History of the Amazing PC ENGINE! [Book I]

[@brux357]

This is some next level quality. You worked really hard on this and it clearly shows. Excellent work and I can’t wait for Book 2!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! I'm already deep into part 2 and can't wait to get that finished as well. Only problem is now that I've established the level of quality I gotta keep it going. 💪 Only the best for the pc engine.

[@jamesarmstrong3000]

I watch it time and time again.

[@_kikaso]

This is seriously one of my favorite console deep-dive episodes ever. Super high quality production, great commentary and analysis. I only “discovered” PC Engine / TGFX16 in adulthood and really happy folks like you are around to cover it. Thanks for another fantastic video.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! And I'm stoked you found it and liked it so much. Part 2 is out tomorrow/Sunday so the cliffhanger continues and the saga ends. It's light hearted and comedic and I had lots of fun making it.

[@ShmupJunkie]

History of the Amazing #PCEngine! Find out how Hudson's mighty little console took Japan by storm and even rivaled Nintendo! Book I of the series. Support me on PATREON www.patreon.com/shmupjunkieslushfund ✅ Subscribe To My Channel ➡️ Correction: The Mega Drive was released in 1988, one year after the PC Engine in 1987. Not two years afterward. CHAPTERS: 00:00​ - In the Beginning [Ys style] 02:34​ - The Amazing PC Engine 03:56​ - Console Wars? 05:49​ - David becomes Goliath 06:43​ - Enter the CD 07:39​ - Technology level over 9000! 09:22​ - A Suped Up Nintendo Famicom (NES) 11:34​ - Japan loves PC Engine 12:39​ - Japan loves Shooters 13:04​ - The Greatest Shoot Em Up Library of all time 14:53​ - Hudson Caravan Competitions 16:37​ - Really? More Shooters? OMG the Shooters! 20:37​ - Westward Ho! Bonk in the USA. 22:29 - The Truth: Why the TurboGrafx16 REALLY failed in the USA 22:54 - Finale: We Love You PC Engine

[@jszekerj]

One of my favorite vids so far buddy! I have you to thank for my PCE love, always interested and wondered what this pretty little machine was all about and you pushed me to finally checkit out! Crazy how many dope games for this thing. 8bit glory!

[@segat-800]

Pin this comment dude

[@BitHead1000]

This is the best video I’ve ever seen on the PC Engine. Beautifully done. Your work is appreciated.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Dude I’m so glad you caught it and got to enjoy it. I really tried to make it a love letter to us fans. I’ll be sure to make the Turbo segment in part 2 the real deal 🤘

[@jszekerj]

Awww shit Jessie is here! You guys should do a collab 😉 Just sayin.

[@robbystrange4772]

@@jszekerj Smoking, Swearing, and Shmups!

[@alfredocanas6802]

this video was released just in time for bithead's glass pc engine masterpiece, what a weekend.

[@NightWolve75]

Hey, shout-out from Bithead1000 stopping by, awesome! :)

[@chriscalvert4609]

Can’t wait for the next part. Nobody does ‘em like Junkie. Just wow!!!

[@steviegrafx1616]

Wow, what passion! I was exhilarated as you took me on a trip back to my childhood. I absolutely love this video on my favorite game system ever.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! I get taken back to childhood any time I see or hear that Ys intro music, as I bet any of us growing up at the time feel the same. I did my best to put together a love letter for fans and something I'd enjoy watching in the future too for a hit of nostalgia.

[@PixeledJay]

O YEAH BABY!!! once again thank you for the hard work and dedication you put into your videos man! I really think you deserve all the success in the world.

[@prehistogeek7090]

This video is absolutely awesome! We can feel the love you have for the PC Engine throughout the video. Once again an exceptional work 👏 Can't wait to see the second part my friend!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks buddy! I'm so glad you liked it as much as I did making it. I have to keep the quality up and do something special for part 2.

[@DodonEnthusiasticArt]

Oh man, what an outstanding system the PCE is! Unfortunately it never hit Europe, back in the day, so many of us overlooked this incredible japanese system...But I'm so glad to have picked up a PCE MINI, and I'm so glad I have your quality videos to watch! GREAT job Junkie, GREAT!

[@ShmupJunkie]

thank you my friend. And sorry for the very late reply, I am just catching up on many of the comments I missed. In europe you had the system through import stores and the grey market I am guessing. But not many knew about it. Hope you enjoy part two also coming tomorrow!

[@mscottjohnson3424]

5:34 If you notice, the PC Engine and Mega Drive both have a total of 512 colors to choose from, the PC Engine can put almost all of them, 482, on screen at one time. While the SFC has a massive 32,768 colors to select from, it can only put 256 on screen at one time. So, technically, the PC Engine could have the most colorful images on screen. You see this more with the CD games that make use of the extra RAM, but it often makes PC Engine games look brighter and more vivid than SFC games.

[@ShmupJunkie]

It's a shame more developers didn't take advantage, as those that did created some gorgeous games like Spriggan. I always loved the PCE color palette.

[@MuffinMansBro]

I forgot this was only the first part, so I felt offended when "to be continued" showed up. How DARE you cut me off like that!? I suppose that's irrefutable proof you did a good job here. I envy the Japanese kids who got to live through that era firsthand.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Hahaha, it wasn't actually intended to be Part 1. Until I ran up against the time and realized there was no way I could do the full video in time so had to cut it. I am regularly jealous of what it was like growing up then in Japan. Imagine those caravan contests and going there at a young age. Would've been in heaven.

[@viniciustsugi8007]

As a western growing up playing SNES and Mega Drive in the 90s, I had never quite understood what PC Engine was about... until today. This video blew my mind! What a legendary console. Looking forward to the next book!

[@ShmupJunkie]

I’m glad you enjoyed it! I made part 2 a few weeks afterward so it’s already long done and complete. It came out great too so I hope you enjoy that one as well. Some of my favorite videos I’ve done so far.

[@viniciustsugi8007]

@@ShmupJunkie I just watched that and it was amazingly fun, true fan to fan content there. You rock man.

[@Alucard2089]

I love the atmosphere that you produce into your videos. After watching, I am always left inspired and in awe.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Hey dude, sorry I am responding so late. Just barely catching up on comments. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. I really thought this one was my best one yet. Gonna be hard to top, but part two is out tomorrow morning. Hoping people enjoy it as much too.

[@Turbulation1]

Incredibly well made to show some very much well deserved light on a late 80s console that is mainly overshadowed by the Megadrive. Ashame that NEC didn't know how to market the system well in America.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Yes, pretty much how the mega drive was a niche and mostly ignored in Japan is how it went with the Turbo in the US. It will be fun to get into the actual reasons it didn't do well versus a lot of the rubbish I see and read online. NEC really had little clue what they were doing in the US and if it wasn't for Hudson and the great games they unilaterally released, it would've been far more of a disaster.

