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DW FACTS by Dark Watcher
On October 30, 1987 the first 16-Bit home videogame console was released in Japan by NEC. The PC Engine was clearly a "next generation" system with its amazing specs and wallet sized card games called "HuCards". The PC Engine was immensely popular in Japan, outselling the Famicom by a significant margin. Two years after its Japanese introduction, NEC announced plans to bring the PC Engine overseas. NEC dubbed the US release TurboGrafx-16 and prepared to dominate both Nintendo and Sega as they did in Japan. In 1988, NEC took gaming to the next level. They were the first to use the immense storage capability of Compact Disc. NEC's CD-ROM add-on device was called TurboGrafx-CD or TG-CD (PC Engine CD-ROM2 in Japan). The add-on would be immensely popular in its native country of Japan, releasing over 400 games. The console did not fare as well in the North American market.
Even with its amazing potential, the TurboGrafx-CD was marketed poorly. Not only was this item priced at a ridiculous $399, but only two games were even released for it during its first six months of existence. Neither TG-CD game, Fighting Street nor Monster Lair, came anywhere close to taking advantage of the system's capabilities.

MODELS Officially licensed releases
PC Engine CD-ROM² technology was also incorporated into the three major models displayed below. Various other officially licensed consoles also incorporate this natively which include the NEC Duo line (Duo, Duo-R, Duo-RX and the Turbo Duo) and the Pioneer LaserActive (PAC Module).

NEC PC Engine CD-ROM²



NEC PC Engine Super CD-ROM²




NEC TurboGrafx-CD



RAU-30 This device is required to connect the NEC SuperGrafx system to the PC Engine CD-ROM². No adapter for the SuperGrafx is necessary with the second model, the Super CD-ROM², since it can interface directly with the unit.


CLONES Non-licensed hardware releases
No clones were released for this system.

CONSOLE RATINGS
by Marriott_Guy

Consoles are rated based upon the available technology at the time of its release. A 10 point scale is utilized, with 10 being excellent. The following is based upon my experience with the PC Engine CD-ROM2 and the TurboGrafx-CD.

CRITERIA	RATING	NOTES & COMMENTS
Console Design	07	Both versions plugged into the back expansion port of the system. The TG-16 console used a base to provide stability, while the PC Engine CD-ROM2 came with an optional 'briefcase' interface unit. The front panel buttons could have been a bit larger, but overall a solid design.
Console Durability	06	This add-on is rather fragile with the CD laser unit being prone to failure. The flip-top CD door is constructed of thin plastics and should be handled with care.
Graphics	07	With a palette of 512 colors, vibrant colorful graphics are the standard for most titles. Later games truly show the system's graphical capabilities
Audio	09	The large storage capacity of the CD-ROM allowed games to feature quality musical scores and enhanced audio effects that was superior to other consoles of the era.
Media	10	Being the first console to utilize CD technology, NEC was definitely ahead of the curve.
Gamer Value	07	While the North American game library is rather limited, the lack of regional protection enables gamers to experience over 400 CD titles.
Collector Value	07	Regardless of the model, these add-ons are rather pricey acquisitions. The Super CD-ROM2 comes with Super System Card 3.0 built directly into the unit which may save you a few bucks.

FORMAT, PACKAGING & GENERAL INFO Interesting facts on software for this system
It is important to have the correct system card in order to play PC Engine CD-ROM2 or TurboGrafx-CD games. These cards plug directly into the respective system to provide compatibility with the various NEC CD formats. The CD type is designated by logo as well as indicated on the front cover and spine of the respective title. The following summarizes the three types along with the required System Card.
System Card 1.0 - 2.1 (Japan) System Card 2.0 (USA)	Super System Card 3.0 (Japan) Super System Card 3.0 (USA)	Arcade Card Pro (Japan) Arcade Card DUO (Japan)
Some noted to keep in mind o The CD-ROM² comes with the System Card 1.0 HuCard o The Super CD-ROM comes with Super System Card 3.0 built directly into the unit. o The TurboGrafx-CD comes with the System Card 2.0 HuCard o The Arcade Card DUO is used with the DUO line of NEC consoles in lieu of the Arcade Card Pro. o System Cards released in Japan will work with the TurboGrafx 16 with a HuCard converter.

Sample boot screens when first firing up your system with the respective System Card


SCREENSHOTS Captured in-game images
Advanced VG	Cho Aniki	Dracula X
Dynastic Hero	Emerald Dragon	Fighting Street
Forgotten Worlds	Galaxy Fraulein Yuna	Gate of Thunder
Gradius II	Hellfire S	Hot Blooded High School Soccer
John Madden CD Football	Kaze Kiri: Ninja Action	Kick Boxing
Lords of Thunder	Metamor Jupiter	Monster Lair
Red Alert	Riot Zone	Startling Odyssey II
Super Air Zonk	Valis III	Y's 1 & 2

EMULATION
First and third party system emulators

Mednafen

Multi-system, command-line driven emulator for Windows, Linux or Mac that supports the PC Engine CD-ROM library

SPECS & MANUALS
For the hardware enthusiasts out there - all the detail you\we love.

Processor Type	Processor Speed	Other Processor Information	RAM \ Video RAM
See PC Engine	See PC Engine	Oki MSM5205 ADPCM	See PC Engine
Screen Resolution	Color Palette	Polygons \ Sprites	Audio
256x224 up to 565x242	512 colors (9-bit), 482 on screen	See PC Engine	See PC Engine
Media Format	Media Capacity	Games Released	Other Supported Formats
CD-ROM (1x speed)	640 MB	Approximately 423	CD-ROM², Super CD-ROM², Arcade CD-ROM²
Internal Storage	External \ Removable Storage	Game Controllers	Other Game \ Peripheral Devices
64 KB DRAM	None	See PC Engine	See PC Engine
Controller Ports	Network Ports	Other Ports	Audio \ Video
See PC Engine	None	None	See PC Engine
Power Supply - External	Other Outputs	Other Details \ Notes
Varied (model dependant)	None	System Cards provided the BIOS for booting the CD as well as provided software instructions for accessing data. Later cards added more RAM as well.
Manuals
NEC PC Engine CD-ROM2 IFU-30 Owners Manual Japan (PDF) - 37.1 MB