TurboGrafx-16 CD-ROM (EXTRA 2 - overview of the original CD-ROM peripheral)

www.turboviews.com
#turbografx #turboduo #retrogaming
Turbo Views Extra 2: a closer look at the TurboGrafx-16 CD-ROM peripheral including the add-on itself, what was "inside-the-box" and early games and items (including my first game and pack-in CD+G Disc).

[@Grooveraider]

Oh the memories of this model of TG-16 w/ CD. In 1991, I sold about 30 NES games to come up with half of the money for the CD peripheral w/ a copy of Ys Book l & ll and Final Zone II. I've never witnessed such a MASSIVE package in my life. But when I got this baby at home there was many sleepless nights. The sound, actual voice actors, and cinema scenes felt like I was playing the best role-playing game (Ys) ever made since Zelda! All this lead me to the introduction of importing PC Engine CDs.

[@spida1a]

Yeah, it was so great to have them built-in. :) Thanks for watching!

[@farmhousemedia3000]

Thanks for the memories. I remember you could play audio CD's in the CD-Rom while playing regular Turbografx games. I used to play TV Sports Hockey and play the most up-beat CD I had in the CD-Rom to get me all pumped up.

[@starsoldier1]

Hearing the CD music and seeing the real video for the first time was just jaw dropping back in the early 90's. Cool vid.

[@Bigdog302V8]

Playing Ys books 1 and 2 was a jaw dropper too. I was blown away when I played that on my Turbo CD back in 1990.

[@spida1a]

@ChicoEdge Thank you for watching all the vids. Great to hear from you!

[@spida1a]

Wow, thanks so much. You're way too kind! :) Thanks for watching!

[@spida1a]

Great stuff, great memories. Thanks for sharing!

[@spida1a]

@Bylga Hey, thanks my friend. I"M glad you enjoyed it!

[@spida1a]

Thanks for watching, as always my friend! :)

[@spida1a]

@Lachlant1984 Just one adapter. The Turbo Booster snapped onto the back of the base-unit and acted as a composite "out" (the TB Plus had a battery backup). Thanks for watching!

[@spida1a]

Same here........way too many memories to count. Sigh, I feel so old. Ha ha! :) Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@spida1a]

I'm hoping Turbo Views "Extra" #3 to come out sometime in the next few months. That will be on the Super System Card. Then #4 will be on the Turbo Duo. Right now I'm in the process of moving so........it'll be a while yet. But, it's on the way eventually. :) Thanks for watching!

[@zeroxdogma]

13 years later this video help me know better the console 🙏

[@spida1a]

LOL! So you were lucky up until now then. Hee hee! :) Thanks for watching! PS: I did another on-camera one about the TurboGrafx a ways back......

[@spida1a]

Thanks. :) That was game #21 and it needed work. So, I brought it upstairs. Never got to it. LOL!

[@spida1a]

Tubo Duo is a combination TurboGrafx and CD-ROM with installed Super System Card. It was the next incarnation of the Turbo that came out a little before being discontinued in America.

[@DlNKYDANA]

Nice overview. Just picked myself up one of these!

[@spida1a]

While I cannot confirm as I have never tried to use it myself, I do not believe you can use the base-unit's adapter to run the CD-ROM. The CD-ROM came with its own adapter in order to power them both. So I believe it has a slightly different set of values. If you're picking up a CD-ROM unit, I would make sure it comes with the correct adapter. Thanks for watching!

[@HalfBlindGamer]

Awesome stuff man, great overview of the system. Never owned one but would sure like to get my hands on one! Will you do a review on Last Alert soon? Isn't that the game with that 'great' voice acting?

[@spida1a]

@donjuanzx9 Great! Thank you for the support and watching the vids! :)

[@spida1a]

@IvoryGecko1993 Yes, that will be the next Turbo Views: Extra segment sometime this summer. :)

[@flexor212000]

I pulled this out and after all these years it still runs perfectly fine.

