@@GTV-Japanah yes i remember playing sf2 on my turbo express but only having light jan and meduim jab cuz only had 2 buttons but imo nomad was first switch
I had a friend with one! His dad was a doctor they had money falling out the wazoo! He had the TG and the CD and the Express and a Neo Geo ANDDDD a 3DO!! 🤯 we played Plumbers don’t wear ties in 1994. Long before it was ever cool. Unfortunately he was spoiled and treated his stuff like garbage and so the express was broken and the rest was in disarray. Very sad!
Can we appreciate the Hucard for a moment? They were such a cool physical media format. Just the right size, kinda futuristic looking, and running lots of quintessentially japanese games. Awesome industrial design in action. GTV always has the good stuff.
Cartridges like the atom are mostly empty space, I think they made them big to look impressive and closer to a VHS tape. The famicom carts are half the size of NES ones.
I bought a used Turbo Express as a kid from gamedude for around $155. It was so awesome being able to play all my Tg16 games on the go without the need to purchase new software.
I got mine new in 1991 with some cash that my grandmother gave me as a gift at 13 years old. The only gripe was the tiny text. Other than that, fun times.
I remember a couple of friends having this, and loving it. It was actually pretty common in my area, but seems to have been mostly forgotten about when people discuss handhelds. I even had forgotten about it until i saw the thumbnail I said “ohhh yeah”
It was very common in my area too. There was a store that carried turbo everything in the newest mall nearby. And a store close to there bought from there and rented turbo games! Along with basically everything else. Even master system! So I really think an experience like that alters perceptions. Imagine places where the only store for 50 miles had a contract with Nintendo to only carry them?
If that’s the case I never saw them In Japan. Just the d connector which very few TVs had. Always thought there’d be a standalone UMD player for the tv but never happened
Yep. I have the original Sony component cables for PSP. Neat stuff. It simultaneously plugs into your video out and headphone jack to transmit everything to your tv. I also still have my childhood TurboExpress. I just had it recapped. That's how I played TurboChip games as a kid. I never had the home console growing up.
Yeah they were pioneers if we only look at consoles, CDs were seen in computers first. Computers have been at the forefront of technology for decades, and not just in terms of graphics. There were also super early handheld PCs. They were quite limited, but they might’ve been able to play a few DOS games. Still NEC probably deserves credit for making a stationary gaming machine portable before anyone else, or at least for doing it with far fewer compromises.
@@rustymixer2886 Looked into it further and it turns out I was kind of wrong. CDs were seen in computers in the mid-80s, but the very first video games on a CD-ROM were actually released in 1988 on the PC Engine CD. They were Fighting Street and No-Ri-Ko. Barely beat home computers, they started getting CD-ROM games the following year. To be honest my claim about gaming on palmtop computers is probably a stretch. Props to NEC for being more forward thinking than computers on those occasions.
At least the Nomad had readable text. What good is an expensive active matrix screen if you have to cheap out elsewhere and it's still too expensive? The actual action on the Nomad itself might be a blur, but you could adapt. And it was perfect for Shining Force II and Phantasy Star IV. Plus, it had 6 face buttons.
@@dustybunny6716 Rechargeables were a thing by the time the Nomad came out. It just had a stealth release at a time when the Genesis was fading fast - without Japanese support, its reputation was shot.
@juststatedtheobvious9633 hear hear! Not just for games but other things, Walkman etc, we had 12 batteries at least ready to go in the charger at my house. I always used ac adapters anyway. I mean what gamer actually goes outside?!
Game gear was the handheld I never heard back in the day. The first gen psp was pretty amazing to me... A friend has one he played some driving game on constantly for years.... Like long after they were out of fashion he still had that thing.
They designed the machine and nec was the manufacturer. It’s actually more amazing that Nintendo didn’t excommunicate Hudson like they do with everyone else who dared to stray.
PC Engine was a major hindrance to Sega back in the day. They never even took the second spot from Hudson in their home country. Back when Nakayama used to hold Monday morning meetings and humiliate his managers why they cant achieve success like Sega of America did.
I always remember seeing it advertised by an importer here in the UK in a magazine I used to get. It was one of those things that I always wanted at the time because it put every other handheld to shame. The only thing that would have topped it is if the Nomad actually came out a few years earlier when the Megadrive was at it's peak rather than at the end of its commercial lifespan.
Awesome video! I would have bought that PC Engine LT if it had come out in America. My parents often used to complain about the volume when I played video games on the TV, so it would have been great to play that LT in my room.
I think my favorite part about the Switch is that it kinda doubles as a retro games archive. It seems like it has the biggest collection of retro games anthologies from multiple platforms. Having Space Harrier, Legacy of the Wizard (Dragonslayer IV), Ikaruga, and Crystalis (God Slayer) all one one portable system is pretty awesome.
A retro games archive inferior to the previous one (Wii U). With a limited selection and run by a company that adds whatever games it wants, whenever it pleases. Last but not least it uses a lot of emulation (that started off poor) and requires a subscription. PCs (and handheld PCs by extension) are retro gaming powerhouses. Their backwards compatibility is unrivaled and can always be counted to be there in the next "generation."
