Let's celebrate the 30th anniversary of the PC Engine's launch

It's almost hard for me to believe NEC Home Electronics and Hudson Soft launched the PC Engine all the way back on Oct. 30, 1987.

I say "almost" because I have fairly vivid childhood memories of ogling photos of the diminutive console that were published in North American gaming magazines around the time of its Japanese release.

Considering it's been a good, long while since anyone's mistaken me for a kid, I'd say 30 years seems about right regarding when I first became aware of--and fell in love with--the PC Engine.

Of course, you don't have to be a decades-old fan of the PC Engine celebrate the 30th anniversary of its launch. Even those of you who are just discovering the system with this post can and should join in the fun.

After all, the PC Engine was home to some of the wackiest video games ever to see the light of day--in my humble opinion, of course. Actually, it was home to a lot of games, period. Some were amazing, some were atrocious, but most continue to be worth at least a quick look if you tend to enjoy games made with pixels rather than polygons.



Hell, I'm still becoming acquainted with the PC Engine and its vast catalog myself. For proof, see this post about the 12 HuCards (that's what the system's credit card-sized game carts are called) I've picked up this year alone.

Itching to learn more about this deliciously odd little console? Read my write-up about five overlooked PC Engine games you should play as soon as possible. And when you're done with it, head over to this follow-up--which details five more overlooked HuCards I think are well worth even a few minutes of your time.

I'd also recommend taking a look at my post about the best PC Engine game manuals I've seen (so far). And if that write-up trips your trigger, you'll probably enjoy looking through all 27 PC Engine manuals I've scanned and shared to date.

Are any of you PC Engine fans, too? If so, let the love flow in the comments section that follows.

See also: 'Seven ways you can celebrate the 27th anniversary of the PC Engine's release'

Manual Stimulation: Bomberman (PC Engine)

To be frank, there aren't a whole lot of reasons to buy, own or play the first PC Engine Bomberman title in 2016.

In fact, I can only think of three reasons at the moment: 1) you're a huge fan of this Hudson-made series, 2) you have a bunch of friends as well as a bunch of PC Engine (or TurboGrafx-16) controllers and 3) you're trying to fill out your HuCard collection and this game is the best of what's left on your dwindling wish list.



Actually, I just came up with another reason: you like Bomberman's iconic cover art, which can be seen in the scan above. (As always, click on it to take a much better and closer look at its contents.)



OK, so maybe I'm being a bit harsh. The first Bomberman isn't a complete turd, after all. Still, it pales in comparison to later titles, like Bomberman '93, Bomberman '94 and Saturn Bomberman.



That's mainly because the play fields, power-ups and enemy selection in this entry fail to display the imagination and creativity that seemingly helped produce the aforementioned sequels.



Thankfully, fun can be had despite the fact that it's all rather vanilla. Plus, nabbing a copy of this version of Bomberman these days won't cost you an arm and a leg (unlike a lot of other PC Engine or TurboGrafx-16 games) and it'll also net you the surprisingly appealing instruction manual that's displayed throughout this post.



Admittedly, the Bomberman depictions in this manual are kind of wonky, but the other illustrations on hand go a long way toward making up for it.



Also, the folks who designed Bomberman's booklet covered its handful of pages with some nice pops of color.

Could this particular PC Engine instruction manual be better, flashier, more fabulous? Of course. Even as is, though, it's got more going for it than Rainbow Islands' or Parasol Star's manual, so at least there's that.

See also: previous 'Manual Stimulation' posts about Bikkuriman World, Dungeon Explorer, Hana Taaka Daka!? and The New Zealand Story

Manual Stimulation: Dungeon Explorer (PC Engine)

Dungeon Explorer is one of those PC Engine (or TurboGrafx-16, if that's how you swing) games I've always wanted to own, always thought I should own, but only recently picked up.

Why the long wait? The main reason, I guess, is that I've long thought of this Hudson-made Gauntlet clone as one that's only enjoyable when multiple people are playing it at the same time. (Dungeon Explorer famously allows five people to play through it together--assuming they have a multi-tap accessory and five PC Engine or TG-16 controllers.)



I still feel that way, actually, but a month or so ago I plopped down a few dollars on a used complete-in-box copy of Dungeon Explorer anyway because I went on a bit of an eBay binge and couldn't resist this game's top-tier cover art (see above) when I came across it.