[@spida1a]

@Riddler95 No, it ran off only one adapter (when the Turbo was attached, you used the CDROM adaptor). Thanks for watching.

[@spida1a]

Yes, I hear that the European Turbo is very tough to find. I have a friend (Larry from Screw Attack Europe) who said he might do a special video for the next DVD release on it for me. :) Thanks for watching!!!

[@spida1a]

Yeah, the CD system didn't seem to last as long as the regular TurboGrafx. My Disc doesn't always spin on my original console (that I showed in the video). But, I beat the hell out of it so.......I guess I got the money's worth. Ha ha :) Thanks for watching!

[@spida1a]

@Lachlant1984 Nope...unfortunately that is the Japanese only release. In the U.S. we only had the option of the CD-ROM plugged into the back. The only thing we got "close to that" in the U.S. was the combo Turbo Duo. You know? :) Thanks for watching.

[@AdamsBrew78]

Had a TG16 back in the day but never the CD add on. Been discovering the CD games for the first time with Mister FPGA, which plays like the real hardware, minus loading times. Good stuff!

[@Folklorigin]

Anytime dude! Since i'm outta school for summer, i have all day to watch ur vids(i like the darkwing duck review in particular) and as long as u reign supreme as gameroom master, i'll be there 2 watch.

[@spida1a]

@vacationboyvideos Thanks my friend. Will keep trying to make stuff when I can. :)

[@spida1a]

@elKrunchy Thanks a lot for watching!!

[@spida1a]

Thanks a million ST! You're awesome! Let me know when it's up and I'll "favorite" it. Hee hee! Right. Great point Kairaa.

[@spida1a]

@russell56443 I can't believe how expensive these things are going for. Blech! :) Thanks for watching.

[@123doomdoom]

Man your quite the collector...you even have pictures and dates of your first TG game purchases, nice.

[@spida1a]

Ha. Well that's cool. I personally think the system as a whole looks great. Especially for its time (the NES was a huge gray box for goodness sakes, LOL!). :) Yes, the Duo does look better though. thanks for watching!

[@spida1a]

@bongo870 I totally agree. I really thought it should have come with SOMETHING for the money they wanted. Sigh. :) Thanks for watching.

[@spida1a]

Excellent!!!

[@dcfix]

I just want to clarify on your excellent question. I had the same issues when I bought my CD unit. The CD-ROM unit and TG-16 as a whole unit requires its own AC adapter. However if you wanted to detach the CD unit and use it as a stand alone player, the manual says to use the TG-16 AC adapter.

[@spida1a]

@Riddler95 Yeah, definitely. They made the right choice there. In fact, when you asked me that question....I was thinking about my Sega CD and those two FAT plugs. The TurboGrafx adapter also has a box with a smaller plug on the end. Hee hee. Thanks!

[@spida1a]

Yeah, you can. It played regular CDs. It wasn't my first player though....I got a CD player sometime in the mid-80s. I had a segment I cut from this where I talked about "if this was your first CD player, it probably was nice to be able to hook speakers up or use it alone in the corner of your room." Hee hee.

[@spida1a]

All American TurboGrafx games worked with the TurboGrafx CD-ROM system. You either had the original System Card (which I talk about in this video) or the Super System Card (which was incorporated into the Turbo Duo and sold a couple years into the lifecycle in America). But, every game would play in the original system if you had the correct card. :)

[@spida1a]

@vivalastupidity LOL! That's awesome. I never would have thought of that but....yeah...that Splash Lake music really sounds like a mosq. Ha ha!!

[@spida1a]

@munherpes Ha ha. Well, thanks for watching! If you are interested, there is a TON of info on games and the system itself on my channel. Thanks again!

[@spida1a]

@Silencebound Thanks for watching!

[@spida1a]

@flexor212000 Thanks great! A LOT of them are busted up quite a bit. Thanks for watching.