I love the GT, it was like the holy grail of handhelds back then. I picked one up a couple of years ago and have modded it. I wouldn't sell it for anything. I was under the impression the GT stood for Graffix Turbo though.
To be fair though, you had to buy a separate system to make the PC Engine/Turbo Express like a Switch... whereas the Watara Supervision/Quickshot only required one accessory to get it playing on the TV, at least from what I've heard. Still cool to see this system covered. 0:14 - HD Rumble! Sorry, just wanted to remind folks about the underrated feature. I didn't think the portability would play much of a factor to my Switch experience but combined with it's quick boot up time, it has made jumping in (and out) of games wonderfully smooth compared to it's slowly booting up and often updating competitors. 0:49 - I never this existed for the PSP, so there you go indeed. 2:00 - The Hu Card is a great factor to the Turbo Express small size and feels well suited for the portable transition. The Nomad was an impressive idea but it always look awkward with the bulkier Mega Drive cartridges sticking out of it. 3:06 - They were really obsessed with trying to cram television footage onto a tiny screen back in the day, weren't they? From what I recall, the Game Gear and it's TV Tuner was heavily pushed (at least in PAL territories).
Given how many were sold it’s interesting how infrequently I see them here in japan in second hand stores. I’m not in the market for one, my standard Pc engine is enough for me but just struck me. Maybe that’s because I’ve never lived in a big city.
The LT has to rate as the most outrageously extravagant gaming device ever created, a true product of the Bubble Era as you say. What did LT stand for? Was it Lap Top? That’s the story I always heard. Never knew what GT stood for either, so thanks for the illumination! The PCE ecosystem was full of strange and exotic monikers, like HE System and CDROM² which just makes me love it more. My Dad actually bought me a PCE LT as a reward for passing all my exams in 1992. The promise of getting one of those was literally the only reason I worked my butt off at school, so thank you PC Engine for saving me from a life in the gutter.
LT stands for laptop. Unfortunately not Lawrence Taylor. HE means home entertainment CD ROM2 was pronounced rom rom and it was to be able to apply a trademark because CD ROM could not. I found a Pc engine book a few years ago in Japan that explained absolutely everything! I show it off in my pc engine mini video.
@Morgil27 I think about that often. If you lived in a small town and had one store you were at the mercy of their selection. If you only bought from a catalog you probably had no idea what “the scene” was like elsewhere.
PSP had component and composite video cables too. You could get 720p PSP output with letterboxed but nicely displayed PSP. You could also pick 480i, and have PS1 games on PSP output in 240p with scantiness within the 480i field.
If one day I ever get my hands on one of these things I will make it a duty to watch a Game Center CX episode on it, one of the early ones so it's in 4:3 for authenticity
I remember everyone wanted a Turbo Express back in the day yet no one I knew had a Turbo Express back in the day lol. That price was brutal. Keep in mind $249.99 when adjusted for inflation is $612.87 in March 2024 dollars! Great video, GTV!
I had the PC Engine GT. Didn't even know it was released in US tbh, but it was pretty popular where I'm from. Still remember the bonkers hassle of carrying 6-12 AA batteries just to keep the thing running.
As a European, the only way to enjoy the PCE without to import it for lots of money is through emulation. Did a lot of that in the early 2000's with some early and broken PC-Engine emulator for Windows too but it felt cool! Especially since this was neither the Famicom/NES or MarkIII/MasterSystem. I got note of it from a German gaming related TV show in the early 2000's (and everyone else from Germany who did the same at the time knows exactly what show I am talking about) where a guest showed off _exotic_ handhelds we never got to experience here in Europe or if so, only in very small batches. Always found the PC-Engine to be cool, especially because it had a portable variant that looked like a GameBoy with color and backlit screen.
I used to play on magic engine. But it didn’t work with ISOs but it did if you had the real disc. I’m a bit puzzled there isn’t a pce spot on the switch. There was on the Wii U!
The PC-Engine and all of its variations were never officially sold in my country. I used to read some European magazines and all the Turbo/PC-Engine games looked so cool. At the time, I was not aware the Express existed. It would have blown my mind. Thank you very much for the video. It was great, as usual with your content.
@GimblyGFR no. I stopped about 10 years ago. Many reasons. Main 2 are that the talent agency tried to walk off with my pay and that after several years of trying I was not at the superstar level and needed to get a proper steady income and schedule going. But when I’m old I’d like to go back to it at least once more
@@GTV-Japan Well, I hope you can make it back! In the meantime, we gained some amazing content with you being on UA-cam. If you don't mind me asking: Do you get enough with your videos to make a living off the channel?
@GimblyGFR NO!! Not even close. I made $327 in March though. A good amount to stay motivated but not so much that the channel goes the wrong way. I have a theory about channels and that once it solely becomes a money making endeavor, it’s over. The channel will slide into shilling for awful products, reviews that are actually PR, chasing trends and in some cases, slowing down to almost While the channel that you originally loved and all those topics and that dedication and personal touch is gone forever. Never to come back. It’s been proven over and over again. UA-cam will never be a job for me also because I already have a good job with a lifetime contract signed and sealed. I can work in the same place and same schedule and same deal undisturbed until I am 71! After which I will be too old for work anyway and who knows maybe I will keep the channel going all that time.
