>Looking back at the PCE games that were out when the TG-16 debutted, I
>think NEC picked the best of the lot. However, they didn't do such a good
>job later on.
I recall being disappointed with the US releases for 3 reasons:
(1) They were at least 6 months, usually 1 year, later than the Japanese
releases - WAY too much of a delay.
(2) They were often twice as expensive in real dollars - WAY too much
difference.
(3) They didn't pick the best ones - especially after the initial year or so.
Actually, David makes a fair point though. In the early days, they
actually did a fair job. Out of 53 games listed in my "1990 PC Engine"
software magazine (from a Taiwanese mag, which apparently ripped and
translated many articles from Japanese sources), I can only find 5 games
that I think would have been a benefit to the machine but weren't
EVENTUALLY brought over.
Far East of Eden: Ziria
Well, this might not have done well as a game in the USA at that time. But
it was a very lush environment, and could have advanced the RPG genre
earlier, and within a specific community while we were all waiting
desperately for ANY sort of CDROM games.
SideArms - HuCard AND/OR CDROM !!!!!
Say what you will about this game these days, but it was one of the best
shooters available at that time for any home system. The HuCard version
would have been sufficient.
Super Darius
OMG I can't believe this was available so early for the system and they
never brought it here. Tragedy. The music alone could have sold
it. Again, it shows its age these days, but back then it was one of the
best things going. Between the music, the graphics, and the number of
levels, it was better than anything else available. The best shooters on
other systems could match the graphics, but not the music or the
replayability (due to the sheer amount of levels available on CDROM). For
the record, this is the game that convinced me to spend the money to buy a
CDROM unit.
Mr. Heli
A fun game. Not the type to sell the system by itself, but certainly would
have done better for the system's overall image than some of the games they
did bring over. Nice colors, a good demo game.
Volfied
This is a personal pick. Probably not a standard choice. But again, I
think it would have been a better choice than some of the stuff that was
brought over (Timeball, Boxyboy).
I can't really justify saying anything about Altered Beast, because I
thought the versions for both Sega and NEC weren't very good. But it was
certainly popular at the time.
To demonstrate games that NEC *DID* bring over from this same issue, here
is a list:
Valis 2
Monster Lair
Ys 1-2
Red Alert (Last Alert)
GunHed (Blazing Lazers)
Final Lap Twin
Bloody Wolf
Ordyne
Power League
Double Dungeons
USA Pro Basketball (Takin it to the Hoop)
Doraemon (Cratermaze)
Neutopia
Jack Nicklaus Golf
PC Genjin (Bonk)
Most of these were actually pretty good choices, given what was available
that year.