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TurboDuo

From NEC Retro

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TurboDuo logo.png
TurboDuo set.jpg
TurboDuo
Manufacturer: NEC
Release Date RRP Code
Super CD-ROM²
US
$299.99299.99

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The TurboDuo is a home console manufactured by NEC and originally released in North America in 1992. It is a localised version of the PC Engine Duo. From early 1993 onwards, distributors TTI officially branded the hardware just the Duo, though this naming scheme did not fully catch on.

Hardware

The TurboDuo reverses a decision made by the TurboGrafx-16, by opting to use Japanese PC Engine-style controller ports rather than the differing design used by Western systems up until this point. This means all Western controllers released before October 1992 are incompatible with the TurboDuo without adapters, though a wider range of controllers can now be imported from Japan without compatibility issues.

Problematically this meant that at the time, in order to play against a friend, a (relatively rare) Duo Tap needed to be used, as the old TurboTap is incompatible with the system.

History

Release

The TurboDuo debuted in North America in October 1992 to the tune of $299.99, in a bulky package containing complete with four games; Bonk's Adventure, Bonk's Revenge, Gate of Thunder (combined and bundled onto one CD-ROM) and Ys Book I & II, a $50 coupon and a reserved, mail-order copy of Turbo Force #3. It allowed Turbo Technologies Inc. to claim the system was shipping with $250-worth of software for free.

The package led to favourable comparisons with Sega's Genesis ($99.99) and Sega CD (£299.99), which if bought together would cost $399.98 (although the Sega CD package included two games, a four in one compilation and a CD-ROM sampler, conveniently ignored by TTI's marketing department).

In early 1993 the TurboDuo was renamed by TTI, becoming simply the "Duo" with software known as "Duo Soft"[2].

While the TurboDuo supplanted the TurboGrafx-16 as TTI's console of choice in North America, it never matched the earlier system's popularity and was discontinued in 1994.

Magazine articles

Main article: TurboDuo/Magazine articles.

Artwork

Physical scans

TurboDuo, US

References


CD-ROM² systems
CD-ROM² (1988) | Super CD-ROM² (1991) | Arcade CD-ROM² (1994)
Hardware
CD-ROM² (Interface Unit | RAU-30) (1988) | TurboGrafx-CD (1989) | PC Engine Duo (1991) | Super CD-ROM² (Super CD-ROM² Adaptor) (1991) | TurboDuo (1992) | PC Engine Duo-R (1993) | LaserActive (1993)
System Cards
System Card | Super System Card | Arcade Card Pro/Duo
Games Express CD Card