I don't think I will ever collect for the PC Engine. But damm that system has charm. I actually like to use the Turbo Express boarder when playing my CoreGrfx mini. I think I will actually play right now.
@@GTV-Japan :) I am good. Thanks. How are you, are you still in Japan :)? BTW I fortunately managed to get 2 PC engines from one Russian dude in Bulgaria, so I get out without shipping, he give them to me in person for very nice price. One model is the original with 1 controller for about 80 €, and the other is the second model "core craphics II" with 2 controllers, one of them is special with pass throw for the player 2. And Street Fighter 2 for 110 €. :)
Since the Game Gear (a portable Master System) launched a couple months earlier, I guess it was the first handheld console that could be played on a TV, since it also had a TV turner. Although I don't know if that accessory was launched before the PCE GT. Also the Sega Nomad (portable Mega Drive) could be attached on a TV with a simple cable, no expensive accessory required.
Being 16 years old at the time I remember all of this and the hype before and after. As much as they innovated, they missed the mark so many times with the SuperGrafX being the biggest miss. Too many versions of their systems, too expensive and no real launch in Europe. Great days though. Nothing better then getting a new edition of EGM or GameFan from the USA and seeing all these wonderful toys!
Holy cow, you said babbages.....total flashback to the good old brick n mortar days.....are the units standing up to the test of time? Id love to get one but not sure on it's durability in today's world
got mine some 15ish years ago when prices werent as high as ive seen em lately, still works but last time i played it the sound was wonky which i believe means i need to have the capicators replaced which is becoming a VERY common issue with old tech.
I have a Turbo Express. Sadly the most common thing that happens to them affected mine and the sound doesn't work on it, needs to be re capped and I don't have any soldering skills
@dogeymon83 I knew someone who had one. Very spoiled rich kid who would ask his mom for money to go out and she’s give him $100 bills! Of course he never appreciated it and it just sat broken in a drawer. Sad!
I was curious about maybe getting one of these someday, but their current prices were kinda a no-go for me. Also, I got more CD games than HuCard games presently.
@@GTV-Japan Ah, do be careful to maintain your nutrition! I've heard some scary things about UA-camrs and livestreamers having health issues due to malnourishment and dehydration. Stay healthy!
And now things come fill circle with the newly released 15000 yen attachable PC Engine IPS screens that have HDMI output as an option or can be powered by USB. With a small power bank your PC Engine can instantly switch from portable to modern TV!
To go from the PC Engine GT to the Switch.... c'mon, GTV. The Sega Nomad says hello 😉Someday, hopefully, it'd be great if you find enough interesting things to say about that that it could get a 5 minute quickie video.
And I’ll also add that while the nomad was awesome it was so end of life that it barely registered while the PCE in its prime had this option. But I think I’ll eventually cover everything similar to that in time.
As good as the Turbo Express was and how good it was to play console games on the go, if it's too expensive for most people to try, then what's the point. Considering the Turbo Express was around twice as much as the Lynx and Game Gear, and around 3 times the cost of the Game Boy, no won5if failed in the US.
It looks like it was 299 from early 91 to late 92. And only 199 after that when cards were mostly done anyway. Shame! The mindset is just different in Japan. People would drop a fortune on new just to have the latest thing and be flashy about it. But those days are long over.
I still own my Turboexpress, but it doesn't work anymore. I sadly never played it much since it absolutely DRAINED batteries. I think the only game I really played a lot on it was Devils Crush/aliens crush. Probably some Shockman.
Apparently so but I’ve never seen these things in Japan. I was lucky enough to have a D connection on my old box tv. But sure. Woulda loved regular cables.
Hey K!!! I have a question id like to hear your opinion on? How do you think Nintendo decides what game they create next? Do you think its done by CEO decision, popular producer, group huddle, polling, popular culture, testing, financial input from co-production house, sales, or do you think im way out of focus? Also I'd like to hear your answer based on the Hiroshi Yaumachi era as well as present day. I come asking you because youve always been there when i need some japan based research. If you got a comment id love to hear it. Oh yeah i got one last question too what the frig is a D connector?
I think Yamauchi just dictated and the staff delivered. It was probably supervised by Miyamoto and stuff was being worked on constantly and whatever was call for was probably in the works. Nowadays I’m sure they know they are making the next Zelda Mario Kirby etc. just a matter of who will make it.
Funny how today people will justify splurging over a grand for the latest iPhone but a TurboExpress that cost 300 burger shekels was too expensive back then.
I used to think the Turbo Express was a really cool handheld when I was younger, but soon as I saw the... AWFUL screen... I realized it was just bad bad bad. It's the most inconvenient and unpleasant way to play Turbo/PC Engine games, not even counting the battery life for them six batteries.
That starting advert.... brilliant
Cheers! This year the opening for every video is a classic ad about the topic of the video, rearranged with different text. Check em all out!
