The Turbo Grafx-16 turns 27 later this week (the 19^th) so it got me to thinking what are the best games to own on it?  This list was not easy to come up with because there are so many great games.  I did not pull the old trick of padding the list with multiple titles that are essentially the same (Alien Crush/Devil’s Crush).  Hate it or love it, here are my top 10 picks for the Turbo Grafx-16, as released in North America only (sorry, no imports on this one).

• Blazing Lazers was an early release and it was hard to top. In fact the next overhead scrolling shooter to take this initial release on was Super Star Soldier.  Shooters are not often as fun as Blazing Lazers is so fans of overhead scrolling shooters grab this one ASAP.  Blazing Lazers on Ebay.
• Neutopia I and II was NEC’s answer to the Legend of Zelda series on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Overhead action with light role playing elements added in- what more could you ask for?  Grab Neutopia I or II on Ebay.
• Lords of Thunder was a Super CD-ROM release that was just jaw dropping upon its release. This was one of the leading side scrolling shooters we saw on the system in North America and was a poster child for the release of the Turbo Duo console.  Grab Lords of Thunder on Ebay.
• Bomberman ’93 is THE reason to own a Turbo Grafx-16 and a Turbo Tap with additional controllers. This is a party game that will get the blood pumping more so than Mario Party ever will.  Just be prepared to realize you are more vengeful than you thought.  Grab Bomberman ’93 on Ebay.
• Legendary Axe was the leading 2D side scrolling action game on the platform. Why this was not the pack-in will forever boggle my mind as this was amazing when shown in commercials (that goliath boss).  Grab Legendary Axe on Ebay.
• Y’s Book 1 and 2 was one of the first CD-ROM games released for the Turbo Grafx-16. This title made headlines in the press of the time due to the cut scenes and the length of the overall game.  Role playing fans were in a whole new world in Y’s. Grab Y’s Book 1 and 2 on Ebay.
• If you are not interested in dropping Ebay prices for a Turbo Duo or a CD-ROM attachment then grab R-Type on Hu-Card. This is the classic shooter in all of its glory. Grab a copy of R-Type on Ebay.
• Bonk’s Adventure and Bonk’s Revenge were the poster children for the TG-16 and the consoles answer to Mario and Sonic. This series was much more family friendly than Legendary Axe so I classify them differently. Grab Bonk’s Adventure and Bonk’s Revenge on Ebay.
• Military Madness is still thought of as one of the best turn based strategy titles on consoles. Many of the stylings presented here were ripped off in future games.  Grab Military Madness on Ebay.
• Devil’s Crush was the sequel to Alien Crush and in my opinion the better of the two pinball games. Sure, there were other pinball games on the console (a few actually) but I feel this is the better one of the bunch.  Grab Devil’s Crush on Ebay.

There you have it.  What is your top 10 list of Turbo Grafx-16 games?

Carl Williams

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