Get Ready for "Turbo-Charged" Tennis Action - Playing World Court Tennis on TurboGrafx-16 for the First Time

Face 17 of the World's Top Tennis Professionals...Plus an All-New Tennis Adventure!

World Court Tennis was released in December 1989, the same year that the TurboGrafx-16 launched in the United States, and it was the last title remaining for me to play of all the games released for the TurboGrafx in its launch year. 

At first glance, World Court Tennis appears to be similar to a lot of other tennis games from back in the day, albeit with a cutesy super-deformed art style. 

Most of the game is pretty standard. You have a lot of different characters to choose from, and you can choose from three different types of courts which generally relate to Slow, Medium and Fast ball speeds.

You can play singles against either the CPU or a friend, and you can play doubles, but only with another human player. You can't have a CPU partner and take on CPU opponents. 

The real game, however, lies in its third mode, which is (BY FAR) the most interesting part of the game: Quest Mode

From the manual: Face the evil Tennis King! In the video world's first tennis role-playing game, take on a band of evil-doers who have robbed all the prize money and are now forcing everyone to play tennis on their terms. Don't let them get away with it! 

Quest mode is like a mash up of Dragon Warrior's overworld, with random battles taking the form of  tennis matches against enemies. 

It's very silly, but it honestly adds a layer of cheesy humor and interesting gameplay that the core game would lack without it. 

If you want to see some gameplay of World Court Tennis, you can check out this YouTube video:

Overall I think the Quest mode really saves this game, as it turns it from a mediocre tennis game into something funny and a bit deeper, while still incorporating an entire tennis game. 

Now that I've finished World Court Tennis, however, I've finished trying every game that released in the United States during the TurboGrafx launch year, leading up to the 1989 Christmas season. 

So instead of moving right onto the next game released in the TurboGrafx library, I'll take a moment to review the launch year of the TurboGrafx, how the games were overall, how its library compared to the other major consoles available at the time and how its advertising compared.

Should be an interesting deep dive into the TurboGrafx's launch year, before moving onto the games released in its second year in the U.S.

Until next time friends...

Let's Play Ball!!! Playing World Class Baseball on TurboGrafx-16 for the Very First Time

Get ready for the most sensational video baseball game ever!

World Class Baseball was released for the TurboGrafx-16 in December 1989, during the first holiday season after the console launched. 

It is the latest game I've played on my TurboGrafx journey.

Even though I'm not the biggest baseball fan, I've certainly played my fair share of baseball video games back in the day, starting with RealSports Baseball on the Atari 5200 (which I loved).

Like most of the TurboGrafx games I've played on this journey, the first thing I noticed was the music for the game was really good and the graphics looked detailed and vibrant as well.

Like many games back in the day, it's clear the publisher didn't have the MLB license for either real players or real teams. Some of the team names are still pretty badass though. I like to play as the Ninjas. :)

The game itself plays like many other baseball games you might already be familiar with. Batting is a relatively straightforward affair, and if you want to do a line drive you just need to hold the D-pad in the direction of your batter (right-handed to the left, left-handed to the right). Honestly it took me a bit to get used to the timing (heck, I'm STILL getting used to it). 

Now fielding is an even more straightforward setup, however all your outfielders move together in sync, so just watch the map of the field to see their positions relative to the ball movement when it is traveling to the outfield (although this is easier said than done).

Pitching is probably my favorite part, as you can curve the ball after throwing it and pretty consistently get Strike Outs. You can also get a runner out when they are leading off of a base to try and steal. You just have to be careful not to misjudge, as they will go for it if they see you trying to catch them and they are far enough off base already. (Many times they happened to make it safely to the next base when I tried it, however I also got plenty of them out. And it's VERY satisfying.) 

You can also move your pitcher closer to the position of the batter and try to hit them with the ball. They get to take a base this way, but if a batter is really pissing you off, you might as well let them take a base AFTER you hit them. If you feel more in the mood to watch a game, rather than play one (or play one BADLY in my case) there is also a spectator mode. I do enjoy watching simulated matches from time to time, so I always like to see this option available in games.

Overall, I really enjoyed World Class Baseball, even though I'm not any good at it. I can generally do alright pitching and fielding, but there always comes at least one inning where the CPU gets a bunch of runs, and I just can't seem to get any. 

I don't play a ton of baseball games, so honestly I'd probably rather pick another one if I were going to play one, however if I had been gifted this game back in the day, I definitely would have kept playing it.

You can watch some of my gameplay from World Class Baseball in this YouTube video:

While World Class Baseball was the first baseball game for the TurboGrafx, there were several other baseball games already available at the time on other consoles. 

Just to give you an idea, here is a list of all the 8-bit and 16-bit baseball games released in the same year that World Class Baseball was released (plus a few corresponding gameplay videos you can watch):

On NES:

• Tecmo Baseball (Jan 1989) [WATCH]
• Baseball Stars (Jul 1989) [WATCH]

On GameBoy:

• Baseball (Jul 1989)

On Sega Master System:

• Reggie Jackson Baseball (Mar 1989) [WATCH]

On Sega Genesis:

• Tommy Lasorda Baseball (Aug 1989)

While I was researching this game, I came across this preview from GamePro magazine back in their September/October issue in 1989:

While I did enjoy my time playing World Class Baseball, I'm eager to get onto my next game. 

