Late to the TurboGrafx-16 Party (and relations to Saturn)


The TurboGrafx-16 has dramatically risen in popularity in recent years among retro game collectors. For whatever reason, it and its games command high prices in the secondary market and are rarely seen in stores.  As a kid, I didn't know anyone who had one, and was only vaguely aware of its existence.  In retrospect,  I recall seeing the commercials on T.V. and ads in comic books.  It just didn't seem real since I had never seen one.  

I was really into the Sega Saturn years ago, specifically shoot'em ups.  Actually I still am, but I feel like I've mined the best of what's available and feel accomplished and satisfied with my collection (thank goodness, as collecting shooters for the Saturn is prohibitively expensive now). During my research on Saturn shooters, I invariably stumbled upon articles posts, and YouTube videos praising PC-Engine shooters.  As I investigated, I discovered the PC-Engine is the Japanese version of the TurboGrafx-16.  My interest was piqued.
A console with a cult following; most gamers wouldn't recognize one if they saw one.

There are a number of similarities between the Saturn and TurboGrafx-16.  Both were early consoles of their generation.  While not technically a true 16-but system, The Turbo was considered part of that generation (and besides, it was way more powerful than the 8-bit systems of the time).

The Saturn was the first true 32-bit system (let's leave the 32X out of this discussion).  After hearing about the specifications of the forthcoming Sony Playstation, Sega wanted to get a jump start with the Saturn and install a fan base.  In a surprise move, Sega moved the launch date up months from the fall to the spring. This backfired tremendously, as game developers were expecting more time to refine their games, and as a result many of the initial run of games were buggy and somewhat unfinished.

Both failed to grasp a wide audience in the United States. Just as with the Saturn, the American library of games pales in comparison to the Japanese library. Many feel that if more Japanese exclusives were released here, both systems would have had a better chance to succeed.  Many of the best Japanese games require no knowledge of the Japanese language in order to play them; in fact almost all title screens, text, and voice samples are in English!  This is frustrating to think of now, but one must consider the historical context in which these decisions were made. American business executives made decisions on what games they thought would be successful based on what market research was at the time. Hindsight is 20:20, I guess.

As I read and watched more and more about the PC-Engine shooters, I decided that this was a system for me.  I made the decision early on that it would be a PC-Engine and not a Turbo-Grafx-16, as shooters were my forte.  This was an easy decision.  PC-Engine games were cheaper, and more plentiful in the Global marketplace.  The Turbo default video output was the dreaded RF signal. Also, the PC-Engines just looked neat.  But trying to figure out just which version of a PC-Engine to get was arduous.  I don't think there is another console that is as varied and multi-faceted as this one. Keep in mind that this predates the Sega Genesis' CD attachment and 32X attachment.  There's the original PC-Engine, the Core Grafx, the Core Grafx II, the CD Rom, the Super CD Rom, The PC-Engine Duo R, the PC-Engine Duo RX, the Shuttle, the PC-Engine GT, the PC-Engine LT, the SuperGrafx, and the list goes on.

The PC-Engine was the first to have a CD-Rom attachment, and that expanded its library of games. The various versions of CD-Rom attachments required system cards that would be read in the card slot while the CD was read.  In addition, the CR-Rom attachments required an interface unit.  I became apparent that assembling this piece by piece was the wrong way.  One of the PC-Engine Duos was the way to go. After finally procuring a PC-Engine Duo R, I finally got to explore a whole new world of shooters, both on Hu-card and CD.

Most people don't know just how awesome these games are.  
A couple of years ago I had my PC-Engine duo modded for component output by Shawn at http://www.tg16pcemods.com/services.html.  It was one of the best decisions I ever made as it looks insanely crisp on my Sony 32" Wega Trinitron.  I can't believe accepted composite as the best it was capable of.  Anyone who is in the market for one should very seriously consider getting it modded for either RGB or component.

