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Beginning of the End The American system was titled the TurboGrafx-16. It was called that because the system boasted the first 16-bit Graphics Processor on the market. The system was radically redesigned cosmetically – it was effectively more than twice it’s Japanese counterpart’s size, and was painted a dark brown colour, instead of PC Engine’s white. The cartridge slot was located at the far right, giving it an unappealing, asymmetrical look. The larger size is attributed to FCC rules which stipulated electronics much have a certain amount of shielding to prevent it from interfering with other electronic devices. There was still only one controller port in the unit, but this time it used the large DIN connector that old PC keyboard used, instead of the mini-DIN that the PC Engine and Duo systems used (and newer PC keyboards and mice). It also featured a large plastic hood that covered the expansion port, which stuck out the back. It could be removed at any time, but the system really did look funny with the port exposed. In fact, the system looked funny with the hood in place as well. Let’s face it - the new system was ugly. 1989 was not a good year for NEC in the US anyhow. The TurboGrafx-16’s sales were dismal. The system did not take off like it did in Japan. NEC just couldn’t compete with Nintendo’s Entertainment System’s (NES) market power. But, sales were enough for NEC to keep the system around North America a little longer yet. |
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Index: The Competition Gets Stronger |