If there’s one word that can accurately sum up NECs console hardware, it’s “headache”. We’ve recently been getting in the confusing world of NEC consoles and have found that getting started with collecting TurboGrafix/PC Engine hardware & games can be really confusing, especially if you’re someone like me, who never had the pleasure of owning an NEC console growing up.
NEC was primarily a PC hardware manufacturer and this may explain why there were so many (arguably useless) revisions and updates to their consoles. NEC produced over 20 different consoles throughout the PC Engines lifespan, but a great many of them were simply minor revisions on existing hardware.
Needless to say, if your new to the PC Engine you will have to do a little research before diving in. I had a lot of fun learning about all of the various hardware and accessories these particular consoles have to offer, and I hope you will to.
Before entering the console market, NEC was known mostly for its line of computers, the most popular of which (at least among gamers anyway) being the PC-88/98 series. But in the late 80’s NEC teamed up with game developer Hudsonsoft to break into the console market in the form of the PC Engine.
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Original NEC Consoles & Variations
NEC broke into the console market in 1987 with its PC Engine – which briefly held the record for the smallest console ever made. At its onset, the PC Engine was unusually successful and was popular enough to compete with Nintendos NES directly. It also had the distinction of being one of the first “16 bit” consoles, but in reality the consoles CPU was only 8 bits while the video decoder is 16 bits.
2 years later, they released the TurboGraphx16 (an obvious play marketing play on the words “turbo graphics 16”) in North America. The deceptively titled TurboGraphx16 was not nearly as successful as the PC Engine, and as such there are a lot less variations & add ones when compared to its Japanese counterpart.
The TG16 was NEC’s first foray into the western console market. It was heavily marketed as a 16 bit competitor to the original Nintendo. It is longer and bulkier than its Japanese counterpart, but has identical specifications with the exception of redesigned controller ports.
Just like its Japanese counterpart it requires a TurboGraphx CD add on in order to play CD-ROM² titles and will need to be region modded to play Japanese games. It can also be RGB modded.
This was NEC’s first console that was created to compete with Nintendo’s NES and Sega’s Master System. This system was a smashing success in Japan, leading NEC to produce a western variant, the TurboGrafx 16. This console is common and tends to sell slightly cheaper than the TG16 in secondhand markets. Controllers for this system will not work on a US model due to a differing port scheme.
This system is smaller and sleeker than its Western counterpart and is region locked. It can be modified in order to play HuCard games from other regions. It does not output RGB natively but can be modified to do so.
The PCE will need the CD CD-ROM² Interface Unit in order to play CD-ROM² games
A western version of the (far left picture) PC Engine DUO that is identical in functionality to the Japanese version. This is a dual function console that is a TG16 & CD-ROM² unit in one. It can play CD-ROM² and Super CD-ROM² without an additional HuCard. It will output composite and can output RGB with a modification.
One thing to note is that NEC decided to change the controller port style to the Japanese style, so TG16 controllers and adapters are incompatible with this console. NEC did make some NTSC region DUO Taps for additional players but they are quite rare.
The PC Engine Duo is a redesign of the original PC Engine that incorporates the CD-ROM² and the PC Engine into 1 console. It can play CD-ROM² and Super CD-ROM² discs without any additional add in HuCards. It has a headphone jack and does not have a rear expansion port, which means many original PC Engine accessories are not compatible with it.
The DUO R/RX are functionally identical units that do not have headphone jacks. The RX came with a special 6 button controller, the Arcade Pad 6.
All DUO systems output composite by default and will need to be modded to output RGB.
CoreGrafx / CoreGrafx II / PC Engine Shuttle
The original PC Engine went through a number of redesigns over its lifespan, and most of these were for simply cost cutting purposes so NEC could save money on their end. The redesigns are mostly cosmetic and offer very little in the way of extra features. In fact, the PC Engine shuttle is actually a step backwards, and negates many of the features of the original as it cannot be used with any CD add-ons.
The only notable change besides the color scheme is the inclusion of native composite video output. The redesigned consoles still do not output RGB without modification, however.