[@SophiaNyx]

Epic video! Oh man, more stuff like this! Turbo needs endless love

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! I wanted to make the best PC Engine series out there and I think this was a good, fast start that doesn't get too long or complicated. The next one will be fun too getting to the Turbo and the US.

[@Vriess123]

Love love love the Pc Engine. The sound chip is my favorite for it's beautiful chiptunes. The color palette is also gorgeous and very saturated!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Absolutely the PCE was pretty sweet all around. I also loved it's chip tunes most over the other consoles that gen. So many games had great music. And when the right developers took proper advantage of that color palette it was a sight to see and looked like an SNES game.

[@ezeepeezy]

Dude, you weren't kidding! You've really outdone yourself with this one!! Simply magnificent all around, and that cliffhanger!! I'm hooked, bro! Let's just say that very little laundry was done over the last 25 minutes!😉😅

[@OriginalGrasshopper]

Bravo!! Absolutely fascinating documentary! The PC Engine is my favorite system ever, so I’m thrilled to see such a high quality profile of it here.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you! I’m glad you really enjoyed it and I have the final part 2 coming this Sunday. I just finished it.

[@RetroMoments]

Outstanding job on this, man! I got to learn a lot more about the console. Stoked to pick it up when I get back to Japan!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Ugh, man I miss Japan. I can't wait to go back one day soon after this covid mess. I didn't get to spend nearly enough time where I wanted on the last trip.

[@GANHEDDO]

Impressive video! Thanks for it. First time I played a PC Engine game was in 2020, when the mini version was released. This console is a 'hidden' gem. This video has so much love and information. Thanks again, great job :)

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! The PC Engine mini was the reason I even started my channel two years ago when it came out. Those reviews were the first I ever made. I love being able to introduce more people to how cool the console was and the games.

[@jameshakola3603]

Okay dude, that intro alone gave me serious chills. What's in store for the rest of this episode?

[@ShmupJunkie]

I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I was super happy with how it all came out. Part 2 is mostly focused on the US market and saga, thought it doesn't end that way. Part two is out tomorrow and I think you'll like how I end things.

[@svengini]

This is a wonderful homage to one of the greatest systems of all time - just fantastic! You do great work and I’m so happy I found your channel a couple of months ago.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you. I'm really proud of how it came out as well and glad you found me too. Part two is out tomorrow morning, so anothr one incoming. Hope you enjoy it too as I think it came out great as well.

[@NLSagat]

Amazing vid as always! Couldn’t believe it was already 30 mins when the ‘tbc’ hit. You really make time fly! So next week part two or r type final 2 first? Oh and grats on the one year anni!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Well I don’t have Final 2 yet I’m not getting it early so I guess I keep plugging away at this series unless something changes. I’d like to finish it anyway if I can. I just hope a week is enough time to pull it off. Or I’ll get behind with Final 2 afterward.

[@NLSagat]

@@ShmupJunkie ic! hrmm little bit torn here, while i think this vid was amazing, i think i like your deep dives into shmups even more, i guess because i know less about most shmups where i was relatively well versed in the stuff you told here. Anyways book 2 or rtf 2, i think that is a win win in my err book.

[@robross6462]

Ugh the cliffhanger! Great job, as always, on this video! Can’t wait for the next!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Sorry! I know it was really jarring and unfair, I didn't plan it. But it did it's job I guess of anticipating the next one, which I am hard at work on.

[@MrCalvin7892]

Great video! Really encompasses how dominant and relevant the PC Engine really was in Japan. You also nailed how its appeal. I also liked how you compared its strengths against the Mega Drive and Super Famicom. A very balanced machine in terms of colour and power, but incredible expansion potential! Loved your video! Cannot wait for the next one!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks and I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I wanted to capture the essence of the system versus trying to go through every little historical detail and console they released, which I'll address in fun ways in the next videos. This one was lean and mean and I'm stoked with how it came out. I hope it does well as making the next one will be fun.

[@creativecatproductions]

I actually don’t think the PC Engine ever really was THAT dominant in Japan. It’s true that it held record “new console” sales after it came out, but that’s probably only because most people already had the famicom. Japan had a weird bubble economy in the 80s where people were spending money in Japan at record highs. I think the story of the success of the PC Engine was inflated for those two reasons.....it was unopposed at the time of its release, and it came at a time when Japanese people were more readily making superfluous purchases on credit. I think if it were really the case that the PC Engine was so treasured by Japanese gamers that the SuperGrafx, its successor wouldn’t have been such a monumental failure.....one of the worst in gaming history. Not even the failure of the 32X or Saturn compares to that thing. That’s my 2-cents

[@noop9k]

Well, the expansion potential is there and was reasonaby well exploited by CD addon, but.. There are many SNES cards with extra processors. Sega CD adds new CPU, graphics and audio, 32x adds two powerful CPUs, more colors and new audio, though its design is kinda stupid and haphazard. PCE didn’t do that. Its expansions only added RAM. The abundant parallax scrolling of later titles is just a programming trickery done by more experienced developers on the same old hardware. Just as on Megadrive where experienced devs learned to produce effects like those in Toy Story or Batman and Robin or Panorama Cotton. One of the problems is that hucards are just too small, physically. It is easy to shove more and bigger chips into Famicom or SFC cart. Not so easy with PCE, even game ROM sizes were limited. remember what happened to R-Type. This was always a limitation for the graphics fidelity of PCE games. Imagine if PCE was actually expanded with more powerful CPU and graphics hardware.. On can’t deny though that the devs supported SuperCD addon so much better than Sega CD addon despite more power added by Sega CD.

[@wrathchild8920]

Bro! Yes! So much yes! I look forward to these Sunday videos. If I never played a PCE in my life, I would HAVE to after watching this, and that's a great thing bro. I have to play some soldier blade now lol.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Heck yeah, go hit that Soldier crackpipe. I usually get hyped to play it too after watching something like this. That was the goal here, to hopefully get new people interested in checking out this cool console along with being for the fans that already love it.