@@GTV-Japanah yes i remember playing sf2 on my turbo express but only having light jan and meduim jab cuz only had 2 buttons but imo nomad was first switch
I never had a Turbo Express, despite always seeing it for sale at Babbage's. Already owning a TG-16 and the high cost kept me away.
I was the weird kid with a tg-16 too
Will Smith's son almost got one, but then there was this whole thing with those NSA goons.
@@CarletonTorpin 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I had a friend with one! His dad was a doctor they had money falling out the wazoo! He had the TG and the CD and the Express and a Neo Geo ANDDDD a 3DO!! 🤯 we played Plumbers don’t wear ties in 1994. Long before it was ever cool. Unfortunately he was spoiled and treated his stuff like garbage and so the express was broken and the rest was in disarray. Very sad!
@@thecunninlynguisteots
Can we appreciate the Hucard for a moment?
They were such a cool physical media format.
Just the right size, kinda futuristic looking, and running lots of quintessentially japanese games.
Awesome industrial design in action.
GTV always has the good stuff.
You can relive the hucard at least once. I’ve heard there’s parasol stars on card for the switch coming soon
Didn't the SG-1000/MKIII use a similar card thingy years before the PCE?
@dan_perry yes it did. Almost the same size too.
Cartridges like the atom are mostly empty space, I think they made them big to look impressive and closer to a VHS tape.
The famicom carts are half the size of NES ones.
Stole idea from sega cards but ok
I bought a used Turbo Express as a kid from gamedude for around $155. It was so awesome being able to play all my Tg16 games on the go without the need to purchase new software.
I got mine new in 1991 with some cash that my grandmother gave me as a gift at 13 years old. The only gripe was the tiny text. Other than that, fun times.
I remember a couple of friends having this, and loving it. It was actually pretty common in my area, but seems to have been mostly forgotten about when people discuss handhelds. I even had forgotten about it until i saw the thumbnail I said “ohhh yeah”
It was very common in my area too. There was a store that carried turbo everything in the newest mall nearby. And a store close to there bought from there and rented turbo games! Along with basically everything else. Even master system! So I really think an experience like that alters perceptions. Imagine places where the only store for 50 miles had a contract with Nintendo to only carry them?
Great episode as always. Would like to add that the PSP did have official component cables, beat Crisis Core playing like that.
If that’s the case I never saw them
In Japan. Just the d connector which very few TVs had. Always thought there’d be a standalone UMD player for the tv but never happened
Yep. I have the original Sony component cables for PSP. Neat stuff. It simultaneously plugs into your video out and headphone jack to transmit everything to your tv.
I also still have my childhood TurboExpress. I just had it recapped. That's how I played TurboChip games as a kid. I never had the home console growing up.
I owned a Turbo Express here in NY. I loved playing Bonk.
Excellent stuff!! Ah my all time favourite handheld. Bless you, GTV
Hudson Soft and NEC were the pioneers of both compact disc gaming, and the TV and portable gaming hybrid.
Indeed and thier chips were in other systems
Yeah they were pioneers if we only look at consoles, CDs were seen in computers first. Computers have been at the forefront of technology for decades, and not just in terms of graphics. There were also super early handheld PCs. They were quite limited, but they might’ve been able to play a few DOS games. Still NEC probably deserves credit for making a stationary gaming machine portable before anyone else, or at least for doing it with far fewer compromises.
@@protocetid I give them credit for living room cd games and portable console yes
@@rustymixer2886 Looked into it further and it turns out I was kind of wrong. CDs were seen in computers in the mid-80s, but the very first video games on a CD-ROM were actually released in 1988 on the PC Engine CD. They were Fighting Street and No-Ri-Ko. Barely beat home computers, they started getting CD-ROM games the following year. To be honest my claim about gaming on palmtop computers is probably a stretch. Props to NEC for being more forward thinking than computers on those occasions.
Ok cool
I wanted one so bad! love this channel !
Me too! I think if they actually did the drastic price cut to 99 TTI could have sold a lot of them but shoganai
Nintendo Switch of the 90s?
*Cries in Sega Nomad*
At least the Nomad had readable text. What good is an expensive active matrix screen if you have to cheap out elsewhere and it's still too expensive?
The actual action on the Nomad itself might be a blur, but you could adapt.
And it was perfect for Shining Force II and Phantasy Star IV.
Plus, it had 6 face buttons.
But my god, all those batteries
@@dustybunny6716 Rechargeables were a thing by the time the Nomad came out.
It just had a stealth release at a time when the Genesis was fading fast - without Japanese support, its reputation was shot.
@juststatedtheobvious9633 hear hear! Not just for games but other things, Walkman etc, we had 12 batteries at least ready to go in the charger at my house. I always used ac adapters anyway. I mean what gamer actually goes outside?!
Game gear was the handheld I never heard back in the day. The first gen psp was pretty amazing to me... A friend has one he played some driving game on constantly for years.... Like long after they were out of fashion he still had that thing.
not only was it a color screen, it was a lighted screen! that was a major improvment for me.
