Sony, Nintendo and Xbox may be the names that helped define the console gaming era, but that was done on a road that was littered with the bones of fallen hardware. The Atari Jaguar, the VirtualBoy and the Panasonic 3D0 are just some of the consoles that would pop over the years, go for gold and fail massively in the process.
One such infamous console? The TurboGrafx 16. Originally releasing as the PC Engine in Japan back in 1987, the console was given a radical makeover for its 1989 launch and became known as the Turbografx 16 in the west. I mean, you just knew this thing was serious. It had turbo in the name. Gnarly brah. The only problem? The Turbografx launched two weeks in the US after the SEGA Megadrive.
Despite having some decent games, sales tanked and SEGA’s PR did a far better job at marketing the Genesis/Megadrive console. Once the Super NES arrived, it was game over for the Turbografx in the US of A. The collaboration between Hudson Soft and NEC would attempt to bounce back with the TurboGrafx CD-ROM add-on, but this device was so awful that most people considered jamming rusty nails into their toes to be more appealing.
Anyway, an odd console with a weird history and a death rattle that sounded off in the mid 1990s. Never say never though, because after the success of classic remake consoles like the NES, SNES and PlayStation Mini, Konami also wants to take a stab at the nostalgia market with a revival of their own. Say hello, to the TurboGrafx-16 Mini:
It looks kind of cute! Quick heads-up: The TurboGrafx-16 Mini will launch with that moniker in the US, whereas the European and Japanese launch will get the PC Engine instead, which the console was known as in those markets back in the day. Here’s a list of games that’ll be available so far on it when it launches worldwide, which includes a few gems from the TurboGrafx-CD as well:
- R-Type
- Ys Book I & II
- New Adventure Island
- Ninja Spirit
- Alien Crush
- Dungeon Explorer
For some reason, the Japanese launch will feature its own set of games, which I’m frankly jealous of:
- Bonk’s Adventure
- Dracula X
- The Kung Fu/China Warrior
- Ys I & II
- Super Star Soldier
- Dungeon Explorer
No pricing or release dates have been announced just yet, but if you’ve got a fetish for tiny consoles then this news is probably just wanted to hear this morning. TURBO!
Last Updated: June 12, 2019
Dutch Matrix
June 12, 2019 at 09:08
No one ever……
Konami: Hey, let’s re-release that failed console of ours! Second time lucky and all that, eh chaps?
Pariah
June 12, 2019 at 09:08
I didn’t even know this existed until 3 minutes ago. And I still don’t care.
Dutch Matrix
June 12, 2019 at 09:20
I saw this on the back of a comic book WAY BACK WHEN as they advertised Splatterhouse. It is the only reason I know of this console and may have cared for a minute or two.
Geoffrey Tim
June 12, 2019 at 09:45
Umm., it wasn’t a konami console – was made by NEC. And I LOVED THE THING. I’m actually super keen on this. It had some really unique games. It bombed in the US, but it was SUPER SUCCESSFUL in Japan, and was the first home for most of Hudson’s games.
Admiral Chief
June 12, 2019 at 09:08
Looks like it will have better graffiex than the NEW Contra game
justlikemo
June 12, 2019 at 09:20
sad day for Contra
Tbone187
June 12, 2019 at 09:45
Makes more sense to simply make an official emulator.