So, why exactly do you like the Turbo Grafx/PC Engine/Turbo Duo?

[T2KFreeker]

What makes the system so special to you? What made you want the system?

For me, I lived in Georgia, and from what I understand, Atlanta was a test market for the Turbo Grafx? They had it before quite a few other places did. Anyway, I was in a Sears and saw the machine running. Keith Courage looked so amazing at the time. I actually just loved how colorful everything was and the controller grabbed my attention for some reason. When my parents split, my Mom and I moved to California and they were nowhere to be found. Once they were at Christmas though, I begged and pleaded for one. My Dad got me the system and the Turbo Grafx ended up being the first actual console we got that was mine and not a sharing between my sister and I or "The Family's". I conned my Grandparents into getting me Splatterhouse for Christmas as well. The reaction on Christmas morning to that one was hilarious! "For Christ's Sake Chuck! What did we buy him?" Made me laugh because my Grandmother just never talked like that. Even though my cousin got a Genesis that year, I still loved my Turbo. I just like it because the games are so strange and against what the other two were doing at the time. Was really cool stuff. Still easily my favorite system of all time.

[thesteve]

the turbo was the 2nd system i ever bought new.
i loved the look of the games, and how when everyone sought to do the latest thing as well as they could, the turbo sought to do the last thing better than any els had.
so the colors were clean, the action was smooth and the games were fun, unlike some other systems that were so overtaxed that they were a chore to play and visually abrasive.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

Bright colors, redbook tunes, and Ys Book I & II sold me on the Turbob.

[SMF]

The Turbo was the 2nd or 3rd REAL system my family owned. Yes we had a Atari but that was dads lol. I'm counting the NES as the 1st and the Genesis or Turbo as 2 or 3. But anyways I remember my dad got me LITERALY a bag of games with the CD Rom attachmet. I remember going in the attic grabing the big garbage bag the stuff was in and thinking WOW THIS LOOKS AWESOME. We had everything cept the actual System itself. You need to relize my pops worked at a trucking company (nuff said) and we had everything ceptthe main unit itself. So when march came along and he got his tax return he picked up the system for $99.99. I still have the box but no foam inside.

But I do remember coming home from school or cming downstairs on a sat morning seeing dad play Sidearms, Blazing Lazers, Galaga 90, Fantasy Zone, R-Type ect with a cig in his mouth using the turbo stick and beating each and every shoot em up we had. The Turbo Grafx 16 is a system I will never sell. No matter how hard things get for me that system is memorys of my father everytime I sit and play a game on it. Dad Passed away sept 6 of this year, It would behard to ever get rid of it knowing how much history my sysem has. So I guess if it wasn't for my father introducing me to the greatness that is the TURBO GRAFX 16 I wouldn't have those memories of him sitting there.

[TrûMisery]

I decied to buy the tg over a genesis way back when... KC just looked so amazing at the time! I'm pretty sure I paid either $249 or $199 for the system with KC packed in... Then I bought Neutopia and loved that damn game... been hooked ever since...

I remember being mocked by my bigger brother who said I should have bought a Genesis... didn't bother me though, I loved the grafx... then I remember buying the Duo from Die Hard through a mail order in an EGM... Got Ys book and a few others and was still in heaven...

[BlueBMW]

Having grown up on Genesis and Super Nintendo... I love the games from that time period.  I discovered the Turbo around 2000 or so.  Its like getting access to a whole new exciting library of the same generation of games that I love   Turbo games seem to have a unique flavor to them as well.  They dont directly compare to either genesis or snes games.  Plus I love shooters

[BigusSchmuck]

It was Electronic Gaming Monthly's review of Wanders From Ys Books 1 and 2 that said "The best game ever just happened." Thats all I needed to get myself a Duo.

[lord_cack]

Well, I got the Turbo late in its life cycle. I had already owned an Atari, NES, SNES, and my cousin had a Genesis. So I had played everything.

I can't really say why I bought it. I don't recall any of the games jumping out and saying YOU MUST PLAY ME! Especially considering the first console I had was only the Base Unit, no CD.... no plan on buying one (I did later get a Duo). I had a couple of games, Bonk's Revenge, Dungeon Explorer. Still nothing to me was so much more entertaining than the other consoles I had.

But, something happened I guess because soon I HAD to have the Duo, and I managed to have a meager collection. In the end, my Turbo games ended up being some of my fondest gaming memories and I think it really happened without me even noticing.