I sort of long for a brightness dial on the switch and vita. I loved making the screen “negative “ if you know what I mean.
My first handheld and TV hybrid was the GameBoy and Super GameBoy, after that, my Genesis Nomad.
Never knew about Hudson Soft being a console competitor to Nintendo & SEGA.
I love channels like this.
They designed the machine and nec was the manufacturer. It’s actually more amazing that Nintendo didn’t excommunicate Hudson like they do with everyone else who dared to stray.
PC Engine was a major hindrance to Sega back in the day. They never even took the second spot from Hudson in their home country. Back when Nakayama used to hold Monday morning meetings and humiliate his managers why they cant achieve success like Sega of America did.
@WhatIsMatter101 the mega drive did reach 20%! It’s not a win but not so bad.
This is why this channel is the best!
And now the GTV has basically been revived thanks to the Analogue Pocket with the Pocket Cartridge Adapter
0:58 1990 was also the same year when the NeoGeo graced arcades and home consoles!
I always remember seeing it advertised by an importer here in the UK in a magazine I used to get. It was one of those things that I always wanted at the time because it put every other handheld to shame. The only thing that would have topped it is if the Nomad actually came out a few years earlier when the Megadrive was at it's peak rather than at the end of its commercial lifespan.
Awesome video! I would have bought that PC Engine LT if it had come out in America. My parents often used to complain about the volume when I played video games on the TV, so it would have been great to play that LT in my room.
Wow! Woulda been nice
I think my favorite part about the Switch is that it kinda doubles as a retro games archive. It seems like it has the biggest collection of retro games anthologies from multiple platforms. Having Space Harrier, Legacy of the Wizard (Dragonslayer IV), Ikaruga, and Crystalis (God Slayer) all one one portable system is pretty awesome.
A race archives and the switch online stuff is enough to play forever. Who needs new games?!
A retro games archive inferior to the previous one (Wii U). With a limited selection and run by a company that adds whatever games it wants, whenever it pleases. Last but not least it uses a lot of emulation (that started off poor) and requires a subscription. PCs (and handheld PCs by extension) are retro gaming powerhouses. Their backwards compatibility is unrivaled and can always be counted to be there in the next "generation."
Bought a minted with box, already at home. So happy!
Wow!🤩
Wow. Great episode GTV. I always thought GT stood for Game Tank. I learned something new.
In my pc engine book in Japanese it says game and tv. Maybe game tank was a place holder American name?
I love the GT, it was like the holy grail of handhelds back then. I picked one up a couple of years ago and have modded it. I wouldn't sell it for anything. I was under the impression the GT stood for Graffix Turbo though.
To be fair though, you had to buy a separate system to make the PC Engine/Turbo Express like a Switch... whereas the Watara Supervision/Quickshot only required one accessory to get it playing on the TV, at least from what I've heard. Still cool to see this system covered.
0:14 - HD Rumble! Sorry, just wanted to remind folks about the underrated feature. I didn't think the portability would play much of a factor to my Switch experience but combined with it's quick boot up time, it has made jumping in (and out) of games wonderfully smooth compared to it's slowly booting up and often updating competitors.
0:49 - I never this existed for the PSP, so there you go indeed.
2:00 - The Hu Card is a great factor to the Turbo Express small size and feels well suited for the portable transition. The Nomad was an impressive idea but it always look awkward with the bulkier Mega Drive cartridges sticking out of it.
3:06 - They were really obsessed with trying to cram television footage onto a tiny screen back in the day, weren't they? From what I recall, the Game Gear and it's TV Tuner was heavily pushed (at least in PAL territories).
And portable tv never worked because reception is so awful
Baggages man.... now that took me waaay back to my childhood, Cheers! Eating grilled chicken wings and beer, as always! Cheers!!!
I would really like to get one of these, and nomad.
Given how many were sold it’s interesting how infrequently I see them here in japan in second hand stores. I’m not in the market for one, my standard
Pc engine is enough for me but just struck me. Maybe that’s because I’ve never lived in a big city.
My guess is many stopped working or nobody wants to part with them!
@@GTV-Japan I guess so, maybe they were using the same bad caps like they did in the PC Engine/Turbo Duo leading to many getting junked.
@vix_in_japan also looking at the value on yahoo auction is never dump one at hard off. Even broken.
@@GTV-Japan Ahhh I always forget that, even though I pretty much only use Mercari these days to by second hand games.
@vix_in_japan that’s good! But I use yahoo free market now because they often give you discounts if you use PayPay
The LT has to rate as the most outrageously extravagant gaming device ever created, a true product of the Bubble Era as you say. What did LT stand for? Was it Lap Top? That’s the story I always heard. Never knew what GT stood for either, so thanks for the illumination! The PCE ecosystem was full of strange and exotic monikers, like HE System and CDROM² which just makes me love it more.
My Dad actually bought me a PCE LT as a reward for passing all my exams in 1992. The promise of getting one of those was literally the only reason I worked my butt off at school, so thank you PC Engine for saving me from a life in the gutter.
