why do most of the turbo duo games suck?

I've lusted for this system for so long and now that I finally have access to the entire library (thanks to neosd), I'm finding that most of the games such other than loom, beyond shadowgate, xak 3, neutopia, and lords of thunder. Any recommendations?

Are you talking specifically about Turbo Duo, and not PC engine CD?

Probably because Japanese publishers knew it was a sinking ship in the US and didn’t bother localizing and translating their games.

Gate of Thunder is good too tho.

Which games suck exactly? What sorts of games do you like? There are plenty of great PCE/TG16 CD games depending on your taste in games.

Ys Book I & II..... 'nuff said.

I love Castlevania and Ys books 1+2 but I was really disappointed by Renny Blaster and the exile games. There's also hardly any english games for it. The first game I played through was beyond shadowgate which I enjoyed. godzilla sucks. DBZ sucks; the megadrive version of DBZ will always be my favorite. Air Zonk is overrated. Bonk is overrated. The control pad just feels less responsive than my snes. I guess maybe I was a bit disappointed by it because I had hoped that it would rival my snes.

the biggest disappointment was Fighting Street which was far worse than I had expected.

I enjoyed the hell out of Ninja Spirit.

420neogeo said:

The control pad just feels less responsive than my snes. I guess maybe I was a bit disappointed by it because I had hoped that it would rival my snes.

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Perhaps, but it may also be, that the PCE, with all her add-ons, versions and revisions, may also be a very special platform. Like classy aged liquor will sometimes be taken for a cheap hooch by an unskilled tongue, the PCE, too, can be mistaken for just a simple, commercialized, electronic toy, instead of, well... art. Which brings us to this old tepid discussion, weather video games are art anyway.

Ahhh... video games. They fill us with such confidence: you push a button and immediately follows the according action. Art however fills us with doubt. A video game would be art, if you'd push a button and no action would follow. This, at best, would make you think, hopefully ending in a nigh godlike experience, ultimately making you a better man. Fuck art, I prefer valid buttons.

However, I feel different with the PCE, which comes as close to my definition of art as it is possible for a video game related machine, and though constant contemplation about why my control pad just feels less responsive than my snes didn't make me a better man, it certainly changed my view on simple, commercialized, electronic toys. So, don't give up that easy, the next enlightenment may be just one less responsive button away .

420neogeo said:

The control pad just feels less responsive than my snes. I guess maybe I was a bit disappointed by it because I had hoped that it would rival my snes.

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The PC Engine controller was modeled more after the Famicom pad, as Hudson had released their own Famicom controllers previously. Remember that the Super Famicom didn't come out until a full three years later, and that controller was revolutionary at the time. For 1987, the PC Engine probably had the best control pad out of anything out there, as I prefer it to the NES and SMS pads from the time, and even the later Genesis 3 button pad.

Is this for real? Are you trolling?

First off, Bonk and Air Zonk are not overrated. Second, if you are into shmups at all - go crazy. Throw a dart at a goddamn printout from pcengine.co.uk

Are you limiting yourself to CD? Plenty of excellent platformers on chip: Tiger Road, Obocchama-kun, Son Son 2, Legend of Hero Tonma ....

Devil/Alien Crash, BAKUSHŌ YOSHIMOTO NO SHINKIGEKI, Batman, Bloody Wolf, all of the Bombermans [Bombermen?]...why am I typing all of this?! You need to dig into the library a little deeper man, you are BARELY scratching the surface and are nowhere near a place to be able to make a judgment like this. It's the best console ever made. Play more.

420neogeo said:

the biggest disappointment was Fighting Street which was far worse than I had expected.

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That game is a turd - in defense of the PCE port, it's pretty good as ports go but the original arcade game is garbage.

pixeljunkie said:

Is this for real? Are you trolling?

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My thoughts exactly. I don't think the PCE is the one that sucks.

With a statement like that you are going to bring out the PCE mob and they are always armed and angry.

The PCE puts itself in a strange spot from a technical perspective. More powerful than the NES and Master System yet sometimes, depending on the game, were not up to Genny and SNES. The library is vast and there and all genres are covered. The problem is that rarely does the best game in a genre on the PCE match up with the best of the best on the other systems. But it has those exceptions where it received the best rendition and that's where it gets points.

When it comes to the PCE you either love it or leave it. I personally could leave it because its just in that middle ground between the other systems of the time and I grew up with the others so their blemishes are viewed as beauty marks.

PCE is a vintage console nothing like it for it's time.Sure it was a hybrid system between 8-bit and 16-bit but it was capable enough.Keep in mind it competed the most with the famicom,before the snes even came out.Beside i've never had a problem with it's controllers being similar to the nes ones,plus i like having turbo fire when needed.

Some of the other games i've enjoyed on the pce.
Ninja Spirit
Legend of Hero Toma
Dungeon Explorer II
Ys IV The Dawn of Ys
Monster Lair
Jackie Chan Action Kung Fu
Soldier Blade

Since game development at that time didn't cost an arm and a leg and developers were still experimenting, many of them tried a lot of things, a lot of games were not great but also a lot were. There's a great diversity, unlike now I'd say.