[@spida1a]

@InAnimateGamer Thanks for watching!

[@spida1a]

@syphic Ugh! Ha ha. That wait! THE WAIT! Ha ha! I do wish that the system DID come with a game, though. For the money and such it really should have. You know? :) Thanks for watching!

[@spida1a]

LOL! I swear......it was such a COOL and NEW thing to me back then. :)

[@Marc_Araujo]

When I was a kid, I was with my uncle when he bought the TG-16 for himself when it launched. I remember him not only being annoyed at having to buy the TurboTap AND the extra controller (the older NES came with 2 controllers and a Zapper) but he was really pisst when they told him it just had an RF out and that he had to get a TurboBooster if he wanted to get Composite A/V. He ended up getting the TurboBooster Plus cuz they told him he'd also be able to save his games with it...but then later learned that barely any games actually used it and the few that did, you had to power the console on at least once in every 5-7 days in order to keep them lol. I enjoyed the crap out of the TG-16!

[@VinnieBlackLodge]

yeah the audio video out is pretty sweet. after my cd died i put the rarely used "turbo booster" on. i was surprized with how much of an upgrade the booster was. way better sound( sidearms has the biggest stereo improvement i ever heard in a game.) clearer explosions, ability to save certain games. if you want to improve your games or have better sound video and cant find a duo or cd, get the booster, you wont be upset for long.(since its 80+ bucks).

[@spida1a]

@donjuanzx9 All in due time my friend. It is the next Turbo Views Extra segment....planned for sometime in May or early June. :) :) :)

[@syphic]

The Turbo Grafx Cd system was my first Cd player. I loved it. got it for Christmas when the price was down to $149.99 at Toys R Us. I had hinted to my parents for months that I wanted this. My Dad had to hide the box in his truck because there was no hiding this under a tree. Only sad thing was that Mine didnt come with a game nor CD+G disc. So for about a month the system just sat there till I picked up my first game....Fighting Street!!

[@spida1a]

I know....it's pretty cool! The damn thing was so expensive, it better have come with something. You know? Ha ha! :0) Thanks for watching!

[@RicVee1]

I remember wanting it so bad, and it was $400 bucks and was way out of reach. But i finally got it, i forgot how, and loved it. I ordered so many PC Engine games too, Rayxanber 2 being one of my favs. Music was insane!

[@Folklorigin]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Thank you Chris! You answered my prayers! This topped off a perfect day. A Bucci vid, and 80 degree weather= GOD status in my eyes. U rock man!

[@paulspydar]

PS , also an interesting note is that the PAL version has a different number & arrangement of PINs on the AV out lead & also they end in composite R/W/Y there's no RF out , That`s a very useful & appreciated addition over the US version, I don`t know why they did not include the same configuration for the U.S too?

[@spida1a]

@80sMTV The CDROM acts as the power for both the Turbo AND the CD system. So it only uses ONE plug. Which is awesome (compared to, like, Sega....etc, you know?).

[@MaximumRD]

Excellent job!

[@jboypacman]

I remember having that CD+G disc that came with my Turbo-16 CD system and i was amazed by it and i think my first CD i got for it was Valis II i think.... ah the great memories.

[@squirm13]

The turbo grafix, never came out here in england, so i had to get mine on import, i still love it, and recently bought a new one, to replace a faulty one.

[@ElegyForTheMasses]

Thanks for the vid! Very informative! Btw, karaoke CDs still come in CD-G format. I think the Sega Saturn also reads CD-G format, if I recall correctly. Picked up a tg16+CD/dock on ebay recently, but unfortunately it didn't come with a system card. :(

[@Chantumon]

Sweet video Spida. Do you recommend that people purchase a Turbo Grafx Cd-Addon, or the turbo duo? The CD Addon generally sells for about $130-150 while the Duo sells for $220+.

