Price Guide NOW INCLUDES the NEC Turbo Grafx 16—HuCard & CD Games $4.99 US / $6.99 Canada Volume 1, Issue 3 Published by www.VideoGameTrader.com Includes the Video Game Trader Price Guide w/ prices for the Nintendo NES, Sega Master System, Atari 7800, Nintendo Game Boy Classic, Atari Lynx, Sega Game Gear & Turbo Grafx 16 1 | Video Game Trader Magazine | March 2008 | www.VideoGameTrader.com 2 | Video Game Trader Magazine | March 2008 | www.VideoGameTrader.com Video Game Trader Magazine Editor’s Note What’s inside issue #3? As I sit and write my letter to you for this month, I am finding TURBO GRAFX-16 SPECIAL ISSUE it hard to decide what to write about. Do I tell you about all NEC, The Hudson Bee and TurboGrafx-16: of the new features – like the Wii Play section, the new 4 puzzles, expanded game of the month section, and more From Japan to the US, a TurboCharged competi- tion. feature stories? Do I try and plug J2games.com, GoodDeal- Games.com, PCEngineFX.com and countless other sites 6 Turbo Grafx-16 System and Compatibility Guide that have been invaluable in the creation of Video Game Trader. Do I try to talk you into volunteering yourselves, so 7 Homebrew Reviews – Orphan Systems … that this magazine can be a force to be noticed in the indus- Adopted try? Do I plug my appearance at Too Many Games in May? 9 What Wii play. I guess I won’t do any of those. Instead, I will simply ask that 10 Classic Video Game Emulation you let me know what you think of our little magazine. Sure, it isn’t professionally printed… yet! And my price guide is not 12 Tales of the Turbo: The Exotic Import to She- as big as the “other” guy… yet. But this is issue number boygan three, and folks, it is time for some feedback! 5 NEC Flashback … news from the day What do you want to see in the future? What do you think of 14 VIDEO GAME TRADER PRICE GUIDE – the accuracy of our price guide? I want all of your letters, Full checklist and prices for Nintendo NES, Sega and we will try to answer them in future editions of the Master System, Atari 7800, Nintendo Game Boy magazine. So send me your rants and raves… my address Classic, Atari Lynx & Sega Game Gear . And is [email protected]. I’m ready! now! The NEC Turbo Grafx-16 (HuCard & CD Games) Please visit us online @ www.VideoGameTrader.com 23 Classic Crossword Puzzle Video Game Trader Magazine is: All contents of this Magazine are copyright VideoGameT- rader.com and/or their respected copyright holders. Editor: Thomas Sansone Please do not duplicate without permission. Published Special Advisor: j2games.com monthly. All images are original Video Game Trader Staff Writer: Jim Combs images, or have been used by permission. For advertising Special Contributor: gooddealgames.com information or for any other inquiries related to Video Staff Writer: Dan M Game Trader Magazine, please contact us at Reviewer: Peter G [email protected]. Thanks for reading!! 3 | Video Game Trader Magazine | March 2008 | www.VideoGameTrader.com By Jim Combs known as the Sega Genesis and the NEC TurboGrafx-16 (Turbo for it’s fast game play speed, Grafx for it’s colorful The late 80's and early 90's where breakthrough years for graphics power and 16 for it’s 16 bit graphics processor) in classic gamers, the Sega Genesis had hit the market in 1989, the states. Sega released the Genesis a day earlier than the SNK released the mind-blowing arcade perfect home con- TurboGrafx to get the 1up, in an attempt to beat NEC to the sole, Neo-Geo in 1990, the Nintendo Entertainment System punch. Both systems entering into the market where compet- was still going strong and in late August of 1989 one very ing with Nintendo who had 90 percent of the US market at the nostalgic gaming system was released along side the Sega time. NEC crowned their own mascot to represent them, Genesis, the TurboGrafx-16 by NEC. Being 22 years old, one Bonk, the very lovable character who starred in his own ad- of my first memories as a gamer that I’m very fond of, was ventures, going around smashing everything up with his playing the TurboGrafx back in 1990 at our neighbors house. noggin and fighting prehistoric creatures including a giant I still live in the same neighborhood and every time I drive by green dinosaur through 28 levels to save the princess. Bonk that house, memories of me eating Broccoli (monster trees I joined Sega’s, Sony’s and Nintendo’s famous mascots (Sonic used to call them) dipped in a bowl of melted cheese while the Hedgehog, Crash Bandicoot and