The History of the PC Engine-Part 1-1987-1991

Released in 1987 in Japan, the PC Engine (PCE) was the main fruit of labour born of the partnership of software company Hudson and Japanese computer giant NEC. Nearly overtaking Nintendo's Famicom at one point, the system has been regulated to relative obscurity in the West as the Turbografx-16. While the TG-16 tanked in North America and Europe, the PCE was a smash in its homeland. Let's examine the fascinating history of this minuscule little white block.

The marriage of NEC and Hudson began after Hudson's powerful new graphics chips were rejected by Nintendo for use in a potential new console. With the runaway success of the Famicom in Japan, many other Japanese tech companies wanted to enter the burgeoning console market. NEC found their opportunity with Hudson's new chipset. The new console would be designed by Hudson and manufactured by NEC. Dubbed the PC Engine, it used a 8-bit CPU and dual 16-bit GPUs. Arguments  about the true classification of the console remain up for debate today. Some consider the PCE/TG16 to be 16-bit, while others consider it to be an 8-bit machine. Certainly, it occupies a unique place as a console that can only be described as a hybrid between both worlds.

Released on October 30th, 1987, the PCE was a near instant success. Its innovative design, compact size, and impressive graphics were a hit with the Japanese public. Despite a small library in Fall 1987, 1988 brought Namco on board. Growing tried of Nintendo's stranglehold over Japanese developers, Namco was an early supporter of the system. Many of the PC Engine's great titles were Namco releases. These titles included Splatterhouse, Dragon Spirit, Galaga 88, and countless others.

Initially, PC Engine games came exclusively on "HuCards". These credit-card size ROM-boards were a tiny-sized format for a very tiny console. Hudson has developed similar technology in the form of "Bee Cards" for the MSX computers in Japan. HuCards were a novel feature at a time when most games came on bulky plastic cartridges.

The majority of the games most memorable earlier titles came on HuCards. Games such as PC-Genjin 1-3 (Bonk 1-3 in the West), GunHed (Blazing Lazers), and countless other releases shipped on HuCards. However, the PC Engine was soon to make its first format addition.

Despite strong sales of the HuCard-based system, NEC and Hudson felt the need to create an CD-ROM add-on for the PCE. The CD-ROM2 add-on was released in December of 1988. It was the first CD-based console on the market. While the launch line-up was sparse (Fighting Street and No-Ri-Ko, two very mediocre games) sales were brisk and the CD-ROM2 managed to sell quite well despite  being priced at 57,800 yen. This was very expensive, even for the time.

Several other variations of the main PC Engine console would be released in the late 1980s. Pictured above is the PC Engine Core-Grafx and Core-Grafx II. These units gave the PCE A/V out and made some minor hardware revisions.

Now a prized collector's item, the PC Engine Shuttle was released in 1989 and aimed at younger kids. It featured a strange spaceship-like design and bata-rang-style controller. The Shuttle also did not allow connection to the CD-ROM2 unit, unlike the Core-Grafx I and II and White PC Engine.

Around the same time, some other curious models were released by NEC. The PC Engine LT was a laptop-style PCE that came with its own 4-inch screen. The units were very expensive due to the cost of LCD screens at the time, and prices today are no better. Except to pay over $1000 for a boxed unit.

In 1990, the PC Engine GT was released. A truly hand-held version of the PC Engine, it was more powerful than any other handheld on the market at the time. However, it failed to match the success of the Nintendo GameBoy due to its much higher cost, battery consumption, and much-larger size. The GT is also a very expensive collector's item in PCE circles today.

Back to the games. From 1987-1990, the PC Engine would see the release of countless shooters, platformers, and RPGs. For shooter fans, GunHed, Image Fight, Super Star Soldier, and countless others would satisfy. For platformer fans, games such as PC Genjin (Bonk's Adventure), Makyo Densestu (The Legendary Axe), and Tora e no Michi (Tiger Road) would keep fans of the genre satisfied. On the growing RPG front, Neutopia and Ys Books 1 and 2 would keep those looking for a Final Fantasy or Dragon Warrior mostly happy. For nearly every kind of gamer, the PCE had something unique and fun to offer. To be continued in Part 2.............(1991-1996)

History of the Japanese Sega Mega Drive-JGC Feature 1

Released in 1988 in Japan, the Sega Mega Drive never achieved the level of success of its Western counterpart, the Sega Genesis. Left in third place in the Japanese 16-bit wars, the alternate history of the Mega Drive in Japan is fascinating given the immense success of the Genesis and Mega Drive in most other markets across the world.

