Best TurboGrafx-16 RPGs of All Time

The TurboGrafx-16: The Overlooked Platform

The TurboGrafx-16 (NEC, 1989) competed directly with the Sega Genesis and Nintendo SNES during the 16-bit console war and lost in the Western market despite having several genuinely exceptional games. NEC’s platform had advantages — the TurboGrafx CD-ROM attachment arrived years before the Sega CD — and the Japanese PC Engine library is extensive and celebrated in Japan. In North America, the platform remains underappreciated, which makes its best games rewarding discoveries for retro players.

Ys Book I & II: The Platform’s Crown Jewel

Ys Book I & II (TurboGrafx-CD, 1989) combined the first two entries in Falcom’s Ys action-RPG series into a single disc release and used the CD format’s audio capacity to produce a voice-acted, CD-quality soundtrack that no cartridge platform of the era could match. The result was technically years ahead of contemporary home console releases.

Adol Christin’s adventures in the island kingdom of Esteria (Book I) and the floating kingdom of Ys (Book II) involve the series’ signature bump attack combat — Adol deals damage by running into enemies at an angle — alongside exploration across interconnected environments and a narrative that builds substantial momentum across the combined 15-20 hour runtime.

The soundtrack, composed by Falcom’s in-house team and arranged for CD with live instruments, is widely considered among the finest game music ever recorded. “Palace of Destruction,” “Tower of the Shadow of Death,” and “To Make the End of Battle” have been arranged, covered, and performed by orchestras worldwide. Players who discover Ys through this release are discovering one of gaming’s finest action-RPG experiences.

Bonk’s Adventure: The Platform Mascot

Bonk’s Adventure (1989) was NEC’s answer to Sonic and Mario — a prehistoric caveman who headbutted enemies, bounced off walls, and navigated colorful platformer levels with the series’ distinctive visual style. Bonk became the TurboGrafx’s mascot and received multiple sequels, with this original establishing the character’s appeal and the platform’s identity.

The Shooters and Other Excellence

The TurboGrafx-16’s other strong categories were shoot-em-ups and action games. Blazing Lazers (1989) is a vertically-scrolling shooter with power-up variety and bosses that escalated in visual ambition beyond contemporary console shooters. Soldier Blade (1992) is the series’ apex: a tight, demanding vertical shmup with excellent weapon balance.

Castlevania: Rondo of Blood (1993, PC Engine CD) is arguably the finest game in the Castlevania series — Richter Belmont’s whip-and-subweapon adventure through Castle Dracula with multiple routes, Maria as a second playable character, and a scale of design that Symphony of the Night explicitly built upon. Rondo’s Western release was delayed by years; many players discovered it through emulation or the Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles compilation.

Why Explore the TurboGrafx Library

The TurboGrafx-16’s Western library is small enough that the best games are easily identifiable and large enough that exploring it provides genuine discoveries. Ys Book I & II alone justifies the platform’s historical importance. Rondo of Blood, Blazing Lazers, and Bonk add variety that makes the library worthwhile for retro players who have exhausted the SNES and Genesis catalogs.