TurboGrafx 16 (NEC)

TurboGrafx 16
NEC
1989 - 1994

With Sega's slogan for the Genesis being, "Genesis does what Nintendon't," then a good one for NEC's Turbo Grafx 16 would have been, "We've got a video game console too...Hello?"

NEC's Turbo Grafx 16 was a beautiful console that so many gamers missed out on because they favored the more popular Nintendo console or Sega Genesis.  It had a couple quirks that left many wondering just what NEC was thinking, and in addition didn't have any mainstream titles that necessarily stood out among gamers of the era.  However, as a whole, the console still brought with it a fair amount of games, many of which were incredibly enjoyable to play.

Though the console didn't have a mascot, so to speak, one would arise in the form of Bonk from the game Bonk's Adventure, and its subsequent sequels.  Though not as loving or charming as your Mario or Sonic the Hedgehog, this large headed prehistoric boy quickly became the face of the Turbo Grafx 16.

A unique peripheral to the console was the TurboBooster which did away with the standard RF plug in, and allowed for higher quality picture and sound through A/V cables.  The TurboBooster-Plus, not only included the upgrade of the original Booster, but also added memory for saving your game, though not all games supported this feature.

Most annoying to those who supported the Turbo Grafx 16 was that a separate peripheral was needed just to be allowed to play two player games.  The TurboTap was a small box that would plug into the lone controller port on the console, allowing up to five controllers to be plugged in.

NEC also produced standard individually packed controllers which they called a TurboPad, and the larger arcade type stick, the TurboStick.  Both could be utilized with the TurboTap, as well as plugged directly into the console for single player games.

Though the console didn't have a large variety of games, many of the ones produced were far superior to those of the Nintendo and Genesis.  Rather than make bulky cartridges, each game came on a flat card with the inards exposed, making them easily susceptible to damage if not taken care of properly.

The packaging utilized was much like the original packaging of CD's.  I.E. each card was packed inside of a case, which was then slipped inside of a very nicely designed cardboard slipcase.  All of this was then shrink wrapped, keeping everything nice and neat.

While it wasn't unheard of for the Turbo Grafx 16 to have games which were also available on the NES and Genesis, for the most part the company stuck with its own individual titles, making the majority of them exclusive to the console.

Below are images of all 94 cartridge based games for the console released in the US.

As the Turbo Grafx 16 picked up speed, a CD ROM was eventually added to the console which expanded its library.  However, the majority of these games were only released in Japan, leaving the CD based catalog of games pretty slim for most American buyers.

 

Because it was removable, a unique feature built into the CD ROM system was that it could also be used in conjunction with headphones to be a somewhat portable CD player for standard music CD's.

 

In the hopes of getting more customers to buy into the console, an updated version known as the TurboDuo was later released. This version encorporated both the cartridge and CD based peripherals together into one system.

Despite NEC attempting to compete against Sega and Nintendo in the console wars, the company conceded the battle in 1994, ceasing production.

***BONUS***

NEC produced what was probably the most advanced hand held gaming console for its time in 1990.  The TurboExpress was not only a portable gaming device, but with the addition of the TurboVision (sold separately of course), you could convert the device into an antenna based color television.  You children of the 80's know exactly how hot that concept was for its time.

Television aside, the TurboExpress offered something that no other handheld device offered for its time - A portable gaming system that allowed you the ability to play your entire library of TG16 games (with the exception of the CD based ones).  NEC never produced one game that was only playable on the TurboExpress.  Instead, it was simply a means to take your console games on the go.  No handheld gaming system up to this point in time could boast such a concept, though it would be copied by Sega in 1995 with the release of their Nomad console - a portable Sega Genesis.

Join us next time when we take a look at Nintendo 64!

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Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Series 8 and LARP (Playmates Toys)

Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Series 8
Playmates Toys
2014

One of the most anticipated waves of toys for 2014 has finally started hitting store shelves...Which is odd, because we had it on good faith from Paula Billingsley of Playmates Toys who said, quote;

"All the new TMNT Figures and TMNT products are being distributed to the retail stores around the first part of July or August which is the Spring release. Any older figures will also be coming back out in limited amounts."