The next game I'll be playing on my TurboGrafx journey is...:

World Court Tennis! 

This will mark the last game released in 1989, during the inaugural year of the TurboGrafx in the United States! 

I haven't totally decided yet, but I'll probably do a review of the TurboGrafx's launch year after playing World Class Tennis, and before moving onto the games released in 1990.

Until next time...

Let the Battle for Survival Begin! Playing Side Arms Hyper Dyne on the TurboGrafx-16 for the First Time

It is light years into the future and there is trouble in your sector. 
The galaxy is being threatened by an unknown nemesis from a distant black hole and you, earth's lone, Interstellar Warrior must stop the terrible destruction at hand.

The latest game in my TurboGrafx journey is Side Arms Hyper Dyne!
Side Arms Hyper Dyne was released for the TurboGrafx in December 1989, during the launch year of the console in the United States. 

It is a port of a Capcom arcade game, and in many ways the TurboGrafx port is actually superior to the arcade version.

Graphically the TurboGrafx version is very close to the arcade, so it's pretty much a tie in that department (if there are differences they have to be VERY minor - you'd have to do a side-by-side to be able to tell).

It's the music where the game really shines though. The arcade music is...well to put it bluntly, strange. It's like some kind of lame carnival music (or something like that) and doesn't really seem to fit the action like the music in the TurboGrafx version (I'm guessing the devs had the same thought, which is why the music is different). 

Conversely, the TurboGrafx version has awesome music, which is very fitting of the action and on par with the other great shooters on the TurboGrafx.

The controls on the TurboGrafx are also spot-on, but the TurboGrafx has one HUGE advantage the arcade doesn't: the turbo buttons. Seriously, I can't convey just how essential those gamepad turbo button settings are in shmups like this one. It takes a semi-painful button mashing experience (like in the arcade) and turns it into an auto-fire slaughterfest - in the best possible way.

Now, this won't always save your hide, however, since in Stage 2 they throw so much crap at you that the turbo buttons alone aren't enough to save you. You will see in my beginning gameplay video that I didn't make it very far in this game, and that is still true today. 

Side Arms is HARD, and especially on the second and third stages, they throw tons of crap at you from different directions, and your invincibility after dying only lasts like half a second, so it's very likely you just keep dying and keep dying if you are in a particularly bad section. 

All I can advise is that you wait out the continue a little bit to see if some of the firestorm of enemies and bullets clears out of the way before you continue, but sometimes that backfires and it simply means that more enemies accumulate and practically guarantee a speedy death. 

If you'd like to see my very first gameplay from Side Arms (as bad as it is) you can check out my YouTube video:

And if you'd like to see how the arcade version compares (with my very bad gameplay) you can check out this YouTube video:

Interestingly, there was a "Special" version released for the PC-Engine CD ROM that was never released in the U.S. It added CD-quality music plus an extra mode called "Before Christ"; yes, seriously.

You can checkout my gameplay from the "Special" version in this YouTube video:

Overall though, I really like Side Arms and I simply wish I was better at playing it, but the gameplay is fun (while it lasts), the music is banging, and the graphics are great. What more could you ask for? 

The next game in my TurboGrafx journey is going to be...

World Class Baseball!

Now, I'm not the biggest baseball fan, nor the biggest baseball game fan, but I do enjoy playing baseball video games more than I enjoy actually watching baseball, so maybe I'll have fun with it. 

Until next time Turbo Troops!

It's Power Golf! Playing the Most Realistic Video-Golf Game Ever on the TurboGrafx-16 for the First Time

Get ready for non-stop action as you take on 18 holes of the most realistic video-golf game ever - TurboGrafx-16 Power Golf. 

(this comes straight from the manual - I could never make up such cheesy goodness on my own)

Power Golf is the next game on my TurboGrafx journey, and hey, after Moto Roader, anything else has got to be better, right? ....RIGHT?!?

Honestly I didn't know what to expect when I first started up Power Golf, and my first run was pretty damn rough. (I actually had to consult the manual to just figure out how to hit the damn ball.)

There are three main modes in Power Golf. Stroke Play, where you play to get the lowest number of strokes possible, and is the "typical" mode you would expect in a golf game. Then there is Match Play with two options: Normal Match, where you compete for each hole either against another player or the CPU, or Club Match, where you compete for each other's clubs based on who wins each hole. Finally there is Competition, where play happens in the form of a contest. You can either play with Two or Three Players, but you can't choose CPU for that mode, so make sure you have some IRL friends with you. 

After selecting the play mode you choose between three different characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. 

The first character is a man with standard power and standard swing speed (the timing you need to swing and hit the ball - slower is easier and faster is harder). 

