TG-16 games hit the Wii

30 Comments by Kyle Orland Nov 21st 2006 4:45PM
Filed under: Retro, Nintendo Wii

We were a little concerned when the Wii's Virtual Console launched this Sunday without any downloadable TurboGrafx-16 games, despite a promise from a Nintendo press release that Bomberman '93 would be one of the games that was "ready to play on launch day." Were there problems finalizing the Wii's TG-16 emulator? Licensing issues still to be worked out with HudsonSoft? A general feeling that players didn't care about the little known system?

Well, it seems our rhetorical hand-wringing was a little premature, because as of today Bomberman '93 and Bonk's Adventure are both downloadable from the Wii Shop Channel for 600 Wii points ($6). A post from Hudson staffer John on the Hudson Entertainment forums suggests the games were indeed playable on dev kits by launch day, but might have been delayed due to a hitch in the certification process for the TG-16 games. Whatever the reason, we're just glad the problems have been worked out and we can now play around with the original headbanger to our heart's content.

Tags: bomberman, bonk, hudson, virtual console, VirtualConsole, wii

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(Page 1) Reader Comments

crono141: Nov 21st 2006; 4:54PM

All I want to know is if Rondo of Blood is coming to the Virtual Console

The rest of the TG-16 games can take a hike, for all I care.

Orangecoke: Nov 21st 2006; 4:59PM

I have very fond memories of Bonk, as well as Legendary Axe. Awesome!

Mobat: Nov 21st 2006; 5:02PM

Is it sad I have a full working Turbo Grafx 16 hooked to my TV, yet I am compelled to buy Bonk for my Wii?

Is my classic collection becoming obsolete because the Wii lets me play wirelessly?

Scott: Nov 21st 2006; 5:05PM

Does anyone else think that Bonk has a big head?

Darkness: Nov 21st 2006; 5:08PM

Mobat, those TG-16 controllers didn't have much of a cord length. I was always pulling the things out of the sockets back in the day. At least this way you don't have to be sitting that close to the TV. Heh, heh.

Paulcardo: Nov 21st 2006; 5:09PM

Nintendo it's getting a lot of problems without a few days of wii launch (i already have the WiiConnect24 problem)

Hachi_Roku: Nov 21st 2006; 5:12PM

Am I the only Wii owner who has never seen the shop channel? Unless its that blue ring that just sits there and spins perpetually.

Pete C: Nov 21st 2006; 5:17PM

Legendary Axe! My first 16-bit game! Oh, the Turbografx...awesome. Then I saw Genesis and started crying.

Sean: Nov 21st 2006; 5:18PM

Bonk's Adventure will be the first Virtual Console game I buy (I already have zelda from the WW preorder). Even though I have a TG16 hooked up in my office, I never did find a Bonk's Adventure hu-card (except on ebay, and screw ebay).

Anyone know if TG16 games can be played with the wiimote, or do I need to be hooking up my wavebird?

Shogan: Nov 21st 2006; 5:41PM

And Bomberman is 5 PLAYERS! That's awesome!!

Miniboss: Nov 21st 2006; 5:52PM

@ 9.

Reportedly, the Wii-mote will work, since the TG-16 was essentially an NES pad. Well, except for the "Turbo" functionality. :)

moominsean: Nov 21st 2006; 5:53PM

gaaa...and i just downloaded sonic to try out the purhcasing thing. bonk is a great game! i got bored with sonic after 10 minutes.

redspear75: Nov 21st 2006; 6:07PM

You can even play genesis games with the wiimote. Sonic works great...Altered beast is a bit awkward since hte punch button is the large A button

ChrisL: Nov 21st 2006; 6:11PM

"13. You can even play genesis games with the wiimote. Sonic works great...Altered beast is a bit awkward since hte punch button is the large A button"

Altered Beast is awkward for about 9,342,126 reasons. Definitely the worst game ever released by Sega for a home console.

Mobat: Nov 21st 2006; 6:36PM

Darkness

I completely agree, might have to toss the TG16 on ebay to pay for my VC games.

Sam Machkovech: Nov 21st 2006; 6:36PM

Five-player Bomberman '93 is up and runnin' at my house, best VC title so far just on this factor alone. This has great implications for five-player SNES games as well...perhaps a translated Super Bomberman 5? Long shot, but we can dream.

