In an unexpected move, legendary publisher Konami has announced the upcoming release of the TurboGrafx-16 (PC Engine in Europe) mini console. While this may be a surprise, it’s safe to safe that the news has made waves across the retro gaming community. Check out the trailer below:
Konami will release the miniature console in three distinct versions; the TurboGrafx-16 for North America, the PC Engine Mini in Japan, and the PC Engine Core Grafx Mini in Europe. Much like similar products in the market, the TurboGrafx mini will be able to fit into the palm of your hand yet will have a full-sized controller. There’s no word on the length of the controller cord but we can only hope it exceeds to two-foot length of the NES Classic.
At this time, six games have been confirmed for the US: R-Type, New Adventure Island, Ninja Spirit, Ys Book I & II, Dungeon Explorer, and Alien Crush. The Japanese release features a similar list with a few differences, most notably the inclusion of Dracula X and Bonk’s Adventure. Fans can only hope that Air Zonk and Bloody Wolf will be included as well. Currently there is no release date set for the miniature machine so it would appear Konami has plenty of time to get their ducks in a row.
The PC Engine was released in 1987 in Japan with the TurboGrafx-16 coming to the United States in 1989. Due to its release alongside of the Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo in the US, the TurboGrafx never rose to popularity and became a niche biproduct of the console wars. However, the console would gain a healthy following in Europe and Japan due to the dedicated fans and unique library of titles. Other variations of the console included the PC Engine SuperGrafx, PC Engine Duo RX, The TurboExpress, PC Engine LT, PC Engine CoreGrafx II with Super CD-Rom, and the PC Engine Shuttle.
Have you ever played a TurboGrafx? What games would you like to see? Comment below and stay tuned to the GWW for more video game news and excitement.