4th Generation - TurboGrafx-16

The TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment System was launched in Japan in 1987 as the PC Engine. This video game console was developed by Hudson Soft and NEC and it was the first console to be released during the 16-bit era even though it still used an 8-bit CPU. The console was originally created to compete against NES, but it ended up competing against other major gaming console, such as the Sega Mega Drive and the Neo Geo AES.

The console made use of a Hudson Soft HuC6280 8-bit CPU running at 7.16mhz and a dual 16-bit GPU (Graphics processing unit). It was able to display 482 colors onscreen, had a screen resolution of up to 565x242 pixels and was capable of producing a 6-channel PSG stereo audio. The system had an upgradable CD Add-on which provided the CD ROM with more data so that levels could be longer, animations were improved and included more sound effects.

Figure 1 - TurboGrafx-16 console

Being the first console to be released in a new generation, later competitors make use of better hardware, but the console still remained in the competition due to its design and its CD ROM, which was the first of its kind as a game medium for home consoles.

Later on, the Turbo Express was released as the PC Engine GT which was hand-held version of the TurboGrafx-16 and ran the same games as the original.

The TurboGrafx-16 was advertised as a 16-bit CPU console even though it used two 8-bit processors instead. This type of advertisement gave the console a sales advantage in the game market, and it was in fact the top-selling console in Japan for a period of time. But even though the console was a success in Japan, it did not sell very well in Europe and North America, were Sega and Nintendo were more popular amongst the consumers.

Some games that could be played on the TurboGrafx-16 were: Splatterhouse, Neutopia, Bonk’s Adventure, and Bomberman. 

Bibliography:

Wikipedia.org, (2015). TurboGrafx-16. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TurboGrafx-16 [Accessed 5 May 2015]

Racketboy.com, (2013). TurboGrafx-16 101: The Beginner’s Guide. [online] Available at: http://www.racketboy.com/retro/turbografx-16/tubrografix-16-tg16-101-beginners-guide [Accessed 5 May 2015)