TG-CD / PCE CD Addons – CD-ROM², Super CD-ROM²
These devices attach to the expansion port on the original PCE/TG-16 consoles to enable CD Rom game playback. The TurboGraphx CD does not require an adapter and fits right onto the back of the console. The CD-ROM² interface unit is needed for the PC Engine game console due to its smaller size. There was also a second CD-ROM² attachment (the descriptively titled the Super CD-ROM²) that came with built in Super System Card 3.0 support and does not require an interface unit.
NEC also released an adapter for the SuperGrafix (RAU-30) that enables you to connect a CD-ROM² to it.
System Cards
These cards are inserted in the HuCard slot of an NEC console in order to enable CD ROM games to be played.
The way these cards work can be a bit confusing thanks to the convoluted nature of NECs CD ROM enabled consoles. The gist of it is that NEC released their CD ROM games in 3 different formats – CD-ROM², Super CD-ROM², and Arcade CD-ROM².
The original CD-ROM² titles can be played across all NEC consoles/regions (CD titles are not region locked) without any extra cards needed.
This changed in 1991, when NEC released there Super CD-ROM² add on (In Japan only) for the PC Engine. Super CD-ROM² games require the use of the Super System card. The PC Engine Duo and its predecessors have this functionality built in, so they do not require a Super System card.
The 3rd and final revision of the CD hardware was called the Arcade CD-ROM². These games require the use of an Arcade Card Pro or Arcade Card Duo. The only difference between the 2 cards is that the Arcade Card Duo is for systems that already have Super CD-ROM² support built into them.
One important thing to remember is that the while CD-ROM² games are region free, the System Cards are not, so they will require appropriate adapters & mods in order for them to function in a different regions console variant.
Handhelds
This is a rather unique handheld game console that will play full-fledged HuCard games. This console is essentially a hand held TG16 with a full color LCD screen. This was an impressive hand held for its time, especially when compared to monochrome systems like the original Gameboy.
This console suffered from many of the issues that plagued Sega’s Game Gear, chief among them being poor battery life and low screen visibility.
The Japanese version of the Turbo Express is identical except its is of course named the PC Engine GT. It is region locked just like the TE, but many other accessories are interchangeable between the two devices.
Trivia: This device was also featured prominently in the movie Enemy Of The State.
The LT is yet another redesign of the original PC Engine. This is actually an improved Turbo GT/Express with a better screen and a TV tuner/video pass-through built in. It is notable for its compatibility with most of the PC Engine add-ons and attachments, such as the CD-ROM².
This console is a rare and highly sought after collectable which often sells for quadruple digit prices on the secondhand market.
Other Variations
Even in its own time, this console was more of an expensive oddity rather than a must own gaming device. The LaserActive is basically a hybrid Laserdisc/game console that was capable of playing its own version of CD-ROM² games. These LD games are basically ports of other NEC CD-ROM² in an LD format.
Although it is not an NEC specific console, the LaserActive can take a PC Engine module (PAC-N1 / PAC-N10) that allows it to play HuCard titles. Like most other consoles produced in small quantities, this console has become a collector’s piece in recent years and fetches high dollar amounts on the usual sites.
It can be modified for RGB output, but beware – it is a very difficult mod that requires removing the disc tray assembly.
If you aren’t from Japan you’ve probably never even heard of this obscure console. This is a full on CD based system that sports a 32 bit processor and is capable of graphics quality that is about on par with the original PlayStation.
This consoles is quite unique in that it is more like a tower PC, similar in scope to the Sharp X68000. Unfortunately it is did not sell well in Japan and does not boast a large library of popular titles, unlike its competitor. It was never released in any other territory.
The games library is very small, and all of the titles are in Japanese. NEC took more of a home computer approach with this console and was very lenient on the types of titles it allowed to be published. This means that most of the games on this console are (eroge) adult oriented.
In Japan there was a small homebrew scene that was made possible thanks to the PCFX-GA, which is an add on card for the PC-98 series of computers that allows for coding your own games for the console.