It has to be said, by the way, that I didn't realize the content of Dungeon Explorer's instruction manual was on par with--or even better than--its cover illustration.

I especially like the grittiness of the art sprinkled throughout this HuCard's manual. Most manuals from this era featured art that was decidedly cute. Here, though, it's almost gruesome--or at least it's not as polished as what's on offer in the manuals that accompanied similar titles.



That the imagery showcased in Dungeon Explorer's instruction booklet is in black and white adds to its appeal, in my mind. That's not to say I would've minded if its designers had added a bit of color here and there, but I'm also not about to complain about its current look.



If you're looking for my favorite of this manual's many drawings, by the way, check out the squished, chibi-esque character illustrations seen in the spread below.



That said, I find the following illustrations of some of the game's enemies pretty thrilling, too.

Will all of this prompt me to get off my lazy butt and finally spend some real quality time with Dungeon Explorer? That's the current plan.



Of course, I have quite a few other games begging for my attention right now--like the 3DS remake of Dragon Quest VII, the just-released 3DS eShop title Chase: Cold Case Investigations, the Pokémon Sun/Moon demo and even Great Greed for GameBoy--so fitting it in this week or weekend may be tough. Still, I'll do my best to play at least a bit of it in the next seven days or so.

In the meantime, have any of you played either the Japanese or North American version of Dungeon Explorer? If so, what do you think about it?

See also: previous 'Manual Stimulation' posts

Five overlooked PC Engine games you need to play as soon as possible

Of all the old systems I still spend time playing (and still spend money on), the PC Engine probably is the one with the most picked-over game catalog.

What I mean by that is there aren't many "hidden gems" in its library. Very few of the lesser-known or oft-ignored HuCards and CDs released for the console are must-buy or must-try titles, in my opinion.

Still, I'd say the handful below fit that bill. So if you're looking for a new PC Engine game or two (or five) to pick up and play, you could do worse than try the following. (And if you're looking for five Japanese PlayStation games you've overlooked and need to play ASAP, erm, click the embedded link to the left.)

Gekisha Boy--OK, so this Irem-made side-scroller isn't exactly an unknown quantity. I'd definitely say it doesn't get as much love as it deserves, though. I mean, a game that looks and sounds as interesting as this one does really should have a higher profile. (Listen to an example of its soundtrack in this recent post.) Plus, Gekisha Boy's gameplay is unlike almost any other title--PC Engine or otherwise--I've experienced. For that reason alone, I'd highly recommend trying it if you have the means and the time.

Hany on the Road--This Arc-made and Face-published HuCard is far more overlooked than the one discussed above. Don't expect it to be quite the treasure Gekisha Boy is, however. In all honesty, Hany on the Road is an imperfect game. Although its gameplay (which recalls Capcom's SonSon) is unique, it could be argued that it's not exactly compelling. I don't agree with those critics, mind you, but even if I did I'd still suggest giving it a chance--especially if you've already experienced better-known PC Engine platformers like Mizubaku Daibouken, Parasol Stars and the PC Genjin titles--because it tries something different.

Obocchama-kun--Namco released a whole lot of games (some arcade ports, some original efforts) for the PC Engine back in the day, and many of them are now fondly remembered classics. A few examples: Dragon Spirit, Galaga '88, Marchen Maze, Pac-Land, Pro Tennis World Court, Splatterhouse, The Tower of Druaga and Valkyrie no Densetsu. Obocchama-kun isn't one of them. That surprises me, as I've always found it to be a nice (and silly) change of pace from the console's many other platformers. So, if you've played more than your fair share of Adventure Island and Bikkuriman World, check out Obocchama-kun. (Bonus: a complete-in-box copy shouldn't cost you more than about $20 these days.)

Pop'n Magic--Everybody likes a good Bubble Bobble clone, right? That's what I've always thought, at least, but you wouldn't know it based on this game's shockingly low profile. Most who are aware of Pop'n Magic, though, love it. In fact, one swears it's better than the mighty Parasol Stars. I wouldn't go that far, but I agree that Pop'n Magic is a stellar experience in its own right. Its protagonists are every bit as cute as you would expect from the genre and its backing tunes are honest-to-goodness bops. Most importantly, though, Pop'n Magic's gameplay differs just enough from its competitors to seem like a breath of fresh air--even if you've worn out your Don Doko Don HuCard and Rainbow Islands CD.