Apparently someone at Playmates Toys didn't get the memo.

Regardless of what happened, fans of Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles can rejoice in the fact that new products have finally started hitting retail. 

The four new figures are; Newtralizer, Slash, Rahzar and Dojo Splinter. Though it was initially specualted that Tiger Claw would be available with this wave, it appears that this figure has been held back for a later release.

Each figure comes packed on the traditional TMNT packaging which has been in place since the first series. It still contains each figures unique file card, and though the figures at the bottom have been updated to show everything available to date, there's nothing new going on for it. At this point, the packaging has kind of run its course for us, and we really wish that Playmates marketing team would come up with something new, fresh and a little more exciting.

***UPDATE***

Variants are quickly becoming a staple in the series, and this particular wave of figures seems to be no exception.

Newtralizer can be found with both black and silver weapons. Though there appears to be no physical changes to the figure inside.

It appears that these variants are determined by which factory they come from as it's nothing more than pant differences as opposed to sculpt differences. As such, for most of the variants you really have to have a sharp set of eyes for spotting them.

 

***UPDATE***Playmates Toys is at it again with production changes/variants. It has been brought to our attention that Slash is available in two versions. The first has the ooze splatter on his neck and shoulder, I.E. his skin. The second has the ooze splatter on his marginal shell, I.E. his chest. Variant hunters rejoice? Check out the side by side comparison photos on the left for further information.We'd like to thank the reader who brought this to our attention, unfortunately they chose to remain anonymous in the comment section.



 

 

An all new sub series has also made its way to store shelves as of July, 2014. These all new figures based on the season two episode "Mazes and Mutants" feature the four turtles geared up in their LARP (Live Action Role Playing) costumes. Available are; Leo the Knight, Mikey the Elf, Donnie the Wizard and Raph the Barbarian.

We found all four of the LARP figures (Leo the Knight, Mikey the Elf, Donnie the Wizard and Raph the Barbarian) at our local Walmart - Which was shocking to say the least. What was odd is that they had two of each with the exception of Raphael, which there were four of. All the pegs were stuffed, so it wasn't like anyone had gotten any of the others already.

Word to the wise - Aesthetically, these figures look great. Quality wise, they're some of the worst figures we've seen to date. In fact, it seems like the quality of the series as a whole seems to be dropping more and more with each wave.

As we said in our Series 7 post, the Shell Flyer was being advertised from the get go, but wouldn't be available until 2014. While the vehicle still hasn't hit store shelves yet, it's anticipated to soon.

***UPDATE***

We've started seeing the Shell Flyer on ebay and Amazon, but the sellers are either from Hong Kong or the UK. As such, we're not banking on the items being legit releases.

 

 
For those of you who missed the two packs of buggies which were released last year, Playmates has repackaged them individually, and has re-released them. Each Turtle's buggy is availabe, and at the average cost of $9.99, you can actually get them slightly cheaper than what the two packs initially cost. Available are;

Leonardo's Patrol Buggy

 

Michelangelo's Patrol Buggy

 

Donatello's Patrol Buggy

 

Raphael's Patrol Buggy

Unless you're a sealed on card (or in box) collector, then these really aren't a necessary purchase for those who already have them.

Also coming soon is the High Flyin' Blimp. While we haven't seen this vehicle in any of the Nickelodeon animated series episodes, the Turtle Blimp is an iconic vehicle which harkens back to the original line from the 80's, and is sure to be a fan favorite.

No, you won't find any of the above in abundence just yet, but the items are trickling in here and there. As always, we recommend the patience and thrill of the hunt as opposed to the instant and expensive gratification of sites such as eBay.

***UPDATE***

For those of you having trouble finding these new figures, we offer this advice - Look to Amazon. We've seen all four of the new figures being sold directly by Amazon at the price of $11.99 each. That's still considerably more than you're going to pay at regular retail stores, but it's also considerably less then you're going to pay dealing with scalpers.

The buggies are also available, but are priced at $13.99. Ouch! Unless you absolutely have to have them, we recommend waiting for retail stores to stock them, and save yourself sixteen dollars in the long run (plus shipping). The vehicles have always been in more abundence than the figures.