If your just looking to play games and not develop them, you may be a bit disappointed. The video outputs for such a relatively advanced console leave much to be desired. The FX is limited to S-Video/composite output only, and cannot be modded for better video quality as the CPU generates all of its signals in YUV.
At first glance The SuperGrafx may seem like another derivative of the PC Engine lineup, but it is actually an entirely different 16 bit console with its own (tiny) library of games. In this regard it can be considered a successor to the PC Engine.
The hardware and accompanying software titles are extremely rare, so be prepared to shell out a lot of cash if you want to collect for this system.
Accessories
There are probably hundreds of accessories for NEC consoles so I will only cover the more popular and useful ones.
Springboard / Marai / Kisado / PC-505 HuCard Converters
There exists various converters that allow for playing Japanese HuCard titles in TG16 consoles. Although there were quite a few different converters released throughput the TG16’s life span, these converters all do basically the same thing – rearrange the pin configuration to bypass the regional lockout.
The standard TurboGrapfx16 controller. It has only 2 action buttons making it appear similar in design to a Nintendo controller. The Japanese controllers went through many different redesigns throughout the PC Engines lifespan (there is even a LaserActive branded version) but the changes were mostly cosmetic.
The controllers for the NEC consoles are notable for their turbo function. There are switches above each button that allow for variable turbo fire timings. Also, the original PC Engine controllers did not come with turbo switches, but these were phased out early on in the PCE’s lifespan. Most of the controllers found today are of the turbo variety.
An arcade style controller for those folks who can’t live without a full on joystick. This color scheme for this is a black pad with an orange joystick knob and (imho) a much less rad looking white base/orange knobbed version for the PC Engine.
Sadly, this controller is modeled after the older 2 button style control pads despite the fact that an arcade style controller is probably better suited to the newer controller layout. On the plus side, this stick does feature adjustable turbo slider as opposed to the switches found on regular controllers. This allows for more accurate turbo fire if you choose to utilize such a feature.
NEC never bothered to make another joystick for PCE so this is the only first party one available. There are several 3rd party sticks which offer a slowdown feature but they tend to be of poor quality.
A unique (for its time) accessory that is shaped like a small remote control box. This device has a male controller plug that goes into the TG16’s port and adds 5 extra ports to the console. NEC designed most of their consoles with only a single controller port on the front, likely as a cost saving measure. With this accessory, you can play with up to 5 players on any of the multiplayer titles for the TG16.
It is quite clear that this is an accessory that was probably released to coincide with the 3 Bomberman titles made by Hudsonsoft, as they all support up to 5 players at a time.
The PC Engine version of this device is not interchangeable with the TG16 version since the ports are a different shape. However, there are adapter cables available that allow you to use PC Engine controllers on TG16 consoles, and they will also work for the PC Engine Multitap. It is also possible to mod either adapter to work on their opposite system, as the only difference between the 2 is the smaller hole diameter.
If you need another output besides the stock RF, then this is the accessory to buy. It attaches to the expansion port on the TG16 and adds composite + stereo audio output. NEC also released a Turbo Booster Plus version that has save memory in it, which negates the need to use passwords in many titles.
There is of course an identical model for the PC Engine that is much smaller in size.
Turbo Link Communication Cable
A cable that allows you to link 2 Turbo Express units together for a head to head game. This is more of a novelty though, as the TE library has very few link capable games. We also looked at this in our link cable article \
This is a flashcart that will allow you to play almost 100% of the released Hucard turbo graphics 16 games
off of an SD card. This device is a great way to test out various titles on the TG16 as original games for this console have become extremely expensive over the years.
Super SD System 3
If you were lucky enough to happen on a TG16 in the wild like i did, you may want to consider a Super SD System 3. The reason being that it will probably cost you about as much as the hardware/mods together, since it enables Hucard / TurboGrafx 16 cd game playback and offers a native RGB output. Additionally, you will be able to try out all of the expensive cd games & TurboGrafx16 roms that would otherwise cost a small fortune to buy on their own. This device is covered in more detail here.
