Euro Turbografx

Spector · 09/17/2006, 06:01 AM

When referring to the TG-16, Wikipedia says: "A PAL version of the system also saw a very limited release in the UK and continental Europe in 1990 as "Turbografx" (not including the "16" in the title, and uncapitalized "g" in "grafx")."

Now I don't remember this at all at the time. I knew of the PC Engine back then because I had been blown away by the screenshots in game reviews in British magazine C&VG and later "The Complete Guide To Consoles Book III" (a spin-off publication). Yet in neither of these magazines was there a mention of its release, limited or otherwise, over in Britain. In fact, in December 1990, "The CGTC Book IV" came out, reviewing all the systems, and in its summary of the PC Engine, said "there is a rumour of a UK release in the Spring of 1991". This suggests that it hadn't been released at all at that point.

Can anyone here confirm that they had a Euro/GB Turbografx in 1990?

Seldane · 09/17/2006, 09:45 AM

Quote from: DementiaBecause I love you guys, I went and pestered Mr. Greiner for you this morning! The Turbo Grafx was never officially released in Europe. It was however, given distribution as a "gray market" item through the Guillemot brothers (now owners of Ubisoft). The sold around 50,000 units and it made them a lot of money. They basically took the PC Engine and put PAL conversion units onto them and enabled them to play US games.

As stated, the Turbo Grafx was a gray market item, therefore there was no advertising, official Hudson marketing, or other aspects involved in the process - though we gave Guillemot a lot of support. NEC handled the distribution of games in Europe which were basically the American titles you all know and love. The system could be found on store shelves throughout Europe and received a lot of press coverage as well from the various magazines there.

Hope this helps!

Kaminari · 09/17/2006, 12:12 PM

To my knowledge, the Turbografx was only released in Spain. Guillemot (Sodipeng) were a French company. They used to cover the French and Benelux markets with modified Japanese systems. They might have conducted local experiments with the Turbografx, but my guess is that it never took off because the volumes of Japanese imports were so much bigger.

Odonadon · 09/17/2006, 11:10 PM

QuoteThey basically took the PC Engine and put PAL conversion units onto them and enabled them to play US games.

I'm confused - the box pictured is clearly a TurboGrafx16 and not a PC Engine. I assume he Dementia meant the TG16 with a PAL conversion unit.

OD

Keranu · 09/18/2006, 01:03 AM

Hey I've never seen a pic of that "Turbo Grafx Accessories" box before with the PAL TG16, that's cool!

Joe Redifer · 09/18/2006, 01:36 AM

I know. I want those accessories, and I don't even know what's inside the box!

Keranu · 09/18/2006, 02:38 AM

Once again, a box attracts me into wanting to buy something!

Seldane · 09/18/2006, 06:47 AM

I've been planning on buying the pictured system (I hotlinked it from an auction). If I buy it, I can take some photos of whatever's inside.

lkermel · 09/18/2006, 07:54 PM

I also own a PAL Turbografx. The console is virtually identical to the American TurboGrafx-16 if I remember well. The accessories I got were just the controllers and maybe the power supply. However the console came with Blazing Lazers instead of the average Keith Courage in alpha zones (which is great if you ask me). Games look identical to American TurboChips though. I bought it a couple few years ago in England, this is why I also think it was also released there.
I'll try to post some pics on the forum...

Tatsujin · 09/18/2006, 09:05 PM

Quote from: Odonadon
QuoteThey basically took the PC Engine and put PAL conversion units onto them and enabled them to play US games.

I'm confused - the box pictured is clearly a TurboGrafx16 and not a PC Engine. I assume he Dementia meant the TG16 with a PAL conversion unit.

OD

no reason to be confused. the french market received a japanese model pce core (later also core grafx and core II), which simply was modified to PAL/Secam TVs insteat of NTSC-J. also germans and swiss got those modified PCEs in regular shops. nothing official!
the box from above is the spain version of the turbografx-16, which was never introduced in to the market due to some license conflicts what ever.

lkermel · 09/18/2006, 11:35 PM

Here's as promissed pictures of my TurboGrafx PAL. Notice the serial number HES-TGX-11. The accessory Boy only contains the AC Adapter, and RF Uniy/AV Cable.

IMAGE 1 - out of the box
IMAGE 2 - the console
IMAGE 3 - controller
IMAGE 4 - specs
IMAGE 5 - side of the box
IMAGE 6 - Blazing Lazers

Keranu · 09/18/2006, 11:37 PM

Awesome pics, thanks! I noticed they still left the 16 part intact in the TG16 logo on Blazing Lazers. Also the instruction booklet for the system looks just like the American one.

Joe Redifer · 09/18/2006, 11:45 PM

Does it play US games or only specialized PAL games?

Tatsujin · 09/18/2006, 11:56 PM

made and printed in taiwan

aren't the games just the US version? never played any games on that one.