[@brandonwalker9066]

Hahah! Awesome, including the cliffhanger ending! In fact, this is such a great video (well researched, edited, and presented) that my only complaints are pedantic. This is really probably the most entertaining introduction to the history of the PC Engine I've seen on KZbin, so super props to you. Have you perhaps read Christian Nutt's "Stalled Engine" article on Gamasutra? I suspect I'll find out when part 2 drops! Would you mind sharing some of your primary sources with us in case folks want to dig a little deeper? Pedantic complaint #1: The PCE might have been the most successfully expanded, but I don't know if I'd call it technically the most expandable. The NES and SNES both could connect to additional CPUs and other chips through the cartridge port in ways I'm not sure even the PCE could do via the expansion port. I mean, look at all the crazy NES mappers and the FX Chip on the SNES. Pedantic complaint #2: A lot of folks call the PCE's audio PSG, but I think that might be technically incorrect. PSG systems use pre-defined waveforms (square, usually, but also occasionally triangle or pulse) and then program some of the parameters, whereas the PCE allowed devs to define the waveform directly. From my reading on the topic I think that would be most accurately called wavetable synthesis, a term also used inaccurately for the Sound Blaster's sample-based playback.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks I'm really glad you enjoyed it that much. I did my best to make it lean and mean without getting bogged down in every little hardware release and detail which I can save for later. There is honestly always a lot of things in every video I wish I could go back and fix, update or change, things I miss or mistake etc. With only a week or two to produce something like this it's inevitable things get missed. Like I accidentally noted the mega drive release in 89 when it was actually 88, stuff like that. I had so many little tech details originally scripted, some of which you mention, but it all gets edited out as it drags the pacing down and is better suited for written articles. I think I will always feel the PCE had the best expansion design, as limiting your upgrades to a cart slot really limits the options. Inserting all kinds of chips into cartridges added expense and meant you needed to do it on a per game basis. They could have technically done something like a 32X on top, but don't think they cared too. The bus on the PCE actually did have the ability to add additional processing power if they were so inclined. The Supergrafx could have (and should have) been done as an accessory like the booster, and could've interfaced with the base unit. They wanted to sell new hardware and do those fancy flight stick add ons that never released, but they could have done it via the ext bus. I was just thinking the other day, that aside from the expense which is likely why they didn't, if they had made their CD attachment like the MegaCD, where it had it's own processor and added functionality, it could have been even more of a beast. Like a Supergrafx add on and CD player in one. I just think cost more than anything was a limiting factor at some point. I have read that Gamasutra article way back and it had some really good interviews and perspective, one of the few good sources out there on what went down with NEC. I will definitely hit the major points in part 2. But it also only sees it from one perspective which is, we failed because NEC x, y,z etc. Being there from day one as an owner until 94 when it ended, I have some unique things to add to what went down. It was more than just NEC. Had they done things right, they could have sold much better and captured more market share, but they never would have rivaled Sega in the US. What went wrong is as much about what Sega did, as opposed to what NEC didn't, and why they even outsold Nintendo in the end in NA. NEC was always destined for third place, but to your point had they not been so inept in their strategy, they certainly would have been far more significant than they ended up being. I'm going to enjoy making part 2. ; )

[@brandonwalker9066]

@@ShmupJunkie Oh, definitely. One account is never enough. You need several perspectives to get the whole picture. I was there, too. The TG-16 was the first system I bought with my own money. I was a regular on the Turbo List and have my own history with the Little Engine that Could. I think it's telling that even in its prime market, Japan, the SNES still unseated it handily. I really think NEC and Hudson were coming from different places. Hudson continued to develop and publish for the NES, and later the SNES, even as their own little creation persisted in the market. I'm not sure Hudson ever really cared whether the Engine was number one as long as it was a big enough market to justify their time. As to the expansion port., I was under the understanding it didn't have the same kind of CPU and bus access the NES and SNES cart slots did, but I've been known to be wrong. Besides, I don't think either of the pedantry I raised really hurts your overall video in the least. It's an excellent production either way.

[@tog2842]

One of the best docs out there, well done mate really loved this content! Roll on book 2 👍👍

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! Glad you did and book 2 is out tomorow morning!

[@jszekerj]

Fantastic PCE history breakdown my dude! 👏💯 I loved the editing and flow of everything. Top notch

[@parrishharris3008]

I never owned a Pc Engine but after watching your video content for the first time, i really want one now and i always thought it was a 16 bit system just finding out it was a 8 bit system - wow ✌.

[@Sakura_Matou]

A month ago I was thinking what if the PC Engine was released in USA given how popular it was here..tonight I found out it was and now I have to wait for the story :(. Amazing video.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Lol sorry for that cliffhanger! But part 2 is almost done and will be out this coming Sunday morning as usual. It focuses on the US release and those times so you’ll get exactly what you’re waiting for. And no more cliffhanger at the end of this one... not yet anyway the night is young 😅

[@bl85gamer]

You ass...leaving with that cliffhanger 😬😳😆 Amazing video dude 👏🏼 You keep pushing yourself and I'm super proud of how EVERY amazing video you put out shows the hard work, dedication and love you have for every topic/console/stg and KZbin in general. Keep up the good work and I'm forever grateful for you introducing me to this wonderful console 🥰🙏🏼

[@ShmupJunkie]

haha, you called it dude. I was trying to come up with a good way to end this one when I had to cut it short, and it's the best I came up with. But yeah, I'm so stoked how good this one came out and now I have to keep up the high standard for part 2. More late nights incoming 😅 I just hope one day you get to enjoy more of the killer CD library too since it was such a big part of it's library. I'm sure you will when the time is right.

[@bl85gamer]

@@ShmupJunkie if only Analogue would get their shit together and not let scalpers buy every available stock 😅 We'll see 😅

[@reagandow850]

Damn my brother!! I just started this video and I’m already getting that familiar rumbling in my nads! The PC Engine was the greatest gift to those of us who enjoyed shmups in the 80’s and 90’s. I bow to you my brother.

[@ShmupJunkie]

That intro was definitely made for fans. Nothing gives the goosebumps like the Ys I intro. I definitely tried to do the crazy library of shooters justice in this one.

[@reagandow850]

@@ShmupJunkie - DUUUUUUUDE! You’ve gone above and WAY beyond. This is the balls my brother! If only I knew what was available in Japan for my TG-16 back in the day!!! I was the only person I knew that owned one and I’m embarrassed to admit I only had a few of the amazing shmups that were available to me. The reason I bought it in the first place was for Galaga 89/90 whichever it was here in the states. These day’s I can’t get enough of this system. I will always love the 16bit style shmups the best. Thanks so much for such amazing content my friend. If ever you want to come to Boston area you’ve not only got a house to stay in but we can go searching high and low for some amazing games!!

[@ramrodbldm9876]

​@reagandow850 you are super g.y talk8ng about nads and balls, weirdo chomo

[@ramrodbldm9876]

​@@reagandow850 clown

[@ramrodbldm9876]

​@@reagandow850 100+ comments on a small channel? You're DEFINITELY a creep stalker. First 2 comments I seen from you, you have talked about male organs in each, you're Def on this dudes nuts

[@Kylink]

This is the most interesting video I've seen on the PC Engine by far, really well done!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! Part two is just finished and out this Sunday. I’ve been really pleased with how it turned out.

[@Kylink]

@@ShmupJunkie Very exciting!

[@lewistowers698]

Thanks for you effort on this. The TG16/PCE was my first "16 bit" console in my middle-school years. It had a lot of potential but fell by the wayside against the SEGA and Nintendo juggernauts.

[@bartek.szuster]

Ouuuuuu yeah! That's a good video mate. And that music in bg..... Book II is next. Best regards!

[@ShmupJunkie]

I got to your second comment before the first. Working my way backwards.

