Earlier this week Konami announced the TurboGrafx-16 Mini, the latest in a wave of nostalgic microconsoles that bring classic gaming systems back to a semblance of life. This time it’s the TurboGrafx-16, the American version of the PC Engine, which NEC released in the States in 1989. The TG-16 is known for its roster of great shoot-’em-ups and a broad range of games from Hudson Soft, the Japanese developer of Bonk and Adventure Island that was absorbed inside Konami earlier this decade. The TurboGrafx has kind of slipped through the cracks of history, which is a shame—it’s a fantastic little system with a library full of idiosyncratic games, almost all of which come from Japan. It didn’t make much headway in America, failing to match the success of the Genesis and Super Nintendo, but for our money its line-up of games stacks up against either of those competitors’. Only 140 TurboGrafx-16 games were released in America between 1989 and its death in 1993 (as compared to over 600 for its Japanese cousin the PC Engine, which was vastly more successful), and here are the ones we’d most love to see in the TurboGrafx-16 Mini.
Aero Blasters
Air Zonk
Alien Crush
Andre Panza Kick Boxing
Ballistix
Battle Lode Runner
Battle Royale
Beyond Shadowgate
Blazing Lazers
Bloody Wolf
Bomberman
Bomberman ‘93
Bomberman ‘94
Bonk 3: Bonk’s Big Adventure
Bonk’s Adventure
Bonk’s Revenge
Boxyboy
Bravoman
Break In
Buster Bros.
Cadash
Camp California
Champions Forever Boxing
Chase H.Q.
Chew Man Fu
China Warrior
Cosmic Fantasy 2
Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams
Cratermaze
Cyber Core
Darkwing Duck
Davis Cup Tennis
Dead Moon
Deep Blue
Devil’s Crush
Double Dungeons
Dragon Slayer : The Legend of Heroes
Dragon Spirit
Dragon’s Curse
Drop Off
Dungeon Explorer
Dungeon Explorer II
Dungeon Master
Dungeons & Dragons: Order of the Griffon
The Dynastic Hero
Exile
Exile: Wicked Phenomenon
Falcon
Fantasy Zone
Fighting Street
Final Lap Twin
Final Zone II
Forgotten Worlds
Galaga ‘90
Gate of Thunder
Ghost Manor
Godzilla
Gunboat
Hit the Ice
Impossamole
It Came From the Desert
J.B. Harold Murder Club
J.J. & Jeff
Jack Nicklaus’ Turbo Golf
Jack Nicklaus’ Turbo Golf (Super CD)
Jackie Chan’s Action Kung Fu
John Madden Duo CD-ROM Football
Keith Courage in Alpha Zones
King of Casino
Klax
Last Alert
Legend of Hero Tonma
The Legendary Axe
The Legendary Axe II
Loom
Lords of the Rising Sun
Lords of Thunder
Magical Chase
Magical Dinosaur Tour
Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra
Military Madness
Monster Lair
Moto Roader
Neutopia
Neutopia II
New Adventure Island
Night Creatures
Ninja Spirit
Ordyne
Pac-Land
Parasol Stars
Power Golf
Prince of Persia
Psychosis
R-Type
Raiden
Riot Zone
Samurai Ghost
Shadow of the Beast
Shape Shifter
Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective Vol. II
Shockman
Side Arms Hyper Dyne
Silent Debuggers
SimEarth
Sinistron
Soldier Blade
Somer Assault
Sonic Spike
Space Harrier
Splash Lake
Splatterhouse
Super Air Zonk
Super Star Soldier
Super Vollyball
Syd Mead’s Terraforming
Takin’ It to the Hoop
TaleSpin
The Addams Family
Tiger Road
Time Cruise
Timeball
Tricky Kick
Turrican
TV Sports Basketball
TV Sports Football
TV Sports Hocky
Valis II
Valis III
Vasteel
Veigues Tactical Gladiator
Victory Run
Vigilante
World Class Baseball
World Court Tennis
World Sports Competition
Yo, Bro
Ys III: Wanderers from Ys
Ys: Book I & II
Thank you. And Konami, feel free to get in touch; my Prodigy ID is HYFD37D.
Senior editor Garrett Martin writes about theme parks, games, comedy, travel, wrestling, and anything else that gets in his way. He’s on Twitter @grmartin.