Difference between revisions of "Cleveland Browns"

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{{About||the comic book|Sentinel (comic book)|the DC Comics character|Alan Scott|The Heritage Action Sentinel Program|The Heritage Foundation}}
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{{Redirect|TG-16|the U.S. Air Force training glider|DG Flugzeugbau DG-1000}}
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{{Multiple issues|
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{{About|the video game console|the upcoming Kanye West album of the same name|Kanye West discography}}
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{{Refimprove|date=July 2012}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2016}}
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{{lead too short|date=January 2016}}
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{{Infobox information appliance
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{{Overly detailed|date=November 2017}}
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| name        = TurboGrafx-16 / PC Engine
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}}
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| title        = TurboGrafx-16<br />PC Engine
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{{Infobox comics organization <!--Wikipedia:WikiProject Comics-->
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| aka          =  
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|image=Sentinel Marvels Vol 1 2.png
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| logo        = [[File:TurboGrafx16logo.jpg|70px]]<br />[[File:PC Engine logo.png|120px]]
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|imagesize= <!-- default 250 -->
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| image        = [[File:TurboGrafx16-Console-Set.jpg|240px|The TurboGrafx-16]]<br />[[File:PC-Engine-Console-Set.jpg|250px|The PC Engine]]
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|caption=Art by Alex Ross
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| caption      = Western markets model (top) and the original Japanese system (bottom).
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|name=Sentinels
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| developer    =
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|publisher=[[Marvel Comics]]
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| manufacturer = [[NEC|NEC Home Electronics]]<br />[[Hudson Soft]]
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|debut=''[[Uncanny X-Men|The X-Men]]'' #14 (November 1965)
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| family      =  
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|creators=[[Stan Lee]]<br>[[Jack Kirby]]
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| type        = [[Home video game console]]
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|base=
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| generation  = [[Fourth generation of video game consoles|Fourth generation]]
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|members=Sentinel Squad [[Office of National Emergency|O*N*E]]<br>[[Nimrod (comics)|Nimrod]]<br/>[[Master Mold]]<br>[[Bastion (comics)|Bastion]]<br>[[Prime Sentinel]]s
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| releasedate  = {{vgrelease|JP|October 30, 1987<ref name="PC-Engine UK">http://www.pc-engine.co.uk/?section=systems</ref>|NA|August 29, 1989|FRA|November 22, 1989|UK|1990|SPA|1990}}
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|subcat=
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| lifespan    =
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|hero=
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| price        =
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|villain=
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| discontinued = {{vgrelease|FRA|Spring 1993|NA|May 1994|JP|December 16, 1994}}
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| unitssold    = Worldwide: 5.8 million<ref name="Sekimoto">{{cite news |title=ウィークエンド経済　第765号　あの失敗がこう生きた [Weekend Economics Issue 765. That Mistake Lived On.] |work=Asahi Shinbun (Evening Edition) |location=Osaka, Japan |date=December 1, 2001 |language=Japanese }}</ref><br>Japan: 3.9 million
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| unitsshipped =
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| media        = [[HuCard]], [[CD-ROM]] (only with the CD-ROM² add-on)
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| os          =
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| power        =
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| soc          =
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| cpu          = [[Hudson Soft HuC6280]]
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| memory      =
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| storage      =
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| memory card  =
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| display      = <u>Resolution</u>:<br />- max. 565×242<br />- majority: 256×239<br /><u>Colors</u>:<br />- available: 512 (9-bit)<br />- onscreen: max. 482<br />(241 background, 241 sprite)
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| graphics    =
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| sound        =
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| input        =
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| controllers  =
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| connectivity =
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| platform    =
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| service      =
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| dimensions  = 14 cm×14 cm×3.8&nbsp;cm<br />(5.5 in×5.5 in×1.5 in)
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| weight      =
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| topgame      =
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| compatibility=
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| predecessor  =
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| successor    = [[SuperGrafx]] (upgraded)<br>[[PC-FX]]
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| related      =  
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| website      =  
 