The Intro to Ys Book I & II, Gate of Thunder.... oh so many other fond memories. I also think that, with the exception of the Duo (which was a gift), I purchased everygame with my own money. I chose them and bought them. That I think is another reason.... the system was mine....

[BenG76]

I think the games and the system are cool as hell. I never had one back in the day and to be honest I never heard of it back then. I have a TG-16 and a PCE Duo R and I enjoy the heck out of both.

[DragonmasterDan]

It was the second real non portable system I had.

My dad bought an Atari 2600 when I was very little, the only game I ever played at any length of time was Combat. I got a bunch of dirt cheap discounted games when the industry crashed, they were either total crap or I was too young to figure out how to play them.

So the first REAL system to me was the NES, it was the first system I played and really enjoyed games for. I loved the NES, got a GameBoy in 1989 and in 1990 I got the TG16 and started building up a library for it. Being my second real system I developed a strong affection for it while it was on the market and that remains to this day.

[T2KFreeker]

Well, I got the Turbo late in its life cycle. I had already owned an Atari, NES, SNES, and my cousin had a Genesis. So I had played everything.

I can't really say why I bought it. I don't recall any of the games jumping out and saying YOU MUST PLAY ME! Especially considering the first console I had was only the Base Unit, no CD.... no plan on buying one (I did later get a Duo). I had a couple of games, Bonk's Revenge, Dungeon Explorer. Still nothing to me was so much more entertaining than the other consoles I had.

But, something happened I guess because soon I HAD to have the Duo, and I managed to have a meager collection. In the end, my Turbo games ended up being some of my fondest gaming memories and I think it really happened without me even noticing.

The Intro to Ys Book I & II, Gate of Thunder.... oh so many other fond memories. I also think that, with the exception of the Duo (which was a gift), I purchased everygame with my own money. I chose them and bought them. That I think is another reason.... the system was mine....

Man, I wish someone would have gifted me a Turbo Duo back in the day! They were hella expensive!

[BigusSchmuck]

Man, I wish someone would have gifted me a Turbo Duo back in the day! They were hella expensive!

I got mine at Gamedude back in 94 with 3-1 gate of thunder, Ys books 1 and 2, and Keith Courage. Total cost: $150. Still around to this day btw:
http://www.gamedude.com/turbog.html

[T2KFreeker]

Man, I wish someone would have gifted me a Turbo Duo back in the day! They were hella expensive!

I got mine at Gamedude back in 94 with 3-1 gate of thunder, Ys books 1 and 2, and Keith Courage. Total cost: $150. Still around to this day btw:
http://www.gamedude.com/turbog.html

Hey, that's around the time I worked there! Funny!

[A_Locomotive]

For my I love it because its a great console that in its day I completely missed out on. In fact it completely flew under my radar till I decided to explore the Wii's virtual console and buy a few random games, got a few Genesis titles and then noticed the TurboGrafx-16 option. I had no idea what this was so I looked around in what was available I ended up giving Bonk a try. I LOVED IT! After that I tried a few other games and loved all of them. I kept an eye out online for a good deal on a console but never found any. Until one day I was hitting up an early morning garage sale. I went because the listing had stated he had some Lynx and Genesis stuff. While sorting threw his stuff I picked out a controller and Sega-CD which I decided to buy for my little brother since his Genesis' controller was broken and the CD unit I figured would make a great surprise.
So I set those aside and started looking for the Lynx stuff he had. I eventually found the Lynx stuff in a random box, it was nothing special and nothing I didn't already have. So I set about checking his other stuff out since I was there, while looking through a box with a bunch of random stuff I found a TG16 buried under a pile of junk. It had no controller, no cables, no games and the guy wasn't even aware he had it or if it still worked. He told me $5 and it was mine. So I bought it and took it home with me. On my way back home I stopped by my local retro store and asked if they could help me test it. They pulled out some cables and a copy of R-type, it fired up first time and they let me play for a half hour. I loved every second of it! They informed me that an NES RF adapter and PSU could be used on it, both of which I've got.
It wasn't long after that that I found a guy selling a small lot of games on Craigslist. I bought everything he had and traded the doubles for a controller at the previously mentioned store. I played the TG16 all day that day and absolutely fell in love with it. There is just something about it I love that I can't quite place my finger on.

