Exploring the TurboGrafx 16

[Nester the Lark]

I never owned a TurboGrafx 16. I had a NES, a SNES, and a Genesis, but the TG16 never worked its way into the equation. But I was always curious about it, and I've been interested in exploring its library on the VC. I thought maybe I'd occasionally post some impressions here of various games I've tried in case any of you were also interested in checking out the underdog of the 16-bit era.

I would also like to hear your opinions on any TG16 games you've downloaded.

I'll start with...

Gate of Thunder

I don't consider myself to be anything more than a casual shmup fan. I admit I have an affection for the genre, but even then, some games are still just a bit too hardcore for their own good, meaning that I have to be in a certain mood to really enjoy them. Gate of Thunder, however, doesn't seem to have this problem.

I can't quite put my finger on it, but this game just works. Like many games on the TG16, it's not exactly original. It borrows quite a bit from TechnoSoft's Thunder Force series. (It even has the word "Thunder" in the title.) But Gate of Thunder is probably one of the best shmups I've ever played. I even like it better than Thunder Force IV (aka Lightening Force), which is arguably the best in its series.

It's incredibly well balanced. The game amps up the opposition when your ship is fully powered, but it mercifully lightens up if you happen to lose a weapon or two. (A lot of shmups don't compensate for this.*) The difficulty curve is also very smooth, easing you into the frantic difficulty of the later levels. This game is really easy to pick up and play.

So, all I can say is that if you have any interest in shmups at all, I think Gate of Thunder is definitely worth it.

* What I should have said is that a lot of shmups don't compensate for this very well. The Gradius series is a frequent offender.

[8bitretroshit]

Sure I'll give it a try

Only TurboGrafx 16 game I got is

New Adventure Island

The basic gameplay is pretty much the same as Adventure Island for the NES (or Wonder Boy for Master System). You run to the right as fast as possible and grab foods to gain bonus points and refill your... stomach meter I guess? The stomach meter slowly drains over time and you die when it's depleted. So you can't go running around and ignore all that fruit floating in the sky.

You start off with no way of attacking, however there's ussually a weapon near the start or checkpoint. You got the regular axe, a spear, a boomerang and even fire balls. All of these are long range. There's also a skateboard powerup that automatically moves you forward and allows you to get hit once. Without a skateboard however, getting hit only once by anything gets you killed, which makes this game pretty tough. And very annoying at later stages. Atleast this sequel has infinite continues, but it's bloody annoying when you get 2 Game Overs in a row because there are 3 kamikaze frogs near the start before you find any powerups to kill 'em. And when you finally manage to get to the level's checkpoint and then get a Game Over again, welp back to the level starting point with you.

The level designs are way better then the NES version though, which tends to re-use pieces of level design in a different pattern. Levels have many different themes aswell, compared to the original's jungle, cave, forest and beach there's also snowland, a lava themed level, rainy stages, etc. Except for 1 or 2 levels, each level looks very different.

If you like Adventure Island you'll like this one obviously. Atleast this one is possible with it's eternal continues. It's a pretty straight forward platformer though, with no secret areas or anything. Later stages turn the game into a memorize-everything-deadly-obstacle fest which probably isn't what you're looking for. I myself think it's a pretty avarage game really. If you want a good platformer just download Kirby's Adventure or something.

I even bothered making a video of me playing the game!! (Atleast I finally got past that awful water level.)

[Flip]

TGFX actually has a pretty rich history if you're interested in that sort of thing. They did CD before Sega, they had their own mascot here in the States, and they were always the best for straight-up arcade ports. Definitely more of a "Japan" console though. It had some fantastic games like the Bonk series, Air Zonk, Blazing Lasers, rehashes of the Wonder Boy games, and, of course, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood for the TG-CD. Mmmm... I've only downloaded one game thus far because, well, I can "play" them all already (I got really interested in the TGFX about a year ago and tried to find ways to get all the games and console again). Here's the one I got:

Dragon's Curse
I remember reading about this game as a kid in my gaming mags, except it was called "Wonder Boy III: Dragon's Trap." This is basically a redo of that game thanks to some weird licensing we saw in the early '90s by Sega and Hudson, where the characters and images were swapped out in a very Mario 2 like fashion. The game is your typical early 16-bit generation side scrolling RPG platformer. Your character starts the game as a powerful warrior but is cursed into the form of a dragon by the first boss he meets. You are then forced to travel an entire map searching for dungeons to take on the other dragon bosses and regain your human form. Except, of course, each time you are transformed into something completely different. Initially the "lizardman" (dragon), you then become a mouse-man, fish-man, tiger-man, and eagle-man. Each form has its own powers--the mouse-man can run up walls, the eagle-man can jump high, etc. As you play you will gather money, armor, and subweapons. Since this is one of those RPGs you don't get experience and how you fare depends on overall skill. In other words, you can theoretically jump on in and start fighting all the tough enemies and areas if you know where to go without having to play the simpler stuff. However, for the sake of getting items you are very likely not going to do that right from the getgo.

I guess, overall, it's not a bad game if these sorts of games are your cup of tea. However, it's a little bland for my taste because it doesn't offer a very exciting soundtrack and fighting can become dull very quickly as you basically can only slash your sword one way and jump. Your character can't run either which really bothers me, so the game moves slower than I would like. In all, you may or may not enjoy this. But it is, at least by as rated by reviewers, leaps above the game which it replaced (Wonder Boy III), so if you're a big Wonder Boy or platformer-RPG nut go for it. Otherwise, I suggest you find other ways to try before you buy.

[Nester the Lark]

I actually know quite a bit about the TurboGrafx/PC Engine line of consoles. It is quite interesting. I've just never played the games.

[missingno.is back?]

I know a lot too, TG-16 games will be my most downloaded games on the VC (if I get a Wii before a real TurboGrafx)

[Fryguy64]

The first game I downloaded, much to my surprise, was a TurboGrafx game. Bomberman '93, which I played against my sister (reliving the olden days of Super Bomberman 2). I have since downloaded all of the available Bonk games as well as Dragon's Curse. I can't say I thought much of the latter, but the Bonk games (especially Air Zonk) have kept me thoroughly amused so far

[Nester the Lark]

Neutopia

If you like the original Legend of Zelda from the NES, then you'll probably like Neutopia. It's a given. If you've read any other reviews of Neutopia, you've probably noticed that they call it a blatant Zelda rip-off. They're not wrong, but putting it that way kinda sheds an unfortunately negative light. Neutopia is really a very charming and well made old school action-adventure game.

Now, I don't want to spend the whole post comparing the two, but honestly, it's hard not to. I'll just say that Neutopia is a little more streamlined since it splits its overworld into four sections that are opened to you gradually. This keeps you from getting lost or confused too much. It also helps that you have a permanent compass that points in the direction of the next labyrinth you should explore, as well as the location of the medallion within that labyrinth.

The music in the game is really quite good, and I've found myself humming a tune or two after turning the game off. The graphics are pleasing to the eye. There are a ton of secrets to find by burning or bombing things. Villagers scattered around the world provide items to buy and helpful (and not-so-helpful) hints. I think it took me around eight hours to finish the game on my first try.

All in all, it's a fairly simple game, just like the original Zelda. (Doh! See? I did it again!) But again, it goes without saying: if you like one, there's really no reason you wouldn't like the other.

Here's some gameplay footage, courtesy of GameTrailers.

[Nester the Lark]

Got another one...

Ninja Spirit



Here's another TG16 game that got overshadowed by more well-known series, in this case Ninja Gaiden and Shinobi. It's a pretty straightforward action game, apparently based on an arcade game. You advance through each level and try to survive the relentless onslaught of enemies until you get to the boss. You have four weapons that you can select from at any time, including a sword, throwing stars, bombs, and a grappling hook. Each weapon is useful against certain enemies in various sections of the game. You can also gain two extra “spirit” ninjas that follow your movements, just like in Ninja Gaiden II on the NES.