}}
 
}}
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The '''TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem''', known in Japan and France as the {{nihongo|'''PC Engine'''|PCエンジン|Pī Shī Enjin}}, is a [[home video game console]] jointly developed by [[Hudson Soft]] and [[NEC|NEC Home Electronics]], released in Japan on October 30, 1987 and in the United States on August 29, 1989. It also had a limited release in the United Kingdom and Spain in 1990, known as simply '''TurboGrafx''' and based on the American model, whilst the Japanese model was imported and distributed in France in 1989. It was the first console released in the [[History of video game consoles (fourth generation)|16-bit era]], albeit still utilizing an 8-bit [[CPU]]. Originally intended to compete with the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES), it ended up competing with the [[Sega Genesis]], and later on the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (SNES).
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The TurboGrafx-16 has an 8-bit [[CPU]], a 16-bit video color encoder, and a 16-bit [[video display controller]]. The [[GPU]]s are capable of displaying 482 colors simultaneously, out of 512. With dimensions of just 14&nbsp;cm×14&nbsp;cm×3.8&nbsp;cm (5.5 in×5.5 in×1.5 in), the Japanese PC Engine is the smallest major home game console ever made.<ref>''Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition'' (2008)</ref><ref name="Nintendo Life">{{cite web|author=Damien McFerran |url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/11/feature_the_making_of_the_pc_engine |title=Feature: The Making Of The PC Engine|publisher=''Nintendo Life'' |date=November 2, 2012}}</ref> Games were stored on a [[HuCard]] cartridge, or in [[CD-ROM]] optical format with the TurboGrafx-CD add-on.
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The TurboGrafx-16 failed to break into the North American market and sold poorly, which has been blamed on inferior marketing.<ref name="Gamasutra">{{cite web|author=Christian Nutt |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/225466/stalled_engine_the_turbografx16_.php?print=1 |title=Stalled engine: The TurboGrafx-16 turns 25 |publisher=''Gamasutra''}}</ref> However in Japan the PC Engine was very successful, where it gained strong third-party support and outsold the [[Famicom]] at its 1987 debut, eventually becoming the [[Super Famicom]]'s main rival.<ref name="Guardian">{{cite web|author=Paul Sartori |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2013/apr/02/turbografx-16-machine-that-time-forgot |title=TurboGrafx-16: the console that time forgot (and why it's worth re-discovering) |publisher=''[[The Guardian]]'' |date=April 2, 2013}}</ref> Lots of revisions - at least 17 distinct models - were made, such as portable versions and a [[CD-ROM]] add-on.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/27/why-kanye-west-right-recommend-turbografx-16-console</ref> An enhanced model, the [[PC Engine SuperGrafx]], was intended to supersede the standard PC Engine, but failed to break through and was quickly discontinued. The entire series was succeeded by the [[PC-FX]] in 1994, only released in Japan.
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== History ==
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The TurboGrafx-16 or PC Engine was a collaborative effort between [[Hudson Soft]], who created video game software, and [[NEC]], a major company which was dominant in the Japanese [[personal computer]] market with their [[PC-88]] and [[PC-98]] platforms. NEC's interest in entering the lucrative video game market coincided with Hudson's failed attempt to sell designs for then-advanced graphics chips to [[Nintendo]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Video Game Trader Magazine |url=http://www.videogametrader.com/2009/03/16/nec-the-hudson-bee-and-turbografx-16-from-japan-to-the-usa-a-turbocharged-competition/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717200000/http://www.videogametrader.com/2009/03/16/nec-the-hudson-bee-and-turbografx-16-from-japan-to-the-usa-a-turbocharged-competition/ |archivedate=July 17, 2011 |title=Video Game Trader #3, March 2008 |publisher=''Videogametrader.com'' |date=March 16, 2009 |accessdate=July 5, 2011}}</ref> NEC lacked the vital experience in the video gaming industry so approached numerous video game studios for support. They eventually found that, by coincidence, Hudson Soft was also interested in creating their own system but needed a partner for additional cash. The two companies successfully joined together to then develop the new system.<ref name="Nintendo Life"></ref>
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The PC Engine finally made its debut in the Japanese market on October 30, 1987, and it was a tremendous success. By 1988 it outsold the Famicom year-on-year, putting NEC and Hudson Soft ahead of Nintendo in the market, and far ahead of [[Sega]]. The console had an elegant, "eye-catching" design, and it was very small compared to its rivals.<ref name="Gamasutra"></ref> This, coupled with a strong software lineup and strong third-party support from high-profile developers such as [[Namco]] and [[Konami]] gave NEC the lead in the Japanese market.<ref name="Nintendo Life"></ref>
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In 1988 NEC wanted to sell the system to the American market, and directed its U.S. operations to do so. NEC Technologies boss Keith Schaefer formed a team to test the system out. One criticism they found was the lack of enthusiasm in its name 'PC Engine'. The team also felt its small size was not very suitable to American consumers who would generally prefer a larger and "futuristic" design. As a result they came up with the name 'TurboGrafx-16', a name representing its graphical speed and strength, and its 16-bit [[GPU]]. They also completely redesigned the hardware into a large, black casing. However the redesign process was lengthy, and NEC in Japan was still cautious about the system's viability in the U.S., both of which delayed the system's debut in the American market.<ref name="Gamasutra"></ref>
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The TurboGrafx-16 was eventually released in the [[New York City]] and [[Los Angeles]] [[test market]] in late August 1989. This came just two weeks after [[Sega]]'s [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]] test-market launch on August 14,<ref>Steven L. Kent, ''The Ultimate History of Video Games'', p. 413.</ref> which was distastrous timing for NEC as Sega of America didn't waste time redesigning the original Japanese Mega Drive system.<ref name="Gamasutra"></ref> The Genesis launch was accompanied by an ad campaign mocking NEC's claim that the TurboGrafx-16 was the first 16-bit console. Initially, the TurboGrafx-16 was marketed as a direct competitor to the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] and early television ads touted the TG-16's superior graphics and sound. These ads featured a brief montage of the TG-16's launch titles: ''[[Blazing Lazers]]'', ''[[China Warrior]]'', ''[[Vigilante (video game)|Vigilante]]'', ''[[Alien Crush]]'', etc.
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Sega quickly eclipsed the TurboGrafx-16 after its American debut. NEC's decision to [[pack-in]] ''[[Keith Courage in Alpha Zones]]'', a Hudson Soft game unknown to western gamers, proved costly as Sega packed-in a port of the hit arcade title ''[[Altered Beast]]'' with the Genesis. NEC's American operations in [[Chicago]] were also overhyped about its potential and quickly produced 750,000 units, far above actual demand. Hudson Soft earned a lot from this as NEC paid Hudson Soft royalties for every hardware produced, whether sold or not. By 1990 it was clear that the system was performing very poorly and was severely edged out by Nintendo and Sega's marketing.<ref name="Gamasutra"></ref>
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After seeing the TurboGrafx-16 suffer in America, NEC decided to cancel their European releases. Units for the European markets were already produced, which were essentially US models modified to run on [[PAL]] television sets, and branded as simply '''TurboGrafx'''. NEC sold this stock to distributors - in the United Kingdom [[Telegames]] released the TurboGrafx in 1990 in extremely limited quantities.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hudsonent.com/viewtopic.php?t=44&sid=f236051d12b1668bbdf7f5cf64646054 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929154917/http://hudsonent.com/viewtopic.php?t=44&sid=f236051d12b1668bbdf7f5cf64646054 |archivedate=September 29, 2011 |title=Hudson Entertainment – Video Games, Mobile Games, Ringtones, and More! |publisher=Web.archive.org |date=June 19, 2008 |accessdate=July 5, 2011}}</ref> This model was also released in Spain and Portugal through selected retailers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://museo8bits.com/pcegine.htm |title=Nec PC Engine / Turbografx |date=September 1, 2000 |accessdate=January 26, 2016}}</ref> No PAL [[HuCard]]s were made, and instead the European system can play all American games without modifications, albeit with the necessary slowdown to 50Hz.
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PC Engine consoles (as well as some of its add-ons) were imported from Japan by French unlicensed importer Sodipeng (''Société de Distribution de la PC Engine'', a subsidiary of [[Ubisoft|Guillemot International]]), from November 1989 to 1993.<ref>[http://gameblog.fr/blogs/adrameleck/p_19043_pubs-sodipeng-pc-engine-1990-91 Pubs Sodipeng Pc-engine (1990–91) – Le Adra's Blog ! – GAMEBLOG.fr<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> This came after considerable enthusiasm in the French press. This PC Engine was largely available in France and [[Benelux]] through major retailers. It came with [[French language]] instructions and also an AV cable to enable its input to a [[SECAM]] television set. Its launch price was 1,790 [[French franc]]s (about 416 [[€]] as of 2013).<ref>http://www.retroblog.fr/tag/sodipeng/</ref>
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[[File:NEC-TurboGrafx-16-CD-FL.jpg|thumb|right|The TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine was the first video game console capable of playing CD-ROM games with an optional add-on.]]
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NEC claimed that it had sold 750,000 TG-16 consoles in the United States, and 500,000 CD-ROM units worldwide, by March 1991.<ref name="cgw199106">{{cite news | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1991&pub=2&id=83 | title=Celebrating Software | work=Computer Gaming World | date=June 1991 | accessdate=November 17, 2013 | pages=64}}</ref> That year NEC released the [[PC Engine Duo]] in Japan, a model which could play HuCards and CD-ROM² discs, making it the first game console with an integrated CD-ROM drive. The console was licensed to Turbo Technologies Incorporated, who released it in North America in 1992 as the [[TurboDuo]]. In addition to standard CD-ROM² format discs, the Duo could also play games in the newly introduced '''Super CD-ROM²''' format due to its greater RAM size (the TurboGrafx-16 and its CD player could support this new format only through the use of a separately available upgrade, the Super System Card, which TTI sold via mail order). The unit came into competition with the [[Sega CD]], which was released almost immediately after. Turbo Technologies ran [[comic book]] ads featuring [[Johnny Turbo]]. The ads mocked Sega, and emphasized that though the TurboDuo and Sega CD had the same retail price, the TurboDuo was a standalone platform and included five pack-in games, whereas Sega CD buyers needed to purchase separately sold games and a Genesis console before they could use the system.
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However, the North American console gaming market continued to be dominated by the Super NES and Genesis rather than the new CD-based consoles. In May 1994 Turbo Technologies announced that it was dropping support for the Duo, though it would continue to offer repairs for existing units and provide ongoing software releases through independent companies in the U.S. and Canada.<ref>{{cite news|last= |first= |title=At the Deadline|work=[[GamePro]]|issue=60|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=July 1994|page=172}}</ref>
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The TurboGrafx-series was the first video game console ever to have a contemporaneous fully self-contained portable counterpart, the PC Engine GT, known as [[TurboExpress]] in North America. It contained identical hardware and played identical game software (utilizing [[HuCard]] format game software).
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The final commercialized release for the PC Engine was ''Dead of the Brain Part 1 & 2'' on June 3, 1999, on the Super CD-ROM² format.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.consolecity.com/games/action-game_info/game_id-26722.html |title=Dead of the Brain 1 & 2 |publisher=''Consolecity.com'' |date=June 3, 1996 |accessdate=July 5, 2011}}</ref> The last game on HuCard format was ''21 Emon: Mezase! Hotel Ō'' on December 16, 1994.
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==Variations==
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{| class="wikitable" style="float:left; margin-right:1em;"
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|-
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| [[File:NEC-TurboExpress-Upright-FL.jpg|none|120px|PC Engine CoreGrafx with CD-ROM² and interface unit]]
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| [[File:PC Engine Duo-RX.jpg|none|120px|PC Engine Duo RX]]
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|-
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| style="width:120px;"| <center><small>The TurboExpress</small></center>
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| style="width:120px;"| <center><small>PC Engine Duo RX</small></center>
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|-
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| [[File:PC Engine LT.jpg|none|120px|PC Engine LT]]
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| [[File:Super CD-ROM2 with CoreGrafx II (3-4 right view).jpg|none|120px|CoreGrafx II with Super CD-ROM²]]
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|-
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| style="width:120px;"| <center><small>PC Engine LT</small></center>
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| style="width:120px;"| <center><small>PC Engine CoreGrafx II with Super CD-ROM²</small></center>
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|}
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Many variations and related products of the PC Engine were released.
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===Core consoles===
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The '''PC Engine CoreGrafx''' is an updated model of the PC Engine, released in Japan on December 8, 1989.<ref name="PC-Engine UK"/> It has the same form factor as the original PC Engine, but has a black color scheme, and replaces the original's [[RF]] connectors with an A/V port. A recolored version of the model, known as the '''PC Engine CoreGrafx II''', was released on June 21, 1991.<ref name="PC-Engine UK"/> Aside from the different coloring, it is functionally identical to the original CoreGrafx.
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The '''[[PC Engine SuperGrafx]]''', released on the same day as the CoreGrafx in Japan,<ref name="PC-Engine UK"/> is an enhanced variation of the PC Engine hardware with updated specs. This model has a second HuC6270A (VDC), a HuC6202 (VDP) that combines the output of the two VDCs, four times as much RAM, twice as much video RAM, and a second layer/plane of scrolling. The CPU, sound, and color palette were not upgraded, making the expensive price tag a big disadvantage to the system. As a result, only five exclusive SuperGrafx games and two hybrid games (''[[Darius (arcade game)|Darius Plus]]'' and ''[[Darius Alpha]]'' were released as standard HuCards which took advantage of the extra video hardware if played on a SuperGrafx) were released, and the system was quickly discontinued. Despite the fact that the SuperGrafx was intended to supersede the original PC Engine, its extra hardware features were not carried over to the later Duo consoles. The SuperGrafx has a BUS expansion port, but requires an adapter in order to utilize the CD-ROM² System add-on.
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The '''PC Engine LT''' is a model of the console in a [[laptop]] form, released on December 13, 1991 in Japan,<ref name="PC-Engine UK"/> retailing at ¥99,800. The LT does not require a television display as it has a built-in flip-up screen and speakers, just as a laptop would have, but unlike the GT the LT runs on a power supply. Its expensive price meant that few units were produced compared to other models. It requires an adapter to use the Super CD-ROM² unit.
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===HuCard-only consoles===
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The '''PC Engine Shuttle''' was released in Japan on November 22, 1989<ref name="PC-Engine UK"/> as a less expensive model of the console, retailing at ¥18,800. It was targeted primarily towards younger players with its spaceship-like design and came bundled with a TurboPad II controller, which is shaped differently from the other standard TurboPad controllers. The reduced price was possible by the removal of the expansion port of the back, making it the first model of the console that was not compatible with the CD-ROM² add-on. However, it does have a slot for a memory backup unit, which is required for certain games.
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The '''PC Engine GT''' is a portable version of the PC Engine, released in Japan on December 1, 1990 and then in the United States as the '''[[TurboExpress]]'''.<ref name="PC-Engine UK"/> It can only play HuCard games. It has a {{convert|2.6|in|mm|adj=on}} backlit, active-matrix color LCD screen, the most advanced on the market for a portable video game unit at the time. The screen contributed to its high price and short battery life, however, which dented its performance in the market. It shares the capabilities of the TurboGrafx-16, giving it 512 available colors (9-bit [[RGB]]), stereo sound, and the same custom CPU at 7.15909 [[megahertz|MHz]]. It also has a TV tuner adapter as well as a two-player link cable.
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===CD-ROM add-ons===
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[[File:PC Engine CD-ROM2 Interface Unit.jpg|thumb|PC Engine CoreGrafx with CD-ROM² and interface unit]]
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The {{nihongo|'''CD-ROM² System'''|[[:ja:CD-ROM2|シーディーロムロムシステム]]|Shī Dī Romu Romu Shisutemu|pronounced "CD-ROM-ROM"}} is an add-on attachment for the PC Engine that was released in Japan on December 4, 1988.<ref name="PC-Engine UK"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Turbo CD|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/turbocd/916397-turbo-cd/data|publisher=''[[GameFAQs]]''|accessdate=May 14, 2012}}</ref> The add-on allows the core versions of the console to play PC Engine games in CD-ROM format in addition to standard HuCards. This made the PC Engine the first video game console to have a CD-ROM peripheral, and first device ever to use CD-ROM as a storage medium for video games. The add-on consisted of two devices - the CD player itself and the interface unit, which connects the CD player to the console and provides as a common power supply and output for both.<ref>http://magweasel.com/2009/07/21/i-love-the-pc-engine-fighting-street/</ref><ref>http://www.giantbomb.com/no-ri-ko/3030-39939/</ref><ref>[http://www.ign.com/top-25-consoles/13.html Top 25 Videogame Consoles of All Time], IGN. Retrieved 2010-06-14.</ref><ref>{{citation|title=The video game explosion: a history from PONG to Playstation and beyond|author=Mark J. P. Wolf|publisher=''[[ABC-CLIO]]''|year=2008|isbn=0-313-33868-X|page=119|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XiM0ntMybNwC&pg=PA119|accessdate=April 10, 2011}}</ref> It was later released as the '''TurboGrafx-CD''' in the United States on August 1, 1990. The TurboGrafx-CD had a launch price of $399.99, and did not include any bundled games.<ref name="ToysRUs">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Toys R Us weekly ad |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=373&dat=19901205&id=ek1OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Oz8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2470,1037511 |newspaper=The Catoosa County News |date=December 5, 1990 |accessdate=2014-06-17 }}</ref> ''[[Fighting Street]]'' and ''[[Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair|Monster Lair]]'' were the TurboGrafx-CD launch titles; ''[[Ys Book I & II]]'' soon followed.
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The {{nihongo|Super System Card|スーパーシステムカード|Sūpā Shisutemu Kādo}}, an upgrade for the CD-ROM² System, was released on October 26, 1991. It updates the BIOS to Version 3.0 and increases the buffer RAM from 64kB to 2MB required to play Super CD-ROM² discs. An American version of the Super System Card for the TurboGrafx-16/CD combo was also sold exclusively as a mail-order. PC Engine owners who did not already own the original CD-ROM² add-on could instead opt for the {{nihongo|'''Super CD-ROM²'''|[[:ja:SUPER CD-ROM2|スーパーシーディーロムロム]]|Sūpā Shī Dī Romu Romu}}, an updated version of the add-on released on December 13,<ref name="PC-Engine UK"/> which combines the CD-ROM drive, interface unit and Super System Card into one device.
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===Duo consoles===
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{{see|TurboDuo}}
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[[File:NEC-TurboDuo-Console-wController-L.jpg|thumb|NEC/Turbo Technologies later released the TurboDuo, which combined the TurboGrafx-CD and TurboGrafx-16 into one unit.]]
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NEC Home Electronics released the '''PC Engine Duo''' in Japan on September 21, {{vgy|1991}},<ref name="PC-Engine UK"/> which combined the PC Engine and Super CD-ROM² unit into a single console. The system can play HuCards, audio CDs, CD+Gs, standard CD-ROM² games and Super CD-ROM² games. The North American version, the '''TurboDuo''', was launched in October {{vgy|1992}}. The American version of Duo was originally bundled with one control pad, an AC adapter, RCA cables, ''[[Ys Book I & II]]'' (a CD-ROM² title), and a Super CD-ROM² including ''[[Bonk's Adventure]]'', ''[[Bonk's Revenge]]'', ''[[Gate of Thunder]]'' and a secret version of ''[[Bomberman]]'' accessible via a cheat code. The system was also packaged with one random HuCard game which varied from system to system (''Dungeon Explorer'' was the original HuCard pack-in for TurboDuo, although many titles were eventually used, such as Irem's ''Ninja Spirit'' and Namco's ''Final Lap Twin'', and then eventually a random pick).
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Two updated variants were released in Japan: the '''PC Engine Duo-R''' (on March 25, 1993)<ref name="PC-Engine UK"/> and the '''PC Engine Duo-RX''' (on June 25, 1994).<ref name="PC-Engine UK"/>
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===Arcade Card===
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Certain games in Japan were released in a third disc format, the {{nihongo|'''Arcade CD-ROM²'''|アーケードシーディーロムロム|Ākēdo Shī Dī Romu Romu}} (released in Japan on March 12, 1994),<ref name="PC-Engine UK"/> requiring the use of an {{nihongo|Arcade Card|[[:ja:アーケードカード|アーケードカード]]|Ākēdo Kādo}}. The Arcade Card was available in two variants: the '''Arcade Card Pro''' designed solely for the original CD-ROM² System, and the '''Arcade Card Duo''' that works with the Super CD-ROM² System and all [[PC Engine Duo]] models (both adding a total of 2MB of RAM). These are not compatible with the TurboGrafx-CD, nor with the TurboDuo, without an adapter.
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===HE-System machines===
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The '''PC-KD863G''' is a [[CRT monitor]]　with built-in PC Engine console, released on September 27, 1988 in Japan for ¥138,000. Following NEC's PCs' naming scheme, the PC-KD863G was designed to eliminate the need to buy a separate television set and a console. It output its signals in [[RGB]], so it was clearer at the time than the console which was still limited to [[RF]] and [[Composite video|composite]]. However, it has no BUS expansion port, which made it incompatible with the CD-ROM² System and memory backup add-ons
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The '''X1-Twin''' was the first licensed PC Engine-compatible hardware manufactured by a third-party company, released by [[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]] on April 1989 for ¥99,800.<ref name=super_pcefan_vol1>{{cite magazine|title=スーパーPCエンジンファン|trans-title=Super PC Engine Fan|language=Japanese|volume=1|publisher=Tokuma Shoten Intermedia|date=January 15, 1994}}</ref> It's an [[Sharp X1|X1]] computer and PC Engine console combined into one, although the two hardware run mutually separately.
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[[Pioneer Corporation]]'s [[LaserActive]] supports an add-on module which allows the use of PC Engine games (HuCard, CD-ROM² and Super CD-ROM²) as well as new "LD-ROM²" titles that work only on this device. NEC also released their own LaserActive unit and PC Engine add-on module, under an [[OEM]] license.<ref>{{cite news|last= |first= |title=International News|work=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=54|publisher=EGM Media, LLC|date=January 1994|page=94}}</ref> A total of eleven LD-ROM<sup>2</sup> titles were produced, with only three of them released in North America.
 +
 +
===Other foreign markets===
 +
Outside North America and Japan, the TurboGrafx-16 was released in [[South Korea]] by a third party under the name '''Vistar 16'''. It was based on the American version but with a new curved design.<ref>[http://nfggames.com/games/vistar/ Vistar 16]</ref> The PC Engine was never officially released in continental Europe, but some companies imported them and made SCART conversions on a moderate scale. In France, [[Sodipeng]] imported Japanese systems and added an RGB Cable called "AudioVideo Plus Cable".{{citation needed|date=September 2014}} This mod improved the original video signal quality extensively and made the consoles work with SECAM televisions. In Germany, several importers sold converted PC Engines with PAL RF as well as RGB output.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}} The connectors and pinouts used for the latter were frequently compatible with the [[Amiga]] video port, with two unconnected pins used for the audio channels.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}
 +
 +
===Peripheral compatibility===
 +
[[File:NEC-TurboGrafx-16-TurboTap.jpg|thumb|right|The TurboGrafx-16 had only one controller port, so any simultaneous multiplayer games required the TurboTap accessory.]]
 +
All PC Engine systems support the same controller peripherals, including pads, joysticks and multitaps. Except for the Vistar, Shuttle, GT, and systems with built-in CD-ROM drives, all PC Engine units shared the same expansion connector, which allowed for the use of devices such as the CD-ROM unit, battery backup and AV output.
  
−
The '''Sentinels''' are a [[fiction]]al variety of mutant-hunting [[robot]]s appearing in [[American comic book]]s published by [[Marvel Comics]]. They are typically depicted as antagonists to the [[X-Men]].  
+
The TurboGrafx and Vistar units use a different controller port than the PC Engines, but adaptors are available and the protocol is the same. The TurboGrafx offers the same expansion connector pinout as the PC Engine, but has a slightly different shape so peripherals must be modified to fit.
  
−
The Sentinels played a large role in the 1990s [[X-Men (TV series)|''X-Men'' animated series]] and have been featured in several X-Men [[video game]]s. The Sentinels are featured prominently in the 2014 film ''[[X-Men: Days of Future Past]]'' while [[Danger Room|simulated versions]] made brief appearances in the 2006 film ''[[X-Men: The Last Stand]]'' and the 2016 film ''[[X-Men: Apocalypse]]''. In 2009, The Sentinels was ranked as [[IGN]]'s 38th Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Top 100 Comic Book Villains|url=http://www.ign.com/top/comic-book-villains/38.html|website=[[IGN]]|accessdate=4 November 2017|language=en}}</ref>
+
The Arcade Card Pro is designed for the original CD-ROM² System add-on, adding the 2304 kB of RAM required by Arcade CD-ROM² games. The Arcade Card Duo is for the Super CD-ROM² System and the PC-Engine Duo/R/RX consoles and adds 2048 kB RAM, since those systems already have 256K of RAM built-in.
  