The component output mod is just sick...
Seriously, this picture doesn't do the video quality justice.
As far as playability, I have some minor gripes. The system only has one controller port.  There are multiplayer games available of course, but you need to buy a multitap adapter.  The d-pad on the controllers is just OK.  I bought an Ascii joystick for the PC-Engine, and it is nearly identical to the NES Advantage.  I like it fine, but the base is kind of small for my lap and isn't the most comfortable.    
With the surge in retro game interest, comes a surge in retro game prices.  The PC-Engine Games have been climbing to the point where some wonder just how long it can continue.  This is an opportune time to invest in a Turbo Everdrive, which is region-free.  This can play any games originally on Turbochips or Hucards, but not the CD based games. There was a great video about it on YouTube by Retro Gaming Quarterly, for more details I suggest watching it here.

So, in closing, I thought I'd just ramble on about my affinity for the PC-Engine and my journey to discover it.  If you're still reading this, thanks for making it this far.






Controllers for the Sega Saturn

The Sega Saturn is coveted by retro gamers for various reasons, one of which is for the excellent controller.  The initial North American model released with a blocky, large contraption best described as plastic hamburger.  This was literally a handful, and not a controller that I'd recommend.  I no longer own this model as I sold, knowing I wouldn't use it.

The model two Saturn was packaged with the Japanese version of the controller, which became the standard, and is what people are referring to when they mention "Saturn controller". What makes the controller awesome is its d-pad.  It is firm enough to offer sufficient feedback, yet smooth enough to not cause fatigue or blisters, even after hours of use.  No other d-pad before or since has offered the same comfort and effectiveness.  There are six face buttons in two rows, with the three bottom buttons larger and concave, and the three top buttons a bit smaller and slightly convex.  There are also two shoulder buttons, L and R.  A start button sits in the center of it all, underneath the logo. The overall shape is reminiscent of the six-button Genesis controller revision, which is a vary natural shape to hold.  If I had any complaint, it would be that the shoulder buttons click depth seems a bit flimsy and shallow.  Not a big deal in the grand scheme, as they are not used as much as the face buttons.  It is not hard to see why it is considered my many to be the best 2D controller ever made.  If I could, I would use it for all of my retro systems.
The gold standard

When Nights into Dreams released, it was packaged with the 3D controller.  The Overall shape is primarily round, with handle-like ridges on both sides molded into the design.  It visually very obvious that it is the predecessor to the Dreamcast's controller, but it is more comfortable to hold.  The analog pad is a mixed bag:  for being one of the first analog controls, it was decent, but it seemed like it had a dead spot in the center as the tension releases towards the center.  This analog pad was the driving force for the existence of the controller, so that it could be used in the Saturn's 3D catalog.  I guess it works for those games, but those are not favorite anyway. There are six equally-sized face buttons, and this time they are all convex.  The shoulder buttons were replaced by deep-pulling triggers that seem like they would be pressure sensitive, and I'm not sure if they are or not.  Maybe someone can let me know.  Again, the d-pad is excellent.  I rarely use the analog pad, as it is nowhere near as good as the d-pad.  I go back and forth between which controller I like better; the model 2 or the 3D.  My favorite games on the system are shoot' em ups and fighters, both of which are spectacular with either controller.
Just as fun to use as it looks

Eventually, I sought out an arcade stick for the fighters.  Even with the awesome standard controllers, the plethora of fighters on the system yearned for an arcade stick.  So I went online and quickly picked up a Virtua Stick.  It was touted as "a must have for Virtua Fighter", on the box, although I prefer 2D to 3D fighters.  This has an eight button layout (L and R are included on the front), which is 2 more than I needed.  It was a few bucks, and was a pretty minimal risk.  When it arrived, I was excited to put it through its paces.  It was fun, but I found it lacking...precision.  Gross movements were fine, but finer movements were not there.  This was made apparent while playing Street Fighter Zero 2 and 3.   While I'm not a great player, I can normally pull off special moves eight out of ten times.  This stick had me down to about five out of ten.  There had to be something better.
A starting place for beginners