[BigT]

For me, it's probably a combination of my age at that time... young... and a desire for something better than the NES... I've always been a contrarian and most other people were getting the Genesis.  The TG16 just seemed more advanced with its CD and turboexpress options... the games also looked more colorful and exciting.

[Arkhan Asylum]

I grew up playing it because my aunt and uncle had one.   Neutopia and Bonk were played a lot.

when they gave it to me, I got China warrior, and holy fuck. 

mind = blown.

plus the music rules.

[geise]

I was always into shooters.  Blazing Lazers was the first Turbo game I saw and played.  That's all it took.  My next door neighbor, then bought a Turbo CD when it launched.  He showed me Ys Book I&II.  My bro and I put our money together and bought a TG-16 console at our local Sears Outlet store.  That X-Mas my parents were extremely nice and bought us a CD Unit with Ys.  That was the start of our Turbo gaming.  There was just something different with how the Turbo/PC-E games played to me.  I just love it.  I love the way the chip tunes sound.  The on screen colors were vibrant in quite a few games compared to NES and the Genesis/MD.  The CD games with their Redbook audio was just a joy to listen to.

[GohanX]

I was a Nintendo kid, not necessarily because I had any bias, but my parents didn't have a lot of money, so I had to pick one system. I got a SNES, a bud got a Genesis. I read a lot of video game magazines, and EGM often featured reviews and ads for Turbografx stuff, and it looked awesome. I also saw the commercials on TV, and I wanted one pretty badly. There was a Brendles near here that had the system and games, but $100 for the system and $60 for a game was far beyond my 10 year old grasp.  There was also a kick ass rental store that had TG-16 games, but with no system I could not rent them.

Later on the Duo would hit, and I would spend hours drooling at an ad for it, and being really sad at the price: $299. I got $15 a week for mowing lawns, that was well out of reach. However, if I save for a while, I might be able to buy a used TG16! I called the rental store and asked how much they sold used units for, it was like $45 or something. So I saved! I got my money together, went over there, and they had no systems! I kept checking, but they never got any more systems, and cleared their rental games out at $5 a piece. Also, the Brendles store closed, so I had no access to Turbo stuff at all in my town.

I kept reading EGM, so I kept current on Turbo news, including some imports, the Arcade Card, and the PCFX, knowing I would likely never own them.

Fast forward to sometime in 1999/2000 or so. I can't remember if I was in a chat room or on the old GameGo! forums, but I was speaking to ECM (of former Gamefan magazine) about Turbo stuff, and he told me "You know, you can get a new Duo from TZD.com RIGHT NOW for $200." And so I did, with the Gates of Thunder 4-in-1 disc and Lords of Thunder. A few months later I would get Dracula X and a few cheapie hucards off of ebay. It was a great time! I had to sell that Duo a few years ago when I was desperate for some cash, but I have since replaced it with a Duo R, and more recently I FINALLY got the TG16 system I always wanted!

[jlued686]

Nostalgia, mostly. I only ever owned an Atari 2600 before the Turbo, and my Dad bought me a Turbografx-16 on a whim. I lived in a small town in Central Wisconsin, so I was the only person I knew who had one. I was in love with that machine, and eventually wound up getting a Turbo Express when they had the "Four Free Games" deal, and a TurboDuo shortly after its launch.

I do love much of the library, but I admit my obsession with it stems from the memories I have of playing it with my brother on the living room floor. There have been consoles that have had better libraries (IMO, at least), but the Turbo will always be my favorite.

[bartre]

I had seen a bunch of the games via youtube videos and thought, "hmm, that looks interesting."
so i popped an emu on my psp and I was hooked.
It only got better after I got the real deal.
plus there's enough variety between games to keep me interested, the shooters are excellent, there's neutopia, military madness, and all kinds of excellent games.

[machomadness]

I grew up playing it because my aunt and uncle had one.   Neutopia and Bonk were played a lot.

when they gave it to me, I got China warrior, and holy fuck. 

mind = blown.

plus the music rules.

That's the SAME reason I was hooked. My aunt had a PC Engine, then the TG-16, and then later, the Duo. I used to play Bonk and Lords of Thunder on there a lot. I still remember seeing the HuCard for the first time. I was used to the NES carts. I could not BELIEVE that a WHOLE GAME fit onto a CARD!

[TR0N]

I'll just say this is the reason why.

When the egm buyers guide gave it a 10 i had to have one.