In my opinion, the levels are fairly basic compared to other ninja games, but they're not entirely bland, either. They throw in a few twists every now and then. Also, in the tradition of other ninja games, it puts up a formidable challenge. There are two selectable difficulty modes: “PC-Engine Mode,” which is slightly easier and gives you some health points that (usually) allows you to take more than one hit, and “Arcade Mode,” which is a little harder and takes away the health points.

All in all, I think it's got all the essentials for a good ninja game. If you like Ninja Gaiden or Shinobi, I think this one is worth checking out. It's one of the more respected games on the TG16.

[Flip]

I had been toying with purchasing Neutopia I and II, but thanks to your little spiel I think I'll go for broke. I need something to break the monotony of work and get me back and playing my Wii, right? Thanks Nester!

[Nester the Lark]

^ I hope you enjoy it. Neutopia is simple but charming. I haven't played the second one, tho.

[Flip]

Jun 22, 2008 10:55:56 GMT -5 Nester the Lark said:

^ I hope you enjoy it. Neutopia is simple but charming. I haven't played the second one, tho.

I dl'd Neutopia tonight (alongside Gyrostarr) and it is beyond awesome. I was hesitant during the intro scenes, but once I got control of the game I totally fell in love. It's an incredible Zelda-style game that really feels different enough to love as its own piece of work. I'm enjoying it immensely. The graphics are gorgeous too

[Nester the Lark]

Bonk's Adventure
Bonk's Revenge

Since I've had the chance to play the first two Bonk games, I thought I'd post my opinions on them, as well as some interesting info.

I found the first game, Bonk's Adventure, to be a bland, but harmless platform game. The controls are a little stiff, but considering it came out in 1989, that's not too unusual. My biggest complaint is the level design. Some of the levels are fairly clever and interesting, but a lot of them are somewhat boring. By comparison, the levels in the first Super Mario and Sonic games are brilliant and fun to navigate.

Moving on to Bonk's Revenge, this game fixes all of that. The levels are well thought out and more cohesive. The themes are more consistent, and it makes for a much more enjoyable game. The bonus games are also a lot more fun, and the graphics are very appealing. This game can stand up to Mario and Sonic.

Speaking of the graphics, I actually like the art style in both games. I'm wondering if anyone else noticed this, but the style seems like a mix between Charles Schultz and Matt Groening. Bonk looks something like a prehistoric Charlie Brown. Other characters and enemies seem like they'd be right at home in a Peanuts comic strip or an episode of The Simpsons. Two enemies from the first game, R. Ed Beaker and Gary Geek, I like to call Bart and Milhouse, respectively.

Now, I was listening to a podcast at Destructoid a few months back where they were interviewing Hudson Entertainment's VP of Sales and Marketing, John Lee. They asked him whatever happened to Bonk--why did he go away? Lee said he wondered the same thing when he first joined the company, and did some research. As it turns out, HudsonSoft is such a Japan-centric company, that the bosses in Japan didn't even realize that he was being used as the TG16's mascot in the rest of the world. Thus, they were unaware of his popularity. In Japan, it was just another game series. Nothing really special.

John Lee actually put together a presentation about Bonk's popularity in North America, making a case for why he should be brought back. The presentation even included a mock-up of what Bonk would look like on next-gen systems.

The bosses in Japan were not only surprised to learn about how popular Bonk used to be, but were very impressed with the presentation. So impressed, in fact, that they essentially green-lit development of a new next-gen Bonk game.

Unfortunately, there's a catch. Since it's been so long since Bonk's last game came out in North America, they weren't sure if he would still be popular and wanted to test the current waters with a low-budget game. John Lee recommended against it saying that they had one chance to bring Bonk back as a major franchise, and it would need to be a AAA game to do it. So while the project is still technically green-lit, it's currently sitting on the back burner while Hudson waits for the "right time" to bring Bonk back.

I've got just one word for them: WiiWare.

EDIT: Here is the podcast of you want to listen to it. Hopefully I remembered all the details correctly.