That last blog was a bit of a downer, wasn't it? Well, let's bring things up a bit!
Seeing as I'm a retro gamer now, at least for the time being, let's talk old-school shop. I adore the older platforms, really, everything from the 2600 to the PS3 and 360. Is it too soon to call the PS4 a retro console yet? I think it is. Maybe we can call it that when the PS6 comes out. Anyway...
Among those consoles I love, you can't argue with the Turbografx-16. A strange little system that came out to compete with the NES in Japan, but ended up overshadowed by the Genesis here in the US, the system nonetheless had some damn good games. It was home to a legion of excellent shooters such as Blazing Lazers, Final Star Soldier, Gate of Thunder, Ginga Fukei Densetsu Sapphire and Lords of Thunder (that last one being worth the price of admission for the soundtrack alone!), but also had some pretty great action-RPGs like Ys I and II, Exile and Dungeon Explorer. Did you know the Turbo saw the debut of Working Designs? Their first translations were published here, and they were seen as a very important part of the appeal for the Turbografx-CD add on.
The Bonk series was their premier mascot platformer. A bit different from Mario and Sonic, Bonk was more deliberate, as enemy encounters had to be tackled more slowly due to bonk's headbutt attack, and the levels were a bit more labyrinthine than what you'd see in early Mario titles. They were also a lot more insane, especially from Bonk 2 on.
The system had a fair share of amazing games, but it was also the console to introduce the western market to the notion of expensive add-ons that were essentially mandatory. The Turbografx-CD addon was $400, and many of the absolute best titles on the system were for the CD. The add-on would be cut to $299, but by that time, TG16 fans were content to wait for the Turbo Duo, an all-in-one for the same price. Between this and the system's atrocious lack of advertising, there was never any way to get past the Genesis, and by the time the SNES came out in 1992, it was an afterthought for most gamers.
So why write this? Well, the Turbografx-16, CD and all, are VERY easily emulated, and Analogue is set to bring out an HDMI version of the DUO early next year. Despite how poorly it did in the western market, its cult following here, combined with a solid 2nd place in Japan, made it a great system to look into, with plenty of awesome titles to look into. Though with emulators, you don't need that rare Turbo Tap to get a 5-player Bomberman session in...
So, fellow Turbo fans, any games you'd like to talk about, or see me put a blog out for? And anyone looking to enjoy some Turbo fun, what do you wanna know? It's Turbo Time! Just, you know, don't bang your head too hard against the keyboard. ;)
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