−
==Publication history==
+
The various CD-ROM game types are:
−
[[File:The X-Men (Uncanny X-Men)-vol.1-14 (November 1965).jpg|thumb|upright|Sentinels' debut ''[[Uncanny X-Men|The X-Men]]'' #14 (November 1965). Art by [[Jack Kirby]].]]
+
*CD-ROM² : Standard CD-ROM game. Runs on all CD-ROM² Systems without any additional requirements
−
Created by [[Stan Lee]] and [[Jack Kirby]], they first appeared in ''[[Uncanny X-Men|The X-Men]]'' #14 (November 1965).
+
*Super CD-ROM² : Requires a Super System Card to work on the original CD-ROM² System. No card is required for Super CD-ROM² and Duo consoles.
 +
*Arcade CD-ROM² : Requires an Arcade Card Pro on the original CD-ROM² System, or an Arcade Card Duo on the Super CD-ROM² and Duo consoles.
  
−
Sentinels are programmed to locate [[Mutant (Marvel Comics)|mutants]] and capture or kill them. Though several types of Sentinels have been introduced, the typical Sentinel is three stories tall, is capable of [[flight]], projects [[List of superhuman features and abilities in fiction#Energy blasts|energy blasts]], and can detect mutants.
+
===Video formats===
 +
All PC Engine hardware outputs video in NTSC format, including the European TurboGrafx; it generates a PAL-compatible video signal by using a chroma encoder chip not found in any other system in the series.
  
−
==Characteristics==
+
==Technical specifications==
−
{{Expand section|date=January 2011}}
+
[[File:NEC-TurboGrafx-16-Motherboard-Top.jpg|thumb|The TurboGrafx-16 ran off an 8-bit CPU, but had a 16-bit graphics processor.<ref>{{cite magazine|last= |first= |title=The Next Generation 1996 Lexicon A to Z: Bit|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=15 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=March 1996|page=30}}</ref>]]
  
−
Sentinels are designed to hunt [[Mutant (Marvel Comics)|mutants]]. While many are capable of [[tactic (method)|tactical thought]], only a handful are [[self-awareness|self-aware]].
+
The PC Engine is a relatively compact video game console, owing to an efficient three-chip architecture and its use of small [[ROM cartridge]]s called [[HuCard]]s (Turbo Chips in North America). Hudson Soft developed the HuCard (Hudson Card) from the [[Bee Card]] technology it piloted on the [[MSX]]. HuCards are about the size of a credit card, but slightly thicker. They are very similar to the [[Sega Card|My Card]] format utilized for certain games released on the [[SG-1000]]/[[SC-3000]] and the [[Sega Master System|Mark III/Master System]]. The largest Japanese HuCard games were up to {{nowrap|20 Mbit}} in size. All PC Engine consoles can play standard HuCards, including the [[PC Engine SuperGrafx]] (which has its small library of exclusive HuCards).
  
−
Sentinels are technologically advanced, and have exhibited a wide variety of abilities. They are armed (primarily with [[Directed-energy weapon|energy weapons]] and restraining devices), capable of flight, and can detect mutants at long range. They possess vast physical strength, and their bodies are highly resistant to damage. Some are able to alter their physical forms or re-assemble and reactivate themselves after they have been destroyed.
+
With the exception of the budget-priced PC Engine Shuttle, the portable PC Engine GT and the PC-KD863G monitor, every PC Engine console is also capable of playing CD-ROM² discs, provided the console is equipped with the required CD-ROM drive and System Card. The SuperGrafx and PC Engine LT both required additional adapters to work on the original CD-ROM² System and Super CD-ROM² respectively, whereas the Duo consoles had the CD-ROM drive and Super System Card integrated into them (as did the Super CD-ROM² player). Some unlicensed CD games by Games Express can only run on Duo consoles, due to their games requiring both a special System Card packaged with the games and the 256 kB of RAM built into the Duo.
  
−
Some Sentinel variants have the ability to learn from their experiences, developing their defenses during an engagement. Several groups of Sentinels have been created and/or led by a single massive Sentinel called [[Master Mold]]. Some Sentinels are also equipped with an inconspicuous logic loop in case they should go rogue to convince them that they are mutants as demonstrated in the Tri-Sentinel.
+
The console's [[Central processing unit|CPU]] is a [[Hudson Soft HuC6280]] 8-bit microprocessor operating at 1.79&nbsp;MHz and 7.16&nbsp;MHz. It features integrated bank-switching hardware (driving a 21-bit external address bus from a 6502-compatible 16-bit address bus), an integrated general-purpose I/O port, a timer, block transfer instructions, and dedicated move instructions for communicating with the [[Hudson Soft HuC6270|HuC6270A]] VDC. Its 16-bit [[Graphics processing unit|graphics processor]] and video color encoder chip were also developed by Hudson Soft.<ref>{{cite web|title=United States patent 5059955|url=http://www.google.com/patents/US5059955}}</ref> It holds 8 [[Kilobyte|kB]] of work RAM and 64 kB of video RAM.
  
−
==Generations==
+
===Display===
−
[[File:Sentinels.PNG|thumbnail|250px|Sentinels in ''[[Astonishing X-Men]]'' vol. 3, #1 (July 2004). Art by [[John Cassaday]].]]
 
−
* '''Mark I''' and '''Master Mold'' - Created by [[Bolivar Trask]]. First appeared in ''X-Men'' (vol. 1) #14. Bolivar Trask sacrificed himself to destroy the Master Mold.
 
−
* '''Mark II''' - Created by [[Larry Trask (comics)|Larry Trask]]. This model was capable of adapting to and counteracting superpowers almost instantly. First appeared in ''X-Men'' (vol. 1) #57.
 
−
* '''Composite''' - Created by merging the remaining portions of five Sentinels destroyed by the X-Men and came under control of Ashley Martin. It was destroyed by her when it rebelled against her.
 
−
* '''Mark III''' - Created by [[Steven Lang (comics)|Stephen Lang]] and ''Project: Armageddon'', secretly funded by [[Edward Buckman]] and the [[Hellfire Club (comics)|Council of the Chosen]]. First appeared in ''X-Men'' (vol. 1) #98.
 
−
** '''X-Sentinels''' - Created by Stephen Lang. They are [[Android (robot)|android]]s who were duplicates of the original X-Men.
 
−
* '''Mark IV''' - Created by [[Sebastian Shaw (comics)|Sebastian Shaw]]. First appeared in ''X-Men'' (vol. 1) #151.
 
−
* '''Mark V''' - Created by Sebastian Shaw for U.S. government's Project Wideawake. First appeared in ''New Mutants'' (vol. 1) #2.
 
−
* '''Mark VI''' - Created by Shaw Industries for Project Wideawake and used by [[Onslaught (comics)|Onslaught]]. Also incorporated parts of Project Nimrod.
 
−
* '''Mark VII''' - Created by Shaw Industries. They were experimental and remote controlled.
 
−
* '''[[Nimrod (comics)|Nimrod]]''' (later [[Bastion (comics)|Bastion]]) - A prototype Super Sentinel that arrived from the "[[Days of Future Past]]" timeline and was later reactivated by Reverend [[William Stryker]].
 
−
** '''Project Nimrod''' - Created by an offshoot of Project Wideawake and was in the experimental stage. Cancelled after [[X-Force]] interfered. Based on the Nimrod Sentinel.
 
−
* '''[[Prime Sentinel]]s''' - Created by [[Bastion (comics)|Bastion]] and ''[[Operation: Zero Tolerance]]''. They are disabled humans equipped with [[nanotechnology]] without their knowledge at Prospero Clinic. The Prime Sentinels were used as sleeper agents until activated by attack or presence of a mutant.
 
−
* '''Omega Prime Sentinels''' - The second generation of [[Prime Sentinel]]s. [[Karima Shapandar]] is one of them.
 
−
* '''Wild Sentinels''' - Built in secret by a new Master Mold in Ecuador, activated by Donald Trask III and used by [[Cassandra Nova]]. New units are produced based on the currently available resources – salvaged parts, weapons and sometimes even entire vehicles –, which give this particular type of Sentinel a very diverse, rag-tag appearance. Due to both this and their design flexibility, a wide variety of different shapes and forms have been observed. The Mega-Sentinels used to destroy [[Genosha]] and Nanosentinels both belong to this kind of Sentinel. The technology used in Nano-Sentinels is also employed by [[Weapon Plus]] for their artificial evolution experiments and the creation of their Super-Sentinels.
 
−
* '''Mark VIII''' - Sentinel Squad [[Office of National Emergency|O*N*E]], designed by [[Iron Man|Stark Enterprises]]. Unlike other Sentinels, the Mark VIII requires a human pilot.
 
−
* '''Bio-Sentinels''' - Humans infected by a technological virus created by Simon Trask, the victims become anti-mutant activists, who later at Trask's command, are fully transformed into robotic Sentinels mindlessly following Trask's commands.<ref>''Astonishing X-Men'' #31</ref>
 
−
* '''Stark Sentinels''' - The Stark Sentinels debuted during the ''[[AXIS (comics)|AXIS]]'' storyline. Under the influence of the [[Red Skull]] (who also had erased from him any memory of their construction), [[Iron Man|Tony Stark]] created a model of Sentinels based on the knowledge of different super heroes he acquired after the ''[[Civil War (comics)|Civil War]]'' storyline. When Red Skull became the Red Onslaught, and the Avengers arrived to Genosha to stop him, he deployed the Stark Sentinels.<ref>''Avengers & X-Men: AXIS'' #1</ref>
 
  
−
===Related mutant-hunting creations===
+
====Resolution====
−
[[File:Sentinel X-Men Schism Vol 1 1.png|thumbnail|250px|The X-Men battle Sentinels in ''X-Men: Schism'' #1 (July 2011). Art by Carlos Pacheco and Cam Smith.]]
+
*X (Horizontal) Resolution: variable, maximum of 565 (programmable to 282, 377 or 565 pixels, or as 5.3693175&nbsp;MHz, 7.15909&nbsp;MHz, and 10.738635&nbsp;MHz pixel dot clock)<ref name="forums.magicengine.com">{{cite web|url=http://forums.magicengine.com/en/viewtopic.php?t=1798 |title=Forums.MagicEngine.com |publisher=Forums.MagicEngine.com |date= |accessdate=2011-07-05}}</ref> Taking into consideration overscan limitations of CRT televisions at the time, the horizontal resolutions were realistically limited to something a bit less than what the system was actually capable of.  Consequently, most game developers limited their games to either 256, 352, or 512 pixels in display width for each of the three modes.<ref name="pcenginefx.com forum">{{cite web|url=http://www.pcenginefx.com/forums/index.php?topic=6601.msg110493#msg110493 |title=forum |publisher=''Pcenginefx.com'' |date= |accessdate=July 5, 2011}}</ref>
−
* '''[[Tri-Sentinel]]''' - A combination of three fairly standard Sentinels bonded together by [[Loki (comics)|Loki]], and defeated by [[Spider-Man]] at the peak of his cosmic ([[Captain Universe]]) powers. Later revived by The Life Foundation, only to be destroyed again by Spider-Man and [[Nova (Richard Rider)|Nova]].
+
*Y (Vertical) Resolution: variable, maximum of 242 (programmable in increments of 1 scanline). It is possible to achieve an interlaced "mode" with a maximum vertical resolution of 484 scanlines by alternating between the two different vertical resolution modes used by the system.  However, it is unknown, at this time, if this interlaced resolution is compliant with (and hence displayed correctly on) NTSC televisions.
−
* '''Soviet Sentinels''' - Created by the Soviet Union and later purchased by Cuban government officials.''<ref>''Mystique'' #3-6</ref>
+
*The majority of TurboGrafx-16 games use 256×239,<ref name="forums.magicengine.com"/> though some games, such as ''Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective'' did use 512×224.
−
* '''Super-Sentinels''' - Using [[Nanotechnology|Nano-Sentinel technology]], [[Weapon Plus]] created artificially evolved superhumans at ''[[Weapon Plus#The World|The World]]''. Three of the creations were chosen to form the mutant-hunting Super-Sentinels, Huntsman, [[Fantomex]] and Ultimaton, who were intended to be presented to the public as superheroes in order to make the extermination of mutantkind look "like a Saturday morning cartoon".
 
−
* '''Colcord's Sentinels''' - Some of the Boxbots created by [[Madison Jeffries]] (aka Box) to serve the [[Weapon X]] Program, run by [[Malcolm Colcord]]. In one variation of the ''[[Days of Future Past]]'' timeline seen in the ''Weapon X: Days of Future Now'' limited series, one of the Boxbots evolves into a new Master Mold and a new breed of Sentinels.
 
−
* '''Hardaway''' - A cyborg created at Camp Hayden, killed by the [[Mutant Liberation Front]], who called himself a Bio-Sentinel.
 
−
* '''X-51 ([[Machine Man]])''' - Captured by Bastion and "infected" with Prime Sentinel nano-bots which reconfigured and reconstructed his systems thereby giving him similar capabilities to Nimrod, such as adapting to almost any situation and programming that at times forced him to attack mutants.
 
−
* '''[[Juston Seyfert]]'s Sentinel''': First appearing in ''[[Sentinel (comic book)|Sentinel]]'' #1, this is a rebuilt Sentinel (likely a Mark V or Mark VI), reprogrammed to obey Juston Seyfert. Initially, Seyfert controlled the Sentinel by riding on its shoulder; he now has built a cockpit into it. Seyfert and his Sentinel are former members of [[Avengers Academy]] and featured in ''[[Avengers Arena]]''.
 
−
* '''Sentinaughts''' - One of the types of sentient robots who live in the free robot city of The Core,<ref>''Secret Avengers'' vol. 1 #26</ref> Sentinaughts are apparently based on the Sentinel design. They vary in size from roughly human to the large stature of traditional Sentinels.
 
  
−
==Other versions==
+
====Color====
−
The following are alternative versions of the Sentinels, which appear outside of regular [[Marvel Universe|Marvel canon]].
+
*Colors available: 512 (9-bit)
 +
*Colors onscreen: Maximum of 482 (241 background, 241 sprite)
 +
*Palettes: Maximum of 32 (16 for background tiles, 16 for sprites)
 +
*Colors per palette: 16 per background palette (color entry #0 of each background palette must be the same), and 15 per sprite palette (plus transparent, which is displayed as an actual color in the overscan area of the screen)
  
−
===Age of Apocalypse===
+
====Sprites====
−
In the "[[Age of Apocalypse]]" timeline, Bolivar Trask created the Sentinels with his wife [[Moira MacTaggert|Moira]]. These Sentinels are equipped with several body-mounted gun turrets, and their primary directive is to protect humans rather than to hunt mutants. They are capable of cooperating with mutants in order to further this mission.<ref>''Amazing X-Men'' #2</ref>
+
*Simultaneously displayable: 64 on-screen, 16 (256 sprite pixels) per scanline
−
Later the Sentinels are adapted by Weapon Omega, to serve a reverse purpose, and now aid in the hunting of the human race.<ref>''Uncanny X-Force'' #11</ref>
+
*Sizes: 16×16, 16×32, 16×64, 32×16, 32×32, 32×64
 +
*Palette: Each sprite can use up to 15 unique colors (one color must be reserved as transparent) via one of the 16 available sprite palettes.
 +
*Layers: The [[Hudson Soft HuC6270|HuC6270A]] VDC was capable of displaying one sprite layer. Sprites could be placed either in front of or behind background tiles by manipulating a bit which caused indirect pixel color entry #0 of the background tile(s) to act as transparent.
  
