PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16
Developer: Hudson Soft and NEC
Year Released: 1987
Generation: 3rd
The PC Engine was the first console released in the 18-bit era, albeit still utilizing and 8-bit CPU. NEX had used its technical prowess to create a console with enough graphical processing power that it could justifiably claim to belong to the 16-bit generation. Rather than using cartidges like the NES or Mega Drive it used “Hu Cards” which were the size of a credit card but thicker. Originally intended to compete with the NES, it ended up competing against the likes of the Mega Drive and Super NES. The PC Engine scored some early success in Japan, thanks to it’s improved graphics and audio capabilities, some sleek design and a deep and solid library of releases.
Two years after its public debut, the console was released in North America, and redubbed the TurboGrafx-16. This state of the art gaming went almost unnoticed by the American gamers, primarily due to its lack of marketing strategy. The low sales were compounded by the lack of games being developed for the TurboGrafx-16 outside of Japan. As a result, many of the games on NEC’s consoles were titles designed for a Japanese audience and were ill suited to the American market. The TurboGrafx-16 sold so little in North America that NEC abandoned its plans to release the console in Europe.