I researched more thoroughly than the first time and narrowed the field down to two: the SS Hori Fighting Stick and the Sega Virtua Stick (not the aforementioned black one, the Japanese-only white arcade stick).  Both had similar ratings, accolades, and prices.  I found a good deal on the Hori and went with it.  It has a nice, tight stick with a heavy base.  The buttons are good, but not quite arcade quality.  They have microswitches in them, but don't have that punchy spring back that good arcade buttons have.  Still, its a great stick and it earned its way into my controller rotation for the Saturn.  I was satisfied for a quite a while.
Microswitches for precision movement

A couple of years later, Japanese Virtua Stick caught my attention on eBay, and was going unnoticed as far as bids.  I threw a few bucks at it, got outbid once, threw a few more at it and got it for under $20!  Of course shipping doubled that, but to get such a quality stick at a fraction of the going rate was a no-brainer.  Part of me felt like I didn't really need it, but when it arrived, that changed quickly. The stick is a bit looser, and I actually prefer that.  Microswitches are present, yet they feel less restrictive than the Hori.  The buttons are micro-switched as well, and are an improvement over the Hori as well as they have a clicky snap to them.  I prefer this stick over the Hori, for both shooters and fighters.  I'm glad to have both, though.
Just excellent.

I may as well mention there is a double-Virtua Stick, and I believe it is literally the same panel from a Japanese Sega arcade cabinet.  It is HUGE, and of course it compatible with the Saturn out of the box.  I have not seen one in person, but all online reviews state it to be top notch.  Because of its quality, size, and rarity, it carries a steep price tag.  I love the Saturn, but I don't know where I'd put this thing when playing or not.  A curiosity for sure, but the line has to be drawn somewhere.  Or, never say never I guess.

A few years ago I was curious about driving games for the Saturn.  There are a lot of them, and like shooters and fighters, no Japanese literacy is required.  These are dirt cheap, as there were so many and its not the hot topic on the Saturn, so they are currently overlooked.  After playing a few, I realized the excellent Saturn controllers were just not up to the task of the microsteering necessary in some of these racing games.  Low and behold, the Saturn racing wheel.  Its not actually a wheel, more like a racing handle?  Again, its not in high demand so it wasn't pricey at the retro game shop that I frequent.  It has a base that you sit between your legs, and the wheel/handle telescopes outward, and is adjustable.  It works better if you are sitting on a firm surface, as a soft seat will make the base of the wheel feel unstable and wobbly.  It definitely makes the driving games more fun and more responsive.  There's not much worse than constantly oversteering into wall after wall while driving 150 mph.
Makes driving at high speeds possible.

I knew about the Mission Stick controller, but wasn't quite sure what it was for.  I was watching an episode of Game Sack on YouTube, and they were covering the Saturn and Joe was playing Space Harrier with it.  Of course!  Space Harrier and After Burner were meant to be played with a pilot-like stick with a trigger.  This thing wasn't really cheap, mainly due to its rarity and size.  It has a large base, and packing it would be awkward, needing a larger box than you'd think you need, driving up the postage.  I did see a Saturn bundle on Shopgoodwill.com, which included a Saturn, controller, Mission Stick, and a third-party joystick called the Eclipse Stick.  This lot was about $40, plus $20 shipping.  I kept the sticks and flipped the system on eBay, coming out ahead.  The Mission Stick takes some getting used to.  While I though it would be so intuitive, my muscle memory of playing these games on a standard controller did not translate well to the Mission Stick.  While I do remember playing these games in the arcade, that was a long time ago and my hands have forgotten. Maybe I'll give it a few more tries, but I think I like the regular controllers here.
Accommodates left or right handed players

The Eclipse stick that came along for the ride is just another third party stick.  It's meh.  Ok, that's not fair.  At this point I already have the Virtua Arcade stick and the Hori, so there is no reason to use this.  It controls fine, the buttons are typical, and there is a programmable button feature, but I wasn't inclined to use it.  The base is small, so if you're setting it on your lap, its not very comfortable as you have to keep your legs together to support it.
Its okay.
I also have the Sega Stunner light gun, and its fine, but that's not really for this post.

I hope this was helpful in some way, and maybe someone decides to buy a controller mentioned based on this post.  Have a good day.