−
===Days of Future Past===
+
====Tiles====
−
In the "[[Days of Future Past]]" timeline, which takes place in an alternate future, the "Omega Sentinels" have advanced technologically and become the ''de facto'' rulers of the [[United States]]. The most powerful among them is [[Nimrod (comics)|Nimrod]].{{issue|date=December 2012}}
+
*Size: 8×8
 +
*Palette: Each background tile can use up to 15 unique colors via one of the 16 available background palettes and 1 shared color (BG color #0) for a total of 16 colors per tile. The first color entry of each background subpalette is ignored. Instead, color #0's RGB value is shown in its place (the common/shared color). When a specific sprite is set to show behind the BG layer via the priority bit, all tiles that use relative color #0 (of 16) will not show BG color #0. But instead will show the sprite pixel (if not opaque).
 +
*Layers: The [[Hudson Soft HuC6270|HuC6270A]] VDC was capable of displaying one background layer.
  
−
===Hembeck===
+
===Audio capacity===
−
In the joke comic ''[[Fred Hembeck]] Destroys the Marvel Universe'', the X-Men are killed by silent, black, man-sized "[[Ninja]] Sentinels".{{issue|date=December 2012}}
+
*Six [[wavetable synthesis]] audio channels, programmable through the [[Hudson Soft HuC6280|HuC6280A]] CPU.
 +
*Each channel had a [[frequency]] of 111.87&nbsp;kHz for single cycle of 32 samples (while not in D/A mode) with a [[Audio bit depth|bit depth]] of 5 bits.  Each channel also was allotted 20 bytes (32×5 bits) of RAM for sample data.
 +
*The [[waveform]]s were programmable so the composers were not limited to the standard selection of waveforms (square, sine, sawtooth, triangle, etc.). But the use of standard waveforms, and semi-standard forms, such as a 25% pulse wave were used fairly often.
 +
*The first two audio channels (1 and 2) were capable of [[Low frequency oscillation|LFO]] when channel #2 was used to modulate channel #1 with [[vibrato]]. In theory, this could also be used to perform an [[Frequency modulation synthesis|FM]] operation, though due to other limitations, this was never done (note: LFO, like FM works by modifying an audible waveform (carrier oscillator) with an inaudible waveform (modulator oscillator), but LFO's modulator is subsonic rather than sonic (FM), so LFO will not change the carrier's timbre, just its behavior, and as a result, LFO does not really sound anything like FM.)
 +
*The final two audio channels (5 and 6) were capable of [[White noise|noise]] generation.
 +
*Optional software enabled Direct [[Digital-to-analog converter|D/A]] which allows for sampled sound to be streamed into any of the six PSG audio channels. When a channel is in D/A mode the frequency is as fast as the CPU can stream bytes to the port, though in practicality it is limited to 6.99&nbsp;kHz when using the TIMER interrupt with its smallest loop setting (1023 cpu cycles) or 15.7&nbsp;kHz using the scanline interrupt.
 +
*There is a method that combines two channels in DDA mode to play back 8-bit, 9-bit, or 10-bit samples.
 +
*The addition of the CD-ROM peripheral adds CD-DA sound, and a single ADPCM channel to the existing sound capabilities of the PC Engine.
  
−
===Here Comes Tomorrow===
+
===Region protection===
−
In the "[[Here Comes Tomorrow]]" future timeline, a Sentinel named '''Rover''' is [[Sentinel (comic book)|Tom Skylark's]] companion and protector. After more than 150 years of being active, Rover has become self-aware and, possibly, capable of emotion.{{issue|date=December 2012}}
+
[[Image:TurboGrafx HuCard adapters.png|thumb|right|200px|Common HuCard Converters]]
 +
With HuCards, a limited form of region protection was introduced between markets which for the most part was nothing more than running some of the HuCard's pinout connections in a different arrangement. There were several major after-market converters sold to bypass this protection, and were sold predominantly for use in converting Japanese titles for play on a TG-16. In the Japanese market, NEC went further by adding a hardware level detection function to all PC Engine systems that detected if a game was a U.S. release, and would then refuse to play it. The only known exception to this is the U.S. release of [[Klax (video game)|Klax]] which did not contain this function. The explanation commonly given for this by NEC officials is that most U.S. conversions had the difficulty level reduced, and in some cases were censored for what was considered inappropriate content, and consequently, they did not want the U.S. conversion to re-enter the Asian market and negatively impact the perception of a game.{{citation needed|date=January 2014}} With some minor soldering skills, a change could be made to PC Engines to disable this check.<ref>{{cite web|title=PC Engine Import Mod|url=http://www.gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=imports:pc_engine|publisher=GameSX|accessdate=January 11, 2014|quote="The fix: On Japanese systems, connect pin 29 of the Hu6280 chip to [ground]. That's it."}}</ref> The only Japanese games that could not be played on a U.S. system using one of these converters were the SuperGrafx titles which could only be played on a SuperGrafx.
  
−
===House of M===
+
There was no region protection on TurboGrafx-CD and CD-ROM² System games.
−
In the ''[[House of M]]'' storyline, [[Magneto (comics)|Magneto]] is victorious in a mutant/human war. The Sentinels are adapted by [[Sebastian Shaw (comics)|Sebastian Shaw]], now the director of [[S.H.I.E.L.D.]], to serve a reverse purpose, and now aid in the hunting of sapien rebels.{{issue|date=December 2012}}
 
  
−
===MC2===
+
Due to the extremely limited PAL release after NEC decided to cancel a full release, there were no PAL HuCards made. The European TurboGrafx therefore played the NTSC American/Japanese titles, converted to [[PAL]] 50Hz format.<ref name="Gamasutra"></ref>
−
In the [[Marvel Comics 2|MC2]] timeline, [[Wild Thing (comics)|Wild Thing]] encounters a [[Prime Sentinel]] that has accidentally been activated by a faulty microwave.{{issue|date=December 2012}}
 
  
−
===Ronin===
+
==CD hardware technical specifications and information==
−
In the alternate reality of ''X-Men: Ronin'', the story is played out in Japan. A police unit called "Sentinel Force" designs, builds and pilots the robots. These are aesthetically similar to regular Sentinels, but each is subtly different from the others.{{issue|date=December 2012}}
+
*[[Oki Electric Industry|Oki]] MSM5205 [[Adaptive differential pulse-code modulation|ADPCM]] chip with variable speed input clock, and 64 [[Kibibyte|kB]] [[Dynamic random-access memory|DRAM]] for audio sample storage. Only one channel of 4-bit compressed audio (decompresses to [[Audio bit depth|12-bit]], top 10 bits output through [[Digital-to-analog converter|DAC]]) was supported.<ref>http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:G7O62_Ggt1sJ:archaicpixels.com/images/f/f8/MSM5205.pdf</ref> It supports a [[Sampling (signal processing)|sampling]] rate of up to 32.088&nbsp;kHz.<ref>http://www.ysutopia.net/special/MSM5205.htm</ref>
 +
*Programmable, timer controlled, electronic volume attenuator to fade-out the [[Compact Disc Digital Audio|CD-DA]] and ADPCM audio channels together or individually.
 +
*The PC-Engine [[CD-ROM]] interface tray has 64 kB of DRAM for storage of program code and data loaded from the CD.
 +
*The "System Card" contains the [[BIOS]] program used to boot CD media and provides functions for software to access CD hardware through a standardized interface. Later System Cards had extra RAM and updates to the BIOS.
 +
*The Duo series has the same BIOS [[Read-only memory|ROM]] (v3.00) and RAM (256 kB total) as a PC-Engine system equipped with a Super System Card. The Duo implements the [[Computer memory|memory]] as a single 256 kB [[Static random-access memory|SRAM]] chip rather than the split 64 kB DRAM / 192 kB SRAM.
 +
*The list of known CD-ROM BIOS revisions are:
 +
**v1.00 – First release (System Card, came with the first versions of the PC-Engine CD-ROM² Interface Unit)
 +
**v2.00 – Upgrade (System Card, came with later versions of the Interface Unit)
 +
**v2.10 – Upgrade (System Card, came with even later versions of the Interface Unit or sold separately)
 +
**v3.00 – Final release (built into several products and available as a Super System Card – see below)
 +
*The list of known System Card releases are:
 +
**System Card v1.00 – First release. Came packaged with the original PC-Engine CD-ROM² System.
 +
**System Card v2.00 – BIOS update. This adds support for [[CD+G]] discs.
 +
**System Card v2.10 – BIOS update. Auto disc change detection is implemented. Was the first System Card that was sold separately from the add-on.
 +
**System Card v3.00 (aka. Super System Card) – 1.5 [[Mebibit|Mbit]] [[Random-access memory|RAM]] (192 kB) – RAM upgrade and BIOS update. This expands the RAM available for the CD-ROM unit to 256 kB when including the existing built in DRAM. It also offers a final BIOS update to v3.00. The PC-Engine Duo (Turbo Duo in North America) had 256 kB of RAM and the same v3.00 BIOS built into the system. Games developed for this System Card bore the "Super CD-ROM² System" mark and could not be played using an older System Card.
 +
**Arcade Card Duo – 16 Mbit RAM (2048 kB) – RAM upgrade exclusively for the Super CD-ROM² System and PC Engine Duo consoles. This greatly expands the RAM available to 2048 kB. The BIOS revision was unchanged from v3.00. Games developed for the Arcade Card Duo/Pro bore the "Arcade CD-ROM²" mark, and could not be played using prior System Cards. The Arcade Card Pro includes the extra 192 kB needed for the original CD-ROM² System
 +
**Arcade Card Pro – 17.5 Mbit RAM (2240 kB as 2 [[Mebibyte|MB]]+192 kB) – RAM upgrade for the original CD-ROM² System. This greatly expands the RAM available to 2240 kB. The BIOS revision was unchanged from v3.00. The Arcade Card Pro combines the functions of the Super System Card and the Arcade Card Duo into one unit. The 2 MB of RAM is accessed through ports or units of single {{nowrap|8 kB}} banks and is intended for graphics data storage rather than program code; its flexible addressing system allows for rapid transfer of data to VRAM. While intended and marketed for the original CD-ROM² System, it's actually compatible with Super CD-ROM² add-on and all Duo consoles without any issues.
 +
**Games Express CD Card – Bootleg System Card. This was released by [[Hacker International]] for play of unlicensed Games Express CD games. The GECD Card is essentially a [[dongle]]; a BIOS v3.00 based machine (like a Duo or a Super CD-ROM²) is required for running those games.
  
−
===Star Trek===
+
===Corresponding CD-ROM products===
−
In the comic crossover ''[[X-Men]]/[[Star Trek]]: Second Contact'', the X-Men work with the crew of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)|''Enterprise''-E]] to battle [[Kang the Conqueror]]. An [[away team (Star Trek term)|away team]] composed of [[Jean-Luc Picard|Captain Picard]], [[Deanna Troi]], [[Nightcrawler (comics)|Nightcrawler]] and [[Colossus (comics)|Colossus]] encounter an approximation of the "[[Days of Future Past]]" timeline, in which the Sentinels have merged with the [[Borg (Star Trek)|Borg]].{{issue|date=December 2012}}
+
{|style="width:270px; float:right; border:1px solid #ccc; font-size:88%; line-height:1.5em; padding:1em; margin: 1em 0 1em 2em;"
 +
|-
 +
|[[File:PC Engine ArcadeCard DUO.jpg|140px]]
 +
|[[File:PC Engine ArcadeCard PRO.jpg|125px]]
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="2"|Arcade Card Duo (left) and Arcade Card Pro
 +
|}
  
−
===Ultimate Marvel===
+
*CD-ROM² System – Consists of two components: a compact CD player (CDR-30) and the Interface Unit (IFU-30), which connects the CD player into the PC Engine console itself. These were sold separately or as part of a bundle. The Interface Unit also stores save data and provides a common power supply for the PC Engine and the CD player. A System Card is required for the PC Engine to access the functions of the CD player. Later revisions of both, the CD player (CDR-30A) and the Interface Unit (IFU-30A), featured improved disc reading capabilities.
−
In ''[[Ultimate X-Men]]'', the Sentinels, created by the [[Ultimate Marvel]] version of Bolivar Trask, were already in action at the beginning of the first story arc, hunting down and killing mutants on the streets, in a program apparently openly and publicly acknowledged by the U.S. government. Later on, there were also the ''New Sentinels'' that were actually sixty of [[S.H.I.E.L.D.#Ultimate S.H.I.E.L.D.|S.H.I.E.L.D.]]'s top agents in a Sentinel [[powered exoskeleton|battle armor]] that was described as having enough hardware to take on a fleet of the old Sentinel models (though this may have been an exaggeration). A new breed of Sentinel robots, created by Trask under orders from the [[Fenris (comics)|Fenris]] twins, is currently hunting mutants.
+
*System Card – The original CD-ROM² System Card included with the Interface Unit. The System Card underwent a few slight revisions, with Version 1.0 being the original model, followed by Version 2.0 (which adds [[CD+G]] support) and Version 2.1 (which auto-detects discs). Only Version 2.1 was sold as a stand-alone unit.
 +
*ROM² Adaptor (RAU-30) –  A cable with two large ends that allows a PC Engine SuperGrafx (PI-TG4) console to be connected into the CD-ROM² Interface Unit.
 +
*Super System Card (PI-SC1) – An upgraded System Card that changes the BIOS of the CD-ROM² System to Version 3.0 and adds the 192kb of SRAM required to play Super CD-ROM² format discs.
 +
*Super CD-ROM² (PI-CD1) – An upgraded version of the CD-ROM² System add-on that combines the functions of the Interface Unit, CD-ROM player and Super System Card into one unit.
 +
*PC Engine Duo (PI-TG8) – A PC Engine console with a built-in Super CD-ROM² unit.
 +
*Super ROM² Adaptor (PI-AD8) – An adapter that allows the PC Engine LT (PI-TG9) to be connected into the Super CD-ROM² unit.
 +
*PC Engine Duo-R (PI-TG10) –  A redesigned version of the PC Engine Duo.
 +
*PC Engine Duo-RX (PCE-DUORX) – The third version of the PC Engine Duo.
 +
*Arcade Card Duo (PCE-AC1) – A RAM expansion card that adds the 16 Megabits of DRAM required to run Arcade CD-ROM² discs on any Super CD-ROM² and PC Engine Duo systems.
 +
*Arcade Card Pro (PCE-AC2) – Combines the functions of the Arcade Card Duo and the Super System Card into one card. Designed and marketed primarily for the original CD-ROM² System.
  
