The Turbo-Grafx 16 is one of the forgotten systems, a good little console that is often overshadowed by the success of it's two main rivals: the Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo. It's easy to point to the Genesis and the SNES as the primary reasons for why the TG-16 went under, but much of the blame can also be leveled against NEC for failing to properly advertise the TG-16 in the US, which climaxed in the abysmal Johnny Turbo ads.
On the surface the TG-16 can be described as essentually a poor man's Sega Genesis, while it containes a 16 Bit Graphics card, it was powered by an 8bit main processor. However the results are quite impressive, with many TG-16 games actually looking like they are true 16bit games.
In terms of appearnce, the TG-16 is a mixed bag, it has a nice sturdy feel to it, but it lacks any of the sleekness that the Genesis has, and ultimatly has a very bland outward appearence. However the worst feature is that the TG-16 only has one controller output, so a multi-tab is required in order to use many games multiplayer features. Also the controller tends to be a chore to unplug.
The worst aspect about the console as a whole though, is the idea that in order to attach the RF and Power Adaptors, you must remove the back of the console, which reveals the expansion port for the Audio and CD attachments. While this isn't neccisarily a design flaw, the problem is that the covering is wedged on too tightly and requires a lot of effort to remove.
The Controller though is actually one of the better controllers out there. It's comfortable to hold, and is similar in nearly every aspect to an NES controller, except it's larger. The best aspect of the controller though is that it has Turbo built in, which can be controllered by moving the turbo switches on the controller. However one of the problems with the controller are the labels, instead of SELECT, START, B, and A, the TG-16 has SELECT, RUN, II, and I which can be confusing for gamers who are used to the NES layout.
Game wise, the TG-16 actually had a decent library, and the Turbocard Cartridges are actually fairly well designed, and their smaller size makes them easier to store then the bulkier NES and Sega Genesis cartridges, and are also compadible with the TG-16's other incarnations, the Turbo-Duo and the Turbo-Express Handheld, and thanks to the smaller size of the Turbocards, the cartridges could actually be carried in a pocket.
The problem with the games though, can be traced back to NEC's terrible advertising campaign, the artwork makes them very unattractive, and many Turbocards lack any artwork on the cartridges themselves. When you look at a Sega Genesis, NES, or SNES cartridge, you notice how vibrant and colorful the artwork is, with characters in action poses, or engaging their arch-enemy. The Turbocards have none of that, with many often only having the game's name on a sold color background. The result is that many good games, such as the Legendary Axe Series and Galaga 90 were over looked or mistakened for bad games.
All in all, the TG-16 is a budget system, but unlike other budget consoles, the TG-16 does possess a decent library, making the system something for collectors and fans of old school games.