Tricky--I've got to be honest here: I long ignored this Alfa System-developed and IGS-published puzzler because of its Japanese cover art, which I considered to be sub-par. (Still, it's miles better than the North American counterpart.) I also wasn't much of a fan of Tricky's in-game graphics. For whatever reason, though, I eventually shoved those negative opinions aside and put a few minutes into the game. That's all I needed to change my tune. Hell, after playing Tricky for a bit, I've even come to like its spritework, which is no doubt rough but also displays plenty of charm. If only I could finish a few more of its levels. (Seriously, most of them stump me to the point that I wonder if my brain has stopped functioning.)

Note: all of the screenshots included in this post were taken from the wonderful Video Game Den

Anyone up for a few more photos of Pac-Land's PC Engine case, HuCard and manual?

When I went to add the Pac-Land packaging snapshots showcased in my last post to Flickr yesterday, I noticed a bunch of unused ones sitting in my photos folder that I'd previously ignored.

So, I whipped them into shape shortly thereafter and then decided to give them a post of their very own.



Granted, the photos seen above and below probably aren't going to blow anyone away. Still, they should whet appetites until I publish my upcoming "Manual Stimulation" post about Namco's Pac-Land PC Engine port.

Speaking of Pac-Land's instructional booklet, it's pretty darn colorful, isn't it? The illustrations that contain all of that color could be a tad cleaner, I guess, but they make me smile even in their slightly rough state.

I'd never call the art included in the following spread at all "rough," by the way. Rather, it's pretty much perfect as far as these things go.



If you'd like to see a few more such spreads, check out this old "Manual Stimulation" write-up, which highlights the booklet made for another Namco-published PC Engine title, the otherwise humdrum shmup known as Barunba.

See also: previous 'Nice Package!' and 'Manual Stimulation' posts

Which game looks better? (Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap edition)

Considering how much I tend to love adorable games, it probably seems weird that I've barely even acknowledged any of the various iterations of Wonder Boy III: The Dragon's Trap that have been released over the years.

After all, each and every one of that Westone-made title's many ports are cute as all get-out. Don't believe me? Check out the video footage--of the 1991 PC Engine version--below.

You may notice that the video in question refers to the game Adventure Island. That's because Hudson decided to change things a bit when it moved The Dragon's Trap to NEC's Japan-conquering 16-bit console.



Other publishers similarly opted to recast this platformer's title during the porting process. A couple of examples: Sega called its on-the-go Game Gear effort Monster World II: The Dragon's Trap, while Hudson and NEC transformed Adventure Island to Dragon's Curse while localizing the former for the North American market.

I bring up all of the above because publisher DotEmu and developer Lizardcube just revealed that they're busy working on a remake of the game that will be called Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap.

Apparently Lizardcube is a two-person company. Normally that would concern me, but in this case, it doesn't--thanks to the fact that the people in question (Omar Cornut and Ben Fiquet) both had a hand in creating the excellent Soul Bubbles, aka Awatama, for the Nintendo DS.



Sadly, the trailer above doesn't reveal when this prettied-up take on The Dragon's Trap will see the light of day.

In the meantime, let's chat about which one looks better. Personally, I think both sport some pretty stellar visuals. Obviously Lizardcube's reimagining is the more glossy and modern of the two, but Hudson's spritework is nothing to be sneezed at either.

What do all of you think? Also, what do you think of this latest take on Westone's classic?

Nice Package! (KiKi KaiKai, PC Engine)

Those of you who use Twitter and who follow me may have caught this tweet I sent out a few days ago: "After a bit of a dry spell, I recently bought a ton of Famicom, PC Engine and PlayStation games."

The focus of today's post, Taito's KiKi KaiKai, is one of those games.



To be honest, I've been on the fence about picking up a copy of this title for a while now. Although it's a top-shelf port of the arcade game of the same name--also made by Taito and released in 1986--the simple truth is I absolutely suck at it.

Normally, that wouldn't be a problem. I buy plenty of games that seemingly enjoy pointing out to me that my reflexes aren't as sharp as they were when I was a kid.

The problem with this game, though, was that copies of KiKi KaiKai's PC Engine port tend to be pricey.

As a result, I've hemmed and hawed for a good year or so as to whether I should bite the bullet and buy the damn thing despite my issues or use my hard-earned cash on a couple of other PC Engine classics--ones that would have a less negative impact on my ego--instead.

