As I've been embarking on my TurboGrafx journey, I've been trying to play the games in rough chronological order, meaning I've been trying to stick to games released in a similar timeframe, before moving onto the next timeframe.
However, I've had trouble finding good resources that make this easy, since a lot of online information mixes the TurboGrafx and the PC Engine together, and don't clearly delineate between the two.
So...
I decided to try and create my own, both as a self-reference as I keep going on my TurboGrafx journey, but also as a resource for others possibly looking to do the same.
As a caveat, however, this will be looking at the timeline of the TurboGrafx-16, as released in the United States, therefore other games released outside of the US won't be counted (but there are PLENTLY of resources on PC Engine games, so you shouldn't have issues finding that).
And if a game is listed that I've posted an article for, I'll add a link to the listing. Similarly, I plan to keep building upon this article as I discover new information, so check back from time-to-time and see if there's anything new.
Let's get started...
August 1989
- TurboGrafx-16 released on August 29, 1989, retailing for $199.99 (equivalent to ~$500 in 2024), in select locations in New York City and Los Angeles.
- Games released on TurboChip:
Check out this Toys R Us holiday circular from 1989:
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September 1989
- N/A
October 1989
- N/A
November 1989
- TurboGrafx-CD released, retailing for $399.99 (equivalent to ~$1,000 in 2024), and did not include any pack-in games.
- CD Games released at the same time as the TurboGrafx-CD:
- Fighting Street (a port of the original Street Fighter) [link]
- Monster Lair (a port of Wonder Boy III) [link]
- Games released on TurboChip:
December 1989
- Games released on TurboChip:
January 1990
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Final Lap Twin
- Pac-Land
February 1990
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Military Madness
- Ordyne
- Space Harrier
March 1990
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Crater Maze
- Deep Blue
- J.J. & Jeff
- Takin' It To The Hoop
April 1990
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Bonk's Adventure
- Neutopia
May 1990
- Games released on CD:
- Y's Book I and II
- Valis II
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Cyber Core
June 1990
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Bloody Wolf
- King of Casino
July 1990
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Chew Man Fu
- Double Dungeons
- Timeball
August 1990
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Splatterhouse
September 1990
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Devil's Crush
- Klax
- Sonic Spike
- Super Volleyball
October 1990
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Battle Royale
- Boxyboy
- Bravoman
- Drop Off
- The Legendary Axe 2
- Ninja Spirit
- Psychosis
- Tiger Road
November 1990
- Games released on CD:
- Final Zone II
- Last Alert
December 1990
- Games released on CD:
- Magical Dinosaur Tour
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Dragon's Curse
- TV Sports: Football
- Veigues Tactical Gladiator
January 1991
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Aero Blasters
- Sinistron
February 1991
- N/A
March 1991
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Super Star Soldier
- Tricky Kick
April 1991
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Bomberman
May 1991
- N/A
June 1991
- Games released on CD:
- Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective
- Games released on TurboChip:
- TV Sports Basketball
July 1991
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Bonk's Revenge
- Tailspin
August 1991
- Games released on CD:
- J.B. Harold Murder Club
September 1991
- Games released on TurboChip:
- TV Sports Hockey
- Yo, Bro
October 1991
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Champions Forever Boxing
- Impossamole
- Parasol Stars: The Story of Bubble Bobble III
- Silent Debuggers
November 1991
- Games released on CD:
- The Addams Family
- Ys III: Wanderers from Ys
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Cadash
- Raiden
- Turrican
December 1991
- Games released on CD:
- Andre Panza Kick Boxing
- It Came From the Desert
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Andre Panza Kick Boxing
January 1992
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Darkwing Duck
February 1992
- N/A
March 1992
- Games released on CD:
- Valis III
April 1992
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Davis Cup Tennis
May 1992
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Ballistix
- Night Creatures
June 1992
- Games released on CD:
- Cosmic Fantasy 2
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Gunboat
July 1992
- Games released on CD:
- Lords of the Rising Sun
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Falcon
August 1992
- Games released on CD:
- Splash Lake
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Jackie Chan's Action Kung-Fu
- Neutopia II
September 1992
- Games released on CD:
- Exile
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Dungeons & Dragons: Order of the Griffon
- New Adventure Island
- Soldier Blade
October 1992
- TurboDuo released in Los Angeles, CA, in limited quantities.
- Console initially retailed for $299.99 (equivalent to $667 in 2024)
- This introduced the new "Super-CDROM2" format, which required a new TurboChip for the regular TurboGrafx-16 to play the new Super-CD format on the original TurboGrafx-CD.
- Games included with the TurboDuo:
- Ys Book I & II (CD)
- 4-in-1 Super CD Compilation (Bonk's Adventure, Bonk's Revenge, Gate of Thunder and Bomberman)
- Dungeon Explorer (TurboChip)
- Games released on Super-CD:
- Prince of Persia
- Shape Shifter
- Gate of Thunder
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Air Zonk
- Dead Moon
- Ghost Manor
November 1992
- Games released on Super-CD:
- Forgotten Worlds
- Loom
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Chase H.Q.
- Hit the Ice
December 1992
- Games released on Super-CD:
- Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Samurai Ghost
- Shockman
- Somer Assault
- Time Cruise
January 1993
- Games released on CD:
- Buster Bros
- Games released on Super-CD:
- Camp California
February 1993
- Games released on Super-CD:
- Riot Zone
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Legend of Hero Tonma
- World Sports Competition
March 1993
- Games released on Super-CD:
- Lords of Thunder
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Bomberman '93
April 1993
- Games released on Super-CD:
- Cotton: Fantastic Night Dreams
- Sim Earth
- Games released on CD:
- Vasteel
May 1993
- Games released on Super-CD:
- Dungeon Master
- Syd Mead's Terraforming
June 1993
- Games released on Super CD:
- Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective Vol. II
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Bonk 3: Bonk's Big Adventure
July 1993
- Games released on Super-CD:
- Exile: Wicked Phenomenon
- Games released on TurboChip:
- Magical Chase
August 1993
- N/A
September 1993
- Games released on Super-CD:
- John Madden Duo CD Football
October 1993
- Games released on Super-CD:
- Dungeon Explorer II
November 1993
- N/A
December 1993
- Games released on Super-CD:
- Beyond Shadowgate
January 1994
- N/A
February 1994
- N/A
March 1994
- N/A
April 1994
- Games released on Super-CD:
- Super Air Zonk
May 1994
- N/A
June 1994
- N/A
July 1994
- N/A
August 1994
- Games released on Super-CD:
- Might and Magic III: Isles of Terra
September 1994
- N/A
October 1994
- Games released on Super-CD:
- Godzilla
November 1994
- N/A
December 1994
- Games released on Super-CD:
- Bonk 3: Bonk's Big Adventure CD
The Final Curtain
The release of Bonk 3 on Super-CD would be the final release for the TurboGrafx-16 in the United States. Like many endings, there wasn't any significant event to mark the occasion. You never really knew when the end was coming, until nothing else came after it.
I still have a long ways to go in my TurboGrafx journey, but even now (have just played Vigilante for the first time) I can see the missed potential of the console.
Just looking at things like its release price ($199 while Genesis was $189), its pack-in game (Keith Courage?!?), its lack of placement in 1989 holiday catalogs (didn't even make it in the Sears catalog at all!), and its strange and ineffective marketing (just look back at the ads from Sega and other video game publishers at the same time), and it isn't hard to see why the TurboGrafx failed so hard.
It's a real shame though, because the console had a lot more potential than it was ever able to realize in the United States, and US gamers missed out on some really fun releases.
Until next time...
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