So I used my $30 in Stone Age Gamer credit+Black Friday special for TG-16 Everdrive

Hi everyone, so I was sitting on $30 in Stone Age Gamer store credit ($10 of which was gonna expire soon) and they were doing a major Black Friday sale (plus bonus discount from 4PM-12AM) and not wanting to let all that go to waste, I picked up their Turbo-Graphx 16 Everdrive (the only other Everdrives they had that I don't already have were the Master System (already covered with the Genesis one) and the Game Gear one (can be played on Everdrive GBA with some sort of goomba deal).  But is the Turbo Graphx 16 really all that special?  Perhaps those of you who are TG-16 fans can help point me to the system's highlights.  I think like all the other Everdrives I will have the complete(ish) set of games from all regions (including the PC Engine ones; what this was called in Japan I think).  The only discouraging thing is though, the consoles themselves are quite a bit more pricey than I figured...is this system recently getting a cult following or something?



PS: I can probably sell this later for a small profit and get the Atari Harmony Encore (which I would've rather had but SAG said they don't carry and it and couldn't get one for me) so either way I'll get some good use from this  
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  • http://www.racketboy.com/retro/turbografx-16/the-games-that-defined-the-turbografx-16



    Great place to start right there. If you enjoy shooters this is a great system to have. Does the ED cover CD games too?



    As for the system, you can get a stock console and mod for av out, or get a turbo booster($$) if the ED doesn't cover CD I'd recommend going straight to duo and getting it recapped. I don't think there is copy protection so you can burn the CD games, and if you want to collect CD is region free (hu card isn't, but you have the ED so you're good to go)

    Either way, the system will cost you.
  • I do hope someday the Mega Everdrive (Genesis) will cover Sega CD roms/bios/whatever...preferably without needing the actual Sega CD itself. And yes I forgot all about that Racket Boy place; great website!   I just don't understand why those TG-16 consoles are now what, $100 or so each? And apparently it doesn't do red/white/yellow by default (and thus that's extra for the AV mod)?   Super weak...  
  • It's got a cult following for sure, and I think it's grown in popularity over the years from people sick of dishing out hundreds of dollars for NES/SNES carts.



    Like Bert said, it's great for fans of shooters. I'm not sure what systems go for, but if you can find one here or locally for a good price, not a bad idea to give it a shot before you decide what you want to do.
  • With the Everdrives now available as another option, maybe the prices for those NES/SNES cartridges will cool down some...maybe.



    PS: I did in fact see a neat infomercial sort of deal on YouTube for the TG-16...very nicely done but I don't think I had a major credit card to order back then  
  • TG 16 is a great system, just came out later than the NES and Sega, they didnt have the 3rd party support the NES did but it did have street fighter ... errrr , fighting street
  • I guess my main initial concern is that the TG-16's library is only about what, 1/6 or 1/7 or so the size of the SNES or GEN ones? So that part is a bit discouraging  
  • Originally posted by: Estil

    I guess my main initial concern is that the TG-16's library is only about what, 1/6 or 1/7 or so the size of the SNES or GEN ones? So that part is a bit discouraging  



    yeah but you got imports too, there's a lot more of those. And yeah a stick system is about 100, I think a booster is 150+? Haven't checked in a while. It's much cheaper to mod. But if you're interested in CD I'd go straight to duo, again much more expensive, but you get a larger library that way as well
  • Originally posted by: Estil



    I guess my main initial concern is that the TG-16's library is only about what, 1/6 or 1/7 or so the size of the SNES or GEN ones? So that part is a bit discouraging  

    The flip side is less shovelware. A good majority of games were Hudson Soft and they were determined to make it a premier console, so you got some good games. If you like shooters, it's a godsend.



    Though we did get a very skewed version of it, since the majority of CD games were Japan exclusive.
    Originally posted by: Estil



    With the Everdrives now available as another option, maybe the prices for those NES/SNES cartridges will cool down some...maybe.

    Everdrives have been around for awhile, so I doubt it. Also, playing and collecting are two different (though often related) hobbies.





     
  • There's hope. My brother (CZroe) and I just scored one for $15 at the local flea market about a month ago.



    Almost immediately, I noticed all kinds of TG16 talk here and everywhere else I frequent. I wasn't even trying to find that stuff. Something seems to be generating interest, and I don't think it's the Kanye West album.



    Like 50 (probably an exaggeration) TG16 let's-play videos from Pat+Ian and others appeared in my YouTube feed right after I get a TG16. Someone posts about Darkwing Duck on NintendoAge and then AVGN reviews it. o_O



    People started posting about TG16 all over the place. YouTube, Facebook, here on NintendoAge. It's bizarre!



