The TurboGrafx-16 Mini has finally touched down after a lengthy hiatus due to the Coronavirus pandemic. It’s the perfect time to blow off some steam by diving headfirst into what this little console has to offer, which is a lot.
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In addition to 24 TurboGrafx-16 games, the Mini also includes 26 PC-Engine games (the Japanese equivalent) with some CD-based titles thrown in alongside the HuCard-based titles. The following is a list of the 10 best games the Mini has to offer, all of which are killer titles that help sell the system all by themselves. Here they are, in no particular order.
10 Alien Crush
Developer Compile brought themed pinball gameplay into the home with Alien Crush, the first in a series of “Crush” titles that continued with Devil’s Crush and Jaki Crush.
Alien Crush was quite popular on the original TurboGrafx-16, thanks in part to the novelty & popularity of pinball games in 1990, and a market for gamers who wanted to play them but couldn’t afford a machine for their home.
9 Splatterhouse
Long before the ESRB became as synonymous with video games as sore thumbs, Splatterhouse was flying under the radar as one of the most violent and gory titles available for any system.
The game pays homage to a ton of 80s horror classics by taking elements from each and throwing them into the blender. The result is a blood-soaked platformer that hasn’t exactly aged well, but still deserves its spot on the TG-16 Mini.
8 Military Madness
Upon first glance, Military Madness looks a lot like the popular Advance Wars series for the GameBoy Advance, and that might not be a coincidence. Military Madness bears a similar aesthetic that would later be ‘cartooned’ to the nines in Advance Wars.
This turn based strategy title garnered high critical praise and numerous Best Game awards at the time of its release. It’s easy to get into, yet complex enough for strategy nuts to drink their fill.
7 Bonk’s Revenge
Bonk was NEC’s answer to Nintendo’s Mario, and they took the same approach when it came to creating a signature platformer. Timeless, charming and fun, the Bonk series is loaded with humor, family-friendly gaming and play mechanics that are as different from the Mario games as can be, while still feeling similar.
It’s a bit disappointing (and odd) that the original Bonk’s Adventure didn’t make the final cut in English (it’s available as a PC-Engine title). Instead, Bonk’s Revenge is the go-to pack-in game, which isn’t a big loss considering the relative lack of story between each entry in the franchise.
6 Ninja Spirit
While technically an arcade port, Ninja Spirit offered TurboGrafx-16 players a bit more incentive to purchase the game when it first came out, thanks largely to a secondary mode which provides more challenge over its arcade source title.
Ninja Spirit is still a classic in every sense of the word, and it achieved high critical praise when the TurboGrafx-16 port landed in 1990, earning a perfect 10 in Electronic Gaming Monthly.
5 Lords Of Thunder
Technically, Lords Of Thunder is a TurboGrafx-CD release, but it was too great a hit to keep off the TG-16 Mini. This shooter is renowned for its frantic action gameplay and a rocking heavy metal soundtrack befitting of its name.
Attempts were made to duplicate the success of Lords Of Thunder (most notably on the Sega CD), but none can match the original TurboGrafx-CD version.
4 Ys Book I & II
As far as RPGs go, Ys Book I & II ranks as the single-best ever produced for NEC’s flagship TurboGrafx-CD. Though not quite the technological leap forward that Final Fantasy VII was on the PlayStation, it still courted CD technology at a time when the medium was in its infancy.
While many players balked at the game’s button-less combat mechanic, others realized what it had to offer in terms of sheer tactical brilliance, along with a cohesive story. A bonafide classic, top to bottom.
3 Blazing Lazers
The TurboGrafx-16 was no stranger to shooters, offering everything from the unique Sinistron to a Japanese-only port of Konami’s Salamander (known over here as Life Force).
Blazing Lazers is one of the best and most recognized, thanks largely to its limit-pushing technical brilliance, rapid-fire gameplay, and crisp audio. It may not be able to compete with some of its better genre peers, but it was a welcome addition to the TG-16 library.
2 Snatcher (Japanese)
It was extremely odd for Konami to include Snatcher on the TG-16 Mini without a localized translation, but here it is. The game is no less brilliant than it was all those years ago thanks to an incredible story, excellent cinematics, and unique game mechanics.
Still, few players will get to appreciate the game unless they’re fluent in Japanese, which is quite odd considering that the Sega CD version of the game released in North America with an English translation in tow.
1 Akumajō Dracula X: Chi no Rondo (Japanese)
One of the best Castlevania titles managed to swing its way onto the TG-16 Mini, and fans couldn’t be happier about it. In contrast to Snatcher, Dracula X doesn’t really require an English translation in order to appreciate the artistry and gameplay.
If nothing else, North American gamers now have a chance to play the game that inspired the entire look and feel of the uber-popular Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night, which saw a release on both the PlayStation and Sega Saturn consoles in the latter half of the 90s. Excellent move on Konami’s part.
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