−
After the events of the [[Ultimatum Wave]], a new model of Sentinel (Nimrod Sentinels) was deployed to hunt and capture, or kill, mutants that refused to turn themselves in. [[William Stryker|William Stryker, Jr.]] using Sentinel Tech, later displayed an ability to summon a fleet of Sentinels after being attacked by the [[Shroud (comics)|Shroud]].<ref>''Ultimate Comics: X-Men'' #3-4</ref>
+
===Drive unit===
 +
*Single-speed CD-ROM drive, managed by an NEC microcontroller and using the SCSI-I interface.
 +
*Transfer rate of 150 kB/s.
  
−
===What If?===
+
==Reception==
−
* In an issue of the ''[[What If (comics)|What If]]'' series, [[Cannonball (comics)|Cannonball]]'s brother Josh (who would, in normal continuity, later become [[Icarus (comics)|Icarus]]) found and "adopted" a Sentinel.{{issue|date=December 2012}}
+
In Japan, the PC Engine was very successful, and at one point was the top-selling console in the nation.<ref>{{cite journal|last= |first= |title=What in the Name of Sam Hill is a PC Engine?|journal=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=70|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|date=May 1995|page=15}}</ref> In North America and Europe the situation was reversed, with both Sega and Nintendo dominating the console market at the expense of NEC. Initially, the TurboGrafx-16 sold well in the U.S., but eventually it suffered from lack of support from third-party [[software developer]]s and publishers.
−
* In "What if... Starring Secret Wars: 25 Years Later", the children of Marvel heroes are teleported back to Earth where, sometime in the last 25 years, a variation of "Days of Future Past" is shown when the group is attacked by Sentinels.{{issue|date=December 2012}}
 
−
* In "What if... Starring Juggernaut: The Kingdom of Cain", [[Juggernaut (comics)|Juggernaut]] has killed the X-Men and as a result there is no one to oppose the Sentinels, so the world is ravaged by them until they are destroyed by Juggernaut.{{issue|date=December 2012}}
 
  
−
==In other media==
+
In 1990, ''[[ACE (games magazine)|ACE]]'' magazine praised the console's [[Racing video game|racing game]] library, stating that, compared to "all the popular consoles, the PC Engine is way out in front in terms of the range and quality of its race games."<ref>''[[ACE (games magazine)|ACE]]'', issue 34 (July 1990), [https://wos.meulie.net/pub/sinclair/magazines/ACE/Issue34/Pages/ACE3400059.jpg page 59]</ref> Reviewing the Turbo Duo model in 1993, ''[[GamePro]]'' gave it a "thumbs down". Though they praised the system's CD sound, graphics, and five-player capability, they criticized the outdated controller and the games library, saying the third party support was "almost nonexistent" and that most of the first party games were localizations of games better suited to the Japanese market.<ref>{{cite news|last= |first= |title=System Shopper|work=[[GamePro]]|issue=53|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=December 1993|pages=46–49}}</ref> In 2009, the TurboGrafx-16 was ranked the 13th greatest video game console of all time by [[IGN]], citing "a solid catalog of games worth playing," but also a lack of third party support and the absence of a second controller port.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/top-25-consoles/13.html |title=TurboGrafx-16 is number 13 |publisher=''IGN'' |date= |accessdate=July 5, 2011}}</ref>
−
{{In popular culture|section|date=November 2017}}
 
−
===Television===
 
−
* A Sentinel appeared in ''[[Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends]]''. In the episode "A Firestar Is Born", It is seen in a flashback, fighting the X-Men back when Firestar was a member.
 
−
* The Sentinels appeared a number of times on the [[X-Men (TV series)|''X-Men'' animated series]], voiced by [[David Fox (actor)|David Fox]]. They appeared as season one's main antagonists. The Sentinels first hunt down [[Jubilee (comics)|Jubilee]]. The Sentinel program, controlled by [[Bolivar Trask]] and [[Henry Peter Gyrich]], was cancelled but the project moved overseas to [[Genosha]]. Trask constructed Master Mold for the Sentinels while on Genosha, but it was apparently destroyed when [[Storm (Marvel Comics)|Storm]] flooded the complex. Sentinels are later seen in [[Bishop (comics)|Bishop]]'s [[Days of Future Past|future timeline]] where they had taken over the world and mutants were on the verge of extinction. In the [[The Final Decision|season one finale]], the Sentinels, acting under Trask's orders, rescued [[Robert Kelly (comics)|Senator Robert Kelly]] from [[Magneto (comics)|Magneto]], but Master Mold then declared "giving the orders now" in Track's and Gyrich's secret base in the United States. As Master Mold plans to kidnap world leaders from around the world and replace their brains with computers so that the world would fall under his control, the [[X-Men]] managed to fight through a seemingly endless wave of Sentinels until [[Professor X|Charles Xavier]] destroyed flew an explosive-filled [[Blackbird (comics)|Blackbird]] into Master Mold and escaped at the last minute with Magneto's help. However, the Sentinels had sporadic appearances in season four.
 
−
* The Sentinels appeared in ''[[Spider-Man (1994 TV series)|Spider-Man: The Animated Series]]''. In the episode "The Mutant Agenda", they are seen in a [[Danger Room]] simulation when [[Spider-Man]] accidentally activated the simulation when visiting the X-Mansion.
 
−
* The Sentinels appear in ''[[X-Men: Evolution]]''. This version is much more powerful and heavily armed than their comic book counterparts.{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}} There was originally only a prototype created by former [[S.H.I.E.L.D.]] agent Bolivar Trask, however, released in public by Magneto to force the X-Men to fight the prototype and reveal mutant existence to the media. The prototype alone was a dangerous challenge, even for the combined might of the X-Men and the [[Brotherhood of Mutants|Brotherhood]]. Three upgraded Sentinels are later used by S.H.I.E.L.D. against [[Apocalypse (comics)|Apocalypse]] and prove a difficult fight for the ancient mutant. The series finale hinted with Professor X's future visions at [[Nimrod (comics)|Nimrod]] appearing later in the show's timeline leading a fleet of Sentinels.
 
−
* Sentinels appear in the ''[[Wolverine and the X-Men (TV series)|Wolverine and the X-Men]]'' animated series, voiced by [[Jim Ward (voice actor)|Jim Ward]]. There are several types of Sentinels: [[Spider-Slayer|Sentinel Prowler]], the Mark I Sentinel, a more futuristic Sentinel, and Sentinel Hounds. The Sentinels are controlled by Master Mold.
 
−
* Sentinels appear in ''[[The Super Hero Squad Show]]'', voiced by [[Tom Kenny]]. In this version, they were created in an alternate reality's future where they were created to defend a superhero-less city. They are seen in the episode "Days, Nights and Weekends of Future Past! (Six Against Infinity Part 2)".
 
−
* A Sentinel appeared in a Danger Room simulation in ''[[Marvel Anime|Marvel Anime: X-Men]]''.
 
−
* A Sentinel appears in the ''[[Ultimate Spider-Man (TV series)|Ultimate Spider-Man]]'' animated series. In the episode "Game Over", [[Arcade (Marvel Comics)|Arcade]]'s Madland game includes a real Sentinel (in the [[Days of Future Past]] level) which Spider-Man took control of, using its firepower to cheat through Arcade's levels.
 
−
* A Sentinel appears in the [[Toei Animation|Toei]] [[anime]] series ''[[Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers (TV Series)|Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers]]''.
 
−
* ''[[The Gifted (TV series)|The Gifted]]'' television series, which is connected to the [[X-Men (film series)|''X-Men'' cinematic universe]], features a modern-day version of the Sentinels called '''Sentinel Services'''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Schwartz|first1=Terri|title=Legion: X-Men Producer on How Professor X Fits In and Future TV Plans|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/01/16/legion-x-men-producer-on-how-xavier-fits-in-and-future-tv-plans|website=IGN|accessdate=5 November 2017|date=16 January 2017}}</ref>
 
  
−
===Films===
+
==Legacy==
−
{{main article|X-Men (film series)}}
+
In 1994, NEC released a new console, the Japan-only [[PC-FX]], a [[32-bit]] system with a tower-like design; it enjoyed a small but steady stream of games until 1998, when NEC finally abandoned the video games industry. NEC supplied rival [[Nintendo]] with the CPU for the [[Nintendo 64]], released in 1996, and former rival Sega with a version of its [[PowerVR]] 2 GPU for the [[Dreamcast]], released in 1998.
−
* Sentinels appeared in an early draft of ''[[X-Men (film)|X-Men]]'' (2000), wherein Henry Peter Gyrich and Bolivar Trask attacked the X-Men with the Sentinels, but this treatment didn't make it past the concept stage.
 
−
* Sentinels were planned for inclusion in ''[[X2 (film)|X2: X-Men United]]'' (2003), but they did not appear onscreen (although Project Wideawake is mentioned on a computer readout screen). Sketches for the Sentinels appear as extras on the [[DVD]] release. The Sentinels' height was not specified, but the sketches indicated that although their appearance was not severely altered, they would have had the ability to compact itself into a rolling saucer as a mode of transportation.
 
−
* A Sentinel was seen in ''[[X-Men: The Last Stand]]'' (2006), during a training simulation for the young mutants at Xavier's school. At the end of the session, Colossus [[Fastball Special|throws]] Wolverine at the robot, while the latter beheads it. The only part of the Sentinel ever made visible to the viewer is its severed head, while the rest is shrouded in fog.
 
−
* The Sentinels are featured in ''[[X-Men: Days of Future Past]]'' (2014) as secondary threat to the mutants.<ref>{{cite web|author1=CS|title=Mark Millar Talks X-Men: Days of Future Past and Kick-Ass 3|url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=99760|website=ComingSoon.net|accessdate=5 November 2017|date=1 February 2013}}</ref> In 1973, Bolivar Trask pitches the Sentinel concept to the US Congress but they decline him so he pitches them to foreign powers. [[Mystique (comics)|Mystique]] kills Trask in revenge for the mutants' murders that were experimented on while creating the Sentinels. Inspired by the fear of Trask's death, the US government approves the Sentinel program to hunt and kill mutants, and research on Mystique leads to Sentinels that can adapt and use mutant powers. The Sentinels eventually expand their targets beyond mutants to baseline humans based on the logic that they have the potential to produce mutant descendants, culminating in a [[Days of Future Past|dystopian future]] where most of humanity and mutantkind have been wiped out. With [[Kitty Pryde]] having developed the ability to project the minds of others into their past selves, the X-Men project Wolverine - the only person capable of surviving the time-travel's psychological strain - back into his past self in 1973 to rally the younger versions of Charles Xavier and [[Beast (comics)|Beast]] to stop Trask's assassination, setting into motion the events of the film. The storyline concludes with Mystique defeating Magneto and then deciding not to kill Trask on Xavier's encouragement, resulting in the government witnessing clear evidence that not all mutants are a threat to normal humans and deciding to abandon the Sentinel program. The original Sentinels from 1973 were similar in appearance to their comic counterparts being three times the size of a human, possessed gatling guns on one of their arms capable of firing 3000 rounds per minute, sensors that allow them to track carriers of the X-Gene and could fly using the vent-like systems on their chest. They were built out of a space-age polymer to be immune to Magneto's powers (but the mutant infuses them with metal bars to control them in the film's climax). In contrast, the future Sentinels were smaller and sleeker, with a body built out of adaptive mechanical scales, and besides having Mystique's adaptive powers they can reshape their hands into stabbing blades. The Sentinels were designed by [[Legacy Effects]] with [[Digital Domain]] building digital models based on their full-scale practical model while the future variant were all computer graphics made by [[Moving Picture Company]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fxguide.com/featured/future-threat-x-men-days-of-future-past/|title=Future threat – X-Men: Days of Future Past|publisher=Fxguide|first=Ian|last=Failes|date=May 27, 2014|accessdate=October 16, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite video|title=Sentinels: For a Secure Future|location=''X-Men: Days of Future Past'' Blu-ray|year=2014|publisher=20th Century Fox Home Entertainment|format=Featurette}}</ref>
 
−
* The Sentinels appear at the end of ''[[X-Men: Apocalypse]]'' (2016), once again in a training simulation, where the new X-Men team begins their training.
 
  
−
===Video games===
+
A number of TurboGrafx-16 and TurboGrafx-CD games were released on Nintendo's [[Virtual Console]] download service for the [[Wii]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hudsonent.com/user/newsdetail.php?news_id=68 |title=Hudson Entertainment – Video Games, Mobile Games, Ringtones, and More! |publisher=''Hudsonent.com'' |date= |accessdate=July 5, 2011 }}{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> [[Wii U]], and [[Nintendo 3DS]], including several that were originally never released outside Japan.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wii.ign.com/articles/697/697882p1.html |title=IGN: GDC 06: Satoru Iwata Keynote |publisher=Wii.ign.com |date=March 23, 2006 |accessdate=2011-07-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.revolutionfanboy.com/2006/03/23/virtual-console-sega-and-hudson-games-are-a-go/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201134356/http://www.revolutionfanboy.com/2006/03/23/virtual-console-sega-and-hudson-games-are-a-go/ |archivedate=December 1, 2008 |title=Virtual Console: Sega and Hudson games are a go! – Nintendo Wii Fanboy |publisher=''Revolution Fanboy'' |date=March 23, 2006 |accessdate=July 5, 2011}}</ref> In 2011, [[List of PlayStation Store TurboGrafx-16 games|ten TurboGrafx-16 games]] were released on the [[PlayStation Network]] for play on the [[PlayStation 3]] and [[PlayStation Portable]] in the North American region.
−
Sentinels have appeared as major antagonists in almost every [[video game]] to feature the X-Men. In most games, the Sentinels are human-sized foes rather than the massive figures that are seen in most of their comic book appearances:
 
  
−
* In the [[X-Men (arcade game)|''X-Men'' arcade game]], where they served as the bulk of enemies.
+
In 2010 Hudson released an [[iPhone]] application entitled "TurboGrafx-16 GameBox" which allowed users to buy and play a number of select Turbo Grafx games via [[in-app purchases]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Cowan|first1=Danny|title=Hudson Releases TurboGrafx-16 GameBox Emulator For iOS|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/122690/Hudson_Releases_TurboGrafx16_GameBox_Emulator_For_iOS.php|website=Gamasuitra|accessdate=April 6, 2016}}</ref>
−
* In ''[[Spider-Man/X-Men: Arcade's Revenge]]'', they were featured enemies in Cyclops' levels.
 