[A_Locomotive]

I still remember seeing the HuCard for the first time. I was used to the NES carts. I could not BELIEVE that a WHOLE GAME fit onto a CARD!

I had this same thing go through my head the first time I ever saw a HuCard as well... and then I remembered the time I took apart some carts to see what they looked like inside. I'll never forget my shock at seeing the inside of an NES cart, so much wasted space. lol Virtual Boy carts are just as hilariously wasteful inside as well.

[DragonmasterDan]

I still remember seeing the HuCard for the first time. I was used to the NES carts. I could not BELIEVE that a WHOLE GAME fit onto a CARD!

I had this same thing go through my head the first time I ever saw a HuCard as well... and then I remembered the time I took apart some carts to see what they looked like inside. I'll never forget my shock at seeing the inside of an NES cart, so much wasted space. lol Virtual Boy carts are just as hilariously wasteful inside as well.

When I first saw a HuCard it reminded me of something I had seen but never owned. The card games for the Sega Master System.

[OldRover]

It was NEC's TV promotions that first did it for me... the whole "us vs them" thing against the NES, with the record player and whatnot. I wanted one for years afterward. It wasn't until I was about 16 that I was finally able to get one though... and I've been hooked ever since. I think what does it for me is the rather unique library. Sure, I've owned a Genesis and a Super Nintendo, and I have my favorite games on both of those too, but this machine will always be my favorite. Bonk is best represented here, and none of the other systems of the era are as easy to code for.

[sheath]

I bought my TurboGrafx-16, about a year after I bought my Genesis, mainly because at the time I saw Arcade games I wanted being ported to the Turbo.  Legendary Axe, Ninja Spirit and Bonk's Adventure where what finally convinced me to buy the Turbo back in the day. 

The main reason I bought a TurboGrafx-16 was because of the unique gameplay experiences I could have on that console, but I also appreciated the unique colors I saw in some of the games. 

For similar reasons I eventually recollected all of the TG16 games I used to own more recently, along with my DUO/R and have been collecting whatever I can for the PCE/DUO ever since.

[CrackTiger]

I was a Genesis player who had loved the SMS and Sega arcades when I finally got to experience the TG-16, which I was biased against. My brief viewing and test play at a small trade show in our town's ice rink had an impact, but it was the evening I spent at an acquaintance's house that sealed the deal for me.

Ever since I first rented a Genesis, I'd been dying for next gen console games and the kind of vibrant shaded graphics that I'd only seen in arcades and at times in SMS games. But almost everything for Genesis looked kinda two-toned and was arcade style. Even the early RPGs weren't what I'd hoped for. When I visited a sorta-friend who was big into video games and had every console, I got to see the TG-16 up close, along with the Turbo Tap, Neutopia and Dungeon Explorer.

I loved the style of the Genesis and its pad, but the Turbo hardware still looked and felt so unique and cool. The pads seemed literally perfect for me and they are still my favorite to this day. The TurboChips were also undeniably cool, even though I'd played Sega Cards in the past. I still found myself putting effort into looking negatively at the games. At first, Keith Courage stood out, since it seemed the most original. The graphics were exactly what I'd always wanted from console games and the sound blew me away. Genesis sound was cool, but Turbo sound was like nothing I'd ever heard, in the arcade or at home and it sounded like it was designed specifically for my tastes.

When I watched Neutopia being played, I couldn't help but be blown away by the title screen. The last game to impress me like that was Sword of Vermillion. I didn't really pay as much attention to Neutopia as I should and dismissed it as "just Zelda", even though it was pretty much everything I'd wanted in a next gen game. I criticized Dungeon Explorer the same way, since the idea of a Guantlet style game seemed incredibly boring. But I couldn't deny how much fun it was for us playing two player together.

I remained defiant to the end and went home thinking that I was better off with my Genesis. But from the next day onward, I couldn't stop thinking about those Turbo games. I replayed everything I'd experienced of all three, over and over and imagined how Neutopia and Dungeon Explorer might unfold. I began to suspect that much of the graphics and sound I remembered was imagined and they couldn't be nearly as good as I'd come to think. The whole concept of Dungeon Explorer now seemed genius and I was so thankful that Neutopia had been made so faithful to the "real" Zelda.