Obviously I decided to go with the former in the end. And I can't say I regret that decision one bit. After all, just look at this title's beautiful packaging. From the cover of its instruction manual to the labels on the back of its case, it's pretty much perfect, wouldn't you agree?

I especially like the interior of KiKi KaiKai's instruction manual. The illustrations it offers up are the definition of lovely, in my humble opinion.

Of course, that shouldn't surprise me. Pretty much every Taito manual I've come across over the years makes me swoon. Two noteworthy examples from the PC Engine era: Don Doko Don and Mizubaku Daibouken. (Sadly, I'm not sure I'd say Parasol Star's booklet is quite up to snuff.)

If you'd like to sneak a peek at more of KiKi KaiKai's manual, you're in luck. I'm going to publish another installment of my long-running "Manual Stimulation" series devoted to this game's pamphlet later this week.



In the meantime, have any of you played any iteration of this top-down, push-scrolling shmup?

I'm especially curious to hear opinions of the arcade original or the PC Engine port discussed here, but feel free to sound off on the curious reimagining released for the Famicom Disk System or the follow-ups that hit the Super Famicom in 1992 and 1994, respectively.

See also: previous 'Nice Package!' and 'Manual Stimulation' posts

Seven ways you can celebrate the 27th anniversary of the PC Engine's release

In a perfect world, this post would include 27 ways to celebrate the 27th anniversary of the PC Engine's Japanese launch day, which occurred on Oct. 30, 1987. Instead, it includes just seven.

Still, that should be more than enough to allow all who are interested in honoring the release of what I consider to be the coolest-looking console ever to see the light of day to do their thing.

1. Play one of the two games that launched alongside the diminutive system in Japan--That would mean playing either Bikkuriman World or Shanghai. Personally, I'd go for the former, which is an ancient, but still immensely fun, side-scrolling platformer.



2. Pick up one of the handful of PC Engine titles that can be found on the PlayStation Store--My suggestions, especially for folks who have little experience with this console and its catalog of games: Bomberman '94, Galaga '88 or PC Genjin 2 (Bonk's Revenge in North America).

3. Buy one of the PC Engine games that are available on the Wii eShop--The previously Japan-only Battle Lode Runner is my top choice here, although Akumajou Dracula X: Rondo of Blood is a worthwhile option, too.



4. Ogle some photos of the original system and its packaging--A good number of them can be found on my Flickr photostream. (Sadly, I no longer own the white PC Engine that is showcased throughout.)

5. Read a couple of the "Second Chances" posts I've written about PC Engine games--If you're not sure where to start, I'd recommend the ones devoted to Gokuraku! Chuka Taisen, Hana Tāka Daka!? and Jigoku Meguri.



6. Virtually flip through a few of the instruction manuals made for its games--My personal favorites: Don Doko Don, Mizubaku Daibouken, The New Zealand Story and PC Genjin 2.

7. Watch one of these wacky Japanese TV commercials--This one, for PC Genjin 2, probably is the best of the bunch, although this one (for Kato-chan & Ken-chan) and this one (for The Kung Fu) also are a lot of fun.

See also: 'Five TurboGrafx-16 memories in honor of the system's 25th anniversary'

Five TurboGrafx-16 memories in honor of the system's 25th anniversary

I may not have the best memory in the world, but I'll probably never forget how I felt in the months, weeks and days leading up to the North American release of NEC's TurboGrafx-16, a games console that straddled the line between the 8-bit (think the Nintendo Entertainment System) and 16-bit (Sega's Genesis and the SNES) generations.

Specifically, I don't think I've ever been more excited about a system's launch than I was around Aug. 29, 1989, which is when the TurboGrafx-16 first hit store shelves on this side of the pond.

A lot of that "Turbo fervor" had been fanned, of course, by the magazine articles I'd read--over and over and over again--about this console's two-year-old Japanese counterpart, the PC Engine, and its extensive catalog of odd- and brilliant-looking games, including the handful that are mentioned below.

Sadly, and stupidly, after enjoying it for a good number of years, I sold my TurboGrafx-16 collection--which at one point included the base system, the pricey CD attachment, a TurboDuo and 30 or so games--via an ad in our city's main daily newspaper around the time of the Sega Saturn's Japanese release. (In fact, I used the money I made from this sale to buy an import Saturn--which I later sold to pay for a Dreamcast.)