Upon release in October 1988, the Mega Drive initially had a drought of quality software. Only two games were available at launch, Space Harrier II and Super Thunderblade. Sales were sluggish and only reached 400,000 shipped by the end of the year.




1989 brought more triple A titles for the Mega Drive. Games such as Dai Makaimura (Ghouls and Ghosts in the West) and the much-anticipated Phantasy Star II showed that the Mega Drive was not short on killer titles. However, sales lagged behind both the Nintendo Famicom and NEC's PC Engine. Released in 1987, NEC's little white box was a big reason for the lack of success for the Mega Drive in Japan. Getting the jump on the Mega Drive, the PC Engine was getting a steady stream of killer titles, including Sega ports such as Shinobi, Golden Axe, and even Altered Beast.

As the Mega Drive struggled against the Famicom and PC Engine, Sega sought some interesting and innovative ways to try and boost interest in the tanking Mega Drive. Released in 1990, the Mega Modem allowed pay-to-play multiplayer, primitive online banking, and even an answering machine service called "Mega Anser".

All of these peripherals failed to garner significant interest in the Mega Drive. As the Genesis began to become a serious competitor to the NES in North America and Europe, the Land of the Rising Sun seemed to be indifferent to Sega's 16-bit powerhouse. Despite a steady stream of titles through 1990 and 1991, there seemed little hope of the Mega Drive overtaking it competitors.

As the Super Famicom made huge waves across Japan after its 1990 release, the situation seemed to get even worse for the Mega Drive in Japan. Super Mario World, Final Fantasy IV, and tons of other AAA titles sold in the millions in the early 1990s. But wait.....what about Sonic 1 and 2? Well, Sonic has never been very popular in his home country. Without the massive success of Sonic in the West, Sega never really had a franchise such as Mario, Final Fantasy, or Dragon Quest that sold systems.

It is not like Sega didn't try. Released in 1991, the Mega CD was an attempt by Sega to give a boost to the lifespan of the Mega Drive. At a launch cost of 49,800 Yen, the Mega CD was a luxury add-on for many. Selling only 100,000 units in its first year in Japan, the add-on catered to such a small installed base that it lacked any real chance at mainstream success.

By the end of its life, the Mega CD had only sold 400,000 units in Japan. However, over 2 million units were sold overall, making the system a modest success outside of Japan. Despite some quality titles such as Final Fight, Lunar 1 and 2, and Popful Mail, the Mega CD failed to increase the sales of the Mega Drive in Japan.

In 1992, Victor released the "WonderMega". Like the PC Engine Duo/Turbo Duo, this machine combined the Mega Drive and Mega CD into one slick unit. However, at over 80,000 yen, the machine was high-priced and out of reach for many. The unit would also be released in North America as the JVC X'EYE.


The Mega Drive 2 was released at a cheaper price of 12,800 yen in 1993. The same year, the Mega CD was also released. Much cheaper, the Mega CD 2 still failed to take off in any significant way.

By 1994-95, the Mega Drive/Mega CD was dead in the water. Game releases slowed to a trickle. Despite Genesis games being released in 1996/97 in the West, the last slew of releases in Japan were shoddy Acclaim games such as Batman Forever. Funny enough, these late Acclaim games are quite rare and valuable nowadays, fetching hundreds of dollars on Ebay.

The horrid Sega 32X was released in Japan. However, the 32X sold in such poor numbers that it remains even more obscure in Japan than in the West. Japanese 32X units are a rare and valuable oddity these days.

The eternal debate of Genesis vs SNES will rage on for years. However, in Japan, few consider the Mega Drive an equal to the PC Engine or Super Famicom. It is a shame, as most of the top-tier Genesis games began life in Japan. Unlike its distant 3rd in the West, Sega would reclaim the no.2 spot with its Saturn during the next console generation.