E3 2019: It’s Come To This — A TurboGrafx-16 Mini
A lot of companies have released bite-sized plug-and-play versions of their 90s consoles now. There was a quiet market for such contraptions before, but once Nintendo started breaking the bank with its NES and SNES Classics, the field began flooding with competitors. Nintendo responded by stepping aside, refusing to make an N64 Classic, so it’s anyone’s game now.
Sony stumbled out of the gate with the unpopular Playstation Classic, which was $30 new the last time I checked. Sega will be releasing their take with the Genesis Mini this fall, a machine that looks far better. But what about the minority of 90s children who spent their weekends with a TurboGrafx-16 instead? When do they get their turn?
Right now. Konami is current holder of the rights to the PC Engine….the TurboGrafx’s original name before a marketing team decided it needed to be made clearer how turbo its graphics were. They only just revealed the mini version, and have yet to discuss a price or release date. But the TurboGrafx-16 Mini will be the only miniconsole of its kind with a multitap, allowing up to five simultaneous players.
What kind of games are we getting? Hopefully more than six. Here’s what Konami revealed today:
• R-Type
• New Adventure Island
• Ninja Spirit
• Ys Book I & II
• Dungeon Explorer
• Alien Crush
We admit our experience with the TurboGrafx-16 is somewhat limited, but we’ve heard several of those are quality titles. Meanwhile, the PC Engine Mini in Japan is getting Rondo of Blood. How’d the US branch skip that one?
More about the TurboGrafx-16 Mini can be found on Konami’s website.