[@ScrewAttackEurope]

Out of curiosity, can you not play CD games via RF if there's ports on the back. Also was it the first CD player you owned? (must admit I never had anything to play CD's until I bought a Mega CD for my 13th birthday) Also, I know that waiting torture, same pain whenever you bought a game on vacation and waited all week to get home to play it. :D

[@spida1a]

@vacationboyvideos Ha ha. I know, right? Yes...I am straight. But, it has been a long time since I got a compliment like that. So, thanks for making me smile.

[@spida1a]

@Itchylon77 How do you check out what games you have saved? You hit select and it shows you which games are saved (so you can delete individual ones or see what you have in there). It's very primitive though. Ha ha. :)

[@spida1a]

@Dusk2600 I am sorry to hear you had so much trouble. Most of my friends still have their CD system and they still work (as does mine from back in 1991, and I beat the hell out of it). Oh well, what can you do...it's early technology? I know just as many people with Broken Duo's, most of those people of whom would say it "is junk, buy the Japanese version instead." Take care. Thanks for watching.

[@spida1a]

@KEWLSTEWIEGUY Oh DUDE...only WISH I was Adam! Ha ha. I would love to have a hosting gig like that. Ya' know? Ha ha. Thanks for watching!

[@spida1a]

Wohoo! Excellent! ;)

[@spida1a]

@Lachlant1984 Yeah. Unlike Sega CD, they didn't really "focus on that aspect" (I think being the first...they were just trying to figure the whole CD-Console-Combo thing out, ha ha). But, there were the Sherlock Holmes series and It Came From The Desert where they tried to incorporate these ideas. Not the greatest but unique at the time.

[@SplatterTrigger]

Another Awesome review spida1a! Like it or not I have a vid(already filmed) were I mention your channel. I have another vid to put out first, so look for it in about 10 days or so. BTW favorited! I need to grab a TurboDuo though. Lost out twice on ebay in the last 2 weeks. Might snag a PC Engine Duo instead.

[@martinbishop9042]

I used to listen to Nirvana every night as i went to bed on this thing, it was literally my diskman before diskman's were a big thing. such memories.

[@spida1a]

Ha ha. Well.....it was $149.99 when I got it. But, I hear you!! Thanks for watching. :)

[@avenuePad]

Great review as always Chris! :D Sorry to hear that your CD unit is running on fumes. :( Hopefully it's something that can be fixed. It's sad to think about TGCDs finding a new home in the garbage dump.

[@spida1a]

Thanks a lot! :)

[@Bylga]

Another great review!

[@spida1a]

Thanks!

[@theelfkilla]

I still have my TurboGraphx 16. I also had the CD-ROM but I thew it away like 6 years ago because it broke.

[@spida1a]

Definitely comes in handy when you bought stuff as it was released. Saved me a few bucks. Though it was pretty expensive then...you know? Hee hee.

[@ScrewAttackEurope]

It does seem a bit odd they made the unit detachable, but not add a battery compartment, even more so NEC, TT or any third parties made a battery adaptor for it, as I bet a lot of kids were sold on having a portable CD player and a add-on to their console. Oh, can you use the CD add on via the TG's RF port?

[@spida1a]

Hey, thanks a lot! :)

[@Sinn0100]

I know this is super old, the Turbo CD originally came with Y's books 1 and 2.

[@HanMono]

Another awesome video mate! Greetings from Germany.

[@Chantumon]

Thanks for your advice. I already own a T-16 and would really like to purchase the CD Add on. But by the same token, I also want to play those Super CD games like Gates and Lords of Thunder. Those 3.0 cards are super expensive. Right now they are going for well over $120. I think Duo is the way to go.

[@spida1a]

@Stevespeeze I never got that Arcade Pro (since it was never released here in the US). So.....I never really enjoyed that until much later when I picked it up. Ya' know? Not really sure what those are, no.

