be a great episode
Would Colette forgive me if I buy her something at comic-con?
To me, the TG16 was always the console that sat in the plexi kiosk at Toys R Us when you were a kid shopping around for games on your Nintendo or Sega consoles. It was that mysterious console that no one you knew had save for maybe one kid at your entire school. Doesn't mean it's a bad system, just that as impressionable youth, Bonk couldn't compete with the bombardment of NES or Sega commercials, cartoons, magazines, breakfast cereals, etc.
I'm looking forward to this one. RetroforceGO!, assemble! Give me a reason to go on more retro gaming hunts, so I can email Dyson and Topher about my finds from re-buying my childhood.
I wrote my C64 post before I read yours and Dastardly007's, but I agree with D007 completely! The C64 was not much more that an arcade computer to the vast majority of us who used it. Yes, it could be used for some productivity, but to those of us you used it daily the C64 was first and foremost a gaming machine, NOT a pre-IBM PC.
Just because C64 games weren't on a console doesn't make them less "retro" than any other game that RetroforceGO talks about.
Wear it with pride: http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts/generic/8113/
Now that our questions are out of the way shall we drive up the post count? lol
You know, in preparation of episode 50, wouldn't hurt to put in some practice. I believe the number were aiming for is 110 no?