TurboGrafx-16 Mini Launches In March With 50-ish Games

You'll be able to complete the trifecta of tiny 16-bit throwback systems on March 19, 2020, when Konami releases the TurboGrafx-16 Mini. From a report: It'll include Dracula X, Bonk's Revenge, Gradius and many more games, including many Japanese exclusives. Konami said last week that it will sell the device exclusively through Amazon, with preorders opening up on Monday, July 15 during the online retailer's "Prime Day" promotion. The U.S. will get the TurboGrafx-shaped device shown above, while Japan will get a version modeled after the PC Engine and Europe's model will be styled after the CoreGrafx revision. No price has been announced for the U.S. model, but the Japanese one will cost 10,500 yen or around $100. The game library will be almost identical across all three systems, including 24 American versions of games and 26 Japanese versions. There is a little bit of overlap between the two -- for example, both the U.S. and Japanese versions of the action RPG Neutopia are included. That means it's not quite 50 games total, but it's still a rich lineup, which even includes CD-ROM games and some games from the Japanese SuperGrafx system.

What's a TurboGraFx

[tripleevenfall]

It will launch with 50-ish customers too, I'd wager

Re:

[rsilvergun]

It's a third gen video game console [wikipedia.org]. I was the #2 console in Japan back in the day, beating the Mega Drive (Genesis). It has a small but dedicated following in America [youtube.com].

The hardware featured a 16 bit graphics chip and an 8 bit CPU. The console was best known for it's vast library of high quality "schmups" (side and horizontal scrolling shooting games, usually with a spaceship or airplane theme), including the best versions of Gradius.

NEC made the console with help from a Japanese company named Hudson

The Saturn was #2 in Japan

[rsilvergun]

beating the N64, and it kept up with Sony for the first several months.

What killed the Saturn in the US was a disastrous early launch that pissed off retailers (K-Bee, then the #2 game seller, refused to stock the Saturn after getting stiffed on launch units), Japan/US infighting (Japan wouldn't let the US just run their company like they did in the successful Genesis era) and Bernie Stolar screwing with third parties because he wanted to turn Sega into Nintendo (e.g. release a few games a year with a n

Re:

[AmiMoJo]

I have a Japanese PC Engine (the US version is called a TurboGrafx). It's a great machine, lots of excellent games.

It was the first 16 bit console. The CPU is internally 8 bit with 16 bit index registers, and the chipset (graphics and sound) is 16 bit. Despite claims that the other 16 bit era machines (Megadrive/Genesis and SNES) were "better", the PC Engine had the best port of Street Fighter 2, the best Castlevania game, and an overall library to easily rival them.

Game came initially on cards which were b

Needs Magical Chase

[rsilvergun]

The US version of Magical Chase is one of the rarest and most sought after games in existence, going for over $2500 bucks (mostly to collectors trying to get a full set of US TG-16 releases).

Also, no Legendary Axe (the Videogames & Computer Entertainment 1989 Game of the Year (c))? And yet somehow you got China *freakin'* Warrior in there?

Bonk is there, but as PC-Genjin. If you're gonna include the Japanese & US versions of Nuetopia why not do it for Bonk? No that there was much text in Bonk

Re:

[fortythirteen]

I love China Warrior, because it looks like a fake video game from an 80s movie, where the characters take up 80% of the screen.

The pre-orders are taking off... :/

[That YouTube Guy]

The link in TFA takes you to a very detailed page with no pre-order button on Amazon Japan. The placeholder page on Amazon USA has an option to be notified by email.

Glad to have the Japanese games

[HalAtWork]

I wish the other consoles would have included the expanded libraries from other regions. I'm happy to have this here, especially because the system is more popular in Japan and lasted a long time on the market. There are a lot of games we never got and don't suffer from not being able to read the minimal text.

Cartridge slot. Does it work or not?

[Seven Spirals]

All these mini platforms want to disable the original media. I can't tell if this TG16 mini does that or not. I can't even tell if the photos are of the old or new unit. Perhaps it looks so much like the original it's hard to tell? The point of having a cartridge slot is to be able to play ALL the games and to appeal to collectors. I've already seen a few clueless children making fun of the post like "What's a TG16? Duh...." So, that tells you who is going to give a fuck: old guys who are retro game collectors. As a guy with just about every console every made and several Sony PVMs, I think I qualify and I just want to shake these game companies and tell them they've squandered a great opportunity with these mini systems. They were going for a cash-grab but they could have created entirely new platforms by combing better hardware and online-features with backwards compatibility. Then they could have appealed to both the old and young a bit better. As it stands most of these systems just look like a fucking RPI + craptastic Linux emulation. Meh. Bleh. Puh. I already had a copy of MAME, MESS, Zsnes, Gens, Generator, etc...

Re:

[moogaloonie]

It's a mini of the original case, so it naturally includes a mini cartridge slot.

They're not really for you

[rsilvergun]

they're primarily for people with a casual interest in the console who want to sample the library in a quick, easy fashion. It's an emulation box (it's got Supergrafx games for Pete's sake). But it can be a hassle to get emulation working (plus those turbo switches).

Also it's a cool shell that some collectors would like to get their hands one.

Meh

[genfail]

I'd be more likely to buy it if it was a handheld. I can emulate this console on my cell phone hardware so why does the mini have to be so huge?

Re:

[drinkypoo]

I'd be more likely to buy it if it was a handheld. I can emulate this console on my cell phone hardware

The problem with making a handheld is that your cellphone is probably more powerful, and almost certainly has a better screen. I think this device has more chance to sell many units than most such devices, because it comes with more titles built in. 50 titles is quite good.

Very clever

[scdeimos]

Release three different versions, one in each major market, so that the six people that would actually buy one end up buying three.

It's the same games in all regions

[rsilvergun]

the only difference is the shells. If you're OCD enough to want all 3 shells, well, that's on you :).

Not dead?

[AndyKron]

TurboGrafx? I thought they were dead and all their atoms returned to the Universe.

Whaaaa?!

[Hentai007]

No Fighting Street? What the hell? that was literally the only game I played on that system.