Jump to content

TurboPlay

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Esteban666 (talk | contribs) at 19:50, 4 July 2006 (Corrected syntax for Alan Hunter's internal link.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

File:Tp 91 06.jpg
The cover of the June/July '91 issue of TurboPlay, featuring Bonk_(video_game), TG-16's mascot.

TurboPlay Magazine was a bi-monthly, U.S.-based video game magazine published by Larry Flynt Publications (L.F.P.) from June/July 1990 through August/September 1992. It was available via subscription only ($9.95 USD per year). A total of fourteen (14) issues were released, on schedule. TurboPlay exclusively covered NEC's line of video game consoles, especially the North American models: TurboGrafx-16 (PC Engine), TurboGrafx-CD (TG-CD), Turbo Duo (DUO) and the handheld TurboExpress (PC Engine GT). NEC's SuperGrafx (which was never released outside of Japan) also received some minor coverage.

Each issue of TurboPlay was 32 pages in length and contained software/hardware reviews & previews, strategy guides & cheats, letters to the editor, a feature article or two, contest announcements, etc. These contests, held bi-monthly, often required folks to be creative (as writers or artists) and winning entries were awarded one (1) Grand Prize (typically five TG-16 software titles) and five (5) Runners Up (typically one TG-16 software title).

Jim McDermott, Alan Hunter, Van Arno and other illustrators supplied the cover art for TurboPlay. Feature articles ranged from coverage of trade shows (i.e. CES, Tokyo Toy Fair, E3, etc.) to "behind the scenes" peeks at game development (i.e. interviews with actors during the filming of FMV (full motion video) sequences for the TG-CD It Came From the Desert; interviews with the ICOM development team that created the TG-CD Addams Family).

Both HuCard (TurboChip) and CD-ROM (TG-CD) games were reviewed. Since the TG-CD library was relatively small, the bulk of reviews cover the HuCard format games. The format of the game reviews changed over the course of the first few issues: initially games were not given a quantitative score (issues #1 & #2), then games were graded on a scale of one to five stars (five being the best, issues #3 & #4), finally, with issue #5, TurboPlay adopted VG & CE's standard format for reviews (i.e. games were given individual scores -- on a ten-point scale -- for Sound/Music, Graphics, Playability and "Overall").

NEC did not produce TurboPlay, and thus did not have editorial control over its content, but NEC was the primary source of advertising revenue (NEC agreed to purchase at least 4 full-page ads in each issue, "indefinitely"). As a result, NEC's ads dominated the pages of TurboPlay, although one could also find ads for mail-order companies and a small roster of third-party publishers: Tengen (KLAX), Radiance Software (Sidearms), IGS (Sonic Spike, Sinistron, Tricky Kick), and Working Designs (Cadash, Parasol Stars, Cosmic Fantasy 2, Exile, etc.)

Publication History & Personnel

TurboPlay was a spin-off magazine from the editors of Video Games & Computer Entertainment (VG&CE), a popular multi-platform magazine of the late 1980's / early 1990's. VG&CE, like TurboPlay, was published by L.F.P. The two magazines would occasionally run cross-promotions to encourage readers to subscribe to their sister publication.

Lee Pappas and Andy Eddy (respectively, publisher and executive editor of VG&CE) would lend their talents to TurboPlay ... as did many other VG&CE staff / reviewers. Notable writers for TurboPlay included Victor Ireland (of Working Designs fame), Donn Nauert (a video game record holder), etc.

Donn Nauert, a celebrity of sorts in the gaming community (at the time, he held many video game "high score" records in the Guinness Book of World Records), wrote many of the feature articles for TurboPlay, in addition to the strategy guides that appeared in nearly every issue. [Aside: As to Mr. Nauert's status, you might also recall that he, along with Jim Allee, have the dubious honor of being the first and only members of the "US National Video Game Team".]

Victor Ireland, another up-and-coming "celebrity" in the gaming community (he convinced the owner of Working Designs to enter the video game market and begin localizing popular titles for TG-16, TG-CD, Sega CD and later, Sony PlayStation) also contributed regularly to TurboPlay. Beginning with issue #4 (Dec. 90 / Jan. 91), Victor Ireland wrote "Games Around the World", a regular column that profiled PC-Engine games available in Japan. He also covered many trade shows and even penned a feature article on "The Sound and Vision of CD+G". [ CD+G -- audio compact disc + graphics -- was a relatively new format supported by high-end CD players, TurboGrafx-CD, and later, the Sega CD.]

Initially, the software reviews in TurboPlay were uncredited, but eventually the authors were acknowldged. Not surprisingly, some of the reviewers from VG & CE (Chris Bieniek, Clayton Walnum, Donn Nauert, etc.) were commissioned to write reviews for TurboPlay as well. Donn Nauert and Chris Bieniek eventually became permanent staff at TurboPlay.

Importance of TurboPlay to the TG-16 Gaming Community

During the 16-bit console wars, TurboGrafx-16 struggled in the North American market and, as a result, was given marginal coverage in the major multi-platform magazines of the day. By default, TurboPlay was the only resource Turbo fans could turn to for more in-depth, consistent and timely coverage of TG-16 domestically and PC-Engine in Japan. Ultimately, it proved to be the most successful North American publication dedicated exclusively to NEC's consoles (see below for related TG-16 publications).

  • NEC published TurboEdge, an official TG-16 newsletter. Only three issues were released: Spring 1991, Fall 1991, Spring 1992. Black and white, 6-8 pages apiece.
  • Sendai Publishing Group, under editorial control of TTi, published four issues of Turbo Force to promote the launch of the Turbo Duo console: June 1992, September 1992, January 1993, Spring 1993. Full color, 32 pages apiece.
  • After the Turbo Duo was launched, L.F.P. published three issues of Duo World that covered the new console: July / August 1993 (32 pages), September / October 1993 (16 pages), November / December 1993 (16 pages).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=TurboPlay&oldid=62069491"