News
I Miss NEC in American Gaming
Cordova, TN, February 27, in the year of our Lord
2013 --Back in the 16-bit console wars most gamers
picked either the Sega Genesis or the Nintendo Super NES. The
Sega and Nintendo fanboys verbally debated the pros and cons of
their favorite chosen system. I had both a Sega Genesis and a
Nintendo Super NES. I did not pick either of them as my favorite
console in the 16-bit era. Instead I went a completely different
direction. I liked NEC's Turboduo the best.
I first learned about NEC with the TurboGrafx-16. This machine
used game cartridges that were the size of a credit card. Game
cases were around the size of a CD case. NEC knew how to take
care of their customers. They sent me a letter asking if I
wanted to upgrade to the Turboduo. All I had to do was pay them
just under one hundred dollars (to the best of my memory), and
mail them my TurboGrafx-16. In a quick turn around I was
enjoying the first CD gaming on the home console. I was playing
the best looking and the best sounding games in that era. That
memory still sticks with me to this day.
The innovations from NEC did not stop their either. They
released a hand held as well – the TurboExpress. This played the
same game cartridges that played on the TurboGrafx-16, and
Turboduo. Please note the TurboExpress did not play the CD
games. Other companies were requiring gamers to purchase all new
games for their hand helds. Sony recently brought this concept
back into the gaming industry. NEC is the one that first brought
it us. As well as the first company to bring CD gaming to home
consoles. NEC along with Hudson Soft brought plenty of fun,
fresh and fascinating franchises to gamers.
Ultimately Sega and Nintendo knocked NEC out of the gaming
market. Which is a true shame since they brought so many
important innovations to the industry. Thankfully some of them
continue to this day, and others are being brought back to the
market. I can not help but wonder what innovations NEC would
have brought to the American gamers if more gamers had embraced
their innovations as I had. I miss NEC in the American video
game market place. I hope to see them return some day soon.
- Editor in Chief
- Paul Bury