Early that coming X-Mas season, just under a year after I got a Genesis, I got a TG-16. By the time I saved up enough money to buy a game, I found that guy was selling Neutopia and Dungeon Explorer in the local paper for like $25 each (I'd actually bought my first SMS with Phantasy Star from him previously). They were everything I'd remembered, imagined and more. Not only were they fully shaded and colorful console games with real variety in the artwork, but the replay value was insane. To this day I have not gotten tired of them and the aesthetics continue to improve with time.

The Turbo/PCE remained my main console from then onward, even after the 32-bit generation was in full swing and I had no idea that anyone else in the world was still actively playing "old" games.

[MotherGunner]

For me it was the videos at the mall.  I remember the small "Turbo Zone" islands with game stations on them.  Seeing Bonk enter the Dinosaur mouth SOLD me.

[jlued686]

I was a Genesis player who had loved the SMS and Sega arcades when I finally got to experience the TG-16, which I was biased against. My brief viewing and test play at a small trade show in our town's ice rink had an impact, but it was the evening I spent at an acquaintance's house that sealed the deal for me.

Ever since I first rented a Genesis, I'd been dying for next gen console games and the kind of vibrant shaded graphics that I'd only seen in arcades and at times in SMS games. But almost everything for Genesis looked kinda two-toned and was arcade style. Even the early RPGs weren't what I'd hoped for. When I visited a sorta-friend who was big into video games and had every console, I got to see the TG-16 up close, along with the Turbo Tap, Neutopia and Dungeon Explorer.

I loved the style of the Genesis and its pad, but the Turbo hardware still looked and felt so unique and cool. The pads seemed literally perfect for me and they are still my favorite to this day. The TurboChips were also undeniably cool, even though I'd played Sega Cards in the past. I still found myself putting effort into looking negatively at the games. At first, Keith Courage stood out, since it seemed the most original. The graphics were exactly what I'd always wanted from console games and the sound blew me away. Genesis sound was cool, but Turbo sound was like nothing I'd ever heard, in the arcade or at home and it sounded like it was designed specifically for my tastes.

When I watched Neutopia being played, I couldn't help but be blown away by the title screen. The last game to impress me like that was Sword of Vermillion. I didn't really pay as much attention to Neutopia as I should and dismissed it as "just Zelda", even though it was pretty much everything I'd wanted in a next gen game. I criticized Dungeon Explorer the same way, since the idea of a Guantlet style game seemed incredibly boring. But I couldn't deny how much fun it was for us playing two player together.

I remained defiant to the end and went home thinking that I was better off with my Genesis. But from the next day onward, I couldn't stop thinking about those Turbo games. I replayed everything I'd experienced of all three, over and over and imagined how Neutopia and Dungeon Explorer might unfold. I began to suspect that much of the graphics and sound I remembered was imagined and they couldn't be nearly as good as I'd come to think. The whole concept of Dungeon Explorer now seemed genius and I was so thankful that Neutopia had been made so faithful to the "real" Zelda.

Early that coming X-Mas season, just under a year after I got a Genesis, I got a TG-16. By the time I saved up enough money to buy a game, I found that guy was selling Neutopia and Dungeon Explorer in the local paper for like $25 each (I'd actually bought my first SMS with Phantasy Star from him previously). They were everything I'd remembered, imagined and more. Not only were they fully shaded and colorful console games with real variety in the artwork, but the replay value was insane. To this day I have not gotten tired of them and the aesthetics continue to improve with time.

The Turbo/PCE remained my main console from then onward, even after the 32-bit generation was in full swing and I had no idea that anyone else in the world was still actively playing "old" games.

Loved this post. Thanks for the story! I could read about Turbo nostalgia all day.

[Supremo_Lagarto]

I have fond memories of the Turbo Grafx from my early teens in the late 80's and early 90's.

In 1989 I received the Sega Genesis as a Christmas gift. The decision was made to purchase the Genesis over the Turbo Grafx 16 largely due to the terrible marketing of the Turbo Grafx 16 in America. The American re-design of the PC Engine also played a role. By 1991, the Turbo Grafx 16 was already having serious problems selling in the US and a friend received one for only $50 from Montgomery Ward.  The games he had were Keith Courage and Sidearms. Kieth Courage was an okay game, but Sidearms was quite fantastic and really impressed me. The next time I went out to a shopping mall I visited the Turbo Grafx 16 display and while the advertisements were poorly conceived and irritating, the games themselves looked very nice. This was especially true of Legendary Axe and Splatterhouse. The problem was, they did not actually have an Turbo Grafx consoles to sell, just a few left over games and they were the crap ones like the TV Sports series. However, I distinctly remember playing the Turbo Grafx demo unit (Legendary Axe was in it) and how I liked as much as the Genesis, except for the fact that my friend could not actually find any of the games for his Turbo. He pretty much had the same two or three games for an entire year.