Mario). playing Keith Courage, Ninja Spirit, Bonk, Air Zonk and Splat- terhouse among many others come rushing back. As a The TG16 with an MSRP of $199.99, came bundled with one gamer, I’m very grateful for the TurboGrafx because originally controller and Keith Courage In Alpha Zones Hu-Card, it is the TurboGrafx was never intended to be released in the interesting to note that this game was named after NEC’s states.... let’s pack our bags and find out what happened. Executive Vice President Keith Schaefer. The TG16 uses Don’t forget your tooth brush, Nintendo DS and oh yeah, your credit card sized game chips called Hu-Cards, also known as TurboExpress as we take a flight back in time to Japan. TurboChips. NEC also released the following accessories: The TurboTap allowing for up to five players for multi-player From 1983 to 1987, Nintendo’s Famicom was the system of gaming, the TurboStick which is an arcade style controller choice in Japan and the most popular. Cruising on the suc- and the TurboBooster which when hooked up to the back of cess of the Famicom, Nintendo did not know what was about the TG16 and once plugged into a Sound System, offered a to hit.... the PC-Engine released by Hudson Soft and NEC. very nice gaming experience. NEC and Hudson Soft released It’s kind of Ironic actually because Hudson Soft who came up a total of 94 games in the States making it one of the easiest with the concept for the PC-Engine tried to sell it to Nintendo systems for collectors to attain a complete collection. On the since they already had a relationship with Nintendo as their contrary though, collectors will have their work cut out for first Third Party Developer, developing games for the Fami- them in finding the two rarest Turbo games, Bonk 3: Bonk’s com such as Lode Runner and Bomber Man. However, Nin- Big Adventure and Magical Chase. Both where released in tendo turned Hudson Soft’s concept down. So, Hudson Soft 1993 during the end of the TurboGrafx-16's run. approached a very big name in the electronics world, NEC, and together they developed the PC-Engine, Hudson de- The TG16 was the first system in America to release an signed the system’s graphics chip and they released it in late optional CD add on called the TurboGrafx-CD, beating the 1987. Sega CD to the punch. Released a couple months after the TG16 launched, The TGCD which retailed for $399.99, Hudson Soft was founded in Sapporo, Japan on May 18th, plugged into the back of the TG16's expansion port and once 1973 by the Kudo brothers, Hiroshi and Yuji Kudo. Both being the TurboGrafx CD TurboChip is plugged into the TG16, you fascinated with trains, they restored a Steam Engine train that are ready to get your game on with the TurboCD’s which used to run nearby their house when they where kids. The featured more advance graphics and FMV sequences. For Kudo brothers named their company after their favorite train example, It Came From the Desert, featured live actors simi- called the Hudson locomotive. They started out as a small lar in fashion to Sega’s Sewer Shark and Night Trap which shop selling telecommunication devices and photographs. In where released after the TurboCD. TGCD games also fea- 1975, they started to venture more into the electronic enter- tured beautiful animated sequences to tell the game’s story, tainment route by selling personal computer products and in similar to the animated sequences in Sonic CD. The TGCD 1978 started developing games. NEC which stands for Nip- also has an upgrade TurboChip called the CD-Rom Super pon Electric Company, was founded in 1898 by Kunihiko System Card, which allowed for 2 megabit power for faster Iwadare and Takeshiro Maeda, spans a very long in depth game play compared to the 1 megabit line of games. Also history. NEC started Production, Sales and maintenance of when detached, the TGCD could be used as a CD player, Telephones and Switches and later went onto being a power- however, it must still be plugged into a wall outlet. house in Super Computers. It was in 1987 that NEC broke into the home console market when approached by Hudson In 1990, NEC released The TurboExpress, a favorite among Soft. fans. Competing head to head with Nintendo’s Gameboy and Atari’s Lynx handheld system, The TurboExpress retailed for Flashing Forward, The PC-Engine was billed as the first 16- $249.99 and played all the TurboChip games that could be bit console due to it’s 8-Bit CPU combined with it’s 8-Bit played on it’s parent system.