PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 mini

[J0e Musashi]

I’m still wondering if it’ll be smaller than the OG. It was a mini console 30 years before this was even a thing.

[Leon Retro]

I don’t know why they don’t just bring them out with every title ever released included.

Yeah, Konami should just act like a seller on eBay.

I’m not entirely sure how this is aimed at Europe, given that it’s the Core Grafx, which was never officially released here and all.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that lots of gamers over 35 might remember seeing images of the standard white PC Engine in magazines like C&VG. That's how people identify the machine.

It would have made far more sense to release the white version in Europe and just forget about offering a Core Grafx model.

It might be able to win some new fans but it's gonna have to be advertised extremely well to pull it off over here in prime fifa chav country.

People(mostly geeks) who are interested in retro gaming will definitely buy it. But I doubt that many people in the mainstream gaming market will grab one. It won't be a big thing(far from it) like the SNES & Mega Drive minis.

Casual gamers who do happen to get one though, will probably think some of the games look good and play well. I'm hoping more people get to experience the majesty of Air Zonk.

I’m still wondering if it’ll be smaller than the OG. It was a mini console 30 years before this was even a thing.

I think it will be around half the size. They can definitely make it smaller than the OG.

[importaku]

Need both air zonk games on there, the cd one is pretty fab.

[_SD_]

I’m quite surprised Konami are going to all the effort and expense to even release this in Europe. The main selling point of these mini consoles is the nostalgia factor… and it’s hard to be nostalgic about something you never had because it didn’t even exist! At least Americans of a certain age will remember the TG-16, but even then it was completely overshadowed by the NES and Genesis.

[Colin]

Euro edition will be the rarest. Just a heads up for you eBay flippers out there.

[Leon Retro]

Need both air zonk games on there, the cd one is pretty fab.

The original game is technically much more impressive. I also like the overall design more. But the CD sequel isn't bad. Maybe we'll get both.

I’m quite surprised Konami are going to all the effort and expense to even release this in Europe. The main selling point of these mini consoles is the nostalgia factor… .

I guess they looked at the the success of the NES and SNES -- as well as the hype for the Mega Drive Mini -- and decided there might be enough interest in retro gaming to warrant a Euro release.

I think Colin is probably right -- they'll only release a small amount in the UK and across Europe. I doubt there will be much demand for it. I will definitely buy the Japanese version.

[ZipZap]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that lots of gamers over 35 might remember seeing images of the standard white PC Engine in magazines like C&VG. That's how people identify the machine.

I remember seeing the games in C+VG!

In a time when arcade games were far beyond anything we could ever hope to own at home, here was this console that as a school kid I had no idea how to get (and couldn't afford anyway!), with games that looked just as good.

It almost had a bit of a mythical status. No one owned one, no one had even played one, but for a time it was almost everyone's "dream console".

Not really the case anyone though, so I'm not sure how many units it will shift!

[Jaz]

I remember the Gunhed review in CVG. "This is it! This is it! Weird the things you can recall. I don't even know what I had for lunch yesterday.

[Goemon]

This is also a console where the JPN library far outweighs the West’s, so it will be interesting to see the potential differences.

I would personally like to see some of the rare JPN shooters on the system as those things are just crazy prices to buy.

[Leon Retro]

It almost had a bit of a mythical status. No one owned one, no one had even played one, but for a time it was almost everyone's "dream console".

Despite being easily available through importing, the PC Engine has always had a mythical vibe surrounding it. Lots of people will remember how incredible the screenshots looked in magazines like C&VG -- and how much hype there was for the machine from people such as Julian Rignall. The cool design of the machine and the HuCards also left a lasting impression. I'd say it's the coolest, most interesting console ever made.

I remember the Gunhed review in CVG. "This is it! This is it! Weird the things you can recall. I don't even know what I had for lunch yesterday.

Yeah, Julian Rignall loved Gunhed. His enthusiasm convinced people that the machine was something extra special.

This is also a console where the JPN library far outweighs the West’s, so it will be interesting to see the potential differences.