Naturally, when I had enough money saved up to get a Turbo Grafx, you could no longer find them locally. Back in these days purchasing game systems or games through mail order was not smart. Companies like "The Ultimate Game Club" really were only good at the "taking  your money and spending it" aspect of the transaction. For all practical purposes, by 1992, you could not find Turbo Grafx 16 consoles or games ANYWHERE in most cities (I lived in six different states in the US). I read about the Turbo Duo in video game magazines and was very impressed with the graphics and game line up, but I never once saw one of these in a store (and I am talking about several different states in the US).  The game I was most looking forward to seeing was Street Fighter 2 Championship Edition and that was not even released in the United States.

Finally, as an adult in the late 90's I bought a Turbo Grafx and about six games from a video game store for about $50 and had a blast. Earlier this year I broke down and bought my first Japanse Duo. Fantastic system.

As an adult with some education in business and marketing I can understand why the Turbo Grafx 16 did not catch on in the United States. It isn't that Americans were too stupid to appreciate it. It isn't that the games were too hard.  In a nutshell, NEC of America made it difficult to buy with a late and bungled launch and horrible, confusing marketing. Although it had a lack of third party support, I firmly believe it had a solid chance in the beginning that was squandered early on.

[jlued686]

Yeah, the console was impossible to find in small-town/rural areas. I lived in a tiny town in Central Wisconsin and was only able to build up a sizable collection because my step-dad was a truck driver and would pick up games for us while he was out on the road. My brother and I would send a list a long with him and about once/month he'd hit a Toys R' Us (because he could park his semi in their lot) and track down one of the games.

I was also lucky that we had a mom n' pop video rental place that inexplicably rented games for every console in existence. They had a pretty meager Turbo library, but it was enough for us to sample some of the games for the system. When they went out of business around '98, I bought out their entire Turbo stock of about ten games for $4 each.

If NEC could've gotten the console into Wal-Mart or something, it might have had a better chance. I'm sure they tried, but Nintendo and Sega were hogging all the shelf space.

[DragonmasterDan]

Yeah, the console was impossible to find in small-town/rural areas. I lived in a tiny town in Central Wisconsin and was only able to build up a sizable collection because my step-dad was a truck driver and would pick up games for us while he was out on the road. My brother and I would send a list a long with him and about once/month he'd hit a Toys R' Us (because he could park his semi in their lot) and track down one of the games.

I was also lucky that we had a mom n' pop video rental place that inexplicably rented games for every console in existence. They had a pretty meager Turbo library, but it was enough for us to sample some of the games for the system. When they went out of business around '98, I bought out their entire Turbo stock of about ten games for $4 each.

They definitely sold it at Target and Venture from what I recall. Toys R us had it, as did Babbages, Software Etc and Electronics Boutique

If NEC could've gotten the console into Wal-Mart or something, it might have had a better chance. I'm sure they tried, but Nintendo and Sega were hogging all the shelf space.

Wal-Mart back then wasn't what it is today.
Where I lived in Chicagoland, Wal-mart didn't even have a presence in the general metro area in 1989-1991 when the system was at its most popular.

[Supremo_Lagarto]

I liked the Turbo Grafx 16 because it had very good arcade ports, shooters, plat formers, and one of the best action RPG's on any of the 16-bit era consoles.

They definitely sold it at Target and Venture from what I recall. Toys R us had it, as did Babbages, Software Etc and Electronics Boutique

I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but I moved 20 times and lived in six different states during the 80's and 90's. I do not doubt the above quoted statement, but one needs to understand that an area near Chicago is a very large population center. You could find the Turbo Grafx in almost none of stores mentioned above in several different cities in Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, and Alaska (though Alaska is understandable). This is because the cities I lived in were not huge population centers like Chicago. The only exception to this is the Electronics Boutique in the Mall of Memphis, Tennessee that had few Turbo Grafx 16 consoles and about a dozen games in 1991. However, Memphis was a fairly large population center. Even there it was very difficult to find a good selection of Turbo Grafx software. Usually, if I found the Turbo Grafx, it was in a clearance bin and there were no games.