    [edit]



    Just now clicked Latest Posts and saw someone asking about completing a TG16 set with 3 to go. He specifically asked about Darkwing Duck complete. I saw another member had just posted complete TG16 Darkwing Duck for sale earlier this month, so I linked him to it.



    This is some strangely coincidental stuff.
  • PC-Engine is probably a lot cheaper since it was more popular and more common in Japan.
  • I also just bought a turboeverdrive.  It kicks ass and im loving the system.  Currently playing rtyoe and dragons curse
  • I bought a Turbo EverDrive from Krikzz.com on Thursday along with a bunch of other EverDrives and an SD2SNES. Spent $490. Can't wait for the stuff to arrive!
  • I really want to like the console, but the lack of regular saves kills it for games like Neutopia. Most other lengthy games were CD only, but there are a few HuCard games in there that I'd like to play. Eventually I'll pick up the ED and give it a fair shake, but until then I am content with my four HuCards. Check out Atlantean if you're into homebrews! Word is that it might be on its last run too.
  • Absolutely. It's my favorite Everdrive after the N8 (NES). The fact that it can be used as a system card 1.0-3.0 replacement (required for playing CD games/backups) makes this an even better bargain.
  • Ugh, I picked up a PC Engine Duo from another user a little while ago (almost a year, snap!) but have yet to put it to use. Should've thought ahead and put some money aside to pick up the Everdrive on Friday. Oh, well. I'll pay more later and try to pick up a stack of blank CDs asap. Shh.



    Rad snag, OP. Despite my not having really played it yet, I did a ton of research about the library over the last year, and I don't think it'll disappoint.
  • Well they were doing that big Black Friday thing at SAG and I was sitting also on $30 worth of store credit, and as Hank Hill said after he made Bobby Hill smoke all them cigarettes and still had a pack left over...I couldn't just waste all that, right?
  • Originally posted by: Estil



    Well they were doing that big Black Friday thing at SAG and I was sitting also on $30 worth of store credit, and as Hank Hill said after he made Bobby Hill smoke all them cigarettes and still had a pack left over...I couldn't just waste all that, right?



    Ha, exactly! It was a good call. I probably could've sprung for it, but I grabbed the two Christmas-related carts out right now, and I'm scoping out for my Secret Santa. Rationing.



    Despite the potential save issue SGP pointed out, I'm definitely most excited about trying out the Neutopia games, since I'm a huge fan of the original LoZ (who isn't?), and they're very close in spirit and gameplay, almost moreso, it seems (in some respects), than A Link to the Past. Maybe that sounds fun to you, too. 

     
  • Just remember though that even Troy Aikman takes off his uniform after winning the Super Bowl  
  • The TG-16 is a fun and unique system and how hard it is to get good games for it, its better to use an Everdrive. The best way I can describe the system is the cards are upgraded 8 bit games, especially with awesome versions of Wonder Boy III and Jack Chan Kung Fu and the CD games are some awesome 16 bit stuff like Gates of Thunder and the Castlevania Rondo of the Blood. One thing to note is that since the system only took off in Japan, most of the games are Japanese in comparison to SNES and GEN libraries with Western developed games so its a big cultural experience.
  • I love the Turbo Everdrive. It's so bad!







    Seriously though, even though the US library for the TG-16 is tiny compared to the other classic consoles, there are a lot of really enjoyable games to be found. Lots of good shooters, of course, but some other stand-outs too. Legendary Axe 1 & 2 are some personal favorites, as well as Alien Crush, Devil's Crush, Splatterhouse, the Bonk games, Military Madness and some of the RPGs. And what with the horrendous prices for TG/PCE these days, I honestly think an Everdrive is about the only reasonable way to play the system beyond the sports titles.
  • The TG-16/PCE feels more like a "super NES" than the actual SNES did. I like it a lot.
  • Love my PC Engine! Just like the Turbo but it's the Japanese version. I bought one in Japan and it's a fun little system. Some pretty cool shmups for this system.

    I actually played Sengoku Mahjong yesterday (My Japanese friend hooked me on Mahjong), along with some Strip Fighter (Shhhhh...)
  • I love the PC engine as well!! There are maybe 30 or so games that are worth really spending some time with, but if those games are the only ones you play, it's still worth it in my opinion.



    As far as the pc engine side, the pc engine hosts my favorite shmup of all time. Give Final Soldier a try (Pc engine only), my favorite version of bomberman (bomberman '94) is also on the pc engine.



    Give galaga 88/90 a try as well, an interesting version of galaga with some cool graphics.