[@unlimitedretrogaming]

Awesome top notch video as usual my friend!! Loved it so much since I grew up knowing about it but only owned it last year as you know so it’s such an overwhelming discovery for me, one of my preferred consoles to date! Also, didn’t know about Darius alpha....how cool is that!? Looking forward to the next part and I found the ending credits very useful as well, great info 👍🏻👍🏻

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks dude! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I sincerely hope the segment doesn't have you going to look for Darius Alpha, just don't do it haha. With only 800 copies you can imagine it's going price now. I couldn't possibly mention every single PC Engine without bogging the video down, so I thought the credits was a fun way to show the major releases, though there were so many I couldn't do them all. I will still go back and talk about more important releases like the Express portable and other systems.

[@muajin]

I remember seeing the Turbografx 16 at Child's world as a kid and would go there just to see the ads and display. I never did get one, the price was pretty dang high for a game system back then. Winning the turboduo was one of the best things of my childhood. :D:D

[@ShmupJunkie]

Oh yeah? How did you end up winning one? Was it a competition or a contest of some kind? I always like to hear how some people ended up winning one. That was my case with the expensive CD add on.

[@muajin]

@@ShmupJunkie There was a big bomberman competition at mall of america *maaaany years back* taking home a free turboduo was one of the highlights of my life. :D:D

[@bananonymouslastname5693]

Tremendous production. It's funny, because I kind of have 2 separate eras of PC Engine in my life. As a teenager, it was the Turbografx 16. Keith Courage, Blazing Lazers, Dungeon Explorer, Super Star Soldier, Sinistron, Legendary Axe... and also the worse stuff, like Yo Bro, Gunboat, Drop Off, etc. It was HuCard only for me back then, and I loved it. However, in my 20s, I finally got a Duo-R, and a huge renaissance of imports. This video really reminds me of when I got my Duo-R, amd a whole world of imports opened to me. I found websites like thebrothersduomazov and videogameden that I'd scour for games I hadn't tried yet. I had the best local import game store to spend thousands of dollars at before I was married and had kids. It was an exciting time. Now, starting my '40s, it's all there, still being played, and getting discovered by my oldest son, who has fallen in love with Gradius II, the Bonk series, and Gate of Thunder. I wonder how it looks through his eyes.

[@ShmupJunkie]

My experience was not too dissimilar in that we all started with the Turbo and hucards, but as NEC didn’t do well and fewer games started trickling in I got itchy and there was a lack of content. Then the moment I discovered the import store where I could rent the games I immediately got a SuperCD card and it was like a new world of incredible games. Even friends were loving Rondo and all the arcade card SNK fighting games we’d play on weekends. There is a lot of nostalgia for the hucards but the CD library is that blew it open for me, to where I never regretted my choice going with the Turbo. Had it not been for that I would’ve certainly run out of content and wanted to move into something else.

[@muajin]

I loved the PCE! I managed to win the TurboDUO at a bomberman event as a kid, was so excited, I even asked for the organizer's autograph on the box. lol I did own a few games *mostly pc-cds and a few hucards* I bought a shuttle grafx *which i later blew out the circuit playing it in korea then forgetting it at my old apt and it was thrown away after i moved out* I later found the PCE/Super CD combo in soso condition, but used it mostly for playing music. It's hard to find a new console now, but can get lucky enough to find a used on at places like Super potato and other retro game shops across Japan.

[@ShmupJunkie]

That’s awesome. I wish the US had more events like that for the system. I was lucky enough to win the CD add on that way at a local event. It’s been over several years since I’ve been to Japan and I can’t wait to go back. I hit super potato when I was there last but was with a group and didn’t have enough time to really explore. I have a long list now of everything I want to see when I’m back someday. Hopefully sooner than later.

[@muajin]

@@ShmupJunkie mmm..i love super potato. It's quite hard to find a pce there now. You can still find quite a few core grafx 1-2 and the occasional duo there still.

[@qwpeoriu]

Been waiting for this video since you announced it, I KNEW it was gonna start out with the Ys Book I & II intro. It HAD to. Can't wait to finish watching the whole thing, your content has always been top notch and it just keeps getting better.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I knew early on I wanted to do an homage to the Ys intro for fans, so it was the very first thing I put together for the video and went from there. I really like how this video came out it may be my favorite so far. Of course that's also likely since it's about the pc engine haha.

[@djs7734]

Yet another brilliant video, you're on another level to every other game channel on KZbin.

[@ShmupJunkie]

This one and part two holds a very special place in my heart!

[@mjmobile]

You managed to portrait the "zeitgeist" of this GEM of a console and its library! Brilliant work! Looking forward to the sequel..

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! I decided early on to make it lean and mean, not try to squeeze every tiny thing into it. There will be time for that. I wanted to do a good intro that captured the essence of it.

[@benjismith593]

What a tease! Awesome video! I only knew one person with a Turbo Graphix 16. He had a few games. Bonk just didn't appeal to me. Now I look back, and wish I had a PC Duo, and all 700+ games.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I know! Haha sorry, I had to end it and split the video as it wasn't possible to get the whole thing done in time. But I have a good script and plans for part 2 and the Turbo so it will be fun. Yes owning the system in the US vs Japan was such a different experience. Unless you were lucky like me and had an import store nearby to not only buy but also rent all the Japanese games and accessories.

[@willmistretta]

The biggest mistake they made with the TG-16 (although there were MANY) was dragging their feet for so damn long. The PCE trounced the Mega Drive in Japan because of its two-year head start. For the people who wanted to upgrade to 16-bit graphics and didn't want to wait on the Super Famicom, it was their ticket. By the time the MD actually came out over there, most of its potential audience was already claimed. We Americans didn't get a crack at it until two weeks *after* the Genesis (a "true" 16-bit machine from an established console maker with a bigger and better advertising push behind it) hit store shelves. Whoops.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I actually made a mistake on my script and didn't notice before it was too late, the PCE had just a one year jump on the MD not two. Still a significant head start though so it doesn't take away from your point at all. Losing that lead was huge, as it would have really helped, though it wouldn't have been insurmountable had they done other things right. The SNES released well after the MD but they jumped right in and took their cut of the market. But given NEC wasn't a household name in the US like Nintendo, that year would have made a much bigger difference, no doubt about it. Although had they continued to make all the other mistakes they did, most notably not securing a single third party US publisher from the start and going it alone, they were doomed sooner or later. Not having companies like EA Sports in your corner in the US market is a loss before it even got started.

[@colinbaldwin7773]

You certainly release some great videos. Very professional and entertaining. My favourite channel concentrating on shmups!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you. I'm working hard to improve them slowly each week and do something new. It's a learning process.

[@RetroTuna]

This video is a love letter to my favorete console and games, love this little machine from the day i bought my first one in 1990 with shinobi and tales of the monster path there was no going back. Yep the Pc Engine has loads of amazing shmups and other game well looking forward to part 2 now great video mate.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you man. I like hearing first games from those who owneed it elsewhere, as in the US our first games were always the same thing. We never even got Shinobi which was a shame. Part two is out tomorrow morning!