Playmates Toys has also announced that this year's exclusive at San Diego Comic Con will be a black and white comic book version of Raphael. This has intrigued many collectors who wonder if a Mirage Comics accurate line of toys is in the works, or if this is just a one of a kind figure that won't see any further releases.

Hopefully it's not the latter as fans of TMNT have long since desired comic accurate versions, and with NECA's failed attempt it would be great to see this actually happen the right way. If anyone can do it, it's certainly Playmates Toys.

***UPDATE***

Playmates Toys confirmed at this year's SDCC that they are indeed working on a line of figures based on the comic book iterations of the characters. For now, the only figures planned are based on the four Turtles. Hopefully more will follow.

 

Happy hunting, readers!

On a side note, it's rumored that the images below are official pics of what Beebop and Rocksteady will look like in upcoming episodes. The images were apparently from Playmates Toys website, but removed shortly after being posted. Rumor or truth? Time will tell.

 

 

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Sega 32X (Sega)

Sega 32X
Sega
1994 - 1995

Sega really shot themselves in the foot with the 32X.  It was originally slated as a stand alone console, developed to be the "poor man's" entry into the next gen of consoles.  However, head of research and development for Sega of America, Joe Miller convinced Sega of Japan to instead create the console as an add on to the Sega Genesis.

With poor marketing, a rushed release, an outrageous $200.00 price tag and an already announced Sega Saturn which was scheduled for release the following year, the Sega 32X failed to attract both developers and consumers.  In the end it was a commercial failure for Sega.

 

Because developers were hesitant, if not flat out refusing to produce games for a system they felt would be obsolete in less than twelve months, the 32X only sports thirty to forty games in total, most of which are atrocious.  Five of the games required the player to own not just the 32X, but also the Sega CD.

The 32X seemed to be the first nail in the coffin for Sega, and with their future releases of the Sega Saturn and finally the Sega Dreamcast, things just seemed to get steadily worse before the company dropped out of the console wars, and these days focuses strictly on developing games.

Join us next time when we take a look at TurboGrafx 16!

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Sega CD (Sega)

Sega CD
Sega
1993 - 1996

The Sega CD, or Mega CD as it's known in most regions outside of the US was an add on console that brought with it a lot of joy to some gamers, and disgust from others.  Even for its time, a lot of games looked just awful - Specifically those that were designed using live action footage.

The first version of the Sega CD was designed to sit underneath the Sega Genesis, and loaded via a tray which opened and closed from the front.  The second version incorporated a tray into the mix, and shrank down the console to that of an oversized portable CD player.  This particular version had a spring loaded tray that opened from the top.

The console was initially designed to compete with the power of the Super Nintendo which was luring gamers away from Sega with its launch in 1991.  Sega hoped that by utilizing CD's for their games that they could up the graphics and size of games, making much more enriching games for players.

Things were rocky from the get go.  Not only was Sega of Japan not sharing working prototypes of the console with Sega of America, but their quality control was having great difficulties with the system.  The biggest was that it had a tendency to burst into flames.  In addition, Sega delayed too long in getting developer kits out to game developers, and as a result the system was quickly rendered obsolete by later CD based consoles such as the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer and Philips CD-I.

By 1995 Sega announced that the system would be discontinued, and all focus moved towards the upcoming Sega Saturn.  In 1996 the final games for the console were released.

 

Despite CD games quickly becoming the wave of the future, the games were crippled by incredibly long load times which left many gamers frustrated with the concept of the console.  This was not simply limited to load screens prior to levels starting, but also mid game, which brought games to a screeching halt as it would suddenly freeze and load to keep up.  The perfect example of this is the long delay between imputing and finally seeing the fatalities on screen in Mortal Kombat.

 

In its three year run, the Sega CD saw approximately 150 games released in the US.  One of the most controversial - Night Trap - went on to become one of its biggest sellers as a result of attention being brought to the game by congress for its violent and sexual themes.  Below is our presentation of every Sega CD game released in the US.

 

 



The Sega CD was definitely a sign of things to come in the world of gaming.  Unfortunately, technology limitations really hindered the console from being all that it really could have been.

Join us next time when we finish up the Sega Genesis era with their add on console, the Sega 32X!

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