    On the more obscure japanese side give these games a try:

    Gekisha Boy

    hana Taaka Daka

    kickball

    soldier blade (US or JP)

    Toilet kids



    I had an everdrive and it was fantastic if you want a physical copy of like two of these games your already better off buying the full price pc engine. I have one game for pc engine (final soldier) and I payed more than $30 for it, so deff stick with the everdrive your already way ahead of the game!!
  • So even though I mainly picked this up so the Black Friday sale and store credit wouldn't go to waste, are you guys saying I will probably like the TG-16? That is once I ever get around to picking up the actual system...
  • TG16 is the shit. So good.
  • Originally posted by: Estil



    So even though I mainly picked this up so the Black Friday sale and store credit wouldn't go to waste, are you guys saying I will probably like the TG-16? That is once I ever get around to picking up the actual system...





    Depends what kind of games you are into.  If you love shmup you are going to be in heaven.  Games like R-Type play so well on this system with hardly any slowdown.  Like others have said even though the US library is small the Japanese library is very big and you can use the everdrive to play both.  If you are going to get a system I would go for a Japanese PC Engine Duo that has been recapped.  A lot of new TG16 users go for the US black TG and that is not the best way to go.  The duo will be more upfront but you also get access to the CD games.  PC Engine CD does not have region lock so all games will work and it even reads CD-Rs.



     
  • The TED was the first Everdrive I ever bought. I picked up it not long after buying a used Core Grafx that was imported from Japan. I now own a Duo R. When it comes to TG16/PCE, I've only owned Japanese hardware because it's a lot cheaper and easier to find. The TED will play both US and JP games on any region system, so if you don't plan on buying any US games due to having the TED, go for the Japanese systems.
  • Unfortunately I'm not able to really do much in the way of collecting right now (I love the Everdrives and I appreciate very very very much you can back up the saves but I do still want to collect the real games too) but even when I can my first love will always be NES/SNES. As well as maybe PS1/PS2/GC (but I think I'm mostly covered on their blue chips, mostly...). I'm sure there will be Everdrive equivalents for PS1 and GC but they're at least a few years away...a dream of the future.



    I was just thinking I only paid $57 for the TG-16 Everdrive, and your typical blue chip 8th gen game is $65ish counting tax?  Even the most expensive Everdrives are about 3-4 of those games, and you can play everything on that system just about (

    SD2SNES still can't do FX games but it is ready for the software upgrade that can do so once it's finished/released).  So geez, which is the better deal, one game...or all a system's games?  Let me think, eh, duh!!  







    PS: Yes I know there were Everdrives/flash carts and so on at least a few years back but it wasn't until very recently that I thought the kinks were worked out such that I felt comfortable investing the money (for example, in earlier days didn't you have to do some sort of weird power/reset button sequence for the games to save right?).
  • Originally posted by: empire



    I think it's grown in popularity over the years from people sick of dishing out hundreds of dollars for NES/SNES carts.

     

    When you look at the prices of some cib TG16 games like Bonk 3, Hero Tonnma, Magical Chase, Soldier Blade (why this one? Still baffles me - went from like $200 to 800 in months) etc. etc.. It kinda loses its appeal in that respect. 
  • Originally posted by: Estil



    Hi everyone, so I was sitting on $30 in Stone Age Gamer store credit ($10 of which was gonna expire soon) and they were doing a major Black Friday sale (plus bonus discount from 4PM-12AM) and not wanting to let all that go to waste, I picked up their Turbo-Graphx 16 Everdrive (the only other Everdrives they had that I don't already have were the Master System (already covered with the Genesis one) and the Game Gear one (can be played on Everdrive GBA with some sort of goomba deal).  But is the Turbo Graphx 16 really all that special?  Perhaps those of you who are TG-16 fans can help point me to the system's highlights.  I think like all the other Everdrives I will have the complete(ish) set of games from all regions (including the PC Engine ones; what this was called in Japan I think).  The only discouraging thing is though, the consoles themselves are quite a bit more pricey than I figured...is this system recently getting a cult following or something?



    PS: I can probably sell this later for a small profit and get the Atari Harmony Encore (which I would've rather had but SAG said they don't carry and it and couldn't get one for me) so either way I'll get some good use from this  



    I personally love the TG16 / PCE and you probably made the best choice by going with a everdrive, it will save you sooooooo much. My personal favorite is not even a expensive one, Blazing Lazers is amazing. Somer Assault is also a unique underated game worth a play. If you like Zeldaish games check out Neutopia and Dragons Curse. If you can get some PCE games on your everdrive as well check out "Download".

     
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