LT stands for laptop. Unfortunately not Lawrence Taylor. HE means home entertainment CD ROM2 was pronounced rom rom and it was to be able to apply a trademark because CD ROM could not. I found a Pc engine book a few years ago in Japan that explained absolutely everything! I show it off in my pc engine mini video.
Growing up in the late 80s/90s, I never even heard of the Turbographix-16 until the games started showing up on the Wii's virtual console.
I guess it depends on how much it was marketed where you lived. Which sounds like zero for you!
@@GTV-Japan I grew up in rural Wisconsin. Most everyone I knew played Nintendo, except for one neighbor who had a Sega Genesis.
@Morgil27 I think about that often. If you lived in a small town and had one store you were at the mercy of their selection. If you only bought from a catalog you probably had no idea what “the scene” was like elsewhere.
PSP had component and composite video cables too.
You could get 720p PSP output with letterboxed but nicely displayed PSP.
You could also pick 480i, and have PS1 games on PSP output in 240p with scantiness within the 480i field.
Ah I see. This was never sold in Japan so I had no idea. Would have been a lot easier that’s for sure.
Also exists PC-ENGINE LT
Oh I'm sorry I left that out.
@@GTV-Japan cool :D
If one day I ever get my hands on one of these things I will make it a duty to watch a Game Center CX episode on it, one of the early ones so it's in 4:3 for authenticity
I remember everyone wanted a Turbo Express back in the day yet no one I knew had a Turbo Express back in the day lol. That price was brutal. Keep in mind $249.99 when adjusted for inflation is $612.87 in March 2024 dollars! Great video, GTV!
Yikes! Somehow the switch lite is only 21000
I had the PC Engine GT. Didn't even know it was released in US tbh, but it was pretty popular where I'm from. Still remember the bonkers hassle of carrying 6-12 AA batteries just to keep the thing running.
Most people didn’t know either. I hope you had some rechargeables!
As a European, the only way to enjoy the PCE without to import it for lots of money is through emulation.
Did a lot of that in the early 2000's with some early and broken PC-Engine emulator for Windows too but it felt cool! Especially since this was neither the Famicom/NES or MarkIII/MasterSystem.
I got note of it from a German gaming related TV show in the early 2000's (and everyone else from Germany who did the same at the time knows exactly what show I am talking about) where a guest showed off _exotic_ handhelds we never got to experience here in Europe or if so, only in very small batches.
Always found the PC-Engine to be cool, especially because it had a portable variant that looked like a GameBoy with color and backlit screen.
I used to play on magic engine. But it didn’t work with ISOs but it did if you had the real disc. I’m a bit puzzled there isn’t a pce spot on the switch. There was on the Wii U!
@@GTV-Japan Yea, the Switch NSO emulation sadly is only a far cry from what it used to be especially on Wii :/
The PC-Engine and all of its variations were never officially sold in my country. I used to read some European magazines and all the Turbo/PC-Engine games looked so cool. At the time, I was not aware the Express existed. It would have blown my mind. Thank you very much for the video. It was great, as usual with your content.
No problem as always! If you look closely you’ll see some of my acting chops too 🍺
@@GTV-Japan I rewatched the video, and I noticed! And I remember another video that included footage of you on a TV show. Are you still acting?
@GimblyGFR no. I stopped about 10 years ago. Many reasons. Main 2 are that the talent agency tried to walk off with my pay and that after several years of trying I was not at the superstar level and needed to get a proper steady income and schedule going. But when I’m old I’d like to go back to it at least once more
@@GTV-Japan Well, I hope you can make it back! In the meantime, we gained some amazing content with you being on UA-cam. If you don't mind me asking: Do you get enough with your videos to make a living off the channel?
@GimblyGFR NO!! Not even close. I made $327 in March though. A good amount to stay motivated but not so much that the channel goes the wrong way. I have a theory about channels and that once it solely becomes a money making endeavor, it’s over. The channel will slide into shilling for awful products, reviews that are actually PR, chasing trends and in some cases, slowing down to almost While the channel that you originally loved and all those topics and that dedication and personal touch is gone forever. Never to come back. It’s been proven over and over again. UA-cam will never be a job for me also because I already have a good job with a lifetime contract signed and sealed. I can work in the same place and same schedule and same deal undisturbed until I am 71! After which I will be too old for work anyway and who knows maybe I will keep the channel going all that time.
I don't think I will ever collect for the PC Engine. But damm that system has charm.
I actually like to use the Turbo Express boarder when playing my CoreGrfx mini.
I think I will actually play right now.
I like that border. Nice touch
Could the TurboExpress connect to a TV? I knew of its existence, it's pretty cool, very ahead of its time.
No but you could connect a tv to it.
@@GTV-Japan Pretty interesting that it only goes one way.
@Vulpas I’m sure they wanted you to buy the pc engine instead
@@GTV-Japan I would bet you that's why Nintendo never added it to any of the Gameboy systems either.
I wanted this so bad growing up. I ended up with a game gear and tv tuner that I lugged everywhere.
I understand. I saw it every time I went to the mall. Never pulled the trigger. The Game Gear was a great choice though!
wait!, i thought it was called the GT which meant Game Tank, i could swear thats what it was anyway.