Rather than dwell on that rather negative memory, though, I'd prefer to focus on a few positive ones, such as the following, on this, the 25th anniversary of the release of NEC's quirky and woefully under-appreciated (in this region, at least) console:

1. I'm one of about three people who enjoyed The Addams Family game--Don't get me wrong, even as a teen I knew this US-made (back when such a thing was considered the opposite of a good thing) action title was a turd, but I liked it all the same. I have a feeling some of that was due to my interest in the 1991 film this release was based on, but I also think it had something to do with this ICOM-developed game allowing users to explore the iconic Addams mansion and its grounds. That isn't going to be enough to make most folks fall in love with this often-iffy tie-in, of course, but it was more than enough for me at the time.

2. I bought my very first Japanese game (Detana!! TwinBee), along with my first converter cart, for this aesthetically challenged system--I can't remember the name of the retailer, sadly, but I know I had to place the order over the phone, and I had to borrow my parents' credit card to pay for it. Also, my mom had to help me modify the converter cart, as at first it didn't fit into the HuCard slot of my TurboGrafx-16 system. As for my memories of the game itself? Actually, it kind of bored me. Detana!! TwinBee isn't a bad shoot 'em up, of course, and it's grown on me in the ensuing years, but it's also nowhere near as thrilling as similar games like Parodius Da! or Coryoon.

3. I've always regretted not playing It Came From the Desert, J.B. Harold Murder Club and Magical Dinosaur Tour--Actually, I finally added the Japanese version of Murder Club to my collection late last year, but of course I've yet to play it. Still, at least it's a possibility at the moment. Anyway, you're probably wondering why I wish I'd played two TG-CD titles that have been heavily derided over the years? I'm not sure, to be honest. I think it's likely to be related to nostalgia, as all three of these games were released at a time when games featuring digitized video and the like were viewed as the future of the medium. It's clear now that view was a false one (to put it mildly), of course, but at the time some of these games were surprisingly appealing. Or at least they were to me.

4. The main reason I picked up the TurboGrafx-CD peripheral was for Monster Lair--Admittedly, by the time I finally wandered, awestruck and slack-jawed, into the local Toys "R" Us (man, those were the days) to pick up this mammoth add-on, Ys Book I & II had entered my consciousness as well, but that doesn't change the fact that Monster Lair is the game that pushed me to hand over $400 for it. Was it worth the price of admission? Well, no, not when you put it that way, but I never regretted either purchase, I'll tell you that much. Also, I still have a special place in my heart for this odd shmup-platformer hybrid and play it fairly regularly, so I'd say the original purchase more than served its purpose.

5. I didn't much care for Parasol Stars the first time I owned it--I'm guessing this may be the most shocking of all the TurboGrafx-16 memories I share in this post. After all, Parasol Stars now is one of my all-time favorite games (despite the fact that I think it pales in comparison to its predecessors, Rainbow Islands and Bubble Bobble). If memory serves, my parents bought this for me as a birthday or Christmas gift--without me asking for it, I should add. (Maybe they knew me better than I knew myself at that point?) I remember gamely giving it a go on a few occasions, but I also remember finding it a bit too precious and also not all that engaging. Thankfully, I've since come to my senses.

Do any of you have any TurboGrafx-16 memories you'd like to share? If so, please feel free to do so n the comments section below.

R.I.P. H.R. Giger

You may wonder why a gaming blog is offering up condolences regarding the sad and untimely death of Swiss artist H. R. Giger yesterday.

For starters, I'm doing so because I've been a big fan of Giger's work since I first encountered it while watching what has become one of my favorite films, Aliens. (Giger was responsible for the design of the eponymous creature that has been the focus of all four Alien movies.)

Each of the Alien films has spawned a number of video-game adaptations, of course, so I think Giger's death is well worth noting here for that fact alone--despite the fact that few, if any, of said adaptations have been all that enjoyable.

Another reason I'm noting and commemorating Giger's death here: his surreal designs were utilized in a handful of games over the years--Cyberdreams' spooky, point-and-click PC games, Dark Seed and Dark Seed II, as well as Hudson's Jaseiken Necromancer, a gory (for its time) PC Engine RPG, among them.