Orangecoke: Nov 21st 2006; 6:50PM

Id love to see other TGX 16 games available like Military Madness (omg classic!), Dragons Crush (Devil's Crush? It's been so long I'm forgetting the names). I have to say, I loved my TGFX back in the day. Maybe even JJ and Jeff?

zenprism: Nov 21st 2006; 6:59PM

My Dog! I remember WAY back in the day (pre-1990), I once drew a picture in crayon for school about my ideal bedroom. I had a NES and a TurboGrafx 16 set up around a television (I only had the NES on my family TV).
Years passed and I never actually got a TurboGrafx 16. Tonight, once my workday is done, I will go home and finally fulfill my childhood dream. I will play TurboGrafx 16 games on a TV in my bedroom.
Thank you Nintendo!

Darkness: Nov 21st 2006; 7:15PM

What I'd love to see are some of the CD classics.

-Lords of Thunder
-Dungeon Explorer 2
-Ys
-Castlevania!!

Other games I'd like to see would be:
-D&D: Order of the Griffin
-Utopia
-Utopia 2

Good stuff. :)

The Jeremy: Nov 21st 2006; 7:36PM

Is Slaughterhouse (or was it Splatterhouse?) an option?

Considering the Japanese version of the TG-16 (the "PC Engine") was a red hot console, there's an "endless" amount of virtual games that could make it onto the Wii.

However, one must remember why the TG-16 was a failure in the US. Because Nintendo monopolized the industry then by stating that any NES licensee could not make games for competing systems. Thus the TG-16 flopped because all the third party companies that had made games for it in Japan were NES licensees and could not translate and distribute those games for the TG-16 in the States.

I'm also remembering that game of the two characters who farted which was a PC Engine hit but was "cleaned up" for the TG-16 release.

Mr. Khan: Nov 21st 2006; 7:39PM

Aye, Bomberman '93 is going to be my first VC title, as soon as i buy a Classic Controller (black friday shopping ftw)

& Mobat, if i were you, i'd just avoid re-buying them (only buy T16 games you don't have for the actual T16), that's what i'm using the VC for, all the games and all the consoles that i missed (i missed a hell of a lot, only got into games back in '99 with the N64)

A penny saved is a penny earned and all that

Arex: Nov 21st 2006; 7:52PM

Question: Anyone know if there is some sort of "turbo switch" emulation for TG16 games? 'cause Bonk requires turbo at full tilt on the B/II button.

Roders: Nov 21st 2006; 9:11PM

5 player Bomberman?? Oh yeah!

Am I the only person who hasn't had any problems with Nintendo's online service? I had it up and running within minutes of hooking everything up and I've downloaded three games (pinball, simcity, bomberman) without any problem.

spencer: Nov 21st 2006; 9:13PM

Bonk's back! I loved Bonk!!!

sgt_goomba: Nov 21st 2006; 11:15PM

Just a tip to those having trouble connecting to the wii shop. Go to your router admin settings. (for linksys routers type in http://192.168.1.1 in a browser on any computer on your network, and type "admin" for the password). It'll take you to a settings screen. Click around and find a menu for changing the channel. Set it to 11 or anything other than 6. I found this top on the official nintendo forums, and it worked for me in two seperate locations with two seperate routers where I was having trouble.

Yoshi Likes Boys: Nov 21st 2006; 11:58PM

Dude. I ordered Bomberman as soon as I read this (I'm up to 4 VC games, this is going to be bad for my habit). Local multiplayer with my 3 brothers all home for thanksgiving is going to ROCK.

Rootbeer: Nov 22nd 2006; 12:47PM

How is 5-player TurboTap support accomplished? Can the Wii have more than 4 remotes communicating with it at the same time?

I guess you could have two players on each remote -- one on the remote itself, and another on the remote attachment (nunchuk or classic controller).

Heck, attach 4 Gamecube controllers to the GC ports too, and you could have theoretical 12-player melee action! (On titles written to support it, of course -- I'm not saying that a TG16 game would.)

I'd suggest using DS's as even MORE controllers over Wi-Fi, but that would just be silly.

Terry: Nov 22nd 2006; 3:06PM

5 Player support is accomplished by mixing players using Wiimotes and players using Wavebirds. The VC warns you that you'll need at least one Wavebird to enable 5 player. But this means you can apparently have up to 8 simultanious players possible if a game could support it.

Hope we see other great TG-16 multiplayer titles, like Moto Roader for instance?

PiratePete: Nov 22nd 2006; 4:13PM

"Bonk's Adventure"
The ONLY game that my wife will play.
(Aside from SB3)

omfg!: Nov 22nd 2006; 6:42PM

#4
Does anyone else think that Scott is a moron?
That's the whole point. Bonk BONKS shit with his head!

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