[@Melomano051984]

I just saw a video of you by chance and discovered a great channel. lots of high-quality content

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you. And I hope you enjoy what I've made so far. I really enjoyed making this video and the part 2.

[@alfredocanas6802]

Amazing video, this is the best documentary on the pc engine so far and it shows the love poured on the editing, I wonder if there's a continuation as Book II coming soon jeje.

[@LameGaming]

Excellent work!.... The cliffhanger .... Lol..... Ready for part 2!

[@ShmupJunkie]

I knooow! Part 2 coming this Sunday! Almost done 🤘

[@LameGaming]

@@ShmupJunkie I wasnt expecting it to be done so quick, thats awesome! I know editing takes forever.... Especially for the quality your putting out! Best NEC video ive seen to date, right up there with mylifeingaming stuff! You really capture the whole story and perspective of these consoles from a Japanese perspective, many of us dont fully comprehend the whys and hows this was so popular in Japan relating to their art styles and genres that were hot then. Very well done!

[@MikeC-ps1tc]

This was a wicked history sir! The PC Engine was a system that escaped my hands, but always read amazing things about it. This video shared a rich history of its capabilities I had no idea. This is was easily one of the best videos out together! Thank you for the teases on your discord channel!!

[@Johnny_Ultimate]

THAT is the text book definition of an EPIC intro!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Well I did have an Epic intro to work with in the first place 😎

[@elreins]

You have set a new high bar. Gonna love see you sky rocket. Great, great video man: the narrative is exemplary, well-documented, nuanced, engaging... keep it coming, you've earned the praise and respect of the community.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks man I appreciate that. The video is doing as good as I hoped so I’m stoked. The channel doing well means shmups are doing well and growing a bit due to my work, making it worth the effort.

[@kimgkomg]

I had no idea the Turbo Graphics 16 was so successful in japan. Amazing video

[@ShmupJunkie]

Yeah, the PC Engine was very popular there. It's not known since it was so poorly marketed there. If you haven't watched it yet, you'd enjoy the part 2 for this video as well, which specifically covers the Turbo in the US and what went wrong.

[@bluebooster9996]

You are quickly becoming one my favorite youtubers, keep up the awesome work!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! I'm enjoying the process and improving each week. Part two is out tomorrow morning.

[@DevMeloy]

I got a TG-16 for Xmas growing up and loved it, the only issue was a lack of games, but I had no idea it was technically inferior to SNES or the Genesis. Some of my favorite childhood games belonged to this console.

[@Exlee-dq9uo]

Wow my friend this was stunningly well done! This was honestly one of the best videos I've ever seen on youtube. For real! You totally encapsulated what was great about the pc-engine, and it is clear you are someone who has love and appreciation for the system as well as thorough familiarity. Framing the pc-engine's strength through it's forward thinking io was a stroke of genius. I can't wait for part two. I'm guessing the main reason it failed to catch on in america was Nintendo's illegal contract with 3rd parties saying they couldn't put games on other systems if they wanted to be on their platform. Also if they could have managed to get it out in Europe a year before the competition like they were supposed to, I think it would have been successful. It would have been great to see some of those european devs make games. Anyway keep up the great work. Hopefully you have a patreon because this was incredibly deserving work. Take care.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks man and sorry for the late reply. I am just catching up on all the comments I got a lot of them for this video. There was a pretty long laundry list of mistakes made by NEC of America especially, they had no idea what they were doing and Sega's top tier marketing staff and CEO mopped the floor with them. Which is too bad as they certainly could've done far better with the right people in place as the hardware was on point. They failed long before Nintendo had anything to do with it, it was mostly Sega overtaking the market with their blitz along with NEC doing themselves no favors with their ill informed moves in NA. The new video is out tomorrow so you'll get the gist of it. Luckily it was still popular and well supported at home, so we had lots of good games to enjoy. Via import stores and they grey market of couse, which is how Europe had access to it too.

[@rafaelgadret]

Suberb video! A real love letter to the amanzing PC Engine! Can't wait to see book II. Please consider make a series about Hudson Soft history. THANK YOU!

[@ShmupJunkie]

A Hudson Soft history would be very interesting indeed, they were such a unique company with a lot of cool stories. I don't see anyone else doing it so I will need to eventually.

[@djfantom1]

Amazing! A love letter worthy of the console to which it's written

[@ShmupJunkie]

And that's excatly what I was going for. I felt a burden of this needing to live up to it and doing the console justice. We need an awesome set of pc engine videos and if it's going to be me, I better step it up. Pressure. 😅

[@acecarrera1]

I'm amazed how close arcade ports on PC Engine, even Sega could rarely do it back in the day.

[@ShmupJunkie]

That massive RAM card went a really long way to boosting what the system could do. Imagine how impressed I was back then!

[@QuakedoomNukem]

Phenomenal history video. Looking forward to Book 2 - Turbografx. Also, surprised no one mentioned this, but the chapter time codes are wrong, they are at least +2 minutes delayed.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you for this as I didn't notice. I just fixed it in my top pinned comment which is what people see most, and I will change it in the actual description for the time code in another day or two. It could screw up the youtube algo if I mess with the copy while it's still pushing it out most to recommendations, but once a day or two pass it's usually safe. I don't know how that happened.

[@GuuJiYA-a.k.a-TheCrafty]

Incredible work, thank you for all this accurate information. This video is really of a very high quality.

[@msd5808]

This is really an amazing video. You’ve really got the numbers and facts down pat and you know so many of the games to make perfect references. It’s great.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks. It is my favorite console so I would know a good bit about it. Lots to come in part 2 this coming weekend. Doing my best to live up to this original.

[@avenuePad]

This was fantastic! I saw that Michelangelo photoshopped image taken from a hilarious thread I also contributed to from the PCEFX forums back in the day! So funny! Dude, I enjoyed this so much. I can't believe I'm just watching this now. Of course, I'm a new subscriber and I will be watching Part II immediately. Keep up the good work!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Welcome! I’m glad you found me and yes, please enjoy part two. It’s a super fun video too I had a lot of laughs putting it together. There’s no shortage of PCE love on this channel.

[@avenuePad]

@@ShmupJunkie Part II was awesome! Very well put together! 😀

[@jonathanlisowski5618]

Congrats on 8K+ Subs! OMG, this intro is pure genius! Really touched my heart & gave a good chuckle!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! This video is kicking butt and best performing so far, the 8k subs was inevitable. I loved making it and hard at work on part 2. I’m really hoping to reach 9k subs just for the memes alone! 😂

[@mrpalpadean9186]

Man this is quality stuff! Makes me want to pick up a console and play these games!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Hell yeah! That's part of the goal when I make these, I want to get people excited about the games and go check them out. So I'm glad it had that effect.