I would personally like to see some of the rare JPN shooters on the system as those things are just crazy prices to buy.

Air Zonk was heavily censored in the west, so I guess a few other games may have been.

I also hope we get some of the rare shoot 'em ups. Away from the adventure/RPG games, most Japanese PC Engine titles are easy to pick up and play.

[importaku]

It's why the turbografix is not worth bothering with, huge ugly machine filled with watered down yankified games & box art it was nasty.

Stripping the karaoke intro out of air zonk was unforgivable as the lyrics are fantastic, always fun to sing along to. Pushes my speed reading to the limit as they come fast, pure saturday morning mech anime lyrics though. When you die theres also a karaoke ending to sing along to. Wish it was a cd game as I’d love to have heard the thing sung, the actual cd sequel was a totally different game it’s a very fun game but not quite upto the first one.

This is what they stripped out

https://youtu.be/pL7RqNVExKc

They also butchered the cd version too, goodbye sung intro in the west.

https://youtu.be/uwKCKQWl1uQ

[Leon Retro]

This is what they stripped out

https://youtu.be/pL7RqNVExKc

They also butchered the cd version too, goodbye sung intro in the west.
https://youtu.be/uwKCKQWl1uQ

Yeah, the intro to the first game is really nice. The song in the CD sequel is also really good. I like fun Japanese songs.

The Japanese version of Air Zonk has some truly crazy design features.

[QualityChimp]

I'll be honest, I've always loved the PC Engine because it looks so ace and the games look ace and there's a feeling of the exotic about it because it was never released over here.

However, as a gamer, I went from a Vic20 to a Mega Drive, skipping the 8-bit consoles.

Thus, I've never been a fan of the NES or Master System and I find their games pretty simplistic and to play them now, without the buff of rose-tints, their games are a short distraction at best.

This is my fear for the PC Engine Mini. I don't have any attachments to the games and although the graphics are amazing for an 8-bit console, it's still a bit crude (IMHO!).

Having played on a couple of PC Engines (one white, one Core Grafx) at the shows I've recently been to, I'm not massively drawn to getting one of these, despite the beauty of it and the opportunity to play games previously restricted to import gamers.

I think it's great that it exists, but I'm still on the fence. I mean, I've had the opportunity to play the games for decades now and not taken the opportunity, so why would I bother now?

[Jaz]

Despite being easily available through importing, the PC Engine has always had a mythical vibe surrounding it. Lots of people will remember how incredible the screenshots looked in magazines like C&VG -- and how much hype there was for the machine from people such as Julian Rignall. The cool design of the machine and the HuCards also left a lasting impression. I'd say it's the coolest, most interesting console ever made.

Yeah, Julian Rignall loved Gunhed. His enthusiasm convinced people that the machine was something extra special.




Air Zonk was heavily censored in the west, so I guess a few other games may have been.

I also hope we get some of the rare shoot 'em ups. Away from the adventure/RPG games, most Japanese PC Engine titles are easy to pick up and play.

I *think* Paul Glncey did the Gunhed review?

[Leon Retro]

This is my fear for the PC Engine Mini. I don't have any attachments to the games and although the graphics are amazing for an 8-bit console, it's still a bit crude (IMHO!).

The best PCE games look and feel very much 16-bit. That's because the GPU is 16-bit and allows for lots of colours and parallax layers etc... Air Zonk is a prime example of how capable the hardware is. Most of the shoot 'em ups for the machine are really impressive with colourful, sharp graphics, and loads of stuff going on.

I've had the opportunity to play the games for decades now and not taken the opportunity, so why would I bother now?

If you still like Mega Drive and SNES games, then you should find quite a few PC Engine games that you think look attractive and play well. Hopefully Konami won't put any dodgy games in the collection.

I *think* Paul Glncey did the Gunhed review?

I remember Julian Rignall was the 'shoot 'em up' guy at C&VG. I seem to recall that he loved Gunhed, but I'm not 100% sure he wrote the review. Maybe it was Paul Glancey.