When it was launched, Turbo Grafx 16 was marketed and distributed primarily to a limited number of large cities and metropolitan areas in the United States, under the assumption that if it caught on demand would increase elsewhere.  This was not a good marketing strategy because in the 80's businesses were not integrated well enough to even know if there was demand for a console. They didn't have ERP systems or centralized databases back then. Sure, you would randomly come across a few units here and their in most cities, but in small stock and with little software support.

Although my friend's was purchased from Montgomery Ward, every other person I ever met in my youth who had one bought it (and the games) through the Sears or JC Penny catalog.

[jlued686]

I was about to post the exact same thing as Supremo_Lagarto. In the late 80s/early 90s, none of those stores existed anywhere near me. I'm talking 2-3 hour drive at least. For a 13-14 year-old kid, that was impossible. Target and Venture didn't exist in Wisconsin, except maybe around Milwaukee, and my town was the first town to have a Wal-Mart in the entire state. Retail chains weren't what they are today, and NEC didn't get their consoles into the regional chains we had in my area like Shopko and Pamida. But you could walk into one of those stores any day of the week and pick up a SNES or a Genesis and a decent selection of games.

Like Supremo said, the console was distributed to larger metro areas, and they didn't seem to have the resources to cover anything else. From what I can tell, that played a pretty big factor in its demise.

[DragonmasterDan]

Yeah, I found Turbo stuff around suburban St.Louis as well as a kid. But I didn't spend much time in small towns. I suspect if you didn't have the stores listed your options for acquiring hardware were limited to mail order.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

They definitely sold it at Target and Venture from what I recall. Toys R us had it, as did Babbages, Software Etc and Electronics Boutique

I don't recall Target having any Turbobs and there are no Venture stores here, but I didn't have any troubles finding 'em at the other places back in the day.  I guess Nebraska was one of the 'big markets' (big market for corn maybe), or perhaps someone is just full of beans.

[jlued686]

Hey, I'm just speaking from an anecdotal perspective. I'm sure it was different from state to state, but there was no way to get Turbo stuff in my area. Not sure how familiar you are with Wisconsin, but I lived in Merrill just north or Wausau, which is a pretty decent, mid-sized city, if you include the surrounding areas. However the nearest Toys R' Us or mall of any sort of worth was in Appleton, over two hours away. I guess my point is that my town and towns around only had regional chains like Shopko, Prange Way, Pamida, and Turbo consoles weren't there. We also had a couple K-Marts and one Wal-Mart, but there wasn't Turbo stuff there. So, again in my experience, the only way for me to get my hands on new games was to go to larger cities.

[DragonmasterDan]

I don't recall Target having any Turbobs and there are no Venture stores here,

Venture went under in the late 90s, they were like Target, K-Mart or Wal-Mart.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

Hey, I'm just speaking from an anecdotal perspective.

That wasn't for you, jlued.  I got that you were speaking of personal experience, unlike a certain someone else that was speaking in absolutes.

[nectarsis]

Hey, I'm just speaking from an anecdotal perspective. I'm sure it was different from state to state, but there was no way to get Turbo stuff in my area. Not sure how familiar you are with Wisconsin, but I lived in Merrill just north or Wausau, which is a pretty decent, mid-sized city, if you include the surrounding areas. However the nearest Toys R' Us or mall of any sort of worth was in Appleton, over two hours away. I guess my point is that my town and towns around only had regional chains like Shopko, Prange Way, Pamida, and Turbo consoles weren't there. We also had a couple K-Marts and one Wal-Mart, but there wasn't Turbo stuff there. So, again in my experience, the only way for me to get my hands on new games was to go to larger cities.

Wausau mid-sized *giggles* ;)

[jlued686]

That wasn't for you, jlued.  I got that you were speaking of personal experience, unlike a certain someone else that was speaking in absolutes.

Gotcha. Just wanted to clarify in case I was sounding like a dick. ;)

Wausau mid-sized *giggles* ;)

Ha! I was being generous!

[Dyna138]

Going back to my childhood I believe I owned an Atari 2600 and NES before getting the Turbo. I can remember the cheesy TV ads they used to run where they showed footage of the final boss of Legendary Axe. I think I sh*t my pants watching those ads, going from the NES to that was mind blowing at the time. I remember thinking a lot of the games were "arcade quality" although I probably didn't think of it in those terms when I was younger. All I know is I wanted one and I think I finally convinced my Mother when they were running the "buy a TG16 and receive 2 free games" mail-away.