[@FX103]

So glad you included the Super Star Soldier 1st Stage music. I replay that game just to hear it. The music quality of many of the PCE’s titles continues to amaze me.

[@ShmupJunkie]

The whole SSS OST is just bad ass, one of my favs along with soldier blade. I never get tired of those classic tunes.

[@guysafari]

Fantastic work on this video! Very informative! For the past couple weeks Ive been getting back into pc engine as mine was gone for a mod/refurb for a long time. I (fairly) recently remembered that I had a Turbo Express as a kid that came with Power Golf. Lived in the boonies so naturally I couldnt find games for it. Got lost in the sands of time. I want another but cant really justify getting it. So it's just gonna be me and the Duo-R for now. Looking forward to part 2 where you explain that it failed because people like me couldnt find anything for it and it just felt like some weird console with like 2 games ever. The sad part is I remember getting the Express and seeing Bonk on the back. I wanted Bonk. If I had Bonk I probably wouldve been a PCE/TG16 fan way earlier. Oh well. Here's to making up for all those years of ignorance and having a blast while doing it!

[@guysafari]

Also that Y's intro was sick dude nice work!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks man and sorry for the late reply. Just catching up on my missed comments. I'm so late that part two is literally out tomorrow morning haha, it's all uploaded and scheduled. I was lucky to grow up in a big city so finding games was no sweat. Even later toward the end we had import shops to buy the japanese games. It wasn't so nice for everyone. Had I grown up with only 2-3 games available I wouldn't have grown up a fan either. Which is sad as plenty of games came out, but they never made it out far enough aside from the test markets. NEC and their cold feet not making up their mind to compete. The new part two out tomorrow morning gets into a lot of the issues.

[@guysafari]

@@ShmupJunkie looking forward to it! Yeah their marketing was terrible lol. Ive heard stories that even cities like Baltimore didnt carry turbografx stuff. As for import shops? Forgedaboudit! Our import shop was ebay (circa 2003 lol). At that time I was more into transformer collecting and the game stuff I was getting was new stuff. My one regret about retro game collecting is the classic “wish I got into it earlier”. Oh well lol.

[@camargotechx7]

Excellent video Junkie! That system had so much darn potential. It’s crazy to think sells in America were as bad as they were. Can’t wait to find out what really happened in book 2, great job! 👍🏽

[@ShmupJunkie]

NEC was riding so high in Japan with their success, they thought they had it in the bag in the US and it would be easy. Big mistake. I think you'll enjoy my perspective on it in part 2.

[@elgo3556]

I miss my Turbo GrafX 16. Gave it away to a friend when I bought my Day 1 Sega Saturn.

[@RodrigoGarciaCarmona]

What a cliffhanger! I already know the sad end, but I'm expectant anyway. Great work.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Haha thanks man. And for being a good sport about that ending. I think you may really enjoy how I play that whole ending. Part two is out tomorrow and I hit the right note at the very end... at least I like how it came out.

[@mutkaheki]

Best video yet for my favourite little system that could. This video is definitely my Top #1 on KZbin. Only thing missing was Timmaaaaah.

[@GamingPalOllieMK]

THIS kind of content right here is what youtube is all about for me! Every time I see amazing gaming related content like this I weep for the reaction/influencer obsessed kids nowaays who wouldn't know quality gaming videos if they hit them in the face. Thanks for keeping the tradition of high end high quality gaming related videos, bud, your content is always top notch.

[@ShmupJunkie]

That's very cool of you to say and I'm honored to get this kind of feedback for a lot of people. I'm just an amateur without any experience in actual editing, but just keep practicing and learning new things and slowly improving the content. It would honestly be so much easier to just sit in front of the camera and talk about stuff, and some of those channels that do with minimal editing are massive. Apparently they're doing it right lol. But I want to inspire people with my vids and this is the best way I know how to do it, even if it's so much more work. It was channels like MLiG that initially inspired me to try and make high quality content with more time put into editing.

[@GamingPalOllieMK]

@@ShmupJunkie The best times on youtube and the best gaming content was produced when people had little experience in editing and the like. Overproduced/TV quality stuff is what ruined youtube IMO You're doing exactly what we need, videos about gaming in their purest form. They're fun, informative, not over the top, just the way it should be.

[@danmakuman]

Badass video. Can't wait for Book 2

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks man! I'm glad you dug it. Now I gotta make sure part 2 lives up to the standard.

[@midiriots3909]

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY @ShmupJunkie!!!! 🥳🥳🥳 For more years of quality and fun videos on youtube for us shmup lovers... and beyond!! Thank you for building a growing community of supportive and friendly people all around the globe! #ShmupsAreShooters !!!!!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you my friend and sorry for the late reply. I am just catching up. It's good to see you here and enjoying the videos. I hope your project is still going well and you are making some progress.

[@MarshallLando]

I HOPE THERE ARE AT LEAST 10 BOOOOOKS ON PCE ! awesome freaking work. love it

[@ShmupJunkie]

Man, I wish if only I had the time. But at a minimum, part two is coming tomorrow, Sunday morning!

[@MarshallLando]

@@ShmupJunkie wow looking forward to that man... love it

[@luvclub]

Just found your channel and your videos are amazing. This PC Engine video is superbly edited, well written and entertaining. It easily makes it into my top 10 KZbin videos over the last 15 years. A quick look through your other videos and it could be seen they're of an equally high standard. Well done! Subscribed.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks for the props I'm really glad you enjoyed it. I've only been doing this a year so the editing improved as I learned and got more practice. Go back and far enough and it's much more raw, and I spoke a bit too fast at times, but they were all made with a love for the content and thought through so hopefully you enjoy those too. I really tried to step it up for this one as it's kind of my one year anniversary in May of the channel, aside from being a huge fan of the pc engine of course. Glad you found me and I look forward to you enjoying part two once it's ready in the coming week or two.

[@BalsticMaker12]

The PC Engine was incredible ahead of its time. Wow.

[@ShmupJunkie]

The elegance of the design and engineering really shows. It may not have been the most powerful overall and came out early, but it was made with such forethought. Good design is good design, versus poor design and then having to find all kinds of creative work arounds to the limitations you created for yourself. The Hudson/NEC combo certainly did end up producing some quality hardware. That original CD layout is just beautiful.

[@neojeets]

Thanks for all the hard work on bringing us some more PCE love. It’s amazing how expandable and versatile the console was. Just the library of great shooters alone on the pce is absolutely insane!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Absolutely. I wanted to make a point of its expansion bus as it’s not often discussed and how important it was to its longevity. They just kept upgrading it to keep up with everyone else.

[@el3m764]

Damn this is your best one so far, keep doing the stg lords work

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! I really thought this was my best one so far too honestly and I'm really happy with it.

[@enocmora9012]

Excelente video!! Tengo pocos años en el genero de los shmups,pero se a vuelto mi genero favorito!! Lo unico malo es que es muy caro!! haha!!!

