The TurboGrafx 16/PC Engine was an interesting console. While it never reached the heights of Nintendo and Sega in the west, it was a huge success in Japan, with many amazing games. With so many great games that stand out, here are ten of the best, including CD and Japan-only games.
Dungeon Explorer
One of the more ambitious games for the system, Dungeon Explorer was a mix of action-adventure RPG and Gauntlet-style dungeon crawling. While there was a main storyline and NPCs to interact with, the highlight of the game was getting up to five players could join in on the action via the Turbo Tap add-on. Getting your friends together to take on bosses and plow through the dungeons made this a fun title to play, and it is sort of a precursor to how some modern dungeon crawlers play and has influenced many others over the years.
Blazing Lazers
Blazing Lazers is simply one of the best shoot ‘em ups of the 16-bit era. The title had fun gameplay with a nice variety of powerups, enemies and some of the best music on the system. The excellent boss fights and large replay value drew people in and kept them happy. This was actually a licensed title in Japan, but the license was removed for the localization, which has enabled re-releases since then. This is a must-play for anyone wanting to try out the system.
Bonk Trilogy
A bit of a cheat here by including the entire trilogy and this will not be the only cheat on the list. The Bonk trilogy is essential for any TG 16 owner, and not just because Bonk was the system mascot. These are some of the best 16-bit platformers around, with excellent music and outstanding visuals. The third entry tried to innovate via the growing and shrinking mechanics, but it was the second entry that stands out as the most polished. Expertly designed levels, fun bosses, and just an overall sense of wonder made this trilogy excellent.
Alien Crush
While the sequel Devil Crush is arguably better, Alien Crush holds a special place in many fans’ hearts. Alien Crush is a sci-fi-themed pinball game that takes heavy influence from the Alien film franchise and other Giger imagery to create a truly atmospheric game. This is not just pinball with a sci-fi coat of paint on it, but a game that makes full use of its setting. The bonus areas include boss fights against alien monsters added a nice challenge, and the overall satisfaction made this pinball fans must play.
Bloody Wolf
Run n Gun games are a favourite genre for many and Bloody Wolf is an excellent choice to play. A mostly faithful port of Data East’s arcade game, Bloody Wolf plays like a cross between Ikari Warriors and the latter series Shock Troopers from SNK. The game sees you taking out enemies and rescuing hostages in order to progress while also dodging enemy fire. The excellent gameplay makes the occasional slowdown tolerable, and this is one of the must-have titles for TurboGrafx.
Neutopia 1 and 2
Another cheat for the list, Neutopia 1 and 2 were action-adventure games in the style of Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda series. This is not to disparage the games as clones, but it must be said that they take heavy influence, although the games manage to add their own spin in the right areas to stand out as well. A more fully realized world than their immediate inspiration, for instance, and a more intricate system of interaction made these games must-play titles. One way to think of these is as a cross between Zelda 1 and A Link to the Past with some great new ideas mixed in as well.
Gomola Speed
A unique action puzzle game, Gomola Speed is similar to the classic game Snake but with a few key differences. This Japan-only gem sees you needing to get additional pieces of your body then enclose around gems to solve puzzles. This may sound easy enough at first, but there are enemies abound and bosses to fight, and getting hit will scatter your body pieces necessitating you to gather them up again. Gomola Speed is an addictive puzzle game and one you will find yourself spending hours on, just to get everything done the way you want and is perhaps the best puzzle game on the system.
The Legendary Axe
The Legendary Axe is a side-scrolling action-platformer, with a well-deserved good reputation. The game sees you play as a caveman hacking and slashing your way through enemies while navigating the environment to some amazing music. The game has tight controls, excellent bosses and that x-factor that makes you want to keep playing no matter how many times you die. There is a good amount of challenge here, but not to an impossible level. While the sequel went in a strange direction, this title is one of the best Classicvania style side scrollers outside of the Castlevania series.
Ys Books 1 and 2
While there are many great RPGs on the TurboGrafx, the best were the Ys titles. Ys Books 1 and 2 are a single package and have the early adventures of Adol Christin told with gorgeous music, an excellent story, and an interesting combat mechanic. Rather than traditional combat, you must bump into enemies in the right direction in order to attack. This may seem like a strange style of combat, but it actually works rather well here. The presentation in the Ys games is among the best on the system and would help popularize the Ys franchise into becoming legendary in its own right. If you like action RPGs, then you need to play Ys.
Castlevania Dracula X: Rondo of Blood
This one needs no introduction really, as it is one of the best-known games on the PC Engine. Rondo of Blood is one of the best games not only on the system but also in the Castlevania franchise as a whole. While going back to an earlier style of combat for the franchise, Rondo managed to refine that style and make it work better. Richter Belmont was more agile than any protagonist before and was capable of feats never seen by gamers. The new changes to how sub-weapons work and the item crash ability made fighting enemies feel more immersive and gave a desire to see all the new effects being strong. The multiple branching paths you had to find, multiple endings and a second character all meant that you had something that was quite different from the rest of the series. The amazing music and visuals the game had also helped make this one of the most well-regarded games of all time.
And there you have it. A list of the ten best TurboGrafx/PC Engine games. Be sure to share with us what your favourite games on the system were.