I've actually owned a copy of Jaseiken Necromancer for some time now (the photo above is of my own HuCard), but I've yet to play it because of the language barrier.

Maybe I'll finally pull it and my PC Engine Core Grafx II out soon and give them a go in honor of Giger's life. And, who knows, maybe I'll even use the experience as an excuse to re-start my Japanese studies?

Anyone want to spot me $1,400 so I can buy this boxed PC Engine LT?

OK, so I'm pretty sure everyone's answer to the question posed in this post's header is going to be a resounding "no," but you can't blame a guy for trying, can you?



After all, the PC Engine LT--which combines a PC Engine, a PC Engine controller and a five-inch monitor all in one lovely, kinda-sorta portable package--has long been perched at the very top of my personal "holy grails of gaming" list.

If you'd prefer to buy this beauty for your own enjoyment, though, I'd totally understand. I think.

Buy: complete-in-box PC Engine LT system

A few photos of my latest PC Engine pick-up, Atlus' Mesopotamia

Those of you who've managed to wade through the latest episode of The Nichiest Podcast Ever already know this (well, if you paid attention from beginning to end), but for those of you who haven't: since the holidays, I've gone on a bit of a gaming shopping spree.

Although the bulk of my Christmas cash was spent on a stack of Japanese DS games (I'll publish a post on them as soon as all of the have been delivered), I also bought a couple of GameBoy Advance, Game Gear and PC Engine titles.

One of the three PC Engine games I picked up is the one seen in the photos below: Atlus' wackadoodle Mesopotamia (aka Somer Assault).



I call this HuCard "wackadoodle" because it stars what can only be described as an armed pink Slinky. Actually, here's one of the absolutely adorable illustrations of said Slinky that can be found on Mesopotamia's cover art (as well as inside its instruction manual):

Anyway, you control an armed Slinky while playing this 1991 release. Oh, and you guide him through 12 maze-like stages in an attempt to track down the Zodiac-themed bosses that reside within. Wackadoodle, no?

I've got to be frank: although I've always respected and even appreciated Mesopotamia's off-the-wall protagonist and premise, I've never been much of a fan of its tough-to-come-to-grips-with gameplay. Until recently, I mean. I'm still not very good at it, but I enjoy it a lot more than I did in the past.



That said, the main reason I picked up the copy showcased above now rather than later is its cover art. Sure, it's about as wackadoodle as the rest of the game, but that's part of its charm, don't you think?

I especially like those googly-eyed illustrations of its protagonist. In fact, without them, this import probably would've lingered on my lengthy "to buy" list for a few more months (if not years).

Attention "Manual Stimulation" fans: I'll be publishing another installment of that vaunted column next week and it will focus on Mesopotamia's black-and-white-but-still-fabulous instruction manual.

Happy 26th anniversary, PC Engine, and ever-so-slightly belated 25th anniversary, Mega Drive!

I was all set to publish a post about something else this morning--such as early impressions of Sayonara Umihara Kawase, which is set to hit the North American 3DS eShop early next year as Yumi's Odd Odyssey--but all that went out the window as soon as I realized that today is the 26th anniversary of the release of one of my all-time favorite consoles, the NEC PC Engine.

For those of you who aren't math wizards (don't worry, I'm not one myself): that means it hit Japanese store shelves all the way back on Oct. 30, 1987. (Its North American counterpart, the TurboGrafx-16, didn't see the light of day until nearly two years later, on Aug. 19, 1989.)



Amazingly, the PC Engine isn't the only 16-bit console partying it up this week. Sega's Mega Drive celebrated its 25th anniversary yesterday. (Which means, of course, it was first released--in Japan--on Oct. 29, 1988, with its North American debut following on August 14, 1989, and its European one on Nov. 30, 1990.)

Sadly, I've never owned an actual Mega Drive system (or any Mega Drive games, I believe). Oh, I've had a Genesis for some time now, but it's really not the same thing, is it? Anyway, a Japanese Mega Drive 2 (or maybe a Mega Jet?) is on my "to buy" list--along with a few other systems and about a thousand games--so hopefully I'll acquire one before my time is up.



I have owned a PC Engine, though--as well as a Core Grafx II, a Super CD-ROM2, a TurboGrafx-16 (also with CD attachment) and a TurboDuo. You'd think that would be enough to scratch anyone's PC Engine itch, but nope--I want more. Specifically, I want a PC Engine LT. Thankfully, I'm not (yet) willing to blow $1,000 or so on a single console.