[@shinbakihanma2749]

Excellent first part. I'm on to the next...

[@ShmupJunkie]

Enjoy! Both are equally fun and some of my favorite I’ve made.

[@shinbakihanma2749]

@@ShmupJunkie I know this was an older vid, so I thank you for responding😅 Some of the music you had playing during the video, please tell me what they were from?

[@ShmupJunkie]

@@shinbakihanma2749 If you give me a time stamp I’ll try. I used so many different great pc engine tunes there are so many.

[@shinbakihanma2749]

@@ShmupJunkie OK, I will. Thank you so much🙂

[@facufeg86]

Yet another amazing vid, this time about my beloved Pc Engine. The data, the edition, everything was flawless on this vid! Congratulations Junkie!

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you. I really did think this one came out the best of what I’ve done so far.

[@namenameson9065]

The great Bithead1000 sent me! Awesome video dude!

[@ShmupJunkie]

I can only endeavor to be the second greatest video game program in the history of human civilization, and I’d be alright with that. If it weren’t for his program I may not have ever started mine.

[@Chinopolis]

Man every time I watch one of these I get like 6 more games on my list to clear, I can't keep up!! Tremendous job on the video, it's like looking into a parallel dimension for me as the PC Engine just wasn't around in my podunk part of the country. It's probably a good thing too cause I would have lost my mind as a kid had I see some of these games.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Yes, I am just now still catching up on old comments and sorry I missed yours. And now you are already about to start playing some PCE games and I'm looking forward to your thoughts. I did lose my mind on some of these games haha. Couldn't believe what people were missing.

[@D20000]

You had to buy one system in 1988 and could just add stuff onto it and its lifespan would double..thats pretty cool.

[@ShmupJunkie]

It really was double in terms of the CD attachment. It turned out the CD library ended even larger than the original hucards. The first commercially successful CD game console!

[@tsunamirider9895]

Amazing video! The amount of information and attention to detail in this video is just absolutely EPIC! Thank you for the time/energy and dedication you put into these videos, it's clearly evident that a lot of effort and love went into making this. Great channel, can't wait for Book 2! I owned a Genesis back in the day, and despite owning a Turbo Express and a Mini, I knew the PC Engine was awesome, but not THIS awesome! Some serious learning on my part took place today! I'd love to track down and own some of this hardware/software (PC Engine, CD Attachment, Arcade card and associated games), but with the state of game collecting these days, probably would be very cost prohibitive unfortunately.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thank you for the awesome comment and really glad to hear you enjoyed it so much. I completely agree collecting PC Engine stuff these days can get pretty cost prohibitive. On the plus side Turbografx was far more rare, thus even more expensive by quite a bit. So going the PC Engine route is far more cost effective and you get the full library of games, though still not cheap. It really makes sense to just use a Mister if you are looking to play on a CRT and get the full experience of all the games, as it's core is phenomenal. Either that or buy an inexpensive Coregrafx along with an SSDS3, and get the original hardware experience and all the games via rom. Not as cool as owning an arcade card with a full CD setup, but given the cost of the rare shooters on the system, it makes sense. Burning the CD games properly can be hit and miss and wears the lens on your hardware more, so an add on flash cart like an SSDS3 that does CD games too makes sense.

[@Panthera91]

Just watched the video, superb! I discovered the pc engine through emulators and is a console that I would love to have in my collection someday. Really loved the way you told its history in this video, I discovered more shmups to play today, thank you so much 😊 And I loved the fact you used Air Zonk stage 1 music on the video, it's one of my favorite 😊 Keep up the great work, can't wait for part II!

[@KTJohnsonkidThunder]

I love this video. It's definitely a good reason I've become a PC Engine fan for a while.

[@ShmupJunkie]

I'm doing my best to help spread the love for this console, as I really feel those that never gave it a chance really missed out.

[@dire51]

I said a long time ago that the PCE was the real SFC, and that thing Nintendo released later was something else entirely. To this day, I stand by that statement.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Can't argue with that, and likely why you and I loved it so much. It felt like an extension of our favorite NES/famicom. Nintendo was coming in so late and clearly focused on a completely different kind of hardware and to compete with sega in america. They certainly knocked it out of the park with their library but it felt completely different, likely the goal. I was happy to enjoy my suped up 8bit days for just a while longer. I still hold the opinion the PCE hucard games, not even the later CD, had the best collection of music that generation.

[@Zahir658]

The biggest miss during my time in the 90s. What I mean is that during that time, I was always playing Arcade, SNES, Genesis and Neo-Geo games and I never noticed that there was a system like that that you shown on the video. For a normal anime fan like myself, it seems really enjoyable and I would had loved to play some of those games. I really appreciate the 90s even more. Now with that said, can anyone tell me the music at 18:26 and 19:38 cause it sounded really awesome and I jammed the music of it :D

[@ShmupJunkie]

That music is from a Supergrafx game, Aldynes. Don't blame you for missing the system, it was only well known in the US in major cities and larger markets. They didn't put enough into or do a great job marketing it. However, it was always in the big game magazines like EGM etc. So I'm surprised you missed it completely and didn't at least hear of it. Though most of those Japan centric games didn't release in the US, you would have to get them at import stores.

[@Zahir658]

@@ShmupJunkie Yeah maybe I must had slipped it from my mind since I was so focused on those four consoles that I had mentioned.

[@Zahir658]

@@ShmupJunkie Awesome and the game OST is from Stage 3. i can't stop jamming to it.

[@Arcades1CC]

Fantastic video and edit job, congrats! Can't wait for second part! /Cheers

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks! And part two is out tomorrow morning!

[@teddybeer6206]

Man, you make the most kickass retrogaming documentaries.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Thanks. I guess better to be underrated than overrated haha

[@ShmupJunkie]

Appreciate that. I am having a really fun time making them.

[@creativecatproductions]

I’ll be watching this for sure today!

[@creativecatproductions]

Loved the video but it’s not a theory that the TurboGrafx was buried by it’s inflated price tag, bloated array of accessories, and confused middle class parents.....the main purchaser of videogame consoles in 1989.....its, like, a fact man. The truth is that, in 1989, the only console people were interested in the US was Nintendo. It was cheaper, it was straight forward, it had a superior / large library of games, it had name recognition, it has super Mario Bros 3 right around the corner. Few people except super rich kids thought about the “next generation” until the Genesis had a massive price drop and a free copy of a blue hedgehog.....probably both costing a huge loss in profitability for SEGA. NEC on the other hand never caught up. They virtually gave up, and legend has it they were never able to actually sell that first shipment of some 750,000 consoles. It’s not for lack of good games, its just that the market in 1989 and 1990, and 1991 (etc) consisted of adults buying videogames for kids....and most kids weren’t allowed more than one console. The age of multiple machines and gamers investing vast amounts of money in their hobby would come later. Much later. You were talking about us right? Haha

[@NightWolve75]

Yeah, it's too bad, late to the party despite being the first to bring CD console gaming to the home... I'm only a Turbo fan by random events, I used to buy the Chicago Sun Times Sunday paper which in August 1990 offered a contest to win a free TurboGrafx-16 with Bloody Wolf and Keith Courage. You had to answer 5 NES questions, I knew the answers to all, had to verify something for CastleVania II I think, I sent it in, I WON! Then I used rentals mostly to go further in the library. Come 1993 or 94, TTi is running a clearance sale, get your TurboDuos for $99 with Ys Book I & II, Ninja Spirit, Gate of Thunder, Bonk 1&2, etc. It was the deal of a lifetime... I never would've paid no $399 for the CD add-on, and I'm only in the situation of caring because I won a TG-16, I was ready to just go from NES and SNES, which was fine, I had a great time with both systems! Were it not for a random lucky contest, or a clearance sale because TTi failed and was shutting down, I wouldn't care!