Maybe it’s a backronym. But I have this pce book that says it’s game and tv
I just love PC-Engine 😊.
Hey my old friend! How you been? Thanks coming back again!
@@GTV-Japan :) I am good. Thanks. How are you, are you still in Japan :)?
BTW I fortunately managed to get 2 PC engines from one Russian dude in Bulgaria, so I get out without shipping, he give them to me in person for very nice price. One model is the original with 1 controller for about 80 €, and the other is the second model "core craphics II" with 2 controllers, one of them is special with pass throw for the player 2. And Street Fighter 2 for 110 €.
:)
@intel386DX that’s pretty good these days. A weak yen and massive tourism here has wrecked everything!
Since the Game Gear (a portable Master System) launched a couple months earlier, I guess it was the first handheld console that could be played on a TV, since it also had a TV turner. Although I don't know if that accessory was launched before the PCE GT.
Also the Sega Nomad (portable Mega Drive) could be attached on a TV with a simple cable, no expensive accessory required.
I thought about that but the carts are different so I’d say it doesn’t count.
They go for crazy high prices now. Some crafty folks have upgraded the screens and charge like $2000 for them.
Where do people get 2000 for anything?!
VHF and UHF lol. I feel old
We got it all on UHF! 🐩 🪽
U had me at Street Fighter ❤
That’s almost at the end! Hadouken!
*cries in Master System adapter for Game Gear*
Don’t do that! You’ll get it wet!
Being 16 years old at the time I remember all of this and the hype before and after. As much as they innovated, they missed the mark so many times with the SuperGrafX being the biggest miss. Too many versions of their systems, too expensive and no real launch in Europe. Great days though. Nothing better then getting a new edition of EGM or GameFan from the USA and seeing all these wonderful toys!
Are you European? Well I’d say not releasing something is the first step to failure…
@@GTV-Japan English yes. I recall they had a release window but couldn't find a distributor. I have the mini console so enjoy it as is.
Yeah it’s too bad, I heard in France it was pretty big despite being expensive
Holy cow, you said babbages.....total flashback to the good old brick n mortar days.....are the units standing up to the test of time? Id love to get one but not sure on it's durability in today's world
I see tons of mods with a nicer new screen and replacement caps so maybe it’s diy or not much plus parts to get one serviced.
@@GTV-Japan I'm gonna look into one
A local place has one of these and I've long wanted one but just can't drop that kind of cash. Such a nifty system though.
I hear ya. Things are tough all over
This needs to be re-released as the GT-R!! GT-Retro!
Konami? Where are you?!
@@GTV-Japan What? I'm from Australia but love these Japanese retro consoles.
I mean Konami owns all the rights so where are they? Make one!
@@GTV-Japan Ah, I see! Yes, exactly, right?!
Pc engine forever!
One day I will get The Turbo Express. 😀👍🎮
If it has RCA, I can connect my digital TV receiver and watch it on the PC Engine GT 👀
I may have goofed. You can connect rca to it but you need some kind of splitter cable I guess? It comes with the tuner if you’re lucky!
@@GTV-Japan From what I searched on Google, you only need a cable with a 3.5mm connector. It's very simple and easy \o/
The timing of this video’s release now that emulators are on the iOS App Store 😅
I hope Tim Apple doesn’t send me a C&D! 😨
FYI: I have component cables for my Sony PSP, and they work great. (They were available at the time, at least in the US.)
Apparently these are USA only. How was I supposed to know?
ah yes i remember playing sf2 on my turbo express but only having light jan and meduim jab cuz only had 2 buttons but imo nomad was first switch
Nomad is the PSP.
Discontinued and never beat Nintendo in tbe portable console space.
@@DontKnowDontCare6.9 I enjoy my nomad as much as gba
got mine some 15ish years ago when prices werent as high as ive seen em lately, still works but last time i played it the sound was wonky which i believe means i need to have the capicators replaced which is becoming a VERY common issue with old tech.
I think it’s easy enough to find someone to do it. Or maybe try yourself
GT meaning Game Tank .
Game and Television.
@@GTV-Japan Sorry ....
Got one now
3:44 "The price eventually fell... boosting [the console's] overall sales to twenty seven." Burn.
Great video very informative I had no idea what it was when I found one at my grandma's garage. Are they worth anything today
Whoooo yes! If it works then it’s at least 500$ us.
I have a Turbo Express. Sadly the most common thing that happens to them affected mine and the sound doesn't work on it, needs to be re capped and I don't have any soldering skills
Sorry to hear that 😞
I liked the Sega Nomad....
Turbo Xpress is the GBA, before the GBA. It even has a SP version.
Always wanted one of these babies. It was a prominent prop in the film, Enemy of the State (1998)...EDIT: no love for the Nomad?
I think mister nomad deserves his own video
Yeah when I saw it in the SEARS wishbook as a kid, it was always $299 in the catalog
At 299 all you can do is wish!