Anyway, enough about me and my insane desires. This post is supposed to celebrate the existence of both the PC Engine and Mega Drive. So, here's a virtual tip of the hat to NEC and Sega for producing a pair of consoles that continue to tickle the fancy of tasteful gamers the world over.

Also: 'Happy belated birthday, Dreamcast!'

In case you didn't know already: the PC Engine Shuttle had really awesome packaging

I've known that the oddly named and designed PC Engine Shuttle system was sold wrapped in some seriously awesome packaging for a while now, but for whatever reason I forgot about it until I came across one on eBay over the weekend.

Here's the packaging in question, if you've never before laid eyes on it:



The system itself looks pretty awesome, too, if you ask me:



The whole she-bang was released, along with a Batwing-esque controller, in 1989, by the way--alongside the PC Engine Core Grafx and the PC Engine Super Grafx. (They were followed, in 1991, by three more PC Engine-branded systems: the Core Grafx II, the LT and the Super CD-ROM2.)

Manual Stimulation: Splash Lake (PC Engine)

Although I prefer long, illustration-filled instruction manuals when I'm paging through them while sitting on a comfy couch, I prefer shorter, more straightforward ones when I'm working up one of these posts.

The focus of today's post--the manual produced for NEC Avenue's Splash Lake, an appealingly quirky, if a bit lacking in the long run, action-puzzler that was released for the PC Engine in 1991--falls into the latter category, as you'll quickly discover.



Although I'd hardly call Splash Lake an amazing effort, it's far better than its rather questionable box art suggests it is.

Don't get me wrong, Splash Lake's cover illustration is appreciably colorful, and it's hardly what I'd call boring, but it also looks a bit too much like it was made by someone just coming to terms with computer graphics. (Of course, the same can be said about the bulk of game-related box art from the early 1990s.)



The first few inside pages of Splash Lake's manual aren't much better, it has to be said--although that cartoonishly rendered PC Engine and CD-ROM2 system on the left nearly makes up for it.



Things improve a bit on the next pair of pages thanks to the cute (and kind of creepy) rendition of the game's bow-tied-but-limbless ostrich.



Mr. Ostrich (or, "Stumpy," as I like to call him) shows up on the last two pages of Splash Lake's instruction manual, too, only this time he's looking a little less chipper.

The same can't be said for the game's line-up of baddies, who take center stage just before the manual's curtain call. I especially like the sunglasses-sporting and cigarette-smoking tree stump, although his colorful cohorts are a pleasant enough bunch too.

See also: 'The return of the PC Engine'

The return of the PC Engine

Sadly, the header above doesn't refer to the return of NEC's PC Engine--quite possibly my all-time favorite console--to Japanese store shelves. Rather, it refers to the return of that system's relevance to my far-too-regular eBay excursions.

That's noteworthy because it's been many months since I last purchased a PC Engine game. In fact, I can't remember the last one I bought. Is it possible that it was Gokuraku! Chuka Taisen (read about it here), which I picked up last November? I think it is.

Anyway, that's neither here nor there, is it? Much more relevant to this particular discussion is the pair of PC Engine games I acquired a few weeks ago: Naxat Soft's Star Mobile and NEC Avenue's Splash Lake, both of which can be seen in the photos below.

Star Mobile, a CD-ROM2 game originally released in 1992, has intrigued me for ages thanks to the fact that it's a Zodiac-themed puzzle game that challenges players to stack stars of different weights on a gilded scale without dumping them into the intergalactic void.



Splash Lake, on the other hand, is an action-puzzler that puts players in the shoes of a legless ostrich (wait a second...) that's tasked with destroying various bridge planks--by pecking them--and sending each stage's baddies into the titular body of water.

I actually owned the North American version of this game, which hit the streets in Japan in 1991 and jumped the pond a year later, way back when, but I stupidly sold it along with the rest of my TurboGrafx-16 collection so I could buy a Japanese Sega Saturn at launch.



I really like the simple-but-cute label that's affixed to Splash Lake's CD, by the way. You can see it in the not-so-stellar photo above, or you can see an appealingly clear scan of it here.

Splash Lake's instruction manual is pretty nice, too--not to mention short--so look for a "Manual Stimulation" post devoted to it to be published sooner rather than later.