Seldane · 09/19/2006, 08:06 AM

Quote from: DementiaThey basically took the PC Engine [Turbo Grafx 16] and put PAL conversion units onto them and enabled them to play US games.

shubibiman · 09/19/2006, 09:45 AM

It only plays usual US games. Basically, it's about the same machine as the US TGX16 technically, the only difference being the fequency (50Hz). I heard it had been released in Spain but I have nothing to confirm that rumour (only a Spanish guy could tell us). It has for sure not been released in France as Guillemot distributed the japanese systems with an RGB mod. THIS was "grey" market, the PAL Turbografx being an official release.

Tatsujin · 09/19/2006, 08:04 PM

Quote from: shubibimanIt only plays usual US games.

thought so, since the games looking completely the same. thx

cheezio · 09/22/2006, 10:31 AM

I bought one off ebay a few years ago - a chap in Germany had a job lot of them. I would NOT recommend getting one to actually play games on (ok as museum piece).
As they are 50Hz the games run slower. Now I wouldnt have thought the difference would be an issue - but it really is

.
Music on games is noticeably slow, and games feel sluggish compared to being played on a 60Hz machine. (a minute of gunhed on a 50Hz machine is 50seconds on a Jap/Us machine - if my maths is correct).

It was a bit of a dissapointment - but the big RTYPE pic on the box was cool!

One upside is that harder games are made a bit easier due to this slightslo-mo effect. And they grey casing was nicer than black IMHO

_Paul · 09/22/2006, 10:53 AM

Quote from: cheezioI bought one off ebay a few years ago - a chap in Germany had a job lot of them. I would NOT recommend getting one to actually play games on (ok as museum piece).
As they are 50Hz the games run slower. Now I wouldnt have thought the difference would be an issue - but it really is .
Music on games is noticeably slow, and games feel sluggish compared to being played on a 60Hz machine. (a minute of gunhed on a 50Hz machine is 50seconds on a Jap/Us machine - if my maths is correct).

It was a bit of a dissapointment - but the big RTYPE pic on the box was cool!

One upside is that harder games are made a bit easier due to this slightslo-mo effect. And they grey casing was nicer than black IMHO

Ah I remember those days of the PAL PC Engine. What are the colours like on it? The first modded PC Engines from Japan had a severely reduced colour palette as well as big PAL borders.

cheezio · 09/22/2006, 05:05 PM

colours were fine as far as i remember, it was composite too not RF, so a decent picture.
Can't remember black borders... but I was turned off so fast by the slowness of the games (and the music - gawd, painful...) that I didn't have the machine for long.

again though - very very nice R-type box art!
If Wii and PS3 had R-type on the sides of their boxes, i`d buy them no question

Seldane · 09/22/2006, 06:15 PM

Quote from: cheezioCan't remember black borders...

But they were there. They must've been. There's no way around it.

_Paul · 09/22/2006, 06:24 PM

Quote from: Seldane
Quote from: cheezioCan't remember black borders...

But they were there. They must've been. There's no way around it.

If only we had widescreen TVs then it wouldn't have been a problem.

Seldane · 09/22/2006, 06:27 PM

Quote from: guestIf only we had widescreen TVs then it wouldn't have been a problem.

But if we did, we would've gotten borders on the sides instead.

_Paul · 09/23/2006, 05:24 AM

Ah not in ZOOM mode you wouldn't. The games would still have run slow though.

It was a big thing in those days having ugly PAL borders in games and I hated it. I remember a friend running a Master System through his monitor and stretching it for (almost) full screen. Looked awesome!

Seldane · 09/23/2006, 09:49 AM

I never actually noticed these black bars back then. I still don't - I guess I'm used to them. I also think it looks a but more stylish with them, but I don't know why, hehe.

If you have the chance, play Terranigma (SNES) in 50Hz and then in 60. It's a huge difference, all the graphics seem to be "flattened" in 50Hz mode.

Everblue · 09/11/2008, 04:41 AM

I was wondering, cannot the PAL turbografx be modified to run in NTSC mode?

JoshTurboTrollX · 09/11/2008, 10:55 PM

holy necroposting bastard!!

It took me about 10 minutes to figure out that this thread was nearly two years old.

I was like why the hell are none of these pix or links working!!

lol

OceanBlueKirby · 09/11/2008, 11:19 PM

Quote from: Everblue on 09/11/2008, 04:41 AMI was wondering, cannot the PAL turbografx be modified to run in NTSC mode?

I'm pretty sure it's possible for it to be so by changing a few PINs. If you're trying to just run it in the NTSC current as is, it's possible for it to do so (you can see more information on that by seeing a thread where I had asked about this very system.

Everblue · 09/12/2008, 02:53 AM

Quote from: JoshTurboTrollX-16 on 09/11/2008, 10:55 PMholy necroposting bastard!!

It took me about 10 minutes to figure out that this thread was nearly two years old.

I was like why the hell are none of these pix or links working!!

lol

Sorry, maybe I should have started a new thread!

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Euro Turbografx