What a great thread! =)
I must admit, I collect EVERYTHING - you name it, I have it. At least all
the systems post Atari 2600. My first brush with the Turbo was when it
first hit the US. I was excited since I had read articles about it in the
premier issue of EGM (yep, with Mega Man 2 on the cover) and in one of the
first issues of Video Games & Computer Entertainment (I miss that
magazine).
I played it at a local software store, and was impressed at just how
vibrant the graphics were. Keith Courage had to be mine, and so did
Bonk! However, I didn't have any money at the time (since I was in late
junior high/early high school), so I had to wait many, many years to get
it. It didn't help that one f my best friends had a TurboGrafx 16 and
R-Type - it sealed my fate when he let me borrow it for a weekend...
Many years later in college I stumbled upon a stash of used Turbo Hu-cards
and CD's at a local used music store. I snapped them all up immediately
since they were all around $5 in great shape. I didn't have the system
yet, but I knew that those games must have been an omen.
I was also working at Sega Gameworks while I was going to school, and a
friend was offering to sell his Duo and mound of import games. I snapped
it up, and immediately took it home after work. I didn't emerge from my
gaming room until the next afternoon.
I also solidified my passion for the system when I finally met the
uber-Turbo dude, Aaron Nanto. While also working at GameWorks in Seattle,
I also owned a small import business with a friend downtown. One night I
run into this fellow, and we start talkin' Turbo. He mentioned he was the
webmaster of PCEngineFX.com, and I immediately recognized who he was! It
was one of the highlights of my being a gamer, since I had admired his
work for a long time.
Unfortunately the story doesn't have a good ending, since I had to get rid
of my Turbo duo lately. The friend who sold it to me wanted it back, and
I am saving for my wedding later this year. Perhaps I should put a Turbo
Duo on my wedding registry...
Wish me luck on getting another Duo later in the year =) Until then, it's
off to register my copy of the Magic Engine and to find a Dracula X!
Happy Gaming,
Mark Magdamit
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