The second character is a woman with lower power and a slower swing speed (so its easier to get the timing you want, but the ball doesn't go as far).

The third character is a man with higher power and a faster swing speed (so the ball goes farther, but it's harder to get the swing timing right). 

I tried all three characters and they're all fun in their own right, but it is certainly easier to start with the female character, since I could get the timing just right on the swings and make the ball go where I wanted (generally).

Like most golf games you have to take both the wind speed and direction into consideration for each stroke (both speed and direction change each stroke, which honestly is a little strange).

You press the I button to start your swing, then you press it again to set the power (as close to the left hand side of the bar as possible), then you press it one last time when it gets as close to the red target area as possible. If you press the last one too early it will be to the left of the target area and the ball will slice to the right (the farther away from the target, the more it will slice), and if you press it too late it will be to the right of the target area and the ball will slice to the left.

Sometimes you want to slice the ball because the shot you are making is curved in nature, but you have to make sure to take the wind speed and direction into account when choosing which direction to slice in and how much of a slice you want. It's a little complicated to get right, but very satisfying when you nail it.

Of course, like any golf game, it also has your standard water hazards, sand bunkers and out of bounds areas (oh, and trees you can run into on the course). Sometimes I like to use the bunkers to my advantage to stop the ball near the green, then use the sand wedge to get it as close to the hole as possible. Granted, there are likely better ways to approach it, but for this novice that seems to work ok.

You can view my very first (and very rough) gameplay in the YouTube video below: (I promise I got better after this)

I ended up playing quite a few matches of Power Golf, and I did end up getting much better at timing my swings and selecting the right clubs for the situation at hand. I'm sure if I had gotten this game back in the day it would have been a fun diversion between more hardcore games on the TurboGrafx.

After the horror that was Moto Roader, I actually had a lot of fun with Power Golf. I was AWFUL to start out with but eventually I started getting quite a bit better, where I got to the point where I could generally get the ball to go where I wanted and had fun playing it.

Next on my TurboGrafx journey is...

Sidearms! 

Until next time Turbo Troops...

Sometimes Things Can Be Too Quiet! - Playing Moto Roader on TurboGrafx-16 for the First Time

The year is 2015. Hunger, war and crime have been erased from the face of the Earth. Machines do all the work. Computers do all the thinking. Peace reigns over the land. And yet the youth of this "Paradise on Earth" are bored. Until...

Moto Roader is a top-down racer developed by NCS (Nippon Computer Systems) and released for the TurboGrafx-16 in December 1989.

Like many TurboGrafx games, Moto Roader has pretty good graphics and music, but with most games of this nature, it's the gameplay that really makes the difference.

You start out being able to select from a bunch of different courses. I started by selecting "Normal" as I thought this would be the best way to experience the game.

Next they give you about $5k to upgrade your car, and THIS is where the decisions really can impact your gameplay. While all of the categories are important for fine tuning your driving machine, the MOST important one is "Handle". There are Type A and Type B handling options, and if you pick Type B you can simply press left or right on the control pad to steer. Sounds easy, right? Well...if you don't change the handling to Type B, or you choose an upgrade that is Type A, you get stuck with controls from H E L L!!!

I believe there is a technical term for the type of control that the Type A handling options use, but I'll simply call it "unplayable". Your car doesn't turn the way you would naturally think it should, and you'll inevitably end up crashing into the walls.

So eventually I figured out to pick the Type B handling, so at least I could control the car. I thought, "ok, now I'll be able to finally compete".

N O P E.

Even with upgrading everything I could think of (within the budget I had) my car still went so slowly I was always at the back of the pack.

Now, if you do happen to end up at the back, you and any other similar cars, will get teleported forward. This actually landed me second place in one of my races, but generally it's just an insult, telling you that you are playing so badly that they just have to push your dead body down the track.

Now, on the plus side, the game does have a bunch of different tracks, you can upgrade lots of different aspects of your car, and you can even purchase grenades and other weapons to wreak havoc on the track, but... all of that doesn't really matter when it seems impossible to even complete a single race.

You can see some of my (horrible) gameplay in this YouTube video:

Honestly, this is the worst game I've had the (dis)pleasure of playing so far on the TurboGrafx, and I wasn't sorry when I finally got the Game Over screen.

Playing Moto Roader was a painful slog. Even forcing myself to play it for the hour-or so that I did was tough. I'm glad I gave it a shot, but I won't be going back.

I think the best thing about this game might be the cover art on the game case and manual. I'm not even sure what's going on, but it's funky and kind of messes with your head. MUCH better than the game itself (reminds me of many old Atari games in that regard).

Moto Roader (and several other TurboGrafx games) were released on Nintendo's Virtual Console back in the days of the Wii, so there are some more modern reviews of some of them. 

You can see the review of Moto Roader on the Nintendolife website: 

https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/2007/01/moto_roader_virtual_console

You will see I'm not alone in my disdain for this game.

Let's see if my next game is any better...

Power Golf!

Until next time Turbo Troops!