The TurboGrafx-16 was a c🧔onsole 🍸released in Japan as the PC Engine in 1987. It was later released as the TurboGraphx-16 in North America in 1989. It was made to compete with the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Sega Master System. While the console was advertised as a 16-bit system—hence the name—it was actually a beefed up 8-bit console. While the console was nowhere near as successful in North America as it was in Japan, the console still has a dedicated following.
With🌼 the TurboGrafx-16 Mini recently being released, we decided to take a look a some of the games that we feel should have been included. We feel these were some obvious omissions that were an integral part of the console’s success.
9 Bonk🅘 3: Bonk's Big Adventure ܫ
Bonk was the consoles mascot so the inclusion of his games was inevitable. However, while Bonk’s Adventure and Bonk’s Revenge were included in the system, for some reason, they left out the third game in the series, Bonk 3: Bonk’s Big Adventure.
As mentioned previously, Konami owns Hudson Soft, the creators of the Bonk series so leaving out any part of it seems like an odd choice to make. The third game in the series added many new wacky power-ups for th꧅e caveman that☂ would have been fun to revisit.
8 Devil’s Crush
With th💮e inclusion of the Ridley Scott Al💮ien franchise inspired Alien’s Crush, many were wonderingꦯ where the sata🎀nic, occult infused Devil’s Crush was. Both games were bot𝓡h developed by heavy hitters that made many fantastic games for the system, such as a C♏ompile and the now Konami owned Hudson Soft.
With Konami being behinꦅd the release of the TurboGraphx-16 Mini, it seems odd that it was absent. It may be due to the satanic imagery, t꧟hough, with the M rating on the console as a whole, would that really be an issue?
7 English Version of Snatcher
Snatcher is Hideo Kojima’s forgotten gem that many, unfortunately, never got to play, at least outside of Japan. The only English ver💙sion of the game to be released was on Sega’s ill-f൲ated Sega CD.
When the list of the games to be included on the TurboGrafx-16 Mini was released, we were all hopeful that🤡 this forgotten game would finally get some recognition here in the West. However, only the Japanese version was included with the system. It would have taken some extra work to𝓡 add the translated version but we can dream, can’t we!?
6 Legendary Axe 1 & 2
The Legendary Axe series is well known amongst TurboGrafx-16 fans. The difficult and unique gameplay is somethingღ that would have been a we🐽lcome addition to the Turbo Graphx-16 Mini’s lineup.
Both Legendary Axe 1 and 2 are some of the best platformers on the console and were a breath of fresh air 🐭on a system with a very generous selection of shoot em’ ups. It can be understood why the second game in the series wasn’t added as it departed greatly from the original but the first game is a staple in the TurboGꩲrafx-16’s lineup.
5 Bl꧟oody Wolf ♎
Bloody Wolf is a fast-paced run-and-gun, perfect for those who are into Contra, Metal Slug, and Gunstar Heroes. Thiওs is another game that could have really helped diversify the line-up on the TurboG🦩rafx-16 Mini.
Bloody Wolf was developed by the legendary Data East in their golden years. This is one of the only run-and-guns on the systems and is probably the best among th﷽em. They may have had a hard time getting the license to use Data East games which may be why it wasn’t included on the TurboGrafx-16 Mini.
4 Magical Chase
While there were many great shoot em’ ups already included on the TurboGraphx-16 Mini such as the mind-bl💫owing Blazing Lazers or the unique and personality-filled Air-Zonk, we were still missing the oh-so-rare and elusive Magical Chase.
Magical Chase is a great shoot em’ up starring a cute young witch with somꦡe fun RPG elements added in for good measure. Th𒁏e very colorful sprites in the game are a great way to show off what the TurboGrafx-16 could do. Who knows, maybe the inclusion of Magical Chase on the TurboGrafx-16 Mini may have even driven down the astronomical price of the ph💦ysical version.
3 Street🦹 Fighter 2
With absolutely no fighting games on the TurboGraphx-16 Mini, having the grandfather of the modern fighters, Street Fighter 2 seems like a missed opportunity. The version of Street Fighter 2 developed for the TurboGraphx-16 was one of tꦗhe best home ports of its time, surpassing both the Super Nཧintendo and Sega Genesis ports.
As they had already established their relationship with Capcom, the developer of the Street Fighter series with the inclusion of Ghouls 'n Ghosts, it seems odd to leave out such an icon game for the time on the💎 TurboGraphx-16 ༺Mini.
2 Dragon’s Curse
Known as Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap on the Sega Master Systeཧm, the♛ TurboGrafx-16 version, Dragon’s Curse is an upda🔯ted version with better graphics and more color. Dragon’s Curse follows the structure set by Nintendo’s Metroid before i🦄t: players explore a side-scrolling world and find power-ups that can he🤪lp you traverse further into the semi-open world.
This is another odd omission as the game was published by Hudson Soft, the designers of the original TurboGraphx-16, aᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚnd the developers of many of the games included on the TurboGraphx-16 Mini such as Bonk’s Adventure.
1 Keith Courage in Alpha Zone
The most baffling game to be missing is Keith Courage in Alpha Zone. This game was the original pack-in title with the system, so leaving it ou𝓀t of the TurboGraphx-16 Mini seems like such an odd choice.
The game stars the titular Keith Courage as he goes through side-scrolling levels and occasionally transforms into a mech. Though the game isn’t exactly good, the fact that they left out a game that was once a pack-in with the original system seems very c🍰onfusing. I suppose not including it made room for more worthwhile titles.