−
* In ''[[X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse]]'', Sentinels appear as [[boss (video games)|bosses]] in Genosha, with varying sizes.
 
−
* A robot resembling a Sentinel also appears in both the arcade and SNES versions of ''[[Captain America and the Avengers]]''. In the game, it is not called a 'Sentinel', but instead, is referred to simply as 'Robot'.
 
−
* In ''[[X-Men 2: Clone Wars]]'', in the second level (the first level after the title screen), Sentinels appear in the background, as the level is set in a high-tech factory that produces Sentinels.
 
  
−
[[File:Xm-coa.png|right|200px|thumb|Sentinel (right) fights ''[[Wolverine (character)|Wolverine]]'' in the 1994's arcade game ''[[X-Men: Children of the Atom (arcade game)|X-Men: Children of the Atom]]''.]]
+
In 2016, rapper [[Kanye West]] announced his [[Turbo Grafx 16 (album)|8th solo album]] would be titled "Turbo Grafx 16".<ref>{{cite web|title=Kanye's Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/703446573552967680}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Byford|first1=Sam|title=Kanye West says his new album is called Turbo Grafx 16 and coming this summer|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/2/27/11125294/kanye-west-new-album-turbografx-16 |website=The Verge|accessdate=April 6, 2016}}{{dead link|date=November 2017|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20161224011840/https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/703446573552967680|bot=TweetCiteBot}}</ref>
−
* A non-standard 10' tall Sentinel is a [[player character|playable character]] in ''[[X-Men: Children of the Atom (arcade game)|X-Men: Children of the Atom]]''.
 
−
* In ''[[Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes]]'', the same Sentinel from ''X-Men: Children of the Atom'' makes another appearance as a playable character. It was also featured as a secret partner assist in ''[[Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes]]''.
 
−
* Sentinels appear in Cyclops' intro in ''[[X-Men: Mutant Academy]]''. In it, they hunt for mutants in the streets of New York City. One Sentinel nearly kills a baby by stepping on it, but [[Cyclops (comics)|Cyclops]] tears off one of the Sentinel's legs, making it fall.
 
−
* Sentinels are seen in Cyclops/Spider-Man's level in ''[[X-Men: Mutant Academy 2]]''. They are shown in the background, patrolling the skies of New York City, hunting for mutants.
 
−
* In ''[[X-Men: Next Dimension]]'', Bastion is the main boss character, who is also unlockable as a playable character. A male Prime Sentinel and a female Prime Sentinel are both available as playable characters.
 
−
* In ''[[X-Men Legends]]'', they are the game's primary antagonists. There are several versions of the Sentinels in this game:
 
−
** Sentinel Alpha uses rockets, gas, stomp, and a palm beam
 
−
** A Sentinel with rockets, eye beams, stomp, and a bomb (this version has shoulder pads like Sentinel Squad ONE)
 
−
** A Sentinel Controller with eye beams, stomp, an enhanced version of the palm beam, rockets, and a wave that nullifies mutant powers (this version has a blue head and its body is blue and purple)
 
−
** A Sentinel Weapons Platform in the shape of a purple spider with green blasters, which can bash and use a green wave that reverses the controls
 
−
** A Sentinel Advanced (based on the Prime Sentinel) with freeze beam, orange blasters, punch, groundquake (with fist), and a rush.
 
−
* In ''[[X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse]]'', the Sentinels are shown assisting with the evacuation after Apocalypse devastates New York City. Bastion later turns them on the X-Men and the Brotherhood of Mutants. After Bastion is defeated, the Sentinels resume their evacuation duties.
 
−
* In ''[[X-Men: The Official Game]]'' (which fills the gap between ''[[X2 (film)|X2]]'' and ''[[X-Men: The Last Stand]]''), the Sentinels are part of [[William Stryker]]'s back-up plan if his plan to eliminate all mutants with the Dark Cerebro failed. Stryker would have the mutant-hunting robots track down and kill all mutants they could find. The Sentinels featured in the game appear to be similar to those from the game ''[[X-Men: Children of the Atom (arcade game)|X-Men: Children of the Atom]]''. There are two types of Sentinels: one is a smaller, aerial model; and the other is a giant walking behemoth.
 
−
* In the ''[[X-Men Origins: Wolverine (video game)|X-Men Origins: Wolverine]]'' video game, the Sentinel Mark I is one of the major bosses of the game. While infiltrating the headquarters of Project Wideawake to find his old teammate [[Kestrel (Marvel Comics)|John Wraith]], Wolverine encounters two full-sized Sentinels, destroying a half-finished Sentinel with a Sentinel hand-weapon and defeating the other one in a prolonged confrontation.
 
−
* The Sentinel from ''X-Men: Children of the Atom'' (now given the model number "COTA-94", in reference to the year ''Children of the Atom'' was released) is an unlockable playable character in ''[[Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds]]'' and its updated version ''[[Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3]]'', with [[Jim Ward (voice actor)|Jim Ward]] reprising his role. The Sentinel's character ending has the Sentinel uploading Master Mold's program on [[Galactus]]' worldship, with the Sentinel's planning not only the destruction of mutants but mankind as well and shows several new Sentinel models sporting a design similar to Galactus himself.
 
−
* The Sentinels appear in ''[[X-Men Destiny]]''. The player must defeat a Sentinel before they can challenge the final boss and main antagonist Luis Reyes.
 
−
* The Sentinels appear in ''[[Marvel: Avengers Alliance]]''. The Sentinels are made up of the Coeus Sentinels, the Crius Sentinels, the Cronus Sentinels, the Hyperion Sentinels, the Iapetos Sentinels, the Phoebe Sentinels, the Rhea Sentinels, and the Themis Sentinel. A Salvaged Sentinel is an opponent for the players on the tutorial level. The Brotherhood of Mutants have also included their own versions of Sentinels called the M-Series Rho MK III, the M-Series Sigma MK III, and the M-Series MK III. In a Spec-Ops mission revolving around the [[Hellfire Club (comics)|Hellfire Club]], [[Crimson Dynamo]] was hired by the Hellfire Club to build them Sentinels that obey their every command.
 
−
* The Sentinels appear in ''[[Marvel Heroes (video game)|Marvel Heroes]]''.
 
−
* Destroyed parts of Sentinels (including arms, legs, heads and a boot) appear in the ruins of [[Genosha]], in the ''[[Deadpool (video game)|Deadpool]]'' game. Deadpool narrates that the Sentinels attacked Magneto's country and slaughtered the 6 million Mutant residents.
 
−
* The Sentinels appear in ''[[Lego Marvel Super Heroes]]''<ref>{{cite web|last1=Moore|first1=Joe|title=Sentinels in #LEGO #Marvel Super Heroes! @arthur_parsons just said so!&nbsp;^_^|url=https://twitter.com/JoeMooreDesign/status/358357245752385536|website=@JoeMooreDesign|accessdate=5 November 2017|language=en|date=2013}}</ref> voiced by [[Stephen Stanton]]. The player can fight three different Sentinels across New York City. Beating one of the Sentinel unlocks a Mini-Sentinel to play as.
 
−
* The Sentinels are set to appear in ''[[Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2]]''.
 
  
−
===Toys===
+
==Emulation==
−
Several different toys of Sentinels have been made since their introduction. One is the [[X-Men Classics]] 10" Sentinel by Toybiz. A "Build-A-Figure" version of the character was made in wave ten of the ''[[Marvel Legends]]'' line. The most recent Sentinel toy is made by Hasbro as part of the Marvel Universe line. Along with a large, unposeable statue, two [[Minimates]] figures have been made of the Sentinels. The first, a classic version, came with [[Rachel Summers]] in either her Phoenix or Marvel Girl guises. The second, based on ''[[Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds]]'', comes with a red-haired "First Appearance" figure of [[Ryu (Street Fighter)|Ryu]].
+
{{See also|List of video game emulators#TurboGrafx-16|label 1=List of TurboGrafx-16 and PC Engine emulators}}
−
In 2014, The Lego group released a set in the Marvel Super Heroes line titled "X-Men vs. the Sentinel", featuring the sentinel as a buildable figure, also including the Blackbird, Magneto, Wolverine, Storm, and Cyclops.
+
[[Video game console emulator|Emulation programs]] for the TurboGrafx-16 exist for several modern and retro operating systems and architectures and are at varying levels of emulation ranging from beta stage, to near perfect emulation of all PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16 formats.
  
−
===Parodies===
+
==See also==
−
* On the [[Adult Swim]] show ''[[Robot Chicken]]'', the episode "Sausage Fest" showed a [[parody]] of the X-Men being killed by a Sentinel, and [[Professor X]] then recruiting the cast of the [[Police Academy (film)|Police Academy]] films to replace them. The Sentinel eventually kicks them far as Professor X quotes "Same time next week." The Sentinel nods yes.
+
*[[List of PC Engine games]]
−
* In an episode of ''[[Codename: Kids Next Door]] ''entitled "Operation S.A.F.E.T.Y", an ambassador for children's health decided to build many giant robots to prevent children from playing harmful games. The main robot (which is a parody of Master Mold) decided to capture adults (because they could harm kids) and take over the world.
+
*[[List of TurboGrafx-16 games]]
−
* ''[[Mad (magazine)|MAD Magazine]]'''s X-Men parody "ECH!-Men" featured a Sentinel (called "Sentinent") with a huge posterior.
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
−
{{Reflist}}
+
{{reflist|30em}}
 +
 
 +
==External links==
 +
{{Commons category|PC Engine}}
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* [http://www.pcengine.co.uk The PC Engine Software Bible] software listing including reviews and videos.
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* [http://www.pc-engine.co.uk PC-Engine] definitive hardware listing for all PC Engine and Turbo Grafx systems.
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* [http://archaicpixels.com Archaic Pixels] contains the most extensive compendium of TurboGrafx-16 technical information.
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* [http://www.turboviews.com TurboGrafx-16] overview and review show!
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* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBv_L4AsMUI Video of TurboGrafx-16] and PC Engine hardware and features from [http://famicomdojo.tv/season2/ FamicomDojo.TV]
  
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[[Category:TurboGrafx-16| ]]

Revision as of 23:30, 10 November 2017

Template:Redirect Template:About Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox information appliance The TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem, known in Japan and France as the Template:Nihongo, is a home video game console jointly developed by Hudson Soft and NEC Home Electronics, released in Japan on October 30, 1987 and in the United States on August 29, 1989. It also had a limited release in the United Kingdom and Spain in 1990, known as simply TurboGrafx and based on the American model, whilst the Japanese model was imported and distributed in France in 1989. It was the first console released in the 16-bit era, albeit still utilizing an 8-bit CPU. Originally intended to compete with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), it ended up competing with the Sega Genesis, and later on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).

The TurboGrafx-16 has an 8-bit CPU, a 16-bit video color encoder, and a 16-bit video display controller. The GPUs are capable of displaying 482 colors simultaneously, out of 512. With dimensions of just 14 cm×14 cm×3.8 cm (5.5 in×5.5 in×1.5 in), the Japanese PC Engine is the smallest major home game console ever made.[1][2] Games were stored on a HuCard cartridge, or in CD-ROM optical format with the TurboGrafx-CD add-on.

The TurboGrafx-16 failed to break into the North American market and sold poorly, which has been blamed on inferior marketing.[3] However in Japan the PC Engine was very successful, where it gained strong third-party support and outsold the Famicom at its 1987 debut, eventually becoming the Super Famicom's main rival.[4] Lots of revisions - at least 17 distinct models - were made, such as portable versions and a CD-ROM add-on.[5] An enhanced model, the PC Engine SuperGrafx, was intended to supersede the standard PC Engine, but failed to break through and was quickly discontinued. The entire series was succeeded by the PC-FX in 1994, only released in Japan.

History

The TurboGrafx-16 or PC Engine was a collaborative effort between Hudson Soft, who created video game software, and NEC, a major company which was dominant in the Japanese personal computer market with their PC-88 and PC-98 platforms. NEC's interest in entering the lucrative video game market coincided with Hudson's failed attempt to sell designs for then-advanced graphics chips to Nintendo.[6] NEC lacked the vital experience in the video gaming industry so approached numerous video game studios for support. They eventually found that, by coincidence, Hudson Soft was also interested in creating their own system but needed a partner for additional cash. The two companies successfully joined together to then develop the new system.[2]

The PC Engine finally made its debut in the Japanese market on October 30, 1987, and it was a tremendous success. By 1988 it outsold the Famicom year-on-year, putting NEC and Hudson Soft ahead of Nintendo in the market, and far ahead of Sega. The console had an elegant, "eye-catching" design, and it was very small compared to its rivals.[3] This, coupled with a strong software lineup and strong third-party support from high-profile developers such as Namco and Konami gave NEC the lead in the Japanese market.[2]

In 1988 NEC wanted to sell the system to the American market, and directed its U.S. operations to do so. NEC Technologies boss Keith Schaefer formed a team to test the system out. One criticism they found was the lack of enthusiasm in its name 'PC Engine'. The team also felt its small size was not very suitable to American consumers who would generally prefer a larger and "futuristic" design. As a result they came up with the name 'TurboGrafx-16', a name representing its graphical speed and strength, and its 16-bit GPU. They also completely redesigned the hardware into a large, black casing. However the redesign process was lengthy, and NEC in Japan was still cautious about the system's viability in the U.S., both of which delayed the system's debut in the American market.[3]

The TurboGrafx-16 was eventually released in the New York City and Los Angeles test market in late August 1989. This came just two weeks after Sega's Genesis test-market launch on August 14,[7] which was distastrous timing for NEC as Sega of America didn't waste time redesigning the original Japanese Mega Drive system.[3] The Genesis launch was accompanied by an ad campaign mocking NEC's claim that the TurboGrafx-16 was the first 16-bit console. Initially, the TurboGrafx-16 was marketed as a direct competitor to the NES and early television ads touted the TG-16's superior graphics and sound. These ads featured a brief montage of the TG-16's launch titles: Blazing Lazers, China Warrior, Vigilante, Alien Crush, etc.

