The History of the PC Engine-Part 2-1990-1996

The Super CD ROM2 made its debut in 1990/91. This very long unit added 4 times the RAM from 64KB to 256KB. This meant that games could have more detailed sprites and more data presented on screen. Gradually, games shifted away from HuCard releases to Super CD releases.

 For users of past hardware such as the original CDROM2, gamers could buy the System Card 3.0, which allowed users  to play the new Super CDROM games. Upgrading was a regular part of the PC Engine experience, and the System Card 3.0 was the first major hardware upgrade that updated the performance of the games via more memory.

HuCards games were still coming out during this era. The early 1990s produced some of the most impressive HuCard releases. A very impressive port of Street Fighter 2 was released in 1993. PC Genjin 3 (Bonk 3) and Bomberman 94' are some other notable late HuCards. The later HuCards are especially impressive as they use the basic PC Engine hardware without any memory expansion. Most of these games are very valuable nowadays.

With all of the add-ons released, NEC felt the need to simplify the growing complexity of the hardware with a single unit. Combining the Super CD-ROM2 and original PC Engine into one unit, the PC Engine Duo was released in September 1991 at a cost of 59, 800 Yen. Two versions of the PC-Engine Duo were released. The PC Engine DUO-R was released in 1993 at just under 40,000 Yen. The final variation of the Duo, the Duo RX, was released in 1994. With the end of production of the Duo RX, the PC Engine would meet its fate by 1995. However, what a life it was.

Hundreds of quality titles were released for the Super CD Rom2 in the early 1990s. Some of the most memorable include Dracula X: Rondo of Blood, The Dynastic Hero, Gate of Thunder, PC Genjin 3 (Bonk 3) and many others. Many of these later releases are extremely valuable today, fetching hundreds of dollars each.

Another attempt to extend the life of the PC Engine was made in the form of the Arcade Card Duo and Arcade Card Pro. The cards expanded the memory of the PC Engine to over 2 MBs. While not a lot of games were released for the Arcade Card, the shooter "Sapphire", a port of Strider, and several Neo Geo fighting game ports were released. Sapphire is the most valuable and expensive Japanese CD release, and is widely regarded as a technical marvel. However, by the time of its release, most Japanese gamers had moved on to the Super Famicom. Sadly, the Arcade Card games never got the attention they deserve and remain cult favourites.

By 1996-97, only a few releases trickled out. NEC had released the successor to the PC Engine in December of 1994. The PC-FX was a massive failure, built on outdated technology that was unable to produce real 3-D games. The PC-FX would struggle and fade into obscurity against the Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn.

The PC Engine had a long life. In an era where most consoles live around 4-5 years, the PC Engine was a viable platform from 1987-1995. Upgrades kept the system competitive and viable, but came at a high price to the consumer. CD-ROM attachments and memory upgrades were not cheap, but the die-hards were willing to pay the price for some great games. As an immensely successful platform in Japan, the PC Engine is remembered fondly by many. It has a rabid collecting scene, and some pieces can fetch into the thousands. For those that love it, the PC Engine is the console that never was in the West. The Turbografx 16 failed to make a significant impact in the West, but in Japan the PC Engine almost dethroned Nintendo's Famicom. Hundreds of more games were released in Japan that never made it to Western shores. Collecting for the PC Engine today is much cheaper than collecting for the Turbografx 16, due to the PC Engine being much more popular and commercially successful.

Martial Champion-PC Engine Review

A PC Engine port of an obscure Konami arcade fighter, this 1993 release is widely regarded as a fair weak port of the arcade original. Let's take a look and find out if there is any reason to play this game.

Released in the wake of Street Fighter II, it seems like every game company responded to the success of SFII with their own fighter. Konami was fairly late to the game, but responded with Martial Champion for the arcades.

The picture above shows the arcade original. the arcade game ran on Konami's famous "Mystic Warriors" arcade hardware. Huge sprites were characteristic of many arcade games at the time, and the arcade Martial Champion was no exception. Sadly, the PC Engine version really suffers on the graphical front.

The picture above shows the PCE port. Characters are massively downsized for this version, and the graphics are sub-par compared to other Super CD releases on the PC Engine. It is hard to believe that Konami released "Rondo of Blood" the same year, as that game is a graphical powerhouse and a great example of what the PCE could achieve even in the twilight of its life.

Like the majority of other 1990s fighting games, Martial Champion assembles a group of "stereotypes" for each country represented. For example, there is a Saudi Arabian "Arabian Knight" with a Prince of Persia type sword and ceremonial garb. There is a Japanese Kabuki fighter (very similar to Kyoshiro from Samurai Spirits/Shodown). The other 9 characters feel just as uninspired, and Martial Champion fails to stand out from the crowd in terms of characters.

The gameplay in Martial Champion is fairly bland. Some fighters have swords and weapons, and many do not. This does allow for some diversity in terms of gameplay, like a mix of Street Fighter and Samurai Shodown (before it was released I might add). The lack of animation for the sprites make the special moves look pretty bad. The fighting system feels clunky and unfinished, and the game is hardly a joy to play. Each character only has a very limited set of moves, but remember this game was made a time when 2-3 moves per character were standard.

Martial Champion allows for a few different modes of play. Tournament mode involves the player fighting his/her way up to the final boss by defeating other computer-controlled characters. If you are lucky enough to have a multi-tap, "vs battle" allows the player to face off against another human-controlled player. The only interesting mode is "group match". You can select different characters to take control of, rather than just picking on character.

One advantage of the game is the stellar music. "Redbook" audio sounds great, and its a shame that such great tracks accompany such mediocre gameplay.

Martial Champion is a game only for 1990s fighting game enthusiasts (I am one of them, I'll play them so you don't have to). Bland gameplay and characters make for an experience that is forgettable.  You would be much better off using MAME to emulate the much-better arcade original than tracking down this one. At 50-70$, the game is also very expensive. Perhaps this is due to the rabid Konami fan-base buying every Konami game ever made. In any case, skip this one.

+Great sounding Redbook audio tracks
+Group match mode is unique

-Poor graphics and sprites
-Bland characters and gameplay
-Expensive to import a copy

Rating-6/10