I loved the system and games like Bonk's Adventure, Ninja Spirit, Splatterhouse, Legendary Axe I and II left a big impression on me. I don't know I wouldn't say they are AMAZING games, but they were so much fun to play for me and I have so many great memories of them, more than any system I had before or since then. I had a small collection of games and rented many others. Being a kid I didn't have the finances to amass a huge collection nor could I afford the CD upgrade or eventually the Duo. I remember feeling a little disappointed I couldn't play some of the CD games like YS I&II or Addam's Family back in the day, but I still loved the system and didn't part with it.

Eventually I sold the system because the piece that connected the TG controller to the system broke off and god knows I couldn't find a replacement controller for anything. I remember passing a store one day with my Mother and they had the box of a TG16 controller in the window. I ran inside asking for it all excited I had found one only for the store owner to tell me it was only an empty box! 

Anyway I think I can go on forever with these memories, but I rediscovered the TG16 about 10 years ago. I was thinking about my memories of it as a kid and with a new tool called ebay as well as online vendors like TZD who still had stocks of Duos and games I reinvested in it. It's still my favorite system ever because of a big mix of nostalgia and just very enjoyable games. I also love the vast PC Engine library, its like finding buried treasure out there, you never know what little gem you might come across.
 

[DragonmasterDan]

Eventually I sold the system because the piece that connected the TG controller to the system broke off

Was it the metal pins on the inside disconnecting from the connector on the controller? I had that happen, I had pins bend, I had a lot of problems with those controllers.

[roflmao]

It seems like I've always been a fan of the underdog whenever it comes to electronics.  When all my friends had an NES, I had a Sega Master System.  When the Genesis became the next big thing, I got the TurboGrafx-16.  I bought an Iriver H-120 instead of an Ipod (which I still use).

I remember back in the day I had R-Type for the SMS and a friend of mine brought his TG-16 w/ R-Type over one day and it completely blew me away.  I bought one as soon as I could afford it.  And I was an addict.  I bought all of the accessories (Tap, Booster+, CD Attachment, Express, Duo).  Life was good going though high school and holding down a job or two and not having any real bills.

I think one of the things that has impressed me so much about the system is that it was released to compete with the NES, yet came out with games that gave the Saturn a run for it's money (Sapphire) almost a decade later.

[Lilgrafx]

What most of you have said are my reasons for loving the turbo. It's definitively not the best console ever made but It has some really great Shooters and quirky titles that I love. I also like the way it looks, most people think it pretty ugly but for some reason I like it.

[Dyna138]

Eventually I sold the system because the piece that connected the TG controller to the system broke off

Was it the metal pins on the inside disconnecting from the connector on the controller? I had that happen, I had pins bend, I had a lot of problems with those controllers.

Yeah that's what happened and back then with how hard it was to find Turbo stuff and no internet I was pretty screwed. In general NEC pads don't seem to hold up after a lot of use, my original Duo controller buttons are also fried. It's probably fixable with a little tinkering though.

[Nazi NecroPhile]

It's definitively not the best console ever made but...

Bull cookies!

[Marll]

There were several factors that did it for me. For one compared to the NES the colors and graphics at the time in 1989 were mind blowing. I also read everything I could get my hands on about the TG16 and the PCE in EGM, GamePro, etc and was impressed by everything that I saw. Many of the Japanese games that were supposedly coming to the US seemed awesome (too bad most never panned out) and the CD system really upped the ante on everything else out there (when I got mine for Christmas in 1990 it was a HUGE deal for me and my friends). As mentioned I also kinda liked picking the underdog. It also had more unique games than the SNES and Genesis IMO, and sports titles do nothing for me, so the draw for that on the Genesis was nil for me.

If the system hadn't been plagued by horrible marketing in the US, and had more developer support I think it could have been big like the PCE. I'll be a rabid fan of the system forever.

Also as a side note, when idiots refer to the Sega CD as the first CD based game system it really chaps my ass.

[thesteve]

didnt 3DO give sega a run for their money on cd based systems.
NEC still beat them.

[DragonmasterDan]

didnt 3DO give sega a run for their money on cd based systems.
NEC still beat them.

In what way? I think between multiple manufacturers (Panasonic, Goldstar, Samsung) they only cranked out like 700K 3DOs globally.