Sega quickly eclipsed the TurboGrafx-16 after its American debut. NEC's decision to pack-in Keith Courage in Alpha Zones, a Hudson Soft game unknown to western gamers, proved costly as Sega packed-in a port of the hit arcade title Altered Beast with the Genesis. NEC's American operations in Chicago were also overhyped about its potential and quickly produced 750,000 units, far above actual demand. Hudson Soft earned a lot from this as NEC paid Hudson Soft royalties for every hardware produced, whether sold or not. By 1990 it was clear that the system was performing very poorly and was severely edged out by Nintendo and Sega's marketing.[3]

After seeing the TurboGrafx-16 suffer in America, NEC decided to cancel their European releases. Units for the European markets were already produced, which were essentially US models modified to run on PAL television sets, and branded as simply TurboGrafx. NEC sold this stock to distributors - in the United Kingdom Telegames released the TurboGrafx in 1990 in extremely limited quantities.[8] This model was also released in Spain and Portugal through selected retailers.[9] No PAL HuCards were made, and instead the European system can play all American games without modifications, albeit with the necessary slowdown to 50Hz.

PC Engine consoles (as well as some of its add-ons) were imported from Japan by French unlicensed importer Sodipeng (Société de Distribution de la PC Engine, a subsidiary of Guillemot International), from November 1989 to 1993.[10] This came after considerable enthusiasm in the French press. This PC Engine was largely available in France and Benelux through major retailers. It came with French language instructions and also an AV cable to enable its input to a SECAM television set. Its launch price was 1,790 French francs (about 416 € as of 2013).[11]

File:NEC-TurboGrafx-16-CD-FL.jpg
The TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine was the first video game console capable of playing CD-ROM games with an optional add-on.

NEC claimed that it had sold 750,000 TG-16 consoles in the United States, and 500,000 CD-ROM units worldwide, by March 1991.[12] That year NEC released the PC Engine Duo in Japan, a model which could play HuCards and CD-ROM² discs, making it the first game console with an integrated CD-ROM drive. The console was licensed to Turbo Technologies Incorporated, who released it in North America in 1992 as the TurboDuo. In addition to standard CD-ROM² format discs, the Duo could also play games in the newly introduced Super CD-ROM² format due to its greater RAM size (the TurboGrafx-16 and its CD player could support this new format only through the use of a separately available upgrade, the Super System Card, which TTI sold via mail order). The unit came into competition with the Sega CD, which was released almost immediately after. Turbo Technologies ran comic book ads featuring Johnny Turbo. The ads mocked Sega, and emphasized that though the TurboDuo and Sega CD had the same retail price, the TurboDuo was a standalone platform and included five pack-in games, whereas Sega CD buyers needed to purchase separately sold games and a Genesis console before they could use the system.

However, the North American console gaming market continued to be dominated by the Super NES and Genesis rather than the new CD-based consoles. In May 1994 Turbo Technologies announced that it was dropping support for the Duo, though it would continue to offer repairs for existing units and provide ongoing software releases through independent companies in the U.S. and Canada.[13]

The TurboGrafx-series was the first video game console ever to have a contemporaneous fully self-contained portable counterpart, the PC Engine GT, known as TurboExpress in North America. It contained identical hardware and played identical game software (utilizing HuCard format game software).

The final commercialized release for the PC Engine was Dead of the Brain Part 1 & 2 on June 3, 1999, on the Super CD-ROM² format.[14] The last game on HuCard format was 21 Emon: Mezase! Hotel Ō on December 16, 1994.

Variations

PC Engine CoreGrafx with CD-ROM² and interface unit
PC Engine Duo RX
The TurboExpress
PC Engine Duo RX
PC Engine LT
CoreGrafx II with Super CD-ROM²
PC Engine LT
PC Engine CoreGrafx II with Super CD-ROM²

Many variations and related products of the PC Engine were released.

Core consoles

The PC Engine CoreGrafx is an updated model of the PC Engine, released in Japan on December 8, 1989.[15] It has the same form factor as the original PC Engine, but has a black color scheme, and replaces the original's RF connectors with an A/V port. A recolored version of the model, known as the PC Engine CoreGrafx II, was released on June 21, 1991.[15] Aside from the different coloring, it is functionally identical to the original CoreGrafx.

The PC Engine SuperGrafx, released on the same day as the CoreGrafx in Japan,[15] is an enhanced variation of the PC Engine hardware with updated specs. This model has a second HuC6270A (VDC), a HuC6202 (VDP) that combines the output of the two VDCs, four times as much RAM, twice as much video RAM, and a second layer/plane of scrolling. The CPU, sound, and color palette were not upgraded, making the expensive price tag a big disadvantage to the system. As a result, only five exclusive SuperGrafx games and two hybrid games (Darius Plus and Darius Alpha were released as standard HuCards which took advantage of the extra video hardware if played on a SuperGrafx) were released, and the system was quickly discontinued. Despite the fact that the SuperGrafx was intended to supersede the original PC Engine, its extra hardware features were not carried over to the later Duo consoles. The SuperGrafx has a BUS expansion port, but requires an adapter in order to utilize the CD-ROM² System add-on.

The PC Engine LT is a model of the console in a laptop form, released on December 13, 1991 in Japan,[15] retailing at ¥99,800. The LT does not require a television display as it has a built-in flip-up screen and speakers, just as a laptop would have, but unlike the GT the LT runs on a power supply. Its expensive price meant that few units were produced compared to other models. It requires an adapter to use the Super CD-ROM² unit.

HuCard-only consoles

The PC Engine Shuttle was released in Japan on November 22, 1989[15] as a less expensive model of the console, retailing at ¥18,800. It was targeted primarily towards younger players with its spaceship-like design and came bundled with a TurboPad II controller, which is shaped differently from the other standard TurboPad controllers. The reduced price was possible by the removal of the expansion port of the back, making it the first model of the console that was not compatible with the CD-ROM² add-on. However, it does have a slot for a memory backup unit, which is required for certain games.

The PC Engine GT is a portable version of the PC Engine, released in Japan on December 1, 1990 and then in the United States as the TurboExpress.[15] It can only play HuCard games. It has a Template:Convert backlit, active-matrix color LCD screen, the most advanced on the market for a portable video game unit at the time. The screen contributed to its high price and short battery life, however, which dented its performance in the market. It shares the capabilities of the TurboGrafx-16, giving it 512 available colors (9-bit RGB), stereo sound, and the same custom CPU at 7.15909 MHz. It also has a TV tuner adapter as well as a two-player link cable.

CD-ROM add-ons

File:PC Engine CD-ROM2 Interface Unit.jpg
PC Engine CoreGrafx with CD-ROM² and interface unit

The Template:Nihongo is an add-on attachment for the PC Engine that was released in Japan on December 4, 1988.[15][16] The add-on allows the core versions of the console to play PC Engine games in CD-ROM format in addition to standard HuCards. This made the PC Engine the first video game console to have a CD-ROM peripheral, and first device ever to use CD-ROM as a storage medium for video games. The add-on consisted of two devices - the CD player itself and the interface unit, which connects the CD player to the console and provides as a common power supply and output for both.[17][18][19][20] It was later released as the TurboGrafx-CD in the United States on August 1, 1990. The TurboGrafx-CD had a launch price of $399.99, and did not include any bundled games.[21] Fighting Street and Monster Lair were the TurboGrafx-CD launch titles; Ys Book I & II soon followed.

The Template:Nihongo, an upgrade for the CD-ROM² System, was released on October 26, 1991. It updates the BIOS to Version 3.0 and increases the buffer RAM from 64kB to 2MB required to play Super CD-ROM² discs. An American version of the Super System Card for the TurboGrafx-16/CD combo was also sold exclusively as a mail-order. PC Engine owners who did not already own the original CD-ROM² add-on could instead opt for the Template:Nihongo, an updated version of the add-on released on December 13,[15] which combines the CD-ROM drive, interface unit and Super System Card into one device.

Duo consoles

Template:See

File:NEC-TurboDuo-Console-wController-L.jpg
NEC/Turbo Technologies later released the TurboDuo, which combined the TurboGrafx-CD and TurboGrafx-16 into one unit.

NEC Home Electronics released the PC Engine Duo in Japan on September 21, Template:Vgy,[15] which combined the PC Engine and Super CD-ROM² unit into a single console. The system can play HuCards, audio CDs, CD+Gs, standard CD-ROM² games and Super CD-ROM² games. The North American version, the TurboDuo, was launched in October Template:Vgy. The American version of Duo was originally bundled with one control pad, an AC adapter, RCA cables, Ys Book I & II (a CD-ROM² title), and a Super CD-ROM² including Bonk's Adventure, Bonk's Revenge, Gate of Thunder and a secret version of Bomberman accessible via a cheat code. The system was also packaged with one random HuCard game which varied from system to system (Dungeon Explorer was the original HuCard pack-in for TurboDuo, although many titles were eventually used, such as Irem's Ninja Spirit and Namco's Final Lap Twin, and then eventually a random pick).

Two updated variants were released in Japan: the PC Engine Duo-R (on March 25, 1993)[15] and the PC Engine Duo-RX (on June 25, 1994).[15]

Arcade Card

Certain games in Japan were released in a third disc format, the Template:Nihongo (released in Japan on March 12, 1994),[15] requiring the use of an Template:Nihongo. The Arcade Card was available in two variants: the Arcade Card Pro designed solely for the original CD-ROM² System, and the Arcade Card Duo that works with the Super CD-ROM² System and all PC Engine Duo models (both adding a total of 2MB of RAM). These are not compatible with the TurboGrafx-CD, nor with the TurboDuo, without an adapter.

HE-System machines

The PC-KD863G is a CRT monitor　with built-in PC Engine console, released on September 27, 1988 in Japan for ¥138,000. Following NEC's PCs' naming scheme, the PC-KD863G was designed to eliminate the need to buy a separate television set and a console. It output its signals in RGB, so it was clearer at the time than the console which was still limited to RF and composite. However, it has no BUS expansion port, which made it incompatible with the CD-ROM² System and memory backup add-ons

The X1-Twin was the first licensed PC Engine-compatible hardware manufactured by a third-party company, released by Sharp on April 1989 for ¥99,800.[22] It's an X1 computer and PC Engine console combined into one, although the two hardware run mutually separately.

Pioneer Corporation's LaserActive supports an add-on module which allows the use of PC Engine games (HuCard, CD-ROM² and Super CD-ROM²) as well as new "LD-ROM²" titles that work only on this device. NEC also released their own LaserActive unit and PC Engine add-on module, under an OEM license.[23] A total of eleven LD-ROM2 titles were produced, with only three of them released in North America.

Other foreign markets

Outside North America and Japan, the TurboGrafx-16 was released in South Korea by a third party under the name Vistar 16. It was based on the American version but with a new curved design.[24] The PC Engine was never officially released in continental Europe, but some companies imported them and made SCART conversions on a moderate scale. In France, Sodipeng imported Japanese systems and added an RGB Cable called "AudioVideo Plus Cable".Template:Citation needed This mod improved the original video signal quality extensively and made the consoles work with SECAM televisions. In Germany, several importers sold converted PC Engines with PAL RF as well as RGB output.Template:Citation needed The connectors and pinouts used for the latter were frequently compatible with the Amiga video port, with two unconnected pins used for the audio channels.Template:Citation needed

Peripheral compatibility

File:NEC-TurboGrafx-16-TurboTap.jpg
The TurboGrafx-16 had only one controller port, so any simultaneous multiplayer games required the TurboTap accessory.

All PC Engine systems support the same controller peripherals, including pads, joysticks and multitaps. Except for the Vistar, Shuttle, GT, and systems with built-in CD-ROM drives, all PC Engine units shared the same expansion connector, which allowed for the use of devices such as the CD-ROM unit, battery backup and AV output.

The TurboGrafx and Vistar units use a different controller port than the PC Engines, but adaptors are available and the protocol is the same. The TurboGrafx offers the same expansion connector pinout as the PC Engine, but has a slightly different shape so peripherals must be modified to fit.

The Arcade Card Pro is designed for the original CD-ROM² System add-on, adding the 2304 kB of RAM required by Arcade CD-ROM² games. The Arcade Card Duo is for the Super CD-ROM² System and the PC-Engine Duo/R/RX consoles and adds 2048 kB RAM, since those systems already have 256K of RAM built-in.

The various CD-ROM game types are:

  • CD-ROM² : Standard CD-ROM game. Runs on all CD-ROM² Systems without any additional requirements
  • Super CD-ROM² : Requires a Super System Card to work on the original CD-ROM² System. No card is required for Super CD-ROM² and Duo consoles.
  • Arcade CD-ROM² : Requires an Arcade Card Pro on the original CD-ROM² System, or an Arcade Card Duo on the Super CD-ROM² and Duo consoles.

Video formats

All PC Engine hardware outputs video in NTSC format, including the European TurboGrafx; it generates a PAL-compatible video signal by using a chroma encoder chip not found in any other system in the series.

Technical specifications

File:NEC-TurboGrafx-16-Motherboard-Top.jpg
The TurboGrafx-16 ran off an 8-bit CPU, but had a 16-bit graphics processor.[25]

The PC Engine is a relatively compact video game console, owing to an efficient three-chip architecture and its use of small ROM cartridges called HuCards (Turbo Chips in North America). Hudson Soft developed the HuCard (Hudson Card) from the Bee Card technology it piloted on the MSX. HuCards are about the size of a credit card, but slightly thicker. They are very similar to the My Card format utilized for certain games released on the SG-1000/SC-3000 and the Mark III/Master System. The largest Japanese HuCard games were up to Template:Nowrap in size. All PC Engine consoles can play standard HuCards, including the PC Engine SuperGrafx (which has its small library of exclusive HuCards).

With the exception of the budget-priced PC Engine Shuttle, the portable PC Engine GT and the PC-KD863G monitor, every PC Engine console is also capable of playing CD-ROM² discs, provided the console is equipped with the required CD-ROM drive and System Card. The SuperGrafx and PC Engine LT both required additional adapters to work on the original CD-ROM² System and Super CD-ROM² respectively, whereas the Duo consoles had the CD-ROM drive and Super System Card integrated into them (as did the Super CD-ROM² player). Some unlicensed CD games by Games Express can only run on Duo consoles, due to their games requiring both a special System Card packaged with the games and the 256 kB of RAM built into the Duo.

The console's CPU is a Hudson Soft HuC6280 8-bit microprocessor operating at 1.79 MHz and 7.16 MHz. It features integrated bank-switching hardware (driving a 21-bit external address bus from a 6502-compatible 16-bit address bus), an integrated general-purpose I/O port, a timer, block transfer instructions, and dedicated move instructions for communicating with the HuC6270A VDC. Its 16-bit graphics processor and video color encoder chip were also developed by Hudson Soft.[26] It holds 8 kB of work RAM and 64 kB of video RAM.