[@ShmupJunkie]

I think you'll enjoy my take and how I break it down in the next segment, as I was of course there too. An early adopter of the Turbo upon release and it being my only console. I went through it from day one until the end in 94 and loved it as much as I did at the end because I had the import stores to bypass what was happening in the US. And enjoy the library to it's fullest. It's not that adults didn't buy the systems for kids, but it was still us kids that drove what they bought for us. We made sure mom and dad knew exactly which console we wanted. Of course we didn't all get what we want, but as a general rule, our desire and vehement requests for a specific console is what drove what they bought us. Our parents didn't know squat about which one to get, so given they could afford what we asked for, the decision of which console to buy was driven by us. I had the many friends that all owned a Genesis and specifically remember why. It wasn't because their parents decided it's what they will buy because it was cheaper, it was because it's what they begged them for. Just like I begged to have the Turbo. I don't doubt the common talking points like most of what you mentioned aren't true, they are, but there was more to it than that. NEC's complete lack of understanding the US market was of course a big part and I don't plan to downplay it. It should be discussed. There was a good Gamasutra article a while back with some solid interviews from the ex-employees with NEC at the time and corroborated the facts on the ground. But no matter what NEC did, and even if they ran a brilliant campaign instead of a train wreck, they would have had more market share, but still crushed by Sega in the end. It was as much about what Sega did, than it was about what NEC didn't. Nobody was outselling them in the US. Nintendo did most everything right with the SNES and had the huge first party IPs, their exclusivity deals, and still managed to come in second to Sega in North American units sold by the end (according to the vgsales db anyway). You may end up agreeing or disagreeing with my take, but I think at a minimum you'll find it interesting.

[@creativecatproductions]

@@NightWolve75 you got a TG 16 the same way Pat the NES punk did! That’s pretty amazing. My wife won a freaking game boy when she was a kid....all I ever won was a spiderman hat....and it sucked 😆

[@creativecatproductions]

@@ShmupJunkie I’m aware of the gamasutra article and those interviews but I think the whole “bad marketing, they didn’t understand America” thing was just a convenient excuse. A lot of the claims they made didn’t hold up to further scrutiny in my own research. For instance it is widely believed that NEC simply didn’t bring over enough games from Japan, but I went through the complete game library chronologically and found that’s not true for the consoles first critical year or so. Ultimately they stopped doing that, but only after NEC /Hudson abandoned the US market. Perhaps marketing? But that’s very difficult to actually prove. How special was Nintendo’s marketing, really? They copied Nintendo’s strategy with soft launches in big cities, goofy ads with radical youth....though they aimed at teens. I guess they thought by aiming at teens they’d have their own niche or something? It makes sense, and aiming at teens would have just made them cooler in 1989. I think the simple explanation is the best explanation and it’s the same explanation that pretty much always gave ANY console the edge in the market. The price. I know some people were able to buy any videogame machine they wanted, but not most households. In my blue collar hometown In Texas, there was a tiny minority who had stuff like the Sega cd or turbografx, but even those people had an NES like the rest of us. It’s not that we didn’t want to those things, it’s just no one would buy them. A lot of people got a Genesis or Super Nintendo down the road, but those were pretty cheap compared to everything else. I’m for sure going to watch the next video though! Because talking about this stuff is really fun. You did have our video in mind when you mentioned the theory about confused parents though, right? I like to think we have a monopoly on the funny confused parent hypothesis. Im not sure it’s trash though....parents were really confused about videogames in 1989 😆

[@NightWolve75]

@@creativecatproductions Yep, I told Pat NES Punk about it, showed him the clipping from the newspaper contest because many years ago he wrote the story about how he won it also! It turns out he's also been trying to find evidence from newspaper archives to share the full contest details, the 5 NES questions, as I was... But it's been lost to time; when I searched in Chicago Sun Times archives online, they only store articles which were actually text scanned in by OSR... The newspapers weren't photocopied in. I'm sure those old weird projector machines in public libraries had newspaper rolls, but they were all thrown away...

[@ChicagoRetroGamer]

Very cool. Makes me want to play the games, so that is always a good sign. Cheers!

[@ShmupJunkie]

That’s exactly the goal so mission accomplished! 😬👍🏻

[@ChicagoRetroGamer]

@@ShmupJunkie Totally! Excuse me, while I go play now haha. Cheers!

[@martinevans1206]

The Mega Drive was released in Japan in 1988.

[@ShmupJunkie]

Completely correct, it was a mistake in my script I didn't catch before it was too late to change everything. It didn't really change the narrative so I left it alone, but 100% correct, it came out in 88 one year after the PC Engine, not two years.

[@ShmupJunkie]

In this case that definitely wasn't the intention, just a miss on my part in the script in the rush to finish the video on time. It was too late to go back and change it in time once I noticed it too, so I am just going to mention it in my description later as a correction. It didn't change the narrative at all, whether it came out a year or two earlier, so I didn't fuss over it, but it's definitely wrong so I want to correct it. The downside with videos versus articles where you can't go back and change it afterward very easily

[@martinevans1206]

@@ShmupJunkie It takes nothing away from a great video 👍🏻

[@TransKingFormers]

Wow that was amazing video and your music selection top notch!makes wana go play my pc engine mini and I can't wait for part 2

[@bolastristes5119]

After this video Johnny Millennium will be like "but...but, but I have a wall of games behind me when I do my videos"

[@ShmupJunkie]

I doubt he has anything to worry about with me 😂. He’s a fellow fan in fact he just did a video dedicated to the Ys series today! I’m going to check it out later tonight when I have some free time. Edit: Not like I don’t have a wall of shooters behind me too 😂

[@ViperousVT]

In one of my favorite anime called High score girl the main character played the hell out of the PC Engine in season 1 you should definitely check out this anime 👍

[@ShmupJunkie]

I’ve heard of it actually and just seen the first episode so far, but the wife pulled me off to watch a bunch of stuff with her instead lol. I’m gonna have to find some time to watch this one on my own.