@@GTV-Japan I just looked at it as if to think “wow this must be what the rich kids are playing with”
@dogeymon83 I knew someone who had one. Very spoiled rich kid who would ask his mom for money to go out and she’s give him $100 bills! Of course he never appreciated it and it just sat broken in a drawer. Sad!
I was curious about maybe getting one of these someday, but their current prices were kinda a no-go for me.
Also, I got more CD games than HuCard games presently.
Yeah I hear ya. How’d life get so expensive?
@@GTV-Japan Well, to be fair in regards to that comment, life inflated in price more than the GT did. I can't get $5 pizza pies anymore...
@kabbusses I know! And that 10% sales tax doesn’t help either! But it’s ok. I barely eat and just drink water all day to stay alive.
@@GTV-Japan Ah, do be careful to maintain your nutrition! I've heard some scary things about UA-camrs and livestreamers having health issues due to malnourishment and dehydration. Stay healthy!
@kabbusses yeah well. I have no money! At the office everyone laughs at me for eating a old piece of bread while they eat expensive bentos 🍱
And now things come fill circle with the newly released 15000 yen attachable PC Engine IPS screens that have HDMI output as an option or can be powered by USB. With a small power bank your PC Engine can instantly switch from portable to modern TV!
The right to repair movement showing the way!!!
imagine an alternative world where the big three today would be Nintendo, Sony, and NEC for consoles
Yeah. Instead of just the big two.
@@GTV-Japan we could have had Bonk's Odyssey lol
@NothingHereForYou I know!
To go from the PC Engine GT to the Switch.... c'mon, GTV. The Sega Nomad says hello 😉Someday, hopefully, it'd be great if you find enough interesting things to say about that that it could get a 5 minute quickie video.
Yeah I will. Don’t worry! There is a nice history to it. Maybe later this year as a companion to this one.
And I’ll also add that while the nomad was awesome it was so end of life that it barely registered while the PCE in its prime had this option. But I think I’ll eventually cover everything similar to that in time.
As good as the Turbo Express was and how good it was to play console games on the go, if it's too expensive for most people to try, then what's the point. Considering the Turbo Express was around twice as much as the Lynx and Game Gear, and around 3 times the cost of the Game Boy, no won5if failed in the US.
It looks like it was 299 from early 91 to late 92. And only 199 after that when cards were mostly done anyway. Shame! The mindset is just different in Japan. People would drop a fortune on new just to have the latest thing and be flashy about it. But those days are long over.
Fun fact, the turbo express is what became the mcguffin in enemy of the state with will smith!
I think it’s in 3 ninjas kick back and maybe spy kids? Will Smith takes me back… welcome to Earth! Punch!!!! I wonder what he’s up to today?
I still own my Turboexpress, but it doesn't work anymore. I sadly never played it much since it absolutely DRAINED batteries. I think the only game I really played a lot on it was Devils Crush/aliens crush. Probably some Shockman.
You can always get it repaired! Thanks for sharing your story!
Is that footage of yourself appearing on Japanese TV spliced into a couple parts of this video?
Of course! In the days before UA-cam I was “big in Japan!” I was on tv every weekend!
enemy of the state yo
3:42 That kid playing the Turbo Grafx CD system HuCard in his Turbo Express. 🤣 It's a BIOS not a game.
It's going for around 500 on ebay lol damn I want one but I dunno if I do that bad.
I know! Missed the boat yet again
The video should have ended saying “orrrrrrr….just get an Everdrive Pro”
Or! Just use open emu and save all your money! 💸
0:58 Violator!
PSP actually can just use composite and component cable.
Apparently so but I’ve never seen these things in Japan. I was lucky enough to have a D connection on my old box tv. But sure. Woulda loved regular cables.
Hey K!!! I have a question id like to hear your opinion on? How do you think Nintendo decides what game they create next? Do you think its done by CEO decision, popular producer, group huddle, polling, popular culture, testing, financial input from co-production house, sales, or do you think im way out of focus? Also I'd like to hear your answer based on the Hiroshi Yaumachi era as well as present day. I come asking you because youve always been there when i need some japan based research. If you got a comment id love to hear it. Oh yeah i got one last question too what the frig is a D connector?
I think Yamauchi just dictated and the staff delivered. It was probably supervised by Miyamoto and stuff was being worked on constantly and whatever was call for was probably in the works. Nowadays I’m sure they know they are making the next Zelda Mario Kirby etc. just a matter of who will make it.
@@GTV-Japan your probably right
Funny how today people will justify splurging over a grand for the latest iPhone but a TurboExpress that cost 300 burger shekels was too expensive back then.
Yeah. Funny how that works!
I used to think the Turbo Express was a really cool handheld when I was younger, but soon as I saw the... AWFUL screen... I realized it was just bad bad bad. It's the most inconvenient and unpleasant way to play Turbo/PC Engine games, not even counting the battery life for them six batteries.
I will agree it is very crunched up!!
Same experience on the TV as on the go. LOL and a pretty shitty experience on the TV that is. The switch is a potato.
The Switch is a potato? No, The Switch is a game machine. A potato is a vegetable.
disagree respectfully; Babbage's was life them and EBGames 😭😭😭
It’s ok bro! 🤗