Anybody know anything about PC Engine launch in Japan?

[Anthony1]

From what I remember, the PC Engine actually came out in Japan in October of 1987. Pretty freaking amazing if you really think about it. It was available in Japan almost two full years before it came out over here. The question I have, is what PC Engine games were actually available in 1987?


Also, if anybody knows any details about the launch of the PC Engine back then in 1987 or a link to any websites that talk about it's debut. I wonder if anybody in the U.S. actually imported one back then? I mean, talk about state of the art. Had I seen the TG-16 in action in 1987, I would have had a heart attack!

Back in 1987, I was a junior in High School and I had a NES system at the time and was little more than a casual sports game player. Me and my buddies would play games like Tecmo Bowl and Double Dribble and Bases Loaded. I had absolutely no clue whatsoever that such a pimp system actually existed in Japan at that time. If I could go back in time and change things, I would have somehow got my hands on a bunch of money and bought as many PC Engines as possible, and I would have also bought as many Commodore RGB monitors as possible. I would have gotten some electrician dude to build me RGB cables for them, and I would have opened up a Game Store. People would have come in and seen the PC Engine operating in RGB with true stereo sound, and at that time, it would have been mind blowing. I could have changed the course of history single handedly for NEC, if only I could use a time machine!!


Just kidding, but still, it would have been amazing to have actually experienced the PC Engine from the very beginning. The closest I've ever came to experiencing something like that, way before the common folk, was when I played a Super Famicom shortly after it was released. Talk about mind blowing. I think that was in 1990, or maybe early 1991. Can't really remember. Anyways, as mind blowing as it was to see games like Super Mario World and F-Zero way before they came to the U.S., it would have been even more amazing to have played a system like the PC Engine in 1987.

[exit]

Here's a small start.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_Engine

[NeoZeedeater]

Didn't you make this topic before, Anthony1?

Bikkuriman World(port of Wonder Boy in Monster Land), The Kung Fu(China Warrior), and Shanghai come to mind for 1987 releases, or at least games with 1987 on the title screen.

[Anthony1]

Didn't you make this topic before, Anthony1?

Bikkuriman World(port of Wonder Boy in Monster Land), The Kung Fu(China Warrior), and Shanghai come to mind for 1987 releases, or at least games with 1987 on the title screen.

I did do this topic before, and I did a search for it, but couldn't locate it. Anyways, I didn't get much response before, so I thought I would try it again. I'm not suprised that China Warrior was one of the first games. I think it had Raiden or R-Type in 1987 too, but I'm not sure which one.

[luffy744]

As I was 4 years old, and didn't even have my NES yet at the end of '87 (not to mention being in the wrong country anyway), I certainly missed the PC Engine launch.

I had found a website at one point that had a list of all the release dates for every official PC Engine hucard and cd game, but I can't seem to find it now.

I copied it to a text file and here's what it says for '87 games:

Bikkuriman World (aka Wonderboy in Monsterland) Oct 30, 1987
Shanghai Oct 30, 1987
The Kung Fu (aka China Warrior) Nov 21, 1987
Kato-chan + Ken-chan (aka JJ & Jeff) Nov 30, 1987
Victory Run Dec 28, 1987

If I had been in Japan at the time and bought all those, I'd soon after have sold them all except Bikkuriman, because the others all suck hard IMO. Or I would have just gone back to my Famicom.

So that was sort of the "release window" for the PC Engine in Japan. Kind of funny how I read several websites remark about how the Xbox 360 was going to "only" have ~18 games at launch.

[Anthony1]

As I was 4 years old, and didn't even have my NES yet at the end of '87 (not to mention being in the wrong country anyway), I certainly missed the PC Engine launch.

I had found a website at one point that had a list of all the release dates for every official PC Engine hucard and cd game, but I can't seem to find it now.

I copied it to a text file and here's what it says for '87 games:

Bikkuriman World (aka Wonderboy in Monsterland) Oct 30, 1987
Shanghai Oct 30, 1987
The Kung Fu (aka China Warrior) Nov 21, 1987
Kato-chan + Ken-chan (aka JJ & Jeff) Nov 30, 1987
Victory Run Dec 28, 1987

If I had been in Japan at the time and bought all those, I'd soon after have sold them all except Bikkuriman, because the others all suck hard IMO. Or I would have just gone back to my Famicom.

So that was sort of the "release window" for the PC Engine in Japan. Kind of funny how I read several websites remark about how the Xbox 360 was going to "only" have ~18 games at launch.

Well, I guess the launch date of October 30th, 1987 is probably accurate then. China Warrior probably didn't seem that bad of a game back in 1987. I mean, the size of the character was just enormous and was probably shocking to people at the time. It must have seemed like a real arcade game, compared to the size of guys on the famicom. Those are some pretty booty games though, I must admit.