[@ChicoEdge]

I was primarily an SNES kid but I did love a lot of the Turbo-CD games. I had the TurboDuo though - what a great system! Mine came with Ninja Spirit. I passionately disagree with people who criticize the cd games of the time by saying the technology wasn't there yet. While it's true that Sega was futzing around with really bad FMV games, we Turbo players had some really great games. A pity that so many of the really great titles didn't make it to North America. Thanks for your videos!

[@spida1a]

Thanks! :)

[@ElegyForTheMasses]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that the original system CD System Card (2.0 in the U.S.) didn't add ram but instead was a bios mod that told the system to go into CD mode. I believe it wasn't until the Super System Card 3.0 that ram was actually added. I was able to emulate the 2.0 card on a flashcard and run CD games on the console I received recently, but cannot do the same with the Super CD games and the 3.0 rom.

[@munherpes]

@syphic holy crap! 150 dollars in the early 90's? what a bargain

[@spida1a]

I know what you mean. I didn't think the Turbo looked "too" bad. I mean, to me...the PC-Engine isn't that attractive of a machine either. Hee hee. But, they definitely did a lousy job with marketing and pack-in choices and distribution. It's a shame....I really liked it back then. Thanks for watching!

[@zwallop]

@Dusk2600 I bought one at launch and it worked great up through the time I sold it in the late 90's. Immediately after selling it, I regretted it so I bought another one! I still use it to this day and it's never given me any problems. Sorry to hear yours gave you problems because mine have been tanks!

[@Silencebound]

I have to watch this video because I have still owning a USA version Turbografx 16 console here in Australia. Since it's ending about 15 years ago, although, most of the old gamers still keepin' it and continuing to treasure it. Well, I have original Japanese version console called ' P.C. Engine ' with ALL collection of PC-Engine Hu-Cards and CDs right in my storage cupboard as I dare NOT to sell 'em and staying in my locker until one day I die . . .

[@TheSocialGamer]

I watch this specific video a few times a year...I cry every time..! I just can't afford a TurboCD add-on for my lonely TurboGrafx-16 console. I hope that I can get one of these before I die. One day someone will sell a working unit to me for under $100? My original CD Rom unit was stolen from me wayyyy back in the day along with my Y's Book 1&2. One day...!? At least I have this video to relive my love for the original CD Rom TurboDUO I want to use my old Turbo! ;)

[@Omondii]

5 Stars. Excellent.

[@russell56443]

Great Story! Wish I could find/afford the CD unit :0(

[@TheMathius78]

Another great(and funny) vid my friend!

[@spida1a]

Woo! Sweet! Hmm, guess not everyone agrees. I just noticed my DWD review was knocked down a 1/2 star. Sniff. Hee hee! Thanks again!

[@spida1a]

Ah yes, that was a great feature. Definitely helped pump-up the sound of some of the old TurboChip games. :) Thanks for watching!!!

[@nlafavore]

@spida1a Well, that explains why it's upstairs, but how long has it been there? I notice that it is turned on. Is it the same story with Banzai Run? Because I didn't see that in your game room either.

[@The_Laser_Channel]

OMG....my cousin had one of these and he didn't realize it was for TurboGrafx!! He was using it on trips as a portable CD player with a car adaptor!! He upgraded to a "True" portable and tried to sell me this one for $10 but I didn't know it was for TurboGrafx either! i just thought it was odd that it was a portable CD player that didn't use batteries....

[@Lachlant1984]

KZbin users such a MN12BIRD and Lukemorse1 have shown the PC Engine with the CD-ROM and interface unit that allows you to connect both side by side as opposed to the interface unit you have which has the CD-ROM unit 'punched' on top of the Turbografx, to be honest I prefer the PC Engine interface unit side by side arrangement, was there another interface unit that allows you to have the TG-16 and CD-ROM unit side by side? I think the side by side arrangement looks more attractive and neater.

[@Vikturus22]

Long time Without a review man! awesome too see you back! I got my PS3 Today Check out the unboxing with the Crappy Editing Software XD