Display

Resolution

  • X (Horizontal) Resolution: variable, maximum of 565 (programmable to 282, 377 or 565 pixels, or as 5.3693175 MHz, 7.15909 MHz, and 10.738635 MHz pixel dot clock)[27] Taking into consideration overscan limitations of CRT televisions at the time, the horizontal resolutions were realistically limited to something a bit less than what the system was actually capable of. Consequently, most game developers limited their games to either 256, 352, or 512 pixels in display width for each of the three modes.[28]
  • Y (Vertical) Resolution: variable, maximum of 242 (programmable in increments of 1 scanline). It is possible to achieve an interlaced "mode" with a maximum vertical resolution of 484 scanlines by alternating between the two different vertical resolution modes used by the system. However, it is unknown, at this time, if this interlaced resolution is compliant with (and hence displayed correctly on) NTSC televisions.
  • The majority of TurboGrafx-16 games use 256×239,[27] though some games, such as Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective did use 512×224.

Color

  • Colors available: 512 (9-bit)
  • Colors onscreen: Maximum of 482 (241 background, 241 sprite)
  • Palettes: Maximum of 32 (16 for background tiles, 16 for sprites)
  • Colors per palette: 16 per background palette (color entry #0 of each background palette must be the same), and 15 per sprite palette (plus transparent, which is displayed as an actual color in the overscan area of the screen)

Sprites

  • Simultaneously displayable: 64 on-screen, 16 (256 sprite pixels) per scanline
  • Sizes: 16×16, 16×32, 16×64, 32×16, 32×32, 32×64
  • Palette: Each sprite can use up to 15 unique colors (one color must be reserved as transparent) via one of the 16 available sprite palettes.
  • Layers: The HuC6270A VDC was capable of displaying one sprite layer. Sprites could be placed either in front of or behind background tiles by manipulating a bit which caused indirect pixel color entry #0 of the background tile(s) to act as transparent.

Tiles

  • Size: 8×8
  • Palette: Each background tile can use up to 15 unique colors via one of the 16 available background palettes and 1 shared color (BG color #0) for a total of 16 colors per tile. The first color entry of each background subpalette is ignored. Instead, color #0's RGB value is shown in its place (the common/shared color). When a specific sprite is set to show behind the BG layer via the priority bit, all tiles that use relative color #0 (of 16) will not show BG color #0. But instead will show the sprite pixel (if not opaque).
  • Layers: The HuC6270A VDC was capable of displaying one background layer.

Audio capacity

  • Six wavetable synthesis audio channels, programmable through the HuC6280A CPU.
  • Each channel had a frequency of 111.87 kHz for single cycle of 32 samples (while not in D/A mode) with a bit depth of 5 bits. Each channel also was allotted 20 bytes (32×5 bits) of RAM for sample data.
  • The waveforms were programmable so the composers were not limited to the standard selection of waveforms (square, sine, sawtooth, triangle, etc.). But the use of standard waveforms, and semi-standard forms, such as a 25% pulse wave were used fairly often.
  • The first two audio channels (1 and 2) were capable of LFO when channel #2 was used to modulate channel #1 with vibrato. In theory, this could also be used to perform an FM operation, though due to other limitations, this was never done (note: LFO, like FM works by modifying an audible waveform (carrier oscillator) with an inaudible waveform (modulator oscillator), but LFO's modulator is subsonic rather than sonic (FM), so LFO will not change the carrier's timbre, just its behavior, and as a result, LFO does not really sound anything like FM.)
  • The final two audio channels (5 and 6) were capable of noise generation.
  • Optional software enabled Direct D/A which allows for sampled sound to be streamed into any of the six PSG audio channels. When a channel is in D/A mode the frequency is as fast as the CPU can stream bytes to the port, though in practicality it is limited to 6.99 kHz when using the TIMER interrupt with its smallest loop setting (1023 cpu cycles) or 15.7 kHz using the scanline interrupt.
  • There is a method that combines two channels in DDA mode to play back 8-bit, 9-bit, or 10-bit samples.
  • The addition of the CD-ROM peripheral adds CD-DA sound, and a single ADPCM channel to the existing sound capabilities of the PC Engine.

Region protection

File:TurboGrafx HuCard adapters.png
Common HuCard Converters

With HuCards, a limited form of region protection was introduced between markets which for the most part was nothing more than running some of the HuCard's pinout connections in a different arrangement. There were several major after-market converters sold to bypass this protection, and were sold predominantly for use in converting Japanese titles for play on a TG-16. In the Japanese market, NEC went further by adding a hardware level detection function to all PC Engine systems that detected if a game was a U.S. release, and would then refuse to play it. The only known exception to this is the U.S. release of Klax which did not contain this function. The explanation commonly given for this by NEC officials is that most U.S. conversions had the difficulty level reduced, and in some cases were censored for what was considered inappropriate content, and consequently, they did not want the U.S. conversion to re-enter the Asian market and negatively impact the perception of a game.Template:Citation needed With some minor soldering skills, a change could be made to PC Engines to disable this check.[29] The only Japanese games that could not be played on a U.S. system using one of these converters were the SuperGrafx titles which could only be played on a SuperGrafx.

There was no region protection on TurboGrafx-CD and CD-ROM² System games.

Due to the extremely limited PAL release after NEC decided to cancel a full release, there were no PAL HuCards made. The European TurboGrafx therefore played the NTSC American/Japanese titles, converted to PAL 50Hz format.[3]

CD hardware technical specifications and information

  • Oki MSM5205 ADPCM chip with variable speed input clock, and 64 kB DRAM for audio sample storage. Only one channel of 4-bit compressed audio (decompresses to 12-bit, top 10 bits output through DAC) was supported.[30] It supports a sampling rate of up to 32.088 kHz.[31]
  • Programmable, timer controlled, electronic volume attenuator to fade-out the CD-DA and ADPCM audio channels together or individually.
  • The PC-Engine CD-ROM interface tray has 64 kB of DRAM for storage of program code and data loaded from the CD.
  • The "System Card" contains the BIOS program used to boot CD media and provides functions for software to access CD hardware through a standardized interface. Later System Cards had extra RAM and updates to the BIOS.
  • The Duo series has the same BIOS ROM (v3.00) and RAM (256 kB total) as a PC-Engine system equipped with a Super System Card. The Duo implements the memory as a single 256 kB SRAM chip rather than the split 64 kB DRAM / 192 kB SRAM.
  • The list of known CD-ROM BIOS revisions are:
    • v1.00 – First release (System Card, came with the first versions of the PC-Engine CD-ROM² Interface Unit)
    • v2.00 – Upgrade (System Card, came with later versions of the Interface Unit)
    • v2.10 – Upgrade (System Card, came with even later versions of the Interface Unit or sold separately)
    • v3.00 – Final release (built into several products and available as a Super System Card – see below)
  • The list of known System Card releases are:
    • System Card v1.00 – First release. Came packaged with the original PC-Engine CD-ROM² System.
    • System Card v2.00 – BIOS update. This adds support for CD+G discs.
    • System Card v2.10 – BIOS update. Auto disc change detection is implemented. Was the first System Card that was sold separately from the add-on.
    • System Card v3.00 (aka. Super System Card) – 1.5 Mbit RAM (192 kB) – RAM upgrade and BIOS update. This expands the RAM available for the CD-ROM unit to 256 kB when including the existing built in DRAM. It also offers a final BIOS update to v3.00. The PC-Engine Duo (Turbo Duo in North America) had 256 kB of RAM and the same v3.00 BIOS built into the system. Games developed for this System Card bore the "Super CD-ROM² System" mark and could not be played using an older System Card.
    • Arcade Card Duo – 16 Mbit RAM (2048 kB) – RAM upgrade exclusively for the Super CD-ROM² System and PC Engine Duo consoles. This greatly expands the RAM available to 2048 kB. The BIOS revision was unchanged from v3.00. Games developed for the Arcade Card Duo/Pro bore the "Arcade CD-ROM²" mark, and could not be played using prior System Cards. The Arcade Card Pro includes the extra 192 kB needed for the original CD-ROM² System
    • Arcade Card Pro – 17.5 Mbit RAM (2240 kB as 2 MB+192 kB) – RAM upgrade for the original CD-ROM² System. This greatly expands the RAM available to 2240 kB. The BIOS revision was unchanged from v3.00. The Arcade Card Pro combines the functions of the Super System Card and the Arcade Card Duo into one unit. The 2 MB of RAM is accessed through ports or units of single Template:Nowrap banks and is intended for graphics data storage rather than program code; its flexible addressing system allows for rapid transfer of data to VRAM. While intended and marketed for the original CD-ROM² System, it's actually compatible with Super CD-ROM² add-on and all Duo consoles without any issues.
    • Games Express CD Card – Bootleg System Card. This was released by Hacker International for play of unlicensed Games Express CD games. The GECD Card is essentially a dongle; a BIOS v3.00 based machine (like a Duo or a Super CD-ROM²) is required for running those games.

Corresponding CD-ROM products

140px 125px
Arcade Card Duo (left) and Arcade Card Pro
  • CD-ROM² System – Consists of two components: a compact CD player (CDR-30) and the Interface Unit (IFU-30), which connects the CD player into the PC Engine console itself. These were sold separately or as part of a bundle. The Interface Unit also stores save data and provides a common power supply for the PC Engine and the CD player. A System Card is required for the PC Engine to access the functions of the CD player. Later revisions of both, the CD player (CDR-30A) and the Interface Unit (IFU-30A), featured improved disc reading capabilities.
  • System Card – The original CD-ROM² System Card included with the Interface Unit. The System Card underwent a few slight revisions, with Version 1.0 being the original model, followed by Version 2.0 (which adds CD+G support) and Version 2.1 (which auto-detects discs). Only Version 2.1 was sold as a stand-alone unit.
  • ROM² Adaptor (RAU-30) – A cable with two large ends that allows a PC Engine SuperGrafx (PI-TG4) console to be connected into the CD-ROM² Interface Unit.
  • Super System Card (PI-SC1) – An upgraded System Card that changes the BIOS of the CD-ROM² System to Version 3.0 and adds the 192kb of SRAM required to play Super CD-ROM² format discs.
  • Super CD-ROM² (PI-CD1) – An upgraded version of the CD-ROM² System add-on that combines the functions of the Interface Unit, CD-ROM player and Super System Card into one unit.
  • PC Engine Duo (PI-TG8) – A PC Engine console with a built-in Super CD-ROM² unit.
  • Super ROM² Adaptor (PI-AD8) – An adapter that allows the PC Engine LT (PI-TG9) to be connected into the Super CD-ROM² unit.
  • PC Engine Duo-R (PI-TG10) – A redesigned version of the PC Engine Duo.
  • PC Engine Duo-RX (PCE-DUORX) – The third version of the PC Engine Duo.
  • Arcade Card Duo (PCE-AC1) – A RAM expansion card that adds the 16 Megabits of DRAM required to run Arcade CD-ROM² discs on any Super CD-ROM² and PC Engine Duo systems.
  • Arcade Card Pro (PCE-AC2) – Combines the functions of the Arcade Card Duo and the Super System Card into one card. Designed and marketed primarily for the original CD-ROM² System.

Drive unit

  • Single-speed CD-ROM drive, managed by an NEC microcontroller and using the SCSI-I interface.
  • Transfer rate of 150 kB/s.

Reception

In Japan, the PC Engine was very successful, and at one point was the top-selling console in the nation.[32] In North America and Europe the situation was reversed, with both Sega and Nintendo dominating the console market at the expense of NEC. Initially, the TurboGrafx-16 sold well in the U.S., but eventually it suffered from lack of support from third-party software developers and publishers.

In 1990, ACE magazine praised the console's racing game library, stating that, compared to "all the popular consoles, the PC Engine is way out in front in terms of the range and quality of its race games."[33] Reviewing the Turbo Duo model in 1993, GamePro gave it a "thumbs down". Though they praised the system's CD sound, graphics, and five-player capability, they criticized the outdated controller and the games library, saying the third party support was "almost nonexistent" and that most of the first party games were localizations of games better suited to the Japanese market.[34] In 2009, the TurboGrafx-16 was ranked the 13th greatest video game console of all time by IGN, citing "a solid catalog of games worth playing," but also a lack of third party support and the absence of a second controller port.[35]

Legacy

In 1994, NEC released a new console, the Japan-only PC-FX, a 32-bit system with a tower-like design; it enjoyed a small but steady stream of games until 1998, when NEC finally abandoned the video games industry. NEC supplied rival Nintendo with the CPU for the Nintendo 64, released in 1996, and former rival Sega with a version of its PowerVR 2 GPU for the Dreamcast, released in 1998.

A number of TurboGrafx-16 and TurboGrafx-CD games were released on Nintendo's Virtual Console download service for the Wii,[36] Wii U, and Nintendo 3DS, including several that were originally never released outside Japan.[37][38] In 2011, ten TurboGrafx-16 games were released on the PlayStation Network for play on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable in the North American region.

In 2010 Hudson released an iPhone application entitled "TurboGrafx-16 GameBox" which allowed users to buy and play a number of select Turbo Grafx games via in-app purchases.[39]

In 2016, rapper Kanye West announced his 8th solo album would be titled "Turbo Grafx 16".[40][41]

Emulation

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|See also}} Emulation programs for the TurboGrafx-16 exist for several modern and retro operating systems and architectures and are at varying levels of emulation ranging from beta stage, to near perfect emulation of all PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16 formats.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition (2008)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
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  5. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/feb/27/why-kanye-west-right-recommend-turbografx-16-console
  6. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  7. ↑ Steven L. Kent, The Ultimate History of Video Games, p. 413.
  8. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  9. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  10. ↑ Pubs Sodipeng Pc-engine (1990–91) – Le Adra's Blog ! – GAMEBLOG.fr
  11. ↑ http://www.retroblog.fr/tag/sodipeng/
  12. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=news }}
  13. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=news }}
  14. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  15. ↑ 15.00 15.01 15.02 15.03 15.04 15.05 15.06 15.07 15.08 15.09 15.10 15.11 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PC-Engine_UK
  16. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  17. ↑ http://magweasel.com/2009/07/21/i-love-the-pc-engine-fighting-street/
  18. ↑ http://www.giantbomb.com/no-ri-ko/3030-39939/
  19. ↑ Top 25 Videogame Consoles of All Time, IGN. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
  20. ↑ Template:Citation
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  22. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
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  24. ↑ Vistar 16
  25. ↑ Template:Cite magazine
  26. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  28. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  29. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  30. ↑ http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:G7O62_Ggt1sJ:archaicpixels.com/images/f/f8/MSM5205.pdf
  31. ↑ http://www.ysutopia.net/special/MSM5205.htm
  32. ↑ Template:Cite journal
  33. ↑ ACE, issue 34 (July 1990), page 59
  34. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=news }}
  35. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  36. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link
  37. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  38. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  39. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  40. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}
  41. ↑ {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link

External links

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