Games I like :
- Devil's Crush (it's in my absolute top 10 in fact)
- Alien Crush
- Castlevania
- Many shmups
- Ninja Spirit

Maybe your expectations were just too high ...

Air Zonk is awesome. Love that stage 2 music!

Go clock Bloody Wolf and then comeback

420neogeo said:

I love Castlevania and Ys books 1+2 but I was really disappointed by Renny Blaster and the exile games. There's also hardly any english games for it. The first game I played through was beyond shadowgate which I enjoyed. godzilla sucks. DBZ sucks; the megadrive version of DBZ will always be my favorite. Air Zonk is overrated. Bonk is overrated. The control pad just feels less responsive than my snes. I guess maybe I was a bit disappointed by it because I had hoped that it would rival my snes.

the biggest disappointment was Fighting Street which was far worse than I had expected.

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Well there's the problem. You're playing the shit games.

Renny Blaster doesn't even feel like a completed game, and Exile 2 is one of the shittiest games ever created. It's literally broken.

TurboGrafx is one of the most under-appreciated, and unknown consoles of all time. It was the most popular console in Japan for a reason, because it has some amazing games. You just can't look at the rare games and expect to find them, because most of the actual rare games are garbage.

Hu-Cards:
1. Bonk
2. Bonk 2
3. Bonk 3 (not as good as 1 and 2, but why not?)
4. Blazing Lazers AKA Gunhed
5. Magical Chase
6. Ninja Spirit
7. Splatterhouse
8. R-Type I & II (Do not play the shit CD version)
9. Air Zonk
10. Soldier Blade
11. Legendary Axe (One of my personal favorites)
12. Final Soldier
14. Salamander
15. Gradius
16. Military Madness
17. Cadash
18. Dragons Curse (Best English Huey)
19. Mr. Heli
20. Alien Crush & Devil's Crush
21. Galaga '88 or '90 (same game)
22. Download
23. Tatsujin
24. Neutopia 1 & 2
25. Coryoon
26. Dragon Egg
27. Jackie Chan Action Kung Fu
28. Legendary Axe 2
29. New Adventure Island
30. Bloody Wolf
31. Super Star Soldier
32. Dungeon Explorer
33. Parasol Stars
34. Liquid Kids

CD Games:
1. Y's Book 1 & 2
2. Y's 3
3. Y's 4: (English translation available)
4. Dynastic Hero (An absolute must play)
5. Lords of Thunder
6. Gate of Thunder
7. Spriggan (not mark 2, regular Spriggan)
8. Star Parodier
9. Nexzr (Not Summer Carnival, regular Nexzr)
10. Rayxanber 1, 2, & 3
11. Super Air Zonk
12. Dracula X (Obviously)
13. Dungeon Explorer 2 (Another must play)
14. Sapphire
15. Gradius 2 Gofer
16. Parodius Da!
17. Fausette Amour
18. Chiki Chiki Boys
19. Download 2
20. Valis 1, 2, 3, & 4
21. Cosmic Fantasy 2 (Only if you want a very basic, old school RPG)
22. Sylphia

If you can't get into some of those, then PC Engine isn't for you.

Mah negroid compatriot. That's a really solid list.

GohanX said:

Mah negroid compatriot. That's a really solid list.

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I would hope so, owned a turbografx 16 in middle school, and started collecting for it in the late 90's, early 2000's. So I've played pretty much everything playable in English, and some that are not.

thanks for the list, I'll check a few of those titles out this weekend. I'm excited to try bloody wolf and neutopia 2.

greedostick said:

10. Rayxanber 1, 2, & 3

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I wish the first Rayxanber was on PCE but 2 and 3 are very solid. I prefer 3, because 2 is so freaking difficult it melts my brain.

Image Fight 2 is another shmup I highly recommend if you are ok with memorizing.

As someone who doesn't speak Japanese, I find the PC-Engine library to be
only mildly interesting, and somewhat overrated.

I understand the appeal behind collecting different hardware variants, but, eh, the console is not amongst my favorites.

420neogeo said:

thanks for the list, I'll check a few of those titles out this weekend. I'm excited to try bloody wolf and neutopia 2.

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Both Neutopia games are good. Don’t be afraid to use a guide. They’re similar to the first Zelda game in that they are meant to be cryptic. It’s great if you spend $50 on a game thirty years ago. Today, it’s just frustrating.

andsuchisdeath said:

As someone who doesn't speak Japanese, I find the PC-Engine library to be
only mildly interesting, and somewhat overrated.

I understand the appeal behind collecting different hardware variants, but, eh, the console is not amongst my favorites.

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do you hate shmups?

pixeljunkie said:

do you hate shmups?

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guess

The hang up is when you compare it to the likes of the NES, SNES or Genny of the time. At no point, does its best beat their best and nor does the amount of quality titles match up.

It's a worthwhile system. I'm not saying its trash. But pound for pound, it just can't hang.